《The Return of the God Level Assassin》


 Chapter 1 DEATH BY POTTED PLANT

    LUO YAN fixed his necktie and looked at his reflection in the mirror. What stared back at him was a tall man in his early twenties with impecably handsome features. He lifted the corner of his lips. It was just a simple smile but itpletely changed his temperament. From a handsome boy-next-door to an elegant gentleman.


    [You¡¯re really handsome, aren¡¯t you?]


    He took his bag and looked around the four bedroom dormitory. This has been his home for the past four years. But he didn¡¯t have any attachment to it at all. For him, it was just a ce to sleep.


    All his other three room mates had already moved out after graduation. He was the only one still living here. There was a rule in the university that after you graduated, you should move out of the student dormitory. At most, you could only stay for three days. But Luo Yan requested if he could stay for at least ten days more. With his outstanding grades, add that to the warm and gentle temperament he¡¯d been projecting for the past four years, coupled with his handsome appearance, his request was easily approved. Besides, there were still other students like him who were still staying at the dormitory.


    But after today, he could finally move. Thepany he¡¯s going to work for provides housing for employees who needed it. He could only get the key to the apartment provided by thepany today. So after his first day of work, he would be able to move out of here. He didn¡¯t have many things to pack up, only three boxes. That¡¯s the extent of his belongings. He already contacted a delivery service that would deliver his things to the apartment building¡¯s address.


    Luo Yan put on his shoes and went out of the room.


    As early as three months ago, before Luo Yan even graduated, he received an offer from a prestigious gamingpany. That was not really a surprise since he graduated top of the ss in their Computer Science Department. He didn¡¯t hesitate to ept. He loved ying games. He¡¯s also interested in designing one. So it¡¯s his goal to work in a gamingpany. If he¡¯s going to work, he might as well do something that he loved to do.


    He had been making concessions throughout his life. But now, graduating and having a job that could support him, he no longer had to do that.


    Luo Yan was an orphan. His parents died in a car ident when he was four years old. They were just ordinary office workers, not from any big family. His memories of that time were already blurry. But he could still remember the warmugh of his father and the loving embrace of his mother. They might have lived in a big house, but his parents loved him with all their hearts. After they died, everything changed for him.


    Not one of his rtives wanted to take him in, some even fought who got to keep his parents meager belongings. At the end, Luo Yan was sent to an orphanage. The environment of the orphanage was not exactly bad, but it was not exactly good either. Everything was so new to him back then, everyday he was filled with grief, fear, and sadness. Because he was the new kid, almost everyone bullied him. Stealing his portion of food, even pushing their chores to him. He could only bow his head, let it go, and cry.


    But soon, he learned that crying would not do him any good. So he learned to adapt. He learned to smile even though he didn¡¯t want to. He learned to praise others even though he didn¡¯t want to. He learned to act like a fool even though he didn¡¯t want to. His life in the orphanage became easier after that. Until he was adopted when he was ten.


    Luo Yan sharply shook his head. He didn¡¯t want to remember that dark history.


    Just three months after adoption, he was returned to a different orphanage. That time, Luo Yan made sure that he won¡¯t be adopted again. That was not very hard for him. He just made sure that everyone in the orphanae would like him. From the children up to the a.d.u.l.ts. Especially the director. The director was a middle aged woman with no husband and children. So it was easy for Luo Yan to get close to her. Soon, he became her nominal son.


    He stayed at that orphanage until he reached eighteen. He took the college entrance examination and got a very good score. No, not just very good but one of the best. His score was actually one of the top ten best scores in the whole country. He chose to go to T University - the best university in the country. Because he knew that it would be easier for him to find a job if he graduated from there.


    Luo Yan was not a genius. He just knew how to work hard. The good grades he got was the result of his hard work. Sometimes he would study until the sun came up. Because that¡¯s the only way he knew how to change his life. If he didn¡¯t work hard, then he would continue to stay at the bottom of society. Not having anything.


    And now, everything paid off. Luo Yan was on his way on his first day of work. This was only the first step and he just knew that everything would be better after this.


    He just walked out of the dormitory building when he heard a scream from above. Just as Luo Yan looked up, he saw a potted nting down on his direction at a very fast speed.


    [Oh shit.]


    That was hisst thought before the potted nt crashed on his face and his vision turned dark.

 Chapter 2 WHO IS THIS FAIRY??

    LUO YAN slowly opened his eyes. It felt like there¡¯s an elephant stepping on his eyelids. It was so heavy, he could barely open it. Then the first thing he saw was a white ceiling. The smell of strong disinfectants invaded his nostrils. In the silence, the only thing he could hear was the beeping sound of the machine beside his bed. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize where he was.


    A hospital room.


    Why was he in a hospital? Then as if answering his question, memories just came crashing down inside his mind.


    The first thing he remembered was happily going out of his college dormitory. It was his first day at his new job so he was pretty excited. He left early because he wanted to give a good impression to his superiors. But just as he was about to leave, a potted nt fell straight to his face.


    Luo Yan really thought that that was his end. But seeing as he was able to wake up again, looked like he didn¡¯t die after all. Then how about his job? Did someone inform them of what happened to him? They wouldn¡¯t just fire him because of this, right? It was totally an ident. It was not even his fault. It was the fault of whoever stupid guy that dropped that potted nt. Luo Yan swore if he found out who that was, punching them was not even enough.


    How long had he been here anyway?


    Luo Yan tried to move but found that he couldn¡¯t. He started to panic. What if that potted nt actually hurt his brain and he somehow ended up paralyzed? No, wait. His hands and feet could still feel sensations. In fact, his whole body was actually quite in a lot of pain. Aside from that, he also felt very weak. Well, at least this meant that he wasn¡¯t paralyzed. But even so, Luo Yan didn¡¯t like this weakened state.


    Then he heard the door opening. When he slowly turned his head, he saw a nurseing in. The nurse¡¯s eyes turned as big as a saucer when she saw him. She immediately walked towards the phone attached to the wall. "Hello, yes, please call Dr. Han. The patient in the VIP room just woke up. No, I¡¯m serious. Why would I even joke about that?"


    VIP room? Why would he be put in the VIP room? Was the one who caused this ident actually a rich young master? He felt guilty, paid for Luo Yan¡¯s hopitalization, and put him into a VIP room? How generous. Bute to think of it, that¡¯s definitely something he should do. He¡¯s the reason why he¡¯s in the hospital after all.


    The nurse walked up to the side of his bed. "Do you feel any difort?" she asked kindly.


    "J-just a--"


    Luo Yan stopped. What¡¯s this? Why couldn¡¯t he speak properly? He wanted to try again but every vibration in his throat hurt like hell. It¡¯s like he hadn¡¯t use his vocal chords for quite a long time.


    "It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to force yourself. I¡¯m sorry if big sister suddenly asked you a question. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re pretty confused right now. But don¡¯t worry, your doctor will soone and he will do a thorough check on you. Everything will be alright."


    Okay. That¡¯s kind of creepy. Why was this nurse talking to him as if he¡¯s a child?


    "But this is really a miracle. Your family will be very happy once they know you¡¯re awake."


    His family? No, that¡¯s impossible. Those greedy bastards probably didn¡¯t even know that he¡¯s in the hospital.


    "H-ho...w l-long... sl-slee... ping?"


    "Oh, how long have you been asleep?" Luo Yan nodded. The nurse suddenly gazed at him pitifully. "It¡¯s been seven years, second young master Luo."


    If Luo Yan could speak, he would have probably already shouted. Seven years? Seven freaking years?! He¡¯s been in aa for that long? No wonder he felt so weak. No wonder he couldn¡¯t even speak. Then how about his job? He¡¯s probably been already fired long ago. What would happen now to his golden future?


    He wanted to kill someone. Preferably the jerk who pushed that potted nt. Luo Yan didn¡¯t care if it was an ident or not. He didn¡¯t even care that he didn¡¯t shirk from his responsibility and put him in this VIP room. It¡¯s not enough. Seven years! He lost seven years of his life! Luo Yan would definitely bleed the bastard dry until he had no money left in his ount. He would definitely get what he was owed.


    Then Luo Yan suddenly remembered what the nurse called him. Second young master Luo. Why would she call him that? Add that to the other things she said and there¡¯s already a vague guess in his heart. But how could that be? This was not some . This was real life. But what if his guess was right?


    "Mi...rror..."


    "You want a mirror?"


    Luo Yan nodded once again.


    Although the nurse was a bit confused why this young master suddenly asked for a mirror, she still took thepact mirror she always carried from her pocket. She held it in front of the beautiful teenager.


    Luo Yan eyes widened when he saw the reflection in the mirror. In the mirror was a teenager who looked about 14, 15 years old. He had long ck hair that seemed soft to the touch, big peach blossom eyes surrounded by long eyshes, a small upturned nose, lips that seemed pale but still had a pink tinge to it, not too mention, the overly white skin that seemed too delicate.


    Who the hell was this fairy?!

 Chapter 3 A NEW LUO YAN

    LUO YAN was in a daze. He didn¡¯t even notice when the doctor came in. A very big sign that he was still in shock. He just couldn¡¯t believe that there woulde a time in his life that he would experience the famous ¡¯rebirth¡¯. He thought that could only happen in s. Wait- what if he wasn¡¯t actually reborn but instead he actually crossed into some ? And now he became some character in that . Maybe he even became a canon fodder!


    No, crossing was a bit too extreme. He¡¯d rather be reborn. At least he knew he was still in the same world. But how would he know if he really was still in the same world? Ah, right! In those novels weren¡¯t those people who¡¯d undergone rebirth always tried to integrate their memories with the memories of the original owner of the body? So, he just needed to think of the memories of the original owner to know for sure if he was still in the same world.


    Luo Yan closed his eyes and tried to think of the memory of the original. Minutes passed and all he got were fragmented scenes. Of a big house with a beautiful garden, of two boys pulling him to y, of a handsome man with a cold expression on his face but that expression immediately soften whenever he looked at him, and of a beautiful woman smiling gently at him. And then thest scene that etched on his mind was of that beautiful woman fractically hugging him and another child, as if trying to protect them from something.


    And that¡¯s it. Nothing more.


    Suddenly remembering that woman felt like his heart was being squeezed for no reason.


    "Your vital signs seems to be all good, Young Master," the doctor said, taking his sthetoscope away from Luo Yan¡¯s pale and thin chest. "But I still need to do a full medical examination to make sure."


    Luo Yan looked up dazedly at the kind-looking old doctor. Doctor Han sighed when he saw the beautiful teenager¡¯s confused look. No one expected this kid to wake up. Even he thought it would be impossible for him to wake up again. The damage to the teenager¡¯s brain was pretty big after all. The only reason why the teenager was still alive was because his family refused to pull off the plug for the machine supporting his life. And now it looked like it was the right decision.


    "Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be fine. After you undergo physical therapy and given the right diet, you¡¯ll be just like any other 17 year old teenager," the doctor added, giving him a kind smile.


    It would probably take months before Luo Yan could be on top shape and for this thin, pale, gaunt body of his to change. Wait- this body was 17? He totally thought it belonged to a 14 year old child. Well, now that he thought about it, ording to that nurse, he¡¯d been in aa for seven years. It¡¯s only normal for his growth to be stunted.


    But there¡¯s still one thing Luo Yan needed to be sure about.


    "I¡¯ll contact your father. He will definitely be d once he finds out that you¡¯re awake."


    "Doc... tor..." Luo Yan called. "T-the president... se-seven years a-ago... who?"


    "You¡¯re asking who the president was seven years ago?" Doctor Han rified to make sure he understood the kid¡¯s question. Luo Yan nodded. Although confused by the teenager¡¯s question, the doctor still answered him.


    When Luo Yan heard the name of the president, he breathed a sigh of relief. Because that was the name of the president before he was killed by that damn potted plot. Then that meant he did not cross to some other world. This was still the world he knew. He had been dead for seven years though. He wondered what happened to his original body. Did someone even bother to cremate him and bury him in a cemetary?


    Luo Yan shook his head. No, he should not think about that anymore. That life of his already ended. He was given another beginning. Because now, it¡¯s official. He¡¯d been reborn into a 17 year old young master with a face and body of a pretty shota.


    He almost cringed. If he¡¯s going to be reborn, why couldn¡¯t the Lord God pick a manly young a.d.u.l.t? Now, he¡¯s stuck with this body.


    Luo Yan sighed. He shouldn¡¯t be picky. He¡¯d survive this. Just like always. He¡¯d be this new Luo Yan. He firmly decided, determination filling up his peach blossom eyes.

 Chapter 4 THE LUO FAMILY

    INSIDE a tall building in S City, the quarterly meeting for Tianhua Group was being held. The heads of different departments were gathered in a conference room, sitting on a long table, waiting for the meeting to start. Those heads whose department did well in the past three months could not wait to report all their sesses. But those who didn¡¯t do well were a nervous wreck. They looked at the man sitting at the head of the table with trepidation.


    The president and CEO of Tianhua Group - Luo Wei Tian.


    His expression was cold, as if he didn¡¯t know how to smile. His ck hair was perfectly swept back with a few white strands on the side. His pair of ck eyes seemed like it could freeze people with just one look. He was already in his early 50s and yet because of his handsome face and fit body, he looked like he was ten years younger.


    The life of Luo Wei Tian was a perfect story of rags to riches. He started at the very bottom and slowly made his way to the top. After graduating at a prestigious university, instead of epting a job offer from a bigpany, he built his own. Tianhua Group was just a smallpany then, barely under anyone¡¯s notice. But 30 yearster, that smallpany was now the biggest real estatepany in S City. Not to mention, one ofrgest in the whole country.


    The president solidified the standing of the Luo Family in the upper ss society. Now, they could confidently fight with other big families in the country.


    They said the president fought very hard to get to where he was now because of his wife. His wife was the young miss of the Bai family - one of the oldest and richest family in B City. All his efforts and hardwork, everything just so he could marry her. Half of the name of ¡¯Tianhua¡¯ came from her name. Showing just how much he loved her. At the end, he did manage to have her. They married and had three beautiful children.


    It was supposed to be a wonderful fairy tale. But it ended seven years ago when his wife and two sons encounter a car ident. A drunk truck driver hit the car they were in. His wife died, his second son was put into aa. The only one that came out of it unscathed was his youngest son.


    The truck driver was put into jail andter news of him killing himself spread out. Even thepany he worked for went bankrupt. That just showed how ruthless their president could be. Since then, he became even colder. As if nothing could ever enter his heart again.


    That¡¯s why his employees who wasn¡¯t able to do their job properly couldn¡¯t help but be scared of him. Because they knew that with just one mistake, they could lose their jobs.


    The meeting was about to start when the president¡¯s assistant - assistant Wen - suddenly entered the conference room. He walked towards the president and whispered something in his ear. There was a slight fluctuation in the president¡¯s cold ck eyes.


    He suddenly stood up and to their surprise said, "The meeting will be postponed until next week."


    Then he walked out of the conference room without giving any of them a nce.


    A tall young man just walked out of one of the school buildings of F University. He was wearing a crisp white shirt showing his lean and firm upper body and ck pants that perfectly hugged his long legs. Despite his simple clothing, it could not hide his elegant temperament. His handsome face was cold and expressionless. As if nothing could ever move him.


    Girls passing by couldn¡¯t help but stare at him. Some even blushed. He was their university¡¯s number one shool grass. A senior in the business department. Not only famous for his handsome looks but also for having the best grade in his year. It didn¡¯t hurt that he also belonged to a very rich family. His name was Luo Ren.


    Luo Ren was about to walk towards the parking lot when he was suddenly stopped by a girl. The girl was slender with long ck hair and big doe eyes. The people passing by immediately recognized her as the most popr girl in the freshmen year.


    "Senior, I like you. Could I be your girlfriend?" she confessed with a red blush on her cheeks, making her look even more lovely.


    "Sorry. I¡¯m not interested," he said with no expression on his face. Then he passed by her.


    The students who saw this scene was no longer shocked. Everyday some girl would confessed to Luo Ren and they would be straightforwardly rejected. No matter how pretty or smart, no girl had ever been sessful with their confession.


    Luo Ren was near his car when his phone rang. He took it from his pocket and was slightly surprised when he saw his father¡¯s name on the screen. He answered it. "Father."


    "Ah-Ren, Xiao Yan is awake."


    For the first time in a long while, Luo Ren¡¯s expressionless face had a crack.


    A tall teenager kicked a boy in front of him and then he turned around and punched another boy who was about to attack him from behind. Then he went and attack another one. In just a few minutes, five teenagers were groaning on the ground, unable to get up. The only one remaining standing was the tall teenager.


    Some strands of his ck hair were scattered on his forehead. His ck eyes showed a violent glint - like a small beast trapped in a cage. His school uniform was askewed, some of the buttons were even missing. Both his ears were pierced. He was the perfect image of a delinquent. But he still had that certain wild charm in him that one could not easily ignored.


    The handsome teenager¡¯s name was Luo Jin. A first year in one of the most prestigious high school in S City. And also, a certified troublemaker.


    "Wastes," the teenager sneered at the five boys lying on the ground.


    He picked up the coat of his uniform that he threw on the ground and started to walk away from there. Then his phone rang. He answered, not bothering to see who called. "What?"


    "Go to the hospital. Yan Yan is awake," his older brother¡¯s cold voice said.


    Luo Jin stopped walking, different kinds of emotion swirling in his ck eyes.

 Chapter 5 MEETING HIS NEW FAMILY

    "DOCTOR... m-my n-name... what?" Luo Yan asked the old doctor standing beside his bed.


    The doctor stood still for a second and then a slightly horrified expression appeared on his face. "You don¡¯t remember your name?" Luo Yan nodded. "What else do you not remember?"


    "Ev-everything."


    Doctor Han sighed. He should have asked about the teenager¡¯s mental state the first thing. That¡¯s the next most important thing after his physical health. He was just so excited seeing him awake that he even forgot to ask the most basic thing. He¡¯s probably really getting on in years. The teenager, no doubt, had amnesia. It was not something surprising, considering the scale of the ident he was on. Especially since his head was the one that was hit the most. Having this kind of seque was only expected.


    "The young master¡¯s name is Luo Yan," he said kindly to the teenager.


    Doctor Han stared at the teenager¡¯s confused look and just sighed even deeper. Telling him the truth about his current condition was out of the question. It might just have a negative effect on him. Considering his current mental state, it wouldn¡¯t be good to stimte him any further.


    "We¡¯ll now do a full body medical examination. Okay, young master?" the doctor added.


    "Will... hurt?"


    "No, rest assured, you wouldn¡¯t feel a thing."


    Luo Yan nodded and looked down, hiding his expression from the doctor. So this body was also named Luo Yan. That would make things easier. If he somehow ended up having a different name, it would definitely be hard to response. Now all he had to do was act like he had amnesia. Which was not hard to do since this body didn¡¯t really have any proper memories.


    Aside from that, he also had to act like an innocent ten year old boy. Since this body fell intoa at the age of ten, that meant his mental development also stopped at that age. It would be weird for him to start acting all mature. He already acted out of character when he woke up. If he didn¡¯t start acting like a child who didn¡¯t know anything, then the people around him might discover his irregrity. Since he already decided to live this life as ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯, then it wouldn¡¯t be good if people thought that he was a different person.


    Acting in a specific way so he could adapt and flourish in a new environment had always been Luo Yan¡¯s specialty. That had always been the way he survived. This wouldn¡¯t be any different. With this overly pretty face, it would even be much easier. Luo Yan just hoped that his ¡¯new family¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be a big pain in the ass.


    Soon, a few nurses entered and carefully prepared him for a full body medical examination.


    After taking blood, urine, and fecal samples, then having an MRI scan, Doctor Han started testing Luo Yan¡¯s reflexes. After he¡¯s done, the door to Luo Yan¡¯s hospital room suddenly opened.


    Two tall men with the same cold temperament entered. One was obviously much older with a charm unique to mature men. He looked like he was in his early 40s. The younger one was like the splitting image of the older man. He was probably in his early 20s. Both of them were equally handsome. One could immediately tell that they¡¯re rted.


    Both looked at Luo Yan and their cold exterior immediately melted, showing a soft and gentle expression.


    "Xiao Yan."


    "Yan Yan."


    The two said at the same time, walking briskly towards his bed. Before Luo Yan could react, the door opened again and this time a tall teenager came in. He didn¡¯t have the same temperament as the other two. So even if he had simr features, no one would say that he looked the same. Not because he was still in between transition of being a boy and a man. But simply because he looked so wild and unrestrained. As if he¡¯d been keeping a deep anger within him.


    Case in point, he looked quite pissed right now.


    "So, you¡¯re really awake, huh," the teenager said, narrowing his eyes at Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan looked at the three people in front of him. So, were these three his new family?

 Chapter 6 FIRST FAMILY INTERACTION

    LUO YAN stared at the three tall people standing around his hospital bed. Thinking that these three were his new family, his peach blossom shaped eyes brightened. Because if they were rted, then that meant this body would not remain a dwarf. This body being so small for his age was only the result of him being in aa for too long. Once he¡¯s done with physical therapy and got back to full health, he would definitely have a growth spurt. Then he wouldn¡¯t look like a pretty shota who looked like an easy target for perverts.


    Luo Wei Tian stared down at his second son. Xiao Yan¡¯s face was thin, his cheeks sunken. One could really see the effects of the seven yeara on him. But his bright and clear eyes were still the same as that day. The day he lost a part of his heart - his wife. And now looking at this son of his who looked exactly like his wife, he felt like his heart was being gripped by something.


    "Xiao Yan, wee back," he said, his gaze soft and full of emotion.


    Luo Yan turned to the older man. Seeing the way he looked at him, he suddenly remembered that little snnipet of memory the original owner had. This cold looking man was gazing down at him with the same soft expression. And to Luo Yan¡¯s surprise, he felt a sudden burst of emotion and the need to just cry his heart out. There was a voice inside him that just wanted to call out to the man.


    [Dad...]


    Luo Yan blinked and then turned his head away. His gaze colliding with the other two younger men. Then a memory shed inside his head again. A teenage kid smiling down at him and a young boy clinging to him. Luo Yan felt the same kind of emotion again.


    [Older Brother Ren... Ah Jin...]


    He immediately gazed down. What the heck was happening? Was this the residual feeling of the original owner?


    "Is there something wrong, Yan Yan?" the one who he could only assume as his older brother asked worriedly.


    Luo Wei Tian turned to the old doctor. "Doctor, how is my son¡¯s condition right now?"


    "President Luo, I think it¡¯s more appropriate to have this discussion in my office. If you coulde with me, please," Doctor Han said. This was the first time he had seen the always cold president this emotional. But he guessed this reaction was only natural. After all, they¡¯ve been waiting a long time for the second young master Luo to wake up.


    Luo Wei Tian nodded but before he followed the doctor, he turned to Xiao Yan and gently stroke his head. "Wee back, Xiao Yan."


    Then he followed the old doctor out of the hospital room.


    "Yan Yan, do you want water? Anything? Brother will give it to you," his older brother, whose name was probably ¡¯Luo Ren¡¯, said. He tried to smile but it only looked unnatural, a sign that he wasn¡¯t really used to smiling.


    Luo Yan shook his head.


    "This is probably weird to you, seeing us like this. Especially Xiao Jin. You might not have even recognized him." Luo Ren turned to his youngest brother who¡¯s frowning and looked like he doesn¡¯t want to be here. "Xiao Jin talk to Yan Yan."


    Luo Jin only snorted.


    "I... c-couldn¡¯t remember... a-anything," Luo Yan slowly said.


    "What do you mean you couldn¡¯t remember?" Luo Jin said, almost snarling.


    "Luo Jin, stop." Luo Ren sat on the side of Luo Yan¡¯s bed. "You don¡¯t remember us?" he asked, a sad glint in his eyes.


    Luo Yan shook his head.


    Luo Jin cursed and then strode out of there.


    At Doctor Han¡¯s office...


    "President Luo, second young master currently has amnesia. If it¡¯s permanent or only temporary, time could only tell. But the good news is, his brain activity is pretty normal. With a seven yeara like this, having a normal brain activity is already miraculous. Having an amnesia is better than having a speech or motor problems. Or worse, being paralyzed," Doctor Han said.


    When Luo Wei Tian heard that Xiao Yan had amnesia he felt like his gut was punched. No wonder he looked at them earlier as if he didn¡¯t recognize any of them. But Doctor Han was right. There were things much worse than having an amnesia.


    "Young Master Luo needs to undergo physical therapy. He also needs a strict diet so he could have a much healthier body. Aside from that, all his bodily functions seem to be working normally. A sign that he was properly taken care of during these past seven years," the doctor added.


    "I understand. Thank you, Doctor," Luo Wei Tian said. He was already thinking of looking for the best therapist and dietician for his son.


    He stood up. Even if Luo Yan didn¡¯t remember anything, that was fine. What¡¯s important was he woke up and he could live a normal life again. Luo Wei Tian would do anything for that to happen. Because he¡¯s not only his son. He was also one of the three wonderful treasures his wife left for him.

 Chapter 7 AM I BEING HATED?

    IT HAD been a week since Luo Yan woke up. He still couldn¡¯t move properly as he wanted to. He could only eat soft foods. But at least now, it¡¯s not that hard for him to speak anymore. He was moved to a much bigger VIP room in the hospital. If there weren¡¯t any doctors and nursesing in here, it almost felt like he was just in a very big room.


    He also met his dietician. A middle-aged man with a very kind smile. He heard from the nurses that he was the very best in the country. With that, Luo Yan finally understood that his new family was really rich. Apparently, his father was the president of a bigpany. Which made this body a rich second generation. No, it¡¯s him now. He should get used to his new identity.


    But honestly speaking, it¡¯s not just his new identity, there¡¯s still one thing he couldn¡¯t get quite used to. That was the love and care his new family was showing him. Well, except for his younger brother. That one always seemed to be angry for some reason. With his exception, Luo Yan¡¯s father and older brother kept showering him with love,pletely spoiling him. It was even much harder because he could feel that that love was genuine.


    It was something Luo Yan never thought that he would ever feel in his life. He always scammed people and acted in a way they wanted so they would be kind to him. He never felt this kind of unconditional familial love. Even though he knew that that love was for the original owner of this body, he couldn¡¯t help but want to return it back.


    Maybe it¡¯s the lingering feelings of the original owner. But he really did want to treasure these people, even that seemingly annoying younger brother. For the first time in his life he wanted to treat people sincerely. Was it wrong for him to feel this way? No, it was just his cynical self talking. As always. How could returning the kindness of others be wrong? If he did, then maybe... maybe he could finally have the kind of family he always wanted.


    Speaking of, Luo Yan turned to the side where his father was sitting with aptop on top of a table in front of him. Ever since Luo Yan woke up, his father had been doing his work here. If he could, he would have already put another bed in this room so he could just sleep here. But even with that, it almost felt like he had been staying here overnight. Because he only left whenever Luo Yan fell asleep. And then when Luo Yan woke up, his father was already here.


    "Dad, is it really okay for you to stay here all the time? Don¡¯t you have to go to work?"


    Luo Wei Tian looked up from hisptop and showed a rare smile to his son. He walked towards his bed and sat on the side. "It¡¯s fine. I could work at my own time. It¡¯s the advantage of being the president. Or don¡¯t you want Dad to be here?" thest one he asked with a bit of grievance in his voice.


    [What¡¯s this? You¡¯re supposed to be a cold president. What are you doing selling meng to your own son?] Luo Yan just chose to smile. "Of course not. I enjoy having Dad here."


    Which was true. Suddenly waking up in this kind of situation would be daunting for anyone. Even for him. Having someone staying by his side was pretty reassuring. It actually helped him in his transition in this new life, emotionally at least.


    "Good. Because I also love being here with you," his father said while gently stroking his head.


    After lunch, Luo Wei Tian had to leave because of a situation in the main office that he had to deal himself. He didn¡¯t really want to leave Xiao Yan by himself. Doctor Han said that they shouldn¡¯t treat him too much like a child. Because it would be even harder for him to transition to his real age which was 17. But Luo Wei Tian couldn¡¯t help himself. For him, Xiao Yan was still that ten year old child. He just wanted to spoil him for all the years that Xiao Yan missed with his family.


    As he was about to tell his assistant to handle it, his eldest came. He was finally relieved to leave Xiao Yan.


    Luo Ren sat on the chair beside the hospital bed. "Have you eaten lunch?" he asked.


    Luo Yan nodded. "You don¡¯t have ss, Brother?"


    Luo Ren immediately smiled when he heard what Yan Yan called him. "This is myst semester in university so I don¡¯t really have that much ss anymore."


    Luo Yan looked at the smile of this older brother of his. It was no longer that stiff, unlike the first time he smiled at him. His smile was slowly starting to be natural. Luo Yan guessed that his older brother probably originaly had a very gentle personality. But due to that ident, he probably started turning cold. Emting their father.


    He heard about it, the ident that caused the original owner to fall intoa. He wasn¡¯t really sure about the whole detail. But apparently it was a car ident where he, his younger brother, and their mother were in. While he suffered severe brain trauma, their mother died on the spot.


    He found out about it when he asked his older brother where their mother was. Because he remembered a certain part of the original owner¡¯s fragmented memory. That of a beautiful woman smiling gently at him, the same peach blossom eyes looking at him with love. His older brother¡¯s face was suddenly filled with sadness and grief. And then he told him that their mother was already in heaven, guarding them as an angel.


    His older brother probably phrased it that way because he thought that Luo Yan¡¯s mind was still that of a child. But since he really wasn¡¯t, he immediately understood that their mother was gone. A sadness he had never felt before suddenly filled his chest. Before he knew it, tears were already falling from his eyes. Like he lost something very important.


    That was five days ago, the same day that his younger brotherst visited him. Luo Jin was here when their older brother was telling him about their mother. After seeing him cry, he suddenly stormed out of the hospital room. And he never visited since.


    Luo Yan thought of many possibilities. But the only thing he could think of was that he was angry with him. Maybe he¡¯s ming him for that ident or something. As much as possible, Luo Yan didn¡¯t want to sh with any of his new family members. Because that would just lead to a not so peaceful life. This was his second shot at life, he didn¡¯t want to spend it fighting with someone.


    But for some reason, Luo Yan thought that his younger brother might not really hate him. Because despite Luo Jin¡¯s rude attitude, Luo Yan never felt any hostility from him. He was angry, yes. But that anger might not be totally directed at Luo Yan.


    "Brother, why is Ah Jin noting to visit me anymore?" he asked Luo Ren, trying to figure out what he thought of their younger brother¡¯s attitude. "Does he... does he hate me?"


    Luo Ren stared at his younger brother¡¯s big watery eyes, as if he would cry any second. He suddenly had an urge to drag Xiao Jin here and make him apologize to Yan Yan. "Of course not. Xiao Jin doesn¡¯t hate you. He just has school so he couldn¡¯t visit."


    "But, he seemed to be always angry with me," Luo Yan said trying to look dejected.


    Luo Ren sighed. "He¡¯s not angry with you, Yan Yan." He just had anger management issues. But he couldn¡¯t tell that to Yan Yan because he might not understand. "Then, when hees to visit next time why don¡¯t you ask him if he hates you. Then you¡¯ll know the answer for sure."


    [Brother, what kind of advice is that? You¡¯re not being helpful at all.]


    Luo Yan just sighed in his heart. But he guessed he really had no choice but to ask the person himself.

 Chapter 8 MY YOUNGER BROTHER IS ACTUALLY...?

    LUO YAN finished eating thest drop of porridge in the bowl. Then he drank the ss of warm water. He¡¯s really getting tired of eating soft foods like this. He couldn¡¯t wait to eat meat and seafoods, all kinds of them. And choctes, ice creams, cakes. But his diet was pretty strict. If he wanted to return to top shape as soon as possible, he had no choice but to follow it.


    "Are you done?" his older brother asked, he was sitting on a chair beside his hospital bed.


    "Yes, Brother."


    Luo Ren picked up the empty ss and bowl and put them on the tray on the bedside table. "Are you ready for your morning sunshine routine?" he asked with a little bit of teasing.


    The doctor rmended for him to soak under the morning sun for at least ten minutes. He¡¯d been inside a hospital room for seven years. He¡¯s sorelycking in Vitamin D and the sun¡¯s rays was the biggest source of that. So every morning he would go to the hospital¡¯s big garden and stayed there, of course, with the help of others.


    It was often his father who would go with him. But when this week started, his father could only go here every other day. The only reason Luo Yan could think of why was because of a problem in thepany. His father looked like a very capable man. If he could still visit Luo Yan, the problem probably wasn¡¯t that serious.


    His father and older brother started alternating in visiting him. Today, it was her older brother¡¯s turn.


    Luo Ren carefully picked up his little brother and put him on the wheelchair. He put a thick nket on Yan Yan¡¯sp and also on his thin shoulders. It was already the middle of Spring but the wind at S City was still a little bit chilly.


    "You ready to go out?" he asked.


    Luo Yan looked up at him. His peach blossom eyes bent into a smile. "Yes."


    His brother pushed his wheelchair out of his hospital room. He still couldn¡¯t walk, so a wheelchair was a must. He would start his physical therapy tomorrow. Luo Yan couldn¡¯t wait to start walking again and properly moved all his muscles.


    They just left the hospital room when they ran into Luo Jin. He was wearing a ck windbreaker and jeans paired with thetest air jordan shoes. Luo Yan was slightly surprised seeing this little brother of his. He thought he would never visit him again. Maybe this time he could finally ask him if he really did hate him.


    "Ah Jin!" he greeted him excitedly.


    Luo Jin scowled as if he found his greeting irritating. Then he ignored him and looked at their older brother instead. "Why did you call me here for?"


    Oh, so it was their older brother¡¯s idea? He probably remembered thest time Luo Yan asked if their little brother hated him.


    "I have to go somewhere today so you have to apany Yan Yan."


    "What?" Luo Jin eximed. "Why the hell would I have to do that?"


    "Because you¡¯re his brother. But sure, if you have better things to do, you can leave and I¡¯ll just ask a nurse to apany our brother."


    A myriad of emotion crossed Luo Jin¡¯s face. From anger to frustration to helplessness. "Fine. I¡¯ll do it."


    "Good. Then you can start now by taking Yan Yan to the garden," Luo Ren said before turning his gaze down to Luo Yan. "Yan Yan, brother will have to leave. You have to get along well with Xiao Jin, okay?"


    "Yes, Brother." [And thumbs up on forcing him to stay with me.]


    Luo Ren said his goodbye and then Luo Jin took his ce behind Luo Yan¡¯s wheelchair. He pushed the wheelchair, grumbling all the way. When they reached the garden, Luo Jin pushed the wheelchair under a tree where the sun was not too strong but could still reach Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Despite looking so grumpy, this kid was actually quite attentive. Looking at him right now, Luo Yan decided that it¡¯s the right timing for his ultimate cuteness attack.


    "Ah Jin, you can go. I know you don¡¯t like being with me," he said showing a sad expression.


    Luo Jin looked down and saw this. "I already told Brother that I¡¯ll be here so I won¡¯t leave," he said with his usual annoyed tone.


    "Really?" Luo Yan looked up as if happy to hear what Luo Jin said but when he saw that Luo Jin was scowling at him, the happy expression on his face immediately vanished. "Ah Jin, do you hate me?"


    Luo Jin was startled by this question. And when he saw Luo Yan¡¯s clear eyes turned watery, he started to panic. "Don¡¯t cry!"


    As if on cue, big fat tears fell down from Luo Yan¡¯s eyes. "I knew it, you really hate me."


    Luo Jin was fl.u.s.tered. He didn¡¯t know what to do. This was the first time he felt so helpless and useless at the same time. But one thing¡¯s for sure, he didn¡¯t want to see his brother cry. So he crouched down in front of Luo Yan and looked straight at him. "I don¡¯t hate you. So please don¡¯t cry."


    That¡¯s right. Luo Jin didn¡¯t hate Luo Yan. How could he? If there¡¯s someone he hated, it¡¯s himself. After that car ident, he often asked why was he the only one who was saved? Why did their mother have to die? Why did his favorite brother have to suffer aa with little to no chance of waking up? While he only had some minor injury.


    All those whys piling up and he just slowly turned into this child who¡¯s full of anger. Anger at the world, anger at the unfairness of life, anger at that driver who smashed his truck at their car, and anger at himself. He released that anger by the only way he knew. Fighting. But no matter how much he fought with others. He was still filled with so much anger.


    When Luo Jin received that call from his first brother, telling him that Luo Yan was awake, of course he was happy. Happy beyond anything. But he couldn¡¯t properly express that happiness. So when he¡¯s faced with his second brother¡¯s thin form, he couldn¡¯t help but be rude. Especially everytime he saw the effect of that ident on Luo Yan.


    He was so thin and small. His head probably couldn¡¯t even reach Luo Jin¡¯s shoulder. Even his memory was gone. And here was Luo Jin,pletely healthy. It just made him even angrier.


    But looked at where it got him. He made his second brother cry. The brother who just woke up from a longa. He hurt him without even meaning to. How could he be such a jerk?


    "I don¡¯t hate you," he repeated.


    "Y-you really don¡¯t?"


    He wiped Luo Yan¡¯s tears with his fingers. He was not used to acting gentle, but he wiped it as gently as he could. "I don¡¯t."


    "Then don¡¯t show such unhappy expression when you¡¯re with me. It makes me sad."


    "I won¡¯t."


    "And you also have to visit me whenever you don¡¯t have school."


    "I will."


    Luo Yan raised his pinky finger at Luo Jin, his eyes clear and full of expectation. "Pinky promise?"


    Looking at the expectant face of his second brother, Luo Jin had no choice but to hook his pinky finger with Luo Yan¡¯s. "Promise."


    "Then you have to call me ¡¯brother¡¯. Father said that I¡¯m older than you, so you have to."


    "Don¡¯t push your luck, pipsqueek." As he stood up, he couldn¡¯t stop the small smile that appeared on his lips.


    Luo Yan, of course, saw that. A bright smile crossed his face as well. So, Luo Jin didn¡¯t really hate him. He¡¯s just a big tsundere.

 Chapter 9 A SUDDEN VISITOR

    TODAY was Xiao Yan¡¯s first day of physical therapy. Luo Wei Tian wanted to go straight to the hospital but he was still at his office finishing important paperworks. He was on thest page of thest paper when his assistant knocked on the door and came in.


    "What is it?" he asked not removing his gaze from the paper he was reading.


    "President Luo, President Bai is here," assistant Wen said.


    Luo Wei Tian stopped his movements and raised his head, slightly surprised. "Bai Chen?"


    ` "Yes, President."


    "Let hime in."


    When assistant Wen walked out of the office, Luo Wei Tian stood up and walked towards the floor to ceiling window. He already knew the reason for Bai Chen¡¯s sudden visit.


    A momentter, a man in his 50s entered the room. Just like Luo Wei Tian, the man was also well maintained. Although he had more strands of white hair and theugh lines on the side of his eyes were more prominent. His face was the type that was bright and honest. But only people who dealth with him, especially those in the same business, knew that he was anything but.


    This was Bai Chen - the current head of the Bai Family and also the older brother of Luo Wei Tian¡¯s deceased wife.


    "You came much faster than I thought," Luo Wei Tian started, not bothering in any formalities. There¡¯s no need for that between the two because even before they became brothers-inw, they were friends first.


    Bai Chen raised one of his brows. Luo Wei Tian was still the type who would go straight to the point. He sat downfortable on one of the couches in the office.


    "I would havee much sooner if my schedule wasn¡¯t quite so hectic," Bai Chen said. When he received the news that his second nephew woke up after his longa, he wanted to visit immediately. But he was finishing an important deal that he couldn¡¯t put off so he couldn¡¯t just leave B City even if he wanted to. "How is Xiao Yan? Are there any negative seques from thea?"


    "Fortunately, there are none. His brain is working properly, all his organs are functioning well. There is even no problem in walking again as long as he undergoes proper physical therapy. Although he is currently suffering from amnesia. But the doctor said it was already quite the miracle that he only suffered from that." Yes, a miracle that he, Luo Wei Tian, wouldn¡¯t waste and take for granted.


    Bai Chen was slightly surprised upon hearing that. But yes, the doctor was right. Having amnesia was definitely better than being permanently paralyzed. At least this way, he could still have a normal life.


    "How¡¯s Father-inw?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    It was only for a moment, but sadness shed in Bai Chen¡¯s eyes when he heard the question. "Still the same. There are days that his mind is clear, but those are far and few between."


    The patriarch of the Bai family had been suffering from dementia for years now. Losing his daughter right after losing his wife certainly attributed to that. The former strong man just wilted like a dry nt. If Bai Chen still hadn¡¯t established himself as the president of the Bai Group, many people would have surely taken advantage of the situation.


    "We¡¯ll go and visit on Mid-Autumn Festival," Luo Wei Tian simply said.


    "That would be good. My sons haven¡¯t seen their cousin for quite a while now. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be d for their visit."


    "Let us no longer waste time here and directly go to the hospital."


    Bai Chen nodded as agreement. He wanted to go straight to the hospital but he¡¯s afraid that he might scared Xiao Yan since the teenager might not be able to recognize him. But after knowing that he had amnesia, Bai Chen was d that he didn¡¯t go there directly.


    He stood up. "Let¡¯s go."


    Luo Yan just finished his first physical therapy session. His therapist was a woman in herte 30s. Her face could be considered only as in but because of the kind smile on her face, it made her quite likable. Her name was Doctor Kang. He observed the doctor¡¯s expressions and actions and he could tell that she really wanted to help him.


    They didn¡¯t do much. She just asked questions. Like how well he could move around, reach, bend, or grasp. She also checked his heartbeat, posture, and bnce. Then she massaged his limbs. Everything onlysted for about an hour. After that, Doctor Kang told him that she would make the best treatment n for him so he could walk in no time.


    Luo Yan was naturally satisfied with that.


    After Doctor Kang left, he was alone. Which he wasn¡¯t much used to. Ever since he woke up, either his father or brothers would be here with him. But he knew that they couldn¡¯t always be here with him. His father had work, his older brother was starting to get busy with his graduation project, and his younger brother was still in high school. Luo Yan sighed. Looked like he was really getting used to this warm environment. Not that he wanted toin. Truthfully, he enjoyed it.


    His hospital room suddenly opened and his father walked in.


    "Dad!" he called.


    Luo Wei Tian walked towards the hospital bed of his son. "How was Xiao Yan¡¯s first therapy session?"


    "It was okay. I like Doctor Kang very much." Then he noticed the man who walked behind his father. He looked at the man curiously. "Dad, who is he?"


    "This is your Uncle Chen, your mother¡¯s older brother," his father introduced.


    His mother¡¯s older brother? The image of the beautiful woman immediately shed inside his mind.


    Bai Chen stared at the thin teenager who looked like he was only 13 or 14 years old. He could really see the toll that thea took from this nephew. But despite Luo Yan¡¯s thin face and body, Bai Chen felt like he went back in time and was now staring at his little sister. He gazed down and gathered his emotion else he started bawling here.


    He raised his head and smiled at Luo Yan. "Xiao Yan."


    Luo Yan instantly felt the goodwill of the man in front of him. He no longer acted timid and smiled brightly at Bai Chen. "Uncle Chen."


    Just like that, another family member was added to his circle.

 Chapter 10 WELCOME HOME

    "OKAY, that¡¯s it. You¡¯re good to go," Doctor Han said after looking through Luo Yan¡¯stest medical report. Then he turned to President Luo who was standing on the side. "President Luo, please make sure young master will drink his medicine on time. Also make sure he would follow the diet provided for him and not let him forget to regrly exercise in ordance to his physical therapy regiment. Lastly, don¡¯t let him do any extreme activities."


    Luo Wei Tian nodded in acquiesce. He looked down at his second son. Xiao Yan¡¯s cheeks were no longer hollow and already had a little meat in them, making people want to pinch them. His skin was no longer deatly pale and now had a healthy glow in them. This made his beauty shine even more. Making people couldn¡¯t help but have the feeling of wanting to spoil him. It was especially true for Luo Wei Tian. Since Xiao Yan looked so much like his deceased wife.


    "Xiao Yan, did you hear what the doctor said?"


    "Yes. I will drink my medicine on time. Eat and exercise properly," Luo Yan said like an obedient child.


    Luo Wei Tian gently patted Luo Yan¡¯s head. "Good."


    "Congrattions, young master. Because of your hard work, you can now go home."


    Luo Yan smiled brightly at Doctor Han. "Thank you, doctor."


    That¡¯s right, Luo Yan could finally leave the hospital today. Three months had passed since he woke up from hisa. The season already changed, Spring was now Summer. He spent most of those three months in physical therapy. While doing therapy, he also had to be careful with his diet. And now, anyone could see the result of his hard work.


    He no longer looked like a sickly kid that would croak any minute. His weight finally returned to normal. Well, at least normal for his 150 cm height. He still wanted to cry thinking of how short he was. But at least he didn¡¯t look like he would be easily blown away by a simple breeze. He just continued tofort himself that he would soon have his growth spurt. Just looked at his younger brother, he¡¯s only 16 and he¡¯s already 180 cm. Luo Yan was optimistic that he too would reach that height. He just needed to continue drinking a ton of milk.


    But the thing he was happiest about was that he could now walk. He no longer needed to sit on a wheelchair just so he could go from one area to another. But running was still a no go for him. If he ever tried, he would definitely, definitely stumble. He needed to continue exercising his legs for him to run normally. Which he didn¡¯t mind. The important thing right now was that he could walk.


    "Are you ready, Xiao Yan?" his father asked.


    "Yes, Dad," he answered and stood up.


    Luo Yan curiously looked out of the car window. He¡¯d never been to S City before. He grew up in a rural area and then moved to B City when he got epted into T University. But looking outside, there wasn¡¯t much difference. The high rise buildings and skyscr.a.p.ers, a lot of busy people walking on the streets, and of course, the never-ending traffic. No longer curious, he just leaned back on the seat of the car.


    "Dad, are brother and Ah Jin in school?" he suddenly thought of asking.


    Luo Yan knew his older brother was busy with his graduation. If he remembered it correctly, it would be held next week. Which he was really happy about since it meant that he could attend. Lou Jin on the other hand, already started his summer vacation. So he wondered why he didn¡¯t went with their father.


    "They¡¯re waiting back at the house," his father answered simply. "Are you excited to go home?"


    "Yes. I can¡¯t wait to see my room." He never really had his own room, so that¡¯s one thing he¡¯s excited about.


    "We maintained your room as before. But if you ever want to change anything, you are free to do so."


    "Okay," Luo Yan answered happily.


    Soon, the car they were riding was out of the busy road. After that, their ride went smoothly. They entered a quite isted piece ofnd. Something he wouldn¡¯t have thought possible in such a big city like this. They traveled on a road that led inside a quite dense forest. At the end of that road was a ck gate.


    The gate opened and the car entered. When it stopped, the driver went out first and opened the door of the backseat. Luo Wei Tian went out first. Then he lent his hand to Luo Yan and helped him get out of the car.


    The moment Luo Yan saw the house in front of him, he almost caught his breath. It was a beautiful two-storey white mansion. There were vines and green nts on its walls. Around it was a beautiful rose garden with plump roses in different colors. It¡¯s like he was looking at a house straight out of a fairy tale book.


    "Do you like it? Your mother was the one who designed it andndscaped the surroundings," Luo Wei Tian said when he saw the amazed expression on his son¡¯s face.


    Luo Yan turned his head to his father, his pair of peach blossom eyes shining. "Yes. Mother was very talented."


    And he meant thepliment. Just remembering the beautifuldy in the fragments of the original owner¡¯s memory always filled him with warmth and sometimes, sadness. Because she¡¯s no longer here with them.


    Luo Wei Tian smiled. "Let¡¯s go inside."


    When his father opened the door and Luo Yan entered, colorful confettis suddenly rained from above his head.


    "Wee home, Young Master!" loudly greeted by a group of servants lined up in front of him.


    Then the servants parted and his two brothers walked in the middle. Luo Ren was holding a banner with a ¡¯wee home¡¯ written on it in a calligraphy type manner. And Luo Jin, well, Luo Jin was holding a big plush toy. A big brown bear the size of an a.d.u.l.t man.


    "Wee home, Yan Yan," Luo Ren greeted with a gentle smile on his face.


    "You should be thankful with my wee home gift to you," Luo Jin said in his usual annoyed fashion.


    Luo Yan looked at all of these, then he looked down to hide the different emotions that were brewing in his eyes. He never had a home. And he knew that this was not really for him but for ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯. He should be sad but he¡¯s not. Because, for better or worse, he was now that ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯.


    When he found out that he woke up in a different body, he never really thought of giving anything back to the original owner. But now, he really wanted to treasure the people who gave him genuine warmth for the first time in his life. So now, at this moment, he would give the original owner a promise. This family that the original owner gave him, he would treasure with all his heart.


    He walked towards his two brothers and hugged them. "I¡¯m home."

 Chapter 11 THIS COMPENSATION, HE ACCEPTS

    LUO YAN woke up because of the ringing of the rm on his bedside table. He sleepily turned it off and when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the face of the big plush bear he was hugging. He hugged it tightly. He really liked this big bear that Luo Jin gave him. It¡¯s soft, fluffy, andfortable to hug. Making it easier for him to fall asleep at night. After giving it onest squeeze, he finally sat up and looked around his huge room.


    The walls were painted with the lightest blue. When you looked at it, you couldn¡¯t help but feel calm. There were two doors inside, one leading to a walk-in closet, the other one leading to the bathroom. Both could bepared to the size of an already big room in an ordinary household. The bed was also king sized with a dark blue bedding that had cute rabbit designs on them. There was a study table and on top of it was thetest MacBook.


    But the one thing that Luo Yan absolutely loved about this room was the floor to ceiling window. He stood up and walked towards the said window. He parted the cerulean blue curtain to one side, revealing the floor to ceiling window. Luo Yan opened it and the morning sun immediately hit his body. He smiled when he saw the beautiful rose garden in front of him.


    His room was on the first floor and directly facing the back garden. Whenever he saw this ce, there¡¯s a soft feeling inside his chest. Despite not remembering much, Luo Yan could feel that the original owner had a lot of good memories in this garden. That¡¯s why he also couldn¡¯t help but feel good whenever he saw it.


    After having his morning fill of the garden, he went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.


    It had been five days since Luo Yan came home. During those five days, he thoroughly understood just how rich his new family was. It¡¯s not just this big house or all the expensive things inside it, it was more on the things that Luo Yan found on the inte. That¡¯s the first thing he did when he saw the MacBook inside his room.


    He found a lot of articles about his father on Baidu. The more he read, the more amazed he became. Their family was not only rich, they¡¯re one of the richest people in S City or probably even the country. His father - Luo Wei Tian - was the founder, president, and CEO of Tianhua Group. It was apany that dealt with real estate andnd development. A lot of malls, resorts, subdivision, and apartmentplex in the country were developed by Tianhua Group. Just by that, one could easily tell just how rich the Luo family was.


    Luo Yan was a bit overwhelmed at first. Because he thought he would be just a run-of-the-mill rich second generation. He didn¡¯t realize he would really be a bonafied young master.


    Maybe this was God¡¯spensation to him for killing him before he could even harvest the fruits of hisbor. So He gave him a loving family who would spoil him to no end and they were even super rich to boot. Something he never had in hisst life. If that was the case, then he would more than dly ept thispensation.


    Luo Yan went out of the bathroom then he went to his walk-in closet and took his yoga mat outside. He ced it in front of his floor to ceiling window. Then he started his morning exercise.


    "Good morning!" Luo Yan greeted when he went to the dining room. His father and two brothers were already there, waiting for him to eat breakfast.


    Since his arrival five days ago, all of them had breakfast and dinner together. Even though his father and older brother were both busy, they still made sure that they would eat together with him and Lou Jin.


    After knowing that his father was the president of Tianhua Group, Luo Yan truly understood just how important he was to him. After all, he¡¯s willing to sacrifice his important time just so he could apany him when he was still in the hospital. That¡¯s already plenty enough proof. He was truly thankful that this was the family that God gave him. Now, he no longer felt like he was the unluckiest person on Earth.


    The three greeted him back. Luo Yan sat beside Lou Jin and they all started to eat.


    "Dad, I think you should start hiring tutors for Yan," Luo Jin suddenly said. "He has to make up seven years of lost education. Since his health is pretty much back to normal now, I think it¡¯s time we focus on his education."


    All three suddenly looked at Luo Jin as if they were seeing an alien.


    "Xiao Jin, did you eat something bad? Or did you just hit your head?" Luo Ren asked.


    Luo Jin blushed profusely. "What? I just don¡¯t want our brother to turn stupid, okay?"


    Luo Yan expected that either his father or older brother would open the topic of him having a tutor. Who would have thought that Luo Jin would mention it first? Luo Yan secretly smiled. This younger brother of his was really a big tsundere.


    "I¡¯m just teasing you," Luo Ren said with a small grin on his face.


    "Xiao Jin is right. I¡¯ve been negligent," their father suddenly said. Luo Wei Tian was so immersed in the happiness of having his son back at their home that he almost neglected the matter of his education. "Don¡¯t worry, Xiao Yan. I will hire the best tutors for you."


    Thinking that he had to force himself to ¡¯learn¡¯ everything again, he held himself back from grimacing. He couldn¡¯t possibly tell them that he already had a college diploma and there¡¯s absolutely no need for tutors at all. So Luo Yan had no choice but to just smile and agree. "Okay, Dad."


    "Then, Dad, can I teach Yan while you¡¯re still looking? Since I¡¯m pretty free and has nothing else to do," Luo Jin volunteered.


    Luo Yan looked at his younger brother. "Does Ah Jin know how to teach?" he asked, disbelief written on his pretty face. Because, honestly, he really couldn¡¯t believe that Luo Jin had the patience to teach other people.


    Their father and older brother both suddenly burst intoughter. While Luo Jin¡¯s face turned red again.


    "If you don¡¯t want to, then forget it!" Luo Jin snorted.


    "Yan Yan, Xiao Jin is the number one student in his year. So you can rest assured that he can teach you," Luo Ren said.


    Now, that¡¯s something Luo Yan truly didn¡¯t expect. Who could me him? It¡¯s all because this younger brother looked like he¡¯s got the stereotypical delinquent role from a teen idol drama. Those types didn¡¯t usually know how to study, right?


    Luo Yan smiled brightly at Luo Jin, his big peach blossom eyes shining. "Wow, Ah Jin you¡¯re so powerful! Then you have to teach your brother well."


    "Hmp! Of course I would," Luo Jin said. Despite the annoyed tone, everyone in that table could see that he was clearly happy.

 Chapter 12 HIS IQ IS BEING ATTACKED

    LUO YAN was sitting inside the library. It was a huge library with dozens of shelves full of books. One even needed to climb adder in order to get some of the books. The books were separated between educational and literature. The educational books were further separated from different arts and sciences. While the literature were differentiated by genres.


    When Luo Yan first entered this ce, he was truly shocked and amazed. He didn¡¯t think that a house could have a library this big. ording to his older brother, their father loved reading that¡¯s why their mother didn¡¯t hesitate to include a library this big when she was designing the house. That only further proved just how much their parents loved each other.


    After the family¡¯s conversation during breakfast, Luo Jin immediately announced that he would start teaching him today. Now, Luo Yan was waiting for him in the library. He wondered first why they couldn¡¯t just study in Luo Jin¡¯s room, and then he remembered that his brother¡¯s room was in the second floor. Luo Jin was probably worried that he¡¯d be tired if they studied there. After all, the house¡¯s stairs was quite high and long. With his current condition, he might stumble and fall if he wasn¡¯t careful enough.


    When Luo Yan realized that, he only smiled. This younger brother of his was really just a big ball of fluff inside.


    After a while, the door of the library opened and Luo Jin entered. He was holding a stack of papers. He walked towards Luo Yan and sat beside his chair. He put the papers on the table in front of them, chose one and put it in front of Luo Yan. He also opened a pencil case with a mechanical pen and eraser inside.


    "First, I want you to answer the questions in this paper. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t know the answer. Just leave it as nk and just answer what you can. I will check your answers after," Luo Jin unceremoniously said.


    He wanted to know first the current level of understanding his second brother had. If it stayed in the fourth grade level or if it regressed. After finding the result, then he would coordinate with the tutors that his father hired. He didn¡¯t want his brother to be called stupid by others. He could but others couldn¡¯t. He wanted his second brother to be the best in the eyes of others. No one was allowed to insult him.


    "Okay, Ah Jin," Luo Yan said.


    He looked down at the paper in front of him and his face immediately turned ck when he saw the questions on it. It was a Math paper. A first grade Math paper! 10+1... 8+5... 7+9... The more he saw, the cker his face became. He literally could feel his brain hurting. It¡¯s like this paper was physically attacking his IQ.


    He nced sideways at Luo Jin. He was looking at him, his eyes full of silent encouragement. Luo Yan forced himself to calm down. His brother was not deliberate. Most probably, Luo Jin just wanted to test his level of understanding. But still.


    In the end, he only sighed and answered all the question on the paper.


    "I¡¯m done, Ah Jin," he said and pushed the paper to Luo Jin.


    Luo Jin took it and checked the answer. He nodded in satisfaction when he saw that his second brother answered it all correctly. "Very good. This one¡¯s next."


    The next one was actually a second grade Math test paper! Luo Yan still endured and tried his best not to gnash his teeth. But when the next paper came and it was still a third grade Math test paper, he couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Because at that point, not only was his brain hurting, even his stomach and liver wereining to him.


    He breathed deeply before turning to Luo Jin, his face already the mask of innocence. "Ah Jin, these questions are too easy. Are there anything more difficult? Can I pick the next test?"


    Before Luo Jin could answer, Luo Yan already picked the stack of papers in front of his brother. He quickly looked through it and his face ckened again when he discovered that the highest level of questions in every subjects was in sixth grade. He sighed and just picked a sixth grade Math test paper. He answered it easily then gave it back to Luo Jin.


    Luo Jin was a little bit doubtful when he saw his brother picking a sixth grade Math test paper. But when he checked the paper and found that his brother managed to answer everything correctly, he was amazed. He suddenly remembered that before the ident, his brother had always been the top of his ss. Just like their older brother. That¡¯s why Luo Jin also started to study hard. Because he wanted to be like his brothers.


    Luo Jin was happy to know that not only his brother¡¯s intelligence did not regress, he was still as smart as before. With the best tutors, his brother would definitely be able to catch up to high school level in no time. Maybe he could even go to the same high school as him thising new shool year.


    "Well, this is good. At least with this, I could confidently tell Dad and Older Brother that you didn¡¯t turn stupid."


    Luo Yan almost resisted the urge to smack this brother. He swore, when those tutors came, he would show them how smart he was. At first, he wanted to act low-key and just showed gradual progress. There¡¯s no need for him to work hard after all. Even if he chose to be a salted fish all his life, this family would certainly support him. But with this experience, he found out that he couldn¡¯t take being treated like his IQ was on the same level as that of a child. Then it¡¯s better to be treated like a genius.


    He wouldn¡¯t allow his IQ to be attacked again. Because seriously, it might really caused long-term damage to his brain.

 Chapter 13 THEIR FIRST ENCOUNTER

    LUO YAN and Luo Jin were sitting in the back of a ck luxury car. They were on their way to F University to attend their older brother¡¯s graduation ceremony. Their older brother was already there. He needed to prepare since he¡¯s chosen to give the graduation speech. Probably because he¡¯s the top graduate of the Business Department. And being the son of the president of Tianhua Group was also an added factor. Their father wouldeter so Luo Yan and Luo Jin went there first.


    Luo Yan looked outside the window of the car. Tomorrow, the tutors his father hired woulde to their house to teach him. He already had a n on how he would deal with them. He would show his great ability to learn. He would let them teach him, of course. He couldn¡¯t just suddenly learn everything after all. Then he would act like he understood what they were teaching with just them exining it to him once. That would show that he¡¯s the type who can easily absorb everything that¡¯s being taught to him. It would certainly make him appear like some kind of genius. But that¡¯s definitely better than beingbeled as stupid.


    When Luo Yan found out that his family was rich, the first thought he had was if he could just live his life as a salted fish. Doing nothing and just relying on the wealth of their family. But after slowly getting to know his father and two brothers, he realized just how much he didn¡¯t want to bring shame to them. So, he would graduate, bring them honor, and then do all the things he wanted to do but couldn¡¯t in hisst life.


    Soon, they arrived at the gate of F University. There were crowds of people going in, showing that it was definitely graduation season. The driver stopped the car and went out. Then he opened the door of the backseat for the two young masters. When the two got off the car, they immediately attracted a lot of attention. One was a handsome, tall teenager while the other was a beautiful, petite boy.


    Luo Jin was wearing a blue denim jacket, which he folded up to his elbows, over a white shirt and a ck jeans. Which he paired up with a pair of white Nike rubber shoes. His ck hair was swept back, clearly showing his smooth forehead. He was also wearing a silver cross earrings. Completely showing his wild charm.


    Lou Yan on the other hand was theplete opposite. He was wearing a purple wool sweater that¡¯s a tad bit oversized and a white bermuda shorts. He paired those with a purple high top converse. His soft ck hair was under a white mariner¡¯s cap. With his big peach blossom eyes and delicate white skin, he looked absolutely lovely.


    Luo Yan, of course, noticed the attention the crowd was giving them. He didn¡¯t mind. He¡¯s not the shy or introverted type. He even dressed himself in a way that would maximize his cuteness. With this fairy face, it would be a shame if he wouldn¡¯t.


    "Young Masters, the bouquet," the driver reminded them, handing them a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses.


    Luo Yan immediately took it. "Thank you, Uncle," he sweetly said. Then he turned to Luo Jin. "Ah Jin, let¡¯s go."


    Luo Jin looked at the dense crowd and frowned. "Make sure to stay near me. I can¡¯t have you going off somewhere and getting lost."


    "Yes, Ah Jin," Luo Yan only said. He¡¯s already used to Luo Jin¡¯s annoyed tone. He didn¡¯t mind it since he knew he¡¯s just a tsundere who couldn¡¯t express his feelings properly.


    When they entered the gate, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but looked around. This lively atmosphere reminded him of his own graduation. He also graduated the top of his ss. But no family member came to congratte him. He thought he was already numb to that kind of pain. But when he saw others with their families,ughing and crying, he still felt a little bit sad.


    He shook his head. This was not the time to think about that. That was no longer his life. This time he was sure that once he graduated from university, his father and brothers would be there for him.


    No longer thinking about that, he turned to his side and realized that Luo Jin was not there. There weren¡¯t even many people around. Hepletely wandered off without even realizing it! Luo Jin would definitely scold himter. He tried to take his phone from his pocket but immediately noticed that it was not there. He probably left it in the car. Yup. It¡¯s official. Luo Jin would definitely skin him alive.


    "Little brother, are you lost? Do you want big brother to help you?" a voice in front suddenly said.


    Luo Yan looked up and saw a young man in front of him. He didn¡¯t really have time to observe him because the first thing he noticed was the perverted way he was looking at him. Luo Yan immediately got goosebumps. Did this bastard not notice that he¡¯s a guy?


    Instead of answering, he just turned around. But when he was about to leave, the damn guy suddenly held his wrist.


    Feeling the soft skin he was touching, the guy became even more excited. "Hey, little brother, don¡¯t ignore me."


    Luo Yan tried to pull his hand back but he couldn¡¯t. He just simplycked the strenght to sessfully do it. Thinking if he should just kick this guy¡¯s ¡¯little brother¡¯ or scream to attract other people¡¯s attention, a voice suddenly spoke from above them.


    "You¡¯re noisy," a cold voice said.


    Then a tall man suddenly jumped down from the tree near them. Luo Yan almost caught his breath when he saw the man¡¯s face. Because the guy was just simply gorgeous. His hair was so ck that it almost had a blue sheen to it, just like a raven¡¯s feather. His skin was white but not the kind of unhealthy white. He had a high nose and thin red lips. But the most attractive part of his face was his eyes.


    It was electric blue. Gazing into it just felt like he was looking at the brightest sky.


    Luo Yan still didn¡¯t know at that time that that encounter wouldpletely change his life forever.

 Chapter 14 CUTE LITTLE RABBIT

    A BLACK luxury car parked behind the faculty building of F University. The driver first went out and opened the door of the backseat of the car. The first one to get out was a man in his 30s. He was wearing a crisp ck suit. The pair of ck eyes were hidden behind a pair of gold-rimmed sses. He¡¯s not the type one would immediately call handsome. But the way he carried himself was enough to make up for it. His temperament was clean and gentle. Anyone who saw him could only associate him to the word ¡¯gentleman¡¯.


    The one who followed him was undoubtedly more eyecatching. The young man was tall and lean. He was only wearing casual clothes but his momentum couldn¡¯t be hidden. His hair was so ck that it almost looked dark blue under the bright sun. But the one thing people would first notice when they saw him was his eyes. They were so blue it¡¯s like you¡¯re gazing at the brightest sky with no clouds.


    Shen Yi Mu - the gentleman wearing a suit - was here in F University because he was invited as a guest speaker for the undergraduatemencement exercise. The one who invited him was an old friend so he really didn¡¯t have the heart to reject it. Being the founder and president of the current leading gamingpany in the country made him more the qualified to speak in a prestigious university like this.


    He turned to his nephew. Shen Ji Yun, just like always, had no expression on his handsome face. Because of that, he looked more like a perfect, wless doll instead of a human. Shen Yi Mu just felt a little bit of heartache whenever he saw his nephew like this. Because he wasn¡¯t always like this. There was a time when he was just like any other kid, lively and full of different expressions. But that all changed 12 years ago.


    When Ji Yun was eight, a very tragic and unfortunate incident happened. Itpletely shattered the perfect home of the little boy. Shen Yi Mu¡¯s older brother - Ji Yun¡¯s father - died. Ji Yun¡¯s mother suffered an extreme shock that she couldn¡¯t even be a proper mother to the child. When Shen Yi Mu saw Ji Yun, he was already like a expresionless doll.


    He decided to take in the child despite the protests of his sister-inw¡¯s family. Because just one look at his sister-inw and anyone could see that she¡¯s not in the proper state of mind to take care of a child. Staying with her would just deepened the emotional wound of Ji Yun. But he didn¡¯t take him back to Shen family either. Because Shen family was aplicated mess. It wasn¡¯t a suitable envinronment for a child to grow up in. So since then, they had been living together as a family of two.


    But nothing really had changed in terms of Ji Yun¡¯s emotional development. In fact, he just became more and more expresionless as years passed by. Shen Yi Mu even started to doubt if his nephew actually had facial paralysis.


    He tried to make his nephew socialize with others by enrolling him in different arts, music, and sports sses where there were other children his age he could interact with. But that didn¡¯t really help because he didn¡¯t really bother talking with others and just leave when he didn¡¯t like the ss. Out of all the sses, the only one that caught his attention was the karate ss. He did so well there he was even invited to join the National team. Which Ji Yun rejected, saying it was too troublesome.


    Now Ji Yun was fully immersed in helping him in his gamingpany. Developing ways to continually improve the main game of thepany. If not for Shen Yi Mu¡¯s insistence, Ji Yun would have long graduated early. Shen Yi Mu at least wanted his nephew to have a normal campus life. But clearly, he¡¯s hoping for a miracle. Because since he was eight up to now, Ji Yun was still the same unapproachable expresionless doll. The only one who could probably withstand his cold atmosphere was the young master of the Bai family.


    Shen Yi Mu just sighed. "Ji Yun, do you want to go with me to the auditorium?"


    The reason why he brought his nephew here was because he¡¯d been burying himself inside the game for days now, being the beta tester for the uing update. If Shen Yi Mu didn¡¯t force him to go out, he might not really get out of his room for the duration of his summer break. That¡¯s just the way Ji Yun was. If he liked something, he would put all his attention to it.


    "No. I¡¯ll just go around and wait until Uncle finished," Ji Yun answered with no ups and downs in his voice.


    "Okay. I¡¯ll call you once I¡¯m done."


    Ji Yun nodded, turned around and walked away. Shen Yi Mu looked at his nephew¡¯s back, shook his head and then walked inside the faculty building.


    Shen Ji Yun walked on the campus ground. A lot of people, especially girls, couldn¡¯t help but stare at him. But he seemed to not notice the hot gazes directed at him. He didn¡¯t like the noisy surroundings so he walked to find a rtively quiet ce. He found an area where not many people were walking by. When he saw a tall tree, he walked towards it. Once near, he easily climbed the lowest thick branch. He sat there and leaned on the trunk. He nned to sleep there for a while but before he could even do so, he heard a noise below.


    He looked down and saw two people below. One was obviously a college student. The other was a boy who looked like he was just 13 or 14 years old. The college guy seemed to be harrassing the kid. The kid raised his head and Shen Ji Yun immediately understood why the college guy would harrass him. Soft ck hair, delicate white skin, natural pinkish lips, and a pair of peach blossom shaped eyes. Shen Ji Yun was not the type to notice a person¡¯s appearance, but even he could see that the kid had a very pretty face.


    The kid tried to leave but the college guy stopped him. "Hey, little brother, don¡¯t ignore me."


    The kid pursed his lips, showing how annoyed he was. It made his white cheeks bulged a little. The first thing that entered in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mind seeing that was; [Cute little rabbit.]


    Before he knew it, he already jumped down and said, "You¡¯re noisy."

 Chapter 15 ICEBERG BEAUTY

    LUO YAN stared at the handsome guy who just suddenly appeared. With his blue eyes, it was obvious that he was not a pure Chinese. One of his parents was most probably a foreigner. It¡¯s like he¡¯s the perfectbination of East and West. That¡¯s when he noticed that the hold of the annoying guy in front of him finally loosened. Luo Yan immediately took that opportunity to take his hand back. Then he walked as fast as he could towards the blue-eyed beauty and hid behind his back.


    "Big Brother, help. That brother over there is scary," he said, gazing up and trying his best to look scared and pitiful.


    Shen Ji Yun looked down at the rabbit hiding behind his back. The rabbit¡¯s big peach blossom eyes were clear and bright with a bit of water in them, as if he would cry at any second. His smooth cheeks had a tiny blush in them. Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand twitched. He really wanted to pinch those cheeks.


    "Come on, little brother, what do you mean by scary? This big brother just wanted to help you."


    [Help my ass. You¡¯re just a pervert who wanted a piece of this fairy.] Luo Yan reached for the hem of the blue-eyed guy¡¯s shirt. "Big brother..."


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the pitiful rabbit for a little more before turning to the college guy. "Leave."


    The guy trembled a little. Because even if there was no ups and downs in the voice of this person, he could still feel that if he didn¡¯t leave, he would definitely be beaten up. It¡¯s probably because of that blue gaze. It had no temperature in them. As if he was looking at someone inconsequential. In the end, the guy immediately ran and left.


    Luo Yan sneered seeing the guy ran away. He should probably bring a pepper spray or a taser the next time he went out just in case. He should not forget that the face he had now was the type that would attract perverts left and right. He let go of the hem of the young man and looked up at him.


    Luo Yan smiled and said, "Thank you, big brother!"


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the smiling rabbit and he found his hand twitching again.


    Luo Yan waited for a reply but the man just remained silent. He couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking because there was no expression on his face. He almost seemed not human and more of a beautiful porcin doll. He was probably what everyone would call an ¡¯iceberg beauty¡¯.


    But since Luo Yan had a thick skin, he ignored the man¡¯s coldness and continued talking. "Big brother, could you apany me to the auditorium where the graduation will be held? I got separated from my younger brother, you see. I don¡¯t have my phone to call him and I don¡¯t really want to walk alone." No way. What if another pervert osted him? "Please?" he asked, making sure that he looked as cute as possible.


    The rabbit blinked his big peach blossom eyes, his long eyshes fanning his cheeks. Cute. Shen Ji Yun could no longer helped it and just pinched the rabbit¡¯s cheek. Soft.


    Luo Yan was startled by the sudden move of the man. Why did this guy suddenly pinched his cheek? "Big brother?"


    Shen Ji Yun reluctantly let go of the rabbit¡¯s cheek. "Follow me," he simply said and walked towards the direction where the auditorium probably was.


    Even though Luo Yan was still a bit confused by the man¡¯s earlier action, he still followed him and walked by his side. "Big brother, are you a student here?"


    "No."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that he actually wasn¡¯t. "Then how would you know where the auditorium is?"


    "Follow the people."


    "Oh." That¡¯s actually a very logical answer.


    Soon they saw a crowd going to a particr direction. Before they could continue on, a familiar voice called Luo Yan¡¯s name. He stopped walking and turned back. Then he saw Luo Jin running towards them. Once he stopped in front of him, Luo Jin immediately grabbed both his shoulders.


    "Where the hell have you been? I told you to stay near me! What were you doing, going off on your own? And why didn¡¯t you even have your phone with you?" Luo Jin scolded.


    His heart was still full of fear, worry, and panic right now. When he found that his second brother suddenly disappeared by his side, he almost lost his mind. A lot of bad things started filling his head. If something bad really did happen to his second brother, Luo Jin seriously had no idea what he would do. Especially since he was the one with him. He probably would never ever forgive himself.


    Luo Yan winced because of the way he held his shoulders too tightly. He wanted toin but when he saw the panicked face of his younger brother, all hisin disappeared. "I¡¯m sorry, Ah Jin. It¡¯s my fault. Please, don¡¯t be mad."


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the hands holding the rabbit¡¯s shoulders and a slight wrinkle appeared on his brows. He wanted to remove those hands. But it looked like the rabbit knew this teenager. So he only said, "Let go. You¡¯re holding his shoulders too tightly."


    Luo Jin only noticed the presence of another person after he heard that. He looked at the tall expresionless man with blue eyes and he couldn¡¯t help but frown. "Who are you?" he asked, but he still loosened the hold on his second brother¡¯s shoulder.


    The man didn¡¯t answer andpletely ignored Luo Jin. He instead looked at Luo Yan. "Your friend?" he asked, probably pertaining to Luo Jin.


    "He¡¯s my younger brother."


    The expresionless face of Shen Ji Yun finally had a small crack. Younger brother? He looked at the two people. Aside from the fact that they didn¡¯t look remotely alike, the rabbit only looked like he was 14. Then was this tall teenager only 13 or something?


    Luo Yan of course noticed the man¡¯s expression. He already had an idea of what he was thinking. "Big brother, I may be short but I¡¯m already 17 years old! I will soon have my growth spurt," he said, indignantly.


    17? Were the rabbit¡¯s parents actually not feeding him properly? How could he be so small and thin? That were the thoughts that first entered Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mind. But on the outside, his face still remained expresionless.


    "Yan, who is this guy?" Luo Jin finally asked.


    "This big brother helped me. I asked him to take me to the auditorium."


    Luo Jin almost didn¡¯t blow up. How could Luo Yan just ask a random stranger to help him? What if this guy turned out to be not a good person? He stood in front of his second brother, blocking the man¡¯s gaze. "Thank you for helping my brother. You can go now."


    Shen Ji Yun only looked at the teenager, ignoring his re. "No." Then he turned to the small rabbit. "I¡¯ll go with you."


    Luo Jin felt like a vein in his forehead just popped.


    While Luo Yan looked at the two back and forth. Why did it feel like these two just began some kind of silent war?

 Chapter 16 THE END OF THEIR ENCOUNTER (MAYBE)

    LUO YAN was sitting in between his younger brother and the big brother he just met. They were already at the auditorium, sitting at the seats designated for the family members of the graduates and waiting for the ceremony to start. For some reason, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was some budding tension between the two people sitting on both his sides.


    He turned to the big brother on his left side. "Big brother, do you also have a family member who¡¯s graduating today?" he asked, since this big brother was not a student here then that¡¯s the only reason he thought why he would be sitting here with them was because he also had an acquiantance who¡¯s about to graduate.


    "No."


    "Then what the hell are you even doing here, gatecrashing?" Luo Jin said, not the least bit polite.


    The big brother turned to Luo Yan,pletely ignoring Luo Jin. "Shen Ji Yun," he said instead of answering. "My name."


    "Oh." So, he¡¯s name was Shen Ji Yun. He almost forgot that they hadn¡¯t yet introduced themselves to each other. "I¡¯m Luo Yan, this is my younger brother, Luo Jin."


    "Yan, don¡¯t just bber your name to a random stranger," Luo Jin said, clearly annoyed.


    "Ah Jin, Brother Ji Yun is not a bad person. Don¡¯t be too harsh on him." After all, this Shen Ji Yun did help Luo Yan. If he didn¡¯t, that scene with that pervert earlier would definitely end up with a much bigger fanfare than necessary.


    Luo Jin only snorted as an answer.


    ¡¯Brother Ji Yun¡¯. Shen Ji Yun was definitely satisfied with the rabbit calling him that. "My uncle is the guest speaker," he said, answering Luo Yan¡¯s first question.


    Luo Yan nodded. If Shen Ji Yun¡¯s uncle was the guest speaker, then he¡¯s probably a very sessful person. After all, F University was a one of the most prominent university in the country. They wouldn¡¯t just ask a random businessman to be its guest speaker on one of theirmencement exercises.


    Soon, the undergraduatemencement exercise finally started. After a little introduction from the president of the university, he gave the mic to the vice president who in turn introduced the guest speaker.


    "I¡¯d like to wee the man who changed the trend of online gaming in our country. The creator of the current most popr online game - Arcadia. And the president and CEO of Moonlight Media. Please wee, Mr. Shen Yi Mu."


    There was a loud apuse in the crowd. Then a man wearing crisp ck suit walked towards the podium. He had a clean and gentle temperament. The golden rimmed sses on his face only added to his gentlemanly appeal.


    "Good day to all of you," he started in a gentle voice.


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened. Moonlight Media was thepany he was supposed to work for before he was killed by that potted nt. Their game, Arcadia, was one of his favorite from way back. It was actually the reason why he choseputer science as an undergraduate major. That¡¯s why he was so ecstatic when he received a job offer from Moonlight Media thest semester of his college years.


    But before he could even enjoy that, that sted potted nt fell on his head. Although he didn¡¯t totally die and he did like the life he had now, it was still kind of frustrating.


    Now that he thought about it, he hadn¡¯t checked Arcadia since his rebirth. He wondered what happened to his old ount. Thest he heard, seven years ago, Moonlight Media was nning a virtual reality version of the game. That¡¯s probably already implemented by now. Knowing Moonlight Media, it would definitely be of high quality. Maybe he should check it once they got back home.


    Now, the president of Moonlight Media and the creator of Arcadia was standing just a few feet from where he was sitting. Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.


    Shen Ji Yun, of course, noticed the rabbit¡¯s excitement. How could he not when his peach blossom eyes were bursting like starlight. "Do you y Arcadia?" he asked, because that¡¯s the only reason he could think of why the rabbit would suddenly get excited when his uncle appeared.


    "My brother doesn¡¯t y games," the taciturn younger brother answered.


    [Ah Jin, please don¡¯t be too antagonistic.] "Actually, I read about Arcadia online the other day. I¡¯m kind of interested in ying it."


    Luo Jin then turned to his second brother when he heard that. "You are?"


    Luo Yan nodded. Now that his health was already back to normal, he really wanted to try the VR version of Arcadia.


    Luo Jin frowned. Because the first thing he thought of was if ying that kind of game wouldn¡¯t affect his second brother¡¯s brain activity. "Let¡¯s talk to Dad first before you try ying by yourself."


    "Okay." Luo Yan knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to y if their father refused him to. After all, a VR helmet probably cost a lot of money that he would definitely not be able to buy by himself.


    "If you¡¯re nning to y Arcadia, I could send you a VR helmet that was personally made by Moonlight Media for the game," Shen Ji Yun said as if he¡¯s just giving away a piece of candy.


    "No need. Our family can certainly buy a hundred of those VR helmets," Luo Jin said with his usual annoyed tone.


    "Thank you for the offer though," Luo Yan added. "But I couldn¡¯t really ept something so expensive."


    Shen Ji Yun only nodded. He understood. It¡¯s probably because the rabbit only thought of him as a stranger. For some reason he couldn¡¯t exin, that idea didn¡¯t really sit well with him.


    Luo Yan continued to listen to Shen Yi Mu¡¯s speech attentively. It was interesting so he didn¡¯t really get bored. Before he knew it, the speech was already finished and Shen Yi Mu was already walking off the stage.


    Then Shen Ji Yun received a message on his WeChat.


    Uncle Yi Mu: [I¡¯m already done with my speech. We could go now. Just meet me on the parking lot.]


    Before replying, Shen Ji Yun nced at the rabbit sitting beside him. He wanted to stay for a bit longer but he knew that his uncle still had a meeting after this. And they needed to go back to B City immediately. In the end, he still replied;


    Ji Yun: [Okay.]


    He stood up, making the rabbit looked up at him. "I need to go. Nice meeting you, silly rabbit," he said and didn¡¯t hesitate to pinch the rabbit¡¯s soft cheek. Then he walked away.


    He already left when Luo Yan realized what he just said. Who¡¯s the silly rabbit?


    Shen Ji Yun just walked out of the auditorium, his fingers could still feel the softness of the cheek he just pinched. Somehow, he felt kind of regretful that he didn¡¯t even ask for the rabbit¡¯s WeChat ID. Maybe this would be theirst encounter. For some reason, he hated that idea.


    While inside the auditorium, Luo Yan already put this encounter at the very back of his head.

 Chapter 17 PERMISSION TO PLAY

    "I¡¯M done, Teacher," Luo Yan said handing his answer sheet to the woman standing in front of him.


    The woman was hisnguage tutor, one of the three tutors his father hired. They each spent two hours teaching him. So he spent six hours a day studying for the past two days. The three tutors were excellent teachers. If he really was a 17 year old amnesiac with a ten year old mentality, it would be really easy for him to learn everything they¡¯re trying to teach. But since he¡¯s not, it just all became kind of boring and really tiring as well.


    He¡¯d been a studybug ever since he was a kid. Growing up at an orphanage, he knew it wasn¡¯t enough to just have good grades for him to ensure a good future. He needed to be the best. So he always studied with all his might so he could be the best in his grade. Which paid off since he was admitted at the university considered the best in the country. So answering all of these elementary level questions was just simply a piece of cake for him.


    It was a good thing that all his three tutors were kind and gentle to him. Though it was most probably because his father asked them to be not too strict to him. He smiled a little. His father and brothers really do spoil him a lot. If this continued, he might really end up being quite useless.


    The female teacher looked over the answer sheet and was pleasantly surprised to see that all the answers were correct. She already noticed for the past two days that she¡¯d been teaching him that this kid was really smart. He could easily understand everything that¡¯s being taught to him. At this rate, they might jump to middle school level faster than she expected.


    "Very good. Everything is correct. Young master is really smart."


    "Thank you, Teacher."


    "Well then, let¡¯s stop here for today. I¡¯ll see the young master tomorrow."


    Luo Yan smiled. "Okay. See you again tomorrow, teacher."


    When the teacher left, Luo Yan finally rxed and showed azy posture. He took his phone and search thetest information about Arcadia. ording to what he found, the game¡¯s new update would be released three days from now. He really wanted to y it. He just hoped that his father would allow it. When Luo Yan told his father about him wanting to y Arcadia, he said that he would ask Doctor Han first if it was safe for him to y a VR game. He hadn¡¯t receive an answer yet.


    Arcadia was just like any other MMORPG out. It was set in a Western fantasynd where yers couldplete different tasks, raid dungeons, and get wonderful weapons and treasures. The thing that probably set it off from other games of the same genre was its super high quality characters and world design which didn¡¯t really hinder any of its gamey. Because there were times when some games sacrificed its gamey in favor of beautiful designs and the same could be said the other way around.


    The backstories for each dungeon boss and even some of the NPCs were all quite interesting. Another thing was its race-ss system. In other games, a race could be constrained in only one or two sses. Like a certain race could only be this and that. But in Arcadia, you could pick any race and ss you wanted without worrying that the ss didn¡¯t fit with the race you picked. Strengthening a character all depended on the yer¡¯s ability and understanding of their character and the game as a whole.


    Luo Yan started ying Arcadia during high school. It was just a way for him to let out stress at first. He couldn¡¯t really y it all the time since he didn¡¯t have his own PC orptop. So he only yed it when his stress piled up. But when he entered college and had his ownptop, he started ying it more often.


    The university environment was really stressful for him. Aside from maintaining his good grades, he also needed to be this perfect prince in front of everyone. So ying Arcadia had been a way for him to release all those pent up emotions. There, he could kill a lot of monsters and also a lot of yers. Which was why he chose a ss that¡¯s very good in meleebat and PvP - assassin.


    And he turned out to be really good at it. No, not just good, he was the best in the server he was in.


    When Luo Yan wanted to check his old ount, he found out that one could no longer y Arcadia using a PC orptop. It nowpletely transitioned to a VRMMORPG. One couldn¡¯t y it without the VR helmet personally made by the game developer for the game - which in this case was Moonlight Media.


    ording to the game FAQs he read, he could no longer y using his old ount. Because the time to transfer an ount from the PC version to the VR version already expired a year after the VR version was released six years ago. They needed to do that to trulyplete the transition from PC to VR. It¡¯s just a shame that Luo Yan could not get all the items and weapons he had in his old ount.


    Though it¡¯s probably better that way. With that, he would no longer be tempted to log in using his old ount. All his three room mates in college knew about his game ount. Because all of them yed Arcadia and even raid dungeons together. If he started ying again using his old ount, and then in the off chance that one of his former room mates found him, it would definitely cause a lot of trouble. Because he was technically already dead. He didn¡¯t want to take a chance when it came to something that might affect the current life he had.


    He shook his head and decided not to think about it anymore. It¡¯s not even sure yet if his father would let him to y.


    When it¡¯s already near the time when his father went back home, Luo Yan stood up and walked out of the library. The library was the ce in the house where he was being tutored. He chose it since he really didn¡¯t want others to enter his room and he also didn¡¯t want to study at the living room.


    When he reached the living room, he saw his younger brother sitting on the sofa, looking down on his phone. He walked towards him and sat beside him.


    Luo Jin nced at him. "Your tutor didn¡¯t give you any assignment?"


    "Nope."


    "Tch. Those three are definitely being too soft on you."


    [Hey, younger brother, do you actually want this cute brother of yours to be tortured by those teachers?] "No. They¡¯re not giving me assignment because I¡¯m smart and obedient."


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t have the time to answer because their father just walked inside the house.


    Luo Yan stood up and walked to him. "Wee home, Dad. Where¡¯s Brother?"


    Luo Ren just graduated but he was already working at their family¡¯spany.


    "Your brother¡¯s doing overtime."


    "Overtime? Dad, you¡¯re not bullying Brother, are you?"


    Luo Wei Tian onlyughed. "Of course not. Your older brother is just trying to do his best."


    "Then, Dad, did you already ask Doctor Han if I could y Arcadia?" Luo Yan suddenly asked,pletely changing the topic.


    Luo Wei Tian looked down at his son, his peach blossom eyes full of expectation. "I did. And he said that there won¡¯t be any problems if you y. But Xiao Yan, that kind of game brings very real experience. That means when you get hurt, you will feel pain. Do you still want to y despite that?" he asked seriously.


    "I do," Luo Yan answered without hesitation.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I¡¯ll also y with him so I could look after him while we¡¯re ying," Luo Jin suddenly interjected. Though he¡¯s not really interested in that kind of game, he couldn¡¯t just let his second brother y it by himself. His brother was so cute. What if someone tried to bully him? Lou Jin couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    Luo Yan turned to his younger brother who had a look on his face as if saying, ¡¯Don¡¯t worry, I got your back. I¡¯ll definitely protect you¡¯. [Younger brother, trust me. When ites to Arcadia, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be needing your protection.]


    Luo Wei Tian could only sigh. "Then I¡¯ll let assistant Wen buy two VR helmets for the both of you."


    Luo Yan jumped happily and hugged his father. "Thank you, Dad!"


    Now he could finally y Arcadia.

 Chapter 18 WELCOME (BACK) TO ARCADIA

    LUO YAN excitedly looked at the white box with two ovepping ¡¯M¡¯ at the top. It was the logo of Moonlight Media. Inside was the VR helmet personally made by the gamepany for Arcadia. He opened the box and saw a helmet the size and shape of an ordinary motorcycle helmet. It was white with a silvery metallic sheen. The ovepping ¡¯M¡¯ was engraved on its left side.


    He already read the manual online on how to use and maintain it. When ying the game, one only needed to wear it and turned on the power button located behind the helmet. ording to the manual, once it was on, the yer would feel a soft tingling on their forehead. That would be the device trying to mesh with the yer¡¯s brainwaves. The yer needed to be rxed so they could bepletely immersed with the game.


    The helmet didn¡¯t need to be attached to a power source because it could be charged beforehand.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t really wait to y. He wondered if the game experience would be as life like as he read online. Many of the forum posts he read on Arcadia¡¯s official website said that ying the game felt so real that it¡¯s like they were transported to another world. He hoped that those posts weren¡¯t just lipservice. Another reason why he was so excited was because today was the released of the new update. ording to the official website¡¯s announcement page, a new race was added on the random selection of the game.


    When he yed Arcadia back then, there were only four races that a yer could choose from. Humans, beastkins, elves, and gnomes. But when the game transitioned to VR, a lot of other races were added. The only problem was that the yers wouldn¡¯t be able to choose those races freely. For the first time yer, there were only five choices - the four basic races and a random selection.


    Picking the random selection could be either good or bad for the yer. It was bad in a way that one might end up ying with a race they didn¡¯t want. While good because choosing the random selection was the only way that one could have the chance to y the other races besides the four mentioned. Some of those races he read were dragons, phoenixes, sirens, and some other mythical race as well.


    Luo Yan already decided that he would pick the random selection. Maybe he would end up with a cool race.


    He was about to put on the helmet when he heard knocking on his door. He temporarily put down the helmet on his study table then walked towards the door. He opened it and saw Luo Jin.


    "Are you going to y the game now?" he asked. Luo Yan nodded. "Then let¡¯s meet up inside the game immediately once we entered."


    "Wait- Ah Jin," Luo Yan called when Lou Jin was about to leave. "Did you read the game manual?"


    Luo Jin frowned and then snorted. "Of course I did."


    [You definitely didn¡¯t, you tsundere.] "Then you know that we couldn¡¯t immediately meet up? A new yer will be ced on the origin vige of the race they¡¯ve chosen. Then they have to finish a couple of task and reach level 10 before they could travel to the first town - Olkdale. So we wouldn¡¯t be able to meet until we both reached level 10 and entered Olkdale."


    Luo Jin furrowed his brows. "Then we should just choose the same race of whatever."


    "We can¡¯t because I¡¯m going to choose the random selection. So I have no idea what race I would end up with."


    Luo Jin¡¯s brows furrowed even further. "Why would you do that?"


    "Because that way, there¡¯s a chance that I would end up with a pretty unique race."


    "What races are there exactly?"


    "Well, the basic ones are humans, beastkins, elves, and gnomes. Then there are others that could only be picked when a yer chose the random selection."


    The more Luo Jin heard, the more he became annoyed. Did a game really need to be soplicated? "Why do you know so much about this game anyway?"


    Luo Yan smiled sweetly at his brother. "Because unlike Ah Jin, I read the manual."


    Luo Jin pursed his lips. "Fine. I¡¯ll read the manual. You better wait for me at that first town or something. And if the quest turned out to be hard for you, just log out."


    How could a beginner¡¯s quest be hard for him? But Lou Yan only smiled and said, "Okay, Ah Jin."


    "And we both must log out before dinner time," Luo Jin added.


    "Yes, yes," Luo Yan said helplessly. There were only three hours left before dinner. But he was confident that he could still do a lot during those three hours.


    Once Luo Jin left, Luo Yan closed the door of his room. He walked towards the VR helmet and picked it up. He sat on his bed and searched for afortable position. Once he did, he put the helmet on and turned on the power.


    He immediately felt the soft tingling on his forehead. Then everything turned ck. Soon, words appeared in front of him.


    ¡¯Wee to Arcadia¡¯.


    Luo Yan unknowingly smiled. [Yes, I am back.]

 Chapter 19 HIS RACE IS...?

    ¡¯WELCOME to Arcadia¡¯


    When the words faded, Luo Yan¡¯s dark surroundings also slowly faded and then a bright light appeared and he found himself at the middle of a beautiful garden. There were dozens of beautiful and colorful flowers around. Some he could name and some he couldn¡¯t. But what really amazed him was the fact that he could smell their scent. As if he¡¯s really standing in a garden full of flowers.


    Then from the sky, a boy who looked like he was about 7 or 8 years old, suddenly jumped down. He had dark blue hair and a pair of blue eyes. He was wearing a small butler uniform with matching monocles. He bowed to him like a true butler. It made him look kind of adorable.


    Staring at the boy, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel that he¡¯d seen him somewhere. But before he could think more about it, the boy already spoke.


    "Wee new yer! I¡¯m the Gamekeeper, I¡¯m here to assist you in your first step to enter the world of Arcadia. First, please enter your chosen game name on the screen in front of you."


    After the little Gamekeeper said that, a virtual screen appeared in front of Luo Yan. ording to the manual he read, a VR helmet equaled to one game ount. Which meant that yers didn¡¯t need an e-mail or any other SNS ounts to register to the game. They only needed one VR helmet. So an individual could have countless game ounts as long as he could get countless VR helmets.


    Luo Yan entered the word ¡¯Noctis¡¯ on the screen. He wrote it using the English alphabet. Just like how he did in his old ount. The name of his old ount was ¡¯Nocturne¡¯. Since he couldn¡¯t use it, he wanted to at least connect it to his new one.


    "Congrattions! The name ¡¯Noctis¡¯ is not yet taken. From now on, this would be your official game ount name," the little Gamekeeper said.


    Luo Yan already expected that. Since most yers of Arcadia used their country¡¯snguage for their game name. Arcadia was only currently avable in their country. So it¡¯s only natural for yers to use their country¡¯snguage.


    Although he did read in a lot of online news that many game developers abroad wanted to partner with Moonlight Media to expand the game overseas. But something like that would take a lot of time and nning. And that¡¯s probably the reason why Moonlight Media still hadn¡¯t expanded abroad.


    "Next, please choose your gender," the little Gamekeeper said again.


    The screen in front of Luo Yan changed, containing two choices; male or female. Of couse, he chose male.


    "Your choses gender was male. If you have other customization request, like a change in height, weight, or a boost in beauty, please just include it on the next screen."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan became a bit excited. Because that meant that he could be taller in the game! Maybe he should choose a 190 cm height. Once the screen changed, his n was immediately foiled because he discovered that he could only increased his height up to 20 cm at maximum. He just sighed and had no other choice but to enter 170 cm as his game avatar¡¯s height. Then on the weight part, he chose the weight appropriate for a guy with a 170 cm height. He didn¡¯t bother with the beauty boosting. Because if he did, then he would no longer be a fairy but a true goddess instead.


    A yer¡¯s game avatar was based on the yer¡¯s real face. They could change their height and weight, even boost their beauty, but the framework of their avatar was still based on their face. So no two avatars were simr. Except of course if the same yer made two ounts with the same specification.


    "Great. Finally, all you have to do is to choose your race."


    The screen changed again. Now Luo Yan had five choices. He didn¡¯t hesitate to pick the random selection.


    "Your race is now locked. You can now enter Arcadia. Strive to be the best. But I hope you won¡¯t forget to have fun. Wee to the start of your new wonderful journey! Best of luck!"


    The garden dissapeared along with the little Gamekeeper. Then Luo Yan was surrounded by an incredibly bright light. He had no choice but to close his eyes or else he would probably go blind. Then he felt like he was falling at a very fast speed. As if he was on one of those dizzying amus.e.m.e.nt rides. Then his back fell on a hard surface.


    When he opened his eyes, he was already lying inside a dim room with only a single candle as a light source. He slowly sat up and found that he was lying on a wooden bed. When he looked around, he saw that he was inside a small room. Then his gazended on a mirror hanging on the wall. He excitedly stood up, wanting to see what he looked like.


    Then he was surprised by the sudden elevation in his gaze. Meaning that he really grew taller. That made him more excited. His pace going towards the mirror became faster. When he saw himself on the mirror, he was quite shocked.


    The image staring at back at him was still his face. Only it was more mature, not the childish face that still had a few baby fat on it. It¡¯s like this was how his face should looked like if this original body didn¡¯t get intoa. Add that to the changes made by the game and he only became much more beautiful.


    He had long pure white hair that actually reached his knees. His big peach blossom eyes were surrounded by pure white eyeshes. His skin seemed to be more delicate and white. His lips much more rosy. The color of his eyes turned into blue with bits of golden speckled inside them. And his ears became long and pointed.


    This was an enchanting beauty. A face that already transcended the beauty of a man and a woman. If he went out looking like this in the real world, he would definitely be besieged.


    So what race was he exactly? Based on the long and pointed ears, he should be an elf. But elves on this game only had a variation of blond hair and green eyes. To check the answer, he thought of his character information. Then a virtual screen appeared in front of him.


    Name: Noctis


    Race: Moon Elf (Special)


    ss: -----


    Level: 1


    Current Location: Origin Vige


    Wait- what¡¯s a moon elf?

 Chapter 20 STATUS WINDOW

    LUO YAN looked at the race column - Moon Elf and besides it in an enclose parenthesis was the word ¡¯Special¡¯. From what he read so far, after transitioning to VR, the races in Arcadia were divided into three sses;mon, rare, and legendary. ¡¯Common¡¯ referred to the four basic races - humans, elves, beastkins, and gnomes. So the other races avable via random selection were divided into ¡¯Rare¡¯ and ¡¯Legendary¡¯. Races which were the hardest to obtain belonged to the ¡¯Legendary¡¯ category. They also have smaller numberpared to the ¡¯Rare¡¯ ones.


    So what¡¯s with this ¡¯Special¡¯ category? Was this rted to the new update? If that was the case then that would only mean that this Moon Elf race was a new race added to the game. Was his luck so good? He just returned to the game and a new mysterious race was immediately given to him.


    Maybe after being reborn, God actually gave him the so-called protagonist aura. Making him a natural winner of life. It¡¯s not enough to give him a fairy like face, he was even given a loving family, and that family also happened to be very wealthy. And now, when he tried to y his favorite game, he was again given a special treatment.


    Luo Yan grinned. Yup. He definitely had the famous protagonist aura.


    If anyone could see him right now, they would definitely cry in heartache. Because his enchanting beauty was being ruined by the silly smile on his face.


    But what did this ¡¯Special¡¯ category mean? Since, technically, a Moon Elf was still an elf, then would the ¡¯Special¡¯ category referred to a subrace?


    Whatever the case, if he wanted to know more about his race, it would probably be best to ask the NPCs in this vige. But first, he¡¯d have to check all the contents of his Status Window. Which was the virtual screen that was currently in front of him.


    The opened tab was his Character Tab. Next to it was the Game Tab, followed by the Stats Tab, then the Skills Tab, after that was the Items Tab, and finally the System Tab.


    He opened the Game Tab. Inside was the Task Column which was currently empty. And then below it was the Map option where yers could click the map of the ce they were in. A map of any ce they went to or discovered would be added there. These included dungeons that they manage topletely raid.


    Lou Yan didn¡¯t bother opening the Stats Tab. Since he¡¯s only at level 1, there wouldn¡¯t be anything much to explore there. So he didn¡¯t hesitate to open the Skills Tab. What he saw was;


    Active Skills: -----


    Passive Skills: -----


    Unique Skills: -----


    This was understandable since he¡¯s only at the first level and most skills, particrly active and passive ones, could only be learned once the yer determined their ss. Active skills required yers to specifically used it in order to gain its benefits. While passive skills were always in effect and never needed to be activated. Unique skills, on the other hand, were skills that were race centered. It meant that a certain skill could only be used by a particr race.


    In Arcadia, a yer needed a skill book to learn a particr skill. Skill books could be obtained thru quests, dungeon raids, and boss battles. Luo Yan wondered if he could perform the assassin skills he had collected when the game was still in its PC version. He read from one of the forums that you didn¡¯t really need a skill book in order to perform a particr active skill as long as you have a deep understanding of that skill. If you did, then you could activate that skill with ease. But most yers didn¡¯t really do that. Because, seriously, just how many yers could truly grasp the perfect operation of an active skill?


    That¡¯s why most yers relied on skill books. Because when a yer used a skill book, the actions on how to do a certain skill would be automatically remembered in that yer¡¯s brain. Thus allowing the yer to freely perform the skill they obtained as they wanted.


    But Luo Yan was not most yers. He¡¯s confident that he could fully grasp the active skills of the assassin ss. Well, at least those skills that he truly liked anyway. He could only test this once he applied for a ss - which he could only do once he reached level 10.


    Luo Yan then next opened the Items Tab. There were only nine grids inside. Which meant that he could only collect nine items. This was the same in the PC version. If he remembered correctly, one grid would be added every five levels. But a yer could add grids by using crystal coins - the currency in Arcadia.


    In his Items Tab, three grids were upied - Beginner¡¯s Shirt X1, Beginner¡¯s Pants X1, and Begginer¡¯s Boots X1. The upied grids were surrounded in red light which meant that the yer already equiped the items inside. Then on the upper right corner was the amount of crystal coins he currently had. Which was of course zero.


    After that, he opened the System Tab. There he could see several options that he could click; First was the Chat option - which when clicked would show World Chat, Group Chat, and Private Message. Friend List - which where you could also put a yer in ck list or put them in high priority. PicVid - where you could take photos or videos, save them, and send them to your e-mail ount. Thenstly, the ¡¯Log Out¡¯ button.


    After he¡¯s done, Luo Yan closed the Status Window. He stretched a bit. Once again, amazed by how natural his game avatar moved. He could even feel the stretching of his muscles and bones. As if this game avatar was really his real body.


    [Now let¡¯s explore this Origin Vige and talk to some NPCs.]


    Then he walked out of the small room.

 Chapter 21 ORIGIN VILLAGE

    WHEN Lou Yan walked out of the small room, he discovered that he was actually inside a small hut. There was not much furniture around, only a wooden table and chair. There was also a small cooking space with matching y pots and pans. After looking around and finding that there wasn¡¯t anything of importance, she decided to go out.


    Opening the door, he felt like he just entered a new world. The first thing he saw was the tall and lush trees around. Silent vines were suspended on every tree. White flowers bloomed on some of the vines which only added some kind of elegance to the scenery. It was clearly night time but there were shining crystals floating in the air that easily lightened up the whole surrounding. It was quite magical, really.


    He looked up and stared at the big moon on the starry sky. It¡¯s so big that it almost looked like you could touch it if you just climbed a slightly elevated ce.


    ording to what he read, the time inside Arcadia was the same as the time in the real world or at least the same as the time in their country. But if Luo Yan remembered correctly, it was only four in the afternoon when he and Luo Jin entered the game. So why was it already night time here? Unless it¡¯s always night time in this origin vige. That wouldn¡¯t be surprising considering this origin vige belonged to the moon elves.


    Luo Yan walked and fully turned his attention to the surrounding. He noticed the location of his small hut was in a wide forest clearing. It was not only his hut but there were also other cottages spread around the whole clearing. There were even other moon elves walking around. This clearing was obviously the location of the moon elves¡¯ vige.


    He opened his Game Tab and picked the Map option. There was only one map inside which was the map of this vige. On the top right corner of the map, there were two options that a yer could click - NPCs and Establishments. If you clicked NPCs, then the map would show you the location of the important NPCs and when you clicked Establishments, it would then show you the location of different key buildings.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate to click NPCs. Luo Yan wanted to know where the Elder of this vige was. When he yed the PC version, he chose the human race. In the origin vige of the humans, the NPC of the vige Elder had the most information. He was thinking that it was probably the same here.


    When he locked the position of the Elder, he was preparing to walk in the direction in ordance to the map, but someone suddenly blocked his way. Luo Yan raised his head and saw an elf with the same white hair, but his eyes were green instead of blue. On top of the elf¡¯s head was the name ¡¯Ivan¡¯. Which meant that this elf was an NPC.


    "Noctis, the Elder summons you to his yurt," the NPC Ivan said with not much emotion.


    Luo Yan readily closed his Status Window. This was probably an automatic event. Once the new yer walked out of his hut, an NPC woulde to them and led them to the vige Elder. If someone was going to lead the way, then he didn¡¯t need to follow the map anymore. "Please, lead the way."


    Ivan turned around and walked. Luo Yan silently followed. While walking, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how life-like the surrounding environment and even the NPCs were. Not only that, but all of his senses wer being engaged. It¡¯s like he really went and entered another world. Two thumbs up was not enough to express his admiration to the game developer and its design team.


    Ivan stopped in front of a huge white yurt. The yurt was a dome shaped tent made up of special material. It was surrounded by wild flowers and green vines. Ivan opened the entrance to the yurt and Luo Yan followed inside.


    The floor was covered in a soft carpet. A shelf of books were standing on the left side of the yurt. Luo Yan could see a soft bed on the side. There was a space for dining and even cooking. And at the center of it all sat an elf with the same long pure white hair. His eyes were also blue with golden specks. His skin was white and delicate. On top of his head was the word ¡¯Elder¡¯.


    Luo Yan thought that the Elder would be old, he didn¡¯t expect to see a beauty. And this beauty could even rival his own. From the Elder¡¯s appearance to the simple yet elegant clothes he was wearing, it was obvious that the design team put a lot of effort in designing this NPC.


    The Elder looked at him and a warm smile bloomed on his beautiful face. "Noctis,e and sit, child."


    With the Elder¡¯s greeting, Luo Yan walked forward and sat on the opposite chair.


    The Elder turned to Ivan. "Thank you, Ivan, for bringing him here. You may go now."


    Ivan bowed and walked out of the yurt.


    "Noctis, I just recently remembered that youring-of-age ceremony will soone. After that, you have the right to leave the vige. Are you nning to leave after that?" the Elder first said.


    "Yes, Elder," Luo Yan answered. Thising-of-age ceremony would probably happen once he reached level 10.


    "It¡¯s a dangerous world out there. I don¡¯t want to send another child out of the vige only for him to get killed at the end. Our poption is declining as it is. A single loss would be detrimental to our race. Do you still want to go despite that?"


    "Yes," he answered seriously even though he knew this was just all y-acting.


    "Then you need to gain experience. So you would have the ability to protect yourself," the Elder said in a helpless tone as if he was already expecting his answer. "Our race is the darling of the moon. We are stronger under its influence. We are not like other elves. Our greatest friend is not the forest but the shadows. We could walk thru it and let it be our cloak. Please, don¡¯t forget this advantages during your journey."


    What the Elder said gave Luo Yan a little bit of understanding about Moon Elves. They were a small, dwindling race which thrive under the influence of the moon. But the thing about the shadows was a bit vague. Though he had a bit of an idea of what it could mean.


    "I understand, Elder."


    Then the Elder took a map from the stack of papers on the table and gave it to Luo Yan. A notification screen suddenly appeared in front of Luo Yan.


    ¡¯Save the map of Crescent Woonds?¡¯


    Below it was a yes or no option. Luo Yan immediately pressed ¡¯yes¡¯.


    "This is the map of the Crescent Woonds. There¡¯s a vine invasion at the Northern part of the forest. Can you go there and handle the problem?" the Elder asked.


    Once again, a notification screen appeared in front of him.


    ¡¯ept the task of killing 30 Blights?¡¯


    Luo Yan, of course, didn¡¯t hesitate to pressed ¡¯yes¡¯. After that, he said goodbye to the Elder and walked out of the yurt.


    Once outside, he opened his Status Window and went to his Game Tab. He pointed to the Task Column and under it appeared his first task;


    -- Kill 30 Blights at the Northern part of Crescent Woonds.


    -- Additional task (a yer is not required to finish this): Find the source of the Blights and kill it.


    Luo Yan smiled, making his beautiful face even more enchanting. If there were other people around, they would surely be captivated by this smile. With this first task, he could say that he truly entered the game.

 Chapter 22 LUCKY LUO YAN

    LUO YAN stared at his task column, particrly at the additional task. It said that the yer was not required to do it. But Luo Yan would surely do. Additional task could yield higher EXP and better rewards. So, of course, he would do it.


    Speaking of better rewards, when he yed Arcadia, there were a lot of hidden events that gave him good materials. Sometimes it was even better than those that could be bought in the game store. Hidden events could be triggered by different ways. You could talk to an NPC and your conversation would trigger a hidden event. Even killing a certain monster could trigger one. But as the name said, it was hidden, so those events were generally not known to the public. It could only be based on the yer¡¯s luck.


    Luo Yan wondered if he could trigger a hidden event here. But he didn¡¯t have much hope. This was an origin vige after all. Wouldn¡¯t he be just too lucky if he triggered one at the very beginning? But even so, Luo Yan still decided to talk to all the NPCs he met just in case.


    He opened the map of the vige first and determined the position of the Pharmacy and the Weapon¡¯s Shop. Since he already epted the task of going to Crescent Woonds to kill those Blights, then he needed to prepare first. What he needed most right now were potions and a weapon. He couldn¡¯t just go to the forest barehanded.


    Obviously he couldn¡¯t afford any items right now because he only had zero crystal coins in his ount. But based on his experience, when he was a beginner, he got free potions and a free weapon just by going to the Pharmacy and the Weapon¡¯s Shop. He doubted it was different in this version. But even if that was the case, he could just log out and buy crystal coins outside.


    There were two ways to buy crystal coins. Either by direct online money transfer or by using game cards. A yer could choose from four game cards; a 100 crystal coins game card, a 500 crystal coins game card, a 1000 crystal coins game card, and a 5000 crystal coins game card. But if a yer wanted to buy a huge bulk of crystal coins then it¡¯s better to use the first option - direct online money transfer.


    Arcadia had an app that catered to that. In order to register, a yer only needed his game ount name. If a yer wanted to buy crystal coins using online money transfer, then they only had to enter the amount they wanted to buy and then their bank ount name. On the other hand, if a yer bought a game card, then they only had to enter the code on the game card. The amount of crystal coins on the game card would be automatically transfered to their game ount. The same was true if one used the online money transfer.


    If Luo Yan remembered correctly, the current conversion of crystal coins was 1 RMB for every 10 crystal coins.


    He closed his Status Window and started walking first towards the direction of the Pharmacy. Just like he nned, he talked to every NPC he passed by. But almost every one of them just gave him a general reply. As if they already had a set of answers encoded in them. With just that, it could be seen that they were really not human and just a collection of data.


    It was just a small building with a Pharmacy sign on top. Luo Yan entered and he immediately smelled the scent of herbal medicines. The only person inside was a female elf with the name Pharmacist on top of her head. Just like all the elves in the vige, she was also tall and beautiful.


    "Noctis, I heard that the Elder asked you to solve the Blights in the Crescent Woonds," the Pharmacist said when she saw him.


    "Yes," he answered.


    "Then it¡¯s a good thing you visited me. I have extra potions here that you could use." She took out a box from a shelf and opened it. Inside were five small bottles containing a red liquid.


    He epted it and it immediately disappeared, which meant that it was already in his Items Tab. Luo Yan opened his Items Tab and saw the five potions upying one of the grids. The Items Tab had a function that could identify basic items in the game, like this potion for example. He clicked on it and saw an introduction on the side.


    Small Red Potion: An item that could restore 100 HP. Cost - 10 crystal coins.


    If memory served right, there were three types of red potions; small, medium, andrge. Therge red potion being the one that could restore the highest amount of HP among the three.


    A yer could see his HP on the Stats Tab. In Arcadia, the Stats Tab could be divided into two types; the Basic Stats and the Derived Stats. Basic Statsposed of Strength (STR), Agility (AGI), Dexterity (DEX), Vitality (VIT), and Intelligence (INT). These stats could be controlled by the yers themselves. Because at every increase of five levels, a yer would receive 4 stat points which they could distribute to any of of the basic stats as they wanted.


    These Basic Stats would in turn affect the yer¡¯s Derived Stats. HP or Hit Points belonged to the Derived Stats. It represented the lifeline of a yer. An HP of 0 meant that the yer¡¯s game avatar died in the game. Along with HP was the MP or Mana Points. MP was the one being consumed whenever a yer used an Active Skill. Just like HP, one of the ways to restore MP was thru potions. In the case of MP, blue potions were needed.


    A yer¡¯s maximum HP and MP increased whenever a yer leveled up. But it could also be increased by adding a stat point on VIT and INT respectively. Some other Derived Stats were Attack Power (ATK), Defence (DEF), and Speed (SPD). STR directly affects ATK while AGI and DEX directly affect SPD. DEF on the other hand sometimes depended on the armor or clothes the yers were wearing.


    Luo Yan no longer looked at the potion and closed his Status Window.


    "Thank you," he said to the Pharmacist.


    "If you ran out of potions, there are some fruits and nts in the forest that could help you," the Pharmacist added. She was probably talking about nts that could restore HP. "And please, do be careful. You¡¯re one of the few young elves in our vige. I don¡¯t want you to end up not returning because you had an ident in the forest."


    Luo Yan just nodded and bid farewell to the Pharmacist and went straight to the Weapon to get a weapon. The Weapon¡¯s Shop was just on the opposite side of the Pharmacy so he immediately arrived there.


    Upon entering, he immediately saw a lot of different weapons inside. There were broadswords, rapier, bows and arrows, etc. Standing behind the counter was another handsome white haired elf. On top of his head were the words ¡¯Weapon Master¡¯.


    "Noctis, I heard that the Elder asked you to solve the Blights in the Crescent Woonds."


    Luo Yan shook his head hearing the same dialogue. Looked like the design team needed to pay more attention to the scripts of their NPCs.


    "Sadly, I could only give you this knife to help you fight those monsters in the forest." He took a long knife and gave it to Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan epted it and it went directly to his Items Tab.


    "Crescent Woonds can be a very dangerous ce if one isn¡¯t careful enough. So you have to take caution. There were some young elves who went there in the past that ended up not returning."


    What the Weapon Master saidst caught Luo Yan¡¯s attention. Because it was almost the same thing as what the Pharmacist said before he left the Pharmacy. He didn¡¯t think it was that important when he talked with the Pharmacists. He thought it was just a simple reminder. But now? He couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something important behind that reminder.


    "Who are the elves that didn¡¯t return before?" he asked.


    "I could no longer remember the names of some. But thetest one was the Gatekeeper¡¯s son. He went there a month ago and never returned. The poor Gatekeeper never left the vige entrance since then. Always waiting for his son to return."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. The Gatekeeper? "What¡¯s the name of the Gatekeeper¡¯s son?"


    "Filli."


    He gave his thanks to the Weapon Master and walked straight to the vige entrance. There, he saw an elf standing straight and guarding the opened gate. There was no expression on his face, but Luo Yan could feel a certain kind of mncholy radiating off from him. On top of his head was the word ¡¯Gatekeeper¡¯.


    Luo Yan walked towards the Gatekeeper.


    "Hello, I¡¯m going to the Crescent Woonds. Do you want me to search for Filli?"


    The Gatekeeper turned to him. A certain emotion shed on his face when Luo Yan mentioned the name of his son. Then he became expresionless again. "No. The Elder tasked you to solve the problem of the Blights. That¡¯s your job and not to search for others."


    "I don¡¯t mind."


    "I told you, there¡¯s no need for you to do that."


    "But I want to. I¡¯ll search for Filli and definitely bring him back."


    The Gatekeeper¡¯s expressionpletely copsed when Luo Yan said that. His body began to tremble and then he reached for Luo Yan¡¯s hand. "Yes, yes, please bring my son back," he finally said, his voice hoarse as if restraining all his emotions.


    "I will."


    Then the chibi version of the Gamekeeper suddenly appeared in front of Luo Yan. The boy with blue hair and blue eyes was still wearing a butler¡¯s uniform and a monocle on his face. There were fireworks appearing on top of his head.


    [Congrattions yer Noctis! You triggered the hidden event ¡¯Save Filli¡¯! Filli is a filial son who wanted to prove his strength and make his father proud. So he went to the Crescent Woonds. But sadly, he never returned. Go and look for him. Once you seeded, a very, and I mean very, valuable item is waiting for you. Good luck!]


    He bowed and then the chibi Gamekeeper disappeared.


    Luo Yan smiled. Well, looked like he was indeed lucky after all.

 Chapter 23 FIRST MONSTER KILL

    LUO YAN hid in the bush and stared at the group of monsters not far away from his position. Well, actually, instead of saying monsters, they looked more like cute pets? They were small, probably only a foot high. Their shape was simr to that of an acorn, even the color was simr. They had a pair of big ck round eyes and two green twigs on top of their head.


    He sighed. Why did it feel like attacking this group of monsters would make him look like he¡¯s simply bullying the weak? But what could he do? These cute big acorns were the only monsters he could see near the vige.


    The Origin Vige was at the center of Crescent Woonds. From the map he got from the Elder, the forest was named like that because it was shaped like a crescent moon. Very apt for their race. If he wanted to go to the Northern part of the forest where the Blights were, this was the only road avable. And apparently, in this road, the first batch of monsters avable to him were these acorns. So, ording to his n of levelling up first before going to the Northern area, he could only use these acorns first as a source of EXP.


    Luo Yan wanted to at least reach level 5 before he continued travelling away from the vige. If he just went to the Northern area without any kind of n, his game avatar would surely die before he could even reach the ce. So he nned to strengthen himself first.


    Since a yer could leave the Origin Vige at level 10, the monsters in this forest would surely not exceed that level. Monsters found near the vige would probably be only at level 1 or 2. Then they would only get stronger and stronger as one went deeper inside the forest. That¡¯s why he wanted to start at level 5 before he really did the task given by the Elder. So his overall journey to the Northern area would be much smoother. This group of monsters in front of him was still enough for level grinding.


    They might look cute. But Luo Yan knew once he approached a certain distance, they would definitely attack him. So he shouldn¡¯t really feel guilty by killing one or two. No, he probably would have to kill no more than a hundred in order to reach the level he wanted.


    From the ce he was hiding, Luo Yan saw a big acorn seemingly nning to walk towards his direction. He took the long knife from his Items Tab. Once the acorn was near, he shouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity to attack. Suddenly, excitement filled his being. He wanted to know if he could conquer this virtual reality. If he could sit on the top of Arcadia as he once did.


    With that in mind, he didn¡¯t hesitate to jump to the iing acorn. His long knifended on the body of the acorn. Then the acorn¡¯s eyes immediately turned red. The two green twigs on top of his head grew and attacked Luo Yan like a whip. He quickly dodged. Then he elerated his pace and shed the body of the acorn.


    He continued to attack and dodge. His pure white hair swaying beautifully with his every movement. With every sessful attack, his blue eyes speckled in gold shined brighter and brighter. In the middle of the forest, holding a long knife in his hand, with movements as captivating as a blooming flower, he almost looked like a magnificent painting.


    When the acorn slowly disintegrated, a triumphant smile appeared on Luo Yan¡¯s pretty face. He almost couldn¡¯t believe what just happened. His movements were so smooth. It was as if this avatar was his real body. All the actions that passed through his brain were perfectly transmitted. It was truly exhrating.


    Then a notification suddenly appeared in front of him and the chibi version of the Gamekeeper followed after.


    [Congrattions for defeating your first monster! With this, your Monster Index is now activated. You can see it on the Game Tab of your Status Window. From now on, the information of every monster you defeat will be recorded in your Monster Index. Also, with the activation of the Monster Index, you can now capture a monster and make them your pet.]


    [Pets are very convenient. They can help you grow, support you in your every fight, and be you friend. But just a simple reminder; you can only register one pet for the rest of your journey here in Arcadia. So be very careful in picking the right one that would fit you perfectly. Good luck dear yer!]


    Luo Yan raised his brow. He didn¡¯t read something like this from the manual. Was this perhaps another additional feature from the new update? He opened his Game Tab and clicked the Monster Index. A book suddenly appeared in front of him. On the very first page was the picture of the acorn and the information about it was listed on its side.


    Mandragora Seed


    - A nt monster usually found in the forest. They were often peaceful but would easily turn agressive when you encroached on their territory.


    Level: 1


    Type: Common


    He read through the information and then closed the book. It automaticaly disappeared. Luo Yan guessed that the use of this Monster Index was to help a yer picked the right monster to be their pet. He must admit, he was quite interested in this pet system they introduced in the game. He wanted a special pet. Something that could match his identity as a moon elf.


    But before thinking of that, he must continue to level up first. And thus, he continued killing the cute Mandragora Seeds.

 Chapter 24 STAT POINTS

    LUO YAN shed at thest Mandragora Seed that was surrounding him. After his attack, the Mandragora Seed slowly disappeared. Then he heard a familiar bell tone, followed by the appearance of a small virtual screen in front of him. On it was the word ¡¯Level 5¡¯.


    He smiled and jumped away from the area where the Mandragora Seeds were congested. Hended on the branch of one of the trees around. Then he opened his Status Window and clicked on his Stats Tab. On the bottom left corner were the words; Stat Points: 4. He didn¡¯t hesitate to distribute it to his Basic Stats. When he¡¯s done, his Basic Stats looked like this;


    STR: 2


    AGI: 1


    VIT: 0


    INT: 0


    DEX: 1


    In Arcadia, there were two paths that an Assassin ss could walk on. One was the power type and the other was the speed type. Power types focused on building the attack power hence the stat points were mostly distributed on STR. While the speed type focused on the attack speed, so the stat points were mostly distributed on AGI followed by DEX.


    When Luo Yan yed the game before, he was a power type Assassin. yers who chose the Assassin ss didn¡¯t usually go to the power type route. Most chose the speed type. Probably because they had the preconceived notion that assassins should be fast, the fastest even. And they were right in a way. In Arcadia, when a yer sessfuly passed the Assassin test and became an Assassin, their speed would automatically be higher inparison to their other Derived Stats. That¡¯s why it¡¯s much easier for yers to just continuously build their speed. Because the foundation was already there.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t want to go the easy route. Assassins had an inherently weaker attack powerpared to other sses. In a melee battle or even a PvP battle, Assassins needed to attack their opponent a number of times before they couldpletely defeat them. Especially if the opponent was in the same level. It¡¯s almost unusual to see an Assassin that could kill their opponent with just a single attack. But their speed could make up for that.


    He didn¡¯t want his speed to make up for hisck of attack power. He wanted the two to be equal. So when he yed the PC version, he didn¡¯t hesitate to build his STR instead of his AGI. Which turned out to be a very, very good decision. Because that decision pushed him to the very top. So he nned to do the same in this VR version.


    He would focus on STR, followed by AGI, then DEX, after that was VIT, then the least focus would be on INT. INT directly affected a yer¡¯s MP which was the one being consumed when a yer used a skill. An Assassin¡¯s skills didn¡¯t really cost that much MP. Unlike Mages or Priests. So, increasing INT when you¡¯re an Assassin wouldn¡¯t really do much good. You¡¯re just going to waste the stat points you .u.mted.


    After he was done, he closed his Stats Tab. Luo Yan looked at the time at the upper right corner of his Status Window and noticed that he had been ying for more than two hours already. ording to the game manual he read, yers who used the VR helmet for the first time needed to minimize their ying time to at least three hours. Any more than that and it might caused shock to the brain. After that, yers could gradually increase their ying time. Currently, yers could stay inside the game for at most six hours without any worry of having a negative effect on the body.


    Since he was already at level 5, he decided to log out. He went to the System Tab and pressed the ¡¯Log Out¡¯ button.


    Suddenly, he felt like he was being sucked inside a vacuum. Everything turned ck. His senses was slowly deprived until he couldn¡¯t feel anything. When he opened his eyes, he saw the lens of the VR helmet and knew that he was already out of the game. He turned off the power button from the back and took off the helmet.


    Luo Yan looked around the familiar room and he couldn¡¯t stop the smile that spread on his lips. This VR experience was even greater than he imagined. Like being transported to a new world. Everything was so real. Now he couldn¡¯t wait to explore the game more.


    His admiration for Moonlight Media just increased after having this experience. If he didn¡¯t die, he would have probably taken part in the development of the VR version. Even now, he could have probably been a top member of the game developer team.


    He shook his head. There¡¯s no use thinking about that now. He was already very lucky to be born again in this life and in this family. Dying was not really the end but just a beginning. At least for him. So in this new beginning, he would make sure that he wouldn¡¯t have any regrets. He would live ording to his wants and not ording to his needs.


    He would be happy.


    Luo Yan stood up and carefully put the VR helmet on his study table. Then he walked out of his room. Just as he did, he saw his older brother sitting on the living room. He happily walked towards Luo Ren and sat beside him.


    "Brother, you don¡¯t have overtime?" he asked, hugging Luo Ren¡¯s arm.


    Luo Ren smiled down at his brother. "No. I finished all my work early so I could have dinner with you and Xiao Jin."


    Luo Yan stared at his brother¡¯s smile. He was now totally different from the first ice cold impression he gave. His smile now was more naturalpared to before. Which only showed the positive effect of Luo Yan waking up froma had on him.


    "You shouldn¡¯t work too hard, Brother. I¡¯m sure Dad wouldn¡¯t me you if you take it easy from time to time."


    Luo Ren stroked his younger brother¡¯s soft hair. "I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t. But I want to show to everyone that I have the ability to be Dad¡¯s heir. That I¡¯m not just a decoration in thepany."


    Luo Yan frowned. "You don¡¯t have to prove anything to anyone. Because Brother is certainly the best."


    Luo Renughed then pinched Luo Yan¡¯s cheek. "But for me, Yan Yan is the best."


    They heard foorsteps and saw Luo Jining down the stairs. From his scowl, anyone could see that he was in a bad mood.


    "Ah Jin, how was the game?" Luo Yan asked.


    "I don¡¯t want to talk about that trashy game," Luo Jin answered and then continued to stomp towards the kitchen.


    Yup. Definitely in bad mood.

 Chapter 25 BRAINWASHING LOU JIN

    LUO YAN followed Luo Jin to the kitchen, a bit curious why he was in a bad mood. He found him getting a carton container of orange juice. He didn¡¯t bother getting a ss and just directly drank from it.


    "It¡¯s bad manners to drink straight from the container," Luo Yanmented.


    Luo Jin nced at him. "Well, I just did," he said and then ced the orange juice on the counter top.


    "Why are you in a bad mood?" Luo Yan asked innocently, blinking his big peach blossom eyes at his younger brother.


    "I¡¯m not."


    "Yes, you are."


    "I¡¯m not."


    "You are."


    "I¡¯m--" Luo Jin stopped. What was he doing, arguing with his second brother like they were a couple of children? Totally not cool. He sighed. "Fine. I¡¯m in a bad mood."


    "Was it because of Arcadia?"


    Hearing the name of that stupid game, all his annoyance resurfaced again. And he couldn¡¯t help but remember what happened.


    Let¡¯s back track a bit.


    = Two hours ago... =


    After carefully reading the game manual, Luo Jin wore the VR helmet and then turned it on. The surrounding became simr to a dark starry sky and then the words ¡¯Wee to Arcadia¡¯ appeared. When it disappeared, Luo Jin found himself in the middle of a garden. Then a shorty impersonating a butler suddenly appeared in front of him.


    "Wee new yer! I¡¯m the Gamekeeper, I¡¯m here to assist you in your first step to enter the world of Arcadia. First, please enter your chosen game name on the screen in front of you," the boy wearing a butler¡¯s uniform introduced himself.


    Then a virtual screen appeared in front of Luo Jin. There was a keypad that he could use to input the name he wanted. He frowned. He hadn¡¯t thought of a name yet. He shrugged. He¡¯d just chose whatever. He typed [Overlord].


    "I¡¯m sorry but the name [Overlord] has already been taken. Please enter another name," said the Gamekeeper.


    He entered another name but it was taken yet again. Then he entered another and another and another. Until Luo Jin came to a point where his patience was already at its limit. He could even feel the ticking of the muscles on his face. Out of extreme annoyance, he entered the words [AmazingYoungMasterJin].


    "Congrattions! The name [AmazingYoungMasterJin] is not yet taken. From now on, this would be your official game ount name."


    Luo Jin almost cursed. Great. He resisted the urge to cause bodily harm to the little butler in front of him. So he could at least vent his dissatisfaction.


    Then next the annoying butler asked what gender he would use. Of course he picked male. Then if he wanted to customize his appearance. He didn¡¯t bother with that part. Why would he? He¡¯s perfectly fine with the way he looked. Finally, the butler asked about what race he would picked.


    There were five choices in front of Luo Jin; Humans, Elves, Beastkins, Gnomes, and a Random Selection. He suddenly remembered what his second brother said. That he would choose the random selection because there¡¯s a chance he could get a rare race. Luo Jin also decided to choose that.


    After picking the random selection, the little butler said, "Your race is now locked. You can now enter Arcadia. Strive to be the best. But I hope you won¡¯t forget to have fun. Wee to the start of your new wonderful journey! Best of luck!"


    Then the butler slowly vanished as well as the surrounding garden. After that, Luo Jin felt like he was being sucked inside a washing machine. He was spinning and spinning until his back hit something solid.


    He opened his eyes and saw that he was inside a small room with a flickering light on the ceiling. He seemed to be lying on a hard mattress. He tried to sit down but his attention was caught by his hands. He raised both his hands and stared at it dumbfoundly.


    In front of him was a pair of delicate, child-like hands.


    This time, he did curse.


    =====


    Luo Jin felt a sudden headache when he remembered that. "I don¡¯t want to talk about it."


    Luo Yan looked at his brother¡¯s appearance. He suddenly felt like teasing him. "So it did have something to do with the game. Did you choose the random selection?" Luo Jin didn¡¯t answer. But from the obvious stiffening of his body, Luo Yan¡¯s guess was probably correct. "Perhaps... you don¡¯t like the race you ended up with?"


    "I said I don¡¯t want to talk about it," Luo Jin said, irritation clear in his tone.


    His race was probably too embarrassing for him that¡¯s why he had such a strong reaction.


    "Then, are you not ying the game anymore? But you told Dad that you will y with me," Luo Yan said, full of grievance in his tone.


    Luo Jin panicked a bit, afraid that his second brother would cry. "I¡¯m going to y with you. But I have to buy another VR helmet first."


    Because for some reason, you couldn¡¯t make another game ount unless you use another VR helmet. What a way to take money from the public.


    "Why would you buy another VR helmet?" Luo Yan asked curiously. Though he already suspected why. It definitely had something to do with his race. "Did the VR helmet Dad bought for you not working?"


    "It¡¯s working. But--"


    "Then just use it." Luo Yan touched his younger brother¡¯s arm and looked up at him. "Surely Ah Jin won¡¯t give up just because you encountered something you didn¡¯t like, right?"


    Luo Jin gazed down at his second brother and suddenly felt guilty. Because that¡¯s exactly what he¡¯s nning to do. Ah. Whatever! It¡¯s just a game. It¡¯s not like everyone would know that it¡¯s him. He¡¯d just continue to y using that ount.


    "Right," he reluctantly agreed.


    Luo Yan smiled. "What¡¯s your game ount name? I¡¯ll add you to my friend list when I log in tomorrow."


    Luo Jin¡¯s face scrunched up, as if he suddenly ate a very sour candy. "It¡¯s ¡¯AmazingYoungMasterJin¡¯."


    It took all of Luo Yan¡¯s willpower just not tough after hearing that. Instead, he smiled sweetly at Luo Jin. "What a great name!"


    "You think so?"


    "Of course."


    Luo Jin¡¯s expression returned to normal because of what he said.


    Luo Yan needed to brainwash his younger brother a bit. Because he might really buy another VR helmet and create another ount. Then how would he know what kind of race Lou Jin ended up with?

 Chapter 26 LUO JINS RACE IS...

    AFTER Luo Yan¡¯s tutoring lessons, he immediately logged in at Arcadia. He appeared at the ce where he logged out yesterday. Just outside the Origin Vige. Hended on the branch of the same tree where he was standing thest time. He satfortably and opened his Status Window.


    Today, he nned to y for two hours and then y again for another two hours after dinner. He would go to the Northern area of the Crescent Woonds first. It was a long distance from here to there so two hours would probably be not enough. Especially since he would definitely encounter a lot of monsters along the way. It¡¯s fine if he didn¡¯t manage to finish it today, he¡¯d just finish it tomorrow. It¡¯s not like hecked time or anything.


    After killing 30 Blights and finding out and destroying their source, he would then search for Filli - the subject of his hidden task. He probably needed to talk to the Gatekeeper again and probably some NPCs at the vige so he could find clues as to where Filli was.


    But before starting to do all that, he needed to add Luo Jin first to his friend list. He clicked on his System Tab and chose the Friend List option. There was a search bar inside where yers could type the game ount name of the yers they wanted to add. He typed the word [AmazingYoungMasterJin] inside the search bar.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help butugh while looking at Luo Jin¡¯s ount name. Seriously, he didn¡¯t know if Luo Jin just didn¡¯t have any naming sense or he just simply gave up and typed the first thing that came to his mind. After a while, Luo Jin¡¯s ount profile appeared on the screen with a [+] button at the right side of his ount name. He clicked the [+] button and added a message as well. Then he looked at the picture of Luo Jin¡¯s game avatar which was on the left side of his ount profile.


    When he saw it, heughed even harder.


    Luo Jin appeared at the same small room, standing in front of a mirror hanging on the wall. When he looked at his reflection in the mirror, what stared back at him was his seven year old face. With some additions that the sted game made.


    His hair was still ck but the tips of each strands now had a reddish hue. His ears became pointed. And his eyes looked like a pair of red rubies. There were rune like lines on both his arms and legs. He could see it clearly because he was only wearing a simple white shirt, ck shorts, and brown boots.


    The delicate face staring back at him frowned in displeasure. When he first saw what he currently looked like in this game, he was so annoyed that he immediately logged out. He didn¡¯t even bother to check anything. He decided that he would definitely create a new ount and just forget about this embarrassing experience. But after his talk with his second brother, he changed his mind.


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to think that he was so petty to the point that he would buy a new VR helmet just because things didn¡¯t go the way he wanted. So he would grit his teeth and endure this humialiation. So what if he looked like this? It¡¯s not like he would have to announce to everyone he knew that he became like this in this sted game.


    Though seriously, if he knew this would be the result of that damn random selection, he would rather choose the Beastkin option at the very beginning. But things already happened. There¡¯s no use crying over spilled milk.


    He turned around, no longer wanted to look at his reflection. Then he suddenly heard a bell-like sound. After that, a virtual screen appeared in front of him.


    [The yer [Noctis] wanted to be your friend.]


    There were two choices below that; [Confirm] and [Reject]. Luo Jin remembered that his second brother told him yesterday that he would send him a friend invite when he yed the game today. And since he was the only one who knew that he was ying this game, then this [Noctis] was definitely Luo Yan.


    Looking at this ount name, he couldn¡¯t help but sulk. Howe his second brother could think of such a cool ount name? But he still pressed the [Confirm] option. When he did, a message appeared on his Chat.


    [Ah Jin! This is your second brother. Don¡¯t forget to level up so you could leave your game avatar¡¯s Origin Vige. PS. Try to talk to every NPC at your vige. I did that and I triggered a hidden event. I heard hidden events often give cool rewards. You might also trigger one if you do. Good luck!]


    Luo Jin barely read the message because his attention was attracted to the picture of his brother¡¯s game avatar. It was a beautiful teenager with pure white hair and a pair of blue eyes with golden specks inside. It was the face of his second brother. Only more mature and more magical.


    His grievances just doubled when he saw that. Howe Luo Yan got to be cool while he, on the other hand, got this? He sighed, replied to his brother with an ¡¯okay¡¯, then finally checked his Character Tab.


    Name: AmazingYoungMasterJin


    Race: Chaos Gnome (Special)


    ss: -----


    Level: 1


    Current Location: Origin Vige


    Luo Jin¡¯s gaze immediately locked on his race, especially on the word ¡¯Special¡¯.


    When he saw his appearance, he already had a feeling that he ended up with the gnome race. That¡¯s the only reason he could think of why he ended up like this even though he didn¡¯t do any modification to his appearance. But why would there be a ¡¯chaos¡¯ word attached to the gnome? And what¡¯s with the ¡¯special¡¯ thing?


    He shook his head and decided not to think about it for the time being. Right now, he¡¯d go out and try to level up. And then talk to the NPCs just like his second brother suggested.


    With that decision in mind, Luo Jin finally walked out of the small room.

 Chapter 27 TEASING THE YOUNGER BROTHER

    JUST as Luo Yan expected, after ying for two hours, he only managed to travel three quarters of the way towards the Northern area of Crescent Woonds. He didn¡¯t mind since travelling and fighting monsters along the way was also a good way to grind levels. After two hours of ying, he was now at level 8. At this rate, when he¡¯s done with the task given by the Elder and also the hidden event including Filli, he would, more or less, exceed level 10.


    He walked out of his room because it¡¯s already near dinner time. He was just walking towards the living room when he saw Luo Jin climbing down the stairs. His eyes immediately brightened, especially after he remembered the cute profile picture of his brother¡¯s game avatar.


    "Ah Jin, are you also done ying?" he asked when his younger brother reached the foot of the stairs. Luo Jin only nodded. "Did you talk to the NPCs like I told you to?"


    "I did."


    In fact, Luo Jin spent most of his time talking with those NPCs. Not because he¡¯s being meticulous or something. But because of the embarrassing reason that he couldn¡¯t quite control his game avatar. He kept on tripping on his own feet and continuously bumping into things. One of the reasons he could think of why was because he¡¯s not used to such a small body. So it¡¯s messing with his bnce perception. The other one was because he¡¯s simply a giant noob who had no skill whatsoever. He¡¯d rather think it¡¯s the former.


    Because if not, then what would that make him? It¡¯s already shameful enough that he had to y using this game avatar. There¡¯s so way he¡¯s going to ept that he¡¯s no good. Since he already decided to keep ying this game using this game avatar, then he would make sure that he would be good at it. He promised, before summer vacation ended, he would at least be as good as other veteran yers.


    "Did you get any task yet?"


    Luo Jin wanted to wince when he heard the question. "I haven¡¯t yet." How could he, when he spent most of the time falling over? Of course he couldn¡¯t tell that to Luo Yan. "I only managed to talk to a few NPCs," he added.


    "I see. Then don¡¯t forget to talk to all of them. As I¡¯ve said, you might trigger a hidden event. What level are you in by the way? I¡¯m currently level 8."


    Luo Jin¡¯s eyes widened. "You¡¯re level 8?" he said incredulously.


    How could Luo Yan be already at level 8 while he was still at level 1? Didn¡¯t they start ying at the same time? Howe he¡¯s so ahead of him already? Did that mean that he¡¯s really just that bad at this?


    But wait- if his second brother was now at level 8, it meant that he fought with some monsters in the game. He remembered how life like the game was. Whenever he fell down, he literally could feel the pain.


    He looked sharply at Luo Yan. "Did you get hurt?"


    Luo Yan was momentarily stunned by the sudden shift of topic. Then he realized that Luo Jin was probably worried, thinking that he fought with monsters since he leveled up that much. He smiled. "I¡¯m fine, Ah Jin. Even if I¡¯m hurt in the game, it wouldn¡¯t be transfered to real life."


    "I know that. But you would still feel pain, won¡¯t you?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, Ah Jin, that won¡¯t happen much. Since I discovered that I¡¯m really good at this game. But Ah Jin is definitely better than me, right?"


    Luo Jin looked at his second brother¡¯s big ck eyes full of trust and he couldn¡¯t make himself deny his im and tell him that he¡¯s really, really bad at it. "Of course I am!"


    After seeing Luo Jin¡¯s almost constipated expression when he mentioned his level, Luo Yan knew he¡¯s probably having some problems ying the game. Who told him to be such a tsundere and not admit it? But that¡¯s okay. He¡¯d just help him once they both arrive at Olkdale Town.


    "The picture of Ah Jin¡¯s game avatar is so cute. Are you perhaps a gnome?" he asked, all innocent and excited.


    Luo Jin, once again, showed a constipated expression. "Yeah."


    "But the gnomes in Arcadia usually have xen hair and amber eyes. Howe you have ck hair and red eyes?"


    "It said on my Character Tab that my race is called ¡¯chaos gnome¡¯. Not really sure how that differs from ordinary gnomes."


    This time, Luo Yan truly felt excited. "Could there be a word ¡¯special¡¯ beside it?"


    Luo Jin nodded. "What does that mean anyway?"


    "It¡¯s a new type of race division that came along with the new update. You see, races in Arcadia could be divided into three;mon, rare, and legendary. But with this new update, there¡¯s another one - special. That¡¯s what you got." From what Luo Jin said about his race, he could now safely assume that ¡¯special¡¯ pertained to a subrace of an already existing race in the game. "I also got a special race, it¡¯s called a moon elf. Aren¡¯t we both lucky? Just after the day of the release of the new update we both got a special race. Do you know how hard it was to get a race different from the four basic race? But the two of us managed to do it."


    After hearing that, Luo Jin felt a hundred times better. At least now he knew that he wasn¡¯t just an ordinary gnome. Now, it wouldn¡¯t be too embarrassing to walk around the game with that game avatar. "Wait- why do you know so much about that game?"


    "I told you, I read the manual."


    Luo Jin almost said that he also read the manual. Then why didn¡¯t he understand the game as much as he did? Good thing he stopped in time. Because wouldn¡¯t that make him look like hecked IQ or something?


    Luo Yan stared at his brother¡¯s expression and he could almost read what he¡¯s thinking. He smiled yfully. Then he changed his expression into a worried one. "Could it be Ah Jin still hasn¡¯t read the manual?"


    "I-- yes, I still haven¡¯t."


    "Then you should read it quickly. What if Ah Jin didn¡¯t manage to leave Origin Vige because you have no idea what to do? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll be at Olkdale Town while you¡¯re still stuck there." He acted sad. "I don¡¯t want that."


    Luo Jin looked at his brother¡¯s poor appearance. "I won¡¯t be stuck there, okay? I¡¯ll definitely reach level 10 by tomorrow."


    "Would you?"


    "Of course. Aren¡¯t I better than you?"


    "But what if you triggered a hidden event?"


    "Then I¡¯ll extend it by a day."


    Luo Yan looked at his brother¡¯s proud look and chuckled. It¡¯s really fun teasing this brother of his especially when he didn¡¯t even notice that he¡¯s being teased.

 Chapter 28 THE PALACE ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN

    LUO YAN quickly dodged the iing vine that tried to attack him. But the moment he jumped, another vine entangled his left foot. He took out his long knife and tried to cut it. But another vine surrounded his right hand holding the knife. Then soon, his whole body was being constricted by the vines, along with both his hands and feet. He could feel his HP slowly dwindled. The tighter the vines were, the faster his HP decreased.


    This was going to be tricky.


    He couldn¡¯t breathe. He could even feel his internal organs being crushed. He gripped the knife tighter and then, with all his strength, he shed it upward. The vines constricting him instantly broke and then it slowly disintegrated into dust. Luo Yan didn¡¯t wait and immediately jumped away from that area.


    A ping sounded in his ear, a sign that he killed a new monster. He opened his Monster Index and a book appeared in front of him. On thetest page, a new information was written.


    Blight


    - A monster that was indistinguishable from a tangle of vines. It often remained motionless but when you entered its attacking range, it would immediately attack. Constricting their enemies until they were crushed and stopped breathing. They grew fast and could quickly invade a forest settlement until it was rendered useless.


    Level: 8


    Type: Common


    So that thing was the Blight. He needed to kill 30 of those to finish the Elder¡¯s task. He looked at his HP which was decreased by a quarter. He was careless. When he entered the Northern area, he should have been ready and expect an attack at any time. Instead he just walked in all leisurely, like he was taking a hike or something.


    It¡¯s probably because his journey here had been smooth so far, so his alert level was less than normal. In short, he becamecent. Good thing he¡¯s already at level 9. Being a level higher than the Blight allowed him to overpower it. Even if it was only by a tiny bit.


    He took 10 red berries from his Items Tab and ate it. It tasted like sweet strawberries. Red berries could restore a little amount of HP. He picked a lot of berries on his way here. He didn¡¯t want to use the five small red potions he had for such a little thing like this. He nned to reserve it for when he found the caused of why there¡¯s an invation of Blights here in the Northern area. He would probably faced a stronger monster then.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t want his game avatar to die here while fighting just because he didn¡¯t have enough red potions with him. Because then, he would be revived at the Origin Vige. Then he had to start his journey all over again. He did think of buying crystal coins online so he could buy more potions at the Pharmacy, but he thought better off it.


    This was just the beginning. There¡¯s no need to waste money at this early stage of the game. Besides, there¡¯s a lot of berries in the forest. He could easily use that instead.


    He jumped to the top of the tallest tree around him to get a bird¡¯s eye view of the forest¡¯s Northern area. Luo Yan saw a lot, and he meant a lot, of vines dangling on trees and also lying on the forest ground. If he was looking carefully earlier, he would have noticed it immediately. He couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a normal vine or a Blight. Well, if he couldn¡¯t differentiate the two, he¡¯d just attack both.


    Now that he knew what to look for, he would be prepared for any sneak attack. Today was Sunday, he had no tutoring lessons. So he could y for a long amount of time. Maybe he could finish this task today.


    With that, he jumped down directly on the area with the densest vines.


    On top of a certain mountain stood a pce. Its structure was simr to those of the ancient pces built during those long gone dynasties. There was a huge hall inside where two people were currently sitting at opposite sides on the long table.


    One was a man with red-orange hair and a pair of lion ears on top of his head. His eyes were golden-red. There¡¯s a lion¡¯s tail swishing back and forth on his back. His skin was a rich honey color. He was wearing a pair of opened white jacket,pletely showing off his chest muscles, and a pair of ck pants, fitting snugly on his long legs.


    The other was a little girl who looked like she was five or six. The girl had short bubblegum pink hair and a pair of pinkish eyes. She was wearing a white robe, covering most of her porcin white skin. On her back was a pair of beautiful butterfly wings. Crystal dust fell down from it every time she moved.


    "Did you read that thread on the forum? They¡¯re calling us fallen champions! Fallen! How could they even think of attaching that word to us?" the man said, quite emotional.


    "Well, we did only take the championship thropy during the first season," the girl said with indifference. Her attitude was totally not in line with her cute appearance. "And that was already four years ago. So, it¡¯s kind of justified."


    The man looked even angrier. "Hey, Su Yuqi! How can you say that? Don¡¯t you have any pride in being a member of our team?"


    The girl named Su Yuqi just shrugged. "Even if we¡¯re not champions, we could still y the game. So it doesn¡¯t really matter."


    Bai Ze - the man with lion ears and tails - almost vomited blood. What kind of damn logic was that? He knew he shouldn¡¯t talk about this thing with this girl. But what could he do? She¡¯s the only one here. Acurately speaking, aside from their captain and the two of them, their team had no other members. There were another two members, but those two suddenly retired because they got married to each other and decided to travel around the world. Because of that, their team¡¯seback was even more impossible now.


    "We should recruit new members. The Rookie Carnival will take ce four months from now. We should look for new members there," he said decisively.


    "You should tell that n first to Captain."


    Bai Ze suddenly had aplicated expression on his face. Because that¡¯s the crux of the problem. The reason why there¡¯s only three of them in this team was because their Captain just couldn¡¯t be bothered in recruiting new members. Probably because after getting the championship for the first season of the game¡¯s now very famous tournament, they held a recruitment activity and it just turned into a huge mess. After that, their Captain just refused to hold another one.


    And then, he became busy being a beta tester for the game that he¡¯d rather do that instead. The other three members of the team didn¡¯t mind. Because they¡¯re all weird and he, Bai Ze, was the only normal one.


    If Bai Ze knew this would happen, he¡¯d probably just make his own team at the very beginning. He sighed. Who was he kidding? Even if he went back in time, he¡¯d probably still choose to be in this team. Who told him to be a good brother to their captain?


    "I¡¯ll talk to Ji Yun," he finally said pertaining to their captain.

 Chapter 29 CREEPY LOOKING TREE

    LUO YAN mmed down the long knife he was holding, killing off his 20th Blight. Then he heard the familiar bell-like notification, indicating that he leveled-up. He immediately jumped away from the area where he was fighting the Blights. He first began eating red berries to renew his HP and then opened his Stats Tab.


    He was now level 10. Which meant he now had 4 stat points to add to his Basic Stats. He didn¡¯t hesitate to add 2 points on STR and then 1 points each to his AGI and DEX.


    He saw a vine creeping at his periphery. Luo Yan immediately moved. His swing was much faster than the vines attack, allowing him to kill it in just three moves. That¡¯s the 21st Blight. Luo Yan smiled and looked at the vines around.


    [Now let¡¯s kill 9 more.]


    He moved like a whirlwind - shing, jumping, dodging. He put all his strength in his every attack. His every movement was precise and knife like. As if he was taught by some master to fight like this. But, of course, that was impossible.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t practice any martial arts. He didn¡¯t have the money to learn anything of those sorts. All his moves were based on the moves his character made when he was ying the PC version of Arcadia. He just had to think about it and his body would move ordingly. It¡¯s probably a good thing that he had a pretty good memory, a shitload of imagination, and, one might as well add, fast brain activity. With thebinations of the three, he was able to move and fight freely.


    Soon, he finally managed to kill 30 Blights. Then a notification screen appeared in front of him.


    [Congrattions! You now finished the Elder¡¯s task of killing 30 Blights. Please go back to the vige and get your reward from the Elder.]


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t go back to the vige. He still had to do the additional task - looking for the source of the Blights and kill it. Now how should he go about doing that?


    Luo Yan jumped to the branch of the tallest tree around. From there, he observed the surrounding. It seemed like killing 30 Blights didn¡¯t really do much since there were still a lot of Blights around. He looked carefully and then noticed something.


    When he started killing the Blights earlier, these vine monsters only moved when he entered their attack range. But right now he noticed some movements. Some vines started to move further towards North. Their movements were slow, barely noticeable in fact, but Luo Yan still saw it. He raised one of his brows.


    These monster vines wouldn¡¯t move for no reason. There¡¯s no one here aside from him who could enter their attack range. And since he¡¯s up here and not anywhere near them, there¡¯s no reason for them to move. So, the only thing he could think of why they¡¯re moving right now was because it¡¯s rted to the reason they¡¯re invading this part of the forest. Him killing those 30 Blights was probably what triggered this phenomenon.


    He smiled and jumped from one branch to another, following the slow moving Blights. Because they¡¯re moving as slow as snails, it took a very, very long while before it went anywhere. When it did, he noticed the sparse amount of trees around. The remaining ones looked like they were dried up or something.


    There was no sign of life here, unlike the rest of the forest. One look and you just knew that something wrong was going on here. He saw the Blights moving further the forest. He noticed that their movements were actually getting faster since they arrived at this area. Luo Yan no longer followed them andpletely bypassed the monster vines.


    Then ten minutes into his run, he stopped and jumped backwards. The ce where he just stood was now attacked by a huge branch. Before he could see which kind of tree monster attacked him, his foot was suddenly entangled by something. Then he was roughly dragged forward by that something. He could feel the stones scratching his back. Some might have even directly punctured his skin. But this was a game, so that meant his HP was now currently decreasing. Then he was suddenly lifted upside-down. After hanging for a second, he finally saw his attacker.


    It was a huge tree that looked like an old dried-up bark. It didn¡¯t have any leaves. It¡¯s branches were long and thick. Anyone could see that just one attack from those branches and it would surely deliver a lot of damage. Its roots were uprooted from the ground and was moving like freaking tentacles. One of the roots was actually the one entangled around his foot. But that¡¯s not all, it also had a face. A pair of red eyes looking angrily at him and a zigzagged mouth that seemed to want to eat him.


    If Luo Yan was the type who¡¯s easily scared, he¡¯d definitely pee on his pants right about now. Having been yed the PC version, he knew some of the monsters in Arcadia looked pretty scary. He just didn¡¯t expect that they would look scarier in this VR version. Once again, he couldn¡¯t help but want to express his admiration towards the game developer and its design team. They¡¯re really doing a good job in this.


    His thoughts were immediately broken when he was lifted even higher and suddenly mmed down on the ground. If this was real life, he would definitely hear his spine breaking. That¡¯s how much it hurt.


    [Damn, that hurts.]


    The monster tree lifted him up again and he knew it was nning to m him down on the ground again. Luo Yan didn¡¯t let it seed. He took his long knife and sh it towards the root entangling his foot. Once he was free, he immediately ran to an area where it couldn¡¯t reach him.


    When he saw that it was not following him, he breathed a sigh of relief. He winced when he saw his HP was now half its original amount. He took a small red potion and drank it. He immediately felt its effect, reducing his pain and increasing his HP.


    Luo Yan looked at the tree monster at the distance. He was a hundred percent certain that this was the source of the Blights. As evidence of the monster vines creeping closer and closer.


    [Now how should I solve this creepy looking tree?]

 Chapter 30 DEFEATING THE UGLY TREE

    LUO YAN carefully observed the surrounding, thinking of a tactic on how to beat the creepy tree. But aside from the Blights that were slowly crawling near, there was practically nothing here. Then he tried to remember some information about the nt based type monsters in Arcadia. The only thing that came to mind was that their weak against fire.


    But not just any fire. It needed to be a yer¡¯s fire based skill. Or it could also be an item with fire spell. Attacking using a fire based weapon would also do. But since he didn¡¯t have any of those, thinking of a tactic with any of those three in mind was simply useless.


    Should he just let this tree kill him and be respawned back at the Origin Vige? Then he could just buy a fire spell there. After that, he¡¯d return here and burn this tree. He immediately refused the idea. Nah. Doing that would almost be the same as giving up. It¡¯s like saying that he couldn¡¯t defeat this ugly tree with just his own current power alone. How could he just take that?


    If Luo Yan really was just a beginner in this game, he probably would not have any problems doing just that. But he¡¯s not. Long ago, he was also a well-known yer in this game. Well, not really that long, since even if this body was in aa for seven years, for him it was only like yesterday. So for him, choosing to respawn just so he could defeat this tree was like a big insult to his skill.


    He could put down his pride for a lot of things. But when it came to things he was really good at, he just couldn¡¯t. So he had to kill this ugly tree right here and now.


    Luo Yan took a deep breath and ran forward to attack. He needed to do this fast before those slow-moving Blights really surrounded this area. Then it would be much more difficult to fight with this tree because he also had to deal with those monster vines.


    The Origin Vige and the area around it was literally a beginner¡¯s stage. No matter how scary and powerful this ugly tree might look like, the game developers would surely not design it in a way that a level 10 yer could not defeat it. He just needed to work hard.


    When he entered a certain range, one of the big branches of the tree attack him and he immediately dodged. Then another branch fell to where he was supposed tond. He jumped andnded on the said branch. The tree lifted the branch and he went up along with it. He didn¡¯t lose his bnce because he already expected it. He ran across the branch and shed the tree¡¯s face. But before his knife could reach, another branch already moved to his direction. It was toote for him to move away and it hit his stomach.


    He flew backwards and hit the ground hard. He felt that particr spine breaking pain again. He was even sure that he coughed up a bit of blood. Damn. How could this game be so real? He hadn¡¯t had time to ponder about anything when two branches came crashing down on him.


    Shit.


    He immediately rolled to the left and picked himself up. He took a small red potion from his Items Tab and drank it. Then he shed his long knife to the tentacle like roots that was trying to entangle him. Another branch tried to attack him, this time, the moment he dodged, he also mmed down the knife he was holding and cut the branch. It fell to the ground and disintegrated like dust. When it did, the tree let out a blood curling shriek.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t have time to put his hands on his ears because two branches attacked him at the same time. He jumped and then shed on one of the branches that tried to attacked him. He didn¡¯t stop there. He spinned on mid-air and cut the other one. Both fell on the ground. And the tree let out an even mourful shriek.


    He jumped away and raised one of his brows. He looked at the ugly tree¡¯s branches, there were only seven left. He grinned. Looked like he just found a way to defeat this monster. He ignored the violent shieking of the tree and started his assault.


    He moved agilely - dodging all the iing attacks and then shing and attacking every chance he got. There were no extra movements in his actions, everything was under perfect calctions.


    With this dreary setting and only the big moon on the dark sky as a source of light, a beautiful elf was fighting with an ugly tree monster in the middle of the forest. His long white hair was swinging with his every movement, his pair of blue eyes with golden specks on it were bright with excitement. His rosy lips were curved in a yful smile. He was obviously having a lot of fun. Because of that, instead of fighting, he looked more like he was dancing. And what a beautiful dance it was.


    When Luo Yan managed to destroy the second to thest one of the branches, a notification screen suddenly appeared in front of him.


    [Attention! The monster in front of you is currently in itsst blood. With this dear yer, you can now easily capture it and train it as your own pet. Would you like to capture it now?]


    The a yes or no options appeared below.


    Oh. So this was how a monster could be captured as a pet. The yer needed to weaken it first until it reached thest drop of its HP. That bit was probably written in the Monster Index but he hadn¡¯t had the time to fully read it yet. Because he hadn¡¯t thought of capturing any monsters here. Well, it¡¯s good to know about this now.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to press the ¡¯no¡¯ button. Who would want this ugly tree to be their pet? It totally didn¡¯t match his beauty at all.


    He looked at the tree. Its movement was now sluggish, it couldn¡¯t barely move at all. The shrieking it was doing earlier was now turned into pitiful whimpers. Of course he wouldn¡¯t pity it. Instead, he rushed towards it and shed the remaining branch. He easily cut it. The tree gave out a onest shriek before it started to disintegrate into tiny particles. When it died, the Blights around also suddenly stopped moving.


    The a notification screen appeared again in front of him.


    [Congrattions! You just finished the additional task. Please go back to the vige and get your reward from the Elder.]


    Luo Yan smiled. So he was right. The ugly tree was really the source of the Blights.


    After that, another notification sounded. This time it came from his Monster Index. He took it out and checked the information of the monster he just defeated.


    Gulthia Tree


    - A type of treant that could only be found at Crescent Woonds. It could control the Blights and start an invasion in the forest. Its attacks usually involved its branches and roots. Its ten branches were the source of its life. Cut one and it could bring unmeasurable pain to it.


    Level: 10


    Type: Rare


    He closed the Monster Index and looked at the time. It was almost near noon. He stretched his body a little and decided to log out.


    It was Sunday today, his father and elder brother were both home. If Luo Yan didn¡¯t eat lunch with them, they would definitely throw a fuss. He smiled helplessly just imagining that.


    And then, he finally logged out.

 Chapter 31 HEARTWARMING LUNCH

    THE Luo family was having lunch at the gazebo located at the backgarden of their mansion. The dishes on the crystal table were sumptuous. Two servants were around to make sure that they could immediately bring to them whatever they needed. The sweet fragrance of different flowers was surrounding them.


    Luo Yan had never had lunch in this kind of setting. He couldn¡¯t help but think, ah, he was now truly a rich young master.


    His father suddenly put a pork dumpling on his te. "Here eat this, Xiao Yan."


    Luo Yan smiled. "Thank you, Dad."


    Luo Wei Tian suddenly felt healed by that smile. So he energetically put dumplings one after another on Luo Yan¡¯s te. "Eat more so you won¡¯t be too thin."


    "Dad, don¡¯t just put dumplings on Yan Yan¡¯s te," Luo Ren scolded. Then he took a few pieces of vegetables from the vegetable stir fry and also put it on Luo Yan¡¯s te. "Here Yan Yan, eating vegetables is more nutritious."


    Luo Yan also smiled at his older brother. "Thank you, Brother."


    Luo Ren was immediately put in a good mood when he saw his brother¡¯s sweet smile.


    Luo Jin looked at the food his father and older brother gave to Luo Yan. Then he nced at the dishes on the table and his gaze locked on the te of sweet and sour shrimp. He used his chopsticks to pick a couple of shrimps and then dilligently pealed the skin off. After that, he put it on an empty bowl. Then he pushed the bowl on the side of Luo Yan.


    "You can eat this. I don¡¯t want it anymore," he said.


    Luo Yan looked at the bowl of peeled shrimp then nced at his younger brother who¡¯s focus on eating the food on his te as if he didn¡¯t really want to eat those shrimps. He secretly smiled. [Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see what you did there, you tsundere.]


    But he chose not to disclose it. He knew Luo Jin just wanted to also give him food. But because of the way he was, he couldn¡¯t do it so openly. It¡¯s truly kind of cute.


    So he also just smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Ah Jin."


    He happily ate all the food given to him by his father and brothers. She suddenly remembered the times when he was still at the orphanage. He always fought for food. When he learned how to act, he no longer worry if he would get a full meal. Because he always did. But those meals didn¡¯t have any warmth in them. They were just food that could fill his stomach. Only when he was reborn did he know the warmth of a family meal. And he was truly thankful for that.


    "Xiao Yan, your tutors told me that you did a very good job during your lessons. It¡¯s only been a week since you started but you¡¯re already at the middle school level," Luo Wei Tian said.


    Truthfully, he was quite surprised when he heard the reports of those tutors. Then he immediately caught himself. What¡¯s there to be surprised about? This only proved that his son was a genius. He was in aa for seven years and yet he could immediately understand everything that¡¯s being taught to him. If that¡¯s not a genius, then Luo Wei Tian didn¡¯t know what was.


    This was the first time Luo Ren heard about this. Like his father, the first thing that came to his mind was his brother was a little genius. "You¡¯re amazing, Yan Yan."


    "That¡¯s only to be expected. We couldn¡¯t have a stupid brother after all," Luo Jin added.


    Luo Yan suddenly became a bit embarrassed. There¡¯s nothing really amazing about it. After all, he already learned all of those. If he did poorly, then he might as well not trust his own IQ. "No, the teachers are the amazing one. They just taught me well."


    "How could that be? If Xiao Yan is not so smart then I doubt their lessons could progressed so fast," his father argued.


    "That¡¯s right," his older brother agreed.


    "Stop being so modest and just ept it," his younger brother added.


    Luo Yan only smiled. Seriously, when it came to him, it¡¯s like his father and brothers were wearing rose tinted sses. No matter what he did, even if he picked his nose right at this moment, it would always be amazing to them.


    "With your current progress, you can probably finish the middle school curriculum by the end of this month. And then next month, you could focus on the high school curriculum," his father said. "In September, the new school year will start. Do you want to stay home schooled or go to the same school as Xiao Jin?"


    "I¡¯ll go to school," Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to say.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly stay cooped up inside the house. And beside, if he wanted to be integrated back to society, then attending school was the best choice.


    "Good, good," Luo Wei Tian agreed to this. "Then I¡¯ll contact the school so they could put you at the same ss as Xiao Jin."


    "That¡¯s a good idea, Dad. That way I can keep an eye on Yan," Luo Jin said.


    "But Dad, I¡¯m older than Ah Jin. I should be on a higher year," Luo Yan immediately argued.


    There¡¯s no way he would be in the same ss as his younger brother. He might look like he¡¯s still in middle school, but he¡¯s older than Luo Jin. He should still have his ¡¯older brother¡¯ pride. And besides, he didn¡¯t want to stay in high school that long. This way, next year he could go straight to university.


    He actually thought of jumping directly to university but that would be too much. Going to university meant that a student needed to pass the dreaded college entrance examination first. If someone like him who was in aa for seven years suddenly passed, then that would be too suspicious. His family might even think that he was possessed or something. Which was, in some way or the other, quite true.


    "But Xiao Yan, you¡¯ll be in third year then. Third years needed to focus on their college entrance examination. Wouldn¡¯t it be too much for you?" his father said worriedly.


    "I can do it, Dad. Don¡¯t worry, I promised I won¡¯t do anything to embarrass you," Luo Yan assured.


    "That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about, you silly boy. I just don¡¯t want to put unnecessary pressure on you."


    Luo Yan¡¯s heart was suddenly filled with warmth when he heard what his father said. But still, his decision wouldn¡¯t change. "Then I won¡¯t feel pressured, I promised! Please, Dad? I really think I could do it."


    To make sure his father would agree, Luo Yan looked straight at him. His pretty and delicate face filled with determination.


    "Dad, just let Yan Yan. If a problemes, aren¡¯t there still us?" Luo Ren said.


    "Although I personally don¡¯t agree with this, if this is what Yan wanted then just let him," Luo Jin added. He¡¯d just make sure to protect him while they were in school.


    Luo Wei Tian sighed. "Okay. But if you couldn¡¯t handle it, just tell Dad immediately. Okay?"


    Luo Yan smiled brightly, his big peach blossom eyes shining. "Thank you, Dad!"

 Chapter 32 THE ELDERS REWARD

    LUO YAN spent the whole afternoon with his family. He only managed to get back to the game after dinner. He appeared on the exact spot where he logged out. He noticed that the ugly tree already respawned. He immediately ran to a safer area, away from the tree¡¯s attacking range.


    Since he¡¯s already done with the Elder¡¯s task and the additional task, he decided to go back to the vige. He was actually quite excited to know what kind of rewards he would get. On the way to the vige, he killed monsters and continued to grind levels. By the time he reached the vige, he was already at level 12.


    He was just a few feet away from the entrance of the vige when he noticed that the one standing beside the gate was not the same Gatekeeper he met when he left the vige. The one whose son was missing. He looked at the floating name above the elf standing beside the gate. It said, ¡¯Temporary Gatekeeper¡¯.


    Luo Yan felt a bit of pity for the NPC. The game developer didn¡¯t even bother to give him a name or even a proper title.


    He ran towards the gate and the NPC immediately noticed him. "Noctis, you¡¯re back. Did you already finish the task given by the Elder?"


    "Yes. I defeated the Blights."


    "That¡¯s great. The Elder would surely reward you handsomely."


    "Where¡¯s the old Gatekeeper?" he thought of asking.


    The temporary Gatekeeper sighed. "He suddenly copsed just after you left the vige. The Elder put him under the Healer¡¯s care and forbid him from leaving until hepletely gets well. He¡¯s been waiting here for his son for a month, never leaving. It¡¯s no wonder he would copse."


    This conversation was probably happening because he triggered the hidden event. If he didn¡¯t, then the old Gatekeeper would probably still be standing beside this gate. Luo Yan should probably visit him after he talked to the Elder. Then he should also proceed to talk to the other NPCs and asked them if they knew anything about Filli¡¯s disappearance. A new round of conversation would probably ensue since he triggered the hidden event.


    But for now, he would first get those rewards. He said goodbye to the temporary Gatekeeper and entered the vige. He walked straight towards the Elder¡¯s yurt. The NPC he first met - Ivan - was standing just outside the entrance of the yurt, like some kind of guard. He announced Luo Yan¡¯s arrival and soon, he was allowed inside.


    The beautiful and elegant Elder was still sitting in the middle of the room. When he saw Luo Yan, a gentle smile appeared on his face and gestured for him to sit down. Luo Yan obediently sat down opposite the Elder.


    "Noctis, how was your trip outside the vige?" the Elder asked.


    "It was fine, Elder. I had fun," he answered honestly.


    "That¡¯s good. Then I assume that everything went well?"


    Luo Yan nodded. "I defeated 30 Blights and also destroyed its source. From now on, Elder doesn¡¯t have to worry that a Blight invasion would ur in the forest."


    The Elder smiled satisfactorily. "I already expected as much. After all, among the younger generation of moon elves, you always had the highest potential."


    "Thank you, Elder."


    "As a reward for defeating the Blights, this item shall be given to you." After saying that, a small square wooden box suddenly appeared on the Elder¡¯s desk. "And for getting rid of its source and preventing a Blight invasion, I¡¯ll add another item as your reward." As if on cue, a slightly bigger squared parcel appeared beside the small square wooden box.


    Luo Yan first opened the small wooden box. Inside was a silver bracelet with beautiful and delicate flower engravings on it. The flower was simr to the white flower scattered around the vige. He opened his Items Tab to look at its information.


    Moonstone Bracelet


    Rarity: A


    - A bracelet made of moonstone - a mineral that could only be found at the Crescent Woonds. When a yer wore it, it would automatically increase the yer¡¯s Derived Stats by 5%.


    - This wonderful item could also be upgraded.


    This was actually a very good esory. Not to mention the effect it gave the yer, it was also upgradable. Which meant that the percentage increased on the Derived Stats could also increase.


    Luo Yan then proceeded on opening the parcel. Inside was some kind of clothing. He picked it up and just only saw that it was actually a cloak. It was thin and silvery white. It actually almost looked transparent. He checked its information on the Items Tab.


    Invisibility Cloak


    Rarity: S


    - A cloak especially woven by the Elder of the moon elves. Once a yer wore it, they would automatically enter a state of invisibility. They wouldn¡¯t be seen, heard, or smelled. But beware, the effect of this cloak could onlyst for 10 minutes. It could also only be used 3X a day and then it would need a 24 hour cooldown.


    Wow. This was also a very good item. Now he was d that he did the additional task. This cloak would definitelye in handy during PvPs and perhaps, even boss raids.


    He immediately put the two items in his Items Tab. It seemed like the Elder was very generous in his rewards.


    "Thank you, Elder," he said smiling, he truly liked the two items he got.


    = B City =


    Two equally tall young men were walking on the street just outside T University. Both were attracting attention from girls they passed by.


    One had the standard short ck hair for men. His face was bright and handsome. All his actions seemed to be full of energy. He had the image of a typical boy-next-door type. The other one, on the other hand, seemed to be the total opposite. He looked unapproachable. As if anyone who tried would be immediately frozen by his cold blue eyes. But people still couldn¡¯t help but want to get close.


    "I really think we should recruit new members. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time our team join the tournament once again?" Bai Ze said. And then he noticed that hispanion was no longer walking beside him. He nced back and saw him staring at the window of some store. "Ji Yun?"


    Bai Ze walked back to see what Shen Ji Yun was staring intently at. Then he saw that his friend was seriously staring at a cute white rabbit phone strap disyed on the window of the store. It was wearing a pajama and hugging a big carrot. Shen Ji Yun¡¯s stare was so intense, it almost felt like his gaze would dig a hole on the keychain.


    "Ah... do you want to buy that phone strap?" Bai Ze asked.


    "Um," Shen Ji Yun answered. Because it looked like that silly rabbit he met a week ago.


    And then he entered the store.

 Chapter 33 FILLIS WHEREABOUTS

    "I CAN see that you¡¯re now ready to travel outside the vige and the Crescent Woonds," the Elder said. "But before that, you need to have youring-of-age ceremony first. Would you like to have it now? I could immediately prepare the necessary arrangements."


    "No, thank you Elder but I still have things I need to deal with first," Luo Yan politely rejected.


    As much as possible, he wanted to finish the hidden event first before undergoing the ceremony. Because once hising-of-age ceremony was done, it meant that he could finally be transported to the beginner¡¯s town - Olkdale. Sure, he could stille back here after that. But the feeling of an unfinished task just didn¡¯t sit well with him.


    "I see. Then juste to me when you¡¯re ready."


    "Yes," he said. "By the way Elder, are you familiar with the incident involving Filli¡¯s disappearance?"


    A sad expression suddenly appeared on the Elder¡¯s face. "What happened to Filli was truly unfortunate. That¡¯s why I always advised you younger people to take caution at everything you do. But Filli and his friends has always been a group of yful children. Always inadvertently causing trouble to others. If only they could have been as well behaved as you."


    It didn¡¯t get past Luo Yan some of the key words that the Elder said - ¡¯Filli¡¯, ¡¯his friends¡¯, ¡¯always causing trouble¡¯. Since this was a game, an NPC was programmed to say the lines scripted for them. The things they said would usually be helpful to the yer. Either guiding them with the gamey or helping them with their tasks. That¡¯s why he was sure that what the Elder said was just not some kind of rambling.


    "Was Filli with his friends the day he disappeared?" Luo Yan asked.


    "I¡¯m not really sure about the details. I talked to those children but they didn¡¯t really give me anything of import. I think you should ask the Gatekeeper. He probably knows more than me."


    "Okay. Thank you, Elder."


    Luo Yan said goodbye to the Elder and walked out of the yurt. He already nned on visiting the Gatekeeper prior to this so it alligned with the Elder¡¯s suggestion. He opened the map of the vige. He was certain that it would pinpoint him to the location of the Gatekeeper¡¯s house. Since the Gatekeeper had an important role in this hidden event, the map would certainly consider his house as an important establishment.


    Just as he expected, he saw a red dot with the words, ¡¯Gatekeeper¡¯s House¡¯ to the North of the Elder¡¯s yurt. He immediately walked towards there. Along the way, he asked NPCs he met about Filli. They didn¡¯t give him any important information aside from the usual ¡¯he went to the forest a month ago and never came back¡¯.


    Soon, he arrived at his destination. It was a cottage slightly bigger that the one he woke up in when he first entered the game. It probably had two rooms -one for the Gatekeeper and the other for Filli. From all the conversations he had with various NPCs, not once was there a mention of the Gatekeeper¡¯s wife. So the Gatekeeper was a single father raising his only son who¡¯s now missing. The game developer probably thought that made up for a better drama.


    Luo Yan walked towards the door and knocked. After a while, the door opened and he saw the Gatekeeper with a tired look on his face. When he saw him, his face became slightly better.


    "Noctis! Do you have news about my son?"


    "Sorry, Gatekeeper. I just came back from finishing the task given by the Elder, I haven¡¯t started looking for Filli yet."


    The face of the Gatekeeper was once again surrounding by gloom. "I see."


    "I actually came here to ask what you remember on the day Filling went missing. It might help me with my search."


    The Gatekeeper cheered up a little when he heard what Luo Yan said. "I¡¯ll tell you everything I know. Up to thest detail."


    The Gatekeeper gestured for him to enter the cottage, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to follow inside. The inside of the cottage was a hundred times better than that poor cottage of his. There¡¯s aplete set of furnitures in the living room. There¡¯s even a small arc that separated it from the kitchen and dining area. There were decorative nts around that brought a homely atmosphere to the house.


    The Gatekeeper sat down. Luo Yan did so as well and sat on the opposite chair.


    "We fought the day he went missing. That day was also the anniversary of my wife¡¯s death. It seemed like every year we fought whenever that day came," the Gatekeeper said with a wry smile. "This time it¡¯s because Filli wanted to hold hising-of-age ceremony much sooner. He said he wanted to leave the vige so he could avenge what happened to his mother. You see, my wife, when she went to one of towns outside the vige for an errand, she returned with a curse put on her. It was so powerful that even the Elder couldn¡¯t lift it. Just after five days, she died."


    Luo Yan wrinkled his brows. What¡¯s with this backstory? Don¡¯t tell him there¡¯s still some kind of follow-up event after he found Filli?


    "Of course, I disagreed with Filli. He¡¯s still young. There¡¯s at least three more years until he reached the right age. But he just wouldn¡¯t listen. So out of anger I told him that if he could kill a high level monster, then I¡¯d agree to what he wanted. The next thing I knew, his friends told me that he ran to the forest and they dared not follow," the Gatekeeper continued.


    There was that again, the word ¡¯friends¡¯.


    "We searched the forest for the whole three days but didn¡¯t find any sign of him. Many of the vigers said that Filli was probably attacked by a monster and then eaten, that¡¯s why we couldn¡¯t find him. But how could I believe that? If I do, then I might as well admit that it was me who pushed him into that kind of end. Then it would probably be better if I died as well."


    Even though Luo Yan knew that he was talking to an NPC, he still symphatized with him a bit. Probably because the anguished in his voice was too real. "Don¡¯t worry, Gatekeeper. As I¡¯ve said to you, I will find him."


    The Gatekeeper gave him a grateful look. "Thank you, Noctis."


    "These ¡¯friends¡¯ of Filli, may I know who they are? I also want to ask them some questions."


    "It¡¯s Ivo and Iro, they¡¯re the younger twin brothers of Ivan."


    Ivan? That NPC he first met? "Do you know where I can find them? Like a ce they usually go to?"


    "Those two and Filli built a treehouse on the East area of the vige where most of the tall trees are. They usually stay there most of the times."


    "Is Filli¡¯s rtionship with them good?"


    "Yes. They¡¯re our vige¡¯s well-known troublemakers."


    If those twins really had a good rtionship with Filli then why didn¡¯t they stop him when he ran to the forest? If they¡¯re really good friends, they should at least do that, right? But they only did it after Filli was already deep in the forest. Why? They¡¯re definitely hiding something.


    "I see. Thank you, Gatekeeper."


    Luo Yan said goodbye and went out of the cottage. He immediately ran towards the ce the Gatekeeper said. It¡¯s time to find the truth from those twins.

 Chapter 34 FILLIS WHEREABOUTS (II)

    WHEN Luo Yan arrived at the East area, he immediately saw the tree house that the Gatekeeper was talking about. It was built on the branch of the highest tree. It was made of bamboo, its design very simple and a bit messy. An obvious sign that it was made by amateurs.


    The game designers were really thorough. Even the fact that this tree house was supposedly made by young elves were taken into ount. The more he experienced this VR version of Arcadia, the more his desire to work at Moonlight Media increased. He really wanted to work with the people who designed such a game. That was one of his goals before he died. Maybe he could continue that in this new life.


    Anyway, he was not in a hurry to make any final decision regarding his future. There¡¯s still a lot of time for that. He¡¯s situation now was different from hisst life. Now, he had the means to take any path he wanted. Whatever that would be, he would make sure that it would bring him happiness. Not just for him, but also for the ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯ who didn¡¯t manage to live past the age of 10. He would definitely live a fulfilling life for the both of them.


    Enough of these sappy thoughts. He should go and talk with those twins first.


    Luo Yan raised his head to look at the tree house. He bent his knees and then jumped. Hended on one of the branch and went straight to the entrance of the tree house. The moment he entered, he immediately saw the twins in question. Probably because the space inside was not really that big. He looked at the twins. Like other moon elves, they had white hair and also green eyes. And being twins, they also looked exactly alike.


    The two looked surprised when he suddenly appeared. One had the name ¡¯Ivo¡¯ on top of his head and the other had the name ¡¯Iro¡¯.


    "Noctis? What are you doing here?" said the one named Ivo.


    "I want to ask something to the both of you. What exactly happened on the day that Filli went missing?" Luo Yan said, going straight to the point.


    A shocked expression appeared on both twins¡¯ expression. Iro looked guilty while Ivo immediately calmed down.


    "We already told everyone what we know. Filli looked upset that day. Then he suddenly said that he would go to the forest to kill some monsters so he could prove to his father that he¡¯s already strong enough. We thought he was just joking. The next thing we knew, he suddenly sneaked out of the vige and then ran to the forest," Ivo said calmly.


    What he said was in line with what the Gatekeeper told Luo Yan earlier. But he still felt that that was not the whole of it. Luo Yan sighed. Did he still need to convince these two to tell him the truth? He stared at Ivo and he couldn¡¯t read anything on his face. Then he nced at the other twin, Iro, who immediately looked away and did not dare to meet his gaze.


    From the looked of it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything from this Ivo. But Iro from the other hand, he would probably get something if he guilt tripped him a bit. Or if that wouldn¡¯t work, then he¡¯ll just use violence.


    "Will the both of you not really tell me the truth?" he asked.


    "We already told you the truth," Ivo said resolutely.


    "I see. Then don¡¯t me me for doing this."


    After he said that, he dashed forward and attacked Ivo. Because they didn¡¯t expect it, Luo Yan¡¯s attack easily connected. He didn¡¯t use too much force but Ivo still fainted. He raised one of his brows. He actually didn¡¯t expect this NPC to faint after just one attack. He used his fist to attack so he didn¡¯t kill him, did he? If he did, would he respawn? Well, whatever. At least he¡¯s out of the way.


    "W-what did you to my brother?" the other twin said unbelievably.


    "I punched him obviously." Luo Yan turned to Iro. "Now that your brother is unconcious and no longer awake to spout lies, I want you to tell me the truth about what really happened that day."


    Iro looked down. "I-I don¡¯t know what you mean."


    "Come on, Iro. You know your brother was lying. That¡¯s not really what happened when Filli disappeared and you know it. You¡¯re both hiding something. Don¡¯t you even care that what you¡¯re doing might cause Filli¡¯s life? It¡¯s already been a month since he disappeared. Aren¡¯t you even worried about what has happened to him? If he¡¯s still alive or if he¡¯s already dead?"


    Iro just kept his head down. Luo Yan shook his head. He couldn¡¯t believe he made a long speech just to convince an NPC. But if he couldn¡¯t find a trigger that could make this NPC admit his wrongs, then whatever he would say wouldn¡¯t matter.


    "I thought the three of you were friends? You grew up together, didn¡¯t you? But I guess, seeing that you let him go missing this long, I guess you¡¯d be more than d if he¡¯s already dead." Iro flinched. Was his guilt tripping actually working? "Poor Filli. His soul was probably now crying somewhere because his two friends just let him die. How sad it was--"


    "Enough!"


    "How could it be enough? It will be enough once I told everyone in the vige what you twins did. What do you think our fellow vigers would think? The Elder? Your older brother? I will tell you what, they would hate you." Iro¡¯s body started to shake uncontrobly after he said that. No, it¡¯s more urate to say that his body started shaking when Luo Yan mentioned his older brother. Looked like Lou Yan finally found the trigger. "Your older brother will hate you."


    Iro raised his head, tears falling from his green eyes. "We didn¡¯t mean it!"


    Luo Yan secretly smiled. "You didn¡¯t mean what?"


    "W-we were just ying around. Like usual. We were just trying to cheer him up. He¡¯s upset you see. He told us the argument he had with his father. S-so we thought that maybe we should all go to the forest. Fight some monsters and all that. Filli agreed because he wanted to show his father that he really could do it.


    "So we went to the forest via a secret route that we discovered when we were kids. We didn¡¯t have any particr destination, so we just ran around. We didn¡¯t encounter any strong monsters along the way. T-then... then I suggested that we should go to the Silent Marsh. The Elder always forbid us from going there so we thought that we could probably see a strong monster there. My brother and Filli agreed.


    "W-we just entered the marsh when Filli di- disappeared. We didn¡¯t know what happened. He just vanished! We panicked. When we went back here, my brother already changed the story of how Filli went missing. He said that if we tell the truth, they would me me. We- we¡¯re just afraid. We really didn¡¯t mean it! We also want to find Filli!"


    Then he cried even harder.


    Luo Yan ignored him because he already got the information he wanted. He no longer cared about the drama this NPC wanted to y. He took out the map of the Crescent Woonds and just as expected, a new area on the West of the map appeared. The name below the area was;


    Silent Marsh.

 Chapter 35 INFORMATIONS ABOUT THE SILENT MARSH

    AFTER Luo Yan found out that Filli might be in the area of the forest called the ¡¯Silent Marsh¡¯, he immediately went to the Elder¡¯s yurt. If there¡¯s someone in this vige who would know most about that ce, then it¡¯s definitely the Elder. Luo Yan needed to know first what he would be facing before going there.


    This was not the same as fighting the Blights and discovering its source. The additional task involved him finding the source, so he technically couldn¡¯t ask about that from the Elder. But this hidden task only needed him to find Filli and bring him back here in the vige. So it wouldn¡¯t matter if he asked the Elder about it.


    "Noctis, have you decided the date of youring-of-age ceremony?" the Elder asked when he saw him.


    It was such an automatic response. As if that was the first thing the Elder would say everytime he would see him. Not really surprising, since he was already done with task given by the Elder, the next step should be for him to conduct hising-of-age ceremony and finally leave the vige.


    "No, Elder, I¡¯m here to ask you about something."


    "Oh, what is it?"


    "I wonder if the Elder could tell me what you know about the Silent Marsh?"


    The Elder¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious when he mentioned that. "It¡¯s a very dangerous area in the Crescent Woonds. As you may already know from the name itself, it¡¯s a marsh. The word ¡¯silent¡¯ was added by our ancestors because once you enter the area, you could no longer hear any sound. That¡¯s still true until today."


    Luo Yan caught the keyword, ¡¯no sound¡¯. "Why could one not hear any sound when they enter the area?"


    The Elder paused for dramatic effect before saying, "Because there¡¯s a very powerful beast sleeping there." Okay? "All the monsters in the surrounding area dare not make a noise for fear that they would awaken it. My father, the former Elder, told me that this beast entered the moon elves¡¯ realm a millenium ago. It was badly wounded and almost at the end of its life. It went to one of the caves in the forest to recuperate. It slept in that ce and the area surrounding the cave has been known as the Silent Marsh since then."


    Luo Yan¡¯s interest was picqued by this hidden story. "What kind of beast was it?"


    This time the Elder didn¡¯t pause and just went straight to the point. "A dragon."


    He became silent for a moment. A dragon? Seriously? This hidden task wouldn¡¯t ask him to defeat that dragon in order to save Filli, right? What, was Filli a princess kidnapped by the dragon and he¡¯s the prince tasked to save him? He didn¡¯t like this kind of script at all.


    "In Elder¡¯s opinion, do you think I can defeat this... dragon?" he tried to ask.


    "No," the Elder answered so straightforwardly. "With your current level and skill set, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to put a scratch on it."


    Luo Yan winced a bit. See? Even the Elder thought he was not an opponent of this dragon. Surely, this hidden task wouldn¡¯t require him to kill the dragon, right? Because then, there¡¯s no way he would be able to finish it. He shook his head. No, he shouldn¡¯t jinx himself.


    But in the off-chance that he did jinx himself and ended up fighting the dragon, he¡¯d just do his best to escape with Filli. He¡¯d better prepare nheless.


    = B City =


    A ck cark parked in front of a two-storey modern mansion located at a very private and wealthy residential area. The driver went out of the car and opened the door of the back seat. A man wearing silver-rimmed sses came down.


    "I have an early meeting tomorrow. So please doe earlier than usual."


    "Yes, President Shen," the driver answered.


    Shen Yi Mu walked towards the door of the mansion. It was the type of open-area mansion that didn¡¯t have a gate. Most of the houses in this residential area actually didn¡¯t have one. The security here was pretty tight, one couldn¡¯t just enter the entrance of this residential area without a thorough check from the guards. That¡¯s why most people here didn¡¯t feel that they needed a gate for their houses.


    He took out his key and opened the door. Walking inside, he immediately smelled a delicious scent. He walked towards the kitchen area and just as he thought, he saw his nephew there.


    Shen Ji Yun was wearing a ck apron. His blue gaze was concentrated on the vegetable he¡¯s cutting. His face was still expresionless. It was like watching a doll cooking.


    Shen Yi Mu was already used to this kind of scene. His nephew had been making their dinner ever since he learned how to. Though the number of times he did decreased when he entered university. He still tried to cook dinner and eat with him at least once a week. That had been some kind of bonding for the both of them.


    Shen Ji Yun raised his head and said, "Dinner will be done soon. I¡¯ll call you once it¡¯s done."


    Instead of leaving, Shen Yi Mu walked inside the kitchen and leaned on the bar counter. "Do you need any help?"


    "No."


    He smiled helplessly. Sometimes it¡¯s really hard to start a conversation with this nephew of his. Then he suddenly remembered something.


    "Zhao Cheng just told me something interesting earlier," he said pertaining to Moonlight Media¡¯s head programmer. "He said that after thetest update, four yers managed to get a newly added ¡¯special race¡¯. All are first-time Arcadia yers." That was easy to check since their game avatars didn¡¯t match any existing yers¡¯ biometrics. "Apparently, one of them is doing really good. He¡¯s only been ying for four days and he already managed to trigger a hidden event."


    There was a paused in his nephew¡¯s movement, a sign that his curiousity was piqued a little. Because in Arcadia, triggering a hidden event was not something that a beginner often encountered. Beginner yers were usually not thorough enough. So the probability of them triggering a hidden event was quite low.


    "You should try and meet him once he leaves his Origin Vige. Zhao Cheng said that this yer is pretty interesting," he continued. Whenever they do an update, the lead programmer usually watch the video of yers especially those that were beginners who just started ying. So they could check if there were bugs in the game. Although they do have beta testers, it¡¯s not bad to be thorough. "ording to Zhao Cheng, this yer¡¯s game avatar is very beautiful. So it wouldn¡¯t probably be hard for you to find him."


    Shen Ji Yun turned to his uncle. "His game ID name?"


    "Hmm... wait- let me recall. Ah, right! It¡¯s Noctis. His game ID is Noctis."

 Chapter 36 RIChapter GAME TYRANT

    AFTER doing his usual morning exercise routine, Luo Yan took a bath. When he¡¯s done, as per usual, he measured his height at the stadiometer standing inside his huge walk-in closet. He asked his father to buy him one because he wanted to keep track of his height. It arrivedst week and he still hadn¡¯t had the chance to use it.


    His current height was really like a thorn in his heart. How could he ept that he would remain this short his whole life? It¡¯s cute and all now, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t be like that once he grew older and entered his 20s. He firmly believed that there¡¯s still hope for him. After all, his father and brothers were all tall. Certainly he wouldn¡¯t be the only odd one out.


    So to better facilitate his growth, he made sure to eat nutritious food. Even those he didn¡¯t particrly like. And, of course, drink milk during every meal and before he slept. Surely, after almost four months, there¡¯s bound to be a change.


    He stood on the stadiometer and carefully measured his height. When he¡¯s done, Luo Yan¡¯s peach blossom eyes brightened. 151 cm! His height grew from 150 cm to 151 cm! He couldn¡¯t help but want to jump in happiness. Yes, it¡¯s only a centimeter but that¡¯s already huge for him. Maybe before the year ended he could grew to 155 cm.


    There¡¯s at least five months left before that. Luo Yan pumped his fist. Yes, he could do it.


    With a wide smile on his face, Luo Yan walked out of his room and went to the dining room to have breakfast. On his way, he met his older brother who was already dressed for work.


    Luo Ren was wearing a sky blue long sleeved polo shirt. Both sleeves were folded up to his elbow, showing his well-formed forearm. It was tucked in a pair of ck ck pants. His outfit just screamed young professional.


    Luo Yan gave his brother a thumbs up. "Brother is so handsome."


    Luo Renughed. "What¡¯s with your sweet mouth?"


    "What, I¡¯m only telling the truth."


    Luo Ren noticed the bright smile on his brother¡¯s face. Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t show this kind of smile just because he found his older brother handsome. "What made you smile so happily?"


    Because of his brother¡¯s question, Luo Yan remembered the good thing he discovered earlier. "Brother, I grew one centimeter!" he excitedly shared.


    Luo Ren seriously examined his brother but he felt that there wasn¡¯t really any change in his height. But of course Luo Ren wouldn¡¯t say that. "That¡¯s great. No wonder I felt that you¡¯re a bit taller."


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes brightened, as if hundreds of twinkling stars were inside it. "Really?"


    "Yes."


    He became even happier. He hugged his brother¡¯s arm and said, "Let¡¯s go and eat breakfast."


    They both walked towards the dining room and saw that their father was already sitting at the head of the table, reading newspaper. Luo Yan let go of his brother and went to his father.


    "Good morning, Dad!" he greeted.


    Luo Wei Tian put down the newspaper he¡¯s reading. He looked at his two sons and smiled. "Good morning."


    Luo Ren greeted back and sat on his right.


    "Dad, do you notice anything different in me?" Luo Yan suddenly asked.


    Luo Wei Tian looked at his second son and saw the expectant look in his eyes. He suddenly sweated a little. Because aside from seeing how cute and adorable his son was, he couldn¡¯t really see anything different. He secretly nced at his eldest, asking for clues. Then he saw Luo Ren moved his lips, forming the words - ¡¯taller¡¯.


    He immediately understood what his eldest meant. He looked back at Luo Yan and didn¡¯t really see the increased of height. But of couse he couldn¡¯t tell that to him. With that expectant look, he would definitely be disappointed. So, Luo Wei Tian had to try to act surprise. "Did Xiao Yan grow taller?"


    Luo Yan smiled proudly. Because he was so happy about his increase of height, he didn¡¯t notice the little interaction between his father and brother. "Yes, I grew one centimeter!"


    "No wonder. Xiao Yan is really amazing," his fatherplimented.


    Luo Yan happily sat on his usual seat.


    "Then let¡¯s eat breakfast," Luo Wei Tian said.


    After saying that, two maids came in and started serving food on the table.


    "How about Ah Jin?" Luo Yan asked after seeing that his younger brother was still not here.


    "He¡¯s still asleep. It seems like he slept verytest night. Just let him have breakfastter," his father answered.


    "It¡¯s because he¡¯s been ying that VR game. He seemed to be addicted to it," Luo Renmented then he turned to Luo Yan. "Yan Yan, you¡¯re also ying that game, right? Make sure you don¡¯t copy Xiao Jin."


    "Brother, you don¡¯t have to worry. I always sleep on time," Luo Yan assured.


    He had to do that. Because sleeping on time would definitely help in his growth. But Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that Luo Jin would y Arcadia untilte at night, considering how opposed he was at first in ying the game.


    Then he suddenly remembered the hidden event task that he still hadn¡¯t finished. He felt a headache just thinking of that dragon. No matter if he had to fight it or not, he still had to do some preparation.


    With that thought in mind, he turned to his father. "Dad, uhm, could I ask you something?"


    "Of course, what is it?"


    "Could you help me load crystal coins in my Arcadia game ount? I don¡¯t need much. A thousand will do."


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t really load crystal coins by himself because, currently, he didn¡¯t have his own money. So, he could only ask.


    "Of course. I will tell Assistant Wen to do it," Luo Wei Tian said.


    "Thank you, Dad!"


    He already expected this answer and happily tell his father his game name ID.


    When Luo Yan was done with his tutoring lessons for the day, he went back to his room and logged in to Arcadia.


    He opened his eyes and found himself at his small cottage at Origin Vige. Before going out, he opened his Items Tab first to see the amount of crystal coins he had. When he saw it, his eyes almost bulged out from his head.


    What the f---


    2,000,000 crystal coins!


    No matter how much he rubbed his eyes, it was still the same number. Although he did expect that his father might exceed the thousand crystal coins he asked, he didn¡¯t expect that he would give this much. Then he remembered his older brother. Luo Ren probably also loaded crystal coins to his ount. He smiled helplessly. Because that possibility was pretty high.


    If this amount was converted to real life money then it would be equivalent to 200,000 RMB. He never had so much money in his life.


    So, did he just be a local rich game tyrant?

 Chapter 37 PREPARATION

    WHEN Luo Yan yed the PC version of Arcadia, he rarely bought crystal coins. All his in-game coins came from the rewards he gained from doing different tasks. The materials he had also came from boss raids and exploring dungeons. He also got materials from PK-ing other yers. So there wasn¡¯t really any need for him to spent any money at all.


    He was just a poor schrship student then, where would he get the extra money to buy crystal coins? It didn¡¯t matter anyway since he could still get high quality weapons, esories, and armors by working hard in the game. But now he suddenly had 2,000,000 crystal coins.


    He felt like he suddenly became like one of those gamers who used money so they could have all the best materials in-game money could buy. Well, unlike those types, at least he had the ability to back that up. He wouldn¡¯t dislike these crystal coins his father and brother bought for him. After all, it¡¯s just one of their ways they showed their love. He¡¯d just make sure to put it to good use.


    Finished with that, he finally thought of the hidden event task he was about to do. After he got over the surprise about the dragon, he realized that the probability of him going up against it was actually pretty low. This was just the Origin Vige. Even if he encountered a hidden event, it was still designed for beginners. If a beginner was asked to fight with a dragon, then their defeat was inevitable. Which would make this task impossible for a beginner to finish.


    So, the real purpose of this hidden event task was not to defeat the dragon but to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t awaken it. Which meant that he had to do this task of looking for Filli as quiet as possible. The invisibility cloak he got from finishing the additional task would definitelye in handy. Aside from that, he also nned to buy some items. Just to be prepared.


    After all that thinking, Luo Yan finally went out of his small cottage. His first stop was the Pharmacy.


    "Noctis, what would you buy today?" asked the female Pharmacist when she saw him.


    "I¡¯d like to buy 100rge red potion, as well as 100rge purple potion and 100rge yellow potion," he said.


    "Okay, please wait awhile."


    Soon, three boxes were presented to him. One had vials of red liquids, the other had vials of purple liquids, and thest one had vials of yellow liquids. When he put the three in his Items Tab, he also checked their informations.


    Large Red Potion: An item that could restore 5000 HP. Cost - 500 crystal coins.


    Large Purple Potion: An item that could make the opponent sleep for 10 seconds. Cost - 1000 crystal coins.


    Large Yellow Potion: An item that could stun an opponent for 10 seconds. Cost - 1000 crystal coins.


    He now had 11 opened grids in his Items Tab. He decided to open 20 more using his crystal coins which costed 10 crystal coins per grid. This way he wouldn¡¯t worry about his Items Tab being full.


    After leaving the Pharmacy, Luo Yan went to the opposite Weapon¡¯s Shop.


    "Noctis, what would you buy today?" asked the Weapon Master.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but smile because the Weapon Master had the same weing statement as the Pharmacist. "I¡¯d like to buy twin daggers."


    That was his weapon of choice when he was still ying the PC version. Daggers were usually used by the Assassin ss. You could either choose to use one dagger or two. In his case, he preferred to use two daggers when fighting. Because two handed weapons could improve the power of an Assassin¡¯s active skills.


    "Then please look here," the Weapon Master said gesturing towards one of the shelves.


    It had three pairs of daggers. All looked particrly simr but Luo Yan knew they differed in grades. All three pairs had long thin des that curved slightly at the end. Its hilt was ebony ck. A huge contrast to the silvery sheen of its de.


    "Which one has the highest grade?" he asked.


    Like esories and auxiry items, a weapon¡¯s grade could be differentiated into D, C, B, A, S, and SS. D being the lowest and SS being the highest.


    "This one," the Weapon Master said picking the one on the rightmost side. "It¡¯s an A grade weapon."


    A grade weapon? Not bad. He expected that the limit of the weapons here in the Origin Vige would be at most B grade. In this way, he could use this weapon until he found enough good materials to assemble one of his own. Usually custom made weapons had better qualitypared to those readily bought ones. Of course, that depended on the materials used to forge the weapon.


    But then, he read from the game manual that in this VR version, yers could no longer make a weapon on their own. It¡¯s because of the two special sses added to the game - Alchemist and cksmith. If a yer wanted to earn money inside the game, then they could choose one of those two special sses. Alchemist could refine all kinds of potions. cksmiths, on the other hand, could forge weapons, armors, and esories.


    They could put up shops in the game¡¯s towns and sell the things they made there. The crystal coins they earned could then be converted to RMB and would be deposited straight to their bank ounts. He must say, it¡¯s a great way to earn money.


    So, this meant that Luo Yan needed to find a very skilled cksmith. But that was still kind of like a long way to go. He would first finish this hidden event task first and then go out of the Origin Vige.


    "How much?" he asked the Weapon Master.


    "20,000 crystal coins."


    If he didn¡¯t have more than enough crystal coins, then he would definitely cursed the game because it was too expensive. But then again, this was just the start so no beginners would probably buy this. He¡¯s an exemption because he¡¯s now rich. Going with this pricing, SS grade weapons would definitely be in the hundreds.


    He paid for the twin daggers and immediately equipped it.


    Next, Luo Yan went to the General Store located beside the Weapon¡¯s Shop. In Arcadia, General Store usually sold spells, materials used for forging weapons and refining potions, and all the other items that a yer could need.


    When he entered the General Store, it looked like a small supermarket. Because this was just the Origin Vige, the materials sold here was not that much inparison to a General Store in a much bigger town.


    There was a female elf standing behind the cashier¡¯s desk with the name ¡¯Manager¡¯ at the top of her head.


    "Noctis, what would you buy today?" she said with the same greeting.


    "I want a teleportation scroll that would transfer people directly here in the vige. Do you have one?"


    Teleportation scrolls could usually transfer people to the town where you bought it. He was not sure if this Origin Vige had one. But having one would definitely help him in this hidden event task.


    "You¡¯re in luck, there¡¯s only one stock left. Would you buy it?"


    Only one? Well, he guessed that¡¯s better than nothing. "Yes, please."


    "That would be 5,000 crystal coins."


    That expensive? Now he could finally feel the advantage of being a rich game tyrant.


    He paid for it and put it in his Items Tab.


    Now, he¡¯s finally done with his preparation. It¡¯s time to look for Filli.

 Chapter 38 SILENT MARSH

    LUO YAN dashed towards a monster and then shed using the left dagger and then he immediately followed it with a sh using the other dagger. He then finished it off with a horizontal sh using both daggers. The monster immediately dissipated.


    He looked down at his hand holding the twin daggers, a bit dissatisfied. The action he did just now was simr to one of the active skills of the Assassin ss - Triple Rush. It¡¯s one of the active skills he could clearly remember when he was still ying the PC version. It could inflict damage to enemies by shing three times as you rushed. The faster your speed, the more damage you could inflict to your opponent.


    But just now, it didn¡¯t really give the effect he wanted. His speed was probably still too slow. Which meant that he really needed to be an Assassin first before he could perform the active skills he remembered. He could still immitate those skills but it wouldn¡¯t give him the desired effect he wanted. This result was not really that surprising. He just wanted to test it. Now that he knew the result, he would no longer ponder over it.


    He continued moving forward and just kill the monsters he met normally.


    Luo Yan was on his way towards the area where the Silent Marsh was located. It was on the West side of the Crescent Woonds. He didn¡¯t evade all the monsters that came his way. He fought them head-on. It was another good way to grind levels.


    By the time he reached the area of the Silent Marsh, he leveled up again. Now he¡¯s level 13. He smiled and was quite satisfied with this. Then he went and walked towards the Silent Marsh.


    The moment he did, he truly understood why it was called that way. Because, just like what the Elder told him, there was literally no sound around. He couldn¡¯t even hear the swishing of the leaves or any other sounds at all. Add that to the dark envinronment and it just made this ce more eerie. Not to mention, so much creepier. Even if he didn¡¯t want to, it still gave him goosebumps.


    Luo Yan took a deep breath and finally looked around. Just like what its name said, the ce was a marsnd. It was wet and damp, dominated by herbacious rather than woody nt species. On the far right, he could see ake. It was not too big but not too small either. The huge moon above could be reflected on its surface.


    He continued to look around, searching for that cave the Elder told him about. Almost instantly, he saw it at the far end. Even at this distance, he could see that it¡¯s a big cave. If he stood in front of it, it would probably look much bigger. Well, it was able to house a dragon, so it¡¯s only natural for it to be big.


    Luo Yan decided to search the surroundings first. If he didn¡¯t find Filli, then he would grit his teeth and enter the dragon¡¯s cave. He first went to the direction of his left. As he did, he truly couldn¡¯t hear anything at all. Not even his own footsteps.


    Wait- not even his footsteps?


    If he remembered correctly, the Elder said that this ce was ¡¯silent¡¯ because the surrounding monsters were afraid to wake up the dragon. He could understand that. But his footsteps? Don¡¯t tell him that his footsteps have its own conciousness and it was also afraid of the dragon? Because that¡¯s just bull. Then how about the trees and the nts around this ce?


    Could there be other reason why this ce was so quiet?


    Before thinking more about that problem, he decided toplete his search first. After meticulously going through the west area, he found nothing out of the ordinary.


    Then he went to the area where theke was. He didn¡¯t notice at first when he first entered the Silent Marsh, but there were small silver lights floating above theke. It looked quite beautiful. At one nce, one would think that these silver lights were simr to lights emitted by fireflies. But when Luo Yan looked at it carefully, they were actually very, very small glowing flowers. Its appearance was almost simr to the round seed head of a dandelion flower.


    Luo Yan tried to look where these silver lights wereing from and he saw a silver lotus at the center of theke. It emitted a faint silvery glow. Those silver lights were obviouslying from the silver lotus. He became even more curious. So he went and poked one of the glowing silver lights.


    The moment he did, the silver light suddenly bursted. And then a gray smoke appeared and enveloped Luo Yan¡¯s whole body. All at once, he felt that his whole body was paralyzed. He couldn¡¯t even move a finger. No, more urately, it¡¯s like his whole body was turned into a suspended state.


    Then he fell straight into theke.


    The feeling of drowning immediately filled him. He wanted to close his eyes but his whole body couldn¡¯t move. Then he saw something - or rather, someone - floating below the silver lotus. The person¡¯s body was tied by the roots of the silver lotus.


    It was the missing Filli!


    His eyes were open but there wasn¡¯t any light in them. His whole atmosphere seemed lifeless. As if the silver lotus was slowly consuming his vitality.


    Then several roots of the lotus rushed towards Luo Yan. Because he couldn¡¯t move, he was easily constrained by the roots. The tighter it got, the more his HP decreased. He couldn¡¯t do anything at all. Until everything around him suddenly turned ck. A status window appeared in front of him.


    [Dear yer, you currently don¡¯t have any HP left. Would you like to return to the nearest resurrection point?]


    Luo Yan widened his eyes in disbelief. He actually died?!

 Chapter 39 ABOUT THE SILVER LOTUS

    THE next moment Luo Yan opened his eyes, he was already back at the bedroom of his small cottage. He stared nkly at the wooden ceiling. Then realization came. He really died. He died at a beginner level hidden event task! He suddenly became silly for a moment. He covered his face in shame and rolled around the wooden bed.


    He¡¯d been so proud of his experience as an old yer and yet some nt just easily killed him. If everyone knew of his situation of being reborn and ying this game, then he would surely be theughingstock of everyone. A yer who once topped the PK rankings was killed by a nt without him even knowing it. If that¡¯s notughable, then he didn¡¯t know what else was.


    When Luo Yan finally calmed down from his shame, he sat up and reviewed all the things that just happened.


    When he touched one of those glowing silver things, a gray smoke came out of it and enveloped him. Which in turn made him unable to move. No, it¡¯s not that he was unable to move. It¡¯s more urate to say that his time was suspended. When he woke up after a longa, the feeling of being unable to move had been engraved in him. It was not the same feeling he got after that gray smoke enveloped his body.


    With that, he could tell that those silver lights had the ability to suspend the time of the things or objects they came in contact with. No, since those silver lights came from the silver lotus, it¡¯s more right to say that it was the silver lotus which had that ability.


    Going by that conjecture and considering the state of the Silent Marsh, it¡¯s probably safe to say that the reason behind its ¡¯quietness¡¯ was the Silver Lotus. He knew it couldn¡¯t just be because of the presence of the dragon. If it was, then he should have been able to at least hear his footsteps. But he couldn¡¯t. A big enough proof that the Silent Marsh, or at least some parts of it, was in a suspended state.


    Filli probably also fell victim to those silver lightsing out of the silver lotus. He either fell on theke or was dragged by the roots of the silver lotus. Seeing as Luo Yan died just a few momentster after those roots entangled him, it probably had the ability to absorb the vitality of any living things.


    Then how about Filli? If Luo Yan died that fast, then Filli should also be dead. He was missing for a month, which meant that he had been entangled by those roots for that long. How could he be alive?


    Luo Yan shook his head. No, if he¡¯s really dead then there¡¯s no point for this hidden event task to exist. He could only assume that Filli was still alive. The only exnation he could give why he died so fast while Filli didn¡¯t was because he¡¯s a yer and Filli was an NPC.


    So how should he go and save Filli from that silver lotus?


    An idea immediately appeared in his head. Now that he knew what he¡¯s facing, the chace of his sess just increased. This time he¡¯d make sure that he wouldn¡¯t be careless.


    But first, he should probably ask the Elder if he knew anything about that silver lotus.


    Thinking of the Elder, he remembered all that talk about the dragon sleeping at the Silent Marsh. Now that he thought about it, the reason why he didn¡¯t think of that lotus as something dangerous was because of the conversation he had with the Elder. He thought that the only enemy he would face would be the dragon and subconciously didn¡¯t take the other things in the marsh seriously. Which resulted to him unexpectedly dying.


    If he went with this logic, then wouldn¡¯t this mean that the Elder just pitted him? He talked about that dragon so enthusiastically, Luo Yan really expected that it had something to do with the hidden event task. Unknowingly, the Elder just became a big pig teammate.


    But even if the Elder was a pig teammate, he was still the biggest source of information here. So Luo Yan stood up and walked out of his small cottage.


    He went straight to the Elder¡¯s yurt.


    "Noctis, have you decided the date of youring-of-age ceremony?" the Elder asked as usual when he saw him.


    "No, Elder, I¡¯m here to ask you about a certain nt," he answered.


    "What nt?"


    "A silver lotus that gives off small silver lights and somehow has the ability to suspend time. Elder, do you know what it¡¯s called?"


    The Elder¡¯s expression immediately turned serious. And Luo Yan was again reminded of that talk they had about the Silent Marsh. The Elder had the same expression then. Seriously, if this guy was not an NPC, he would definitelyin of how big of a pig teammate he was.


    "What you just described, I think I read about it in one of the records left by one of the former Elders. It¡¯s called the Eternal Lotus, and just like you said, it has the ability to suspend time."


    Eternal Lotus? "Does it have the ability to suspend the time of a small area?" he asked thinking of the state of the Silent Marsh.


    "As long as the area touched the silver lights it produced, then it¡¯s possible."


    If the Eternal Lotus had been in thatke the same time period that the dragon appeared, then it had been there for quite a very long time. Long enough that it could suspend the time of the whole if not most of the Silent Marsh. "If it¡¯s destroyed, will the area it affected return to normal?"


    "Immediately."


    Luo Yan¡¯s thought of destroying the lotus vanished. If its effect on the Silent Marsh vanished, it might really wake up the dragon. "If someone tries to cut some of its roots, will it wither and die?"


    "No. The Eternal Lotus would only die if its core was removed."


    Okay. So that meant he could freely cut the roots that were entangling Filli without the worry that he would identaly destroy the lotus. "Elder, is there any other important information you know about the Eternal Lotus?"


    "Its core is a high level material that could be refined and be integrated into a weapon or an esory."


    That¡¯s really an important piece of information. But sadly, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t just take that core from the lotus. At least not right now. Maybe he would, once his level was high enough to defeat that dragon.


    "Thank you, Elder."


    Luo Yan bid farewell to the Elder and walked out of the yurt. He started walking towards the gate of the vige. He nned to go back to the Silent Marsh.


    And this time, he would definitely bring Filli back.

 Chapter 40 FINISHING THE HIDDEN EVENT TASK

    THIS time Luo Yan didn¡¯t bother killing monsters along the way. He avoided them as much as possible and ran towards the area where the Silent Marsh was located as fast as he could. Because of that, he arrived there much faster than he did the first time.


    Before entering, he took the Invisibility Cloak from his Items Tab. He felt a soft material surrounding him, touching his skin. ording to the description of this item, it could perfectly shield his presence. Not only could no one see him, they couldn¡¯t even hear or smell him. As if he was totally not there. Its effect couldst for ten minutes. Then there would be a cool down of five minutes before he could use it again. After using it for three times, it would need another 24 hours before the yer could use it again.


    With this, he could go directly in theke water without the fear that the Eternal Lotus would notice his presence and attack him. Ten minutes were more than enough for him to rescue Filli.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t waste anymore time and ran towards theke. He tactically avoided the glowing silver lights and then jumped directly into theke.


    He immediately felt that feeling unique when one was submerged underwater. So unlike the first time when he identaly fell here earlier. Probably because now he was not under the influence of the Eternal Lotus. He swam towards Filli. The elf still looked lifeless but Luo Yan refused to believe that he¡¯s dead.


    He took one of his daggers and shed it towards the lotus¡¯ roots entangling Filli¡¯s limbs and body. Because he was underwater, his speed was greatly reduced. So he couldn¡¯t sh as fast as he wanted. As he expected, the lotus didn¡¯t take what he¡¯s doing quietly. The moment he first cut one of its roots, he saw it slightly shaking. When he cut the third one, the roots started attacking his direction.


    He moved back a little, avoiding the roots. Because he was currently invisible, even if he moved, the roots still continued attacking his former position. What Luo Yan did was to swim to the other side and continued hacking on the roots entangling Filli. Soon, the roots attacked him again. But, of course, he easily avoided it. That pattern continued on for four or five times until he finally managed to removed Filli from the lotus¡¯ entanglement.


    Luo Yan clutched Filli¡¯s body and quickly swam upshore. The lotus seemed to notice that its food source was gone and it began its relentless attack. The roots extended and attacked in all direction, almost filling the wholeke. There was almost no avable space to swim.


    He struggled. It was especially hard because he was holding another person with him. When two or more roots were about to reach him and Filli, he gritted his teeth and at the end just decided to use the teleportation scroll. In a case like this, escape could also be considered a win.


    When he opened his eyes, he and Filli were already back at the Origin Vige. In particr, at the bedroom of his small cottage. He put the unconcious Filli on the bed and took off the the Invisibility Cloak. He then checked on Filli and immediately noticed the elf¡¯s weak breathing. Not only that, his face was also very pale, his lips were even blue.


    Luo Yan took onerge red potion. Since red potions could restore a yer¡¯s HP, surely it could also revitalize an NPC¡¯s life. If it wouldn¡¯t work, then he¡¯d just bring him to the vige¡¯s healer. He made the elf drink the red potion. After a few moments, Filli¡¯s face slowly turned ruddy, his lips also turned to a normal color. Most importantly, his breathing became stable.


    Luo Yan grinned. Good. It worked. He pinched the elf¡¯s cheek. [You surely brought me a lot of trouble.]


    Seeing that he still didn¡¯t get any notifications telling him that he seeded in his task meant that it still wasn¡¯t finish. So, should he bring him directly to the Gatekeeper or just bring the Gatekeeper here? Luo Yan decided to do thetter.


    He went out of his small cottage and walked towards the Gatekeeper¡¯s cottage.


    Arriving there, he knocked on the cottage¡¯s door and the Gatekeeper opened it for him.


    "Noctis! Do you have news about my son?"


    It was the same dialogue when Luo Yan first went here. But this time, he had a different answer for him. "Yes, Gatekeeper. Filli is safe."


    The Gatekeeper¡¯s eyes brightened and held both Luo Yan¡¯s hands. "Truly, Noctis? Filli - he¡¯s really safe?"


    "Yes, I found him at the Silent Marsh."


    When the Gatekeeper heard the words ¡¯Silent Marsh¡¯, his expression became frightened. "Was he in danger?"


    "A bit, yes. But he¡¯s alright now. In fact, he¡¯s currently at my cottage, sleepingfortably. Shall we go there?"


    The Gatekeeper seemed relieved hearing that. "Yes, yes, let¡¯s go."


    They both walked towards his cottage. The moment the Gatekeeper saw the unconcious Filli, he kneeled beside the bed and held his son¡¯s hand. Then he just burst into tears. "My son... you¡¯re safe... good... good." With his face stained with tears, he turned back to Luo Yan. "Thank you, Noctis. Thank you so much."


    After the Gatekeeper said that, Luo Yan heard the familiar sound of the notification bell. Then the little Gamekeeper appeared in front of him.


    [Congrattions, dear yer! You sessfully finished the hidden event task. To get your reward, please continue talking to the Gatekeeper.]


    Finally, he¡¯s done with this task.

 Chapter 41 THE GAMEKEEPERS REWARD

    "THERE¡¯S no need for thanks. Anyone in my position would surely do the same," Luo Yan said. Since the Gamekeeper said that he should talk to the Gatekeeper so he could get his reward, then talk.


    The Gatekeeper stood up and wiped away the tears staining his face. "No, no. Our family owe you a life-saving grace. It¡¯s not enough to just say thanks. To show my gratitude, please, ept this small gift."


    The Gatekeeper then took out a ck stone the size of an a.d.u.l.t fist. Its surface was so ck that it felt like darkness would bleed out of it. Luo Yan simply couldn¡¯t take his gaze off of it. Because he knew there was something special about this stone.


    "This is something that was passed down in my family from generations to generations. It¡¯s a kind of metal found in the Shadonds." Shadonds? Was that a new dungeon added to the game after it went VR? "Although the size is small, this could still be forged into a weapon. The resulting weapon would automatically have the characteristic of ¡¯shadow¡¯ which is very favorable to our race. I hope this could help you in your journey ahead."


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes immediately brightened when he heard that. Although he already had a n where he should get materials in order to forge his own weapon, this ck stone was definitely going to be very useful for him.


    ording to the introduction the Elder made about the race of moon elves, about their affinity to shadows, he was quite certain that the Unique Skill he would eventually get would definitely have something to do with ¡¯shadow¡¯. So having a weapon that also had the element of shadow would no doubt be very helpful to him.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to ept the ck stone. "Thank you, Gatekeeper."


    He put it in his Items Tab and check its information.


    Umbra


    - A rare metal that could be found in the mountainous region of the Shadonds. It could be forged into a high ss weapon depending on the materials added to it and also the skill of the cksmith. No matter the materials involved, the resulting weapon would always have a shadow element in it.


    Luo Yan smiled happily. This was really a good material. Now he¡¯s real d that he managed to find this hidden event task. With this, along with the items he got when he finished the task given by the Elder, he realized that he managed to get a pretty big haul in this Origin Vige.


    Now, he¡¯s really to leave and go to Olkdale Town.


    Then he suddenly remembered the infamous dragon sleeping in the Silent Marsh. Should he go and check it again before he leave here?


    When he was ying the PC version, there was a teleportation portal at Olkdale Town that allowed yers to go back to their respective Origin Vige. The same way that there was also a teleportation portal in every Origin Vige that¡¯s connected to the said town. A yer could only go to his own Origin Vige and not to others.


    If that was still the case in this VR version, then Luo Yan could still go back here anytime he wanted. He still felt that it was. Because there¡¯s really no reason to remove that feature. Especially since going VR was a huge upgrade rather than a downgrade.


    So, should he go back to the Silent Marsh and see the sleeping dragon? Or should he just wait until he¡¯s strong enough that it wouldn¡¯t matter even if he identaly woke up the dragon? But then, he had the Invisibility Cloak. So the chances of him waking up the dragon was probably very slim. At the end, he still decided to go just to satisfy his curiosity.


    But then he saw the time on his Status Window. It was already time for dinner. He just decided to go thereter after dinner. Then tomorrow, he would leave the vige.


    Luo Jin took off the VR helmet. He wanted to y more but then he remembered that he didn¡¯t have breakfast together with his family earlier because he yed too muchst night that he stayed awake past midnight. The result? He only managed to wake up near noon.


    He probably got too excited. Once he got the hang of his game avatar, killing those monsters became a bit easier. While doing his first task and killing monsters along the way, he realized just how good of a stress reliever it was. In this game, he could be as violent as he could be. And because it was VR, it felt real. Like he was doing all that fighting in real life. Before he knew it, he was already having fun. Maybe a bit too much fun.


    When he first yed the game, he never thought that he would like it. He was just in it to apany his second older brother. But after five days of ying, he hadn¡¯t even thought of Luo Yan and was just simply enjoying himself. Now, he truly wanted to be good at it. Despite the annoying race he got.


    He went out of his room and while climbing down the stairs, he saw Luo Yan walking to the dining room. His brother happened to also look at his direction. When Luo Yan saw him, a bright smile immediately crossed his lips, making his already pretty face even prettier.


    There were only more than a little over a month before the next school term arrived. Luo Jin had no doubt that his brother would be able to pass his school¡¯s exam and jump directly to the third year. What he¡¯s worried about was Luo Yan attracting unsavory attention from boys. Yes, boys. Because, as much as he hated to admit it, his brother just had that kind of face. A face that could attract men no matter their s.e.x.u.a.lity.


    Luo Jin frowned. No matter. He¡¯d just have to protect him. If he encountered anyone who had that kind of thought towards his brother, he¡¯d definitely beat the crap out of them.


    "Don¡¯t smile like that when you¡¯re outside the house," he said when he reached Luo Yan¡¯s side.


    Luo Yan raised his brow, wondered why Luo Jin suddenly said that. "Why? Does Ah Jin think I look bad when I smile?" he asked, acting poor and agrieved.


    "No! Don¡¯t ask too much and just do it."


    "But I want to know why. Or maybe you really think I look bad that¡¯s why you don¡¯t want to say it," Luo Yan said, making himself appear more pitiful.


    Luo Jin suddenly felt a headache. He really couldn¡¯t stand his brother looking like this. "It¡¯s because you look too good, okay? You¡¯ll attract pests one after another."


    Luo Yan was amused by Luo Jin¡¯s exnation. He then hugged his brother¡¯s arm and looked up at him. "But Ah Jin will definitely protect me, right?"


    Luo Jin thrust his chest out in a proud manner. "Of course I will."


    Luo Yan just smiled and lead his brother to the dining room. Along the way, the two just talked about Arcadia.

 Chapter 42 AN EGG

    LUO YAN was running towards the Silent Marsh. After logging in, his first thought was to go there. He¡¯s nning to check the dragon. It would probably take a long time before he could find another dragon in this game, so he wanted to see the one near him now. Well, of course, unless he met a yer that belonged to the dragon race. He heard those yers could transform into their dragon form.


    He didn¡¯t want to wait to meet those yers. Why would he when he could see one right now?


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. Considering how real everything was in this game, he wondered if the dragon would look real too. If it was, then it would feel like he actually saw a dragon in real life. That would be kind of amazing, right?


    Upon reaching the Silent Marsh, he first looked at the direction of theke. It still looked as it was when he first saw it. As if not having Filli as the Eternal Lotus¡¯ source of food didn¡¯t affect it. Well, this was a game so unless it was involved again in another task, it¡¯s state would probably not change. He no longer looked at it and just walked towards the direction of the cave.


    Because the cave was located at the very far North side area of the marsh, it took awhile before Luo Yan reached it. When he did, his eyes immediately widened. Because the mouth of the cave was much, muchrger than he thought it would be. It was almost as tall as a small building. But if he thought about it carefully, a dragon was supposed to be sleeping inside, so something like this was only natural.


    Before entering, he first took a deep breath and then took out the Invisibility Cloak from his Items Tab. Even if the dragon was asleep, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be careful. This way, his presence wouldn¡¯t identaly wake the dragon. He put on the cloak and then entered the cave.


    The inside was dark but because of the elves¡¯ good night vision, add that to the fact that moon elves were more used to dark surroundings, Luo Yan could see the inside fairly well. Nothing was out of the ordinary. But as he went deeper and deeper, he noticed some gold coins and other small golden items scattered on the ground. Then he heard the sound of a loud snoring. It¡¯s not simr to a man¡¯s but more of that of a beast¡¯s.


    Luo Yan carefully made his way towards the source of the snoring. When he reached his destination, his feet suddenly felt like it was nailed on the ground. His jaw almost dropped in amazement and shock. Because in front of him was a veryrge sleeping dragon. Although he already expected it, seeing it was a totally different experience.


    The dragon had ck scales almost as dark as that Umbra metal he got from the Gatekeeper. He was only as tall as its snout, showing just how big it was. There was a nasty scar that spanned from its forehead, crossed its left eye, and then ended at the corner of its mouth. Making the dragon looked a bit sinister. It only looked less evil because it was asleep. If it was awake now, it would surely look simr to those viinous dragon who razed cities and ate humans.


    Luo Yan gulped. Even asleep, he could tell that this dragon was really powerful. Good thing that hidden task didn¡¯t involve it at all. Or else, he might only be able to finish it once he¡¯s at a very high level.


    He opened his Status Window and nned to take a screenshot of the sleeping dragon. He¡¯s nning to show it to Luo Jin once they met tomorrow at Olkdale Town. Now that he thought about it, he probably should also take screenshots of the vige and show it to his brother as well. Since Luo Jin wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the moon elves¡¯ Origin Vige.


    The two of them already talked that they would meet at Olkdale Town tomorrow. Since, ording to Luo Jin, he¡¯d be done with all his tasks tonight.


    Luo Yan looked for a good angle to showcase the majesty of the ck dragon. Once he¡¯s done, he looked around the surroundings and was once again shocked by what he saw. It was gold, gold everywhere. There were all kinds of golden items. Because he was more focused on the dragon, he didn¡¯t notice the mountain of gold surrounding the dragon.


    Just look at all these gold. He remembered a famous saying that dragons loved gold. In this case, it was probably true. He was thinking if he should take some of these gold when he saw an object that looked so out of ce among all the items.


    It was an egg. A very white egg, probably the size of a human a.d.u.l.t¡¯s arm.


    What¡¯s this egg? Surely it¡¯s not the dragon¡¯s egg. If it was, then the dragon would surely not just left it there,pletely unprotected. Before falling into a deep sleep, it would probably put the egg at least under its wings or something.


    It was ced not too far from the dragon and was on top of one of the small mountains of gold. Being inside this cave, this egg was surely not just an ordinary egg. Luo Yan was tangled for a moment. Should he take it or not? He¡¯s afraid that if he did, the dragon would wake up somehow. That¡¯s usually how it was, right?


    But really, it would be a shame if he didn¡¯t take this egg. Just looking at it, he could already feel that it was special. Remembering the new pet system, maybe what¡¯s inside this egg could be his pet? With that thought in mind, he no longer hesitated.


    Luo Yan moved as carefully as he could. Once he reached the small mountain of gold where the egg was, he jumped and then immediately grabbed the egg. He didn¡¯t even bother looking at the sleeping dragon. He put the egg in his Items Tab and then ran towards the entrance of the cave as fast as he could. He was running like his life was depended on it. He only managed to breath a sigh of relief when he was truly out of the cave.


    But he didn¡¯t stop there. He continued running until he was out of the area of the Silent Marsh. He looked back. The dragon didn¡¯t make a move. It was still asleep! Which meant that the egg was most certainly unrted to the dragon.


    He opened his Items Tab and looked at the information of the egg.


    Unknown Egg


    - As the name said, the origin of this egg was unknown. Please wait until it hatched. To make sure it would hatch safely, please put it in an artificial beast incubator as soon as possible.


    Okay. Now he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what¡¯s inside this egg.

 Chapter 43 COMING OF AGE CEREMONY

    WHEN Luo Yan went back to the vige, the first thing he did was go to the Pharmacy, Weapon¡¯s Shop, and General Store looking for an artificial beast incubator. But all three said that they didn¡¯t have such item in their inventory. After that, he guessed that the item was most likely only avable at a big town. Such as Olkdale.


    It¡¯s really probably time for him to leave this vige. He stayed here for five days. Which was just the right amount of time, considering that he only yed for about three to four hours everyday. And since, he and Luo Jin already talked about meeting at Olkdale Town tomorrow, it¡¯s just right to leave here now.


    Now, before he could leave, he¡¯d have to do thating-of-age ceremony that the Elder had been wanting him to have.


    With that in mind, he walked towards the Elder¡¯s yurt.


    "Noctis, have you decided the date of youring-of-age ceremony?" asked the Elder as usual.


    "Yes, Elder," Luo Yan answered. "Is it possible to do it now?"


    "Of course. But please wait an hour to let us prepare."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. An hour? Since this was a game, he thought that the preparation would just automatically be done after he told the Elder that he wanted to have hising-of-age ceremony now. But it turned out that he still have to wait for an hour? Was it designed like this so it could give the game a tad bit of realistic feel?


    At the end, he just shrugged. He had no problems waiting for another hour. He could just go to the forest and kill some monsters.


    And that¡¯s what he did.


    He grind levels and killed monsters for an hour. After he¡¯s done, he leveled up again and was now level 14.


    Only one level left and he¡¯s already qualified to apply for a ss. In Arcadia, a yer needed to be at least level 15 before they could have their own ss. When he yed the PC version, each ss had a trial task. Once the yer sessfully finished the trial, then they would be promoted to the ss they wanted. There was no limit on the number of times a yer could undergo a trial. So they could do it as many times they wanted until they passed. He¡¯s just not sure if it was still the same in this VR version.


    Luo Yan started walking back to the vige. When he entered, he almost stepped back again when he saw the colorful decorations inside. There were different kinds of flowers everywhere, attached to the cottages and trees around the vige. There were small blue and white lights floating in the air. There were even festival gs. Luo Yan was taken aback by this sudden festive atmosphere.


    Okay...


    He only left for an hour and they had already prepared so much? And here he thought they were going for a bit of realism. Before he could think more, the Gatekeeper who was now back at his post suddenly approached him.


    "Noctis, what are you still standing there for? Come, everyone is waiting for you," the Gatekeeper said.


    Everyone? Luo Yan didn¡¯t have time to ask because the Gatekeeper already pulled him inside the vige. As they walked, he noticed that he hadn¡¯t seen a single passing NPC walking around. Which was unusual since he always saw four or five NPCs walking about.


    The Gatekeeper pulled him towards the Elder¡¯s yurt. He thought he would have to see the Elder first before the ceremony began. As they got closer, he heard soundsing somewhere near the yurt. The Gatekeeper did not stop at the yurt as he thought and bypassed it. He pulled Luo Yan towards the area behind the yurt.


    Luo Yan had never been there so he was really surprised by what he saw. The area was actually a huge garden with a lot of those simr white flowersmon in the vige. And now, this garden was currently filled with a lot of people. Some were arranging the food on the long banquet table, some were holding musical instruments, the younger ones were ying andughing with each other. He even saw Filli among those youngsters. It¡¯s like every NPC in the vige was here.


    When they saw Luo Yan, almost everyone surrounded him and congratted him.


    "Congrattions, Noctis! This is really the right time for you to have youring-of-age ceremony," one said.


    "You¡¯re our vige¡¯s most promising young elf, I¡¯m certain you will bring honor to us," another one said.


    A lot of the elves agreed to this statement. Luo Yan just smiled and thanked them.


    "Okay, everyone should disperse, unless you want Noctis to feel suffocated," the Elder¡¯s voice rang, making the elves surrounding Luo Yan disperse and make way for him.


    Luo Yan finally saw the Elder. He was standing at a make-shift altar and beckoned Luo Yan to him. Luo Yan obediently went. As he got closer, he noticed that the t rock the Elder was standing on had some big circr symbol engraved on it. The design was intricate and a bitplicated. He guessed that this must be the portal that would bring him to Olkdale Town.


    "Are you ready?" asked the Elder when he reached the altar.


    "Yes," Luo Yan answered.


    Then the ceremony began. It started with everyone praying to the moon goddess, thanking her and asking her to bless the young elf about to go off on his own adventure.


    Luo Yan who was kneeling in front of the Elder felt that his knees were starting to get sore. He¡¯d been kneeling for quite some time now and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder when would this prayer be over. Surely it wouldn¡¯tst for an hour. Just as he was thinking about that, one of the NPCs walked towards the Elder. He was holding a tray and on top of it was some folded white clothe.


    The Elder took the white clothe and presented it to Luo Yan. "Noctis, this robe is a symbol of an a.d.u.l.t moon elf. Wear it with pride and honor."


    Luo Yan epted it. "Thank you, Elder."


    "And now, to conclude youring-of-age ceremony, please ept the blessing of the moon goddess."


    The Elder then put his hand on top of Luo Yan¡¯s head. He suddenly felt something warming from the top of his head and then filling every part of his body. He was not afraid because he instinctively knew this was not a bad thing.


    After the warm feeling disappeared, a notification box suddenly appeared in front of him.


    [Congrattions! A Unique Skill - Shadow Walk has just been activated!]


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t have time to check the skill out because the Elder suddenly pulled him up.


    "Everyone, the moon goddess just gave her blessing. Let us all congrattge Noctis!" he said to the crowd and everyone just cheered. He turned to Luo Yan and said gently, "You can now go to Olkdale Town. All you have to do is stand in this ce and this array will automatically send you there. Remember to take care of yourself and that you cane back here anytime you want. Because this vige will always be your home."


    What Luo Yan understood from thest thing that the Elder said was that the teleportation portal from Olkdale Town to here would always be open. Now, he didn¡¯t have to worry that he wouldn¡¯t have another chance toe back here again.


    "Thank you, Elder. I will definitelye back here." For the dragon, he secretly added to himself.


    The Elder only smiled. "Go and celebrate with the others."


    Luo Yan nodded. But before mingling with the other NPCs, he opened his Skills Tab first and went straight to the Unique Skills option.


    Shadow Walk


    - A skill unique to moon elves. With this skill, you can freely enter the shadow of anything or anyone. It would allow you to hide in their shadows. But be sure that the shadow is big enough for you to enter. Continue to increase its level and maybe one day you could freely walk inside the shadow world.


    Level: 1


    Current effect: Couldst until five minutes.


    Cool down: 5 hours.


    This was actually a pretty good unique skill. Especially appropriate for the Assassin ss he¡¯s nning to choose. It¡¯s like this race was really made for him. Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but let out a silly grin.


    Then he went and partied with the other NPCs.

 Chapter 44 ARRIVING AT THE BEGINNERS TOWN

    IN THE game Arcadia, there were four major towns where yers could rest, ept daily task, shop for items and equipments, and also freely interact with other yers without the worry that they would be PKed. yers could enter these four towns once they reached a certain level. Olkdale was one of these four.


    Once a yer reached level 10, they could freely enter Olkdale Town. That¡¯s why this town was often referred to as the Beginner¡¯s Town. Because there were a lot of new people trying to y Arcadia everyday, this town often had the most traffic. Not only because of that but because some yers didn¡¯t really want to further level up, they just wanted to have that VR experience.


    These yers treated Olkdale Town as some kind of tourist spot. Because of the realism of the game, all the activities you did inside definitely felt like it was real. Making it feel like they were not inside a game but was doing these things in real life instead. One of these activities included eating.


    There were quite a number of restaurants in Olkdale, offering different kinds of dishes - traditional Chinese cuisines such as Sichuan and Shandong, also Western dishes like French and Italian cuisines. The taste was as good as it was in real life. And because it was VR, no matter how much the yers ate, they wouldn¡¯t gain weight. That¡¯s one of the reason why Arcadia was so popr to non-gamers.


    At this moment, at the very center of the town, someone just walked out of the teleportation portal. It was an elf with pure long white hair and a pair of blue eyes with golden specks in it. His lips had a pinkish tint, his skin was white and delicate. He was wearing a simple shirt, trousers, and boots, covered by a rather elegant white robe with an intricate design of a crescent moon sewn on it.


    Almost all the yers near there couldn¡¯t help but turn to his direction and just stare. There¡¯s only one word in their mind -beautiful. Even if he¡¯s a man, no one could deny that this yer was a big beauty. He looked so majestic and out of this world that they dared note close.


    "Who¡¯s that? Is he one of the game¡¯s great gods?" one beginner asked to herpanion.


    "No, I haven¡¯t seen his face in any of the topics on the forum," answered the other. Top yers were often discussed in the game forum. If this yer was one of those or even an old yer, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t be a topic on the forum. Especially with a face like that. "I think he¡¯s also a beginner."


    Simr conversations were happening at different areas around the portal.


    "Is he an elf? But I thought elves in this game could only have blond hair. Howe his hair is white?"


    "Maybe he customized his character so he could be more eye-catching. He¡¯s obviously an attention seeker. There¡¯s no way he could look like that without beautifying himself to the extreme," sneered by a male yer.


    Two girls near him heard what he said and immediately refuted him.


    "Are you stupid? You can¡¯t customize your hair color in this game. The hair and eye color you¡¯ll have will depend on the race you ended up with," said one of the two girls. "Or did you actually go through a different process when you created your avatar?"


    "Besides, even if he did beautify himself to the extreme, the resulting face of his avatar will still be based on his real face. Do you think that a monkey will look like a human if you just put make up on it?" said the other.


    "Ignore him, I think he¡¯s just jealous because he still look so normal even with the beautification process," said another female yer near them.


    The face of the male yer turned red in embarrassment. He red at the three girls and then stomped away angrily.


    "Let¡¯s take screenshots of this newbie and post it on the forum. He¡¯ll definitely be a big hit," one of the girls excitedly said.


    The other two readily agreed and enthusiastically took screenshots of the white-haired elf.


    Luo Yan who was standing silently near the portal was not bothered by all these. He looked around the surroundings and saw that this town was like a prosperous medieval town. It¡¯s four in the afternoon in real time. So the town was bright with the heat of the sun. It¡¯s totally iparable to the PC version where everything looked like a 3D animation.


    This was the first time since he started ying this VR version six days ago that he wasn¡¯t in a dark environment. Since the Origin Vige of the moon elves was in a perpetual night time. Because of that, he was even more excited to explore this beginner¡¯s town.


    But first, he must wait for Luo Jin. They already agreed that they would meet here after Luo Yan was done with his tutoring lessons. He opened his Status Window, thinking of sending a message to Luo Jin. But before he could do that, he heard a milky voice calling his name or rather the name that his younger brother often called him.


    "Yan." Luo Yan turned around but saw nothing. "Looked down," gritted by the milky voice with a familiar impatience.


    And so he did. What he saw was a boy who looked like he was about seven years old. His ck hair had a tinge of red on its tips. His pair of eyes were as red as a ruby. He had small pointed ears. There were rune like lines on his thin arms and legs. Annoyance was written all over his delicate face.


    Despite the child-like appearance, Luo Yan was very familiar with this face. "Ah Jin?"


    "Who else?" Luo Jin said, annoyed. "Stop staring! It¡¯s like you¡¯ve seen an alien or something," he added, trying to be fierce. But with that appearace and voice, he could only be called cute.


    Luo Yan felt like all the meng points inside him had just been shot. He could no longer stop himself and immediately hugged Luo Jin like some doll. "Ah Jin, you¡¯re so cute! Come, call me brother."


    Luo Jin immediately felt his whole face burning. "Are you crazy? Put me down!"


    "Not until you call me brother."


    Now he¡¯s really thankful that he managed to convince Luo Jin not to change his ount. Or else, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t have the chance to see and hold this big ball of cuteness.


    All the yers who saw this scene felt some kind of vition seeing the beautiful elf with a silly grin on his face while turning around in a circle, holding a child in his arms. Just where did their majestic and out of this world beauty go?

 Chapter 45 YOU HAVE TO BE PRETTY

    "WHAT level are you now, Ah Jin?" Luo Yan asked. The both of them were now walking on the street of Olkdale Town. Though he really wanted to just sit in a corner and cuddle Luo Jin, he still hadn¡¯t had enough of his brother¡¯s cuteness. But if he continued, Luo Jin might just kick him because of annoyance.


    "13." Luo Jin actually wanted to leave his Origin Vige after he reached level 15. But since they already talked and nned to meet here today, he had no choice but to leave early. He couldn¡¯t possibly let her second brother wander in this virtual town without him. What if he got bullied? "You?"


    "I¡¯m a level higher than Ah Jin."


    Level 14? He was a bit surprised hearing that. He definitely spent more time ying this game for the past six days. And yet his second brother, who had tutorial lessons during the day, still was a level higher than him. Was he really just such a noob? No, he¡¯d been doing really goodtely. It just took a long while before he got used to controlling his game avatar.


    Luo Yan, of course, noticed his brother¡¯s surprised. "Hey, does Ah Jin not believe me? I told you, I¡¯m good at this game. I¡¯ll show you how good I amter when we¡¯re killing monsters."


    Luo Jin frowned thinking of Luo Yan fighting against monsters. He shook his head and immediately threw away the idea of preventing his brother from fighting. It would be stupid of him if he suggested that. How could Luo Yan level up if he didn¡¯t fight? Luo Jin just had to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t be hurt too badly.


    "Then let¡¯s see who could kill more monsters," he just said instead.


    "Okay. But I¡¯ll definitely win."


    Luo Jin snorted. "Don¡¯t be too c.o.c.ky."


    "I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just confident," Luo Yan said smiling at his brother. "What items did you get from your Origin Vige?" he asked, changing the subject.


    "Not much. An esory that could increase Derived Stats, a special summoning card, and a metal that could be forged as a weapon."


    The first andst items were almost the same as two of the items Luo Yan got in his Origin Vige. But the second one was a bit new to him. "Can I see the summoning card?"


    Luo Jin nodded since he didn¡¯t really mind. He took the card from his Items Tab and gave it to Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan took it. The card had an image of some kind of golem at the front and the same design as the runes on Luo Jin¡¯s body at the back. He put it at his Items Tab so he could see its information.


    Golem God Summoning Card


    - With this, you have the chance to summon the golem god for three times. The golem god has an unlimited HP and high attacking power. Once summon, it won¡¯t stop until it defeated your enemy. After summoning it three times, this card will automatically vanish from your Items Tab. So use it well.


    A summoning card? Was this another addition from the new update? Maybe he should look into the forum once again. It would be good if he could actually talk to an informed yer. Should he make friends here? Whatever the case, this summoning card idea was as interesting as the new pet system.


    He took the summoning card from his Items Tab and gave it back to Luo Jin.


    "How about you, what did you get?" Luo Jin asked while putting the card back in his Items Tab.


    "This bracelet that could also increase my Derived Stats. Something that could also be forged into a weapon and an Invisibility Cloak."


    "Invisibility Cloak? Like in Harry Potter?"


    "Yeah, almost. But it has limitations and I can¡¯t just use it all the time. I¡¯ll let you try itter. And oh, I also took an egg from a cave where a dragon sleeps."


    "A dragon?"


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t hear his brother¡¯s question because he just remembered that he had to buy an artificial beast incubator for the egg. "Shoot. I almost forgot." He opened the Map of the town and looked for the location of the General Store. When he found it, he turned to Luo Jin and held him up.


    "Wait- Yan! What are you doing? Put me down!" Luo Jinined, blushing red in embarrassment.


    "I have to go somewhere and it would be faster this way," Luo Yan answered, running towards the direction of the General Store.


    Luo Jin wanted toin some more but when he saw the hurried look of his second brother, he just shut up and decided to endure the embarrassment.


    It didn¡¯t take long before they arrived at the General Store. Once there, Luo Yan immediately put down Luo Jin.


    Luo Jin looked up at the big building with a ¡¯General Shop¡¯ on it. "This is where you have to go?"


    Luo Jin nodded. "I have to buy something for the egg."


    They both entered the store which quickly attracted the attention of the yers inside. One was a beautiful white-haired elf, the other was a cute ck haired gnome. Both looked different from the usual design of elves and gnomes, so of course they would gather attention.


    Being the third young master of the Luo family, Luo Jin was used to being the center of attention. While Luo Yan just didn¡¯t care if people look at him or not. So both of them ignored everyone.


    Luo Yan looked around. This General Store was a lot, and he meant a lot, bigger than the one in his Origin Vige. It had four floors. Even at the floor they were in, he could already see lot of products on disy. There were NPCs roaming around, probably to help the yers if they needed anything - like some sales person or something.


    He walked to one of the free NPCs. "Do you have an artificial beast incubator?"


    "Yes, please follow me to the fourth floor," the NPC cordially answered.


    He and Luo Jin followed the NPC to the fourth floor, looking around as they do. When they reached their destination, the NPC went to one of the shelves.


    "What quality of the incubator do you prefer?" the NPC asked.


    "The one with the highest quality," Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to answer.


    "Here it is," the NPC said and took out an oval crystal that had some golden girdle. If one looked closely, you could see some kind of liquid inside it. "It¡¯s worth 20,000 crystal coins. Would you like to directly pay for this item right now or queue up at the cashier?"


    "I¡¯ll pay for it right now."


    A window appeared in front of Luo Yan, asking him to type his ount game name. He did and the words ¡¯sessful transaction¡¯ appeared right after. This way of paying was actually more convenient. This was probably the reason why there¡¯s a lot of NPC around.


    "Do you need instruction on how to use it?" the NPC asked.


    "Yes, please."


    "You just have to put the egg on top of it and the egg would automatically enter inside. Also, you have to input your Mana into it at least once a day so the egg could feel your care. Whatever beast that would be born will have an instant connection with you because of that. Once it¡¯s time for the egg to hatch, the incubator would issue a warning and then it would automatically shatter," the NPC exined.


    Luo Yan took the incubator and then took out the egg from his Items Tab. He did as the NPC told and put the egg on top of the incubator. Just like what the NPC said, the egg entered the crystal, submerging itself in the liquid inside.


    "How could I input my Mana?" he asked the NPC.


    "Just put your hand on top of it for ten seconds."


    He put his hand on top of the crystal, then a small bluish glow appeared. He felt something inside him being sucked. After ten seconds, he removed his hand.


    "Do you need anything else?" the NPC asked.


    "No, thank you."


    The NPC bowed and left them.


    "Is that a dragon¡¯s egg?" Luo Jin asked, thinking that his second brother went to a cave where a dragon slept.


    "I don¡¯t think so."


    "Do you n to make it your pet once it hatched?"


    "If it turned out to be a pretty beast."


    Luo Jin felt confused. What did prettiness have something to do with choosing a pet? "What if it¡¯s not?"


    "Then I could only sell it."


    Luo Yan looked down at the crystal incubator and smile threateningly. [So you better turn out pretty.]


    If the egg had some kind of awareness, it would probably shiver right now and answer; [Yes, Master! I will definitely be pretty!]

 Chapter 46 BUYING COSTUMES

    "AH JIN, let¡¯s go shop first before grinding levels," Luo Yan suggested when they walked out of the General Store. They¡¯re at the part of the town where all the shops were located. So it¡¯s convenient to go shop now before they went to kill monsters.


    "I don¡¯t mind, but do you have crystal coins?" Luo Jin asked.


    He bought crystal coins when he was still at his Origin Vige. He needed to buy because he had to use those red potions. He had his own bank ount with a hefty amount of money deposited in it so it was easy for him to buy those crystal coins. But how about his second brother? He hadn¡¯t heard their father giving Luo Yan ess to his bank ount.


    Luo Yan grinned at him. "Dad and Brother bought me a lot of crystal coins. You don¡¯t know but I¡¯m actually a rich game tyrant right now."


    Luo Jin was amused by this. "Where did you learn that term?"


    "In the inte," Luo Yan said which was partly true since he did learn that term in the inte during hisst life.


    "You better not be watching weird stuff."


    Luo Yan tilted his head to the side and acted all innocent. "What weird stuff?"


    "You know, something inappropriate."


    Luo Yan blinked his big blue eyes surrounded by long white eyshes. "What does Ah Jin consider as inappropriate?"


    "You know, those--" Luo Jin stopped, how could he tell his second brother about those things? It might make him want to search about it. "Anyway! Let¡¯s just go and shop." He turned around and walked.


    Luo Yan chuckled. It¡¯s really fun teasing this younger brother. "Ah Jin, wait! You¡¯re walking in the wrong direction!" he called.


    Luo Jin stopped and looked at him. His small face blushing red with embarrassment. "Then don¡¯t just stand there, show the way!"


    "Yes, yes."


    He walked beside Luo Jin and guided him towards the shop he wanted to go to.


    "Are we going to the Weapon¡¯s Shop?" Luo Jin asked.


    "I think it¡¯s more convenient if we buy weapons once we have our own ss. That way we could directly buy a high grade weapon suited for the ss we¡¯ve chosen," Luo Yan said. "But if Ah Jin wanted to buy a weapon now, I don¡¯t mind."


    "No, you¡¯re right." Luo Jin could still use the weapon he bought at his Origin Vige, so he currently didn¡¯t need a new weapon. "Then where are we going?"


    "There," Luo Yan answered, pointing at a building in his right.


    They both stopped walking and Luo Jin turned to the direction his brother pointed. What he saw was a three-storey building with a sign ¡¯Costume Shop¡¯.


    "Costume Shop? We¡¯re going to buy costumes?" Luo Jin said a bit incredulously.


    "Hey, Ah Jin, don¡¯t judge. A lot of costumes have better stats than armors. Aside from the fact that they¡¯re lighter, they¡¯re even prettier to look at. Not like most tacky looking armors," Luo Yan said indignantly.


    Most people who bought costumes were rich yers or at least those who had abilities to earn crystal coins in-game. Because if you really want a costume that¡¯s better than the usual armor, then you need a lot of crystal coins. They¡¯re expensive. Those that were cheap didn¡¯t really do much on a yer¡¯s stats. If you¡¯re a serious yer and you chose costumes instead of armors, then it¡¯s better to buy the expensive ones.


    Luo Jin - who was already getting used to his second brother¡¯s abundant knowledge of this game - once again heard the word ¡¯pretty¡¯ from his brother¡¯s mouth. "So you just want to look pretty? But you really don¡¯t need it though."


    Luo Jin said thest one almost like a whisper but Luo Yan still heard it. He smiled brightly at his brother. "I know I already look pretty but there¡¯s no harm done in looking better."


    Luo Jin raised one of his thin eyebrows. "Aren¡¯t you being a little too narcissistic?"


    Luo Yan only smiled at his brother. He could admit that he really was a bit of a narcissist. He always uplift himself growing up. Because there wasn¡¯t anyone around him to do it. It¡¯s his own way to gain confidence. Being an orphan, he¡¯s surrounded by people who only wanted to put him down. So why wouldn¡¯t he even praise himself? Before he knew it, it already became a habit. A habit he obviously brought back in this life.


    "Let¡¯s go inside," he just said.


    They entered the Costume Shop. The inside was almost simr to a boutique. There were fewer yers insidepared to the General Store but the both of them still attracted attention.


    Luo Yan nced at the prices disyed under the hanging clothes. They were cheap. So the expensive ones were probably at the second and third floors.


    "Ah Jin, let¡¯s go to the third floor," he said.


    Luo Jin nodded and followed.


    Unlike the first floor, the clothes in the third floor were inside a crystal case instead of racks. There were also fewer clothes here inparison. Luo Yan looked around and his eyes shone when he saw a particr costume. He walked in front of it. There¡¯s a title below the case - ¡¯Boy in Wondend¡¯. It¡¯s aplete set of clothes with matching hats and shoes.


    "Ah Jin,e, this one will definitely suit you."


    Luo Jin walked beside his brother and looked at the costume. His brows scrunched up when he saw it. "You want me to wear that?"


    "What¡¯s wrong with it? It¡¯s cute. Or do you prefer that?" Luo Yan said pointing at a white sailor uniform. "Or that?" he added pointing to a cat overall. "If you want that, then it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll buy it for you. I just didn¡¯t know that Ah Jin has that kind of hobby--"


    "Stop! Fine, I¡¯ll wear this," Luo Jin said referring to the original costume his brother wanted him to wear. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to re at Luo Yan.


    Just then, an NPC walked towards them. "Dear customers, do you need any help?"


    "Yes, I want to buy this," Luo Yan said.


    "Understood," replied the NPC.


    Then, much simr to what happened at the General Store, a window appeared asking him to type his game ount name.


    "Wait- I¡¯ll pay for it," Luo Jin said since he¡¯s the one who¡¯s going to wear it.


    "It¡¯s my treat. Let brother pay for it," Luo Yan said immediately typing his game ount name before Luo Jin could reject him.


    After the transaction, the costume disappeared inside the crystal case and it appeared floating in front of Luo Yan.


    He turned to the NPC. "Is there a way to equip this automatically?"


    "The customer only need to touch it and a pop up window will appear asking if you want to equip it," the NPC answered.


    "Ah Jin, touch it now," Luo Yan excitedly hurried Luo Jin.


    Luo Jin frowned but still touched the floating clothes. Then as the NPC said, a pop up window appeared asking him if he wanted to equip the ¡¯Boy in Wondend¡¯ costume series. He clicked ¡¯yes¡¯. He was suddenly surrounded by light and the next thing he knew, he was already wearing the costume.


    Luo Yan stared at his brother, his blue eyes shining. Luo Jin was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with a blue bow tie. It was tucked under a blue shorts with ck suspender. He had ck shoes and knee-length white socks. He was also wearing a ck gatsby hat. In short, he was absolutely adorable!


    Luo Yan took that time to take a couple of screen shots. He would send itter to his WeChat ount and then show it to his father and brother. They would definitely love it.


    After that, he no longer resisted and hugged his brother up. "Ah Jin, you¡¯re so cute!"


    Luo Jin immediately blushed. "Put me down!"


    A lone figure wearing all ck walked out of one of the teleportation portal in Olkdale Town. He was tall and lean. His ck hair was a little bit messy. A broadsword was strapped behind his back. His race appeared to be human.


    The lower half of his face was covered by a ck mask. But despite that, anyone could readily tell that the guy was handsome. Maybe because of his cold temperament. As if no one was allowed to enter his personal space. There¡¯s only one thing that could be seen clearly on his face.


    A pair of blue eyes.

 Chapter 47 A TALK ABOUT A CHALLENGE

    A FLASH of purple light zigzagged across a number of monsters. At the end of the two lines of disintergrating monsters, a figure stood. It was an elf with extraordinarily beautiful features. His long white hair was tied in a high ponytail. His peach blossom eyes were the color of blue topaz sprinkled with golden dust. His skin was extremely white. But it¡¯s not sickly white, instead, it was full of life and vigor. His pinkish lips was raised in a yful arc.


    He was wearing a light blue long sleeves with a smallce work on each cuffs. An indigo ribbon with vertical lines were tied on its cor. Over it was a sleeveless ck tailcoat. Behind him, the tail of his coat reached up to just above his ankle. The inside of the coat was not ck, instead it was light and dark indigo checkers. The purple trousers which were darker above and lighter below reached an inch below the knee. This outfit waspleted with a pair of ck knee-high boots.


    This costume was called the ¡¯Purple sh¡¯ set. Aside from the fact that its main theme was the color ¡¯purple¡¯, when a yer wearing it moved too fast, it would give off a purple light special effect. Which would leave a purple sh whenever the yer ran at a very fast speed.


    Luo Yan was very satisfied with this costume. The design had the right mixture of cuteness and coolness. Not to mention, the color looked extremely good on his skin tone. It even had a special effect! How could he not be satisfied?


    He happily went and kill some more monsters.


    Seeing this, Luo Jin just sighed. When he first saw his second brother killing these monsters so skillfuly, his eyes almost bulged out of its sockets. He knew that his brother had to kill monsters so he could level up, but knowing it was totally different from seeing it. Looking at his cute second brother with a bright smile on his face while killing these monsters almost made him want to ask; Who am I? Where am I? What¡¯s happening right now?


    Good thing when it came to his brother, Luo Jin ability to ept was stretched to the limit. So it didn¡¯t take long for him to ept the fact that Luo Yan was probably really good at this game - just like he repeatedly told himself. As someone who promised to protect him, Luo Jin couldn¡¯t fall behind. It would be too shameful, if it ended up with him being the one protected.


    With that in mind, he took out a small axe from his Items Tab and began hacking the monsters near him.


    Luo Yan nced at his brother and saw him attacking and shing at the monsters around him. There was this serious expression on his small face at first, as if concentrating hard on what he¡¯s doing. Then slowly, that expression turned into some kind of maniacal smile. Luo Yan was startled and had to stop before he tripped or something.


    He didn¡¯t know that Luo Jin would look like some psycho baby when fighting. It was even scarier because he looked so cute. He was so into it, he probably didn¡¯t even realized what he looked like right now. Luo Yan grinned. [Well, look at that. It seems I don¡¯t have to worry that he won¡¯t be able to adapt to this game.]


    Then he also continued his own hacking.


    They were currently at a field outside Olkdale Town where monsters between level 11 to 15 were at. It¡¯s a good ce to grind levels. They decided to stay here until they reached level 15, then go back to Olkdale to apply for a ss. They¡¯d probably be done here before dinner time.


    The first one to reach level 15 was, of course, Luo Yan. He distributed the stat points he got and then continued killing the monsters until his brother also reached level 15.


    "Are you done?" he asked, walking towards Luo Jin.


    "Yeah," Luo Jin answered, distributing his stat points to his Basic Stats.


    Luo Yan looked at the sky bleeding orange and red. "Should we log out? I think it¡¯s already time for dinner."


    "Let¡¯s go back to town first so when we log inter, we¡¯ll appear at Olkdale."


    Luo Yan had no problem with this suggestion. "Then let¡¯s go?"


    Both started walking back towards the town. But before they could go further, amotion attracted their attention.


    A man wearing all ck was walking on the street of Olkdale Town. The clothes he was wearing wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary. Half of his face was even covered by a mask. Normally, this type of yer wouldn¡¯t gather any type of attention. But it was not the case when it came to this yer. Once someone¡¯s gazended on him, it would take quite a while before they could look away.


    It was his eyes. Those electric blue eyes. Looking at them felt like looking at the brightest sky. People just couldn¡¯t help but be attracted. But even if one wanted to get close to him, they couldn¡¯t. The cold atmosphere surrounding him was just screaming ¡¯don¡¯t bother me¡¯.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t bother with the gazes directed at him. Probably because he was used to it and just didn¡¯t care so he didn¡¯t feel them.


    It¡¯s been awhile since hest went in this beginner¡¯s town. He¡¯s here because Brother Zhao - the head programmer of Moonlight Media - asked him, no pleaded him, to asked a couple of questions to the four yers who got a special race through random selection. Brother Zhao wanted him to make sure if they encountered any problems or glitches while they were in their Origin Vige.


    If they did, then the programming team could immediately fixed the problem. Although Brother Zhao could check the movements of the yer while they were in their Origin Vige, he couldn¡¯t check everything. Doing that would be equivalent to infringing the yer¡¯s privacy. So he asked Shen Ji Yun to do further questioning.


    He refused at first. He told Brother Zhao that he could just send some kind of questionaire to those yers. But Brother Zhao reasoned out that the yers might not want to answer a questionaire or they might even directly ignore it. Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t really refute that because if he received one, he would definitely ignore it.


    He continued to refuse until Brother Zhao said that he could just one, then he would just ask other people from the programming team to ask the other three. Because of the release of the new update, most of the people from the programming team were really busy right now. So they didn¡¯t have time to conduct a survey from those yers who were lucky enough to get the newly added special race. If Shen Ji Yun could asked even one of those four lucky yers, then it would already lighten their load.


    At the end, Shen Ji Yun still relented. He chose the yer with the ID game ount Noctis. Because he remembered his uncle mentioning once that this yer was particrly good for a newbie. ording to Brother Zhao this yer was already here at Olkdale Town.


    He asked for a screen shot of the yer¡¯s face so he could know what he looked like, but Brother Zhao said that he didn¡¯t need that. Because once he saw him, he would immediately know that it¡¯s him. That¡¯s just how noticeable he was.


    This yer - Noctis - was a moon elf. If Shen Ji Yun remembered correctly, the design team designed the moon elves as having white hair and eyes that had golden specks in them. With just those characteristics, he would definitely be noticeable.


    But would it really hurt to just sent a screen shot or even some kind of video? After all, Brother Zhao should know that he¡¯s not really good with faces. Unless they left an impression on him, he wouldn¡¯t even remember their faces. They would just be a nk canvas to him.


    As he continued to wonder, he identaly heard the conversation of two passing yers.


    "Have you seen that white-haired elf walking around town earlier?" asked one.


    "Yeah. I saw him at the General Store earlier, he was with this cute gnome," answered the other.


    "Well, you see, someone challenged him to a fight at the Arena!"


    "What? But that elf is definitely a newbie, right? Surely he declined?"


    "No, he epted! Should we go to the Arena and watch?"


    The two bypassed Shen Ji Yun and he could no longer hear their conversation. He stopped. And then followed the two.

 Chapter 48 I HAVE TWO BUT YOU ONLY HAVE ONE

    LUO YAN was standing on a circr stage inside a stadium. The stage had a wide diameter and was surrounded by arge audience area. This was the PvP Arena in Olkdale Town. It was dome like in shape with lights mostly centered on the stage. There was a big screen at the top. Probably to broadcast the fight between the yers so the audience could clearly see everything that¡¯s happening.


    He actually didn¡¯t expect that other yers would be allowed to watch the PvP fight of others. In the PC version, there was an ¡¯Arena Battle¡¯ option where yers could simply click it and challenge other yers to go up the PvP leaderboard. There were no audience to watch those PvP battles. Although yers who worked as game anchors did broadcast their fights. But that was totally different from this.


    This almost felt like he was in some kind of martial arts tournament or something. Although the audience area was not filled with yers, there were still a good amount sitting there and waiting for the fight to start. Good thing he wasn¡¯t shy or his performance would definitely be affected.


    Luo Yan nced back at his brother who was sitting at the nearest sit behind him. Luo Jin¡¯s face was all crumpled up, showing just how displeased he was. Luo Yan smiled at him and waved. His brother¡¯s face crumpled even more and then ignored him. Luo Yan onlyughed.


    So, how exactly did he end up in this situation? Let¡¯s back track a bit in time.


    =====


    The two brothers were walking back to the town when they sensed something big moving towards them at a very fast speed. On impulse, Luo Yan¡¯s body move, taking his daggers out and cutting whatever it was that was about to crash on them. It was only then that he found that this thing was actually a huge monster. Before he knew it, he had already hacked the monster into two.


    Luo Yan tilted his head to the side, wondering why such a big monster died so easily. There was certainly no way a monster that size from a one-hit kill from a level 15 yer. Luo Jin was also wondering the same thing. But before they could think of an answer, shouts came in front. They saw three yers rushing towards them.


    "What did you do?" a human male swordsman shouted as if Luo Yan just killed someone in his family or something. Behind him was a female elf holding a staff, she was probably a Mage.


    At once, Luo Yan immediately understood that the monster earlier was probably something that these two were trying to kill. It probably already sustained a lot of damage from these two that¡¯s why he managed to kill it with just one hit. In these two yers¡¯ mind, he just stole their kill. Should he apologized?


    He wasn¡¯t really in the mood to argue. He wanted to just log out and have dinner already. So he gave a sweet smile to the three. "I¡¯m sorry, the monster was about to crash on us so I killed it without thinking. I could givepensation if you want."


    The female elf looked at this white haired elf in amazement. She had never seen such a pretty person before. She didn¡¯t think too much and just answered. "It¡¯s okay. We can just kill it again when it respawned."


    Luo Yan looked at the female elf, blinking his big blue eyes at her. "Really?"


    The female elf suddenly blushed. It¡¯s like her heart had been pierced by an arrow. "Y-yes."


    Luo Yan smiled brightly at her. "Thank you so much!"


    "I-it¡¯s no problem," she said shyly.


    Luo Jin stared at this and was really quite amazed by his second brother¡¯s interpersonal skill. No one would think that he was in aa for seven years.


    The human swordsman was not feeling amazed like Luo Jin. In fact, he was feeling quite the opposite. He red at Luo Yan, the desire to rip him into pieces was clear in his eyes. If Luo Yan was paying attention to his surroundings when he first arrives at Olkdale Town, then he would be able to recognize this person as that guy who used him of beautifying himself to the max.


    The swordsman stared daggers at the white haired elf. Seeing that perfect appearance was enough to annoy him to no end. But now, he was even flirting with the girl he tried so hard to invite to team up. He wanted to impress her with his gaming skills. But his thunder was easily stolen by this sissy looking guy.


    Looking at the white haired elf¡¯s costume, it definitely costed a lot of crystal coins. He sneered. This guy was obviously some rich second generation who probably didn¡¯t have any skills at all whatsoever. He¡¯s probably just here to unt his money. The swordsman hated that type the most.


    He was just an ordinary college student. It took a while for him to earn enough money from his part time job just to buy a VR helmet. When he picked the random selection, hoping that he would get an amazing race, but he still ended up being a human. He¡¯d been ying for two weeks now but he hardly had any crystal coins in his ount.


    And yet this guy here had some kind of special race that was probably different from a normal elf. He probably even had tons of crystal coins in him. That was just so unfair!


    He looked at the girl who was still blushing intensely and he couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth in anger. "How could you say that we should let it go? You know how much effort it took for us to weaken that monster, only for this bastard to give a killing blow. You shouldn¡¯t be so soft-hearted just because he¡¯s nice to look at!"


    The girl blushed even more. But this time, it was more because of embarrassment. "W-what are you saying..."


    Both brothers frowned, but for different reasons. Luo Jin was because he didn¡¯t like that this guy had the audacity to call his second brother ¡¯bastard¡¯. While Luo Yan, on the other hand, was because of the way the guy was purposely embarrassing the girl.


    "It¡¯s not our fault that monster came running our way. Do you expect that we should just let it trample us? Surely, you¡¯re not thatcking in the brain department," Luo Jin said, his milky voice full of mockery.


    The swordsman clenched his fists and red at Luo Jin. "Shut up, squirt!"


    Luo Jin felt like a vein on his forehead popped when he heard the term the bastard called him. "You¡¯re the squirt! Your whole family are squirts!"


    [Aw... Ah Jin still looked cute even when angry.] - That was what¡¯s on Luo Yan¡¯s mind while watching on the side.


    The swordsman ignored Luo Jin and turned sharply towards Luo Yan. "I challenge you to a PvP battle!"


    "Ha? Why would he agree to that ridiculous proposition?" said Luo Jin.


    "Stop, there¡¯s no need to fight."


    The swordsman smirked at Luo Yan. "What? Are you too scared or you just don¡¯t have the balls to agree? Well, you look like adyboy so you probably don¡¯t have one."


    "You--"


    Luo Yan stopped Luo Jin from attacking the other yer. Did this guy think he had a good temper just because he¡¯s this beautiful? "You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t have one. In fact, I have two. Don¡¯t tell me, you only have one ball down there? If so, then I could only pity you."


    Luo Jinughed loudly, not even caring where his second brother learned to talk like that. Even the girl giggled a little.


    The swordsman¡¯s face flushed. He swore he¡¯s going to make this sissy pay. "Are you going to ept my challenge or not?!"


    Luo Yan smiled at the guy. "Sure. Let¡¯s fight."


    =====


    And that was how Luo Yan ended up in this Arena. He looked at his opponent. He probably should finish this as soon as possible. Dinner wasing soon after all.


    Shen Ji Yun was just entered the Arena when he received a message from Bai Ze. He opened it.


    WhiteMarsh: [Where are you?]


    SHEN: [At Olkdale Town.]


    WhiteMarsh: [I thought my vision had gone wrong, but you¡¯re really using your alternate ount. What are you doing at the Beginner¡¯s Town anyway? And with your alt ount to boot.]


    SHEN: [Just something.]


    He finally entered the audience area. He looked at the stage and no longer bothered looking at Bai Ze¡¯s reply. Because his gaze waspletely transfixed at the white haired elf standing confidently on the stage.

 Chapter 49 ARENA FIGHT

    SHEN JI YUN¡¯S first reaction when he saw this white haired elf was to frown. His first thought, undoubtedly, was that this moon elf somehow resembled that silly rabbit he met almost two weeks ago. He then look at the big screen where the two yers were shown. So he could clearly see the face of the elf and not just make assumptions of his own.


    But seeing that beautiful face erged on the screen only strenghtened his thoughts that this moon elf really did resemble the silly rabbit. No, not only resemble, he looked like an older version of the rabbit. Like if the rabbit grew up one day, this was how he would look like. Reced the white hair with ck hair, the blue eyes with ck eyes, made him shorter, and what you would see was the rabbit.


    Shen Ji Yun clearly remembered that when he met the rabbit, he was asking about Arcadia. Then a few dayster, after the new update, this yer - Noctis - appeared who remarkably resembled the rabbit. Was that all just a coincidence? Or was this moon elf really that silly rabbit?


    "Waa... how pretty! I thought my friend was just exagerating it when she told me about this white haired elf earlier. But it turns out that she¡¯s absolutely right." He heard a nearby female yer said.


    "But don¡¯t you think he¡¯s just too pretty to be a guy? Maybe he¡¯s really a girl who just chose to y as a boy. You know there¡¯s a number of yer who do that," said another.


    "What are you saying? He¡¯s simply too handsome to be a girl. In other words, that kind of beauty simply transcends gender. No matter if he¡¯s a boy or a girl, he¡¯ll still be a beauty!" replied the original initiator of the conversation.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s attention was not on what the yerst said but on what the other one said - about the possibility of the moon elf being a girl. Could this be the rabbit¡¯s sister?


    But before he could think more, the screen suddenly changed, showing the basic information of the two yers. He didn¡¯t care about the information of the other yer. All his focus was on the moon elf.


    Noctis


    Race: Moon Elf


    ss: -----


    Level: 15


    There was a buzz in the crowd when they saw that information.


    "Moon elf? Is that a new race of elves?"


    "Hey, haven¡¯t you read the announcement after the new update was released? They said that a number of ¡¯special races¡¯ would be added on the random selection. Maybe this moon elf is one of those ¡¯special races¡¯."


    "Wait- he still doesn¡¯t have a ss. His opponent is even four levels higher than him! Wouldn¡¯t this just be a unteral beating?"


    "Oh no, who could bear to beat up that face?"


    "It would not necessarily be a unteral beating. Maybe this moon elf is not just a vase and has some real skill."


    But most of the opinion of the audience was the opposite. In that, the moon elf would lose. Of course, the swordsman had the same opinion.


    Seeing that ¡¯moon elf¡¯ on the race part, the swordsman¡¯s dislike towards this guy just intensified. But when he saw the nk space on the ss part, he sneered. Then after seeing his level, the swordsman was just overjoyed. How could this guy ept his challenge when he didn¡¯t have a ss yet? Was he just simply stupid? Or maybe he¡¯s just too overconfident?


    Whatever the case, the swordsman would dly fight him with all his might. Making him lose in front of these people. He would make sure that after this fight, this guy wouldn¡¯t have the courage to appear in front of other yers. He looked at the moon elf and showed a smile full of malice.


    Luo Yan was not aware of the current brain circuit of his opponent. But even if he was, he wouldn¡¯t care. He would probably evenugh. He wasn¡¯t interested in making this battle a long fight. In fact, he wanted to end this as soon as possible. It¡¯s already time for their dinner. Dinner, also breakfast, was family time in the Luo household. So he didn¡¯t want to miss it just because of this challenge.


    But how should he quickly end this? This guy obviously had a higher level than him, so he couldn¡¯t simply overpowered him that easily. Ah! Should he test run his unique skill here? It would be perfect for a situation like this. And since there was practically no information out there about moon elves, he would have the element of surprise.


    He looked down at the feet of the swordsman. And when he saw the yer¡¯s shadow, he smiled. [Yes, let¡¯s do that.]


    A countdown on the screen started. 3... 2... 1... Start!


    The swordsman dashed forward but at the same time, the moon elf also moved. The swordsman snorted and was nning to use one of his skills when the moon elf suddenly disappeared. The swordsman suddenly lost his momentum. He turned back but didn¡¯t see the elf. When he tried to look around, he suddenly felt two deep sh behind his back. His HP was immediately depleted.


    It was not that big of an attack so he managed to quickly turn around to attack back. But no one was there. Then he felt his back being attacked again. His HP decreasing again. He could feel a vein on his forehead popping because of too much anger.


    "Coward! Stop hiding and show yourself!"


    But no one answered him. And this situation continued until only a third of his HP was left. He couldn¡¯t drink any red potion because drinking any kind of potion was forbidden in the Arena. It had only been five minutes since the fight started and he was already on the losing end. No, that guy must definitely be cheating!


    "I said show yourself!"


    "Here I am," said a voice from behind then another attacknded.


    He turned around and attacked no matter if there was someone there or not. But this time, the elf was there. He smiled at him before attacking him head on. He raised his sword to defend against the two daggers of the elf, but the swordsman was still pushed back.


    At the audience area...


    "Did you see that? That Noctis guy just went in and out of that swordsman¡¯s shadow!"


    "Is that a skill? But wait- he still doesn¡¯t have any ss right?"


    "Maybe it¡¯s a unique skill for the moon elves race."


    "Whatever it is, this guy is actually pretty good."


    "Yeah. I won¡¯t be surprise if he manage to win."


    Hearing thesepliments for his second brother, Luo Jin was, of course, very proud. With a smug smile on his face, he pushed out his little chest and wanted to shout to everyone that the yer they¡¯replimenting was his brother. He was actually pretty annoyed and worried earlier. But seeing how his brother was beating that jerk¡¯s ass with no problem, he realized how unfounded his worry was. Maybe, starting from now, he should trust his brother¡¯s ability more. Because, just like what his brother often said, he¡¯s really good at this game.


    Unlike the other members of the audience, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s focus was not on the way this Noctis jumped in and out of his opponent¡¯s shadow. It was the way he fought. He had no extra movements. All his attacks were decisive and almost wless. It was almost as if this was not first time he encountered a battle like this. Could this be something a beginner could do?


    The rabbit¡¯s face suddenly appeared in his mind - that big peach blossom eyes, those pink tinge lips, the innocence he simply exuded. No, the more urate question was if that silly rabbit was capable of this level of battle sense.


    Now Shen Ji Yun was even more confused. It looked like his questions could only be answered once he talked with this Noctis.


    The fight on the stage was still continuing. But it was obvious to all that it already became too one-sided. The moon elf was constantly attacking while the swordsman could only defend.


    It was easy for Luo Yan to slowly deplete the opponent¡¯s HP. It was because this guy just kept onmmitting low level mistakes. He was probably too angry that his brain was not functioning well anymore. So, to anger him even further, Luo Yan kept smiling sweetly at him while attacking him non-stop.


    Luo Yan was right, the swordsman was indeed full of anger right now. He was so angry that if this was happening in real life, his blood pressure would have probably already spiked. He wanted to attack but he couldn¡¯t even see a single opening. So all he could do was defend. Which he also couldn¡¯t do properly.


    And then, the elf suddenly jumped away from him.


    "What, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re tired already?" he mocked and was nning to attack. Maybe this time he could hack this elf to pieces.


    "No, it¡¯s because you already lost."


    "Wha--"


    He nced at his HP and saw that it was already 0. Then suddenly, everything turned ck.


    The big screen above announced the yer Noctis as the winner. And the crowd at the Arena just went wild.


    Luo Yan nced back at where Luo Jin was and made a victory sign. Luo Jin also gave him a thumbs up. He gestured that he¡¯s going to log out, Luo Jin nodded.


    Shen Ji Yun was nning to walk towards the moon elf when he saw him disappearing on the stage, a sign that he just logged out. Shen Ji Yun was frozen in ce and his handsome face was suddenly filled with ck lines.

 Chapter 50 A CERTAIN POST

    THAT night, a certain post at the game forum of Arcadia garnered the attention of quite a number of people. The title of the post was; [Shock! A beauty that could rival goddess Liuli finally appeared!]


    This title was very eyecatching. Who didn¡¯t know Song Liuli? If you¡¯re ying Arcadia, then you definitely should know her. She¡¯s one of the most popr yer of Arcadia. Not only because of her outstanding appearance but also because she was a genuinely good yer.


    Five years ago, a year after the released of the VR version of Arcadia, Moonlight Media announced a tournament where different teams would battle each other. The winning team at the end would not only receive a huge amount of prized money, they would also receive a lot of in-game rewards. Not to mention, the prestige that they would get after. This tournament was known as the Arcadia Cup.


    There were not a lot of teams that participated during the first season. But after that, the Arcadia Cuppletely blew up. The next year, countless teams participated. To aodate everyone, a y-offs had been held during the first quarter of the year. Then the 16 teams with the most win would be eligible for the tournament that would be held during the second quarter of the year.


    This year¡¯s tournament season had just ended and the winning team was the Celestials. This team had been champions for three consecutive years. And Song Liuli was the vice-captain of this team. So, of course, she was very popr.


    After the sess of the first season, it was decided that the Arcadia Cup would be streamed live online. They had a huge audience, mostly were young people. To these young people, the members of the top teams were like idols. Especially those who belonged to the champion team. Being beautiful, of course Song Liuli would gather more attention than others.


    She¡¯s considered a goddess among a number of yers. Her Weibo fans could bepared to those 2nd line artists. Together with her team captain, she even filmed a series ofmercial promoting Arcadia. With thosemercials, it could be seen that she didn¡¯t beautify herself and her game avatar was really how she looked like in real life. This made people admire her even more. She sessfully won the hearts of many and firmly sat on the throne of the no. 1 beauty of Arcadia.


    That¡¯s why a lot of people were dissatisfied with the post. Some were even angered. How could someone bepared to their goddess? Their intention when they clicked the post was to mock the original poster. They even held some kind of contempt towards the person their goddess was beingpared to. Bu t once they clicked the post, theirints were trapped in their throats and they could only stare at the screen of theirptops,puters, and phones.


    The first thing they saw was a sneak shot of a white haired elf. His peach blossom eyes were bent in a smile. Looking at those blue gaze speckled with gold, one couldn¡¯t help but wish that that warm smile was directed at them. His skin was white and delicate. His lips had a natural pink tint. His face couldn¡¯t be said to be truly feminine because it still had hints of masculinity in it. It was the kind of beauty that could transcend genders - attracting both men and women.


    Below the picture was a set of text made by the poster;


    [I know what you should look like right now. You couldn¡¯t believe your eyes, right? Well, me too. The moment I saw this male god (no, should I call him a goddess?), I felt like the embodiment of all my fantasies just took a solid form in front of me. Just look at that face! Anyone (not just me!) would definitely be mesmerized. I swear, from now on, I¡¯m his fan.]


    Following this post, a lot of people also posted theirments below.


    [Waaa!!! I also saw him today at Olkdale Town! I also wanted to take a sneak shot of him but I was too busy looking at his face that I just forgot to do it.]


    [I saw him too! Trust me, he even looked better than this picture.]


    [Envy! I want to see this male god too! Or should I call him a goddess like the originalndlord did? LOL.]


    [Ahhh!!! That face, that body, can I just lick him all over?]


    [Upstairs, don¡¯t be selfish. Why don¡¯t we lick him together?]


    [I came here expecting to be disgusted but left with an arrow in my heart. The title was indeed not misleading. This elf could truly rival goddess Liuli¡¯s beauty.]


    There were a lot ofments like these, praising the white haired elf for his beauty. But there were also a lot of sunspots who couldn¡¯t wait to spray hate.


    [How could this guy bepared to my goddess? Are you all blind? He definitely beautified himself to the extreme!]


    [That¡¯s right! Just look at the white hair! When did elves have white hair? He probably paid someone in Moonlight Media to customize his game avatar for him.]


    [I feel that upstairs is right. Look at his costume. That definitely cost a lot of crystal coins. He¡¯s probably some rich second generation who wanted to attract the attention of people in the game.]


    [Disgusting! How dare you allpare this fake beauty to my goddess?!]


    [Regardless of whether he¡¯s a fake beauty or not, he probably doesn¡¯t have the skills to fight. I bet I could PK him with just one hit. What do you call that kind of person? Ah yes, a vase!]


    If there were sunspots, of course, there were also those who didn¡¯t hesitate to defend the white haired elf.


    [To the one saying that he paid someone in Moonlight Media to customize his character, is your IQ not online? Moonlight Media¡¯s upright character is evident to all. How could they customize a character just for one person? You¡¯re saying that they were bribed? Again, is your IQ really not online? With how huge Moonlight Media is right now, they don¡¯t need to be bribed at all. Or are you saying that they were so in need of money that they would ept the bribe of one person?]


    [To the people doubting him for having white hair instead of blond despite being an elf, it¡¯s because he¡¯s a moon elf. It¡¯s one of the special races added after thetest update. And even if he did beautify himself, I¡¯m sure his real face would still look much better than a lot of people here.]


    [He¡¯s totally not a vase! *attached video file* Watch this and you¡¯ll know what I mean. PS. His game name is Noctis~]


    With the addition of this video, the original post became even hotter. It stayed at the top of the game forum for two hours before it was reced by other posts.


    Luo Yan, who had no idea of all these, was happily showing his father and older brother the screen shot he took of Luo Jin.


    "Dad, Brother, look, Ah Jin is so cute!"


    Luo Wei Tian and Luo Ren both looked down at the screen of Luo Yan¡¯s cellphone. What they saw was a younger version of Luo Jin. The tips of his ck hair were tinted red. His eyes were even the color of ruby¡¯s. He was also wearing some kind of cute outfit. Both father and son had their eyes widened. Because they looked so much alike, seeing the same expression appeared on their handsome faces at the same time was almostical.


    "Yan Yan, send this picture to my WeChat."


    "Xiao Yan, send this picture to Dad."


    The two said almost the same time.


    "What picture?" Luo Jin said who just walked to the living room where they were.


    Luo Ren took Luo Yan¡¯s phone and showed the picture to his youngest brother. "Xiao Jin, I almost forgot how cute you were when you were young."


    "Ah Ren is right. Now I couldn¡¯t help but remember the days when Xiao Jin would smile sweetly at me and ask me to hug him," added Luo Wei Tian, a nostalgic expression on his face as if really remembering those days.


    Luo Jin stared at the photo on the screen and his whole face immediately turned red. It was probably even redder than a ripe tomato! He turned sharply at Luo Yan. "Yan, how could you took that picture?"


    Luo Yan showed an innocent expression. "But Ah Jin, I just want to show Dad and Brother how cute you were. I couldn¡¯t just hog you all to myself." Then he showed an aggrieved expression as if he would cry at any second. "Please, don¡¯t be mad."


    Luo Jin¡¯s anger vanished just like that. He couldn¡¯t bear to scold his second brother so he just turned to his eldest brother who was still holding the phone. "Brother, delete that picture."


    "No way. It¡¯s rare to see Xiao Jin like this. So, of course, we have to keep it," Luo Ren said.


    "Brother! I said delete it!"


    "Nope. Not going to happen."


    Luo Jin lunged towards his eldest brother who immediately dodged him. Soon, the two were running around the living room. One was trying to catch the other, while the other was doing his best not to be caught.


    Luo Wei Tian justughed happily seeing his two sons like this. Even Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help the smile that crossed his face.


    While Luo Yan was having a good time here, someone in B City was brooding.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s handsome face was still full of ck lines. He swore, the next time he saw that white haired elf, he wouldn¡¯t give him the chance to disappear like that in front of him again. At least not until he confirmed his connection to that silly rabbit.

 Chapter 51 CHOOSING A CLASS

    AT four in the afternoon, the Luo brothers logged in back to Arcadia. Because of his tutorial lessons, this had always been the logged in time of Luo Yan. He never thought of stopping his tutorial lessons just so he could y Arcadia early in the day.


    He already gained a lot during these more than half a month of tutoring lessons. There¡¯s only a month left before the start of the new school year, it¡¯s important that he refreshed his academic knowledge. Although he already learned these things years ago, it didn¡¯t mean that all of it were perfectly restored in his mind. So these tutoring lessons were truly benificial to him. If he went back to school, then he should at least make sure that he wouldn¡¯t make elementary mistakes just because he forgot one thing or two. It¡¯s better if he could get good grades.


    Luo Yan nced down at his younger brother. Until now, he still couldn¡¯t get over his cuteness. His older brother told him to take more pictures and send it to him. Videos were even better. If Luo Ren was not busy with work, he would probably not hesitate to y with them.


    "Ah Jin, you didn¡¯t y earlier?" he asked.


    Luo Jin shook his head. "Since we¡¯re now both going to apply for a ss, it¡¯s better to go together."


    They were now walking towards the ss Bureau. It¡¯s the ce a yer should go to if they wanted to apply for a ss.


    "Have you already decided the ss that you wanted?" Luo Yan asked.


    In Arcadia, in addition to the two special sses - Alchemist and cksmith, there were eight other sses that a yer could chose from. When he yed, there were only five basic sses. But with the transition to VR, the sses expanded, making it more diversed. With this addition, yers had more choices.


    The eight sses could divided as follows;


    Swordsman, as the name implied, mostly used swords as weapon. Their skills were centered around strength and physicalbat. They could sometimes act as a tank in a group but usually at the cost of agility or range. They¡¯re the ss that was most bnce in terms of Basic Stats.


    Berserkers were offensive juggernauts with unusually high HP. Because of that, they could take damage pretty well. In terms of the role of a tank, they were the perfect choice. Although their agility was definitely the lowest inparison with the other sses.


    Archers and Guslingers could be grouped as one, the only difference between the two was the weapon of choice. Archers used bow and arrows while Gunslingers used guns. They both had range attacks. But their attacks were usually focused on one to three targets at most.


    Assassins had the highest speed. Although their defense was not that high, they could bring a lot of damage to a single opponent. They¡¯re good at meleebat but pretty bad at range attacks. With this ss, it¡¯s best to get close to the opponent first before doing any attacks.


    Mages were the best at bringingrge scale damage to a group of enemies. They had the highest amount of MP among all the sses, making it easier for them to cast their skills. But they also had the lowest defense which could make them vulnerable to attacks.


    Priests main focused were healing skills. They even had a skill that could immediately revive a dead team mate. They¡¯re a ss mainly known for support. They¡¯re not good at 1v1bat but in a team battle, they¡¯re definitely a must have.


    Lastly, the Bards. Their weapons were usually musical instruments. Most of their skills were auxiry skills that could help temporary strenghten the stats of their team mates. They¡¯re also ssified as a support ss. But inparison to the Priest ss, their probably to win a 1v1 fight was a bit higher.


    Luo Yan had already decided to pick the Assassin ss. He¡¯s not just sure what Luo Jin would pick.


    "Yeah. I chose Gunslinger."


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised by his brother¡¯s choice. Considering how he fought like some psycho baby yesterday while they¡¯re grinding levels, he thought for sure he would pick Berserker as a ss. "You didn¡¯t just pick that because it sounds cool, right?" he teased.


    "Of course not! What do you take me for?" Luo Jin said indignantly. "I chose it because I have a passive Unique Skill called [Chaotic Mind]. Everytime I make a range attack and the attack sessfullynded, the opponent will be automatically confused. Its effect wouldst for 5 seconds. So, to utilize that, I only have four options - Archer, Gunslinger, Mage, and Bard. Out of those four, I¡¯d rather be a Gunsglinger."


    That passive Unique Skill was actually pretty good. It would be such a waste if Luo Jin wouldn¡¯t utilize it. But what surprised Luo Yan was his brother¡¯s analysis. He didn¡¯t expect that Luo Jin would carefully think about this aspect.


    "Wow. Ah Jin is so smart, being able to analyze all that," he couldn¡¯t resist teasing his brother more.


    As expected, Luo Jin¡¯s face turned red. "What smart? Such a simple thing. Do you think I have no brains?"


    After saying that, he immediately walked faster. Luo Yan could only helplessly follow.


    "Won¡¯t Ah Jin ask me what ss I picked?"


    Luo Jin looked up at him. "What ss?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "Assassin."


    Luo Jin thought of the Unique Skill his second brother showed yesterday when he fought at the Arena. It seemed this ss was really suited for him. But that also meant that from now on, his fights would be more or less closebat. Luo Jin couldn¡¯t help but worry. But he didn¡¯t interfere with his decision. Because when it came to this game, there¡¯s no way he would underestimate his brother.


    "Nice choice," he only said.


    Luo Yan smiled like a flower. "Right?"


    As they continue to walk, Luo Yan could feel a lot of gazes directed at them. No, more urately, directed at him. Some were more intense than the others. He frowned slightly. When they walked at Olkdale Town yesterday, although there were also people looking at him, it wasn¡¯t this bad. As if they¡¯re going to bore holes into him or something.


    What¡¯s wrong with these people? He knew he looked like a fairy but surely, this was not the first time they saw someone good-looking. They wouldn¡¯t besiege him, right?


    If Luo Yan noticed these gazes, of course, Luo Jin also did. His little face crumpled in dissatisfaction. "Yan, maybe you should wear a mask."


    Luo Yan nced down at his brother amusedly. "Why? Is Ah Jin ashame walking with me?" he asked, acting all agrieved.


    "No! Don¡¯t you see these people looking at you? Aren¡¯t you ufortable?" Because Luo Jin surely was.


    "No," Luo Yan answered smiling.


    He really wasn¡¯t. Because, after all, these people could only look. And if they dare tried to touch, he would just simply log out. Besides why would he hide his face just because people were staring too much? Why would he be the one to adjust? Wasn¡¯t that just too unfair for him?


    Luo Jin sighed when he heard his brother¡¯s answer. Well, fine. He¡¯s here anyway. He would just make sure no one would try to do something untoward to his second brother.


    After a few more minutes of walking, they finally arrived at the ss Bureau. It was a simple three-storey building with the signboard ¡¯ss Bureau¡¯ attached at the front. They were about to enter when Luo Yan felt his arm suddenly being grabbed.


    He frowned unpleasantly. He thought that it was probably one of those people staring at him. He looked back, his heart full of annoyance. But when he did, he was slightly startled.


    Because what he first saw was a pair of electric blue eyes.

 Chapter 52 CAUGHT THE SILLY RABBIT

    A beautiful pce was sitting at the top of a certain mountain. Its design was simr to those pces built during ancient dynasties of this country. This pce was the headquarters of Yunyue - the champion of the first season of Arcadia Cup.


    Every registered team could buy a plot ofnd in Arcadia and build their own headquarters. If a team was rich with crystal coins, then they could buy a plot ofnd with good location. The design of the building would totally depend on them. It could be simple or as ridiculous and entric as they wanted.


    When Yunyue won the first season, many yers wanted to join the team. After all, they¡¯re the first champion of the Arcadia Cup, they would only be more and more famous in the future. Besides, there were only five original members. Integrating in such a team would be much easier. But during the first recruitment of Yunyue, a lot of problems arose and it just ended in aplete disaster. Because of that, they never ensued another recruitment notice again.


    The following year, they didn¡¯t participate at the second Arcadia Cup. Soon, their poprity began to dwindle until yers started calling the the ¡¯fallen champions¡¯. It didn¡¯t help that the original five members were now only three. Probably making them the team with the least member in Arcadia.


    Bai Ze - who was currently walking towards the main hall of the pce - didn¡¯t mind that, what he didn¡¯t like was being called ¡¯fallen champions¡¯. He, Ji Yun, and Yuqi were only freshmen in high school and the other two were seniors when Yunyue was founded. Ji Yun wanted to form a team to show his support to his uncle. But because he¡¯s a big iceberg who didn¡¯t like to interact with people, the task of gathering team mates was left to him.


    At that time, he identally heard that one of their ssmate, Su Yuqi, was ying Arcadia. So he asked if she wanted to form a team with them. Knowing her indifferent character, he thought she would refuse. But miraculously, she agreed. And then he found the two seniors next.


    Ji Yun was the only one of them who yed seriously, the rest of them were only ying for fun. So the title of the captain was directly given to him. Bai Ze was a bit nervous at first when the tournament started. Who knew that with Ji Yun¡¯s leadership, they would win the championship.


    The five of them really bonded during that period. Even if Ji Yun didn¡¯t look like it, he knew that he also considered the other three as friends. That¡¯s why Bai Ze was always annoyed when other yers referred to them as ¡¯fallen champions¡¯. Because they¡¯re not only mocking him but his friends as well. Too bad the other four didn¡¯t really care that much.


    When he entered the main hall, Bai Ze was a bit startled when he saw Ji Yun sitting inside. He was still using his human race alt ount. Bai Ze continued walking and sat down on the seat opposite.


    "Ji Yun, why are you still using your alt ount?" he asked.


    "It¡¯s incovenient to use my real one," Shen Ji Yun answered with that usual cold voice.


    Hearing that answer, he suddenly remembered that Ji Yun went to Olkdale Town yesterday. "Does it have something to do with your trip to Olkdale Town?" Ji Yun nodded. "What are you doing there anyway?"


    "I¡¯m looking for someone."


    Now Bai Ze understood why Ji Yun had to use his alt ount. If he walked on the streets of Olkdale Town using his real game ount, even if no one recognized him as the team captain of the first champions of Arcadia Cup, his race was still too eyecatching. He would surely be the center of attention. One of the things that Ji Yun was most annoyed about.


    "Who are you looking for?"


    [A silly rabbit], Shen Ji Yun automatically answered in his mind. He saw that it was almost four o¡¯clock, so he stood up. "I¡¯m leaving."


    "Are you going back to Olkdale Town? Then let mee with you. I have nothing to do anyway."


    "No," Shen Ji Yun refused without hesitation.


    "Why?"


    "Some yers might recognize you, then it would be too noisy. So, no."


    They might be referred to as ¡¯fallen champions¡¯ but Bai Ze was still one of the top rank yers in the Berserker ss. So there¡¯s really a possibility of that happening.


    Bai Ze pouted. "Fine. But you have to seriously think about recruiting new members for our team. Like, right now."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brows wrinkled a bit. As if the thought of having new team members made him disgusted. Well, who could me him? Thatst recruitment was truly a big disaster after all. But he didn¡¯t immediately refuse. He knew Bai Ze wanted to join the tournament next year. Maybe he should just indulge him.


    Bai Ze organized a team for him when he found out that Shen Ji Yun wanted to join the first Arcadia Cup. He did it with no questions asked. Then the Shen Ji Yun no longer bothered with the following tournament seasons. He just didn¡¯t like all the fanfare. But if Bai Ze really wanted to join in this uing season, then he didn¡¯t mind agreeing. He¡¯s his closest friend after all.


    "Okay," he said.


    Bai Ze let out a big grin. "You can¡¯t take that back now."


    He nodded before walking out of the main hall and towards the teleportation portal located at the entrance hall of the pce. He entered and a map appeared in front of him, showing thend of Arcadia. He picked Olkdale Town. After the feeling of being sucked into a vacuum passed, he walked out of the portal and arrived at Olkdale Town.


    Shen Ji Yun waited for this particr time beforeing here. Because ording to Brother Zhao, this was the usual time that that Noctis logged in the game. Well, at least that was his consistent time when he was still at his Origin Vige. And if Shen Ji Yun remembered it correctly, it was also around this time when he saw him yesterday.


    He walked towards the ss Bureau. Since this Noctis still didn¡¯t have a ss and considering that he¡¯s already eligible to apply for one, there¡¯s a very high probability that he would directly go there.


    When he was just a few more steps from the building of the ss Bureau, his gaze was suddenly attracted to a familiar figure. A long ponytailed white hair, big blue eyes with specks of gold, that slender body d in purple costume, it was definitely that yer - Noctis.


    Before he could think, his body already moved on its own. He walked towards him and reached for his arm. The white-haired elf turned around, his pretty face showed a slightly surprised expression when he saw him. But Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t seem to notice that. Because the only thing he could think of at that moment was; [I finally caught you.]


    "Ahm, do you need something?" the white haired elf asked, his tone a bit confused.


    He was about to answer when he suddenly felt an intense pain from his shin. He looked down and saw a male gnome with his little face crumpled in anger.


    "Let go of Yan!"


    Shen Ji Yun frowned. Not because this gnome apparently just kicked him on the shin but because of the name he called the white-haired elf. Why did it feel like this scene was so familiar?


    Then he remembered that day when he met the silly rabbit. He was talking to him when his younger brother, who looked much older than him, suddenly appeared. If he¡¯s not mistaken, he also called the silly rabbit ¡¯Yan¡¯. Shen Ji Yun tried hard to remember the face of that younger brother and then ovepped it with the face of this gnome.


    His blue eyes suddenly widened for a second. Because the face of that younger brother looked exactly like this gnome if he turned back into a child. If he was calling this white haired elf ¡¯Yan¡¯, then that could only mean...


    "Silly rabbit?"

 Chapter 53 ITS ME

    SILLY rabbit?


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but frown. Did this guy have mistaken him for someone? But then, for some reason, he felt like he heard this moniker from somewhere. Even the eyes of this person felt eerily familiar. Could he have seen it somewhere?


    He stared at the guy. He was tall, probably at least 190 cm. His hair was ck and he was wearing all-ck. Even the lower half of his face was covered by a ck mask. The only thing visible on his face was that pair of electric blue eyes. But even then, one could easily tell that his facial features were good and that he¡¯s definitely a very handsome young man.


    "Sorry, but you probably got the wrong person. So, could you let go?"


    This time, it was Shen Ji Yun¡¯s turn to frown. The innocent atmosphere he had when they first met was gone. He had a certain sharpness in him that totally offsets his beautiful appearance. Then he remembered that fight he had at the Arena yesterday. All his movements were crisp and decisive. It¡¯s definitely not something a simple beginner could do. Once again, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he truly got the wrong person.


    But before Shen Ji Yun could analyze things further, he was once again kick on the shin. He looked down at the angry gnome and when he saw that he was nning to kick him again, he reluctantly let go of the white-haired elf¡¯s arm and stepped back to avoid the gnome¡¯s short leg.


    Luo Jin put himself in between his second brother and the strange masked guy. He raised his head, ring at the guy. This jerk was definitely some pervert attracted by his brother¡¯s beauty. If not, then how could he just grab Luo Yan with no rhyme or reason? Unless he wanted to attract his brother¡¯s attention. How could Luo Jin just let that happen? He¡¯s here to protect his brother against all kinds of pervert after all.


    "Stay away from my brother, you pervert!"


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face was suddenly filled with ck lines. For the two decades that he lived in this world, this was the first time that he was called a pervert. Under normal circ.u.mstance, he probably wouldn¡¯t care much. But he was called that in front of a person he¡¯s suspecting to be the silly rabbit. For some reason, he didn¡¯t want to give that kind of impression on the silly rabbit. In fact, he¡¯d hate it if he would really believe that he was a pervert.


    Shen Ji Yun nced coldly at the annoying gnome. "I¡¯m not a pervert."


    "Hah, says the guy who suddenly grabs people at the middle of the street," Luo Jin immediately retorted.


    Shen Ji Yun felt like a vein on his forehead suddenly popped. Could he just throw this annoying gnome away from here? Throw him very very far away so he wouldn¡¯t meddle with his conversation with the silly rabbit. "Maybe you¡¯re only thinking that way because you have a dirty mind."


    "I have a dirty mind? You probably should find a mirror then you¡¯ll see the wretched look on your face!" Luo Jin growled.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face darkened. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to calm himself. He could feel himself losing his temper already and wanting to kick this gnome. If he continued to fight with this shrimp, he felt like his IQ would drop immensely. He couldn¡¯t believe that he would act so immaturely. Never in his life would he think that one day he would argue with a gnome trying to convince them that he¡¯s not a pervert.


    So, he stopped. And just turned his attention back to the silly rabbit.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t seem to notice the focused gaze of someone. It¡¯s because his attention was solely on his younger brother. Luo Jin was just so cute, standing in front of him, trying to act like a knight. But in truth, he looked more like a fierce porcupine with his hairs standing on end.


    He put his hands on his brother¡¯s shoulders and gently held him back. "Okay, don¡¯t fight with him Ah Jin."


    Luo Jin raised his head and looked at him. "But Yan--"


    "Maybe this yer here was just trying to ask us something." Luo Jin pursed his lips and harrumphed in dissatisfaction. Luo Yan did everything in his power to resist the urge to pinch his brother¡¯s cheeks. Instead, he turned to the yer. "Do you need something?"


    The alienation in his tone was pretty evident. Somehow, Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t like that. But more than that, how different this white-haired elf was from the silly rabbit he met. But he didn¡¯t doubt that they were two different people. After all, just the presence of this gnome was evidence enough to prove that he was really the silly rabbit. Not to mention, the names that the two called each other was pretty consistent with the names he heard that day.


    Standing here in front of him, there¡¯s a certain maturity in him that he didn¡¯t see when they first met. All Shen Ji Yun saw back then was a cute little guy. Naive and innocent. But seeing him now, there¡¯s definitely nothing naive or innocent about him. Especially if he take into ount that fight he had yesterday at the Arena. This game could only change the physical appearance of the yers to a certain extent. It could never change the yer¡¯s temperament.


    Somehow, Shen Ji Yun was not disappointed at all by that discovery. In truth, that small spark of interest inside him ignited even brighter.


    "Are you Luo Yan?" he asked, going straight to the point.


    Both Luo Yan and Luo Jin froze when they heard that. Luo Yan was puzzled on who this guy could possible be. He hadn¡¯t interacted much with other people, except for his family, since he woke up from thea. Most of the people he interacted with were from the hospital when he was still admitted there. Could this guy be from the hospital?


    Luo Yan decided to just ask instead of continuously wondering who this guy was. "Do we know each other?"


    The young man removed the mask covering the lower part of his face, revealing a tall nose and thin lips. Along with his blue eyes, it was definitely one very handsome face. "Do you still remember me?"


    Hearing that question and seeing that face, something just suddenly clicked inside Luo Yan¡¯s brain. "Brother... Ji Yun?"


    An almost imperceptible smile crossed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips when he heard the silly rabbit say his name. "It¡¯s me."

 Chapter 54 SOMETHING UNKNOWN

    HEARING his confirmation, Luo Yan suddenly had a moment of enlightenment. The reason why he felt a familiar feeling when he saw his blue eyes, even that part when he said that stupid moniker, it suddenly all became clear to him. That day they met during his older brother¡¯s graduation just immediately shed inside his head.


    This guy saved him from that dude who was harrassing him and then he apanied him to the auditorium where the graduation ceremony was taking ce. He introduced himself as Shen Ji Yun and that he was there because his uncle was the guest speaker. Then before he left, he called him ¡¯silly rabbit¡¯. He remembered being temporary annoyed by that. Because, first of all, he¡¯s not in any way silly and which part of him resembled a rabbit?


    But after that, he readily put that encounter at the very back of his head. It¡¯s not that Luo Yan had forgotten it. He probably just thought that they wouldn¡¯t cross paths again. Who would have thought that they would meet here? Or that Shen Ji Yun would actually still remember him? He even recognized him despite looking more mature than his real face.


    "Do you need something, Brother Ji Yun?" he asked.


    "Survey questions, do you mind answering them?"


    Shen Ji Yun almost punched himself the moment he said that. Survey questions, really? It¡¯s like he was some salesman trying to ask if the product he was selling was good or not. And a rather bad salesman at that. Even if it was true that he originally came to Olkdale Town to ask some questions regarding their game experience so far. But surely, he could have phrased that better. Or better yet, he should have not started with that.


    There were a lot of better ways to start a normal conversation. He could only me himself for being rather bad at socializing. He usually didn¡¯t care. Most of the times he didn¡¯t really need to talk to people. He only talked and gave proper response to those who mattered to him. That might make him too cold, but for him, that¡¯s more than enough.


    But for some reason, Shen Ji Yun wanted to be close to this rabbit. He already had that feeling ever since they met. It was the first time he felt like that towards anyone. He couldn¡¯t even properly exin it. The only answer he could think of was that he wanted to be friends with him. As absurd as that sounded. Because if not, then why would he feel this way?


    No matter the answer was, right now, he¡¯s just thankful that he had this perpetual cold face. A face that had always been devoid of any emotion. If not, his embarrassment would surely show on his face right now.


    Luo Jin snorted. "Survey questions, couldn¡¯t you even think of a lessme excuse? Just admit that you have ulterior motives towards my brother!"


    Of course, Luo Jin also remembered this guy. How could he not? When he first saw him with his brother, his gaze was so focus that it felt like Luo Yan was the only person he could see. It gave Luo Jin a bad feeling. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t help but be antagonistic towards him. Even now, he still wanted to beat the crap out of him. Because the way he looked at his second brother was still the same.


    Shen Ji Yun wrinkled his brows after hearing what the annoying gnome said. Ulterior motives? Could wanting to be friends be considered as ulterior motives?


    Luo Yan amusedly held back his younger brother once more before he could attack Shen Ji Yun again. "Ah Jin, don¡¯t be like that. It¡¯s insulting to Brother Ji Yun." He looked up at Shen Ji Yun. What ulterior motive? Just look at that cold handsome face that seemed to be carved out of jade. If anything, he¡¯d be the one people wanted to take advantage of. "Sorry, Brother Ji Yun. Please don¡¯t mind Ah Jin. What do you mean by survey questions?"


    Shen Ji Yunposed himself so as not to make any embarrassing mistake again. "I sometimes do beta testing for Arcadia. The head of the programming team asked me if I could ask one of the yers who was given a special race if they had any problems while ying at his Origin Vige. Just to check if there¡¯s a bug that the programming team was unaware of. That yer¡¯s game name is Noctis. I identaly watched your fight at the Arena yesterday. I didn¡¯t expect that the yer I was looking for turned out to be you," he said. That was probably the most number of sentence he had said in years.


    When Shen Ji Yun said this, Luo Yan also suddenly remembered that he was the nephew of Shen Yi Mu - the founder and CEO of Moonlight Media. How could he just forget that information? Now he understood why he felt that the Gamekeeper NPC looked oddly familiar. Because he resembled a mini-version of Shen Ji Yun.


    Knowing that, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s exnation wasn¡¯t so unreasonable. Being the nephew of the CEO of Moonlight Media, it wasn¡¯t strange for him to know the head of the programming team. But there was one thing he was more curious about.


    "How can Brother Ji Yun be so sure that I and Noctis were the same person just by watching that fight?"


    "How could I possibly mistook you for anyone else?"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. If not for Shen Ji Yun¡¯s expresionless face and voice that had almost no emotions in it, he would definitely think that he meant something different by it. If he showed even a tad bit of emotion, it would definitely seem like he was hitting on Luo Yan.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, was immediately annoyed. What ¡¯how could I mistook you for anyone else¡¯? He almost wanted to vomit just by hearing that. And looked at that, the guy didn¡¯t even seem to be aware of what he said. Should he kick him again on the shin just to wake him up?


    "Enough with theme excuses. Of all the yers given a special race, you just happened to pick my brother? How could such a coincidence happen? Just admit it, you¡¯re definitely stalking my brother."


    Shen Ji Yun looked down coldly at the gnome. "I¡¯m not," he said without any additional exnation. Because there¡¯s no need for it. What stalking nonsense? It was obviously just pure coincidence. No, maybe he should consider it fate?


    "Ah Jin," Luo Yan said with gentle admonition. Luo Jin just pouted in return. He helplessly shook his head and turned to Shen Ji Yun again. "Brother Ji Yun, we¡¯re nning to apply for a ss today. Could I answer the questionster? Ah Jin could also do it since his game avatar was also a special race. That way, you could receive two sets of answers."


    Shen Ji Yun slightly nced at the gnome and just like what the silly rabbit said, he was indeed a special race. He frowned a little, why didn¡¯t he notice that? "Okay. Then could I add you as a friend?"


    "No problem," Luo Yan agreed, not seeing any reason why he shouldn¡¯t.


    Luo Jin on the side wanted to disagree. But his second brother gave him a look, silently telling him not to make trouble anymore. So he could only sulk.


    Shen Ji Yun opened his Status Window and typed the rabbit¡¯s game ount name.


    Luo Yan received a friend invitation from the yer [Shen]. Seeing Shen Ji Yun¡¯s game name, the corner of his mouth twitched. Could this guy thought of a more imaginative game name? But then again, this was infinitely better than his younger brother¡¯s game name. Amused, he approved of his friend invitation.


    He raised his head and smiled at Shen Ji Yun, he didn¡¯t even notice that the smile he gave was devoid of any fakeness. It was his real smile. Making his already beautiful face even more enchanting. "Then see youter, Brother Ji Yun."


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the smile that bloomed at the rabbit¡¯s face and he felt that something unknown inside him stirred. He could only nod at the end.

 Chapter 55 ASSASSIN APPLICATION TASK

    THE Luo brothers went inside the ss Bureau together. Luo Jin¡¯s little face was still scrunched up, as if he had eaten a sour fruit and a bitter gourd at the same time. Luo Yan found it funny and took a screen shot of him. It¡¯s a good material to send to his father and older brother.


    "Why is Ah Jin still sulking?" he asked.


    "That guy is shady. Yan, don¡¯t believe anything he says. He definitely has some kind of ulterior motive for approaching you."


    Just thinking of that guy getting close to his second brother with that kind of thought, Luo Jin felt unbearable. So he must protect Luo Yan. There would definitely be more pest like that wanting to get close to his second brother in future. He was sure about that. After all, his brother looked so good, how could they not? But with his brother being so soft, he would definitely not have any guard against those kinds of people. So, that¡¯s where he shoulde in.


    At this point, Luo Jin probably already forgotten the fierce battle at the Arena yesterday where his ¡¯soft¡¯ second brother won easily. Clearly, his bro-con filter was already at the highest level.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, only felt amused. "Why does Ah Jin think that?"


    "Stop asking so many questions," Luo Jin said dismissively but his little face said clearly that ¡¯it¡¯s because you look too good¡¯.


    Luo Yan could only chuckle. "Yes."


    Because Luo Jin mentioned Shen Ji Yun, the young man¡¯s face immediately shed inside his mind. Unlike his brother, the thought of Shen Ji Yun having an ulterior motive never crossed his mind. Just remembering the guy¡¯s cold face that didn¡¯t seem to know how to make any expressions, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but refute that idea.


    Shen Ji Yun was clearly the type that didn¡¯t have much interactions with others. Not because others didn¡¯t want to approach him, on the contrary, many people probably wanted to, but because he didn¡¯t want to interact with others himself. Just by his temperament alone, he would definitely not be the kind of person who would have messy thoughts for someone he just saw once or twice. He¡¯s just too cold for that.


    Although Luo Yan had great confidence in his appearance, he would not be so egotistical that he would think that every person he met would like him in that regard. Especially someone like Shen Ji Yun who probably had a facial paralysis.


    Leaving those thoughts behind, he looked around the first floor of the ss Bureau. There were three female NPCs serving as receptionists. It looked like an ordinary office lobby. Only that there was a huge screen floating at the very middle. The details on how to apply for a ss were clearly written there.


    Step 1: Please, go to the second floor and go to the room designated for the ss you wanted to apply in.


    Step 2: Inside the designated room, a master of the ss you¡¯ve chose would be waiting for you. ept the task they would give.


    Step 3: Sessfully finished the task ording to the master¡¯s requirements and you they would approve of your application.


    It was almost the same as the PC version so Luo Yan was not that surprised.


    "So simple?" Luo Jinmented while looking up at the big floating screen.


    "The task would probably be not that simple," Luo Yan said then looked down at his brother. "Should we go upstairs?"


    "Go."


    The two walked towards the stairs and climbed to the second floor. When they reached it, they saw ten rooms line up in a semi-circle. There weren¡¯t anyone there but the two of them. On top of each doors, the eight sses¡¯ names were written, as well as the other two special sses. The designated room for the Assassin ss was on the third door to the left while the one for Gunslingers was on the second one on the right.


    Luo Yan looked at Luo Jin. "Ah Jin, goodluck!"


    Luo Jin only snorted. "Who needs luck?" But when he turned around to walk towards the Gunslinger room, a smile crossed his lips.


    Luo Yan could only helplessly smile and then he too walked towards the Assassin room. He opened the door and entered. Inside, he saw a male NPC covered in all ck. He was standing silently at the corner. His presence was almost insignificant. If there were a lot of people inside this room right now, he would definitely go unnoticed. On top of his head were the word [Master Assassin].


    "I¡¯m here to apply to be an assassin," Luo Yan started.


    The Master Assassin opened his eyes and turned to him. Then he snapped his fingers and a screen appeared in front of Luo Yan. It had a [Select Task] button at the very middle of it. "Press the button to know what task you¡¯ll have to do."


    Luo Yan did as he was told. He pressed the button and a shuffling or words appeared on the screen until it stopped. He read what¡¯s writted on it;


    [Kill the real master of Ivy Grove Manor without anyone seeing you. Finish this task before the time limit of three hours and you¡¯ll sessfully enter the ranks of the powerful assassins in Arcadia. If you managed to finish this at the fastest speed, a good reward is waiting for you. Good luck!]


    Before he could analyze the task, he saw the Master Assassin snapping his fingers again. Then he just felt that he was pulled inside a vacuum. And he just knew that the sted NPC teleported him to somewhere.

 Chapter 56 IVY GROVE MANOR (I)

    WHEN Luo Yan opened his eyes, he was at the middle of a vige. Or at least that¡¯s what it seemed like. He looked around and saw a very quiet and almost deserted medieval vige. The few NPCs who saw him immediately looked away once their eyes met.


    Well, at least he wasn¡¯t sent straight to the Ivy Grove Manor, wherever that was. That would be such a disaster.


    Before he moved, he opened his Status Window first and went to his Character Tab. He clicked his game avatar icon and it showed his equipped items. He then clicked his costume and turned off its specific special effect. He couldn¡¯t possibly do this task properly if he was shing off a purple after-image.


    After doing that, he then opened his Task Column and read his task once again.


    [Kill the real master of Ivy Grove Manor without anyone in the manor seeing you. Finish this task before the time limit of three hours and you¡¯ll sessfully enter the ranks of the powerful assassins in Arcadia. If you managed to finish this at the fastest speed, a good reward is waiting for you. Good luck!]


    The key word here was ¡¯real¡¯. Which meant that whoever was known as the master of Ivy Grove Manor was not its real master at all. So, his task was to find this real master and kill him without anyone in that manor seeing him. This was probably the reason why he was first sent to this vige - to find information about this real master.


    Then find information he should.


    In situations like these, the best source of information was the innkeeper. So, he started walking and looked for the inn. The two or three NPCs he encountered all ran away when they saw him, as if scared. Like he he was some killer or something. With the deste atmosphere and the weird action of these NPCs, he could already tell that something was wrong.


    It was obvious that there¡¯s some kind of story behind this task. Luo Yan sighed. Why couldn¡¯t he just receive a simple task like killing this certain number of monsters? That¡¯s actually what he¡¯s expecting at first. Because that¡¯s how it was in the PC version. Instead, what he got was some kind of mystery that he probably needed to solve first before he could truly seed.


    Solving the mystery and being stealthy were the two important points he should look out for during this task. Admittedly, these could test an assassin¡¯s skill - collecting information and killing someone as quietly and secretly as you could.


    What if his target was a human looking NPC? With this game being so real, wouldn¡¯t it feel like he¡¯s really killing a real live person? That would be kind of violent, wouldn¡¯t it? Now that he thought about it, wouldn¡¯t this game be a good outlet for serial killers? Here, they could indulge in their killing fantasies without worrying about the consequences of it. Like going to jail for example.


    Luo Yan shook his head. Where did thate from? He¡¯s probably affected by this dreary atmosphere. In any case, he didn¡¯t need to worry about that. Because he certainly didn¡¯t have any psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies.


    Soon, he found the inn. It was not that big, only two floors. Just right for a small vige such as this. He went inside and saw that the first floor of the inn was a restaurant. There weren¡¯t any customer inside. There was only one old man sitting behind the bar counter with the word [Innkeeper] on the top of his head.


    Luo Yan walked towards the bar counter. "Good day," he greeted.


    The Innkeeper nced at him then went back on pouring himself a ss of alcohol. "You should leave here as soon as you could, boy. This is no ce for an outsider like you."


    [Well, aren¡¯t you being a bit overdramatic, old man?] "And why is that?"


    The Innkeeper drank the ss of alcohol. "Haven¡¯t you heard of the rumors floating around here?"


    "No. I haven¡¯t seen anyone around. So, what¡¯s the rumor?"


    "Just two months ago, young girls started to go missing. One girl disappeared each week. Just yesterday, the eighth girl vanished. Nobody knew where they went, they just disappeared like bubbles in the air. So the vigers are starting to think that there¡¯s a monster hunting and kidnapping these girls."


    A monster, huh? No wonder the atmosphere in this vige was like this. "Could it be rted to the people living at the Ivy Grove Manor?" he asked.


    If he was transported in this vige, that could only mean that the manor was near here. And what the Innkeeper was telling him right now was somehow connected to his task.


    "What are you saying, that it had something to do with the people at the manor? Impossible!" The Innkeeper appeared affronted by his suggestion.


    "Why is that?" he curiously asked.


    "Because the first victim was Miss Eliza! She¡¯s the friend of Miss Jewel - the only daughter of the master of the manor. She¡¯s a youngdy from Matlock Town who came here for a vacation. But then, as soon as she came, tragedy struck. Every week since then, pretty young girls like her kept disappearing." The Innkeeper sighed. "Truly, what a tragedy."


    "The first victim was the friend of the daughter of the manor? Wouldn¡¯t that only make the people in Ivy Grove even more suspicious?" After all, their guest was the first one to disappear.


    The Innkeeper put down the ss he was drinking on forcefully and nced sharply at him. "What are you insinuating, boy? The Sutton family has been living here for as long as I can remember. They have been nothing but kind to the vigers. If they¡¯re the reason behind what¡¯s happening right now, it should have happened a couple of times already. But no, nothing simr to this have happened to this vige. I know, since I lived here all my life."


    [But what if something simr to this happened before your time?] But Luo Yan didn¡¯t ask that. Because it looked like this NPC was programmed to vehemently defend the Sutton family who appeared to be the owners of the Ivy Grove Manor.


    "Are you the oldest living person here in this vige, then?" he asked instead.


    The Innkeeper snorted. "I am."


    So, he couldn¡¯t check if a simr incident had happened before. "Could you tell me the names of the families who lost their daughters?"


    The Innkeeper looked suspiciously at him. "Why?"


    Luo Yan just smiled. "I¡¯m a detective hired by Mr. Sutton to solve the mystery of this number of disappearances."


    The suspicion on the face of the Innkeeper disappeared. Looked like ¡¯Mr. Sutton¡¯ was the magic word. "I see."


    Then he proceeded on telling him the names of those families.

 Chapter 57 IVY GROVE MANOR (II)

    "ANNE, my daughter, she¡¯s a good girl. How could this happen to her?" said the mother NPC while crying.


    "Can you tell me the exact details of your daughter¡¯s disappearance?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Since the second girl in the vige disappeared, I didn¡¯t allow Anne to go anywhere for fear that it would happen to her as well. My daughter is quite beautiful, you see. Who would have thought that... that..." The NPC bursted into tears. "T-that night was just like any other night. After dinner, we all read together for some entertainment, then we all went to sleep. The next day... the next day, wh-when I went to Anne¡¯s room, she- she¡¯s gone!"


    "Didn¡¯t you hear or see anything during the middle of the night?" he asked.


    "N-no. Nothing. We didn¡¯t notice anything."


    "Was it really that you didn¡¯t notice anything or the people in your house were just sleeping too deeply that night?"


    "We-" The NPC seemed to want to refute but then stopped, as if she suddenly realized something. "You¡¯re right. That night, we were probably all sleeping soundly that¡¯s why we didn¡¯t hear anything. Could that mean something, Mr. Detective?"


    [Yeah, most likely.] "Thank you for your cooperation," Luo Yan said instead. "I¡¯ll make sure to put these information to good use. I¡¯ll definitely find out what happened to Miss Anne and the others."


    He then said goodbye before the NPC began another round of dramatic performance. Seeing these NPCs behaving so humanly was really a bit unnerving. Especially those that were involved in a task that had some kind of back story in it. But despite that, he must really give a thumbs up to the game designers for all their efforts.


    Luo Yan walked out of the small cottage. This was the fifth household he¡¯d been into since his talk with the Innkeeper. Although the NPCs here were full of vignce and didn¡¯t want to talk to him at first, but as long as he mentioned Mr. Sutton - the owner of Ivy Grove Manor - they would open their doors for him. Showing their great trust towards the Sutton family.


    After five interviews, almost everyone had the same sets of answers. All found the girls gone in their rooms and the night before, all the members of their families were in deep sleep. None of them woke up in the middle of the night, so of course none of them knew what really happened during the night of the disappearance.


    But that¡¯s not all, when he asked the neighbors of those families what they saw anything on the night those girls disappeared, all of them said that they didn¡¯t. Because they all slept soundly that night. Too soundly, in fact. There¡¯s no way Luo Yan would think that all of these things were just mere coincidences. Something shady was definitely happening here.


    If it was only one family group that experienced deep sleep during the disappearance of one of the girls, then he wouldn¡¯t think too much. But that was not the case. Luo Yan suspected that during the night when the girls were taken, the whole vige was probably put into a deep sleep. That¡¯s why none of them notice anything. If this was the case, then some ck hand definitely was behind it.


    As the Innkeeper said, this kind of incident had never happened in this vige before. Having an NPC with a title said that, Luo Yan believed that it was not something unimportant. He could only assume for it to be true. Given that he was only given a time limit of three hours to finish this task, there¡¯s no way he could check the whole history of this vige. Which meant that the yer taking on this task was not supposed to check the history of the vige. Making it unrted to the whole task.


    This incident all started with the arrival of Miss Eliza. The Innkeeper said that she was the first victim, already making her an important part of this task. But was she really all just that? What if with her arrival, she also brought over something? Something that was taking these girls? Maybe that something even took hold of the Ivy Grove Manor and now became its ¡¯real¡¯ master.


    Luo Yan looked at the time, he already spent more than half an hour talking with the NPCs here. He wasn¡¯t nning to continue talking to the other three households. Because he was sure they would all give the same informations. So now, the only thing left for him to do was to go to this Ivy Grove Manor and discover the mystery behind it.


    The informations he got from the NPCs here could be considered good or not. At least he could be sure that the Sutton family had nothing to do with the disappearance of these girls. Because, just like what the Innkeeper said, if this was some kind of ritual, rted to the owners of Ivy Grove Manor, then something like this should have repeateadly happened in-between intervals of a certain number of years. Because that¡¯s how a ritual worked. But it didn¡¯t.


    So, really, the most suspicious character here was that Miss Eliza.


    Luo Yan sighed. Why did it feel like he was ying a detective game instead of an RPG? He could only me the game designers of this VR version for their apparent taste for back stories.


    He looked at his Items Tab. He still had a lot of supporting items such as the purple and yellow potions. With his Invisibility Cloak and his Shadow Walk, he could search Ivy Grove Manor without anyone seeing him. He was still quite confident of his skills. He just had to be quick about it.


    So Luo Yan started walking towards the manor in question. While walking, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Luo Jin was doing. He hoped he¡¯s doing better than him.


    At this moment, Luo Jin was covered in slime and other things he couldn¡¯t care to mention. He was already at the very edge of his temper. Just a little bit more and he would lose it.


    His task was to shoot 15 targets while going through a gruesome obstacle course with a time limit of an hour. If he missed more than three targets, then he would fail the task. He hadn¡¯t missed a target yet. But he knew, with his temper, he¡¯s very close to missing one. And he didn¡¯t want that.


    He took a deep breathe and calmed herself. Then he went and crawled under the barbed wire. While crawling and swimming in the mud, he couldn¡¯t help but question his decision of picking this particr ss.


    Luo Jin only hoped that his second brother was doing much better than him.

 Chapter 58 IVY GROVE MANOR (III)

    LUO YAN stared at the manor not far away. It only had two floors but despite that, the manor still looked like a small castle that grew out of the well-maintainedwn. Its stone walls were a pale gray and were barren of the moss or ivy that clung to the walls of the older homes in the vige. It had arge oak door that was sheltered under a wide porch supported by stone pirs. It had a grand driveway which circled around the dwelling with an ornate fountain at the center. One look and anyone could see that the person living there was pretty well-off.


    Done with observing, Luo Yan jumped off from the tree he was standing on. The moment hended, he immediately used his Invisibility Cloak. He could only use this item thrice a day for 10 minutes with an interval of five minutes in between. After that, it needed 24 hours cool down before it could be used again. So he needed to be smart in using it.


    His Shadow Walk skill, on the other hand, could be used for six minutes before it needed a five hour cool down. It was now level 2, so the duration of its used increased by a minute. In Arcadia, most skills leveled up the more the yers used them. His fight at the Arena was enough for the skill to level up.


    His n was to use the Invisibility Cloak while he continued his search for the truth, yes, that sounded reallyme even inside his head. And then used his Shadow Walk skill to finish off the ¡¯real¡¯ master of Ivy Grove Manor.


    He circled around the manor. When he saw a balcony connected to a room at the second floor, Luo Yan scaled the wall and jumped over it. He pushed the window and luckily enough, it was open. She carefully went inside.


    While he was in the vige earlier, he already asked some of the NPCs there about the current residence of this manor. ording to them, there were eight people living here. Which included Mr. Sutton, his only daughter - Miss Jewel, three maids - including the head maid, the butler, the cook, the coachman who sometimes also acted as the gardener.


    During these past two months since the incident of the disappearing girls started, except for the first week, they haven¡¯t seen anyone from the manor. Which should definitely cause suspicion. But surprise, surprise, the vigers didn¡¯t find any problems with it at all. Like they had some filter when it came to the people living at Ivy Grove Manor.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure if that¡¯s just how the game designers programmed them so they could get in the way of the yers¡¯ investigation or if there were other reasons behind it. Could it be because of that? Because they kept seeing one of the young maids buying dairies, fruits, and other food in the vige they didn¡¯t think that there was something wrong?


    That¡¯s probably the case. Especially since that young maid grew up in this vige. But even if it was so, no matter how you look at it, it was still weird. Surely, at least one of those eight NPCs, aside from the young maid, should have gone out during these past two months. There¡¯s no way all of them just happened to refuse to go out all at the same time.


    Just by that, anyone could tell that there¡¯s definitely a problem here.


    Luo Yan entered through the window and arrived at an empty room. It was big and tastefully decorated. There was a big princess bed with pink bed sheet, a closet with delicate carvings, a crytal table, an elegant bedsidemp - everything just screamed ¡¯this was a girl¡¯s room¡¯. And considering the size of the room, as well as the decorations, this was definitely Miss Jewel¡¯s room.


    But that was not all he noticed. He could see the dust that .u.mted inside the room. There was even a stuffy smell, as if the room hadn¡¯t been aired for days. No- it was probably months. Then where did the youngdy sleep? In one of the guest rooms? But why would she do that?


    Luo Yan decided to check all the rooms first before making any assumption. He quietly opened the door and when he saw that no one was on the corridor, he quickly went out. Then he checked the next room. When nothing was found, he proceeded on checking the next one. He continued on until he found the master¡¯s bedroom. There, he finally found something. Or probably, someone.


    Inside, there was a bulge covered by a quilt on the king size bed. The length of it wasparable to an a.d.u.l.t male. Anyone who saw that would think that there was definitely someone sleeping there. Someone who slept while their whole body was covered by a quilt or something. If not for the smell. There was a very unbearable smell inside. Like rotten meat.


    When he walked towards the bed, he noticed that the effect of the Invisibility Cloak disappeared. Since he needed to wait for another five minutes before its effect returned, he might as well stay in this room for a bit.


    He stood beside the bed and pulled back the quilt covering it. If he had a weak stomach, he¡¯d definitely hurl all the things he ate. If that was even possible in VR. If he had a weak psychology, he¡¯d definitely be terrified by now. Because on the bed was a decaying human body. There was almost no flesh left, only bones and some rotting meat. There were even maggots crawling on the eyesockets.


    Even if he had a strong mental fortitude, Luo Yan still had to step back a bit. But not before covering the dead body once again. What the hell? Weren¡¯t those game designers gone a little bit overboard with this? This could definitely leave a pyschological shadow to some people.


    He turned around and tried to breathe using his mouth. That decaying corpse over there was definitely Mr. Sutton - the supposedly owner of this manor. [Mr. Sutton¡¯s Corpse] was disyed on top of its head, after all.


    He sighed. Earlier, he felt like he was ying a detective game. Now, it felt like he suddenly switched to a horror game.


    Luo Yan waited for five minutes inside the room. Once the effect of the cloak returned, he immediately went outside and walked downstairs. As he did, he noticed the .u.mted dust. Even the flowers in the vases were already withered. He first looked for the rooms of the servants.


    Usually, in houses like this one, the servants¡¯ quarters were located somewhere the guests would not easily see. So, Luo Yan went to the very back of the house. He walked to a corridor where there were six rooms - three rooms on both sides.


    Luo Yan checked the first two rooms from his right. Both were empty. In the third room, he immediately smelled the same rotting smell. This time he didn¡¯t have to open the cover on the bed because the corpse was already lying on the floor. [Coachman¡¯s Corpse] was disyed on top of its head. He didn¡¯t bother to enter and just proceeded to the opposite room.


    The same rotting smell, the corpse on the bed. [Head Maid¡¯s Corpse] was disyed on top of its head. On thest two rooms, he found the corpse of the Cook and the Butler.


    When Luo Yan went out of thest room, he fell into a deep thought. The corpses identities were readily given. Which was probably a big clue. Considering that he didn¡¯t find the corpse of Miss Jewel and another maid, besides the one which the vigers kept seeing, he could only arrive at one conclusion.


    The dead people who lived in this manor were either men or older women. The younger girls, such as Miss Jewel and that other maid, were taken somewhere. Just like those missing girls in the vige. And since the ce of the task was this Ivy Grove Manor, then those girls were definitely taken somewhere here.


    His train of thought was broken when he suddenly heard footsteps. Luo Yan walked towards it. Hearing those footsteps as the only sound in this silent and dark manor was almost eerily creepy. When he reached the source, he saw a girl wearing a maid¡¯s uniform. The girl¡¯s face was dull and almost lifeless. There wasn¡¯t even any light in her eyes.


    This was probably that maid the vigers kept on seeing these past two months.


    When the maid walked, Luo Yan immediately followed.

 Chapter 59 CLASS APPLICATION TASK COMPLETION (I)

    LUO YAN thought that the maid would go to some nefarious spot in the manor filled with dead bodies of young girls where the ¡¯real¡¯ master was, but instead she went to the kitchen. She started a fire and then took out a big pot. She filled the pot with water and then put it on top of the fire. Then she took some vegetables from the pantry and started chopping it. Her movements were mechanical, as if she was a robot or something.


    She put the chopped vegetables on the pot. Then added some spices and other condiments in. She mixed the contents inside using addle. Was she perhaps making some kind of stew?


    But who was she cooking for? All the residents of the manor were either dead or missing. Could it be for that ¡¯real¡¯ master? Wait- he shouldn¡¯t let go of the possibility that the maid was somehow transformed into the master of the manor. After all, she seemed to be the only one here.


    But before he could analyze things deeply, he noticed that the effect of the Invisibility Cloak wasing to an end. He looked around and searched for a ce to hide. He saw a cab full of tes near the entrance of the kitchen. There was a space in between that was enough for an a.d.u.l.t male to hide. It was also a blind spot where the maid wouldn¡¯t easily see if there was someone hiding there. So he walked over there and hid carefully.


    He looked back at the maid to see what she¡¯s doing. She walked towards a box. He guessed that it might be some kind of storage for meat or some other simr things. She¡¯s probably nning to get some meat for that stew she¡¯s cooking. But what Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect was the kind of meat it was.


    The maid took a long slender hand from the box. Yes, hand. Human hand. Blood was still dripping from where it was severed. Obviously, the hand was freshly severed from its owner¡¯s body. By the density of the muscles and how delicate looking the hand was, it¡¯s obvious that it belonged to a teenage girl. Most probably the girl who just went missing yesterday.


    So, was this the ending of all those missing girls? Being chopped into pieces and then cooked by this maid?


    The maid put the hand on the chopping board. She took a butcher¡¯s knife and chopped it down. The moment of impact, Luo Yan could hear crisp sound of a bone being cut. Everytime the maid chopped a piece of the hand, that crisp sound continued echoing in the silent kitchen. Making it the only sound in this eerie manor.


    Blood sttered from the hand to the area around the chopping board and even onto the face of the maid. But the maid seemed to not notice it and just continued on what she¡¯s doing. When she¡¯s done, she put the chopped pieced of the hand onto the pot and started stirring it. After that, she put a lid on the pot and went again to the box where she took the severed hand.


    This time, she took a piece of human leg. The same as the hand, she started chopping the leg. But this time, after she¡¯s done, instead of putting the chopped pieces in the pot, she put it on a meat grinder. Probably to make a home made sausage.


    Luo Yan cringed. Could this be any more gory? Seriously, what was the game designers thinking when they were designing this task? Did they just finish watching some kind of horror film before they designed this task and thus was inspired? If he was the type that was easy to be scared, he would have already quit this task.


    Five minutes had already passed and he could used the Invisibility Cloak again. But Luo Yan decided not to and continued his spying from behind the cab. He could only used it one more time. It would be better to do so once the maid finished cooking and deliver the food to whoever was going to eat them.


    Yes, Luo Yan already thought of the possibility that the food the maid was cooking was most probably for someone. And that someone was definitely the one who hi-jacked this manor and became its master. The meaning of ¡¯master¡¯ in this context was probably the one who took overall control of the manor. The owner was dead and so was the other servants. Miss Jewel and that other maid was missing. The only one left was this maid.


    But looking at the mechanical movement of this maid, she was most probably being controlled by something. Seeing how she¡¯s cooking human meat, there¡¯s no way it¡¯s for a normal person. And if Luo Yan was right that the maid was being controlled, then this ¡¯master¡¯ was definitely some kind of monster.


    It would be good if it was. Killing a human boss would be ufortable. Even for him.


    When the maid finished cooking, one hour had already passed since Luo Yan started this task. The maid put the finished dishes on a trolley and pushed it out of the kitchen. He immediately put on the Invisibility Cloak and followed the maid.


    While following, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but think what could have happened if he didn¡¯t investigate first at the vige and just went straight here. Once he found the corpses, he¡¯d probably just readily assume that the maid was his main target and then kill her. Which would probably lead to him failing. After all, the task only asked him to kill the real master of the manor.


    When the maid reached a certain part of the manor, she stopped. She bent down and then opened a trap door. It was very insconpicuous. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see it. Luo Yan, who was hovering behind, saw stairs. The trap door probably lead to a bas.e.m.e.nt.

 Chapter 60 CLASS APPLICATION TASK COMPLETION (II)

    THE maid walked down, pushing the trolley. Because it was on the stairs and not on a smooth surface, the trolley¡¯s journey down was a bit rough. But the maid seemed to not mind. A minuteter, they finally reached the ground.


    The bas.e.m.e.nt was big, probably as big as the first floor of the manor. It was dimly lit by themps attachmed to the wall. But a part of the bas.e.m.e.nt was covered with shadows, probably themps in that part were not lit. That¡¯s why Luo Yan couldn¡¯t see what¡¯s there. Of course, the maid pushed the trolley on that part.


    Luo Yan could see some silver threads the more they walked towards the shadowed part of the bas.e.m.e.nt. When the maid stopped, a raspy voice spoke.


    "You¡¯rete."


    Luo Yan squinted his eyes to see who just spoke. As his eyes got used to the darkness, the outline of the person in front started to be clearer. Once he saw it clearly, he couldn¡¯t help but stepped back. Because in front of them was not a person but some kind of monster.


    The upper body of the monster was the same as that of a human female. Even her face was simr to a human. But once you saw her lower body, you wouldn¡¯t think of her as anything but a monster. From her waist down, it was like that of a big ck spider¡¯s. From the bulbous abdomen to the eight legs, she¡¯s like a half-human, half-spider hybrid.


    So, was this the monster that took over the manor and became its master? Obviously, she only arrived here two months ago. If not, then the disappearance of those girls would have happened long ago. How did shee here? Could it be...?


    The maid pushed the trolley in front of the woman-spider monster. Then suddenly, the maid copsed and fell on the bas.e.m.e.nt floor. The monster pointed at the maid and a silver spider thread came out of her finger. It attached itself on the maid¡¯s nape. When the monster pulled it, a small spider was attached at the end of the thread.


    "Useless thing," the monster said before crushing the small spider using her hand. Then on the palm of her other hand, another small spider appeared. "You, make sure you won¡¯t bete in bringing my food."


    She threw the spider and it crawled towards the maid.


    So, this woman-spider was the one controlling the maid. With that, it¡¯s now safe to assume that this monster was now the real master of this manor.


    Then, it¡¯s now time for him to kill.


    Since this was a task for a ss application, this monster¡¯s level would definitely not exceed 15. But that would also mean that he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill it with one single stroke. Because they were at the same level. There were still seven minutes left before the effect of his Invisibility Cloak wore off. He could still use his Shadow Walk skill. But he probably wouldn¡¯t need to use it. He¡¯s confident he could kill her within that seven minutes time range.


    Luo Yan took out arge purple potion and arge yellow potion. This potions could cause sleep and paralysis on its intended target for 10 seconds. Because this spider monster could still be considered as a rtively low level monster, these two potions could exert its full effect on it. But if it had a high level, then that would be a different matter.


    He didn¡¯t close his Items Tab, so he could immediately took out the two potions once the effect wore off.


    Before the woman-spider monster started eating, Luo Yan already threw a purple potion at her, then he followed it with a yellow potion. The monster immediately fell on the floor. He didn¡¯t start attacking her, instead he walked towards the maid and took out the small spider at the back of her neck. He crushed it and then turned towards the monster.


    He took out his dagger and walked closer to the monster. Then he thrust the dagger on her chest. But she didn¡¯t disappear, which meant that that wasn¡¯t enough to kill her. The 10 seconds would be up, so he threw another purple and yellow potion to the monster.


    This time, Luo Yan went for the head. With one sh, he¡¯d only reached a third of her neck. As expected, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it in one move. So he just shed and shed. When there¡¯s only a little muscle attaching the head to the neck, the two potions would soon lost its effect. This time Luo Yan didn¡¯t bother to use them again.


    The monster suddenly opened her eyes. But before she could make any other noise, he already made another sh. Severing the headpletely. And then the body and the head slowly disintegrated.


    As soon as it did, the notification bell sounded.


    [Congrattions! You sessfullypleted the task for the ss application. You¡¯re now one of Arcadia¡¯s Assassins! Go and talk to the Master Assassin to know your assessment result. PS. Since the task given to you was a bit special, if you managed to answer the questions of the Master Assassin correctly, then a reward might be waiting for you.]


    Luo Yan avoided the trunk of the tree flying at him. But when hended, the ground he was standing on suddenly opened. His small body quickly moved and reached for the edge of the opened ground before he could fall. He heard hissing sounds from below. He looked down and saw a nest of snakes.


    [This shitty task--!]


    He took a deep, calming breathe and pushed his body upwards. When he got out, he immediately raised the gun he was holding. He pointed it towards the target and then pressed the trigger. It barely entered the outer ring of the target circle.


    But Luo Jin didn¡¯t care. He¡¯s so tired and ufortable, he just wanted this task to end.


    The notification bell sounded.


    [Congrattions! You sessfullypleted the task for the ss application. You¡¯re now one of Arcadia¡¯s Gunsglingers! Go and talk to the Master Gunslinger to know your assessment result.]


    Shit. Finally!

 Chapter 61 THE MASTER ASSASSINS QUESTIONS

    WHEN Luo Yan opened his eyes, he was once again back at the room where the Master Assassin was. The same as when he epted the task earlier, the Master Assassin was still standing silently at the corner.


    Luo Yan must admit, aside from all the gory stuff, this task was actually pretty easy. If he didn¡¯t interview all those vigers, he would probably be able to finish this task much faster. But he knew that interviewing the vigers was an integral part of the task. If he didn¡¯t do it, then he would miss a lot of things. And also, he was only able to finish this task without any problems because he had a special item with him - the Invisibility Cloak.


    Without that, this task might have gone in a very different way. He should really thank the Elder of the moon elves. Or maybe he should thank the game designers for giving the Invisibility Cloak as the reward for the hidden task at his Origin Vige. He might as well thank them for this task. Because it was very tailored made for him. As if the game¡¯s system recognized that it would be easy for him to take this task that¡¯s why it was given to him.


    But wouldn¡¯t that just make him too lucky? Now that he thought about it, he had been nothing but lucky ever since his rebirth. From his new family, even to this game. Could it be, after being reborn, he actually became the darling of heaven? God might be reallypensating him for the stupid way he died. After all, he was killed by some stupid potted nt.


    If that was the case, then he could only hope for this luck to continue. But now that he¡¯s being conscious about it, he might just actually jinx himself ¨C stopping his luck and being unlucky instead.


    Luo Yan just shook his head. Seriously, sometimes his brain could think of the most foolish things.


    He turned towards the Master Assassin. "Master, I¡¯m done with the task. Please, give me my assessment."


    "You passed. As for the rating of your task and the subsequent reward, it would be given to you once you answered my question," the Master Assassin said.


    "I understand. But before that, could I first check something in my Status Window?"


    The Master Assassin closed his eyes, probably as a sign that he agreed. So Luo Yan proceeded on opening his Monster Index to check thetest addition.


    Drider


    -A half woman, half spider monster. They were quite a ruthless race that wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill anyone if it could be to their advantage. They¡¯re sensitive to light and very much preferred dark ces.


    -Aside from their poisonous silver threads, they could also release some kind of gas that could force their opponents to fall into a deep sleep. They could also control others by attaching one of their spiders at the being they wanted to control. Of course, this would only work on those being with a lower level than them.


    -Because there were no males in their race, they were given the ability to temporary transform into a human during their mating seasons. Once pregnant, they would transform back to their original form. Their favorite food was human meat, especially those that belonged to young girls.


    Level: 15


    Type: Rare


    Luo Yan grinned once he read that. Now all the information in his hand about this task was finallypleted.


    He turned back to the Master Assassin. "I¡¯m ready to answer your question, Master."


    "What¡¯s the identity of the drider that became the master of Ivy Grove Manor? How do you think they arrived there? And what method did they use to take those young girls?"


    "The drider was Miss Eliza, the friend which Miss Jewel brought back and was said to be there for a vacation. They probably met somewhere and she purposely got close to Miss Jewel after knowing that she was from a small vige. It would be a good breeding ground for her. She sessfully befriended Miss Jewel and went back with her to the vige.


    "After that, she probably had intercourse with one of the men in the manor. Once she got pregnant, she killed one of the young maids and proceeded to kill the rest of the residence of the manor. Of course, the young girls like Miss Jewel and the other maid were left to be her food.


    "The other missing girls at the vige was taken without anyone knowing because the drider released her sleeping gas at the vige, making the vigers fall into a deep sleep. Then she would order one of her spiders to attach itself to the target she¡¯d chosen. And that target woulde on their own to the manor. They would be killed andter on be eaten."


    Luo Yan finished, quite confident with his answers.


    "Correct," the Master Assassin simply said. "The rating of your task is S. Passing the Assassin ss application task, you¡¯re now a certified Assassin of Arcadia. And having done so quite skillfully, a reward would be given to you."


    The master snapped his fingers and a book appeared in front of Luo Yan. He took the book and put it in his Items Tab. Then he read its information.


    [Assassin Skill Book ¨C read this book and you would automatically learn a high level Active Skill.]


    In Arcadia, yers could learn skills through skill books. Although he already decided to test out those Active Skills that only required simple moves once he became an Assassin and see if it would be recorded, having a skill book at hand wouldn¡¯t be bad either.


    Now he¡¯s thankful that he did all that investigation back at that small vige. Seemed like he actually didn¡¯t waste his time doing that. With this reward, he could forgive the game designers for showing him all those gory images.


    "Leave once you¡¯re done," the Master Assassin said, going back to closing his eyes.


    "Okay. Thank you, Master!" Luo Yan said in a good mood.


    Once he went out of the room, he heard two consecutive notification sound. He checked his Status Window and saw that he received two messages. One was from [AmazingYoungMasterJin] and the other was from [SHEN].


    Of course, he first his brother¡¯s message. Although he was a bit confused why he still had to send him a message. Could it be that his task didn¡¯t go well?


    [Yan, I passed the Gunslinger task. But I had to log out for a bit. Wait for me and don¡¯t meet that shady guy with blue eyes alone. Okay?]


    Luo Jin had to log out? Did something really happen? He thought, not really taking thest bit his brother said seriously. Then he proceeded on reading the message of Shen Ji Yun.


    [Could we still talk once you¡¯re done with your task? I¡¯ll be waiting at the Moonriver Restaurant. I already reserved a private box for us. If you can¡¯t, then we could just reschedule for another time.]


    Luo Yan thought that this was probably to ask him about those survey questions. So he didn¡¯t think much and just agreed.

 Chapter 62 THEIR FIRST (VR) MEAL TOGETHER (I)

    LUO YAN went straight to the Moonriver Restaurant after he left the ss Bureau. He arrived at a three-story building. Its architecture was simr to those big restaurants built during those ancient dynasties. The sign of the restaurant was written in a beautiful calligraphy. It seemed to be quite popr because of the amount of customer inside.


    As usual, once he entered a building full of people, he immediately became the center of attention. Although he didn¡¯t really mind people looking at him, but too much was still kind of annoying. He¡¯s not some kind of exhibit disyed inside a museum after all.


    Well, he could only me himself for being too beautiful. It didn¡¯t help that this game actually made him look magical, adding more to his charm. Ah, being beautiful could be truly hard sometimes.


    An NPC waiter walked up to him. "Dear customer, are you here to eat? We currently don¡¯t have any free seat at the first floor. But if you¡¯re willing to wait, I¡¯m sure a table would be freed soon. Or are you willing to open a private box at the second or third floor? Of course that would cost a bit more crystal coins."


    Well, this NPC sure know how to sale talk. "No. My friend opened a box here. His name is [SHEN]."


    "Then please let me check first." A screen appeared in front of the NPC. "I see the name of your friend. He opened a box at the third floor. Please, follow me dear customer."


    The NPC walked towards the stairs and Luo Yan followed. Arriving at the third floor, he noticed that the box here was much biggerpared to the second floor. He judged it by the distance of each box¡¯ door to one another. The NPC led him to the third box. When the NPC opened the door, Luo Yan saw Shen Ji Yun sitting inside. He was no longer wearing his mask that covered up the lower half of his handsome face.


    Even if he was just sitting there, there was still a cold atmosphere surrounding him. As if he always carried his own personal air conditioner around him. He raised his head and looked at the opened door. His blue eyes were as cold as ice ciers. Luo Yan didn¡¯t know if it was just his imagination, but when Shen Ji Yun¡¯s gazended on him, those ice ciers seemed to melt.


    "Sorry, have you been waiting long?" he said, sitting at the opposite side of Shen Ji Yun. "I only just finished my ss application task, you see."


    "It¡¯s alright," Shen Ji Yun said. Although he¡¯s not really the most patient person, for some reason, in this situation, he didn¡¯t really mind the wait. He probably wouldn¡¯t even mind if he had to stay here for another hour or two. "Did it go well, your task?"


    "Yes, I passed with flying colors," Luo Yan answered proudly with a big grin on his face.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the big smile on the rabbit¡¯s face. He¡¯d already seen it earlier, but the effect on him was still not lessened. Because it was such a nice smile, as if the sunshine just poured down on whoever saw it. Though he truly wondered why he thought that. Bai Ze always smiled at him but he just thought he looked foolish. So what was it with this rabbit that was so different?


    Of course, Luo Yan was unaware of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s little struggle. He was looking around the box. It was indeed big, almost the size of two normal rooms. The design inside was simple but exquisite, showing that this was not indeed a cheap room.


    "Dear customers, are you ready to order?" the NPC waiter asked.


    Luo Yan turned, he almost forgot that this NPC was still here.


    "Do you have any particr food you like? This restaurant offers authentic Chinese cuisines. But if you¡¯re in mind for something different, we could go somece else," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need to be so troublesome," Luo Yan said, who would have thought that this overly cold-looking guy was actually quite thoughtful? "And we can just order anything. I¡¯m not really picky with my food. You can just order whatever."


    Being poor in hisst life, he didn¡¯t really have the luxury to be picky with his food. Although right now, because this body stayed ina for seven years, he still needed to follow a strict diet. But this was VR. He could eat all the food he wanted without worrying about the consequences. He actually long wanted to try the food in the game. But so far, he and Luo Jin hadn¡¯t had the chance to do that.


    Hearing that he wasn¡¯t picky with his food, Shen Ji Yun was actually a bit surprised. Remembering how this rabbit was so thin and small in real life, he thought that it was because ofck of nutrition. Seeing that his family seemed to be quite well-off, he just automatically assumed that it was because he was picky with his food.


    So, did that mean that his small stature was something he was just born into? Well, Shen Ji Yun must admit that it was quite suited for the rabbit. Like some small, cute, fluffy animal.


    He turned to the NPC. "We¡¯re ready to order."


    A screen appeared in front of Shen Ji Yun. The list of menu was inside. He picked a couple of dishes. Once he¡¯s done, he needed to input his game ount name to pay for what he ordered. After that, the dished he ordered immediately appeared on the table.


    "Then please enjoy your food," said the NPC before bowing and leaving the room.


    Luo Yan was quite amazed by how the food just suddenly appeared like that. But well, everything here was just a bunch of data. So conjuring this much food in a blink of an eye shouldn¡¯t really be that surprising.


    The two then started eating.


    Luo Yan first took a piece of spring roll. The moment he bit it, his eyes slightly widened. Because it not only tasted real, it was also extremely delicious. It immediately picked up his appetite. Without him noticing, he started to eat the food one after the other.


    Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help but stare at Luo Yan. He was eating in such a lively manner. He looked like he was truly enjoying his food. Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips curved up slightly, showing a small smile.


    Seeing the rabbit enjoying his food, he couldn¡¯t help but also want to eat more.


    Luo Yan looked up at that moment and saw the small smile that appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. It¡¯s only a slight curving of lips but considering how this guy seemed to have facial paralysis, it was already quite noticeable.


    "Brother Ji Yun should smile more often. It¡¯s such a waste not to. Since you have such a handsome face," Luo Yan said, giving an off-handedpliment.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t answer and just looked down, as if he was concentrating on eating.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind. He shrugged and just focused his attention back to eating.


    But if he bothered to look at Shen Ji Yun much closely, then he would see that his ear tips and neck were now both as red as a ripe tomato. And in his mind, all he could think of was;


    [The rabbit just called me handsome...]

 Chapter 63 THEIR FIRST (VR) MEAL TOGETHER (II)

    "AH, that was good," Luo Yan said while patting his stomach.


    They just finish all the dishes ordered by Shen Ji Yun, most of it ended up in his stomach or at least his virtual one anyway. Despite that, he still didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d eaten too much. The wonders of VR. This was truly heaven for those people who liked to eat but didn¡¯t want to increase their weight. He and Luo Jin should really go food tripping here sometimes.


    Then he suddenly remembered the reason why they¡¯re here in the first ce. Shen Ji Yun invited him here so that he could answer those survey questions. But he became too engrossed in eating that he totally forgot about it.


    "Brother Ji Yun, about those survey questions, please feel free to ask them," he said. "Sorry, you must have been wanting to ask them since earlier."


    "It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just some routine stuff anyway," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Looking at his cold expression that seemed not to care, Luo Yan was a bit amazed. Because he didn¡¯t think that he would be such a patient guy. He waited here for more than an hour, then when Luo Yan finally came, he prioritized eating instead of voluntarily talking about those survey questions. But he didn¡¯t even get annoyed. If it was him, he definitely would.


    "Then please, ask away. I don¡¯t want to waste Brother Ji Yun¡¯s time anymore."


    Shen Ji Yun looked at him, his expression strangely serious. "You¡¯re not wasting my time."


    "Okay," he just said because he didn¡¯t really know how to answer that.


    Like Shen Ji Yun said, the things he asked were all routine questions when it came to testing for game bugs. Like if he encountered any glitches or if some of the NPCs were not acting right, things like that. He answered them one by one. He managed to finish answering all the questions just after ten minutes.


    "Are those answers enough?" he asked.


    "Yes, they¡¯re already plenty enough."


    "Does Brother Ji Yun often do things like this? Asking survey questions to yers, I mean?"


    "No, this is just a one-time thing. The head of the programming team pleaded me to do it." But if ¡¯Noctis¡¯ didn¡¯t turn out to be the silly rabbit, he probably wouldn¡¯t bother to put much effort just to ask some survey questions.


    Luo Yan thought so. Shen Ji Yun was the nephew of Moonlight Media¡¯s CEO after all. Why would he go around asking survey questions to yers?


    "Then you and that person must be really close," he just said. "Because you readily agreed to his request."


    "Not really. I was just curious, by this yer called ¡¯Noctis¡¯. Coincidentally, it turned out to be you."


    Well, that was kind of unexpected. "How did Brother Ji Yun hear about me?"


    He¡¯d only been ying for a week and this was only the second day where he interacted with other yers. How could he be famous in such a short amount of time? Could his name spread that fast by just relying with his sheer beauty alone?


    "When there is a new update, especially like this one where new races were added, the programming team observed the ount of those new yers who managed to get any of the newly added race. To check for bugs and other such things. Of course, that was only at the beginning, when the yers were still at their Origin Vige. Any more than that and it would invade the yers¡¯ privacy.


    "The head of the programming team said that you were quite the interesting yer. You have a good grasp of the game even though you¡¯re only a beginner. It piqued my interest. But mostly, I thought that he was probably just exaggerating. Then I saw you fight at the Arena yesterday and I was immediately proven wrong. You really are quite good."


    Luo Yan could only let out an awkwardugh. He¡¯d been boasted so seriously that he didn¡¯t know how to react. He couldn¡¯t possibly say that it was because he had yed the PC version and he was considered one of the best back then. His transition to VR was actually not that hard. His experience back then probably yed a big part.


    Because he had a good understanding of the game, he could fully integrate himself in it. It was easy for him to think of a move and this virtual body would immediately enact it fluidly. He should probably be grateful that this body had a fast brain activity despite being in aa for seven years. Or maybe it was the result of his soul being plugged into this body.


    Being reborn in a new body was something already unthinkable under normal circ.u.mstances. So his theory was probably not far off from the truth.


    "Maybe my brain is just suitable for this type of game," he said scratching the tip of his nose.


    Shen Ji Yun unconsciously stared at Luo Yan¡¯s nose. Looking at his small movement and that slightly awkward smile, all he could think of was; [How cute.]


    He cleared his throat and drank the tea in front of him. Seriously, what was he thinking? It seemed like ever since he met this rabbit, his mind would be filled with weird thoughts from time to time ¨C like how cute this rabbit was or something. Could it be that he¡¯s a secret small fluffy animal control? And meeting this rabbit actually awaken that?


    Despite the weird direction Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brain was taking, none of his thoughts showed on his face. In Luo Yan¡¯s view, he still looked cold and expressionless, like a doll with no emotion.


    "If you have any questions regarding the game, just ask me," Shen Ji Yun said, changing the subject.


    "Oh, I actually have one. You see, the task I got when I was applying for a task was actually kind of weird." Luo Yan then proceeded on telling Shen Ji Yun about his task. "Are tasks with back stories like that actuallymon in this game?"


    Luo Yan asked because in the PC version, back stories were not really a big part of the task. It was usually shown as some cut scene or something. A yer could actually skip all those and still managed to finish the task sessfully. But in this VR version, it¡¯s inevitable to go through everything. Because if you didn¡¯t, then you might miss something and that would eventually lead to failure.


    "No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s actually pretty rare. You¡¯re lucky you got one this early. Task like that usually yield high quality rewards," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Luo Yan remembered the hidden task in his Origin Vige that gave him that Umbra metal which could really be considered as high quality. And now this ss application task gave him that Skill Book. He still hadn¡¯t check it yet. But considering what Shen Ji Yun said, could it be a very high level skill?


    He smiled happily just thinking about that. "I really am lucky then."


    Shen Ji Yun stared at this smile. Even though the rabbit¡¯s game avatar veered off to the beautiful type, he still couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how cute he was. He clenched his fists, his hands were just itching to pinch the rabbit¡¯s cheeks.


    Maybe he should just go and adopt a rabbit for real.

 Chapter 64 WILL LUO YAN REALLY BE ALRIGHT?

    LUO YAN looked at the time and saw that it was almost time for dinner. Luo Jin said that he would only log off for a bit but he didn¡¯t return after this long. He wondered what could have happened.


    "Brother Ji Yun," he called and then cringed a little bit inside. Seriously, calling this guy ¡¯brother¡¯ was just a bit weird for him. After all, technically, he¡¯s older than him. But because he had to act cute and pitiful when they first met, he didn¡¯t hesitate to call him ¡¯brother¡¯. Changing the way he call him now would be a bit weird. He¡¯d just bear with it. "I have to log out now. Thank you for the meal. How much was it? I¡¯ll pay for half."


    "No need."


    He looked like his decision couldn¡¯t be changed, so Luo Yan could only say; "Then let me buy a meal for you next time."


    Shen Ji Yun was thinking of rejecting him because he¡¯s not really that fond of VR food. No matter how good it tasted, it stillcked something. A certain satisfaction that you could only get by eating real food. Maybe he¡¯s just being too sensitive because he knew how to cook.


    But before he could reject him, he suddenly thought that it was actually a good excuse for them to meet again. So at the end, he could only say, "Um."


    "I¡¯ll go now then."


    "Wait-" he said when Luo Yan stood up. The rabbit turned to him, his big peach blossom eyes full of curiosity as to why he stopped him. "If you encounter anything in the game that you don¡¯t understand or just something you find weird, just message me. I¡¯ll try to answer it as best as I could for you."


    "But wouldn¡¯t that be too much of a bother?"


    "It won¡¯t."


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s seemingly cold appearance, but despite that, he¡¯s actually saying something quite heartwarming. Could it be that he¡¯s the type that¡¯s cold on the outside but very warm on the inside? Wait- wouldn¡¯t that make him one of those? What was that term again? That term otakus used to describe that type of character. Muu- juu- ah! Kuudere! He must be that, right?


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle thinking of that possibility. "Then I¡¯ll take Brother Ji Yun at your word." The other just seriously nodded which highly amused him. "I¡¯ll go now. Bye-bye!" he said and gave a little wave.


    As he walked out of the private box, he suddenly remembered that he hadn¡¯t yet input Mana to that egg today. He¡¯d just do it before he logged out.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the closed door of the box and sighed. He actually wanted to ask if he and the rabbit could be friends. But somehow, he couldn¡¯t find the right timing to do so. Or maybe he just simply sucked at this ¡¯asking to be friends¡¯ thing. Because he had never done something like this before.


    He and Bai Ze became friends because of the other¡¯s unrelenting efforts. Or rather, it¡¯s because Bai Ze just enjoyed meddling with him. As time went by, he simply got used to his presence. The same could be said for Yuqi and the other two members of their team.


    Should he just ask Bai Ze for advice then? He let out a long sigh. He could already feel a headache just thinking about it.


    Luo Yan went out of his room. He just walked for a bit and he immediately saw Luo Jin. It looked like he just came down from his room.


    "Ah Jin," he called walking up to him. "Why did you suddenly logged out? Then you didn¡¯t log in again. Did something happen?"


    "Nothing. I just felt sleepy and decided to log out to take a nap for a bit," Luo Jin said, not looking at his second brother.


    How could he tell him that after taking that task, he ended up with all kinds of things, some he didn¡¯t even want to mention. Not only that, he also barely managed to finish shooting all the targets before the time was up. Then when he returned to that room where the Master Gunslinger was, he gave him a B rating for his task. Which was really frustrating. Not to mention, all those unmentionable things were still on him. He didn¡¯t know how to remove it, so he just decided to log out.


    When he returned to his room, he felt like those things ¨C all the mud, slime, and those other gross stuffs - were still attached to his skin. He could only redit it to the fact that the game was just too real. To the point that even he was no longer in the game, his senses were still affected by what he experienced.


    So he took a bath. Who would have thought that after that, he would really fall asleep? So technically, he didn¡¯t really lie to his second brother. He just didn¡¯t tell the whole truth. How could he? It was too embarrassing. It would just make him lookme and uncool. How could he leave that kind of image to Luo Yan?


    Luo Yan stared at his younger brother. "Really?"


    He had a feeling that Luo Jin was lying. He thought of bullying him into telling the truth, but at the end he still thought against it. He already bullied Luo Jin quite a number of times, he wasn¡¯t even aware that he¡¯s being bullied. Luo Yan was kind of starting to feel guilty about it. So, he decided to let him off this time.


    "Of course! Anyway, you didn¡¯t talk alone with that shady blue-eyed guy, did you?" Luo Jin said, changing the subject.


    "I did, actually."


    "Why? And even after I purposely told you not to," Luo Jin said, with a bit of grievance and me.


    "Well, he waited for more than an hour just so he could ask me those survey questions. It would be rude of me not to meet him. And frankly, I have no reason not to," Luo Yan said. "Don¡¯t be too antagonistic to him. Even though he looks like some expressionless doll, he¡¯s not a bad guy."


    "I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s expressionless or not. That¡¯s not the reason why I don¡¯t want you to go near him," Luo Jin said, looking annoyed and frustrated.


    "Wait- don¡¯t tell me you still think he has some kind of ulterior motive?"


    "Because he has!"


    Luo Yan chuckled. "I assure you, he doesn¡¯t."


    Luo Jin stared at his second brother¡¯s smile which only made his already pretty face much prettier and suddenly, his frustration just increased by a few levels. Would Luo Yan really be alright? He couldn¡¯t even recognize the enemy! How could he grow up safely in this society full of wolves just waiting in the dark to have a bite of him?


    No matter. Luo Jin just had to make sure to protect him.

 Chapter 65 HE WOULD DEFINITELY...

    "TEACHER, I¡¯m done," Luo Yan said, giving the paper to hisnguage tutor, hisst teacher for the day.


    Thenguage tutor took the paper and looked over it. Just as she expected, every answer was correct. She wasn¡¯t even surprised anymore. Since she started tutoring this child, she¡¯d been continuously amazed by his speed of learning. They¡¯d only started eight days ago and yet they¡¯d already covered the primary level and was already at the middle school level. It was probably the same for the subjects of the other two teachers tutoring.


    "Very good, as expected of Young Master," she praised. "I heard from your father that you n to go straight to third year of high school once the new school term starts, is it true?"


    "Yes, Teacher."


    "Are you sure about this decision? Thest year of high school is the hardest. It would be especially so for you. You not only have to adapt to a new environment, you also have to interact with your ssmates. Some of them would be unkind to you. At the same time, you have to face the pressure of the college entrance examination. Are you ready to face all those things?"


    The teacher was seriously worried. Because the second young master of the Luo family was truly a good kid. She was told about the circ.u.mstance behind his home schooling ¨C that he was in aa for seven years and just woke up almost four months ago.


    Despite being 17, he didn¡¯t have the same experience the other kids his age had. Or it might be more right to say that he didn¡¯t have any experience at all. That would only be a big disadvantage when facing others. Especially those students who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to bully others just because they appeared to be a little bit different. She didn¡¯t want this young master to experience something like that.


    Luo Yan stared at hisnguage teacher and saw the sincerity in her eyes. He smiled. "I will be fine, Teacher. Besides, Ah Jin will be at the same school. I won¡¯t be lonely. And if others tried to be mean to me, I¡¯ll tell Dad about it. Dad will definitely punish them," he said in a na?ve and childish tone.


    He might have said it that way, but he perfectly understood what the teacher meant. She was afraid that he would be bullied by those kids. Add that to the pressure of college entrance examination and his fragile self might not be able to take it. Fortunately, he¡¯s not a real 17-year-old who just woke up from a seven-yeara.


    There¡¯s no way he would allow others to bully him. Besides, his family was one of the richest family here in S City. Just by that, he could be assured that most would not bully him. Not to his face anyway. They would be too afraid of the surname he carried. But if someone did try to, he¡¯d definitely fight back.


    The teacher stopped and then smiled helplessly. "Then we should both do our best so you could learn everything you should before the new school term starts."


    "Yes, Teacher!"


    After the lesson, Luo Yan walked his teacher out then asked one of the maids if she knew where Luo Jin was. She said he was at the indoor gym.


    The gym was on a bas.e.m.e.nt floor. ording to his older brother, the bas.e.m.e.nt as well as the gym had just been built two years ago. At the request of Luo Jin no less. Because he wanted to continue practicing kickboxing and going to another was too much of a hassle so he simply asked their father if they could have one here. But he still went once a month to the gym where he first learned kickboxing.


    Luo Yan decided to go down the gym. The exercises he needed to do could be done in his room, so he had never gone to the gym. He never really had the interest so he hadn¡¯t gone there.


    He opened the door leading to the bas.e.m.e.nt and climbed down the stairs. The lights automatically turned on as he walked. He whistled. This was certainly an example of what money could do. He made sure to be careful as he climbed down. Because of his physical strength, he might identally trip if he wasn¡¯t careful enough. At the end of the stairs, there was just a short corridor that lead to another door. Luo Yan opened it and walked in.


    When he entered, what he saw was Luo Jin kicking a punching bag. He was wearing shorts and tank top, showing off his well-defined muscles. From his movements, Luo Yan could even see his six pack abs.


    He suddenly felt envious. He¡¯s obviously the older one, so why was their physiques so different? Luo Jin was only 16 and yet he already looked like a full grown a.d.u.l.t. While he was 17 and yet he could barely pass as a 14-year-old. Was it only the fault of thea? Or was this body just born to be slender and petite? He¡¯d rather it be the former.


    Should he also start going to the gym? Maybe try to also learn some martial arts. After all, with this face, he would definitely need that. Maybe that would help for him to have his growth spurt faster.


    He nced again at Luo Jin and his perfect physique. He pouted. It¡¯s still unfair though. He pumped his fist. No. He shouldn¡¯t lose hope. One day, he would definitely have the same body.

 Chapter 66 A TIDE OF FRIEND INVITES

    "AH JIN!" Luo Yan called.


    Luo Jin was about to punch the punching bag but stopped his movements when he heard that familiar voice. He turned around and just as he expected, he saw Luo Yaning in from the entrance and then walking towards him. He furrowed his brows.


    "Why did youe down here? What if you fell while climbing down the stairs?" he scolded.


    "Listen now, Ah Jin, the doctor didn¡¯t say that I couldn¡¯t climb a stair. He just said that I should be very careful when I do," Luo Yan said, putting both hands on his waist. "You couldn¡¯t possibly expect me not to climb a stair all my life?"


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t know how to answer that, because his second brother did have a point. But still. "Just don¡¯t do anything careless. You know your body right now is much weakerpared to normal people."


    "You make it sound like I¡¯m not normal," Luo Yan said acting sad.


    "T-that¡¯s not it! Just... just be careful, okay?" Luo Jin could only say at the end, he didn¡¯t really want Luo Yan to be sad.


    "Maybe it would be better if Ah Jin could teach me kickboxing. It would definitely make me stronger."


    "What are you saying? Kickboxing is not suitable for you."


    Luo Yan¡¯s big peach blossom eyes suddenly filled with water. "Ah Jin, why are you being so mean?"


    "N-no! It¡¯s not like that!" Luo Jin said in a panicked said. How could this second brother of his cry at the drop of a hat? "If you really want to learn some kind of martial art, then I think Jiu-Jitsu would be the best pick."


    "Jiu-Jitsu?"


    "Yeah. In my opinion, it¡¯s the best one for beginners trying to learn self-defense." It would definitely be helpful to his second brother if he managed to learn some Jiu-Jitsu moves. "But before you go and ask Dad to let you learn, your health should bepletely back to a hundred percent first. The kind where the doctor could give hisplete approval to you. Okay?"


    "Okay!" Luo Yan nodded.


    Jiu-Jitsu, huh? It would really be good if he could learn. But just like Luo Jin said, his health should be back to a hundred percent first.


    "What did youe down here for anyway?" Luo Jin changed the subject before Luo Yan talked about martial arts again.


    "I just want to ask if you¡¯re going to y Arcadia today," Luo Yan said.


    Becausest night, after dinner, Luo Jin didn¡¯t want to y for some reason. He also decided not to y and just take a break and sleep early.


    "I will. I¡¯ll just take a quick shower first, then the both of us could y together."


    "Okay. Then I¡¯ll just wait for you so we could log in together. Ah wait- where did you log out yesterday?"


    "Outside the ss Bureau."


    "Then I¡¯ll go to you. I logged out some ce else, you see. Just make sure not to move in front of the ss Bureau before I arrive, okay?"


    "Why can¡¯t I just go to you?"


    [Because you¡¯re directionally challenged.] Well, not reallypletely. Probably just a little bit. He noticed it when they started to y together. Luo Jin would sometimes go off the wrong direction whenever he¡¯s fl.u.s.tered. So just to make sure, it¡¯s better if he was the one who went to him.


    "Because I like Ah Jin so much, I couldn¡¯t let you do such a trivial thing," he said, smiling sweetly at Luo Jin.


    As expected, Luo Jin¡¯s face turned bright red.


    When Luo Yan entered Arcadia, he appeared in front of the Moonriver Restaurant. He immediately started walking towards the ss Bureau. But he hadn¡¯t taken a single step yet and the notification bell for friend invitation suddenly sounded. After that first time, it sounded again and again and again. It almost felt like there¡¯s an rm repeatedly ringing inside his head.


    Annoyed, he opened his Status Window and was extremely shocked when he saw that he received almost a hundred friend invitation. "What the--?"


    Why did he suddenly receive so many friend invites? The rule of inviting another yer to be your friend here in Arcadia ¨C at least in this VR version - was prettyx. You only need to know their game ount name. Since no two ount name were the same.


    How did these people know his game ount name then?


    Then he suddenly remembered that fight at the Arena the other day. If he remembered correctly, his game ount name was posted on a screen for everyone to see right before the fight. But the number of audience then weren¡¯t that much. It couldn¡¯t even fill half of the audience area. Could it be all those yers send him a friend invite? No, he didn¡¯t think that was the case.


    So what could it be then?


    Anyway, the more important thing now was to stop this. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d approved the invitation of these yers he didn¡¯t know about. He went to the settings of the Friend List option and disabled the function where he could receive friend invites.


    After doing that, he continued walking towards his destination.


    On his way, he could feel the gaze of other yers on him. Which, of course, he thoroughly ignored. Soon, he arrived at the ss Bureau. He immediately saw Luo Jin¡¯s tiny figure standing there. He quickly ran towards him.


    "Ah Jin, did you wait long?" he asked when he reached him.


    "No. What should we do today?"


    "Let¡¯s buy weapons, then go to the Task Hall to look for some task we could do."


    "That¡¯s fine by me."


    They were about to walk when a female yer suddenly approached them. Her gaze focused on Luo Yan.


    "Excuse me, are you that yer ¡¯Noctis¡¯?" she asked, her eyes shining.


    "Ah... yes?" Luo Yan just said, not really sure for the reason of this sudden approach.


    "I knew it! Wow. You¡¯re even more beautiful than the photos posted in the forum."


    Forum? Suddenly, Luo Yan felt like he finally had the answer on why he received that much friend invites.


    He smiled sweetly at the female yer. "Could you tell me more about that?"

 Chapter 67 BECAUSE IM PRETTY

    THE female yer enthusiastically told him about the post that was gaining poprity at the game forum of Arcadia these past two days. It turned out that after Luo Yan¡¯s fight at the Arena, someone posted screen shots of his game avatar on the forum and it just unexpectedly blew up. A lot of yersmented and one even posted a video of his fight. The video only helped for the post to get more popr.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t really sure how to react after hearing all that. Should he be ttered or just be in annoyed? Because of that tidal wave of friend invites he just received and the constant gaze of the people around, she¡¯s currently more inclined to thetter.


    "Could we take a picture together?" the female yer asked.


    In her opinion, this Noctis looked much better than the other famous male gods here in Arcadia. Like the angelic captain of the team Celestials or the darkly charming and seductive captain of the team Sanguis. There was also that mysterious captain of the team Yunyue, who, even though their team was now known as ¡¯fallen champions¡¯, was still very famous.


    And just like what that post said in the forum, Noctis could even rival the beauty of Song Liuli ¨C the current certified number one beauty of Arcadia.


    Just looked at that long white hair, those big blue eyes sprinkled with gold, and that clear white skin. For the female yer, a true beauty could transcend both genders. And Noctis was the prime example of that. Men and women alike could fall for him. That¡¯s why when she first saw his photos at the forum, she immediately became a fan.


    After she asked if she could take a photo with him, she suddenly felt her legs being pushed. And then she heard a milky voice said;


    "You can¡¯t!"


    She looked down and saw a gnome wearing a cute costume. The tips of his ck hair were tinted red. His big red eyes were ring intently at her. He was standing in front of Noctis in a guarding posture as if he was some kind of knight. Instead of being annoyed, she felt like she¡¯d just been attack by a cuteness arrow straight to her heart.


    She bent down and stared brightly at the gnome. "How cute!"


    Because she was too focused at Noctis, she didn¡¯t even notice this gnome standing beside him. Looking at the color of his hair and eyes that was unlike normal gnomes, he definitely was one of the newly added special races. Just like Noctis.


    One was a big beauty and the other was a little cutie. What perfectbination! Good thing that she suddenly felt like going to Olkdale Town or else she wouldn¡¯t be able to meet the two. Lucky!


    "Who are you calling cute?!" Luo Jin shouted, already on the verge of anger.


    [It¡¯s you, Ah Jin. You.] Luo Yan easily lifted Luo Jin¡¯s tiny body and smiled apologetically at the girl. "Sorry, my brother is quite sensitive. Thank you for answering my questions."


    Then before the girl could speak, Luo Yan walked away while carrying Luo Jin.


    The two were already far when the girl realized what just happened. Ah, and there they went. She sighed in disappointment. But then soon, smiled again. It didn¡¯t matter if she wasn¡¯t able to take a picture with Noctis. She already managed to gather a lot of materials just by seeing him. That cute little gnome was also a nice addition.


    But brothers? And here she thought they could be a good CP ¨C a pretty gong and a cute little shou. She could have drawn a lot of fan arts just based on that. But still, he was already satisfied with all the materials she got.


    The female yer with cat ears and cat tail walked towards the opposite direction. Even though her face was a bit in, her cat-like amber eyes were pretty striking. She could already imagine all the wonderful fan arts she¡¯d drawter. And then she started skipping happily.


    "Yan, put me down!" Luo Jinined.


    "Sorry, I got a bit carried away," Luo Yan said, putting down Luo Jin. They¡¯re already walking near the Weapon¡¯s Shop. "It¡¯s because Ah Jin is so light."


    "Aren¡¯t you mad at that forum post?" Luo Jin said instead.


    Because he was. How could someone just post a picture of another person without their permission? Even if it¡¯s just his second brother¡¯s game avatar, this could still affect him in some way. What if some weird person started staking Luo Yan because of this? Searching for him in this game, following him around, and then taking sneak shots of him. Sooner orter, that person would search for him in real life. Because of his obsession, he might even end up kidnapping Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan stared at his younger brother¡¯s expression that¡¯s getting angrier and angrier by the second. He¡¯s probably thinking something weird inside that head of his. Luo Yan could already imagine what it could be.


    "Not really," he answered. He might be a bit annoyed at first, but he soon got over it.


    "Why?" Luo Jin asked, not understanding his brother¡¯s response.


    "I read in the inte that something like this is amon thing. People posting photos of other people online. Like those artists and celebrities. Those people couldn¡¯t possibly control all the people taking their photos, right? Not to mention those posting and reposting them online."


    "But you¡¯re neither of those!"


    "It couldn¡¯t be helped."


    "Why?" Luo Jin asked again, confused on why Luo Yan would say that.


    Luo Yan let out a helpless sigh. "Because I¡¯m just too pretty. It¡¯s only natural for others to want to take photos of me."


    Luo Jin almost tripped when he heard that. "What did you say?"


    Luo Yan turned back at Luo Jin. "Does Ah Jin think I¡¯m not pretty?" he asked, tilting his head to the side while putting his forefinger on his chin.


    Luo Jin stepped back. He had long noticed this, but why did this brother of his seem to be too focus on the word ¡¯pretty¡¯? "You¡¯re a guy! You shouldn¡¯t call yourself pretty!"


    "But Dad and Brother said that I am. Are they lying?"


    [So, it¡¯s Dad and Older Brother¡¯s fault!] He definitely had to have a talk with those two. "Let¡¯s just go and buy those weapons, okay?" he just said and continued walking.


    "Ah Jin, that¡¯s not the right way!" Luo Yan called.


    Luo Jin blushed and stopped walking. Then he looked back at Luo Yan. "Then lead the way! Why are you always walking so slow?"


    "Yes!~"


    Luo Yan smiled and walked forward. It¡¯s really fun teasing Luo Jin.

 Chapter 68 NEW SKILL

    LUO YAN scooped cream from the big parfait he ordered and ate it. He held his cheek and indulged in the sweetness. "Ah, eating sweets is really the best. Aren¡¯t you d we came here, Ah Jin?"


    He looked at his younger brother who was sitting opposite him. Luo Jin, who was just about to bite into the slice of red velvet cake, stopped. Put down the slice of cake, used a fork to slice a part of it and then ate it.


    "It¡¯s not bad," he said.


    Luo Yan nced at the three empty tes stacked at the side of Luo Jin. [Not bad, huh? And yet you¡¯re already on your fourth te of cake, you tsundere.]


    They were on a caf¨¦ called ¡¯Sweet Haven¡¯. Luo Yan pulled Luo Jin here after they finished buying weapons. Since eating a VR meal with Shen Ji Yun yesterday, he¡¯d wanted to try eating desserts next. Because he had to follow a strict diet, he couldn¡¯t eat anything in excess. That included any kind of sweets. But here in Arcadia, he could eat as many kinds of food as he wanted without thinking of any consequences to his health. Ah, this game was really just like heaven.


    He scooped a big strawberry and ate it.


    Earlier at the Weapon¡¯s Shop, they bought weapons with the highest specs avable. He chose twin daggers with dark purple des to match his costume. While Luo Jin chose a pair of long-barreled silver pistol. Because of the high-specs, both weapons were quite expensive. But that¡¯s really not something he and Luo Jin should worry over. With the amount of crystal coins they both had, buying expensive game items would never be a problem for them. Having a lot of money for ying games really had its advantages.


    But crafted weapons would still be better than the expensive ones they bought. Because they would have even better specs, especially if the one who crafted them was a particrly good cksmith. Since both he and Luo Jin already got core materials for making weapons from their respective Origin Vige, they only had to search for other more that would go well with what they already have. Those could be found in dungeon raids, dropped by dungeon monsters and the dungeon boss. The higher the level of the dungeon, the higher the quality of the materials would be.


    But before they go dungeon raiding, it¡¯s more important to raise their level first. That¡¯s why they nned to go to the Task Hall after this. It¡¯s the ce where different tasks were posted. The tasks taken there would give more EXP for yers which would allow them to level up much faster. Sometimes, they could even unexpectedly give good rewards, which was much better than killing monsters aimlessly.


    Speaking of rewards, Luo Yan still hadn¡¯t checked that skill book he got from that ss application task. He might as well do it now.


    He opened his Items Tab where the skill book was. On the description, it said that he only needed to open the book and he would automatically learn the skill written inside. And so he did. He took the skill book out of his Items Tab and opened it.


    A light went straight from the book to his forehead. A series of movements suddenly appeared inside his brain, his body instinctually remembered how to do it. For some reason, he knew that if he did those movements, he would automatically trigger the effect of the skill corresponding to it. After that, the book just disintegrated into tiny lights.


    So, was this the purpose of skill books? To engrave the movements of the skills inside the yer¡¯s brain? Maybe it also served as some kind of trigger, so the game¡¯s system could recognize it as the yer¡¯s skill and not just some random movements. Then this could mean that a yer couldn¡¯t just copy the movements of a certain skill and expect for it to show the same effects.


    Luo Yan sighed. And there went his n of just doing the moves he remembered when he was still ying the PC version. Looked like he still needed to get those skill books.


    He then checked his Skills Tab after. Under the Active Skill column, he saw a new addition.


    Strike Kill


    -A one hit move that could deal a lot of damage to a single enemy. If their levels were 10 levels lower than the yer, then they would be instantly killed. Unlike other skills that needed to be used by the yers to increase its level, the power of this skill increased as the level of the yer increased as well. With this skill, the yer could potentially outss the firepower of others. But all of these still depend on whether the yer was able tond that hit.


    Cool Down: 5 minutes.


    This was a pretty good skill. But that could only be the case if the yer had enough skills to execute it properly.


    He looked at the cool down, only five minutes. It was so far off from the cool down of his Unique Skill ¨C Shadow Walk. This one could be considered a pretty normal cool down time. Well, quite normalpared to the five hour cool down of Shadow Walk. Maybe it was because Shadow Walk was not an attack or defensive skill. It couldn¡¯t even be considered as some kind of support skill.


    Not to mention, every time it increased a level, the time he could enter the shadows also increased by a minute. And since the maximum level of a skill here in Arcadia was a hundred, that meant that its possible for its effect tost for an hour or so. Which was already kind of an overkill. So, a five hour cool down was justified.


    "What was that just now?" Luo Jin asked.


    "Oh, I just opened the skill book I received as a reward on my ss application task. Did you also receive one?"


    Because of his second brother¡¯s question, he suddenly remembered again that damn task. He no longer acted cool and ate the remaining half of the red velvet cake slice in one bite. "I didn¡¯t."


    "Then shall we buy skill books before we go to the Task Hall? I think they¡¯re selling those at the General Store," Luo Yan suggested.


    "Okay," he said, since he did need it.


    "But before that, how about we order another dessert?"


    Luo Jin looked at the empty te in front of him. He did want another serving. "Suit yourself," he said in a voice as if he didn¡¯t care.


    Luo Yan only chuckled. "Then let¡¯s order tiramisu for the both of us this time."

 Chapter 69 GOING TO THE TASK HALL

    BOTH Luo Yan and Luo Jin walked out of the General Store. They just finished buying some skill books. As Luo Yan already expected, there weren¡¯t much skill books being sold at the store. Just some basic attack skills. The type that only needed 3-5 seconds to cool down. He wasn¡¯t surprised by that because just like in the PC version, most of the powerful skills could be obtained through difficult level tasks and some dungeon raids. As a result, he only bought one skill book that he deemed useful while Luo Jin bought two.


    This kind of skill system was actually a bit pain in the ass. He also thought so when he was still ying the PC version. Why couldn¡¯t the game developer just make it simple? Like when a yer already chose a ss, they would be given a set of skills that would be activated once they reached a specific level. But then again, if it was that simple, then it wouldn¡¯t be that interesting. It might even turn boring in the long run.


    With this kind of skill system, even if two yers were in the same ss, there¡¯s a high possibility that they might not share the same set of skills. This could truly set apart the dedicated yers from those that were just ying for fun. The former wouldn¡¯t hesitate to spend long hours to hunt for skill books while thetter wouldn¡¯t even bother to do that and would probably just buy the skill books being sold in the General Store.


    His train of thought was interrupted because he saw Luo Jin walking towards the wrong direction. Again. "Ah Jin, that¡¯s not the way!" he called.


    Luo Jin stopped. It took a lot of effort for him not to stomp his little foot in annoyance. It¡¯s not that he¡¯s bad with direction. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s hard for him to familiarize himself with the road of a ce he¡¯d never been into. He had to have been there at least five or more times before he could. Because this was only the third day since they arrived here at Olkdale, he made a number of direction rted mistakes. Now, it seemed like he¡¯s a total fool when it came to direction.


    He looked back at Luo Yan. "It¡¯s because you¡¯re always so slow. Why are you in a daze anyway?"


    [Yes, yes, it¡¯s my fault. I told you to go to the wrong direction.] Luo Yan acted sad. "I¡¯m not in a daze. Ah Jin is being mean again."


    "Argh-" There he went again, looking as if he¡¯s about to cry any second. Luo Jin was really weak against that expression. "Okay, I¡¯m wrong. You¡¯re not in a daze. So let¡¯s just go to that Task Hall or something."


    Luo Yan smiled. "Okay." He trotted forward and then reached for Luo Jin¡¯s hand, holding it. "Let¡¯s go?"


    Luo Jin blushed. "W-what are you holding my hand for?"


    "So that Ah Jin won¡¯t get lost again."


    And then he moved forward, dragging Luo Jin with him.


    Soon, they arrived at the Task Hall. Just like what its name entailed, it was a one story building that seemed to be just a one big hall. When they entered, it was just like what Luo Yan thought. A very huge hall.


    There were quite a number of yers inside. Most of them were standing at some kind of bulletin board at the very middle of the hall. It was made of four screens attached to each other like a box, floating above. So the yers could look at it from four different directions. There were NPCs scattered around, probably to offer assistance to the yers. There were booths lined up on both sides, some yers were going in and out of them.


    "So, where should we get those task?" asked Luo Jin. "And could you please let go of my hand already?"


    "Eh~ why? Doesn¡¯t Ah Jin want to hold hands with me?" Luo Yan said, looking down and pouting.


    Luo Jin took back his hand. "Of course I don¡¯t. Now, could we just go and look at those task?"


    "Yes..." Luo Yan said in a reluctant tone. "Then let¡¯s go to one of those booths. On what I read before, yers could search and ept tasks from there."


    "Let¡¯s go then."


    They walked towards one of the empty booths. The booths were the size of a normal telephone booth. It appeared like it¡¯s made with transparent ss when it¡¯s empty. But when someone went in, that transparent ss turnedpletely dark.


    They entered the empty booth. Luo Yan thought that it would darken once they entered but it still remained transparent. So, the darkening could only be seen on the outside.


    Inside the booth was a screen where the yers could browse different tasks. They were grouped into four categories;


    - Kill Tasks ¨C required the yers to kill either a specific number of named monsters or a specific NPC.


    - Delivery Tasks ¨C required the yers to deliver an item from one location to another.


    - Collection Tasks ¨C required the yers to collect a number of items.


    - Escort Tasks ¨C abination of killing enemies to maintain the well-being of an NPC, while exploring an area alongside that NPC.


    Luo Yan gazed down at his brother. "So, what kind of task should we pick first?"


    Shen Ji Yun was nning to y the game using his alt ount again when he received a call from his uncle. He picked his phone and answered it. "Uncle?"


    "Ji Yun, remember that convention I talked about? The one where I¡¯m supposed to attend at country M?" Shen Yi Mu said from the other line.


    Shen Ji Yun tried to remember it. "Yes, the three-day convention that¡¯s scheduled two months from now, am I right?"


    "Yes, that one. I just received a phone call, telling me that the schedule has been changed. It would now be held at the end of this month. I just thought that since it¡¯s still a little bit more than a month before the new semester starts, do you want toe with me?"


    If he remembered correctly, that convention would be attended by a lot of leading figures in the gaming industry. "When will we leave?"


    "Tomorrow if possible."


    Shen Ji Yun stopped. "That fast?"


    "Well, I¡¯m also nning to meet someone there before the convention starts. So, do you want toe?"


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately. Being overseas meant that he couldn¡¯t y Arcadia. Because the game was still only avable to y in their country. Even if he brought a VR helmet with him, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to log in. If that wasn¡¯t the case, then a lot of foreigners had already tried to y it. But the current system of Arcadia still couldn¡¯t handle that much traffic. That¡¯s why they put a restriction on location.


    Not being able to y also meant that he couldn¡¯t contact the silly rabbit. But he also really wanted to go to this convention. Because he knew that he would be able to learn a lot just by being there.


    At the end, he finally could only say, "Yes, I¡¯ll go with you."


    *****


    IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:


    The Return of the God Level Assassin is scheduled to go premium tomorrow, February 28 (GMT +8 time). As you may have already noticed, I¡¯ve been releasing one chapter daily sincest week. It¡¯s because I wanted to pump out as many chapters as I could before it goes premium. The chapters will now be locked starting chapter 71.


    When I decided to continue this, I¡¯ve already nned on going premium by chapter 71. Just like on my other novel ¨C NoGift.


    I know some of you might drop this because of that. Ipletely understand and I won¡¯t me you if you do. But to those who will still choose to stay, then I could only give a big thank you. We¡¯re not even close to half of the story yet. There¡¯s still so many things I nned to add to this story. So, I would be really d if you could join our rabbit Yan Yan in his many uing adventures .


    The only promise I could give you guys is that I would never put this story on privilege and that I would try to update one chapter per day.


    Once again, to those who gave this story a chance and read it and to those who would continue on reading despite it going premium; THANK YOU!(*^?^*)

 Chapter 70 SHOULD HE MESSAGE HIM?

    LUO YAN looked at the five monsters currently surrounding him. He lowered his stance and crossed his arms, each hand holding a dagger, in front of him. When the five monsters were about to attack him, he immediately unleashed his attack.


    He first made a vertical sh, attacking the monster in front of him. Then he stretched his arms on both sides, thrusting the daggers on the monsters on his left and right. Sessfully stabbing them. Then he swirled around, crossing his stretched hand over one another and stabbing the two monsters left standing behind him.


    All his movements connected so smoothly that it almost seemed like he was dancing instead of fighting. His every movement had a touch of elegance and grace in them that anyone who watched him would have a hard time taking their eyes away from him. He repeated this series of attack until the five monsters were killed and started disintegrating.


    He was able to execute this move perfectly because every action was engraved in his brain. He knew that it was the effect of the skill book. The moment the information inside the skill book entered the brain, it¡¯s like a tutorial video would sh inside your mind, showing you how to execute the skill. He wasn¡¯t sure how it was for magic-based skills. But at least it was like that for weapon-based one.


    Luo Yan felt like his movements became smootherpared when he was just attacking by instinct and copying the moves he remembered from ying the PC version. It¡¯s like those movements were now a part of him. Almost like an extension of his limbs. Maybe his brain was just toopatible with this game.


    What Luo Yan just used earlier was the skill [8th Movement Dance]. It¡¯s a skill he got as a reward from a task he and Luo Jin did yesterday. It was a delivery task. They were required to deliver a certain item to an NPC living in Olkdale Town. It was quite the troublesome task. Since they had to acquire the item first ¨C which, by the way, just happened to be inside a monster infested cave ¨C and then deliver it safely to the said NPC.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the skill book that¡¯s being rewarded, he¡¯d rather kill a hundred monsters instead. The yer who sessfully finished the task could freely choose what ss the skill book should belong to. He and Luo Jin argued a bit if it should be an Assassin or a Gunslinger skill book. He wanted to give it to Luo Jin while Luo Jin wanted to give it to him.


    At the end, Luo Jin won the argument and the skill book ended up with Luo Yan. Well, how could he possibly win when the one he¡¯s arguing with was just overflowing with meng? ring at him with those big red eyes and matching it with those bulging cheeks. He was easily knocked out.


    The skill he got [8th Movement Dance] had a low attacking power. But because it only had one second cool down, he could continuously use it. Its attack power increased each blow until the eighth hit, thus the name. It¡¯s good for a melee fight against three to five opponents.


    Luo Yan looked back at Luo Jin who just fired two consecutive shots at two monsters that was about to attack him. He was standing in front of a carriage and protecting it. The monsters stopped moving and then suddenly attacked each other. Luo Jin used that chance to shoot the two monsters once again, killing them off.


    If Luo Yan was not mistaken, that was the effect of his younger brother¡¯s passive Unique Skill ¨C [Chaotic Mind]. If he hit a target at a distant range, that target would automatically fall into confusion that wouldst for five seconds. ording to Luo Jin, this skill could only affect a single target. So he could only hit those targets one at a time.


    In his opinion, it was a truly good passive skill. If it could affect a group instead of just a single target, then it would even be better. He would probably convince Luo Jin to be a Mage instead because they had a lot of group attack skills. But then again, his brother would probably not agree. Probably even saying at the same time that being a Mage was not manly enough.


    Luo Yan guessed that that was probably also the reason why he chose Gunslinger out of all the four sses he could pick. Because having guns as weapons was cool and manly. Luo Jin was simple that way. But that was also what made him cute.


    As Luo Jin killed another two monsters, Luo Yan dashed forward and stabbed thest remaining monster. Finally killing the group of monsters that suddenly ambushed them.


    He gave his younger brother a thumbs up. "Good job, Ah Jin, protecting the carriage."


    Inside the carriage was a merchant NPC they had to escort safely from Olkdale Town to another vige. This was the escort task they took today. The reward for sessfully aplishing the task was another skill book. It¡¯s the reason Luo Yan chose this task. So that this time, Luo Jin could have it.


    They had been epting tasks from the Task Hall for about a week now, six days to be more exact. They teamed up for all of the tasks. So the EXPs they got from each one were divided between them. The rewards, on the other hand, often fell into his hands. Because Luo Jin would always say in that tsundere like way of his that he didn¡¯t need it.


    Now, they¡¯re both level 30. Just six more levels and they could go to Matlock Town ¨C one of the four major towns of Arcadia alongside Olkdale. Once a yer reached level 36, they could enter Matlock Town. The remaining two towns also needed a certain level for a yer to enter.


    Luo Jin snorted. "What good job, I¡¯m just doing my part."


    "Yes, yes."


    Luo Jin walked towards the carriage to check on the NPC. Luo Yan followed behind. While doing so, he thought if there¡¯s an easier way to sift through the many tasks posted at the Task Hall. They could be filtered based on what type of task they were. But that¡¯s just about it. If you want to know about the rewards, you have to read each task. It¡¯s seriously time consuming.


    Then he suddenly remembered Shen Ji Yun. When they met a week ago, he said that he could message him if he had any questions regarding the game. Though he hadn¡¯t heard from him since.


    Should Luo Yan message him then?

 Chapter 71 SURPRISE TRIP

    AFTER thinking about it, Luo Yan decided to still send a message to Shen Ji Yun. He opened his Status Window and went to System Tab. He then chose Chat and picked Private Message.


    Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun, I have a question regarding the tasks here in Arcadia. I¡¯d be very thankful if you could answer. I¡¯ll be waiting for your reply.]


    "Yan, what are you doing, just standing there?" Luo Jin asked. He was already beside the carriage.


    "Oh, sorry. I just messaged Brother Ji Yun."


    Luo Jin¡¯s brows furrowed when he heard his second brother mentioning that guy. "Why are you sending message to that guy?"


    Truthfully, he thought that guy would be loitering around them since he met up with his brother. But it¡¯s been a week now and he hadn¡¯t seen even a shadow of the guy. Maybe his first impression of him was actually inurate? He shook his head. No. How could he be wrong? That guy was probably just lurking in the dark, waiting for the right moment to bare his fangs.


    Luo Yan looked at Luo Jin¡¯s little face with a sour expression. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. "Don¡¯t tell me you still think of Brother Ji Yun as some kind of bad guy?"


    "I don¡¯t just think of it; I know he is."


    "Ah Jin, even though I¡¯m this pretty, that doesn¡¯t mean that every person who tries to talk to me has some kind of hidden motive." Besides, he could feel if the people around him had some kind of malicious intent towards him. Even if just a tiny bit. Probably the result of him constantly observing people during hisst life. And he didn¡¯t feel even the slightest bit of maliciousness from Shen Ji Yun. "Besides, Brother Ji Yun is more like you, you know."


    Luo Jin had an almost constipated expression when he heard his brother calling himself ¡¯pretty¡¯ again. But then that immediately turned to extreme annoyance when he heard thest part. "What part of me is simr to that guy?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "You¡¯re both kind."


    That¡¯s right, the two were both warm and kind on the inside despite the outward attitude they showed to people. If Shen Ji Yun was an unmovable ice scone, then Luo Jin was like a prickly porcupine.


    Luo Jin¡¯s face immediately turned red. "W-what nonsense are you saying?"


    This was the first time he was called ¡¯kind¡¯ by anyone. With the way he¡¯d been acting like a brat and a thug these past seven years, there¡¯s no way people would associate him with the word ¡¯kind¡¯. Only this stupid brother of his would think so.


    Luo Yan smiled and just opened the door of the carriage. Inside was a male NPC wearing rich clothing with matching expensive looking jewelries. "Are you alright?"


    "Of course I¡¯m not! We¡¯ve been continuously attack since we left Olkdale. My life was put in danger time and time again. Just what are the two of you doing?" he bellowed.


    Luo Jin felt like a vein in his forehead just popped. This NPC had been constantlyining since earlier. It¡¯s really getting on hisst nerves. "Should I just hack this guy?"


    "Now, now, just be patient. He¡¯s just programmed like that after all," Luo Yan whispered to him. "Let¡¯s just go and escort him quickly to his destination."


    They closed the door carriage and sat on the driver¡¯s seat. Then they set off once again.


    After two more ambushes, they finally arrived at their destination. The merchant reluctantly gave them their rewards ¨C EXP, crystal coins, and the skill book.


    Luo Jin opened the skill book and a light from the book entered his head. After that, the skill book slowly turned into particles of light. He opened his Skills Tab to check the information of his newly acquired skill.


    Curve Shot


    - A shot with a medium attack power. If you shot it within 50 cm of the vicinity of the target, the bullet would curve and then hit your intended target. Be sure your shot was within the range or else, it would just be considered as a missed shot.


    Level: 1


    Cool Down: 10 seconds.


    "Is it a good skill?" asked Luo Yan.


    "Okay, I guess." He closed his Skills Tab. "Let¡¯s log out. It¡¯s almost time for dinner."


    After dinner, the four members of the Luo family were sitting at the living room.


    "Xiao Yan, Xiao Jin, your older brother is going to do a surprise inspection tomorrow on a beach resort built by ourpany. Do you two want to go with him and stay there for the weekend?" Luo Wei Tian suddenly said.


    "I haven¡¯t been spending that much time with Yan Yantely, I would be very happy if you could go with me," Luo Ren said.


    "I thought you¡¯re going there for a secret inspection?" Luo Jin inserted, giving their older brother a sideway nce. "You¡¯re talking as if we¡¯re going there for vacation."


    "I am going there for an inspection. Does Xiao Jin think that I couldn¡¯t do my job while having fun with my lovely brothers?" Luo Ren asked, smiling at Luo Jin.


    Luo Jin snorted. "Who¡¯s your lovely brother?"


    Luo Ren put his arm over Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder. "Of course it¡¯s Yan Yan. But you¡¯re right, I shouldn¡¯t associate the word ¡¯lovely¡¯ with you. Should I call you my temperamental brother?"


    "Brother, that¡¯s not right. Ah Jin is really lovely, you know," Luo Yan immediately said, adding to the teasing.


    "Ah, you mean in that game? Well, I do admit Xiao Jin¡¯s, what do you call that? Right, his game avatar is really cute. It just gives you the urge the pinch his cheeks."


    "Right?"


    "Could the two of you just stop?" Luo Jin said, interrupting his two older brothers.


    Their father suddenly cleared his throat. "Xiao Yan, Xiao Jin, what¡¯s your decision? Are you going with your brother?"


    "Dad is not going with us?"


    Luo Yan was indeed very excited when he first heard that he could go with his older brother to this beach resort. After all, he hadn¡¯t gone anywhere since he was discharged from the hospital. Well, except from that time when his brother graduated. Then he realized that their father might not be going with them and his excitement died down a bit.


    Going to a resort, he¡¯d rather go there with the four of them.


    "Dad is a bit busy and can¡¯t free up his schedule," Luo Wei Tian answered and then saw the disappointed expression on his second son¡¯s face. "But I can go on a date with Xiao Yan next Sunday, if that¡¯s okay with you," he immediately added.


    Luo Yan finally smiled. "Okay!"


    "Ah, how unfair. A date alone with Yan Yan."


    He hugged Luo Ren¡¯s arm. "Brother doesn¡¯t have to be jealous. After all, me and Luo Jin will spend the weekend with you."


    Luo Ren sighed. "But we have a third wheel with us."


    "Well, sorry for being a third wheel," Luo Jin said with a big frown on his face.


    Luo Ren chuckled. "I¡¯m only joking. Of course I would also love to spend time with Xiao Jin. You¡¯re also my lovely brother, after all," he said, winking at Luo Jin.


    Luo Jin shivered. "That¡¯s gross. Stop that."


    Luo Yanughed because of the interaction of the two. Now, he¡¯s truly excited for their trip tomorrow.

 Chapter 72 ARRIVING AT MEI HUA RESORT

    LUO YAN looked out of the car window. After three hours of driving, they finally arrived at N City. The resort they¡¯re going to was near here. It¡¯s a city just south of S City. It¡¯s known as a major port and industrial hub. It¡¯s also the home of one of the oldest library in the country ¨C Tian Yi Ge.


    When Luo Yan was told about this trip yesterday, he asked the location of the resort and immediately searched about it online before he went to sleep. He didn¡¯t even bother to log in again at Arcadia. He was just too excited to y properly.


    The resort was located at Sonnshan Beach which was famous for its soft sand and beautiful scenery. Aside from going for a swim, people who wanted to stay there could fish, go to caves with picturesque rock formations, and even do ind hopping.


    But probably one of its more attractive feature was the fewer crowds. Even during the summer. The people who wanted to stay there for the weekend wouldn¡¯t feel crowded like in other big beaches like Jinshan Beach. It¡¯s a perfect ce to rx and have fun at the same time.


    There were only a few resort hotels in that area, probably to preserve and not destroy the natural environment. Most of those resort hotels catered to rich clienteles. It¡¯s also probably the reason why the ce never truly got crowded even during vacation seasons.


    Long before, they finally reached their destination.


    Luo Ren parked their car on the free space on the parking lot. The first to go out was Luo Jin, Luo Yan followed closely, andstly was Luo Ren who made sure that he locked the car.


    Luo Yan looked back at the ck BMW they just rode. His older brother was here to do a secret inspection and yet he still drove a luxury car. Although it¡¯s not as shy as a Porsche or a Lamborghini, it¡¯s still expensive as hell. No one would think they¡¯re just an ordinary group of brothers.


    Luo Ren walked to the back of the car and opened its trunk. He picked some of their luggage while Luo Jin carried the rest.


    "Brother, let me carry some too," Luo Yan volunteered.


    "What are you saying? Any of these bags are heavier than you, how could you even carry one?" Luo Jin said, leaning towards Luo Yan and pinching his cheek before walking ahead.


    Luo Yan held his pinched cheek and looked at Luo Ren pitifully. "Brother, Ah Jin bullied me again."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bully him backter for you," Luo Ren said, holding Luo Yan¡¯s hand using his free one. "Let¡¯s go and check in."


    Luo Yan nodded and walked alongside his older brother. He looked at the building in front. Engraved on the front of the building were the words ¡¯Mei Hua Resort¡¯. "Brother, this...?" he asked looking at the name.


    Luo Ren also looked at where he was looking and seemed to understand what he wanted to ask. "That¡¯s right, this ce was named after Mom. This was the first resort built by Tianhua Group. Mom was even involved in some of the designs. That¡¯s why this ce has a very special ce in Dad¡¯s heart."


    Luo Yan fell silent for a moment upon hearing that. Ever since he woke up from thea, there¡¯s probably only a handful of times that their mother came up in a conversation. There were not even that much picture of her in the house.


    There¡¯s only one reason he could think of why. That even up to now, her death still caused pain to the people living there. Luo Yan was no different. Even if he wasn¡¯t able to meet her, the small amount of residual memories still lingering in this body made him feel pain whenever he thought of her.


    A clear evidence that Bai Mei Hua was extremely loved by her husband and three sons.


    "Then Brother must do a good job in your secret inspection. So that this resort will continue to be a thriving establishment," Luo Yan said, pumping his small fist at the same time.


    Luo Ren became speechless for a bit and then outrightughed. "Yes, yes, brother will do his best."


    Luo Jin who heard this small talk walked back. "Brother, don¡¯t deceive Yan. You¡¯re not even really here for a secret inspection."


    Luo Ren smiled and then pulled Luo Jin¡¯s cheek hard. "Xiao Jin, when did your cheek be so soft like mochi?"


    "Aw... aw... Brother, let go!"


    "Brother, what did Ah Jin mean?" Luo Yan asked, a bit confused.


    Luo Ren let go of his youngest brother¡¯s cheek. "Well, the major staffs in this resort hasn¡¯t been changed for 15 years since it was built. Even the General Manager personally sends an annual report to Dad. Which meant that all the people in-charge here are people Dad trusts and he has always been keeping an eye on this resort."


    "In short, there¡¯s really no need for a secret inspection," continued Luo Jin while touching his pinched cheek. "It¡¯s just Dad¡¯s ploy to get Brother to rest, and have some fun on the side as well, because he¡¯s been working too hard since he officially became part of thepany."


    "And that¡¯s about it," Luo Ren said then chuckled. "Well, Dad probably thought he¡¯s being stealthy about it though."


    So, instead of telling his brother straightforwardly to rest, he did it in a roundabout way. That¡¯s... kind of cute. In a way.


    Luo Yan pouted and pretended to sulk. "Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it earlier?"


    "Don¡¯t pout, Yan Yan. I¡¯ll buy you anything you want in exchange," Luo Ren said, stroking Luo Yan¡¯s hair.


    "Then I want an extra dessert for lunch."


    "What extra dessert? You can¡¯t! That¡¯s not part of your diet," Luo Jin immediately opposed.


    Luo Ren was about to agree when he saw Luo Yan staring up at him with those big peach blossom eyes filled with hope and anticipation. "Well, I guess an extra dessert won¡¯t be bad once in a while."


    "Brother!"


    "Yey!" Luo Yan hugged his older brother¡¯s arm. "Thank you, Brother!"


    "I¡¯m definitely going to tell Dad on the both you!" Luo Jin said before stomping his way towards the building.


    Luo Ren and Luo Yan looked at each other and both just chuckled before following Luo Jin.

 Chapter 73 TO THE BEACH

    "THIS is the vi we¡¯ve prepared for you, Young Masters," the General Manager said after opening the door to the vi. "I hope it¡¯s to your liking."


    Luo Yan looked at the single floor vi in front of them. It had vines and green moss sticking on the walls and a small garden in front, giving it a somewhat fairy tale like feel. Then he nced at the General Manager who looked like a kind middle-aged uncle. The one that would always smile and give candies to small children.


    When they entered the main building of the resort earlier, the General Manager was already there to wee them. With just that, even without his brothers telling him, Luo Yan could already tell that Luo Ren was not really here for a secret inspection. What kind of secret inspection would have the General Manager personally wee the one doing the inspection?


    "Thank you, Uncle Mu," Luo Ren said to the General Manager, although he didn¡¯t have a smile on his face, his expression was still full of warmth.


    "I¡¯m happy to of service to the young masters." Then the manager uncle turned to Luo Yan. "I¡¯m really happy to see the second young master looking so healthy," he said, looking as if he would cry at any second.


    Luo Yan tried his best to show a sweet smile so he could calm the manager. Because when he first saw him earlier, he really did almost bawl his eyes out. His older brother did say that the General Manager personally reported to their father. That meant that he¡¯s somehow close to the family. So he probably knew about Luo Yan¡¯s situation.


    "Thank you, Uncle Mu," he said.


    "Uncle Mu, aren¡¯t you busy today?" Luo Jin suddenly inserted, probably seeing how Luo Yan didn¡¯t want to see the General Manager crying again.


    "Oh, right. Well then, young masters, if you need anything, just call my office. I¡¯ll immediately arranged it."


    The General Manager bid goodbye and left. The three brothers then entered the vi.


    Luo Yan looked around the inside of the vi. The only thing he could describe it was simple yet elegant. Certainly something that the three of them would prefer. There¡¯s a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen. ording to his older brother this vi had three rooms, each with their own bathrooms.


    "Brother, does every guests in this resort stays in a vi like this?" Luo Yan thought of asking.


    "No. There¡¯s only 12 vis here. Most single and double rooms are in the main building. Alongside the other facilities, like the restaurant, the spa, entertainment rooms. The vis are usually for VIPs. The rooms in the main building on the other hand are much more affordable. People from middle-ss families could easily afford them. Unlike the hotel rooms in other resort hotels here in Sonnshan Beach," answered Luo Ren.


    "I¡¯ll take the room at the back," Luo Jin said before turning to Luo Yan. "Yan, what room do you choose? I¡¯ll put your luggage there."


    "The room beside Ah Jin¡¯s is fine."


    Luo Ren walked towards Luo Jin and hung the bag he was carrying on his shoulder. "Then put my luggage in the remaining room." Then he proceeded on patting Luo Jin¡¯s other shoulder. "Thank you, Xiao Jin."


    Luo Jin frowned and narrowed his eyes at Luo Ren. "Aren¡¯t you taking this ¡¯bullying¡¯ business a little bit too far?"


    Luo Ren only smiled. "I¡¯m not bullying you though, I¡¯m just exercising my rights as the eldest brother."


    "Tch."


    But despite Luo Jin¡¯s obvious reluctance, he still went and carried all their bags towards the rooms. Seeing this, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but pity his younger brother. Was this how it looked like whenever he bullied him? Poor Luo Jin. Then aspensation, he would try not to bully him this weekend.


    "After Xiao Jin put down our luggage, let¡¯s go have lunch," Luo Ren said. "Yan Yan, what do you think?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "Okay."


    After eating lunch, the three went back to the vi to change clothes and then proceeded to the beach. Of course, not before making sure that Luo Yan put sun screen and wore a hat, the type that had a wide brim.


    The moment they entered the beach area of the resort, Luo Yan immediately felt the gazes of a lot of people. But he could also feel that those gazes were not directed at him. Rather, it was directed at his two brothers standing on both of his sides. He could easily guess that most of those gazes probably belonged to women.


    He first nced at his older brother. Luo Ren was wearing a printed green shirt that was opened up to the middle of his abdomen, showing a wide expanse of his chest. He paired it with a brown beach shorts. Then he looked at Luo Jin. Unlike their older brother, he was wearing a white sleeveless tee, showcasing his well-defined biceps, and also a ck swimming shorts. Both of them were undoubtedly handsome and just simply oozing with appeal. No wonder these women couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of them.


    Then there was him.


    Luo Yan looked down at what he¡¯s wearing. A yellow sleeveless hooded tank and a pair of navy blue beach shorts. Both showed his thin arms and legs. If hepared himself to his two brothers, then he¡¯d only be considered a boy that¡¯s still undergoing puberty. Much as he hated to admit it.


    Maybe this was God¡¯s way of bncing things. He already had a perfect face, if he also had a perfect body, wouldn¡¯t that make him a perfect being?


    But even so, Luo Yan still wouldn¡¯t stop until he had the same physique as his two brothers.


    He walked forward and turned around. "Let¡¯s take lots and lots of pictures and show it to Dad once we get home."


    "That¡¯s a good idea, Yan Yan," Luo Ren agreed before turning to Luo Jin. "Xiao Jin, take a picture of me and Yan Yan."


    Luo Jin¡¯s brows furrowed. "Why am I the one taking the picture?"


    "Because you¡¯re the youngest," Luo Ren simply said.


    Seeing this, Luo Yan suddenly remembered his promise to himself that he wouldn¡¯t bully Luo Jin today. "Then how about I take a picture of both Brother and Ah Jin?" Before the two couldin, he already took his smartphone out of his pocket. He opened the camera and pointed it towards the two. "Okay, smile both of you. One... two...- "


    He wasn¡¯t able to finish what he¡¯s saying because both his older brother and Luo Jin suddenly pulled him towards them. Before he could ask why they suddenly did that, he heard some kind of crash from behind.


    Luo Yan looked back and saw a guy who¡¯s now lying face first on the ce where he was just standing.

 Chapter 74 THE GUY WITH A BAD EYESIGHT

    THE guy slowly got up. His ck hair was messy and a bit longer than normal, most of it was covering the upper half of his face. The only thing Luo Yan could see clearly was his thin lips.


    The guy was about 170 cm tall, a few centimeters shorter than his brothers. He was wearing a light blue shirt that was a size bigger than his slender frame, giving emphasis to his slightly thin arms.


    "Are you alright?" Luo Yan asked when he noticed the scr.a.p.es on his knees.


    "I¡¯m so sorry. I lost my sses and can barely see," the guy apologized. "Did I hit anyone?"


    "So you¡¯re saying you just trip here on your own because of your poor eyesight?" Luo Jin asked, highly skeptical.


    "Yes, I did," the guy answered, clearly he didn¡¯t hear the skepticism in Luo Jin¡¯s voice. "I¡¯m really sorry."


    "If you¡¯re done, then you can be on your way," Luo Ren said coldly.


    Luo Yan looked at his older brother, it¡¯s been a whole since he¡¯d seen that cold expression. Actually, there¡¯s only one time he¡¯d seen it. When Luo Ren first came to the hospital. He thought that the aloof exterior of his brother had already thawed. But it seemed like he was only ever gentle whenever he¡¯s with his family.


    Then he nced at Luo Jin who looked like he was ready to punch the guy if he even said something remotely offensive.


    Luo Yan sighed. Just why were these two being so antagonistic towards this guy? The guy looked like he could barely handle a p, much less a punch. In his opinion, he really was just someone who had a bad eyesight, lost his sses, and identally tripped here.


    "Oh, okay."


    The guy started walking, not even a few steps yet and he fell down again. See? Just a guy with a bad eyesight.


    "Brother, Ah Jin, you were kind of mean to him," Luo Yan said.


    "Of course we were. He almost crashed into you," Luo Jin said, as if it was the most justified thing.


    "Forget that guy, whoever he was," Luo Ren then said.


    Luo Yan only shook his head, that¡¯s when he saw a smartphone almost half-buried on the sand. Being that it was not there earlier, then it could only belong to the guy who fell on the exact position. He bent over and picked it up. He looked at the direction the guy went into and saw that he hadn¡¯t gotten far yet. No, he actually stopped and then started touching his pockets. As if realizing that his phone actually fell off. He then turned around and started running back.


    "I¡¯ll give this back to him," Luo Yan said and walked forward before his two brothers could react.


    Knowing them, especially Luo Jin, they¡¯d just probably say to just leave the phone there. Under normal circ.u.mstance, he¡¯d probably just let it be. But that guy just reminded him a little of one of his roommates during college. He¡¯s extremely myopic and couldn¡¯t function properly without his sses. Luo Yan¡¯s three roommates had always treated him really well during the four years they¡¯ve shared the same room together.


    Although he wasn¡¯t able to fully be himself in front of them, he tried to treat them as kindly as he could. But those three had probably already felt that he¡¯s been holding back with them. Especially that myopic roommate. For all Luo Yan knew, that guy probably already knew how ck bellied he was but just never talked about it.


    Reminded of the past, he couldn¡¯t help but think of what could have happened to his original body. Did someone im it at the morgue? Did someone even put him in the cemetery? As much as possible, he tried to avoid thinking about it. It¡¯s just too depressing to think of the possibility that nobody imed his body. That nobody even cared.


    Luo Yan shook his head and just put away those negative thoughts.


    He looked ahead and just as he did, he saw the guy with bad eyesight tripped again. But this time, at least he managed to bnce himself and avoided falling face first on the sand again. Because the guy was running, they soon met half-way.


    "Your phone," he said before the guypletely passed by him or worse, crashed into him. "It fell when you tripped earlier."


    The guy did stop. "You¡¯re the boy from earlier." Well, being called a ¡¯boy¡¯ in his age was kind of annoying. So Luo Yan didn¡¯t answer and just gave the phone back to the guy who epted it immediately. "Thank you."


    Luo Yan stared at him for a bit, especially at the hair covering his face. "You should pull back your hair a bit. It might help you see better."


    He didn¡¯t wait for the guy¡¯s answer and walked back to his brothers. Who, by the way, were already striding towards him, reaching him faster.


    "What are you doing, running off to some stranger?" Luo Jin scolded.


    "I could have just given the phone back. You didn¡¯t have to do something that would just waste your energy," Luo Ren added.


    Waste his energy? Luo Yan resisted the urge tough. Sometimes, his older brother could really be more sharp tongued than Luo Jin. He¡¯s just sneakier about it.


    Luo Yan looped his arms on Luo Ren¡¯s left arm and then on Luo Jin¡¯s right arm. "Yes, yes, I¡¯m in the wrong. Let¡¯s just continue our sightseeing."


    Li Xu Min stared at the three blurry figures walking away. The three were probably brothers, considering how overprotective the other two were of the younger boy. He couldn¡¯t properly see the face of the boy but he sure had a nice voice.


    Then his phone suddenly rang. He just pressed the answer button because he wouldn¡¯t be able to read the name of the caller anyway. "Hello?"


    "LI XU MIN!" shouted a woman¡¯s voice from the other side. "Where the hell are you? You said you wanted to check those rock formations then you suddenly disappeared. If you wanted to go off somewhere, you should have send a message or at least call!"


    "Calm down, Li Li, shouting will ruin your image."


    "I don¡¯t care! Just tell me where you are."


    "I¡¯m somewhere at the beach. I lost my sses so I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to call the right person. You know how bad my eyes are. You should have just called me when you realize I wandered off."


    "Don¡¯t you dare me me. It¡¯s not my fault your attention keeps wandering off from one thing to another. Just don¡¯t move from where you are. I¡¯ll ask Ah Hui to get you."


    Then she hung up.


    Li Xu Min looked at his phone and then sighed. He¡¯d definitely get scolded by Song Liuliter. He pushed back his hair. Some of the passing people suddenly stopped walking and just stared at him. If Luo Yan was still there and saw that, he¡¯d probably feel a little bit of shock.


    Because what was beneath the tangled mess of hair was a very unforgettable face. A pair of clear ck eyes surrounded by thick eyshes, a straight nose, and pinkish lips. Add those to his fair skin and people could only think of one word while looking at him.


    Angelic.

 Chapter 75 BACK HOME

    "BE sure you didn¡¯t forget anything," Luo Ren said to his two brothers who just walked to the living room of the vi.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother, the souvenirs I bought is here," Luo Yan said, showing the little paper bag he¡¯s carrying. Before leaving for the resort, their father gave him a credit card. So that if he wanted to buy something, he didn¡¯t need to ask his two brothers for money. "And Ah Jin made sure that all my clothes are in my bag."


    "I¡¯m all good to go too," Luo Jin said who was carrying two bags, one was his, the other was Luo Yan¡¯s.


    Luo Ren got up and picked the bag on the side. "Let¡¯s go then."


    Before walking, he didn¡¯t forget to reach for Luo Yan and held his hand.


    It was after lunch and they were about to leave the resort and go home. They picked this time so they could reach their house before evening. Even though they only stayed here for a day, since they arrived here yesterday afternoon and then now they¡¯re leaving just after lunch, Luo Yan didn¡¯t feel like the time they had wasn¡¯t enough.


    Yesterday, after strolling to the beach, they went and gone fishing. There was a river that connected to the ocean located at the at the back area of the resort. It was a very novel experience for him. Of course, he sucked at it. He didn¡¯t even manage to catch a single fish. Luo Jin was slightly better than him. Only slightly. Because he managed to catch a small fish. Their older brother was the one who did extremely well. He was able to catch tworge trout, alongside other small fishes which he let go in the river. They brought the tworge trout back to the hotel and asked the chef of the restaurant to cook it for them for dinner.


    Then after that, they fully enjoyed the amenities of the resort. Going to the spa, checking on the entertainment rooms and recreational rooms, Luo Yan had never experienced such fun and rxing activities. Then this morning, they went ind hopping, taking pictures along the way. They even checked some of the beautiful rock formations.


    This weekend was truly the nicest weekend he ever had. Luo Yan hoped that they could do something like this again. Of course, with their father next time. Aplete family trip.


    They haven¡¯t taken a step yet away from the vi when they saw the General Manager rushing over, two attendants were trailing behind him.


    "Is something wrong, Uncle Lu?" Luo Ren asked when the manager.


    "No, nothing. I just wanted to personally send off the young masters. Please, allow these two to carry your bags to your car. I already conceded on letting the young masters carry your bags to this vi yesterday, please, at least this time, let us do our job."


    The manager sure was very dedicated to his job. No, maybe he was only like this because it was them.


    Luo Ren nodded to Luo Jin and they both gave the bags they¡¯re carrying to the two attendants.


    "Then, Uncle Lu, this is the key to the vi," Luo Ren said, giving the key to the manager. "Thank you for taking care of us this weekend."


    "The young master didn¡¯t need to thank me. I just hope that the three young masters coulde and visit us again," the general manager said, practically brimming with happiness.


    "That¡¯s for sure," Luo Ren answered.


    They bid goodbye to the general manager and followed the two attendants to the parking lot. Arriving at the side of the ck BMW, Luo Ren unlocked the key fob so that the two attendants could open the trunk and put in their luggage. After doing so, the two respectfully left.


    Luo Jin opened the door to the passenger¡¯s seat and sat inside.


    Luo Ren, on the other hand, opened the door of the back seat. He smiled down at Luo Yan. "Go on in, Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan smiled sweetly back at him. "Thank you, Brother."


    He was about to go in when he heard the conversation of two men passing by their direction.


    "I think I just saw Song Liuli at the beach of this resort earlier," one said.


    "You mean goddess Liuli? No way! Isn¡¯t she super busy? What¡¯s she doing here?" the other said with an unbelieving tone.


    "I don¡¯t know, maybe for a vacation. Do you think the other members of Celestials are also here? Ah, I sure hope I could get their autographs. The odds of them winning the championship again for the next season¡¯s tournament is pretty high, don¡¯t you think?"


    "I don¡¯t know. I think Fenghuang has a good chance next season. After all, I heard they already signed in their team that monster rookie who won the Rookie Carnivalst year."


    Then the twopletely passed by them, making it hard for Luo Yan to continue hearing their conversation.


    "What¡¯s wrong, Yan Yan?" Luo Ren asked.


    He shook his head. "Nothing. Let¡¯s go, Brother."


    He went inside the car and his older brother walked to the front and sat on the driver¡¯s seat. Luo Ren then started the car.


    Luo Jin looked back at Luo Yan. "Yan, make sure to put on your seatbelt."


    "Yes," Luo Yan answered and just absentmindedly put on his seatbelt. He was thinking about that conversation he just heard.


    The Song Liuli they mentioned must be the girl he was beingpared to in that forum post. Which was thankfully no longer gathering attention and that was now buried under newer posts. He wondered if she could truly bepared to his beauty. Then there was that tournament, and that Rookie Carnival they mentioned.


    Maybe he should search more about those once they got back home.


    It was past 4 o¡¯clock in the afternoon when they returned home. They were still on the driveway but Luo Yan could already see the figure of their father waiting at the front of the mansion. His older brother stopped the car in front of their waiting father. Luo Yan was the first one to get out of the car. He immediately walked towards their father and gave him a quick hug.


    "Dad, we¡¯re back!"


    "Wee back. Did you have fun?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    "Yes. But it would be more fun if Dad was with us."


    Luo Wei Tianughed and touched his second son¡¯s nose. "You sweet talker."


    "Oh, I bought souvenirs for you, Dad." Luo Yan gave his father the small paper bag he¡¯s carrying. "We also took a lot of pictures. You could look at itter."


    "Thank you, Xiao Yan."


    Luo Wei Tian looked inside the paper bag and saw that it was full of small trinkets that one could buy at a souvenir shop. It¡¯s probably the cheapest gift he received since he founded Tianhua Group. But in his heart, it¡¯s definitely one of the most expensive. Simply because it was given to him by Luo Yan.


    He smiled at Luo Yan and then turned to his other two sons. "I already asked the cook to prepare snacks for you three. Let¡¯s go in and eat them."


    After that small wee, the four members of Luo family entered the mansion to have theirte afternoon snack.

 Chapter 76 SOME INFORMATION

    JUST like what he nned, after dinner, Luo Yan opened his MacBook to search about Song Liuli, information about the tournament, and that Rookie Carnival. He and Luo Jin tacitly agreed not to log in into Arcadia today and just rest. But before that, he¡¯d just feed his curiosity first.


    The first one he searched was Song Liuli. A lot of search results immediately appeared. He¡¯s not interested about her profile or other things about her. He just wanted to know what she looked like. So he just clicked the first image he saw. It looked like some kind of promotional ad for some carbonated drink.


    The girl at the picture looked like she was 19-20 years old. She was wearing a yellow sleeveless floral printed dress that was probably two inches above her knees, showing off her long legs. It was only entuated by the pink strapped sandals she¡¯s wearing. The dress also showcased her slim waist. She was smiling at the camera while holding the carbonated drink. As if inviting anyone who would look at her to join her for a drink.


    Her skin looked smooth and wless like a piece of porcin. Her face was small. Her pair of ck eyes were slightly upturned at the end. Anyone who would stare at those eyes probably couldn¡¯t help but be hooked. And that smile, it¡¯s definitely the smile of someone who knew what¡¯s their effect on people were.


    Well, Luo Yan could admit that this girl could really rival his beauty. After reading thosements, saying that he couldn¡¯tpare to her or that he didn¡¯t even deserve to be breathing the same air as her, he would definitely be pissed if her face didn¡¯t manage to live up to the hype.


    With his curiosity fed, Luo Yan closed that image and then opened the game forum of Arcadia. He specifically searched for topics rted to that tournament thing. And he got a lot of hits. He read the few that was on the top. After going through with those posts, he got the gist of what it was. The Rookie Carnival was even mentioned a couple of times so he also understood what it was about.


    So basically, this tournament called Arcadia Cup started five years ago. A year after the VR version was released. A team of at least five members had to fight another team in a tournament likepetition. After the first season, it eventually became famous. So famous that it had its own livestream broadcast, even members of the teams that often ced high at the tournament started garnering their own followers. Some were even as famous as those 2nd line artists.


    Those famous yers could get advertising and modelling contracts, some would even appear in variety shows and make guest appearance in TV dramas. Due to that, some big teams had their own agent to facilitate the careers of their yers.


    Luo Yan whistled. This was even better than being a game anchor. No wonder a lot of yers wanted to be part of the best teams. ording to what he just read, there are four teams currently considered as the big four of Arcadia; Celestials ¨C the team which had won three consecutive championsh.i.p.s, including the sixth season that happened this year. Fenghuang ¨C the team that won the third season and took the second ce this year. Mozu which won the second season and was third this year. And finally, Sirens which had always been in the top 4 since the third season.


    Now when it came to the Rookie Carnival, it¡¯s something that started four years ago. It¡¯s a tournament that happened at the end of the year and was only for beginner yers that started ying Arcadia that year. With Arcadia¡¯s system, it¡¯s definitely easy to find whether a yer was really new and not just using an alt ount. To be eligible for participation, the new yer should at least be level 80. Probably to make sure that there wouldn¡¯t be an easy match.


    The Rookie Carnival could be reallypetitive. Because the champion would have a very high chance to be invited by the big teams.


    Luo Yan grinned in excitement. Ah, he really wanted to join this Rookie Carnival.


    It was Sunday morning in country M. Shen Ji Yun was waiting for his uncle at the restaurant of the five-star hotel they were checked in. He was sitting near the window. He looked outside and saw that it was slightly raining. He yawned. He wished his uncle coulde down faster so they could finally eat breakfast. He¡¯s kind of hungry. He didn¡¯t eat muchst night after all.


    "Excuse me, could I sit with you?" a woman¡¯s voice suddenly floated, asking him in English.


    Shen Ji Yun raised his head and saw a foreign woman with blond hair and green eyes. "No," he answered coldly before looking back outside the window again.


    "Now, you don¡¯t have to be so cold," the woman said again, as if him refusing was just a joke.


    When she was about to sit on the chair opposite, Shen Ji Yun turned his head and looked at the woman. If a gaze could freeze someone, the woman would have probably already turned into a big icicle by now. The woman immediately stopped her action of sitting down because she felt that if she did, she¡¯d definitely be frozen by those blue eyes.


    "T-then, please have a pleasant morning," the woman said before turning around and walking away.


    "That¡¯s already the sixth girl this week, isn¡¯t it?" suddenly asked by a familiar voice from behind. Shen Ji Yun nced back and saw his uncle. Shen Yi Mu walked and sat on the chair opposite him. "That one is really pretty. Why turned her down?"


    "Not interested," Shen Ji Yun simply said. What pretty? In terms of prettiness, the silly rabbit was definitely a hundred times better. No, maybe a thousand times? But that still seemed not enough. Should it be a million times?


    Shen Yi Mu sighed. "How could you have a girlfriend when you act so cold?"


    This nephew of his was already 20 and yet he never had a girlfriend. The only girls he ever saw around him were those two members of his team. Which didn¡¯t really change anything. Because one was now already married and the other, Su Yuqi, never showed that kind of interest in his nephew. He¡¯s really starting to worry now about Ji Yun¡¯s emotional growth.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at his uncle. "When Uncle has a girlfriend of his own, then we could talk about that. For now, let¡¯s just have breakfast."


    Shen Yi Muughed. Well, just like his nephew said, he should not really talk about rtionship. Slowly, hisugh turned into a bitter smile. Because even now, he still couldn¡¯t get over that one person. A person that he should have forgotten long ago.

 Chapter 77 HES NOT THAT HELPLESS

    LUO YAN fed Mana to the egg through the incubator. He put more than usual since he wasn¡¯t able to do it this past weekend. After doing so, he stared at the egg inside the crystal incubator. It had been more than a week since he got this egg, but it still wasn¡¯t close to hatching. He pressed a button at the side of the artificial beast incubator to check the status of the egg inside. Then a screen appeared on top of it.


    Unknown Egg


    -Status of Hatching: 10%


    -Current Health Meter: Extremely Healthy


    -Current Mood Meter: Somewhat Satisfied


    Luo Yan looked at the status of hatching. 10%? He began calcting inside his head. He had this egg for 10 days now. If he multiply that by 100 and then divide it by 10, the answer would be 100. Which meant that this egg would take 100 days before it hatched. A hundred days? Howe it¡¯s so long? Even a fertilized chicken¡¯s egg hatched after only 21 days. Just what kind of beast was inside this egg?


    Then he narrowed his eyes at the current mood meter. [Somewhat satisfied? What, because I neglected you for two days, you can¡¯t be fully satisfied no matter how much Mana I input in you?] He turned off the status and then raised the incubator to eye level so he could re at it better. "You brat, you haven¡¯t been born yet and you¡¯re already starting to rebel? Let¡¯s see how I spank you once youe out," he said to the egg in a low voice that no one would hear.


    If the egg was sentient, it would probably be shaking by now and shouting; "I¡¯m sorry, Master! I didn¡¯t mean it."


    "Yan, stop hugging that incubator and let¡¯s do our task," Luo Jin said, interrupting his moment with his egg.


    Wait- that kind of came out wrong. It sounded a bit perverted. Like his talking to Luo Yan Jr. down there. Should he give this egg a nickname? How about ¡¯Little Ancestor¡¯? Since this guy was already so cheeky despite being just a zygote.


    He put back the incubator in his Items Tab and walked beside Luo Jin. "Ah Jin, I read something interesting in the game forumst night."


    "It wasn¡¯t another post with a screenshot of your game avatar, is it?" Luo Jin asked, already frowning.


    "No, it¡¯s about something called the Rookie Carnival. It¡¯s a tournament held every November. But it¡¯s only open to beginner yers who just created an ount this year. And the yers also have to be at least level 80. How about we participate?"


    Luo Jin scrunched his eyebrows a bit after hearing that. "A tournament? Wouldn¡¯t that be too violent for you?"


    After all, it¡¯s different from fighting the monsters here. They¡¯d be fighting other yers. As much as he liked the idea, he¡¯s worried that his second brother would meet some sneaky yers who would use underhanded means just so they could win.


    Luo Yan looked at his brother. He already had an idea of what he was thinking about. Looked like he could only use his ultimate weapon. He blinked. His big eyes filling with tears. "Why? Is Ah Jin looking down on me?"


    Luo Jin froze and stepped back. "Argh- that¡¯s not it."


    "Then what is it?" When Luo Jin didn¡¯t answer immediately, big fat tears had already fallen from his eyes. "I knew it. Ah Jin is really looking down on me. How could you do that? Besides... b-beside, I y better than Ah Jin! I even kill more monsters than Ah Jin when we do our task. I may be just a little kid to you, but- but I¡¯m older! Always treating me like a little kid that couldn¡¯t do anything is very unfair to me. Don¡¯t you think?"


    Although he did enjoy being spoiled, because that¡¯s something he never had growing up, being coddled so much could also be annoying at times. Especially when he really wanted to do something. Among the three, Luo Jin was definitely the strictest. He even followed him in ying Arcadia just so he could keep an eye on him. So it¡¯s best that as early as now, he could ease him into understanding that his second brother might not be as helpless as he thought he was.


    Unlike Luo Jin, his father and older brother would probably be more ck. Not that they would allow him to do just anything. But at least they would be more open to the idea. Especially once he stared up at them with his big eyes and looked at them pitifully.


    Of course that didn¡¯t mean that he would stop them from spoiling him. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be spoiled by the people who genuinely loved you? Luo Yan just simply wanted them to understand that, despite thea, the lost seven years, and the supposed amnesia, he still had the ability to take care of himself. Althoughpletely convincing them of that would probably take a long time. Since they still considered him as a ten-year-old kid. But he still had to start somewhere, right?


    Luo Jin waspletely fl.u.s.tered. He truly couldn¡¯t handle it whenever he saw Luo Yan cried. His brain always nked and he had no idea what to do next. Seriously, just how could this brother of his cry at the drop of a hat? Was it some kind of hormonal imbnce?


    But despite him being in panicked, he still understood what Luo Yan was trying to convey to him. He could understand but that didn¡¯t mean that he couldpletely agree to it. Just how could he? This was the brother he almost lost. The brother he thought would forever remain lying on that hospital bed. Him waking up was a true miracle. Even the doctors their father talked to for the past seven years all said that it was almost impossible for him to wake up.


    So this time, Luo Jin wanted to do his best to protect him. Something that he failed to do seven years ago.


    But Luo Yan participating in this tournament would probably not be that bad as he imagined it would. This was VR, so the danger was already lowered a lot. And after hearing what hi second brother said, he realized something. Being overprotective to the point that he seemed to be putting him in a cage and limiting him from what he could do could only have a negative effect on him.


    Besides, he couldn¡¯t just let him continue crying.


    Luo Jin sighed helplessly. "I understand. We¡¯ll both participate in this carnival thing. So stop crying, okay?"


    Luo Yan blinked back his tears. "Really?"


    "Really."


    He smiled happily and lifted Luo Jin up. "Yey! I knew Ah Jin is the best!"


    Luo Jin, of course, blushed. "Yan! What are you doing? Put me down!"


    "Yes, yes." Luo Yan put his brother down. "Now let¡¯s do lots and lots of task so we could continue levelling up. Then do some dungeon raiding to get materials for our weapons."


    Speaking of task, Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t answer to his private message. Maybe he¡¯s busy? He¡¯d just wait for his answer then. He knew how annoying it could be to receive message after message containing the same content from the same person.


    With that, he just left it at the back of his mind and just continued walking with Luo Jin towards the location of their task.

 Chapter 78 A SEDUCTIVE GENTLEMAN

    LUO YAN walked out of the teleportation portal, closely followed by Luo Jin. They just stepped into Matlock Town ¨C one of the four major towns in Arcadia. They¡¯re now eligible to enter it after reaching level 36. But what got Luo Yan really excited was that they could now go dungeon raiding. They¡¯re level was now enough to enter a dungeon instance. Which meant they could now start gathering materials for the crafting of their weapons.


    He already had a dungeon in mind that they could go to. If the list of dungeons in this VR version was still the same as that of the PC version, that is.


    "Ah Jin, let¡¯s go to the Task Hall," he said.


    "Are we going to take another task?" Luo Jin asked. Being in this new town, he thought his second brother would want to sightsee or something.


    "Yes. But let¡¯s look first for the location of the instance portals in this area."


    Arcadia was like a big continent that could be divided into four parts. Those four parts centered around the four major towns. Of course, there were other ces in Arcadia which were not covered by thend surrounding those four towns. But they were not that many. So most of the portal instances of dungeons were located on thend area surrounding the four towns. Of course, there were dungeons which couldn¡¯t be found there. Those could be considered very special.


    "Instance portals?" Luo Jin asked, a bit confused.


    Luo Yan nodded. "For the dungeons. Didn¡¯t I tell Ah Jin that most of the materials needed for crafting the best weapon could be found during dungeon raids?"


    Yeah, Luo Jin somehow remembered that. He¡¯s not even surprised now how much this brother of his knew about this game. This probably only showed how much he liked the game.


    Luo Yan led the way towards the Task Hall, he already checked in the map earlier where it was located. While walking, he looked around. Based on the map of the town, Matlock seemed to be bigger than Olkdale. It even looked more prosperous. Maybe because only level 36 yers and higher could enter here. If he went with that assumption, then the remaining two towns would be much bigger and more prosperous than this one.


    Soon, they arrived at the Task Hall. The architecture of the building was no different from the one located at Olkdale Town. They went inside and Luo Yan first looked for a screen that would show the location of the instance portal. He immediately found it.


    It was a screen floating on the right side, showing a map. At the center of it was Matlock Town and surrounding it were five blinking red dots with the name of a ce under it and the name of the dungeon instance at the top. He pulled Luo Jin towards it. At the bottom of the screen were the words; ¡¯Dungeon Instances¡¯. He looked at the map and grinned when he found the dungeon he was looking for.


    Luo Jin happened to see this grin. It was the kind of satisfied and excited grin. "Have you already decided where we should go?"


    "Yes. But we still have a problem."


    "Problem?"


    "In order to raid a dungeon, at least a team with five members are needed. But Ah Jin and I are only two, so it¡¯s a problem."


    Luo Jin clucked his tongue. "Why does it have to be so troublesome?"


    Luo Yan knew that his brother probably didn¡¯t want to team up with a group of strangers. He also didn¡¯t want that. What if they teamed up with a group of pig team mates? Instead of being an advantage, it would definitely be just the opposite. But having only two people raiding a dungeon was not allowed. So what choice did they have?


    The only other person he knew in this game was Shen Ji Yun. Who probably still hadn¡¯t logged-in in the game. Considering how he still hadn¡¯t replied to his private message. So, strangers were their only choice.


    "Excuse me, I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but are you two looking for team mates for a dungeon raid?" suddenly asked by a voice behind them.


    Luo Yan and Luo Jin both nced back and saw a male yer wearing a white robe. He had a very approachable face. The kind that could make friends easily. Luo Yan stared at him and answered, "Yes, we are."


    The guy seemed fl.u.s.tered being looked at by Luo Yan. But he still continued to say, "Then do you mind teaming up with me and my friends?"


    "Before I answer, could I ask what dungeon you and your friends were nning to raid?"


    "The Infernal Chasm."


    A thought entered Luo Yan¡¯s mind and then he smiled. "Okay, let¡¯s team up."


    "Hey¡ª"


    Luo Yan gazed down at his brother and gave him a reassuring smile. "It¡¯s okay."


    Whateverin Luo Jin wanted to say was stopped by that smile.


    "That¡¯s great!" the guy said happily. "My game name is Essaint. How about you guys?"


    "I¡¯m Noctis. And this is-" Luo Yan stopped, wait- how would he introduce Luo Jin? Should he just call him Young Master? Luo Jin would be annoyed to no end if he did that. But it would be funny as hell. Should he just do that?


    But before he could, Luo Jin beat him to it. "I¡¯m Jin."


    Luo Yan pouted a bit. Damn. He missed his chance.


    "Noctis, Jin, nice to meet the both of you," the guy who introduced himself as Essaint said. "My two friends are waiting at a restaurant near here. Should we go there?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "Okay."


    They went to another branch of Moonriver. Luo Yan was slightly surprised when Essaint led them to the third floor where the expensive private boxes were. He stopped in front of one of the private boxes. He knocked but no one answered. When he opened it, no one was inside.


    "What¡¯s this, I thought your friends are waiting here?" Luo Jin said with a bit of a sarcastic tone.


    "Sorry, they probably went somewhere. Those two," he shook his head. "Could you wait here? I¡¯ll go get them and then we¡¯ll immediately go to Infernal Chasm right after."


    "Sure, we¡¯ll wait here," Luo Yan said very amiably.


    Then he walked away.


    "Hey, Yan, why are you being so friendly to that guy? For all we know, he probably wanted to scam us or something," Luo Jinined.


    "You should listen to your littlepanion, my lovely," suddenly said by a smoky voice on the side.


    Luo Yan and Luo Jin turned sharply, because they both didn¡¯t feel the presence of the other. What they saw was a tall man with a lean figure. He was wearing a ck suit that fits him perfectly and was holding a cane like some aristocratic gentleman. His slick ck hair wasbed back, showing his clear forehead. He had a pair of red eyes. But it was not the same red as Luo Jin¡¯s game avatar. Instead of being simr to rubies, they were more like blood red. His skin was extremely pale, not the unhealthy pale that Luo Yan had when he first woke up from thea but more like a natural paleness. As if he was born with it. But despite being pale, his lips were as red as ripe cherries.


    Just standing there, he was already exuding some kind of seductive atmosphere. Even the way he moved was charming.


    He smiled, the slight arc at the corner of his mouth was enough to make anyone blush. "That person is most probably trying to use the both of you so he and his friends could sessfully clear that dungeon."


    Luo Yan stared at this intruding guy and then suddenly smiled sweetly. "I know."


    Then he pulled Luo Jin inside the empty box and closed it.


    The man who was left outside was stunned for a moment. And then he smiled, a real smile this time. "Interesting."

 Chapter 79 PLAYING THE PIGS TO EAT THE TIGER

    LUO JIN red at the closed door. Who was that guy? He looked so phony, like some trying hard wannabe gentleman. And the way he¡¯s speaking and that tone of voice, it just gave Luo Jin the creeps. Not the one that made you feel scared but the one that just made you feel disgusted.


    "Ah Jin, put this in your Items Tab," Luo Yan said, taking out the Invisibility Cloak from his own Items Tab and putting it on the table. "I¡¯ll temporarily lend it to you."


    Luo Jin looked at the Invisibility Cloak. He¡¯d seen Luo Yan used it a number of times already. He even let him tried it one time. But why did he have to lend it to him right now? Even so, he still put it in his Items Tab. "Why lend it to me though?"


    "So Ah Jin could use itter when we counter-attack against Essaint and his two friends," Luo Yan answered.


    Luo Jin suddenly remembered what that creepy wannabe said earlier, about that Essaint guy nning to use them. "Is this about them using us or some shi- crap?"


    "Yes."


    Luo Yan answered happily, as if amused by the very idea that someone even dared to think of using them. But that should be just Luo Jin¡¯s imagination, right? Right?


    "Let¡¯s talk using private chatter. It would be bad if Essaint and his friends heard what we¡¯re talking about right now." Because it that were to happen, then it would ruin Luo Yan¡¯s n. "And Ah Jin, try your best not to lose your temper. If you really couldn¡¯t take it anymore, just look at my face."


    "Why should I look at your face?" Luo Jin asked, confused.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Because looking at my face will definitely put you back into good mood." He put both hands on both of his cheeks. "After all, I¡¯m this pretty."


    Luo Jin¡¯s face contorted a bit. Seriously, what¡¯s with his brother and the word ¡¯pretty¡¯? Did his brain waves somehow mutate during his seven-yeara?


    A few minutester, Essaint came back with a male yer and a female yer in tow. The male yer was a human race just like Essaint. He was wearing a light armor and a sword was strapped on his side. The girl was an elf wearing a short yellow robe and a pointed hat.


    "I¡¯m sorry for beingte," Essaint immediately apologized.


    Luo Yan shook his head. "It¡¯s okay. We didn¡¯t wait that long."


    "These are my friends, Bronzed Leaf and Apricot," Essaint said introducing the male and female yer respectively. And then he turned to his twopanion. "And these were the ones I told you about earlier. Noctis and Jin."


    Noctis looked at the two and smiled. "Hello."


    Luo Jin chose to just ignore them. Just like what his brother said, ignoring them would lessen the chance of him being annoyed.


    Bronzed Leaf looked at Luo Yan¡¯s face and there was a visible disgust shown in his eyes. He probably thought he hid it well but Luo Yan easily saw through it.


    The girl, Apricot, was theplete opposite. Her eyes brightened and immediately sat beside Luo Yan. "Nice to meet you, Noctis."


    She tried to hug his arm but Luo Yan tactically avoided it. And then said, "But is it really alright for us to team up with you? We¡¯re only both level 36 after all."


    Bronzed Leaf looked smug after hearing that. "It¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll just have to carry you weak¡ªah, sorry, I mean, we¡¯ll carry you with us through the whole dungeon."


    "You don¡¯t have to worry at all. I¡¯ll definitely protect you," Apricot added.


    Luo Jin red at the woman. What protect? He could definitely do that himself.


    "That¡¯s right. Beside, we¡¯re going to enter the Normal mode of the dungeon. So it wouldn¡¯t be too hard," Essaint said.


    Dungeon raids usually had three modes. The captain of the team could choose to y Easy, Normal, or Heroic mode. Easy being the easiest and Heroic being the hardest.


    Luo Yan smiled. "That¡¯s fine then."


    "There¡¯s no teleportation scroll that would directly bring us to Mount Rage, so let¡¯s just teleport to the nearest vige to it. What do you think?"


    The Mount Rage Essaint mentioned was the location of the instance portal that would lead them to the Infernal Chasm dungeon.


    "I think that¡¯s the perfect idea," Luo Yan said.


    "I already have a group teleportation scroll that would bring us there. So, let¡¯s go?"


    All agreed. They went out of the Moonriver restaurant and used the group teleportation scroll.


    When Luo Yan opened his eyes, they were already in front of a vige. Apricot was happily holding his arm. Which he skillfully removed. And then Luo Jin immediately inserted himself in between them. Of course, not forgetting to re at the woman.


    "Brat, what are you ring at me for?" Apricot said, putting both hands on her h.i.p.s.


    "Sorry, my brother just doesn¡¯t like people getting close to me," Luo Yan apologized.


    "Oh? You are brothers?" She looked down again at Luo Jin. "Heh... so you¡¯re a bro-con then? Tch... tch... you shouldn¡¯t be like that. How can your brother find a girlfriend if you keep clinging to him?"


    What girlfriend? His brother was still a kid, there¡¯s still no need for him to have something like that. Luo Jin only snorted and didn¡¯t talk to the annoying woman. He might just lose his temper if he did.


    "Stop stalling and let¡¯s just go," Bronzed Leaf impatiently said.


    "Yes!~" Apricot said, she winked at Luo Yan before walking after Bronzed Leaf.


    While walking, Luo Yan opened his Status Window and sent a message through private chat to Luo Jin. Since a yer¡¯s Status Window could only be seen by themselves and not by other yers, the three walking ahead wouldn¡¯t think that the two were actually chatting.


    Noctis: [Ah Jin, when I give you the signalter, used the Invisibility Cloak I lent to you.]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [What exactly is happening?]


    Noctis: [The final boss of the Infernal Chasm dungeon has a certain skill that would activate once its HP reached 1%. It would use two consecutive life draining skills that would immediately kill the yer. Then it would go into rampage for five seconds. During that time, all its attack would be twice as stronger. After that, it wouldn¡¯t be able to move for three seconds. Giving a chance to the remaining yers to finish itpletely.]


    After reading that Luo Jin immediately understood what these three guys were nning.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Don¡¯t tell me, their nning to use us as bait so that dungeon boss would use that life draining skill on us?]


    Noctis: [Wow! Ah Jin is so smart. I actually thought of the same thing.]


    Luo Jin was so annoyed. How dare those three even think that they could make a fool out of him and Luo Yan? But that annoyance lessened a little when he thought that at the very beginning, his brother already saw through their ploy. Now he wasn¡¯t sure anymore if the words ¡¯na?ve¡¯ and ¡¯innocent¡¯ could still describe him.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Then why did you agree to team up with them if you already knew what they¡¯re nning?]


    Noctis: [To get revenge, of course! Isn¡¯t Ah Jin angry that they actually think we¡¯re that stupid?]


    Luo Jin grinned. That thinking was kind of childish. But he liked it.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [I suspect you already have a n.]


    Luo Yan grinned yfully.


    Noctis: [Yes. We¡¯re going to y the pigs to eat the tiger.]

 Chapter 80 MY BROTHERS SEEMINGLY DARK SIDE

    THE moment that Essaint said that the dungeon they¡¯d be raiding was the Infernal Chasm, Luo Yan already suspected that he wasn¡¯t inviting them to join his team out of the goodness of his heart. He¡¯s quite familiar with the Infernal Chasm dungeon. He had done a number of raids there when he was ying the PC version. So he also knew the characteristic of the boss dungeon. Knowing that, it¡¯s only natural for him to get suspicious.


    When they met Essaint¡¯s other two friends, Luo Yan¡¯s suspicion only strengthened. Especially with the attitude of that Bronzed Leaf. His eyes, while looking at him and Luo Jin, were full of taunts. As if thinking how stupid both of them were for agreeing to team up with them for that dungeon raid. He¡¯s probably already imagining their miserable expressions once the dungeon boss used his life draining skill on both him and Luo Jin.


    Of course Luo Yan couldn¡¯t ruin his expectations. So he decided to y their game. But he¡¯d make sure that the final winner would be him and Luo Jin. Then he¡¯d be the one looking on at their miserable expressions. Just thinking of it could already make him giddy. Ah, how could he be so bad? Well, it¡¯s these people¡¯s fault for looking down on them and thinking that they could just easily use them.


    Looking at the three walking in the front, they¡¯re most probably friends in real life. Or at least they should know each other. This was probably not the first time they¡¯d done something like this. Essaint said that they¡¯d do the Normal mode, which meant that they raided the Infernal Chasm dungeon at least once. They might have failed during their first try. And then the next time they tried again, they already learned from their mistake and so chose two strangers to act as bait for the dungeon boss. After all, if they could push two unrted people into the pit so they could seed, why wouldn¡¯t they? Tasting sess, they did it again. And now, Luo Yan and Luo Jin were their current victims.


    They¡¯re probably picking yers that they thought were beginners which they could easily fool. Letting the friendly looking Essaint to do the job. As evidence of the mocking expression on that Bronzed Leaf¡¯s face when he told them that he and Luo Jin were only both level 36.


    These were all Luo Yan¡¯s assumptions and some of his points might be even wrong. But one thing¡¯s for sure, these three were definitely up to no good.


    But aside from wanting to teach them a lesson, the other reason why Luo Yan agreed to this dungeon raid was because of one of the possible rewards that the yer could get once they defeated the boss dungeon. It¡¯s a material that could be used in crafting weapons. The more difficult the mode of the dungeon, the higher the probability of obtaining that material as a reward.


    Luo Yan had a hunch that despite saying that they¡¯d go through the dungeon using the Normal mode, that Essaint might actually pick the Heroic mode. If they¡¯re at level 50 or higher, then raiding a dungeon that¡¯s for level 36 yers, even if it Heroic mode, would not be that hard. The only problem they would face would be the troublesome life draining skill of the dungeon boss.


    He actually hoped that that was the case. Because if it was, then the probability of getting that material as a reward would be higher. Then he and Luo Jin didn¡¯t need to go through this dungeon again.


    He sent another private message to his brother.


    Noctis: [Ah Jin, once we enter the dungeon, let¡¯s try not to actively join in the fight. Let them do all the hard work. Let¡¯s just sit back, rx, and take all the rewards after.]


    Luo Jin nced at his brother when he read that. The corner of his lips were tilted upwards in an excited smile. As if he couldn¡¯t wait for the oue of this dungeon raid toe. Just where did this dark versione from? Luo Yan had only been awake for four months. He didn¡¯t have much interaction with other people outside of their family. So, who could have influenced him to have this kind of behavior? Certainly it¡¯s not their father or older brother. Was it him? Because he¡¯s often rude and short-tempered?


    Or maybe it¡¯s the influenced of those things he read in the inte. Since it seemed like he often spent time surfing the. Who knew what kind of things he¡¯d read or encountered? But there¡¯s one more possibility. That he¡¯d always been this way. That part of his personality just didn¡¯t get the change to further develop because of the seven-year longa. But now that he¡¯s awake, it could only continue to flourish from now on.


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t feel disappointed realizing that possibility. In fact, he was kind of d. Because that meant that Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t be fooled that easily. He wouldn¡¯t just naively believe everything that anyone would tell him. Which could only be anotheryer of protection for him.


    "Hey, you two! Walk faster! Mount Rage is just up ahead!" called by Apricot.


    Luo Yan looked ahead and saw a mountain with a depressive atmosphere surrounding it. The mountain had jagged peaks that looked rather foreboding. Its huge form, looming over the dark forest surrounding it.


    "The instance portal is located somewhere at the top of the mountain," Essaint said once Luo Yan and Luo jin caught up with them. "So we have to walk through this forest first."


    "What if we encountered monsters along the way?" Luo Yan asked, acting all worried.


    Bronzed Leaf snorted in disgust upon hearing that.


    "I told you, I¡¯m going to protect you. So you have nothing to worry about," said Apricot who tried to hug his arm again. But Luo Yan was faster and immediately avoided it.


    "That¡¯s right, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. We three could easily handle those monsters," Essaint seconded.


    Luo Yan smiled sweetly at them. "That¡¯s good to hear then."


    Luo Jin looked at this smile and for some reason, he couldn¡¯t help but feel goosebumps on his arms.

 Chapter 81 INFERNAL CHASM (I)

    THE group of five sessfully, and safely, arrived at the top of Mount Rage. Or at least the top of its highest peak. No thanks, of course, to the two Luo brothers. Whenever a monster attack their party, it¡¯s always the other three who attacked and defended. It¡¯s actually quite funny, seeing Bronzed Leaf getting more and more annoyed with them by the minute. But actually couldn¡¯t do anything about it because they needed the two to enter the dungeon with them.


    Not far from where they¡¯re standing, a red whirlpool like object was floating in the air. There was a visible static around it, continuously flickering, as if it would disappear and separate from this ne of existence at any moment.


    "That¡¯s the portal," Essaint said. "Being the leader of the party, I¡¯d pick the mode of difficulty once we entered the portal. I believe I already mentioned earlier that we¡¯d be doing the Normal mode. I hope there¡¯s no problem with that," he continued, addressing thatst bit at Luo Yan.


    "There¡¯s no problem," Luo Yan said.


    "Then you and that pipsqueak over there should at least try to fight. Don¡¯t just stand and wait for the monsters to attack you," said Bronzed Leaf with an obvious annoyance in his tone. "Or do you really expect us to carry the both of you until the very end?"


    Luo Yan turned to him and tilted his head, his big blue eyes dusted with gold were full of innocence. "But isn¡¯t that what you said earlier? That we don¡¯t have to worry because you will definitely carry us until the end? Surely you didn¡¯t lie about that?"


    "You--!"


    Essaint immediately walked in between the two, trying to stop any possible quarrel. "Now, now, Bronzed Leaf didn¡¯t lie. He just wanted for the both of you to protect yourself."


    Bronzed Leaf wanted to say something but Essaint gave him a warning nce. So he could only frown and swallow whatever it was he wanted to say.


    "Oh, is that it? Then you don¡¯t have to worry." Luo Yan turned to Apricot and smiled sweetly at her. "Because Apricot will protect me, right?"


    The mentioned Apricot suddenly blushed. Well, anyone in her position who was suddenly smiled at by such a beautiful face would probably do. So before she could think, her mouth just moved on its own. "Yes, I most definitely will."


    This, of course, garnered a re from Bronzed Leaf. Apricot shrunk her neck. What else could she do? She had no immunity against good-looking people. And this was the most beautiful person she¡¯d met, in-game or real life. Just looked at that white hair and those blue eyes speckled with gold. How could she resist? In fact, she¡¯s kind of regretting that they¡¯re about to use him and that brother of his as bait for the boss dungeon.


    Maybe she shouldfort him after this.


    "Okay, then shall we enter the dungeon?" Essaint asked.


    After hearing everyone¡¯s response, he led them towards the portal. Before entering, Luo Yan made sure to open the video function of his Status Window.


    When he walked out of the portal, what Luo Yan saw was a world of fire. Or at least close to that. There were elevated peaks with a wide, t top where yers could stand on. And those peaks were filled with monsters. But avoiding them was not an option. Because those peaks were lined up in a neat straight line. And in order to get to thest peak where the boss was, they needed to get through all the peaks before.


    Those peaks were unfortunately connected by a very narrow bridge ofnd that only one person at a time could stand on. Much more unfortunate was the river of fire below. Once a yer fell, it would definitely be instant death.


    Luo Jin saw all of these and he almost cursed. Were all dungeons in this game like this?


    "Ah Jin, try not to fall. Okay?" he heard his second brother whispered to him.


    He looked up and saw the mischievous glint in his brother¡¯s eyes. "Of course I wouldn¡¯t."


    They were standing on the first t peak. Because of that, there¡¯s no monsters around them. Giving them a brief time to breath.


    "Before we reached the next peak, I¡¯ll cast a protection spell for all of us. It would onlyst for 5 seconds, but that¡¯s more than enough to prepare us for the attacks of the iing monsters," Essaint said.


    "Then I¡¯ll do the first attack," Apricot said. She¡¯s a Mage and in this group, she¡¯s the only one who could perform a widespread group attack.


    "Apricot will walk first, I¡¯ll follow her. Then Noctis and Jin could follow next. Bronzed Leaf will be at the rear. Is that okay?"


    "It¡¯s no problem," Luo Yan said.


    "Then let¡¯s go."


    After Essaint¡¯s signal, Apricot started walking towards the narrow bridge. Followed by Essaint. Luo Yan gently pushed Luo Jin forward. This way he could watch his back. If he happened to trip or fall, Luo Yan could immediately be there to catch him. Then he followed next. He heard footsteps behind, meaning that Bronzed Leaf was already following.


    They were already midway towards the next peak when Luo Yan thought of something.


    He acted startled and then jumped back, causing him to bump into Bronzed Leaf. Because he didn¡¯t expect it, Bronzed Leaf lost his bnce. Which caused him to almost fall over. His eyes widened, his heart beating like a loud drum. He really thought he would fall. But then his arm was suddenly grabbed and he was able to maintain his bnce again.


    "I¡¯m so sorry. I thought the fire was going to reach me. Are you okay?"


    Bronzed Leaf lifted his head and saw the beautiful face of the white-haired elf full of worry. But he couldn¡¯t appreciate it in the least. He gritted his teeth in frustration and anger. This little white face. If he didn¡¯t know that this guy was a beginner, he¡¯d really think that he¡¯d done that on purpose.


    "Is there something wrong?" called Essaint from the front.


    "Nothing!" Bronzed Leaf shouted angrily.


    He swore after this dungeon raid, he¡¯d make this little white face pay.


    Luo Yan turned around and continued walking. He couldn¡¯t help the grin that crossed his face. How could he just let this Bronzed Leaf fall? His game avatar dying here would be too easy for him. Luo Yan just wanted to see his scared expression a little bit.


    Ah, these guys were really bringing his bad side. But he must admit, this was really fun. Kind of reminded him of the old days.

 Chapter 82 INFERNAL CHASM (II)

    LUO JIN moved his little body slightly to the left, avoiding the attack of the monster with a pumpkin head. He pointed his two guns at the monster and used one of his more basic skills. [Dual Quick Shot] ¨C it¡¯s a skill that allowed him to fire two consecutive shots with each of his guns at a very high speed and with an additional 5% increase in power. The monster was hit and it slowly disintegrated.


    He nced around to search for his brother. He was standing at one corner, only attacking and dodging if he needed to. He then looked at the other three people in their party. In contrast to Luo Yan, the three were fighting like their lives were depending on it.


    It had been like this since the second peak. And now they¡¯re on their second to thest peak. His brother looked like he was walking leisurely on a park during a very good weather. While the other three appeared like they were trekking on a steep mountain during a heavy storm. Luo Jin couldn¡¯t think of a more apt analogy.


    He shook his head. Now, he kind of feel bad for these guys. Especially after what he and Luo Yan were about to doter. But he still decided to also just stepped back and go to his own corner.


    When all the monsters were defeated, Essaint casted a group heal skill ¨C reviving all their lost HP.


    "Essaint, you shouldn¡¯t waste your MP on those two. They didn¡¯t even fight properly. I bet their HP still remained the same without even you healing them," Bronzed Leafined.


    "That¡¯s unfair. I killed two monsters and Jin killed about four," Luo Yan said, defending himself and Luo Jin.


    "And you¡¯re really proud about that?" Bronzed Leaf said, full of sarcasm.


    "Of course, I am," he replied without even a hint of embarrassment.


    Bronzed Leaf gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His patience was seriously at its limit. Just a bit more and he¡¯d definitely slug this little white face.


    "Okay. There¡¯s only the boss dungeon left. And then we¡¯ll be out of here," Essaint said, looking particrly at Bronzed Leaf. As if silently telling him to just bear with it a bit more and everything would be over. They just had to put up with these two clowns for just a little bit.


    Bronzed Leaf took a deep breath and then looked elsewhere. If they didn¡¯t ungently need one of the rewards from this dungeon raid, there¡¯s no way he would put up with these two. But they¡¯re already here. Repeating this again with other two gullible strangers would just be a waste of time. But just like what Essaint said, after the boss dungeon, it would all be over.


    They started walking towards thest peak. Unlike the other peaks, thest one had a wall of me surrounding it. Apricot was still at the front, followed by Essaint, then Luo Jin and Luo Yan, Bronzed Leaf was still at the rear.


    "Apricot will make an opening on the wall of me. Once she did, we all need to dash forward as fast as possible."


    Just like Essaint said, when Apricot was finally closed to the wall of me, she casted a water spell and that made an opening big enough for an a.d.u.l.t human to pass through. She immediately ran towards it. The same went for Essaint. Luo Yan then carried Luo Jin and dashed forwards as well.


    Before Luo Jin could evenin and tell his brother to put him down, Luo Yan already did.


    But before he did, he whispered into Luo Jin¡¯s ear. "Let¡¯s help them with this one. So we could log out before dinneres. But only until the dungeon boss¡¯ HP reached 1%."


    "I got it. But how would I know it there¡¯s only 1% left in its HP?" Luo Jin asked, also whispering back.


    "It would be surrounded by a red glow."


    Then from above, a wraith-like monster flew down. It was wearing a dark robe and a mask with an eye drawn on it. It was also holding a bone skull staff. Immediately, it made a group attack, releasing a very powerful fire spell. Before it could hit them, Essaint quickly put up a shield. The fact that it held up meant that his level was higher than the required level for this dungeon. The other two must be the same.


    When Essaint put down the shield, Apricot immediately attacked using a powerful spell. It was followed by Bronzed Leaf making a big sh downward, producing a wave that hit the dungeon boss square on its stomach. Luo Jin also fired shots.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t move nor did he attack. He was waiting. Waiting for the right timing.


    After two more rounds of attack and defense, the boss dungeon suddenly raised its staff and a circr symbol appeared on top. Then a rain of fire came down on them. Essaint managed to put up another shield but not before some of the rain hit them. When the onught of fire rain was over, Essaint did another healing spell. Then Apricot hit the dungeon boss with some kind of ice spell, momentarily freezing it into ce.


    When that happened, Luo Yan immediately moved and used [Strike Kill]. He moved at a very fast speed and managed tond that hit. He quickly jumped back to avoid being hit back just in case.


    The three seemed to be very surprised by what he just did. They were so distracted that they didn¡¯t even noticed the red glow that surrounded the dungeon boss.


    Luo Jin who noticed this, maybe because he had been waiting for it to happen, immediately put on the Invisibility Cloak his brother lent him. Seeing this, Luo Yan turned to the three and gave them the sweetest smile he could possibly give.


    "Bye bye!~"


    And then he dived into the shadows.


    Before the three could understand what was happening, the boss dungeon already used one of its life-draining skill on Essaint and then right after, it used the next one on Bronzed Leaf.


    "Son of a¡ª"


    Bronzed Leaf didn¡¯t manage to finish cursing because his game avatar already died. The same as Essaint¡¯s.


    Apricot was so confused that she didn¡¯t manage to dodge the next attack of the dungeon boss. Its attack doubled that¡¯s why it caused a lot more damage than it should. When she finally managed to slightly get over what happened, it was already toote. Because a big ball of fire already hit her. And the only thing she could think of while her game avatar was disintegrating was that; they¡¯d been had.


    By that sly fox of an elf.

 Chapter 83 ALUCARD

    THE dungeon boss was still rampaging, without a target in sight, he was just blindly attacking, casting fire spell one after another. Luo Jin was still wearing the Invisibility Cloak, standing at a distance where he could easily avoid the non-stop attacks. While doing that, he also fired shots so this guy could finally go down. It only had 1% HP left, it probably wouldn¡¯t take that long before it was defeated.


    Where was his brother anyway?


    Luo Yan was still swimming in the shadows of the dungeon boss. His Shadow Walk skill was now in level 12. Which meant that he could now use it continuously for 17 minutes before it needed to cool down. That was more than enough to kill off the dungeon boss. He rose from the shadow and then attack the dungeon boss from the back. When it was going to attack back, Luo Yan dived in once again in the shadows.


    He repeated this sequence of action a couple more times. It was kind of boring, true. But it was a sure way to kill the monster much faster. With Luo Jin supporting at the back, they finally reached their desired oue.


    The dungeon boss froze in ce, shrieked, and then slowly disintegrated.


    A notification sound followed after that.


    [Congrattions! Your party sessfully raided the Infernal Chasm dungeon in Heroic mode. But three of your party members died before defeating the dungeon boss. Which meant the rewards would only go to the remaining two. You can now go and get it.]


    The notification screen disappeared and a treasure box appeared in front of them. Luo Yan was already out of the shadows and Luo Jin already removed the Invisibility Cloak.


    Luo Yan grinned when he read the notification. So the dungeon raid system still didn¡¯t change. Those who died before finishing the raid wouldn¡¯t receive any rewards. This was what Luo Yan was hoping for. He didn¡¯t n all that just for them to still get something at the end.


    "Was that it? It¡¯s over?" Luo Jin asked, walking towards the treasure.


    "Yup. Once we took this treasure chest, we will be automatically thrown out of the dungeon. So, let¡¯s go?" Luo Yan said.


    "I guess we should."


    Luo Yan picked up the treasure box and put it in his Items Tab. As soon as he did that, both he and Luo Jin were transferred out of there. They reappeared at the base of Mount Rage.


    Luo Yan twirled around and faced Luo Jin. "Wasn¡¯t that so much fun, Ah Jin?"


    [For you, maybe. But for those three, I doubt it.] But looking at his second brother¡¯s happy expression, he could only smile helplessly. He didn¡¯t even care about the slightly ck bellied nature that Luo Yan showed. That¡¯s probably the effect of the rose-colored filter in his eyes. No matter what his brother did, it would always seem wonderful to him. Even if he acted scary.


    "Yes, yes," he could only say.


    "Let¡¯s log out now. Let¡¯s just check our rewardster after dinner," Luo Yan suggested while looking at the time on his Status Window.


    Luo Jin just nodded and they both logged out.


    They didn¡¯t know that just a minute after they were gone, the three ¨C Essaint, Bronzed Leaf, and Apricot ¨C came back.


    "Looks like they¡¯re gone," Essaint said with a grim face.


    "That f*cking son of a b*tch! I swear if I see them again, I¡¯ll beat the shit out of them! Especially that little white face!" growled Bronzed Leaf, his face almost red in anger.


    "You have to get in line. That sly fox. How could he use that face to deceive my poor heart?" Apricotined. "Argh! I¡¯ll definitely whip him!"


    Suddenly, they heard a burst ofughter from above.


    Bronzed Leaf turned sharply to the source of the sound. "Who¡¯s there?!"


    A figure suddenly jumped from the branch of a nearby tree. It was a tall and slender man d in a ck suit. His ck hair was slickly swept back. His eyes the color of blood were full of amus.e.m.e.nt. He was swinging the cane he was holding back and forth.


    Apricot¡¯s eyes widened when he recognized the yer in front of them. Of course, Essaint and Bronzed Leaf recognized him too.


    "A-Alucard?" Apricot muttered unbelievably.


    The yer he called Alucard raised one of his brows. "Oh, you know me? Then this would be easy." He walked towards Essaint. "You seem to be the leader of this... flock. Then this is my advice, from one yer to another. Do try not to mess with those two again."


    "May I ask why?" asked Essaint.


    Alucard smiled. Seeing that smile, Apricot felt like her heart would burst. It was different from the feeling she felt from Noctis. What she felt for the elf was a pure appreciation for someone with a beautiful face. But this one, it almost made her want to just strip him down n.a.k.e.d. Even Bronzed Leaf felt his heart beating faster than normal.


    "Because I find that elf interesting. Surely you don¡¯t want to go against me?" Alucard tapped Essaint¡¯s shoulder with his cane. "You do understand, right?"


    Essaint forced himself to smile. Going against Alucard meant going against the whole team Sanguis. The team he, Bronzed Leaf, and Apricot belonged to was not big enough to go against a powerhouse team like that. "I understand."


    "Good."


    Then Alucard walked out of there while whistling a yful song. He hadn¡¯t walked that far yet when he received a private message.


    Lilith: [Xu Ru, where did you ran off again?]


    Alucard: [I didn¡¯t ran off. I¡¯m just taking a walk.]


    Lilith: [Then finish your walk and go back to our headquarters. Or did you actually forget that our team have a meeting today?]


    Alucard: [My princess, how could I forget? I¡¯m going there as we speak now.]


    Lilith: [Then go faster. And also, don¡¯t call me ¡¯princess¡¯. You bloodsucking yboy.]


    Alucard: [How could I not when you look like one?]


    Lilith: [I¡¯m done talking to you.]


    Alucard: [Wait- I think I actually gained something from my long walk this time.]


    Lilith: [???]


    Lilith: [What do you mean?]


    Alucard: [I¡¯ll tell youter.]


    Xu Ru ¨C better known as Alucard in the game - suddenly remembered the white haired elf and he couldn¡¯t help butugh again.


    He couldn¡¯t help but follow then when the elf said that he knew that he was being ripped off by those three. So he wanted to know what he would do. Who would have thought that only he and that gnome he¡¯s with would be the only one to leave the dungeon? When it was quite clear that the three they¡¯re with had higher levels than them. Xu Ru really wanted to know what the elf did to outsmart those three.


    Maybe he should invite him to his team the next time they met. He¡¯d probably be a very good addition to team Sanguis.

 Chapter 84 RARE INVITATION

    LUO YAN and Luo Jin were once again back at Matlock Town. They were inside one of the private box of the restaurant Moonriver. After ordering some food, Luo Yan took the treasure chest they got from the dungeon raid and then opened it. Inside were a big bag of crystal coins, somerge potions, some kind of envelope that looked like an invitation of sorts, and what looked like three blocks of white stone.


    Luo Yan automatically ignored the first three and stared fixedly at the block of stone. He put one of the block of stone in his Items Tab to check if it was really what he thought it was.


    Saspalt


    - A special material that has a powerful integration effect. If youbine it with other materials used in crafting items (i.e. weapons, armors, essories), those materials would have an almost perfect integration. Yielding a more resilient and better than normal items.


    - This particr material could be found in selected dungeons. But the probability of getting it as a reward could only be considered medium at most.


    Luo Yan happily picked the other two saspalt and gave it to Luo Jin. "Ah Jin, put these in your Items Tab."


    "What exactly is this stone?" Luo Jin asked but still put the two remaining saspalt in his Items Tab.


    "It¡¯s a good material for weapons crafting. Once we find other materials, we could look for a cksmith to craft our weapons. Of course, we should only choose the best one. The best materials wouldn¡¯t do us any good if we leave it to a cksmith with a poor skill," Luo Yan exined.


    "Do you already have someone in mind? A ckmith, I mean."


    Luo Yan shook his head. "I n to search in the forums. I¡¯m sure a lot of yers know the best one among all the famous cksmiths in this game." He pushed the rest of the rewards towards Luo Jin. "Ah Jin, you can keep the rest."


    Luo Jin had no reason to refuse since he knew for a fact that his second brother had more crystal coins than him. And also a lot of all kinds of potions for that matter. So he put the two in his Items Tab. Then he looked at the envelope and picked it up. "How about this one?"


    Now that Luo Jin mentioned it, Luo Yan finally looked properly at the envelope. There was nothing written on it. It looked just like an ordinary envelope. If not for the seal closing it.


    It had the symbol of Arcadia. The letter ¡¯A¡¯ with a crescent moon beside it.


    "Let me have a look," he said, reaching out his hand.


    Luo Jin put the envelope on his second brother¡¯s palm. Luo Yan opened it and took the card inside. He read what was written on it.


    [You are cordially invited to the King¡¯s annual party that will be held at his famous Selene Pce. You may bring as many as twopanions with you. A carriage will be waiting at the ck Lake at exactly 6 o¡¯clock in the evening on the 15th of August. Be sure not to bete or you¡¯ll missed this one in a year chance.]


    "An invitation to a party? But who is this ¡¯King¡¯ exactly?" Luo Jin asked after hearing what Luo Yan just read.


    "Wait- I¡¯ll check it in my Items Tab. Let¡¯s see if it will give some information."


    Luo Yan then put the envelope in his Items Tab.


    Rare Invitation


    - Invitation to the birthday party of the King of Arcadia. It¡¯s a special instance that could give very rare items to the yers who managed to get their hands on this invitation.


    - A yer could get this item as a reward in only two dungeons; the Infernal Chasm and the Lunar Labyrinth. Or you could directly ask the Duke of Hearts to give you one. Although it¡¯s a known fact that that one was pretty temperamental.


    He told Luo Jin what he just read. Because of this invitation, Luo Yan suddenly thought of those three who tried to scam them. Was this invitation their goal from the start? ording to the description he just read, it was obvious that this birthday party was quite the big event here in this VR version of the game. Because he would definitely remember something like this if it was avable in the PC version.


    "I didn¡¯t know Arcadia has a King," Luo Jinmented.


    "It¡¯s my first time hearing about it too."


    When he was ying the PC version, he never encountered a ¡¯King¡¯ NPC. So it¡¯s probably an NPC developed in the VR version.


    "So, are we going to attend?" asked Luo Jin.


    Luo Yan smiled, feeling somewhat excited. "Of course we will."


    How could he just miss this once in a year chance?


    Country M.


    Shen Ji Yun was sitting on the backseat of a car, his uncle was beside him. The car they were in was currently travelling towards the site of the convention. Today was thest day. His uncle still had meetings for the next two days, so they could only leave after that. They¡¯ll probably arrive back at Country Z by Sunday. Which meant that he wouldn¡¯t be able to y Arcadia until then.


    For almost two weeks that he¡¯d been here, he couldn¡¯t help thinking from time to time if the rabbit sent him a message. After all, he asked him to send him one if ever he encountered any problems in the game. If the rabbit did and Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t answer him, wouldn¡¯t he think that he¡¯s ignoring him? Would he be disappointed? Or perhaps... would he sulk?


    Thinking of the rabbit sulking, he couldn¡¯t help but imagine his face ¨C his real one, pouting. With those big peach blossom eyes gazing up at him and his pinkish lips pouting, all he could think of was; [Cute...]


    He shook his head. What was he thinking?


    But despite that worry, he didn¡¯t regreting here one bit. Because he learned a lot from the past two days of the convention. Especially from the people who gave a lot of interesting talks ¨C people considered as the leaders of the gaming industry. There were also a lot of interesting exhibits. Even two days were not enough to go over each and everyst one of them.


    The car finally stopped. Shen Ji Yun was the first one to get out, followed by his uncle. He was about to walked towards the convention hall when he noticed that his uncle was not following behind. He looked back and saw that he was just standing in ce and looking at a certain direction.


    "Uncle, is something wrong?" he asked.


    Shen Yi Mu woke up from his reverie. He shook his head. "Nothing. I thought I just saw someone I know." He tried to smile at his nephew. "Let¡¯s go?"


    He walked forward and smiled bitterly. There¡¯s no way that person could be here. After all, didn¡¯t he swear that he would never ever appear in front of him again?

 Chapter 85 LUO YANS ANONYMOUS POST

    LUO YAN was holding his phone and reading a certain post on Arcadia¡¯s game forum. It was posted by an anonymous ount. The title of it was; [For Newbie yers at Matlock Town: Beware of These Three yers]. Then directly below it were screenshots of the game avatars of Essaint, Bronzed Leaf, and Apricot. Of course, their game ount names were also written below their pictures. Like some wanted poster.


    [These three shameless people are tricking beginner yers into joining their party to raid the Infernal Chasm dungeon. Yes! That dungeon with the final boss who has a life draining skill that could be used two times in a row once its HP fell to 1%. These shameless trio¡¯s M.O. is to look for gullible new yers that don¡¯t know much about the game and let them be the bait for the final boss. After letting them be killed intentionally, the three would enjoy all the rewards by themselves. Are you wondering why they¡¯re doing this? Clue: It¡¯s for that rare invitation. I believe most of you know what I mean. So to the newbies, be careful not to be duped. But most importantly, try to have a better eye for people.]


    Luo Yan looked down and smiled when he saw that thements were already in the hundreds. He posted this topicst night after logging out from the game. When he and Luo Jin went to the Task Hall to get another task, they identally met Essaint and the other two. What did Luo Yan do? Of course, he waved and smiled sweetly at them.


    The way Bronzed Leaf red at him, like he wanted to hack him into pieces, he really thought that he would challenge him to a fight in the Arena. But after Essaint said something to Bronzed Leaf, surprisingly, he didn¡¯t rush forward to issue a challenge and only red at him until they left the Task Hall.


    Because Luo Yan was standing a bit far from them, he didn¡¯t hear what Essaint said that managed to stop Bronzed Leaf. He wouldn¡¯t think that it was because he became afraid of him after what he did thest time. It became quite a mystery to him. But his curiosity over it was not strong enough for him to personally investigate it.


    He wasn¡¯t that surprised seeing them there. They¡¯re probably at the Task Hall to look for new victims again. Which only strengthened Luo Yan¡¯s suspicion that the three truly wanted to get that rare invitation. Since getting that information as a reward, he searched the forum for information about it. And he wasn¡¯t disappointed, he immediately got a lot of hits.


    ording to what he read, the King¡¯s birthday party event started after the VR version was released. During the party, the King would give a task. This task didn¡¯t involve physical strength, so even lower level yers had a chance to win. Those who managed to aplish the task would be given a rare reward. The invitation usually became avable the month before the party. So a lot of yers had been scrambling to get one. Because the rewards given by the King was truly worth it.


    The easiest way to get one was through the Infernal Chasm dungeon. Because being the lowest level dungeon, it¡¯s definitely much easier to raidpared to the Lunar Labyrinth dungeon. And it¡¯s definitely easier than taking a task from the Duke of Hearts.


    That¡¯s probably the reason why those three ¨C Essaint, Bronzed Leaf, and Apricot ¨C had been deceiving newbies to dungeon raid with them. But that didn¡¯t mean that their actions were justified. That¡¯s why after logging outst night, he immediately made this post. How could he just let those three do as they please?


    He was satisfied that his post gathered quite a number of attention. He proceeded on reading thements.


    [Rare invitation? For the King¡¯s birthday party? They¡¯re actually deceiving newbies for that? Well, truly shameless!]


    [Indeed. How could they just use beginner yers as bait? What if they ended up having psychological shadows because of that?]


    [These kind of yers should be banned on the game!]


    [Come on, don¡¯t be too hypocritical. I¡¯m sure a lot of yers do that kind of thing. It¡¯s the newbies fault for being too stupid.]


    [I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m one of those ¡¯too stupid¡¯ newbies you¡¯re referring to. It¡¯s embarrassing, but me and my friend were taken in by Essaint¡¯s friendly and gentle character. Maybe we were really at fault for believing them so easily. But that didn¡¯t mean that what they did was justifiable. So for the original poster, thank you for posting this. This would truly help other beginner yers to have more caution.]


    [Upstairs, don¡¯t listen to that guy before. It¡¯s not your and your friend¡¯s fault this happened. It¡¯s those shameless people that¡¯s at fault.]


    [Wait- I seem to recognize these three. I think they¡¯re members of that fairly new team that did well during thest season.]


    [Yes! They¡¯re members of Steelstand! I think that team entered top 50st season. Who would have thought they would have members like this?]


    [You guys, I think you¡¯re missing an important point. Just how did the original poster know about the M.O. of this three?]


    [How else? He¡¯d probably been duped as well.]


    The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s eye twitched when he read thatstment. This beautiful him, duped by those three? He snorted. As if that could even happen.


    So hemented using his anonymous ount and posted the video he took of their dungeon raid. Of course, the faces of Luo Yan and Luo Jin¡¯s game avatar were mosaicked. Being aputer science major in hisst life, that¡¯s something pretty easy for him to do.


    He wrote; [Who¡¯s been duped? I just know them for the ck hearts that they are.]


    "Xiao Yan!" called the voice of his father, interrupting what he¡¯s doing.


    Luo Yan looked back and saw his father walking towards him. Luo Wei Tian was wearing a denim jacket, its sleeves pulled up to his elbows, over a white tee and ck pants. He paired it with a pair of white sneakers. It should have looked weird, considering his age. Which was 51 to be exact. But for some reason, it didn¡¯t. It made him looked even more handsome. It¡¯s like he became 20 years younger.


    Luo Yan already forgot the forum post. He put his phone back in the pocket of his pants and walked towards his father, immediately hugging his waist. He looked up, his big peach blossom eyes were full of admiration. "Dad looks so handsome!"


    Luo Wei Tian smiled and pinched his second son¡¯s cheek. "You sweet mouth."


    "But I¡¯m only telling the truth. Dad is definitely the most handsome Dad in the world."


    Luo Wei Tian could onlyugh. But he was quite satisfied with his son¡¯s reaction. Looked like it was the right decision to hire a stylist to help him dress in a way that would make him look younger. "Are you ready for our date today?"


    Luo Yan smiled brightly. "Yes!"

 Chapter 86 A DATE WITH DAD (I)

    "DAD, try not to make Yan run around too much. His legs are still not that strong. He might identally trip if he gets too excited," Luo Jin said, reminding his father. "Also, don¡¯t let him eat too much greasy foods, sweets as well."


    Although his brother was indeed very powerful in the game, but that was VR, this was real life. A lot of idents could happen. If Luo Yan hurt himself, he wouldn¡¯t be immediately healed by some potion.


    Luo Wei Tian¡¯s mouth twitched in amus.e.m.e.nt. "Xiao Jin, I still remember that you¡¯re my son. Why are you suddenly acting like you¡¯re Xiao Yan¡¯s mother?" he teased.


    Luo Jin¡¯s face immediately turned red. If possible, there would probably be smoke rising from his head too.


    Luo Ren standing beside Luo Jin chuckled. "Dad, don¡¯t tease Xiao Jin, he¡¯s just worried. And, he has a point."


    "You two, do you really think I will let anything happen to Xiao Yan?" Luo Wei Tian said helplessly.


    "Ah Jin, although my legs are weak, I assure you, I will definitely not fall," Luo Yan said with conviction. Then he turned to his father. "And Dad, Brother is right. You shouldn¡¯t tease Ah Jin. And I think Ah Jin is very cute this way. Don¡¯t you think so too, Dad?"


    "Of course, Xiao Jin is very cute," Luo Wei Tian didn¡¯t hesitate to agree.


    Luo Jin¡¯s face became even redder hearing these unexpectedpliments.


    Luo Ren stared at his youngest brother¡¯s face and acted as if observing his features which only made Luo Jin blushed even more. "Hmm... I think Yan Yan is right. Xiao Jin, when did you get this cute?"


    Luo Jin red at his eldest brother and pushed him a bit. "Stop calling me cute!" He stomped away. But when he was near the stairs, he stopped and looked back. "Take care."


    And then he continued climbing up the stairs.


    The three who were left looked at each other and justughed. How could Luo Jin even deny that he¡¯s not cute when his actions showed theplete opposite of that?


    "Just as Xiao Jin said, do take care," Luo Ren said.


    "Brother, don¡¯t worry too much because Dad will definitely protect me."


    "Of course I will."


    The father and son duo said goodbye to Luo Ren and both went out of the mansion.


    Luo Wei Tian put his arm on his second son¡¯s thin shoulders. "So, Xiao Yan, where do you want to go?"


    "I¡¯m going to decide where we would go?"


    "Yes. I want to go to the ce that Xiao Yan wants to go to the most."


    Luo Yan tilted his head, seriously thinking. Then a certain ce popped out of his mind. "Then I want to go to an amus.e.m.e.nt park!"


    Luo Yan let out a thrilling scream. It was not the kind that was full of fear, it was the kind that was full of excitement and joy. The roller coaster moved backward and then moved forward at a high speed. Making Luo Yan squeal again. This was so much fun. He chose this roller coaster as their first ride when he saw how long the line on its ticketing booth was. Because it could only mean that many people enjoyed this ride. And he was truly d for his choice.


    Contrary to him, his father who was sitting beside him was as pale as white paper. He was clenching his fists tightly, gritting his teeth, trying his best not to make a sound. His stomach was already churning, he felt like even his intestines were coiling around each other. If his mental fortitude was not strong, he probably would have already puked his guts out.


    After a while, the roller coaster¡¯s speed slowed down until itpletely stopped. Luo Yan happily walked down. He wanted to ride again but when he turned around and saw the state of his father, he changed his mind. He had never seen his father looked so pale. He¡¯s probably not used to thrilling rides like this. So Luo Yan chose to be magnanimous and tried not to torture his father.


    "Dad, shall we take a break?" he asked worriedly.


    Luo Wei Tian looked at his son whose expression was full of worry. He felt like his majesty as a father was suddenly ruined. How could he let himself be beaten by a simple roller coaster ride? Truly shameful.


    He straightened his spine and said, "No, we can go to the next ride that Xiao Yan likes."


    Luo Yan stared at his father. Seeing that he seemed to be really fine, he smiled and said, "Okay!" He looked around and saw a sign of a certain ride at the distance. "Then let¡¯s go to the Canyon Raft Ride."


    "Okay," his father agreed.


    The two started walking towards the direction of the ride.


    Luo Yan actually hadn¡¯t been to an amus.e.m.e.nt park before. This was his first time. Growing up in an orphanage, going to a ce like this was simply a luxury. And then once he entered college, he never thought of going to one. He just didn¡¯t have the time nor the inclination to do so. So when his father asked where he wanted to go, this was the first ce that came to his mind.


    He just wanted to experience going to a ce like this at least once in his life. With this new life of his, he¡¯s sure that he could go to an amus.e.m.e.nt park as many times as he wanted. But that didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t try to have fun as much as he could now.


    While walking, Luo Yan noticed a shop that was selling headbands with animal ears. He turned to his father. "Dad, let¡¯s go over there first!"


    Luo Wei Tian looked at the direction his son pointed at. When he saw the headbands with animal ears, he suddenly felt a bad premonition. Before he could answer, Luo Yan already pulled him inside the shop.


    Luo Yan looked around. His eyes brightened seeing the many varieties of headbands with animal ears. They even had those hats with ears that could move. He picked a ck headband with cat ears on top. Then he turned to his father.


    "Dad, bend down a little."


    Luo Wei Tian already had a hunch on what his son was nning to do. But he still bent down. Because he couldn¡¯t bear to see him disappointed. Just as he thought, Luo Yan put the headband with cat ears on his head. His son smiled happily. Well, if he could see this kind of smile on Luo Yan¡¯s face, then he wouldn¡¯t mind even wearing a cat costume.


    "Isn¡¯t it a bit unfair if I¡¯m the only one wearing a headband?"


    "Then Dad could choose one for me too."


    Luo Wei Tian looked around and then picked a hat with rabbit ears, the one that could move. "How about this one?"


    Looking at the hat, Luo Yan suddenly remembered Shen Ji Yun for some reason. Because when they first met, he called him ¡¯silly rabbit¡¯. He just remembered it now after seeing this rabbit hat. He wondered why he called him that.


    "Okay," he just said.


    His father put the hat on his head. He pressed one of the dangling paws and one of the rabbit ears moved.


    Did he really resemble a rabbit that much?

 Chapter 87 A DATE WITH DAD (II)

    LUO YAN bit into the crepe he¡¯s holding. He smiled happily when he tasted the cream and the strawberry. It was almost five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. He and his father arrived here ten in the morning. Who would have thought that they would spend the whole day here? Even Luo Yan was surprised that his fathersted this long. He really thought that after just an hour or two he would ask him to leave and go to a different ce.


    He felt truly loved.


    He saw a stand selling ice cream. He finished eating the crepe and wanted to ask his father to buy him one.


    "Xiao Yan, that¡¯s thest one, okay? You can¡¯t eat anymore sweets today," his father suddenly said, as if reading his mind.


    Luo Yan looked longingly at the ice cream stand. But in the end, he could only pout and said, "Okay."


    Luo Wei Tian patted his son¡¯s head and then he noticed the cream on the lower side of his lips. He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped it. "You, how could you eat like a child?" he said helplessly.


    Luo Yan was about to defend himself when he suddenly heard the conversation of two teenage girls behind them.


    "What do you think is their rtionship?" asked one. "Do you think they¡¯re in that kind of rtionship?"


    "I don¡¯t know. But I heard the younger one call the other ¡¯Dad¡¯," said the other.


    "Who knows. Maybe that¡¯s the new way sugar babies call their sugar daddies. Just look how sweet they are to each other. They¡¯re definitely in that kind of rtionship."


    "Now that you said that, it probably really is."


    If Luo Yan heard it, of course, his father did too.


    Luo Wei Tian¡¯s face became full of ck lines. He nced back at the two girls and looked at them coldly. "This is my son. Youngdies should cleanse their mind and try not to think of dirty thoughts."


    The two teenage girls blushed, not just from embarrassment but because this uncle really looked good. They didn¡¯t have time to respond because the man already pulled his son away.


    Luo Yan gazed up at his father¡¯s dark expression. His father ¨C a serious minded businessman ¨C actually argued with two teenagers. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    "Is Xiao Yanughing at Dad?" Luo Wei Tian said with a bit of grievance in his tone.


    Luo Yan stared at him. His father was really getting better and better at selling meng. "No. It¡¯s because Dad looks so young and handsome."


    "And now you¡¯re just teasing me."


    He only grinned widely at him.


    They walked a bit more until Luo Yan pulled his father towards the ferris wheel. They lined up at the ticketing booth. It didn¡¯t take long before it was their turn. Luo Yan first went in at the passenger car that was stopped in front of them, he was quickly followed by his father.


    The ferris wheel moved in its signature slow rhythm.


    Luo Yan looked out of the passenger car and stared at the sky. The blue horizon was slowly starting to change. Rich hues of red blending with orange and crimson. A sign of the soon setting sun. When they reached the top, he could clearly see the sky¡¯s beauty.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. "Sunsets are truly beautiful."


    "Why does Xiao Yan think that?"


    He looked back at his father. "Because it¡¯s the time of the day when the lights in the sky look the best."


    Suddenly, the image of his second son ovepped with the image of another person in Luo Wei Tian¡¯s mind. That of a woman with the same big peach blossom eyes and a smile that could melt anyone¡¯s heart. His mind became nk and he simply couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    Luo Yan immediately noticed this. "Dad, is there something wrong."


    Luo Wei Tian tried to smile but his face only contorted into a somewhat ugly expression. He looked down and tried to breath evenly. The wound that was always there inside his heart seemed to start bleeding again.


    "Dad?" Luo Yan called again.


    He clenched and unclenched his fists. He made sure that his expression was back to normal before raising his head and looked out over the horizon. "Nothing. I just suddenly remembered your mother. She used to say the same thing, you see. That sunsets were the best time of the day when the sky gathered the most beautiful light."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t know how to answer back to that. Because he didn¡¯t expect that the original body¡¯s mother would actually have the same thoughts about sunsets as him. Truthfully, when it came to Bai Mei Hua, he didn¡¯t know what to feel. But because of the lingering emotions of the original owner, even if he didn¡¯t want to, there¡¯s a deep affection in his heart that one could only feel for his mother.


    Despite his confused emotion, Luo Yan was certain of one thing. That he was grateful to Bai Mei Hua. Because without her sacrifice, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could even wake up and be reborn again in this body.


    Looking at his father and the pain that shed in his eyes but tried hard to hide, he couldn¡¯t help but also feel a bit difort inside. He didn¡¯t like seeing him like this. Or any of his brothers, for that matter. If he could, he truly wanted them to always smile and be filled with happiness.


    "Mom is definitely looking after us in heaven. I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t want you or Brother or Ah Jin to be sad because of her. She¡¯d probably want to be remembered with a smile rather than with sadness. I think... I think if we¡¯re happy, it would also be her happiness."


    Luo Wei Tian didn¡¯t expect for his son to say that. It was a bit of a sloppy way offorting, but his heart still feltforted. The pain he was feeling slowly receded. "Thank you, Xiao Yan."


    Luo Yan was d to see his father smile again.


    Soon, the ferris wheel ride stopped. Luo Yan got out and looked up at the sky.


    [I¡¯m sorry, Mom ¨C can I call you that? I¡¯m sorry for saying those things as if I know what you¡¯re feeling. But I truly believe that you would want them to be happy, right? So in your ce, I swear, I would love and cherish them and do my best to protect them.]


    As if answering him, a soft breeze blew in his direction. Leaving a tender kiss on his cheek.

 Chapter 88 YOUNG MASTER XU

    INSIDE a private box of a high-end bar in B City, five young men were sitting inside with beautiful women at their side. The most eye-catching of the group was the man sitting at the very center. His ck hair was slightly longer than usual, the tail end was tied with a simple ck band. The color of his eyes wereparable to a very rich chocte. A silver cross was dangling on his left ear. The corner of his lips was tilted in a slight arc, as if he had some kind of secret and anyone who looked at him couldn¡¯t help but want to know what it was.


    He was giving off some kind of unprecedented dark charm. So even if he¡¯s not the most handsome man in the room, people still couldn¡¯t help but look at him first. He¡¯s like a talking and walking bag of pheromone.


    The young man¡¯s name was Xu Ru.


    "Young Master Xu, please have a drink," said the woman sitting beside Xu Ru, gently putting the ss of wine she just poured in front of him. She leaned towards him, her soft bosom touching his arm.


    Xu Ru looked down, the woman¡¯s chest was almost spilling out from the tight ck dress she¡¯s wearing. He smiled and drank the wine. It made his lips even redder. "Thank you, my sweet."


    The young woman¡¯s face turned red, her heart beating wildly. Young Master Xu was really the best out of all the gold master she¡¯d been with. It would be good if their rtionship could truly turn into something real. It wouldn¡¯t only help her career but it would set her for life. After all, she¡¯d be the wife of the only heir to Xu family.


    She fluttered her eyshes, acting all shy. Then she hugged Xu Ru¡¯s arm, making sure that her chest would be pressed against it. "Young Master..."


    Xu Ru only nced at her and tactically removed his arm from her grasp. It¡¯s probably time to change to a new one.


    This girl was just an 18th-line star he met when he visited their family¡¯s entertainmentpany. She ¡¯identally¡¯ tripped in front of him and also ¡¯identally¡¯ fell in his arms. He found it interesting. So he decided to indulged her for a bit. But she¡¯s starting to get really clingy. One of the characteristics he¡¯s definitely not looking for in a y mate.


    This one was no good too, huh.


    He¡¯d just ask Uncle An to give her some role in a TV drama or movie aspensation.


    "Ah, Xu Ru is really lucky, to have a beauty like Wen Wen by your side," one of the young men around said.


    The girl, Wen Wen, blushed again. "I¡¯m luckier to be by Young Master¡¯s side."


    "But Xu Ru, howe you haven¡¯t yed muchtely? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re really taking that Arcadia game seriously?" one other said, his voice with a hint of mockery.


    Xu Ru nced at the one who just spoke. There was still a charming smile on his lips but his pair of dark chocte eyes were full of dangerous glint. "Since when did you be in charge of the things that I¡¯m doing?"


    "Now, now, I¡¯m sure Zhao Shi didn¡¯t mean it," another one said, trying to pacify the situation. "He¡¯s just frustrated because his younger brother is getting addicted to that game."


    "Then his brother has better taste than him," Xu Ru said with a taunting smile. He stood up. "Ah, I suddenly don¡¯t feel like partying anymore. I¡¯ll leave you guys to it."


    "Young Master I¡¯ll go with you¡ª"


    Wen Wen wasn¡¯t able to continue what she was about to say because of the cold nce that Xu Ru gave her.


    Xu Ru bent down and kissed her cheek. "I¡¯ll send a driver to take you home. So just obediently wait here, okay?"


    Wen Wen could only say, "O-okay."


    Xu Ru went out of the private box despite the objection of the other four men. He wondered why he even bothered to go here. He knew these people would just want to suck up to him anyway. It¡¯s because his family was very prominent in B City. And he¡¯s their only young master.


    The Xu family during his grandfather¡¯s generation was involved in underground businesses. They only started to slowly white wash their businesses when his father took over. But most of their businesses right now were still in the gray area. And their rtionship to the underground world was still pretty strong.


    That was an open secret to everyone in B City¡¯s high society. Those families belonging to old money, thinking that their blood was blue, looked down on them. And those start-up families simply feared them.


    Xu Ru snorted. What boring people.


    He went to the parking lot and get in his red Lamborghini. Ah he wished he just spent time with Qin Rushi instead. It would be more fun teasing her.


    Speaking of, when he was about to start the car, he suddenly received a forum link from the person he was just thinking about.


    [Is this the person you told me aboutst time? You¡¯re right, he¡¯s indeed interesting.]


    Below that was the forum link. Xu Ru clicked it. He first read about the ¡¯shameless trio who were deceiving newbies¡¯. And then was attracted by the topment. It was a video.


    He yed it and it showed how that white-haired elf manage to trick those shameless trio. When he was done watching, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a hugeugh.


    He sent a message to Qin Rushi. [Princess, are you now convince on making him part of our team?]


    Because Xu Ru certainly was.


    A few secondster, he received a reply. [A bit. But still not enough.]


    Xu Ru onlyughed more. This precocious girl.


    Shen Ji Yun took his luggage from the conveyor belt. He looked around the airport. After two weeks out of the country, he¡¯s finally back.


    "Ji Yun, let¡¯s go," his uncle called to him.


    "Yes," he said and followed his uncle.


    As they walked, he suddenly saw a girl holding onto a rabbit stuff toy. He stared intently at the rabbit toy. And another rabbite to mind.


    Shen Ji Yun wondered what that rabbit was doing now.

 Chapter 89 NOT A RABBIT BUT A FOX

    SHEN JI YUN appeared in the main hall of their team¡¯s headquarters. The moment he did, he immediately checked his private message. Just to check if the rabbit did send him one. And to his delight, he really did. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t wait to open and read it.


    Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun, I have a question regarding the tasks here in Arcadia. I¡¯d be very thankful if you could answer. I¡¯ll be waiting for your reply.]


    He was about to answer when he noticed that the message was sent over a week ago. He froze. It was sent so long ago, would the rabbit think that he ignored him? He was nning to type his answer, when someone suddenly called him from behind.


    "Ji Yun! When did youe back?" said Bai Ze¡¯s voice.


    Shen Ji Yun nced back and saw his friend in his lion beastkin game avatar. "Last night."


    "Why are you still using your alt ount?" Bai Ze asked, walking towards him. "Never mind, I want to show you something."


    "Not interested."


    But despite saying that, Bai Ze still pulled him to sit down on one of the chairs on the long table. He almost forgot that this guy had selective hearing. Sometimes he would directly ignore what people were saying and just proceed on doing what he wanted to do at that particr moment. Just like now.


    It¡¯s because of this trait of his that they became friends. If he followed what he said during those years ago when he repeatedly told him not to talk to him or go near him, they would definitely not be what they were now. In some way, he should probably be thankful that Bai Ze was the way he was.


    "I actually nned to send this to you yesterday on your WeChat but I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re already back," Bai Ze said, opening his Status Window. "How can you be so cold? You¡¯ve been away for two weeks and you didn¡¯t even bother to tell your best friend that you¡¯re back?"


    "It¡¯s troublesome."


    Besides, Shen Ji Yun knew that he would meet Bai Ze in the game immediately anyway. So there¡¯s really no need to specifically tell him that he¡¯s back.


    "Yes, I know, it will ruin your high-cold image."


    Shen Ji Yun frowned. That¡¯s not what he meant at all. But he knew it¡¯s no use to argue with this guy. So he just said, "Just show me what you wanted to show."


    "Ah, right. I¡¯ll send it to via private message." After he said that Bai Ze sent a screenshot of the forum post he saw yesterday as well the the video the original poster posted as a reply to one of thements.


    This past month, he resisted going to the forum because all he could read was how their team ¨C Yunyue ¨C became the fallen champions. Or how they were only lucky to win the first season because there were no other strong team around. How could he just take all those lying down? So he often fought with those people in the forum.


    Which in return made Su Yuqi scold him with those indifferent eyes of hers. Yes, that girl wouldn¡¯t berate her verbally. She would only look at him as if he didn¡¯t have any brain at all. Being looked at like he¡¯s just some single-celled organism was definitely worse than having someone verbally insult him.


    So Bai Ze just stopped checking the forum altogether. He just visited again yesterday. Who would have thought he would see something really interesting?


    Shen Ji Yun went and read the screenshot about the post.


    [These three shameless people are tricking beginner yers into joining their party to raid the Infernal Chasm dungeon. Yes! That dungeon with the final boss who has a life draining skill that could be used two times in a row once its HP fell to 1%. These shameless trio¡¯s M.O. is to look for gullible new yers that don¡¯t know much about the game and let them be the bait for the final boss. After letting them be killed intentionally, the three would enjoy all the rewards by themselves. Are you wondering why they¡¯re doing this? Clue: It¡¯s for that rare invitation. I believe most of you know what I mean. So to the newbies, be careful not to be duped. But most importantly, try to have a better eye for people.]


    He didn¡¯t feel much after reading it. But he did agree to what the original poster said. It¡¯s quite shameless for an older yer to deceive beginners.


    And then he watched the video.


    The longer the video yed, the deeper his frown became. Because despite the mosaic on the game avatar¡¯s face, with that white hair, that costume, and most importantly, that familiar voice, add that to the little gnome beside him, this could only be one person.


    That silly rabbit.


    No, with his actions and the way he talked, he could hardly be considered a rabbit. He¡¯s definitely more like a cunning fox.


    He knew when they met again in the game that the other was not really the innocent and na?ve rabbit that he thought of at first. But seeing him like this, it¡¯s probably not right anymore to equate him to a harmless rabbit. Although he looked soft and cuddly like a rabbit on the outside, his inside was probably more of a shrewd fox.


    He paused the video, at the moment when he said ¡¯bye-bye¡¯ to those three. He removed that mosaic in his mind and reced it with the rabbit¡¯s ¨C no, Luo Yan¡¯s face. He was probably smiling mischievously when he did that.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t really know what to feel at the moment. But he was sure that that didn¡¯t include disappointment. In fact, he could feel his heart beating loudly in excitement. Something that he hadn¡¯t felt for a while. He first felt like this when he took up karate. And then the next one was when he first entered Arcadia.


    He knew what this feeling was. The feeling of taking up a new challenge. He¡¯s just wasn¡¯t sure why he¡¯s feeling like this towards the rabbit ¨C no, towards Luo Yan.


    "He¡¯s interesting, right? If he joins the Rookie Carnival and gets a good ce, I think we could invite him to join our team. What do you¡ª" Bai Ze stopped what he¡¯s saying when he turned to Shen Ji Yun. His eyes widened and he looked like he had seen a ghost. "Why are you smiling? Wait- maybe I¡¯m hallucinating. How could this iceberg with facial paralysis suddenly smile for no reason?"


    Shen Ji Yun was suddenly awakened by what Bai Ze said. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and pretended to cough. He didn¡¯t even notice that he was smiling.


    "I agree. I think we could invite him to our team," he said in his usual cold appearance. Completely ignoring thest part that Bai Ze said.


    Because of what he said, Bai Ze also forgot about his ¡¯smiling¡¯ ident. "Really?" he asked, his eyes brightening with excitement. How could he not be excited? This was the first time that Shen Ji Yun actually agreed on getting new team members since their other two members retired.


    "Yes. But there¡¯s no need to wait until the Rookie Carnival."


    "That¡¯s fine. But how would we find this guy?"


    "I know him."


    Then Shen Ji Yun stood up and sent a message to Luo Yan.

 Chapter 90 MEETING AGAIN AT MOONRIVER

    LUO YAN and Luo Jin just finished another task. They also both just leveled up to level 38. They were nning to go back to Matlock Town when Luo Yan received a private message. He opened it and read;


    SHEN: [I just read your message. Sorry if I wasn¡¯t able to answer immediately. Regarding your question, could we meet? I¡¯m not really sure what you want to know about Arcadia¡¯s task system. It would be better if we could talk face to face so I could give you a more satisfactory answer. Is it okay?]


    Message? Ah, right. He almost forgot that he sent that message asking Shen Ji Yun about Arcadia¡¯s task. He didn¡¯t think much and answer;


    Noctis: [Alright. Let¡¯s meet at the Moonriver restaurant in Matlock Town. My brother and I are just about to go back there.]


    Not soon after, he received a reply;


    SHEN: [Then I might arrive there much earlier than you two. I¡¯ll go and reserve a box for us.]


    Noctis: [Okay.]


    Luo Yan then closed his Status Window.


    "Ah Jin, let¡¯s go back to Matlock Town. Brother Ji Yun is waiting for us at the Moonriver restaurant."


    Luo Jin¡¯s brows furrowed once he heard that name. Brother Ji Yun? That blue-eyed cold-face? "Why would he meet with us?"


    "I sent him a message about a week ago? I wanted to know more detailed information about the task here in Arcadia. He just replied to me."


    Luo Jin¡¯s brows furrowed even deeper when he heard that. That guy didn¡¯t even bother to reply and even waited for a week before he did. Wouldn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s looking down on his second brother?


    And here, Luo Jin once again forgot how annoyed he was thinking that that guy was paying special attention to Luo Yan. If he remembered, then he should probably be happy knowing that the guy ignored his brother. Because that meant that he didn¡¯t have interest in him. But all he could think of was that his brother was ignored and that was unforgivable.


    "Forget about that guy. We could just check about it on our own," Luo Jin said indignantly.


    "But why should we do that when there¡¯s a much easier way?" Luo Yan said, tilting his head. "If Ah Jin doesn¡¯t want to go, then I can just go on my own."


    Luo Jin sighed in annoyance. "Fine. Let¡¯s go."


    Luo Yan smiled and then used a teleportation scroll to immediately transfer them to Matlock Town. Arriving at the entrance of the town, the two started walking towards the direction of Moonriver restaurant.


    Arriving there, Luo Yan told the waiter NPC who weed them that they were there for SHEN. The NPC led them to a private box at the third floor and opened the door for them.


    Luo Yan entered first followed by Luo Jin. He saw Shen Ji Yun sitting quietly inside. He was still wearing that all-ck costume. But the lower half of his face was not covered by a mask,pletely showing his cold handsome face.


    He stood up when he saw them. "Rab- I mean, Luo Yan."


    If Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t have a perpetual expressionless face, he probably would have already grimaced by now. What was he doing, suddenly standing up? He even almost called him ¡¯rabbit¡¯. It¡¯s not normal for him to suddenly be fl.u.s.tered for no reason. Was it because he didn¡¯t see the rabbit ¨C no, Luo Yan, for just two weeks? But that reasoning was quite weird. It didn¡¯t even make sense.


    So he sat down, as if nothing happened.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. What was that ¡¯rab¡¯ about? But he still sat down opposite Shen Ji Yun while Luo Jin sat beside him.


    "What food do you want to eat?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    "I¡¯m not in the mood to eat anything. Looking at that cold-face of yours while eating would just make the food taste stale," Luo Jin said.


    Shen Ji Yun ignored him as if he didn¡¯t hear anything.


    But Luo Yan scolded him. "Ah Jin, you shouldn¡¯t do that."


    "Yan, are you taking his side?"


    "I¡¯m not. There¡¯s no side to begin with because Brother Ji Yun is not even fighting with you," Luo Yan said then pinched his younger brother¡¯s cheek. "You¡¯re acting like aplete brat right now."


    B-brat? Luo Jin felt like he¡¯d just been struck by lightning. He didn¡¯t even feel the pinching on his cheek. How could Luo Yan just call him a brat? Without him noticing, his small mouth was already pouting. He looked like a kid who had just been chastised unfairly.


    Luo Yan stared at Luo Jin¡¯s expression and resisted the urge to also pinch his other cheek. Even at times like this, his brother was still very cute.


    Luo Jin looked up and saw his brother¡¯s eyes full of teasing. He suddenly felt angry. Why does Luo Yan always love to tease him? He pushed his brother¡¯s hand away, the one still pinching his cheek, and red at him. "Stupid Yan!"


    Then he logged out.


    Luo Yan stared at the empty spot where his brother was just sitting and knew that Luo Jin probably logged out.


    "Is it alright, to leave him like that?" asked Shen Ji Yun. He¡¯s worried that the two brothers would have a disagreement because of this.


    "Oh, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just coax himter." Luo Yan scratched his cheek. Did he go a bit too far?


    "I see." Shen Ji Yun was d, even though it didn¡¯t really show on his face. If the rabbit could coax his brother easily, that meant that the two had a pretty good rtionship.


    "I¡¯m also actually not in the mood to eat right now. Of course, not because of the same reason as this brother of mine. How could the food turn stale while looking at Brother Ji Yun when you¡¯re so handsome?" Luo Yan said after, his voice full of righteousness.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly felt the slight heating of the tips of his ears. Then he suddenly remembered the way the rabbit yed with those three yers in the Infernal Chasm dungeon. Now he couldn¡¯t tell if what the rabbit- no, Luo Yan was saying was what he truly felt or if he¡¯s just teasing him.


    In any case, he still felt embarrassed being called ¡¯handsome¡¯. Something that would probably not happen if someone besides Luo Yan called him that. But why, he wondered?


    "Brother Ji Yun, go and order any food you want. This time, it¡¯s my turn to buy you a meal," Luo Yan continued.


    "Then let¡¯s just not order," Shen Ji Yun said. He turned to the NPC waiter. "We won¡¯t be needing any food."


    "I understand. Then please, still enjoy your stay," the NPC said, bowing before going out of the box.


    "So it¡¯s okay to just stay here and not order food, huh?" Luo Yan said in wonder.


    "Yes. It¡¯s because you¡¯re still paying for the box reservation, so it wouldn¡¯t matter even if you eat or not," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    "Then I still wasn¡¯t able to pay you back for the meal we hadst time," Luo Yan said.


    "That¡¯s fine. We could have just another one at another time." Yes, that way he would have another excuse to meet with the rabbit- no, with Luo Yan. He really should practice referring to him as that.


    Shen Ji Yun said it with no expression and no pertinent emotion in his voice that Luo Yan didn¡¯t think much of it. "Okay."

 Chapter 91 WECHAT ID: GET!

    "SORRY, I wasn¡¯t able to reply to you immediately. I went with my uncle two weeks ago to country M. We just got back yesterday," Shen Ji Yun exined.


    Country M? If Luo Yan remembered correctly, Arcadia was still not operational in other countries aside from theirs. He probably just read his message today. Although in his opinion, there¡¯s really no need to exin anything to him. It¡¯s not as if not receiving a respond would hurt his feelings or something.


    "Did you and your uncle went for a vacation?" he just asked perfunctorily.


    "No. We went there for a gaming convention."


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened when he heard that. "A gaming convention? Did you meet a lot of game developers? Were there any exhibitions of new products from various gamingpanies?"


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan¡¯s beautiful face. His big blue eyes surrounded by long white eyshes were filled with excitement. If this was his real face, Luo Yan would look much more immature than his game avatar, but it would definitely be much cuter. Just thinking of those big peach blossom eyes staring at him with excitement, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat.


    He coughed to hide his embarrassing thoughts. What was he thinking? And what¡¯s with that skipping a beat nonsense? It¡¯s definitely just his imagination. But no matter how much he told himself that, he knew that it was definitely not just his imagination.


    It seemed like ever since he met this rabbit ¨C yes, he would no longer stop himself from calling Luo Yan ¡¯rabbit¡¯ from time to time, it¡¯s all in his head anyway, it¡¯s not as if he would hear it ¨C he would sometimes feel weird. Like thinking about how cute Luo Yan was or that his face would suddenly heat up whenever the rabbit wouldpliment him. And now, just staring at the rabbit¡¯s face could make his heart skip a beat.


    Could it be he not only wanted him to be a friend but he also wanted him to be his... younger brother?


    Remembering how that gnome behaved around Luo Yan, maybe that was really the case. He lived for 20 years and this was the first time he actually had an urge to have a sibling. Even those cousins of his didn¡¯t give him this kind of feeling. But if he thought carefully about it, how could those sc.u.m cousins of his evenpare to Luo Yan? The rabbit was so cute. Just looking at him, one would immediately feel good. Those cousins would definitely be not on the same level as the rabbit¡¯s small toe.


    Of course, these messy thoughts didn¡¯t show on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s expressionless cold face.


    "Yes. There were a few renowned game developers who attended. There were also a lot of new games and game consoles being exhibited," he answered to the rabbit¡¯s question. When he noticed that Luo Yan¡¯s eyes became even brighter, he added, "Are you interested in these things?"


    "Yes!" Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to answer.


    This was the reason why he picked aputer science major in hisst life. ying the PC version of Arcadia, he was attracted to the gaming industry and he really wanted to work and belong in that environment. He already made a lot ofpromise in the early part of his life, he certainly wouldn¡¯t do the same when it came to his dream. How could he let himself be trapped in a job where he would just be unhappy all his life? So he didn¡¯t hesitate to chooseputer science when he got to university.


    Now that he had a new life, he would still chooseputer science as a major. He even nned to study again at his old Alma Mater. That would be next year. Considering how fast time flew by, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be that long.


    "I actually nned to studyputer science once I entered university next year," he added.


    Shen Ji Yun almost forgot that Luo Yan was already 17. When thinking of the rabbit¡¯s petite stature, he couldn¡¯t help but think that he was only 14. But when he heard that he wanted to take upputer science, he felt some kind of unexinable joy. Because that was also his current major. It almost felt like fate. Making him feel much closer to Luo Yan.


    "I¡¯m taking upputer science right now," he said. "My university¡¯sputer science department is one of the best in the country. Maybe you should try to apply there."


    Shen Ji Yun was also taking upputer science? Well, his uncle was the CEO of Moonlight Media. He probably wanted to work there. "What¡¯s your university?"


    "T University."


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised. Because that was his old Alma Mater! He suddenly wanted tough. "Yes, I was actually already considering going there. What year are you in?"


    Shen Ji Yun was not surprised hearing the rabbit said that he was already considering going to T University. It¡¯s one of the top universities in the country after all. But still, he was delighted. "I¡¯ll be a Sophomore thising semester. Then a Junior next year."


    "If I get a high score on the college entrance examination, I¡¯ll go T University. You¡¯ll be my senior then. You have to take care me, Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan said jokingly.


    But Shen Ji Yun still seriously answered, "I will."


    He said it in a way as if it was already a foregone conclusion that Luo Yan would go to T University next year. Luo Yan could only chuckle with this reaction.


    Under the table, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s fist pumped. He suddenly couldn¡¯t wait for next year toe.


    "I actually took a photos and recorded videos of the game developers while they¡¯re making their speech. I could send it to you if you want," he said. Although he wasn¡¯t really the one who took those but his uncle¡¯s assistant. But there¡¯s no need to tell that to the rabbit. Right?


    Luo Yan became excited again. "Is it okay to send it to me?"


    "Of course. You¡¯ll be my junior next year, these videos would definitely help you and give you new insights."


    Luo Yan wanted tough at this reasoning. Especially when Shen Ji Yun said it with that expressionless cold face of his. Howe he felt like this guy was actually a bit cute? "Okay."


    "Then, could I get your WeChat ID? It would be much easier to send it to you there."


    Shen Ji Yun still looked as normal, but Luo Yan could still see a slight uneasiness in his blue eyes. As if he¡¯s worried that Luo Yan would refuse.


    "My WeChat ID is YanYan1213," he just said directly.


    YanYan1213. Shen Ji Yun repeated it in his head until he¡¯s sure that he would not forget it. Then he smiled secretly in his heart.


    He finally got the rabbit¡¯s WeChat ID!

 Chapter 92 TEAM INVITATION

    "YAN YAN, is it your nickname?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    "I guess? It¡¯s just the name my older brother calls me."


    Truth to be told, when he first heard Luo Ren called him that, he wanted to wince. The name ¡¯Yan Yan¡¯ was just too... cutesy? But then he slowly got used to it. It soon evoked memories he thought he had long forgotten. Memories of the parents he lost too soon.


    They would also call him ¡¯Yan Yan¡¯ in a very loving tone. After that, memories just came flooding in. His mother who would always gently hold him whenever he fell down and would stay by his side and tell him wonderful stories until he fell asleep. His father who would always y with him and would give him whatever he wanted no matter how unreasonable it was. Before the day ended, both would never forget to tell him how much they loved him.


    After they died, he slowly forgot about that. Those memories that were so dear to him slowly disappeared from his mind. It¡¯s not just because they died when he was only four. It¡¯s more because of the fact that he was suddenly thrown into this new environment where no one, not even those so-called rtives, cared about him. His young mind just couldn¡¯t handle the stark contrast.


    So he just chose to forget. Because if he didn¡¯t, he knew, even at that age, that he would just fall into deep depression. He probably wouldn¡¯t be able to move forward and continue on with his life.


    But after being reborn, he wasn¡¯t afraid anymore to remember those memories. Maybe it was because of the love and care of his new family that he didn¡¯t fear those memories anymore. Instead, he treasured every bit and pieces of memory he could remember.


    Suddenly, an egg tart appeared in his line of sight. He raised his head and saw Shen Ji Yun pushing the egg tart to him. He looked at him confusedly, wondering why he was suddenly giving him food.


    "I heard eating sweets could immediately lighten up someone¡¯s mood," Shen Ji Yun said.


    They were just talking when he noticed the sudden change on Luo Yan¡¯s face. It was not really noticeable if one was not staring at him. But it just happened that Shen Ji Yun was. So he saw the slight dimming of his bright eyes. He thought that maybe the rabbit suddenly thought of something sad. That¡¯s why he pushed the menu button on the side and immediately ordered an egg tart for him. He remembered how Su Yuqi would eat sweet things whenever she¡¯s sad or in a bad mood. And most of the time, after doing that, she became happy again. Though it didn¡¯t really show much on her indifferent face.


    "They said sweets could lift people¡¯s spirits," he said.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Did he look down? His sad thoughts must have leaked out and showed on his face inadvertently. Then was this guyforting him? He looked down at the egg tart and then looked back again at Shen Ji Yun.


    He smiled a real smile. "Thank you."


    Shen Ji Yun stared. Luo Yan¡¯s blue eyes dusted with gold bent into crescents, his red lips were slightly parted, showing a row of white teeth. Shen Ji Yun gazed away. His heart was beating madly for no reason. The feeling was not really ufortable. Just weird. Maybe because he didn¡¯t know the reason why he¡¯s feeling like that.


    He took a deep breath. "Your question regarding the task, what is it about?" he just asked.


    "Oh, it¡¯s nothing serious really. I just want to know if there¡¯s a way to segregate the task ording to the rewards?" Luo Yan asked while eating the egg tart.


    "No, there¡¯s no way to do that," Shen Ji Yun answered. Someone actually suggested that to his uncle but his uncle rejected it. Saying that something like that might make the yerszy. So it¡¯s better to be diligent and properly sift through the task list.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t that much disappointed by that answer. He had been searching in the forums about the task system in Arcadia and it didn¡¯t give the result that he wanted. So Shen Ji Yun¡¯s answer was already something he expected. "I see."


    "What particr task are you looking for?"


    "Tasks that give out skill books as rewards."


    "I know some task that could give you those. I¡¯ll make aption and send it to youter."


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised by Shen Ji Yun¡¯s sudden suggestion. "Is it alright?"


    Although he¡¯s thick-faced most of the time, he¡¯s not that shameless that he would take advantage of someone who¡¯s really good to him. And Shen Ji Yun had been nothing but good to him. He might be exuding this ¡¯don¡¯te near me, I don¡¯t want to talk you¡¯ atmosphere, but with their few interactions, Luo Yan could tell that this guy was really a good person. And, if he could help it, he didn¡¯t want to take advantage of that kindness.


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun said without hesitation. "I¡¯ll send it to you once I¡¯m done."


    Luo Yan looked at his serious expression and just knew that it would useless even if he refused. "Okay. Thank you," he said, happily eating the rest of the egg tart.


    Shen Ji Yun saw the rabbit¡¯s happy expression and he felt happy too. Then he remembered the other reason why he met up with him. "Actually, there¡¯s something I want to ask you."


    "What is it?"


    "Do you and your brother already have a n to join a team?" Shen Ji Yun reluctantly added the short-tempered gnome. Because he knew the two brothers were inseparable. So if he wanted to invite Luo Yan to his team, he needed to invite the gnome as well.


    Luo Yan shook his head. "Not yet. Why did Brother Ji Yun ask this?" he asked, although he already had a guess.


    "I want to invite you and your brother to join my team."


    Sure enough. "Is Brother Ji Yun¡¯s team one of those big teams?"


    "Big teams? You mean those with a lot of members?" The rabbit nodded to his question. "Then, no. Including me, there are only three members."


    Luo Yan was truly shocked to hear that. He thought that because he was the nephew of the man who developed Arcadia, his team would definitely be one of those big shots. But only three members? Could it be that Shen Ji Yun was not really good at this game? Then add that to his almost anti-social personality and no one would surely want to be part of his team. He looked at him sympathetically.


    Shen Ji Yun saw the sympathy in those big eyes and he started to worry. Could it be that Luo Yan didn¡¯t want to join and he just didn¡¯t know how to refuse him? "You... you don¡¯t want to?"


    Suddenly, there was a small crack in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s expressionless face. His blue eyes were filled with anxiety and a little bit of grievance. He looked like an abandoned puppy who refused to recognize that he¡¯d been abandoned. Luo Yan suddenly felt a bit itchy in his heart.


    He cleared his throat. "Let me talk about it with my brother first."


    Shen Ji Yun was suddenly revived. The rabbit didn¡¯t directly reject him! "Okay."

 Chapter 93 THAT COLD-FACE DEFINITELY HAS ULTERIOR MOTIVE

    WHEN Luo Yan logged out, there was still a bit of time before dinner. He went out of his room and nned to coax Luo Jin. Unsurprisingly, his younger brother was not in the living room. He asked one of the maids passing-by where Luo Jin was.


    "Third young master went to second young master¡¯s room a few minutes ago. Then he left and went back again to his room," the maid answered. "Uhm... did the two young masters fight?" she hesitantly added, looking a bit worriedly.


    "No. Why do you think that?"


    "Because third young master left second young master¡¯s room looking displeased," the maid said worriedly.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows when he heard that. It seemed like Luo Jin was still sulking. He smiled at the maid. "I see. Thank you for telling me."


    He then climbed up the stairs to the second floor. It wasn¡¯t really that much of a problem anymore, but he still had to watch out for his steps to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t identally fall. He walked to his brother¡¯s room and stopped in front of the door. He knocked but didn¡¯t receive a reply.


    "Ah Jin? Can Ie in?" he called. But there was no response. "I¡¯ming in, okay?"


    When he still didn¡¯t get a response, he just turned the knob. Surprisingly, the door wasn¡¯t locked from the inside. So, he easily opened it and walked inside. He didn¡¯t expect to see Luo Jin sitting on the bed with the VR helmet on. Didn¡¯t he log out? Did he log in again, somehow? Then he remembered what the maid said earlier to him. A smile suddenly appeared on Luo Yan¡¯s face when he thought of the possible reason why.


    Knowing Luo Jin, he was probably expecting that Luo Yan would also log out and follow him. He probably waited for him toe to him and coax him. But after going to Luo Yan¡¯s room and seeing that didn¡¯t log out as he imagined, he immediately logged in again and probably decided to pull him out of the game himself.


    This kid. Luo Yan shook his head and just sat on one of the couch inside the room. He decided to just wait for Luo Jin here until he realized that he was already out of the game.


    He looked around the room. This was not the first time he came here. Luo Jin¡¯s room was probably as big as his. With his own bathroom and walk-in closet. But unlike his room, the walls of this room were painted with a very neutral beige. There was a ss cab filled with model toy cars, beside it was a small bookshelf. There was a basketball lying on the side and a red electric guitar leaning on the wall. It¡¯s like the typical teenage boy¡¯s room. Well, a rich one to be exact.


    Luo Yan heard movements from the bed and soon saw Luo Jin taking off the VR helmet. He was frowning, as if annoyed. Then when he saw him, his eyes widened like a startled hamster. His body even jerked a bit in surprised. Ah, how cute.


    Luo Jin was truly startled. He didn¡¯t expect to see his second brother here. If he had a faint heart, he might have shouted already like a little girl. That would be so embarrassing!


    Just like what Luo Yan thought, Luo Jin did go back to the game. He actually waited for 15 minutes before going down to his brother¡¯s room. He thought that he would have already logged out by then. But contrary to his belief, Luo Yan was still ying! Thinking that his brother was alone with that cold-face, he didn¡¯t hesitate to go inside the game again.


    But when he did, the two were no longer inside the restaurant. His first thought was that that cold-face actually abducted his brother somewhere. But then he calmed down and decided to send a message to his brother. Only to find that his brother already logged out. So he didn¡¯t waste time inside the game and logged out too.


    Who would have thought that his brother was here, inside his room? Luo Jin almost had a damn heart attack.


    "Yan! Why are you suddenly appearing here? You almost startled me to death!" heined. Then he remembered that he was still mad at him for calling him a ¡¯brat¡¯. So he raised his chin and harrumphed.


    Luo Yan almostughed because of this reaction. But he controlled his expression and looked at his brother, acting all pitiful.


    "Is Ah Jin still mad at me? But Ah Jin was the one in the wrong. You shouldn¡¯t always pick a fight with Brother Ji Yun whenever you see him. Brother Ji Yun is not doing anything and yet Ah Jin is always mean to him." He sniffed, his big peach blossom eyes filling with tears. "We should only be mean to people who are mean to us. If not, then that would only make us bullies, right? I don¡¯t want Ah Jin to be a bully."


    Luo Jin couldn¡¯t counter what his second brother said. Aside from the fact that he¡¯s really weak whenever Luo Yan had this ¡¯on the verge of crying¡¯ look, he couldn¡¯t think of a justifiable reason why he didn¡¯t like that cold-face. He couldn¡¯t continue saying that it was because he was sure that guy had ulterior motives for trying to get close to Luo Yan. It¡¯s already bing a tiresome excuse. Especially since this time, the one who sent a message first was his brother.


    Argh- was he just overthinking too much?


    Luo Jin turned back to his brother who had this look like if he didn¡¯t receive the answer he wanted, he would really cry at any second.


    He sighed. "I understand. I won¡¯t do that again."


    "Truly?" Luo Yan asked, as if unsure if he was telling the truth.


    Luo Jin gritted his teeth. "Truly!"


    Luo Yan finally smiled. "That¡¯s good. Because Brother Ji Yun invited us to join his team. I already told you about teams in Arcadia, right? I think there¡¯s no harm if we consider joining Brother Ji Yun¡¯s team."


    When Luo Jin heard that, his face darkened. No, he was taking it back. He was definitely not overthinking. That cold-face bastard definitely had an ulterior motive! But looking at his brother¡¯s hopeful face, he couldn¡¯t possibly say that and tell him that they shouldn¡¯t join that guy¡¯s team.


    "The team only have three members, including Brother Ji Yun. So I don¡¯t think it would be hard for us to get along with them. What do you think?" Luo Yan added.


    A lot of thoughts crossed Luo Jin¡¯s mind. He wanted to disagree but in the end he could only say, "Let¡¯s meet them first before we decide."


    Luo Yan thought that his brother¡¯s answer was pretty reasonable. "Okay."


    He then went out of his brother¡¯s room and walked back to his own room.


    The moment he entered his room, he saw his phone that was on his study table lighting up. He walked towards it and picked it up. It was a notification from WeChat ¨C someone wanted to add him as a friend. He then remembered that he gave his WeChat ID to Shen Ji Yun.


    Luo Yan opened it and saw a profile picture of the blue sky. Beside it was the name; Shen Ji Yun [ID: luckycloud].


    He stared at that [luckycloud]. If he was not mistaken, that was the English trantion of his name ¡¯Ji Yun¡¯. He smiled a little. Really, what an unimaginative name.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to approve it.

 Chapter 94 UNEXPECTED MEETING

    LUO YAN and Luo Jin were just outside the gate of Matlock Town waiting for Shen Ji Yun. Today was the day that they would meet his other two teammates. They were supposed to meet them yesterday, but it was postponed because one other member had another appointment. Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind at all. So they changed the meeting today.


    He looked down at his brother who still had a sulking face. Obviously, despite agreeing with Luo Yan, he¡¯s still quite reluctant to meet Shen Ji Yun¡¯s teammates and definitely still didn¡¯t want to join his team. It had been two days since then and his younger brother was still pouting.


    "Is Ah Jin still unwilling to meet with Brother Ji Yun¡¯s friends?" Luo Yan asked, he purposely made his eyes filled with tears. It would immediately evoke pity from anyone who saw him like this. "But didn¡¯t Ah Jin already agree with me?"


    Seeing his brother being like this again, Luo Jin suddenly felt that he¡¯d been thrown again into a pit. And that pit was even personally dug by his brother. But even if he felt like that, what could he do? He just couldn¡¯t bear to see his brother looked sad.


    "I¡¯m not unwilling. If I am, then I wouldn¡¯t be here at all." Even though Luo Jin said that, he said it through gritted teeth. A sign that he was definitely unwilling.


    But Luo Yan ignored that and just smiled. "Okay."


    The main reason why he wasn¡¯t opposed to the idea of joining Shen Ji Yun¡¯s team was because he had been thinking of ying at the Arcadia Cup. But in order for that to happen, he had to have a team consisting of at least five members. He first thought of building his own team, but then he realized how much trouble that would be. Because as the one who built it, he had to also be the one who would manage it. And that¡¯s just troublesome.


    But joining another team would be equally troublesome. Especially if the team was full of annoying people. That¡¯s why joining a big team had never been an option for Luo Yan. Because he was sure that those types of people would often be seen in those kind of teams. After all, there were only five spots in during an official game. Sopetition between team members would definitely be fierce. If they saw a neer better than them, it would just arouse envy and resentment.


    Luo Yan had no patience dealing with people like that. Besides, he was ying Arcadia to have fun. Not to be annoyed at every turn.


    Then a notification bell sounded. It was a notification indicating that someone sent a private message to him. Luo Yan immediately opened it.


    SHEN: [I just logged in. Are you already there at Matlock Town?]


    He replied; Noctis: [We just got here.]


    Then received a reply immediately; SHEN: [I¡¯ll teleport there now.]


    Looking at this exchange of message, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but remember when Shen Ji Yun first sent him a private message in WeChat. It was after dinner, on the same day that he asked for his WeChat ID.


    =====


    Luo Yan who was holding his phone received five video files from [luckycloud] ¨C Shen Ji Yun¡¯s username. He said that it was the videos of those game developers who made speeches during the game convention he attended.


    He was a bit surprised, he didn¡¯t expect that he would send it so fast.


    [YanYan1213]: Thank you.


    [luckycloud]: You¡¯re wee.


    Then it was followed by a white rabbit sticker. The rabbit was blowing kisses which in turn produced two small hearts.


    Luo Yan stared a while at this rabbit sticker and wasn¡¯t able to react immediately. He never thought that almost expressionless guy would actually send something so... cutesy?


    [YanYan1213]: I already talked to my brother. He agreed but on the condition that we have to meet your teammates first.


    Another rabbit sticker was sent. This time the rabbit was pping, sparkles and the word ¡¯good¡¯ appeared beside it.


    [luckycloud]: I¡¯ll talk to them. Then I¡¯d message you again.


    [YanYan1213]: Okay.


    As a reply, it was another rabbit sticker once again. Now the rabbit was winking, first the left eye then the right eye.


    After that conversation, the only thought in Luo Yan¡¯s mind was; Does Shen Ji Yun like rabbit so much?


    =====


    Just remembering those cute rabbit stickers, he definitely couldn¡¯t equate it to the almost doll-like Shen Ji Yun. Luo Yan found the contrast a bit, well, cute. If the private message function in Arcadia also allowed stickers, Shen Ji Yun might have been using those cute stickers every time they exchanged message.


    His thoughts were cut off when he saw a familiar figure wearing all-ck suddenly appearing out of thin air.


    "Sorry. Did you wait long?" Shen Ji Yun immediately asked when he ran towards them.


    Luo Jin snorted but Luo Yan smiled and gently shook his head.


    "No. Didn¡¯t I tell Brother Ji Yun that we just got here?" he said.


    "That¡¯s good. Then shall we go?"


    "What else do you think should we do here? Sing and dance?" Luo Jin said sarcastically.


    "Ah Jin," Luo Yan said in a bit of a scolding tone. Even though there¡¯s a part of him that truly wanted tough because of thatment.


    As usual, Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t pay much attention to what the gnome said. "Then let¡¯s go."


    He took out a group teleport scroll and activated it. This one would immediately bring them to his team¡¯s headquarters.


    Luo Yan felt the familiar feeling of falling into a vacuum. When he opened his eyes, they were already inside some kind of entrance hall. He looked around at the surrounding architecture and deduced that they were inside a pce. Not the type of western pce, but the ancient pce that could only be found in their country¡¯s history.


    He was definitely surprised. Because this was not the headquarters of a small team he was expecting. But then again, maybe all three members didn¡¯tck crystal coins so they could easily build a headquarter like this.


    "This way," Shen Ji Yun called.


    He led them towards a huge hall. Inside, two figures were standing.


    One was a girl who looked like she was only five or six. She had short bubblegum pink hair and a pinking eyes that looked like a pair of rose quartz. Her porcin white skin was covered by a white robe. On her back, there was a pair of beautiful butterfly wings with the color of pink, red, and purple. Every time she moved, crystal dust fell from it.


    The other one was a tall man with well-defined muscles. His skin was like a rich honey color. His hair was red-orange and his eyes were golden-red. On top of his head was a pair of lion ears and swishing back and forth behind his back was a long lion tail. He would look quite intimidating, if not for that yful glint in those shining golden-red eyes.


    "B-Brother Ze?!" Luo Jin suddenly eximed, pointing at the lion beastkin.


    Bai Ze¡¯s brows furrowed when he heard the gnome calling him so familiarly. But then he stared at the gnome. And the more he stared, the more this gnome¡¯s features became familiar to him. Until an image of a particr person emerged in his mind.


    "No way... Xiao Jin?" Knowing that he¡¯s right, looking at the cute and small gnome in front of him, Bai Ze¡¯s first reaction was; "Pfft!"


    And then a hugeugh erupted from the lion.

 Chapter 95 COUSIN BAI ZE

    "HA ha... Xiao Jin... Ha ha... How did you be like this? Ha ha ha... I didn¡¯t know you have this kind of weird taste. When did you start wanting to look like a seven-year-old again? Ha ha ha!" Bai Ze said,ughing uncontrobly. He was holding his stomach and even bending over.


    Luo Jin¡¯s face turned from pink to red to bright crimson in just a second. His face was so red, blood could probably drip out of it. This was so embarrassing! How could this guy suddenly appear here? If he wasn¡¯t so surprise seeing that familiar face, he would definitely not exim his name that easily. Then Bai Ze would have not recognized him. Well, probably.


    "I didn¡¯t pick this avatar! It was this game¡¯s fault! So if you¡¯re talking about ¡¯weird taste¡¯, then this game is the one who has a problem!" he shouted.


    "The game¡¯s algorithm when ites to ¡¯random selection¡¯ is totally random, just like how it¡¯s called. So there¡¯s no bias or unfairness," Shen Ji Yun said on the side.


    Luo Jin red at him. "Shut up! Am I talking to you?"


    And once again, Shen Ji Yun ignored him.


    "Hey, Xiao Jin, don¡¯t talk like that to our captain," Bai Ze said, still barely controlling hisughter. "But I must say, this look certainly suits you. Very cute."


    If a re could put holes on a person, then Bai Ze¡¯s body would certainly be full of holes now because of how hard Luo Jin was ring at him. But it didn¡¯t really have the desired effect. He didn¡¯t look threatening at all. Instead, he looked like a small kitten whose tail had been pulled.


    "I¡¯m not cute! Don¡¯t call me cute or I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll definitely make you bald!"


    Bai Ze roared withughter once again. It didn¡¯t really help that Luo Jin¡¯s voice was so milky. Seeing how his small face turned even redder, if that was even possible, he probably realized himself that only a kid would say what he just said. Luo Jin probably just said the first thing that came to his mind.


    "Then I have to make sure to keep my hair away from Xiao Jin," he said, teasing him.


    Bai Ze truly didn¡¯t expect that one of the person Shen Ji Yun would bring would be Luo Jin. And in this form too. Thest time he saw him was during the Mid-Autumn Festivalst year. The kid suddenly shot up in height and became almost as tall as him. Now, he was probably either the same height or even taller. He thought he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to tease him again about his height. Who would have thought that he would be a gnome in this game?


    But wait- didn¡¯t Shen Ji Yun say that he would invite that one in the game forum. If he remembered correctly, that person¡¯s avatar was of normal height. That¡¯s when he nced at the other person brought by his friend.


    He had long white hair tied in a high ponytail. The long pointed ears already showed that he was some kind of elf. His big blue eyes fanned by white eyshes were dusted with gold. His lips were pinkish-red and his skin was white and delicate. He was looking at Bai Ze with curiosity in his eyes.


    Under normal circ.u.mstances, Bai Ze would probably be amazed by this shining beauty in front of him. Because this beauty looked so simr by eight to nine points to someone closely rted to him.


    [Aunt Mei Hua...]


    He almost blurted that out. That¡¯s right, the white haired elf looked simr to his deceased aunt. Then he remembered the other thing that Shen Ji Yun said. That he would also bring the brother of the person in the forum post. If that person was this elf and that brother was Luo Jin, then...?


    "X-Xiao... Yan?"


    Luo Yan tilted his head to the side. He had been observing the situation since earlier. Actually, not only him, but also Shen Ji Yun. The only one who was probably not interested in all of these was the pink-haired girl with butterfly wings. As evidence of her indifferent expression.


    He first thought that this ¡¯Brother Ze¡¯ was someone Luo Jin knew, probably from the same school. He didn¡¯t expect that he would know him too. And that stunned look that he gave him earlier. It¡¯s like both unbelieving and amazed.


    The only possibility he could think of was; a rtive?


    "You know me?" he just chose to ask.


    "He¡¯s our cousin, Uncle Chen¡¯s eldest," Luo Jin introduced, he already got over the initial embarrassment and the color of his little face was already back to normal.


    Uncle Chen? Then Luo Yan remembered a man in his 50s who, like his father, was very well-maintained. He was handsome with a bright and honest face. Bai Chen visited him once when he was still in the hospital. He looked at the lion beastkin in front of him. This was his eldest son? Now that he looked at him, he really did resemble that uncle.


    Hearing what Luo Jin said, Bai Ze¡¯s guess was finally confirmed. Knowing that this really was his cousin ¨C Luo Yan ¨C he didn¡¯t hesitate anymore and gave him a bear hug.


    He was already 13 when that awful car ident happened. So everything was still a bit fresh in his mind. His aunt and two little cousins were in the car when a truck crashed into it. Aunt Mei Hua died on the spot. And Luo Yan fell into aa. Only Luo Jin managed to survive unharmed.


    The repercussion of that incident also affected them greatly. It happened just right after his grandmother died. So it became a like a double hit for his grandfather. Especially since Aunt Mei Hua was his most beloved daughter. His dementia quickly worsened after that. As if trying to forget all the painful memories.


    Bai Ze heard his parents talking once that Luo Yan might not have a chance of waking up again and might have to remain in that vegetative state all his life. But then, just four months ago, they heard a good news. That his cousin woke up. He wanted to go with his father to S City when he decided to visit Luo Yan. But he was rejected. Because he still had school then.


    But now, they suddenly met here in the game! He couldn¡¯t describe his happiness and excitement.


    He was just about to talk when someone suddenly grabbed his neck from behind and unceremoniously pulled him away from Luo Yan. He turned and saw his iceberg friend, still holding the back of his neck. As if preventing him from making another move. Shen Ji Yun¡¯s usual expressionless face was frowning, something that didn¡¯t happen often.


    "Why are you suddenly grabbing me for?" Bai Ze asked, unsatisfied by his friend¡¯s move.


    "You¡¯re crushing him," Shen Ji Yun simply said.

 Chapter 96 WELCOME TO YUNYUE!

    SHEN JI YUN just said the first thing that came into his mind. So even if it was a bit inexplicable, with the kind of face he had, no one would think that what he said was just all nonsense. It¡¯s just that, when he saw Bai Ze suddenly hugging Luo Yan, he felt ufortable all over. Especially in his chest. As if it became congested or something. The only way to unblock it was if the two separated.


    He, himself, didn¡¯t know why he felt that way. He just knew that he didn¡¯t like it. He didn¡¯t like it one bit. Even if he knew logically that he shouldn¡¯t feel that way, especially since, from what he understood, the two were cousins who hadn¡¯t seen each other for quite some time, he still couldn¡¯t help it.


    And so, he just gave up thinking so much and just pulled Bai Ze away from Luo Yan.


    Bai Ze looked at his friend whose expression was now back to normal. He didn¡¯t doubt what he said. This was Shen Ji Yun, a guy who barely talked during weekdays. And when he did, he only said what¡¯s on his mind with nothing extra added to it.


    Some people who were not familiar with him would probably think of this characteristic as annoying. Who would like a person who would bluntly tell you your shorings without even batting an eye? But Bai Ze didn¡¯t mind. He couldn¡¯t help but respect Shen Ji Yun a bit for that. In his opinion, it¡¯s better to have someone like him as a friend. Bai Ze would rather have a straightforward person like him as a friend than have someone who only had a gentle fa?ade. Because those types could stab you in the back at any time.


    He turned to Luo Yan, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, did I crush you? I was just too excited."


    "No, it¡¯s alright. You didn¡¯t really," Luo Yan said. Although he did feel surprised by that sudden hug.


    "Brother Ze, sudden skinship like that is not allowed. Especially since Yan is still not familiar with you," Luo Jin scolded, looking at Bai Ze with admonition.


    "What ¡¯not familiar¡¯? Besides my younger brother, I¡¯m your only other cousin. How could you say I¡¯m not familiar with Xiao Yan?" Bai Zeined.


    He was about to say more when he suddenly remembered what his father told him after he visited Luo Yan at the hospital. He said Luo Yan got amnesia as seque from the head injury he suffered from the car ident seven years ago. If that was the case, then the two of them weren¡¯t really familiar. At least that¡¯s true on Luo Yan¡¯s side. For him, this was the first time that they met.


    Bai Ze felt sad all of a sudden. Aunt Mei Hua always brought his cousins to B City during summer. They stayed in their house for a month. They were not that far apart in age, so he easily became close to them. That time, he was still an only child. That¡¯s why he was always eagerly waiting for summer toe.


    And then that tragedy happened.


    Now Luo Yan hadpletely forgotten about him. He could still remember the ten-year-old Luo Yan softly calling him ¡¯Brother Ze¡¯. Not even his bratty and spoiled younger brother was as cute as him. He suddenly felt a bit pain in his heart. But no matter, he could just slowly bridge the gap and regain his position as the oldest cousin.


    "It¡¯s alright, Ah Jin. We could just slowly get acquainted," Luo Yan said then turned to Bai Ze and smiled. "Right, Brother Ze?"


    Bai Ze felt like his heart just melted. Was this an angel? A fairy? Or maybe an immortal? "Yes, we will!"


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat, catching the attention of the three. "Since it¡¯s quite obvious that the three of you are rted, could this help in your decision of joining our team?" he asked Luo Yan.


    Ah, that¡¯s right! Bai Ze almost forgot. They were here to convince these two to join their team. He remembered the video on the game forum. He just thought that the white-haired elf was interesting. He was actually a bit dissatisfied when he learned that he didn¡¯t agree immediately to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s invitation. After all, they still had the pride of being Arcadia Cup¡¯s first champions.


    But now, knowing that the elf was Luo Yan, not to mention, Luo Jin was still with him, Bai Ze couldn¡¯t wait to have them join.


    "Yes! Don¡¯t hesitate and just join us. If you do, your brother here would help you level up faster and raid dungeons. Our captain would also help you. Don¡¯t look at Ji Yun¡¯s ordinary avatar, that¡¯s just his alt ount. His real one is so awesome, it¡¯s the envy of most yers. Even those so-called top ones," Bai Ze said, obviously bragging. "Not only that, his real ount is also at the top of Swordsman ss. Of course, I¡¯m also at the top ranking of the Berserker ss. Even that girl over there is one of the top ranking Priests."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect the three to be so powerful. He truly thought that they were just, well, noobs. If they were so good, how could their team only have three members? He didn¡¯t suspect that Bai Ze was lying. Why would he? Just so two beginners could join their team? There¡¯s no point in doing that. Especially since Bai Ze was still his and Luo Jin¡¯s cousin.


    "Are you going to join now?" Bai Ze finally added.


    At first, Luo Yan only had the intention of joining. But after knowing that one of the remaining two members was their cousin, he finally made a decision to officially join. It would be good to build a familial rtionship with this newly met cousin. After all, they¡¯d be meeting at the Mid-Autumn Festival this year. It wouldn¡¯t hurt if he started to get to know Bai Ze now.


    Besides, all he could feel from him was unabashed goodwill. So he also wouldn¡¯t mind getting closer to him.


    Another reason was the girl. She seemed to be not the whiny and annoying type. She definitely didn¡¯t look like someone with a princessplex who thinks that the world revolved around her. Since the beginning, she was just sitting there, looking at everything with indifferent eyes.


    "Okay." Luo Yan gazed down at his brother, looking at him with hope in his eyes. "Ah Jin, let¡¯s join them?"


    Luo Jin really didn¡¯t think of joining. But their older cousin was here. And his second brother seemed to really want to join. He couldn¡¯t simply break that glistening hope in his eyes. So he¡¯ll just ignore the factors brought by that cold-face guy. If he removed him in the equation, joining this team wouldn¡¯t be a bad deal at all. Especially if, as Bai Ze said, they were all top-ranking yers.


    He sighed and finally said, "Okay."


    Su Yuqi nodded, as if in wee to them. Bai Ze pumped his fist in the air as if he just experienced a great victory. A small smile even appeared on the lips of the usually expressionless Shen Ji Yun.


    And the three said, in varying volumes;


    "Wee to Yunyue!"

 Chapter 97 THE TEAM HE WANTED

    YUNYUE? Why did the name sound a bit familiar? Where did he hear it? No, rather, where did he read it? That¡¯s what Luo Yan first thought when he heard the name of the team.


    "You already know Ji Yun, of course, there¡¯s me and you already know my name. So, only this girl is left," Bai Ze said reffering to the girl with bubblegum pink hair. "Come on, introduce yourself to our new members."


    The girl nced at Luo Yan and Luo Jin, then said very simply, "Su Yuqi."


    "Hey, Yuqi, could you be more enthusiastic with your introduction? These two are our most awaited teammates, you know?" Bai Ze admonished.


    Su Yuqi looked at him indifferently. "What, do you want me to dance and produce some special effects while I¡¯m at it so I could show my ¡¯enthusiasm¡¯? Sorry, but no thanks."


    "Tch. You¡¯re really not cute at all," Bai Ze retorted, narrowing her eyes at Su Yuqi.


    "Hah, whoever want to be cute in your eyes?" she said with obvious disgust in her eyes.


    "You¡ªAh, forget it! Arguing with you would just give me aneurysm," Bai Ze said, scratching the back of his head in annoyance. Then turned to the two brothers. "Don¡¯t look at her looking like an innocent child, she¡¯s actually just an old hag with attitude problems."


    Su Yuqi nced sharply at Bai Ze and didn¡¯t hesitate to kick the back of his knee. Causing Bai Ze to stumble forward. If he didn¡¯t immediately regain his bnce, he would definitely fall face first on the floor.


    Bai Ze red back at the pink haired girl. "Su Yuqi!"


    Su Yuqi only raised her brow at him.


    "Stop it, you two," Shen Ji Yun intervened, then turned to Bai Ze. "Don¡¯t always pick a fight with Yuqi."


    "Hah? How is this my fault?" Bai Ze said, even pointing at himself. "Ji Yun, why do you always take that woman¡¯s side? As the captain, you shouldn¡¯t be bias! I knew it. It¡¯s because you belong to the same type, right? Both of you have only one expression each, after all."


    Luo Jin on the side couldn¡¯t help butugh. "You¡¯re wrong, Brother Ze. Because this guy has no expression at all," he said, pointing at Shen Ji Yun.


    "Xiao Jin, you¡¯re actually right," Bai Ze said as if just realizing that.


    Shen Ji Yun decisively ignored the two.


    Luo Yan looked at this interaction with interest. Su Yuqi was probably the same age as Shen Ji Yun and Bai Ze. Looking at the way they interacted with each other, one could easily tell that they had a good rtionship. And it seemed like his younger brother would fit in easily with them. This was the kind of team Luo Yan wanted. He could already see him and Luo Jin thriving here.


    He turned to Su Yuqi and smiled. "It¡¯s nice to meet you, Sister Yuqi."


    Su Yuqi also looked at him. Well, being called ¡¯sister¡¯ by this good-looking kid actually wasn¡¯t that bad. "Um."


    Seeing the simple exchange of words between the two and that sweet smile on the rabbit¡¯s face, Shen Ji Yun felt ufortable again.


    So he just stepped between the two and said very naturally, "Since you two already agreed to be part of Yunyue, then I¡¯ll send the team contract to both of you. All you need to do is to input your game name and that¡¯s it. You¡¯ll be officially part of Yunyue." He easily sent the contract to Luo Yan since both of them were already friends. Then he looked at Luo Jin. "What¡¯s your game name?"


    Luo Jin seemed to suddenly be frozen. He gazed away and muttered something. "...masterjin."


    "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t get that," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Jin gritted his teeth. Why the heck did he wrote that stupid game name? "It¡¯s AmazingYoungMasterJin!"


    The three ¨C Shen Ji Yun, Bai Ze, and Su Yuqi ¨C all stared at him as if they weren¡¯t sure if he was really telling the truth or just joking. But when they saw his red face, obviously feeling ashamed, another roar ofughter reverberated throughout therge hall.


    At dinner that night, Luo Yan told his father and older brother about meeting Bai Ze in the game.


    "Oh Ah Ze is also ying that game?" Luo Wei Tian said with interest. "It¡¯s good that you met him. He could help the both of you if you encountered any troubles."


    "That kid may look unreliable but he¡¯lle through during the most crucial moments," Luo Ren added.


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t say anything. He was still sulking because of the embarrassing hit he suffered due to his game name. That ¡¯unreliable¡¯ cousin of theirsughed until it seemed like he couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. That girl who looked always disinterested chuckled. Even that expressionless Shen Ji Yun produced a sound that was almost simr to augh.


    How embarrassing! Maybe he should look for a way to change his game name? surely there¡¯s a way for him to do that. Right?


    "By the way, Xiao Yan, the Headmaster of Guizu Academy contacted me. You can take their admission exam on Saturday next weekend," Luo Wei Tian said, talking about the school which Luo Jin went to and also the one Luo Yan nned to go to. "Is that okay? If you still have topics you need to review with your tutors, I could ask the Headmaster to move the date."


    It actually wouldn¡¯t be a problem if Luo Yan didn¡¯t take the admission exam. He could just take a simple exam that would test his academic level, so the teachers would know which ss they would put him. But Luo Yan insisted that he wanted to take the admission exam for third years that nned to transfer to the school. Seeing how determined he was, Luo Wei Tian relented in the end. But he couldn¡¯t help but still worry.


    "Next Saturday is fine, Dad. No need to move it," Luo Yan said. "I¡¯ll do my best to take a good score."


    "I¡¯m sure Yan Yan will do great," Luo Ren said with confidence.


    "I¡¯ll pinch your cheeks until swollen if you dare get a bad result," Luo Jin threatened.


    "Ah Jin doesn¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯ll definitely do great," Luo Yan assured them.


    Seeing the confidence on his second son¡¯s face, Luo Wei Tian¡¯s worry ebbed a little. He smiled. "Then if Xiao Yan take a good score, Dad will buy you anything you want."


    Luo Yan grinned. "That¡¯s a promise then."

 Chapter 98 STUDYING ALONE

    LUO YAN was diligently answering an 11th grade Chemistry workbook. Hisst tutor already left but he was still in the library continuing to study. It was because a week from now he had to take the admission exam of Guizu Academy. So instead of ying Arcadia, he decided to just study.


    Even if he already studied these things, there were still some knowledge that he had already forgotten. Especially when it came to Sciences that rely on the students¡¯ innate understanding. Chemistry was particrly hard for him. Although he¡¯s good with numbers, that¡¯s not enough to be good at this subject. One needed to take into ount a lot of other things. Like chemicalpositions, chemical forms, and the likes.


    Math had always been his best subject. So Physics, in turn, had not been particrly hard for him. He¡¯s also quite good with English and History. Of course he was also fine with Chinese. His only problem were those few Science subjects.


    ording to what his father told him, the admission exam would include all the subjects being taught in high school. So he needed to seriously review the subjects he¡¯s not that confident at.


    He wanted to take a high score so he would be put on the key ss. Having good results would not only make his family proud, he also wouldn¡¯t be questioned because he jumped grades. He didn¡¯t want to go to school and have people there start rumors that he paid his way through using his family¡¯s money. That would be so annoying.


    So he decided that starting today, he wouldn¡¯t y Arcadia during the afternoon after hisst tutor left. He would only do so after dinner and limit it to two hours. Then he¡¯d study again for another hour before going to sleep.


    There was a slight knock on the direction of the door. Luo Yan nced towards it and saw Luo Jin leaning against the open door of the library.


    "Yan, you¡¯re not going to y today?" Luo Jin asked after seeing his brother immersed in answering whatever workbook in front of him.


    Luo Jin shook his head. "No. I¡¯ll y a bitter after dinner."


    "Then I¡¯ll just yter as well."


    "No need. You should go. Brother Ze is there. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll teach you a lot if you do task with him," he suggested.


    Luo Jin frowned hearing the name of their older cousin. Since joining Yunyue three days ago, that cousin had been teasing him non-stop. If not his avatar, it¡¯s his game name. It¡¯s seriously annoying. If he could, he would really beat him up. But he¡¯s his older cousin. And no matter how annoying he was, he still had to respect him in some way.


    "Got it. Just go straight to headquarters when you log inter. I¡¯ll meet you there." Luo Yan smiled on how naturally Luo Jin said ¡¯headquarters¡¯. It seemed like despite his initial aversion in joining Yunyue, he already integrated himself in the team without even him noticing. Maybe even faster than Luo Yan himself. "Then, I¡¯ll go. Rest if you¡¯re tired. I¡¯ll ask the maid to bring you snacks and drinks, so you¡¯ll have something to it while studying."


    Luo Yan smiled at his brother¡¯s thoughtfulness. "Okay. Thank you. Ah Jin is so kind."


    As expected, Luo Jin blushed because of the suddenpliment. Then he huffed his chest and snorted. "What nonsense."


    Then he hurriedly left.


    Luo Yan shook his head and chuckled. He went back to answering his workbook.


    While doing that, he suddenly thought of his new team ¨C Yunyue. After joining three days ago, he searched the forums for information about the team. He got a lot of interesting results. But the mostmon was Yunyue being called ¡¯fallen champions¡¯.


    Apparently, Yunyue was the first champion of Arcadia Cup. It was quite a surprise for Luo Yan. Now, he knew why the name was so familiar. It¡¯s probably because he read it in passing when he was searching about the other big teams in the game.


    Yunyue was called the ¡¯fallen champions¡¯ because after winning the first season, they practically just fell off the radar. They only had five members at the beginning and then two of them retired, leaving only three. Because they never participated in the subsequent seasons, the glory and prestige they .u.mted by being the first champions slowly disappeared. Now, a lot of other teams had already taken over them. Thus, the moniker.


    Luo Yan asked Bai Ze why they never recruited any new members in the past years. He said that they did. But the first recruitment turned into a big disaster that Shen Ji Yun firmly refused another one. Because of theck of members, the team couldn¡¯t participate in the Cup. Which ultimately led to the current situation.


    Bai Ze keptining about how Shen Ji Yun, being the captain and all, didn¡¯t care much about how other yers would view their team because of that. Su Yuqi also didn¡¯t mind the situation as long as she could y the game. He said he¡¯s the only one who cared about the team¡¯s honor with a tearful expression on his face.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle remembering that. After all, his cousin had a lion beastkin avatar. He looked big and fierce. And then he went and made that expression, which was seriously funny.


    But his cousin¡¯s grievances aside, with Shen Ji Yun¡¯s character, he was definitely not the type to care about those things. And even if Luo Yan¡¯s interaction with Su Yuqi was not that many, he could tell that she was the same type as well. Poor Bai Ze was the only hot-blooded one in the group.


    Luo Yan actually wanted to join the Arcadia Cup. He saw the video of the finals of this recent season. He, who was only watching the battle through a video, already felt excited and thrilled. It was almost like his blood was boiling. What more if he was there himself?


    He wanted to be on the same stage. Fight with other strong yers. Formte strategies andplicated tactics with his teammates.


    Should he talk to Shen Ji Yun and convince him to let their team join the next season of Arcadia Cup?


    He was just thinking that when his WeChat notification sounded. It was a message from Shen Ji Yun. He opened it and saw a rabbit sticker waving its hand at him.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help the smile that crossed his lips when he saw that.

 Chapter 99 I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE

    SHEN JI YUN typed on WeChat and sent it to Luo Yan.


    [luckycloud]: Are you about to log in to Arcadia now?


    He asked because this was the usual time that Luo Yan logged in to the game.


    [YanYan1213]: No. I¡¯m doing some studying. I¡¯ll yter after dinner.


    [luckycloud]: Are you working on your summer homework?


    After sending that, he sent a rabbit sticker with a question mark on its head. He did it without even changing the expression on his face. As if he just sent a normal message and did not do something so out of character.


    [YanYan1213]: No. I¡¯m studying for my admission exam next week.


    Admission exam? By age, Luo Yan should be in third year of high school thising academic school term which would be next month. Why would he take an admission exam?


    [luckycloud]: Are you going to transfer schools?


    That¡¯s the only exnation Shen Ji Yun could think of.


    [YanYan1213]: Not really. It¡¯s kind of hard to exin without telling you my circ.u.mstances.


    Circ.u.mstances? Was it something serious? He wanted to know. But would it seem like he¡¯s meddling too much with his business? He didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to think that he¡¯s such a busybody. But- At the end, he gave in and still asked.


    [luckycloud]: What kind of circ.u.mstance?


    [luckycloud]: But it¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t want to say it. Sorry for being such a meddler.


    Then he sent a crying rabbit sticker that was lying on the ground and drowning on its own tears.


    Luo Yan sent back aughing emoji.


    [YanYan1213]: It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind telling Brother Ji Yun.


    [YanYan1213]: I don¡¯t know if Brother Ze already mentioned this to you, but I was in aa for seven years and just woke up a little bit more than four months ago. I¡¯m studying to take an exam that would automatically put me in third year high school, as I should be if not for the ident. I don¡¯t want to be in a ss full of grade schoolers, you know. After all, I¡¯m already 17.


    Then he received a smiling emoji.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the words ¡¯seven years¡¯, a¡¯, and ¡¯ident¡¯. Before he could think of anything, he already sent a video call request to Luo Yan. After a few seconds, a beautiful face appeared on the screen.


    The boy¡¯s face was small. He had big peach blossom eyes surrounded by long ck eyshes. His ck hair looked naturally soft to the touch. His skin looked as white as the most expensive porcin.


    This was the first time Shen Ji Yun saw Luo Yan¡¯s real face after more than a month. Looking at him, there was that strange beating of his heart again. But then he remembered the message he just read. And an uncontroble worry just filled him.


    "Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked, confused.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why Shen Ji Yun suddenly video called him. But he still answered nheless. Because there¡¯s really no reason not to.


    "You... are you alright now?"


    Luo Yan was stumped for a bit because of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s question. But when he looked at this guy¡¯s usually expressionless face that was now very unusually filled with worry, his heart softened. Was he worried about him? Because of the message he sent? Really, despite his looks, like he seemed to be unconcerned about everything around him, he really was just one big softie.


    "I¡¯m fine. My family has always been there by my side so everything has been easy so far," he said with a smile.


    Which was true. Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t probably adapt to his new life this easily if he was reborn into a different body. If he didn¡¯t be this ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯ and didn¡¯t be part of this family, he truly didn¡¯t know what would have be of him.


    The reason why he was able to easily ept his death and rebirth was because of his new family. They gave him love and security. Two concepts that had been foreign to him ever since he could remember. Although he did feel sorry for the real ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯. It¡¯s like he robbed him of everything that should belong to him. That¡¯s why topensate it all, he would live a life in his ce that he would be proud of. And to do everything in his power to care and love the family he left behind. Though thatst part was not really that hard to do.


    Luo Yan had a theory. Maybe the real ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯s¡¯ soul had long departed from his body and only an empty shell remained. That¡¯s why he, Luo Yan, was able to enter this empty shell and upy it. Maybe after he died, his soul wandered around until it found a suitable body. That¡¯s why he only managed to wake up after seven years.


    Having this body, having a second chance at life, he would forever be grateful to ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the serene smile on Luo Yan¡¯s face. But it still wasn¡¯t enough to lessen his worry.


    Now that his brain was a bit clearer, he remembered an incident seven years ago. There was a period when Bai Ze was pretty down. He didn¡¯t look for him and caused him trouble like he always did. He didn¡¯t even talk much which was very not so like him. So he asked and found out that his aunt¡¯s family had been in an ident. His aunt died and one of his little cousins fell into aa.


    After reading what Luo Yan sent to him and then knowing that the two were cousins, it¡¯s not hard to connect him to that ident. Which meant that Luo Yan¡¯s mother died and then he becameatose. He only woke up after seven years. If his family was not well-off, they might have decided not to put him into life support. Then Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t be here now.


    Thinking of a scenario that he wouldn¡¯t be able to meet the rabbit, his heart suddenly felt hollowed and pained. No. He didn¡¯t want something like that. Even as a dream, it would be a total nightmare.


    "If you need anything or if you¡¯re in trouble, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me. I¡¯ll do my best to help."


    Those blue eyes stared at Luo Yan with conviction. He couldn¡¯t say anything at first. This awkward guy was probably feeling sorry for him. He helplessly shook his head.


    "Brother Ji Yun, I¡¯m not so weak. If you treat me like I¡¯m a delicate flower that would be blown away by the wind at any second, I¡¯d be angry," he said, trying to look as threatening as he could. But all that appeared was a pretty face, bulging his cheeks like a squirrel and furrowing his delicate eyebrows.


    Of course, Shen Ji Yun understood that sentiment. If he was also told this by another guy, he¡¯d probably break out in hives. But he couldn¡¯t just leave Luo Yan alone. From the bottom of his heart, he truly wanted to protect this boy. To not let any harm toe his way. He wanted him to always be happy.


    It was a weird sentiment and something he truly didn¡¯t understand. But understanding theseplex emotions was not the most important thing he should do right now.


    "I don¡¯t think you¡¯re weak at all. I think you¡¯re really strong," he said honestly. Someone who fell into aa and only woke up after seven years but still faced everything with optimism could not be called weak. "I just want you to know that no matter what will happen from here on out, I will always be here to give you my support."


    Faced with the other person¡¯s sincere gaze, Luo Yan didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. So in the end, he could only smile and say, "Okay. Brother Ji Yun should not forget what he said today."


    "There¡¯s no way I will."

 Chapter 100 THE THREE AT THE HEADQUARTERS

    LUO JIN logged in to the game and immediately appeared inside Yunyue¡¯s main hall. This was the third day that he yed without Luo Yan during their usual ying time in the afternoon. He was still busy studying. He didn¡¯t want to disturb him so he no longer went to the library and just directly logged into the game. Of course he didn¡¯t forget to tell the maids to give his brother a snack. Only nutritious snack obviously.


    When he arrived, Bai Ze and that girl, Su Yuqi was bickering again. Or to be more precise, his cousin was bickering while Su Yuqi waspletely ignoring him. It made his cousin looked stupid. Like he was doing a one-man show when there¡¯s clearly two performers on the stage.


    Hmm... wait- why did this scene looked kind of familiar?


    Then a scene of him being sarcastic and hurling low-key insults towards Shen Ji Yun and the other just ignoring him appeared suddenly in his mind. Wasn¡¯t that exactly the same as this scene in front of him right now? He clucked his tongue. That guy. He bet he was doing it on purpose so Luo Jin would look stupid while he would look mature and stable. He probably just wanted to look good in front of his brother.


    Then he¡¯d do the same. He¡¯d no longer talk to him as if he was trying to pick a fight. Well, at least not in front of his brother. He could do it. Probably.


    Then Bai Ze finally noticed his arrival. "Xiao Jin, is Xiao Yan not with you again?"


    "I told you, Yan is busy studying," he answered.


    "Ah, yes. He¡¯ll take that test thising Saturday, right?" Luo Jin nodded. "Why did Uncle Wei Tian let Xiao Yan take a high school level exam? Wouldn¡¯t it be too early? I think it would be better to let him limate to everything first before putting him in a school environment."


    Considering how Luo Yan only woke up a little over four months ago, Bai Ze firmly believed that it was still too early for him to be in a ce where a lot of strangers were. Especially if those stranger were teenagers. Having recently been a teenager himself, he knew how one could be cruel in their words and their deeds.


    Luo Yan was so different. Not only because of his experience but also because of his looks. He would certainly attract bullies one after another. He fell into aa when he was 10, then woke up with an amnesia. Wouldn¡¯t that put him in a great disadvantage? He might not be able to deal with those potential bullies.


    In here, Bai Ze had totally forgotten the video of Luo Yan in the game forum double-crossing three yers that were trying to use him and Luo Jin. He even forgot how he was sure that the white haired elf in the video was undoubtedly a ck-bellied person. Because after meeting Luo Yan in the game, all he could think of was how cute and sweet his cousin was.


    "It¡¯s what Yan wanted." Of course they were all against it at first ¨C Luo Jin, his eldest brother, and their father. But Luo Yan persisted to convince them that that was what he wanted. So, the three of them could only agree and support him. Seriously, if his second brother put his mind into anything, he could probably convince even the most hard-hearted person. "I know you¡¯re worried that he would be bullied. But I also go to that school. I won¡¯t let anyone bully him."


    Bai Ze patted Luo Jin¡¯s shoulder. "Good. As his brother, you should protect him well."


    Su Yuqi nced at the two. Although she didn¡¯t know the whole context of their conversation, what she got was that Luo Yan would go to a new school and they¡¯re worried he¡¯d be bullied. Could that really happen though? She also saw that video on the game forum and also that other video of him fighting in the Arena. Based on that, she could tell that he¡¯s more than capable to protect himself. But she didn¡¯t say anything and just let the two talk.


    "Where¡¯s cold-face?" Luo Jin thought of asking.


    "Hey, don¡¯t call our captain that," Bai Ze scolded. Though cold-face was really an apt description. "He¡¯s busy with something." Probably.


    He tried to call him earlier. But he simply sent him a message saying that he¡¯s talking to someone important so he shouldn¡¯t bother him. Someone important? Could it be Shen Ji Yun finally got himself a girlfriend? But as soon as he thought that, he also immediately refuted it. That friend of his with facial paralysis and who couldn¡¯t even be bothered to talk to other people even if his life depended on it? Nope, definitely not. Shen Ji Yun was probably talking to his uncle or something.


    "Let¡¯s just go take task and make you stronger," Bai Ze added, changing the subject.


    "Okay."


    Truth to be told, Luo Jin really enjoyed performing task with his cousin. He learned quite a lot. In just three days, he went from level 40 to level 47. He also now had six skills. He wanted to be stronger. Then he could also fight like a madman without worrying that he would be killed at any second. Like his cousin.


    "Yuqi, why don¡¯t you go with us?" Bai Ze turned to Su Yuqi and asked.


    Su Yuqi appeared like she was considering it for a second and then she nodded. She didn¡¯t have any particr thing he needed to do anyway. So she stood up from where she was sitting and walked towards the two.


    Bai Ze was about to say something but when he looked down and saw Su Yuqi standing next to Luo Jin, he suddenly had the urge tough. Because both were looking up at him. With their cute and soft appearance, add that to their short stature, it felt like two kids were waiting for him to give them candies. Imagining their appearance in real life doing this, he finally couldn¡¯t help butughed.


    "Why are you suddenlyughing?" Luo Jin asked.


    Su Yuqi only looked at Bai Ze as if he¡¯d gone totally mental.


    "I just thought of a brilliant idea. Maybe the two of you could be our team¡¯s mascots. Like a small couple! You¡¯re both so cute, after all," Bai Ze said, his voice full of teasing.


    Luo Jin¡¯s face immediately turned red. "W-what are you saying?" He swore, there would definitelye a time when he could beat this cousin of his.


    Su Yuqi gave Bai Ze the look. The one where she was silently telling him with her eyes that his existence couldn¡¯t even bepared to an ant. Then she turned to Luo Jin.


    "Ignore him. Let¡¯s just y without him."


    Luo Jin looked at the girl with bubblegum pink hair and a beautiful pair of pinkish eyes. Before he could think more, he only managed to say, "Okay."


    Then Su Yuqi pulled Luo Jin out of the main hall.


    Looking at their retreating backs, Bai Ze shouted, "Hey, I¡¯m only joking! Wait for me!"

 Chapter 101 TREASURY

    AFTER dinner, Luo Yan, as usual, logged in to the game. He appeared at the main hall of Yunyue¡¯s headquarters. He was surprised to find that there¡¯s no one there. Ah, right, during dinner Luo Jin mentioned he was doing some chain task with their cousin, Bai Ze, and that girl, Su Yuqi.


    Should he go and do some task of his own?


    When he was about to leave, a slight distortion appeared in the air and then Shen Ji Yun¡¯s avatar appeared. Or as Luo Yan already learned, his alt ount¡¯s game avatar. He called him again earlier and they video chat for a bit. They didn¡¯t really talk that much. Mostly, Shen Ji Yun was just giving him pointers on some questions that he wasn¡¯t sure of the answer.


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised to find out that Shen Ji Yun was a bit of a genius himself. No, a bit was probably an understatement. Even if he was takingputer science as a major, he was still knowledgeable about other subjects that had nothing to do with his chosen major. Like those subjects Luo Yan was weak at. He could easily exin to him those things he couldn¡¯t understand. He was even better than his tutors. Probably because he was a student himself, so he knew what a student like him needed to focus at.


    That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t mind the video calls because he¡¯s benefitting from it. He wondered what Shen Ji Yun got from it though. Maybe he enjoyed talking to him? After all, he¡¯s such an awkward guy. There¡¯s probably only a handful of people he could chat with.


    "Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan greeted him with a smile.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan for a moment. This would probably be his height if he hadn¡¯t fallen into aa when he was 10 years old. Because of that, the growth of his body was exponentially slowed. Leading to him having such a petite build. Shen Ji Yun even suspected that he was being deprived of food. Good thing he didn¡¯t mention that to him or it would be just too embarrassing.


    "Are you nning to do some task?" he asked after he walked towards Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan nodded. Then he suddenly remembered something. "Brother Ji Yun, can we go dungeon raiding, the five of us?"


    He honestly didn¡¯t want to repeat the experience he had with the Infernal Chasm dungeon. It¡¯s still better to have trustworthy teammates when raiding.


    "Sure. Is it for skill books?" Shen Ji Yun remembered that he put a few dungeon names that would give skill books as one of the rewards on the list that he gave to Luo Yan.


    "No. It¡¯s actually for materials for weapons crafting. Luo Jin and I still need at least two materials to craft our weapons."


    "What materials?"


    "Adamantine and Triase," Luo Yan answered.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded in appreciation. Adamantine and Triase were both good materials for crafting weapons. Adamantine could ensure the highest level of durability to the weapon. With it as one of the materials, the weapon would not break that easily. Triase on the other hand, could increase the potential strength of a weapon.


    "Then there¡¯s no need to do any dungeon raiding. You can just get these two materials in the treasury," he said.


    "Treasury?"


    "Yes. Every team has one. If a member has items they don¡¯t need, they could put it in the team¡¯s treasury and it would be a shared property of the team. So you and your brother could just get what you need there if it¡¯s avable."


    That¡¯s the first time Luo Yan heard something about a treasury. Well, if there¡¯s an easier way to get the things he needed, of course he wouldn¡¯t refuse it. "Okay," he happily replied.


    "Do you want to check it with me?"


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to nod.


    They walked out of the main hall together. Shen Ji Yun led Luo Yan towards the treasury which was located at the inner part of the pce. As they walked, Luo Yan looked around. As he expected, this ce was really huge.


    Soon, they arrived in front of a tall door. It reached from floor to ceiling. Shen Ji Yun put his hand on the door. The seam of the door lighted as his palm touched it. When the light reached the floor and the ceiling, the door slowly opened.


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes slightly widened when he saw the contents of the room. There were treasure chests piled up in one corner of the room. Rows of ss cases like cabs were neatly lined up. Inside those were a number of items, all looked valuable. This was the first time he saw such an orderly treasure room.


    "Yuqi is the one doing the cataloguing of the items here. So if you don¡¯t find what you need, you can just ask her."


    Hearing what Shen Ji Yun said, Luo Yan suddenly had the answer on why this ce was so orderly. It¡¯s all due to Su Yuqi¡¯s management. Well, she did look like someone who wouldn¡¯t tolerate disorderliness.


    He walked inside the room and looked around. He recognized some of the items inside the ss cases. Some were very hard to find and were considered as very rare items.


    "The team sure has a lot of treasures," hemented.


    "Well, it¡¯s the .u.mtion of five years of ying," Shen Ji Yun said.


    That¡¯s a reasonable answer. It wouldn¡¯t be hard for three highly skilled yers to gather this much treasure. Luo Yan continued to look around when he remembered something that he thought he should mention to Shen Ji Yun.


    "Brother Ji Yun, Luo Jin and I got an invitation as a reward in the Infernal Chasm dungeon. It¡¯s for the King¡¯s party this Thursday. Could Brother Ji Yun and the others alsoe?"


    Luo Yan thought that it would be good if all of them could go as a team. Aside from the fact that it would be good for someone familiar with it to go with them, it would also be a good way for the five of them to promote team work. Because if yers were moring to attend that party, it meant that it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary party. Maybe the King would order them to do some task or something.


    "The King¡¯s annual party?" Shen Ji Yun almost forgot that it¡¯s already that time of the year in the game.


    "Yes. But I only have one invitation, so I could only take twopanions with me."


    "Oh, you don¡¯t need to worry about that. I think Bai Ze also has one."


    "Really? Then that means that we could all go?"


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the rabbit¡¯s big blue eyes dusted with gold. It was filled with excitement and expectations. He just didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse him. "Yes. We will all go."


    Luo Yan smiled brightly. "Yey! Then maybe Brother Ji Yun should also use his real game ount when we go there. I really wanted to see Brother Ji Yun¡¯s real avatar."


    Well, if that¡¯s what the rabbit wanted, Shen Ji Yun had no reason to refuse. Besides, that party should also be attended by some of the top yers in the game. His avatar could be used as a buffer just in case some people wanted to cause trouble to Luo Yan. And it would also be a good time to let others know that he and that gnome were part of Yunyue.


    "Okay."

 Chapter 102 THE ONLY ONE OF HIS KIND

    "WHY is cold-face still not here?" asked Luo Jin with a bit of impatience in his tone. "Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s putting make-up on?"


    The four other members of Yunyue were all waiting at the entrance hall of the pce. It was because today was the date of the annual party of the King of Arcadia.


    Since they needed to be at ck Lake by six o¡¯clock in the evening, both Luo Yan and Luo Jin had an early dinner. Although their father and older brother were both a bit displeased by that. But at the end, they still gave in and let them have their way. Or more urately, both father and son couldn¡¯t say ¡¯no¡¯ to Luo Yan.


    Bai Ze put his hand on Luo Jin¡¯s head and messed up his hair. "Xiao Jin, I told you not to call our captain that."


    Luo Jin swiped away his cousin¡¯s hand. "Stop that, Brother Ze!"


    "Just let him call Ji Yun whatever way he wanted. It¡¯s not as if Ji Yun cares," Su Yuqi said with her usual indifferent voice.


    "Hey, Su Yuqi, I¡¯ve been noticing this these past few days, but aren¡¯t you taking Xiao Jin¡¯s side too often? We¡¯ve been friends for five years, you¡¯ve only been doing task with this kid for a few days and yet you¡¯re already showing favoritism?"


    Luo Jin, on the side, blushed for no reason when he heard what Bai Ze said. Then he stopped. What was he blushing for? Because Su Yuqi was showing favoritism towards him? That¡¯s not good enough reason. Then was it because he had a good impression of Su Yuqi? After all, she¡¯s not the least bit annoying. Unlike all the other girls he¡¯d met so far.


    From grade school up until now, all the girls he¡¯de in contact with were annoying as hell. When he was in grade school, they would force him to y with them. He would ignore them at first, but then, that didn¡¯t really work, they would still continuously pull him. So he would shout for them to stop. Then they would suddenly cry, as if everything was his fault. When clearly it¡¯s theirs!


    Then when he reached middle school, those girls evolved and became much more annoying. They would paint their faces and then put on those nauseating perfumes. Then asked him if he could date them. Why would he even want to do something like that? In the first ce, they¡¯re minors who hadn¡¯t even undergone puberty and yet they¡¯re already thinking of having a boyfriend? Truly shameful!


    Luo Jin thought that was already the worse, but when he reached high school, he was proven wrong again. Those girls became maniptive creatures who acted like they¡¯re the kindest and sweetest girl but behind everyone¡¯s back, they¡¯re all nothing but bullies who had princessplex. They all wanted to get close to him just because his surname was ¡¯Luo¡¯. He seriously had enough of those kinds of girls.


    Compared to those girls, Su Yuqi was like a breath of fresh air. That¡¯s all. There¡¯s nothing more than that.


    Luo Yan, who was standing beside Luo Jin, noticed the face of his brother turning red. He looked at him with interest. He bent down so he could whisper on Luo Jin¡¯s ear, "Ah Jin, why are you blushing? Are you perhaps happy that Sister Yuqi favors you?"


    Luo Jin¡¯s face became even redder when he suddenly heard what his second brother said. "O-of course not! Keep your voice down or she might hear you!" he whispered back.


    "Hmm... if Ah Jin says so," Luo Yan smiled and said in a teasing tone.


    "Ah! Is this the camaraderie between yers with pipsqueak avatars?" Bai Ze said.


    Luo Jin¡¯s blush immediately turned to ck lines when he heard that. While Su Yuqi only gave Bai Ze the look.


    "Su Yuqi, you¡¯re looking at me like that again," Bai Ze said, clearly dissatisfied. She¡¯s looking at him like he¡¯s only a single celled organism.


    "Because you deserve it," Su Yuqi simply said.


    "You¡ª"


    "Now, now, we shouldn¡¯t fight," Luo Yan said walking between the two. Then he turned to Bai Ze. "Okay, Brother Ze?"


    Bai Ze looked at his cousin, his big blue eyes dusted with gold were glistening. As if silently asking him not to bicker with Su Yuqi anymore. "Okay," he could only say.


    Luo Yan smiled. Then he turned to Su Yuqi. "Sister Yuqi, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask this, but can I know what Sister¡¯s race is?"


    He was truly curious. He¡¯d been thinking that it must be a fairy because of her avatar¡¯s stature and the wings behind her back. But when he searched the forums, fairies had different wings shape.


    "I¡¯m a pixie."


    Oh, a pixie, huh? Luo Yan could actually see why her avatar¡¯s design could be considered a pixie. "No wonder Sister Yuqi looks so pretty and magical."


    He actually wanted to say ¡¯cute¡¯ but Su Yuqi might not like that.


    Su Yuqi¡¯s cheeks showed a faint blush. Hearing someone calling her ¡¯pretty¡¯, especiallying from such a good-looking kid, was actually a bit embarrassing. "En."


    Luo Yan looked at Luo Jin. "Ah Jin also thinks so, right?"


    Luo Jin turned slightly red and then frowned at his brother. "W-what are you asking me for?"


    He nced at Su Yuqi¡¯s faintly blushing cheeks and then immediately looked away.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t have time to tease his brother more because of the sudden distortion in the air. A sign that someone was about to appear. Which, in this case, could only be Shen Ji Yun.


    The figure that appeared in front of them, truly shocked Luo Yan.


    Shen Ji Yun was wearing a ck kimono-like robe with purple golden clouds etched at the bottom. It was over a dark violet turtle necked shirt ¨C the color of the violet was so deep that it almost looked ck at one nce ¨C and a pair of ck nts that were ripped at the knees. It was matched with a pair of ck boots. His get-up might not be that extraordinary or shy but it suited well for his temperament.


    He had long dark purple hair, three inches of its tips were tinted silver. He still had the same cold handsome face. The only difference were his eyes. It was the color of dark amethyst. Its edges were rimmed with gold. His extraordinary eyes had vertical pupils that could only belong to a beast. And on top of his head, there was a pair of golden antler-shaped horns.


    These added features only made Shen Ji Yun looked even more attractive. Like a beautiful gem polished with sharp edges. You wanted to touch it. But you would immediately be hurt once you did.


    "Are you surprised, Xiao Yan?" asked Bai Ze on Luo Yan¡¯s side. "Ji Yun¡¯s real avatar is a Qilin. The only one of his kind in the whole game."


    Luo Yan nced back at Shen Ji Yun.


    A Qilin?

 Chapter 103 A LITTLE INFO ABOUT THE PARTY

    A QILIN? As in one of the four auspicious mythical beasts alongside dragon, phoenix, and tortoise? Luo Yan looked back again at Shen Ji Yun. Even with the nondescript clothing, he was still too eye-catching. Just looked at that hair, that face, and those horns. No wonder he first met Luo Yan using his alt ount. If he wandered around using his real avatar, he¡¯d definitely cause amotion.


    Even if he wasn¡¯t the captain of the ¡¯fallen champions¡¯¨C as other yers loved to call them ¨C his appearance alone was enough to attract everyone¡¯s attention. If Shen Ji Yun looked average, then it probably wouldn¡¯t have that much of a big effect even if he¡¯s a legendary Qilin. But as luck would have it, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face value was sky-high. Added with the features of a Qilin, his face simply became against the sky.


    Luo Yan suddenly had a feeling of revtion. Maybe this game¡¯s system took into ount the yer¡¯s face value before giving them a race. At least those who picked ¡¯random selection¡¯, that is. They had two perfect examples here. Obviously one was Shen Ji Yun, having a Legendary race and all. The other was of course him, Luo Yan. The system might have recognized how pretty he was and gave him a Special race that would highlight his beauty.


    If that was the case, then great job, game system.


    Luo Yan walked towards Shen Ji Yun, his eyes shining. "Wow, Brother Ji Yun looks so cool!"


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t have much change in expression on the outside but on the inside, a simple kind of happiness filled him. Like a child that had been praised. He even felt proud that his game avatar¡¯s race was a Qilin. But he couldn¡¯t express his emotions well, so he could only nod in the end.


    Luo Jin looked at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s cool avatar then he nced down at his small body. Howe this cold-face bastard could get such a cool avatar while he¡¯s stuck with this one? Then he inadvertently nced at Su Yuqi¡¯s indifferent face and felt a bit ashamed. Their game avatars were almost the size and yet he hadn¡¯t heard herining about it even once.


    If he continued toin, it would only highlight how immature he was. Besides, as much as he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he was already ustomed to this small body. He would just avoid looking too much at that cold-face guy so he wouldn¡¯t feel too envious.


    "Brother Ze said that you¡¯re the only Qilin in Arcadia. That¡¯s amazing!" Luo Yan said, continuing showering Shen Ji Yun withpliments.


    Shen Ji Yun gazed away because he could feel his face heating up. Although he¡¯s happy that the rabbit seemed to like his avatar, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit shy inside. Of course none of those emotions showed on his face.


    "It¡¯s because in the game, Qilin is one of the Legendary races. Choosing ¡¯random selection¡¯, there¡¯s a very, very, very, super very small chance that a yer could get a Legendary race. That¡¯s why yers who managed to get one, most often than not, are only one of their kind," Bai Ze exined. He seriously wondered if Uncle Yi Mu actually tinkered with the game system so he could give a Legendary race to his nephew. That wouldn¡¯t really be too farfetched considering how he doted on Shen Ji Yun. "A good example is our captain here. Another example is the captain of Fenghuang who¡¯s a phoenix."


    Well, with a team name of ¡¯Fenghuang¡¯, it wouldn¡¯t take a genius to know that the captain must be a phoenix. That¡¯s what Luo Yan thought.


    Shen Ji Yun coughed and cleared his throat. He promptly changed the topic. "Before we proceed to ck Lake, I want to exin some things first to you two about the King¡¯s annual party," he said to the rabbit and his gnome brother. "Since this is the first time you¡¯ll be attending."


    "Okay," Luo Yan said. It would be good to have a first-hand knowledge about the event they¡¯d be attending.


    Luo Jin only snorted.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan¡¯s obedient look and then at the gnome¡¯s obviously defiant look. As he thought, the rabbit was still the best. "Since this annual party is to celebrate the King¡¯s birthday, everything will be ording to his wishes. He would make requests, sometimes even really unreasonable ones, to his guests. Those who managed to fulfill it would be rewarded by the King."


    "The rewards given by the King are always the best and of the highest quality, so we should do our best to fulfill his request," Bai Ze added.


    Su Yuqi nodded in agreement.


    "The King¡¯s requests don¡¯t usually involve fighting, so it doesn¡¯t matter if the yer¡¯s level is low," Shen Ji Yun continued. "His requests are almost always simr to a brain teaser."


    "Not just any brain teaser, but a veryplicated brain teaser that usually involves an equallyplicated solution," Bai Zeined. Thinking of all the unreasonable requests made by that King before, he couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. Truthfully, he had no interest in attending that party this year. But since Luo Yan requested for all of them to go, how could he refuse?


    Oh, so that¡¯s why the invitation could be found as a reward in a fairly low level dungeon like Infernal Chasm. Because whatever request this King made, it wouldn¡¯t depend on a yer¡¯s level. Luo Yan was kind of d for that. After all, he¡¯s only level 45 now. Because of studying, he hadn¡¯t had time to fully grind levels. Even Luo Jin was five levels higher than him now. Well, he¡¯d just have to make up for it after his admission exam.


    But for now, he¡¯s really excited about the King¡¯s birthday party. He wondered just what kind of reward an NPC considered as the King of Arcadia would give.


    "Do you have any question?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    "Would it be dangerous?" Luo Jin asked.


    "There¡¯s always danger involved in events like this," Shen Ji Yun simply answered.


    "You don¡¯t have to be afraid, Xiao Jin. You have three top-ranking yers with you. We¡¯ll definitely protect you and Xiao Yan," Bai Ze said, messing up Luo Jin¡¯s hair.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded inside. Yes, he would protect the rabbit.


    Luo Jin angrily swiped away his cousin¡¯s hand. "Who¡¯s afraid? I¡¯m just asking!"


    "Yes, yes, if you say so," Bai Ze said, apparently not believing Luo Jin.


    Luo Jin red at this cousin of his. Sometimes, he¡¯s almost ovee by the urge to punch this guy senseless.


    "We should go," Su Yuqi said, looking at the time on her Status Window.


    "Are you ready?" Shen Ji Yun asked Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan nodded. "Yes!"


    Then Shen Ji Yun took a group teleportation scroll. "Let¡¯s go."

 Chapter 104 ARRIVING AT BLACK LAKE

    WHEN the feeling of being pulled in a vacuum was gone, Luo Yan opened his eyes. In front of him was argeke. Its water was as dark as obsidian. And no, it¡¯s not because the surrounding was dark. The sun still hadn¡¯tpletely set and yet the water on theke was still as dark as the night sky. Its surface was even glistening. As if hundreds of diamonds were thrown into it.


    So this was ck Lake?


    It was located in the middle of the forest, surrounded by colorful wildflowers. There were ck crystals protruding from theke, adding some kind of magical atmosphere to the whole surroundings.


    "Xiao Yan, do you know why the color of the water of ck Lake is like that?" Bai Ze asked, putting his arm on Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder.


    Because that¡¯s the way the game developers designed it? But of course, Luo Yan didn¡¯t say such a sarcastic respond. "Why?"


    "See those ck crystals? The bottom of theke is filled with those. The crystals secrete ck liquids when they¡¯re in contact with water. Then those ck liquid merged with theke water, making it ck. Thus the name ¡¯ck Lake¡¯."


    "Wow, Brother Ze knows a lot!" Luo Yan said. Although he wasn¡¯t really that interested, it was still a nice information to know.


    Bai Zeughed. "Of course I know a lot."


    Su Yuqi looked at Bai Ze indifferently and she almost snorted. What ¡¯know a lot¡¯, if she¡¯s not mistaken, it was Shen Ji Yun who told him that. She was toozy to correct it, so she just looked elsewhere.


    "Right, before I forgot. You two, try not to call us by our real names and just call us by our game ount name," Bai Ze added after a while, talking to his little cousins. "Of course we¡¯ll do the same. But what to do? Xiao Jin¡¯s game name is so long," he said thatst part with a bit of teasing.


    Luo Jin red at Bai Ze. "Just call me Jin!"


    Luo Yan knew that Bai Ze and Su Yuqi¡¯s game names were White Marsh and Morganite respectively. But he still didn¡¯t know the game name of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s real game avatar. So he turned to him. "Brother Ji Yun, what is this avatar¡¯s name?"


    "It¡¯s YUN."


    Luo Yan¡¯s mouth pumped when he heard the name. His alt ount¡¯s name was SHEN, then his real ount was named YUN, if we add those to his WeChat ID ¨C [luckycloud] ¨C one could immediately see that Shen Ji Yun was not really the type to waste time thinking of imaginative names. After all, all of these usernames originated from his real name.


    When they arrived, there were already other yers who arrived there before them. All were staring at the five who just arrived.


    "Hey, look at that guy with horns. What race is that?" one asked his friend who came with him.


    "I seem to have seen him somewhere. Ah! That¡¯s right! He¡¯s the captain of that team!" his friend said.


    "That team?"


    "Yunyue! The first champions!"


    "Yunyue? You mean the fallen champions? Then that guy-" the first one who asked looked back at the guy with golden antler shaped horns. "Is the Qilin?"


    The same kind of conversations were happening around them.


    Three female yers who belonged to team Sirens were all excitedly looking at team Yunyue. Particrly at their captain. Well, probably not all three. The one with cat ears and tail was staring at the white-haired elf and the little ck haired gnome standing beside him.


    If Luo Yan saw her, then he would probably recognize her as that cat beastkin who stopped him and Luo Jin at Olkdale Town and asked for a screenshot of his game avatar.


    "Jingyi, isn¡¯t that the yer YUN?" asked a female elf to another female yer beside her. "We should take as many screenshots of him as possible! The captain would definitely be happy if we show it to her. After all, getting new photos of him nowadays is pretty rare."


    The female yer who was called Jingyi by the elf had long light blue hair and a pair of sea green eyes. Her ears were like fins. Below those, if one would just look closely, they would see gills-like openings. Both her hands were webbed, a thin fment was connecting one finger to another.


    She was staring intently at the captain of Yunyue. This yer, YUN, was the one admired most by her sister ¨C the captain of Sirens. Zhu Jingyi didn¡¯t expect that he would also attend this event. After all, Yunyue had been pretty low-key these past years. She also recognized the other two with him. The lion beastkin, White Marsh ¨C one of the strongest Berserkers in the game. And the pink haired pixie, Morganite ¨C a Priest that could not only support but also attack.


    Zhu Jingyi knew that both were part of Yunyue. So it¡¯s not a surprise to see them with YUN. But who were the other two? One was a gnome with hair and eye colors unusual for his race. The other was a white-haired elf who was even more eye-catching. Porcin white skin, big blue eyes dusted with gold, and pinkish lips. With a face that simply transcended gender, anyone could be captivated by him if he so wished.


    "Xia Li, who is that elf?" she asked the cat-eared girl.


    "His game name is Noctis, a Moon Elf. It¡¯s one of the Special races added after thetest update," Xia Li answered. "Oh, not only him. But that gnome is probably also a Special race."


    Zhu Jingyi frowned a bit. If they got those avatars after thest update, then could they be... beginners? If that¡¯s so, what were they doing with Yunyue?


    Xia Li didn¡¯t have anyplicated thoughts like Zhu Jingyi. All she could currently think of was all the good materials she could collect during this event. She would surely be able to draw a lot of good stuff after this. She looked back again at Noctis, her eyes shining. Lucky!


    When all was still talking about Yunyue, there was a distortion in the air. A sign that someone was about to teleport. Then a tall figure slowly appeared in front of everyone. It was a male yer wearing a ck suit and holding a cane in his hand. His ck hair was slicked back, his skin was deathly pale, and his eyes were blood red.


    "Oh, did I make it in time?" Xu Ru asked with a seductive smile floating on his red lips.

 Chapter 105 MY TEAM MATE

    LUO YAN looked at the new arrival. A tall and slim man ying with the cane in his hand. That face, that manner of speaking, why did he seem familiar?


    "Hey, Yan, isn¡¯t that the frivolous looking guy we met at the restaurant before?" Luo Jin said, recognizing the newly arrived male yer. He left quite the bad impression on him, so he remembered him quite well.


    Because of what Luo Jin said, a certain memory inside his brain was triggered. Before they went to raid Infernal Chasm with those three idiots, a male yer wearing a ck suit warned them that he shouldn¡¯t trust those three. He didn¡¯t put much thought into that encounter that¡¯s why he readily forgot about it. Who would have thought that they would meet here again?


    "Ah, yes, I remember," he said.


    "What, you two know Alucard?" Bai Ze asked after hearing the conversation of the two.


    "Alucard?" Luo Jin asked.


    "That yer wearing a suit over there. Weren¡¯t you two just talking about him earlier?" Bai Ze said, pointing to the yer he called ¡¯Alucard¡¯ using his thumb.


    "We don¡¯t know him, per se. We just had a simple encounter," Luo Yan answered. "Is he a well-known yer?"


    "I suppose he is," Bai Ze reluctantly said. "He¡¯s the captain of Sanguis, a pretty strong team. They¡¯ve always been in the top 10 ranking of Arcadia Cup ever since their team was established three years ago."


    "They would probably rank higher if the captain takes the game more seriously," Su Yuqimented with that indifferent tone of hers.


    "Right, Yuqi, I almost forgot that you¡¯re acquainted with Sanguis¡¯ vice-captain," Bai Ze said, remembering that particr information.


    A captain of a strong team. Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect this guy to be someone quite well-known in the game. Well, he certainly had the presence of someone not easily ignored.


    "That creep called Yan ¡¯my lovely¡¯," Luo Jin suddenly said. Remembering that still could give him goosebumps.


    Luo Yan¡¯s face was almost filled with ck lines. [Ah Jin, do you really have to mention that?]


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brows furrowed when he heard that. ¡¯My lovely¡¯? Why would a man call another man that? Although the rabbit was indeed lovely, it¡¯s not exactly something that a guy would just blurt out randomly. He nced sharply at Alucard. Somehow, this person seemed to be not so pleasing to the eye.


    "Ha? He called Xiao Yan what?" Bai Ze reacted angrily. "That insufferable yboy! Can he no longer differentiate between males and females?"


    Although Bai Ze must admit that his cousin was definitely prettier than most girls out there. But that didn¡¯t mean that anyone could just go and flirt with him. Especially not that guy. No, wait- why would he think that it¡¯s only natural for other guys to flirt with his cousin who¡¯s clearly also a boy?


    Shen Ji Yun nced at Bai Ze. "You know him?" he asked, not talking about the game but in real life. Because the way Bai Ze just spoke just now, it seemed like he knew him personally.


    "He¡¯s the young master of the Xu family in B City. I doubt you know him though since you don¡¯t really socialize that much. But I bet your cousins know him. They move in the same social circle after all." Bai Ze met him a couple of times because their families made some business together. Xu Ru didn¡¯t really leave the best of impression. Probably because every time he saw him, he would always be surrounded by women. "He¡¯s famous for being a huge yboy. He changes girlfriends like he¡¯s changing clothes."


    Su Yuqi didn¡¯t have that much of a bad impression of Alucard. After all, Qin Rushi, with that temperament of hers, wouldn¡¯t be able to tolerate him and stayed as his team¡¯s vice-captain if he¡¯s all that bad.


    Based on what Bai Ze said, Luo Yan could assume that this Young Master Xu was also a rich second generation. And a yboy to boot. Being surrounded all the time by women, he¡¯s simply the enemy of all men. Of course, he¡¯s not envious. With his beauty, it would be hard to find a girl who could match him. They would just end up being jealous of him.


    Oh, maybe that girl Song Liuli from that team Celestials could. She¡¯s almost as pretty as him, after all.


    When Shen Ji Yun heard that description, his impression of this ¡¯Alucard¡¯ guy decreased even further. A yboy? Then did that mean he had that kind of mind towards Luo Yan? But the rabbit¡¯s a guy, so, maybe not? Most likely, he¡¯s expressing his admiration because the rabbit looked really good. But if that¡¯s not the case, then. He nced sharply at Alucard. Then it would totally be a different matter altogether.


    Maybe Shen Ji Yun¡¯s re was so strong that Alucard no doubt felt it. He looked in their direction. He only nced at Shen Ji Yun and then his gaze immediately fell on the rabbit. Which only made Shen Ji Yun¡¯s frown even deeper.


    Xu Ru, on the other side, smiled. Someone else from their team was supposed to go to this event but he went instead. Because he knew the white-haired elf woulde. And he doubted any of those guys from his team could actually convince the elf to join their team. They¡¯re all so straightced and serious, none of them would surely bother to use even a bit of their charm to convince anyone to be part of their team. Moreover, they listen more to Qin Rushi than him. Sometimes, he even wondered if he¡¯s really the captain.


    Well, since it¡¯s Rushi, Xu Ru was not really mad about it.


    He walked towards the group where the white-haired elf was standing.


    "We meet again, my lovely. You look even more beautiful than thest time I saw you," Xu Ru said while bowing like some kind of noble gentleman. "This is fate, don¡¯t you think?"


    Adding this elf to his team would surely be a feast to the eyes. At least he didn¡¯t have to endure looking only at the grim faces of his other team mates. Having another beauty aside from Qin Rushi surely wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    Luo Yan felt like all the hairs in his body just stood up. What lovely? What more beautiful? Although he¡¯s really that, having another man call him those was still spine-chilling. Luo Yan was the only one who could call himself that way.


    Shen Ji Yun felt the corner of his eye twitched. His impression of this Alucard just plummeted to the very bottom. He walked between the two, making sure that he blocked Luo Yan¡¯s figure behind himpletely. So that this guy wouldn¡¯t be able to stare at him.


    He looked up, his gaze as cold and sharp as a winter sea. "Do you need something from my team mate?"

 Chapter 106 TRY IT

    THERE was a small uproar in the surroundings when they heard what Shen Ji Yun said.


    "Hey, did you hear that? He just said ¡¯team mate¡¯."


    "I heard. Then that white-haired elf is a new member of Yunyue?"


    "Maybe that ck-haired gnome as well."


    "Are they making aeback?"


    "Who cares about that? Don¡¯t you know what they¡¯re called now? Fallen champions! They couldn¡¯t even bepared to the big teams now."


    A lot of yers on the ck Lake actually agreed to thatment. It¡¯s already more than five years since the first season. A lot of yers back then had already forgotten how fierce the first champions fought during the first Arcadia Cup. Then new yers increased year by year and the strength of Yunyue was slowly forgotten.


    Of course, among the yers currently on the ck Lake, there were still some who didn¡¯t share the same opinion. One was a male yer standing inconspicuously on one corner. He had golden brown hair. His light blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of sses. He was wearing white all over, from his shirt to his shoes. He looked so impably clean that not even a dust could be seen on his clothes.


    He was a member of the three-time champions ¨C Celestials. He listened to the talk going on around him and just shook his head. [These idiots who don¡¯t know anything.]


    Yunyue wasn¡¯t called the ¡¯fallen champions¡¯ because they¡¯re weak. They¡¯re only called that because after winning the first season, they retreated behind the limelight. But if only these yers used their brains a little, then they would see that none of the remaining three members of Yunyue were weaklings. All of them were in the top ranking yers list.


    He nced at the said team, particrly at the white-haired elf and ck-haired gnome. It seemed like they finally recruited new members. Did that mean that would finally join in the next season of Arcadia Cup? If that was the case, then their captain would truly be happy. After all, Li Xu Min had been waiting to have a chance to fight with them. Let¡¯s just hope that the two new members Yunyue recruited wouldn¡¯t bring the level of their team down.


    Looked like it wasn¡¯t a total waste of his timeing here.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t alone with his opinion. The three girls from Sirens thought the same.


    In their team, it¡¯s no secret how much their captain admired the yer YUN. All the members who first joined would be bombarded by all the avable information about YUN and how great of a yer he was. So no one in their team would ever think of him as a weakling. Much less the team he belonged to.


    "Did you hear that Jingyi? Yunyue finally has new members! Are they going to participate in the tournament next year? This is big news! I¡¯ll send a message to captain," the female elf said, already nning to open her Status Window.


    "No, don¡¯t," Zhu Jingyi stopped her team mate. "You know how my sister is. Once she knows that YUN is here, she¡¯ll definitely teleport here and cause trouble."


    There¡¯s a high chance that her sister would just make a fool of herself. It would not only ruin her image, even the reputation of their team would be affected. For some reason, when it came to this YUN person, her sister¡¯s IQ seemed to offline. That¡¯s why Zhu Jingyi didn¡¯t really like YUN.


    Xia Li, on the side, was staring brightly at YUN, Noctis, and Alucard. She didn¡¯t care at all about Yunyue¡¯s possibleeback. She¡¯s more interested with the tension she¡¯s seeing between the three.


    On the other side;


    Seeing how Shen Ji Yunpletely blocked his brother from that frivolous guy¡¯s eyes, Luo Jin felt a bit tangled. He didn¡¯t know if he should be d that he¡¯s protecting Luo Yan or be annoyed that he did. Because Luo Jin still couldn¡¯t help but feel that Shen Ji Yun had ulterior motives for doing so!


    Xu Ru raised one of his brows when he heard the words ¡¯my team mate¡¯. He looked at the yer in front of him. From his long dark purple hair with silvery tips, cold beast-like eyes, and the antler shaped horns on his head. If he¡¯s not mistaken, this was the captain of Yunyue.


    So this guy managed to invite the white-haired elf to join his team much faster than him? But wasn¡¯t the captain of Yunyue known for being a big anti-social who didn¡¯t like mingling with other people? Wasn¡¯t that the reason Yunyue hadn¡¯t had new members after two of their original members retired?


    He looked at the elf who was almost blocked by YUN¡¯s body. "Did you really join their team?"


    "Yes," Luo Yan simply answered, peeking a little from Shen Ji Yun¡¯s shoulder.


    The yer named Alucard suddenly held his chest, as if he¡¯d been hit or something. "Ah, I should have invited you to join my team much sooner. Now, I¡¯m just heartbroken. And here I thought after this event, you could formally join my team. Then I¡¯ll be graced by your loveliness every time I log in the game. This is truly a tragedy."


    [No, the real tragedy here is the words you¡¯re spouting in your mouth.] Luo Yan thought as his face was filled by ck lines. He justpletely hid behind Shen Ji Yun. If he continued looking at this guy, his face might crack. It would be a shame to show such an ugly expression with this pretty face of his.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t speak. He didn¡¯t even notice that he¡¯s already ring daggers at the guy standing in front of him. He thought his impression of this guy wouldn¡¯t plummet any further. But now, it becamepletely negative. He moved his body and made sure that this guy wouldn¡¯t even see a hair of the rabbit standing behind him.


    Su Yuqi¡¯s indifferent face frowned a little. Surely, this guy didn¡¯t always behave like this. If he did, then she could only bow to Qin Rushi for her patience.


    Luo Jin couldn¡¯t hold it any longer and just kicked the bastard¡¯s shin. "My brother is a guy! What are you doing, talking to him in that annoying way?"


    Xu Ru felt a sudden pain on his shin. But he immediately controlled his expression and didn¡¯t show any of that on his face. He looked down and saw a fuming gnome. He smiled, making his handsome face even more attractive. "Little guy, don¡¯t you know that beauty knows no gender?"


    Luo Jin was about to attack him again. But Bai Ze quickly stopped him and lifted him up. "Okay, Xiao Jin, that¡¯s already enough." Then he turned and looked at Xu Ru. "Xu Ru, don¡¯t be too much. Go and look for other yers to flirt with, just not our team mate."


    Xu Ru nced at the lion beastkin. "If it isn¡¯t Young Master Bai. But let me just make one correction. I¡¯m not flirting with him. If I am, he¡¯ll be blushing right now and probably even wanting to join my team." He smiled seductively. "Should I go and try it?"


    The air around them suddenly turned cold. As if an air-con had been put to the lowest temperature. The source? Shen Ji Yun, of course.


    He looked at Alucard, his beast-like eyes filled with frigid coldness. "Try it."


    YUN said it in such a way that if Xu Ru really did, he would break every bones in his body. Xu Ru even felt it. Instead of being afraid, he even smiled. How interesting.


    The atmosphere was in a stand still when a number of carriages being pulled by winged horses flew over ck Lake. One by one, theynded. From the leading carriage, a handsome NPC wearing a butler¡¯s uniform walked out.


    "Distinguished guests, it¡¯s time for His Majesty¡¯s party. Please, choose a carriage together with yourpanions and we shall ride to Selene Pce."

 Chapter 107 A LITTLE PEAK INTO LI XU MINS LIFE

    "XU MIN, look here. Yes! That¡¯s it. Then reach out as if you wanted to touch something that you couldn¡¯t hold," said a man in histe 20s holding a camera in his hand.


    The young man he was talking to did as he was told. He reached out towards the camera. He was standing barefooted. He was wearing a simple white shirt and ck trousers. Some of the buttons of his shirt was open, showing a white expanse of chest. A wind was blowinging from a powered fan standing on the side, blowing the young man¡¯s shirt. Because of that, one could see a glimpse of his firm abdomen.


    Strands of his ck hair were also being blown to the side. Showing his wless forehead. His ck eyes were surrounded by long eyshes. Those eyes were now filled with deep longing. As if he really wanted to reach out to something that he couldn¡¯t have or even touch. With that angelic face filled with innocence, it just simply evoked endless distressed from the people watching him. They couldn¡¯t help but want to protect him from any harm.


    "Perfect!" eximed the photographer. "We got all the shot we need. Good job, Xu Min."


    Li Xu Min breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the photoshoot was over. He rxed his body and stepped out of the range of the powered fan. These photoshoots were seriously tiring and draining. Who would have thought that someone like him who preferred to stay indoors and just y games or readics all day would actually end up as a model?


    Those ssmates of him from grade school all the way to middle school probably wouldn¡¯t believe that a person they considered a big nerd would appear in various magazines andmercials. No, they probably wouldn¡¯t think it was him. After all, during those years, he¡¯d been nothing but a transparent person. His ssmates probably didn¡¯t know his name. He even wondered, at some point, if he truly existed at all. After all, his parents, the people who should have been first to validate his worth, didn¡¯t care one whit about him.


    He only managed to get out of his own shell when he entered high school. And that¡¯s because of the important friends he made. It started after he yed Arcadia and he and those friends established team Celestials. Since then, the idea of him being just a worthless existence slowly faded away. That even someone like him could do something right. That even he could inspire people.


    But even so, when he had to work past six in the evening, Li Xu Min began to wonder why was he doing this kind of work he¡¯s not fullyfortable with. Ah right, because the money was good. Because this money let him be independent. Which meant he could be far away from his ¡¯good¡¯ parents.


    Then it all didn¡¯t seem so hard anymore.


    "Thank you, Mr. Mu," he said modestly to the photographer.


    "I hope next time I could still be your photographer."


    Li Xu Min only smiled. This shoot was for a cover of a famous magazine that catered to young teens. After his first cover shoot for this magazine a year ago, he had another five covers, including this one. One more shoot and he¡¯d be done with his contract for this magazine.


    He said goodbye to the photographer and to some of the staffs around.


    When he was about to walk, he identally tripped into something. He thought that he would, one again, nt himself faced first on the floor. But it didn¡¯t happen. Instead, a strong hand held his arm and pulled him back. He was about to nce back when that person put a pair of familiar thick sses on his face. Then Li Xu Min¡¯s surroundings immediately became crystal clear.


    The person who put his sses on him was taller than him by half a head. So he needed to slightly look up to see their face. It was a young man the same age as him. He had a standard buzz cut, thick eyebrows, and strong jaws. His eyes were deep and seemed like it¡¯s hiding myriads of emotions. But his perpetual scowling face simply negate the beauty of those eyes.


    With his countenance and well-developed body, one could easily assume that he was a soldier or something. And they wouldn¡¯t be exactly wrong in way.


    Li Xu Min showed a helpless smile when he recognized the person in front of him. "Ah Hui, why are you here? Didn¡¯t you have training today?"


    "It¡¯s already finished," Zhong Hui answered while putting a jacket over Li Xu Min¡¯s shoulders. Then he kneeled and put shoes on Li Xu Min¡¯s bare feet. He didn¡¯t even seem affected holding another man¡¯s feet. After doing that, he stood up. "Let¡¯s go."


    Li Xu Min hadn¡¯t had time to react because Zhong Hui already pulled him to his assigned dressing room.


    "Hey, who¡¯s that?" one of the staffs asked looking at the back of the two.


    The other staff she asked looked in the direction she was looking. "Ah, that¡¯s Xu Min¡¯s friend. I¡¯ve seen him quite a few times during Xu Min¡¯s photoshoots."


    "He looks kind of scary."


    The other staff onlyughed. "He might look intimidating but he¡¯s really quite a polite young man."


    The two who just entered the dressing room, of course, didn¡¯t hear this conversation.


    Li Xu Min started to change clothes. Zhong Hui, on the side, immediately turned back when he saw that.


    "Where¡¯s my assistant, by the way?" Li Xu Min asked after he finished changing clothes.


    "I sent her home. I told her I¡¯ll send you back so there¡¯s no need for her to be here."


    Li Xu Min felt a bit helpless again when he heard that. "Ah Hui, you don¡¯t have to do this. I know you¡¯ve been busy with your training recently."


    Instead of answering, Zhong Hui just pulled him to a seat then started silently removing his make-up. Li Xu Min didn¡¯t object because he knew it wouldn¡¯t change Zhong Hui¡¯s mind. He¡¯d been like this since they met four years ago, spoiling him and treating him like a younger brother. Even though they¡¯re the same age. Looking at Zhong Hui¡¯s constantly scowling face, no one would think that he was this caring and thoughtful.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Zhong Hui to finished because the make-up put on Li Xu Min was really light. Understandable, since even without make-up, Li Xu Min¡¯s skin was already as smooth as boiled egg.


    After that, the two went out and started walking towards the building¡¯s parking lot.


    When they reached it and was about to head to Zhong Hui¡¯s car, a familiar white van suddenly stopped in front of them. The door of the van slide open and they saw a very beautiful young woman sitting inside. Her long ck hair was like a soft waterfall falling behind her back. Her pair of ck eyes that seemed to naturally hook people were slightly upturned at the end. Her natural pinkish-red lips were smiling at the two.


    "Ah Min, Ah Hui," Song Liuli greeted the two.


    "Li Li, what are you doing here?" Li Xu Min asked a bit confused.


    "Don¡¯t just stand there,e inside," she said instead.


    "I¡¯m taking Min home," Zhong Hui said, looking at Song Liuli as if silently telling her ¡¯Don¡¯t disturb us and just go¡¯.


    Of course, Song Liuli saw that. But would she just silently obey? Of course not. So she focused her attention on Li Xu Min. "Let¡¯s all eat dinner together."


    Li Xu Min became even more confused. "I thought you and Ah Yu we¡¯re nning to go somewhere tonight?"


    He remembered that Song Liuli was so happy when she told him about that to the point that she even dragged him to buy new clothes with her. Even though she would never admit it.


    Song Liuli¡¯s beautiful face contorted with displeasure for a moment. "Don¡¯t talk about that Duan Yu bastard. I don¡¯t want to hear his name."


    "What happened?" Li Xu Min asked, although he already suspected the answer.


    "Duan Yu attended the King¡¯s annual party," Zhong Hui was the one who answered, referring to the birthday party event of the King NPC of Arcadia.


    Song Liuli¡¯s expression became more annoyed when she heard that.


    Even Li Xu Min¡¯s brows furrowed a bit. "I thought one of the newer members were supposed to go to that event?"


    Zhong Hui shrugged because he truly didn¡¯t know the answer.


    "Because that bastard, Duan Yu, received information that all three members of Yunyue would be attending. That¡¯s why he went and took the invitation from the other member," Song Liuli said, gritting her teeth.


    Li Xu Min was slightly surprised to learn that. Because Yunyue never attended that event with all of its remaining member. So, did that mean that even YUN went?


    Then Song Liuli turned to the two, almost ring. "Are you going to dinner with me or not?"


    Li Xu Min looked at Song Liuli¡¯s expression and sighed. He turned to Zhong Hui and silently told him that they should just give in and go with her. Even if Zhong Hui was reluctant, he still nodded.


    So the two climbed inside the van.

 Chapter 108 DEPARTURE FROM BLACK LAKE

    "LET¡¯S go," Shen Ji Yun said to the other four members of Yunyue.


    "A carriage could only amodate four people," Xu Ru said, then turned to the white-haired elf. "Why don¡¯t you join me in a carriage and we could talk about life. Maybe before we arrived at Selene Pce, I could convince you to join my team. What do you say, my lovely elf?"


    Shen Ji Yun felt like all the veins on his forehead would pop if he listened more to this guy¡¯s nonsense. Luo Jin and Bai Ze felt the same. The three were nning to step forward and just beat this guy or something. But before they could, Luo Yan already beat them to it.


    "I¡¯m sorry, but even if we talk to our hearts content, I don¡¯t think you can change my mind," Luo Yan said, acting as if he was sorry that he couldn¡¯t agree with the yer Alucard¡¯s request.


    "Oh? And why is that?" Xu Ru asked with interest.


    Luo Yan raised one of his hand to his chin and started fidgeting. Acting like he¡¯s hesitating if he should tell him the truth. "You see, I have an allergy against flirtatious people. It¡¯s caused by a childhood trauma. I have no control over it. If they talk to me too long, I break out in hives. Even if this is VR, I still feel ufortable." He looked at Alucard, blinking those big blue eyes dusted with gold at him. "Mr. Alucard won¡¯t force me, right?"


    Xu Ru became speechless for a moment. But then he suddenly remembered that video from the forum. The chance of this elf just acting was pretty high. Realizing that, Xu Ru smiled. "Is that so? Then maybe you just need exposure therapy. If you spend more time with me, then maybe your allergy will be cured. All the more reason to join my team, right?"


    [Tch. This guy¡¯s face is even thicker than I expected.] ¨C Luo Yan thought. So his cute pitiful attack was not working, huh? Then he would just change his strategy then. They didn¡¯t have the time to dawdle here and y word games with this guy.


    He put down his hand and smiled. "Sorry. I¡¯m actually lying just now. I just didn¡¯t want to hurt your feelings. But the truth is, I just prefer YUN as my captain. So no matter how long you try to persuade me, it won¡¯t work. Because you¡¯re simply not my type. Oh, I¡¯m talking about you being my captain, in case you misunderstand. Also, I don¡¯t like the frivolous way you¡¯re talking to me. Even though I really don¡¯t have allergy, you constantly calling me ¡¯my lovely¡¯ is still giving me the hives. So, please stop." He tilted his head and smiled sweetly. "Okay?"


    Luo Jin grimaced a bit. Here it came, his brother¡¯s dark side.


    Shen Ji Yun still remained expressionless. But if you looked closely, one could see that the tips his ears, even the back of his neck, werepletely red. Because his mind was currently stuck on the part where Luo Yan said; ¡¯I just prefer YUN¡¯. The rabbit preferred him more than that Alucard!


    "Let¡¯s go and pick a carriage to ride," Luo Yan said to the other four members of his team.


    The five then started walking towards the direction where the carriages where parked.


    Xu Ru looked at the back of the elf and he couldn¡¯t help theugh that erupted from him. What an interesting guy.


    Bai Ze was alsoughing his ass off. "That was a good one, Xiao Yan."


    Su Yuqi nced at Luo Yan. Well, it¡¯s good that he¡¯s not as na?ve and simple as he looked.


    "That wasn¡¯t too much, was it?" Luo Yan asked, trying to act troubled.


    "No," Shen Ji Yun said without hesitation.


    "Of course not. What you said was on point," Bai Ze agreed.


    Luo Jin also didn¡¯t think that it was too much. But it was still a bit of a shock seeing his second brother¡¯s dark side again.


    "I¡¯m d then," Luo said, smiling.


    They stopped in front of one of the carriages.


    "But what Alucard said earlier about the carriage being only able to sit four people is true. So, should one or two of us go in separate carriage?" Su Yuqi asked.


    "I think it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just let Ah Jin sit on myp," Luo Yan said.


    "What--?"


    Before Luo Jin could finish what he¡¯s saying, Luo Yan already lifted him up. He opened the door of the carriage in front of them and carried him inside. He sat down on one of the seats and put Luo Jin on hisp.


    Luo Jin¡¯s face immediately turned red. "Yan! What are you doing? Put me down!"


    This was so embarrassing. Although this avatar¡¯s body was like a child, he didn¡¯t want to be treated like one!


    Shen Ji Yun narrowed his eyes on the gnome sitting on the rabbit¡¯sp. "I agree. You should put him down."


    Luo Jin stoppedining when he heard that. He turned to Shen Ji Yun and when he saw him narrowing his eyes at him, he suddenly felt like not moving anymore. "I changed my mind. I¡¯m fine sitting here." Then he smirked at the cold-faced bastard.


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eye twitched. He suddenly felt annoyed for some reason. It only intensified when Luo Yan hugged the gnome closer. He wanted to say something but Su Yuqi already climbed inside and sat on the opposite seat of Luo Yan. Bai Ze followed and sat beside Luo Yan. He could only suppress his annoyance and sat beside Su Yuqi.


    When they were all inside, the door of the carriage automatically closed. Then they heard the voice of the NPC who came with the carriages earlier.


    "Distinguished guests, it¡¯s time to depart for Selene Pce."


    And then they felt the carriage they were in being pulled upwards. Most probably by those winged horses.


    Luo Yan looked out of the window of the carriage. It¡¯s finally time to depart from ck Lake.

 Chapter 109 SELENE PALACE

    LUO YAN looked out of the window of the carriage. Then he saw some kind of portal opening in the sky. The leading carriage went inside the portal. Followed by another. Their carriage was fourth in line, so soon, they too entered the portal. Luo Yan felt that feeling of being sucked in a vacuum once again. Ah, he really disliked this feeling. It took a while before the feelingpletely went away.


    "Xiao Yan, we¡¯re here," he heard Bai Ze said beside him.


    Luo Yan opened his eyes and once again looked outside the window. His eyes slightly widened when he saw what was outside. It was a floating ind. At the center of it stood a crystal pce. It almost looked like that pce Elsa made from that movie Frozen. This one just looked grander.


    There were different kinds of flowers blooming around the floating ind. They were all in different colors and forms. Giving warmth to the seemingly cold looking pce. There was even a stream flowing around the ind. But the most striking view was the big full moon behind the floating ind. It¡¯s because the ind was so high up in the sky that it almost looked like it was beside the moon.


    The carriage slowly descended. When itpletelynded on the driveway of the pce, the first one to go out was Shen Ji Yun, followed by Su Yuqi and Bai Ze. Thest one to go out was Luo Yan who was still holding Luo Jin like some stuff toy.


    "Yan, you can put me down now," Luo Jin said. He was already mortified to the extreme to have his second brother hold him like this.


    When Shen Ji Yun heard that, he immediately said, "Yes, put him down. You might get tired if you continue holding him."


    Luo Jin nced at Shen Ji Yun. The bastard still looked like an expressionless robot, but if you listen closely to his words, you could hear the hastiness in his voice. As if he couldn¡¯t wait for Luo Yan to put Luo Jin down. Luo Jin suddenly had the urge to let Luo Yan hold him a little longer. But his pride as a man just wouldn¡¯t let him.


    "Eh?" Luo Yan held his younger brother up and rubbed his cheek with Luo Jin¡¯s. "But I want to hold Ah Jin much longer."


    Luo Jin blushed and then pushed his second brother¡¯s face away from him. "Yan- put me down!"


    Luo Yan pouted. "Fine." And then he reluctantly put down Luo Jin.


    Shen Ji Yun finally felt satisfied when he saw that. Although he really didn¡¯t know what he¡¯s feeling so satisfied for.


    "Distinguished guests, please follow me," said the handsome NPC wearing a butler¡¯s uniform. Then he gestured for them to follow.


    The yers who got off the carriage followed the NPC into the pce. Before they could enter main door, they needed to show their invitations first.


    When it was Luo Yan¡¯s turn, he took out the invitation from his Items Tab and showed it to the NPC.


    The NPC scanned his invitation. After confirming that the invitation was genuine, he said, "Wee, distinguished guest. Do you have anypanions with you?"


    "Me!" Luo Jin immediately said.


    Shen Ji Yun stepped up to Luo Yan¡¯s side. "And me."


    Both Luo Yan and Luo Jin nced at Shen Ji Yun. Luo Jin wanted to snap at the guy, but then he thought, it didn¡¯t really matter who he said he was apanion with, because the five of them came there together. So it didn¡¯t really matter in the end. Unlike him, Luo Yan didn¡¯t think much.


    "Three distinguished guests, you can now enter," the NPC said, gesturing for them to walked inside.


    When Luo Yan stepped inside, he felt a slight jolt. As if a weak voltage passed over his whole body. Then he felt a tingling on the back of his right hand. He looked down and saw an outline of a crescent moon on the back of his hand.


    He turned back to the others who already walked inside the pce. "Do you also have this?" he asked and raised his hand that had the crescent moon outline.


    "Yeah," Bai Ze said showing him the same crescent moon.


    "It probably have something to do with the kind of game the King prepared this year," Su Yuqi said while looking at the crescent moon on the back of her hand.


    "For now, let¡¯s follow the butler NPC first," Shen Ji Yun suggested.


    Everyone agreed to what he said. So they went and followed the said NPC. He led the yers towards a huge door. Two NPCs wearing a guard¡¯s uniform were standing on both sides of the door. When they arrived, the two guards NPC opened the door. Beautiful music immediately spilled out as they did.


    The handsome NPC wearing butler¡¯s uniform turned to them. "Distinguished guests, please enter."


    Some of the yers entered the room. Luo Yan and the others also followed.


    What Luo Yan saw was a huge ballroom. There was a big floating crystal chandelier that lighted up the whole ce. There was a long table on the side filled with different kind of dishes. There were rows of female NPCs wearing maid costumes, as well as male NPCs wearing waiter costumes. On the other side, there were floating instruments ying on their own which were the source of the music filling the ballroom.


    Luo Yan then nced at the other yers. He counted them in passing. Including them, there were a total of 21 yers. For such an event that only happened once a year, these numbers were definitely too few.


    "I thought there would be more yers attending," he said.


    "It¡¯s because there were only 10 invitations being given out every year," Bai Ze said. "Three yers could attend with one invitation, so at most, 30 yers could attend this event. But seeing how we¡¯re only 21 here, some yers probably came alone. Just like that Alucard for example."


    "Because the invitations were too rare, the yers who could attend this event were mostly from big teams," Su Yuqi added.


    "Like that one wearing all-white for example," Bai Ze said pointing at one of the yers with golden brown hair and sses on his face. "His from team Celestials."


    And one of the original members to boot. Bai Ze wondered what someone like that was doing here. He thought for sure they would simply give this job to a lower ranking member. But then again, that Xu Ru even came here himself ¨C a captain of a pretty famous team .


    Team Celestials? Luo Yan looked over at the yer wearing all-white. If he remembered correctly, that girl, Song Liuli belonged to that team. Because of thosements he readparing the two of them together, he couldn¡¯t help but remember some of her information.


    "His Majesty has arrived!" the butler NPC suddenly announced loudly.


    The music stopped. There was a sound from above. When Luo Yan looked up, he saw the ceiling slowly disappearing. Then a crystal staircase suddenly appeared, connecting the opened ceiling to the floor. Crystals in the shape of opened lotus flowers floated down. And then a figure slowly descended.


    He had silvery white hair that looked like strands of moonlight. His pair of apricot eyes were the color of the night sky. One could even see stars shining in them. He was wearing a costume that a monarch from some western fantasy world would wear. It fitted his tall and slender body perfectly. And on top of his head was a golden crown iid with silver gemstones.


    It¡¯s the King of Arcadia.


    Now that¡¯s what you called a grand entrance.

 Chapter 110 YUE MEANS MOON

    THE king walked slowly towards the only high tform. His every steps were elegant and effortless. As if he was gliding instead of walking. Then he faced the yers and spread both arms as if in wee.


    "My dear friends, I wee you all to my pce," the King said with a gentle smile on his captivating face.


    Luo Yan saw almost all the yers bowing and saying almost at the same time. "We¡¯re honored to be here, Your Majesty."


    "Do we really need to act like he¡¯s a real king or something?" Luo Jin whispered, quite reluctant to y the obedient subject.


    Bai Ze put his hand on top of Luo Jin¡¯s head and made him bow. "Just y along. That NPC is programmed in a way that he could coerce anyone, yers and other NPC alike, to show respect to him. So instead of being forced, it¡¯s better to just y along."


    Luo Yan raised one his brows when he heard that. "Isn¡¯t that a bit overkill?"


    "Well, he¡¯s the King of Arcadia. He¡¯s like the boss of all the bosses. He¡¯s literally the most powerful being here," Bai Ze said, shrugging.


    "Now, before this year¡¯s entertainment begin, let¡¯s all enjoy tonight¡¯s feast," the King said. Then he sat gracefully on the throne behind him.


    "We still need to eat?" Luo Yan asked, a bit unbelieving.


    As he asked, tables suddenly appeared in the ballroom. The five of them sat down on the nearest one. Then maids and waiters brought tes of food on each tables.


    When all the tables were filled with different dishes, the King said, "Let the feast begin."


    Luo Yan picked the nearest dessert ¨C a custard pudding. Since nothing would begin without them eating, then he might as well eat to his heart¡¯s content.


    Shen Ji Yun, of course, noticed the rabbit¡¯s little action. He remembered when they first had a meal, the rabbit ate more dessert than the main dish. "Do you like sweets?" he couldn¡¯t help asking.


    "Yes. But it¡¯s probably more because I couldn¡¯t eat that much sweets in real life. If I do, a certain someone would definitely scold me," Luo Yan answered, digging into the pudding.


    "Of course I would," Luo Jin said, not hesitating to admit that he was this ¡¯certain someone¡¯. "You know you have to follow a strict diet. If I¡¯m not strict with you, I¡¯m pretty sure Dad and Older Brother would just let you have your way."


    "Strict diet? Is Xiao Yan¡¯s body still not okay?" Bai Ze asked worriedly.


    Shen Ji Yun also had the same thought. Seven years ofa, there¡¯s no way it wouldn¡¯t have any seque. As evidence of Luo Yan¡¯s petite body that was much smallerpared to other 17-year-olds. He was filled again with the same kind of worry that he first felt when he found out about Luo Yan¡¯s ident.


    "Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that," Luo Yan said helplessly, noticing Bai Ze and Shen Ji Yun¡¯s worried gazes. "I¡¯m totally fine. If not, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to y Arcadia, wouldn¡¯t I? My body is just a bit too weak and short to my liking. But I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be taller in no time. After all, both Dad and my brothers are all tall."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. Whatever the rabbit wanted, he¡¯s sure that he would achieve it.


    On the other hand, Bai Ze could only look at his little cousin with pity. It¡¯s a known fact that Luo Yan looked strikingly simr to Aunt Mei Hua. His aunt was a very petitedy. If we took into ount the fact that Luo Yan was a boy, then at most, he¡¯d probably grow 170 cm at most. But certainly, he wouldn¡¯t reach the height of his father and brothers. No, maybe if Luo Yan worked hard, he could at least achieve 175 cm.


    [I¡¯ll be praying for your sess, Xiao Yan.] ¨C Bai Ze thought.


    "If you want to grow taller, I know some effective exercise and diet n that could help you. I could send it to youter if you want," Su Yuqi said after primly cutting a piece of steak.


    Luo Yan instantly became interested. "Really, Sister Yuqi? Then should we exchange WeChat IDter?"


    "Sure."


    Luo Jin¡¯s ears perked up when he heard that. Should he also exchange WeChat ID? No, he didn¡¯t really have any reason to. He shook his head and just continued eating.


    Luo Yan finished eating the pudding. He took a slice of pumpkin pie next. He then nced at the King who was currently drinking wine. His every actions were so elegant that even if he did the most mundane of things, he would probably still look graceful.


    Luo Yan stared at the King¡¯s silvery white hair that seemed like strands of moonlight and those ck eyes filled with starlight. He looked at the King¡¯s ears. It was just a normal pair of ears, like a human¡¯s.


    "Brother Ji Yun, what is the King¡¯s name and race?" he thought of asking.


    "Both are unknown," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "I also don¡¯t know his name. But regarding his race, maybe he¡¯s a god. After all, he¡¯s the strongest NPC. And what¡¯s stronger than a god?" Bai Ze said.


    He actually asked Shen Ji Yun¡¯s uncle about this. But he refused to give any information, that cheapskate.


    "Then maybe he¡¯s a moon god? After all, most of the things here, even this mark on the back of our hands, are rted to the moon," Luo Yanmented.


    "Ah, that¡¯s not exactly the case," Shen Ji Yun said. "My Uncle has some unknown obsession over the character ¡¯Yue¡¯. And the King is his favorite NPC, he was even the one who programmed him. That¡¯s why almost all the things rted to the King has something to do with the moon."


    Truthfully, when his uncle found out that he¡¯s making his own team, he insisted that he put the character ¡¯Yue¡¯ in it. Because Shen Ji Yun was toozy to think of a name, he justbined ¡¯Yun¡¯ and ¡¯Yue¡¯. When his uncle found out about itter, he got scolded. Saying why he had to put his name together. Shen Ji Yun just let him raged. Because no matter how much his uncle scolded him, he couldn¡¯t do anything more because he had already registered the team name.


    At the end, his uncle just let it be. Albeit very reluctantly.


    ¡¯Yue¡¯, huh? Well, that character literally meant ¡¯moon¡¯. So because Shen Ji Yun¡¯s uncle was obsessed with the character ¡¯Yue¡¯ and the King was his favorite NPC, a lot of things moon rted was put in this castle. Wait- was the reason his gamingpany named ¡¯Moonlight Media¡¯ also rted to that?


    Wasn¡¯t that a bit too... entric?


    On a certain cliff overlooking the city, a tall man was watching the bright city lights. His usual crisp suit was now askew. Some of the buttons on his shirt was not even properly buttoned. His ck hair that was usually in order was now in a mess. He was not even wearing the golden rimmed sses that he usually wore.


    Shen Yi Mu raised his head and stared at the big full moon shining on the night sky. A smile full of bitterness and sadness crossed his lips. His dark eyes filling with pain.


    "Happy birthday, Ah Yue."

 Chapter 111 MYSTERY DOOR

    ONCE everyone ate, the tables around the ballroom disappeared. Then the King stood up once again.


    "Now that we¡¯ve all eaten and filled our stomachs, it¡¯s time for this year¡¯s entertainment to begin," he said. "This year¡¯s theme is unlike what we¡¯ve had these past years. I hope all of you could enjoy what I¡¯ve prepared. And in return, you have to do your best to entertain me as well." He smiled gently at them. "Okay?"


    He snapped his fingers and five doors in different colors appeared in front of everyone. From left to right, the colors were; red, purple, green, yellow, and blue.


    And then after that, a maze appeared that upied the whole ballroom. It separated each yer from one another.


    Luo Yan looked around. He couldn¡¯t see his team mates or any other yers for that matter. It didn¡¯t seem like he was in the ballroom anymore. It¡¯s more like he was in a garden maze. When he was about to call out the others, the King spoke once again. His voice echoing throughout the whole ce.


    "Each and every one of you is now isted. I can¡¯t have youmunicating with one another and forming a n before the game even started. That would just take away all the fun, wouldn¡¯t it? Now let¡¯s have you all answer a question that would determine your fate for tonight."


    A screen appeared in front of Luo Yan. What was written inside was;


    [If you¡¯re given a chance to go on vacation, which of the following ce would you go? Please, pick only one.]


    i. A train travelling the seas.


    ii. A town from the long distant past.


    iii. A castle of dreams for the wicked.


    iv. A stage set for the brightest stars.


    v. A student¡¯s hellish paradise.


    Luo Yan read the choices listed below. There were five choices which probably corresponded to the five doors they saw earlier. Their answer would probably lead them to a particr door. What¡¯s behind each door was probably rted to the choices listed. Like the first choice; A train travelling the seas. Whatever door it represented, it would lead whoever picked it to a train.


    "You only have 10 seconds left to answer. Please, choose wisely," the voice of the King echoed once again.


    Luo Yan looked again at the choices avable to him. He didn¡¯t hesitate to choose the second one. There¡¯s no particr reason why. It just had a very nice to ring to it, more so than the others. Or maybe he was simply attracted by the word ¡¯past¡¯.


    For someone like him who had been reborn, he should not dally in the past. Because that could only affect how he lived his life in the present. But sometimes, he still wondered what could have happened to his original body. If it even received a decent burial. He hoped that it received one at least.


    Luo Yan searched in the inte for a possible news about an incident involving a T University graduate who died after a potted nt fell on his head. But he couldn¡¯t find any. Probably because it had already been seven years since it happened. Even if he graduated from a famous university, he was still just a poor orphan. No one would make that much of a fuss just because of his death.


    Well, maybe those roommates of his would. But all of them belonged to ordinary families. He doubted if they could even make a fuss over his death. Luo Yan shook his head. This was not the time to think about that. Once he had the chance to go back to B City, he¡¯d check it himself.


    After Luo Yan picked the second choice, the screen in front of him disappeared. And the King once again spoke.


    "You¡¯ve now made your choice."


    After the King said that, Luo Yan felt that tingling sensation again on the back of his right hand. He looked down and saw that the outline of the crescent moon now had a color ¨C it¡¯s blue. Then the ce where he was standing suddenly glowed and a blue arrow appeared on the ground.


    "Now, follow the arrow and go to your chosen door," the King added further.


    Luo Yan followed the direction where the arrow pointed. When he passed the arrow, another arrow appeared. So he followed it again. He repeated doing that until he reached the blue door. Seeing that wasn¡¯t that big of a surprise for Luo Yan. After all, he already expected that the arrow would lead to a door.


    So he ended up with the blue door, huh?


    "The theme of this year is [Mystery]. Behind the door in front of you is a mystery waiting to be solved. Follow the rules given to you and discover every secret behind the mystery. The ones who managed to do that would receive a very generous reward from me. Now, my dear friends, go and entertain me!"


    The door in front of Luo Yan slowly opened. He didn¡¯t hesitate to walk forward and enter the door.


    He was first blinded by an extremely bright light. Then he felt like his soul was being pulled somewhere. When everything finally stabilized, Luo Yan opened his eyes. He was slightly surprised to see the ce where he was.


    He was sitting inside a room with a very ancient design. It looked very much like a boudoir of a woman who lived during one of this country¡¯s ancient dynasties. Wait- did that mean that the setting of this door was set during the ancient times? So the meaning of ¡¯a town from the long distant past¡¯ was this?


    Luo Yan tried to move but then noticed what he was wearing. It was a red robe with delicate and beautiful embroidery. His brows furrowed. Somehow, he had a very bad feeling about this. His hunch was proven right when he saw the outline of his reflection on the bronze mirror on top of a dresser near him.


    He reached for it and carefully looked at his reflection.


    His hair was now back to ck and was arranged in an borate and intricate hairstyle. A beautiful flower like hair piece was attached to his hair. His face was still mostly the same. His big peach blossom eyes surrounded by think eyshes, his straight nose, and plump lips. The only difference was he looked even more feminine. Even his lips were painted bright red!


    His real face was already too pretty. But making him look softer and even entuating his features with make-up was just simply a crime. Yes, a crime! Was this game nning to make him seduce all the NPCs in this instance? Because surely, even a program made of codes would definitely fall for his beauty.


    Then a screen suddenly appeared in front of him.


    [Dear yer, your current identity is Shishi. The number one courtesan in the red light district of the town of Tenghou.]


    Luo Yan stared at those words and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a rather loud curse.


    "What the f***?!"

 Chapter 112 THE BLUE DOORS RULES

    LUO YAN immediately touched his chest and then his thing down there. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt that his chest was still t and that his little brother was still there. But seriously, why did he have to cosy as some courtesan? What did this have anything to do with the ¡¯mystery¡¯ behind the blue door he entered?


    He decided to continue reading what¡¯s on the screen first.


    [Shishi is an orphan who was raised at Yuexing Pavilion ¨C the most famous courtesan house in the red light district of Tenghou. The courtesans of Yuexing Pavilion don¡¯t sell their bodies. Instead, they sell their skills. All of them are talented and proficient in singing, dancing, ying different musical instruments, and many other artistic skills. That¡¯s why even the nobles have some semnce of respect for them.]


    [One of your task is to y the role of Shishi. She is a quiet and aloof beauty who takes great pride in her craft. Her every performance was unforgettable. Her very presence makes all men¡¯s heart flutter. And that¡¯s what makes her the number one courtesan, not just in Yuexing Pavilion but also in the whole red light district. While ying the role of Shishi, you need to at least unravel one mystery behind the blue door in order for your task to be considered a sess. Once you do, then you¡¯ll receive a corresponding reward from our majesty, the King.]


    Oh? So he had to be this ¡¯Shishi¡¯ person while he¡¯s inside this blue door? Wait- wouldn¡¯t that mean that other yers who also chose the blue door had to take over the part of another NPC? If that was the case, then why the heck did he end up with the role of a courtesan? Could this game system actually perceive the level of his beauty? Seeing how high his face value was, they just had no choice but to put him in the role of the most beautiful NPC?


    Ah, what a mess. Only someone as pretty as him could understand his predicament.


    Then another screen appeared in front of him. It read;


    [Rules]


    1.Other NPCs shouldn¡¯t find out that you¡¯re not the real Shishi. If they do, then you¡¯ll be disqualified and automatically thrown out of the blue door.


    2.All your skills have been temporarily turned off. So try to avoid any danger. Because once you¡¯re killed, you¡¯ll be thrown out.


    3.You can¡¯t log off. Because once you do, it would automatically mean that you¡¯re giving up.


    4.If you recognized another yer, you can team up with them. But you could only do so with two yers at most. Once a team of three was formed, you need to decide who¡¯s going to be the leader. Being the leader, they would receive higher quality rewards. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t matter if you all solve a mystery together. Because the best has to be given to the leader. They¡¯re the leader, after all.


    5.This event will be over by midnight. If you already solved one mystery and you wanted to go out of the blue door, just pressed the crescent moon on the back of your hand. A screen will appear where you can put in your solution.


    6.Andstly, please do your best to give a very entertaining performance for our majesty, the King.


    After reading all the rules, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but shake his head.


    So the first rule was that he couldn¡¯t go out of character. That¡¯s fine, he could do cool and aloof. It¡¯s also a relief to know that he didn¡¯t have to do some unquestionable things with another guy. But that¡¯s not exactly the main problem. What did he know about singing, dancing, and ying musical instruments? If he was asked to perform in front of people, wouldn¡¯t the fact that he¡¯s not the real Shishi be immediately discovered?


    Aside from that rule, there were five others more. Two of those, number 3 and number 6, he could almost neglect. But the other three, he couldn¡¯t.


    Rule number two meant that there¡¯s danger in this blue door. A strong enough danger that could kill his current avatar. So he had to be extra careful.


    Then there¡¯s that unreasonable rule four. What¡¯s with the ¡¯he could team up with two other yers, but most of the rewards should be given to the leader¡¯? Obviously, this type of rule could only cause discord. If that was the case, then it¡¯s better to just do this alone. It would be another matter though if his other team mates were also here. He wouldn¡¯t mind teaming up with any of them.


    Now that he thought about it, he wondered which door the others ended up with. He hoped at least they were doing okay. Especially Luo Jin.


    There¡¯s also that rule 5 ¨C a time limit until midnight. Understandable, since the King¡¯s birthday would be over by then. Luo Yan only nned to stay online until nine in the evening. He wondered if he could solve whatever ¡¯mystery¡¯ there was in this door before that.


    But first, he stood up and tried to walk around the room. Just as he thought, walking in this robe was a pain in the ass. And yet, he needed to act all graceful and be the cool beauty that he¡¯s supposed to be.


    Putting him in this kind of awkward position, Luo Yan was truly starting to dislike this so-called King of Arcadia. Just what kind of entertainment did he want?


    Then he heard knocking on the room¡¯s door. Before he could even say anything, the door already opened and a pretty girl wearing a beautiful yellow robe entered.


    "Shishi, are you still not ready? Madam Ru has been waiting for you. Have you already forgotten that we need to be at the prince¡¯s manor tonight? You know we couldn¡¯t go there without you. You¡¯re the center of our performance after all."


    Prince¡¯s manor? Center of the performance? Luo Yan already felt a headacheing just by hearing those words.


    So, what now?

 Chapter 113 AT YUEXING PAVILION

    LUO YAN followed behind the girl wearing yellow robe. Her name was not written on top of her head, just like a normal NPC should have. He started to wonder if she was an NPC or another yer.


    But the problem was, aside from his team mates and that Alucard, he¡¯s not familiar with the faces of other yers who also attended the King¡¯s party. Then if we took into consideration the fact that their features might be slightly altered just like him to fill the roles they were given, then it would be even harder for him to recognize them.


    He shook his head. He shouldn¡¯t worry about that right now. The more pressing matter right now was how he could survive this performance without other NPCs finding out that he¡¯s not the real ¡¯Shishi¡¯.


    From the things this girl had been bbering since earlier, tonight there was a banquet celebration at Prince Lin Rong¡¯s manor. He was the only living brother of the current Emperor. Today was his 60th birthday. So tonight¡¯s celebration was a bit special. In more ways than one.


    Yuexing Pavilion was invited to perform at the birthday banquet. All the important people in the town of Tenghou would be attending. Not only that, some important people from the capital might alsoe. So the courtesans from Yuexing Pavilion couldn¡¯t afford to make any mistakes in tonight¡¯s performance.


    As the star, Shishi would definitely be the main focus of the performance. Which meant that the sess of it hinged on her. Or in this case, on Luo Yan.


    But first, he needed to properly walk in this clothes first. The robe was too long. He felt that he would trip on its helm at any second. That would certainly be one embarrassing sight. So he tried to walk as carefully as he could, making his pace much slower.


    The girl wearing yellow robes looked back at him and frowned in dissatisfaction. "Shishi, what happened to you? You¡¯re walking like a turtle."


    Luo Yan stopped a bit. Then he raised his chin and straightened his back. "Stop talking nonsense and just walk."


    The girl pouted. "Fine. You don¡¯t have to be so cold."


    They continued walking and Luo Yan let out a relieved breath. This time, he no longer worried if he would trip or not and just simply walked in a normal pace. If he felt that the helm of his robe would get in the way, he tactically lifted it up. Making sure that his small movement wouldn¡¯t be noticed.


    On their way, they met a number of young girls. All looked at Luo Yan with admiration in their eyes. It¡¯s like those little girls seeing their favorite idol. No, that was not the most important. He also couldn¡¯t see any names on top of those little girls. Which could only mean one thing. In this door, there¡¯s no way to tell if someone was an NPC or a yer.


    There were five doors and 21 yers. If those yers were evenly distributed, then there would be at least four yers in each door. So, there¡¯s a chance that aside from him, there would be three other yers in this blue door. It would be advantageous for him if he could recognize those yers. After all, if one them was particrly ck hearted, they could pose as an NPC and possibly interfere with any kind of investigation he nned to do.


    Luo Yan ignored the little girls and continued his to follow the girl in the yellow robe.


    She turned left and they walked to a straight corridor that connected the building they were just in to another building. Luo Yan suspected that the building they just walked from was where the rooms of the courtesans and those training to be one were in. While the connecting building was where the courtesans entertained the guests that came to the pavilion.


    As if to prove his conjecture, when they reached the said building, he saw a stage on the first floor where two girls were performing. One was ying the guqin while the other was singing. There were guests sitting on tables around the stage and watching the performance. The floor they were in was most likely the fifth or sixth floor. Luo Yan nced around and saw girls, both in simple and elegant clothing, went in and out of different rooms. Those were probably the private rooms for the pavilion¡¯s guests.


    "We should hurry. Madam Ru and the other girls are already waiting outside," the girl in the yellow robe said.


    As they walked, a drunk man suddenly came out of one of the rooms near them. When he saw Luo Yan, his eyes immediately brightened.


    "Ah, isn¡¯t this Shishi?" He walked towards Luo Yan and held his arm. "Come and entertain me and my friends."


    The girl in the yellow robe immediately interfere. "Dear guest, my apologies but Shishi is not allowed to entertain anyone tonight."


    The man red at the girl. "Shut up! Do you know who I am? If I told her to entertain me, then she should be more than d to do it!"


    "Let go," Luo Yan said coldly.


    The man stopped speaking and turned to Luo Yan. "You..."


    Luo Yan nced at the man and copied Su Yuqi¡¯s ¡¯the look¡¯. Looking at him as if he¡¯s the lowest sc.u.m on earth. "You want me to entertain you? Hah! Don¡¯t make meugh. You¡¯re not even worthy of the toes on my feet. So don¡¯ touch me with that dirty hand of yours."


    The man unconsciously let go of him.


    Luo Yan bypassed him and turned to the girl. "Let¡¯s go."


    "Yes!" the girl said and walked to his side. "Only you could give a beat down like that."


    Of course. If Luo Yan had to act, then he¡¯d do his damn best not to go out of character.


    When they reached outside, they saw a tall woman wearing a simple yet elegant white robe standing beside a row of carriages. She looked to be in her 40s. But because of good maintenance, she looked about ten years younger. There¡¯s no doubt that this woman used to be a courtesan herself.


    "You¡¯rete," the woman said in disapproval.


    "My apologies," Luo Yan only said.


    "Get inside the carriage. We¡¯re leaving."


    After saying that, the woman climbed up in the leading carriage.


    Luo Yan followed behind her. Still wondering what he should do with that sted performance.

 Chapter 114 THE PRINCES MANOR

    THE group of girls from Yuexing Pavilion were travelling at a steady pace towards the direction of Prince Lin Rong¡¯s manor. Inside the leading carriage, Luo Yan was sitting with Madam Ru.


    "Try to be in your best behavior while we¡¯re there. Being arrogant with all those nobles around will not only bring you but also the other girls into trouble. Remember, at the end of the day, we¡¯re still nothing butmodities to them," Madam Ru said in a calm voice.


    [Hey, hey, madam do you really have to be so grim?] ¨C Luo Yan thought but still remained cold on the outside.


    If the one in here was actually a true minor, wouldn¡¯t it be bad to expose them to the dark side of society? But oh well, this game didn¡¯t seem to care about those things at all. Remembering that gory task he had to do when he applied for a ss, it was definitely something not for minors.


    Could there be a parental guidance filter in this game that he just didn¡¯t know about? If not, then wouldn¡¯t this game just messed up a lot of children¡¯s head? But surely, there must be one. After all, the government would surely not allow a game that could potentially harm the country¡¯s children psychologically to thrive. Maybe he should ask Shen Ji Yun about that once this event was over.


    "Especially tonight. I heard even the crown prince would be attending," Madam Ru continued.


    Luo Yan nced at the woman sitting beside him. "The crown prince?"


    "That¡¯s right. The Emperor¡¯s only son. I heard he¡¯s pretty close with his uncle ¨C Prince Lin Rong. That¡¯s why even if there¡¯s a high possibility of danger, he left the capital to attend this banquet."


    [Well, madam, you certainly heard a lot.] Maybe the information this woman would give her might be helpful to himter on. "You mean he might be assassinated?"


    "There¡¯s no doubt about that. For some reason, the current Emperor only ever had daughters. But finally, 17 years ago, a prince was born. The Emperor is already getting on in years. So having a prince is already like a miracle. That¡¯s why he¡¯d been held in the palm of the Emperor¡¯s hand ever since. Coming here must be his little form of rebellion."


    "But if he¡¯s assassinated, wouldn¡¯t the obvious suspect be Prince Lin Rong?" Luo Yan said.


    The Emperor only had one son. If that son died, then the closest male rtive of the Emperor would be his only living brother. Once the Emperor died, then the throne would pass on to his brother¡¯s line.


    "True. But the thing is, Prince Lin Rong has no interest in the throne."


    Or maybe that¡¯s just what he wanted people to know. Could there really be men in the royal family who wouldn¡¯t want to sit on that throne?


    Luo Yan no longer concerned himself with that. That¡¯s probably the extent of the information he could get regarding that matter. If it became usefulter on, then goo. If not, then that¡¯s fine too.


    He tried to open his Status Window to see if it¡¯s working in this instance. And to his surprise, it did open. He nced at Madam Ru to see if he noticed the appearance of his Status Window but he didn¡¯t see any reaction from her. Which meant it was still invisible to others except for the yer using it. That¡¯s good then.


    Luo Yan first look at the time. There were still five hours and 30 minutes before midnight. He wondered what kind of mystery or maybe mysteries could be rammed in such a short time. He then checked his other tabs. His Items Tab was deactivated so he couldn¡¯t take out or put in any items. The same could be said for his Chat settings. He wasn¡¯t allowed to send or receive any messages. Well, there went his n of checking up on his team mates.


    Next, he opened his Skills Tab. Just as he expected, all his skills were also deactivated. Then he noticed something. There was another column added under his Skills Tab. [Temporary Skills].


    When he opened it, his eyes slightly widened and then he grinned. Well, just looked at that. It seemed that annoying King was not as unreasonable as he thought.


    Now, this simply solved his major problem.


    Soon, they reached the prince¡¯s manor. Because they were courtesans, they weren¡¯t allowed to enter through the main gate. Their carriage had to enter through the side gate. Ah, the obvious discrimination was just making Luo Yan¡¯s teeth itch.


    When all the courtesans from Yuexing Pavilion got off their carriages, two maidservants led them to a courtyard. Ancient courtyards like this usually took up huge acres ofnd. It¡¯s made up of a number of courtyards, gardens, ponds, and sometimes even bamboo forest.


    The courtyard the maidservants took them was near a bamboo forest. Looking around, Luo Yan could see that this was a very prosperous manor.


    "Please stay here until you¡¯re called for your performance," one of the maidservants said. Her words were respectful enough but tone of speech and the look in her eyes told the exact opposite.


    Man, this game. They could even input such a small detail.


    After saying that, the two maidservants left.


    "Did you see that maid¡¯s haughty look? Acting all high and mighty when she¡¯s also under the mercy of those born higher," one of the girls said.


    "Just ignore them. They¡¯re just jealous because unlike them, we earn much more money," another said.


    "Stop your dawdling and just get inside," Madam Ru said.


    "Yes, Madam," replied the girls.


    Luo Yan stared at them. If he¡¯s not mistaken, among the 21 yers who attended the event, seven were girls. That included Su Yuqi. It didn¡¯t seem that one of those girls were in this group of courtesans.


    But he might find other yers who also chose this blue door during this banquet. Because it¡¯s quite obvious that something major would happen tonight. And whatever that was, it would definitely be one of the mysteries in this door. Or maybe all the mysteries would revolve around this banquet.


    He was about to follow the rest of the girls, when he noticed a small movement on the bamboo forest. What was that? He¡¯s pretty sure he just saw the shadows of two people inside. He was about to walk over there but Madam Ru stopped her.


    "Shishi, just where are you going?"


    "Going for a walk around the courtyard," he said.


    Madam Ru stared at him. "Don¡¯t walk too far and tire yourself before you could even dance in front of the prince and his guests."


    Oh, so he had to dance? Somehow, unlike earlier, it didn¡¯t seem to be much of a problem anymore.


    Luo Yan raised his chin and smiled arrogantly at the woman. "Madam doesn¡¯t need to worry. Because I will definitely show the prince and his guests the most beautiful dance they would ever see in their lives."


    And then he proceeded walking towards the bamboo forest.

 Chapter 115 AND THEN HE DANCED

    LUO YAN walked silently towards the bamboo forest. He was quite surprised to see that there wasn¡¯t even one guard around. Are they so confident that a group of courtesans couldn¡¯t do any harm to the prince¡¯s manor? He stealthily walked to the direction of the shadows that he saw. When he heard two voices talking, he immediately hid himself behind tall bushes of bamboos.


    He peeked behind the bamboos. Then he saw two people ¨C a man wearing an exquisite green robe and a young woman wearing a maid costume. The man was holding the maid in his arms.


    What¡¯s this? A rendezvous?


    Then the maid pushed the man away. "No, we can¡¯t do this, Young Master An. You¡¯re about to be married to second young miss."


    "That marriage is just something our parents decided. You¡¯re the one I love, Meigui!" the man said, trying to hug the maid again.


    The maid tried to dodge and push the young man away. "D-don¡¯t say that, young master. I- I feel sorry for second young miss," she said, tears in her eyes.


    "I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care about that woman at all! Even if we marry, you¡¯re the only woman I¡¯ll love." Then he forcefully hugged the maid.


    "Young Master An¡ª"


    "Don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯ll marry Lin Ke. But after that, I¡¯ll immediately make you my concubine. That way, no one wouldin."


    "Young master..." The maid looked moved. Then he raised her head towards the man as if waiting for a kiss.


    "Meigui..."


    When it seemed like the man was about to kiss the maid, Luo Yan turned around and quietly walked out of the bamboo forest.


    What was that? A forbidden love between a maid and a young master? If he understood everything correctly, the man in the green robe was the fianc¨¦ of the second miss of the prince¡¯s manor. Considering the prince¡¯s age, that second miss was most probably his granddaughter.


    Even if the prince was the Emperor¡¯s brother, that didn¡¯t mean that his descendants would have the title of princes or princesses. Unless the Emperor bestowed that title to them.


    Anyway, this man engaged to the second miss was obviously in a secret rtionship with the maid. If you considered the usual drama, then that maid was most probably the maid of that second miss. She probably seduced that young master. Ah, what a white lotus b*tch."


    But what did that scene he witnessed had to do with anything? Surely, it meant something. That scene wouldn¡¯t be put here, some ce near where he ¨C someone who reced an NPC ¨C would be. Unless, of course, it¡¯s rted to one of the mysteries. Wait- how would he know what¡¯s a mystery and what¡¯s not anyway?


    When Luo Yan entered the courtyard, Madam Ru only nced at him before she continued talking with the yellow robed girl he first met earlier. After almost 15 minutes of waiting, the two maidservants who led them here arrived and told them that it¡¯s time for their performance.


    They led them out of the courtyard and into one of the manor¡¯s gardens. The plum blossom garden. It¡¯s where the banquet was being held. While walking, Luo Yan truly understood just how big this manor was. It almost seemed like a huge park.


    After a few minutes of walking, they saw rows of beautiful blooming plum trees at the distance. They could hear the sound of celebration. When they entered the area of the banquet, Luo Yan immediately saw the people there. All of them were men. Because back in ancient times, during celebrations like these, men and women had separate areas.


    Luo Yan secretly stared at each of the guests. Not so surprising, he saw that man wearing a green robe who had a rendezvous with that maid in the bamboo forest. Then he moved his gaze to the main seats.


    The one sitting on the very top spot was a teenager who looked to be about 15 or 16. He was wearing a blue brocade robe with golden cloud embroideries. Probably because of his age, he looked a bit delicate. But one could still see that once he shed his youthful features, he¡¯d definitely grow into a handsome young man. Considering his seating position, this teenager was definitely the crown prince. Because he was the one with the highest rank here.


    One seat below him was an old man wearing a white robe. There were creases and lines on his face, the most prominent were on the corners of his eyes. A sign that he was definitely someone who loved tough. He looked like a jovial old man. The type of grandfather that kids would love. This one could only be the birthday celebrant ¨C Prince Lin Rong.


    There were two men sitting closely beside his seat. One was probably in his 40s, wearing a ck robe and had simr facial features to Prince Lin Rong. He even had the same friendly temperament. The other one was pretty young, maybe just in his 20s. He was also wearing a ck robe. Unlike the first one, he looked handsome and heroic. These two were most probably Prince Lin Rong¡¯s son.


    Luo Yan heard that the prince also didn¡¯t have a lot of sons. But he had at least two, which was one more than the Emperor.


    "Father, for your birthday, I invited the most talented girls of Yuexing Pavilion to perform for you. I hope you will enjoy and like it," the man who looked simr to the prince said.


    "I¡¯m sure I will," the prince said with a smile on his face.


    "This prince heard plenty of good things about Yuexing Pavilion. This prince hope they would not disappoint," the crown prince said with a bit of arrogance in his voice.


    "I assure you, cousin will definitely enjoy it," Prince Lin Rong¡¯s younger son said.


    Then the courtesans from Yuexing Pavilion were called to the center of the banquet area. Four girls positioned themselves at the back ¨C two holding guqins and the other two holding bamboo flutes. Then five girls walked to the front, Luo Yan standing at the very center.


    Soon, melodious sound erupted from the musical instruments the four girls at the back yed. The sound was serene and soft. It just simply warmed the hearts of the people listening to it. Just by that music alone, it could already be considered as a wonderful performance. But then, the four girls at the front started moving alongside the music. Adding more vor to the performance.


    Luo Yan raised his head. Almost all the men there gasped at the sight of him.


    And then he danced.

 Chapter 116 A PAIR OF FAMILIAR EYES

    AS the melodious music filled the air, a figure in red moved in its every rhythm. His every movement was like the sea without any waves ¨C full of fluidity and elegance. He jumped and turned gracefully in the air. The sleeves of his red robe were fluttering like a pair of bright red wings.


    His movements flowed with a dazzling grace that took away the breath of every person in the audience. If this was not a group of NPCs, their hearts would probably have already been stolen. Or maybe perhaps, among these NPCs, there was someone whose heart had already been stolen unknowingly.


    Luo Yannded perfectly and then he continued to move ording to the skill he just activated. When he checked the ¡¯Temporary Skills¡¯ he saw earlier when he opened his Status Window, there were a lot of skills under it. Like singing, dancing, ying instruments. Seeing that, he knew that he no longer needed to worry about this performance.


    He guessed that the yers would have the ¡¯skills¡¯ of the NPC they took over. In his case, because he took over the NPC ¡¯Shishi¡¯, he now temporarily had her skills as a courtesan. Seriously, if there was something so convenient, it should have been at least included in the list of rules. What if he didn¡¯t check his Status Window? He would definitely make a blunder. Worse, a big fool of himself. How could he ever let his pretty self be embarrassed in that way?


    Ah, how he wished he could record this performance. So he could watch it from time to time when he¡¯s bored. That way, he could admire his dancing posture anytime he wanted. Who knew when he would ever get another chance to dance beautifully like this?


    At the middle of the dance, the four girls around Luo Yan made their way forward ¨C to the direction of the main seats. Although their movements were not as graceful as Luo Yan¡¯s, they were still full of charm and hidden seduction. As if they were trying to seduce all the men there.


    Luo Yan also moved forward. But unlike the four girls, there was no hint of seduction in his movements. Despite that, he still looked the most charming. Captivating and enchanting the people watching him. He seemed to be gliding forward, as if there wasn¡¯t any friction under his feet.


    He continued to dance. The other four girls also did the same. When the music was at its climax, something unexpected happened.


    Luo Yan saw four small ck balls being thrown towards the main seats. After that, smoke suddenly appeared. It spread from the space between the dancers and the main seats.


    Smoke bombs? When the smoke reached Luo Yan, he couldn¡¯t help but cough and stop dancing.


    The audience didn¡¯t react much. Some evenughed. They probably thought that this was part of the performance. But Luo Yan knew it wasn¡¯t. Or at least it shouldn¡¯t be. What kind of dance performance should smoke bombs be thrown? If you wanted the smoke effect, then one should use dry ice. Wait- was dry ice already discovered in this era? So could this really be just a part of the performance.


    Luo Yan truly didn¡¯t know. Because even if he took over the role of Shishi, he wasn¡¯t given her supposed memories. Even in this performance, he didn¡¯t have any idea how it would work. He just reliedpletely on the Temporary Skills. And to his delight, his body moved ording to the rhythm of the music.


    When he was still contemting things, he noticed a pointed gleaming object flying straight to the position where the crown prince was sitting. Luo Yan¡¯s only thought in that moment was; [Shit.]


    He already somewhat expected that an assassination attempt could happen tonight. But if it happened during their performance, then the first person to be suspected would be the people from Yuexing Pavilion. After all, the closest people to the prince when it happened, aside from his uncle and cousins, were the five courtesans from the said pavilion.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t let that happen. If their pavilion was suspected, then they would surely be put to prison. Then how the heck would he solve those mysteries? By dancing or singing his way out? After all, those were the only skills he currently had.


    So before he could think of any solution, his body moved forward. He didn¡¯t know the exact position of the prince. But he could see the dagger perfectly. Because it was thrown so close to him. Which meant that it could only be done by one of the four dancers performing with him. Making it much more important for him to be the one to stop it. It would probably be better if he sustained an injury from it. Because that way, even if they suspected Yuexing Pavilion, he would be given the benefit of the doubt for his actions alone.


    Luo Yan gritted his teeth and got in the way of the dagger. He felt it piercing his left arm. The pain traversing to his whole body. Shit. Seriously, this game. Were those game designers had sadistic tendencies or something? They enjoyed seeing the yers suffer so they created these kinds of scenarios? He swore, if he didn¡¯t get a good reward after all this, he¡¯d beat the hell out of that King.


    When Luo Yan thought that his body would crash into one of the seats, a strong pair of arms suddenly surrounded him. He hadn¡¯t had time to think of what just happened because the smoke slowly dispersed. Showing a rather unexpected scene. Even for Luo Yan.


    The old prince was leaning over his table, coughing up blood. Screams immediately filled the banquet area and panic ensured.


    "Father!"


    "Uncle!"


    The crown prince and the two sons of Prince Lin Rong shouted at the same time. Then the old princepletely copsed, clutching at his chest.


    The eldest son of the prince immediately supported his father. "Quickly, call the doctor!"


    Luo Yan wanted to move, but a cold voice suddenly spoke from above him. "Stay still."


    That¡¯s when he remembered that someone was still holding him. He raised his head and his gaze collided with a very familiar pair of cold eyes.

 Chapter 117 MYSTERY NOTIFICATION

    LUO YAN stared at the guy steadily holding him from the back. He was wearing all ck, the design was like that of a ninja or something. The lower half of his face was covered. Only that familiar cold eyes were seen. Despite those eyes being pure ck instead of the familiar blue or even the light amethyst of his real gave avatar, Luo Yan knew that this guy was most likely Shen Ji Yun.


    Just looked at those eyes with almost no emotion in them. Not to mention that voice. Even if he was given the role of an NPC withpletely different facial features, Luo Yan was sure he wouldn¡¯t be wrong. He wondered why. When did he be so familiar with this awkward expressionless guy that he could recognize him just by his eyes and voice?


    He hadn¡¯t had time to think of the answer because Shen Ji Yun carefully held his stabbed arm.


    "This might hurt a bit," he whispered.


    Before Luo Yan could ask what he meant, Shen Ji Yun removed the dagger piercing his arm as fast as he could. Then he took out a handkerchief out of nowhere and tied it to his wounded arm.


    "Thank you," he whispered back.


    Then Luo Yan nced at the copsed old prince. There was blood at the corner of his mouth. But there weren¡¯t any obvious external wounds on him. Luo Yan¡¯s best guessed was that the old prince was poisoned.


    After realizing that, he heard a notification sound and a screen appeared in front of him.


    [Mystery: Who poisoned Prince Lin Rong and why?]


    "Guards! Don¡¯t let anyone leave the banquet!" shouted by the younger son of Prince Lin Rong. "Someone here is definitely responsible for what happened to my father!"


    Just as he said that, the guards immediately surrounded the banquet area.


    "Second Master Lin, are you suspecting us? Do you think we could do something like this to Prince Lin Rong?" one of the guests said.


    "That¡¯s right! We¡¯re not even near him when it happened!" another one said.


    "The most suspicious people here are those dancers!"


    Different opinions from the guests filled the ce, almost drowning the sound in the area.


    "Silence!" shouted the crown prince. The whole ce immediately quieted. "Go and get the godly doctor for my uncle," he said to no one.


    Then a ck d person wearing the same style of clothing as Shen Ji Yun appeared. "Yes, Your Highness." And then immediately disappeared again.


    "Don¡¯t worry, cousin, the man known as the godly doctor traveled with me here. This prince has no doubt that he could easily heal uncle," the crown prince said to the eldest son of Prince Lin Rong. "So please, take uncle to his courtyard and wait for the doctor there."


    The crown prince¡¯s older cousin seemed relieved when he heard that. "T-that¡¯s good." Then he called for the guards. "Go and take my father to his courtyard."


    Two guards brought something almost simr to a stretcher and gently put the old prince there. When they left, the crown prince turned to Luo Yan. Or rather, to Shen Ji Yun who was still holding him from behind.


    "Di Yi, tell this prince what exactly just happened," hemanded.


    "Back to Your Highness, the smoke was caused by the three small balls thrown by one of the dancers. With the main seats surrounded by smoke, one of them tried to throw a dagger to Your Highness. This guard tried to intercept, but this woman here was one step faster than me. She probably saw the dagger and used her body to shield you from the it."


    Luo Yan winced when he heard Shen Ji Yun referring to him as ¡¯this woman¡¯ without even a change in the tone of his voice. Damn. With his thick face, he shouldn¡¯t really be that embarrassed. But for some reason, he truly was. Now that he thought about it, being seen by a friend dressed like this, how could he possibly not? He¡¯s even more tempted now to beat the crap out of the King. If not for his birthday event, he wouldn¡¯t be crossdressing right now.


    Then he heard that familiar notification sound and a screen appeared in front of him again.


    [Mystery: Who wanted to harm the crown prince and why?]


    That was two times in a row already. So was this how they would recognize the mysteries they needed to solve? Well, that¡¯s kind of convenient.


    The crown prince finally nced at Luo Yan before returning his gaze to Shen Ji Yun. "This prince understands. Then go and take this youngdy to this prince¡¯s courtyard. This prince will talk to herter." Then he said to the guards, "Detain everyone from Yuexing Pavilion."


    "Yes, Your Highness," replied the guards.


    "No, please, Your Highness, we didn¡¯t know anything about this," one of the girls pleaded.


    "Y-yes, Your Highness, please..."


    Luo Yan no longer heard what¡¯s next because Shen Ji Yun already lifted him up. Actually carrying him princess style! He thought his embarrassment wouldn¡¯t get any bigger, but no, right at this moment, it just did. Shen Ji Yun ran out of the banquet area while carrying him in his arms, carefully not letting anything collide with Luo Yan¡¯s wounded arm.


    "You don¡¯t need to carry me, I can still walk," he said. When he didn¡¯t receive any reply, he raised his head. He only saw Shen Ji Yun staring straight ahead. "Brother Ji Yun?"


    This time, Shen Ji Yun gazed down. When their gazes collided once again, Shen Ji Yun immediately looked away as if burned or something. "En," he simply said.


    That¡¯s it? He wasn¡¯t even surprised that he recognized him? "Brother Ji Yun, you can put me down."


    "It¡¯s faster this way."


    "But¡ª"


    He didn¡¯t manage to continue what he¡¯s saying because of the pain from the stab wound on his arm. He felt that his whole body was slowly bing weak. He checked his Status Window and saw that his HP was slowly decreasing. He even started to feel dizzy.


    Shen Ji Yun quickly noticed that. "What¡¯s wrong? Does it hurt?" This time, his cold voice wasyered with worry.


    "My HP is decreasing."


    After he said that, Shen Ji Yun dashed forward, almost moving as fast as the wind. Soon, they arrived at a big courtyard. Just one look and one could tell that it¡¯s grander than other courtyards in the manor. That¡¯s probably why it was given to the crown prince as a temporary residence while he¡¯s here.


    Guards were about to stop Shen Ji Yun but once they saw the jade card hanging on his belt, they let them enter. It¡¯s probably a sign given by the crown prince and only people he trusted could have it.


    Shen Ji Yun brought him to one of the empty rooms and then gently put him down on the bed. He removed the mask covering the lower part of his face, revealing a face that was seven or eight points simr to his original face.


    "What role was given to you, Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked, staring at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face that was familiar yet not. Although there was a bit of difference on how he usually looked, but because of his inherent temperament, no one would mistake him for anyone else.


    "I¡¯m one of the crown prince¡¯s dark guards," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Dark guards? If Luo Yan remembered correctly, those were elite secret force. They protected their masters in the shadows and do everything their masters ordered.


    "How do you feel?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Although his voice was filled with worry, he was still not looking at Luo Yan. Something that Luo Yan found very novel.


    "I¡¯m dizzy," he said honestly. "And I think my HP is still decreasing."


    "Just wait a bit. I¡¯ll bring that godly doctor here to cure you."


    But before Shen Ji Yun could leave, Luo Yan heard another notification sound. Then a screen appeared in front of him.


    [Mystery: What truly happened to the manor¡¯s second young miss?]

 Chapter 118 SWIRL OF EMOTIONS

    SHEN JI YUN didn¡¯t even nce at the screen that appeared in front of him. All his attention was focused on Luo Yan. Because the only time he could boldly stare at him was when Luo Yan was not looking back. The rabbit had a habit of looking straight into face of the person he was talking to. That¡¯s why Shen Ji Yun did his best not to look at Luo Yan since he recognized him earlier.


    After picking one of the choices presented by the King of Arcadia, it unexpectedly brought him to the blue door. He thought that by picking the second choice ¨C a town from the long distant past ¨C it would bring him to the purple door. Because he concluded, very naively, that the choices would follow the order in which the doors were presented. Since the purple door was the second one to the left, he thought that the second choice would lead him there.


    The reason why he wanted to go the purple door was because it seemed like the rabbit liked that particr color. After all, his costume was filled with the color purple. He actually thought that Luo Yan would have the same reasoning, so he would also end up picking the second choice. That way, they could be in the same door and they could help each do the same task.


    But now that he thought about it, his reasoning seemed to be a bit too childish. There¡¯s no way the rabbit would base his choice on his favorite color. How could he match his sudden abnormal brainwave? If anyone knew about it, they¡¯d definitelyugh at him. So,ing here, he didn¡¯t have much hope that he would meet the rabbit. But who would have thought that they would really meet?


    When he entered the blue door, the next moment he opened his eyes, he was already among people wearing the same ck clothes as him. They were kneeling in front of a teenager in some kind of ancient clothing. After reading the rules, he immediately understood what was happening.


    Behind each door was some kind of setting where the yers needed to solve at least one mystery. They needed to act out a certain role while they¡¯re at it. His was that of a dark guard responsible for protecting the crown prince. It was an easy role for him to y. He didn¡¯t need to talk much, even half of his face was covered. Not to mention, he still could use the skills of the role he took over.


    Shen Ji Yun decided that he would just solve one mystery and then get out. But who knew that following the crown prince to this banquet, from the ce he was hiding, a figure dded in red suddenly appeared in his sight.


    At first nced, the person wearing that beautiful red robe seemed to be a petite and slender girl. ¡¯Her¡¯ skin was as white as expensive porcin. ¡¯Her¡¯ ck hair was arranged in aplicated style that only added to ¡¯her¡¯ already overwhelming charm. ¡¯Her¡¯ lips were painted bright red by rouge, making it even more luscious. And those eyes, those pair of big peach blossom eyes. Those could only belong to one person.


    Luo Yan. The silly rabbit.


    He wouldn¡¯t mistake those pair of peach blossom eyes for anyone else. Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t know what surprised him more. Seeing Luo Yan in the same door. Or seeing him wearing those kind of clothes.


    A teenage boy wearing a robe obviously for women, there should be some kind of vition. But for some reason, there wasn¡¯t. It just fit Luo Yan so perfectly that no one would even think that he¡¯s actually a boy. It was because of that face. It was so beautiful that even if he wore a rag, he would still be as captivating.


    Until he danced.


    And Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brain just stopped working. He felt like he just had been struck by lightning. He couldn¡¯t move. It felt like he even stopped breathing. All he could do was watched. Watched Luo Yan¡¯s every movement. His swift jumps, the fluttering of the sleeves of his robe, his flexible slim waist. Everything just attracted Shen Ji Yun.


    Then he realized that he wasn¡¯t the only one watching this scene. Even if he knew that most of these people were NPCs, he still felt ufortable. He didn¡¯t want them to look at Luo Yan. He even had a feeling of wanting to gouge their eyes just to not let them see Luo Yan. And when he realized that one or two of these people might be a yer, those dark emotions grew even more. He couldn¡¯t wait to rush forward and just take Luo Yan away from here.


    After that, the smoke happened. Because he was so affected by seeing Luo Yan danced, he wasn¡¯t able to move fast enough. When he did, a dagger was already pierced on Luo Yan¡¯s arm.


    Seeing the rabbit hurt, he felt those dark emotions slowly turned into something murderous. He knew that this was only VR, but Shen Ji Yun still was enraged. Only then did he understand how important Luo Yan became to him. Because if not, then he wouldn¡¯t be this affected.


    What he couldn¡¯t understand was why. Why Luo Yan could evoke this many emotions in him. Even now, Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t look at him without his face heating up.


    "Brother Ji Yun?" called Luo Yan¡¯s voice. "Are you okay?"


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯splicated thoughts ended because of that call. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, reigning in all his emotions. When he raised his head, no one could tell what he was thinking.


    "I¡¯m fine."


    "Did you see the new notification?" Luo Yan asked because Shen Ji Yun looked like he didn¡¯t.


    Shen Ji Yun finally nced at the screen in front of him.


    [Mystery: What truly happened to the manor¡¯s second young miss?]


    He nodded.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Why did it feel like Shen Ji Yun only read the notification because he asked? He was about to say something when he was attacked by a bout of dizziness.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the rabbit¡¯s furrowed brows. He seemed to be in pain. "What is it? Does it hurt?"


    Luo Yan grimaced a bit. "Well, I seem to be poisoned."


    That¡¯s the only exnation he got why his HP was still decreasing despite his wound no longer bleeding. That dagger was definitelyced with poison. Just how unlucky could he get? Was this door the end of his lucky streak?


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s worry only intensified when he heard that. He kneeled beside the bed and then held Luo Yan¡¯s hand. "I¡¯ll get that godly doctor so he could heal you."


    Luo Yan looked down at his hand being engulfed in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s wide palm. If it was usual, he probably would have already taken back his hand. He didn¡¯t really like being touchy-feely with others, aside from his family, that is. But for some reason, he didn¡¯t really hate the touch of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand on his. Maybe because he was currently feeling weak.


    "Wouldn¡¯t he be busy healing Prince Lin Rong?"


    "Then I¡¯ll simply ask for an antidote."


    "You¡¯re sure he¡¯ll give you one?"


    "If not, then I¡¯ll just steal one from him."


    Luo Yan chuckled. "That¡¯s a great n."


    Shen Ji Yun stared at that smile. It made the rabbit looked even more enchanting. He gazed away before those weird and unknown emotion started to swirl inside him again. "Try not to lose consciousness while I¡¯m away. You might get identally kicked out if you do."


    "I¡¯ll try. And oh, Brother Ji Yun, could you find out what happened to that second young miss while you¡¯re at it?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded and left the room.

 Chapter 119 GODLY DOCTOR

    LUO YAN absentmindedly looked at the ceiling. He could feel his consciousness slowly slipping. But he couldn¡¯t afford to wallow in that feeling. He couldn¡¯t even let himself closed his eyes. Because once he did, he was sure that he would lose consciousness and would totally be thrown out of this door.


    Well, he should probably be thankful that he was only feeling dizzy and not contorting in pain. It seemed like the game designers still had some conscience left in them. If he truly ended up being tortured by poison, he¡¯d definitely file aint.


    The other thing he should also be thankful for was that Shen Ji Yun also ended up in the same door. At least he didn¡¯t have to do everything on his own now. Just by having Shen Ji Yun here, he felt somehow safe. As if someone gave him an invisible protection. Maybe that just showed how reliable Shen Ji Yun was in his mind.


    Weird, really. Considering how he wasn¡¯t really the type to rely on others, it was kind of a wonder how he easily thought that if there was Shen Ji Yun, then everything would probably be alright. It¡¯s kind of unscientific. If this was his father or one of his brothers, then Luo Yan could understand why he would feel that way. After all, in this new life of his, those three were the only people he could trust unabashedly.


    It was especially weirder since he¡¯d only known Shen Ji Yun for a little more than a month. Maybe Luo Yan could attribute it to the fact that the guy was simply like a mountain ¨C unmoving and unyielding. That no matter what kind of big wind hit him, he could face it head on. That¡¯s probably why Luo Yan unknowingly felt that Shen Ji Yun was very reliable. That he could count on him regardless of the situation.


    When another bout of dizziness came, Luo Yan had to bit his lips hard just to not let himself closed his eyes. Thinking of other ways to stay awake, the door of the room suddenly opened. He nced at the door and saw Shen Ji Yun who immediately rushed to the side of the bed.


    "You¡¯re back," Luo Yan said a bit weakly.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the rabbit lying on the bed. His ck hair was scattered, his pale face a strong contrast to his bright red lips. It seemed to be even redder than earlier when he looked at him. He could even see little tooth marks. The rabbit probably bit his lip hard enough for it to leave a mark.


    He quickly nced away. Because even he knew he was staring too hard.


    He took out a small ss bottle with one small pill inside. He took the pill and handed it to Luo Yan. "This is an antidote given by the godly doctor. ording to him, it could cure any type of poison."


    "He gave it to you so easily?" Luo Yan said a little bit unbelieving.


    An almost imperceptible frown appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s handsome face. He remembered his talk with the doctor earlier. No, it¡¯s more urate to say that they didn¡¯t really talk. The moment he approached him, the doctor simply gave him the pill and told him that it could cure the ¡¯little courtesan¡¯.


    When he first appeared in this door, he was already travelling with the prince¡¯s entourage towards this manor. One of the members of that entourage was the doctor. He didn¡¯t see much of him because he never left his carriage. But he listened to the NPCs around him talking about the doctor. They said that the doctor didn¡¯t have a good temper. And that he wouldn¡¯t just heal any injured or sick person he came in contact with.


    Yet, he gave the antidote pill to Shen Ji Yun so easily. There¡¯s only one reason he could think of behind the way the doctor acted earlier.


    "I think he¡¯s a yer like us," he said.


    "Why would you think so?" Luo Yan said, curious as to why Shen Ji Yun would think so.


    "Because he¡¯s not afraid to go out of character when he gave me this pill."


    Well, that¡¯s a good enough reason. "You don¡¯t suspect that the pill he gave you might actually not heal me at all and that it might aggravate the poison more? After all, we¡¯re sort ofpetitors."


    "I don¡¯t think so. I have a hunch that he wanted to team up. He probably already recognized who I am. And from my action, guessed that you¡¯re my team mate. If he did something to you, there¡¯s no way I would team up with him." Shen Ji Yun would probably even force him to quit.


    That reasoning actually made sense. Luo Yan nodded. But there¡¯s really only one reason to confirm it. "Then could I have the pill? I¡¯m actually getting dizzier by the second."


    Shen Ji Yun immediately let him eat the pill. As soon as the pill entered his mouth, Luo Yan¡¯s dizziness slowly subsided. He quickly opened his Status Window to check his HP bar and saw that it finally stopped decreasing.


    "How is it?" Shen Ji Yun asked, his voice filled with unusual worry.


    As an answer, Luo Yan slowly sat up. Then he smiled at Shen Ji Yun. "It worked."


    Shen Ji Yun felt like his whole body trembled when he saw that bright smile. He nced away before those confusing thoughts entered his mind again. "Good."


    Luo Yan tilted his head back and forth. Ah, it felt good not to feel like everything was spinning. He wanted to ask about the godly doctor when he remembered another thing.


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, did you find out what happened to the second young miss?"


    Shen Ji Yun had a look that he also only remembered about it. "She hanged herself."


    "What?"


    Luo Yan still hadn¡¯t absorbed what he just heard when the door of the room suddenly opened. He looked up and saw a man wearing a white robe.


    The man¡¯s long ck hair was neatly tied in a ponytail. His face was the type that would attract the goodwill of other people, making them want to trust and befriend him. But the shrewd glint in his eyes betrayed that. It couldn¡¯t even be covered by the sses he was wearing.


    "Hello, team Yunyue," the man said with a cunning smile.

 Chapter 120 THE GODLY DOCTOR WAS LEFT SPEECHLESS

    BEFORE Luo Yan could observe the newly arrived man further, Shen Ji Yun already stood between them. Acting like a shield. He could even see tautness of his body. As if he was ready to start an attack if the guy would so much as make a wrong move.


    The guy seemed to also notice this because he suddenly raised both hands as if in surrender. "Hey, rx. Ie in peace. The fact that I gave you that medicine should be enough to show my goodwill."


    What he just said showed that he was the famous ¡¯godly doctor¡¯. That and his entrance only made it ringly obvious that he was also a yer like them. That¡¯s what Luo Yan thought.


    "What do you want?" Shen Ji Yun asked straightforwardly, not even trying to beat around the bush.


    "You should already know what it is I want," the man said.


    "If you wanted to team up, I¡¯ll only agree if you let him be the leader," Shen Ji Yun said, clearly referring to Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan who was still sitting behind couldn¡¯t help but raised his head towards Shen Ji Yun. But because he was facing the other direction, all he could see was his straight back. Well, it¡¯s kind of nice. Being maintained like this. He thought and didn¡¯t even notice the smile that crossed his lips.


    The guy raised one of his brows. He wanted to look at young man sitting on the bed, but the captain of Yunyue was standing firmly between them. So all he could see was a part of the young man¡¯s red robe. He smiled, suddenly full of interest.


    "If I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s one of the two new additions to your team. The moon elf, isn¡¯t it?" he suddenly asked.


    "What of it?" Shen Ji Yun said, not liking the tone of the man¡¯s voice.


    "Well, I just didn¡¯t expect that the well-known iceberg captain of Yunyue could maintain his new team mate so well," the manmented. Then he smiled knowingly. "He must be pretty special."


    Luo Yan finally couldn¡¯t help but peek over Shen Ji Yun¡¯s back to look at the white-robed man. He blinked his big peach blossom eyes at him. "But isn¡¯t it only natural for captains to take care of his members? Or does the big brother¡¯s captain not care about you at all?" he said innocently.


    The man stared at the pretty face that peeked over. It was full of innocence and naivety. He was known for his ability to read people. But even he couldn¡¯t tell if the expression he¡¯s seeing right now was true or not. He chuckled. This was somewhat refreshing.


    "Oh, my captain cares about his members. Probably even a little bit too much," he said, an image of their - clumsy, sometimes idiotic, but always dependable when it counted - captain crossed his mind.


    "What team does big brother belong to?" Luo Yan asked, not because he¡¯s curious but because he just felt like the man¡¯s face was slightly familiar.


    "I¡¯m from team Celestials. You can call me Uriel."


    When he heard that, something shed in Luo Yan¡¯s mind. A yer with golden brown hair and wearing an all-white costume, standing alone in the corner and trying to lessen his presence. This guy was the only member of team Celestials who attended this event. Who would have thought he would end up in the same door as him and Shen Ji Yun?


    Duan Yu ¨C Uriel ¨C stared at the two. There wasn¡¯t any noticeable change in their expression after he told them his game ount name. YUN still remained expressionless and the elf currently dressed as a girl didn¡¯t even show any surprise. That¡¯s a good way to curb his ego. And here he thought his name was quite well-known as the strategist of team Celestials.


    He attended this event because he received information that all three remaining members of Yunyue would attend. They usually didn¡¯t attend these kinds of events. So when he received that information, he was truly surprised. He just had to take a look himself. But what surprised him more was the addition of two more yers in their team.


    Duan Yu wanted to observe the dynamics of this new Yunyue. But then the event forced the yers to separate. And his ns almost went down the drain. After all, the possibility of him and those five being in the same door was almost zero. But it looked like luck was still with him. Because he still ended up in the same door as the captain of Yunyue and one of their new members. With these two, he could definitely still gather useful information on the new Yunyue.


    Then him reneging on his appointment with Song Liuli wouldn¡¯t be for naught. That girl was definitely spitting mad right now. It would probably take days before he could coax herpletely. So he had to make this worthwhile.


    Speaking of Liuli, this elf could really give her a ran for her money. Duan Yu looked again at the elf currently crossdressing as a courtesan. It was actually because of him that he recognized YUN. He was watching the banquet from afar because he knew something would happen there. Because of his role¡¯s character, he wasn¡¯t supposed to attend the banquet even if the crown prince himself invited him.


    When he saw YUN holding the pretty courtesan, he immediately put two and two together and guessed their identities. That was only further proven when YUN appeared earlier and asked him for an antidote. Even if he said that it¡¯s the crown prince¡¯s order, a real dark guard wouldn¡¯t show too much concern for a random courtesan. No matter how pretty they were.


    Duan Yu stared at the elf¡¯s features. Well, he¡¯s certainly pretty. But Liuli was still definitely a level higher. Besides, what¡¯s the use of prettiness in a guy? All the girls would just be insecure to be with you.


    Shen Ji Yun moved and blocked this Uriel guy¡¯s gaze. He didn¡¯t like the way he¡¯s looking at Luo Yan, as if he¡¯s observing some product or something.


    Duan Yu found YUN¡¯s movement rather interesting. It seemed like he was really protective of this new member of his team.


    "Giving your team mate the leadership is simply unfair, don¡¯t you think? If I didn¡¯t give you that antidote, he would have already been kicked out of the game. So tell me, why should I concede the leadership?" he said, just to test the waters and ruffled their feathers a bit.


    "You¡¯re the one who asked to team up," Shen Ji Yun simply said. "I didn¡¯t force you to give me that antidote. So expecting that I will just agree for you to be the leader just because of what you did was your fault alone."


    Duan Yu was left speechless. Something that didn¡¯t happen often. Who would have thought that this expressionless iceberg would have such a sharp tongue?

 Chapter 121 A TEAM OF THREE

    "SO, you don¡¯t even n to give any sort ofpensation?" Duan Yu asked.


    Shen Ji Yun just shrugged. The action almost equivalent to saying ¡¯yes, I don¡¯t n on doing that at all¡¯. "But if you insist, you can name an item you wanted and I¡¯ll give it to you once this event is over," he said but you could still hear in his voice that he¡¯s just being perfunctory.


    Duan Yu was a bit dumbfounded. His knowledge of YUN was only based on the first season of Arcadia Cup when Yunyue won and those snippet videos of him in the Arena. In all those, YUN was always expressionless. There wasn¡¯t even a time that he showed any surge of emotion. Even when his team was on the verge of losing.


    So he read the guy as someone who didn¡¯t care much about anything. Someone who wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye or change his expression no matter the situation. But since Duan Yu entered this room, YUN already had showed him a number of emotions. Although his face still remained expressionless, his bodynguage clearly showed what he¡¯s feeling.


    It seemed like he couldn¡¯t really judge someone without directly interacting with them. Duan Yu should know that best. After all, his team wasposed of people who also couldn¡¯t be easily judged by their appearance alone.


    "No need," he said.


    What kind of item would Yunyue have that their team wouldn¡¯t? Celestial was currently the biggest team in Arcadia right now. They also had the biggest treasury. Every month each member was required to contribute an item with a rarity of A or above to the treasury. So his team didn¡¯tck any rare items at all.


    Luo Yan peeked again from behind Shen Ji Yun¡¯s back. "If Brother YUN is the leader, would Brother Uriel notin anymore?"


    If he was alone, he would definitely not bother to team up with anyone. Who knew when he would be backstab? But Shen Ji Yun was here now. He could leave his back uncheck because he¡¯s certain that Shen Ji Yun would deflect any attack that came his way.


    This Uriel¡¯s identity was quite convenient. If he or Shen Ji Yun ended up being critically wounded, having someone to heal them would be very advantageous. The problem was to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t double crossed them.


    Shen Ji Yun frowned when he heard what the rabbit said. He nced down at Luo Yan. He didn¡¯t know how to tell him that he didn¡¯t want him to call this Uriel guy ¡¯brother¡¯. Just hearing him do so make Shen Ji Yun feel ufortable. He wondered why, when he¡¯s totally fine with him calling Bai Ze ¡¯brother¡¯.


    Ordering him to not call Uriel ¡¯brother¡¯ would just make him look... overbearing. He didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to think that he¡¯s the kind of person who would control the people around him just because he didn¡¯t like something. Besides, he had no right to dictate anything to Luo Yan. And now, he didn¡¯t know how he would ry what he wanted without sounding like some self-serving jerk.


    Luo Yan, of course, noticed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s weird expression. Well, not exactly weird. Him being often expressionless, any change in his expression would appear weird. "Brother Ji Yun, what¡¯s wrong?"


    At the end, Shen Ji yun could only say, "Should you call him ¡¯brother¡¯?"


    Luo Yan thought about it. Yes, that kind of made sense. There¡¯s no need for him to call the guy ¡¯brother¡¯. It took a while for him to get used to calling Shen Ji Yun ¡¯brother¡¯. Despite this fairy face and shota build, he was really a 22-year-old soul inside. If he added the seven-yeara, then he would be 29 years old now. He¡¯s clearly older than Shen Ji Yun. The same was true for this guy.


    So why should he call an unrted guy ¡¯brother¡¯?


    "You¡¯re right. Then I¡¯ll just call him ¡¯Uriel¡¯," he said.


    Shen Ji Yun was clearly satisfied with this answer because of the small arc that appeared at the corner of his lips.


    Duan Yu, who was watching all these on the side, was left speechless once again. Of all the much more important thing the elf said, like asking if he should agree to team up if YUN was the leader, YUN only noticed the word ¡¯brother¡¯. Then he asked if the elf should call Duan Yu ¡¯brother¡¯. After the elf agreed that he shouldn¡¯t, YUN gave him a pampering smile. Yes, pampering! Even if he only moved the corner of his mouth, the gentleness overflowing in those usually cold eyes was evident enough.


    Somehow, this scene was actually quite familiar. Like he had already seen it a number of times before. Ah, that¡¯s right. Their team¡¯s captain and Zhong Hui often staged scenes like this. Considering the nature of Zhong Hui¡¯s feelings for Li Xu Min, did that mean that YUN was also ying for the other team and had that kind of feeling for the elf?


    Duan Yu stared at the two and smiled secretly. If he¡¯s correct, then it could be worthwhile to stay and observe. It would be a substantial addition to his pool of information.


    "Then I agree. YUN could be the leader and we¡¯ll all team up," he finally said.


    Luo Yan raised his head towards Uriel. "Really? That¡¯s good then," he smiled.


    Shen Ji Yun actually didn¡¯t like this decision. He wanted for most of the rewards to be given to Luo Yan. No matter. He¡¯d just give all of it to the rabbit after.


    "So, how should we actually establish a team?" Luo Yan asked, because it was not written in the rules. Seriously, this game, always finding ways to make it harder for the yers even in the smallest details.


    "With this," Duan Yu said, raising his right hand and showing the blue crescent moon mark. "It said on the rules that if we wanted to go out of the blue door, we could press this and a screen would appear asking us the solution we found for at least one of the mysteries. But that¡¯s not the only thing it showed. Go and try it."


    Luo Yan did and pressed the crescent moon mark. A screen did appear. But insteada of one, there were two options inside.


    [Input the solution of the Mystery here.]


    [If you want to team up with other yers, please input the name of the member/s here and indicate who the leader is. The name inputted by your team mate should be the same as yours for it to register.]


    Luo Yan looked at thest sentence on the second option. He guessed that¡¯s the way of the game to make sure no yers would mess up. He clicked it, putting in his and Uriel¡¯s name on the member/s slot and then put the name YUN on the leader slot.


    "I¡¯m done," he said.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded, silently saying that he was done too. Then they both looked at Uriel.


    "In case you haven¡¯t noticed, I still don¡¯t know the elf¡¯s name," Uriel said with a bit of a helpless tone.


    "It¡¯s Noctis," Luo Yan said.


    Duan Yu then entered their names. "Done."


    "Should we share all the information we currently have?" Luo Yan asked. Then he noticed Shen Ji Yun ncing sharply at the door. "What¡¯s wrong, Brother YUN?"


    "The prince ising."

 Chapter 122 OUTDO HIS PERFORMANCE

    WHEN Luo Yan heard what Shen Ji Yun said, he immediatelyy back on the bed and acted all weak and in pain. Although his HP wasn¡¯t decreasing anymore, a third of it was already gone. So looking pale and weak wasn¡¯t that hard. He noticed that the two was still not moving. He looked at the two.


    "Why are you two still standing there?" he asked, confused. "We should be in character before the crown princee in," he reminded them.


    Duan Yu raised one of his brows. [It¡¯s because you got into character so quickly.] Even so, he still sat beside the bed and nned to properly dress the elf¡¯s wound. But he just raised his hand and his wrist was immediately gripped hard by someone. He raised his head and saw YUN frowning down at him.


    "What are you doing?" YUN asked in a tone that if he didn¡¯t give a satisfying answer, he would not hesitate to break his wrist.


    Duan Yu was not afraid. He even smiled at YUN. "Going into character. So could I have my hand back?"


    Shen Ji Yun let go of Uriel¡¯s hand, almost as if throwing it away. Then he turned to the rabbit lying on the bed. When hey on the bed earlier, Shen Ji Yun was momentarily stunned. Because the rabbit looked so weak that he almost thought that he was indeed in pain. Shen Ji Yun felt like his chest was being squeezed looking at the rabbit like that. He didn¡¯t really like seeing Luo Yan like that. Even if it was all pretend.


    "I¡¯ll be around the room," he said, then disappeared on the spot.


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes slightly widened when he saw that. He suddenly remembered those s he read during his first life that included dark guard characters. They appeared and disappeared at a drop of a hat, moving almost as fast as the wind, they could even do light work ¨C a technique that could make them walk in the air. Shen Ji Yun probably had the same skills. Man, seeing it first hand was kind of cool.


    His thoughts were interrupted when he felt his wounded arm being held. He nced at Uriel.


    "Before you snap at me, I¡¯m just dressing your wound properly," he said.


    Luo Yan blinked his big peach blossom eyes at him. "Why would I snap at you?" he asked innocently.


    Duan Yu felt some kind of vition looking at the elf¡¯s innocent face. Because he truly couldn¡¯t believe that Noctis was as innocent as he wanted to portray himself to be. If they were not in VR but in reality, he could probably read him better. Because he would be able to see what was truly hidden in those big eyes. After all, VR couldn¡¯t really capture every emotion hidden in one¡¯s eyes.


    "Just saying," he said, taking out a medicine cream from the satchel hanging on the belt of his robe. He spread it on Noctis¡¯ wound. "Your captain seemed to be overprotective of you. If you suddenlyin that I¡¯m bullying you, your captain might stab me."


    Duan Yu said that fully aware that YUN could hear him. Because as he said earlier, he¡¯d be around in the room. He¡¯s probably hiding right now at some hidden corner, watching their every move.


    Luo Yan felt like there was some kind of hidden meaning behind Uriel¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t like thinking of the possibility that whatever that meaning was, it reflected negatively on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s character. So, he looked innocently at him.


    "It¡¯s because I¡¯m too pretty. Of course, Brother YUN would want to protect me. Wouldn¡¯t you do the same?"


    Duan Yu almost gagged when he heard that. This was probably the first time he met someone who could brazenly tell another person how ¡¯pretty¡¯ they were. And it¡¯s a guy no less.


    "Are you always this narcissistic?" he asked, finishing bandaging Noctis¡¯ wound.


    Noctis smiled sweetly at him. "But I¡¯m only telling the truth though."


    Duan Yu wanted to reply back. But then the door opened and in came the crown prince. So he had no choice but to fall into his role as the haughty and arrogant godly doctor. He stood up and slightly bowed towards the prince.


    Luo Yan lying on the bed almost raised one of his brows. Who would have thought this Uriel could act so well?


    "Your Highness told me that I didn¡¯t need to do anything until we got back to the capital. And yet here I am, tending to some lowly courtesan, no less," he said.


    "This prince apologize. Your efforts will surely bepensated," the crown prince only said. "This prince wants to thank you for sessfully saving my uncle. What caused his copsed?"


    "It¡¯s poison. The same type of poison I found from this woman¡¯s wound."


    Luo Yan almost wanted to nce at Uriel. He already suspected that he and the old prince was poisoned. But when did this guy checked the type of poison thered on that dagger that stabbed him?


    The crown prince frowned. "The same type?"


    "Yes. A poison that¡¯s unique only to the country of Wei," Uriel answered.


    The crown prince frown became even deeper. "Are you sure?"


    Uriel snorted as if insulted. "Of course I¡¯m sure. Surely Your Highness is not doubting my ability?"


    The prince didn¡¯t answer and just fell into deep thought.


    Luo Yan also became curious. The country of Wei? If it¡¯s the name of the country where this town was located, Uriel wouldn¡¯t phrase it that way. So, it was the name of another country? His guess? It¡¯s most likely an enemy country.


    The prince then nced at the courtesan lying weakly on the bed. "How is she?"


    "Alive and good enough to be interrogated."


    When Luo Yan heard Uriel said that, he almost cursed. Damn this guy. Wasn¡¯t he too much into his role? Then he would just have to outdo his performance.


    He tried to sit up on the bed, he acted all weak. Then he purposely fell from the bed, copsing on the floor. He acted like he was persevering to kneel down in front of the crown prince. Tears like drop of pearls were already falling from his peach blossom eyes.


    "Y-Your Highness, please, forgive t-this ve!"

 Chapter 123 ACTING AS GOOD AS A MOVIE EMPEROR

    SHEN JI YUN who was observing all these from above ¨C he was sitting on one of the ceiling bars ¨C almost leaped down. It was only his extreme self-control that prevented him from doing so. Looking at Luo Yan¡¯s reddish eyes, those tears trailing down his white cheeks, his whole body trembling as if a weak wind could topple him over, it could arouse pity from anyone who saw him.


    And Shen Ji Yun was not just anyone. So it was even harder for him to see this. It¡¯s like every drop of tears that fell from Luo Yan¡¯s eyes was a knife stab to his heart. He never minded pain. Even if he became bruised and battered, he probably wouldn¡¯t react that much. But seeing the rabbit like this, as if he was being persecuted by the world, was something he almost couldn¡¯t handle. And to think it was just all an act.


    He wondered how he would react if he¡¯d seen Luo Yan¡¯s real tears. Would he simply just lose it by then?


    Shen Ji Yun truly couldn¡¯t understand why he would be affected by Luo Yan¡¯s every move. It¡¯s like all the emotions he wasn¡¯t able to feel for the past 12 years since his father died was slowly resurfacing. And the trigger of it was meeting Luo Yan.


    The people below had no idea of the emotional turmoil Shen Ji Yun was experiencing. Instead, the drama was still ongoing.


    "Why are you asking for forgiveness?" the crown prince asked, looking down at Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan continued to cry. "B-because this ve knows t-that what happened at the banquet, the attempted a-attack on Your H-Highness life, it could only be irrevocably linked to our Yuexing Pavilion. I¡¯m a-ashamed that I couldn¡¯t prevent something like this from ha-happening. T-that the art we¡¯re so proud of would be... would be used as a medium for an act as cruel as assassination."


    He sobbed with anger and frustration when he said thatst word. He didn¡¯t think that he went out of character by his act. Because ¡¯Shishi¡¯ was known as someone who took pride in ¡¯her¡¯ craft. Something like this happening would surely be like a p on the face of the proud ¡¯Shishi¡¯.


    "But the other girls in your pavilion seemed to think otherwise," the crown prince replied seemingly unaffected by Luo Yan¡¯s act.


    "Then this servant could only ask for forgiveness in their ce."


    "You seemed so sure that the girls in your pavilion was involved."


    "I was there, Your Highness. When that dagger flew and the direction where it came from, it could only be from one of the girls dancing with me."


    Luo Yan was not acting when he said that. Because that was what he truly thought. One of those four girls threw that dagger. Maybe another one poisoned Prince Lin Rong. So, Yuexing Pavilion was certainly irreversibly connected to these two assassination attempts.


    "And you expect this prince to just believe you? What if you¡¯re just ying this prince and everything was simply rted to you? Then you deliberately acted like you put yourself in harm¡¯s way just so this prince wouldn¡¯t suspect you?"


    "This servant didn¡¯t do it, Your Highness," Luo Yan said with strength and conviction in his voice. He raised his head, his big peach blossom eyes were filled with determination. It almost looked like burning ck orbs. "This servant is willing to prove her innocence!"


    Duan Yu on the side looked at all these. And he just couldn¡¯t help but admire this little guy¡¯s ability to act. He just went from weak to pitiful to brave in a matter of seconds. He didn¡¯t even have qualms referring to himself as ¡¯ve¡¯. He could even cry on cue! Seriously, if this guy entered the entertainment industry, he would definitely give those veteran actors a run for their money. In this regard, he was certainly a level higher than Liuli. If she could only act like this, she would probably already be 1st line artist.


    Duan Yu could see how marketable this guy would be in that industry. Add that to his looks and he would definitely be red in no time. Maybe he could even be a movie emperor after just two to three years. Now Duan Yu wondered why he¡¯s ying a game instead of utilizing his talent.


    He cleared his throat. "Your Highness, I hate to interrupt, but as much as I don¡¯t want to agree, this woman here has a point. The poison thered on the dagger that she intercepted was deadly. Without skills such as mine, she would most likely be dead by now. Considering how the only one who knew my identity was Your Highness, I doubt she would put herself in harm¡¯s way just so she wouldn¡¯t appear suspicious. But of course, that was only usible if she really was innocent and had nothing to do with what happened."


    Luo Yan gave Uriel a quick sideway nce before taking back his gaze. This guy. Was it really necessary to say thatst part?


    The crown prince seemed to be thinking about something. Then he looked back at Luo Yan. "Then this prince gives you the right to investigate your fellow courtesans. But if this prince finds out that you¡¯re lying, your head will dangle on the gates of this town."


    Luo Yan acted scared but still tried to be brave. "Yes, this ve thanks Your Highness."


    The crown prince then turned to Duan Yu. "This prince needs to talk to you about the poison."


    "Sure, Your Highness. But I still need to finish fixing this woman here."


    "Then after."


    After that, the crown prince went out of the room. He walked a few steps before stopping. "Di Yi," he called.


    Shen Ji Yun quickly appeared, kneeling in front of the crown prince. "Your Highness."


    "Monitor that courtesan¡¯s every move. If she does something suspicious, you¡¯re allowed to kill her."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Then the crown prince walked away while Shen Ji Yun went back to the room.

 Chapter 124 UNINTENTIONAL DOG FOOD

    LUO YAN sighed and sat back on the bed. Now that the problem of the crown prince was solved, he was now allowed to investigate the assassination attempt that happened earlier at the banquet. The rest, the three of them should carefully n out.


    "Here," said Uriel.


    He looked up and saw him handing a small bottle. Luo Yan took it. "What¡¯s this?"


    "ording to the description showing on my Status Window, it¡¯s some potion that could revitalize people¡¯s life. I assume it meant it could fill the yer¡¯s HP bar when it decreased," Uriel answered.


    Luo Yan took off the cork covering the bottle¡¯s lid and drank its content. He furrowed his brows because of how bitter it tasted. But strangely enough, he felt the slight weakness of his current avatar slowly disappearing. So even if it didn¡¯t taste good, he still drank it all up.


    He looked up at Uriel after. Then he remembered the crap that this guy pulled earlier. A mischievous glint passed his eyes.


    His expression changed into grievance and sniffed. "Why is Uriel bullying me? Earlier, you wanted the crown prince to interrogate me. Then you didn¡¯t fully support the reasoning I gave to the prince. And now, you¡¯ve given me this awful tasting drink. Do you hate me that much?"


    Duan Yu stared at Noctis. The guy looked so aggrieved as if Duan Yu killed his cat or something. If he didn¡¯t just witness his amazing acting skill earlier, Duan Yu might actually think that he did something bad to him. He might even feel guilty enough to apologize. But since he did see his acting skill, he only raised one of his brows at him.


    That¡¯s when Shen Ji Yun returned to the room. He saw the rabbit looking like he was about to cry again. He frowned a bit, then walked towards the two. He looked coldly at Uriel.


    Of course, Duan Yu noticed the way YUN was looking at him. As if he was about to punch him or something. "You do know he¡¯s acting, right?" he said before YUN acted on his impulse and did punch him.


    Yes, Shen Ji Yun knew. But what could he do? He couldn¡¯t possibly me Luo Yan. Then he felt his sleeve being pulled. He looked down and saw the rabbit gazing up at him. His big peach blossom eyes filled with grievance and also a bit of pleading, as if asking him to take his side.


    But as much as Shen Ji Yun wanted to do just that, he really didn¡¯t want to see this tearful expression on the rabbit¡¯s face. He raised his hand and wiped away the traces of tears on the rabbit¡¯s cheek.


    "Don¡¯t make trouble."


    Luo Yan was startled. Not just because of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s sudden move but also because of the tone of his voice. Like he was spoiling him without even realizing it. Not to mention, the gentleness that almost overflowed out of his usually cold and emotionless eyes. Luo Yan automatically let go of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s sleeve and then nced away. Because he felt a sudden weird thump inside his chest.


    Duan Yu stared at this scene and he almost did not roll his eyes. Because he felt like he was suddenly and unintentionally fed dog food.


    He cleared his throat. "If the two of you are now done flirting, could we now proceed to the more important matter?"


    A suspicious blush appeared at the tips of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ears. But because he always looked expressionless, the other two didn¡¯t find it. But because of that, he had another inner turmoil. Were he and the rabbit flirting? But wasn¡¯t that action supposed to involve a man and a woman? Could that word be also applied between two men?


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, red at Uriel. What¡¯s with that off-handment? Flirting my ass. What if things became awkward between him and Shen Ji Yun because of the crap he¡¯s spouting?


    "Uriel should not talk nonsense," Luo Yan tilted his head and smiled. "Okay?"


    The smile on Noctis¡¯ pretty face didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Instead, it was as sharp as a knife with even a glint of danger hidden inside. Duan Yu felt chills down his spine. It almost seemed like if he didn¡¯t agree, this guy here would punch him. Maybe even kick him. It took him a few seconds before he could finally react.


    Well, well, it looked like that ¡¯na?ve¡¯ boy finally showed a bit of his fangs.


    Duan Yu smiled back. "Yes, it was all nonsense. I was just trying to create rapport among us. After all, we¡¯re now temporary team mates."


    Oh, so it was just a joke? Shen Ji Yun finally didn¡¯t think about it anymore and just put it behind him. "Let¡¯s cote all the information we currently have."


    Meanwhile, in a certain yellow door...


    Bai Ze was standing with a group of students behind the teaching building of a certain high school. They were there for the test of courage the whole ss had decided. Yes, this was the setting of the door he went into.


    It was the door for the fifth choice; [A student¡¯s hellish paradise]. He actually nned to choose the fourth one ¨C [A stage for the brightest stars.] But he and his big, fat, fingers failed him and identally clicked the fifth one. Now, he¡¯s here ying the role of the ss bully.


    There wasn¡¯t any mention of any mystery yet. But he was certain that whatever it was, it would happen during this test of courage. And in some way or the other, it would have something to do with this group of students. He was fine with that. He was just kind of depressed that none of his team mates seemed to be here.


    He had observed each and every student¡¯s face since he arrived in this door standing in their midst. And so far, he only recognized one-two students who somehow looked familiar. He¡¯s pretty sure they¡¯re among the yers who attended the King¡¯s birthday event. If none of his team mates were here, then he¡¯d just do this on his own.


    "Wanna team up with me?" asked suddenly by a rather sweet voice with a hint of raspiness in it.


    Bai Ze looked down and saw a girl with a short bob cut hair. At first nce, one would probably think of her as in. But if you look closely, you would find that she possessed a certain kind of charm. It¡¯s probably because of her eyes. They were the only features on her face that were truly out of the ordinary. It was like that of a cat¡¯s ¨C big and the corners slightly tilted upwards.


    "You¡¯re White Marsh, right? I¡¯m Catnip from team Sirens," the girl said, further introducing herself. "So, do you want to form a team with me?"


    Catnip? That¡¯s a very apt name. Wait- team Sirens? He looked suspiciously at the girl. "You weren¡¯t ordered by your captain to try to get closer to the members of my team, weren¡¯t you?"


    Even if the captain of Sirens always acted like an elegant queen whenever they crossed paths, he had long noticed the girl¡¯s fascination towards his friend, Shen Ji Yun. Of course, Shen Ji Yun never noticed it, being the big emotionless blockhead that he was.


    Catnip seemed to know what he meant because she replied, "Nope. She didn¡¯t even know that your team and your captain would attend this event."


    "Then why?"


    Because of the beautiful elf, Noctis! She wanted to know how good his rtionship was with YUN. When she watched the two earlier, she noticed how good they looked together. So, she couldn¡¯t help but want to ship them. Of course Xia Li wouldn¡¯t tell this directly to White Marsh.


    "Because you look very powerful and very reliable," she only said.


    Bai Ze¡¯s chest rose a bit because of pride. Well, he was indeed powerful and reliable. "I¡¯ll only agree if I¡¯m the leader."


    "No problem," she said and smiled like a contented cat that was given a treat.


    Looking at that smile, Bai Ze suddenly had an urge to pet her. He shook his head. What was that just now? He suddenly had goosebumps just by thinking of it.

 Chapter 125 COMBINING CURRENT EVIDENCE

    "THEN let me start first," Duan Yu said. "The setting of this character is that of a godly doctor who travels around the world. And by ¡¯world¡¯ I mean the four kingdoms inside this door. This town we¡¯re in is located at the Kingdom of Beitang. At the west of this Kingdom is Wei. That¡¯s where the godly doctor was before he traveled back here.


    "When he was at Wei, he discovered a somewhat rming news. Wei was nning to siege war against Beitang. He¡¯s an arrogant jerk but he still considers Beitang as his home. He doesn¡¯t want it to be ravaged by war, so he immediately nned to return. On his way to the capital, he met the crown prince. And thus ended up here. That¡¯s most of the information I have."


    Luo Yan almost frowned. Why the heck was this guy¡¯s character introduction soprehensive? While he only got ¡¯Shishi¡¯¨C the proud number one courtesan of Yuexing Pavilion.


    "My role doesn¡¯t have much character introduction. All the information on this character¡¯s profile is rted to the crown prince," Shen Ji Yun then said next. "The crown prince didn¡¯te here to celebrate his Uncle¡¯s birthday but to investigate. Countless assassination attempt this month led him here. If it was normal, he wouldn¡¯t think any of it. Because people had been trying to kill him since he was born. But this past month, the assassination attempts just doubled. Clearly, someone wanted him to die as quickly as possible.


    "The investigation led straight to Prince Lin Rong. The crown prince didn¡¯t want to believe that immediately. Because all the breadcrumbs pointed straight to him. It was too easy, too obvious. So he decided to attend his uncle¡¯s birthday banquet. To ask him personally. He didn¡¯t tell it to the Emperor because he didn¡¯t want to cause a rift between the two brothers."


    This time, Luo Yan did frown. Even Shen Ji Yun had important information with him. Wasn¡¯t this simply discrimination? Maybe that King really does hate him. That heartless bastard. Then the two looked at him, their eyes telling him that it¡¯s your turn now to speak.


    He sighed. "I don¡¯t have any significant information currently attach to this identity. Although, I witnessed something earlier before our performance in the banquet." That¡¯s probably the only information he could contribute. "I saw the fianc¨¦ of now dead second young miss having a rendezvous with a maid. They were passionately professing their love to each other."


    "At one nce, it looked as if each information we have were unrted to each other. But if one looks closely, maybe we can see the link that connects them from one another," Duan Yu said. "These three mysteries presented to us, I think they create a much bigger mystery. What do you two think?"


    Well, Luo Yan had to agree with Uriel. These clues they had seemed to be all unrted but the probability of them being connected to one another was very high. It might not be as obvious just like Uriel said. But the link was definitely there. The fact that the three mystery prompt were all triggered during this banquet was evident enough.


    Although there¡¯s a chance that one mystery might not be rted to the other two, something that happened tonight definitely led to it. Like a cause and effect. And yes, he¡¯s talking about the third mystery. About what happened to the second young miss. Because out of all the three, the first and second mystery definitely seemed connected to one another. Being both assassination attempt and all.


    "I also feel the same," he said, agreeing to what Uriel said. "There¡¯s probably a bigger conspiracy going on here."


    Shen Ji Yun turned to Uriel. "You said that the poison that caused Prince Lin Rong to copse was from Wei?"


    Duan Yu nodded. "Not just from Wei, it could only be found on Wei. It¡¯s a colorless and odorless substance that is impossible to detect. Unless you have the skills of a godly doctor, that is."


    "Is that part of your current Temporary Skills?" Luo Yan asked.


    Duan Yu nodded. Then he noticed the sudden envious re Noctis gave him. He smiled. "I have other useful skills, not just that one. How about you, Noctis, what Temporary Skills did you get?"


    Luo Yan was not stupid not to hear the taunt in those words. So he smiled back. "Why, Uriel, are you interested in seeing the skills of the number one courtesan in this town? I have no problem with that. But you have to pay for my services first. Though I must warn you, I¡¯m very, very, very expensive. You might not even be able to afford a single dance."


    Duan Yu wasn¡¯t able to retort fast enough. Before he thought of something to say, Noctis already removed his attention from him. He shook his head. Well, if there¡¯s one thing that the guy was obviously good at, it¡¯s making smartasseback.


    While the first thought that Shen Ji Yun had was; how many crystal coins should he give to the rabbit so he could see that beautiful dance once again? Then he almost punched himself. Just where did that thoughte from? Seriously, this past month, it felt like there¡¯s been a hole inside his brain making him produce all these weird thoughts.


    So he just chose to go back straight to the topic at hand. "What is the first thing thate to your mind when you¡¯re presented with these clues?"


    "That the Wei Kingdom was the one responsible for the two assassination attempt. That they were the ones responsible for the evidence the crown prince found which led him to attend the banquet. They nned to use this event to get rid of the crown prince. Some of the courtesans from Yuexing Pavilion probably have a connection to Wei. They might be spies cultivated and ced in the pavilion, activated when needed. With these, it could answer the first and second mystery," Luo Yan said which wasn¡¯t denied by the other two.


    "And with the third mystery, we could say that the second young miss didn¡¯t hang herself but was killed by the fianc¨¦ and the maid," Duan Yu added. "But would it be really that easy?"


    "No," Shen Ji Yun answered straight. "If it was, then there would be no need for us to investigate. I doubt these mysteries would be solved with just the yersbining the current information they have."


    "So let¡¯s investigate," Luo Yan said. "I¡¯ll go and talk with the other courtesans, find out who threw that dagger and poisoned the old prince. A lot of our questions would be answer if we find her or them."


    "I¡¯ll go with him. Since I¡¯m ordered by the crown prince to watch over his every move," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Duan Yu had a feeling that even if the crown prince didn¡¯t give that order, YUN would still follow Noctis. But he didn¡¯t voice that out and said, "Then I guess I¡¯ll go check the dead second young miss."


    "It¡¯s 7:40 in the evening. We still have four hours and 20 minutes to solve this," Shen Ji Yun said. "Let¡¯s go."


    And the three of them walked out of the room.

 Chapter 126 INSIDE THE RED DOOR

    LET¡¯S backtrack a bit in time and go to a certain red door...


    After the feeling of being sucked into a vacuum disappeared, Luo Jin was finally able to open his eyes. What he saw first was a velvet couch in front of him and on the side was a window. Even though the outside was dark, he could still see the scene shing by. And feeling the movement forward and also looking at the closedpartment, he was definitely inside a travelling carriage.


    His line of his sight was higher than normal. Well, at least the same as when he was out of the game. Which meant that his current avatar was not his gnome avatar. It was no doubt close to his original body.


    He raised his hand and saw that he was wearing a glove. Not just any glove but a silk glove. Something that was only for women. He suddenly had a bad hunch. He looked down and his eyes almost bulged out when he saw what he was wearing. A dress. A bloody freaking dress with matchingce and frills! It was even in the color pink!


    What the f*ck?!


    Before he went ballistic, a screen appeared in front of him.


    [Dear yer, your identity right now is us. The illegitimate son of the Count of Raglin. You lived in the country with your twin sister, ra, and the number of servants provided by your father. Last week, your father visited and told the both of you that he would have your sister attend the party of one of the princes of the Crystal Kingdom. The richest and most powerful kingdom in all thends.]


    [Every four years, one of the kingdom¡¯s princes held a party in one of the other kingdoms. There, he would pick up his wife and sometimes, even a few concubines. That¡¯s why this party was really popr. All families wanted to send their daughters to it. Your father was no different. But because he doesn¡¯t have a legitimate daughter, so he could only send the illegitimate one. Your twin sister.]


    [But your sister has a weak heart. You¡¯re worried what could happen to her if she did attend. Aside from that, you heard a rumor that once a girl was brought to the Crystal Kingdom, she would never have a chance to go back. Your sister also heard about this and she cried all night thinking that she might not see you again. Although the chance of your sister being chosen is slim, there¡¯s still a chance that she might. So out of desperation, you decided to take her ce.]


    [You¡¯re a usually weak-willed and shy boy. But your love for your sister was unquestionable. So despite being afraid, you still went ahead and took her ce. You n to be as invisible as possible. So that the prince wouldn¡¯t take notice of you. Now you¡¯re riding a carriage provided by your father, travelling towards the castle where the party is going to be held.]


    After reading all of that, he cursed again. Repeating it three times for good measure. But his annoyance didn¡¯t decrease at all. When he was about to curse again, another screen appeared.


    [Rules]


    1. Other NPCs shouldn¡¯t find out that you¡¯re not the real us. If they do, then you¡¯ll be disqualified and automatically thrown out of the red door.


    2. All your skills have been temporarily turned off. So try to avoid any danger. Because once you¡¯re killed, you¡¯ll be thrown out.


    3. You can¡¯t log off. Because once you do, it would automatically mean that you¡¯re giving up.


    4. If you recognized another yer, you can team up with them. But you could only do so with two yers at most. Once a team of three was formed, you need to decide who¡¯s going to be the leader. Being the leader, they would receive higher quality rewards. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t matter if you all solve a mystery together. Because the best has to be given to the leader. They¡¯re the leader, after all.


    5. This event will be over by midnight. If you already solved one mystery and you wanted to go out of the red door, just pressed the crescent moon on the back of your hand. A screen will appear where you can put in your solution.


    6. Andstly, please do your best to give a very entertaining performance for our majesty, the King.


    When Luo Jin read all those, he cursed once again. His eyes were stuck at rule number one. He couldn¡¯t care less about the others. All he could see was that he couldn¡¯t go out of character. Meaning, he should act like a shy and weak-willed boy crossdressing as his twin sister? Does this game hate him or something?


    First, it chose a gnome as his race. Now it¡¯s even forcing him to cross-dress and act in a way that was totally opposite of his character?


    Then he heard a knock from the front interrupting his inner tirade of game loathing.


    "Young Miss, are you alright?" called a voice. It¡¯s probably the driver.


    Luo Jin was about to answer back when he remembered that he shouldn¡¯t go out of character. He gritted his teeth and then soften his voice. "I¡¯m fine."


    He sighed. The mystery would probably happen at the castle. After all, he¡¯d chosen ¡¯A castle of dreams for the wicked¡¯ out of the five choices presented to them. Which led him to the red door.


    The reason why he chose it was actually pretty stupid. It¡¯s because he subconsciously thought that his brother would be attracted by the word ¡¯wicked¡¯¨C having that hidden dark side and all ¨C and thus would also pick the same choice. It¡¯s baseless but Luo Jin just couldn¡¯t help but choose it.


    Well, if his brother was not this door, then he¡¯d just log out. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d spent the rest of the night wearing a dress when his brother was not even here.


    Soon, the carriage he was riding stopped. The carriage door opened right after and one who looked like some kind of footman. He raised his hand towards Luo Jin. He resisted the urge to p it away. But then remembered that he shouldn¡¯t go out of character and so reluctantly put his hand on the footman¡¯s palm. The footman helped him climbed down the carriage.


    Luo Jin raised the silk fan he was holding and covered the lower half of his face with it. That¡¯s when he noticed that his line of sight was still slightly lower than in real life. Meaning that this character¡¯s current height was still lower than his real one. Also, his arms were thinner. As if all the muscles he¡¯d worked hard to develop these past years suddenly disappeared. No wonder this body could cross-dress as his twin sister.


    He looked up at the castle in front. It looked like any other castle aside from the sinister atmosphere surrounding it, that is. Probably because of all those scary looking spires.


    He was about to walk towards the castle when another carriage stopped just behind the carriage he travelled in.


    A tall, willowy woman climbed down. Her ck hair was arranged in aplicated French knot, surrounded by expensive looking pearls. She was wearing a ck dress that perfectly showcased her curves. The ck of her dress highlighted her satiny white skin. She must have noticed his gaze before she looked over in his direction.


    And his gaze collided with a pair of indifferent ck eyes.


    A certain image of a pink haired pixie ovepped with the woman in front of him. And suddenly, the thought of logging out if his brother wasn¡¯t here justpletely disappeared from his mind.

 Chapter 127 I WOULD BE VERY DISAPPOINTED

    LUO YAN was being dragged by Shen Ji Yun towards the dungeon prison of the manor. Well, ¡¯dragged¡¯ was not really the right term. Shen Ji Yun was pulling him so gently that Luo Yan had to double his efforts in acting just to make it look that he was being ¡¯dragged¡¯. He also had to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t look out of character. So it was even much harder.


    But he didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him off. Because he knew it was only because he cared. Even though they only met for more than a month, Luo Yan already felt like he knew him well enough. Behind his emotionless exterior, he¡¯s really just a big softie inside. Well, at least probably to those who he considered part of his inner circle.


    Luo Yan was actually a bit happy knowing that someone like Shen Ji Yun could should his soft side to him. It kind of made him feel special in some way.


    "Are all the people from Yuexing Pavilion in the dungeon?" he asked in a low voice so the people they bumped on the way wouldn¡¯t hear him.


    "Yes. But the four dancers who danced with you were put in a separate cell, waiting to be interrogated," Shen Ji Yun answered in an equally low voice.


    "So they haven¡¯t been interrogated yet?"


    "No. At least I think they haven¡¯t."


    "Then Brother Ji Yun should put me in there with them," Luo Yan said. "I think I could get the information we need if I talk to them for a bit."


    Those four were the primary suspects in the assassination attempt against the crown prince and Prince Lin Rong. Frankly, he¡¯s kind of surprised that they weren¡¯t being tortured yet to get an answer out of them. Maybe this was the game¡¯s way to force the yers to get the information out of the four dancers.


    "Are you sure?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    "What, does Brother Ji Yun not trust me?" he asked with a bit of teasing in his voice.


    "I do. I¡¯m just worried that the dungeon they¡¯re in would be too dirty for you."


    That answer almost made Luo Yanugh. "But we¡¯re going to the dungeon anyway. Where does Brother Ji Yun n to put me then?"


    "There¡¯s a special cell in the dungeon solely dedicated for prisoners with special identity. It¡¯s much cleaner than the other cells. It has its own bed where you could sit while you wait."


    How could Shen Ji Yun put the rabbit in such a dirty environment?


    "Brother Ji Yun, I was the one tasked by the crown prince to investigate. How could I do that when I¡¯m separated from the NPCs I should be investigating?" Luo Yan asked a bit incredulously.


    "Then I will call the four dancers one by one to the cell and we will interrogate them together."


    This time, Luo Yan did chuckle. Who could have known that this usually expressionless guy could also have this kind of unreasonable side? "That would only put their guards up. Which in turn would make it even harder for us to get the information we needed." When he noticed that Shen Ji Yun seemed to be still struggling whether he should agree or not so Luo Yan added, "Does Brother Ji Yun think that I¡¯m so weak and delicate that I couldn¡¯t even handle dark and dirty ces? If so, then I would be very disappointed."


    Shen Ji Yun felt panicked when he heard that. "No, that¡¯s not it! I know you¡¯re strong." Probably not physically, but mentally and psychologically? Very much so. If not, then he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to function normally like any boy his age after waking up from a seven-yeara. So no, Shen Ji Yun would never ever think that he¡¯s weak. "It¡¯s just that, the image of you inside a dirty cell simply doesn¡¯t sit well with me."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Now that¡¯s an answer he didn¡¯t expect. "Does Brother Ji Yun think that I¡¯m some sort of fairy that doesn¡¯t deserve to be covered in any kind of dirt?" he teased. "Although I look like one, I¡¯m still just a in human. And humans would get covered in dirt from time to time. That¡¯s how we grow and change."


    Shen Ji Yun stopped for a moment before he continued walking. What Luo Yanst said was probably not rted to what they¡¯re talking about. But it spoke of a truth ¨C that when people stumbled, it helped them grew as a person.


    "I understand."


    Luo Yan smiled. "Brother Ji Yun should watch my own brand of interrogation. I promise, you¡¯ll definitely be entertained."


    On the other side of the manor, Duan Yu made his way to the courtyard where the corpse of the second young miss was. After arrogantly unting the name of the crown prince, none of the servants bothered to stop him.


    He hadn¡¯t entered the courtyard yet but he could already hear the very loud crying of probably two or three women. When he did enter, what he saw was two women huddled over the body lying on the floor which he could only assume as the corpse of the second young miss.


    "My daughter! Why? Why do you have to take your life?" the older of the two women cried.


    "Sister... sister..." the younger one muttered, silently crying.


    Judging by their dialogues, these two were probably the mother and the younger sister. Both of them looked disheveled. They didn¡¯t even look like nobledies.


    Duan Yu crouched down at the side of the corpse.


    Noticing his presence, the mother hysterically shouted at him. "Who are you? Who let you in?"


    Duan Yu ignored the woman and just stared at the corpse, particrly at the mark around her neck. It certainly matched what he heard about her hanging herself. But just to make sure, he still used one of his skill as the ¡¯godly doctor¡¯.


    And the result surprised him quite a bit.

 Chapter 128 DUAN YU AS THE GODLY DOCTOR

    ONE of Duan Yu¡¯s Temporary Skills was [Diagnose]. Yes, a very cheesy name for a skill. But it does the job, so he didn¡¯t have anyints. It could check the status of any NPCs body. Take the old prince for example; When Duan Yu used [Diagnose] on him, it told him about his poisoned status and also the kind of poison currently in his body. He¡¯s sure that this skill could also work on a dead body.


    And so he did.


    When he¡¯s done, a screen appeared in front of him.


    Body Status: [Dead]


    Time of Death: [1 hour ago]


    Cause of Death: [Poison]


    Poison? Then wouldn¡¯t this mean that the second young miss actually didn¡¯t hang herself? She was poisoned first and then hanged to make it look like suicide. He bet the poison that killed her was the same poison ingested by Prince Lin Rong. The colorless and tasteless poison that could only be found in the Kingdom of Wei.


    So, even this was connected to Wei?


    But why would they kill this second young miss? If he¡¯s not mistaken, the girl was the daughter of the eldest son of Prince Lin Rong with his legal wife. What¡¯s the connection of this sheltered miss to the conspiracy involving Wei?


    He stood up, the mother of the second miss was still going on with her tirade. This time, he didn¡¯t ignore her.


    "Your daughter, she didn¡¯t kill herself. She was poisoned," he said and then observed the reaction of the women inside the room.


    The mother and the sister, as expected, looked surprised and astounded. They even stopped crying. The maids also appeared a bit surprised. There was one woman who snorted, as if what he said was just a joke. Then there was also one woman who looked like she¡¯s conflicted about something. Both women were wearing expensive clothing which could only mean that they¡¯re bothdies of the manor. Either a concubine or another wife.


    The mother suddenly grabbed the helm of Duan Yu¡¯s sleeve. "Is it true? My daughter didn¡¯t kill herself?"


    "Sister, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re taking the words of a stranger so seriously?" the one looking at them earlier like they were a joke said.


    The mother red at her. "Shut up! Don¡¯t think that I didn¡¯t know how happy you are seeing my daughter dead! What, do you think with her gone your daughter would be able to marry the young master of An family? Dream! A girl born from a concubine. The An family would never ept her!"


    The other woman¡¯s face rose red in humiliation. Then she stood up and raised her chin. "At least my daughter is still alive."


    "You--!"


    The woman looked at the corpse in derision, then stomped out of the room.


    Duan Yu felt like he just watched a drama set in the ancient times. The woman who just left was most likely a concubine of Prince Lin Rong¡¯s eldest son. Thus the scene just now.


    "That woman. It must be that woman who killed my Xiao Lan!"


    "Mother, please calm down," the younger sister said before turning to Duan Yu. "This gentleman, please tell us your identity before saying such a statement."


    "I¡¯m a doctor travelling with the crown prince. If you still think that my identity is questionable, then you can go and ask him," he said.


    "Then, are you sure? Did someone really kill my daughter?" the mother asked, tugging at the helm of his sleeve again.


    He pulled it back. "Yes."


    "Does that mean that someone hanged my sister?"


    Duan Yu didn¡¯t answer. If this had something to do with Wei, then maybe one of their spies were hanging around here. He didn¡¯t want to alert them about the fact that he could detect their undetectable poison. It might cause trouble to their investigation. Which could only extend their time of solving this thing. Something that he and his temporary team mates wouldn¡¯t want.


    "Madame, I¡¯m not sure if this was connected," the woman who looked like she was struggling to say something said. "Earlier, I was walking near the bamboo forest when I met the young miss. She seemed very upset. She passed by me without even looking at me. I was curious, so I walked to the direction where she came from. And then I saw it."


    "What did you see? Tell me!" the mother shouted when the woman stopped what she was about to say.


    "It¡¯s Young Master An in apromising situation with one of young miss¡¯s maid. That girl named Meigui!"


    The mother lost her bnce and almost fell over. If the younger sister didn¡¯t support her, she might have already copsed.


    "Aunt, please, don¡¯t talk nonsense," the younger sister said.


    "I wish it¡¯s all nonsense. But it¡¯s what I saw. I¡¯m sorry," the woman said as if she was also in pain.


    "Those cheating bastards!" bellowed the mother. "I will kill them!"


    Then she suddenly dashed out of the room.


    "Mother!"


    The younger sister, of course, followed quickly.


    The other woman was also about to follow but Duan Yu stopped her. "At what time did you say you saw the young miss running away from this ce of rendezvous?"


    The woman seemed to be taken aback by his question. Probably because she didn¡¯t expect for him to ask that. "It¡¯s- I don¡¯t know, about 40 minutes ago. Just before the banquet started."


    Then she ran out, as if worried that he would ask more questions.


    Duan Yu smiled. Because the woman just lied. ording to his [Diagnose] skill, the second young miss died an hour ago. Which meant that she was already dead by the time this woman mentioned. Then it would have been impossible for the woman to encounter her. So, why would she lie?


    Well, what she said was probably not all a lie. Since ording to what Noctis said earlier, the fianc¨¦ of the young miss did have an affair with a maid. But that was unimportant. The fact was, she couldn¡¯t have seen the young miss at the time she mentioned. Then why lie to the mother about it? Why tell it in a way that would totally put the me on the two a.d.u.l.terers?


    If Duan Yu didn¡¯t find that suspicious, then he might as well tell everyone that he didn¡¯t bring his IQ with him to this game.


    Then he turned to one of the maids. "Who is that woman just now?"


    The maid appeared perplexed by his question but still answered, "She¡¯s the wife of the second master."


    The second master should be the younger son of Prince Lin Rong. "What¡¯s her background?"


    "She¡¯s a former courtesan from Yuexing Pavilion."


    He raised the corner of his lips. Now, wasn¡¯t that interesting?

 Chapter 129 ENTERING THE DUNGEON

    WHILE being led by Shen Ji Yun, Luo Yan finally entered the manor¡¯s underground dungeon. There were guards standing at the entrance. There were probably even more surrounding the area. Inside was dark and damp as expected. The only source of light wasing from the torches attached to the wall, making the surrounding filled with orange hue.


    "Brother Ji Yun, I think you should try to pull me a bit harder from here on," he whispered. "So me being a prisoner would look more realistic."


    When he heard that, Shen Ji Yun wanted to disagree. But then he remembered what the rabbit said earlier about him not thinking of him as ¡¯weak¡¯. Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t want him to think that he was treating him like some delicate flower. Or worse, look at him with disappointment.


    So despite him not wanting to, he still dragged the rabbit forward.


    As the proud ¡¯Shishi¡¯, Luo Yan, of course, couldn¡¯t show weakness. Even if he¡¯s being dragged. So he still raised his chin proudly, but the fear and frustration between his eyebrows could still be seen. As if he¡¯s trying to act strong and refused to show any weakness, even though he, himself, was afraid.


    That¡¯s certainly how it looked like to the NPCs of Yuexing Pavilion currently inside the first cell they passed by.


    Some girls who looked afraid still walked near the bars.


    "Shishi, are you okay?"


    "Did they hurt you?"


    Luo Yan acted like he¡¯s forcing himself to be tough. "I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me."


    Then he did a quick sweep on the people inside the cell and one particr NPC stood out. Madam Ru. If the others looked worried and afraid, then she¡¯s the only one who¡¯s calm. As if what¡¯s happening right now didn¡¯t affect her.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure if that¡¯s because she didn¡¯t have anything to do with what happened so she¡¯s not afraid if she¡¯s interrogated or something. Or maybe she¡¯s just acting tough. Being the head of Yuexing Pavilion, she wanted to appear strong in front of the younger courtesans so as not to scare them even further. But there¡¯s also that possibility that she already suspected something like this to happen so she had long been prepared.


    Whatever it was, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take note of Madam Ru¡¯s reaction.


    Shen Ji Yun pulled him passed the first cell and stopped in front of a cell two rows away from the first one. Inside were four young women. They were the courtesans who performed with Luo Yan earlier. He noticed that one of them was the girl wearing a yellow robe who he first met when he arrived in this door.


    Shen Ji Yun opened the cell and pushed Luo Yan inside. But the push was so gentle that it almost didn¡¯t have that much effect. So Luo Yan had to improvise. He fell by himself to make it look like he was pushed hard.


    Seeing this, Shen Ji Yun almost stepped forward to help Luo Yan. But then, the rabbit nced at him. It was just a quick nce but he immediately got the message. He¡¯s silently telling him to note over. Shen Ji Yun resisted the urge to do exactly that. He could only close the prison cell and blend with the shadows outside so he could silently observe whatever it was the rabbit was nning.


    The four other girls immediately surrounded Luo Yan.


    "Shishi, are you alright?" one asked.


    "You were stabbed by a dagger. Did they at least treat your wound?" another one followed.


    "That¡¯s not what we need to know right now. Did you talk to the prince? Did you tell him that we had nothing to do with what happened?" said one of the girls wearing purple robe. She looked almost hysterical.


    "Zhenya! Don¡¯t be so insensitive," the girl in the yellow robe scolded.


    "Oh please. Don¡¯t be such a hypocrite, Guiying. You make it sound like I only care about myself. Are you aware of what we are being used of? Attempting to kill Prince Lin Rong and the crown prince! We could be beheaded!" the girl names Zhenya almost shouted.


    "B-but we have nothing to do with it," one of the other girls said, clearly scared by what Zhenya said.


    "Would those people care? They just needed someone to me! And we¡¯re just conveniently there, ready to be sacrificed," Zhenya added.


    Well, Luo Yan had to admit, this Zhenya had a point. But that was only applicable if all of the four girls here were really innocent. And he highly doubted that.


    The girl who just talked before Zhenya made her tirade suddenly burst into tears. The other girl hugged her and then also cried.


    "Oh, shut up, you two! Do you think crying would save anything?"


    "Stop it, Zhenya!" Guiying ¨C the girl in the yellow robe ¨C shouted.


    Zhenya red at Guiying before stomping towards the corner of the prison cell.


    Guiying shook her head before turning to Luo Yan. "Are you really alright, Shishi? Your wound, does it hurt?"


    "I¡¯m fine," he said in Shishi¡¯s usual cold tone.


    It was only for a moment, but Luo Yan noticed the confusion in Guiying¡¯s face. As if she couldn¡¯t believe that she really was fine. And then her expression immediately went back to that of someone who¡¯s worried about her friend.


    Man, those game designers really programmed these NPCs really well.


    Then he thought back to that momentary confusion that he saw. It¡¯s almost as if she knew he shouldn¡¯t be sitting here, all alive and well. Only someone who knew that the dagger that stabbed him wasced with a special kind of poison unique to Wei would react that way.


    Maybe he wouldn¡¯t need to act his way out to get that information their team needed after all. And here he thought he could show-off his amazing interrogation skills to Shen Ji Yun.


    To confirm his guess, he leaned down and whispered into Guiying¡¯s ear, "They already found out about Wei."


    He saw her eyes widened and then she turned sharply to Luo Yan. "How...?"


    And then she gasped and covered her mouth as if she didn¡¯t mean to say what she just said.


    Luo Yan smiled inside. Got you.

 Chapter 130 A TALK WITH GUIYING

    LOOKING at Guiying fidgeting, Luo Yan knew he already hit the jackpot. "Rx, I¡¯m just testing you. They don¡¯t know about Wei yet," he said, still whispering. Guiying gave him a skeptical nce. "I¡¯m just like you. I¡¯m also under themand of the Wei Kingdom."


    The girl still looked at her as if she didn¡¯t believe an ounce of what he just said. "I- I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about."


    Luo Yan, in return, looked at her with impatience. "Let¡¯s not y that kind of game, Guiying. I don¡¯t have the patience. If you just did your job well, we wouldn¡¯t even be having this conversation," he said coldly.


    Guiying¡¯s face turned red in humiliation. Then she red at Luo Yan. "If you didn¡¯t get in the way, I wouldn¡¯t have failed!"


    Guiying might have as well confessed in doing the deed because of what she just blurted out. Luo Yan almostughed. This NPC was probably programmed in a way that once someone suspected her, she would be easily fl.u.s.tered. And if she was pushed hard, she would probably reveal information she shouldn¡¯t. Exactly like what she¡¯s doing now.


    "If you actually have the sense to observe your surroundings, then you might have noticed that one of the crown prince¡¯s dark guards were already rushing towards the smoke the moment you threw that dagger. If I didn¡¯t intercept it, he would have already captured you. You wouldn¡¯t be sitting here. Instead, you¡¯d be in some torture chamber. Or worse, already dead," he said, looking at her as if she¡¯s the most stupid girl in the world.


    "But we¡¯re still put in prison anyway," she retorted.


    "Yes. But we¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t we? Because of my quick thinking, I managed to buy us some time. Enough time for aid to arrive."


    Guiying suddenly stopped ring at him after he said that. "Help ising? Did Madam Ru tell this to you?"


    Madam Ru? She¡¯s also involved? Knowing that didn¡¯t really surprised Luo Yan that much. She¡¯s the owner of the pavilion. Being oblivious about the identities of her courtesans seemed almost impossible. That exined her calm demeanor despite this stark situation.


    No wonder he saw her and Guiying talking in hushed tones before the banquet started. He didn¡¯t think much back then. Because he thought that she was just talking to her about the performance. He should have known that that was kind of impossible. They¡¯re NPCs. They wouldn¡¯t act that way unless it¡¯s rted to the plot. That¡¯s his negligence, not taking note of it sooner.


    "Yes," he answered Guiying.


    The girl seemed to let out a long sigh of relief when she heard that. "Howe Madam Ru never told me about you?"


    "I¡¯m a hidden piece. Only supposed to be activated when needed. Do you really think that the person groomed by Madam Ru to be the number one courtesan in our pavilion wouldn¡¯t be part of this?"


    "What are the two of you whispering about?" Zhenya suddenly called, clearly much more irritated than before.


    "It¡¯s none of your concern," Luo Yan said coolly before pulling Guiying to one corner of the prison cell. He still needed to get as much information as possible from this NPC. He turned to Guiying and he could still see hesitation in her eyes. "What, you still don¡¯t believe me? Do you think that I would confidently get in the way of that dagger you threw if I didn¡¯t have the antidote for the poisonced on it? If not, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here all alive and well. I would be dead minutes after I was stabbed by that dagger."


    "Yes, I know. It just seemed so unreal. I never even suspected you," Guiying said, finally believing him.


    "That¡¯s because unlike you, I¡¯m good at my job."


    "Yes, yes, you¡¯re Shishi who¡¯s good at everything," the girl said pouting. "But howe Madam Ru never mentioned you to me? I know most of the girls from Wei being kept in Yuexing Pavilion."


    "Maybe because she¡¯s afraid you would never manage to keep it in. Besides, she also didn¡¯t tell those girls about me, so there¡¯s no need for you to hold a grudge against her," Luo Yan said with a straight face, no one could even tell he¡¯s lying.


    "Why would I hold a grudge? I would just be another rat on the street of Wei if not for Madam Ru," Guiying said a bit emotional. "Are you also an orphan from Wei, Shishi? I remembered you¡¯re already there before I even came."


    "You already know I¡¯m an orphan. Let¡¯s not talk about that and just talk about something much more important," he said. "Did you and Madam Ru talk about the next n? I didn¡¯t have the time to talk to her because of all themotion. If you two have a n, it might affect with the rescue that¡¯sing."


    "ording to the n, after the prince was assassinated, men wearing ck clothes would appear and cause amotion. The crime of assassinating the prince would fall on them. And then we would go scot free."


    ck clothed men? They¡¯re most probably from Wei. But because of Luo Yan¡¯s interception, they hadn¡¯t had the time to appear. They¡¯re probably still inside the manor, waiting for the right time to act. Maybe they would even try to rescue Madam Ru.


    Then he suddenly noticed something from what Guiying said. She only mentioned the crown prince. She didn¡¯t say anything about Prince Lin Rong. "It¡¯s weird though that Prince Lin Rong was the one who ended up poisoned."


    "I know. The crown prince was the only target tonight. I was also surprised when Prince Lin Rong copsed," Guiying said, confirming Luo Yan¡¯s guess.


    "Could Madam Ru also have connections in the manor?" he asked.


    "I¡¯m not really sure."


    So this was the extent of this NPCs knowledge. No wonder it¡¯s easy to get information from her. If a yer only had contact with this NPC, they would definitely end up with the conclusion that the Wei Kingdom was the one behind the assassination. They wouldn¡¯t get the full answer to the Mysteries.


    It seemed like it¡¯s time to have a heart-to-heart talk with Madam Ru.

 Chapter 131 COULD YOU TIE ME UP, PLEASE?

    SHEN JI YUN, from where he had been standing in the shadows, had never taken his eyes away from Luo Yan since he entered the cell. It had been ten minutes and the rabbit had only been talking to one girl ¨C the one wearing a yellow robe. He¡¯s probably collecting information.


    Shen Ji Yun, of course, was not staring just because he couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from the rabbit. Well, a small part of it was probably indeed that. Who wouldn¡¯t want to look at beautiful people? Although, he¡¯s not really the type to take notice of people¡¯s physical appearance. Especially since it¡¯s hard for him to remember a person¡¯s face, no matter how beautiful that person was. But Luo Yan seemed to be a special case. Since the day they met, he readily remembered his face. As if his every features had been branded in his brain.


    But the real reason he was staring right now was because he was waiting for the rabbit to give him a signal. A signal whether to take one of the girls into interrogation or take him out of the cell.


    Then he saw the rabbit raising his hand and covering his mouth with his sleeve as if coughing. And that¡¯s his signal. Luo Yan was telling him to get him out of there. So he moved, getting out of the shadows.


    Shen Ji Yun opened the cell. "You, go out," he said coldly, looking at Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan still acted proudly and then tried to put strain between his eyebrows so he would look like he didn¡¯t want to go but still had to follow.


    When he was about to step forward, Guiying suddenly held his sleeve. "Shishi-"


    "It¡¯s okay. Just stay here," Luo Yan said before she finished her line.


    He pulled his sleeve back and continued walking forward. Before he could walk out, Zhenya suddenly cut him off and suddenly held onto Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arm.


    "This gentleman, please, let me out. I didn¡¯t know anything about what happened. Please," she said, pleading and crying. And she cried quite beautifully too. Being an NPC, she practically had no ws physically speaking.


    Seeing Zhenya clinging to Shen Ji Yun like some ko, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but frown a little. Was this NPC actually programmed to be this annoying? He was about to say something when Shen Ji Yun ruthlessly pushed the NPC away, making Zhenya crashed down, butt first, on the floor. Luo Yan was speechless for a bit. He should have known this guy wasn¡¯t the type to pity the jade.


    Then Shen Ji Yun clutched Luo Yan¡¯s arm and pulled him out of the prison cell.


    "You know, I think you hurt Zhenya back there quite a bit," he teased when they started walking.


    "I don¡¯t like others touching me, human or NPC alike," Shen Ji Yun just said.


    "Then... are you alright pulling me like this?" Luo Yan asked, talking about the hand that was currently holding his arm. Indicating that he was basically touching him.


    "You¡¯re not others," Shen Ji Yun said very simply.


    Luo Yan only managed to say, "I see."


    Really, what else could he say? He couldn¡¯t actually tell him that he was moved and that what he said actually made him a bit happy.


    "What information did you get from that NPC you were talking to?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    "Not much. She just proved our guess that the Kingdom of Wei was in the center of this conspiracy. And oh, that Yuexing Pavilion was definitely involved. Turns out Madam Ru is not only an owner of a courtesan house, she also groomed some of the girls as Wei spies," Luo Yan said. "On that note, we should really talk to her. Is there a torture chamber here?"


    "Torture chamber?" Shen Ji Yun asked to make sure that he heard it correctly. They were just talking about this ¡¯Madam Ru¡¯ and then the rabbit suddenly mentioned a torture chamber. So he was a bit confused.


    "We¡¯ll interrogate her there. The grim surrounding would definitely add to the atmosphere, don¡¯t you think?" Luo Yan said, grinning all mischievously.


    Looking at the rabbit¡¯s grin, Shen Ji Yun suddenly had an urge to pinch those cheeks. He suddenly remembered the time they met. He couldn¡¯t help but pinch his cheek then. Even now, he could still remember the feel of that soft cheek. Like marshmallows.


    He shook his head hard. Was this really the time to think about those things? No. Most definitely not. It seemed like whenever he¡¯s with Luo Yan, his thoughts always went astray.


    "There¡¯s a torture chamber at the very end of this corridor if I remember it correctly," he just said.


    Before the banquet started, Shen Ji Yun canvased most of the parts of the manor. That included the dungeon. He thought it would be useful to solving whatever Mystery this door would throw at the yers.


    It was easy for him to enter and go through different areas in the manor because of one of his Temporary Skills ¨C [Unlock]. He could open any keys he wanted which included locked doors.


    When they entered the said torture chamber, Luo Yan looked interestingly around. There were chains, a chair with des attached to it, something that looked simr to an iron maiden, there were even spikes and wh.i.p.s lying around. He even saw a set of knives on the corner.


    Well, this was definitely very grim looking. A lot of gory images came to mind just by standing here. Then Luo Yan remembered the task he did when applying for his Assassin ss. That scene when that maid was cooking those dismembered body parts. Nope. Nothing could definitely be gorier than that.


    He suddenly thought of an idea. He turned to Shen Ji Yun and raised both his hands towards him. In a matter as if he¡¯s asksing to be handcuffed.


    "Brother Ji Yun, could you tie me up, please?"

 Chapter 132 COULD YOU RIP MY CLOTHES, PLEASE?

    SHEN JI YUN felt like his brain just nked out after hearing that. He stared at Luo Yan. His long ck hair cupped his small face. His white skin seemed to be glowing under the orange hue of light from the torches that lighted the chamber. His big peach blossom eyes were blinking at him. His luscious red lips seemed to be pouting at him.


    Shen Ji Yun swallowed hard. If he didn¡¯t have a poker face, then his whole face would have probably already turned red by now. But he could feel his ears heating up. If not for the dark surrounding, the rabbit would definitely have noticed his red ears. Another thing he should be thankful for.


    "What?" he managed to say after a while.


    "I want Brother Ji Yun to tie me up," Luo Yan repeated.


    "Why would you want me to do that?" he asked after making sure that he didn¡¯t hear it wrong.


    Luo Yan almostughed seeing the expression on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. Granted, there¡¯s hardly really any expression on his face. But by now, Luo Yan could tell just by the scrunching of his brows and the downward movement of his mouth that he probably thought that what Luo Yan said was a bit incredulous.


    "I have an idea. You see, when I was talking to Guiying ¨C that¡¯s the name of the girl wearing a yellow robe ¨C I learned that assassinating Prince Lin Rong was not part of their n. The crown prince was their only target tonight. Either Guiying was so low in the rank that she wasn¡¯t told about that part of the n or killing the older prince really wasn¡¯t part of it. My bet is on thetter."


    "I understand. But what does that have to do with you asking me to tie you up?" Shen Ji Yun asked, still confused.


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Brother, Ji Yun, patience. Let me finish first. Anyway, as I was saying, poisoning the older prince was not part of the n. Which meant that whoever poisoned Prince Lin Rong, it wasn¡¯t Guiying or any girls from Yuexing Pavilion. Someone else did it. From the type of poison used, this someone is definitely also connected to Wei. And I bet Madam Ru knows who it is. We just have to get it out of her."


    "And getting it out of her involves tying you up?" Shen Ji Yun said, obviously still hadn¡¯t gotten over the ¡¯tying him up¡¯ part.


    "So we could make it seem like you tortured the information out of me. You will tell her that you know that Yuexing Pavilion is working with one of Prince Lin Rong¡¯s sons. That she was the one who gave the poison to one of them. The poison that caused the older prince to vomit blood and copsed."


    What Luo Yan just said finally got Shen Ji Yun¡¯s thoughts on the proper order. He was silent for a while, contemting and analyzing all the details he just heard. And he immediately understood what the rabbit was trying to say.


    "If none of the girls from Yuexing Pavilion was responsible for Prince Lin Rong¡¯s attempted assassination, then the only people who could have poisoned him were the two people sitting beside him ¨C his two sons. They must have done it when the smoke appeared. Literally using it as a smokescreen to cover their action."


    Luo Yan smiled, he truly liked it when he¡¯s talking with smart people. "Based on my experience with the poison, it¡¯s very fast acting. If Prince Lin Rong was poisoned before the smoke bomb was thrown, then he should have copsed sooner. But he didn¡¯t. He copsed after the smoke disappeared. There were three people closed to him during that time. The crown prince and his two sons. We both know it couldn¡¯t be the crown prince, being the other target himself. So it could only be one of the older prince¡¯s two sons."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded, silently agreeing with the rabbit¡¯s analysis. "But how do we get this Madam Ru to admit her connection to them?"


    "We don¡¯t need to. We just have to see her reaction. These NPCs, they¡¯re programmed to react differently when certain keywords were mentioned."


    That¡¯s what Luo Yan noticed during his talk with Guiying. That made it more fair to the yers. After all, if they couldn¡¯t find any clues by observing NPCs reactions, then solving these Mysteries would take too much time. Surely, this game wasn¡¯t that evil to not even give them that.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan and couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by how his brain worked. The quick thinking and in-depth analysis just showed how smart he was. It was really admirable.


    "But do we really need to make it look like I tortured you? Your character was not someone who¡¯s not supposed to know anything about this whole ordeal. It wouldn¡¯t be believable to say that I got the information from you," he said, voicing his concerns.


    It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to see him tortured, even if it was an act. Truly, it¡¯s not because of that.


    "I know. Just tell her that I overheard her talk with Guiying. That I found out that they¡¯re from Wei. That would be enough," Luo Yan answered with confidence. "If not, then we¡¯ll just improvise."


    Shen Ji Yun sighed. Looked like he couldn¡¯t really talk the rabbit out of this. Then, he would just y along. And if it didn¡¯t work, as the rabbit said, they just needed to improvise. "Okay. But simply tying you up wouldn¡¯t make it look like you were tortured."


    "Well, yeah. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll rip some part of my clothes. And also put dirt and blood on my face. It¡¯s so dark here, she wouldn¡¯t notice that I¡¯m not really hurt. Especially if lying on the ground. But I do think this body doesn¡¯t have the strength to rip even a single fiber of this robe. So, Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun and smiled. "Could you rip my clothes , please?"


    And, once again, Shen Ji Yun felt his mind going nk.

 Chapter 133 SHEN JI YUNS WILD IMAGINATION

    LUO YAN noticed that Shen Ji Yun was just standing there and not reacting to what he just said. Did he not hear him? "Brother Ji Yun, did you not hear what I said?"


    Of course Shen Ji Yun heard it. In fact, it was still echoing in his mind right now. Like some broken record. ¡¯Rip my clothes... rip my clothes... rip my clothes...¡¯¨C that¡¯s all he could hear for the past few seconds. He suddenly felt hot. And he didn¡¯t know why. But he was certain that it¡¯s connected to those words.


    Because just now, inexplicable images just shed inside his mind. One of Luo Yan in that red robe ripped off in various ces, showing his satiny white skin. Looking at him with those big peach blossom eyes, his lovely face blushing a beautiful red. Calling him ¡¯Brother Ji Yun¡¯ with his sweet voice. If they were not in VR right now, he¡¯d probably be already showcasing a nosebleed right now.


    Suddenly, he wanted to punch himself. What the hell was he thinking? Just when did he be so depraved that he would imagine those things? And the one involve in his imagination was not someone else but Luo Yan!


    Although he¡¯s not a genius when it came to things like emotions, but even he knew that something was wrong. Well, not really wrong, but at least something that he couldn¡¯t exin just by using his own logic. But before he could analyze things further, Luo Yan spoke again.


    "Brother Ji Yun?" the rabbit said, calling his attention.


    Shen Ji Yun tried to clear his mind and no longer thought about those things. He took a deep breath. "Is there really a need to rip your clothes?" he just asked.


    "Yes. To look more realistic. Although I know that¡¯s quite ironic, since we¡¯re in VR and all," Luo Yan said with a bit of joking tone. "So, Brother Ji Yun, could you help me? I¡¯m sure you have a dagger with you or something."


    Shen Ji Yun knew that he couldn¡¯t dissuade Luo Yan, so he just took out the small dagger hanging on his side. He emptied his mind and just mechanically tore off bits and parts of Luo Yan¡¯s red robe. But even so, he still made sure that he wouldn¡¯t hurt him. When he was done, he looked up and saw that Luo Yan¡¯s long ck hair was now in a wild disarray.


    Earlier, Luo Yan still looked like the high ss courtesan he was ying. But now? He looked like he¡¯d been abused and vited. And... there went his crazy imagination again.


    "Is this enough?" he just chose to ask, trying his best not to stare too much.


    "Still need dirt and blood," Luo Yan said before kneeling and smearing dirt from the ground to his face and clothes. He stood up and looked at Shen Ji Yun. "Could I borrow the dagger?"


    "What for?"


    "So I could prick my finger and smear the blood to my face and clothes," Luo Yan answered, reaching for the dagger in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand. But before he could do so, Shen Ji Yun already lifted the dagger away from him. "Brother Ji Yun?" he asked, confused.


    "Let¡¯s use my blood." Even though Shen Ji Yun knew this was just VR, how could he let Luo Yan bleed? So, he shed his palm without another thought and smeared the blood on Luo Yan¡¯s clothes and on his face. "This time, is this enough?"


    Luo Yan gazed down himself, satisfied by what he saw. Then he looked around and stared at one part of the wall where chains were attached. He walked towards there and then turned to Shen Ji Yun and smiled. "You just have to chain me up and we¡¯re done."


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the chain on the wall then back at Luo Yan. He couldn¡¯t help the sigh that escaped him.


    Seeing Shen Ji Yun still not moving, Luo Yan said, "Brother Ji Yun,e on, we have to be quick. Madam Ru still haspanions around, hiding somewhere. We wouldn¡¯t get the information we need if those people suddenly make their entrance and rescue Madam Ru."


    Shen Ji Yun sighed again and walked towards Luo Yan, ready to chain the rabbit up.


    "Are you sure you saw the second young missing in this direction about over an hour ago?" Duan Yu asked the maid in front of him.


    "Yes. She looked panicked, maybe even a bit scared," the maid answered.


    They were now currently in the courtyard of Xinyi ¨C the wife of the second master. The one who was a former courtesan of Yuexing Pavilion. Duan Yu learned a great deal about her since he left the courtyard where the corpse of the second young miss was. Courtesy of all the maids and servants he talked to.


    Apparently, Xinyi was the former number one courtesan before Shishi. The second master ¨C the old prince second son ¨C fell in love with her at first sight a year ago and decided to marry her as his wife. Prince Lin Rong, of course, opposed the marriage. How could a member of the royal family marry a mere courtesan? But his opposition didn¡¯t go anywhere. In the end, the second master still managed to marry Xinyi.


    Because they were just so in love.


    Duan Yu almost snorted when he heard that. He bet there was another reason why the second master was so adamant in marrying Xinyi. And it definitely had something to do with Wei. If he dug more information, an important piece that they needed to solve the Mysteries in this door would surface.


    "And you saw Xinyi going out just minutes after?" he asked the maid again.


    "Yes," the maid confirmed.


    He smiled. [Oh, naughty Madame Xinyi what are you up to?]


    *****


    Mini-theater:


    [Inside JiYun¡¯s imagination]


    YanYan wearing a ripped robe, showing parts of his porcin white skin, his lovely face blushing. He raised his big peach blossom eyes at him and called in his sweet voice: Brother JiYun...


    JiYun felt like his temperature just rose a hundred more degrees, he couldn¡¯t even think properly.


    YanYan picked up a chain and handed it to JiYun: You have to chain me up now.


    JiYun felt hot liquid dripping from his nose.


    YanYan reached for JiYun¡¯s hand: You promised you would tie me up.


    And JiYun just experienced a nosebleed waterfall.


    o(¨R¨Œ¨Q)o

 Chapter 134 ONE-SIDED INTERROGATION OF MADAM RU

    AFTER Shen Ji Yun chained Luo Yan to the wall, he immediately walked out of the torture chamber.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s fleeing back. Why did it feel like he¡¯s running away from someone? One would think he¡¯s being chased by some horrifying monster or something. He just shrugged and waited for Shen Ji Yun to bring Madam Ru here.


    The two of them already talked of the dialogue they¡¯d use once Madam Ru was here. Or rather, what dialogue Shen Ji Yun would use. Since, technically, he was the only one who¡¯s supposed to talk. He really hoped they could solve all the Mysteries in this door soon.


    It¡¯s probably already eight in the evening. If they do things right, they could finish this before nine. Then his sleeping schedule wouldn¡¯t be messed up too much. He could still sleep before ten.


    After a while, he heard two sets of footstepsing. He softened his body so he would look like he didn¡¯t have any strength left in him. He sagged his head to the side, making his long hair covered half of his face. Blood and dirt could be seen on the other half. Add that to his ripped robe with patches of blood on them and Luo Yan was truly a sorry sight.


    That¡¯s what Shen Ji Yun saw when he came back to the torture chamber. Even though he knew that it was all just an act, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel worried and anxious. How could he not? The rabbit right now was in such a sorry state. Anyone who could see him right now would feel pity for him. Shen Ji Yun wanted to rush forward and enclosed him in his arms. Protecting him from any kind of danger. Making sure that he could always keep his smile.


    But for now, the fastest way to get the rabbit out of those chains and back to his normal state was to get the information they needed from this Madam Ru. With that thought in mind, Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t hesitate to push the NPC beside him towards the torture chamber. He didn¡¯t hold back his strength, causing Madam Ru to stumble forward. She even ended up falling on the ground.


    "I won¡¯t go around in circles. We already know your connection to Wei," he said directly.


    Just like Luo Yan¡¯s theory, the moment he mentioned ¡¯Wei¡¯, there was a small crack on Madam Ru¡¯s calm fa?ade. But as quickly as it appeared, it also quickly disappeared. As if it didn¡¯t happen at all.


    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about," she said, calmly.


    "Do you see that girl chained over there? She told us everything she knew. Including your connection to the Wei Kingdom. You might think that that¡¯s impossible since she¡¯s not part of the web of spies you groomed in your pavilion. But she heard your talk with that girl, Guiying. She knew you¡¯re going to assassinate the crown prince tonight during the performance. That¡¯s why she intercepted that dagger. Because she didn¡¯t want the prince¡¯s death to be connected to her most loved pavilion.


    "But that was her mistake, thinking that your pavilion would be spared if the prince was saved. And so, she ended up there. Tortured and chained. But I must say, one couldn¡¯t help but admire her tenacity. Even if she knew all of these was your fault, she still tried to protect you. Must be some kind of misced gratitude, considering how you¡¯re the one who practically raised her. But physical pain has a way to get into people. In the end, she told me everything she knew."


    Shen Ji Yun said it all using a very monotonous tone, as if he¡¯s reading out of a script or something. Which was partly true. Since everything he¡¯s saying now was what Luo Yan taught him.


    Luo Yan almost wanted to move his head and shake it. Good thing the guy was wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face. If not, Luo Yan was sure that there¡¯d be no expression and emotion on his face right now. Which wouldn¡¯t make him very believable. Now, because of the mask, he just looked like a heartless person who couldn¡¯t care less. Aside from properly doing his job as a dark guard, of course.


    Shen Ji Yun continued, "Even if you deny what I¡¯m saying right now, the poison identified by the godly doctor will still connect you to the Wei Kingdom. And by the way, if you¡¯re waiting for rescue, the people from Wei who are currently hiding in this manor are now being round up by His Highness¡¯ dark guards. So they wouldn¡¯te. It¡¯s over."


    Which was true. Before getting Madam Ru, hemunicated with one of the dark guards stationed near the dungeon and told him about the high possibility of people from Wei hiding in the manor.


    "Now, there¡¯s only one question I¡¯m particrly interested in knowing the answer. If you tell it to me, I might even consider sparing your life. Which son of Prince Lin Rong is connected with Wei?"


    This time, Madam Ru¡¯s reaction was much bigger. Her eyes visibly widened. But soon, it turned to calmness again. She looked at Shen Ji Yun and smirked. "I won¡¯t tell you anything."


    He noticed her moving her jaw, as if she was about to bite into something. But Shen Ji Yun was faster than her. He moved like a sh of lightning, putting his hand over her mouth. Pinching her jaw to prevent her from biting anything. Madam Ru looked at him full of unwillingness and hatred.


    Shen Ji Yun already guessed that she was probably trying to kill herself. Either by poison or by biting her own tongue. How could he let that happen when he hadn¡¯t yet gotten the information they needed? But then again, how would he do that when the NPC he¡¯s trying to get the information from couldn¡¯t talk? Because he knew, once he let go, this NPC would just immediately kill herself.


    In this situation, he could only gamble.


    He looked coldly at Madam Ru. "You don¡¯t need to answer because we already know who it is. It¡¯s Lin Mo."


    After he said the name, Madam Ru¡¯s pupils dted. Clearly in panic. That was enough to confirm which of the two sons of Prince Lin Rong was connected to Wei.


    He forcefully let go of his hold to her jaws, almost nting her face on the ground.


    "Go ahead. You can now kill yourself."


    Madam Ru looked at him hatefully. But she didn¡¯t speak and just continued was she was about to do earlier. She bit on something. After that, she vomited blood andpletely copsed on the ground.


    What happened to her was almost the same as what happened to Prince Lin Rong during the banquet. So there¡¯s no doubt that she poisoned herself. This NPC was probably programmed to do that once she knew that her mission failed.


    "She really killed herself?" asked Luo Yan who had only been listening since Shen Ji Yun and Madam Ru walked in the torture chamber.


    "It didn¡¯t matter. We already got the answer we needed."


    Shen Ji Yun walked towards the rabbit. Finally, he could get him out of those chains. He was about to do just that when another voice echoed in the dark dungeon.


    "Are you two doing some kind of bondage y?"


    Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun turned to the direction of the voice. And there, standing just outside the torture chamber was Duan Yu. Looking at them full of interest.

 Chapter 135 ALMOST SOLVED MYSTERIES

    BONDAGE y? Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t know what the term meant. But just thinking of the meaning of the two words making up the term, he could almost guess its meaning. Add that to the fact that Uriel mentioned it while Luo Yan was still chained on the wall and this was what he came up with; a y that involved tying people up.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face suddenly heated up. Because he was certain the meaning of that ¡¯y¡¯ wasn¡¯t that innocent. Considering the teasing look Uriel currently had. Suddenly an image of Luo Yan tied in a not-so innocent way shed in his mind. And he was sure his face just turned even redder.


    Standing so close to Shen Ji Yun, Luo Yan, of course, saw all his reaction. From the initial confusion to the now blushing face. Knowing this awkward guy, he probably didn¡¯t know what ¡¯bondage y¡¯ meant. But being a smart person, he could easilyprehend its meaning. And thus why his face was now as red as a ripe tomato.


    "Ignore him," Luo Yan said.


    Then he gave a warning nce to Uriel who was now walking inside the torture chamber. Silently telling the guy with his eyes to stop with his jokes because it¡¯s certainly not funny. How could he let this guy corrupt Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mind? Uriel only smiled at him. Making Luo Yan want to punch him on his perfect teeth.


    Shen Ji Yun, on the other hand, just silently removed the chains around both of Luo Yan¡¯s wrists. Trying his best to clear his mind. And also to calm his heart, so that the heat on his face would slowly recede.


    Duan Yu looked at Noctis¡¯ sorry state and couldn¡¯t help butment, "What happened to you? Don¡¯t tell me the two of you really¡ª"


    "Finish that sentence and I swear I will kick you so far up your ass, you¡¯ll end up vomiting your innards," Luo Yan threatened which didn¡¯t really match the sweet smile on his face.


    Duan Yu wasn¡¯t able to speak for a second. Really, how could a person with such a pretty face say something so crass? And in such a ssy manner to booth too? This guy was probably one of the few people who could pull that off.


    He turned to YUN. "Hey, team leader, our team mate here just tantly threatened me with physical harm. Are you not going to scold him?"


    "No," Shen Ji Yun said without hesitation.


    Although Duan Yu already expected the answer, he was still stumped. Earlier, when the elf cussed, YUN didn¡¯t even bat an eye. This guy probably already had some kind of rose-colored filter when it came to Noctis. Well, Duan Yu couldn¡¯t really me him. He hadn¡¯t spent that much time with them but he could already tell that the elf had talent in manipting people.


    Duan Yu could only light a small candle for YUN. Because it¡¯s quite obvious that Noctis already had him wrapped around those dainty fingers.


    He nced down at the unconscious NPC and looked back at the two. "I take it, you guys found an important information?" he asked, going back to the much more important topic.


    "We did. Apparently, it¡¯s not only the Yuexing Pavilion that has a connection to Wei Kingdom. One of Prince Lin Rong¡¯s son also does," Luo Yan said.


    Duan Yu wasn¡¯t that surprised when he heard that. "Let me guess, it¡¯s the prince¡¯s second son ¨C Lin Mo."


    "I take it, you also found important information?" Luo Yan said back.


    "I did. But you two go on first," Duan Yu said.


    "It¡¯s not really much. We confirmed that it was Yuexing Pavilion that nned to assassinate the crown prince tonight and that it was under the orders of Wei Kingdom," Luo Yan started. "But the attack on Prince Lin Rong was not part of the n. We suspect that Lin Mo did it on his own. If we¡¯re right, then that could answer Mysteries 1 and 2. Well, at least most of it."


    The ones who wanted to harm the crown prince were the people from Yuexing Pavilion. Why do they wanted to do that? Because they¡¯re working for Wei Kingdom. Considering how that country wanted to wage war against Beitang, killing the crown prince would surely only be to their favors. After all, the Emperor only had one son. That would take care of Mystery 2.


    Now onto Mystery 1; who poisoned Prince Lin Rong and why? They already suspected that it was the second son ¨C Lin Mo. They just didn¡¯t know why.


    "My turn. This one has something to do with Mystery 3," Duan Yu said. "Second young miss didn¡¯t hang herself. She was poisoned. And yes, by the same undetectable poison from Wei. I asked around and found out that before she was poisoned, she came running out of Xinyi¡¯s courtyard. Who is Xinyi you asked? It¡¯s Lin Mo¡¯s wife. Not only that, she¡¯s also a former courtesan from Yuexing Pavilion. Interesting, right?"


    It¡¯s interesting alright, Luo Yan thought. "I say she probably discovered some important secret and that¡¯s why she¡¯s killed."


    "I also thought the same," Duan Yu agreed. "And considering how Xinyi was trying so hard to put all the me on the two cheaters you mentioned earlier, it¡¯s highly probable that she¡¯s the one who finished her off."


    "All of these centered around one NPC ¨C Lin Mo," Shen Ji Yun said. "We break him, we get the answers we need."


    "A bit bloodthirsty there, team leader. But I do agree," Duan Yu said.


    "Then let¡¯s go and get him," Luo Yan also agreed.


    Luo Yan was about to walk out of the torture chamber when Shen Ji Yun suddenly held his arm.


    He turned to him. "Brother YUN?"


    Shen Ji Yun raised his hand and wiped away the blood and the dirt on Luo Yan¡¯s face. And then hebed his long ck hair a bit with his finger. He also removed the ck outer robe he¡¯s wearing and put it around Luo Yan¡¯s shoulders. "There, we can go now."


    Luo Yan looked at the obvious satisfied expression on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. Then he suddenly thought of the ufortable expression on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face when he asked him to rip his clothes and chain him up. He must be itching since earlier to wipe the dirt and blood on his face. And also to cover his ripped robe.


    "Okay," he said, he didn¡¯t even notice the small smile that crossed his lips.


    Duan Yu watching on the side felt like he was, once again, just had been fed dog food.

 Chapter 136 THE ICEBERG MELTING

    "SO, where should we find this Lin Mo?" Luo Yan asked once they were out of the dungeon.


    The guards standing at the entrance didn¡¯t stop them. They didn¡¯t ask why the three of them were together. They didn¡¯t even question why the ¡¯girl¡¯ brought in by the crown prince¡¯s dark guard was brought out again. These NPCs were probably not programmed to react that much and was just here mostly for decoration.


    "My guess is he¡¯s probably in his wife¡¯s courtyard," Duan Yu answered. "If he wants to meet with the men from Wei lurking around the manor, Xinyi¡¯s courtyard is the best choice."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t disagree. Meeting the people from Wei in any other ce in the manor would be dangerous. The safest way was to meet at a woman¡¯s courtyard. It wouldn¡¯t hurt if that woman also turned out to be one¡¯s wife ¨C a wife who also happened to be a spy from Wei. After all, who would suspect that he would meet people from an enemy country at the courtyard of his wife?


    "Lead the way," Shen Ji Yun said to Uriel.


    Duan Yu made a sardonic bow. "Of course, team leader." He walked towards the direction of Xinyi¡¯s courtyard and the two follow behind. "Do you already have a strategy on how we should get information from him?"


    "Let¡¯s threaten his wife and force him to tell us," Luo Yan casually said.


    "I don¡¯t think that would work," Duan Yu rejected. "The guy has four other concubines. If he really is in love with his wife, as the other servants said, I don¡¯t think he would surround himself with that many women."


    "So, their rtionship is most likely a business one," Luo Yanmented.


    This Xinyi most probably just chose Lin Mo because of his identity as part of the royal family. She made a proposal that Lin Mo obviously couldn¡¯t refuse. And because her mission coincided with something that he wanted, he agreed to marry her. But what was it that Lin Mo wanted?


    It¡¯s clear that Xinyi, being from Wei, wanted to cause rift in Beitang¡¯s royal family. Their ruin would lead to chaos in the Kingdom, making it easier for Wei to attack them. Which would ultimately lead to the country¡¯s destruction. So, why would Lin Mo help the people from Wei? Did he have some kind of grudge against the royal family?


    At the end, he still asked, "Does this Lin Mo hate his family or something?"


    "Well, the servants I spoke earlier didn¡¯t mention anything about that. In fact, they all said he gets along well with both his father and older brother. Despite being concubine born and all," Duan Yu answered.


    "A concubine born son? Then maybe the ¡¯getting along¡¯ part is just on the surface. No matter how much it seemed like Prince Lin Rong treated both his sons equally, he would still prefer the son born from his official wife. That¡¯s just how things usually were during ancient times. Children born from official wives always had more advantages than the concubine born ones," Luo Yan said.


    "For power and ambition," Shen Ji yun suddenly said. "That¡¯s good enough reason to coborate with an enemy kingdom."


    An idea shed in Luo Yan¡¯s mind when he heard what Shen Ji Yunst said. If his guess was right, then it could answer most of their question. But damn, this NPC would truly be cold-blooded if Luo Yan¡¯s guess was right.


    But he¡¯s still happying up with that guess. So, he turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Brother YUN is so smart."


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit surprised by the suddenpliment. He was used to people giving him one ¨C ssmates, professors, his uncle¡¯s colleagues. He didn¡¯t feel much hearing words ofpliment from those people. But hearing it from the rabbit actually felt a bit different. It¡¯s like his heart was suddenly soaked in warm liquid, making him feel all giddy inside.


    Unbeknownst to him, a small smile already crossed his lips. Even his usual cold and emotionless gaze became gentler and warmer. Well, at least while he¡¯s looking at Luo Yan.


    Duan Yu, on the side, rolled his eyes at the two. Seriously, these two. He truly wanted to shout, ¡¯please, go and get a room¡¯. But who would have thought that the famous iceberg of Yunyue could also melt? He nced at Noctis. All thanks to this elf. He really wondered what kind of medicine did he make YUN drank to make the guy all gooey for him.


    "This is it," he said and immediately stopped walking.


    Luo Yan looked at the courtyard some distance away from where they stopped. He could tell that this was a pretty huge courtyard. He could even see a pond in the distance. Seemed like even if the rtionship between this Xinya and Lin Mo were all business like, she was still pretty well cared for.


    "So, what¡¯s our next move?" he asked. "Should we just go straight in and then beat the shit out of Lin Mo to force him to confess his crime? Or should we be smart about it and formte a strategy first?"


    "As much as I want to watch your violent act, I think we wouldn¡¯t get much from him if we beat him senseless," Duan Yu said dryly.


    "I think beating him would do just fine."


    "Of course you would," Duan Yu said sarcastically when he heard YUN say that. [Everything Noctis say and do is perfect in your eyes.]


    Seriously, it¡¯s like he¡¯s with his captain and Zhong Hui right now. Well, unlike this Noctis, Li Xu Min was definitely much easier to handle.


    "I¡¯ll go and check the room first to see if he¡¯s really there," Shen Ji Yun said. "You two, hide somewhere near. It would be bad if some Wei NPC saw you two lurking around near the courtyard."


    "Wait- before you go, have this." Duan Yu took out some kind of ball shaped object that was as big as a ping-pong ball. "If Lin Mo is there, throw it in the room where he¡¯s in. It would produce smoke that would paralyze all the people in the room. Making our job easier."


    "Why do you have something like that?" Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Duan Yu turned to Noctis and smiled. "Because unlike someone, my identity is very useful."


    Luo Yan also smiled back. "You know, I really want to punch you right now. Probably knock some of your teeth too."


    Duan Yu turned back to YUN. "Team leader, our team mate here is threatening me again with bodily harm. Can you please stop him from being so violent?"


    Shen Ji Yun took the ping-pong ball like object from Uriel. "He¡¯s fine. If he managed to beat you, then that means your identity is not so useful after all." He then turned to the rabbit. "I¡¯m going."


    "Okay. Be careful, Brother YUN."


    Duan Yu changed his gaze to another direction, lest he be fed another te of dog food by these two.

 Chapter 137 ALL THE ANSWERS THEY NEED

    SHEN JI YUN quickly moved towards the courtyard. He used two of his Temporary Skills ¨C [Conceal] and [elerate]. Increasing his speed while hiding his presence. Arriving at the courtyard, he immediately checked every room as fast and as stealthy as he could.


    As he continued to move towards a certain direction of the courtyard, the number of servants got less and less. A clear sign that he¡¯s going in the right direction. Then he heard a crashing sound. Like the sound of breaking sses. Having confirmed that he¡¯s definitely on the right track, he rushed forward where the crashing sound came from. And he ended up in front of a room, quite isted from the rest.


    He carefully opened the door screen and looked inside. The whole room was in a mess. Books were scattered around. A table was flipped over. There were fragments of vases and tea cups on the floor. Which was what Shen Ji Yun heard breaking earlier. Three people were inside. Two men and a woman. He recognized one of the men as Lin Mo. The woman was most likely his wife ¨C Xinyi. He wasn¡¯t sure about the remaining man though.


    The man was wearing a simple nondescript blue robe. Even his features were in. If he stood with a group of people, he would definitely not be the one to be noticed first.


    Lin Mo was heaving violently. His whole face was red in anger. "That damn Lin Ze! Of all the people he had to travel with, why did it have to be that godly doctor?!"


    If Shen Ji Yun remembered it correctly, ¡¯Lin Ze¡¯ was the name of the crown prince.


    "I already told you not to be impatient. The crown prince was the only target tonight. But you still had to go and poison your father," the man in blue said, a bit condescending.


    Lin Mo red sharply at the man. "You could only say that because you¡¯re not in my position. Do you know what that old man told me before the banquet? He said why can¡¯t I be more like my ¡¯older brother¡¯? As if that son of his never did anything wrong in his life! When in fact, he only got lucky because he¡¯s born from the old man¡¯s official wife. The daughter of a general. While my mother was just a lowly servant," he said full of sarcasm and bitterness. "Do you know what that old man did when my mother died because of his wife¡¯s schemes? Nothing! He did nothing! As if my mother was just a piece of rag he decided to throw away. Tell me, now that I have the chance to kill the old man, why wouldn¡¯t I take it?"


    "Because it¡¯s not the time," the man in blue simply said. "But clearly, you seem to not care. I already told you to change your habit of following your emotions. And now I have to clean up your mess."


    "I¡¯m sure Ah Mo didn¡¯t mean for it to end up this way," the woman ¨C Xinyi ¨C said, obviously defending Lin Mo.


    "Of course I didn¡¯t," Lin Mo said, gritting his teeth. "Most of the mistakes that happened tonight was because of the blunder of Yuexing Pavilion. Not to mention your own blunder! You couldn¡¯t even stop a little girl from hearing our conversation!"


    Shen Ji Yun guessed this ¡¯little girl¡¯ was most likely the second young miss.


    "I already took care of the second young miss. And the people from Yuexing Pavilion won¡¯t talk," Xinyi assured.


    Lin Mo only snorted.


    "I suggest you stop that insolent act towards Her Highness. May I remind you that she¡¯s still a princess of my country. You wouldn¡¯t achieve your dreams of bing this country¡¯s Emperor without her on your side. So I suggest you should be more courteous," the man in blue robe said.


    Those just revealed a lot of important information. Information that could solve the Mysteries in this door.


    Lin Mo clenched both fists, his facepletely grim. It was obvious that he was trying to control his anger. "I know."


    "Minister Zhao, it¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to speak that way towards Ah Mo. I¡¯m sure he already understands," Xinyi said.


    "Of course, Your Highness." The man Xinyi called Minister Zhao stood up from where he was sitting. "I will go and contact the others, so we could proceed to the next part of the n. To make sure that this night would not go to waste."


    When he was about to leave, Shen Ji Yun threw the ball Uriel gave him. Soon, smoke came out from it. He closed the door of the room to make sure that the smoke wouldn¡¯t go outside.


    A few minutester, when the smoke subsided, he went inside. He saw the three copsed and couldn¡¯t move. But all were conscious based on the red he was receiving. The fact that they weren¡¯t screaming or shouting at him right now proved that, not only were they paralyzed, they also couldn¡¯t talk.


    So, Shen Ji Yun went and tied the three up.


    "So, is Yunyue nning to join the next season of Arcadia Cup?" Uriel suddenly asked.


    Luo Yan nced at the guy. They were currently standing behind a huge tree near the courtyard, waiting for Shen Ji Yun to go back. "Why do you suddenly ask?"


    Duan Yu shrugged. "Because my team¡¯s captain would love to have a proper fight with your team. Well, more specifically, your captain. He would definitely be d if I tell him Yunyue is back."


    Which was the truth. Li Xu Min have longed wanted to have a proper battle against Yunyue. Probably because he just wanted to know if Celestials was really the best team in Arcadia. Or if they¡¯re only the best because they had never fought against Yunyue.


    Luo Yan smiled interestingly at Uriel. "What, your captain is not afraid my captain is going to beat his ass?"


    "I don¡¯t know about that. But I¡¯m sure my captain wouldn¡¯t be beaten so easily. Especially by someone who hasn¡¯t fought a team battle for five years. Your captain might have already lost his touch, for all we know," Duan Yu said, smiling back at Noctis.


    For some reason, that kind of pissed off Luo Yan. It seemed he didn¡¯t like hearing people say those kind of words about Shen Ji Yun. Like him ¡¯losing his touch¡¯ or something. Was it because they belong to the same team now? And any doubts about his ability would also reflecte the team¡¯s?


    Before he could think more, the person in question suddenly appeared beside him.


    "I got all the answers we need," Shen Ji Yun directly said.

 Chapter 138 CLEARING THE BLUE DOOR

    SHEN JI YUN proceeded on telling the two the answers to the three mysteries.


    "Mystery 1: Who poisoned Prince Lin Rong and why? The answer, as we have already guessed, is his second son ¨C Lin Mo. Why did he do it? Apparently, he bears a grudge against his father for the death of his mother. A lowly servant girl who was schemed against by the official wife. The old prince didn¡¯t do anything about it, so Lin Mo hated him ever since. That hate only deepened because of the preferential treatment the old prince was giving to his eldest son. Lin Mo thought that tonight would be the best chance to kill him. And so he did.


    "Mystery 2: Who wanted to harm the crown prince and why? We already established the answer to this. But to be more thorough, here¡¯s what I found. It¡¯s true that Wei Kingdom was the one behind the assassination attempt tonight. Yuexing Pavilion should be the one in-charged of it. They wanted to kill the crown prince, not only to cause chaos, but also to put the person they colluded with on the throne. In this case, Lin Mo. Once the crown prince is dead, it would be easy to kill the other candidates for the throne ¨C which was Prince Lin Rong and his eldest son. Until only Lin Mo was left. Wei has no qualms in doing that because the Empress would be a princess in their country. The one known as Xinyi. From what I¡¯ve seen, they have a pretty good handle over Lin Mo. Even if he wanted to, it would be hard to get away from their control.


    "And finally, Mystery 3: What truly happened to the manor¡¯s second young miss? She heard a conversation between Lin Mo and Xinyi that she shouldn¡¯t have. To solve her and theplications that would ensue once the truth of what they¡¯re nninges out, Xinyi killed her. And those are the answers to all the Mysteries in this door."


    "Wow... Brother YUN, you found all that in such a short time? That¡¯s amazing!" Luo Yan said, his big peach blossom eyes shining.


    And because Luo Yan was truly impressed, the shine in his eyes was more genuine. They¡¯re like a pair of ck diamonds filled with millions of star lights. Making his already pretty face looked even more captivating.


    Shen Ji Yun felt like he was suddenly nailed on the spot. All he could do was to stare at that beautiful face. Seeing the admiration in the rabbit¡¯s shining eyes, he felt like that the long exnation he just said didn¡¯t go to waste. If he could see this kind of expression on the rabbit¡¯s face more often, then he wouldn¡¯t mind talking more.


    "Mind telling us how you did it?" Duan Yu said.


    "I overheard their conversation. The context of it just answered all the Mysteries in this door," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    "Oh? So you didn¡¯t do anything after all," Duan Yu said with a bit of sarcasm and teasing in his voice.


    Luo Yan punched Uriel¡¯s shoulder. "Hey, don¡¯t be such a douche."


    Uriel acted like Luo Yan broke his shoulder or something. "Why do you always resort to violence?"


    "Because you just bring the violence in me," Luo Yan answered, smiling sweetly at Uriel. "You just have that kind of face, you know? The one people would want to punch every time they see you."


    Duan Yu snorted. Why did it seem like he would never win a verbal fight against this elf?


    Luo Yan then turned to Shen Ji Yun. "They really just talked about it? Like everything?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "I think it¡¯s because we already guessed that Lin Mo was somehow involved. So when I got close, it triggered that conversation."


    That actually made sense. If they didn¡¯t investigate further, they would probably just me everything on Yuexing Pavilion and the Wei Kigdom. But because they did, they found out about Lin Mo¡¯s involvement. Triggering that conversation was probably the game¡¯s way of making things a bit easier for them. After all, they did do a lot before they came to that conclusion about Lin Mo and his involvement in all this.


    "So, where¡¯s Lin Mo and Xinyi?" he asked.


    "Tied up together with an NPC named Minister Zhao. Who I guess was from Wei," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    "What should we do next?" Duan Yu asked. "We can now go out of this door since we already solved all the Mysteries."


    Luo Yan opened his Status Window and looked at the time. It¡¯s 8:30 in the evening. There¡¯s still 30 minutes more before nine. Plenty of time left to still do some things.


    "Why don¡¯t we tell the crown prince about the result of our investigation? Or at least, my investigation. Since he ordered me to do so, after all," he said.


    "Why should we waste time on that?" Uriel, of course, rejected the idea.


    "Because we might get some extra points in doing so."


    "I agree," Shen Ji Yun seconded.


    Duan Yu rolled his eyes. [Of course you do.] "Fine, let¡¯s go then."


    They all walked towards the courtyard dedicated to the crown prince. Because of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s identity, not to mention Uriel¡¯s, they were easily able to go inside without much hindrance. They were led by one of the servants to the garden at the back where the crown prince was.


    The prince was sitting inside a pavilion, drinking tea.


    "Is your investigation over?" he asked, not looking at them.


    Luo Yan kneeled respectfully and told him everything they discovered. From Yuexing Pavilion, to Lin Mo¡¯s conspiracy, and even to the second young miss¡¯ death.


    The crown prince frowned when he heard all those things. "Is this true?"


    He didn¡¯t seem to be asking Luo Yan, so he didn¡¯t answer. Instead, it was Shen Ji Yun who did.


    "It¡¯s true, Your Highness. Lin Mo, his wife, and a minister from Wei, are now tied up in a courtyard. Your Highness can go and talk to them anytime you want."


    "I see." The crown prince¡¯s expression went back to normal. Then he turned to Luo Yan. "It seems like I owe you an apology."


    "No, Your Highness. Being able to prove my innocence is already enough," Luo Yan said.


    "If you have any request, I could grant it to you. As a form ofpensation."


    Luo Yan raised his head. "Then could I ask Your Highness to let me have Yuexing Pavilion? I know some of the girls and even Madam Ru are connected to this conspiracy against the throne. But most of the girls there are innocent. Some of them are too young to even know what¡¯s happening. So please, Your Highness, I hope you can grant me this request."


    That was definitely something the proud and skilled ¡¯Shishi¡¯ would say.


    The crown prince finally looked in his direction. "Alright, I will grant you this request."


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    "Di Yi, bring Miss Shishi to an empty room to let her rest," the crown prince ordered Shen Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun bowed and led Luo Yan out. Of course, Uriel followed.


    "That was a good performance," Duan Yumented.


    "Well, the King of Arcadia did say to entertain him," Luo Yan shrugged. He turned to Shen Ji Yun and smiled happily. "Should we go out now, Brother YUN?"


    Looking at the rabbit¡¯s smile, Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help but also smile back. "Yes."


    He pressed the crescent moon mark at the back of his hand and entered the answers to all the Mysteries. Then a notification appeared right after.


    [Congrattions on perfectly clearing the blue door! Please meet with tHis Majesty to get your rewards.]

 Chapter 139 BLUE DOORS REWARDS (I)

    WHEN Luo Yan opened his eyes, the three of them were already standing in a room very simr to a throne room. He nced beside him and saw Shen Ji Yun back to his original game avatar ¨C long dark purple hair with silvery tips, a pair of light amethyst beast-like eyes, and a pair of golden antler shaped horns. Luo Yan looked down and subconsciously smiled when he saw his purple sh costume. Finally, he¡¯s no longer wearing that courtesan costume.


    He then gazed up. Sitting on a throne made of ss was a man. He had silvery white hair like threads made of moon light and a pair of apricot eyes the same color as the night sky. It was the King of Arcadia. Looking down at them in that majestic and gentle manner.


    "Congrattions on perfectly clearing the blue door," the King said.


    Remembering all the things he experienced in that blue door, Luo Yan¡¯s urge to beat up the King rushed up again. "I hope we managed to entertain Your Majesty," he was smiling but his voice was full of sarcasm.


    But the King seemed to not notice it. "Oh, you did. I was very much entertained. For that and for perfectly clearing the door you went into, I decided to give you three an extra reward. On that note, here are the rewards for aplishing your task."


    The King snapped his finger and three male servants walked in carrying a treasure chest each. They stopped in front of the three yers and one by one opened the treasure chest.


    From left to right; an almost transparent stone that was giving off a golden glow, a silver white robe that seemed to be sewn from the King¡¯s hair himself, and finally, a fist sized green pod.


    "Introduce the items," the King said to the servants holding the chests.


    "This stone is called [Stelian]. It could be used as a weapon¡¯s core. It could also be forged into an armor or any kind of essories. Any items forged from it would automatically have a holy light attribute. It would be most advantageous to anyone with a Priest ss," the servant holding the left most chest said.


    "This is the [Lunam Robe]. It was woven personally by His Majesty using his own Mana. Anyone who wears it would have a 10% increase in their DEF (defense)," the one standing at the middle said.


    "This is the [Ambrosia Pod]. It contained arge amount of Mana. Its size could increase ordingly. If the yer wanted to use it for themselves, the pod could erge to their size. They could soak inside and their basic MP would increase exponentially. A yer could also use it for their chosen pets. Their stats would also increase if they soaked inside," thest one to the right said.


    When he heard that, Luo Yan¡¯s eyes visibly brightened. "Could a beast¡¯s egg be also put inside the pod?" he couldn¡¯t help but asked.


    "Yes," the servant answered. "It would elerate the egg¡¯s hatching time."


    That¡¯s what Luo Yan wanted to hear.


    "YUN, as the leader of your team, I will give you the rights to choose whichever rewards you wanted and also, which of the remaining two would be given to your team mates," the King said.


    Luo Yan immediately turned to Shen Ji Yun, grabbing the hem of the sleeve of his robe. His peach blossom eyes were practically shouting ¨C¡¯I want that Ambrosia Pod!¡¯.


    Of course, Shen Ji Yun would not disappoint him. So he patted the rabbit¡¯s hand holding on to the helm of his robe. Telling him with his eyes that he understood. He turned to the King.


    "I will give the [Ambrosia Pod] to Noctis. The [Stelian] to Uriel. And I will take the [Lunam Robe]." He nced at Uriel. "You have noins about that, right?"


    Duan Yu raised one of his brows. "It¡¯s not as if I have a choice, right?" he questioned back.


    "True," Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t hesitate to say before turning back to the King. "Those are my choices."


    The King raised his hand, signaling for the servants to give the rewards to the three yers. Which they immediately did.


    When Luo Yan took the [Ambrosia Pod] from the chest, he happily hugged it. The egg had been in his possession for 27 days now. He¡¯d been inputting his Mana on it ever since. That¡¯s the first thing he always did every time he logged in the game. Based on his calction, he had to do that for 100 days until it hatched. But with this [Ambrosia Pod], the time the egg needed to hatch would be shorten.


    He immediately put it in his Items Tab. With the help of the pod, he would probably meet his Little Ancestor soon.


    Looking at that silly grin on Noctis¡¯ face, Duan Yu could tell that the guy had his own beast¡¯s egg. The pet system had only been implemented a little more than a month ago. So most veteran yers hadn¡¯t got onto it yet. Just like most of the high ranking members of Celestials. Now he¡¯s thinking, maybe they should go and get their own pet too. Those things might turn into one of the decisive factors in winning a team battle during the next season of Arcadia Cup.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun with a bright smile on his face. "Thank you, Brother YUN."


    "It¡¯s nothing," Shen Ji Yun said. He already suspected that the pod was probably for that beast¡¯s egg he saw Luo Yan took out that one time. He then took the robe and presented it to Luo Yan. "You can also have this one."


    Luo Yan almost didn¡¯t manage to react on time. "Wha¡ªwhy?"


    "The robe I¡¯m wearing already has the same effect. It would be much more of use to you than me," Shen Ji Yun simply exined.


    He knew that Luo Yan already had an item that he¡¯s nning to use as his weapon¡¯s core. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t hesitate to pick the [Lunam Robe] to give to Luo Yan. Besides that, with the rabbit¡¯s avatar¡¯s long white hair and porcin white skin, he knew that it would definitely look good on him. Definitely much better than anyone else.


    And it also didn¡¯t hurt that this [Lunam Robe] looked like a pair with his own [Firecloud Robe].


    Luo Yan epted the robe. This was not the time to act like some white lotus person who would insist he didn¡¯t need the robe and would go around this whole dance of ¡¯you should have it and no, I can¡¯t possibly ept it¡¯. Since Shen Ji Yun was willing to give it to him, why should he refuse?


    And besides, this robe would definitely look good on him. Though he had to look for another set of costume that would go well with it.


    He happily put it in his Items Tab. "Thank you, Brother YUN. I will definitely take good care of it."


    A small smile crossed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips. His usually cold and emotionless eyes were currently filled with gentleness and indulgence.


    Duan Yu, seeing all this, just shook his head. It seemed like no matter the ce, these two would always inadvertently force people to eat their dog food.

 Chapter 140 BLUE DOORS REWARDS (II)

    "AS I¡¯ve said earlier, your team will receive an extra reward for perfectly clearing the blue door," the King said after a while.


    The King pped once and six Skill Books appeared out of thin air. Two of those were in front of Luo Yan. The remaining four were also divided between Shen Ji Yun and Uriel.


    "Choose one of the two Skill Books in front of you and that would be your extra reward," the King continued.


    And here Luo Yan thought the King would give them two Skill Books each. He should have known this guy wouldn¡¯t be that generous. He looked at the two Skill Books in front. Both looked exactly the same. Luo Yan didn¡¯t think much and just picked the one on the left.


    The moment he did, it turned into a small ball of light and flew straight at him. It entered the very center of his forehead and a bunch of information immediately appeared in his mind.


    At first, it was like a rey of the dance he performed at the banquet. It yed inside his head from start to finish. Then suddenly, he felt like every movement in the dance was embedded in his muscles. Almost as if even without music, he could perform it perfectly. Seeing how things were going, he suddenly had a bad hunch. This bad hunch was confirmed when the screen with the skill¡¯s information appeared in front of him.


    [Healing Dance]


    - Dance for 30 seconds and you could cure any status ailments (i.e. paralysis, poison, etc.) of any friendly party within a 1-meter radius. Dance for a continuous minute and you couldpletely restore the HP of all friendly parties within the same radius.


    - The vicinity of its effect would increase by half a meter as the skill¡¯s level also increased.


    Level: 1 (Max ¨C 10)


    Cool Down: 3 minutes


    Luo Yan stared at the screen for a good second before his brain registered what he just read. Shit. What the hell was this? He already thought that that dancing experience would end after they got out of the blue door. But now, it even followed him out? Could he return this and choose the other Skill Book?


    And what¡¯s with this Healing Dance anyway? He¡¯s an Assassin! Not a Priest or a Bard. Why should he have a healing skill? Seriously, he¡¯s at the point where he suspected that the King was actually digging a pit for him to jump in.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Shen Ji Yun asked when he noticed that the rabbit¡¯s expression was a bit wrong. "You didn¡¯t like the skill you got? Was it not useful?"


    Oh, it¡¯s useful alright. After all, an Assassin having a healing skill was pretty umon. Luo Yan just refused to dance in front of a bunch of other yers. It felt like he would lose face if he did. Especially if the dance was the one that he did during the banquet. It wouldn¡¯t be too embarrassing if he was a girl. But doing those movements when he¡¯s clearly a guy was just too much for him.


    He swore, he¡¯d never use this skill unless it¡¯s necessary for him to do so.


    "It¡¯s okay," he said, barely containing the smile on his face. "How about the skill Brother YUN got?"


    "It¡¯s alright."


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t feel much since almost all his skills were powerful, some even over the top. But he did appreciate this extra reward. The King would never give out a weak and useless skill as a reward. Luo Yan was just starting. .u.mting good skills was good for any new yers like him.


    Duan Yu was also satisfied with the skill he got. It¡¯s quite a powerful healing skill. A bit rted to the role he yed in the blue door. Now the verbal abuse he experienced under the hands of the elf, not to mention the dog food he was forced to eat, seemed not so bad anymore.


    Luo Yan turned to the King. "Can we leave now, Your Majesty?" he asked, almost biting out thest part. After that dancing skill, he truly didn¡¯t want to see the King¡¯s face right now.


    "There¡¯s still one thing I need to give," the King said.


    He snapped his fingers once again and a small transparent globe with some kind of ancient building inside appeared in front of Luo Yan. Luo Yan squinted his eyes at the building, because it looked eerily familiar. Like he had seen it before. Then something clicked in his brain. He hadn¡¯t just seen this before, he¡¯s been in it just a few hours ago.


    It¡¯s the miniature version of Yuexing Pavilion!


    "I believe you requested to have this," the King continued.


    Well, yes, Luo Yan did. But..."So, Your Majesty is giving me some kind of Yuexing Pavilion snow globe?"


    "That¡¯s not just for decoration, that¡¯s the real thing. You can put it on an empty plot ofnd anywhere in the four cities and it would automatically appear on thatnd. Of course, thend should be big enough to fit the whole building and you need to buy thend yourself. All the courtesans and waiters will be reinstated once you have chosen to rebuild it. Any ie the building generated will, of course, be put into your ount," the King exined.


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes widened. He almost couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard. "Your Majesty mean that I now own Yuexing Pavilion for real?"


    "I believe that¡¯s what I just said," the King confirmed. "Not only that, you can also resume your role as ¡¯Shishi¡¯ whenever you wanted as long as you¡¯re inside the premises of Yuexing Pavilion."


    Luo Yan chose to ignore thatst part. He was truly happy that he now had his own business inside the game. And from what the King said, all the NPCs working in the pavilion would still be there. Meaning he didn¡¯t have to worry about where to get NPCs or even yers to work in the pavilion. This was really a great loot. Even greater than the other rewards he got. Now the King didn¡¯t seem to be so annoying anymore.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" he said, giving the King one of his rare real smile.


    Duan Yu nced at the elf. How could this guy be so lucky? If he knew he could take something out of the blue door, he would have probably asked for something too.


    "You three can leave now," the King said instead.


    He pped his hands once again and their surroundings suddenly became blurry. Then the three disappeared from the throne room and reappeared instantly in front of ck Lake. Well, that¡¯s a way to kick people out.


    "I guess this is goodbye," Duan Yu said. "I hope you won¡¯t ignore me when we cross paths again."


    Luo Yan stopped and then smiled. "Of course."


    Duan Yu had a feeling that if he didn¡¯t say what he did, the two would really just ignore him. "It¡¯s nice working with you two. And oh, don¡¯t forget to give me a discount once your new business is up and running."


    Then he logged out.


    "Congrattions on having your own business," Shen Ji Yun said to Luo Yan.


    "Thank you, Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan said, his face was radiating with happiness.


    Looking at that pretty face, Shen Ji Yun suddenly remembered the dance the rabbit performed during the banquet. When the King said that Luo Yan could once again be ¡¯Shishi¡¯, the first thing that came to his mind was ¨C¡¯he can see the rabbit dance once again¡¯.


    He shook his head. It¡¯s like ever since they entered that blue door, his thought process suddenly became weird. No, his thought process since meeting the rabbit had already been weird. It just became worse.


    "Are you going to log out now?" he just asked.


    "Yeah. It¡¯s already near my sleeping time," Luo Yan answered.


    But he had to send a message to Luo Jin first, telling him that he already logged out. Speaking of, he wondered what that brother of his was doing now?

 Chapter 141 LUO JINS PLIGHT (I)

    INSIDE the red door, let¡¯s back track in time about an hour and a half ago...


    Luo Jin was not doing that good at the moment.He was barefooted, the skirt of his freaking dress was almost in tatters, he didn¡¯t even know where Su Yuqi was.The only good thing right now was that the surroundings was dim.The NPCs around wouldn¡¯t suspect his real gender.The only light wasing from the fighting currently happening in the ballroom.


    Yes, fighting.


    A group of men wearing all ck suddenly appeared during the middle of the dance and tried to kill of the prince from Crystal Kingdom.The guards of the prince, in order to protect him, of course, fought back.But that¡¯s not the end of it all.


    With all themotion happening, some kind of tentacle like monster suddenly appeared.Its color was green and its shape was simr to a Venus fly trap, just much, much bigger.Bigger in a sense that it reached the crystal chandelier hanging on the ceiling of the ball room.It was slimy and had appendages attached to its body simr to tentacles.It looked like it came straight out of a hentai anime.


    Especially when it started to capture the girls, surrounding them with its tentacles.The slime from the monster¡¯s body acted like some kind of acid, slowly degrading the clothes of the captured girls.Once again, Luo Jin felt like he was watching a scene straight out of some hentai anime.


    Just what¡¯s with the bad taste of the person who designed this red door?


    Because the monster was too big, when it started to rampage, it destroyed the chandelier on the ceiling.The slime on its body also spread to whatever area was near it.That was the reason why the skirt of his dress was almost destroyed.Because some of its slime identally dropped to where he was standing.If he didn¡¯t manage to move fast, it¡¯s not just his skirt but his whole body would be soaked in that monster¡¯s slime.Just thinking about it could give Luo Jin goosebumps.


    The monster¡¯s sudden appearance not only stopped the fighting between the men in ck and prince¡¯s guards, it also separated him from Su Yuqi.Well, to be fair, they weren¡¯t really standing together in the first ce.He was just following her with his eyes.Okay, now that sounded a bit stalker-ish.But it wasn¡¯t like that, okay?


    He couldn¡¯t help but remember what happened when they met earlier in front of the pce.


    =====


    Luo Jin was sure that the tall and willowy young woman standing on a distance from him was Su Yuqi.He was nning to walk towards her when she took her gaze back and walked towards the castle.As if she didn¡¯t see him at all.No, it¡¯s probably more urate to say that she didn¡¯t recognize him.


    Well, how could she?She¡¯d only seen his game avatar which was so far off on how he really looked like in real life.And now, he was wearing a dress, covering the lower part of his face with a fan.Who would equate his current avatar to his gnome avatar?Only his second brother would probably able to recognize him at a nce.


    So Luo Jin decided to just follow Su Yuqi.If she didn¡¯t recognize him, then he¡¯d just introduce himself.They¡¯re already team mates anyway, it¡¯s justified for them to team up for the task in this red door as well.The moment he took a step, he almost tripped.


    Damn.Why did this character have to wear heels?He¡¯s only masquerading as a girl.The skirt of the dress was already long enough to hide his footwear?So why still wear heels?To make it look authentic?Wouldn¡¯t it look even more suspicious once people notice that he¡¯s not used to walking in heels?


    Maybe the character of this avatar was one that was extremely stupid.After all, who would go and cross-dressed as his twin sister just so she could save him from marrying some foreign prince?Really, was there no other option?And it¡¯s not as if his sister would be automatically chosen even if she attended this party herself.


    Therefore, Luo Jin could only conclude that the person who wrote the story for this door was probablycking a good amount of sleep.


    He bnced himself and continued to walk forward.


    Before Su Yuqi could enter the pce, Luo Jin stretched his hand and held her arm to stop her.She looked back and narrowed her eyes at him, her pretty face filling with displeasure.


    "What are you doing?Let go!" she said in the haughtiest tone possible, as if Luo Jin was some beggar who dirtied her clothes.


    Luo Jin was taken aback a bit.Because this was the most emotion Su Yuqi had shown, aside from indifference, ever since they met.He suddenly wondered if he recognized the wrong person.And then he remembered the character introduction he had the moment he arrived here.Su Yuqi probably had the same experience.She¡¯s probably ying the role of some haughty nobledy right now.And since, she couldn¡¯t possibly recognize him, her first thought would be that he¡¯s an NPC in this door.


    "Su Yuqi, it¡¯s me, Luo Jin," he whispered.


    Su Yuqi stared at him for about ten seconds."Luo Jin...?"


    Luo Jin put down the fan covering the lower half of his face."It¡¯s me."


    She looked at his face, then down at the dress he was wearing, and then back again at his face.After that, something very unlikely happened.Su Yuqi let out a giggle.It was only for a second, but she did.Then her usual indifferent expression returned."Nice dress."


    Even though theughing expression on her face was already gone, the teasing light in her eyes was still there.Which only made Luo Jin much more embarrassed.His face blushing furiously."D-don¡¯tugh!It¡¯s not as if I want to dress like this."


    Su Yuqi¡¯s eyes bent into crescents and a small smile crossed her lips."I know."


    Luo Jin stared at Su Yuqi¡¯s pretty face, unable to look away.This was the first time he saw her smile.And what a nice smile it was.He looked away, his face was still as red."Let¡¯s team up," he said directly.


    "Okay," Su Yuqi agreed with no hesitation."Who¡¯s going to be the leader then?"


    "You do it.You have more experience ying this game anyway."


    =====


    After they teamed up, they both entered the castle.Based on the role Su Yuqi was ying, there¡¯s no way she would be caught mingling with the illegitimate ¡¯daughter¡¯ of a count.So they had to stand far apart in the ballroom.


    Ten minutes after the prince from Crystal Kingdom arrived, the attack from the men in ck happened.Then that tentacle monster appeared.And Luo Jin lost sight of Su Yuqi in the middle of all themotion.


    He changed his mind.The person who wrote the story behind this door was notcking sleep, they clearly had a hole in their brain!


    Luo Jin looked around again, trying to dodge people and droplets of slime altogether.


    Now where the heck was Su Yuqi?

 Chapter 142 LUO JINS PLIGHT (II)

    LUO JIN turned left and almost tripped on something. If not for his good reaction speed, he¡¯d definitely be lying, face first, on the ground right about now. He truly wanted to just curse out loud.


    There were NPCs running about, panicking and screaming. Those men in ck were still fighting the prince¡¯s guards. There¡¯s a tentacle monster capturing girls and probably doing something perverted to them. And all of these were happening with almost no lights around. In this kind of situation, what kind of person wouldn¡¯t want to curse?


    Ah, there¡¯s probably one person who wouldn¡¯t react much. The captain of the team he just joined in. Shen Ji Yun. That expressionless guy probably wouldn¡¯t show any reaction even if he was entangled with tentacles and his body covered in slime. He shook his head. Just imagining it was already giving him goosebumps.


    Then a notification prompt suddenly appeared in front of him.


    [Mystery: What¡¯s the origin of the green monster?]


    Because of the sudden appearance of the prompt, he didn¡¯t notice that one of the tentacles of the monster wasing to the ce where he was standing. The moment he noticed, it was already toote. The tentacle was already about a few inches away from him.


    He was about to move but before he could, someone pulled his arm hard. Before he knew it, he was already pushed to a wall.


    "What the f¡ª"


    His words were cut off by the person who pushed him. "Sshh!"


    Luo Jin looked at the person in front of him and his pupils immediately sank in. In front of him was Su Yuqi. Even though the surrounding was dim, Luo Jin could still see her clearly because of how close their bodies were to each other. She was leaning over him. One of her arms passed at the side of his face,nding on the wall behind him. Her forefinger was in front of her lips, a gesture telling him to not speak.


    Because of her posture and the skimpy upper half of her dress, Luo Jin had a clear view of her cleavage. And quite a bountiful one too. He felt like all his blood just rushed up to his face. He quickly nced away. Looking at anywhere but the young woman in front of him. If this was real life, he was sure that blood had already flowed down his nose. Not only that, he could even feel the uncontroble beating of his heart.


    What was happening? Was this the result of his teenage hormones going on overdrive? He read from an article that teenagers were much more prone to crazy hormonal drive. Which led them to constantly think about R-rated things. It¡¯s especially true for boys his age.


    So, was this just his hormones talking?


    "Do you hear that?" Su Yuqi suddenly asked, cutting off Luo Jin¡¯s thoughts.


    "W-what?"


    "Listen carefully."


    Luo Jin did. But all he could hear was the same noise he¡¯d been hearing since all the chaos started. The panicked voices of the NPCs, the shing of swords, and the roar of a monster.


    Su Yuqi seemed to notice that he didn¡¯t hear what she asked him to hear. So she suddenly held his chin and moved his head towards a certain direction. "Concentrate."


    He really wanted to but all he could hear was her breath blowing on his ear. "I can¡¯t hear anything!" he said, trying to pull away from her.


    Su Yuqi sighed. "Two men were discussing going after the prince. And by the sound of their footsteps getting farther by the second, they¡¯re probably about to leave the ballroom."


    That¡¯s it? If that was all, she could have just told him about it from the very beginning. Why need to ask him first? If he didn¡¯t have any IQ, he probably would have thought that she was seducing him or something.


    "You could have just told me that," heined, pouting a little bit.


    Su Yuqi raised one of her brows and stared at him. Then she chuckled and patted his cheek. "You really can be cute sometimes, you know?"


    "What--?" Luo Jin said, not sure of what just happened.


    Instead of answering, Su Yuqi pulled him. "Let¡¯s follow them. I¡¯ll lead the way since your hearing seems to not be that good."


    All Luo Jin could do was to follow, doing his best to ignore the warmth of the hand holding his. "Why do we need to follow them?" he asked.


    "Remember the first Mystery prompt? It asked us to find the reason behind the actions of the men in ck. So, we¡¯ll follow and find out."


    Well, that certainly made sense.


    While they were making their way out of the ballroom, Su Yuqi suddenly asked, "Have you checked your Temporary Skills?"


    "Temporary Skills?"


    "Check your Status Window. I think we could use those skills while we¡¯re here in this door, considering how we couldn¡¯t use our game avatar¡¯s skills," Su Yuqi answered.


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t know that. He hadn¡¯t thought of checking his Status Window since he got into this door. Probably because he was so busy being pissed. "What¡¯s your Temporary Skills?"


    "Most are useless, like [Perfect Etiquette] and [Dance]. The only useful one was [Fencing]."


    As she said that, she picked up a sword on the side of an unconscious guard.


    Now Luo Jin was starting to worry what kind of skills he would get. The skills Su Yuqi mentioned were things that a nobledy would know which was what her current character was. But what about him? His character was just an illegitimate son of a count. His education would definitely not be so thorough.


    Instead of worrying about it further, he just opened his Status Window and looked into his Temporary Skills. He was dumbfounded after looking through it.


    [Last Minute Courage], [Green Thumb], [Crying on Cue]. How the heck were these things helpful?


    "Have you seen it?" Su Yuqi asked.


    "They¡¯re useless," Luo Jin said, dismissing the skills.


    What the heck was the use of [Cry on Cue]? When they¡¯re cornered by enemies, should he beat them up with his tears? It¡¯s official. This game instance was the worse. The one who wrote the script of this door didn¡¯t only have a hole on their brain, they¡¯re probably also high on something.


    "Give one example," Su Yuqi said.


    "[Green Thumb]," he said, choosing one randomly.


    "Oh, maybe you could tame the green monster. After all, it looks like a nt."


    Luo Jin suddenly imagined himself trying to tame the tentacle monster. He immediately felt goosebumps all over. "Don¡¯t even joke about it."


    Su Yuqi just shrugged and continued to pull him out of the ballroom. Soon, they managed to find the exit and went out. They walked into one direction. Su Yuqi was still probably following the footsteps of those men she heard.


    And then suddenly, a figure in ck appeared in front of them.


    "What are you two beautifuldies doing out here?" the man asked, a seductive smile stered on his face.


    Luo Jin narrowed his eyes at the man. Looking at that annoying smile and that flirty attitude, he immediately recognized the guy.


    It¡¯s that frivolous guy ¨C Alucard!

 Chapter 143 BREAKFAST WITH DAD AND BROTHER

    AFTER taking his usual morning shower, Luo Yan went out of his room and walked straight to the dining room. His father and older brother were already there. Luo Jin was surprisingly not there. Because most often than not, whenever he came to the dining room every morning, Luo Jin would already be here together with their father and older brother.


    "Good morning, Dad, Brother," he greeted, smiling both at his father and older brother.


    "Good morning, Xiao Yan."


    "Good morning, Yan Yan."


    His father and Luo Ren greeted him respectively.


    Luo Yan sat on the left side of his brother. "Ah Jin is still not awake?"


    "Yes. Apparently, ording to the maids, he had been awake ying games until midnight," Luo Ren answered.


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised. Luo Jin actually yed until midnight? Did that mean that he didn¡¯t manage to solve a single Mystery until almost the time of the deadline? Now he¡¯s intrigued what kind of mystery his little brother was tasked to solve. Did he encounter some kind of problem along the way?


    Despite Luo Jin¡¯s delinquent like attitude, he¡¯s actually really smart. As evidence of him being the number one student in his year. Just what kind of mystery would give him so much trouble?


    "So, we probably shouldn¡¯t wait for him and just eat," Luo Ren added.


    He then proceeded on giving Luo Yan a bowl of congee and putting a steamed bun on his te.


    Luo Yan smiled brightly at his brother. "Thank you, Brother."


    Luo Ren gave him a gentle smile.


    Of course, their father wouldn¡¯t let himself lose. He put a dumpling on his te and poured him a ss of soy milk.


    "Thank you, Dad."


    His father smiled back and affectionately stroked his head.


    "Don¡¯t you think your brother is getting a bit addicted to this game?" Luo Wei Tian asked after a while.


    "I¡¯m sure Xiao Jin has a sense of proportion," Luo Ren said.


    "Brother is right, Dad," Luo Yan seconded. "Besides, Ah Jin doesn¡¯t often y thiste. It¡¯s only because we had to do a very difficult taskst night."


    "A task? Like some kind of quest?" Luo Ren asked, a bit of interest in his voice.


    Luo Yan nodded. "It¡¯s very fun, we were asked to solve mysteries."


    "Mysteries? What kind of mysteries?" Luo Wei Tian asked, also bing a bit interested.


    "Oh," Luo Yan stopped and then smiled again. "It¡¯s like a brain teaser. Very user friendly."


    He couldn¡¯t possibly tell them the truth. That the mystery involved some ancient political intrigues, assassination, and most of all, him, ying a role of a courtesan. Thatst one would definitely make them berserk. They¡¯d probably not even allow him to y anymore.


    "I heard a lot of praise about this game. They said that the game is truly life like," Luo Ren said.


    "It is. It¡¯s like a beautiful medieval fantasy world. Even the world taste so real."


    Looking at his brother¡¯s excited look, Luo Ren couldn¡¯t help but say, "Should I also try and y this game?"


    Luo Yan almost choked on the bun he was eating. Good thing he managed to turn his expression back to normal. "But isn¡¯t Brother busy?"


    If his older brother also yed the game, then he would find out the violent, sometimes even bloody and gory, side of it. Then, of course, he would let their father know about that. They might think that the game was not appropriate for him and Luo Jin to y. It would definitely take a while before Luo Yan could convince them otherwise.


    "That¡¯s why I¡¯ll just visit and look around," Luo Ren said, drinking coffee. "Should Yan Yan be my tour guide?"


    Luo Yan let out a sigh of relief. "I¡¯d be happy to. But Brother should tell me first when you n to log in so I could prepare."


    Hearing the conversation of his two sons, Luo Wei Tian felt a bit left out. If Luo Ren also go into this game, wouldn¡¯t he be out of ce once the three started a conversation about it? Should he also go and visit the game? But he¡¯s already too old for that. There¡¯s a possibility that he could even make a fool of himself. How could he destroy his majesty in front of his sons?


    "Ah Ren, you¡¯re still busy with your current project, remember?" he reminded. "Especially now that you¡¯re on the crucial part of the negotiation."


    "I know, Dad. It would probably take another month or two before I could truly be work free."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother. Once you¡¯re work free, I¡¯ll take you around Arcadia," Luo Yan reassured Luo Ren.


    "I¡¯ll definitely take you up on that," Luo Ren said, smiling and pouring him another ss of soy milk.


    Luo Wei Tian cleared his throat. "Xiao Yan, are you ready for your exam tomorrow?"


    Oh, that¡¯s right. Luo Yan almost forgot that the exam was tomorrow. "Yes, Dad. I¡¯m as ready as I can be. Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely make you proud."


    Luo Wei Tian smiled and pinched his son¡¯s cheek. "You always make me proud. You and your brothers. So whatever result you get, I would never be disappointed."


    Luo Yan felt warmth flowing in his heart. He was happy hearing what his father said. But he would still do his best to get the highest score he could get. Aside from his pride as someone who already graduated university once, he also really wanted to make his father and brothers proud.


    He smiled back at his father. "Thank you, Dad."


    He¡¯s already done with all the reviews he could do. All that was left was to take that exam. And he was so ready. In fact, he was very excited for it.


    But first, he¡¯d y a bit for today. He still had to let his Little Ancestor soaked in the [Ambrosia Pod]. But before that, he¡¯d have to ask Luo Jin first what happened to his task yesterday. He had a feeling that it would definitely be a very interesting conversation.

 Chapter 144 CATCHING UP WITH AH JIN

    IT was already past ten in the morning when Luo Jin woke up with a grumbling stomach. If not for being hungry, he would probably continue to sleep past noon. He brushed his teeth and washed his face before going out of his room. He went straight to the dining room and asked a maid to prepare breakfast for him. Not long, tes of different dishes were brought to the dining room table.


    He was about to start eating when someone suddenly sat down on the seat opposite him. He raised his head and saw Luo Yan smiling at him.


    "Good morning, Ah Jin," Luo Yan greeted brightly.


    "Yeah, morning," Luo Jin replied back and proceeded on eating a spoonful of porridge.


    "I heard you stayed until midnight ying Arcadia. Were the Mysteries of the door you ended up in hard to solve?"


    Luo Jin¡¯s spoon stopped midway, then he continued to eat. "I don¡¯t want to talk about it."


    He said the words with not much emotion, but Luo Yan could still feel that his younger brother instantly fell into a bad mood the moment he mentioned the task yesterday. It could be seen from the strain between his eyebrows and the downturn arc of his mouth.


    So, what exactly happened? Luo Yan¡¯s curiosity was piqued even more.


    "I actually had a hard time. I had to dress up as a girl and dance in front of these group of NPCs. I was even poisoned and put into prison," Luo Yan said, acting all pitiful. He looked at Luo Jin, acting like he was forcing himself to smile. "I just wanted to know if Ah Jin was a bit better than me. If you were, then that¡¯s good. But if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, then I won¡¯t force you. I¡¯m sorry for asking."


    It took a bit of a while before Luo Jin reacted. He was still in shock because of the first part of what Luo Yan said. His brother had to cross-dress, was forced to dance, he was poisoned, and was even thrown into prison. And here he was, throwing a tantrum because of the annoying things he experienced in that sted red door.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to brush you off," he said. "Were you hurt terribly doing the task?"


    Luo Yan smiled, real this time, and shook his head. "No, I was only poisoned but I was immediately healed. Brother Ji Yun was with me the whole time. We actually made a good team. The blue door we went into had us solve some ancient political intrigue that involved two countries."


    Hearing that Luo Yan was with Shen Ji Yun during the whole taskst night, he already felt his temper rising. How could that guy be so lucky? Well, looking at his brother¡¯s happy smile, he probably had fun despite the things that he told him. And a part of that probably had something to do with that Shen Ji Yun.


    As much as it annoyed him that the guy was with his brother, it¡¯s probably better that he was instead of some random yer out there. But despite him thinking that, Luo Jin¡¯s initial impression of him still hadn¡¯t change. He still thought Shen Ji Yun had some kind of ulterior motive.


    "What about the crossdressing and dancing part?" he asked instead.


    "Oh, that¡¯s only because of the role I was given. I kind of hate the dancing part though," Luo Yan answered then immediately added, "We also teamed up with another yer, he¡¯s from team Celestials. He¡¯s a bit annoying because of all his sidements. But it¡¯s kind of fun teaming up with him. The three of us cleared the blue door perfectly and get some amazing rewards. I got an item that could help my beast egg to quicken its hatching time. I even got a business establishment. I could earn money through it. Amazing, right?" Of course, Luo Yan didn¡¯t include that new skill he earned. If he could, he just wanted to ignore that it existed. "How about you, Ah Jin?"


    Seeing his second brother¡¯s excited look as if he was truly eager to hear what happened to him during the task, Luo Jin just couldn¡¯t refuse him.


    "I was in the red door with Su Yuqi. The setting was some kind of medieval fantasy. We¡¯re both ying the roles of nobles that had to attend this party where a prince from this other famous kingdom had to choose his wife," he said, conveniently not mentioning the part of him also needing to cross-dress. There¡¯s no way in hell he¡¯d tell that ck history to his brother.


    "You¡¯re with Sister Yuqi? That¡¯s great. At least you didn¡¯t have to do the task alone."


    "Yes, it actually is."


    Su Yuqi¡¯s presence actually helped Luo Jin endure all the unlucky things that happened to them in that damn door. He continued;


    "The whole mystery of the door revolved around the famous kingdom I just mentioned. You see, every four years, they held a party in some other kingdom where one of their princes could picked a wife. But it turned out that all those girls didn¡¯t end up as their wife but some kind of sacrifice instead. And the ¡¯princes¡¯ who looked for a wife were actually just the same person. He was a wizard who wanted to resurrect some demon king. And he used the souls of the women he picked as food for the demon king."


    The men in ck who attacked the prince-wizard were actually rtives and friends of those women. They caught onto the wizard¡¯s scheme and had been nning to find a way to kill him. That¡¯s why when they heard that a ¡¯prince¡¯ from Crystal Kingdom would appear again, they didn¡¯t hesitate to crash the party.


    "But that year, at least the year in the door, the wizard needed to gather more souls. Because the demon king was about to wake up and he needed arge number of souls to feed him. So, he brought his pet monsters with him and decided to massacre all the people who attended the party."


    He still had goosebumps thinking about those tentacle monsters.


    "It seems to be a very interesting door." Definitely much interesting than the blue door, Luo Yan thought. "It looks like you and Sister Yuqi managed to clear it perfectly. But why did it take you until midnight?"


    Luo Jin¡¯s face was suddenly filled with ck lines because of his brother¡¯s question. Because he remembered again what happened. "We were trapped."


    But, of course, it was not that simple.


    When that annoying Alucard appeared, he and Su Yuqi decided to act like NPCs so the guy wouldn¡¯t know they¡¯re yers and annoyed them to join their team. It wasn¡¯t that hard since both their avatars in the door was so far-off from their in-game avatars. Once he discovered that they were NPCs, he totally lost interest.


    And when the ground they were currently standing on suddenly opened, the bastard used him and Su Yuqi as humandders to prevent himself from falling. It¡¯s because Luo Jin managed to grasp the edge of the opened floor and caught Su Yuqi¡¯s hand using his other hand, preventing them to fall. But then that bastard, Alucard, clutched Su Yuqi¡¯s foot on time before he couldpletely fall. Then, as he mentioned earlier, he used them as humandders. Making the both of them fall into some underground dungeon.


    It took hours for Luo Jin and Su Yuqi to get out of there, avoiding traps, not to mention some low level monsters that somehow found their way there. Once they managed to get out, the two of them couldn¡¯t almost recognize themselves. They were both filthy, their clothes in tatters, and their bodies full of scratches.


    Luo Jin swore, he¡¯d definitely pay that Alucard back for what he did.


    "Then what kind of rewards did you get?" Luo Yan asked.


    He decided not to ask his younger brother about the process of him and Su Yuqi being trapped. Because based on Luo Jin¡¯s expression just now, he probably wouldn¡¯t tell him anyway. And he really didn¡¯t have the heart to tease it out of him. Considering he looked like he just wanted to murder someone.


    "A gem that could be embedded on a weapon to increase its attack power."


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t mention the skill he got as an extra reward. [Chaotic Tears]. A stupid passive skill that would confuse any hostile party that was near him once they saw him crying. And not just any crying, the one that involved tears and snot.


    There¡¯s no way in hell he would ever use that skill.


    "That¡¯s a good item," Luo Yanmented. "Maybe it¡¯s time we should look for a cksmith to craft our weapons."


    Luo Jin just shrugged as a silent agreement and picked his mug of soy milk.


    "Are you ready for your exam tomorrow?" he asked, changing the subject.


    "Of course I am. Can Ah Jin tell me about your school?"


    And the two brothers proceeded on talking about Guizu Academy.

 Chapter 145 YAN YAN

    LUO YAN and Luo Jin logged into the game after eating lunch. Luo Yan told his tutors yesterday that they didn¡¯t have toe today. After all, the exam was tomorrow. He was never a fan of cramming before the day of the exam. So whenever there was one, he would be ready a week before. For him, that¡¯s definitely better than ramming everything in one¡¯s brain for a day.


    They appeared at ck Lake. Luo Yan used a teleportation scroll to teleport the both of them to their team¡¯s headquarters. They walked to the pce¡¯s main hall and saw Shen Ji Yun already sitting at the long table.


    "Brother Ji Yun!" he called and happily sat down beside him. "Howe you¡¯re here early?"


    [Because you said you¡¯re going to log in after lunch.] That was the rabbit¡¯s answer when he asked him about itst night before both of them logged out. But of course, Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t say that. Even he knew his action was weird. "I have nothing else to do. Did you sleep well?"


    "I always sleep well. You see, Brother Ji Yun, I have this huge stuff bear that Ah Jin gave me. It¡¯s reallyfortable sleeping while hugging it," Luo Yan answered. "I¡¯ll send a picture to Brother Ji Yun."


    Luo Jin stared at the interaction of the two. The way his brother just automatically sat down beside their emotionless captain, the way the guy gave his brother his full attention, the way their conversation proceeded ¨C it was so natural. As if they¡¯d been friends for years. When did these two be so close?


    A vein on Luo Jin¡¯s forehead seemed to pop just thinking about it. He was about to interfere with the two when Su Yuqi entered the main hall. He suddenly remembered that he hadn¡¯t asked Su Yuqi to keep the thing about him having to cross-dress a secret. Knowing this girl, she¡¯d definitely wouldn¡¯t hesitate to tell Luo Yan about it if his brother just asked. She probably wouldn¡¯t even think that it would embarrass him in the least.


    So he temporarily ignored the warm atmosphere between his brother and Shen Ji Yun and just rushed towards Su Yuqi.


    "I have a favor to ask you," he said.


    Su Yuqi didn¡¯t look surprise because of his sudden approached. Her eyes widened only a tiny bit. The only sign telling that he didn¡¯t expect him toe near her. Luo Jin found that a bit cute. He shook his head. No, what was he thinking at this time?


    "What is it?" Su Yuqi asked.


    "Can you not tell anyone about me wearing a dress when we¡¯re inside that red door," Luo Jin said, lowering his voice.


    Su Yuqi stared at Luo Jin. Because their avatars¡¯ height was about the same, she could perfectly see his little face full of anxiousness. For the first time, she suddenly had an urge to tease someone. "What¡¯s in it for me?"


    "You¡¯re asking something in return?" Luo Jin said unbelieving. Because Su Yuqi didn¡¯t seem like someone who would do that. She always looked so indifferent, as if he didn¡¯t care about anything.


    Looking at Luo Jin¡¯s expression ¨C his already big eyes wide as saucers and his mouth in shaped of an ¡¯o¡¯¨C Su Yuqi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. "I¡¯m kidding. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell others how pretty you were."


    Luo Jin¡¯s whole face immediately turned red. "W-who¡¯s pretty? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s pretty! Your whole family is pretty!"


    Su Yuqi smiled. "Thank you."


    Luo Jin¡¯s face became even redder. He¡¯s not even sure if it was because of his stupid response or because of the smile Su Yuqi suddenly gave him.


    Luo Yan sitting on the long table happened to see this scene. He didn¡¯t hear what they were talking about because their voices were all hush-hush. But seeing a shota and a loli huddling together as if they were in on a secret, he couldn¡¯t help but want to take a picture of this scene. And so he did, taking a screenshot of the two.


    "Does Yan Yan like stuff animals?"


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s sudden question interrupted Luo Yan. But he couldn¡¯t care about that because he was more startled by the name he called him.


    Shen Ji Yun noticed the rabbit¡¯s sudden change in expression. He then just realized what he called him. He had been wanting to call the rabbit that way ever since he got his WeChat ID. He couldn¡¯t believe he just blurted that out. How embarrassing. He felt his face slowly heating up.


    "I¡¯m sorry. I- I didn¡¯t mean to call you that," he immediately apologized.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s slightly flushed face. Despite theck of expression on his face, he could see how embarrassed he was. He was about to say something when Bai Ze suddenly walked in the main hall.


    "Oh, the whole team is here," Bai Ze said walking straight to the long table and sitting on one of the free seats. "How did it go with you guysst night?"


    "Brother Ji Yun and I were together in the blue door and we perfectly cleared it," Luo Yan said, boasting a bit.


    "No way, you ended up in the same door?" Bai Ze said unbelievingly.


    "Not only us. Ah Jin and Sister Yuqi also ended up in the same door," Luo Yan added.


    "Seriously?" Bai Ze turned to Luo Jin and Su Yuqi who were still standing together.


    "It¡¯s true," Luo Jin said.


    "Howe I¡¯m the only one left out?" Bai Ze said with a bit of grievance.


    "Did Brother Ze clear his task perfectly as well?" Luo Yan asked instead.


    "Of course I did," Bai Ze answered proudly. "Even without the help of anyone, I still did magnificently."


    "Wow. Brother Ze is great!" Luo Yan said, generouslyplimenting him just in case he would act grievously again.


    Su Yuqi snorted. Which got Bai Ze¡¯s attention. "Su Yuqi, you just think of something bad about me, didn¡¯t you?"


    "How did you know? It seems like you¡¯re really great," she said, her voice full of sarcasm.


    Bai Ze stood up and went to bicker with Su Yuqi. Luo Jin stood between the two.


    Luo Yan looked at them amusedly. Then he remembered what he was about to tell Shen Ji Yun before Bai Ze appeared. He turned at the young man sitting beside him. "Brother Ji Yun," he called.


    Shen Ji Yun immediately turned to him. "Yes?"


    "You can call me Yan Yan," he said and smiled.


    Seeing the rabbit¡¯s smile, Shen Ji Yun felt like his heart just stammered. Then it beat uncontrobly. He quickly looked away before he lost control and gave in to his urge to pinch the rabbit¡¯s soft cheek. But he still couldn¡¯t help the small smile that appeared on his lips.


    [I can now call him Yan Yan!]

 Chapter 146 MASTER, I DEFINITELY WILL!

    "WHAT kind of mystery did Brother Ze solved?" Luo Yan asked, calling Bai Ze¡¯s attention just so he would stop bickering with Su Yuqi.


    It was sessful because he did get his attention. Bai Ze walked back to the long table and sat back on the seat he sat on before. "It¡¯s a serial murder mystery."


    Luo Yan immediately became interested. "Really? What kind of serial murder?"


    Luo Jin and Su Yuqi seemed to be also interested because the two walked to the long table and also sat down. As if ready to listen to Bai Ze¡¯s story.


    "It¡¯s a serial murder that happened in a high school. The mystery was how that whole serial murder happened," Bai Ze started. "The whole task was actually quite fu¡ªI mean, messed up," he corrected, remembering that his two cousins were both still minors. As their older cousin, cussing loudly wouldn¡¯t be a good example to them.


    "How messed up?" Luo Yan asked.


    "It all started with the death of a girl who was a student there. She was killed by four male teachers and was buried at the back of the teaching building." Bai Ze didn¡¯t mention that the girl was probably r.a.p.ed too. "Everyone thought she was an orphan and that her aunt was her only family. But she had a younger brother who, five yearster, enrolled at the same school. He was adopted by a different family so he had a different surname than the girl. No one suspected that he was rted to that girl who suddenly disappeared five years ago."


    "Let me guess, he killed those four teachers as revenge?" Luo Jin asked with with a bit of azy tone, as if he already know where the story was going.


    "Yes, he killed them. Chopped them to pieces and scattered their remains all over the school. But he didn¡¯t stop there. One of his ssmates found his sister¡¯s diary. Afraid that she would connect everything to him, he tried to kill her during the night of the test of courage their whole ss was doing. And that¡¯s when I arrived at the door, during the test of courage," Bai Ze continued.


    "Well, at least there wasn¡¯t any monster trying to eat you while you¡¯re in there," Luo Jin said.


    If you based it on that, Bai Ze really got it easy. Since there¡¯s only one boss in the door he was in. But in Luo Yan¡¯s opinion, that kind of psychological task had its own set of difficulties.


    "Who was the one who writes the script of these kind of events anyway?" Luo Jin added.


    "Moonlight Media has their own department involved in those. They write the background stories for important NPCs and also the story behind hidden events and any kind of events that needed a storyline," Su Yuqi answered.


    "Maybe the people in that department need to attend some psychological counseling. Seriously, the stories they¡¯re writing was like something someone with an unhealthy state of mind would write."


    Bai Zeughed at what Luo Jin said. Because it was true in some cases. There was a number of task and hidden events which included those kind of gory and unpleasant storylines. But that was also the reason why those tasks had higher quality rewards. He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Hear that? Xiao Jin thinks your uncle¡¯spany¡¯s writers are mental."


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the gnome. "They¡¯re not mental. They just have overactive imagination."


    Luo Jin snorted. "Yeah, right."


    Luo Yan had the same sentiments. With all the task he¡¯d known, some even experienced, since he yed this VR version, he could say that those writers definitely had some issues.


    "Brother Ji Yun, does the game not have any kind of parental control?" he asked.


    That¡¯s one of the thing he¡¯d been wondering. Considering all the blood and the gore, it would definitely be unhealthy for kids to y this game. It might leave them psychological shadows that wouldn¡¯t be erased even after they became an a.d.u.l.t.


    "It does. Children below the age of 10 couldn¡¯t y the game. And those that are 10-16 have the cradle version of the VR helmet. In that version, anything that has gore would be mosaicked. Even the blood that would fall from yers, NPCs, and monsters would appear like they were pearl droplets," Shen Ji Yun exined.


    Well, at least Moonlight Media was still responsible in some way. That¡¯s what Luo Yan thought.


    Bai Ze was kind of surprised seeing this expressionless friend of his said so many words in one go. He was even patient in exining everything to Luo Yan. But Bai Ze was d, at least he didn¡¯t need to worry that Shen Ji Yun would be like an emotionless block of ice in front of his cousins.


    Then he suddenly realized something based on the conversation just now. He turned sharply to Luo Jin. "Xiao Jin, aren¡¯t you only 16 this year. Are you ying using the cradle version of the helmet?"


    Su Yuqi slightly nced at Luo Jin when she heard what Bai Ze said. She didn¡¯t expect that he was only 16. He truly was a kid.


    "No," Luo Jin didn¡¯t hesitate to answer. "And there¡¯s no use telling me to switch." Although he didn¡¯t like his game avatar, he¡¯d rather continue ying as a gnome than y a game with mosaic. "Besides I¡¯m turning 17 soon anyway. So, what¡¯s the use?"


    [Ah Jin, let me have my birthday first before you say that you¡¯ll turn 17 soon. Did you already forget that your second brother is still 17 himself?] Luo Yan thought that they were both given the normal version of the VR helmet because their father¡¯s assistant didn¡¯t bother to check anything about the game when he bought the VR helmet for them. If he did, their father would definitely not allow them, especially him, to y the game that easily. Luo Yan should probably thank the assistant for his moment of carelessness.


    To change the topic, Luo Yan decided to take out the Little Ancestor that¡¯s still inside the incubator. As he expected, it garnered the attention of his four team mates.


    "That¡¯s the beast egg you said you got from your Origin Vige, right?" Bai Ze asked, staring at the egg interestingly.


    "Yes," Luo Yan answered and then he also took out the [Ambrosia Pod] he received from the even yesterday.


    He ced it beside the incubator. Then suddenly the pod opened. A kind of sweet fragrance filled the air when it did. After that, it slowly got bigger. And when it was the size of the incubator, Luo Yan lifted the incubator and put it inside. Then the pod automatically closed. It began to emit some kind of green light.


    "What¡¯s that?" Bai Ze couldn¡¯t help asking.


    "It¡¯s an item that could quicken the hatching time of the egg," Luo Yan said, not removing his gaze from the closed pod.


    Soon, the green light being emitted by the pod slowly disappeared. After that the pod decayed at a speed visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye. Until nothing remained but the incubator inside.


    Luo Yan immediately checked the status of his Little Ancestor.


    Unknown Egg


    - Status of Hatching: 70%


    - Current Health Meter: Extremely Healthy


    - Current Mood Meter: Extremely Satisfied


    So, you¡¯re finally satisfied huh? This Little Ancestor. 70% state of hatching. This meant that by next month, this egg would finally hatch. When he put Mana to the egg yesterday, it was only at 20%. But because of the [Ambrosia Pod], it jumped directly to 70. He couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.


    Luo Yan lifted the incubator and stared at the egg inside. [For all the Mana you¡¯ve eaten, you definitely, definitely should be as amazing as your master.]


    The egg inside moved a bit. As if saying [Yes, Master! I definitely will!]

 Chapter 147 BEFORE THE EXAM

    LUO YAN stared at the full body mirror inside his walk-in closet. He was wearing a loose-fittedvender polo shirt. It sleeves were folded up to his elbows and tucked in a pair of ck shorts that reached just above his knees. Attached to the shorts were a suspender of the same color. He put on a pair of purple sneakers then fixed his hair neatly.


    [How can you be so pretty?] He thought while smiling at the mirror.


    In a good mood, he happily walked out of his walk-in closet and went out of his room. He walked straight to the living room and was slightly surprised when he saw his father sitting there.


    "Dad? I thought you already went to work?" he said.


    "You¡¯re going to take your exam today, how could I not apany you?" his father said, standing up and walking up to him.


    "But aren¡¯t you busy?"


    "I¡¯m sure my employers could survive without me for a day," Luo Wei Tian said, fixing up his son¡¯s cor.


    Besides, if he didn¡¯t go personally with Luo Yan, those people in Guizu Academy might think that he didn¡¯t favor him and therefore it¡¯s alright to ignore him or even bully him.


    Since his father insisted, of course Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t reject it. In fact, although he wasn¡¯t really feeling nervous, just knowing his father was there was enough to erase the remaining worry in him. It even boosted his confidence.


    "Oh, good. You¡¯re done changing clothes," said a voiceing from the stairs.


    Luo Yan looked back and saw Luo Jin. His younger brother was dressed up casually ¨C blue shirts, ck fitted ripped jeans, and a pair of ck air Jordan shoes. Seeing how he¡¯s dressed to go out, Luo Yan asked, "Are youing with us too, Ah Jin?"


    "Of course I am," Luo Jin answered once he walked near them. "I¡¯m much more familiar with the school than Dad. It¡¯s better if I go with you."


    "Oh yes, Xiao Jin is really familiar with the school. I believe he¡¯d been caught fighting at least once in one of the school buildings," Luo Wei Tian teased.


    Luo Jin¡¯s face immediately reddened. "Dad-!"


    "Ah Jin is always fighting with his ssmates?" Luo Yan asked curiously.


    Although his brother had a short temper, it didn¡¯t cross his mind that Luo Jin would constantly fight others. He suddenly remembered how antagonistic Luo Jin had been to him when they first met. He¡¯s like a wild wolf that couldn¡¯t wait to attack anyone who so much as looked at him in the wrong way. That¡¯s the kind of feeling he got from him back then.


    And maybe he was right. Maybe before Luo Yan woke up from thea, Luo Jin was the type who would really bare his fangs at anyone who pissed him off. He guessed that the death of their mother and him being in aa really took a toll on Luo Jin. Emotionally and psychologically speaking. It would have been especially harder for Luo Jin considering how he was with them inside that car when the ident happened. Luo Jin was only nine then. A child, really. He probably had no idea how to cope up with that kind of tragedy. So to lessen the pain, fighting had been his outlet.


    Luo Yan felt his heart ached for him. It must have been hard. Luo Yan was reminded of how hard it was when his parents died on hisst life. It¡¯s like his world just caved in. Everything was dark. He couldn¡¯t even see the light. He was worse than a living doll. Frankly, he didn¡¯t know how he managed to continue living back then. He was probably more tenacious than he remembered himself to be.


    "Argh-" Luo Jin didn¡¯t know how to answer his second brother¡¯s question. Because he did fight a lot with others. What if Luo Yan thought that he was some kind of thug or something? "I- I really didn¡¯t fight that often. Just- just sometimes. Okay?"


    "Really? Then I wonder why the school always contacted me at least once a week? Telling me of your many adventures," Luo Wei Tian said.


    "Dad!" Luo Jin called, trying to stop him from telling more of his ¡¯exploits¡¯. Really, why was their father being such a pig team mate today?


    Luo Wei Tian chuckled seeing how red his youngest son¡¯s face became. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of embarrassment or frustration. But he was sure that Luo Jin didn¡¯t want to look bad in front of Luo Yan. This might be a good opportunity for Luo Wei Tian to finally convince this ¡¯rebel¡¯ son of his to tone down with the fighting.


    He always worried that one day, sooner orter, Luo Jin would have an ident because of all the fighting he was doing. But since Luo Yan woke up, he hardly fought anymore. In fact, during this whole summer, he had been staying in the house with Luo Yan. And with Luo Yan going to the same school too, Luo Jin would probably wouldn¡¯t have the time to fight with others because he would be more focused on his brother. Which would be good for everyone.


    Luo Wei Tian¡¯s train of thought was on the right direction. Because right now, Luo Jin was thinking of ways on how he would not appear like a delinquent in front of Luo Yan. The best way was to avoid fighting with anyone once school started. He wasn¡¯t just sure if he could reallyply to that. Especially if some stupid person tried to bully Luo Yan.


    "I think it¡¯s not Ah Jin¡¯s fault. It¡¯s definitely the fault of those who tried to pick a fight with him," Luo Yan said, his small fist raised and his face looking very indignant. But instead of appearing angry, he just looked extremely cute.


    That¡¯s what Luo Wei Tian and Luo Jin both thought. They couldn¡¯t help but want to squeeze Luo Yan.


    Luo Wei Tian smiled and stroked Luo Yan¡¯s hair. "Yes, Xiao Yan is right."


    Luo Jin huffed. "Of course it¡¯s the fault of those people."


    Luo Yanughed and just link each of his arms on his father¡¯s and Luo Jin¡¯s arms. "Dad, Ah Jin, let¡¯s now go to Guizu Academy. I don¡¯t want to bete for my exam."

 Chapter 148 ARRIVING AT GUIZU ACADEMY

    LUO YAN looked outside the window of the car they¡¯re travelling in. It was steadily passing by tall buildings and other establishments. His father was sitting beside him on the backseat while his younger brother was sitting on the passenger¡¯s seat of the car. They were currently on their way to Guizu Academy. Just a few hours more and he would be taking an exam so he could study at the said academy.


    His phone suddenly vibrated. He took it out from the pocket of his shorts and saw that it was a WeChat message from Bai Ze.


    [Bai Shao]: Xiao Yan, good luck to your exam today! I know you can do well.


    Then it was followed by a sticker of a boy doing a fist bump.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t think it was weird to receive a message like this from this cousin. After all, yesterday when they were all in the team¡¯s headquarters, he happened to mention that he would be taking an exam today.


    [YanYan1213]: Thank you, Brother Ze.


    He replied and then added a smiley emoticon.


    Shortly after that, another message came. This time it was from Su Yuqi.


    [Yuqi]: Good luck.


    Luo Yan smiled a little when he read that very simple message. That was very much like what Su Yuqi would say, simple and concise with no extra words but perfectly ryed the message she wanted to deliver.


    [YanYan1213]: Thank you, Sister Yuqi!


    Then after that, another message popped up. When he saw who it was from, he shook his head. These guys, did they agree on a time to send me a message?


    [luckycloud]: Good luck on your exam today Yan Yan! I¡¯ll be cheering for you!


    And then a rabbit sticker waving a pair of pompoms appeared on the screen.


    Luo Yan stared at the message, particrly at the words ¡¯Yan Yan¡¯. When Shen Ji Yun identally called him that, he looked so mortified. He even had an illusion that the guy would cry if he told him that he couldn¡¯t just call him ¡¯Yan Yan¡¯. Although that was probably just his imagination working. But he still found out a bit cute. That¡¯s why he gave him permission to call him by that nickname.


    He then nced at the rabbit sticker. If he didn¡¯t know Shen Ji Yun, he might think that the person who sent this message was some energetic, cute girl. Because, seriously, who would think that someone like Shen Ji Yun, who almost seemed like he didn¡¯t have any extra emotions in him, could send a perky message like this one? And with a matching cute rabbit sticker to boot?


    But having been able to spend time with him, Luo Yan knew that Shen Ji Yun was far from emotionless. He just had a harder time expressing his feelingspared to normal people. But if one could just observe carefully ¨C his slight frown, the little strain between his eyebrows, the movement of his mouth, and most importantly, the emotions hidden in his eyes ¨C it wouldn¡¯t be that hard to tell what he¡¯s feeling. If he was angry, sad, frustrated, annoyed, or even shy.


    Most people just didn¡¯t have the patience to do that. And so, they judged Shen Ji Yun as some kind of expressionless iceberg. Frankly, for some reason, Luo Yan felt a bit of pride knowing that he was not like those other people.


    He typed on the phone and sent his reply.


    [YanYan1213]: Thank you, Brother Ji Yun. I¡¯ll definitely do my best!


    And then he followed it up with a grinning emoticon.


    Luo Wei Tian noticed his second son¡¯s soft expression and sweet smile. "What message does Xiao Yan so happy?"


    Luo Yan turned to his father. "My game team mates just sent me good luck messages."


    Game team mates? Luo Wei Tian remembered Luo Yan mentioning something about that. If his memory served him right, that included Bai Ze. "Oh, you mean Ah Ze?"


    "Yes," Luo Yan said, he didn¡¯t bother to say that it was not only Bai Ze.


    Luo Jin, sitting in the front, of course heard their conversation. He snorted. He bet that Shen Ji Yun guy also sent a message to his brother. He didn¡¯t say anything. This was an important day to his brother. He didn¡¯t want to start an argument because of that expressionless guy. He raised his head and looked at the rear view mirror. Especially since Luo Yan looked so happy.


    The car soon entered a private road. They were already away from the bustling city hub. Despite being still in the S City, it almost seemed like they entered a totally different ce. There were trees, smokes from pollution couldn¡¯t be seen, the air even seemed fresh.


    At the end of the road was an automatic gate being guarded by two guards. After talking to their driver and checking his ID, they were allowed to go in. Apparently, their driver¡¯s ID was on the school¡¯s system. They input the IDs of the drivers who sent their young masters and young miss to the school.


    Luo Yan was a bit impressed by this security. He looked out and his eyes widened a bit when he saw how extensive thend where the school was standing. Just how many acres ofnd was this? He couldn¡¯t even count the number of buildings scattered around just by one nce. It¡¯s apparent that only rich kids could attend here.


    He was still being amazed by what he¡¯s seeing when his phone rang. He looked down and saw the name of his older brother on the screen.


    He immediately answered it. "Brother?"


    "Yan Yan, are you already at the school?" Luo Ren¡¯s voice asked.


    "We just arrived."


    "I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be there with you," Luo Ren apologized. He truly wanted to go with them and also apany Luo Yan. But he was really busy right now. He could even barely find time to make this call.


    "It¡¯s alright, Brother. I know how busy you are," Luo Yanforted him.


    They talked a bit more before Luo Ren had to hang up the phone because he still had to attend a meeting.


    "You got this, Yan Yan. I know you could pass this exam with flying colors," Luo Ren said before ending the call.


    Luo Yan put back his phone in his pocket. The car then stopped in front of a building.


    "Are you ready, Xiao Yan?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    Luo Yan looked at his father and smiled full of confidence. "Yes, Dad. I¡¯m more than ready."

 Chapter 149 START OF HIS REBIRTH (I)

    WHEN Luo Yan got out of the car, he couldn¡¯t help but look around. Thend area of this school was truly over the top. It felt like they were in some kind of small city. He could see a clock tower from a distance. When they entered the gate he saw rows of cherry blossom trees, enough that it could rival a small park. He bet the facilities here would be even more insane.


    As if reading his thoughts, Luo Jin said, "This school has a middle school and high school department. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so big. Aside from that, each sports have separate gyms. There¡¯s a number of ser fields and baseball fields, also indoor pools and tennis courts. There are libraries, cafeterias, and student dormitories for those who wanted to stay here. There¡¯s a big hall where student activities could be held. There¡¯s even a garden with an artificialke where students could rx if they wanted. And, of course, there¡¯s the teaching buildings and faculty buildings."


    Luo Yan was speechless for a bit. Almost all the things mentioned by Luo Jin were in plural forms. Which meant there were more than one. Seriously, was this really a school or some kind of lifestyle center?


    He did a bit of research about this academy. He wasn¡¯t really that much interested about the facilities here. So all he looked for was their educational system. He knew about it having two departments ¨C middle school and high school. Most of the students here were from the most prominent and richest families from all over the country. The cream of the crop. That¡¯s why it¡¯s been touted as an ¡¯aristocratic¡¯ school. Because every student could be considered as an elite.


    Of course, they¡¯re not only popr for being a school for the rich. Their education was also top notch. Considered as one of the top key middle schools and high schools in the country. They paid great attention to the students¡¯ grades. That¡¯s why being rich was not enough to be in a key ss, they also needed to have good grades on top of that.


    They had a schrship program that allowed students who couldn¡¯t afford their astronomical tuition fee to enroll. They had to pass the overly difficult entrance exam. After passing, they had to maintain a high grade to keep enjoying the privilege of being the academy¡¯s schr. Once they failed to do that, they would be automatically asked to transfer. Those students probably made up one percent, at the very most, of the student body¡¯s poption.


    "President Luo, wee, wee," suddenly said by a voice in the front.


    Luo Yan turned to the front of the faculty building where their car stopped. He saw a short middle aged man with a beer belly. There were two people standing beside him.


    "That¡¯s the vice-chairman of the high school department," Luo Jin whispered to Luo Yan.


    Vice-chairman? Luo Yan looked again at the middle-aged man. He looked like one of those typical corrupt politician.


    The vice-chairman, Kong Yi, wiped the sweat on his forehead. He ran here as fast as he could when he received a call from the guard at the gate that President Luo came. He knew that today was the day that President Luo¡¯s second son would take an exam to transfer here. He just didn¡¯t expect that the president of Tianhua Group woulde here himself. Who didn¡¯t know that the president was a cold workaholic? Where would he have the time to apany one of his sons to take an exam?


    Kong Yi heard that this son had been in aa for seven years and just woke up recently. Everyone in the upper circle of society knew about the ident that happened seven years ago. President Luo lost his wife and his second son fell into aa.


    When the chairman received a call from President Luo about his son transferring here, the chairman initially wanted to decline. Especially when he heard that the child wished to be in the third year of high school. After all, how could a child who was ina for seven years be able to cope up with the rigorous ss of third years. Wouldn¡¯t that be just pure torture for the child?


    Kong Yi managed to convince the chairman to agree. After all, it¡¯s not a good idea to offend one of the richest man in the country. They only had to let the kid take their exam. Once he failed, President Luo wouldn¡¯t have any reason toin to them.


    He then turned to the boy standing between President Luo and his youngest son. He had to blink a couple of times to make sure that what he¡¯s seeing was real. The boy had ck hair that looked soft to the touch, a pair of big peach blossom eyes, rosy cheeks and lips, and skin that seemed as if it was made of porcin. This was the first time he had seen such a beautiful young boy.


    "This must be the second young master," he said slowly recovering from the shock.


    Luo Yan smiled sweetly at the vice-chairman. "Hello."


    Kong Yi was again shocked. Because that smile only increased the boy¡¯s beauty.


    Then his sight was suddenly hindered. He looked up and his gaze collided with the cold eyes of President Luo. He felt a chill down his spine and sweated even more.


    "Are we just going to keep standing here?" Luo Wei Tian asked coldly.


    "Sorry, sorry, please, follow us inside," Kong Yi said, already sweating bullets.


    The vice-chairman gestured for them to follow. Going inside the building, the vice-chairman kept on trying to start a conversation with Luo Wei Tian. But Luo Wei Tianpletely ignored him. Luo Yan could really admire this man¡¯s tenacity.


    Luo Yan nced at his father. This was the first time he saw him being the cold, overbearing president that he usually was. He must say, it¡¯s kind of novel feeling. He reached for his father¡¯s hand and smiled at him. "Dad, don¡¯t frown."


    Luo Wei Tian gazed down at his second son and smiled softly. "Sorry, Xiao Yan, did Dad scare you?"


    Luo Yan shook his head. "No, Dad always look cool."


    "You..." Luo Wei Tian showed a helpless smile before pinching Luo Yan¡¯s cheek.

 Chapter 150 START OF HIS REBIRTH (II)

    OF COURSE, Kong Yi didn¡¯t miss this interaction. He was, once again, surprised. He guessed that the Luo family¡¯s second young master was not favored. After all, he just woke up from aa and his father wanted him to take a test to a school known for its hard exams. But President Luo not only apanied this ¡¯not so favored¡¯ son, he was even smiling gently at him right now.


    It seemed like he needed to reevaluate things in regards to this second young master Luo.


    After they got out of the elevator, the vice-chairman led them to a big room that seemed to be for entertaining guest.


    "President Luo and third young master could stay here while you wait for the second young master to finish his exam," Kong Yi said, gesturing for them to sit down on the couches. He then turned to one of his assistants and told him to bring refreshments and snacks.


    Luo Jinzily sat down, Luo Wei Tian and Luo Yan also followed.


    "The teacher in-charge of the exam is on his way now," the vice-chairman said.


    Luo Wei Tian didn¡¯t say anything but he was clearly dissatisfied. The date of this exam had long been decided sincest week, why did these people seem not ready at all? It was a good thing that he really decided to go with Luo Yan. If not, who knew what kind of grievance his son would suffer in the hands of these people?


    Soon, there was a knock on the door and a man entered. He seemed to be in his early 30s, but he could be easily mistaken to be only in his 20s. He was average in height and his body¡¯s structure tend to be more on the lean and slim side. His ck hair was neatly arranged in a clean style. He was wearing a white long sleeved shirt tucked in a pair of form fitting ck pants. His eyes were covered by a pair of thick sses. So one couldn¡¯t really tell the features of his face.


    But Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but think that the man would definitely have a handsome face. Though he didn¡¯t really know what the basis of that was.


    "Teacher Jiang,e," the vice-chairman called. "This is Teacher Jiang, he would facilitate second young master¡¯s exam," he introduced.


    Teacher Jiang greeted Luo Wei Tian. "President Luo."


    Luo Wei Tian didn¡¯t pay him any mind. Instead, he turned to Luo Yan. "Xiao Yan doesn¡¯t have to feel any pressure. Just answer the questions that you know. Whatever your result would be, Dad is already proud of you."


    "Yes, Dad."


    Luo Jin then messed Luo Yan¡¯s hair. "Don¡¯t think to the point that your brain will hurt. I don¡¯t want to hear you passing out in there."


    Luo Yan fixed his hair and pouted. "Ah Jin won¡¯t tell me good luck?"


    "You don¡¯t need luck. Because I know you¡¯ll do great."


    Luo Yan smiled brightly when he heard that. "Ah Jin is so sweet."


    Luo Jin suddenly blushed. "W-who¡¯s sweet? Your-" then he immediately stopped. If he said ¡¯your whole family is sweet¡¯, he would just look extremely stupid. "Just go and take your exam!"


    Luo Yan stood up and looked at Teacher Jiang. "Let¡¯s go, Teacher."


    The teacher smiled. "Please, follow me."


    He followed the teacher out of the room. On their way, Teacher Jiang had been silent and Luo Yan didn¡¯t really have an interest to start a conversation with him.


    "You seem to have a very good rtionship with your family," Teacher Jiang suddenly said.


    Luo Yan nced at the teacher. Because of the thick sses covering his eyes, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t tell his expression. So, he had no idea why he suddenly said that. He could only smile. "Yes, they love me very much. And I love them too."


    Teacher Jiang suddenly chuckled. "That¡¯s truly enviable," he said, his voice full of amus.e.m.e.nt. "Yes, really enviable."


    This time, Luo Yan could hear the suppressed sadness in the teacher¡¯s voice. But he paid it no mind. A stranger¡¯s problem had nothing to do with him.


    After walking for a while, they reached a room. It was arge room that almost seemed like a lecture hall. The only difference was there¡¯s only one chair behind a desk at the very middle.


    "Please, go and sit down on that chair," Teacher Jiang said.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows but still walked and sat down on the chair. If he was truly just a 17-year-old kid who just woke up from aa, he¡¯d definitely feel pressured by this kind of set-up.


    Teacher Jiang took something from the desk at the front. Then walked towards him. He then ced a tablet and a stylus on the desk. "All the exam questions are here. Just click on the icon with the name of the subject and answer the questions using this stylus. Once you¡¯re done or if you have any other questions, just call out. I¡¯ll be sitting at the front."


    Luo Yan looked down at the tablet and saw the icons with the different subject names. It seemed like the tablet was modified for a situation like this. Wow. When did taking exams became this high-tech? Or was this only avable in this school?


    "Yes, Teacher," he answered.


    "Then all the best," the teacher smiled at him.


    Although Luo Yan couldn¡¯t see his full face, he could feel the genuine goodwilling from Teacher Jiang. So this time, his smile was also a bit genuine. "Thank you, Teacher."


    Teacher Jiang then walked towards the desk at the front and sat behind it.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to pick the icon with the word ¡¯Mathematics¡¯ on it. A bunch of questions appeared. Looking at it, he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. Because once this exam was over and he passed, it meant that he could go to high school here. He would truly enter society once again.


    One could say that this signal the start. The true start of his rebirth. He smiled. Then he¡¯s looking forward to everything that would happen here on after.


    [End of Volume 1]

 Chapter 151 THE NEW TRANSFER STUDENT

    IT¡¯S the first Monday of September. Some of the cherry blossoms had already turned the color of red and orange ¨C a sign that Autumn was already here. The mostmon event that Autumn weed was the start of another academic year. Whether it¡¯s primary, middle school, high school, or university. Students would start another year of learning. Of course the same was true for the students of Guizu Academy.


    A number of luxury cars could be seen driving through the gate of the prestigious academy. Stopping at the designated parking lot for students. Amidst these luxury cars, there were few people ¨C mostly students ¨C riding around in bicycles.


    One of these students was a girl wearing the uniform of Guizu Academy. A white zer with the crest of the academy ¨C a silver stag with a crown on top of its head ¨C etched on the b.r.e.a.s.t pocket over a long sleeved blouse, paired with a standard knee-length royal blue skirt. The style of the uniform she¡¯s wearing proved that she¡¯s in the high school department. And the red ribbon tied on the cor of her blouse meant that she¡¯s a third year.


    Her ck hair was unusually short. The big ck rimmed sses she¡¯s wearing was unfashionable and covered almost half of her face. On closer inspection, one could see the light freckles dusted on the bridge of her nose. If not for her tall stature, she¡¯s the type that would barely be noticeable. Something that the girl would very much prefer.


    The girl¡¯s name was Yu Jiao. Looking at her simple bag as well as her riding on a bicycle, one would immediately assume that she¡¯s a schrship student. But no, she wasn¡¯t. She was in this school because she was transferred here by her stepfatherst year.


    She was still a normal high school student a year and half ago. But then her mother suddenly decided to remarry. Yu Jiao didn¡¯t have the heart to voice her disapproval. Her father died when she was very young. Since then, it had been only her and her mother. Her mother had been working hard to provide for her, making sure that she wouldn¡¯t want for nothing.


    Her mother neverined. No matter how tired she was, she would alwayse back home with a smile on her face. Her mother was working as a secretary at smallpany. It might not be a job that could make them rich but it was more than enough to make ends meet. Because both of them were thrifty, her mother¡¯s ie never seemedcking.


    Then a year and a half ago, Yu Jiao noticed a change in her mother. She started to dress up ¨C putting on make-up and things like that, there were nights where she woulde back homete, and most of all, she smiled more often. Than one day, when her mother suddenly took her out to eat dinner at some high-end restaurant, she finally found out the reason for her mother¡¯s change.


    She fell in love. And she introduced that man to Yu Jiao during that dinner. The man was in his 50s. He looked very kind and amiable. A match to her mother¡¯s gentle personality. They asked for her permission if it¡¯s alright for them to marry. Seeing the look of pleading on her mother¡¯s eyes, something that she had only seen at that moment, Yu Jiao could only agree. She had never seen her mother so happy.


    But her mother forgot to mention that the man ¨C Mr. Mo - was actually the president of arge hotel and restaurant chain. And that he also had two kids her age from his previous marriage. Yu Jiao only found out when the two families met at the family vi of Mr. Mo.


    After the marriage of the two, Yu Jiao¡¯s life took aplete 180. She now lived in a huge vi. Her room was almost the same size as their previous small apartment. She was suddenly transferred to a prestigious private school. Her monthly allowance was much more than her mother¡¯s previous monthly sry.


    Her new stepfather treated her fairly well. But she could still feel that she was being kept at arm¡¯s length. Which didn¡¯t really matter. As long as she could see that he was being true to her mother. And he was. She could see the love in his eyes every time he looked at her mother. And Yu Jiao was d for it.


    It didn¡¯t matter that her stepsister hated her or that her stepbrother acted like she didn¡¯t exist. It didn¡¯t even matter that she¡¯s like an outsider in this new family. Or that going to school in this academy always felt like she¡¯s entering a battlefield. All of those didn¡¯t matter. As long as her mother was happy.


    But no matter how much she¡¯s willing to endure, even she had her own bottom line. When her stepsister went into her room without permission and almost destroyed the VR helmet she bought from her hard-earned money ¨C before all this wealth came in ¨C Yu Jiao just reached the limit of her patience. She didn¡¯t make a scene, she simply requested if she could live in the school¡¯s dormitory.


    Her mother initially didn¡¯t want to agree. But she must have felt her insistence and even her silent protest. So in the end, she still agreed.


    For the past year, Guizu Academy¡¯s dormitory had been more of her home than the one she was supposed to have. She only went back during vacations and holidays. And everyone, probably with only the exception of her mother, was d for it. If only her stepsister didn¡¯t go to the same school, then everything would be perfect.


    Yu Jiao parked her bike on the designated parking lot for bicycles, chained it up, then walked to the teaching building of third years. The room for the science key ss was on the third floor. She could ride the elevator but she chose to climb the stairs. Arriving at the ss room, she quietly walked towards one of the empty seats at the very back. No one paid her any attention. No one even looked in her direction. As if she was someone invisible. Which was something she definitely preferred than getting these people¡¯s attention.


    She looked outside the window. Then she heard the talk of some of the students around her.


    "Have you heard? There¡¯s a new student transferring today in our ss," one said.


    "Yes, I heard about that. He took the exam and aced all the science rted subjects. That¡¯s why he was immediately put in our ss."


    "But did you also hear that this transfer student is actually the second young master of the Luo family? Considering how he was in aa for what, seven years? I bet his family paid the school off so they could put him in here," one said sarcastically.


    "How could that be possible? You know how our chairman is. He wouldn¡¯t stand for something like that. No matter how much money they nned to donate to this school, the chairman would definitely not be moved," another one scoffed, opposing what the other said.


    Then the bell rang. Their homeroom teacher soon entered.


    "Everyone, we have a new student transferring in today. I hope everyone would get along with him," the teacher said. He then nced at the door. "Please,e in."


    Yu Jiao was still looking outside the window. So she wondered why the surrounding suddenly became silent. Wasn¡¯t the teacher introducing the new transfer student? She turned and looked at the front. Then she immediately understood the sudden silence of her ssmates.


    Standing there was a boy who looked like he was about 14, 15 years old. He was wearing the uniform of the high school department - white zer with a red tie and royal blue pants. His ck hair was arranged neatly but still looked fashionable. His big peach blossom eyes were bright and full of innocence. His cheeks were rosy. Even his lips had a natural pink tint to it. His white skin looked soft and delicate.


    Even Yu Jiao, who didn¡¯t really care about people¡¯s appearance, couldn¡¯t help but stare. How could someone, a boy even, look this pretty?


    "Hello, my name is Luo Yan. I hope all of us could be friends," the boy said in a sweet voice that seemed to be dripped in honey.


    Then he smiled. And Yu Jiao was sure that everyone¡¯s heart just melted a little.

 Chapter 152 FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (I)

    LUO REN carefully fixed Luo Yan¡¯s red tie. "Remember what I told you, Yan Yan, if you encounter any problem, don¡¯t hesitate to call your big brother."


    "Ah Ren, you¡¯re still busy with that deal. It¡¯s better if Xiao Yan calls me," their father said standing behind Luo Yan and helping him put on his back pack.


    Although Luo Wei Tian doubted there would be any problems since he spoke thoroughly with the vice-chairman. If that man didn¡¯t get the underlying threat in his words, then he didn¡¯t deserve the position of the vice-chairman. But you never knew if one of those brats in that school would try to mess with his second son.


    "There¡¯s no need to call anyone. I¡¯m there. I¡¯d protect Yan. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let anyone bully him," Luo Jin said on the side.


    "You¡¯re in different year and ss," Luo Ren reminded.


    "And so? I¡¯m still in the same school," Luo Jin returned, he even looked a bit proud of it.


    "That¡¯s right. If someone try to bully your brother, you have my permission to bully them back," Luo Wei Tian said unscrupulously.


    Luo Yan almost cringed when he heard that. [Hey, hey, Dad, do you think it¡¯s right to tell your child to bully someone?] "Dad, Brother, I¡¯m going to be fine," he said, before one of them told Luo Jin that he could go and beat up anyone who so much as look at him wrong. "And Ah Jin and I are going to bete if we don¡¯t leave now."


    He hugged his father and then his brother before they couldin. And then he pulled Luo Jin out of the house.


    "Bye! Take care on your way to work!" Luo Yan waved back.


    "You too," called Luo Ren.


    "Be sure to eat lunch on time," Luo Wei Tian followed.


    Luo Yan smiled. "We will!"


    Luo Jin nced at his second brother who couldn¡¯t hide the big smile on his face. They were already on their way to Guizu Academy.


    "What are you smiling so happy for? Are you that excited to go to school?" he asked.


    He was actually a bit shock when he found out that Luo Yan was able to pass the exam given to him with flying colors. Not that he ever doubted him. He just didn¡¯t expect for him to get an almost perfect score in all of the science rted subjects. Not only him, he was sure even their father was shocked by that result. Not to mention the vice-chairman. The only one who probably didn¡¯t show any unexpected reaction was that Teacher Jiang.


    But because of Luo Yan¡¯s exam result, there¡¯s no reason for the vice-chairman to refuse his transfer. He even had to put Luo Yan in the science key ss. There were two key sses in the third year of the high school department. The science key ss and the liberal arts key ss.


    After their first year, the top students would be divided in the two key sses based on the subjects they were good at. In this way, they could prepare them better for university.


    While the rest of the students could choose between sciences or liberal arts. Whatever ss they might choose would dictate the subjects that they would take.


    "Yes, I¡¯m happy," Luo Yan answered.


    Of course, he¡¯s happy. He just checked his height this morning. He grew another centimeter. He¡¯s now 152 cm tall! How could he not be happy? Now he felt like getting to 160 cm by the end of this year wasn¡¯t really that much of a dream anymore. Maybe he could even surpass it.


    Looking at his brother¡¯s excited look, Luo Jin suddenly became worried that he would be disillusioned once he interacted with his new ssmates. After all, no matter how ¡¯noble¡¯ people think of the students here, they¡¯re still teenagers. And teenagers could be pretty mean to people who was even a little different from them.


    "Remember, if someone talks bad about you, just tell me their name. I¡¯ll take care of it and make sure they won¡¯t do it again," Luo Jin said with a serious expression on his face.


    Luo Yan had a feeling that this ¡¯take care¡¯ meant that Luo Jin would beat them up. He smiled. "Ah Jin, there¡¯s no need for violence. I can handle myself."


    And if he couldn¡¯t handle a group of teenage brats, then he should really be embarrassed of himself.


    Luo Jin suddenly remembered his brother¡¯s dark side. He could probably fight them off psychologically and even win brilliantly. But still, Luo Jin couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    "Still, just tell me if you encounter any kind of problems," he insisted.


    "Okay, I will," Luo Yan said in the end just to stop his younger brother from worrying.


    Then he suddenly felt his phone vibrating. He took it out from the side pocket of his bag and saw that it was a WeChat message notification from Shen Ji Yun. He opened it.


    [luckycloud]: I hope you¡¯ll have a great first day at school.


    Then it was followed by a rabbit sticker moving its head from left to right with music notes appearing from its side. The rabbit looked like it was dancing or something.


    Luo Yan smiled unknowingly. Shen Ji Yun and his rabbit stickers were such a weirdbination. And yet, it was still so cute and endearing at the same time.


    [YanYan1213]: Thank you, Brother Ji Yun! You¡¯re also back at Uni right?


    [luckycloud]: Yes. But I don¡¯t have that many lectures today. By the way, I mailed something to your house. It would probably be delivered before evening.


    Luo Yan suddenly became curious when he read that.


    [YanYan1213]: What is it?


    [luckycloud]: It¡¯s a surprise. A gift for passing your exam.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. He didn¡¯t expect a gift. Since it was already on the way, he couldn¡¯t exactly tell him to take it back. So he could only say;


    [YanYan1213]: Thank you, Brother Ji Yun. But you really didn¡¯t have to.


    [luckycloud]: I wanted to. I really hope you will like it.


    [YanYan1213]: Whatever gift Brother Ji Yun prepared, I¡¯m sure I would like it.


    Shen Ji Yun then sent a rabbit sticker with a shy expression. Luo Yan chuckled seeing that.


    Luo Jin got a glimpse of the rabbit sticker on his brother¡¯s phone. He thought of the people who his brother knew that would send that kind of sticker. The only person who came to mind was their cousin Bai Ze. There¡¯s no way Su Yuqi would send something so cute. Not to mention that expressionless guy, Shen Ji Yun. Just thinking about that possibility already gave Luo Jin goosebumps.


    So, he didn¡¯t disturb his brother from chatting with their ¡¯cousin¡¯. If he only knew who it was Luo Yan was happily exchanging message with, he¡¯d probably have apoplexy.

 Chapter 153 FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (II)

    THE car the brothers were in parked at the designated parking space for students. Luo Jin was first to go out, followed by Luo Yan. There were already a lot of students wearing the same uniform walking around. They were all going on the same direction. Luo Yan followed them with his gaze and saw three buildings lined up in a row in the distance.


    Last time, when he took the exam, they did a tour of the school. Well, at least the area where the high school department was located. So Luo Yan knew that those three buildings where the teaching buildings. One building represented a year. Honestly, he thought that it¡¯s such a waste of space. Surely, they could just put all the high school students¡¯ ssroom in one building. But of course, rich people wouldn¡¯t think that.


    He heard that it¡¯s because each ss only had about 20 students at most. Unlike the normal 30-40 students per ss. Aside from that, each building also had its ownboratory, art room, and other such facilities.


    "Yan, let¡¯s go first to the faculty building to meet your homeroom teacher," Luo Jin said, cutting off Luo Yan¡¯s train of thought.


    Luo Yan had no opinion about that and just nodded. "Okay."


    "The faculty building is a bit far from here. Would you be alright?" asked Luo Jin when they started to walk.


    Luo Yan remembered from theirst visit here that the faculty building of the high school department was not that far from the teaching buildings. It¡¯s only a five-minute walk. But it seemed like that was already ¡¯far¡¯ for his younger brother.


    "It¡¯s fine, Ah Jin. And have you forgotten? During myst check-up, Doctor Han said that my muscles are now almost back to normal. It¡¯s even okay for me to run around now," he said.


    Though he was still prohibited from doing strenuous exercise. With Doctor Han¡¯s rmendation, he was given a pass so he would be excluded from physical education ss.


    "The key word is ¡¯almost¡¯, meaning it¡¯s still not back to a hundred percent," Lou Jin argued back.


    "Yes, yes," Luo Yan only said just to stop Luo Jin from nagging him.


    As they walked, Luo Yan noticed that most of the students they passed by kept looking in their direction. He first thought that it was because of his unparalleled beauty. But then he noticed that most of the gazes came from the female students and they were all looking at Luo Jin. Not even bothering to nce at him.


    He identally heard the conversation of two of the girls they were passing by.


    "It¡¯s third young master Luo! How do I think that he became even more handsome over the summer vacation?" one of the girls said.


    "It¡¯s not just your imagination, he really did! Ah, how wonderful would it be if I could go out with him," another one said, obviously daydreaming.


    "You wish. Have you forgotten how he rejected Ji Qinglingst year? If even the young miss of the Ji family was no good, how could he even consider you?"


    "Hey! Don¡¯t just go and ruin my dream like that!"


    "I¡¯m just simply helping you face reality."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. It seemed like his younger brother was quite famous. He nced at Luo Jin who looked like he didn¡¯t care about the conversation they heard just now. Well, this brother of his was indeed handsome. With his amazing build and handsome facial features, he was definitely the type that young girls would fall for. Not to mention that he carried the surname ¡¯Luo¡¯ with him.


    They continued to walk and a lot of conversation entered Luo Yan¡¯s ears.


    "Isn¡¯t that Luo Jin? Who¡¯s that kid with him? A middle-schooler?"


    "I don¡¯t think so. He¡¯s wearing a high school uniform after all. Maybe a freshman?"


    "Why would that mad dog apany a freshman?"


    "I heard a rumor that his second brother would transfer here today, the one who¡¯s been in aa. Could that be him?"


    "Are you kidding? Just look at the guy, he¡¯s so tiny. They don¡¯t even look the least bit alike."


    Luo Yan¡¯s ears twitched when he heard the word ¡¯tiny¡¯. How could they just call him tiny? Yes, he might be short. But doesn¡¯t the word ¡¯tiny¡¯ seem to be over the top?


    "Yeah, he even looked like a girl."


    "Maybe he¡¯s really a girl and he¡¯s just crossdressing."


    Then the group of three male studentsughed. They probably thought they couldn¡¯t hear them. That¡¯s why they¡¯re so courageous, talking about Luo Yan that way.


    Luo Yan was about to turn to these group, a string of insults was already prepared inside his head. But Luo Jin beat him to it.


    Luo Jin red at them, it almost seemed likesers woulde out of his eyes. "Speak one more word and you three would end up in the infirmary."


    The three male students visibly shuddered and immediately scurried away, like a group of scared dogs. Luo Jin didn¡¯t stop there. He also red at the other students they were passing by. They stopped looking at them and immediately looked at another direction.


    "Don¡¯t mind those clowns," Luo Jin said gruffly.


    From what Luo Yan just witnessed, it seemed like his younger brother had a certain kind of reputation. The kind that would scare others just by having an eye contact with him. Probably because of all the fighting he had been doing. But despite the bad reputation, it appeared like girls still wanted to get close to him. Based on the conversation of the two girls earlier.


    Luo Yan smiled and hugged Luo Jin¡¯s arm. "Ah Jin is so cool!"


    As expected, Luo Jin¡¯s face immediately turned red. He huffed like he¡¯s affronted or something. "S-shut up. Stop talking nonsense and just continue walking. B-but try not to walk too fast."


    Luo Yan could only smile helplessly. How could this younger brother who¡¯s much taller and bigger than him be this cute?


    "Yes," he could only answer.

 Chapter 154 FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (III)

    SOON, they arrived at the faculty building. Luo Jin led him to a room in the first floor. Which ording to him was the office of Luo Yan¡¯s homeroom teacher. A card with the name ¡¯Wu Hai¡¯ was attached on the door. Luo Yan already knew that the teachers here had their own offices. Instead of having a room where all the teachers only had desks. So, his homeroom¡¯s teacher name was ¡¯Wu Hai¡¯.


    Before Luo Jin could knock on the door, it already opened and a man walked out. He was wearing a crisp ck suit. He appeared to be in his early 30s. He looked impably neat, not even a single strand of his hair was out of ce. One could immediately tell that he¡¯s a stickler for rules.


    He seemed surprised at first seeing them, but he immediately recovered. "Yes, do you need something?"


    "Teacher, this is my brother, Luo Yan, your new student," Luo Jin introduced. "I was told that all transfer student should meet with their homeroom teacher first before going straight to ss. So I brought him here."


    Wu Hai immediately recognized the teenager in front of him. It was the third young master of the Luo family ¨C Luo Jin. He had quite the notorious reputation during his stint as a middle schooler. And he took that with him when he became a high schooler. If not for his good academic results and his family background, he would have long been expelled.


    And now, this troublemaker was here, telling him that he brought his brother here because that was what he was told he should do. Something that Wu Hei thought that a rule breaker like Luo Jin would never do. And yet here he was, doing just that.


    Luo Yan looked at the teacher in front of him. He smiled. "Hello, Teacher Wu. My name is Luo Yan."


    Wu Hai looked down at the smiling boy standing beside Luo Jin. He was already informed about this kid and his special situation. Honestly, he was truly opposed to the whole thing at first. How could a kid who was in aa for seven years even answer the questions that would be presented to him during the exam. And if by some sort of miracle, he did manage to pass, would he be able to cope with the rigorous education of this school?


    When he learned that this Luo Yan actually passed the exam, his first thought was the vice-chairman made it easy for the kid because he¡¯s afraid to offend the Luo family. The vice-chairman probably already thought that he would think that way so he sent him Luo Yan¡¯s exam answers to him.


    After he went through all the answers, all he could think of was; the kid must be a genius. For someone who only had a few months to learn years of education to be able to have that high of a score, what else could he be but a genius? That or the questions were leaked and that¡¯s why he was able to answer all of it.


    Of course, Wu Hai was more inclined to believe that it¡¯s the former. He, himself, knew how tight the security of this school was. There¡¯s no way the exam questions could be leaked. That¡¯s why when he found out that the kid would be in his ss, he didn¡¯t have much reluctance. He thought, if Luo Yan was in his ss, then he could observe him more properly. And he would soon know if his exam result was really a stroke of genius or just a stroke of luck.


    He closed the door to his office and said, "Follow me."


    He walked out of the faculty building and the two brothers followed. When they reached the third year teaching building, he noticed that Luo Jin was still about to follow.


    He stopped walking and turned to the tall teenager. "Student Luo, you should go to your own ss."


    Luo Yan saw that his younger brother was about to argue with the teacher so he immediately said, "Ah Jin, go, I¡¯ll be fine. You might bete to your own ss if you don¡¯t leave now."


    Luo Jin wanted to say that he didn¡¯t care about that. But there¡¯s a teacher present, he might appear tactless if he did. And even if he did say that, Luo Yan would definitely continue to nag him to go.


    "Alright. But once lunches, don¡¯t go anywhere. Wait for me in your ssroom and I¡¯lle and get you," he could only say.


    "Okay." Luo Yan gently pushed Luo Jin. "Go now."


    "I will. If someone say something bad to you, remember what they look like. I¡¯ll handle themter."


    Luo Yan almost winced. [This kid, why don¡¯t you just directly say you¡¯re going to bully them. Have you forgotten that there¡¯s still a teacher here?]


    Luo Jin finally walked towards the direction of the second year teaching building.


    Of course, Wu Hai didn¡¯t miss the conversation between the two. He easily understood what Luo Jin was trying to imply. He then couldn¡¯t help but nced at Luo Yan. He must say, this boy¡¯s face had no imperfection whatsoever. It¡¯s that kind of face that would attract trouble no matter where he went. Considering what Luo Jin just said, there might be more troubleing along. Wu Hai could already feel a headacheing just thinking about it.


    "It seems your younger brother is very fond of you," hemented.


    Luo Yan turned to the teacher. "Yes. I¡¯m very fond of him too." He noticed the strain on the expression of this Teacher Wu and he immediately got an idea why. So he smiled sweetly at him. "Don¡¯t worry, Teacher. I won¡¯t let Ah Jin pick fights with my new ssmates."


    How could he let his brother fight his own battles when he could easily fight them himself?


    Seeing that sweet smile on the kid¡¯s beautiful face, Wu Hai didn¡¯t feelforted. He wasn¡¯t even the least bit relieved. For some reason, he even felt worried. Because of how unfounded the feeling was, he just simply shook it off.


    "Let¡¯s go. ss is about to start," he just said.


    "Yes, Teacher."


    They entered the teaching building and walked towards the elevator. Once they arrived at the third floor, they went to the closest room. Wu Hai entered first.


    "Everyone, we have a new student transferring in today. I hope everyone would get along with him," he said once he stood behind the desk at the very front. He then nced at the door. "Please,e in."


    Luo Yan walked in and faced his new ssmates. "Hello, my name is Luo Yan. I hope all of us could be friends."


    Then he showed them his sweetest smile.

 Chapter 155 START OF CLASS

    BECAUSE of Luo Yan¡¯s height, he was seated on one of the seats at the front. When he introduced himself earlier, he quickly counted the number of seats. There were 20. Four rows vertically with five seats each. With his arrival, all the seats were now filled.


    "In case some of you still don¡¯t know who I am, I¡¯m Wu Hai. I will be in charge of this ss and I¡¯ll also be your Math teacher," Teacher Wu started to say, introducing himself. "The ss schedule and academic calendar have already been sent to your e-tablets."


    The e-tablets the teacher said was simr to the one he used when he was taking the exam. Each student of Guizu Academy was given one upon enrollment. The tablets were modified in a way that only the Apps installed by the school would be there. Of course, these Apps were all academic rted. An App for taking notes, an App that contained a collection of academic books, and a lot of other more.


    The tablets had a fingerprint lock. The students had to register their tablets using their student ID. That would serve as their ount for the rest of their stay at the academy. Important announcements, even assignments would be sent to that ount. There was even a forum where all the students could post and interact with one another. The academy had its own private server that made it possible to do that.


    Luo Yan got his a week after he took the exam. He must say, this tablet was really convenient. At least he didn¡¯t have to write notes or something. Heck, he could just take a picture of the board and that would be it. Being rich really had its advantages.


    "If you have already read your ss schedule, then you know that Math is your first subject of the day. Being that this is the first day of ss, I would give you a reprieve and let you have this time for yourselves. I¡¯ll send the sybus for this subjectter to your ount. Be sure to read that and try to review the topics written there. Well then, I¡¯ll leave you to it."


    After saying that, Teacher Wu walked out of the ssroom.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that he would just leave like that. And here he thought, the teacher would be the strict type. Maybe despite looking like he had OCD or something, he was actually prettyid back? Well, that would be a huge gap indeed.


    He already checked the ss schedule. ss starts at 8 am. There were five subjects in the morning, 40 minutes were allotted to each. Then there was another 40 minutes for self-study. Lunch break was at 12 pm,sting for an hour. There were four subjects in the afternoon with the same 40 minutes allotted to each. And then there would be 20 minutes, again, for self-study. ss would end at four in the afternoon. If a student had a club or other extra-curricr activities, they could proceed to it after ss.


    It was almost the same when he went to high school during his first life. The exceptions were; students were not forced to do morning exercises, there was no nap time after lunch, the ss ended at four instead of five in the afternoon, there was no evening ss, and there¡¯s no ss during Saturdays.


    Luo Yan guessed that it¡¯s because this academy had a much more advance curriculumpared to other schools. He had already noticed that when he took the exam. If he was not reborn, there¡¯s a high chance that he would have failed the exam. The students here had been exposed to that kind of educational system since middle school. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no need for evening sses or an extra ss every Saturdays.


    He definitely preferred this school¡¯s ss schedule. At least he¡¯s guaranteed to be back home by five. Which only really meant one thing ¨C he had more time to y Arcadia.


    Luo Yan was about to take the e-tablet from his bag when his desk was suddenly surrounded by a group of people. Three girls more urately.


    He raised his head and looked at them. "Yes?"


    The three stared at him with eyes shining, as if they¡¯re looking at some interesting toy or something.


    "Are you really the second young master of the Luo family?" asked one.


    Although only the three walked to Luo Yan¡¯s desk, almost all the students in the ss were interested in this new ssmate. That¡¯s why when the three girls walked to Luo Yan, all their ears were up to listen to their conversation.


    "Yes," Luo Yan answered.


    Hearing that affirmation, although they were already expecting it, they were still a bit surprised.


    "So you¡¯re really the second young master of the Luo family?" another one of the girls said. "But howe you look so young? You look like you¡¯re in middle school instead of high school."


    Thest girl elbowed the one who just talked. "Hey, don¡¯t be so insensitive. He¡¯s been in aa for years. It¡¯s only natural for him to look like this. He probably hasn¡¯t gotten his growth spurt yet."


    The girl before seemed to realize that she must have said something wrong because she went on saying, "Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean anything by what I said. I hope you¡¯re not offended. In fact, even though you look like a middle-schooler, you¡¯re probably the prettiest one here."


    "Yes, your skin has no pores. Do you have any particr skin care routine?" the first girl asked.


    "I think it¡¯s all natural. Have you seen Luo Jin? Although he¡¯s more of a handsome type while his brother here is more of a beautiful type. Bottom line is, they¡¯re both good-looking. This is clearly the wonders of gics."


    Luo Yan smiled naturally and smoothly said, "But I think the word ¡¯pretty¡¯ is more applicable to you three beautiful sisters."


    The three immediately turned red and then proceeded on introducing themselves. They even became more enthusiastic in talking with Luo Yan. Seeing the sess of the three, others who had been wanting to talk to Luo Yan also crowded around his desk. Introducing themselves and talking to him.


    Beautiful people always had the advantage of getting the goodwill of the people around them. They could just stand there and people would naturally gravitate to them. It¡¯s especially true for Luo Yan¡¯s case. Being a boy, add that to his current petite build, girls wouldn¡¯t feel jealous of him. Except, of course, for those who had a narrow-mind and wanted everyone¡¯s attention to be always on them. While boys of the same age wouldn¡¯t feel the least bit threatened of him. Although some would probably feel conflicted because of how beautiful he was.


    However, there were still those who would hate him for some other reason. Just like the guy sitting two seats behind Luo Yan.

 Chapter 156 AN ARROW THAT PIERCED THEIR HEART

    HIS name was Huang Wen. His family was a businesspetitor of the Luo family. But that was not the reason for his dislike. It was because of that Luo Jin. Last year, that bastard beat him up just for the simple reason that he thought he¡¯s an eyesore. He was sent to a hospital where the doctor told him that his fractured arm needed to be in a sling for six weeks.


    It happened during exam period. He couldn¡¯t concentrate because having a sling was ufortable as hell. The result? His ss standing dropped. But that¡¯s not the worst of it. His father berated him for having such a score on his exam results. He even had the audacity topare him to that bastard Luo Jin. Saying things like how he couldn¡¯t be the number one in his year just like that third young master of the Luo family. It¡¯s like he conveniently just forgot that the reason why his arm was on a sling was because of that same young master.


    Heck, even when he was sent to the hospital, instead of worrying about him, he reprimanded him instead. Scolding how he could be so weak that a simple fight could send him to a hospital. It¡¯s even worse because the one who sent him to the hospital was Luo Jin ¨C the young master of their family¡¯spetitor. And then, he was againpared to the said young master.


    It was something that had been happening more often for the past year. Ever since that bastard, Luo Jin, became a high school student.


    Because the Huang family had always been second in the real estate business to the Luo family here in S City, it made Huang Wen¡¯s father extremelypetitive. At least when it came to the Luo family, that was most certainly the case. Most likely because before the sess of Luo Wei Tian, the Huang family was the leading family in real estate business in S City. His father really took that rivalry to heart. Which then passed on to his children. Being the eldest and only boy, Huang Wen took most of the brunt of it.


    Because Luo Jin was the closest to him in age, Huang Wen was oftenpared to him. Really, his father¡¯s parenting wasn¡¯t really something to be desired.


    That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t help but bear a grudge against the Luo family, particrly that Luo Jin. Because all his problems stemmed from them. He knew, logically, that it was absurd to me them with his father¡¯s ways. But they¡¯re the only ones he could me. So even if he knew it was stupid and wrong of him to do so, he still couldn¡¯t help but do it still. Because it¡¯s the only way he could somehow alleviate his frustrations. It didn¡¯t really help that Luo Jin was such a hateful bastard.


    And now, another member of the Luo family was here.


    Of course, Huang Wen was aware of the circ.u.mstance of this second young master. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t believe that he truly managed to get the score that allowed him to be put in this ss. Just look at that petite body. That¡¯s the obvious oue of being in aa for years. How the heck did he manage to answer the difficult questions from the exam when he only had months to study?


    The Luo family probably paid the school off. Now, seeing this second young master Luo being surrounded by most of their ssmates, he couldn¡¯t help but remember all the humiliation he suffered from Luo Jin. And he suddenly wanted to pay it all back through the bastard¡¯s sissy looking brother.


    Huang Wen snorted. "The Luo family must have paid the school quite a sum just so their second young master could study here. That¡¯s one thing. But putting you in the science key ss, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit shameless?"


    His voice was not that loud. But it was enough for everyone in the ss to hear it.


    Of course, Luo Yan heard it too. The crowd around him dispersed a bit because they all turned to the source of the voice. Luo Yan did too.


    Sitting two seats behind him was a tall boy with the air of arrogance around him. He had the kind of face that girls their age would like ¨C sharp eyebrows, straight nose, thin lips. But he was surrounded by this smug atmosphere. Even sitting, he had this certain posture, as if silently telling everyone that he¡¯s better than any of them. And that truly detracted from his handsomeness.


    "Hey, Huang Wen. You can¡¯t just say something like that without any evidence," one of the three girls who first came to Luo Yan¡¯s desk said.


    "That¡¯s right. We all know you have a bone to pick with Luo Jin. But doesn¡¯t mean you can target his brother because of that," another one added.


    Most of the students in the ss thought that way. Some even felt indignant. Especially the ones who was currently surrounding Luo Yan¡¯s desk. Even if they also felt unbelievable that Luo Yan came to their ss, they wouldn¡¯t say that straight to his face. Just looked at those big eyes without even a shred of impurity. How could they even bear to hurt such an innocent child?


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t interested with what the people around him thought. He was interested though with what they just said. That this ¡¯Huang Wen¡¯ bore a grudge against his younger brother. He didn¡¯t expect that the first person to openly antagonize him in this ss was not someone who envied him or was jealous of his looks, it was someone who hated Luo Jin.


    He blinked his big peach blossom eyes towards Huang Wen. "My family didn¡¯t pay the school. I passed the exam, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here." He bit his lower lip and acted like someone who was trying to be strong but might cry at any second. "How could this brother think so badly of my family? Did we wrong you in any way?"


    Huang Wen stopped. Looking at those watery peach blossom eyes, he felt like his heart was suddenly kicked hard. He unexpectedly had an urge tofort him. Realizing that, his face turned red and he became even more annoyed.


    He was not alone. The students surrounding Luo Yan¡¯s desk also had the urge tofort him, hug him, tell him that everything would be okay and that they were there to protect him. They all red at Huang Wen.


    "Huang Wen, stop targeting Luo Yan."


    "That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t be so mean."


    "What did Luo Yan ever do to you?"


    "It¡¯s okay," Luo Yan said, preventing the others from arguing with this Huang Wen. He looked like someone who was bullied but still had to act strong so he wouldn¡¯t worry the people around him. The heart of the students around him just softened even more. He turned towards Huang Wen. "If this brother doesn¡¯t believe me, we can go to the chairman¡¯s office now. We can go and ask him. That way, we can clear your misunderstanding." He stood up. "Shall we go now?"


    Huang Wen didn¡¯t expect this turn of events. He looked around and just noticed the condemning gaze of his ssmates. With just a few words, this kid managed to turn almost everyone against him. He knew it. Members of Luo family were really hateful. He gritted his teeth and then stormed out of the ssroom.


    "S-should I follow him?" Luo Yan asked the people around him innocently.


    "No. Just let him be."


    "Yes. He¡¯lle back soon enough."


    "You don¡¯t need to pay him any attention."


    Luo Yan smiled, his already pretty face brightening even more. "Thank you everyone."


    Almost everyone had an urge to clutch their chest. Just to make sure that an arrow didn¡¯t pierce their heart.


    Luo Yan sat back to his seat and just secretly smiled.

 Chapter 157 ITS NOT A RABBIT, RIGHT?

    THE morning ss went by quickly. All the teachers didn¡¯t start their ss and just discussed the course sybus for the subject they were teaching. Some of the teachers couldn¡¯t help but give Luo Yan covert nces. They¡¯re probably checking the kid who passed the extremely difficult exam of the school despite being someone who was in aa for seven years. He guessed the same thing would happenter during the afternoon ss.


    He didn¡¯t mind. Although he did wish that one of them would start a ss. Then he could show off his academic prowess. That way, his new ssmates would know that he got through his ability and not because of his family¡¯s money. Maybe he would have a chanceter during their afternoon ss. Then the incident that happened earlier would be prevented from happening again.


    He didn¡¯t really want to constantly prove to people that he was here because of his own merits and not because his family pulled some strings. Maybe he would have a chanceter during the afternoon ss.


    Luo Yan¡¯s train of thought was cut off when two girls walked to his desk.


    "Luo Yan, do you want to eat lunch with us?" one asked.


    "We can show you around as well after," the other added.


    Some of the students who also wanted to invite Luo Yan to eat lunch with them almost didn¡¯t me themselves for moving too slow. They were simply thinking that looking at that pretty face while having their lunch would be very pleasant.


    Luo Yan smiled at the two. "I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m actually waiting for my brother right now. We¡¯re going to eat together. But thank you for inviting me. Maybe we could eat together next time."


    The two felt like their hearts were suddenly cleansed and healed just by looking at that smile. They sighed in contentment. It didn¡¯t even matter that they were rejected.


    "It¡¯s okay," the two said almost at the same time.


    Then as if on cue, a familiar voice suddenly called Luo Yan. It wasing from the doorway, so Luo Yan turned towards that direction. As expected, he saw his younger brother.


    "Yan, let¡¯s go," Luo Jin said.


    Luo Yan stood up, smiled again at the two girls, and walked towards Luo Jin. As he was doing so, he noticed that most of his ssmates were startled seeing Luo Jin appeared here. Considering the things he had heard about his brother¡¯s antics in this school, it was probably truly a surprise seeing him going to his older brother¡¯s ssroom.


    When he reached Luo Jin¡¯s position, he felt a heated reing from behind. He nced back and saw that guy he argued with earlier ¨C what was his name again? Ah, Huang Wen. He was ring daggers at their direction. No, it¡¯s more urate to say that he was ring at Luo Jin.


    Luo Yan remembered that the reason this guy attacked him verbally earlier was because of his feud with Luo Jin. He probably thought that he could get back with Luo Jin if he embarrassed his brother or something. Too bad for him, his n backfired.


    Luo Yan was actually worried, just a tiny bit, that because of his white lotus act, the guy would be shunned in ss. After all, it was quite obvious that he already got the favor of most of his ssmates. He didn¡¯t really want that. Especially since the guy seemed to only did what he did not because of some vile intent but because of something immature like bullying the brother of his sworn enemy.


    He¡¯s not that ck hearted to actually enjoy the suffering of others. Fighting back, in his own way, when he¡¯s being targeted was simply a natural response for him. Like some kind of reflex. One of his motto in life had always been; ¡¯if you don¡¯t cross me, then I won¡¯t do anything to you, but if you, then expect payback¡¯. Naturally, he preferred not having to argue with anyone. But sometimes, there were just people who kept on looking for him for trouble. So of course he had to fight back.


    But Luo Yan¡¯s worry didn¡¯t really happen. Huang Wen wasn¡¯t shunned. When he returned back to ss, everyone still treated him the same. Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure if it was because his ssmates were just simply good-natured or they¡¯re just used to the guy¡¯s brash attitude. He had a feeling it was most probably thetter.


    Huang Wen must have noticed his gaze, because he turned his eyes to him. The moment he did, Luo Yan smiled at him. He looked stunned for a bit, then he frowned, snorted, and then turned his gaze away.


    "Yan, what are you doing? Let¡¯s go," Luo Jin called his attention back to him.


    Luo Yan turned to his brother. "Okay."


    They walked out of the ssroom and went straight towards the elevator. On their way, they received a lot of gazes. Luo Yan no longer cared about those and just walked with that sweet smile on his face. Luo Jin had never cared if people looked at him or not. So the two brothers walked as if they weren¡¯t being stared at. Soon, the elevator reached the ground floor and the two walked out of the third year¡¯s teaching building.


    "Where do you want to eat?" Luo Jin asked. "There are tworge cafeterias here, one specializing in traditional food, the other in Western food. Which one do you prefer?"


    Somehow, Luo Yan was not surprised hearing that the school made separate cafeterias for both types of cuisines. They had the money to do so, then why not, right? He wouldn¡¯t even be surprised when the cafeterias here turned out to be like three-star Michelin restaurants.


    "Let¡¯s eat Western," he said.


    Luo Jin nodded. "How was your ss? Did anybody bully you?"


    Luo Yan looked at his brother and smiled helplessly. "Ah Jin, why do you think it¡¯s for certain that I¡¯ll be bullied?"


    [Because you look like someone who people would want to bully.] Of course, Luo Jin didn¡¯t say that out loud. "Because most of the students in this school are high-handed pricks who think they¡¯re better than anyone. They¡¯d be more than d to bully the new kid."


    Luo Yanughed a little when he heard Luo Jin¡¯s description. "No one bullied me. Everyone has been nice so far. I think they all like me."


    Luo Jin nced down at his second brother. Well, although Luo Yan¡¯s face was the type that would attract bullies, it¡¯s also the type that could quickly and easily gather the good feelings of people around him.


    "Just don¡¯t forget to tell me if someone ever try to bully you," he still said just in case.


    Luo Yan only smiled. How could he ever allow anyone to bully him?


    While walking his phone suddenly vibrated. He took it out from his pocket and saw that it was a WeChat message from Shen Ji Yun. He opened the message.


    [luckycloud]: Have you eaten lunch?


    Then it was followed by a rabbit sticker eating a bento.


    Luo Yan chuckled. Thinking of how cute Shen Ji Yun was. Then he suddenly remembered the message he sent earlier. About that gift he said he sent to him. Now he suddenly couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it was.


    Surely it wouldn¡¯t be something rted to rabbits. Right?

 Chapter 158 SHEN JI YUNS GIFT

    WHEN the bell rang, Luo Yan neatly put his e-tablet back in his bag.Although he¡¯s a bit disappointed that the teachers in the afternoon ss still only talked about their subject¡¯s course sybus, he must say that this first day was still quite fruitful.


    He stood up and was immediately surrounded.Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind.He was the new kid, a huge source of curiosity.That curiosity was only amplified further by his appearance.As time passed, he was sure that the novelty of it all would fade.They would get used to his presence.And then they wouldn¡¯t surround him like this anymore.


    "Luo Yan, is your brother going toe and get you again?" one asked.


    "Yes," he answered very amiably.


    Huang Wen who just stood up heard that.He wanted to say some scathing remarks.Like; letting your younger brother fetch you, what are you, a kid?But he held himself back.Or else, what happened earlier in the morning might happen again.He didn¡¯t really know how to argue with someone who used innocence instead of violence to fight back.


    He just wasn¡¯t sure if that innocence was fabricated or natural.He wanted to think it¡¯s the former.That way, he wouldn¡¯t care much if he said anything offensive to him.But if it¡¯s thetter, then he would just feel guilty arguing with someone who couldn¡¯t understand why they¡¯re arguing.He just huffed and decided to not think about it anymore.And then he walked out of the ssroom.


    "I still couldn¡¯t believe that Luo Jin is the type who would care for his brother.You know, being always so violent and all.When I saw him earliering to our ss, my eyes almost bulged," another one said to Luo Yan.Then as if realizing that she just literally said that Luo Jin was a violent delinquent, she gasped and immediately apologized."I¡¯m sorry.I didn¡¯t mean to say something so rude."


    Luo Yan smiled at her."It¡¯s okay.And Ah Jin is not violent.He¡¯s very lovely and cute.It pains me when people think about him in a negative light." He then showed a sad expression.After that, he raised his head and made sure that his eyes looked like it was silently pleading at them."I hope everyone could see him the same way I do."


    Looking at those big pleading eyes, it felt like their hearts were squeezed by something.So even though they couldn¡¯t really see that always violent Luo Jin as ¡¯cute¡¯ and ¡¯lovely¡¯, in fact, those two words were so far off from the guy, they still nodded their heads vigorously.


    "Yes, of course we will," everyone said almost at the same time.


    Luo Yan smiled, his big peach blossom eyes bending into crescents."Thank you everyone."


    Everyone looked like they would melt at any second and turned into a puddle.How could someone, a boy their age even, be so lovely?


    Luo Yan was about to speak again when his eyes caught a scene.Not far away, someone bumped into a tall girl wearing sses.The girl almost tripped over.Instead of apologizing, the boy just went ahead and continued walking.As if he didn¡¯t see the girl at all.Their other ssmates near the two also acted like nothing happened.Much to his surprise, the girl didn¡¯t react at all.


    He could only think of one reason why.She¡¯s used to it.


    "Who¡¯s that girl?" Luo Yan asked curiously, looking at the direction of the tall girl who was about to leave the ssroom.


    "Oh, that¡¯s¡ª" the one who tried to answer Luo Yan¡¯s question stopped, as if she was trying to remember the name of the girl.


    "Her name is Yu Jiao," finished another girl."You don¡¯t have to mind her.She¡¯s a loner.She preferred to be alone so we also just let her."


    "I see," Luo Yan only said.


    Being a loner and being treated like she didn¡¯t exist were twopletely different things.And here Luo Yan thought that this ss had a good atmosphere.


    Soon, Luo Jin arrived and he said goodbye to his ssmates.


    Luo Yan and Luo Jin arrived at home a few minutes after five in the afternoon.The first thing that Luo Yan did when they entered the house was to speak with one of the maids.


    "Was there an item delivered for me today?" he asked.


    "Yes, second young master," the slightly startled maid answered."We put it in second young master¡¯s room."


    "Okay, thank you," Luo Yan said and let the maid continue what she was doing.


    "You bought something online?" Luo Jin asked when he heard the conversation.


    "No.Brother Ji Yun sent me a gift for passing my exam."


    The corner of Luo Jin¡¯s eye twitched when he heard that."Why did he have to send you a gift?"


    "Because we¡¯re friends and he wanted to congratte me," Luo Yan simply answered.Seeing the deep frown on Luo Jin¡¯s face, he sighed."Ah Jin, when will your prejudice against Brother Ji Yun disappear?Brother Ji Yun is a good person." Although a bit awkward with a facial expression that didn¡¯t change much."Do you know that almost all my ssmates think you¡¯re a violent person?But I told them that you¡¯re cute and lovely.And they promised that they would try to see you the same way.You should do the same for Brother Ji Yun."


    Luo Jin¡¯s whole face suddenly turned red.He couldn¡¯t care less about Shen Ji Yun.Not when he just heard his brother said that he told his ssmates to see him as ¡¯cute¡¯ and ¡¯lovely¡¯.Now he wondered if he could ever show his face in that ss again.


    "You- you--!" he pointed at Luo Yan, not really sure if he¡¯s angry, frustrated, or simply embarrassed.


    "Me?" Luo Yan said, tilting his head innocently.


    At the end, Luo Jin could only stomped his feet and climbed up to his room.


    Luo Yan chuckled.Ah, he really missed bullying Luo Jin.If he didn¡¯t do that, he was sure his younger brother would just go on and on about him not receiving gifts from Shen Ji Yun.He might even take the gift and throw it out.


    He happily went to his room.The moment he did, he immediately saw a box on his study table.He walked forwards and picked it up.It was wrapped simply and elegantly in a ck box with a white ribbon.He untied the ribbon then opened the box.


    Inside was a small mahogany box carved beautifully.When he opened it, music suddenly filled his room.Not just any music.It was the same music he danced to when they were in that blue door doing task for the King of Arcadia¡¯s birthday.Then slowly, two small figures rose from the inside of the box.


    One was a fluffy white rabbit wearing a red robe while the other was a fierce qilin wearing an all-ck costume.The two were facing each other and holding each other¡¯s hands.They rotate in circle with the music.


    The dress the rabbit was wearing was obviously the same as what he wore inside the blue door.While the qilin was wearing the same clothes as Shen Ji Yun¡¯s.Even the lower half of his face was covered.It was quite obvious that this music was customized.It probably took a lot of effort to design it.


    "So it did have something to do with a rabbit," he murmured helplessly.


    His eyes were soft as he stared at the two figures.And his heart was filled with unprecedented warmth and joy.

 Chapter 159 LUO YANS MUSINGS

    AFTER a quick shower, Luo Yan logged in to Arcadia. He didn¡¯t notify Luo Jin about it and just logged in on his own. It¡¯s weird but he just really wanted to meet Shen Ji Yun as quickly as he could. Maybe because he wanted to thank him for his gift as soon as possible. Or maybe he just wanted to see him in general.


    Was he really that touch by the gift he received? Well, if one received a customized music box, wouldn¡¯t they be happy? Luo Yan was. He didn¡¯t mind that the music that came out of the box was the same one he danced to inside that blue door. Something that he seriously just wanted to erase from his memories. He didn¡¯t even mind that Shen Ji Yun used a rabbit to depict him.


    But seriously, in what world did Shen Ji Yun see him as a harmless, cute, fluffy white rabbit? Okay, he could agree with ¡¯cute¡¯, but he would never agree with ¡¯harmless¡¯. Despite him being physically a weak chicken, he could still do damage to others if he wanted to. And Shen Ji Yun had seen his ck-bellied side. He didn¡¯t bother to hide it from him. Now that he thought about it, he wondered why? Maybe because he already instinctively considered him as a close friend.


    It¡¯s a surprise, really. He never thought of revealing his true self to his three roommates in college. Until their graduation, they never knew the real him. He didn¡¯t mind showing it to Luo Jin because his family. Truthfully, he also wouldn¡¯t mind if his father and older brother found out about it. Because he was sure they would still ept him.


    Then what about Shen Ji Yun?


    The only reason Luo Yan could think of was because he wasfortable around him. Maybe it¡¯s because of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s awkwardness, the way he couldn¡¯t properly express himself so he could only hide in his cold exterior. Luo Yan could rte to that. Because he also struggled socially in his first life. Until he found a way to fit in. To use everything ¨C his appearance, people¡¯s emotion, the environment ¨C to his advantage.


    He just shook his head. So, back to the original question; how did Shen Ju Yun see him as a rabbit? He could understand if it was because of his weird fascination with rabbits. Seeing how he always sent rabbit stickers whenever they exchange messages in WeChat. But if that was the case, then why was the other one a qilin and not a rabbit?


    Obviously, the rabbit was him and the qilin was Shen Ji Yun. Then he suddenly remembered what happened when the two of them first met during his older brother¡¯s graduation rights. When Shen Ji Yun left, he pinched his cheek and called him ¡¯silly rabbit¡¯. So, did that mean that his first impression of him was that of a ¡¯silly rabbit¡¯ and somehow, even after knowing the real him, it somewhat stayed?


    Luo Yan grimaced a little. Although he did act like some silly sweet when they first met, he didn¡¯t expect that the impression he left was so deep that even until now Shen Ji Yun still saw him as that silly sweet rabbit. He didn¡¯t know what to feel after he came up with that conclusion.


    Maybe he should ask him about that.


    He then appeared inside Yunyue¡¯s headquarters. Instead of going straight to the main hall, he walked out the pce and sat down near the edge of a cliff overlooking the view down the mountain where the headquarters was located. In front of him was the view of a lush green forest.


    This was really a good location for a pce like this to be built. In a real estate term, this would be considered a prime location. Did Shen Ji Yun got this because of his identity as the nephew of the president of Moonlight Media? No. That guy was not the type to use his identity to get what he wanted in this game. If it was, then rumors about Yunyue being fallen warriors wouldn¡¯t circte like that for years. No one probably knew the yer YUN¡¯s real identity. Who would want to badmouth the team of the nephew of Moonlight Media¡¯s president? He probably got this location through sheer hard work.


    Speaking of location, he still hadn¡¯t decided where to put the Yuexing Pavilion he got as one of the rewards for perfectly clearing the blue door. He hadn¡¯t canvas any location yet. Because after his exam, he grinded levels like some maniac. He spent most of his time in the game trying to level up. Because he knew he wouldn¡¯t have that much time once school started.


    Now he¡¯s currently at level 68. He could now enter the third city of Arcadia ¨C Goldcrest. Only yers level 61 and above could go there. The first thing he did once he entered the city was buy a new costume that would suit the [Lunam Robe] Shen Ji Yun gave him. It was easy since there were a lot more shop in Goldcrest City.


    He had a whole lot of selection. At the end, he bought the [Dark Moon] set. Which was pretty apt for him, if he must say so himself.


    He was now wearing a thin, dark purple longtail coat - which almost looked ck because of how dark it was ¨C over a ck fitted high-necked shirt that almost felt like a second skin. The rib of the shirt could be pulled upward so that it could cover the lower half of his face. Luo Yan found that very convenient. Especially when he didn¡¯t want to be ogled at by other yers when he was grinding levels.


    The coat he¡¯s wearing was held on together by a wide belt that help showcased his slim waist. The belt had a purple gem at the middle which had a crescent moon symbol. He had ck arm guards that had crescent moons etched on them. His slightly loose ck trousers were paired with knee-high boots that also had a crescent moon symbol. He finished it all off by wearing the silvery white [Lunam Robe].


    He must say that the final image was truly a sight to look at. Of course Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t wear something that would look bad on him. He was just d that there¡¯s a setting in the costume set-up that allowed the yer to set-up the temperature of the clothes they¡¯re wearing. Arcadia followed the seasons of the real world. If it was Summer, he¡¯d definitely be toasted by how manyyers he¡¯s wearing right now.


    Then Luo Yan suddenly remembered his Little Ancestor. He probably should do his daily input of Mana. He took the egg that was still inside the beast incubator from his Items Tab and started inputting Mana on it. After he¡¯s done, he checked the egg¡¯s status.


    Unknown Egg


    -Status of Hatching: 91%


    -Current Health Meter: Extremely Healthy


    -Current Mood Meter: Satisfied


    He looked at the status of hatching ¨C 91%. At this rate, this egg would hatch by next week. He raised the incubator and stared at the egg inside. [Just a few more days and I will finally see you, Little Ancestor.]


    "Yan Yan," suddenly called by a very familiar voice, cutting off Luo Yan¡¯s musings.


    Luo Yan excitedly looked back. He didn¡¯t even notice the bright smile that crossed his face.


    "Brother Ji Yun."

 Chapter 160 A FOX IN RABBITS CLOTHING

    LUO Yan stood up, putting back the egg in his Items Tab. He ran towards Shen Ji Yun. When he reached him, he raised his head and smiled up at him. "How did you know I was here?"


    He was just actually about to return inside. Because he knew his team mates usually went straight to their headquarters¡¯ main hall whenever they logged in. He was nning to wait for them there. He knew that today was also the first day of university for their three college team mates. So he thought he had to wait awhile before any of them logged in.


    That¡¯s why it¡¯s quite a pleasing surprise seeing Shen Ji Yun this early.


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down at Luo Yan. As usual, he was immediately attracted by his smile. He especially liked it when he smiled so brightly like this. Because he could see that it was real.


    Then his gaze nced at the silvery white robe Luo Yan was wearing. Every time he saw him wearing it, he felt happy. Maybe because he was the one who gave it to Luo Yan.


    "I logged out yesterday just outside the pce," he answered. Meaning when he logged in today, he appeared outside of the headquarters. That¡¯s why he saw him immediately.


    "Why did you log in early? You didn¡¯t have any lecture?"


    "No, I don¡¯t have much lecture during Modays," Shen Ji Yun answered. "How about you, how¡¯s your first day at school?"


    "It¡¯s okay. Though a bit boring since we didn¡¯t really start sses," Luo Yan said. "But my ssmates seem to like me."


    "Why wouldn¡¯t they?"


    "That¡¯s right. How could they not like me when I¡¯m this pretty," Luo Yan said puffing out his chest, showing off just how proud he was.


    Shen Ji Yun let out a surprisingugh. "Yes, how could they not?"


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun. Because he was currentlyughing, his usual cold exterior suddenly melted. His beastly amethyst eyes were bent into crescents. His lips that were usually in a straight line were now curved in an attractive arc, making his whole features much softer.


    A simple smile could truly change the atmosphere around a person. If Shen Ji Yun smiled more often, he would definitely be always surrounded by people, more particrly, girls. An image of that kind of scene suddenly shed in his mind. His brows slightly creased. For some reason, he didn¡¯t like seeing that kind of image. He shook his head and also shook away the strange idea and the strange feeling it evoked as well.


    So instead, he smiled at Shen Ji Yun. "Thank you for the gift."


    "Did you... like it?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    He looked like he was simply asking but Luo Yan could see in the way his gaze darted sideways that he was nervous. Was he anxious about what his answer would be? Luo Yan chuckled. How could this guy be so awkward and cute at the same time?


    "I love it," he said honestly.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face visibly brightened when he said that. Despite the almost non-existent change in expression, Luo Yan could still tell that he was happy with his answer. "That¡¯s good."


    Of course Shen Ji Yun was happy. When he was contemting on what to give Luo Yan as a reward for doing so well in his exam, there weren¡¯t many ideas that came to his mind. The only one he could think of was sending a human size rabbit stuff toy. That¡¯s what he first thought when he found out that Luo Yan liked stuff animals. But he realized it was a bit unoriginal, considering how his younger brother already gave him one.


    So he went and asked for Bai Ze¡¯s opinion on what kind of gift teenagers would like. He gave him some kind of weird grin before answering and telling him that any normal girl would love to receive flowers, choctes, jewelries, or any kind of cute things. Then he proceeded on asking who the girl was, when did he meet him, and why did he didn¡¯t know anything about it. At that point, Shen Ji Yun no longer cared about him.


    He didn¡¯t understand why Bai Ze automatically assumed it was for a girl. Were girls the only one allowed to receive gifts? Because he knew he wouldn¡¯t get a proper answer from him, he decided to just search online and asked the ever dependable Baidu.


    He didn¡¯t really get much. Because most of the research results showed the same uninteresting things ¨C gadgets, shoes, anything sports rted, and games. Just like the stuff toy, he thought all those things were unoriginal. Then that¡¯s when he thought if he wanted something original, then he should just customize something. The idea of a music box came to him then. Probably because he just remembered the dance Luo Yan did inside the blue door.


    It was easy to get the music Luo Yan danced to. He just had to ask someone from Moonlight Media to send him the music file. It was the first time he used his identity as his uncle¡¯s nephew to get something. Then he looked for a shop that customized things like music box. It took a while to find a suitable shop that could satisfy him.


    But now, listening to Luo Yan saying that he loved the gift, he felt that all the hard work he put into that music box was worth it.


    "But Brother Ji Yun, why am I the rabbit?" Luo Yan asked, finally asking the thing he¡¯d been thinking of since he got the music box. "Do I seem like rabbit to you? Like do I seem weak and helpless in your eyes?"


    Shen Ji Yun was caught off guard by that question. He didn¡¯t know how to answer it. "I¡ª"


    "Brother Ji Yun should be honest and not give me some perfunctory answer," Luo Yan immediately said, acting like some strict teacher scolding a naughty student.


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down at Luo Yan¡¯s serious expression. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, although he¡¯s still reluctant, he already decided to tell the truth.


    "It¡¯s because when I first saw you, I thought you were as cute and fluffy as a rabbit."


    By the time Shen Ji Yun finished, his whole face was already blushing red.


    Seeing that, Luo Yan almostughed. Because that expressionless face dyed in red just looked so cute. He suddenly had a strong urge to bully him. But to the more important issue ¨C his guess was indeed right. When they first met, Shen Ji Yun associated his image to a rabbit.


    "Even after knowing me, does Brother Ji Yun still thinks that I¡¯m like a rabbit?"


    "No. You¡¯re more like a fox that looks like a rabbit," Shen Ji Yun said honestly.


    Luo Yan stopped for a second and then let out a loudugh. Because with his current appearance, that was indeed a very apt description. Like a fox in rabbit¡¯s clothing.


    "Because Brother Ji Yun has been so honest, I¡¯ll let you pinch my cheek," he said, remembering that when they first met, this guy pinched his cheek.


    "Can I?"


    He smiled and nodded, raising his left cheek for Shen Ji Yun to pinch.


    Shen Ji Yun reached for Luo Yan¡¯s cheek and pinched it. "Soft."


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun and saw that his entire expression became gentle and soft the moment he pinched his cheek. Looking at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s expression, seeing those usually cold eyes staring at him full of tenderness, Luo Yan felt like his heart just somehow missed a beat.


    Before he could think, he already stepped back. Then he quickly passed him by. "Let¡¯s go back inside, maybe the others are already there."


    He walked fast towards the pce. And as he did, he could feel his face heating up for some unknown reason.

 Chapter 161 MAKING PLANS

    WHEN Luo Yan entered the main hall of the pce, Luo Jin was already there. He looked quite impatient. Knowing him, he¡¯s probably expecting that Luo Yan would be here and then became increasingly annoyed while waiting.


    Like Luo Yan, his younger brother had also changed his costume. But unlike the first time where he was the one who picked the costume for him, this time, he picked his own costume. He was wearing a ck shirt over a white trench vest with green lining, a brown holster belt where he could put his guns, a ck fitted leather pants, a pair of ck boots, and a long green scarf.


    Although his new costume now no longer gave off a cute vibe, it still suited him quite well. Now he looked like a cool little gunslinger.


    "Ah Jin," he called.


    Luo Jin turned around. "Did you only log in now?"


    He knocked on his room earlier but didn¡¯t receive an answer. So he thought his brother already logged in the game. But then when he logged in, he didn¡¯t find Luo Yan in the main hall.


    "I was outside for a bit," Luo Yan said before walking towards one of the seats and sitting down.


    Luo Jin was about to ask him about the package that he received from Shen Ji Yun when he saw the said expressionless iceberg walked into the main hall. He immediately changed his mind. There¡¯s no way he would ask while this guy was around. What would he do if this guy thought that he¡¯s curious or something? Which was not the case at all.


    He just wanted to know what kind of gift Shen Ji Yun sent to Luo Yan and make sure that it¡¯s not something inappropriate. But then again, this guy probably didn¡¯t even know what ¡¯inappropriate¡¯ materials were. For almost a month of being a member of Yunyue, Luo Jin noticed that their captain was like a nk te. Someone who didn¡¯t know much about emotions. Not only that, but also some things that should be considered asmon sense to most people.


    That should relieve Luo Jin of his suspicion that Shen Ji Yun had ulterior motives regarding his second brother. But he just really couldn¡¯t let go of that idea. Especially when that expressionless iceberg did things that supported it. Like today, sending a gift to Luo Yan. Ordinary guy friends wouldn¡¯t send gifts just because the other one passed his exam or something. Even their cousin, Bai Ze, didn¡¯t send one.


    Well, if he¡¯s second brother didn¡¯t look like that, he probably wouldn¡¯t overreact like this. But the problem was, Luo Yan was indeed a big beauty. It¡¯s only right for Luo Jin to let his guard up against any pest that would try to get close to brother.


    When he saw that Shen Ji Yun was about to sit beside Luo Yan, he stood up and quickly took over the seat he was nning to sit on. Luo Jin smirked at Shen Ji Yun who just ignored him and sat down on the other side of Luo Yan. He almost couldn¡¯t maintain his expression. Why did he almost forget that this was a long table that had many seats on it?


    Luo Yan nced at his brother who looked extremely mortified. Of course, he witnessed what just happened. He knew his brother well enough to understand why he did what he just did. He probably just didn¡¯t want Shen Ji Yun to sit beside him.


    "Have you already decided on where you would build your Yuexing Pavilion?" Shen Ji Yun suddenly asked.


    Luo Yan turned to him. "I¡¯m thinking of building it on Goldcrest City. But I haven¡¯t had the time to buy a plot ofnd yet."


    When he got the Yuexing Pavilion, Luo Yan¡¯s first choice of location had always been Goldcrest City. Because yers level 61 and above could enter this city. This made up the majority of the yers here in Arcadia. These yers were not casual yers who were only there to experience a virtual life. Most of them were ying the game seriously. Which meant that they had a lot of crystal coins to spare. And that also meant more paying customers.


    He¡¯s just wasn¡¯t sure if there would still be an empty plot ofnd there. Considering how the city was like a huge business hub for other yers that had their own business in the game. That¡¯s the first thing he noticed - that there¡¯s a lot of establishments owned by yers ¨C when he entered Goldcrest.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded, agreeing with Luo Yan¡¯s decision. "When are you nning to buy a plot ofnd in Goldcrest?"


    "I¡¯m thinking this Saturday," Luo Yan answered, since there¡¯s no school and he could y all he wanted. Besides, it¡¯s better to look for a plot ofnd during the day instead of night. Which he could only do during weekends.


    "Then let me apany you," Shen Ji Yun said. "I¡¯ll search beforehand for any empty plot ofnd in Goldcrest."


    "Is that okay? Wouldn¡¯t that take too much of your time?"


    "It¡¯s okay." Shen Ji Yun would just ask someone from the programming department if there¡¯s a prime location in Goldcrest where a new building could be built.


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun. It seemed like it wouldn¡¯t really cause any problem for him to do that. "Then I¡¯ll leave it to Brother Ji Yun."


    Listening to the conversation of the two, Luo Jin frowned a bit. Why did it feel like he¡¯s just an extra here? He was about to speak and insert one word or two when the door of the main hall suddenly opened. Bai Ze walked inside.


    "Oh, almost everyone is here," he said cheerfully, sitting on the opposite side of the three. "But why are you three all huddled there together?" he asked, a bit confused.


    There were a lot of free seats in the long table. And yet the three were still sitting close to each other.


    "Has Brother Ze found a pet yet?" Luo Yan asked instead.


    These past two weeks, Bai Ze had been fixated in looking for a pet. But so far, he hadn¡¯t found one yet to tame.


    Bai Ze let out a disappointed sigh. "No. I¡¯m actually starting to lose hope."


    There were actually a lot of strong monsters out there that he could choose as a pet. With his level, he could have his pick of the litter. But the problem was, he¡¯s just not feeling them. Maybe just like Luo Yan, he should look for a beast egg that he could raise.


    "I believe that Brother Ze will soon find one." Luo Yan pumped his fist. "You can do it!"


    Bai Ze was immediately encouraged. Luo Yan was really good for his spirit. "Thank you, Xiao Yan. Your Brother Ze will definitely do his best." Then he suddenly thought of an important matter. "Xiao Yan, Xiao Jin, you guys wille and visit for Mid-Autumn Festival, right?"


    Luo Yan remembered that his father mentioned that the whole family would go to B City to visit her mother¡¯s family and celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with them. "Yes. Dad said we will."


    "We¡¯ll probably arrive there by next week Friday afternoon," Luo Jin added, since that was the first day of the three-day festival.


    "That¡¯s good. Grandpa will surely be happy to see you guys," Bai Ze said and then turned to Luo Yan. "Especially you, Xiao Yan."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ears perked up when he heard the conversation between the three. Should he drop by at the Bai household during the Mid-Autumn Festival?

 Chapter 162 MEETING AT GOLDCREST CITY

    LUO YAN appeared at the za of Goldcrest City, Luo Jin appearing just a few seconds after. He nced down at his younger brother, there was an obvious frown on his face. Luo Yan helplessly smiled. Because he knew it was because they were to meet with Shen Ji Yun here.


    It had been a month since they joined Yunyue and yet Luo Jin was still ever so vignt against Shen Ji Yun. Luo Yan no longer tried to convince him not to behave like that. Because he knew it wouldn¡¯t have any effect whatsoever. He¡¯d just let time prove him otherwise.


    The morning sun was shining brightly on the city. Today was Saturday. That¡¯s why the two of them were able to be here this early. This weekend also signaled the end of his first week at school.


    Luo Yan¡¯s first week was almost uneventful. Everyone in his ss was nice to him. Overly nice, in fact. It¡¯s like every time some of his ssmates looked at him, he had a feeling that they were just restraining themselves from attacking him. And by ¡¯attacking¡¯ he meant pinching his cheeks or hugging him. If he as so showed any indication that he would be alright with it, those ssmates of his probably wouldn¡¯t hesitate any longer and just flung themselves at him.


    The only one who had been openly antagonistic towards him was Huang Wen. But even he stopped with the snide remarks after Luo Yan consecutively answered some of the teachers¡¯ questions correctly. With that, Huang Wen could no longer use the excuse that Luo Yan only managed to get into the school because of his family¡¯s money.


    He nced around and noticed that some yers were staring in their direction. He had already pulled the rib of his shirt to cover the lower half of his face. This way, he wouldn¡¯t gather too much attention. He¡¯s going to do some serious business today. He didn¡¯t want to be ogled while he¡¯s doing that. But even so, it seemed like his white hair was still quite the attraction. Not to mention, Luo Jin¡¯s special gnome ss.


    "When is that guying here?" Luo Jin said impatiently. His tone was like he¡¯d been waiting for hours. When in fact, they had only been here for about a minute.


    Luo Yan was about to answer him when he felt someone suddenly stood beside him. He looked up and saw a tall male yer wearing all ck with the lower half of his face also covered but the one thing most people would notice about him first were his pair of piercing blue eyes.


    "Brother Ji Yun," he smiled and greeted the person who just stood beside him.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised to see him arriving in his alt ount¡¯s game avatar. After all, they would be walking around the city. If he came here in his real avatar, other yers would surely flock them.


    "Sorry, I¡¯mte. Did you wait too long?" Shen Ji Yun apologized.


    "Yes, we¡¯ve been waiting for hours," Luo Jin said in a way as if they were really waiting there for hours.


    "No, we¡¯ve only been here for like a minute," Luo Yan immediately corrected.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t mind what the gnome said because he¡¯d already been used to ignoring him. What he said usually just enter one ear and exit on the other.


    "Is it really alright for Brother Ji Yun to apany us today? You don¡¯t have any lecture you need to attend?" Luo Yan continued. It¡¯s actually one of the reasons he was hesitating to let Shen Ji Yun apany them today. After all, the guy was already a university student. He should be busier than them.


    "It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t have any lectures today anyway." When Shen Ji Yun entered college, he decided not to take any lectures during the weekends. He wanted it to be a rest time for him. Usually, during this time, he would still be sleeping on his bed. But, surprisingly enough, he didn¡¯t mind breaking his ¡¯rest time¡¯ to spend it with his favorite rabbit. "There are currently three empty plot ofnds here in Goldcrest but only one is on a prime location. Do you want to visit all three or just go straight to the one located on the prime location?"


    Luo Jin snorted. "Is that something you still need to ask? Unless you want to waste our time, then please, by all means, let¡¯s visit each of the three locations," he said sarcastically.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s just go to the one on a prime location," Luo Yan said. He actually didn¡¯t need to see the other two. If Shen Ji Yun considered one to be on a prime location, then he had no doubt that it definitely was. "And sorry if Ah Jin is being rude."


    He nced at his brother and told him silently with his eyes that he shouldn¡¯t make trouble. Luo Jin only huffed and puffed like some bear child.


    "I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m used to your brother¡¯s childishness," Shen Ji Yun said with no ups and downs in his voice.


    Luo Jin sharply turned to Shen Ji Yun and red at him. "Who are you calling childish?"


    Shen Ji Yun nced at Luo Jin. "The one asking right now if he is one."


    Luo Jin¡¯s small face turned red in anger. "You¡ª"


    When Luo Jin was about to pounce on Shen Ji Yun, Luo Yan quickly caught him. "Now, now, calm down, Ah Jin."


    Shen Ji Yun only looked at Luo Jin with those cold emotionless eyes, almost as if telling him that the way he¡¯s acting right now was the proof that he¡¯s being childish. Luo Jin probably sensed that, so he immediately calmed down and only red at Shen Ji Yun before pulling away from Luo Yan.


    Seeing this, Luo Yan could only chuckle. Whenever the two had an argument, it had always been Shen Ji Yun who came up as the winner. Either by simply ignoring Luo Jin or by staring him down with those cold eyes. Just like what he did just now.


    Luo Yan leaned a bit close to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s side. "Brother Ji Yun is really powerful," he whispered so his brother wouldn¡¯t hear.


    Shen Ji Yun nced at Luo Yan who already moved back. He couldn¡¯t see his full face because of the fabric covering the lower half of his face. But seeing how his eyes were bent into crescents, he knew that he must be smiling right now. Suddenly, he had an urge to pull down the mask on Luo Yan¡¯s face just so he could see that sweet smile of his. He clenched both his fists before he could do just that.


    He cleared his throat, trying to hide his embarrassment. But if one looked closely, they would see that the tips of his ears were both shockingly red. "Shall we go?"

 Chapter 163 RECREATIONAL GARDEN

    SHEN JI YUN led them to the Northern part of the city which was on the opposite side of the city gate.Goldcrest was a very big city inparison to the other two cities for lower level yers ¨C Olkdale and Matlock.It¡¯s almost as big as the two citiesbined.That¡¯s why they needed to hire horses as mounts to take them to their destination.


    They only hired two horses because Luo Jin was too small to ride one on his own.So he was currently riding behind Luo Yan on the same horse.Luo Yan actually wanted to let Luo Jin sit in front of him.But his brother made a fuss, almost throwing a tantrum like a true five-year-old.He guessed that for Luo Jin, behaving that way was much less embarrassingpared to being seen sitting in front of him.


    Such a shame, really.He thought he¡¯d have a chance to hold Luo Jin again.


    "Brother Ji Yun, why does Arcadia not have a mount system?" he suddenly thought of asking.


    It¡¯s kind of weird, considering how an mmorpg like this usually had a mount system or the likes.


    It took a few seconds for Shen Ji Yun to answer.He had been distracted by the gnome¡¯s small paws clutching at the rabbit¡¯s waist.He¡¯d been having a strong urge to pull those paws away.But more than the feeling of irritation, what he¡¯s feeling right now was more simr to being envious.


    He was slightly startled.What was he exactly being envious about?He shook that feeling aside and just answered Luo Yan¡¯s question.


    "It¡¯s because of the teleportation scrolls and portals.My uncle doesn¡¯t think that there¡¯s a need for mounts if the yers could easily move from one ce to another by teleporting.And if they¡¯re in the city and doesn¡¯t want to walk, then they could simply rent a mount.Aside from that, now that the pet system is now in ce, yers could just use their pets as mounts.Adding a mount feature now would just be redundant," he exined.


    Luo Yan thought that that actually made sense.Besides, even without the mount system, this game still had plenty of attraction for yers.Heck, the fact that it¡¯s VR and everything felt almost real like was enough for people to flock to it.Speaking of pets, he still hadn¡¯t fed Mana to his Little Ancestor.He¡¯d do itter once he¡¯s done with his business here.


    Luo Jin nced at Shen Ji Yun.Howe this guy only ever say more than ten words when he was talking to Luo Yan?He was clearly showing his special preference towards his second brother.And yet Luo Yan was still insisting that this guy had no ulterior motives at all.


    He sighed.He suddenly felt like the emotionless iceberg had a point.He really was starting to act like a child.He red at Shen Ji Yun.It was all this guy¡¯s fault.Whenever this guy was around, he always seemed to turn into this unreasonable kid who just wanted to get in between his brother and this annoying guy.


    Shen Ji Yun, of course, felt the reing from the gnome.But like always, he ignored him.


    Soon, they arrived at their destination.


    Luo Yan looked ahead.They were in an area known as the ¡¯recreational garden¡¯.The yers called it that way because there were quite a number of in-game establishments where yers could rest or entertain themselves.There¡¯s a small hot spring resort, argeke where yers could go boating or fishing, there¡¯s a hiking trail that led to a nearby mountain, one could simply stay here and just appreciate the beautiful surroundings.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun, a bit unsure."The plot ofnd is here?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded."It¡¯s here."


    "They¡¯re selling an empty plot ofnd here?" Luo Yan asked, still a bit unsure.Because as far as he knew, all the known establishments in this area were in-game rted.Meaning there were no yers who owned a business here.He didn¡¯t even know that one could buy and here.


    "They only opened it and haven¡¯t announced it to anyone yet," Shen Ji Yun only said.


    The truth was, when he inquired at the programming department about any empty plot ofnds here in Goldcrest that were being sold, none of them was a good location to build Luo Yan¡¯s Yuexing Pavilion.They were either too small or in between establishments that were simply not in line with the pavilion.The only ce in Goldcrest that he thought was perfect for the pavilion was the recreational garden area.But the problem was, thend there was not for sale.


    So, he asked Brother Zhao ¨C the head of the programming department ¨C if he could make a little change so that a friend of his could buy a part of thend in the recreational garden area of Goldcrest City.Brother Zhao didn¡¯t hesitate to agree.Maybe because he never really made a request like that.Even when he wanted to give him the best items in the game, Shen Ji Yun always declined.Because he didn¡¯t want to use his identity as the nephew of the president of Moonlight Media to his advantage.But it seemed like when it came to Luo Yan, he didn¡¯t have much qualm in using it.


    Of course, there¡¯s no need for Luo Yan to know that.


    "Then we must hurry and take a look," Luo Yan said, not even suspecting that there¡¯s something wrong in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s reasoning.


    His mind right now was already starting to be filled with ideas.Because this ce was really a prime location for a business like Yuexing Pavilion.


    The horses they¡¯re riding galloped inside.Everywhere Luo Yan looked there were different kinds of flowers nted.That¡¯s why this area was termed as a ¡¯garden¡¯.Because thend areas with no establishment built on it were filled with flowers.What a scenic view.


    Shen Ji Yun stopped in front of a hugeke."Thend on the other side of thiske is the one on sale."


    Luo Yan stared at thend, its area was more than enough for the size of Yuexing Pavilion.Add that to theke and the surroundings, it was simply perfect.He could already picture everything inside his mind.


    "Will you take it?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Luo Yan turned to him, his blue eyes speckled with golden dust were shining brightly."I¡¯ll take it!"


    *****


    Please read my author¡¯s note. There¡¯s an important announcement there. Thank you!

 Chapter 164 BUYING A PIECE OF LAND

    WHILE the two were talking about thend in front, Luo Jin suddenly received a message. He opened his private chat and saw that it was from Su Yuqi. He unconsciously opened it without much thought, like some kind of instinctual movement.


    Morganite: [Are you free right now?]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Why?]


    Luo Jin stared at his game name and felt extremely mortified. Once again, hemented why the hell did he chose this group of garbled words as his game name. just look at Su Yuqi¡¯s game name andpared it to his. It¡¯s like one was thought of by a smart a.d.u.l.t and the other was by an immature child. Hopefully, Su Yuqi wasn¡¯tughing at his stupid game name.


    Morganite: [I have a task that needs two yers to do it. If you¡¯re not busy, want to do the task with me?]


    Luo Jin suddenly felt tangled. His fingers were itching to answer ¡¯okay¡¯, but he also didn¡¯t really want to leave Luo Yan with Shen Ji Yun.


    "Ah Jin, what do you think?" Luo Yan then asked. When he didn¡¯t receive an answer, he nced back and saw that his brother seemed to be looking at something that was not there. He knew that look, Luo Jin¡¯s Status Window was probably currently open. "Ah Jin?"


    Luo Jin seemed to only hear his brother¡¯s call. "What?"


    "Is everything okay?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Ah, Su Yuqi sent me a message, asking me if I could do a task with her."


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised by Luo Jin¡¯s answer. It looked like his brother¡¯s rtionship with Su Yuqi was pretty good. But now that he thought about it carefully, it wasn¡¯t really that surprising. Their rtionship probably deepened during the birthday event of the King of Arcadia.


    "Are you going then?"


    Before Luo Jin could answer Luo Yan¡¯s question, Shen Ji Yun suddenly spoke.


    "Yuqi doesn¡¯t often ask someone to do a task with him. She must be in a bind right now."


    Hearing what Shen Ji Yun said, Luo Jin had already made his decision. But he still had a bit of hesitation.


    "It¡¯s okay, Ah Jin. You can go. We¡¯re almost done here anyway. It would be bad if Sister Yuqi get into trouble," Luo Yan said.


    Thinking of the possibility of Su Yuqi being in trouble, Luo Jin¡¯sst bit of hesitation finally disappeared. He immediately replied to Su Yuqi.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Okay. I¡¯ll go to you. Where are you now?]


    Morganite: [Come to Blooming ins.]


    Her reply was also quick which meant that she¡¯d been waiting for Luo Jin¡¯s reply.


    He looked at his second brother. "I¡¯ll go now. Send me a message if there¡¯s any problem."


    Before he used a teleportation scroll, he didn¡¯t forget to re at Shen Ji Yun. Then his small figurepletely vanished.


    Finally, the gnome was gone. That was Shen Ji Yun¡¯s only thought when Luo Jin left. He then stopped. He suddenly felt like his mind was slowly bing polluted. Just when did he be scheming?


    "Should we go over there and check?" he just asked instead.


    "Okay," Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to say.


    They jumped down from their horses and walked towards theke. To go to the plot ofnd to the other side, they needed to cross theke first. There were a couple of NPCs that would provide boating services to any yers who wished to go boating on theke or just simply go to the other side of it. They hired one and crossed it.


    Once there, Luo Yan looked around. The more he looked, the more satisfied he was.


    "Brother Ji Yun, this plot ofnd is perfect." Luo Yan could already picture his pavilion surrounded with different flowers and with a beautifulke in front. Then he¡¯d provide a boating service that would bring his customers here. "But will there be other yers wanting to buy it?"


    Just by the virtue of its location alone, there would surely be a lot of yers lining up to get a piece of thisnd.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about that. As I¡¯ve said, the fact that yers could buy thisnd hasn¡¯t been announced yet. For now, only us know about it."


    It seemed like this was one of the perks of being the nephew of the gamepany¡¯s president ¨C to have early ess to game information.


    "I suddenly feel lucky being Brother Ji Yun¡¯s team mate," he said. "Without Brother Ji Yun, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find such a good location." He walked in front of Shen Ji Yun and smiled. "Thank you."


    Again, seeing the rabbit¡¯s eyes bent into crescents, Shen Ji Yun had an urge to pull the mask covering the lower half of his face. This time, before he could think properly, his hand already moved. And before he realized what he was doing, he had already pulled the mask. What appeared was Luo Yan¡¯s startled expression.


    "I- ah- sorry," he could only say.


    Luo Yan tilted his head to the side, curious and confused at the same time. "Is Brother Ji Yun ying a prank on me?"


    "No," Shen Ji Yun immediately said. Looking down at Luo Yan¡¯s pretty face, he decided to juste clean. "I wanted to see you smile."


    Luo Yan suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say after he heard that. Especially after he saw Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ear tips turning a blushing red. For some reason, he suddenly felt embarrassed. Even that weird beating of his heart was there again.


    He turned around and pulled up the cover on his face. "Let¡¯s go and return to the city center."


    The two went straight to the center of the city where Arcadia Real Estate was. It¡¯s the ce that yers should go to if they wanted to buy and in the game and get a deed for it. Each of the four cities of Arcadia had an office like that.


    The building was a bit modest. Almost like one of those simple government offices. When they entered, Luo Yan noticed that there weren¡¯t many yers around. Not really that surprising.


    They walked straight to the receptionist.


    "Good morning! What can I do for you?" the NPC receptionist greeted.


    "I¡¯m here to buy a piece ofnd," Luo Yan answered.


    "Then please go to one of the empty rooms on the second floor. If it has a green light above, then it¡¯s empty. Someone woulde and assist you."


    "Okay, thank you." Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Let¡¯s go, Brother Ji Yun."


    His embarrassment for what happened earlier already subsided. If it didn¡¯t, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to act normal around Shen Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded and they both climbed the stairs up to the second floor. Luo Yan picked an empty room and went inside. It didn¡¯t take long before an NPC entered the room. It was a male NPC who looked like a salesman. He sat in front of them.


    "May I ask the location of thend you¡¯re trying to purchase?" the NPC jovially asked.


    "It¡¯s here in Goldencrest City, up North at the recreational garden. Thend by theke," Luo Yan answered.


    "Oh, that one. You¡¯re really lucky. Thatnd just got on sale today. Are you going to lease it or buy it in whole?"


    "I¡¯ll buy it," Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to say.


    "Great!" The NPC waved his hand and a parchment appeared in front of Luo Yan. "Please, sign at the bottom and the deed of thend will be yours. But first, please pay 50,000 crystal coins."


    Luo Yan felt like he just misheard something. "Are you sure thend is only 50,000 crystal coins?"


    With the size and location of thatnd, he expected it to be much more expensive.


    "Yes, I¡¯m very sure," the NPC said.


    "If he said it is, then it must be," Shen Ji Yun said.


    But he was still not satisfied with the prize given by the NPC. He told Brother Zhao to put a discount on thend. He was expecting like 10,000 crystal coins. No, that¡¯s still too high. It should be 5,000 crystal coins. But they¡¯re already here. So, he really couldn¡¯t do anything to change it.


    Luo Yan shrugged and just paid the 50,000 crystal coins. He then signed the parchment. The NPC put a seal on the parchment and handed it to him.


    "Dear customer, this is yournd title deed. Thank you for transacting with us."


    Luo Yan picked the parchment and stared at it, his eyes shining brightly. He¡¯s finally and owner!

 Chapter 165 REGISTERING HIS OWN BUSINESS

    THE two walked out of Arcadia Real Estate. Luo Yan was almost skipping, showing just how happy he was at the moment. Shen Ji Yun was equally happy seeing him like this. Now he¡¯s d that he talked to Brother Zhao about that piece ofnd.


    "Where do you n to go next?" he asked.


    "I¡¯m nning to register my pavilion," Luo Yan answered.


    In Arcadia, if a yer wanted to start a business in-game, they had to register it first at a ce called Business Registration Office. Just like the Arcadia Real Estate, all the four cities had this office.


    "I¡¯ll apany you then," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "Brother Ji Yun doesn¡¯t have any important appointments?"


    "No, I¡¯m free all day," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    When he heard that Luo Yan would be buyingnd today, he already cleared his schedule in advanced. That way, he could apany him in whatever else he wanted to do. The only n he had today was to go to the Shen household anyway. He¡¯d rather spend his whole day with Luo Yan than with those people.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t doubt him and just said, "Then let¡¯s go."


    The Business Registration Office was just a block away from the Arcadia Real Estate. So it didn¡¯t take that long for the two to arrive at their destination. It was a two-story white building with a ¡¯Business Registration Office¡¯ sign hanging at the front.


    They entered and just like in the Arcadia Real Estate, there weren¡¯t much yers around. Luo Yan already expected much. Because from what he read from the forums, not many yers set up their own businesses here in Arcadia. Not because it wasn¡¯t profitable but because a lot of yers were simply busy with the game¡¯s other features. Like the Arcadia Cup for example. The ones who set up businesses here were usually those yers that were more interested in money than the game¡¯s gamey.


    "Good morning! What can I do for you today?" greeted by the receptionist.


    "I¡¯m here to set up a business," Luo Yan answered.


    "Then please go to the second floor and enter an empty room. Someone wouldeter to assist you," the NPC said with almost the same answer as the receptionist in Arcadia Real Estate.


    Just like earlier, both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun climbed up the stairs to the second floor. The structure of the rooms was the same the ones in the Arcadia Real Estate. So the empty rooms also had a green light above them. Luo Yan chose the closest and entered it together with Shen Ji Yun.


    They sat on the avable seats and waited for the NPC toe. Which was not that long since after a few minutes, the door to the room opened. This time it was a female NPC who came to assist them. She sat on the seat opposite and a virtual screen appeared in front of her.


    "May I have your name, please," she said.


    "Noctis," Luo Yan answered.


    She typed the name on the virtual screen. This was probably one of the steps needed to set up a business.


    "What kind of business are you nning to set up?" the NPC inquired again.


    "A courtesan house."


    She continued to input information on the screen. "Will it have any a.d.u.l.t entertainment?"


    "No. It will only have traditional entertainment like dancing, singing, and the likes." It was Shen Ji Yun who answered.


    Luo Yan amusedly nced at Shen Ji Yun. Did this guy think he didn¡¯t know what an a.d.u.l.t entertainment was?


    "What would be the name of this establishment?" the NPC continued to ask.


    "Yuexing Pavilion," Luo Yan answered.


    "Do you already have and where you would put up this business?"


    "Yes."


    "Show me the title deed, please."


    Luo Yan took out the title deed of thend from his Items Tab and showed it to the NPC. The NPC then scanned it. After that, she gave it back to him. Luo Yan returned it to his Items Tab.


    "Confirmation of the title deed done," the NPC said. Then she clicked something and a small virtual screen appeared in front of Luo Yan. "Please input your bank ount number there."


    He entered his bank ount number in. He knew that was needed, that¡¯s why he had already memorized his bank ount number. It¡¯s because the ie that he would get from the pavilion would go straight to his ount. After doing that, the screen disappeared.


    "Okay, we¡¯re done." The NPC closed the virtual screen in front of her. "Congrattions, Master Noctis. You¡¯re now a business owner," she said to Luo Yan. "We have a package here that could help you in the construction of your business establishment. Would you like to avail?"


    "No, thank you. I already have the building set up."


    Well, not technically but it¡¯s almost the same. Since he only needed to put the globe with the miniature version of Yuexing Pavilion in it on an empty plot ofnd that he owned. Then it would magically appear there, with the courtesans and waiters NPCs inside.


    "Then would you like us to advertise your business until it¡¯s opening?" the NPC asked again.


    "Advertised?"


    "They will post a video advertis.e.m.e.nt on the city¡¯s za on a certain time of the day," Shen Ji Yun said answering his question.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Now, wasn¡¯t that convenient?


    "Yes, I would like to," he answered the NPC. "But would it be okay to post this advertis.e.m.e.nt in all four cities?"


    "Yes, but it would cost more."


    "I don¡¯t mind."


    "Then may I know when will be the opening of your business?"


    "Two weeks from now. On September 21st."


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t exactly do it next week since it¡¯s Mid-Autum Festival and he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to y that much since they¡¯re going to B City to visit the Bai family. And besides, two weeks¡¯ worth of advertis.e.m.e.nt would definitely have a muchrger effect than a week of advertis.e.m.e.nt.


    "What time would you like the advertis.e.m.e.nt to be seen?"


    "Between seven or nine in the evening would be good."


    "Noted," the NPC said. "Then please input the things you wanted to be seen in your advertis.e.m.e.nt."


    After she said that, a screen appeared in front of Luo Yan again.


    "Is it alright if I make my own advertis.e.m.e.nt and just sent the video to you?"


    It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t trust them, he just wanted to be in control of the content of the advertis.e.m.e.nt and how it would appear.


    "Of course. But please make sure that it wouldn¡¯t exceed three minutes. Once your advertis.e.m.e.nt video is ready, you can simply send it to thepany¡¯s ount. But if you want it to be processed faster, then personally bringing it here would be best. If you chose thetter, then please, look for me. My name is Iris."


    "Okay, thank you, Iris."


    After that transaction, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun finally went out of the Business Registration Office.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Want to eat somewhere? I remember I still owe Brother Ji Yun a meal."


    Of course, Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t reject such an offer. "I would love to."

 Chapter 166 UNEXPECTED HAPPENING

    LUO YAN felt like he¡¯s in paradise. In front of him was a long table filled with different kinds of cakes ¨C there¡¯s a chocte matcha pound cake, a raspberry pink velvet cake, a carrot cake, a chiffon cake, an angel food cake, an opera cake, a fruit cake, and many other more.


    When he asked Shen Ji Yun where he wanted to eat, he thought they would be going to some restaurant serving traditional food. He never expected that Shen Ji Yun would say that they should go to a cake buffet restaurant. And thus, they were here, lining up in front of a buffet table, holding a tray.


    Luo Yan knew that Shen Ji Yun picked this ce not because he suddenly had a craving for sweets. Every time they had VR meals, Shen Ji Yun never ate sweets. So it¡¯s not weird to assume that he picked this ce because of him.


    He actually wanted to let Shen Ji Yun picked another ce when he realized that his choice was solely based on his preference. But then he saw the cakes and his brain was just filled with them and how they would taste. He totally forgot what he was supposed to do. Before he knew it, he was already lining up at the buffet table.


    He¡¯d actually been wanting to eat at this cake buffet restaurant for a while now. But he¡¯d been busy grinding levels, he didn¡¯t have the time to go around the city and do some food tripping. Now that he¡¯s here, how could he just miss it?


    He filled his tray with one of each kind of his favorite cakes until there were no space left. He ended up with six slices. He still felt that it¡¯s not enough. Oh well, he could stille backter for more. This was a buffet after all. It would be such a waste if he wouldn¡¯te for seconds.


    "I already asked an NPC to give us a private room," Shen Ji Yun said who was just behind Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan looked back at him and was about to answer when he saw the one pitiful slice of cake that was on his tray. "You¡¯re only going to get one?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Yes."


    Luo Yan sighed. [See? This guy definitely picked this ce because of me.] "Let¡¯s just go and eat," he could only say.


    An NPC led them to a private room at the second floor. Luo Yan sat down and put the tray on the table. Shen Ji Yun did the same.


    Luo Yan excitedly picked the slice of chocte matcha pound cake and put it in front of him. He then pulled down the fabric covering the lower half of his face. He picked the fork and started eating. The moment the cake entered his mouth, he felt like he just tasted a piece of heaven.


    "Oh, right, Brother Ji Yun, I¡¯ll buy you another meal. It won¡¯t count unless both of us are enjoying ourselves," he didn¡¯t forget to say. Because in this scenario, it¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s the only one enjoying himself.


    "But I am enjoying myself," Shen Ji Yun said. And he really was. Just watching Luo Yan with that look of bliss on his face as he ate his cake was truly a joy. "Though I won¡¯t decline another meal."


    "Next time we¡¯ll go somewhere you prefer," Luo Yan said finishing the cake he¡¯s eating.


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips curved in an arc when he heard that. Even his cold blue eyes softened. "Okay."


    Because Luo Yan was staring at Shen Ji Yun, he saw that slight change in his expression despite the ck mask still covering the lower half of his face. It just made the blue of his eyes pop out even more, making it appear much bluer than it usually was.


    "Brother Ji Yun is mixed blood, right?" he suddenly thought of asking.


    With that question, he just realized how little he knew about Shen Ji Yun. The only personal information he knew about him was that he¡¯s a 20-year-old student at T University whose uncle was the president and CEO of Moonlight Media. Oh, and that he currently lived with that uncle.


    "Yes, my mother is British."


    As he mentioned his mother, Luo Yan noticed the sadness that suddenly lingered in his blue eyes. Although he¡¯s curious why he would have that kind of expression when his mother was mentioned, he¡¯d rather remove it than think of an answer why it appeared.


    "Then your mother must be extremely beautiful," he said.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at him amusedly. "Why do you think so?"


    "How else could Brother Ji Yun be so handsome?" he answered with a cheeky grin.


    Shen Ji Yun was speechless for a second and then he chuckled. He only stopped when Luo Yan suddenly reached out to him and pulled down the mask covering the lower half of his face.


    "What¡¯s that for?" he asked, a bit stunned.


    "Revenge for earlier," Luo Yan answered. "And maybe I also want to see your smile."


    That was not a maybe. He definitely preferred Shen Ji Yun smiling than with sadness on his face.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly felt his face heating up. He looked away so the rabbit wouldn¡¯t see him blushing. Because right now, he was sure he definitely was. He cleared his throat and decided to just change the subject.


    "Have you input Mana on your beast egg?"


    Hearing Shen Ji Yun mentioning that, Luo Yan suddenly remembered that he still hadn¡¯t done that. "No, I actually still haven¡¯t."


    He took this opportunity to take out the beast incubator from his Items Tab. He poured his Mana into it. After he had done that, something unexpected happened.


    The incubator suddenly released a bright light. When it dissipated, the incubator was gone and only the big white egg was in front of Luo Yan.


    [Wait- is my Little Ancestor going to hatch right now?]


    But that thought was immediately disproved because instead of cracking, the outer white shell of the egg suddenly started to peel instead. It slowly started to fall off, one small piece to another, until the white outeryer was gone. And the only thing left was a pure ck egg.

 Chapter 167 WHY LITTLE ANCESTOR TURNED BLACK

    LUO YAN stared at the big ck egg in front of him. Just what the heck happened? He was about to poke the egg when his hand was suddenly held by a wide palm. He inadvertently looked up and saw Shen Ji Yun as expected.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly forgot what he had to say because of the soft feel of Luo Yan¡¯s hand. It almost seemed like he was holding cotton. He shook his head. He really should have his priorities straight.


    "Don¡¯t touch it yet. It might be dangerous," he said. "I¡¯ll contact someone and ask them if they have any idea regarding what just happened."


    After saying that, he let go of the rabbit¡¯s hand as if burnt. He then opened his Status Window and contacted Brother Zhao. His game ount, even this alt one, had a special privilege. He could directly contact the programming team ¨C particrly Brother Zhao ¨C from inside the game.


    He didn¡¯t know that they put this kind of function in his ount when he started. When he did, he was only told that his uncle was the one who ordered it. To make sure that he could immediately contact someone from the game department if something went wrong. Because he was toozy to deal with it, he just let it be. And he found out sooner orter that it was quite useful, especially when he¡¯s doing beta testing. But if he¡¯s not doing that, he¡¯d never used it for anything else.


    Until now, that is.


    He didn¡¯t like ying favorites. Or the fact that he was given special attention just because of who his uncle was. So he never thought of using that function unless it¡¯s something that could directly contribute to the game as a whole. Like sending data for doing some beta testing for example.


    SHEN: [Brother Zhao, I have a situation here that I¡¯m not familiar with. Could you rify it, please?]


    It took a couple of seconds before he received a reply.


    Zhao (Head of Programming Department): [Am I imagining things? Howe young master is sending me a message?]


    SHEN: [I already said why.]


    Zhao (Head of Programming Department): [You¡¯re still so not cute as ever.]


    SHEN: [Please, just answer my question.]


    Zhao (Head of Programming Department): [Tell me exactly what happened.]


    And he proceeded on telling him the situation regarding the beast egg.


    SHEN: [Is there something wrong with my friend¡¯s beast egg? Is it dangerous?]


    Zhao (Head of Programming Department): [First, tell me, is this the same friend who you requested thend at the Goldcrest City for?]


    Although confused why he had to ask that, Shen Ji Yun still answered honestly.


    SHEN: [Yes.]


    Zhao (Head of Programming Department): [Is young master actually wooing a girl?]


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brows furrowed. Even if they were only talking via private chat, he could still feel the teasing tone from Brother Zhao¡¯s message. He was suddenly reminded of Bai Ze when he asked his opinion about an idea for a gift. Why did both of them just assumed that it was for a girl? For some reason, that simply annoyed him.


    SHEN: [Just please tell me the answer.]


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, was still staring intently at the egg that now turned all ck. It was so ck that it looked like ink would bleed out from it. He still couldn¡¯t think of a reason why this Little Ancestor of his just became like this.


    Then he suddenly remembered where he found the egg. In a cave full of gold coins where a ck dragon was sleeping. Could it be, this egg was really that dragon¡¯s egg?


    Before he could ponder on that thought, Shen Ji Yun already spoke.


    "How many percent was the egg¡¯s status of hatching?" he asked.


    "95%," Luo Yan answered quickly. Looking at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s thoughtful expression, it seemed like he already got an answer to the egg¡¯s situation from whoever he just contacted. "Is something wrong with my Little Ancestor?"


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips twitched when he once again heard the rabbit¡¯s nickname for the egg. "None. ording to the person I just asked, the incubator disappeared because the egg¡¯s Mana was too much for it to hold."


    Okay. Luo Yan was a bit relieved when he heard that there was nothing wrong with the egg. "Then, why did it turn ck all of a sudden?"


    "Remember how you fed the egg with a huge amount of Mana using the [Ambrosia Pod]? The sudden surge of Mana triggered a mutation in the egg ¨C more specifically, the beast inside the egg. The direction of the mutation depended on the Mana of the one who¡¯d been feeding it. You."


    Luo Yan digested Shen Ji Yun¡¯s exnation. "What does it have to do with my Mana?"


    "Do you perhaps have an affinity with a certain element?"


    It¡¯s something very umon. But there were some races that had affinity to certain elements. The Angels for example had extremely high affinity with the light element.


    With that question, Luo Yan quickly understood what Shen Ji Yun was trying to say. "Shadow," he said.


    He looked at the ck egg. So his Little Ancestor mutated because of the sudden urge of Mana from being soaked in the [Ambrosia Pod]. And then it tried toplement his Mana and thus, turningpletely ck.


    He lifted the egg. [So, Little Ancestor, what did you mutate into? You didn¡¯t became some deformed beast, right? Right?]


    As if answering him, the egg trembled a little.


    He raised one of his brows. Did this egg understood what he was just thinking?


    "You can no longer put it in an incubator. Nor can you put it in your Items Tab. That means that you have to carry it around with you until it hatches. Which, based on the status of hatching, is not very far off," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "But what shall I do once I log out of the game?"


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about that. It will automatically enter a suspended state once you log out. Then return back to normal once you log in again. This way, you can be sure that you¡¯re around when it hatches," Shen Ji Yun exined. "I suggest you leave it at your room at the pce," he continued, referring to their team¡¯s headquarters.


    When Luo Yan and Luo Jin joined the team, they were also given their own rooms in the pce. Luo Yan hadn¡¯t had the time to use his. He hadn¡¯t even bothered to decorate it or something. It seemed like it finally now had its used.


    "Okay," Luo Yan. "Could Brother Ji Yun ry my thanks to the person you asked about this problem? Please tell him ¡¯thank you for his fast response¡¯."


    Shen Ji Yun only nodded. "Do you n to go back to the pce now?"


    "No way," Luo Yan quickly answered. "Does Brother Ji Yun not see the cakes on our table? I still have to eat them all. And then line up again to eat some more."


    After he said that, he put the big ck egg on hisp and then started eating another slice of cake.


    Shen Ji Yun watched Luo Yan stuffed himself with one cake after another. His white cheeks bulging like a pouch. He looked like a rabbit nibbling on his food. He suddenly had the urge to take a screenshot of this scene.


    And so he did.

 Chapter 168 QUICKENING OF HIS HEARTBEAT

    "VERY good, student Luo," praised Wu Hai after checking the answer written by Luo Yan on the board and confirming that it was correct. He must say that he was truly impressed by this kid. After a week of observing him, Wu Hai could confidently say that the kid must really be some kind of genius. No matter what kind of question was thrown at him, he could answer it perfectly. Just like what he did just now. "You can go back to your seat."


    Luo Yan smiled at Teacher Wu and then walked back to his seat. After sitting down, he, again, pretended to be diligently listening to the teacher¡¯s lecture. Math had always been his best subject. So even if he didn¡¯t listen to the teacher, he¡¯d still be able to answer any question he would throw at him. Like what he just did earlier.


    He covered his mouth with his hand so no one would see him yawn. Truthfully, right now, he just wanted to lie down on his big bed, hug his big stuff bear, and just sleep. It was because he slept verytest night. Or was it this morning? It¡¯s the first time since his rebirth that he stayed up sote.


    It¡¯s because he¡¯d been editing the video advertis.e.m.e.nt he¡¯s going to give to the NPC Irister. He spent hours just to make sure that it would be perfect.


    He shot everything at his new acquirednd and, of course, at Yuexing Pavilion. Yes, he had already put up the pavilion on thend by the recreational garden. Just like what the King of Arcadia said when he gave him the pavilion, Luo Yan only had to ce the transparent globe over thend and it would magically appear there. And it did. It started off with the miniature version of the pavilion. Then it became bigger and bigger until it returned to its original size.


    He probably wouldn¡¯t have done that if not for the special feature attached to being thend owner. As the owner, he could set up a ban that would forbid other yers from entering hisnd. He could even set it up in a way that anything he built on thend would appear invisible to anyone¡¯s eyes aside from him. So he did just that. He couldn¡¯t possibly let other yers see his pavilion before its opening.


    Speaking of his pavilion, when he entered it so he could shoot some promotional video, he was surprised to find that Madam Ru was there. Her position was the pavilion¡¯s manager. Even that girl Guiying was there as one of the courtesans. Based on the way they were acting, it seemed like they had no memory of what happened at the blue door. They only knew him as the owner of the pavilion, treating him with utmost respect. Not only them but also all the NPCs that worked there.


    Luo Yan must say, he was real d that all of his employees were NPCs. This way, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry that one of them might double-crossed him in the future.


    He raised his hand to cover another yawn.


    Needless to say, he was extremely satisfied and proud of the video he made. It¡¯s the proof that his video editing skills hadn¡¯t deteriorated. That video would definitely attract a lot of would be customers. He even appeared in it, so it better be.


    Math period ended and the next began right after. It¡¯s Chemistry and they needed to go to theb located on the first floor.


    Luo Yan was quickly surrounded by three of his female ssmates. The same three who first approached him during the first day of school. Their names were Kong Wenqian, Zeng Meirong, and Tang Lanfen. And the four of them walked together.


    During the past week, these three were the ones who mostly spent time with him. The three were like the ¡¯it¡¯ girls of the ss. Since the three already identify him as one of their ¡¯clique¡¯, their other ssmates no longer tried to surround him as often as they did during the first few days of school.


    Although it¡¯s weird that he now apparently belonged to a ¡¯girl clique¡¯, he didn¡¯t mind it that much. With the face he currently had, it¡¯s better to hang out with girls than boys. What if one of those boys identally fell for him? It wouldn¡¯t be that impossible since he¡¯s this pretty after all. He didn¡¯t want to identally bend any of them or anything. Though the chances of that happening was pretty low, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.


    "Xiao Yan," Tang Lanfen called. And yes, that¡¯s what these three girls were calling him. "Your eyes are a bit red. There are even dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep well?"


    He smiled. "I was studyingtest night."


    "Xiao Yan, you shouldn¡¯t stay upte," Zeng Meirong said. "It would ruin your perfect skin!"


    "That¡¯s right!" Kong Wenqian vehemently agreed. "There¡¯s no need for you to study sote. You¡¯re always able to answer all the teachers¡¯ questions easily. You¡¯re already so smart."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry because of their reaction. "But I was only able to do that because I was studying really hard. If I don¡¯t, then I won¡¯t be able to catch up with the people in the ss." He lowered his head and acted all sad. "I don¡¯t want to be kicked out of the ss because I couldn¡¯t keep up with everyone."


    Looking at Luo Yan with his gazed down and his long eyshes fanning his cheeks, the three girls felt like they just did something bad. And so, they immediately made amends.


    "How could you be kicked out?"


    "Yes, we won¡¯t allow it."


    "So don¡¯t be sad, okay, Xiao Yan?"


    It was at this moment that Huang Wen passed by the four. He also happened to hear what Luo Yan saidst. So he couldn¡¯t help but nced at him. His head was down and there was a sad expression on his face. Was this guy about to cry? Just when Huang Wen thought that, Luo Yan raised his head and smiled at the three girls surrounding him and trying their best to console him.


    It so happened that he nced at his direction. When Luo Yan smiled at him, he immediately turned his gaze away and walked faster. Seriously, there was definitely something wrong with that brat. That¡¯s what he thought,pletely disregarding the momentarily quickening of his heartbeat.

 Chapter 169 THE INVISIBLE GIRL

    LUO YAN sat on his designated station inside the Chemistryb. Because there were only 20 of them in the ss, there¡¯s no need to shareb station and thus no need to haveb partners. This way it would prevent incidents of one student doing more than the other. It would also promote critical thinking for each student.


    But sadly, he was an exemption to this rule. Because of his situation, the Chemistry teacher thought that it¡¯s dangerous for him to handle chemicals on his own. So every time they had to do an experiment, a ssmate would be assigned to him as his partner. He wondered who would be assigned to him today?


    When the Chemistry teacher came, everyone stood up and greeted him. After they all sat down, the first thing the teacher did was to exin the topic that the ss would tackle for today. Then he looked at Luo Yan¡¯s direction.


    "Since we are going to do an experiment today, I will assign ab partner for Student Luo first."


    He looked around and raised one of his brows when he saw that almost all the students in ss were looking at him with enthusiasm. Clearly very eager to be chosen. The Luo kid had only been here for a week and yet he had already captured the hearts of his ssmates. And based on the praises his colleagues kept throwing left and right to the kid ¨C even the teachers. Although he must admit that Luo Yan was indeed charming. And the fact that he¡¯s like a model student was an added bonus as well.


    It¡¯s like he¡¯s theplete opposite of his troublemaker younger brother. The only thing the two of them had inmon was that they¡¯re both smart.


    But it seemed like not everyone in this ss felt that way. Huang Wen looked like he¡¯d rather be punched that be paired with Luo Yan. And then there was Yu Jiao who looked like she didn¡¯t want to get involve at all. The Chemistry teacher sighed. He had already decided who he would choose.


    "Student Yu, please go and sit with Student Luo. You¡¯re going to beb partners for this experiment."


    Yu Jiao was startled after suddenly being named. She looked around to make sure that she was the ¡¯student Yu¡¯ the teacher was talking about. But seeing as how the teacher, even most of her ssmates were looking in her direction, it¡¯s clear that it was indeed her.


    She wanted to decline and tell the teacher that she didn¡¯t want to. But of course she couldn¡¯t possibly do that. What reason could she give anyway? That she didn¡¯t want to pair up with the new popr kid in ss? Because doing so would only attract the unwanted attention of their ssmates. Something she would rather avoid.


    But in the end, she could only stand up and walk towards the station where Luo Yan was sitting. As she walked, she could feel a lot of gazes following her. He resisted the ufortable feeling and just continued walking.


    She sat down and put hisb manual and notebook on the station table.


    "Hello," she heard a sweet voice calling out to her.


    She raised her head and saw Luo Yan smiling at her. It had been so long since someone smiled at her so openly that she didn¡¯t know how to react. So, all she could do was stare. Now that she could see him up close, she could understand a little why their ssmates were so enamored by him.


    Because it¡¯s human nature to love beautiful things. And this Luo Yan¡¯s face was one of the most beautiful she had ever seen. Big peach blossom eyes, pinkish lips, porcin white skin - add those to his small stature and one would simply want to spoil him unconditionally. Even she had that urge.


    But it was not just his pretty face. Yu Jiao had seen him interacting with their ssmates for the past week. He was always so charming and friendly. Even on the asion that their eyes would identally meet, he would smile at her ¨C the ss loner. Because of his personality, he easily integrated with the ss. As if he had long been part of it.


    And that was not simply because of his identity as the second young master of the Luo family. Yu Jiao had a feeling that even if he was just a simple schrship student, he would still be able to make everyone liked him.


    She only nodded at him as an answer to his greeting. Then she gazed down and pretended to read theb manual.


    Luo Yan looked at Yu Jiao who seemed like she was about to burry herself in theb manual. Which was pretty impossible since she was so tall. Now that he¡¯s sitting beside her, it¡¯s only now that he could tell clearly how tall she was. She was almost the same height as Luo Jin. Which was really tall for a girl.


    He felt a bit envious. He would love to have her height. This girl seemed like she would prefer his height anyway. The way she always looked like she wanted to be part of the background or something. And for the most part, she did manage to aplish that. She probably worked hard to be able to achieve that, with her height and all. A girl as tall as her would always inadvertently draw attention. And yet somehow, no one seemed to notice her.


    In fact, in ss she¡¯s like someone who¡¯s ¡¯invisible¡¯. No one talked to her or even purposely approached her. Aside from the teachers, everyone was treating her like air.


    Luo Yan thought at first that it¡¯s because she¡¯s a schrship student. Teenagers, especially the filthy rich ones, always looked down on others who had lower social standing than them. It¡¯s just the way most of them were raised. But no, Yu Jiao was not. She was there because her family was able to pay the school¡¯s tuition. So, that meant that they¡¯re rich somehow. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t understand why everyone treated her so differently.


    But he was not curious enough to know the answer that he would personally investigate the matter.


    "Okay, now that¡¯s done, let¡¯s start the ss," said the Chemistry teacher.


    Luo Yan removed his gaze from the girl and focused his attention on the teacher.


    Then the ss started.


    Luo Yan thought at first that he and Yu Jiao would have a problem working together. But surprisingly enough, they did okay. No, in fact, they did extremely well. Yu Jiao was silent and hardly ever speak but they still managed to work seamlessly together. Like, before he could even ask for a certain chemical, she would already be handing it to him. Or before he could ask her to do the next step, she would already be doing it.


    This only showed that Yu Jiao had great observational skills. Somehow, that increased his curiosity for this ¡¯invisible girl¡¯.


    Because of their good team work, they managed to finish the experiment much earlier than the others. Giving them longer time to answer the questions on the exercise sheet of theirb manual. After finishing, they passed their papers to the teacher.


    The Chemistry teacher looked over their exercise sheets. Seeing that almost all the answers were correct, he nodded appreciatively. "Very good. The both of you could go back to your ssroom early."


    The two picked up their books and papers then headed outside theb.


    "Yu Jiao is so great. Because of you we manage to finish so early," Luo Yan praised.


    Yu Jiao only looked down. "N-no. I didn¡¯t do much."


    Then she walked faster, almost running, in fact. As if there was someone chasing him or something. Because of that, a piece of paper fell off from the stack ofb manual and notebooks she was carrying. She didn¡¯t seem to notice that because she just continued to walk.


    Luo Yan bent down and picked up the paper. And he truly didn¡¯t expect what he saw.


    It was a drawing ¨C no, a design of a sword. It was very detailed. From the hilt to the de. The length of each parts were listed, even the color scheme. There were also materials listed on the side. And he recognized some of it as materials that could be found in Arcadia.


    Luo Yan smiled secretly. Well, wasn¡¯t this interesting?

 Chapter 170 CHILL DOWN HER SPINE

    LUO YAN was staring at the picture on his phone. It was the picture of the drawing that he picked up earlier. He took a picture of it before returning it to Yu Jiao. It was actually kind of funny when he returned it to her earlier.


    =====


    "Yu Jiao, wait!" Luo Yan called to the girl who looked like she was being chased by an axe murderer or something. "You drop something!"


    That seemed to make her stop.


    Luo Yan used that time to catch up to her. He smiled and handed her the paper with the sword drawing. "Here."


    When she saw the paper, she seemed to visually freeze. Like her whole body just became rigid and stiff. She took the paper ¨C no, snatched would probably be the better term ¨C with a trembling hand. "D-did you look inside?"


    "Yes. It was such a nice sword. Very detailed," Luo Yan praised, not bothering to lie about it. "You definitely have a talent in drawing."


    He saw her gazing down, biting her lips, and clutching the paper where the sword was drawn tightly. "I- I didn¡¯t draw it."


    Luo Yan stared at Yu Jiao. The longer he stared, the more she fidgeted and squirmed. If he didn¡¯t speak immediately, she might just continue to squirm and fidget. It kind of looked amusing since she was so tall and all. It¡¯s like he¡¯s bullying a frightened and quivering giraffe or something.


    So, he no longer tortured her and said, "I see. Then whoever drew it was really good."


    Yu Jiao darted her eyes. She nodded at him before taking off and running like she¡¯s being chased again by an axe murderer.


    Luo Yan stared at her back and smiled. What an interesting girl.


    =====


    Even if Yu Jiao said that she wasn¡¯t the one who drew that sword, Luo Yan believed that it was her. Why else would she act so nervous when she found out that he saw the drawing? She probably just didn¡¯t want to draw attention to herself. That¡¯s why he just yed along with her. She might have a nervous breakdown if he didn¡¯t.


    But seriously, this was really one fine drawing. It was so aesthetically pleasing. But if he considered the possibility that the materials he saw listed on the side of the papers were the materials that would be used to make it, then it would also be a very strong weapon. He¡¯s talking about a weapon in Arcadia, of course. If he was right, then that could only mean one thing.


    Yu Jiao was a cksmith in the game. And if he went by with this drawing, a very talented one at that. Although there¡¯s also a possibility that she only drew this design for someone else. But if he considered those materials, then it could be said that she was quite knowledgeable about the game. She didn¡¯t just design the sword. She drew it in a way that would take into ount those materials. So, he¡¯s more inclined to believe that it was the former.


    "Yan, start eating. Don¡¯t just y with your phone," Luo Jin¡¯s voice scolded.


    Luo Yan raised his head and apologetically smiled at his younger brother who, truthfully, was more like a mother hen. "Sorry."


    They were currently at one of the cafeterias offering traditional cuisines eating lunch. Luo Jin picked a private box at the second floor. Because he didn¡¯t want people ogling them while they ate. Which, of course, Luo Yan approved. Who would want people staring at them while they were eating?


    "What are you staring so intently at your phone anyway?" Luo Jin asked.


    Luo Yan ate a piece of dumpling before showing his younger brother the drawing on his phone. "Amazing, right?"


    Luo Jin stared at the picture of a drawing of a sword on his brother¡¯s phone. "I guess?"


    "Ah Jin, what kind of lukewarm reaction was that?" Luo Yan said, pouting a bit.


    "What do you want me to do? Sing it praises?"


    "Well, at least say that it¡¯s good with more conviction. Not like you¡¯re just forced to agree with me just because I said that it¡¯s good." Luo Yan harrumphed and pouted even more.


    Luo Jin stared at his second brother whose mouth would soon turn into a duck¡¯s beak because of the way he¡¯s pouting and suddenly felt helpless. Knowing Luo Yan¡¯s dark side, he knew by now that whenever he acted a certain way ¨C pouting, sulking, crying ¨C that he was doing it so that he could get people to do what he wanted. In their family, he was probably the only one who knew that side of his second brother.


    It¡¯s not that he was faking his interaction with them. He could feel that he was facing them with sincerity. It was those little things. Like secretly telling the cook to make their favorite dishes, always making them smile when they¡¯re in a bad mood, immediately asking them if they¡¯re alright at the very first sign of a cough or a headache. Small things like that. But it was enough to warm their hearts and feel loved.


    But despite knowing his brother¡¯s ¡¯bad¡¯ habit, Luo Jin still couldn¡¯t help but be swept in his pace. Which only ended up with him doing exactly what Luo Yan nodded. Just like now for example.


    "Fine. The drawing is really good and very detailed. Anyone could tell that the one who drew it was talented," he could only say at the end.


    Luo Yan¡¯s expression immediately brightened. "Right? It was drawn by one of my ssmates."


    Luo Jin raised one of his brows. And here he thought it was drawn by Luo Yan because of the way he¡¯s acting. "They drew it for you?"


    "No. I took a picture of it secretly," Luo Yan answered without shame. "I think she¡¯s ying Arcadia as well. Her ss might be a cksmith. Maybe I could ask her if she could make our weapons."


    That finally piqued Luo Jin¡¯s attention a little. Knowing his brother, he would not say that unless he really thought that the person was good. And based on his brother¡¯s speech, it seemed that this person was a girl. "You think this person could make powerful weapons for us?"


    Luo Yan nodded. "But it would probably take a while before I could convince her."


    "Why? Don¡¯t tell me she doesn¡¯t like you?"


    Luo Yan gave Luo Jin a look as if telling him that he¡¯s talking nonsense. "Who wouldn¡¯t like me?" he said, again, very shamelessly. "She¡¯s simply like a shy giraffe who would immediately run away at the sight of a stranger. It¡¯s actually a little cute, really. But I¡¯m very persistent. So, I¡¯m sure I would wear her down soon enough."


    He was confident enough on that. Because if he really put his mind onto something, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish it. That¡¯s just how persistent he could be.


    Luo Jin looked at his brother¡¯s expression and for some reason, he was already feeling bad for this ¡¯shy giraffe¡¯. He suddenly had an urge to lit a candle for her, whoever she was.


    Meanwhile, Yu Jiao who was eating alone at one of the small restaurants in the academy suddenly felt a chill down her spine. She rubbed both her arms. Was the weather getting colder?

 Chapter 171 SUBMITTING THE ADVERTIS.E.M.E.NT

    LUO YAN appeared at the za of Goldcrest City. It¡¯s a bit of like a miracle, but he was currently alone right now. Yes, Luo Jin was not with him. He told him that he would meet up with Su Yuqi to do some task. When he asked him what kind of task they were doing, because the two had been doing task together for the past two days ¨C sincest Saturday when Su Yuqi messaged Luo Jin. And his brother just became dodgy and told him that it¡¯s some kind of chain task.


    Luo Yan was of course skeptical about it. But he didn¡¯t interrogate Luo Jin about this supposed ¡¯task¡¯. He personally thought that it¡¯s better that his younger brother was now ying on his own, separate from him. It¡¯s not good if he continued to be attached to his hip every time they y the game. How could he enjoy the game when he was always someone¡¯s tail? At least now, Luo Jin was finally doing his own thing.


    Speaking of ying the game, Luo Yan wondered what was Yu Jiao¡¯s game avatar? With that talent he saw in that drawing, she surely wouldn¡¯t be just an ordinary yer. There¡¯s even a possibility that she was already a well-known cksmith in the game. Well, he¡¯d found out soon enough once he started his pursuit.


    He chuckled a little. It sounded like he was going to hunt some prey or something. But considering how much of a shy person Yu Jiao was, that probably had a ring of truth in it.


    Anyway, he hadn¡¯t talk to her yet. Because he knew she would probably just run away. And if he talked to her during ss, she would probably just feel mortified. Because talking to her would make her visible to the eyes of the people in the ss. Based on the way she was acting, that would only make her retreat in her shell even more. Something that Luo Yan certainly didn¡¯t want. So, he could only approach him either during lunch or after ss. And he needed to be very stealthy about it.


    But for now, he had to bring the video he shot and edited himself to the Business Registration Office. Because just like what he talked about with the NPC Iris, the advertis.e.m.e.nt for his pavilion should air on the za of the four cities tonight.


    He started towards the direction of the Business Registration Office. Upon reaching the ce, he entered and walked straight to the receptionist. Just like when he first came here, there wasn¡¯t much people around. So he was immediately able to talk to the receptionist.


    "Good afternoon! What can I do for you today?" she greeted.


    "Hi! I¡¯m here to talk to Iris about the advertis.e.m.e.nt for my business," he said.


    "Please wait a while." The receptionist input something on the virtual screen in front of her. After that, she raised her head and said to Luo Yan. "Iris will be here in a minute."


    It didn¡¯t take a while for the NPC Iris to arrive.


    "Good to see you again, Master Noctis. Please, follow me," she said.


    Luo Yan followed the NPC to one of the rooms in the first floor. It looked like some kind of office.


    "Please, sit down," Iris said gesturing for him to sit on one of the two seats in front the desk while she herself sat down behind it.


    Luo Yan did so. "I already have the video of the advertis.e.m.e.nt with me. Should I send it now to you?"


    "Please do so."


    After telling him the procedure on how to send the video, Luo Yan diligently followed the steps.


    "That takes care of it," Iris said after Luo Yan sent the video. "I must say that the quality of Master Noctis¡¯ video is very top notched. It would definitely be the talk of the town."


    "It should be."


    He slept sote just so he could finish editing it. If it didn¡¯t gather the attention that he was hoping for it to have, he would not only be disappointed, he would be pissed off.


    After his business was done, he walked out of the building.


    The advertis.e.m.e.nt would be yedter between seven and nine in the evening. There¡¯s still a lot of time left before that. So he decided to just grind levels. He still needed to level up after all.


    But first, he needed to take Little Ancestor from the pce first and take it with him. Since it¡¯s already out of its incubator, it¡¯s important that he spent time with it as its Master. What if that guypletely not recognized him as its master just because he neglected it for a bit? That¡¯s definitely something that temperamental egg would do.


    A notification sounded. A sign that Luo Yan leveled up. After cutting off the head of the monster nearest to him, he jumped off to the tallest tree. He was holding a dagger in one hand while he¡¯s hugging Little Ancestor using his other hand.


    He was now level 70. He only needed 10 more levels before he could qualify for the Rookie Carnival that would be held next month. Since it¡¯s only the start of September, he would definitely reach level 80 before the Rookie Carnival even began.


    He raised the ck egg. "Hey Little Ancestor, did you see how awesome your Master is? You better be an obedient baby once you¡¯re out of your shell."


    The egg shook a little, as if answering Luo Yan.


    "Was that a yes?" He hugged and kissed it. "What a good baby."


    He looked at the time on his Status Window. It¡¯s almost six in the evening. Meaning it¡¯s time for dinner. He teleported first to their team¡¯s headquarters. After putting back Little Ancestor in his room, he logged out.


    Luo Yan removed the VR helmet and gently put it on his bedside table. He stood up and was about to go out of his room when he saw his phone suddenly rang. It was a notification for a WeChat message. He walked towards it and opened the message.


    [luckycloud]: Your advertis.e.m.e.nt will air tonight, right? What time would you be logging in the game?


    [YanYan1213]: Before seven.


    [luckycloud]: Should we watch it together?


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t find any problems with that. So, he replied;


    [YanYan1213]: Sure. Let¡¯s meet at the za of Goldcrest Cityter.


    As a reply, Shen Ji Yun sent a rabbit sticker that was jumping in joy. He chuckled. Shen Ji Yun and his rabbit stickers. Seriously, the gap between the guy¡¯s cold exterior and his cute message pattern was just simply too adorable.

 Chapter 172 THE ADVERTIS.E.M.E.NT

    SECOND time that day, Luo Yan once again appeared at the za of Goldcrest City. Because it was already night time, the city lights were all opened. Adding a certain kind of beauty to the city.


    He opened his Status Window and sent a message to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s alt ount.


    Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun, I¡¯m already here. Where are you?]


    SHEN: [I¡¯m sitting on the seat outside the caf¨¦ at the West side of the za.]


    Luo Yan immediately looked to that direction when he read that reply. And he quickly saw Shen Ji Yun¡¯s game avatar. Even though he looked like he would blend in with the darkness because of his all-ck outfit, his blue eyes were like a beacon of light that could pull the attention of anyone.


    He ran towards the caf¨¦ and sat on the seat opposite Shen Ji Yun.


    "Brother Ji Yun," he greeted and smiled.


    Because the lower half of his face was not covered, everyone could see how beautiful he was. And how that beauty bloomed even more with that bright smile.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly wanted to cover the rabbit¡¯s face. Especially after he saw that most of the yers near them tantly stared at Luo Yan. Some probably even took a screen shot. He unknowingly let out a cold atmosphere, even staring coldly at some of the yers around them. It seemed to be effective since most immediately looked away.


    Of course, Luo Yan noticed the sudden dropped in temperature. He looked at Shen Ji Yun who seemed to be in a bad mood. "Brother Ji Yun, is something wrong?"


    Shen Ji Yun stopped. What was wrong with him? Didn¡¯t he want to remove the mask on Luo Yan so he could clearly see his smile? Then why did he suddenly feel irritated when he saw him smiling just now without anything covering it up? Wasn¡¯t that what he wanted?


    He shook his head. He felt like he¡¯s bing bipr or something. He wanted one thing and then the next moment, he wanted theplete opposite of it? Should he go to a psychiatrist to have a check-up? Maybe there¡¯s really something wrong with his brain and he just didn¡¯t know it.


    How else would he have so many ups and downs in his emotion? Something that didn¡¯t really happen. Especially to someone like him who barely felt any emotion. He¡¯d been numbed to almost everything. No matter what other people around him do, it couldn¡¯t get a rise from him. That had been the case for 12 years now. So for him, feeling all these varieties of emotions now was just weird. And truth to be told, a bit scary.


    Of course, he knew what changed. It¡¯s because he met this rabbit that he¡¯s currently experiencing things like these. What he couldn¡¯t understand was why Luo Yan had such an effect on him?


    "Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan called again when Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t answer his question.


    Shen Ji Yun shook off all theplicated thoughts inside his head. Why did it matter if he started to feel emotions now anyway? Although it¡¯s kind of unwarranted, it¡¯s not something that would affect his everyday life. He might felt irritated from time to time, just like now, but it didn¡¯t matter. Truthfully, there¡¯s a small part of him that was d for it.


    Because it made him feel more like a human.


    "It¡¯s nothing," he answered Luo Yan. "By the way, you didn¡¯t encounter any problems while submitting the video?"


    Although Luo Yan felt that it was definitely not ¡¯nothing¡¯, he didn¡¯t pry and just shook his head. "No. It went quite well."


    "What¡¯s the content of the video?" Shen Ji Yun asked curiously.


    He knew Luo Yan shot the video for itst Saturday and Sunday evening. He actually wanted to help, but Luo Yan declined. Saying that he had to do everything himself. Or else, it wouldn¡¯t really have the same meaning.


    Shen Ji Yun wasn¡¯t even allowed to watch his filming. Telling him that it¡¯s a surprise and that he should just wait patiently until the video streamed by Monday. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t help but be curious.


    "I believe I already told Brother Ji Yun that it¡¯s a surprise," Luo Yan said with a yful grin.


    "Then I guess I just have to wait," Shen Ji Yun could only say in a helpless but spoiling tone.


    Luo Yan was about to say something when an NPC waiter suddenly put a huge ss of mixed fruit parfait in front of him.


    "Please enjoy," the waiter said before walking away.


    Luo Yan stared at the colorful ss of parfait in front of him and he almost drooled. And then remembering that he didn¡¯t order anything, he raised his head and looked questioningly at Shen Ji Yun. Even though the lower part of his face was covered, he could see in his blue eyes that he was very amused by his reaction.


    "I ordered that and told the waiter to bring it here once mypanion arrived," Shen Ji Yun said, answering the question in Luo Yan¡¯s mind. "I figured you might want to eat something while we¡¯re waiting for your advertis.e.m.e.nt to stream."


    "Thank you, Brother Ji Yun! You read my mind perfectly."


    After saying that, Luo Yan no longer hesitated and just dug in. Eating his first spoon of fruit, milk, and cream, he almost sighed in contentment. The parfait was so delicious with just the right bnce of sweetness and tartness. He couldn¡¯t help but eat one spoonful after another.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t mind that the rabbit was busy eating. He probably wouldn¡¯t be bored even if he had to watch him eat every day. Because there¡¯s so much joy in his every action. As if in every bite, he was eating the most delicious food he had ever had. Even he who really didn¡¯t like sweets would be tempted to try eating one just by watching him eat.


    He was about to say something when the big screen on the za suddenly lighted up. Because they were near it, Shen Ji Yun managed to see it immediately. He had already guessed that this must be the rabbit¡¯s advertis.e.m.e.nt.


    When the screen turned dark, a soft music suddenly filled the air. Then the first image that appeared on the screen was that of theke found in the recreational garden. The huge full moon was being reflected on its surface. Because of the way it¡¯s shot, it brought a certain kind of mystery and allure to the whole scene.


    Then the camera was raised and it focused on a building up ahead theke. It was an ancient building surrounded by different kinds of flowers. It suddenly zoomed in towards the said building, showing some parts of its exterior. Showcasing its beautiful architecture. Added that to the flower petals dancing around and the effect was just magnificent. One couldn¡¯t help but want to enter.


    The door to the building suddenly opened as if on cue. Enticingly inviting everyone to enter.


    The moment the camera did, what weed everyone were three groups of beautiful women in colorful robes. One group was ying the guqin, another one was ying the bamboo flute, and thest one, the one at the very center was dancing. No one was scantily d, and yet anyone who watched them dance would have a desire to peel off thoseplicated robesyer byyer.


    Then the music suddenly ended and the screen turned dark once again. When everyone thought that that was it, a single spotlight appeared. The light centered on a figure in red. One couldn¡¯t really tell if it was a man or a woman. But most would probably assume that it was thetter. Because how could a man exude such an unbridled charm?


    ¡¯Her¡¯ long ck hair was unadorned. A red veil was covering the lower half of ¡¯her¡¯ face. But if one looked closely, they could still see a soft outline of a mischievous smile. The only thing that could be clearly seen was his pair of blue eyes speckled in gold. ¡¯Her¡¯ long pointed ears were a sign that ¡¯she¡¯ was an elf.


    The music once again started. But this time, it became more serene. The elf in the red robe danced with the music. With ¡¯her¡¯ each step, a small ball of green light appeared. Until it filled the whole ce. The other dancers also moved but none of them over staged the elf in the red robe.


    Then the camera zoomed in towards the elf. And ¡¯she¡¯ looked straight towards the camera.


    "I¡¯m here, waiting for you,"¡¯she¡¯ said in a very sweet voice.


    ¡¯She¡¯ closed her eyes and as ¡¯she¡¯ did, the whole screen once again turned dark. Then two characters making up the word [Yuexing] suddenly appeared. After that the numbers [9.21] came next.


    Then another video yed. But no one paid attention to it. Because their attention was still on thest video.


    Shen Ji Yun was no different. It was even much worse for him. Because he knew for a fact that the elf wearing red robe on the video was none other than Luo Yan.

 Chapter 173 PLAYERS (ON THE PLAZA) REACTION

    AFTER the video finished, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t hide the wide grin on his face. It even felt like if he didn¡¯t stop, his smile would definitely reach his ear. Especially when he saw the reaction of the yers on the za. Because of his position, he could see their expressions more clearly. And based on what he was seeing right now, most of them were astounded and no doubt impressed by what they just watched.


    "What was that?" said a female yer near him. "Do you think it¡¯s some kind of advertis.e.m.e.nt?"


    "It¡¯s definitely an advertis.e.m.e.nt," answered another female yer who¡¯s most likely the other one¡¯s friend. "The only thing that could be yed on the za¡¯s screen are ads, announcements, or rey video of tournament fights. Since we¡¯re still far off from tournament season and it didn¡¯t even look the least bit like an announcement, it could only be an advertis.e.m.e.nt."


    "Then it must be for a new business establishment that the game is nning tounch."


    "I think so too as well. Based on how intricate the design of the building was and how it¡¯s located at the recreational garden here in Goldcrest City, it could only be another in-game business."


    The other one nodded. "And there were those NPCs. yers who are just starting their business wouldn¡¯t be able to hire all those NPCs. And they seemed to be role-specific NPCs too."


    Luo Yan almost wanted tough because of how wrong they were. All the points they¡¯ve mentioned were valid. It just simply didn¡¯t apply to him. Or more specifically, to his pavilion.


    Of course, the design of the building was that intricate because the game designers themselves designed it. It¡¯s from one the game tasks, after all. He got the location because Shen Ji Yun tipped him off about its sale. As for the NPCs, well, they¡¯re a package that came along with the pavilion. So there.


    But people assuming that his pavilion was an in-game business and not something that solely belonged to a yer could actually be to his advantage. If they think that the game itself was the owner of the business, then they would be more inclined to visit and be one of its customers. If they knew that a yer, just like them, was the proprietor of the business, they might think twice about spending money on it. After all, it¡¯s only human nature to not give more to people who were already living better than you.


    With this misunderstanding, his pavilion would surely earn more.


    "Its name seems to be ¡¯Yuexing¡¯," he heard one male yer said. He was talking with a group of other three male yers.


    "What kind of business do you think it is?"


    "Have you seen the video and all those beautiful NPCs? It¡¯s definitely that kind of business," one said moving his eyebrows up and down as if cueing his friends about something only males could understand.


    "But isn¡¯t there a ban against touching NPCs, you know, in that way?"


    "Maybe they lifted it. Who knows," the one who said that Yuexing was that ¡¯kind¡¯ of business shrugged. "But one thing¡¯s for sure, I¡¯ll definitely go once it opens. I especially want to see thatst NPC. Even if half of her face was covered, I could tell she¡¯s the most beautiful."


    "Yeah, I totally get that feeling too."


    "And she¡¯s an elf to boot. But I wonder why she¡¯s ck haired? Don¡¯t elves usually have blond hairs?"


    "She¡¯s an NPC. Of course she¡¯d be different."


    "That makes sense."


    Luo Yan was a bit creeped out when he heard all that. After all the ¡¯NPC¡¯ they were talking about was him. He was actually contemting whether he should show at the video or not. He truly didn¡¯t want to dance again. But because all of his employees were NPCs, none of them could show the ¡¯mystery¡¯ that he wanted. So in the end, he had no choice but to step up.


    He used that healing dance he swore he would never use. But that¡¯s the extent of it. He made sure that his appearance in video would be as short as possible. The design of the robe he wore was gender fluid. Because he didn¡¯t want to wear something so ringly feminine. He also had to apply temporary ck dye to his hair. Because his avatar¡¯s white hair was just simply too eye-catching. Of course, he also had to cover most of his face.


    But based on the conversation he just heard, it seemed like that didn¡¯t really do much at all. Even if he only appeared for like 20 seconds and with half of his face covered up, his presence was still the most striking. He sighed. Sometimes, his beauty could be really troublesome.


    "It¡¯s going to beunched on 21st this month, right?"


    Luo Yan heard that question from one of the group of male yers talking earlier.


    "Are we going to the opening?"


    "Of course we¡¯re going! I have to be the first customer of that ck-haired elf," the guy who had been making dirty jokes and had been showing the most interest towards the elf said.


    "You¡¯re really digging that NPC, huh?"


    "I kind of understand him. If you see a beautiful girl covering her face, you just have the urge to remove it."


    "What veil? I¡¯d rather remove her clothes," that one guy said again, his tone full of perverted insinuation.


    Luo Yan felt like a vein in his forehead just popped when he heard that. He was about to say something to shut the guy up, but the said guy spoke again.


    "I couldn¡¯t wait to fondle all that soft skin under thatplicated robe¡ª"


    The guy wasn¡¯t able to finish what he¡¯s saying because a broad sword was suddenly pointed at the side of his neck. Based on the guy¡¯s stiff body and wide eyes, he was obviously shocked.


    Even Luo Yan was surprised. Because the person who pointed the person was none other than Shen Ji Yun. He didn¡¯t notice when he stood up from his chair. Heck, he didn¡¯t even see him move at all!


    "W-what the hell are you doing?" the guy seemed to finally regain the use of his tongue and shouted. He actually wanted to say more. But the dark expression of the man in front of him, as well as the coldness in his eyes, prevented him from doing that. He couldn¡¯t even move. Because if he did, he had no doubt that the sword would cut his neck!


    "I¡¯m challenging you to the Arena," Shen Ji Yun said with almost no emotion in his voice. But anyone who heard him would definitely feel a semnce of fear. "Either agree or die here now."

 Chapter 174 UNILATERAL BEATING

    LUO YAN was sitting on the audience area of the Arena in Goldcrest City. For the first time in his life, he was truly confused of the current situation. Shen Ji Yun suddenly challenged that annoying guy to a PvP. No, rather than challenged, it¡¯s probably more urate to say that the guy was threatened into agreeing.


    Not that he felt sorry for the guy. How could he pity him after all those shit he said? If Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t challenge him, Luo Yan might have beaten him up himself instead.


    Now Shen Ji Yun was standing on the ring, facing that annoying guy. And because they caused quite amotion earlier, there¡¯s quite a lot of yers watching at the audience area. Well, a lot considering that it¡¯s a PvP between two not so well known yers.


    What Luo Yan couldn¡¯t understand was why Shen Ji Yun suddenly challenged that guy to a PvP. Honestly, the only thing he could think of was because of the inappropriatements the guy said earlier. But why would Shen Ji Yun snap because of that?


    He was always so calm and collected. It¡¯s like nothing could ever rattle him. He barely even showed any kind of emotion. And yet earlier, he didn¡¯t hesitate to brandish his sword against another yer in front of a crowd. That was the first time Luo Yan saw Shen Ji Yun so angry. It might not have appeared on his face. But his bodynguage showed just how angry he was. From his aggressive stance to the frigid atmosphere surrounding him. It just screamed ¨C¡¯I¡¯m very angry right now¡¯.


    Luo Yan returned his gaze to the ring. Shen Ji Yun was just standing there, all silent and brooding. His eyes were closed, as if just waiting for the fight to start. His opponent, on the other hand, was staring at Shen Ji Yun. As if checking on his costume and equipment. And when he found that it was nothing special, there was smug expression on his face.


    Luo Yan shook his head. He could already see this guy being beaten up quite horribly. Looking at the guy¡¯s expensive costume and equipment, he¡¯s probably one of those rich second generation who¡¯s ying this game. But no matter how good his equipment was, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Shen Ji Yun.


    Although he hadn¡¯t seen Shen Ji Yun fight in PvP, there¡¯s just no way that he would lose. They did a couple of task and even some dungeon raid, he could see by the way he moved and fought that he was really good. His skills could definitely not bepared to some random yer. After all, he¡¯s the captain of the team that first won the Arcadia Cup.


    Just like what Luo Yan thought, the guy was already thinking that he would win. His opponent¡¯s avatar was dressed too simply. Like he just picked the first ck clothes he saw. And then there was that broadsword. It looked so simple. Its only redeeming quality was that the de was all ck. Preventing it frompletely looking rustic.


    He suddenly wanted to beat himself for feeling so scared earlier. It¡¯s just that when he pointed that sword at the side of his neck, he literally felt that there¡¯s a noose hanging on his neck. That¡¯s the first time he ever felt like he¡¯s in danger. But he garnered his confidence back. Although he¡¯d only been ying this game for a year now, he¡¯s still quite confident with his skills. He¡¯d definitely pay back this bastard for scaring him.


    Then the screen hanging above the ring lighted up, showing the information of the two yers fighting. The guy immediately looked at the information of his opponent.


    SHEN


    Race: Human


    ss: Swordsman


    Level: 86


    A smug smile appeared on his face when he saw that. Although he¡¯s also a human swordsman, he was seven levels higher. Now he was even more confident that he could easily beat this bastard.


    A countdown on the screen started. 3... 2... 1... Start!


    When the ¡¯start¡¯ appeared, the guy immediately used one of his most powerful skills. It¡¯s always better to have the first move. It would give you the advantage that you need.


    A storm of wind sh approached Shen Ji Yun at a very fast speed. If he didn¡¯t dodge it, arge amount of his HP would definitely be gone. He opened his eyes, there wasn¡¯t even a hint of anxiousness in him. He quickly drew his sword and used [Counter]. He met every wind sh with the de of his sword. And each time he did, an even more powerful wind sh appeared, going to the opposite direction and straight at the person standing there.


    The guy panicked. He didn¡¯t expect that this bastard wouldn¡¯t even try to dodge his attack and instead fight it head on. He couldn¡¯t even see the speed in which he returned those sh. How could someone with a lower level defend his attack without even breaking a sweat?


    He gritted his teeth and used a very expensive item to defend himself. Because he had no confidence that he would be able to dodge each one of the sh that wereing his way. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.


    A huge shield symbol appeared in front of him. Completely protecting him from the onught of wind shes.


    The audience was on fire, thoroughly enjoying the fight.


    "That ck-haired swordsman just used [Counter], right?"


    "Yes, and quite skillfully too. I¡¯ve never seen someone used [Counter] consecutively like that."


    Luo Yan heard that conversation and he couldn¡¯t help but smile proudly. This was Shen Ji Yun, not just an ordinary yer. Of course, the way he used his skills would be different than others. He returned his attention back to the ring.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t waste any more time and dashed forward. The moment the shield of his opponent disappeared, he was already in front of him, brandishing his sword.


    The other guy had no choice but to raise his own sword to protect himself. The moment the ck sword touched the de of his sword, he almost felt like a hundred tons of weight just came down at him. His knees almost buckled. That¡¯s how heavy the bastard¡¯s sword strike was.


    Before he could even do any kind of retaliation. The bastard continued to sh down his sword at him. He couldn¡¯t even get a break. He wanted to use one of his skills to counter attack but there wasn¡¯t even a single opening for him to do that. The attack continued on. He could feel his feet started to be buried on the part of the ring he was standing on because of how heavy and powerful this bastard¡¯s every attack was. His arms were even starting to feel numbed.


    How could he not even fight back when he was several levels higher that this bastard? It¡¯s totally unscientific! But the most embarrassing thing was the fact that the jerk wasn¡¯t even using a skill. He¡¯s just attacking him with his raw power. But something more embarrassing happened the next second.


    His sword, the one he spent so many crystal coins on, just broke into two!


    Then the broadsword swung down at him without anything stopping it. The ck de shed down at his body. He stumbled back and fell. He could feel his HP quickly decreasing. He truly couldn¡¯t believe what just happened.


    He looked at the cold face of the man standing before him and looking at him like he¡¯s some kind of small bug under his feet. "Y-you¡ª"


    "This is just a warning. But if you ever show your face at Yuexing Pavilion, you¡¯ll experience something worse than this. So, please, do remember this pain."


    Then, without waiting for his reply, the broadsword went through his body. That¡¯s thest thing he saw before everything went dark.

 Chapter 175 HIS AND HIS THOUGHTS

    WHEN Shen Ji Yun¡¯s victory was shown on the huge screen hanging above the ring, the crowd cheered. It seemed like they didn¡¯t mind at all that the fight didn¡¯t evenst for 10 minutes. Probably because most of them were in awed of how Shen Ji Yun beat his opponent so easily despite him having a lower level. He didn¡¯t even let the other guynd a blow on him!


    "Howe I¡¯ve never heard of this yer SHEN? With his skills, he should be in the top list of the PvP rankings," one of the yers on the audience area said.


    "I think so as well. I have a guess though as to why," said hispanion.


    "What is it?" asked the other, full of curiosity.


    "I think he¡¯s just using an alt ount and that he¡¯s probably one of the great gods in the game."


    The one who asked seemed to be enlightened when he heard that. "That¡¯s definitely highly probable. No wonder he¡¯s so strong. But wouldn¡¯t that mean that the fight had been unfair to the other guy since the very beginning?"


    His friend shrugged. "Well, that guy could only me himself for angering a great god."


    [Well, that¡¯s true. In more ways than one.] ¨C Luo Yan thought when he heard the conversation between the two yers.


    He looked back at the stage and saw that Shen Ji Yun already jumped off of the ring. He automatically looked in his direction. As if he just instinctively knew where he was. When his startling blue eyes met his, the ice in them seemed like it thawed, making gentle waves. As if the snow in Winter melted and Spring came.


    Luo Yan¡¯s heart suddenly started to beat uncontrobly. He could even feel his whole face heating up. He unconsciously looked away and then clutched his chest. What the heck was that?


    Before he could calm himself, Shen Ji Yun already appeared in front of him.


    "Yan Yan," Shen Ji Yun called.


    Luo Yan frowned. He didn¡¯t know if it was just him but it¡¯s like even Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice when he called his name just sounded so gentle.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t miss the abnormal blush on the rabbit¡¯s cheeks. Although it looked really adorable, he¡¯s worried that he might not be feeling alright. "Are you okay? Your face is red."


    Luo Yan felt even more embarrassed. He didn¡¯t even know why he was blushing! He was scrambling to think what to answer when he felt the gazes drilling behind his back. He could even hear the murmurs around him.


    Shen Ji Yun must have noticed his ufortable expression, because he suddenly grabbed his hand. When he raised his head and looked at Shen Ji Yun with confusion, the other only said; "Let¡¯s get out of here."


    Before he could say anything, the surroundings immediately turned dark and he felt that familiar feeling of being sucked into a vacuum. The moment he opened his eyes again, they were already in front of their team headquarters.


    "Are you really alright?" Shen Ji Yun asked again.


    "I¡¯m fine. Maybe I¡¯m just feeling a bit hot."


    That¡¯s probably themest excuse he had ever thought of. But looking at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s trusting expression, he seemed to really believe what he just said. And now he felt a bit bad. But what could he say? That his face suddenly heated up because of the way he looked at him? No way he would say that. He probably just had been caught off guard anyway.


    Then he realized that Shen Ji Yun was still holding his hand. "Uhm, Brother Ji Yun, my hand..."


    Because of Luo Yan mentioning that, Shen Ji Yun also only realized that his hand was still gripping the rabbit¡¯s soft hand. He let go as if burnt. This time, it was the turn of his face to heat up. But because of the mask covering the lower half of his face, it wasn¡¯t too obvious.


    "Why did Brother Ji Yun suddenly challenged that yer?" Luo Yan asked,


    It¡¯s better to have this conversation than for him to think of unnecessary things. Besides, he was really curious as to why Shen Ji Yun did that.


    "Because he pissed me off," that was Shen Ji Yun¡¯s simple answer.


    Though that might have been downying it just a tad bit.


    After that advertis.e.m.e.nt yed, his brain was just filled with the image of Luo Yan wearing that red robe and dancing. Whenever he moved, those small green lights followed him and then slowly dispersed. It was truly something quite magical. For almost a minute, his mind could only focus on that wonderful image. He couldn¡¯t think of anything else. He couldn¡¯t even care about his surroundings.


    When he finally came back to his senses, what he heard were those disgusting things that that yer was spouting. He just snapped at that moment. Before he knew it, he was already challenging that guy to a PvP. Because that¡¯s the only way he could hurt him since there¡¯s a ban for yers to actually hurt each other inside of the four cities. And he just really wanted to hurt that guy.


    He was actually quite surprised that the yer agreed. After all, he could decline and Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Even though he threatened at that moment that he would die directly if he didn¡¯t agree. Now that he thought about it, that yer was probably too scared to even think properly. So he just agreed on reflex. But good thing that he did. At least Shen Ji Yun managed to release some steam.


    After that fight, he felt refreshed. Even his annoyance for what he heard lessen a bit.


    "I don¡¯t like it when people talk about you in that way," he added.


    "Oh, did you also hear what that yer said?" Luo Yan asked. Sure enough, it was because of that annoying guy¡¯s dirtyments. "Actually, if Brother Ji Yun didn¡¯t challenge him. I might have also done the same."


    "Then it¡¯s good that I challenged him first." What if that guy inadvertently touched Luo Yan during the fight? So, it¡¯s definitely better that Shen Ji Yun was the one who fought him.


    "I seem to see you telling him something before hepletely lost." Because Luo Yan was a bit far from the ring, he didn¡¯t manage to hear it.


    "I threatened him not to ever show his face at your pavilion," Shen Ji Yun answered with a straight face. "I apologize for preventing a potential customer from visiting your ce of business."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that answer. But it still brought a smile to his face. "You don¡¯t have to apologize, Brother Ji Yun. Who needs that kind of customer, anyway? I say good riddance."


    Looking at the smile on the rabbit¡¯s face, Shen Ji Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to think that he was making decisions for him. He just truly couldn¡¯t let that yer go for saying all those... things about Luo Yan.


    But he knew that that yer wouldn¡¯t be thest to make those kinds ofments. There would be another and another. And Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t have control over any of them. Some of those yers might even go to the pavilion just to harass Luo Yan.


    Should he just apply as the pavilion¡¯s bodyguard?

 Chapter 176 BULLYING SHEN JI YUN

    IT was thest ss before lunch and Luo Yan, as usual, was pretending that he was listening diligently to the teacher. But his mind was wandering all over. He was curious as to what the effect of his advertis.e.m.e.nt would be. He hadn¡¯t checked the game forum yet to see the reaction of other yers or if they were even talking about it.


    He nned to do thatter once he came back home. He wanted to wait for at least a day after the video was released to look into it. Because by then, a lot of people had already given their opinions. Then he could clearly see if the effect of the advertis.e.m.e.nt was positive or negative. But even without checking that, he was still quite certain that it would be positive.


    Luo Yan was proud of the video he shot and edited. It¡¯s creative and of high quality. His employees that showed up in the video were all beautiful and talented. And most of all, he even showed up in the video himself. Him being there added an extra vor to the video, making it more mysterious and intriguing. How would it even flop with all those factorsbined together?


    What he actually wanted to know was if his advertis.e.m.e.nt was trending or not. Because that would mean that a lot of people were talking about it. And more attention meant more customers for him.


    Speaking of customers, he suddenly remembered that small talk he had with Shen Ji Yun after he told him that he threatened a ¡¯possible customer¡¯.


    =====


    "What would you say if I apply as a bodyguard in your pavilion?"


    If Luo Yan was drinking something at that moment, he would have probably choked because of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s question. "Why would you even want to do that?" he asked back, a bit incredulously.


    Shen Ji Yun scratched the back of his head, as if just realizing that what he asked was pretty stupid. But he had already asked it, so he might as well continue on. "Don¡¯t your building need protection? I mean, yers like that guy earlier would visit your pavilion. They might harass the NPCs there."


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Brother Ji Yun, have you forgotten that there¡¯s a rule that prevents yers from harassing NPCs?"


    He heard that during the first year of the released of the VR version, they were yers who abused NPCs. Even though they were just a bunch of data, abusing them was still pretty inhumane. So, they set up that rule.


    Of course, Shen Ji Yun knew about that. What he truly wanted to say was that he¡¯s worried that other yers might harass Luo Yan. But if he said that, the rabbit might think that he¡¯s being overprotective. Telling a guy that you would act as his bodyguard because some people might try to harass him was definitely not something one would like to hear from another guy. He didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to think that he¡¯s annoying. But how else would he tell him what he wanted to convey?


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he¡¯s thinking real hard what he should say next. He couldn¡¯t help butugh a little. How could someone who just beat someone up, while looking extremely cool, struggled to find the right words right now?


    "Are you worrying that some other yer woulde in the pavilion and harass me?" he asked, taking a guest.


    "Yes."


    He noticed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ear tips turning red when he answered his question and confirmed his guest. Man, the gap in this guy¡¯s personality was really just too adorable. "That won¡¯t happen because I won¡¯t be there. Me appearing on that video advertis.e.m.e.nt was just a one-time thing."


    Why would he even go and serve customers when he was the boss? He¡¯d probably show himself from time to time when needed but certainly not every night. Besides, his pavilion had enough security to handle unruly customers. That also came as a package when he received the pavilion from the King of Arcadia. It seemed that when the King said that everything that was in the original Yuexing Pavilion he truly meant ¡¯everything¡¯. Which he was really thankful for.


    When Shen Ji Yun heard that answer, he finally felt relieved. Then immediately felt embarrassed. "I¡¯m sorry. You must totally think that I¡¯m being such a nag."


    Luo Yan felt like he was seeing a puppy with its ears down. He chuckled. Seriously, how could this guy be so cute? That urge to bully Shen Ji Yun surged up again in him.


    And so, he s.u.mbed to his urges.


    He looked down and made his voice tremble a little. "Yes, Brother Ji Yun always act like a worrywart. It¡¯s- it¡¯s suffocating!" He raised his head and appeared as though he was about to cry. "Does Brother Ji Yun not trust me at all? That I don¡¯t even have the ability to protect myself?"


    Shen Ji Yun felt like he was frozen on the spot, nailed on the very ground he was standing. Anxiousness and nervousness both filled him. Was he really being too much? What if Luo Yan started to hate him because of this? No! He didn¡¯t want that. Just thinking of that possibility, his heart already felt like it¡¯s being pierced by hundreds, no, thousands of tiny needles.


    He removed his mask, so that he could convey what he wanted. "No... that¡¯s not it. I- I¡¯m¡ª"


    When Luo Yan saw the frustrated expression on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face, he felt like he had gone overboard a little. He scratched the tip of his nose. Ah, how could he be so ck hearted?


    "Ahm, sorry, Brother Ji Yun. I was just joking. You look so cute and adorable. I just couldn¡¯t help but want to bully you. Sorry."


    Shen Ji Yun felt like the hand gripping his heart just loosened when he heard what the rabbit said. And then when Luo Yan¡¯s reasoningpletely registered in his brain, his whole face heated up. How could he see him as ¡¯cute¡¯ and ¡¯adorable¡¯. Those two words were the farthest thing that should be used to describe him. If there¡¯s someone ¡¯cute¡¯ and ¡¯adorable¡¯ here, then that would only be Luo Yan.


    "J-just don¡¯t do it again. I- I don¡¯t like it when you act like you hate me."


    Seeing his red face and hearing those words, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel an unknown emotion feeling his heart. What it was, he wasn¡¯t sure yet. He just knew that it was something he had never felt before.


    So, right now, he could only smile and say, "Okay."


    =====


    Then the bell rang,pletely cutting off Luo Yan¡¯s train of thoughts. He no longer thought of those things. Because right now, there¡¯s only one agenda on his list. He immediately looked at a certain direction. At the back where Yu Jiao was sitting.


    Because today was the day he¡¯s starting his ¡¯be friends with Yu Jiao¡¯ n.

 Chapter 177 ANOTHER ONE BEING FACE-SLAPPED

    LUO YAN saw that Yu Jiao was already preparing to leave the ssroom. So he also stood up and walked out ahead of her. Because he knew that if he stayed a little longer, he would definitely be surrounded by his three ¡¯girlfriends¡¯. And then he wouldn¡¯t have time to follow Yu Jiao.


    He already told Luo Jin to just wait for him outside of the third year teaching building. They would wait for Yu Jiao toe out. And then they would follow her.


    He quickened his pace and got on the elevator. There were already other students inside. When he came in, all kinds of gazes were directed at him. His ss already got used to his presence. But students from other ss still found him quite novel. There were some that were simply curious, but he could also feel some that were malicious. Thest gaze, he usually didn¡¯t feel when he¡¯s with Luo Jin. Who would dare to look at him in a bad way when he¡¯s with the school¡¯s number one troublemaker?


    He ignored that kind of gaze. He didn¡¯t have time to deal with them, whoever they were. Besides, it¡¯s not as if they could just attack him here. Not with all the other students around. Not to mention, this school was teeming with CCTV cameras to provide surveince. That way, if a student or a faculty member did something wrong, evidence could easily be found. Of course, that also applied in this elevator.


    Once the elevator stopped, he immediately walked out. He just walked a few steps when he felt a hard push from the back. If he hadn¡¯t regained his bnce quickly, he would have fallen face first on the floor. His precious face would definitely be wounded.


    "Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to bump into you," said a voice from behind.


    Luo Yan looked back and saw a male student. His face belonged to the ¡¯pretty boy¡¯ category. Of course, not the same level of prettiness that he had. But the type that was slender and had fine facial features. Simr to those idols from country H. And based on the sneer on his face, it¡¯s obvious that he didn¡¯t mean the apology he just spouted.


    "It¡¯s because you¡¯re too short, so I didn¡¯t see you clearly just now," the teenager added, his voice full of sarcasm.


    It seemed that he now knew where that malicious gaze came from. Even though he already decided to ignore him, he really just had to deliver himself on his doorsteps to get face-pped.


    Luo Yan smiled at the teenager. Something that he seemed to not be expecting. "It¡¯s okay."


    The boy looked like he became pissed off even more. He snorted and nned to walk away.


    How could Luo Yan just let him leave? If he did, then he wouldn¡¯t be Luo Yan at all. What could he say? He¡¯s petty like that.


    So, as the teenager took a step, he slightly raised his foot towards the other¡¯s path. Of course, he did it stealthily. In a way that the people around them wouldn¡¯t even notice what he did. He even made sure that the CCTV in the area wouldn¡¯t capture what he¡¯s doing.


    Because the teenager didn¡¯t expect that Luo Yan would do that, he didn¡¯t have any kind of defense mechanism at all. So, he easily tripped and stumbled. He lost his bnce and fell. But before his face was nted on the floor, he managed to put both hands down. So he ended up kneeling on all fours on the floor.


    He heard snickering andughter around him. His whole face immediately turned red from embarrassment.


    "Are you okay?" said that sickeningly sweet voice.


    He raised his head and saw the face of the second young master of the Luo family. He was smirking down at him. But that expression onlysted for a second before it turned into something like worry. It was only for a brief moment, a sh really, but he was sure of what he saw.


    This brat. He¡¯s definitely the reason why he tripped!


    Anger and indignation filled the teenager. He stood up and angrily pointed his finger at him. "You did this!"


    Luo Yan acted all confused. "What do you mean?"


    "Stop acting stupid! You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about!"


    Luo Yan looked hurt and he seemed to not really understand what the person in front of him was talking about. "I- I¡¯m sorry. Please, don¡¯t be mad."


    Because it was lunch time, the area near the elevator was slowly being filled by students. Their actions were a bit big. Not to mention, the teenager¡¯s voice was really loud. They already attracted quite a lot of attention.


    What they saw was a tall handsome teenager with an angry expression on his face. The other was a beautiful boy who looked confused and hurt, it even seemed like he was about to cry. Anyone who saw him would instantly feel the desire to protect him. So, of course, they would take the side of the pitiful looking boy. And immediately painted the other teenager as the viin.


    "Hey, isn¡¯t that Ying Chen from ss 2? Is he bullying that middle-school kid?"


    "What are you saying? That¡¯s the second young master of the Luo family."


    "You mean the one who had been in aa? That was even worse! Why the heck is Ying Chen bullying him? Look, the poor kid is about to cry!"


    That student¡¯s opinion was seconded by a lot of others. All scolding Ying Chen.


    Ying Chen heard all of these and his face became even more red from anger. He red at the culprit. The moment their gazes met, he clearly saw a hint of taunting in those peach blossom eyes. When he saw that, he felt like something just snapped in him. Before he could think properly, he already raised his hand and was about to p the person in front of him.


    But two things unexpectedly happened at the next moment. Someone held Ying Chen¡¯s hand and another person pulled Luo Yan behind their back.


    The person who stopped Ying Chen was Huang Wen. While the one who pulled Luo Yan was Yu Jiao.


    Both Ying Chen and Luo Yan were shocked by this sudden turn of events.

 Chapter 178 THE END OF A RATHER PETTY SITUATION

    YU JIAO seriously wanted to scold herself.Just what was she thinking?Involving herself in this situation was clearly something someone who was trying not to be the center of attention should do.But when she saw Luo Yan about to be pped, her body just moved on her own.Before she knew it, she was already pulling him behind her.


    The only reason she could think of why she would do that was because of the incident yesterday, when he picked up her drawing.When she saw him holding that paper where she drew one of hertest designs, the first thing she felt was fear.Fear that the popr transfer student would tell everyone what he found.And then those rich, entitled ssmates of theirs would force her to show them the drawing.


    She could only think of two oues when that happened.For those who didn¡¯t y Arcadia, they might just sneer at her and mock her for her hobby.But for those who did, they might recognize that drawing for what it was ¨C a design for a powerful weapon.She¡¯d rather it be the former.Because if it¡¯s thetter, there would definitely be a lot ofplications that might arose.


    For one, something like this might lead to them discovering her game avatar.Any good yer with a discerning eye who saw that drawing would immediately notice that it was not just a simple drawing.That it was done by someone with very good cksmith skills.They might interrogate her and ask her where she got such a drawing.It¡¯s good if they thought that it was drawn by someone.But if they thought that she was the one who did it, then that would only spell trouble for her.


    Because once someone suspected her, then it wouldn¡¯t be far before one discovered her game avatar.If that happened and it spread around the school and her ¡¯dear¡¯ stepsister heard about it, she could only imagine the onught of trouble that woulde her way.


    But none of that happened.Because Luo Yan didn¡¯t even mention that drawing to anyone.She¡¯d been on edge the whole day yesterday, just waiting anxiously for the bomb to drop.But it didn¡¯t happen.Her day was still as boring as it was.


    Luo Yan not telling everyone in their ss about her drawing was not really reason enough for her to get herself tangled in this mess.But she still did anyway.The only reason she could think of was because of that simple yet straightforward praise she received from him.It might a very shallow reason for just about anyone.But for her, it¡¯s not.


    Except for her mother, she hadn¡¯t heard anyone praising her for her talent.Her game avatar always received countless praises from other people ying Arcadia.While she, herself, hardly ever did.Luo Yan¡¯s praise was the first one she received after a long while.Not really that surprising considering how introverted she was.


    So, even though it was not in her character, she still went and did what she did.Well, it had already been done.All she could do was to stand with the choice she made.


    Luo Yan stared at Yu Jiao¡¯s tall back.To say that he¡¯s surprised seeing her appear here was simply an understatement.He thought he already had a clear read on her character.A shy person who definitely wouldn¡¯t do anything to be the center of attention.And yet, here she was.Trying to protect him.Even though one could clearly see that she¡¯s very ufortable in doing so.


    He secretly smiled.So this shy kid could also have her moments of braveness.Now, he no longer wanted to befriend her because of the possible benefit he would get.He now truly wanted to be her friend.Or a close acquaintance, at least.


    He nced at the front.Huang Wen was still holding the arm of the ¡¯pretty boy¡¯ teenager.Another thing he was surprised about the sudden appearance of this guy.He would have never expected that he would stop someone from pping him.Considering how much snide remarks Luo Yan received from him for the past week.


    "Ying Chen, what are you doing?" Huang Wen asked, his brows were furrowed and his tone was not so good.


    "Ah Wen..."


    Ying Chen knew that look, Huang Wen was annoyed.Most probably at him.He bit his lower lip.Why was he not taking his side?If there¡¯s someone here who should, it should be him.The only reason why he picked on that shorty was because Huang Wen had beenining about him for the past week.But now, he not only didn¡¯t take his side, he was even annoyed at him.It¡¯s unfair!


    Huang Wen stared at his childhood friend.He grew up with this guy so he knew him quite well.He already had an idea on what probably happened here.Because of his constant rumbling this past week about how irritating Luo Yan was, this simple guy probably alreadybeled him as a ¡¯viin¡¯.So now, when he had the chance, he probably attacked Luo Yan verbally.And based on his experience on dealing with Luo Yan, he probably had some innocent reaction that caused Ying Chen to lost his temper.


    But him fighting back with violence against someone who¡¯s much weaker physically was not something Huang Wen would tolerate.Even if they¡¯re friends.But since Ying Chen probably only did this because of him, he should also bear a certain degree of responsibility.


    Based on Ying Chen¡¯s expression right now, this guy was definitely closed to crying.Before everything started to getplicated and before that bastard Luo Jin came and joined the fray, he should end this situation now.


    He looked at Luo Yan.He still looked like he was shaken by what happened.Even if Ying Chen was not the one involved here, he probably would still interfere.Seeing this guy beaten was not really something he¡¯d like to witness.Who would want to see such a short and thin kid get beat up, right?He¡¯s not that heartless.


    "I apologized for the behavior of my friend.If you need anypensation, just talk to me in ss."


    "Ah Wen!" Ying Chen called, clearly wasn¡¯t agreeing to this apology.


    Huang Wen didn¡¯t spare Ying Chen a nce and just continued to look at Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, was slightly surprised.He didn¡¯t expect the two to be friends.But since he was already satisfied with the result, he wouldn¡¯t continue to torture the ¡¯pretty boy¡¯.


    "I understand.And there¡¯s no need forpensation.I didn¡¯t get hurt after all," he said with an understanding smile.


    Huang Wen slightly nodded at Luo Yan, then he quickly pulled Ying Chen away from there.


    Since everything was already finished, Yu Jiao wanted to quickly sneak away from there.But they were suddenly surrounded by the other students who witnessed what happened.


    "You¡¯re so kind.If it were me, I definitely wouldn¡¯t let him off so easily," one said.


    "That¡¯s true.I mean, the guy almost pped you!" another one added.


    "I also think it would be better to report this incident to a teacher," one other said.


    Yu Jiao fidgeted.Being surrounded like this by real people, her palms started to sweat and she couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.


    Luo Yan, of course, noticed this.He was thinking of a way to get them out of this circle while being cute and gentle when a very familiar voice sounded.


    "What¡¯s happening here?"


    Near the entrance of the teaching building stood Luo Jin.He was frowning and ring at everyone, obviously didn¡¯t like how these strangers were surrounding his brother.The circle around them immediately parted like the Red Sea.Showing just how notorious Luo Jin¡¯s reputation was.And right now, Luo Yan was thankful for that.


    He smiled at the other students before pulling Yu Jiao towards Luo Jin.Then he also pulled the both of them out of the teaching building.

 Chapter 179 EATING LUNCH

    "DID something happen? I¡¯ve been waiting for almost ten minutes outside," Luo Jin said.


    His brother told him that he should wait outside the teaching building of the third years until he came out himself. Then the two of them would wait for that ssmate of his that he suspected was a cksmith and followed her to wherever ce she nned on eating lunch. That was the n.


    So he waited and waited and waited. When he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he finally decided to go in. But who would have thought that he would find Luo Yan being surrounded by other third years. He couldn¡¯t help but think that something happened that included the participation of his brother. Not to mention, he nced at the tall girl standing beside his brother and who looked like she¡¯d rather not be here at all, this girl was most probably the ssmate Luo Yan was talking about.


    What happened to following her ¡¯stealthily¡¯ and acting like they only identally happened to go to the same restaurant she did? Howe the both of them were suddenly together? He narrowed his eyes at the two people standing in front of him. Something fishy was definitely happening here.


    Yu Jiao squirmed. Being stared at like this felt like he was about to punch her or something. Now she finally understood why the reputation of this third young master was so terrible. Just a bit narrowing of his eyes and he could already make people wobble on their feet.


    Luo Yan noticed Yu Jiao fidgeting again. He sighed. This girl was really a bit timid. He looked at his younger brother who looked at them suspiciously. If he knew right now what just happened, this kid would definitely go berserk. He would definitely drag that Ying Chen and beat him unceremoniously.


    If that p really reached his white and tender cheek, he would definitely not hesitate to tell what happened to Luo Jin. He might even join him in beating up that Ying Chen. But it didn¡¯t happen. There¡¯s no point now in getting revenge. Especially since he already did quite a damage to that ¡¯pretty boy¡¯. He didn¡¯t have the hobby of kicking an already beaten up kitten. He¡¯s not that sadistic.


    But looking at his younger brother¡¯s expression, he knew that Luo Jin would not let this topic go until he got a satisfying answer. So, he could only leave it to his ever reliable acting skills.


    He raised his head, blinking his big, watery eyes, and said in a grievous tone. "Ah Jin, I¡¯m hungry. Doctor Han said I should always eat on time."


    And just like that, Luo Jin¡¯s interrogation ended. He no longer cared about what happened and could only think of how to get to the cafeteria at the fastest speed. "Why didn¡¯t you say this earlier? Then we wouldn¡¯t have to stay here for so long."


    Luo Yan pouted. "But Ah Jin seemed to be more interested in knowing the answer to his question."


    Luo Jin remembered that it seemed to be really the case. "Forget it. Let¡¯s just go."


    Yu Jiao, standing on the side, was dumbfounded. She had no idea what exactly just happened. She just knew that the two would be eating lunch and that meant that she could also go.


    "Ahm, then, I- I¡¯ll go ahead."


    But before she could take a step, her arm was suddenly hugged. She looked down and saw Luo Yan staring up at her.


    "What are you saying, Yu Jiao? You¡¯ll be eating with us. It¡¯s my treat, because you help me today."


    "I- I didn¡¯t do anything."


    Luo Yan almostughed when he saw Yu Jiao¡¯s reaction. It¡¯s like he¡¯s threatening her with a knife instead of inviting her to lunch.


    "Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t go to the big cafeterias. In fact, you could choose the ce we should eat."


    "I¡ª"


    "Hurry up and decided," Luo Jin said impatiently. His brother was already hungry, what was this girl doing, being so wishy-washy?


    Because of pressureing from Luo Jin, Yu Jiao had no choice but to tell them the name of the restaurant where she usually ate.


    Yu Jiao found herself in an inexplicable situation for the second time this day. She was sitting in front of two young masters, the table between them was filled with cheap and rustic food. And the said young masters were eating these dishes very fragrantly. She suddenly felt like she was in a dream. Because if not, howe these two young masters who were supposed to be used to fine dining were eating these very cheap dishes without even a hint of reluctance or disgust?


    They were at a small restaurant located at a very remote corner of the academy. It was a ce that Yu Jiao identally discoveredst year when she transferred. She was looking for a ce to eat in peace and came across with this ce. A small restaurant with no customers. It was the perfect ce for her. So she didn¡¯t hesitate toe in.


    After that, she often came here to eat lunch. Soon, she became familiar with this ce. The current owner of the restaurant was the Chairman¡¯s grandson. Yu Jiao was truly quite surprised when he heard that. The one who managed the ce was a close friend of that grandson.


    This friend acted as the restaurant¡¯s manager and chef. There was only one other employee who acted as a waiter and also as a cashier. Yes, there were only two of them. But it had never been a problem. Because there¡¯s hardly any customering here.


    Last year, there were still third years who came and eat here. But now that those third years graduated, it had only been her so far. Until now, that is. She looked at the two brothers with aplicated gaze.


    Luo Yan noticed this and smiled at her. "Yu Jiao, eat. If you don¡¯t start eating, Ah Jin and I will eat all the food."


    Yu Jiao looked down at the dishes that were slowly decreasing by the minute and she had no doubt that what Luo Yan said might really happen. So she picked up her chopstick and started eating.


    After a while, a tall and lean man walked up to them. His hair was tied in a man bun. The corner of his thin lips was raised into a cynical smile. He was wearing a simple shirt and jeans. There was a certain decadent charm in him, as if he couldn¡¯t care less about anything.


    "Brother Yuan," Yu Jiao respectfully greeted.


    The man was the small restaurant¡¯s manager and chef ¨C Yuan Xing.


    Yuan Xing nodded at her before turning his sight to the other two boys. "Are these two your friends?"


    Luo Yan could feel the scrutiny of the man in front of them. Seeing as how he seemed to be familiar with Yu Jiao, he¡¯s probably worried that they¡¯re bullying her. So he smiled brightly at the man, his big peach blossom eyes bending into crescents.


    "Yes, we¡¯re Yu Jiao¡¯s friends."


    Yu Jiao heard that answer before she could even say anything. He said it without even a bit of hesitation as if he truly thought of her as their friend. She looked down. For some unknown reason, she felt like crying.


    And for the first time, in a long while, warmth filled her tired heart.

 Chapter 180 I WANT TO BE HER FRIEND

    YUAN XING stared at the boy smiling brightly at him. Truthfully, he was startled a little bit when he saw him. Because this was the first time that he had ever seen a boy this pretty. Based on his petite stature, he first thought that he was a middle-schooler. But seeing his uniform, it¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s from the high school department. Then a first year, perhaps?


    Then he moved his gaze to the tall teenager sitting beside the beautiful boy. He was eating like normal without even paying any mind to his sudden arrival. He didn¡¯t even as much as look in his direction. The more he looked at him, the more he seemed familiar. Then Yuan Xing suddenly remembered where he saw the kid. It was some timest year, when he visited the Chairman¡¯s office. This teenager was waiting there with a sullen expression on his face. He had a wild look to him back then, as if he would bite anyone who woulde close. If he remembered correctly, his name was Luo Jin. That delinquent first who made a lot of havocst year.


    But seeing as how that wild and violent atmosphere that surrounded him was now gone, Yuan Xing could tell that a lot had changed.


    Luo Jin put a bunch of greens on the beautiful boy¡¯s bowl of rice. "Yan, eat."


    Yuan Xing raised one of his brows. He had a feeling that the change he was seeing now in this teenager was brought about by this beautiful boy. But the more important thing right now was how Yu Jiao became acquainted with the two.


    Truthfully, when he heard from the other employee of the restaurant that Yu Jiao brought people with her, his first thought was the girl was being bullied. He had known her for almost a year now. And during that time, she had never brought anyone here. She¡¯s a good girl but she was also painfully shy and timid. Knowing her personality, it would be almost impossible for her to bring anyone here on her own ord. His suspicion strengthened when he heard that herpanions were both boys.


    But hearing the beautiful boy¡¯s answer and seeing the current situation, he knew that he definitely just thought too much. And he was d that that was the case. Because if anyone deserved having a friend, then this girl definitely does. Even if the three of them seemed to be a very unlikelybination.


    "This is Brother Yuan Xing, the manager and chef of this restaurant," Yu Jiao introduced him to the two boys. Before turning her gaze to him. "Brother Yuan, these two are Luo Yan and Luo Jin."


    When Yuan Xing heard that both had ¡¯Luo¡¯ as a surname, he immediately assumed that the two were either brothers or cousins. "I didn¡¯t expect Xiao Jiao to be friends with younger students," he just off-handedlymented.


    The beautiful boy named Luo Yan suddenly sharply turned his head to his direction. His big peach blossom eyes red at him. He even pointed his chopsticks at him. "Look here, Uncle, I¡¯m Yu Jiao¡¯s ssmate. We¡¯re the same age. Telling me I¡¯m someone younger is definitely offending. Or are you just looking down on me because of my height?"


    The boy tried to look stern, as if what Yuan Xing did was truly offensive. But all he could see was a boy with a cute frown and a cute re. Even the way his brows furrowed was cute. It¡¯s like he¡¯s looking at a small harmless animal trying his best to act like he¡¯s some big scary carnivore.


    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He could even forgive him for calling him ¡¯uncle¡¯ when it¡¯s quite obvious that he¡¯s only in his mid-20s. Who told him to be so cute? "Yes, it¡¯s this uncle¡¯s fault."


    "Hmp! It¡¯s good that you know your wrongs. And I¡¯ll forgive you because the food that you make is delicious."


    Luo Jin agreed to thatst part. Not only was it delicious, it was also nutritious. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t stop Luo Yan from eating here. If the food here was the type that was oily and greasy, he would have definitely taken his second brother out of this ce.


    "I¡¯m thankful then," Yuan Xing said. "I¡¯ll leave you to your lunch then."


    He nodded at the three before walking back to the kitchen.


    Seeing the interaction between the two, Yu Jiao couldn¡¯t help but let out a smallugh. She just didn¡¯t expect that Brother Yuan, the one who¡¯s usually toozy to talk to anyone, would actually admit that he¡¯s wrong. And Luo Yan¡¯s reaction was also quite adorable. If she ever had a younger brother, she actually him to be like Luo Yan.


    She abruptly stopped, realizing what she just did. "I- I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean tough."


    "If you find something funny, thenugh. It¡¯s not something to apologize for. That¡¯s a very bad and annoying habit," Luo Jin said and although his voice was full of irritation, one could see that he¡¯s not really mocking Yu Jiao but giving her a good and sound advice instead.


    Luo Yan secretly smiled when he heard what Luo Jin said. This adorable tsundere. He looked at Yu Jiao. "Whenever you¡¯re with us, you can alwaysugh as much as you want to. We won¡¯t ever hold it against you. Besides, I think Yu Jiao is really cute when sheughs."


    Although Yu Jiao doubted thatst sentence, she was still pretty moved by what the two brothers said. Was it really okay to just be as carefree? "Thank you," she could only say.


    "If you truly want to thank us, then how about letting us join you for lunch here from now on?" Luo Yan said, smiling at her.


    Yu Jiao was speechless for a second. But before she could properly decide, her mouth seemed to already have its own decision. "O-okay."


    Before she realized what she just did, it was already toote to take it back. It looked like she¡¯s lonelier than she realized. But even if that was the case, she did not regret her decision. Eating lunch with these two would probably be not too bad.


    "Good," Luo Yan said, smiling brightly. Seeing a sudden worry filling her expression, he already had an idea on what¡¯s going on in that head of hers. So he added, "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll just directly meet here. The same goes for going back. The two of us could go back ahead of you or vice-versa."


    "Why--?"


    "Because Yu Jiao seemed scared that you would attract more attention if you¡¯re seen with us," Luo Yan answered. "But I hope, soon, you would have the courage to stand beside us. I don¡¯t want it to look like we¡¯re embarrassed being seen together with you. Because that¡¯s definitely not the case."


    Yu Jiao could only nod. But until the end of their lunch, Luo Yan¡¯s words still echoed in her mind.


    Luo Jin stared at the tall girl¡¯s back. She was walking ahead of them back to the third year¡¯s teaching building. So he and his brother were waiting for a couple more minutes before going back as well.


    "I though you nned to get her to make our weapons?" he asked Luo Yan. And yet, his second brother never mentioned a word about the game throughout lunch.


    "What? Was Ah Jin thinking that I only wanted to get close to her because of that?" Luo Jin only looked at Luo Yan as if telling him ¡¯wasn¡¯t it?¡¯. Which led to Luo Yan acting all affronted. "I can¡¯t believe Ah Jin thinks of me like I¡¯m some kind of opportunistic viin," he said, even fake-crying.


    [Well, you¡¯re not opportunistic. But you could definitely be act like a viin if you wanted to.] "I¡¯m not saying that you are. It¡¯s my fault for making you feel that way," he said, just to stop his brother¡¯s fake-crying.


    Which seemed sessful since Luo Yan did stop.


    He looked at Yu Jiao¡¯s back that was starting to get smaller and smaller. Yes, his n was just to get close to her so he and Luo Jin could get benefit from her talent as a cksmith. But that changed when he saw her unexpected burst of courage earlier. Especially after he observed just how lonely the girl was.


    "I just want to be her friend." He nced back at Luo Jin. "Don¡¯t you feel the same?"


    Luo Jin only shrugged. "I guess it¡¯s okay. She doesn¡¯t seem to be as annoying as other girls."


    "What does Ah Jin considers as a ¡¯not an annoying girl¡¯?" Luo Yan asked curiously. Then he smiled yfully, suddenly thinking of something. "Is it Sister Yuqi?"


    Luo Jin was about to answer ¡¯yes¡¯. But when he saw the teasing smile on Luo Yan¡¯s face, his answer suddenly crawled back of his throat. And his whole face heated up for some reason. "I- I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!"


    Then he walked forward, no, it¡¯s probably more appropriate to say that he dashed forward.


    "Ah Jin! Don¡¯t walk too fast. I won¡¯t be able to catch up to you!"


    When Luo Yan shouted that, his younger brother immediately stopped. He didn¡¯t look back but it was obvious that he was waiting for him. Luo Yan could only shake his head helplessly.


    Then he walked forward to catch up to him.

 Chapter 181 INITIAL EFFECT OF THE ADVERTIS.E.M.E.NT (I)

    A CERTAIN advertis.e.m.e.nt blew up overnight in the game forum of Arcadia.It was that of an ancient building surrounded by different kinds of flowers.In front of it was ake.The scene was very picturesque.It was enough to attract the attention of many yers.But then the scene changed to the inside of the building and the video just became even more attention grabbing.


    The interior of the building was as detailed and magnificent as the outside.But what caught everyone¡¯s attention was the beautiful female NPCs inside.There were some who were ying the guqin, some were ying the bamboo flute, and the rest were dancing.Every NPC was wearing a beautifully designed robe.Especially the ones who were dancing.The way the fabric of their robe moved as they danced invoked certain fantasies in male yers.While the female yers were attracted by the beautiful music.


    They thought that would be all.But then thest NPC appeared.It was a ck haired female elf.¡¯She¡¯ was tall with a slim waist and slender legs.The red robe ¡¯she¡¯ wore was the most magnificent but it didn¡¯t look gaudy.Because perfectly matched the charm of the ck haired elf.Then ¡¯she¡¯ danced.And ¡¯she¡¯ simplymanded everyone¡¯s attention.That¡¯s how captivating ¡¯she¡¯ was.After she spoke and everyone heard ¡¯her¡¯ sweet voice, there¡¯s only one thought in everyone¡¯s mind; ¡¯I want to go to this building!¡¯


    At the end of the video, the name [Yuexing] was printed.And then followed by it were the numbers, 9.21.With these, it could be inferred that the name of the building was ¡¯Yuexing¡¯ and that it would open for business on the 21st of September.


    Everyone¡¯s spirit was boiling with excitement after that.It could be seen on thements of yers on one of the top post on the forum right now titled; [Yuexing ¨C the ce where the beautiful elf sister is waiting].


    [The title of this post is really well-deserved.+1 to the original poster.]


    [That advertis.e.m.e.nt was really beautiful.It almost seemed like it came from a movie.]


    [Of course it would.Why would Moonlight Media make an ugly advertis.e.m.e.nt when they¡¯re promoting a new in-game business?]


    [I just want to talk about the beautiful elf sister!Could we really see her when we go that Yuexing ce?]


    [Should be.I¡¯m already preparing my crystal coins just to be sure that I¡¯ll be able to go.]


    [Do you think there would be an entrance fee?]


    [It definitely will.You will be served by pretty NPCs.It¡¯s just right to pay an entrance fee.]


    [But is it really that kind of ce?It was never mentioned that it was.Besides, when did Arcadia ever had an in-game business like that?]


    [Who knows?Maybe it came along with the new update.]


    [I don¡¯t care, I just want to see the beautiful elf sister.Sister, wait for me, I¡¯ll be there to visit you soon!]


    Comments like those prevailed under the forum post.And just like Luo Yan wanted, his advertis.e.m.e.nt turned out to be really a big hit.


    A building very simr to a pantheon was on top of a huge white cloud floating in the sky.Of course, the cloud was not just an ordinary cloud.What kind of cloud could hold a huge building on top of it?There were even flowers and trees growing on the cloud as if it was a very nutritious piece ofnd.


    Right now, a figure could be seen flying towards one of the top open window of the pantheon like building.She had long flowing golden hair.She was wearing a white toga like dress, showing off her perfect curves.Her exposed white skin looked soft and creamy.Her sky blue eyes looked like it could easily hook anyone.Her full lips had a natural red tint that could easily attract anyone.On her back were three pairs of pure white wings.


    This female yer was none other than the famous Song Liuli ¨C the one considered as the number one goddess in the game.


    She entered the wide window and effortlesslynded on the floor.The moment she did, the wings behind her back turned into pieces of light.It scattered and disappeared.Her eyes immediately focused on the young man sitting behind a desk, reading some papers.


    The young man had golden brown hair.His pair of light blue eyes were behind a pair of golden-rimmed sses.Just like Song Liuli, he was also wearing all-white.Because white costumes were standard for being a member of team Celestials.Yes, this building was their headquarters.And the young man with the sses was the team¡¯s famous strategist ¨C Duan Yu.


    Song Liuli walked towards the desk and sat on it.


    "Li Li, sit properly on a chair," Duan Yu said in a tone as if talking to a petnt child, he didn¡¯t even lift his face from the papers he was reading.


    Song Liuli immediately pouted."Ah Yu, we haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time and that¡¯s the first thing you say to me?You won¡¯t even look at me!How could you be so heartless?"


    Duan Yu sighed helplessly when he heard that.He finally put down the paper he was holding and looked at the girl sitting on the desk.And was once again struck by her beauty.No matter how long they¡¯ve known each other, she could always make his heart flutter just by one nce.Until she opened her mouth, that is.


    "Li Li, we just saw each other yesterday," he reminded unless she really did forget.


    "Exactly!We haven¡¯t seen each other for more than 10 hours.Shouldn¡¯t you miss me?" Song Liuli said, in a tone that¡¯s saying ¡¯I¡¯m reasonable, you¡¯re not¡¯.


    Duan Yu wanted to sigh again.If other people knew that the gentle and beautiful goddess they all admired was like an unreasonable girl who always loved to throw tantrums, they¡¯d definitely be shocked.Of well, she only ever showed this side of her to him anyway.So he didn¡¯t mind.Because that meant that he¡¯s special to her.And he liked that.


    "Yes, I also miss you," he said, looking straight at her.


    Song Liuli blushed furiously."Who told you to say it so straightforwardly?"


    And yes, she sometimes also acted like this.Pretending to be mad when she¡¯s truly happy.There were so many facets to her that was not in line with her beautiful appearance.But that only made her more adorable to Duan Yu.That¡¯s why sometimes he couldn¡¯t help but want to bully her.But most of the times, he just wanted to pamper her.


    "Does Li Li need me for something?" he asked, changing the subject.


    Song Liuli also recovered and asked, "Have you seen that new advertis.e.m.e.nt?"


    "Advertis.e.m.e.nt?"


    "Wait- I¡¯ll send the video to you." She happened to see itst night and managed to record a video of thest part of the advertis.e.m.e.nt."It¡¯s only thest half-part though."


    Duan Yu nodded, telling her that it¡¯s fine.Even though he was still a bit confused as to why he needed to watch some advertis.e.m.e.nt.He received the said video and immediately watched it.


    Although the effects and aesthetics were really good, he still didn¡¯t know what the fuss was all about.Until the ck haired elf appeared.He had some kind of feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, as if he had seen the elf somewhere.When he saw the words [Yuexing] shing on the screen, his thoughts just stopped.After realizing something, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a hugeugh.


    Song Liuli was surprised by Duan Yu¡¯s reaction.Laughing like he had heard the funniest joke was definitely not the reaction she expected."Why are youughing?"


    "Nothing.I just find it funny, that¡¯s all."


    Song Liuli looked at him confusedly.What part of that video was funny?She just shrugged it off and attributed it to the fact that Duan Yu had always been a little weird."So, what do you think of the video?"


    Duan Yu stared at Song Liuli¡¯s expectant look and he already knew what exactly she was referring to.So, he stood up, put his hands on both her sides, caging her in.Then he leaned over and whispered in her ear."Of course, Li Li is still the most beautiful."


    When he moved back, Song Liuli¡¯s whole face was as red as a ripe tomato.


    He chuckled a little."Does Li Li want to go to the opening of this ce?"


    Song Liuli¡¯s blush receded a little when he heard that question."Why should we go there?"


    Duan Yu showed a knowing smile."Because I happened to know the owner."

 Chapter 182 INITIAL EFFECT OF THE ADVERTIS.E.M.E.NT (II)

    ON top of a ragged cliff overlooking the ocean, a castle stood. Its architecture was simr to that of European old castles. With towers, turrets, stone steps, and massive oak doors. Because of the dense fog surrounding the whole area, the castle simply looked like one those castles used in old Western horror movies.


    But unlike the creepy atmosphere outside, the inside of the castle was actually quite the opposite. It was brightly lit with modern and colorful decorations. It was almost like entering a huge mansion of the rich and famous. This castle was the headquarters of team Sanguis.


    Inside one of the many entertainment rooms inside the castle, a young man wearing a crisp ck suitzily sat on a ck velvet couch. He picked up a crystal goblet filled with dark red wine and drank it. The dark red liquid made his already red lips even redder. If there¡¯s someone there in the room with him right now, they would definitely be attracted by those red lips.


    His pair of red eyes were downcast. His long eyshes fanning his cold white cheeks. His skin looked very pale. But not the type of sickly pale, instead, like someone who¡¯s carved from jade. His whole body was exuding with so much pheromone that anyone would blush with just one nce from him. If there¡¯s one word that could perfectly describe him then it¡¯s ¨C temptation.


    This was Xu Ru, the captain of team Sanguis.


    He hadn¡¯t gone online for two days and the reason for that was actually quite annoying. Just thinking about it could still annoy the hell out of him.


    It all startedst weekend ¨C on Saturday to be exact. Qin Rushi suddenly invited him to do dungeon raiding. Of course, being the gentleman that he was, how could he refuse?


    When he arrived at the ce Qin Rushi, he was slightly surprised by the yers she brought with her. A female newbie who just joined their team and two members from Yunyue ¨C Morganite and that gnome with ck hair. He didn¡¯t expect to see the two there. But then he remembered that Qin Rushi actually knew Morganite in real life. So if he thought about it, the two from Yunyue being there shouldn¡¯t really be that shocking.


    And his tragedy just began at that moment.


    The dungeon they picked was a ravine. So most of the monsters were nt based. There were a lot of times when he almost got tangled by different nt monsters. He first attributed it to the newbie. Because almost every step of the way, she would entangle herself with him. No matter how much she messed up, he couldn¡¯t just push her away. Whether it¡¯s game or real life, he would never use violence towards a girl.


    But thenter, he realized that it was not the newbie that kept messing with him. It was the two from Yunyue. He didn¡¯t notice their little movements at first. But the fifth time that he was almost got tangled by some nt tentacles, he knew something was up. So he turned his attention towards the two.


    He saw the gnome firing at the nt monsters nearest to him. Then that monster would go crazy for a second. It would be followed by Morganite firing spells that seemed to attack the monsters but would really just agitate them more. And thus, attacking him more fiercely. He didn¡¯t mind, really. Because he could handle it. Besides, he¡¯s not so childish that he would get mad because of something so petty.


    Until they faced the boss dungeon, that is.


    It was a huge Venus flytrap that secreted poison. Despite what the two did throughout their whole way there, he still didn¡¯t put his guard up. Which was a huge mistake on his part.


    When he was fighting up close with the boss dungeon, Morganite suddenly sted him with some kind of petrification spell. That¡¯s the only way he could exin why he couldn¡¯t move. Before he could even un-petrify himself, that gnome stood behind him and fired shots at the boss dungeon. When the monster was about to attack back, the gnome quickly jumped back. And Xu Ru ended up being eaten by the big Venus flytrap.


    He had never been so humiliated.


    Although he was also at fault for not taking things seriously, what happened was still irritating as hell. Especially considering his level and skill set. But he got careless and ended up in that embarrassing situation.


    What he couldn¡¯t understand was why those two imps had it on him from the very start. Aside from meeting them on the ck Lake on the night of the King of Arcadia¡¯s birthday, he hadn¡¯t interacted with them elsewhere. So he had no idea just how on earth did he offend the two.


    He was just d that the other two that¡¯s with them on that raid were both his team mates. At least, he could be sure that that embarrassing moment wouldn¡¯t be spread around.


    Unless those two little demons from Yunyue decided to do just that. He probably should start thinking of ways to save his image if ever that happened.


    The door to the entertainment room suddenly opened. And a male beastkin came rushing in. He had grayish blue hair and metallic gray eyes. There¡¯s a wolf ears on top of his head, as well as a wolf tail behind his back. Both were the same color as his hair. When he smiled, a little tiger tooth was showing. Adding a wild charm to him.


    His name was Tang Xun. Another member of team Sanguis.


    "Brother Ru," he greeted sitting on the opposite couch. "Did you only log in now?"


    Xu Ru only nodded.


    "How many days did you not log in anyway?" Tang Xun asked again.


    "Two days."


    "I bet you went off somewhere with a girl," Tang Xun said with a knowing smile.


    [If only that was the case.] But Xu Ru couldn¡¯t exactly tell Tang Xun that the reason was because he was too annoyed by what those two imps did that he wasn¡¯t in the mood to y. His image as the cool big brother would be ruined.


    Then as if Tang Xun remembered something, he suddenly asked, "Then you haven¡¯t seen that advertis.e.m.e.nt?"


    "What advertis.e.m.e.nt?"


    "Wait- I¡¯ll send the video to you right now."


    When Tang Xun was done sending the video, Xu Ru opened his Status Window to watch it.


    He was first intrigued by the video¡¯s beautiful aesthetic. Then the pretty NPCs came into picture and it piqued his interest. But when the ck haired elf appeared, he became totally intrigued. Not because he thought that the NPC was beautiful - no, he wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to hit on things made up of data and codes ¨C but because he thought ¡¯she¡¯ looked familiar. He was just not sure where he saw ¡¯her¡¯ exactly. But that shouldn¡¯t be the case because ¡¯she¡¯ was an NPC.


    Or was ¡¯she¡¯?


    "This was probably the first business of its kind in the game," Tang Xun said. "Should we go and take a look when it opened, Brother Ru?"


    Xu Ru stared at the ck haired elf and an interesting smile appeared on his lips. "Sure, why not?

 Chapter 183 LUO BROTHERS AFTERNOON TOGETHER

    WHEN the Luo brothers arrived home, Luo Yan quickly washed up so he couldfortably check the forum after. When he¡¯s done, he went to the living room and asked a maid to bring him juice and some snacks. Soon, the maid brought freshly squeezed orange juice and a te of green bean cake.


    He ate a bit of the cake and enjoyed its taste before leaningfortably on the couch. He took out his phone and immediately checked Arcadia¡¯s game forum. When he saw the top post, he didn¡¯t know what reaction he should show. Mostly because of the title of the post ¨C [Yuexing ¨C the ce where the beautiful elf sister is waiting].


    Okaaayyyyy...


    Were these people only interested in his beauty? [Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s the only thing they noticed?]


    Now he was kind of regretting why he decided to appear on the advertis.e.m.e.nt. What if his presence was the only one that the other yers noticed? If he¡¯s the only reason why they decided to go to the pavilion, wouldn¡¯t they go on strike if they didn¡¯t find him on the night of its opening?


    Then did that mean he, once again, had to don the guise of ¡¯Shishi¡¯ and serve the future customers of the pavilion? He shook his head and just opened the forum post before he started to overthink things even more.


    He read thements and just like what he imagined, the top ones were all about him. Talking about his beauty, how they all wanted to meet him, and how they couldn¡¯t wait to be ¡¯served¡¯ by him. But he still continued to scroll down, not losing hope. And soon, he sawments about other elements in the video other than him. They praised the good location, the gorgeous ancient building, the attractive music, and the beautiful NPCs.


    Luo Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief when he read thosements. At least not everyone was talking about him. But maybe he still need to make an appearance, at least on the night of the opening. He¡¯d just make it as brief as he could.


    He picked up the ss of juice and drank it. Then a particrment attracted his attention.


    [Guys, go to Weibo! Moonlight Media¡¯s official ount just posted the video!]


    He raised one of his brows when he read that. Moonlight Media did? But why? There¡¯s no reason for them to do that. Then Ji Yun¡¯s face suddenly appeared in his mind. Could it be?


    Before his brain made more assumptions, he just simply went to Weibo and then he remembered he had no Weibo ount. Even during his first life, he never really had any interest in that tform. After all, he¡¯s not a celebrity or anything. There¡¯s really no need for him to use it. Besides, he had no interest in stuffs like celebrities and such.


    But for the sake of viewing the post by Moonlight Media, he decided to make a dummy ount. Well, not exactly a dummy ount because he nned to use his game name and also his game avatar as the DP. After sessfully signing in. He went to the Weibo ount of Moonlight Media. And just like what thement said, they really advertised his pavilion.


    Moonlight Media v: A new business will open up in Arcadia! We all wee you to Yuexing Pavilion. The ce where world ss courtesans could entertain you with their great songs, dances, and music. Come and be amazed by their magnificent talent and beauty. Let¡¯s all see each other on the 21st of September!


    Then after that a video of the advertis.e.m.e.nt was attached.


    Luo Yan was a bit unbelieving. Moonlight Media really did post his advertis.e.m.e.nt on their official Weibo ount. Maybe he should have a talk with Shen Ji Yun. Then he could enlighten him on what exactly happened.


    He then read all thements under the post. Most of them were positive. But, of course, there would be people who would post negativements. Like, was Moonlight Media out of their mind to make an in-game business like this? Or could they not think of anything new anymore to attract new yers to the game? There were also those saying if they were promoting abused of NPCs. But all of those were drown by positivements, so Luo Yan didn¡¯t pay them any heed.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but let out a huge grin. No matter the reason why Moonlight Media helped him advertise his pavilion, at the end, this would still be to his advantage. With this, there was no doubt now that yers would flock his pavilion on the night of its opening.


    His brain was starting to be filled of ideas on how to make his pavilion more profitable.


    "What are you smiling so happy for?" Luo Jin¡¯s voice suddenly sounded, cutting off Luo Yan¡¯s thoughts.


    He raised his head and saw his younger brother walking towards him. Then he sat down beside him.


    Luo Yan happily showed him his phone. "Look, Moonlight Media posted my advertis.e.m.e.nt on their Weibo ount."


    "What advertis.e.m.e.nt?" Luo Jin asked, confused.


    "You didn¡¯t watch it?"


    "I didn¡¯t even know about it."


    No wonder this guy hadn¡¯t nagged him about it the whole day. "I told you that I made a promotional video for my pavilion, right? So, I could advertise it to other yers. Well, that advertis.e.m.e.nt yedst night to all four major cities of Arcadia. Howe you didn¡¯t see it?"


    Now that Luo Yan mentioned it, Luo Jin finally remembered that he did tell him about it. Should he tell him that he and Su Yuqi were too busy thinking of more ways to get back on that Alucard that he totally forgot about it? He shook his head. No. This second brother of his would just tease him non-stop for being together with Su Yuqi.


    "Do you have the video? I¡¯ll watch it now," he just said instead.


    "Nope. Ah Jin should just watch itter when it¡¯s shown again in one of the four cities¡¯ za," Luo Yan said.


    "Why, when I could just watch it now?"


    Luo Yan smiled at him. "So Ah Jin could have an authentic experience. You can watch it for the first time inside the game, just like the other yers."


    Luo Jin could only grumble. Luo Yan was probably just teasing him again. "Fine."


    "What¡¯s fine?" asked a new voice.


    Luo Yan turned his head towards the front door and saw their older brother walking inside. He excitedly stood up and ran towards Luo Ren. As always, he hugged his brother¡¯s arm and acted all spoiled.


    "Wee home, Brother. Why are you back early today?"


    "I already wrapped up that business deal Dad asked me to handle," Luo Ren answered. Then he went and pinched Luo Yan¡¯s cheek. "Now I could spend more time with Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan smiled happily. "That¡¯s great, Brother."


    These past few days, Luo Ren had been going homete because of that business deal. He also had to leave very early. Maybe because that deal was on itsst phase, so his brother had been really busy. But now, they could finally eat dinner together. So, Luo Yan was really happy.


    "Is Brother tired? I¡¯ll give you a massage," he added when he noticed the tired lines on Luo Ren¡¯s face.


    Luo Ren smiled, moved by his brother¡¯s sweetness. "I won¡¯t reject that offer."


    Luo Jin snorted. "What massage? With those little hands? You¡¯ll just get tired yourself."


    Luo Ren looked at his youngest brother. "Then how about Xiao Jin do it? I¡¯ve been standing all day that my feet are all sore," he teased.


    "No way would I touch your feet," Luo Jin said incredulously.


    "Then should I do it?" Luo Yan asked innocently.


    "No, Yan Yan doesn¡¯t have to do it. Yan Yan¡¯s hands are very tender, it¡¯s just right to massage my shoulders," Luo Ren said. "But Xiao Jin¡¯s hands are hard from all his fighting. So, it¡¯s just perfect for my feet."


    "Brother!" Luo Jin called angrily.


    Luo Ren and Luo Yan both turned to Luo Jin whose now ring daggers at them, even his face was starting to turn red. The two looked at each other and then bothughed. If there¡¯s one thing the two had inmon, then it¡¯s teasing their younger brother.


    Because Luo Jin was just the type that one couldn¡¯t help but tease.

 Chapter 184 A SOFT CINNAMON ROLL

    LUO YAN chatted with Luo Ren all afternoon before dinner.That¡¯s why he only had time to go online after that.Not that he minded.Since he really enjoyed talking to his older brother.Their father even joinedter.And the both just spoiled him non-stop.Which he always enjoyed.Although it¡¯s really quite shameless of him to enjoy it.Since he¡¯s technically much older than Luo Ren, soul-wise.But he¡¯s the only one who knew it, so just let him be shameless.


    When he logged in, he arrived at their team¡¯s headquarters¡¯ main hall.He first looked at his friend list.He saw that only his younger brother was online while the rest of their team was offline.He probably logged out in a different cest night, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t appear here with him.


    He first sent him a message.


    Noctis: [Ah Jin, where are you?Want to grind levels?]


    It didn¡¯t take long for Luo Jin to reply.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [I¡¯m at the za, waiting for that advertis.e.m.e.nt.Because a certain someone couldn¡¯t be bothered to just show me the video.]


    Noctis: [Ah, I wonder who that certain someone is.Making our cute and adorable Ah Jin work so hard.]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [...]


    When he didn¡¯t receive a reply, he knew that the kid was probably irritated with him.He probably decided not to talk to him anymore.He chuckled.And then he sent another message.This time, to Shen Ji Yun.He sent it both to his real and alt ount.So he could immediately see it once he logged in, no matter what ount he used.


    Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun, send me a message once you¡¯re online.]


    After that, he went to his designated room in the pce.There wasn¡¯t much decoration in his room.He just didn¡¯t think that he should put an effort into decorating when he barely even stayed here.Because of the almost bare look of the room, the ck egg on the table was even more eye-catching.


    He walked towards it and lifted it up."How are you my Little Ancestor?Did you miss Master?Of course you did."


    He took a sling bag that was hanging beside the bed and put the ck egg inside.This way, it would be easier for him to fight while holding on to his Little Ancestor.He didn¡¯t need to input any more Mana into the egg because it was already close to hatching.In his estimates, his Little Ancestor would hatch either by tomorrow or the next day.


    "Let¡¯s go, my Little Ancestor."


    He then teleported out of there.


    Luo Yan just turned level 71 when he received a notification for a new message.So he immediately jumped away from the group of monsters he was fighting.He made sure that he was in a safe area before opening the message.He thought that it was from Shen Ji Yun, but surprisingly, it¡¯s from Luo Jin.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Yan!What¡¯s with that advertis.e.m.e.nt?You¡¯re that ck haired elf right?]


    Noctis: [It¡¯s me.]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Where are you?]


    Luo Yan already had a feeling that his younger brother would only nag at him because he appeared in the video.He could already imagine his little face all scrunched up face.So he answered;


    Noctis: [Not telling.]


    Then he followed it up with;


    Noctis: [Don¡¯t send any more message, I won¡¯t reply.Just scold meter when I log out.]


    Then he closed the message box between them.That¡¯s when he noticed that he had another message.This time, it was from Shen Ji Yun.


    SHEN: [I¡¯m online now.]


    Noctis: [Can I talk to Brother Ji Yun?I just have something to ask.]


    SHEN: [No problem.Should we meet at the headquarters?]


    Noctis: [Can Brother Ji Yun teleport to where I am now?Or I could just teleport to where you are, if it¡¯s too much trouble.]


    Because the team¡¯s headquarters would definitely be the first ce Luo Jin would look for him.So, it¡¯s better not to meet there.


    SHEN: [It¡¯s fine, I could just go to where you are.What¡¯s your location?]


    After telling Shen Ji Yun where he was, he closed his Message Tab.Then he ran to the entrance of the forest where he was.Because that¡¯s where Shen Ji Yun would be teleported to.Unexpectedly, on his way there, the two of them met half-way.


    "Brother Ji Yun!" he eximed in surprised."You should have just waited for me at the entrance.What if we missed each other?"


    "Then I¡¯ll just do my best to find you," Shen Ji Yun answered, a little bit too seriously.


    Luo Yan stopped.Why did that sound like some kind of pick-up line?


    "What is it you want to ask?" Shen Ji Yun added.


    "Oh, it¡¯s about my advertis.e.m.e.nt.I just found out that Moonlight Media¡¯s official Weibo ount posted the video and even promoted it.I just want to know if Brother Ji Yun had something to do with it?"


    Shen Ji Yun almost automatically wanted to say ¡¯no¡¯.Because he didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to think that he¡¯s such a busybody.But if he did, it would only look like a lie.Especially since the rabbit was already suspicious of him.So, at the end, he could only say; "Yes."


    Luo Yan then gave him a stern look.If it was his real appearance, then his expression right now would only look cute and adorable.But Luo Yan¡¯s face right now was a more mature version of himself.So he perfectly delivered the emotion his expression wanted to deliver.


    "Brother Ji Yun shouldn¡¯t use his influence as the nephew of Moonlight Media¡¯s CEO for my sake," Luo Yan said with a bit of a scolding tone."It feels like I¡¯m cheating or something."


    Shen Ji Yun saw the sad expression on the rabbit¡¯s face when he said thatst part.And he couldn¡¯t help but start to panic.


    "No.It¡¯s not like that," he immediately said."I did show the video to my Uncle but I never told him that he should promote it.He did it on his own ord.Because he, himself, thought that the video could bring positive feedback to the game.This was not a one-time case.There were other times when Moonlight Media promoted other yers¡¯ business as well.So, no, Yan Yan.You¡¯re not cheating."


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s panicked look.He even said such a long sentence just to exin things to him.He was actually just teasing him a bit.He wasn¡¯t angry that he helped him promote his pavilion.Though, there¡¯s really a part of him that felt a tad bit guilty because it almost felt like he was cheating.But now, hearing his exnation, that bit of guilt quickly vanished.


    He was thinking if he should continue teasing Shen Ji Yun, but he decided against it at the end.Although he found it cute whenever he looked panicked or just looked lost like he had no idea what to do, Luo Yan didn¡¯t want to bully him too much.Because it felt like bullying a big cinnamon roll.


    "I¡¯m not angry, Brother Ji Yun.In fact, I¡¯m very grateful," he immediately rified."I just hope that next time, you could tell me first about it."


    Shen Ji Yun finally was able to let out a sigh of relief."Yes, I will do that."


    Unless he¡¯s nning a surprise.Of course he wouldn¡¯t tell the details of that to Luo Yan.Then it would no longer be a surprise, right?


    Luo Yan saw how Shen Ji Yun visibly looked relieved by what he said. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. See, this guy was truly a big, soft cinnamon roll.

 Chapter 185 YUNYUES HATCHING EVENT

    LUO YAN just walked out of the teaching building and he immediately saw his younger brother waiting for him.He ran up towards Luo Jin¡¯s direction.


    "Hey, no running," Luo Jin quickly scolded when he reached him."What if you trip or something?"


    Luo Yan only smiled.


    After Luo Jin watched the advertis.e.m.e.nt video the day before, he spent hours listening to him nagging after they both logged out of the game.He kind of already expected that.But man, Luo Jin could really go on and on and on if he wanted to.Telling him why he had to appear on the video himself, what if some perverted yer recognized that the ck-haired elf was the white-haired Noctis?Wouldn¡¯t he just receive harassment?Luo Yan almost felt like his ears would bleed.


    He knew he meant well and that he¡¯s only worried about him. So, he tried his best to exin to him that what he¡¯s worrying about wouldn¡¯t happen. For one, they¡¯re inside the game. He was just not some weak chicken like he was in real life. He could defend himself. And that he would barely appear in that get-up when he¡¯s in the pavilion anyway. So really, there¡¯s no need to worry. When he still continued nagging him even after he was being so nice, he could only use his secret weapon ¨C his pearl like tears!


    He made sure that he looked quite pitiful.Acting like he¡¯s Cindere being bullied by his stepsister.At the end, his ever reliable tears and acting skills still won.


    Luo Jin no longer tried to nag him after that.Probably realizing that it had no use anyway.But he¡¯d definitely watch him like a hawk once his pavilion opened.


    "Let¡¯s go, Ah Jin.I want to go home faster," he said pulling Luo Jin towards the parking lot near the teaching buildings.


    Today was finally the day that his Little Ancestor would hatch.He was actually waiting for it to hatch yesterday, he even stayed ying until 10 in the evening waiting for it to happen.But it didn¡¯t.So, it definitely must be today.He was so excited just thinking of what kind of beast would hatch from the egg that he barely listened to any of his ss today.Well, he never really listened that much.But today, it was even worse.If he wasn¡¯t reborn, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to answer any of the questions his teachers asked him today.


    He wondered if it would be some kind of legendary beast?Ah, he really couldn¡¯t wait.


    "I get it, so don¡¯t pull," Luo Jinined.


    He nced back at Luo Jin and was about to say something when he saw Yu Jiao walking at a distance.Their eyes met and Luo Yan waved at her.She also smiled back.But she quickly took back her gaze and walked even faster.He almostughed when he saw her reaction.


    She probably just wanted to ignore him but she still involuntary smiled back.So, she¡¯s now walking fast.Probably in the hopes of people not noticing their small interaction.


    Although the three of them had been eating lunch for the past two days, Yu Jiao was still acting very careful around them.It only meant that she still had her guard up against them.But there were moments where she showed a small smile.Which meant that his effort of trying to befriend her was not really in vain.


    He believed that, soon, she would truly consider them as her friends.


    Once Luo Yan logged in, the first thing he did was to go their team¡¯s headquarters and take his Little Ancestor from his room in the pce.He then walked to the main hall.


    He asked his other team mates if they wanted to join him in waiting for his beast egg to hatch.He was really not that serious when he sent that message to them yesterday.He was just doing his daily dose of acting cute.Who would have thought that all three of them would say ¡¯yes¡¯.He was only nning to wait with Luo Jin.Now, it became some sort of team event.


    Oh well, it never hurt to spend more time with his team mates.


    On his way, he bumped into Bai Ze.


    "Brother Ze!" he greeted and walked towards him.


    "Xiao Yan, I¡¯m notte, right?" Bai Ze asked, probably talking about their team¡¯s ¡¯hatching event¡¯.


    "No, I just took my Little Ancestor from my room," Luo Yan said raising the big ck egg he¡¯s holding."I¡¯m actually also on my way to the main hall."He then noticed Bai Ze¡¯s ardent gaze on his Little Ancestor.Remembering how this cousin of his was still looking for his own pet, Luo Yan securely hugged the egg."Brother Ze, Little Ancestor is mine.You can¡¯t have it."


    Bai Ze quickly took back his gaze when he heard that and earnestly said, "Xiao Yan, I¡¯m not trying to take your Little Ancestor from you."


    "Are you sure?Your gaze definitely says otherwise."


    Bai Ze only made a ¡¯ha ha¡¯ sound and scratched the back of his head."Brother is just a bit envious.How could I even dare covet something that belongs to Xiao Yan?"


    "Brother Ze still haven¡¯t found a pet?" Luo Yan just asked.


    Bai Ze let out a long and deep and sigh."No.I encountered some pretty strong ones.But I just don¡¯t feel them."


    Luo Yan suddenly remembered that ck dragon he found in his Origin Vige.Should he tell Bai Ze about it?Maybe he could make it his pet.He looked at his cousin and then immediately changed his mind.He just felt that the dragon didn¡¯t fit Bai Ze¡¯s avatar.It¡¯s more suitable for... yes, who was it more suitable for?


    An image of a young man with long dark purple hair, its tips tinted with silver, beast-like eyes, and a pair of golden antler-shaped horns, riding a ck dragon just shed in his mind.Surprisingly, there was no sense of vition in that image.Like a perfect painting.


    Yes, the ck dragon suited Shen Ji Yun¡¯s qilin avatar.Then should he tell him about it?


    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Ze.I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find something perfect for you," he just said to Bai Ze.


    "Yeah, I hope so too."


    The both of them continued walking towards the main hall.When Luo Yan opened the door, the rest of their team were already there.Which surprised him a bit.But he still smiled brightly at them and greeted everyone.

 Chapter 186 INSIDE THE BLACK EGG IS...

    "IS it really okay for Brother Ji Yun, Brother Ze, and Sister Yuqi to wait here with me?" Luo Yan asked as he put the ck egg on the table. "It may take a long while before Little Ancestor hatches. It might get boring."


    "Xiao Yan, it¡¯s fine. Ji Yun and I are taking almost the same sses and I tell you, the both of us don¡¯t have anything important to do right now. So, we don¡¯t mind waiting here with you."


    "He¡¯s right," Shen Ji Yun agreed.


    He was sitting in front of the rabbit. He actually wanted for him to sit beside him. But before he could offer the said seat, that gnome already pulled Luo Yan to his side. Seriously, he truly couldn¡¯t understand why that gnome was so against him since day 1.


    "There¡¯s also nothing important on my side," Su Yuqi followed.


    "That¡¯s great," Luo Yan said, smiling brightly at them.


    "Howe you only asked them?" Luo Jin suddenly inserted.


    Luo Yan nced at his younger brother. Because of his game avatar, he looked like a cute, sulking kid. With cheeks bulging and lips pouting. Which was even more adorable considering how he really looked like in reality.


    "Oh, then does Ah Jin have something else to do? I¡¯m sorry if I just assumed things," he said looking all apologetic. "If you have, then you can go and do that," he added with an understanding smile.


    Argh. Luo Jin felt like he just kicked his own foot. He crossed both arms in front of his chest and sulked even more. "W-whatever. I¡¯m free anyway."


    Bai Ze burst outughing when he saw the interaction between the two. "Xiao Jin, how can you act so childish?"


    Luo Jin red at his older cousin. "Your childish! Your who¡ª" he stopped right in time. If he said ¡¯your whole family is childish¡¯ wouldn¡¯t that also include him?


    He then heard a little chuckle from Su Yuqi. He nced at her and saw her looking at him with a small amused smile on her lips. His face immediately heated up uncontrobly. He quickly nced away and chose not to say anything that would only make him appear more foolish.


    Shen Ji Yun, on the other hand, cluck his tongue. It was not that loud, the others probably didn¡¯t even notice of hear it. The reason was most likely his expressionless face. So no one noticed that he was disappointed that the gnome did not really leave.


    "By the way, tomorrow is the start of Mid-Autumn festival, have the two of you already packed?" Bai Ze asked his two cousins.


    Luo Jin just shrugged. Contrary to him, Luo Yan¡¯s answer was bit moreced with excitement.


    "Yes, I¡¯ve already packed my bags since yesterday."


    "Is Xiao Yan excited toe and visit us?"


    "I am. I want to meet Uncle Chen again. Also Auntie and Granpa. As well as the little cousin."


    Luo Yan already knew about the members of his mother¡¯s maiden family. There¡¯s the uncle who visited him at the hospital when he was still confined there. Bai Chen. His wife ¨C Sun Xin. They had two sons ¨C the twenty-year-old Bai Ze and the five-year-old Bai Ye. Then there¡¯s the patriarch of the family ¨C Bai Zhen. Although the one who was truly acting as the head of the family now was Bai Chen.


    It¡¯s mainly because of the illness of Bai Zhen. ording to Luo Ren, their grandfather had Alzheimer¡¯s. An illness where one slowly forgot the memories that they had gathered throughout the years. Memories that made them who they were as a person. The memories of their loved ones were being eroded from their mind. Truly, it¡¯s one heartbreaking illness.


    Luo Ren said that their grandfather¡¯s illness only worsened when that ident happened seven years ago. Luo Yan wondered if it would really be okay to meet him. After all, he looked so much like his mother. Wouldn¡¯t his appearance off-set an attack or something? Oh well, he¡¯d just deal with it if it ever happened.


    But despite his small worries, Luo Yan truly wished that he could also be like a family to them.


    "Don¡¯t be too excited in wanting to meet Xiao Ye. I¡¯m warning you now, Xiao Yan. That brat is a little devil," Bai Ze said in a very serious tone as if his little brother was indeed the devil.


    "I think Xiao Ye is really cute," Su Yuqi said, refuting Bai Ze. "He took all the cute genes from your parents. That¡¯s why none was left to you."


    "Hey, Su Yuqi! Are you picking a fight?"


    "As if you can defeat me," Su Yuqi responded mockingly.


    "Hey--!"


    "I agree with Yuqi," Shen Ji Yun injected.


    "Wait- which one did you agree with?" Bai Ze asked. "The one about Xiao Ye or the one about me not being able to defeat her?"


    "Both," Shen Ji Yun answered straightforwardly without even batting an eye.


    This time, it was Luo Yan whoughed. It was truly fun to watch whenever the three interacted. Because it showed how close they were.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the rabbit¡¯s smiling face. Maybe he should tell Bai Ze to make a fool of himself more often when they¡¯re together with Luo Yan. That way, he could see himugh so freely.


    Seeing the interaction of the three, Luo Yan suddenly thought of something. "Sister Yuqi also lives in B City, right?" he asked Su Yuqi.


    Su Yuqi nodded. "That¡¯s right."


    "Then can Brother Ji Yun and Sister Yuqi visit us at the Bai household before we return to S City on Sunday?" Luo Yan suggested. "That way, the five of us can officially meet."


    "I¡¯ll go," Shen Ji Yun said, as if he couldn¡¯t wait to tell everyone his answer. Which was true in a sense. Since he¡¯s already nning to visit anyway.


    Bai Ze nced at Shen Ji Yun. What¡¯s up with this guy? It might not be so obvious, but he could tell that Shen Ji Yun was really excited right now. Did he want to meet his cousins that badly?


    He just ignored it and turned his attention back to Luo Yan. "That¡¯s a brilliant idea, Xiao Yan."


    "I also don¡¯t mind going. I live pretty close to Bai Ze anyway," Su Yuqi said.


    Luo Jin originally wanted to refuse. Why did they have to let this Shen Ji Yun guy visit them? It¡¯s already annoying seeing his expressionless mug in VR, now they had to see it in reality too? But when he heard Su Yuqi¡¯s answer, he could only shut his mouth.


    "Great!" Luo Yan happily pped his hands.


    Then, all of a sudden, the ck egg on the table started to shake. Luo Yan thought it was just his imagination. But when it shook even harder, he knew that it¡¯s definitely not.


    "Is this guy going to hatch?" Bai Ze asked, staring at the ck egg.


    "Duh, what else could it be?" Su Yuqi said sarcastically.


    Bai Ze wanted to say a snappyeback when the egg was suddenly surrounded by a dark shadow. So his attention was pulled back to it once again. "Is this something normal?"


    Luo Yan unknowingly looked at Shen Ji Yun. He didn¡¯t know why. Probably to seek for an answer. Or maybe... reassurance? Which the other gave. Shen Ji Yun nodded at him. His expression was still non-existent but his blue eyes were silently telling him that ¡¯it¡¯s okay¡¯. And surprisingly, he truly felt that it would really be okay.


    So he put his attention back to his Little Ancestor.


    The dark shadow started to recede. When itpletely disappeared, the egg started to crack. Slowly from the top to the bottom. A small ck paw kicked the egg shell and the crack became evenrger. Until the ck eggpletely cracked.


    What¡¯s inside was a small ck puppy. No- wait, that¡¯s not right. It¡¯s not a puppy but a baby fox with three fluffy tails behind it. The fox¡¯s fur was so ck that it almost seemed like ck ink would seep out of it. But there were parts that were striated with silver. That just added to its charm. Andstly, there was a spherical dark blue gem embedded on its forehead.


    The baby fox slowly opened its eyes. The pair of eyes were almost simr to the brightest blue sapphire. It stared at Luo Yan and blinked its eyes slowly. It tilted its head and then it squeaked. And Luo Yan was sure he heard the word;


    [Mash... ter?]

 Chapter 187 LITTLE ANCESTORS NAME

    LUO YAN lifted up the small ck fox. The feel of its fur was so soft that he had to resist the strong urge to squeeze it. He lifted it up until both of their eyes were in the same level.


    [Did you just speak?] ¨C he asked inside his mind, because he was sure that this fox just spoke to him the same way. If ever he was right and he spoke to it in a normal way, then that would only look like he was having a one-sided conversation. Which he didn¡¯t want to show to anyone.


    [Yesh, Mashter.]


    [How can youmunicate this way?]


    [Becaushe Mashter and I have a connection.]


    Luo Yan frowned a little. Not because of what it said, no, he could ept that connection. Since, technically, in this virtual world, both of them were just made up of codes and data. Thus it wouldn¡¯t be that hard to have them be able tomunicate through their minds. What¡¯s bothering him was its way of speaking. He wasn¡¯t sure if it¡¯s just acting all cute or if it¡¯s just its natural way of speaking.


    [Howe you have a lisp?] ¨C he couldn¡¯t help asking.


    [Becaushe I¡¯m shtill a baby.]


    Well, that kind of made sense. [Does that mean it will disappear once you grow?]


    [Of coursh! Not only that, I¡¯ll be powerful enough to protect you, Mashter.]


    It said, puffing up its chest in a proud way. The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s lips twitched a little when he saw that little action. Howe this little thing act so life like? But he guessed that¡¯s better than it being like just an ordinary pet.


    [Are all pets like you, being able tomunicate with their master through their minds?] ¨C he couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    The little thing in his hands seemed affronted by that question. [Mashter how could you think that? Of coursh not everyone ish like me! Only powerful beasts have this ability.]


    [So does that mean you¡¯re powerful?]


    [Of coursh I am. It¡¯s because Mashter fed me with so much Mana that I wash able to mutate from being just an ordinary fox demon spirit.]


    A fox demon spirit? [Then wouldn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re originally just an ordinary beast?]


    The fox demon blinked it big sapphire blue eyes at him. Then it became watery and were suddenly filled with grievance. [Ish Mashter hating on me? Are you going to abandon me? How could you, after all the tymshs we spent together?]


    The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s eyes twitched. Was this little thing trying to guilt trip him? He couldn¡¯t help but feel that this little fox might be as ck-belly as he was. Could it be, because of his Mana, he transferred some of his traits to this fox?


    [Okay, stop with the drama. As you said, I spent a lot of Mana on you. How could I just abandon you?]


    The little fox gave him a toothy grin. [I knew it. Mashter is still the besh for me.]


    "Yan Yan, is everything okay?" Shen Ji Yun suddenly asked, cutting off the conversation between Luo Yan and the fox.


    Luo Jin sharply turned towards Shen Ji Yun when he heard what the other called his second brother. Just when did this expressionless jerk start to call Luo Yan that?


    Luo Yan hugged the fox to himself. "Yes, the both of us were just having a conversation."


    "Whoa. You couldmunicate with each other?" Bai Ze said in amazement. "Can I hug it too? I also want to try talking to it?"


    The fox suddenly drilled itself into Luo Yan¡¯s arms. [Mashter, I don¡¯t want to be held by that big lion. But...] It nced at Shen Ji Yun. [I don¡¯t mind if itsh the other big brother with blue eyesh.]


    So this little thing also knew how to discriminate. [Howe?]


    [Becaushe he¡¯s handshome. We would look good together becaushe I¡¯m sho cute.]


    Luo Yan coughed a bit so he could prevent himself fromughing. So, it¡¯s because this fox was a face control.


    [Look, look, Mashter, he¡¯sh shtaring at me!] The little fox burrowed its head on his chest. [He probably thinksh I¡¯m so adorable and want me to be hish own pet.]


    Finally, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help letting out a smallugh. He petted its head. [Okay, don¡¯t make trouble.]


    He raised his head and saw that Shen Ji Yun was really looking at the fox. He¡¯s probably thinking right now how this fox suited him. After all, he once told him that he¡¯s a fox in a rabbit¡¯s clothing.


    He then turned to his cousin and looked apologetic. "I¡¯m sorry, Brother Ze. It¡¯s a bit shy and I think I¡¯m the only one who couldmunicate with it."


    [Mashter, thatsh not what I shaid!]


    [Yes, yes, I know.] ¨C he said to the fox, a but perfunctorily.


    Bai Ze appeared disappointed for a second. But he immediately regained his energy and said, "That¡¯s okay."


    And now, seeing the cute little fox, he¡¯s even more determined to find himself his own pet.


    "What kind of fox is it?" Su Yuqi asked.


    "I think you should make a contract with it. So you could view its information," Shen Ji Yun suggested.


    [The handshome brother ish right, Mashter. We should immediately form a contract. What will you do if shomeone tried to take me from you by forsh?]


    Luo Yan looked down at the fox he¡¯s holding. [How do we form a contract?]


    [Shince Mashter didn¡¯t defeat me and got me as an egg, we have to do something more fomal.]


    Luo Yan suddenly remembered what happened when he fought that ugly tree in his Origin Vige. When it was on itsst blood, an option appeared where he could train the tree as his pet. He guessed that if he agreed back then, then he and that tree would automatically form a contract. But since, the situation was different with this little fox, the way to form a contract would also be different.


    [Which is?] ¨C he asked.


    [It¡¯s very shimple, Mashter. You jush have to input Mana on this orb above on my forehead.]


    He looked at the orb and touched it. [What is this anyway?]


    [Itsh a shign that I¡¯m shpecial.] ¨C the fox said quite proudly.


    Luo Yan shook his head helplessly and just input his Mana on the dark blue orb. It shone and then a ckplicated symbol suddenly appeared below him. After that, a notification screen appeared in front of Luo Yan.


    [Do you want to form a contract with the demon fox spirit you are holding?]


    Of course he didn¡¯t hesitate to click ¡¯yes¡¯.


    Theplicated symbol shone brighter until itpletely disappeared. Then another screen popped up in front of Luo Yan.


    [Congrattions, dear yer on getting your very own pet! Please, go and check your Status Window to see some relevant information about it.]


    He then proceeded on opening his Status Window. He immediately noticed the new tab ¨C Pet Status. He didn¡¯t hesitate to click on it.


    Void Kitsune


    - One of the strongest variation of the fox demon spirit family. With the power of the void, it could cause blights, drain life, summon creatures from the darkness, slip into shadows to vanish, and drain light from areas. Of course its abilities all depended on the number of tails it has.


    - A kitsune could have as much as nine tails. The more tails it possessed, the more powerful it is. One could increase the number of its tails by either levelling it up or making it ingest a lot of Mana.


    Current Level: 1


    Type: SSR


    Luo Yan read everything carefully. A void kitsune, huh? That¡¯s the first time he heard about that. But looking at the list of abilities it could have, this fox was definitely perfect for him. Then he nced at the ¡¯SSR¡¯. Could this mean super super rare?


    He ignored that for now and looked once again at the fox. [You¡¯re really amazing, huh?]


    The little fox puffed his chest again in a proud manner. [Of coursh I am. But Mashter, you should at leash name me. I don¡¯t want to continue being namelessh.]


    [Are you a boy or a girl?]


    [I¡¯m a boy like Mashter.]


    He raised the fox and announced, "Then from today on, you will be known as Eclipse!"

 Chapter 188 ARRIVING AT B CITY

    THE Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated in many East Asianmunities. In Country Z, it¡¯s a reunion time for families, much like Thanksgiving. It¡¯s also called the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival. It traditionally fell on the 15th day of eight month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which was September or early October in the Gregorian calendar.


    This year, it fell on the 13th of September.


    The Mid-Autumn Festival was the second most important festival in Country Z after Chinese New Year. It¡¯s often celebrated by gathering for dinner and lighting papernterns. There were also a lot of ces one could visit together with their family during this time. There were parks where one could view the moon more clearly. One could also visit temples. There were even ces that had antern festival where people could watch beautifulnterns being paraded.


    This year the Mid-Autumn festival holiday wouldst for three days. During these three days, there were no sses in all levels and mostpanies gave their employees a temporary vacation.


    Of course, the same was true for the Luo family.


    The four members of the Luo family were now currently on board a ne. They were on the 10 a.m. flight to B City. The would probably arrive there a little after 12 in the afternoon. Just right for lunch.


    Luo Yan was feeling a bit nervous at first. Because this was the first time he ever flew on a ne. He was startled at first when the ne took off. He really thought he would experience motion sickness. But he surprisingly didn¡¯t. Maybe because they were sitting on first ss and everything was just toofortable. It almost felt like he was in a hotel rather than a ne. Being rich really had its perks.


    "Xiao Yan, do you feel ufortable?" his father asked.


    Luo Yan turned to his father who was sitting beside him. This was probably the fifth time his father asked this question since the ne took off. They were sitting together while Luo Ren and Luo Jin were sitting together on the seats behind them.


    There was actually a little argument earlier on who would sit beside him. Luo Ren said since he was the most attentive among them, he should sit beside Luo Yan. Which their youngest brother immediately refuted. Saying that since they¡¯ve always been together, it¡¯s only natural that he would be more attentive since he knew more about Luo Yan. But at the end, it was their father who won by exercising his rights as the head of the family.


    It really was quite funny. But warmth also filled his heart as he watched them. Because he felt absolutely loved. And he couldn¡¯t be more thankful for that.


    "I feel a bit cold," he just chose to say. Because he felt that if he didn¡¯t let his father take care of him, he would just continuously ask if he¡¯s feeling alright.


    "Wait- I¡¯ll ask for a nket for you."


    Luo Wei Tian then called a flight attendant and asked for a nket.


    Luo Yan noticed that the flight attendant was giving his father furtive nces. She probably thought that she was being stealthy about it. But Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but notice, especially when her gaze was almost glued to his father. It was actually the same with the other flight attendants.


    He couldn¡¯t exactly me them. Even if Luo Wei Tian was already a father of three, the youngest being 16, he was still very handsome. Add that to his wealth and he¡¯s definitely one of the most sought-after bachelor in the country. But sadly, for anyone who wanted to be ¡¯Mrs. Luo¡¯, it would only be an unattainable dream. Because, even now, Luo Yan could tell that there¡¯s only one person in his father¡¯s heart ¨C Bai Mei Hua. And that would probably never change in his father¡¯s lifetime.


    The flight attendant returned with the nket. "Is there anything else you need, sir?"


    "No," Luo Wei Tian said coldly, not even looking at the flight attendant.


    The flight attendant left dejectedly.


    When Luo Wei Tian turned to him, the coldness was gone and he was back to being the gentle and doting father. Luo Yan almostughed at the difference in treatment. His father gently put the nket on hisp.


    "Try to sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up once we arrive."


    Luo Yan smiled. "Okay. Thanks, Dad!"


    Luo Wei Tian tapped his nose. "What thanks? This is something I should do."


    Luo Yan only smiled and tried to find a morefortable position. Before his consciousness fell into a deep sleep, he suddenly thought of his newly-found pet ¨C Eclipse.


    Before logging outst night, he had a talk with his ck fox.


    =====


    [Eclipse, listen, I have to leave tomorrow and I¡¯ll only be back on Sunday evening. So, you have to behave while I¡¯m away, okay?]


    Eclipse big sapphire blue eyes suddenly became watery. [Ish Mashter already abandoning Eclipsh?]


    [No, silly. I told you, I¡¯ll be back. And why are you suddenly referring to yourself in third person?]


    Eclipse tilted his head. [Because itsh cute?]


    Luo Yan had no n to change his way of speaking. If he wanted to talk cutely, then fine. But there¡¯s one thing they had to change, at least. [While I¡¯m gone, I want Eclipse to practice speaking. So when I return, your lisp would be gone. If you aplish this, there¡¯s a reward for you.]


    [A reward?]


    [Yes. A very big reward.]


    Eclipse¡¯s eyes shone even brighter when he heard that. [Okay, Mashter. Eclipsh will definitely practice!]


    Luo Yan patted his head gently. "Good boy."


    =====


    Luo Yan was awakened by the gentle shaking of his shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the handsome face of his father.


    "Dad?"


    "We¡¯ve arrived, Xiao Yan."


    "Get up sleepy head," said a voice from above.


    He looked up and saw Luo Jin¡¯s face peering down at him.


    "If Yan Yan is still sleepy, Brother could hold you and you can continue sleeping," Luo Ren standing beside Luo Jin suddenly suggested.


    "No, if there¡¯s someone who should hold Xiao Yan, it should be me," their father immediately said.


    Luo Yan quickly stood up. "No, I¡¯m fine. I already slept enough."


    If he didn¡¯t say that, then these two might really just hold him.


    The four walked down the ne. Finally, they arrived at B City!

 Chapter 189 MEETING THE BAI FAMILY (I)

    AFTER iming their luggage, the Luo family went to the departure terminal where they would be waiting for the person who would pick them up.


    "Your Uncle Chen said that the driver he sent is already waiting for us at the terminal," Luo Wei Tian said, putting back his phone in the pocket of the pants he¡¯s wearing.


    When they reached their destination, a familiar voice called out to them.


    "Uncle Tian!"


    Luo Yan turned to the direction where the voice came from.He saw a tall young man waving at them.His ck hair was a bit messy.His pair of ck eyes were bright and full of cheeriness.His whole body was exuding this untamed energy, showing that he¡¯s not the type of person who could sit still for long hours.


    And he looked exactly like the lion beastkin of their team.The notable difference was the color of his hair and eyes, the absence of lion ears and tail, and slightly less muscr body.But if one ignored all of those, then the two were almost one and the same.


    This young man was no doubt Bai Ze.


    "Ah Ze has sure grown into a fine young man," Luo Wei Tianmented when they walked near him.


    Bai Zeughed and scratched his nose."Well, my father will surely beat me up if I didn¡¯t."He turned to Luo Ren and greeted him."Brother Ren."


    Luo Ren nodded to him."Ah Ze."


    Then he turned next to Luo Jin.He almostughed again.Not to hide his embarrassment like earlier, but more because of amus.e.m.e.nt.The Luo Jin standing before him was tall and already very manly for his age.It was so far off from his game avatar in Arcadia.Likeplete pr opposites.But he still wore that perpetual annoyed expression on his face.In his game avatar, it looked cute.But here, in reality, he just looked like a pissed off teenager.


    "Xiao Jin definitely looked more grown," he said.This kid had probably grown even taller since thest time they met.Which was justst year.


    Luo Jin only snorted.


    After that Bai Ze turned to thest member of the Luo family.And he almost became speechless.The teenage boy in front of him only reached his shoulder.He had silky ck hair.His pair of big peach blossom eyes were staring up at him with curiosity.Every time he blinked, his long eyshes fanned his cheeks.His skin was as white as clear porcin.He was simply a beauty


    "Xiao Yan?"


    He already knew that Luo Yan was a beauty based on the appearance of his game avatar.But he didn¡¯t expect him to be much more charming in reality.


    Luo Yan smiled."Brother Ze."


    Bai Ze felt like his heart was suddenly struck with an arrow.How cute!How adorable!"Xiao Yan!"


    He was about to lunge on him, but his back cor was suddenly gripped and he was forcefully pulled back.He looked back and saw his older cousin smiling gently at him.


    "Ah Ze, what are you doing?" Luo Ren asked.


    "N-nothing," Bai Ze said.


    Because he felt like if he said that he nned to hug Luo Yan, this older cousin would probably not allow him to get close to Luo Yan for the duration of their visit.


    Luo Ren seemed to be satisfied with his answer because he finally let go of his cor.He even patted his shoulder.


    "Why is Ah Ze the one picking us up?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    "I volunteered," Bai Ze said, grinning."Shall we go?Mom prepared a scrumptious lunch for you."


    His mother had always been busy this time of the year.Mostly because of the visit of the Luo family.She always made sure that their Mid-Autumn Festival dinner would be good.That¡¯s why during this time every year, the dishes on their family¡¯s table were the best.


    Sometimes, Bai Ze even wished that it¡¯s always Mid-Autumn Festival.So his mother would at least make an effort in cooking.


    "I can¡¯t wait to eat Aunt Xin¡¯s food," Luo Renmented.


    "Me too," Luo Yan seconded.


    "Then I think we should go," Luo Wei Tian said.


    Luo Yan looked out of the window from the back of the ck BMW SUV they were riding.The city outside seemed to be the same as it was seven years ago.But at the same time, it seemed totally different.The high-rise buildings, the constant traffic, the busy flow of people ¨C those were probably the things that didn¡¯t change.


    He¡¯s back in this city he spent four years of hisst life in.But he couldn¡¯t feel anything.He thought he would feel sad or even bitter.But no, all he could feel was peace.Probably because he alreadypletely epted his new life.


    He nced at his father and older brothers.And this eptance was all because of these three ¨C his new family.


    Luo Yan actually wanted to go visit T University before they returned back to S City. Because he wanted to check what happened after he died.Since he didn¡¯t have any family, the school was the closest ce she could look for information.Since the ident with that sted potted nt happened inside the university grounds, surely they had information on what happened after.


    He just wondered if his father would agree to it.Well, if not, then he¡¯d just do his best to convince him.He¡¯s very good at that.


    They soon entered a private vimunity.One could immediately tell that only the rich could afford living here.


    Bai Ze slowed down the SUV and took a left turn to enter the driveway of a vi.Luo Yan could tell that the vi upied quite arge area ofnd.When Bai Ze parked the vehicle, everyone started to go down.


    They were just about to walk towards the house, when a child¡¯s voice suddenly called out to them or rather, to Bai Ze.


    "Brother!"


    Luo Yan nced to the left and saw a five, six-year-old child running towards them.His ck hair was messy.There was mud on his face and clothes, a sign that he¡¯s probably been ying on the ground or something.His features were soft and gentle.His big ck eyes almost looked like it was shining.


    This was probably the little cousin ¨C Bai Ye.


    When he was near them, he suddenly tripped and fell down.He sat up quickly but his big ck eyes immediately became watery, as if he would burst into tears any second.


    Because Luo Yan was the closest to the kid, he crouched down in front of Bai Ye.Then he reached out his hand and gently wiped his cheek."Are you alright?"


    Bai Ye just stared at him.And then his whole face just turned red.

 Chapter 190 MEETING THE BAI FAMILY (II)

    BAI YE stared at the beautiful ¡¯big sister¡¯ in front of him.He had never seen anyone so pretty.¡¯She¡¯ was probably the prettiest ¡¯girl¡¯ he had ever seen.Even those big sisters in those TV shows and movies weren¡¯t on par with this ¡¯big sister¡¯s¡¯ beauty.


    Suddenly, the pain he felt from falling didn¡¯t seem to hurt anymore.Even his tears retreated when he felt ¡¯her¡¯ soft palm on his cheek.


    He thought if this ¡¯big sister¡¯ asked him to y house with ¡¯her¡¯, he¡¯d definitely agree.Because ¡¯she¡¯ was not like those ssmates of his in pre-school.All ugly and annoying.


    "Are you alright?" the pretty ¡¯big sister¡¯ asked.


    He gazed down, it almost felt like his whole face was on fire."I- I¡¯m fine."


    The pretty ¡¯big sister¡¯ stood up and offered ¡¯her¡¯ hand to him.He hesitantly put his hand on ¡¯her¡¯ palm and ¡¯she¡¯ gently pulled him up.After that, he wiped the dirt from his face and gently stroked his hair.


    Bai Ye¡¯s face became even redder.


    "What¡¯s this, is our Xiao Ye being shy?" Bai Ze suddenly teased.


    Bai Ye pouted and red at his big brother.What if the ¡¯big sister¡¯ thought he¡¯s childish and not manly enough?¡¯She¡¯ might even dislike him.That¡¯s when he noticed the other people with his big brother.


    The three a.d.u.l.ts looked familiar.His little face crumpled a bit thinking where he saw them.Then as if a light bulb suddenly turned on inside his head, he finally remembered who the three were.Weren¡¯t they the uncle and cousins who lived at a far city?


    He could still remember their visitst year.But only a bit.Because he was still young back then.But now he grew up.Even though he could only remember some bits about their visitst year, the impression they left on him was quite big.


    Because all of them were scary.The uncle and the bigger cousin were cold face and barely smiled at all.The smaller but still big cousin always had a frown on his face.He remembered he identally poured juice on this smaller big cousin.The scary expression he had after that made Bai Ye cry.


    But now, looking at them, they seemed to be less scary.He wondered why.Maybe because the uncle and the big cousin now both had a smile on their face.Even the scary looking smaller big cousin no longer had a frown on his face.


    "Does Xiao Ye still remember us?" the uncle asked, smiling gently at him.


    He nodded but subconsciously hid behind the pretty ¡¯big sister¡¯ and clutched the hem of ¡¯her¡¯ shirt.


    "It seems Xiao Ye took a liking to Yan Yan," Luo Ren said amusedly while looking at the two.


    Yan Yan?Bai Ye raised his head.Was that the name of this ¡¯big sister¡¯?


    Luo Yan, of course, noticed the gaze of the kid.He looked down and saw a visible question mark on Bai Ye¡¯s face.He¡¯s probably wondering who he was.So, he smiled gently at the kid and introduced himself.


    "Hi Xiao Ye!I¡¯m your cousin, just call me Brother Yan."


    The kid¡¯s face became even more confused.He thought that it was because Bai Ye hadn¡¯t seen him before together with his father and brothers, he¡¯s probably confused where this cousin suddenly came from.What he didn¡¯t expect was what the kid said next.


    "Brother?Not a sister?" Bai Ye said with a face that said that he¡¯spletely confused.


    Bai Ze burst outughing after his brother said that.Even Luo Jin chortled.Luo Wei Tian and Luo Ren also chuckled.


    "Well, you can¡¯t me Xiao Ye.It¡¯s because Xiao Yan is too pretty," Luo Wei Tian said.


    Luo Yan nced at his father."Dad-!" he called disapprovingly.


    He returned his gaze to Bai Ye.Of course he wouldn¡¯t be mad at the kid for mistaking him for a girl.Because just like what his father said, he¡¯s simply too pretty.So, he just had to exin things properly to the kid.


    "Xiao Ye, I¡¯m a boy.So call me Brother Yan, okay?"


    Bai Ye¡¯s little face crumpled.Looking extremely unwilling to ept that Luo Yan was indeed a boy.


    Of course, Bai Ye was unwilling.How could the ¡¯girl¡¯ he approved of turned out to be a boy?Maybe everyone was just making fun of him.After all, just look at everyone here.They were all boys and yet Yan Yan was the only one who¡¯s pretty.Yes, that¡¯s definitely the case.


    "Let¡¯s go inside, I¡¯m pretty sure Mom and Dad have long been waiting for us," Bai Ze said still chuckling a bit.


    Bai Ze led everyone towards the vi.


    Luo Yan also followed but stopped a bit when he felt a small hand holding his hand.He looked down and saw Bai Ye giving him a toothy grin.One of his teeth was missing which only made him more adorable.He smiled back and let the kid held his hand.


    When they entered the vi, Bai Ze immediately called, "Dad, they¡¯re here!"


    A man sitting on the living room quickly nced in their direction.His ck hair was fixed neatly.His eyes seemed to be always bent into a gentle smile which was probably the reason why theugh lines on the side of his eyes were very prominent.He looked very gentle and honest.But people who knew Bai Chen personally would never think so.


    Bai Chen stood up and walked towards them.He pped his hand with Luo Wei Tian."How was your flight?"


    "Uneventful," Luo Wei Tian answered simply.


    Bai Chen then turned to his three nephews, particrly at Luo Yan.Again, he was amazed by how simr he looked with his younger sister.Now that he had more meat in himpared to thest time they met, it was even more noticeable.


    "Is Xiao Yan already feeling okay?" he asked.


    Luo Yan smiled."Yes, Uncle, I¡¯m already healthy."


    "That¡¯s good."


    "Are they here?" suddenly called by a woman¡¯s voice who seemed to have just gotten out of another room.


    Luo Yan nced at the direction of the voice and saw a tall woman wearing an apron.Her hair was stylishly short and was dyed in brown.Instead of saying she¡¯s pretty, it¡¯s probably more urate to say that she¡¯s handsome.


    This was probably his aunt ¨C Sun Xin.


    When their gazes met, Sun Xin appeared to be nailed on the spot. And rightfully so.Because she suddenly felt like she went back in time.During those days when she and Mei Hua were still young teenagers.It was because the boy standing in front of him right now looked so simr to her deceased friend.


    Tears suddenly welled-up in her eyes just remembering the memories of Mei Hua.She took a deep breath so she could stop herself from crying.This was the first time she and Luo Yan would meet after the ident that happened seven years ago.She didn¡¯t want him to think that she¡¯s some kind of crazy aunt.


    She smiled and walked towards them, particrly towards Luo Yan.


    "Xiao Yan, hi, I¡¯m your Aunt Xin."


    Luo Yan raised his head and looked at the handsome woman in front of him.He smiled and said, "Hello, Aunt."


    Seeing the sweet smile on the boy¡¯s face, Sun Xin couldn¡¯t help but want to hug him.She was already nning to do that if she didn¡¯t see his youngest son holding Luo Yan¡¯s hand.She smiled seeing the two being close.


    "It seems like our Xiao Ye likes his Brother Yan very much," she said.


    Bai Ye frowned a bit when he heard the word ¡¯brother¡¯ again.But he still said ¡¯yes¡¯ and then hugged Luo Yan¡¯s arm."Because Yan Yan is going to be my bride."


    Everyone was struck speechless for a second. And then almost everyone burst outughing right after.

 Chapter 191 BAI ZHENS TEARS

    BAI YE pouted when he saw everyoneughing after what he said.He nced at Yan Yan, ¡¯she¡¯ was the only one notughing.He knew it.¡¯She¡¯ was the best.But what was there a troubled expression on ¡¯her¡¯ face?Did ¡¯she¡¯ not want to be his bride?


    There was a girl in his ss who told him that she wanted to be his bride.He didn¡¯t know what the word ¡¯bride¡¯ meant.But since he found the girl annoying, he immediately rejected.That girl cried so loud which was even more annoying.He couldn¡¯t understand why she would cry like that.


    So, when he returned home, he asked his mother what ¡¯bride¡¯ meant.His mother only chuckled and told him that it¡¯s the person that he would be living with for the rest of his life once he became an a.d.u.l.t.Like how she was to his father.Hearing that, he was d that he rejected that girl.How could he live with that girl for the rest of his life?It would just annoy him to no end.


    But when he saw Yan Yan, Bai Ye felt like he could do that with ¡¯her¡¯.After all, ¡¯she¡¯ was so pretty.Seeing ¡¯her¡¯ everyday would surely be a delight.But what if ¡¯she¡¯ didn¡¯t feel the same?Was it because ¡¯she¡¯ was bigger than him?But he would soon grow up and be taller than ¡¯her¡¯.


    Bai Ye pouted even more when he thought that that was the case.


    Luo Jin pinched Bai Yes¡¯s cheek."Hey, brat.You can¡¯t marry, Yan.He¡¯s your cousin and you¡¯re both boys, so that¡¯s a no go."


    "He probably still thinks that Xiao Yan is a girl," Bai Ze said with a teasing tone.


    Sun Xin looked amusedly at his youngest son."Well, Xiao Ye, even if your Brother Yan is a girl, you still can¡¯t marry him because you are cousins."


    Bai Ye held his cheek that had been pinched.Frowned and looked as if he was about to cry.


    Luo Yan patted Bai Ye¡¯s head. "Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m sure Xiao Ye will find a prettier bride in the future."


    "No!How could there be a girl prettier than Yan Yan?"


    Luo Yan suddenly felt like he would have a headache.Should he just go n.a.k.e.d here so this kid could see his ¡¯little brother¡¯ down there.Then, he would probably finally believe that he¡¯s a boy.He couldn¡¯t be responsible in breaking the three views of such a young kid as this.And he also happened to be his cousin to boot.


    "Okay, Xiao Ye, don¡¯t throw tantrums," Bai Chen scolded gently.


    Bai Ye looked like he would cry even more.


    Sun Xin then crouched down and held Bai Ye up.She turned to her husband."Hey, Bai Chen, no bullying my baby."


    Bai Chen only raised both hands as if in surrender."Yes, yes."


    Sun Xin smiled at her youngest. "Now, let¡¯s have you clean up before lunch. You don¡¯t want Brother Yan to think that you¡¯re smelly, right?"


    Bai Ye secretly nced at Luo Yan before hugging his mother¡¯s neck."Okay."


    Sun Xin turned to their guests."Lunch will be served shortly, please wait just for a short while."


    Once Sun Xin and Bai Ye left, Luo Wei Tian turned to Bai Chen.


    "Where¡¯s Father-inw?I think I and the kids should greet him first," he said.


    "Dad is in the garden with his nurse."


    Luo Yan¡¯s ears perked up when he heard the word ¡¯nurse¡¯.So, he¡¯s already at the stage where he needed to be constantly monitored.


    "Is he alright?"


    "Well, better than most days," Bai Chen said.He was smiling but one could immediately see the visible sadness that enveloped him.


    "That¡¯s good," Luo Wei Tian could only say.


    "Before we go to him," Bai Chen turned to Luo Yan."Xiao Yan, whatever reaction your Grandpa shows, I hope you wouldn¡¯t be scared."


    "I won¡¯t, Uncle," Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to say."How could I be scared of Grandpa?"


    Bai Chen smiled and patted his head gently."That¡¯s good."


    Bai Chen then led them towards the garden.


    It was at the back of the vi.The ce was filled with different kinds of flowers.There was also a rtivelyrge koi pond.Near that pond was a pavilion.Inside it was an old man sitting on a wheelchair.A young man in white was standing not far but also not too close to the old man.Giving him the proper space he needed.


    Luo Yan stared at the old man on the wheelchair.He was thin and his face was full of pleats.His hair was gray and even thinning.But most of all, his eyes almost looked empty.As if all the lights in them had already been extinguished.


    No one would believe that this old man was once the powerful patriarch of the Bai family ¨C Bai Zhen.


    Somehow, seeing him like this, there was some kind of pang in Luo Yan¡¯s heart.


    "Dad," Bai Chen called when they walked near the pavilion."Look who¡¯s here."


    It seemed Bai Zhen still recognized his son¡¯s voice.Because he reacted and turned his head towards their direction.


    "Father-inw," Luo Wei Tian respectfully greeted.


    "Granpa," Luo Ren and Luo Jin also followed suit.


    Bai Zhen barely showed any reaction to them.But when Luo Yan stepped up, smiled, and greeted him, his whole body started to tremble.He slowly raised his hand, as if trying to reach him.


    "H-Hua-er..." he called in a feeble voice.


    Luo Yan unconsciously reached out to Bai Zhen ¨C no, to his grandfather.Holding his hand firmly.He could feel the bones in his hand, showing just how thin he was.And for some reason, the feeling of this bone-like hand brought an unprecedented sadness into Luo Yan.


    He knew that at this moment his grandfather was already mistaking him for his mother.But if it could bring some kind of temporary peace in him, then he wouldn¡¯t mind ying the part.


    So, he smiled and said, "Yes."


    His grandfather¡¯s eyes suddenly came to life and big drops of tears slowly fell from it like raindrops."Hua-er... Hua-er... you finally came home.I¡¯ve been waiting... I¡¯ve been waiting for so long..."


    As he said those words, he gripped Luo Yan¡¯s hand tightly.As if confirming his existence.


    The only thing Luo Yan could do was to engulf him in his arms and embraced those thin and trembling shoulders.

 Chapter 192 LUO YANS FEARS

    LUO YAN looked at the different dishes on the long table.They all looked delicious and mouth-watering.But he somehow couldn¡¯t bring himself to show any kind of enthusiasm.Even as he ate, the food just became tasteless.Which was truly such a shame.Because it¡¯s obvious his aunt spent a lot of time making these dishes.


    He didn¡¯t have to think hard to know the reason why.It was all because of that meeting in the garden with his grandfather.That meeting truly made him feel sad and depressed.Something that he hadn¡¯t felt for so long.


    He didn¡¯t even feel like this when he died and got reborn.The only emotion he felt then was anger and frustration.Well, granted that his new family was super great that¡¯s why he was able to move on quite fast.But still, it never crossed his mind that meeting his grandfather would make him feel this way.


    Earlier, while he was holding those thin trembling shoulders and his shirt became damped due to his grandfather¡¯s tears, he felt a kind of sadness he never had before.Almost simr to that time he found out that his parents died.But still not quite.


    His sadness then when he realized that his parents would never return was like a deep abyss.But his sadness now was more like a dark ball surrounded by thorns, constantly prickling at his heart.


    His grandfather¡¯s crying still became uncontroble even after Luo Yan tried his best to calm him.So, the nurse had to sedate him in the end.He was taken to his room after that.


    Then Luo Yan started feeling down right after.


    It was not just because he was feeling sorry for him.It¡¯s because he understood his sadness.The feeling of waiting for people who would never return.He knew that feeling all too well.


    When his parents died and he was sent to the orphanage by his rtives, he stood in front of the door of the orphanage day and night.Waiting.Waiting for his parents.Waiting for them to return to pick him up.He would stand there amidst the sun, the rain, or the wind.And yet, no matter how long he waited, they never came back.


    That constant waiting caused him to copsed and contract a fever.He even had to be sent to a hospital because of how high his temperature was.After being in a delirious state for two consecutive days, his young mind finally realized that his parents were gone.


    That realization brought an unimaginable pain that he almost felt like a part of his heart also died that day.That pain was something that he never wanted to experience ever again.


    That¡¯s probably the reason why he subconsciously closed-off himself to people.No matter how amiable and gentle he appeared in front of people, he could just never get himself to open up to other people.In hisst life, he never allowed himself to get close to others.Because he was afraid to feel the same pain again.


    It¡¯s only in this second life given to him that he loosened up and allowed people into his heart.But seeing the state his grandfather was in, he was reminded once again that nothing was permanent.He could lose people he cared about in just a snap.Without any kind of warning.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure if he could survive if he experienced that kind of pain again.If his father or his brothers suddenly disappeared one day, he didn¡¯t know what he would do.He probably might just lose it.


    He gripped the chopsticks he was holding tightly.He didn¡¯t even notice that his hand was shaking until a muchrger hand covered his.He raised his head and saw Luo Ren who was sitting on his left smiling gently at him.


    "Here, Yan Yan, I know you will like this one," he said, putting a piece of shrimp dumpling on Luo Yan¡¯s rice bowl.


    Luo Jin who was sitting in front of him pushed a bowl of soup to his direction."This soup is delicious.So start eating before everything turns cold," he said in a scolding manner, but the worry in his voice couldn¡¯t be masked.


    Luo Wei Tian sitting on the right side of Luo Yan put stir-fried vegetables on his son¡¯s te.He stroked Luo Yan¡¯s head gently."Don¡¯t forget to eat your veggies."


    "Yes, Yan Yan, even though eating vegetables is a pain, Mom¡¯s vegetables are always delicious so it¡¯s not a pain," Bai Ye said in a childish yet cute way.


    "Xiao Ye, what kind of reasoning was that?" Bai Ze said chuckling.Then he turned to Luo Yan."But the kid has a point.Every dish on this table is delicious.I could give you my guarantee on that."


    "My brats are right.But if there¡¯s a particr food that¡¯s not here that you wanted to eat, just tell me.I¡¯ll take a quick trip to the kitchen and make it for you," Sun Xin said with an understanding smile on her face.


    "I heard from Wei Tian that Xiao Yan love sweets.We prepared a lot of those, so you could have as many as you want after you finished eating," Bai Chen said.


    "But not too much, Uncle," Luo Jin immediately reminded.


    Bai Chen only chuckled."Yes, not too much."


    Luo Yan gazed down.He could feel the unabashed care and love of everyone.They were no doubt worried about him.He felt his chest suddenly became stuffy.Like it was clogged or something.All the emotions rampaging inside him was like a water in a full container that was just waiting to spill out.


    These people, they¡¯re his new family.Letting himself be filled with negativity, constantly thinking that something bad would happen to them, was simply a great disservice to these wonderful people.It¡¯s like he was mocking their love for him by having these negative thoughts.


    If he continued on this way, he would just sooner orter closed himself off again.And that would be truly unfair to his newfound family.No, he couldn¡¯t do that.So, he should stop all this negativity while he still could.Not just for their sake, but also for his own.


    He bit his lower lip to prevent his tears from falling.When he finally managed to calm his emotions, he raised his head.


    Luo Yan smiled brightly at them and said in an energetic voice, "I¡¯ll make sure to try every dishes and stuff myself up."


    And he did just that.All the while thinking how thankful he was meeting everyone.

 Chapter 193 DELIVERING LUNCH

    LUO YAN was holding a tray of vegetable dumplings, egg drop soup, moo shu tofu, and a bowl of fragrant white rice.Every dish was healthy, just right for someone who should mind their diet.It was his grandfather¡¯s lunch.He heard that he regained consciousness.So, Luo Yan volunteered to bring him his lunch.


    "Yan Yan, it¡¯s this way," Bai Ye said to him.


    The kid was walking beside him, enthusiastically leading him to the direction of their grandfather¡¯s room.He was also holding a tray.But unlike him, his tray contained a tea pot and a tea cup.


    When Luo Yan told everyone that he would bring lunch to his grandfather, Bai Ye immediately volunteered to bring the tea with him.So the two of them ended up going together.Which he didn¡¯t really mind.Bai Ye was such a cute kid after all.Adorable people were always wee to apany him.


    His brothers actually wanted to go with him as well.He refused.He knew they were just worried about him.They might be worried that the same thing that happened in the garden would happen again.And that it would cause him to feel down once more.


    But letting them apany him might just make their grandfather even more nervous.His two extremely tall brothers could look pretty intimidating.Especially if they¡¯re trying to act like his guardians. He didn¡¯t want their grandfather to be nervous and have another breakdown.


    So, Luo Yan used the ever useful power of ¡¯cuteness¡¯ to convince them that he would be alright.At the end, they had no choice but to agree to what he wanted.Good thing both of them were weak against his charm.


    "Xiao Ye, are you really fine carrying that tray?" he asked.


    "It¡¯s fine.I¡¯m already a big boy, I can carry this much."


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard that."Yes, Xiao Ye is a big boy."


    "Ahm..." Bai Ye gave him a hesitant nce.


    "What is it?"


    "Did you... ahm, cry?"


    Luo Yan was slightly startled by that sudden question."Why do you ask that?"


    "The corners of your eyes are red."


    Bai Ye¡¯s eyes often became like that after he cried.So when he saw Yan Yan earlier and noticed the redness at the corners of his ¨C yes, for now he would believe that Yan Yan was a boy but he was still not convinced ¨C eyes, his first thought was that he cried.


    Luo Yan was silent for a second and then he gazed down at Bai Ye."I did.But let¡¯s keep it a secret between us, okay?"


    After they ate lunch, he excused himself and went to the toilet.There, he let out the tears that he had been suppressing.He let it out in one fell swoop.It had been so long since hest cried that the action itself felt almost foreign.But he was d that he managed to let out those pent up emotions.


    It was actually kind of refreshing doing that.It¡¯s like a huge weight was finally lifted from his shoulders.All the negativity that suddenly filled him today felt like it had been washed away along with his tears.


    Luo Yan washed his face thoroughly with cold water so it wouldn¡¯t be too obvious that he cried.He thought that he managed to hide it well.He even took care not to directly stare at others so they wouldn¡¯t notice that he cried.But who would have thought that this kid, Bai Ye, would actually manage to see through him.


    The only thing that¡¯s currently echoing in Bai Ye¡¯s mind was the word ¡¯secret¡¯.Wasn¡¯t a secret only between two people who were closed to each other?If he and Yan Yan had a secret, wouldn¡¯t that mean that they¡¯re now close?


    "Yes, I¡¯ll definitely not tell it to anyone!It will be our secret," Bai Ye said, full of resoluteness.


    "Thank you, Xiao Ye," Luo Yan said, smiling sweetly at Bai Ye.


    Bai Ye immediately blushed when he saw that smile.He looked down and his lips tilted in an arc.Yan Yan still looked best when he smiled.But why did he cry?He thought of what he identally heard when his parents were whispering with each other earlier.He didn¡¯t hear the whole of their conversation, he just heard them mentioned his grandpa and Yan Yan.Could that be the reason why Yan Yan cried?


    He looked up again at Yan Yan."Did you cry because of Grandpa?I know he¡¯s kind of weird and he always get people¡¯s name wrong, but he¡¯s really kind.So, Yan Yan shouldn¡¯t be afraid of him."


    Once again, Luo Yan was amazed by how observant this kid was.What was he, five?And yet, he was already this observant."I¡¯m not afraid of Grandpa.If I am then I wouldn¡¯t volunteer delivering his lunch."


    Bai Ye was happy to hear that."You¡¯re right."


    They soon arrived at their grandfather¡¯s room.It¡¯s on the first floor.Because of his condition, it just wouldn¡¯t be convenient to have him on one of the upper floors.Since both of them couldn¡¯t exactly use their hands, Luo Yan gently kicked the door to knock on it.


    After a few seconds, the door opened and the one who appeared was that male nurse that Luo Yan saw in the garden earlier.The nurse looked like he was slightly surprised when he saw them.But when he saw the tray they¡¯re carrying, he immediately smiled.


    "Are the two young masters bringing lunch to their grandpa?" he asked.


    The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s mouth twitched because it was obvious that he was being treated like a kid the same level as Bai Ye.But he was not interested in correcting the view of this nurse towards him.So, he just smiled and said, "Yes.Can Big Brother let us in?"


    The nurse, Mo Yi, was again taken aback by the beauty of this kid.It was the same when he first saw him in the garden earlier.His hand was even itching to take a photo.But he knew he couldn¡¯t do that.Or else, he¡¯d definitely be fired from this job.Which he didn¡¯t want to happen.Aside from the fact that he really needed the money, he already came to care for the old patriarch of the Bai family.


    "Of course, of course," he said, opening the door wildly."Let me hold that for you."


    Then he took the tray of dishes from Luo Yan to help him.After putting it on a table, he also took the tray Bai Ye was carrying.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t have any opinion since his arms were already starting to get tired from carrying the tray.


    He looked at the bed where his grandfather was sitting.He also turned his head in their direction.When he saw the both of them, his cloudy eyes suddenly brightened.Almost like an excited kid.


    "Hua-er, Ah Chen!" he called.


    "See?Grandpa never gets my name right," Bai Ye whispered beside him, but there wasn¡¯t a trace of sulking in his voice.As if he already got used to it.


    Their grandfather was probably only mistaking him and Bai Ye for the younger versions of his mother and his uncle.He just walked towards his grandpa and smiled, nning to spend this whole afternoon with him.

 Chapter 194 CONVERSATIONS DURING DINNER

    THE garden of the Bai family¡¯s vi was currently decorated by colorfulnterns.There was a long table filled with delicious dishes.From here, one could clearly see the moon perfectly.Eating while viewing the moon, it¡¯s the perfect ce for a Mid-Autumn Festival dinner.


    Luo Yan looked around.He wondered when they put up all thesenterns.He spent all afternoon with his grandfather that he had no idea when they started preparing for this dinner.


    They were already at the middle of dinner.His grandfather was sitting at the head of the table.Luo Yan was sitting on his right while Bai Ye was sitting on his left.These positions should belong to Bai Chen and Luo Wei Tian.But because of his grandfather¡¯s condition, these two seats were given to them.


    "Hua-er, Ah Chen, you should eat more," Bai Zhen said, putting dumplings on each of the two¡¯s te."This way, the two of you would grow even bigger."


    "Then Grandpa should also eat more," Luo Yan said, also adding a dish on his grandfather¡¯s te.


    Earlier, he found out that despite their grandfather mistaking them for the younger versions of his children, he didn¡¯t mind if they called him ¡¯grandpa¡¯.Luo Yan thought that it would affect him being called that.Because it would destroy the illusion of them being his children.But it didn¡¯t.


    Maybe, subconsciously, his grandfather still knew that they were not his children so it didn¡¯t affect him.Luo Yan also noticed that despite seemingly being unable to recognize everyone here, his grandfather could still act normal around them.Treating everyone like guest.Well, aside from Luo Yan and Bai Ye, that is.


    It must be hard for the people living in the Bai household, especially for his uncle ¨C Bai Chen.Unable to be recognized by his own father, that must be truly painful.It¡¯s no wonder that Luo Yan would see him showing a sad expression from time to time.


    Luo Yan heard that there were times when his grandfather was lucid, with all his memory intact.But that was very few and far between.His condition deteriorated even more these past two years.To the point where he needed to be put into a wheelchair, with a nurse constantly monitoring him.


    It was truly a tough and heartbreaking situation.


    "I will eat anything that Hua-er gives," his grandfather said.


    In which Luo Yan only smiled.


    Bai Zhen then turned to Bai Ye."Of course, I will also eat anything Ah Chen gives."


    "What if I give Grandpa something that taste bad?" Bai Ye asked innocently.


    Their grandfatherughed and gently rubbed Bai Ye¡¯s head."I will still eat it because it was given by my Ah Chen."


    Bai Ye blushed but he still grinned at their grandfather."Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa.All the food here is cooked by Mom.So everything is delicious."


    While the three of them were having conversation, the rest of the people on the table were also having their own.


    "It¡¯s been awhile since I saw Dadugh so carefree," Sun Xinmented, looking at the three with a soft gaze."Maybe it would be better to let Xiao Yan stay here," she added in a joking manner while ncing at Luo Wei Tian.


    Luo Wei Tian picked up his tea cup and drank before coolly replying, "Impossible."


    Sun Xin chuckled."You still can¡¯t take a joke."


    She truly wondered how this rigid guy ever managed to make Mei Hua fall in love with him.Anyway, she would never dream of taking Luo Yan.Even if his presence here would mean happiness for her father-inw.


    When that child fell intoa seven years ago, the doctors said that it¡¯s almost impossible for him to wake up again.But Luo Wei Tian refused to believe that.Of course, they also didn¡¯t want to believe that there was no hope.


    But when days turned into months and months turned into years, even she felt that it¡¯s no use.That it¡¯s better to let Luo Yan rest than let his body continued to be in that state.Neither dead nor alive.


    Luo Wei Tian and the other two kids ¨C Luo Ren and Luo Jin persevered in their beliefs.Never refusing to lose hope.And look, it paid off.If they gave up, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t be sitting with them now.


    She nced again at the rigid man her best friend married.Maybe that¡¯s the reason Mei Hua chose to be with him despite all the odds against them back then.Because once he loved a person, he would never ever give up on them.


    "Has Xiao Yan already adapted to his new school?" Bai Chen asked.


    "He has. His homeroom teacher constantly praises him," Luo Wei Tian answered, pride evident in his voice.


    "Wait- are you in contact with Xiao Yan¡¯s homeroom teacher?" Sun Xin asked unbelievingly when he heard what he said.


    "It¡¯s not me.It¡¯s my assistant," Luo Wei Tian calmly answered.


    Wasn¡¯t that basically the same thing? ¨C Sun Xin¡¯s expression clearly said.


    Bai Ze who was secretly listening to the conversation of the three couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.It seemed like this uncle of his was truly more than just a tad bit overprotective.


    Meanwhile, the two Luo brothers sitting on the opposite side were also having their own conversation.


    "Brother, do you think Yan is truly alright now?" Luo Jin asked, ncing at Luo Yan who was smiling at their grandfather.


    Earlier, even though he tried to hide it, he knew that Luo Yan cried.It¡¯s probably not only Luo Jin who noticed that.But because Luo Yan was trying so hard to hide it, they also tried their best to act like they didn¡¯t notice.


    But because of that, Luo Jin became even more worried.Although Luo Yan cried a couple of times before this, he knew by now that those were just fake tears.He was just simply acting to get what he wanted.Which, by all means, was truly effective.


    But if he had to hide just so he could cry, then that meant that the tears he shed were true.Something that never happened since he woke up froma.Which only made it even more worrying.


    By his youngest brother¡¯s question, Luo Ren also nced at Luo Yan¡¯s direction.Just like Luo Jin, he was also worried about their brother.He never thought that Luo Yan would be this affected by their grandfather¡¯s condition.But that just showed how kind he was.


    When Luo Ren saw the smile on Luo Yan¡¯s face, he calmly picked a mooncake and said, "Don¡¯t worry, Yan Yan is fine now."


    Yes, from that smile, he could tell that whatever it was that¡¯s weighing on Luo Yan had finally been lifted.A small smile crossed his lips.


    "Yes, he¡¯s alright now," he repeated.


    On the other hand, Luo Yan who was happily eating mooncake just felt his phone vibrating.He took it out and saw that he received a message from WeChat.He opened it and the first thing that appeared was a rabbit sticker holding a redntern.


    [luckycloud]: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Yan Yan.


    When Luo Yan saw that it was from Shen Ji Yun, he didn¡¯t even notice the smile that crossed his lips.

 Chapter 195 THE SHEN FAMILY (I)

    IN another private vimunity in B City where only the rich and famous lived, a well-known family was also having their own Mid-Autumn Festival dinner.It was the Shen family.


    They belonged to the upper echelon of the country¡¯s high society.Not because of a huge amount of wealth but because of their political power.The Shen family¡¯s influence in the country¡¯s politics was so deep that it said that they could affect how this country was being govern if they so wished.


    But, of course, that was only a rumor.Although as they say, there¡¯s no smoke without a fire.So maybe, that rumor was not so baseless after all.


    The current patriarch of the Shen family was Shen Wang Ji.He once held the position of the country¡¯s Premier.But despite being retired for years now, he¡¯s still quite active in the country¡¯s political scene.


    He was blessed with three sons, all very different from one another.


    His eldest son - Shen Yi Wu ¨C was like a carbon copy of himself. Stern and full of pride. Currently he¡¯s also making his way up to the politicaldder. He was now holding a position at the Supreme People¡¯s Court. Many believed that he would soon rise to the same position as his father.


    The second son of the main branch of the Shen family was named Shen Yi Zhu.Despite being the middle son, he was the one Shen Wang Ji favored most.It was probably due to his bright and carefree attitude.Unlike his other two sons who were both quite reserved with their affection, Shen Yi Zhu was overflowing with it.That¡¯s why it was also easy for others to like and love him.


    But he had no interest in politics.Unlike his older brother, he didn¡¯t be a government official.Instead, he became a photographer.He travelled the world taking photos of people and ces.And slowly became well-known.


    But before he could truly climb to the top of his chosen profession, a tragic incident urred that took his life.Leaving his wife and eight-year-old son.


    The youngest of the three was Shen Yi Mu.Out of the three, he would be considered the smartest one.Academically speaking.He was always at the top of his ss.Winning Mathematics and other Sciencepetitions.Knowing his talent, Shen Wang Ji didn¡¯t dare to force his own ideas on him.Because even he knew that that would only hinder his own development.He wanted Shen Yi Mu to be able to fly as high as his wings could take him.To be the best at whatever field he chose.


    He just didn¡¯t expect that it would be in the field ofputer games.Which had long been a huge frustration for him since.He expected him to be a top scientist of this country.But who would have thought that he would be addicted to that thing calledputer?


    And now, that youngest son who caused endless frustration to his father was parking his car in front of the huge vi of the Shen family.


    Shen Yi Mu turned to his nephew sitting on the passenger¡¯s seat.One of the perks of raising this kid for 12 years was being able to decipher his emotions.So, despite not having any expression, he could easily tell that this nephew of his was sulking right now.He looked extremely unwilling to go down the car.


    Ji Yun always looked like this whenever they visited the main house.Not that he could really me him.Who would want to go to a ce where almost all people acted like they didn¡¯t wee you?


    It¡¯s all his father¡¯s fault.The way he constantly neglected Ji Yun¡¯s existence, as if ignoring him would make him go away, it was seriously maddening.With his example, the younger generations of their family also thought that they could treat Ji Yun the same way.Which only led to Ji Yun not having an ounce of familial feeling towards them.


    That old man was just so stubborn that even until now, he¡¯s projecting the pain he felt for losing his son towards a kid who literally had nothing to do with that lost.All because he didn¡¯t like his mother.


    His father had been against his older brother¡¯s rtionship with Eloise ¨C Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mother ¨C from the very start.He didn¡¯t care that she belonged to a pretty old and rich British family.All he cared about was that she¡¯s a foreigner.Which meant that their children would not be pure Chinese.


    Being born in the Shen family meant that you would be thought from childhood that the Chinese people were always a level higher than other races.It would be constantly instilled on you until you truly believed that that was the case.That¡¯s why most members of the Shen family who had gone into politics could serve their country wholeheartedly.


    He and his second older brother were probably the only exemption to this rule.And it was all thanks to their gentle and kind mother.


    Their oldest brother had been groomed as the next head of the family by their father himself.He was much focused on him.Which left the two of them ¨C he and his second brother ¨C to the care of their mother.Which he would forever be thankful for.


    He would have hated it if he turned out like his oldest brother ¨C an exact carbon copy of their father.From their appearance up to their beliefs.If he did, then he wouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with Jiang Yue.


    Because in their father¡¯s world, being in love with another man was considered a huge abomination.Although he seldom wondered if it would have been better for the two of them if he hadn¡¯t fallen in love with him at all.Then their rtionship wouldn¡¯t have ended in such a way.


    Shen Yi Mu shook his head.No, this was barely the time to think about that.He let out a deep sigh and looked at his nephew once again.


    "Come on, let¡¯s go.I promise, after we eat dinner, we will go immediately," he said.


    Shen Ji Yun reluctantly nodded and finally walked out of the car.

 Chapter 196 THE SHEN FAMILY (II)

    SHEN JI YUN disliked going to this ce.He didn¡¯t mind that he wasn¡¯t weed.What he hated was going here and be constantly reminded of his deceased father.To be reminded of the past when he still had a happy andplete family.That was the thing he hated the most.


    A reminder of the past that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get back.No matter how much he prayed the gods and the heavens for it.


    He stared at the big vi in front.No matter how much he didn¡¯t want to deal with the people inside, he still had to.


    "Ji Yun, let¡¯s go," his uncle called.


    Shen Ji Yun sighed and just followed his uncle inside the vi.


    When they entered, a lot of people were already inside the huge hall of the vi.It was a ce solely dedicated for functions such as this.Many members of the various branch families were already there.As soon as the two people walked in, many gazes quickly focused on them.


    Their gazes were prating, like needles poking on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s skin.Even their voices were ringing in his ears.


    "It¡¯s Yi Mu, I heard hispany became even bigger this year."


    "When I first found out that he was nning to build a gamingpany, I was truly in doubt at first.But it seems like there¡¯s nothing to worry about, seeing his sess now."


    "Of course.What would you expect from the son of the old master?If the second master didn¡¯t die so untimely, he probably would have done a lot of great things by now as well."


    "It¡¯s all because he married that foreign woman.If she didn¡¯t entice him to leave the country, then that incident¡ª"


    "Sshh!His son is just standing right there."


    "But I was only telling the truth.Besides, just look at those blue eyes.It looks so unnatural."


    "Yes.A person from our country shouldn¡¯t have that kind of eye color."


    Shen Yi Mu looked at those people with cold eyes.Who, in turn, quickly shut their mouth."Don¡¯t mind those idiots."


    "I never did," Shen Ji Yun simply said.


    Shen Yi Mu chuckled and shook his head.Yes, it would take a lot more than that to affect this kid.They continued walking towards the area that was most crowded.Because there, encircled by almost everyone, was the patriarch of the Shen family.


    He was a man in histe 70s.The lines on his face was very prominent and made him look even more stern.All of his hair was now white.But despite that, no one would think that he was a weak old man.His back was straight and his built was still as huge as when he was at his peak.People would easily assume that he was ten years younger.


    It was because of his almostrger than life presence.A presence .u.mted throughout his years as a government official.


    When Shen Yi Mu and Shen Ji Yun finally reached the crowd, the people gathering around Shen Wang Ji automatically parted.Letting them through.


    "Dad."


    "Grandfather."


    Both of them greeted one after the other.


    Shen Wang Ji barely nced at Shen Ji Yun before focusing his attention at his youngest son."It seems that you still know how toe back."


    "Dad seem to be as energetic as ever, seeing as how you¡¯re joking like that," Shen Yi Mu said."Didn¡¯t I visit justst month?"


    "And you¡¯re really proud of that?We live in the same city and yet you onlye back here once a month.Sometimes, you don¡¯t even bother to visit!Do you think you live in another city?No, you probably think you¡¯re living in another country!"


    Shen Yi Mu onlyughed at that.


    "Dear, please calm down," a new voice said.


    They turned and saw a woman who looked to be in her 60s walking to their direction.She was a very well-maintained woman.Only a few strands of her hair had turned white, the lines on her face were barely noticeable.She was still as beautiful as any woman ten years her junior.


    "Mom!" Shen Yi Mu walked towards the woman and enthusiastically greeted her.


    The woman ¨C Wu Meixiu ¨C gently smiled at his youngest son."It seems you¡¯re doing okay, Ah Mu."


    "That son of yours is always doing okay," Shen Wang Ji grunted.


    Wu Meixiu ignored her husband and walked towards Shen Ji Yun.She ced her palm on his cheek."Xiao Yun seems to be thinner since thest time I saw you.Is your uncle not feeding you properly?"


    "Mom, can¡¯t you see how big your grandson is?There¡¯s no way he¡¯s not eating properly," Shen Yi Mu inserted.


    "Uncle Yi Mu is right, Grandma.I¡¯m doing fine," Shen Ji Yun said with a rare gentle smile.


    Out of all the people in this vi, the only one Shen Ji Yun considered as family ¨C except from his uncle, of course ¨C was his grandmother.Through the years, she was the only one in this household who never made him feel like he¡¯s an outsider.She always treated him like someone precious.


    After his uncle took him out of Country Y, heter found out that his grandmother tried to be his official guardian.Especially after knowing what he experienced in the said country.But his uncle vehemently opposed that.Telling his grandmother that if she became his guardian, she would just be repeating his situation at Country Y.But this time, in a different cage known as the Shen family.Perhaps knowing the attitude of her own husband towards Shen Ji Yun, she reluctantly let her youngest son, who was living separately from them, to be his guardian.


    But his grandmother¡¯s sentiments were real.She truly wanted to be the one to take care of him.But in the kind of situation he was in then, he couldn¡¯t help but agree with his uncle¡¯s decision.He would definitely turn out differently if he was raised in this ce.And he was not saying that in a positive way.


    Wu Meixiu smiled."Then as long as you¡¯re fine, Grandma would be happy."


    Shen Ji Yun hadn¡¯t had time to reply because his grandfather suddenly cleared his throat."Let¡¯s start the dinner banquet.Come, Meixiu, apany me."


    His grandmother patted Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand before smiling apologetically at him.Then she walked towards his grandfather¡¯s side.


    "Don¡¯t let it get to you," his uncle said beside him, probably referring to the way his grandfather just acted.


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head."I¡¯m already used to it."


    He took a deep breath and then followed everyone towards the banquet area.

 Chapter 197 THE SHEN FAMILY (III)

    THE Mid-Autumn Festival dinner for the Shen family had begun.Shen Yi Mu was sitting on the same huge round table together with the other older male members of the family.Which included his father and older brother.Their mother, on the other hand, was sitting on another table together with other female members of the family.While the younger generation also had a table of their own ¨C one for the girls and one for the boys.


    "Yi Mu, I heard yourpany¡¯s worth increased again," said an older cousin from the branch family."Actually, my son is on hisst year of university.It would be good if he could intern in yourpany.What do you think?"


    This was one of the reasons why Shen Yi Mu hated family reunions.Because people just assumed that just because they¡¯re rted, they had the right to intrude into hispany as if they were there with him when he founded it.


    He smiled at the cousin who just spoke."Oh, then he can apply for the internship if he so wanted.But the interns mypany epts are all smart and skilled.If your son is confident enough with his abilities, then he¡¯s very much wee to apply.I wouldn¡¯t move a finger and give him any sort of special treatment.Because rtive or not, mypany doesn¡¯t wee ipetent people."He raised the ss of wine on his side."I hope you do understand, cousin."


    This cousin¡¯s face was filled with surprised at first.But after the initial shock, his expression quickly changed into that of anger."You¡ª"


    "Surely you¡¯re not mad.I believe I didn¡¯t say anything offensive," Shen Yi Mu said, cutting off whatever nonsense the man was about to say."Unless, of course, you don¡¯t have faith in the ability of your son and you do think of him as nothing but an ipetent fool," he finished and drank the wine he was holding.


    Which was true, by the way.Shen Yi Mu heard that the son this cousin was pushing onto hispany was nothing but a brat who just rely on his family name and was always acting like some big shot.In short, a kid who¡¯s full of barks but no bites.Shen Yi Mu disliked those types.


    "Now, now, we should just enjoy these delicious dishes in front of us," one member of the branch family said, trying to mediate.


    "Agree.I think the food right now is even more delicious thanst year¡¯s," another one said.


    Shen Yi Mu didn¡¯t say anything and just ate his own dinner.


    "Yi Mu, I heard you n on expanding that game of yours overseas?" Shen Yi Wu who had been quiet until now suddenly asked.


    Shen Yi Mu raised his head to look at his older brother.The man looked like a replica of their father ¨C from his stern face up to hisrge built.The only difference was his character was more preserve inparison."That had always been the n.But it would probably take years before I can sessfully do that."


    After all, there were a lot of things he needed to consider.Important details that needed to bepletely smoothen out.Because just one misstep could lead to thousands of problems for hispany.Which, as the founder and CEO, he couldn¡¯t just allow to happen.


    "If you need any legal help, don¡¯t hesitate to ask me."


    "Thank you, Brother.I¡¯ll keep that in mind."


    "Hmp.I think before you go and make all these grand ns, you should find a woman to marry first.What if you end up an old bachelor because you¡¯re too invested in that game whatsoever of yours?" their father interjected."Who would you pass on that huge business of yours if you don¡¯t have a child of your own?"


    Shen Yi Mu could onlyugh.Times like this, he almost just wanted to blurt out that ¡¯sorry, Dad, can¡¯t marry a woman since I¡¯m gay¡¯.His father would probably disown him on the spot.But definitely not before beating him up.


    There were actually a lot of times he thought to hell with it, he should just go and do it.But every time that thought crossed his mind, he would immediately think of his mother.Because she was the one who would be the most affected if he did just that.And he didn¡¯t want to put her in that position.


    "Well, then I should just pass it on to Ji Yun."


    What he said made his father frown, as expected.But he didn¡¯tment on that and turned to his older brother instead, opening up a new topic.


    Shen Yi Mu just shook his head and continued eating.


    Meanwhile, on the other side where the younger male generation of the Shen family was...


    "I heard your nning to intern at Moonlight Media?" a young man asked the person sitting next to him.


    "Yeah.My Dad is going to ask Uncle Yi Mu about it," answered a rather in looking young man.But despite looking so ordinary, his bodynguage boasted of extreme confidence.As if he was the best person in the room. Which, in this case, was a far cry from reality.


    "Do you think you will get it?"


    "Of course.There¡¯s no reason Uncle Yi Mu will disagree," he said proudly.Then he looked at Shen Ji Yun who instead of eating was fiddling with his phone."Hey, Ji Yun, looks like we¡¯ll be seeing each other quite often in the near future."Shen Ji Yun ignored him.As always.He snorted.This guy always acted like he¡¯s all high and mighty, when he¡¯s just some half-breed."Did you not hear me or have gone deaf?"


    Shen Ji Yun finally looked at him and he suddenly felt a chill ran down his spine.He almost forgot how jarring it was to be looked at by those cold blue eyes.


    "No, I just simply dislike talking to delusional fools," Shen Ji Yun said in that cold emotionless voice.


    His whole face suddenly turned red from humiliation.How dare this half-breed talked down to him like that?"You--!"


    A loudugh suddenly erupted from the left.It was a young man who looked to be the same age as Shen Ji Yun.Even if he was sitting, one could immediately tell that he¡¯s quite tall.And it¡¯s also obvious that he had a pretty muscr physique.His curly ck hair was styled in a crop with both sides and lower back shaved.It gave him a certain kind of wild charm.Which only increased his already high face value.It was Shen Yi Wu¡¯s younger son ¨C Shen Xin.


    "As much as I don¡¯t like Ji Yun, he¡¯s right. You¡¯re a fool. Because there¡¯s no way Uncle Mu would allow you in hispany. So, I suggest you stop daydreaming," Shen Xin said, smirking at the already humiliated cousin and looking at him as if he¡¯s the most stupid guy he had ever seen.


    "Enough," said another voice.


    This time it was from a man who looked to be 23 or 24. He was tall and lean. There were some simrities in his features with Shen Xin, like their eyes and eyebrows. But that was it. If Shen Xin¡¯s handsomeness screamed of wildness, then this man¡¯s handsome visage screamed of stillness. Like a calmke without a wave. He was the head of the younger generation of the Shen family. The older son of Shen Yi Wu ¨C Shen Lin.


    Shen Ji Yun ignored all of them and just sent a message to Luo Yan.


    [luckycloud]: Yan Yan, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

 Chapter 198 COLLIDING GAZES

    AFTER waking up and doing his usual routine, Luo Yan finally went out of the room given to him.Taking in his current constitution, the room given to him was in the first floor.So, it didn¡¯t take long for him to reach the dining area.


    He was quite surprise to see that the Bai couple was already up and sitting on the table.As well as his father and older brother.The rest was probably still asleep.And here he thought he woke up the earliest.


    "Good morning!" he greeted.


    The others immediately greeted him back.


    "Xiao Yan,e sit here beside me," his father called, gesturing the chair beside him.


    The seat was between his father and his older brother.As if they were reserving the seat for him.Which, considering the two, would probably indeed be the case.He smiled helplessly and sat on the chair.


    He looked at the table and saw the varieties of Western breakfast food like pancakes, waffles, omelets, sd, and some clubhouse sandwiches.He preferred traditional breakfast but it¡¯s also not bad to try a different menu from time to time.


    "Howe Xiao Yan woke up so early?" Sun Xin asked."You should have slept more.Even Ah Ye is still not awake."


    "It¡¯s okay, Aunt.I¡¯m used to waking up around this time," Luo Yan answered, smiling.


    "It¡¯s good to have a fixed routine while you¡¯re still young.It would make you more disciplined," Bai Chen said.


    "Bai Chen, what are you saying?What if Xiao Yan¡¯s beautiful skin became rough because ofck of sleep?" Sun Xin said, seemingly affronted by her husband¡¯s suggestion.


    "Aunt, don¡¯t worry.I¡¯ll make sure Yan Yan¡¯s skin will remain smooth and beautiful," Luo Ren said, as if he was indeed nning to be in charged of his brother¡¯s skin care.


    Sun Xin gave him a thumbs-up."I expect no less from Ah Ren."


    Luo Yan almostughed seeing the interaction between the two.


    "Xiao Yan, what do you want to eat?" his father asked him instead, ignoring the two.


    Luo Yan looked around the table, then he turned to his father and smiled."Pancakes!"


    Luo Jin caught the ball flying to his direction.Then he threw it back to the kid a few distance away from him.He threw it as gently and as weakly as he could.It wouldn¡¯t be good if he identally hurt Bai Ye because he threw the ball a bit too hard.


    "Brother Jin, can you throw the ball with more energy?" Bai Ye called when he caught the ball.


    Luo Jin felt that a vein on his forehead almost popped when he heard that."Hey, brat, do you think I want to y this stupid game with you?"


    He thought this brat was scared of him.But just after a day, he was already acting so cheeky.


    Luo Jin was actually not wrong.Bai Ye was indeed scared of him.But after a day, he noticed that the scary atmosphere that was surrounding him when he visitedst year waspletely gone.That¡¯s why Bai Ye was more confident now in talking to him.


    "I wanted to y with Yan Yan.But Brother Jin said that you¡¯re going to y with me instead.So, Brother Jin has no right to be angry with me," Bai Ye said pouting, both his cheeks bulging.


    This brat.Luo Jin almost wanted to close the distance between them just so he could hit the head of this cheeky kid.But he held it in because Bai Ye did say the truth.


    When the brat asked Luo Yan to y catch with him on the garden, Luo Jin immediately interfered.How could he let his second brother y under the sun?Although it¡¯s already Autumn, it¡¯s still not good to stay under the sun for too long.


    So, at the end, he could only bear with his irritation and continued ying with the brat.


    Luo Yan was watching the two from inside the pavilion not too far from them.there were snacks and drinks on the table.He picked up a cup and drank the tea inside.


    They were the only one in the vi¡¯s garden right now.The a.d.u.l.ts were talking about some business matters while waiting for lunch toe.His grandfather was still resting.Yesterday¡¯s events took a little bit of a toll on him so he needed to rest more. While his cousin Bai Ze was probably still sleeping.


    He just thought of Bai Ze and he suddenly saw him walking towards the pavilion where he was in.He let out a huge yawn before sitting down carelessly on the seat in front of Luo Yan.


    "Did Brother Ze not sleep well?" he asked.


    "I yed Arcadiast night," Bai Ze answered.


    It was actually him and Shen Ji Yun.They went dungeon raiding until three o¡¯clock in the morning.He apanied him because he knew that during this time of the year, his friend often needed to release some steam.And he often did that by killing a lot of monsters in Arcadia.


    He couldn¡¯t really me him.If he had to interact with those jerk cousins of Shen Ji Yun, he might also end up wanting to beat someone up.


    That¡¯s why Bai Ze was d that during Mid-Autumn Festival, their family only spent it with other family members that they were really closed to.Unlike the Shen family who spent it with almost all the members of the main and branch family.


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised when he heard that.He didn¡¯t expect that Bai Ze would y thatte.He pushed the te of snacks to him."Then Brother Ze should eat some snack since you already missed breakfast."


    Bai Ze looked at his cousin and was moved.Ah, how could Luo Yan be such an angel?He¡¯s so lucky that he was his cousin.He picked up a snack and ate it.


    Then he suddenly remembered something."Ah, that¡¯s right, I almost forgot.Ji Yun would be dropping by today."


    Luo Yan had no time to react on what Bai Ze said because as if on cue, a maid suddenly informed them that Shen Ji Yun was here.


    "Just bring him here," Bai Ze said to the maid who quickly went back inside the vi.


    For some reason, Luo Yan suddenly felt like his heart started beating wildly.As if he was nervous of something.Which was totally unscientific.


    "Bai Ze," called a very familiar cold voice.


    Luo Yan turned towards the direction of the voice.And his gaze collided with blue eyes as cold as the winter sea.

 Chapter 199 CONFUSED FEELINGS

    LUO YAN stared at the tall young man standing in front of pavilion.He was wearing a dark blue trench coat over a cream-colored turtle-neck long-sleeved and a straight ck washed up denim.With his slightly wind-blown hair and those pair of startling blue eyes, he looked like a star that just came out of a movie screen.


    Luo Yan¡¯s heart that was already beating fast was now beating even harder.He had no idea why.He couldn¡¯t even point a specific reason for it.Could it be that it¡¯s because he was just not used to seeing him in reality?After all, almost all their interactions had been inside the game.That¡¯s really the only reason he could think of.


    The only real-life interaction they had was during the graduation of his older brother two months ago.It didn¡¯t evenst for an hour.It just left an impression on him because of how handsome Shen Ji Yun was.That¡¯s why when they met again in the game, it didn¡¯t take long for him to recognize him.


    Luo Yan just didn¡¯t expect that seeing him again in reality would have such an effect on him.


    If Luo Yan had such thoughts, then Shen Ji Yun also had one of his own.


    He was looking at Luo Yan as if he was the only one that his blue eyes could see.And right now, that was truly the case.He had seen him through video calls a couple of times.But those calls didn¡¯t give the rabbit¡¯s beauty any justice.


    He was sitting there, his big peach blossom eyes staring straight at him.Even at this distance, he could see how long and thick his eyshes were.His lips had a natural pinkish tint to it.And his white porcin like skin looked so soft to the touch.


    Even doing nothing and just simply sitting there, he looked adorable as hell.Shen Ji Yun just wanted to pick him up and hug him tight.He stopped and was extremely startled by that sudden thought.


    He knew he was fond of Luo Yan.It was not just because of his appearance.If he became fond of every beautiful person he met, then his friends couldn¡¯t be counted with only one hand.There¡¯s just simply something about Luo Yan that pulled him in.Whatever that was, it was something that only Luo Yan probably had.


    But even he knew that wanting to hug someone was not something you would feel for someone you simply feel fond of.Especially if that someone happened to be a boy like yourself.So, how could he solve this problem he couldn¡¯t exactly understand?


    Before his brain could think of an answer, a tall and rather aggressive looking teenager suddenly appeared on his line of sight.Completely blocking his view of the rabbit.And because of that, even the thoughts running through his mind waspletely interrupted.


    "What the hell are you staring at?" the tall teenager asked.


    Looking at him now, Shen Ji Yun noticed that he looked particrly alike to that annoying gnome.After looking at him carefully, Shen Ji Yun finally realized that this was Luo Yan¡¯s younger brother.


    "Certainly not you," he answered coolly.Then he bypassed him and walked inside the pavilion.


    He faltered in his steps for about a second.He wanted to sit beside Luo Yan but because of the thoughts that was running through his mind earlier, he suddenly wavered and ended up sitting beside Bai Ze.After he sat down, he immediately regretted his action.Because it seemed like he was running away for some reason.


    At the same time, when Luo Yan saw that Shen Ji Yun sat beside Bai Ze, he felt a pang of disappointment.Wait- why did he feel disappointed?Because Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t sit beside him?But why would he feel that way?


    He was someone who prized himself with having a pretty high EQ.That¡¯s why he was able to easily read the emotions of the people around him.And yed with those emotions if he needed to.But there had been instances involving Shen Ji Yun where he couldn¡¯t understand his own emotion.Just like right now.


    Luo Yan had no idea if it was something good or bad.He just knew that he didn¡¯t like this feeling of not knowing.Because it was frustrating and could even get annoying sometimes.Having no control over something that he was supposed to be good at could be truly infuriating.


    So, how would he solve it?


    Luo Jin was actually nning to argue further with the expressionless jerk.Especially when he bypassed him.Because he was sure the bastard would definitely sit beside Luo Yan.But when he turned around, he saw Shen Ji Yun sitting beside Bai Ze.That caught him slightly off-guard.But he immediately took that chance to sit beside his brother.To make sure that the bastard wouldn¡¯t have a chance to.


    "Howe you¡¯re here so early?" Bai Ze asked.He thought he would beingter in the afternoon.


    "I have nothing else to do," Shen Ji Yun only said.


    Because he couldn¡¯t exactly say that he was too excited to meet Luo Yan that he left their house a bit earlier than he should.And yet now that he¡¯s here, he¡¯s started to act all awkward like some kid on his first day of school.


    Luo Jin snorted."What, your parents kick you out of the house or something?"


    "Luo Jin!" Bai Ze called out in an admonishing tone.


    Luo Yan immediately noticed that Luo Jin had probably said something wrong.That¡¯s why their cousin¡¯s reaction was like that.


    "My father¡¯s dead and my mother is living in another country.So, no, I did not kick out of the house," Shen Ji Yun said in that emotionless voice of his as if he was just talking about the weather.


    Luo Jin was taken aback by that revtion that he was momentarily speechless.The same could be said for Luo Yan.


    He knew that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mother was British since he already mentioned it to him before.But he didn¡¯t expect that she was actually living outside the country.But the most unexpected thing was about Shen Ji Yun¡¯s father.Then wouldn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s living with his uncle?


    The tense atmosphere was suddenly broken by a small sharp voice of a child.


    "Brother Ji Yun!"Bai Ye came running towards the pavilion."Are you visiting Brother?"


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun answered with one of his rare smiles.


    "Have you met Yan Yan?" Bai Ye asked while hugging Luo Yan¡¯s arm."Brother Ji Yun has to be good to him.Because Yan Yan is going to be my bride."


    And Shen Ji Yun¡¯s smile just froze after he heard that.

 Chapter 200 GRASPING ONTO SOMETHING

    "YOU can¡¯t," Shen Ji Yun said automatically before he could even think properly.


    He knew that it was simply a child¡¯s rumbling and something that shouldn¡¯t really be taken seriously, but there was a feeling of rejection in him.Like his mind just couldn¡¯t ept someone saying that they would make Luo Yan their bride.Even if that someone was a five-year-old child.


    Bai Ye immediately pouted.[Why does everyone keep saying that Yan Yan can¡¯t be my bride?Now even Brother Ji Yun is saying the same thing.Hate.]"Why?If you say it¡¯s because we¡¯re both boys, I won¡¯t ept it."


    Because even until now, our poor little Bai Ye still didn¡¯t believe that Luo Yan was a boy.


    "Because you¡¯re cousins.And cousins can¡¯t marry," Shen Ji Yun said in the most logical way possible.


    Bai Ye became silent for a second.Then as if he thought of something, he puffed out his chest, put both hands on the side of his waist, and proudly said, "Then I¡¯ll be president and change thew."


    There was silence for a moment and then everyone just burst outughing.Even Shen Ji Yun chuckled a bit.The tense atmosphere that permeated the air earlier waspletely gone because of Bai Ye¡¯s antics.


    "Xiao Ye, can you say that again?I¡¯m going to record it in my phone," Bai Ze said, raising his phone while still chuckling.And Bai Ye did repeat what he just said which made Bai Zeughed even more."I now have Xiao Ye¡¯s ck material.Man, showing this to you once you grow up would be a riot."


    Bai Ye lookedpletely confused."What¡¯s ck material?"


    "Don¡¯t mind Brother Ze," Luo Yan said.He agreed with Bai Ze, this was a very good material.So, it¡¯s better if Bai Ye didn¡¯t find out what a ¡¯ck material¡¯ was.Well, at least not until he¡¯s older."But Xiao Ye, aren¡¯t you forgetting something?You still can¡¯t marry me if I don¡¯t agree to it."


    Bai Ye¡¯s small face immediately crumpled."Why?Yan Yan doesn¡¯t like me?" he asked, already on the verge of crying.


    Luo Yan pinched Bai Ye¡¯s cheek."Of course, I like Xiao Ye.But there are different kinds of ¡¯like¡¯ in this world.So, until Xiao Ye understand the meaning of those ¡¯likes¡¯, you shouldn¡¯t easily say that you wanted to marry someone."He tapped the tip of the kid¡¯s nose."Okay?"


    Even though Bai Ye didn¡¯t understand what Yan Yan said, he also felt like he did.So, he nodded."Okay."


    Bai Ze raised one of his brows when he heard what Luo Yan said.Even though it might seem like it was just a simple conversation with a child, talking to him in a way that he would understand, Bai Ze felt like Luo Yan did understand what he was talking about.Which was a bit surprising.Because technically, he was also a child himself.


    But contrary to what Bai Ze thought, Luo Yan actually still couldn¡¯t understand the different ¡¯likes¡¯ he was talking about.He could differentiate the ¡¯likes¡¯ between family and friends.That was easy.Especially now since he¡¯d been reborn in such a great family.The ¡¯like¡¯ he was talking about was the romantic kind.


    He had never been in a rtionship in his past life.He never even felt any kind of attraction towards anyone.So, he really had no idea what it was like to like someone in that way.There was even a time before when he suspected that he might be as.e.x.u.a.l or something.


    This was one aspect of himself that he knew he wascking.Thinking of that, Luo Yan had a sudden realization.Would the things he couldn¡¯t understand regarding some of his reactions towards Shen Ji Yun because of that thing that hecked?Wait- wouldn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s attracted to Shen Ji Yun?


    Luo Yan quickly threw that thought away.Not because they¡¯re both boys and he just refused to think of that possibility.But because he¡¯s sure that he¡¯s not attracted to him in that way.You know, in the way that involved s.e.x.u.a.l desires.


    Shen Ji Yun was good-looking, extremely so.But he didn¡¯t want to hug him or kiss him.He never felt that urge.The only urge he felt was bullying him.Especially whenever he¡¯s being such a puppy.


    Should he just do an experiment just to make sure?


    While Luo Yan was contemting over that, Shen Ji Yun was also thinking hard about something.


    When he heard Luo Yan talked about the different kind of ¡¯likes¡¯, he suddenly had a revtion.Well, not really a big one.Just a feeling like he suddenly grasped something.


    He now somewhat understood that the reason why he¡¯s treating Luo Yan so differently than the others might be due to that different kind of ¡¯like¡¯ the rabbit was talking about.Although he felt like he still couldn¡¯t fully grasp it, he also felt like he was close in fully understanding it.


    And for now, that was enough.Understanding his own emotion this much was actually already such a big leap.


    "Xiao Ye, go and tell the cook to prepare more food since Ji Yun is going to eat lunch with us," Bai Ze said.


    "I¡¯ll do it," Luo Jin said before Bai Ye could speak.He stood up and then nced at Shen Ji Yun."I¡¯m sorry for the insensitivement I made earlier."


    Then before anyone could react, he already quickly walked back to the vi.


    Luo Yanughed a little because of his brother¡¯s action.Really, what a shy tsundere.He turned to Shen Ji Yun."Ah Jin is truly sorry.He wouldn¡¯t say something so insensitive if he knew the circ.u.mstance."


    "It¡¯s fine.It didn¡¯t make me angry," Shen Ji Yun said."Although hearing your brother apologized was kind of creepy in a way."


    Bai Zeughed."True.But it¡¯s also good trait to know when to apologize.Although Xiao Jin seem aggressive and confrontational, he¡¯s actually quite thoughtful."


    "That¡¯s one of Ah Jin¡¯s good trait," Luo Yan said, smiling proudly."By the way, is Sister Yuqi also going to drop by today?"


    "Yeah, she said she wouldter in the afternoon," Bai Ze said.


    "Then it means all five of us will finally meet today," Luo Yan said happily.


    "You¡¯d be surprised once you see the real Yuqi.She¡¯s so far off from her game avatar that you wouldn¡¯t even think it¡¯s her," Bai Ze said."Unlike Ji Yun who looked exactly like the avatar of his alt ount."


    What Bai Ze said intrigued Luo Yan a little bit.But if there¡¯s someone who¡¯s probably more excited to meet Su Yuqi in person, then it¡¯s definitely his younger brother.


    Soon, they were called for lunch.Bai Ze carried Bai Ye up even though the other one wanted to hold hands with Luo Yan.While the two were walking in the front, Luo Yan matched his steps with Shen Ji Yun.


    He raised his head and looked at Shen Ji Yun."I¡¯m happy to see you again in person, Brother Ji Yun."


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down.Looking at the rabbit¡¯s big peach blossom eyes, the corner of his lips couldn¡¯t help but turn into an upward arc.


    "I feel the same way."

 Chapter 201 FRIENDLY AND BRIGHT YOUNG MAN

    LUO REN walked out of the study of his uncle first. His uncle and father were still talking about business. His aunt already left earlier to take care of lunch. He wished he had done the same. Then instead of listening to his father and uncle talked about prospectivend deals, he could spend that time with Luo Yan.


    He was thinking of looking for Luo Yan but when he was about to do that, he came across Luo Jin instead. He looked like he just entered the vi from the garden.


    "Xiao Jin, you¡¯re not with Yan Yan?" he asked.


    "He¡¯s in the garden."


    "Oh? It¡¯s rare not to see you clinging to Yan Yan every free chance you got," he teased.


    Luo Jin blushed. "I- I¡¯m not c-clinging to him! Anyway, I have to tell the cook that another person is eating lunch with us. So, Brother should not bother me."


    He was about to walk pass Luo Ren but his older brother stopped him. "Who is this another person?"


    "Ah, it¡¯s a friend of Brother Ze. And also, the captain of the team we joined in that game we¡¯re ying."


    Luo Jin hesitated if he should tell his older brother about his suspicion that Shen Ji Yun had a not so innocent interest on their second brother. But remembering the blunder he just did earlier, he would just feel even guiltier for badmouthing Shen Ji Yun behind his back.


    So, he chose to just keep quiet. Surely, Luo Ren would notice that¡¯s guy¡¯s abnormal interest towards their brother soon enough.


    Luo Ren, of course, remembered this captain his brother was talking about. Because Luo Yan mentioned him more than once in their conversation. And every time his brother did so, there was always a smile on his face. As if the person he was talking about was giving him much happiness.


    He wondered what kind of person it was that could make his adorable younger brother smile like that just by simply talking about him. Surely, he¡¯s a friendly and bright young man who could easily make people gravitate towards him. That¡¯s the kind of impression Luo Ren had based on Luo Yan¡¯s stories about the guy.


    Seeing that his brother seemed to no longer have any questions, Luo Jin nned to continue walking towards the kitchen. But before he could, he saw their aunt walking out of the kitchen area.


    "Aunt Xin," he called. "There¡¯s a guest that would be joining us for lunch."


    "And who might that be?" Sun Xin asked, curious.


    Wait- it wouldn¡¯t be one of those shameless rtives of hers who kept on trying to mooch off from Bai Chen, right? Just thinking of that possibility already annoyed her to no end.


    "It¡¯s Shen Ji Yun."


    Hearing Luo Jin¡¯s answer, Sun Xin¡¯s irritation quickly vanished. "Oh, it¡¯s Ji Yun. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s enough food for everyone. So, it doesn¡¯t matter if another person joins us."


    It was a good thing she asked their cook to make bigger portions of food for their lunch. Although he wondered why Shen Ji Yun would drop by during such a holiday, she didn¡¯t mind that he¡¯s here. After all, that kid was almost like a son to her.


    It seemed like this Shen Ji Yun person had been a frequent visitor here. That¡¯s what Luo Ren thought when he heard their aunt¡¯s quick answer to what Luo Jin said. She just epted the surprise visit of that Shen Ji Yun as if he had done it a number of times of already.


    "Is he Ah Ze¡¯s close friend, this Shen Ji Yun?" he couldn¡¯t help asking.


    "Yes, they¡¯re childhood friends."


    Although from Sun Xin¡¯s perspective, her son forced Shen Ji Yun to be his friend. Bai Ze was tenaciously running after him again and again despite how many times Shen Ji Yun drove him away. At the end, Shen Ji Yun finally gave in and epted Bai Ze¡¯s friendship. That¡¯s probably one of her son¡¯s strong points. When he decided on something, he would do everything to see through it until the end.


    She could still remember that time when an eight-year-old Bai Ze came home, telling her all about the blue-eyed kid who transferred in his ss. He then announced to her that he would be friends with that kid. It took quite a while before he managed to do it. But at the end, he still did. She still couldn¡¯t help butugh whenever she remembered that time when he first brought Shen Ji Yun here and so proudly told her; [Look, Mom, I did it. I became friends with him! Aren¡¯t I great?].


    He was so adorable then.


    "Though you might not have known of him since he¡¯d never really visited whenever you¡¯re here," she added. "Anyway, it¡¯s already near lunch. You two can go to the dining area. I¡¯ll let the maids call the others."


    "How about you, Aunt Xin?" Luo Jin asked when he noticed that their aunt was going on another direction.


    "I¡¯m going to get Dad," she answered and walked towards the direction of their grandfather¡¯s room.


    The two brothers looked at each other and then both started walking towards the dining area. They saw that the maids were still readying the table, putting dishes and other tableware on it.


    "Please add another te," Luo Jin said to one of the maids very reluctantly.


    "Do we have a guest?" suddenly said by a voice behind them.


    Both brothers turned and saw their father and uncle. The one who just spoke was Bai Chen.


    "It¡¯s a friend of Ah Ze, the name¡¯s Shen Ji Yun, I believe," Luo Ren said.


    "Oh, so it¡¯s Ji Yun."


    Luo Ren raised one of his brows, because his uncle¡¯s reaction was the same as his aunt¡¯s.


    "He must be pretty close to Ah Ze to be visiting during this holiday," Luo Wei Tianmented. Because usually only family members gathered during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.


    Bai Chen chuckled. "Yes, almost like brothers. Despite being pr opposites of one another."


    Pr opposites? Luo Ren¡¯s question was quickly answered when he saw Bai Zeing in while carrying Bai Ye. Behind them was Luo Yan. And beside his brother was a tall young man.


    He was talking to Luo Yan with a gentle expression on his face. But when he turned his gaze towards them, any remaining expressions that he hadpletely vanished. It was almost like he turned from a human to a porcin doll with no emotion. The atmosphere he was giving off was as cold as his arctic blue eyes.


    So, where was the friendly and bright young man he was imagining?

 Chapter 202 INTRODUCTION

    "GOOD afternoon.I apologized for the sudden intrusion," Shen Ji Yun greeted when he walked in the dining area and saw the other people standing there.


    The only ones he¡¯s familiar with were Bai Ze¡¯s father ¨C Bai Chen, and Luo Jin.The other two men, he¡¯s definitely not familiar with.One was older, probably in the same age range as Bai Chen.He was tall and very fit.One could see that he worked out pretty regrly.That¡¯s why anyone would easily assume that he¡¯s 10 years younger.The other one was like the younger version of the older man.His every facial feature resembled that of the old man¡¯s like a perfect copy.No one would doubt that they¡¯re a pair of father and son.


    Seeing their slight resemnce to Luo Jin, Shen Ji Yun had no doubt that the two were the rabbit¡¯s father and older brother.Realizing that, he suddenly wanted to leave a good impression on them.Something that he never thought he would be bothered of doing.


    "Ji Yun, you¡¯re always wee here.So, there¡¯s no need for any apologies," Bai Chen said."I see that you¡¯ve already met our Xiao Yan," he added.


    Because just like the rest, he also noticed the very friendly atmosphere between the two.Shen Ji Yun was even showing such a gentle expression.Something that he had rarely seen for the past decade since this kid and his son became friends.


    "Dad, have you forgotten already?Xiao Yan and Xiao Jin are also ying Arcadia.So, they¡¯ve already met Ji Yun," Bai Ze said while putting down Bai Ye.


    "Ah, right.You did mention that," Bai Chen said seemingly only remembering that fact now.


    "Oh, that game.Then could this young man be the ¡¯captain¡¯ Xiao Yan has been talking about?" Luo Wei Tian asked with interest.


    Luo Yan walked beside his father."That¡¯s right.It¡¯s him, Dad," he said confirming what his father asked.Then he turned to Shen Ji Yun."Brother Ji Yun, this is my Dad ¨C Luo Wei Tian.Handsome, isn¡¯t he?" he added, smiling proudly while hugging his father¡¯s arm.


    Luo Wei Tian smiled down at his second son and tap his nose."You sweet kid.You¡¯re making your father blush."He then turned to Shen Ji Yun and offered his hand to him."It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, Shen Ji Yun."


    Shen Ji Yun subconsciously stood up straight before shaking Luo Wei Tian¡¯s hand."Likewise, Mr. Luo."


    Luo Wei Tian raised one of his brows when he felt the kid¡¯s firm grasp."Although I have no clue how that game works, let me give my thanks for taking care of Xiao Yan and Xiao Jin," he said after taking back his hand.


    Luo Jin resisted the urge to correct his father.What taking care of?That might be true for Luo Yan, but certainly not applicable to him.


    "No.Both of them are really good yers.There¡¯s almost no need for me of anyone else to help them."


    This time, Luo Jin gave Shen Ji Yun and unbelieving nce.Did this guy just praise him?Wait- more importantly, why did it feel like this guy was kind of sucking-up to his father?


    "Ji Yun is right, Uncle.These two are amazing," Bai Ze said while putting his arms on Luo Yan and Luo Jin¡¯s shoulders."If you could see how they fi¡ª"


    Bai Ze wasn¡¯t able to finish what he was saying because his side was suddenly pinched hard.It took all of his self-control just not to squeak like a little girl.He gazed down at the side where he was pinched and saw Luo Yan smiling at him.But those eyes were definitely not smiling.In fact, it looked threatening.As if silently telling him to not say anything.


    "Yes, both Ah Jin and I are good with solving all the little puzzles in the game," Luo Yan said, smiling at everyone. Then he turned to Bai Ze. "Isn¡¯t that right, Brother Ze?"


    He knew what Bai Ze was about to say earlier ¨C that he and Luo Jin were both good in fighting monsters.How could he let him say that in front of his father and older brother?If the two thought that he was doing something dangerous, even if it was only virtual, it would definitely be a headache convincing them otherwise.


    "Y-yes, that¡¯s right," Bai Ze said, only because he had a feeling that his side would be pinched even harder if he disagreed.


    Just, what had gotten into Luo Yan?It felt like his angel like cousin suddenly disappeared for a second and was reced by a little demon.


    If Luo Jin and Shen Ji Yun knew what he was thinking, then they could answer him and tell him that he just encountered Luo Yan¡¯s dark side.


    Bai Chen stared at this nephew of his who resembled his sister greatly.His brother-inw might not have noticed the little gesture Luo Yan made because of his very thick filter when it came to his son, but Bai Chen surely did.He smiled in amus.e.m.e.nt.Well, it seemed like Luo Yan didn¡¯t only inherit his mother¡¯s looks but her mischievous side as well.


    Luo Ren¡¯s filter in regards to Luo Yan might be as thick as his father¡¯s, but he did notice his brother¡¯s little move.Luo Yan was obviously preventing Bai Ze from saying something about the game.When Luo Yan said that he wanted to y that game ¨C Arcadia, he didn¡¯t think too much of it.Because even he yed some online games back when he was still a kid.But it seemed like this game needed some further investigating.


    He temporarily put that thought back in his mind and just said, "Yan Yan, you¡¯re not going to introduce me to your friend?"


    Luo Yan felt relieved when the topic finally shifted.So, he quickly walked towards his older brother¡¯s side."Brother Ji Yun, this is my older brother ¨C Luo Ren."


    "Hey, Yan Yan, why didn¡¯t you say I¡¯m handsome. Just like you did when you introduced Dad?" Luo Renined.


    Luo Yan only stared at Luo Ren with a ck expression on his face before saying, "Brother should not be too shameless."


    "Yan is right, Brother.You should not be shameless," Luo Jin seconded.How could he just let go of the chance to tease Luo Ren?


    Luo Ren smiled helplessly."You two brats," he said before ruffling the hair of the two.He then turned to Shen Ji Yun."Nice to meet you, Shen Ji Yun."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded, trying his best not to appear as aloof as usual."Likewise."


    He stared at the interaction of the brothers, add that to how Luo Yan interacted with his father earlier, it was now quite clear that they all had a good, no, a great rtionship.Which he was really d about.Because that meant that the rabbit had a good family life.He was happy that Luo Yan was happy.


    Truly, what a weird feeling.Being happy for the happiness of someone.Although, it might only be possible because that ¡¯someone¡¯ just so happened to be Luo Yan.


    Yes, because Luo Yan was ¡¯special¡¯.

 Chapter 203 LUNChapter AT BAI HOUSEHOLD

    "HUA-ER, here, eat more vegetables," Bai Zhen said while happily putting pieces of vegetables on Luo Yan¡¯s rice bowl.


    "Grandpa should eat more too," Luo Yan said also putting food on his grandfather¡¯s te.


    Shen Ji Yun nced at the two before looking down and eating his own food.He felt a slight pang of envy.Wait- why would he feel envious?The answer came immediately to him.Because he also wanted to put food on the rabbit¡¯s te.But he was seated far from him.Even if that was not the case, he could still not do it.Because he felt like if he did, he would earn suspicion from Luo Yan¡¯s father and older brother.


    It¡¯s just something instinctual.He just felt that if he acted remotely touchy-feely with Luo Yan, his father and older brother would suspect him of having some evil thoughts towards the rabbit.That¡¯s based on his experience dealing with Luo Jin.He knew that the reason why that gnome was so antagonistic towards him was because he thought that he would do something bad to Luo Yan.


    Luo Jin might not say it so straightforwardly, but his actions spoke louder than his words.Although Shen Ji Yun had no idea why he would even think that way.He believed his actions never showed that he had any kind of bad intention towards Luo Yan.So, he wondered why that gnome would ever think that.


    Anyway, on another note, he never thought that the rabbit could interact with his grandfather so normally.Especially since as Shen Ji Yun could see it, Luo Yan was now being treated like another person.If his guess was correct, it was most probably his mother.Seeing as Bai Ye was being called ¡¯Ah Chen¡¯ while Luo Yan was called ¡¯Hua-er¡¯, Grandfather Bai was probably treating them like his children.


    When Shen Ji Yun first visited here, Grandfather Bai was still in his right mind.He was quite the boisterous and cheerful old man.Completely different from his own paternal grandfather.Back then, he felt quite envious of Bai Ze.His na?ve and childish self had wished that his grandfather was also like that.


    Then Grandmother Bai died and it seemed like a string just snapped in Grandfather Bai¡¯s mind.After that, seven years ago, another incident happened that seemed topletely break him.He only found out recently that it was most likely due to the death of his daughter ¨C Luo Yan¡¯s mother.


    But he was slightly surprised to see that the rabbit could react to Grandfather Bai¡¯s situation so calmly.Well, he should expect nothing less from Luo Yan.


    Shen Ji Yun nced again at the rabbit, seeing him smiling happily, a small smile crossed his lips.


    Unbeknownst to him, Luo Ren caught this smile.He nced at the direction he was looking and just like he thought, Shen Ji Yun was staring at Luo Yan.


    He raised one of his brows and fell into a contemtive thought.


    After eating lunch, Luo Yan apanied his grandfather to walk a little bit to help with his digestion.The nurse and Bai Ye were with them.After walking for about ten minutes, they returned to his grandfather¡¯s room.


    Luo Yan helped his grandfather to lie down on his bed."Grandpa, we¡¯ll go now.Take a rest, okay?"


    "Then can Hua-er sing me a luby before you go?" his grandfather asked, like a child not wanting his favorite person to go.


    Luo Yan smiled helplessly and started humming a luby.Not even five minutes had passed and his grandfather already feel asleep.He fixed the nket so his grandfather would be morefortable.Then he stood up.


    "Brother Mo, is it normal for Grandpa to fall asleep this fast?" he asked the nurse.


    "Yes, young master.It¡¯s the effect of the medicine he¡¯s taking.But don¡¯t worry, it had no other adverse effect," Mo Yi answered.


    Luo Yan felt relieved when he heard that.Then he gazed down at Bai Ye."Let¡¯s go, Xiao Ye."


    "Okay!"


    He held Bai Ye¡¯s hand and they both walked out of the room.They hadn¡¯t gone far when he noticed that Bai Ye had been silent for a while.He gazed down and noticed that the kid looked like he was feeling down or something.


    "What¡¯s wrong, Xiao Ye?Are you not feeling well?" he asked.


    "No, I just remembered that Yan Yan will leave tomorrow.It makes me feel sad thinking about it," Bai Ye said.He looked up at Luo Yan, his big eyes suddenly became watery."Can you just stay here?"


    Luo Yan bent down so he could look at Bai Ye."As much as I¡¯d like to do that, I can¡¯t.I have school.Our house and business are also in S City."


    "T-then you can just go to school here!Uncle can also transfer his business here."


    Luo Yanughed.Because it was a reasoning that only a child could make.But he guessed if he didn¡¯t do anything, this kid would just continue to persuade him to stay.So, he started acting.


    "I can¡¯t just go and transfer.Your Brother Yan had worked really hard just so I could enter that school."He appeared worried, his big peach blossom eyes also filling with tears.Then he smiled sadly at Bai Ye."Xiao Ye wouldn¡¯t want me to waste all that effort, right?"


    It seemed like his acting was effective because Bai Ye¡¯s eyes stopped being watery, as if his tears just simply rolled back.Any sign of crying disappeared.He looked like he was hesitating at first.Then he appeared frustrated.After a few seconds, he finally looked like he epted what Luo Yan said.


    "I understand.But- but you must call me every day!"


    "Well, I can¡¯t promise that since I also have to do a lot of assignments. But I could call you every weekend. On Saturday, preferrably."


    Bai Ye was obviously dissatisfied with that answer because he pouted right after. "Then I demand you spent two hours ¨C no, three hours on the phone with me!"


    Luo Yan could only smile helplessly."Yes, yes."He stood up straight and held Bai Ye¡¯s little hand."Let¡¯s go?"


    Bai Ye finally smiled."Okay!"


    While walking, Luo Yan thought about them going back to S City tomorrow.He still hadn¡¯t talked to his father about visiting T University.


    Should he do that now?

 Chapter 204 CONVINCING DAD

    "AUNT Xin, are you taking that to Dad and Uncle?" Luo Yan asked when he and Bai Ye bumped into his aunt who was currently holding a tray of coffee.


    "Yes.Those two are already back in the study.Seriously, it¡¯s the holiday and yet they still can¡¯t help talking about business," Sun Xin said, sighing helplessly.


    "Then let me take it to the study," Luo Yan volunteered."I have something to talk to Dad anyway."


    "Sure," Sun Xin agreed giving the tray to him."Do you know where the study is?"


    Luo Yan nodded."Yes."


    He saw them going there earlier, so he knew where it was.


    "Then I¡¯m going too," Bai Ye said.


    When Bai Ye was about to walk to Luo Yan¡¯s side, Sun Xin suddenly carried him up.


    "No, you¡¯re going with me," she said.


    "But, Mom¡ª"


    "You stink of sweat," Sun Xin said sniffing Bai Ye."So, let¡¯s make you all clean and handsome again, okay?"


    Hearing his mother say that he stunk, Bai Ye¡¯s whole face turned red in embarrassment.He was with Yan Yan for so long.What if he smelled him and think that he¡¯s a smelly and dirty boy?He buried his face on the crook of his mother¡¯s neck.So embarrassing!


    Luo Yan chuckled.He already knew what was currently going on inside Bai Ye¡¯s head right now."Then I¡¯m going on ahead, Aunt, Xiao Ye."


    He walked towards the study while carrying the tray of coffee.He was actually nning to ask his father if he could go and visit T University this afternoon.He couldn¡¯t go and do that tomorrow since their flight was pretty early.So, he at least wanted to go today.


    If he didn¡¯t take this chance, it would probably take months before he coulde back here again.Then he had to wait again before finding out what happened to his body after he was killed by that sted potted nt.


    The real question now was, how should he convince his father to let him go there?Luo Yan sighed.It seemed that all would depend again on his ever-reliable acting skill.


    He soon arrived at the door of the study.Once again, he used his foot to knock on the door.


    "Come in," called Bai Chen¡¯s voice.


    Luo Yan bnced the tray with one hand and opened the door.He came in and saw his father and uncle sitting face to face against each other.A crystal table was between them and a chess board was on top.It looked like the two was in the middle of a chess game.


    "I brought coffee," he said.


    Luo Wei Tian immediately stood up and took the tray from Luo Yan."Xiao Yan, you should have shouted that it¡¯s you.What if the coffee spilled and burnt your hand?" he asked worriedly.


    "It¡¯s okay, Dad.I¡¯m good with bncing stuff," Luo Yan just said.


    "Why are you the one bringing this anyway?" Luo Wei Tian asked while putting the tray of coffee on the table.


    "I volunteered.And I actually wanted to discuss something with you, Dad."


    "Do I need to leave?" Bai Chen asked.


    "No, it¡¯s alright, Uncle.You can stay," Luo Yan said.


    He noticed that out of all the people in this house right now, the only one who could probably view him objectively was his uncle.That¡¯s why if he saw the merit in him visiting T University, then Bai Chen might actually help him in persuading his father.


    "What do you want to talk about, Xiao Yan?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    Luo Yan started fidgeting to make it appear like he¡¯s nervous."A-actually I¡¯ve been thinking about this since I found out we¡¯re going here at B City."


    "What is it?"


    "Ahm, I- I have a request."He clutched the hem of his father¡¯s shirt and raised his head.He stared up at his father, making sure his eyes looked hopeful and hesitant at the same time."C-can I go and visit T University this afternoon?"


    When he saw how taken aback his father was, he increased his fidgeting and appeared to look even more worried.


    Of course, Luo Wei Tian noticed this small actions.That¡¯s why he stopped the refusal that he was about to blurt."Why would you want to go there so suddenly?"


    "I¡¯m actually considering T University as one of the colleges I nned to go to next year.So, I was thinking if it¡¯s alright to check it now.It- it might take a while before we coulde here again.So, I wanted to use this chance to visit the ce."He raised both his hand and formed a praying gesture.He then looked at his father with eyes full of hope."Please, Dad, can I?"


    Luo Wei Tian wanted to refuse.But he couldn¡¯t really do it when Luo Yan was looking at him like this.He was afraid that if outright refused, his son would just cry.


    He never imagined that Luo Yan was already thinking of his future.He just started high school and yet he¡¯s already choosing which university he would go to.Truthfully, there¡¯s really no need for him to refuse.But how could he just simply agree to this request?


    "Why not let him go?" Bai Chen suddenly said."Just think of it as some kind of educational excursion.Let Ah Ze and Ji Yun apany him since they both attend T University. It¡¯s the holiday, so there¡¯s no traffic.They¡¯re travel time would be shorten and they could return much earlier. There also wouldn¡¯t be that many students in the campus during this time, so it wouldn¡¯t cause any kind ofmotion even if a high school student visited."


    As soon as Luo Yan heard that, he almost gave his uncle a thumbs-up.[Nice assist, Uncle Chen!]


    Also, upon hearing that, Luo Wei Tian felt like he just had to agree.Because if he didn¡¯t, then he would just appear to be petty.And he didn¡¯t want the be the ¡¯unreasonable¡¯ dad in this situation.


    He sighed."I get it.You can go.Aside from Ah Ze and that other kid, bring your brothers with you as well.And try toe home before the sun sets."


    Luo Yan happily jumped and hugged his father¡¯s waist."Thanks, Dad!You¡¯re the best!"

 Chapter 205 A BIT OF PROVOCATION

    "XIAO JIN, can you tell me more about this Shen Ji Yun?" Luo Ren asked.


    They were currently alone in the living room.Bai Ze took Shen Ji Yun to his room and was showing him something.That¡¯s why only the Luo brothers were left.


    Luo Jin was slightly surprised by his older brother¡¯s sudden question."What brought this up?"


    "Hmm... let¡¯s just say he caught my interest," Luo Ren answered smiling.


    Luo Jin looked at his brother¡¯s expression.Although he was smiling, he could tell that it was not real.When Luo Yan was still in aa, their older brother was like a flower on the very top of a tall and snowy mountain.Cold and unreachable.


    When he¡¯s outside, he barely smiled.He didn¡¯t even like interacting with people.He only did so when it¡¯s needed.If Luo Jin ended up having anger issues because of the incident that happened seven years ago, then Luo Ren just became frozen.He only started to melt when their brother woke up.


    The result of that was him being able to smile more often now.Although sometimes, his smiled still needed practice.Especially when Luo Yan was not around.His smile just appeared, well, too fake.


    "If you¡¯re asking about that Shen Ji Yun, then I don¡¯t know much.But if I would only base it on his attitude so far, I would say that he was like you when Yan was still in aa.The only difference was that guy was extremely expressionless."


    Luo Ren put his hand under his chin."Expressionless, huh?He didn¡¯t look like that when he¡¯s talking to Yan Yan though."


    In fact, there was a gentle look on his face every time he looked at Luo Yan.But Luo Ren could understand what Luo Jin meant.Because in any other time, he was exactly as his brother described.


    "He¡¯s only like that when he¡¯s around Yan," Luo Jin grumbled.


    But he didn¡¯t say anything else.He was still feeling guilty for his insensitivity earlier.So, he would just let his older brother decide what his opinion would be of that guy.


    "When he¡¯s only around Yan Yan, huh?" Luo Ren fell into a deep thought again.


    Looking at his brother, Luo Jin could tell that he was thinking about something.Could he also realize that that guy, Shen Ji Yun, had some kind of ulterior motive?


    Unlike what Luo Jin was imagining, that¡¯s totally not the direction of his older brother¡¯s line of thinking.Luo Ren didn¡¯t immediately jump to the conclusion that Shen Ji Yun was some kind of bad guy that¡¯s trying to lure Luo Yan.His first thought was actually; ah, this guy was probably simr to him in a way.


    A person wouldn¡¯t be that expressionless and cold without a rtively deep reason.He¡¯s guessing that it was probably rted to something that happened to him in the past.Probably on the same level as the ident that took his mother¡¯s life away.Only something as painful as that could change a person fundamentally.


    In that sense, he could sympathize with him.


    This Shen Ji Yun was probably thinking of Luo Yan as some kind of source of light in his dark and cold life.That¡¯s why he¡¯s treating him very differently.He could understand that.Just simply looking at his adorable younger brother could lift the spirit of anyone.And if you received one of his smiles, then you would feel like everything would be okay in your life.Even just for a second.


    It was fine if that was all.But if Shen Ji Yun¡¯s interest was more than that, then he and Luo Ren would have a problem.


    As if on cue, Bai Ze and Shen Ji Yun climbed down the stairs and walked to the living room.Both sat down on a free couch.


    "Is Xiao Yan still with Grandpa and Xiao Ye?" asked Bai Ze.


    "He is," answered Luo Jin.


    Bai Ze leaned backzily on the couch he was sitting.It seemed like his younger brother really took a liking to Luo Yan.Man, it¡¯s going to be really such a pain when his uncle and cousins leave tomorrow.That younger brother of his would definitely make a fuss.Well, his mother was here.So, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be that much of a problem.


    "You two have been friends for a long time now, right?" Luo Ren suddenly thought of asking.


    "That¡¯s right, Brother Ren."Bai Ze put his arm around Shen Ji Yun¡¯s shoulders and grinned."We¡¯re as tight as real brothers."


    Shen Ji Yun removed Bai Ze¡¯s arm and scooted away."You¡¯re too close."


    "I see.It¡¯s nice, having such a good rtionship," Luo Ren said."Then being so close and all, can you honestly tell me that he won¡¯t ever take advantage of my cute, adorable, kindhearted Yan Yan?"


    He might have said it in a joking tone but his expression was telling everyone otherwise.


    Luo Jin nced at his older brother.It looked like he was indeed suspecting something.To what extent, he wasn¡¯t sure.But it would be good if the two of them would be on the same page regarding this guy, Shen Ji Yun.


    Bai Ze was slightly taken aback by the question.He didn¡¯t expect his older cousin to ask that.He knew that Luo Ren was not kidding and he was definitely asking him seriously.But how exactly would he answer?


    But before he could answer, Shen Ji Yun already spoke.


    "I won¡¯t," he said, looking straight at Luo Ren.


    "I¡¯m not asking you though," Luo Ren said while looking down on his nails.


    Bai Ze let out an awkwardugh."Brother Ren, even though this guy looks like some cold, apathetic bastard, he¡¯s really not.He might not look like it but he¡¯s a true softie inside.You know, the kind that would take home an abandon cat on the street."


    "Oh?"Luo Ren nced at Shen Ji Yun."How kind."


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t flinch and didn¡¯t evade his gaze from Luo Ren.


    Luo Ren raised one of his brows.What an interesting fellow.He could tell that he¡¯s no coward.And with what Bai Ze said, it¡¯s easy to see that contrary to his looks, he was indeed a kind young man.


    He shrugged.He probably should give him a pass.For now, at least.


    The slightly tense atmosphere was broken when Luo Yan came running to the living room.


    "Hey, Yan, no running!" Luo Jin immediately scolded.


    Luo Yan only smiled at him before rushing to Luo Ren."Brother, I asked Dad if I could go and visit T University today.He said yes!He said you and Ah Jin shoulde with me.And then, Brother Ze and Brother Ji Yun would apany us.Let¡¯s go now, okay?"


    There was silence for a few seconds before Luo Jin broke it.


    "No way!"

 Chapter 206 ARRIVING AT T UNIVERSITY

    FIVE people were currently inside a ck BMW, travelling towards the direction of the famous T University.The one driving was Bai Ze, sitting on the passenger¡¯s seat was Shen Ji Yun.The three Luo brothers were sitting on the backseat.Luo Yan being on the middle.


    Luo Yan was feeling all giddy and excited.Finally, he woulde back to his alma mater.Although he was not sure if he could really find the information he needed, he still couldn¡¯t help the feeling of excitement coursing through him.It was probably weird of him to feel that way.Considering that he¡¯s going there to find out what happened after his death.


    He just felt that he wouldn¡¯t be able to properly integrate himself in this life if he wouldn¡¯t close the curtain on hisst one.It¡¯s probably what others would call as ¡¯closure¡¯.And he¡¯s eager for it.


    It¡¯s not that he wanted to just go and forget about his past.No, that¡¯s an integral part of who he was.If he forgot all about it, then he would also forget all the things that made him who he was today.That was almost like throwing a part of him.


    He just wanted to know the truth.Because not knowing was almost like being an iplete puzzle.The feeling of having something missing in you was truly disgusting.Like a creeping feeling from deep within.He disliked that feeling.And he wished nothing more than be rid of it.


    The only way for him to do that was to find out what happened after his death.


    "Yan Yan, are you really thinking of going to T University for college?" Luo Ren suddenly asked, cutting off Luo Yan¡¯s thoughts.


    He turned to his brother and smiled."It¡¯s one of my choices."


    Shen Ji Yun raised his head to look at the rearview mirror when he heard that.Staring particrly at the rabbit.Because he remembered quite clearly when the rabbit told him that he was nning to go to T University.But howe it¡¯s only one of his choices now?Did he change his mind somehow?


    "Don¡¯t you want to attend the same university as your older brother?" Luo Ren asked his gaze downcast.


    [Big Brother, when did you learn to act pitiful?] ¨C Luo Yan thought.Maybe his ck-bellyness was already rubbing off to his brothers without him knowing."Of course, I¡¯m also considering Brother¡¯s university," he just said to appease Luo Ren.


    Oh, so that¡¯s what it was.If he remembered correctly, Luo Ren graduated from F University.The rabbit probably just didn¡¯t want to make his brother sad that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t directly say that he had already chosen T University.Shen Ji Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief.Since the rabbit already told him that he would go to T University, he would definitely go there.


    "Brother Ren, what¡¯s wrong with our university?" Bai Ze asked, not taking his eyes off from the road."Our university is one of the best colleges in our country, you know?"


    "ording totest stats, we¡¯re number one in the country and the whole of Asia as well," Shen Ji Yun added.


    He needed to show the prestige of his school in the off-chance that Luo Yan was truly thinking twice about attending his university.Next year, when the rabbit was finally a college student, he would be in hisst year in university.He at least wanted to spend that with Luo Yan, experiencing university together.


    Luo Ren looked at the rearview mirror to stare at the two sitting on the front."I believe I didn¡¯t ask the opinion of you two."


    "Geez, Brother Ren, you have been so savage since earlier. What¡¯s gotten into you?" Bai Ze said.


    "Who¡¯s being savage?" Luo Ren asked staring at Bai Ze.


    Bai Ze felt a chill behind his back.Man, he almost forgot how scary his older cousin could be."Nope, no one.Forget I said anything."


    Luo Yan chuckled because of this interaction.Then he nced at Luo Jin sitting on his left.He was looking outside the window, scowling and obviously pouting.


    Luo Jin¡¯s initial reaction when he said that they would be going to T University was quite negative.It¡¯s like an automatic reaction for him.Anything that could possibly cause harm to Luo Yan, he would immediately be against.His father and older brother were better than him on that front.


    It¡¯s probably because he was in the same car ident as the original Luo Yan.He hadn¡¯t shown it much but he¡¯s probably still deeply affected by that.It might have even left a deep trauma in him.Not really surprising, considering the result of that ident.His mother died, his older brother fell into aa, and he was the only one who came out of it unscathed.


    Luo Yan wished that he could help him with it.But he knew that Luo Jin had to conquer this fear by himself in order for him to truly move on from the past.All Luo Yan could give him was his support.And to make sure that no harm would evere to him from now on.


    For now, let¡¯s just try to cheer him up.


    "Brother Ze, have you messaged Sister Yuqi?" he asked.


    "Yeah.She¡¯ll meet us at campus," Bai Ze answered.


    Luo Jin¡¯s ears perked up when he heard that.Which, of course, Luo Yan noticed.He grinned and whispered to Luo Jin.


    "Have you heard that, Ah Jin?Sister Yuqi will meet us at T University.Aren¡¯t you d we¡¯re going there right now?"


    Luo Jin nced down at Luo Yan.When he saw the teasing light in his eyes, he already had an idea of what he was thinking.Because of that his whole face suddenly turned red.


    "Hmp!W-who cares?" he snorted, then looked back again outside the window but his face and neck were still as red as a ripe tomato.


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing his reaction.


    Then soon, they arrived at T University.

 Chapter 207 ANOTHER CASE OF EXPECTATION VS REALITY

    BAI ZE parked the car in one of the university¡¯s parking spaces.Then four handsome young men and one beautiful fairy climbed out of the car.Well, at least that¡¯s what it looked like to Luo Yan.He didn¡¯t mind though, being the only rose in this group of thorns.


    He enthusiastically looked around.Since they entered the university premises, he had been doing that.Who could me him?After all, he did spend four years of hisst life here.Studying, socializing, asionally sucking up to his professors.Doing everything he could just to ensure a bright future.Too bad he didn¡¯t get to enjoy it though.


    But he must say, thepensation he received from dying in the most stupid way possible was truly worth it.Because from his death, he gained a new family.Not just any family, but the best he could ever dream of.Luo Yan didn¡¯t care much for the money, that¡¯s just a bonus.What¡¯s more important to him was the genuine love he received from them.That¡¯s why even though he died so untimely, he never felt that sad about it.Because more than the frustration, sadness, and anger, the happiness he received back was even greater.


    He once again looked around.He noticed that there wasn¡¯t really that many changes in the campus during the past seven years.It¡¯s almost the same when he was still studying here.


    Now, how would he go about investigating with these four around him?Not to mention, Su Yuqi would also be with themter.So, how would he do this with five people with him without appearing too suspicious?He fell into a deep thought, thinking of various strategies in his mind.


    "When will Su Yuqi arrive?" Luo Jin asked after a while, he tried his best not to sound too excited.


    "She said she¡¯s already near the main gate," Bai Ze said looking down at his phone, reading thetest message Su Yuqi sent.


    "Is this Su Yuqi also a member of your team?" Luo Ren asked.


    "Yes.We actually talked of meeting up during this holiday since you guys will be visiting us here.So, all of us could meet face to face," Bai Ze answered.


    Hmm.And here, Luo Ren was starting to think Shen Ji Yun dropped by the Bai household specifically for Luo Yan.Guess he¡¯s being a little too sensitive.


    "Is Su Yuqi also studying here?" Luo Jin thought of asking.


    "No, she¡¯s an art student at C Academy of Fine Arts."


    "Isn¡¯t that the one that said to turn away 90% of its applicants every year?" Luo Ren interjected.


    "The one and only," Bai Ze confirmed.


    "She must be very talented then," Luo Renmented.


    "She is.And, well, her family is kind of a famous family of artists.So, she grew up surrounded by canvas, paints, and many other art supplies."


    Hearing those things, Luo Jin suddenly realized that he knew almost to nothing about Su Yuqi.Now, he started to wonder why did he never talk to her about anything remotely personal whenever the two of them met in the game.They would just fight monsters, do tasks, and raid dungeons.The longest they had been together was when they were trying to take revenge on that Alucard.But even then, all they talked about was how to get back at that frivolous vampire.


    Even though he had her WeChat ID, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to even message her.Which kind ofme of him, really.Every time he tried, he would be so nervous that he couldn¡¯t even type a single letter.Times like those made him wonder if Luo Yan¡¯s teasing truly had a basis.


    He shook his head.No, he shouldn¡¯t think of that right now.It would just make him more susceptible in making a fool out of himself.And he didn¡¯t want that to happen especially when he¡¯s finally meeting Su Yuqi.


    "What¡¯s her major?" he just asked his cousin instead of thinking of some unhelpful thing.


    "Chinese painting," Bai Ze answered."Ah, by the way, you should not act too surprise when you see her."


    "Why?" Luo Jin asked curiously.


    "Well, let¡¯s just say she¡¯s the perfect poster girl for the phrase; ¡¯expectation is very far from reality¡¯," Bai Ze said while scratching his cheek.


    Luo Ren would not have much problem on that end.He nced at the silent Shen Ji Yun.Since this guy already broke the image he was expecting.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, thought that Bai Ze only said that because of Su Yuqi¡¯s game avatar.Her image would probably be closer to the avatar she had when they were inside that red door during the King of Arcadia¡¯s birthday event task.Seeing that, Luo Jin would probably not be that surprised seeing her in person.


    Oh, how wrong he was on that front.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t care much about the conversation.His attention had always been on the rabbit.And he noticed that Luo Yan had been silent for a quite a while now.As if he was thinking deeply about something.


    He leaned a bit and asked in a low voice, "Are you okay?"


    Luo Yan¡¯s train of thought was cut off because of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice, his breath directly brushing passed his ear.It kind of felt itchy.He touched the said ear and stepped back a bit.He raised his head and smiled at Shen Ji Yun."Yes, I¡¯m okay."


    Shen Ji Yun was about to say something more when they saw a ck Harley-Davidson motorcycle speeding towards their direction. The driver did a beautiful turn as if they were a professional racer or something and then parked the motorbike at the exact opposite of them.


    The driver got off the bike.From their visage, one could immediately tell that they were a woman.Her pair of long legs were tightly d in dark jeans and ckbat boots.She was wearing a ck leather jacket over a white crop top.Because of that, everyone could see the belly button ring dangling on her t stomach.


    She removed her helmet and a bleached tinum blond hair was revealed. Her hair was cut short in what many would call an asymmetrical style. The one that had choppyyers and stacking at the back with graduated fringe on one side and a longyer on the other.Her pair of indifferent eyes were surrounded with a simple dark eyeliner. Her lips were painted in a ck velvet matte lipstick. The color popped up even more because of how white her skin was. And there¡¯s a silver ring piercing on the left side of her nose.


    She looked like a cross between a high-end fashion model and a biker chick.But somehow, she still managed to rock the look.


    "Su Yuqi!" Bai Ze called the woman.

 Chapter 208 MEETING SU YUQI

    ALL three Luo brothers looked at Bai Ze unbelievingly and then back at the young woman walking towards their direction.


    After Bai Ze warned them not to be too surprised when they saw this Su Yuqi, Luo Ren did think that he certainly wouldn¡¯t.But the image he had in mind of a woman studying Chinese painting at a top art university wasn¡¯t exactly like this.Although he must admit that the girl certainly had a strong visual impact.He immediately got over his initial surprise and regain his usual expression.


    Luo Yan also pretty much return to his senses.Although he was also surprised when he saw Su Yuqi.Because he thought that Su Yuqi would look just like the older version of her game avatar.Well, maybe if he removed the make-up, the piercing, and the bleached hair, she probably would.He must say, not everyone could pull off that style.But Su Yuqi certainly did and much more.


    The one who received the biggest shock was Luo Jin.It¡¯s like his brain was struck by a heavy object and it just stopped thinking.She stared at the woman walking towards them.Was this really Su Yuqi?He tried to get over his initial surprise and stared at the girl.He ovepped her image with the image of her avatar in the red door.


    He reced her bleached hair with a long ck hair, then he removed the eyeliner, lipstick, and piercing.What appeared in his mind was the same face.Proving that this girl was really Su Yuqi.


    Knowing that, Luo Jin once again stared at her from head to toe.Then stopped at her exposed stomach.His whole face suddenly burned up.He quickly looked away.But then, the moment he did, his eyes collided with Luo Yan¡¯s.And, of course, his good brother smirked at him.Those peach blossom eyes of him full of teasing.


    Luo Jin gritted his teeth and quickly looked the other way.


    "Did you wait long?" Su Yuqi asked.Her voice had a deep register which was really nice to listen to.


    "No, we also just got here," Bai Ze answered."Anyway, I didn¡¯t know you rode here on your bike.Did you actually reply to my message while riding on that?"


    Su Yuqi only gave Bai Ze a look as if saying ¡¯why are you asking something so obvious?¡¯.


    "That¡¯s dangerous!" Luo Jin said before he could think properly.


    She nced at him.Being looked at by those indifferent eyes almost made him want to squirm.But at the same time, his heart was also beating faster and faster.Would she be able to recognize him?He couldn¡¯t help but anticipate it.


    Su Yuqi was indeed thinking who this cheeky brat was.But considering she was here to meet the other member of their team, then he could only be either Luo Yan or Luo Jin.She narrowed her eyes at his face.Hmm.If she shrunk him and made him a bit cuter, this face would certainly be the same as...


    "Luo Jin?"


    Luo Jin¡¯s eyes brightened.She recognized him!


    Luo Yan, standing on the side, saw Luo Jin¡¯s reaction.He chuckled.It seemed that despite Su Yuqi¡¯s unconventional fashion sense, it didn¡¯t deter his brother¡¯s little crush.How nice to be young.He also wondered how it felt like to admire someone to the extent that you would feel happy just by a single word from them.


    Unknowingly, he nced at Shen Ji Yun.The other also happened to just look in his direction.Their eyes met and it almost made his heart skip a beat.He tried to smile and then calmly look away.


    What was that?Why did he even look at Shen Ji Yun at that moment?Should he really do an experiment just to confirm why he was sometimes being weird around this guy?No, wait. This was hardly the time for any experiment.


    [Just get yourself together for the time being, Luo Yan.]


    "How did you know he¡¯s Luo Jin?" Bai Ze asked."He totally looks different from his cute gnome avatar, you know?It¡¯s kind of amazing you knew it was him with just one nce."


    Luo Jin turned to Su Yuqi, he even ignored the ¡¯cute gnome¡¯ment made by Bai Ze.Because hearing Su Yuqi¡¯s answer was much more important.


    Su Yuqi gave Bai Ze the look.The one she used when she¡¯s looking at someone as if they¡¯re ants.It was even more effective than when she¡¯s doing it in her game avatar form.


    "Hey, Su Yuqi, how many times do I have to tell you not to look at me like that?" Bai Ze said, clearly annoyed.


    "Then stop saying stupid things," Su Yuqi shrugged."Process of elimination.That¡¯s why I knew it was him."


    Luo Jin wilted like a flower when he heard that answer.Process of elimination, huh?


    Su Yuqi looked around and her gazended on the tall andnky guy standing just beside Bai Ze.If the one earlier was Luo Jin, then could this one be Luo Yan?She stared at his features.Well, he certainly had some that were simr to that moon elf avatar.But wasn¡¯t he a bit too tall?He wasn¡¯t even pretty.And he looked a lot older too.


    No, this couldn¡¯t possibly be Luo Yan.Besides, just thinking that this guy would call her ¡¯sister¡¯ was already giving her the creeps.So, he definitely couldn¡¯t be Luo Yan.


    Luo Ren felt the girl¡¯s gaze on him.She¡¯s probably wondering who he was, so he just introduced himself."I¡¯m Luo Ren."


    Luo Ren?Ah, probably the oldest of the brothers.Bai Ze did say his older cousin would also be here.Su Yuqi thought.So, where was Luo Yan.


    As she thought of that, a sweet voice suddenly called her from behind.


    "Sister Yuqi."


    She looked back and had to lower her gaze just to see the face of the person who called her.As she did, she saw a boy who looked like he was 14 or 15.His big peach blossom eyes were gazing up at her.His pinkish lips were curved in a sweet smile.And his white skin seemed to glow under the light of the sun.


    Even though she was not speaking, Su Yuqi¡¯s expression was clearly saying; Who is this adorable creature?

 Chapter 209 A SIMPLE PLAN

    "LUO YAN?" Su Yuqi asked tentatively.


    Luo Yan tilted his head and smiled."Yes."


    Su Yuqi stared at the kid in front of him.Well, for one, he certainly looked pretty.And if one looked more closely at his face and made it a bit mature, he would definitely look exactly as Noctis the moon elf.But even if that was the case, the atmosphere he was giving out right now was totally different when he was in the game.


    When he¡¯s Noctis, he was giving off this noble feel.Like a beautiful and untouchable flower.You could look but you certainly couldn¡¯t touch.But in reality, that was definitely not the case.Looking at him, all Su Yuqi could see was a soft, big mochi.


    For the first time, she suddenly had an urge to squeeze someone.To pinch them so hard until their cheeks bleed.Should she just do it?Her hands were certainly itching for her to do it.


    "Yuqi," called Shen Ji Yun¡¯s cold voice. "Whatever you¡¯re thinking, don¡¯t do it."


    Su Yuqi nced at Shen Ji Yun and just shrugged."I¡¯m not thinking of anything."


    "Lie!You¡¯re certainly thinking of something diabolical," Bai Ze interjected."You¡¯re looking at Xiao Yan with that nk mean look in your eyes.When your eyes get like that, it¡¯s a sign that you¡¯re up to no good."


    "Stop making me sound like some creep, stupid Bai Ze," Su Yuqi said, about to hit Bai Ze¡¯s shin.


    But Bai Ze quickly jumped away, as if he already expected the attack.It¡¯s quite obvious that they had done this kind of routine quite a number of times.This just showed how well the two, even Shen Ji Yun, knew one another.


    "You really should remember you¡¯re a girl and stop being so violent," Bai Ze said snidely.


    "What¡¯s wrong with that?" Luo Jin suddenly said."If boys can be violent, then girls can be too.That¡¯s called equality.Brother Ze should not discriminate."


    Su Yuqi chuckled and ruffled Luo Jin¡¯s hair.Since she¡¯s tall, it was easy for her to do it."Niceeback, Luo Jin."She turned to Bai Ze."You should learn more from your cousin."


    Bai Ze only snorted.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, touched his hair and then looked down.Probably because he instinctively knew that his expression was pretty embarrassing right now.He probably thought no one was looking at him.But there were two who actually were.His brothers.


    "It seemed like our younger brother is totally whipped," Luo Ren said in a voice that only he and Luo Yan could hear.


    "Then Brother should work harder.It wouldn¡¯t look good if Ah Jin get a girlfriend first before you," Luo Yan teased, also in a voice that they could only hear.


    Luo Ren nced at Luo Jin and Su Yuqi."Nah.Xiao Jin still had a long way to go before that could happen.Besides," he gazed down at Luo Yan."Who needs a girlfriend when I have Yan Yan?"


    Luo Yan could onlyugh.Then he turned to everyone."Shall we start going around the campus?"


    "Right.Where do you want to go, Xiao Yan?Ji Yun and I could take you whichever ce you want," Bai Ze said.


    "How about going to the Department of Computer Science and Technology?" Shen Ji Yun suggested.


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun and almost gave him a thumbs-up.He was actually just about to suggest that, but it¡¯s a good thing that Shen Ji Yun said it first.Now he didn¡¯t have to exin why he wanted to go there.Shen Ji Yun probably only suggested it because he told him once that he was nning to take Computer Science as his major.He¡¯s a bit happy that he still remembered that small fact.


    His n was a bit simple, really.He would just have to talk to one of the teachers here and carefully breach the topic of ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯ ¨C his past life.Surely one of the professors from back then should have an information ¨C no matter how small - on what happened to him.He was, after all, a very famous student in their department back then.Almost all the professors in their department knew of him.


    Although today was a holiday, with a famous university like this, there would definitely be one or two professors working here today, overworking themselves.He just had to find them.Though he already had an idea where to find one.If that person hadn¡¯t resigned in the past seven years, then he¡¯d definitely be here.Probably still tinkering in that ce.


    "Great idea," he said, agreeing to Shen Ji Yun."It¡¯s Brother Ji Yun¡¯s department, right?I also want to go there."


    "Is Yan Yan interested inputers?" Luo Ren asked, noticing his brother¡¯s undisguised enthusiasm when Shen Ji Yun said they should visit the Department of Computer Science and Technology.


    "Yes.Ever since I yed Arcadia, I¡¯ve been very interested inputers.Because games couldn¡¯t be made without them.And I wanted to make my own games in the future," Luo Yan answered.


    Well, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s lying.Because one, Arcadia was truly the reason why he took Computer Science as a major.And two, it was indeed his dream to make games.It was the reason why he was so excited to work for Moonlight Media during hisst life.


    "What a wonderful goal, Xiao Yan," Bai Ze said."Did you decide on that after spending so much time with Ji Yun?"


    "Huh?Brother Ze, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s quite a stretch?What does this guy had anything to do with Yan¡¯s goal?" Luo Jin immediately refuted while pointing his thumb at Shen Ji Yun.


    Luo Ren had the same thoughts.Having his brother chose a goal in life just because of the influence of some random guy doesn¡¯t really sit well with him.


    "Because Ji Yun also has the same major and he¡¯s the nephew of the one who created Arcadia," Bai Ze answered quite straightforwardly.


    Luo Yan pped his hand to get everyone¡¯s attention."Anyway, why don¡¯t we all just go there?" he said before their discussion turned to another argument which would just cause them to waste more time here.With that, he walked forward.Then he turned around and face the others, a sweet smile on his pretty face."Okay?"


    Seeing his smile, the others all had the same thought; [Cute...]

 Chapter 210 WALKING TO THE EAST MAIN BUILDING

    THE group of six started walking towards the East Main Building of T University where the Department of Science and Technology was located.They were walking in group of twos.The one leading were Bai Ze and Shen Ji Yun, followed by Luo Ren and Luo Yan, the one at the rear were Luo Jin and Su Yuqi.It was easier walking that way instead of walking in cl.u.s.ter.


    Even though it¡¯s a holiday, there were still a few students walking around campus.They were probably those who were too busy to go home.Some might be poor students from faraway ces who simply didn¡¯t have the money for fares.And then there were those who simply didn¡¯t have a family to go back to.


    Luo Yan belonged to thest category when he was still studying here.Every holidays and vacations, he would be the only left in the dormitory.Because he was the only one who had no family to return to.A bitter smile crossed his lips.Those were indeed fun times.


    "Yan Yan, are you okay?" Luo Ren asked after noticing the sudden plummeting of his brother¡¯s mood.


    Luo Yan came back to his senses after he heard his older brother¡¯s question.What was he thinking?This was barely the time to feel depressed.How could he make his older brother worried?He raised his head and smiled at Luo Ren.


    "I¡¯m fine, Brother.I¡¯m just thinking of the pet I acquired in the game.I haven¡¯t seen him in two days, so I kind of missed him."


    "I see."Luo Ren was not sure if that truly was the case.But looking at his smile, it seemed that he already got over it."Then do you want a pet in reality?I could buy you one.Do you want a puppy or a kitten?"


    Luo Yanughed.Somehow, he already kind of expected that reaction from Luo Ren."I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready yet for such responsibility."


    Shen Ji Yun who was secretly listening to the conversation of the two thought if he should also give a pet to Luo Yan.A white and fluffy rabbit.No, maybe a fox would be more appropriate.Just like the pet he had in the game.


    As they walk, the eyes of the people they passed by all gathered on them.Not really surprising.A group of good-looking people walking together would always gather the attention of others.


    The one who¡¯s attracting the most attention was Su Yuqi.Not just because she was the only girl but also because her overall style.From her bleached hair to the way she was dressed, everything just screamed ¡¯attention¡¯.And this was just making Luo Jin all antsy for some reason.


    His hands were just itching to punch every people looking their way.Was this the remnant of his delinquent days?He just couldn¡¯t help but be violent, was that it?And here he thought he already had a good grasp of his violent tendency by now.


    "Hey, look at that girl.She¡¯s hot, isn¡¯t she?"


    "Well, the bleached hair and piercing are kind of a turn off.But she does have a s.e.xy body."


    "Should I go for her?"


    Hearing that conversation, Luo Jin¡¯s violence meter just increased.He red at the two guys talking.Which caused the two to step back and then ran away like scared mice.


    "You look like you¡¯re about to beat up someone," Su Yuqimented.


    [Because I am.]


    But Luo Jin calmed himself down.Although he truly wanted to beat up the two, he wouldn¡¯t want to look like some barbarian in front of the others.Yes, definitely not specifically because he didn¡¯t want Su Yuqi to see him that way.Besides, his oldest brother would definitely beat him up if he caused a scene here.So, even if he didn¡¯t want to, he still had to rein in his temper.


    "The building is just right over there," Bai Ze said pointing at the building just a few distance away.


    Luo Yan looked at the familiar building in front.Just a few steps away and he could have the answer to his question.But looking for that answer with these many people around him just wouldn¡¯t be ideal.Besides, he¡¯s not sure if he could maintain his calm once he heard the answer.He didn¡¯t want his brothers to see him in such a state.Because knowing them, they would only be worried for him.And that¡¯s thest thing he wanted.To cause his family any unnecessary worry.


    But he still needed someone toe with him.Because going by himself would only make his brothers ran after him.If he went with someone, then they would at least not immediately assume that something bad would happen to him.So, who should he go with?


    There were only three people to choose from.And it seemed like his hand had already chosen someone.Before he knew it, he was already holding Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand.


    Shen Ji Yun was startled because of the soft palm that suddenly held his.He looked up and saw the rabbit smiling up at him.His heart felt like it suddenly skipped a beat.After that, it just started beating faster and faster.He was probably even blushing right now.


    "Yan Yan?"


    "Yan Yan?"


    Both he and Luo Ren asked at the same time.Then they both looked at each other.He could tell by the look on Luo Ren¡¯s eyes that he was silently telling him to let go of the rabbit¡¯s hand.But how could he just calmly follow that?So, instead of letting go, he just held Luo Yan¡¯s hand tighter.


    Although Luo Yan was slightly surprised by the sudden pressure on his hand.He actually kind of didn¡¯t mind it.He then, instead, turned to his older brother.


    "Brother, me and Brother Ji Yun will go on ahead.Let¡¯s look around the building separately, okay?"


    Before any of them could react, Luo Yan had already pulled Shen Ji Yun inside the building.


    Bai Ze watched the back of the two disappeared inside.Then he suddenly felt an extremely cold air pressure behind him.He turned around and almost shivered when he saw the dark face of his older cousin.


    Luo Ren turned to him."Bai Ze, if something happened to Yan Yan, I will definitely beat the shit out of that friend of yours," he said and smiled, but it didn¡¯t really reach his eyes, so it only looked scary."And maybe you as well."


    "W-wait- why also me?"


    "Because you are friends," Luo Ren answered, as if what he said was very justified."Do you have anyints?"


    Bai Ze could only awkwardlyugh."No, of course not.How dare I?"


    Yes, how dare he when Luo Ren looked so scary?He turned to the building.


    [Ji Yun, you better take care of Xiao Yan or Brother Ren might just skin us alive.]

 Chapter 211 SMALLEST COMPUTER LAB

    SHEN JI YUN was staring at his hand that was still being held by Luo Yan.No, it was probably more urate to say that he was holding his hand.After all, his huge hand waspletely engulfing his.Looking at their connected hands, he felt like a light feather was brushing his heart.


    It¡¯s a weird feeling, it¡¯s like he¡¯s floating and everything inside him was all giddy and fuzzy.He couldn¡¯t even describe it properly.He just knew that he didn¡¯t dislike this feeling.How could he, when he felt this warm?


    The arc of his lips turned up, making his usually expressionless face much gentler.


    That¡¯s what Luo Yan saw when he turned to Shen Ji Yun.It almost made him halt in his tracks.Because seeing such a gentle expression on his face was something rare.It made his already handsome face even more handsome.Looking at him was truly such a feast for the eyes.


    He stopped and shook his head.What the hell was thinking during a time like this?He nced down at their still connected hands.Maybe it¡¯s because of this.He tried to take back his hand, but when he tried, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hold just became even tighter.


    "Brother Ji Yun, ahm, can I get back my hand?"


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to only get back to his senses because of Luo Yan¡¯s request.He unwittingly let go of his hand.And then, he immediately felt a sudden loss because he could no longer feel the warmth from that small hand.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s go to one of the building¡¯sputerb.I want to go to the smallest," Luo Yan added."The others might catch up to us if we don¡¯t move now."


    Thatst sentencepletely woke Shen Ji Yun from his momentary trance.That¡¯s right, if those four caught up to them, then his time to be alone with the rabbit would be cut off.They probably wouldn¡¯t have the chance to be alone together again for the day.


    "This way," he said, then he reached for Luo Yan¡¯s hand.He didn¡¯t even ask why the Luo Yan wanted to go to the smallestputerb."It will be faster this way," he added, not directly looking at Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan looked down at their hands that were once again connected.Shen Ji Yun probably meant that they would reach their destination faster if they held hands.Which was probably true, in a sense.So, he didn¡¯tin and just let him.


    What he didn¡¯t see was that both of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ear tips, even his nape, were now bright red.


    With that, the two walked towards the smallestputerb.


    Luo Yan looked around the familiar corridor.It seemed like nothing had really changed that much in this building as well in the past seven years.He just hoped that the habit of that professor he first thought of when they came here didn¡¯t change as well.Because then, he had to think of another n again.


    Soon, they arrived at their destination.


    "Here it is," Shen Ji Yun said, stopping in front of a double door.


    Looking at the door in front of him, Luo Yan suddenly felt nervous for some reason.Was it because he¡¯s meeting someone from hisst life?Or was it because he was about to learn what happened to his body?Either way, he still had to go through this door.So, it¡¯s useless to worry about this right now.


    He took a deep breath and turned to Shen Ji Yun."Let¡¯s go inside?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded and opened the door.Both of them walked inside.There were desktopputers arranged in a station like manner.Aside from all theputers being thetest model and some improvements here and there, the room looked exactly as Luo Yan remembered.


    "Wow.What a cute room!" he said, acting all amazed and surprised while walking further and turning around.


    As he did that, he also nced around and observed the surrounding.Now, where was that code maniac of a professor?


    He walked towards the area where that person usually was.If he was here, he would definitely be on his favorite spot.A special nook at the very corner.He often cooped himself there with hisptop, always typing various codes.And because there was barely any ss being held here, he just made this ce his own.


    During his senior year, when he was doing his thesis, this professor just happened to be assigned to Luo Yan as his adviser.Unluckily enough.So, he had spent quite a lot of time in thisputerb as well.That¡¯s why he knew quite a bit about that person¡¯s habits.


    Although he was his adviser, he barely guided him with his thesis.Rather, every time he was here, all they did was y games.It¡¯s because that guy was such a sore loser despite being so bad at yingputer games.Which was really weird considering how much of a genius he was in any other thingputer rted.


    He was quite the young professor.If Luo Yan remembered correctly, that guy was only in his mid-20s when he died.So, he would be in his early 30s now.


    After a while, he heard the familiar sound of someone typing.He turned to the left and on that familiar nook, he saw a rather shabby looking man sitting with his knees up and aptop on hisp.He was lying in such a peculiar angle, one would question how the heck was he able to type that way.


    His ck hair was messy with a long fringe that was almost covering his eyes.There were huge dark circles under his eyes, a sign that he often didn¡¯t sleep much.The whiteb coat he was wearing was all crumpled.And he was nibbling on something.if Luo Yan guessed correctly, it¡¯s probably lollipop.


    [There he is.]


    Professor Rong Shun!

 Chapter 212 RONG SHUN

    LUO YAN walked towards the professor and peeked on the screen of hisptop.Just like he thought, he was typing strings of codes.Probably for some program or something.


    "What are those codes for?" he asked.


    Rong Shun didn¡¯t nce at him.He didn¡¯t even show any signs that he was surprised by the sudden appearance of some kid in his favoriteputerb.Instead, he just continued typing.


    "Is it for aputer program?" Luo Yan asked again, not the least bit bothered that he was being ignored."Or maybe you¡¯re hacking into some site or something?"


    Thatst one finally got Rong Shun¡¯s attention.He turned towards the direction of the annoying voice that suddenly disturbed his ¡¯me time¡¯ and was momentarily speechless when he saw its owner.It was a beautiful kid, probably in his early teens.A boy who definitely inherited the best genes from both his parents, letting him have an almost perfect physical appearance.But Rong Shun quickly got over his surprise.If one didn¡¯t look closely, they wouldn¡¯t even notice that he was surprised for a second.


    "What are doing here, kid?Lost?" he said, closing hisptop and putting down his legs.


    Luo Yan smiled.He knew he would get this guy¡¯s attention once he mentioned the word ¡¯hacking¡¯.After all, when Rong Shun was still his thesis adviser, he would catch him hacking into some site.It mostly happened whenever he¡¯s pissed on a product he bought.He would then hack on the official website of thepany that created that product.It¡¯s really nothing serious, mostly just childish stuff.Like putting a random doodle all over the site or shutting it down for a couple of hours.The IT department of thosepanies had never traced the hack back to Rong Shun.Which spoke highly of his skills as a hacker.


    Luo Yan once asked him why he let him know about that little hobby of his.Was he not afraid that he would tell it to others?Or worse, use it as some ckmail material?He just said that he¡¯s not the type who would bother to waste his time doing something like that.He was kind of surprised when he heard that answer.Because it was the truth.He never expected Rong Shun who usually didn¡¯t care about his surroundings to be quite observant.


    "I¡¯m not lost.I came here with my friend," he said.


    Friend?Was there an excursion for middle school student today?But wasn¡¯t it the holiday? ¨C Rong Shun thought.


    "Yan Yan¡ª" Shen Ji Yun who finally caught up with Luo Yan stopped what he was about to say when he saw the person he was talking to."Professor Rong," he greeted with a slight bow.


    "Shen Ji Yun, you know this kid?" Rong Shun asked when he saw this rather famous student.


    Oh?So, he knew Shen Ji Yun.This guy only bothered to remember the name of students who impressed him.Well, Luo Yan had no doubt that Shen Ji Yun could impress Rong Shun.His appearance alone was enough for people to remember him.


    Shen Ji Yun walked beside Luo Yan."He¡¯s my friend."


    That was rather an unexpected answer.And here Rong Shun thought this expressionless guy who almost seemed like a doll instead of a person wouldn¡¯t have any friends.Wait- how could this ice block have a friend this young?


    "Don¡¯t you mean younger brother?" he said."I know it¡¯s not easy for you to have friends.But it¡¯s ratherme to pass of your younger brother as one."


    Shen Ji Yun felt the corner of his left eye twitched because of what the professor said.He tried not to react because he knew he wasn¡¯t mocking him when he said that.He was simply stating his opinion.Since Shen Ji Yun became a student here, he had been to a few of Rong Shun¡¯s lectures.And anyone who interacted with him, even just a little, would know how weird he was sometimes.


    Even though he was a professor, he always looked sloppy.Even during his lectures, he would be nibbling on some lollipop or something.There was no stopgap between his brain and his mouth.So, he doesn¡¯t hesitate to say the first thing that came to his mind.That¡¯s why everyone thought of him as rude.But the lectures he gave was really good and easy to understand.So, Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t mind that quirk of him one bit.


    Until now, that is.


    "Teacher, that¡¯s rude.I am really Brother Ji Yun¡¯s friend," Luo Yan admonished.


    "Oh, sorry then," Rong Shun said."So, does that mean you just prefer kids as friends?"


    Again, Shen Ji Yun felt the twitching at the corner of his eye.But he chose not to react because he could feel that this weird professor was just genuinely curious.


    "That¡¯s even more rude.I¡¯m not a kid.I¡¯m already 17, you know?" Luo Yan said seemingly affronted.


    Shen Ji Yun happened to nce at the rabbit.He was pouting and his cheeks were slightly bulging.Even though he was ring at Rong Shun, it didn¡¯t have any effect at all because of how cute he was.Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hands were itching again to pinch him.


    "Seriously?" Rong Shun said, looking all surprised.He stood up and looked at Luo Yan up and down.As if studying some rare specimen."Are your parents both short?Or do you simplyck the proper hormones to grow tall?No, maybe you¡¯re being mistreated that¡¯s why you¡¯re not eating properly and wasn¡¯t able to receive the needed nutrition for you to grow?"


    This guy.Luo Yan felt like a vein on his forehead would pop."That¡¯s definitely the rudest!I simply haven¡¯t got my growth spurt yet.I swear, next year I¡¯m going to be 20 cm taller!"


    "I highly doubt that."Rong Shun bent down towards Luo Yan and stared at his face."Kid, I suggest you don¡¯t get your hopes up or you would be in for a big disappointment."


    Shen Ji Yun stepped between the two,pletely hiding Luo Yan behind him."You¡¯re too close, Professor Rong."


    "Ah, really?"Rong Shun didn¡¯t ask much and just stepped back.


    Luo Yan peeked from behind Shen Ji Yun and said to Rong Shun, "Teacher, I will definitely grow 20 cm by next year.And my name is not ¡¯kid¡¯, it¡¯s ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯."


    And just as Luo Yan wished, there was a noticeable change in Rong Shun¡¯s expression when he mentioned his name.

 Chapter 213 THE DEATH OF LUO YAN

    "YOUR name is Luo Yan?" Rong Shun asked.


    The shift in Rong Shun¡¯s expression was the chance Luo Yan was waiting for."Does Teacher know of someone with the same name?" he asked in the most natural way possible.


    "Why do you ask?"


    Luo Yan walked out behind Shen Ji Yun before he answered Rong Shun¡¯s question."Because you looked like you remembered someone when I suddenly mentioned my name."


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the professor.He didn¡¯t notice any significant change in his expression.So, he couldn¡¯t understand what the rabbit meant.Maybe it¡¯s because Luo Yan was probably more sensitive than him when it came to other people¡¯s emotion.Well, anyone would probably be more sensitive than him.Especially since he hardly understood emotions ¨C the others and even his own.


    "Do I really?" Rong Shun asked, holding his chin as if thinking hard.


    "You probably just missed that person who has the same name as me," Luo Yan said."Does he live somewhere faraway?"


    The way he¡¯s asking would probably show that he¡¯s definitely interested in this person who had the same name as him.But because he was acting all na?ve and innocent, it didn¡¯te off like that at all.He just seemed like a kid curious about everything.


    "Faraway, huh?That¡¯s one way to look at it," Rong Shun answered.


    "Is he a very close friend?" Luo Yan asked again.He would continue to ask until he got the most important answer.


    "He¡¯s not.He¡¯s just some troublesome student who got his life cut short in themest way possible."


    [Hey now.When did I ever cause you trouble?As far as I can remember, it¡¯s the other way around.And although I died in thatme way, it¡¯s not as if I told that potted nt to fall straight to my face.]


    But, of course, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t say that.He couldn¡¯t even get himself to get angry.Not when Rong Shun had that nostalgic look tinged with a bit of sadness on his face.


    "This student, he passed away?" Shen Ji Yun asked.Although he¡¯s not really interested in this topic, the rabbit seemed like he was.He probably found it novel, hearing a story about someone with the same name.


    "Yes, seven years ago.Got done in by some potted nt just a few days after he graduated.Laughable, right?"


    "I don¡¯t think anything that involves death could be consideredughable," Shen Ji Yun said in a serious tone.


    [Yes, go and preach on him, Shen Ji Yun.]


    But, again, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t just say that straight out.Not when he still hadn¡¯t gotten the answer he wanted.


    He looked up at Rong Shun, he made sure that his expression would show just the right amount of sadness and fear."So, this person with the same name as me, he¡¯s already gone?"


    Shen Ji Yun nced at Luo Yan, all worried.He suddenly realized that this topic might be too much for the rabbit.After all, he also had a near death experience at such a young age.Maybe this conversation would bring out the trauma from that ident.


    But surprisingly enough, although Luo Yan looked sad and scared, he didn¡¯t feel that he really was.If this was any other person, they would probably feel disappointed when they saw someone they knew acting to show their sympathy to someone.But Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t feel that way.He was, in fact, rather d that the rabbit was not really sad.


    "His parents must have been heartbroken," Luo Yan added.


    "If they were alive, then yes, they must have been," Rong Shun said, taking out the lollipop stick from his mouth and throwing it to the nearest trash can."He¡¯s an orphan, that guy."


    "That¡¯s... sad," Luo Yanmented.Although it¡¯s truly a bit creepy talking about his death in hisst life, he must still persevere to know the answer.


    "Yeah."


    Rong Shun was in the campus when that ident happened.Luo Yan was a pretty famous student, so that word of what happened to him immediately spread.Rong Shun left whatever he was doing to rush to the hospital.He was already undergoing surgery then.The doctor managed to save him.But he fell into aa after that.Then a few dayster, his body gave out and s.u.mbed to death.


    And just like that, a person who definitely had a bright future ahead of him, died.


    Rong Shun learned from Luo Yan¡¯s three roommates that he was an orphan.For the one year that he spent as his adviser, he didn¡¯t even realize that he was in that kind of situation.Because he always looked so happy.With people always constantly surrounding him.But at the time of his death, he didn¡¯t even have a single family member with him.


    Yes, it was indeed heartbreaking.


    "Did... did he die alone?"


    This time, even Luo Yan knew that he was not acting.The fear in his voice was real.He was afraid.Afraid that he would hear from Rong Shun that he died all alone.He thought that he was already over it.That he had already epted the possibility of that.But it seemed that that was not the case.


    Because dying alone meant that no one genuinely cared about him.He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it turned out that way.Considering how fake he was.The way he manipted people to suit his needs, the way he constantly lied and deceived people.Always putting up a wall between him and other people.How could someone like that deserved the genuine care of others?


    Luo Yan looked down, he could feel his hands trembling.He smiled bitterly.Really, just how much of a coward was he?


    He was startled when he suddenly felt a big, warm hand enveloping his trembling hand.He turned to Shen Ji Yun.His blue eyes silently asking if he¡¯s alright.Luo Yan didn¡¯t know the answer to that.So, he could only do his best to smile at him.


    "He didn¡¯t."What Rong Shun said made Luo Yan sharply turned to him."He was in aa for a couple of days after that ident.The director of the orphanage he grew up in remained at his side through all that.His three roommates were also there.Me as well."


    Luo Yan felt like the chain in his heart suddenly broke into pieces when he heard that.It was almost as if a part of him was freed from something that¡¯s tying it down.He felt lighthearted.He truly could not exin what he was feeling.If he was happy or sad.He just knew that he was relieved.


    [I see... I see... the director and those guys, even this guy here, were all there.]


    He was not alone.Even if he was such a sc.u.mmy person, even though he didn¡¯t show his real self to them, those people still cared for him.Enough that they would remain at his side during such a time.


    [I see...]


    And he did not even notice that a single tear drop had already fallen from one of his eyes.

 Chapter 214 THE LAST QUESTION

    SHEN JI YUN, who was standing beside Luo Yan, immediately noticed that single tear drop.Without much thought, his body moved on its own and cupped the rabbit¡¯s face.When he saw that single tear drop falling down the rabbit¡¯s satiny cheek, he felt like something just pierced his heart.It was a very unpleasant feeling and he didn¡¯t like it.Not one bit.


    He wiped the tear drop using his thumb."Don¡¯t cry.Don¡¯t be sad."


    Luo Yan was startled because of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s sudden action.It was only then that he realized that he had cried.He must be much more affected by the news about his ¡¯death¡¯ than he expected him to be.But he could honestly say right now that he was fine.The emotions that were almost suffocating him earlier had already vanished.Now, he only felt refreshed and lighthearted.


    He raised his head to look at Shen Ji Yun and was surprised to see his expression.Yes, there was a very clear expression on his face.Like a mix of worry, sadness, anger, and frustration.This was the first time he saw him showing such a variety of emotions.And when he told him to not cry and be sad, he almost looked like a puppy trying to cheer up his master.It looked kind of cute.


    He smiled and put his hand on one of the hands of Shen Ji Yun that was cupping his face."I¡¯m fine, Brother Ji Yun.Some dust probably just got into my eyes."


    Shen Ji Yun clearly felt earlier the sadness that suddenly enveloped Luo Yan.That¡¯s why he became even more worried when he saw that tear drop.But now, seeing his smile, the one that looked like flowers were blooming around him, Shen Ji Yun finally felt relieved.He hated seeing him sad, much more so seeing him cry.But as he realized those things, he also just noticed that his hands were still cupping the rabbit¡¯s face.Because he was leaning over him, their faces appeared very close to each other.


    He immediately let go and stepped back.Both his ear tips were burning red."That¡¯s good then."


    "It¡¯s the holidays, so this ce hasn¡¯t been cleaned yet," Rong Shun said, probablymenting about the topic of ¡¯dust¡¯ that Luo Yan mentioned.He didn¡¯t even care about that little interlude between Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun.


    Luo Yan turned to the professor who was now sitting back on his nook again."Was he buried in a cemetery in this city?"


    Although Rong Shun was a bit confused why this kid was so curious about ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯, he still answered his question.He had already told him a lot anyway.And besides, it was rare that he could talk to someone about that troublesome student of his."No, he¡¯s buried at the province where the orphanage he grew up in was.It was the request of the director."


    He was actually the one who paid for the burial because the orphanage didn¡¯t have the money for that.Which he didn¡¯t mind.After all, he had more money than he knew what to do with.


    Luo Yan smiled a little.The director, she probably truly considered him as a son.Whereas he only acted kind and obedient because he wanted to be liked.Because he wanted his life at the orphanage to be a little bit better.Even after he was reborn, the thought of the director and that orphanage never crossed his mind.Which just showed how much of a sc.u.m he was.


    He should probably repay the director for all the kindness he received from her.Something that he could easily do now, considering just how rich the Luo family was.If he asked his father to donate money to an orphanage, he was sure that he would not be rejected.That¡¯s the least thing he could do.At least for now.


    Once he could, he would definitely visit the orphanage and personally give his gratitude to the director.He should probably do the same for those three roommates of his.


    Now that most of his question was answered, he only had one question in his mind."Teacher, you said that he died because a potted nt fell on him.Was it only an ident?"


    "It was.Apparently, a student who also just graduated at that time forgot to close the window of his room.There was a potted cactus nt there.When Luo Yan passed by, it so happened that the wind blew a tad bit too strong and the potted cactus nt fell over straight to him."


    Luo Yan winced, remembering the feel of that potted nt smashing his handsome face.And it was a cactus to boot!But, well, it¡¯s good to know that someone didn¡¯t try to murder him and the whole thing was just an ident.However, it¡¯s still very frustrating though.How unlucky was he that day he really had just to walk at the moment when a strong wind blew that potted nt over?Well, at least he had a good life now.


    "Do you have any more questions?Because I would really like to go back to my work," Rong Shun said looking at hisptop.


    Luo Yan shook his head."No, nothing more."He turned to Shen Ji Yun."Let¡¯s go, Brother Ji Yun."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded and the both of them walked towards the exit of the building.But before theypletely left, Luo Yan nced back at Rong Shun.


    "Professor Rong, thank you for everything.And see you next year!" he smiled and waved back before following Shen Ji Yun.


    Rong Shun who was left there raised one of his eyebrows.Next year?Was the kid nning to go to this university?Well, he did say that he was already 17.He¡¯s a bit overconfident, wasn¡¯t he?


    Well, Rong Shun hoped he could still remember the kid when next year came.


    Shen Ji Yun asked Luo Yan where else he wanted to go and the both of them ended up going to the building¡¯s rooftop.He nced at the rabbit and saw him smiling up at the clear blue sky.He was giving off so much ¡¯happiness vibe¡¯ that it almost felt like it¡¯s radiating from deep within him.As if a huge weight had just been lifted from those tiny shoulders of his.


    "Do you feel happy right now?" he couldn¡¯t help but asked.


    Luo Yan nced at him and answered without hesitation, "Yes."


    "That¡¯s good."


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised when he saw that a small smile crossed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips.As if hearing him happy also made him happy.Then he suddenly remembered that idea of wanting to do an ¡¯experiment¡¯.So he could analyze the emotions he sometimes felt when he was with Shen Ji Yun.They were currently alone right now with no other people around.This was the perfect ce and time to do that.


    And so he did.


    He walked up to Shen Ji Yun and hugged him.

 Chapter 215 (UN)SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT?

    SHEN JI YUN wasn¡¯t sure what was happening right now.The moment Luo Yan¡¯s thin arms surrounded his waist, his whole body just automatically froze.Almost as if he was being nailed on the spot.When he finally realized what was happening, all he could feel was the warmth of Luo Yan¡¯s body against his.And then his heart immediately went into overdrive.


    It was beating so uncontrobly fast that the amount of blood it¡¯s pumping was probably more that it should.And that¡¯s probably why his whole face was heating up as if he was inside a very hot sauna.All his mind could think of was; how can this body be so soft and warm?


    He couldn¡¯t exactly describe what he¡¯s feeling right now.If he was shy, happy, or confused.Maybe it was all of those emotionsbined together.All he was certain of was that he didn¡¯t dislike this feeling.In fact, it would probably more urate to say that he liked it.This uncontroble beating of his heart, these confusing emotions welling up inside him, he didn¡¯t mind them.He relished the idea that he only ever felt this way whenever he¡¯s with Luo Yan.Because that just showed how special the rabbit was to him.


    But the question was why?Why did he feel this way towards Luo Yan?Why was he the only one who¡¯s special?Suddenly, the answer that he somewhat able to grasp earlier when heid his eyes on Luo Yan again was finally taking shape.He felt like just a bit more and he would be able to name this unknown emotion that had been guing him since the day he met the rabbit two months ago.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, was also quietly questioning himself.He hugged Shen Ji Yun so he could check if he would feel different once they had this kind of skin ship.To see if his heart would throb or if he would feel embarrassed.He wanted to know if what he was feeling for Shen Ji Yun was tonic or something else entirely.That¡¯s why he did this kind of ¡¯experiment¡¯.


    Don¡¯t people often say that being close to the person you like on the physical level would make you feel all tingly and bubbly inside?Like the fizzy feeling one felt when they drank a very cold soda.


    But after a few seconds in this position, Luo Yan hadn¡¯t felt anything at all.Well, it was indeedfortable hugging him and all that.Because he was so warm.It was almost like he was hugging his favorite plushy ¨C the one that Luo Jin gave him.But he was sure that was not the kind of emotion he was looking for.So, was this the answer to his question?


    Then he heard a loud sound.Like a drum beating very fast and hard.It was only then he realized that the sound was Shen Ji Yun¡¯s heart.Because of their height difference, he barely went passed his shoulders, so he could hear the beating of his heart perfectly.


    "Your heart is beating so fast and loud," hemented without much thought.


    After he said that, he didn¡¯t think it was possible but Shen Ji Yun¡¯s heart beat became even faster.Wouldn¡¯t this guy have a heart attack if this continued?He raised his head to look at Shen Ji Yun and was extremely surprised when he saw how red his face was.


    It was almost the color of a very ripe and very red apple.Luo Yan suddenly had an urge to bite him.Because he just looked so delicious in his eyes right now.Before he could think more properly, he already tiptoed and then bit Shen Ji Yun¡¯s chin.


    After a second, both of them froze.


    Realizing what he just did, Luo Yan quickly let go of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s waist that he was still holding and stepped back as fast as he could.What the heck?What the heck?What the heck?What did he just do?Did he really just bite another person¡¯s chin?What was he, a pervert?


    Does this mean that, in some way or another, he was indeed attracted to Shen Ji Yun?But was that one time urge really enough to prove that?No, he needed more concrete proof.Which meant he needed to experiment more.But doing so right now, wouldn¡¯t Shen Ji Yun think of him as a pervert?He shook his head.He couldn¡¯t continue this now.Maybe some other time.But definitely not now.


    He tried to calm himself.And when he thought that he was finally able to act normally, he turned to Shen Ji Yun."I¡¯m sorry, Brother Ji Yun, if I made you feel ufortable.I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten over me.Maybe I¡¯m just hungry or something."


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t look up and just said, "It¡¯s okay."


    Honestly, he didn¡¯t even hear what Luo Yan said.Because his heart was beating even louder and faster right now.It¡¯s almost as if he was having some kind of panic attack.He didn¡¯t know what to do.If he just went and copsed because of this, it wouldn¡¯t even surprise him.Truthfully, his chest felt so tight right now he couldn¡¯t even breath properly.Maybe he would really end up copsing.


    And all the faulty in Luo Yan.Just why did he do that?He was already having a hard time calming down because of his sudden hug.And then he just suddenly did that thing ¨C b-biting his chin.It was the reason why he was currently on the verge of having a heart attack.


    But, of course, he couldn¡¯t me Luo Yan for this.He couldn¡¯t even bear raising his voice at him, in what universe could he actually tell him ¡¯it¡¯s all your fault¡¯?He put his hand in front of his still wildly beating heart and clenched his shirt tightly.Seriously, he needed to find a name for this unknown emotion.Because he had a feeling that if he didn¡¯t find out soon enough what it was, he would really go crazy.


    Just then, Luo Yan received a WeChat message from his older brother.


    [Ren]: Yan Yan, I think you already had enough fun.Come and meet us outside the building.


    Since his motive for going here was already finished, he no longer needed to be far away from his brothers.So, he replied and said yes.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun."Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s go down.The others are already waiting for us outside."


    Shen Ji Yun could only nod.


    And the both of them, with different thoughts swimming inside their head, went down the rooftop.

 Chapter 216 LUO YANS WEIRD TRAIN OF THOUGHTS

    THE day ended with the group of six touring almost half of T University.When the clock struck five, Luo Ren decided that it¡¯s time for them to go home.Luo Yan had no objection.After all, he already aplished the reason why he went here in the first ce.The others also had no opinion.The only one who looked like he still didn¡¯t want to go home was Luo Jin.Knowing him, he probably just wanted to spend more time with Su Yuqi. But being the tsundere that he was, of course, he wouldn¡¯t admit that outright even if someone called him out to it.


    But because Luo Yan was in a pretty good mood, he decided to help his little brother out.


    "Sister Yuqi, Brother Ji Yun, why don¡¯t the two of you have dinner back with us?" he asked.


    Luo Jin who looked a bit disappointed earlier when Luo Ren said that they should go home suddenly perked up.Like the cloud of gloom surrounding him just cleared and it became sunny once again.Luo Yan almostughed seeing that reaction.


    "Yeah, good idea," Bai Ze agreed."Mom would definitely cook more than we could eat anyway."


    "I don¡¯t mind," Su Yuqi said.


    During this time of the year, their house was always filled with people ¨C rtives and family friends alike.She was always constantly irritated because of that.Not because he hated people but because they kept on nagging her about almost everything.From the way she dressed and present herself to her non-existent romantic rtionship.The first one, she didn¡¯t mind that much.But thetter was a different matter altogether.Those people always wanted to match her with some guy they knew.Telling her that she¡¯s not that young anymore and she should try to start looking for her other half.


    Not that young?She¡¯s only freaking 20!She hadn¡¯t even graduated from university yet.Did they want her to get married this early?


    Most of those people were from the same generation as her grandparents.So, they were also pretty old-fashioned.They pretty much believed that women would only be considered as aplished if they married into a good family and had children of their own.


    It was something Su Yuqi never agreed with.What, were women a different species from men?Men, women, they were all humans.So, distinctions between genders should not exist in the first ce.When you put the two into two different boxes, then that¡¯s when discrimination happened.Something that this country had loads in spades.


    "Sorry, I think I¡¯ll go home.I forgot that there¡¯s something I needed to do," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Jin who was just celebrating internally because Su Yuqi agreed to going back with them felt weird when he heard Shen Ji Yun¡¯s answer.Because he was sure that this guy would go with them.Did he eat something bad or did he just hit his head?


    Luo Yan was also surprised to hear that Shen Ji Yun was not going with them.When he turned his gaze to him, the other quickly turned his gaze away.Which annoyed Luo Yan more than it should.Ever since they left the Department of Computer Science and Technology¡¯s rooftop building, Shen Ji Yun had been acting weird.He never looked in his direction, not even once.He was also walking pretty far away from him.It was pretty obvious that he was trying hard not to get close to him.


    Luo Yan already had a guess on the reason why Shen Ji Yun was acting that way.It¡¯s most likely due to what happened at the rooftop earlier.Or most urately, to what he did.Well, any normal guy who was suddenly hugged and got his chin bitten by another boy would probably react the same way.


    He sighed.Should he have not done that?But there wasn¡¯t any other way in which he could verify if he really was attracted to Shen Ji Yun in that way.And this was the result of that.Shen Ji Yun was probably thinking that he¡¯s a pervert.If this was what it¡¯s going toe to, he¡¯d rather not have done it.What would he do if he was proven right anyway?Would he go and chase after Shen Ji Yun?Confess his feelings to him?And then what?


    He didn¡¯t mind falling for a guy.For him, it would be a miracle if he could even find someone he could fall in love with.So, if it¡¯s a girl or a boy, it wouldn¡¯t have that much difference to him.But it might not be the same for Shen Ji Yun.Just now, he only hugged him and bit his chin, but he was already acting weird.What more would it be if Luo Yan confessed to him or something?


    Not that he would, since he¡¯s also not even sure what he truly felt for the guy.He was just talking hypothetically.But if he did end up falling for Shen Ji Yun, knowing himself, there¡¯s a high chance that he¡¯d definitely chase him.When that happened, a lot ofplications would certainly arise from that.There¡¯s his family who would probably have a heart attack after learning that the most precious member of their family turned out to be gay.The people around him who would definitely judge him for his s.e.x.u.a.lity.And then, there¡¯s Shen Ji Yun himself.


    Knowing how much his family loved him, they would definitely not disown him just because of that.Luo Yan also didn¡¯t care about what people would say about him.What he was most worried would be Shen Ji Yun¡¯s reaction.It was fine if he only rejected him.But what if the friendship that they built also crumbled because of that?That¡¯s one thing Luo Yan didn¡¯t want to happen.


    Wait- why was he even thinking of these things as if it was already a given fact that he would fall for Shen Ji Yun?He shook his head hard andpletely erased those weird thoughts.


    "But your car is still back in the house," Bai Ze said, reminding Shen Ji Yun.


    "I¡¯m sure Shen Ji Yun could just send someone to take it back," Luo Ren said."Am I right?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded."Then I¡¯ll go ahead."


    He was about to walk when he heard Luo Yan called him.


    "Take care on your way, Brother Ji Yun!"


    Shen Ji Yun only raised his hand to wave without looking back.He needed to go back home quickly.And then search for the name of this unknown emotion that the rabbit awakened inside him.


    The inte would probably have an answer for this.If that didn¡¯t work, then he would just ask his uncle straight up.Surely, a man his of age and experience would have an answer.


    With those thoughts in mind, he walked even faster.

 Chapter 217 SHEN JI YUNS DILLEMA

    SHEN JI YUN called a taxi to take him back home.The moment he was seated at the backseat of the taxi, he immediately opened Baidu in his phone.He remembered Bai Ze telling him before that there were forum sites where one could post anonymous questions and other people visiting the site could answer them.


    When he finally found the said site, he didn¡¯t hesitate to post his question.


    Anonymous: [I can¡¯t help but give too much attention to a friend of mine.Whenever he¡¯s around, my eyes always automatically follow him.I always wanted him to have a smile on his face and always be happy.I wanted to protect him from anything that might harm him.I can¡¯t handle seeing him sad, especially not seeing him cry.Whenever we identally touched, I couldn¡¯t help but get fl.u.s.tered.My heart would start beating so fast.Sometimes, I feel like I couldn¡¯t even breath.Is this all because I just think of him as a very special friend?Or is there some other reason?]


    Not long after, Shen Ji Yun received a reply.


    [Of course, there¡¯s some other reason!It¡¯s very clear that you like that friend!Why are you even asking something so obvious?]


    His hand holding the phone shook and he almost dropped it when he read that reply.But he quickly calmed down again.Then he replied back;


    Anonymous: [Yes, I do like him.]


    [I feel like you didn¡¯t understand what I just said.] ¨C replied by that person again.


    Then another user also posted their reply.


    [This is probably the first time the original poster felt like this, am I right?]


    Anonymous: [Yes.]


    [No wonder you didn¡¯t understand what I said.And here I thought you justckprehension.]


    [We should not be too tough on her then.And exin everything to her properly.]


    Wait- ¡¯her¡¯?Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t have time to correct that because a barrage of replies suddenly appeared under his post.


    [What¡¯s with this super innocent post?]


    [Apparently, this was the first time the original poster felt like this.That¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s feeling.]


    [The original poster is probably only a high school student.]


    [Ah, the spring breeze of youth.I still remembered the time when I was young and very innocent.]


    [Then we should help the original poster to understand her own feelings!]


    [Isn¡¯t this a very easy problem to solve?Original poster, you are simply experiencing the feeling of having a first love.]


    [That¡¯s right.You¡¯re in love with this friend you¡¯re talking about.]


    [I suggest you go ahead and confess to him before it¡¯s toote.]


    [True.Now that you realized your own feelings, it¡¯s better to strike while the iron is hot.Go and confess!]


    Reading all thosements, Shen Ji Yun finally dropped his phone.His mind actually turnedpletely nk.He couldn¡¯tprehend the things he just read.What were these people saying?He was in love with Luo Yan?How could that be?How could they even end up with that conclusion from the things he just said?


    Wait- these people thought that he was a ¡¯girl¡¯.Could that be the reason?


    So, he picked up his phone that fell and typed;


    Anonymous: [Both me and my friend are guys.]


    After he sent that, there was a momentary silence in the barrage area.Until that person who first replied to his post said;


    [Then, dude, you¡¯re gay.]


    [Am I experiencing a first-handing-out of the closet story?]


    [Kyaaaa!!!A real-life BL!Could I write this one as a fan-fic?]


    [Goodluck.Even though the road ahead of you would certainly be hard, I wish you and your friend all the best.]


    Shen Ji Yun no longer read the respond that followed after that.Because all his mind could focus on was that one reply; [Then, dude, you¡¯re gay.]


    He¡¯s... gay?


    When he arrived home, he was still in a bit of a daze.His brain felt like it just short-circuited and he couldn¡¯t even tell the right from left.It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that he¡¯s now having an identity crisis.Like a truth you believed for the past 20 years of your life was just suddenly thrown into the gutter.And now he had to face something that could possibly change the course of his life forever.


    How the hell could he remain calm?


    When he entered the house, Shen Yi Mu who was reading a book in the living room thought that his nephew looked like some mindless zombie aimlessly walking.


    "Ji Yun, you¡¯re back early," he called."I thought you would eat dinner at the Bai¡¯s, so I didn¡¯t ask the housekeeper to cook dinner.Are you okay with take-outs?"


    Shen Ji Yun stopped in his tracks and turned to his uncle."Yes, take-out is fine," he said, not really thinking much.


    Shen Yi Mu stared at his nephew¡¯s face and noticed that there¡¯s something wrong with his expression.It¡¯s not the usual expressionless one.Rather, his face waspletely nk.As if he was at the end of his rope and had no idea how to proceed after."Is something bothering you?"


    At his uncle¡¯s inquiry, Shen Ji Yun decided to ask him for advice.Maybe his uncle could give him a better grasp of the situation he was currently facing.


    "Uncle, how would you know if you¡¯re in love with a person?"


    Shen Yi Mu was surprised by this sudden question.Oh, was his cold as ice nephew finally experiencing the spring of his youth?He truly wanted to just tease him.But looking at his state right now, it would probably be better to just give him a serious answer.


    "Well, what I will tell you is just based on my experience, but it might not be the case for everyone.When you¡¯re in love, you basically feel much happierpared to normal.It¡¯s like you¡¯re always in some sort of high.When you discover new things, you want to try and do it together with that person.Even the things you have done a thousand times before felt much more fun when doing it with them.You find yourself wanting to spend more time with them, to experience life with them.They¡¯re always in the back of your mind.And you get just a little bit jealous when they give more attention to others than to you.


    "You start seeing them as an extension of yourself, so when they¡¯re hurt, nervous or really excited about something, then you experience the same feelings as them.You wanted them to always be happy.Seeing them cry feels like there¡¯s a thousand needles poking at your heart.You¡¯d rather be the one who¡¯s hurt than them.Unknowingly, you start to include them in your future.As if it¡¯s the most natural thing.Andstly, all the cheezy love songs suddenly make sense."


    Shen Ji Yun stared at his uncle.This was the first time he had seen him with such a soft look on his face.It¡¯s almost like he was reminiscing.And maybe he did.Maybe he said those things while thinking of that person he fell in love with.


    He suddenly fell into a deep thought.While listening to his uncle, there was only one person that kept on shing in his mind.Every sentence his uncle said applied to that person.The more he heard, the more the image of that person became even clearer in his mind.Until it was only filled with Luo Yan¡¯s beautiful face ¨C smiling at him and calling him ¡¯Brother Ji Yun¡¯.


    This led him to a sudden realization.That realization slowly made his heart beat faster and faster.Almost as if it would burst at any second.He could no longer deny it.


    He was indeed in love with Luo Yan.

 Chapter 218 LEAVING B CITY

    "YAN YAN, are you really going to leave today?" Bai Ye asked, holding Luo Yan¡¯s hand.His big eyes were already starting to be filled with tears, his expression was clearly saying ¡¯don¡¯t leave¡¯.


    They were at the living room of the Bai household, saying their goodbyes.Because today was the day that the Luo family would go back to S City.Everyone was there, except for the head of the family ¨C Bai Zhen.


    Luo Yan bent down a little and put his hand on Bai Ye¡¯s cheek."Yes, we need to because Ah Jin and I have school tomorrow.Dad and Brother also have to work.We also wanted to stay here more but we still have to fulfill our responsibilities.Xiao Ye understands, right?"


    Bai Ye pouted but still nodded in agreement."I understand."


    Bai Ze, standing on the side, raised one of his brows.And here he thought this brat would definitely make a ruckus because Luo Yan would leave today.He was already expecting shouting and bouts of tears.But who would have thought that this kid would be so calm today?


    "But Yan Yan, don¡¯t forget your promise, okay?" Bai Ye added.


    Luo Yan smiled."Of course, I won¡¯t forget to call you every Saturdays."


    Ah, so that¡¯s why.Bai Ze thought.Luo Yan already made apromise that¡¯s why the kid was not acting out.He put his hand on top of his little brother¡¯s head and ruffled his hair."Try not to take too much of Xiao Yan¡¯s time.I know how you could ramble on and on about useless things."


    Bai Ye frowned at his brother."Brother, I don¡¯t ramble about useless things.How could you say that?"


    "Brother Ze is right.You should only talk to Yan for about 10 minutes.That should be enough," Luo Jin said with a bit of teasing in his voice.


    "Yes, I think that¡¯s very reasonable," Bai Ze agreed.


    Bai Ye¡¯s eyes were filled again with tears when he heard what Luo Jin said."What can I talk to Yan Yan for 10 minutes?"He rushed to Luo Yan and hugged his thigh."Yan Yan, they¡¯re bullying me."


    "Don¡¯t mind them," Luo Yan appeased."Xiao Ye can talk to me for as long as you wanted.But if I have to cut the call short or if I¡¯m unable to receive your call on certain Saturdays, you have to promise Brother Yan that you won¡¯t sulk or throw a tantrum.Okay?"


    Bai Ye seemed to think about it and although looking very unwilling, he still nodded at the end."Okay."


    The a.d.u.l.ts who were watching this interaction allughed and smiled.


    "In just a short period of time, Xiao Yan already knows how to handle Xiao Ye," Bai Chen said."A huge feat if you asked me."


    "It just shows how sensitive Xiao Yan is to other people¡¯s emotions.He¡¯s very simr to Mei Hua in that way," Sun Xin said.


    Luo Wei Tian couldn¡¯t agree more.And maybe that¡¯s why Luo Yan had them all wrap up in those little fingers of his.Not that any of them mind of course.


    "By the way, is it really okay not to wait for Father-inw to wake up?" he asked after a while.


    They had to leave soon so they wouldn¡¯t bete for their flight.But leaving without saying goodbye to his father-inw just didn¡¯t sit well with him.


    "It¡¯s okay.It would just be harder for you to leave if Dad is present," Bai Chen said.


    Luo Wei Tian understood what Bai Chen was saying.Considering how attach his father-inw had been to Luo Yan, he might have a breakdown if he found out that they would be leaving today.Which might even affect his already weak body.And he didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    "But it might have no difference when he woke up and find that Luo Yan was no longer here," he said.


    "That might indeed happen.But it¡¯s even more probable that he had already forgotten that you were here," Bai Chen said with a tinge of sadness in his voice.


    It¡¯s a normal urrence for people with the same ailment.One day, they had a particrly clear mind, the next day, they had already forgotten the things that they did yesterday.Most people with rtives in that kind of situation would rather not deal with that.Because they not only needed to be patient and understanding, they also had to take a lot of variables into ount.Like the patient¡¯s mental and physical health.They also had to support them emotionally.


    Most people would just give up and send these patients to a nursing home.They thought that the money they spent was enough to fulfill their obligation.But Bai Chen never thought that way.Having this kind of ailment didn¡¯t mean that their identities were suddenly scrubbed off and they¡¯re no longer the people their families used to know.They¡¯re still them.What they needed most was their families¡¯ love and care.And for as long as Bai Chen was alive, that¡¯s what he would give to his father.


    "Don¡¯t worry, if Dad suddenly missed Xiao Yan, I will show him the video that we shootst night," Sun Xin said.


    Ah yes, that video.Luo Wei Tian almost forgot about it.It was a video of Luo Yan just speaking straight to the camera and telling how he had to leave and study at S City.Anyone who would have watched it would think that his son was speaking directly to them.The video was obviously for his father-inw.


    After a while, it¡¯s finally time for them to go.


    "Yan Yan, you have toe back again on your next vacation, okay?" Bai Ye said, hugging onto Luo Yan.


    "Yes, I definitely will."


    "Come now, Xiao Ye, stop clinging on your Brother Yan," Sun Xin said, lifting Bai Ye up.Then she smiled at Luo Yan."But my kid is right.Make sure toe back for your next vacation."


    Luo Yan smiled back."Yes, I definitely will, Aunt."


    After onest goodbye, the Luo family climbed inside a ck mini-van.Just like when they arrived here, it was Bai Ze who drove them to the airport.


    They arrived at the airport a little more than an hour before their scheduled flight.Which was just right.Because usually, boarding time was either 30 minutes or an hour before the scheduled flight.


    "Ah Ze, you don¡¯t have toe with us to the waiting area," Luo Wei Tian said.


    "It¡¯s alright, Uncle.I can help you bring your luggage."


    "There¡¯s no need.Xiao Jin could carry them all," Luo Ren said.


    Luo Jin who was just mentioned looked at the number of bags inside the trunk."Brother, as far as I can remember I only have two hands."


    "I know.That¡¯s why you have to carry two bags with one hand," Luo Ren said, not the least bit guilty, he even smiled at Luo Jin.


    Luo Yan chuckled."Brother, you¡¯re bullying Ah Jin again."


    "What bullying?I¡¯m just showing him my brotherly love," Luo Ren said, acting all mortified.


    "Then I don¡¯t want your ¡¯brotherly love¡¯," Luo Jin said dryly.


    Luo Yan was about to say something to also tease Luo Jin when a very familiar voice suddenly called his name.


    "Yan Yan!"

 Chapter 219 SHEN JI YUNS DECISION

    SHEN JI YUN was driving towards the airport.He knew that today was the day that Luo Yan would leave and return to S City.He also knew the time of their scheduled flight since he asked Bai Ze about it in passing yesterday.He actually nned to wake up early so he could go to the airport early.Then wait for Luo Yan there.But unfortunately, he woke upter than he expected.


    It¡¯s all because he barely managed to sleep.His mind had been constantly upied for the rest of the night andsted until almost morning.It¡¯s like all his brain cells were in overdrive.Making him unable to sleep.He probably only managed to for about one or two hours.


    The reason why was pretty obvious.All because he realized his feelings for Luo Yan.He finally found out the name of that unknown emotion that continued to grow inside of him the longer he spent time with Luo Yan.


    Love.


    An emotion he never thought he would feel for someone who¡¯s not family.But he did.After that discovery, all the unexinable things he had been feeling whenever he¡¯s with Luo Yan finally made sense.If he was someone who had already experienced something like this before, then he would probably have long realized why he was feeling that way.If he just sat down and think carefully, the answer would probably automaticallye to him.


    But sadly, this was the first time he ever felt this way.That¡¯s why he ended up all confused and muddled.Like a child who couldn¡¯t find the answer to a very easy question no matter how hard he looked.Now that he knew the answer, he suddenly realized how stupid he had been.Going around and around in circles, only to find out that the answer was pretty simple.If he could punch his past self, he probably already did.


    This emotion that was currently filling his whole being, it was like being overjoyed andpletely baffled at the same time.Feeling giddy inside like there were thousands of butterflies constantly flying in your stomach.But at the same time, also making your brain all fuzzy like you couldn¡¯t even think properly.It was certainly not a veryfortable feeling.But he weed it all the same.


    How could he not when it was the proof that he fell in love with Luo Yan.


    He suddenly blushed.He was still not used to saying that out loud inside his mind.And then immediately shook his head.Why was he being embarrassed all by himself?


    Shen Ji Yun knew that realizing his own feelings was just the start.Now, he had to think on how he would proceed.Would he just be content with looking on to him and never trying to confess his feelings?To retain this peaceful status quo?Or would he go on ahead and do his best to make him feel his love?


    Honestly, he couldn¡¯t really give an answer right now.Because there were a lot of things to consider.If he was someone reckless who never thought about the future, then he would certainly do the letter.It meant that he was not worried about the future.That he was willing to let Luo Yan go down this road.Even if this road was full of thorns.


    But he couldn¡¯t do that.Not when there¡¯s a high chance that Luo Yan would be hurt.That he would experience all kinds of discrimination.That at the end of it all, he would just end up hurt and battered.How could Shen Ji Yun ever let that happen?


    He nced at his clock dashboard and saw that it¡¯s nearing Luo Yan¡¯s flight.He immediately speeded up and drove the car as if someone was chasing him.


    Soon, he arrived at the airport.And just his luck, when he parked his car and climbed out, his gaze immediately caught that familiar figure standing at the distance.Before he could think, he already found himself calling him.


    "Yan Yan!"


    When he turned around and showed him that sweet, bright smile, Shen Ji Yun felt like his time just stopped.The answer he was looking for just presented itself in front of him.


    No, he couldn¡¯t give up on his feelings.He couldn¡¯t just give up on Luo Yan.


    He didn¡¯t want this love to remain lock inside him.Never seeing the light of day.To fully and freely express this emotion to Luo Yan.To do everything in his power to make Luo Yan fall for him.


    It might be something selfish ¨C to pull him down in this kind of path. But he just could not let it all end this way, without him even telling his feelings. He wanted to be the one always standing on Luo Yan¡¯s side. He wanted to be there during his times of happiness, sadness, triumph, and failure. To give him all the support he could give. To bring him all the happiness he so deserved.


    He wanted to be the partner who would be there for the rest of his life.To live with him until their face were covered in wrinkles and their hair all turned white.To experience all the things that life had to offer.Together.


    If Luo Yan would give him the greatest honor of allowing him to stay by his side as that one special partner, then he would work all his life to love him.He would never let a timee when Luo Yan would regret that decision.And the only way to do that was through action ¨C to show him with his deeds just how much he treasured him.


    But as he said, going down this path would not be easy. They wouldn¡¯t only be under the scrutiny of society but their families and friends as well. They would be judged harshly, maybe even criticized in the most awful way, especially in this kind of country where same-s.e.x rtionship was deeply frowned upon. But wasn¡¯t that why Shen Ji Yun was here?


    He would shield Luo Yan from all of those things.All the negative emotions that people would throw at them, he would receive it all.He would never allow any of it to reach Luo Yan.The only thing he would bring to him was happiness.Loads and loads of it.


    So, he finally made a decision.He would do his best to chase after Luo Yan.No matter how many years it would take, no matter rejections he might face, he would never ever give up.


    With that in mind, he took a step forward.Towards the direction of the boy who would be his only future.


    *****


    Are you seeing the new design of the author¡¯s note in the app? It¡¯s kind of hassle since I love doing mini-theaters and this new design totally cuts them off (since they¡¯re a bit long). So, I¡¯m putting this here in case it would get cut off too. Anyways, if you see a mini-theater or if the author¡¯s note looked iplete, just try to click on the A/N to read the whole thing. (¡Ð_¡Ð;)

 Chapter 220 TO SCALE TWO TALL WALLS

    LUO YAN was pleasantly surprised to see Shen Ji Yun suddenly appearing here at the airport.He actually wanted to meet up with him before they went back to S City.Not only to say goodbye personally, but also mainly to apologize for how he acted yesterday.Considering the way Shen Ji Yun acted after Luo Yan did those things, he was probably offended.That was the normal reaction.


    No matter how pretty Luo Yan was, he was still a guy.And doing those ¨C hugging and biting ¨C to another guy was certainly not considered normal.There¡¯s a high chance that he would be thought of as a pervert or something.Although Shen Ji Yun treated him very well, there must be a limit to it.Knowing just how anti-social he was, he would definitely dislike when someone suddenly did that to him.Especially if that someone was a person he had only known for two months.


    But when he tried to contact Shen Ji Yun, his fingers just refused to move.It¡¯s like the word ¡¯shame¡¯ suddenly became a part of his vocabry.That¡¯s the only reason he could think why he suddenly couldn¡¯t contact Shen Ji Yun.Because he was embarrassed to do so.


    Something very unlike him.


    He was nning to just talk to him in the game and apologize there if he didn¡¯t manage to meet him today.But who would have thought that he woulde here himself?


    "Ji Yun, are you here to say goodbye to Xiao Yan and Xiao Jin?" Bai Ze asked when Shen Ji Yun reached them.


    Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t care less about the gnome.But he couldn¡¯t really say that straight when the rest of his family was here.Especially since he was still Luo Yan¡¯s brother.No matter how much he annoyed Shen Ji Yun, he was still one of the people he needed to gain approval from in order to be with Luo Yan.


    "Yes," he just answered, but his gaze never left Luo Yan.Obviously telling others that he was only really there for Luo Yan.Then he realized what he¡¯s doing and immediately turned to Luo Yan¡¯s father."Good morning, Sir.I hope I¡¯m not bothering you foring here."


    The most important approval he needed to gain was from Luo Yan¡¯s father.So, he needed to show him his good sides.Even though he might appear all rigid because he couldn¡¯t properly show his expression on his face, he at least wanted to be seen as someone polite and with proper manners.


    "No, it¡¯s okay," Luo Wei Tian said.


    He heard a little from Bai Chen about this kid¡¯s situation.So, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sympathetic towards him.


    Luo Ren suddenly put his arm around Luo Yan¡¯s shoulders."Thank you for being such a good friend to my brothers."


    Shen Ji Yun nced at Luo Ren.Although he wasn¡¯t showing his dislike of him upfront like Luo Jin, Shen Ji Yun could still feel that this older brother Luo didn¡¯t like him that much.Now that he realized his feelings, he suddenly wondered if these two sensed that he¡¯s interest in their brother might be not so tonic.That¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t help but just dislike him.


    If that was the case, then he could understand a bit why they were acting like that towards him.If he also had a brother as adorable as Luo Yan, he would also act the same way.


    He took his gaze back and looked at Luo Yan once more.Although he said that he would chase him, he truly had no idea how he would do that.He couldn¡¯t just directly confess.That would surely earn him a rejection.He needed to be battle-prepared.Maybe he should consult the inte once again.Those people from before were pretty helpful.


    Luo Yan turned slightly to his older brother."Brother, I have to talk to Brother Ji Yun about something.Can you let go of my shoulders, please?"


    Luo Ren stopped for a bit and then smiled at Luo Yan."You can just tell him whatever you want right here."


    "No, I have to tell it to him alone," Luo Yan insisted.


    "What can you say to him that you can¡¯t say while you¡¯re around us?" Luo Jin said, clearly a bit disgruntled.


    Luo Yan sighed.Seriously, why were these two suddenly teaming up right now?So, he could only nce over his father and give him his puppy dog eyes ¨C trying to look pitiful and adorable at the same time.Which, of course, immediately worked.


    "You two, stop being unreasonable and just let your brother talk to Ji Yun."


    After his father said that, Luo Yan removed Luo Ren¡¯s arm from his shoulders and quickly pulled Shen Ji Yun a few distance away from the rest.Not that far that they would not be seen.But not so close either that they could easily hear what they¡¯re talking about.


    He didn¡¯t dally and just went straight to the point."Brother Ji Yun, I¡¯m sorry for the things I did yesterday.I hope you were not offended."


    Shen Ji Yun was confused at first why Luo Yan would think that.And then he remembered the way he acted after that incident on the rooftop.If he was on Luo Yan¡¯s shoes, he would definitely have the same idea.He suddenly wanted to kick himself for acting so awkward yesterday.


    "No, I was not offended," he quickly said."I was just surprised, that¡¯s all.But not offended.So, there¡¯s no need for you to apologize."


    Luo Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that."Then why were Brother Ji Yun acting like you were mad at me or something?You wouldn¡¯t even look at me yesterday," he said, sulking a bit.


    Shen Ji Yun tried his best not to move his hand and pinch Luo Yan¡¯s cheek.He just looked so cute, sulking like that."How could I be mad at you?I was just surprised."


    "I still feel a bit guilty though," Luo Yan said, which was true.Because even if Shen Ji Yun said that he wasn¡¯t offended, at some level, it definitely made him ufortable."If there¡¯s anything I can do to make it up to you, tell me, okay?And you definitely can¡¯t say ¡¯no¡¯."


    Shen Ji Yun smiled helplessly.He no longer resisted and just pinched Luo Yan¡¯s cheek."Okay."


    Then Luo Yan was startled when both his hands were suddenly held.He turned his head from side to side and saw both his brothers holding each of his hands.He didn¡¯t even notice when the two approached them.


    "It¡¯s time to go inside," Luo Ren said, smiling down at Luo Yan.Then he looked at Shen Ji Yun, no longer smiling.His gaze full of silent warning.


    Luo Jin, on the side, was also ring at Shen Ji Yun.


    And the two pulled Luo Yan away.Luo Yan could only helplessly nce back at Shen Ji Yun and smiled apologetically at him.Shen Ji Yun nodded as if telling him that he understood.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the back of the three and could only sigh.It seemed like there¡¯s really a very long road ahead of him.And before he could even reach Luo Yan, he probably had to scale two tall walls named Luo Ren and Luo Jin.After that, a guard by the name of their father would probably be still waiting for him.Once again, he could only sigh.


    But that didn¡¯t matter.Because he would still forge ahead.He would scale any walls and climb any mountain as long as it would lead him to Luo Yan.

 Chapter 221 BACK TO SCHOOL (I)

    LUO YAN and Luo Jin were walking towards the small restaurant located at the hidden corner of Guizu Academy.It¡¯s already lunch break so they¡¯re going there now.The holiday was already over, they were back to school again.Because of so many things that had happened, Luo Yan felt that he was gone for a month instead of just three days.


    Anyone would probably feel the same if they were in his position.Meeting his grandfather and seeing his struggle with dementia, finding out what happened after his death anding to terms with it, and then there was that stupid experiment with Shen Ji Yun.He almost couldn¡¯t believe that all of those happened in just three days.He was truly productive.


    But the most important gain for him was finally knowing that he didn¡¯t die too pitifully like he thought he would.He imagined that his body was left at the morgue with no once iming it.Then after some time, it would just be donated to the medical department of some university.dly, that didn¡¯t happen.His body was not left unattended.He even had his own grave.But most importantly, he didn¡¯t die all alone.There were people by his side who were willing to stay with him.


    Another thing he was surprised about was that he actually didn¡¯t die immediately and was instead in aa for a couple of days.His soul was probably to stubborn to go to the afterlife.That¡¯s why when his body died, he looked for another body to inhibit.Then he ended up with this body.Which probably long been an empty shell, its original soul probably already drank Meng Po soup and entered the circle of reincarnation.


    He truly wished that the original ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯ would be born in a good family in his next life, who would then love and pamper him to bits.And that unlike hisst life, he would have a long and very fulfilling one on his next.One where he could grow up into a.d.u.l.thood, have his dreams fulfilled, and do all the things he couldn¡¯t do in his previous life.


    "Yan, what did you and Shen Ji Yun talked about yesterday when we¡¯re at the airport?" Luo Jin suddenly asked, cutting off Luo Yan¡¯s train of thoughts.


    "Ah Jin, you already asked this question quite a number of times already," he said, sighing helplessly.


    "It¡¯s because you always said that you didn¡¯t talk about anything."


    "Which was truly the case.Why won¡¯t you believe me?"Luo Yan raised his head and tried to appear sad and offended."Does Ah Jin think that I¡¯m lying?"


    "No, of course not!" Luo Jin quickly said before he could really think.It¡¯s almost like an automatic response.Even though he mostly figured out that he was probably only acting.He still couldn¡¯t help but danced to his tune whenever his second brother showed such a pitiful expression."Fine, I won¡¯t ask you anymore."


    Luo Yan smiled and linked his arm on Luo Jin¡¯s.Then he decided to just borate on his answer so that his younger brother wouldn¡¯t ask him again."We didn¡¯t really talk about anything important.I just apologized because I yed a prank on him when we were alone in the Department of Computer Science and Technology building."


    Luo Jin furrowed his brows."A prank?"He suddenly remembered the weird way Shen Ji Yun was acting after the two returned from that building.Was that the reason why, because Luo Yan yed a prank on him?"What did you do?"


    He was hoping that it was something embarrassing.That would certainly serve that expressionless guy right.


    Luo Yan had a feeling that if he told Luo Jin that this ¡¯prank¡¯ involved him hugging Shen Ji Yun and biting his chin, this little brother of his would definitely have a meltdown.He would probably even fly back to B City just so he could personally beat up Shen Ji Yun.So, Luo Yan just chose to lie on the spot.


    "I teased him that I was about to fall off the stairs.But he took it seriously and almost fell of the stairs himself."


    "You shouldn¡¯t have done that!" Luo Jin immediately scolded,pletely forgetting about his wish of his brother embarrassing Shen Ji Yun."What if you really fell off the stairs?"


    "I know.I won¡¯t do that again.That¡¯s why I apologized to Brother Ji Yun because I really scared him," Luo Yan said in a way as if that event really happened.


    Even though Luo Jin didn¡¯t like Shen Ji Yun, he could sympathize with the scare he must have felt when Luo Yan did that.


    "By the way, Ah Jin, did you say anything bad about Brother Ji Yun to our older brother?" Luo Yan added,pletely changing the subject.


    He asked that because after he and Shen Ji Yun left the Department of Computer Science and Technology building, his older brother became slightly antagonistic towards Shen Ji Yun.Although he didn¡¯t really show any particr liking towards the guy before that, Luo Ren was at least very civil towards him.But after Luo Yan pulled Shen Ji Yun into that building, although he wasn¡¯t very direct about it like Luo Jin was, he could still feel Luo Ren¡¯s dislike towards Shen Ji Yun.


    "Are you using me of badmouthing him?Hmp!Why would I even do that?Do you think I¡¯m that childish?"


    Although Luo Jin did n to do just that at the beginning.But he was feeling guilty at that time, so he never had a chance to do that.Good thing their older brother still reacted the same way though at the end.As expected, he probably also felt that that Shen Ji Yun had some kind of ulterior motive towards Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan looked at his younger brother suspiciously.But still chose not to pursue the topic.He believed that once Luo Jin started spending more time with Shen Ji Yun, he would soon know all his good points.


    They soon arrived at the small restaurant.When they entered inside, Luo Yan immediately saw a girl sitting at a very inconspicuous corner.She was tall with short hair and big, thick sses that almost covered half of her face.


    Luo Yan smiled and called her, "Yu Jiao!"

 Chapter 222 BACK TO SCHOOL (II)

    LUO YAN walked towards the table and sat opposite Yu Jiao."Here, souvenir for you," he said, putting a small blue paper bag in front of her.


    Yu Jiao was slightly startled when Luo Yan put the paper bag in front of her.She hadn¡¯t had yet the time to react to their arrival and he already did something like this.She suddenly remembered the scene early this morning in their ssroom.Almost all the girls in ss gave something to Luo Yan that were from their hometowns.Even some of the boys did that as well.


    Luo Yan was very apologetic since he didn¡¯t bring anything for them.Saying that it had been very hectic and he didn¡¯t have time to buy any souvenirs for everyone.The others didn¡¯t mind.Probably because Luo Yan looked very troubled and they didn¡¯t want him to continue to have that kind of expression.In that sense, one could say that he already truly captured the hearts of almost everyone in their ss.


    Not really surprising.He was beautiful, smart, very sociable, and had a good family background.He¡¯s so outstanding, everyone would easily be drawn to him.And yet, this same person asked to be his friend.Her who had no redeeming qualities.Even now, when he told others that he didn¡¯t buy any souvenirs for them, and yet he had bought one for her.


    Luo Yan was confused why Yu Jiao suddenly went silent.Then, he remembered what happened earlier in ss, about him not buying any souvenirs.Was it because of that?


    "Don¡¯t worry, what I bought was not something very expensive.I actually just bought it on the souvenir shop at the airport, so Yu Jiao shouldn¡¯t feel troubled," he assured her.


    Yu Jiao finally moved and opened the paper bag.Inside was a memo pad and a mechanical pencil.It certainly didn¡¯t look expensive.But it still made her heart extremely warm.This was the first time that she received a gift from someone other than her mother.She wanted to treasure it.She picked up the paper bag and hugged it to her chest.


    "T-thank you."


    "Your wee," Luo Yan said, smiling brightly."I only bought one for you because you¡¯re special."


    Yu Jiao raised her head."S-special?"


    "He meant that as a friend," Luo Jin suddenly interjected."Don¡¯t you go on having any weird expectations."


    Luo Yan elbowed Luo Jin."Ah Jin!"


    "What, I¡¯m only helping her out!What if she suddenly developed a crush on you when you clearly don¡¯t n to reciprocate it back?Your gentleness and kindness towards her would only backfire and she would only get hurt at the end.Do you want that to happen?"


    Luo Yan stared at his brother.He certainly didn¡¯t expect that answer.It¡¯s like they¡¯re in point A and he certainly made a turn towards point B.Although he must admit that he certainly had a point."Just where did you learn that?"


    Luo Jin suddenly couldn¡¯t answer.How could he say that it¡¯s from those romantic novels he read onlinest night?Why was he reading those?He got curious and just wanted to know more about romance.It definitely had nothing to do with Su Yuqi.That¡¯s right.Su Yuqi was definitely not the reason.


    "I just know it," he harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest.


    Luo Yan was about to say something when he heard a smallughter from the front.He turned his head and saw Yu Jiaoughing.


    "I knew it.Smiling really suits Yu Jiao more," he said.


    Yu Jiao stoppedughing and blushed profusely.She really didn¡¯t mean tough.It¡¯s just that, the interaction between the two was too funny.She wasn¡¯t offended by what Luo Jin said because that didn¡¯t even cross her mind.She was already very thankful that Luo Yan was willing to befriend someone like her.How could she even think of something like that?


    When she was about to apologize, she suddenly remembered what they saidst time when she apologized forughing.That when she found something funny, she couldugh as much as she wanted to.That when she¡¯s with them, there¡¯s no need to hold back herughter.So, she stopped herself from apologizing.


    Luo Yan smiled.She didn¡¯t apologize likest time.It seemed that they¡¯re already making progress."How was your Mid-Autumn Festival?"


    Yu Jiao froze for a moment before answering, "I-it¡¯s okay."


    But based on the sadness that suddenly enveloped her, Luo Yan was pretty sure that it¡¯s definitely not okay.Was her family the reason why shecked self-esteem?


    Luo Yan guessed it right.Yu Jiao¡¯s Mid-Autumn Festival was certainly not ¡¯okay¡¯ as she said it was.


    She came back to the Mo household on the 13th because of her mother¡¯s request.She couldn¡¯t refuse.So, that night, she endured another round of verbal abuse from her stepsister.She truly wanted to fight back.But she already learned her lesson.Because once when she did, her stepsister easily turned things around against her.Because she was not good at talking, she couldn¡¯t properly exin herself.Since then, she just endured and just let her words flow from one ear to another.


    It seemed like this topic was andmine for Yu Jiao, so Luo Yan decided to change it."Jiao Jiao ¨C can I call you that?"


    Yu Jiao was startled when she heard Luo Yan call her that.She was still hesitating whether she should agree when she saw the hopeful look on Luo Yan¡¯s face.She bit her lower lip.She truly needed to grow some backbone.She heard that calling each other by nicknames was a sign of a close friendship.She- she also wanted to be a close friend to Luo Yan.But that wouldn¡¯t happen if she didn¡¯t have the courage to take a step forward.


    "O-okay.Then," she took a deep breath before continuing, "c-can I also call you Yan Yan?"


    "Of course," Luo Yan answered, smiling brightly."You can also call him Xiao Jin," he said, pointing his thumb at his younger brother.


    "Hey, Yan, don¡¯t decide for me, will you?" Luo Jin said, clearly disgruntled.


    Once again, Yu Jiao couldn¡¯t help butugh.

 Chapter 223 PLANNING FOR OPENING NIGHT

    AFTER Luo Yan got back from school and did all his after-school ritual, he logged in the game and entered Arcadia.He appeared inside the team¡¯s headquarters.Now that the Mid-Autumn Festival was over, it¡¯s time to concentrate on the uing opening of his pavilion thising Saturday.


    He didn¡¯t have to worry about the pavilion itself because everything was already prepared on that end.The things he needed to prepare were mostly external stuff.Like how he would deliver the customers across theke.Because the distance from the other side of theke to the pavilion was quite far.He couldn¡¯t possibly let his future guests swim across theke just to go to his pavilion.


    He was thinking of having a permanent mode of transportation that his customers could use.Like boats for example.He just had no idea what steps he should take to do that.Anyway, he would just ask Shen Ji Yunter.He was sure that that guy would definitely have the answer.


    The other one was how many guests should he allow to visit on the opening night?Because of the sessful effect of the advertis.e.m.e.nt, even now, its topic was still thriving in the forum, Luo Yan was certain that many yers woulde to visit.Just to see for themselves if the ce was really as good as how it was advertised.But the pavilion could only amodate 300 yers at most.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t want to fill the pavilion with 300 yers on the its opening night.Not only would it be a headache to control the crowd, it would also be too noisy.Because he was sure that most of those yers would juste there due to their curiosity.Then it wouldn¡¯t be long before the whole ce became like a wet market.No- he couldn¡¯t allow that.


    Instead of numbers, what he wanted more was prestige.To make the yers feel that having been allowed to enter Yuexing Pavilion made them just a tad bit special.That being allowed inside was some kind of honor that only a few could have.That kind of strategy would certainly bring him more money in the long run than carelessly letting just any yers to be a guest in his pavilions.


    But how should he do that?


    The best way was to make it a membership only ce.Only those who were given a membership card would be allowed toe and go inside the pavilion.Of course, it couldn¡¯t be just a simple membership.It should be divided into Bronze, Silver, and Gold.Bronze being the lowest level and had the least amount of privilege.Silver membership card would have a higher level of privilege than the Bronze.Then the Gold was for the VIPs.He would also add a rare ck card that could only be given to VVIPs.


    He just had to think what kind of privilege each membership levels would have.This was something he just thought of right now.He had to at least think carefully of what kind of privilege each membership card would entail.This was his first business after all, albeit virtual.He couldn¡¯t be careless.


    He needed to think of a design for the membership card.It had to have a symbol that would represent Yuexing Pavilion.The kind that once people see, they would automatically link it to the pavilion.Then he suddenly remembered that Yu Jiao was pretty talented when it came to drawing and designing.Maybe he should ask her tomorrow if she could design the card.Yes, he¡¯d do just that.


    Now, for the opening night, Luo Yan nned to only send invitation to famous yers.Like people from top teams, top yers on the PvPdder, and other yers that made a name for themselves.It would probably not ount for more than 100.Which was just fine.What he needed from them was their reputation and poprity.The knowledge that they were there for the opening night of his pavilion.


    He was nning to record everything that would happen during the opening night.Of course, he would do some close-up of some of the most popr yers.He would edit it and make a video coge, then post it on the forum.


    Luo Yan was not worried that the yers he would invite wouldn¡¯te.Everyone assumed that Yuexing Pavilion was an in-game business owned by the gamingpany itself.That conjecture was only supported further because the personal Weibo ount of Moonlight Media posted the advertis.e.m.e.nt he made on their ount.These invited yers would think that the gamingpany invited them themselves.Once a rumor spread that only elite yers were invited to the grand opening, the invitation they received would be an automatic ego booster.They wouldn¡¯t be able to resist thinking; ¡¯ah, I was chosen, I am special¡¯.Which, in the end, would make them eager to go.


    There¡¯s only one problem.Another yer, aside from the members of Yunyue, knew that the owner of the pavilion was in fact another yer ¨C him.It¡¯s Uriel, someone who belonged to the current top team ¨C Celestials.The guy was literally there beside him and Shen Ji Yun when the King of Arcadia gave him the pavilion.It would be bad if Uriel suddenly spread that information.


    It had been a week since the advertis.e.m.e.nt was released.And since then, there hadn¡¯t been any spection that the pavilion was owned by a yer instead of the gamingpany.Which meant that Uriel hadn¡¯t talked to anyone about it yet.But Luo Yan couldn¡¯t let his guard down just because of that.He still needed to make sure that no problem would arise from that.It seemed like he had to pay Uriel a visit.Just thinking of seeing that condescending four-eyes again was already making his teeth itch from annoyance.


    It seemed like he would be extremely busy in the uing days before the opening.


    Luo Yan was about to walk towards the main hall when a stream of ck light suddenly pounced on him.He was startled and almost staggered back because of the impact.He thought he would feel pain, but he only felt something soft and fluffy on his chest.He looked down and his gaze collided with a pair of the brightest blue sapphire.It was Eclipse.His three tails wagging happily behind him, showing that he was in a very good mood.


    [Mashter!]


    The hand that was about to touch the little fox¡¯s head stopped mid-air.Wait- did this guy still hadn¡¯t managed to fix his lisp?

 Chapter 224 I MISSED YOU

    LUO YAN lifted Eclipsed up until their eyes were on the same level.[Eclipse, didn¡¯t I say that you should fix your lisp?Howe it seems like nothing has changed?]


    The little fox showed a pouty expression.[Mashter, are you doubting Eclipse?See, I didn¡¯t lisp when I said ¡¯eclipse¡¯, ¡¯see¡¯, ¡¯lisp¡¯, and ¡¯said¡¯ just now.]


    Well, he certainly fixed his lisp.Although it¡¯s truly cute to hear his lisp at first, but if he continued to talk inside Luo Yan¡¯s head in that way, it would just be annoying in the long run.He might not even want to converse with this little fox if that happened.So, it¡¯s better to fix it now.He didn¡¯t even know why he head a lisp in the first ce, considering how they only conversed mentally.


    [Then howe you¡¯re still calling me ¡¯Mashter¡¯.]


    Eclipse tilted his head.[Because it¡¯s cute?]


    Luo Yan suddenly felt that his hands became itchy and he just wanted to pinch this little thing until his ck fur was no longer shiny.But he resisted.He¡¯s the master here.He couldn¡¯t just lose his majesty here just because his pet was too cute for words.But in the end, he still couldn¡¯t resist.He hugged Eclipse to his face and rubbed their cheeks together.


    [Mashter, that tickles!Do you miss Eclipse so much?]


    [Of course!How could I not?You¡¯re master¡¯s little baby.]


    A bell-likeugh echoed in Luo Yan¡¯s mind.[Eclipse also missed Mashter very much!]


    [Really?I missed you too.]Luo Yan said while continuing to rub his cheek against Eclipse¡¯s soft and fluffy cheek.[What did you do while master was away?]


    Based on the pet manual that he read from the official website of Arcadia, pets could move freely even if their masters were not logged in the game.Their masters could give them instructions before they logged out or they could just let them roam freely.Once they logged in, their pets would automatically be transported to their location.Just like what happened just now.


    He didn¡¯t give Eclipse any other instruction aside from him fixing his lisp.Surely, that¡¯s not all that he did these past three days.


    [Eclipse fought lots and lots of monsters!Eclipse wanted to get stronger faster.Then Eclipse will soon have aplete nine tails!]


    After the little fox said that, Luo Yan open his Status Window and opened the Pet Status tab.Surprisingly, Eclipse was now level 12.There were two ways for a pet to level up.One was the old-fashioned way ¨C gain experience.It could be done by killing monsters or by doing task together with their master.The second one was to drink exp potion.He personally preferred the first one.Because gaining experience by fighting could sometimes also increase the pet¡¯s stats.


    He closed the Status Window and petted the little fox.[Good job.What does Eclipse want for a reward?Master will give it to you.]


    [Then I want lots and lots of Mana fruit!]


    Luo Yan was not surprised by this request.He read from one of the forum post that pets seemed to like this Mana fruit.It was a new product that was released along with the recent update.If he remembered correctly, this Mana fruit had different types based on different attributes.If you give your pet a Mana fruit with the right attribute, then it would be easier to increase the power and effect of their skills.Considering Eclipse¡¯s traits, it¡¯s better to give him a Mana fruit with a shadow attribute.


    [Okay.Master will buy it for you.]


    "Yan Yan!" called suddenly by a very familiar voice.


    Luo Yan turned around and saw Shen Ji Yun running towards his direction.He¡¯s not surprised by his sudden arrival.What he¡¯s surprised about was that he¡¯s using his real game avatar, not the alt ount Luo Yan was more ustomed to seeing.Truly, this avatar was such a visual feast.Long dark purple hair with silver tips, dark amethyst eyes rimmed with gold, and a pair of golden antler-shaped horns.This was another level of handsomeness that Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t ever achieve even if he grew taller.He sighed.Well, he¡¯s just a different type of beauty after all.


    He looked at Shen Ji Yun.He didn¡¯t know if it was just his imagination, but Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes seemed to be a bit brighter?


    He was about to ask if he didn¡¯t have any lecture this time.Then he remembered that he had already asked this question and Shen Ji Yun said that he didn¡¯t.If he remembered correctly, he said that his ss schedule was not so packed on Mondays.


    [Masther, Mashter, who is this handsome guy?Why does Eclipse think he looks familiar?]


    [He¡¯s the captain of our team.You¡¯ve seen him already, don¡¯t you remember?He was there when you hatched out of your egg.]


    [Oh, the other handsome guy!But why does he look more handsome right now?]


    [That¡¯s his real avatar.]


    [Mashter, tell Mr. Captain that he should be just be in this avatar every time.So, Eclipse could see his handsome face every day!]


    Luo Yan pinched Eclipse¡¯s little nose.[Are you saying you like to look at beautiful things?]


    [Yes!I love beautiful things.That¡¯s why I love Mashter!]


    Luo Yanughed.This little thing was really his pet.Did the program in this game took into ount the personality of the yer and input that on the pet?If so, then that¡¯s kind of ingenious.


    "Hi, Brother Ji Yun," he greeted when the other finally reached him.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan.He thought his heart would calm down when he saw him again in the game.Since this was not reality but VR instead.But no, his heart was still beating as fast.


    A soft smile that he didn¡¯t even know he showed crossed his lips.That¡¯s probably the reason why he also unknowingly said what he was thinking at the moment.


    "I missed you."


    Then, as if he had been hit by lightning, he quickly realized what he just said.His whole face heated up.And it immediately turned as red as a ripe tomato.

 Chapter 225 IS THIS WHAT THEY CALL A...?

    "I¡ª" Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t know how to exin his blunder just now.It was because he was so entranced by the rabbit¡¯s face that he unknowingly said what he truly felt at the moment.Now, he only felt like an idiot.What if Luo Yan thought he was weird for saying that?After all, they only met yesterday.And now, he¡¯s suddenly saying that he missed him.


    But it was the truth.No matter how weird it seemed.He really did miss him.Was this the effect of falling in love?It made your brain circuit abnormal?He didn¡¯t mind this abnormality.He¡¯s just worried that Luo Yan would be weirded out by him.


    If he could, he truly just wanted to say; ¡¯I like you, can we be together?¡¯.But, of course, he couldn¡¯t do that.They¡¯ve only met for two months.Their rtionship was still fragile.With just one wrong move, that thin thread that¡¯s connecting the two of them together could easily be snapped.If he suddenly confessed his feelings to him, that¡¯s exactly what might just happen.


    He might not only be rejected, Luo Yan might even be scared of him and avoid him for a lifetime.That¡¯s something Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t allow to happen.So, he had to at least make their connection deeper.To the point that they would have a natural tacit understanding.To at least manage to leave a mark in his heart.Even if that mark was only that of friendship.That way, even if he rejected him, they could at least remain friends.


    As long as he still had a connection to him, even if they didn¡¯t end up together, he would be satisfied.Of course, that was just his own self-righteousness talking.Because no matter how much he said that he would be alright if he could only be friends with Luo Yan as long as he could stand beside him, deep down, it would still not be enough.So, he would do his best as to not be put on the friendzone.


    Yes, he knew what ¡¯friendzone¡¯ meant.He actually learned a lot of termsst night while browning the inte and reading various articles.He didn¡¯t even know that those words exist.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s red face.He then remembered that scene on the rooftop.He once again looked like a ripe apple.Because of the visual impact brought by his avatar, he looked even more delicious right now.Luo Yan shook his head.Why was he being perverted again?Was he seriously having an attraction towards Shen Ji Yun?But he only felt this way when he saw him blushed like that.Wait- didn¡¯t that mean that he just enjoyed seeing him embarrassed?Was his secret inner sadistic nature simply being triggered?


    He shook his head.What bunch of nonsense was he even thinking?This was all Shen Ji Yun¡¯s fault.Looking like an iceberg beauty on weekdays but then suddenly blushing like a little girl.Of course, he would want to bully him.But was that really all?


    He suddenly felt frustrated.He prided himself for being able to understand emotions quite well.But for some reason, he couldn¡¯t pinpoint the emotion he was feeling for Shen Ji Yun.It¡¯s like a veryplicated puzzle.But he¡¯s not in a hurry to solve it.After all, there¡¯s still a lot of things that required his attention more.He¡¯d just be patient.Naturally, this feeling would slowly reveal itself to him.That¡¯s better than doing some stupid experiment.


    But if he thought of a better way, aside from molesting Shen Ji Yun, he¡¯d definitely give it a try.


    "Brother Ji Yun must be joking.We¡¯ve only seen each other yesterday," he just said as to not embarrassed Shen Ji Yun further.


    Shen Ji Yun gave an awkward smile."Yes."


    "Why is Brother Ji Yun using his real game avatar today?" Luo Yan asked, changing the subject.


    Shen Ji Yun nced sideways, avoiding Luo Yan¡¯s eyes."Oh, the VR helmet of my alt ount is under repairs.I identally dropped it yesterday.So, I have to use my real ount for the time being."


    Luo Yan chuckled."I didn¡¯t know Brother Ji Yun could be clumsy as well."


    Shen Ji Yun felt a bit guilty for lying.The truth was after he read a number of articlesst night, hepiled everything to form a strategy.He first wanted to post on one of those forums and let thoseizens, yes, another word he learnedst night, helped him.But he changed his mind.Because doing that just felt like he¡¯s not really putting too much effort into this.He could also ask his uncle for advice, but he¡¯s not reallyfortable doing that.Thest time was just an exception because his mind was simply in chaos and he couldn¡¯t think properly.At the end, he just chose to download books about emotions, rtionsh.i.p.s, and love.Most importantly, books on how to court someone and make them fall for you.


    He didn¡¯t know if it would be effective.But this was the only thing he could do for now.


    One of the important points he wrote down was; if you want to catch the heart of a person, you have to catch their attention first.The fastest way to do that was to always look good in front of them.That¡¯s why beautiful people always had the advantage when it came to lovepared with an ordinary-looking person.When he read that, Shen Ji Yun had never been so thankful that he had good genes.


    Even though he¡¯s not really interested in people¡¯s appearance before, much less his own, he still knew that he looked extremely handsome in his real game avatar.That¡¯s why he decided that from now on, he would use his real game avatar to attract Luo Yan¡¯s attention.He knew it was a bit shameless of him to do that, but what choice did he have?


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, if you have nothing else to do this afternoon, can you apany me to run some errands?" Luo Yan asked.He was thinking of buying Mana fruits for Eclipse and also asked Shen Ji Yun along the way if he knew where he could get boats that he could put on theke.


    "Of course," Shen Ji Yun immediately replied without much thinking.


    Wait- it¡¯s only the two of them together.Wouldn¡¯t this be what they call a date?

 Chapter 226 THE HANDSOME GUY IS SHINING

    BUT if Shen Ji Yun thought about it carefully, hadn¡¯t the two of them been alone a couple of times already inside the game?Could he consider those times as their ¡¯dates¡¯?His whole face suddenly heated up again thinking of that possibility.And then he shook his head, thinking how idiotic he was acting right now.It¡¯s like all his brain cells were reced by heart shaped bubbles.That¡¯s why his line of thinking always led to that direction.


    If he continued on this way, sooner orter, he would be walking around with the word ¡¯I¡¯m in love with Yan Yan¡¯ on his forehead while releasing pink aura wherever he went.He sighed.Now he truly understood why people said that love could make people foolish.Anyway, he¡¯s willing to be a fool.He just had to make sure that Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t think of him as one.


    "But maybe that¡¯s not a very good idea," Luo Yan suddenly said,pletely cutting off Shen Ji Yun¡¯s train of thought.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly started to panic, thinking that their possible ¡¯date¡¯ would be postponed.Of course, none of that panic showed on his face.It still remained expressionless.But if one looked closely at his eyes, they would see the tension lying there.


    "Why?" he couldn¡¯t help but asked.


    "Well, Brother Ji Yun looks so handsome, you will definitely attract too much attention from other yers if you walk around in that avatar."


    Not to mention, Luo Yan was also there.Theirbination would surely attract a lot of gazes.Considering that Shen Ji Yun was a very well-known yer, if they walked around one of the cities together, it¡¯s a sure fact that most of the yers they would encounter would take snapshots of them.Then it would be posted on the forum.And once again, he would be the topic of discussion.


    Well, not that he mind.He was just worried that Shen Ji Yun would be annoyed by it.He knew how much the guy disliked being gawked at.That¡¯s why even though his real game avatar was so beautiful and handsome, he rarely used it.


    "You think I¡¯m handsome?" Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Yan felt weird.Out of all the things he said, why did Shen Ji Yun just focus on that.It seemed a little bit wrong.Not like something this guy would do.But he still answered honestly, nheless."Yes, Brother Ji Yun is very handsome.Especially in this attire."


    ¡¯Brother Ji Yun is very handsome...¡¯ ¡¯Brother Ji Yun is very handsome...¡¯ ¡¯Brother Ji Yun is very handsome...¡¯ ¨C that sentence kept on echoing inside his mind.[Yan Yan thinks I¡¯m very handsome!]


    A kind of satisfaction he never felt before suddenly bubbled up inside him.It¡¯s only now, at this moment, that he truly appreciated that he was given these outstanding facial features.Unconsciously, a bright smile bloomed on his face.Making him even more handsome.


    Luo Yan only felt that Shen Ji Yun was suddenly surrounded by a bright light.He almost resisted the urge to close his eyes just so he wouldn¡¯t be blinded.


    [Mashter, why does Eclipse feel that this handsome guy is shining?] ¨C Eclipse asked inside his mind.


    Eclipse really deserved to be his pet.Because that¡¯s exactly what Luo Yan was thinking.When Shen Ji Yun showed that big, bright smile, he felt that thousands of light bulbs suddenly lighted up around him.Illuminating himpletely.Now, he suddenly understood what the phrase ¡¯mega-watt smile¡¯ meant.


    "Yan Yan is also very beautiful," Shen Ji Yun suddenly said.


    Luo Yan looked at him as if he grew an extra limb."Brother Ji Yun, are you okay?You don¡¯t have a fever or something?" he couldn¡¯t help but ask, because the other was truly acting weird.


    Shen Ji Yun was startled by Luo Yan¡¯s question.And then he realized that what he had done for the past few minutes was truly unlike himself.What was he doing?Didn¡¯t he just say that he wouldn¡¯t make himself look like a fool in front of Luo Yan?He covered his mouth with his fist and pretended to cough.


    "I¡¯m fine.I just thought that I should alsopliment you."When he saw that Luo Yan seemed to still be unconvinced by his answer, he quickly pulled the conversation back to the original topic."I don¡¯t mind to walk around in this avatar."


    Luo Yan secretly let out a sigh of relief seeing that Shen Ji Yun seemed to finally return to normal."But you will be stared at by a lot of people, won¡¯t that make Brother Ji Yun feel ufortable?"


    Shen Ji Yun shrugged."Not really.I used my alt ount not because it¡¯s ufortable to use my real ount but simply because it¡¯s troublesome."But he¡¯s willing to deal with these troublesome problems as long as he could attract the rabbit¡¯s attention."What type of errands were you talking about earlier?"


    "Brother Ji Yun knows that the opening night for my pavilion is on thising Saturday, right?"Shen Ji Yun nodded."So, you see, it¡¯s like this..."


    Luo Yan exined how he wanted to use boats as some sort of mode of transportation to deliver the guests across theke.He just wasn¡¯t sure where he could get such a service or if it was even avable in the first ce.


    Shen Ji Yun became thoughtful.This idea was actually quite good.It would add some kind of special ambiance to the pavilion."You can buy boats at some specialized merchandized shop.But that wouldn¡¯t be enough.You also have to buy nk NPCs to act as boatmen.After all, those boats wouldn¡¯t drive by themselves."


    Luo Yan already read somewhere what ck NPCs were.They were NPCs that could be bought in the game and didn¡¯t have any assign roles.Once a yer bought one, they could assign a role to the NPC.This role was usually attached to some kind of job like a maid or a waiter for example.yers usually put these NPCs to work at their own business establishments.


    "I see.Then, is it really alright for Brother Ji Yun to apany me?"


    "Of course.Shall we go now?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    It¡¯s better to go now before that annoying gnome suddenly appeared and get in between them.When Luo Yan nodded, Shen Ji Yun no longer waited.He grabbed Luo Yan¡¯s hand and just directly used a teleportation scroll.

 Chapter 227 A PERFECT CP

    ON the streets of Goldcrest City, almost all eyes of the yers around the area were on the pair of young men walking side by side together.It¡¯s not really that surprising because both had outstanding physical appearance.


    The young man who was taller had long dark purple hair with silver tips.His eyes were the color of dark amethysts rimmed with gold.On top of his head were a pair of golden antler-shaped horns.One look at him and you wouldn¡¯t want to look away.He was just that handsome.His icy-cold temperament just added more charm and mystery to him.Making people want to get close but couldn¡¯t.


    If one stood beside him, they would surely be overwhelmed by his presence.Totally forgotten by the crown.But surprisingly enough, the one who was walking beside him was not the least bit covered by his presence.In fact, he was just as outstanding as the other.


    He was slightly shorter with long white hair flowing behind his back. His eyes were blue dusted with golden specks. His skin was as white as snow. Unlike hispanion, he didn¡¯t look cold and unapproachable. Maybe because he was carrying a small three-tailed ck fox with him. Whenever he smiled, it¡¯s like a Spring breeze wouldnd at the hearts of the people who saw it. One couldn¡¯t really call him handsome because he was just too beautiful.


    Both were wearing robes of different color.The taller one was wearing a ck robe with golden clouds etched at the bottom.The other was wearing a silvery-white robe that looked like it was made from the strands of moonlight.Standing side by side, the two were one hell of a visual feast.Looking at them, strangely enough, people would produce thoughts like ¡¯ah, they look good together¡¯.


    "Hey, why does that guy look familiar?" one of the bystanders asked the person standing near him.


    "That avatar... it really is familiar," hispanion said.


    "Are two blind?That???s YUN!" another one eximed.


    When people heard that, the whispers around became even louder.


    "No way, it¡¯s really YUN.This is the first time I¡¯ve seen the legendary Qilin.He looks so good!"


    "I never thought YUN would suddenly appear here.Do you think I could ask for an autograph?"


    "Are you crazy?Haven¡¯t you heard how unapproachable YUN is?You might be PKed before you could even get close!"


    "Then who was that walking with him?"


    "A white-haired elf?"


    "I feel like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere.Ah!That¡¯s right!I remember!That¡¯s the moon elf who was said to be even more beautiful than the goddess Liuli."


    "What more beautiful than the goddess?How could he evenpare with goddess Liuli?"


    "But he is indeed beautiful.You can¡¯t refute that."


    "Isn¡¯t he a newbie?What is he doing with a male god like YUN?"


    "This is only a rumor, but I heard during the King¡¯s birthday banquet, the three remaining members of team Yunyue came two yers.One was a ck-haired gnome and the other was a white-haired elf.It was said that the two were the two new members of team Yunyue."


    "Wait- then that meant that that moon elf is a new member of Yunyue?What kind of luck does he have?Only a newbie and already a member of a big team."


    "What big team?Aren¡¯t they just fallen champions?They couldn¡¯t evenpare to team Celestials right now."


    "That might be the case but no one could refute that YUN is still one of the strongest yers in Arcadia.Remember, he¡¯s still the number one swordsman in the game."


    "Who cares about those things?Just look at them!They¡¯re perfect!If you don¡¯t take a screen shot of them now, you¡¯d definitely regret it."


    A certain female yer sitting not far-away outside a tea shop was staring intently at the pair.She had cat ears above her head, showing that she¡¯s a beastkin.Her hair was short and cut into a bob.She looked a bit in.But if one would just look closely, they would discover that she possessed a certain kind of charm.It¡¯s probably because of her eyes.It was big and slightly upturned at the end ¨C just like a cat¡¯s.And those cat like eyes right now was shining brightly while staring at the two young men.


    Her game name was Catnip and her real name was Xia Li.


    She couldn¡¯t wait but to open her Status Window and just take loads and loads of snap shots of the two.She had known when she first saw the two during the King¡¯s birthday banquet event that they had extraordinary chemistry.But standing side by side in broad daylight, that chemistry just magnified even more.


    This was it!This was the perfect CP!A cold and indifferent Gong and a beautiful, charming Shou.They were the perfect materials for her fan-art.She had never seen a more perfect pair.They even looked better than the Gabriel x Michael angel pairing from team Celestials.


    Xia Li¡¯s blood was boiling with excitement.She couldn¡¯t wait to go home and draw all the things she¡¯s imagining right now.The two people in all kinds of embarrassing position.She held her face with both hands.She felt like she¡¯s going to have a nosebleed.


    "That¡¯s YUN, right?" suddenly said by the girl sitting opposite her."Shall we tell that captain that he¡¯s here in Goldcrest?"


    "No!" Xia Li immediately said to her team mate.Although she liked their captain, she couldn¡¯t allow her to get in between of the two young men when they¡¯re obviously having a date."She¡¯s busy."


    "Really?" the other asked with a skeptical look.


    "Really.I heard she¡¯s going to raid some dungeon with other members of the team."


    "Why haven¡¯t I heard about it?"


    "Maybe you just happen to not hear about it."Xia Li stood up."I just remembered that I have to do something."


    Then she ran after YUN and Noctis, stealthily trailing behind them.She must collect more materials!

 Chapter 228 MASHTER JUST HAVE TO...

    LUO YAN felt like his body was being pricked by the dozens of gazes directed at him or rather, at them.He nced sideways at Shen Ji Yun.As usual, there¡¯s still no emotion on his face.But Luo Yan could tell that he was very rxed at the moment.He couldn¡¯t see any tension at all.A sign that he didn¡¯t put these people¡¯s attention to heart.And so, he decided to also not to care too much.Wasn¡¯t it just staring?They could stare all they want.It¡¯s not as if he wasn¡¯t used to people staring at him.


    "Yan Yan, where do you want to go first?" Shen Ji Yun asked, ncing down at Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination, but since earlier, whenever Shen Ji Yun looked at him, his gaze had be much gentler and softer.He wondered what could have changed?


    He just smiled and answered, "Could we first go to a Pet Supply Store?I¡¯m nning to buy Mana fruit for Eclipse."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded.If he remembered correctly, Eclipse was the name Luo Yan gave to the fox."Okay.Do you know where it is?"


    "Yes.I already checked it on the city map beforehand."


    Then the two walked towards the direction of the Pet Supply Store with Luo Yan leading the way.


    [Mashter, should Eclipse also call the handsome guy Brother Ji Yun?]


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard that.He looked down at the fox he was holding and saw that Eclipse was staring at Shen Ji Yun with bright eyes.He said amusedly, [You can just call him Captain.]


    [But won¡¯t that be too distant?]


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows.[So, Eclipse want to get close to Brother Ji Yun?]Eclipse nodded.[It seems like you prefer to be his pet instead.Do you want me to transfer your ownership to him?] ¨C when he said that in his mind, he made sure that his tone was very pitiful.


    [No!Of course, Eclipse prefer Mashter!Eclipse just enjoy looking at Captain¡¯s face.]


    Luo Yanughed again and rubbed the little fox¡¯s head.[I know.]


    Eclipse pouted.His expression was so vivid, it just made him even more adorable.[Mashter is teasing Eclipse.]


    Shen Ji Yun noticed since the first time that Luo Yan chuckled that he seemed to bemunicating with his pet fox.He looked at the two ¨C Luo Yan was smiling down at the fox and gently rubbing its head while the fox was pouting.He couldn¡¯t help but feel that the fox was sulking while Luo Yan was coaxing it.He suddenly felt envious.He also wanted Luo Yan to pet him like that.


    Wait- envious?Was he being jealous?Of a virtual pet of all things?He sighed.He never thought he was this narrow-minded.


    Eclipse suddenly burrowed his little head on Luo Yan¡¯s chest.[Mashter, Captain is staring at Eclipse.]


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun and sure enough, just like Eclipse said, he was staring at the little fox.He took back his gaze and looked down at his pet.[You¡¯re feeling shy?]


    He felt the little fox nod.[What if Captain thinks that Eclipse is too cute and he wanted to snatch Eclipse from you?]He raised his head, his big sapphire eyes full of determination.[But don¡¯t worry, Mashter.Even if Captain used his beauty, Eclipse will still pick you!]


    Luo Yan felt the corner of his mouth twitching.Seriously, why was this fox¡¯s brain circuit like this?But he¡¯s entertaining and cute, so he¡¯d just let it be.[That¡¯s good to hear then.]


    He nced again at Shen Ji Yun and saw that he was still staring at Eclipse."Brother Ji Yun, do you want to pet Eclipse?"


    Eclipse raised his head towards Shen Ji Yun, his big sapphire blue eyes full of expectation.As if saying, ¡¯yes, pet me!¡¯.


    Shen Ji Yun was startled by the question. Especially after he saw the expectant gaze of the fox. If he said ¡¯no¡¯ and the fox felt aggrieved, would Luo Yan be disappointed in him? He might even think that he was hating on his pet. So, even though he really wanted to say ¡¯no¡¯, he still said ¡¯yes¡¯.


    Luo Yan then raised Eclipse towards Shen Ji Yun."Here."


    Shen Ji Yun reluctantly put his hand on the fox¡¯s head.Surprisingly, the feel of its fur was extremely soft.The fox rubbed its head on his palm, showing how much it was enjoying this.Unknowingly, he also started to enjoy petting the fox.


    Luo Yan, of course, saw the reluctance in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes when he first asked if he wanted to pet Eclipse.He was nning to take back his question, after all, he didn¡¯t want Shen Ji Yun to feel ufortable.But to his surprise, the other actually agreed.And now looking at his expression ¨C well, it was still non-existent, to be honest, one could only see the change in his eyes ¨C he seemed to be enjoying petting Eclipse.


    "Do you want to hold him, Brother Ji Yun?This child really likes you, you know?I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy if you hold him."


    Shen Ji Yun noticed that Luo Yan referred to the fox as a ¡¯he¡¯ instead of ¡¯it¡¯, showing that he was really treating this virtual pet with sincerity.He smiled a little inside.Because that only showed how gentle and soft-hearted Luo Yan was.


    "He likes me?" he just asked instead.


    [Yes, Eclipse likes you Captain!] ¨C Eclipse readily answered before turning his head towards Luo Yan.[But, of course, not more than my Mashter.]


    "Yes, he does.Do you want to hold him?" Luo Yan answered.


    "Okay, I guess."


    Before Shen Ji Yun could carry Eclipse, the little fox already jumped into his arms.He was a bit surprised, but he still held the fox carefully.Making sure that he wouldn¡¯t fall.


    Eclipse rubbed his head on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s chest.[You¡¯re so warm, Captain.]


    "He said that you¡¯re warm," Luo Yan said, delivering Eclipse¡¯s thoughts.


    Ah, that¡¯s right.Shen Ji Yun almost forgot that master and pet couldmunicate mentally."He¡¯s really soft."


    [Yes, Eclipse is very soft!Eclipse wished that he could directly talk to Captain.]


    Luo Yan looked at his pet who seemed very at home in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms.[Is there no way you can speak to Brother Ji Yun?]


    [There is.]


    [Then, just do that.]


    [No, Mashter should be the one to do it.]


    [Me?What do I need to do?]


    [Mashter just have to marry Captain!]


    Luo Yan almost tripped on his own feet when he heard that answer.

 Chapter 229 A PICTURE OF A FAMILY

    "WHAT¡¯S wrong?" Shen Ji Yun asked when he saw Luo Yan almost stumbling.He readily stretched out his hand to hold his elbow.But before he could do that, Luo Yan already steadied himself.


    Luo Yanughed, as if embarrassed."I¡¯m alright.Just lost my bnce for a bit."


    "Then does that mean you feel dizzy?"


    He raised his head and saw Shen Ji Yun¡¯s worried gaze.He tried to smile more genuinely to assure him that he¡¯s really alright."I¡¯m really okay, Brother Ji Yun.I probably just stepped on a small stone that¡¯s why I almost stumbled."


    A small stone?Are the streets on Goldcrest City not paved properly?Was there a bug?Maybe he should talk to Brother Zhao about this.What if the next time Luo Yan was walking alone here, he tripped again and truly fell over?


    Luo Yan looked at his pet.[What do you mean by ¡¯marry¡¯?]


    Eclipse saw that his master was smiling when he asked that.But for some reason, he thought that if he gave the wrong answer, he would be punished.So, he decided to be honest and not be naughty.For the time being.[When Mashter marry someone, he would form an automatic connection to that person.It¡¯s a very special connection that would allow the two of you tomunicate mentally and to feel whenever the other is in danger.That connection would also extend to Eclipse since Mashter is my owner.So, Eclipse would be able to talk to Mashter¡¯s partner.]


    With Eclipse¡¯s exnation, Luo Yan suddenly remembered that Arcadia did have a marriage system when it was still a PC game.Just like any other MMORPG games back then.He just didn¡¯t expect that it was still present here in the VR version.But that¡¯s not the problem.The main problem was Eclipse suggesting he married Shen Ji Yun.


    [You do know that your master and the captain you like are both boys.We can¡¯t get married.]


    [Mashter, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.His Majesty promotes free love.Even if you have the same gender, you can still get married.] ¨C Eclipse said in a proud tone, as ifplimenting the King of Arcadia for having a wide view of the world.


    Luo Yan felt the corner of his mouth twitching.If he was still holding Eclipse, he probably already flicked his forehead.[That¡¯s not really the main issue.I and Brother Ji Yun are friends.We don¡¯t have that kind of rtionship.]


    [Mashter, how could that be an issue?Aren¡¯t most rtionsh.i.p.s start with friendship?With Mashter¡¯s beauty, Eclipse is certain that, sooner orter, Captain will be tempted and pursue you.With how excellent Captain is, Mashter will definitely not reject him.Then the two of you will get married.After that, Eclipse will be able tomunicate with Captain.]


    This time, Luo Yan didn¡¯t resistughing.This little guy said so much nonsense, but at the end, the whole point of his tirade was he simply wanted to talk to Shen Ji Yun.He chose not toment, unless Eclipse said more nonsensical things.Well, maybe not really all nonsense.After all, he was still on the stage of assessing whether he was truly attracted to Shen Ji Yun in that way.Though he was still not sure how he would do that without molesting Shen Ji Yun.


    But it¡¯s not really something that needed his immediate attention.With his pavilion and the uing Rookie Carnival next month, he already had his hands full.He only had a month to prepare for that tournament.Not only did he need a good weapon, he also had to train with Eclipse so the two of them could fight seamlessly together.He wanted to win the championship.It would be his own way of telling the whole Arcadiamunity that the number one Assassin on the PvP leaderboard back then was finally back.


    After that incident at the rooftop, he decided to just take his time to slowly understand his feelings for Shen Ji Yun, if there really was one.It¡¯s not as if the other would just vanish anyway.They¡¯re teammates.They see each other almost every day, albeit virtual.They even exchange messages on WeChat from time to time.That¡¯s why he firmly believed that sooner orter he would be able to grasp the reason why he felt those weird feelings sometimes when he¡¯s with Shen Ji Yun.


    "What are you two talking about?" Shen Ji Yun asked, because he was sure that the two were conversing with each other again.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s question temporarily cut-off Luo Yan¡¯s train of thoughts.He turned to him and smiled."Nothing.Eclipse was just saying how much he enjoyed being hugged by Brother Ji Yun."


    "I see," Shen Ji Yun said awkwardly.


    [Mashter, although that¡¯s true, you¡¯re still lying.That¡¯s not what we talked about.]


    [Yes, yes.] ¨C Luo Yan said perfunctorily.


    Soon, they arrived at the Pet Supply Store.Luo Yan was the first to enter followed by Shen Ji Yun who was still holding Eclipse.Of course, just like on the streets, they still became the center of attention.But just like earlier, the two of them didn¡¯t pay the other yers inside any mind.


    The store was only a single floor but it¡¯s wide and had a number of stations dedicated to a certain type of product.For example, there¡¯s a station for essories that could increase a pet¡¯s stats.There¡¯s also a station for cute onesies in all shapes and sizes.Another one was a station for potions dedicated for pets.


    Luo Yan nced around and finally saw the station he was looking for.He walked towards there and stopped in front of shelves filled with colorful and sulent fruits.


    The female NPC assigned at that station approached Luo Yan."Dear customer, can you tell me what you¡¯re looking for?"


    "A fruit with a shadow attribute," he answered.


    After saying that, the NPC picked up a ck, round shaped fruit with a smoke-like symbol stamped on its rind.The fruit looked somewhat like a ck pomegranate."This is the fruit you¡¯re referring."


    He turned to Eclipse.[How many do you want?]


    [A hundred!] ¨C Eclipse said, staring brightly at the ck fruit.


    [Hey, don¡¯t drool.Brother Ji Yun might throw you.]


    [Mashter, Eclipse won¡¯t drool.How could Eclipse show such an embarrassing side to Captain?] ¨C the little fox said as if he¡¯s some kind of virtuous youngdy.


    Luo Yan just chuckled and told the NPC to pack a hundred of those ck fruit.


    Not far from them, a female yer with cat ears and tail was stealthily taking screenshots of the three.She stared at thest picture she took.An expressionless Qilin holding a ck fox carefully in his arms while the moon elf was smiling at them.Xia Li couldn¡¯t help but feel like she¡¯s looking at a picture of a family.YUN was the dad, Noctis was the mom, and little fox was the baby.


    She could already think of a fan-art that would perfectly match this. Ah, what a lucky day!Her decision to follow them was truly the right thing.Now, she just wished that the two would show her more sweet moments.

 Chapter 230 A STRONG SCENT OF VINEGAR

    AFTER buying Mana fruits for Eclipse, the three went directly to the specialized merchandize shop.It didn¡¯t take too long because it was near the Pet Supply Store they were just in.Eclipse was sittingfortably on Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder, his three fluffy tails almost acting like a scarf.He was nibbling on a ck fruit, his cheeks bulging like some squirrel.That was already his second fruit.If he¡¯s not a virtual entity, he would certainly have indigestion with the speed he¡¯s eating.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the fox eatingfortably on Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder.He actually wanted to lift him up and let him eat on his shoulder.What if Luo Yan got tired because he¡¯s dangling on his shoulder like that?But, unexpectedly, after Luo Yan gave Eclipse a Mana fruit, he refused to jump back to his arms again.


    If Shen Ji Yun knew the reason why, his face would definitely turn ck.It was simply because Eclipse didn¡¯t want fruit crumbles to fall on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s clothes.That¡¯s why he was now sticking to his master.The obvious difference in treatment was really toothache inducing.


    When they entered the specialized merchandize shop, it didn¡¯t take long before an NPC approached them.Luo Yan didn¡¯t waste time and told the male NPC what he was looking for.The NPC led them straight to the second floor where all kinds of vehicles and water vessels were disyed.Of course, they were not really disyed there, only their holographic model.


    Luo Yan walked towards the water vessels and looked at the boats and other simr types.The more expensive, the more beautiful and exquisite the designs of the vessels were.Although they could pass his standard, for some reason, he was still unsatisfied with them.


    "Are these all the avable vessels here?" he asked the NPC.


    "Yes, dear customer," the NPC answered."If none of these are to your liking, we could customize one for you."


    What the NPC added actually caught Luo Yan¡¯s interest.If he could customize the boats, he could also add the soon-to-be symbol of Yuexing Pavilion ¨C the one he was nning Yu Jiao to design.Speaking of Yu Jiao, maybe he could also ask her if she could design a boat for him.


    "Customize?"


    "Yes, dear customer.You just have to give us the design you want and we could make it for you in no time."


    "If I say I wanted five customized boats, how long will it take for to be finished?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Only a day, dear customer."


    Luo Yan nodded, very satisfied with that answer.There¡¯s still five days before the opening night.If Yu Jiao agreed to his request, there¡¯s still plenty of time to deliver the invitations and order the boats.If she didn¡¯t agree, then he would just proceed to n B.Though he had a feeling that she would definitely agree, no matter how reluctant she might feel.


    "Thank you.I¡¯lle back again tomorrow," he said to the NPC before turning to Shen Ji Yun."Let¡¯s go, Brother Ji Yun?"


    The other nodded and they both walked towards the stairs.They climbed down and walked out of the store.


    "Do you already have a design for the boat?" Shen Ji Yun asked when they finally walked out of the store.That¡¯s the only reason he could think of on why Luo Yan didn¡¯t buy anything and instead said that he woulde back tomorrow.


    "Not yet.But I¡¯m nning to ask a friend of mine if she could design one for me," Luo Yan honestly answered."She¡¯s also the one I¡¯m nning to ask to design the symbol that would represent Yuexing Pavilion.The one that I would put on the invitations I¡¯m nning to send out."


    He already told Shen Ji Yun about his n of sending invitations to various well-known yers in the game.So, he already knew what he meant by invitations.


    An imperceptible frown appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s handsome face.Knowing Luo Yan¡¯s situation, this ¡¯friend¡¯ could only be someone he met when he came back to school.So, someone he knew for just half a month.


    "Is this person reliable?" he couldn¡¯t help but say.


    "Yes, she¡¯s very talented.Her name is Yu Jiao.I once saw a drawing of hers.It¡¯s a design of a sword.The drawing was very detailed, from its appearance to the materials that should be used to make it.Because those materials could only be found in Arcadia, it¡¯s easy to guess that she¡¯s probably a cksmith here," Luo Yan exined."I actually wanted to ask her to make a weapon for me, but I still haven¡¯t had the chance.Hopefully, before the start of the Rookie Carnival, we would be close enough that she wouldn¡¯t feel burdened if I asked her to make a weapon for me."


    The word ¡¯close¡¯ seemingly hit Shen Ji Yun.And he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit annoyed.Imagining this faceless ¡¯friend¡¯ and Luo Yan getting along with each other and slowly getting close to one another just made him even more irritable.


    "Is she really that good, that Yu Jiao?" he didn¡¯t know it himself, but his tone just now was just a tad bit too sour.


    Surprisingly, Luo Yan didn¡¯t notice it and honestly said, "Yes.I even suspect that her identity here in Arcadia must be pretty well-known."


    Shen Ji Yun pursed his lips.His heart became even more sour when she heard that."I haven¡¯t heard any famous female cksmith.The current number one cksmith is a male yer named Vulcan.If you want a high-grade weapon, I suggest that you contact him instead of waiting for this Yu Jiao.After all, the Rookie Carnival is only a month away."


    This time Luo Yan noticed that something was wrong with Shen Ji Yun¡¯s tone ¨C it was too cold.It even had a hint of a sneer.He nced at the other and saw him frowning.Luo Yan raised one of his brows.What had gotten him into a bad mood?


    "Is something wrong, Brother Ji Yun?"


    At Luo Yan¡¯s question, Shen Ji Yun realized that he was acting immature and unreasonable.Something that wasn¡¯t like him at all.He understood clearly the reason why.Because he was jealous of this ¡¯Yu Jiao¡¯.Truly, this whole love thing could make people irrational.


    He took a deep breath and tried his best to turn his expression back to normal.Or at least normal for him."Nothing.Shall we go and buy those nk NPCs?"


    He didn¡¯t wait for Luo Yan¡¯s answer and just walked ahead.


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s back suspiciously.Maybe he just thought of something unpleasant earlier that¡¯s why he suddenly acted like that.


    When he was about to follow Shen Ji Yun, he heard Eclipse said;


    [Mashter, Eclipse thinks that he just smelled a strong scent of vinegaring from Captain.]


    For the second time that day, because of his dear pet, he once again almost tripped on his own feet.

 Chapter 231 SHOPPING FOR NPCs

    [WHAT vinegar?] ¨C Luo Yan asked, although he already had an idea what this little fox was talking about.


    Eclipse bit on the Mana fruit he was eating before answering, [Mashter, don¡¯t you know thatmon saying?When someone smells of vinegar, it means they¡¯re jealous.]


    [What eye did you use to see that Brother Ji Yun was jealous?]


    [Mashter, haven¡¯t you noticed?When you started talking about Yu Jiao, Captain¡¯s mood started to fluctuate.His brows furrowed and his tone became sour.]


    [How could you tell?]


    [Eclipse is equipped to understand human social cues.Mashter, trust Eclipse.Captain just now was jealous.]


    So, he was saying that he was programmed in a way that he could understand human emotions ¨C at least to a point.Because of that, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but think back again on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s reaction earlier.He carefully analyzed each reaction and just like Eclipse said, Shen Ji Yun did show signs of being jealous.But why?


    He thought of all the possible reasons and his eyes slightly widened when he ended up with the most probable one.His heart already had a small conjecture but his logical brain simply refused to believe that.Because how could it be?Right?


    Instead of having a debate between his heart and his brain, he just changed the topic and asked Eclipse, [Are all pets able to understand social cues like you do?]


    [Of course not.It¡¯s because Eclipse has been with Mashter ever since he¡¯s an egg.Mashter nurtured Eclipse with his Mana and it made him able to understand a lot of things.]


    Did that mean that because of him nurturing him with Mana, it added more data to Eclipse program?Making him more sentient?


    [Mashter, that¡¯s not the point.The point was ¨C Captain was jealous!Do you know what this means?He li--]


    [Don¡¯t.If you finish that thought, I won¡¯t give you a Mana fruit again.] ¨C Luo Yan threatened.


    Eclipse pouted.[Fine.But Mashter, remember, Eclipse was only telling the truth.And the truth couldn¡¯t be hidden.No matter how much you try to deny or hide it, sooner orter, it will be revealed.So, Eclipse suggest that Mashter doesn¡¯t try to look away and face the truth head on.]


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but pinch Eclipse¡¯s cheek.[You talk too much.]


    Eclipse pouted then ate the remaining fruit.[Mashter don¡¯t love me anymore.Eclipse will just go to Captain.]


    After that, he jumped andnded perfectly on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s shoulder.Shen Ji Yun was slightly startled but still didn¡¯t throw the little fox and let it stayed on his shoulder.He even petted it a bit.


    Shen Ji Yun stopped and looked back at Luo Yan."Yan Yan?"


    Luo Yan increased his pace until he reached Shen Ji Yun.And the two continued walking to where they could buy nk NPCs.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but secretly nced at Shen Ji Yun.He was still as expressionless as ever.As if the drop of emotion he had shown earlier didn¡¯t happen at all.Because of Eclipse¡¯s nonsense, he couldn¡¯t stop the suspicion that was slowly rising in his heart.So, even if he didn¡¯t believe a word of what Eclipse said, unbeknownst to him, a seed of doubt was already nted in his heart.


    They soon arrived at a three-story building.It was all white with tall ss windows.One could immediately see holographic models of NPCs inside.They walked inside and Shen Ji Yun led them to the third floor, saying that the high-quality NPCs were all there.


    Once there, Luo Yan immediately nced around.There were holographic models of NPCs in different genders, sizes, and colors.But there was one thingmon, all of them looked gorgeous.Well, they¡¯re all made of data after all.It would be weird if one of them looked ugly.


    A female NPC approached them."Dear customer, may I ask what you are looking for?"


    "Can you show me five of your best-looking male NPCs?" Luo Yan said.


    "No problem, this way please."


    While watching Luo Yan inspect holographic models of male NPCs, Shen Ji Yun once again felt sour in his heart.Then he suddenly felt a small paw touching his cheek.He turned his head to look at the fox sitting on his shoulder.He was looking at him pitifully, as if silently saying ¨C ¡¯I understand your suffering¡¯.


    He felt the corner of his mouth twitching.Then he shook his head.His narrow-mindedness was now even affecting his judgement.Or else why would he have the illusion that this fox understood his emotions?


    "After buying them, we will give you their contract deed and then you can input the type of personality you want them to have," the NPC said.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows.That¡¯s the first time he heard about that.The NPCs in his pavilion didn¡¯t have a deed or something.Maybe because he owned the whole pavilion where they worked.After purchasing five male NPCs and receiving their contract deed, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that he traveled back to ancient times and just bought his own ves.


    "Do you want to activate them now and bring them back with you?" the NPC asked.


    He put back the contract deeds in his Items Tab and said, "No.Can Ie back on Saturday and take them then?"


    "Of course.You just have to show the contract deeds by then."The NPC nodded."We are also offering different clothes for NPCs.If you want, you can buy one for the NPCs you just purchased."


    "Do you have a catalogue?Can you show me?"


    "Yes, of course."


    Then a holographic catalogue appeared in front of Luo Yan.It was divided between male and female clothes.So, he went to the male directory and went through the clothes there.He picked five sets of ancient clothes since all the NPCs in his pavilion were wearing that type.Even if they¡¯re only going to be boatmen, they still have to match his other employees.


    After paying, he said to the NPC, "I want them to wear these clothes when I pick them up on Saturday."


    "No problem, dear customer.I will make sure of that."


    After the transaction, Luo Yan looked back and saw that Shen Ji Yun was just silently standing at the corner, petting Eclipse.The little fox was clearly enjoying it based on the happy expression on his face.It¡¯s weird, but he couldn¡¯t help but think that the scene of the two of them together was kind of adorable.


    He walked towards the two."Brother Ji Yun, I¡¯m done.Let¡¯s go?"


    "You don¡¯t have any more errands?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    "No.I was just actually nning to do some task."


    "Then... should we eat somewhere?I believe you still owe me a meal."


    When Shen Ji Yun said that, he tried his best not to show his nervousness.How could he just let this day end without them eating somewhere?This was a ¡¯date¡¯, so they needed to dine together.Even if he¡¯s the only one who considered this as a ¡¯date¡¯.


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised by the request.But then remembered that he did still owe Shen Ji Yun a meal.So, he smiled and said, "Sure.Where do you want to go?"


    "Somewhere that will surprise you," Shen Ji Yun answered ambiguously.


    Then he suddenly felt a paw tapping his chest.He looked down at the fox he was holding.And the little thing just gave him a thumbs-up.

 Chapter 232 A ROTTEN WOMANS DISCOVERY

    "SO, where should we go eat?" Luo Yan asked when they reached the first floor of the building.


    Shen Ji Yun was about to answer when he felt that overly enthusiastic gaze again.He first felt it when they were walking on the streets earlier.He didn¡¯t think anything of it because he thought it was just one of the many gazes directed at them.But from the Pet Supply Store to the specialized merchandize shop, even until here, he could still feel that overly enthusiastic gaze.


    He wasn¡¯t nning to do anything about it.But then, he thought, what if they were stalking Luo Yan?Taking snapshots of him here and there?Luo Yan was so beautiful after all.What if they used those photos for something indecent?Just thinking about it already makes his blood boil in anger.So, he decided to deal with whoever this was before he and Luo Yan have that meal.


    "Go ahead and wait for me outside.I just remembered that I have a question for the administrator NPC here," he said, trying his best not to show any abnormality."Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t take too long."


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face when he heard that.He tried to see any noticeable change in his expression because he just had a feeling that he was lying.Sadly, the other was looking sideways.So, he couldn¡¯t really tell anything from his eyes.


    At the end, he could only say, "Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you outside."


    He turned around and walked towards the exit.He didn¡¯t really mind even if Shen Ji Yun lied to him just now.That¡¯s his problem and Luo Yan had no right to meddle.Besides, he was certain that Shen Ji Yun lied not because he had some malicious intent or something.Well, at least not towards him.Luo Yan had a feeling that that guy would never do anything that might harm him.


    He shook his head and went outside the building.It seemed like he was subconsciously being influenced by all the nonsense Eclipse was spouting.Wait- Eclipse!He looked back but he could no longer see Shen Ji Yun¡¯s figure.He sighed.His own pet seemed more at home in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms than his own.


    Shen Ji Yun, who was still inside the building, followed where he could feel the gaze wasing from.In this avatar, his perception of his surroundings was magnified a number of times more than normal.So, he easily found the culprit.


    Behind one of the holographic model, pretending to look at some catalogue, was a girl with short ash brown hair with a pair of cat ears on top of her head.One look at her and no one would really pay that much attention.Because her looks were simply ordinary.But her eyes were remarkable.They were big and tilted upwards at the end, just like a cat¡¯s.If one would stare at her for longer than a minute, then they would find that this girl had a certain kind of charm that was only unique to her.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t expect that this was the person who had been following them.Truthfully, he had another image in his mind.Like, you know, the usual suspect.But just like they said, one could not really just judge a book by its cover.This girl beastkin might look harmless, but who knew what¡¯s lurking beneath.


    "Why are you following us?" he said in a cold tone.


    Xia Li was startled hearing that cold voice.When she saw YUN walking to her direction, she was hoping that he would bypass her.But no, he stopped right in front of her.She suddenly felt cold sweat on her back.This was all because she couldn¡¯t control her urges.Being a hopeless rotten woman surely was hard.


    Should she just lie to answer his question?No.This guy would definitely immediately figure out that she¡¯s lying.Then, she¡¯d be in more trouble.In that case, she would just have to tell some parts of the truth without revealing her true colors.


    She raised her head and saw YUN¡¯s handsome yet cold and emotionless face.Even the cute ck fox sitting on his shoulder did not lessen the coldness he was emitting.


    "Hi, YUN!My name is Catnip.I¡¯m acquainted with White Marsh," she started.Thest part was not really a lie since the two of them did team-up in the Yellow Door task during the birthday of the King of Arcadia.


    Shen Ji Yun wrinkled his brows.Bai Ze knew this girl?"You¡¯re answer had nothing to do with my question."


    Xia Liughed awkwardly."I just wanted you to know that I¡¯m not a suspicious person.I¡¯m sorry if I was following you and yourpanion.I absolutely meant no harm.I just wanted to gather some materials for my fan-art and just happened to see you two walking on the streets.Seeing as how the two of you looked so good together, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from following you."


    He and Luo Yan looked good together?Shen Ji Yun was very pleased to hear that.So, he didn¡¯t even notice that when he spoke, the coldness in his voice was already much lesser."Materials for your fan-art?"


    "Yes.You see, I often draw fan-arts of famous yers in Arcadia and post them on my Weibo ount.But before I could draw one, I have to gather materials first.Like pictures and stuff.So, I could get inspired and motivated.If you don¡¯t believe me, you can visit my Weibo ountter.I¡¯ll be posting a fan-art of you and yourpanion."


    Shen Ji Yun already believed about 70% of what she just said.The anger that he initially felt earlier was already gone.His mind was currently circling on the words; ¡¯fan-art of him and Luo Yan together¡¯."Tell me your Weibo ount."


    Did he believe her?Xia Li breathed out a sigh of relief thinking that."It¡¯s @catnip010.Please, feel free to check my ountter."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded.If she was not telling the truth, he could think of a lot of ways to get back at her.He turned around and prepared to leave.But when he just took about four steps, he stopped and nced back at the cat girl."Be sure to make us appear closer on that fan-art of yours."


    "You mean make the two of you look... couple-like?" Xia Li asked hesitantly.


    Shen Ji Yun coughed, nodded just a tiny little bit, then moved forward once again.


    Xia Li felt like she was nailed on the spot.Did he just agree?His head definitely moved as if to nod.Wait- that meant that YUN wanted to appear like a couple with Noctis, right?Right?Her eyes brightened immediately.Her heart beating faster with excitement.It seemed like she just discovered something big!


    She pumped her fist.[Don¡¯t worry, YUN.I¡¯ll draw a very beautiful fan-art of you and Noctis.To the point that people couldn¡¯t help but make a CP out of the two of you.]


    And with that, she logged out.

 Chapter 233 VERY BEAUTIFUL

    "ARE you done with your business, Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked when Shen Ji Yun walked out of the building, Eclipse was still sittingfortably on his shoulder.


    Remembering the cat girl and their agreement just now, Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Let¡¯s go."


    "Where should we eat?" Luo Yan asked for the third time. He¡¯s starting to feel very redundant. "You said that it¡¯s somewhere that will surprise me."


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan¡¯s expectant gaze and a small smile appeared on his lips. "Yes. But it¡¯s not a restaurant. So, we have to buy food first."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows when he heard that. So, the ce Shen Ji Yun said that would surprise him was not some high-end restaurant but instead just a ce. He was not disappointed. Instead, he became even more excited to see this ce.


    "Okay. Since I¡¯m the one who owe Brother Ji Yun a meal, you should pick whatever food that you want to eat. And no, sweets are not allowed."


    He said thatst sentence because if he didn¡¯t, he had a feeling that Shen Ji Yun would just choose to buy sweets. Not because he had a preference for it but because Luo Yan liked it. That would just defeat the purpose of him buying him a meal.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan, his usually cold eyes were filled with indulgence and pet. "Then let¡¯s just buy some simple snacks."


    They went to a diner like restaurant and Luo Yan ordered two burgers with doubled patty of meat, tworge serving of fries, a pecan pie, and as for drinks, he bought a strawberry smoothie for himself and c for Shen Ji Yun. When their ordered arrived, he was surprised to see Shen Ji Yun pulling a pic basket from his Items Tab.


    When Luo Yan looked at him with questions in his eyes, Shen Ji Yun could only cough and said while putting the food they ordered inside the basket, "I just noticed that there¡¯s a pic basket on my Items Tab. How convenient, right?"


    Yes, very convenient. Luo Yan was sure Shen Ji Yun brought the pic basket on purpose especially for this asion. Which meant that he was already nning to ask him to go to this ¡¯ce¡¯ in the guise of paying him back the meal he owed. With that thought, he was reminded again of the nonsense Eclipse had been spouting since earlier.


    And the doubt that was nted in his heart was starting to grow bigger and bigger.


    "Shall we go?" Shen Ji Yun asked after putting everything in the basket.


    Luo Yan temporary put away his doubt and just nodded.


    When they walked out of the diner, Shen Ji Yun offered his hand to Luo Yan. "Please, take my hand."


    His face was still expressionless, but if one would look closely, they would see that the tip of his ears was blushing red.


    Luo Yan looked at the hand offered to him. Because of the doubts in his heart, he¡¯s starting to get suspicious of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s every move. But he still put his hand on the other¡¯s palm. After all, no matter how much suspicious and doubt he had, he knew that Shen Ji Yun would never hurt him.


    Shen Ji Yun took out a teleportation scroll and the two, along with Eclipse, disappeared on the spot.


    Luo Yan once again felt that vacuum-like sensation that was unique when one was teleporting in the game. When that feeling disappeared and he opened his eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but show amazement because of the scene in front of him.


    They were in a small floating ind. The ce was surrounded by wild flowers. One could easily smell their wonderful scent filling the air. There was ake with crystal clear water. But the most eye-catching of all was the tall tree that stood in the middle. Its trunk was thick and its branches diverged far and wide, almost covering the whole ind. But the most shocking of all was its leaves. They were pure white. So, when they fell, it almost seemed like snow was falling.


    He reached out his hand to a leaf that was about to fall in front of him. The leaf gently fell on his palm. "It¡¯s beautiful."


    "Yes. Very beautiful." But when Shen Ji Yun said that, he was not looking at their surroundings but at Luo Yan. It seemed like his eyes could only see Luo Yan¡¯s figure.


    When Eclipse saw this and didn¡¯t see his master react, he quickly jumped from Shen Ji Yun¡¯s shoulder to Luo Yan¡¯s arms. [Mashter, Captain said you¡¯re beautiful!]


    Because of Eclipse¡¯s voice suddenly appearing in Luo Yan¡¯s mind, he subconsciously turned his head to look at Shen Ji Yun. The other was staring at him, an unknown emotion was swirling in his amethyst eyes. He seemed to be caught off guard when he suddenly turned to look at him. That¡¯s why Shen Ji Yun immediately looked the other way.


    "I¡¯ll go and arrange the food," Shen Ji Yun said who quickly walked towards the tree.


    He took out a nket andid it down on the grass. Then he put the pic basket down, taking out the food inside.


    Seeing Shen Ji Yun¡¯s jumpy action as if nervous, Luo Yan could only sigh. He looked down at the little fox in his arms and flicked his forehead. [Look at what you did.]


    Eclipse held his forehead and looked at Luo Yan aggrievedly, his sapphire eyes starting to get misty. [Eclipse didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Mashter is not allowed to abuse Eclipse.]


    The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s mouth twitched when he heard his pet¡¯s usation. [When did I abuse you?]


    [Just now. Mashter flicked Eclipse forehead. It hurts.]


    [Then you shouldn¡¯t have talked nonsense.]


    [When did Eclipse talked nonsense? Captain really said that you¡¯re beautiful. He was even looking at you with hearts in his eyes!]


    For some reason, Luo Yan felt embarrassed when he heard that. [Really?]


    [Really!]


    Luo Yan then couldn¡¯t help but give Shen Ji Yun a rather meaningful nce.

 Chapter 234 A DATE UNDER THE TREE (I)

    LUO YAN walked towards the nket that Shen Ji Yun spread under the tree.The other already finished arranging the food.Luo Yan sat down on the nket and also put down Eclipse.


    "What is this ce?" he asked while looking around.


    "It¡¯s an ind that I own," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Luo Yan turned his head towards Shen Ji Yun, not expecting such an answer."Brother Ji Yun owns this ind?That¡¯s amazing!"


    Shen Ji Yun scratched his nose, his ear tips turning red as if embarrassed."Not really."


    "When did you buy this ind?" Luo Yan asked full of interest.He didn¡¯t expect Shen Ji Yun to buy an ind just based on the virtue of its appearance.Or maybe there¡¯s something special in this floating ind that couldn¡¯t be seen with the n.a.k.e.d eye?He looked up at white leaves of the huge tree.Could it be this tree?


    "I didn¡¯t buy it per se.My uncle gave it to me as a personal reward when our team won the first Arcadia Cup."


    Although Shen Ji Yun tried to refuse it because he didn¡¯t want his uncle to give him special treatment, his uncle still insisted for him to have it.Saying that he knew how much he enjoyed peace and quiet, so he could just consider this ind as his secret base of some sorts.A sanctuary he could go to whenever he wanted to be alone.At the end, he had no choice but to let this ind be under his game ount.


    He must say, his uncle still knew him the best.Because he did often go here whenever he just wanted to nk out his mind and think of nothing else.No one knew about this ce.He set up the highest privacy setting here.So, no one could enter here without his permission.Even if a yer who could fly passed by here, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see this ind.Even Bai Ze, Su Yuqi, and their former two teammates didn¡¯t know about this ce.


    He nced at Luo Yan.He was the first person Shen Ji Yun ever wanted to bring here.One of the things he read from those articles was that when one was trying to chase the person they liked, they should bring them to beautiful ces to cultivate feelings.It would be even more effective if that ce was special to them.


    When he read that, the first thing that came to his mind was to bring Luo Yan here.Considering how they could only meet in Arcadia right now, this ce was the closest thing to what he could call as ¡¯special¡¯.That¡¯s why when he had the chance earlier, he immediately asked Luo Yan to pay him for that meal he still owed him and then proceed on bringing him here.


    Looking at Luo Yan¡¯s expression, he was d that he did.Because it seemed that Luo Yan really liked this ce.


    "Your uncle must really spoil you a lot," Luo Yanmented.


    "Yes, even though I tell him so many times that he doesn¡¯t need to."


    "The two of you must be really close."


    A soft smile appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips."I consider him as my second father."


    Luo Yan suddenly remembered that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s father was already dead and that his mother was living in another country, leaving him with his uncle."If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how long have you been living with your uncle?"


    "About 12 years now."


    Luo Yan was extremely surprised by that answer.12 years?Wasn¡¯t that a bit too long?That meant that he had been living with his uncle since he was eight years old.Shen Ji Yun still had one living parent.If his father died when he was eight, then did his mother abandon him?


    It was only for a moment, but Shen Ji Yun saw the variety of emotions that shed on Luo Yan¡¯s face ¨C surprise, confusion, and finally, doubt.Because unlike him, Luo Yan¡¯s face had no problem showing all kinds of emotions.In that short moment, Shen Ji Yun already had a guess on what he was thinking.


    "If you have any questions, you can ask me," he said.


    Luo Yan hesitated because it was something private and he really didn¡¯t want to pry into it.But at the end, his curiosity still won and asked, "Why have you been living with your uncle for that long?"Shen Ji Yun seemed to be taken aback by his question.And he immediately regretted why he asked such a private question."Sorry, Brother Ji Yun.It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t answer."


    "No, it¡¯s okay."Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t mind answering that question.Because it was Luo Yan who asked.And if he wanted for them to get closer, then it¡¯s important for Luo Yan to get to know him better.Although he probably couldn¡¯t say all the details to him now.Because it¡¯s still very hard for him to talk about that incident.He took a deep breath before speaking, "My father was a victim of a violent crime.His death broke my mother ¨C psychologically and emotionally.She could no longer take care of me.And so, I was left under the care of my uncle."


    When his father died, he and his mother was taken back by his mother¡¯s family to country Y.His mother¡¯s family ¨C the Cromwells ¨C was just like the Shen family.They opposed his mother¡¯s marriage to his father.Because they believed that his father didn¡¯t deserve their family¡¯s princess.And then his father died and his mother went crazy.


    Even if they also took Shen Ji Yun back, they never considered him as family.As he watched his mother slowly losing her mind, those people only gave him their cold backs.Day by day, he felt like he was slowly descending towards the darkness with not a single shred of light in sight.


    The only one who reached out to him was his Uncle Yi Mu.He pulled him out of the darkness.Truly, he had no idea what kind of life he would be leading now without him.


    He looked at the distance."I¡¯m very grateful that he was the one who took me in."


    Luo Yan could feel the sadness emanating from Shen Ji Yun.He could even see a bit of pain hidden in the depths of his amethyst eyes.He suddenly had the urge to punch himself.Why the heck did he even ask that question?


    [Mashter, Captain looks so sad.You should cheer him up!] ¨C Eclipse¡¯s voice suddenly called inside his mind.


    Even if Eclipse didn¡¯t say that, Luo Yan was already nning to divert the topic elsewhere.He didn¡¯t want to see a sad Shen Ji Yun.But the moment when he most needed his humor, it failed him and he couldn¡¯t think of anything.So, out of desperation, he picked up one of the burgers and raised it towards Shen Ji Yun.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s eat?"


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit surprised at first.Because the sudden change in topic was so abrupt, it was too obvious.He looked down and saw Luo Yan¡¯s eager appearance.As if silently telling him that there¡¯s no need for them to talk about those things now.The worry in his eyes was apparent.Probably because Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help but leak a bit of the sadness he was feeling.This was probably Luo Yan¡¯s way of stopping him from thinking about those events.It was a bit crude but adorable at the same time.


    Heughed a little.Then he bent down his head and bit on the burger Luo Yan was holding.

 Chapter 235 A DATE UNDER THE TREE (II)

    LUO YAN was startled by Shen Ji Yun¡¯s action.He did it so naturally as if he had done it a hundred of times already.It was an action that one wouldn¡¯t expect from someone with a natural cold disposition.


    Shen Ji Yun raised his head.Their gazes collided and he smiled.The gentleness in his amethyst eyes was almost overflowing."It¡¯s delicious."


    Luo Yan suddenly felt his whole face heating up.He quickly averted his gaze so Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t see him blushing.Then he gave the burger the other just bit."Then Brother Ji Yun should finish it all."


    He faced forward, not looking at Shen Ji Yun, and then picked up the remaining burger.He stuffed himself with it to cover his face.


    [Mashter, are you blushing?] ¨C Eclipse asked.


    [Of course not.] ¨C Luo Yan replied indignantly.


    But only he knew that he really was.Seriously, why was he suddenly blushing for no reason anyway?It¡¯s not like this was the first time he saw Shen Ji Yun smile.He already knew he was much more handsome when he smiled, so there¡¯s nor reason to be surprise at all.Annoyed with himself, he just gorged on the burger causing him to finish it in no time.Then he picked up the strawberry smoothie and drank a bit of it.The sweet taste of strawberrybined with milk instantly soothed his nerves.


    "It seemed like you were quite hungry," Shen Ji Yunmented, his own burger was only half-way finished.


    "Yes, I¡¯m famished," Luo Yan just said.


    "Wait- Yan Yan, don¡¯t move," Shen Ji Yun suddenly said.


    Then he leaned towards Luo Yan, his face getting closer and closer by the second.Luo Yan felt like his heart suddenly jumped up to his throat.For the first time, he felt panicked.Like something was out of his control.A good example was the beating of his heart.The closer his face came, the faster his heart beat.When he could feel his breath on his face, Luo Yan automatically closed his eyes tightly on reflex.


    "Brother Ji Yun--!"


    Then he felt something touch the side of his lips.He opened his eyes in bewilderment and saw Shen Ji Yun wiping something on his face using his thumb.


    "There¡¯s some sauce on your face," he said.And then as if finally just noticing Luo Yan¡¯s unusual reaction, he added, a bit of confusion in his tone, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Luo Yan abruptly stood up."N-nothing!"


    He fanned himself.He could still feel the heating off from his face.What was that?What exactly was he thinking at that moment when Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face came close to his?He shook his head.Was he really starting to turn into a pervert?


    [Mashter, your temperature is a bit high, your heart is also beating rapidly.Are you having a panic attack?]


    Eclipse¡¯s sudden questionpletely calmed him down.Why was he panicking in the first ce anyway?[No, I was just feeling a bit hot.]


    [Or maybe Mashter was blushing again.]


    He looked down and narrowed his eyes at the little fox who was nibbling at the fries in front of him.[Say something about blushing one more time and I won¡¯t give you anymore Mana fruit.]


    The little fox stopped eating the fries and looked at him aggrievedly.[Mashter is bullying Eclipse again.]


    [No, I¡¯m simply exercising my rights as your master.] ¨C Luo Yan said in a very justified manner.


    "Yan Yan?" called Shen Ji Yun."Is there really nothing wrong?"


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun, when he saw his worried gaze, he suddenly felt a bit guilty.He sat back beside him and took a piece of pecan pie."Yes, there¡¯s really nothing."


    He bit on the pecan pie.Anyway, why was someone who would blush at a simple skin ship suddenly able to do all those flirty moves without even batting an eye?Unless he was doing it unconsciously.That¡¯s even scarier.That meant this guy was a natural-born Casanova.


    He nced sideways at Shen Ji Yun.But even if he thought that way, he really couldn¡¯t imagine this big ice block seducing girls left and right.Well, it wouldn¡¯t really matter if he could or not.Just letting Shen Ji Yun stand there, even if he did nothing, girls would naturally flock around him.


    He suddenly felt a slight tingle in his chest.Wait- what was that?


    Luo Yan shook his head and bit the remaining piece of pecan pie.He needed to think of something else instead of all these weird thoughts.He might as well talk about that ck dragon he found in his Origin Vige.


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, do you have any ns on getting a pet?"


    "Not really.Why do you suddenly ask?"


    "Because I¡¯d like to rmend you one.I believe this pet suits you perfectly.But if Brother Ji Yun is not interested, I understand."


    "No, I¡¯d like to hear more about it," Shen Ji Yun quickly changed his mind.If Luo Yan was the one rmending him this pet, even if it¡¯s a pig, he was willing to ept it.


    "That¡¯s great!I really think this one suits Brother Ji Yun best.If you happened to refuse, I¡¯m not nning to tell anyone else about it," Luo Yan said."When I was at my Origin Vige, I found a ck dragon sleeping inside a cave.That¡¯s actually where I found Eclipse.What do you think, Brother Ji Yun?Are you interested in capturing that dragon?"


    Listening to Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s interest was truly captured.A dragon, huh?He didn¡¯t expect that one could be found at an Origin Vige no less.But considering that it was at the Origin Vige of one of the newly added special race, this dragon also probably had just been added during thetest update.


    "I don¡¯t mind capturing the dragon.But it probably wouldn¡¯t be that easy to do that.There¡¯s a high chance that that dragon is part of some bigger task.So, even if I identally awaken it, I might not truly capture it as a pet."


    Luo Yan actually agreed with that assessment.If he considered how entric the people behind the department who writes the script for those special task and events were, there would definitely be some crazy story behind that dragon.Capturing it would definitely not be some easy task.


    "Should we go together to my Origin Vige and find more information first?" he asked.


    "Let¡¯s do that," Shen Ji Yun quickly said before Luo Yan changed his mind.How could he refuse when it¡¯s another chance for the two of them to be alone together?"When shall we go to your Origin Vige?"


    "How about this Sunday?" Luo Yan suggested.After all, he still had to prepare for the opening of his pavilion this Saturday.


    "Okay, let¡¯s do that."


    Eclipse suddenly jumped on Luo Yan¡¯s arms.[Mashter, be sure to bring Eclipse, okay?]


    He rubbed the little fox¡¯ head.[What, you¡¯re not sulking anymore?]


    [When did Eclipse sulk?]


    Luo Yan could only shake his head helplessly hearing that.


    On the other hand, Shen Ji Yun was already thinking of what he should do on their next ¡¯date¡¯ thising Sunday.

 Chapter 236 DO YOUR BEST, SHEN JI YUN

    "YAN, why didn¡¯t I see you in the headquarters earlier?" asked Luo Jin when Luo Yan was about to enter his room."You must have logged in only a few minutes earlier than me."


    The family just finished eating dinner.So, Luo Yan nned to go to his room and contact Yu Jiao to talk about those designs.He hoped that she would agree to his request and draw those designs.


    "Ah," he was about to say that he was doing some errands with Shen Ji Yun but he immediately stopped himself.If Luo Jin knew that he was alone with Shen Ji Yun, he might throw a fit like usual.Telling him to be careful around the guy who Luo Jin kept on insisting that had an ulterior motive for getting close to him."I was preparing some things for the opening of my pavilion.How about Ah Jin?"


    If Luo Jin went online earlier, it was actually kind of weird that he didn¡¯t send Luo Yan any message despite knowing that he was also ying the game.If it was normal, Luo Jin would definitely send him a message asking him where he was.But for the whole duration that he was online earlier, Luo Yan didn¡¯t receive any message from him.


    Luo Jin scratched his cheek and looked sideways."I was busy doing some task."


    Luo Yan observed his reaction.Seeing the way he dodged his gaze, a sudden thought entered his mind.Then a teasing grin appeared on his face."I see.You must have been doing some kind of task with Sister Yuqi."


    Luo Jin was slightly startled when he heard what his second brother said.He was about to confirm his guest but when he saw the teasing grin on his brother¡¯s face, he changed his mind.He already had an idea what this brother of his was thinking right now.


    "I wasn¡¯t!" he unconsciously shouted.


    "Oh?Then I was wrong?Weird.I¡¯m pretty sure that the only reason Ah Jin would forget sending me a message is if you¡¯re with Sister Yuqi.After all, in Ah Jin¡¯s mind, spending time with Sister Yuqi must be more important."


    Luo Jin¡¯s whole face quickly turned red."I- I told you I wasn¡¯t!"


    Then he abruptly turned around and walked towards the stairs.


    Luo Yan chuckled and just entered his room.He picked up his phone that was ced on his study table and sat on his bed.Thinking of his younger brother¡¯s blushing face, he couldn¡¯t help butugh once again.Luo Jin was really cute when he was embarrassed like that.It was so obvious that he had a crush on Su Yuqi yet he still insisted on denying it.


    Thinking of that, he suddenly couldn¡¯t stop himself from remembering thest conversation he had with Eclipse before he logged out.


    =====


    [Mashter, Mashter, Eclipse has something to tell you.] ¨C Eclipse said when they teleported back to the team¡¯s headquarters.


    [What is it?] ¨C he asked.


    [Do you remember when Captain asked you to go on ahead, you know, when we were still in that building where you bought those NPCs?]


    [Yeah, what about it?]


    [Didn¡¯t Captain say that he had to talk to the administrator that¡¯s why he asked you to go out first?Well, he didn¡¯t.He actually talked to a cat beastkin girl.]


    Luo Yan¡¯s interest was actually piqued when he heard that.He knew that Shen Ji Yun was lying when he said that.He just didn¡¯t expect that he would talk to a female yer.There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.So, why lie?


    [What did they talk about?]


    [Apparently, that cat girl was trailing after Mashter and Captain.The Captain asked why would she do that.And she said that she bore no ill will and she was only following the two of you to gather materials for her fan-art.She was nning to draw the two of you and post it on her Weibo.She was nning to draw Does Mashter know how Captain reacted?]


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised hearing that the female yer was following them.Even more surprised to hear the reason behind.It sounded like such ame excuse.[He reprimanded her, of course.]


    [Tu-tut!Wrong.Captain asked for that girl¡¯s Weibo and told her to draw the two of you in a way that would make you appear closer.Then the girl asked if that meant he wanted to make the two of you look like a couple.And the Captain nodded!Does Mashter know what that means?The Captain wants the two of you to be a couple!So, Mashter should just marry Captain and then...]


    =====


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t hear what Eclipse said after that.Because all he could think of at that moment was the fact that Shen Ji Yun wanted a drawing of them looking like a ¡¯couple¡¯.He didn¡¯t doubt that Eclipse was lying to him.After all, despite having almost human like emotions, he was still a program made of data and codes.He wouldn¡¯t have the desire to lie like human does.


    Shen Ji Yun probably never thought that his actions would be reported back to Luo Yan by Eclipse.And so, he was careless enough to show what he truly felt at that time.Which meant that he truly wanted the two of them to look like a ¡¯couple¡¯.


    When Luo Yan realized that, his mind justpletely nked out.He didn¡¯t even remember how he logged out.When he removed the VR helmet, he just noticed how fast his heart beat was.It took a while before he could even calm himself.Because the suspicion he had since Eclipse began on pairing the two of them up was just confirmed at that moment.


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to really like him in that way.


    It was something he never thought to be possible.If not for Eclipse telling him about that ¡¯couple¡¯ thing, it would probably not even cross his mind.He might suspect it, but he would never think of it as true.


    How could he?This was Shen Ji Yun they were talking about.Even others wouldn¡¯t think of that possibility.Much less him.Well, probably with the exemptions of his brothers.But those two were just a special case. They¡¯re paranoid that way.But when he thought of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s actions from before until now, with the knowledge that he liked him, then that would probably exin a lot of things.


    Why he was always so gentle and caring towards him, why every time he identally touched him, he would blush, why it was so easy for him to give him a smile when most of the times he couldn¡¯t even do it.If Luo Yanpiled each and every reaction Shen Ji Yun had when it concerned him, then it would be easy to see that he really liked him.


    He clutched his chest.He could feel his heart beating faster and faster once again.He didn¡¯t hate the fact that Shen Ji Yun had romantic feelings towards him.He wasn¡¯t even disgusted by it.In fact, he was very ttered.Someone so outstanding actually fell for him.How could he not be ttered?


    But at the same time, he was also at a lost.Because he had no idea how to react.Although he was happy about Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for him, it didn¡¯t mean that he would just go up and say; ¡¯okay, let¡¯s start dating¡¯.He wasn¡¯t even sure about how he felt about him.


    He had never been in love before.But he promised to himself that if ever he did, he would totallymit himself to that love.He didn¡¯t want something that was merely in passing.Something that could easily be broken by a mere tug.He wanted something that wouldst until the end of his life.


    Luo Yan knew how extreme that sounded.Maybe even a bit cheesy.But he just didn¡¯t want to waste his time on useless rtionsh.i.p.s.If hemited himself to someone, he wanted that someone to be the ¡¯one¡¯.And right now, he couldn¡¯t say with full confidence that Shen Ji Yun was the ¡¯one¡¯.


    But he also couldn¡¯t just directly reject him.Or rather than ¡¯he couldn¡¯t¡¯, it¡¯s probably more urate to say that he didn¡¯t want to.It¡¯s a very contradictory feeling.This was probably the first time he felt so undecisive.


    Hey down on the bed and let out a frustrated sigh. The only thing he could do right now was to just go with the flow. Well, at least until he was certain of what he¡¯s feeling for Shen Ji Yun. But who knows, maybe before that could even happen, Shen Ji Yun would be able to make him fall for him.


    An almost imperceptible smile crossed Luo Yan¡¯s lips.[You should do your best, Shen Ji Yun.]

 Chapter 237 NIGHTCLOUD CP

    WITH his feelings finally settled, Luo Yan finally felt refreshed.He no longer felt troubled and he also no longer need to continuously think of ways on how to handle this kind of situation.Since he decided to have a wait and see attitude, then he would do just that.


    He sat back up.He wondered what would Shen Ji Yun¡¯s next move would be.Based on how forward he had been today, well, at least as forward as he could be, he was probably chasing him, right?Knowing that he liked him, that could only be it.Admitting that out loud was still kind of embarrassing though.


    He¡¯s actually looking forward to it ¨C Shen Ji Yun¡¯s next move.Considering how much of a big innocent bun he was, this was probably the first time he would ever try to chase someone.Which meant that Luo Yan was also the first one he ever fell for.Or at least the first one he ever considered chasing.Once again, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel ttered.


    He smiled.Really, how would a cinnamon roll like Shen Ji Yun make someone fall for him?Being the first-hand witness of that would be truly exciting.And maybe, even a bit scary.Because he was not sure what kind of attack would be thrown at him.


    He just picked up his phone and finally decided to send a message to Yu Jiao via WeChat.


    [YanYan1213]: Jiao Jiao, are you busy right now?


    After he sent that, he waited for about ten minutes before he received a reply.


    [yujiao]: Sorry, I was doing something.I only read your message just now.Does Yan Yan need anything?


    [YanYan1213]: It¡¯s okay.Can I send you a video call request?I kind of have something important to talk to you about.


    [yujiao]: Sure.


    Luo Yan then sent a video call request to Yu Jiao.Which she quickly epted.The person who appeared on his phone¡¯s screen took him slightly by surprised.


    Yu Jiao¡¯s short ck hair was swept back, showing a clean forehead.She was not wearing her thick sses.So, Luo Yan could perfectly see her eyes.Most of their ssmates would probably think that the eyes behind those sses were small and unremarkable.But Yu Jiao¡¯s eyes were neither of those.They were sharp and long, the irises the color of warm chocte.


    Those eyes gave Yu Jiao¡¯s appearance some sort of androgynous effect.Because all Luo Yan could see was her face and her neck, that effect was even greater.It¡¯s as if the one he was talking to was a teenage boy instead of a teenage girl.If he considered her height, dressing up as a guy without her sses and with her hair swept back like this, she would easily be mistaken for a tall young man.And a very handsome one at that.


    Luo Yan could see water dripping from her hair.That ¡¯something¡¯ she was doing was probably her just finishing taking her bath.This ¡¯out-of-the-bath¡¯ look certainly made her even more handsome.If the girls from school could see Yu Jiao right now, they would certainly be all over her.It¡¯s a shame that no one had discovered this side of Yu Jiao yet.Or else, she probably would have already been one of the most famous students at school.


    Well, there¡¯s also a chance that that possibility might not happen.Especially if he took into ount her shy personality.


    "Yan Yan?" Yu Jiao called with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.She¡¯s probably confused why Luo Yan did not speak immediately.


    That pulled back Luo Yan¡¯s attention."Oh sorry.I¡¯m just a bit surprised because Jiao Jiao look so handsome.That¡¯s apliment by the way.Only truly good-looking girls could pull off this kind of image."


    Yu Jiao¡¯s whole face quickly turned red.She fiddled with her hair and tried to pull some strands to cover her face."I- I¡¯m not.I mean¡ª"


    "Jiao Jiao doesn¡¯t need to be shy.Since I¡¯m only telling the truth," Luo Yan said.


    "Ahm, is there something you want to talk about?" Yu Jiao asked, trying to change the topic.Her appearance was a bit of a sore topic for her.So, she¡¯d rather not talk about that.


    Luo Yan, of course, noticed that.So, he didn¡¯t make it hard for Yu Jiao and just went straight to the reason why he called her in the first ce.


    "Have you seen that advertis.e.m.e.nt about that new business that will open thising Saturday?"


    -B City-


    Shen Ji Yun was inside his room, trying his best to make a Weibo ount.He still remembered that talk he had with that female yer earlier.She said that she would post her fan-art on her Weibo ount.He wanted to check it.But the problem was he couldn¡¯t do it unless he had a Weibo ount of his own.


    He used his extra email address to register.Now, he had to put a username.He¡¯s really bad at this.So, he had been brooding on what he should pick as a username for almost 15 minutes now.Wait- he used his extra email anyway.It¡¯s probably alright to go a bit crazy with this one.


    Then, as if a lightbulb turned on in his brain, a wonderful username just appeared in his mind.He typed; @noctisismyforever.When it was approved, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.He actually wanted to type @yanyanismyforever, but that would be too obvious.


    He searched that female yer¡¯s Weibo ount.When he saw it, he immediately clicked it.Her Weibo page quickly appeared.He was a bit surprised when he saw that her follower was almost 300,000.Which meant that this ount was at least very popr in her circle.


    He browsed down and stopped at the very top post.It was just posted 30 minutes ago.It was a drawing of two men holding each other and looking lovingly at each other¡¯s eyes.The taller one had long dark purple hair and the other had long white hair.The two looked very simr as Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan¡¯s game avatars.In fact, they almost looked exactly the same.


    @catnip010: Presenting the NightCloud CP!Don¡¯t they look perfect together? #YUN #Noctis #Yunyue #Nightcloud


    He stared at the drawing one more time.Then read the caption once again.NightCloud, huh?An overly bright smile appeared on his face.The two of them indeed look perfect together.He saved the drawing on his phone.And thenmented;


    @noctisismyforever: I support this CP!They¡¯re obviously meant for each other. YUN and Noctis forever! <3

 Chapter 238 HER FIRST STEP FORWARD

    "AHM, what business?" Yu Jiao asked, truly confused by the question.


    Luo Yan realized that his question was a bit vague.So, he repeated it once again.This time with more details."It¡¯s the advertis.e.m.e.nt that had been ying in Arcadia for the past week.You¡¯ve seen it, right?"


    Yu Jiao seemed to finally understand what he¡¯s talking about.But then, she looked like she was hesitating if she should answer the question honestly or not.Luo Yan thought that she¡¯s probably hesitating because she didn¡¯t want to admit that she was ying Arcadia.


    Luo Yan was indeed right.Yu Jiao was wavering if she should answer him honestly or not.No one knew about her ying Arcadia.Well, except for her family.But that¡¯s only an ident.Because her stepsister saw the VR helmet in her room and tried to destroyed it.That incident was the final straw that led her to leave the Mo household and stayed at the school¡¯s dormitory.Because Guizu Academy was a rich school, students who chose to stay at the dormitory would have their own rooms.That¡¯s why Yu Jiao could y Arcadia without anyone bothering her.


    Now she wasn¡¯t sure if she should admit to Luo Yan that she yed Arcadia.Because the only reason he would ask that question was because he, himself, was ying the same game.If she admitted to that fact, then there¡¯s a big possibility that Luo Yan would ask for them to meet in the game.And that¡¯s the real reason why she¡¯s hesitating.


    She looked at Luo Yan¡¯s pretty face.And then remembered all the kindness he had shown her since school started.He was the fist one who ever tried to make friends with her.Shen was naturally shy and gloomy.Characteristics that wouldn¡¯t warrant for anyone to befriend her.But Luo Yan did.Maybe he didn¡¯t have an honest motive to get close to her at first.But she could feelter on that he was truly sincere in wanting to be friends with her.


    She was sensitive when it came to things like that.Maybe because of her overly careful nature.Because she grew up in a single parent household, she had to be always mindful of how she acted.If shemitted a mistake, she didn¡¯t want others to criticize her mother for that.Which led to her constantly analyzing the actions of the people around her.Especially those who tried to get close to her.


    So, she could feel that Luo Yan probably didn¡¯t think of truly befriending her at first.He probably only did so because of her drawing that he picked up.But hister actions and words towards her were all sincere.That¡¯s why from the bottom of her heart, she also truly wanted to be friends with him.To have the courage to move out of herfort zone and move forward.But how could she do that when she couldn¡¯t even honestly answer one question?


    Yu Jiao took a deep breath.With her mind finally made up, she answered, "Yes, I¡¯ve seen it."


    Luo Yan rejoiced inside when he heard that answer.Because this proved that Yu Jiao was finally willing to reveal to him that she was also ying Arcadia."What is your opinion about it, that advertis.e.m.e.nt?"


    "Wasn¡¯t it for the new business that the game was about tounch this Saturday?"


    "Everyone thinks that, right?But actually, that business is owned by a yer."


    Yu Jiao showed a surprised look."How did you know about this?"


    Luo Yan smiled."Because I¡¯m the owner."


    Yu Jiao became speechless for a second.That answer was the least one she expected to hear.Or it might be more urate to say that she didn¡¯t even think about that possibility.She was a bit doubtful at first.But when she thought about it carefully, there was really no reason for Luo Yan to lie to her.Which meant that he was really the owner of that business that was about to open this Saturday.


    Everyone just assumed that it was a new business that the game created.It was mostly because Moonlight Media¡¯s official Weibo ount promoted the business itself.Not only that, the location of the building was on and that yers couldn¡¯t just buy and own.So, it was easy to misunderstand.Moonlight Media itself didn¡¯t make any statement to disprove the yers¡¯ assumptions.That¡¯s why most yers, including her, thought that that was indeed the case.


    But then, what Luo Yan said just now disproved that."Do you have some kind of special identity?" she couldn¡¯t help but ask.Because how else could he own a piece ofnd in the recreational garden located at Goldcrest City?


    Luo Yan stopped and then chuckled."That¡¯s what most would think, right?But no, I don¡¯t.Let¡¯s just say, I have a friend who have a so-called ¡¯special identity¡¯."


    Now that he thought about it.Maybe Shen Ji Yun manipted it in a way that he could purchase a piece ofnd in the recreational garden.Because he already liked him then.It would be a lie if he said that he wasn¡¯t moved.He smiled.Really, how cute.


    Yu Jiao immediately understood that it this ¡¯friend¡¯ who helped Luo Yan buy thatnd and this ¡¯friend¡¯ could also be the reason why Moonlight Media¡¯s Weibo promoted this business.She wondered what kind of ¡¯friend¡¯ was this that they could do all those things.She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they¡¯re rted to the top echelons of the gamingpany.


    "But why tell me this?"


    That¡¯s right.That¡¯s the most important part.Why would Luo Yan tell her this?


    "Well, I could be totally mushy and tell you that it¡¯s because we¡¯re friends.But the truth is, I want to ask you a favor."


    Yu Jiao almostughed because of what he said."As long as it¡¯s within my ability, sure, I¡¯ll do it."


    "It¡¯s definitely within your ability.You see, I need to make a symbol for my business.Its name is Yuexing Pavilion, by the way.So, the symbol should be something that once people see, they would automatically link to the pavilion.I really couldn¡¯t think of anything.So, I was hoping that you could help me with the design.Would it be alright if I ask your help with this?"


    It didn¡¯t take long for Yu Jiao to decide once she heard that."Okay, I¡¯ll help you."


    She already decided that she would slowly get out of the hard shell she tightly wrapped herself into.And this was her way of taking a step forward.

 Chapter 239 SYMBOL OF YUEXING PAVILION

    WHEN the bell rang, signaling the end of the morning ss, he almost sprung up his seat with excitement.He stood up abruptly and immediately stepped out of his seat.But due to that, he almost collided with a person that was about to pass by him.Because he tried to avoid any collision, he quickly lost his bnce.He thought he was going to fall back but a pair of strong hands managed to hold his shoulders and prevent the fall.


    "Thank you¡ª"


    He didn¡¯t manage to finish his sentence and his words just stuck in his throat.Because when he raised his head, he saw Huang Wen¡¯s annoyed face looking down on him.


    Luo Yan¡¯s change in expression was very obvious ¨C from grateful to guarded.It all happened the moment he raised his head and saw Huang Wen.That pissed off Huang Wen more than it should.So, he let go of the kid¡¯s shoulders as if he just touched something dirty and then said in an annoyed tone, "Watch it."


    He didn¡¯t wait for his response and just turned around and walked out of the ssroom.


    Luo Yan stared at Huang Wen¡¯s back.He remembered thest time when the other interfered when that friend of his, what was his name again?Ah, Ying Chen, tried to mess with Luo Yan.Because of that, he discovered that Huang Wen was not all that bad.He¡¯s probably just in his rebellious phase.And because of his supposed ¡¯rivalry¡¯ with Luo Jin, he couldn¡¯t help but be annoyed with him.Maybe he shouldn¡¯t be too guarded when he¡¯s around.After all, he hadn¡¯t felt that much of an ill-intent from him since they met.


    He put the matter of Huang Wen at the back of his mind and turned to look at Yu Jiao¡¯s seat.The other was no longer there and was probably already on his way to the small restaurant.He also walked out of the ssroom before his other ssmates tried to talk to him.


    When Luo Yan arrived at the ground floor, he immediately saw Luo Jin waiting for him outside.He quickened his steps and arrived at his younger brother¡¯s side in no time.


    "Did you see Jiao Jiao passed by?" he asked.


    "Yeah, she did, just a minute ago," Luo Jin answered.


    "Then let¡¯s go.It¡¯s not good to keep thedy waiting," Luo Yan said before pulling Luo Jin towards the direction of the small restaurant.


    "Why are you in such a rush?It¡¯s not as if that girl would disappear if we¡¯re a little bitte," Luo Jinined.


    "That¡¯s a bad habit to get used to, Ah Jin.How do you expect Sister Yuqi to like you if you have that kind of mentality?" Luo Yan said in a scolding manner while still pulling Luo Jin."Remember, girls don¡¯t like boys who are alwayste.It makes them feel that they¡¯re not important enough, that they¡¯re not at the top of your priorities."


    Luo Jin blushed."W-who said that I w-want Su Yuqi to l-like me?"


    But even though he said that, he still subconsciously remembered what his second brother said about not beingte.


    "Yes, yes, you don¡¯t want her to like you that¡¯s why your attention was always on her," Luo Yan said sarcastically.


    "Yan!"


    "Okay, I¡¯ll shut up now," he said because he knew how thin-skinned this brother of his was.If he continued teasing him, they might just dy more time."So, let¡¯s hurry, okay?"


    Luo Jin no longer spoke and just let Luo Yan pull him along.


    After a few minutes of walking, they finally reached the small restaurant.When they entered inside, Yu Jiao was already inside and sitting on their usual table.The one at the corner.


    Luo Yan let go of Luo Jin and ran towards the table."Jiao Jiao!" he greeted, sitting in front of Yu Jiao."Have you finished the drawing?"


    Yu Jiao was slightly startled by Luo Yan¡¯s enthusiastic approach.But she immediately understood that he was just probably too excited to see the drawings he requested from her.


    She smiled a little."Yes.I already sent it to your email.You can check it out now."


    Luo Yan quickly took out his phone from his pocket to check his email.He clicked on the topmost unread email and opened it.There were two attachments ¨C one was named ¡¯symbol¡¯ while the other was named ¡¯boat¡¯.He didn¡¯t expect that Yu Jiao would also finish the design of the boat.


    He first opened the file named ¡¯symbol¡¯.His eyes shone brightly when he saw the drawing.It was a circle, half of it was a golden crescent moon lying down.On top of it, still inside the circle, was an eight-pointed star.There¡¯s a thin line that orbited around the circle.On the outer upper half of it were rays of light.And connected to the eight-pointed star by a thin gold line another star that was located at the outer bottom part of the circle.


    It was a very appropriate symbol for Yuexing Pavilion.Because the words ¡¯yue¡¯ and ¡¯xing¡¯ meant moon and star respectively.


    He next opened the design for the boat.It was simr to the design of an ancient Chinese boat.The one that nobles used to sail around rivers.But this one had the symbol of Yuexing engraved on the helm.


    Luo Yan smiled brightly.He was very satisfied with these two drawings.Especially the ¡¯symbol¡¯."Thank you, Jiao Jiao.I love them!"


    Yu Jiao smiled shyly."It¡¯s nothing.I¡¯m d I could be of help."


    Luo Jin leaned over Luo Yan and peeked at his phone.He then saw the drawings there.He raised one of his brows.So, this was the reason why he was rushing here.He sat down beside his brother and nced at Yu Jiao.But t¡¯s a bit of a surprise that his brother managed to convince this girl to draw something for him.Though if he thought about it carefully, this was Luo Yan he¡¯s talking about.His brother would probably be able to convince anyone to do his bidding if he just put his mind into it.


    "I¡¯ll send you one of the invitations for the opening night.You muste.You¡¯ll be one of my special guests," Luo Yan send."How about we meet in the game so I could give the invitation to you personally?"


    Yu Jiao didn¡¯t have time to refute.Because before she could even do that, Luo Yan already said thatst part.As if it¡¯s already a given that she would go the opening night of Yuexing Pavilion.She sighed.She already expected it but her heart was still not ready yet.


    "Ahm, just send the invitation to Forge Etna.I¡¯m usually there whenever I log into the game.I promise, I¡¯ll attend the opening night of your pavilion."


    Forge Etna?Was that some kind of cksmith shop?Does Yu Jiao work there or does she own it?But Luo Yan didn¡¯t ask those questions.Because, obviously, she¡¯s still not ready to tell him the answer."Okay.You definitely have toe."


    Yu Jiao secretly let out a sigh of relief when Luo Yan didn¡¯t ask any questions.Although she said that she would take a step forward, there were still some things she¡¯s not ready to tell Luo Yan.Like her identity in the game for example.


    So, she just smiled and nodded.

 Chapter 240 SENDING INVITATIONS

    LUO YAN was walking on the streets of Goldcrest City.He was on his way to Arcadia Mail and Delivery.It¡¯s an establishment in the game where yers could send mail and all kinds of items to other yers.Each of the four cities had the said establishment.When he asked Shen Ji Yun for some advice on how he should deliver the invitations, he rmended the game¡¯s official mail and delivery service.


    ording to him, if one would want to deliver a letter to another yer, they could print the letter there.All they had to do was to show the copy of the letter they wanted to print.Since the game ount could be linked to a yer¡¯s email address, it was easy to retrieve any file from their email even if they¡¯re inside the game.The same way that they could also sent screenshots and videos that they had taken in the game to their email.


    Which meant, Luo Yan could simply show the invitation he worked so hard to makest night to any NPC there.


    Yesterday, he received the designs that Yu Jiao made for him.So, when he returned back home, the moment he logged into the game, he went to the specialized merchandize shop to give them the design for the boat.He told them that he would be back on Saturday morning to retrieve the boats he ordered.


    He did not y after dinner because he was nning to edit the invitation.It took awhile before he could finish.Because he wanted it to be as perfect as it could.After that, he still needed to do some of his assignments.So, he no longer had the time to enter the game again.Unless, of course, he wanted to sacrifice his sleep.Which he didn¡¯t want to do.It¡¯s not only for his growth but also for his skin.This was a dangerous age for a teenager, after all.He could easily get pimples if he stayed upte and not get enough sleep.How could he let that happen?


    So, he could only send the invitations today.There were only three days left before the opening of his pavilion.But he¡¯s not worried that his invitations would not make it in time.It¡¯s because Shen Ji Yun assured him that once the invitations were released, the mail and delivery service would make sure that it would be delivered within 24 hours.


    [Mashter, Captain is not going with us?] ¨C Eclipse said, interrupting his thoughts.The little fox was lyingfortably on his shoulder.


    [No, he had ss today.]


    [What?Then does that mean this ¡¯ss¡¯ is more important than Mashter?] ¨C Eclipse said in an outraged voice.


    Luo Yan yfully pulled one of Eclipse¡¯s tails.[Of course, it¡¯s important.The ¡¯ss¡¯ you¡¯re talking about could affect your captain¡¯s future after all.]


    Besides, if Shen Ji Yun dyed his ss just so he could chase him, Luo Yan would be the first one to get mad.


    Eclipse pouted.[But Mashter is still more important.]


    He chuckled.Seriously, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of brain hole this pet of his have.


    Not long after, they arrived at Arcadia Mail and Delivery.


    He looked up at the building that was almost embedded to the ancient looking tree beside it.The three-story building also had a rustic feel to it.Made up of yellow bricks and red roof tiles.Green vines also creeped along the building.Adding to the fairy-tale like feel.There was a wooden sign on the side saying ¡¯Arcadia Mail and Delivery¡¯.


    Luo Yan no longer wasted time and just walked inside.And he was a bit surprised to see that a part of the tree was indeed inside the building.So, instead of saying that the building was embedded on the tree, it¡¯s more urate to say that the building was built around the tree.On the first floor, he could see NPCs packing up items.They were lined up in front of a conveyor belt ¨C checking the items, packing them up in beautiful parcels, and then putting elegantly written messages on them.


    A female NPC walked up to Luo Yan."Dear customer, can I help you with anything?"


    "Yes, I want to send a personally delivered mail to a number of people.Where should I go for that?" he asked.


    "Then please proceed to the third floor.There would be another employee assisting you."


    Luo Yan nodded and walked towards the lift.It¡¯s like one of those old-style elevators.He was the only one riding it, so, there was no problem in pushing the button corresponding to the third floor.When he arrived there, the floor was mostly empty.There were just a few yers, most were NPCs.


    Another female NPC walked up to him."Dear customer, what can I assist you with?"


    He once again told the NPC the same thing he told the other one earlier.


    "I understand.Then, please follow me."


    The NPC led him to an empty room where only a huge holographic screen could be seen.


    "May I ask if you already have a sample of the mail you wanted to send or if you want us to make it now?" asked the NPC.


    "I already have one."


    "Then, please, send it to our server.All you have to do is to open your Status Window and the connection to our service will automatically appear.You will be able to send the file then," exined the NPC.


    Luo Yan did as he was told.Just like the NPC said, as soon as he opened his Status Window, he could see a connection on the upper right.Much like a wi-fi signal.He easily sent the sample invitation to the server that the NPC mentioned.Then, he saw the sample invitation appearing on the huge holographic screen in front of him.


    "Please, specify where you want to print it, who do you want to send it to, and how would you want it to be delivered."


    Just as the NPC said that, those options appeared on the holographic screen.Luo Yan chose to print it on a parchment ¨C the one that you would roll and closed with a seal.Of course, the seal he would use was the symbol of Yuexing Pavilion.The second one was who he would send it to.He chose the ¡¯customized multiple recipient¡¯ option.With this one, he could type the names of the yers he would send the invitation to and their names would appear automatically on the invitation that was specifically for them.It took a while for him to enter all the names of the yers he was nning to invite.For the mode of delivery, he chose the owl mode.Where owls would be the one to deliver the invitations.


    Once done, he pressed ¡¯enter¡¯ and the total price for the service appeared.The total price was a bit high.But Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind.He paid it all in full.


    "Thank you for choosing our services, dear customer.Be assured that your mails would be delivered within 24 hours starting now."


    Luo Yan nodded and walked out of the room.


    [Mashter, where are we going now?] ¨C Eclipse asked when they walked towards the lift.


    [We¡¯ll stop by the headquarters of team Celestials and meet a certain four-eyes.]

 Chapter 241 HOW TO MEET URIEL

    ALTHOUGH Luo Yan said that they would go to the headquarters of team Celestials, he actually had no idea how he would go about doing that.He also couldn¡¯t contact Uriel and tell him to meet up with him.When their blue door task was done, he never thought of befriending Uriel.That¡¯s why he never bothered to add him on his friend list.If he had known that he would be forced to visit him in the near future, he would hold in his annoyance towards the guy and just add him on his friend list.


    [Mashter, Eclipse thought we will go to those Celestials.Why are we still here?] ¨C Eclipse asked while nibbling his third Mana fruit.


    They were sitting on the rooftop of one of the buildings at Goldcrest City.Luo Yan chose this ce because he didn¡¯t want to be bothered by other yers.


    [Sshh... I¡¯m thinking right now.] ¨C he said.


    When he realized that he had to talk to Uriel, he did some research regarding team Celestials.It was really not that hard since they¡¯re really famous, being the champion team and all.So, it was easy to find the location of their headquarters.The problem was, it was located on a floating ind.And he¡¯s pretty sure that even if he managed to fly there, he would still be unable to enter without any permission.


    So, what to do now?


    Hezily opened his Status Window for nothing better to do.Then found that the only one online among his friend list was Bai Ze.He knew Shen Ji Yun had ss this afternoon.Maybe Su Yuqi as well.But how about Luo Jin?That kid.Was it possible that he logged out after seeing that Su Yuqi was not online?Luo Yan shook his head.Nah.If that was the case, then Luo Jin was already in too deep with his feelings for Su Yuqi.But seeing as how he still could barely be honest with how he felt, Luo Yan would say that he was still at the early stages.Maybe he was finishing some assignment or something.After all, even if he often acted like a delinquent, he¡¯s still the number one student in his grade.


    Luo Yan was about to close the Status Window when he once again nced at Bai Ze¡¯s game name.And an idea suddenly came up to him.He grinned and send a message to Bai Ze.


    Noctis: [Brother Ze, are you free right now?]


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to receive an answer.


    White Marsh: [I was just about to do some dungeon raid.Want to join me?Oh, but we have to y with some random yers.]


    Noctis: [No.I was actually thinking of asking Brother Ze for a favor.]


    White Marsh: [What is it?Xiao Yan could ask me anything.]


    Noctis: [Then, could Brother Ze meet me at Goldcrest City?I¡¯ll tell you what my request is once we meet.I¡¯ll be waiting at a private box in Moonriver Restaurant.]


    White Marsh: [Got it.]


    Bai Ze wondered what kind of request Luo Yan wanted to ask of him.But he still teleported to Goldcrest City and went to Moonriver Restaurant.When he entered the restaurant, he told one of the NPC waiters that he was there to meet Noctis.The NPC immediately led him to a private box on the third floor.He went inside and saw his cousin eating traditional sweets.On the side of the table, a ck fox with three tails was eating some kind of ck fruit.


    "Xiao Yan," he called.


    Luo Yan raised his head and looked at him.He smiled."Brother Ze!"


    Bai Ze clutched his chest.He felt like an arrow just hit his heart just now because of that smile.How could his cousin be this pretty and adorable?


    He sat on the seat opposite Luo Yan."Can I have one of those sweets?"


    "Of course," Luo Yan said pushing a te of red bean cake towards Bai Ze.


    Bai Ze picked a piece and ate it.He nced at the fox eating quietly on the side.He had a sudden urge to pet it.So, he reached out towards the fox.But before his fingers touched its fur, the fox already avoided his hand.The fox looked at him before it continued eating the fruit its holding.


    "Xiao Yan, I think your pet just gave me a dismissive nce."


    Luo Yan smiled."I¡¯m sure that¡¯s just Brother Ze¡¯s imagination."


    Truthfully, Eclipse just said inside his mind ¨C [Mashter, please tell this big lion that he¡¯s not allowed to pet Eclipse.]


    Luo Yanughed dryly.He suddenly remembered when Eclipse hatched from the egg and Bai Ze tried to hug him.He showed the same resistance then.This pet of his was no doubt a face control.So, why was he so against Bai Ze when the other was obviously handsome?Was it because he¡¯s a beastkin?


    "Anyway, Xiao Yan, what was the request you talked about earlier?" Bai Ze asked, eating a piece of red bean cake again.


    "Ah, about that.Is Brother Ze familiar with the members of team Celestials?You see, I need to talk to one of their members ¨C Uriel.Could Brother Ze help me meet him?" Luo Yan said, looking at Bai Ze.He blinked his big eyes at him, making sure that he would look full of hope and expectations.


    As expected, Bai Ze was not able to resist this kind of attack.Although he had no idea why Luo Yan suddenly wanted to meet that Uriel, he couldn¡¯t refuse his request."I¡¯m not really familiar with all of them.But I know one of the main yers.I could message him and ask if that Uriel is in their headquarters.If he is, then I¡¯ll ask if we could go to their headquarters to meet him."


    Luo Yan smiled brightly, his blue eyes shining."Really?Thank you, Brother Ze!You¡¯re the best!"


    Bai Zeughed and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.


    Then he opened his Status Window and sent a message to Zhong Hui.

 Chapter 242 TEAM CELESTIALS HEADQUARTERS

    WHITE MARSH: [Zhong Hui, is that team member of yours named Uriel in your headquarters right now?A member of my team has an urgent business with him.]


    It was a good thing that the other was online, Bai Ze thought.It took about ten minutes before Zhong Hui replied to his message.


    Gabriel: [A member of your team?Is it the girl from the Su family or your captain?]


    White Marsh: [No, it¡¯s a new member.]Then as if worried that Zhong Hui might think that Luo Yan had some bad intentions that¡¯s why he wanted to meet Uriel, he quickly added.[He¡¯s my younger cousin.So, I can guarantee his character.]


    Gabriel: [Uriel is online.But let me ask him first if he¡¯s willing to meet your team mate.]


    It took another ten minutes again before Zhong Hui sent back a reply.


    Gabriel: [He agreed.You and your cousin could directly teleport to our headquarters.I¡¯ll send you a special pass that will let you teleport with another yer.]


    After Bai Ze read that, he next received the ¡¯special pass¡¯.It looked like some kind of ticket.He clicked ¡¯ept¡¯ and the pass quickly went to his Items Tab.Because a team¡¯s headquarters usually remain invisible to yers who weren¡¯t members of the team, any visitor needed this ¡¯pass¡¯ so they would be allowed to enter the headquarters¡¯ premises.And this ¡¯special pass¡¯ that Zhong Hui sent him would allow the recipient to bring another yer with him.


    Gabriel: [By the way, that pass¡¯ effectiveness will onlyst for 30 minutes.So, you better use it within that duration.]


    White Marsh: [Thank you.You¡¯re a big help.Let me buy you a meal next time as thanks.]


    Gabriel: [No need.If there¡¯s nothing else, then you don¡¯t have to reply back.]


    Bai Ze almostughed at the other¡¯s straightforwardness.He could almost picture Zhong Hui¡¯s overly stern face.


    He closed his Status Window and said to Luo Yan sitting opposite him, "It¡¯s done.We can now directly go the team Celestials¡¯ headquarters."


    Luo Yan smiled brightly when he heard that."Great!Brother Ze is so amazing.It¡¯s just a few minutes but you already managed to get permission so we could enter their headquarters."


    Bai Zeughed and scratched the back of his head.Because of his fluffy red-orange hair and lion ears, that small action of his made him look a little bit silly."Well, I only did my best because it¡¯s Xiao Yan¡¯s request."


    "Thank you, Brother Ze."Luo Yan stood up and Eclipse smartly jumped on his shoulder."Shall we go, then?"


    Bai Ze also stood up.And the two walked out of the private box.


    "But I didn¡¯t know that Brother Ze is close to one of the main yers of team Celestials," Luo Yanmented while climbing down the stairs.


    He was actually not that surprised since his cousin was obviously the friendly type.It wouldn¡¯t be too shocking if he had a lot of friends ¨C real life and virtual alike.


    "We¡¯re not exactly close.At most, we could only be considered acquaintances," Bai Ze said.


    Zhong Hui belonged to a renown military family that was also based in B City.His family was also in the same upper circle as the Bai family.They were mingling in the same circle since they were kids.It¡¯s actually not just him.Bai Ze also knew other yers who were from famous families.Take Xu Ru, the captain of team Sanguis, for example.He was just a bit more familiar with Zhong Hui because the other went to the same middle school as him and Shen Ji Yun.


    If he remembered correctly, Zhong Hui also went to the same private high school.But for some reason, during their first year, after the first semester ended, he suddenly transferred.When Bai Ze found out that the school Zhong Hui transferred into was actually just a normal public school, he was quite surprised.He actually heard a rumorter on that he transferred there because of another person.That person being team Celestials current captain.Bai Ze was just not sure how reliable that rumor was.


    "I see," Luo Yan onlymented.


    Once they were out of the restaurant, Bai Ze quickly used the special pass to teleport him and Luo Yan.After the initial vacuum-like feeling disappeared, Luo Yan opened his eyes.


    What first appeared in his sight was the big pantheon-like building in front.He looked around and was surprised when he saw that this floating ind was actually a big cloud.Seeing how a pantheon could be built on this floating cloud, as well as how nts and trees could grow here, it¡¯s pretty obvious that it was not just a normal cloud.But this ce being a big cloud sure gave it a bit of dreamy feeling.


    [Captain¡¯s ind is still more beautiful.] ¨C Eclipse suddenlymented.


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard that.He stroked the little fox head.[Yes, we all know you like the captain.]


    He then saw three yers flying down the floating cloud.Yes, they all flew down because all three had wings simr to an angel.


    "Who are you?What¡¯s your business here?" one asked, a bit aggressively.


    "Hey, isn¡¯t that White Marsh from Yunyue?" another said.


    "What is he doing here," thest one said.


    Before any of those questions could be answered, another angel walked out of the pantheon.


    "Master Uriel is waiting inside, please follow me," said the male yer.


    Master?Wasn¡¯t that a bit over the top?Luo Yan thought wryly.But he and Bai Ze still followed the male yer inside.On their way, Luo Yan noticed something.All the yers they¡¯ve bumped into had hair colors in different shades of gold.Some have angel wings behind them and some don¡¯t.


    He pulled the hem of Bai Ze¡¯s clothes and asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Brother Ze, are all members of team Celestials angels?"


    "Yeah, it¡¯s actually one of the requirements of being a member of this team," Bai Ze answered in an equally low voice."They¡¯re the first one to build their team ording to a certain theme."


    "First one?That means there are others?" Luo Yan asked.Don¡¯t tell him there¡¯s actually other teams that were strictly made up of just one race?


    Bai Ze seemed to read what he was thinking at that moment and said, "Not really exactly the same.They just build their teams ording to a specific theme.Like team Sirens for example.They only ept female yers.Then there¡¯s team Sanguis who only epts yers whose race are rted to Western demonic monsters.Things like that."


    Heh.Luo Yan never expected there were people that would even take those things into consideration.Young people these days really do have quite the imagination.


    The male yer led them to a room somewhat simr to a receiving room.Standing with his back on them was a tall man wearing all white.When he heard the door opened, he promptly turned around.


    He had golden brown hair and his light blue eyes were behind a pair of golden-rimmed sses.His lips were curved in a smile that always annoyed Luo Yan for no reason.


    "Noctis, it¡¯s been a while.Wee to team Celestials¡¯ humble abode."

 Chapter 243 A FAVOR

    LUO YAN smiled."Yes, it¡¯s been a while.Oh, but you shouldn¡¯t call such a magnificent ce like this ¡¯humble¡¯.It feels like you¡¯re secretly boasting when you describe it in such an opposite manner."


    Bai Ze couldn¡¯t help but nced down at his cousin.He just had an illusion that Luo Yan was being super sarcastic right now.But that couldn¡¯t be that, right?


    Duan Yu stared at the white-haired elf¡¯s smiling but not really smiling face.Hearing the hidden barb in his statement, it seemed like this elf still disliked him quite a bit.He wondered why when he was sure he didn¡¯t offend him during the blue door task.


    He nced at the ck fox on his shoulder. Was that his pet? He remembered how bright he looked when he received that [Ambrosia Pod] after they were done with their task in the blue door. Was it perhaps because of this pet?


    He smiled back."Was that how it sounded like?But, you know, saying that in such a straightforward manner would be kind of... tactless, don¡¯t you think?"


    Luo Yan felt like a vein on his forehead just popped.So, this guy was basically saying that he¡¯s tactless.Was that it?


    [Mashter, this guy looks annoying.Can Eclipse scratch his face?]


    When he heard his little fox say that, his annoyance subsided a little.[You can¡¯t.But maybe, in the near future, when we have the chance, I¡¯ll let you scratch him to your heart¡¯s content.]


    [Okay.Eclipse will wait for that moment!]


    Bai Ze suddenly became a bit confused.Because it felt like two was fighting but not really fighting in the real sense of the word.So, to dispel this weird tension, he said, "How did the two of you know each other?"


    "Brother, do you remember when we attended the King of Arcadia¡¯s birthday banquet?We saw Uriel there.He happened to end up being team mates with me and Brother YUN," Luo Yan exined.


    Bai Ze nodded.So, they were team mates then.


    "Yes, your new team mate was really amazing.His acting was top notch.He didn¡¯t even have a problem wearing that.As if he wore those things many, many times before."Duan Yu smiled and looked at the white-haired elf meaningfully."But that¡¯s impossible, right?Or was it?"


    "Wearing ¡¯that¡¯?What exactly is ¡¯that¡¯?" Bai Ze asked, even more confused than before.


    Luo Yan felt like another vein on his forehead just popped.This annoying guy.Of course, he knew what ¡¯that¡¯ meant.Uriel was talking about him crossdressing.He took a deep breath and smiled his sweetest smile.


    "Of course, it is.I was actually very ufortable back then.I just held it in because it¡¯s part of the task.If you think that I showed no w, then I¡¯m d.Because it meant that I did a good job.But I¡¯d say your acting was a notch higher than mine.Acting like some high-handed doctor who looked at people condescendingly like he¡¯s better than anyone else, you did it so perfectly, I almost believed that you¡¯re really like that in real life."He tilted his head, put his forefinger on his chin, and smiled."But that¡¯s impossible, right?"


    Now, it was Duan Yu¡¯s turn to be ticked off.Because the other was basically saying that he¡¯s an arrogant person who looked down on people.And he did it while acting all cute.He shook his head.If he continued bickering with him, there would be no end to their conversation.Then they wouldn¡¯t ever get to the point on why this elf wanted to meet him.


    So, he¡¯d just throw the white g first.For now, at least.


    "Please, do sit down and let¡¯s talk about your reason why you came to visit me here."


    Luo Yan also knew when to stop.So, he didn¡¯t say anything and just sat down on one of seats avable.Bai Ze, who still had no idea what¡¯s happening, sat down beside Luo Yan.


    "Then, can you tell me what brings you here?" Duan Yu asked, sitting down on the opposite seat.


    "It¡¯s about the Yuexing Pavilion that I received as a reward from the King.I¡¯m sure you still remember it," Luo Yan said, getting straight to the point.Going around in circles would only lengthen his conversation with this guy.And he wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.


    Duan Yu smiled secretly.So, it was about that.Although he already had a feeling that it would be rted to that.That¡¯s why he wasn¡¯t that surprised when he heard it.


    "Yes.I¡¯ve seen your advertis.e.m.e.nt.It¡¯s very well made.I heard that your pavilion will open this Saturday.Congrattions," he said, not really meaning it."I remember I asked you to invite me to be a guest once it opened."


    Luo Yan smiled."Don¡¯t worry, your invitation has already been sent out.You will probably receive it soon."


    "So, the reason you wanted to meet me was rted to the pavilion, correct?"


    "Indeed.I hope Uriel could keep it a secret, the fact that I¡¯m the owner of the pavilion."


    Duan Yu raised one of his brows.He heard that many yers assumed that this pavilion was a new business that the game developers made.So, Noctis wanted to keep that illusion.He must admit that was a good business move.Because that way, other yers wouldn¡¯t have a prejudice against it and would just ept its presence naturally.That way, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to waste their money on it.


    He leaned back."And what do I get in return for doing that?"


    Tch.Luo Yan knew this guy wouldn¡¯t just happily agree to his request."I¡¯m nning to give out membership card to the customers of the pavilion.If you agree, then I will give you the highest tier of membership card."


    "I¡¯m not interested in that though."


    Luo Yan almost gritted his teeth when he heard that answer."Then tell me what you want."


    "A favor," Duan Yu answered simply.


    A crease formed on Luo Yan¡¯s pretty face."What kind of favor?"


    "I haven¡¯t decided yet.But I hope once I did, no matter what it is, you will honor it."


    Luo Yan looked at the sly smile on Uriel¡¯s face.He remembered Shen Ji Yun once said that he was like a fox.But looking at this guy, he was probably more of a fox than he was.


    "Hey, you, you better not ask our Xiao- I mean, our Noctis to do anything inappropriate.Or I¡¯ll beat you to a pulp," Bai Ze warned, looking all intimidating.


    But Duan Yu only smiled at that."Of course."


    Luo Yan weighed the pros and cons of agreeing to do this ¡¯favor¡¯.Choosing between the well-being of his pavilion or doing something for this jerk in the future.At the end, he could only choose thetter.


    "Deal."


    Duan Yu smiled widely after hearing that."Very good."


    Luo Yan truly wanted to wipe that smile off of his face."You better do your end of the bargain.Once I heard even the slightest rumor about me being the owner of Yuexing Pavilion, I¡¯lle after you.And trust me, you wouldn¡¯t like that."


    Bai Ze suddenly had chills when he saw Luo Yan¡¯s expression.No, it was more urate to say that he had no expression at all.This was the first time he saw him looking like that.It was kind of scary considering how he was always smiling with stars in his eyes.


    Luo Yan stood up.He didn¡¯t wait for Uriel¡¯s answer and just walked out of there.Bai Ze helplessly followed him out.


    And Duan Yu who was left alone only smiled triumphantly.

 Chapter 244 MORNING OF THE OPENING

    LUO YAN woke up early.He did his usual morning exercise.After a few minutes of rest, he took a bath.Putting onfortable clothes, he was ready to go out of his built-in closet when his gazended on the measuring scale.He suddenly remembered that it had been almost two weeks since hest measured his height.He decided not to measure it every day.Because if he continued to do that, he might not see any particr changes.At least with a difference of two weeks, he could clearly see if he grew taller or not.


    Thest time he measured his height, he had grown into 152 cm.Not really much considering how he had been awake from hisa for five months now.He didn¡¯t really measure his height when he woke up.He really couldn¡¯t move all his muscles properly back then.He had to do three months of physical therapy before he could have full control of his body.Only then did he manage to measure his height and the result was 150 cm.


    He had a feeling that his height was even much shorter than that when he regained consciousness.Probably between 147-148 cm.If he considered that, then he probably grew about 4-5 cm since he woke up.


    He sighed.If it took him five months just to grow that much, wouldn¡¯t it take him years before he could even reach 170 cm?He shook his head.No.He shouldn¡¯t lose hope.Surely, once he entered his growth spurt, he would grow like a tall bamboo.


    With that in mind, he went and measured his height.He wasn¡¯t expecting much, but when he saw the result, his eyes became as round as saucers.


    154 cm!He grew 2 cm in just two weeks!Was he finally entering his growth spurt?Yes, that was probably it.Finally, all those exercises and proper diet were now showing their effects.


    Luo Yan¡¯s mood became even brighter.


    Not only because he grew taller today, but also because today was the opening of his pavilion.So, of course, he was in a good mood.


    He walked out of his room and was nning to go to the dining room to have breakfast.When he suddenly remembered that conversation he had with that jerk Uriel.Man, that guy really always rubbed him the wrong way.Probably because the two of them were too alike.Both of them with a belly full of ck water.Easily hiding what they¡¯re thinking with a smile.They¡¯re like the same pole of two mas.Naturally repelling each other.


    He asked Bai Ze not to disclose his meeting to Uriel to others in their team.He said that but it¡¯s mostly directed to Luo Jin and Shen Ji Yun.His younger brother was already too overprotective.If he found out that someone was trying to extort a favor from Luo Yan, he would definitely explode.Knowing how hot-headed he could be sometimes, he might just go directly to team Celestials headquarters and bomb the whole ce.


    Then there¡¯s Shen Ji Yun.He wouldn¡¯t think much if he didn¡¯t find out about his feelings for him.But now that he does know about it, of course he wouldn¡¯t assume that Shen Ji Yun would do nothing after knowing that deal he made with Uriel.He might look all cold and unfeeling, but he knew he could also smolder like a zing fire.Just take that incident when they watched the release of the pavilion¡¯s video advertis.e.m.e.nt at the za of Goldcrest City as an example.


    When some yer said all those perverted things about him, Shen Ji Yun was the first one to lose his temper.He didn¡¯t hesitate to challenge that yer to a PvP fight.He even mercilessly beat up the guy.


    At that time, Luo Yan didn¡¯t think much.He just thought that Shen Ji Yun just probably want to get back at that yer in his ce.But knowing now that he liked him, Shen Ji Yun was probably just angry hearing other people talk about him that way.After all, hearing another guy talk about the person he liked in such a perverted manner was surely something not many could handle calmly.But it was still a surprise that a level-headed person like Shen Ji Yun reacted in such a violent manner.


    It probably just showed how much he liked him.He chuckled.How adorable.


    If Shen Ji Yun found out about his deal with Uriel, he would definitely confront that guy.In the worst-case scenario, he might even try to get Uriel¡¯s ount suspended or even deleted for that matter.It was something out of character.But depending on how much he liked him, he might really do just that.


    But that¡¯s not something Luo Yan wanted.This was between him and Uriel.He didn¡¯t want others to fight his fight.Especially when he could handle it on his own.When the timees that Uriel asked for that favor and he found it very disadvantageous to him, then he would just think of a way to get around it.He¡¯s confident that he could do it.No way would he put himself in a situation that would be harmful to him.


    Bai Ze obviously didn¡¯t want to keep what happened to himself.Most likely due to worry.But it was easy for Luo Yan to convince him.He just had to use his usual ¡¯cuteness and pleading attack¡¯ and Bai Ze agreed in no time.


    When he arrived at the dining room, both his brothers were already there.Luo Ren was reading newspaper while Luo Jin was yawning as if he didn¡¯t have enough sleep.


    "Good morning!" he greeted, sitting on his designated seat."Where¡¯s Dad?"


    "He already left.He had an early meeting today," Luo Ren answered.


    "I see."Too bad, Luo Yan wasn¡¯t able to send him off to work.


    "Let¡¯s start eating," Luo Ren said, putting down the newspaper he¡¯s reading."Yan Yan seemed to be in a very good mood today," hemented after a while.


    "It¡¯s probably because today is the opening of his pavilion," Luo Jin said.


    "Pavilion?"


    "Ah Jin is right.You see, Brother..."


    Luo Yan exined in the simplest way possible how he got the pavilion and how he¡¯s nning to open it to other yers tonight.


    Luo Ren¡¯s interest was caught because of what Luo Yan said.So, yers could actually build their own business inside this game.What an interesting concept.He wondered if this game still needed some investor.He wouldn¡¯t mind advising their father to invest on this game.It would surely be beneficial for bothpanies if that were to happen.


    "Then Yan Yan is now a small boss?"


    Luo Yan grinned when he heard that."Yes!"


    "I¡¯m sure Yan Yan will do great.You¡¯re surname Luo after all.And we Luos are great businessmen," Luo Ren said ruffling Luo Yan¡¯s soft hair."But if you need any advice, don¡¯t hesitate to ask me, okay?"


    "Okay," Luo Yan answered, smiling brightly.

 Chapter 245 PREPARATIONS (I)

    AFTER breakfast, Luo Yan immediately logged into the game.He appeared in front of the specialized merchandize shop.This was where he logged outst night.So that when he logged in today, this would be the ce where he would appear.That way, he didn¡¯t have to waste time teleporting or walking from some ce to here.


    He pulled up the rib of his shirt to cover the lower half of his face.He also covered his eye-catching white hair with a hood.He had to get those NPCster.If other yers saw him, and thenter one of those yers became a customer of the pavilion, they might recognize those NPCs.And him being so outstanding and beautiful, they would definitely remember that he¡¯s with those NPCs.Some of them might connect him to Yuexing Pavilion.Something that he¡¯d rather not want to happen.


    Before he entered the shop, something suddenlynded on his shoulder.Then he felt something soft and fluffy brushing his cheek.He nced sideways and saw his little fox.


    [Mashter, wee back!] ¨C Eclipse energetically greeted.


    Luo Yan ruffled his fur.[Did you beat up some monsters just as I instructed?]


    [Yes, Eclipse beat up a lot of them!]


    He smiled.[Very good.Here¡¯s your reward.]


    He took a ck Mana fruit from his Items Tab and gave it to Eclipse.The little fox started happily nibbling on it.


    [But Mashter, why are you hiding your pretty face?]


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard that.[Well, your master has his reasons.]


    He then walked inside the shop.A male NPC quickly approached him.


    "What can I do for you, dear customer?" the NPC asked.


    "I¡¯m here to pick up some items that I asked to be customized four days ago."


    "Please, follow me then."


    The NPC led him to a private room.


    "I will check our inventory so please tell me your name," the NPC said, a holographic screen appearing in front of him.


    "Noctis."


    The NPC seemed to scroll through the screen."I found the items you mentioned.Since you have already paid for it, I¡¯ll immediately send them to your ount.You just have to take them out from your Items Tab and if you wanted to use them."


    Luo Yan then heard a bell-like sound and a small notification screen appeared in front of him.


    [Several items are about to be sent to your ount from the specialized merchandize shop.Will you ept it?]


    He didn¡¯t hesitate to click ¡¯yes¡¯.And those customized boats were immediately sent to his Items Tab.After all that, he and Eclipse went out of the shop.Their next destination was the building where he bought the NPCs.


    On their way there, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but listen to the conversation of the yers he passed by.


    "Today is the opening of that pavilion, right?Are you going?" one yer asked hispanion.


    "I would if I could. But haven¡¯t you heard? Only those specially invited could go," said the yer¡¯spanion.


    "What?Was there something like that?"


    "Yeah, it was all over the forum.Haven¡¯t you heard it?"


    "No, I rarely visit the forum.But what¡¯s this?Is the game discriminating against us ordinary yers?" the yer said in outrage.


    Another group of yers were discussing the same thing.


    "So, the rumor going around the forum that only invited yers could attend the opening of the pavilion was true?"


    "It¡¯s true.I have a friend from team Mozu.He said that the top five yers of their team all received an invitation."


    "So, are they going to attend?"


    "I¡¯m not sure if they will all attend.But ording to my friend, their vice-captain would certainly go."


    "I also heard that some of the most well-known Alchemists and cksmiths were invited," another one interjected.


    "Ah, how unfair.I also want to go to the opening and see all those beautiful NPCs.Especially that ck-haired elf sister."


    "Well, we could just watch the live broadcast.It would feel like we¡¯re also there if we do."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Haven¡¯t you seen the Weibo post of Moonlight Media?They said that they would do a live broadcast on Weibo for the opening."


    Luo Yan unknowingly smiled when he heard those conversation.The rumor he anonymously posted on the forum about how only the top yers were invited to the opening of Yuexing Pavilion was very effective.In just a few days, everyone almost believed it.The icing on the cake was the Weibo post of Moonlight Media the other day.Telling everyone that they would broadcast the opening of the opening live.


    That post only further proved that the pavilion was owned by the game.It only increased the possibility of the invited yers attending the event.Of course, it was only possible for that post to exist because of Shen Ji Yun.


    He just offhandedly saidst Wednesday night how good it was if someone would do a live broadcast of the opening of the pavilion.It just so happened that Shen Ji Yun was around him when said that.Who would have expected that the next day, Moonlight Media would post that announcement on their Weibo ount?


    Luo Yan¡¯s original n was just to record everything that would happen and post it on the forum.But the live broadcast was even better than that.


    Shen Ji Yun probably used his authority as the nephew of the owner of Moonlight Media just so he could make something like that happen.Luo Yan knew the other was not the type to take advantage of the fact that he was rted to the person who made this game.If so, then rumors about his team being the ¡¯fallen champion¡¯ wouldn¡¯t persist until now.He was the type that would rather work hard for something he wanted than have that something delivered to him without him even lifting a finger.


    Since he met him, all the instances that he made used of that authority were all rted to Luo Yan.Providing him withnd that shouldn¡¯t be avable to yers, promoting his pavilion on Moonlight Media¡¯s Weibo ount, and now this.Luo Yan knew why he did all those things.Because Shen Ji Yun liked him.He never asked for those things.And yet, he gave them to him because he knew that it would help him.Those little actions were enough to show how special he was to Shen Ji Yun.


    Just thinking about that, Luo Yan¡¯s heart was suddenly filled with sweetness.Making him all soft and gooey inside.

 Chapter 246 PREPARATIONS (II)

    SHOULD he give Shen Ji Yun a reward?Although, at this point in time, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t really give him what he truly wanted.After all, he was still not sure what he was feeling for him.Yes, he was fond of him and really like him as a person.But not in the same way that he liked him.Or at least not to that level.


    It would be really irresponsible of him if he told as a reward that him he liked him romantically.Especially when that was not the case.That would bring more unnecessary trouble.Not to mention, he might even end up really hurting Shen Ji Yun.Which was thest thing he ever wanted.


    If there woulde a time that their feelings would truly align with each other, then he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to confess to him.What¡¯s the point in hiding it, right?But unfortunately, that¡¯s not the case right now.


    In short, he should think of other reward.But what could be good?He shook his head.He would think about that after the opening of his pavilion was done.That way, he didn¡¯t have any other thing to worry about.He might gain an idea tomorrow.After all, he and Shen Ji Yun would go to his Origin Vige tomorrow to look for that dragon.


    No longer thinking about that problem, he entered the building where he bought the NPCs.


    As usual, an NPC immediately approached him.


    "What can I get for you, dear customer?" the male NPC asked.


    "I¡¯m here to take the NPCs I boughtst Monday," he said.


    "Can you please tell me your name?"


    "Noctis."


    A holographic screen appeared in front of the NPC.He scrolled through it as if checking his identity."They¡¯re ready for you.Please,e this way," the NPC said after a while.


    He led the way to one of the rooms on the ground floor.Luo Yan followed.The room seemed like some kind of waiting room with nothing but couches and stuff.


    "Please, wait a while.I will get your purchase in a minute," the NPC said gesturing for him to sit down.


    Luo Yan nodded and sat down on one of the couches.The NPC then walked towards the inner room connected to the room they were in.Eclipse jumped off from his shoulder andnded beside him.


    [Mashter, Eclipse wants another fruit.]


    He looked down at the little fox.[Aren¡¯t you worried you¡¯d get fat?Eating so much.]


    [Mashter, don¡¯t worry, that won¡¯t happen.All the nutrients Eclipse get from eating Mana fruits add to his power.They don¡¯t turn into fat.So, Mashter, rest assured, Eclipse will forever be cute and adorable.]


    Luo Yanughed.Seriously, did this little thing inherit his personality of something?


    The next moment, the NPC returned with five male NPCs behind him.Luo Yan inspected each NPCs.All were wearing ancient clothing.The designs were particrly simr to one another.The clothes were simple but it had elegance in them.Just perfect for NPCs working at his pavilion.He nodded with satisfaction.


    "Greetings, Master," the five NPCs said altogether.


    Luo Yan felt ufortable for a bit.Because it really did feel like he just bought five handsome ves.He shook that feeling.It¡¯s not as if he bought them to do some nasty things.They¡¯re going to be one of his employees, working with him to make his pavilion even better.With that thought in mind, the slight ufortable feeling he felt was finally gone.


    "Can you give each of them a cloak?Preferably something bigger that could hide their faces," he said to the NPC working in the building.


    "Of course."


    The NPC only swiped at the holographic screen that appeared in front of him and in a second, the five male NPCs were covered in ck cloaks.


    "Pull up the hood of your cloak and follow me," Luo Yan said after paying for the cloaks.


    The five answered altogether once again, "Yes, Master."


    Luo Yan, Eclipse, and the five NPCs arrived at the recreational garden after 15 minutes of walking.Aside from a few yers who asionally nced back at them, their appearance didn¡¯t really attract any huge attention.Which was exactly what he wanted.


    When they entered the garden, he was a bit confused because he couldn¡¯t see any yers in sight.Which was a bit weird.Since whenever he came here, there would always be yers loitering around.Could it be because it¡¯s still too early?


    He shrugged.Anyway, that¡¯s really not that important.It¡¯s even better if there¡¯s no yer around.He could easily set up a barrier around theke without anyone noticing.That way, he could prepare without any worries that some yer might see him.


    He walked towards the direction of theke.The five NPCs closely following behind.


    They were near their destination when Eclipse suddenly eximed; [Mashter, isn¡¯t that Captain?]


    Luo Yan looked towards the direction of theke.There was indeed a man standing there, his back was facing them.But with the long dark purple hair and that familiar build, Luo Yan knew in an instant that it was indeed Shen Ji Yun.


    "Brother Ji Yun!" he called.


    Shen Ji Yun turned around and his amethyst beast eyes immediately filled with tenderness when he saw him."Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan felt a bit fl.u.s.tered for a second.Seriously, this guy was already handsome to the point of surrealness.But if he looked at someone with those gentle eyes, it could really be lethal.


    He cleared his throat and asked."What are you doing here, Brother Ji Yun?" he asked when he reached him.


    "To help you prepare for the opening of your pavilion."


    Because of his answer, Luo Yan suddenly thought of something."Did you clear this ce?That¡¯s why there¡¯s no yers around?"


    Shen Ji Yun scratched his cheek, as if he wasn¡¯t sure how to answer him.But at the end, he still told the truth."Yes.I asked someone from the programming department to not allow anyone, except for the members of our team, to enter this ce until the opening of your pavilion."


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised when he heard that."And they agreed?"


    "Yes.It¡¯s not really that hard to convince them.Since, it¡¯s also to their advantage if the opening of your pavilion bes sessful," Shen Ji Yun exined."It¡¯s also the reason why they agreed to do the live broadcast.An event in which a lot of famous yers would gather, there would definitely be a lot of people who would watch it.The live broadcast would be like a free publicity to them.So, I hope you won¡¯t think that it¡¯s too much or something."


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like the other was nervous while waiting on how he would react. How cute.


    He smiled.His heart was being filled with unprecedented sweetness once again.This guy really deserved a reward for all his hard work.He could give him a temporary reward ¨C something simple that could make Shen Ji Yun happy.


    So, before he could change his mind, Luo Yan stretched his arms and hugged Shen Ji Yun¡¯s waist.He leaned on his wide chest and said softly, "Thank you, Brother Ji Yun."

 Chapter 247 AN HOUR BEFORE THE OPENING

    INSIDE an old European style castle surrounded by dense fog, three yers of team Sanguis were having a conversation.


    A wolf beastkin with blue hair and a pair of metallic gray eyes was ying with the piece of parchment he was holding.A symbol of moon and stars could be seen stamped on the parchment."Brother Ru, what time should we go to that pavilion?It says here on the invitation that the opening will be at 8 pm tonight.Should we go early?I really want to see those NPCs.I wonder if they would really be as beautiful as they were on that advertis.e.m.e.nt."


    Tang Xun ¨C the wolf beastkin ¨C looked at the tall and slender young man sitting on the window sill.His ck hair was swept back like that of an English gentleman, showing his clear forehead.He had pale skin that almost looked translucent.His eyes were blood red.And when he opened his mouth, one could see a pair of slightly longer and sharper than normal incisors.


    Xu Ru smiled.If there were other people around, that smile would definitely make them blush."Of course, we¡¯llete.Haven¡¯t I taught you that¡¯s the best way to make an entrance?" he said yfully.


    Tang Xun nodded enthusiastically."Brother Ru is right!"


    "Xu Ru, could you stop teaching Ah Xun all your bad habits?" a clear voice with a rather seductive tone said.


    The one who just spoke was a girl with long, wavy dark red hair.A pair of ram-like horns were protruding on both sides of her head.Her eyes were the same color as her hair with vertical pupils.Even her lips were as red as a rose in full bloom.Her pale skin only highlighted that.She was wearing a ck leather overall, sticking close to her ample figure like a second skin.A thin, long, and pointed tail attached to her back.


    "Sister Rushi, I don¡¯t mind learning Brother Ru¡¯s bad habits!" Tang Xun said in a proud voice.


    Qin Rushi red at the blue haired wolf."Someone who could say something like that carelessly is not allowed to voice out his own opinion."


    "Why?" Tang Xun asked, his expression clearly telling them that he didn¡¯t understand why Qin Rushi would say that.


    Qin Rushi scowled."Because you¡¯re not using even a single cell in your brain."


    "Now, now, Princess.Don¡¯t be too hard on Xiao Xun," Xu Ru said."Besides, I¡¯m a good role model.There¡¯s nothing wrong with him following me," he added shamelessly.


    "That¡¯s right!" Tang Xun followed up automatically.


    These idiots.Qing Rushi felt like her blood pressure was starting to rise again.She knew she should have note here thinking that she could go to the opening of this Yuexing Pavilion with these two.Truthfully, she actually didn¡¯t want to go.But she talked to Su Yuqi and the other convinced her to attend.So, here she was.


    But spending time with these two was just simply getting on her nerves.So, she stood up and nned to leave.


    "Where are you going, princess?" asked Xu Ru.


    "I¡¯m going ahead.Because unlike you two, I don¡¯t n to make a grand entrance."


    After saying that, Qin Rushi walked out of the room.As she closed the door, she heard Xu Ru¡¯s softughter.


    Inside a pantheon built on a floating cloud...


    "Ah Yu, are we really going to this thing?" a beautiful girl with long flowing golden hair and a pair of sky-blue eyes said while holding a parchment."Even Ah Min and Ah Hui are not going."


    "They have an excuse," Duan Yu said.Li Xu Min had a pictorial today and Zhong Hui was apanying him.


    Song Liuli pouted."But isn¡¯t this Yuexing Pavilion owned by that new member of Yunyue and not something the game developersunched?Why should we go just because some newbie invited us?Passing off his in-game business as something that was owned by the game, it¡¯s clearly cheating."


    Duan Yu chuckled hearing Song Liuli¡¯sint.She knew about Yuexing Pavilion¡¯s real owner because the day after the advertis.e.m.e.nt was shown on each city¡¯s za, the two of them were together and he happened to mention it to her.He also told about it to their captain.That happened even before Noctis came to him asking not to tell anyone that he¡¯s the owner of the pavilion.So, in a way, he didn¡¯t vite their deal.Besides, both Song Liuli and Li Xu Min were not really the type to gossip about that.


    "Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s interesting?" he just said.


    Song Liuli immediately puffed up her cheeks when she heard that."What interesting?Are you interested in that newbie?"


    Duan Yu pinched Song Liuli¡¯s cheek."How could I ever be interested in any other when someone like Li Li is already beside me?"


    Song Liuli¡¯s face flushed red.Adding charm to her already pretty face.She pped Duan Yu¡¯s hand pinching her cheek and snorted."Hmp!Don¡¯t try to tter me.I¡¯m not falling for it."


    "Then, what shall I do for Li Li to believe me?"Duan Yu leaned down, almost attaching his lips to her ear."Shall I give Li Li a ki¡ª"


    Before he could finish what he was about to say, Song Liuli already covered his mouth with both her hands."Stop talking!"


    Duan Yu¡¯s eyes were suddenly filled with a teasing light.He then kissed Song Liuli¡¯s palm that was covering his mouth.


    Feeling the soft touch on her palm, Song Liuli felt that her whole body had been struck by lightning.She took back her hands in a sh, her whole face was even redder.She red at Duan Yu, the ends of her charming eyes were red.In anger or shyness, no one knew.


    "Duan Yu!"


    Duan Yu onlyughed.


    On Alryne City, inside the best cksmith shop ¨C Forge Etna...


    A tall ¡¯man¡¯ with messy ck hair was standing in ¡¯his¡¯ office, fiddling with the parchment ¡¯he¡¯ was holding. ¡¯His¡¯ pair of sharp eyes gazed down on the symbol of moon and stars drawn on the parchment. It was an invitation to the Yuexing Pavilion, there¡¯s only an hour left before the event. Then ¡¯his¡¯ gaze moved on the name it was addressed to.


    [Vulcan.]

 Chapter 248 THE START OF THE LIVE BROADCAST!

    AT exactly 8 o¡¯clock in the evening, the live broadcast of the official Weibo ount of Moonlight Media started.Many people had already been waiting and they couldn¡¯t help butment on the barrage.


    [It¡¯s starting!It¡¯s starting!Finally!I¡¯ve been waiting in front of myptop for an hour now.]


    [I wonder who are the yers who woulde?]


    [I just want to see my goddess Liuli.]


    The dark screen of the live broadcast changed and the first thing that the people watching saw was the image of theke and the pavilion.Because it was taken in such a far distance, the whole pavilion could be seen perfectly.With theke in front and the moon above the starry night sky, the scene looked like a very splendid painting.


    The camera then slowly zoomed in.It first focused on theke.There were lotus shapednterns scattered on the surface of theke, carefully lighting the way.There were beautifully designed boats anchored on the side.They looked like the boats rich people would use to goke viewing during the ancient times.Carved at the helm of those boats was a symbol of moon and stars.Standing on each boat was a handsome male NPC wearing a simple yet elegant ancient robe.


    [I never thought theke on the recreational garden could be this pretty.]


    [Look at the details on those boats.It seems like the game developers really put a lot of effort in this pavilion.]


    [Don¡¯t just talk about the boats, just look at those handsome NPC!]


    [Handsome boatmen are the best!]


    Then the first group of invited guests arrived.It was a group of five women.All equally beautiful on their own rights.But the most eye-catching was the young woman leading the way.


    She had long flowing aqua blue hair, white pearls were scattered on its strands.The color of her eyes was the lightest blue, like the surface of the sea being touched by the sun¡¯s light.Her skin was white and luminous.Which only highlighted her pinkish lips.Her ears were like fins.Below those, if one would just look closely, they would see gills-like openings.Both her hands were webbed, a thin fment was connecting one finger to another.It could be seen by just that that her race was probably some kind of sea creature.


    [It¡¯s Nereid!The captain of team Sirens!Ah, she¡¯s still as beautiful as ever.]


    [She¡¯s my goddess!Just look at her, she¡¯s probably even more beautiful than the famous little mermaid of fairy tales!]


    [It¡¯s not just the captain of team Sirens you should stare at.Look at their vice-captain.Doesn¡¯t Bellona look so heroic in those golden armor?]


    [If you asked me, I prefer sister Freya.Just look at that smile.Everyone would be ensnared by that smile.]


    While thementing on the barrage were debating on who¡¯s the best member of team Sirens, the camera moved to another person.It was a tall and slender young man wearing an ancient white robe.His long ck hair was tied in a jade crown.He was holding an ivory fan.His featured were delicate.One should think that he was amiable.If not for the smile on his face.It¡¯s like a smile that was hiding thousands of secrets.Making him look like someone who often schemed against others.


    [That¡¯s Bian Que!The number one Alchemist in the game!]


    [He¡¯s the one who¡¯s potions could cost thousands of crystal coins, right?]


    [I heard that during thest auction held at Alryne City, histest potion was sold for 500,000 crystal coins!]


    [That¡¯s insane!What kind of potion would cost that much?]


    Following Bian Que was a young woman with long, wavy, dark red hair.The pair of ram-like horns on top of her head and the thin, long, pointed tail behind her were very attention grabbing.But those were not the first thing that people would notice when they looked at her.They would first stare at her very ample figure.It was a perfect hourss.Which was only highlighted by the tight, ck leather overalls she was wearing.Her h.i.p.s swayed with every step she took, seducing and charming everyone who looked at her.


    [It¡¯s sister Lilith!In terms of seductiveness, sister Lilith is truly the number one.]


    [I think I just had a nosebleed while looking at her.]


    [Upstairs, I think I also had one.]


    [Why is she alone?Is Alucard noting?]


    [Aww... and here I was, waiting for him.]


    [That frivolous guy would definitelye.How can he miss such an event?]


    [Look, isn¡¯t that Vulcan?] ¨C onementer said when he saw a tall figure trying to mix with the ground. But thisment was barely noticed and was soon buried along with the otherments.


    A number of famous yers arrived one after another. Making the atmosphere in the barrage boiled even more. They just saw the vice-captain of team Fenghuang - that famous xiezhi. Even two members of the rarely seen team Mozu appeared. Some yers at the top of the leaderboard also came. It seemed like they were really giving face to the game developers by attending.


    Ah, if only they were also there.Unknowingly, their desire to visit the pavilion became even stronger.And most promised to themselves that once they would surely go to the pavilion once it officially opened.


    They thought that would be the end but two figured from the sky with white wings fluttering behind them suddenlynded in front of the pavilion.It was a pair of a man and a woman.Both wearing all white.The man had golden brown hair.His light blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of golden rimmed sses.


    The woman, on the other hand, had long golden hair.Her sky-blue eyes were full of charms, as if trying to hook people.Her lips had a natural pinkish tint and was curved into a smile.She was wearing a toga like gown that was shorter on the front but longer at the back.It perfectly showcased her porcin white skin and attractive figure.Once you see her, your gaze would automatically follow her.It would be hard to pry your gaze away.


    [It¡¯s goddess Liuli!She came!She really came!]


    [How could goddess Liuli be so beautiful?]


    [Goddess Liuli, I love you!Please marry me!]


    [Howe Min Min was not with her?I want to see the both of them together.But I guess Uriel is also good enough.]


    [True. I also want to see Min Min. But maybe he has a job. I heard he was casted in that uing drama.Maybe he¡¯s starting to film that now.]


    When the audience thought they wouldn¡¯t be surprised anymore, another unexpected thing happened.Three streams of lights appeared andnded just behind the duo from team Celestials.Three figures appeared.


    One had fluffy red-orange hair with lion ears on top of it.His skin was the color of bronze, showing off his sculpted muscles.He would look like a handsome and wild bandit, if not for the grin on his face.Which in turn only made him look mischievous.The other was a little girl with short bubblegum pink hair.Her eyes were like beautiful pink gems, exuding endless indifference.Behind her back was a pair of butterfly wings.Every time she moved, crystal dust fell from it.


    Standing at the middle of the two was a tall young man.He had long dark purple hair and a pair of antler-shaped golden horns on top of his head.His beast-like amethyst eyes were had no temperature in them.As if he would be able to freeze anyone those eyes looked at.But even so, they still couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of him.They wanted to be close even if they knew they couldn¡¯t.


    [It¡¯s team Yunyue!My god, it¡¯s been so long since I saw the three of them together.]


    [White Marsh still look as yful as before.And Morganite is still as cute and adorable as ever!]


    [Upstairs, be careful. If Morganite sees yourment, she might PK you on the spot.]


    [Ah!!! It¡¯s YUN!YUN is so handsome, ah.How could someone be this handsome?]


    [I wish YUN could show himself to the public more often.]


    [Too bad Noctis is not with him.I want to see the both of them together.But Noctis is only a newbie, so he was probably not invited.]


    [Upstairs, are you also a fan of NightCloud CP???]


    Some of the yers rode the boat to cross theke.Some flew over, some walked on theke surface, some even jumped.But overall, everyone arrived at the entrance of the pavilion with no problem.


    Just like on the advertis.e.m.e.nt, everyone was still impressed by the pavilion¡¯s ancient architecture.The design became even more prominent as they entered.The yers were immediately weed by beautiful NPCs dressed in magnificent ancient robes.After they were led to their designated seats, the surrounding suddenly darkened.Then a single light appeared on the stage.


    Standing at the very center was a ck-haired elf wearing an intricately designed red robe.The lower half of ¡¯her¡¯ face was covered with a veil.But even if the only thing they could see on ¡¯her¡¯ face was a pair of blue eyes dusted with gold, they knew that ¡¯she¡¯ was definitely one hell of a beauty.


    The elf¡¯s eyes bent into crescents, as if smiling.And ¡¯she¡¯ said in a melodious and clear voice, "Wee to Yuexing Pavilion!"

 Chapter 249 WELCOME TO YUEXING PAVILION!

    LUO YAN stared at himself at the mirror and couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh.He was wearing the intricately woven red robe he wore when he filmed that advertis.e.m.e.nt.He also already temporarily dyed his white hair ck.The only thing left was putting the veil to cover the lower half of his face and he wouldpletely transform to the beautiful ¡¯elf sister¡¯ that those people who watched the advertis.e.m.e.nt called him.


    He was actually hesitating if he should show himself in this get-up during the opening of the pavilion.His original n was to let the NPC Madam Ru to be the hostess of the even and let his other employees to entertain the guests.He, on the other hand, would just supervise everything behind the shadows.But after knowing that the whole event would be broadcasted live on Weibo, he readily changed his mind.


    Just by the fact that it would be broadcasted under the official Weibo ount of Moonlight Media, it was almost certain that many people would watch it.If they didn¡¯t see the pretty ¡¯elf sister¡¯, they would surely be disappointed.But showing himself to the guests and to the live broadcast viewers was the extent of what he would do tonight.Of course, he also nned to facilitate the whole event.But that¡¯s it.He would absolutely not dance.


    That thing he did at the advertis.e.m.e.nt was just a one-time thing.He definitely wouldn¡¯t dance in front of all those high leveled yers and with a lot of other people watching the live broadcast to boot.Aside from that, that annoying Uriel would also be there.Which was more reason for him not to do it.Since Uriel knew his identity as the owner, he probably also recognized him at that ck-haired elf dancing in the advertis.e.m.e.nt.If he did dance with that guy present, he would surely made fun of him.How could Luo Yan allow that?


    But he still needed to perform something as a recement for the dance.Because if he didn¡¯t, he would surely receiveints saying howe the pretty ¡¯elf sister¡¯ didn¡¯t even perform?That¡¯s why he already prepared something.Though he might have to cheat a bit since he really didn¡¯t have any talent when it came to this area.


    [Mashter, you¡¯re so pretty!] ¨C eximed Eclipse¡¯s voice inside his head.


    Luo Yan looked down and saw his pet fox staring brightly at him with his big sapphire blue eyes.[Of course, how could your master be ugly?]


    [True.As expected of Mashter!]


    He chuckled.He looked again at the mirror and finally put on the veil.There were only about 15 minutes before the start of the live broadcast.He was inside a room dedicated for the owner of the pavilion ¨C one could say that this was his office.


    Beforeing here and changing clothes, he had already checked what needed to be checked.All the food and drinks that would be served had gone through his scrutiny.The traditional dishes were all delicious, they even had a special vor to them.As one would expect of the pavilion originally owned by the King of Arcadia.Even the wines were delicious.They were sweet and not at all bitter.Of course, he only had about a drop of each varieties.He wasn¡¯t sure if it¡¯s possible to get drunk in the game, but just in case.


    There¡¯s no need to check the performance of his employees.Since they¡¯re NPCs, they would definitely perform perfectly.What he needed to take into ount was carefully selecting what kind of performance they would do and in what order they would do it.He had to do it in a way that each performance would have a slow build-up.From the simplest to the mostplicated.


    There was a knock on the door,pletely cutting off Luo Yan¡¯s train of thoughts.He nced back and the door opened.The one who walked inside was a boy who looked like he was six or seven years old.His long ck hair was arranged into a simple bun.And he was wearing a simple robe.If not for his ruby red eyes and little pointy ears, one would think that he was just a little helper.


    "Ah Jin, are the guests already here?" he asked, smiling when he saw his younger brother.


    Just like him, Luo Jin would also act like an NPC.Because, technically, just like him, he shouldn¡¯t be invited here.Because both of them were newbies in the game with no pertinent aplishments in their name.So, they could only be here as NPCs.


    The major difference between a yer and an NPC was that there was a name or a title hanging on top of an NPC¡¯s head.But there was an instance where those titles could be removed.Like if a yer owned an establishment where an NPC was working.That yer could remove the titles on top of the head of the NPCs working for them.That¡¯s what Luo Yan did.In that way, no one would think that he and Luo Jin were not NPCs.


    He was not afraid that the guests tonight and the yers watching the live broadcast would think that the reason why there¡¯s no title on top of the NPCs head was because the pavilion was owned by a yer.After all the support and free advertis.e.m.e.nt Moonlight Media gave Yuexing Pavilion, Luo Yan was sure that their first thought would be that the game developers only programmed them that way.Probably to give the yersing to the pavilion a more genuine experience.


    "Not yet.But I think you should go to the back stage now.Since this room is quite far from the main building," Luo Jin answered."Anyway, do I really have to dress like this?I look ridiculous."


    Luo Yan walked towards his younger brother and bent down a little."What are you saying?Ah Jin is so adorable.Like a cute little helper," he said, pinching Luo Jin¡¯s cheek.


    Luo Jin¡¯s whole face flushed red."What adorable?You¡¯re¡ª" he stopped.He almost said ¡¯you¡¯re adorable, your whole family is adorable¡¯.He closed his eyes in frustration.He really should fix this annoying habit."Let¡¯s just go, okay?"


    Luo Yan chuckled, no longer teasing his younger brother."Okay."


    They walked out of the room, Eclipse following behind them.When they reached the back stage of the main stage, Luo Yan peeked through the curtain.He saw that guests were already starting to enter the building.


    He lifted Eclipse and gave it to Luo Jin."Take care of him for me, okay?"


    "Yeah, yeah, I will," Luo Jin grunted but still held the little fox gently.


    [Mashter, fighting!]


    Luo Yan smiled and ruffled the ck fur of the little fox.He then once again pinched Luo Jin¡¯s cheek before walking out of the back stage.


    The surrounding was dark. The moment he walked to the center, a light immediately focused on him. Lighting his whole figure. By simply standing there, no one would be able to look away. He opened his eyes and looked ahead.


    "Wee to Yuexing Pavilion!"

 Chapter 250 NEW ASPECTS OF HIMSELF

    THE guests who attended the opening night of Yuexing Pavilion were all given a private box on the second floor.Since the guests were not that much and some even apanied each other, the private rooms on the second floor were enough.A part of these rooms was open so the people inside could see the performance happening on the stage.This way, they could have their own privacy while enjoying the performances on the stage.


    At the entrance, as soon as the invited yers came, an NPC would quickly wee them and ask if they¡¯re alone or if they came there with someone.Once that was done, the NPCs would lead them to their respective private boxes.The ones who arrived there in a bigger group would, of course, get a bigger room.Then they would be asked what kind of food and drinks they wanted.If they wanted an NPC around to pour wine while watching the performances, then that was also possible.


    Inside one of the boxes, Shen Ji Yun was staring intently at the figure d in red standing on the stage.Even with that veil covering most of his face, he could still imagine how he looked right now.As if he could vividly see every features of his beautiful face.His charming peach blossom eyes and those pinkish red lips.He probably even had a mischievous smile on his lips right now.Making Shen Ji Yun want to go down there and pull that veil, so he could see that smile for himself.Even as Luo Yan walked towards the back stage, he still stared intensely at the spot when the other just stood.


    He shook his head.He suddenly remembered what happened earlier this morning when Luo Yan suddenly hugged him.It was not the first time he did so, but the effect it brought him was still the same.The sensations he felt didn¡¯t even lessen by the fact that they were in a virtual reality.


    The feel of his soft body against his was so real, it almost made his heart burst at that moment.He was so fl.u.s.tered, he couldn¡¯t even remember how he managed to act normally after that.He knew that that hug didn¡¯t mean anything else.It was just a way for Luo Yan to show his gratitude.He had noticed when he visited the Bai household during the Mid-Autumn Festival that the Luo family was very affectionate to each other.So, it¡¯s no wonder that Luo Yan would have no qualms hugging another person


    He wanted to say that there¡¯s nothing wrong with that.But that would only be true if Shen Ji Yun only thought of him as a friend.Sadly, that was not the case.Just a simple hug and it could already conjure thousands of inappropriate images in his mind.He never thought that he would be the type of person who would have those kinds of thoughts.After all, he grew up this big never even experiencing a wet dream.It turned out that he just hadn¡¯t met the right person yet.And now that he did, just a simple hug could already bring his mind into disarray.


    Should he tell Luo Yan that he shouldn¡¯t just hug people because he felt grateful to them?But then, wouldn¡¯t that mean that Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t get any free hugs anymore?He suddenly became tangled.Then, a disturbing thought came to his mind.What if Luo Yan also hugged other people just because he felt grateful to them?


    The temperature inside the box suddenly decreased by a few degrees.


    Bai Ze who was sitting near Shen Ji Yun felt chills on his arms."Why does it suddenly feel cold around here?" he asked, rubbing his arms.


    Su Yuqi just nced at Bai Ze and then drank tea, probably thinking that this guy was being crazy again.


    Because of Bai Ze¡¯s sudden question, Shen Ji Yun realized that he inexplicably just became angry just now.And the reason was still because of some imaginary person that Luo Yan might hug in the future.He let out a long sigh.He couldn¡¯t help it.Just thinking that some other person would touch Luo Yan, his blood would already boil with anger.This was another aspect of himself that he didn¡¯t know he had.The fact that he was actually quite possessive.


    He poured wine to a cup and drank it.Who would have thought that there woulde a time that his heart would bepletely taken by a person?And he didn¡¯t even mind it one bit.He couldn¡¯t even wait to offer his own heart to that person.He was really what people called a fool in love.


    The corner of his lips curved upward, showing an almost imperceptible smile.


    "Look, the first performance was starting!" Bai Ze said excitedly while looking at the stage.


    As Bai Ze said, two NPCs holding a guqin appeared on the stage.They sat down at the center and started to y.Just a few notes and the audience already felt like they were suddenly surrounded by a calm and wave less sea.The sound brought by the guqin was bringing them an indescribable peace of mind.Then two other NPCs suddenly appeared on both sides of the two NPCs who were ying guqin.


    The two NPCs were holding bamboo flutes in their hands.When they started to y, the sound of the flute mixing in with the guqin added color to the music.It¡¯s like the calm and wave less sea they were in suddenly had tiny ripples.And when a gong appeared from behind with another NPC pounding on it, those tiny ripples finally became a storm.Making the hearts of the people listening beating faster and faster.


    Luo Yan listened to this sound with satisfaction.


    "Ah Jin, you can go to the box assigned to our team if you feel bored here," he said to his brother who was also standing on the back stage, holding a little fox in his arms."Just make sure that no one would notice you and make sure to bring Eclipse with you too."


    Luo Jin thought about it and nodded."How about you?"


    Luo Yan grinned."Of course, I have to entertain our guests."

 Chapter 251 THIS PERSON COULDNT BE ANYONE ELSE BUT...

    ALTHOUGH he said entertain, Luo Yan would really just go from box to box, say some simple weing words and then introduce the membership card.Since his identity right now was an NPC, it wouldn¡¯t be weird for him to greet the guests personally.Especially since his NPC identity was the administrator of the pavilion.Administrators were the NPC in charged of the various businesses in the game that was not owned by yers.


    He walked out of the back stage through a hidden door.He went first to Madam Ru and told her to let other NPCs bring a couple of small bottles of green plum wine.The number was exactly the same as the number of upied private boxes on the second floor right now.Out of all the wines avable in the pavilion, this one was the most delicious.Not overly sweet and also not overly bitter with a little bit of tangy taste that came from the green plum.But it also left some kind of kick to everyone who tasted it.


    He purposely didn¡¯t put it on the menu.To have its value alleviated by a notch.He wanted this wine to be the pavilion¡¯s signature wine.The best way to do that was to introduce it now.So, with a couple of NPCs in tow, he climbed up the second floor.


    Luo Yan knocked on the first box and said in a soft voice, "Distinguished guest, may this humble onee in?"


    "Go ahead," said a serene male voice inside, hearing it would immediately bring calmness to whoever heard it.


    Before entering, Luo Yan took a tray with a small bottle of green plum wine on it from one of the NPCs behind him.Then he opened the door and entered inside.He raised his head and quickly nced at the person inside.


    It was a male yer wearing an ancient white robe.His long ck hair was tied on top of his head with a jade crown.His features were delicate with white skin and red lips.His eyes were closed while tapping his finger on the table in tune with the music being performed on the stage.He seemed to be enjoying the performance.With his appearance, he definitely didn¡¯t look out of ce sitting in such an ancient setting.


    If Luo Yan remembered correctly, this guy was the top Alchemist in the game ¨C Bian Que.He arranged him here while the top cksmith was arranged in the private box right next to this one.


    He bowed.Making his movements all soft and gentle, as if he was a realdy."On behalf of Yuexing Pavilion, this humble one wees you.As a form of gratitude, please have this hundred-year green plum wine.It¡¯s one of the prides of our pavilion."He put the bottle on the table."If you are satisfied with our courtesans¡¯ performances, as well as our pavilion¡¯s services, you may avail yourself with a membership card that would allow you to visit the pavilion once it officially opened to the public."


    Gu Ye, also known as Bian Que in the game, finally opened his eyes.He nced at the NPC wearing an elegant red robe.Even with the lower part of ¡¯her¡¯ face covered, he could tell that this NPC was beautifully designed.Even ¡¯her¡¯ voice was programmed nicely.It could be seen that the game developers really put a lot of thought in this pavilion.Not to mention, the dishes that were served to him were all delicious.Even the tea he ordered had a unique taste to it.If he added the wonderful music those NPCs on the stage were ying, this could really be considered as a wonderful ce.He had no doubt that it would definitely be a big hit among the yers.


    He was still contemting if he should continue on with his n.But being here for just a couple of minutes, he finally made up his mind.


    "Are you the administrator of this pavilion?" he asked with a gentle smile on his face.


    Luo Yan wondered why this yer suddenly asked him that.But he¡¯s an NPC right now, so, whatever was asked to him, he should answer politely."Yes, this humble one is the administrator."


    "I have a business proposal to you.I¡¯ll visit tomorrow morning exactly at 8 o¡¯clock to discuss it further," Bian Que said it in a gentle voice but there was no ce for rejection in it.


    Luo Yan did his best not to show any excessive reaction.After all, he¡¯s an ¡¯NPC¡¯ right now.He racked his brain and remembered one of the things he read on the forum before.That yers could indeed work with existing businesses in the game.Most of the yers who did that were either Alchemists or cksmiths.They let their potions and weapons be sold on Pharmacies and Weapon¡¯s shops.And in turn those business establishments would get a percentage of the sale.


    This guy was an Alchemist.What exactly would he want to be sold in his pavilion?


    "This humble one apologized but we are not open in the morning.Would it be alright to instead move the time to 6 o¡¯clock in the evening instead?" he said without any change in his voice and expression.


    "I have no problem with that."


    "Then this humble one will expect you tomorrow evening."


    After that, Luo Yan bowed elegantly and walked out of the room.Although he was curious as to what kind of business deal that Alchemist would propose, there¡¯s still a lot of things he should do tonight.So, he temporarily put it at the back of his mind.


    He then walked to the next private box.He knocked and said gently, "Distinguished guest, may this humble onee in?"


    "Come in," said a low male voice.The volume was not that high so Luo Yan barely heard it.


    Just like earlier, he took a tray from an NPC with a small bottle of wine on it before entering the room.He raised his head and he almost drop the ray he was holding when he saw the person sitting inside.


    It was a male yer with messy ck hair and a pair of sharp ck eyes.With just one look, anyone could immediately tell that this was a very handsome guy.But the problem was, this person looked exactly like someone Luo Yan knew.His very shy new friend. The simrity was so uncanny that he was sure this person couldn¡¯t be anyone else but that said friend.


    "Jiao Jiao?" he eximed unbelievingly.

 Chapter 252 HOW COULD I BE SO BLESSED?

    YU JIAO was startled when she heard this call.She looked at the NPC d in red suspiciously.She knew that this was the NPC who weed everyone earlier.She also vaguely remembered that this NPC was on the advertis.e.m.e.nt video.But why did this NPC call her name?No, wait- the NPC didn¡¯t exactly call her name but her nickname.There were only two people who called her in that way.Her mother and...


    She looked incredulously at the NPC and then stared at ¡¯her¡¯ familiar peach blossom eyes.All of a sudden, she had an answer to her question.


    "Yan Yan?" she asked in the same unbelieving tone.


    The two who recognized each other immediately became awkward.What was this situation?You unexpectedly met your new-found friend inside the game the both of you were ying and you both were posing the wrong gender.How should one properly react when this happened to them?


    Luo Yan was only astonished for a few seconds but he immediately recovered.Because his face was thick enough to recover quickly from something like this.So, what if Yu Jiao saw him crossdressing?They¡¯re friends, so, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about.Besides why would he feel ashamed when he looked this pretty dressed in this robe?


    He put down the tray on the table and sat opposite Yu Jiao."Jiao Jiao, are you that famous cksmith - Vulcan?"


    Yu Jiao fidgeted on her seat.After recognizing this NPC as Luo Yan, she became even more nervous.When Luo Yan told her that he was the owner of this pavilion and when she agreed to go to the opening night, she had already readied herself to meet him in her game avatar.But now that the real situation was here, she wasn¡¯t sure how to act.


    At the end, she could only nod."Y-yes."


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised by that confirmation.But if he thought about it carefully, he probably would have already guessed it.After all, Yu Jiao did say to send her invitation to a ce called Forge Etna.He had heard of Forge Etna.ording to what he read in the forum, it¡¯s the shop of the current top cksmith in Arcadia.He specifically searched on that before because he and Luo Jin still needed a good weapon.


    Just by that, he should have already suspected something.But when Yu Jiao mentioned Forge Etna, he didn¡¯t immediately equate it to the shop of the number one cksmith.When he did so, he just thought that maybe Yu Jiao was the apprentice of Vulcan.She¡¯s talented enough to be epted as one.But who would have thought that she was actually the owner?


    He looked brightly at Yu Jiao.He thought she was just a talented cksmith.He never thought that she was actually the current top cksmith.But wasn¡¯t that even better?"You¡¯re amazing!"


    Yu Jiao¡¯s face flushed red.She wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to such a tantpliment."N-not really."


    "What ¡¯not really¡¯?The fact that you¡¯re the number one cksmith in Arcadia should be something you should be proud about!" Luo Yan scolded gently."Be more confident in yourself, Jiao Jiao.Especially when you look this handsome."


    Yu Jiao¡¯s face became even redder when she heard thest bit.Being called handsome, should she also take that as apliment?


    "But why did you choose a male avatar?" Luo Yan continued.


    "Because it would be more convenient," she answered, gazing down.


    Yu Jiao had always liked games and designs.With her talent in drawing, she had long wanted to make a career as a game designer.So, when she finally managed to have enough savings to buy a VR helmet, she didn¡¯t hesitate to pick the cksmith ss.She wanted to practice her skills in making and designing weapons, armors, and essories.And she heard that a cksmith could sell the things they made either to weapon¡¯s shops or to other yers.So, it wouldn¡¯t heard if he could also earn on the side.


    She chose a male avatar because she didn¡¯t want others to connect her game ount to her real-life self.Which proved to be a very good decision in the long run.Because she slowly gained fame as a cksmith and soon, without her even noticing, she already upied the top seat.


    She was d for the money she earned from being a cksmith in the game.The pay was so good that she didn¡¯t even have to ask for money from her mother or her new family.The only downside was the fame and the unwanted attention people were giving her.She¡¯s still notfortable with that.So, most of the time, she just hid in her forge and just let his NPC employees to deal with the customersing to her shop.


    The only reason Yu Jiao attended this event was because Luo Yan invited her and she didn¡¯t want to disappoint him.But now that she¡¯s facing him, she didn¡¯t know how to exin herself.


    "Y-you... are you not angry that I didn¡¯t tell you about my identity in the game?" she asked hesitatingly.


    "Of course not.Why would I?" Luo Yan said indignantly."Or do you think I¡¯m that shallow of a person?" he added acting all aggrieved.


    With the way he was dressed and now with the expression on his face, it seemed like Yu Jiao was bullying a soft girl.


    "N-no, I never thought of that," she quickly said."I¡¯m just worried that you might think I lied to you."


    "You didn¡¯t lie though?You just didn¡¯t mention it.There¡¯s no way I would be mad just because of that.So, you don¡¯t have to worry," he assured her.


    Yu Jiao finally let out a sigh of relief when he heard that."But how did Yan Yan recognize me so quickly?"


    "Remember when we video chat?Your hair was not covering your face and you¡¯re not wearing your sses.Your game avatar looks exactly the same as how you looked then," Luo Yan exined.


    Yu Jiao didn¡¯t expect that answer.She never even thought that it would be because of that.


    "You should just go to school with this look.A lot of girls would definitely mor for your attention," he added.


    Yu Jiao smiled awkwardly, she wasn¡¯t sure how she should reply to that.So, he just changed the topic."Yan Yan, are you a... girl in the game?"


    "Of course not!I don¡¯t have that kind of fetish, okay?I¡¯m just currently crossdressing so other yers won¡¯t recognize me.I don¡¯t want them to know that I¡¯m the owner of this pavilion."


    Yu Jiao nodded.That actually made sense.


    Luo Yan stood up and twirled around in front of Yu Jiao, making the skirt of his red robe swished with his movement."What do you think, it suits me, right?"


    "Yes," she could only agree.Because, well, it really did suit him.


    "Even though I¡¯m a guy, I still look this pretty even when wearing something like this."Luo Yan sighed."How could I be so blessed?"


    Yu Jiao finally couldn¡¯t help butughed seeing Luo Yan act so exaggeratedly.


    Luo Yan smiled when he saw that Yu Jiao finallyughed.Then he remembered that he still needed to go to other private boxes.


    "Jiao Jiao, I have to go now.But don¡¯t leave even if the performances ended.I¡¯lle back againter," he said."I¡¯ll introduce you to my team mates, so don¡¯t leave, okay?"


    Yu Jiao suddenly became nervous again when she heard thatst sentence.But at the end, she still nodded."Okay."

 Chapter 253 UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING

    LUO YAN felt refreshed after the sudden meeting with Yu Jiao.Although he was indeed surprised by this development, he was still happy to finally know the game identity of his friend.He was even more d that she was not just an ordinary cksmith in the game but turned out to be the one at the very top.


    He took another tray with a small bottle of green plum wine on it and walked to the next room.The next one was the room arranged for the members of team Fenghuang.But ording to what was reported to him earlier by Madam Ru, only one member of the team attended ¨C the current vice-captain.


    Well, Luo Yan didn¡¯t really expect that all of them would attend.One member attending was probably just a form of formality.So as not to offend the game developers.If they knew that this pavilion was actually owned by a fellow yer, none of them would definitelye.Once again, he was thankful that the official Weibo ount of Moonlight Media promoted his pavilion. Which only supported the rumors that this establishment was the new business made by the game programmers.


    Although he said that, he knew that the one he should really thank was Shen Ji Yun.Thinking of the guy, he couldn¡¯t help but show a soft smile on his face.


    Walking in front of the door of the next box, he softly knocked and called, "Distinguished guests, may this humble onee in?"


    "Enter," said a clean and cold male voice.


    Luo Yan opened the door and walked inside.


    The one sitting inside and sipping tea had long blue-green hair with a few strands highlighted with red.It was loosely tied over his shoulder.He was wearing a silver robe with a golden phoenix embroidered on it.He possessed the same beast-like eyes as Shen Ji Yun¡¯s Qilin avatar.The only difference was his was a golden color.He had a clean temperament.But somehow, a certain kind of coldness was mixed within.It¡¯s like he was an ancient schr who couldn¡¯t be bothered with worldly affairs.That would be the case if not for the ck horn protruding from his forehead.


    He researched a bit about the yers he invited to tonight¡¯s opening.It wouldn¡¯t hurt to know a bit more about these people.If he remembered correctly, this vice-captain¡¯s game name was Zhengyi and his race was called Xiezhi.It¡¯s a mythical ancient beast that represented legal justice.Just like Shen Ji Yun¡¯s Qilin, this Xiezhi was also another Legendary race in the game.


    If he didn¡¯t get it wrong, each of the races of the five main members of Fenhuang belonged to the Legendary category.With such a line-up, no wonder they¡¯re one of the top four teams.Luo Yan wondered just how the heck did the captain of that team managed to find such a group of people.


    He put the bottle of wine on the table and said all the intro he needed to say.Like weing him and telling him about the membership card and stuff.The only response he got was a simple nod.Seeing that Zhengyi had no interest tomunicate with him further, Luo Yan had no choice but to go out after that.


    He nced back at the closed door and sighed.Seemed like not all his guests were easy to deal with.But he already expected that, so it didn¡¯t reallye off as a surprise.


    He then walked to the next private box.The one arranged here were the members of team Sirens ¨C the only all-female team in the game.He did his usual routine.After getting permission to go inside, he entered the room.


    There were five female yers inside.Although he already heard from Madam Ru¡¯s report that all the main members of team Siren were here, it¡¯s still a bit of a surprised seeing them all together.Especially since all five were already attention-grabbing all on their own.If they were all sitting in one ce, then it¡¯s a definite visual feast.


    He did his weing routine and then introduced the membership card.


    "Waaa... this NPC is really beautiful!" said one who looked like she¡¯s a seven-year-old girl in a bubbly voice.


    With her long xen hair tied in a twin pigtail, a pair of big amber eyes and small pointy ears, along with some symbols on her white skin, this girl could only be a gnome.If Luo Yan remembered it correctly, this girl¡¯s game name was Candycane.


    Candycane stood up and trotted around him.Looking at him up and down and poking his arms.She looked back at the woman sitting at the very center, the one with aqua blue hair.The captain of team Siren ¨C Nereid.ording to what Luo Yan gathered, this Nereid was a mermaid ¨C a race belonging to the Rare category.That exined the fins and the gills.


    "Lian Lian, can we take her back and make her our team¡¯s escort?" Candycane asked Nereid, her big amber eyes shining.


    The woman with long ck hair tied in a high ponytail and wearing a golden armor immediately frowned when she heard what Candycane said.Her heroic face full of disapproval.This was the vice-captain of team Siren ¨C Bellona.Out of the five, she was the only human."Tang Xi, don¡¯t make trouble."


    The ¡¯Tang Xi¡¯ she mentioned was probably the real name of Candycane.Although Candycane was immediately pouted and sulked, she still walked back to her seat after hearing Bellona¡¯s words.With just that series of actions, it could be seen that this vice-captain was strict and that most of the time, her team members followed her words.


    "If distinguished guests have no other question, then this humble one will leave you to your enjoyment," Luo Yan said since he was already done with what he came there for.It¡¯s better to leave now before these girls changed their minds and really agreed to Candycane¡¯s suggestion and make him their team¡¯s mascot.


    "I have a question though," suddenly said by the girl with maroon and brown hombre hair that looked like feathers.This girl was also a Rare race ¨C a harpy.What was her game name again?Ah, Hecate.


    "If it¡¯s something this humble one could answer, then please, ask," Luo Yan said.


    "Where¡¯s the private box of team Yunyue?You see, our captain would very much like to go there and meet their captain.Would you mind helping?We promised we will avail the membership card if you do," Hecate said, grinning and showing her rows of pointy teeth.


    "Jiayi!" a melodious voice called.It seemed to be scolding Hecate but itcked power, as if she didn¡¯t really mind what the other said.


    "Isn¡¯t she right?The only reason we went here was because you were hoping that YUN will alsoe.So, why not just take this opportunity?" said the remaining member.She had long tinum blond hair and a pair of long pointed ears.At one nce, anyone could tell that she¡¯s an elf.Her every movement was full of charm, as if trying to captivate everyone who dared nced her way.This girl¡¯s game name was Freya.


    Luo Yan secretly nced at Nereid and saw the other blushing, making her beautiful face even more attractive.He tried his best not to show any reaction when he saw that.So, this girl liked Shen Ji Yun?


    He suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his heart, like something just pricked it. Somehow, the possibility that this Nereid indeed liked Shen JI Yun made him feel very ufortable.

 Chapter 254 HES BETTER THAN HER

    EVEN though Luo Yan felt ufortable in his heart, he still had to answer these girls¡¯ inquiries.He did his best to not show any expression on his face.He lowered his gaze and said in soft voice, "This humble one apologized but she couldn¡¯t do that."


    "Hey, don¡¯t be such a cheapskate, miss administrator," said Hecate."What¡¯s the harm in telling us?"


    "That would be invading the privacy of another guest and our pavilion doesn¡¯t allow that," he said simply.


    "There¡¯s such a rule?"Hecate ¡¯tsked¡¯."Isn¡¯t this a ce for entertainment, why have such a stifling rule?"


    Candycane nodded."True.It¡¯s not as if we¡¯re going to run there to disturb them.It¡¯s enough if Lian Lian go there herself."


    Nereid, whose nickname was probably ¡¯Lian Lian¡¯, blushed red."Xiao Xi!It¡¯s fine, really."


    "Why not just let this NPC lead you to Yunyue¡¯s private box?That way, you can meet YUN," Freya suggested."You can¡¯t just always look at him from afar, you know?"


    "Sister Meiyu is right!" Candycane agreed."Lian Lian is so good.If YUN finally knows about your feelings for him, he would definitely like you back."


    Luo Yan felt the corner of his eye twitched when he heard that.What ¡¯he would definitely like you back¡¯?Wasn¡¯t the fact that Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t notice her feelings about him until now evident enough that he wasn¡¯t interested in her?


    "You guys..." Nereid said with a helpless look on her face.Then she turned to Bellona as if asking for help.


    "Stop it, you three.Can¡¯t you see that Ah Lian is notfortable with this topic?" Bellona interjected.


    "And that¡¯s the reason why you still couldn¡¯t make a headway in your rtionship with him," Hecate said, shaking her head."You started ying this game, you even followed him to the same university, but what¡¯s the use of all that if whenever you two meet you always mmed up and started acting like you¡¯re a queen and he¡¯s a peasant?"


    "But Lian Lian is very cute when she does that though," Candycane said.


    Freya chuckled."Lian Lian is just being shy that¡¯s why she acts that way."


    Nereid¡¯s pretty face blushed red like a delicate rose."I couldn¡¯t help it."


    Freya stroked Nereid¡¯s aqua blue hair."It¡¯s alright.We like you this way."


    Bellona sighed while looking at her team mates.Then she turned to Luo Yan."You can go."


    Luo Yan bowed and walked out of the private box before any of them tried to force him to take them to team Yunyue¡¯s private box.Arriving outside, he clutched at his chest.His heart still felt sour for some unknown reason.


    Remembering the conversation that transpired inside, he still felt ufortable.It seemed like the captain of team Sirens really does like Shen Ji Yun.From all the things he just heard, he could gather that she knew Shen Ji Yun in real life.Because if she didn¡¯t, then she wouldn¡¯t be able to follow him to the same university.They had crossed paths a number of times.But because she couldn¡¯t express her feelings properly, Shen Ji Yun still had no idea that she liked him.


    If Shen Ji Yun did, would he be tempted?


    Just thinking of that possibility, an uncontroble anger suddenly wanted to erupt inside him.If he dared, let¡¯s see how he beat him.Why would he even be tempted by that girl.She didn¡¯t even look that pretty.Luo Yan was sure that he looked way better.Even if she¡¯s the captain of a top team, he¡¯s confident that his gaming skills were also way better.She might have been admitted to T University, but wasn¡¯t he also?His overall score in the college entrance examination back then was even in the top 10 in the whole country.It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s better than her in all ounts.


    He stopped and almost covered his face in embarrassment.What was he doingparing himself with that girl?Was it because he knew Shen Ji Yun liked him so he felt that he shouldn¡¯t like anybody else?Wasn¡¯t he just being a bit too full of himself?They weren¡¯t even in a rtionship yet and he was acting like they¡¯re already were.He wasn¡¯t even sure if his feelings were on the same level as that of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s.Acting like this was just unfair to the other person.


    He let out a deep breath.Stop.He still had a lot of things to do.Pondering over this topic at a time like this was not very ideal.So, he calmed down his emotion and walked to the next private box.


    Even though his mind was not on it, he still managed to wee the guests in the next two boxed quite normally.He acted like the perfect ¡¯NPC¡¯.Once again, he was thankful for his great acting skills.


    He just left another box and was about to walk to the next one when he collided with two yers, making him stop in his track.


    One of them had blue hair and pair of wolf ears on top of his head.He was full of nervous energy.It could be seen that he¡¯s the type that couldn¡¯t sit still.Even as he was just standing there, his body had a lot of extra movements.A typical energetic teenager.


    The other one was wearing a slick ck suit and holding a cane like some kind of aristocratic gentleman.His ck hair was perfectly styled.He had a pair of eyes as red as blood.His skin was luminous, highlighting his red lips.When their eyes met, those lips arched into a smile.Making anyone who saw him blushed.


    Of course, with the exception of Luo Yan.His only reaction was to cringe.Which he tried his best not to show.Because he quickly recognized the other ¨C the ever infuriating Alucard.


    "Brother Ru, isn¡¯t this that ck haired elf on the advertis.e.m.e.nt video?" the blue-haired wolf beastkin said.


    Looking at the NPC¡¯s blue peach blossom eyes dusted with gold, a certain image of a white-haired elf ovepped in Xu Ru¡¯s mind.He was a bit surprised by that thought.But it just made him want to take a better look with this NPC.


    So, he did.He walked towards ¡¯her¡¯ and unceremoniously mped ¡¯her¡¯ waist and pulled ¡¯her¡¯ closer to him."My beauty, can you please let me have a look at your face?"

 Chapter 255 TENSION IN THE AIR

    ANNOYANCE and disgust shed through Luo Yan¡¯s eyes but he immediately hid it.He made sure that nothing could be seen in his eyes before reaching to Alucard¡¯s arm holding his waist and then throwing him over his shoulder.


    Both Tang Xun and Xu Ru were dumbfounded by this sudden action.Especially Xu Ru who could only blink at the ceiling.


    "Brother Ru, are you alright?" Tan Xun asked, immediately helping Xu Ru up."Why did this NPC suddenly be violent?Is she bugged?"


    "This humble one apologized but the courtesans of our pavilion are trained to react that way in the face of unwanted advances," Luo Yan said, trying his best not to show anything in his voice."This humble one hoped that this distinguished guest would not try to do something like that again.The distinguished guest has already been warned.Two more strikes and this distinguished guest will be cklisted from our pavilion.So, this humble one suggests that this distinguished guest quell any perverted desires he has."


    What he said was not that strange.NPCs in this game had a protective function in them that would automatically activate once unnecessary actions against them weremitted.It¡¯s to prevent yers from beating up or s.e.x.u.a.lly harassing NPCs.Of course, Luo Yan¡¯s NPC employees also had the same function.It¡¯s even more important for his employees because most of them were acting as courtesans.


    "Wait- are you saying that Brother Ru is a pervert?" Tang Xun said in a bit of a childish manner as if he couldn¡¯t believe that someone, even a mere NPC, would say that about Xu Ru.Because it was the truth.Anyone who received Xu Ru¡¯s attention would always feel ttered.


    "This humble one did not say it so directly," Luo Yan only said, not changing the expression on his face."But if this distinguished guest wanted to interpret it that way, then you are free to do so."


    Tang Xun tilted his head.Why did it feel like this NPC was being cheeky?


    Xu Ru stared at this NPC interestingly.He wasn¡¯t mad that he was thrown.In fact, he became even more interested when that happened.The more he stared at this NPC, the more he felt like he¡¯d seen ¡¯her¡¯ somewhere.It was those pair of peach blossom eyes.It looked so simr to that of a certain white-haired elf.The one who just joined team Yunyue ¨C Noctis.


    He was still a bit annoyed that he didn¡¯t manage to snatch that beauty to be part of his team.Being rejected so thoroughly, of course, he would remember him.After all, it¡¯s not everyday that he was rejected.


    When he first watched the advertis.e.m.e.nt, he had a feeling that the ck-haired elf looked familiar.But he didn¡¯t think much about it.Now that that NPC was standing right in front of him, that familiar feeling just intensified.He had a hunch that this NPC was that Noctis.But the only way to prove that guess was for him to remove that veil covering the lower half of ¡¯her¡¯ face.Sadly, before he could even do that, he had already been thrown to the ground.


    "I apologize, my sweet.I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.I just wanted to see the whole of your beauty.But I couldn¡¯t do that with that veil covering your face.So, could you let me have a glimpse of the beauty hiding behind that veil?" he said, smiling at the NPC.


    Luo Yan just felt goosebumps all over.Why does this guy always speak like this?Was his brain just full of honey pot or something?He tried his best not to show any excessive reaction and just said, "This humble one apologized but she¡¯s not allowed to do that."


    "Oh?"


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that after he said that, Alucard would suddenly extend his hand.He was obviously trying to grab Luo Yan¡¯s veil.It was so sudden that even if he tried to move, there was still a chance that Alucard¡¯s hand would reach his veil.In that split second, he was thinking if he should just use one of his skills and entered his shadow.But then he immediately refuted that idea.Because if he did that, the fact that he was a yer and not an NPC would definitely be revealed.


    While he was pondering what he should do, another hand suddenly extended and grabbed Alucard¡¯s wrist.Preventing the other from grabbing Luo Yan¡¯s veil.


    "Are you so depraved that you even resorted to harassing NPCs?" said a very familiar cold voice.


    Luo Yan turned his head sharply to his side and saw Shen Ji Yun.He was looking at Alucard with no temperature in his eyes.This was different from his usual ¡¯cold stare¡¯.It was more like he was looking at a bug that he was ready to crush.No, wait- the more important thing was what was Shen Ji Yun doing here?


    Xu Ru was only slightly surprised seeing YUN suddenly appearing here.Because of his appearance, his suspicion just became even greater.Even though he felt like his wrist was about to get crushed, he didn¡¯t show any difort on his face.He even smiled and pulled his hand back despite the pain.


    "YUN, I never thought that you would care for a simple NPC.Or was it because this NPC is a little special?" he said meaningfully.


    "I simply have higher moral grounds than you," Shen Ji Yun simply said.


    "Are you saying that my Brother Ru is immoral?You¡¯re not allowed to say that!" Tang Xun said pointing at this YUN.Even though this guy looked cool, Xu Ru was cooler.So, he would always take his Brother Ru¡¯s side.


    Luo Yan nced at this blue wolf beastkin as if he¡¯s mentally impaired or something.He felt like this guy had a bit of a brain hole.If not, then how could he say those things that repeatedly pitted his own team mate?


    Shen Ji Yun nced coldly at the kid who just spoke."I could say whatever I want."


    Tang Xin was immediately frightened by that cold look and he unconsciously hid behind Xu Ru.


    "Now, now, don¡¯t pick on a kid," Xu Ru said, still smiling."Why don¡¯t you just tell me how special this NPC is to you?"


    The two stared at each other ¨C one smiling and the other all cold.But there was no doubt about the tension that suddenly filled the air.

 Chapter 256 DID I JUST COAX HIM?

    [OF course, he¡¯s special!He¡¯s the person I fell in love with, after all.]But Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t just shout that so tantly.From the way this Alucard was acting, it was obvious that he was suspecting that Luo Yan was not an ordinary ¡¯NPC¡¯.And since this guy had seen Luo Yan¡¯s game avatar up close, it was even possible that he was thinking that this ¡¯NPC¡¯ was the white-haired elf Noctis.Good thing he arrived at the right time to intervene.


    "So, in your opinion, an NPC should be special for someone to protect them and prevent others from harassing them?Sure enough, your moral standard is really quite low," he said with no emotion in his voice but anyone could see the mockery in his amethyst beast-like eyes.


    Xu Ru suddenly felt a faint throbbing of his vein on his forehead.He always had a good temper and rarely became annoyed with anything.For him, as long as it¡¯s something fun and interesting, his temper wouldn¡¯t be stabbed.But this guy¡¯s tongue was simply too poisonous.Add that to the fact that he said these things with such an expressionless face and the target of his criticism would definitely have their blood pressure rising.


    He gritted his teeth but still retained his nonchnt smile."It¡¯s not a question of having a high moral.It¡¯s just a simple curiosity.Wouldn¡¯t anyone be curious seeing such a beautifully designed NPC?Wouldn¡¯t they want to take a peek at the beauty hiding beneath?That¡¯s simple human nature.But that¡¯s probably something you wouldn¡¯t understand, right?After all, you¡¯re as emotionless as theye."


    Thatst line really ticked off Luo Yan.What emotionless?If Shen Ji Yun was emotionless, then howe he fell for him?He really wanted to beat this Alucard.But he¡¯s ying the role of an NPC right now.He could see that this jerk was already suspecting that he¡¯s Noctis.If he acted out of ce, then his disguise would definitely be taken down.


    He suddenly felt that temperature around them went down a few degrees.He secretly nced at Shen Ji Yun.Although the other was still expressionless, he could still see the faint anger and impatience in his eyes.


    Luo Yan sighed.Before Shen Ji Yun really ended up beating up Alucard, although he also didn¡¯t mind seeing that, he still decided to step in between the two.After all, he didn¡¯t want a brawl to happen during the opening of his pavilion.The two were both famous yers.If they fought here, then all the people would just talk about their fight tomorrow instead of how elegant and beautiful his pavilion was.How could he let that happen?


    "Distinguished guests, please calm yourselves.Fighting is not allowed inside our pavilion," he said in a soft tone.


    After he said that, the door of the private box where he just visited earlier opened and a woman with wine red hair and a pair of ram-like horns on her head peered outside.Her charming eyes stared at each and every person as if analyzing the situation.And when it seemed like she understood what was happening, her eyes narrowed at Alucard.This walking seductress was Lilith, another member of team Sanguis.


    "Did you just harass an NPC?" she asked.


    Xu Ru almost didn¡¯t hold up his smile."Princess, how could you say that?When did I ever harass an NPC?"


    Qin Rushi nced at the blue-haired wolf hiding behind Xu Ru."He really didn¡¯t?"


    Tang Xun quickly shook his head."No.Brother Ru just tried to hug this elf NPC."


    Xu Ru suddenly had an urge to beat up this kid.He red at Tang Xun who only looked confusedly at him.This pig team mate.Before he could exin to Qin Rushi, the other already walked to him and pulled his ear."Aw- aw- princess¡ª"


    "Don¡¯t talk!"Qin Rushi turned to Luo Yan."I apologize for his behavior.Our team willpensate Yuexing Pavilion for his action."


    Luo Yan hadn¡¯t had the time to answer because Lilith already pulled Alucard by the ear and stuffed him inside the private box arranged for team Sanguis.


    "What are you standing silly there for?Go inside!" she shouted at the blue-faired wolf.


    The other immediately followed the two and smartly closed the door after.


    Luo Yan was a bit amused by this.It seemed like in team Sanguis, the vice-captain Lilith was the one truly holding the reins.


    "He hugged you?" Shen Ji Yun suddenly asked.


    Luo Yan looked up and saw the other¡¯s dark face.With just that simple question, he could readily smell the scent of vinegar.Was this guy being jealous?If he didn¡¯t know about how the other felt about him, he probably wouldn¡¯t think that.But now that he knew, the sign was pretty obvious.


    He smiled.Howe this guy could transform to a big vinegar jar so easily?"He didn¡¯t.I threw him over my shoulder before he could."


    Although the other mped his waist, that could hardly count as a hug.


    "Hmm."


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun.His face was still stinky.Obviously, he was still upset by what he heard.So, Luo Yan just decided to change the topic."What is Brother Ji Yun doing outside?"


    "Just went out for a walk," Shen Ji Yun simply said.


    In truth, when that gnome went to their private box earlier, he heard that Luo Yan was making rounds.Their room was on a pretty good location, but it would take a while before Luo Yan could go to them.So, he decided to just go outside and take a walk, hoping that he could meet his rabbit along the way.


    Who would have thought that he would see Alucard trying to pull the veil on Luo Yan¡¯s face?And now, he just found out that the bastard also tried to hug him.His face became ugly again.If he just arrived a little bit earlier, then maybe he could teach that guy a lesson.Then maybe he should challenge him to a PK fight.He¡¯d definitely cut off those hands that tried to touch Luo Yan.


    "Then go back and just wait for me at our team¡¯s private box," Luo Yan said."It wouldn¡¯t be good if other yers see you here."


    Yes, especially those from team Sirens.


    "Are you telling me to go away?"


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure if it¡¯s just his imagination, but he felt like he heard an aggrieved tone in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice just now."I¡¯m not.We couldn¡¯t interact for long in the open like this anyway.So, it¡¯s better to just wait for me in our team¡¯s private box."


    Shen Ji Yun sighed, understanding what Luo Yan meant."I know.I¡¯ll wait for you at our team¡¯s private box."


    Then he reluctantly walked back.


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s figure. Why did it feel like he just coaxed the other? He smiled regardless. Suddenly, his bad mood disappeared and it became even better.

 Chapter 257 SHOULD WE TEAChapter HIM A LESSON?

    SHEN JI YUN walked back to the direction of the private box provided for their team with a dark expression on his face.He still couldn¡¯t get over from the whole ¡¯Alucard debacle¡¯.He still had the urge to go back and beat the hell out of that bastard.How dare he tried to hug Luo Yan?He hadn¡¯t even tried doing that and yet there¡¯s already someone who wanted to get ahead of him?


    He really needed to vent this anger.A simple scolding was not enough.He had to find an opportunity when he could challenge that Alucard into a PK fight in the Arena without making it obvious that it was because of what transpired here in this pavilion.But before that, he should make sure that that bastard wouldn¡¯t have a chance to get close to Luo Yan in the future.


    He suddenly wanted to pinch his forehead.He didn¡¯t know that being in love would be thisplicated.It¡¯s like he had to guard against everyone.That¡¯s especially true when it came to Luo Yan.His rabbit was so beautiful, adorable, and interesting that anyone would want to be with him ¨C men and women alike.


    He made a fist.He just had to prove that he¡¯s better than all those people.


    Soon, he arrived at their team¡¯s private box.He opened it and walked inside.The gnome was sitting beside Su Yuqi like some well-behaved kid while Bai Ze was ying with the little fox who, by the way, looked very unwilling.


    When Shen Ji Yun entered the room, Eclipse immediately jumped from the table and into his arms.Bai Ze looked at the little fox who was happily nestling on his friend¡¯s arms.When he was ying with it, the fox always seemed like he¡¯s unhappy about something.But now that it was in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms, it looked like it would soar with happiness any second now.


    Why did it feel like this fox was beingpletely partial?And the worse of it was, he was the one being disliked!


    Bai Ze looked at Shen Ji Yun toin but noticed that his expression was not good."What happened to you?Why do you look like you¡¯ve eaten a bitter gourd or something?"


    Luo Jin raised his head and looked at Shen Ji Yun when he heard what his cousin said.But all he saw was his usual expressionless face."He doesn¡¯t look any different though," he muttered in a low voice which was still heard by Su Yuqi who was sitting next to him.


    "They¡¯ve been friends since they were kids.Bai Ze could notice the tiniest change in his expression," she said in an equally low voice that only the two of them could hear.


    "What is he, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s interpersonal interpreter?" he said incredulously.


    Su Yuqi chuckled."You could say that."


    When Luo Jin heard this bell-likeugh, he couldn¡¯t help but nced at Su Yuqi.Her big eyes were bent into crescents and her pinkish lips were in an upward curve.Seeing her like this, he felt like his heart just skipped a few beats.He immediately gazed down.Trying his best to calm himself.


    Shen Ji Yun who just heard Bai Ze¡¯s question pondered if he should tell them what happened just now.It didn¡¯t take long before he decided that he should.Knowing how protective this gnome was over his brother, Alucard would definitely incur his wrath.Bai Ze, being Luo Yan¡¯s cousin would also feel the same.And since Su Yuqi epted Luo Yan as part of their team, she would definitely cover him.The more people protecting Luo Yan against that vampire the better.


    "I just saw the captain of team Sanguis trying to harass Yan Yan," he said, his face sinking again.


    When Luo Jin heard that, the blushing heart beat he just felt immediately disappeared.It was quickly reced by anger."He actually dared?Does that wannabe vampire no longer want to live?I¡¯ll definitely beat the shit out of him!"


    He stood up and was trying to leave but a soft hand suddenly held his arm.He looked down and saw Su Yuqi staring up at him.


    "Calm down.You can¡¯t make amotion here.Remember, your identity right now is an NPC.If you started a fight with a guest, then this pavilion would be the one to carry the brunt of the damage.It would waste all the effort your brother put into this," she reminded him."And Ji Yun being back here meant that the situation was already handled.So, calm yourself down."


    Luo Jin was still unwilling but he knew that Su Yuqi was right.He couldn¡¯t just let all the effort his brother put into this pavilion be wasted.Just looked at all of these.From those boats outside to the performance below, even the dishes that were being served, everything was prepared thoroughly by his brother.How could he let it all go to waste just because of his temper?So, even if he didn¡¯t want to, he forced to calm himself.


    He sat back and looked at Shen Ji Yun."What exactly happened?"


    Shen Ji Yun told them about his guess that Alucard might have suspected that Luo Yan was not an NPC but the yer Noctis instead.That¡¯s why the other was trying to take off the veil covering Luo Yan¡¯s face.But because of his timely arrival, he didn¡¯t seed.


    Bai Ze sighed."That guy, Xu Ru, is a well-known yboy among the upper circles of B City.He doesn¡¯t mind if it¡¯s a man or a woman.As long as they aroused his interest, he would go after them.I¡¯m afraid he might have already taken a fancy to our Xiao Yan."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face immediately darkened when he heard that.He had almost forgotten what Bai Ze had told them before.That this Alucard ¨C this Xu Ru ¨C was from B City.Maybe he should just forget about challenging him to a PK and just directly go and beat him up in reality.That way, the pain he would receive would be even much greater.


    Luo Jin snorted."Just let him try to go after Yan, I¡¯ll decimate him."


    "Then how about we secretly teach him a lesson?" Su Yuqi suggested, a kind of sinister smile appearing on her cute little face.

 Chapter 258 WOULD THIS GUY TURN INTO A BIG VINEGAR JAR AGAIN?

    LUO YAN was finally done visiting each room, the only one remaining was the private box he arranged for their team.He told the NPCs apanying him that they could go back to do their duties.Then he walked towards their team¡¯s private box.


    Arriving in front of the room, he knocked and said teasingly, "Distinguished guests, may this humble onee in?"


    Before he could hear a response, the door was suddenly opened.Before him stood Shen Ji Yun.He opened the door so quickly that it seemed like he moved the moment he heard his voice.That thought somehow made Luo Yan smiled.


    Because of the veil covering the lower half of Luo Yan¡¯s face, Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t see this smile.But seeing his peach blossom eyes bent into crescents, he knew that the other was smiling.He suddenly had an urge to pull off the veil on Luo Yan¡¯s face so that he could see that beautiful smile of his.But before he could decide whether to do that or not, he was already unceremoniously pushed aside.


    The culprit?Who else but that gnome.


    "Yan, are you alright?"


    Luo Yan¡¯s attention was immediately transferred to his younger brother.He turned to Luo Jin and saw the worried expression on his little face.He already had an idea on why his brother would have this look on his face.


    "Aww... is our Ah Jin worried about his big brother?" he asked while pinching his cheek.


    Luo Jin immediately blushed and pushed his hand away."Will you please be serious?"


    "Yes, yes," Luo Yan said, gently pushing his brother inside.After that, he closed the door and sat on one of the avable seats.He turned to Luo Jin who looked like he was still dissatisfied with his answer and then nced at Shen Ji Yun who was also looking at him."I¡¯m really okay.So, why don¡¯t the two of you also sit down?"


    Shen Ji Yun quickly sat down beside Luo Yan before that gnome once again interfered with him.


    Luo Jin saw this action and was immediately annoyed.Because of that Alucard, he almost forgot that he also needed to guard his brother against another wolf in their team.He took a deep breath and chose not to attack him right now.If he had an argument with him right now, what if Su Yuqi thought he was immature or something?He didn¡¯t want to be thought of as a kid.Especially not by her.


    He stopped and almost punched himself.What the heck?Why was his brain conjuring weird ideas again?He shook his head and just sat back to where he was sitting earlier ¨C beside Su Yuqi.


    "Xiao Yan, did Xu Ru really not do anything to you?" Bai Ze asked worriedly.


    Xu Ru?Ah, Bai Ze must be talking about Alucard.Before Luo Yan could answer, a ck ball of fluff suddenlynded on his shoulder.He didn¡¯t have to nce sideways to know that it was Eclipse.


    He stroked the fox¡¯s furry head before answering his cousin, "No, nothing that was really extreme."


    [Mashter, Mashter, Captain and the others were nning something against that guy!The one they call Xu Ru and sometimes Alucard.Eclipse was getting confused what his real name is.]


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows when he heard what Eclipse said inside his mind.[What were they nning?]


    [That pretty sister with pink hair said that they would secretly teach him a lesson.But they didn¡¯t talk about it in detail because the pretty sister said that she would make a good n first.]


    Luo Yan was thankful that there was a veil covering the lower half of his face.Or else, his team mates would have already seen the amused smile that suddenly crossed his lips.He already had a rough idea on how things turned out this way.It was kind of amusing.And, well, sweet.


    He had no ns on stopping them.Why would he?They were probably doing this to ¡¯avenge¡¯ him.It would be fun to see what they prepared.So, he would just sit back and watch how things would unfold.


    "Why don¡¯t you cklist that Alucard here?That way, he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to pester you in the future," Su Yuqi suggested.


    "Yes, that would be the best," Luo Jin readily agreed.


    "It would be hard to do that without any significant reason."


    Luo Yan was actually thinking of doing just that earlier.But he immediately changed his mind.cklisting Alucard just because of harassing an NPC once was not a good enough reason to do that.If he did it two more times, then that would be fine.Otherwise, if that guyined because he was suddenly cklisted for just that simple reason, then the one that would be most affected would be Yuexing Pavilion.They might even .u.mte a bad reputation because of that.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t always be here anyway.So, he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to pester me that much in the future," he added.


    He only appeared here tonight because it was the opening.He nned to only appear every time there¡¯s a special event here in the pavilion.That way, his role as the ck-haired elf administrator would be even more special.He wasn¡¯t worried that things would go awry if he wasn¡¯t here.He was confident that his employees would do their job perfectly even in his absence.


    "Let¡¯s not talk about that guy anymore and just enjoy the performance," he continued.


    The other four agreed, eating and drinking while watching the performance below.When it was already on the second to thest performance, Luo Yan bid farewell to his team mates.


    "I have to go down for now.Please, don¡¯t leave after the performances were finished.I have someone to introduce to you guys," he said, standing up.


    "Who is it?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun and smiled."You¡¯ll find outter."


    He walked out of the private box.Then suddenly remembered Shen Ji Yun¡¯s reaction when he was talking about Yu Jiao a few days ago.Thinking of how Yu Jiao looked so handsome in her game avatar.A thought suddenly entered his mind.


    Would this guy turn into a big vinegar jar again?

 Chapter 259 THE VERY ADMIRABLE LUO YAN

    SU YUQI nced at the just closed door before picking up a cup of tea and drinking it."Luo Yan has a pretty good mental fortitude."


    She also heard from Bai Ze about the ident that happened more than seven years ago to the Luo family.The mother died and Luo Yan fell into aa.He only managed to wake up this year.Logically speaking, a person who had undergone such an ordeal would take a while, maybe even years, before they could go on living their lives normally.


    But Luo Yan was able to do that.Going to school like a normal 17-year-old, ying on his free time, he was even able to arrange such an borate event like this.Not to mention, even in the face of suddenly being harassed, he still managed to keep his cool.


    Physical therapy aside, being able to do all those in such a short time just after waking up from aa after a few months, it almost seemed like a miracle.Frankly speaking, if she was working on the medical field, she would really be tempted to examine him.


    "Yan is very strong," Luo Jin said.


    Of course, he was not talking about being strong physically but mentally and emotionally instead.It showed by how fast he was able to adapt to his environment after waking up from his sleep of seven years.In truth, this should have aroused some kind of suspicion.But he, his older brother, and their father probably never thought of it that way.Or if it ever crossed their mind, they just chose to ignore it.They were just that thankful and d that Luo Yan was able to wake up and have his own life.That they could all be a family again.


    "That¡¯s why Xiao Yan is very admirable," Bai Ze said, not forgetting to also praise his cousin.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t speak.But he also agreed to what the other three said.Having experienced such a life-threatening situation, surviving that only to fall intoa for years ¨C not many would be able to get their life back on track.But Luo Yan managed to do just that.It showed just how strong he was.Which, as Bai Ze said, was truly admirable.


    "By the way, Xiao Jin, do you know the person Xiao Yan wanted us to meet?" Bai Ze asked, changing the subject.


    Luo Jin thought about it and could only think of one possible person."It¡¯s probably his ssmate who¡¯s also ying Arcadia."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brows furrowed a little bit when he heard the word ¡¯ssmate¡¯.He suddenly remembered that girl that Luo Yan mentioned a few days back.That talented ssmate who might be a cksmith here in the game.Once again, he couldn¡¯t help but feel sour in his heart.


    "Oh, is it a boy or a girl?" Bai Ze asked.


    "A girl."


    "A girl?And Xiao Yan invited her here and even want to introduce her to us?" Bai Ze said suspiciously."Could it be Xiao Yan is engaging in early love?"


    Before anyone could reply to his spection, someone suddenly kick his shin under the table.He almost shouted in pain.Since Luo Jin and Su Yuqi¡¯s game avatar both had short legs, there could only be one culprit.


    He red at Shen Ji Yun."Why did you kick me for?"


    "Because you keep talking nonsense," Shen Ji Yun said coldly.


    "What¡¯s wrong with what I said?"


    "Ji Yun is right to kick you," Su Yuqi said to Bai Ze."Out of all the things you could think of, why did you arrive to such a conclusion?"


    "A boy and a girl being close friends, isn¡¯t it only natural to think that way?"


    Su Yuqi gave him a look as if he was stupid."We¡¯re also both pretty close, do you ever think of us in that way?"


    Bai Ze was dumbfounded by the question.But because of that, he suddenly imagined the both of them in such a situation.His whole body had goosebumps all over just thinking of that possibility.


    "Please, don¡¯t say something so scary.I might have a nightmare tonight because of that," he said, hugging himself as if scared.


    "Anyway, what Brother Ze said about Yan and his ssmate couldn¡¯t possibly be the case," Luo Jin interjected.


    When Su Yuqi mentioned about the possibility of her and his cousin being together, he suddenly felt ufortable.For some reason, he really didn¡¯t like that idea.So, he had to interfere and bring the topic back to what they were originally talking about.


    "Fine.I¡¯m the one on the wrong," Bai Ze said, putting both his hands up as in surrender."How would you describe this ssmate?" he thought of asking.


    "Hmm..."Luo Jin fell into deep thought, thinking of how best to describe Yu Jiao."A timid giraffe, perhaps?"


    "Ha?What kind of description is that?" Bai Ze said looking at Luo Jin incredulously.


    "I think it¡¯s a good description," Su Yuqi said on the side.


    Luo Jin was happy that Su Yuqi agreed with him."You¡¯ll know it¡¯s an apt description once you met her personally."


    Bai Ze hadn¡¯t had the time to reply back because they saw the lights on the stage below suddenly disappeared.They all nced down.It seemed that this was the final performance.


    Soon, floating crystal lights in the shape of blooming lotus appeared one after another.Then the stage was faintly illuminated.Because the lights were not that strong, it gave off a much more magical effect.It¡¯s like a couple of star lights were shining down the stage.


    Standing at the very center was a figure d in red.¡¯Her¡¯ long ck hair was freely falling down behind ¡¯her¡¯ back.Its only decoration was a piece of jade hairpin.Her skin looked even more luminous under the lights.There were four NPCs sitting behind ¡¯her¡¯, all holding a guqin on theirp.


    The four NPCs started to y the guqin and and an ethereal sound echoed throughout the surrounding. The ck-haired elf standing at the center finally opened ¡¯her¡¯ eyes. Those blue eyes dusted with gold seemed to want to draw everything in.A momentter, amongst the sound of the guqin, a sweet voice sounded.


    And the ck-haired elf sang.

 Chapter 260 THE END OF OPENING NIGHT

    "You ask how deeply I love you


    And just how great my love is


    My affection is real


    And my love is true


    The moon represents my heart


    You ask how deeply I love you


    And just how great my love is


    My affection does not waver


    And my love doesn¡¯t change


    The moon represents my heart..."


    --- The Moon Represents My Heart


    WHEN Shen Ji Yun heard Luo Yan sang the first word of the song, he felt an arrow stab straight to his heart.It¡¯s not because the rabbit¡¯s singing was particrly great.It¡¯s simply because Luo Yan was the one who¡¯s singing.Add that to the fact that he was singing about love and Shen Ji Yun just simply felt like he¡¯s in heaven.


    Luo Yan¡¯s singing voice was particrly sweet.He was singing it in a way as if the person the song was pertaining to was standing right in front of him.Making his voice full of emotion.Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help but fantasized that the person the rabbit was singing to was him.Imagining this, his heart began to beat faster and faster.As if he¡¯s participating in some kind of race.And the one waiting for him at the finish line was none other than Luo Yan.


    This weird train of thought almost made him want to beat himself up.Seriously, when did he be so cheesy?He looked back at the stage and stared at the figure d in red.He once again felt that special thumped in his chest.The heartbeat that was solely dedicated to Luo Yan.At the end, all he could do was helplessly smile.


    Because that¡¯s just how helplessly in love he was with his rabbit.


    "Wow.I didn¡¯t know Xiao Yan could sing," Bai Ze said on the side full of admiration for his little cousin.


    Su Yuqi didn¡¯tment but anyone could see on her face that she was very satisfied with Luo Yan¡¯s singing.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, was totally unprepared.He didn¡¯t that his second brother had prepared a song number as the finale performance.He suddenly remembered that Luo Yan also danced in that advertis.e.m.e.nt video.Could his brother have a natural talent for these things?


    He wouldn¡¯t want to enter the entertainment industry, right?


    Inside one of the private boxes...


    Song Liuli listened to the song of the NPC below.Her delicate brows furrowed a little bit."That NPC¡¯s voice is definitely auto-tuned."


    Duan Yu nced at her and said teasingly, "You didn¡¯t just say that because you¡¯re jealous, right?"


    When Noctis went to their private box earlier, he couldn¡¯t help but observed him a bit more.Which was only natural.After all, this was the first time he saw the other acting like an ¡¯NPC¡¯ up close.He wanted to tease the other for a bit.But his attitude was misinterpreted by Song Liuli as him being interested at the said ¡¯NPC¡¯.


    Although she knew that the owner of the pavilion was the yer Noctis, he hadn¡¯t told her about Noctis crossdressing as an NPC.And since he and the other already made that deal, he decided that he shouldn¡¯t mention that to Song Liuli.He¡¯s still a bit principled that way.But because of that, he couldn¡¯t tell her the truth of the matter.And thus, she¡¯d been sulking since earlier.Thinking that the ¡¯NPC¡¯s¡¯ look was his type.


    Song Liuli pouted."Of course not.Do you think I¡¯m that kind of shallow person?"


    "Hey, I didn¡¯t say that.I just assumed since you¡¯ve been sulking since earlier because of that NPC."


    Song Liuli red at Duan Yu."I¡¯m sulking, am I?"


    Duan Yu immediately felt that if he didn¡¯t give her the right answer, she would have a much bigger tantrum.So, instead of answering her question, he quickly proceeded on coaxing her.


    Totally forgetting why she said that Noctis¡¯ voice was auto-tuned.


    In fact, what Song Liuli said was right.Luo Yan did, in a way, do some auto-tuning to his voice.After figuring out that he had to perform something during the opening night of his pavilion, he chose to sing a song rather than dance again.But the problem was, he knew he was not that great of a singer.One could only ssify him as someone who could sing a bit and still could go out of tune asionally.


    Since he already decided to sing, he couldn¡¯t let himself go out of tune.Especially since his performance would be thest one.To aplish that, he picked a popr song that didn¡¯t have any high-key notes.To ensure further sess, he bought an item that could change his voice into a perfect pitch when singing.It was in the form of a choker.All he had to do was wear it and once he sang, his singing voice would automatically be wless.


    It was just an ident that he found such a convenient item.Which only further strengthened his resolve to sing at the opening night.Although he knew his singing voice could only be considered as ordinary, he could make up for it in presentation.Thus, all the theatrics.


    When he finished singing thest note of the song, the stage once again went dark.When the lights turned on, all the courtesans who performed earlier on the stage was standing together with Luo Yan.But despite that, he was still the brightest existence.


    "This humble one expressed her gratitude to everyone who attended our pavilion¡¯s opening night.We hope that we could see you all more in the future," he said in a clear voice."Starting Saturday next week, our pavilion would be officially open to everyone who are able to purchase a membership card.A side courtyard in our pavilion would be open tomorrow starting from eight in the morning until ten in the evening.That would continue for a week until Friday.Everyone is wee to inquire about how they could be one of our pavilion¡¯s distinguished guests."


    "We all await you here in Yuexing Pavilion!" he and all the other NPCs said at the same time.


    Then all of them made an elegant bow.


    And that¡¯s how the opening night of Yuexing Pavilion ended.

 Chapter 261 SHE REALLY DID FREEZE ON THE SPOT

    ONCE all the lights below the stagepletely disappear, the guests inside the pavilion also started to leave.They were escorted by different NPCs.Some showed a satisfied expression, some looked thoughtful, while there were others who seemed very unwilling.With this, the live broadcast also ended.Whether it was a sess or not could only be known the following days.


    Yu Jiao was still sitting inside the private box provided to her as instructed by Luo Yan earlier.Thinking about what he said, that he would introduce her to his team mates, the thought made her even more nervous.What if they didn¡¯t like her?What if they thought she was weird?What if she embarrassed Luo Yan?Those thoughts kept circling inside her mind.Making her more and more nervous by the passing minutes.


    She didn¡¯t even know how long she waited.Even the performances on the stage, she couldn¡¯t manage to enjoy.That¡¯s how nervous she was.She kept drinking tea to alleviate her nervousness.She probably had already drunk buckets by now.If this was real life, she¡¯d probably gone to thefort room a number of times already.


    She was about to drink another cup of tea when the door of her private box opened.She turned her head towards the door and saw an elf with white hair walking in.surprisingly enough, the elf looked just like the NPC courtesan Luo Yan was ying.Well, at least the upper half of his face was.But this one was not wearing the red robe but a white cloak over a ck costume.


    "Jiao Jiao, are you ready?"


    Hearing the familiar voice and seeing that familiar smile, Yu Jiao knew that the one in front of her was indeed Luo Yan.


    "Um," she answered, standing up and walking up to him.


    "Then, let¡¯s go?"


    She nodded and followed Luo Yan outside.They started to walk towards a certain direction.


    She wanted to ask about his team mates but she felt that it was a bit rude to just ask about that without any kind of preamble.So, she asked instead; "I-is this your real game avatar?"


    "Yes.I didn¡¯t actually change my avatar, I just died my hair temporarily to ck.Now, it returned to its original white," Luo Yan answered."This look is prettier, right?"


    Yu Jiao was unustomed with this side of Luo Yan.A guy calling himself pretty should be a bit disgusting in some way.But since it was Luo Yan, one couldn¡¯t help but feel that, ¡¯yes, it¡¯s just right for him to consider himself that¡¯.Because no matter what others said, he was indeed pretty.


    "Both suits you," she answered honestly.


    Luo Yan grinned."I know.But I just prefer this one.It brings more magic in the air, don¡¯t you think?"


    Yu Jiao nodded.


    Luo Yan noticed that Yu Jiao was fidgeting, even sping the hem of her shirt.This girl was probably nervous again.He already had an idea why.


    "Don¡¯t be nervous.My team mates aren¡¯t scary people.They won¡¯t eat you," he assured her in a teasing manner."There are only five people in our team and that already include me and Ah Jin.You¡¯re already friends with two out of five, so, there¡¯s really nothing to be nervous about," he added in a more serious tone.


    Knowing that there were only five people in the team and two of them were Luo Yan and his brother seemed to be very effective.It made Yu Jiao less nervous by a hundredth fold.If there were only five people in Luo Yan¡¯s team, wouldn¡¯t that mean that this team was fairly new?


    Since Luo Yan had the ability to own an establishment like this, she thought that he must belonged to a fairly big and famous team.It wouldn¡¯t even be a stretch if it¡¯s one of the top four teams.But now, it seemed like that that was not the case.


    Luo Yan, of course, noticed the changed in Yu Jiao.She became more rx, no longer fidgeting around.She must be thinking that since their team only had five members, then it must be a small team that had only been formed.He had no ns to correct her conjecture.After all, if he told her that three of the yers she¡¯d be meeting were the first champions of the Arcadia Cup, she¡¯d probably froze on the spot and refused to meet them.She¡¯d probably even log out for all he knew.


    So, to prevent that, he¡¯d just let her have this illusion.


    "Does Jiao Jiao already have a team?" he thought of asking.


    Yu Jiao shook her head."No.I don¡¯t think it¡¯s proper for me to join a team?"


    "Why do you say that?"


    "I- I sell the weapons, armors, and other essories that I forge.If I join a team, others might think that I would be bias towards my team mates, giving them much better items.I-it would affect my business.So, I never thought of joining one.It¡¯s better for me to remain neutral."


    Aside from that, Yu Jiao was certain that she wouldn¡¯t be able to function properly in a team.Even if this was VR and they didn¡¯t know the real her, she was sure that she would still be a stuttering mess while interacting with them.So, she¡¯d really rather not.


    Luo Yan nodded because what Yu Jiao said really made sense.If she joined a team and it was known by other yers, it was only natural to think that she would provide better items to her team mates.Which in turn would cause dissatisfaction to her customers.


    He felt a little lost.Because he was nning to invite her to their team.If he did, Yu Jiao would probably agree regardless.But he didn¡¯t want to be selfish.Since he had decided to treat Yu Jiao as a real friend, then doing something that might affect her business was simply a big no.


    He no longer brought that subject up and the both of them continued to walk.Soon, they arrived in front of the private box of his team.


    He nced at Yu Jiao."This is it," he said and opened the door.


    Yu Jiao took a deep breath before following Luo Yan inside.When she raised her head and saw the people inside, just like what Luo Yan thought, she really did freeze on the spot.

 Chapter 262 VULCAN MEETS TEAM YUNYUE (I)

    SHEN JI YUN nced at the door when he heard it opened.His now calm heart started to gallop again at the thought that he would see Luo Yan.The emotions he felt when he heard him sing was still fresh in his mind.Those emotions immediately surge up inside him when he thought that Luo Yan would soon stand before him.


    Just as he thought, Luo Yan did walk into the room.He was now back in his normal game avatar.Shen Ji Yun still wanted to see him in his red robe.But that little disappointment quickly disappeared.Because no matter what clothes Luo Yan wore or what form he was in, he would always be the most beautiful to Shen Ji Yun.So, finally, a small smile crossed his lips.


    But the small arc of his lips immediately froze when he saw the person walking behind Luo Yan.It was a tall young ¡¯man¡¯ with messy ck hair and a pair of sharp ck eyes.¡¯He¡¯ had a nk expression on ¡¯his¡¯ face.As if ¡¯his¡¯ head was in the clouds.One couldn¡¯t really tell what ¡¯he¡¯ was thinking.


    This person¡¯s face was well-known to many top yers.Of course, that included Shen Ji Yun as well.After all, the current sword he was using was forged by this person.The current number one cksmith of Arcadia ¨C Vulcan.


    Confusion immediately filled him.What was Vulcan doing here?Why was ¡¯he¡¯ walking behind Luo Yan?Just as he thought of that, he remembered what Luo Yan said.That he would bring his friend with himter to introduce to them.But wasn¡¯t this friend a girl?Then as if a fog had been lifted from his brain.His eyes widened for a bit and looked at Vulcan unbelievingly.


    Su Yuqi also quickly understood the twist and turn of events.She was surprised but didn¡¯t really show a big reaction.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, was confused at first.Didn¡¯t his brother n to bring Yu Jiao here?Then who was this ¡¯guy¡¯?He narrowed his eyes at the person walking behind his brother.The more he looked, the more ¡¯he¡¯ seemed familiar.Until half a minuteter, he finally realized that this ¡¯guy¡¯ was actually Yu Jiao!So, this girl actually used a male avatar in the game?He shrugged.Well, to each their own.Everyone had their fetishes and hobbies.As long as it didn¡¯t affect him or the people he cared about, he really didn¡¯t have that much of an opinion.


    The one with the biggest reaction was Bai Ze.Although he was a little slow on the uptake, he still realized what was happening.After all, he was someone who had been admitted at T University.He couldn¡¯t really be that stupid.But after understanding the truth, he still couldn¡¯t believe it.


    "Vulcan is a girl?" he eximed.


    "Why don¡¯t you shout a bit louder?It¡¯s as if we couldn¡¯t hear you enough," Su Yuqi said looking at Bai Ze as if he had a screw loose.


    "Hey, this is a normal reaction, okay?You and Ji Yun not having any reaction right now are the ones who are abnormal," Bai Ze said indignantly.


    Su Yuqi gave him the look while Shen Ji Yun coldly nced at him.Bai Ze almost shrank his neck.Why were these two so fierce?The little man inside him cried aggrievedly.Were these two really his friends?


    "Who is Vulcan?" Luo Jin asked.


    "That guy over there," Bai Ze answered while cheering himself up.Finally, someone was as curious as him."Or should I say girl?Anyway, she¡¯s the current top cksmith in the game."


    Luo Jin was more surprised to hear that than knowing that Yu Jiao actually used a male avatar.When Luo Yan told her that Yu Jiao was probably a skilled cksmith in the game, he never suspected that she was actually the number one.Seriously, who would have thought that the shy and timid girl who looked so easy to bully actually had this kind of alter identity.It seemed like his brother¡¯s instinct when it came to people was simply top notch.


    Luo Yan shook his head helplessly when he saw the reaction of his team mates.He nced at Yu Jiao and saw that the girl¡¯s face already turned red.She even started fidgeting again and clenching on the hem of her shirt.


    So, he turned to the others and said, "Guys, please, don¡¯t embarrass my friend.She¡¯s a bit shy."


    Everyone turned to Yu Jiao and saw that her face was really red.This attention only made her even more nervous.What small team?Apart from the little gnome that looked simr to Luo Jin, the other three were famous yers who she had encountered in her shop at least once before.


    She knew who these people were.They were team Yunyue.The first champions of the Arcadia Cup!Although many yers now were calling them the ¡¯fallen champions¡¯, anyone with a brain knew just how good the three remaining yers of the said team were.Especially their captain ¨C YUN.


    Since Luo Yan said that he would introduce her to his team mates, then it meant that he and his brother were the new members of team Yunyue.If she had known this earlier, although she would be nervous, at least she would have made a psychological construction.But now that she was here, she simply didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Although she did meet them before, that was between a customer and a shop owner.Whenever she met a customer, she just simply nked out her mind and imagined that they were radishes on a vegetable garden so as not to make herself stutter.After finalizing a deal with them, she would let her NPC employees to deal with the follow-up.


    But now, she couldn¡¯t do that.They were Luo Yan¡¯s team mates and most probably his friends.She didn¡¯t want to make a bad impression on them.What if she acted weird and Luo Yan regretted being friends with her?After being alone for so long, someone finally wanted to befriend her.How could she disappoint that person?


    So, Yu Jiao took a deep breath, gathered all her courage and said, "Hello."

 Chapter 263 VULCAN MEETS TEAM YUNYUE (II)

    "MY name is Yu Jiao," Yu Jiao continued.


    Luo Yan nced surprisingly at the girl.He didn¡¯t expect that she would introduce herself and say her name on her own ord.He looked down and saw her tightly clenched hands.It seemed like she was still very nervous.But since she introduced herself without him encouraging her, that meant that she was trying her best to ovee her own nervousness.Which was already a very big step forward for her.


    He was happy to know that Yu Jiao was trying her best to change her timid nature.Since he decided to be friends with her, of course, he wanted her to be more confident of herself.She was such a talented and kind girl.It would be such a waste if she couldn¡¯t even be at least proud of herself.


    This was also the reason why he wanted her to meet his team mates.Because he believed that they would be a good influence on her.He was hoping that they could help her slowly get out of her own shell.So that one day, she could stand in front of people with her chin high and without her averting her gaze from them.


    Since Yu Jiao already took the initiative to introduce herself using her real name, Luo Yan was hoping that the others would also do the same.The three didn¡¯t disappoint him and also introduced themselves.


    "Shen Ji Yun."


    "Su Yuqi.Nice to meet you," Su Yuqi said nodding towards Yu Jiao.


    Luo Yan almost had a ck line on his face when he heard the introduction of the two.Especially Shen Ji Yun.At least Su Yuqi said ¡¯nice to meet you¡¯.


    "My name is Bai Ze, I¡¯m Xiao Yan¡¯s older cousin," Bai Ze said introducing himself with gusto."Since you¡¯re Xiao Yan¡¯s ssmate, that means you¡¯re younger.So, please, feel free to call me ¡¯Brother Ze¡¯."


    Luo Yan finally let out a sigh of relief.His cousin was still more reliablepared to the other two when it came to things like this.


    "N-no.How could I?" Yu Jiao immediately said when she heard White Marsh ¨C no, Bai Ze said that she could call him brother.


    "It¡¯s alright, Jiao Jiao.They were all two or three years older than us, so it¡¯s okay to address them as ¡¯brother¡¯ and ¡¯sister¡¯," Luo Yan said assuring Yu Jiao.


    "Xiao Yan is right," Bai Ze agreed.


    "I have no problem with that," Su Yuqi followed.


    The only one who didn¡¯t say anything was Shen Ji Yun.It was because he was still immersed on the part where Luo Yan called the girl ¡¯Jiao Jiao¡¯.Thousands of thoughts shed through his mind because of that simple call.Add that to the fact the Luo Yan was obviously taking care of her a little bit too much and it just added to the chaos in his mind.


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun.Seeing him not reacting with that cold, handsome, expressionless face of his, he suddenly had a bad hunch.Surely, this guy was not really eating Yu Jiao¡¯s vinegar, right?Because this was hardly the time for that.


    "Brother Ji Yun," he called.And when the other turned to him, he continued, "You don¡¯t mind if Jiao Jiao called you ¡¯brother¡¯, right?"


    Luo Yan was smiling but Shen Ji Yun felt that the other was threatening him.That if he didn¡¯t agree, there would be hell to pay.He subconsciously straightened his back and answered without much thought, "Yes."


    Luo Jin saw his brother¡¯s dark smile and he looked smugly at Shen Ji Yun.It¡¯s better if this guy continued to show a bad impression to his brother.That way, Luo Yan would be more guarded against him.


    Luo Yan was finally satisfied when he heard Shen Ji Yun¡¯s answer.He turned to Yu Jiao."See, I told you they¡¯re all friendly."


    Yu Jiao had a feeling that YUN, no, this Shen Ji Yun was only forced to agree because of Luo Yan.Which she didn¡¯t really mind.Because she had no ns to call them that.How could she when they only barely met.


    "N-no, it¡¯s really okay.I- I can just call them Seniors.That is, if you all don¡¯t mind," she said thatst part with an almost inaudible voice and with her gaze down.


    Su Yuqi raised her brow when she saw the way the girl was acting.Now she suddenly understood why Luo Jin described her as a ¡¯timid giraffe¡¯.She was simply radiating with nervousness.Su Yuqi didn¡¯t thought of her that way when she met Vulcan before.Although the other barely even spoke, she thought that the cksmith was just like her ¨C indifferent.Now, with Yu Jiao¡¯s series of actions since she entered the room, she quickly understood that she was not indifferent, she was simply being shy.


    It never crossed Su Yuqi¡¯s mind that the other might just be faking it.She trusted Luo Yan¡¯s judgement.She believed that he wouldn¡¯t befriend someone with a problematic character.Not to mention, Luo Jin was still there.This guy would never allow someone with a bad personality to get close to his dear brother.


    One of the reasons someone could develop a timid personality was because they felt very insecure growing up.A lot of factors could go along with that.Family background, their environment, the way they were raised, etc.Su Yuqi didn¡¯t really care much about that.But since they were both girls and the other were friends with Luo Yan, she decided to take more care of her.


    "Come and sit down, both of you," she said.


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes brightened when he heard what Su Yuqi said.It seemed like she was willing to befriend Yu Jiao."Yes, let¡¯s go and sit."


    He gently pulled Yu Jiao towards the empty seat on the left of Su Yuqi.The only empty seat remaining was beside Shen Ji Yun.So, he sat there.


    He nced sideways at Shen Ji Yun.There was still no expression on his overly handsome face.But Luo Yan could tell that there were probably a lot of stupid thoughts swirling in his mind right now.He shook his head.What if those thoughts affected Yu Jiao?Of course, he couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    So, he leaned towards Shen Ji Yun and whispered on his ear, "Brother Ji Yun, please be good to Jiao Jiao, okay?"


    Shen Ji Yun only felt Luo Yan¡¯s soft breath blowing on his ear.And his mind immediately went nk.

 Chapter 264 THE TWO WHISPERING AT THE CORNER

    BECAUSE they were close to each other, Luo Yan saw the moment Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ear tip turned red.Even his nape was as red as ripe tomato.But nothing could be seen on his face.If Luo Yan didn¡¯t see how his ear tips and nape turned red, he might really think that everything was just normal.


    He was a bit stumped on why Shen Ji Yun suddenly had this reaction.Then he remembered his action just now.Was it because he blew on his ear?An uncontroble smile appeared on Luo Yan¡¯s lips.How could this person be so cute all the while looking like a big iceberg?The urge to bully and tease him came up once again.Then he realized his smile was a bit too big which made him look a bit idiotic.He raised his hand and cover his mouth until his expression was back to normal.


    Then he nced at Shen Ji Yun again.The blush on his ear tips and nape hadn¡¯t receded yet.Howe this guy was so innocent when it came to skin ship?Would he react the same way if it was someone else who blew on his ear just now?He immediately rejected the idea.He had seen how Shen Ji Yun act around people he¡¯s not familiar with.He basically treated them as air.Unless they provoked him, he would not pay attention to them.But Luo Yan was different.Well, at least to Shen Ji Yun, he was.


    The reason why he could be affected by such a simple thing was because he liked Luo Yan.Not as a friend but as something more.At that thought, his heart couldn¡¯t help but swell with pride.How could he not?Such a person actually fell for him.No one would dislike that.Shen Ji Yun might appear cold and expressionless on the outside, but really, he¡¯s just an awkward guy.An awkward and adorable guy.


    Truthfully speaking, he was really tempted to just tell him that they could try dating first.And if it didn¡¯t work, they could go on their separate ways.But how could he say such an irresponsible remark?The other person was treating him sincerely.The least he could do was to do the same.He couldn¡¯t just jump into it just because he felt tempted once or twice.


    He shook his head.Why was he thinking about this thing anyway?This was hardly the time to do that.He should me Shen Ji Yun for being too cute for his own good.So, Luo Yan immediately returned to the topic at hand.


    "Jiao Jiao is a good girl.You can see that for yourself once you interact with her more.So, I hope that Brother Ji Yun won¡¯t be too cold on her," he said in a voice that only the two of them could hear.


    Shen Ji Yun finally calmed down and his mind was much clearer now.He was about to just blindly agree when he remembered what Bai Ze said earlier about Luo Yan engaging in early love.That reminder made his brain even more awake.


    "You- you¡¯re not engaging with early love with her, are you?" he asked in the same volume where only the two of them could hear.


    Luo Yan was dumbfounded by this question.He Shen Ji Yun was just joking.But when he stared at his face, he saw that he was indeed serious when he asked that.He even looked like he was sulking!Luo Yan suddenly didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh or cry.Because that statement just now further proved that this guy was really eating Yu Jiao¡¯s vinegar.


    "No, I truly just treat her as a friend," he said, making sure to make it clear so that this guy wouldn¡¯t have any misunderstanding."Besides, I¡¯m still too young for that.I¡¯m on my third year of high school.I have to worry about college entrance examination and stuff.I don¡¯t have time for things like that."


    This way, Shen Ji Yun would no longer be a big vinegar tank.Thinking that he would engage in early love.


    But little did he know that what he said had another effect on Shen Ji Yun.That¡¯s right.Shen Ji Yun had almost forgotten that Luo Yan was on his third year of high school.This was a crucial time for a student like him.Next year would be the college entrance examination.Something that could decide the future of many people.And yet, here he was, his thoughts filled of how to chase Luo Yan.He didn¡¯t know he could be this inconsiderate.


    But there¡¯s no way that he could just stop his own feelings.The only thing he could do was to not burden him with it.So, he made a decision right there and then.That he would at least not confess until Luo Yan was admitted to university.But that didn¡¯t mean that he would stop interacting with him altogether.He would probably suffer depression if he did something like that.


    So, for the next couple of months until the college entrance examination, he should do his best to give a good impression on Luo Yan.He would just try not to be too obvious in his pursuit.Just like boiling a frog in warm water.He would thoroughly cook him until the right time came.And then, he would eat him to his heart¡¯s content.


    He stopped and his face flushed.What kind of analogy was that?When did he became so perverted?


    Luo Yan saw that Shen Ji Yun was blushing again.He raised his eyebrow.What was going through this guy¡¯s head again?


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat, trying to dispense his thoughts just now."Then is it alright for you to spend so much time in the game?" he asked in regards of Luo Yan being a third year.


    "It¡¯s alright.I have my own measure," Luo Yan said."But Brother Ji Yun, you still haven¡¯t given me a reply regarding what I said about Jiao Jiao earlier."


    Shen Ji Yun nced at the girl who was now donning a male avatar.Since he heard Luo Yan said that she was only a friend to him, his resistance against her was no longer that strong."I¡¯ll try to be polite to her."


    Luo Yan smiled and was about to say her thanks when Luo Jin¡¯s voice interrupted him.


    "What are the two of you whispering over there?"

 Chapter 265 HOW THEIR NIGHT ENDED

    "NOTHING.I¡¯m just asking Brother Ji Yun about some game rted stuff," Luo Yan answered, smiling at Luo Jin.


    His brother answered in such a normal manner that even if Luo Jin wanted to be suspicious, he couldn¡¯t really find any fault in it.So, at the end, he could only let it go.But he still didn¡¯t forget to re at Shen Ji Yun.Of course, the other just ignored him.


    "But really, knowing that Vulcan is actually a girl is really such a big surprise," Bai Zemented.He turned to Yu Jiao who was sitting beside him."Why did you pick a male avatar?Do you also look like this in real life?Or did you do some customization, like beautifying yourself?"


    "I- I¡¯m¡ª"


    Then Bai Ze suddenly felt something hitting his forehead.It was not that painful but it definitely startled him.When he saw a pine nut falling down, he knew that it was the thing that hit him.He raised his head and saw Su Yuqi who was sitting opposite him giving him ¡¯the look¡¯ and he immediately knew that this girl was the one who threw the pine nut.


    "Su Yuqi!What¡¯s your problem?" he shouted, annoyed.


    "I just find you irritating to the eyes," Su Yuqi said indifferently.Then she looked at Yu Jiao, her eyes a bit warmer."Don¡¯t mind his questions.He just couldn¡¯t help but be stupid at times."


    Bai Ze was still annoyed.But when he heard what Su Yuqi said, he also realized that his questions were a bit too rude.So, the annoyance he felt quickly reduced to half.He turned to Yu Jiao again but not before making face at Su Yuqi.In which the other only rolled her eyes.


    "Sorry, it¡¯s my fault just now.I didn¡¯t mean to be rude," he said sincerely.


    "N-no, I¡ª" Yu Jiao stopped.In just these few minutes of getting along, she already felt that these old members of team Yunyue were really not bad.Just like what Luo Yan said to her.They didn¡¯t have any arrogant air around them.They were treating her like normal.As if she was already part of their circle.So, the least she could do was to stop being so nervous and treat them as sincerely as she could.


    She took a deep breath before continuing, "It¡¯s okay.I¡¯m not offended or anything.I chose a male avatar because it¡¯s more convenient.I- I¡¯m too timid.If I chose a female avatar, I might not be able to sell the things I crafted.All I could do was to hide behind a male avatar.It-" she looked down."It gives me a little bit of confidence."


    Bai Ze was silent for a moment.He didn¡¯t expect that this was the true nature of the famous cksmith of Arcadia ¨C timid andcking confidence.For a while, he didn¡¯t know how to react.


    "If it¡¯s something that makes youfortable, then it¡¯s fine.There¡¯s no need to be ashamed.It¡¯s not as if you¡¯re hurting others by doing this," Su Yuqi said in a tone as if it¡¯s not a big deal that Yu Jiao was impersonating the opposite s.e.x.


    With what Su Yuqi said, Bai Ze finally recovered from the little awkwardness he felt earlier."That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.What¡¯s wrong with using a male avatar?It¡¯s better than those men using a female avatar and deceiving other male yers.The pink-haired loli monster over there is indeed right."


    Another pine nut came flying but this time Bai Ze was ready and he quickly dodged it.He was about to smirk at Su Yuqi but he suddenly felt another pine nut hitting his forehead.


    "Su Yuqi!"


    The other only looked at him as if he¡¯s an ant."Call me a ¡¯loli¡¯ one more time and the next thing I¡¯ll throw at you will be this chair I¡¯m sitting at."


    "Huh, do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?You pink-haired lo¡ª"


    Before he could even finish what he was saying, his mouth was suddenly stuffed with a piece of sweet Osmanthus cake.He looked incredulously at the culprit ¨C Luo Jin.


    "Brother Ze should think more of his safety before saying anything," Luo Jin said seriously.


    Bai Ze felt like a vein on his forehead jumped because of what this little cousin said.He bit the Osmanthus cake violently."Are you saying that Su Yuqi is stronger than me?"


    Luo Jin shrugged but his meaning was already pretty obvious.


    Su Yuqi looked smugly at Bai Ze."Luo Jin has a pretty good vision."


    "You¡ª!"


    "P-please, don¡¯t fight," Yu Jiao said, trying to mediate.The quarrel between the two started with her.She couldn¡¯t just sit back here and watch them fight, right?


    "Don¡¯t mind them," Shen Ji Yun said.Although his face was still expressionless, his attitude was already a lot betterpared to earlier.


    Luo Yan was happy seeing all these.He was actually a bit worried that Yu Jiao wouldn¡¯t be able to get along with the other member of his team.But seeing her easily falling into the rhythm of his team mates, he finally felt relieved.


    "Brother Ji Yun is right," he said when he saw that Yu Jiao was still trying to stop the bickering of his cousin and Su Yuqi."Brother Ze and Sister Yuqi might fight a lot.But the truth is the two of them get along the most."


    The two who where mentioned immediately stopped bickering when they heard this.Both looked at Luo Yan as if he¡¯s an alien.


    "Xiao Yan, are you sure your eyes are not going bad?In which way did you see me getting along with Su Yuqi?" Bai Ze asked with a worried look on his face as if he was really worried that his cousin was going blind.


    Su Yuqi snorted."In terms of getting along, I¡¯d say I get along more with Luo Jin."


    Luo Jin who heard this felt an indescribable happiness in his heart.But before he could even bask in it, his face was filled with ck lines because of what Bai Ze said next.


    "Yes, you two are perfect for each other.One is a loli and the other is a shota."


    The next moment, it was not only Su Yuqi who was throwing things at Bai Ze, Luo Jin also joined the fray.


    Yu Jiao, who was caught at the middle, still tried to mediate.Luo Yan just outrightughed.Even Shen Ji Yun showed a small smile.


    And this was how the night of the opening ended for team Yunyue and the number one cksmith in Arcadia.

 Chapter 266 SHEN YI MUS UNWAVERING SUPPORT

    THE next day, almost all the post on the game forum of Arcadia was about the opening of Yuexing Pavilion.The title of the posts varied.From talking about the guests who attended to the architectural design of the pavilion.But one thing was inmon, they were all very impressed with the newly opened pavilion.


    Not only that, this topic even entered the hot search list of Weibo briefly.Most of the post on Weibo were as follows;


    [Although I only watched the live broadcast so I could see the top yers (especially my goddess Liuli!), but the longer I watched the performances on the stage, the more my attention was focused on the NPCs performing.At the end, I didn¡¯t even care much about the top yers.]


    [The performances were so beautiful, I didn¡¯t even mind that I barely saw the other top yers!]


    [The design of the Yuexing Pavilion was very well made.It could be shown that a lot of thought was put in designing it.With theke at the front and the moon hanging above, it¡¯s just perfect.]


    [All the NPCs of Yuexing Pavilion were all so beautiful.From the boatmen to the little waiters.Not to mention, those courtesans.Ah.It makes me feel so ugly.But I still want to go and visit!]


    [Was no one going to mention the beautiful elf sister?Even though half of her face was covered, I feel that she was still the most beautiful one.]


    [I was actually hoping to see the elf sister dance again.But hearing her sing, it¡¯s like angels descended from heaven.]


    [Our elf sister is of course very talented.]


    [I¡¯m living for the elf sister.If she could just nce my way, my heart would probably not be able to take it.]


    [I¡¯m a little worried about the membership that NPC talked about at the end.Does this mean that if we don¡¯t avail that membership, we couldn¡¯t go and visit the pavilion?]


    [Upstairs, I think it¡¯s only right to do that.If they don¡¯t implement something like that, then the pavilion would definitely be flooded with yers.No matter how big the pavilion is, I don¡¯t think it could amodate even a third of the people ying Arcadia.]


    [Upstairs actually made sense.Just thinking of that many people inside one building was already making me unwilling to go there.So, it¡¯s good to use that kind of strategy.I¡¯m just worried if it would cost too much.]


    [I don¡¯t care about the cost, if I could go there and rx once or twice a week, I¡¯d be willing to pay it.]


    If there were positivements, of course, there would be negative ones.


    [Hmp!What beautiful performances?Are you all blind?I bet the reason why the live broadcast barely showed the yers who attended was because all of them were bored to death.]


    [Time and time again, Moonlight Media finds a way to extort money from the yers ying their game.They could just let the yers visit their newly built establishment for free.But no, they had to use a stupid rule like ¡¯membership¡¯.If this is not extorting money, I don¡¯t know what is.]


    [Really?A pavilion with courtesans?Did Moonlight Media¡¯s moral already descend so low that they would allow such an establishment to exist?What¡¯s next, would they let NPCs do shameless acts with yers?There are minors ying this game!Are they nning to corrupt the young generation of this country?This game should be banned!]


    Of course, a lot of other Weibo users immediately refuted these types ofments.


    [What bored?I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s blind.There are so many of us who thinks that the performances were wonderful.So, are you saying that we all turn blind?]


    [That¡¯s right!And I don¡¯t think the top yers were bored at all.I saw a glimpse of Bian Que.He definitely looked like he¡¯s enjoying the performances!]


    [Although it??s true that some of the items in the game are expensive as hell.But Moonlight Media also allows yers to earn crystal coins in the game.If you¡¯re dedicated enough, you don¡¯t have to buy crystal coins and still be able to be one of those said top yers.Isn¡¯t the current number one on the Assassin leaderboard a good example of that?]


    [Moonlight Media has the right to demand money.After all, they made such a breakthrough in the gaming industry.Even until now, those VR games made by other country couldn¡¯t hold a candle against Arcadia.In terms of design ¨C from NPCs to the monsters and to the many ces in the game ¨C and gaming experience, Arcadia is still the best.]


    [Why are you dragging Moonlight Media down?Banning them?On what grounds?Because of some R-18 stuff that kids might experience?Let me remind you that children under 10 are not allowed to y the game.And those minors could only y using the cradle version of the VR helmet.They couldn¡¯t even see a drop of blood.Is this protection not enough?]


    [Arcadia is almost integrated in our pop culture.Saying that they should be banned is a bit of a recklessment.]


    With that, these negativements were immediately drowned by the other more positive ones.It could be seen from here that the opening night of Yuexing Pavilion was truly sessful.


    Shen Yi Mu raised one of his brows when he read thesements in Weibo.He wasn¡¯t the type to read about these things because hispany had a team that was in charged with PR.He left everything rted to social medias and things like that to his very reliable PR team.But this time was a bit different.


    His nephew asked him if he could help his new team mate with promoting the pavilion he was about to open.That a single post on Weibo would be enough.You should know that Ji Yun barely asked him of anything ever since he became his legal guardian.So, of course, he didn¡¯t even think about it and just readily agreed.


    Then he heard that he asked Zhao Cheng ¨C the head programmer of Arcadia ¨C if he could let his team mate buy a piece ofnd on the recreational garden in Goldcrest City.The same team mate that would open his own pavilion.Add that to the fact that before that, Ji Yun asked him how would someone be able to tell if they were in love and he couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious.


    He had a hunch that his nephew finally opened up and was now in love with this team mate.After all, he had never been so thorough in taking care of others.Even his closest friend, the boy from the Bai family, didn¡¯t receive such a treatment.


    And then Shen Yi Mu learned that this team mate was actually Bai Ze¡¯s little cousin and a boy at that.Thinking of the possibility that his nephew could possibly have the same s.e.x.u.a.l orientation as him.He suddenly had a headache.


    If that was really the case, of course, he wouldn¡¯t reprimand Ji Yun and tell him that what he was feeling was wrong.Loving someone was one of the greatest feeling that one could experience in their life.Why would he deprive his nephew of that?Just because their society dictates that love between the same gender was wrong and immoral?


    No, their kind of love was only viewed wrong because of the constraint of society.In the eyes of people, the norm was a man and a woman should be a pair and nothing else.But who made that kind ofw?Was it a crime to not follow it?No.Just as normal love should be respected, their kind of love should also earn an equal amount of respect.But he knew that it would take a lot of time before that could happen in this country.Especially since there were still a lot of people like his father in the older generation.As long as they¡¯re here, eptance of same s.e.x love would be hard to attain.


    But even so, he wouldn¡¯t stop Ji Yun from what he was feeling.He would let him figure out things on his own.And if by the end, he decided that this was the path that he would take, then he would give him his support.He wouldn¡¯t let him feel that he was alone in this.And most importantly, he wouldn¡¯t let him feel that there was something wrong with him.That loving someone of the same gender was never an abnormality.It just so happened that he fell in love with a man rather than a girl.And something like that would never ever be wrong.


    Shen Yi Mu closed his Weibo app on the phone and what appeared on the wallpaper was a picture of a man soft ck hair being blown gently blown by the wind.His pair of apricot eyes were bent into crescents, full of love and dependence.As if the person in front of him was his whole world.


    Shen Yi Mu gently touched the screen, as if he could touch the person inside.[Ah Yue...]

 Chapter 267 A STORY FOR LATER

    SHEN YI MU wiped the mncholic feelings he felt and proceeded on looking on the papers on his desk.It was Sunday but he was in his office working.It¡¯s not something that¡¯s out of the ordinary.There¡¯s a lot of things he needed to take care of in thepany.So, sometimes he went here even if it¡¯s the weekends.It¡¯s not like the popr belief that a CEO like him just sat back in their big vi and let his subordinates do all the work.If he wanted his gamingpany to be more sessful, then he had to put in equal amount of effort.


    Some timeter, he heard a knock on the door.He told whoever it was to enter and Zhao Cheng walked inside.The other was tall and well-built.His ck hair looked stiff as if he hadn¡¯t washed it for a few days now.His clothes were also crumpled, as if he didn¡¯t even bother ironing them.There were obvious stubbles on his face.The whole person looked messy.If someone met him on the street, they would think that he¡¯s some jobless idler instead of the head of a well-known gamingpany¡¯s programming department.


    "Ah Cheng, I told you to at least dressed yourself properly while you¡¯re in thepany.Aren¡¯t you embarrassed walking around looking like that?"


    "Not really," Zhao Cheng shrugged, plopping himself on the couch inside the wide office.


    Shen Yi Mu could only shake his head.This guy hadn¡¯t always been this sloppy.This habit only startedst year when Zhao Cheng and his lover separated.After that, this guy seemed to not care anymore about how he looked.If not for his work here, he might just burrow himself in his condo unit.


    "If Ah Xing sees you like this, he might have a heart attack."


    Zhao Cheng¡¯s eyes shed a bit and then he snorted."That guy won¡¯t see me like this since he won¡¯t being back.He already chose that Du bastard.He probably wouldn¡¯t even care if I die in a ditch somewhere."


    That¡¯s right.Zhao Cheng¡¯s lover was a man.He had been with Zhao Cheng since the other was just a fresh graduate, starting at thepany.That would be almost a decade now.Shen Yi Mu also became friends with him.He truly believed that what happened between the two was just pure misunderstanding.But that misunderstanding alreadysted for a year.He doubted if it could be easily fixed now.


    He hoped that the two wouldn¡¯t end up like him and Jiang Yue.But both were stubborn as a mule.The two never really had a big fight before this.There were small quarrels but never this big.That¡¯s why when it happened, both sides didn¡¯t want to give in.Thus, resulting to the current situation.


    "Hey, don¡¯t talk like that.I already told you that it must be a misunderstanding.If you only try talking to Ah Xing, I¡¯m sure everything would be cleared up.You do know where he is, right?"


    "I won¡¯t go," Zhao Cheng stubbornly said."It¡¯s always me who gives in.Every single time, I¡¯m always the one who came running after him.No matter if it was my fault or not.If everything was really just a misunderstanding, why couldn¡¯t he just exin himself to me?Why is it that it¡¯s still me who have to run after him just to hear his exnation?So, Boss shouldn¡¯t persuade me anymore.Because I won¡¯t go."


    Shen Yi Mu sighed.He knew there¡¯s no use persuading the other so he just stopped."Do you have anything to report to me?" he just asked to change the subject.


    "Ah, that¡¯s right.Have you seen thements on Weibo?It seems that young master¡¯s team mate still has some skill," Zhao Cheng said, bing more energetic."It¡¯s that Noctis, right?The one who got one of the special races we added?"


    "It¡¯s him."


    Shen Yi Mu remembered that he was the one who mentioned Noctis to his nephew, asking him to check on one of the yers who got one of the special races they added to the game.Could Ji Yun¡¯s fascination start as early as then?


    "That kid is pretty gutsy.Launching the pavilion under Moonlight Media¡¯s name.Did you know that he even pretended to be one of the pavilion¡¯s NPCs just so he could attract more yers?"


    Shen Yi Mu showed interest when he heard thest bit."How do you know?"


    "Haven¡¯t you seen the advertis.e.m.e.nt he made?That ck-haired elf was him."Zhao Cheng knew that the pavilion was rewarded to a yer named Noctis.That kid¡¯s game avatar was pretty unforgettable.So, when he saw the advertis.e.m.e.nt, he immediately recognized him."I also watched some parts of the live broadcast.He was there, facilitating everything."


    Shen Yi Mu¡¯s interest on this kid that his nephew was probably in love with increased when he heard that.He hadn¡¯t really watched the live broadcast.Now, he was kind of regretful that he didn¡¯t."Is it satisfactory, what he did to the pavilion?"


    The pavilion had a special meaning to the both of them.They designed it together and named it after the two most important people in their life.It had always been one of the rewards given by the King of Arcadia every year during his birthday.But no one had ever managed to get it.Until the recent birthday event, that is.


    That was probably the reason why Zhao Cheng agreed on Ji Yun¡¯s request to let his team mate buy a piece ofnd on the recreational garden in Goldcrest City.Not only just to give Ji Yun face, but more so because he wanted the pavilion to be seen by everyone.


    A nostalgic glint shed on Zhao Cheng¡¯s eyes before he answered Shen Yi Mu¡¯s question."Yes, it¡¯s very satisfactory."


    Shen Yi Mu nced outside the floor to ceiling window."I see.That¡¯s good then."


    The two fell into deep thought.Both were thinking of the person dearest to them.But little did they know that the people upying their minds were now working at the same ce.Of course, that¡¯s still a story forter.

 Chapter 268 MEMBERSHIP CARDS

    LUO YAN smiled with satisfaction after reading some of the posts on Arcadia¡¯s game forum and some of thements on Weibo.Although there were some negativements, they were almost negligible amidst all the positive ones.With this, he could truly tell that the opening night of his pavilion was sessful.


    He wasn¡¯t worried that people wouldn¡¯t avail the membership card.Based on the posts andments he read, he¡¯s confident that people would buy it.Most people had herd mentality.If they saw many people getting the card, they would also line up to have one so that they could join the bandwagon.Besides, the price he set for each membership cards was pretty reasonable.It¡¯s just right for the privilege they would get if they avail one of the membership cards.


    Just as he nned before, he divided the membership cards into four ¨C Bronze, Silver, Gold, and ck.Bronze having the lowest privilege and ck having the highest.


    Bronze membership card would cost 1000 crystal coins.Those who had this could visit the pavilion thrice a week.On which day they visit would depend on them.Their food and drinks would be free.But they could only sit on the first floor and they weren¡¯t allowed to any of the private boxes on the above floors.And if they wanted to buy the specialty wine of the pavilion, they needed to pay additional crystal coins.


    The same could almost be said for the Silver membership card. Only that yers would have to pay 5000 crystal coins to avail it. They were eligible for the balcony seats on the second floor. Those were different from the private box. But it still had more privacy inparison to the open seats on the first floor. Their food and drinks were also free of charge. They also had to pay for additional charges if they want to buy the specialty wine. But unlike the Bronze membership card, they could visit the pavilion five times per week.


    Luo Yan had to put a limit to the days yers who availed those two cards could visit the pavilion.If he didn¡¯t do that, his employees might not be able to control the traffic inside the pavilion.He didn¡¯t want the pavilion to turn into some kind of loud market ce.It would definitely lose the noble atmosphere of the ce.


    Of course, he already thought of the possibility that there might be some yers who would think of cheating.Like visiting the pavilion more than the days they were allowed to.When he finalized the idea of the membership card, he asked Shen Ji Yun how he would implement it.And the other said that he could just leave that to him.He realized once again then how convenient it was to be friends with the nephew of the CEO of Moonlight Media.


    Shen Ji Yun told him that once the membership card takes effect, the game system would automatically not allow yers to visit the pavilion more than the days they were allowed to.The same could be said to those yers who didn¡¯t have a membership card.So, Luo Yan didn¡¯t have to worry about that.


    Gold membership card was considered as a VIP membership. So, of course, it would cost more. 12,000 crystal coins to be exact. They would be seated on the private box on the second and third floor. Their food and drinks were also free of charge. They could also ask a courtesan to entertain them privately. But they had to pay an additional charge for that. There¡¯s also no limit to the days they could go to the pavilion.


    ck membership card would be even more pricey. Because it¡¯s the VVIP membership. 25,000 crystal coins was needed to buy it. Food and drinks were naturally free of charge, that included the specialty wine. They could also ask one courtesan of their choice to entertain them for a night. They don¡¯t have to pay for that. But if they added two or more courtesans, then they had to pay. They would also have ess to the fourth floor which not only have bigger private boxes but through it, they could also enter a small gambling den. Of course, because of the sensitivity of that, only those 21 and above were allowed to do any gambling.


    He asked Shen Ji Yun if that part about the gambling would be okay.And he said yes.Telling him that thepany had been thinking of building something simr to that but hadn¡¯t gotten really around it due to some issues.Thus, his pavilion¡¯s gambling den could serve as a prototype.


    These four membership cards needed to be renewed.The Bronze card should be renewed once a month, the Silver one every three months, the Gold card every six months, and the ck card, once a year.


    Luo Yan nned to drop offter when he logged into the game to see the situation at the pavilion.After all, today the membership would be avable to all the yers of Arcadia.Not only that, after lunch, he and Shen Ji Yun would meet to check on that dragon in his Origin Vige.Later in the evening, he had to meet with Bian Que to talk about his business proposal.


    It seemed that this day would be quite busy again.


    But even though that¡¯s the case, he was still quite happy.Besides, he was already done with all his assignments.So, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems.With that, he walked out of his room with spring in his footsteps.


    He met his older brother on the way.


    "It seems like Yan Yan is in a good mood today," Luo Renmented when he saw the big smile on his younger brother¡¯s face.


    Luo Yan walked up to his brother and hooked his arm with his."Of course, it¡¯s because my business venture is already on the road to sess."


    Luo Ren was amused by him and tap on his nose."Good job, little boss."


    Luo Yan¡¯s smile just brightened even more when he heard that.

 Chapter 269 WHAT YOU DONT KNOW WONT HURT YOU

    "OH, what¡¯s this I hear about a ¡¯little boss¡¯?" said a voiceing down from the stairs.


    Luo Yan raised his head and saw his father walking down the stairs.He immediately walked to him."Good morning, Dad!"


    "Good morning," Luo Wei Tian greeted back."So, what¡¯s this about being a little boss?"


    "Yan Yan is now the owner of a pavilion in the game he and Xiao Jin are ying," Luo Ren exined.


    Luo Wei Tian raised one of his brows when he heard that."Oh?You can own something like that in that game?"


    "Yes.Not only that, I could also earn from it," Luo Yan answered."So, Dad, please don¡¯t be surprised if money started flowing into my ount in theing days."


    "That game is still able to do that?"


    Luo Wei Tian was actually a bit surprised when he heard what Luo Yan said.He¡¯s not really well-versed when it came to video games and things like that.He grew up from a poor household.He never really had the privilege.All his time back then was devoted to his studies and part-time jobs.But even then, he knew that a yer earning big enough money that it had to be transferred to that yer¡¯s bank ount was actually very umon.


    "It¡¯s very surprising, right?" Luo Renmented."The president of this gamingpany is quite the innovative one."


    Because of his talk with his brothers yesterday morning, his interest was piqued by this game.He never really thought much about it when he first heard that both his brothers wanted to y it.They were both teenagers, so it¡¯s only natural to want to y the current trending game.But when he found out that people ying this game could actually earn genuine money from it, it changed his perception a bit.


    "True!His gamingpany is the first one who managed to sessfully transition from PC to VR.Not only that, they¡¯re the current leader when ites to VR technology," Luo Yan gushed like a certified fanboy."Brother, he¡¯s there during your graduation as one of the guest speakers."


    Luo Ren actually already forgot about that.If Luo Yan didn¡¯t mention it just now, he would probably never remember it.He actually didn¡¯t listen that much during the speech of the guest speakers.He just wanted it to be over and go home with his brothers.But if he remembered correctly, it was after that time that Luo Yan asked if he could y this Arcadia game.Then, could it be, his brother became interested in that game because of the speech he heard?


    "Does Xiao Yan admire this president?" Luo Wei Tian asked because the admiration in his son¡¯s face was pretty obvious.


    Luo Yan nodded."I want to be a good programmer just like him."


    The admiration he¡¯s feeling was very real.After all, in his former life, he did dream of working in the very samepany.


    Luo Wei Tian didn¡¯t expect that his second son already had a n for his future.He thought that he would also enter their family¡¯spany and then together with Luo Ren, make it even bigger in the future.But this was fine too.Whatever Luo Yan decided to do in his life, he, as a father, would be there to support him.


    "So, Yan Yan already decided on the course you would take once you enter university?" Luo Ren asked.


    "Yes, I n to take aputer science major," Luo Yan honestly answered.


    Luo Ren remembered that when they visited T University, that was the first department Luo Yan requested to go to.This probably meant that he truly interested in this course.Not that Luo Ren mind.It¡¯s actually good that his brother was already thinking about his future.With the kind of situation he was in, he thought that it would take time before he decided on a path he wanted to walk on.But it didn¡¯t.Which was just right since the college entrance examination was only months away.He should probably thank the president of Moonlight Media for inspiring Luo Yan.


    "Then, if that¡¯s the case, does Xiao Yan want Dad to build apany for you after you graduate university?"


    Luo Yan was a little bit stupefied when he heard that.Was this one of the perks of being born rich?Your parents could just build apany for you?He shook his head very vigorously to show his refusal.If he was a tad bitzy, he would probably agree.But what¡¯s the point of a ready-madepany if he didn¡¯t even lift a finger for it to be build?He wouldn¡¯t even feel a bit of satisfaction from that.


    Besides, wouldn¡¯t that just be him taking advantage of his father¡¯s love for him?Although he did n at first when he realized that he was reborn in a rich family that he would just be a salted fish and enjoyed his newfound wealth, but that was before he truly epted being part of this family.How could he take advantage of his family like that?He was shameless but not on that level of shameless.If he did have a gamingpany in the future, he¡¯d rather build it from the ground up with his own hard-work.


    "Dad, you shouldn¡¯t spoil me so much like that," he scolded, putting both his hands on his waist."If you build me apany, I won¡¯t ept it.That would be unfair to all the hardworking fresh graduates out there."


    Luo Wei Tian was left speechless for a moment.Then he just outrightughed.He wasn¡¯t disappointed by his second son¡¯s answer.In fact, he was extremely satisfied.He just didn¡¯t expect Luo Yan to scold him.And in such an adorable way too.


    "Okay, Dad won¡¯t do that."


    Luo Ren, who was also grinning widely, ruffled his brother¡¯s hair."Aren¡¯t you the righteous one?"


    Luo Yan covered his head and avoided Luo Ren¡¯s hand."Brother, don¡¯t mess with my hair."


    "Sorry, sorry, Yan Yan is just too adorable."


    Luo Yan pouted and then turned to his father."Dad, doesn¡¯t have work today?" he asked, changing the subject.


    "Yes, I¡¯m all free today.Why don¡¯t Dad and Xiao Yan go somewhere for a date?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    "Dad, why are you hogging Yan Yan all to yourself?If you n to go somewhere, then you should also bring me and Xiao Jin," Luo Ren said before Luo Yan could answer.


    "Why should I bring the two of you for?It will no longer be a date if I do that," Luo Wei Tian said very unfatherly.


    "Dad shouldn¡¯t be too selfish," Luo Ren said before turning to Luo Yan."You think so too, right, Yan Yan?"


    "No, Xiao Yan definitely doesn¡¯t think that," Luo Wei Tian argued before also turning to Luo Yan."Isn¡¯t it, Xiao Yan?"


    When the two turned, they saw Luo Yan with a tangled expression on his face.


    "What¡¯s wrong?Can¡¯t you decide which between me and Dad was right?"


    Luo Yan shook his head.He was about to say that he had to enter the game after lunch because he had an appointment with Shen Ji Yun when he remembered something.During their visit in B Cityst week, Luo Ren pretty much disliked Shen Ji Yun.Although he was not outright antagonistic towards the other like Luo Jin, there were still barbs in his words when he was speaking to Shen Ji Yun.


    That was not the case at first.Luo Ren was still being polite and then suddenly,ter on, if one was sensitive enough, they could certainly feel the dislike in his tone whenever he talked to Shen Ji Yun.Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure what changed exactly.Maybe his older brother also felt what Luo Jin felt unconsciously when interacting with Shen Ji Yun.


    Didn¡¯t his younger brother always warn him that Shen Ji Yun had an ulterior motive whenever the other interacted with him?Well, now that he knew the other¡¯s feelings for him, Luo Jin actually had a basis for feeling that way.Luo Ren probably felt the same.A brother¡¯s instinct was truly terrifying.


    If he said now that he was meeting alone with Shen Ji Yun, even if it was only inside the game, then his older brother might just really bring him out of the house for a date.So, now, the only thing he could do was lie and use his ever-reliable acting skills.


    "I- I still have a lot of assignments that I haven¡¯t finished yet," he said squirming, as if worried that his father and brother might get mad at him for not agreeing."Sorry, Dad, Brother, I- I can¡¯t go out today."He raised his head and looked at the two earnestly."But next time that Dad and Brother are free, let¡¯s all go, the four of us, somewhere, okay?"


    How could the two bear to make Luo Yan anxious?So, without suspecting anything, both just happily agreed.


    As the saying went; ¡¯What you don¡¯t know won¡¯t hurt you¡¯, right?

 Chapter 270 HIS EXCLUSIVE WINGMAN

    JUST as he nned, Luo Yan logged into the game after lunch.He appeared in his office at the pavilion.This was where he logged outst night because he nned to check how the first day of availing of membership cards was going.


    He was actually a few minuteste than he anticipated.It was because when Luo Jin heard that he was nning to finish his assignments for the rest of the day, he also wanted to do his assignment with him.Of course, he had to decline.He won¡¯t be doing that, after all.So, he had to squeeze a few tears here and there just so his younger brother wouldn¡¯t be suspicious.


    If that one found out that he would be meeting up with Shen Ji Yun, he would definitely make a fuss.Then their older brother would hear about it.Knowing Luo Ren, he wouldn¡¯t get mad after knowing that he lied.He would probably just me everything on Shen Ji Yun.Then if even their father joined in, it would definitely be more of a mess.Just like Luo Ren, the one their father would me was definitely Shen Ji Yun.


    So, to avoid that, it¡¯s better if Luo Jin didn¡¯t find out.Maybe he should ask Su Yuqi to go do task with his younger brother more often.Luo Jin would surely have no time to care about him if that happened.


    Luo Yan shook his head.He still wasn¡¯t sure what his feelings for Shen Ji Yun was.And yet they were already sneaking around like two thieves.What more so if the two of them really did start dating?No, wait.Why was he thinking as if that was already something set in stone?He shook his head more vigorously.This kind of mindset would just affect his decision in the long run.


    His train of thought was cut-off when Eclipse suddenly appeared in front of him, jumping effortlessly on his shoulder.


    [Mashter, Eclipse missed you!Did you miss me?] ¨C the little fox asked while rubbing his cheek on Luo Yan¡¯s.


    Luo Yan chuckled.The mess in his brain just now quickly cleared up.His pet was truly one happy pill.[What are you saying?We just saw each otherst night.]


    [But Eclipse was just telling the truth.] ¨C Eclipse said as if pouting.


    Luo Yan ruffled his soft fur.[Yes, yes, it¡¯s your master that¡¯s wrong.]


    [Then Eclipse forgive you.]


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle again.[So, did you do the mission I left for you?]


    [Of course!Eclipse had been peeking from the ceiling of that side courtyard since this morning.]


    The side courtyard Eclipse mentioned was a ce on the northeastern part of the pavilion.It was a good distance away from the main building that yers didn¡¯t have to go through the pavilion just to get there.They could just directly go there, walking under rows of flower arches.Originally, it was supposed to be a private hall that was specifically reserved for the most VIP customer.But he decided to convert it to some kind of information center where yers could avail and renew the pavilion¡¯s membership cards.


    [Then, what¡¯s the situation inside, can you tell me?] ¨C he asked.


    [The ce has been brimming with people since early this morning.If not for Mashter¡¯s diligent employees, the ce would probably be in chaos by now.] ¨C Eclipse answered.[When I left just now, there were still quite a lot of people.]


    Luo Yan smiled triumphantly.It seemed like his prediction was correct.But even if Eclipse already reported to him the situation at the side courtyard, he still wanted to check it for himself.


    [Good job.] ¨C he said, giving Eclipse his favorite Mana fruit.


    Then he walked out of the office and climbed down the stairs to the first floor.


    [Mashter, are we meeting up with Captain?] ¨C Eclipse asked while nibbling on the Mana fruit.


    [Why are you talking about the captain again?Do you really prefer him over your master?] ¨C he asked teasingly.


    [Although Captain is very handsome, Eclipse is someone very loyal.Eclipse only considered Mashter as his only mashter.] ¨C the little fox said sticking out his little chest as if very proud of what he just said.[But that¡¯s not what I meant, Mashter.Eclipse was talking about your appointment with Captain.Don¡¯t tell Eclipse that you already forgot about it?]


    [Of course not.I¡¯m just surprise that Eclipse still remember it.]


    [Eclipse has a very good memory.Whenever Mashter and Captain made ns to go on a date, Eclipse will always remind Mashter just in case you forgot about it.That way, your rtionship will reach the next level faster.]


    Luo Yanughed dryly.Who exactly was going on a date with who?Seriously, if someone told him right now that his pet was programmed by Shen Ji Yun to be his exclusive wingman, Luo Yan might just believe them.


    When he reached the exit, he took out the Invisibility Cloak from his Items Tab and covered him and Eclipse with it before going out.This way, no one would see him going out of the main building and observing the things that was happening at the side courtyard.


    [Mashter, why are you covering us with a cloth?]


    [This is not an ordinary cloth.When you¡¯re covered with it, it could make us invisible.]


    [Does that mean that no one could see Eclipse and Mashter right now?]


    [That¡¯s right.]


    [Then we could go to restaurants and eat whatever we want without paying it as long as we¡¯re covered with this, right?] ¨C Eclipse asked excitedly.


    Luo Yanughed and flicked the little fox¡¯s forehead.[That¡¯s called stealing.And no, we won¡¯t do that.]


    Eclipse pouted, rubbing his flicked forehead with his little paw.[Eclipse was only joking.]


    Luo Yan just shook his head and walked towards the side courtyard.


    Just as what Eclipse reported earlier, the ce was still filled with people.There was no chaos.Everyone lined-up properly to get their membership cards.There were also NPCs walking around.Not just to regte the traffic inside but also to offer help to those yers who needed it.


    He nodded in satisfaction.His employees were indeedpetent.


    Then notification sound for having received a message sounded in his ears.Luo Yan opened it and unknowingly smiled when he saw who it was from.

 Chapter 271 A FALLING ACCIDENT

    YUN: [Yan Yan, where are you?I¡¯ll go to you, then we could both go to your Origin Vige.]


    After reading that, Luo Yan quickly sent a reply.


    Noctis: [No, it¡¯s okay.How about we just meet at that ce you took me before?That ind with a big white tree?]


    He was talking about the floating ind that Shen Ji Yun owned.When they went there, the other gave him a special teleportation scroll that would allow him to directly teleport there.If Luo Jin also happened to log into the game and saw them together at their team¡¯s headquarters, that younger brother of his would definitely make a fuss again.So, just in case, it¡¯s better to meet in a ce where only he and Shen Ji Yun could go.


    Realizing the meaning behind what he just thought, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but shook his head again.He was already unknowingly treating Luo Jin like some kind of third-wheel.No, it¡¯s not like he already made a decision regarding Shen Ji Yun.It¡¯s only because his younger brother was too antagonistic when it came to the other.


    It¡¯s like he¡¯s a cat whose tail was always being pinched whenever he saw Shen Ji Yun.So, Luo Yan was only doing this to prevent Luo Jin from getting in the way of him and Shen Ji Yun going to that dragon.After all, he already promised the other that he would show him the cave where the dragon was.


    Yes, that was definitely the only reason.


    YUN: [Okay, let¡¯s go and meet there.]


    After reading Shen Ji Yun¡¯s reply, Luo Yan closed his Status Window.


    [Mashter, are we going to meet Captain?] ¨C Eclipsed asked.


    [Yes, we¡¯re going to meet your favorite Captain.]


    Then Luo Yan took out the teleportation scroll and used it.The feeling of being pulled inside a vacuum immediately appeared.He automatically closed his eyes.Seriously, the game developers should really do something with this teleportation thing.They should make the transition from one ce to another much smoother.He bet yers with weak stomach would definitely feel faint whenever they used the teleportation scroll.


    When he opened his eyes, he was already on the floating ind as evidence of the huge tree with white leaves.Then standing under it was Shen Ji Yun.His long dark purple hair was swaying gently with the passing breeze.His amethyst beast-like eyes were staring faintly at a distance.With white leaves falling around him like snow, it was truly such a captivating scene.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but admit that Shen Ji Yun was really good-looking.He¡¯s probably there at the top among the most good-looking people he had seen.Both in his past life and in this one.Just look at that face and that body.If his willpower was just slightly weaker, he had probably already been seduced.No one would probably even me him if he did.


    But he needed to be more mature about this.After all, mentally speaking, he was much older than Shen Ji Yun.He was 22 in his past life when he died,bined that with the seven years he spent in aa, he was technically 29 now.Nine years older that Shen Ji Yun.So, he needed to be the one making the mature decision.Even though he often acted spoiled around his family, that didn¡¯t mean that he would also act like some hot-blooded youth when it came to things that could decide his future.


    If he chose Shen Ji Yun, then that meant that he was choosing him as his partner for a life time.So, it¡¯s only not him that should be sure.Shen Ji Yun should also have the same resolve as him.


    [Mashter, Captain is so handsome!] ¨C Eclipse praised unabashedly.


    Luo Yan started to walk towards the direction where Shen Jin Yun was standing.When they were a few steps away, the little fox suddenly jumped, trying to go to Shen Ji Yun.That¡¯s only when he noticed that the two of them were still covered by the Invisibility Cloak.Because he didn¡¯t really wear the cloak and just put it over his head so that it could cover him and Eclipse, the moment the little fox jumped, he brought over the cloak with him.He tried to stop Eclipse but it was already toote.


    Without the cloak, Luo Yan suddenly appeared in front of Shen Ji Yun which really shocked the other.But he didn¡¯t have time to react because he suddenly felt a force hitting his chest.As if some kind of ball was suddenly thrown into him.Because it was too unexpected, Shen Ji Yun immediately lost his bnce and was about to fall backward.


    Luo Yan who saw this knew that it was Eclipse¡¯s fault.He didn¡¯t think much and quickly grabbed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand.But he didn¡¯t expect that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold the weight of the other.Causing him to fall alongside Shen Ji Yun.He suddenly felt the other holding his waist and the back of his head.That¡¯s why when they fell on the ground, he didn¡¯t feel much because Shen Ji Yun shouldered the whole impact of the fall.


    He immediately raised his head and asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"


    That¡¯s when he noticed how close the two of them were right now.Their bodies were almost sticking together.Their faces were also only a few inches apart.Not only could Luo Yan feel Shen Ji Yun¡¯s strong arm around his waist, he could also feel his breath on his face.He could even hear the other¡¯s fast heartbeat.It¡¯s like the heartbeat of someone running a marathon.A sign that the other was very nervous right now.He didn¡¯t know why, but it also suddenly made him nervous.


    The two stared at each other¡¯s eyes.When he noticed that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s gaze moved down to his lips, his whole face suddenly heated up.He had no doubt that his whole face was burning red right now.


    "B-Brother Ji Yun, could you let me go?" he said in a shy voice that he almost didn¡¯t recognize.

 Chapter 272 THE POSSIBLE COMEBACK OF HIS TEENAGE HORMONES

    SHEN JI YUN didn¡¯t feel the impact of the fall.What he felt was the soft body on top of his.The waist his arm was hugging was so narrow that it seemed like he could envelop it with his two hands.His brain seemed to fizzle out.He couldn¡¯t think properly.He couldn¡¯t even think how Luo Yan suddenly appeared here without him noticing.Like aputer with an overheated central processing unit.


    All the brain cells remaining active in his brain could only think of the fact that he was holding a soft rabbit in his arms.Not only that, his heart also started to beat unsteadily.It¡¯s almost like the two werepeting on which one would give out first.


    "Are you alright?" said the soft rabbit.


    He looked down the same time that Luo Yan raised his head.Because their bodies were attached closely to each other without a space in between, the distance between their faces became only a few inches away.In this short distance, he could clearly see every part of Luo Yan¡¯s face.


    From the long eyshes that seemed like butterfly wings to the pair of blue eyes dusted with gold.The he gazed down at those luscious red lips.So many messy things suddenly entered his mind.A devil inside him kept whispering for him to close the miniscule distance between them and just take what he wanted.Plundering without care.The thin line of reason in his brain was this close to breaking.


    Until Luo Yan spoke in a tone that he never heard before.


    "B-Brother Ji Yun, could you let me go?"


    Luo Yan¡¯s voice was soft and hesitant, there¡¯s also a trace of shame in it.Not only that, his whole face was also flushed red.Shen Ji Yun felt that thin line of reason in his brain slowly snapping.But when he saw the slight resistance on Luo Yan¡¯s face, that reason immediately came back.


    He raised both hands, firmly removing the arm that was hugging the other¡¯s slender waist.Once he did that, Luo Yan quickly stood up and even moved a few steps back.Shen Ji Yun was at a lost seeing such a reaction.He also slowly stood up.He really couldn¡¯t me Luo Yan for reacting the way he did.His action just now was almost equivalent to s.e.x.u.a.l harassment.After all, he did stare at Luo Yan¡¯s lips a bit too long for anyone¡¯sfort.It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s telling him what he desired to do most at that moment.


    Seriously, what was wrong with him?He never lost this much control before.To the point that he was almost tempted to do something that he shouldn¡¯t.If this happened in reality, maybe a certain part of his body might have also reacted.He stopped after realizing the meaning behind what he thought just now.He almost punched himself.Did his brainpletely be muddled?


    It¡¯s like he suddenly became one of those hormone-crazed teenagers.He never felt something like this during his adolescent years.Where it was said that teenagers produced a great number of hormones.Making them emotionally unstable and prone to mood swings.Some even entered a rebellious phase.But Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t experience those.He was fairly stable, like an unmoving mountain.


    When most teenage boys his age either enjoyed getting into senseless fights or running after girls they find pretty, he¡¯d rather practice karate or read a book at home.He never even joined his ssmates when they asked if he wanted to watch p.o.r.n with them.He thought of such activity as senseless.Why would he want to watch two strangers doing such a thing?


    They thought of him as stiff.Like a eunuch who didn¡¯t have any desire.He didn¡¯t care.Mainly because it was true in a way.Even when faced with a beautiful girl, he never felt such a desire.It turned out that he just hadn¡¯t met the right person yet.Because he certainly felt the said desire just now.


    Could it be those hormones that hadn¡¯t done their job during his teenage years were making a rather violenteback right now that he found a person he liked?If that was the case, then this would definitely be a huge problem in the long run.Especially if he didn¡¯t learn to control himself.


    He shook his head.Before he tried to do that, he should apologize first to Luo Yan for what happened just now.If he prolonged it any longer, it might get really awkward between the two of them.Which was thest thing he wanted to happen.


    "Just now, sorry¡ª"


    Both of them said almost at the same time.They were startled and looked at each other.


    "You go first."


    They both said almost at the same time again.


    "No, it¡¯s alright, you¡ª"


    When it happened again, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help butugh.Seeing this, Shen Ji Yun finally let out a sigh of relief.


    "The ident just now was my fault.When I teleported here, I didn¡¯t take off the Invisibility Cloak I was wearing.So, when Eclipse jumped to you, he brought the cloak with him.Which resulted to the situation earlier," Luo Yan said.


    Where did that little guy went anyway?He¡¯d definitely give him a piece of his mind once he got his hands on him.


    "I see."So, that¡¯s why Luo Yan appeared out of nowhere without him noticing his arrival.Because he was wearing an Invisibility Cloak.And the sudden attack he felt earlier was probably just Eclipse trying to go to him."I also want to apologize for my rude behavior.There was a piece of grass on the side of your lips, that¡¯s why I was staring at it," Shen Ji Yun said, lying as best as he could."It probably got there when we both fell."


    Luo Yan was startled by such a flimsy lie.If he didn¡¯t know about his feelings for him, he might call him out for lying.But since he knew, he didn¡¯t have the heart to expose him.


    "I understand.There¡¯s no need for Brother Ji Yun to apologize," he said and smiled.

 Chapter 273 TO FOREVER HOLD HIS HAND

    "SO, is there any more grass on my face?" Luo Yan asked, raising his head to look at Shen Ji Yun.He tried his best not to sound like he¡¯s teasing him, but a bit of teasing tone still appeared in his voice.


    "T-there isn¡¯t any more," Shen Ji Yun said shaking his head.


    He almost wanted to bury himself under the ground because of embarrassment.That was such a bad lie that only gullible people would believe it.But it seemed like Luo Yan was purposely giving him a pass.So, he wouldn¡¯t ask more.He wouldn¡¯t question why he believed his flimsy lie so readily.What¡¯s more important to him now was the fact that their rtionship would no longer spiral into an awkward mess.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when he saw Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ear tips turning red.He¡¯s probably pretty embarrassed right now.Because he, himself, knew how stupid the lie he gave out sounded.He shook his head helplessly.This guy could seriously easily awake the bully inside him.If he was a little bit more of a sadistic bastard, he might have already been ying with this guy¡¯s feelings by now.It¡¯s good that he¡¯s a person with conscience.If not, then Shen Ji Yun, with his adorableness, would definitely suffer in his hands.


    He was about to say something when he heard a rustling sound on the side.He turned towards the direction of the sound and saw small ck furry paw appearing followed by a little vulpine snout.After that, the whole body of the ck fox appeared.It seemed that he was finally able to get out under the Invisibility Cloak.Sure enough, after that, a thin silvery piece of cloth that appeared almost translucent suddenly appeared beside Eclipse.


    Luo Yan crouched down and picked up the cloak then returned it to his Items Tab.He then turned his gaze to Eclipse who was shrinking his neck as if guilty.


    [Mashter, Eclipse is sorry.]


    Luo Yan flickered his forehead gently.[So, you do know you¡¯re wrong?]


    [Yes, Eclipse shouldn¡¯t have jumped to Captain like that.]Eclipse raised his head, his sapphire blue eyes filling with tears.[Please, forgive Eclipse.]


    Seeing his pet being cute like this, Luo Yan¡¯s idea of scolding him disappeared.But his expression still remained serious to make it seem like he was still a bit angry.[I¡¯m not the one you should apologize to.]


    Hearing that, Eclipse immediately understood and turned to Shen Ji Yun.The the little fox bowed, his head almost hitting the ground.[Captain, Eclipse is really sorry.Please, forgive Eclipse.Captain should be magnanimous and not be too angry since you did gain a lot from what Eclipse did.]


    Luo Yan was amused at first by the bowing acting of Eclipse.But when he heard that part, the corner of his mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitched.Was this little guy sincere in apologizing or was he just trolling them?No, since he was the only one who could actually hear what Eclipse said, didn¡¯t it mean that he was trolling him?The urge to squeeze the little guy into a ball suddenly became strong.


    He understood what the little guy meant.He¡¯s saying that because of that ¡¯falling ident¡¯ just now, Shen Ji Yun managed to hold Luo Yan in his arms and eat his tofu.So, in a sense the other really did gain a lot.He wasn¡¯t sure if Shen Ji Yun¡¯s affection for him was so obvious that even an AI could notice it at a nce or if Eclipse simply made it his mission to ship his master with his favorite captain.


    If it was thetter, the urge to squeeze this little guy into a ball became even stronger.


    Shen Ji Yun, on the other hand, was a bit dumbfounded.Because he couldn¡¯t hear what Eclipse was saying, all he could see was a small ck fox bowing towards him.


    "Ah, Yan Yan... what is your pet doing?" he asked, unsure.


    Luo Yan resisted the overwhelming urge to squeeze Eclipse.He held the little fox and stood up."This guy was apologizing to you just now and asking for your forgiveness very sincerely," he said, biting out the word ¡¯sincerely¡¯ while pinching Eclipse¡¯s cheek.Of course, not mentioning thest part of Eclipse¡¯s speech.


    [Aw... aw... Mashter, you¡¯re hurting Eclipse.]


    He ignored hisint and just continued pinching his cheek.


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit surprised when he heard that the fox was apologizing."He still knew how to apologize?"


    He didn¡¯t expect that the pets programmed in the game would be this sentient.It seemed like the programming department really went all out during thisst update.He had already noticed that the little fox seemed to be unlike other NPCs.His reaction in regards to his surroundings was very lively, as if he could understand everything that¡¯s happening around him.If he was apologizing now, that only meant that he really did understand.


    He stopped when he suddenly realized something.He remembered that when he was talking to that cat girl beastkin a few days ago, this fox was with him.Wouldn¡¯t that mean that he understood what was happening then?And because he couldmunicate with Luo Yan, the probability of him telling the other about it was very high.Then, did Luo Yan already know about it?That he did not stop someone from drawing a fan-art of them and even encouraged that person to make the two of them look closer in that fan-art.


    Just thinking of that possibility, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.After all, with just those, Luo Yan could immediately infer that his feelings for him was not exactly that tonic.His rabbit was so smart, he would definitely easily put two and two together.But in just a few seconds, he readily rejected the idea.


    If Luo Yan did know about his feelings for him, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to act so normally around him right now.He would either avoid him or act all awkward around him.


    Maybe this fox didn¡¯t report that to Luo Yan because the other didn¡¯t ask him about it.After all, he¡¯s a pet and Luo Yan was his master.If his master didn¡¯t ask, then there¡¯s no reason to report.He wouldn¡¯t be so sentient that he would take the initiative to report it to Luo Yan, right?


    With that, his hanging heart finally settled. But unbeknownst to him, this little fox had already dug a pit for him long ago.


    "I think it¡¯s about time we go," Luo Yan said, already done pinching Eclipse¡¯s cheek.He turned to Shen Ji Yun."What do you think, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded."Let¡¯s go."


    Luo Yan took the special teleportation scroll that would bring them to his Origin Vige from his Items Tab.He turned to Shen Ji Yun again and held out his hand.


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down at the palm in front of him.An almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips.Without hesitation, he reached out to that hand.Wishing that he could forever hold onto it.

 Chapter 274 BACK AT THE MOON ELVES ORIGIN VILLAGE

    WHEN Luo Yan opened his eyes, what he first saw was a bunch of white flowers.He couldn¡¯t be anymore familiar with these flowers.These were the ones scattered all around the Origin Vige.Seeing the garden they were in and the t rock with a circr symbol they were standing in, he knew they were at the back garden located behind the Elder¡¯s yurt.So, he¡¯s definitely back at the moon elves¡¯ Origin Vige.


    He turned to the person beside him and noticed that Shen Ji Yun was looking around.Then his gaze focused on the huge moon on the night sky.It seemed that one could easily catch it if they just raised their hands.


    "It¡¯s always night time in this ce," he said because Shen Ji Yun looked like he was wondering why it suddenly turned dark when it¡¯s obviously just early afternoon when they left the floating ind."Probably because moon elves live here that¡¯s why it¡¯s a prerequisite that the moon should always be seen.The way Moonlight Media¡¯s programmers think was really quite unique."


    "It¡¯s probably Brother Zhao¡¯s idea," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "Brother Zhao?"


    "He¡¯s the head of the programming department.He¡¯s kind of an entric guy who doesn¡¯t easily conform to society."


    And for the past year, he also became kind of sloppy.It¡¯s like the words ¡¯bathing¡¯ and ¡¯cleaning up¡¯ werepletely wiped off from his vocabry.Shen Ji Yun still wondered why that was the case though.His uncle only told him that it was because Brother Zhao¡¯s wife ran away from home.Which was a bit weird since, as far as he knew, Brother Zhao was still unmarried.


    But if that was really the case, then he could understand.He nced at Luo Yan.If his rabbit also ran away from him, he might not only be an unhygienic mess, he probably also wouldn¡¯t be able to function properly.


    Shen Ji Yun looked down at their hands that were still connected together.The soft touch of Luo Yan¡¯s palm and the warmth that travelled from his hand straight to his heart, made it even more unbearable for him to let go.That¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t said anything about it.So, he could hold his hand a little bit longer.


    "Isn¡¯t that the case for most geniuses?" Luo Yanmented, talking about the head programmer Shen Ji Yun mentioned."Anyway, shall we go?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded.


    Luo Yan was about to walk when he finally noticed that he was still holding Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand.He quickly let go."Sorry, I forgot to let go of your hand."


    Disappointment and loss briefly shed in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes but he quickly covered it up."It¡¯s okay."


    [Mashter, Captain is totally disappointed that you let go of his hand.] ¨C Eclipsemented on the side.


    Luo Yan nced sideways at his pet who was currently sitting prettily on his shoulder.[Stop making trouble.]


    But he couldn¡¯t exactly deny what the little fox said.Because he also saw the disappointment in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes.Although he managed to hide it pretty quickly.He turned and looked at the guy with barely any expression on his face.Seriously, who would have thought that this guy was actually quite the clingy one.Not that he hated it though.


    They walked out of the garden, passing-by the Elder¡¯s yurt.Luo Yan was thinking if he should say ¡¯hello¡¯ to the Elder first but he changed his mind.It¡¯s not as if he¡¯s a real moon elf and the other was really his vige elder.


    When they finally passed by the yurt, Luo Yan saw the familiar vige.The tall and lush trees, the vines with white flowers, the floating lights, and the simple cottages.The magical feeling he felt when he first went out of his own hut was still there.


    [Wow, this ce is so pretty, Mashter!Is there where you were born?] ¨C Eclipse asked while looking around.


    [In a way, yes.Anyway, the ce where I found you is near here.]


    [Really?Eclipse want to go there now!] ¨C the little fox said excitedly.


    Luo Yan rumpled Eclipse¡¯s furry head.[Be patient.]


    "This is a well-designed ce," Shen Ji Yunmented while also looking around.


    "I think so too," Luo Yan agreed.


    As they walked towards the gate, many moon elves that they passed-by greeted Luo Yan.Asking him while he was back so soon and what were the things he learned while he was away.When he was about to answer them, their focus would suddenly turn to Shen Ji Yun.And then, he would be suddenly forgotten.


    "A Qilin!This is the first time I saw one."


    "Are you a friend of Noctis?He¡¯s truly blessed to have a friend such as you!"


    "What business could an exalted one such as yourself have in our humble vige?"


    "We should tell this to the Elder!"


    Luo Yan???s face was slowly filled with ck lines when such a scene continued to happen.Were these NPCs programmed to have fanboy or fangirl attitude when someone with a Legendary race appeared before them?In his annoyance, he pulled Shen Ji Yun away from this group and hastened his pace towards the gate.


    Shen Ji Yun nced down at their hands that was once again connected and he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    [Mashter, Captain is smiling!He¡¯s probably happy that the two of you are holding hands again.]


    Luo Yan¡¯s face had even more ck lines when he heard that.He ignored Eclipse¡¯s littlementary.And when they reached the gate, he immediately let go of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand.


    [Aww... Mashter, Captain is sad again.Mashter should really just hold Captain¡¯s hand.]


    [Eclipse, if you don¡¯t shut up right now, I¡¯ll turn you into a squeezed ball.] ¨C he said, smiling sweetly at his pet.


    Eclipse shuddered but still said, [T-that¡¯s domestic violence, Mashter!You can¡¯t do that to Eclipse.]


    Luo Yan¡¯s lips twitched when he heard such nonsense and chose to just ignore this little thing on his shoulder.

 Chapter 275 BACK TO THE SILENT MARSH

    "OH, Noctis!It¡¯s good to see you again.Have you been doing well?" the Gatekeeper suddenly said when he saw Luo Yan.


    He nced at the NPC.The other seemed to be much more energeticpared to thest time he saw him.In fact, he looked like he drank a gallon of coffee."Yes, I¡¯ve been doing quite well."


    When the Gatekeeper noticed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s presence, he became even more excited.Luo Yan was no longer surprised seeing that after the scene of the other moon elves moring over Shen Ji Yun.He was already expecting the Gatekeeper to go on fanboy mode the next moment.But he didn¡¯t.Instead, he bowed respectfully to Shen Ji Yun.


    "Wee to our vige, exalted one," the Gatekeeper said.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows when he saw that.


    After Shen Ji Yun nodded, the Gatekeeper walked towards Luo Yan and whispered, "Are you friends with the Qilin?"


    "Yes."


    The Gatekeeper¡¯s eyes suddenly turned brighter."Then could you drop byter at my cottage together with your friend?"


    Luo Yan suddenly became suspicious.Why did the Gatekeeper¡¯s reaction differ from the other NPCs here?Could this lead to another hidden task?"Sure.But may I ask why?"


    "You see, when you left the vige, I found a clue as to what happened to my wife.And I think your Qilin friend might be able to shed some light to it."


    Luo Yan remembered that when he saved Filli ¨C the Gatekeeper¡¯s son ¨C the other mentioned that his wife died from a curse after doing an errand outside the vige.He smiled wryly.So, that was really some kind of chain task event and this would be the follow up.He nced at Shen Ji Yun.This guy¡¯s presence was probably the trigger.The most probable reason he could think of was because he¡¯s from a Legendary race.


    He looked again at the Gatekeeper.So, this was the reason why he seemed to be more energetic.


    "I¡¯ll try to drop byter," he just said, though he really wasn¡¯t sure if he could.Since he wasn¡¯t sure if they had enough time to capture that ck dragon.Becauseter he still had to go back to his pavilion to meet with that Alchemist.He wondered if he would have enough time.


    After the Gatekeeper said his thanks, they bid farewell and walked to the forest.


    "Did that NPC said something to you?" Shen Ji Yun inquired.


    "Oh, that."


    Luo Yan exined how he triggered a hidden event task when he was still in this vige that involved the Gatekeeper and his son.And they most likely just triggered the follow up event to that task because of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s presence.


    "I see.Maybe what happened to the Gatekeeper¡¯s wife was connected to one of the Legendary races," Shen Ji Yunmented."Let¡¯s goter.Chain task like this usually give some good reward.And since it¡¯s a hidden event, the reward would probably be even better."


    "I have no problem with that," Luo Yan agreed because he also thought the same."I¡¯m just worried that we wouldn¡¯t have enough time.I need to go back to the pavilionter in the evening, you see."


    "Is there anything important you need to do at the pavilion?"


    "Yeah.I made an appointment with the current top Alchemist.Last night, he asked if he could make a business deal with the pavilion and I told him that we could meet tonight to discuss that."


    Top Alchemist?That Bian Que?If Shen Ji Yun remembered correctly, that Bian Que was known for making a lot of money from the potions he made.It was mostly because he made deals with a number of profitable business establishments.Making them sell the potions he made.


    Bian Que seemed to be a bit addicted to money and didn¡¯t really care about other things unrted to it.But Shen Ji Yun still couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit sour in his heart thinking that Luo Yan would meet Bian Que aler.He sighed.Really, he never expected that he would actually be this possessive of someone.


    It¡¯s not a very attractive trait and Luo Yan might be turned-off by it once he found out.But he just couldn¡¯t help it.The heart would feel whatever it wanted to feel even if the brain tells it to do otherwise.If he couldn¡¯t help but feel this possessive tendency, then he at least had to learn to curb it.After all, he didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to ever feel that he was someone¡¯s possession.


    That would just be in disrespect to Luo Yan.So, even if it¡¯s hard, he would curb it.


    "I see," he only said.


    [Mashter, look, Eclipse thinks that Captain is feeling jealous because you would meet alone with some other man.He might think that you¡¯re cheating on him!Quickly, Mashter, exin yourself to Captain!]


    When Luo Yan heard what Eclipse said inside his mind, he felt like squeezing this little thing into a ball wasn¡¯t enough anymore.[Eclipse, what did I say earlier?Do you really want to be squeezed into a ball?]


    Eclipse shrunk his neck.[Mashter, Eclipse won¡¯t say anything about Captain for now.So, Mashter should not engage in domestic violence with Eclipse.]


    For now?So, you still nned to do itter?But Luo Yan didn¡¯tment and just flicked the little fox¡¯s forehead.


    "Where should we go next?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    "The cave where the dragon is was in a ce called Silent Marsh.It¡¯s located at the West side part of this forest," Luo Yan answered.


    He opened the map of Crescent Woonds ¨C the forest they were in ¨C and led Shen Ji Yun towards the Silent Marsh.


    As they walked in the forest, the encountered a lot of monsters. But Shen Ji Yun dealt with all of them easily. He didn¡¯t even have to use his sword for that. Well, that¡¯s understandable. Since this ce was just for beginners. So, most of the monsters were low levels.


    And soon, they reached their destination ¨C the Silent Marsh.

 Chapter 276 HIS CONFIDENCE IN ME

    "BEFORE we go inside, there¡¯s some information that I have to tell you first," Luo Yan said turning to Shen Ji Yun."There¡¯s a nt there called Eternal Lotus.It turned the whole area in a suspended state.You couldn¡¯t hear a sound once you enter inside.And it¡¯s also very likely that once it¡¯s destroyed, the dragon sleeping in the cave would wake up."


    He remembered that ¡¯saving Filli¡¯ task where he first experience ¡¯death¡¯ in this VR version of the game.That¡¯s a ck history he truly didn¡¯t want to remember.It reminded him of how he overestimated himself too much thus leading to such a pitiful and stupid ¡¯death scene¡¯.


    Shen Ji Yun became interested when he heard about that.A nt that could suspend time ¨C the design team of his uncle¡¯spany really did have some novel ideas."Do you know if this nt will wither and die once it¡¯s destroyed?"


    "It won¡¯t wither if only some parts of it are cut off.It will only be destroyed once it¡¯s core is taken out," Luo Yan said, rying what the Elder told him before.


    "So, it has a core, huh," Shen Ji Yun said before turning to him."Should we get this core for you?It would be a good material for a weapon."


    "There¡¯s no need," Luo Yan shook his head and rejected."I already have all the materials I needed for a weapon."


    He had that Umbra metal that would be use as the base metal of his weapon.Other materials that he found at their team¡¯s treasury.And then the Saspalt that could perfectly integrate these materials together.


    Speaking of that, he hadn¡¯t still asked Yu Jiao if she could make a weapon for him.But knowing her, now that she revealed her identity as the top cksmith of the game, she would definitely volunteer to make his weapon without him asking.


    "I think this lotus¡¯ core would be a good core for your weapon.If it has the ability to suspend time, the attribute it would give any weapon it has been crafted into would be pretty powerful.Don¡¯t you think so as well?" Shen Ji Yun exined.


    Luo Yan fell into a deep thought.It did cross his mind to use the core of the Eternal Lotus before when he heard the exnation of the Elder about it.But he quickly let go of that idea because he didn¡¯t want to wake the sleeping dragon.His level was still too low back then to even fight it.Though his current level right now was still not that high.He¡¯s currently at level 79.Only one level away before he could be eligible to participate in the uing Rookie Carnival.But still not high enough to face a dragon.


    "If you¡¯re nning to win the Rookie Carnival, then you needed a good weapon with you.Don¡¯t hesitate to take a good material when you see one," Shen Ji Yun added.


    Luo Yan suddenly stopped thinking when he heard what the other said.He raised his head and stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s usual expressionless face."You really think I would win the Rookie Carnival?"


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun answered without any hesitation.


    Luo Yan chuckled."Such confidence in me.Then I better live up to your expectation."


    "You will.I¡¯m sure of it," Shen Ji Yun said in a voice that didn¡¯t warrant any debate.


    Luo Yan¡¯s smile became even brighter upon hearing that.


    [Aww... Captain is so thoughtful.] ¨C Eclipse¡¯s childish voice suddenly echoed in his mind.When he turned to him, the little fox readily said, [Mashter, I didn¡¯t say anything bad so Mashter shouldn¡¯t threaten Eclipse.]


    [Did I say anything?]


    Eclipse pouted.[But Mashter was thinking about it.]


    He only ruffled the little fox¡¯s head.Then he led them towards the area covered by the Silent Marsh.


    Just like the firs time he was here, the ce still looked like it was in a stand-still.No sound could be heard.Not the swaying of the trees against the wind nor their very own footsteps.The ce waspletely devoid of any sound.


    [Mashter, this ce is creepy.Did Mashter found Eclipse in this ce?]


    [Yes, over there inside a cave with a sleeping dragon.]


    [Eh?Eclipse was with a dragon?Could it be that the dragon is Eclipse parent?] ¨C Eclipse said, his sapphire eyes as round as saucers.


    Luo Yan pinched Eclipse¡¯s cheek.[Stupid.How could a dragon give birth to a fox?]


    [Maybe the dragon is Eclipse¡¯s father and Eclipse takes after his mother.]


    Luo Yan just ignored the little guy¡¯s nonsense and turned to Shen Ji Yun.


    "Brother Ji¡ª" he stopped because he couldn¡¯t hear his own voice.


    He almost cursed.This was a big carelessness on his part.He should have known that the possibility of them not hearing their voice here was high.He just didn¡¯t think of it because when he came here the first time, he never spoke.He was alone then.Who would he speak to?But still, he¡¯s the one at fault now.


    Shen Ji Yun must have also noticed this, so he sent a message to him.Luo Yan immediately opened it.


    YUN: [If you have things you still need to exin, just reply to this.]


    Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief.Shen Ji Yun was really mindful when it came to things like this.So, he readily replied.


    Noctis: [The Eternal Lotus is on theke located at the West part of the marsh.When you see a silver light that looks like little dandelion flowers, please avoid it.If you touched it identally, your body would be in a state of stand-still.Then that lotus would entangle you with its vines and absorb your HP at a fast speed.]


    YUN: [You seem to speak from experience.]


    Luo Yan sharply turned to Shen Ji Yun when he read that.He wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his illusion but he seemed to see a teasing smile on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips.Before he could send another reply, Shen Ji Yun already ran towards the direction of theke.

 Chapter 277 UNLOCKING HIDDEN EVENT

    LUO YAN didn¡¯t expect Shen Ji Yun to suddenly dash out like that.He was still immersed on the fact that the other might have just teased him.It was uncharacteristic.After all, Shen Ji Yun was like an expressionless iceberg during normal times.He didn¡¯t even have a yful bone in his body.But who knew there woulde a day when Shen Ji Yun would also tease people?Even if it was subtly done, he still did.


    Because of Luo Yan¡¯s very detailed exnation, Shen Ji Yun quickly understood that he experienced these things himself.Instead of saying something like ¡¯okay, I understood and I¡¯ll be careful¡¯, he said ¡¯you seem to speak from experience¡¯.Along with that small teasing smile, it¡¯s almost like he was saying ¡¯I know you were killed by that lotus, but since you seem embarrassed by that fact, I won¡¯t mention it straightforwardly¡¯.


    He felt a bit tangled.Was he being a bad influence to the straitced Shen Ji Yun?


    [Mashter, let¡¯s follow Captain!]


    Eclipse¡¯s voice woke him up from his entanglement and immediately ran towards the direction of theke where Shen Ji Yun was heading. In any case, it¡¯s not really that bad of a thing for Shen Ji Yun to develop a yful character. Knowing him, he¡¯d probably been a pretty staid child, like a small a.d.u.l.t. A trait that no doubt continued on to his teenage phase. He was only 20 and yet it seemed like he had already experienced the vicissitude of life. At least now, he could have this yful side which anyone of his age should have.


    When they reached theke, Shen Ji Yun was already attacking the Eternal Lotus.


    He was holding a sword with a ck hilt and a long and thin de.Purple lightning shed from it whenever it shed and cut one of the lotus¡¯ vines.This was the first time Luo Yan saw Shen Ji Yun used his sword using his real avatar.The one he had seen was the broadsword he was using with his alt ount.That broadsword looked pretty simple and ordinary.Unlike the de Shen Ji Yun was using now.It might look not so special at one nce.But if one looked closer, they would quickly notice that it was not just some ordinary de.


    The de was indeed thin but its sharp edge couldn¡¯t be hidden.As evidence of how easily it cut through the vines as if they were paper.The purple lightning added a light purple sheen on the surface of the de.Making it look more formidable.Like some kind of demonic dark de.


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to be more at ease using this sword inparison to the broadsword he used in his alt ount.Well, that was understandable.He probably just picked that broadsword randomly somewhere.


    A silver light floated near Luo Yan, he quickly dodged it and jumped to a safer position.When he looked back at Shen Ji Yun, he was slicing another vine.After that, all the attack from the lotus stopped.Then a wave of silver lights attacked Shen Ji Yun.It was a cl.u.s.ter of that small dandelion shaped flowers that the Eternal Lotus produced.Combined together, it looked like a silver streak.


    Because it could reach Shen Ji Yun, he raised his sword and then sharply shed down.A purple energy sh appeared and cut through the cl.u.s.ter of silver lights.As that happened, Shen Ji Yun dashed forward through the pathway that the purple sh made.He moved in a blur.As if he¡¯s a bullet that was just released from its cartridge.Then he pierced his sword on top of the Eternal Lotus.


    A bright silver light gushed out from the stabbed part of the lotus flower.It became brighter and brighter until Luo Yan had to close his eyes because of it.When he opened his eyes once again, the silver lights floating around theke suddenly stopped.Their shine disappeared and then they all slowly fell on the ground.He looked back at where Shen Ji Yun was and saw a silver lotus shaped crystal floating on the top of his palm.


    He was certain that that was the core of the Eternal Lotus.Because right after that blinding silver light disappeared, he could suddenly hear the rustling of the wind.Which meant that the Silent Marsh was no longer at a state of suspended animation.


    [Wow. Captain is so handsome!] ¨C Eclipsemented, looking at Shen Ji Yun with bright eyes.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun.He was floating on theke with his long dark purple hair swaying with the wind.He was holding a sword with one hand and the other was holding on to the lotus shaped crystal.Remembering the fight just now, a smile crossed Luo Yan¡¯s face.


    [Yes, he¡¯s indeed handsome.]


    Eclipse suddenly turned towards him.[Eclipse knew Mashter feel the same.]


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t say anything more lest this little fox started with his teasing again.


    Shen Ji Yun jumped down in front of Luo Yan and gave the lotus shaped crystal to him without hesitation."For you."


    Luo Yan looked down at the crystal floating on top of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand."I can really have this?"


    "Yes."


    He raised his head and looked at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s determined gaze.It¡¯s as if he was silently telling him that he only fought the Eternal Lotus because he wanted to give this core to him.


    [Mashter, quickly take it.That¡¯s the result of Captain¡¯s hard work and the manifestation of his lov--]Luo Yan nced sideways at Eclipse before he could finish that sentence.[Sorry, Mashter.Eclipse didn¡¯t say anything.Please don¡¯t squeeze Eclipse into a ball.]


    The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s lips twitched hearing thest part of what Eclipse said.Then he turned back to Shen Ji Yun.He smiled and picked up the lotus shaped crystal."Thank you, Brother Ji Yun.I¡¯ll use it well."


    A small smile crossed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips.He looked very pleased with himself.


    Luo Yan could only shake his head and put the crystal in his Items Tab.He¡¯d check its descriptionter.


    Right after he did that, a holographic image of a boy who looked like he was 7 or 8 years old suddenly appeared in front of them.He had dark blue hair and a pair of blue eyes.He was wearing a butler uniform with matching monocles.It was the Gamekeeper who Luo Yan hadn¡¯t seen in a long while.


    Seeing the little butler again, the feeling that he had seen the other somewhere appeared in his mind again.He stared at the Gamekeeper¡¯s blue eyes.He felt like a light bulb suddenly turned on in his head.He looked at Shen Ji Yun standing beside him and then at the holographic image of the Gamekeeper.


    Wasn¡¯t this just a mini-version of Shen Ji Yun?


    [It¡¯s a small Captain!] ¨C Eclipse said, proving that his guess was indeed correct.


    The Gamekeeper made a gentlemanly bow, which was really adorable by the way.And then said;


    [Congrattions dear yers on unlocking the hidden task ¡¯Awakening Dragon¡¯!]

 Chapter 278 A LITTLE BIT OF SADNESS

    [DISCOVER the identity of the ck dragon and unlock the truth.Satisfy his request and only incredible rewards are waiting for you.But remember, dragons are proud creatures.So, thread very, very carefully.]


    After the Gamekeeper said that, he made an elegant bow and disappeared.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t care much about what the Gamekeeper said.He was still about the possibility that the Gamekeeper was modeled after Shen Ji Yun.Which was not really impossible.After all, his uncle was the one who created Arcadia.He couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity any longer and asked, "Was the Gamekeeper modeled after you?"


    Shen Ji Yun was slightly surprised after hearing such a question.He thought that Luo Yan would talk to him about the hidden task that they just triggered.Who would have thought that he would instead ask this question?


    "It¡¯s just that, Brother Ji Yun look a bit like him," Luo Yan continued.


    When he first saw the Gamekeeper, there was this nagging feeling inside his head telling him that he looked familiar.He just didn¡¯t think too much because the other was just an NPC.And during that time, he was still not familiar with Shen Ji Yun.They only met once, during the graduation of his older brother.The only thing he remembered was the guy¡¯s blue eyes.And because the Gamekeeper rarely appeared, even after he and Shen Ji Yun got close, this problem never crossed his mind again.That was until today.


    He looked at Shen Ji Yun and added, "So, were you?"


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down at Luo Yan.Of course, he noticed the glint of curiosity in those pair of blue eyes.Truthfully, he didn¡¯t really want to answer this question.Because it¡¯s embarrassing.But he knew if he didn¡¯t, Luo Yan would just be more curious.Maybe the other would just ask Bai Ze about it.That would be much more embarrassing.


    He sighed helplessly and answered, "Yes."


    The reason behind it was because his uncle missed the period when Shen Ji Yun was still a little milk ball.He was 10 when his Uncle started nning the VR version of the game.His cold temperament had already seeped through his bones then.Even if he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t make much expression.Mainly because there was barely anything that could move him.Whether it¡¯s sadness, anger, or happiness, he was all numbed to it.He could barely consider himself as a normal child.


    His uncle probably felt sad seeing him slowly lose his emotion.So, he designed the Gamekeeper with a subconscious wish that Shen Ji Yun could also return to his former cheerful self.Unexpectedly, 10 years had already passed and nothing much had changed since then.His life was still nothing but gray with the asional flicker of color.


    No.Something did change.He nced at Luo Yan.He fell in love with this person.Bringing bright and magnificent colors back to his life.


    "Your uncle must really love you," Luo Yanmented with a smile.


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips curved up a bit."Yes.He¡¯s like a second father to me."


    Seeing that small smile, Luo Yan felt happy.And at the same time, he also felt relieved.He knew that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s family life was probably not that normal.If it was, then he should have been living with her mother in Country Y instead of here.Knowing that he was still being taken care of thoughtfully by an elder, despite the not so normal circ.u.mstance he was living in, made Luo Yan really happy.


    He knew how it was like to grow up thinking that he could not rely on anyone.He couldn¡¯t even fully trust the director of the orphanage he was in.Mainly because he wasn¡¯t really treating the other with the full sincerity of his heart.Only after he died did he found out that the director truly cared for him.If only he wasn¡¯t so guarded, maybe his childhood would have a tinge of happiness in it.


    So, he was d that Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t take the same route as him.It could be seen from his simple answer that he trusted his uncle and loved him as a father.So, even without his parents around, he was still able to feel that familial warmth.That¡¯s certainly better than nothing.


    Thinking of the familial love he so wanted to have during his first life, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit of sadness.After all, that was like a reminder of how early he lost his parents.Although, frankly speaking, he could barely remember their face now.He could still remember the joy he felt when he was with them.


    He was still wrapped up in those sad emotions that he was startled when his cheek was suddenly pinched.He raised his head and looked at the culprit.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan who was staring at him with eyes as if asking ¡¯what are you doing?¡¯.The reason why he did that was because he noticed the gloom between Luo Yan¡¯s eyebrows.He didn¡¯t want to see that kind of expression on his rabbit.So, he could only pinch his cheek to take his attention away from whatever it was that¡¯s upying his mind.


    He reluctantly let go of the soft cheek he was pinching and asked, "Where did your mind go off to?"


    [Mashter, are you feeling sad?Please, don¡¯t be sad.] ¨C Eclipse said almost at the same time.


    With the voices of the two, Luo Yan suddenly realized that he had been silent for quite a while.He took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind of those sad emotions.He smiled at Shen Ji Yun and said, "Nothing.I just thought of something."Then he said to Eclipse, [Don¡¯t worry, your master is not sad.]


    [Mashter, you must tell Eclipse whenever you¡¯re feeling down.Because Eclipse will be here to cheer you up.]


    He ruffled Eclipse¡¯s furry head.[You and your sweet mouth.]He turned back again to Shen Ji Yun."Based on what the Gamekeeper said earlier, this task will definitely no be simple," he said, turning the topic to the hidden task they just triggered.


    Before Shen Ji Yun could reply back, the suddenly heard a loud beast-like roaring from the northern part of the marsh ¨C the location where the ck dragon was!

 Chapter 279 TO THE DRAGON CAVE

    "I guess the dragon is now awake," Luo Yan said looking at the northern part of the marsh.He turned to Shen Ji Yun."Should we strategize first before going there?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded.It¡¯s better to analyze the situation first rather than going carelessly there without any kind of n."The Gamekeeper said that we should discover the identity of the dragon, unlock the truth, and satisfy whatever request he has," he said repeating what the little Gamekeeper said."That meant that this dragon was not just some ordinary stray that just happened to be asleep in this marsh."


    "ording to what the Elder told me before that the dragon entered the realm of the moon elves a millennium ago.He was badly wounded and went to a cave in the forest to recuperate.Because the monsters and animals didn¡¯t want to disturb the dragon, they tried not to make any sound as much as possible.Since then, the surrounding area around the cave had been known as the Silent Marsh," Luo Yan said recounting what the Elder had told him."But as you may have already noticed, I think the real reason why this area had been in that state was because of the Eternal Lotus.Although there¡¯s no evidence, I think it probably appeared the same time as the dragon."


    "I think so too," Shen Ji Yun said, agreeing to Luo Yan¡¯s deduction."Since this task was triggered after I destroyed that lotus flower, it would be hard to not think that the two were not linked together.And since the dragon quickly woke up from its supposed sleep right after the lotus was gone, the dragon was most probably in a suspended state as well."


    Luo Yan also agreed to what Shen Ji Yun said.Then he suddenly thought of something."Wait- if we assume that the reason why the dragon was asleep was because of the effect of the Eternal Lotus and he was badly wounded then, wouldn¡¯t it mean that he would be back in that wounded state?"


    Because now that the Eternal Lotus was gone, the dragon could no longer be in a suspended state.So, he would be back to the state he was in before he was affected by the lotus flower.If the dragon was suspended during a time where his wounds were still not healed, then wouldn¡¯t those wounds affect him greatly now?


    He and Shen Ji Yun looked at each other.Luo Yan could see that he was also thinking of the same thing.Then they heard another loud roar.This time, they could clearly hear the pain that was mixed in with it.


    [Mashter, what¡¯s that?It sounded like they were suffering.] ¨C Eclipse said, looking at the direction where the roar came from.


    "We should probably heal the dragon first.If he died here, then we wouldn¡¯t be able to finish that hidden task," Shen Ji Yun said.Although he¡¯s not really interested in this dragon that much.But if he could spend more time alone with Luo Yan by doing this task, then he wouldn¡¯t mind finishing it.


    "Not to mention, he couldn¡¯t be your pet if that happened," Luo Yan added.


    Shen Ji Yun almost forgot about that.The real reason they were here was because Luo Yan suggested that he should take the dragon as his pet.Although with this hidden task triggered, it was quite obvious that this dragon didn¡¯t have a simple identity.Which would definitely make it harder for him to make the dragon as his pet.But no matter.Since Luo Yan wanted him to take that dragon as a pet, then he would do so.Even if he had to use force to aplish it.


    The two, along with Eclipse, ran towards the northern area of the marsh where the cave was located.


    "Based on the roar we¡¯ve been hearing, he¡¯s probably hurt more than we imagined," Shen Ji Yun said while running.


    Luo Yan agreed with this statement.The Gamekeeper mentioned that dragons were proud creatures.So, he doubted that the dragon would cry out like this in pain unless he¡¯s really, really hurt.The wounds on his body were probably very severe.


    When he first went to the cave, he didn¡¯t really notice any wound on the dragon.Well, it was mostly because he was being too careful.He was trying not to wake the dragon so he barely looked at it.Then once he took the beast¡¯s egg, he just ran out of there.Maybe he should have looked more properly at that dragon.


    "That dragon won¡¯t probably let us heal him that easily.He¡¯d probably even fight us.Then his wounds would just open even further."Luo Yan could already feel the headache just thinking about it.


    "Then we¡¯ll just incapacitate him before he could make a fuss," Shen Ji Yun simply said.


    The closer they got to the cave, the louder the cry of the dragon.They could even feel the ground shaking, as if the dragon was on a rampage.Which was probably the case.When they reached the cave, they could hear the sound of ceaseless rampaging.Luo Yan shook his head.Just by the shaking of the ground and the sounding from the inside of the cave, he could tell that the dragon was probably going crazy right now.


    He looked at Shen Ji Yun who also turned to him.They nodded at each other and carefully walked inside.Both of them could see well in the dark.So, they could see clearly what was happening inside even though there was no light.


    A huge dragon with scales as dark as obsidian was roaring and moving as if his whole body was in pain, hitting the walls as he did.There wererge and small wound on his body.Because of his rough movements, blood sttered around.The most eye-catching wound on him was the deep w marks on his chest.Even his wings were tattered.His eyes were all white, a sign that he was probably not in his right mind right now.


    Because Luo Yan was busy observing the dragon, he didn¡¯t notice that the dragon¡¯s tail was about to hit him.If not for Eclipse¡¯s reminder, he might be still staring at the dragon.But it was still a bit toote for him to move.Even if he did, some fragments of the cave floor would still hit him.But that¡¯s still better than being hit by that tail head on.


    He was about to move when he felt his waist suddenly being held by a strong arm.Not just his waist, but also the back of his knees.Before he knew it, his whole body was already lying horizontally and was floating away from the ce he was formerly standing.Dumbfounded, he raised his head and saw Shen Ji Yun¡¯s handsome face.


    Then his whole face heated up when he realized what was happening. He was actually being princess carried!

 Chapter 280 HEALING THE DRAGON

    BEFORE Luo Yan could tell Shen Ji Yun to put him down, the tail of the dragon was about to hit them again.Shen Ji Yun jumped out of the way while still carrying him.Hended on a spot that was particrly safe and away from the range of the dragon¡¯s rampaging.


    He put Luo Yan down and said, "Stay here.Let me handle this."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t have any time to response because the other already dashed forward towards the dragon, leaving him there.But if one looked closely, they could see that the tips of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ears were bright red.Showing just how embarrassed he was just now.


    Before Luo Yan could properly take in what just happened, something fluffy suddenly jumped into his arms.He looked down and saw Eclipse.


    [Where were you?] ¨C he asked, since he felt him falling down his shoulder when Shen Ji Yun suddenly carried him.


    [Eclipse was pushed aside by Captain.So, Eclipse had to find his way back to Mashter.] ¨C Eclipse said with a bit of grievance in his voice.[But that¡¯s okay.Since Captain was doing it to save Mashter.]


    Luo Yan was amused by his answer.It seemed like no matter what Shen Ji Yun did, this little fox would still be biased towards him.If one day, someone would tell him that this pet of his was actually programmed to help Shen Ji Yun get a favorable impression, he wouldn¡¯t even be surprised.


    [Anyway, Mashter, Eclipse saved the memory of you and Captain earlier.Captain looked so dashing carrying you like a princess.Does Mashter want Eclipse to send you the memory?]


    Luo Yan was kind of surprised to hear that a pet still had this kind of function.But why did he have to learn it in this way?Because his pet saved the memory of him being princess carried.His face was suddenly filled with ck lines again.


    He pinched Eclipse¡¯s cheek a bit harder than usual.[Delete that memory or I¡¯ll let that dragon eat you.]


    Eclipse¡¯s big sapphire eyes widened.[Mashter, how could you?Don¡¯t you love Eclipse anymore?]


    Luo Yan only looked at Eclipse as if saying ¡¯what do you think?¡¯ instead of answering him.


    The little fox pouted.[Fine, Eclipse will delete it.]


    Done with that, Luo Yan finally turned his attention to Shen Ji Yun.


    The other was jumping around the dragon, avoiding its rampaging and doing his best not to attack.Luo Yan thought at first that Shen Ji Yun was just jumping around without any kind of goal.But then he noticed that on the ces he jumped to, he would leave some kind of paper seal with some kind of hexagram drawn into it.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly jumped back and then threw another one of the same paper in front of the dragon.The paper unexpectedly glowed with a white light along with the other papers surrounding the dragon.Light appeared from the papers and connected them from one another, making a cage of light for the rampaging dragon.


    The dragon suddenly stopped its movements, as if freezing on the spot.The glow of the cage became brighter and brighter.Forcing Luo Yan to close his eyes.But before he did that, he saw that the cage was getting smaller and smaller.


    When he opened his eyes again, he was surprised to see that therge ck dragon that was still there a moment ago was nowhere to be seen.


    [Mashter, look, the dragon became small!As small as Eclipse!]


    When Luo Yan heard that, his eyes immediately looked down on the spot where the dragon was formerly standing.And just like what Eclipse said, there was a small ck creature curled up on the ground.Its ck scales as dark as obsidian was particrly conspicuous.Along with the wings on his back.No matter how he stared at it, it definitely looked like a small version of the ck dragon.


    He walked to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s side."Brother Ji Yun, what happened?"


    "I used an SSR item that could seal a Legendary race and transform them to a miniature version of themselves," Shen Ji Yun answered."This way, it would be easier to heal him."


    As he said that, he took a high-grade potion from his Items Tab and let the dragon drink it.


    "Why do you have that kind of item?" Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but asked.


    "It mighte in handy when fighting a yer that belonged to a Legendary race."


    Hearing Shen Ji Yun¡¯s answer, a thought suddenly crossed Luo Yan¡¯s mind.If he was not mistaken, there were some yers that had dragon as their race.Dragon also belonged to a Legendary race just like Shen Ji Yun¡¯s Qilin.These races were technically beast types.But the yers who had these races were in humanoid form, like a Beastkin.Did that mean, they could also turn into their beast form?


    These races also had their own Origin Vige.A dragon¡¯s vige would surely be filled with other dragons.The same could be said for phoenixes and qilins.This ck dragon here could even be from the same ce.So, if yers could turn into a humanoid form, could the same be said for the NPCs that belonged to the Legendary race?


    He looked at Shen Ji Yun.Could he also turn to a real qilin then?


    His thoughts were interrupted when Eclipse suddenly jumped down from his arms andnded beside the now small dragon.Because of that, he turned his gaze to the dragon.He just finished drinking the potion that Shen Ji Yun gave.Because his body turned small, his wounds were no longer not as scary to look at.Those wounds were now starting to heal at a speed visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    The moment it was all healed, the dragon slowly opened its eyes.He looked like a baby who just came into this world.His eyes full of innocence and naivety.But when those eyes finally had a focus, the first thing it saw was a fox¡¯s erged face.The dragon¡¯s eyes widened.


    And the first thing the dragon did was to p Eclipse away!

 Chapter 281 MAYBE HES YOUR FATHER

    ECLIPSE¡¯S big sapphire eyes were suddenly filled with tears.Then he jumped to Luo Yan¡¯s arms and cried.[M-Mashter... hic... that d-dragon is b-bullying Eclipse... hic... you must seek justice for Eclipse!]


    Although Luo Yan found what happened just now very amusing, he even took a snapshot of it, he still patted Eclipse¡¯s head gently.[There, there, don¡¯t cry.]


    The dragon looked at the people around him.His eyes suddenly widened into saucers, as if he couldn¡¯t believe that the people around him were bigger than him.Then as if realizing that something must be wrong, he looked down at his own body.What he saw made his eyes widened even more.


    Then he raised his little head and looked angrily at the people around him.If a re could kill, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun would probably keel over by now."What have you done to this king?!"


    As he said that, sparks of blue me came out of his mouth.But because of his current small body, it didn¡¯t have much power and wasn¡¯t even that threatening.Which seemed to annoy him even further.Making his re even fiercer.


    Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun took noticed when the dragon called himself ¡¯this king¡¯.That already said something about this dragon¡¯s identity.


    But Luo Yan was much more surprised hearing the dragon speak.He thought that he would be just like Eclipse who could only speak mentally.This was probably the difference between a Legendary race and a beast that was under the Rare category.A Void Kitsune was considered as super super rare.But it was still a bit inferior inparison to a beast belonging to the Legendary race.


    "You¡¯re badly wounded and too weak.You couldn¡¯t support your original form and turned into this.It¡¯s not our fault that you have this form now.We even fed you a high-grade potion to help you heal your wounds.Frankly speaking, you shouldn¡¯t really take this tone on us right now," Shen Ji Yun said with a straight face.His tone was so mechanical, like a robot, as if he¡¯s reading from a script or something.


    This almost made Luo Yanughed.Seriously, Shen Ji Yun could really be so amusing at times.With what he said, he pushed all the me to the dragon.Since the dragon was really not in his right mind while rampaging earlier, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to tell what Shen Ji Yun did.This way, he wouldn¡¯t me them for his current state.Thus, making it easier for them to build trust with each other.After all, it would be easier to do this task if the dragon trusted them.


    The dragon seemed to not ept what he heard just now.Or more urately, he probably hated to be associated with the word ¡¯weak¡¯.He still hadn¡¯t put his guard down.He looked like a hedgehog.His body full of thorns, as if he would pierce anyone that would try to touch him.


    "Why is this king wounded?Did you harm this king?"


    [Stupid!You¡¯re already wounded when we came here!Don¡¯t me us!Captain was even kind enough to heal you.Is that how you thank your savior?You ungrateful lizard!]


    Luo Yan coughed to stifle hisughter.Really, this guy could say the most interesting thing.When he looked at the dragon and saw that the ck scales on his face was almost dyed red, Luo Yan was sure that he heard what Eclipse said just now.


    "Who are you calling a lizard, you damn kitsune?!How dare you insult this king?" the dragon shouted, his mouth spewing blue mes again.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan questioningly, silently asking what the dragon meant just now.So, Luo Yan moved closer to him and whispered, "Eclipse called him ¡¯stupid¡¯ and ¡¯lizard¡¯ just now."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ear turned a bit itchy when he felt Luo Yan¡¯s breath.The tip of his ear quickly turned red.He shook his head and focused on what Luo Yan said just now.


    He looked down at the fox in Luo Yan¡¯s arms.Such colorful insults.The he nced at the small dragon whose face was full of animated expression.It seemed like the programming department really managed to make a lot of improvements during thisst update.Making these NPCs a lot more sentient.Which he wasn¡¯t really sure if it could be considered as good or bad.


    [Howe he could hear you?] ¨C Luo Yan asked Eclipse, a bit confused.


    [Eclipse isn¡¯t sure.]Eclipse raised his head.[Mashter, would this dragon eat Eclipse because he called him a lizard?]


    Luo Yan flicked Eclipse¡¯s forehead gently.[Now you know how to be afraid?]


    Eclipse shook his head.[Eclipse is not afraid.Eclipse has Mashter.Mashter will surely protect Eclipse.]


    [You sweet mouth.]


    [But Mashter, how can that dragon understand Eclipse?]


    Luo Yan thought of the fact that he found Eclipse here in this cave together with the sleeping dragon.Could there be any connection that might be connected to the task?[Maybe he¡¯s really your father.] ¨C he joked, teasing Eclipse.


    Eclipse shuddered.[Mashter, please don¡¯t say something so scary!]


    Luo Yan chuckled.[Didn¡¯t you say earlier that he might be your father?]


    [Eclipse take that all back!]


    "What are you rambling about, kitsune?" the dragon shouted again."Your voice is giving this king a headache!"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows.By what the dragon said, it seemed like he could only hear Eclipse¡¯s thoughts but not his.


    [Eclipse is not talking to you, so don¡¯t talk to Eclipse!] ¨C Eclipse shouted back but immediately buried his face on Luo Yan¡¯s neck.


    Luo Yan was amused by his little pet¡¯s action.So, he gently patted his back before giving him to his favorite Captain."Brother Ji Yun, could you hold him for a bit?"


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t have any opinion and just held Eclipse in his arms.Which the other seemed to really enjoy.


    Then Luo Yan walked towards the dragon and knelt in front of him.The dragon raised his head and looked suspiciously at Luo Yan.But when he stared at Luo Yan¡¯s face, his expression turned dazzled.As if being captivated by Luo Yan¡¯s beauty.Especially once Luo Yan smiled at him.Realizing his gaffe, the dragon became even more angry.


    "You- you elf!Why are you seducing this king?!"

 Chapter 282 AN ARROW TO HIS HEART

    LUO YAN¡¯S face was filled with ck lines after he heard what the dragon said.What seducing?He was clearly just smiling.How did it turn to him ¡¯seducing¡¯ someone?Just what kind of brain circuit does this dragon have?It seemed like the programming department of Moonlight Media became more and more colorful with how they programmed their NPCs.


    Behind him, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face was also not so good after hearing what the dragon said.How could this dragon¡¯s thinking even veer in that kind of direction?Especially when Luo Yan hadn¡¯t done anything to warrant that kind ofment.He suddenly wondered if it¡¯s really the right thing to make this dragon his pet.If he did, he could already imagine the annoyance he would suffer every day.


    Should he have a talk with Luo Yan?Telling him to just leave this dragon somewhere after they finished the task?


    Eclipse, staying in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms, red at the dragon.[You stupid lizard!How dare you used Mashter of something like that?Do you think you¡¯re worth it for Mashter to seduce you?Look at Eclipse¡¯s Mashter.He¡¯s the most beautiful being you could every eyes on.And then look at you.You¡¯re just a small ck lizard with wings.Do you still think you¡¯re worth it?]


    Luo Yan almostughed when he heard what Eclipse said.This little pet of his could really say the most amusing things at times.


    Of course, Eclipse¡¯s barrage was also heard by the dragon.He red at the fox."You damn kitsune!How dare you speak like that to this king?Just you wait.Once I have my normal body back, I¡¯ll turn you into a barbecued fox!" he shouted, spewing small blue mes at the same time.


    Eclipse who was very courageous just now buried his little furry head on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms.But he didn¡¯t forget to say, [Hmp!Do you think you have a chance against Captain?Captain will definitely beat you to a pulp!]


    Before Eclipse and the dragon went to another round of bickering, Luo Yan interrupted them.


    "As his master, I apologized for Eclipse¡¯s rude behavior.He just hatched from his egg a few weeks ago, so he¡¯s still a baby who hasn¡¯t experienced the world.I hope a benevolent being such as yourself could show your magnanimity towards him."


    As Luo Yan said that, he bowed elegantly and did not forget to smile gently at the dragon.


    [Eclipse is not a baby...] ¨C Eclipse muttered.


    Luo Yan turned his head to him and smiled to stop him from saying more.Eclipse shrunk his neck, feeling that if he continued what he¡¯s saying, his master would definitely squeeze himself.Satisfied with Eclipse¡¯s reaction, Luo Yan turned back his attention to the dragon.


    The dragon ended up staring at Luo Yan¡¯s face again.An obvious pink blush suddenly appeared on the ck scales of his face.Then as if realizing that, he became annoyed and just snorted."Hmp!I¡¯ll forgive him just this once."


    Seeing the attitude of the dragon, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hands suddenly felt itchy.He wanted to pick the dragon up and throw him somewhere.Preferably somewhere far away.


    "Thank you for your understanding," Luo Yan said smiling."Then may I ask how did a venerable one such as yourself ended up in this cave?"


    "This king¡ª" the dragon stopped."This king can¡¯t remember."He raised his head, panic written all over his face."Why can¡¯t this king remember?"


    Luo Yan was slightly taken aback at first.But then, he immediately recovered.Based on what the dragon said, it seemed like he was suffering from amnesia.Which actually made sense.Since the Gamekeeper asked them to find out the identity and history of this dragon, it would be a very easy task if the dragon had full ess to his memories.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun and saw in his eyes that the other was probably thinking the same thing.


    Luo Yan looked at the dragon who seemed to be on the verge of another panic attack.So, he stretched his hand and gently stroked his head."Please, calm down, venerable one.If it¡¯s not too presumptuous to ask, me and my friend could help you with your current flight."


    The dragon looked suspiciously at Luo Yan.But it was obvious that Luo Yan was able to calm him down.Because there was no longer any sign of panicking on his face."Why would you propose to help this king?"


    "Since we found you here and we already help you heal your wounds, I think it¡¯s just right for us to help you gain your memory back," Luo Yan exined, spouting a lot of nonsense with a gentle smile on his face."Besides," he stood up and walked beside Shen Ji Yun."My friend here is a Qilin.He also belonged to a Legendary race like you.It wouldn¡¯t be too bad to receive help from someone like him, right?"


    After Luo Yan said that, the dragon¡¯s attention turned to Shen Ji Yun.He looked him up and down and then his gaze stayed at the pair of golden antler-shaped horns on top of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s head.


    "A Qilin?Hmp!What¡¯s so good about him?He¡¯s not even half as majestic as this king.But if you want to be a servant of this king, then you¡¯ll do.This king allows you to help me regain my memories."


    The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s lips twitched.This dragon definitely had what people called ¡¯princeplex¡¯.He nced at Shen Ji Yun and saw his expression darkened.He looked like he was on the verge of attacking the dragon.He held the other¡¯s hand to prevent that.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s attention was transferred because of the warmth that he suddenly felt from his hand.He looked down and saw Luo Yan¡¯s slender white fingers holding on to his.Then he raised his head to look at Luo Yan.


    "Be a little more patient, okay, Brother Ji Yun?" he said, winking at him.


    Shen Ji Yun just felt like an arrow went straight to his heart because of that wink.He had to lower his head just so Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t see his blushing face."Yeah."


    Of course, the oblivious rabbit didn¡¯t notice that and just turned his attention back to the dragon.

 Chapter 283 LITTLE BLACKS NEW NAME

    "VENERABLE one, is there really nothing you could remember?" Luo Yan asked the dragon.


    "Are you saying that this king is lying?" the dragon said, seemingly annoyed by Luo Yan¡¯s question.


    "No, of course not," he quickly said."I was just hoping that we could get some important clue regarding your identity if you remember anything.Even the smallest detail would be helpful."


    The dragon became silent for a while, obviously falling into a deep thought.He was probably digging into his missing memories.Doing his best to find any important clues.And then his face was suddenly filled with frustration.With just that, Luo Yan could tell that he couldn¡¯t really remember anything.That¡¯s a no go, huh.It seemed like they had to start from scratch then.


    "Anyway, what does it matter if I remember anything or not?It¡¯s obvious that this king is an important dragon," the dragon said in a quite stubborn manner.


    Well, Luo Yan had to agree on that.This dragon obviously had the habit of referring to himself as ¡¯king¡¯.Which meant that he was either a dragon belonging to royalty or something equally simr.But wait- was there even such a thing as royalty in the Legendary race?


    "Yes, the venerable one is correct," Luo Yan could only say."I think we should temporarily give you a name.It would be inconvenient to not even know what to call you."He turned to Shen Ji Yun."Don¡¯t you think so too, Brother YUN?"


    Shen Ji Yun only nodded.He was no longer interested in this dragon.He decided to just go with the flow.Since he only took this task because of Luo Yan, he would just follow whatever the other decided.


    "Then what name do you think is good?" Luo Yan asked that to Shen Ji Yun because this dragon would soon be his pet.It was only right for Shen Ji Yun to name the dragon.


    Shen Ji Yun nced at the dragon, his beast-like amethyst eyes had no emotions in them.It was like he was looking at an insignificant ant rather than a mythical dragon."I think Little ck is good."


    Eclipse went into a fit ofughter after Shen Ji Yun said that.[Yes, yes, that name really suits you.Good thinking, Captain.You¡¯re the best!] ¨C he said even if Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t hear him at all.


    The smile on Luo Yan¡¯s lips almost turned into a grimaced when he heard that.He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t have any naming sense or he simply didn¡¯t like the dragon.He had a feeling it was more of thetter.


    As expected, the dragon reacted violently.If he had a fur, all his hairs were probably standing up by now.Like some pissed off cat."Do you dare call this king a name that even a pet would be embarrassed to have?"


    Shen Ji Yun only nced at the dragon with a look as if silently saying ¡¯yes, I dare, do you have a problem with that?¡¯.Which made the dragon even more infuriated.Luo Yan quickly stepped between the two before Shen Ji Yun really sliced the dragon.He had a feeling that the other would really not hesitate to do that if he¡¯s given a chance.Of course, he had to stop that before it could happen.


    "Then how about the name ¡¯Dusk¡¯?I think it has a nice ring to it.And it totallypliments the color of your scales.It¡¯s a beautiful ck.Just like the night dusk ¨C the darkest part of twilight," he said, smiling."What does the venerable one think?"


    "Hmp!It would suffice."


    Even though the dragon snorted and turned his head to the side, one could clearly see that he was very satisfied with this name.It probably helped that Luo Yan unabashedlyplimented his scales.


    "That¡¯s great!Then Master Dusk, let me introduce ourselves.You already know Eclipse.The one carrying him is called YUN.As mentioned before, he¡¯s a qilin.And my name is Noctis.As you may have already noticed, I¡¯m a moon elf.And you¡¯re currently at the moon elves¡¯ Origin Vige," Luo Yan exined, trying to see any reaction on the dragon¡¯s face when he mentioned the ce they were in.


    But Dusk only tilted his head, as if wondering how he ended up at this ce.


    Luo Yan took that chance while the dragon was in deep thought to talk to Shen Ji Yun.


    "Brother Ji Yun, we should probably go back to the vige and talk to the Elder.Maybe he knows something more about the dragon," he said in a voice that only the two of them could hear.Well, except Eclipse, since he¡¯s still happily nesting in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms.Besides, there was still that thing with the Gatekeeper of the vige asking them to visit his home.


    "Okay, let¡¯s do that," Shen Ji Yun agreed.


    "We might not be able to finish this task today.I don¡¯t think we could find that much information from the Elder."


    Shen Ji Yun actually thought the same.But not finishing the task today would mean that this dragon would be with them for a much longer time.He sighed inside.If Luo Yan insisted for this dragon to be really his pet, then that time would extend even longer.Thinking about that was already giving him a headache.


    "What are you two whispering about?" Dusk interrupted.


    "We¡¯re just talking about going outside this cave," Luo Yan answered."So, Master Dusk, will you go with us?"


    "Where should I go if not with you?" Dusk said in an arrogant manner.Although what he said showed that he already put his trust on them.


    Luo Yan chuckled."That¡¯s true.Then what shall we do about all these treasures of Master Dusk here in the cave?"


    Dusk looked around the cave filled with gold coins and other things that might either be valuable or not."Seal the cave.Then this king wille back once everything is settled."


    And here Luo Yan thought that they could have a go with all these treasures.Well, what Dusk said was very understandable.After all, dragons were known to be quite possessive of their treasures.Anyway, maybe the contents of this cave would be part of the rewards that would be given to them once they finished the hidden task.


    "Shall we leave then?" he asked once they decided what to do with the treasures in the cave.


    Dusk raised his head and looked at Luo Yan."You, carry me."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows.Before he could answer, Eclipse suddenly jumped to his arms.Then Shen Ji Yun picked up the dragon by the scruff of his neck.


    "What are you doing?Put down¡ª" Dusk was unable to continue what he¡¯s saying because of the ice-cold re the qilin gave him.


    "I will carry you, understand?" Shen Ji Yun said in a voice as cold as ice.


    The dragon couldn¡¯t do anything but nod.

 Chapter 284 WALKING BACK TO THE VILLAGE

    LUO YAN nced down at the sleeping dragon tied in a vine and being carried by Shen Ji Yun like a lump of meat.After they sealed the cave containing the dragon¡¯s treasure, Shen Ji Yun suddenly threw a purple potion towards the dragon making Dusk fell asleep immediately.And it seemed like it was not an ordinary purple potion to boot.Therge purple potion could only make its target sleep for 10 seconds.But Dusk had already been asleep for more than 10 seconds now.So, Luo Yan was sure that the purple potion that Shen Ji Yun used was modified in some way.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect him to do something like that, so he didn¡¯t react fast enough to stop him.He shook his head.It seemed like Shen Ji Yun really didn¡¯t like Dusk.Although he could understand why.The dragon was naturally arrogant and couldn¡¯t really properly express his feelings.So, everything he said came out harsh even if he was doing it unintentionally.That¡¯s probably just his character setting ¨C a proud dragon who had a little bit of a tsundere trait.


    Dusk reminded him a bit of Luo Jin, so, he didn¡¯t find him annoying.In fact, he felt that the dragon was also quite cute.But that probably wasn¡¯t the case for Shen Ji Yun.As evidence of how he also couldn¡¯t get along with Luo Jin.For him, Dusk was probably just a noisy little thing he wanted to get rid of.


    It also didn¡¯t help that the dragon was showing obvious preference towards Luo Yan.Knowing Shen Ji Yun, he was probably eating the dragon¡¯s vinegar.So, the favorability of Dusk in his mind also fell to the bottom.He sighed.Shen Ji Yun being a big vinegar jar just showed that he was very possessive towards him.


    Something that was really unexpected for Luo Yan.After all, Shen Ji Yun had a very inherently cold temperament.Who would have thought that he would be like that when he found someone he liked?Like a big block of ice that have a smoldering me inside.Well, the good thing was, despite that, Shen Ji Yun never really acted on it.If one didn¡¯t observe him carefully, they wouldn¡¯t even notice he had that side.Which was adorable in a way.


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s side profile.[Well, it¡¯s one of his charms, I guess.]


    [Charm?Whose charm, Mashter?] ¨C Eclipse asked, probably hearing what he thought just now.


    He patted the little fox¡¯s head who was currently sitting on his shoulder.[Nothing.]


    If he told this guy he was talking about his favorite Captain, there would certainly be another round of teasing.


    "Brother Ji Yun, does the Origin Vige of each race differ greatly?" he thought of asking.


    It had been on his mind since they met the dragon.If all the races had their own Origin Vige and it was simr to the vige of the moon elves, then howe the dragon was referring to himself as ¡¯this king¡¯?Especially when the person with the highest authority in a vige was the Elder.


    Unless, there were other ces in Arcadia other than the Origin Viges where these races considered as their ¡¯home¡¯.


    "Yes.The humans¡¯ Origin Vige is pretty bigpared to others," Shen Ji Yun answered.It¡¯s because when a yer chose the ¡¯random selection¡¯ option, the most likely result would be the human race.That¡¯s just how the algorithm of the game worked.So, they needed to make the human Origin Vige as big as they could to amodate therge number of new yers every day."Your race¡¯s Origin Vige is actually considered as quite smallpared to others."


    It¡¯s mostly because it¡¯s hard to get the newly added ¡¯Special¡¯ race via random selection.These new races were just added after thetest update.So, the number of yers who got them since then was pretty low.The programming department already predicted that.So, they didn¡¯t design arge vige.


    "Then how about the Origin Vige of Legendary races?"


    "The Legendary races have a small poption.The probability of getting them through random selection is pretty low.So, their Origin Vige was also not that big," Shen Ji Yun answered."My vige was only slightly bigger than yours.Butpared to yours, there were hardly any other qilins there.I think it¡¯s the same for the other Legendary races."


    The department involved in making the stories for each task and the backstories of each NPC included it in the narrative ¨C that it was hard for qilins, phoenixes, dragons, etc. to conceive.At most, a new beast egg from these races could only be born every one hundred years.Thus, theck in their numbers.


    "Is there some kind of royalty within the Legendary races?" Luo Yan asked.It was another thing that had been bothering him."And were these ¡¯royalties¡¯ lived in a different ce other than their race¡¯s Origin Vige?"


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to finally understand what he was thinking."Are you wondering why this dragon was calling himself as ¡¯this king¡¯?"


    Luo Yan nodded."Yeah.I mean, it could help us in finding out his real identity."


    "I¡¯ve never really heard of something like that when I was in my Origin Vige.But then again, I didn¡¯t really stay that long there."


    Besides that, Shen Ji Yun had never really been interested in tasks that had too much backstories.He preferred those where he just had to kill a certain monster and the likes.So, he never went out of his way to investigate those type of things.


    That answer was not really beyond Luo Yan¡¯s expectations."We could probably ask the Elder of my vige about that as well.Maybe he could give us an important piece of information."


    [This lizard is really one pain in the butt.] ¨C Eclipsemented on the side, as if he was the one going to do all the investigations.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when he heard that.


    And as their conversation continued, they finally arrived back at the entrance of the moon elves¡¯ vige.

 Chapter 285 BAD GUY AND CUTE RABBIT

    LUO YAN noticed that the Gatekeeper was not there and another NPC was ying the role of a temporary Gatekeeper.This was probably rted to the invitation they received from the Gatekeeper earlier.After all, it would be rather inconvenient if they started their discussion in front of the vige¡¯s entrance.


    Before they reached the entrance of the vige, Shen Ji Yun suddenly picked a huge leaf from a nearby nt.Then he covered the dragon¡¯s body with the leaf, tying it so that only his head could be seen.Luo Yan almost tripped when he saw that.


    Eclipse, on the other hand,ughed so happily.[Captain is really funny.Now that lizard looks like an ugly dumpling.]


    Luo Yan felt a bitplicated.Shen Ji Yun probably covered the dragon so that the moon elves in the vige wouldn¡¯t make that much of a fuss when they saw him.It seemed like Shen Ji Yun really didn¡¯t like Dusk.


    "Brother Ji Yun, do you still n to make Dusk your, ahm, pet?"


    Shen Ji Yun nced at Luo Yan.When he saw his rabbit waiting for his answer eagerly, he knew that the other still wanted him to tame this dragon.So, how could he say ¡¯no¡¯?


    "Yeah."


    Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that.He truly thought it would be a shame if Shen Ji Yun refused.After all, it¡¯s not every day that one could see a dragon and have a chance to make them their pet.He wanted Shen Ji Yun to make Dusk as his pet because he thought he would look really cool with a dragon by his side.Just imagining Shen Ji Yun riding on top of a ck dragon was already making him excited.Because, well, that picture was just too exhrating.


    "Then, Brother Ji Yun, why are you treating him so poorly?" he couldn¡¯t help but ask."Don¡¯t you want to... get along with him?He might not agree to be your pet."


    "It doesn¡¯t matter if he agrees or not.Have you forgotten how yers could get a pet?One is to obtain a beast egg and raised them until hatching, just like what you did.And the other is to beat the monster they wanted to tame until their HP reached a level where a notification asking them if they wanted to make that monster as a pet appeared.I just have to do thetter.Then, even if he doesn¡¯t like me, he has no choice but to follow my orders.Because by that time, I would be his master."


    So, you¡¯re saying you would just beat him to submission?Luo Yan could only ¡¯ha-ha¡¯.What else could he say, really?So, he could only change the subject.


    "Ah, Brother Ji Yun, where did you get the purple potion you used earlier?It¡¯s modified, right?" he was really kind of curious about that.


    "I bought it at Potions and Cauldrons.It¡¯s the shop of Bian Que located at Alryne City.All the potions he makes are disyed there.He had modified a lot of general potions and made it even better," Shen Ji Yun answered, talking about the number one Alchemist in the game.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows.Based on the purple potion that Shen Ji Yun used earlier, it could be seen that this Alchemist really did have real skills.Now, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of business the number one Alchemist nned to propose to him.Remembering some of the information he read about him in the game forum, it would definitely be profitable.


    The temporary Gatekeeper greeted them and they both walked inside the vige.Just like earlier, the moon elves were very enthusiastic when they saw Shen Ji Yun.Really, it¡¯s like seeing a group of people moring over a popr idol.Although qilins were rare creatures in this game, he still couldn¡¯t understand how these moon elves ¨C who could also be considered as rare creatures ¨C could go this gaga over Shen Ji Yun.Was it because Shen Ji Yun was too handsome?Luo Yan felt that that was very reasonable.


    Since he already witnessed something like this earlier, he was no longer that surprised and just ignored these fanboys and fangirls.Pulling Shen Ji Yun along with him.


    Shen Ji Yun looked down at their hands that was once again connected.A small imperceptible smile crossed his lips.If they could hold hands like this more often, then he wouldn¡¯t mind being surrounded by crowds from time to time.


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, when will Dusk return to his original form?" he thought of asking.


    "He could break the seal on his own once he was fully healed.He might seem okay now, but there¡¯s a high chance that he also had a lot of internal injuries."That¡¯s the main reason why Shen Ji Yun was able to seal the original form of this dragon so easily.


    "Do these NPC Legendary races have a humanoid form?" Luo Yan asked.It¡¯s one of the things he was most curious about.


    "They do."


    [Wait- does that mean that this lizard could also turn into a handsome guy like Captain?] ¨C Eclipse interrupted.[No, no, no, that¡¯s uneptable.If he could do it, then Eclipse also want to turn into someone beautiful like Mashter!]


    Luo Yan patted Eclipse furry head to calm his excitement.


    Shen Ji Yun noticed that his attention was transferred to the little fox on his shoulder."What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Nothing.Eclipse was just asking if he could also have a humanoid form."


    "Hmm... I¡¯m not really sure but I think it¡¯s possible."


    Eclipse¡¯s eyes suddenly shone brighter.[Mashter, Mashter, could Eclipse really have a humanoid form?]


    [Well, let your master investigate about thatter.]


    [Okay!]


    Luo Yan turned his attention back to Shen Ji Yun and asked the thing he mostly wanted to ask since they entered the dragon¡¯s cave; "Then, does that mean that Brother Ji Yun can also turn into a qilin?"


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down at Lou Yan.Seeing his rabbit looked at him with eyes filled with curiosity, he felt like a soft feather just scratched his heart.Making him want to tease this little rabbit.


    "I can.Do you want to see my..."He raised their hands that were still intertwined together, as if he was about to kiss the back of Luo Yan¡¯s hand.He looked at him meaningfully, as if what he was about to say next was something unspeakable. Then a teasing smile crossed his lips before he continued, "... transformation?"


    Luo Yan felt like all the blood on his body just rushed up to his face. Realizing that this guy just teased him, he pulled his hand back and red at Shen Ji Yun. "Bad guy."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s low maic voice chuckled.He stretched out his hand and pinched Luo Yan¡¯s cheek."Cute rabbit."

 Chapter 286 HIS CHANGE IS ONLY FOR HIS RABBIT

    SHEN JI YUN stared at Luo Yan¡¯s reddened cheeks and ring blue eyes.His rabbit was probably trying to look fierce but in his eyes, he looked like a cute, ripe peach instead.He felt like a new door suddenly opened in front of him.And he couldn¡¯t help but be addicted to this feeling.He wanted to tease him more, peel off those sweet pink rind and taste the sumptuous fruit inside.


    Then he stopped.What the heck was he thinking just now?It¡¯s like his brain was suddenly filled with yellow materials.Would he slowly be someone like that frivolous vampire wannabe captain of team Sanguis?No.He was definitely thinking too much.He would not definitely turn like that guy.After all, he was confident that he would only ever want to act like this towards Luo Yan.


    But he still felt embarrassed by his actions just now.So, he regretfully took back his hand.His whole face slowly heating up.He scratched his nose and tried to hide his embarrassment.


    "Ah... let¡¯s go?" he said because the two of them both had stopped walking.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s blushing face and narrowed his eyes. [Now you suddenly know how to be shy, huh?]


    Thinking of the other¡¯s set of actions just now, his heart felt itchy.When did Shen Ji Yun suddenly learn those things?It¡¯s like he was purposely seducing him.Wait- maybe he really did that on purpose.So, he could tempt him.It¡¯s probably one of his strategies so he could make him fall for him.He must admit, it was a bit effective.Because his heart did skip a beat.


    Did Shen Ji Yun read some kind of weird love guide online that¡¯s why he¡¯d been acting weird from time to time?Then he remembered that after Mid-Autumn Festival, this guy had never used his alt ount again and had been using his real game avatar.Then a sudden thought entered his mind.Could it be possible that this guy only realized his feelings for him after they met again during the Mid-Autumn Festival?


    He looked at Shen Ji Yun suspiciously.Considering how much of an innocent kid this guy was when it came to emotions, that was really highly probable.Meeting him again in person probably sparked something in him.The thing he did on the rooftop of theputer science department building probably helped a lot for Shen Ji Yun to realize his own feelings.


    If he remembered correctly, after Luo Yan hugged him and bit his chin, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s actions were a bit weird.He avoided him for the rest of the afternoon.Luo Yan even thought that he offended him.After all, which straight man would like another man to do something like that to them.But it turned out that that was not the case.


    Shen Ji Yun was probably just having an existential crisis at that moment.Questioning his own feelings.Both of them were the same gender after all.With this country¡¯s not so good view on same s.e.x love, it was the norm to think that being in love with another man was wrong and sinful.Not many could be open-minded enough to ept something that the society considered as bad.


    Maybe he was thinking back then if his feelings were wrong.If it was simply a mistake.Or maybe, he even thought that he was abnormal for liking someone of the same s.e.x.If Shen Ji Yun really did, Luo Yan would definitely beat him up.What, was being gay a disease?It¡¯s not.That kind of thinking was the reason why their society couldn¡¯t be more progressive.


    But Shen Ji Yun probably already figured out what he should do, because the next day, he showed up at the airport acting all normal.No, wait, he wasn¡¯t really acting all that normal.He looked at him back then with such gentle eyes that Luo Yan felt that he would be blinded.Which meant that he was no longer confused, he epted his feelings for Luo Yan and decided to pursue him.


    Knowing this guy, he probably considered everything before finally making that decision.Which showed that he was ready to face whatever it was they needed to face in the future if ever he seeded in chasing him.That included their families, their friends, and the society that would definitely point fingers at them.This guy would no doubt shield him from those things.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t know how to react once he thought of that possibility.He already had a good grasp of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s personality despite only knowing each other for more than two months.So, he was sure that this guy¡¯s honor would definitely not allow him to face any kind of hardship.After all, in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s opinion, he was the one who took him in this path.


    He sighed and nced again at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s overly handsome face.The reason why the other had been using his real game avatar these days was probably because he was using the ¡¯beauty trap¡¯ strategy to lure him in.They have only known each other for such a short time and yet he already managed to make this big block of ice to act like this.He would use ¡¯beauty trap¡¯ and even learned to tease and flirt.He suddenly felt guilty.Just what did he do to this innocent cinnamon roll?


    "Yan Yan?" called Shen Ji Yun in a worried tone.


    Luo Yan looked up at him.He was probably worried that he was still angry because of what he did.He sighed again.Forget it.Let¡¯s forgive him this once.So, he just stretched out his hand and also pinched the other¡¯s cheek.


    "Don¡¯t tease me again, okay?"


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down, feeling the heat of Luo Yan¡¯s fingers on his cheek."But what if I couldn¡¯t control myself?" he found himself saying.


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes widened a bit.The feeling that this guy was abducted and was reced by others became even stronger.He let go of his cheek and red."Then don¡¯t me me for retaliating."


    After he said that, he started to walk towards the yurt of the Elder.Leaving Shen Ji Yun behind, not caring if the other followed or not.


    [Mashter, was that it?Eclipse hasn¡¯t eaten enough dog food yet!] ¨C the ever-reliable fox sitting on his shoulderined.


    Luo Yan just pressed his temples and felt that he was already close to having a headache.

 Chapter 287 A BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE DRAGON

    WHEN they reached the Elder¡¯s yurt, Luo Yan¡¯s mood was mostly back to normal.It helped that Shen Ji Yun was no longer doing any shenanigans.The one who was guarding the entrance of the yurt was the NPC he first met in the game ¨C Ivan.The other still looked as emotionless as ever.


    "So, you¡¯re really back," Ivan said.


    "Yeah, just for a while," Luo Yan said."Is the Elder inside?Can we meet him?"


    Ivan nced at Shen Ji Yun standing behind Luo Yan."Please, wait a while.I¡¯ll ask the Elder first."


    After saying that, Ivan went inside.It didn¡¯t take long before he came back.He opened the door and gestured for them to go in."You can enter."


    Luo Yan said his thanks and walked inside.Shen Ji Yun silently followed.The beautiful Elder with his long white hair and blue eyes speckled with gold was sitting at the middle of the simple room, peacefully drinking tea.He raised his head and looked at them with gentle eyes.


    "Wee back, Noctis.I hope you have learned a lot during your travel outside," the Elder said in that calming voice of his.


    "Yes, Elder.I also have grown stronger," Luo Yan said.


    The Elder smiled and then nced at Shen Ji Yun."Wee to our humble vige, great qilin."


    He bowed his head slightly, showing respect but not acting overly humble.After all, even if the one in front of him was one of the Legendary races, he was still the Elder of the Moon Elves.Luo Yan was once again amazed by how self-aware these NPCs were.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded towards the Elder.


    "Please, sit, the both of you," the Elder said gesturing to the two seats in front of him.


    The two sat side by side.


    The Elder nced at the fox sitting on Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder then at the little dragon covered with a huge leaf.His eyes slightly widened when he saw thetter.


    "I take it, you¡¯re here because of this little one?" he said, obviously talking about the dragon.Then he chuckled."I probably shouldn¡¯t call him that.If my guess is correct, he¡¯s the sleeping dragon in the cave.Am I right?"


    "Yes, Elder," Luo Yan admitted.Because, really, there¡¯s no point in hiding that fact."Brother YUN destroyed the Eternal Lotus that was on theke located at the Silent Marsh.The lotus was the one that made that area like that ¨C it¡¯s not really per se ¡¯silent¡¯, it¡¯s just that the whole ce was suspended in time.The same goes for the dragon.He wasn¡¯t actually ¡¯sleeping¡¯ but was just in suspended animation.That¡¯s why when the Eternal Lotus was gone, he also ¡¯woke up¡¯.He was in a pretty bad shape.Brother YUN had to turn him into this form to help him heal."


    "I see," the Elder said seemingly not surprised of what he heard."I???ve long suspected that the Eternal Lotus was the reason why the Silent Marsh became like that.I asked the former Elder, my father, about that but he never admitted it.He just warned me that once I be the next Elder, I should not let our people go there.It¡¯s always been a mystery to me why he said that.I just simply attributed it to the fact that the dragon of the legend was there and he didn¡¯t want me to make any stupid decision that could wake the dragon."


    "Elder, could destroying the Eternal Lotus have any negative impact on the surrounding Crescent Woonds and the vige as well?" Luo Yan asked, a bit worried.He didn¡¯t want to bring some kind of destruction to the moon elves just because he wanted Shen Ji Yun to make the dragon as his pet.He had a feeling that that would be another set of tasks for him.


    The Elder shook his head."No, I don¡¯t think that that was the case.When I had that conversation with the former Elder, I had a feeling that he was only worried that the dragon would wake up."


    "Could you borate on that?" Shen Ji Yun said.Then as if realizing that he sounded a bit rude and abrupt, he added, "Please."


    Luo Yan chuckled.This guy could really be so adorable sometimes.


    "I¡¯m not really familiar with the details. But when I was a child, I heard a conversation between my father and another moon elf. I didn¡¯t really hear their conversation properly. But I¡¯m certain that they were talking about the dragon sleeping in the Silent Marsh. If you want to know more information regarding the dragon, I suggest that you talk to that elf," the Elder said, probably realizing that the reason they wanted to talk to him was because of the dragon they brought with them.


    "Does the Elder know the name of that moon elf?Is he also living in this vige?" Luo Yan asked.


    "His name is Lhoris.And no, he¡¯s no longer in this vige.Last I heard, he was working at a ce called Tropical Land."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows.Tropical Land was the only amus.e.m.e.nt park at Arcadia and was located at the biggest and most morous city ¨C Alryne.He winced a bit.Because his level was still not enough to enter that city.It seemed like he had to level up first before they could continue on with this task.He doubted if Shen Ji Yun would be willing to go there alone without him.Because he had a feeling that the other was only here because of him.


    They continued to talk to the Elder but when they couldn¡¯t get any more useful information, they decided to say goodbye.Out of the yurt, Luo Yan noticed that Shen Ji Yun had been silent for a while.He guessed that he was probably thinking of the task.


    What he didn¡¯t know was, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brain was only filled with the words ¡¯Tropical Land¡¯.Because going there could only mean one thing for him ?? a date with his rabbit at an amus.e.m.e.nt park!

 Chapter 288 SHEN JI YUNS DAYDREAM

    "I GUESS we wouldn¡¯t be able to finish this task today," Luo Yan said when they were a few steps away from the Elder¡¯s yurt.


    Although he already expected that, he didn¡¯t expect that the main reason would be because of his game level.He was only at level 79 right now.He needed another seven levels to be able to enter Alryne City.He probably could grind that level thising week.But the problem was, he wasn¡¯t nning to y too vigorously this week.It¡¯s because of the two-day monthly exam that would be held on Thursday and Friday.


    The third-year students in the high school department of Guizu Academy were required to take a mock exam every month.It was to prepare the students for the ever-dreaded College Entrance Examination.In fact, the learning environment at Guizu was pretty rigorous.The teachers were strict and had high requirements for their students.There¡¯s almost no day that the students didn¡¯t leave the ssroom without any assignments in their hands.


    Luo Yan had a particrissez-faire attitude regarding studying.Because he had already learned all these things.It¡¯s like he¡¯s only taking a refresher course.Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t study at all.He¡¯s not some kind genius with an eidetic memory.He couldn¡¯t possibly remember all the things that he had learned more than a decade ago.But because he did already learn those things, it was much easier for him to learn them again.His learning speed would be, or course, much faster than his ssmates.


    That¡¯s why he¡¯s also not worried about the College Entrance Examination.Although those two days of examination was indeed hellish.Since he had already experienced it, there wasn¡¯t much pressure on his part unlike the others.After all, it¡¯s the exam that would dictate the future of the third-year high school students of this country.Their 12-year education was all for that one exam ¨C to pass it and get into a good university.


    But since he had already passed it once, he was not worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to pass it again.So, despite being in the busiest year of high school, Luo Yan still had time to y games.


    He, then, only noticed that Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t reply to what he said.He turned his head to the side and looked at the other¡¯s handsome side profile.Although he still looked expressionless as always, his amethysts eyes didn¡¯t have any focus.As if he was in a daze.But what should he be in a daze for?


    Eclipse who seemed to pick up his master¡¯s confused thought said, [Maybe Captain is thinking hard about how to solve the task.]


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows and nced at the little fox sitting on his shoulder.He thought this little guy would say something embarrassing again.After all, most of the words that came out of his mouth today were either praising Shen Ji Yun to an almost unbearable degree or shamelessly pairing Luo Yan up with the other.


    [When did you be so sensible?] ¨C he asked, teasing his little pet.


    Eclipse immediately pouted.[Eclipse is always sensible.Eclipse is the most sensible kitsune in the world.]


    Luo Yan could only chuckle.[Yes, yes, you are sensible.]


    He the nced again at Shen Ji Yun and noticed that he was still in a daze."Brother Ji Yun?" he called, trying to catch the other¡¯s attention.When Shen Ji Yun finally turned his head to him, he continued, "Did you hear what I said just now?"


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to wake up from daydreaming.Just now, his brain was filled with images of him and Luo Yan going to the amus.e.m.e.nt park.He even thought of their itinerary.They could ride the exciting rides first ¨C like roller coaster and gyro tower, then visit some well-known attractions like the horror house - maybe if Luo Yan got scared he would hug him, eat amus.e.m.e.nt park food, and finally when the nightes, he would ask him to ride the Ferris wheel.


    He read from one of the books he downloaded before that when you go to an amus.e.m.e.nt park for a date, you should put the Ferris wheel as thest destination.Because it¡¯s more romantic that way.Though he really couldn¡¯t understand why that was so.Since there¡¯s no harm in trying, why not just follow it?


    Maybe he should also ask Brother Zhao if they could add a firework disy while he and Luo Yan were in the Ferris wheel.It would be best to appear when the Ferris wheel car they were riding on was at the very top.That¡¯s definitely more romantic, right?


    His mind was full of those things when he heard Luo Yan calling him.Then he tried to recall what he said to him earlier.


    Luo Yan noticed that the other seemed to not have heard what he said earlier, so he said it again.Then added with a bit of teasing in his voice, "What were you thinking so seriously that you didn¡¯t even hear me?"


    "Nothing," Shen Ji Yun immediately said.How could he tell him that he was daydreaming about their possible amus.e.m.e.nt park date?"Just thinking about the task," he added to be more authentic.


    Luo Yan nodded, that¡¯s also what he thought.


    "It¡¯s okay even if we can¡¯t finish the task today.We can just go to that amus.e.m.e.nt park next weekend once your level is enough to go to Alryne City," Shen Ji Yun said, replying to his previous statement, knowing that Luo Yan was probably worried about that.


    "I have an exam on Thursday and Friday.I might no be able to y too much this week," Luo Yan said.Meaning he might still not able to reach level 86 by next weekend."If my level is still not enough by Friday, I¡¯ll try to grind next Saturday."


    "It¡¯s okay, you can take it slow," Shen Ji Yun said.Although he did want to go to that amus.e.m.e.nt park and have a date with his rabbit, Luo Yan¡¯s education was even more important."We could just go there anytime we want.The Gamekeeper didn¡¯t mention any deadline on this task, so there¡¯s no rush.Besides, it¡¯s not like this dragon could go anywhere anyway."


    Luo Yan thought about it and nodded."Okay.Thank you, Brother Ji Yun.Then," he nced down at the poor dragon whose body was covered in a huge leaf."Is Brother Ji Yun going to take care of Dusk?"


    A very unwilling expression appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face when he heard that.It almost made Luo Yanugh.


    Shen Ji Yun looked down at Luo Yan¡¯s amused smile.He¡¯s probablyughing at his childish action just now.So, he coughed and returned his expression back to normal.How could he let his rabbit think that he¡¯s immature?


    "Yes," he said with no ups and downs in his voice but deep inside, he was still very unwilling.


    He nned to just throw this dragon on his floating ind and left him there.Then he stopped after realizing something.That ind was his and Luo Yan¡¯s special ce ¨C although that fact was only known to him.How could he let this dragon roam there?What if he burnt the ce?Taking back that idea, he decided to just lock the dragon at their team¡¯s headquarters.


    "Then shall we go to the Gatekeeper¡¯s house?" Luo Yan asked, thinking that there¡¯s still a possible task waiting for them.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded and Luo Yan led the way.

 Chapter 289 TO THE GATEKEEPERS COTTAGE

    "I WILL try to look for clues during this week," Shen Ji Yun said while they were walking.


    "Then I¡¯ll also help¡ª"


    "No," he said, cutting off what Luo Yan was about to say."Just focus on reviewing for your exam on Thursday and Friday."Then as if thinking that what he said wasn¡¯t enough, he added, "Also, try to lessen your ying time this week."


    Luo Yan was amused by his reminder."Brother Ji Yun, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a good student.I will definitely not fail my exams," he assured him.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded.He had no doubt about that.After all, his rabbit was so smart.But it didn¡¯t hurt to take precaution.Luo Yan was still a high school student.His study should be on a much higher position on his list of priorities.Of course, much higher than gaming.


    Although they could only temporarily meet inside the game right now, he wouldn¡¯t want Luo Yan to sacrifice his education just so he could see him and interact with him more often.How could he just do that?That would be too selfish of him.So, even though he wouldn¡¯t be able to see him more often this week, he still advised him to study instead of y games.


    Anyway, next year when Luo Yan entered university, there would be countless chance for them to meet in real life.Since the other already decided to go to T University.He was not worried that Luo Yan would change his mind.He saw his reaction when they visited the said university during the Mid-Autumn Festival.He could tell that Luo Yan did intend to go to his university.


    He only had to wait for another year.No, wait, it¡¯s the 22nd of September today.So, his actual waiting time would be 345 days.That¡¯s 20 days less.He probably should mark his phone calendar.He should also put a countdown timer just in case.


    Soon, they reached the small cottage of the Gatekeeper.It still looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale ¨C a cute cottage surrounded by trees, vines, and wild flowers.


    Luo Yan walked up to the door and knocked.It only took a few seconds before the door opened.The one who opened it was a teenage moon elf with the usual white hair and green eyes.The name ¡¯Filli¡¯ was on top of his head.When he saw Luo Yan, his eyes brightened.


    "Noctis!You¡¯re really back!" Filli greeted excitedly."How was your trip outside?What kind of adventures did you experience?"


    Luo Yan ruffled the elf¡¯s hair."Wait until youring of age ceremony.Then you¡¯ll know the answer yourself."


    "Eh- why can¡¯t you just tell me?" Filliined, pulling Luo Yan¡¯s hand."Please, Noctis?"


    [Mashter, why is this kid acting like a baby in front of you?This is not allowed.Eclipse is Mashter¡¯s only baby!] ¨C the little fox on his shoulderined.[Look, even Captain look displeased.]


    At first, Luo Yan thought this was another one of Eclipse¡¯s nonsense, but when the little fox said thest sentence, he couldn¡¯t help but nced sideways at Shen Ji Yun standing beside him.There was an almost imperceptible frown on the other¡¯s face.He was also looking coldly at Filli¡¯s hand that was holding his.This guy probably wanted to tear Filli away from him.But because he knew deep inside that would be too unreasonable, he held it in.


    Luo Yan almost chuckled.Seriously, it seemed like this guy would eat the vinegar of anyone.So, as to not further aggravate the big vinegar jar, he took back his hand."This is a friend I met through one of my adventures," he said, transferring Filli¡¯s attention to Shen Ji Yun.


    Sure enough, when Filli saw Shen Ji Yun, just like the other moon elves, his eyes brightened and he looked at him as if he was looking at a big superstar."Lord Qilin! How did you and Noctis meet?Can you tell me some of your great adventure?Is it true that the legendary qilins are as big as the dragon race?"


    Shen Ji Yun had no ns of answering.So, he just looked coldly at the NPC in front of him.


    Then a voice from inside the cabin spoke."Filli, stop harassing our guests," the Gatekeeper scolded."Weren¡¯t you going to meet your friends?"


    Filli appeared very reluctant.But at the end, he still said, "Yes."He turned his attention back to Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun."Noctis,e and visit us again, okay?You as well, Lord Qilin."


    After saying that, he waved goodbye to them and ran out of the cabin.


    "I apologized for my son¡¯s behavior.He could be a bit overly excited sometimes," the Gatekeeper apologized.


    "It¡¯s alright, Gatekeeper.There¡¯s no harm done," Luo Yan said.


    "Please,e inside," the Gatekeeper said, gesturing for them to go inside.The two walked inside the cabin and sat on wooden chairs."Can I get you something to drink?"


    "No need.It would be best if you could directly tell us what you wanted to talk about," Shen Ji Yun said straightforwardly without going around the bush.


    "Yes, exalted one."The Gatekeeper sat down opposite them."I already mentioned to Noctis earlier that I found a clue regarding what happened to my wife.She suffered from a curse a few years ago.She got it when she did an errand outside the vige.When she came back, she was already cursed.It didn¡¯t take long before she died."There was a gloom between the Gatekeeper¡¯s eyebrows, as if reminiscing those sad and painful moments."Just a few days back, I found a clue that might shed some light as to what happened to her.And it might involve a member of a Legendary race."


    Luo Yan already suspected as much.If not, then this task would probably not be triggered because Shen Ji Yun ¨C a verified member of one of the Legendary races ¨C was with him.


    "Could I request help from Noctis and the exalted one?" the Gatekeeper continued, looking at them full of hope.


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun and the other nodded at him.So, he turned his attention back to the Gatekeeper and said, "Of course."


    After he said that, a holographic image of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mini-version ¨C the Gamekeeper in a butler¡¯s costume ¨C suddenly appeared in front of them.


    [Congrattions on triggering the hidden event task ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯!]

 Chapter 290 DETAILS OF FINNEAS CURSE (I)

    [THIS is a chain task, the first of which was ¡¯Save Filli¡¯.Sessfully finishing that and bringing a member of Legendary race with you to meet the Gatekeeper are the trigger for the next task ¨C ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯!]


    Hearing what the Gamekeeper said just proved what Luo Yan already guessed.So, he wasn¡¯t that surprised.


    [Finnea was the beautiful wife of the Gatekeeper who died tragically from a curse.Help the Gatekeeper find out all the details regarding his wife¡¯s death and get excellent rewards after.Good luck, dear yers!]


    Then the Gamekeeper disappeared.


    Luo Yan looked at the Gatekeeper who was still looking at them earnestly as if he didn¡¯t saw the Gamekeeper.Well, he probably didn¡¯t.After all, it¡¯s not part of his given script.Then Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun.


    He moved closer and whispered, "Did Brother Ji Yun see the Gamekeeper just now?"


    Because he didn¡¯t do the ¡¯Save Filli¡¯ task with Shen Ji Yun, he was worried that the other wouldn¡¯t be able to do the task with him.Wait- why was he worried about that?Could it be... he¡¯s actually getting used to doing task together with Shen Ji Yun?


    Because he was too immersed in that thought, he didn¡¯t notice the reddening of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ear tip.


    Shen Ji Yun wanted to raised his hand and scratch the ear where Luo Yan whispered.Every time the other does that, not only his ear felt itchy but his heart as well.But he wouldn¡¯t deny the fact that he liked it.For some reason, he felt that he was being a bit perverted again.


    He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassing thoughts."Yes, I saw him," he whispered back.


    Luo Yan no longer cared about his own careful thoughts and was simply relieved to hear Shen Ji Yun¡¯s answer."Then, we could do this task together?"


    Because of Luo Yan¡¯s question, Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help but nced down.He saw relief and a little bit of happiness on his rabbit¡¯s beautiful face.Does this mean that Luo Yan enjoyed being with him?Before his thoughts veered off again to another direction, he nodded and said, "Yes."


    Luo Yan was very satisfied with this answer.He turned his attention back to the Gatekeeper."Can the Gatekeeper tell us about the clue that you found?It would be better if you could also tell us all the details of what happened back then?" he said, thest one referring to what happened to the Gatekeeper¡¯s wife.


    "Of course, of course.My wife ¨C Finnea ¨C died five years ago.As I¡¯ve already mentioned, she went back with a curse put on her.She went out of the vige because she received a message from a friend.I didn¡¯t know who this friend was and I didn¡¯t ask much.You see, Finnea grew up outside the vige.So, she had a lot of friends outside.She only lived here after we married.There were times when she went out of the vige to meet up with her friends.I thought it was the same that time, she woulde back and tell me all the interesting thing that happened to her.Who would have thought that..."


    The Gatekeeper stopped and closed his eyes tightly as if suppressing the sadness and pain he was feeling.Luo Yan could only apud the game developers for programming NPCs that could show such raw emotions.When the Gatekeeper opened his eyes once again, he continued;


    "She was badly wounded when she returned, bleeding from all seven orifices.The Elder tried to heal her but the bleeding just wouldn¡¯t stop.It continued for the next few days until her blood slowly turned from red to dark red and finally to ck.ck, vein like marks also appeared on her skin.And on the fifth day, her body couldn¡¯t support the extreme blood loss and she- she passed away.The Elder said that it was most probably a curse.A very strong curse.


    "Finnea most likely encountered something and was attacked by someone.She barely managed to escape.And the first thing she did was to return here.The Elder said that it took a lot of willpower for her to be able to teleport her onest time.Probably just so she could see me and Filli.Because she knew that she most likely would¡ªshe was in aa after that.But before she lost consciousness, she uttered the word, ¡¯tower¡¯.


    "No one thought more about it.Even myself didn¡¯t think much when I heard it.But then, a few days ago, when I was cleaning up my wife¡¯s tomes, so I could put them on a new shelf that I made, I identally let go of a few volumes and a piece of small paper flew out.Written on it with my wife¡¯s handwriting were the words ¨C ¡¯Tower of Edia¡¯.


    "Seeing that, I suddenly remembered thest word that my wife said.I couldn¡¯t help but think that she was referring to this ¡¯Tower of Edia¡¯.So, I asked the Elder if he could cast a spell on the paper to know when it was written.And sure enough, it was written just the day before my wife left to meet her friend.So, I was much more certain of my guess.


    "The ¡¯Tower of Edia¡¯ is a ce where people worship the moon goddess ¨C Edia.Most of the its priests are very powerful beings.It was even rumored that the High Priest sitting at its very top belongs to a Legendary race.That¡¯s why the Elder warned me not to do anything rash.But I just- I just couldn¡¯t do nothing!I¡ª"


    The Gatekeeper clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.It was obvious that his emotion was agitated to the extreme.He wasn¡¯t even breathing normally, as if he would have a panic attack any second now.


    "We understand, Gatekeeper," Luo Yan quickly said before this NPC really did have a panic attack."We already promised to help you.And so, we will."


    Then he gathered everything the Gatekeeper said and fell into a deep thought.

 Chapter 291 DETAILS OF FINNEAS CURSE (II)

    THERE were two important points in what the Gatekeeper just told them.One ¨C the fact that Finnea didn¡¯t grow up here, and two ¨C what happened to her most likely involved this Tower of Edia.In this task, the focus should be on these two points.After all, if they¡¯re not important to the task, the Gatekeeper wouldn¡¯t mention it at all.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun.It also happened that the other also nced at him.When their gazes met, he could see in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s amethyst eyes that he was also thinking of the same thing.He secretly smiled.This kind of tacit understanding was really a bit, well, magical to say the least.It¡¯s like ¡¯you look at me, I look at you, and we both know what we want to convey¡¯, that kind of feeling.The only reason he could think of was because they were both smart people.


    Of course, the premise was it didn¡¯t involve anything that dealt with emotion.If they also have tacit understanding on that front, then Shen Ji Yun would have long discovered that Luo Yan already knew about his feelings for him.But s, when it came to things rted to emotion, this cinnamon roll was a bit slow.He could now flirt a bit.But he was only doing it unconsciously.After he realized what he¡¯d done, he would be the first one to be embarrassed.


    It¡¯s kind of adorable in a way.And a bit problematic as well.


    Because he was doing it unconsciously, Luo Yan was always caught off-guard.Which resulted in his heartbeat beating abnormally.If this continued, his judgement might soon be affected by it.


    He looked at the guy sitting beside him with a bit of resentment in his gaze.This hidden Casanova.


    Shen Ji Yun thought he saw Luo Yan looking at him resentfully.But when he looked again, his expression was already back to normal.He shook his head.It might have been just his imagination.Because there¡¯s no reason his rabbit would hate him.So, he just turned his attention back to the NPC sitting in front of them.


    "Could you tell us more about the childhood of your wife?Like howe she didn¡¯t grow up in the vige?" he asked.


    "When her mother died, her father decided to live outside the vige.I¡¯m not really sure about all the details, but she told me once that her father was working as a member of a mercenary group.From her stories, I could tell that she was taken care of by them.When we decided to get married, she agreed to live here in the vige," the Gatekeeper answered.


    If Finnea¡¯s father was a mercenary and she grew up under the care of a mercenary group, then there¡¯s a big chance that she also became one.Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to voice his suspicion."Was there a chance that your wife was also a mercenary?"


    The Gatekeeper looked down."Yes, I also suspected as much.But I didn¡¯t ask her much about it.I wanted to respect her privacy.If she didn¡¯t want to tell me about it, I shouldn¡¯t delve too much into it.But now that I think about it, maybe I should have asked more.Maybe... maybe I wouldn¡¯t be left in the dark as to what really happened to her."He looked at them."Do you perhaps think that what happened to her was rted to that mercenary group?"


    "It¡¯s possible," Luo Yan answered.


    If Finnea really was a member of this mercenary group, then the ¡¯friend¡¯ she was nning to meet might also be a mercenary that belonged to the same group.Maybe every time she went out of the vige, she was doing some kind of task for that mercenary group.That time too, it was probably the same.And the task she had to do was most likely rted to the Tower of Edia.


    "Do you know the name of this mercenary group and where we could find them?" Shen Ji Yun followed up.


    "Crimson Corps, that¡¯s the name.If I remember correctly, their headquarters is in Alryne City."


    Luo Yan almost didn¡¯t wince.Alryne City again?


    "Then, does the Gatekeeper have additional information about the Tower of Edia?" he asked.


    The Gatekeeper shook his head."I don¡¯t know much aside from the obvious that they¡¯re a powerful group that heavily worship the moon goddess."


    Luo Yan was not really familiar with the stories surrounding Arcadia.He just knew some of the mostmon ones.Like the king of Arcadia for example.He¡¯s the one and only ruler of Arcadia.It was said that he was the son of the moon goddess, that¡¯s why he was very powerful.One of his more popr back stories was about his rivalry with the Demon King of the Cursed Land ¨C it¡¯s a ce outside the jurisdiction of Arcadia where all criminals were exiled.That ce was sealed.All beings living there were forever trapped in that ce.


    There was a rumor in Arcadia¡¯s gamingmunity that the Demon King was actually the King of Arcadia¡¯s half-brother.The Demon King wanted the throne for himself so he staged a rebellion.But the King of Arcadia defeated him and he was thrown to the Cursed Land.Of course, that was not really proven.But it made for a good story, so, a lot of yers believed it.


    But Luo Yan had never heard much about this so-called Tower of Edia.He did know about the moon goddess.Just like the moon elves, most races in the game worshiped her.And that¡¯s the extent of his knowledge about her.It¡¯s not really surprising that this ¡¯moon goddess¡¯ was special.After all, he had already long noticed that ¡¯moon¡¯ was a recurring theme in this game.


    They talked with the Gatekeeper for a bit more.When they couldn¡¯t get any more viable information, they decided to leave.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Gatekeeper.We will definitely do our best to find out what really happened to your wife," Luo Yan assured the Gatekeeper.


    The Gatekeeper bowed deeply to them."Thank you very much."


    After saying their goodbyes, the two walked out of the Gatekeeper¡¯s small cottage.

 Chapter 292 PLANS FOR NEXT MONTH

    "IS Brother Ji Yun familiar with the Tower of Edia?" Luo Yan asked when they were a few distance away from the Gatekeeper¡¯s cottage.


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head."Not really.But that tower is almost equivalent to a church here in Arcadia."No, maybe it¡¯s more urate to call it a temple?After all, churches in Western culture usually have branches all over the ce.But it didn¡¯t really have that much of a difference.Both were still a symbol of religion."It¡¯s located at Garden of Eden ¨C one of thergest floating inds in Arcadia."


    Garden of Eden?Luo Yan almost cringed at the name.It¡¯s like an in-your-face advertis.e.m.e.nt, ¡¯look, this is the paradise dedicated to a goddess¡¯.Anyway, the game¡¯s questionable naming sense aside, he was quite surprised to hear that the tower was actually located at a floating ind.The King of Arcadia¡¯s pce was also on a floating ind.


    Speaking of floating inds, after Shen Ji Yun took him to his, he became a bit interested and searched on the forum just how much one would cost.It was 30,000 crystal coins per square meter.If one converted that to RMB, it would be almost the same as the market price in the real world.Showing just how expensive it was.


    Now that he thought about it, wasn¡¯t the headquarters of team Celestials also located on a floating ind?That one was even bigger than Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ind.That team must really have a lot of funds.


    He shook his head and decided to just focus on the topic at hand."Can anyone go there?"


    If you take the King¡¯s pce as an example, then it certainly wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Sure enough, Shen Ji Yun confirmed his guess."No.Only those who took task that was directly issued by the tower could teleport there.But those tasks rarely appeared in the Task Hall.I could search for an alternative way for us to go there.But it would probably take some time."


    He could probably simply ask Brother Zhao, but doing so would only be akin to cheating.He never used his identity as the nephew of the creator of Arcadia to get ahead in the game.All the achievements he gained in the game were the result of his hard work.The only time he ever did use it was when he helped Luo Yan with his pavilion.But this time was different.They were both doing a task.So, it¡¯s only fair to do it step by step.


    "It¡¯s okay.It would also take some time before I reached the right level to enter Alryne City anyway.So, there¡¯s no rush," Luo Yan shrugged.


    "I will still look for clues this week.That way, by the time you¡¯re able to go to Alryne City, all we have to do is to go to Tropical Land and the headquarters of the Crimson Corps," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Then he and Luo Yan would have more time to spend at the amus.e.m.e.nt park.


    "Is it really okay?Won¡¯t it take too much of your time?" Luo Yan asked worriedly.After all, the other was a college student."There¡¯s a National Day next week.We could just do both tasks then."


    Shen Ji Yun thought about it.Searching for clues together with his rabbit was definitely much more attractive than doing it alone.So, he didn¡¯t hesitate to say, "Okay, let¡¯s do that."


    That holiday would start on October 1st and wouldst for seven days.Luo Yan was confident that they could finish both tasks before school resumed.That was not the only thing that the holiday would cover.It would also signal the start of the new season of the Rookie Carnival.


    yers who wanted to join should register on the first day of next month.After that, there would be a two-day preliminary match on the 6th and the 7th.That preliminary would determine the 16 yers who would fight in a tournament like matches that would be held at thest weekend of October.


    And he still didn¡¯t have a powerful weapon in hand.Not only him but Luo Jin as well.He sighed.He wondered if it¡¯s alright to ask Yu Jiao if she could make the two of them weapons?Would it be too much to request that she finished it before the preliminary?He sighed once again.It almost felt like he¡¯s cramming and doing things at the veryst minute.


    It¡¯s because he didn¡¯t expect that he would encounter these two hidden tasks.Who would have thought that his simple wish to bring Shen Ji Yun to see the dragon would lead to them triggering these two tasks?He thought that he still had enough time.This just goes to show that people could never really be prepared enough.


    "Why are you sighing?" Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice broke his reverie.


    Luo Yan raised his head and saw the other¡¯s slightly frowning face.He could see worry in those beast-like amethyst eyes.He smiled."It¡¯s nothing.I¡¯m just thinking of the uing Rookie Carnival."


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit surprised when he heard that.He had almost forgotten that that rookie tournament would soon begin."You have nothing to worry about.With your strength, you will definitely be the champion of the carnival."


    [Yes, Mashter!You¡¯ll definitely be the champion!] ¨C Eclipse who had been silent for quite a while also echoed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s opinion.


    Luo Yan was startled.He expected as much from Eclipse.This little guy simply believe that he could do anything.But he didn¡¯t expect that Shen Ji Yun would be the same.He said it with such confidence and assurance as if it was already a foregone conclusion.


    His heart warmed.That warmth spread from that beating heart to the rest of his body.He smiled.He didn¡¯t even notice that his smile was brighter than usual.


    "Well then, I shouldn¡¯t disappoint my captain." He walked in front of Shen Ji Yun, turned around and faced the handsome qilin. "I will win the Rookie Carnival."

 Chapter 293 LEAVING THE VILLAGE

    SHEN JI YUN stared at Luo Yan¡¯s smile.He felt like it was even brighter than the sun itself.With the moon shining above and illuminating them, Lou Yan¡¯s white skin looked more luminous.His long white hair was like silk threads that appeared too soft to the touch.His pair of blue eyes dusted with gold were bent into crescents.The long white eyshes were like butterfly wings fanning his cheeks.


    There was only one thought in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mind right at this moment ¨C how could someone be so beautiful?


    It¡¯s not just his physical appearance.Luo Yan¡¯s beauty radiates from within.Like a bright light that couldn¡¯t be extinguished.Whenever he went, he was like a small beacon.Even if you put him in arge group of crowds, he would definitely be the first one to be noticed.


    Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help but start to worry.Luo Yan¡¯s horizon would just expand more and more as he experienced more things in life and as he met more people.Those people would surely find how good he was.Then they would fall in love with him.How could they not, when Luo Yan was so smart, beautiful, and charming?He could already foresee more and more rivals for him in the future.


    Just thinking about it was already giving him a headache.


    But he cheered himself up.He just had to work hard then.He believed that he could stand side by side with Luo Yan without appearing inferior.He had never really given any thoughts about his looks.But people often said that he was handsome, so, he must be.He believed that he was also quite intelligent.He was also confident of his strength.Although he couldn¡¯t exactly say the same thing about his charm and personality, his looks might be able to make up for that.Right?


    He shook his head.His thoughts were veering off to apletely different direction again.


    He raised his hand to cover his mouth and pretend to cough."I have no doubt that you will," he said, replying to what Luo Yanst said.


    [Captain is right, Mashter.You¡¯d definitely win in this whatever carnival.] ¨C Eclipse seconded.


    Luo Yan chuckled and ruffled the little fox¡¯s furry head.[Thank you for your confidence.]


    [Captain also has a lot of confidence in Mashter.He might even have more confidence in you than Eclipse.]


    And... of course, this little guy wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity to endorse his favorite captain.He almost rolled his eyes but quickly stopped himself.


    Despite his pet¡¯s obvious bias behavior, he did get something right.That Shen Ji Yun did have a lot of confidence in him.Overwhelmingly so.A part of it was probably influenced by his feelings for him.And so, just like his father and brothers, he had a tendency to view him with rose-tinted sses.


    He didn¡¯t really know how to feel about that.But there¡¯s one thing he was sure of.He didn¡¯t hate it as much as he thought.


    "Then I¡¯ll do my best not to disappoint you, Captain," he just said, grinning mischievously at Shen Ji Yun.


    After he said that, a strong gust of wind blew in their direction.Luo Yanined a bit inside.This almost real-life weather could be really annoying.He was about to fix his hair disheveled by the wind but someone already did that for him.


    Shen Ji Yun stretched out his hand and tucked a strand of unruly hair behind Luo Yan¡¯s ear."You can never disappoint me," he said, staring straight into the other¡¯s eyes.


    Luo Yan was startled and unconsciously stepped back.Heughed dryly to hide his gaffe just now.And then said, "S-shall we go back now?I don¡¯t think we could find anything else here."


    He turned around, his back facing him.He held his chest.He felt his heart skipped a beat just now.Seriously, this hidden Casanova.This unconscious flirting was truly lethal.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t notice Luo Yan¡¯s awkwardness and nodded."Where would you go next?"


    Luo Yan already calmed himself."To Goldcrest City.Then I¡¯ll log out."


    He would log back in again once it was time to meet the number one Alchemist.If he didn¡¯t go out of his room, his father and brothers might suspect that he was lying about finishing his assignments.


    Shen Ji Yun was about to ask if he would log in againter when he remembered that Luo Yan was going to meet that Alchemistter.He was very tempted to ask if he could be there during their meeting, but he stopped himself.He would just appear like a paranoid, obsessive, clingy bastard if he did.And he never wanted Luo Yan to think of him that way.


    So, he endured and curbed whatever it was that he really wanted to say.


    "How about Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked.


    "I¡¯ll go to our headquarters."Shen Ji Yun nced down at the still sleeping dragon."I have to take Little ck back."


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard what he called Dusk."He¡¯ll be livid if he heard you calling him that."


    Shen Ji Yun snorted."Let him.I don¡¯t really care much."


    [Eclipse is sure that overgrown lizard is not Captain¡¯s opponent.] ¨C Eclipse followed.


    "Then, shall we separate here?" Luo Yan asked.


    Shen Ji Yun was very reluctant to answer.Once they separated here, they might only meet again once the National Holiday started.But there¡¯s really no reason for him to ask Luo Yan to keep himpany a while longer.So, he could only nod.


    Luo Yan smiled and waved him goodbye before teleporting out of there with his pet fox.


    Shen Ji Yun depressingly looked down at the sleeping dragon he was carrying."Well, let¡¯s take you to your temporary home, Little ck."


    Then he also teleported out of there.


    Luo Yan went out of his room after he logged out of the game.He learned from one of the maids that his father and older brother were both in the study.He looked at the clock and saw that it was just after three in the afternoon.So, he decided to go to the kitchen and made snacks for the two.

 Chapter 294 TEA SANDWICHES

    LUO YAN made tea sandwiches, something small that could easily be eaten.After he¡¯s done, he made tea.Put them all on a tray and carry it easily.


    "Second young master, let me carry that for you," a maid said who had been fiddling around the kitchen since he entered earlier.


    The maid was probably worried that he might burn himself.Seriously, no matter how many times he made something in the kitchen, these maids always think that he would break.Like some kind of porcin.Well, not that he med them.For them, his image would probably always be that of a frail child.


    "It¡¯s okay.I can do it," he said, smiling kindly at the maid.


    Then he walked out of the kitchen.When he reached the front of the study, he asked a passing maid to knock on the door.And so, she did.


    "Come in," called his father¡¯s cold voice.


    "Do you want me to carry that tray for you, second young master?" the maid who passed by asked.


    Luo Yan shook his head."No, just open the door for me."


    The maid readily did so.He smiled at the maid and entered the study.He saw his father and older brother having a serious conversation, most probably because of work.


    "Dad, Brother, how about an afternoon tea?" he said, smiling at the two.


    Both looked back at him almost at the same time.Luo Ren immediately stood up and took the tray from him.


    "Yan Yan, you should have let one of the maids carry it for you," he said, putting the tray on the table.


    "I want to do it myself," Luo Yan said."Besides, I¡¯m the one who made it so it¡¯s only right for me to deliver it to you both."He looked at the two, blinking his big peach blossom eyes."Won¡¯t you have a taste?"


    "Of course," Luo Wei Tian said quickly, standing up from his seat and walking to the tray.He picked up a piece of tea sandwich and ate it."It seemed like Xiao Yan¡¯s craft is getting better and better as time passed."


    That was not an emptypliment.Because the tea sandwich was indeed delicious.Luo Yan had been making them a few snacks like this now and then.The first time he did, they were all ready to praise him even if what he made didn¡¯t taste that great.But contrary to what they expected, it tasted good.Although it was something very simple, they were still amazed.And so, the praised they gave was even more sincere and abundant.


    "This is really good, Yan Yan," Luo Ren said, eating a piece of tea sandwich whole."You definitely have a talent to be a chef."


    Luo Yan only smiled.He wouldn¡¯t go as far as saying that he had a talent to be a chef.At most, he could only call himself a talented home cook.He only learned how to cook because circ.u.mstances forced him to.He was often stationed at the orphanage¡¯s kitchen.Years of helping there made him quite proficient in cooking.


    He long wanted to cook a sumptuous meal for his family.But since, technically, he just woke up from a seven-yeara, being able to do that immediately would be just a tad bit strange.So, he had to start with something simple such as snacks.He also started spending time in the kitchen during weekends, acting like he¡¯s watching their chef cook.So that it wouldn¡¯t be too weird if he started cooking moreplicated dishes.


    "Then next time, I¡¯ll try to make a meal for Dad, Brother, and Ah Jin," he said.


    "I¡¯ll be looking forward to that," Luo Wei Tian said, looking gently at his second son.


    "Of course, me as well," Luo Ren seconded.


    "Dad and Brother shouldn¡¯t me me if it the meals I¡¯ll make turn out not to be good," Luo Yan said, acting all coquettish.


    "That won¡¯t happen.Because I¡¯m sure whatever Yan Yan makes will be nothing short of delicious," his older brother said, then eating another piece of tea sandwich as if to prove his point.


    His father also ate another piece."Your brother is right."


    This unwavering confidence in him only reminded Luo Yan of Shen Ji Yun.Thinking of that cinnamon roll with Casanova tendencies, he couldn¡¯t help the smile that crossed his lips.


    It was 30 minutes before Luo Yan¡¯s meeting with Bian Que ¨C the number one Alchemist in Arcadia.He logged back into the game and appeared in front of his pavilion.This was where he logged out earlier.It didn¡¯t take long before Eclipse appeared beside him and sat on his shoulder.


    [Are there still many people buying membership cards?] ¨C he asked.Because he told Eclipse before he logged out earlier to continue watching the side courtyard.


    [Yes, Mashter.There¡¯s still a long queue inside.]


    He nodded in satisfaction when he heard that.He entered one of the side entrances of the pavilion, one that was away from the eyes of others.Just to be safe and make sure that no yer could see him entering the pavilion.


    He walked straight to his office.He already ordered Madam Ru to wee Bian Que herself and deliver him to his office.When he arrived at his office, he immediately changed into a red robe and applied a temporary ck dye to his hair.He then wore a silk veil to cover the lower half of his face.


    Luo Yan knew that it was still too early before the meeting time.But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be prepared.And he was proven to be right.Because just 10 minutes after he sat on his seat, Madam Ru already brought someone to his office.


    It was a man wearing an ancient white robe.His long ck hair was tied above his head with a jade crown.He had a clean temperament, as if he was someone who couldn¡¯t be swayed by worldly temptations.But those who knew him surely knew one thing that could tempt him ¨C money.


    This man was the current number one Alchemist in Arcadia ¨C Bian Que.

 Chapter 295 THE NUMBER ONE ALCHEMIST

    BIAN QUE whose real name was Gu Ye followed an NPC that was leading him to the office of Yuexing Pavilion¡¯s administrator.He was 20 minutes earlier than the meeting time.But he didn¡¯t care.He hated it when someone waste.So, he was always punctual.After all, if one hated something, then they should also avoid doing the same thing.Otherwise, they would only look hypocritical.That¡¯s why even if the one he¡¯s going to meet was just an NPC, he still arrived earlier than expected.


    He was here to talk about a business deal with the pavilion¡¯s administrator.This was not the first time he had done this.His shop ¨C Potions and Cauldrons ¨C had a lot of cooperation with many in-game businesses.Whether it¡¯s owned by a yer or the game itself, as long as it¡¯s profitable, Gu Ye would not hesitate to cooperate with them.


    When he received the invitation for the opening night of the pavilion, his expectation was a bit high.After all, this was the first time that an in-game business sent out invitation to attend its opening.Especially after he learned that a lot of high-profile yers were invited.He had also seen the advertis.e.m.e.nt.He only thought that they put a lot of effects to make the pavilion looked that majestic.But when he really saw the pavilion with his own eyes, he was immediately proven wrong.


    It was not only the beauty of the pavilion that attracted him.The service was pretty good.The food was delicious.And the NPCs performing on the stage were superb.Gu Ye knew immediately that this Yuexing Pavilion would be a big hit.That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t hesitate to talk to the administrator and asked ¡¯her¡¯ for a meeting to talk about a possible cooperation.


    How could he miss this chance to increase his money?


    Gu Ye knew that many yers say that he was someone who liked money the best.He didn¡¯t mind that kind of reputation.After all, it was the truth.


    He was just a poor university student who came from the countryside.Two years ago, when he passed the college entrance examination and went to B City to attend T University, he joined a promo that his room mate introduced to him.He didn¡¯t know what it was, but unexpectedly, he won the prize which was a VR helmet for the game Arcadia.


    He wasn¡¯t familiar with Arcadia but he knew about it.After all, it was the first sessful VR game to beunched in the world.He wasn¡¯t really interested in it.He was from a poor family and he didn¡¯t have the time to casually y games.Even with his schrship, he still had to work part-time to support himself.He couldn¡¯t trouble his parents who still had to take care of his other three siblings.


    He was thinking of just selling the VR helmet.But he was tempted to try it out first.Because he might not have a chance to y it again.Well, at least not until he graduated, found a job, and earning a huge load of money.


    The first time he entered Arcadia, he was instantly fascinated.It¡¯s like he entered a magical world.It was quite the experience of a life time.After that, he became hesitant about selling the VR helmet.Then he learned from his room mate that there¡¯s a way for yers to earn money inside the game.They could register any type of business, as long as it wouldn¡¯t break the guidelines set by the game.Or they could be cksmiths or Alchemists and sell their creations.


    Obviously, the first one was not very viable for him at that moment.Even if it¡¯s virtual, one still needed capital to start a business.And capital he didn¡¯t have.His only choice was either to be a cksmith or an Alchemist.He didn¡¯t hesitate to choose thetter.He was a chemistry major.So, he thought it could help him if he chose the Alchemist ss.And facts had proven that his choice was correct.


    He only had a ¡¯try it out and let¡¯s see¡¯ mentality at first.But when he made his first potion and managed to sell it, he felt like he aplished something big.When he saw the money in his ountter that day, he had a premonition that if he continued on and persisted, he could earn more and more money in the future.And he was certainly not wrong about that.


    Two yearster, he was probably earning way more than an average office worker every month.Not only did it help in his study, he could also send money back home.Now, their small home that could barely house all six of them was now transformed into a modern bungalow.His three siblings could now go to school without any worry.And it was all because of this game.


    That¡¯s why even if he already earned a lot of money, he still wanted to earn more.Because he was not only supporting himself, but his family as well.He would probably continue doing so until he graduated and found a stable job.


    The female NPC who was walking in front of him suddenly stopped, cutting off Gu Ye¡¯s thoughts."Please, distinguished guest," she said, gesturing for him to enter the door she just opened.


    Upon entering the door, Gu Ye gave a quick nce inside.It was a simple office with an ancient atmosphere.There was no extra furniture, just those that were needed.He liked this kind of set-up.Simple yet very efficient.


    He then turned his gaze to the beautiful ck-haired elf sitting behind a mahogany desk.¡¯She¡¯ was wearing a simple red robe, so different from theplicated red robe ¡¯she¡¯ wore during the pavilion¡¯s opening night.But that still didn¡¯t take away from ¡¯her¡¯ graceful temperament.If he was a face-control, he would probably stare more and appreciate the beauty in front of him.Sadly, the only thing that could probably move him was money.


    The ck-haired elf¡¯s blue eyes bent into crescent when ¡¯she¡¯ saw him.¡¯She¡¯ stood up and said in a gentle voice, "Wee, distinguished guest."

 Chapter 296 GU YES BUSINESS PROPOSAL

    GU YE couldn¡¯t help but feel some kind of vition when he looked at this beautiful NPC.It¡¯s not anything bad.Just a feeling that ¡¯she¡¯ was unlike other NPCs.As if ¡¯she¡¯ was really not one.Which could only mean that ¡¯she¡¯ was actually a yer.If that was really the case, then that would make Yuexing Pavilion an in-game business that was yer-owned.The very opposite of what most guessed.


    It was only a small suspicion.Not really something that he would badly want to get to the bottom of.After all, the only reason he was here was to cooperate with the pavilion.He didn¡¯t care whether he was dealing with an actual NPC or someone who¡¯s just y-acting as one.


    As Gu Ye was observing the ¡¯NPC¡¯, Luo Yan was also doing the same.


    The moment this Bian Que entered the room, Luo Yan quickly told Eclipse to hide under the table.He wasn¡¯t sure how rare a kitsune was in this game.But he didn¡¯t want to gamble on the chance that this guy wouldn¡¯t remember Eclipse.After all, he was nning to fight in the Rookie Carnival together with his little fox.That tournament would be broadcast live.If Bian Que saw him fighting with Eclipse, the other might be able to put two and two together.So, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.


    The Alchemist really looked like someone who was detached from the world.Like some kind of wise sage or something.If he didn¡¯t hear those rumors about him, he might really suspect him as that.He didn¡¯t doubt that the rumors were wrong.Because it was true that Bian Que had a lot of cooperation with in-game businesses.


    Not only that, every time he made a powerful potion, he would auction it out first.Making sure that it would fetch a very high price.He would not release it to the market for a couple of weeks.Arousing the appetite of people.And when the excitement and curiosity reached the highest level, the potion would then appear in his shop in a grand manner.It was a very good strategy.Which, no doubt, earned him a lot of money.


    Now, Luo Yan wondered what kind of business proposal this guy would show him.


    "Please, do sit down," he said, gesturing for the other to sit on the seat in front of his desk.He then nced at Madam Ru who was still standing on the side."You can go now."


    Madam Ru bowed to them and walked out of the office.Bian Que, on the other hand, already sat down.So, Luo Yan also sat down on his seat.


    "I¡¯ll just go straight to the point to not waste both our time.My business proposal is fairly simple.I want to supply the tea being served in the pavilion.Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be just ordinary tea, it would have medicinal and magical effects.It would not only slowly improve the stats of the customers as time goes by, they would also feel refreshed and invigorated."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but be interested.His pavilion didn¡¯t have any special teas.They were just ordinary, delicious teas.In retrospect, the pavilion¡¯s liquor had a wider range of varieties inparison.If this tea could really have the effects that Bian Que mentioned, then it could be another attraction to the pavilion.


    "Then, distinguished guest, how do you suggest we divide the profit?"


    If this guy suggested something that was totally disadvantageous to his pavilion, then he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to reject his proposal.No matter how attractive it might be.Unless, of course, the other was willing topromise.


    "We¡¯ll divide it 60-40.I will have 60% of the profit and your pavilion will have the remaining 40%.Addition to that, you don¡¯t have to buy the tea from me.You just have to give me 60% of the weekly profit at the end of the week.What do you think?" Bian Que said without changing his face.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but raised one of his brows.That division was kind of unexpected.At most, he was expecting 70-30.Not to mention, the fact that he didn¡¯t need to buy the tea.It was a very generous offer that didn¡¯t put the pavilion in any disadvantage.It would be stupid of him to reject it.


    He was about to say something when he felt a pair of furry paws clinging to his leg.Then he heard Eclipse¡¯s voice in his head.


    [Mashter, how long would I have to hide here?]


    Luo Yan felt his face turning stiff.Good thing a veil was covering the lower half of his face, which also covered any reaction he might have had.


    [Until the guy I¡¯m talking to leaves.So, be good and behave.]


    For good measure, he secretly took out a Mana fruit and gave it to the little guy hiding under the table.


    Eclipse excitedly picked it up.[Yes, Mashter.Eclipse will behave.]


    Gu Ye wasn¡¯t sure if it was his imagination, but it felt like the ck-haired elf was talking to someone just now.He noticed ¡¯her¡¯ being slightly startled and that¡¯s when it began.¡¯She¡¯ seemed to be in a trance and started talking to whoever.The suspicion that this ck-haired elf was not an NPC came to his mind again.


    "Is there a problem?" he asked.


    "No," Luo Yan quickly said, covering whatever gaffe he showed just now."This humble one was just thinking about the deal that the distinguished guest proposed."


    "If you have to notify anyone about this, I could wait for three days for your decision," Gu Ye said, talking about the people from Moonlight Media that was in charge of Yuexing Pavilion.That was, if this pavilion was owned by the game.


    "There¡¯s no need.This humble one was givenplete control over the pavilion.Thus, I have the right to decide things rted to it," Luo Yan said."This humble one has judged that the distinguished guest¡¯s proposal was very profitable and doesn¡¯t pose any danger to the pavilion.So, this humble one is most pleased to agree with the distinguished guest."


    "Good!Then let¡¯s sign the contract."


    After Bian Que said that, a virtual contract suddenly appeared between them.The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s lips twitched.It seemed that, from the very beginning, this guy already expected that he would agree.


    Bian Que signed his name immediately.Luo Yan had to quickly read the contents of the contract.And when he found that there was no problem in it, he put the seal of the pavilion on the contract.


    With that, the cooperation between Yuexing Pavilion and the number one Alchemist in Arcadia had been decided.

 Chapter 297 LUNChapter BREAK

    IT was finally the second day of the mock exam.It was lunch time, the Luo brothers as well as Yu Jiao were at the usual small restaurant hidden in the most inconspicuous corner of the school.They already ordered their food and was only waiting for it to be cooked.


    As usual, they were the only customers in the small restaurant.Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but wonder how in the world does this restaurant still able to generate ie?But maybe they didn¡¯t care about the money at all.He heard that this restaurant was about to be demolished a little more than a year ago but the grandson of the school¡¯s Chairman prevented that.Then he gave the management of the small restaurant to his friend ¨C the man with a man bun who had a certain decadent charm.If Luo Yan remembered correctly, his name was Yuan Xing.


    Maybe they didn¡¯t really care about generating ie.Maybe the grandson of the Chairman just wanted to give his friend a little hobby, exercise his cooking skills or something.He shrugged.It had nothing to do with him anyway.


    "Yan, how was your exam this morning?" Luo Jin asked, breaking Luo Yan¡¯s train of thought.


    "It¡¯s okay," Luo Yan answered."Don¡¯t worry, Ah Jin, as I¡¯ve told you yesterday, I won¡¯t fail," he added, confidently.


    Luo Jin knew of his brother¡¯s capabilities.He knew that Luo Yan would definitely pass this mock exam with no problem.How could he fail when he was able to pass the entrance exam of the school with flying colors?Especially when he only studied everything from elementary to middle school to second year of high school in just three months.That spoke volume on just how intelligent his second brother was.


    But despite that, he still couldn¡¯t help but worry.Of course, he wouldn¡¯t freely admit that to Luo Yan.So, he could only say, "Who¡¯s worried?I¡¯m simply checking up on you."


    Luo Yan just smiled, knowing his younger brother¡¯s tsundere nature."Yes, yes," he said in a very pampering tone.Then he turned his attention to the quiet Yu Jiao."How about you, Jiao Jiao?"


    "I also think I did okay," Yu Jiao answered.


    Her voice didn¡¯t sound as confident as Luo Yan but it was stable enough, showing that she was certain that she did well on the exam.She was thankful that although she wascking it many things, at least God was still merciful and gave her a good head above her shoulders.


    Soon, the food they ordered arrived and they started eating.


    "By the way, Jiao Jiao, why are you wearing your gym clothes?" Luo Yan thought of asking.


    He had been curious about that since he saw her this morning wearing gym clothes.Even though it¡¯s not intentional, he had already heard about Yu Jiao¡¯s family situation.It¡¯s not really that hard since her stepsister was also studying at Guizu Academy.He heard that there had been a couple of times in the past that the girl deliberately humiliated Yu Jiao in front of many students.


    If it happened in front of him, he would surely teach such bratty girl a lesson.But unfortunately, the other hadn¡¯t looked for Yu Jiao since the start of this school year.Or maybe she did, Luo Yan just hadn¡¯t seen it.That¡¯s why when he saw Yu Jiao wearing gym clothes instead of their school uniform, the first thing that came to his mind was that she was bullied by her mean stepsister.


    "Ah, this... actually, when I walked out of the dormitory this morning and..." Yu Jiao stopped as if she couldn¡¯t bear to say the next thing.


    With her paused, Luo Yan already made up a lot of dog blood drama in his brain.And his suspicion that she had been bullied became even stronger."It¡¯s okay, you can tell it to us," he said gently.


    "Actually, a flying bird identally, ahm, well, it p-pooped on my uniform," Yu Jiao said embarrassingly."I only have that one uniform.I don¡¯t have time to clean it, so I just wore my gym clothes."


    Luo Yan was stupefied when he finally heard the reason.What about being bullied?What about the dog blood drama?He suddenly realized that his brain hole was a bit too big just now.Because of that, he couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.


    Yu Jiao¡¯s face quickly turned red."Yan Yan, d-don¡¯tugh."


    Luo Jin also nced sideways at his brother, not expecting that he would reallyugh.Something that this understanding brother of his would certainly not do.


    Luo Yan stoppedughing, realizing that the two must have misunderstood him.They probably thought he wasughing at Yu Jiao¡¯s bird pooping incident.


    "Sorry, sorry, I¡¯m notughing at you.I¡¯m actuallyughing at myself," he quickly said.When he saw Yu Jiao¡¯s confused look, he exined, "When I saw you wearing gym clothes or something, I thought you were bullied or something.I was already imagining some bloody drama.So, when you exined what happened, I realized that my brain hole was a bit too much."


    Yu Jiao was dumbfounded when he heard Luo Yan¡¯s exnation.Then she didn¡¯t know what expression she should have.Did Luo Yan think that way because she looked easy to bully?


    Even Luo Jin looked at Luo Yan as if he was someone silly."Yan, just how wild is your imagination?"


    Luo Yan jokingly punched his younger brother¡¯s arm."Hey, you can¡¯t dislike your brother."He turned to Yu Jiao."Aspensation, why don¡¯t we eat somewhere after the exam this afternoon?My treat."


    Because it was exam day, they could leave earlier than normal school days.Which meant that even if they eat somewhere outside, Yu Jiao could still go back before the curfew of the school¡¯s dormitory.


    Yu Jiao wanted to refuse at first.But then, she thought that there was something she wanted to discuss with Luo Yan.So, it would be good if they could go somewhere to talk.At the end, she finally said, "Okay."

 Chapter 298 A MUChapter SWEETER SMILE

    LUO YAN finally finished answering thest question from the exam paper.He reviewed his answers twice before submitting his exam paper to the teacher acting as the exam¡¯s invigtor.


    This was thest subject for today¡¯s exam.Which meant that after submitting his exam paper, Luo Yan could go home.He walked back to his desk and after picking up his bag, he nced at Yu Jiao.The other also happened to look in his direction.He smiled as if silently telling her that he would go first and they would meetter.Yu Jiao nodded as if understanding what he wanted to convey.No one noticed this little interaction because everyone was busy answering their exam papers.


    Luo Yan walked out of the ssroom in a good mood.He and Yu Jiao were nning to go to a caf¨¦ called Sweet Escape.When he said to Yu Jiao during lunch that he would treat herter, he searched for a ce where they could eat.He specifically searched for a ce that was not too far but also not too near the school.It was also better if it¡¯s not a ce that these bunch of blue bloods and rich second generation would frequent.This way, no one would see him and Yu Jiao together.


    Although he didn¡¯t really mind to be seen with her.If others knew they were friends, some people with bad heart might target Yu Jiao.Guizhu Academy doesn¡¯t condone bullying.But there would still be students who managed to get away with it.Especially if the object of being bullied were those schrship students.Some of the teachers never intervene with this thing.After all, most of the identities of students here were those they couldn¡¯t afford to offend.


    But he had a suspicion that the real reason why Yu Jiao didn¡¯t want to be seen with him or his brother was because she simply didn¡¯t want to be the center of attention.Because he knew how thin-skinned Yu Jiao was.


    Luo Yan finally chose Sweet Escape because this caf¨¦ was almost like a chain of fast food restaurant caf¨¦ version.There were many branches across S City.It¡¯s a favorite hanging spot of a lot of young people.Of course, most of the students here would never enter establishments like that.No matter how trendy or popr it might be.In their opinion, only those who couldn¡¯t afford to enter a high-ss caf¨¦ would go to such a ce.They would probably not even imagine that the second young master of the Luo family would go there.


    Deciding on the ce, he told Yu Jiao that he would wait for her in his family¡¯s car in the parking lot a little bit far away from the teaching buildings.He didn¡¯t want to wait for Yu Jiao outside.Because then, it would mean that she had to walk such a long distance.He was not worried even if someone saw Yu Jiao get in the car, they would not immediately assume that it was his.After all, the car he and Luo Jin traveled to and from school was just a simple ck BMW.A lot of cars entering the school had the same model.


    It was only a quarter before 4 in the afternoon.He believed that Yu Jiao would be able to finish answering her exam paper soon.Then they still had plenty of time to chat while eating sweets and drinking milk tea.


    It¡¯s just too bad that Luo Jin couldn¡¯t go with them.The other still had to remain in ss until 5.He already called the other driver of the family and asked him to get Luo Jinter.


    Luo Yan just entered the elevator when he heard someone¡¯s call.


    "Wait!"


    He thought that the owner of the voice wanted him to stop the elevator so they could also go in.So, that¡¯s what he did.He pressed the ¡¯stop¡¯ button on the elevator.But he never expected that this person turned out to be Huang Wen.


    He had a somewhat bad impression of him because of how antagonistic he was to him on the first day of school.Since then, the other always sneered or red at him.He didn¡¯t take his action to heart.For him, Huang Wen was just a brat with attitude problem.It was not until that incident, where Huang Wen stopped his friend from hurting him and even reprimanded the other, that Luo Yan discovered that he wasn¡¯t that bad.Huang Wen might be a brat but at least in important matters, he still knew how to judge things correctly.


    Since then, Luo Yan became more amiable to him.Although they couldn¡¯t really be considered as friends, at least the other no longer purposely finds his troubles.Luo Yan also greets him from time to time when he¡¯s in a good mood.Just like he was now.So, he raised his head and smiled at the other.


    Huang Wen was startled.He didn¡¯t expect Luo Yan to smile at him so sweetly.He felt like he was suddenly dazzled by that smile.He even forgot momentarily why he called out to him.It was not until the elevator door closed that he remembered it.He almost cursed and, of course, he didn¡¯t forget to me it on this guy.It was because of that overly beautiful face that could easily confuse others.Just why was a boy born with such a face?


    He shook his head and forced himself to throw those thoughts at the back of his head.He reached out his hand, thetest model of a high-end smartphone was on his palm."You dropped this."


    When Luo Yan saw the familiar phone, he quickly took it.Then he nced back at his bag.He saw that the side pocket where he usually put his phone was slightly opened.He must have not properly closed it before the exam this afternoon started.So, when he walked out of the ssroom, it fell off.He was probably too immersed in his own thoughts to notice it.


    He smiled again at Huang Wen."Thank you, ssmate Huang."


    Huang Wen only snorted.


    Then Luo Yan felt his phone vibrating.It was a WeChat message notification.He opened it and read the message.


    [luckycloud]: How was your exam?


    Then it was followed by a cute rabbit sticker tilting his head to the side.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help the smile that crossed his lips when he read the message, especially when he saw the rabbit sticker.


    Huang Wen happened to see this smile.He wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination.But he felt that this smile was very different from the two smiles Luo Yan gave him earlier.It was much gentler, happier, and... sweeter.

 Chapter 299 UNCLE DRIVERS MISUNDERSTANDING

    LUO YAN sat down on the back seat of their family¡¯s car."Uncle Tan, please wait a while.My friend wille soon," he said to the driver sitting at the front.


    "Yes, second young master."


    His phone vibrated again.He opened the WeChat message and read it.


    [luckycloud]: Are you going home now?


    It¡¯s Shen Ji Yun¡¯s reply to what he sent earlier ¨C saying that he was already done with his exam.The two of them haven¡¯t met in the game these past five days.But the other didn¡¯t forget to send him a message on WeChat every day.As if brushing up his sense of existence.It¡¯s as if he¡¯s afraid that he would forget him if he didn¡¯t see him for a couple of days.Of course, that¡¯s impossible.Someone with Shen Ji Yun¡¯s presence could never be easily forgotten.


    [YanYan1213]: No, I¡¯m going to a caf¨¦ with Jiao Jiao.


    Surprisingly, it took quite a while before Luo Yan received a reply.It was a bit unusual since whenever he sent a message to Shen Ji Yun, the other would reply to him within a few seconds.


    [luckycloud]: I see.


    He raised one of his brows and stared at that ¡¯I see¡¯.He could literally feel the coldness from those two words.Then an incredulous thought entered his mind.Was this guy eating Yu Jiao¡¯s vinegar again?


    Before he could reply back, Shen Ji Yun already sent another message.


    [luckycloud]: Then please be careful.Don¡¯t go home toote.The weather is already cold.Be sure to keep warm so as not to get sick and catch a cold.


    Luo Yan stared at these words.He could feel the obvious worry in them.Then another message was sent.


    [luckycloud]: Have fun.


    He almost couldn¡¯t hold back his smile.Look, even if Shen Ji Yun was obviously reluctant, he still wanted him to have fun.Showing that despite feeling ¡¯jealous¡¯, he wouldn¡¯t be narrow-minded enough to spoil Luo Yan¡¯s fun.He suddenly had an urge to tease and bully him.Sending a message like how he nned to enjoy his afternoon with Yu Jiao.But he stopped himself at thest second.He could already imagine the expressionless face of the other filling with gloom once he read that.He was not ck hearted enough to intentionally cause someone to feel depressed.


    [YanYan1213]: I know, Brother Ji Yun.You as well, try to take care of yourself.


    As a reply, Shen Ji Yun sent him a rabbit sticker with a shy expression and a speech bubble on the side saying ¡¯thank you¡¯.Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help butughed.


    The driver at the front heard the second young master¡¯sugh.He looked at the rearview mirror and saw the young teenager, looking down at his phone with a smile on his face.This look suddenly reminded him of his own daughter who was always smiling silly while looking at her phone.Then theyter found out that she was actually engaging in early love.The reason why she was always smiling silly at her phone was because she was exchanging messages with a boy.He was so angry when he learned that, he almost coughed up blood.


    Could it be... the second young master was also engaging in early love?


    He quickly shook his head.Their second young master was so innocent, how could he have a concept of ¡¯love¡¯?But what if some girl was taking advantage of the young master?And was nning to toy with his heart?Their young master was so beautiful and kind.A lot of people would definitely like him.No, he should report this to the master.


    Luo Yan, who had no idea that his driver¡¯s brain was already full of the idea of him being ¡¯taken advantaged of¡¯, received a message from Yu Jiao.


    [yujiao]: Yan Yan, I¡¯m already at the parking lot you mentioned.


    After he read that, he opened the car door and stood outside.He turned around and immediately saw Yu Jiao at a distance.


    "Jiao Jiao!" he called.


    The other looked at his direction and quickly ran towards the car.Luo Yan sat back inside and soon, Yu Jiao entered on the side of the opened car door.She sat beside Luo Yan and closed the door.


    "Uncle Tan, please drive to the nearest Sweet Escape branch," Luo Yan said to the driver.


    "Yes, second young master."


    Then the car drove out of the parking lot.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Jiao Jiao.I don¡¯t think anyone from our school would see us there," he assured Yu Jiao.


    Yu Jiao suddenly felt guilty hearing that.The reason why she didn¡¯t want to be seen hanging out with the Luo brothers was because she didn¡¯t want to attract the attention of others.Luo Jin was very famous at school.A lot of girls would definitely think ¡¯badly¡¯ of her if they saw her talking to him.And even though Luo Yan just started to attend school this month, he was already starting to have his own fame.Not really surprising, considering his extraordinary appearance and family background.That¡¯s why she¡¯d rather meet secretly.


    But wouldn¡¯t it seem like she put more importance on what others would think than their friendship?She suddenly felt guilty.She clenched her fists and took a deep breath.A decision was already made in her mind.


    "I- I don¡¯t mind if others see us t-together."


    Luo Yan turned to the girl sitting beside her.Even though she stuttered, he could still feel the determination in her voice.He smiled.It seemed like she¡¯s no longer afraid to tell others that they were friends.


    "Then next week, during lunch break, we¡¯ll walk to the small restaurant together."


    Yu Jiao smiled back."Okay."


    The driver while carefully driving was also quietly listening to the conversation of the two.Why did it sound like they were in an ¡¯underground rtionship¡¯ and now they¡¯re ready to admit that ¡¯rtionship¡¯ to everyone?He quickly nced at the rearview mirror to look at the young master¡¯s friend.The other was wearing gym clothes and obviously taller than their young master.Their hair was messy and the upper half of their face was covered by the big sses they¡¯re wearing.He frowned.Wasn¡¯t this ssmate a boy?


    Should he also report this to the master?

 Chapter 300 SWEET ESCAPE

    A BLACK BMW stopped at ia parking lot on a busy food hub. There were rows of fast food restaurants, barbecue ces, there were even some KTV bars. This ce was close to a number of schools. That¡¯s why it¡¯s fairly popr to a lot of students. Many would go here after their sses were finished to hang out with their friends.


    "Uncle Tan, just wait here.We¡¯lle back after we¡¯re done eating," Luo Yan said to the driver.


    The driver felt tangled for a moment.He was worried that this ce would be too chaotic for their frail second young master.How could he just leave him alone?No, he nced at the unassuming ¡¯boy¡¯ sitting beside the young master.Although he was not alone, could this ¡¯boy¡¯ protect the young master?¡¯He¡¯ might be tall but ¡¯he¡¯ was too thin and looked too weak.


    Luo Yan seemed to understand what the driver was thinking.So, he said, "Uncle Tan, the caf¨¦ we¡¯re going to is just right there."He pointed to a small establishment that was not far from the parking lot.One could clearly see it from where their car was parked."I will call you if there¡¯s a problem and Uncle will be able to rush at a very fast speed."


    The driver finally gave in hearing Luo Yan¡¯s exnation."Okay, second young master."


    Luo Yan opened the door and got out of the car, followed by Yu Jiao behind him.The two started walking towards the caf¨¦.


    "Your driver seemed to care a lot about you," Yu Jiaomented.


    "Well, all the people working at our house are like that.It¡¯s probably because they think I¡¯m some kind of porcin that would break with just a little movement," Luo Yan said but there was no tone ofint in his voice.Instead, it was full of fondness.A sign that he didn¡¯t mind them making a fuss about him.


    Yu Jiao remembered that Luo Yan was in a seven-yeara before he woke up.That¡¯s why despite being 17-year-old, he still looked like he was two or three years younger."Don¡¯t worry.I- I¡¯ll protect Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard that."We¡¯re just going to eat at a caf¨¦, not enter some battlefield.Rx.Besides, it¡¯s still early.Not a lot of students would be around.I¡¯m sure no one would bother us."


    And he was right.When they entered Sweet Escape, there were only a few people around and most of them were working a.d.u.l.ts.So, there were a lot of vacant seats avable.


    "Let¡¯s go order?" he asked Yu Jiao in which the other nodded.


    They walked towards the cashier.


    The cashier responsible for taking orders was quite shocked when she saw the face of one of the two students standing in front of her.He looked about 14 of 15 with soft ck hair, big peach blossom eyes, and delicate white skin.She had never seen such a beautiful boy in her life.Was this boy perhaps a star?She looked at the uniform he was wearing but failed to recognize it.In contrast, the tall ¡¯boy¡¯ standing beside him looked pretty dull.Instead of saying that they¡¯re friends, they looked more like a pair of master and servant.


    But the cashier was still a professional and none of those things that she thought appeared on her face.She quickly entered serving mode and said, "Good afternoon.What can I get for you today?"


    Luo Yan looked at the menu board above.There were a lot of desserts he wanted to try but he knew he couldn¡¯t indulge.It took a while before he finally decided on what to order.


    "A slice of opera cake and one wintermelon tea."He turned to Yu Jiao."What about you, Jiao Jiao?"


    "Ahm, just blueberry cheesecake and milk tea."


    The cashier punched in their orders and Luo Yan paid for it.Then the cashier took a tray and put their orders there.Luo Yan was about to pick it up but Yu Jiao was faster than him.


    "Let me carry it," she said.


    Luo Yan could only smile helplessly.What else could he do since she already picked the tray up?


    They sat on a table beside the floor to ceiling window.


    Luo Yan gazed down at his opera cake.He stared at the dessertposed of almond sponge cakeyered with ganache and coffee and covered in chocte ze.Just looking at it was already making him drool.He couldn¡¯t wait to take a bite.So, he did.


    The taste of coffee and chocte was just right.Itsbination was like a velvety decadence inside his mouth.It was so good that after one bite, he quickly took another.


    Yu Jiao watched Luo Yan ate with gusto.Just one look and one could immediately see that he loved sweets.She didn¡¯t expect that Luo Yan would actually have a sweet tooth.No wonder he suggested that they should eat at a caf¨¦.


    She, then, also proceeded on eating the blueberry cheesecake she ordered.Then she remembered the reason why she agreed with Luo Yan¡¯s suggestion to eat here.Because she had something to discuss with him.


    "Yan Yan, are you going to participate at the Rookie Carnival?"


    Luo Yan picked up the wintermelon tea and drank it before answering."Yes, me and Ah Jin both."


    "Then," Yu Jiao stopped.She couldn¡¯t help but start fidgeting, feeling unbelievably nervous."Do the two of you already have a weapon you¡¯re nning to use?" she asked in one breath.


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened when he heard her question."Are you going to ask what I think you¡¯re going to ask?"


    Yu Jiao was slightly startled by Luo Yan¡¯s reaction.When she saw his bright eyes filled with undisguised excitement, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.Really, what was she nervous for?"Yes.Can you let me make your weapons?"


    "Yes, yes, and yes.You most definitely can," Luo Yan answered with a huge smile on his face.


    He was about to say more when his phone vibrated.He took it out from his pocket and saw that his older brother was calling him.

 Chapter 301 A PAIR OF STRONG HANDS

    LUO YAN quickly answered the phone."Hello?Brother?"


    Luo Ren¡¯s slight cold voice came over the phone."Yan Yan, Uncle Chu called me.He said you asked him to get Xiao Jin from school?Are you not going home together?How about Uncle Tan?" he asked consecutively, talking about their family¡¯s other driver.


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised.He didn¡¯t expect Uncle Chu to report that to his older brother.Well, maybe he should have expected it.If his father was not in his business trip right now, maybe he would also be calling him.


    "I¡¯m out eating with my friend.It¡¯s kind of a celebration for finishing our exam," Luo Yan exined."Don¡¯t worry, Brother.Uncle Tan is waiting in a parking lot nearby.And we also won¡¯t stay outte," he added to make sure that his older brother wouldn¡¯t worry.


    "Then be careful.And make sure not to take off your coat.The weather is already cold.It would be bad if you get sick."


    Luo Yan secretly smiled.Because what his brother said was the same thing as what Shen Ji Yun said."I know, Brother."


    Then he hung up the phone and ended the call.


    "That¡¯s your elder brother?" Yu Jiao guessed when Luo Yan put his phone back in his pocket.


    "Yeah.All of them are big worrywarts," Luo Yan said with a helpless smile on his lips.


    "It¡¯s good that they worry.It¡¯s a sign that they love you."


    Luo Yan had to look at Yu Jiao when he heard what she said.Because he had a feeling that she was not simply making ament.He could hear a bit of envy in her voice.She probably didn¡¯t even notice it herself.He knew her family situation and he didn¡¯t really want to pry into it.Unless she opened up to him herself.


    So, he decided to change the subject.He didn¡¯t want Yu Jiao to be sad, albeit inadvertently.It¡¯s better to talk about something else, rather than let her wallow in sadness.


    "By the way, Jiao Jiao, Luo Jin and I already have materials for the weapons.Should we meet up tomorrow in the game so we could give them to you?"


    "Okay.Where should we meet?"


    Luo Yan let out a sigh of relief when he heard that her tone was back to normal."How about at Moonriver in Goldcrest City?Just after lunch?"


    "I have no problem with that," Yu Jiao said."I will make a preliminary design tonight.Do you have an idea on what you want your weapon to look like?"


    "No, you¡¯re free to design it anyway you want.But it would be good if it could look beautiful."


    Yu Jiao chuckled.Yes, Luo Yan deserved only beautiful things."Of course.You¡¯re an Assassin, right?And Luo Jin is a Gunslinger?"


    "Yes.I¡¯m using twin daggers and Ah Jin is using two guns."


    She nodded."I¡¯ll take that into ount."


    "I¡¯m not sure about Ah Jin¡¯s materials.But I have two pretty unique materials.One is an Umbra metal.Anything that is made from it would have a shadow attribute.Then the other material is the Eternal Lotus¡¯ Core ¨C it has the ability to suspend time."


    Yu Jiao¡¯s eyes brightened when she heard what Luo Yan said about the two unique materials that he had.A lot of ideas about the weapon¡¯s design were already pouring into her mind."Those are indeed good materials.It¡¯s hard to find materials that could incorporate elements.And yet you have two.You¡¯re amazing, Yan Yan!"


    Luo Yan grinned and puffed out his little chest."I know."


    The two of them looked at each other and then burst outughing at the same time.


    "Have you made weapons for major teams?" Luo Yan thought of asking.


    "Yeah.Most of the yers that belong to major teams are, well, rich, I guess.So, they could afford a lot of good materials."


    "And they could also afford your fee."


    Yu Jiao smiled."That too."


    Luo Yan finished eating the opera cake.


    "Do you want more?I could give you mine," Yu Jiao said, pushing the te of blueberry cheesecake to his side.


    "No, I can¡¯t.I¡¯m not allowed to eat too much sweet, you see."


    "Oh, sorry, I didn¡¯t know," Yu Jiao said, taking back the te.It¡¯s probably because of the whole ¡¯seven-year in aa¡¯ situation.He needed to watch out his diet."That must be hard."Considering how much Luo Yan obviously loved sweets.


    "You have no idea."


    They finished eating and drinking their tea while talking about non-sensical issues here and there.


    "It¡¯s only five, do you want to go some ce else?" Luo Yan asked when they walked out of the caf¨¦.


    "No.Let¡¯s go back.It¡¯s much colder nearing the evening.It won¡¯t be good if you get sick."


    Luo Yan chuckled."Why does everyone say that?It¡¯s almost like I¡¯m going to croak with just one cold wind.Do I really look that frail?"


    "Ahm, do you want an honest answer?"


    Luo Yan appeared as if he was shock."Are you saying I look weak?"


    Yu Jiao looked tangled before deciding to nod.


    "Jiao Jiao, how could you?" he said, acting like he was hurt.


    Yu Jiaoughed."Okay, stop acting."


    He gave her a huge grin.


    They were about to cross the road to go to the parking lot where the car was parked when Luo Yan identally nced at a donut shop two shops away from the caf¨¦."Wait, I¡¯ll buy some donut for Ah Jin."


    He walked towards it.But before he could even reach the ce, two people suddenly stopped his tracks.He raised his head and saw two teenage boys looking down at him with interest.


    "Hey, want toe hang out with us?" one of them asked.


    "Yeah, it will be our treat," another followed.


    Luo Yan smiled at the two but his eyes were filled with coldness.And he simply said, "I¡¯m a boy."


    Both seemed taken aback at first.Then they appeared like they didn¡¯t believe what he said.


    "No way.Are you kidding?You need to think of a more convincing excuse that that," one said.


    "Maybe we should take a look inside ¡¯his¡¯ pants."


    [These little shits.]


    Luo Yan was getting ready to kick their ¡¯little brothers¡¯ when someone pulled him back.He hadn¡¯t reacted yet when he saw Yu Jiao standing in front of him.


    "S-stay away," Yu Jiao said with a firm voice.


    "You¡¯re the one who should stay away."


    "Yeah, we saw her first."


    Then one of the two suddenly pushed Yu Jiao to the side.Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that the two would quickly be violent.So, he wasn¡¯t able to react immediately.


    Yu Jiao was pushed hard.She quickly lost bnce.She was already expecting to fall down.That¡¯s why she could only close her eyes.But then, that didn¡¯t happen.Instead, her shoulders were held by a strong pair of hands.


    She opened her eyes and saw a very handsome face.It belonged to that of a man wearing a crisp ck suit.His ck eyes had no temperature.As if nothing or no one could ever enter them.


    "Are you alright?" he asked in an equally cold voice.


    Before she could answer, Luo Yan suddenly eximed;


    "Brother?"

 Chapter 302 OLDER BROTHER REN TO THE RESCUE

    LUO REN was now driving on the busy main road of S City. Today, he didn¡¯t go to the office but instead went to inspect a new site that theirpany nned to develop in the future. It¡¯s located just outside S City. His inspection finished much earlier than he expected. He was already back in S City and was nning to fetch both his brothers from school when he received the call from Uncle Chu.The driver told him about Luo Yan¡¯s request for the other to fetch their younger brother from school because he wouldn¡¯t be able to go back with himter.


    When he heard that, he remembered that Luo Yan had an exam today.That meant that he could go home early.But knowing his younger brother, he knew that the other wouldn¡¯t go home immediately even if his ss ended early.He would definitely wait for Luo Jin, so they could go home together.Unless Luo Yan had another n.That¡¯s why he immediately dialed his brother¡¯s number.


    Sure enough, as he thought, he heard Luo Yan said that he went out with a friend.He was very happy to hear that his brother finally had a friend his age.He always worried that Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t be able to adapt to his school life because of because of being in a longa before.It was also worrying to think that he seemed to spend most of his time inside that virtual reality game.After all, reality was very different from virtual reality.


    So, he was relieved to hear that Luo Yan went out with a friend.Then he became worried almost instantly.What if this friend was not that reliable?What if he turned out to be a bad influence to his brother?


    He still remembered that guy Shen Ji Yun.The other looked upright and serious, but Luo Ren always felt like he was hitting the idea of his younger brother.Like some kind of wolf prowling around its prey.The fact that the other practically grew up with his cousin, Bai Ze, didn¡¯t help improve his impression of him.


    He knew it was weird to think that way.Especially since both were of the same gender.But he just couldn¡¯t throw off the feeling that this Shen Ji Yun would take his precious brother away.What if this time, Luo Yan¡¯s newly-found friend was also like Shen Ji Yun?He had to see it for himself.


    So, he no longer stopped himself and called Uncle Tan.


    "Uncle Tan, where did you take Yan Yan?" he asked when the phone connected.


    "Young master, second young master is now at a caf¨¦ called Sweet Escape together with his friend," Uncle Tan answered.


    Sweet Escape?"Can you send me the location?"


    "Of course, young master."


    "By the way, Uncle Tan, what do you think of Yan Yan¡¯s friend?" he couldn¡¯t help but asked.


    "Well, ¡¯he¡¯ was tall and had was wearing a big pair of sses.¡¯He¡¯ looked, how do I say this, very studious."


    Luo Ren raised one of his brows when he heard that description.So, this friend looked like a nerd?That¡¯s kind of unexpected.But he guessed that¡¯s better than someone who looked like a yboy."I see.Thank you, Uncle Tan."


    "No trouble, no trouble," the driver immediately said.


    Luo Ren hung the phone and quickly received a message from Uncle Tan telling him the address of the caf¨¦.Seeing that it was not that far from where he currently was, he immediately made a beautiful U-turn and drove to the location of the said caf¨¦.


    It didn¡¯t take long before his car drove on the street where the caf¨¦ was.He could already see the sign ¡¯Sweet Escape¡¯ in the distance.But his attention was quickly taken away by a familiar small figure.


    It was his brother being stopped by two people!


    He didn¡¯t think much and quickly parked his car on the side of the road.He ran towards themotion at his fastest speed.But before he reached there, a tall teenager wearing gym clothes suddenly stood in front of Luo Yan.


    "S-stay away," the teenager said.¡¯He¡¯ might be stuttering but Luo Ren could feel the clear determination in his voice.


    "You¡¯re the one who should stay away," one of the two people who blocked Luo Yan earlier said.


    "Yeah, we saw her first."


    After the second one said that, he suddenly pushed the tall teenager to the side.It could be seen that he put a lot of force in that push.


    When Luo Ren saw that the tall teenager was about to fall down on the ground, he quickly moved and held both of ¡¯his¡¯ shoulders.He gazed down.The teenager¡¯s ck hair was messy.The pair of big sses ¡¯he¡¯ was wearing was askance, revealing one of ¡¯his¡¯ eyes.It was quite sharp.With just that, Luo Ren could tell that the teenager was quite handsome.But that one eye was now looking at him in bewilderment.


    It actually kind of looked adorable in a way.


    "Are you alright?" he asked.


    Before the tall teenager could answer him, he heard his brother¡¯s voice filled with confusion.


    "Brother?"


    With Luo Yan¡¯s voice, Yu Jiao seemed to wake up from her reverie and quickly stood up and moved a few steps away from the man Luo Yan called ¡¯Brother¡¯.


    Luo Ren nced at Luo Yan."Let¡¯s talkter," he said gently.


    Yu Jiao was surprised to see the cold man looked at Luo Yan so gently.It¡¯s like the coldness in his eyes thawed the moment he saw Luo Yan.Now, she was certain that this man was no doubt Luo Yan¡¯s elder brother.


    When Luo Ren turned to the two people, who upon closer inspection were actually high school students as well, the air around himpletely changed.If he was like a spring breeze while looking at Luo Yan, then he was nowparable to the ice age when facing the other two.He was staring at the two teenagers as if they were a pair of worms he could easily crush under his feet.


    The two felt chills down their spine.Cold sweat started flowing down their back.They could even feel their knees shaking.Just what was this?Who was this person?


    Luo Ren raised his phone and took a photo of the two.


    "W-what did you that for?" one asked after piling up all his courage.


    "Nothing much.I¡¯m just going to use this picture to search for the identity of you two.Then I¡¯m going to call your school and tell them what good students you two are," Luo Ren said sarcastically.Then he smiled.Or at least it was supposed to be a smile, if not for the coldness swirling in his eyes."I suspect you¡¯ll get a suspension warning the day after tomorrow.It¡¯s best to ready yourself for that.Maybe if you cry enough to your school¡¯s principal, he might let you go."


    "You- you- you--!"


    "L-let¡¯s go!We don¡¯t have time to talk to a crazy person anyway!" one of the two said, pulling his friend away.


    And the two ran away as if they were being chased by a crazed axed murderer.

 Chapter 303 HOW DID THINGS END UP THIS WAY?

    "BROTHER, that was awesome!" Luo Yan said, walking in front of his older brother and giving him a thumbs up.


    Luo Ren gently ruffled his younger brother¡¯s soft hair."Next time, when people like that stop you, kick them immediately in their family jewels."


    Luo Yanughed."That¡¯s exactly what I was about to do.Great minds do think alike."


    "Then why didn¡¯t you?" Luo Ren asked teasingly, greatly amused by what his brother said.


    "I was about to.But my knight in shining armor came to the rescue," Luo Yan answered, circling his arm around Yu Jiao¡¯s."This is my friend, Jiao Jiao."


    Jiao Jiao?Wasn¡¯t that too feminine a name for a boy? ¨C Luo Ren thought.


    Yu Jiao¡¯s whole face suddenly heated up because of what Luo Yan said about her being his knight in shining armor.She couldn¡¯t help but feel fl.u.s.tered."I- I¡¯m not- I mean- I¡ªsorry."


    Luo Ren stared at the tall teenager in front of him whose face was now as red as a ripe tomato.He looked at the way ¡¯he¡¯ was stuttering and fidgeting.This was obviously a very awkward teenager.He was bad at dealing with this type.Because the moment they stuttered, he immediately got annoyed and thus he would leave before they even finished speaking.His patience was simply reserved to a few select people.


    But for some reason, he didn¡¯t find this kid annoying.It might be because he saw ¡¯him¡¯ protecting his brother.¡¯He¡¯ stood in front of Luo Yan without hesitation even though he was scared ¡¯himself¡¯.¡¯He¡¯ was, without a doubt, a good kid.That¡¯s why probably he already subconsciously put ¡¯him¡¯ together with the select people he reserved his patience with.


    Meeting this kid, Luo Ren was finally relieved.The teenager was definitely a far cry from that guy Shen Ji Yun.For one, his radar was not going off like it did when he met Shen Ji Yun.He even thought that this kid was kind of, well, cute.Secondly, he could see that the two could be good influences to one another.Which was what a friend should be.


    "No need to say sorry.You did nothing wrong.In fact, you did really well," he said to the awkward teenager.


    "T-thank you.And thank you for- for stopping me from f-falling over earlier," Yu Jiao said embarrassingly.


    "Yes, Brother.You were really cool earlier," Luo Yan seconded.


    Luo Ren raised his brows at Luo Yan."So, I was only cool earlier?"


    Luo Yan quickly hugged his brother¡¯s arm."Of course not.Brother is always cool."


    Yu Jiao was slightly surprised seeing Luo Yan acting spoiled.This was the first time she saw him like this.He¡¯d never seen him act like this with Luo Jin.Maybe he was only like this with older family members.And she could see that his family probably also loved to spoil him.


    Again, she felt a little bit envious.She could not even remember thest time she did the same.Even if she did that now, her mother might just think that she¡¯s acting weird.She shook her head.This was hardly the time to think about that or even to feel this way.


    Luo Ren happened to look at Jiao Jiao.He wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination, but the other seemed to be suddenly in a low mood.But it was only for a moment, then she returned to normal.So, he didn¡¯t think too much about it.


    He stretched out his hand."I¡¯m Luo Ren, by the way.Yan Yan¡¯s older brother."


    Yu Jiao hesitatingly reached out to his hand."H-hello."


    "Nice to meet you, Jiao Jiao," Luo Ren said, he didn¡¯t even notice that he had already shown him one of his rare smiles.


    Yu Jiao felt like her ears were tickled when Luo Ren called her nickname.She was even momentarily dazzled by his smile.She quickly let go of the other¡¯s hand.She wanted to say that he shouldn¡¯t call her that way.But no words came out from her mouth.


    "By the way, Brother, are you really going to look for the identity of those two and ask their principal to suspend them?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Yes.It¡¯s not good to go back on one¡¯s word," Luo Ren said."Or maybe I should let their principal expel them."


    "Brother, there¡¯s no need for that.Suspension is more than enough to teach them a lesson."


    Yes, they were problematic kids.But there¡¯s no need to destroy their future just because they stopped him on his tracks.Luo Yan was not some narrow-minded guy who would exact vengeance in the cruelest way possible just because someone stepped on his toes.If that someone hurt him or the people he cared about, then that¡¯s when he¡¯d be really cruel.


    "Oh, I almost forgot.I¡¯m going to buy Ah Jin donuts," he said.


    He was about to continue walking towards the donut shop but Luo Ren stopped him."No need.Since Dad is not at home, let¡¯s just have dinner out.I¡¯ll call Uncle Chu and tell him to take Xiao Jin straight to the restaurant."


    "That¡¯s a good idea," Luo Yan agreed since they rarely ate out.He turned to Yu Jiao."Jiao Jiao, how about going with us?"Then he looked at his older brother."It¡¯s okay, right, Brother?"


    "Sure," Luo Ren easily agreed before looking at the tall teenager."Have dinner with us."


    "I- I have curfew," was Yu Jiao¡¯s automatic response.


    "Jiao Jiao stays at the school dormitory," Luo Yan exined to Luo Ren.Then as if a light bulb turned on inside his head, he added, "I know!How about staying at our house tonight?You can go back to the dorm tomorrow.It¡¯s the weekend anyway.You can just call the dorm manager and tell them that you¡¯ll go home today.We have a lot of spare rooms.You can have one all to yourself.If you¡¯re worried about clothes, Brother can just buy one for youter.What do you think?It¡¯s perfect, right?"


    Yu Jiao wanted to say, ¡¯no, it¡¯s definitely not¡¯.Did Luo Yan actually forget that she was a girl?That it¡¯s not appropriate for her to sleepover in a house with three people of the opposite s.e.x?Well, technically, it probably wouldn¡¯t be just the four of them there because of the maids and other people working there.The house would probably be so big it wouldn¡¯t matter anyway.And she¡¯s quite certain that the Luo brothers wouldn¡¯t do anything untoward.But still.


    "That¡¯s it then," Luo Ren said, agreeing with Luo Yan¡¯s proposal."Where¡¯s Uncle Tan?I¡¯ll tell him to go back ahead of us."


    "He¡¯s on the parking lot on the opposite side," Luo Yan answered.


    "Then, you and Jiao Jiao wait inside my car.It¡¯s the one right there," Luo Ren said pointing at the car parked on the side of the road.


    "Okay, Brother!"


    And Luo Yan happily pulled Yu Jiao towards the car.His peach blossom eyes were filled with excitement, most probably thinking about Yu Jiao sleeping over.


    Yu Jiao, on the other hand, up until they went inside the car, still had no idea how things ended up this way.

 Chapter 304 DINNER FOR FOUR

    WHEN Luo Yan¡¯s elder brother returned to the car and started to drive it, Yu Jiao finally faced the reality that she would not only eat dinner with the three brothers of the Luo family, she would also sleepover in their house.If she was any other girl, she would probably feel ecstatic right now.She would probably even think of how to attract the attention of these brothers.After all, the Luo family was one of the richest family in S City.So, of course, the three brothers were like princes in the eyes of most girls her age.Probably the same could be said to those who were older.But sadly, Yu Jiao didn¡¯t share the same sentiment as them.


    Luo Yan was her friend, the first one she ever made.The thought of getting close to him and his brothers with an ulterior motive in mind was just sickening to her.How could she even think of that?


    The only thing she was feeling right now was, well, she wasn¡¯t exactly sure what she was feeling.Awkwardness perhaps?There was even a bit of frustration in the mix.Maybe because she couldn¡¯t refuse Luo Yan when he invited her to sleepover in their house.If she could be a little bit firmer, she wouldn¡¯t be in this situation right now.


    She could onlyfort herself with the fact that she would, no doubt, be safe at the Luo household.She wasn¡¯t delusional enough to think that Luo Yan¡¯s brothers would actually have any interest in her.Just look at her, she¡¯s not exactly the type that men would be attracted to.And she¡¯s not saying that because she had low self-esteem.She was simply being realistic.


    It wasn¡¯t because she was ugly.Her eyes might be extremely near-sighted, but she wasn¡¯t blind.She could at least judge her own appearance.She was too tall and too gangly.And her face, although not ugly, was not exactly beautiful either.If she was a guy, then her face would probably pass as ¡¯handsome¡¯.But that was it.


    Yu Jiao looked at Luo Yan sitting on the passenger¡¯s seat.His eyes were shining and his smile was brighter than the sun.He was simply brimming with excitement.How could she refuse him when he looked like that?


    So, she finally resigned herself to her fate and called the dorm manager to tell her that she wouldn¡¯t be back at the dorm tonight.


    They went to a highly-praised restaurant in the city.Luo Ren had already booked a private box earlier while they were still on their way.So, the waiter quickly led them there.The three sat down on the turning round table.


    "May I take your order, sir?" the waiter asked Luo Ren.


    "What do you two want to eat?" Luo Ren asked his brother and Jiao Jiao instead.


    "You can order for me, Brother," Luo Yan said.


    "Then, I¡¯ll order some of your favorite dishes," Luo Ren said with a petting tone.


    "I-I¡¯m fine with anything," Yu Jiao then followed.


    Luo Ren turned to the tall teenager."You don¡¯t have any allergy?"


    Yu Jiao shook her head.


    With that, Luo Ren said a number of dishes.Of course, this also included some of Luo Jin¡¯s favorites.After hearing their orders, the waiter told them that their food would arrive shortly.And then he walked out of the room.


    Before the dishes they ordered arrived, Luo Jin walked into the private box first.


    "Brother, why did you suddenly decided to eat out?" he first said once he walked in.He was quite surprised when Uncle Chu told him that his eldest brother asked him to take him to a restaurant.Because his eldest brother wasn¡¯t exactly the type who loved to eat out.He was about to say more, but his steps halted when he noticed someone who he didn¡¯t expect to be there."Yu Jiao?"


    Yu Jiao?Luo Ren was a bit startled when he heard his youngest brother calling the tall teenager that.Because that would mean that ¡¯Jiao Jiao¡¯ was the other¡¯s nickname and ¡¯Yu Jiao¡¯ was ¡¯his¡¯ name.And yet here he was, calling him that from the very beginning.He suddenly felt embarrassed in a way.The teenager was probably felt way worse.After all, ¡¯his¡¯ friend¡¯s older brother had been calling ¡¯him¡¯ in ¡¯his¡¯ nickname as if they were close or something.That definitely felt awkward.


    "Why are you here?" Luo Jin added.There was no malice in his voice, just pure surprise.


    Luo Ren¡¯s brows slightly crumpled when he heard Luo Jin¡¯s question."Xiao Jin, don¡¯t be rude," he scolded."I invited Jia- I mean, Yu Jiao to eat with us."


    "Sorry," Luo Jin said to Yu Jiao."I¡¯m just surprised."


    "It¡¯s okay."


    Luo Ren nced sideways at Yu Jiao.The kid didn¡¯t stutter just now.Now that he thought about it, ¡¯he¡¯ wasn¡¯t really stuttering when ¡¯he¡¯ was talking to Luo Yan.Did that mean that ¡¯he¡¯ only does with people he¡¯s notfortable with?That wasn¡¯t exactly a very forting piece of information.


    "Ah Jin, guess what?Jiao Jiao will sleepover at our house tonight," Luo Yan said excitedly once his younger brother walked to the table.


    Luo Jin almost missed the chair he was about to sit on when he heard what Luo Yan said."You invited Yu Jiao to sleep at our house?" he asked to make sure that he didn¡¯t hear it wrong.


    His second brother nodded happily.


    Luo Jin looked incredulously at his second brother before turning his head to their older brother."Brother, you actually agreed?"


    "Yes, why wouldn¡¯t I?" Luo Ren said, frowning.Why was this younger brother of his being so rude today?


    "Well, for one¡ª" before Luo Jin could say that it¡¯s because Yu Jiao was a girl and it¡¯s not really appropriate to let her sleep in a house full of men, excluding the maids and all, the door of the box opened and waiters carrying trays of food came in.


    Yu Jiao nced at Luo Jin¡¯s expression and immediately knew what he was thinking.She could only sigh once again and thought, [I feel you, Luo Jin.I feel you.]

 Chapter 305 LUO REN HAD A...

    YU JIAO stared at the fairy-tale like house in front of her.It¡¯s not because it looked like one of those cabins in the woods one would see in a fairy tale book.It just gave off that feeling.It¡¯s hard to exin.You know how a building could exude a particr atmosphere?Well, it¡¯s like that.This was definitely a testament to the ability of the person who designed the house.


    Considering how rich the Luo family was, she was actually expecting a very big house.What she wasn¡¯t expecting was a beautiful house like this.It didn¡¯t really fit the image of an all-male household.Well, except for Luo Yan.This house definitely fits him.


    "Wee to our house, Jiao Jiao," Luo Yan said, walking beside Yu Jiao."What do you think?"


    "It¡¯s beautiful," Yu Jiao honestly said.


    Luo Ren who was passing by the two heard what Yu Jiao said.He nced at the tall teenager and saw ¡¯him¡¯ looking at the house.But because of those big sses, he couldn¡¯t see ¡¯his¡¯ eyes.He wondered what those sharp eyes of ¡¯him¡¯ looked like while staring at the house designed by his mother.Would they be filled with wonders?Or maybe they would be filled with undisguised amazement.For some reason, he suddenly had an urge to take off those sses.


    He was startled by his own thoughts.Then he shook his head and just walked inside the house, following Luo Jin.


    "It¡¯s designed by our Mom," Luo Yan said in answer to what Yu Jiao said earlier.


    Yu Jiao was slightly surprised when she heard that.But then, at the same time, it suddenly made sense why the house had such a romantic and warm atmosphere.Because the architect of the house put her love on the design."Then your mother was a very talented woman."


    It¡¯s just a shame that such a woman was gone too early.Yu Jiao, like many other students at Guizu Academy, also heard about the ident that put Luo Yan intoa.That ident also took his mother¡¯s life.It was definitely a tragedy for the whole Luo family.She couldn¡¯t even fathom the level of pain they must have felt.


    "Indeed she was."Luo Yan would have loved to meet her.But sadly, fate didn¡¯t allow him."Let¡¯s go inside?"


    Yu Jiao nodded.It¡¯s better to go inside before Luo Yan showed sadness because of the topic.


    The interior design of the house was pretty simple but it was pretty tasteful.Which meant that a lot of thought was put in every furniture inside.


    "Yu Jiao, I¡¯ll take you to your room.It¡¯s on the second floor," Luo Ren said who stopped in his tracks and turned to them.He already called earlier so that the maids could clean one of the rooms on the second floor.


    Yu Jiao subconsciously clutched the hem of Luo Yan¡¯s shirt.Of course, this move didn¡¯t escape Luo Ren¡¯s eyes.It¡¯s like the other was subconsciously telling him that he wasn¡¯tfortable being alone with him.Somehow, the thought of that also made him feel ufortable.


    Luo Yan quickly noticed the sudden awkwardness in the air.He looked down at Yu Jiao¡¯s hand clutching at the hem of his shirt, then at the stiff smile on his brother¡¯s face.


    "It¡¯s okay, Brother.I¡¯ll take Jiao Jiao to the room," he said."I know it¡¯s been a long day for you, Brother.You should go ahead and rest."


    "Alright, little brother."Luo Ren finally regain the gentle smile on his face."Yu Jiao¡¯s room is two doors on the left of mine."


    Luo Yan nodded as a reply.Then Luo Ren climbed up the stairs to the second floor.


    "Okay, the big bad wolf is gone now," he said teasingly to Yu Jiao.


    Yu Jiao embarrassingly let go of the hem of Luo Yan¡¯s shirt."Sorry."


    "No need to apologize," he said, amused."Why are you afraid of my brother?I don¡¯t think he looks that scary."


    "I- I¡¯m not afraid of him.He just..." [makes me feel overwhelmed.] ¨C Of course, Yu Jiao didn¡¯t say that part."I¡¯m just not used to his presence.I¡¯m like this to anyone I met for the first time."


    But only Yu Jiao knew that what she felt was very different from what she told Luo Yan.She just didn¡¯t understand what could be so different.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t doubt what Yu Jiao said.After all, when they first met, she also acted the same way."Well, you shouldn¡¯t be afraid of him.I assure you, my brother is the sweetest, kindest, and coolest older brother out there."


    He¡¯s probably only like that to a select number of people ¨C Yu Jiao thought.She¡¯d noticed the way Luo Ren interacted with people other than his brothers.He was mostly cold, he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to let others enter his sight.His kindness probably only extended to her because she¡¯s friends with his little brother.


    They climbed up the stairs to the second floor and Luo Yan led her to a room. Luo Yan opened it and they walked inside. Yu Jiao was a bit stunned by the size of the room. It was probably three timesrger than her room in the dormitory.


    "Are you sure you don¡¯t need a change of clothes?" Luo Yan asked.Because earlier, Yu Jiao refused to let them buy her a change of clothes."I could borrow clothes from Ah Jin.He has a lot of clothes he hasn¡¯t worn yet."


    If his clothes could fit her, he would definitely lend her his clothes.But her built was closer to Luo Jin.He sighed.It felt like he was the girl and Yu Jiao was the boy.Just how sad was that?


    "It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s no need."Yu Jiao could just sleep in her underwear tonight and then wore her gym clothes again tomorrow.


    Luo Yan knew there¡¯s no use convincing her.So, he would just quietly borrow clothes from Luo Jin and let one of the maids sent it to Yu Jiao.There¡¯s no way she would befortable wearing that gym clothes all night."Okay.Try to wake up early tomorrow.I¡¯ll tour you around the house."


    Yu Jiao smiled."I will."


    "Rest well.Good night!"


    Then Luo Yan walked out and went straight to Luo Jin¡¯s room.


    Meanwhile, Luo Ren was also thinking of giving clothes to Yu Jiao. So, instead of immediately taking a bath, he took a new pair of pajamas he hadn¡¯t worn yet from his closet. It might be a little bigger on ¡¯him¡¯, but certainly, it¡¯s much morefortable to sleep in than ¡¯his¡¯ gym clothes.


    He walked out of his room carrying the pajamas.He walked to the guest room assigned to Yu Jiao.Because he was thinking of something else at the moment, he forgot to knock and just opened the door.When he realized what he¡¯d done, he was already pushing the door in.Then he shrugged, what did it matter anyway?They¡¯re both guys.


    So, he brazenly walked in."Yu Jiao¡ª"


    Then he immediately stopped when he saw the state of the person inside the room.


    Yu Jiao took off ¡¯his¡¯ big sses, showing ¡¯his¡¯ sharp eyes.¡¯He¡¯ was no longer wearing gym clothes.Instead, ¡¯he¡¯ was wearing a pair of women¡¯s boxers.Showcasing ¡¯his¡¯ long legs that seemed to go on forever.¡¯His¡¯ upper body was only covered by a thin camisole that outlined the curve of ¡¯his¡¯ b.r.e.a.s.t.


    No, Yu Jiao was not a ¡¯he¡¯.Yu Jiao was clearly a girl!


    Luo Ren felt like his brain just nked."I¡¯m sorry," he said like a robot.


    Then he walked out of the room and closed the door. After one second, he suddenly felt his whole face heating up.That¡¯s not all, his heart was also beating like crazy.Almost as if it would jump out of his body.


    Then he suddenly felt something hoting out of his nose.He raised his hand to touch it and when he looked at his finger, he saw a smudge of something red.


    His eyes widened.He¡¯s having a nosebleed!

 Chapter 306 THE MYSTERY OF HIS NOSEBLEED

    LUO YAN walked outside of Luo Jin¡¯s room with new set of pajamas as well as a new pair of shirt and jeans.He was nning to call a maid to let her bring the clothes to Yu Jiao, after all, even though they¡¯re friends, the other was still a girl.He already figured out what she was thinking earlier ¨C that she would sleep in her undergarments and just wear her gym clothes again tomorrow.It was not really not that hard to guess.He would probably do the same thing if he was in her shoes.What if she was already in a state of undress?It would be too embarrassing and awkward if he suddenly barged into her room right now.


    He was about to climbed down the stairs when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure standing still in front of Yu Jiao¡¯s room.He turned and saw that it was actually his older brother.Perplexed, he walked towards him.That¡¯s when he noticed that Luo Ren was covering the lower half of his face with his hand.


    "Brother?What are you doing there?" he asked.


    Luo Yan¡¯s voicepletely pulled back Luo Ren¡¯s already wandering soul.He stiffly turned to his younger brother.The moment he did, he felt another gush of warm liquid in his nose.His whole body froze again.What he just saw in the room shed again in his mind.He closed his eyes tightly and throw that image at the very, very back of his head.


    "Brother?" Luo Yan called again when Luo Ren didn¡¯t answer him immediately.He didn¡¯t even remove the hand covering his face."Why are you covering your face?Are you okay?"


    Luo Ren looked at his brother once again then remembered a very important fact.This tragic incident happened all because Luo Yan didn¡¯t tell him that Yu Jiao was actually a girl!Who could me Luo Ren for thinking otherwise?His younger brother so confidently invited a friend to sleepover at their house.That only further intensified his misunderstanding that the other was a teenage boy.That¡¯s why happily agreed with Luo Yan¡¯s suggestion.


    Who would actually invite a girl to have a sleepover in a house full of guys?Apparently, his brother would.For the first time, Luo Ren had an urge to smack Luo Yan at the back of his head.What exactly was this kid thinking?Could it be that because of being in aa for seven years, he actually didn¡¯t have any awareness of gender distinction?For him, boys and girls were just the same?


    Luo Ren or their father should probably have a serious conversation with this brother of his.But for now, he should clean up first.The feeling of having something sticky in your nose was not exactlyfortable.


    "I¡¯m fine," he said, still covering half of his face.Then he noticed the clothes Luo Yan was carrying."Are those Xiao Jin¡¯s?"


    Luo Yan nodded."I¡¯m nning to lend it to Jiao Jiao."


    Luo Ren frowned.He suddenly felt ufortable for some reason at the thought that Yu Jiao would wear the clothes of his youngest brother.But he immediately shook off that feeling.Wasn¡¯t he also nning to lend her his clothes?


    "Go to my room after you¡¯re done.We need to talk," he just said and walked straight to his room.


    Luo Yan who was left there were a bit confused.Why did it feel like he was going to receive a severe scolding?


    Back to Luo Ren¡¯s room, the first thing he did was to go to his bathroom.He looked at his face at the vanity mirror and there were two red liquid under both nostrils.Thinking of the reason why he suddenly had a nosebleed, an image of a tall and slender girl with a pair of legs that seemed to go on forever appeared in his mind.Then he suddenly felt like that another nosebleed wasing.


    Annoyed, he sshed his face with cold water, cleaning the blood thoroughly.Then he leaned back a bit, raising his head to the ceiling, preventing the blood from flowing out.


    He couldn¡¯t understand his reaction.What he saw was not particrly that stimting.He had seen way more graphic things like that.With his family background, there were times when women tried to seduce him.From female employees in their family¡¯spany to 18th-line female stars.Justst month, someone tried to make him drink wineced with aphrodisiac.He was too tired back then and didn¡¯t notice it.That woman almost seeded if not for his strong self-control.Of course, that event didn¡¯t end well for that woman.


    The point was, even if his body was riddled with aphrodisiac and there¡¯s an almost n.a.k.e.d woman trying to straddle him, he didn¡¯t have a nosebleed.And yet when he saw Yu Jiao¡¯s state of undress earlier, which really couldn¡¯t be said to be a total ¡¯undress¡¯, he had one.


    He couldn¡¯t exin it.How the heck could he when he couldn¡¯t even understand what was happening.Was he simply s.e.x.u.a.lly frustrated?Was that it?After all, he was at that age.But somehow, he couldn¡¯t seem to ept that reason.


    Luo Ren took a deep breath and looked at the mirror once again.Whatever the reason was, the most important thing right now was for him to properly apologize to Yu Jiao.Because of his carelessness, that incident happened.What if she became traumatized or something?


    He dried his face with a clean towel and walked out of the bathroom.Just in time for someone to knock on the door.


    "Come in," he said.


    The door opened and Luo Yan entered."Brother, what do we have to talk about?" he asked tentatively.


    Luo Ren looked seriously at his younger brother."Yan Yan, why didn¡¯t you tell me that Yu Jiao is a girl?"


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that that was the thing that his older brother wanted to talk about. "I though you already knew?"


    Luo Ren looked at him disapprovingly."Do you think I will agree on letting her sleepover here if I know?"


    Well, his brother did have a point.Luo Yan actually thought that Luo Ren didn¡¯t mind that¡¯s why he agreed.It¡¯s not really that surprising that he thought of Yu Jiao as a boy.After all, Yu Jiao was so tall and handsome.


    Looking at his brother¡¯s face filled with ¡¯I don¡¯t like this¡¯ expression, it seemed like his prediction of getting scolded would soone true.But how could he just let that happen?


    So, he quickly hugged his older brother¡¯s arm and started to act spoiled."Brother, I¡¯m sorry.Please, don¡¯t be mad.I really didn¡¯t mean it.Jiao Jiao is my first friend at school.I just wanted to show her our house.Was that so wrong?"


    Luo Ren gazed down at Luo Yan¡¯s beautiful face filled with innocence and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh.He really couldn¡¯t make himself angry with this little brother of his.What if he cried?


    "I¡¯m not mad at you.I just hope that you won¡¯t do something like this again in the future," he just said.


    "Okay.I understand, Brother," Luo Yan said very obediently.


    Luo Ren ruffled his hair."Go back to your room and sleep."


    "Good night, Brother!" Luo Yan gave Luo Ren onest hug before going out.


    Once he was out of his brother¡¯s room, a thought suddenly entered his mind.How did his older brother find out that Yu Jiao was a girl?

 Chapter 307 YU JIAO CALMING HERSELF

    YU JIAO stared at the closed door for a couple of seconds before everything that happened sunk in.Then her whole face turned beet red.She crouched down, wishing to find a hole she could crawl in.She couldn¡¯t even describe the feeling of embarrassment and mortification she was feeling.She was so immersed in her own thoughts, she didn¡¯t hear even a speck of the voices of the two brothers talking outside her room.


    There¡¯s only one thing in her mind right now.Her friend¡¯s older brother just saw her in her... she couldn¡¯t even say it!


    Why did Luo Ren suddenly enter her room?She couldn¡¯t think of a possible reason why.The moment he entered, her whole body just froze and her brainpletely nked out.She buried her face on her knees.How could she face him now?


    No, wait- why did it feel like she was ming herself?This was not her fault at all.It was Luo Ren¡¯s.If he could have just knock on the door, it would save the both of them a lot of embarrassment.But no, he just barged in!One would think that the eldest son of a rich family would at least have the discipline to knock on a door that¡¯s not his room.But apparently, he didn¡¯t.


    She felt frustrated and annoyed.Even more so, she felt extremely mortified.Because even though she knew that this incident was not her fault, she was still the one who had been seen in her underwear.


    She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.She repeatedly told herself to rx.[It¡¯s okay, Yu Jiao.It¡¯s okay.Just think of it as him seeing you in a swimsuit.]


    She didn¡¯t really lose anything from what happened.Sure, he saw a bit of her legs and arms.But so what?It¡¯s not as if it would degrade her as a person.Besides, based on Luo Ren¡¯s ratherckl.u.s.ter reaction, he probably didn¡¯t think too much of what happened.After all, she¡¯s not exactly a goddess level beauty.The other probably didn¡¯t think of her as a girl.She¡¯s probably the only one who¡¯s getting worked up about it.


    That thought finally calmed her down.It would be fine.She would just act like nothing happened.


    Just as she stood up, a knock was heard on the door.Itpletely startled her, almost making her jump.Her first thought was that Luo Ren was back again.That made her heart, which she just barely managed to calm down, beat uncontrobly again.


    "W-who?" she called first.


    "Miss, our second young master asked me to bring you a change of clothes," said a woman¡¯s voice from outside.


    Yu Jiao quickly realized that the one outside must be a maid.She was finally able to put down her hanging heart.She was about to open the door when she realized that she was still in her undergarments.


    "Please, wait," she said.


    Then she went to the bathroom and looked for a bathrobe.When she did, she wore it and quickly walked towards the door.She opened it and just like she thought, a woman in a maid¡¯s uniform was standing outside.


    The maid who brought the clothes to Yu Jiao was slightly surprised when she saw the ¡¯guest¡¯ of the second young master.When she heard that this guest was a girl, a lot of spection entered her head.One of which was that their second young master had been taken advantage of by some girl.But when the second young master told her to bring clothes to his guest, she was confused.Because the clothes the second young master handed was obviously for a boy!


    But now, seeing the guest with her own eyes, she finally understood.The one standing in front of her was tall with messy ck hair and sharp eyes.If she wasn¡¯t informed beforehand that this guest was a girl, she would definitely think that the other was a boy.A very handsome boy to be exact.


    She still had a job to do, so she quickly got over her shock and gave the clothes to the guest.


    Yu Jiao took it and said thank you to the maid before closing the door.She didn¡¯t forget to lock it.She looked down at the clothes on her hand.One was a set of pajamas and the other was a pair of shirt and jeans.


    Although she was moved by Luo Yan¡¯s thoughtfulness, she still wanted to squeeze his cheeks until it turned red and puffy.After all, he was the one who invited her here.


    Luo Yan, who just entered his room, suddenly sneezed.Was someone thinking about him?The first person he thought of was Luo Ren.He wondered if his older brother was still scolding him in his heart.


    He walked to the bathroom to take a quick bath.He started to fill the tub with hot water.As he was taking off his clothes, his thoughts came back to what happened in his brother¡¯s room just now.Luo Ren was probably suspecting that in his mind, there¡¯s no distinction between girls and boys.That¡¯s why he could nonchntly invite Yu Jiao to sleepover in their house.That would certainly fit the image of someone who had been in aa for seven years.


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case.He was just confident that nothing would happen to Yu Jiao even if she slept here.His older brother probably wouldn¡¯t think of it that way.He wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if one of these days he would actually receive s.e.x education from him, exining to him the difference between a girl and a boy.


    That would be super awkward.


    Then his thought came back to that one particr problem ¨C how did his brother found out that Yu Jiao was a girl?


    Before Luo Ren asked him to go to his room so they could talk, he still thought of Yu Jiao as a boy.It only changed at that particr moment.And Luo Ren was standing in front of Yu Jiao¡¯s room when that change happened.That meant that he saw something in the room that changed his perception.


    A certain possibility suddenly shed in his mind.Then his eyes widened."No way..."


    He said that but his lips were already drawn into a mischievous arc.

 Chapter 308 GETTING HER FORGIVENESS

    THE next morning, although Yu Jiao had managed to calm herself, she still wasn¡¯t able to sleep properly.Maybe she wasn¡¯t justfortable with the new environment she was in or maybe her body was just not used to the overly soft bed under her.But only she knew that it was still all because of what happenedst night.


    If she could, she really wanted to turn back time to the time when Luo Yan invited her to sleepover and used everything she had to refuse him.But things had already happened.There¡¯s no use crying over spilt milk.All she could do was bravely face the consequences.


    She sighed.She looked at her phone that she ced on the bedside table and saw that it was only six in the morning.Maybe she could just go home like this, so as to avoid the embarrassment of facing Luo Ren.She would just message Luo Yanter.And then she thought, wouldn¡¯t that look like she was running away?Like she was greatly affected by what happened.


    Although that was true, for some reason, she didn¡¯t want Luo Ren to think that her mentality couldn¡¯t handle something like that.She cringed.That kind of thinking made her look childish.As if she didn¡¯t want to be on the losing end.But what were theypeting exactly?


    She just shook her head and stood up from the bed.She took the pair of shirt and jeans and went to the bathroom.After a quick shower, she dried her hair and wore the clothes.Both the shirt and the jeans were a bit too big for her.She simply folded the waist of the jeans to fit her.When she was sure that it wouldn¡¯t fall off from her, she walked out of the bath.She wore her sses and the jacket of her gym clothes.Then she made the bed.She picked up her backpack and put her phone in it.She looked around the room and after making sure that she didn¡¯t forget anything, she went out.


    She just walked for a few steps when one of the doors on the second floor opened and Luo Ren walked out.Yu Jiao¡¯s steps paused in mid-air and she couldn¡¯t help but stare at the person in front of her.He was wearing a fitted dark-blue long-sleeved polo tucked inside gray cks and paired with ck leather shoes.


    Seeing him, for some reason, her heart started beating abnormally.As if it would jump out of her chest.Then slowly, she felt her whole face heating up.She quickly looked down so he wouldn¡¯t notice it.What was wrong with her?Was this because of what happenedst night?Did that mean that she was just being shy?Somehow, that possibility made it even worse.


    Like Yu Jiao, Luo Ren also stopped on the spot when he saw her.He stared at the tall teenager.Her ck hair was still as messy, as if she didn¡¯t botherbing it.Half of her face was still covered by those tacky sses.The clothes that she¡¯s wearing was obviously a size bigger than her, except probably for her jacket.Which was not surprising, considering that those clothes originally belonged to Luo Jin.This showed that despite being taller than some teenage boys her age, her frame was still smaller than those said boys.


    But if one only looked at her like this, they would certainly assume that she was a boy.Just like he did.Which really bit him hard back in the ass.


    Luo Ren couldn¡¯t see Yu Jiao¡¯s expression because of her sses.Once again, he felt the urge to remove those sses.Then he saw her suddenly looking down and he just felt like he had been hit by something.Did she not even want to see him?Was the sight of him really that hard to look at?Could she not even bear to look at him?


    He felt panicked.As if something inside him was shouting that he should fix this immediately.And so, he did.No time was better than now.


    "Good morning, Yu Jiao.Could I please speak with you?" he started.


    Yu Jiao felt entangled.Because she was sure that the other would definitely talk to her about what happenedst night.She wanted to say ¡¯there¡¯s really no need for him to speak with her¡¯.But when she saw the serious expression on his face, she could only nod.


    Luo Ren took a couple of steps forward and stopped when he was about five steps away from Yu Jiao.Then he bowed, his body in an almost perfect 90 degrees.


    "I¡¯m sorry for what happenedst night.It was my fault for not knocking.Please know that I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.I hope that you could find it in your heart to forgive me.I would understand if you can¡¯t.After all, I probably caused you a great deal of trauma.I just hope that it wouldn¡¯t affect your rtionship with Yan Yan."


    Yu Jiao was startled by Luo Ren¡¯s solemn apology.She already knew that he would apologize, she just didn¡¯t expect that he would do it so sincerely.That he wouldn¡¯t even hesitate to give her a formal bow.She would not go far as to say that she was traumatized.She was shocked, yes, embarrassed, rightfully so.But not to the point that she would get nightmares over it.


    Looking at him still bowing, she had a feeling that he wouldn¡¯t get up unless she forgave him.Since he already apologized, it would be to narrow-minded of her to not forgive him.After all, what he did was not something so heinous.


    She took a deep breath and said, "I-I ept your apology.So, let¡¯s just f-forget about it."


    Luo Ren straightened his body.Finally, he breathed out a sigh of relief.But hearing her say that they should forget what happened, he felt like he couldn¡¯t.Of course, he wouldn¡¯t admit that to Yu Jiao.She just forgave him, he didn¡¯t want to get to her bad side again that soon after.


    "Should we shake on that?" he said, stretching out his hand to her.


    Yu Jiao looked at the other¡¯s hand.Before she could think more, she found herself already reaching out to that hand.When their hands touch each other, she felt like the warmth emanating from his hand traveled from his palm straight to her heart.Making her a bit breathless.


    Luo Ren felt almost the same.He could feel some calluses on her palm.A sign that she was used to hard work.He didn¡¯t think that it was something that a girl should be embarrassed about.No hard work was embarrassing.It made him admire her even more.


    This moment ended when someone suddenly cleared his throat.


    Both turned their head to the source and saw Luo Jin leaning on his room¡¯s opened door."If you two are done with whatever ¡¯this¡¯ is, could you let me pass?"


    The two quickly let go of each other¡¯s hand.Then Luo Jin passed by between them and walked towards the stairs.Luo Ren and Yu Jiao looked at each other at the same time.


    Then they both burst outughing.

 Chapter 309 SELLING OFF BIG BROTHER

    "THIS is our library," Luo Yan said opening the door to their library."It¡¯s one of my favorite spots in the house."


    He was taking Yu Jiao on a tour in the house just like what he said to herst night.He started after they finished eating breakfast.Now, they¡¯re almost finished with the first floor.


    Yu Jiao entered the library and turned her gaze around.This was truly an impressive library.The genres of the books were divided in an orderly manner.Each genre almost upying one shelf.It was almost like bookstore.One could see that a lot of thought was put in its design.


    "We have a lot of selection of books here.If you want to borrow one, I could lend it to you," Luo Yan said following Yu Jiao inside.


    "Is it really alright?"


    Luo Yan nodded."Of course."


    Yu Jiao walked towards the shelves with design books.She picked one that talked about designing houses.She flipped through it and saw some interesting designs.This book and the rest that was in the shelf he took it from probably belonged to the Luo brothers¡¯ deceased mother.


    "Are you interested in designs?" Luo Yan asked when he saw the book he picked.


    "In a way.But it¡¯s more like designing the ces and things that could be found in a game," Yu Jiao exined.


    "So, Jiao Jiao wants to be a game designer," Luo Yan said it more of a statement rather than a question.Then he grinned."What a coincidence, I happened to want to be a game programmer.Should we work together in the future?"


    "That¡¯s- that¡¯s actually not such a bad idea," Yu Jiao found herself saying.Then she caught herself.What was she thinking saying that?Luo Yan was probably just joking with her.It¡¯s stupid of her to take it seriously.


    "I¡¯m quite serious, you know," Luo Yan said as if reading what¡¯s on her mind."I¡¯m nning to go to T University next year.They have a pretty goodputer science program.How about you?"


    Yu Jiao was still a bit surprised hearing Luo Yan said that he was truly considering working with her in the future, then he suddenly changed the subject so seemingly, it took her quite a while to answer.


    "I currently have two choices, T University and F University."


    "F University is also good."Then Luo Yan looked at her and said in a teasing tone, "Brother just graduated there this year."


    Yu Jiao blinked.She couldn¡¯t understand why Luo Yan suddenly mentioned thatst part about his brother.But because of that, Luo Ren¡¯s image entered her mind once again.Although she was still embarrassed because of what happenedst night, but because he apologized, that feeling was almost gone now.She could probably face him now without feeling all awkward.


    "I see.He must have graduated with a lot of honors," she only said.


    "Yup.My older brother is really great.Don¡¯t you think so as well, Jiao Jiao?"


    Yu Jiao was a bit confused at first.Because it still felt like he was teasing her.But why would he do that?


    Yu Jiao was right, Luo Yan was indeed teasing her.When he realized how his brother figured out the Yu Jiao was a girl, he had an intense urge to tease his older brother.Of course, he wouldn¡¯t tease Yu Jiao about that.She¡¯s a girl.Something happening like that to a girl was definitely embarrassing.So, he only nned to tease his older brother this morning.


    But who would have thought that he would see something so interesting during breakfast?His taciturn older brother who only ever smiled to his family was being so attentive and gentle towards Yu Jiao.Throughout the whole breakfast, he kept giving her different dishes from time to time.Luo Jin¡¯s eyes were almost bulging out of his face because of that.


    Luo Yan was certainly surprised.But that was only at the beginning.Soon, he just found it amusing.Because based on how Luo Ren was acting, there¡¯s a high chance that he became interested in Yu Jiao.And the catalyst of that might be whatever happenedst night between the two.


    If his guess was correct and the way Luo Ren found out about Yu Jiao¡¯s real gender was by identally seeing her in a state of undress, then wouldn¡¯t that mean that he became attracted to her body?He smirked.[My, my, older brother, I can¡¯t believe you have this side in you.]


    But knowing Luo Ren, who in his 22 years of existence never even had a girlfriend, he probably hadn¡¯t realized his own feelings yet.There¡¯s also a chance that in his mind it was just a temporary interest.But whichever the case, Luo Yan liked this progress.


    So, starting from today, he decided that he would praise his older brother in front of Yu Jiao from time to time.Increasing his brother¡¯s favorability value.That way, if he ever decided to confess to her, his chance of sess would also increase.


    What a good brother he was.He almost wanted to give himself a pat on the back.


    "Well, I think he must be really smart," Yu Jiao could only say, replying to what Luo Yan said earlier.


    "Yes, my brother is not only smart, he¡¯s also very responsible.Not only that, he may not look the part, but he¡¯s actually very kind.Most of all, he¡¯s also very handsome.Although he looks slender under that suit he usually wears, I assure you, he was full of firm muscles underneath.In short, he¡¯s perfect."


    Yu Jiao didn¡¯t know how to reply to that.She wasn¡¯t even sure why Luo Yan was telling her all these.It¡¯s like he¡¯s doing some kind of advertis.e.m.e.nt and Luo Ren was the product he¡¯s endorsing.So, did that mean that he wanted to sell his older brother to her?She shook her head vigorously to get those thoughts out of her mind.Just how the heck did her thoughts veer off that way?


    "I- I¡¯m going to borrow this book," she said,pletely changing the topic."Let¡¯s go to the next ce."


    Then without waiting for Luo Yan¡¯s answer, she walked out of the library.


    Luo Yan stared at her back and wondered if he was overdoing it.He was about to follow her when his phone rang.He took it out from his pocket and saw that it was a video call request from Shen Ji Yun.

 Chapter 310 TEASING OVER THE PHONE

    LUO YAN didn¡¯t hesitate to ept the request.Shen Ji Yun¡¯s handsome face quickly appeared on the screen.He quickly noticed some leaves on the background, as well as some branches.


    "Brother Ji Yun, are you sitting on top of a tree?" he couldn¡¯t help asking.


    "Yeah," Shen Ji Yun answered with a yawn."I came a bit early for my next ss.So, I decided to take a nap for a while.But I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I just called you."


    "Maybe if you pick a morefortable ce to take a nap, you would be able to sleep immediately," Luo Yan said in a teasing voice.


    "This isfortable though."


    Luo Yan chuckled.This kind of reminded him of the first time they met.Shen Ji Yun suddenly jumped out of the tree to help him deal with that pervert.He was probably also taking a nap then.


    "Yes, yes, Brother Ji Yun is like a forest nymph who loves hanging on trees," he said.


    "Hmm... isn¡¯t that analogy a bit wrong?"


    "In what way?"


    "Because aren¡¯t monkeys the ones who love hanging on trees?" Shen Ji Yun answered with a serious expression on his face.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh or cry because of that.Really, out of all the possible things he could say.And he said it too as if he wasn¡¯t joking at all.Well, knowing him, maybe he really wasn¡¯t.


    "Brother Ji Yun, someone as handsome as you couldn¡¯t bepared to a monkey," he also said in an equally serious manner.


    Then he saw the person on the other side of the screen froze.It¡¯s like even his sleepiness disappeared.Then, even though the other tried to hide it, Luo Yan still saw that his cheeks had a touch of blush in them.


    "Yan Yan thinks I¡¯m handsome?" Shen Ji Yun asked with no expression on his face.


    But in Luo Yan¡¯s eyes, he looked like a shy maiden.You know, like one of those anime girls who¡¯s fidgeting while asking the male lead ¨C ¡¯do you think I¡¯m pretty?¡¯.


    "I¡¯m sure Brother Ji Yun can look himself at the mirror and know the answer immediately," he just said.


    "But I want to hear it from Yan Yan," Shen Ji Yun said like he was sulking.


    Luo Yan almost couldn¡¯t maintain his smile.Was this guy¡¯s Casanova tendencies awaken again?Or maybe he just had too much courage because they were talking to each other over the phone and not facing each other for real?He suddenly wanted to bully him.It¡¯s not right that Shen Ji Yun could give him all these fatal attacks without even knowing it.


    So, he smiled at the screen."Brother Ji Yun is very handsome."


    But he, himself, didn¡¯t realize that the smile he gave was his real smile.That¡¯s why its lethality was even more potent.So, it¡¯s no wonder that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s whole face turned red.


    Luo Yan should be happy that his attack was sessful.But seeing the other¡¯s profusely blushing face, his heart just felt itchy.Because neither of them talked after that, the atmosphere quickly stagnated.While thinking of how to change that, the door of the library suddenly opened and a voice interrupted them, quickly breaking the stagnant atmosphere.


    "Yan Yan, why aren¡¯t you going out yet?" asked Yu Jiao who came back when she noticed that Luo Yan was not following behind her.


    Of course, this voice was heard by the person on the other side of the screen.Luo Yan saw how quickly Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face returned to normal because of that.


    "Who¡¯s that?" he asked.


    "Ah..." Luo Yan was thinking if he should lie. Because if he told the truth, this old vinegar jar would surely turn over again. But then he thought, why did he have to lie? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s doing something wrong. Besides, telling a lie would be like him denying Yu Jiao¡¯s presence. So, he simply told the truth.


    "It¡¯s Jiao Jiao."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face became even more expressionless.If he was beside him right now, he would definitely feel a cold atmosphere, as if it was already the coldest day of winter.


    When Luo Yan thought that the other would ask why Yu Jiao was here, he said instead, "I see."


    Because of that, he suddenly remembered that ¡¯I see¡¯ message he sent him when he told him yesterday that he would hang out with Yu Jiao.The way he said it, with no emotion whatsoever, was exactly how he imagined his tone when he typed that message.


    "It¡¯s time for my ss.I¡¯ll see you in Arcadia."


    Then Shen Ji Yun hung up the phone.


    Luo Yan stared at the nk screen.[He hung up on me?]


    Yu Jiao, who was waiting near the door, heard thest part of the conversating. So, she heard the voice of the person Luo Yan was talking to. Somehow, she felt like she had heard it before. Then he quickly realized who it was when he heard the person said the phrase; ¡¯I¡¯ll see you in Arcadia¡¯.


    It must be the captain of Yunyue.


    She didn¡¯t expect that Luo Yan and the captain of that team would be close enough to exchange video calls.Well, if she thought about it, it would be much weirder for them to be not close when the two were in the same team.


    Seeing that Luo Yan was just standing there with a nk face, staring at the screen of his phone, she couldn¡¯t help but asked, "Yan Yan, are you okay?Did I perhaps interrupt your call?"


    Yu Jiao¡¯s voice seemed to awaken Luo Yan.He was still a bit shock from Shen Ji Yun hanging up on him.Okay, he didn¡¯t exactly hang up.After all, he did say goodbye.But from his cold attitude, it was almost the same.


    He put his phone back in his pocket and turned to Yu Jiao. "No, it¡¯s okay." He walked beside her. "Let¡¯s continue our tour?"


    "Okay."


    As they walked out of the library, there was only one thought in his mind.That guy wouldn¡¯t be sulking, right?

 Chapter 311 TO BE MORE MATURE

    LUO YAN¡¯s guess was indeed right, Shen Ji Yun was sulking.There was no expression on his handsome face.But if someone was there with him, they would be able to feel the depressed atmosphere surrounding.


    He knew that he had no right to feel this way, but he just couldn¡¯t help himself.Just thinking that Yu Jiao was in Luo Yan¡¯s house right now filled him with nothing but envy and jealousy.How could he not when he hadn¡¯t even gone there himself?Besides, what was she doing there this early in the morning anyway?


    Then he remembered that the girl was Luo Yan¡¯s ssmate and there¡¯s a possibility that she was there because they were going to do a ss project.But even so.That possibility still didn¡¯t alleviate the irritation he was feeling.


    He sighed and hated himself a bit for being so immature.His brain knew that he shouldn¡¯t be mad at someone who hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.He could see that Yu Jiao was a nice girl, albeit a little bit timid.Also very talented in drawing designs if they went with the weapons, armors, and essories she had created in the game.It was also quite obvious that the two only view each other as friends.But his heart just couldn¡¯t be logical about it.


    If his rabbit could read the thoughts in his mind right now, he would probably be disappointed.What would happen if the two of them finally got together?Would he even be worse then?He could just imagine the carnage.


    He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.He really should learn to control his emotions when it came to Luo Yan.He remembered how he brushed him off earlier.That was terribly rude of him.Acting so immature would never earn him any brownie points.


    He should really learn to grow up.Always feeling jealous whenever something like this happened.His emotional intelligence was even worse than that of a child¡¯s.If he continued on like this, even he wouldn¡¯t want himself as a partner.


    While contemting over his low EQ, Shen Ji Yun suddenly heard someone calling him from below.


    "Ji Yun!" called a very familiar voice.


    He looked down and saw Bai Ze.He jumped down from the tree and easilynded on the ground."What?"


    "I knew you¡¯d be here.Why are you up on a tree again?" Bai Ze asked, every time he would look for this guy in the campus, he would almost always could find him sitting on some tree.


    Shen Ji Yun was just about to shrug when he remembered what Luo Yan told him earlier.


    "Because I¡¯m a forest nymph," he said with no expression on his face.


    Bai Ze looked at Shen Ji Yun as if he had grown horns."Where the heck did thate from?"


    "Someone told it to me today," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Yes, and Luo Yan also told him that he was handsome.That¡¯s probably one of the best things that came out of his video call earlier.Because if his rabbit thought that he¡¯s handsome, then wouldn¡¯t that mean that his ¡¯beauty trap¡¯ was working?


    "Well, did this ¡¯someone¡¯ also told you that nymphs only refer to maidens in particr?"


    "Maybe there are male nymphs, you just don¡¯t know about them."


    How could Shen Ji Yun admit that Luo Yan got that wrong?It¡¯s better to just invent a male nymph.


    Bai Ze only looked at him weirdly.Like he no longer only had a pair of horns but also a tail and a pair of wings."Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?"


    Shen Ji Yun only nced sideways at him.


    "Spill it, who exactly is this ¡¯someone¡¯ you are talking about?" Bai Ze followed, his eyes were filled with curiosity.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t know how to answer that question.Could he tell him that it was his very lovely cousin?Of course, he couldn¡¯t.For the first time in their more than a decade of friendship, Bai Ze might beat him up.Then he might go and tattle to his two cousins from S City.Knowing how protective Luo Yan¡¯s brothers were to him, those two might just fly to B City just so they could join Bai Ze from beating him up.


    Of course, none of those worries ever appeared on his expressionless face.Times like this, he was always thankful of his facial paralysis.


    "No one," he said, then walked forward.


    He did want to tell Bai Ze about it.He was his closest friend.Of course, he would want to tell him that he, Shen Ji Yun, was finally in love.But the premise of that was the object of his love was not the other¡¯s cousin.He wouldn¡¯t want to see bloodshed this early when he hadn¡¯t made any progress yet.He would tell it to him.Eventually.Just not for now.


    Bai Ze quickly followed Shen Ji Yun."Come on, Ji Yun, don¡¯t be such a spoil sport."


    "Why are you looking for me?" Shen Ji Yun asked instead.


    Bai Ze rolled his eyes at the other¡¯s tant change of subject.But he knew that he wouldn¡¯t get anything from him no matter how much he pestered him about it.Shen Ji Yun would definitely just ignore him.Then he would be the one ending up looking like a clown.So, he decided to let him off the hook.At least, for now.


    "So, yesterday, Yuqi and I was doing some task together when she suddenly thought of a good idea on how to punish Xu Ru for how he acted during the opening of Xiao Yan¡¯s pavilion."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s attention was immediately piqued by what Bai Ze said.He still remembered the way that wannabe vampire acted.How he put his hand on Luo Yan¡¯s waist.Just thinking about it could make his blood boil.He really wanted to just go on ahead and challenged him to a PK.But it would totally not make any sense for him to do that.Especially since, at that time, Luo Yan was acting like an NPC.Challenging Alucard might just gave him an idea that the ck-haired elf of Yuexing Pavilion was not really an NPC.That guy would only pester Luo Yan more if that happened.


    Of course, he thought of doing it with his alt ount.But sadly, if they fought when he¡¯s using his alt ount, it might not be a one-sided defeat.Yes, he could win.But he would definitely receive major damage.If they fought, he wanted it to be an utter defeat on Alucard¡¯s side.So, he would not only feel pain but also a great deal of humiliation.


    "Oh?Tell me about it," said someone who decided just a few minutes ago that he would be more mature.

 Chapter 312 AWKWARD SILENCE

    LUO YAN and Luo Jin just entered the private box in Moonriver restaurant, the one located at Goldcrest City.When Yu Jiao went back to her dormitory, he told her to message him when she was back so that he and Luo Jin could log in the game and wait for her.The both of them sat down.


    Eclipse was happily nestling in his arms.This little pet of his probably missed him because he hadn¡¯t gone online for the past two days.[Mashter, are you going to stay longer today?]


    The little fox probably asked that because aside from not ying the past two days, in the past weekday, he only yed for two hours from Monday to Wednesday.He rubbed Eclipse¡¯s head.[Yes, I¡¯ll stay longer.Did you miss me that much?]


    [Of course!Everyday that Eclipse couldn¡¯t see Mashter, he bes more and more heart sick.Eclipse couldn¡¯t sleep and couldn¡¯t eat.Mashter, haven¡¯t you notice that Eclipse had lost a lot of weight?] ¨C the little fox said with some fake tears in those sapphire blue eyes.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows and looked at the fox in his arms that looked much bigger than thest time he saw him.He even felt a lot heavier.[Oh, really?Then I wonder where this fat came from?]


    As he asked that, he pinched the fat on the side of Eclipse which caused the other to yelp.


    [Mashter!]


    [What?Did you not train at all these past two days that we haven¡¯t seen each other?Did you just eat and eat?]


    [Mashter, Eclipse did train!You can ask Captain!Eclipse had been fighting monsters with Captain whenever Mashter was gone.See, Eclipse is already level 25.Eclipse also learned a new skill!]


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that Shen Ji Yun would bring Eclipse along with him.With how much this little fox favored their team¡¯s captain, he would definitely willingly go with the other.He thought of the preliminary of the Rookie Carnival that would start next Sunday.Knowing Shen Ji Yun, he probably thought that it would help Luo Yan if his pet leveled up more before that day.


    A smile crossed his lips when he thought that.Then, as if suddenly realizing what he was doing, he covered his mouth with the back of his hand to cover his smile.Luo Jin would probably think he was acting weird if he saw him suddenly smiling for no reason.


    So, he just checked the new skill that Eclipse was talking about.


    Mirror Image


    -Can transform and copy anything and anyone perfectly within 5-meter radius.The effect willst for 10 seconds.


    Luo Yan fell into a deep thought looking at the exnation of the skill.Especially at the words ¡¯copy perfectly¡¯.So, did that mean that once Eclipse transformed into something that¡¯s within the range, he would also be able to have the abilities of the thing or the person he copied?If the was the case, then this skill could turn out really helpful.


    [Mashter, what do you think?It¡¯s a good skill, right?] ¨C Eclipse said, interrupting his thoughts.


    [Not bad.But why did you gain weight so much?] ¨C Luo Yan asked, not forgetting to get back on the topic.


    Eclipse acted like he was hurt by what he said.[Mashter, are you calling Eclipse fat?How could you?]


    Luo Yan gently flicked the little fox¡¯s forehead.[Just answer the question.]


    Eclipse pouted.[It¡¯s because Captain had been constantly feeding Eclipse a lot of good things.How could Eclipse refuse Captain¡¯s goodwill?]


    Was that the reason why this little guy leveled up so fast?Suddenly, he wanted to smile like a fool again.But he immediately caught himself.He cleared his throat and asked Eclipse instead, [How was Dusk these days?]


    [The ck lizard was making his own nest at our team¡¯s pce.] ¨C Eclipse said with dissatisfaction, most probably referring to the team¡¯s headquarters.[Oh, but the pink-haired little sister has been teasing him these past few days.] ¨C Eclipse said gleefully.[She¡¯s now my third favorite person next to Captain.Of course, Mashter is my first favorite.]


    Luo Yan had a feeling that Su Yuqi was not exactly ¡¯teasing¡¯ Dusk but bullying him instead.He could totally see her doing just that.Poor guy.


    "Hey, Yan, are you listening to me?"


    Luo Yan was a bit startled hearing Luo Jin¡¯s voice.He raised his head and saw his little brother frowning at him.He probably wanted to look forbidding but it didn¡¯t give that desired effect because he was currently a gnome.And he simply looked cute and adorable.


    "Sorry, I was talking to Eclipse," he apologized."What did you say again?"


    Luo Jin looked at the fox in his brother¡¯s arms and frowned at it.Causing Eclipse to burry his head in Luo Yan¡¯s arms even more.


    [Mashter, your brother is looking at Eclipse with hate.]


    Luo Yan almost chuckled.How could this little guy be so overdramatic?Luo Jin only frowned at him and he already equated that to being hated.He pinched Eclipse¡¯s cheek.[Okay.Be good.]


    "As I was saying, don¡¯t you think Brother was acting weird this morning?" Luo Jin finally asked.


    Luo Yan thought about how their older brother was being all attentive to Yu Jiao during breakfast.Luo Jin was probably talking about that."Really?I think he¡¯s pretty normal," he said, acting clueless.


    Luo Jin wanted to say in what way was their older brother acting normal?Then he remembered that Luo Yan only ever witnessed Luo Ren¡¯s gentle side.He had never acted cold when he was around.Of course, he wouldn¡¯t think that something was wrong.


    "No, he¡¯s not.Listen, you might think that it¡¯s impossible, but Brother is not as gentle as you think he is.I have seen him treat girls like they¡¯re nothing but air.You have no idea how many girls he rejected so harshly.So, why was he so gentle to Yu Jiao?"Not to mention, that scene he saw at the corridor on the second floor this morning.What were they doing, shaking hands like that?"If I don¡¯t know better, I would think he likes Yu Jiao or something."


    Just after he said that, the door of the private box opened.The one standing at the front was an NPC waiter and the one behind him was Yu Jiao¡¯s game avatar.


    Seeing her, the private box was suddenly filled with awkward silence.

 Chapter 313 WHAT SHE DESERVED

    LUO YAN quickly noticed the slight blush on Yu Jiao¡¯s cheeks.A sign that she heard what Luo Jin said.She almost resisted the urge to kick his younger brother under the table.But he knew that it was not Luo Jin¡¯s fault.Who would have predicted that Yu Jiao would appear right at this moment?


    Knowing Yu Jiao, if she as much as suspected that his older brother had some kind of attraction towards her, she would definitely run as far away as possible.Or there could be another response, a totally different one than the first.She would not believe what Luo Jin said at all.The thought of Luo Ren liking her would not even cross her mind.So, she might just take it as Luo Jin being sarcastic.


    If it was thetter, then his older brother would really be in trouble.After all, it¡¯s quite hard to make someone believe that you like them when that someone firmly believed the opposite ¨C that there¡¯s no chance that they would be liked in that way.


    Luo Yan was nning to say something along the lines of ¡¯of course Brother likes Jiao Jiao, because she is a great girl¡¯.It was not only to break the awkward silence but also to secretly instill in Yu Jiao¡¯s mind that it was not impossible for her to be liked by his older brother.But before he could do that, Yu Jiao already entered the private box and spoke first.


    "S-sorry if I¡¯m a bitte," she said, sitting beside Luo Yan."I had to talk to the dorm manager, so it took a while before I could log in."


    Hearing what she said, Luo Yan could only sigh.Seeing how she so tantly changed the subject, it seemed like it was thetter case.She immediately put what Luo Jin said as something nonsensical.Because she, herself, didn¡¯t believe that Luo Ren would see her in that way.Most of it was probably because of her low self-esteem.It seemed like her life experience really did a number on her.


    If his older brother really ended up falling for Yu Jiao, then he would definitely have one heck of a time chasing her.As early as now, Luo Yan was already lighting a small candle for Luo Ren.


    Shen Ji Yun would probably have a better luck than him.


    Luo Yan caught himself.Why the heck did he think of that?It¡¯s like he¡¯s saying that it would be easier for Shen Ji Yun to chase him than for his older brother to chase Yu Jiao.He shook his head.How could he suddenly arrive at that conclusion while thinking about the situation of his older brother and Yu Jiao?He was probably still thinking of that video call he had with Shen Ji Yun.That¡¯s why his thoughts veered off that way.


    "It¡¯s okay, we haven¡¯t waited that long," he just said."Your dorm manager didn¡¯t scold, did she?"


    "Oh no, she just asked me about some things," Yu Jiao answered, finally able to calm down.


    She was actually quite fl.u.s.tered when she heard Luo Jin said about his eldest brother liking her.She didn¡¯t hear their conversation that led up to that sentence, he only heard thatst part.But it¡¯s not hard to think that Luo Jin was probably just joking.It¡¯s okay if he was just talking about Luo Ren liking her because she was a decent human being.But if it was a different kind of ¡¯like¡¯, then that¡¯s just impossible.


    How could such a sessful man ever be interested in her in that way?Although that embarrassing incident happened between her and Luo Ren, it was nothing more but an ident.It didn¡¯t mean anything.And since he already apologized to her, she already decided to forget all about it.He was Luo Yan¡¯s older brother.And since she¡¯s Luo Yan¡¯s friend, she was sure that meeting Luo Ren again in the future would be unavoidable.So, it¡¯s better if there would ne awkwardness between them in the future.


    "That¡¯s good," Luo Yan said, then he raised Eclipse and put him on the table."I hope you still remember my pet, Eclipse."


    "Of course."Yu Jiao smiled down at the fox and ruffled his head."Hello, Eclipse."


    The little fox rubbed his fluffy head on Yu Jiao¡¯s palm.[Mashter, Eclipse likes this friend.He¡¯s very handsome.]


    Luo Yan chuckled."He likes you."


    "I¡¯m d then," Yu Jiao said, enjoying the feel of the fox¡¯s soft fur.


    "Should we order food?" Luo Yan asked.


    "No, there¡¯s no need.Let¡¯s just talk about the weapons of the both of you.From what Yan Yan said to me yesterday, both of you are using dual-wield weapons.Daggers and guns.Can you tell me if you have any particr design in mind for your weapons?" Yu Jiao asked, getting straight to the point.


    "Ah Jin, go ahead, you can go first," Luo Yan said to his younger brother.


    Luo Jin nced at Yu Jiao.He still felt a bit ufortable thinking of the possibility that his eldest brother actually liked Yu Jiao.Not that he was discriminating against her.For sure, she was too timid and shy for her own good.But she¡¯s certainly a whole lot better inparison to most girls.He just couldn¡¯t get used to the idea that his eldest brother could be interested in a girl.


    His adorable little face scrunched up a bit.Then he answered, "You can do any design you want.Just don¡¯t make it too tacky.A simple design should do.But I also want them to make me look cool."


    Thatst part almost made Luo Yanugh.That just showed that he was still a teenage boy.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll take a note of that," Yu Jiao said.Then she turned to Luo Yan."How about you, Yan Yan?"


    "I trust Yu Jiao¡¯s judgement.So, I¡¯ll leave the design to you," Luo Yan said.


    Yu Jiao felt a bit shy hearing that."Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best to make the best weapon for the both of you."


    "And I have no doubt about that," Luo Yan said."Jiao Jiao is so talented, after all.Don¡¯t you think so too, Ah Jin?"


    Luo Jin frowned, wondering why Luo Yan had to include him in their conversation.He really didn¡¯t want to answer.But then he felt his shin being kicked under the table.It¡¯s not a hard kick, just enough to get his attention.He raised his head and looked at his second brother.


    Luo Yan was smiling at him.But it was not one of his real smiles nor one of those excruciatingly sweet smiles.It¡¯s one of his threatening smiles.The one he used when he wanted to threaten someone but still wanted to appear all harmless.


    So, Luo Jin quickly understood that the other wanted him to praise Yu Jiao.Seriously, why was he the only one in the family who had to suffer this ck version of Luo Yan.Sometimes, he wished that their father and older brother could experience it too.


    But despiteining, he still cooperated."Yes, I believe Yu Jiao could make us the best weapon."


    "T-thank you," Yu Jiao said shyly.


    Luo Yan smiled.He probably couldn¡¯t help his older brother in wooing Yu Jiao, if ever he decided on doing so.After all, no matter how many times he praised Luo Ren in front of Yu Jiao, it wouldn¡¯t matter at all if she couldn¡¯t believe his feelings for him.But he certainly could help his friend to lift up her self-esteem.


    Because such an amazing and kind girl deserved to be more confident about herself.And he¡¯s willing to provide support until Yu Jiao realized that.

 Chapter 314 COULDNT TAKE HIS EYES OFF OF HER

    AFTER grinding for the whole afternoon with Eclipse, Luo Yan finally reached level 83.His little fox also leveled up to 27.He tested the new skill that Eclipse obtained ¨C Mirror Image.With this skill, Eclipse could really transform into anything within the allowed range.And while he was transformed, he could gain the abilities of the things he transformed into.But he could only utilize half of the power of those abilities.It would onlyst for 10 seconds and the cool down before Eclipse could use it again was 5 minutes.


    It¡¯s a good thing that the cool down wasn¡¯t as long as his ¡¯Shadow Walk¡¯ skill.This ¡¯Mirror Image¡¯ was a pretty good skill.It would definitely be helpful in a fight, as long as one used it right.


    Luo Jin was with them earlier.But halfway through, he left after receiving a message from Su Yuqi.Seriously, that kid was wondering if there was something wrong with their older brother, but he, himself, seemed to not notice that there was also something wrong with him.It¡¯s like Su Yuqi just have to snap her fingers and his younger brother woulde running to her.Luo Jin wouldn¡¯t admit it, but he was definitely whipped.


    [Mashter, could I have a Mana fruit?] ¨C Eclipse asked, jumping to his shoulder.


    Luo Yan nced sideways at the little fox licking his own paw.[Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting fat?You already look chubby, you know?]


    Eclipse widened his sapphire blue eyes and seemed like he was wounded by what he said.[Mashter, how could you call your lovely Eclipse fat?Eclipse is just growing!I could already feel that I would grow another tail soon.]


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows.[Really?How long do you think it would take for you to have nine tails?]


    [Hmm... Eclipse is not sure.It could depend on Eclipse¡¯s level as a whole.But sometimes, a sudden extreme increased in power could also make Eclipse grow a tail.]


    That¡¯s actually understandable.No wonder when Eclipse hatched from the egg, he already had three-tails.It was because he absorbed a lot of Mana from that Mana pod he received as a reward from the King of Arcadia.In normal cases, Eclipse should be born with only one tail.


    [How big would you be once you have nine-tails?] ¨C he asked.


    [Maybe as big as a horse?Eclipse could carry Mashter then.] ¨C the little fox said happily.


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing his pet so excited at the prospect of carrying him on his back.[I¡¯m waiting for that then.]


    [By the way, Mashter, could Eclipse also transform into a humanoid form?]


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised by the little fox¡¯s question.He didn¡¯t expect that he would still remember that.He did do some research about that.But all the results pointed to the fact that only those that belonged to the Legendary race have the ability to transform into a humanoid form.How could hepletely dash away the hope of his adorable little fox?


    [I¡¯m still looking into it.] ¨C he just said.


    Actually, he already thought of a possible way.An Alchemist could simply make a pill that could make pets transform into a humanoid form.But in this game, there¡¯s probably only one person who could do that ¨C Bian Que.He was thinking of how he could propose that idea to him.Considering how much the other loved money, he had no doubt that he would agree.


    Although getting a pet was still not something that popr in the game, once yers could see that the pet they acquired could transform into a humanoid form, it would definitely blow up in poprity.And being the one who made the pill for that, Bian Que would surely get a lot of profit from it.Maybe he was already thinking of doing that.But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to talk to him about it either.


    And since they were already in some kind of business partnership, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to contact him.The only problem was he knew him as an NPC, not a yer.


    The specialized tea that Bian Que would supply to the pavilion had already arrived days ago.Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure if he would still attend the official public opening of the pavilion today.If he did, then Luo Yan would talk to him and find a way to convey what he wanted to say without revealing that he wasn¡¯t a real NPC.


    [Don¡¯t worry, Mashter.Eclipse is not in a hurry.] ¨C Eclipse said.


    Luo Yan smiled and ruffled the fluffy head of the little fox.


    Xu Ru blocked the attack of an iing yer.Then he pulled out the sword from his cane and stabbed the yer who just attacked him.His attack was too fast to see, hence that yer immediately died.Of course, not died ¡¯died¡¯, just game ¡¯died¡¯.But he hadn¡¯t taken a breath yet and another yer immediately attacked him right after.


    "Shit.What the hell are your problems?" he annoyingly shouted after blocking another attack.Then red at the ten yers surrounding him.


    "Haven¡¯t you seen the announcement on the World Chat?There¡¯s someone who put a bounty on your head," one said.


    "Whoever kills you would receive 100,000 crystal coins," another added."How could we poor people pass that up?"


    Xu Ru¡¯s pupils dted.A bounty on his head?It¡¯s amon thing that rich yers do when someone pissed them off.If the target person was not in the four major cities of Arcadia, then anyone could attack them.100,000 crystal coins could be converted to 10,000 RMB which was already a lot of money to some people.


    So, who the hell did he piss off to receive such a bounty?


    He didn¡¯t have time to think more because all ten yers suddenly attacked him all at the same time.


    He gritted his teeth, let out a string of curses, then teleported out of there.


    On a hill overlooking the whole incident, a boy and a girl who looked like they were six or seven years were watching the whole thing.The boy had ck hair and ruby red eyes.While the girl had short bubblegum pink hair and a pair of butterfly wings behind her back.Yes, the two were Luo Jin and Su Yuqi.


    Luo Jin let out a burst ofughter."That was hrious.Putting a bounty on his head is really a good idea."


    "Of course.This is the best way to retaliate without him knowing that the one behind the whole thing was our team," Su Yuqi said indifferently.


    This was their team¡¯s revenge on Alucard for what he did to Luo Yan during the opening of Yuexing Pavilion.And since it was a team effort, the crystal coins that they used came out of the team¡¯s treasury.The bounty would expire after a month ¨C the longest expiration date for a bounty in Arcadia.Which was enough punishment for that vampire.


    Luo Jin stared at Su Yuqi¡¯s indifferent profile.She might look like she didn¡¯t care.But this action of hers showed that behind this whole indifferent exterior was someone who cared a lot for their friends.


    "You really are the best, you know?"Then he caught himself.Realizing how embarrassing his statement was just now.He suddenly felt his whole face heating up."N-no, I mean, just, it¡¯s- what I want to say is you¡¯re the best in nning things like this."


    Then he realized how stupid that sounded.And he just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.Until he heard Su Yuqiughing.He raised his head and saw her eyes bent into crescents.When she was not smiling, she almost looked like a beautiful doll.But when she did, she was just simply shining.


    "Thank you for thepliment," she said, still with an amused smile on her face.


    And Luo Jin just couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of her.

 Chapter 315 A PIECE OF CHICKEN

    IT was already evening when Luo Yan logged out of the game.He nned to returnter when it¡¯s time for the public opening of his pavilion.Although he wouldn¡¯t appear in his NPC persona, he still had to see how things would go.So, he would go as a customer and watch things from the sideline.


    He was not worried that the guests wouldin just because the pretty ck-haired elf sister wasn¡¯t there.Because he prepared an extravagant program today that they wouldn¡¯t even notice that he wasn¡¯t there.It¡¯s better if as early as now, the customers of the pavilion would get used to his absence.He didn¡¯t want the pavilion to be equated to his NPC persona.


    When yers think of Yuexing Pavilion, the first thing he wanted them to think was excellence.Excellent food and drinks, excellent service, excellent programs, and just simply excellent everything.It wouldn¡¯t be good if customers only go to his pavilion just because of one reason.Because sooner orter, the novelty of that would wear off and then the business would surely turn bad.


    Luo Yan was about to go out of his room to go to the dining room since it¡¯s almost time for dinner when he thought of checking his phone.Then he saw that he had some unread messages from WeChat.Based on the time stamp, it was sent a few hours ago.The messages were also sent by one person ¨C Shen Ji Yun.


    He quickly opened it.


    [luckycloud]: Yan Yan, sorry I hung up too abruptly earlier.It was almost time for my ss so I hurriedly hung up without thinking.I¡¯m sorry.I hope you didn¡¯t get mad.]


    Then it was followed by a rabbit sticker kneeling down.


    Luo Yan smirked when he read the message.[Time for ss, yeah right.You¡¯re probably just being a big vinegar jar again.]


    He continued to read the messages.


    [luckycloud]: Yan Yan, you¡¯re not mad, right?


    [luckycloud]: Yan Yan, please reply.


    Followed by a crying rabbit sticker.


    [luckycloud]: You¡¯re probably busy.I¡¯m sorry for pestering you.Just ignore this message.


    Then that was followed by a teary-eyes rabbit sticker.


    Luo Yan finally couldn¡¯t help butugh.Seriously, this guy.His way of messaging was so far off from his high-cold image that if an acquaintance of his read this now, they would never associate it with him.But it¡¯s adorable in its own way.Almost as if it was his inner self speaking.


    He then typed his reply.


    [YanYan1213]: I¡¯m not mad, Brother Ji Yun.Why would I be?I was just ying Arcadia that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t manage to reply immediately to your message.


    When he didn¡¯t receive an immediate reply, he knew that the other was probably busy.He was most probably ying Arcadia.Because if he¡¯s not busy, he would definitely reply back to him within a few seconds.


    He put back his phone on his study table and walked out of the room.


    When dinnertime came, only the three brothers were sitting on the dining room.Luo Wei Tian was still on a business trip and would only return tomorrow evening at thetest.


    "What time did Yu Jiao went back?" Luo Ren thought of asking, because when he left for work this morning, the teenager was still here.


    "Just after nine," Luo Yan answered while eating a piece of spring roll.


    "So early?She should have stayed for lunch," Luo Ren said.


    Luo Jin put down his chopsticks and looked seriously at his eldest brother."Brother, tell me honestly, do you like Yu Jiao?"


    Luo Ren choked on the piece of chicken he just ate because of Luo Jin¡¯s question.He was coughing so hard, he felt like he was almost out of breath.


    "Brother!" Luo Yan eximed.


    He quickly stood up and patted Luo Ren¡¯s back as strong as he could.But it seemed that the force wasn???t enough because he continued on coughing.


    Luo Yan red at Luo Jin who looked dumbstruck."What are you still sitting there for?Help!"


    Luo Jin seemed to just realize the severity of the situation.He quickly got up, walked behind Luo Ren and held him up.He put his arms around his waist and bend him forward.Then he performed five abdominal thrust.Quickly after that, the piece of chicken that was stuck in Luo Ren¡¯s throat flew out andnded on the floor.


    "Brother, drink this," Luo Yan said, giving a ss of warm water to his older brother.


    Luo Ren epted the ss of water."Thank you, Yan Yan."Then he nced back coldly at Luo Jin."You can let go of me now."


    Luo Jin felt goosebumps all over because of that nce.He could feel from that nce that his eldest brother was very, very angry.He quickly let go of his brother¡¯s waist.Then moved back a few steps.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Brother!" he said before Luo Ren could speak.It¡¯s better for him to apologize now before he could be scolded.


    Luo Ren drank the warm water that Luo Yan gave him to clear his throat before looking at Luo Jin."What are you sorry for?"


    "I- I¡¯m sorry for asking if you like Yu Jiao.I didn¡¯t know it would make you choke."


    Luo Ren felt like a vein in his forehead just popped.This brat.It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t the least bit guilty for what happened.He looked at that piece of chicken on the floor.He could feel his blood pressure rising.He had never embarrassed himself like this before.Thinking of what he just experienced, he looked at Luo Jin with a much colder gaze.


    Luo Jin felt like his brother was close to strangling him.He could already feel his neck hurting."I- I think I¡¯m already full.I¡¯m going to sleep now."


    Then he ran up to the second floor as if someone was after his life.


    Seeing Luo Jin escape like that, Luo Yan finally couldn¡¯t help himself and let out augh.


    Luo Ren nced at him."Oh, so Yan Yan thinks that what happened was funny?"


    "Sorry, Brother.But you know it was," Luo Yan answered, not hiding his smile.


    Luo Ren let out a deep sigh.Yes, it was indeed funny.But he would have liked it more if he didn¡¯t almost die from choking."I could have died, you know."


    "Brother, that won¡¯t be possible.Both me and Ah Jin are here.We wouldn¡¯t let that happen," Luo Yan said seriously."Maybe what Brother should think more is why you reacted so violently just because of one simple question," he added meaningfully.


    Then he sat back on his seat and continued eating.


    Luo Ren also sat back on his seat.But because of what Luo Yan said, his mind was not on eating anymore.Yes, why did he react so violently just because of that question?

 Chapter 316 HIS TWO BROTHERS

    LUO YAN looked out from the window of the private box solely dedicated for team Yunyue.He was at Yuexing Pavilion, observing the situation.His NPC employees were currently doing the second performance.Based on the expression on the faces of the customers below, they were very satisfied with what they¡¯re seeing.He could finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Although he was very confident with the program he prepared, there could still be factors that he couldn¡¯t ount for.There might be some customers who would sow discord just because something didn¡¯t fit their taste.His employees could still handle those.But what¡¯s hard to handle were those types who would cause trouble just because they wanted to.Those unreasonable types wouldn¡¯t be satisfied unless others were as unhappy as they were.


    That¡¯s why he already told his employees to satisfy the requests of every customers no matter what kind of membership card they had.Of course, if they encountered one of those ¡¯unreasonable¡¯ customers.They could simply throw them out.And by ¡¯throw¡¯ he meant directly teleporting them out of the pavilion.That way, it could save them a lot of trouble.


    Luo Yan picked up the tea on the table and drank it.One sip and he immediately felt refreshed.This was the tea provided by Bian Que.The taste was not that strong or not that light either.It also had a very good fragrance.He could tell that this would be an instant hit.


    "Yan, do you think Brother is still angry?" Luo Jin suddenly asked.


    He was sitting at the opposite side of him.Before Luo Yan logged in the game after dinner, he received a message from this little brother of his asking if he would y Arcadia.He said ¡¯yes¡¯ and they decided to meet here.He had long given ck membership cards to the members of his team.So, they could go in and out of the pavilion during business hours.Of course, they could also go here even if it¡¯s not.


    He nced at Luo Jin."Ah Jin, if you would be this scared, you shouldn¡¯t have asked Brother that question so straightforwardly," he said, amused.


    He could still remember how Luo Jin rushed back to his room after their older brother gave him his cold nce.He ran like someone was after his life.He probably decided to log into the game because he¡¯s afraid that Luo Ren would go to his room and give him a long scolding.


    "But I was curious" Luo Jin said."Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not?"


    "A bit.But that¡¯s Brother¡¯s business.You wouldn¡¯t want him to ask you about Sister Yuqi, right?"


    Luo Jin¡¯s whole face suddenly turned red."W-w-what does this have anything to do with Su Yuqi?"


    "Well, you could ask that to yourself," Luo Yan only said, drinking another sip of tea.


    "I- I¡ª"


    [Mashter, your brother is blushing.Who is Sister Yuqi?] ¨C Eclipse who was silently eating Mana fruit on the side asked.


    [It¡¯s your third most favorite person.]


    [Mashter means Eclipse¡¯s pink-haired sister?]


    [That¡¯s right.]


    Eclipse looked at the red-faced gnome.[Eclipse¡¯s pink-haired sister could do much better.]


    Luo Yanughed out loud when he heard that.


    "Yan!" called Luo Jin, thinking that Luo Yan wasughing at his gaffe.


    "Oh, sorry, Ah Jin, I¡¯m notughing at you," Luo Yan said, stifling hisugh."Eclipse just said something funny.Do you want to hear it?"


    "What is it?" Luo Jin asked, not really interested.But it¡¯s better to talk about a new topic than to return to what they were just talking about earlier.


    Luo Yan grinned mischievously at him and he just had a feeling that what he was about to say next was no good.And just a few seconds he was proven right.


    "Eclipse said that Sister Yuqi could pick a much better partner than you.Of course, I don¡¯t agree.I actually think you look good together.Unless, of course, you¡¯d rather agree with Eclipse than me."


    When he heard the first part, he felt angry and automatically red at the little fox.But when he heard the next part, he realized that is second brother was teasing him.Again.And he almost fell for it.Again.


    He kind of understand now what their older brother must have felt when he suddenly asked him earlier about Yu Jiao.Wait- did that mean that he thought that he and his eldest brother were in the same situation?He shook his head, forcing himself to not think about that anymore.


    He stood up."I¡¯m leaving."


    "Are you going to meet with Sister Yuqi?" Luo Yan asked, his big peach blossom eyes full of innocence.


    Luo Jin only red at Luo Yan before stomping his foot and walking out of the private box.


    [Mashter, Eclipse thinks your brother is angry.]


    Luo Yan ruffled the little fox¡¯s fluffy head.[Don¡¯t worry, he wouldn¡¯t stay angry for long.]


    Which was true.No matter how much he teased him, Luo Jin would only re at him and that¡¯s the end of it.Even he thought he was being spoiled by his family too much.Not that he¡¯sining or anything.


    But seriously, why was Luo Jin still on denial when it came to her feelings with Su Yuqi?It was so obvious that he had a crush on the girl.Maybe it¡¯s still too hard for him to admit that.After all, aside from being a huge tsundere, he¡¯s also at that age where admitting that he liked someone was pretty embarrassing.


    Then there was his older brother.The guy obviously thought of Yu Jiao as someone special.If not, he wouldn¡¯t have reacted that way when Luo Jin asked him that question.Luo Yan was just not sure how special was Luo Ren¡¯s ¡¯special¡¯.It might just be something simple.Or it might end up reallyplicated.But just as he said to Luo Jin, that was their older brother¡¯s business.He wouldn¡¯t interfere with that.All he could do was help them nudge along their feelings.


    He smiled helplessly.Whatever would he do with these brothers of his.


    [It¡¯s Captain!]


    Luo Yan was startled by Eclipse¡¯s shout.He turned his head to the door of the private box and saw Shen Ji Yun standing there all in his handsome self.

 Chapter 317 UNEXPECTED INTRUDER

    THE first thing Luo Yan thought of when he saw Shen Ji Yun was ¨C thank God Luo Jin already left.If his younger brother was here, he would definitely make a fuss because of the other¡¯s presence.Thinking that Shen Ji Yun was only here because he wanted to take advantage of his second brother.


    Although Luo Jin¡¯s instinct was proven to be correct, like how Shen Ji Yun wasn¡¯t really looking at Luo Yan as a friend.It didn¡¯t mean that the other would take advantage of him.In fact, since they knew each other, Shen Ji Yun had never done something like that.Heck, this cinnamon roll probably had no idea how to take advantage of him.It¡¯s probably more likely for him to take advantage of the other than otherwise.Of course, that didn¡¯t include this hidden Casanova¡¯s flirtatious outburst.


    Then Luo Yan caught himself.What exactly was he thinking?Being d that Luo Jin already left, wouldn¡¯t that mean that he wanted to be left alone with Shen Ji Yun?He shook his head and just smiled at the other.


    "Brother Ji Yun, you¡¯re here," he greeted.


    Shen Ji Yun felt like he was suddenly blinded by that smile.They hadn¡¯t interacted like for almost a week.Although he was sending him messages through WeChat, he couldn¡¯t overdo it.Since Luo Yan had exams, he didn¡¯t want to bother him too much.So, even though he wanted to send him a message at least every hour, he had to control himself.In fact, he only let himself to video call him earlier today.Because he knew that he was already done with his exams.


    Then he did that immature thing of hanging up on him.After that, he tried to apologize but he didn¡¯t receive any reply at all.Thinking that Luo Yan was probably mad at him, so, he sent him messages one after another.It took a while before he realized how annoying his messages must have been.If he didn¡¯t, he would probably have bombarded Luo Yan¡¯s WeChat inbox with his messages.


    Then he thought he shouldn¡¯t probably jump to conclusions. Maybe Luo Yan was just ying Arcadia that¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t replied to him yet. Hoping that that was truly the case, he didn¡¯t bother him anymore.


    He had to attend another important lecture, so he hadn¡¯t seen Luo Yan¡¯s reply after his lecture was finished.Seeing that he wasn¡¯t mad at him, he could finally let out a sigh of relief.But he still had to ask him in person, or at least, virtually in person, to make sure.


    Shen Ji Yun knew that today was the public opening of Yuexing Pavilion, so he was certain that Luo Yan would be here.That¡¯s why after he returned home, he immediately logged into the game.And just like he thought, his rabbit was really here.


    He walked inside and sat beside Luo Yan.Eclipse, who just finished eating his Mana fruit, excitedly jumped on hisp.He didn¡¯t mind and just ruffled his fluffy head.He already kind of got used to the little fox¡¯s presence.Besides, he¡¯s Luo Yan¡¯s pet, so, he had more patience for him.


    "Yan Yan, I¡¯m sorry again for what happened this morning," he said, not wasting time.


    Luo Yan stared at the other¡¯s serious face.Then he remembered theme reasoning he gave on why he hung up on him.He almostughed because of that.Good thing he stopped himself in time.He didn¡¯t want to expose his lie.That he already knew that he was just being a vinegar jar again.


    "I already told Brother Ji Yun that it¡¯s okay.I¡¯m not even angry in the first ce," he said.Then he poured him tea."Here, drink this.You will definitely like it."


    Shen Ji Yun said his thanks and drank the cup of tea.His eyes widened a bit when he tasted it.Because he immediately felt refreshed when he did.It¡¯s like he just soaked himself into a hot spring, washing away all the tiredness and stress he was feeling.


    "It¡¯s good," he couldn¡¯t help butment.


    Luo Yan smiled proudly."Right?I already have a feeling that it¡¯s going to be a big hit in my pavilion."


    "Is this a new product?" Shen Ji Yun asked, drinking another sip of the tea.Because thest time they were here, the pavilion didn¡¯t serve this tea.


    "It¡¯s actually a special concoction made by Bian Que.Remember that he made a business deal with me?Well, from now on, he would be supplying tea to the pavilion.He¡¯ll get 60% of the ie from the tea and I¡¯ll get 40%.Considering how good the tea was, it was a pretty good deal.Right?"


    Shen Ji Yun had a hard time swallowing down the sip of tea he just drank when he heard that.So, this was made by that Alchemist?Thinking that the other had been alone with Luo Yan made him feel very unwilling again.Then he remembered what he just said to himself this morning.


    Be more mature.


    So, he took a deep breath and washed away what he was feeling.Because, really, there¡¯s really no need for him to feel that way.Or did he n to not let Luo Yan interact with other people?Of course, he couldn¡¯t do that.He wouldn¡¯t be much more different from a monster if he did.Besides, his rabbit would definitely hate him if he ever did something like that.That¡¯s even worse than being thought of as a monster.


    At the end, he nodded and said, "Yes, it¡¯s a good deal."


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised when he heard what Shen Ji Yun said.He truly thought the other would give him a cold face again.Because he suddenly became silent when he mentioned Bian Que.Thinking of how much of a big vinegar jar this guy was, he already had a guess on what was going through his mind.But to his surprise, he didn¡¯t do what he expected.


    He looked amusedly at Shen Ji Yun.Was his little cinnamon bun finally growing up a little?He stopped.What ¡¯his¡¯?Damn.This train of thought was definitely dangerous.


    He was interrupted when he heard a knock on the door of the private box.He thought it was Madam Ru.Because he told her earlier to go and inform him once she confirmed that Bian Que was here.


    So, he didn¡¯t hesitate to say, "Come in!"


    But to his utter surprise, the one who entered was a young woman with long aqua blue hair.Her skin was as white as a smooth pearl.She had fins and gills but those things didn¡¯t detract from her beauty.And her pair of light blue eyes were currently staring full of focus at Shen Ji Yun.As if he was the only person in the world that could enter her eyes.


    Luo Yan immediately recognized her.The captain of team Sirens ¨C Nereid.

 Chapter 318 THREE GIRLS DIFFERENT THOUGHTS

    ZHU LIAN, also known as Nereid, the captain of team Sirens in Arcadia, picked up the tea cup and took a sip.She closed her eyes, enjoying the taste of the tea.She really liked this new addition to the menu of Yuexing Pavilion.It¡¯s much better than the tea that was served to themst week.


    "Wow.This tea is the bomb,"mented a girl with cat ears.She looked a bit in but her pair of big cat-like eyes totally off-sets that.


    "Well, it seems that the praises online were not actually unfounded," said another girl with light blue hair and sea green eyes.She had a bit of simrity with the captain of team Sirens.Both had fins as ears and under them were gills.It was quite obvious that the two belonged to the same rare race ¨C a mermaid.


    Zhu Lian nced at the two.One was her younger sister ¨C Zhu Jingyi, and the other was her sister¡¯s friend ¨C Xia Li.The two were both members of team Sirens.She actually nned to go here alone because if she was with the other four main members of their team, just likest time, they might try to harass another NPC again just so they could know if YUN was here.


    That incident was embarrassing enough, she didn¡¯t want another rey.Even though her admiration and feelings for YUN was almost an open secret, she still at least wanted to keep her dignity.She didn¡¯t want to appear like some obsessed girl that would stoop so low as to harass an NPC just so she could have a nce of the guy she liked.Although she knew her friends meant well, she¡¯d rather they don¡¯t do it again.


    So, she nned to go here at Yuexing Pavilion secretly.But who would have thought that she would be discovered by her sister and Xia Li and the two would tag along with her?


    Zhu Lian knew what Jingyi was thinking.That she would go to Yuexing Pavilion in the hopes that she would see YUN and then proceed on making a fool out of herself.It was indeed true that her goal for going to this pavilion was YUN.But she would definitely not do something foolish.She just, well, she just wanted to catch a glimpse of him.Maybe even say a greeting or two.That¡¯s all.


    Maybe, maybe, this time, she would be able to do it right.


    Zhu Lian was right, Zhu Jingyi really dide here so she could supervise her older sister.Because when it came to that guy YUN, her sister¡¯s IQ seemed to suddenly fall to the double-digits.It¡¯s honestly very frustrating to watch.


    Her sister, who only ever cared about ying the piano, suddenly told her one day that she would y a VR game and form a team to join some kind of tournament.She thought she was only joking.But she really went and did it.That was already more than three years ago.And now, the team her sister founded already made a name for itself.


    That was all fine and dandy if her sister did it for herself.But no, Zhu Jingyi found out that it was actually all because of a guy.She didn¡¯t know the whole story, she just knew that her sister fell in love.Then decided to y the game that the guy she fell in love with was ying.Not only that, she even followed the guy to the same university!


    Seriously, sometimes Zhu Jingyi just wished that her sister would directly confess to YUN.No matter the result, at least it would finally end her sister¡¯s silly antics.


    Xia Li, on the other hand, had another reason for tagging along.Of course, it¡¯s for her NightCloud CP.She knew from the forums and some pictures from Weibo that YUN attended the opening of Yuexing Pavilionst week.Noctis was probably not there because it was an invitation only event.But the same couldn¡¯t be said tonight.Maybe YUN and Noctis were nning to have a date in the pavilion.So, she tagged along with the Zhu sisters in the hopes that she could dy their captain if she ever tried to get in between her ship.


    Xia Li liked their captain as a whole.She was unlike those rich youngdies who either thought too highly of themselves or too delicate that they could not even interact normally with others.But she just couldn¡¯t support her pursuit of YUN.


    It¡¯s not because she¡¯s a fujoshi and she wanted all the handsome guys in the world to be paired with another handsome guy.She truly felt that her captain¡¯s feelings towards YUN was not really as deep as love.From what Xia Li could see, it seemed more like a fascination.And because their captain expressed her shyness in a weird way that didn¡¯t really allow her to interact normally with YUN.She had no way to release those pent-up feelings.So, she always kept oning back to that fascination.To the point that she even considered it as ¡¯love¡¯.


    Wow.That was kind of a deep analysis, wasn¡¯t it?Sometimes, Xia Li could even surprise herself.


    But there was also another reason.A very recent one.When she followed YUN and Noctis on the streets of Goldcrest City more than a week ago, she found a secret.That YUN actually liked Noctis!Because if he didn¡¯t, then he wouldn¡¯t have allowed her to draw that fan-art.Even asking her to make him and Noctis appear closer.


    And Xia Li was very on board with that.She picked up a tea cup and drank the delicious tea.


    Another performance on the stage had ended.Zhu Lian knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to see much even nce at YUN if she just stayed in this private box.Finally making a decision, she stood up.


    "I¡¯m going to go outside for a bit."


    She didn¡¯t wait for the reply of the two and just walked out, he didn¡¯t even stop when she heard her sister call.Once out of the box, she used an item that could teleport her in a short distance.Just a hundred steps, really.That way, the two wouldn¡¯t be able to quickly follow her.


    After using the item, she was nning to walk ahead when she saw a figure that had been etched in her mind for quite a long time making a turn on the corner.Her eyes brightened.That long dark purple hair, and those pair of golden antler-shaped horns, it couldn¡¯t be anyone but YUN!


    She quickly followed him and saw him entering a private box.She walked and stopped in front of that box.She took a deep breath.This time, she¡¯s going to do it right.


    And then she knocked.

 Chapter 319 A MILLION MILES AWAY

    LUO YAN looked at the young woman with aqua blue hair standing at the door.Her hair had pearls scattered on them, making her really looked like a mermaid princess.Her pale skin looked translucent.And her light blue eyes were currently only looking at Shen Ji Yun.


    Seeing her focused look, Luo Yan felt that stirring of annoyance once again.Just likest week, when he first met her here in the pavilion.He knew it¡¯s not right to feel that way.Because the girl literally hadn¡¯t done anything to him.And yet, he felt irritated for some reason.She even doesn¡¯t even look pleasing to the eye.The more he thought that she¡¯s beautiful, the more unpleasant she looked to him.


    He then nced at the said focus of Nereid¡¯s light blue eyes.Shen Ji Yun looked at her and his eyes stayed there.The irritation that Luo Yan felt just magnified by a hundred times.


    [What is this guy doing, staring at her like that?Do you think she¡¯s pretty?Is that it?I¡¯m the one you like, right?What are you doing staring tantly at a beautiful girl in front of the person you like?I didn¡¯t know you are this fickle!]


    [Mashter, if you don¡¯t like that fish girl, I could scratch her face for you.] ¨C Eclipse said, licking his paw while staring at Nereid.


    Eclipse¡¯s sudden statement seemed to awaken Luo Yan.What the heck was he thinking just now?He was acting like some wife who got cheated on by his husband.That was so not like him.And totally unattractive.Then he stopped.Just realizing what Eclipse said just now.


    [No, there¡¯s no need.]


    If he didn¡¯t stop him, Eclipse might really just do what he said.And Luo Yan couldn¡¯t have him doing that.Because as mixed was his feelings were right now, the captain of team Sirens really hadn¡¯t done anything that warranted her face to be scratched.He was not such a narrow-minded person that he would retaliate against someone who hadn¡¯t done anything.


    Luo Yan looked back again at Shen Ji Yun.He was still looking at Nereid.But this time, Luo Yan could see something else in those beastly amethyst eyes.Displeasure.


    He had to look closely just to make sure.Because there¡¯s a chance that he was just imagining things.Just so he could see what he wanted to see.But no matter how much he looked, the emotion he saw in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes was indeed displeasure.


    "Do you need anything?" Shen Ji Yun asked in his usual expressionless manner.But if one would just look closely, they could see a slight frown on his perfectly sculpted face.As if he was wondering why this girl suddenly entered their private box, interrupting his alone time with Luo Yan.


    At least, that¡¯s how it looked like to Luo Yan.Not only that, it was also quite obvious that he didn¡¯t know Nereid at all.


    If Luo Yan remembered correctly, when he listened to the talk among team Sirensst week, this Nereid was also attending the same university as Shen Ji Yun.He thought by now, the two at least knew each other.But that seemed to not be the case at all.


    Suddenly, the irritation he had been feeling just now slowly subsided.


    Zhu Lian, who heard what YUN asked, suddenly mped up.She wanted to say, ¡¯hi, YUN, I just saw you enter this box earlier and I just want to say hello¡¯.But what came out of her mouth was;


    "I thought I saw an acquaintance entering this room.Who would have thought I would see someone so... disagreeable."


    Zhu Lian almost p herself.What was she doing?Why was she being like this again?This nature of her was the main reason why despite knowing about YUN for more than three years, she still hadn¡¯t able to make any headway in her feelings.


    She still remembered the first time she had seen him.It was during her second year in high school.She and four other students represented their school for a friendly cultural exchange that would be held at another school.The said school was also a key private high school almost the same as the school she was attending.Meaning it was full of noble sons and rich second generations.


    Zhu Lian was set to y a Mozart piece that day.She was so nervous.Not just because of the performance, but mostly because of the male students.She had been attending an all-girls school since her primary education.She rarely interacted with boys her age.


    So, to calm herself, before the performance, she went to the back of the auditorium to take a breath.But who would have thought that three boys would spot her and surround her for no reason?What happened next was still etched in her mind up to this day.


    =====


    "Oh look, is this one of the princesses who came to visit our school today?" one of the boys said.


    "Why don¡¯t you juste and y with us?" another one said.


    "Yes, we promise to show you a good time," thest one said while looking at her from head to toe.


    Zhu Lian just felt like something disgusting was creeping on her skin with the way this person looked at her.So, she totally mped up.She raised her head and looked down at the three like she was looking at a group of peasants.


    "Stay away from me, you group of degenerate low-lives."


    She bit the inside of her cheek.What was she doing?This was hardly the time to antagonize this group of people.But she just couldn¡¯t help herself.Whenever she was nervous or afraid, she would just find herself acting this way.It¡¯s like her own body¡¯s defense mechanism.Which never hardly worked for her favor.And she would guess that the same thing would happen today.


    Just like what she thought, the expression of the threepletely changed because of her insult.


    "What did you say?"


    "Don¡¯t think that we would just take what you said lightly just because you¡¯re pretty!"


    "Why don¡¯t you apologize, huh, princess?"


    Zhu Lian nervously swallowed her saliva and stepped back.Her back hitting the tree behind her.But despite that, she still said in a queenly manner, "Why should I apologize when I¡¯m only telling the truth?"


    "You--!"


    One of them stretched out his arm and was about to hold her.But then, all of them heard rustling from above.After that, someone suddenly jumped down from the tree behind her.It was a tall boy probably of the same age as them.And hended between her and the three boys.


    "You ruined my sleep," he said coldly.


    The three seemed to recognize the tall boy because of the scared expression they showed.


    "We didn¡¯t mean to, Shen Ji Yun.Actually, we¡¯re leaving just now."


    "Yes, yes, that¡¯s right."


    And the three scampered off like mice being chased by a cat.


    The tall boy didn¡¯t bother to look at them and just walked forward.


    Zhu Lian seemed to awaken from her trance just now and quickly called out to the tall boy who inadvertently saved her."Wait!"


    The boy stopped and looked back at her.The first thing she saw was those pair of startling blue eyes.They seemed to prate deep into her soul.And she couldn¡¯t speak for a second.She just felt her heart beating faster and faster and faster.


    Being so nervous, she mped up again."Who told you to save me?"


    "Who said I saved you?" the boy coldly retorted back.


    Then he continued walking away from there, without as much as looking back at her.


    Zhu Lian just stood there watching the boy¡¯s back.Her mind constantly whispering the boy¡¯s name ¨C Shen Ji Yun.


    And that¡¯s the beginning of her tragedy.


    =====


    Zhu Lian then did everything she could to find all the relevant information about the boy named Shen Ji Yun.It was not that hard since he was pretty famous in his school.But it was all just superficial information.Like what family he belonged to and who his friends were.


    Then she found out that he was ying the VR game Arcadia and that the team he created won the first championship to some tournament.So, she also decided to y the game and make a team.When she found out that he would go to T University, she also decided to go there.


    But despite doing all those things, she was still at the same position as she had been more than three years ago.


    A million miles away from him.

 Chapter 320 I WILL SLICE YOU

    LUO YAN stared incredulously at the girl standing at the opened door of the private box.Doesn¡¯t this girl, Nereid, like Shen Ji Yun?At least that¡¯s the impression he got from the conversation she witnessed between her and her team mates a week ago.So, why was she suddenly being so antagonistic towards Shen Ji Yun?


    Right now, she was looking at Shen Ji Yun as if he was an ant under her foot.Where was that blushing girl who was being all shy when being teased by her team mates?Was that all just an act?Or was the way she was acting right now the fake one?If it was the former, was there really a need to deceive her friends?Luo Yan didn¡¯t think so.But if it was thetter, was this her way of getting Shen Ji Yun¡¯s attention?If that was the case, he must say that¡¯s it¡¯s not really very effective.


    He nced sideways at Shen Ji Yun.Just looked at the other¡¯s slightly frowning face.It was obvious that he was getting very impatient.He wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if he suddenly threw the girl out himself.


    Then Luo Yan suddenly remembered something.Didn¡¯t one of those girls from team Sirens mention that this Nereid couldn¡¯t help but act like a queen whenever she met Shen Ji Yun?Remembering that piece of information, he finally was able to solve the mystery on why this girl was acting like this.So, was this her acting like a queen?


    Wait- did that mean that she always acted like this whenever she met Shen Ji Yun?Wasn¡¯t she just being a super, duper, extreme tsundere?No wonder one of her team mates said that she was not making any improvements.


    If this was her way of chasing Shen Ji Yun, then nothing would really happen. Considering how this guy beside him never cared for people¡¯s appearance, then her beauty wouldn¡¯t attract Shen Ji Yun. The only thing left was her personality. But if she always acted like this, then if theree a time that Shen Ji Yun ever remembered her, he would only think of her as an annoying woman who loved to pick a fight with him.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if this girl should be grateful that Shen Ji Yun seemed to not remember her.But thinking of the other things that those team mates of hers said, the reason why she started ying Arcadia was Shen Ji Yun and that she also went to the same university as him.Despite doing all those things, Shen Ji Yun seemed to still not recognize her.


    Now, all the irritation Luo Yan felt at the startpletely disappeared.He couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for the poor girl.How could he not?This girl obviously had problems expressing her real feelings.Heck, Shen Ji Yun who also had low EQ was even a million times better that her in chasing the person he liked.The way she was now, there¡¯s probably no way she could hope that her feelings would ever be returned.


    Not that it would change anything. After all, the one Shen Ji Yun liked was him. Luo Yan felt unprecedented pride because of that. He almost cringe. What was he being so proud of? This was not somepetition or something.


    The fleeting look of pride on Luo Yan¡¯s face was caught by Zhu Lian.So, in her eyes, it seemed that this white-haired elf was sneering at her for being stupid.Her nerves were already so tight because of her mistake just now.Looking at this beautiful elf who was sitting so closely beside Shen Ji Yun, thinking that he must have been mocking her just now, her brain felt like it just caught a fever and she couldn¡¯t think properly.


    "What do you think you¡¯re looking at?Do you think you have the right to look at me like that?" she said in a slightly more aggressive tone.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows.Was his look of pity really obvious just now?He was about to answer when he saw Shen Ji Yun suddenly standing.He raised his head and stopped when he saw the dark expression on the other¡¯s handsome face.


    [Oohhh... Captain is angry.Will he cut that fish girl?] ¨C Eclipsemented.


    Because of Eclipse¡¯s suddenment, Luo Yan had no time to stop Shen Ji Yun.When he looked back at him again, he was already walking towards Nereid.


    Shen Ji Yun only nned to let this intruder girl go out at first.But he didn¡¯t think she had the audacity to talk to his rabbit like that.She was the one who came in barging in here and she dared to talk down to them as if they were the ones who had no right to be here.He could let it go if she only targeted him.But it would be another matter if it involved Luo Yan.There¡¯s no way he would allow anyone to talk to his rabbit like that right in front of him.


    Zhu Lian saw the expression on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face.It was ck as if it could bleed ink.She was surprised at first.Because this was the first time she ever saw any kind of expression on his face.Then, she became scared.Because of the dark look in his amethyst eyes.As if he was about to crush her into pieces.


    With every step he took forward, she couldn¡¯t help but step back. Until she realized that she waspletely outside the private box.


    "Don¡¯t barge into someone¡¯s territory as if you have every right to do so and then proceed on talking down to people like some entitled brat," Shen Ji Yun said coldly."Next time you do, don¡¯t do it front of me.Especially not in front of my importantpanion.Because if you do," he leaned forward, making sure that their eyes were on the same level.Then said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "I will slice you."


    Then he closed the door to her face.


    Zhu Lian felt her knees trembled and she almost fell back.She knew that he was only talking about attacking her in the game.But she felt like he would also not hesitate to do that in real life.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how she managed to walk out of there.She felt like she just lost her soul or something.


    "Sister!" called a familiar voice.


    When she saw Zhu Jingyi running towards her, the tears she had been holding in finally fell down."Ah Yi..."


    Zhu Jingyi quickly ran towards her older sister.When she saw her tears, her facepletely darkened.She cupped her sister¡¯s face and wiped away her tears."What¡¯s wrong?Did that bastard YUN do something to you?"


    Zhu Lian shook her head.If ever, she was the one who did something wrong.She made Shen Ji Yun angry.And she now only realized that it was because of how she spoke to that white-haired elf.It was only then that Shen Ji Yun really reacted.


    But who exactly was that overly beautiful elf?

 Chapter 321 WORK HARDER

    [MASHTER, Captain definitely threatened that fish girl.] ¨C Eclipsemented.


    Luo Yan ruffled the fluffy head of the fox sittingfortably on hisp while looking at Shen Ji Yun who just closed the door of the private box.[What makes you think that?]


    [That fish girl talked like that to you, of course, Captain won¡¯t let it slide.]


    He looked down at Eclipse.Seriously, he sometimes wondered where did this pet of his learn how to analyze such situation.Was it also included in his codes?At the end, he could only wonder.


    Shen Ji Yun walked back and sat again on the seat beside Luo Yan.


    "What did you say to her?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Not much.I just gave her a friendly advice," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Somehow, Luo Yan doubted that that was really the case.He caught a glimpse of Nereid¡¯s face before Shen Ji Yun closed the door.She looked scared.He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the expression on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face or because the other said something to her which resulted to that.Either way, it must have been quite a shock to her.After all, Shen Ji Yun was the person she liked.


    "Did you not recognize her?" he thought of asking.


    Shen Ji Yun frowned."No.Should I?"


    Sure enough, this guy didn¡¯t really recognize Nereid.Of course, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t tell him that she was one of his secret admirers.That¡¯s not his secret to tell.If he did, it would feel like he was stepping down on the girl¡¯s dignity.He wasn¡¯t such a malicious person that he would stoop so low as to embarrass a girl who hadn¡¯t done anything to him.


    "She¡¯s the captain of team Sirens," he only said.


    "Is that so," Shen Ji Yun said, his tone obviously showed that he wasn¡¯t really interested.


    Seeing such a reaction, Luo Yan once again felt sorry for Nereid.It¡¯s really hard to like someone like Shen Ji Yun.Because he was the type who would remain unmoved no matter how much one chased him.Unless, he was the one who fell in love first.Which happened to be the case between them.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure if he should be thankful for that.But he was definitely ttered by Shen Ji Yun¡¯s affection for him.Who wouldn¡¯t, right?If someone like Shen Ji Yun fell for you, it would be weird not to feel ttered.


    He pushed a te of sesame balls towards Shen Ji Yun."Brother Ji Yun, don¡¯t be mad.I¡¯m sure that girl didn¡¯t mean the things that she said."


    If that was how she coped up with her nervousness, then she probably really didn¡¯t mean the things that she said.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan.The other was smiling, obviously, he didn¡¯t take what that woman said earlier seriously.Maybe he really thought that she didn¡¯t mean the things that she said.But Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t care whether she meant it or not.He just simply didn¡¯t like the way she talked to Luo Yan.But here was Luo Yan defending her despite that.His rabbit was really so kind.He couldn¡¯t help but feel distressed because of that.


    "Yan Yan, don¡¯t be too kind," he couldn¡¯t help but say."I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s bad.But being overly kind would just make other people want to take advantage of you."


    Luo Yan smiled amusedly.He understood what he was worried about.But really, for someone who was already in his second life, being taken advantage of was definitely not something that would happen to him.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Ji Yun.I¡¯m not so na?ve that I could only see the goodness in people.I assure you, I won¡¯t easily be taken advantage of."


    "That¡¯s good."


    Then there was another knock on the door.This time, Luo Yan didn¡¯t immediately tell whoever it was outside toe in.


    "I¡¯ll see who it is," Shen Ji Yun said before Luo Yan could say anything.


    He stood up and walked towards the door.He opened it and saw one of the NPC employees in the pavilion.He knew it was an NPC because he recognized her from that task they did during the birthday of the King of Arcadia.


    "It¡¯s one of your employees," he said to Luo Yan, letting the NPC in.After that, he closed the door.


    This time it was the one Luo Yan had been expecting ¨C Madam Ru.


    "Did hee?" he asked.


    "Yes, Master.I already gave him the message you wish to deliver."


    They were talking about Bian Que.Since Luo Yan had no intention of meeting him without his NPC disguise, it¡¯s better to just leave him a message.So, he told Madam Ru that once she confirmed Bian Que¡¯s presence in the pavilion, she should deliver to him the note that Luo Yan gave to her earlier.The note contained his idea of making some kind of pill that could transform pets into a humanoid form.Of course, it should not be mentioned that the note was from him.


    He didn¡¯t really care about the profit that that idea might produce.After all, he just gave Bian Que an idea.Everything still depended on the other person.He just hoped that Bian Que would be sessful in making the pill.


    "What was his reaction?" he asked.


    "The guest didn¡¯t have one.He just raised one of his brows."


    Okay?Should he take that as a sign that Bian Que was interested with the idea?She sure hoped so.


    After that, Madam Ru left the private box.


    "May I ask what that was about?" Shen Ji Yun, who had been silent while he was talking to Madam Ru, asked.


    "Ah, it¡¯s about Bian Que..."Then he told him about his idea about making a pill that could transform pets into their humanoid form."Do you think he would be interested?"


    Shen Ji Yun wanted to snort.He was a bit annoyed that Luo Yan thought too highly of that Bian Que¡¯s ability.But he told himself to be more mature."A profiteer like him?Definitely."


    Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t exactly call Bian Que a profiteer.It was more appropriate to call him a businessman.But he didn¡¯t disagree to what Shen Ji Yun said.Because he somehow heard a bit of reluctance and annoyance in his voice.As if he was reluctant to admit that Bian Que would go along with Luo Yan¡¯s idea and he was annoyed that he had to say that.


    Luo Yan noticed that Shen Ji Yun seemed to be controlling himself from saying anything bad.This was certainly unexpected.Was this so Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t notice him being such a big vinegar jar?He couldn¡¯t help but smile at the thought.


    He stared at his handsome side profile. As he looked at his face, a certain thought suddenly shed inside his mind. Like a flower uncontrobly blooming. The smile on his face slowly disappeared as he realized something. That realization caused his heart to beat faster and faster by the second. His heart seemed to already have an answer to a certain question. But sadly, from how things were, his brain was probably still not ready to ept it.


    "You should work harder, Brother Ji Yun," he said with a long sigh.


    Shen Ji Yun only looked at him with a confused gaze, probably wondering what he meant by that.


    [Work harder to chase me.] ¨C he added to himself.

 Chapter 322 HER TRANSFORMATION

    THE homeroom teacher of the science key ss ¨C Wu Hai, praised the student who ranked first in the mock exam in the whole grade. The result of the mock examst week had already been posted. The top one, of course, belonged to the science key ss. Actually, all the students who were in the top 10 were from the said ss.


    "And also, I want to praise student Luo for ranking 10th in the whole grade. Everyone should already be aware of his situation. But despite that, he rose against all odds, epted in our academy¡¯s key ss, and now even ranked 10th in the whole grade for our first mock exam. This should inspire everyone to work harder and don¡¯t let any set-backs stop you to do the best you can."


    Wu Hai was actually quite surprised when the result of the mock exam came out. He didn¡¯t expect that Luo Yan would rank 10th in the whole grade. So, what he said just now was what he really thought from the bottom of his heart. Someone so hard-working deserved respect.


    Luo Yan smiled shyly and thanked the teacher. He already expected as much. He probably could rank first if he put everything he had on the test. But he resisted. Because if he ranked first on his first mock exam, it would just appear shady. Some bad-hearted people might think that he cheated. He didn¡¯t want to go through the trouble of proving them wrong.


    So, he didn¡¯t really do his best. And just made sure that his result would be good but not too good that he would be in the top three. That way, no one would question his exam result. They would just think that he was smart and hard-working. He could just rise on the ranks gradually. It would be more natural that way.


    And then homeroom began.


    The morning ss continued on. During one of the breaks, a number of students surrounded Luo Yan¡¯s seat and congratted him for the result of his mock exam.


    "You did great, Xiao Yan," one said.


    "Yes, cing 10th was truly a great feat," another said.


    "Thank you," Luo Yan said, smiling sweetly.


    "Can you tell us your usual review method?"


    "My father hired tutors and they help me review the sses every weekends. I guess that helped a lot," Luo Yan said.


    Of course, he was just talking nonsense. When school started, the teachers his father hired to teach him no longer went to their house. It was because he told his father that he really didn¡¯t need tutors because he was already studying at a school. He didn¡¯t want his all free time to be spent studying. His father readily agreed. Well, it¡¯s mostly because he acted pitifully when he requested that. His father would probably agree to anything he asked as long as he shed a tear.


    Sure enough, once his ssmates heard his answer, they had an expression like saying ¡¯ah, so that¡¯s why¡¯. Now with this, they would surely no longer question the result of his mock exam.


    Soon, the bell rang. Signaling the end of the morning ss.


    Luo Yan was ready to leave when he saw Yu Jiao walking towards him. He stopped and waited for her. He suddenly remembered what she saidst Friday. That she decided to walk together to lunch with him and Luo Jin.


    "Yan Yan, congrattions on ranking 10th," Yu Jiao said when she finally reached him.


    Luo Yan observed the tall girl in front of him. He could see the tension between her eyebrows. Obviously, she was very nervous talking to him openly like this in the presence of their ssmates. But she persisted. Clearly, she already made up her mind to let everyone know of her friendship with him. How could Luo Yan disappoint him?


    "Thank you, Jiao Jiao. You too, congrattions on ranking fourth," he said smiling, his words and actions showed that he was very close to her.


    Their ssmates almost didn¡¯t bulge their eyes when they saw this scene. Just when did the ss¡¯ invisible girl became close to Luo Yan to the point that they would call each other in such a familiar manner? This was something really unexpected. No one here probably even thought of this possibility.


    One of the people who was surprised by this turn of events was Huang Wen. But his focus was kind of different from the others. He was kind of ufortable hearing this, he wasn¡¯t even sure what her name was, girl, calling Luo Yan ¡¯Yan Yan¡¯. As if she was very close to him.


    Then he suddenly remembered that incident with Yin Chen. If he remembered correctly, this girl tried to protect Luo Yan. Was that the start of their friendship? Then what about him? He also helped Luo Yan back then. Howe nothing had changed with their rtionship?


    Wait- what the heck was he thinking just now? It sounded like he also wanted to get close to that brat. Annoyed, he just walked out of the ssroom.


    Noticing the gazes of their ssmates sticking to Yu Jiao, Luo Yan asked, "Should we go?"


    It¡¯s better to leave now before these kids came back to their senses and tried to surround him and Yu Jiao. She would probably reach her limit if that were to happen. He didn¡¯t want her to have a bad experience on the first time that she decided to reveal her friendship with him.


    Yu Jiao nodded. And before their ssmates could react, the two already left the ssroom.


    On their way down, the gazes of other students continued to stick to Yu Jiao.


    "Is this really alright?" Luo Yan asked. He was worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to take the gazes of these people.


    "I-it¡¯s alright," she answered. Her voice was trembling a bit. But you could also hear an unwavering determination in there.


    Luo Yan smiled, quite satisfied with Yu Jiao¡¯s actions. He believed that this was the start of her transformation.


    Her transformation to the confident young woman that she should have been.

 Chapter 323 WHAT A COINCIDENCE

    WHEN they walked out of the third years teaching building, they immediately saw Luo Jin waiting for them. Luo Yan quickly ran forward and Yu Jiao silently followed. Luo Jin raised one of his brows when he saw the two together. After all, in the weeks that they had been eating lunch together, there¡¯s probably only one time that the two ever walked out of the teaching building together.


    But he didn¡¯t say much. He still remembered that choking incident of his older brother. After that, he decided not to meddle in whatever was happening between his older brother and Yu Jiao. If he continued to do that, he was afraid that his older brother would punish him. Luo Ren could be really scary if he was angered. So, it¡¯s better to just steer clear of that.


    "Yan, no running," he scolded Luo Yan while pinching the other¡¯s cheek.


    "Sorry, I was just too excited," Luo Yan said then he grinned at Luo Jin. "Ah Jin, I ranked 10th in our mock exam."


    Luo Jin snorted. "Hmp. Brag to me again when you ranked first."


    Although he said that, one could still see the small proud smile on his lips. So, this was just his tsundere-ness acting.


    The three started walking towards the direction of the small restaurant. As they walked, the students they passed-by all looked at them. Particrly at Yu Jiao. After all, Luo Jin¡¯s presence was enough to attract the attention of people. If Luo Yan was added, then the attention would increase even more. And all those attentions would turn to Yu Jiao ¨C the invisible girl who shouldn¡¯t have been seen together with the Luo brothers. If not for Luo Jin¡¯s reputation as a ¡¯bully¡¯, these students would definitely try to follow them just to know where they were going.


    Luo Yan nced at Yu Jiao from time to time as they walked. Worried that she might not be able to handle the gazes of these people. But she persisted. Although he couldn¡¯t see the full expression on her face because of the big sses she was wearing, he had a feeling that those sharp eyes of his were now filled with determination.


    He smiled thinking of that.


    When they reached the small restaurant, they sat on their usual seat. The only waiter/receptionist quickly took their orders right after.


    "Ahm, I already finished making the weapons. I could give it to youter when you log into the game," Yu Jiao started.


    Luo Yan was surprised when he heard that. "So fast?"


    Yu Jiao blushed. "I- I was inspired. So, I finished everything in a day."


    Which was true. She was truly inspired. The materials given to him by both brothers were all the best kinds. So, a lot of ideas entered her mind. Before she knew it, she had already finished forging both weapons.


    "That¡¯s great! Jiao Jiao is amazing," Luo Yan said, not forgetting topliment Yu Jiao. "We could get it tomorrow after we register for the Rookie Carnival. Right, Ah Jin?"


    "Yeah." Luo Jin tried to act cool, but inside, he was also a bit excited to see the weapon Yu Jiao made.


    "Where should we meet? At Goldcrest City?" asked Yu Jiao.


    "No, we could just go to your shop at Alryne City," Luo Yan said.


    He still needed one level to be able to enter Alryne City. But he was confident that he would be able to pass that today. After all, tomorrow would be the start of the week-long National Day holiday. So, he could y longerter in the night.


    "I¡¯ll message you when we¡¯re about to log in tomorrow," he added.


    "Okay. Then, I¡¯ll wait for you."


    Soon, their order arrived. Luo Yan was about to start eating when he saw someone walking inside the small restaurant. And if it was even someone familiar to him. It was the teacher who acted as an invigtor when he took the academy¡¯s entrance/transfer exam.


    The man was of average height. His slim form was hidden by the windbreaker he was wearing. He looked even more petite because of that. The features of his face couldn¡¯t be seen clearly because of the thick sses he was wearing. But just like the first time he saw him, Luo Yan still thought that the other was a handsome man.


    "Teacher Jiang!" he called.


    The man who was suddenly called looked at the direction of the only three students eating inside. He quickly recognized the person who called him. He smiled and walked over.


    "Student Luo," he greeted. "I saw the results of the mock exam. Congrattions, you¡¯ve done well."


    Luo Yan smiled. "Thank you, Teacher Jiang."


    Teacher Jiang was hit by this sweet smile. If he ever had a son, he wished that he would be like this student. Then he almost let out a bitter smile. Having children, much less marrying, was something impossible for him. After all, he couldn¡¯t really change his nature.


    "Brother Yue," called someone who just came out of the restaurant¡¯s kitchen.


    Jiang Yue turned around and smiled when he saw a slender man whose hair was tied in a man bun. "Xing-er."


    Before walking up to Yuan Xing, he smiled at the three students, particrly at Luo Yan.


    "I was just about to deliver your lunch," Yuan Xing said.


    "Well, I just thought of visiting you here. And I also wanted to walk out of the office and stretch my legs," Jiang Yue replied in a soft tone.


    Luo Yan looked at the restaurant¡¯s chef and the teacher who was now happily chatting with each other.


    "Yan, eat," Luo Jin reminded him.


    Luo Yan then started eating. But his curiosity was still not quenched. "Do you know what subject Teacher Jiang teach?" he couldn¡¯t help but asked.


    "He¡¯s the school¡¯s counselor," Yu Jiao answered. "I think he just transferred this school year. So, not many students know him."


    A school counselor? Then he should be called a doctor rather than a teacher. "He seemed to be close to the chef."


    "I heard from Brother Yuan that they¡¯ve known each other long before Teacher Jiang transferred here," Yu Jiao answered once again. "I think he was living overseas before that."


    Luo Yan nodded. "I see."


    Satisfied by that, he finally put all his attention back to eating. Then a thought suddenly shed in his mind. The first name of the two happened to make up the name of his pavilion ¨C Yue and Xing.


    What a coincidence.

 Chapter 324 A BUSY HOLIDAY

    LUO YAN woke up in a good mood. Today was the start of the week-long holiday. But there were still a lot of things he needed to do. He had to register for the Rookie Carnival today. Then at thest two days of the holiday, he had to fight at the preliminary round of the said carnival. And in between those, he had to do the two tasks that he and Shen Ji Yun hadn¡¯t finished yet.


    But that¡¯s not all. Last night, after having dinner, his father announced something to them.


    =====


    "My sons, I have good news to you," Luo Wei Tian said while they were all sitting in the living room. He couldn¡¯t hide the big smile on his face, a sign that he was in a pretty good mood.


    "What is it, Dad?" Luo Yan asked, pulling the sleeve of his father¡¯s shirt while raising his head and looking at him with his big peach blossom eyes.


    Luo Wei Tian was suddenly hit by his son¡¯s cuteness and almost didn¡¯t resist the urge to hug him. Instead, he cleared his throat and said seriously, "Since Xiao Yan and Xiao Jin don¡¯t have school, I freed some days from Ah Ren and my schedule. So that our whole family could go somewhere for a vacation. We¡¯ll leave on Friday and return on Sunday. What do you think?"


    Luo Yan wanted to say that that was a very good idea. Then he remembered that there¡¯s a preliminary round for the Rookie Carnival on Sunday. But looking at his father¡¯s happy expression, how could he ask to let them return on Saturday instead?


    "That¡¯s a good idea, Dad," said Luo Ren. "How about going to a tropical ind? Since it¡¯s autumn here, it would be good to go to somewhere warmer."


    "I also have that idea," Luo Wei Tian agreed.


    Luo Jin had noticed Luo Yan¡¯s subtle change in expression when their father mentioned the vacation. The change was even more noticeable when their older brother said something about the tropical ind. It was not hard to think why his reaction was like that. Because Luo Jin was also thinking of the same problem.


    How could they join the preliminary of the Rookie Carnival if they would only be back on Sunday which was the first day of the prelims? It would be even more impossible if they would go to another country for vacation.


    He was not really interested in this Rookie Carnival at first. But then he heard Su Yuqi saying to Bai Ze once that it would be good if both if he and Luo Yan could have a good standing at the uing Rookie Carnival. That way, people could see that the two new members of Yunyue were both powerful rookies.


    So, Luo Jin had been looking forward to it. Although he only started ying Arcadia because of his second brother, as time passed by, he was truly enjoying ying the game. He was still a teenager after all. He liked ying such games like any other boys his age. Not to mention, since he started ying, the frequency of him fighting with others had been greatly reduced. It¡¯s like all that violent energy inside him had found an outlet.


    The Rookie Carnival was an event where he could showcase his skills. Just the thought of fighting with a lot of people was already making his blood boil. But that wouldn¡¯t happen if he and his second brother wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to fight in the prelims.


    "Dad, how about changing the date? Let¡¯s leave on Thursday and return on Saturday," he suggested. "Yan and I have an appointment with our team mates in the game on Sunday. We made that appointmentst week. It wouldn¡¯t look too good if we renege on that."


    Luo Yan looked at Luo Jin unexpectedly. [Wow. Ah Jin, who would have thought that you had it in you to lie so straightforwardly like this in front of Dad. I didn¡¯t know you wanted to fight in the Rookie Carnival that much. But, thumbs up!]


    And so, he quickly followed up, "Dad, Ah Jin is right. I don¡¯t want our friends to think badly of us," he said looking as pitifully as he could. "Can Dad adjust the schedule? Please?"


    How could Luo Wei Tian say no when his second son looked like he would cry in any second? Adjusting one day in his and Luo Ren¡¯s schedule wouldn¡¯t be a problem. What¡¯s the use of owning thepany if he couldn¡¯t even do that? "Okay. Let¡¯s do that." He turned to his eldest. "You agree, don¡¯t you, Ah Ren?"


    Before Luo Ren could answer, he saw Luo Yan looking at him with those big peach blossom eyes that looked like it would shed tears at any second. "Of course, I don¡¯t mind," he said helplessly.


    Luo Yanughed happily. "Thank you, Dad, Brother!"


    Luo Wei Tian tapped his nose. "So, which country would you like to go to?"


    "I think somewhere in South East Asia would be good," Luo Ren suggested.


    "Ahm, Dad, Brother, could we not leave the country? If we do, we would spend so much time in the ne. I¡¯d rather we spend those times going around to different ces with everyone. Don¡¯t you think so?" Luo Yan said.


    This time he was not lying, that was what he really thought. The time wouldn¡¯t be enough to have a proper vacation if they had to return on Saturday.


    Luo Wei Tian appeared thoughtful. "Well, you do have a point. Where does Xiao Yan want to go?"


    "Let¡¯s go to Chengdu! I¡¯ve always wanted to see a panda in person," he said with a big smile on his face.


    Chengdu was the capital of S Province. It had a conservation center where visitors could view giant pandas. He always wanted to see a panda in hisst life, but he never really had a chance to. Besides that, Chengdu also had a lot of other interesting ces that a tourist could visit to.


    Luo Wei Tian and Luo Ren looked at each other, both sawplicated expressions on their faces. When they thought of going to vacation, they never really considered going to Chengdu to sightsee giant pandas. But if that was what Luo Yan wanted, then they could only agree.


    "Okay, let¡¯s go to Chengdu," Luo Wei Tian said.


    Luo Yan happily hugged his father¡¯s arm. "Thank you, Dad!"


    Now it was Luo Jin¡¯s turn to give Luo Yan a thumbs up. Really, if he hadn¡¯t seen his set of operation, he wouldn¡¯t know how he managed to get their father and older brother to follow what he wanted. If Luo Jin wasn¡¯t familiar with this side of his second brother, he probably would also happily go along with what he wanted. But then again, even if he did know, he probably would still do the same thing.


    Luo Yan happily snugged into his father¡¯s arms. Now that¡¯s settled, he only had to use his time wisely so he could do everything he needed to do.


    =====


    See, this seven-day vacation would be very busy for him.


    Luo Yan sat up from the bed and picked up his phone lying on the bedside table. Then he messaged Yu Jiao. After that, he messaged Shen Ji Yun. Then he put back his phone on the table and stood up.


    He stretched his body and prepared himself for this long day.

 Chapter 325 TO BE OBLIVIOUS

    LUO YAN appeared at the za of Goldcrest City. He and Luo Jin log into the game right after breakfast. That way, they could register for the Rookie Carnival much earlier. He was sure that there would be a lot of beginners who would try to register. He didn¡¯t want to join with the huge flow of participants.


    The moment he appeared in the game, his pet automatically appeared on his shoulder.


    [Mashter, why are we just standing here?] ¨C Eclipse asked.


    [We¡¯re waiting for my brother.] After he said that, Eclipse¡¯s little face suddenly scrunched up. [What, you don¡¯t like my brother?]


    [It¡¯s because Mashter¡¯s brother doesn¡¯t like Eclipse. So, Eclipse also doesn¡¯t like him.]


    [My brother rarely likes anyone, so, you shouldn¡¯t take it to heart if he shows you a bit of dislike.] ¨C Luo Yan said ruffling the little guy¡¯s fluffy head.


    [But he likes Eclipse¡¯s pink-haired sister.]


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard that. [That he does.]


    [Hmp! Eclipse doesn¡¯t think that his pink-haired sister likes Mashter¡¯s brother that much.]


    [Oh? What makes you say that?] ¨C Luo Yan asked, intrigued. Wondering what kind of opinion Eclipse had regarding the two. After all, this guy¡¯s opinion had always been interesting. Albeit, quite annoying at times. Especially if you¡¯re one of the people he¡¯s giving an opinion to.


    [Pink-haired sister is treating Mashter¡¯s brother like her, well, little brother. Maybe because he¡¯s too small that¡¯s why pink-haired sister doesn¡¯t see him as a man at all.]


    Luo Yan was kind of d he was the only one who could hear what this little guy could say. If Luo Jin heard what Eclipse said just now, he would definitely shave this little fox until there¡¯s no hair left in his body.


    He thought back to what Eclipse said, about Su Yuqi just treating Luo Jin as a younger brother. That¡¯s probably not too far off from his own observation. He hadn¡¯t really seen Su Yuqi reacting to Luo Jin in any sort of romantic way. Which was not really that surprising since she was four years older. Not to mention, most of her interaction with Luo Jin was in the game where he was in a form of a gnome. Just like Eclipse said, it¡¯s really hard to see him as a romantic interest when he¡¯s in that form. And it didn¡¯t really help that he was being so tsundere with his feelings.


    Well, Luo Jin was still young. Maybe what he¡¯s feeling for Su Yuqi right now was just a simple puppy love. It¡¯s good for him to experience something like this. Whatever the result of this experience might be, it would definitely help him grow as a person. So, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t get in the way of that and just let nature took its course.


    "Yan!" called the familiar adorable voice of his younger brother who¡¯s in gnome form.


    Luo Yan looked down and saw Luo Jin suddenly appearing beside him. He probably just arrived after teleporting here.


    "Let¡¯s go?" he asked in which Luo Jin nodded.


    They walked towards the Arena. Registration for the uing Rookie Carnival was being held at the Arena located at each of the four major cities. They chose the Arena at Goldcrest because it¡¯s the city they were most familiar with. They had spent more time here inparison to the other two cities ¨C Olkdale and Matlock. Both of them just reached level 86. So, they hadn¡¯t been at Alryne City. That¡¯s why Goldcrest was the best choice for them.


    Luo Jin nced at the fox sitting on his brother¡¯s shoulder. "Are you going to fight in the carnival with that pet of yours?"


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to answer, "Of course."


    Luo Jin¡¯s forehead creased a bit. "Wouldn¡¯t it just get in the way?"


    Eclipse red at Luo Jin. [Mashter, your brother is looking down on Eclipse! He even referred to Eclipse as an ¡¯it¡¯. Does he think that Eclipse is an object?]


    Luo Yan patted Eclipse¡¯s back. [Okay. Calm down. Be good. I¡¯m sure Ah Jin didn¡¯t mean it. He¡¯s just worried about your master.]


    The little fox pouted, clearly unsatisfied with Luo Jin.


    Luo Yan turned to his brother. "No, I don¡¯t think he would get in the way. In fact, I have a feeling he would help me a lot."


    Eclipse was obviously happy hearing what his master said. Because he pushed out his little chest and looked at the ck-haired gnome proudly.


    Luo Jin had a feeling that the fox just mocked him just now. But he¡¯s not sure that something closed to an NPC could produce that kind of reaction, so he just shrugged it off. If Luo Yan was confident of his pet¡¯s skills, then it was not his ce to interfere. With his brother¡¯s ¡¯ck¡¯ attribute, he was confident that he wouldn¡¯t put himself at a disadvantage.


    Soon, they arrived at the Arena.


    Being here, Luo Yan suddenly remembered the first time he went to this city¡¯s Arena. It was when Shen Ji Yun challenged a yer on the night that the advertis.e.m.e.nt for his pavilion was broadcasted. He didn¡¯t understand then why the other was so angry just because that yer was running his mouth and saying obscene things. He thought it was because they were friends and he didn¡¯t like others talking about his friend like that. Little did he knew that that was not the case.


    At that time, Shen Ji Yun probably already had feelings for him. That¡¯s why he decimated that yer as if he killed his cat or something. He was already being so obvious. But that possibility never really crossed Luo Yan¡¯s mind. If not for his good understanding of people¡¯s emotion, he probably would not be able to discover the other¡¯s feelings for him.


    But now that he already had a big realization about his own ¡¯feelings¡¯, he wondered if it was a good thing to have such a good understanding of people¡¯s emotions. Maybe, in a way, it would be better to remain oblivious. At least he could enjoy the feeling of slowly discovering the meaning behind the fast beating of his heart.


    If that was the case, then maybe his heart and his brain would align together in a more natural manner. Then he wouldn¡¯t have this problem now where his heart was already able to ept and yet his brain was still in a ¡¯let¡¯s wait and see¡¯ state.


    "Yan, what are you dazing about?" called Luo Jin, properly ending Luo Yan¡¯s ¡¯dazed¡¯ state. "Let¡¯s go inside."


    Luo Yan shook off the thoughts in his mind and just followed Luo Jin inside.

 Chapter 326 ROOKIE CARNIVAL REGISTRATION

    LUO YAN looked around the Arena once they entered. He was surprised to see that there were already quite a number of yers inside. Most were lining up in different booths. It was only half past eight in the morning and yet there were already a lot of participants here. Maybe he and Luo Jin should have gone earlier. Well, at least the line in each booth were still not that super long.


    "Let¡¯s go and line up," he told to Luo Jin.


    There were currently five booths where yers could register for the Rookie Carnival. The two went and line up at the booth with the shortest line. Although Luo Yan said ¡¯shortest¡¯ but it would probably still take about half an hour before it was their turn. He let his younger brother stood in front of him since he¡¯s much smaller and it would be easier to talk to each other this way. Luo Jin probably thought of that too. So, even if he wanted to act tough and stood behind him, he didn¡¯t insist.


    As soon as they lined up, Luo Yan looked around, observing the other yers around. But he didn¡¯t see anything interesting, so he just looked forward. As he did, he happened to hear the conversation of two yers standing on the line to their left. Luo Yan would probably not notice what they were talking about but he heard the names ¡¯white-haired elf¡¯ and ¡¯ck-haired gnome¡¯ being mentioned. The two were obviously talking about him and Luo Jin. He¡¯s sensitive to things like that, so he couldn¡¯t help but listen.


    "Hey, those two are both Special races, right?" one asked.


    "Yeah. ording to what I heard, Special races are mostly a sub-type of Common and Rare races. So, obviously, they are another kind of elf and gnome," hispanion said.


    "Do you think they¡¯re powerful?"


    "They probably have skills that are only unique to their race. But I doubt those two could live up to them," the yer said arrogantly with a bit of a mocking tone.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Come on, use your brain. If they managed to get a Special race from the random selection, that meant their gaming experience wouldn¡¯t exceed three months. How skillful could they be with such a short amount of experience? Besides, look at their costumes. They¡¯re obviously pay-to-win yers. They probably drank tons of EXP potions just so they could reach level 80 in such a short time. Participating in the Rookie Carnival, these rich second generation must really think that they could win as long as they have money. How shameless."


    "You¡¯re right. No wonder I thought they were dressed too well. It turned out that they were one of those pay-to-win types," the other readily agreed. "Do you think that white-haired elf also bought that three-tailed fox on his shoulder?"


    Hispanion snorted. "Definitely. He probably bought it at a very high price at one of those auctions."


    "Rich people do have it good."


    Luo Yan no longer listened to the two. He would bet that these two were not the only ones talking smack about them. If he wasn¡¯t covering the lower half of his face, these people might even say that he beautified himself to the max. It¡¯s true that their costumes were mostly bought by money. But the two of them leveled up using the natural way ¨C grinding and defeating a lot of monsters. Luo Yan, of course, would not stoop down to their level and exin it to them. The best revenge he would have was by winning the whole thing. These people¡¯s faces would probably hurt once that happened.


    [Mashter, should Eclipse scratch the faces of those two.] ¨C Eclipse suddenly said, clearly, he heard what those two people said as well.


    He nced amusedly at the fox on his shoulder who was now licking his ws. [Why do you always resort to violence?]


    [Because the people Eclipse wanted to scratch deserves it.] ¨C Eclipse said proudly. [Those two in particr definitely deserves it. How dare they talk like that about you, Mashter? You¡¯re so great and powerful, are they blind? You could probably finish them off in just one move. And saying that you bought Eclipse. Mashter obviously found Eclipse. Can¡¯t they see the great connection that we have? They¡¯re definitely blind!]


    Luo Yan almostughed because of the little guy¡¯s reaction. [Yes, yes, they¡¯re blind. But Eclipse, you don¡¯t have to mind people like that. They will soon get what¡¯sing to them.]


    [But Mashter, I think your brother definitely minds.]


    Luo Yan gazed down and sure enough, he saw Luo Jin ring at the two yers. If his eyes could producesers, those two would probably be incinerated by now.


    "Ah Jin, don¡¯t pay those people too much attention," he said. "They¡¯re probably the type who¡¯s all talk but no bite."


    "I know. I¡¯m not so hot-tempered that I would automatically attack people badmouthing me," Luo Jin grunted.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows, clearly saying ¡¯weren¡¯t you?¡¯. But he still said, "Of course, Ah Jin is so mature, how could he do something like that?"


    Luo Jin could hear that the other was definitely patronizing him. But he didn¡¯tment on it and just said, "If I meet them in the prelims, I¡¯ll definitely beat them to a pulp."


    [Mashter, I think I¡¯m starting to like your brother.] ¨C Eclipse said after he heard that.


    Luo Yan sighed. Well, the two would definitely get along when it came to reacting to people hostile to them. Or at least, what they thought was hostile. Violence first before talking.


    Soon, almost 30 minutes had passed and it was now their turn to register. Luo Jin walked inside the booth first. It probably took no more than five minutes before he walked out again.


    "I¡¯ll wait for you down the stage," Luo Jin said because the booths were ced on the stage of the Arena.


    Luo Yan nodded and walked inside the booth with Eclipse. The booth was an enclosed space the size of a telephone booth. When he entered, a mechanical voice said;


    "Please, stand still until we finish scanning your data."


    So, he did as he was told. He stood still. Then some kind ofser went up and down, then turned left and right on his avatar. After a few minutes, the mechanical voice sounded again.


    "yer name, Noctis. Level 86. Started ying two months and 19 days ago. Has one registered pet ¨C a void kitsune named Eclipse. Qualified to join the Rookie Carnival."


    After that, another voice sounded. This time it was a more cheerful voice.


    "Congrattions, dear yer! You¡¯re now registered to the uing Rookie Carnival. Please be sure to arrive at the Safehaven Harbor at 12 o¡¯clock in the afternoon on the 6th of October!"


    With that, he finally went out of the registration booth.

 Chapter 327 ALRYNE CITY

    "DO you know where that Safehaven Harbor is?" Luo Jin asked when they walked out of the Arena.


    "No. But I read somewhere on the forum before that it¡¯s somewhere on the East coast of Arcadia. ording to what I¡¯ve read, there are sh.i.p.s there that travel to the different small inds surrounding Arcadia," Luo Yan answered. "Maybe the venue of the Rookie Carnival will be held in one of those inds."


    Luo Jin nodded, no longer interested in that topic. He was thinking that it¡¯s a good thing that they managed to convince their father to return on Saturday from their nned vacation. If they returned on Sunday just like their father¡¯s original n, then they might have missed the time to go to that Safehaven Harbor.


    "Shall we go to Jiao Jiao¡¯s shop?" Luo Yan then asked once they were out of the Arena.


    Luo Jin once again felt excited thinking that they would finally see their weapons in a few minutes. "Yeah, let¡¯s go."


    He reached out to his second brother¡¯s robe and took out a group teleportation scroll. Before Luo Yan could say anything, the two of them already disappeared on the spot. Luo Yan once again felt the feeling of being sucked into a vacuum.


    Once he opened his eyes, they were no longer in Goldcrest City. They appeared to be in some kind of za. But unlike the za in Goldcrest, this one seemed to be bigger and also glitzier. Even the buildings around were bigger and had a more sophisticated design. Almost like those buildings during the renaissance period in Europe. The ce was totally giving off that aristocratic vibe.


    There were also not many yers walking around inparison to Goldcrest and the other two cities. Maybe it¡¯s because the items that could be bought here were much more expensivepared to the other three. Luo Yan also heard that buying a plot ofnd here also cost a lot. The price was practically doubledpared to Goldcrest. Which made Yu Jiao even more amazing for having a shop here.


    Speaking of, Luo Yan opened his Status Window and sent a message to Yu Jiao.


    Noctis: [Jiao Jiao, we¡¯re already in Alryne City.]


    It didn¡¯t take long before she replied.


    Vulcan: [Where are you? I¡¯ll go and get you.]


    Noctis: [No need. We can just walk there. Just wait for us.]


    Considering how famous Yu Jiao¡¯s shop was, the probability of him and Luo Jin getting lost was almost nil.


    Vulcan: [Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you.]


    After closing the chat interface, Luo Yan opened the map of the city. He quickly saw Forge Etna ¨C Yu Jiao¡¯s shop. It was just two blocks away from the za. After memorizing the direction, he closed his Status Window.


    Then he noticed that Luo Jin was already walking forward. "Ah Jin, where are you going?" he called.


    Luo Jin stopped and looked back at him. "To Yu Jiao¡¯s shop."


    ??But that¡¯s not the right direction."


    Luo Jin¡¯s small face suddenly turned red when he heard that. He clearly remembered that the map said to go to this direction. Stupid map! "I-I know! I just stretched my legs a bit."


    Luo Yan smiled and didn¡¯t pierce his brother¡¯s lie. He had almost forgotten how bad Luo Jin¡¯s sense of direction was. He¡¯s taking back what he said earlier. No matter how famous Yu Jiao¡¯s shop was, if Luo Jin were to go there alone, he would surely be lost.


    [Mashter, Eclipse think your brother is lying. He definitely didn¡¯t know where he¡¯s going just now.] ¨C Eclipsemented.


    [Well, to be fair, he thought the direction he was going was the right one.] ¨C he said.


    [Then is he what people call ¡¯directionally challenged¡¯?]


    [You could say that.]


    [Mashter, your brother is kind of pitiful. Eclipse will be the bigger person and forgive him for every time he showed his dislike to Eclipse before.] ¨C Eclipse said, as if he was really a generous person. Then he looked at Luo Jin with pity in his big sapphire blue eyes.


    Luo Jin who saw this was a bit dumbfounded. Why did he feel like this fox just looked at him as if he¡¯s some pitiful child? He frowned but just shook that off. "Then lead the way," he said to Luo Yan.


    He refused to look at his second brother. Because with Luo Yan¡¯s partly ck nature, the other was definitelyughing at his gaff just now.


    "Yes," Luo Yan said, trying his best not to show that he found what happened just now truly funny. But before he started walking, he still couldn¡¯t help but remind Luo Jin, "Ah Jin, be sure to follow me, okay? I don¡¯t want you going off the opposite direction along the way."


    Luo Jin¡¯s small face blushed red in embarrassment. Sure enough, Luo Yan was definitely making fun of him. "Let¡¯s just go, okay?"


    Luo Yan held back hisughter and said, "Okay."


    Then they started walking towards the direction of Yu Jiao¡¯s shop.


    When they were nearing the ce, Luo Yan noticed another shop. It was a shop with an old apothecary feel to it. A wooden sign board at the front said ¡¯Potions and Cauldrons¡¯. If he was not mistaken, this was one of the branches of Bian Que¡¯s shop.


    He wondered what the number one Alchemist¡¯s reaction was to the note he gave him. He sure hoped he would work on it. Surely, he could see the mary potential of that idea.


    They passed by that shop and continued walking. Soon, they arrived at their destination.


    Luo Yan stared at the two-story building in front of him. The design was quite simple. It was painted ck with a sign hanging saying ¡¯Forge Etna¡¯. Itcked the dramatic effect that Bian Que¡¯s shop had. Which reflected Yu Jiao¡¯s style. He would find it very weird if her shop turned out very gaudy which waspletely different from her personality.


    Before going inside, Luo Yan didn¡¯t forget to send a message to Yu Jiao telling her that they¡¯re already here at her shop.

 Chapter 328 NEW WEAPONS

    INSIDE the shop, Luo Yan looked around the various items neatly disyed on ss shelves. Weapons, essories, and armors, each had their own designated ces. The shop was wide enough for customers to freely look around. There were also four screens, that were back to back to each other forming some kind of cube, floating at the middle. Customers could use that, probably to browse at the shop¡¯s inventory.


    There were six NPCs constantly moving around and assisting the customers. It was pretty obvious that this shop had a very organized operation. He must give Yu Jiao props to that.


    Not long after, a male NPC walked up to them and asked, "Mr. Noctis, Mr. AmazingYoungMasterJin, our master is waiting for you at his office. Please, follow me."


    Luo Yan almost burst outughing when he heard what the NPC called Luo Jin. It was even funnier because the NPC said it as if it was a very normal name, like calling someone Mr. Lee or something. When he looked down at his younger brother, as expected, he saw that his face waspletely dark. It¡¯s getting even darker because of the snickering of some of the customers who heard it.


    "Please, lead the way," Luo Yan quickly said before his brotherpletely blew off and lost his temper.


    "This way, please," the NPC said, gesturing for them to follow.


    The two did so, following behind the NPC. Of course, with Luo Jin stomping all the way.


    [Mashter, why is your brother¡¯s name so long? It even sounds so weird.] ¨C Eclipsemented with his little face wrinkled, clearly showing his dislike of Luo Jin¡¯s game ount name.


    [Well, that¡¯s not really his name. Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s his alias. Just think of his name as ¡¯Jin¡¯.]


    [Hmm... Jin is certainly a hundred times better.]


    They entered a door which led to a stair. They climbed up to the second floor and the NPC led them to a room that seemed to serve as a lounge. Walking back and forth in the middle was a tall young man with messy ck hair and a pair of sharp ck eyes.


    "Master, your guests are here," the NPC said.


    Yu Jiao finally stopped walking and turned to them. An automatic smile appeared on her lips when she saw them. She turned first to the NPC and said, "You can leave us now."


    The NPC bowed and left, closing the door of the lounge room when he did.


    Luo Yan walked up to her. "Jiao Jiao, I hope you haven¡¯t waited for us for too long."


    Yu Jiao shook her head. "I also only just logged in when you sent me a message earlier," she said. "Please, sit down you two," she added, gesturing for them to sit.


    Both brothers sat down on the empty seats.


    Luo Yan quickly noticed the two wooden boxes ced on the center table. Both were rectangr in shape. But one had a smaller heightpared to the other.


    Yu Jiao saw that Luo Yan was looking at the two boxes. So, she no longer wasted time and said, "The weapons I made for you two are inside these boxes." She pushed the one with the shorter height to Luo Yan. "This is yours." Then she pushed the other to Luo Jin. "And this is yours. I hope you both would like it."


    "Of course, we will," Luo Yan quickly said. "Anything that Jiao Jiao makes would definitely be amazing. Right, Ah Jin?"


    Luo Jin was no longer listening to them once he heard that his new weapon was inside the box in front of him. Despite that, he still unconsciously nodded.


    "Go ahead and open it," Yu Jiao said.


    She was actually feeling really nervous, worried if the two would like what she did. She had never felt like that when she was making weapons for others. Maybe because this time she was not making one for a customer but for a friend rather.


    When he heard what Yu Jiao said, Luo Jin hastily opened the box. He couldn¡¯t even hide the excitement radiating within him. He almost caught his breath when he saw the two guns inside.


    Both guns had a barrel much longer and thicker than ordinary handgun. One was the color of dark copper with a grip that had a much darker shade. On top of the barrel near the grip was an appendage like horn while the one at the bottom were like dragon wings. In between them was fiery red crystal. The other one had the same design. The only difference was that its color was in metallic blue and the crystal embedded on it was ice blue.


    Luo Jin held both guns. The one with the red crystal was hot to the touch while the one with the blue crystal was cold. His eyes as he looked at the guns were as bright as the sun. One could tell just by looking at him that he really liked his new weapon.


    Beside him, Luo Yan was also staring at his new weapon lying inside the wooden box. The twin daggers inside had a de as dark as the night sky. Their edges had a bit of jagged corners. Their hilt was also as dark with silver linings that seemed like scales. A few inches above the hilt, both daggers had a pure and clear crystal embedded in them. He would bet that those crystals were the core of the Eternal Lotus.


    He picked up both daggers. They were very light, he could barely even feel their weight. He then stood up and tried a shing movement. A dark afterimage could almost be seen with his every move.


    Unknowingly, a big grin had already appeared on his face. He truly liked ¨C no, he absolutely loved these twin daggers. Not only because of their design but also because of how easy they were to use.


    Seeing the obvious reaction of the two, Yu Jiao finally let go of her hanging heart. She couldn¡¯t help but secretly pump her fist. Because the two obviously liked the weapons she made.

 Chapter 329 WEAPONS UNIQUE TRAITS

    BUT Yu Jiao still needed to ask. "Ahm, do you like it?"


    As she asked that, she didn¡¯t notice that she came back to her old habit again. Clenching the hem of her shirt and began fiddling with it. This showed that she was truly nervous. As if she wouldn¡¯t be able to calm down as long as she didn¡¯t hear a verbal confirmation that the two really liked the weapons she made for them.


    "Are you kidding? I absolute love it!" said Luo Yan holding the twin daggers as if they were treasures.


    The little fox sitting on the center table stared at the daggers. [Mashter, the weapon made by this handsome brother really suits you. It¡¯s ck like Eclipse. Very pretty.]


    Luo Yan almostughed, it¡¯s like this little guy was only saying that the twin daggers were pretty because it had the same color as his fur. He sat down and just ruffled Eclipse¡¯s fluffy head. Then he carefully put back the daggers in the wooden box.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, cleared his throat and tried to calm down his excitement upon seeing his new weapon. "It¡¯s okay." Then as if he realized that what he said was a bit underwhelming and perfunctory, he added in a more serious manner, "Thank you. I will use it well."


    Yu Jiao finally smiled brightly. She didn¡¯t even notice that she already stopped fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "I¡¯m d. Then, shall I exin some details about your new weapons?"


    "Please," Luo Yan said in which Luo Jin nodded in agreement.


    "Let me begin with Luo Jin¡¯s. Three of the main materials I used were the materials that you gave me. The ice and fire alloys and the amplification stone. As you may have already noticed, I used one alloy for one gun. These types of elemental alloys could produce an elemental attribute to the weapons they were mixed in. But that all depends on the purity of the alloy itself. The alloys you gave me only have about 25% purity. So, to increase the chance of your weapon having an elemental attribute, I added a small fire and ice crystal to each gun. Now, the probability of each gun producing fire and ice when you¡¯re attacking is increased to about 40%. With the help of the amplification crystal, the strength of your weapon¡¯s attack also increased by 10%."


    Listening to Yu Jiao¡¯s long exnation about his new weapon, Luo Jin looked down at the two guns he was holding. The copper red in color with the red crystal should be the one with the fire attribute while the other one with metallic blue color and blue crystal should have an ice attribute.


    Even though the percentage of producing fire or ice with each attack was below 50%, he had noints at all. Those odds were definitely better than nothing. And in addition to the passive skill unique to his race, these guns would still be one hell of a weapon. Not to mention the additional 10% increase in the attacking power.


    Then Yu Jiao turned to Luo Yan and began exining in detail.


    "I used the Umbra metal your provided as the de of the daggers. Because of its innate connection to the shadow element, the de that was made from it would have a natural shadow attribute. It could be used for any shadow rted skills that you have or may acquire in the future. But the core I used for the two daggers was the core of the Eternal Lotus that you gave. I cut it in two and put each half to one dagger. That clear, almost transparent crystal you see at the middle was the Eternal Lotus. Because of its addition, whenever an enemy sustained damage from one of your daggers, they would automatically stop moving for three seconds."


    Luo Yan nodded in understanding. He gazed down again at the twin daggers. Because his race, the moon elves, had a natural affinity towards the shadow element, it¡¯s like this weapon was tailored made for him. Add that to the time-stopping skill added by the core of the Eternal Lotus and these twin daggers was simply the best weapon he could have at this moment.


    He raised his head and looked at Yu Jiao. "Thank you, Jiao Jiao. You¡¯re amazing!"


    He could see that Yu Jiao put a lot of thought into the design and even the use of the weapons she made for them. Knowing that she made all those efforts simply made his heart warm.


    Yu Jiao¡¯s face immediately turned red with thepliment. "I-it¡¯s nothing."


    "How much should we pay?" Luo Yan asked.


    "There¡¯s no need," Yu Jiao quickly said after she heard Luo Yan¡¯s question. "Since the materials I used were mostly from you two, you can just have them for free."


    "No. How could we do that? That¡¯s totally like we¡¯re abusing your kindness," Luo Yan immediately rejected the idea. "Just charge us like normal. Don¡¯t worry we totally won¡¯t mind."


    Even though Luo Jin didn¡¯t speak, it was obvious by the expression on his face that he also agreed to what his brother said.


    When Luo Yan saw that Yu Jiao was still hesitating, he added, "Jiao Jiao, the two of us paying you wouldn¡¯t devalue our friendship. It¡¯s only natural for people to pay money when they¡¯re buying something. That also applied between friends. Just imagine if a store owner gives all the product in his store to his friends for free, he would surely go bankrupt in no time." Then he finished in a yful tone to ease the atmosphere. "Besides, whatever price you give, the two of us could certainly afford it."


    Yu Jiao was certainlyforted by Luo Yan¡¯s words. She was truly hesitating with the idea of letting them pay for the weapons she made. Because she made them without the thought of money in mind. She just simply wanted them to like it and hoped that the weapons would be useful to them.


    Because of what Luo Yan said, she no longer insisted for them to not pay. And she just said, "T-then at least let me give you a 20% friendly discount."


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but smile when he heard that. "Okay."


    After Yu Jiao told them the price, the Luo brothers happily transferred a lot of crystal coins to her ount.

 Chapter 330 ANOTHER I SEE

    "YAN, where are you going after this?" Luo Jin asked, his new guns already hanging on his holster belt. Clearly, he was trying to show off his new weapon.


    Luo Yan looked at his brother. His expression was clearly full of ¡¯I want to try my new weapon,e, join me¡¯. But sadly, he had to disappoint him. "I¡¯ll stay here for a bit and talk to Jiao Jiao for a bit."


    Luo Jin showed a bit of disappointment look but his expression quickly cleared. "Then I¡¯ll go ahead. I¡¯ll say goodbye to Yu Jiao on my way out."


    They were still inside the lounge room while Yu Jiao just left a few minutes ago because she was called by one of her NPC employees. Saying that a customer needed to consult with her personally.


    It¡¯s best for him and Luo Jin to go separately right now because he had to meet up with Shen Ji Yunter. He already talked to him earlier about finishing the two tasks they had to put on holdst time. If Luo Jin was with him by that time, his brother would surely make a fuss. Now, he couldn¡¯t even deny Luo Jin¡¯s im that Shen Ji Yun had some kind of ¡¯ulterior motive¡¯. Because, in a way, the other really did have one.


    It¡¯s good that it was Luo Jin, himself, who suggested to leave on his own.


    "Okay," he said. "Try not to be too excited while testing your new weapon. You might identally shoot innocent yers with your overexcitement," he teased.


    Luo Jin¡¯s brows scrunched up a bit, clearly unhappy that his second brother was teasing him again. Since Luo Yan was still sitting and he was already standing up, he took that opportunity to squeeze both his brother¡¯s cheeks. "Stop with your teasing."


    After squeezing enough, Luo Jin let go of Luo Yan¡¯s cheeks and finally walked out of the lounge room. Obviously, satisfied.


    Luo Yan rubbed his reddened cheeks. That kid. Did he have to pinch his cheeks so hard? He¡¯d definitely get back at himter.


    [How envious. Eclipse also wants to pinch Mashter¡¯s cheek.] ¨C Eclipse said with an obvious envious tone. [Maybe if Eclipse could also turn into a humanoid form, Eclipse could also pinch Mashter¡¯s cheek.]


    Luo Yan reached out to the little guy sitting on the center table and proceeded on pinching both his cheeks. [Oh? So, the only reason you want to have a humanoid form is so you can pinch your master¡¯s cheek, huh?]


    [Aw, aw, aw... Mashter, Eclipse is wrong... please have mercy!] ¨C Eclipse said as if Luo Yan was torturing him.


    He let go of the fox¡¯s cheeks. Seriously, this fox could really be so overdramatic sometimes. But he was a bit surprised that Eclipse still hadn¡¯t let go of the idea of him having a humanoid form. Maybe the programmers were already nning to release an item that could turn the yer¡¯s pet into a humanoid form. That¡¯s why Eclipse had been insisting on having one.


    Wait- so, did that mean that his suggestion to Bian Que would be useless? Well, whatever. It didn¡¯t really matter if the game officially released an item like that or if Bian Que created one himself. As long as it was made, then that¡¯s all that mattered to Luo Yan.


    Then he suddenly felt that something soft touched his knees. He looked down and saw the two front paws of Eclipse resting on top of his knees. The little guy¡¯s face was looking up at him. His sapphire blue eyes were suddenly filled with water as if he would cry at any second.


    [Is Mashter angry at Eclipse?] ¨C he asked pitifully.


    This guy, using his acting skills on him again. Just who did he take this from? [Of course not. How could I be angry at Eclipse?]


    Eclipse smiled, showing his small fangs. Then he jumped to Luo Yan¡¯s arms and snuggled close to his neck. [Mashter is really the best for Eclipse!]


    He patted the little guy???s back. Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t help but imagine what this small fox would look like if he had a humanoid form. The image that popped in his head was a small boy with ck hair and peach like cheeks. He would also have a pair of fox¡¯s ears on top of his head and three fox¡¯s tails behind him. That was actually not such a bad image.


    His imagining came to a halt when he received a message notification. He opened his Status Window and went to his chat interface.


    YUN: [Yan Yan, I¡¯m already online. Where are you?]


    Luo Yan put down Eclipse on hisp before answering. When he sent a message to Shen Ji Yun via WeChat after he woke up, he told him to send him a message once he¡¯s inside the game. So, he could meet him.


    Noctis: [I¡¯m at Jiao Jiao¡¯s shop.]


    He only realized then after he send that that guy might be a turned over jar of vinegar again. He should have probably just said that they should just meet at the other¡¯s floating ind. But his fingers just typed on its own before he could even think.


    Sure enough, the reply he received was;


    YUN: [I see.]


    That ¡¯I see¡¯ again. Seriously, that phrase was starting to have anew meaning to him now. But when he thought that Shen Ji Yun would no longer send anything after that, another message was sent to him.


    YUN: [I¡¯ll meet you there.]


    It took a few seconds before his brain registered what he just read. Wait- what ¡¯I¡¯ll meet you there¡¯? Would he teleport here?


    Before that was answered, the door to the lounge room opened. Yu Jiao walked in, looking a bit haggard. The question he had just now was temporarily forgotten when he saw her like that.


    He stood up and walked to her. "Jiao Jiao, are you alright? Is everything okay?"


    Yu Jiao shook her head and smiled. "It¡¯s okay. The customer I had to meet just now was just being too demanding. It¡¯s a bit of a headache."


    "Why not just turn them away?"


    "Well, I made sure to charge him a lot to make it worth the headache."


    Luo Yan chuckled. It¡¯s definitely a joy seeing Yu Jiao being yful.


    Then, the notification bell of an iing message sounded again. He opened his Status Window again and read the message.


    YUN: [I¡¯m outside Forge Etna. Where are you?]

 Chapter 331 PINOCCHIO AND THE BLUE FAIRY

    LUO YAN quickly replied;


    Noctis: [I¡¯ll go outside to meet you.]


    He turned to Yu Jiao. "Jiao Jiao, I¡¯m sorry if I have to leave now. Brother Ji Yun is outside. We have to do some tasks together. I didn¡¯t expect that he woulde so early. I thought we still have some time to hang out for a bit."


    Eclipse happily raised his head from Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder. [Captain is here?] He looked at Luo Yan. [Mashter, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go and meet Captain!]


    Luo Yan pinched the little fox¡¯s cheek. Seeing Eclipse¡¯s shining blue eyes and wagging tails, he wondered again if he was really the master of this little guy or if it was actually Shen Ji Yun. [We¡¯ll meet him soon. Don¡¯t be too excited.]


    Brother Ji Yun? Was he talking about YUN, the captain of Yunyue? ¨C Yu Jiao thought. She almost forgot that Luo Yan was also now a member of Yunyue. Doing a task together should not be surprising.


    "It¡¯s okay. We could just hang out again together," she said. "Then I¡¯ll walk you outside."


    Though truthfully, she wasn¡¯t reallyfortable around YUN. When she attended the opening of Yuexing Pavilion and Luo Yan introduced her to the other members of Yunyue, she could feel that their captain might not like her. Due to her timid disposition, she was very sensitive to others feelings towards her. Particrly the negative ones.


    Although she couldn¡¯t feel any malicious intenting from him, she could still tell that he didn¡¯t particrly like her. She didn¡¯t want to hover around people who disliked her. But it would be rude to not even walk Luo Yan outside. Especially since she¡¯s the owner of this building, so the other was basically her guest. Not to mention that they¡¯re also friends.


    So, she decided to just suck it up. She would just not talk to YUN so he wouldn¡¯t be more irritated with her.


    "Okay," Luo Yan said.


    And the two walked out.


    The moment they did, Eclipse jumped off from Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder and trotted ahead of them.


    "Well, your pet seems really excited," Yu Jiaomented looking at the small fox running ahead.


    "He kind of have a thing for Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan only said. "He¡¯s probably attracted to his handsomeness. But who wouldn¡¯t, right?" He sighed and continued, "Seriously, it should be illegal to be that handsome. See, he couldn¡¯t even let a virtual pet off his hook."


    Yu Jiao certainly didn¡¯t know how to response to that. She wanted to say that she¡¯s not really attracted to YUN¡¯s so-called ¡¯handsomeness¡¯. He was too expressionless. Like a doll. She wasn¡¯t even sure if he was alive. If they¡¯re talking about someone handsome to the point that they would attract anyone, then Luo Ren should fit the bill more.


    She suddenly caught herself. Realizing what she thought just now, her whole face suddenly reddened. What was she doing suddenly thinking of her friend¡¯s older brother like that? She shook her head vigorously, wanting to erase that idea off from her mind.


    "I-I see," she just said as a reply to what Luo Yan said.


    Then she looked down to prevent him from seeing her blushing face. If Luo Yan were to ask him why her face suddenly turned red for no reason, she wasn¡¯t sure that she would be able to lie. What would she say? That she just thought your older brother was much more handsome than YUN? That would be mortifying. Luo Yan might even think that she was aiming for Luo Ren. Which she absolutely wouldn¡¯t do.


    When Luo Yan didn¡¯t ask more, she finally let out a sigh of relief.


    They reached the first floor of her shop and they saw the little fox running forward towards the door. The said door automatically opened and Eclipse jumped forward as if to run to the arms of someone.


    Shen Ji Yun barely managed to catch the ck fluffball that suddenly attacked him. When he recognized that it was Luo Yan¡¯s pet fox, he immediately raised his head towards the door. And there, he saw his rabbit walking towards him with a helpless smile on his face. Most probably targeted at the little fox in his arms.


    He was about to smile when he saw the tall person walking besides Luo Yan. An imperceptible frown appeared on his face. But he quickly removed that expression on his face. Then he said to himself for the nth time ¨C be more mature.


    This guy, no, girl, was Luo Yan¡¯s friend. He couldn¡¯t always be feeling antagonistic towards every person that his rabbit befriended. That¡¯s toxic and not very healthy. He took a deep breath and tried his best to return to normal.


    He knew he was only acting like this because he wasn¡¯t sure if this Yu Jiao would like Luo Yan. That unsureness was the reason why he¡¯s all riled up. After all, Luo Yan was so good and perfect, everyone would just fall for him. So, even though he decided to be the more mature one and not act like some unreasonable, he still needed to put his guard up. After all, there¡¯s no telling if this girl would turn out to be his rival.


    Yu Jiao didn¡¯t know if it was just her illusion, but it kind of felt like YUN was looking at her like they were in somepetition or something and she was his opponent. Just thinking of that was already giving her goosebumps. The bad kind. Just what did she do to offend this male god?


    "Brother Ji Yun, sorry if Eclipse jumped on you so suddenly," Luo Yan said once they were near Shen Ji Yun, looking at the fox who was happily snuggling in the other¡¯s arms. "This little guy just seems to like you so much. In fact, I think he likes you more than me."


    The corners of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips slightly curved. "No, how could he like me more than you? If anyone were to choose between the two of us, they would surely choose you."


    Yu Jiao was really surprised seeing the interaction of the two. Because the phrase that she thought of earlier about YUN being an ¡¯expressionless doll¡¯ suddenly could no longer described him at this moment. Although there wasn¡¯t still that much expression on his face, his eyes right now were drowning with gentleness as he looked at Luo Yan. She could even see a small smile on his lips full of pampering.


    It¡¯s like he¡¯s Pinhio and Luo Yan was the blue fairy who gave him life.


    Somehow, that analogy seemed to be very fitting for the two.


    Luo Yan turned to Yu Jiao. "Jiao Jiao, we¡¯ll go now. Thank you again for the amazing weapons you made for me and Ah Jin."


    Yu Jiao shook her head. "There¡¯s no need for thanks. I¡¯m very happy to make them for the two of you."


    Luo Yan smiled brightly. "I¡¯ll message youter on WeChat."


    Yu Jiao also smiled. "Okay."


    Luo Yan waved her goodbye and turned back. When she looked at YUN, she was slightly startled when their gazes collided. Then, surprisingly, the other nodded at her before following Luo Yan.


    Looking at the backs of the two, a sudden thought came to Yu Jiao¡¯s mind. Was the reason why YUN was treating her like some kind of petitor¡¯ because of Luo Yan? Even if there was no confirmation, she already believed that the possibility of that was 70%.


    Then, could it be...?


    Yu Jiao shook her head. That thought just now was very dangerous. She¡¯s probably was just thinking too much. Yes, that must be it. Definitely.


    Or was it?

 Chapter 332 I LOVE BEING WITH...

    THE two started walking on the street of Alryne City. As usual, many gazes followed after them. Naturally bing the center of attention without even trying. Luo Yan nced secretly at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s side profile. He was as expressionless as ever. But because of the addition of Eclipse in his arms, his usual cold atmosphere was negated by about half.


    Now that they were alone, Luo Yan actually felt a bit awkward. He was not sure how he should act around Shen Ji Yun. It¡¯s fine when they were just messaging each other on WeChat since they couldn¡¯t see each other directly. But, here in the game, it almost felt like they were interacting for real. The only difference was the slight change in their real appearance.


    He once againmented on why he suddenly realized his own feelings. He didn¡¯t think too much about it for the past three days since his ¡¯magical realization¡¯. But now that they were walking side by side like this, he was experiencing the full impact of that realization.


    Suddenly, he had no idea how he should act in front of Shen Ji Yun. Like a kid nervously fretting on his first day of school. He seriously didn¡¯t want to be all awkward around him. Almost three months since they met each other and all of a sudden he would start acting so weird. Shen Ji Yun would definitely notice that something was wrong. But what could he do? Even now, as they walked together in this virtual world, he could hear his own heart thumping uncontrobly.


    At this point, he wasn¡¯t really enjoying this feeling.


    He wasn¡¯t yet ready for this. And yet, it seemed like this annoying heart of his was forcefully making a decision for him. He didn¡¯t like it. Not one bit.


    He let out a frustrated sigh. But could he really me his stupid heart? He nced once again at Shen Ji Yun. Just look at that perfect face, how could anyone resist that? One look at him and anyone would be falling one step into a deep valley. Yes, he could be cold, expressionless, and totally unresponsive. But those things were also part of what made him so charming. Then he also had that innocent and warm side that¡¯s totally the opposite of the image he¡¯s projecting. Just who could resist that?


    And this big cinnamon roll was totally oblivious to his current suffering.


    Once again, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a frustrated sigh.


    "Yan Yan?" called Shen Ji Yun, noticing that that was already the second time that Luo Yan let out a long sigh as if he was frustrated or irritated or something. "Is something the matter?"


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun whose worry was obvious on his face. And he just wanted to sigh again. But he resisted and did his best to act normal. Well, as normal as he could under this circ.u.mstance.


    He smiled. "I¡¯m fine. Just thinking of something."


    Eclipse raised his head from Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms. Then he jumped off andnded perfectly on Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder. [Mashter, are you really alright?]


    Luo Yan nced sideways at his pet fox. [Now you¡¯re worried for me? Weren¡¯t you just enjoying your time in the arms of your favorite captain?]


    Eclipse suddenly hugged his neck. [Mashter, Eclipse just enjoy seeing Captain again. You¡¯re still Eclipse¡¯s number one.]


    [Yeah, yeah.] ¨C He just said before this little guy started fake crying again.


    But because of that short conversation, his beating heart finally calmed down. He felt like he could interact normally now with Shen Ji Yun. He ruffled Eclipse¡¯s fluffy head. All thanks to this guy breaking the invisible ice.


    "Did something happen when you registered earlier for the Rookie Carnival?" Shen Ji Yun asked, clearly still worried.


    "No, everything went well," Luo Yan answered. "I¡¯m really fine, Brother Ji Yun."


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan. He seemed to be really alright. At least, right now. But he was certain that that wasn¡¯t the case earlier. Then a possible reason for the other¡¯s attitude entered his mind. Perhaps Luo Yan didn¡¯t want to do the tasks with him today. Maybe he didn¡¯t want to spend time with him. He didn¡¯t want to ask. Because what if it was true? His heart would seriously receive a huge blow.


    But he knew that he still had to. If Luo Yan was ufortable being with him right now, then it¡¯s only right to give him space. Even if he really didn¡¯t want to.


    "Yan Yan, do you perhaps, well, ahm, not want to be with me right now?"


    Luo Yan was startled by the question. He turned to Shen Ji Yun and visibly felt the depressed atmosphere around him. If the other was a puppy, he could probably see his ears and tails drooping right now. But what made him ask that question?


    Wait- could it be possible that he was being so obvious earlier? No, he didn¡¯t do anything that would result conclusion. Wait- he did do something, he sighed twice. But that¡¯s all he did! Could Shen Ji Yun perceive so much from such small actions? Well, maybe he could. Only if it had something to do with Luo Yan.


    He felt an unprecedented warmth when he thought of that possibility. He really should get his act together. He couldn¡¯t let Shen Ji Yun worry about him at every turn. Especially since he knew that there¡¯s just no way that he could avoid the other. Not that he ever wanted to or anything. Despite the annoyances brought by his ¡¯realization¡¯, he would hate it even more if he stopped his interaction with Shen Ji Yun.


    Luo Yan took a deep breath and hugged the other¡¯s arm. Then he raised his head towards him and smiled. He probably didn¡¯t even notice how beautiful and sweet his smile was.


    "How could that be possible?" he said, pertaining to the other¡¯s question. "I love being with Brother Ji Yun."


    And just like that, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s whole face turned bright red.

 Chapter 333 SHEN JI YUNS MINI-THEATER

    SHEN JI YUN felt like his heart would burst. He could feel Luo Yan¡¯s hand on his arm, his warmth seemed to travel from there straight to his heart. And his whole body just froze. He didn¡¯t know how to react or where to put his hands and feet. Then when Luo Yan said ¡¯I love being with Brother Ji Yun¡¯, all his brain cells just stopped working.


    Love... his rabbit said ¡¯love¡¯! Although he was not directly saying that he loved him, hearing that word from his mouth was enough to drive him insane. Because of that, his brain had started to make up some kind of scenario.


    [-Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mini-theater inside his mind-]


    A boy with soft ck hair stood in front of him and raised his head. His big, ck peach blossom eyes stared up at him. He reached out to him and held the hem of his shirt. Then he said in a very sweet voice, "Brother Ji Yun, I love you."


    He held Luo Yan¡¯s thin waist and pulled him into his arms. Then he put his hand gently on his cheek, feeling the velvety softness of it. "I love you. So much so that I could no longer imagine a life without you in it."


    He stared at those slightly opened pinkish lips. His thumb gently brushed on it. The urge to put his lips on top of his was overwhelming. And so, he no longer stopped himself and slowly leaned forward, closing the distance between them.


    But when he thought that he could finally taste the sweetness of Luo Yan¡¯s lips, a familiar voice suddenly called out to him.


    [-End-]


    "Brother Ji Yun!"


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly awoken from his daydreaming. He nced down at Luo Yan who was still hugging his arm. Then his gaze focused on the other¡¯s pinkish lips. And he felt his whole face burning. In shame or embarrassment, he wasn¡¯t sure. He just wanted to facepalm and burry himself in a hole.


    What the hell was that? Did he really just have a dream in the middle of the day while casually strolling inside a virtual world? And it was that kind of dream to boot! Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with his brain? Just a simple hug in the arm and a little phrase could make him produce that kind of scenario. Was his brain really starting to be filled with nothing but yellow materials? If Luo Yan found out about this, he would probably be as far away from him as possible. Who would want to be with someone with such a strange brain?


    Luo Yan stared at the constantly changing expression on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. From embarrassment to shame to frustration to worry and back to embarrassment again. This was probably the first time he had seen such a rich collection of expression on his face. He wondered what¡¯s going on in that brain of his for him to show so many expressions in such a short time?


    [Maybe Captain is imagining something about you, Mashter. That¡¯s why his face turned so red.] ¨C Eclipse said, giving his usualmentary.


    Thinking about him?


    He nced down at his hand holding Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arm. Could it be rted to this? Because they were standing so close together and he was touching him, he started thinking of some not so PG-13 things? But he quickly rejected that idea. How could this innocent cinnamon roll have those kinds of thoughts?


    But Luo Yan still let go of the other¡¯s arm, just in case his embarrassment never disappeared and he wasn¡¯t able to talk to him properly. "Are you okay, Brother Ji Yun? You just suddenly zoned out for a bit."


    Shen Ji Yun felt disappointed with the lost of the warm touch on his arm. But he quickly repressed all his thoughts rted to Luo Yan and tried his best to return to normal. He didn¡¯t want for his rabbit to notice that there was something wrong with him.


    [Aw, Mashter, look at the disappointment on Captain¡¯s face. He clearly didn¡¯t want you to let go.]


    Luo Yan nced sideways at the little fox on his shoulder. His eyes clearly telling, ¡¯if you continue saying nonsense, I¡¯ll turn you into a squished fluff ball¡¯. Eclipse immediately closed his mouth, even making a zipper like gesture on it. As if saying he would shut up now. He nodded in satisfaction and turned his attention back again to Shen Ji Yun.


    "I¡¯m okay. Just thinking where we should go first."


    Shen Ji Yun said it so naturally that Luo Yan knew that he was back to his normal self. Although he liked seeing Shen Ji Yun with different kinds of emotions on his face, especially since he was the one who drew those emotions from him, this was hardly the time for that. They still had two tasks they needed to finish. And because his family would go to a vacation on Thursday, they only had until tomorrow to finish that.


    "Where do you think we should go first?" he asked.


    "I think we should go first to the headquarters of the Crimson Corps," Shen Ji Yun answered referring to the mercenary group which Finnea¡¯s father was a member of. They also suspected that she was part of that group.


    Luo Yan nodded. "I think so too. Since we don¡¯t know exactly in which part of Tropical Land that Lorhis is working, it¡¯s better to go first to the ce that we know the location of." In this case, the headquarters of the Crimson Corps.


    But that was not exactly the reason why Shen Ji Yun picked the headquarters of the Crimson Corps first. He wanted to go to Tropical Land muchter. That way, they could finally catch the evening fireworks. If they were riding the Ferris wheel at that moment, wouldn¡¯t it be much more romantic?


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t exactly tell that to Luo Yan. So, he just said, "Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll lead the way."


    And they walked towards the direction of the headquarters of Crimson Corps.

 Chapter 334 CRIMSON CORPS

    AT the distance, the two could already see the headquarters of the Crimson Corps. It¡¯s located at the very edge of the west part of the city. They actually had to walk quite a long distance to get here. Because it was quite far from where they were initially. Due to that, Luo Yan realized just how big the city really was. It¡¯s probably the biggest one out of the four.


    They could probably rent horses to ride on, but Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t even suggest that. Luo Yan bet this cinnamon roll just wanted to spend more time with him that¡¯s why he¡¯d rather the two of them walked. Good thing this was the virtual world or else he would probably be panting by now.


    "Do yers actually use mercenary groups?" he just thought of asking.


    "No, the in-game mercenary groups are just simply part of the narrative of the game. It¡¯s just like a furniture. Sometimes, it¡¯s just there for decoration. But other times, they could be used too. In this case, for yers¡¯ tasks and stuffs. Just like now," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    That was actually quite a good analogy, Luo Yan thought. "You mentioned ¡¯in-game mercenary groups¡¯, does that mean yers could also make their own mercenary group?"


    "Yes. Some yers tried. But only one group seeded. They¡¯re called Stonebane. yers mostly hired them to get materials that they couldn¡¯t get by themselves. Some even hire them to go dungeon raiding with them. Of course, all of that for a heftymission. So, most of the yers who hire them are those rich yers who don¡¯t really have great gaming skills and just want to use a shortcut to get stronger."


    No wonder Luo Yan didn¡¯t know about them. Because he had never thought of hiring others to get things that he needed here in the game. But that must have been a very lofty business. Considering how there¡¯s a lot of rich yers here.


    "By the way, is it really okay not to bring Dusk with us?" he suddenly asked, changing the subject.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s forehead showed a bit of crease when Luo Yan mentioned the dragon. "It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re just looking for information anyway. It wouldn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s here or not."


    Besides, why would he add another lightbulb with them? Eclipse was already enough. At least the little fox was well-behaved and very cute. Unlike that taciturn dragon.


    [Captain is right. There¡¯s no need to bring that lizard.] ¨C Eclipse seconded.


    Luo Yan just shook his head helplessly. It seemed that these two really didn¡¯t like the ck dragon. Poor Dusk. But he didn¡¯t insist and just continued walking with Shen Ji Yun.


    They stopped in front of a four-story building. A sign in red saying ¡¯Crimson Corps¡¯ was hanging at the front. They entered inside. There weren¡¯t any yers inside, instead, all they could see were NPCs. They walked towards what seemed to be a reception desk.


    "How may I help you?" the female NPC behind the desk asked with a hospitable smile on her face.


    "Good day. Is it possible to talk to your leader?" Luo Yan asked very amiably.


    "May I ask if you have an appointment?"


    Appointment? Really? Luo Yan was still amazed by how these NPCs could be so in-character sometimes. "No, we don¡¯t have one. But we really have to talk to him about a pressing matter."


    "I¡¯m sorry but you can¡¯t talk to our leader without an appointment," the NPC insisted again.


    "Then could you just please tell him that we¡¯re here because we were sent by the husband of Finnea," Luo Yan said still with a smile on his face. Then he removed the hood he was wearing, revealing his long white hair and pointed ears. "You can also add that the one asking to meet him is a moon elf."


    He noticed a slight ripple in the eyes of the NPC when he said the name ¡¯Finnea¡¯ and when he revealed that he¡¯s a moon elf. That could only mean that the members of this mercenary group were quite familiar with Finnea.


    "Please, wait a while," the NPC finally relented.


    She walked back towards what seemed to be a telephone and dialed a number. "Leader, there¡¯s a moon elf here asking to meet you... yes, he was talking about Finnea... okay... I understand. I¡¯ll ask someone to lead them to your office."


    Then she hung up the phone and walked back towards the desk.


    "The Leader is willing to meet with you," she said. "Please, wait awhile while I ask someone to lead you to his office."


    Then she walked to the side and called another NPC. The male NPC she called then led them to the stairs. It seemed that this ce didn¡¯t have an elevator. They continued to walk until they reached the fourth floor. The NPC led them towards the room at the very end of the corridor.


    He knocked on the door. "Leader, the guests are here!"


    "Let theme in," a gruff voice said inside.


    The male NPC opened the door and gestured for Luo Yan and the others to go in. After they walked inside, the NPC respectfully closed the door.


    What Luo Yan first saw was a messy office. There were piles of paper inside, piled one after another and some were even thrown on the floor. There were shelves full of books. And the whole room were filled with smoke. It almost looked like there was a fog inside the room.


    The source of the smoke was the big man sitting behind the desk. He had shaggy brown hair and a pair of small sses sitting atop hisrge nose. His whole face was also covered with a thick brown beard. He was biting on a ck pipa where all the smoke wasing from. He looked like Santa, if Santa had brown hair and beard and looked like he hadn¡¯t had a bath for a month.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but cough. Even though this was a virtual world, the feeling of inhaling smoke was quite real. And he didn¡¯t like it. He never did.


    To his surprise, Shen Ji Yun suddenly stood in front of him. He took his sword from its scabbard and waved it down. It produced a strong gust of wind thatpletely parted all the smoke inside the room. Not letting it touched Luo Yan. Then he said in a cold voice to the leader of Crimson Corps;


    "Extinguish that smoke or I¡¯ll do it for you."

 Chapter 335 A TALK WITH THE LEADER

    "OH? And may I ask how would you do that?" the brown-haired ¡¯Santa¡¯ asked with interest.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t want to quibble with this NPC and was just nning to directly cut the pipa he was smoking when he felt the back of his cloak being tugged gently. Before he could look back, he already heard Luo Yan¡¯s voice whispering in his ear.


    "Brother Ji Yun, is it really okay to antagonize him? What if he refused to tell us what we wanted to know because finds us annoying?"


    Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t answer immediately because all his mind could focus on was the itchy feeling of Luo Yan¡¯s breath on his ear. Even the powerful momentum he just showed slowly subsided. He felt like it¡¯s not just his ear being tickled but his heart as well.


    Seeing Shen Ji Yun not saying anything and lowering his sword, Luo Yan thought that he agreed on what he just said. He finally breathed a sigh of relief thinking that that was the case. Although he knew that the other was just doing that because he coughed and showed his dislike towards the cloud of smoke around them, he couldn¡¯t let him fight with an NPC that could be a possible source of information from them.


    He did feel moved because of his action though. It seemed almost automatic. As if his body just moved on its own after seeing him looked so ufortable. Knowing Shen Ji Yun, he wouldn¡¯t even be surprised to find out that that was really the case. And that made the whole thing even more moving.


    It made him want to smile like a fool. But he caught himself before he could do that. Smiling for no reason in this situation would really make him looked like a fool. So, he just used his acting skills towards the leader of the Crimson Corps.


    "I¡¯m sorry, mypanion didn¡¯t mean to be rude. He¡¯s just worried about me because I don¡¯t like the smell of smoke. So, could the Leader please put out the smoke in your pipa?" he asked from behind Shen Ji Yun, looking at the leader of Crimson Corps with big watery blue eyes. As if he would cry if he refused.


    It¡¯s probably useless to act like this in front of an NPC, but considering how rich the emotions of some of the NPCs here were, maybe this NPC would be affected by his ¡¯pitiful act¡¯.


    Well, there was certainly someone who¡¯s affected.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan. He now looked like a pitiful rabbit who would shed tears at any second. The urge to enclose him in his embrace andfort him was so strong that he had to clench his fist tightly and feel the pain of his nails sinking on his palm just so he could calm down. He took a deep breath and just put back his sword on its scabbard.


    When he nced back at Luo Yan again, he was still looking pitifully at the leader of the Crimson Corps. But if one looked closely, they would see that he was not really scared, not even a bit worried. Of course, once he was able to calm down, Shen Ji Yun also saw that. And then he realized that his rabbit was not exactly a rabbit right now but a fox instead.


    So, the urge to hug him just turned into an urge to pinch those blushing cheeks of his. This naughty fox.


    "Of course, how could I refuse a request from a moon elf?" said the leader, putting of the smoke from his pipa. He even stood up and opened the windows of the office to let out the smoke.


    [Wow, Mashter, you¡¯re amazing! This brown bear really did what you asked him. Eclipse should really learn more from Mashter.] ¨C Eclipsemented, looking at him with eyes full of admiration.


    Luo Yan wanted to say, ¡¯nope, you don¡¯t have to learn from me at all¡¯. But he had a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t really matter even if he did. Because this virtual pet of his, who¡¯s a lot smarter than any other real pet out there and probably even some real person, would just do what he wanted.


    Once the smoke inside the room subsided, the leader asked them to sit. Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun both sat on the seats in front of the desk with Eclipse sitting on Luo Yan¡¯sp.


    "I apologize for the state of my office. I just work better with all this chaos," the leader said with an apologetic tone.


    "It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re the ones who should apologize foring here unannounced," Luo Yan returned back.


    "So, I heard you¡¯re here because of Finnea?" the leader then said, his expression bing more serious.


    Luo Yan nodded. "Her husband asked me to find the reason behind her death and the events that led up to it."


    "And why do you think ofing here for that?"


    "We know that Finnea¡¯s father was once a member of your mercenary group. And we have reason to believe that Finnea also became one. And the reason she contracted that curse was because she was out on a mission for your group," Luo Yan said. "Of course, these were all mere spections. But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to learn of the Leader¡¯s opinion about it."


    The leader of the Crimson Corps looked at them, particrly at Luo Yan, very seriously. It¡¯s as if he was contemting about something. "I want to know first what led you to that conclusion."


    "She always went out of the vige in the guise of meeting a friend. On the days before she contracted that curse, she said to her husband that she would be meeting a friend of hers. When she returned, she was already cursed and closed to dying," Luo Yan exined. "We suspected that this ¡¯friend¡¯ she was talking about is a member of Crimson Corps. Because how else would she return that way if she was simply meeting a ¡¯friend¡¯? They probably undertook some kind of dangerous mission that put her in that condition. If we¡¯re wrong, the Leader is free to contradict me."


    The leader only let out a long sigh after he heard that. "Yes, Finnea was indeed a member of Crimson Corps. After she got married, she sometimes took missions to earn money for her new family," he said, confirming their guess. "But the mission that took away her life, I have no knowledge about it."


    Luo Yan stared at the leader. He knew this one was just an NPC. If he was not telling them anything important, then that meant that they were not saying the right key words to trigger it.


    "Tower of Edia. That¡¯s what she wrote on a piece of paper before she left the moon elves¡¯ vige."


    After he said that, obvious ripples appeared on the leader¡¯s eyes. And he knew he just hit the jackpot.


    The leader removed his sses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you certain of that?"


    "Yes," Luo Yan said without hesitation.


    The leader sighed once again before putting his sses back on and looking at his guests. "There might be someone who probably knew what happened to Finnea. But she¡¯s not here right now. If you¡¯re willing to wait for her, then I could call her back."


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun and the other also looked at him. They nodded to each other. And Luo Yan said to the leader;


    "We¡¯re willing."

 Chapter 336 SHEN JI YUNS WANDERING THOUGHTS

    WHILE waiting for this ¡¯someone¡¯ who had the information about what happened to Finnea back then, the leader¡¯s secretary temporary put them in a lounge room to make them feel morefortable. Well, sitting inside a messy room would not really make anyone feel at ease.


    "I hope we could finish these two tasks by tomorrow," Luo Yan said, a bit worried.


    Of course, his worry didn¡¯t get pass Shen Ji Yun. "Is something the matter?"


    "Well, since it¡¯s a seven-week holiday, my father decided that our family should go on vacation. We¡¯ll leave on Thursday and return on Saturday. So, I only have today and tomorrow to finish our tasks."


    A vacation? It¡¯s indeed normal for families to go on vacation during this week-long holiday. Shen Ji Yun never really thought of that. Since for him, ever since his father died, holidays were just like any other days. His uncle did try hard to give him a ¡¯normal¡¯ family despite everything that happened. But at the same time, he was also very busy with Moonlight Media. The time his uncle became his guardian was the period when thepany was the busiest. With the VR project and all that stuff. So, the two of them never went to a vacation during his childhood phase.


    Now that his uncle could be leisurely, Shen Ji Yun was already at the age when he no longer cared about things like vacation and stuffs that were simr. But hearing the word ¡¯vacation¡¯ from Luo Yan, he suddenly thought that it would be good if he could also go on vacation with him.


    With that line of thinking, an idea suddenly formed his mind.


    "Where are you and your family going?" he asked, trying his best to sound nonchnt. As if he¡¯s really not that interested in the answer.


    "In Chengdu. We¡¯ll go and see pandas," Luo Yan said, smiling at him.


    Shen Ji Yun was suddenly hit by this sweet smile. Added that to him just imagining Luo Yan with a big, fluffy panda and it just became a critical hit to his heart. He definitely, definitely must see that ¨C he thought, pumping the little fist in his heart.


    [Mashter, you¡¯re going on vacation? Could Eclipse go too?] ¨C Eclipse suddenly asked.


    Luo Yan stroked Eclipse¡¯s head gently. He felt a bit distressed. Because he couldn¡¯t really tell Eclipse that he couldn¡¯t go with them since he¡¯s a virtual pet and could only exist in this world. He knew that there¡¯s no reason to be so thoughtful about the little fox¡¯s feelings since he¡¯s basically just an AI. But Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help himself. It hadn¡¯t even been a month since Eclipse¡¯s hatched from his egg, but he really considered him as special. Not just as a pet but also as a friend. So, he didn¡¯t want him to be hurt.


    [You can¡¯t go this time. But don¡¯t worry, you and me will go somewhere even more beautiful. I¡¯ll even buy you your favorite Mana fruit and you can eat as many as you want.]


    As expected, after the mention of Mana fruit, Eclipse had no time being sad because he immediately became excited. [Really, Mashter? You can¡¯t fool Eclipse.]


    [Of course, why would I do that?]


    Eclipse showed a toothy grin and hugged Luo Yan¡¯s arm. [Mashter is really the best for Eclipse.]


    After almost half an hour, the secretary returned. But this time she was not alone, she had a female NPC with her. It was a human NPC with a very obvious reluctant expression on her face. It seemed that she didn¡¯t want to talk to them but only came because of the leader of the Crimson Corps. That brown-haired ¡¯Santa¡¯ probably even ordered her to talk to them.


    "The leader said that you three can talk here. Don¡¯t worry, no one will disturb you while you¡¯re having conversation," the secretary said before leaving and politely closing the door.


    The female NPC sat in front of them. No longer hiding the dissatisfaction on her face.


    "Hello, may I ask what your name is?" Luo Yan asked in a friendly manner.


    The NPC snorted. "Stop with the senseless talk and just tell me what you needed me for."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t know if it was just his imagination but the female NPC seemed to refuse looking in his direction. As if seeing his face would remind her of something. Was it because he¡¯s a moon elf like Finnea?


    "Then I will do as you wish. We came here at the request of Finnea¡¯s husband." Luo Yan saw her visibly flinched at the mention of Finnea. "He wanted to know all the details that led up to her wife¡¯s death."


    "I don¡¯t know anything," she said in an almost automatic manner. As if she was asked this question a thousand of times already and this was the only answer she could give.


    "We know that you¡¯re the one who¡¯s with her with it happened. So, it¡¯s impossible that you ¡¯don¡¯t know anything¡¯ as you say," Luo Yan said. "She was your friend, wasn¡¯t she? Is it really alright for you to not give her family the closure that they so badly needed?"


    He almost rolled his eyes inwardly. Seriously, why did he have to say all these cheesy lines as if he was in some sort of drama? But he knew that if he couldn¡¯t say the right ¡¯keywords¡¯ then this NPC wouldn¡¯t tell them what they needed.


    He secretly nced at Shen Ji Yun who looked like he was in deep thought. He knew he couldn¡¯t rely on this guy when it came to matters like this one. Because he¡¯d probably just threaten the NPC and be done with it.


    He put back his attention on the female NPC. She was now shaking. Luo Yan felt like he¡¯s close. He just needed to push her a bit more.


    "Do you know why her husband asked us this request? Because of their son, Filli. A while back, he went to a dangerous part of the Crescent Woonds ¨C a forest surrounding our vige. Because he wanted to train himself. He wanted to be strong. To go out of the vige as soon as he could. So that he could avenge what happened to his mother." He paused and stared at the NPC whose body shook even stronger. "He almost died doing so. But I managed to save him."


    The female NPC bit her lower lip and hugged herself as if she could get somefort from that.


    But Luo Yan didn¡¯t give her a chance and continued, "If he continued to be ignorant about what happened to his mother, he would continue to put himself on danger like that. Maybe next time, he wouldn¡¯t be so lucky. No one woulde to his rescue and then he would really fall to his dea¡ª"


    "Stop!" shouted the NPC before he could finish what he was saying. "Please, stop."


    "I was just telling you of a possibility. So, I hope you could cooperate with us," Luo Yan said. "Not for us, but for Finnea¡¯s son. Your friend¡¯s child."


    The female NPC suddenly burst out crying.


    Shen Ji Yun sitting on the side didn¡¯t care about the NPC. Because in his mind right now, all he could think of was how to convince his uncle to go on a vacation with him to Chengdu.

 Chapter 337 Q&A

    LUO YAN stared at the female NPC crying like the whole world had wronged her. He was expecting that she would finallye clean to them, but she just continued to shake her head. He was truly expecting that after that much stimtion, this NPC would definitely start talking and tell them everything they needed to know. But it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case.


    Or perhaps, there was something stopping her from telling them everything.


    So, to confirm that, Luo Yan asked, "Is it possible that there¡¯s something preventing you from talking about what happened to Finnea?"


    The female NPC was startled but slowly nodded.


    As expected, Luo Yan¡¯s guess was correct. If she could nod as an answer to a question rted to Finnea, that meant that even though she couldn¡¯t talk about what happened to her, she could still answer this way. And that was more than enough.


    "Then I will be asking you questions possibly rted to what happened to Finnea. You only have to nod or shake your head."


    The NPC was obviously surprised by his suggestion. But through her sobs and tears, she still nodded.


    "Okay. But first, can you tell me your name?" Luo Yan asked.


    It¡¯s probably not that important but he believed that he could establish rapport with her that way. Thus, making it easier for her to answer all his questions honestly.


    The NPC seemed to hesitate, but at the end, she still said, "A-Alicia. Alicia is my name."


    Luo Yan nodded. "Good. Now, Alicia, did you ask Finnea to go on a mission with you which led to her being cursed?"


    Unexpectedly, Alicia shook her head.


    Luo Yan stared at her. She was still crying but she was no longer bawling her eyes out unlike earlier. He was wondering if she¡¯s lying. Because he really thought she was the one who asked Finnea to do that mission with her. But logically speaking, someone so distraught as her over the mention of the possible danger that the son of a dead friend could encounter if she didn¡¯t talk wouldn¡¯t really lie at this critical moment. So, he decided to work on the assumption that she was telling the truth.


    "Then the one who asked for Finnea¡¯s help, were they also a member of Crimson Corps?"


    Alicia nodded.


    "Are they a man?"


    There was aplicated look on Alicia¡¯s face, as if she was not sure how to answer that. Luo Yan thought of why she would be showing that expression. Then he quickly understood that this person was probably of different race. If she nodded to that question, he might misunderstand it and think that she was referring to a human male. Which could only mean that this person was an important key to what happened back then.


    "Are they a male from another race?" he asked again.


    This time, Alicia nodded profusely.


    There were a bunch of races here in Arcadia. So, he could only start with the three most basic aside from the human race. "Is he a beastkin?"


    Alicia shook her head.


    "An elf?"


    This time, she nodded. Well, that was easy enough.


    "Is he still a member of Crimson Corps?"


    Alicia shook her head once again.


    "Did he leave the Corps soon after what happened to Finnea?"


    A nod.


    Luo Yan fell into a deep thought, carefully analyzing things. A male elf who was a former member of Crimson Corps. He was the one who asked Finnea to join him for this mission and then left soon after what happened. Considering that Alicia couldn¡¯t directly talk about him, it was clear that he was the one who made that possible.


    But just to be sure, he still asked, "Did he put some spell on you that¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t talk about what happened back then?"


    Alicia nodded quite enthusiastically with anger in her eyes. Showing just how much she wanted to tell someone about this but really couldn¡¯t. This spell probably restricted Alicia from talking about it or even writing about it. Or more urately speaking, he prevented her from ever talking or writing about him and the matters that led to Finnea being cursed. There¡¯s a huge possibility that Finnea¡¯s curse was directly rted to him.


    "Did he also ask you to join this mission, just like with Finnea?"


    Alicia shook her head.


    "Then, Finnea was the one who asked you?"


    She shook her head again.


    "You volunteered on your own?"


    Finally, she nodded.


    "Did you volunteer because you had a feeling that Finnea would be in danger if she went alone with that elf?"


    Alicia nodded quite enthusiastically again. It seemed that she does that whenever she had a strong emotional respond towards a question. He thought, was this elf held a grudge or just simply antagonistic towards Finnea for Alicia to react that way? But he immediately rejected that idea. If he was either of those, then Finnea wouldn¡¯t have agreed to go on a mission with her. So, there¡¯s only one possibility left.


    "Did this elf have romantic feelings for Finnea?"


    Alicia gave him one of her enthusiastic nods.


    "And you were worried that he might do something unspeakable to Finnea once they were alone," Luo Yan said more of a statement rather than a question, but Alicia still nodded. "Did Finnea know of his feelings for her?"


    Alicia shook her head.


    She didn¡¯t? "Did others beside you know?"


    Alicia nodded. So, basically, it¡¯s because Finnea was apparently the type who¡¯s oblivious when it came to romantic feelings of others towards her.


    "Was the mission the three of you did rted to the Tower of Edia?"


    What answered him was another enthusiastic nod.


    "Did you go inside the Tower?" Another nod. "Was Finnea cursed there?"


    Alicia nodded again.


    "Was the one who cursed Finnea a person from the Tower?"


    Alicia showed aplicated expression, as if she didn¡¯t know how to answer that.


    "Do you not know who cursed her?"


    A pained and guilty expression crossed her face. She shook her head, her every gesture exuding sadness and anger. A sign that she was angry at herself for not even knowing who cursed her friend. There¡¯s a possibility that in her mind, it was the elf who did it. But because she didn¡¯t have any proof, she couldn¡¯t just tell Luo Yan that the elf was the culprit. Which meant that she probably didn¡¯t witness Finnea being cursed.


    Finnea was cursed inside the Tower of Edia and the elf was most probably rted to that. That¡¯s probably the extent of the information he could get from her.


    To know more, they needed to find that elf.

 Chapter 338 THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE MALE ELF

    "Okay, this would be myst question. Can you 100% assure me that this elf will know all the details regarding what happened to Finnea?" Luo Yan asked Alicia seriously.


    Alicia didn¡¯t hesitate to give him one of her very enthusiastic nods. But after that, a sh of hesitation appeared on her face. As if she wanted to say something but wasn¡¯t sure if she could.


    "If you don¡¯t directly mention the elf or say anything rted to what happened to Finnea, I think you could freely speak," Luo Yan said, encouraging her with a gentle smile.


    "Is- is it really enough?" she finally asked.


    "Of course. In fact, it¡¯s more than enough." Luo Yan stood up and offered his hand to Alicia. "Thank you, for your cooperation. What you did today would definitely help Finnea¡¯s family have that much needed closure."


    Alicia tremblingly reached out to his hand and then proceeded on bursting into tears once again. "T-thank you."


    "We¡¯ll be leaving now. But please do stay in this room for a while until you calm down," Luo Yan said, taking back his hand. "Do you want me to ask someone to bring you tea?"


    "N-no, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be fine here."


    Luo Yan smiled and turned to the little fox and the big Qilin sitting on the opposite couch. He gestured his head towards the door, telling them that they should leave. Eclipse didn¡¯t hesitate to jump into his arms and Shen Ji Yun also stood up. The three walked out of the lounge room.


    [Mashter, that was amazing! You took a lot of information from her without her even speaking!] ¨C Eclipse said excitedly, his big sapphire blue eyes looking at him full of admiration.


    [Yeah, sometimes I even wonder how I could be so amazing.] ¨C Luo Yan said without even a hint of humbleness.


    Eclipse suddenly went silent and just stared at his master. [Eclipse suddenly felt that he shouldn¡¯t praise Mashter too much.]


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. [Oh? And what is that?]


    [Because Eclipse is afraid that Mashter¡¯s head would get bigger and bigger. A Mashter with a big head is not attractive.]


    Luo Yan chuckled and flicked the little guy¡¯s forehead. [Smartass.]


    Then he turned to Shen Ji Yun who had been quiet until now. He seriously looked like he didn¡¯t even listen to the conversation between him and Alicia. He wondered what was going through his head since earlier. Anyway, he better snapped out of it because they still had a lot of things to do.


    "Brother Ji Yun, I think we should talk to the Leader again. Currently, he¡¯s the best source of information we have regarding that male elf," he said.


    A male elf who left Crimson Corps right after what happened to Finnea and who¡¯s also most probably a Mage ¨C surely there wouldn¡¯t be that much who fit that description.


    Although Shen Ji Yun looked like he wasn¡¯t paying attention earlier, well, he probably really wasn¡¯t, the things Luo Yan and that NPC discussed still entered his mind. He was good at multi-tasking that way. So, he nodded at Luo Yan¡¯s suggestion. And then, he thought of saying;


    "Yan Yan, I¡¯ll do my best so we could finish the two tasks by tomorrow."


    Luo Yan stopped then raised his head to look at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s handsome face. Seeing the other being so serious, he suddenly had an urge to tease him.


    "Then maybe next time Brother Ji Yun should help me in interviewing the NPCs," he said with a yful smile. "Who knows, maybe you¡¯ll do better than me."


    Realizing what Luo Yan meant by what he said, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face quickly heated up. Turning his whole face into a ripe red tomato. Because it was like the other was saying that he wasn¡¯t much of help when it came to talking to NPCs. And now that he thought about it, whenever the two of them do tasks like this together, it was always Luo Yan who interacted with the NPCs.


    He felt ashamed which made his face even redder.


    Looking at his reddened face, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but let out augh. Really, it was always fun teasing Shen Ji Yun.


    Hearing the bell-like sound of Luo Yan¡¯sugh, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feeling of shame slowly receded. Because he knew that this rabbit was just being a naughty fox again. Although, he must admit, he probably should really step up when it came to interviewing NPCs. Should he start with that elf they were looking for?


    [Mashter shouldn¡¯t tease Captain too much.] ¨C Eclipse said.


    [But it¡¯s so fun.]


    [Then Mashter should be careful once Captain retaliates. Eclipse bet that would definitely not be fun for Mashter.]


    Luo Yan only smiled. He nced at Shen Ji Yun. This guy retaliating? He had already done that with his little Casanova antics. Albeit unconsciously and very unintentional. And he must admit, it really was effective. Making his heart all aflutter.


    "Let¡¯s go and talk again to the Leader," he just said.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded and they walked again towards the leader¡¯s office. Luo Yan knocked and they were told to enter. This time, there was no longer any smoke lingering around.


    "Has your talk with Alicia already finished?" the leader asked.


    "Yes, thank you for letting her talk to us," Luo Yan said.


    The leader shrugged. "There¡¯s no need for thanks. I also wanted to know what happened to Finnea back then. But Alicia had always refused to talk about it. Did she tell you anything important?"


    "She did. So, I wanted to ask the Leader for another favor."


    "If it¡¯s rted to Finnea, then I¡¯ll do what I can. Her father was a close friend of mine, you see. I had always felt guilty about what happened to her, always felt like I failed the both of them. So, I¡¯d be more than d to offer my assistance in any way."


    Luo Yan nodded. "I see. Then, Leader, if there¡¯s someone in your group of mercenaries who suddenly left not long after Finnea was cursed."


    The leader went silent for a moment, as if he already had a feeling where this conversation was going. "There¡¯s a number of them. Because of what happened to Finnea, I remembered the things that transpired in our group that year quite clearly. You need to be more specific."


    "A male elf. He¡¯s a mage who¡¯s pretty enamored with Finnea."


    The leader widened his eyes in surprised when he heard that. He even looked unbelieving. As if there¡¯s no way that male elf would be involved in what happened to Finnea. But at the end, he still answered Luo Yan honestly.


    "Rhys. His name is Rhys."


    Luo Yan smiled in triumph. "Do you know where he is now?"


    The leader shook his head. "But I kept Life Lamps of the members of Crimson Corps ¨C former and current members alike. If I used that, I could know his current location instantly." He went silent for a moment before continuing on. "If your suspicion of him turned out to be correct, then he should have a way to know if I used his Life Lamp. The moment I did, he would probably move from his current location. So, you need to be fast."


    Luo Yan nodded. "I understand."


    The leader stretched his hand and amp that had a flickering light inside appeared on top of his palm. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the light inside. He closed his eyes. Once he opened it, it was suddenly filled withplicated emotions.


    "Rhys is currently at the Tower of Edia." He closed his eyes again before letting out a long sigh. "And he¡¯s very close to his own death."

 Chapter 339 BEAST FORM

    "HE¡¯S dying?" Luo Yan eximed unbelievingly.


    "One might look at it that way," the leader answered all mysteriously.


    Luo Yan almost rolled his eyes at the vague talk. Seriously, he didn¡¯t even look like a mysterious old man with no otherworldly desires. Those should be the only ones allowed vague talk. Well, at least he looked like a hermit. That would probably do.


    "Can the Leader exin it more profoundly?" he still said politely. He almost added, ¡¯because if you don¡¯t talk quickly, that guy would probably be dead by the time we got there¡¯.


    "The light in themp represents the life of the person it was connected to. If they were alive and well, the light would be very bright. If they were dying, the light should be very weak. But as you can see, the light in thismp is flickering. Which meant that there¡¯s something that¡¯s taking his life force slowly. And its ember would soon die down."


    Luo Yan nodded, understanding the leader¡¯s exnation. "How soon is ¡¯soon¡¯?"


    "I can¡¯t really tell you the exact answer," the leader said, shaking his head. "It could be an hour or even a day. I could only sense that it¡¯s ¡¯soon¡¯."


    Well, thank you for that not so helpful answer. But Luo Yan didn¡¯t voice that out. "Then I guess we should leave now before everything bes toote."


    "Wait¡ª" the leader called when they moved to leave. Luo Yan nced back, looking at him with a questioning gaze. "Whatever you may discover, can you tell me the result? I will consider it as a very big favor."


    "Of course," Luo Yan easily said. How could he refuse when there¡¯s a possibility that they might get a reward?


    After that, Luo Yan, with Eclipse on his shoulder, and Shen Ji Yun walked out of the leader¡¯s office. They climbed straight down towards the first floor and then out of the building.


    "Brother Ji Yun, you said that the Tower of Edia is located on a floating ind called the Garden of Eden, right? And we can¡¯t directly teleport there?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Yes, to both questions."


    If Luo Yan remembered correctly, Shen Ji Yun mentioned before that the only way to directly teleport there was to take a task that was directly rted to the Tower of Edia. But that kind of task could rarely be seen in the Task Hall. And since, they¡¯re practically racing against time, not knowing when that Rhys would croak, they didn¡¯t have the time to look for tasks that were rted to the Tower of Edia.


    "Then how would we go there?" That was the question.


    [Maybe Mashter and Captain could ride a flying beast to that Tower ce.] ¨C Eclipse suddenly suggested.


    Luo Yan nced surprisingly at the little guy on his shoulder. That was actually not such a bad idea. He probably would have thought of that if he wasn¡¯t so focus on other things. Like the fact that they might be running out of time and if they didn¡¯t move fast enough. Then their only, and maybe also their final, clue to this ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯ task would die.


    Seriously, what was that NPC doing getting his life force suck from him? No, the one at fault was the people involved in writing the script for this task. Why couldn¡¯t they just write something straightforward where yers didn¡¯t need to do all this? But then again, if they did that, those hidden tasks wouldn¡¯t be as interesting.


    [Good thinking.] ¨C he said to Eclipse and gave him one of his favorite Mana fruits.


    The little fox quickly nabbed on the fruit. [Thank you, Mashter! You¡¯re the best!]


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun who seemed to be having trouble deciding about something based on his knitted eyebrows and the deep crease on his forehead. He¡¯s most likely also thinking of ways on how they would go to the Tower of Edia.


    Yes, Shen Ji Yun was indeed thinking along that line. The only difference was he already thought of a way. If they couldn¡¯t teleport there, then they could just directly fly.


    "Brother Ji Yun, maybe we could rent some winged beast to go there?" Luo Yan suggested. "Or is flying there also not allowed?"


    "No, it¡¯s allowed. But there¡¯s no need to rent a winged beast," Shen Ji Yun said still looking all tangled about something.


    "Then what shall we do?" Luo Yan asked, curious as to what kind of suggestion Shen Ji Yun would made. Especially since he¡¯d been making that weird expression for a while now.


    "Let¡¯s teleport first on my ind."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t ask and just nodded. They didn¡¯t really have much time to waste right now and arguing with him about something so simple wasn¡¯t really ideal. If Shen Ji Yun had a way to go to that Garden of Eden, then he would follow his arrangement without a problem.


    Upon seeing Luo Yan agreeing, he reached out and held the other¡¯s hand. Then he used a teleportation scroll to directly teleport them to his floating ind. When they arrived, he reluctantly let go of Luo Yan¡¯s hand. Because if he didn¡¯t do it fast enough, he knew he would just fell into a daze while thinking how soft his rabbit¡¯s hand was.


    "So, what¡¯s the n that Brother Ji Yun thought of?" Luo Yan asked, a little bit of excitement leaking from his voice.


    Shen Ji Yun showed that tangled look again. After a few seconds, as if thinking that they shouldn¡¯t waste both of their time by hesitating, he let out a long sigh and just said, "I¡¯m thinking that we could use my beast form to fly over there."


    Luo Yan blinked his eyes a couple of times, not sure if he heard it right. But looking at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s awkward expression, he now finally understood why the other had been showing that tangled expression. Because he was embarrassed to show him his beast form! That only made Luo Yan even more excited.


    "Yes, please. Let¡¯s do just that," he quickly said, his blue eyes shining brightly.


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down at Luo Yan¡¯s beautiful face. Seeing those shining eyes full of expectation and excitement, he knew he couldn¡¯t refuse him. He was the one who suggested this, so he might as well just ept his fate. "Okay."


    He walked forward, distancing himself from Luo Yan. He took a deep breath and opened his Status Window. There, he clicked on his beast form. Yes, transforming into one was easy as that. And then he slowly felt his whole body expanding.


    Luo Yan watched from afar. He saw as Shen Ji Yun was suddenly surrounded by a purple smoke. Which was kind of a disappointment. Because he was expecting that the transformation would be like one of those werewolf transformations where his whole body would distend and he would see his bones and muscles growing and stretching.


    But soon, that disappointment quickly disappeared when he finally saw the huge beast hiding behind the smoke.


    It was probably as big as a five-story building. Its main body had a shape simr to that of a horse, only if the horse had purple scales on them. It had thick mane, the color of which was a much darker purple. And it had cloven hooves. But its head was simr to a dragon¡¯s. On top of it was a pair of golden antler-shaped horns.


    Strangely enough, Luo Yan didn¡¯t feel any contradiction. Like all of its parts were arranged in some kind of strange harmony.


    And frankly speaking, all he could think of at this moment was...


    "Beautiful."

 Chapter 340 ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL

    LUO YAN stared at the beautiful beast in front of him and couldn¡¯t stop his feet from moving forward. All he could think of was touching and looking at this mythical beast up close.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly felt nervous when he saw Luo Yan walking towards him. He never had an opinion about his beast form before. Because he never used it unless he the situation really called for it. But when he thought of showing this form to Luo Yan earlier when they were thinking of how to go to the Garden of Eden, he suddenly became aware of how unsightly this form was.


    It would have been fine if he looked like a purple unicorn. At least, based on most people¡¯s aesthetic, unicorns looked good. But no, he really had to be a huge purple mix of a horse and a dragon with matching two horns. The body was that of a horse¡¯s body while the head was that of a dragon¡¯s, it even had two thin, long mustaches on both sides of its snout. How could that image possibly be attractive?


    That¡¯s why Shen Ji Yun had been hesitating to show it to Luo Yan. What if his rabbit was turned off once he saw this form? Then the image of this form would be embedded in his brain. So, every time they met, he would think of this form and then turned away from him because he would remember how ugly it was.


    Now that he was suddenly aware of how unattractive his avatar¡¯s beast form was, he suddenly envied those yers from another Legendary race. Like a dragon or a phoenix. Those would probably look cooler in Luo Yan¡¯s eyes.


    Luo Yan stood beside Shen Ji Yun¡¯s beast form. His hands were itching to touch his scales and mane but this form was just so huge. He wasn¡¯t even as tall as one of his legs!


    [Mashter, Captain looks so cool!] ¨C Eclipse eximed. His neck almost looked like it would break because of how much he was looking up. [Eclipse also wants to be as big!]


    [I¡¯m sure you would.] ¨C Luo Yan said, pretending that he didn¡¯t remember that Eclipse already told him that he could only be as big as a grown horse once he grew all nine tails.


    His hands were still itching. Then he remembered Dusk¡¯s chibi form. He suddenly wondered if Shen Ji Yun¡¯s beast form could shrink. If yes, then he could freely touch his scales and mane.


    "Brother Ji Yun, could you shrink your size?" he asked. He was looking down so the other couldn¡¯t see the excitement on his face. He wouldn¡¯t want him to think he¡¯s a pervert or something. "As big as a horse is okay."


    But Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t think of it that way. To him, it looked like Luo Yan was refusing to look at him because he thought this form of his was ugly. Add that to the fact that he just asked if he could shrink his beast form and he was sure that the other really didn¡¯t like what he looked right now. Maybe he wanted him to lessen his size so the impact of his ugliness would be decreased?


    So, even though he was a bit hurt, he still nodded his head. Then slowly, his size receded until he was only as big as a horse.


    "Is this okay?" he asked.


    Luo Yan¡¯s heart was suddenly hit by the adorable talking Qilin. He didn¡¯t expect that Shen Ji Yun could still speak in this form. He no longer stopped his urges and jumped to hug his neck. Finally touching his soft dark purple mane and those glistening purple scales.


    [Mashter, no fair!] ¨C Eclipseined and also jumped to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s back, finding afortable area and lying down on it.


    Shen Ji Yun was, of course, taken aback by Luo Yan¡¯s sudden action. "Yan Yan?"


    But after the shock slowly disappeared, his heart then started beating faster and faster. Because even in this form, he could still feel Luo Yan¡¯s softness against his. He was suddenly thankful that he was in this form. Because if he was in his normal avatar, he definitely wouldn¡¯t know what to do with his hands.


    After he got his fill, Luo Yan let go of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s Qilin version¡¯s neck. "Sorry, Brother Ji Yun. You just look too adorable. I couldn¡¯t help myself."


    Adorable? Shen Ji Yun wondered if he heard that right. Because of that, he also managed to quickly calm down. "You think I look adorable? In this form?"


    Even though he couldn¡¯t see any expression on the Qilin¡¯s face, Luo Yan felt that the other must have an unbelieving look right now. "Yes."


    After Luo Yan confirmed that, Shen Ji Yun still couldn¡¯t believe it. "You- you don¡¯t think I look... ugly?"


    Ugly? Just where did this guy get that idea? ¨C Luo Yan thought. Did he act in any way that made him think that? Then he remembered his request if he could shrink his size while also not looking at him. Was that it?


    He didn¡¯t expect Shen Ji Yun to be so sensitive. No, wait. The other had been looking tangled even before he transformed. He thought it was because he was just hesitating to show him his beast form. But now he felt like the reason why he was hesitating was because he thought that his beast form looked ugly.


    A helpless smile appeared on his face. "Of course, I don¡¯t. I think Brother Ji Yun¡¯s beast form is very beautiful. Even Eclipse thinks your cool."


    Looking at Luo Yan¡¯s expression, Shen Ji Yun knew that the other was not just being perfunctory. He was not just saying that because he wanted him to feel better. But simply because that was what he really thought. He finally felt relieved.


    And then his rabbit really had to add something that would make his heart race.


    "Besides, no matter what form Brother Ji Yun was in, I will always think you¡¯re beautiful."


    If his beast form could blush, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s dragon head would probably be as red as a tomato right now.

 Chapter 341 FLYING TO THE GARDEN

    LUO YAN felt the wind blowing into his face. His long white hair swaying freely along with the wind. With the view of the infinite sky around them, he truly wanted to stretch both hands on the side as if he could fly and shout, ¡¯I¡¯m the king of world!¡¯. But that would be too immature. So, he opted not to do it.


    He was riding on the back of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s beast form. The other maintained his shrunken size because a huge flying Qilin would be too eye-catching. Eclipse was lyingfortably in front of Luo Yan, almost burying himself on the dark purple mane of the Qilin. And based on his wagging tails, he was definitely happy.


    They were now on their way to the Garden of Eden ¨C the floating ind where the Tower of Edia was located. Thankfully, Shen Ji Yun had aprehensive map of the whole of Arcadia. So, it wasn¡¯t that hard to find the exact location of the Garden of Eden. Aside from being their current mode of transportation, Shen Ji Yun was also their navigator. Hopefully that Rhys guy was still alive and kicking. So, as not to waste all their efforts.


    "Brother Ji Yun, do you think that the Tower of Edia was directly rted to what happened to Finnea? Or did Rhys only use them as some sort of smokescreen so he could get Finnea toe with him and curse her along the way?" he thought of asking.


    "If he wasn¡¯t at the Tower of Edia right now, then thetter one would be a high possibility," Shen Ji Yun answered, pertaining to Rhys using the Tower as a smokescreen. "But considering the current situation, even if the whole Tower was not rted to what happened to that moon elf, there¡¯s probably at least one who¡¯s connected to Rhys."


    Luo Yan understood what the other was trying to say. If Rhys was only using the Tower as some kind of cover so he could convince Finnea to do a mission with him, then the Tower¡¯s role should end once Finnea was cursed. But no, until now Rhys was still connected to the Tower. Considering the brain hole of the people involved in writing scripts for tasks like this, the Tower of Edia being mentioned would surely not be just for decoration.


    "Do you think we¡¯d have to fight?" he asked.


    He really wished they would. That way, he could test his new daggers.


    "Do you want to fight?" Shen Ji Yun returned the question because he heard the undeniable excitement in Luo Yan¡¯s voice, as if he was looking forward to a fight.


    "A bit," Luo Yan didn¡¯t deny it. "I actually wanted to try my new weapons. That¡¯s why I was in Jiao Jiao¡¯s shop earlier. To get the weapon she made for me and Ah Jin. I haven¡¯t shown it to Brother Ji Yun, right? Its beautiful. Jiao Jiao is really talented. I love her design. I¡¯ll show it to youter and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll also be amazed."


    If it was a normal time, Shen Ji Yun would probably be all salty at the mention of Yu Jiao. Especially since Luo Yan was praising her so tantly. But because his heart was still so full from his rabbit¡¯s hug earlier, as well as what he said about him being beautiful no matter what form he was in, he barely felt any sourness when Yu Jiao was mentioned. He didn¡¯t even have to continuously tell himself to be more mature just so he wouldn¡¯t show any unpleasant reaction.


    Was this a sign that he¡¯s finally really getting more mature? He suddenly felt a bit proud of himself.


    Of course, the cinnamon bun had already forgotten that he was only able to act that way because, as he already mentioned, his heart was currently too full right now. Once his heart was no longer full, he would definitely revert back to normal. But no one would tell that to him right now. Making him sink in his own delusion. But no need to worry. Because he would definitely wake up from that soon enough.


    "We might fight. But if there¡¯s only one member of the Tower involved with Rhys, then there probably wouldn¡¯t be that much fighting," he said.


    "Why? Would they give up the person or people involved in what happened to Finnea easily?" Luo Yan asked, a bit confused. "Is it because the Tower was designed by the game developers as some sketchy organization?"


    "What made you say that?" Shen Ji Yun asked in an amused tone.


    "Well, aren¡¯t most religious organization in fictional worlds sketchy as hell? And since the people in Moonlight Media responsible for giving back stories to NPCs seem to have a big brain hole, my guess was probably not that far-off."


    Shen Ji Yun coughed to hide theugh that wanted to burst out from his throat because of what Luo Yan said. The people from Moonlight Media having big brain holes, he never really thought of it that way. Probably because he never liked doing tasks with stories in them. So, he never noticed the game staffs¡¯ ¡¯creativity¡¯. But now that Luo Yan mentioned it, he could only agree with him.


    "No, I said that there probably won¡¯t be that much fighting because of my identity as a Qilin. yers belonging to the Legendary races could enter some establishments freely. One of the perks of our identity. And that includes the Tower. The Priests there have much respect for the Legendary races. They would have a weing attitude. But convincing them to give up some of their members would still depend on us."


    Now, Luo Yan suddenly felt a bit envious of the Legendary races. Then he pouted a little. If they could go to the Garden of Eden with just Shen Ji Yun¡¯s identity as a Qilin, then he should have just mentioned it to him when they found out the possible connection of the Tower of Edia to their task. When they talked about itst week, it seemed that he didn¡¯t have any idea how they would go to the Garden.


    But before he could voice out his dissatisfaction, his breath was taken away when he saw the floating ind up ahead.

 Chapter 342 ENTERING THE GARDEN

    THE floating ind looked like it was filled with trees. Because at this distance, all Luo Yan could see was the color green. But as they got closer and closer, he finally saw some other colors. Most probably came from different flowers. He could even see a river winding through the ind. Reaching the edges of the ind, the river then turned into a waterfall. The water falling down below. Because of that, the sight of a rainbow could be permanently seen near the falling water. Making the whole ind looked even more captivating.


    When they were almost on top of the ind, Luo Yan finally noticed the most prominent building on it. An ivory tower situated on top of what seemed like a mountain. Considering that it was a tower, it¡¯s no doubt the Tower of Edia.


    "Are we just going tond?" he asked Shen Ji Yun when he noticed that the other was slowly descending towards the ind.


    Although he wanted to ask him why didn¡¯t he tell him that he already had a way for them to go to the Tower, this was hardly the time for that. It¡¯s much more important for them to sessfully enter this ind and then subsequently enter the Tower.


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun answered. "Please, hold on tight."


    The moment Shen Ji Yun said that, Luo Yan automatically hugged Eclipse into his arms and clutched on the mane of the other¡¯s beast form. Not even after a second, Shen Ji Yun descended. Stronger wind blew on Luo Yan¡¯s face, making his long white hair more tousled and wind-blown.


    They entered the ind without a hitch. He thought that they wouldnd on a clearing or something. But no, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s trajectory would directly lead them in front of the Tower. He wanted to ask if that was really such a good idea. But since they were already on their way, there¡¯s already no point in stopping him.


    When they were a few meters away from the Tower, without warning, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s beast form was suddenly surrounded by that purple smoke. It was the same smoke that appeared when he transformed earlier. So, he knew that the other was about to transform back to his humanoid form. He almost shouted, ¡¯a little warning Brother Ji Yun?¡¯.


    He thought that the smoke would be like other smokes, making him cough and teary-eyed. But no, it just felt like he was in the middle of a purple mist. It even felt surprisingly warm and gentle. Just like Shen Ji Yun himself.


    He shook his head. He should be thinking ofnding properly instead of that. It would be really embarrassing if he fell on his butt. But before he could even move, a strong arm went around his shoulders and also held the back of his knees, carrying him horizontally.


    Once the smoke finally dissipated and he looked up and saw Shen Ji Yun¡¯s handsome face, he now realized what just happened. When the other transformed back to his humanoid form, Shen Ji Yun quickly carried him. And not just an ordinary carry, but a princess-carry! This was already the second time that this guy had done this.


    Even though he still looked as expressionless as ever, Luo Yan had a feeling that the other did this on purpose. After all, he could have justnded properly first and then wait for him to get off his back before transforming to his humanoid form. But no, he really had to transform before they could evennd.


    He narrowed his eyes at him. It seemed that this guy was starting to learn how to be touchy-feely in a discreet manner. In the end, he just sighed and didn¡¯t say anything. After all, he had also been touchy-feely with him quite a number of times. It even felt like he was molesting him sometimes. So, this much was fine.


    [Mashter, you¡¯re like Captain¡¯s bride!] ¨C Eclipse, who was being hugged by Luo Yan, suddenly said.


    He gazed down at the little fox in his arms and smiled his scary smile. [You know, Eclipse, it would have been better if you didn¡¯t speak just now.]


    Why was he the bride? Why couldn¡¯t Shen Ji Yun be the bride? That¡¯s simply discrimination, you know?


    Eclipse made a zipping movement on his mouth, as if telling him that he wouldn¡¯t say anything more. Then he buried his fluffy head back to his master¡¯s arms.


    Shen Ji Yun finallynded. The image of himing down from that height could almost bepared to an immortal who descending from heaven. Like someone who didn¡¯t have any worldly desires. Well, except probably for the beautiful elf in his arms.


    He carefully put down Luo Yan. There were still traces of his warmth left in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms. He could even still feel his softness. If he didn¡¯t let go of him quickly, he would probably be addicted by the feeling of his body against his.


    "Sorry, I identally transformed much earlier than I should," he said, looking down and sideways.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. Even though there wasn¡¯t any change in his expression, Luo Yan automatically felt that he was lying. Probably because he couldn¡¯t manage to look at him. And he also looked like a guilty kid right now. A kid who was told not to eat another piece of cake but still did. And then refused to admit what he did even though the icing on his face was very evident.


    "It¡¯s okay," he said, not revealing the other¡¯s lie. [I¡¯ll forgive you since you¡¯re being all adorable right now.]


    [Mashter, you just thought Captain was--]


    He stared down at Eclipse before he could say more and gave him one of his scary smiles once again. As expected, the other quickly shut up.


    Shen Ji Yun let out a sigh of relief. "Then, shall we go inside?"


    "Are you really sure they will let us in?" Luo Yan asked to confirm.


    "Yes, just leave it to me," Shen Ji Yun assured him. "This time, I¡¯ll try not to be too useless."


    Hearing him say that, Luo Yan remembered how he teased him earlier about not being helpful when it came to interviewing NPCs. He smiled and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll leave it to Brother Ji Yun."

 Chapter 343 HES SLOWLY CATCHING UP

    LUO YAN looked around. From where he was standing, aside from the trees and the wildflowers growing everywhere, he could also see colorful butterflies fluttering around and small birds twittering. He could even see some trees bearing luscious fruits. Now, he could understand a bit why this ce was called the ¡¯Garden of Eden¡¯. He wondered if they could go around the ce after they were done.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun who seemed to be in deep thought, probably thinking of what their strategy should be. And Luo Yan once again remembered that the other concealed the fact that he could freely enter this ce with his identity as a Legendary race. Since the people from the Tower seemed to not still notice their presence, he might as well asked that question. He didn¡¯t want it to keep bothering him.


    "Brother Ji Yun, why didn¡¯t you mention that you can go freely inside the Garden of Eden when you told mest week after we left the Gatekeeper¡¯s house that the Tower of Edia was located there?"


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mind went nk when he heard Luo Yan¡¯s inquiry. He suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s not like he wanted to keep it from him. It was just all idental. Maybe. So, he looked down and gazed away before saying, "I- I forgot about it. I just remembered it when we left the headquarters of the Crimson Corps."


    He did forget about it at that moment. But the day after, when he was searching of pertinent information about their two tasks, he suddenly remembered that his race could go to the Garden of Eden freely. Then he became a bit conflicted. If he told Luo Yan about this, the time they spent together might be lessen. After all, they could just directly go at the Garden and questioned the people in the Tower regarding Finnea.


    At the end, he chose to conceal it from him and decided to reveal it at the right moment. Which was earlier, when he transformed to his beast form and they were about to fly towards the Garden.


    He knew it was bad for him to do that. It felt like he¡¯s being a maniptive sc.u.m. But what could he do? He just wanted to spend more time with his rabbit. Clearly, his feelings for him was clouding his judgement. But he didn¡¯t care. Because he loved feeling this way because of him.


    Yes, he just admitted that. And yes, that was weird. But that¡¯s fine. Because it was Luo Yan who evoked those feelings from him.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face and he just knew he was lying. Seeing the guilty expression on his face, he decided to just leave it be. It¡¯s not as if this guy would do anything to harm him. Even before something could harm him, Shen Ji Yun would definitely stand first in front of him and take all the damage.


    He was slightly startled by that thought. He didn¡¯t expect that he already trusted his feelings for him to that degree. It seemed like this guy was already close in catching up to him. Maybe in a month or two, his stubborn brain would finally agree with his heart. He just hoped this guy would directly confess to him by that time.


    But he still had to punish him for lying.


    Luo Yan walked up beside Shen Ji Yun. He reached to his hand and yed with his fingers. "Well, its¡¯s a good thing that Brother Ji Yun remembered it. Or else we wouldn¡¯t know how to go here." Then he intertwined their fingers together. He raised his head and gave him a sweet smile. "Right?"


    As he expected, he felt Shen Ji Yun¡¯s whole body stiffened. His whole face also turned red. All the guilty expression on his face vanished and all that was left was a ripe red tomato.


    "Y-yes," Shen Ji Yun said, stuttering that one simple word.


    Luo Yan¡¯s smile became even deeper. [How adorable.]


    [Mashter is teasing Captain again. It looked like you¡¯re bullying him.] ¨C Eclipsemented who¡¯s now sitting back again on Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder.


    [What bullying? I¡¯m clearly showing him my favor.]


    Having had enough fun, Luo Yan let go of the other¡¯s hand before smoke appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s head.


    Shen Ji Yun hadn¡¯t calmed himself yet, he could still feel the soft hand that yed with each of his finger, when the huge door of the Tower suddenly opened. A male NPC wearing a white robe walked out.


    He bowed respectfully at Shen Ji Yun. "Lord Qilin, we wee you to the Tower of Edia. May I ask what brought you and yourpanion here?"


    "Bring me to your head priest," Shen Ji Yun said in a cold voice.


    Luo Yan nced at him. There was still a faint blush on his face, but overall, he was already back to his normal expressionless face. And based on how he spoke to the priest just now, it seemed like he was indeed serious when he said earlier that he should leave this to him.


    Asking the NPC to bring them to the head priest would surely make the development of their task to move much faster. He just wondered how Shen Ji Yun would proceed from here.


    "My apologies, Lord Qilin. The head priest is currently busy. I don¡¯t think he had time to meet with you. If you have any message for him, I would be more than d to deliver it to him," the NPC answered in a humble manner. But Luo Yan could still feel that he was looking down on them.


    "If he doesn¡¯t have time then he should make one."


    "Lord Qilin, please don¡¯t be unreasonable."


    "Tell him to make time or I will raze this Tower to the ground and destroy everything surrounding it," Shen Ji Yun said simply,pletely ignoring what the NPC just said. "And for a fact, that was me being unreasonable."


    If Luo Yan was drinking something at that moment, he might have spit it out and choke on it because of what Shen Ji Yun said. He should have already expected this. But damn, that was truly straightforward.


    [Wow. Captain is so cool!] ¨C Eclipse, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s number one fan, eximed.


    The NPC¡¯s face turned red. Obviously, he was very angry because of what Shen Ji Yun said. But he still held it in and said through gritted teeth, "Lord Qilin, this is a tant threat."


    "Yes, I¡¯m d you noticed."


    Hearing that, the priest¡¯s red face turned all shades of purple, showing how angry he was. Before he could respond, an ethereal voice suddenly spoke.


    "Let them in."


    Luo Yan had a feeling that that just now was the head priest.


    The NPC reluctantly let them in. Although one could see in his face that he really didn¡¯t want to.


    "This way, please," he said before going inside.


    The two went inside and followed the NPC.

 Chapter 344 MEETING THE HIGH PRIEST

    THE first thing that Luo Yan saw when they entered the tower was a huge statue of a woman. Because of the structure of the Tower, there was a space at the middle that spanned from the top of the tower to the bottom. The statue stood at that space in all its glory. It was sculpted from ivory. She had long flowing hair and was wearing a long dress. Her eyes were close as she was holding both her hands together as if in a prayer.


    The statue looked so life-like that it seemed that it woulde alive at any second. Which was a bit scary considering how big she was. He didn¡¯t need to ask the priest who guided them inside who the statue was. Considering the name of this tower, this statue could only be Edia ¨C the moon goddess. It seemed that the NPCs here were programmed to be quite dedicated to Edia.


    There wasn¡¯t an elevator in the Tower, so he was sure they had to climb a staircase. Luo Yan couldn¡¯t say that there was a floor because the staircase was just winding around the Tower. But he could see doors which probably led to a particr room. There were also people walking in and out of those doors, most probably the priests in this tower. So, obviously, there was something beyond those doors.


    Considering how they were on their way to meet the high priest, his office would probably be located at the very top. Luo Yan looked up and felt a little cramped seeing how far they were from the top. Maybe before they reached that ce, Rhys was already dead.


    Shen Ji Yun probably also thought of that because before the NPC leading them walked towards the stairs, he spoke;


    "What room is high priest in?"


    The NPC stopped walking and looked confused by the question. But he still answered, "The one at the very top left from where you are standing."


    Hearing that answer, Shen Ji Yun turned around towards Luo Yan. "Pardon me," he said.


    Before Luo Yan could understand what he meant, Shen Ji Yun already bent forward and princess-carried him once again!


    [This is so fun!] ¨C the little fox in his arms eximed.


    Eclipse¡¯s voice inside his head finally helped him returned to his senses. Shen Ji Yun was now jumping from wall to wall while holding him in his arms. He looked at the other¡¯s focused expression, as if all he was thinking right now was how to get to the high priest as fast as possible. If not for his red ear tips, Luo Yan might believe that all his attention was indeed on that.


    This guy... he wouldn¡¯t be getting addicted on holding him, right?


    For some reason, he had a feeling that he wasn¡¯t too far off. Well, this much skin ship was probably okay. Since he didn¡¯t really dislike it. Actually, he¡¯s getting used to it. Just like how Shen Ji Yun¡¯s presence was already starting to be a big part of his life.


    In just a few seconds, Shen Ji Yunnded on the part of the stairs that was in front of the room the NPC earlier told them to be the High Priest¡¯s office. He carefully put down Luo Yan. And just like what Luo Yan was thinking earlier, he was indeed getting addicted to holding him. How could he not when his rabbit was so soft and fragrant? Okay, that was a bit weird. And this was most definitely not the time for his thought to veer off in that direction.


    He needed to focus on getting the information on where that Rhys was. After all that talk he did on how he would take care of this situation, it would be truly embarrassing if he couldn¡¯t even back that up with the right actions. What if his rabbit thought of him as useless because of that?


    He turned to Luo Yan. "Let¡¯s go?"


    Luo Yan nodded.


    Shen Ji Yun opened the door without even knocking. Inside was a spacious room with rows of floor to ceiling windows. Because of the location of the room, most of what could be seen outside were nothing but clouds and endless blue sky. The design of the room was very minimal. A desk, a chair, a shelf of books. As if only the barest necessity was allowed.


    Standing near the floor to ceiling windows, with his back on them, was a man wearing the same white robe as the NPC earlier. All they could see was his long gray hair. Luo Yan no doubt that this was the High Priest.


    He turned around. It was a kind-looking old man with long gray hair and an equally long gray beard with half-moon spectacles on top of his straight nose. He had a gentle smile on his face. He looked like one of those mysterious old men who loved to spout vague nonsense instead of just talking straight to the point. Yes, Luo Yan was calling out the leader of the Crimson Corps.


    Then he suddenly remembered what the Gatekeeper told them before, that the High Priest of the Tower most likely belonged to a Legendary race. But from what he could see, he looked like a human. Or was his humanoid form just too human?


    "Wee, Lord Qilin," the High Priest said. "I assume you¡¯re here for a very important reason if you have to act like you have forgotten your manners," he added with a smile.


    Oh, it seemed like this NPC had attitude ¨C Luo Yan thought. He nced at Shen Ji Yun, wondering what he would do next. But knowing him, he¡¯d probably just go straight to the point.


    "There¡¯s an elf named Rhys in this Tower. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s a priest here or one of your priests is hiding him here or all of you are protecting him. I want you to bring him to us within 15 minutes. If you don¡¯tply, well, I think you already know what I will do if you don¡¯t."


    See? Very straightforward.


    "Lord Qilin, if you think that you could take on all the priests in this Tower, then please, you¡¯re wee to do so," the High Priest replied back, still with the same gentle smile. "Your threat is a big insult to the goddess."


    "The real insult here is you, the High Priest, refusing to cooperate," Shen Ji Yun countered. "You said it¡¯s an insult to the moon goddess? Then do you know what that elf, Rhys, did to a moon elf ¨C the race directly born from the goddess tears?"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. He kind of didn¡¯t know that. With a tacit understanding, he followed up what Shen Ji Yun said by removing the hood of the cloak he was wearing. He put that on again earlier while they were still waiting for someone from the Tower to wee them. Long white hair fell down behind his back like a waterfall, showing the unique trait of a moon elf to the High Priest.


    He looked at the NPC with his blue eyes filling with tears. "The Gatekeeper of our vige, his wife died from a curse. Thest ce she was before she died was here. And Rhys was the one who took her here in the guise of doing some kind of mission. Which ultimately ended with her being cursed. Her name was Finnea. Her husband asked us to help him find out how she was cursed. So, he and their son could have the closure they so needed. Please, if you could just help us meet Rhys. I¡¯m begging you."


    He closed his eyes to squeezed out tears. And drops of pearl like tears fell from his blue eyes.

 Chapter 345 CONVINCING (IRRITATING) THE HIGH PRIEST

    SHEN JI YUN was startled when he saw the tears that suddenly fell down Luo Yan¡¯s eyes. He only expected him to show to the High Priest that he was a moon elf so that the priest would be more inclined to help them. Although he had been threatening the NPCs here since earlier, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat everyone here no matter how powerful he was. Not to mention, this High Priest would definitely not be an easy opponent.


    But he didn¡¯t want for his rabbit to suddenly cry. Those pearly tears were simply tugging at his heartstrings. It¡¯s like something heavy was pressing down on his chest. Before his brain could think more properly, his body already moved on its own. Pulling Luo Yan closed to him and cupping his face, wiping off the tears flowing down his soft cheeks.


    "Sshh... don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s okay. Everything¡¯s going to be okay," he said in the gentlest voice he could possible muster.


    Luo Yan was equally startled by Shen Ji Yun¡¯s action. He even forgot to act for a second. He blinked at Shen Ji Yun. The other¡¯s face was full of worry and nervousness. He actually almost looked frantic. As if he didn¡¯t know what to do with seeing him crying.


    "Brother Ji Yun, you do know I¡¯m acting, right?" he whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear.


    Because the other really looked like he believed that his crocodile tears were real.


    Shen Ji Yun stopped his movements. It¡¯s like he suddenly remembered that they were in the middle of doing a task. Of course, Luo Yan was only acting. This was just him using his tears to guilt trip the High Priest into telling them where Rhys was. But even so.


    "I know. But acting or no acting, I still don¡¯t like seeing you cry," he said honestly.


    Luo Yan stopped himself from smiling. Because if he did, it would totally ruin his acting. But seriously, how could this guy be more and more adorable as time passed by?


    "Then Brother Ji Yun should just make sure that you wouldn¡¯t do things that could make me cry."


    "I wouldn¡¯t. I promised," he said automatically, although he had no idea why Luo Yan would suddenly say that. But even if he didn¡¯t, he already made a promise to himself the moment he realized his feelings for Luo Yan that he would never make him cry.


    [Ah, Mashter, although Eclipse is really proud of your acting skills and is really happy as well to see you and Captain sprinkling dog food, but Eclipse think that you should really get your attention back to the High Priest.] ¨C Eclipse, who had to jump down on the floor when Shen Ji Yun pulled Luo Yan, suddenly interrupted.


    Because of what Eclipse said, Luo Yan nced secretly at the High Priest and saw him observing them. He turned back his gaze to Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, we should get back to the task," he reminded.


    "Right. But no more crying," Shen Ji Yun insisted.


    Luo Yan smiled inwardly. "Okay. I¡¯ll just sniffle a little."


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to be still dissatisfied with that but at the end, he still let go of Luo Yan¡¯s face and turned to the High Priest.


    "As you can already see, mypanion is a moon elf. We came here at the request of the Gatekeeper of his vige," he started, repeating what Luo Yan had already said. "If your church is aspassionate and emphatic as you people love to portray yourselves as, then there¡¯s no reason why you should refuse to help. Or perhaps, your own agenda trumps over that ¡¯selfless¡¯ heart?"


    The High Priest¡¯s lips turned into a straight line. One could see that he was not happy with the way Shen Ji Yun was speaking to him. "I suggest you stop with the sarcasm. Because this won¡¯t help your cause at all, boy."


    Okay. It seemed like Shen Ji Yun was really getting on thest nerve of this NPC ¨C Luo Yan thought. The High Priest even forego the honorifics and just went straight to calling him ¡¯boy¡¯.


    Shen Ji Yun also noticed that but he didn¡¯t care. He just wanted this to be over and done with. And irritating the High Priest might bring them the fastest result. After all, only under intense emotions could someone reveal a w. The same goes for NPCs. If he said the right key words that would go against the beliefs and characters programmed to them, then they would definitely be affected emotionally. And thus, giving him the information he wanted.


    "If you want me to treat you with respect, then you should act ording to your status. You¡¯re the High Priest of this Tower. The one that should embody all its teaching. And yet here you are, hiding someone who might have indirectly killed a moon elf," he said with a cold expression on his face. "You might as well have killed Finnea for all we know."


    The air around them suddenly turned a few degrees lower. The High Priest¡¯s long gray hair and beard started to float because of the Manaing from his body. Even his eyes started to glow.


    [Mashter, Eclipse has a feeling that this High Priest is going to attack Captain.]


    Luo Yan agreed with what Eclipse said. So, before that could happen, he immediately spoke in a sobbing voice, "Please, High Priest. We¡¯re not here to condemn him. Or any of the people here for that matter. We just wanted to know the truth about what happened to Finnea five years ago. I¡ª" he stopped, gazed down, and then hupped. He even pretended to tremble to give the illusion of weakness. "P-please..."


    [Mashter, Mashter, his hair and beard are no longer floating. He doesn¡¯t even look angry anymore. And he¡¯s looking at you gently. Eclipse thinks that your ster acting is working!] ¨C the little fox described while sitting on the side like some small reporter.


    The side report was helpful since Luo Yan was still in the middle of acting and couldn¡¯t lift his head.


    Then he heard the High Priest sigh. And it was followed by him saying, "Follow me."

 Chapter 346 ADORABLE CINNAMON ROLL

    THE High Priest walked towards the wall and put his hand on it. His palm emitted a faint green light. After that, the part of the wall where he was touching opened like a sliding door. He walked inside. And just like he said earlier, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun followed, alongside Eclipse who was now back on his master¡¯s shoulder.


    Inside was a stair that led downstairs. They climbed down, with the High Priest leading them. As they walked, the crystals on the wall lighted up as if sensing their presence.


    "I apologized. I didn¡¯t mean to be uncooperative," the High Priest started, apologizing for his previous behavior. "Because of the way the Lord Qilin was speaking, I thought you were nning to take the elf, Rhys, from here. Of which I couldn¡¯t allow."


    So, the reason why he quickly agreed on them meeting Rhys was because he confirmed they were not nning to take the elf out of here? If Luo Yan knew that it would be that simple to make this NPC agree, he wouldn¡¯t have wasted all those fake tears.


    "And may I ask why that is?" he asked.


    "He¡¯s currently experiencing a rebound from a forbidden spell he casted. The dark magic emanating from his body is very harmful to living beings. That includes nts and animals as well. It¡¯s a very potent dark magic. What he did had an irrevocable consequence. There was no cure for it. That¡¯s why we need to seal him here in this Tower. At least until his remaining life force disappeared. Which was probably not too far off from now."


    So, that¡¯s why the leader of Crimson Corps said that something was taking Rhys¡¯ life force away when he checked the other¡¯s lifemp. In this case, it would be the dark magic that rebounded from the forbidden spell that he casted.


    "What kind of spell did he cast?" he couldn¡¯t help asking.


    "A spell to bring the dead back to life. Any Mage worth their salt should know that no matter how strong their magic is, they couldn¡¯t y with life. They could take life but they don¡¯t have the power to give it. Only the goddess has that power."


    Luo Yan was not surprised when he heard that. With the information given to them by Alicia, they already knew that Rhys was in love with Finnea. When he heard the High Priest talked about a forbidden spell, he already suspected that it was a spell along those lines. That Rhys probably nned to bring Finnea back to life.


    But regarding bringing people back to life, in this game, that probably only applied to NPCs. Because he knew for a fact that the Priest ss had a skill that could bring a dead yer back. Of course, the death he was talking about was in-game deaths.


    "How long has he been sealed in this ce?" he thought of asking.


    "For almost a year now."


    "Then did one of the priests here found him and brought him here to be sealed???? he continued on with his questions.


    "In a way, yes," the High Priest vaguely answered. "We have been searching for him since that incident that happened here five years ago. I believe that also involved the wife of the Gatekeeper of your vige."


    Of course, with such a revtion, how could Luo Yan not ask more details? "What exactly happened five years ago?"


    "Rhys, as you call him, had a friend who served here as a priest. His name was Lars. He was a very gentle and soft-spoken child. We didn¡¯t know what kind of convincing Rhys did that made Lars disregard one of the most important rule of the Tower. And one might say that that disregard resulted to the tragedy that followed."


    Hearing the vague way the High Priest spoke, he probably wouldn¡¯t tell Luo Yan the whole story even if he asked. And here he thought the High Priest could just reveal to them everything they needed to know. It seemed like they still needed to talk to Rhys after all. So, he decided to not respond to what the High Priest just said.


    But from what he gathered from the things he said, this Lars did something which if she would guess would probably be helping Rhys in whatever the other nned to do to Finnea. In which led to tragedy. No need to mention what happened to Finnea, they all knew she ended up cursed. But that Lars definitely didn¡¯t fare better. With how the High Priest talked about him in past tense, he¡¯s definitely dead now.


    [Mashter, have you noticed that Captain hasn¡¯t spoken since we climbed down the stairs? He even looked a bit gloomy.] ¨C Eclipsemented, ncing behind at Shen Ji Yun.


    Luo Yan nced back and saw that Shen Ji Yun was indeed looking a bit gloomy. He took back his gaze and looked forward. He then asked the little fox sitting on his shoulder, [Why do you think that is?]


    [Captain is probably depressed because after he said that Mashter should leave everything to him, Mashter was still the one who solved everything at the end.]


    Luo Yan scratched his nose. Although his guess was also the same, but hearing Eclipse exined it that way, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit embarrassed. Because it¡¯s like he snatched Shen Ji Yun¡¯s job or something. Well, maybe he did. Just a tad bit. But he did his best to only follow up when needed. Didn¡¯t he let Shen Ji Yun handle everything since they arrived at this floating ind?


    But being depressed over something like this was so like Shen Ji Yun. Because the main reason the other was probably feeling that way was because he was thinking that he failed him. Really, how adorable was that?


    [Captain looks really pitiful. You¡¯re not going tofort him, Mashter?] ¨C Eclipse asked again.


    If he didn¡¯t know better, Luo Yan would think that this virtual pet of him was actually guilt tripping him. [Who said I wouldn¡¯t?]


    Just not right now. But definitelyter when this task was done. It¡¯s the least he could do for all his efforts. And of course, for being such an adorable cinnamon roll.


    Then he continued walking forward, following the High Priest.

 Chapter 347 GREAT ACTING

    THE High Priest stopped walking and turned towards a nk wall. He put his hand on it and just like earlier, a faint green light appeared on his palm. As expected, the wall in front of him opened up. Although there was lighting inside the room, it was dim. That¡¯s why Luo Yan still couldn¡¯t see anything inside clearly. So, when the High Priest entered the room, he quickly followed.


    What faced him was a room with white walls. These walls almost seemed like they had a yellowish hue because of the slightly dim light around the room. There was no furniture inside. And in one corner, an elf with messy blond hair was sitting listlessly. His pair of green eyes had no focus. As if they belonged to someone with a very simple mind. He didn¡¯t even move when outsiders entered his room.


    There was a ck smoke circting around him. It seemed to be alive and wanting to fly out. But it was stopped by a barrier giving out a green light, just like the color of the High Priest¡¯s Mana. The barrier surrounded the elf like a protective shell. And over the barrier, there were strange glyphs floating.


    Luo Yan had no doubt that this elf was Rhys.


    "I know that you wanted to talk to him, but as you can see, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in the right state of mind to tell you anything properly," the High Priest said with pity in his voice. "The dark magic that rebounded when he casted that forbidden spell was not only slowly eating away his life force but his consciousness as well. He probably wouldn¡¯t even respond to you."


    Luo Yan stared at Rhys once again. The ck smoke surrounding the NPC was probably the dark magic the High Priest was talking about. He certainly looked like someone who didn¡¯t have all his faculties intact. But how could he just give up because of that? Especially since they were already on thest leg of this task. The only step left was to make this Rhys talk.


    And once again, he was back to the question of how he should do that.


    Shen Ji Yun, who had been silent for a while now, finally spoke.


    "I have an item here that could project memories of an NPC," he whispered to Luo Yan, so the High Priest wouldn¡¯t hear. Although the ¡¯memories¡¯ he was talking about in this context was the memories programmed to the NPCs.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun, his eyes brightened. "Really? That¡¯s great, Brother Ji Yun."


    Seeing those bright eyes, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feeling of uselessness decreased a tiny bit. He was suddenly thankful that he had the foresight to buy this itemst week. Because he had a feeling that it might help them in their two tasks. Even if he spent a high amount of crystal coin to obtain the item, it was definitely money well spent.


    And then his eyes clouded again when he thought of the conditions to activate the said item. First, the NPC should be in a heightened emotional state and thinking of something or someone closely rted to the memory that the one who used the item wanted to see. And second, a talisman that was part of the item should be attached to the target NPC.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the NPC inside the barrier. The elf looked like he was now only an empty shell. Could he still be emotionally agitated when there¡¯s no longer anything inside him? Not to mention the barrier. How could they attach the talisman on him when he was inside that barrier? With the talk about the dark magic and stuff, he was certain that the High Priest wouldn¡¯t allow them to lift up the barrier. Even if temporarily.


    "Brother Ji Yun, what¡¯s wrong?" Luo Yan called when the other didn¡¯t respond to what he said earlier.


    Shen Ji Yun returned his gaze to Luo Yan. And with an almost cramped expression, he told him about the conditions to activate the item.


    Luo Yan quickly understood the other¡¯s worries and he fell into a deep thought. To bring out the memory they needed, Rhys had to be in an emotionally heightened state. Not only that, but he should also be thinking of Finnea. In the elf¡¯s condition right now, could that even be possible?


    Regarding the talisman thing, he already had a way to fix that. So, the only problem was Rhys¡¯ current state. The only thing that could probably agitate him right now was Finnea. He stopped. An idea suddenly entered his mind.


    The light in this room was very dim, they could barely see the face of each other. But his white hair was still pretty noticeable. One could immediately tell that he was a moon elf. Perhaps, just maybe...


    To test his guess, he walked towards Rhys¡¯ line of sight. And then to everyone¡¯s surprise, the elf¡¯s body suddenly trembled. The eyes that were out of focus suddenly had a faint glimmer. He even raised his hand towards Luo Yan¡¯s direction.


    Luo Yan smiled. He was right. With this room¡¯s condition and in Rhys¡¯ muddled state, it was easy for the other to mistake him as ¡¯Finnea¡¯. Then the next step would be easy.


    He moved back to where Shen Ji Yun was. Not seeing him, Rhys was back to his sluggish state again.


    "Did he just mistake you for Finnea?" Shen Ji Yun asked. With Luo Yan¡¯s series of movements, he also understood what he was thinking.


    "Yes," Luo Yan said, confirming what the other thought. "Brother Ji Yun, can you take out the item you were talking about?"


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t waste time and took the item from his Items Tab. In just a second a transparent crystal ball appeared on his palm. And on his other hand was a pure ck talisman. There was nothing written on it. Just like an ordinary rectangr ck paper.


    Luo Yan took the ck talisman. Then he nced at the little fox sittingfortably on his shoulder.


    [Eclipse, do master a favor and transform into me. Walk into Rhys¡¯ line of sight and do everything you can to agitate him.]


    The effect of that transformation could onlyst for 10 seconds. So, Luo Yan had to move as quick as possible.


    [Okay, Mashter. But how would Eclipse agitate him?] ¨C the little fox asked.


    [Act as if you¡¯re Finnea and guilt-trip him.]


    Eclipse nodded cleverly. [Eclipse understand, Mashter. Eclipse will definitely not fail Mashter.]


    Luo Yan chuckled and ruffled Eclipse¡¯s fluffy head. [Okay. I¡¯m counting on you. Go and transform when I give you the signal.]


    [Yes, Mashter!]


    And Eclipse jumped from Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder then he walked to Rhys¡¯ line of sight just like what his master did earlier.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, walked to the opposite side. He looked down the floor and when he saw that his shadow passed through the barrier, he let out a relieved breath.


    [Eclipse, now!]


    A ck smoke suddenly surrounded Eclipse and from where he was standing, another ¡¯Noctis¡¯ appeared. Once the skill [Mirror Image] took effect, this ¡¯Noctis¡¯ suddenly bent down and cried hysterically while staring murderously at Rhys.


    "How could you do this to me?!" ¡¯Noctis¡¯ cried out.


    And Luo Yan almost fell over when he saw Eclipse¡¯s ¡¯great acting¡¯.

 Chapter 348 FINNEAS CURSE - DONE!

    "I treated you like a real friend. And this is how you repaid me? By cursing me to death?!" Eclipse shouted once again, tears kept falling from his eyes.


    It was not the kind of ¡¯pretty¡¯ crying that Luo Yan would do. Instead, it was messy, full of tears and snots. As if the one he was talking to really did harm him. In fact, he almost looked like some vengeful ghost. Well, at least, his truly doing his best to fulfill his master¡¯s order.


    Luo Yan no longer looked at Eclipse so as not to get distracted. He just focused all his attention to Rhys. That way, the moment he showed a strong reaction, he would then put the talisman on him.


    Just like expected, the moment Eclipse started acting, Rhys¡¯ eyes focused on him. Then when he started crying and acted hysterically, the elf¡¯s body twitched. Then to all their surprise, Rhys suddenly rushed forward towards where Eclipse was. But because of the barrier, he could not directly go to him. He could only tap the barrier helplessly.


    "Fi... Fi... Finnea!"


    Luo Yan smiled when he saw that. He quickly acted and used his skill [Shadow Walk]. He dived into his shadow and went inside the barrier. He knew it would be dangerous because of the dark magic floating around inside. But he didn¡¯t care. It¡¯s not like he would die in real life. The worst-case scenario would be him dying at the middle of the task. But before that happened, he would make sure to attach the ck talisman he¡¯s holding on the elf¡¯s back.


    Only the upper half of his body got out of the shadow. Because if he fully got out, then he would be a bigger target for the dark magic residue. As expected, the moment he appeared, the ck smoke inside the barrier went crazy and attacked him. He though he heard Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice calling his name. But he was too focused on what he was doing that he didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it.


    He dodged the iing ck smoke and then quickly attached the talisman he was holding on Rhys¡¯ back. After sessfully doing that, he immediately dived back into his shadow. When he jumped out, he was already back on the other side. Before he could celebrate his sess, Shen Ji Yun suddenly appeared in front of him.


    "Brother Ji Yun, did you see¡ª"


    "That was reckless, Yan Yan!" Shen Ji Yun said before Luo Yan could finish.


    When Eclipse suddenly transformed into Luo Yan, he waspletely taken aback. Especially when the other suddenly burst into hysterical crying. He had no time to feel any sort of emotion upon seeing that when he caught the real Luo Yan suddenly disappearing. Before panic set in, he saw him appearing inside the barrier. His heart almost jumped to his throat when he saw that. Especially when that ck smoke tried to attack Luo Yan.


    And then, as quickly as the upper half of his body appeared inside the barrier, he disappeared again. What followed next was Shen Ji Yun telling him how reckless he was.


    Luo Yan saw worry and a bit of anger on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. He was about to exin when he saw the transparent crystal ball on the other¡¯s hand started shining. At the same time, Eclipse also turned back into his original form and quickly jumped into Luo Yan¡¯s arms.


    [Mashter, did you see it? Did I do a good job?] ¨C Eclipse asked with his eyes shining brightly.


    Luo Yan ruffled his fluffy head. [Yes, you were splendid.]


    The little fox grinned and buried his face into Luo Yan¡¯s arms.


    Luo Yan turned his gaze towards the crystal ball. Shen Ji Yun did so as well, temporarily putting off his talk with Luo Yan.


    The light that shone in the crystal ball slowly gathered inside and then the light shot into a straight line towards the wall. Soon, a scene appeared. As if the crystal ball acted like some sort of projector showing some kind of movie.


    On it, Rhys who looked much healthier was talking to a gentle looking young man. Thetter was wearing a white robe that only priests from the Tower of Edia could wear.


    "That¡¯s Lars," the High Priest suddenly spoke, confirming what Luo Yan have already guessed.


    ***


    "I- I really can¡¯t do it, Rhys. It¡¯s forbidden for any priests in the Tower to show outsider the Heart of Edia." ¨C Lars said, his face full of anxiousness.


    "Lars, please. I need a special type of Mana for this spell to work. And only the Heart of Edia fulfills that qualification. You know how long I¡¯ve been working on this spell. It¡¯s my life¡¯s work. Please, help me," Rhys said in a voice full of pleading.


    "Rhys, I¡ª"


    Rhys suddenly reached out to Lars¡¯ hands, holding it tight in his own hands. Then he kneeled down and put the other¡¯s knuckles on his forehead. "Please, Lars. I¡¯m begging you. If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll die. I- I need to make this spell work. Please, Lars. Please..."


    Lars looked at the trembling man in front of him. His face was still full of hesitation. Then he closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were now filled with determination. As if he had already made a decision.


    "Okay."


    Rhys suddenly stood up and hugged Lars. "Thank you, Lars. Thank you!"


    Lars appeared surprised. But then, after a while, a helpless smile appeared on his face. He returned the other¡¯s hug. A faint blush appearing on both of his cheeks.


    ***


    The scene then changed with Rhys guiding a female elf into a room. The female elf had long white hair flowing freely behind her back and a pair of green eyes dusted with gold. This elf was no doubt Finnea.


    The room they walked in looked like a greenhouse because of all the nts inside. And then, on the center of it was a floating red crystal. It was shaped like an eight-pointed star. The red sheen it was giving off was very resplendent and captivating.


    "Is this the crystal we need to take?" Finnea asked, looking at the red crystal with amazement.


    "Yes," Rhys replied while carefully walking behind Finnea, a weird smile appearing on his face.


    "It¡¯s a shame that Alicia wasn¡¯t able to see this. I wonder where that girl went. But really, I can¡¯t believe that the Tower would actually stole¡ª"


    Finnea wasn¡¯t able to finish what she was saying because she suddenly fainted. It was obviously the work of Rhys. The elf quickly caught the unconscious Finnea. He picked her up and then put her under the floating red crystal.


    After that, he started to writeplicated glyphs on the floor. Those glyphs surrounded Finnea into a one big symbol. Then he stood up and punctured his forefinger. A drop of blood fell on the symbol. The moment it did, the symbol glowed red. It created some kind of barrier around Finnea.


    Rhys started to mutter some kind of spell. The light on the red crystal suddenly became concentrated and it fell on the unconscious Finnea. It directly shot to her chest, specifically on the area where her heart was. And weirs symbols started to appear on her skin.


    The moment Rhys saw that, he startedughing. "Finally, finally! Just a bit more and you¡¯ll be mine!"


    "What are you doing?!" suddenly shouted by an intruder.


    Rhys looked back and saw the familiar face of his friend. "Lars, you¡¯re here. Did youe to witness the sess of my lifelong dream?"


    Lars stared at the crazy smile on Rhys¡¯ face and then he turned his gaze to the unconscious moon elf lying on top of a magic symbol. The light on the red crystal was continuously pouring on her chest.


    He gritted his teeth. "So, this is what you need the Heart of Edia for? To change the feelings of this moon elf and make her love you?"


    "Yes. She should have been mine, you see? If she hadn¡¯t met that pesky moon elf, we would have been together by now. She would have borne my son! Not some other man¡¯s. Yes, that¡¯s right. It should have been me!" Rhys shouted, his eyes filled with that crazy glint. Then his expression became tranquil. "But no matter, after this, she would only have eyes for me. I¡¯m the only one she would love. And she would forget that moon elf and their bastard son." He chuckled. "Maybe I would even ask her to kill them. I¡¯m sure she would be more than d to do so."


    Lars did not respond to that. Instead, he walked towards the red barrier. Then he raised his head and looked at Rhys.


    "Rhys, do you know? I¡¯m in love with you."


    As soon as he said that, he flung his arm and Rhys was suddenly thrown into the distance. Chains appeared and attached his whole body on the ground.


    "That why I wouldn¡¯t let you have this woman."


    "You- what are you going to do?"


    Lars smiled, one might call it gentle, but underneath, it was full of sadness. He didn¡¯t reply to Rhys and turned back towards the barrier. He then shed both his wrists, blood flowed down uncontrobly. Then he began to utter a spell. His blood mingled with the glyphs on the symbol.


    "No... no... stop! Lars stop!"


    The barrier then broke. Lars walked towards the unconscious moon elf. He knelt down and began to cast another spell before pulling a small knife and stabbing it to his own heart. The lighting from the red crystal finally stopped pouring.


    Finnea groaned in pain. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a priest with a knife on his chest. "You¡ª"


    She wasn¡¯t able to finish what she was saying because her body was suddenly racked in indescribable pain.


    Lars coughed up blood. "I- I¡¯m sorry... y-you¡¯re going to die soon. T-the least I could d-do is to br-bring you to the people you l-love."


    With his hand trembling, he put his forefinger on Finnea¡¯s forehead. Then the moon elf vanished.


    "Finnea!!!" cried Rhys from a distance.


    Lars slowly turned to Rhys¡¯ direction, the action made him coughed up blood more. "Y-you see, she didn¡¯t appear beside you. That moon elf, she doesn¡¯t have y-you in h-her heart at all."


    "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Rhys shouted, looking at Lars with murder in his eyes.


    Seeing that, Lars could onlyugh deprecatingly. "Goodbye, Rhys. I love you."


    He closed his eyes, a single tear flowed down his cheek. And then he fell back,pletely lifeless.


    Rhys stared at this scene. And then an animalistic roar full of anguish escaped his mouth.


    ***


    After that scene, a notification bell sounded and the Gamekeeper appeared in front of Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun.


    [Congrattions, dear yers, for sessfully finishing the hidden task ¨C ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse!¡¯]

 Chapter 349 SHAMELESSLY SOLD MENG

    [PLEASE, go back to the Gatekeeper of the moon elves¡¯ vige to get your reward.]


    After saying that, the cute Gamekeeper in a butler¡¯s suit disappeared.


    Was that it? Luo Yan felt a bitplicated. So, the curse of Finnea was actually not a ¡¯curse¡¯ but probably just a rebound of the interrupted spell that Rhys put on her. Because of Lars interference, the spell that would force Finnea to fall in love with Rhys was broken. But because of that, Finnea died in the form of a ¡¯curse¡¯ from the rebound of the failed spell and Lard sacrificed his life just so the man he loved wouldn¡¯t get the woman he wanted.


    And then, there was Rhys who was clearly obsessed with Finnea. The other had already married and had a son, but instead of letting go of his affection for her, he personally developed a spell to make the other fall in love with him. To aplish that, he didn¡¯t even hesitate to use his friend. A friend who just happened to be secretly in love with him.


    Really, such a dog blood plot!


    Luo Yan was once again convinced that the people involved in writing the scripts for tasks like this had huge brain holes. Or else, how could they write a script like this that¡¯s even more dog blood than those afternoon dramas?


    And was this game too open to the subject of same s.e.x love? Maybe those people who¡¯s in charge in writing scripts just happened to be one of those, you know, people who loved to pair up a guy with another guy. With how this country¡¯s view on homos.e.x.u.a.lity, giving such background story to an NPC could already be considered a bold move. It could be seen that the president of Moonlight Media was very open-minded.


    With that thought, he suddenly remembered that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s current guardian was his uncle ¨C the said president of Moonlight Media. With such an uncle, there probably wouldn¡¯t be that big of a problem even if Shen Ji Yun suddenly confessed to him one day that the one he liked was a boy. He would probably the type who wouldn¡¯t interfere with his nephew¡¯s business and would be supportive as long as the other was happy.


    Well, at least they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about him if ever there came a time when the two of them were finally together. Luo Yan caught himself and shook his head. What¡¯s with that? It¡¯s as if it¡¯s already decided that the two of them would indeed end up together.


    [Mashter, this elf is too vicious! Mashter should let Eclipse scratch himself to death!]


    The little fox¡¯s voice interrupted Luo Yan¡¯s thoughts in a timely manner. He nced at the elf inside the barrier. He was back to his sluggish state. [Don¡¯t care about him. He¡¯ll soon die anyway.]


    Eclipse still seemed dissatisfied but he no longerined and just continued to re at Rhys. Seeing this, Luo Yan could only smile helplessly and ruffled the fluffy head of the little guy.


    The High Priest beside them who had been silent for quite a while now let out a long sigh. "Lars, that child. If he wasn¡¯t so impulsive and driven by emotion, things would probably not end up in such a tragic way. Maybe he and the moon elf would both still be alive now. What a shame."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t care about the High Priest¡¯s regret and sadness. Now that their task was done, there¡¯s no need to stay here any longer. So, he turned to the High Priest and showed a grateful expression.


    "Thank you, High Priest, for letting us meet Rhys. Now, that we know the details of the things that happened back then, Finnea¡¯s husband and son would now have the closure that they needed."


    "There¡¯s no need for thanks. I barely did anything. Besides, the Tower also held a certain responsibility for this matter," the High Priest said. "But there¡¯s a request I would like to make."


    "If it¡¯s something that we could do, then we won¡¯t hesitate to agree," Luo Yan said.


    "I hope that the two could keep the existence of the Heart of Edia a secret," the High Priest said with an expression full of seriousness.


    "Of course," Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to agree.


    He had a feeling if they didn¡¯t agree, this kind looking old man would probably kill them here. Thinking of the said ¡¯Heart of Edia¡¯, he remembered the red crystal in Rhys¡¯ memories. If that were to be used as a core of a weapon, he wondered what kind of effect it would give. Would it make the people hit by the weapon fascinated with the owner of the weapon?


    He wanted tough in amus.e.m.e.nt imagining that. But he tried his best not to show it on his face.


    Then the High Priest turned to Shen Ji Yun. In which the other only nodded.


    [Mashter, Captain seemed to be in a bad mood.] ¨C Eclipse said ncing at Shen Ji Yun.


    Luo Yan also secretly nced at Shen Ji Yun. The other was still expressionless, but he could see the gloominess between his eyebrows. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was still sulking because he didn¡¯t manage to convince the High Priest to let them meet Rhys of if he was still angry because of Luo Yan¡¯s reckless action earlier.


    Either way, Luo Yan already decided that he should coax the other. So, it¡¯s better to leave here as soon as they could.


    "If there¡¯s nothing else, we won¡¯t disturb the High Priest any longer," he said.


    "Then let me lead you out."


    They walked out of the room. The High Priest personally led them out of the Tower. Luo Yan felt like it¡¯s probably because this NPC was afraid that they would wander off and look for the Heart of Edia if he didn¡¯t supervise them.


    Once out of the Tower, Luo Yan told Eclipse to jump off from his shoulder. Then he turned to Shen Ji Yun. Face with the other¡¯s handsome face, he dashed forward and crashed into his arms. He stretched out his arms and hugged Shen Ji Yun¡¯s waist. He raised his head and then shamelessly sold meng.


    "Brother Ji Yun, please don¡¯t be mad at Yan Yan."

 Chapter 350 THE THOROUGHLY COAXED SHEN JI YUN

    SHEN JI YUN¡¯S body froze in an instant. His heart was beating fiercely as if he just finished a fierce race or something. He didn¡¯t know what to do with his hands. He had an impulse to hug back but he knew that he shouldn¡¯t. Because even with his fast beating heart, he knew that Luo Yan didn¡¯t mean anything with this hug.


    He understood that the other was just being coquettish. He had seen many sides of Luo Yan. The kind and gentle side that could warm anyone¡¯s heart, the smart and calcting side that would not let anyone underestimate him, and the sweet side where he could melt you with just a smile. He also knew that he could act spoiled and coquettish sometimes. He had seen it when he visited the Bai household during the Mid-Autumn Festival. There were times when he also acted spoiled towards him. But he had never been this close.


    No, he actually had been. Once, on the rooftop of theputer science building of T University. Because it happened in reality, the sensation he was feeling now was maximized by a hundred-fold. Added that to the small kiss on the chin and he almost couldn¡¯t control himself. It was because of those actions that he finally realized his real feelings for Luo Yan.


    But even though they were in a virtual world right now, the nervousness that came with a simple hug was still tremendous. If they were in reality, Luo Yan would probably already hear the uncontroble beating of his heart.


    Shen Ji Yun knew why he was acting like this right now. It was probably because of what happened earlier when he shouted at him for being reckless. Luo Yan probably thought that he angry at him. But how could he be angry? In his mind, no matter what his rabbit did, he probably would never really be angry at him. At least not in the truest sense of the word.


    "I- I¡¯m not mad at you," he quickly said.


    "Really?" Luo Yan asked, those big blue eyes dusted with golden speckles stared at Shen Ji Yun as if checking if what he said was true.


    "Really," Shen Ji Yun assured him.


    Then he put his hands on the other¡¯s shoulder and gently tore him away from him. He was afraid that if they remained in this ambiguous position for too long, his heart wouldn¡¯t be able to take it. It would be really too bad if he had a heart attack while ying a game.


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s blushing face and red ear tips and just secretly smiled to himself. He no longer continued to torture the other. What he did was already good. At least now, the gloominess between the other¡¯s eyebrows was already gone.


    "That¡¯s great. I wouldn¡¯t know what to do if Brother Ji Yun get mad at me," he said with relief and a little bit of dejected tone.


    "I would never get mad at you," Shen Ji Yun quickly said.


    Luo Yan stared at him. "Really?"


    "Yes, really."


    "Brother Ji Yun should not forget what he said just now," Luo Yan said, his beautiful eyes bending into crescents.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t know why but he felt that there¡¯s a hidden meaning behind that smile. But despite, he still didn¡¯t think too much about it and just said with confidence, "Of course."


    Luo Yan¡¯s smile only became brighter.


    Eclipse on the side suddenly jumped into his master¡¯s arms. [Mashter, why do Eclipse felt like you just cheated Captain?]


    Luo Yan looked down at the little fox in his arms and gently flicked the other¡¯s forehead. [What cheated? In what way did I cheat your favorite Captain?]


    The little fox showed a confused expression. [Eclipse doesn¡¯t know. Eclipse just felt that it was the case.]


    [Then you felt wrong.]


    Luo Yan did not cheat Shen Ji Yun. He just dug a pit and the other happily jumped into it. How could that be considered cheating?


    He raised his head and looked at Shen Ji Yun. "Then is Brother Ji Yun not sulking anymore?"


    Shen Ji Yun showed a confused look, almost the same as that of Eclipse¡¯s. it made Luo Yan want to burst outughing.


    "I was sulking?"


    "Clearly, you were. After we left the office of the High Priest, you didn¡¯t speak at all. If you didn¡¯t have to bring out that item, you would probably continue to remain silent," Luo Yan said.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly remembered his mood earlier. It was indeed true that if not for the need of that item, he might continue to be silent until they left the Tower.


    "I was not... sulking. I just felt a bit useless," he honestly admitted. "I told you that I would handle everything. But at the end, it was still you who did most of the job. I¡¯m just a bit angry at myself."


    Luo Yan smiled helplessly. "There¡¯s no need to feel that way. Each one of us have things that we¡¯re good at. It just so happens that I¡¯m better at things like these than Brother Ji Yun. Besides, if you¡¯re useless, then there would be no useful person in the world. So, don¡¯t think too much about it, okay?"


    After what Luo Yan said, Shen Ji Yun felt a lot better. If Luo Yan didn¡¯t think that way, then there¡¯s no reason for him to degrade himself. It would only make him feel depressed which his rabbit clearly didn¡¯t want.


    "Okay," he finally said.


    Luo Yan nodded in satisfaction.


    "Should we go to the moon elves¡¯ vige to get our reward?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Luo Yan first looked at the time in his Status Window. There¡¯s still an hour left before lunch. They could just do thatter after lunch and then go straight back to Alryne City to search for that elf who was now working at Tropical Land.


    "Let¡¯s goter after lunch." Luo Yan turned to face Shen Ji Yun. "In the meantime, why don¡¯t we look around this Garden of Eden? There probably wouldn¡¯t be a lot of chance to go here in the future."


    Shen Ji Yun wanted to say that he could bring him here anytime he wanted. But he only said, "Okay."


    Then Luo Yan smiled. He reached out to Shen Ji Yun and pulled him forward.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan¡¯s hand holding his wrist and a small smile appeared on his always expressionless face.

 Chapter 351 BAFFLED UNCLE

    LUO YAN logged out of the game and went out of his room. He walked directly to the dining area to eat lunch. He was surprised to see that Luo Jin was not there. He expected that he would already be there and waiting to have lunch with him. Since both their father and older brother still have to go to thepany despite today being the start of a week-long holiday, he thought Luo Jin would definitely want to apany him to lunch.


    [Don¡¯t tell me that kid was still ying Arcadia?]


    "Second young master, do you want your lunch to be served now?" a maid who had seen him walking to the dining room asked.


    "No, let¡¯s wait for Ah Jin before you started serving," he answered. "By the way, has he gone out of his room since this morning?"


    "No, second young master. The third master hasn¡¯t gone out of his room. Does the young master needed me to call the third young master?"


    Luo Yan shook his head and smile at the maid. "No need. Thank you."


    The simply his by this smile. Ah, their second young master was simply an angel. "There¡¯s no need for thanks. If the second young master needs anything, just call me."


    Luo Yan nodded and just walked towards his usual seat on the dining table, nning to wait for Luo Jin. That waiting didn¡¯t take long. A few minutester, Luo Jin came running down the stairs and straight to the dining area.


    "You just logged out of the game?" Luo Yan asked when the other sat on his usual seat.


    "Yeah. I didn¡¯t notice the time."


    "Were you grinding levels since we left Jiao Jiao¡¯s shop?"


    Luo Jin¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened with his question. "Yes. The weapons Yu Jiao made is really incredible. It¡¯s easy to use and also full of power. I was having too much fun with it that I almost didn¡¯t notice the time."


    "It¡¯s what Jiao Jiao made, so of course it would be amazing."


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t refute that. "How about your weapon? How was it?"


    Remembering how he and Shen Ji Yun solved the task without even fighting, he felt a bit dejected. "I haven¡¯t used it yet."


    "Why?" Luo Jin asked, a bit confused.


    "I was doing a hidden task and there was no opportunity to use it," Luo Yan answered, carefully omitting Shen Ji Yun in the picture. Because he knew how this kid would react to that.


    "Why do you always encounter a hidden task?" Luo Jin said with a bit ofint in his voice.


    Luo Yan grinned at him. "Don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s because I¡¯m lucky Luo Yan."


    Luo Jin just rolled his eyes at him. "Let¡¯s just eat. I think the hunger is getting to your brain."


    Luo Yan justughed and told the nearby maid to serve them their lunch.


    - B City -


    Shen Ji Yun put down the VR helmet on his bedside table and walked out of his room with an almost imperceptible smile on his face. Even though he wasn¡¯t able to help that much during the task that he and Luo Yan did, he no longer felt that bad. It¡¯s probably because he gained too much sweetness in the process. It was enough to fill his heart for a week. But he knew how greedy he was. After a day, he woulde looking for that sweetness again. Sweetness that could only be given to him by his rabbit.


    Ah, he suddenly couldn¡¯t wait to log into the game again. Especially sinceter, they would finally be going to Tropical Land!


    He already secretly nned their itinerary. He just hoped that Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t notice his little calctions. And that they would quickly find that moon elf working at Tropical Land so the two of them could go to a lot of ces in the said amus.e.m.e.nt park.


    Shen Ji Yun climbed down the stairs and was about to go to the kitchen to cook lunch when he saw his uncle sitting on the living room, reading a book. He stopped because he didn¡¯t expect him to be at home.


    Shen Yi Mu put down the book he was reading when he saw his nephew. "You finally left your room. I already ordered takeaway. Go and have lunch."


    "I was actually nning to cook," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "Don¡¯t worry, the food I ordered was not greasy. You will definitely like it," Shen Yi Mu said helplessly.


    He knew how this nephew of his hated takeaways. It¡¯s one of the reasons why the other decided to learn to cook. He definitely could afford a nanny who coulde here to cook food for them. But Ji Yun never liked having a stranger around the house. It was even worse when he was a kid. Shen Yi Mu tried once to hire an extra help but it only ended in disaster. So, he never tried it again.


    And so, during the early days of them living together, they simply lived off from takeaways. Yes, doing so made him a bit of a failure as a guardian.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. Then as if thinking of something, he asked, "You don¡¯t have to go to thepany today?"


    "No. I decided to take this week as a special vacation," Shen Yi Mu answered. "Since you also don¡¯t have school, why don¡¯t the two of us go somewhere?"


    He only said thatst part as a joke. Because knowing Ji Yun, he knew that the other would definitely refuse. But who could have thought that this nephew who always refused him whenever he asked if he wanted to go on a vacation would actually say;


    "Okay. I want to go to Chengdu. Let¡¯s leave on Thursday and return on Saturday."


    Shen Yi Mu had a question mark on his face when he heard that. Wait- did he actually hear that correctly? When he was about to ask Ji Yun, the other already walked to the dining area.


    He was left there wondering what kind of medicine his nephew had actually eaten for him to suddenly agree to him. And why Chengdu of all ces?


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity and followed Ji Yun to the dining area.


    "Why do you suddenly want to go to Chengdu?" he asked.


    Shen Ji Yun turned to his uncle and answered with no expression on his face, "I want to go and see a panda."


    That answer only made Shen Yi Mu more baffled.

 Chapter 352 FATHER LUO AND BROTHER RENS CONVERSATION

    INSIDE the private box of thepany cafeteria that was dedicated to their president and CEO, the father and son duo of the Luo family were having their lunch. While eating, Luo Wei Tian suddenly remembered something.


    "Old Tan mentioned something to me when I came back from my business trip. He said that Xiao Yan seemed to be overly close to a boy in his ss. I heard from the housekeeper that this boy also stayed in our house for a night. The way Old Tan ryed the story, it¡¯s almost as if Xiao Yan and that boy are in an underground rtionship," Luo Wei Tian said, shaking his head helplessly.


    Luo Ren almost choked again on his own food. He quickly picked up a cup of warm water and drank it. Of course, he knew who this ¡¯boy¡¯ his father was talking about. He cleared his throat and replied, "There was indeed a ssmate who spent the night at our house. But it was a girl, not a boy."


    Luo Wei Tian¡¯s eyes widened slightly. "A girl? Then is Xiao Yan really in some sort of underground rtionship?"


    Luo Ren looked at his father like he¡¯s some silly old man. "No, they¡¯re really just friends."


    "How can you be so sure? What if this is your brother¡¯s puppy love?"


    Luo Ren became irritated for no reason when he heard that. Remembering the tall shy girl and thinking of her being together with his younger brother, he became more irritated. "What puppy love? Dad, how old do you think is Yan Yan? Both of them are still too young."


    "What ¡¯too young¡¯? They¡¯re already at their third year of high school. In two months¡¯ time, Xiao Yan will became an a.d.u.l.t," Luo Wei Tian reasoned. "Not all teenagers could be like you when you¡¯re at their age."


    "What¡¯s wrong with me?"


    His father only gave him a nce, obviously telling him, ¡¯as if you didn¡¯t know already¡¯. Well, it was true that when he was in high school, he never thought of falling in love. When he started high school, it was the time when the tragedy of their family happened. How could he have the mentality of liking someone under that situation? That continued on until college. So, even until now, he still hadn¡¯t been in a rtionship.


    "Dad, are you actually hating your son¡¯sck of rtionship experience?"


    "How could I? I¡¯m just worried that with your character, I¡¯d probably be in my 70s before you could even bring home a daughter-inw for me."


    At the mention of a daughter-inw, the figure of that shy tall girl shed in Luo Ren¡¯s mind once again. He shook his head sharply. [You¡¯re crazy, Luo Ren. What the hell were you just thinking?]


    He wiped clean all those crazy thoughts in his mind and just said to his father, "Let¡¯s just get back to the previous topic."


    Luo Wei Tian didn¡¯t refuse. He still knew this son of his. If he didn??t want to talk about something, he couldn¡¯t force him. "Then tell me why you¡¯re so certain that the girl is not Xiao Yan¡¯s puppy love."


    "Because Yan Yan obviously has no awareness of gender distinction. For him, there¡¯s probably no difference between girls and boys. If not, he wouldn¡¯t so openly invite a female ssmate to have a sleep-over in a house where three males live."


    Luo Wei Tian was startled when he heard that. That probably should have been his focused when he found out about the matter of a girl sleeping over in their house. But his attention was put on whether the girl was his second son¡¯s puppy love instead. If his eldest didn¡¯t remind him, he would probably miss it.


    He looked at Luo Ren meaningfully. He was satisfied with his eldest meticulousness. It would definitely be helpful in business. Then he thought back to what Luo Ren said ¨C about Luo Yan not having gender distinction awareness. And he began to worry.


    Considering how his second son had been in aa for seven years, it¡¯s certainly possible for that to happen. No matter how smart Luo Yan was academically, there were still some things that he couldn¡¯t learn in school unless someone exined it to him.


    He sighed. "I¡¯m too negligent. I should have anticipated something like this sooner."


    "It¡¯s no one¡¯s fault, Dad," Luo Ren said,forting his father. "But it¡¯s probably better if you have a serious talk with Yan Yan."


    "I know."


    But as he said that, he could already imagine how awkward that conversation would be.


    After lunch, Luo Yan logged back into the game. He appeared in front of the gate of Alryne City. This was where he and Shen Ji Yun logged out earlier. So, they didn¡¯t have to waste time teleporting here.


    Luo Jin actually invited him to grind levels together. Of course, he had to reject him. He said that he had to do another hidden task, so he couldn¡¯t go with him. Which was true anyway. He just concealed the little fact that Shen Ji Yun was doing that task with him.


    It didn¡¯t take long for a little ck fox to appear beside Luo Yan and jumping to his shoulder.


    [Where¡¯s Captain, Mashter?]


    He nced sideways at the little fox. [Are you really sure that you¡¯re my pet and not your favorite Captain¡¯s?]


    Eclipse quickly appeared aggrieved. [Mashter, Eclipse was just asking. There¡¯s no other meaning behind it.]


    [Oh? So, that¡¯s why the first thing that you thought of was the Captain and not me.]


    [Mashter--!] ¨C Eclipse called even more aggrievedly.


    Luo Yan chuckled and ruffled his little pet¡¯s fluffy head. [Okay, master is just teasing you.]


    [Mashter is a bully. You always like to tease others. This must be how Captain is feeling whenever you teased him.]


    [Are you sure? I don??t think so.]


    Eclipse looked confusedly at him. [Why?]


    Luo Yan smiled sweetly. [Because Brother Ji Yun enjoys it when I tease him.]


    The little fox shook his head. [Now I feel much sorrier for Captain.]


    Luo Yan could onlyugh at what the little guy said.


    "Yan Yan," suddenly called by a very familiar voice.


    Luo Yan turned around and saw Shen Ji Yun walking towards him.


    "Have you waited long?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Luo Yan shook his head. "Shall we go?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. And they both entered the gate of the city, walking towards the direction of Tropical Land.

 Chapter 353 SHEN JI YUNS SMALL CALCULATION

    SHEN JI YUN was feeling all giddy and excited inside. They were finally going to Tropical Land! Although they were here for that moon elf, surely he could convince Luo Yan to go to the famous attractions of the amus.e.m.e.nt park. Everything would have been perfect, if not for a certain light bulb with them.


    He secretly nced at the little ck fox sitting on Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder. He couldn¡¯t really feel that they were in a date because of this small light bulb. He wasn¡¯t sure how much this little fox could understand their conversation, but he had found Luo Yan looking at Eclipse a couple of times since the fox hatched from its beast egg. He had a feeling that the two were having their own conversation.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t want Luo Yan¡¯s attention to be taken by the little fox, even if just for a moment, while they were in the amus.e.m.e.nt park. His illusion of a ¡¯date¡¯ would definitely be broken. He knew it was kind of petty of him to think that way. But what could he do? He still didn¡¯t have the courage to directly ask Luo Yan to go on a date with him. If he did that, his rabbit would definitely know his feelings for him. And he was still not ready to face the consequence of that possibility.


    He couldn¡¯t gamble on the small possibility that Luo Yan might ept his feelings. Because, in his opinion, the chance of Luo Yan rejecting him andpletely cutting off ties with him was still greater. How could he simply let that happen? So, he could only s.u.mb to petty tricks like this to spend more time with his rabbit.


    He looked again at the little fox. Already preparing to get him out of the picture.


    [Mashter, Mashter, the Captain is staring at Eclipse! Is it because Eclipse is too cute?] ¨C Eclipse asked while covering his face with his front paws as if shy.


    Luo Yan nced at the little fox on his shoulder before turning to Shen Ji Yun who was indeed looking at Eclipse. "What¡¯s wrong, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Before answering, Shen Ji Yun stopped walking and faced Luo Yan. "Can Eclipse understand me if I talk to him?"


    As an answer, Eclipse nodded enthusiastically.


    "Well, as you can see, this little guy can understand whatever you say to him," Luo Yan said, a bit confused on why Shen Ji Yun asked that.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded and then turned to the little fox on Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder. "Eclipse, I bought a Mana pod for you. If you soak in it, your leveling would definitely smoother and faster."


    Eclipse eyes widened. [Really? Thank you, Captain!]


    "He said thanks," Luo Yan said, conveying to Shen Ji Yun what Eclipse had said.


    "But the effectiveness of this Mana pod decreased as days passed by. It¡¯s better for Eclipse to soak in it now, so as to gain its full effect. But the Mana pod is in my room at the team¡¯s headquarters. So, Eclipse had to go there now. Don¡¯t worry, I prepared a lot of Mana fruit that Eclipse could eat while soaking at the Mana pod. What do you say, should you go there now?"


    Both master and pet stared at Shen Ji Yun after he finished what he was saying. They looked at him as if they couldn¡¯t believe what he just said. He suddenly felt embarrassed. It¡¯s like both of them had seen through him. But he couldn¡¯t just take back what he said. And he didn¡¯t want to take it back in the first ce. So, he just thickened his face and continued to stare at Eclipse.


    [Mashter, why does Eclipse feel like Captain was trying to cheat me?]


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t say that Shen Ji Yun was indeed trying to cheat him. With such a flimsy excuse, it was quite obvious that he was trying to get rid of Eclipse. Like giving a child sweets so they would behave.


    [Really? I don¡¯t think so. Maybe he¡¯s just worried that the Mana pod he bought you would be wasted.] ¨C he said, looking at Shen Ji Yun meaningfully. Although he was still not sure what the other was nning, he decided to y along with him. It¡¯s not like Shen Ji Yun would do anything to harm him, anyway. Then he turned his head to the little fox on his shoulder. [Why don¡¯t you take this chance to take a break? Soaking in Mana while eating your favorite fruit is definitely better than doing this task with us. What do you think?]


    Eclipse looked tangled. It¡¯s like he wanted to say ¡¯yes¡¯ but at the same time, he also wanted to say ¡¯no¡¯. At the end, after a minute of entanglement, he still said, [Okay. I¡¯ll go.]


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "He said he¡¯ll go."


    A very obvious smile appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. "Great!"


    [Mashter, I suddenly want to take back what I said. Captain is definitely cheating me so he could be alone with you!]


    Luo Yan ruffled Eclipse¡¯s head. [What nonsense? Besides, you already said ¡¯yes¡¯. It¡¯s rude to take back your words.]


    The little fox let out a long sigh. [As expected, Mashter still chose to take Captain¡¯s side.]


    Luo Yan just chose to ignore the fox¡¯s little grievance.


    Shen Ji Yun took out a special teleportation scroll. This one would directly bring the user to his room at their team¡¯s headquarters. He quickly activated the teleportation scroll, just in case the little fox suddenly changed his mind, and then attached it to Eclipse¡¯s forehead. Before Eclipse could say anything, he was already teleported away.


    Luo Yan nced at his empty shoulder and then at Shen Ji Yun who obviously couldn¡¯t hide his happiness. He now started to believe what Eclipse said about the other wanting to be alone with him.


    "Let¡¯s go?" Shen Ji Yun asked him.


    Luo Yan nodded and they continued to walk towards the direction of Tropical Land.


    After more than 10 minutes of walking, they finally arrived at their destination. Luo Yan looked up at the floating sign with the words ¡¯Tropical Land¡¯ and then at the long line queuing up to enter the amus.e.m.e.nt park. Most probably to buy tickets.


    "I already bought two tickets for us. So, there¡¯s no need to line up and we can just directly enter inside," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Yan stared at the other¡¯s excited expression. A sudden thought shed in his mind and he couldn¡¯t stop the helpless smile that crossed his lips.


    This guy wouldn¡¯t think that this was a date, right?

 Chapter 354 IT REALLY WAS A DATE

    "WHEN did you buy the ticket?" Luo Yan asked.


    Shen Ji Yun looked sideways. "Just yesterday."


    He was obviously lying, Luo Yan could immediately tell. But if he had to lie about that, wouldn¡¯t that mean that he bought the tickets much earlier? He didn¡¯t really think there¡¯s a reason for him to lie about that. But he probably thought that he¡¯d think that it was weird of him to buy tickets that early. Although Luo Yan did find it weird, he wouldn¡¯t get angry just because of it.


    He just decided not to pierce through Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lie and said, "Wow. Brother Ji Yun is so prepared. Now we don¡¯t have to line up and can just go inside immediately."


    Shen Ji Yun smiled a bit proudly. He did indeed lie. He actually bought the ticketsst week, the day after they went to the moon elves¡¯ vige. Yes, he was that excited. He couldn¡¯t just admit that to Luo Yan or his rabbit might quickly know about his small calctions.


    "Let¡¯s go inside."


    The two walked towards the entrance where a male NPC was standing.


    "May I see your tickets, please?"


    Shen Ji Yun took out two tickets from his Items Tab and gave it to the male NPC. "For two."


    The NPC checked the tickets. "I received two VIP tickets. Can the two guests stretch out their right hand, please?"


    Shen Ji Yun first stretched out his hand first. The NPC put a golden bracelet on his wrist. Luo Yan did the same and a golden bracelet was also put on his wrist.


    "The two guests only need to show these bracelets to the Tropical Land¡¯s employees and you can directly ride and enter our different attractions without buying any tickets. If you want to eat anything, you can also just show these bracelets and there¡¯s no need to pay for it."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows when he heard what the NPC said. When he mentioned ¡¯VIP tickets¡¯, it already attracted his attention. So, was those things he mentioned the perks of having a VIP ticket? And the golden bracelet was the proof of having a VIP ticket. If that was the case, then the tickets Shen Ji Yun bought must be extremely expensive. But was there really a need for them to use a VIP ticket? After all, they¡¯re only here to look for that moon elf.


    His thoughts came back again to his guess that the other was thinking of this as a ¡¯date¡¯. Once again, a helpless smile appeared on his face when he thought of that possibility.


    He decided to just focused his attention on the amus.e.m.e.nt park ahead. There¡¯s actually nothing there, only a small empty plot ofnd. He read from a forum post that this here was just a gateway to the amus.e.m.e.nt park. It was actually located to a different location that was inessible unless you go through this ce here in Alryne City.


    "Please, go ahead and enter," the male NPC said to them, gesturing for them to go in.


    Shen Ji Yun nced back at him and Luo Yan nodded, silently telling him that he¡¯s ready. Shen Ji Yun walked first and Luo Yan quickly followed.


    The moment he stepped over the entrance line, Luo Yan felt that familiar feeling of being sucked into a vacuum. A sign that he was being teleported somewhere. A secondter, he suddenly heard a very energetic and happy tune. Hearing it could already make anyone be in a good mood. When he opened his eyes, he was bombarded by colors.


    He could see some rides in the distance, some NPCs wearing colorful costumes, buildings with yful designs, stalls selling different food ¨C anyone who entered this ce would definitely have the kid in them giddy with excitement.


    Shen Ji Yun turned to Luo Yan. Seeing the amazement and joy in the other¡¯s eyes, he also couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. He was truly thankful that that moon elf was working here. Because of that, he had a chance to see that expression on his rabbit¡¯s face. He hoped that before they leave here, he could see more of that expression on Luo Yan.


    "Should we go and look for that moon elf?" Luo Yan asked, looking at Shen Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "We could inquire at their main office if they have a moon elf employee."


    "Good idea. That way we don¡¯t have to search blindly," Luo Yan agreed. That way, they also didn¡¯t have to waste too much time on searching. "Should we look for the whole map of the amus.e.m.e.nt park?"


    "Yan Yan, if we find that moon elf and we finish what we came here to do faster, could we... ahm, could we go and visit some of the amus.e.m.e.nt park¡¯s famous rides and attractions?"


    Luo Yan stopped and stared at Shen Ji Yun. The other looked extremely nervous, he could even see him fidgeting. A sign that he was trying to hide his anxiousness. He was probably worried that he would say ¡¯no¡¯.


    But how could he do that? Especially when Shen Ji Yun had that kind of expression on his face. He looked so pitiful, like a little puppy with his ears down. If he said ¡¯no¡¯, he was afraid that he might even cry.


    The longer he remained silent, the more agitated Shen Ji Yun looked. At the end, to relieve him from further torture, Luo Yan said, "Okay."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s expressionpletely brightened. If he was indeed a puppy, then his ears would be perked up by now and his tail would definitely be wagging happily. With that, Luo Yan could basically confirm that this guy was really thinking of their little excursion to this ce as some kind of ¡¯date¡¯. But he had no intention of revealing the other¡¯s little abacus. In truth, if he just asked if head on, he would probably agree with no qualms whatsoever.


    "I already have the map of the whole Tropical Land. Let¡¯s go directly to the main office," Shen Ji Yun said, his voice couldn¡¯t hide his excitement.


    Luo Yan almostughed because of that. Then, as they walked, he suddenly remembered something.


    Wouldn¡¯t they suppose to go back to the moon elves¡¯ vige to get their reward for the ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯ task before going here?

 Chapter 355 WHATS NIGHTCLOUD CP?

    LUO YAN stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s usually expressionless face that was now filled with excitement. Anyone could see that he was really looking forward to this. He shook his head and smiled. Never mind. Just let him be happy. They could just go back to the vigeter or tomorrow. It¡¯s not like the reward would ran off by itself.


    Shen Ji Yun stopped in front of a building that looked like a high-ss stable. "Let¡¯s go and rent horses. This way, it would be easier for us to go from one ce to another," he said when he noticed the curious look Luo Yan gave him.


    Luo Yan nodded. That¡¯s actually a good idea since at one nce, anyone could tell howrge the area this amus.e.m.e.nt park upied.


    They walked inside and a male NPC who looked like a stable hand quickly approached them.


    "Two guests, how may I help you?"


    "We¡¯re here to rent two horses," Shen Ji Yun said, showing the golden bracelet he had to the NPC.


    Luo Yan also did the same.


    Seeing the golden bracelets they¡¯re wearing, the NPC became more respectful. Which Luo Yan found a bit funny. So, in the face of money, even NPCs would treat you much better.


    "We have a variety of horses the two guests could choose from. If you¡¯ll just follow me."


    They followed the NPC while looking at the different horses inside.


    Shen Ji Yun stopped in front of two horses ¨C one was pure ck and the other was pure white. "We¡¯ll take these two."


    He actually wanted to ride on one horse with Luo Yan. His rabbit would sit in front and then he would sit at the back, enveloping him in his arms. But that would be a little bit too obvious of him. Luo Yan would definitely discover his true purpose.


    He turned to Luo Yan with an apologetic expression. "Sorry if I chose a horse for you. If you want to ride another horse, it¡¯s okay to choose a different one."


    "It¡¯s okay. I think this horse is good," Luo Yan said, stroking the white horse¡¯s mane.


    The horse neighed and licked his palm which made Luo Yanughed.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at this scene and couldn¡¯t help but take a screenshot. Of course, he did it stealthily so Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t notice it. Satisfied, he closed his Status Window. Now, he had another photo added to his secret stash of Yan Yan collection ¨C a photo collection of all the screen shots of Luo Yan he secretly took.


    After confirming the horses they wanted, they gently led the horses out of the stable. Once outside, they rode the horse they picked.


    ncing at Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun nodded in appreciation. Just as he thought, this white horse suited his rabbit quite well. With his long white hair flowing behind his back and the white robe he was wearing, he looked like a beautiful immortal that couldn¡¯t be tainted by any dark things in the world.


    Luo Yan turned to him, a smile on his face. "Let¡¯s go?"


    Shen Ji Yun led them to the direction of the main office, riding on the horse at a steady pace.


    As they did, they passed by a lot of yers. And, of course, Shen Ji Yun being all famous and all, a lot of them stopped on their way and just stared at them. Different conversations drifted to their ears.


    "Hey, isn¡¯t that YUN?"


    "You¡¯re right! Oh my god, he looked like a prince riding on that horse!"


    "He¡¯s so handsome!"


    "But what is he doing here?"


    "Can¡¯t you see that he¡¯s with someone? Look! It¡¯s that white-haired elf who has been in the forum a couple of times."


    "Is he really a guy? Why is he so beautiful? As a girl, his face is making me feel so disheartened."


    "You¡¯re not asking the right question here. Why are they together?"


    "I heard a rumor that the white-haired elf, what was his name? Noctis! I heard that he¡¯s a new member of Yunyue."


    "Really? Then, is Yunyue recruiting new members again? Are they going to participate on the next season of Arcadia Cup?"


    "I think it¡¯s more interesting to know if the two of them are on a date."


    "I think they are. Why else would they be here?"


    "True. Who doesn¡¯t know about YUN¡¯s indifference? Do you think such a cold person would go here unless he¡¯s with the person he likes?"


    "Are you following Catnip¡¯s Weibo? She actually has a lot of fan-arts of them. She even has a name for their CP ¨C the NightCloud CP!"


    "Yes, I¡¯ve seen that! I thought they only looked cute together because Catnip drew them that way. But seeing the real people, I must agree that they really suit each other."


    "Right? I think so as well."


    "Let¡¯s take a picture of them and post it on the forum! I bet it would be a big hit."


    "Let¡¯s poprize the NightCloud CP!"


    "Then we should take a lot of pictures of them."


    Hearing all that, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face had already turned into a ripe tomato. He was extremely embarrassed, thinking of what Luo Yan would think hearing all those things about them. But at the same time, he also felt secretly happy inside. Because these people thought that he and his rabbit suited each other. How could he not be happy?


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, had another focus. Hearing the word ¡¯fan-art¡¯, he remembered what Eclipse told him before. About Shen Ji Yun letting that one yer ¨C a cat girl beastkin if he remembered correctly - make a fan-art of them and telling her to make them appear close to each other.


    He had never had the chance to check that so-called fan-art because he didn¡¯t really think anything of it. He didn¡¯t even ask Eclipse if he heard the girl¡¯s Weibo. But listening to those people, it seemed those fan-arts were already getting a bit of fame.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, what¡¯s NightCloud CP?"


    Shen Ji Yunpletely froze at his question.

 Chapter 356 REALLY ADORABLE

    LUO YAN observed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s reaction, not leaving a single micro-expression go unnoticed. He saw the other¡¯s body stiffened like a block of ice. Then his eyes became erratic and suddenly filled with nervousness. He could even see a trace of guilt. But what were you guilty about?


    Shen Ji Yun was indeed feeling guilty. How could he exin that this ¡¯NightCloud¡¯ was the CP name of him and Luo Yan¡¯s game avatars? In the first ce, would his rabbit even know what CP meant? He didn¡¯t even know what it meant until he did some research.


    Then there was his attitude of condoning this CP. He even went so far as creating a Weibo ount and crazily reposting all the fan-arts made by that girl Catnip. And in his every repost he would write things like; ¡¯Noctis and YUN should be together forever¡¯, ¡¯NightCloud is not just a CP, it¡¯s a way of life¡¯, things like that. Then he would also save the fan-arts made by Catnip in a special folder.


    Now, that he thought about it more clearly, his actions were a tad bit creepy. If his rabbit knew about it, wouldn¡¯t he be scared of him? He might evenpare him to some deluded stalker. He almost had a pained expression thinking of that. He probably should have stopped before his actions became a habit, but he couldn¡¯t.


    Logging into Weibo, checking the fan-arts, then reposting and praising it was something he had been doing since he discovered Catnip¡¯s ount. Soon, he didn¡¯t even notice that it had slowly became a habit for him. A very bad one at that. It¡¯s like he was indulging in the illusion that those fan-arts created. The illusion of him being the closest person to Luo Yan. That the two of them were together and in love. As if it was a drug he couldn¡¯t get rid of and slowly being addicted to its effect.


    Truly embarrassing. If he let Luo Yan knew about this, he might bebeled as ¡¯strange¡¯. Even he, himself, thought it was strange. Then his rabbit might really ran away from him,pletely cutting off whatever rtionship they had. Just thinking about it could make his heart ached in an unbearable pain. So, no, he must do everything so Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t discover his small vest.


    Luo Yan witnessed all the change in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. From the initial worry to guilt to frustration to hurt and to thest determination, he saw it all. Luo Yan suddenly felt a bit funny. Just what the heck was Shen Ji Yun thinking that he had shown so many expressions in just a span of a few seconds? He wondered what was going on in that head of his. But he felt like he already had an answer.


    He was probably overthinking things and making something simple into something veryplicated. He had long noticed that Shen Ji Yun would often overplicate things. Especially when it had something to do with Luo Yan. With this, he slowly understood one thing. That Shen Ji Yun was harboring a little degree of insecurity inside him. It was well-hidden, but it was there. Lurking somewhere inside him.


    No one would probably ever think that such a young man who was handsome, rich, and smart would have any kind of insecurities. If Luo Yan wasn¡¯t paying attention to Shen Ji Yun, he probably wouldn¡¯t even notice it himself.


    Generally, the source of insecurity for people, no matter how small, usually stemmed in their childhood. If a child felt theck of security and love, it would definitely have an effect as they grew up. He knew that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s situation was exactly something that could cause a thing like this to happen.


    A child who lost his father at a young age. His mother was still alive but his guardianship was somehow given to his uncle instead. These things could definitely have an effect on a child¡¯s mentality.


    Luo Yan was not exactly familiar on all the details involving Shen Ji Yun¡¯s situation. He probably only knew what was on the surface. And of course, he wouldn¡¯t ask Shen Ji Yun about it. First, he didn¡¯t have the right to do that. Second, he didn¡¯t want to be the one to dig up the other¡¯s wound. Andstly, he hoped that it would be Shen Ji Yun who would open up to him on his own volition.


    If he opened up to him, tell him all his worries and agonies, he would not only listen, he would also do his best to lessen his pain. If he could give him the security that he needed, he would.


    But he knew that this was not the right time. He wasn¡¯t even ready yet himself. So, how dare he be presumptuous? His action would just most likely hurt the other.


    Seeing Shen Ji Yun¡¯splicated expressions, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. He truly wanted to tease the other. His heart was already itching for it. But thinking of the guy¡¯s psychological activity right now, he held himself back and decided to let him off just this once.


    He was about to speak but Shen Ji Yun beat him to it.


    "It¡¯s nothing. Just some messy things that a yer made up."


    Luo Yan narrowed his eyes at the other¡¯s obvious lie. [Brother Ji Yun, I already decided to let you off. Why are you making my heart itch again? You¡¯re forcing me to tease you.]


    And he couldn¡¯t help but sigh once again.


    Shen Ji Yun tightened his hold on the reins of the horse he was riding when he heard Luo Yan sigh again. Did he find out that he was just making excuses? What if this made him think that he was just being perfunctory and not taking his question seriously? Would he be annoyed at him?


    At his panicked state, he ended up blurting, "It¡¯s the pair name of our game avatars!"


    Luo Yan blinked a couple of times, looking a bit unbelieving at Shen Ji Yun. He already had a guess in his mind when he heard the name ¡¯NightCloud¡¯. Night was from his game name Noctis while the Cloud part was from YUN. He just didn¡¯t expect that Shen Ji Yun would really admit it to him.


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh. Then he moved his horse beside Shen Ji Yun¡¯s. He reached out his hand and pinched the other¡¯s cheek. "Brother Ji Yun is really adorable."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes widened. Then his whole face automatically turned into a bright red color.


    This scene was directly seen by the other yers staring at the two. They all couldn¡¯t wait to take a screenshot of this scene. Surely, the topic of YUN and Noctis going on a date at Tropical Land would be all over the game forum by tomorrow.

 Chapter 357 INDIRECT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    SHEN JI YUN didn¡¯t expect such a reaction from Luo Yan. He thought he would be confused or even shocked when he found out the meaning of ¡¯NightCloud CP¡¯. He never thought he wouldugh and even proceed on calling him ¡¯adorable¡¯. Could it be, he didn¡¯t understand what he said?


    His flushed face slowly regained its normal color and he asked hesitantly, "Yan Yan, did you understand what I said?"


    Luo Yan smiled. He had already guessed what the other was thinking. This guy was probably confused with his reaction.


    "Of course. NightCloud is the name given by other yers to the pairing of our avatars. It¡¯s like the pairing names that people give to celebrities that they wanted to be a couple." He tilted his head. "Brother Ji Yun, does that mean they want us to be a couple?"


    Shen Ji Yun almost became tongue-tied. He didn¡¯t know how to answer or how to exin it to Luo Yan. "T-they don¡¯t. There are just those who love to pair people up because they think they look good together. But they don¡¯t really think that they should be a couple."


    That¡¯s already the best exnation he could give. Actually, he also didn¡¯t understand those people. When he found the Weibo ount of Catnip, there were a lot of words in thements under the fan-arts that he couldn¡¯t understand. He didn¡¯t even know back then what ¡¯CP¡¯ meant. It took him almost all night to slowly adapt and understand the meaning of those online jargons.


    Really, people could make up the weirdest terms and yet still have it make sense. This showed how imaginativeizens could be.


    "Oh? Then, does that mean that in other people¡¯s eyes we look good together?"


    Shen Ji Yun became speechless again. When he looked at Luo Yan, he saw the yfulness dancing in those big blue eyes. And he finally realized that his rabbit was teasing him. Probably he had been teasing him since earlier. He was just too oblivious to notice.


    He had already noticed Luo Yan¡¯s habit of teasing him. Which he, most often than not, wouldn¡¯t realize until the teasing was already over and he ended up with a flushed face and an unsteady heartbeat. That¡¯s why every time, he would be unprepared. But he didn¡¯t mind, really. Because at least with his teasing, he could receive a bit of sugar from him from time to time. Yes, that word ¡¯sugar¡¯ he also learned from thoseizens. Which was really apt if he must say.


    "Maybe that was indeed the case," he just chose to say at the end to prevent him from teasing him again. If Luo Yan continued to feed him with sugar, maybe at the end of this day he¡¯d have an overdose.


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised. And here he was waiting for Shen Ji Yun to blush again. It seemed that someone was also starting to learn a little bit. He just smiled and didn¡¯t say anything.


    As they continued on their way, Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help but look back at the conversation they just had. Despite knowing that people were pairing them up, Luo Yan didn¡¯t show any annoyance. He even had a yful attitude about it. Then, did that mean that he wasn¡¯t against same-s.e.x couples?


    He really wanted to know the answer to that.


    He once again felt nervous. Maybe he even felt a bit of fear. Because Luo Yan¡¯s answer could simply make or break him. But he knew that at the end, he would still ask. So, he might as well get it over it.


    He took a deep breath and asked, "Yan Yan, what do you think of two boys falling in love with each other? Do you think it¡¯s wrong and disgusting?"


    After he asked that, he felt his heart beating really fast. It was not the same as when Luo Yan made his heart beat faster. This kind of heartbeat was akin to someone riding on a car that was about to crash on a truck. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down.


    If he had looked at Luo Yan, then he would have seen the other with a slight surprised expression at first and then a meaningful smile crossing his lips.


    "No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong. And I most definitely don¡¯t think it¡¯s disgusting."


    Hearing that answer, Shen Ji Yun sharply turned to Luo Yan. "R-really?"


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun. It seemed that the tightly bound nerves in his body was slowly unraveling because of his answer. He actually didn¡¯t expect him to ask that question. It must have taken a lot of his courage to make himself ask that. Luo Yan understood his mentality when he asked that question. He probably felt like hanging on a cliff and depending on his answer, he could either climbed up or let himself fall. So, it¡¯s only right to give him an honest answer.


    Luo Yan shed the innocence in his eyes and looked straight at Shen Ji Yun. He wanted to show him that what he was about to say next was what he truly thought. That he understood his question and that this was his answer.


    "Yes. I don¡¯t think love should be confined in things like gender or even a person¡¯s status in society. People should be free to love who they want to love and not be judged for it. So, no, Brother Ji Yun, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with two men loving each other."


    Shen Ji Yun felt like something just squeezed his heart. He could even feel a stinging in his eyes, as if drops of tears would fall from it at any second. There was also a lump in his throat, preventing him to reply back immediately.


    Luo Yan¡¯s answer was like an indirect acknowledgment of his own feelings. It¡¯s like he was telling him that what he was feeling was not wrong nor was it disgusting. He felt immeasurable happiness upon hearing that answer.


    He looked down and with a hoarse voice he said, "Thank you, Yan Yan."


    His rabbit only smiled as if he understood the reason behind his gratitude.


    They continued on in their journey in silence until they reached the main office of the amus.e.m.e.nt park.

 Chapter 358 inquiring about lhoris

    WHEN they got off their horses, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help secretly ncing at Shen Ji Yun. Although the other was still as expressionless as ever, but one could easily see if they just looked closely that he was brimming with happiness. Luo Yan also couldn¡¯t help but smile because of that.


    He knew that it was because of the answer he gave him earlier. Maybe it was something that had been eating at him for quite a while now. After all, liking someone of the same gender was not something thatmon. It was something that could incite negative reactions from a lot of people.


    Knowing Shen Ji Yun, he was probably worrying about a lot of things. Like how his feelings would be viewed not only by society but most importantly by his family and friends. How, if they get together, would he protect him from the judgement of people. And Luo Yan was sure that there was still a lot ofplicated things running inside that head of his.


    Shen Ji Yun probably couldn¡¯t even talk about his feelings to anyone. Not his uncle and certainly not Bai Ze. After all, his closest friend was the cousin of the person he fell for. No matter how close they were, Bai Ze would not just happily give him his support. So, Shen Ji Yun could only keep his feelings within him. Luo Yan could imagine how stressful would that be.


    That¡¯s why the answer he gave him was probably akin to a driftwood given to a person close to drowning. With his assurance, the worry and fear he had been feeling was probably reduced by a lot. Thus, he could exude this much happiness. And Luo Yan was d for that.


    Luo Yan was indeed correct. Those were the reasons why Shen Ji Yun was feeling all giddy and joyful. In fact, hearing Luo Yan say those things almost made him confess to him right there and then. Good thing he managed to stop himself. He didn¡¯t want to tell Luo Yan his feelings about him inside the game.


    If he confessed, then he must do it in reality. How could he do it in a virtual world? He wanted a sense of reality. Where he was standing before Luo Yan, looking at his peach blossom eyes, and telling him all the emotions that had been brewing inside his heart ¨C that¡¯s what he wanted to do. For that he needed a lot of preparation. Something that would not lose to those famous proposals he found online.


    Because his rabbit only deserved the best.


    They entered the main office. Inside, one could see the same colorful designs that were prevalent in the amusement park. Of course, the sun and rainbow logo ¨C which was the symbol of Tropical Land ¨C was also disyed on the wall. They headed straight on the receptionist desk.


    "Good day, dear guests, what can I do for you?" the female NPC asked.


    "Hi. We¡¯re looking for one of your employees. His name is Lhoris and he¡¯s a moon elf just like me," Luo Yan said. "Could you please direct us to which part of Tropical Land he¡¯s working and we could just go there ourselves."


    The NPC appeared thoughtful, as if she was thinking if she should do their request of not.


    Seeing her reaction, Luo Yan knew that he probably didn¡¯t say the right keywords that¡¯s why she was hesitating. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, an extremely worried expression appeared on his face.


    "The Elder in our vige sent a message to him. It¡¯s very important. The Elder said that if I don¡¯t deliver this message, Mr. Lhoris¡¯ life might be in danger," he said in a very distressed tone. "Please, could you help us?"


    The female NPC appeared to be affected by his words. Because she quickly said, "Okay. Please, wait, I will immediately check our database."


    Luo Yan secretly smiled.


    He suddenly realized how good he was at things like these. After ying the VR version of the game, he hadn¡¯t really fully shown his skills as an Assassin and instead, he had been utilizing his acting skills more. The yers who knew about him only knew him as that beautiful yer who got a special race and was now connected to Yunyue. None of them haven¡¯t seen his ying skill as an Assassin.


    If it were before, Luo Yan would probably feel a bit down. After all, he did decide to y so he could get back the glory he had as the number one Assassin on the PvP list back when the game was still in its PC version. But now, he had been enjoying ying this VR version a little bit too much that he had already forgotten his initial intention. Not to mention that because of this game, he had met and got to know a lot of great people.


    Of course, that included Shen Ji Yun.


    But no matter, he would have the chance to finally show-off his skills at the Rookie Carnival. After he won that - yes, he¡¯s shamelessly iming that now ¨C he would make his way onto the PvPdder. His umting fame would only add prestige to team Yunyue. And everyone would know, how formidable Yunyue version 2.0 was.


    "I apologize, dear guests," the voice of the female NPC cut the thoughts of Luo Yan. "It seems like this person name Lhoris resigned a little more than just a week ago."


    Luo Yan¡¯s expression almost crack when he heard that. Lhoris resigned? Then what was the point of them going to this ce? No- wait, more than a week ago? "What day a week ago did he resign?" he asked the NPC for rification.


    "On Sunday, the 22nd of September," she answered.


    That was the day they awoken Dusk!


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun and the other also turned to him. Both of them could mostly see what the other was thinking at that moment.


    That moon elf, Lhoris, most definitely ran off the moment the ck dragon in the Silent Marsh awakened.

 Chapter 359 tropical land

    "IF that Lhoris resigned on the same day that we awoke Dusk, then there¡¯s no doubt that he felt the dragon¡¯s awakening," Luo Yan said when they walked out of the main office. "That alone was evidence enough that he was, in some way, connected to the dragon. Maybe he even knows the reason why Dusk was slumbering away in that cave."


    "So, all the more reason we should find him," Shen Ji Yun said, agreeing to everything Luo Yan just said. "He had been working here for years. There¡¯s no way none of the people here wouldn¡¯t know anything about him. Maybe one of them could tell us where he went after he resigned."


    "I believe so as well." Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Then Brother Ji Yun, should we check the rides and attractions here as we go along searching for information about Lhoris?"


    Because ording to the female NPC they just talked to, Lhoris didn¡¯t have a specific ride or attraction where he worked. He was like one of those jack-of-all trades who provided help and support to any parts of the park that needed it. So, really, they had no choice but to go around the park.


    "We could?" Shen Ji Yun asked with an unbelieving expression on his face.


    Luo Yan smiled amusedly. "Yes. Didn¡¯t Brother Ji Yun say that after we found the moon elf, we could go around the amusement park? And since Lhoris is apparently not here, we could as well take this opportunity to have fun while looking for information about him. What do you think?"


    "Yes, we should do that," Shen Ji Yun readily agreed, looking like a kid who just had been given his favorite candy.


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing him like that. "Then where should we first go?"


    Shen Ji Yun already checked the whole area of the amusement park a week ago. Tropical Land was divided into five areas.


    Dream Land which was located at the very center. One of its prominent features was the fairytale themed castle. There was a train there that was designed to travel around the area epassing Dream Land. This location was also where the nightly electric-light themed parade happened, apanied by floats and dancers. A carousel ride could also be found here.


    On the south-eastern area was the Mystery Land. It¡¯s most famous ride was the Mystery Coaster where the ride entered dark tunnels in which ghost and other phantoms or monsters would appear to intentionally scare the people riding on the coaster. There was also a giant ice mountain where abyrinth was located. A cart ride was provided to anyone who wanted to explore thebyrinth. This area also had an amphitheater where different stage shows could be watched.


    Wild Land was on the north-eastern part of the park. This was the home to river rapids and river cruise rides. There were volcano river rapids where people could ride a boat and go down those rapids. Another one was a cruise ship that could amodate a lot of passengers. This cruise ship would go around a tropical jungle area and would also provide a lot of entertainment on board.


    The one located at the north-western part of the park was called Adventure Land. One of its prominent features was the underwater coaster which goes into underwater tunnels. Not only would it provide thrills, it would also provide a great view of the sea bed. One could also go to a pirate boat ride in this area. Rides like swinging ship and giant drop ride could also be found here.


    Andstly, Space Land could be found at the south-western part of the park. Features like a water fountain za where people could meet and watch several fountains that activate during certain parts of the day could be found here. And of course, the most famous ride ¨C the Ferris Wheel was also here.


    Shen Ji Yun took out a map of Tropical Land from his Items Tab and showed it to Luo Yan. ???This is the map of the whole amusement park. How about we start here at Dream Land then go to Mystery Land after? We will go counter-clockwise and finish at Space Land. What do you think?"


    This way, they could ride the Ferris wheel as the veryst ride.


    Luo Yan looked down at the map. It¡¯s very detailed andprehensive. The name of each areas was written, as well as the name of the different rides and attractions. He looked at the center area which was called ¡¯Dream Land¡¯ and then at the area called ¡¯Space Land¡¯. The ring letters ¡¯Ferris wheel¡¯ could be seen at thetter. He couldn¡¯t help but secretly smile. Because he already had an idea what Shen Ji Yun was thinking about.


    He raised his head and said, "Okay, let¡¯s do that."


    They rode their horses and traveled towards the center area where Dream Land was located. There were still a few distance away but Luo Yan could already see the fairytale themed castle. It looked like one of those castles on those famous fairytale movies.


    They jumped off from the horses they were riding and tied its reins on the provided area for horses. Just like a parking lot or something. There was a scanner there where one could swipe the bracelet provided by the amusement park. This way, it could prevent people from taking horses that they didn¡¯t rent.


    "Should we just ask all the NPCs we came across with?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Let¡¯s do that," Shen Ji Yun agreed.


    As they started walking, he noticed a stall on the side selling cute animal ears. His eyes immediately zeroed on the white rabbit ears.


    "Yan Yan, wait a minute here."


    Luo Yan automatically stopped. Then he saw Shen Ji Yun running towards a stall. He became curious and a bit confused at the same time. He wondered if he saw something important or what. A few minutester, Shen Ji Yun came running back. He looked like he was holding something behind him. Before he could ask what that was, he suddenly felt something being put on his head.


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down at Luo Yan with a white rabbit ears on top of his head. He couldn¡¯t help the bright smile that appeared on his face.


    "Cute."

 Chapter 360 absolutely dashing

    SEEING the gaze of Shen Ji Yun as if he was looking at some kind of treasure and hearing him call him ¡¯cute¡¯, Luo Yan suddenly had a bad premonition. He raised his hand at the top of his head and he immediately touched something fluffy. He sharply turned towards the direction where Shen Ji Yun ran off to earlier. And there, he saw a stall selling animal ear headbands. Considering this guy¡¯s weird love for rabbits, he already had an idea what kind of animal ear was on his head right now.


    His face was suddenly filled with ck lines. He suddenly didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh of be annoyed. But looking at those bright amethyst eyes staring at him as if he was really the most adorable person in the world, he didn¡¯t have it in him to burst his bubble. So, he could only retaliate in another way.


    "Brother Ji Yun, it¡¯s not fair if I¡¯m the only one who has this. Let me get one for you too, okay?" he said, smiling at him.


    The oblivious Shen Ji Yun quickly agreed. "Oh, you don¡¯t have to ask the NPC selling on the stall about the moon elf. I¡¯ve already asked her and she didn¡¯t know anything," he said, thinking that Luo Yan might go and ask the NPC about it.


    "Got it. Then Brother Ji Yun should also stay here and wait for me."


    After he said that, Luo Yan ran towards the stall. Few girls who were there buying a headband made way for him for some reason. He didn¡¯t take too much notice of it and nced around the stall, looking for the right headband for Shen Ji Yun. Aside from animal ear themed headbands, there were also symbols and words themed headbands. Not only that, there were also different shaped eyesses.


    He couldn¡¯t find the right headband. After all, Shen Ji Yun had those two horns on top of his head. If he put a headband on, it might not even be that noticeable. How could it be a revenge then?


    He unintentionally nced at one of the girls. She just wore a star shaped sses and suddenly a small starlight appeared on both sides of the sses. Then it disappeared and appeared again in a specific interval. Luo Yan¡¯s eyes brightened.


    He nced around the stall again and then picked a heart shaped sses that had clear lenses. He didn¡¯t want to pick those that had ck lenses because if he did, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to see Shen Ji Yun¡¯s beastlike amethyst colored eyes.


    "What effect does these sses have?" he asked the female NPC in charge of the stall.


    "Small red hearts would appear every time the wearer blinks," she answered.


    Luo Yan smiled, these sses were perfect. "I¡¯ll get this one."


    Then he showed the NPC his golden bracelet.


    Seeing that, she nodded. "Dear guest, do you want to put your purchase in a bag?"


    "No thanks."


    Luo Yan was about to turn and ran back to Shen Ji Yun when one of the girls who made way for him earlier suddenly spoke.


    "Excuse me, you¡¯re Noctis, right?" she asked tentatively, as if not sure if he was indeed that.


    Luo Yan turned to the girl, two other girls were standing beside her. He smiled. "That¡¯s right."


    The three girls all blushed.


    The one on the left excitedly asked, "Are you really a new member of Yunyue?"


    "Are you here on a date with YUN?" the one on the right who had star shaped sses asked almost at the same time. Stars kepting out, a sign that she was currently constantly blinking.


    "Yes, on the first one. And I¡¯ll leave it to your imagination for the second," he said, following it up with a mysterious smile. "I hope you enjoy your day,dies."


    Then he turned around and ran back to Shen Ji Yun, hearing the excited squeals of the three girls behind.


    "I¡¯m back, Brother Ji Yun," he said, hiding the sses he bought behind him.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "What did you talk about with those three girls?"


    Luo Yan blinked and then smiled. Even though Shen Ji Yun was still expressionless when he asked that question, he could still hear the sour tone in his voice. This guy was definitely being a vinegar jar again.


    Shen Ji Yun was indeed feeling a bit jealous right now. When he saw those girls stopping Luo Yan and then seeing Luo Yan smiling and those girls blushing, he almost rushed forward and pulled his rabbit back. But he stopped himself. Because he knew that showing such a propriety attitude when those girls hadn¡¯t really done anything offensive was simply not right. Luo Yan would definitely not like it. So, he could only stay where he stood and slowly soak in vinegar.


    "Nothing. They just asked if I¡¯m ¡¯Noctis¡¯ and if I¡¯m really a new member of Yunyue," Luo Yan answered. "Anyway, Brother Ji Yun, look at what I bought you." He showed him the heart shaped sses. So, the other would no longer feel too sour. Then he raised it towards the other, acting all cute ¨C raising his head and blinking his big eyes. "Try it?"


    As expected, Shen Ji Yun totally forgot that he was currently feeling jealous and all his attention focused on Luo Yan. Looking up at him like that with those white rabbit ears on top of his head, he looked absolutely adorable. He just wanted to stare at him forever. But he knew he couldn¡¯t do that. So, he transferred his attention on the sses Luo Yan was handing onto him.


    It was heart shaped and had clear lenses. He already prepared his heart for some kind of animal ear headband. So, a pair of sses was certainly a huge improvement. He leaned down, so Luo Yan could put the sses on him.


    When the sses were perched on his nose, he stood up straight and asked hesitantly, "Is it okay?"


    As Shen Ji Yun asked that, he also blinked which produced two floating red hearts on both sides. Luo Yan had to bit his lower lip so that he wouldn¡¯t burst outughing.


    And he said instead, "You look absolutely dashing."

 Chapter 361 spoiling you

    SHEN JI YUN would have blushed by now after hearing such apliment from Luo Yan. But coincidentally, he saw two small red hearts appearing on his peripheral vision. He was startled at first. But then he noticed that the hearts would appear every time he blinked. He quickly connected it to the sses he was wearing. And seeing how Luo Yan looked like he was holding in hisughter, he knew that he must looked really ridiculous right now.


    This was probably Luo Yan being ck-bellied again and retaliating against him for making him wear a rabbit ear headband. He shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter if these sses made him look like a fool or something. If it could make his rabbitugh, then he didn¡¯t care.


    The corner of his lips curved up. He didn¡¯t even notice how pampering and spoiling his smile was. "Thank you. I also think Yan Yan is very cute."


    Luo Yan was a bit disappointed that he didn¡¯t see Shen Ji Yun blushing and panicking. He didn¡¯t evenin about the sses. Even though he was plenty sure that the other had seen those small red hearts floating on both sides of his face. But instead, he just smiled at him. That kind of smile as if silently telling him that he could do anything and he would simply amodate him.


    [You¡¯ll spoiled me rotten, you know?]


    But he didn¡¯t say that aloud and instead frowned. "Brother Ji Yun, calling a man cute is not right. I¡¯d rather you call me handsome."


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan¡¯s face full of indignation. Even when frowning, he still looked cute. Especially because of the white rabbit ears on top of his head. But he still said seriously, "Yan Yan is very handsome."


    Even though he knew he was just being perfunctory, Luo Yan was still satisfied.


    "Shall we start asking the NPCs manning the stalls around before we enter the castle area?" he asked.


    "Let¡¯s do that," Shen Ji Yun agreed.


    With that, the two of them started going around the stalls. The first one was a stall selling crepes. Of course, Luo Yan had to buy one for himself. The stall lets you customized any vors you want. So, he picked coconut spread, fresh berries, whipped cream and powdered sugar. He also personally picked one for Shen Ji Yun. And since he knew the other didn¡¯t have a sweet tooth, he chose mango slices with goat cheese, almond, and basil.


    He bit into the crepe he bought. The sweetness immediately spread in his mouth. It was so good he had to bite one more time. Once satisfied, he finally asked the NPC what they needed to ask.


    "Excuse me, do you know a moon elf named Lhoris? He had been working here until a little more than a week ago."


    The male NPC selling crepes stopped and then thought for a while before shaking his head. "I¡¯m sorry dear guests but I don¡¯t know anyone by that name."


    "It¡¯s okay," he said.


    They walked away from the stall. As they did, Luo Yan bit down again on the crepe he was holding.


    "Well, that¡¯s a no go. At least the crepe is delicious." He nced at Shen Ji Yun and he found that the other already ate a third of the crepe he chose for him. "Do you like the vors I picked for you, Brother Ji Yun?"


    "Yes, it¡¯s good," Shen Ji Yun answered without hesitation. How could it not be good when Luo Yan chose it for him himself? "Want to try some?" he added, handing him his crepe.


    Luo Yan looked down at the crepe handed to him and then at the guy who seemed oblivious with his own action. He probably didn¡¯t even think that much when he offered it to him. He just simply wanted him to taste the food he¡¯s eating. He wasn¡¯t even aware that his simple action was almost simr to flirting. It just showed howfortable he was with him.


    He just smiled, leaned down, and bit on the crepe. The sweet and salty vor slowly melted in his mouth. It was certainly something even someone who didn¡¯t like sweets would love.


    He raised his head and looked at Shen Ji Yun. Then he licked the whipped cream left on his lips. "Delicious."


    Shen Ji Yun froze for a moment, his gaze almost glued on that pink tongue. A lot of things that he probably shouldn¡¯t be thinking suddenly shed in his mind. Realizing what he was just doing, his whole face quickly turned red. He shook his head sharply and did his best to get those messy things out of his head.


    He took back the crepe. And then he just realized that Luo Yan just took a bite on a food that he was eating. If this was real life, wouldn¡¯t this be like one of those things he read online ¨C the famous ¡¯indirect kiss¡¯?


    "Brother Ji Yun?"


    With Luo Yan¡¯s call, Shen Ji Yun finally came back to his senses. "Let¡¯s go to the next one."


    He quickly moved forward so that Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t see his embarrassment.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s back and chuckled. Because even if the other tried to hide it, he had already seen how his face flushed red earlier. His teasing heart was finally satisfied by that reaction. He happily followed Shen Ji Yun.


    They went around, going from one stall to another. Eating all kinds of food. Sharing it with one another. But at the end, they still hadn¡¯t found any important information rted to Lhoris.


    The only thing Luo Yan was satisfied with was all the delicious food he had eaten. Because this was the virtual world, no matter how much he had eaten, he still didn¡¯t feel full. That meant that he could still eat a lot more foodter.


    "Going to a virtual amusement park certainly has its own perks," hemented. "At least here I could eat all the food I wanted."


    Shen Ji Yun quickly caught something from what Luo Yan said. That he had been to an amusement park. Which was not really surprising. But considering his ident, it had probably been long ago. He probably no longer remembered it. So, of course, his experience here would be better in his cognition.


    "When was thest time you went to an amusement park?" he thought of asking.


    "Almost two months ago," Luo Yan answered nonchntly. "It was a date."


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly stopped walking. "A date?"

 Chapter 362 i dont remember

    SHEN JI YUN was suddenly filled with gloom. He went on a date two months ago? With who? School hadn¡¯t started yet back then. So, who did he go with? An image of some unknown girl with no face walking with Luo Yan suddenly appeared in his mind. Just imagining that made him feel even gloomier.


    Luo Yan was about to enter the castle area when he noticed that Shen Ji Yun had stopped walking. He turned around and saw the other just standing there with a dark expression on his face. He was confused at first. It took a few seconds before realization kicked in.


    He remembered theirst conversation. Shen Ji Yun asked when was thest time he went to an amusement park. And he answered that it was two months ago and it was a date. So, the other¡¯s dark expression right now was most probably because he was overthinking things again.


    He was so smart and yet at times like this, it¡¯s like his brain just turned off automatically and he would think of the most outrageous thing. Right now, he was probably imagining some stuff that would just annoy him. Thus, the dark expression.


    A helpless smile appeared on Luo Yan¡¯s face. "It was a date with my Dad."


    Shen Ji Yun blinked. The gloom on his face instantly disappeared. As if the dark clouds on the sky parted and bright sunlight poured down. It was actually the case. Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mood really brightened when he heard what Luo Yan said. Then he realized how thoroughly stupid he had been.


    If he just stopped for a moment and thought about things carefully, he would have thought that Luo Yan could only go to the amusement park with his family at that moment of time. But instead, the moment he heard Luo Yan said the word ¡¯date¡¯, he immediately assumed the worst. He really should have fixed this habit of his.


    Shen Ji Yun walked towards Luo Yan and stood beside him. Then the two of them resumed walking towards the castle area.


    "So, it was with your father."


    "Yes. What did Brother Ji Yun think?" Luo Yan ask with a bit of teasing tone in his voice.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly had the illusion that Luo Yan knew exactly what he was thinking. But he quickly denied that. Because that would only work if Luo Yan knew his feelings about him. Which was obviously not the case. Luo Yan probably just thought that he was acting weird, that¡¯s why he asked that question.


    "Nothing. I just thought that your father must really spoil you a lot," he answered.


    Although that was not entirely the truth, he wasn¡¯t exactly lying either. He knew that the Luo family at S City was one of the leading family in terms of real estate business in the country. So, surely, a CEO like Luo Yan¡¯s father didn¡¯t have that much time to go around amusement parks. But if it was for his beloved son, then he would probably do everything to make time.


    "Well, even though I¡¯m not the baby of the family, they all spoil me to no end."


    When Luo Yan said that, his eyes were full of fondness. Showing just how much he loved his family.


    Shen Ji Yun already knew how much Luo Yan¡¯s family treasured him. He saw it during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Not to mention that little gnome who¡¯s almost like some kind of crazy dog guarding his master. There was also that big brother who seemed to be more difficult than the younger brother.


    If there ever came a time that he managed to make Luo Yan fell for him, then it would definitely be a big battle to convince them to ept his rtionship with Luo Yan. He could already imagine the possible carnage.


    "How about you, Brother Ji Yun, when was thest time you went to an amusement park date?"


    Luo Yan¡¯s sudden question effectively pulled Shen Ji Yun from his thoughts.


    "I¡¯ve never been to an amusement park date or any kind of dates for that matter," he quickly said before Luo Yan misunderstood something.


    Luo Yan was a bit startled by the sudden sharp retort. He was just nning to tease the other. He didn¡¯t expect that he would be so hurried in exining.


    He smiled teasingly. "Why? Brother Ji Yun is so handsome and smart. In TV series and books, you¡¯d definitely be one of those popr guys. Surely there were a lot of girls who would want to go on a date with you."


    "I don¡¯t want to go on a date with any of them," Shen Ji Yun said seriously before looking straight at him. "I¡¯d rather walk around in this ce with you."


    Luo Yan felt his heart skipped a beat hearing him say thatst part. It¡¯s like he was indirectly telling him that he preferred to be with him than with any other girl out there. It seemed like this guy¡¯s Casanova tendency was acting up again. He could feel his face heating up. But that was quickly interrupted by the two small red hearts that suddenly appeared at each sides of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face.


    He almost burst outughing at that moment. Seriously, those heart shaped sses were a great atmosphere destroyer. Now he regretted buying it just a tad bit.


    "I also enjoy walking around with Brother Ji Yun," he said with a sincere smile on his face.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly looked at the other side, scratching his nose and feeling a bit shy.


    "Then when was thest time Brother Ji Yun had been on an amusement park?" Luo Yan thought of asking as he looked around, searching for an NPC they could ask about Lhoris.


    At Luo Yan¡¯s question, an image of a family of three suddenly appeared in his mind. The man was tall with ck hair and ck eyes. The woman had long tinum blond hair and a pair of beautiful blue eyes. Both were smiling gently at the seven-year-old boy standing between them. The boy was also happily smiling up at them.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes suddenly turned hazy at that image. And he just found himself saying in a cold voice;


    "I don¡¯t remember."

 Chapter 363 where is tropical land?

    LUO YAN immediately heard the change in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice. He turned to the other and was shocked to see the dimness in those amethyst colored eyes. Before he could think, his body already moved. He stopped walking and reached out towards Shen Ji Yun, grasping the other¡¯s hand.


    "Are you okay, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun also stopped walking. He nced at Luo Yan. Seeing the other¡¯s worried look and feelings his hand holding his, he quickly returned from the memories that suddenly caught him. His cold gaze slowly softened as he gazed down at Luo Yan.


    "I¡¯m okay. I just thought of something," Shen Ji Yun, trying to sound nonchnt. As if his little gaffe was truly just nothing. "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to worry you."


    Luo Yan shook his head. "Was it because of the question I asked?"


    That could only be the reason behind the sudden change in Shen Ji Yun earlier. But there was nothing weird in that question. He just asked when was thest time he went to an amusement park. But despite that, it still triggered something in Shen Ji Yun. Luo Yan wondered what could it possibly be that made him show such a sad expression.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t answer. Not because he didn¡¯t want to, but because he was afraid. Afraid that if he answered Luo Yan truthfully, he would expose his wounds to him. Wounds that hadn¡¯t healed no matter how many years had passed.


    Luo Yan, of course, saw the hesitation in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. "If Brother Ji Yun doesn¡¯t want to answer, then that¡¯s fine. Just know that if you ever need someone to talk to, I¡¯ll always be here." His hold on his hand tightened. And then he raised his head and smiled at him. "Always."


    He let go of the other¡¯s hand and walked forward.


    He was actually feeling a bit disappointed. He wanted to lighten whatever problem Shen Ji Yun was experiencing. But how could he do that when he didn¡¯t know what it was? Although most of the time, he could easily read Shen Ji Yun¡¯s emotions, but there were still times when he couldn¡¯t. Just like right now. He was not a mind reader, after all.


    But he didn¡¯t want to force Shen Ji Yun. Because it wouldn¡¯t have any meaning even if he did. With the other¡¯s affection for him, he would definitely tell him anything if he insisted on it. But Luo Yan didn¡¯t want that. He wanted Shen Ji Yun to open up to him not because he was forced to but because he wanted to. Because that way, it would definitely be moreforting for Shen Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan¡¯s back. He truly wanted to tell him what¡¯s wrong, show him the scars hidden deep in his heart. But when he tried to, he found that he couldn¡¯t say anything. As if there¡¯s a big stone blocking his throat.


    It¡¯s not because he didn¡¯t trust Luo Yan. He just wasn¡¯t ready toy out all his wounds out in the open. Which was probably too cowardly of him. He smiled deprecatingly. Truly, how weak.


    Luo Yan nced back at him. "Brother Ji Yun, hurry up. Don¡¯t just dally there," he called.


    Seeing Luo Yan acting like nothing happened, Shen Ji Yun felt a bit relieved and very thankful. Although he couldn¡¯t tell Luo Yan about his past right now, he promised that one day, he would tell him everything ¨C all the beautiful memories, as well as the bad and the ugly ones. He would ally it out into the open for Luo Yan.


    But for now, there¡¯s still a task they needed to do.


    He ran forward towards Luo Yan.


    Luo Jin already had enough grinding levels. Once again, he proved just how cool his new guns were. He¡¯d definitely thank Yu Jiao personally once the holiday was over and school started.


    He wondered where he should go next. Since Luo Yan was doing some hidden task, he couldn¡¯t go to where he was. Then a certain person¡¯s game avatar suddenly entered his mind. You know, the one with short bubblegum pink hair and butterfly wings behind her back.


    He checked his friend list earlier, so he knew that Su Yuqi was online. If she was not doing some kind of task right now, then she¡¯s probably at their team¡¯s headquarters teasing that dragon again. So, at the end, he decided to just teleport there.


    When he opened his eyes, he was already standing before the ancient looking pce at the top of a mountain. He walked inside and went straight to the back garden where that dragon usually spent his time.


    The first time he saw that dragon, he was actually quite surprised. Not because it was a dragon, but because it looked so small for a dragon. Instead of a scary and legendary dragon, it was more like ck smander with wings. ording to Luo Yan, it was not the dragon??s real form. They just had to seal him because it kept on attacking them. And Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t want to return him to his normal size, at least not until he made a contract with it as his pet.


    He only scoffed at that. In this game, pets would assist their master in battle. He really couldn¡¯t understand what¡¯s the fun in that. Wasn¡¯t it more fun and interesting to crush your opponent using just your skills and power alone? It¡¯s like you¡¯re admitting those were not enough to defeat your opponents.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t include Luo Yan and his pet fox. His second brother could do whatever he wanted.


    Luo Jin just stepped one foot into the back garden when he heard that dragon screaming angrily again.


    "You brat! I swear once I get my full power back, I will incinerate you!"


    He didn¡¯t have to see what was going on to know that the dragon was referring to Su Yuqi. As if to confirm his guess, he heard her voice next;


    "Yeah, I know. You already said that a hundred of times already. Really, Dusk, you¡¯re beginning to sound like a broken record."


    Walking further, Luo Jin finally saw the dragon¡¯s current situation. He was attached to a tree with some kind of sticky green slime looking thing.


    "I could easily turn you back to your original form, you know?" Su Yuqi said.


    The dragon suddenly stopped struggling. "Really?"


    "Yes." Su Yuqi grinned. "But I won¡¯t do it."


    "You¡ª"


    Luo Jin wasn¡¯t sure but he thought he saw a vein popping on the little dragon¡¯s forehead.


    Blue mes suddenly came out from the dragon¡¯s mouth, obviously directed at Su Yuqi. But she quickly flew up and avoided it.


    "Hey, I told you, no burning the garden. For that, you have to be punished."


    She snapped her fingers and the dragon suddenly shut his mouth. Based on the way he was struggling, it was obviously not on his own volition. Which could only mean that it was caused by Su Yuqi.


    Shended perfectly in front of Luo Jin. "You¡¯re here. You don¡¯t have any task?"


    "No." Luo Jin nced at the poor dragon, then returned his gaze at Su Yuqi. "You know, one of these days, that dragon would surely die from too much stress."


    Su Yuqi only shrugged. "Then that means he¡¯s weak and doesn¡¯t deserve to be the pet of our captain."


    Luo Jin suddenly felt ufortable hearing Su Yuqi indirectlyplimenting Shen Ji Yun. So, he just changed the subject. "How about you, you don¡¯t have any task?"


    "Nah. Want to go dungeon raiding?"


    He was about to answer when Bai Ze suddenly came rushing somewhere.


    "Good, you two are here. You won¡¯t believe the crazy rumor I heard outside." When the two just stood there and looked at him, Bai Ze simply felt frustrated. "Come on, aren¡¯t you going to ask me what it was?"


    Su Yuqi looked at him with her usual indifference gaze. "If you want to tell us what it was, then just tell us. Stop with all the dramatics."


    Bai Ze did his best to suppress the urge to re at Su Yuqi. "I heard people talking that Ji Yun and Xiao Yan is currently at Tropical Land having a date. Crazy, right?"


    But Luo Jin didn¡¯t think it was crazy. In fact, he almost blew up when he heard it. "Brother Ze, where exactly is this Tropical Land?"

 Chapter 364 clues about lhoris

    FIFTEEN minutes had passed since they boarded the train going around the castle area. Luo Yan had no time to appreciate the view outside the train¡¯s window because both him and Shen Ji Yun were busy asking the NPCs working in the train. The two of them separated ¨C one went to the south side of the train and one went to the north side. This way, they could ask more NPCs at a short period of time. They decided to meet at the very middle. Which was the dining cart.


    Luo Yan was responsible for the south side. He already finished asking everyone and all that was left was the NPCs working in the kitchen. The dining cart was provided to yers who wanted to eat something while looking at the view outside. So, of course, there should be a kitchen.


    All the NPCs he talked to so far didn¡¯t provide any useful information. All of them seemed to not know who Lhoris was. Which was very weird since the other was a moon elf. He should be very eye-catching. He was not boasting, well, maybe just a tad bit, but all the moon elves he met were very beautiful, male and female alike. So, howe no one had noticed Lhoris?


    There was a possibility that he was disguising himself. But then, if he did, shouldn¡¯t the receptionist they talked to not find any information on their database regarding ¡¯Lhoris the moon elf¡¯? Because if Lhoris changed his appearance, then surely, he should also change his name. But he didn¡¯t. Or maybe he couldn¡¯t.


    What if all the NPCs working here were not allowed to give fake information before they could be hired? Maybe there¡¯s a system here that required them to give genuine information. Maybe the HR department of the amusement park asked their applicants to provide evidence of their identity before they could be hired. Like some kind of referral. In Lhoris¡¯ case, it might have been the Elder. Because why else would the Elder know that Lhoris was now working at Tropical Land?


    Now, once Lhoris was hired, he could finally disguise himself. Maybe he changed the color of his hair to blond to make him an ordinary elf. This way, the change wouldn¡¯t be too great that he would get the attention of the HR department. There¡¯s also a change that when interacting with people, he either not tell them his name or gave them a false name. If that was the case, then asking the NPCs in this ce about him might not be the best course of action.


    Luo Yan tsked in frustration. Maybe he should have asked the receptionist what Lhoris looked like. Or better yet, he should have asked the Elder about that guy¡¯s appearance. But he didn¡¯t think about it because he thought that the other was just an ordinary NPC that would give them the next clue for this hidden task. And he was confident that he would quickly recognize him because all moon elves had white hair.


    That was his mistake. He didn¡¯t think of the possibility that Lhoris might disguise himself, use another name, or even resign. He should have known that this hidden task wouldn¡¯t be so simple. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t. It involved a dragon, after all. It was his fault for not being thorough enough.


    He shook his head and decided to just talk about it with Shen Ji Yunter. Then both of them could analyze the situation and make a decision on what they should do next.


    But for now, he should talk to the kitchen staff first.


    Luo Yan walked into the kitchen area. He saw that the NPCs were really busy. But he still managed to stop one of them who seemed to be some sort of sous chef.


    "Excuse me, may I ask you a question?" he asked.


    The NPC seemed to want to scold him. But when he saw the golden bracelet he was wearing, he immediately became polite and amiable. Luo Yan raised one of his brows. It seemed that this VIP bracelet was really helpful.


    "What can I help you with, dear guest?"


    "Do you remember someone who temporarily worked here before, like for a day or a couple of days? He¡¯s an elf, very quiet and unassuming. He never got closed to anyone nor did he take the initiative to talk to others. And once he was done with his job here, he just left without saying anything. As if he had never been here at all."


    He added those details based on the assumptions he just made earlier. Luo Yan just hoped that he would get a helpful answer.


    The male NPC seemed to be contemting his questions. Then as if remembering something, his eyes widened and said, "Yes, there really seemed to be a person like that before. He¡¯s an elf who only worked here for three days."


    Luo Yan let out a sigh of relief. Finally. "What did he work here for?"


    "He was a dishwasher. Just like you said, he never spoke much. Only kept to himself."


    A dishwasher, huh? A guess suddenly entered his mind. "Do you remember what he looked like?"


    "Short blond hair. But he had long bangs that covered half of his face. He was also wearing a pair of ck sses, as if purposely hiding his eyes. But I identally saw them. They were transparent and very simr to a gem, like a pair of mirror. No, that¡¯s not it. They were more like a pair of diamonds. They were very eye-catching. So, even after he was no longer working here, I still remember him."


    Luo Yan got a lot of information from this short conversation. But it seemed that he couldn¡¯t get anything more, considering how Lhoris only worked here for three days. But what he learned was already enough.


    "Thank you. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore."


    After saying that, Luo Yan walked out of the kitchen area and went straight towards the dining cart.


    At this moment, Shen Ji Yun was also walking towards the dining cart when he received a message from Su Yuqi that made his expressionless face turned ck.


    Morganite: [We ¨C me, Luo Jin, and Bai Ze ¨C are going to Tropical Land. Are you and Luo Yan really there?]

 Chapter 365 having each others back (probably)

    YUN: [Why did you suddenly want to go to Tropical Land?]


    Shen Ji Yun replied back instead of answering Su Yuqi¡¯s question. Not long after, he received a reply back.


    Morganite: [Well, Bai Ze heard rumors that you and Luo Yan were on a date at Tropical Land and Luo Jin kind of went nuts, saying he wanted to go there. Bai Ze agreed on taking him and I decided to tag along.]


    ck lines appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t know who he should be annoyed at. Bai Ze who just couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut or Luo Jin for being such a pain in the ass as always.


    He hadn¡¯t replied back yet when Su Yuqi sent another message.


    Morganite: [Are you really on a date with Luo Yan? If you are, I could make sure that we won¡¯t run into you two once we entered Tropical Land.]


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit surprised when he read that. Because based on that, it could be seen that Su Yuqi was already suspecting his rtionship with Luo Yan. Wait- what¡¯s with the ¡¯suspecting¡¯ part? He and Luo Yan weren¡¯t even in that kind of rtionship. Well, at least not yet. For now, it¡¯s all just his wishful thinking.


    But Su Yuqi asking this question was almost tantamount to her telling him that she already knew about his feelings for Luo Yan. And the fact that she hadn¡¯t said anything until now meant that she had no ns on interfering with his affairs. Which, for Su Yuqi, was equivalent to her giving him her silent support.


    He suddenly didn¡¯t know how to react to that discovery. So, he just chose to reply back and honestly said;


    YUN: [We¡¯re on a date. But only I know that we are, Yan Yan has no idea. He thinks we¡¯re just here to do a hidden task.]


    There was a bit of silence on the other side. After a while, Su Yuqi finally replied.


    Morganite: [So, you¡¯re on a one-sided ¡¯date¡¯?]


    YUN: [Yes.] ¨C Shen Ji Yun replied with a straight face.


    There was a bit of silence again on the other side. Shen Ji Yun wasn¡¯t sure but he felt like Su Yuqi wasughing at him right now.


    He hadn¡¯t known Su Yuqi as long as Bai Ze. Both of them were the type who didn¡¯t like to talk nonsense and much prefer actions than words. If not for Bai Ze being such a big emulsifying agent, there was probably no way that he and Su Yuqi would ever be friends. They might not know each other¡¯s deepest secrets but they were sure that in times of trouble, they would have each other¡¯s back.


    And Su Yuqi¡¯s next reply fully demonstrated that.


    Morganite: [Send me your location. I¡¯ll try my best to pull Luo Jin and Bai Ze on the opposite direction so we won¡¯t run into you and you could peacefully have your one-sided date with Luo Yan.]


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t hesitate to reply back. Even though he felt that Su Yuqi was teasing him with that mention of ¡¯one-sided date¡¯.


    YUN: [We¡¯re at Dream Land, the very center area of amusement park.]


    Morganite: [Got it. Once you change your location, send it to me immediately. So, I could act ordingly.]


    YUN: [Okay. Thank you, Yuqi.]


    Morganite: [What thanks? It¡¯s better to give me something of equal value to my efforts. And take note, my efforts would definitely be tremendous.]


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head. What having each other¡¯s back? He should have known she wanted something in return.


    YUN: [Fine. Tell me what you wantter.]


    Their conversation ended and Shen Ji Yun finally started to move towards the dining cart.


    Although Su Yuqi wanted something in return for preventing Luo Jin and Bai Ze from meeting him and Luo Yan, at least now, he didn¡¯t have to worry that they would suddenly appear out of nowhere while the two of them were interviewing some NPC or something. Then he wouldn¡¯t have to see that gnome going berserk and attacking him for taking his brother here.


    As much as possible, he didn¡¯t want to get into a fight with Luo Jin. After all, the other was still the younger brother of Luo Yan. Although it almost felt impossible, he still had to do his best so Luo Jin would have a good opinion of him. But that would be a pretty long and arduous battle.


    Because for some reason, before Shen Ji Yun had even realized his feelings for Luo Yan, Luo Jin had long been antagonistic towards him. As if he already foresaw that he would fall for his brother. That was probably what people call ¡¯animal instinct¡¯.


    If that gnome saw him with Luo Yan right now, he would definitely attack him first before asking anything. But with Su Yuqi around, he no longer had to worry about that possibility. Not only that, with her savviness, she could definitely control Bai Ze¡¯s movement.


    So, now, Shen Ji Yun could finally let out a sigh of relief.


    A few secondster, he finally arrived at the dining cart area. There were other yers there who immediately looked at his direction when he arrived. He ignored all of them. But then he thought of another problem.


    The reason why Bai Ze found out that he and Luo Yan were in Tropical Land right now was because of the yers who saw them roaming around here. They probably took screenshots of them and once they logged out, they posted it on the game forum. Then other yers would definitely see those posts and once they logged in the game, they would tell about it to other yers. That¡¯s probably how Bai Ze heard about it.


    If other yers continued to talk about his and Luo Yan¡¯s reaction, it would sooner orter reach Luo Jin¡¯s ears. And then he might find out that Su Yuqi was simply taking them to the wrong direction.


    Maybe he and Luo Yan should disguise themselves. No, his rabbit could simply pull over his hood and that half mask of his that could cover the lower half of his face. So, the problem was with Shen Ji Yun. Because his pair of horns was simply too eye-catching. And it was also hard to hide.


    He sighed and once again contemted on why the heck was he a Qilin.

 Chapter 366 complement each other

    SU YUQI closed her Status Window and once again couldn¡¯t help but chuckle remembering her conversation with Shen Ji Yun. A ¡¯one-sided date¡¯ huh? It seemed that their captain was truly and undeniably whipped.


    She had long noticed how differently Shen Ji Yun treated Luo Yan. He was much gentler, more patient, and very attentive towards him. When they were all inside a room, his eyes would automatically attach to Luo Yan. A little bit of expression could even be seen on that expressionless face. Anyone who had known him long enough would see how special Luo Yan was to him.


    Well, probably not anyone. That idiot Bai Ze obviously hadn¡¯t notice anything. And to think he and Shen Ji Yun grew up together. That guy¡¯s obliviousness was truly astounding. But then again, maybe the fact that his best friend would be interested in his cousin of the same gender never really entered his mind. That¡¯s why his brain just made an automatic filter. Ignoring all the clues presented to him.


    In this way, Luo Jin was a lot better. Su Yuqi nced at the gnome standing behind him. Just looked at that super annoyed face. He looked like he would explode at any second. Like a cat with all its hairs up. How cute.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if he also knew about Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for his brother. But one thing¡¯s for sure, he certainly felt some kind of crisis ¨C like how someone was trying to steal his dear older brother - that¡¯s why he¡¯s very antagonistic towards their captain. She must say, what great instinct.


    Truthfully, Su Yuqi also didn¡¯t think that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for Luo Yan was actually that kind of romantic feelings. At most, she thought it might just be a simple admiration. But after that exchange of messages she just had with Shen Ji Yun, she was certain that the other had already fallen so deep, he probably had no chance of ever getting out. Maybe he even had no ns to.


    She was not surprised knowing that. She also wouldn¡¯t judge him for falling for someone of the same gender. Heck, even if he fell for a cat, she still wouldn¡¯t do that. Because what did it have to do with their friendship? Besides, she believed in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s taste. Surely, he wouldn¡¯t fall for some human trash.


    And as she thought, his choice was indeed not bad. In fact, it¡¯s a great choice. Luo Yan was pretty, smart, fun to be with, had a great sense of humor, and kind when needed. In fact, if that was her type, she would probably fall for him too.


    Luo Yan¡¯s character was a greatplement to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s. Like day and night or like peanut butter and jelly. He¡¯d be a good influence to that expressionless guy. So, who was she to interfere with that?


    So, she would do her best to help them this time. And she was kind of looking forward to what Shen Ji Yun would give her for her efforts.


    "Su Yuqi, what are you still standing there for?" Bai Ze¡¯s voice cut through her line of thought. "It¡¯s our turn."


    Su Yuqi looked up and saw that it was already their turn to pay for the entrance fee. She walked forward, already thinking of a lot of ways to make sure they wouldn¡¯t interfere with Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan¡¯s ¡¯one-sided date¡¯.


    Luo Yan finally arrived at the dining cart area. He immediately saw Shen Ji Yun standing at the corner, away from other yers who were also there. He seemed to be contemting something.


    He walked towards his direction and when he was in front of the other, he asked, "Brother Ji Yun, what¡¯s wrong? Did you find any important clue?"


    Shen Ji Yun, who was at that point, seemed to be still thinking about something finally returned to his senses. He gazed down at Luo Yan who was staring worriedly at him.


    He tried to smile and said, "No, I haven¡¯t."


    [I just found out that your brother was trying to sabotage our date.] Of course, he wouldn¡¯t mention that to Luo Yan. If he knew that the other three members of their team were also here, he might even suggest that they went together with them. How could Shen Ji Yun let that happen?


    So, he just added, "How about you, did you find anything?"


    "Actually, yes."


    Then Luo Yan proceeded on telling Shen Ji Yun the things that he discovered, as well as the things he just realized. Like how Lhoris disguised himself and was probably using a different name to introduce himself to the other employees of the amusement park. And also, about those diamond-like eyes of his.


    Shen Ji Yun was forced to switch his focus back to their task. "It¡¯s very likely that he had been doing menial jobs here in Tropical Land that didn¡¯t need for him to interact much with others. Like being a dishwasher. Just so he could avoid any unwarranted attention. If that was the case, we should probably focus our attention more on those NPCs that worked the same jobs."


    "I agree as well," Luo Yan said. "We should also probably take into ount that thing about his eyes. It might prove usefulter on."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Then should we get off the next stop?"


    "Okay."


    "But before that, could Yan Yan hide his hair and cover the lower half of your face?" he asked, hesitantly.


    Luo Yan tilted his head, curious as to why Shen Ji Yun suddenly said that. "Why?"


    Shen Ji Yun looked sideways. "Well, we¡¯re getting too much attention from other yers. It¡¯s kind of ufortable doing the task with all those gazes on us."


    That was indeed a very valid reason. But Luo Yan knew that there was probably a more urate reason than that. Just looked at the way Shen Ji Yun looked sideways, he was definitely hiding something. He narrowed his eyes at him. But at the end, he still agreed. Whatever it was he¡¯s hiding, Luo Yan just have to find it outter.


    He pulled up his hood and mask. But at the process, he had to remove the rabbit ear headband. He put the headband in his Items Tab. Then nced at Shen Ji Yun.


    "Now, Brother Ji Yun won¡¯t be able to see my rabbit ears," he said with a bit of regretful tone.


    Yes, that was indeed such a waste ¨C Shen Ji Yun thought so as well. But making sure that they wouldn¡¯te across those three was much more important.


    "Then, how about Brother Ji Yun? How would you disguise yourself?"


    "I already have a way. We just have to get off the train first."


    Shen Ji Yun just hoped he would readily find what he was looking for.

 Chapter 367 another rabbit

    AT this time, the other three members of Yunyue just entered the portal going to Tropical Land. After the vacuum like feeling, they were immediately weed by the colorful and lively view of the amusement park.


    Luo Jin stared at this wide expanse ofnd in front of him. Looking around, it almost felt endless. He could see some castle at a distance, there was even a mountain of some sort over there. And far ahead, just behind the castle, he could even see some lush forest. He didn¡¯t expect that this amusement park would be this big. No, maybe it just looked big on the surface.


    So, he asked his cousin, "Brother Ze, just how big is this amusement park?"


    "Really big. Well, ¡¯big¡¯ is actually an understatement," Bai Ze said. "There are five areas here. And each area is bigger than the next. There¡¯s a snowy mountain, underground tunnels, a jungle area and a river that surrounds it."


    Luo Jin showed a bit of annoyance. So, it really was as big as he thought. Five areas, huh? A day would probably not be enough to go around this ce. If so, then how would they find those two?


    His annoyance doubled up again. He remembered his conversation with his second brother during lunch. Luo Yan said that he would do some hidden task during this afternoon. Then where the heck did the rumor of him going on a date with Shen Ji Yune from?


    It never crossed his mind that his second brother possibly lied to him. Because why would he? Although Luo Yan would lie and scheme from time to time, but that was only when he wanted to dig pits for other people to jump in. That¡¯s why there¡¯s really no reason for him to lie to Luo Jin about that hidden task. So, if there was indeed a hidden task, then it could only mean that he was carrying it out with Shen Ji Yun. And Luo Yan purposely hid that fact from him.


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t need to ask why. Luo Yan probably thought that he would justin and get in the way. Which was exactly what he¡¯s doing now. But he couldn¡¯t help it! He knew the way he was acting when it came to Shen Ji Yun was a bit annoying. But could he do? Every time he thought that that guy was having thoughts he shouldn¡¯t have towards his second brother, he couldn¡¯t help but blew up.


    Even if it looked like he was being totally unreasonable, he didn¡¯t care. Because his instinct was telling him that he was right. That Shen Ji Yun indeed had those thoughts. How could he just sit back and do nothing then? Would he just let some wolf gobble up his second brother? What kind of younger brother would he be then? A useless one, for sure.


    He didn¡¯t care if Shen Ji Yun liked guys or something. His problem was that his target was his brother. He had no idea whether he was serious or not. And that was the problem. As long as he couldn???t see that, then he would continue to interfere with whatever tactics Shen Ji Yun had to win over his brother.


    "I think we should just ask Ji Yun and Xiao Yan where they are. So, we won¡¯t have to walk aimlessly."


    What his cousin said cut off Luo Jin¡¯s train of thoughts. He was about to agree when Su Yuqi suddenly spoke.


    "I already sent a message to Ji Yun. He said they were at the jungle area."


    "Jungle area? Ah, then they must be at the Wild Land," Bai Ze said. "That¡¯s on the north-eastern side. Should we rent horses to ride there?"


    "Why not just rent a carriage?" Su Yuqi suggested. "Of course, Bai Ze should be the one driving."


    "Hey, why do I have to act as a driver for you two?" Bai Ze was quick toin.


    "Because I won¡¯t do it and Luo Jin has a terrible sense of direction," Su Yuqi said without even batting an eye. "So, that only leaves you."


    Luo Jin, who just wanted to go straight to that Wild Land, suddenly blushed at Su Yuqi¡¯s mention of him having a terrible sense of direction. Because they often did task together, that fact didn¡¯t escape her notice.


    He coughed to hide his embarrassment and just said to his cousin, "Brother Ze, let¡¯s just do what Su Yuqi said."


    "Xiao Jin, am I your cousin or is she?" Bai Ze asked, frowning at Luo Jin. "Why do you always take her side?"


    "Because I always make sense," Su Yuqi said before Luo Jin could answer. Then she looked condescendingly at Bai Ze. "Unlike you."


    "You- you-! One of these days, I¡¯ll really twist that butterfly wings of yours."


    "Then I¡¯ll be waiting," Su Yuqi said perfunctorily.


    Bai Ze huffed and puffed before finally giving in and agreeing. Then the three went towards the direction of the ce where yers could rent a carriage.


    The other two members of Yunyue just got off the train. Both were now walking towards the castle. Luo Yan noticed that Shen Ji Yun had been ncing here and there. It was obvious that he was looking for something. Thinking of what he said earlier, asking him to put up his hood and mask, the thing he was looking for probably had something to do on how he could disguise himself.


    Then Shen Ji Yun suddenly stopped walking while looking at a distance, his eyes brightening. He turned to Luo Yan.


    "Yan Yan, can you stay here for a while?"


    He didn¡¯t wait for Luo Yan¡¯s answer and ran towards the direction he was looking just now.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Shen Ji Yun probably found what he¡¯s looking for. He didn¡¯t continue to stare at him and decided to just wait and see what the other was up to.


    After more than five minutes, he heard Shen Ji Yun calling him from behind.


    "Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan excitedly turned around. And then, hepletely froze.


    Because standing in front of him was a big white rabbit mascot wearing a blue vest and a red bow tie. There was even a ck top hat on top of its head. But the most important thing was ¨C that voice just now came from this rabbit mascot!

 Chapter 368 a cat hitchhiker

    "AHM... Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked,pletely unsure.


    "It¡¯s me," said Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice and it was indeeding from the rabbit mascot.


    Luo Yan blinked a couple of times and stared at the big white rabbit standing in front of him. His face was probably filled with question marks right now. It¡¯s like his brain suddenly came to a pause while slowly processing what he was seeing right now. And once his brain was done processing, he burst outughing.


    "Haha... Brother Ji Yun... hahaha... what are you wearing?"


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face hiding inside the rabbit suit flushed brightly red. Of course, he was embarrassed to wear something like this. But what could he do? When he was thinking of ways on how to disguise himself, after much consideration, he thought that this was the best one. With the head gear, he couldpletely hide his horns. But only wearing the head gear looked weird. So, he decided to just wear the whole thing.


    Good thing that after got off the train he immediately spotted a stall selling this rabbit mascot suit. This white rabbit was one of the mascots of Tropical Land. And that stall was selling the suits of all those mascots. Of course, he had to choose the rabbit suit. If he had to make a fool of himself, then he¡¯d rather do it in a rabbit mascot suit.


    He stared at Luo Yan who was stillughing happily. His peach blossom eyes were bent into crescents, a melodiousughtering out of those pink lips. Suddenly, all the embarrassments he felt disappeared. He could make a fool of himself a million times if that meant that he could see Luo Yanugh. For that beautiful smile, everything was worth it.


    "I¡¯m disguising myself," he just said with a bit of helpless tone in his voice.


    Luo Yan had already guessed that. But still. There¡¯s still definitely a lot of other ways to do it. But instead of doing those things, Shen Ji Yun chose to wear a rabbit mascot suit. Seriously, sometimes he couldn¡¯t understand this guy¡¯s thought process. But that¡¯s also one of the things that made him adorable.


    "Howe this ce is even selling mascot suits?" he asked after he finishedughing.


    "I have no idea either. There¡¯s probably a demand for it, so those programmers in charge of this ce made one."


    "Was the stall filled with hanging mascot suits?" Luo Yan asked curiously, imagining a stall with different animal mascot suits of all sizes hanging in it.


    "Actually, no. There¡¯s only a holographic screen. Once you picked the one you wanted, then it would be automatically equipped on your game avatar. Just like a costume," Shen Ji Yun exined.


    That¡¯s a bit disappointing. Well, this was a virtual game. So, it¡¯s understandable that they do it that way.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle again seeing him in that big rabbit mascot. "Then, shall we go, Mr. Rabbit?"


    If Luo Yan could see Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face right now, he would see a small smile crossed the other¡¯s face. "Okay."


    And the both walked towards the castle.


    Bai Ze, the ¡¯eternal unlucky one¡¯, was driving a two-horse drawn carriage towards the direction of the Wild Land. Inside the carriage was his traitor cousin and the pink-haired witch loli.


    He was still sulking a bit. He couldn¡¯t understand why he always lose to Su Yuqi. In real life and even inside the game, he couldn¡¯t win a verbal argument. That girl was simply his nemesis. And Luo Jin, who should take his side, with them being cousins and all, took Su Yuqi¡¯s side instead. As he always did. Bai Ze was close to thinking that Su Yuqi made his cousin drink some ecstasy potion that¡¯s why he¡¯s so obedient to her.


    Bai Ze didn¡¯t continue to argue with them and just reluctantly concede. Thus, ending up with him driving this carriage like some coachman or something.


    It¡¯s because he also wanted to meet up with Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan as soon as they could. He already sent a message to Shen Ji Yun but he still hadn¡¯t read it. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was intentional or if he was just in a situation where he couldn¡¯t read his messages. But then again, he read Su Yuqi¡¯s message. So, why couldn¡¯t he read his?


    He doubted if he was discriminating against him. After all, between him and Su Yuqi, surely Ji Yun would choose him. Their friendship of more than ten years was surely not just for nothing. So, did that mean that he intentionally didn¡¯t read his message? But why?


    He once again remembered the reason why they were here. Because of those rumors floating around that Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan was on a date here. Bai Ze didn¡¯t believe a whiff of it. This was Shen Ji Yun they were talking about. The same guy who wouldn¡¯t smile even if the prettiest girl confessed to him. Well, granted, Luo Yan was indeed much prettierpared to any girl or boy out there. But still.


    Besides, why would Shen Ji Yun even go to a date with his cousin? Although he knew that there were people out there who preferred the same gender, the possibility of his friend liking Luo Yan had never entered his mind. It¡¯s not that he had something against two men falling in love. In fact, he had no opinions about it.


    His problem here was that one of the people involved was his cousin who was a minor and was in aa for seven years. So, he didn¡¯t like that kind of rumor involving Luo Yan. Not that he believed it, mind you.


    In conclusion, the only possibility he could think of why the two were together here was because of a task. Which was more believable and definitely more eptable.


    Bai Ze¡¯s train of thought was suddenly cut off when someone called him.


    "White Marsh!" ¨C It was a female voice that sounded familiar but he couldn¡¯t remember where he heard it.


    He looked around. He hadn¡¯t yet found the owner of the voice when someone suddenly jumped on the carriage and sat beside him.


    It was a girl with short ash brown hair cut into a bob. A pair of cat ears was on top of her head. There were even whiskers on her slightly plump cheeks. She looked a bit in but her pair of cat-like green eyes were very attention grabbing. It made her face more charming.


    Bai Ze, who almost had a heart attack, certainly recognized this girl. No wonder that voice earlier seemed familiar.


    "Catnip?"


    Xia Li smiled a toothy grin, making her look like some mischievous cat. "Hi. Mind if I hitchhike?"

 Chapter 369 a fan girls pride

    BAI ZE stared at the girl who so shamelessly asked that when she was already sittingfortably beside him, as if she already knew that he wouldn¡¯t kick her off the carriage. Of course, Bai Ze wouldn¡¯t do that. He¡¯s still a gentleman after all. But he still couldn¡¯t help but say;


    "If I say ¡¯no¡¯, would you get off this carriage?"


    Catnip appeared like she was seriously considering his question. But at the end, she only gave him that toothy grin and said, "Nope."


    Although Bai Ze already knew the answer, he still shook his head. He met this girl, Catnip, during the King of Arcadia¡¯s birthday event. They teamed up to clear the mission of the door they ended up in. It was a bit of like an escape room where one couldn¡¯t leave until they solve all the mysteries inside.


    He was actually a bit hesitant to team up with her at that time. He wasn¡¯t familiar with her after all. What if she just turned out to be a pig team mate? It would be better if he just did the task alone. But somehow, when he was looked at by those eager cat-like eyes, he found himself unable to refuse. So, the two teamed up to clear the door. But as it turned out, the one who became the pig teammate was him and not her.


    Bai Ze had never been really good at puzzle solving and he had never really been a fan of the mystery genre in any medium of entertainment. And it just so happened that the door they were in wanted them to solve a serial murder mystery. Knowing that, he already knew that he would suffer a lot moving forward. But who would have thought that Catnip would solve everything for him?


    She analyzed everything smoothly and methodically. Even when they were faced with a lot of gory scene such as dismembered bodies, her concentration didn¡¯t break. She didn¡¯t even squirm like most girls should after seeing such things. Instead, she just nced at with interest and then proceeded on looking for clues. Her stomach was definitely much stronger than his, that¡¯s for sure. Because unlike her, he couldn¡¯t even count the times he almost vomited.


    He still held quite a grudge for that. Of course, it¡¯s directed at those programmers who thought it was a good idea to design such a thing. Seriously, he wondered just how much of a brain hole the employees working under Uncle Yi Mu had.


    During the events that happened in that door, Bai Ze got along pretty well with Catnip. She was fun to be with, full of sense of humor and positivity. And most of all, she didn¡¯t dislike him for being a pig team mate who could barely help her. If it was Su Yuqi he was with, she would definitely not waste any time to insult his intelligence. But with Catnip, she justughed and told him that he could simply be the ¡¯brawn¡¯ in their team while she acted as the ¡¯brain¡¯.


    And the two of them managed to finish that task with their strange cooperation.


    Bai Ze had not seen Catnip after that. He actually tried several times to contact her, but at the end, he always chickened out. He didn¡¯t understand why. He just felt really awkward. So, at the end, he just chose not to do it.


    That¡¯s why he was really surprised suddenly seeing her here. But not only that, he could also feel an unknown kind of happiness bubbling up inside him after seeing her again. Then once again, he felt that awkward feeling. He shook his head and just threw it at the back of his head.


    "Are you here to y?" he just asked instead.


    "You could say that," Xia Li only said.


    How could she say that she was here because she saw those photos of YUN and Noctis on the forum? When she saw those pictures, she didn¡¯t waste time and quickly logged into the game. She didn¡¯t even hesitate to teleport to Alryne City to go to Tropical Land. It was a rare time for her to gather materials. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t dare miss it.


    A lot of her followers in her Weibo had been waiting for new fan-arts of the NightCloud CP. But she just didn¡¯t have any inspiration to draw one as ofte. How could she when there¡¯s barely any news about the two? She couldn¡¯t possibly go and stalk them at every turn, right? Although she was really tempted a couple of times. But she still had her own pride as a fangirl. It¡¯s one of her rules to not disturb the life of the people she¡¯s stanning.


    That¡¯s why seeing that forum post was like heaven sent. It¡¯s like it was telling her toe and gather materials. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t disturb YUN and Noctis¡¯ date. She would just silently observe from afar. At a distance where the two wouldn¡¯t even notice her presence. She even brought different items to help her observe at a distance without disturbing the two.


    She was absolutely ready to be fed dog food this afternoon!


    But who would have thought that as soon as she entered Tropical Land she would meet White Marsh? It was truly unexpected. But maybe it¡¯s another sign from heaven helping her to search for her targets.


    White Marsh was a member of Yunyue ¨C the same team as YUN and Noctis. Although those photos in the forum didn¡¯t show anyone besides the two, maybe they were here with the other members of their team. So, she didn¡¯t hesitate to jump into the carriage White Marsh was driving in the hopes that he could led them to the two.


    "Are you here on your own?"


    White Marsh¡¯s question pulled her from her daydreaming. She nodded. "I just thought it¡¯s a good day to y at an amusement park."


    Bai Ze looked at the girl beside her weirdly. What was so fun ying by yourself? Then an idea suddenly popped out in his mind.


    "If you¡¯re alone, then want to join us?" he asked, scratching his nose.


    Us? Xia Li nced at the carriagepartment behind. She was guessing since earlier who might be the people inside. Could it be it was YUN and Noctis? She turned to White Marsh, her eyes shining. "May I ask who are you with?"


    Bai Ze was not looking at her, so he didn¡¯t see the expectations in those cat-like eyes. "Oh, just two of my team mates."


    Xia Li¡¯s eyes shone even brighter hearing that. She was thinking how she would inquire if the people inside were YUN and Noctis without appearing too weird. But before he could do that, White Marsh spoke again.


    "We¡¯re searching for our Captain and another team member. But we could have some fun while we do that. So, if you don¡¯t mind, wanna hang out with us?"


    The cat ears on top of Xia Li¡¯s head drooped down when she heard the first part of what White Marsh said. But then thinking that they were here to look for YUN and Noctis as well, her ears quickly perked up again.


    So, she smiled very happily and said, "Okay!"

 Chapter 370 blushing rabbit

    MEANWHILE, on the other side, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun had already started interviewing the NPCs working at the castle. Their focus now was those NPCs who do menial jobs and didn¡¯t need to greet or interact with yers. Because Lhoris was most likely working these kinds of jobs while staying here at Tropical Land. But so far, none of the NPCs they interviewed knew Lhoris.


    While doing that, they were given weird looks by some yers they passed by. It was a far cry from the admiring gazes they had been receiving since entering this amusement park. Luo Yan didn¡¯t have to question why. It¡¯s simply because of how the two of them looked right now.


    Before entering the castle, Luo Yan removed the silvery-white robe he was wearing. And that left him with an all-ck outfit from head to toe. He had no doubt that other yers that saw them earlier took a screenshot of him and Shen Ji Yun together. How could they not? They had seen the famous captain of team Yunyue together with such a beautiful moon elf, of course they had to take pictures.


    That¡¯s why he had to remove the robe. Because even if he put up his hood and mask, with that attention-grabbing robe, if he was identally photographed despite hiding his features, people would soon realize that he was that beautiful moon elf. Then if they saw this big rabbit beside him, wouldn¡¯t people assume that he was YUN? How could Luo Yan let that happen?


    Even if it was a simple assumption, he didn¡¯t want Shen Ji Yun¡¯s high-cold setting in other people¡¯s eyes to copse. It¡¯s enough if only he knew about it.


    So, the scene people ended up seeing was someone wearing all-ck walking with a big white rabbit mascot. That¡¯s why Luo Yan was not surprised that other yers they passed-by gave them weird looks. He would do the same if he was in their shoes.


    He nced at the big rabbit walking beside him. "Brother Ji Yun, are you not ufortable in that mascot suit?" he couldn¡¯t help asking.


    The big rabbit head shook. "This suit doesn¡¯t weigh anything. It¡¯s also not hot inside. It actually doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m wearing such a big thing because of how light and unobtrusive it is."


    Luo Yan should have expected something like that. After all, this was inside the game. It¡¯s not like in real life where wearing such a thing for long hours would be thoroughly ufortable.


    "That¡¯s good. It would be bad if Brother Ji Yun suffered a heat stroke. After all, there¡¯s still a lot of ces we needed to go," he said. "Should we go to Mystery Land next? I really want to try their mystery coaster."


    "You don¡¯t want to explore the rest of the castle?"


    "Nah. I¡¯m not really interested in ces like this."


    He had never really been one to be interested in such ces or anything rted to fairytales for that matter. After all, in hisst life, he had to always face reality. He stopped believing in those stories the moment his parents died.


    "I read that there¡¯s a very beautiful room here. But not all could enter. However, because we have a VIP pass, we could go inside."


    Luo Yan looked at the big rabbit standing before him. He could actually imagine seeing the other¡¯s face full of hesitation right now. As if he wanted to convince him that they should go to that room he was talking about but because he didn¡¯t know how, his voice echoed the hesitation he was feeling.


    Luo Yan thought it would be hard for him to discern Shen Ji Yun¡¯s emotions because he couldn¡¯t see his face. But who would have thought that he could still do that with just the other¡¯s voice? He smiled helplessly. It seemed that he was really getting more and more familiar with Shen Ji Yun. And he found that he felt no resistance against it. In fact, he weed it very much.


    He leaned forward, closing the distance between his face and the rabbit head. "Does Brother Ji Yun want to go to that room?"


    Shen Ji Yun stared at this beautiful face up close and his own face quickly heated up. Now, he was really thankful that he was wearing this rabbit mascot suit. At least, he no longer needed to dodge whenever he blushed.


    "Yes," he just found himself answering Luo Yan¡¯s question.


    Luo Yan was suddenly dumbfounded when he saw the big rabbit mascot blushing. He blinked his eyes and then saw that the big rabbit was already back to normal. He tilted his head. Was that just his imagination? Yes, probably. How could a mascot blush?


    "Yan Yan?" Shen Ji Yun called. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Luo Yan shook his head. "Nothing. If Brother Ji Yun wants to go to that room, then let¡¯s go."


    The room Shen Ji Yun talked about was located at the castle¡¯s tallest towers. They had to climb up dozens of stairs just to reach it. Good thing this was a virtual world or else, Luo Yan would probably be panting uncontrobly before they could even reach the ce.


    When they reached the ce, they saw two guards standing on both sides of a tall door. The uniform they were wearing was like that of the nutcracker soldier. Both he and Shen Ji Yun showed the two the golden bracelet they were wearing. They both became very amiable and respectful. And they quickly opened the door for them.


    Luo Yan walked inside, wondering what Shen Ji Yun wanted to show him here. But once he did, he was immediately transfixed. Because inside the room was like another world. A world crystal ice.


    There were crystals protruding on the walls. The floor was like diamond in texture. And there were crystals shaped as different kinds of snowkes floating around. He went and touched one and was surprised to find that the crystal was not made of ice and instead felt like real crystals. The moment he touched it, it glowed like a small star. It was beautiful.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun who was just walking behind him. He already put down his hood and mask, because the two of them were the only people in the room. "This room is wonderful, Brother Ji Yun."


    After he said that, he went and touched one snow-shaped crystals after another. Suddenly, he found himself standing in the middle of glowing crystals.


    "Look, Brother Ji Yun, they¡¯re beautiful!"


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the white-haired elf surrounded by a dozen crystal lights. And he found him infinitely more beautiful than those crystals.


    "Yes, they really are," he said while not taking his eyes off from Luo Yan.


    Once again, Luo Yan saw the rabbit mascot blushing. But when he blinked, it was gone once again. If it only happened once, he could think that it was just his imagination. But twice? Definitely not. So, he needed to make sure. And there¡¯s only one way to do that.


    He dashed forward. And before Shen Ji Yun could react, he jumped into the rabbit mascot and hugged its soft body.


    He looked up and said, "You¡¯re so soft, Mr. Rabbit."


    And the whole rabbit¡¯s face turned red!

 Chapter 371 the more adorable rabbit

    LUO YAN stared at the big rabbit¡¯s face that was now flushed red. What kind of magical operation was this? Could this mascot suit actually detect the emotion of the wearer in such aical way? So, if the one inside blushed, it would also reflect outside? Making the suit also turned red, just like what happened just now? After that, he suddenly thought of a lot of other things.


    For example, if the wearer felt nervous, would a ¡¯sweat drop¡¯ appeared on the side of the head of the mascot suit? If they were angry, would there be a ¡¯vein-popping¡¯ symbol appearing? Just like the one appearing whenever an anime oric character became angry? Then, if his face darkened, would there be ck lines appearing on the mascot suit?


    Just thinking about it could make Luo Yan rush with excitement. That part inside him that just wanted to tease Shen Ji Yun endlessly suddenly found an outlet. Feeling excited would be an understatement. And it was all due to the fact that he couldn¡¯t help imagining this rabbit mascot showing differentical expressions every time he tried to tease him.


    But looking at Shen Ji Yun, not looking sideways as he usually did whenever he tried to hide his blush, it seemed that he didn¡¯t know about this function. He smiled even more brighter. Of course, he had no intention of telling that to Shen Ji Yun. He wouldn¡¯t be who he was if he did that.


    Shen Ji Yun who was suddenly hugged feltpletely petrified. Because just like what he mentioned to Luo Yan earlier, it didn¡¯t really feel like he was wearing a mascot suit. It¡¯s not just because the suit didn¡¯t weigh much, it¡¯s more like it didn¡¯t weigh anything at all. It¡¯s like he wasn¡¯t wearing any extra suits on his body. Which also meant that whatever bumped into this mascot suit would directly be felt by his game avatar. In short, the sensation would directly be registered in his brain and thus, he would feel it directly.


    So, right now, he could feel Luo Yan¡¯s soft body on him. He suddenly didn¡¯t know where to put his hands. His heart quickly did its usual marathon, beating faster and harder, whenever the two of them had any idental or intentional skin ship.


    Then he saw Luo Yan suddenly burying his head on his or rather the mascot¡¯s chest. "Mr. Rabbit, you¡¯re so good to hug."


    Shen Ji Yun immediately felt the fluffy feeling rubbing on his chest and he knew it was Luo Yan¡¯s soft hair. His heart was even more in a mess. And he just found his pawsnding on Luo Yan¡¯s back,pletely returning his hug.


    When Luo Yan felt the gentle touch on his back, he knew that Shen Ji Yun finally hugged him back. A secret smiled appeared on his lips and his peach blossom eyes bent into crescents happily.


    He raised his head, tilting it to the side while his cheek was still attached to the soft chest of the rabbit mascot. ??Brother Ji Yun, am I also good to hug?"


    Looking at Luo Yan¡¯s beautiful face staring up at him like that, Shen Ji Yun just felt that his face became even hotter. Even his unruly paws touching the other¡¯s back felt abnormally hot. Not only that, his heart even did a fierce somersault. If this was in real life, maybe it would even jump out of his chest.


    Luo Yan saw that the rabbit¡¯s face turned even redder. Then he saw steaming out on top of the rabbit¡¯s head. He was so surprised seeing that that he didn¡¯t react fast enough when the rabbit mascot suddenly let go of him and jumped back a couple of steps away from him.


    He raised one of his brows and almostughed seeing how Shen Ji Yun was acting as if he was a rogue he needed to get away from. Especially since the face of the rabbit mascot was still blushing. Luo Yan scratched his nose. He suddenly had a feeling that he was molesting a rabbit mascot.


    But instead of feeling guilty about it, he still pouted and said, "Brother Ji Yun, why did you suddenly jump away like that? Are you disliking me?"


    "No!" Shen Ji Yun quickly said.


    But how could he say that it was because he could no longer take that much stimtion? If Luo Yan continued to be this sticky, his heart might just give out. So, even if he enjoyed being physically close to the other, he still forced himself to get away. Besides, he was more worried that his self-control would just snap and he would do something he shouldn¡¯t.


    How could he be such a beast? Just looked at Luo Yan, the other certainly didn¡¯t mean anything by his actions. And yet here he was, his brain being filled by yellow materials.


    Luo Yan stared at the panicking Shen Ji Yun and decided to no longer tease him. At least, temporarily. It wouldn¡¯t be good if the other crash right now because of his excessive teasing.


    So, instead of pursuing the topic of why he suddenly jumped away from him, he just altogether changed it and asked, "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, what is this room called?"


    Shen Ji Yun let out a sigh of relief when Luo Yan changed the subject. Unbeknownst to him, aic-like sigh appeared just below the mouth of the rabbit mascot. As if his sigh just now literally materialized. Seeing that, Luo Yan wanted tough once again.


    This rabbit mascot suit was simply heaven sent!


    "This room is called the ¡¯Rejuvenation Room¡¯. Any yer who stays here for three-hours straight could increase their basic stats. But still depends on their luck. It could and sometimes it may not. It¡¯s totally random. So, no one really knows if staying here would raise their stats or not," Shen Ji Yun patiently exined.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that this room still had that kind of function. But he felt like it¡¯s not really worth it. Considering how you have to have these VIP bracelets in order to enter here.


    "If-if Yan Yan wants, we could try to stay here for three hours next time and see if we could gain an increase in our stats."


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun when he heard that. The rabbit now looked flustered as if nervously waiting for his answer. Was this his tactic to invite him to go here again?


    He knew how the other would often think of him as an adorable rabbit. But seriously, right now, that ¡¯adorable rabbit¡¯ part certainly fit Shen Ji Yun more.


    Luo Yan only smiled and said, "Okay."

 Chapter 372 so thats how it is

    AFTER arriving at Mystery Land, they first went to the area upied by the mystery coaster. All because Luo Yan said earlier that he wanted to ride it. Of course, they went and interviewed some NPCs first near the area. But s, they weren¡¯t so lucky. None of the NPCs they asked knew Lhoris. Even when Luo Yan didn¡¯t mention the name of the moon elf and just asked about an aloof elf with blond hair and sses, those NPCs still didn¡¯t give them any useful I formation.


    Luo Yan was getting more and more frustrated because of that. But he still forced himself to be more patient. They were only on the second area of the amusement park, there were still three areas left. If lose his cool now, then it was sure that he would just get more and more annoyedter. Which would definitely affect his level of enjoyment. How could he let that happen when Shen Ji Yun was trying his best for them to have fun? He even went and wore a rabbit mascot suit just so no one would disturb them with their prying eyes.


    So, he tried his best not to feel frustrated. Sooner orter, they would get the clues that they needed.


    While Luo Yan was worrying about these things, Shen Ji Yun was exchanging messages with Su Yuqi.


    Morganite: [Where are the two of you right now? We¡¯re currently at Wild Land. I tricked them into saying that you two were here.]


    YUN: [We¡¯re at Mystery Land. Wild Land will be our next destination, so it would be good if you could bring them out of there before that.]


    Morganite: [That might be a bit troublesome. I just pulled them into a cruise ship. It would probably take half an hour before this ship finished its tour. If you could go here about 20 minutes after the tour ends, then the probability of us meeting would decrease.]


    YUN: [No problem. I¡¯ll make sure we won¡¯t go there before your group leaves.]


    Morganite: [Then I¡¯ll pull them to Adventure Land next. We should probably go counter-clockwise. That way, our group we¡¯ll always be ahead the two of you. Then the chances of us meeting would be very slim.]


    YUN: [That¡¯s my n as well. But are you sure you could control the other two to keep following you?]


    Morganite: [Yeah. Luo Jin had always been an obedient kid. And right now, there¡¯s a person here who could distract Bai Ze. So, yeah, there won¡¯t be a problem on my end.]


    One of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brows raised slightly. He felt like Su Yuqi suddenly became blind. Just which part of that gnome was obedient? But he was more curious about the part of an additional person distracting Bai Ze.


    YUN: [There¡¯s another yer with you three?]


    Morganite: [Yeah. A girl. She and Bai Ze seemed pretty close. They¡¯ve been having fun since earlier, I doubt Bai Ze even remembers the reason why we¡¯re here.]


    Shen Ji Yun felt a bit curious. But not too much that he would ask who this girl was. After all, Bai Ze had always been very friendly. He had a lot of friends in real life or in this game, both male and female alike. So, he just replied;


    YUN: [Send me a message when your group is about to leave Wild Land.]


    Morganite: [Sure.]


    YUN: [Yuqi, thank you. I really owe you one.]


    Morganite: [Since when did you be so sentimental? I told you, I¡¯m not doing this for free. I¡¯ll get going. Just enjoy your one-sided date with Luo Yan.]


    Reading that, Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help but shake his big rabbit head. Then he closed his Status Window.


    When he turned to Luo Yan, he was startled when he saw that the other was staring at him.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Brother Ji Yun, you seemed to be in a daze just now. What were you thinking?"


    He actually wanted to talk to Shen Ji Yun about the task but when he nced at the other, he had been staring at something in front of him. He knew that it could only be his Status Window. After all, one¡¯s Status Window was not visible to other yers. So, what was he doing with his Status Window for that long? The only thing Luo Yan could think of was that he was chatting with someone. And he had a feeling that it had something to do on why Shen Ji Yun suddenly suggested that they disguised themselves.


    "It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just thinking about the task," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t say that he was talking with Su Yuqi and they were scheming together so that their two groups wouldn¡¯t meet. Once again, he was thankful for the mascot suit he was wearing. At least his guilty expression for lying wouldn¡¯t show.


    What he didn¡¯t know was tiny sweats appeared around his rabbit head, showing that he was definitely guilty.


    Luo Yan narrowed his eyes at Shen Ji Yun. tantly lying like this, it seemed like the other really was hiding something from him.


    Shen Ji Yun sweated a bit seeing Luo Yan looked at him like that. It¡¯s like he¡¯s being seen through thoroughly. He became even guiltier because of that.


    "Really? Then can Brother Ji Yun tell me what you just thought? After all, we¡¯re doing this task together."


    When Luo Yan asked that, he looked deeply at Shen Ji Yun. Which made Shen Ji Yun feel flustered. He suddenly couldn¡¯t say anything. He felt that if he lied again, he¡¯d definitely feel guiltier than he did now. It¡¯s like he was cheating the other. Which he didn¡¯t like.


    "Is it something that Brother Ji Yun couldn¡¯t tell me?" Luo Yan asked again when Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t speak after a while.


    "I¡ª"


    Even though the lower half of Luo Yan¡¯s face was covered, it still didn¡¯t prevent him from showing the expression he wanted. His big blue eyes appeared hurt. Then he looked away.


    "I understand. Maybe Brother Ji Yun thought that I wouldn¡¯t be of much help."


    "No, that¡¯s not it!" Shen Ji Yun quickly said. Seeing Luo Yan looked hurt, he finally decided to just tell the truth. "I¡¯m actually exchanging messages with Su Yuqi. She, Bai Ze, and your younger brother are here."


    With just that, Luo Yan quickly understood what was happening.


    A smile behind the mask appeared. [So, that¡¯s how it is.]

 Chapter 373 just the two of them

    NO wonder Shen Ji Yun suddenly suggested that he put up his hood and mask, the other even wore a rabbit mascot suit. Luo Yan actually didn¡¯t think that it was all so they could avoid the prying eyes of other yers as Shen Ji Yun said. Because he already felt that he was hiding something earlier. Who would have thought that it was all because Luo Jin and the others were here?


    So, in short, Shen Ji Yun just wanted to avoid the three. What ¡¯prying eyes of other yers¡¯? He just didn¡¯t want their date to be disturbed. Because that¡¯s exactly what Luo Jin would do.


    Luo Yan knew his younger brother. If he saw the two of them together, he would definitely throw a fit. Even if he said that they were only here because of a task, Luo Jin would definitely not let them be alone together. And so, there¡¯s a 100% chance that he would tag along with them. If he was in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s shoes, he might also try his best to avoid them.


    But why the need to conceal it from him? Did he think that he wouldn¡¯t cooperate? Yes, that was probably the case. In Shen Ji Yun¡¯s opinion, he might have thought that once Luo Yan knew about the other members of their team being here at Tropical Land, instead of avoiding them, he might even suggest that they go around the amusement park together.


    Luo Yan smiled helplessly at the thought of that. Because even if Shen Ji Yun considered this as a date, he didn¡¯t. So, the thought of avoiding the other three would definitely not cross his mind. He might even wee their arrival.


    Obviously, that wasn¡¯t the case. Because for one, he considered this a date. And second, he wanted to see more of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s strategy to chase him. How could that happen when there were three light bulbs with them? So, yes, he would happily avoid the three.


    But how did they end up here at Tropical Land anyway? If Luo Jin had been nning to go here, he would have mentioned it earlier during lunch. That meant that this was probably a spur of the moment thing.


    "Why are Ah Jin and the others here?" he asked to make sure.


    Seeing that Luo Yan wasn¡¯t angry because of his concealment, Shen Ji Yun finally let out a sigh of relief. So, he decided to just be honest about the whole thing. Of course, excluding the deal that he made with Su Yuqi.


    "Bai Ze apparently heard a rumor about us going on a date here at Tropical Land. It¡¯s most likely from the yers who had seen us here."


    There was a rumor? And it reached his cousin¡¯s ear that fast? ¨C Luo Yan thought in amazement. What, did those yers earlier ran off after seeing them together and quickly spread that rumor that the two of there were having a date here? But why would they immediately assume that he and Shen Ji Yun were on a date? Couldn¡¯t two men with only friendship in their hearts stroll in an amusement park together?


    Was it because he was too beautiful that even if he was with a man in a ce like this, people just couldn¡¯t help but think that they were together romantically? He sighed. He once again experienced another disadvantage of being too beautiful. Ah, truly, beauty was a sin.


    "After your brother heard it, he dragged the other two here. He most likely wanted to catch us on the act and then beat me up for ¡¯abducting¡¯ his brother," Shen Ji Yun added.


    Luo Yan chuckled hearing that. Because that¡¯s truly something his younger brother would do. That¡¯s probably why Luo Jin still didn¡¯t send him a message, asking him directly where he was. Just so he could ¡¯catch them in the act¡¯.


    "The way Brother Ji Yun said it, it¡¯s almost like we¡¯re having an affair."


    The whole rabbit face suddenly turned red after he said that. Which just delighted Luo Yan.


    "I- no- that was not what I was trying to say. I mean- just- I¡¯m simply making a metaphor," Shen Ji Yun said,pletely flustered.


    "I know. I¡¯m just joking with Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan said before steam coulde out of the other¡¯s rabbit head. "So, did Sister Yuqi tell you where they are now?"


    "They¡¯re currently at Wild Land, on-board the cruise ship."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows when he heard that. If they were looking for them, why would they suddenly go on-board a cruise ship? Luo Jin would definitely not do that. Unless, it¡¯s suggested by Su Yuqi. In which his brother would definitely agree to go.


    He suddenly had a feeling that Shen Ji Yun and Su Yuqi were now working together just so their two groups could avoid meeting each other. But Luo Yan didn¡¯t peg Su Yuqi as someone who would do that. Unless, one ¨C there¡¯s something in it for her, like Shen Ji Yun promising to give her something. Or two ¨C she knew about Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for him. And there¡¯s also a third possibility that it was both.


    Whichever the case, the two were now definitely working together.


    "What does Yan Yan want to do now? Do you want to meet up with them?"


    Luo Yan gave Shen Ji Yun a sideway nce. This guy, asking that when he, himself, didn¡¯t want it to happen. Luo Yan wondered what he would do if he said ¡¯yes, let¡¯s go and meet up with them¡¯. But he was in a good mood, so he wouldn¡¯t tease him like that. Besides, he was enjoying their alone time together so far. Why would he want three other light bulbs to go with them?


    "Let¡¯s just continue what we¡¯ve been doing until now."


    Hearing that, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened. Whichpletely reflected on the rabbit¡¯s eyes. It suddenly had a bright glint. Because what Luo Yan said meant that he just wanted to go around Tropical Land with just the two of them. How could he not be happy?


    "Okay, let¡¯s do that."


    Luo Yan almostughed again seeing the silly expression on the rabbit head¡¯s face. "Then let¡¯s go and ride that mystery coaster."

 Chapter 374 mystery coaster

    WHILE walking, Luo Yan thought again about the problem regarding their current task. He was not particrly worried about the sudden arrival of Luo Jin and the others. With Su Yuqi on their side, their two groups would surely not meet. Now that he thought about it, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s metaphor earlier was truly apt. They were really like a couple who were hiding their secret affair. And his younger brother was that family member who was hellbent on separating them.


    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at thatparison.


    "Did Yan Yan see anything funny?" Shen Ji Yun suddenly asked curiously.


    He might not see the curve of his lips because of the mask covering the lower half of his face. But he could hear the melodiousugh he gave off just now.


    "Of course, I¡¯m thinking of our task," Luo Yan said easily.


    If he mentioned the word ¡¯affair¡¯ again, this guy would probably blush profusely again. Not that he no longer wanted to tease him. He wouldn¡¯t get tired of that. He just wanted to talk about their task before they rode the mystery coaster.


    "I¡¯m imagining that we finally found Lhoris and he told us what happened to Dusk," he added.


    If they went through all these and it ended up that the moon elf actually didn¡¯t know anything, Luo Yan might really just blow up. They had wasted too much time already on talking to other NPCs that if it didn¡¯t bear fruit, he seriously wouldn¡¯t know how he would react. Although he doubted that that would be the case. Especially since the fact that Lhoris suddenly resigned on the day that the ck dragon awoken. It showed his connection to the whole thing. But Luo Yan just hoped that they could finally find one important clue that would tell them about that moon elf¡¯s whereabouts.


    If only that receptionist told them the little odd jobs that Lhoris did when he was working here, then they probably wouldn¡¯t go around in circles like this. But she refused to tell it to them. Saying that it¡¯s against policy. Against policy? How the heck could that be against policy? It¡¯s probably because this game just wanted to make this task harder for them.


    "Don¡¯t worry, even if we don¡¯t find any important information about that moon elf¡¯s whereabouts, we could always go back to the moon elves¡¯ vige and ask the Elder about him," Shen Ji Yun said, seemingly able to understand his worries. "I think that information about him having that kind of eyes would be very helpful."


    Luo Yan agreed. There¡¯s no way that information about Lhoris having a diamond like eyes was useless. There¡¯s surely a reason why that particr fact was mentioned by that NPC in the train. Besides, the two of them still need to go back to his vige for that reward they hadn¡¯t received yet.


    "Well, even if we don¡¯t find the information we needed, at least we had fun together," he said, shrugging. Although he would still feel a little bit pissed.


    Shen Ji Yun stopped a step and then continued walking. A smile hanging on his thin lips. He was happy knowing that Luo Yan was having fun. Suddenly, he was thankful for this task. If not for this task, he wouldn¡¯t know when he would have the guts to actually ask Luo Yan to go here. He was sure that his tongue would definitely be tied up before he could even utter a single word.


    He really needed to be more confident. If not, then how would he even confess to Luo Yan? He would definitely do a bad job of it. He might not even be able to convey all the feelings he wanted to convey.


    With that worry in mind, they finally arrived at the site of the mystery coaster.


    Because of the golden bracelet they were wearing, they didn¡¯t need to line up and they could just go straight up to the coaster. As expected, they were stared at by other yers. They probably thought that the two of them were a pair of weird people. Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind and Shen Ji Yun certainly didn¡¯t care.


    The coaster was painted in ck and only had six carts in them that had two seats. Which meant that it could only hold about 12 yers. Once a coaster departed, another coaster would line up after a minute to take on another batch of yers. These coasters would then go through tunnels that had ghosts and monsters in it. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t hurt the yers. They would just scare them out of their wits. And because this was a virtual world, the effects would definitely be much scarier inparison to horror houses found in real-life amusement parks.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t feel any scared at all. In fact, he couldn¡¯t wait to get on the coaster and be scared out of his wits. He¡¯s not really the type who would be scared of ghost and whatnots. So, he wanted to know if the ghosts and monsters in those tunnels could scare him.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s go," he said excitedly to the rabbit mascot standing beside him.


    And he pulled him to one of the empty carts. Both of them sat down. And seat belts automatically appeared to hold them down.


    Shen Ji Yun nced at the seat belt on Luo Yan¡¯s body and he suddenly felt a little disappointed. He wanted to put the seatbelt on Luo Yan himself. Then he would have an excuse to get close to him.


    No- wait. Wasn¡¯t this mystery coaster full of ghosts and monsters? He read online that when couples went on a date, they often went to horror houses when going to amusement parks or watched horror movies when going to cinemas. ording to what he read, it was an excuse so the guys could show their heroic attitude to the girls. Every time the girls would get scared, they would inadvertently hug their boyfriends. Which then would help their feelings grew deeper.


    He turned to Luo Yan. When he thought of what he was going to say, he suddenly fumbled. But he quickly calmed down and quickly said;


    "Yan Yan, if- if you feel scared, don¡¯t hesitate to hold me. I¡¯ll definitely protect you."


    Luo Yan stared at the determined rabbit mascot. Amusement with a tinge of warmth filled his blue eyes. "Okay. Then, I¡¯ll depend on Brother Ji Yun."


    Two girls who just sat behind the two heard this conversation. And they felt that they just had been fed with dog food.

 Chapter 375 happily eating dog food

    LUO YAN squealed happily. The coaster just went down a high circr bend and it made all the yers riding the coaster shout. Some in excitement, some in fear, and some maybe both. Luo Yan certainly belonged to the first category. He really liked this kind of rides.


    But the big rabbit beside him seemed to not share the same sentiment. Because the moment when the coaster went up or when it went down, he could feel his whole body stiffening up. Although there was no screaming, his body freezing up was quite a good indication that he didn¡¯t like this ride.


    Luo Yan suddenly remembered when he went to the amusement park with his father. His father almost had the same reaction whenever they rode rides that involved dangerous heights. He also froze up and then after the ride, his face would be extremely pale. Luo Yan could tell that his father didn¡¯t like those rides one bit. But he still catered to Luo Yan.


    He had a feeling that Shen Ji Yun was probably having the same dilemma as his father. That kind when he just wanted to get off of this ride but he couldn¡¯t because Luo Yan liked it. And his like was more important than his ownfort. Both Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan¡¯s father both had a cold handsome exterior but deep inside, both of them were adorable softies.


    Luo Yan looked forward and saw that they were entering the first tunnel. His excitement level quickly doubled. Putting the tunnel right after that high circr track was a good idea. In this way, that excitement from that drop was still fresh in the people¡¯s mind. Seeing ghosts and other scary beings after that would surely double the fear factor.


    Shen Ji Yun who also saw the tunnel tried to calm himself. His heartbeat was still elerating because of that sharp drop. He didn¡¯t like this kind of eleration. He¡¯d rather Luo Yan be the cause than some ride track.


    Once he calmed down, he turned to Luo Yan. "Yan Yan, if you get scared¡ª"


    "I¡¯ll hold onto Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan finished. He turned to Shen Ji Yun, his peach blossom eyes bent into crescents. "If I see a super scary ghost, I¡¯ll definitely grab Brother Ji Yun¡¯s arm tightly. You definitely can¡¯t dislike me, okay?"


    "Of course! How could I ever dislike you?" Shen Ji Yun quickly said.


    The two girls who were sitting behind the two blushed a little. Because both were listening carefully to the conversation of the two since earlier. In short, they were eavesdropping. The two girls looked at each other. And their eyes seemed to be saying;


    ¡¯These two are definitely a couple!¡¯


    They were not one of those girls who loved to ship guys together all the time. But seeing the two, even though both were dressed really weird ¨C heck, one was even wearing a rabbit mascot suit, they still could feel that the two had a special connection. And that connection was being perfectly reflected at the way they acted around each other. Anyone who observed them long enough could see that.


    The two girls felt that if they continued to observe them longer, they would definitely be fed dog food continuously.


    The coaster entered the tunnel and it wasplete darkness.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t close his eyes and instead looked around. It seemed that night vision of his race wouldn¡¯t be of use here because he literally couldn¡¯t see anything. Probably to add to the scary factor.


    As he looked around, a woman hanging on the ceiling suddenly appeared in everyone¡¯s line of sight. There was a rope tied to her neck and it was tilted in a weird angle. Her skin was extremely pale and her eyes were bulging. It¡¯s like how one would look after they hanged themselves and died.


    Luo Yan could hear the sudden screams of people. They were probably surprised because of the ghost just came out of nowhere. But he just tilted his head and stared at the hanging ghost. It wasn¡¯t really that scary, to be honest.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun at that moment and saw that the other waspletely still. Was he waiting for him to suddenly grab his arm because of too much fear?


    He hadn¡¯t had time to think more about it because a screeching sound suddenly filled the tunnel. Then a female ghost wearing a white dress came howling forward. Her long ck hair was flowing around her in a creepy manner. She had no eyes, only nk eye sockets. Her mouth was opened in a howl. She almost looked like that famous painting ¨C ¡¯The Scream¡¯.


    "Die! Everyone should die!!!"


    Luo Yan winced a bit because her screech was like a nail scratching a metal surface. This time, the screams that echoed around the tunnel was much louder. Showing that the yers were much more scared of this ghostpared to the first one. Maybe because this female ghost looked scarier and that she was trying to touch the yers on each cart.


    "Ah! No! Don¡¯t touch me!"


    "Get away!"


    "Ahhh!!!"


    Soon, it would be their cart¡¯s turn. He suddenly felt the person beside him stiffening. He nced at Shen Ji Yun. Although he couldn¡¯t see his face because of the rabbit head gear, he could feel that all his nerves were strung tightly. As if he couldn¡¯t rx until something that made him this way disappeared.


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes widened a bit. No way. Could it be--?


    "Yan Yan, don¡¯t be afraid," Shen Ji Yun suddenly said to him.


    If he didn¡¯t listen carefully, Luo Yan would probably not hear the slight tremble in the other¡¯s voice. Then he suddenly felt Shen Ji Yun¡¯s body jerk. The reason? The female ghost appeared in front of them. That reactionpletely confirmed Luo Yan¡¯s guess.


    The female ghost suddenly lurched at them, extending her hand with blood on it.


    "Die!!! Die!!! Die!!!"


    When he was about to touch Shen Ji Yun, Luo Yan felt the other¡¯s body stiffening even more. She smiled and then hugged Shen Ji Yun¡¯s rabbit¡¯s arm.


    She closed his eyes and acted all afraid. "Brother Ji Yun, I¡¯m scared."


    The moment he hugged his arm, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s bodypletely rxed. It seemed that he even failed to feel the touch of the female ghost. Instead, he just patted Luo Yan¡¯s hand gently.


    "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here. Nothing will happen."


    The two girls behind happened to see this scene. The both of thempletely forgot to scream and just happily epted the dog food thrown at them.

 Chapter 376 just a tiny bit

    THE ten-minute mystery coaster ride finally ended. Its duration time definitely much, much longer than that of a normal roller coaster ride in real-life. Probably because of all those tunnels they had to go through. Luo Yan noticed that every time they had to enter one, the speed of the coaster seemed to slow down. It¡¯s most probably to increase the fear factor of the yers riding it.


    Which was very effective, if Luo Yan must say. Because of that, the ghosts and monsters in the tunnel had more time to ¡¯entertain¡¯ them. From the first tunnel up until thest, the scare level of those ghosts and monsters just kept getting higher and higher. From simple ghosts to a horde of fast running zombies. The tunnels were simply filled with all kinds of things that could make the yers jumped and screamed from their seats.


    If this was real-life, his eardrum would probably be broken because of how loud the screams were of the other yers riding with them. In fact, when the ride ended, he noticed that three yers actually logged out and didn¡¯t finish the whole ride. They probably couldn¡¯t take all those jump scares.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, enjoyed it very much. But he couldn¡¯t show it so openly because he acted scared most of the time, clinging onto Shen Ji Yun¡¯s rabbit arm. Of course, he was not doing it so he could eat the other¡¯s tofu. After all, all he could feel when doing that was the soft arm of the rabbit mascot suit. It would be another matter if Shen Ji Yun was not wearing that mascot suit though. It would also probably be more enjoyable.


    Wait- what was he suddenly thinking? He shook his head. The point was he did it so the other wouldn¡¯t be scared. Yes, that¡¯s right. Surprising as it sounded, Shen Ji Yun was actually scared of ghosts. He had no trouble with the monsters that showed in the tunnel. But every time that a ghost showed up, his whole body would jerk and thenpletely frozen up. He would only rx once Luo Yan clung to him and told him that he¡¯s scared.


    It was as if he could only throw away his fear if it was so he could protect Luo Yan. If it meant that he could protect him, then his own fear didn¡¯t matter at all. Luo Yan¡¯s heart felt warm because of that thought. That¡¯s why even though he was not really scared, he still continued to act like one. Just so he could help the other rxed and forgot the ghostsing their way. Which was proven quite effective.


    And also, a certain surprising discovery about Shen Ji Yun made him happy.


    He nced at the big rabbit mascot standing beside him. Who would have thought that the cold-faced Shen Ji Yun was actually afraid of ghosts? Luo Yan certainly wouldn¡¯t have thought of that. But he didn¡¯t dislike him for it. In fact, he found it real cute. It just added to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s level of adorableness.


    "It¡¯s good that we¡¯re finally out," Shen Ji Yunmented before turning to Luo Yan. "Did it scare you much, Yan Yan?"


    Luo Yan could feel the worry in the other¡¯s voice. As if he was afraid that he didn¡¯t have fun because of all the ghosts and monsters. "No, because Brother Ji Yun was there to protect me."


    Of course, he had no n to pierce the fact that Shen Ji Yun was afraid of ghost. He didn¡¯t want him to think that he wasme for having that kind of fear. Because knowing the other, if he teased him about it, he would certainly overthink things. Who knew what kind of weird turn his brain would make? So, it¡¯s better for him to have this kind of wonderful misunderstanding.


    Shen Ji Yun secretly let out a sigh of relief when he heard that. He was d that he helped Luo Yan not feel scared. Truthfully, seeing those ghosts made his heart palpitate. In a very bad way. He didn¡¯t expect that they would look so... real. He was fine with the monsters because they looked just like those other monsters in the game. The ghosts, well, they were another matter altogether.


    It was a shame to admit it, but those ghosts scared him. Just a tiny bit. Definitely, definitely just a tiny bit.


    He had never tried to watch a horror movie. So, he had never expected that he would actually feel that tiny bit of fear for those ghosts. If not for Luo Yan holding onto him, he might have been frozen the whole time. It¡¯s bad enough that he froze every time the coaster fell from a high point. If he froze again every time they entered a tunnel, then he might as well turned into a big rabbit statue.


    He was just d that Luo Yan didn¡¯t notice his abnormality. He didn¡¯t want him to think that he¡¯s afraid, even if just a tiny bit, of virtual ghost. That would be so mortifying. He might not be able to show his face in front of him for a few days if that were to happen.


    "I¡¯m happy that I could be of some help," he replied to what Luo Yan just said. "If there¡¯s something you¡¯re afraid of, I¡¯ll be more than d to be your shield."


    Luo Yan stopped and then smiled behind the mask covering the lower half of his face. Seriously, this guy could really dish out some smoothebacks like this from time to time. Unknowingly activating his inner Casanova.


    Once again, this interaction was seen by the two girls who were sitting behind the two during the mystery coaster ride.


    "Did you see that? How much sweeter can those two be?" one girl whispered to herpanion.


    "I know, right? If someone tells me they¡¯re not a couple, I¡¯ll go and shave my hair now," the other girl whispered back.


    "How envious. I also want to have a boyfriend like that rabbit mascot!"


    "Me too!"


    The two looked at each other and then sighed full of frustration. They decided to just passed by the two guys before they copsed from too much envy. As they did, they happened to hear the guy with a hood and a mask said;


    "Brother Ji Yun, those two girls were really cool. They barely even screamed whenever the mystery coaster entered the tunnel!"


    The two girls almost cried. They suddenly wanted to shout back; ¡¯It¡¯s all because we¡¯re too busy eating you and your boyfriend¡¯s dog food! How can we even have time to scream?¡¯

 Chapter 377 a helpful clue

    LUO YAN and Shen Ji Yun went to thebyrinth area next. They didn¡¯t n to go around thebyrinth since it was a pretty big area and it might take more of their time. It¡¯s already more than an hour since they arrived at Tropical Land and they¡¯re still at the second area. If they wanted to at least go around the whole ce, then they should manage their time properly.


    ording to Shen Ji Yun, thebyrinth was like a big garden maze. And some monsters would appear from time to time to impede the progress of the people riding on the cart that was going through thebyrinth. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t hurt the yers. They would just make their journey a bit harder.


    Luo Yan had no interest in thebyrinth since it¡¯s just like a maze version of the mystery coaster. So, he just suggested to Shen Ji Yun to ask the NPCs working there. In which the other readily agreed.


    They went to the maintenance room where the NPCs maintaining the garden maze were. Seriously, Luo Yan wondered why there¡¯s still a need for things like this considering that this was all virtual anyway. It¡¯s not as if these NPCs were really maintaining the maze. He¡¯s sure there¡¯s a program that would automatically fix any damage done to any part of the amusement park.


    Well, maybe it¡¯s just to give an illusion of reality. That this ce was no different from the amusement parks found in real life. Though considering the rides here, it¡¯s highly unlikely that anyone would think that Tropical Land was just like any other amusement park out there.


    The two were now inside the maintenance room talking to the third NPC since arriving at thebyrinth area.


    "Have you seen a male elf with short blond hair that almost covered half of his face and was wearing sses? He might have worked here for a couple of days. He should be very quiet and didn¡¯t like to interact with others. The work that he should have done would be one that didn¡¯t require him to interact with guests," Luo Yan said to the male NPC in front of him. "Was there someone like that who actually had worked here?"


    He was already getting used to asking this question. He was no longer expecting much since they had been getting nothing but negative response since that one time he talked to that sous chef in the train at Dream Land. But when Luo Yan saw the NPC in front of him being silent, as if contemting something, he suddenly felt a bit of hope. Maybe this NPC would give an unexpected answer.


    And soon, he was proven right.


    "Yes, I¡¯ve seen to remember someone like that. He worked here about two weeks ago, cutting off the extra leaves on the garden maze," the NPC answered after a while.


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes shone brightly when he heard that. If it was about two weeks ago, then it¡¯s possible that this was thest ce Lhoris worked in before resigning. After all, the day that he resigned was exactly nine days ago. He looked at Shen Ji Yun who was also looking at his direction. Even though the other was wearing a rabbit mascot suit, he felt that they were probably thinking about the same thing.


    He turned his attention back to the NPC. "Have you noticed anything different about him?"


    "Not really. Just like you said, he hardly talked with anyone. He kept to himself and hardly said anything."


    Luo Yan remembered his conversation with that sous chef. Lhoris also did the same when he worked as a dishwasher at the train. "He didn¡¯t have any conversation with anyone at all?"


    The NPC seemed to be thinking of an answer to that question, probably trying to remember if he did see Lhoris talking to someone or not. After a few seconds, he had a look like he finally remembered something.


    "Ah! I saw him talking to another employee. It seemed like they knew each other."


    "Why do you think that?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Well, he was arguing with them. No, it¡¯s probably more urate to say that the other person was the one who was arguing."


    "What were they arguing about?"


    "I didn¡¯t exactly hear it clearly. But I heard the other person shouting words like, ¡¯can¡¯t leave¡¯, ¡¯crazy¡¯, oh and somehow even the word ¡¯dragon¡¯ was mentioned."


    Hearing those words, this time, Luo Yan¡¯s eyes were shining even brighter. Because he was sure that once they found this employee that this NPC was talking about, they could finally get an important clue as to where Lhoris went after resigning here.


    "Can you tell us who this employee is?" he asked.


    "Sure. He¡¯s one of the actors at the amphitheater. An elf named Alen. He¡¯s quite famous so I immediately recognized him."


    So, they only needed to go to the amphitheater area. Knowing that, he couldn¡¯t help but reach out to the male NPC and enthusiastically held the other¡¯s hand. "Thank you. Thank you very much."


    Before the NPC could answer, the big rabbit that had been silent since entering the room suddenly made a chopping motion. Separating the hands that were joined together.


    Luo Yan was too startled that he wasn¡¯t able to move for a few seconds. He could only blink at the big white rabbit suddenly standing between him and the NPC.


    Shen Ji Yun knew that what he just did was too childish. But his body just moved on its own. After he did that, he could feel his whole face heating up. So, he could only hide his gaffe by saying, "Yan Yan, let¡¯s now go to that amphitheater."


    Luo Yan looked at the blushing face of the rabbit in front of him. And he knew that Shen Ji Yun must have felt embarrassed by his action just now. It seemed that the vinegar jar of this guy was turned over again. Well, at least he was embarrassed enough to blush at the thought of being jealous of some NPC.


    He could only shake his head helplessly and said, "Okay. Let¡¯s go there now."

 Chapter 378 the amphitheater

    "THAT elf, Alen, must have known Lhoris pretty well. He probably also knows were Lhoris went after he resigned," Luo Yan said, remembering what that NPC said about that Alen and Lhoris arguing and the elf shouting words like ¡¯can¡¯t leave¡¯, ¡¯crazy¡¯, and ¡¯dragon¡¯.


    The elf wouldn¡¯t shout things like that if he didn¡¯t. He was most likely stopping Lhoris from leaving here. Luo Yan had a feeling that all they needed now was to talk to that elf and they could get the information they needed ¨C the location where Lhoris was now. That would mean that after that, he and Shen Ji Yun could just go around and y in the amusement park for the remainder of the afternoon.


    "Yan Yan, if that elf could tell us where Lhoris is, can we..." Shen Ji Yun paused, the big rabbit mascot suit fidgeting as if he didn¡¯t know how to proceed next. And then, as if gaining confidence, he raised his rabbit head and turned to Luo Yan. "Can we still stay here and go around the ce?"


    Luo Yan smiled, although it couldn¡¯t be seen because of the mask, it was still reflected on his eyes which bent into crescents. "I was actually thinking of that too. Of course, we will stay. It would be such a huge waste for these VIP bracelets. And besides, I still haven¡¯t had enough fun yet."


    Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help smiling. "That¡¯s good."


    The two proceeded to the amphitheater area on horseback. When they arrived, they quickly got off their horses and tied it to the parking space provided.


    Luo Yan raised his head and looked at the amphitheater in front of him. It¡¯s not that huge, maybe it could only hold about 1000 audience. But its design totally made up for it. It looked almost like a mini-version of the Colosseum in Rome. Of course, minus the destroyed part.


    He was once again proven how the designers put a lot of effort into the design of this game.


    There was a virtual billboard floating on the side, showing the stage ys that would be performed and the time they would be shown. Luo Yan saw that the next y would be shown 15 minutester. He was relieved when he saw that. Because that meant that they didn¡¯t need to wait until the y finished before they could look for that elf, Alen.


    The y that would be performed in 15 minutes was ¡¯Mid-Summer Night¡¯s Dream¡¯. If he remembered correctly, it was a y written by William Shakespeare. He hadn¡¯t really been interested in Western literature. So, Luo Yan had no idea what the y was about.


    But based on the poster shown on the billboard, it was most likely fantasy set in ancient times. Because there were people, no, they¡¯re probably NPCs, wearing ancient European dresses. There were also elves, no, were they fairies? He shook his head. Not that it mattered. What they needed to do now was to look for that Alen.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun and saw that the rabbit was staring intently at the billboard. "Is Brother Ji Yun familiar with this y?"


    Shen Ji Yun took away his gaze from the billboard and turned to Luo Yan. "A bit. It¡¯s a y consisting of four interconnecting plots that were connected by the wedding of Duke Theseus of Athens and the Amazon queen, Hippolyta. The group of people involved in these plots found themselves in a forest inhabited by fairies."


    That didn¡¯t sound like just a ¡¯bit¡¯ ¨C Luo Yan thought. "Have you seen the y in real life?"


    "Yes. A long time ago. My mother... she liked to watch ys. She especially favored those written by Shakespeare."


    Shen Ji Yun said it in a nostalgic yet very sad tone. Even though Luo Yan couldn¡¯t see his face, he knew that he must be feeling really down right now. He also noticed the word he used was ¡¯liked¡¯ instead of ¡¯likes¡¯. As if it was all in the past. Remembering something like that must be really hard for him.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t want him to be in such a mood, so he quickly hugged the other¡¯s rabbit arm. "Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s go inside and look for that Alen."


    Because of the warm touch on his arm, Shen Ji Yun quickly got out of his reminiscing. The sadness he suddenly felt while remembering the past vanished as quickly as it appeared. And it was all because of Luo Yan.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if he did it on purpose because he felt that there was something wrong with him at that moment or if he did it without much thought. But nevertheless, Shen Ji Yun was still thankful for it. He could really go into a long round of self-pity party once he started thinking of the past.


    "Okay, let¡¯s go inside," he said.


    They walked inside the amphitheater and was stopped by an NPC.


    "Dear guests, can I see your tickets, please?" the female NPC said. "If you don???t have one, there¡¯s a ticket booth on the side where you could go and buy it."


    "We¡¯re not here to watch the y. We wanted to meet one of the actors. He was an elf named Alen," Luo Yan said and then he showed the NPC the golden bracelet.


    Seeing the golden bracelet, the NPC¡¯s attitude became more respectful. Seriously, just how much money did those VIP tickets cost that these golden bracelets could change the attitude of the NPCs here?


    "Alen is currently in his dressing room waiting for the next y to start. If you want to meet him, I could ask a staff to guide you there," the NPC said.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. He thought that it would be much harder to meet Alen. After all, that elf was a famous ¡¯actor¡¯. But it seemed like the golden bracelet could also act as an all-pass item.


    "That would be great," he just said.


    The female NPC called another female NPC that led Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun inside. They didn¡¯t go to the audience area, but went to another area instead. They walked to a corridor until they reached a row of rooms which were probably dressing room for the actors and actresses.


    "This way please," the female NPC with them said, gesturing for them to follow.


    Which they did. Until they arrived in front of a room. The female NPC knocked on the door and called;


    "Alen, there are people here who want to meet you."


    "I don¡¯t want to see anyone!" shouted by a voice from the inside.


    "They¡¯re VIPs!"


    They could hear some cursing and grumbling. But the door still opened, showing a very, very, irritated elf.

 Chapter 379 lhoris whereabouts

    THE mentioned elf had blond hairmon to his kind and a pair of green eyes currently filled with irritation. He had a very handsome appearance that wasmon as well to elves like him. And, of course, the long and pointed ears. But in Luo Yan¡¯s opinion, moon elves were still much more beautiful inparison.


    The elf¡¯s gaze moved from the NPC to him and Shen Ji Yun. A weird expression suddenly crossed his face as if asking, ¡¯these two weirdos were the VIPs?¡¯. Once again, Luo Yan marveled at how great these NPCs at expressing emotions even though technically they had none. They¡¯re probably even better at it than Shen Ji Yun.


    "These are the VIPs?" the elf, Alen, asked.


    "Yes, so treat them with respect," the NPC who led them there said. Then she turned to them. "Please, enjoy your chat."


    After that, she walked away and left them there.


    Alen then opened the door wide open before walking back inside, as if silently telling them that they could enter the room. And that¡¯s what the two did. Shen Ji Yun also closed the door as he entered.


    The elf turned around and looked at them with impatience. "Dear guests, if you have something you want to talk about, then do say it now. I only have ten minutes left before the next show starts."


    Luo Yan also didn¡¯t beat around the bush. He just simply removed his hood and mask. Showing the other his long white hair and extremely beautiful face.


    A gasped escaped from Alen¡¯s mouth when he saw that. "M-moon elf...!"


    "That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a moon elf that was sent by our Elder. I came here to look for Mr. Lhoris." The elf flinched at the mention of Lhoris¡¯ name. Luo Yan continued, "Something happened at the vige and I have to pass an important message to him. The Elder said that he was currently working here. But when we arrived, it was already toote. We found out that he already resigned and we had no way of knowing where he went. It took a long while before we found out that you and him were friends. So, please, Mr. Alen. If you know where he is, tell us. It is of utmost importance."


    He said that while looking full of determination and worry. He was determined to find out where Lhoris was and he was also worried of the possible oue if they didn¡¯t. That¡¯s the kind of image he was projecting.


    Alen shook his head and then stepped back. "I- I don¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t anything! I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about."


    Luo Yan stared at the elf which made the other¡¯s body jerked. If this elf and Lhoris were actually close friends, then that meant that he was just afraid that they would harm that friend. Thus, the denial. Which also meant that the fact that Luo Yan was also a moon elf was not enough to gain his trust.


    He started to think of what could they do to convince this guy. Then he remembered the diamond-like eyes of Lhoris which was mentioned by that NPC working at the train. As well as the fact that the word ¡¯dragon¡¯ had came up in the conversation between Lhoris and this elf. His brain was already working twice as fasting up with a good narrative.


    "A legendary being that had been sleeping at our forest for a millennium had suddenly awakened. It happened nine days ago." After he said that, he could see a shock expression on the elf¡¯s handsome face. So, he continued. "Mr. Lhoris is a special moon elf, as you may have probably already known. His eyes... they were a magical existence. If we didn¡¯t find him in time and deliver the message of the Elder, who knows what will happen. He might end up in a very serious danger. So, please, Mr. Alen. Cooperate with us. We¡¯re not here to harm Mr. Lhoris."


    Alen¡¯s body then started shaking. Then he plopped down on a seat behind him as if his body suddenly lost power. "I- I thought he was just makingme excuses when he mentioned the d-dragon. I th-thought he just wanted to leave here. T-to l-leave me. I- I never thought--!" The elf suddenly seemed to be out of breath before tears started flowing from his green eyes. "I should have known better. I- I should have trusted him!"


    Luo Yan resisted the urge to raise one of his brows seeing this scene. Was it possible that this Alen and Lhoris were actually in that kind of rtionship? Based on this elf¡¯s ramblings, that certainly seemed to be the case.


    Well, this game was certainly promoting free love quite adamantly.


    Well, anyway, he was just d that his gamble paid off and that his guess was correct. There was certainly special about Lhoris¡¯ eyes. And this elf knew about it.


    He went into character again and said to the crying elf, "Mr. Alen, time is of utmost importance. Can you tell us now where Mr. Lhoris went?"


    The elf sobbed while wiping the tears that were still flowing down his cheeks. "H-he didn¡¯t say where. But- h-he must have gone to his cabin."


    "A cabin?"


    "Y-yes. I-it¡¯s located at the Forest of Darkness. He mentioned it to me once, s-saying that if something h-happened, he will definitely hide there." Alen let out another sob. "That stupid bastard!"


    Luo Yan felt amused at the elf¡¯sst words. But he immediately grasped the more important part ¨C the Forest of Darkness. He smiled inwardly. It seemed they now had their next destination.


    "Thank you. We will make sure that Mr. Lhoris would not be in danger," he assured the elf.


    The elf had now stopped crying. But his eyes were still red and watery. "Tell that bastard that if he let himself get hurt, I will kill him myself."


    "I will deliver your message word for word," Luo Yan said in a serious voice. "But Mr. Alen, can I ask what Mr. Lhoris had said to you before he left here?"


    Alen fell into silence for a few seconds, as if he was remembering what Lhoris had said to him. And then, after a while, he answered, "He said that the dragon sleeping in his vige had awakened. Disaster will fall on him and those around him once the dragon found out what he did. So, he needed to get away. To be in a ce where no one could be hurt. That it was enough that he faced the wrath of the dragon alone."


    Luo Yan also went silent after hearing what Alen said. That was certainly quite interesting. So, Lhoris did something that warranted a dragon¡¯s wrath? But what could it possibly be?


    He sighed. It seemed that things were starting to getplicated again.


    "Thank you, Mr. Alen. We will be on our way now," Luo Yan said finally.


    "Wait-!" Alen called before they left. "Please, protect him."


    Luo Yan smiled. "Of course, that¡¯s what we¡¯re here for."


    After that, both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun walked out of the Alen¡¯s dressing room.


    Luo Yan nned to talk to Shen Ji Yun about the conversation just now. But before he could do so, the other already spoke first.


    "Yan Yan, does this mean we could now go around the amusement park and y?"


    Luo Yan stared at the big rabbit and he almost couldn¡¯t maintain his expression. [I see. Shen Ji Yun, it seems you really know your priorities.]

 Chapter 380 on the cruise ship (i)

    MEANWHILE, on a cruise ship travelling on a tropical jungle area...


    Luo Jin was huffing and puffing after he walked to the ship¡¯s deck once more. He just finished going around the ship and he still couldn¡¯t find a trace of his brother and that guy, Shen Ji Yun. It really didn¡¯t help that he was the only one seriously looking. Ever since they went on board, his cousin and that cat girl that he suddenly brought from somewhere just went off on their own. While Su Yuqi just stayed on deck.


    He couldn¡¯t stop his cousin and the girl. And he definitely couldn¡¯t boss around Su Yuqi. That¡¯s why he ended up on his own. He only had 30 minutes to search the whole ship. And now, that 30 minutes was almost over. But he still couldn¡¯t find a trace of his brother and that guy.


    There¡¯s only so much he could do in 30 minutes. But he made sure that he made sure that he searched all the important spots on the ship. Surely, the two wouldn¡¯t be hiding in some dark and small area that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t find them, right?


    So, it could only mean that the two were not here to begin with. But wouldn¡¯t that also mean that also mean that the information that Su Yuqi gave was wrong in the first ce? Did she lie?


    No. He shook his head and rejected that assumption. Why would she lie? It¡¯s not like her at all. Unless, there was something in it for her. Did that guy, Shen Ji Yun, bribe her?


    He scratched the back of his head in annoyance. In any case, he had to ask her about that. So, she could make it clear whether she was bribed or not.


    He just looked at the direction where he left Su Yuqi and was a bit surprised to see that she was still there. She was sitting on one of the tables on the deck. Her little chin was on top of her hand while looking at the surrounding jungle. She had this expression on her face that was screaming ¨C ¡¯I¡¯m super bored and uninterested¡¯.


    Luo Jin chuckled seeing her like that. He was about to walk towards when he saw two male yers suddenly surrounding the table she was in. Because he was not far from them, he could hear what they were saying.


    "Isn¡¯t this Morganite? What are you doing here all alone?" one said.


    "Wanna hang out with us?"


    Su Yuqi ignored both, as if she didn¡¯t hear them at all.


    "Hey, don¡¯t give us the cold shoulders. That cold look could ruin that pretty face."


    "That¡¯s fine. I think that makes her even cuter."


    The two yers looked at each other and snickered. Luo Jin absolutely didn¡¯t like that look. It¡¯s as if they were thinking about something that they shouldn¡¯t. The next action of one of the two made him even angrier.


    The male yer leaned on the seat Su Yuqi was sitting and tried to touch her!


    But what happened next made Luo Jin stopped in his track.


    Su Yuqi gave that yer the look ¨C the one she often used when she was looking down on someone. But this time, it was not like she was looking at an ant but a disgusting trash instead.


    "Touch me and I¡¯ll throw you out of this ship."


    The yer was startled by the coldness and indifference in those pink eyes. He even felt a bit of chill behind his back. But he quickly got over it. Although Morganite was a strong yer, she¡¯s just a support yer who didn¡¯t really fight. Besides, fighting amongst yers was not allowed in public ces like this. So, he knew that the other couldn¡¯t beat him up even if she wanted to. Not that she could anyway.


    So, he gained his confidence and still stretched out his hand. "Really? I¡¯d like to see you tr¡ª"


    He hadn¡¯t finished what he¡¯s saying yet, he hadn¡¯t even touched the other, when he felt his whole body floating. Before he realized what was happening, his body was already submerged on the cold river.


    The remaining yer waspletely shocked by what just happened. He looked at Morganite and flinched when she saw the other giving him the same look that she gave her friend before throwing him out of the boat.


    "Y-you--!"


    "What? You want to swim on the river too?"


    The yer couldn¡¯t say anyeback because some of the yers on the deck who had seen the whole thing startedughing at him.


    "That was some!"


    "Right? Do they really think that Morganite would just nod her head when they asked her to hang out with them?"


    "That¡¯s so delusional."


    "Sometimes, people really need to have some reality check."


    Hearing all those things made the male yer flustered in shame. So, he ended up just running away from the deck. He happened to pass by a ck-haired gnome. Because he just wanted to get out of there, he didn¡¯t notice the gnome extending his short legs. That¡¯s why he ended up tripping. Which generated another round ofughing.


    Because of that, the yer had no time to get annoyed at the gnome who obviously tripped him. And he just continued running out of there.


    Luo Jin scoffed seeing that reaction. Reallyme. If Su Yuqi didn¡¯t throw that guy out of the ship, he almost sted him off with his gun.


    He continued walking towards Su Yuqi.


    "You okay?" he asked.


    Su Yuqi turned to him. "You saw that?"


    Luo Jin nodded. [Yeah. And you were really cool as usual.] ¨C But he didn¡¯t say that and just said, "I was actually nning toe to your rescue. But it seemed that you didn¡¯t need it."


    Su Yuqi chuckled. The indifference in her pink eyes melted and amusement filled it. She stretched her hand and gently flicked the other¡¯s forehead. "What ¡¯rescue¡¯? I could easily handle something like that."


    Luo Jin touched his forehead. He didn¡¯t feel annoyed by Su Yuqi¡¯s action. He even felt a tinge of happiness because of that simple action. Because it meant that she wasfortable enough to be around him that she could flick his forehead yfully.


    "I know. Because you¡¯re always so cool."


    He suddenly stopped when he realized that he actually said that out loud. He quickly raised his head when he heard Su Yuqiughing.


    "Yes, I am indeed always cool."


    Seeing her smile so happily, Luo Jin had alreadypletely forgotten the thing that he had to ask her. He just simply stood there and stared, his heart beating wildly.

 Chapter 381 on the cruise ship (ii)

    TWO yers were currently sitting on the topmast of the ship cruising around the jungle. They were on the highest point of the ship, overlooking everything. Both belonged to the beastkin race.


    One was a guy with fluffy red-orange hair and a pair of lion ears on top of his head. He had bronze skin and perfectly sculpted muscles. He had clear and bright features. But because of the mischievous smile on his lips, he looked absolutely like a bandit.


    The other was a girl with ash-brown hair cut into a short bob. Just like the guy, there¡¯s a pair of animal ears on top of her head. But hers was that of a cat. Her features might be in and simple but her eyes were extraordinary. They were big and nted, just like a cat. It added some kind of charm to her face, making it much more attractive.


    "Hey, I think I just saw Morganite threw a guy off the ship," Xia Li said, looking at the direction of the deck.


    They were at the highest point of the ship. So, they could easily see what was happening on the deck. That¡¯s why Xia Li clearly saw when one of the yers surrounding the table where Morganite was sitting suddenly floated and flew out of the ship. Because it was quite obvious that he was bothering Morganite, the only culprit on why he was suddenly thrown off the ship was her.


    It was quite entertaining though. Xia Li wished she had seen it up close.


    "Really? I didn¡¯t see it. But that¡¯s just like her," Bai Zemented in a wry tone.


    Xia Li nced at the guy standing beside her. "She has a short temper?"


    She remembered how Morganite reacted when White Marsh told her and the cute gnome that she would be joining them. Morganite didn¡¯t have any much of a reaction. She just looked at her, said ¡¯oh¡¯, then moved her gaze way. The gnome who introduced himself as ¡¯Jin¡¯ had more of a reaction than her.


    Xia Li thought that the other was the extremely indifferent type based on that. But after she had thrown that guy over the ship and White Marsh not being surprised about it, it seemed like that was not the case.


    "Rather than a short temper, I¡¯d say she¡¯s a sadist. Yes, she¡¯s a sadistic loli!" Bai Ze said with conviction.


    Xia Li couldn¡¯t stop herself fromughing. "What¡¯s with that? If Morganite hears you, she¡¯d definitely be mad."


    "It¡¯s not like she doesn¡¯t know that I usually call her that," Bai Ze shrugged. "I even sometimes tell it to her face. It¡¯s better than actually acting all friendly to someone but dissing them behind their back, you know."


    Xia Li looked at the big lion beastkin beside her with amusement. "You¡¯re right. It means you¡¯re a good friend."


    The lion looked at her as if she just said a bad joke. "I think your standard of friendship is a bit skewed."


    Xia Li looked even more amused when she heard that. "Not at all. I think honesty is one of the foundations to build asting friendship. If you can tell your friend that she¡¯s a ¡¯sadistic loli¡¯ to her face, then your rtionship must be really deep."


    Bai Ze suddenly had goosebumps and he started rubbing his arms. "What kind of scary things are you saying? Are you cursing me?"


    Xia Li couldn¡¯t help butughed once more seeing this exaggerated action. It was really fun talking to this guy.


    Bai Ze stopped rubbing his arms and looked at the cat-girl in front of him. It was something he had already noticed since they did that task together during the birthday event of the King of Arcadia. Catnip really looked beautiful whenever she smiled. Those big cat-like eyes bent into crescents, he could even see a small dimple on her left cheek. That¡¯s why every time she smiled, he had the urge to poke that cute dimple.


    He stopped. That was one weird thought. He cleared his throat and looked away. So that Catnip wouldn¡¯t be able to read anything on his face.


    Xia Li indeed did not notice that small reaction of his. It¡¯s because she was already thinking of another thing. Of course, it¡¯s about his current favorite CP in the game. The NightCloud CP!


    "I don¡¯t think your Captain and that pretty moon elf are here," shemented.


    They¡¯ve been here for almost 30 minutes now and they hadn¡¯t seen or even heard any trace of the two. Xia Li guessed that they had probably already had probably gotten off thest cruise while their group went to the next one.


    "I think so too," Bai Ze agreed.


    Either Ji Yun lied or they were yed by Su Yuqi. Whether it was one or the other, it would still be irritating. He sighed. He once again opened his private chat and saw that Shen Ji Yun still hadn¡¯t read any of his messages since earlier. This guy. Just what the heck was he doing with Luo Yan that he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to read a message?


    "They probably wouldn¡¯t be on the Wild Land anymore," Catnip said. "Which area should we go next to find them?"


    Bai Ze was about to answer but then stopped. Why did it feel like she was more enthusiastic in finding Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan than them? He immediately thought of the captain of team Sirens which Catnip belonged to.


    He narrowed his eyes at her. "You¡¯re showing quite an interest in our captain. You¡¯re not trying to spy on him for your captain, right?"


    The cat-girl suddenly had a bewildered look. It¡¯s because Xia Li wasn¡¯t sure how the conversation made a sudden curve like that. Was it because of what she said about finding YUN and Noctis? But that¡¯s only because she was looking forward to gathering new materials! Did ite off as her being interested in YUN? But then how did it turn out into her spying for her captain?


    "I¡¯m not. Why would you even think that?" she asked, truly curious.


    Bai Ze scoffed. "Doesn¡¯t she like our captain?"


    Xia Li was a bit surprised hearing that. She didn¡¯t know that it wasmon knowledge now that team Siren¡¯s captain liked YUN. Remembering her captain, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit pitiful. Zhu Lian received quite a bit of shock after thatst time she met YUN at Yuexing Pavilion. She was dejected for a couple of days before bouncing up again.


    Her sister, Zhu Jingyi, became even more pissed at YUN because of that. But in Xia Li¡¯s opinion, it¡¯s good that their captain had that encounter. Maybe it would help her realized that pining for someone who didn¡¯t share the same affection would only lead to heartache. Especially for her case since she couldn¡¯t really express her feelings properly. It might even help her grow.


    "I don¡¯t want to talk about my captain¡¯s personal feelings. That¡¯s her privacy and everyone should respect it. Including you," she said in a stern tone.


    Bai Ze scratched his fluffy red-orange hair. Hearing that, it seemed like Catnip really had no intention to spy on his friend. "Sorry if I overstep."


    "It¡¯s good that you know how to apologize." Xia Li nodded in approval. "But why didn¡¯t you think that I was aiming for YUN? Certainly, that would be what most would think?"


    Bai Ze froze. That definitely didn¡¯t cross his mind. But now that she mentioned it, there¡¯s certainly a possibility of that. For some reason, he didn¡¯t like that kind of possibility.


    He looked at Catnip. "Are you interested in my captain?"


    Xia Li stared at White Marsh¡¯s weird expression. It¡¯s like he had eaten something bitter that he just wanted to spit it out but he still had to swallow it down. The expression was soical that she burst outughing.


    "Of course not," she said while stillughing. "You guys just looked like you have to find him and the moon elf as soon as possible that¡¯s why I said that."


    She just made up an excuse. How could she tell him that it¡¯s because she¡¯s a fujoshi and she¡¯s been shipping his two team mates?


    Bai Ze looked at the girl¡¯s unbridledughter. He had the urge again to poke that cute dimple. He just looked away to stop that urge. He didn¡¯t doubt what she said. Because if she was really interested in Shen Ji Yun, when they partnered up with him during that birthday event task, she should have done everything to get close to him. Because that way, she would be able to interact with Shen Ji Yun through her connection to Bai Ze.


    But she didn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t even mention him. In fact, she asked more about Luo Yan instead. That alone was enough to show that she¡¯s really not interested in Shen Ji Yun.


    He felt relieved realizing that.


    He stopped. Why was he feeling relieved because of that?


    He shook his head and just said something he¡¯s been wanting to ask since earlier, "By the way, can I know your real name?"


    Xia Li was slightly surprised by this sudden request. "Only if you tell me yours."


    Bai Ze grinned widely when he heard that. "I¡¯m Bai Ze."


    Xia Li grinned back. "Xia Li. My name is Xia Li."

 Chapter 382 drenched rabbit

    MORGANITE: [We already left Wild Land and now going to Adventure Land.]


    Shen Ji Yun replied back to Su Yuqi before closing his Status Window. He and Luo Yan were now going to Wild Land. Of course, they were still riding their horses. Which only attracted another wave of attention to him because of the rabbit mascot suit he¡¯s wearing. But seriously, was it really that weird? The way these yers were looking at him, it was as if they hadn¡¯t seen a rabbit mascot in their life.


    "Did Sister Yuqi send a message?" Luo Yan suddenly asked.


    He asked that because he saw Shen Ji Yun looking at an empty space in front of him. He was sure that it was the other¡¯s Status Window. The only reason he would look at that right now was if he was exchanging messages with Su Yuqi.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t react for a moment. Was it really obvious that he was exchanging messages with Su Yuqi just now? But he still answered honestly;


    ???Yes. She said they just left Wild Land and is now going to Adventure Land."


    "Great. Then we wouldn¡¯t bump into them even if we go to Wild Land now."


    He looked at Luo Yan that whose blue eyes were now bent into crescents. Even though he couldn¡¯t see the lower half of his face, he could tell that he¡¯sughing. He could also hear the genuine joy in his voice. Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. How could he not? It was quite obvious by his smile and his tone of voice that Luo Yan really did want to spend his afternoon with him.


    He was actually a bit concern about it at first. He was thinking that maybe Luo Yan was just forcing himself to spend the rest of the afternoon with him because it was way too obvious how much he wanted to be with him. That he probably just didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings. But hearing such a response from him truly made him happy. And at the same time, very relieved.


    "After we arrived at Wild Land, where does Yan Yan want to go first?" he asked, his obvious joy couldn¡¯t be hidden.


    Luo Yan pretended to think before ncing at the big rabbit mascot riding a ck horse beside him. It was really quite aical sight. Every time he saw this image, he had the urge to justugh. Really, this cinnamon roll was like a happy pill for him.


    "How about trying the river rapids? I heard it was quite a thrilling ride."


    Shen Ji Yun secretly gulped at the word ¡¯thrilling¡¯. As preparation for this ¡¯date¡¯, he researched all the rides in the amusement park. So, he knew how that volcano rapid ride worked. He just hoped he wouldn¡¯t freeze again just like in the mystery coaster whenever it went down from a high point.


    "Then let¡¯s do that."


    After riding on their horse for a couple of minutes, they finally arrived at the Wild Land area. Luo Yan looked around the area that they just entered and he felt like he just entered the amazon jungle. There was a lush forest and a river snaking through it. And at a distance, he could see a volcano. That¡¯s where the river rapids ride was.


    They quickly moved to that direction and soon arrived at their destination. Once again, they parked their horses at the designated spot.


    Luo Yan looked at the volcano with waterfallsing down from it, as well as the river rapids that were going to serve as the track for the ride. He tilted his head while staring at all of these. It certainly wasn¡¯t the same as those you could find at a water park. Because this one looked very real. That¡¯s right. It felt like he was staring at a real volcano right now. Well, not really that real. Because where could you see a volcano with water surrounding it like some kind of spiral?


    He suddenly felt excited again. A virtual amusement park was truly the best. Because here, you could go to all sorts of interesting rides.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s go!" he said excitedly to Shen Ji Yun.


    "Right. Let¡¯s go," Shen Ji Yun replied.


    He was actually trying his best to rx his body after he saw the volcano and those river rapids. ording to what he read, the ride would start at the very top of the volcano and would continue to go down until it reached the bottom. It seemed like his n to not freeze would just be thrown out of the window.


    When they entered the area, they didn¡¯t need to queue in line. An NPC told them to step on some elevated tform. And when they did, they were immediately transported to the part of the volcano where the ride would begin.


    "Wee dear guests!" a female NPC greeted them. "Is it a ride for a single person or for two people?"


    "For two people," Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to answer.


    "Then please follow me."


    The NPC led them to the starting point of the ride. There was a canoe looking boat there minus the paddles. It could seat two people based on the two very advanced-looking seats on it. The NPC gestured for them to get on the boat. And so, they did. Luo Yan sat on the front and Shen Ji Yun on the back. A seatbelt like harness appeared then.


    "Please, enjoy your ride," the NPC said smiling.


    After she said that, the boat started moving without them doing anything. It moved along the water rapids. As the boat went down, its speed elerated more and more. It made Luo Yan¡¯s heart beat wildly in excitement.


    The water around them sshed on his clothes and his face but he didn¡¯t care. He just raised his arms and squealed in happiness. "Woooo!!!"


    Shen Ji Yun, on the back, felt the exact opposite. This was even worse than the mystery coaster. At least there, they were sitting on something stable. But because they were on the water, the whole boat was shaky. It didn??t help that the speed of the boat was getting faster and faster.


    The whole thingsted for about five minutes. Shen Ji Yun felt that that was probably the longest five minutes of his life. His rabbit suit was drenched from head to foot. He felt ufortable all over.


    Luo Yan turned to him. "Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s go again!"


    Shen Ji Yun became speechless for a second. Seeing how happy Luo Yan was, at the end, he could only say, "... Okay."

 Chapter 383 a cool person

    AT the end, they ended up riding the river rapids for three more times. There was a system that once the yer left the canoe-like boats their clothes that were sshed with water would automatically be dried up. So, it didn¡¯t matter how many times they rode the river rapids nor how many times they got sshed by water. They would still return to their original condition.


    That¡¯s the only thing Shen Ji Yun was thankful for. Because if not, then he would definitely look worse than a wet chicken. Although even without that, he still felt ufortable all over. He didn¡¯t like how the boat was unstable or how the water would always ssh into him. If this was in real life, he would probably have puked all his guts out already. Which he was really thankful for, by the way.


    Since this was all happening in VR, he was able to prevent thatme side of his from showing. He was even thankful for the rabbit mascot suit. Because of this suit, Luo Yan didn¡¯t see his face stiffening every time the boat elerated down the rapids. He really didn¡¯t want to show this kind ofme weakness to the other. It¡¯s probably just his own ego talking, but he only wanted Luo Yan to see his cool sides.


    He looked at Luo Yan¡¯s who¡¯s now exuding a ¡¯I am very happy¡¯ aura. Well, as long as he¡¯s happy. That¡¯s all that mattered, really.


    "That was so much fun!" Luo Yan suddenlymented while they were walking out of the volcano river rapids area.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun who was walking beside him. The other¡¯s rabbit mascot suit¡¯s face looked even whiter than usual. No, it¡¯s probably more urate to say that it¡¯s really pale. And since this rabbit mascot mirrored Shen Ji Yun¡¯s current emotion, it meant that, unlike him, he didn¡¯t enjoy the river rapids ride.


    Luo Yan scratched the tip of his nose awkwardly. He should have known that that would be the case. Especially after their mystery coaster ride. Shen Ji Yun obviously didn¡¯t like the feeling of falling from a high point. That¡¯s why every time the coaster fell from one of the high bends, his whole body would freeze. As if he¡¯s readying his heart to what woulde next. The same could probably be said for the river rapids ride. But because Luo Yan was having too much fun, he forgot that fact and didn¡¯t even notice it.


    Shen Ji Yun was probably feeling so ufortable right now. He probably didn¡¯t utter a single word ofint because he saw how much Luo Yan was having fun. Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that he would be this thoughtless. Just because he¡¯s having fun, he ignored Shen Ji Yun¡¯s difort.


    He probably should apologize for the four times he consecutively asked the other to ride again on the river rapid.


    "Brother Ji Yun, sorry if I dragged you to ride through the river rapids four times," he started.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t expect Luo Yan to suddenly apologized. He wasn¡¯t even sure what prompt him to do it. "It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need for you to say sorry."


    "But Brother Ji Yun probably didn¡¯t like it. And yet, you still catered to my whims. That¡¯s why it¡¯s only right for me to say sorry when I was being thoughtless," Luo Yan said.


    He was totally being serious. Although he loved teasing Shen Ji Yun, he didn¡¯t want it to be to the point where the other would end up all pale like this. And he also had another important thing to say that¡¯s why he said that.


    "So, Brother Ji Yun, if you don¡¯t like a ride, just tell me. Then we would just pick another one which we could both enjoy. There¡¯s no meaning to it if it¡¯s only me who¡¯s having fun," he added. "I don¡¯t want to feel this kind of enjoyment at the expense of your ownfort."


    Shen Ji Yun was startled. Because based on what he heard, it meant that Luo Yan knew that he was ufortable riding on the river rapids. That¡¯s why he¡¯s apologizing. Because even though he knew about his difort, he still pulled him to ride it for another three times. Which just showed that he was enjoying the ride too much to the point that he had ignored Shen Ji Yun¡¯s difort.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not that bad. I could endure it," he quickly said. "It¡¯s more important that you have fun."


    How could he let hisme-ass weakness hinder Luo Yan from having fun?


    Luo Yan reached out to one of the rabbit¡¯s arm. "But I don¡¯t want Brother Ji Yun to just endure it. I want you to have fun too. With me."


    Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help the smile that crossed his face when he heard that. "Then there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. Because I always have fun whenever I¡¯m with you."


    This time, it was Luo Yan¡¯s turn to smile. This guy and his smooth lines. "But still, from here on out, I want you tell me if you feel any difort during a ride and not just bear with it, okay?"


    "Yes, sir," Shen Ji Yun answered in a pampering tone. Then he thought of asking the other about something. "Yan Yan, you, do you think it¡¯s uncool that I¡¯m ufortable riding those kinds of rides?"


    "Of course not," Luo Yan automatically answered. "A person¡¯s coolness doesn¡¯t depend on whether they could do this or they could do that. It all depends on one¡¯s character. If someone has a rotten personality, then I wouldn¡¯t hesitate tobel them as uncool. But Brother Ji Yun, you¡¯re not like that. You¡¯re cold, yes. But you¡¯re really warm inside. For me, you¡¯re one of the coolest person I know."


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly felt like his heart was beating wildly inside his chest. Hearing such apliment from Luo Yan made him feel some kind of unexpected joy. It¡¯s like he really was that cool person that the other was pertaining to.


    His rabbit paw clutched onto Luo Yan¡¯s hand. "Yan Yan is very cool too."


    Luo Yan smiled and said shamelessly, "Of course I am."


    The two looked at each other and both burst outughing.

 Chapter 384 a gaze with suspicion

    IT was already nearing five in the afternoon. Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t believe how fast time passed by. He and Luo Yan visited almost every ce in Tropical Land. Truthfully, if he could slow down time, he would have already done so. He just wanted to stay with Luo Yan a bit longer.


    After leaving Wild Land, they continued on to Adventure Land. They rode the underwater coaster, which was not as scary as the mystery coaster. It felt more like they were riding on a cart that was touring underwater. Which was really beautiful, by the way. It was because of the underwater scene. It almost felt like they were under the beautiful ocean.


    They also went to the pirate boat ride. It was like an RPG ride where yers could role-y as pirates. Looting ships while avoiding being captured by the navies. That one was actually quite fun. Because the setting was just like that one popr pirate-film franchise. It was just a bit awkward since he had to act like a pirate while still in a rabbit mascot suit. Luo Yan had a lot ofugh because of that.


    And now, they were at Space Land. Thest of the five areas in Tropical Land that they hadn¡¯t visited yet. They were standing at the water fountain za while looking at the several fountains. The water they released made different animal shapes. It also produced all kinds of colors.


    Right now, they were making the shape of two swans, putting their heads together. Two head then made up a heart shape which slowly turned to color red.


    "How pretty! It¡¯s like the fountain knows that we¡¯re in a date!" said excitedly by a female voice on the side.


    "You¡¯re right, baby," said another male voice.


    Shen Ji Yun turned his head towards the direction of the two voice and saw a couple hugging each other affectionately while looking at the fountain. He looked around and saw that the two were not the only couple on the fountain za. There was one on the left that were holding hands. There was one near the fountains ¨C the guy had his arms over the girl¡¯s shoulders. There was even one on the right sitting on a bench and kissing!


    He quickly took back his gaze and felt a slight indignation. How could they kiss in front of so many people? Not only that pair but also the couples on the za. Their disying affection too much. Did they not think of what other single people like him would think?


    At ordinary times, he probably wouldn¡¯t feel much and would probably just ignore these people. But he was with Luo Yan right now. Even if that was the case, unlike the other couples here, he couldn¡¯t just pull Luo Yan into his arms and hug him. Much less give him a k-kiss.


    Shen Ji Yun let out a depressed sigh. He knew it. He was simply being envious. Because he couldn¡¯t freely do the things these couples were doing. How shameful. To think that there woulde a time that he would be envious of people being happily in love.


    He secretly peaked at Luo Yan. The other was eating ice cream. That pink tongue licked the macha vored ice cream. Shen Ji Yun felt like his whole body was suddenly aze seeing that. His brain filling with those yellow materials. He shook his head sharply after realizing what he had just been thinking. Trying his best to erase all those thoughts from his brain.


    What the heck was he thinking? Why was he being such a beast again? Luo Yan was still a minor. No matter how much he felt for him, it¡¯s still wrong of him to think about him this way.


    He took a deep breathe and calmed his mind. He needed to have more self-control. His decision to confess once Luo Yan at least turned 18 solidified even more. Not that he was absolutely certain that Luo Yan would ept his feelings. He just wanted to do things right. After all, he probably wouldn¡¯t fall in love like this again. So, it¡¯s just right to do things the proper way. That would also show his respect and sincerity not only to Luo Yan but also his family.


    With that decision in his mind, his rabbit paw clenched tightly.


    This happened to be seen by Luo Yan. He raised one of his brows. He wondered what this guy was thinking again.


    "Brother Ji Yun," he called. "I need to log out soon. Should we ride the Ferris wheel next?"


    He asked that because he knew that the reason why Shen Ji Yun picked this Space Land as theirst destination was because he wanted them to ride the Ferris wheel at the very end.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s thought were cut off when he heard Luo Yan¡¯s question. He turned to him. "Ahm, is it alright if we just return here before nine in the evening? We can log out now and just returnter."


    Because if they rode the Ferris wheel now, then they wouldn¡¯t see the fireworks disy. That would be such a waste. And it would certainly lessen the romantic atmosphere.


    "Well, I don¡¯t mind. But then, we have to buy tickets again," Luo Yan said his concerns.


    "It¡¯s okay. The VIP tickets I bought couldst for a day. That meant that it¡¯s alright for us to log out here. Once we log back in, we would appear here automatically."


    That¡¯s the main reason why Shen Ji Yun bought VIP tickets in the first ce. Because he knew that Luo Yan needed to log out once evening came. This way, they could ride the Ferris wheel in time for the fireworks disy.


    [Wow. This guy really came prepared.] ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    He wondered if they would be any difference riding the Ferris wheel now versus riding itter. But at the end, he still said, "Okay. So, let¡¯s just meet 30 minutes before nine at this exact same spot. What do you think?"


    "Okay," Shen Ji Yun quickly answered.


    The two of them said their goodbyes and logged out.


    Luo Yan took off his VR helmet and put it on the bedside table. He got up from the bed and stretched his body. Feelings thirsty, he then walked out of the room and went straight to the kitchen. He was about to take a ss of water when his gaze collided with someone¡¯s.


    Luo Jin who was now looking at him full of suspicion.

 Chapter 385 ah jin lost again

    "HI, Ah Jin," Luo Yan called. He tried his best to act as normally as he could. Just looking at his brother¡¯s suspicious gaze, if he didn¡¯t do that much, he would definitely be much more suspicious that he was now. He took the ss of water he was nning to take and drank it.


    Luo Jin narrowed his eyes at his second brother. He observed the expression on his face and saw that it was as normal as before. But if he thought about it carefully, there¡¯s no way Luo Yan would feel guilty about going to an amusement park with that guy. Albeit it being a virtual one. Because in his opinion, there was nothing wrong with it. Which was really frustrating for Luo Jin.


    And the fact that they didn¡¯t see even the shadows of the two when they were searching for them at that amusement park was making him even more frustrated. Seriously, it was like they were just running in circles. At the end, all they could do was leave.


    The only good thing that probably came out of it was that he managed to spend some time with Su Yuqi. He stopped himself and shook his head. Was this even the time to think about that? There was much more important thing to focus on.


    "Yan, did you go to that Tropical Land with Shen Ji Yun?" he just straight up asked.


    "Yes," Luo Yan didn¡¯t hesitate to answer.


    See? Luo Jin knew that would be his second brother¡¯s reaction. It just frustrated him even more. How could Luo Yan seriously not feel the danger of being alone with Shen Ji Yun? Did he simply not have any sense of danger or was he simply too oblivious? Either way was not good.


    "You said you¡¯re going to do some hidden task. Why did you end up with Shen Ji Yun at some virtual amusement park?" he asked, his tone full of interrogation.


    "We did do a hidden task. It had something to do with locating a moon elf that was working at Tropical Land. But as it turned out, the moon elf resigned about nine days ago. So, we had to look for information about where he could be. That¡¯s why Brother Ji Yun and I went around the amusement park interviewing NPCs," Luo Yan exined.


    Luo Jin listened to Luo Yan. He could see that the other was not lying. It seemed to be really the case. But could there really be such coincidence in the world? It seemed more possible that Shen Ji Yun tricked his second brother to go to that ce. Maybe that was the case. Maybe he just lured him there with the information that this moon elf they were looking for was working there.


    "But why do you have to do the hidden task with that guy?"


    "Ah, because the hidden task was given to the two of us?" Luo Yan said as if the answer was so obvious.


    He could actually see the thoughts in Luo Jin¡¯s face. This kid was probably thinking about some sort of incredulous thing in his head right now. And with his bias against Shen Ji Yun clouding him, it would not certainly be good. So, he needed to make him understand that whatever it was he was thinking of was not the case at all.


    "Ah Jin, I know you have some sort of prejudice against Brother Ji Yun. And I know that no matter how much I tell you that he¡¯s kind and good, you¡¯ll still be biased against him. But I hope that that bias won¡¯t hinder in you believing in what I¡¯m saying. Brother Ji Yun and I went to Tropical Land for a hidden task and that¡¯s the truth of it," he added, his tone full of seriousness.


    Well, he¡¯s not exactly lying. Because he and Shen Ji Yun did go there for the hidden task. Although the other had some sort of hidden agenda, a.k.a. ¡¯date¡¯, he wasn¡¯t supposed to know about it. So, it didn¡¯t matter.


    He looked at his younger brother who seemed to be starting to feel guilty. But Luo Yan knew that that wasn¡¯t enough for Luo Jin to stop interrogating him. In short, he needed a killer move first.


    So, he appeared all sad. Like he couldn¡¯t believe Luo Jin was suddenly acting like he did something bad for no reason.


    "Does Ah Jin think I¡¯m lying?" he asked with teary eyes. "Or does Ah Jin simply think that spending time alone with Brother Ji Yun is some sort of crime?"


    Luo Jin suddenly became speechless. He was panicking because of the thought that Luo Yan might cry at any second. But he also felt incredulous because of his second statement. Why did it suddenly sound like he was some sort of unreasonable person? Was that how his second brother saw him? Because of his constant yapping that he shouldn¡¯t be alone with that Shen Ji Yun?


    That was most probably the case. Because in Luo Yan¡¯s eyes, that guy was ¡¯kind¡¯ and ¡¯good¡¯. So, Luo Jin woulde off as the unreasonable brother who kept getting in the way of the two spending time together.


    He suddenly wanted tough dryly. In outsider¡¯s eyes, that would certainly be how it looked like. No matter how much he told Luo Yan that Shen Ji Yun had some sort of ulterior motive in getting close to him, his brother just simply thought that he was exaggerating.


    If Luo Yan was a girl, then it wouldn¡¯t be hard to convince him. But he¡¯s a boy. He probably didn¡¯t even have the concept of same-sex love. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t feel the danger of Shen Ji Yun.


    Luo Jin let out a frustrated sigh. "Don¡¯t cry. You know that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m just worried about you."


    Luo Yan bit down on his lower lip and still acted stubborn. "I know. But Ah Jin should also not see Brother Ji Yun as some sort of viin. I told you, he¡¯s not a bad guy. He would never do anything to hurt me."


    Thatst part was actually full of his true thoughts. Because he really believed that. In fact, Shen Ji Yun would probably hurt himself than hurt Luo Yan.


    "And that mentality is the reason why you¡¯re still a kid," Luo Jin said in frustration.


    Before Luo Yan could retort back, another voice spoke at that moment.


    "What are you two doing?"


    Both Luo Yan and Luo Jin turned their head at the entrance of the kitchen and saw their older brother standing there. He looked like he just returned from work.


    Luo Yan immediately dashed forward and hugged Luo Ren¡¯s waist. "Brother, Ah Jin is bullying me!"


    "Yan--!" Luo Jin called, his face filled with unbelieving expression.


    Luo Ren looked at Luo Jin and smiled. "Oh? I wonder why Xiao Jin is bullying Yan Yan."


    Luo Jin felt goosebumps seeing their older brother¡¯s smile.


    Luo Yan then turned his head towards Luo Jin and smiled mischievously at the other. [Who told you to call me a kid?]


    Luo Jin who saw this smile gritted his teeth. Luo Yan was showing him his dark side again. And this time, he was the target!


    [This kid--!]

 Chapter 386 to the ferris wheel

    LUO YAN opened his eyes and found himself at the middle of the water fountain za of Space Land in Tropical Land. It was exactly 30 minutes before nine in the evening ¨C the time when he had to meet with Shen Ji Yun. He looked around. The za was still full of couples publicly disying affection but he didn¡¯t see any big rabbit mascot around. It seemed like Shen Ji Yun was still not here.


    It¡¯s a good thing that they decided to meet a few hours after dinner. Because if not, then Luo Jin would probably think that he would meet Shen Ji Yun again. After dinner, that younger brother of his kept him in the entertainment room of their house. He said that he wanted to watch a movie with him. But he knew that that was only the other¡¯s excuse so he could keep his eye on him.


    Even after that incident in the kitchen with their older brother, Luo Jin didn¡¯t lose his tenacity and still watched Luo Yan like a hawk. He seemed to be certain that he would run off to the game and meet up with Shen Ji Yun again. Not that he¡¯s wrong. But really, how could he be so sensitive when it came to Shen Ji Yun? It¡¯s like he¡¯s a hound dog ready to bite Shen Ji Yun at any moment.


    Luo Yan sighed. He could already imagine how hard it would be for Shen Ji Yun once they did end up in a serious rtionship. Not only would he have to deal with Luo Jin¡¯s wrath, there¡¯s also Luo Ren to think about. In his opinion, his older brother could be much scarier than Luo Jin.


    Well, if Shen Ji Yun was truly serious about him, then he surely wouldn¡¯t mind doing his best to be epted by his brothers.


    Anyway, he actually expected Eclipse to suddenly appear here. After all, a yer¡¯s pet would automatically appear beside their master once the yer logged into the game. Maybe it was because of the ce. Tropical Land probably didn¡¯t allow those with no tickets to enter here. Which was a bit weird if it was true. After all, Eclipse was not a yer.


    Well, whatever the case, he was sure that that pet of his was probably still enjoying his little Mana bath. Hopefully, he would gain a lot from that and had his stats increased exponentially.


    Then Luo Yan suddenly felt someone tapping on his shoulder, cutting off his train of thoughts. He turned around and saw the big white rabbit mascot.


    "Sorry, Yan Yan. Did you wait long?" said Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voiceing from the rabbit mascot suit.


    Shen Ji Yun actually wanted to arrive here first. He didn¡¯t expect that Luo Yan would be much faster than him. Maybe he was also as excited as he was for this ride. Thinking of that possibility made him really happy.


    He caught himself and just shook his head. There¡¯s no reason for Luo Yan to be excited. If this was another thrilling ride, then he probably would. But it¡¯s a Ferris wheel, probably one of the slowest rides here. And besides, he was sure that the meaning of riding in it was pretty different for the both of them.


    He cheered himself up. It didn¡¯t matter. The important thing was they would ride it together. And that¡¯s all that really mattered.


    Luo Yan shook his head. "No, I just got here. Let¡¯s go?"


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s rabbit head bobbled as he nodded which made Luo Yan chuckled. Really, how cute.


    The two of them walked towards the Ferris wheel.


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, do you know where the Forest of Darkness is?" he thought of asking.


    "Yes. I could guide us there tomorrow with no problem."


    "Do you go there often?"


    "From time to time. It¡¯s a good ce to grind. Since there¡¯s a lot of strong monsters there," Shen Ji Yun answered. "I was actually a bit surprised knowing that Lhoris has a cabin there. It would probably take a lot of time for us tob through the whole ce since its area is a bit big."


    "Hmm... it would probably be good if we have some sort of item that could detect a specific race. That way, we could find Lhoris faster."


    Luo Yan was worried that they would spend a lot more time than necessary looking for Lhoris. He wanted to finish this hidden task by tomorrow. He didn¡¯t want to waste too much time on searching.


    Shen Ji Yun thought of something because of what Luo Yan said. And he suddenly had an idea. But he didn¡¯t tell it to Luo Yan because he wanted to surprise him tomorrow. It would probably help him earn some brownie points.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure we could quickly find him," he said. "Where do you want to go first tomorrow, by the way? Would you like to immediately go to the Forest of Darkness or to your vige so we could get the rewards for the ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯ task?"


    "Hmm, let¡¯s just go to the Forest of Darkness first," Luo Yan answered. "Should we also bring Dusk with us tomorrow?"


    "No, let¡¯s not," Shen Ji Yun quickly said. "That moon elf might just run off once he sees the dragon with us."


    Luo Yan stared at the big rabbit. He had a feeling that rather than that reason, the other just probably didn¡¯t want to deal with Dusk. But he didn¡¯t say anything and just nodded.


    Soon, they arrived at the Ferris wheel. Luo Yan looked up. It was a big contraption. Probably as big as that Ferris wheel found in Country Y. The one called the London Eye.


    There was a long queue. Luo Yan noticed how there were a lot of couples lining up. Well, the Ferris wheel had always been a romantic spot. He secretly nced at the rabbit mascot standing beside him. It¡¯s probably why this guy wanted this to be theirst ride.


    Just like how it went for the rest of the day, they didn¡¯t need to line up and just walked up straight.


    "Dear guests, please enjoy the ride," said a male NPC. He opened the door to one of the passenger cars and gestured for them to enter.


    And the two walked inside.

 Chapter 387 a thrilling ferris wheel ride

    LUO YAN first walked in, followed by Shen Ji Yun. The passenger car they were was very wide, it could probably seat six people at most. It¡¯s also made up of transparent ss, so he could see everything outside. It then moved upwards to let another set of yers ride in the next passenger car.


    When Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun, he was slightly startled when he saw that the other removed the rabbit mascot suit he¡¯s wearing. It revealed his overly handsome game avatar.


    "Is Brother Ji Yun no longer worried that other yers might recognize you?" he asked with a bit of teasing in his voice.


    "yers outside can¡¯t see what¡¯s inside the Ferris wheel¡¯s passenger cars," Shen Ji Yun said. "And I¡¯m never worried about being recognized. I only suggested for us to wear some disguise because I¡¯m afraid your brother and the others would know where we were earlier," he added honestly.


    Since Luo Yan had already known about Luo Jin, Su Yuqi, and Bai Ze looking for them earlier, there¡¯s no reason to make anotherme excuse.


    Luo Yan¡¯s blue eyes were filled with amusement. He didn¡¯t expect that Shen Ji Yun would actually tell the truth. He just smiled and also removed the mask and the hood, revealing his pretty face and long white hair.


    After a few minutes, the Ferris wheel ride started. The speed was not too slow and not too fast either. It was just enough to savor the view outside at each and every point.


    As the passenger car they were in ascended, Luo Yan could see more and more of the whole Tropical Land. From the jungle area, to the ocean, and then to the volcano. He could also see the vast expanse of the starry night sky. The view from this height was truly exceptional. He almost put his face on the ss wall of the passenger car just so he could see more.


    Then, when they were nearing the very top, colorful fireworks suddenly appeared in the sky. From red to blue to green, they were like flowers blooming. Like a light that brightened the dark sky. It was beautiful.


    He excitedly turned towards Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, look! Fireworks!"


    Shen Ji Yun who watched this couldn¡¯t help but stare. Not at the fireworks but at Luo Yan. He was smiling at him with the dazzling fireworks at the background. Once again, he was captivated by Luo Yan¡¯s beauty.


    Luo Yan looked back at the fireworks. "It¡¯s beautiful."


    "Yes, very beautiful indeed," Shen Ji Yun agreed but his eyes were only glued at Luo Yan.


    Then he noticed that they were already at the very top spot. ording to what he read online, when a couple was riding a Ferris wheel, the most romantic thing should be done when you arrived at the very top. But the problem was, they were not a couple yet. He also had no intention of confessing here.


    So, there¡¯s only one thing he could think of. To give him a gift.


    "Yan Yan," he called.


    Luo Yan looked back and was slightly surprised when he saw how serious Shen Ji Yun looked. "Hmm?"


    "I¡ª"


    Luo Yan suddenly felt nervous for no reason. Wait- this guy wouldn¡¯t just confess here right? His nervousness suddenly tripled. Thinking of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s insistence of riding the Ferris wheel as theirst ride, he should have seen that he must be nning something. But could it really be a confession?


    He suddenly didn¡¯t know what to feel. His heart was starting to beat rather wildly. He also didn¡¯t know how he would answer him if his guess was correct. But beneath all the confusion and nervousness, there was a small part of him that was, well, excited.


    "Yan Yan, I- I want to give this to you," Shen Ji Yun said, a rectangr velvet like box suddenly appeared in his stretched out palm.


    Luo Yan looked at the box and then at Shen Ji Yun. He seemed worried that he wouldn¡¯t ept it. Suddenly, he wanted tough. Why did he think that this guy would confess here?


    Knowing Shen Ji Yun, he¡¯d probably choose to confess in real life rather than here inside the game. That was probably better. Since Luo Yan still had no idea how he would answer him if he ever did confess right now. He probably would be too tongue-tied to even say anything.


    He took the rectangr box and opened it. Inside was a silver hairpin with a white crescent moon shaped jade at the very top. It was surrounded by silver vines with white flowers. A very beautiful ornament indeed.


    He raised his head and returned his gaze to Shen Ji Yun who was currently fidgeting. The other was obviously very nervous. He¡¯s probably worried if he would like the hairpin or not.


    Seeing that Luo Yan was looking at him, he quickly said, "This hairpin is an essory that could increase the defense of a yer. Since Yan Yan¡¯s game avatar has long hair, I thought that it¡¯s design would suit you. I- I hope that Yan Yan would like it."


    The silver color of the hairpin certainly suited Luo Yan¡¯s white hair. And the crescent moon shaped jade at the top was like a symbol of his race. That¡¯s why when Shen Ji Yun saw itst week, he immediately thought of Luo Yan. And then thinking how they would go at Tropical Land today, he had already nned on giving it to Luo Yan once they rode the Ferris wheel.


    Instead of answering, Luo Yan picked up the hairpin. He then twisted his long hair up and then inserted the hairpin, making a small bun behind his head. The remaining strands remained flowing behind his back.


    He turned his head so Shen Ji Yun could see the hairpin inserted in his hair. "How does it look?"


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the white hair that was now adorned by the silver hairpin. With its addition, Luo Yan just looked even more charming. So, he said without any hesitation;


    "Very beautiful."


    Hearing such a straightforwardpliment, Luo Yan¡¯s cheeks couldn¡¯t help but heat up. Especially since it felt more like Shen Ji Yun was directly saying that he was the one who¡¯s beautiful rather than the hairpin attached to his hair.


    "I really like it," he said smiling sweetly.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan¡¯s face. His cheeks had a slightly pink tint, like a delicious peach. And all he could think of that moment was ¨C ah, he really wanted to bite him.


    But at the end, he could only smile and said, "You¡¯re wee."


    Luo Yan suddenly thought of something. Before he could chicken out, he said to Shen Ji Yun, "Brother Ji Yun, can you put on your rabbit mascot suit and then close your eyes?"


    Although a bit bewildered by the request, Shen Ji Yun still nodded and acquiesced. He clicked on the rabbit mascot suit in his Items Tab and clicked equipped. After that, he closed his eyes.


    Luo Yan looked at the rabbit¡¯s closed eyes. Before he could hesitate, he walked towards the rabbit suit. Then he leaned over and stered a kiss on the rabbit¡¯s cheek.


    Shen Ji Yun felt something softnding on his cheek. He suddenly opened his eyes and he saw Luo Yan standing before him. The other¡¯s cheeks that were like peaches earlier were now like apples because of how red they were.


    "Thank you for the gift, Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan said, not daring to look directly at Shen Ji Yun. He didn¡¯t even realize how tempting he looked right now.


    Remember the soft touch on his cheek earlier and looking at Luo Yan¡¯s reaction, Shen Ji Yun suddenly realized what the other just did. His rabbit eyes widened into saucers. And his whole rabbit face just turned bright red.


    Luo Yan, he- he just kissed his cheek!

 Chapter 388 top forum post

    LUO YAN was browsing the game forum because Yu Jiao sent him a message telling him that the game forum was filled with gossip about him and Shen Ji Yun. So, after breakfast, he went back to his room and quickly checked it. It¡¯s a good thing that Luo Jin didn¡¯t have the habit of checking the game forum. Or else, he would be interrogated again.


    And now, he was rolling around his bed while browsing the game forum using his phone.


    The top post immediately made his brows shot up to his forehead.


    [BIG NEWS - Yunyue¡¯s captain on a date with a moon elf!]


    Luo Yan opened it and a couple of screenshots of him and Shen Ji Yun¡¯s gama avatar together were posted. All were obviously taken yesterday when they were in Tropical Land. There were photos of them standing close together, then riding horses, eating crepes, even the small, inadvertent touches were also captured!


    [Look at all these sweet photos. Can anyone doubt that they¡¯re not on a date?] ¨C written by the one who originally posted all these screenshots on the game forum.


    [It¡¯s really YUN! Why would this high-cold king be in a ce like Tropical Land? It totally doesn¡¯t match his setting!]


    [Upstairs didn¡¯t you read the title? He¡¯s on a date!]


    [Hey, I know this moon elf. If I¡¯m not mistaken his name is Noctis. Why did it look like he became much prettier?]


    [I¡¯ve seen this moon elf once. He¡¯s really pretty. I have a hunch that he might be a ¡¯she¡¯ and is just using a male avatar.]


    [Was that the point? That emotionless looking Qilin actually went on a date! I almost couldn¡¯t believe my eyes.]


    [Why do you all assume that they¡¯re on a date? I heard this Noctis is now a member of Yunyue. Maybe they¡¯re just doing some kind of task or something.]


    [Upstairs, can you not please ruin our imagination?]


    [That¡¯s right! Besides, are girls the only one allowed to be pretty? That¡¯s so sexist! Boys can be pretty too, you know?]


    [True. Noctis is a very fine example of that.]


    [I think we¡¯re all going off-topic. Can someone tell me if YUN really went on a date with this Noctis?]


    [I was also at Tropical Land yesterday and happened to see the two. My eyes were almost blinded by dog food.]


    [Me too. I also have pictures to prove it.]


    Then a string of photos was attached. After that, a few people also posted photos of Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun¡¯s game avatars. It seemed like all their interactions while they were in Dream Land were captured. These people were even better than some third-rate paparazzi. Now he was d that Shen Ji Yun suggested that they disguised themselves. If not, then the photos taken by these people would definitely be more than these.


    He continued on reading thements.


    [Man, why do I feel like I¡¯ve just been fed a pack of dog food?]


    [I know right? They¡¯re just looking at each other by anyone could tell how special one was to the other.]


    Luo Yan was a bit startled when he read thatment. Was that really the case?


    He once again looked at the photos. There¡¯s one thing that was particrly noticeable. And it was the way Shen Ji Yun was looking at him. It was so gentle and soft. It almost looked like those beast-like amethyst colored eyes were melting. Melting for the person that gaze was directed.


    Luo Yan¡¯s face unknowingly heated up. Because he also suddenly remembered that thing he did yesterday during the Ferris wheel ride. He quickly shook his head and tried his best to remove that thought.


    [Why doesn¡¯t anyone say the obvious problem here? They¡¯re both guys! Shouldn¡¯t that be more of the focus?]


    [s, someone is finally here to make sense! Howe no one is even mentioning this?]


    [So, is YUN actually gay? I suddenly got goosebumps. And not the good kind, mind you.]


    [Well, if it¡¯s that moon elf, maybe I could also bat for the other team.]


    [Seriously? That shit is disgusting, man.]


    Luo Yan read thesements and his expression slowly turned dark. He knew that things like these couldn¡¯t be avoided. After all, this country was not exactly receptive towards the concept of same-sex love. In fact, most thought it was something abnormal. Some even detested it with all they had. It couldn¡¯t be help since that¡¯s just society worked. But that didn¡¯t mean that he could just ept it.


    Anger started to bubble up inside him. He wanted to beat the shit out of all these people. But what could he do to people who just posted anonymously to some game forum? Moreover, what if Shen Ji Yun read these? He would definitely be hurt.


    But if there werements like those, there were also otherments that were theplete opposite.


    [So, what if they¡¯re gays? I didn¡¯t know that being gay is a crime now.]


    [You people, are you still living in the ancient times? What¡¯s wrong with two men dating? Two men could even get married in some countries now.]


    [Correct! It¡¯s already the 21st century. People should have more of an open mind.]


    [This kind of discrimination is the reason why our country¡¯s society is still like this.]


    [It¡¯s really maddening to see these kind of narrow-minded people.]


    [I don¡¯t really care. I just think they look good together.]


    [True. I also think they look good together.]


    [Guys, don¡¯t you know? Their CP has a name! It¡¯s called NightCloud CP. I invite you all to our fan club dedicated to this beautiful CP!]


    [Count me in!]


    [Me as well!]


    Luo Yan read thesements and the anger in his heart subsided. That¡¯s right. There would always be people who would not be so judgmental. Their opinions matter more than those people who could only spout negativities.


    He decided to close the forum. He put down his phone on the bedside table and then took the VR helmet lying there.


    It¡¯s time to log in to Arcadia. He and Shen Ji Yun still had a hidden task to finish.

 Chapter 389 the right time to give up

    DUAN YU browsed on his phone and chuckled when he saw the top post on the game forum of Arcadia. It seemed that these two from team Yunyue were still in the habit of spreading dog food.


    He clicked some of the photos and faced the screen of his phone to the person sitting in front of him. "Look, Ah Hui. Why don¡¯t you take notes from the captain of Yunyue and also take Ah Min on a date? Maybe you¡¯d finally have a headway on your feelings."


    The tall young man with a slightly buff body just nced at the phone and then took back his gaze as if he didn¡¯t see anything. He had a buzz cut and deep-set eyes. It seemed like his expression was always on a perpetual frown. Making him looked like some stern old man.


    Seeing that he was ignored, Duan Yu just shrugged and picked up the tea he was drinking.


    The core members of team Celestials were currently on vacation. They took advantage of the one-week holiday to go somewhere and just rest. He and Zhong Hui were currently sitting on the dining area of the hotel they were staying in and waiting for the others toe down so all of them could have breakfast.


    Song Liuli would definitely wake upter, so he didn¡¯t bother to go to her room. But he was quite surprised to see that Zhong Hui didn¡¯te down with Li Xu Min when the two were usually attached to the hip. No, it¡¯s more urate to say that Zhong Hui always attached himself to Li Xu Min.


    "Hey, Ah Hui, you didn¡¯t fight with Ah Min, right?" he asked.


    Zhong Hui only looked at him as if he asked the most ridiculous question.


    "Okay, sorry for asking something impossible," he said. "But why didn¡¯t youe down with him?"


    "He forgot something in his room and told me to go ahead."


    After Zhong Hui said that, a young man with messy ck hair and big sses almost covering half of his face came rushing towards their table. It was Li Xu Min ¨C team Celestials captain.


    "Sorry, did you two wait long?" he asked.


    "We didn¡¯t," Zhong Hui said, his frowning expression somewhat softened.


    "Where¡¯s Li Li and Ming-er?" Li Xu Min asked after seeing that two of their members were not here.


    "Both of them are still probably asleep," Zhong Hui said. "Don¡¯t mind them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯lle down once they¡¯re hungry."


    "Ah Min, look at this," Duan Yu called, which made the other turned their head towards him. He showed their captain the picture he had shown to Zhong Hui earlier.


    It was the picture of YUN and Noctis looking at each other as if they¡¯re the only people in the world.


    Li Xu Min looked at the phone screen. "Oh, isn¡¯t this YUN? Is the guy with him one of the new members of Yunyue?"


    Duan Yu nodded. "His name is Noctis."


    Li Xu Min smiled. "It seemed like the two of them really get along with each other."


    Duan Yu stared at this innocent smile and shook his head. Then he looked pitifully at Zhong Hui. It seemed like it would take forever before Li Xu Min noticed the feelings of this guy. Poor chap.


    He looked down again at the forum post. He remembered Noctis still owed him a favor. He wondered when would be the good time to let him pay up.


    Maybe he should wait until the end of the Rookie Carnival.


    Zhu Lian stared at the screenshots on the game forum. She looked at YUN and then at the white-haired moon elf. Then, she stared once again at YUN.


    She woke up this morning with the messages of people asking her on WeChat if she had seen the current top post on the game forum of Arcadia. Curious, she went and checked it. When she saw the title, all her sleepiness disappeared. She thought YUN was seen on a date with some female yer. She quickly opened the post but what she saw next was something she didn¡¯t expect.


    It was not some female yer but some white-haired moon elf. She immediately remembered the guy. He was with YUN in that private box at Yuexing Pavilion. And then she remembered another important thing, that threat that YUN made when she became aggressive towards the moon elf.


    [Don¡¯t barge into someone¡¯s territory as if you have every right to do so and then proceed on talking down to people like some entitled brat. Next time you do, don¡¯t do it front of me. Especially not in front of my importantpanion. Because if you do, I will slice you.]


    ¡¯My importantpanion¡¯. That¡¯s what he said. She didn¡¯t notice it then because she was so shocked that Shen Ji Yun would tell her that he would slice her right at her face. But now, she remembered it quite clearly. YUN said those words. And it was pertaining to the moon elf.


    She stared more closely at the screenshots. And she could see it. The way Shen Ji Yun was looking at the moon elf. It was full of gentleness. And something else ¨C another emotion she couldn¡¯t recognize. Just that was enough to show how important the moon elf was to him.


    In more than three years that she had watched Shen Ji Yun, this was the first time she had seen him looking at someone like this. Even his closest friend, Bai Ze, had never received this kind of gaze. She knew. Because she had always been looking his way.


    Always.


    Her phone fell on her bed. Zhu Lian stood up and walked out of her room. It just so happened that her younger sister also just walked out of her own room which was just in front of hers.


    So, the two sisters just ended up facing each other.


    "Sister?" Zhu Jingyi asked.


    Just one look and she could immediately tell that something was wrong. But before she could ask what it was, her sister suddenly flung herself towards her.


    "Jingyi..."


    "Sister?" she asked again and then her whole body stiffened when she heard the other¡¯s silent sobs. She started to panic. "Sister, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Zhu Lian didn¡¯t answer and just shook her head. She continued to sob, tears flowing down her eyes. Because at this moment, she suddenly understood one thing.


    That she had already lost.


    And the most pathetic thing was, she lost without even trying to fight. She once again remembered the way Shen Ji Yun looked at that moon elf.


    "Jingyi... maybe I should just give up."

 Chapter 390 remembering and blushing

    LUO YAN appeared in front of their team¡¯s headquarters. He and Shen Ji Yun had decidedst night that they would meet here. And then they would teleport to the ce nearest to the Forest of Darkness. It¡¯s because there¡¯s no teleportation scroll that could directly teleport them there. So, the next best thing was to teleport to an area nearest to it.


    He was confused by that. Because normally, ces like that would have a teleportation scroll dedicated to it. But Shen Ji Yun said that it¡¯s because a dungeon was located there. He instantly understood why. In this version, yers were not allowed to directly teleport to a dungeon area.


    This Forest of Darkness was a new area that was added in the VR version that¡¯s why he had no idea about it. He nned to search about itst night. But since Shen Ji Yun seemed to be familiar with it, he changed his mind. He¡¯d just rely on the other¡¯s knowledge. Besides, it would be more interesting to venture on a new ce without prior knowledge about it.


    He looked around. It seemed like their other team mates were not here. Which Luo Yan was really thankful for. He seriously didn¡¯t know how he would react around Su Yuqi and Bai Ze. There¡¯s a high chance Su Yuqi would tease him in that unique way of hers. And then there¡¯s his cousin who would most likely interrogate him.


    No matter how much the other loved to joke around, he probably would still be serious when it came to his cousin who had been in aa for seven years and just woke up a few months ago. Especially with that rumor floating around at the game forum. Bai Ze and Shen Ji Yun were also close friends. Luo Yan didn¡¯t want the rtionship of the two to be affected. Although he highly doubted that it would. Bai Ze would probably just think of it as a baseless rumor.


    But now that he thought about it, it seemed like Bai Ze would be another hurdle that Shen Ji Yun had to pass through if he wanted to have that kind of rtionship with him. Poor guy. He certainly had his work cut out for him.


    Luo Yan stopped. He noticed it just now. Why was he acting like the two of them being in that kind of rtionship was already a sure thing? If that was the case, he might as well just confess to Shen Ji Yun.


    No. What was he thinking? Even if that thought crossed his mind, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. He already epted his feelings for Shen Ji Yun. But he knew that at the core of it, he was still not ready. Besides, there¡¯s really no need to rush. He still wanted to savor this youth-like feeling of slowly falling in love with someone.


    And frankly speaking, he enjoyed seeing all the efforts that Shen Ji Yun put in just to ¡¯woo¡¯ him. He often wondered just how much he would be willing to do just so he could convey his feelings to him. It¡¯s probably kind of sadistic of him to do that.


    Now he felt even more sorry for Shen Ji Yun. It seemed like falling in love with someone like him was indeed a bit of a hassle.


    His train of thought was suddenly cut off when he heard an energetic immature voice calling from inside his head. There¡¯s only one entity in this game who could converse with him mentally.


    [Mashter!!!]


    A ck ball suddenly rushed towards him. He almost lost his bnce when it tackled him. But he still held the ck ball in his arms.


    "What are you doing, Eclipse?" he asked, gazing down at the little fox in his arms.


    [Mashter, Eclipse missed you very much! Did you miss Eclipse too?]


    He gently flicked the fox¡¯s forehead. [What are you saying? Didn¡¯t we see each other yesterday?]


    [But you went and y with Captain without me! Eclipse was thrown back here. It¡¯s only natural for Eclipse to miss Mashter.] ¨C Eclipse said in a sulking tone, acting as if he was truly wronged.


    [You- it¡¯s as if you didn¡¯t enjoy the Mana bath that the Captain gave you.] ¨C Luo Yan said in a helpless tone.


    The little fox appeared guilty. [Well, Eclipse did gain a lot after that Mana bath.]


    [Oh? What did you gain?]


    [Mashter, can¡¯t you see? Eclipse grew a little bit!] ¨C Eclipse said, pushing his little furry chest out as if proud of that aplishment.


    Luo Yan observed the fox in his arms and saw that Eclipse did grow a bit. He was obviously a bit biggerpared to yesterday. [Hmm... yes, you do look a bit fatter.]


    [Mashter! Eclipse is not fat! These are all muscles! Muscles!] ¨C Eclipse insisted, looking extremely affronted at the mention that he looked fat.


    Luo Yan chuckled and rubbed Eclipse¡¯s furry head. [Yes, yes. Mashter was wrong. Eclipse is now full of muscles.]


    The little fox finally looked satisfied. [Mashter, Eclipse thinks that it¡¯s only a matter of time before Eclipse grows another tail.]


    [Really?]


    Luo Yan was very excited to hear that. Eclipse growing another tail meant that he would be stronger. It would be good if the fourth tail would grow before the final tournament of the Rookie Carnival at the end of October.


    [Yes! Eclipse probably needs to level up just a bit more.]


    Before he could answer back, Luo Yan saw a distortion in the air. Which meant that someone was about to appear via teleportation. Sure enough, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s game avatar appeared right in front of him. Because of that, their gazes immediately collided with one another.


    The moment it did, something that Luo Yan had been stopping himself from thinking suddenly appeared in his mind. That stupid thing he didst night ¨C kissing the rabbit mascot¡¯s cheek.


    Although it was not directly on the cheek of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s avatar, what he did was still embarrassing. And very thoughtless, if he might just add. It¡¯s like he¡¯s purposely fanning a fire that he had no intention of putting out. Once again, he just confirmed that he might really be a sadist.


    Shen Ji Yun also remembered what happenedst night during the Ferris wheel ride the moment his gaze met with Luo Yan¡¯s. And as expected, his whole face burned red.

 Chapter 391 unnecessary guilt

    SHEN JI YUN could still feel that soft sensation thatnded on his cheek. It was as light as a feather¡¯s touch and yet he could still feel it so clearly. That¡¯s why his whole face was uncontrobly burning right now. He couldn¡¯t even bear to look again at Luo Yan.


    He had a hunch that Luo Yan probably didn¡¯t think much about that kiss. Because in his mind, he was kissing a rabbit mascot. It¡¯s almost on the same level as kissing a teddy bear. But what he didn¡¯t know was that all the sensations felt by that mascot was being transferred to his brain. So, really, it had no difference to Luo Yan kissing Shen Ji Yun¡¯s game avatar directly.


    After all the heart pounding emotions that poured through him, he suddenly felt a bit guilty. Because it seemed like he cheated Luo Yan and took advantage of him without him knowing.


    [Mashter! Why are you and Captain both blushing? Eclipse knew it! You both did something shameful yesterday! That must be why you want Eclipse to leave, so Eclipse wouldn¡¯t get in your way!]


    The little fox¡¯s voice suddenly echoed loudly in Luo Yan¡¯s mind. He instantly reacted. [What ¡¯something shameful¡¯? Eclipse should speak well or else your master will be really angry.]


    He said it in a stern way. But he knew that he was just covering up his own embarrassment. Because that ¡¯shameful¡¯ thing Eclipse mentioned was simply just the kiss on the cheek he gave to Shen Ji Yun. He wasn¡¯t even sure if that should be called ¡¯shameful¡¯. Wasn¡¯t it just a kiss on the cheek? It¡¯s not even directly on the cheek of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s game avatar!


    But seeing the other¡¯s reddened face, he knew that it was not just a ¡¯kiss on the cheek¡¯ for him. Once again, Luo Yan wondered if he was truly a sadist for doing that to Shen Ji Yun ¨C a guy who always loved to overthink.


    He was definitely tortured by that kiss that was not really a kiss. Luo Yan once again felt guilt.


    [Mashter, Eclipse always speaks well. In fact, Eclipse always tells the truth.] ¨C Eclipse said proudly instead of getting scared by his master¡¯s scolding.


    Luo Yan decided to just ignore this little fox. He just cleared his throat and smiled at Shen Ji Yun.


    "Brother Ji Yun," he softly called.


    Shen Ji Yun also seemed like he had gotten over his initial embarrassment. But he still wasn¡¯t able to look Luo Yan in the eyes. "Hm."


    "Shall we go?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Yes."


    Shen Ji Yun took out a teleportation scroll from his Items Tab and activated it. The three of them quickly vanished from where they were standing.


    Again, that feeling of being sucked by a vacuum enveloped Luo Yan. When he opened his eyes, they were already in some kind of vige. No, it¡¯s probably more urate to call it a town. A very flourishing town. It¡¯s not just the size of it but also the shops that were scattered around. Not to mention the NPCs. They all looked well-off. He could even see some kind of castle at the distance. But the most eye-catching thing was the tall wall surrounding the whole ce.


    He also noticed the spade-shaped symbols that were scattered around. It¡¯s on the shops, on the tall gate, and there were even gs with a ck spade drawn on it.


    "What is this ce called?"


    "It¡¯s the territory of the Duke of Spades," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    The Duke of Spades? So, that¡¯s why the ce was full of the spade symbol. The Duke of Spades was one of the four dukes in Arcadia alongside the Duke of Diamond, the Duke of Clover, and the most infamous the Duke of Hearts.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that the territory of the Duke of Spades would be near the Forest of Darkness.


    "Howe we can teleport directly into the town?" he asked.


    Because if this was the territory of one of the four dukes, then ordinary teleportation scroll would just let them teleport outside the walls. That was usually the case when it came to special areas like this.


    "I have a special teleportation scroll that could directly bring me here," Shen Ji Yun simply said, shrugging.


    Luo Yan thought as much.


    "So, what¡¯s with the overly tall wall?" he then asked, looking at the wall surrounding the town. It kind of reminded him of that popr titan anime.


    [Maybe it¡¯s to protect the town from something.] ¨C the little fox sitting on his shoulder said.


    Luo Yan also had the same opinion.


    "There¡¯s a beast tide that happens every three months. All the monsters are from the Forest of Darkness. So, they¡¯re all very strong. The walls act as a defensive barrier," Shen Ji Yun answered, confirming Luo Yan¡¯s guess. "The Duke of Spades also hired yers to kill the monsters during the beast tide. The one who kills the most monsters would receive a reward from the duke himself. It varies every time. But the reward is always a high-grade weapon or material."


    Luo Yan became interested when he heard that. If this beast tide happened every three months, then thest one had already ended. The next one should probably happen in December. Should he participate? Aside from the reward, he also wanted to meet one of the four dukes of Arcadia.


    But that was still more than two months away. Right now, he had to focus on their hidden task.


    "Shall we go now, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit surprised that Luo Yan didn¡¯t ask about the beast tide. With the other¡¯s curious nature, he was sure that he would. Then, he would ask him if he wanted to participate on the next beast tide with him. But since he didn¡¯t ask, then he could only forget that n for now.


    He nodded and they both walked out of the tall gate.


    Once they¡¯re out, the two ran towards the direction of the Forest of Darkness.

 Chapter 392 a violent rabbit

    LUO YAN stared at the lush forest in front of him. They were still a few distance away but he could already feel an ominous atmosphereing out of the forest. It¡¯s like it¡¯s saying; ¡¯beware, this ce is full of danger¡¯.


    It¡¯s not only the atmosphere. Despite the bright sunlight shining down, the inside of the forest that his eyes could see didn¡¯t have any shred of light. As if light couldn¡¯t enter the whole forest.


    Was that the reason why it was called the Forest of Darkness?


    [Mashter, are we going in there?] ¨C Eclipse asked.


    [Yes, that¡¯s our destination.]


    The little fox suddenly buried his face on his neck. [It looks creepy.]


    [What, is Eclipse scared?] ¨C Luo Yan teased.


    Eclipse quickly raised his head and showed a brave expression. [Of course not! How could Eclipse be scared? Don¡¯t worry, Mashter. If you¡¯re scared, Eclipse will protect you.]


    [Then I¡¯d rely on you.] ¨C Luo Yan said, not piercing the other¡¯s courageous pretense.


    He then looked from left to right. Just with that one nce, he could see how big the area of the forest was. The worry he hade up again.


    "It seems it would take quite a long while before we could find that Lhoris," he couldn¡¯t help butment.


    "That might not be the case."


    Luo Yan turned towards Shen Ji Yun when he heard that. "What does Brother Ji Yun mean?"


    As an answer, Shen Ji Yun took out apass from his Items Tab. It looked like an ordinary silverpass. Except that there¡¯s a transparent gem on top of it.


    "This is an item that could help locate the position of an NPC based on their race," he exined.


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes widened a bit after hearing that. "Really? There¡¯s such a convenient item?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "But for it to work, a drop of blood from the same race should be smeared on this gem. It just so happened that you are of the same race as Lhoris. So, we shouldn¡¯t have any problems making thispass work."


    "Then, let me drop a blood on that gem," Luo Yan said, stretching his hand out towards Shen Ji Yun.


    The other didn¡¯t hesitate to put thepass on Luo Yan¡¯s hand.


    Holding thepass, Luo Yan bit his forefinger. Not too strong, just enough for him to drop a bit on the gem. When his blood, well, it¡¯s probably more urate to call it his virtual blood, dropped on the gem, it suddenly shone red. The shining red light soon subsided. As it did, the transparent gem was now transformed into a red gem.


    Then that red color slowly receded until the gem was back into its transparent color once again. As if thepass absorbed it. And maybe that was indeed the case.


    Thepass¡¯ maic needle suddenly turned around faster and faster. Then its speed slowly decreased. When it finally stopped, the maic needle ending up pointing at the northwestern part of the forest.


    "I guess that¡¯s where Lhoris is," hemented. He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Where did you find this thing, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun nced sideways and avoided Luo Yan¡¯s gaze. "I identally saw it when I was buying itemsst week. Who knew it woulde in handy right now?"


    Luo Yan raised his brow at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s answer.


    [Mashter, why does Eclipse feel like Captain is lying?] ¨C the little fox on his shoulder asked. His furry head was tilted to the side while staring at Shen Ji Yun, as if truly confused.


    Exactly. Knowing this guy, he probably most likely bought it after he mentionedst night how hard it would be to look for Lhoris. So, in the short period between then and now, Shen Ji Yun had found an item that could lessen the difficulty of searching for Lhoris by leaps and bounds.


    "Wow. How convenient," he said, trying to sound surprise. "What would happen, by the way, if there were another moon elf inside the forest aside from Lhoris?" he just thought of asking.


    "Then, the maic needle would never stop turning around."


    Luo Yan nodded and gazed down again at thepass. He guessed that made sense. So, this thing could only work properly if one were searching for only a single NPC. In their situation, that¡¯s more than enough.


    "Here, Brother Ji Yun. You lead the way," he said, giving thepass back to Shen Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun epted thepass. "Yan Yan, before we enter the forest, please be prepared to fight. The monsters will attack any yers that enter the forest. It doesn¡¯t matter whether your level is higher, once you walked into the Forest of Darkness, you will surely be attacked. Items that would prevent monsters with a lower level to attack will also not work. So, the only way is to fight back."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan finally understood why Shen Ji Yun had saidst night that this was a good ce to grind. A ce filled with monsters that didn¡¯t discriminate against levels and wasn¡¯t picky when it came to their enemies was surely an ideal ce to grind levels.


    Luo Yan grinned. "Good. I certainly won¡¯t have it any other way."


    He took out his twin daggers from their sheaths and twirled both around. He hadn¡¯t tested his new weapon since he got it yesterday. This was certainly the perfect ce to do just that.


    Shen Ji Yun was slightly stunned at that almost bloodthirsty smile. And then, a small smile also crossed his lips. What a violent rabbit.


    [Mashter, Eclipse will also fight! Mashter just have to sit back and rx while Eclipse is fighting. Eclipse will show you just how strong he¡¯s gotten!] ¨C the little fox said excitedly.


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard that. This little guy, it¡¯s like he had already forgotten that he¡¯d rather buried his face on his neck that looked at the forest. But he didn¡¯t pierce through the little fox and just rubbed the other¡¯s head.


    [Then, I¡¯ll be right behind you.]


    Eclipse patted his own little chest and said enthusiastically, [Leave it to me, Mashter!]


    Then they closed the distance between them and the forest.

 Chapter 393 forest of darkness

    LUO YAN swerved to the left and then shed at the monster trying to attack him. ck shadow-like shes appeared on the de of the dagger he just used. It shed through the monster. Cutting it in half and then disintegrating. He felt another attacking from his left. He jumped up. From the air, he saw a batch of monsters rushing towards the ce when he was formerly standing.


    He smiled. He didn¡¯t even feel worried. It was because his new weapon was just freaking amazing. It was so easy to use that it almost felt like a part of his body. He should really thank Yu Jiao for this. He should probably buy her a gift and give it to her once school started.


    He crossed both daggers he was holding and decided to use one of his skills ¨C [8th Movement Dance].


    Hended at the center of these monsters and then with a flurry of movements, he attacked the monsters one by one. His attack getting stronger and stronger with each slice of his daggers. The monsters all disintegrated with his every attack. At the eighth sh, he managed to kill three monsters at once. With that, he defeated ten monsters with just that one skill.


    This scene was seen by Shen Ji Yun. He literally stopped moving and just stared. Because the image of Luo Yan shing around the monsters surrounding him was simply too... enchanting. His movements were very graceful. It¡¯s almost like he was following some kind of choreography. And as he attacked, ck shadow-like shes were being released by the twin daggers he was using. Adding more to the unmistakable charm of his rabbit.


    Instead of fighting, he looked more like he was dancing. It was truly beautiful. Shen Ji Yun was simply captivated once again.


    A monster appeared beside him, its ws were about to sh down at him. Shen Ji Yun simply shed up his sword. It produced purple lighting as it struck the monster. With that one attack, the monster slowly disintegrated.


    Luo Yan happened to see this. And he once again marveled at how cool Shen Ji Yun¡¯s sword was. The long de and purple lightning that it produced, add that to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s always cold look and he simply looked like one of those overpowered chill anime main characters.


    He then heard a growl. He turned to look for the source and saw the little fox shing away at a monster with his little sharp ws. After that, he turned around and bit the neck of the monster to his right. Then he swished his tails and hit the monster that was about to attack him from behind. He quickly turned around and wed at that monster.


    Luo Yan got goosebumps. What a vicious little thing.


    He shed at his left and heard a monster¡¯s groan. He didn¡¯t even bother to look at it before attacking another monster.


    This routine had continued since they entered the forest. Just like what Shen Ji Yun had told him, monsters constantly attacked them in droves. Regardless of their level, monsters kept on attacking them. And these monsters were all crazed. Like they overdosed on weeds or something.


    Aside from the onught of monsters, the one thing that Luo Yan noticed more was how the Forest of Darkness looked like. It was as dark as he thought it would. Like a forest during the night. Not even a shred of light could enter the forest. It truly lived up to its name. If the three of them didn¡¯t have good night visions, they would probably be fumbling about right now.


    It¡¯s also a good thing that there was only a set number of monsters in each area of the forest. And the killed monsters didn¡¯t spawn right away. Because of that, the three of them could have a little breathing time.


    When they killed thest monster in the area they were in, Luo Yan heard a notification that he leveled up. He¡¯s now level 87. Just 20 minutes of ying here and his level already increased by one. This was really a good ce to grind.


    He just finished off a monster mid-air. Hended on the ground effortlessly. The moment he did, a ck fluff came rushing to him like some rocket. He quickly put one of his daggers back to its sheath before holding Eclipse.


    [Mashter, Mashter, did you see Eclipse just now? Eclipse is great and powerful, right?] ¨C the little fox asked while looking up at him. His sapphire blue eyes shining.


    Luo Yan chuckled. [Yes, Eclipse is indeed great and powerful.]


    Eclipse smiled happily and buried his face on Luo Yan¡¯s neck.


    Shen Ji Yun walked up to them. He hadn¡¯t yet returned his sword to his scabbard. That¡¯s why Luo Yan glimpsed at the character engraved just below the hilt of the sword. He stared at it and read the character for ¡¯dream¡¯.


    "Brother Ji Yun, did you ask the one who made your weapon to engrave that character on your sword?" he couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Shen Ji Yun looked down at his sword because of Luo Yan¡¯s sudden question. "No. I got this sword as a reward for being the first one to clear the [Selene Pce Dream] dungeon at Heroic mode."


    Selene Pce? Wasn¡¯t that the name of the King of Arcadia¡¯s castle? So, there¡¯s a dungeon at the king¡¯s castle? If Shen Ji Yun was the first one to clear it at Heroic mode, then it¡¯s no wonder that he received such a good sword.


    "Wow. That¡¯s amazing. I really thought that you have that sword made and customized," he said. "Then, is its lightning attribute also a natural part of it?"


    "Not really. Its attribute will depend on the yer¡¯s inert attribute, if the have one. And since my attribute is lightning, the sword¡¯s attribute naturally followed it," Shen Ji Yun answered. "If the owner of the sword is changed to you, then its attribute would change into ¡¯shadow¡¯."


    Luo Yan nodded. He had no doubt that the sword was most likely a legendary grade weapon. "Does it have a name?"


    "M¨¨ngy¨£n."


    ¡¯Nightmare¡¯ ¨C that¡¯s the direct meaning of the name of the sword. What an ironic name considering the character engraved on the sword.


    He wanted to ask why the sword¡¯s name was like that when he heard the eximed of Eclipse inside his head.


    [Mashter, Eclipse seems to see a cabin over there!]


    Luo Yan turned towards the direction his pet¡¯s little¡¯s paw was pointing. And just like what Eclipse said, there was indeed a cabin.

 Chapter 394 cabin in the woods

    "BROTHER Ji Yun, there¡¯s a cabin over there," Luo Yan said to Shen Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun then took out thepass. The maic needle was clearly pointing towards the cabin. The moon elf must be inside the cabin or in the surrounding area.


    "Is Lhoris there?" Luo Yan asked when he saw the other looking at thepass.


    "He most probably is," Shen Ji Yun answered, putting back thepass in his Items Tab. "How should we approach him?"


    Luo Yan raised his head and smiled at Shen Ji Yun. "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Ji Yun. Just leave it to me."


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan¡¯s confident smile and he was once again reminded of how useless he was when it came to tasks like this. His failure on the ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯ task was still quite fresh in his mind. Unlike Luo Yan who was hisplete opposite.


    His rabbit was simply a master when it came to task that had a backstory. He could easily grasp the things that needed to be grasped and turned the events towards the direction he wanted. He didn¡¯t doubt that the uing conversation with Lhoris would also go in the direction that Luo Yan wanted.


    So, at the end, he could only say, "Then leave it to you."


    Then they walked towards the cabin.


    [Mashter, are we going to meet that moon elf Lhoris?] ¨C Eclipse asked.


    [Yes.] ¨C Luo Yan answered before rubbing the fluffy head of the little fox sitting on his shoulder.


    But the moment they walked into the vicinity of the cabin, a storm of monsters suddenly rushed towards them. Eclipse quickly jumped from Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder and met the monsters head on. Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun also did the same.


    This time, the fightsted for about 15 minutes. But for some reason, another batch of monsters appeared not even after a couple of seconds passed since they defeated the first batch. This was the first time that this happened since they entered the forest. The only thing Luo Yan found different was the existence of the cabin.


    [Mashter! Why do these ugly monsters keep on appearing?] ¨C Eclipse shouted while standing in front of Luo Yan, the hairs on his back were all up.


    "There¡¯s probably something here that attracts these monsters," Shen Ji Yun said when he jumped to his side.


    Luo Yan also thought the same. Then he nced at the wooden cabin. Despite the constant presence of monsters in this forest, the cabin still remained pristine. It looked like one of the cabins in the moon elf vige. Aside from that, there was also a small area around the cabin that was not being affected by the fight. As if there¡¯s an invisible barrier surrounding it.


    "This must be Lhoris¡¯ doing."


    After he said that, he kicked an iing monster towards the cabin. And as he expected, before the monster¡¯s body hit the cabin, it bounced back. As if something was preventing it from getting close to the cabin.


    Shen Ji Yun also saw this. He agreed with Luo Yan regarding Lhoris putting up this barrier that they hadn¡¯t even noticed. He guessed that even the reason why these monsters kepting here was also because of the moon elf. Maybe he set it up this way because he thought that these monsters would prevent any outsider that would try to trespass in this part of the forest.


    "I will try to destroy the barrier and see if the source of why these monsters kept oning is there," he said. At the same time, he moved his sword upwards, shing the nearest monster to him.


    "Okay. Eclipse and I will cover you."


    [That¡¯s right, Captain. Mashter and Eclipse will kill all the monsters!] ¨C the little fox also shouted even though he knew that his favorite captain wouldn¡¯t be able to hear him.


    "Then, I¡¯ll start now."


    After Shen Ji Yun said that, he rushed towards the cabin. Luo Yan and Eclipse also followed him. On their way, Shen Ji Yun killed the monster in front of him while Luo Yan and Eclipse killed any monsters trying to attack them and Shen Ji Yun.


    Once he was about a few feet away from the cabin, Shen Ji Yun raised his sword and shed towards the cabin. As expected, he encountered resistance. He continued to attack. But this barrier seemed to be really quite strong. He didn¡¯t worry about his back, because he knew that Luo Yan would be there to guard him. Even now, as he concentrated on destroying the barrier, he could hear Luo Yan and the little fox defending him from behind.


    But he knew he couldn¡¯t prolong this or it wouldn¡¯t take long before Luo Yan was overwhelmed. So, he decided to use one of his skills ¨C [Dimensional sh]. It was a simple attack that could destroy anything made up of Mana. No matter how strong it was, as long as it¡¯s made up of Mana, it would be easy for him to destroy.


    He held the hilt of his sword with both hands. He raised it up and activated the skill as he shed down the sword. A purple crescent shaped energy appeared and attacked the invisible barrier. As it reached the barrier, a strong collision happened. The purple energy against the invisible barrier. And then, a hole on the barrier appeared. The hole slowly turned into a bigger and bigger crack. Until the barrier broke like tiny pieces of ss shards.


    After that, he didn¡¯t waste time and immediately rushed forward. He turned his eyes from left to right, from up to down, searching for any suspicious item. Finally, he saw a slightly glowing ck stone that was part of a wind chime hanging on the veranda of the cabin. The stone looked like it was the darkest night with thousands of stars shining.


    If he didn¡¯t look carefully, he would probably have missed it. He could see that the stone was not an ordinary stone. Anyway, if he¡¯s wrong, he could just look for another suspicious item.


    So, he shed at the wind chime. When it fell, he quickly crushed the ck stone. ck smoke came out of the stone. When he saw it, he knew that his hunch was right.


    After that, he didn¡¯t hesitate to join Luo Yan in killing the remaining monsters. This time, after they defeated all the monsters, another batch didn¡¯te unlike earlier.


    "Brother Ji Yun, how did you know that it was that ck stone that was causing the monsters to react that way?" Luo Yan asked.


    He had seen how Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t hesitate to destroy the ck stone hanging on the wind chime. It didn¡¯t even take him a second to decide that it was that stone that was causing the monsters to instantly appear after they just cleared this area.


    Shen Ji Yun shrugged. "I just guessed."


    Luo Yan gave him a thumbs up. "Good guess."


    Eclipse jumped to his master¡¯s shoulder and said, [Mashter, Captain is so great. He could even guess it so correctly and quickly!]


    Luo Yan was about to flick Eclipse¡¯s forehead for being such a fanboy again when they suddenly heard a horrified cry behind them.


    "What did you do?"


    They all turned back and saw a male NPC with short messy white hair. Its fringes almost covering the upper half of his face. Because of that, none of them could see his expression properly. But Luo Yan had a feeling that it must be full of fear. Seeing the NPC¡¯s pointed ears, he already had a guess in his heart on who he was.


    Was this guy Lhoris?

 Chapter 395 the timid but decisive lhoris

    LHORIS was exactly as how that NPC at the train in Dream Land that Luo Yan talked to described. Well, aside from that absence of sses and his hair being white instead of blond.


    He seemed to be looking around, as if checking the barrier that was already destroyed by Shen Ji Yun. Then his gaze turned to the destroyed ck stone on the ground.


    Luo Yan could see the NPC¡¯s body visibly shook.


    Then Lhoris raised his head and looked at them. "You- you¡ª" But he stopped when his gazended on Luo Yan. "A moon elf?" But his surprised tonepletely changed when he saw Shen Ji Yun. Even without seeing his eyes, one could tell that he was horrified to the extreme. "A Qilin?"


    Luo Yan used this opportunity to walk forward and introduce himself. "Good day, Mr. Lhoris. I apologized for our sudden unannounced visit and for the destruction of your private property. But this is an emergency. We need to discuss something of utmost important with Mr. Lhoris. So, we could only do it this way. I hope Mr. Lhoris can show a little bit of understanding."


    Lhoris seemed to be trying to calm himself down. He seemed to want to retaliate. But at the end, he could only sigh and said in a voice full of reluctance, "You go in first."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows when he heard that. It seemed that the character design of this NPC was the type that wouldpromise once he knew that there would be no other choice for him but to do so. Just like how he easily let them in like this. Probably because he couldn¡¯t win against the Qilin. He appeared to be timid but decisive enough in making decisions. Like resigning from his job at Tropical Land or even using the monsters here as some kind of defense to protect him.


    It meant that as long as Luo Yan yed it right, he could probably get Lhoris to talk and tell whatever he wanted to know.


    They walked towards the cabin. Before Lhoris followed them, he raised his hand and another invisible barrier appeared surrounding the cabin.


    Luo Yan, of course, noticed this small movement of Lhoris. He probably did that so the next batch of monsters that would appear would not identally destroy the cabin. He then looked around when they entered. The interior of the cabin was very simple. There was no extra furniture. Only standard things like table, chair, etc.


    "You can sit anywhere you want," they heard Lhoris said who had already sat down on a chair.


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun also did the same, sitting on the two chairs opposite the moon elf. Eclipse happily sat down on his master¡¯sp, transforming himself into a ck ball with his fluffy head buried.


    "How did you find out that I¡¯m here?" the moon elf asked, looking at them.


    "The Elder of our vige told us that you were currently working at Tropical Land. We went there. But sadly, you already resigned. So, we interviewed the people working at the amusement park, looking for someone who could tell us your whereabouts. Until we met Mr. Alen. He told us about the possibility that you might be here," Luo Yan exined.


    Lhoris seemed to be surprised when he heard the name of Alen. "That Alen, how could he tell strangers where I was?" he grumbled.


    "It¡¯s because Mr. Alen is worried about you," Luo Yan said. "He said that if you let yourself get hurt, he will kill you himself."


    A small smile crossed Lhoris¡¯ lips, it¡¯s so imperceptible no one would probably notice it if they didn¡¯t stare at him. "That¡¯s certainly something Alen would say."


    "He also told us to protect you," Luo Yan added.


    That made the moon elf speechless. It took awhile before he spoke again. "Are you sent here by the Elder?"


    "No, we¡¯re here on our own ord."


    Luo Yan felt Shen Ji Yun secretly ncing at him after he said that. The other was probably wondering why he admitted that. After all, they had been telling the NPCs they talked to at Tropical Land that they were sent there by the Elder of the moon elves¡¯ vige.


    Shen Ji Yun was indeed thinking that way. But he didn¡¯t say anything nor he interrupted Luo Yan. Because knowing the other, he was certain that he had his own ns. If he interfered, he would surely just ruin whatever ns Luo Yan had.


    So, he did that thing he was best at during times like this ¨C pretending to be mute and acting like some background character.


    Lhoris seemed to not like that answer. "Then why dide barging in my ce like this?" he asked, his voice exuding his dislike of the current situation. "Looking at you, you must be a young moon elf. I¡¯m still your elder. So, you and this esteemed sir doing this is just simply disrespectful."


    "I know, Mr. Lhoris. But as I¡¯ve already mentioned, we wouldn¡¯t go here if it¡¯s not really something we must do," Luo Yan said, his voice and expression full of apology. "We searched for you because we know you have information regarding the ck dragon that was sleeping at the Silent Marsh. We badly needed that information."


    Luo Yan saw how the moon elf flinched when he mentioned the ck dragon. "I- I don¡¯t¡ª"


    "Please, don¡¯t try to deny it Mr. Lhoris," Luo Yan cut off whatever excused Lhoris was about to say. "The ck dragon was already awake. Which I know that Mr. Lhoris is already aware of. Because if you¡¯re not, then you wouldn¡¯t have resigned on the same day that the dragon awoken. This small action of yours already told us a lot of things. That you¡¯re somehow connected with the dragon. And that you¡¯re afraid that the dragon woulde after you."


    Lhoris became speechless once again. Then he sighed helplessly. "If you already know this much, then what else do you want from me?"


    "Only two things. To know why the dragon ended up in that cave and what is his identity," Luo Yan said directly. "If you could do that, then we could guarantee that the dragon will note after you."


    Lhoris seemed to want tough at thatst part, as if he heard the biggest joke of the year. When he was about to reply back, his gaze identallynded on the ck fox sitting on Luo Yan¡¯sp. At that moment, Eclipse raised his buried head and looked at Lhoris¡¯ direction.


    The moon elf suddenly stood up as if he had seen something on the ck fox that made him extremely panicked. Because of his sudden movement, a few strands of his hair covering the upper half of his face was swept to the side, revealing his eyes.


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised when he saw the NPC¡¯s eyes. It was just like how that other NPC described it ¨C like a pair of diamond gems. But he was even more startled at the horror that shed through those eyes while looking at Eclipse.


    It was almost as if Lhoris had seen a ghost or something.

 Chapter 396 special eyes

    [MASHTER, that elf is looking at Eclipse weird!] ¨C the little fox on Luo Yan¡¯sp immediatelyined. [It¡¯s like he¡¯s seeing an ugly monster. But Eclipse is obviously so cute and adorable. How can he look at Eclipse like this?]


    Luo Yan gently rubbed Eclipse head before looking at Lhoris. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Lhoris?"


    "That- that fox. W-where did you find that fox?" Lhoris asked with trembling voice.


    Luo Yan studied the moon elf¡¯s expression. He looked really terrified. It¡¯s different from the terrified look he showed when he saw Shen Ji Yun. That one was like being scared of a being much stronger than him. But this one, looking at Eclipse was like the fear someone would have when they saw someone that shouldn¡¯t be in this world.


    Because of that, he suddenly remembered that he found Eclipse¡¯s beast egg at the same cave where the Dusk was sleeping. Could it have something to do with that? He never really thought of it before. He thought that the beast egg was brought there by someone. Or that it was just part of the ck dragon¡¯s treasure pile. But what if that was not the case? What if there¡¯s something more to it?


    "May I ask why Mr. Lhoris is looking at my pet like that?" he asked.


    "Y-your pet?" Lhoris asked, unsure if he heard it right.


    "Yes. I found his beast egg a few months back at the cave where the ck dragon was slumbering. I took it and he¡¯s been with me since."


    [That¡¯s right! Eclipse was saved by Mashter from the nest of that ck lizard. So, don¡¯t look at Eclipse like that or Eclipse will scratch your eyes!] ¨C Eclipse shouted even though he knew Lhoris couldn¡¯t hear him.


    Luo Yan stopped himself fromughing. Really, this little fox. He cleared his throat to prevent thatugh from escaping. Seeing the shocked expression from Lhoris¡¯ face, he knew that this was the right time to strike while the iron was still hot.


    "Not only that, we¡¯re also the ones who destroyed the Eternal Lotus. The one thing that was preventing the dragon from waking up. And now, we have the dragon under our custody."


    Lhoris was left speechless again. He plopped down back on his seat, as if he just lost strength in his legs. Then he rubbed his temple. "Wait- I think I need to process everything that I just heard."


    "Mr. Lhoris, there¡¯s really nothing to think about. I know you¡¯re hiding in here because you¡¯re afraid that the dragon woulde after you. I¡¯m here to guarantee to you that that would never happen. Not now, not ever. Of course, this safety woulde at a price," Luo Yan said.


    The moon elf didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, he let out a helpless sigh. Just like how he did earlier when he let them into cabin. As if he understood that he had no other choice but to do so. And that decision would be safest choice for him.


    "You want me to give you all the information I have about the dragon," he said, not as a question but as a statement.


    "That¡¯s right," Luo Yan confirmed. "And maybe you could also tell me why you looked at my pet in that way earlier."


    [Yes! You better tell Mashter everything!] ¨C Eclipse seconded.


    Lhoris sighed once again. Then he swept back his messy white hair,pletely showing his diamond like eyes.


    Seeing those eyes in full view, Luo Yan thought that it was truly jarring. He had no doubt that those eyes probably had something to do with the whole dragon situation thing. Because if not, then what¡¯s the reason of putting that kind of setting on this NPC.


    "My eyes, they could see through a being¡¯s memories and record it," Lhoris started. "But it¡¯s not like I just have to look into someone and then I could immediately see their memories. Like now, I??m looking directly at you but I couldn¡¯t see anything. No, there¡¯s a trigger for it. A trigger so hard to meet that it might as well be non-existent."


    When Luo Yan heard that, he already had a feeling on where this was going.


    "A hundred years ago, I was just a young elf who had hising-of-age ceremony. I was curious about everything. Of course, living in the vige, I also heard about the dragon sleeping at the Silent Marsh. Being young and reckless, thinking that I¡¯m special and that I¡¯m going to be the next great warrior of our race, I went ahead and searched the Silent Marsh. There, inside a cave, I found the sleeping ck dragon."


    [Mashter, he said 100 years ago! Then this guy was actually an old geezer!]


    Luo Yan just rubbed the little fox¡¯s head. [Sshh... let¡¯s listen to him quietly.]


    He wasn¡¯t really surprised to hear that since elves were usually portrayed as beings who could live for a very, very long time. He had no doubt that it was the same in Arcadia.


    "But before I could even feel any surprise or shock or even fear, my eyes activated. They saw the dragon¡¯s memories and recorded them. When that happened, I realized that the dragon was not actually sleeping. He was in a suspended state, as if his time was stopped. You might have already guessed it, but the trigger for my eyes to activate is for someone to be in that kind of state. As if they were trapped in time."


    No wonder he said that the trigger was almost non-existent ¨C Luo Yan thought. These game developers probably just designed it that way for this hidden task. So that this Lhoris could conveniently see the ck dragon¡¯s past.


    "It was the first time that my eyes recorded someone¡¯s memories. I panicked. I wanted to stop it but I couldn¡¯t. The dragon¡¯s memories just kept on showing in front of me. And in one of those memories, I saw a woman ¨C a nine-tailed fox to be exact. She had the same dark blue gem on her forehead as the fox on yourp."

 Chapter 397 the poor lhoris

    [MASHTER, what does this old geezer mean?] ¨C Eclipse immediately asked. [Was he saying that he saw an adult nine-tailed kitsune? And she had the same gem on her forehead as Eclipse? But how could that be? This gem should only belong to Eclipse. If another kitsune has it, then Eclipse wouldn¡¯t be special anymore.]


    The little fox¡¯s tone became a bit depressed at the end. Luo Yan felt amused hearing thatin. He suddenly remembered what Eclipse said when he hatched from his beast egg, when he asked what the gem on his forehead was. Eclipse very proudly answered that it was something that made him special.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t feel much hearing that. He just thought that the little fox was boasting. He also thought that all kitsune had some kind of gem on their forehead. But it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case. And now, hearing what Lhoris just said about the female nine-tailed kitsune, it also seemed that there was a back story that was somehow connecting Eclipse and Dusk.


    He patted Eclipse head gently. [Don¡¯t worry, gem or no gem you¡¯re still special in your master¡¯s eyes.]


    Eclipse looked up, his sapphire blue eyes wet with unshed tears. [Really, Mashter?]


    [Of course, when did I deceive you?]


    [You do sometimes. Especially when Mashter thinks that Eclipse is being exasperating.] ¨C Eclipse said innocently.


    Well, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t exactly deny that. So, he just looked at Eclipse with a serious expression on his face and said with indignation, [Eclipse, are you implying that your master is a liar?]


    [No, no,] ¨C the little fox quickly denied before rubbing his head on his master¡¯s palm. [Of course, everything that my great Mashter said is true.]


    Although it felt a bit perfunctory and full of fake ttery, Luo Yan decided to just let it go. There were more important things to focus on right now after all.


    Shen Ji Yun who had been silently sitting beside Luo Yan had seen the interaction between master and pet. The two were probablymunicating mentally again. He suddenly felt a bit lonely. He wished he could also speak mentally to Luo Yan. But as usual, he still remained silent and did his best not to disturb his rabbit while he¡¯s seriously doing the task.


    "Can you borate more on that?" Luo Yan said to Lhoris.


    "The memories that my eyes recorded were very fragmented. It didn¡¯t have any cohesion. I¡¯m not even sure if one thing was rted to another," Lhoris said instead. "I don¡¯t know if it was because the dragon was simply too strong or if my eyes could only record pieces of other¡¯s memories and not all. So, the memory of that female kitsune was only one of the dragon¡¯s fragmented memories that my eyes were able to record."


    Luo Yan fell into a deep thought when he heard that. Dusk had amnesia. It¡¯s probable that that was the reason why Lhoris had only recorded fragmented memories. But it¡¯s also probable that the moon elf¡¯s eyes could only see that much. No matter. He just had to know all the details of these fragmented memories.


    "Then, please, go ahead and describe all the details of each memory. And please, try not to left any details out," he said. "Do begin with the one with the female kitsune."


    Lhoris nodded. He seemed to be already used to acquiescing to every Luo Yan¡¯s request. As if he had already epted his fate.


    "I saw everything in the dragon¡¯s perspective. So, it felt like it was me that was in that particr memory," Lhoris first exined.


    Upon hearing that, Luo Yan suddenly thought of something.


    "Wait a minute," he said before Lhoris could continue. Then he turned to the silent Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, do you think we could use that item we used on Rhys?"


    Shen Ji Yun immediately understood what he was nning. "I have it with me. But could this guy satisfy one of the requirements for the item to activate?"


    Luo Yan knew that Shen Ji Yun was talking about the NPC being in a heightened emotional state. So, he said, "Don¡¯t worry, let me handle it."


    Shen Ji Yun did not have any doubt in Luo Yan. So, he easily took out the transparent crystal ball and a pure ck talisman.


    Luo Yan took the ck talisman and put Eclipse on Shen Ji Yun¡¯sp. "Brother Ji Yun, please hold the crystal." Then he turned to the moon elf. "Mr. Lhoris, please try your best to think of that particr memory about the female kitsune."


    Lhoris only stared confusedly at Luo Yan.


    "Are you thinking of that memory now?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Yes?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "Mr. Lhoris, please be certain."


    "I am. I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m thinking of it right now," the moon elf said. He seemed to be frightened by Luo Yan¡¯s smile.


    "Good."


    Then he suddenly rushed towards Lhoris with a dagger pointing at the other. Lhoris looked absolutely terrified. His whole body started trembling, his face paled, and his expression was filled with horror.


    Luo Yan smiled. He was definitely in a heightened emotional state right now, no?


    Of course, he didn¡¯t really go and stab Lhoris. When the dagger was about an inch away from the moon elf¡¯s face, he quickly raised his hand holding the dagger and then quickly stered the ck talisman on Lhoris¡¯ forehead.


    He looked back at Shen Ji Yun and smiled as if asking if he did a good job.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at this expression that was like asking for praise and then nced at the moon elf who still looked petrified. He suddenly felt a little sorry for this NPC. But just a little bit. It¡¯s still more important to praise his rabbit.


    So, he gave a thumbs up to Luo Yan. Unknown to him, the little fox sitting on hisp also raised his paw and gave his master a thumbs up.


    Seeing this scene, Luo Yan almost burst outughing. How could these two be so in-synced and adorable?


    Then the crystal ball in Shen Ji Yun¡¯sp started glowing. The light inside slowly gathered and then it shot to the wall opposite Shen Ji Yun.


    Soon, a scene started to unfold on the wall.

 Chapter 398 the female kitsune

    THE scene started inside a dark cave. But despite that, they could see everything inside the cave clearly. It¡¯s probably because they were seeing it in the perspective of the ck dragon. There were gold coins and different treasures piled up like a small mountain inside the cave. It was almost simr to the cave at the Silent Marsh where the ck dragon was sleeping.


    This cave was no doubt hisir.


    The dragon heard footstepsing from outside. Every steps coincided with the sound of a bell. It sounded like someone walking towards the mouth of the cave. But the dragon paid it no mind. As if he already knew who this visitor might be.


    Soon, an enchanting woman came into view. She had long ck hair flowing behind her back and a pair of sapphire blue eyes. She was wearing a ck kimono with a red sash belt. The upper part of the kimono was loosed and reached up to her shoulders. Showing her milky white skin and upper part of her chest. Her lips were very red as if the reddest of paint was sshed on it. And right now, a yful smile crossed those red lips.


    On top of her head was a pair of fox ears and behind her, nine ck tails could be seen. A dark blue gem was embedded on her forehead. Adding a sense of mystery. And on her ankles, a pair of bells were tied. These bells were the obvious source of the bell sound the dragon heard earlier.


    The female kitsune looked very charming, her every move full of unabashed seduction. Anyone who wouldy their eyes on her would definitely be captivated. But the same thing could probably not be said for the dragon.


    He just scoffed when he saw the female kitsune. "Why are you trespassing here again, Kagetsuki?"


    "What ¡¯again¡¯? I believe thest time I came here was almost a hundred years ago," the female kitsune ¨C Kagetsuki said. Then she looked around the cave. "Apparently, you¡¯re still living like a recluse. You really don¡¯t n to take over as the king of the dragons?"


    "If you n to talk about things I have no interest in, then it¡¯s better if you just leave," the dragon said in a bored tone, no longer looking at the female kitsune.


    Kagetsuki only shook her head. "Is that a way to talk to an old friend?"


    "Just state your business."


    "Fine, you sourpuss. I¡¯m here to invite you to our tribe."


    "Why the hell would I go to your tribe?" the dragon asked in a bewildered manner.


    "It¡¯s because I¡¯m getting married. There would be a festive celebration. After all, it¡¯s the long-awaited marriage of the demon fox tribe¡¯s leader. So, you, as my long-time friend should attend."


    "You actually fooled someone into marrying you?" this time, the dragon¡¯s tone was even more bewildered.


    Kagetsuki appeared angry as if she could vomit blood at any second. But she quickly calmed down. "You- even though I only look like a stick figure in your eyes, I¡¯m still very desirable," she said indignantly. "Ha, you¡¯re still an expert at making others mad. Anyway, just attend my wedding, okay?"


    "Again, why should I?"


    "Because there¡¯s another thing to celebrate that day." Kagetsuki put her hand on her abdomen. She looked down, her eyes full of gentleness and love. "The arrival of an heir to the demon fox tribe." She raised her head and smiled at the dragon. "I¡¯m going to cash in on that favor you owe me a long time ago. Be the godfather of my child."


    =====


    Then, the scene once again changed.


    This time, it was no longer inside the cave. Instead, it was a sea of fire. There were people, no, kitsunes lying on the ground. Most were dead and others were heavily injured. There were cries of death all around. It¡¯s like a blood bath. As if a massacre just urred.


    "Kagetsuki!" the dragon called. This time, his voice was not like a beast¡¯s rumble. Instead, it was deep and baritone. Obviously, he was now in his humanoid form. "Kagetsuki!"


    It could be seen from his hurried pace how panicked and worried he was. It was theplete opposite from his uninterested attitude in the cave. Which showed that he really cared for the female kitsune.


    "Kagetsuki!"


    Then, on a slightly elevated slope, he saw two figures lying on the ground. He immediately recognized one of them. With trembling legs, he ran towards the slope and he finally saw the state of the two figures.


    One was a male kitsune with eight white tails behind him. There were not many injuries on his body, even the white kimono he was wearing still remained pristine. But one wound was quite obvious. There was a hole on his chest. As if someone had dug out his heart. And the one who did it, did it so cleanly that there was barely any blood that sttered on his clothes.


    His hand was trying to reach to the figure beside her. But it seemed that, before he could, his life force was already exhausted. Despair and unwillingness filling his eyes.


    The dragon seemed to not care too much about this male kitsune. Because he immediately knelt down beside the other figure. It was a female kitsune wearing a ck kimono. Her nine tails surrounding her as if trying to give herfort. He looked at her all over but didn¡¯t find any obvious wounds. The blue gem on her forehead ¨C a sign of her being the leader of the demon fox tribe ¨C was surprisingly gone.


    Her face was almost bloodless. Her red lips were even slowly turning blue. And most of all, he could feel that her life force was dwindling at a fast rate.


    The dragon held the kitsune¡¯s hand. He barely felt relieved when he felt her faint pulse beating. ??Kagetsuki, hold on, I¡ª"


    Before he could continue what he was saying, Kagetsuki opened her eyes and then slowly smiled at him. "Y-you¡¯re lte..."


    "Yes, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m going to input my Mana in you. So, try to hold on."


    "N-no. I-it¡¯s already t-toote." She nced at male kitsune lying on the side, a drop of tear fell from her eyes. "T-toote." She then looked back at the dragon. She put her hand on her abdomen and it slowly gathered ck light.


    The dragon immediately understood what she was trying to do. "Stop, Kagetsuki! You will really die if you continue this!"


    Kagetsuki only smiled. "I- I know."


    Then, as the ck light dispersed, a white egg emerged from her abdomen. She looked at the white egg lovingly. As if she couldn¡¯t wait to imprint it into her mind.


    She nced at the dragon. "T-this is your g-godchild. Pr-promise me, promise me that you would protect them. P-please..."


    The dragon held the egg in his arms and said in a determined voice, "I promise."


    =====


    That was the end of the memory. Before Luo Yan could react, the familiar voice of the Gamekeeper suddenly sounded.


    [Congrattions! You just triggered a side quest for the task ¡¯Awakening Dragon¡¯! Please, help the child of Kagetsuki reim their inheritance.]

 Chapter 399 trembling little fox

    LUO YAN was startled when he heard that. He subconsciously turned to Shen Ji Yun who also turned to him. They could see in each other¡¯s eyes that they heard the same thing.


    So, the Gamekeeper really issued a side quest? The trigger should be because they found out the rtionship between the ck dragon and that female kitsune ¨C Kagetsuki. He suddenly felt a headache. They hadn¡¯t even finished this hidden task and another side quest suddenly appeared.


    He had a feeling that this hidden task along with that side quest wouldn¡¯t be finished today. He and his family would go to Chengdu tomorrow. After that, it would be the preliminaries for the Rookie Carnival. So, if they weren¡¯t able to end this hidden task today, then they could only continue it after the prelims of the Rookie Carnival. Which would be a week from now.


    Knowing Shen Ji Yun, he certainly wouldn¡¯tin even if this dragged on until next week. After all, it could only mean that he could spend more time with him. He stopped. Why did he automatically assume that Shen Ji Yun would be more than d to drag this task out just so he could spend more time with him?


    He shook his head. It seemed that his old disease of being too narcissistic was acting up again.


    Luo Yan was about to say something to Shen Ji Yun when a little ck ball suddenly jumped to his arms. If he was not already sitting, he might have fallen on his back. He carefully held Eclipse especially after he felt his little body trembling.


    [Mashter... that- that w-woman. Was she- she--] ¨C Eclipse didn¡¯t finish what he was saying and just buried his head on his master¡¯s arms. [Mashter, Eclipse can¡¯t think properly. Eclipse doesn¡¯t know why.]


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t able to react at first. And then she thought of the memories they just saw earlier. Of course, he immediately understood that the female kitsune named Kagetsuki was most likely Eclipse¡¯s mother. And that male kitsune with eight white tails was most probably his father.


    He didn¡¯t think much at first. Because that was just an NPC¡¯s backstory. No matter how tragic, it was just something that came out of the game developers¡¯ big brain hole. But he actually forgot that this tragic backstory included his adorable pet.


    Although Eclipse was just a level higher than an NPC, he was still a virtual pet. But he so smart, cute, and full of different emotions. Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but simply be attached. So, now, thinking of that memory that they just saw, this little fox would definitely feel sad and ufortable. After all, he just witnessed the scene of his parents dying like that.


    He patted Eclipse back gently. [Don¡¯t be scared, master is here.]


    Eclipse raised his head from Luo Yan¡¯s arms, his sapphire blue eyes were wet with unshed tears. [Mashter, she- was she my- my--]


    [Yes.] ¨C Luo Yan said knowing what the little guy wanted to ask.


    Eclipse buried his head on his master¡¯s arms once again. [Then, she- was she no longer here?]


    Luo Yan hugged the little fox. [No matter where she was, I¡¯m sure she was looking after you. Not only her but also your father. And I¡¯m certain that they would be very proud seeing that their little prince turned out to be such a strong and mighty kitsune. Very worthy of being the son of the demon fox tribe¡¯s leader.]


    Eclipse didn¡¯t speak and only hugged Luo Yan. But his small body had already stopped trembling. A sign that he had already calmed down.


    Luo Yan continued patting Eclipse¡¯s back. Then he put his attention on Lhoris who had been in a daze since his memory started ying on the wall like some kind of movie. The ck talisman had already turned to ashes. A sign that that was the end of his memory about Kagetsuki.


    He regretted it a bit. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have used that crystal ball. Then the story about Eclipse¡¯s parents wouldn¡¯t be revealed in that manner. But things had already happened so there¡¯s no use crying over spilled milk.


    "Did Mr. Lhoris already know about Eclipse¡¯s identity? That¡¯s why you reacted that way when you saw the gem on his forehead earlier?" he asked.


    He had a guess that the blue gem might be the symbol of being the leader of the demon fox tribe. When Kagetsuki decided to give birth to Eclipse ahead of time, that blue gem probably passed down from her to the little fox inside the egg. Maybe that was what allowed her keep Eclipse alive despite her already dwindling life force.


    But that was all her conjecture. It wouldn¡¯t prove anything unless they found out the cause of that massacre. And the fastest way to do that was to restore Dusk¡¯s memories. The next best ting was to get all the memories that Lhoris had about the ck dragon.


    Lhoris seemed to be trying to get out of his daze. When he did, he answered, "Yes. I thought he was just an ordinary fox at first. But when I saw the blue gem on his forehead, I had a feeling that he might be rted to the female kitsune that was friends with the ck dragon. That he might even be the one inside the beast egg that Kagetsuki had entrusted to the dragon."


    And this guy probably felt scared thinking that Eclipse was the godson of the ck dragon and therefore would lead the dragon here much faster. But probably after hearing Luo Yan said that Eclipse was his ¡¯pet¡¯ and that the ck dragon was now under their care, Lhoris finally managed to calm down himself.


    "Please, tell us about the other memories that you have," Luo Yan said.


    He really didn¡¯t want to use the crystal ball again to ¡¯watch¡¯ the memory of Dusk. It would be better to just hear all about it from Lhoris.


    The moon elf nodded. But before he could hear what he was about to say, the little fox in his arms suddenly tugged on his clothes.


    [Mashter, Eclipse just realized that the ck lizard is actually my godfather. Eclipse is very unwilling.]


    Luo Yan looked down and saw Eclipse¡¯s face that was scrunched up, as if he had eaten something extremely sour and bitter at the same time. Seeing that and hearing what he said, Luo Yan had to suppress hisughter.


    If Eclipse could now talk like this, then at least that meant that his sadness had already subsided. That¡¯s good. He didn¡¯t want to see him trembling from sadness again.


    He patted his head gently. [I¡¯m sure Dusk shared the same sentiment.]


    Eclipse¡¯s cheeks bulged. [Does he even dare toin? Eclipse is so cute. It¡¯s his blessing to have a godson as adorable as me. Besides, my m-mo- my mother told him to take care of me and he agreed. So, he better not show any dislike!]


    Luo Yan chuckled. Because what Eclipse said was very contradictory. But he decided to just indulge him. [Yes, yes, Eclipse is right.]


    Then he raised his head and listened to Lhoris.

 Chapter 400 a good name

    "ANOTHER memory of the ck dragon was him being shunned in the dragon n," Lhoris started. "It was because of the color of his scales. For the dragons, ck symbolizes death, dark magic, just about anything that is negative. It didn¡¯t matter that the ck dragon¡¯s Mana was stronger and more powerful inparison to other dragons. They still isted him."


    Eclipse immediately became indignant hearing that. [What¡¯s wrong with having ck scales? Eclipse has ck fur but he¡¯s still strong and mighty! Eclipse is also very adorable.] ¨C The little fox raised his head at his master. [Right, Mashter?]


    Luo Yan generously rubbed the little fox¡¯s head. [Yes, Eclipse is adorable, strong, and mighty.]


    Completely satisfied, Eclipse looked back at Lhoris. [Those dragons have no visions at all. They¡¯re definitely much inferiorpared to the demon fox tribe. Now, Eclipse feels a bit sorry for uncle ck lizard.]


    Luo Yan chuckled. This little guy was definitely pertaining to his mother ¨C a void kitsune ¨C being the leader of the demon fox tribe. And it seemed that he had already epted Dusk as his godfather. Seeing as how he referred to him as ¡¯uncle¡¯.


    He thought of what Lhoris had said and then remembered the way Dusk addressed himself when he woke up. If the ck dragon was isted as what was mention, then why did Dusk call himself ¡¯this king¡¯? Wasn¡¯t that too contradictory?


    Then he thought of the scene where Kagetsuki entered their of the ck dragon. She said that Dusk was still living like a recluse. Which meant that he had isted himself for quite some time. No, a very long time. Considering that Kagetsuki hadn¡¯t met him for a hundred years before that.


    "Did the ck dragon leave the dragon n?" he asked Lhoris.


    "ording to the memories my eyes recorded, yes. He left very early. He hadn¡¯t even reached his adulthood," the moon elf answered. "I didn¡¯t see any other early memories of him. Another set of memories was when he returned to the dragon n. He challenged the then King of the dragons. It was an overwhelming victory. Many of the dragon couldn¡¯t ept the defeat of their King. Some even tried to challenge the ck dragon. But all of them ended up defeated under the ck dragon¡¯s hands."


    Now, thatpletely exined the questions he had earlier ¨C Luo Yan thought. So, the reason why Dusk was referring to himself as ¡¯this king¡¯ was because he was indeed a king. The king of the dragons no less. The habit of calling himself that way must have been already ingrained in him. That¡¯s why even though he lost his memories, he still continued calling himself in that way.


    [Mashter, it seems that uncle ck lizard was a little bit amazing.] ¨C Eclipse said after hearing about the ck dragon being the king of dragons. [But oh well, it¡¯s just right that he¡¯s the dragon king. After all, Eclipse¡¯s mo- mother was almost like a queen. If he¡¯s going to be Eclipse¡¯s godfather, he at least had to be a king.]


    Luo Yan almostughed at Eclipse¡¯smentary.


    "After ascending to the throne, the first thing that the ck dragon did was to dere war against the Dark Mages of Acheus. Another memory was that of the war between the two faction. The ck dragon was fighting against a dark mage. From what I saw, that dark mage was the leader. The ck dragon was on the verge of winning. But before he could give the final attack, a de pierced him from behind.


    "That was the end of that memory. My eyes didn¡¯t manage to record who it was, but I remembered the dragon¡¯s feeling of betrayal. So, it must have been a fellow dragon."


    [What? Who was it? How dare they betray uncle ck lizard?!] ¨C Eclipse angrily shouted after hearing that.


    Of course, Lhoris didn¡¯t hear what the little fox had said. So, he continued, "Thest memory was of the ck dragon entering the cave in the Silent Marsh. He was thoroughly beaten. With wounds so life-threatening, he would definitely end up dying if he wasn¡¯t immediately treated. Before he lost consciousness, all his gold coins and treasures, as well as the beast egg left to him by Kagetsuki suddenly appeared around him, filling up the cave. It was as if it was poured out of some invisible hole in the air or something."


    Luo Yan was a bit confused about thest part. But Shen Ji Yun quickly saved him from his confusion.


    "The dragon race was designed to have their own dimensional pockets. If they ended up unconscious, all the items that they put in their dimensional pocket would automatically be poured out from it. Whether they like it or not," Shen Ji Yun exined. "The same goes for those yers who belonged to the dragon race. If they died in the game, then all the items they had put in their dimensional pocket would be released. Then, other yers would be free to take them."


    Luo Yan nodded,pletely understanding the concept. No wonder Dusk had all those coins and treasures around him.


    Wait- how did Shen Ji Yun know he was confused about that? He nced sideways at the other. Could this guy be staring at him instead of listening to Lhoris? Knowing him, there¡¯s a high chance that that was definitely the case.


    "You already know about the memory involving Kagetsuki. Including that, those were all the memories that my eyes recorded," Lhoris finished.


    Luo Yan fell into a deep thought. He began analyzing everything. And a vague outline of the events in Dusk¡¯s life started to appear in his mind.


    "Then... would I now be safe from the ck dragon¡¯s wrath?" the moon elf tentatively asked.


    Seeing that Luo Yan was thinking, Shen Ji Yun answered the moon elf¡¯s question. "Yes. He wouldn¡¯t suddenly appear here and attack you if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worrying about."


    "Why do you think he would attack you anyway? It¡¯s not as if he saw you or anything?" Luo Yan thought of asking. He had already arranged everything clearly in his mind.


    "Well, he¡¯s dragon. If he knew that I had some of his memories, he¡¯d definitely hunt me down. And if you¡¯ve seen how ruthless he was, you¡¯d also want to make sure to be away from him as far as you could."


    "How did you find out that he was awake?" That was one thing that had been bothering Luo Yan.


    "I kind of put an item in the pond where the Eternal Lotus was. It would activate the moment the Eternal Lotus was destroyed. That¡¯s how I knew that the ck dragon was already awake."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that answer. Then, there¡¯s only one remaining question in his mind.


    "Do you know the name of the ck dragon?"


    Even though he named his Dusk, he most probably already had a name. It would be good if they could call him in his proper name.


    "He doesn¡¯t have a name. No one bothered to give him one. Not even his parents. If he ever had one."


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised when he heard that.


    [Mashter, uncle ck lizard is so pitiful. He didn¡¯t even have a name! Good thing Mashter gave him one. Now, his name was just a tad bit worse than Eclipse¡¯s.]


    He smiled at what Eclipse¡¯s said. That¡¯s right. ¡¯Dusk¡¯ was indeed a good name.

 Chapter 401 plans for finishing the task

    "THEN, we¡¯ll be leaving now, Mr. Lhoris," Luo Yan said to Lhoris, standing up from where he was sitting. Eclipse also jumped to his shoulder, his tails surrounding his neck like some kind of scarf. "I suggest you visit Tropical Land as soon as you can. Mr. Alen seemed to be really worried about you."


    A gentle smile crossed the moon elf¡¯s lips. "Yes, I n to do that."


    "Then, can I ask Mr. Lhoris to temporarily take down the shield so we could leave?" Luo Yan asked.


    "No problem. But can you go out as fast as you could? I¡¯m afraid the monsters would rush towards the cabin," Lhoris said, appearing embarrassed by his own timidity.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Of course."


    Then they all walked out of the cabin. Sure enough, another batch of monsters were already circling around the ce.


    "Then, I¡¯m going to take down the barrier."


    After Lhoris said that, he raised his hand and the barrier surrounding the cabin slowly disappeared. The moment it did, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun quickly rushed forward.


    Luo Yan took out his dagger and Shen Ji Yun also took out his sword. Eclipse didn¡¯t hesitate to jump off from his master¡¯s shoulder. And the three of them attacked the monsters head on.


    It took about 10 minutes before the three of them finished off all the monsters that appeared around the area of the cabin. Since Shen Ji Yun had already destroyed the stone that was attracting the monsters here, after they killed all the monsters, no new batch appeared. So, they had a little bit of breathing time.


    Luo Yan looked back at the cabin and was not the least bit surprise seeing that the door was already tight close. But Eclipse was obviously dissatisfied with Lhoris¡¯ attitude.


    [Mashter, that old geezer didn¡¯t even say goodbye to us. How rude!]


    [It¡¯s fine. He¡¯s just scared that monsters woulde inside his house.] ¨C Luo Yan said, picking up the little fox.


    [Hmp! What a scaredy-cat. He should be ashamed being a fellow moon elf like you Mashter. After all, Mashter is not only extremely beautiful, you¡¯re also powerful and majestic.]


    Luo Yan chuckled. [You surely have a sweet mouth.]


    Then he turned towards Shen Ji Yun, nning to tell him the conjecture he formed after listening to the things that Lhoris told them.


    "Brother Ji Yun, can you listen to my analysis?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Okay."


    "So, this was how I thought the order of the memories that Lhoris told us happened. First, was the part of him being shunned by the whole dragon n. Which caused him to leave the n and live as a recluse. The memory of Kagetsuki finding him in the cave shoulde after that. Then the whole massacre. After that tragic incident, he went back to the dragon n and challenged the king. When he won, he waged a war against the Dark Mages of Achaeus. During this war, someone betrayed him. And then, for some reason, he ended up at the Silent Marsh of the moon elves¡¯ vige."


    Shen Ji Yun also thought that that¡¯s how things went. He looked at Luo Yan, as if saying that he could continue and he would listen.


    "There are still a lot of important missing information. But I think it was safe to assume that the main reason why Dusk went back to his n and took over as king even though he obviously had no ns on doing so before was because of what happened to Kagetsuki and the demon fox tribe. He needed some sort of manpower to get his revenge against the people who killed Kagetsuki. And since he immediately waged a war against the Dark Mages of Achaeus, it could be seen by that action alone that the people responsible for what happened to the demon fox tribe was those dark mages.


    "We don¡¯t know all the details of the war. But something definitely happened during the war that resulted in Dusk ending up in the Silent Marsh. I think if we find out what happened then, it could lead us to a lot of answers. Including who put the Eternal Lotus in the Silent Marsh. If we managed to fill in the nks, we¡¯d be able to finish this hidden task."


    "Then, we have to go to the dragon n. And to thend of Achaeus as well to visit the dark mages," Shen Ji Yun agreed.


    [Mashter, are we going to punish those dark mages?] ¨C Eclipse asked in a low voice.


    Luo Yan gazed down and saw the little fox¡¯s eyes were much dimmer than it usually was, showing his current mood. He patted his head gently. [If we proved that they were the ones responsible for what happened to your mother, then we certainly would.]


    Eclipse¡¯s expression became slightly better after hearing that.


    "I agree," Luo Yan said in response to what Shen Ji Yun said about going to the dragon n and visiting Achaeus. "Before that, we should probably go to the site of the demon fox tribe. We could get some clues there and also get Eclipse¡¯s inheritance along the way."


    The little fox in his arms suddenly lifted up his face. [Eclipse has an inheritance?]


    Luo Yan smiled at Eclipse. [Yes. It¡¯s most likely left to you by your mother. Are you willing to ept it?]


    Eclipse nodded his little head enthusiastically. [Yes!]


    "I have no problem with that," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    "But is it okay to do all that next week? After the Rookie Carnival prelims?" Luo Yan tentatively asked.


    "Of course," Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t hesitate to say.


    How could he not agree when it meant that he could spend more time alone with his rabbit? Well, minus Eclipse - the ever-present light bulb.


    Luo Yan looked down at the little fox in his arms. [Is that okay with you, Eclipse?]


    [Don¡¯t worry, Mashter. Eclipse has no problem with that. Eclipse will always respect Mashter¡¯s decision.]


    Luo Yan smiled. [Eclipse is such a good little fox.]


    And the three ran out of the forest, killing a lot of monsters that got in their way.

 Chapter 402 to chengdu

    LUO YAN was inside his walk-in closet, looking for clothes to wear. Today was the day they were travelling to Chengdu. He had already packed his clothes and all other essentials that he would bring.


    Since it¡¯s already the middle of autumn, he should wear warm yet still a bit stylish clothes. But it definitely should befortable. So, he picked a purple parka which he would put over a simple shirt. Then he would pair it with white fitted jeans. For his footwear ¨C he¡¯d wear a pair of ck boots. Then, he would add a white knitted beanie.


    When he wore the pants, he noticed that the hem was a few centimeters higher from his ankles than it normally should be. He tilted his head and as if a light bulb lit up in his mind. He thought of a certain possibility and he quickly ran towards the scale to measure his height.


    His eyes widened when he saw the result. Sure enough, he grew taller again! And by two centimeters at that! He¡¯s now 156 cm! It¡¯s only been about two weeks since hest measured his height but he grew by another two centimeters again. No wonder his pants seemed to be a bit shorter.


    He happily finished dressing up and walked out of his room. There¡¯s an obvious spring in his steps, showing just how happy he was. How could he not when it clearly showed that the speed of his growth was increasing?


    He might still be shorter inparison to other boys his age. But at least he¡¯s six centimeters tallerpared to when he just woke up in this body. That meant that there¡¯s still a lot of room for improvement.


    "What made our Yan Yan so happy?" asked his older brother who saw him when he arrived at the living room.


    Luo Yan turned to the direction of the voice and saw both his brothers there.


    His older brother was wearing a green shawl cardigan over a light blue shirt and a slim fitted dark wash denim. These two were paired with dark blue suede men¡¯s chukka boots. This casual style made Luo Ren appeared a bit boyish. His coldness was also greatly decreased.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, was wearing his usual style. A dark blue windbreaker over a white crew neck shirt, ripped jeans, and a pair of ck wingtip boots. There¡¯s a headphone already hanging on his neck.


    Even though the two brothers¡¯ styles were different, one couldn¡¯t deny that they¡¯re both overly handsome.


    Luo Yan smiled and walked to Luo Ren. "Brother, I just grew another two centimeters. I¡¯m 156 cm now," he said proudly,


    Luo Ren also smiled and gently patted his younger brother¡¯s head. "That¡¯s great, Yan Yan. Congrattions!"


    "Yan, are you sure you didn¡¯t just imagine that?" Luo Jin, who was sitting on the couch, asked. His tone was obviously filled with teasing. "I don¡¯t see much difference though."


    Luo Yan pouted. "How can you see the difference when we see each other every day?"


    "Yan Yan, ignore Xiao Jin. He¡¯s just blind and can¡¯t see how much taller you grew," Luo Ren said.


    "Brother really has good vision," Luo Yan said, giving his older brother a thumbs up. "Unlike some other brother I know."


    "True," Luo Ren agreed.


    Luo Jin watched his two older brothers performed a show of ¡¯we¡¯re good brothers but you¡¯re not¡¯. "Is it fun to gang up on you little brother like this?"


    Luo Ren and Luo Yan looked at each other before turning back to Luo Jin and answering at the same time, "Yes."


    "You two are shameless," Luo Jin said, shaking his head.


    "Who are shameless?" suddenly asked by a deep baritone voice.


    They turned towards the stairs and saw their fathering down. Luo Yan rushed to him and hugged his arm.


    "Dad, it¡¯s just Ah Jin bullying us," he said.


    Luo Jin¡¯s expression almost cracked when he heard that. "Are you sure it¡¯s not the other way around?"


    "Of course not. What Yan Yan said is true," Luo Ren followed.


    Luo Jin only looked at Luo Ren as if he¡¯s hopeless. Really, there¡¯s a limit on how much someone could spoil another person.


    "Yes, our Xiao Yan always says the truth," Luo Wei Tian added even though he had no idea what his three sons were actually talking about.


    [And herees another hopeless guy.] ¨C Luo Jin shook his head.


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing everyone¡¯s reaction. Seriously, if he did not grow up the way he did, he might truly sumb to this excessive spoiling and became the type he hated. You know, that kind of spoiled young master who thinks everything should revolve around them.


    "Shall we go? There¡¯s only a bit of an hour left before our flight," Luo Yan said, changing the subject.


    "Are your luggage ready?" Luo Wei Tian asked his three sons and the three all nodded. "Then, let¡¯s go to Chengdu."


    = B City =


    Shen Ji Yun carried a duffel bag down the stairs. He saw that his uncle was already in the living room. But he was talking to someone over the phone, so Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t bother him.


    When the other finished with his call, he asked, "Uncle, should we leave now?"


    Their flight to Chengdu was still two hours away but it¡¯s good to go there as early as possible to make sure that there wouldn¡¯t be a possibility that they would miss their flight.


    Shen Yi Mu turned to his nephew with a guilty expression. "Ji Yun, there¡¯s an emergency at thepany and I have to return. I don¡¯t think I could finish before our flight. I¡¯m sorry. Should we just reschedule?"


    This was the first time that his nephew ever asked him to go on a vacation with him. But here he was telling him that he had to go to thepany. If it was something that could be solve without his presence, he definitely wouldn¡¯t go. But sadly, that was not the case.


    "It¡¯s okay, Uncle. You can go to thepany. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s important," Shen Ji Yun said without much expression on his face. "I can just go ahead by myself."


    Shen Yi Mu was a bit surprised when he heard that. Why did he have a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t matter even if he went with Ji Yun or not?

 Chapter 403 at the chengdu airport

    AFTER more than three hours of flight, the Luo family finally arrived at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Three people were already waiting for them at the arrival area. The man at the middle looked like he was in his 50s while the other two men looked like they were in theirte 20s. The one at the middle seemed like he was a manager of apany while the other two were his secretaries.


    In a way, that was indeed correct. The middle-aged man was actually the general manager of Crowning Glory Hotel ¨C one of the hotels under Tianhua Group. And the two with him were his assistants.


    "President Luo," greeted warmly by Manager Gu ¨C the middle-aged man. Then he nced at the three boys walking besides the CEO of Tianhua Group. "These must be the young masters, wee, wee."


    Manager Gu secretly observed the three sons of President Luo. Two were tall and handsome. One looked simr to President Luo, not only in appearance but also in temperament. He was like carved in the same mold as the president. This must be young master Luo Ren, the eldest. Manager Gu heard that he had already started working at the main office of Tianhua Group at S City.


    The other tall one beside him looked younger and had that wildness of youth in him. He had an aggressive presence, as if he would hesitate to cause trouble if needed. This could only be the youngest ¨C Luo Jin. He had heard that this young master often got into fights and was a bit out of control.


    Finally, his gazended at the young boy surrounded by the tall men of the Luo family. A bit of surprised shed in his eyes. He had been working at Crowning Glory Hotel since its establishment 15 years ago. So, of course, he had seen the madam. It was when the hotel was not as big as now. His position was also not as high as it was now. He had only seen her once but it left a bit on an impact on him.


    It was because it was the first time he had met ady from a big family with no temper at all. The madam was very kind and gentle. Not to mention, extremely beautiful. That¡¯s why he was really saddened at the news of her death. Such a kind soul was taken too early.


    The young boy in front of him right now looked almost identical to the deceased madam. With white skin and big peach blossom eyes. He couldn¡¯t be described as handsome like his brothers or father. But he had that kind of beauty that could easily transcend gender. People would unconditionally have goodwill for him.


    This must be the second young master ¨C Luo Yan, the one who had been in aa and just woke up recently. No wonder he looked inexplicably innocent. And despite being older, he looked much younger than young master Luo Jin.


    Manager Gu felt a bit of pity for the child. So, he decided to be more enthusiastic. "These are my assistants. They will get your luggage at the baggage im area. Two cars are waiting for us outside. Please, follow me."


    The two assistants bowed at President Luo and went to the baggage im area. While Manager Gu led the Luo family towards the designated area for private cars.


    "Manager Gu, I trust that you followed my instruction to the fullest?" Luo Wei Tian said to the manager.


    "Of course, of course. Trust me, President Luo. I already arranged everything," Manager Gu quickly replied.


    It was not really that hard. President Luo just wanted to make their visit to Chengdu as peaceful as possible. Which meant that the hotel shouldn¡¯t prepare too much fanfare at their arrival. Aside from that, Manager Gu also prepared a lot of things ording to the itinerary sent to him by President Luo.


    "Good."


    Manager Gu appeared like a proud peacock after hearing that simple ¡¯good¡¯.


    Luo Yan, who was walking behind with his brothers, stared at this scene and asked his them quietly, "Who is he?"


    "He¡¯s the General Manager of the hotel we¡¯ll be staying in," Luo Ren answered.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Looking at the other¡¯s overly enthusiastic attitude, like a subordinate trying to please his boss, this hotel they would be staying in was most likely owned by Tianhua Group.


    Well, that¡¯s not really that surprising. Chengdu was the capital of S Province. It¡¯s a major vacation hotspot. Not to mention, this was the only ce where pandas could be officially bred. What¡¯s a panda? It¡¯s one of the country¡¯s national treasure! Being a major real estatepany, of course, Tianhua Group had to have a piece of thisnd.


    Speaking of pandas, Luo Yan was really excited to see them now. He had always wanted to see a panda, but he wasn¡¯t able to see one in hisst life. At least in this life, he¡¯d be able to fulfill that.


    They arrived at the designated area for private cars and two ck BMWs were there waiting for them. Soon, the two assistants also arrived with their luggage. They carefully put them in the trunks of the two cars.


    Manager Gu opened the door of the backseat of the first car. "Please, President Luo."


    Before going to the car, Luo Wei Tian turned to Luo Ren and Luo Jin. "You two sit on the other car. Xiao Yan will sit with me."


    "Dad is exercising his right as the father again," Luo Ren said with a bit of unwillingness in his voice.


    "Of course, I¡¯m the father and I should have this right," Luo Wei Tian said proudly.


    Luo Jin had enough of this silly father and brother duo. So, he just pulled his eldest brother and stuffed him in the second car. Then, he followed suit and sat inside.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle seeing that. He raised his head to his father and said sweetly, "Let¡¯s go too, Dad."


    They got in the first car. And the two cars traveled towards Crowning Glory Hotel.

 Chapter 404 crowning glory hotel

    CROWNING Glory Hotel was a 5-star luxury hotel. It was located at the busy Tianfu Square ¨C a recreational spot that was said to be the heart of the city. A massive skyscraper that offered an opulent ce to stay just moments from the city¡¯s shops and famous restaurants. The rooms and suites came with views of the square. The hotel¡¯s public areas came with swathes of marble and sparkling chandeliers.


    There were two known restaurants ¨C one was famous for their Western food while the other was renowned for their Sichuan and Cantonese cuisines. So, guests could simply have their pick. There¡¯s also a lounge bar where guests could order any kind of cocktail or alcoholic beverages they wanted. The hotel also had a spa thatbined Eastern and Western techniques. Aside from that, there were also an indoor heated pool which was perfect during autumn and winter.


    Those were the things that Manager Gu enthusiastically introduced to Luo Yan as they were riding the car to the hotel. Of course, he had no doubt at all about the things the other said. His father was also in the car with them. Would he even dare lie with the presence of his boss?


    So, all Luo Yan could feel was excitement. He couldn¡¯t wait to see this hotel that the manager described in detail.


    And soon, he had his wish.


    They arrived at the Crowning Glory Hotel. Manager Gu reluctantly let one of his assistants to lead the Luo family to one of their VIP suites. Of course, he was very reluctant to leave the job to others. But he had to keep in mind that President Luo didn¡¯t want any fanfare. If the General Manager of the hotel personally took them to their suite, it would definitely cause a lot ofmotion.


    The news of Tianhua Group¡¯s CEO being here in Chengdu would definitely spread in the city. Then those people who wanted to make a connection with President Luo would definitely swarm this ce. The family vacation that the president prepared would then be ruined. At the end, Manager Gu would have to shoulder all the me.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t want that to happen. So, he left the job of guiding the president and his family to his more responsible assistant. Telling him beforehand to do a good job.


    Luo Yan looked up at the tall building in front of him. It really deserved to be called a skyscraper. He almost couldn¡¯t see the end of it.


    With the assistant leading them, the Luo family entered the hotel. The porters who were handling their luggage became more respectful when they saw that the one guiding these new guests was one of the assistants of the General Manager. They understood that these people might be important guests.


    Luo Yan looked around the hotel lobby and he truly saw the marbles and chandeliers that Manager Gu had mentioned in the car. They were just in the lobby and he could already feel the luxurious atmosphere of the hotel. This was truly different from the hotel he and his brothers stayed in during the summer when the three of them went to vacation.


    Both were under Tianhua Group but the atmosphere was theplete opposite. If Mei Hua Resort was a cozy and affordable ce that people in all walks of life could enjoy, then Crowning Glory Hotel was the height of luxury that only those in the upper echelon of society could afford. But both had their own beauty.


    Luo Yan could see that his father really put a lot of effort into the buildings and establishments hispany was developing.


    They walked into the elevator and the assistant pressed the 47th floor. They arrived at one of the hotel¡¯s VIP suites. When they entered the suite, Luo Yan¡¯s eyes quickly widened.


    Half of the suite was covered by a floor to ceiling transparent window. He could see the blue sky outside. He couldn¡¯t help but run towards the window and looked over it. He looked down and he had the best view of the whole Tianfu Square. He could only imagine how wonderful the view would be once it¡¯s night time.


    "President Luo, would you be having your lunch here?" the assistant asked.


    "No, we¡¯ll go eat at one of the hotel¡¯s restaurants," Luo Wei Tian answered. "You can leave now."


    The assistant bowed respectfully. But before leaving, he made sure to leave four room key cards. The porters also left with the assistant after putting the luggage in the suite.


    Satisfied with the view outside, Luo Yan turned to his father and rushed towards him. Then he hugged the other¡¯s arm. "Dad, this ce is beautiful."


    Luo Wei Tian felt proud when he heard that. It seemed like all the resources he put into developing this ce were all worth it. Maybe he should bring Xiao Yan to the other ces developed by Tianhua Group. He felt that that¡¯s very feasible. It could also be a kind of bonding for the two of them.


    "It¡¯s good that Xiao Yan likes it," he just said. "Does Xiao Yan want to go with Dad to other ces that ourpany developed?"


    Before Luo Yan could answer, Luo Ren had already interrupted. "Why did it sound like Dad only want to go with Yan Yan? Dad shouldn¡¯t show any favoritism, you know?" he said with a smile.


    But to Luo Wei Tian¡¯s ears, it only sounded that Luo Ren was saying that he¡¯s not allowed to have a bonding moment with Xiao Yan. Unless, of course, he brought both him and Luo Jin.


    "Ah Ren, you¡¯re starting to be really annoying."


    Luo Ren then shamelessly hid behind Luo Yan and acted like some poor soul that had been bullied by someone. "Yan Yan, look, our father is being so fierce."


    Their father, of course, wouldn¡¯t lose to his eldest son in terms of shamelessness. He hugged back Xiao Yan, his face full of grievance. "Xiao Yan, do you really think Dad is fierce?"


    Luo Yan once againughed out loud watching the two acted like children. His father and older brother were really cute.


    Luo Jin only felt goosebumps watching the performance of his father and eldest brother. Now, he suddenly knew where his second brother got his acting talent.


    "Could we just go and eat lunch?" he said, firmly ending this farce.


    Shen Ji Yun finally arrived at Chengdu airport. His cold blue gaze looked around the ce before walking towards the area where taxis were parked. He picked one and got inside.


    "Where to?" the taxi driver simply asked.


    "Crowning Glory Hotel."

 Chapter 405 love you!

    SHEN JI YUN looked outside the window of the taxi. When he found out that Luo Yan and his family were going to go to Chengdu for vacation, he then asked his uncle if they could also go on a vacation there. After he agreed, he volunteered to book a hotel for them. And he chose the Crowning Glory Hotel.


    He specifically chose that said hotel. There¡¯s only one reason why. Because the hotel was one of the industries under Tianhua Group. If Luo Yan and his family would stay at Chengdu for three days and two nights, then there¡¯s a high probability that they would choose Crowning Glory Hotel to stay in. So, he also chose it. Because that would increase the chance of him meeting Luo Yan.


    He kind of cringed at his own thought process. Because even he, himself, felt like he¡¯s some kind of stalker. If there was no such thing as Arcadia where he could meet his rabbit, albeit virtually, he probably would really run to S City just so he could see him. Then that certainly would make him a stalker.


    He would have never imagined that falling in love would make him develop some kind of stalker tendency. It¡¯s so embarrassing that he even wanted to punch himself just so he could have some sense. It¡¯s even more shameful that he was using his uncle as a ploy to make his meeting with Luo Yan as some kind of coincidence. After all, with his uncle¡¯s presence, it would seem like he was also there for a family vacation. Only he knew that he had an ulterior motive.


    And his poor uncle still had no idea that he was being used. He looked so guilty earlier when he said he had to deal with something at thepany and he probably couldn¡¯t make it to the time of their flight. Being the shameless guy that he was, Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t care much and just said that he would go ahead on his own.


    Logically speaking, he knew that his behavior was all sorts of wrong. But his brain just simply turned off the moment he knew that there was a chance that he could meet Luo Yan in real life. Now he fully understood what he read online that said that ¡¯love had no logic¡¯. Because that certainly applied to him at this very moment.


    He just hoped that his rabbit wouldn¡¯t be scared away of his behavior the moment he found out that he had been doing things like this. He¡¯d be happy as long as he didn¡¯t think of him as a creep.


    No, before that, he should probably worry first how he would interact with Luo Yan¡¯s family once he met them. He had already met them almost a month ago during the Mid-Autumn Festival. He acted quite normal back then. But only because he hadn¡¯t yet realized his feelings. But now, it waspletely different.


    He had seen how Luo Yan¡¯s family treat the other like a treasure. And rightfully so if he might add. Their reaction to him chasing after their treasure would definitely be not good. Luo Jin was already suspecting him and the older brother was also not some simple character. Thest time, he could already feel that Luo Ren didn¡¯t really have any good feeling towards him.


    Surprisingly enough, the only one who was a bit weing towards him was Luo Yan¡¯s father. Maybe he should just work on giving Uncle Luo a good impression. After all, that Luo Jin was already a loss cause. And for some reason, he found it hard to deal with Luo Ren.


    His brain kept on thinking of different strategies when his WeChat notification sounded. He took his phone out and saw that it was a message from his uncle.


    [Uncle Yi Mu]: I already finished the matters here. I¡¯ll probably arrive there at five in the afternoon. Are you already at the hotel?


    [luckycloud]: Not yet but I¡¯m already on the way.


    After a few exchanges, Shen Ji Yun returned his phone to his pocket. He looked again outside the window and he could already see the tall skyscraper at the distance. He knew that it was the building of the Crowning Glory Hotel.


    At the thought of seeing his rabbit again, his hearth unknowingly started beating faster and faster.


    "Yan Yan, don¡¯t overeat. That much spicy food is not good for your stomach," Luo Ren said while wiping Luo Yan¡¯s mouth that had chili oil.


    "But Brother, it¡¯s so delicious," Luo Yan said, his face full of unwillingness.


    How could he not be unwilling? On their table were delicious Sichuan dishes ¨C Ma Po tofu, fish vored shredded pork, sliced fish in hot chili oil, diced chicken with chili, etc. Of course, there were also Cantonese dishes. Which his older brother probably ordered for him. Although delicious, he had no interest in those.


    They were in S Province, it¡¯s only right to eat Sichuan dishes. It¡¯s almost a sin not to.


    "Yan, don¡¯t be stubborn. Your stomach is still delicate. If you eat too much spicy food, you¡¯ll definitely end up with a stomachache," Luo Jin scolded.


    Of course, Luo Yan understood that. Even now, he could feel his stomach heating up. And not in a good way. Now, he kind of wished that he was in the virtual world. At least there he could eat whatever he wanted. He wondered just when would this body be back to its full health.


    He reluctantly put down his chopstick and said with a crestfallen expression, "Okay."


    The people around himpletely felt distressed seeing him like that. They almost picked a dish and put it in front of Luo Yan, telling him that he could eat whatever he wanted. But they all stopped themselves. Because this was for his health. No matter how much they spoiled him, they couldn¡¯t back down when it came to that.


    So, their strengthened their resolve. But at the end, they still couldn¡¯t bear it.


    Luo Wei Tian put a small dumpling on Luo Yan¡¯s te. "Here, Xiao Yan, you can eat this."


    Luo Ren also pushed a small egg tart. "It¡¯s also fine to eat this."


    Even Luo Jin poured him a cup of tea which he added milk to. "Drink this."


    Seeing their attentiveness, Luo Yan immediately felt happy again. "Thank you! I also want to give something to Dad, Brother, and Ah Jin."


    "What is it?" Luo Wei Tian excitedly asked.


    Luo Yan put his hand on his pocket as if he was about to take something out. Then he raised his hand and his thumb and forefinger made a small finger heart. "Love you!"


    Luo Wei Tian just felt like his heart had been pierced by an arrow because of his son¡¯s cuteness. "Dad loves Xiao Yan as well."


    Luo Ren, on the other hand, quickly raised his phone to capture this scene of his brother¡¯s cuteness. "I like this kind of gift."


    While Luo Jin snorted, but if one looked closely, they could see his ear tips turning red. A sign of him being embarrassed. "What are you, five?"


    Luo Yan only grinned and ate the food the three gave him.

 Chapter 406 meeting that blue gaze

    THE Luo family had already finished eating lunch. They were just leisurely drinking tea and looking at the view outside. The private box they were also had a floor to ceiling window where they could see the view of Tianfu Square. Of course, it¡¯s not as good as the view in their suite. But it was enough for people to feel rxed.


    Then Luo Yan suddenly remembered that time he and his father went to an amusement park. Whenever they rode a thrilling ride like a roller coaster, every time their ride was about to fall from a tall height, his father¡¯s body would stiffen. Showing how ufortable he was. He probably wouldn¡¯t think of that particr memory if he hadn¡¯t gone to Tropical Land just two days ago.


    He moved closer to his father who was sitting beside him and whispered, "Dad, are you not afraid of heights?"


    He actually felt a bit guilty for not thinking of that sooner. Considering that their suite was at one of the top floors.


    Luo Wei Tian was confused by his second son¡¯s sudden question. Even more so by his secretive way of asking, as if he didn¡¯t want his brothers to hear about it.


    Seeing that his father didn¡¯t react and only looked confusedly at him, Luo Yan assumed that his question was probably a bit vague and came out of nowhere. So, he exined, still whispering, "When Dad and I went to an amusement park, I thought Dad was afraid of heights. We¡¯re in a high ce with a full view of the outside. I¡¯m worried that Dad will feel ufortable."


    Luo Wei Tian finally understood his son¡¯s sudden question. Because of that, he also remembered how that day on the amusement park went. It was true that he was indeed ufortable when riding those overly thrilling rides. But it was not to the point of being afraid.


    Luo Yan must have noticed how his body froze every time the ride they were on had to go down from a tall height in over the top speed. His son probably interpreted it as him having fear of heights. And now that they were in such a ce, Luo Yan was reminded of that and couldn¡¯t help but worry about him.


    Luo Wei Tian suddenly felt sweet in his heart. His Xiao Yan¡¯s presence was like having his own padded jacket, keeping his heart warm.


    He thought of lying and saying that he was scared so he could get more care from Xiao Yan. But he immediately rejected the idea since he couldn¡¯t bear to see him worried.


    "Xiao Yan, Dad is not afraid of heights. I¡¯m just not use to riding such things that¡¯s why I had that kind of reaction," he patiently exined. Then he patted Xiao Yan¡¯s head gently. "Thank you for Xiao Yan¡¯s concern."


    Luo Yan smiled. He was truly d that his father was not being ufortable right now.


    "What is Dad and Yan Yan whispering about?" Luo Ren asked, curiously looking at them.


    "It¡¯s a secret between me and Xiao Yan," Luo Wei Tian proudly said as if he got one over Luo Ren.


    Luo Ren only smiled gently and drank tea, thinking that their father was really getting more and more childish. It¡¯s fine, he could also have his own secret with Luo Yan. If someone had heard of his thoughts just now, they would definitely roll their eyes at him and tell him that he was equally as childish.


    Which exactly what Luo Jin was thinking right now. He shook his head and just ignored this group of people.


    "By the way, your Uncle Chen called mest night. He said Xiao Ye thought we would go and visit them at B City since it¡¯s a holiday again, just like what we did during the Mid-Autumn Festival. But they also had their own vacation ns. So, when they left yesterday to travel to Country R and Xiao Ye didn¡¯t see you, he kind of made a fuss and he¡¯d been sulking since," Luo Wei Tian suddenly remembered. "He was hoping that you could call him."


    Luo Yan immediately thought of his cute little cousin after he heard what his father said. After their visit in B City during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he had been in contact with Bai Ye. Whenever he had time during the weekends, he would video call with the little kid.


    Their video calls always helped him destress. How could he not when Bai Ye was so cute? Although he was indeed a bit spoiled, but it not that kind of spoiled that gets on everyone¡¯s nerves. It¡¯s that kind that one couldn¡¯t help but think that he¡¯s cute. But it¡¯s still not good to sulk and make a fuss every time he didn¡¯t get what he wanted. While he¡¯s still young, it¡¯s better to fix that or it would soon be a bad habit.


    He knew that his uncle and auntie would definitely not allow that to happen. But it wouldn¡¯t hurt if he lent them a bit of help.


    But what time would it be now at Country R?


    "We¡¯re seven hours ahead of Country R," Luo Ren said as if reading his thoughts. "It¡¯s almost one in the afternoon now. So, it should be near six in the morning there. Xiao Ye is probably not still awake."


    Luo Yan nodded. "Then, I¡¯ll call themter."


    "Well, now that we¡¯ve all rested, why don¡¯t we go through Chengdu¡¯s three historic alleys?" Luo Wei Tian suggested after a while.


    Luo Yan nced at his father and saw a rare excited look from the other. It seemed that his father had already nned this vacation¡¯s whole itinerary. Even Luo Yan just haphazardly mentioned Chengdu because he didn¡¯t want to go outside the country for vacation, his father still put an effort to make sure that this would be a good vacation for their family.


    Luo Yan would definitely not put his effort to waste.


    "Okay, let¡¯s go there, Dad!" he said, full enthusiasm.


    Luo Ren and Luo Jin also had no objection with that.


    The four of them left the restaurant where they had lunch. They were about to walk towards the elevator when the other elevator on the side opened and a tall young man walked out.


    Luo Yan coincidentally nced at the young man¡¯s direction and his gaze met with a pair of cold blue eyes. His feet automatically stopped walking and he stared unbelieving at the other person.


    "Brother Ji Yun?"

 Chapter 407 shall we go to your...

    SHEN JI YUN who just walked out of the elevatorpletely froze when he heard that sweet voice. His body¡¯s automatic reaction was to greedily stare at the beautiful boy in front of him. His rabbit was still as he remembered him ¨C soft ck hair, white skin, pink lips, and big peach blossom eyes.


    And just like when he saw him during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he felt his heart beating madly. Faster and faster. As if it would jump out of his chest. If he didn¡¯t know the reason behind his abnormal heart rate, he might have already thought that he was having a myocardial infarction.


    But he still noticed that there was something a bit different about Luo Yanpared to thest time he saw him. He just couldn¡¯t tell immediately what it was.


    He didn¡¯t have time to think more because he just noticed that Luo Yan was not alone. Surrounding him were three tall men. One of which was Luo Jin who was looking incredulously at him. And then it quickly changed into a re, as if he wanted to stab him with his gaze. Shen Ji Yun could already tell what this guy was thinking.


    Then there was the older brother who seemed surprised at first and then suddenly smiled. But there was nothing remotely kind about that smile. In fact, it gave slight chill behind his back. The only one of the three who seemed to show goodwill was Uncle Luo.


    This was the exact scenario that Shen Ji Yun had imagined. He was still thinking of how he would deal with such a situation, but before he could think of a solution, he unexpectedly met Luo Yan and his family. He didn¡¯t know if he was lucky or theplete opposite.


    His uncle was not with him. With Luo Jin¡¯s suspicious nature and Luo Ren¡¯s obviously keen observation, if he told them that he was here with his uncle but the other was not here, they would definitely assume that he was lying! Then, they might evene to the conclusion that he was stalking their brother. Which was true in some sense. But he couldn¡¯t have that be revealed in front of Luo Yan.


    What¡¯s the point of him going here if his rabbit would only end up having a bad impression of him?


    Not to mention, Uncle Luo was also here. If Uncle Luo also ended up having a bad impression of him, then it¡¯s certain that his road to pursuing Luo Yan would not only be bumpy, it might even be filled with rocks and boulders.


    He was suddenly flustered and started to panic. Of course, none of his concerns showed in his ever-expressionless face. He was once again d that his face had a hard time expressing whatever emotion he was feeling.


    He tried his best to calm down. He first greeted Uncle Luo respectfully. "Mr. Luo, it¡¯s really a coincidence meeting you and your family here."


    Luo Yan almost cringed at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s bad acting. He still hadn¡¯t gotten over his surprise at seeing him here. But he already had a guess in his heart on why Shen Ji Yun suddenly appeared in this hotel. He narrowed his eyes at him. It seemed like he needed to have a deep talk with this guy.


    Luo Wei Tian stared at the young man in front of them. Unlike his second son, he didn¡¯t notice the other¡¯s ¡¯bad acting¡¯. Probably because Shen Ji Yun only had one expression, now and back then when he met him during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Which was no expression at all.


    He first wondered why Xiao Yan suddenly stopped walking and then called the young who walked out of the elevator. When he saw this ¡¯Brother Ji Yun¡¯, it didn¡¯t take long for him to remember who the other was. Especially after seeing his blue eyes.


    It was the kid from the Shen family of B City. He left quite an impression when he met him during the Mid-Autumn Festivalst month. He was a little bit familiar with the kid¡¯s family situation. He could see that the unfortunate situation that the kid experienced didn¡¯t turn him into a timid weakling. Which really left a good impression on Luo Wei Tian. Because he liked people who never gave up despite all the adversities they were facing.


    "Yes. What a pleasant coincidence," Luo Wei Tian agreed. "Are you also here on a vacation?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "My Uncle and I nned to spend two days here on Chengdu. But Uncle still had some things he had to take care of at hispany, so he¡¯s not with me right now. He¡¯ll arriveter in the afternoon. We had already booked our flight, so I just went ahead."


    He tried his best to sound as casual as he could. To not sound like he was specifically exining. He just hoped that it was believable. Because, in a way, he was indeed telling the truth.


    What a load of bull crap ¨C Luo Jin almost shouted. He was sure that this guy definitely came here for Luo Yan. Although he didn¡¯t have any evidence, his gut feel was just telling him that. Because how could he just suddenly appear here on the same day that their family just also happened to be here? Could there really be such a convenient coincidence?


    Although Luo Ren didn¡¯t have the same ¡¯gut feel¡¯ as his youngest brother, he still had no good feelings for this Shen Ji Yun. So, he turned to Luo Yan and said, "Let¡¯s go? We already wasted too much time here."


    Shen Ji Yun had a feeling that he was the ¡¯waste of time¡¯ Luo Ren was talking about.


    Luo Yan looked at the duffel bag Shen Ji Yun was carrying and knew that he was about to go to his room. He turned to his father and brothers and nodded. Silently agreeing that they could go.


    So, the four of them entered the elevator.


    "Oh, I remembered that I have something to say to Brother Ji Yun," he said as if just remembering it. And then before the elevator door closed, he stepped outside. He heard his brothers calling him. So, he shouted back, "Please, wait for me at the lobby!"


    And the elevatorpletely closed.


    He then turned at the stunned Shen Ji Yun and smiled. "Now, Brother Ji Yun, shall we go to your room?"

 Chapter 408 little admonishment

    SHEN JI YUN opened the door of the suite room then turned to Luo Yan. "Please,e in."


    He let Luo Yan walked in first and then followed. He felt weirdly nervous for some reason. Even though this was not his real room. It might have been better if it was though.


    He put down his duffel bad on one of the couches. "Can I get you anything?"


    "No, thanks," Luo Yan said, looking around the suite.


    It was much smallerpared to their family¡¯s suite. Probably because this one was just for two people. But there was still a floor to ceiling window where one could see the view of Tianfu Square.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun. Even without the long dark purple hair and amethyst beast eyes, he was still extraordinarily handsome. Of course, he was happy to see him in reality. But there was more pressing issue that he needed to address.


    He looked at him and tried to be as serious as he could. "Brother Ji Yun, I want to ask you a question and I hope that you would be honest with me."


    "Of course," Shen Ji Yun said without hesitation. Although he wondered what kind of question could it be that warrant such a serious expression.


    "Did Brother Ji Yun decided to go here in Chengdu because I told you that my family and I are going here?" Luo Yan asked, going straight to the point. "If that was not the case, then I¡¯ll apologize for being too presumptuous."


    This was the reason why he went here to this suite. To ask him this question. He didn¡¯t think that he was lying about his uncle. Shen Yi Mu would probably indeed arrive hereter. But that didn¡¯t mean that his assumption that Shen Ji Yun went here purposely because he knew he would be here was wrong.


    He was sure it¡¯s not just because he was being too narcissistic. Knowing how muddle-headed this guy could be when it came to him, that assumption was certainly possible. If that was the case, then they really had to have a serious talk.


    Shen Ji Yun was shocked when he heard that question. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know how he should answer. Should he lie? Or should he just tell the truth? But if he told the truth, wouldn¡¯t Luo Yan hate him? No, there¡¯s a possibility that he wouldn¡¯t. But it¡¯s also possible that he would think of him as a creep. Either way, Shen Ji Yun wasn¡¯t sure that he could take the aftermath.


    He was preparing to say some eptable excuse when his gaze met Luo Yan¡¯s. Looking at those big peach blossom eyes, he suddenly realized one thing. If he lied and didn¡¯t tell the truth, whatever rtionship they had right now would most likely have a crack. A hole that wouldn¡¯t be fixed no matter how much he tried to in the future.


    And so, he decided to tell the truth.


    "Yes," he answered, looking down, afraid to see his reaction.


    See? He was indeed correct ¨C Luo Yan thought. "Brother Ji Yun, that¡¯s not a good behavior. If it wasn¡¯t me but another person, they might have already thought that you¡¯re stalking them," he admonished, using the sternest voice he could possibly muster.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mood became even lower when he heard that. He could already foresee the worst-case scenario. It¡¯s like his heart was being shed by dozens of knives all at the same time. It would probably be better if the floor he was standing on would open and swallow him right now. Maybe that way, he wouldn¡¯t feel like shit.


    [It¡¯s over. Yan Yan would hate me now.]


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun who was now like an abandoned puppy. If he had ears and tail, they would probably be down right now. Showing his low mood. Luo Yan suddenly had an illusion like he abused him or something.


    It was not like he was angry. Because he knew Shen Ji Yun had no malicious intent in doing what he did. He knew him enough to know that he probably only did it because he wanted to see him in real life. He even found it a bit sweet. But that didn¡¯t mean that he would tolerate this sort of behavior.


    If he did, then it would be a habit. Maybe in the future, Shen Ji Yun might think that there¡¯s nothing wrong in following him around without his knowledge. That it was an eptable behavior. Of course, he wasn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t want the other to develop this kind of stalkerish behavior.


    So, Luo Yan would just have to take this chance straighten him up.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Yan Yan. I just want to see you," Shen Ji Yun said, his voice full on undisguised sincerity. It really took a lot from just to not stutter, even though he was already panicking inside.


    "I know, Brother Ji Yun. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not mad at you."


    Shen Ji Yun quickly raised his head. He wasn¡¯t sure if he even heard him correctly or if it was just his wishful thinking. "You¡¯re not? Angry, I mean."


    Luo Yan shook his head. "No. I just want Brother Ji Yun to understand that I won¡¯t stand for this kind of behavior. It¡¯s fine if you go to my house and give me a surprised visit. But following me secretly to a ce and acting like it¡¯s just coincidence that we met was already borderline stalkerish. And I don¡¯t like it. I hope Brother Ji Yun will respect that."


    Hearing it directly from Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun felt like he was a scum. He became depressed again. He almost resisted the urge to kneel in front of his rabbit and ask for his forgiveness. This time, it was really his fault. He shouldn¡¯t have been so impulsive.


    "I know. I won¡¯t do it again. I promise," he swore. "I¡¯m sorry, Yan Yan."


    "It¡¯s fine as long as Brother Ji Yun understand," Luo Yan said. He could see from Shen Ji Yun¡¯s blue eyes that he truly wouldn¡¯t do something like this again. "Next time, Brother Ji Yun could simply ask me. It¡¯s not like I will say ¡¯no¡¯. After all, I also want to spend time with Brother Ji Yun, not just in the game, but also in reality."


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly felt like his heart just revived because of what Luo Yan said. The cold winter wind in his heart suddenly turned into a warm summer breeze.


    Before he could express his joy, the door of the suite was suddenly knocked. And it was not just a simple knock. Whoever it was outside, they were knocking like there was no tomorrow.


    "Shen Ji Yun! Let our brother out right now!"


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t need to open the door to know who it was. Just by that voice, shouting as if he had kidnapped his brother, it would be no one else but Luo Jin.

 Chapter 409 doing what he wanted

    WHEN the elevator reached the ground floor and the three walked out, Luo Jin immediately said to his father, "Dad, can you ask that assistant of Manager Gu the room number of that bast- that guy, Shen Ji Yun?"


    Luo Wei Tian looked weirdly at his youngest son. The only reason he could think of why was because Xiao Yan went to that Shen kid¡¯s room and this brat wanted to go there as well. "Why?"


    "He shouldn¡¯t be alone with that Shen Ji Yun," Luo Jin said in a very unreasonable tone.


    Luo Wei Tian raised one of his brows. The way this kid was acting, he almost had an illusion that Shen Ji Yun was trying to abduct Xiao Yan.


    Luo Ren looked at Luo Jin meaningfully. Then he turned to their father. "Dad, I¡¯m also a bit worried about Yan Yan. I¡¯ll go and call Manager Gu¡¯s assistant. Dad can just wait for us in the lobby."


    Before Luo Wei Tian could answer, Luo Ren had already pulled Luo Jin inside another elevator. He watched the elevator closed and wondered just what was those kids of his thinking.


    Inside the elevator, Luo Ren just finished calling the assistant of Manager Gu ¨C the one who drove him and Luo Jin from the airport to the hotel. Because of his identity, it was not that hard to get the hotel room number of Shen Ji Yun.


    "Now, Xiao Jin, can you tell me why you don¡¯t want our brother to be alone with Shen Ji Yun?" he asked after finishing the call.


    Luo Jin nced at his eldest brother and somehow hesitated if he should tell him his suspicion about Shen Ji Yun having ulterior motives in regards to their brother. But if he did tell, knowing how overprotective Luo Ren was, things might just take a turn for the worse.


    The moment he told Luo Ren that his guts was telling him that Shen Ji Yun somehow liked Luo Yan in that way, his eldest brother would definitely do everything to make sure Shen Ji Yun would not go near their brother. The fastest way to do that was to not let Luo Yan y Arcadia.


    How could Luo Jin let that happen? His second brother would definitely beat him up, in his own ck-bellied way, if he knew that he was the one who initiated everything.


    So, at the end, he could only say, "I just don¡¯t like the guy."


    His eldest brother just stared at him, as if trying to dissect his every facial muscles. Which only made him want to squirm. But he resisted the urge and just looked the other way. Really, this brother of his was on a different level of scary.


    Luo Ren no longer asked question and just remained silent throughout the elevator ride. Which made Luo Jin almost let out a sigh of relief. Without the pressure of his eldest brother, his thoughts finally returned to Luo Yan being alone right now with Shen Ji Yun.


    Although he wasn¡¯t thinking that Shen Ji Yun would try to do something bad to Luo Yan, he just couldn¡¯t let the two of them be alone together. He could tolerate the two of them being alone together in the game. But real life was another matter.


    It would be fine if Shen Ji Yun was truly treating Luo Yan as a friend. But he could see that that wasn¡¯t the case.


    Who knew if the special attention he was giving his second brother now would eventually lead to Luo Yan being hurt? If in the very, very, extremely very remote chance that Luo Yan also ended up having that kind of feeling for Shen Ji Yun, and that bastard realize that what he was feeling was actually not that deep, wouldn¡¯t Luo Yan be the only one at the losing end? How could Luo Jin let that happen?


    So, as long as that guy wouldn¡¯t rify his real intentions towards Luo Yan, then he would keep on being that annoying brother who always gets in his way.


    The door of the elevator finally opened.


    Luo Ren led the way towards the room number Manager Gu¡¯s assistant gave him. Luo Jin followed closely. Arriving at their destination, Luo Jin couldn¡¯t stop himself from ramming the door.


    "Shen Ji Yun! Let our brother out right now!"


    It didn¡¯t take long for someone to open the door. It was Luo Yan who opened it.


    He was a bit surprised seeing his older brother with Luo Jin. He already expected that Luo Jin would rush here. After all, he was so antagonistic towards Shen Ji Yun, he would surely not want Luo Yan to be alone with the other. But their older brother didn¡¯t have that kind of mentality. So, he could only assume that he tagged along with Luo Jin to make sure the other wouldn¡¯t do anything drastic.


    He smiled at his two brothers, particrly at Luo Jin. "Ah Jin, are you trying to demolish the door?"


    Luo Jin felt goosebumps seeing that smile. If their older brother was scary, then Luo Yan was also scary in another way. The type that hid his ws behind a sweet smile. That once he attacked, you wouldn¡¯t even see iting.


    "Yan Yan, Xiao Jin is just excited to go to the ce that Dad mentioned. So, he just had to rush here and get you. I tagged along just in case he went to the wrong room. You know how bad his sense of direction is."


    Luo Jin nodded at Luo Ren¡¯s exnation, meaning that he acquiesced to what he said. Although he kind of not want to admit that part about him having a bad sense of direction.


    "So, if you¡¯re done telling your acquaintance the thing you have forgotten to tell him, let¡¯s be on our way, okay?"


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t think much and just nodded. Their older brother was probably just making an excuse for Luo Jin. But before leaving the suite, he nced back at Shen Ji Yun.


    "Brother Ji Yun, do you want toe with us?"


    When Shen Ji Yun heard Luo Yan¡¯s question, he quickly felt a death re towards his direction, as well as an air-conditioned wind. Both wereing from the door. They were probably warning him to say no. But would Shen Ji Yun do what they wanted? Of course not. He would rather do what he wanted. So, he answered;


    "Okay."

 Chapter 410 call me uncle

    KUANZHAI Xiangzi or wide and narrow alleys were two ancient streets restored during the Ming and Qing Dynasty which showed in their architectural styles. These alleys perfectly described Chengdu ¨C a leisurely citybining history and modern changes. Kuanzhai Xiangzi was one of the ¡¯Three Famous Historical Relics of Chengdu¡¯ together with Daci Monastery and Wenshu Monastery.


    It¡¯s located just one kilometer of Tianfu Square. The main highlights of these streets were the architecture, the folk culture, and local snacks. The three alleys making up Kuanzhai Xiangzi were Kuan Alley, Zhai Alley, and Jing Alley.


    Kuan Alley was the one representing Chengdu¡¯s folk culture with its theme of tradition and leisure. It featured boutique hotels, unique restaurants in folk styles, traditional teahouses, taverns and distinctive inns. This alley could provide visitors an opportunity to experience the life of old Chengdu.


    There was also a museum here called ¡¯Chengdu Real-Life Experience Hall¡¯. There were exhibits showing the daily life of amon family during the Republic era.


    Across the south-north passageway of Kuan Alley, people could reach Zhai Alley. One could find western food, coffee houses, retail shops, and themed culture salon in the courtyards and the long alley. It was mostly decorated with an elegant ambience of different countries¡¯ styles, reflecting the slow life in Chengdu. It¡¯s a great ce to spend a quiet afternoon.


    Enclosed by the two alleys was the Jing Alley. It¡¯s the public ce of entertainment with pubs, night clubs, and characteristic restaurants. If one wanted to have a taste of the modern nightlife of Chengdu, then this was the ce for you.


    People shouldn¡¯t also miss the 400-meter wall made up of bricks from different dynasties.


    Luo Yan listened with relish to Assistant Xing ¨C Manager Gu¡¯s assistant. He was the one who led them to their hotel suite. They were riding a luxurious nanny car that could sit eight people and Assistant Xing was the one driving.


    They were on their way to Kuanzhai Xiangzi. And on their way there, Assistant Xing was very enthusiastic on describing the three alleys of Kuanzhai Xiangzi. His description was so good that Luo Yan could easily envision the alleys in his mind. Now, he was even more excited.


    This was their first family vacation. That¡¯s why he was feeling all giddy and happy inside. He would definitely take a lot of picture to preserve the memories they would make here.


    And maybe, a tiny bit of his happiness could also be attributed to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s presence.


    He secretly nced at the guy who was quietly sitting on the passenger¡¯s seat of the nanny car beside Assistant Xing. The other still looked as expressionless as ever. But he could tell that Shen Ji Yun was nervous. The reason might probably because of Luo Yan¡¯s family. He might have already fallen on his usual habit of overthinking. Wondering on how best he could leave a good impression on them.


    But Luo Jin was already lost caused. Even Luo Yan couldn¡¯t reason with this younger brother of his when it came to Shen Ji Yun. He had already tried so many times but to no avail. At this point, he was more prone to believe that Luo Jin simply didn¡¯t like Shen Ji Yun.


    But was his younger brother really that unreasonable? Maybe he should have another talk with himter. He might have another reason that Luo Yan hadn¡¯t thought of. It wouldn¡¯t be good if he kept on being antagonistic towards him. Especially once the tournament season in the game started. Their a team after all.


    Their older brother, on the other hand, seemed to also not like Shen Ji Yun. He hadn¡¯t notice it when they were at B City during the Mid-Autumn Festival. But since he apanied Luo Jin to fetch him from Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hotel room, Luo Yan started to notice the sign. It was subtle. People wouldn¡¯t probably notice it unless they knew Luo Ren well. But Luo Yan could see it.


    He wondered what prompted this sudden dislike.


    Anyway, Shen Ji Yun would surely try to tag along with them. So, it¡¯s better if he took the initiative. That way, the other wouldn¡¯t be in an awkward position. Besides, he would also love to have hispany around.


    So, as early as now, he should help Shen Ji Yun to integrate better in this kind of atmosphere.


    "Brother Ji Yun, can you let me meet your uncleter when he arrives?" he started.


    Although it was a bit of out of the blue topic, he seriously wanted to meet Shen Yi Mu in person.


    Shen Ji Yun nced back, "Of course."


    "It seems that Yan Yan is very excited to meet Mr. Shen," Luo Renmented.


    "Mr. Shen is my idol. I admire him very much," Luo Yan said honestly.


    That was the reason why he applied to work at Moonlight Media during hisst life. Shen Yi Mu could have been his boss. But then a potted nt fell on top of his head, ending that life. Now that he had a chance to meet him in person, how could he not be excited?


    When Shen Ji Yun heard that, the vinegar jar in his heart just turned over. But he also quickly put it back up. Being jealous of his own uncle was truly the height of immaturity. Besides, there¡¯s nothing wrong about Luo Yan admiring his uncle. Because he also admired his uncle very much.


    "Then, you and your uncle should just join uster for dinner," Luo Wei Tian simply suggested.


    He also wanted to talk about business with Shen Yi Mu. He hadn¡¯t been interested in the gaming industry. After he learned that Xiao Yan was interested in studying aboutputer and games, he asked his assistant to make a market report about the gaming industry in the country. And from what he read, it¡¯s very profitable. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to invest in it.


    "Thank you, Mr. Luo. I will message my uncle about it," Shen Ji Yun said respectfully.


    "Stop with the ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯. Just call me Uncle Luo."


    Luo Jin almost gritted his teeth in dissatisfaction when he heard that. Luo Ren also gave their father a look. But Luo Wei Tian didn¡¯t notice it.


    "Yes, Uncle Luo," Shen Ji Yun quickly said before Luo Yan¡¯s father changed his mind.


    Luo Wei Tian nodded in satisfaction. Little did he know that in the near future he would truly regret this decision. And every time Shen Ji Yun would call him ¡¯Uncle Luo¡¯ he would want to beat him up until he¡¯s all ck and blue.

 Chapter 411 luo yans thoughts and luo rens doubts

    LUO YAN bit a bite of tangyouguozi ¨C a famous snack in Chengdu made with sugar, flour, and sesame. He actually wanted to buy more but only allowed one stick which had three pieces skewered on it.


    The five of them were now walking on Kuan Alley. Assistant Xing volunteered to be their tour guide, but his father refused. He wanted to explore the ce on their own. Which Luo Yan also preferred. And since vehicles were not allowed inside Kuanzai Xiangzi, Assistant Xing remained at the entrance with the car.


    It was really true when Assistant Xing mentioned that Kuan Alley symbolized the old life of Chengdu. One could see it on the architectural designs and feel it in the ambience of the ce.


    Luo Yan had been eating bite sized snacks since they entered the alley. He could only eat one piece of the same kind. Which was truly a waste. But if he ate more, just like what his father and brothers had said, he would definitely have indigestion. Seriously, this delicate stomach.


    Now, more than ever, he wished that real life could be the same as the VR world. At least there, he could eat whatever he wanted and wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the after effects.


    To lessen his slight depression about not eating enough, he just took snap shots one after the other using his phone. He actually thought of using a camera. But it would be too cumbersome to bring. Besides, phone cameras nowadays had such high specs that it didn¡¯t matter whether he used one of the two.


    He took stolen shots of his brothers and father. He smiled looking at how handsome they were. Then he pointed the camera to Shen Ji Yun and was slightly startled when he saw that the other was looking at him. Shen Ji Yun also appeared startled, probably because he didn¡¯t think that he would suddenly turn to his direction and thus would be caught watching him.


    Shen Ji Yun quickly looked away. Their distance was not that close, but Luo Yan could still see the sudden redness of the tip of his ear. A sign that the other was absolutely embarrassed right now.


    He raised his hand to his lips to hide his smile. Really, how could this guy be cold, handsome, cute, and shy all at the same time? Seeing this side of him in real life definitely had different effectspared to when they were in the game.


    Since they arrived at Kuan Alley, Shen Ji Yun had been walking quite a bit far from him. It¡¯s probably because he was being careful so that none of Luo Yan¡¯s family members would notice that his affection for him went way beyond friendship. Luo Jin was already treating him like an enemy. If Luo Yan¡¯s father or older brother joined the fray, it would definitely be chaotic.


    His family knowing about Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings at this point in time would just be disadvantageous. Not just for Shen Ji Yun but for him as well. He hadn¡¯t yet fully organized his feelings or what to do with it. He didn¡¯t want his family to go full blown protectors and prevent him from meeting Shen Ji Yun. Which would surely happen once they found out that Shen Ji Yun saw him in that way.


    All they could do was wait.


    Wait for the right timing.


    Luo Yan was sure that his family would be able to ept his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun. They¡¯re not judgmental people and they¡¯re definitely not homophobic. Once they saw how good Shen Ji Yun was to him, they would slowly ept the idea of them being together. It might take time but it would definitely happen.


    Then he suddenly caught himself. There he went again, thinking as if he and Shen Ji Yun being together was already a foregone conclusion. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Did he actually still need time to fully think of what to do with his feelings for Shen Ji Yun? It surely looked like his brain was agreeing to what his heart desired. Well, at least from time to time. Just like right now.


    One thing¡¯s for sure, his brain was finally slowly aligning with his heart.


    He nced again at Shen Ji Yun who just turned his head back to secretly look at him again. When their gazes met, a red tinge appeared on the other¡¯s cheek and he quickly looked away again.


    Cute ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    He chuckled once again and no longer ¡¯tormented¡¯ Shen Ji Yun. And he trotted back to his father¡¯s side.


    Unbeknownst to him, this little scene had been witnessed by Luo Ren.


    He had been observing Shen Ji Yun since earlier. Because he wanted to confirm something. And he saw how the other had been secretly ncing at his younger brother asionally. He might have thought that he was doing it stealthily but Luo Ren still saw it.


    He couldn¡¯t see any emotions on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. So, it¡¯s hard to tell what the other was even thinking. But that scene just now gave him some understanding.


    He saw how Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ear tips turned red when Luo Yan caught him staring. And then, he even slightly blushed when his brother caught him again. But probably what surprised him more was Luo Yan¡¯s reaction.


    His brother¡¯s big peach blossom eyes were full of petting as he watched Shen Ji Yun¡¯s reactions. It¡¯s like he already knew beforehand that the other would react that way. It seemed that he didn¡¯t mind it at all. In fact, it looked like he even fully weed it.


    He knew that Luo Yan was not just a silly sweet white dumpling. It could easily be seen by the way he usually handled Luo Jin. It would be stupid of him not to even notice that. He was d that he was not so innocent. Because that meant that he wouldn¡¯t be easily bullied and he also wouldn¡¯t be easily taken advantage of by others.


    The scene he saw just now proved him that the dynamics of the rtionship between Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun, the one who had the upper hand was most likely his brother. And he felt just a tad bidplicated about that.


    But still, he had to know what this Shen Ji Yun really thought of Luo Yan.


    And so, he walked to the direction of Shen Ji Yun.

 Chapter 412 brother ren

    SHEN JI YUN felt mortified. Luo Yan just caught him taking a sneak peak at him like some pervert. He thought he was being stealthy enough. But who knew that Luo Yan would just suddenly turn in his direction? This mortifying feeling was a hundred times magnified in real lifepared when they were in the game.


    He always wanted to appear his best in front of Luo Yan. But it seemed like, whether it¡¯s inside the game or in real life, he always showed his embarrassing side to Luo Yan instead.


    He shook his head. He should probably just focus on how to make Luo Yan¡¯s family like him. Or at least leave them a good impression of himself. Okay, both seemed inapplicable to Luo Jin. That kid probably alreadybeled him as a ¡¯bad guy¡¯. But there was still Uncle Luo and Luo Ren. Although he¡¯s not entirely confident about Luo Ren, at least Uncle Luo seemed to like him a bit.


    He clenched his fist. Determination filling him.


    Then, all of a sudden, he found that there was someone walking beside him. Matching his steps. He was too focus in his thoughts that he didn¡¯t even notice. He nced sideways and was a bit startled when he saw Luo Ren.


    He remembered what he just thought a few seconds ago. To leave a good impression, he should be more likable. So, he smiled and made his voice as gentle as possible.


    "Brother Ren," he greeted in a respectful tone.


    But in Luo Ren¡¯s eyes and ears that was not the case at all.


    Luo Ren felt a muscle on his face twitched when he heard the other shamelessly called him ¡¯Brother Ren¡¯. That¡¯s not all, his face was contorted into something like a weird grimace. Even the way he spoke sounded like he was forcing himself to call him that way. Luo Ren felt like the other was mocking him or something.


    He was nning to show him a friendly attitude so he could glean more information from him. But now, he changed his mind.


    "I don¡¯t think I ever said that you can call me ¡¯brother¡¯?" he said with a cold smile on his face. "Wasn¡¯t that a bit presumptuous of you?"


    Shen Ji Yun felt like he had just been pped. Shame crept up to his neck, then to his face. Yes, Luo Ren didn¡¯t say he could call him that. He just assumed that he could. Because he felt like he should be respectful to Luo Yan¡¯s older brother. Because he¡¯s older than him. That¡¯s why he just automatically called him that. He didn¡¯t think it would have a negative effect.


    Then what should he call him?


    He couldn¡¯t just directly call him ¡¯Luo Ren¡¯. Wouldn¡¯t that be more disrespectful? After all, they¡¯re not of the same age. He¡¯s also not younger than him. He started to panic. He couldn¡¯t believe that there woulde a time when he would feel troubled on what to address someone. And it¡¯s all because the other was the older brother of the person he loved.


    At the end, he could only bite the bullet and said, "Mr. Luo."


    Another muscle on Luo Ren¡¯s face twitched when he heard that. What ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯? Wasn¡¯t that how this guy called his father earlier? So, what was he, an uncle or something?


    Then Luo Ren suddenly realized that he¡¯s actually being childish right now. He sighed. He¡¯s no longer at the age of Luo Jin where being a bit immature could still be forgivable. He¡¯s already a working adult. So, even if he didn¡¯t like this guy, he should take the higher ground and just let it be.


    "Calling me ¡¯Brother Luo¡¯ is fine," he could only say.


    Although he still didn¡¯t like being called ¡¯Brother¡¯, that¡¯s still better than being called a ¡¯Mister¡¯. But more than that, he didn¡¯t want the other to call him by his name. So, ¡¯Brother Luo¡¯ was the most eptable.


    Maybe it could even make the other feel close to him. And thus, lowering his guard against him. Then, it would probably be easier for Shen Ji Yun to tell him the things he wanted to know.


    Shen Ji Yun secretly let out a sigh of relief when Luo Ren told him that. "Yes, Brother Luo."


    "I heard you are the leader - or was it a captain? ¨C of the team he and Xiao Jin joined. Ah Ze is also part of that team, right?" Luo Ren asked,pletely changing the subject.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded, understanding that Ah Ze should be Bai Ze.


    "How is Yan Yan in the game?" Luo Ren asked.


    The panic that Shen Ji Yun initially felt earlier was already gone. Hearing Luo Ren¡¯s question, he answered it very honestly.


    "He¡¯s a good yer. He could easily control his game avatar as if it¡¯s an extension of his own body. He¡¯s even better than me when ites to tasks that involved analyzing and observing. I have confidence that he would soon be one of the top yers of Arcadia."


    Luo Ren couldn¡¯t help but raised one of his brows. He might not be interested inputer or video games, but he knew that Arcadia was the most famous game right now in the country. Billions of people were ying it. And yet this guy was telling him with utmost confidence that Luo Yan would be a top yer as if it was already a foregone conclusion.


    He didn¡¯t think that it was just a simple lip service, Shen Ji Yun really believed that. Bai Ze told him that Shen Ji Yun was one of the best in the game. And yet he still openly admitted that Luo Yan was better than him in some aspect of the game.


    More importantly, his expression while talking about Luo Yan was theplete opposite of when he greeted him. If he looked like some dried-up bitter gourd when talking to him, then he certainly turned into some blooming sunflower the moment he talked about Luo Yan.


    Luo Ren narrowed his eyes at the person walking beside him. His initial guess was already starting to take form.


    But the question was, how would he deal with it once he got a confirmation?


    Well, it would all depend on the performance of this guy.


    Shen Ji Yun felt inexplicable while being stared at by Luo Ren. He suddenly wondered if he did something wrong. "Ahm, Brother Luo?"


    Luo Ren only smiled that cold smile of his which brought some kind of chill on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s back. Then the other walked forward towards Luo Yan¡¯s direction. Leaving Shen Ji Yun totally confused.

 Chapter 413 ye yun

    AFTER 20 minutes of walking around Kuan Alley, Luo Yan and the others decided to go to one of the teahouses scattered around the alley to rest. If there¡¯s one thing Chengdu was famous for aside from the pandas, then it¡¯s tea.


    S Province was one of the country¡¯s major tea-producing regions. There was even an old proverb saying that, ¡¯there was more teahouses in S Province than sunny days¡¯. Showing just howmon teahouses were in the region. Of course, that also included Chengdu.


    The teahouses in Kuan Alley were usually in the form of a courtyard. Luo Wei Tian had already picked the teahouse that they would go to as early as when Xiao Yan told him that he wanted to go to Chengdu. His assistant helped a lot in that. With Assistant Wen¡¯s help, he chose a traditional teahouse with a good ambience and only served high grade teas.


    Luo Yan looked at the teahouse in front of them. He could already feel the historic vibe of the ce. Like it had been here for a hundred years or something. He was about to walk inside when he noticed the sign on the side of the door. It said ¡¯Ye Yun¡¯. He was a bit startled when he read that. Because the two characters that made up the name directly trante to ¡¯Night Cloud¡¯.


    He couldn¡¯t resist the urge to look back at Shen Ji Yun. The other was staring at the sign. He was nning to tease him when he saw Shen Ji Yun taking out his phone and raising it in the direction of the sign. He was obviously taking a picture of it!


    "The shop has a good name, right, Brother Ji Yun?" he said with a bit of teasing in his tone.


    Shen Ji Yun almost dropped his phone when he heard Luo Yan¡¯s voice. He guiltily put it back in the pocket of the trench coat he was wearing. When he saw the sign on the side of the entrance of the teahouse, he felt happy and excited. In all the teahouses in this ce, they really went to one that was named ¡¯Ye Yun¡¯. It almost felt like destiny. As if it was telling him that he and Luo Yan were truly fated.


    So, in his delusion, his own body moved and he found himself taking a picture of the sign. That way, he couldmemorate this moment. He just didn¡¯t expect that Luo Yan would nce back at him right at that point,pletely seeing what he was doing.


    Once again, he felt extreme mortification. But he still had to answer Luo Yan¡¯s question. He just hoped that his rabbit had already forgotten about the CP name that the yer Catnip gave them.


    He gazed down and said, "Yes."


    Luo Yan smiled. How could Shen Ji Yun not think that the teahouse¡¯s name was not good? It¡¯s their CP name. Of course, the other would think it¡¯s good.


    Luo Jin scoffed when he heard Shen Ji Yun¡¯s answer. "Why, because it has a part of your name on it? I didn¡¯t expect that you still have such a narcissistic side."


    "Dad, look, Ah Jin is being a bully again," Luo Yan quicklyined to their father.


    Luo Jin gave his second brother an inexplicable look. "Where do you see me bullying him?"


    "You are. Brother Ji Yun was just standing there and not doing anything and yet you verbally attacked him. Wasn¡¯t that bullying?"


    Luo Jin wanted to defend himself but he realized that everything that Luo Yan said was right. At the end, he could only cluck his tongue in annoyance.


    "Xiao Jin, Xiao Yan is right. You¡¯re not a child anymore. Don¡¯t be rude," Luo Wei Tian reprimanded his youngest because what he had just shown was not good behavior.


    Luo Jin crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine."


    Although he said that, it was obvious to all that he was pouting.


    Luo Wei Tian then turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Ji Yun, don¡¯t mind Xiao Jin. He has a sharp tongue but he¡¯s a good kid."


    "I don¡¯t mind, Uncle Luo," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Which was true, he really didn¡¯t mind. After all, Luo Jin had always been rude to him. Besides, instead of feeling offended, he felt happy. Because his rabbit defended him.


    "Come, Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s go inside," Luo Yan said, pulling Shen Ji Yun inside the teahouse.


    Shen Ji Yun nced down at Luo Yan¡¯s hand holding his hand. It was small and soft. The warmth radiating from it shot straight to his heart, warming himpletely. He wanted this moment to just stop, even for a few seconds. So, he could savor the feeling of their hands sped together a bit longer.


    Luo Ren stared at the back of the two and then nced at Luo Jin who was still pouting on the side. He could only shake his head. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t depend on his youngest brother if he wanted to check the character of this Shen Ji Yun. If Luo Jin helped, he might just end up helping Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan get closer instead.


    "Wee to Ye Yun!" greeted by a woman wearing a cheongsam when they entered the teahouse. "Would it be a table for five?" she added.


    The employee was actually stunned seeing five good looking men, well, one of them was a pretty boy, walking in together. It was only because of her professionalism that she managed to not show her shock on her face.


    "I have a reservation under the name Luo Wei Tian," Luo Wei Tian said to the female employee.


    "Please, wait a moment."


    Then the female employee checked something on the tablet she was holding. When she saw the name and that they reserved a VVIP courtyard room, she let out a sigh of relief. Good thing she didn¡¯t do anything that might have offended these guests. One should know that the only people who could afford their VVIP courtyards were those at the very top of socialdder.


    She was about to tell them that she would call someone to bring them to their courtyard when a melodious voice suddenly spoke.


    "Brother Wei Tian?"


    They all turned to the direction where the voice came from and saw a woman in a white cheongsam. Her gaze was almost sticking to Luo Wei Tian.

 Chapter 414 the woman

    THE woman in the white cheongsam looked to be in her early 30s. But truthfully, she was already in herte 40s. She just knew how to properly maintain herself. With the right exercise, diet, make-up, and constant visit to a beauty clinic, anyone could be way younger than they looked.


    And this woman was one of those.


    She had a pretty face that was enhanced by make-up and a ttering figure that was easily highlighted by the cheongsam she was wearing. Her long ck hair was put up into a bun with a delicate jade hairpin. She had the seductive charm of a mature woman. And with her face and bodynguage, she could enact that pure feeling that only a younger woman could have. Which was quite a contradictory feeling. And something that could drive a man crazy for her.


    She was definitely the type that used her looks to her full advantage. Like capturing the attention of certain men.


    All of these, Luo Yan could see in one nce. Maybe because he also once wore a mask to take advantage of the people around him. So, he could see that she was also used on putting up a mask. More importantly, it was also very clear to him that her target right now was his father.


    That gaze that was almost sticking to his father like glue was evidence enough. Not to mention, the greed that was hidden in her eyes. She might have thought that she concealed it perfectly. But unfortunately for her, he was here. With his acting ability, how could he not see it?


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure how this woman knew his father. Even calling him so intimately. But one thing he was certain of, he couldn¡¯t let his father fall under the trap of this woman.


    Luo Wei Tian, on the other hand, nced at the woman and then furrowed his brows. He couldn¡¯t honestly tell who this woman was.


    The woman probably noticed this and showed a somewhat hurt expression. Even her eyshes tremble. Then she smiled sadly. "It¡¯s normal for Brother Wei Tian not to remember me. After all, it had been almost 30 years since west saw each other."


    If it was any other men, they would have probably already felt pity for the beautiful woman and would console her. Apologizing to her and asking her to not feel sad. But sadly for this woman, her self-pity act wouldn¡¯t work on Luo Wei Tian.


    "That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t remember you. So, if you have any business with me, don¡¯t beat around the bush and just tell it to me straight," Luo Wei Tian said, his tone like the usual cold and overbearing president. "And since I don¡¯t remember you, could you please not call me so familiarly?"


    The woman¡¯s face turned bright red in shame. And this time, Luo Yan didn¡¯t think that she was faking it. He resisted the urge tough. He almost wanted to give his father a thumbs-up.


    Then, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, Luo Ren also seconded, "This...dy, I¡¯m sorry, but could you just take us to our reservation? Or do you want us to continue standing here? It¡¯s very... unprofessional. After all, you¡¯re still an employee in this teahouse, correct?"


    Luo Ren smiled at the woman but it was very condescending. As if he was pointing out to her that she was working in this establishment while they were the important guests.


    Luo Jin suddenly snorted. "I think the quality of this ce is very sub-par," he said while looking at the woman as if she was the ¡¯sub-par¡¯ he was talking about.


    Luo Yanughed inwardly. It seemed that his father didn¡¯t need his intervention at all. His two brothers were already enough to control the situation. But how could he not join in the fun?


    So, he hugged his father¡¯s arm, half of his body hiding behind the other. He raised his head and said innocently, "Dad, that olddy is looking at you weirdly. It¡¯s like she wanted to eat you or something." Hepletely hid behind his father. "How scary."


    Luo Wei Tian nced down at his second son. He already expected Luo Ren and Luo Jin to speak out. After all, this was not the first time that a situation like this had happened. But he didn¡¯t expect that Xiao Yan would take another approach. He could feel that Xiao Yan was just acting. But he didn¡¯t mind since the other was so adorable acting like a baby.


    But this also proved that there were thorns beneath Xiao Yan¡¯s cuteness. And as a father, he much preferred that. It¡¯s certainly better than him being a push-over.


    Shen Ji Yun watched over this farce and he truly realized just now how much these three were rted. He nced at the woman whose face had gone from red to white to blue and finally to red again. If she didn¡¯t get the message the three Luo brothers were sending her, then she¡¯s either stupid or very shameless.


    He watched as the woman silently gritted her teeth. Then her facepletely returned to calm as if she didn¡¯t understand what the other three was trying to say. "Then please, let me guide you to your courtyard room."


    Okay. She¡¯s definitely just shameless. ¨C Shen Ji Yun thought.


    Of course, Luo Wei Tian could also see through the woman. He was already used to the kind of gaze she was giving him. A lot of people ¨C men and women alike ¨C looked at him that way because of Tianhua Group. Thinking that they could change their life once they associated with him.


    Sadly, for them, he had a good eye for people. He would never allow someone who only had his money in their minds to get close to him. Or his family. Just like this woman here.


    Besides, he was here for a family vacation and not to deal with such things.


    He didn¡¯t want to prolong this situation any longer. So, he said, "No need. We no longer n to drink tea here."


    And he turned around and walked out of the teahouse. Luo Yan and the others also followed.


    "Too bad. I really like the name of that teahouse," Luo Yan said in a soft voice that only Shen Ji Yun who was walking close to him heard.


    "Me too," Shen Ji Yun agreed in an equally soft voice.


    The two looked at each other and then a smile both crossed their lips. As if they had a secret that only the two of them knew.

 Chapter 415 a rabbit and fox stickers

    "DAD, you know that we¡¯re not against you remarrying, right? But a woman like that one earlier is certainly a no-go," Luo Ren said while lifting a tea cup and drinking the tea inside.


    Luo Wei Tian only gave his eldest a side nce. "Ah Ren, do you really think your father have no vision?"


    They were currently at an open-air teahouse. It was much simpler and definitely cheaperpared to ¡¯Ye Yun¡¯. Because of that, there were a lot of tourist resting in the ce.


    They were drinking the teahouse¡¯s best tea. Also, one of the most popr tea in Chengdu ¨C Zhuye Qing or bamboo leaf green tea. It tasted slightly bitter and crisp and had an earthly vor to it. But Luo Yan liked this taste.


    "Why do I remember a certain teacher who managed to enter the house a few years back and acted like she was about to be your next wife?" Luo Jin added.


    "First, she¡¯s your homeroom teacher. How would I know that when she asked a home visit, she would be under the delusion that she would also be weed in our home?" Luo Wei Tian said, seemingly irritated by the memory.


    "Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s because Dad is so handsome," Luo Yan said.


    Luo Wei Tian turned to his second son. "Does Xiao Yan think Dad is handsome?"


    Luo Yan smiled at his father who was obviously fishing for morepliment. Of course, he would not disappoint him. "Yes. Dad is the most handsome dad in the whole wide world!"


    His father looked like he would float hearing that.


    "But does Dad n to ever marry again?" he thought of asking.


    "No, I don¡¯t," Luo Wei Tian honestly said. He looked into the distance. "I don¡¯t think I could ever love anyone as much as I love your mother."


    Luo Yan listened to that answer and what he could hear was the fact that his father still loved her mother until now. Even though she had been gone for more than seven years now, she was still the only one in his father¡¯s heart.


    Really, it¡¯s hard to meet someone who could have the same kind of dedication. Because not every married couple could remain in love with their partner throughout the rest of their lives. That¡¯s why many men, and sometimes even women, cheat on their spouse. And yet, his father just proved to him that there was a kind of love that existed even if their partner was no longer in this world.


    And Luo Yan found that very beautiful. Albeit a little bit sad.


    Shen Ji Yun also heard what Uncle Luo said and he couldn¡¯t help but remember his mother. She and Uncle Luo both lost the person they loved most. And yet Uncle Luo managed to pick himself up and remained sane amidst the despair. Contrary to that, her mother was theplete opposite.


    After the death of his father, she detached herself to the world, bing unstable and violent. It was as if nothing could ever enter her heart again. Not even him ¨C her own son.


    It¡¯s like her love for him couldn¡¯t outweigh her pain and loss. Instead of choosing him, she chose suffering. At the end, she even gave up on him.


    Hearing what Uncle Luo said and experiencing this afternoon with the Luo family, a lot of ¡¯what ifs¡¯ entered his mind. What if his mother didn¡¯t sumb to her sorrow? What if she remained strong despite the despair? What if she remembered that there was still a son waiting for her? Could they be as happy as the four of the Luo family were now?


    He shook his head. There¡¯s no regret medicine in this world. What happened had already happened. He and his mother could nevere back to the way they used to be. Their mother-son rtionship had already ended when she cut off all contact with him.


    A sense of mncholy surrounded him as how it usually was whenever he thought of his mother.


    Then, all of a sudden, he felt the phone in his trench coat vibrating. He took it out and saw that it was a WeChat message from Luo Yan.


    [YanYan1213]: Are you alright, Brother Ji Yun? Please, don¡¯t be sad.


    Then it was followed by a worried looking white rabbit. After that, a ck fox sticker with his paws raised as if cheering him on also appeared.


    Shen Ji Yun raised his head and looked at Luo Yan who was sitting on the opposite seat. The other was looking worriedly at him, just like the cute rabbit sticker.


    Suddenly, all the sadness he was feeling disappeared and it was reced by an incredible warmth. It filled his heart and slowly leaked to every part of his body. This was probably the first time he hade out so quickly from his sadness brought by the memory of his mother. Sure enough, only his rabbit could make him feel this way.


    A gentle smile appeared on his lips, silently reassuring Luo Yan that he was alright. With him, he would always be alright.


    Seeing this smile, Luo Yan was finally relieved. He was actually shocked when he identally nced at Shen Ji Yun earlier and noticed his abnormal state. It reminded him of that one moment when they were at Tropical Land ¨C when Shen Ji Yun briefly mentioned his childhood. The other probably remembered something sad again. That¡¯s why Luo Yan sent that message.


    Since they¡¯re not sitting near each other, he could only do that. If he asked directly, then his family would have noticed that something was amiss. He didn¡¯t want to expose Shen Ji Yun¡¯s scar to others. And he was sure that Shen Ji Yun also didn¡¯t want that.


    So, sending him a message was the only way he could think of. He even sent stickers even though he wasn¡¯t used to doing it. Seeing Shen Ji Yun smile after reading his message, he was d that he didn¡¯t hesitate to send him one.


    "Dad, why don¡¯t we continue our tour?" Luo Yan then asked his father. "I think we¡¯ve rested enough."


    Them moving around would be the best for Shen Ji Yun. At least, he wouldn¡¯t have time thinking about sad things. Luo Yan really didn¡¯t like seeing that sad expression on his face again.


    And so, the five of them continued their tour around Kuanzhai Xiangzi.

 Chapter 416 meeting shen yi mu

    THEY finished their tour around Kuanzhai Xianzhi around four in the afternoon. They returned to the hotel shortly after that.


    This afternoon had been really fruitful for Luo Yan. He had taken a lot of pictures, ate a variety of snacks ¨C though frankly speaking, he was still not satisfied with the amount he ate, and bought different varieties of teas which would be shipped back to S City. But most importantly, he had fun. He enjoyed spending time with the people around him.


    When they returned to the hotel, Shen Ji Yun received a message from his uncle.


    [Uncle Yi Mu]: Ji Yun, I¡¯m already at our suite in the hotel. Where are you?


    [luckycloud]: I went out with some acquaintances. But we¡¯re already back at the hotel.


    There was a bit of a pause before his uncle replied back.


    [Uncle Yi Mu]: Then I¡¯ll wait for you in our suite.


    Shen Ji Yun put back his phone in the trousers of his trench coat before turning to Uncle Luo. "Uncle Luo, my uncle is already here at the hotel. He¡¯s waiting at our suite."


    He thought of saying that since the other told him earlier that he wanted to talk to his uncle.


    Luo Wei Tian nodded. "Then join uster for dinner."


    "Yes, Uncle Luo."


    "Let¡¯s go back. I want to take a shower," Luo Jin said, already walking towards the elevator.


    "Dad, can I go with Brother Ji Yun? I really want to meet Mr. Shen," Luo Yan said before they could enter the elevator. "Please, Dad, please?"


    Luo Wei Tian gazed down at his second son who was looking up at him with big peach blossom eyes full of pleading. It felt like if he said ¡¯no¡¯, big fat tears would fall down from those eyes. So, how could he do it?


    "Okay. Just try not to stay there for too long," he could only say at the end.


    "Yey! Thank you, Dad! You¡¯re the best!"


    Luo Yan gave his father a brief hug before pulling Shen Ji Yun towards another elevator. His actions were swift, just in case one of his brothers objected. It seemed that Shen Ji Yun also had the same idea, because after they entered the elevator, he quickly pushed the button of the floor where their suite was.


    He nced at Luo Yan who looked so giddy and excited. Showing just how much the other was looking forward to meeting his uncle.


    "It seems that you really like my uncle," hemented.


    "I do. He¡¯s my idol. I aspire to be like him," Luo Yan honestly said. "Being able to create such an immersive VR game, he¡¯s simply amazing. If people asked if I have a male god, then I¡¯ll definitely answer that it¡¯s Mr. Shen."


    The vinegar jar in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s heart turned over again. He knew he shouldn¡¯t feel this way. But hearing his rabbit honestly admitting that he liked someone ¨C even if that someone was his uncle ¨C his heart still couldn¡¯t help but feel sour. Yes, it¡¯s petty. Especially since he understood that the ¡¯like¡¯ that Luo Yan was talking about was the same as ¡¯admiration¡¯.


    He took a deep breath and put a lid on that vinegar jar. He really should learn to be more mature.


    "Well, Uncle is really an admirable person."


    Luo Yan nced up at the other. Even though there was no expression on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face, he could see that he was pouting a bit. But he was trying his best not to show it. He wondered what could it be that was worth pouting over. Then he thought of his tant praise for Shen Ji Yun¡¯s uncle.


    Could it be that this guy was being a big vinegar jar again?


    But seeing as how he returned back to his normal self so quickly, it seemed that he also realized that that kind of behavior was not really attractive. It¡¯s cute from time to time but could definitely turn irritating if it happened too often. Especially if the object of his jealousy was not really someone he should be jealous of.


    Luo Yan smiled. It seemed that my cinnamon bun was slowly growing up.


    Shen Ji Yun once again nced down at Luo Yan. Now that they¡¯re standing together, he finally realized what was that something different he noticed earlier when he saw Luo Yan.


    "Yan Yan, did you grow taller?"


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun, his eyes shining. "Brother Ji Yun noticed? Yes, I¡¯m now 156 cm!" he said proudly, almost puffing up his little chest.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes crinkled in a smile when he saw Luo Yan¡¯s reaction. Although 156 cm wasn¡¯t really much, if his rabbit was this happy to have that height, then there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t praise him.


    "That¡¯s great. No wonder I thought something had changed when I saw Yan Yan earlier. It turned out that you grew taller. Yan Yan is so amazing."


    Luo Yan smiled even brighter when he heard that.


    They arrived at the floor where the suite Shen Ji Yun and his uncle would be staying. They walked towards the suite and when they were in front of the door, Shen Ji Yun opened it with his room key.


    "Oh, you¡¯re finally here," a voice said when they walked inside.


    Luo Yan excitedly turned towards the direction of the voice and saw a tall man sitting on the couch. His ck hair was carefullybed back, there was not even a stray strand. His ck eyes were hidden behind a pair of gold rimmed sses.


    Luo Yan remembered when he saw Shen Yi Mu during the graduation rites of his older brother. He was wearing a crisp ck suit as if he just returned from a meeting. Well, ording to what Shen Ji Yun said earlier, he had to attend to something regarding thepany so he probably really was just in a meeting. He had this aura of a gentleman, like a noble living in ancient times.


    As Luo Yan was looking at him, Shen Yi Mu was also observing the boy that was with Shen Ji Yun. He looked to be about 14 or 15 with soft ck hair and big peach blossom eyes. He was extremely pretty for a boy. But, despite that, no one would mistake him for a girl.


    He simply had that charm. The kind that was attractive to both genders.


    "Hello, Mr. Shen! My name is Luo Yan. I¡¯m a friend of Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan introduced himself in a very bright manner. "I¡¯m very happy to finally meet you!"

 Chapter 417 luo yan and shen yi mu

    SHEN YI MU raised one of his brows when he heard the boy introduced himself as Ji Yun¡¯s friend. His nephew barely interacted with people his own age. When did he have such a young friend? But since Ji Yun brought the boy here and he also didn¡¯t deny when the other called himself as his ¡¯friend¡¯, then it must be true.


    So, his attitude became more weing. He stood up and smiled at the boy. "Nice to meet you too, Xiao Yan. Since you¡¯re Ji Yun¡¯s friend, then just call me Uncle Yi Mu."


    Luo Yan felt a bit shy. He couldn¡¯t believe that there woulde a time that his idol would actually tell him to call him ¡¯uncle¡¯. Shen Yi Mu was only in his mid-30s. If they went by his real age, then it¡¯s more appropriate to call him ¡¯brother¡¯. But calling him that in his current form would totally be weird.


    "Yes, Uncle," he said shyly, a pink tinge appearing on his cheeks.


    Beautiful people always had their own inherent advantages. Especially if they had a pure and innocent atmosphere around them like Luo Yan. People just couldn¡¯t help but have a good impression of them. Which exactly what Shen Yi Mu was feeling.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan¡¯s blushing cheek then nced dissatisfiedly at his uncle. Although he had already told himself not to be petty and be more mature in handling his feelings, but he couldn¡¯t just suddenly control it this soon.


    Shen Yi Mu happened to see his nephew looking at him with such a nce. Why is Ji Yun looking at him like he just stole his favorite food or something? But he didn¡¯t have time to pay more attention to his nephew because the boy ¨C Luo Yan spoke again.


    "Uncle Yi Mu, I¡¯ve been a big fan of you since I started ying Arcadia. I really hope that I could also create a game like Arcadia in the future."


    Shen Yi Mu looked at Luo Yan, his big peach blossom eyes were shining brightly. It almost felt like there were sparkles around the boy. He had heard a lot of people telling him that they idolized him, but this was the first time he had seen someone practically shining while doing so.


    He resisted the urge to rub the other¡¯s hair. Because he didn¡¯t want to bebeled as a weird uncle.


    "I¡¯m sure Xiao Yan would be sessful," he said, hoping that the boy would really attain his dreams.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Thank you, Uncle Yi Mu!"


    Shen Yi Mu felt like he had just been hit by a cuteness beam. It¡¯s a good think that he had good control over his emotion or he might just squeal like some teenage girl because of his cuteness.


    "Did the two of you meet in the game?" he asked.


    He had a guess that Luo Yan was the one Ji Yun was with the whole afternoon. His nephew did say that he went out with some acquaintances. He might be a local.


    Then he suddenly remembered when Ji Yun asked him to go to Chengdu out of the blue. Could it be because he was nning to meet this boy?


    But he also quickly denied that idea. He couldn¡¯t imagine his nephew doing that just to meet up with someone. Even that kid, Bai Ze, had never experienced such privilege.


    "We met at F University. When Uncle went as a speaker for the graduating ss," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Shen Yi Mu didn¡¯t expect that answer. He did remember Ji Yun going off somewhere before he began his speech. Did the two met then? Wait- if that was the case, then did that mean that Luo Yan was a college student? Heughed inwardly at his own conjecture. No, he might just be visiting some rtive there.


    "You¡¯re not a college student, right, Xiao Yan?" he still asked but his tone had a bit of teasing in them.


    "No. I¡¯m still in high school. Though I¡¯ll be in college next year," Luo Yan answered.


    Shen Yi Mu wasn¡¯t sure if he heard that right. He looked at the boy, staring at him from head to foot. He couldn¡¯t really see that the other was already 17 or 18.


    "Uncle, gawking like that is rude," Shen Ji Yun said reminding him of his behavior.


    "Ah, yes, sorry Xiao Yan, for staring."


    "It¡¯s alright, Uncle Yi Mu, I get that reaction a lot," Luo Yan said. "But don¡¯t worry. I may be a little short now, but I¡¯ll definitely grow taller. As a matter of fact, I just grew 2 cm more in a span of almost two weeks. I can feel that my growth spurt is nearing!"


    Boys usually had their growth spurt between 12 to 16 years of age. If he was in hisst year of high school, then he already passed the right age. But looking at the determination in those big ck eyes, Shen Yi Mu couldn¡¯t bear to tell him otherwise. So, he could only say;


    "Xiao Yan would definitely just grow taller and taller."


    Luo Yan smiled sweetly when he heard that. "I¡¯m really looking forward to it. You see, Uncle, my brothers are all tall. Maybe I could grow to 180 cm."


    "I¡¯m sure you would," Shen Yi Mu said. Then he tactically changed the subject. "Did the two of you remain in contact since you met at F University?"


    "Well, Brother Ji Yun and I met again in Arcadia. Then we became friends since," Luo Yan said. "It also happened that he¡¯s actually friends with my older cousin, Brother Ze. After finding that out, my brother and I joined their team."


    Shen Yi Mu was a bit surprised hearing what Luo Yan said. "That¡¯s a lot of coincidence," hemented. "Does that mean that you two also coincidentally met here in Chengdu?" he asked with a bit of teasing tone.


    Because it¡¯s now quite obvious that Luo Yan was not a local. If they met at F University, there¡¯s a high chance that he¡¯s from S City.


    "No, I actually asked Uncle to go here because I knew that Yan Yan and his family would go here for vacation," Shen Ji Yun said honestly.


    Both Luo Yan and Shen Yi Mu turned sharply to his direction.

 Chapter 418 almost criminal

    LUO YAN was shocked to hear that Shen Ji Yun would so honestly admit that to his uncle. Was it because he reprimanded him earlier about not being honest when he asked him if he purposely went here to follow him? That¡¯s why he was being so honest right now? But this and that werepletely different things!


    [Brother Ji Yun, you should really know when to tell the truth and when to make an excuse!] ¨C heined in his mind.


    If Luo Yan was shock, then Shen Yi Mu received a stronger shock.


    Did he just hear it correctly? His nephew just admitted that the reason he invited him here was because he knew that Luo Yan and his family would go here for vacation. He suddenly didn¡¯t know what shocked him more. The fact that Ji Yun didn¡¯t really want to go on a family vacation with him or that he only wanted to go here because he wanted to meet Luo Yan.


    Either way, Shen Yi Mu felt like he was hit greatly.


    Luo Yanughed. "Oh Brother Ji Yun, why are you suddenly joking like that?"


    The way Shen Ji Yun said that so straightforwardly that he followed him here in Chengdu, it was almost as if he was announcing to his uncle that this was the person he liked. Luo Yan didn¡¯t know if he should be worried about him or mad that he wasn¡¯t thinking of what the result of that simple slip up could be. In any case, he couldn¡¯t let things be awkward between Shen Ji Yun and his uncle.


    "I¡¯m n¡ª" Shen Ji Yun was about to say that he¡¯s not joking but when he saw Luo Yan smiling at him, not his usual sweet smile but the kind of smile he usually showed when he was threatening someone. Shen Ji Yun felt like if he didn¡¯t change what he just said, he would definitely be punished by his rabbit. "Yes, I was only joking."


    Shen Yi Mu looked at his nephew who was obviously lying through his teeth. He was this kid¡¯s guardian for more than a decade already. He knew how bad he was at lying. Making him the type to never talk nonsense. But it didn¡¯t matter since it suited his cold personality and expressionless face quite well.


    So, what happened to that nephew and who was this in front of him?


    He couldn¡¯t help but give Luo Yan a nce. He had a feeling that this change in Ji Yun had something to do with this beautiful boy. And he didn¡¯t exactly know what to do or what to feel about that.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Yi Mu and saw the other looking at him apprehensively. He suddenly became nervous. He wouldn¡¯t think that he was being a bad influence to his nephew, right?


    Before things could spiral into a bad situation, he quickly said, "Uncle Yi Mu, my Dad is actually inviting you and Brother Ji Yun for dinnerter. I hope the two of you could join us."


    "We¡¯ll be there," Shen Ji Yun said before his uncle could even speak.


    Shen Yi Mu gave his nephew a side-long nce.


    "Then, I¡¯ll be going now," Luo Yan said.


    "I¡¯ll send you back," Shen Ji Yun said which earned him another nce from his uncle.


    Luo Yan also saw these two nces. He truly wanted to pinch Shen Ji Yun¡¯s cheek and asked him if he couldn¡¯t be any more obvious.


    "No, Brother Ji Yun, just stay here."


    After he said that, he didn¡¯t wait for Shen Ji Yun to response and quickly ran out of the room.


    Shen Ji Yun could only stare at Luo Yan¡¯s disappearing back.


    "The person had already left," Shen Yi Mu said when he saw that Ji Yun was still staring at the door.


    "Yeah," Shen Ji Yun simply said.


    Shen Yi Mu sat back on the couch and observed his nephew. "This boy, Luo Yan, he¡¯s your new team mate?"


    Shen Ji Yun finally took back his gaze and sat down on the opposite seat. "Yes. He only started ying after thistest update. He¡¯s the one who got the special race ¡¯moon elf¡¯."


    Shen Yi Mu was surprised when he heard that. He remembered that moon elf quite well. Not only because he was the first yer who got the moon elf race but also because he obtained Yuexing Pavilion.


    But most important of all, he suspected that this moon elf ¨C this Noctis ¨C was the person his nephew was fascinated with.


    He still remembered how Ji Yun asked him and Zhao Cheng a favor just so ¡¯Noctis¡¯ could sessfully put the Yuexing Pavilion into a good area in the game. It was also around the same time when he asked him about how could one tell when they were in love with someone. That¡¯s why he suspected that the person Ji Yun was in love with was his new team mate ¨C Noctis.


    Now, his nephew was actually telling him that the beautiful boy he just met was this ¡¯Noctis¡¯. How could he not be surprised?


    Now all of Ji Yun¡¯s actions started to make sense. If his guess was correct and Ji Yun was in love with Luo Yan, then it could exin all Ji Yun¡¯s weird behavior just now.


    Then Shen Yi Mu suddenly felt awkward and worried at the same time.


    If Ji Yun was indeed in love with Luo Yan, then his nephew would surely face the same problems he did when he fell in love with Jiang Yue. But unlike him back then, Ji Yun was not alone. He was here to be his support. It¡¯s a road that not many would dare to travel. But it could be infinitely bearable if one knew that someone got their back.


    Shen Yi Mu would be there, supporting Ji Yun all way. Whether it ended up in heartache or happiness, he would be there.


    It¡¯s just that, he didn¡¯t expect that Ji Yun would fall in love with someone who looked so young. Seeing the height difference between the two, it almost felt criminal.


    He looked at Ji Yun and thought that maybe he should give him that kind of ¡¯adult¡¯ talk. So, he wouldn¡¯t really turn into a criminal.

 Chapter 419 how far uncle is willing to go

    "I HOPE you enjoyed dinner, Mr. Shen," Luo Wei Tian said to the man sitting beside him as he sipped on a ss of red wine.


    They were on the hotel¡¯s rooftop deck. It¡¯s a special area with a built-in garden where people could enjoy the view of the city. Only VIP guests could have ess in this area of the hotel. There¡¯s a cooking and dining space where guests could ask one of the chefs of the hotel to cook for them. The food then would be served directly while it¡¯s still piping hot.


    Luo Wei Tian already told Manager Gu beforehand that they would be having dinner here on their first night of stay in the hotel. It wasn¡¯t a problem to add another two guests with them. Which were Shen Ji Yun and his uncle. When they reached the deck, a chef and several waiters were already waiting for them.


    They had a leisure and rxed dinner.


    After clearing their dishes, Luo Wei Tian let the chef and waiter go back. Leaving his family and the Shen uncle and nephew at the deck. He was currently sittingfortably while drinking wine. Shen Yi Mu was drinking with him as well as his eldest ¨C Luo Ren. His other two sons were with Shen Ji Yun looking the night view of the city.


    "Please, Brother Luo, you can just call me Xiao Shen," Shen Yi Mu said cordially to Luo Wei Tian.


    He was smiling on the outside, but on the inside, he truly wanted to smack his nephew. Because the brat didn¡¯t even bother to tell him that Luo Yan¡¯s father was actually the president and CEO of Tianhua Group ¨C one of the biggest real estate group in the country. So, just imagine his surprise when they were introduced. It was a good thing that he was not the type to panic needlessly which helped him not to show any abnormal reaction.


    He probably wouldn¡¯t have that much of a reaction if he didn¡¯t know beforehand that his nephew was coveting the man¡¯s son. Being the good uncle that he was, he decided to establish with his nephew¡¯s possible inws. In the near future, if ever Ji Yun managed to abduct Luo Yan, then, he could at least help them mediate with the Luo family.


    Based on what he¡¯d seen during dinner, they would need a lot of mediating.


    Luo Yan¡¯s father and brothers dote on him just a tad bit too much. Being babied like that, it made Luo Yan appear way younger than he already was. It was probably because of the ident seven years ago.


    Although the social circle of B City and S City waspletely different, Shen Yi Mu had heard of what happened to the Luo family seven years ago. Aside from that, since Ji Yun became friends with Bai Ze, he made an effort to also have a good rtionship with the Bai family. That¡¯s why he found out first-hand about what happened because the Bai family was inws with the Luo family.


    Bai Mei Hua and two of her sons were involved in a car ident. She unfortunately didn¡¯t survive while one of her sons fell into aa. Thest he heard, that son was still in aa. But it seemed like he already woke up, he thought while looking at the direction where Luo Yan was.


    No wonder the kid was a bit too short for his age. Falling intoa at such a young age, his growth would definitely be affected. Shen Yi Mu also understood why Luo Yan¡¯s family dote on him too much. A family member who had been in aa for years miraculously woke up, if he was in their shoes, he might also act the same way.


    He then nced at his nephew who was standing beside Luo Yan. Instead of looking at the night view of the city, he was gazing down at Luo Yan. His cial blue eyes were filled with warmth. As if the usual ice inside them had melted.


    Shen Yi Mu almost resisted the urge to throw something at Ji Yun. What was that look? It¡¯s like he was shamelessly advertising to everyone, ¡¯look, this is the person I like!¡¯. Could you please converge a little? Luo Yan¡¯s family was here, you know?


    He sighed. It seemed that aside from the ¡¯adult¡¯ talk, he still needed to have another kind of talk with this nephew of his.


    "Then, I¡¯ll do just that," Luo Wei Tian said in response to what Shen Yi Mu said earlier about calling him ¡¯Xiao Shen¡¯.


    "The dinner was very enjoyable. Thank you for inviting me and Ji Yun," Shen Yi Mu said.


    "Your nephew has been taking care of Xiao Yan in that game they¡¯re ying. Since the both of you are also here, the least I could do is to invite you to dinner."


    [It¡¯s because my nephew has ulterior motives in getting close to your beloved son.] ¨C Of course, Shen Yi Mu didn¡¯t say any of that and just proceeded on praising his nephew. "Ji Yun has always been a caring and responsible child. He¡¯s just a tad bit awkward. But he¡¯s a good kid. He would definitely not do anything that might hurt Xiao Yan."


    After he said that, Luo Ren gave him a quiet nce that almost made his scalp numb. But he pretended not to see it. He suddenly had a feeling that this guy knew about Ji Yun¡¯s intention towards his brother. He chose to ignore it and just continued to praise his nephew.


    [Look at how far your uncle is willing to go for your love life, Ji Yun.]


    Luo Wei Tian nodded. He could see that Shen Ji Yun was indeed a good kid. He was d that, aside from Bai Ze and Xiao Jin, there¡¯s another person looking out for Xiao Yan in that game.


    Speaking of that game, he turned to Shen Yi Mu. "By the way, Xiao Shen, does your game still need investors?"


    "Is Brother Luo interested in investing?"


    "If possible, yes."


    "What a coincidence. Mypany is nning a new project. We haven¡¯t finalized the investors yes. If Brother Luo is willing, then, shall we talk more about the details?"


    Luo Wei Tian put down his wine ss and said, "Good."

 Chapter 420 something in common

    CHENGDU Panda Base was a non-profit research and breeding facility for giant pandas and other rare animals. The facility only started with six giant pandas rescued in the wild. But now, their poption had grown considerably. Many tourists first destination whenever they were in Chengdu was the panda base.


    Today was part of the seven-day National Holiday, the panda base should be brimming with visitors. Even if it was only seven o¡¯clock in the morning, there should already be people. But miraculously, there were only six visitors in the panda base.


    And the one heading the six people was a boy who looked like he was 14 or 15. He was wearing a cute panda hoodie. Its sleeves were ck while the rest was white. Its hood had panda ears. So, when the boy put on the hood, it looked like he had panda ears. It was super adorable. Add that to his incredibly pretty face and he could easily be the center of attention.


    That¡¯s already a huge feat considering that he was with five other good-looking people.


    Of course, this adorable boy was none other than Luo Yan.


    The jacket he was wearing was actually secretly prepared by his father. He probably bought it when he told him that he wanted to go to Chengdu. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t go and waste his father¡¯s efforts.


    He had no problem wearing this kind of cutesy outfit. With how pretty he was, even if he wore a garbage bag, he would still be pretty. Not to mention this cute jacket.


    That was not the only thing that his father prepared. When they entered the base and he saw that there were no other visitors beside them, he knew that his father must have done something. Sure enough, his father said that he reserved the whole ce for them for one and half hour.


    ording to him pandas were most active during that duration of time. They ate, yed, and frolicked about. By nine, most of them were already asleep. His father thought that he would rather see active pandas than sleeping ones. Thus, he reserved the ce for a couple of hours. One of the reasons was that and the other was because he didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to be crowded by the other visitors of the base.


    Luo Yan was touched by his father¡¯s thoughtfulness. Because there¡¯s no way he just automatically had those information about pandas. Which meant that his father researched about them, most probably after he told him that he wanted to go to Chengdu.


    He also didn¡¯t mind that his father reserved the base for one and a half hour. If he didn¡¯t do that, then they would surely be just one of the many spectators here. They probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to take proper pictures of the pandas. Unless, of course, they wade through the crowd and made sure that they were always at the front. That would be too much of a hassle.


    Besides, there¡¯s nothing wrong with his father using his hard-earned money for the enjoyment of his children. Right?


    Truly, this was simply another way of making him feel pampered and loved. Of course, Luo Yan would ept it with open arms.


    But in an ordinary person¡¯s perspective, they would probably only say, ¡¯damn these rich people!¡¯.


    Luo Yan saw a panda eating bamboo leaves at a distance. The panda base worked in a way that made pandas feel that they were still in the wild. So, pandas could roam freely in the habitat that was created for them. It was the visitors who could only remain at certain areas. But he didn¡¯t mind that. He understood that it was for the pandas¡¯ protection.


    He quickly took out his phone and started taking pictures of the panda. A little whileter, another panda walked over to the panda that was still eating. It yfully bumped on the other. But the eating panda didn¡¯t give him any attention. Seemingly irritated by its brethren, it took away the bamboo the other panda was eating. Which made the said panda mad and it tackled the other panda.


    Then the two pandas started rolling on the grass.


    Luo Yan just felt that he was hit by extreme cuteness! He took pictures of the two from different angles. He only stopped when his attention was attracted by another panda.


    So, the scene turned into that of a boy wearing a cute panda jacket doing his utmost best to take pictures of all the pandas he had seen.


    Luo Wei Tian shook his head helplessly seeing his second son like this. If he had known that Xiao Yan liked pandas so much, he had already bought him a big panda stuff toy. No, a pet panda would be better.


    "Xiao Shen, do you think this panda base is selling baby pandas?" he asked the person beside him.


    Shen Yi Mu felt the corner of his eye twitched by such a question. Now he just proved that President Luo¡¯s IQ sometimes went offline when it came to Luo Yan. If not, then this was definitely not a question the business savvy president he talked tost night would ask.


    He was just about to answer when he noticed his nephew looking at him, as if he was also waiting for his answer. His face was suddenly filled with ck lines. Was this brat also nning on buying Luo Yan a baby panda? He suddenly felt an iing headache.


    So, before this good nephew of his had another much weirder idea, he quickly answered Luo Wei Tian¡¯s question. "Ha ha... Brother Luo, how could that be possible? Pandas are under protection of our country¡¯s government. Buying them as pets is illegal."


    When he said thatst bit, he purposely looked at Ji Yun and the brat actually showed a disappointed expression. He suddenly truly wanted to hit him at the back of his head. Maybe it would force his IQ to go back online.


    Luo Wei Tian sighed and also showed a disappointed expression.


    Shen Yi Mu resisted the urge to rub his temple. [Good. You should celebrate, Ji Yun. It seems like you and your possible future father-inw have something inmon.]

 Chapter 421 another wingman

    LUO YAN felt incredibly fulfilled. His phone now had hundreds of photos of pandas in different cute positions. It seemed like no matter what the pandas did, they would always look cute. They could roll around the mud, have bamboo leaves sticking on their mouth,y on the ground doing nothing, and they would still look cute. Heck, they would probably still look cute while pooping.


    There were still 20 minutes left before the time his father reserved the base ended. Luo Yan really wanted to take a photo with a panda. But it was not allowed. And he also didn¡¯t want to be that unreasonable spoiled kid who would insist on what he wanted even though it¡¯s clearly not allowed.


    But that¡¯s okay. He could still take pictures with the pandas as background.


    Seeing a panda at a distance, he turned to his older brother who was nearest to him. "Brother, can you take a picture of me?"


    Luo Ren smiled gently. "Sure."


    Luo Yan gave his phone to Luo Ren. His older brother raised the camera and he made a cute pose, shaping his two hands into a heart shape. As if he was about to release a heart beam. The rest of the people seemed to be hit by this heart beam sprinkled with cuteness.


    Despite also being hit, Luo Ren still quickly captured this scene.


    "Brother, one more." Luo Yan looked back at the panda. Then he raised his hand slightly as if he was holding something. Before turning his gaze back to his brother and asking, "Does it look like the panda was standing on my palm?"


    Luo Ren looked at the camera of the phone and there was indeed an illusion that the panda behind was standing on his brother¡¯s palm. "Just lower your hand a bit."


    Luo Yan did as he was told. "Is this okay?"


    Luo Ren nodded. "Then I¡¯ll take the picture."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan showed a shock expression in front of the camera phone. As if he was surprised that there was a small panda on top of his palm. Luo Ren dutifully took this photo.


    Shen Ji Yun, who was diligently watching on the side, also secretly took a photo. In fact, this was not the only photo he secretly took. With how stealthily he took these photos, he wouldn¡¯t realize that he probably had a talent to be a paparazzi.


    But little did he know that all his small actions were seen by his ever-observant uncle.


    After more than an hour of observation, Shen Yi Mu had a full understanding of the extent of his nephew¡¯s lovesickness. It seemed that Ji Yun didn¡¯t simply like Luo Yan, he probably had already fallen in love with the boy.


    He looked at Luo Yan who was still making cute poses. Well, the boy certainly had the charms to attract people to him. He was like a bright sun, always dazzling. Making people want to get close. That¡¯s probably the main reason why Ji Yun became attracted to him.


    Even though his nephew never talked about the events that led to him being his guardian ¨C the death of his father and the mental breakdown of his mother. But Shen Yi Mu knew just how much that affected Ji Yun. He turned from a sunny kid to a boy who couldn¡¯t even smile. It reached a point where he couldn¡¯t even properly form the corresponding facial expression to the emotion he was feeling.


    Shen Yi Mu had long learned Ji Yun¡¯s different nuances and bodynguage. That¡¯s why even if the other couldn¡¯t properly express his emotion, Shen Yi Mu could still tell what his nephew was feeling. But fromst night to this morning, he actually saw a variation of expressions on Ji Yun¡¯s face. Albeit small and barely noticeable, it was there. And it was all brought by Luo Yan.


    That was enough to show how deep Ji Yun had truly fallen for the boy.


    He looked again at the boy and saw him pulling his younger brother over for a picture together.


    "Yan, stop pulling me," Luo Jinined but still allowed his brother to pull him over.


    "Come on, Ah Jin, show a cute pose. Just like this," Luo Yan teased then made a peace sign.


    Luo Jin quickly showed a disgusted expression. "There¡¯s no way I will do something so childish."


    Luo Yan acted hurt. "Are you saying your brother is childish?"


    Luo Jin knew that his second brother was only acting. Using his wiles to let him do his bidding. Again. But even though he knew that, he still couldn¡¯t bear to see that hurt expression.


    So, he reluctantly raised his hand and made a peace sign. His face barely had any expression.


    Luo Yan happily hugged Luo Jin¡¯s arm and also made a peace sign. Then he smiled at the camera.


    Luo Ren chuckled seeing the antics of his two brothers. After taking a picture of the two, he turned to their father. "Dad, can you take a picture of the three of us?"


    Before Luo Wei Tian could answer, Luo Ren had already stuffed Luo Yan¡¯s phone to him. Then Luo Ren ran to his two brothers and put his arms on the shoulders of both.


    Although surprised, Luo Wei Tian still took a photo of the three. He looked at his three sons who were happily smiling at the camera. His heart was filled with happiness. But a drop of bitterness still spread through it.


    [Hua-er, are you seeing this? Our sons, they have all grown up. How I wish you are by our side right now. By my side, sharing this happiness.]


    Another person who was feeling nostalgic and a tad bit sad was Shen Yi Mu. Seeing the three Luo brothers getting along so closely, it reminded him of his deceased brother ¨C Ji Yun¡¯s father. President Luo did a good job raising his sons.


    He nced at his nephew who happened to be also looking at the three. There was an envious glint in his eyes. With how his nephew¡¯s brain circuit had been working recently, he was sure that Ji Yun probably wanted to also have a photo with Luo Yan.


    He sighed.


    "Xiao Yan, can you also take a picture with Ji Yun?" he called when he saw that the three brothers finally stopped taking pictures together. "We rarely go out for vacation. The picture of you two could serve as a souvenir of some sorts."


    Shen Ji Yun was surprised by what his uncle said. Then he turned to Luo Yan¡¯s direction and their eyes met.


    Even at a distance, Luo Yan could see the enthusiasm in those blue eyes. As if silently telling him, ¡¯I want to take a picture together!¡¯. He smiled at how adorable Shen Ji Yun looked.


    Before his two brothers couldin, he rushed forward ¨C towards Shen Ji Yun¡¯s direction. The other was already walking towards him so it didn¡¯t really take that long.


    Luo Yan stood beside him and struck a pose. Raising his hands and making finger heart signs. He raised his head and looked at Shen Ji Yun. "You too, Brother Ji Yun."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s expression cracked a bit. But he still awkwardly raised his hand and copied Luo Yan¡¯s gesture.


    Shen Yi Mu resisted the urge tough and took a picture of the two. Despite the slightly awkward expression, happiness still radiated from his nephew.


    He just realized, he probably could have a career on being a wing-man.

 Chapter 422 buying souvenirs

    "UNCLE, sent me the phototer," Shen Ji Yun whispered to his uncle. He nned to make it his phone¡¯s wallpaper. Oh, also the wallpaper of hisptop and personalputer.


    Shen Yi Mu nced at his nephew who looked like he was high on something just because he now had a photo with Luo Yan. "It seems that you¡¯re really very fond of Xiao Yan."


    Shen Ji Yun stopped walking temporarily upon hearing his uncle¡¯sment. But it was only for a moment and he continued walking. "I¡¯m more than fond of him."


    This time, it was Shen Yi Mu¡¯s turn to stop before continuing. "I think the both of us need to have a serious talk. Then maybe you can tell me exactly just how ¡¯fond¡¯ you are of Xiao Yan."


    Shen Ji Yun quickly understood the underlying meaning beneath his uncle¡¯s words. "Let¡¯s do that."


    "There¡¯s the souvenir shop!"


    Luo Yan¡¯s voice ended the conversation between uncle and nephew. And they followed the Luo family towards the souvenir shop located in the panda base.


    The time in which Luo Wei Tian reserved the base was not yet over. So, they were the only visitors inside. The sales people inside seemed to know that they reserved the base for an hour and a half because they¡¯re attitude towards them was more respectful.


    Luo Yan looked around the souvenir shop. There were all kinds of panda inspired products. Making his eyes brightened. There¡¯s a key holder, a cellphone case, notebooks and pens, umbres, clothes like shirts and jackets, essories, and many more others. But the most important of all, they had stuffed toys!


    He went straight to the stuffed toy section and hugged one that was almost as big as a real panda. It was soft and fluffy. As if he was hugging a huge pillow or something. Ever since he had that big teddy bear that Luo Jin gave him, he kind of developed a habit of hugging a stuffed toy while sleeping. This big panda here would surely be a nice addition to his teddy bear.


    "Dad, can you buy this one for me?" he asked his father, his big peach blossom eyes not letting anyone to refuse him.


    A beautiful boy hugging a stuff panda that was almost as big as him, the visual impact was simply incredible. Everyone was once again hit by his cuteness. Even the sales people in the shop had smiles on their faces while looking at him.


    "Of course," Luo Wei Tian quickly said before turning to a salesdy. "Wrap this one, please."


    "Please, just wait a moment, sir," replied the salesdy before asking another male staff to take the big stuffed panda.


    Luo Yan hugged his father. "Thanks, Dad!"


    Luo Wei Tian smiled and stroke Xiao Yan¡¯s head gently. "Anything for my Xiao Yan."


    Seeing this, Shen Ji Yun also wanted to buy Luo Yan a stuff toy. But then he thought, any stuffed toy that he could buy here would certainly pale inparison to the big stuffed panda. So, he also turned around the shop and looked for a suitable item that he could give to his rabbit.


    Luo Yan picked another stuffed panda. But this time, it was a normal size one. He nned to give it to Bai Ye. His initial n was to send it via express. But since Shen Ji Yun was here, maybe he could just ask him to deliver it. Then he changed his mind. Because he realized just how much hassle it would be for the other. Although if he asked, Shen Ji Yun would probably agree without hesitation.


    He decided to temporary put that off and looked for other souvenir items that he could give to Bai Ze, Su Yuqi, and Yu Jiao.


    He saw a white bull cap with small panda head illustration and he thought of Su Yuqi. He remembered how cool she looked in real life. Totally the opposite of her game avatar. She certainly looked the type who would wear a bull cap on multiple asions. He went and picked the cap. The panda illustration was barely noticeable. Su Yuqi would probably not mind wearing this.


    Then he picked a shirt next with an illustration of a panda eating a bamboo. The style of the drawing was like traditional Chinese painting. Making the shirt have its own unique style. So, one wouldn¡¯t be called unfashionable even if they wore it. He chose a size that would fit his cousin, Bai Ze.


    Then he looked at the handicraft section.


    Thest time they went to B City, Luo Yan bought Yu Jiao a memo pad and a mechanical pen. Since Yu Jiao loved to draw, he thought of buying her something that she could use. He looked carefully and finally chose a 24-pieces colored pencil. Each one of the colored pencils had a carved panda on it. The pandas on each pencil were doing different things.


    "Is Xiao Yan buying those? Then, let one of the staff here carry those for you. Dad will pay for those together with your stuff panda," Luo Wei Tian said after seeing that his son probably had finished buying.


    "No, Dad. I¡¯m going to pay for them," Luo Yan said. The pocket money his father gave him everyday was too much. Since, he doesn¡¯t really spend so much money, he already had a small savings. "It¡¯s for Brother Ze, Xiao Ye, Sister Yuqi, and Jiao Jiao. So, it¡¯s just right for me to buy it myself."


    Luo Wei Tian nodded. Even though he¡¯s not familiar with ¡¯Yuqi¡¯ or ¡¯Jiao Jiao¡¯, they¡¯re probably Xiao Yan¡¯s friends.


    When Luo Ren and Luo Jin heard what their brother said, the two almost had the same thoughts in their mind;


    [Jiao Jiao... should I also buy one for her?] ¨C Luo Ren.


    [Why didn¡¯t I think of buying something for Su Yuqi?] ¨C Luo Jin.


    So, at the end, it was not only Shen Ji Yun who was looking for a ¡¯gift¡¯. Luo Ren and Luo Jin also ended up looking for one.

 Chapter 423 both looking for gifts

    AFTER leaving the Chengdu Panda Base, they were now on their way to Wenshu Monastery. Assistant Xing was still the one driving them.


    Wenshu Monastery was an authentic and active Buddhist temple where one can see many locals worshiping and burning incense. It had beautiful gardens, abundant cultural relics and treasures, as well as restaurants serving vegetarian dishes.


    They nned to go around the monastery first and then have lunch there. They would probably arrive there before ten.


    The souvenirs that Luo Yan bought, together with the big stuffed panda, were in the back of the nanny car. Before leaving the souvenir shop, he also saw his brothers buying something. Even asking the staffs there to gift wrap it. He secretly smiled when he saw that. Because he somehow already had a guess on who those gifts were for.


    Speaking of, he didn¡¯t see Shen Ji Yun buying one. He felt a bit disappointed because of that. With how Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brain circuit worked, he was sure he would buy one for him. But he didn¡¯t. He felt a bit embarrassed after that.


    Why would Shen Ji Yun even buy him a souvenir when they were both there together? More importantly, between the two of them, the one who should buy someone something was him.


    He still hadn¡¯t given him anything back for that customized music box that he sent to him. He had been so busy with his ss and with the game that he hadn¡¯t thought of what he should give to Shen Ji Yun in return. Of course, it also had to be customized.


    If he knew that they would meet here in Chengdu, he would have longed nned what kind of gift he would give him. That way, he could give it to him in person. But since things had already passed, he could only think of what to give him now.


    But what kind of gift would be good, he wondered.


    Before he could continue his thoughts, he felt someone poking his shoulder. He nced back and saw his younger brother ¨C who was sitting behind ¨C shortening the distance between them.


    "Yan, how do you n to send the souvenirs you bought earlier?" Luo Jin whispered.


    Although he did buy something for Su Yuqi, he realized that he didn¡¯t know how he would send it to her. It did sh his mind that he could probably ask Shen Ji Yun to send it for him since he also lived in B City. But he quickly rejected that idea. Since he had been antagonizing the other since they met, it would be shameless of him to ask the other a favor. So, he¡¯d rather really not do it.


    Since Luo Yan also bought things that he would give to a couple of people living in B City, maybe he already had a way to send those items. He just hoped that his way was not through Shen Ji Yun.


    "I¡¯m nning to send it by express," Luo Yan answered, whispering back. "I already asked Brother Ji Yun earlier about Sister Yuqi¡¯s address. I can tell it to you if you want," he added with a teasing tone in his voice.


    Luo Jin was d and relieved when he heard the first part of his brother¡¯s answer. But when he heard thest part, his face quickly burst red. "W-who needs her address? I just asked you, okay? I-it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with Su Yuqi!"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows and then smiled. "Really? Then I won¡¯t tell it to you. I¡¯ll also send Sister Yuqi a message, telling her not to send to you her address if you ever ask her. I¡¯ll also send the same message to Brother Ze. Since, you know, you don¡¯t need her address."


    Luo Jin gritted his teeth when he heard that. He suddenly had an urge to squeeze that smile out of Luo Yan¡¯s face. This ck-bellied guy! "Fine. I need it, okay? Happy now?"


    Luo Yan smiled even more happily. "Yes." [Who told you to be such a tsundere?]


    Then he told his tsundere brother Su Yuqi¡¯s address.


    Luo Jin grudgingly said ¡¯thanks¡¯ before retreating back to his seat. His whole body exuding the words ¡¯I¡¯m sulking!¡¯. Luo Yan could onlyugh at his brother¡¯s action.


    "What did Xiao Jin tell you that made youugh so happy?" Luo Wei Tian asked after seeing his second sonughing. Since he was sitting beside him, he saw when Xiao Jin whispered something to Xiao Yan.


    "Nothing. I¡¯m just having fun teasing Ah Jin."


    Luo Wei Tian stared at the grinning Xiao Yan and tap the tip of the other¡¯s nose. "Naughty."


    Luo Yan only grinned wider.


    After that short intermission, his thoughts went back again to what gift he should give to Shen Ji Yun. It would be good if he could find something today. Because Shen Ji Yun and his uncle would be leaving tonight back to B City. In case he couldn¡¯t find one, then he would just send it another time. It would also give him more time to think of a better gift.


    But he also wanted to give it in person. So, maybe it was still better to look for a good gift now? Ah, whichever the case, he should look first if he could buy something special at their next destination.


    He took out his phone and search for special shops in Wenshu Monastery, as well as those around it. After about ten minutes of searching, he finally found a good shop. The longer he read about it, the brighter his eyes get.


    [This is it!]


    Just like Luo Yan, there was also someone searching at his phone. Yes, it¡¯s Shen Ji Yun.


    He was also looking for a shop where he could buy something for Luo Yan. He couldn¡¯t find anything that would be better than the big stuffed panda. So, he was hoping he could find something at their next destination. Or the next one after that. At least before their flight back to B City.


    It would probably be better if he and his uncle could go back to B City tomorrow, just like Luo Yan and his family. But his uncle already had a scheduled meeting tomorrow, so they could only leave tonight.


    As he swiped at his phone, something finally caught his eyes.

 Chapter 424 yan

    LUO YAN stared at the big golden statue of Buddha at a distance. There were a lot of people offering incense in front of the said statue. He had never been religious. Probably because of his parents¡¯ untimely deaths. Followed that by the bad experience at the orphanage and he became cynical early. He¡¯d rather believe in human¡¯s endless greed than think that things like gods and the likes truly exist.


    But after being reborn in this body, he finally realized that there might really be a higher being existing in this world. And They helped him have this life now.


    Feeling that way, he walked towards the altar and also offered an incense. He put his hands together as if in a prayer and closed his eyes.


    [Great Buddha, if you¡¯re the one responsible for my rebirth, then I can¡¯t thank you enough. Thank you for giving me this new life. Thank you for giving me this loving family. I hope that the original soul of this body had sessfully entered reincarnation without a problem. I hope he would be as happy, no, I hope he would be happier than I am now in his next life.]


    He put up another incense.


    [My only wish now is for the people I care about to be healthy and happy. Thank you again, Great Buddha.]


    After saying the things in his mind, he bowed deeply towards the golden statue before opening his eyes.


    "Did Xiao Yan pray for something?" Luo Wei Tian asked, he also just finished offering incense to the Buddha statue.


    "Yes, I wished everyone could be happy and healthy," Luo Yan answered honestly, smiling sweetly at his father.


    Luo Wei Tian felt warm after hearing his son say that. He gently stroked his head. "Xiao Yan is such a good boy."


    Luo Ren who also just finished offering incense also didn¡¯t forget to praise his brother. "Of course, Yan Yan is the best. You deserve all the happiness in the world."


    Luo Jin who again witnessed his father and brother¡¯s ¡¯show of love¡¯ almost rolled his eyes. Although he wouldn¡¯t go as far as calling his second brother a ¡¯good boy¡¯, he agreed with his eldest brother that Luo Yan deserved all the happiness in the world.


    Shen Yi Mu who was not as immune as Luo Jin already felt like his teeth were aching from all the family sweetness. He couldn¡¯t believe that a family consisting of all men could actually be this greasy with their affection. But he also felt a bit envious. If he ever tried to act like that with Ji Yun, that nephew of his would definitely look at him as if he had lost his mind.


    They were about to leave the temple where the golden Buddha Statue was when Luo Yan noticed that there was one person missing in their party. Shen Ji Yun was nowhere to be seen.


    He nced at Shen Yi Mu. "Uncle Yi Mu, where¡¯s Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Yi Mu turned to Luo Yan and smiled. "He just went out to buy something. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be back quickly."


    Well, that was indeed the case. Sort of. When they arrived at Wenshu Monastery and was just walking towards this temple, Ji Yun just suddenly told him that he had to go somewhere. Before he could ask where, the other already ran off. After a while, he just received a message telling him not to make his sudden disappearance looked sketchy.


    He could only sigh when he read that. Because that meant that wherever he went, it was for Luo Yan. Asking him not to make his sudden disappearance suspicious also meant that he didn¡¯t want Luo Yan¡¯s family to notice that he might be up to something. Which he definitely was, mind you.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t notice anything from Shen Yi Mu¡¯s expression, so he just nodded.


    Speaking of buying something, he also had to call that shop he saw when he was searching in his phone for a good gift. He definitely couldn¡¯t just go there under the eyes of his father and brothers. Before he could buy the gift he wanted, he might end up being interrogated first. Besides, he also didn¡¯t want Shen Ji Yun to see him buying the gift. Because it would simplyck the element of surprise when he gave it to him.


    So, the best solution he thought of was calling the shop to order and then asking them to deliver it to the Crowning Glory Hotel before evening. It¡¯s a good thing that the shop had that kind of service.


    But before he rejoiced, he really should make that call first.


    In the other side, Shen Ji Yun just entered a shop near the vicinity of Wenshu Monastery. It was a jade shop that sold all kinds of jade wares and essories. So, when he walked inside, his sight was weed by all kinds of jade items.


    What attracted him to this shop was their customized red-string bracelets with a small green jade attached to it. The customer could pick a ck jade and ask the shop to engrave whatever character they wanted.


    For those who wanted to have their bracelet as soon as possible, they could simply pick from their arrays of bracelets with ready-made carved character on them. That was one of the reasons why Shen Ji Yun picked this shop. Because there¡¯s a high probability that they already had the jade with the character he wanted.


    Besides, he also liked the meaning of the red-string bracelet. It doesn¡¯t only represent luck and protection for the wearer, it could also represent the red-string of fate. That was actually just him hoping that the end of Luo Yan¡¯s red-string actually connected to his own red-strong.


    His ears felt a bit hot just thinking of that.


    One of the staffs of the shop walked to him. "What kind of jade item are you looking for, sir?"


    "I want a red-string bracelet. The jade should be carved with the character for beautiful ¨C ¡¯Yan¡¯."

 Chapter 425 underground couple

    THEY were walking at the garden of the monastery when Shen Ji Yun reconvened with them. Luo Yan secretly looked at him. He appeared to have run here in a hurry. As evidence of the sweat profusely falling from his forehead. It must have been quite a run considering the cold weather.


    He wondered where the other went to. Shen Yi Mu said that he just went to buy something. If Shen Ji Yun was so secretive about it, could it be a gift for him? Luo Yan shook his head. He shouldn¡¯t make assumptions. He didn¡¯t want to embarrass himself again like earlier.


    It didn¡¯t matter whether he buy him a gift or not. What¡¯s more important was for him to be able to give him his gift.


    Luo Yan had already called the shop. Which was not a very easy thing to do because he had to be very, very stealthy about it. Just so he wouldn¡¯t arouse the suspicious of his family. Really, he already felt like he was in an underground rtionship even though he really wasn¡¯t.


    Anyway, the gift he bought would be deliver to the hotel. He also especially asked to wrap it up nicely. He only had to sent the payment by the mode of transaction that they indicated. Which wasn¡¯t really that hard.


    He really hoped that Shen Ji Yun would like his gift.


    Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrating. He took it out of his pocket and saw that it was a WeChat message from Shen Ji Yun. He raised one of his brows before reading it.


    [luckycloud]: Yan Yan, can you meet up with me before me and my uncle leave tonight?


    Luo Yan became curious when he read that. But he still nced back and nodded slightly towards Shen Ji Yun who was currently looking at him. Once he did, he quickly noticed the small smile that appeared on the other¡¯s lips.


    If Shen Ji Yun looked so happy just because of that, then he must have prepared something for him. Luo Yan¡¯s mood quickly brightened when he realized that. This time, maybe his intuition was not wrong.


    Then he suddenly realized that their little action just now was truly like that of an underground couple trying to hide their rtionship. He chuckled. And just shook his head because of his silly thoughts.


    Time passed by and it was already lunch.


    After eating a Sichuan hotpot at one of the monastery¡¯s restaurants, they then proceeded to their next destination ¨C Qingyang Pce.


    Their afternoon tour ended at four o¡¯clock. Because the Shen uncle and nephew pair at seven, they had to return back to the hotel. It didn¡¯t matter because their tour was still quite fruitful.


    After going to Qingyang Pce ¨C a Taoist temple with beautiful architecture, they proceeded on going to Wuhou Shrine with its beautiful garden and famous red walls.


    Luo Yan managed to take a lot of beautiful pictures.


    Later this evening, they would eat at Anshun Lang Bridge. Then they would go and watch a Sichuan Opera. But Shen Ji Yun and his uncle would not be there since they would already be on their way back to B City by then.


    Although it¡¯s quite disappointing, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t do anything about it. After all, Shen Yi Mu must also be very busy. What he could do was to sessfully give his gift to Shen Ji Yun.


    "Xiao Shen, I¡¯ll let Ah Ren be in charge of that business we talked aboutst night," Luo Wei Tian said to Shen Yi Mu when they entered the lobby. He was talking about the n on investing on Moonlight Media¡¯s new project. "You can scold him freely if he doesn¡¯t do a good job."


    "Brother Luo joked. I¡¯m sure Xiao Ren will do a good job."


    "I will definitely not let the both of you down," Luo Ren assured the two.


    "Then you and Xiao Yun take care going back to B City," Luo Wei Tian said to the uncle and nephew.


    "Brother Luo and your family also," Shen Yi Mu returned.


    After the two parties said goodbye, they walked towards two adjacent elevators.


    Luo Yan could feel Shen Ji Yun staring at him, probably thinking of their appointment. He sighed a bit. [Brother Ji Yun, can¡¯t you a little less obvious?]


    When his father and brothers entered the elevator, he suddenly said, "Dad, I forgot something at the nanny car. You three go on ahead."


    He saw that Luo Jin was about toin but the elevator door already closed. He let out a sigh of relief. It¡¯s the same tactic he used yesterday. Good thing it still worked.


    When he turned around, he almost had a heart attack when he found that Shen Ji Yun was standing behind him. "Oh, you scared me."


    "Sorry," Shen Ji Yun apologized, scratching his cheek. "I¡ª"


    "Brother Ji Yun, go to that Western restaurant on the sixth floor and wait for me there," Luo Yan said before pushing Shen Ji Yun to another elevator.


    He was worried that if they just stayed in the lobby, one of his brothers would eventuallye back. And then the two of them wouldn¡¯t be able to do what they wanted to do.


    He smiled wryly. They truly were acting like a pair of underground couples.


    "Wait- Yan Yan¡ª"


    Shen Ji Yun wasn¡¯t able to finish because he saw Luo Yan running towards the reception desk. Although confused, he still followed what his rabbit said and clicked the sixth floor. The only important thing was that they could have time alone so he could give him his gift.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, walked towards the reception desk. He asked the shop where he bought the item to leave it at the reception desk of the hotel once they delivered it and he would just pick it upter. They agreed with no problems.


    "Good afternoon," he greeted the female receptionist with a smile.


    The receptionist immediately felt like an arrow hit her heart seeing such a beautiful boy. So, her smiled became more genuine. "Yes, what can I do for you?"


    "Ahm, I actually bought something from a shop and they promised to deliver it here," Luo Yan started. "The item should be addressed to Luo Yan."


    "Ah, yes, something like that did arrive earlier," the receptionist said, remembering the item that was delivered. "Please, wait awhile." She went to another receptionist and then came back holding a small paper bag. "Do you have the receipt number for this item?"


    "Yes." Luo Yan took out his phone and showed the receptionist the receipt from the shop.


    "Here you go," the receptionist said, giving him the paper bag.


    "Thank you, Sister!" he said, smiling sweetly again at the receptionist.


    The receptionist felt like her heart had been hit again. What a cute boy!


    Luo Yan quickly dashed towards the elevator and clicked the sixth floor. He looked inside the paper bag and saw a tightly sealed box. It seemed that the shop kind of overdid it with the packaging.


    Soon, he arrived at the sixth floor. He then walked towards the Western restaurant he told Shen Ji Yun.

 Chapter 426 red-string bracelet

    WHEN Luo Yan entered the restaurant, he quickly looked around to search for Shen Ji Yun. It didn¡¯t take long before he spotted him. He was sitting near the window, being surrounded by a cold atmosphere. As if silently telling everyone ¨C ¡¯don¡¯te near me, don¡¯t talk to me¡¯. However, people still couldn¡¯t help but nced at his direction. Some were even tempted to walked near him.


    As evidence of that, a young woman couldn¡¯t take it anymore and finally walked towards the table. She smiled like a flower towards Shen Ji Yun. But the other only nced at her, said something back, and then turned his head towards the ss window. The young woman¡¯s face quickly turned red in embarrassment. After that, she walked away angrily.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows when he witnessed this. Even though he didn¡¯t hear the conversation of the two, he already had a guess on how it went. Knowing Shen Ji Yun, he probably rejected the girl straightforwardly without even thinking if he might embarrass the other person. He didn¡¯t even give that girl a second look.


    The people in the restaurant who also saw this scene only shook their heads. Luo Yan even heard someonementing that Shen Ji Yun was too arrogant.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t share the same opinion. It was not as if Shen Ji Yun specifically looked for that girl because he wanted to humiliate her. No, that girl went to him on her own volition. Not that he¡¯s saying that the girl deserved to be treated coldly like that. It¡¯s just wrong for people tobel Shen Ji Yun as ¡¯arrogant¡¯ just because of what happened.


    It¡¯s not Shen Ji Yun¡¯s fault that he was too handsome. It¡¯s only natural that he would be surrounded by countless bees and butterflies.


    Thinking of that, he suddenly remembered the captain of team Siren. That girl obviously had a crush on Shen Ji Yun. He was certain that she was not the only one who shared the same sentiment. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible that there¡¯s a bunch of girls circling around Shen Ji Yun in a ce Luo Yan didn¡¯t know.


    Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t help but feel sour in his heart.


    He shook his head. Now was definitely not the time to feel that. Especially since they were not yet in that kind of rtionship. Wait- what¡¯s with the ¡¯yet¡¯? He shook his head more sharply.


    It¡¯s better to just talk to Shen Ji Yun that stayed here and have all these weird thoughts. So, he finally walked towards the direction of the table where the other was sitting.


    "Brother Ji Yun," he called when he was only a few steps away from him.


    Shen Ji Yun quickly turned to the direction of that familiar sweet voice. When he saw Luo Yan, the coldness surrounding him instantly melted. It¡¯s almost as if the cold winter just turned into warm summer. There was even a small smile on his lips.


    "Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan was a bit hit by this smile. If Shen Ji Yun always smiled like this, the people who were chasing him would definitely go on for miles and miles. If he didn¡¯t have a cold attitude towards others, then many girls would definitely have their hearts stolen. Maybe even boys.


    He shook his head once again because of his weird train of thought. He just sat down on the seat opposite Shen Ji Yun.


    "What does Brother Ji Yun want to talk to me about?" he just asked. It¡¯s better to talk about this than have him continue thinking of weird things.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t expect that Luo Yan would immediately ask him about this. So, he suddenly became nervous. Wondering if his rabbit would like his gift. "I- I actually wanted to give you something. I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to give it to you if your brothers are around. They seem to guard against me very much."


    Luo Yan felt excited when he heard the first part. So, he was right. Shen Ji Yun was really nning to give him something. While on thest part, he couldn¡¯t actually agree more.


    Luo Jin had been against Shen Ji Yun since day 1. What surprised him more was Luo Ren. Maybe he could also feel Shen Ji Yun¡¯s affection towards him that¡¯s why he was reacting that way. He might not be so ¡¯in your face¡¯ like their younger brother, but he still showed it in his own way.


    He smiled at Shen Ji Yun. "What a coincidence, I also n to give something to Brother Ji Yun. Should we exchange presents?"


    After he said that, he put the paper bag he was holding on the table and pushed it towards the other.


    Shen Ji Yun was truly surprised seeing the paper bag. After all, he hadn¡¯t seen Luo Yan bought anything like this today. Could it have been prepared beforehand? No, he immediately denied that idea. After all, his rabbit didn¡¯t know that he was actually nning to follow him here.


    Then he remembered that Luo Yan ran towards the reception desk earlier. Could it be to get this paper bag? Then, did he order this item online and had it deliver here? That¡¯s the only way he could think of.


    "Brother Ji Yun, what about my gift?"


    Luo Yan¡¯s voice ended Shen Ji Yun¡¯s spection and quickly took a box from the inner pocket of his coat. Just like Luo Yan, he pushed it towards the other¡¯s direction. "I hope Yan Yan will like it."


    "I also hope Brother Ji Yun would like my gift," Luo Yan said. "Should we open it at the same time?"


    Shen Ji Yun wanted to say ¡¯no¡¯. Because he wasn¡¯t sure if he could control the happiness he was feeling. Even now, he was already on cloud nine just knowing that Luo Yan bought him something. If his happiness overflowed, he might just go and hug his rabbit here. He didn¡¯t want the other to think that he was out of his mind or something.


    But at the end, he still said, "Okay."


    After all, how could he disappoint Luo Yan when he was looking at him with those eyes filled with expectations?


    The box Shen Ji Yun gave was a simple ck velvet box. It was simple yet very tasteful. There was only one ribbon around it so Luo Yan was quickly able to open it. When he saw what was inside, his eyes widened. Not only because of surprise but also because of wonder.


    Inside was a red-string bracelet with a little piece of green jade. Carved on that green jade was the character ¨C ¡¯Yan¡¯.


    He raised his head and saw that Shen Ji Yun had also opened his gift. And just like him, he looked extremely surprised. Because what¡¯s inside was also a red-string bracelet with a green jade piece. And just like the bracelet in Luo Yan¡¯s hand, there was also a character carved on it ¨C ¡¯Yun¡¯.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Really, what a coincidence."

 Chapter 427 a tad bit longer

    SHEN JI YUN stared at the red-string bracelet tied to his wrist and uncontroble smile appeared on his lips. He and his uncle were in the first-ss cabin of the ne flying back to B City. But his mind was still back at Chengdu. Specifically, the moment when he received this red-string bracelet.


    His memory couldn¡¯t help but go back to that moment.


    =====


    Shen Ji Yun looked down at the red-string bracelet inside the box. It was exactly the same bracelet as the one he bought at the shop near Wenshu Monastery. The only difference was that the character carved on the green jade was ¡¯Yun¡¯ instead of ¡¯Yan¡¯.


    "Really, what a coincidence."


    He raised his head when he heard Luo Yan said that and what he saw was the other smiling at him gently. His heart skipped a beat and he felt like he was just struck by lightning. His breathing shortened and his heart started beating fiercely. It¡¯s pounding so hard that it felt like it would jump out of his chest.


    The two of them bought the same thing to give to each other. There was no talk beforehand, not even a single precedence. They didn¡¯t even go to the shop together. And yet they still ended up buying the same thing.


    This was really just a coincidence. It¡¯s just that, this ¡¯coincidence¡¯ was so great that he might as well call it ¡¯fated¡¯. Like the machinations of destiny. As if a greater power above was pulling them together.


    Maybe they truly were destined.


    Luo Yan seemed to be amused by his thunderstruck reaction. "Why is Brother Ji Yun not saying anything? Don¡¯t you like my gift?"


    "No!" Shen Ji Yun quickly refuted. "I like it very much. Thank you, Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan looked down at red-string bracelet in front of him, his gaze softened. "I also like Brother Ji Yun¡¯s present. Thank you." Then he raised his head and looked at him. "What was that saying? Ah, ¡¯great minds think alike¡¯. We really embodied that at this moment. Don¡¯t you think?"


    Shen Ji Yun could only nod. "Yes."


    Rather than that, he still thought that the two of them were ¡¯destined¡¯. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t say that directly. He wouldn¡¯t want him to think that he was being too cheesy.


    "Could you tie it for me?" Luo Yan asked, stretching out his hand towards him.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the jade-like hand in front of him. It was a rare opportunity to touch his rabbit. How could he just pass it off? "Okay."


    He had to fold up the sleeve of the other¡¯s panda jacket to reveal his wrist. After that, he picked up the bracelet he gave Luo Yan and then held his hand. Luo Yan¡¯s hand was so soft, it almost felt like he was holding a marshmallow. A strong urge to pinch it almost overcame him. It¡¯s a good thing that he had good self-control. Or else he would really look like a pervert. Rubbing the other¡¯s hand over and over again.


    He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before tying the red-string bracelet on Luo Yan¡¯s wrist. The visual impact of the red-string against Luo Yan¡¯s white wrist was so strong, he almost couldn¡¯t turn his gaze away.


    Luo Yan took back his hand. He smiled at him while showing off his bracelet. "Is it pretty?"


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the bracelet before looking at Luo Yan¡¯s face. "Yes."


    [You¡¯re the prettiest.] ¨C He almost blurted out. Good thing he managed to stop himself before he did.


    He turned his gaze to the bracelet that Luo Yan gave him. He also wanted to ask his rabbit to tie it for him. But he suddenly felt shy and embarrassed. It¡¯s like the words just became stuck in his throat. No matter how much he wanted to say it, it just wouldn¡¯te out.


    It¡¯s a good thing that he was often expressionless. Or else, his awkwardness would have already shown on his face.


    "Do you want me to also tie the bracelet for you, Brother Ji Yun?" he heard Luo Yan asking as if he had read what¡¯s on his mind.


    He sharply raised his head. Luo Yan was still smiling sweetly at him. If he wasn¡¯t confident with his expressionless face all year round, he might have thought that Luo Yan noticed the entanglement on his face.


    "Yes," he quickly said before Luo Yan could change his mind.


    He folded the sleeve of his coat himself and then stretched out his arm towards the other. Luo Yan held his hand and he once again felt the softness of his palm. He picked up the red-string bracelet and then tied it carefully on his wrist.


    "There," Luo Yan said when he finished. "Now we matched."


    ¡¯Matched¡¯. That word greatly affected Shen Ji Yun. That¡¯s right. They now matched. It almost as if the red-string of fate was tying them together.


    He looked at the red-string bracelet on Luo Yan¡¯s wrist and then looked at the on his. He suddenly remembered something he read on the inte. Could this be called a ¡¯couple bracelet¡¯?


    He felt his face heating up because of that thought. But more than that, his heart was suddenly filled with sweetness. He only had one thought in his mind ¨C ¡¯ah, it¡¯s truly wonderful to be in love¡¯.


    "Should we go back?" Luo Yan said. "I think that waiter was ring at us because we¡¯re not ordering anything," he added in a joking tone.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. He carefully put the gift-wrapped box of the red-string bracelet into the paper bag and carried it. Of course, he had to preserve this. It was also part of Luo Yan¡¯s gift, after all.


    They walked out of the restaurant and towards the elevator.


    "Brother Ji Yun."


    He turned towards Luo Yan and he suddenly felt a soft body pressing against him, enveloping him with warmth.


    "Take care going back to B City."


    Before he realized what was happening, the warm feeling was already gone. And he saw Luo Yan going inside the elevator, waving at him.


    "See you at the game!"


    When the elevator closed, his could feel his whole face heating up like some moltenva. His rabbit just hugged him!


    =====


    Thinking about that, Shen Ji Yun was a bit regretful that he didn¡¯t react fast enough. If he did, then he could have hugged Luo Yan back. Then, he could soak in that warm feeling for just a tad bit longer.

 Chapter 428 start of uncle and nephew talk

    LUO YAN happily trotted towards their house. They just returned from their three-days, two-nights vacation in Chengdu. It was a very fruitful vacation. He was able to spend some quality time with his family, eat Sichuan cuisines, go to different beautiful ces, and see pandas. He even met his idol in person!


    But most of all, he was able to once again meet Shen Ji Yun in reality. The two of them even exchanged the same gift with each other.


    Speaking of that, Luo Yan pulled back the sleeve of his jacket and a smile unknowingly crossed his lips when he saw the red-string bracelet with the green jade carved with the character ¡¯Yan¡¯. It was truly such a shock knowing that he and Shen Ji Yun ended up buying the same thing for each other. It was a very pleasant surprise though.


    Judging by his reaction when he received the gift, Shen Ji Yun was definitely over the moon when he epted it. Luo Yan almost thought that the other would float in happiness the moment he tied the bracelet on him. If Shen Ji Yun was a puppy, his tail would definitely not stop wagging at that moment. Showing just how happy he was.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t me him though. Because he was also very happy epting his gift. The happiness he felt was even greaterpared to when he received that customized music box.


    Probably because the feelings he had back then waspletely different to the feelings he had now. He no longer thought of Shen Ji Yun as a mere friend. Even though he was still in the process of slowly epting his feelings, there was no doubt in his mind that Shen Ji Yun was very special to him.


    So, of course, he would be happy receiving gifts from the other. Especially if it was a well thought out gift.


    "Yan Yan, don¡¯t run too fast," Luo Ren shouted from behind.


    Luo Yan turned back at his brother. "Okay!"


    He then slowed down his speed.


    "Wee home, second young master," their housekeeper greeted him.


    "We¡¯re back, Aunty," Luo Yan smiled at the housekeeper, a gentle-looking woman in her 50s.


    Luo Ren, Luo Jin, and their father followed right after.


    "Home atst," Luo Jin said who unceremoniously plopped himself on the couch.


    "Has dinner been prepared?" Luo Wei Tian asked the housekeeper.


    "Yes, Master," the housekeeper answered.


    Then Luo Wei Tian looked at his three sons. "Go and wash up, we¡¯ll have dinner after."


    "Yes," the three said unanimously.


    Then they looked at each other andughed, all feeling like little kids who just agreed to bathe together.


    = B City =


    Shen Ji Yun just finished making dinner. He made sure that the dishes were all well insted before walking to the living room. He was nning to wait for his uncle there.


    Before leaving for thepany today, his uncle told him that the two of them should have a serious talkter. He already had a feeling that it would be about his feelings for Luo Yan. After all, his uncle had already noticed some clues from his behavior while they were in Chengdu.


    Besides that, he also openly admitted to him that the reason he wanted to go to Chengdu was Luo Yan. His uncle was not dense when it came to feelings. So, he was sure that he had already noticed that Luo Yan was special to him.


    Shen Ji Yun was not scared of that. If, at this juncture, he couldn¡¯t even admit to his closest family about his feelings for Luo Yan, then there really wouldn¡¯t be any future for the two of them. Not admitting his feelings was almost the same as him saying that he was ashamed of it.


    And he wasn¡¯t. Why would he be? Loving someone in an upright manner was not something to be shameful about.


    So, whatever his uncle asked him. He would answer honestly.


    He took out the red-string bracelet from his pocket and tied it once again on his wrist. He removed it earlier when he started cooking dinner. How could he bear to wear it while cooking? What if some debrisnded on it identally? Of course, he had to prevent that.


    This was the first ever gift Luo Yan had given him. It¡¯s only natural for him to treasure it.


    Looking down at the bracelet, his gaze became even more gentle. A soft smile even appeared on his lips.


    This was the scene that weed Shen Yi Mu when he entered the house. Just looking at his nephew¡¯s expression and that loving gaze he was giving the red-string bracelet, there¡¯s no doubt in his mind that he was thinking about Luo Yan.


    Ever since they returned yesterday, he had already noticed Ji Yun looking at that bracelet very lovingly. As if it¡¯s a piece of treasure that he couldn¡¯t live without. He didn¡¯t need to ask to know that it was most likely given by Luo Yan.


    He sighed. It seemed like his nephew had really been nted.


    Shen Yi Mu cleared his throat, catching his nephew¡¯s attention.


    Shen Ji Yun raised his head and saw his uncleing in. He nodded. "Uncle, dinner is already ready. Shall we eat?"


    Shen Yi Mu walked towards the living room and sat opposite Ji Yun. "Sit down first. Remember what I told you this morning?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Shall we talk first?"


    Shen Yi Mu stared at his nephew and he knew that this kid had already guessed what they were about to discuss. So, he also didn¡¯t go around the bush and just went straight to the point.


    "Tell me honestly, do you like Xiao Yan?"


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun answered without any hesitation. "I like him not just as a friend, but romantically."


    Although Shen Yi Mu already expected this answer, hearing his nephew saying it so straightforwardly still shocked him a bit. Then his expression turned serious.


    "Do you fully understand the meaning of that answer? The hardships that you may encounter in the future? You must know how our society frowned upon such a rtionship. Are you ready to face it all?"


    "The moment I epted my feelings for Yan Yan and decided to fight for it, I had long been ready for everything," Shen Ji Yun said, his blue gaze full of determination.


    Shen Yi Mu observed his nephew¡¯s expression and sighed once again. "Then listen to my story. After that, if your decision hasn¡¯t changed, then uncle won¡¯t stop you."

 Chapter 429 telling their story

    SHEN JI YUN was confused at first. He wondered why his uncle suddenly wanted to tell a story when they were in the middle of an important conversation. And then he realized that his uncle said ¡¯my story¡¯ instead of a simple ¡¯story¡¯. That meant that he was going to tell him his experience. And this experience might affect his decision in pursuing Luo Yan.


    "Is Uncle going to tell me your... love story?" he tentatively asked, because that¡¯s the only kind of ¡¯experience¡¯ relevant to their current topic of conversation.


    Shen Yi Mu looked at his nephew who seemed very reluctant to hear about his uncle¡¯s love life. If he was in his shoes, he might also feel the same. It¡¯s awkward talking about his experience on love with Ji Yun. But what could he do? This was the only way he could show Ji Yun the reality of what it meant to fall in love with someone of the same gender.


    If he gave his own life experience as an example instead of that of a stranger, then Ji Yun would have a better sense of substitution. Ji Yun could simply put himself on his uncle¡¯s shoes. That way, he would have a better understanding of the things that he might face in the future.


    "Yes. So, you better listen carefully," he said, answering his nephew¡¯s question.


    "But has Uncle ever had a... significant someone?" Shen Ji Yun asked, a bit tangled. He wanted to say ¡¯girlfriend¡¯ but that might hit his uncle¡¯s self-esteem more. So, he chose to just phrase it lightly.


    Don¡¯t me him for asking. His uncle had been his guardian for more than a decade. Which meant that he had been living with him since that long. Even now that he¡¯s already an adult and no longer need a guardian, he was still living with him. In that long duration of time, his uncle had never introduced a girlfriend to him.


    Then, where did this ¡¯love life¡¯e from?


    Seeing the disbelieving expression on Ji Yun¡¯s face, Shen Yi Mu almost stood up and smack his nephew at the back of his head. Did this kid think he was an old virgin with no romantic history?


    Knowing how Ji Yun¡¯s brain circuit worked, that was most probably the case. Once again, he resisted the urge to smack the kid.


    "Of course, I have. You even met him too!" he said. When he saw his nephew¡¯s even more confused face, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "It¡¯s Jiang Yue!"


    At the mention of that name, an image of an extraordinarily handsome man with a pair of apricot eyes shed in his mind. Uncle Yue was a friend of his uncle who often stayed in this house in the past. But he suddenly stoppeding about seven years ago.


    Then he was dumbstruck. Because he just realized what his uncle meant. Uncle Yue was his uncle¡¯s lover!


    Now he suddenly understood a lot of things that he had never noticed before. His uncle¡¯s certain obsession with the character ¡¯Yue¡¯ ¨C as evidence of the name of hispany and even why he was grumbling to change the name of their team. Because it was thebination of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s name and Uncle Yue¡¯s name. Thinking of that, he suddenly wanted to facepalm. He couldn¡¯t believe his uncle could be that childish.


    Also, if he had looked more closely when Uncle Yue was interacting with his uncle, the he could have probably noticed the closeness of the two. Closeness that simply didn¡¯t conform to that of a simple friendship.


    But then again, even if he noticed, he probably would never think in that direction. He was too young and too busy being an anti-social that his EQ would probably not let him even remotely think that the two were in a rtionship.


    Wait- in a rtionship! He seemed to by pass the most important thing. Both were men! Then that meant his uncle was...


    "Uncle, you¡¯re...?"


    Shen Yi Mu didn¡¯t need his nephew to finish what he¡¯s saying because he already understood what he wanted to ask. "Yes, your dear uncle is gay," he admitted straightforwardly.


    The fact that he was only attracted to the same sex, he had long realized it since he was in high school. At first, he was in a state of denial. After all, he grew up being thought that something like that was wrong and abnormal. Then he thought how his conservative family wouldn¡¯t ept him. He became extremely scared after that.


    So, he tried to ¡¯rehabilitate¡¯ himself by trying to date girls. But after a month, it always ended. The reason was always the same ¨C that never seemed to be interested in them. He couldn¡¯t even make himself hold their hand. But every time a girl broke up with him, another one would appear to confess. And he epted it without thinking much about it.


    It was a low move. And those girls didn¡¯t deserve to be used like that just so he could satisfy his so-called ¡¯masculinity¡¯. But he was a confused kid who barely knew any better. He was scared. Afraid that he would be abandoned and isted just because of his sexuality.


    It was a long and hard battle before he was even able to ept himself. To fully ept that there was nothing wrong with him. And the one who helped him do that was Jiang Yue. If he didn¡¯t meet him, he probably would still be in denial until now.


    He told all that to Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t know how should react to everything that his uncle said. He was surprised, of course. But he also epted it pretty quickly. Maybe because just like his uncle, he also fell in love with someone of the same gender.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if he was gay. After all, before Luo Yan, he had never been attracted to anyone ¨C male or female alike. It was probably more urate to say that he was gay for Luo Yan.


    But he could understand his uncle¡¯s struggle. Wanting to be epted and yet unable to ept oneself, he could only imagine how hard it must have been for him.


    "I want to know Uncle and Uncle¡¯s Yue¡¯s story," he said.


    Shen Yi Mu grinned at his nephew. "Wasn¡¯t that what I was about to do before you interrupted me?"


    And then he started to tell the story of him and Jiang Yue.

 Chapter 430 thats how we met

    EVERYTHING started 17 years ago.


    Shen Yi Mu was in hisst year at T University. He was swamped with work. Not only did he need to finish his thesis, the game that he was developing was also taking a lot of his time.


    He was so busy, he barely even slept. There were dark circles under his eyes, he was getting thinner and thinner by the day because he wasn¡¯t eating properly, he even felt like he was losing hair. In short, he looked like a walking zombie.


    Because of that, his mood was not in the best state. He felt constantly felt annoyed and one little thing could easily off-set him. As if he was some sort of ticking time bomb.


    He knew it was his fault for not managing his time well. His problem could easily be solved if he just gave up with his game and just concentrate on his thesis. But how could he do that? He was already on thest phase. Just a bit more and he could finally finish it.


    It only started as a simple project. But before he knew it, it had already be a huge part of his university life. All of his free time was mostly spent making the codes for the game. For almost four years, it¡¯s the sole focus of his attention. Like some kind of obsession.


    What could he do? It¡¯s either that or immersed himself in his own sexual identity problem. That would just be too depressing. Not to mention, he knew that once he jumped to that rabbit hole, he would go back to his old habit again. To develop rtionship with girls who he didn¡¯t love nor even felt attracted to.


    When he graduated high school, he promised himself that he wouldn¡¯t do that again. After dating more than a dozen girls, he should have already understood and epted that no girl could change his inherent sexuality. He¡¯s gay and that¡¯s that.


    Although he understood that, it¡¯s still hard to ept it. Maybe because he was too much of a coward to face it.


    He was afraid of how people would view him. Being gay was not exactly something to be celebrated in this country. It was the extreme opposite instead. Society frowned upon it. Some even thought of it as some kind of disease. Mainly those belonging to the older generation.


    His father no doubt belonged to that. The other would definitely disown him the moment his secret was revealed. He didn¡¯t care for the money of Shen family. It was fine even if he didn¡¯t get a share. He was confident enough in his ability to know that he could support himself just fine even without his family¡¯s money. He¡¯s worried more about his mother.


    He knew that his gentle mother would definitely ept him unconditionally. But she would be caught between him and his father. Which would ultimately just sadden her. And that¡¯s what he didn¡¯t want to happen.


    Shen Yi Mu just sighed and continued to walk towards the faculty building of his department. One of his programming professors told him that he needed to talk to him about his thesis.


    He was nearing his destination when someone bumped him from behind. If he didn¡¯t quickly regain his bnce, he probably would have already fallen face-first on the ground. He looked back and saw that the one who bumped him was a stocky male student.


    "Watch it, four-eyes!" the other said angrily as if it was his fault that he bumped into him.


    A vein on his forehead almost popped because of that. When he didn¡¯t speak, the other just snorted, as if he already expected that he wouldn¡¯t retaliate. But contrary to that, Shen Yi Mu moved his leg when the other was about to pass by him. Causing the male student to trip. To make sure that the other would really fall, he pushed him from behind.


    And just as he nned, the male student fell face-first on the ground.


    If Shen Yi Mu was in his normal state, he probably would just ignore this buffoon. But he wasn¡¯t. He hadn¡¯t had breakfast yet. He was irritable and in a very bad mood. How could he not retaliate when someone was testing his patience like this.


    The other angrily stood up and red at him. "Are you crazy?!"


    Shen Yi Mu didn¡¯t answer. He noticed that they were already attracting attention. After all, it was almost lunch time and most sses were already over. So, there were already a lot of students walking around the campus.


    He looked at the guy in front of him. This one was definitely the type to not stop unless he took revenge. But could Shen Yi Mu allow him to do that? Of course not. So, he said;


    "Do you want to fight? Then follow me."


    He didn¡¯t wait for the reply of the other and just walked to another direction. Soon enough, he heard someone following him, muttering things like how he¡¯s a crazy bastard.


    He led the other towards an area considered as one of the university¡¯s ¡¯blind spot¡¯. Because there were rarely any people passing by there. Most of all, there were no CCTVs.


    It was behind the old library building. It was covered by trees and tall grass, looking like some kind of wilderness.


    Shen Yi Mu put down his bag and faced the male student. "Let¡¯s start."


    Then he dashed forward. Five minutester, the male student ran away limping from there. His body aching all over.


    Shen Yi Mu snorted seeing that. Then he winced because of the cut on his lips. He wasn¡¯t worried that the other might report him. After all, he didn¡¯t know his name. Besides, he made sure that his every hit wouldn¡¯t leave any bruises.


    Although that guy managed tond a few hits on him, he still felt quite refreshed after venting his anger. He picked up his bag and suddenly felt a bit dizzy. It¡¯s probably because he hadn¡¯t eaten anything sincest night.


    "Are you alright?" said by a crystal-clear male voice from behind him. He sounded hesitant, as if he wasn¡¯t sure if he should ask him.


    He turned around and saw a short boy with thick sses almost covering the upper half of his face. Shen Yi Mu wondered how long had this little guy been here.


    "I¡¯m fine," he said simply before nning to walk away.


    But as he did so, he had a sudden attack of dizziness again. Before he knew it, his whole body was already tilting to the side. When he thought that he was going to fall, a thin pair of arms supported him out of nowhere.


    He raised his head and saw the little guy supporting him with all his might. Making his face all red. He thought it was quite amusing. Because of the other¡¯s action of catching him, his thick sses fell to the ground.


    Shen Yi Mu stared at the other¡¯s fully revealed face. Particrly at those pair of apricot shaped eyes.


    "How pretty..."


    That¡¯s what hest said beforepletely passing out.


    =====


    "And that¡¯s how me and your Uncle Yue met," Shen Yi Mu said to his nephew.

 Chapter 431 exchanging names

    "UNCLE, you mean you fainted the first time you and Uncle Yue met?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    "Yes," Shen Yi Mu answered and then saw the pitying nce his nephew gave him. He felt the corner of his mouth twitched a bit. Why did he gad a feeling that what this kid was thinking was definitely not something good? "You, what¡¯s with that look?"


    Sure enough, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s next words confirmed his guess.


    "Well, I just think that fainting on your first meeting was a bit, I don¡¯t know,me?"


    After hearing his uncle¡¯s story of he and Uncle Yue met, Shen Ji Yun was definitely thankful that it waspletely different from when he and Luo Yan met. He jumped from a tree and saved him from a person harassing him. Many people had said that he was handsome. So, he must have looked particrly cool back then, right?


    Even if he told this story to someone in the near future, it wouldn¡¯t be too embarrassing. He even proudly thought that his first meeting with his rabbit was definitely much more romanticpared to that of his uncle and Uncle Yue.


    Shen Yi Mu looked at his nephew who just said that his meeting with Jiang Yue wasme. Now he even felt that the other was gloating. As if he was proud of something he managed to do well than his uncle.


    This brat.


    He finally couldn¡¯t help himself and threw the throw pillow behind his back to Ji Yun in annoyance. Of course, the other easily avoided it. Ji Yun picked the pillow that fell on the floor and put it on the couch he was sitting on.


    "Uncle, domestic violence is not allowed."


    "What ¡¯domestic violence¡¯? You¡¯re really getting better and better at using your words."


    "Thank you for thepliment."


    [I¡¯m notplimenting you, you kid.]


    Shen Yi Mu sighed. What was he doing bickering with his nephew like some kind of kid? He was just a bit triggered that Ji Yun called his fateful meeting with Jiang Yue as me¡¯. How could it beme when he thought that it was pretty destined.


    The fact that Jiang Yue was there at that ce and at that time was like the wheels of fate working, tying their two lives together irrevocably. That meeting both changed their lives.


    He no longer bantered with his nephew and just continued on with his story.


    =====


    Shen Yi Mu slowly opened his eyes and saw the white ceiling. He was still a bit dizzy and it took a long while before his mind slowly cleared. And then he remembered what happened just now.


    Some annoying student bumped into him. Because he was also irritated, he didn¡¯t hesitate to trip him. He knew that the other wouldn¡¯t just leave, so he simply challenged him into a fist fight.


    He won, of course. He might look thin on the outside but he hadpact muscles from his years of karate training. After that guy ran away with his tail between his legs, a short guy suddenly appeared asking him if he was alright.


    Thest thing he remembered was a pretty face and a pair of beautifully shaped apricot eyes.


    "Good, you¡¯re awake," said a female voice.


    He turned towards the side where he saw a woman wearing a whiteb coat. He abruptly sat up, because he finally realized where he was. It was the university¡¯s infirmary. He recognized this woman as the doctor in charge of the infirmary.


    "Student, you fainted from hunger," the doctor informed him. "Working hard is good but one should also do it in moderation."


    "I know, Doctor," he just said.


    If he tried to justify why he ended up fainting due to hunger, this doctor would definitely scold him to no end. It¡¯s better to just admit his mistake.


    "I asked the student who brought you here to buy a porridge for you to eat. Wait for him. Eat. And then you can leave."


    After the doctor said that, she sat on the far side of the room where her desk was and then continued on reading the stack of papers in front of her.


    Then Shen Yi Mu just realized what the doctor said. The ¡¯student¡¯ she was talking about could only be that short guy with thick sses, right?


    An image suddenly shed in his mind. The face that hest saw when he fainted. That pretty face certainly belonged to that student. He didn¡¯t expect that he was hiding such a face under that thick sses.


    Then he remembered what the doctor said. That that student just went to buy him porridge. Wouldn¡¯t that mean that he knew that he fainted because of hunger? For some reason, he suddenly felt very embarrassed.


    There was a high chance that the little guy was there during his fight with that annoying student who bumped into him. After witnessing him fighting, he then saw him fainting, he even carried him here.


    In the other¡¯s eyes, wouldn¡¯t he be superme?


    Wait- how did that little guy carry him here with that thin body of his?


    Before he could think more of that, the door of the infirmary opened and a short guy came running in. He was holding a paper bag. His ck hair was all messy and his thick sses were skewed. When he looked at his direction, he seemed surprised seeing him awake.


    Shen Yi Mu thought that it was kind of adorable.


    He walked towards his bed and gently put the paper bag on the bed. "You¡¯re awake. Here, I bought you breakfast. Please, eat it so you can have something to pad your stomach."


    Shen Yi Mu felt embarrassed once again.


    "Thank you. Ahm, did you bring me here on your own?" he asked to satisfy his curiosity.


    The little guy nodded. "I carried you on my back."


    It was something that Shen Yi Mu already expected. But hearing it still surprised him. Because he was in no way light. And yet this guy who looked like he would be blown by a strong breeze easily managed to carry him here.


    "You- you¡¯re very strong."


    The little guy smiled happily. "Yes, I¡¯m used to hard work that¡¯s why I have a lot of strength."


    The other¡¯s thick sses were still skewed, so Shen Yi Mu could see a small part of his apricot shaped eyes that were now bent into crescents. Showing that he was really happy with hispliment.


    [Adorable.]


    Wait- what did he just think?


    "Thank you for bringing me here and for buying me breakfast," he said before his mind wandered to some weird direction again. "I;m Shen Yi Mu. What¡¯s your name?"


    "Jiang Yue," the little guy said with a smile. "Jiang Yue is my name."

 Chapter 432 the one who made him cry

    "AFTER that incident, Ah Yue and I became friends," Shen Yi Mu said.


    Of course, the process of them being friends wasn¡¯t really that simple. Aside from the fact that he was busy with a lot of things at that time, he also faintly felt that he might have had different interest for the adorable freshman that he just met.


    That¡¯s right, Jiang Yue was only a freshman when they met. He was a schrship student from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. He said that he wanted to have the ability to work abroad confidently that¡¯s why he chose that major.


    Shen Yi Mu found him very charming. Despite the messy hair ang thick sses, it didn¡¯t hide the natural charm he had. It also probably helped that he saw his whole face beforehand. But even if he didn¡¯t, he was sure that he would still feel the same at the end. Because his charm could not only be seen in his appearance but more on how his mind worked.


    In that short conversation they had at the university infirmary, he could tell that he had a very bright mind. That¡¯s probably why he really enjoyed his short conversation with him. When they parted ways that day, he felt a bit loss. He even had an urge to call him back. So, they could spend more time together.


    But he quickly shook that feeling off. After all, he still had to talk with one of his professors.


    The day passed and he thought he had already thrown that incident out of his mind. But when he was about to go to sleep, his mind was suddenly filled with Jiang Yue. His messy hair, his big apricot shaped eyes, the way he smiled, everything just yed in his mind over and over again like some broken record.


    And that¡¯s when he realized that he was attracted to Jiang Yue.


    Instead of feeling grateful, Shen Yi Mu was frightened. He was still at that stage where he couldn¡¯t ept his sexuality. Suddenly finding someone he was attracted to almost felt like there was a noose hanging above his head. The moment he acted on this attraction would be the day that noose would fall on his neck.


    It was a very frightening thought.


    So, he quickly made a decision back then. That he would do his best to avoid the other. It was not only for him, but also for Jiang Yue. How could he dare pull him into the same quagmire he was in?


    But fate moved in mysterious ways. Because the next day, he met Jiang Yue again.


    He saw him at the library when he was about to get some reference books. The other greeted him cheerfully, as if he was very happy to see him. Even though Shen Yi Mu told himself that he should just ignore him, he truly couldn¡¯t.


    That idental meeting was followed by another idental meeting one after another. If he hadn¡¯t understood Jiang Yue¡¯s personality, he might have already suspected that the other was doing it on purpose. Making it looked like it was all an ¡¯idental meeting¡¯.


    Because he couldn¡¯t just ignore him, at the end, he decided that there would be no harm if he tried being friends. That it would be alright as long as he didn¡¯t act on his feelings.


    After a few months, he realized how na?ve he had been.


    Because being friends with Jiang Yue only made him fall for the other deeper and deeper. How could he not when as days passed by, he found out more and more things about him that he loved. But still, he couldn¡¯t make himself end that friendship. And so, every day, he immersed himself in the pit of unrequited love.


    It really didn¡¯t help that whenever the two of them had close contact ¨C like identally holding hands, giving each other a friendly hug ¨C Jiang Yue would show this lovely blush. As if he was being shy. It made Shen Yi Mu have hope that maybe, just maybe, the other also feel the same about him.


    But he knew Jiang Yue was just a ck piece of paper when it came to romantic emotions. Being shy around him didn¡¯t mean that he also loved him. So, he always repeatedly told himself not to think that the illusion was real. That he should always face reality.


    They continued on like that until nearing his graduation. But a week before that, something very unexpected happened.


    "So, what happened next?" Ji Yun asked.


    And so, he continued on with his story.


    =====


    Shen Yi Mu was walking towards that blind spot at the old library building where he and Jiang Yue met. For some reason, that ce had be some kind of meeting ce for them. He was looking for him to tell him the good news that he just finished his game. He wanted the other to be the first one to know about it.


    He knew that Jiang Yue didn¡¯t have any ss. So, he was sure that the other was most likely at that ce. He didn¡¯t tell him that he was looking for him because he wanted to surprise him.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was that when he got there, he was the one who was surprised.


    Jiang Yue was leaning on a tree. He wasn¡¯t wearing his sses because he was wiping the tears that were flowing down his cheek. He wasn¡¯t making any sound and was just crying silently. Which made it all the more heartbreaking.


    Seeing this scene, Shen Yi Mu was frozen on the spot. Every tear that fell from those beautiful eyes was like a dagger that pierced his heart. After the shock came the anger. Just which bastard made his Ah Yue cry? He would make them pay a thousand- no, a millionfold!


    He walked briskly towards Jiang Yue. He had no time to think of anything else and he simply hugged him. He felt the thin body he was holding stiffened but when he heard his voice, it slowly rxed.


    "Ah Yue, who bullied you and made you cry like this? Tell me, I will definitely get back at them."


    Although his face at that time was probably full of anger, the way he held Jiang Yue was full of gentleness. Like he was holding the most important treasure of his life.


    Shen Yi Mu felt Jiang Yue shaking his head, probably not wanting to tell him anything.


    "Ah Yue, don¡¯t be afraid and just tell me, okay?" he coaxed.


    Jiang Yue still continued to shake his head and he even pulled away from Shen Yi Mu¡¯s embrace.


    Shen Yi Mu felt a bit lost seeing Jiang Yue¡¯s downcast gaze. He reached out his hand and wiped out the tears on his cheek. "Ah Yue, what¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t you tell me?


    "I-I¡¯m fine, Brother Mu," Jiang Yue said, his voice a bit hoarse.


    "How can you be fine when you¡¯re crying like this?" Shen Yi Mu said with a bit of anger. Of course, it was not directed at Jiang Yue but to the person that made him cry. "Or do you think that your Brother Mu is not reliable enough that¡¯s why you don¡¯t want to tell me?"


    Jiang Yue raised his head and immediately said. "I-it¡¯s not like that!"


    "Then why can¡¯t you just tell me who made you cry like this?"


    Jiang Yue¡¯s pretty face was suddenly filled with frustration. Until he finally said;


    "It¡¯s you, Brother Mu. You¡¯re the one who made me cry!"

 Chapter 433 youre my treasure

    SHEN YI MU was suddenly dumbstruck. It was him who made his Ah Yue cry? How could that be possible? Howe he didn¡¯t know about it? Did some version of himself from an alternate universe did it? Because there was no way he could do it! But since Jiang Yue said it was his fault, then let it be his fault. It¡¯s much more important to stop him from crying.


    "Okay. It¡¯s my fault. Please, don¡¯t cry," he said, still trying to wipe the tears flowing down on his cheek.


    Jiang Yue raised his head. "You don¡¯t even know why I said it was your fault," he grumbled.


    "Then, can you tell me the reason so I could change it? Or if you¡¯re angry, you can just hit me until you¡¯re satisfied."


    Jiang Yue turned to the side and said stubbornly like a kid, "I don¡¯t want to say it."


    "Okay, I won¡¯t ask anymore. Just please, don¡¯t cry."


    Jiang Yue seemed to be annoyed by what he said. But more than that, he also saw a hint of frustration. Then he wiped away his tears and forcefully stopped himself from crying.


    "Why won¡¯t you continue asking? Would you just do whatever I tell you to?"


    Shen Yi Mu stared at Jiang Yue. It was pretty obvious that he was a bit unstable right now. He couldn¡¯t understand why he was being unreasonable. But he didn¡¯t want to argue with him.


    "Yes. If it¡¯s something within my ability, then I will do it," he said honestly.


    Jiang Yue seemed to even be more frustrated by that answer. "Why are you being so good to me? If I say that I don¡¯t want you to go abroad after you graduate and just stay here, would you do it?" Then as if realizing what he just said, he abruptly turned around. "No, I- I don¡¯t know what came over me. Please, just forget what I said."


    Shen Yi Mu just stood there, processing the things he heard. So, the reason Jiang Yue was acting like this was because he though he was going abroad? Which was not true, by the way. He didn¡¯t know where he heard it. But would someone show this kind of reaction just because their friend would go abroad?


    His heart suddenly started beating faster and faster, thinking of a certain possibility. Could it be...? No, he needed to calm down. He didn¡¯t want to waste this kind of opportunity. He might not have another chance like this.


    He promised himself before that he would be satisfied as long as he could remain beside Jiang Yue. It didn¡¯t matter if they would just remain friends for the rest of their lives. What¡¯s more important for him was that he could be with him, even if only as friends.


    But humans were naturally greedy. When one thought that this was enough, there woulde a time when they wanted more. And that¡¯s what Shen Yi Mu was feeling right now.


    He wanted more of Jiang Yue. He wanted to be the ¡¯one¡¯ for him. To do everything for him, not under the guise of a friend but a lover. This was the chance for him to take a step further into their rtionship. And he decided to take a gamble. A gamble to that very small possibility that he might feel the same way.


    "Why don¡¯t you want me to go abroad?" he asked, his voice was calm but his heart was almost jumping out of his chest.


    "I told you to just forget about it."


    "How could I forget when you cried like that because of it?" Shen Yi Mu turned Jiang Yue around, so he could see his face. The tips of his eyes were red because of crying. "Can you tell me the reason, please, Ah Yue?"


    Jiang Yue pursed his lips. "I- I don¡¯t know. When I heard that Brother Mu might leave and go to a ce that I couldn¡¯t reach, it felt like something pierced my heart. It hurt so much that it made me breathless. Before I knew it, I just found myself crying. I- I don¡¯t want to be away from Brother Mu. Just thinking that we might grow apart and that I might not be able to see you again was so painful, I almost felt like dying. I know it¡¯s weird. As a friend, I have to support your decision. But I just can¡¯t. If it meant that I couldn¡¯t see you again, then I¡¯d rather be a bad friend." He raised his head. "Why do I feel this way?"


    Gazing down at Jiang Yue¡¯s apricot shaped eyes, Shen Yi Mu felt breathless. Especially after hearing what the other said. His fast-beating heart was going on overdrive. But at the same time, he also felt indescribable happiness.


    He wanted to tell him the possible reason why he felt that way, but he couldn¡¯t. Because he didn¡¯t want to dictate his feelings. It¡¯s important that he realized his feelings on his own. But that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t say anything.


    The emotions inside him were already surging. He wanted to just pull Jiang Yue into his arms and tell him how important he was to him. Instead, he cupped his pretty face into his hands and stared straight into those beautiful eyes.


    "Listen, Ah Yue, I don¡¯t know where you heard that I¡¯m going abroad, but that¡¯s not true. I will stay at B City even after I graduate. How could I bear to leave you?"


    "Really?"


    "Yes," he answered. "Won¡¯t you ask me why I can¡¯t bear to leave you?"


    "Why?" Jiang Yue asked, looking at him with eyes full of curiosity and even a hint of expectation.


    "Because you¡¯re important to me. So important that I don¡¯t think I could even live without you now. You¡¯re my treasure, Ah Yue. The most beautiful treasure that God has given me. Your smile, your kindness and gentleness, your intelligence, your sense of humor, your strength, your perseverance, I love them all." Shen Yi Mu put his forehead on Jiang Yue¡¯s forehead. "I love you, Ah Yue. So, so much."


    =====


    "And that¡¯s how I confessed to your Uncle Yue," Shen Yi Mu said to his nephew.

 Chapter 434 uncle was rejected?

    SHEN JI YUN was a bit surprised hearing that. In his cognition, something as important as a confession should be done in a grand gesture. That way, you could show the person you like just how much you liked them.


    His uncle¡¯s confession was almost like it came out of the blue. But he also understood why he did that. Because it was simply that ¡¯moment¡¯. A moment when one just needed to bear open their feelings to the person they liked. If they didn¡¯t do that, then that moment would simply be lost and they probably wouldn¡¯t have another chance to tell that special person how important they were to them.


    If he was in the same situation, he might also grab that moment and just confess the hell out of it.


    "Then, how did Uncle Yue answer Uncle¡¯s confession?" he just asked.


    "Well, he didn¡¯t. He was quite shocked that he didn¡¯t even managed to say anything," Shen Yi Mu said, scratching his cheek.


    He still remembered how lovely Jiang Yue looked at that moment. He blushed so hard that his whole face turned as red as a ripe tomato. It spread from his face to his neck and to his ears. He was so adorable that Shen Yi Mu almost couldn¡¯t stop himself from hugging him again.


    But Jiang Yue was indeed quite shocked by that confession. He was so tongue-tied that he couldn¡¯t even form proper words. So, Shen Yi Mu had to say that he could take the time to think of an answer to his confession. No matter how long he needed. And that he was willing to wait as long as he could.


    After he said that, Jiang Yue just nodded like a puppet and ran away from there as fast as he could.


    Shen Yi Mu kind of felt lost after that. His mind was just filled with all these negativities. Because Jiang Yue¡¯s reaction to his confession wasn¡¯t really that ideal. But he couldn¡¯t just lose hope. After all, he told Jiang Yue that he would wait for his answer. And so, he would. No matter how long it would take.


    "So, Uncle was rejected?" Shen Ji Yun suddenly asked.


    The corner of Shen Yi Mu¡¯s lips twitched when he heard that. Why did he keep feeling that this nephew of his had been against him since earlier?


    "I told you he didn¡¯t say anything. How did you suddenly equate that to me being rejected?"


    "Well, he also didn¡¯t agree, right?" Shen Ji Yun said, not really meaning anything and was simply curious.


    Shen Yi Mu sighed. "That¡¯s why I told him that I would wait for his answer."


    "Then, how long did Uncle have to wait?"


    "Only about a week. On the day of my graduation, I received Ah Yue¡¯s reply."


    It was still a very sweet memory in his mind.


    =====


    The graduation ceremony just ended. Shen Yi Mu was talking to his mother. She was the only one who attended his graduation. His father and eldest brother were both busy. His eldest brother¡¯s family was in another city. While his second brother and his family were at Country Y and so, couldn¡¯t immediatelye here.


    He didn¡¯t mind. He¡¯s not the type who would bear a grudge just because of that. He¡¯s not that sensitive, after all.


    "I can¡¯t believe my baby has already graduated university. Oh, how time flies," his mother said, full of smiles.


    "Mom, don¡¯t call me that," he said, feeling embarrassed.


    His mother suddenly held his face and pinched both his cheeks. "Oh? Even if you¡¯re this big, you¡¯ll always be my baby."


    "Mom, don¡¯t pinch me too much," he said, his voice full ofint. But he still let his mother pinched him until she¡¯s satisfied.


    "Okay. Let¡¯s go and eat," his mother said after she finished pinching him.


    Before Shen Yi Mu could agree, the corner of his eye caught a familiar figure hiding behind a tree. It was someone he hadn¡¯t seen or heard of for a week now. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, thinking of the reason why he¡¯s here.


    "Mom, can you go on ahead without me? I remembered that there¡¯s something I have to do first," he said. "I promise to go to the restaurant right after I¡¯m done."


    "Then try not to take too long," his mother said while fixing his tie.


    Shen Yi Mu nodded. After he watched his mother getting into the car and leave, he quickly ran towards the direction where he saw that familiar figure.


    Just as he thought, Jiang Yue was there.


    "Ah Yue," he called.


    Jiang Yue turned to his direction. Even with the thick sses, Shen Yi Mu could still see the blush that appeared on his face.


    "B-Brother Mu, can- can we talk?"


    His heart started to beat faster and faster again when he heard that, his heart was full of expectation. "Of course. Should we go to the usual ce?"


    The ce he was talking about was the blind spot area behind the old library building.


    "Uhm," Jiang Yue said, nodding his head and not daring to look at his direction.


    They started to walk in silence and soon arrived at their destination.


    Because Jiang Yue was still not saying anything, Shen Yi Mu decided to speak first.


    "Ah Yue, do you already have an answer to my confession?"


    He saw the other¡¯s body freeze up the moment he mentioned the word ¡¯confession¡¯. He seemed to be hesitating on what he should say next. Then he clenched both fists tightly as if he had already decided on something. He raised his head and looked straight at Shen Yi Mu.


    "Yes," he said as an answer to his question earlier.


    Shen Yi Mu stared at Jiang Yue, eagerly waiting for his answer. His heart beating uncontrobly. He felt so nervous that it almost felt like the pit of his stomach had been dug out.


    Jiang Yue continued on speaking;


    "I- I think Brother Mu must be mistaken. How- how could you possibly fall for someone like me? It¡¯s impossible. I- it¡¯s better if we just forget about it and continue on as if nothing has happened. Okay?"

 Chapter 435 everything

    SHEN YI MU felt like a basin of cold water was just poured on his head. And that coldness was slowly prating into his veins. But before it could travel into his heart, his brain activated.


    He carefully examined Jiang Yue¡¯s words. The other said that it was not possible for him to fall for someone like him. So, it¡¯s better to just forget about the whole confession.


    He carefully analyzed each word and what he understood was this; Jiang Yue didn¡¯t reject him because he didn¡¯t feel the same but because he thought that he didn¡¯t suit him.


    Which only meant one thing. There¡¯s still a chance for reversal!


    "Brother Mu, let¡¯s just forget it, okay? We- I- I want to still be like before. Being the closest of friends is enough."


    "No."


    Jiang Yue raised his head abruptly when he said that. Although Shen Yi Mu couldn¡¯t see his expression right now, he knew that Jiang Yue must be shocked by his refusal.


    "T-then, are we not even going to be f-friends anymore?" Jiang Yue asked, his voice was trembling, as if he could cry at any second.


    Shen Yi Mu steeled himself to not be soft so as not to immediately coax Jiang Yue. He had to make the other understand that he was serious with his confession. That he was not mistaken about his feelings.


    "Ah Yue, listen to me," he started. "When I said I love you, I meant it with everything in me. I love your smile, I love your sense of humor, I love the shy look on your face whenever you feel embarrassed, I love everything about you. So, you questioning me how I could possibly fall for you was like you looking down on yourself. And you¡¯re not allowed to look down at the man I fell in love with."


    He saw Jiang Yue¡¯s shoulder trembling, as if he was silently crying. He couldn¡¯t really tell because of the thick sses that covered his eyes. But when he saw those pearl-like tears flowing down Jiang Yue¡¯s cheeks, it confirmed his guess.


    Shen Yi Mu finally couldn¡¯t remain stern and he just pulled Jiang Yue into his arms, patting his back gently. "Sshh... Ah Yue, don¡¯t cry."


    "H-how could you say those things so easily? H-how could you be so g-good to me?"


    "It¡¯s not easy for me to say those things. It took me months to even summon the courage to tell you my feelings." If Shen Yi Mu didn¡¯t see Jiang Yue crying like that and telling him not to go abroad, he might not even have that courage. "And how could I not be good to you?"


    He didn¡¯t even notice that he said thatst part as if being good to him was the most natural thing. Which was probably why Jiang Yue cried even harder.


    "Ah Yue, don¡¯t cry. Howe you became such a big crying bag?" Shen Yi Mu said distressed while gently patting the other¡¯s back.


    "Isn¡¯t this Brother Mu¡¯s fault?" Jiang Yue said wile sniffing and sobbing at the same time. "What are you doing, falling in love with another man?"


    "Well, I¡¯m gay, so there¡¯s that," Shen Yi Mu admitted honestly.


    Jiang Yue raised his head when he heard that. Because he was leaning on Shen Yi Mu¡¯s shoulder for quite a while now, his sses became askew. That¡¯s why Shen Yi Mu could see his shocked expression. The flow of his tears even stopped. Probably because of too much shock.


    "You¡ª"


    "Yes. So, if you think there¡¯s another guy out there who suited me more, then go ahead and reject me again."


    Jiang Yue suddenly pouted and hit Shen Yi Mu¡¯s chest. "Brother Mu is a bad guy."


    Shen Yi Mu only thought that Jiang Yue was adorable but he still asked, "Why am I a bad guy?"


    "Because you¡¯re ckmailing me into agreeing to your confession."


    "How am I ckmailing you?" he asked, feeling a bit funny.


    "You said that I should reject you if I think there¡¯s another guy that suited you more," Jiang Yue said aggrieved. "How can I say that?"


    "Why can¡¯t you say it?" Shen Yi Mu asked, removing Jiang Yue¡¯s sses and squeezing his satiny cheek.


    Jiang Yue seemed to take a sharp breath because of Shen Yi Mu¡¯s action. And then, he stutteringly said, "B-because I don¡¯t like to see you being good and sweet to another guy." He stopped and then as if finally making a decision, he raised his hand and held Shen Yi Mu¡¯s hand that was still on his cheek. "I- I want Brother Mu to be only sweet to me."


    Shen Yi My smiled brightly, his heart bursting with happiness. He felt like he would float any minute now because of too much happiness. He finally couldn¡¯t help but hug Jiang Yue into his arms once again.


    "Could I take that answer as Ah Yue indirectly telling me that you also feel the same way?"


    He felt the person in his arms nodding. He almost flew up to the sky because of that.


    "If- if Brother Mu is okay with me, then- then let¡¯s be together."


    "Okay? You¡¯re perfect!"


    Because of excitement, Shen Yi Mu lowered his head and kissed the other¡¯s soft cheek. Jiang Yue¡¯s whole face quickly turned red, showing a lovely blush. Seeing that, Shen Yi Mu couldn¡¯t help but kiss his other cheek.


    "Brother Mu, stop eating my tofu!" Jiang Yue said with a shy and annoyed tone.


    Shen Yi Mu grinned and kissed the tip of Jiang Yue¡¯s nose. "You¡¯re the sweetest tofu."


    And he happily hugged his treasure once again.


    =====


    "That day, the two of us became lovers," Shen Yi Mu said, a sweet nostalgic smile on his lips. "Our rtionshipsted for a decade. It was a decade full of love and happiness. But at the same time, it was also filled with struggles, challenges, and sadness. We tried our best so we could keep the promise we said to each other at the beginning. That, no matter what kind of problems we faced, we would not give up. We would face it together."


    But sometimes, things simply didn¡¯t go as nned.


    And seven years ago, Jiang Yue simply left him.

 Chapter 436 facing reality

    "THE ten years we spent together as a couple was not all filled with rainbows and butterflies," Shen Yi Mu said. "It would probably be easier it we were just an ordinary couple. But we¡¯re not. We¡¯re a gay couple living in a country where people would immediately condemn us the moment they found out about our rtionship. So, we kept it hidden. As if we¡¯re doing something immoral.


    "It was fine at first. Because we were still high on the fact that we were in love, we didn¡¯t care about much else. Everyday felt like we were on cloud nine. It continued on like that for a year. A year full of bliss. Everything was going well. I established my gamingpany and was just about tounch the PC version of Arcadia. Ah Yue was doing well in his studies. Then we were suddenly hit by reality.


    "Months after Arcadia wasunched, it became a huge hit. Surpassing a lot of older and more popr online games in the country. Other rival gamingpanies, of course, felt threatened. But one gamingpany in particr was so threatened that they did everything to discredit mypany. And the best and fastest way to do that was to target me, the president and CEO of thepany.


    "They hired someone to dig up some ck materials against me. What else could they dig up but the rtionship between me and Ah Yue? A lot of ambiguous photos of us were taken. Although they didn¡¯t directly show us kissing or doing somethingpromising, it could be seen from the photos that we were not simple close friends. There¡¯s one that showed us going to my apartment, one where we were leaning against each other, one where my arm was around Ah Yue¡¯s shoulders.


    "These photos were posted on Weibo by some anonymous ount. Along with the caption, ¡¯President of Moonlight Media in a homosexual rtionship?!¡¯. Then it described on how I had a secret rtionship with a younger man. Although Weibo was still rtively new back then, it already had a lot of users. Especially young people who were also ying Arcadia. It generated a lot of negativements to the point that it even affected thepany¡¯s stocks. The only thing I was thankful for in that incident was that they mosaiced Ah Yue¡¯s face. Almost as if they were warning me that if my game continued to flourish, they would be attacking him next.


    "How could I just let them get their way? But the worst thing was, this news reached my father¡¯s ears. Before I could even make a move, he had my eldest brother took care of everything. Then I was summoned to the old house. I had to deny everything to him. Because I knew that if my father thought, even for a second, that those rumors were true, Ah Yue would bear the brunt of it. You know how your grandfather is. He¡¯s not the type of man who could tolerate homosexuality. He would definitely so something extreme to the man who ¡¯seduced¡¯ his son.


    "So, I had to tell him that I have a girlfriend and the young man on the picture was just my junior in college. I asked a close friend of mine, who just happened to be a lesbian, if she could act as my fake girlfriend. It happened that she was also in a rtionship with another woman at that time. So, the arrangement was perfect for us. She was also from a very prominent family. That¡¯s why when I took her home and introduced her as my girlfriend to everyone, Dad was finally satisfied and he was no longer suspicious."


    Hearing that, Shen Ji Yun remembered people talking before about his uncle¡¯s ex-girlfriend that he had been in a rtionship with for five years. Until the other suddenly broke up with his uncle and left the country to live abroad. That was before his uncle became his guardian. What was her name again? Ah, Zeng Rou! No, wait- that was not the point. The point was that they maintain that charade for five years!


    "How did Uncle Yue react?" he asked, the other would definitely not be happy with that.


    Shen Yi Mu showed a bitter smile. "I exined everything to Ah Yue. We even went to a double date with Xiao Rou and her partner. He said that he understood everything and that he was not angry. Our rtionship was not something we could proudly show to others. People would mock us and treat us like abnormalities if they knew. So, it¡¯s already good that we could still stay together despite all that."


    But Shen Yi Mu knew that it remained a thorn in Jiang Yue¡¯s heart. But he still forced himself to understand because that was their reality.


    Jiang Yue was an orphan and was raised by his grandparents. They were very loving and understanding people. But even so, Jiang Yue still couldn¡¯t tell them about his rtionship with him. Even when they left him one after the other, he still wasn¡¯t able to tell them his secret.


    "Our rtionship continued on. But after that incident, we became even more careful. Doing everything secretly. From us meeting to going on vacation, everything had to be done in secret. We were happy, yes. But it was very tiring. Even more so for Jiang Yue. That thorn in his heart probably just grew bigger and bigger as years passed by. Then a little bit more than seven years ago, when I was busy preparing for the release of the holographic version of Arcadia, he broke up with me."


    Shen Ji Yun was startled to hear that. Although he already kind of expected it, considering the fact that Uncle Yue no longer visited the house, it was still kind of surprising. Especially after finding out that their rtionship started 17 years ago. He couldn¡¯t believe that he simply got ¡¯tired¡¯ of the rtionship.


    But then again, what exactly did he know? Maybe that kind of underground rtionship could really tire someone out. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t help but be scared of the future.


    "Why did he break up with you?" he asked his uncle.


    Shen Yi Mu leaned back and then looked up at the ceiling, recalling that moment when Jiang Yue told him that he no longer wanted to be with him.

 Chapter 437 closing of the door

    SHEN YI MU took out the key from his pocket and opened the door to Jiang Yue¡¯s apartment. They had been together for almost 10 years now, Jiang Yue¡¯s ce was almost like his own ce. And the same could be said to his house.


    He actually longed wanted for the two of them to live together. But because of the ident of his second brother and sister-inw, he assumed the role of a guardian to his nephew five years ago. And Jiang Yue told him that it would not look proper if he lived together with them. It would also not be good if the Shen family found out about it.


    Sometimes, he wished that he could just not care about everything. That way, he could easily shout in front of people how much he loved Jiang Yue. He even imagined sometimes that maybe he should have established his gamingpany abroad. Then he would bring Jiang Yue with him after the other graduated. Then they didn¡¯t have to worry about his family or be subjected to this country¡¯s narrow views on same-sex love.


    But being an adult didn¡¯t work that way. He couldn¡¯t just think about himself. Especially now that he had a kid to think about. He shook his head and just put those thoughts away.


    Shen Yi Mu walked inside the apartment.


    Jiang Yue asked him to go here because he wanted to talk about something. He didn¡¯t think much and just thought that it might have something to do with his job. After all, Jiang Yue just got promoted to assistant professor recently.


    He hoped that there wasn¡¯t any problem. Jiang Yue was now working at their alma mater ¨C T University ¨C as an English Literature teacher. And just like he mentioned earlier, he just got promoted to assistant professor. Which was already quite a feat considering that he was only 28 years old. But being promoted at such a young age could also cause some problems.


    There might be people who were jealous of him and might make things difficult for him. So, he brought Jiang Yue¡¯s favorite dessert ¨C a matcha cake. Of course, he would also do his best to cheer him up.


    "Ah Yue! I¡¯m here!" he called, walking towards the living room of the apartment.


    Jiang Yue¡¯s apartment was not that big. It had a single bedroom with a living room/dining room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It was simple yet very homey and full of character. Anyone could immediately see that the owner put a lot of his thoughts decorating the ce.


    He and Jiang Yue had a lot of memories in this ce. Memories that he would cherish forever.


    The door of the bedroom opened and Jiang Yue walked out. Shen Yi Mu was startled seeing him. The other was obviously not in a good state. His face was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes.


    He put down the box of cake on the small dining table and walked towards Jiang Yue. "Are you okay, Ah Yue?" he asked worriedly, touching his forehead to check his temperature. He was surprised to feel how cold the other was. "You¡¯re cold. Let¡¯s go to the hospital to have you checked, okay?"


    He felt Jiang Yue¡¯s body stiffened at the mention of ¡¯hospital¡¯. He stepped back and avoided his touch. "I¡¯m fine," he said in a hoarse voice.


    Shen Yi Mu immediately felt that something was wrong seeing Jiang Yue¡¯s small actions. But he only attributed it to Jiang Yue¡¯s mood. He probably was not feeling well. He remembered how the other had beenining to him about having migraines.


    "Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go to a hospital?" he asked again.


    "I told you, it¡¯s fine."


    Again, that ¡¯wrong¡¯ feeling filled him once again. But he could only shake it off and try to lighten up the mood. "Ah Yue, I brought your favorite matcha cake. Do you want to eat? I¡¯ll give you a slice."


    Jiang Yue shook his head. "No. Let¡¯s talk, Brother Mu."


    He walked towards the couch and sat down. He also asked Shen Yi Mu to sit on the opposite seat. Which he did.


    "What do you want to talk about? Is it about work?"


    "It¡¯s not about that," Jiang Yue said. "I¡ª" he stopped, gazing down as if he was trying to gather strength. "I want to break-up."


    Shen Yi Mu felt like he just had an auditory hallucination. So, he justughed it off. "Ah Yue, I don¡¯t think I heard you correctly."


    Jiang Yue raised his head and looked straight at him. "Let¡¯s break-up."


    Shen Yi Mu could no longerugh. He couldn¡¯t even tell Jiang Yue to stop with the prank. Because he could see in those apricot dark eyes that he was serious about what he said. He wanted to break-up with him.


    Something just pierced his heart at that moment.


    "Why?" he asked, his throat became extremely dry.


    Jiang Yue looked out of the window, his eyes extremely distant. "I¡¯m just tired. I don¡¯t want to be in this kind of rtionship anymore. Always afraid, always hiding. We couldn¡¯t even hold hands out in the open. These past ten years took a lot out of me. I can¡¯t continue on, Brother Mu."


    That pierced part of Shen Yi Mu¡¯s heart slowly widened as he listened. He stood up and kneeled in front of Jiang Yue. He held the other¡¯s hands. "Ah Yue, it¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t do enough. I will do better from now on. I will go to my parents and tell them about our rtionship. We will no longer hide our rtionship. I will do everything you want me to. Just- just please don¡¯t leave me. Hmm?"


    His voice cracked at the end. But he no longer cared anymore. All he could think of was to prevent Jiang Yue from leaving.


    "It¡¯s not about that, Brother Mu." Jiang Yue gazed down at him. "I¡¯m simply not happy anymore."


    Shen Yi Mu was frozen on the spot. He couldn¡¯t say anything back. The pain in his heart spread all over his body. It¡¯s like he was being torn into pieces. He was so stunned that he didn¡¯t even notice when Jiang Yue stood up.


    "I will leave first. When I get back, I hope Mr. Shen would no longer be here."


    When the other was about to walk towards the door, Shen Yi Mu hurriedly stood up and hugged Jiang Yue from behind.


    "Ah Yue, p-please... I- I don¡¯t want to break-up. I- I can¡¯t live without you. Ah Yue... Ah Yue..."


    He could feel something wet flowing down his cheek and he knew that he must be bawling like a baby. But the pain in his heart was so overwhelming that he no longer cared what he looked like right now.


    "Don¡¯t say that, Mr. Shen. There¡¯s still a child depending on you. You can¡¯t break down just because of someone like me."


    As Jiang Yue said that, he removed the arms surrounding him and continued walking towards the door.


    Shen Yi Mu tried to catch him again but before he could, Jiang Yue already walked out of the door. And the sound of the door closing coincided with the breaking of his heart.


    After that day, Jiang Yuepletely disappeared from his life.

 Chapter 438 waiting for the answer

    "I WAITED at the apartment for him to return. I couldn¡¯t just leave. I wanted to talk to him once more. Beg him to change his mind. But maybe he knew that I would wait there, so, by evening he still hadn¡¯t return. I had to go. Because I was worried that he would spend his night outside. Your Uncle Yue, you know, he doesn¡¯t sleep well when he¡¯s in an unfamiliar environment. So, I left, thinking that I could still talk to him the next morning. But who knew that I wouldn¡¯t have that chance at all."


    Shen Yi Mu took a deep breath after he told all that. The pain that he felt that day assaulted him once again. His chest tightened and his breath became hurried. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. If he immersed himself in that pain, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to continue to tell his story.


    "When I went to Ah Yue¡¯s apartment the next day, I found out that he terminated his lease. Thendy of his apartment said that after he terminated the lease the previous night, he packed up his bag and left. He didn¡¯t even pack the other stuffs in his apartment. I didn¡¯t know how I reacted after that. I just remembered buying the apartment. Because I couldn¡¯t bear other people living there.


    "I tried to call him but found out that his number was no longer in service. I was already panicking at that point. In fact, that day was too hazy for me. I probably just moved ording to my instinct," he said bitterly. "Then I went to the university after that, hoping that he would be there. But to my disappointment, I was told that he had already resigned a few days back."


    Which meant that he had been nning to leave even before the two of them had that talk.


    "After that, I couldn¡¯t find any traces of him. As if he just vanished. Of course, there¡¯s no way that I could just ept that. So, I hired a private investigator to find out Ah Yue¡¯s movements for the past week."


    Because deep inside, Shen Yi Mu still couldn¡¯t ept that Jiang Yue would leave him just like that. That whatever dissatisfaction he had with their rtionship could be solved as long as they had a proper talk. Surely, that decade long rtionship they had meant something.


    "But surprisingly enough, the investigator didn¡¯t find anything. Before that day when Ah Yue asked that we break- anyway, before that day, he did nothing that was out of his usual routine. I actually suspected that my family had something to do with how he easily vanished like that. So, I confronted my eldest brother about it. Because if our father did something to Ah Yue, then there was no way that my eldest brother wouldn¡¯t know about it."


    He couldn¡¯t remember the things he said, or rather shouted, to his eldest brother during that confrontation. He just remembered how much he seemed like a crazy person at that moment. And maybe he was. Because he was literally going crazy looking for Jiang Yue. Just thinking that his family had something to do with it just pushed him to the limit of what his brain could handle.


    He no longer cared if his brother found out about his rtionship with Jiang Yue. He just wanted to know if he and their father had something to do on why the other suddenly disappeared. If they were connected to Jiang Yue¡¯s disappearance, then it wouldn¡¯t matter even if he told his brother about it. Because he already knew about it in the first ce.


    Hid eldest brother told him he had no idea what he was talking about. Of course, how could Shen Yi Mu believe him that easily. So, he continued to rage at him like some kind of lunatic. He probably only managed to calm down when his brother pped the hell out of him. It almost felt like his brain returned to its proper ce because of that p.


    His brother told him that his father had no idea about whatever rtionship he had with Jiang Yue. He also didn¡¯t know about it. He even warned him not to go to their father acting the same crazy way he did with him. He also added that he wouldn¡¯t tell their father what happened and about his ¡¯dereliction¡¯. And since the guy he¡¯s fascinated with already left him, it¡¯s better to just let it be and return to being a ¡¯normal¡¯ person.


    Because Shen Yi Mu¡¯s IQ was already back online, he quickly noticed that his brother was not lying to him. It was easy for him to read the other¡¯s emotion ever since they were kids. So, he knew that his brother was telling the truth. Even, on the off-chance, that he was lying, he couldn¡¯t just fake his reaction. The way he first thought of what their father would feel after finding out that one of his sons had a rtionship with the same gender was very like him.


    After that confrontation, he simply lost all the willpower within him. Because if his family had nothing to do with why Jiang Yue suddenly decided to break up with him, then he left him on his own volition. That was probably more painful.


    He¡¯d rather have someone to me for what happened than epting the fact that Jiang Yue truly no longer wanted to be with him.


    "But it turned out that Dad or even Brother had something to do with it. Ah Yue simply left because he was indeed no longer happy. He probably thought that I wouldn¡¯t stop running after him if he stayed in this city. So, he simply disappeared from my life. Totally cutting-off all our connections."


    And he did, he hired dozens of people to look for him for a year. But to no avail, he still didn¡¯t find him. Then he realized that he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to find him as long as the other didn¡¯t want to be found. So, he decided to just give Jiang Yue the freedom that he wanted.


    He stopped looking. But his heart still couldn¡¯t let go. Even until now, seven years since he disappeared, he was still the only one who could enter his heart.


    "A decade long rtionship ended like that. With one person being unhappy and the other unable to notice that there was already something wrong with the rtionship. We spent those ten years hiding our rtionship from friends and families. We weren¡¯t able to withstand the pressure of society. So, we hid the rtionship as if what we¡¯re doing was wrong. As if our love was wrong. Until one person became tired and unhappy."


    Shen Yi Mu raised his head and looked at his nephew.


    "Now, knowing about my own experience, are you still willing to go ahead on this path? Are you willing to pull Xiao Yan with you?"


    And he waited for his nephew¡¯s answer.

 Chapter 439 shen ji yuns answer

    SHEN JI YUN met his uncle¡¯s gaze. And he said without even a bit of hesitation, "Yes, I¡¯m willing to go on this path. And no, I won¡¯t be pulling Yan Yan with me. If I would be lucky enough to be epted by him, then I will be his shield. I will protect him from all kinds of storms that woulde our way. And if he doesn¡¯t want to just be protected, then I will hold his hand and we will face everything together."


    He now knew why his uncle suddenly confessed to him about his sexuality and why he told him about his and Uncle Yue¡¯s story. They met, fell in love, and became lovers. Their rtionshipsted for a decade and yet it still wasn¡¯t able to withstand the problems that any couple would face.


    Shen Ji Yun understood that his uncle wanted to make him understand the struggles that a same-sex couple would face. That being part of the minority was noughing matter. His uncle spent that ten-year rtionship hiding and fearing. He couldn¡¯t even proudly tell everyone who the person he loved was. They probably couldn¡¯t even go to dinner together without fearing that people who saw them might think more.


    Not being able to do all that could cause dissatisfaction to anyone. Maybe that dissatisfaction piled up in Uncle Yue¡¯s heart as years passed-by. And then it just simply burst out. One day finding out that he was already tired of the rtionship.


    Shen Ji Yun remembered a period of time seven years ago when his uncle was simply out of it. He was always in a daze and he couldn¡¯t really talk to him properly. That was probably the time when Uncle Yue left.


    He was only 12 then, turning 13. He was socially awkward and emotionally handicapped. It never even crossed his mind that the reason why his uncle was like that was because he was heartbroken. He just thought that he might be tired from his job.


    So, one night, he decided to make him a bowl of hot noodles.


    When his uncle saw that bowl of noodles, he suddenly hugged him. He vaguely remembered something wet falling on his shoulder and his uncle¡¯s trembling body. Now that he thought about it, his uncle was probably crying at that moment. He remembered how he just stood there motionless, not saying anything.


    Suddenly, he wanted to go back in time and smack his younger self for being unfeeling. He should have said even a small word offort back then. Just to alleviate whatever pain his uncle was feeling.


    Shen Yi Mu, on the other hand, was quite surprised hearing his nephew¡¯s answer. He didn¡¯t even hesitate when he said those words, showing how much determined he was. But it¡¯s not just determination. He could see that Ji Yun truly thought about his rtionship with Luo Yan. Which meant that he was really serious about the boy. That his feelings were not some puppy love that he might get over with easily as time passed.


    No, Ji Yun was indeed in love with Luo Yan.


    But he still wanted to make sure.


    "Do you think you could handle the pressure? That you won¡¯t crumble at the middle? That if Xiao Yan epted you, you can make him happy until the end?"


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun answered again without hesitation. "I know what Uncle is worried about. But I¡¯m not in the same situation as you back then. You and Uncle Yue were alone then without any family elder to support you. But I¡¯m different. Because I have Uncle. I know that you would not hate me for loving someone of the same gender. Whether Yan Yan would ept my feelings or reject it, I know Uncle will be behind my back and support. That¡¯s why I dare to have this courage."


    Saying Shen Yi Mu was shocked after hearing that was the understatement of the year. Although Ji Yun still looked as expressionless as ever, he could feel the other¡¯s sincerity in his words. He couldn¡¯t believe that he would hear his nephew say these things. It showed just how much trust he put in him.


    He suddenly felt emotional for no reason. He even wanted to cry. How could he not when his ever expressionless and EQ deficient nephew was saying all these things? It¡¯s almost like he just witnessed his nephew turning from a boy to a man in that instant.


    He felt proud and thankful. Proud of the man Ji Yun had be and thankful that he didn¡¯t go wrong in his guidance of him.


    "You kid," he said. He stood up and sat beside Ji Yun, patting his shoulder. "Good. Uncle will definitely support you in whatever decision you made in your life."


    "I know. And for that, I¡¯m truly grateful," Shen Ji Yun said. "Grateful that Uncle is my guardian."


    "You- do you n to make your uncle cry?" Shen Yi Mu said, feeling that his eyes was turning sour.


    "Uncle can cry. I will try tofort you."


    Shen Yi Mu stopped, he didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh or cry after hearing that. At the end, he chose tough.


    "If Xiao Yan agreed to be with you, then you have to face the wrath of the Luo family for abducting their baby," he said, changing the subject. "From what I witnessed in Chengdu, they¡¯re really, really, really, overprotective."


    Shen Ji Yun became silent for a moment.


    "I know. But I have a feeling that as long as I show them my sincerity, they would ept our rtionship."


    Because he could see that the Luo family was not prejudiced and would definitely not look down on homosexual rtionships. They just simply care about Luo Yan too much. Which was very understandable. If he was in their position, he would also try to put Luo Yan on the palm of his hand and spoil him to no end.


    "I also think so," Shen Yi Mu said, agreeing to what his nephew said. "That¡¯s why I will try my best to have a good rtionship with Brother Shen," he added, talking about the investment that Tianhua Group would give to Moonlight Media. "After all, he might be your future inw."


    Inw... Shen Ji Yun showed a small smile. He kind of liked the sound of that.

 Chapter 440 whats in the package?

    LUO YAN woke up very happy and excited. Because today was the start of the two-day preliminaries for the Rookie Carnival. They had to go to Safehaven Harbor before 12 in the afternoon. But before that, their team would meet at their headquarters first. They already talked about it on the group chatst night.


    He raised his hand and was about to open the door of his room when his sightnded on the red-string bracelet on his wrist. He smiled unconsciously seeing it. Somehow, he suddenly couldn¡¯t wait to see Shen Ji Yun in the game.


    Speaking of the game, before going to vacation, he and Shen Ji Yun forgot to do some in-game things. One, they still hadn¡¯t taken the rewards for finishing the ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯ task. And two, they hadn¡¯t told what they discovered to the leader of Crimson Corps. Because instead of doing those two things, they went straight to Tropical Land to have a date.


    But since the next two days would be dedicated for the preliminaries of the Rookie Carnival, they could probably only do those two things after the carnival was over.


    Well, he wasn¡¯t really in a rush to do those, that¡¯s probably why he had identally forgotten about it. And since Shen Ji Yun mostly leave the decision making to him whenever they did a task together, he probably also forgot about it.


    No matter, they could just do it once they¡¯re both free.


    Luo Yan walked out of his room and went straight to the dining room to have breakfast. Surprisingly, Luo Jin was already there. In fact, he was the only one there.


    "Where¡¯s Dad and Brother?" he asked while sitting beside Luo Jin.


    "Dad had to go to thepany and Brother just went out to get some package."


    Luo Yan nodded. Their father hadn¡¯t gone to thepany for three days, it¡¯s only natural to go there to check some things. What he was curious about was what kind of package their older brother had asked to be delivered here.


    "Why did you wake up so early?" he just asked Luo Jin instead. "Are you feeling nervous about the preliminaries today?" he added in a teasing voice.


    Luo Jin scoffed. "Who¡¯s nervous? I just happened to wake up early."


    Luo Yan stared at him and smiled meaningfully. "Hmm... I see."


    Luo Jin suddenly felt hairy. Because he had a feeling that Luo Yan didn¡¯t believe him and was just acquiescing for the heck of it. "I really am not nervous!"


    "Yes, yes, I know. Our Ah Jin is very brave."


    Luo Jin felt the corner of his eye twitching. Luo Yan¡¯s tone was like he was pacifying a kid. He had a feeling that if he continued to argue, he would definitely be more annoyed. He didn¡¯t want to start this day being annoyed with his second brother.


    Seeing this reaction, Luo Yan no longer teased his younger brother. So, he just asked instead, "Does Sister Yuqi mention if she already received the souvenir you bought for her?"


    At the mention of Su Yuqi, Luo Jin¡¯s face quickly turned red. "H-how would I know?"


    "You didn¡¯t ask her?"


    "I didn¡¯t!"


    Well, Luo Jin actually wanted to. But his fingers automatically froze every time he tried to type it on his phone. He was worrying if Su Yuqi would think more if he did so. Him buying her a souvenir was already a bit too much. If he inquired more, she might think that he couldn¡¯t wait to know her reaction to the gift.


    Which was definitely not the case. Really.


    "Why are you asking me anyway?" he just asked Luo Yan.


    "Because I also bought her a souvenir. And since we both used the same deliverypany, if Sister Yuqi had already received your gift, then she must have also received mine," Luo Yan exined. Then he smiled sweetly at his younger brother. "It¡¯s definitely not because I wanted to tease you or anything."


    Luo Jin was now seriously considering if he should flip the table just to show Luo Yan his annoyance level right now. Instead, he just stretched out his hand and pulled Luo Yan¡¯s cheek.


    "Aw... aw... stop pinching!" Luo Yan said while patting Luo Jin¡¯s hand that was pinching his cheek.


    Luo Jin also showed a sweet smile, imitating Luo Yan. But it only looked weird on him. "Sorry. I just find Yan so, so cute that my hand just moved on its own."


    Then he also stretched out his other hand to pinch his second brother¡¯s other cheek. He didn¡¯t let go until he had enough.


    "Ah Jin, you¡¯ve changed. You no longer love me," Luo Yan said dramatically while rubbing his pinched cheeks that already turned a bit red.


    Luo Jin refused to give a response to that.


    "What are the two of you doing?" suddenly asked by a voice.


    They both looked towards the entrance of the dining room and saw their eldest brother walking inside.


    Luo Yan quicklyined. "Brother, Ah Jin is bullying me again. Look, my cheeks are all red."


    Luo Ren looked at the red cheeks and said distressedly, "Don¡¯t worry, Brother is going to avenge you."


    Then he walked towards Luo Jin and pinched both his cheeks until it also turned red.


    "Brother-!" Luo Jinined, trying to get his cheeks away from his brother¡¯s hands.


    Luo Ren stopped and turned to Luo Yan. "There, I already avenged you."


    "Thank you, Brother! You¡¯re really the best!" Luo Yan said, smiling at his brother.


    Luo Jin looked at his two shameless brothers and just rolled his eyes. He rubbed his cheeks, thinking how childish the two were. He¡¯s the youngest and yet he¡¯s the most mature. These two should be ashamed.


    Luo Ren finally sat down on his seat.


    "By the way, Brother, didn¡¯t you get a package? What did you buy?" Luo Yan curiously asked.


    "Oh, I bought a VR helmet for that game you and Xiao Jin are ying."


    Both Luo Yan and Luo Jin inadvertently looked at each other when they heard that.

 Chapter 441 his second brother always had a way

    "WHY did Brother suddenly thought of buying a VR helmet?" Luo Yan asked with a smile, trying to sound as normal as possible. "Did Brother also want to y the game?"


    "Well, remember that our Tianhua Group is nning to invest on the new project of Moonlight Media? Since I¡¯m the one in charge of that investment, I decided to understand Moonlight Media first. The fastest way to do that is, of course, try the holographic game that had been carrying theirpany," Luo Ren exined.


    Luo Yan suddenly didn¡¯t know how to response. He was actually thinking of dissuading his older brother to y the game. After all, if Luo Ren found out how violent the game was, he might be against him ying it. Not to mention, if their father found out about it, he would definitely have the same reaction.


    But after hearing his older brother¡¯s exnation, he suddenly felt that his reason for not wanting Luo Ren to go inside the game was a bit childish. How could he tell him now not to y the game when it involved their family¡¯spany? It would seem like he was being too immature.


    So, there¡¯s only one solution he could think of. He should just be honest. Of course, he would also add a tad bit of guilt-tripping. Knowing how much his brother cared for him, it would definitely work. Hopefully.


    "Is Brother nning to start ying the game today?" he first asked.


    "Yes, since I¡¯m pretty free. Maybe the three of us could meet up in the game?" Luo Ren said.


    Luo Yan and Luo Jin once again inadvertently looked at each other. Luo Ren finally noticed it. And then said jokingly;


    "What are you two sneaking nces at each other for? It almost seemed like the two of you are hiding a secret or something."


    Luo Jin cleared his throat when he heard it and decidedly looked down. He didn¡¯t want to say anything more. Because he was afraid that if he said something now, it might just negatively affect Luo Yan.


    He knew the possible reaction of their brother and father once they found out how Arcadia was really yed. Didn¡¯t he have the same reaction at first? But Luo Yan proved with his ability that he could handle everything that the game had thrown at him.


    So, it¡¯s better to just leave this kind of situation to his brother and not meddle. Because meddling more might just cause a much more negative effect.


    "Brother, Ah Jin and I are going to participate in a tournament today. So, we might not be able to meet up with you," Luo Yan said honestly.


    Luo Ren looked at his younger brother when he heard that. His brows furrowing. "A tournament?"


    "Yes. It¡¯s called the Rookie Carnival. It¡¯s a tournament for beginners. Everyone who started ying this year could participate. So, Ah Jin and I decided to join. Today and tomorrow would be the preliminaries and not really the main tournament," Luo Yan answered. Then he acted a bit embarrassed. "Actually, it¡¯s the reason why I asked Dad to shorten our vacation trip to three days. I didn¡¯t mention it because Dad and Brother might not understand."


    Luo Jin was already dumbfounded hearing the series of honest response from Luo Yan. Was his second brother actually thinking of letting their father and older brother interfere with them ying the game?


    Luo Ren didn¡¯t care much about that. What he was worried about was this ¡¯tournament¡¯. "Does this mean you would fight against other yers?"


    Luo Yan nodded. He already knew what his older brother was worrying about. "But Brother shouldn¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve been ying this game for quite awhile now and as you can see, I haven¡¯t been seriously hurt or traumatized."


    Although if he¡¯s the real ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯, he probably would because of the braindead scenarios that he had been encountering since ying the game. He probably wouldn¡¯t encounter those things if he had the cradle version of the VR helmet. That¡¯s why he was thankful to Assistant Wen for buying the normal version of the VR helmet. Because even though the game designers loved to make weird game tasks, a yer¡¯s game experience wouldn¡¯t be thatplete if they were using the cradle version.


    "I hope that whatever Brother experienced once you entered the game, you wouldn¡¯t think of stopping me from ying," he continued being honest. This was the best way he could think of were both sides couldpromise. "I¡¯m really, really, really having fun. If I was ever in danger while ying the game, then Ah Jin should have longed stop me from ying. There¡¯s also Brother Ze. If the game is bad for me, I¡¯m sure he had already talked to you and Dad about it. I hope Brother could understand."


    "Yan is right," Luo Jin quickly added. "I was also a bit worried at first. That¡¯s why I also tried ying the game with him. So, I can guarantee that there¡¯s nothing remotely deadly about the game that could affect Yan¡¯s mental health."


    Even if there was, he witnessed just how strong his second brother¡¯s mentality was. Even if the game had some IQ rendering tasks, Luo Yan could definitely face it with no problem.


    Listening to his two brothers, Luo Ren suddenly felt like some kind of viin. Because he was indeed thinking of interfering if he found some dangerous factors in the game. But now, Luo Yan almost begged him not to get in the way of his fun. Which meant that he also thought that he would react that way once he entered the game.


    He suddenly wondered if he and his father was being too overprotective of Luo Yan. To the point where they would repress his freedom. With the way Luo Yan spoke earlier, he probably unconsciously thought so.


    Feeling all guilty, he said, "Brother won¡¯t stop you from ying."


    "Promise?" As Luo Yan said that, he raised his little finger towards his older brother.


    Knowing what he wanted to do, Luo Ren helplessly hooked his own little finger on Luo Yan¡¯s. "Promise."


    Seeing this scene, Luo Jin gave Luo Yan a thumbs-up in his heart. As expected, his second brother always had a way.

 Chapter 442 a little tutorial for brother ren

    THE three Luo brothers finally started eating breakfast. Of course, their topic was still revolving around Arcadia.


    "Is Brother just nning to y casually?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Yes. I¡¯m just nning to check the dynamics of the game," Luo Ren answered.


    He never really had an interest on ying video games ever since he was a kid. So, him buying this VR helmet was simply for the sake of that investment project. Besides, with his busy schedule, he would definitely not have that much time to y the game.


    "By the way, can I watch that tournament the two of you are participating?" he added.


    "I think you can." Luo Yan checked before on the forum about the Rookie Carnival. And it said that any yers could watch the game on site regardless of the level. "But Brother, since you¡¯re a first-time yer, you will be put to an Origin Vige first. Then you have to finish some tasks before you can leave there."


    Luo Ren frowned a bit. "It¡¯s that troublesome?"


    Luo Yan chuckled. "They¡¯re beginner tasks. So, it wouldn¡¯t be that hard and might just take an hour or so at most. The preliminaries for the Rookie Carnival will begin at about 12 in the afternoon. Brother still have time to go there to watch the game."


    It might not even be exactly 12 pm because that was only the time the organizers asked the participants to be in Safehaven Harbor. Although the venue of the prelims was still being kept as a secret, probably to surprise the participants and the viewers as well, it was certain that the ship in Safehaven Harbor would bring them directly to the venue. Not only that, there would also be ships that would act like some kind of public transportation for those yers who wanted to watch the game on the same venue.


    "Would there be avable tickets though?" Luo Jin asked. He remembered hearing from some yers that those who wanted to watch the prelims of the Rookie Carnival needed to buy a ticket. The same was true for the main tournament that would be held at the end of this month.


    Ah, yes, Luo Yan almost forgot about that. "We could just ask Brother Ze to give Brother one. I¡¯m sure he has an extra ticket." He turned to Luo Ren. "Brother, you can message Brother Ze once your done with your our of your Origin Vige. Or you can just message me or Ah Jin and we will tell Brother Ze to meet up with you. But if there¡¯s still time, we could simply meet up with you ourselves."


    Luo Ren nodded. "Will there be tutorials? I don¡¯t really want to spend more unnecessary time fumbling about because I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m doing."


    "Ahm, there wasn¡¯t exactly," Luo Yan said. Well, the cradle version probably have one. "But the moment you arrive at your Origin Vige, a virtual screen will appear in front of you. That¡¯s your ¡¯Status Window¡¯. You can check every tab on that and then everything would be self-exnatory. Besides, Brother is so smart. I¡¯m sure you can quickly get the hang of it."


    "That¡¯s true," Luo Jin agreed. "It¡¯s not really hard to see which is which."


    "So, I only have to wear the VR helmet and I will be taken to this Origin Vige?" Luo Ren asked.


    "There¡¯s some kind of introduction first where Brother will be asked what name you should use in the game, if you wanted to change your appearance, and what race you would be in the game," Luo Yan exined. "After that, Brother will appear at your chosen race¡¯s Origin Vige."


    Luo Ren was a bit surprised to hear that there was still a lot of things to do. He thought he only needed to wear the VR helmet and that would be it. "What kinds of races are there in the game?"


    "There are four basic race ¨C humans, elves, beastkins, and gnomes. You can choose from those four. Or you can choose the random selection option where you can have a chance to have a legendary, rare, or special race."


    "I suggest that Brother just pick one of the four basic races since you¡¯re just nning to y the game casually," Luo Jin added to Luo Yan¡¯s exnation.


    "I agree. Maybe Brother can choose the elven race. I think it would definitely suit you," Luo Yan said.


    "What are the races of the two of you?" Luo Ren asked, curious.


    "We both have special races. I¡¯m a moon elf and Ah Jin is a chaos gnome."


    After hearing what Luo Yan said, Luo Ren suddenly remembered that one time the other showed him and their father a picture of a very young Luo Jin ¨C like seven-year-old him. His ck hair had red tips, he had small pointed ears, and his eyes were the color of rubies.


    He faintly remembered Luo Yan telling them that that was Luo Jin¡¯s game avatar. So, that was a... gnome?


    "Howe you picked a gnome?" he asked amusedly at his youngest brother.


    Luo Jin pouted. "Who said I picked it?"


    He actually though many times of just simply buying a new VR helmet to have a new ount. But he was already used to using that gnome avatar. And besides, with that game avatar, it almost seemed like he matched with Su Yuqi¡¯s pixie avatar.


    "Ah Jin chose a random selection that¡¯s why he ended up with the race he has now," Luo Yan said with a bit of teasing tone. "I personally think that his race is super adorable and it suits him quite well."


    "Oh, so that¡¯s why you don¡¯t want me to use this random selection thing," Luo Ren said, turning to Luo Jin. "Is Xiao Jin worried that I will identally get a race that I don¡¯t like? Thank you. Xiao Jin is truly thoughtful. I can¡¯t believe you care about your brother so much."


    Luo Jin¡¯s whole face turned red. "W-who cares about you?"


    Luo Ren only chuckled. "By the way, how do I send a message once I¡¯m in the game?"


    "Ah Jin and I will just add you as a friend so you could send us a message anytime. My game ount name is Noctis and Ah Jin¡¯s is AmazingYoungMasterJin."


    Before Luo Jin could stop his second brother, the other had already said his game ount name. His whole face turned red in embarrassment. Especially knowing what their eldest brother¡¯s reaction would be.


    "Amazing young master... Jin?" Luo Ren repeated.


    Before his brain could register that name, he had already burst outughing.

 Chapter 443 isnt he yours?

    AFTER breakfast, Luo Ren did log into the game and started his Arcadia journey. To Luo Yan¡¯s surprise, just after 30 minutes, his older brother logged out and told them that he had already finished his beginner¡¯s task and was already out of the Origin Vige. That was even faster than Luo Jin back when the other first started.


    At that time when their older brother first logged out, he and Luo Jin hadn¡¯t entered the game yet. They decided to do so after eating early lunch. Because they had to meet up with their team mates and then after that, they had to go to Safehaven Harbor. Considering how they needed to fight at the prelims, which they weren¡¯t sure how long wouldst, it wouldn¡¯t be good if they entered the game a bit too early. Especially since the suggested time for a yer to remain online was about six hours.


    So, Luo Ren found both his brothers rxing at the entertainment room when he logged out. After knowing that they would log inter before 11 am, he decided to just log in the game again at the same time as the two. That way, there would be no need for them to message him and they could just directly meet at the game.


    That¡¯s why after eating early lunch, the three Luo brothers each headed to their rooms and put on their VR helmets.


    Luo Yan opened his eyes and found himself just outside the Forest of Darkness. He already expected this scenery since this was where he logged out four days ago.


    Soon after, a fluffy ck fox suddenly appeared in front of him.


    [Mashter!!!] ¨C Eclipse¡¯s milky voice echoed in his mind.


    Then a soft fluff ball rushed towards his arms. He quickly opened his arms and caught the little fox. Because of the sudden force, he almost lost bnce. Good thing he managed to quickly regain his foothold. But he also quickly noticed that Eclipse seemed to gain weight again.


    [Eclipse, did you get fatter again?] ¨C he asked.


    The little fox in his arms showed a shocked expression. Then his pair of blue eyes misted, as if he would cry at any second. [Mashter! How could you bully Eclipse like this? We haven¡¯t seen each other for four days and that¡¯s the first thing you say to Eclipse? Do you not love Eclipse anymore?]


    Luo Yan wanted tough but he stopped himself. He was afraid that this little fox would really cry if he did so.


    [I¡¯m sorry, Master is just surprised that Eclipse seemed to grow bigger again in such a short period of time. Of course, I still love Eclipse. You¡¯re so adorable, how could I not love you?] ¨C he said in a coaxing tone. [In fact, Master missed Eclipse very much.]


    Eclipse seemed to be very satisfied with his master¡¯s coaxing. [Eclipse missed Mashter very much as well.]


    Luo Yan observed Eclipse and noticed that the little fox seemed to really be a bit bigger than thest time he saw him.


    [Did Eclipse level up while I was away?] ¨C he asked.


    [Yes! Eclipse is now level 28! Eclipse could feel that my fourth tail will grow soon.] ¨C the little fox said, puffing out his little chest.


    [Really? Eclipse is so great!]


    After the prelims, he and Shen Ji Yun nned to go to the site of the demon fox tribe to get Eclipse¡¯s inheritance. Maybe after that, this little fox wouldn¡¯t only have four tails but five instead. Eclipse would definitely be much stronger by then. Just the right time before the tournament of the Rookie Carnival started.


    [Where are we going now, Mashter? Are we going to that Safehaven Harbor?] ¨C Eclipse asked.


    [Not yet. We¡¯re going to meet my brother first and then we¡¯re going to our team¡¯s headquarters.]


    [Brother? Is Mashter talking about the ck-haired gnome?]


    [No, it¡¯s my other brother. He¡¯s older than me and Ah Jin.] ¨C Luo Yan corrected.


    The three of them talked earlier and decided that he would meet Luo Ren at Olkdale City while Luo Jin would inform their team mates that he would be bringing their older brother at the headquarters.


    Eclipse tilted his head. [Is Mashter¡¯s older brother as beautiful as Mashter?]


    [Well, rather than beautiful, handsome is more urate.]


    [Then, is he as handsome as Captain? For sure, that¡¯s not the case. Because there¡¯s no one as handsome as Captain!]


    Luo Yan almostughed. Truly, if he didn¡¯t know Shen Ji Yun, he would suspect that he bribed some programmer of the game to make Eclipse continuously blew the other¡¯s rainbow fart at him.


    [He¡¯s definitely as handsome as your Captain.] ¨C he said, flicking the fox¡¯s forehead gently.


    Eclipse¡¯s little paws held his flicked forehead and then said, [Wrong. Captain is not Eclipse¡¯s. Isn¡¯t he yours, Mashter?]


    Luo Yan became speechless for a moment. Then he suddenly felt heat creeping up to his face. He cleared his throat. [What nonsense?]


    Before this little fox could say any more nonsensical things, he took out a teleportation scroll from his Items Tab and teleported to Olkdale City.


    He appeared at the city¡¯s za. It didn¡¯t take long before his eyes found his older brother amongst the crowd there.


    Luo Ren¡¯s game avatar was almost the same as how he looked in reality. The only difference was that the one standing at a distance had long blond hair, pointed ears, and a pair of green eyes. It seemed that he followed Luo Yan¡¯s advice and picked the elven race. Which really suited him, just like what Luo Yan imagined.


    Even if the other was wearing the simplest beginner¡¯s clothing, he still stood out from the rest. One could clearly see that he was not just someone ordinary. That¡¯s probably why the people around him couldn¡¯t help but give him a second nce. Some even downright stared. But they dared note near because of the cold atmosphere that he was exuding.


    [Mashter, is that your older brother?] ¨C Eclipse¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.


    [Yes, pretty handsome, right?]


    [Hmm... yes. But Captain is still more handsome in Eclipse¡¯s eyes!]


    Luo Yan just rolled his eyes and refused to response to that. So, he just ran towards his brother.

 Chapter 444 absolutely cute

    "BROTHER!"


    Hearing that call, Luo Ren turned towards the direction of where the voice wasing from. Then he saw a white-haired elf running towards him.


    The other was wearing a silvery-white robe over a ck costume that almost looked like some kind of ninja outfit. But it didn¡¯t appear tacky at all. In fact, it suited the white-haired elf quite well. As if it was a crime if he were to wear an ordinary outfit. He was a great beauty. But even so, no one would doubt that he was a young man. He simply had that kind of face that could easily transcend genders.


    But the thing that caught people¡¯s attention most was his pair of blue eyes dusted in gold. Long white eyshes surrounded his eyes. Their shape was like blooming peach blossoms. Wait- peach blossom?


    Luo Ren stared at the white-haired elf and was stunned to notice that he looked very simr to someone.


    His deceased mother.


    Suddenly, he felt like he was suddenly thrown back into time. The time when his mother was still alive. Being the oldest of their brothers, his memories of their mother were the clearest. Even if he closed his eyes, he could still remember her smiling face. The way she frowns, what she looked like when she¡¯s sad or when she¡¯s happy, just everything.


    And his mother¡¯s face just now ovepped with this white-haired elf¡¯s.


    Luo Yan finally arrived in front of Luo Ren. And he just now only realized that his older brother was looking at him in a daze. If he was not mistaken, he could even see a faint sadness in his eyes.


    He raised his hand and waved it in front of his brother¡¯s face. "Brother?"


    Hearing the familiar call, that¡¯s when Luo Ren finally realized that the one in front of him was not his mother or someone else.


    "Yan Yan?"


    "Did Brother not recognize me?" Luo Yan asked in a joking tone.


    Luo Ren cleared his emotions. He didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to be affected by the mncholy that suddenly suffocated him. After calming himself, he smiled the best way he could.


    "A little bit. It¡¯s because Yan Yan is so pretty."


    Which was true. Now that he looked at Luo Yan properly, if he now turned his hair and eye color to the original ck, this was probably how his brother would have looked like if he didn¡¯t suffer from aa for seven years.


    Now, he was kind of thankful that Luo Yan didn¡¯t immediately turned into this look. Because if he did, then there¡¯s probably already more than a dozen bees and butterflies swarming around him right now.


    As evidence, even now that Luo Yan still looked a bit childish, there¡¯s already an annoying wolf-dog that¡¯s trying to surround him. What more if he looked like this in reality?


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, felt the underlying emotion that Luo Ren was trying to hide behind his smile. Even if he didn¡¯t ask, he already had a guess on what triggered it.


    There¡¯s no doubt that it was because of his game avatar.


    It¡¯s not a secret that he looked simr to their deceased mother. It¡¯s probably not that noticeable in reality because of his still immature face and figure. But in this game avatar, it showed the mature version of himself or what he would look like the moment he passed his growth phase. And the simrities between his appearance and their mother was even more highlighted.


    But since Luo Ren seemed to not want to give him unnecessary worry, Luo Yan chose not to delve into it more.


    "Have you been waiting long?" he just chose to ask.


    "No, I also just got here."


    Then Luo Ren¡¯s gazended on the little ck fox lying on his brother¡¯s shoulder. Three fluffy tails were swishing behind its back and he was looking at him curiously. Yes, he really could find a trace of cleverness in those blue eyes. As if the little fox could understand everything that¡¯s happening around it.


    He stared at the little fox for a few seconds more. The little fox suddenly covered his face with his front paws. Almost as if he was feeling shy after being stared at for so long.


    He raised one of his brows. Does this fox have some sort of awareness? Then he remembered the ¨C what do you call them? ¨C ah, NPCs, that he interacted so far. Almost all of them seemed very spiritual.


    This game was truly an amazing feat in human technology. Everything in this holographic world felt very real. It perfectly engaged a person¡¯s five senses. Making them feel like everything they were experiencing was real. Not only that, the design of the game itself ¨C from the sceneries to the NPCs and to the nts and other beasts were all magical.


    It was no exaggeration to say that entering the game almost felt like going into a different world. Who in their life did not dream of once going to an adventure to another world? It¡¯s especially true for the younger generations who were filled with great imaginations.


    It¡¯s no wonder this game was so loved by many. He was now certain that investing in thepany that made this game wouldn¡¯t be a loss at all. In fact, they would probably gain a lot from it.


    [Mashter, your brother is staring at Eclipse! Does he think Eclipse is the cutest fox in the world?]


    Luo Yan looked at his older brother who was indeed staring at Eclipse. But he could also see that the other was definitely thinking about something and he just happened to look at the direction of Eclipse.


    [Do you want me to ask him?]


    The little fox nodded shyly.


    "Brother, my pet is asking if you think he¡¯s cute," he told his brother.


    Luo Ren was a bit startled by the question. If his brother was talking about a pet, then it could only be the little fox on his shoulder. "Can youmunicate with this fox?"


    Luo Yan nodded. "Because we¡¯re bound with a contract, the two of us could speak with each other through our minds."


    How fascinating. That was the first thought in Luo Ren¡¯s mind. He remembered that he still hadn¡¯t answered his brother¡¯s question. So, he bent down and only stopped when his eyes and the fox¡¯s eyes were on the same level.


    "Yes, I think you¡¯re absolutely cute."

 Chapter 445 buy some new clothes

    [MASHTER, did you hear that? Your brother called Eclipse the cutest!]


    Luo Yan heard Eclipse¡¯s overly excited voice in his mind. [Yes, I heard.]


    [He¡¯s now my fourth favorite person.]


    "Did he say something?" Luo Ren asked when he saw his brother chuckling.


    "He said you¡¯re now his fourth favorite person," Luo Yan said, repeating what Eclipse had said.


    Luo Ren raised one of his brows. "Only the fourth?"


    Eclipse looked tangled when he heard that, as if he was thinking if he could move Luo Ren¡¯s position higher. And then, finally making his decision, he said in Luo Yan¡¯s mind - [Mashter, tell your brother that Eclipse could promote him as long as he could continue being good to Eclipse.]


    "He said he could promote you as long as you continue being good to him," Luo Yan said.


    Luo Renughed when he heard that. "Your pet is not only cute but also very entertaining." The little fox appeared really happy when he heard that. "What name did you give him?"


    "Eclipse. Good name, right?"


    "Yes. Our Yan Yan certainly have better naming sense than Xiao Jin."


    "Brother, I feel a bit insulted having my naming sensepared with Ah Jin."


    "You do have a point there," Luo Ren said amusedly.


    "Then, Brother, how about we test your naming sense?" Luo Yan said. "What¡¯s your game name ount?"


    "Thranduil," Luo Ren answered with a bit of pride in his tone.


    Thrandu- what? Although it¡¯s not funny like Luo Jin¡¯s, it¡¯s definitely quite a mouthful. "Where did you get the name?"


    "He¡¯s Legs¡¯ father from The Hobbit. I did think of using the name Legs but it would be kind of in your face, so I just chose his father."


    Luo Yan felt the corners of his mouth twitching. He was suddenly thankful that his older brother changed his mind and didn¡¯t use ¡¯Legs¡¯. Being an elf and then also using that name was truly a bit overboard. See, even him who was not a fan of the movie franchise and also the books still knew who Legs was. At least this Thranduil was not as equally famous as his elven son.


    "Is it a good name?" Luo Ren asked, his face obviously asking for praise.


    Luo Yan also didn¡¯t want to tease him and just said, "Yes. Truly better than Ah Jin¡¯s."


    "Anything is better than Xiao Jin¡¯s."


    Luo Yan was about to response when he heard a notification sound from his Status Window ¨C meaning that someone sent him a private message. He saw that it was from Yu Jiao and quickly opened it.


    Vulcan: [Yan Yan, what time are you and the others going to Safehaven Harbor? Can I, perhaps, go with you? If it¡¯s not, that¡¯s okay too.]


    Luo Yan felt a bit helpless seeing thest sentence. That was very Yu Jiao. He quickly replied.


    Noctis: [Of course, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll send you a special pass so you can just directly teleport to Yunyue¡¯s headquarters. Then we can just all go Safehaven Harbor together.]


    Vulcan: [This... is this okay? Won¡¯t it be too much trouble?]


    Noctis: [What trouble? You¡¯re my friend, how could it be troublesome? Besides, you¡¯ve already met all my team mates. You know they¡¯re not the kind of people who would think badly of you just because you went to our headquarters with a special pass.]


    After sending that reply, he also sent the special pass to Yu Jiao.


    Vulcan: [Okay, I know. Thank you, Yan Yan.]


    Reading thatst reply, Luo Yan could imagine that Yu Jiao was probably blushing in shyness right now. Hen then sent a message to Luo Jin telling him that Yu Jiao would being to their headquarters.


    "Yan Yan?" Luo Ren called when he noticed that his brother hadn¡¯t responded for quite a while.


    "Oh, sorry. I just answered a message from Jiao Jiao," Luo Yan said. "It might seem like I was just staring into space but there¡¯s a Status Window in front of me. Brother might not know this, but a yer¡¯s Status Window is only visible to themselves."


    Luo Ren didn¡¯t care much about thest part of what Luo Yan said. His attention was all focus on the part where he mentioned Yu Jiao.


    He felt a slight bump in his heart remembering the awkward tall girl with big sses. Then he suddenly realized what Luo Yan reading a message from her meant. "She also ys the game?"


    Luo Yan nodded. "She¡¯s actually quite famous in the game. She¡¯s considered as the number one cksmith in the game. It¡¯s one of the sses here that a yer can choose."


    Luo Ren was a bit surprised hearing that. Being number one in something in this game meant that one should be a hardcore gamer, right? He didn¡¯t really take her for one.


    "Does she often y this game?" he asked a bit worriedly.


    Yu Jiao was already a third-year high school student. It¡¯s the most important and busiest year on a high school student¡¯s life. Because it was the year that they were being readied for the college entrance examination.


    He knew his brothers were ying the game every night. Luo Jin might be overdoing it sometimes. But Luo Yan had never sleptte. He knew that the other had always tried to sleep before nine in the evening. So, they had never worried that the game might be a bad influence on him.


    But what about Yu Jiao?


    Hearing his brother¡¯s question, Luo Yan kind of had an idea on why he asked that. "I¡¯m not really sure. But Brother should not worry. Jiao Jiao has a pretty good ranking in school. She¡¯s very smart. It wouldn¡¯t be hard for her to get admitted to a top university. Besides, I think Jiao Jiao had no problem managing her time appropriately."


    Luo Ren nodded, thinking that his brother had a good point.


    "Why did she sent you a message?" he just thought of asking.


    "She was asking if she could go together with us to Safehaven Harbor. I said yes. We¡¯ll meet her once we arrived at the team¡¯s headquarters."


    Then, Luo Yan suddenly remembered Yu Jiao¡¯s avatar. He nced sideways at Luo Ren. Well, his brother would definitely be in a surprise once he saw Yu Jiao. He decided not to spoil the surprise for him.


    Luo Ren stopped when he heard that they were going to meet Yu Jiao. He looked at his brother¡¯s fancy clothes and then down at his overly normal clothing.


    "Yan Yan, can you apany me to buy some new clothes first?" he asked with a smile.


    Luo Yan turned to his brother and he already had an idea on why the other suddenly asked that. A knowing smile appeared on his lips. "Of course."

 Chapter 446 yu jiao at yunyues hq

    YU JIAO appeared on top of a mountain. The first thing she saw was an ancient pce that looked very simr to the one found at the Forbidden City at the capital of the country.


    So, this was the headquarters of Yunyue.


    The first thing she thought was how could something this big fit the top of this mountain. But then again, this was a holographic world. Anything was possible.


    She used the special pass that Luo Yan sent her to teleport here. She actually didn¡¯t n to ask the other if she could go together with them once they met at Safehaven Harbor. Her original n was just to quietly watch the prelims and cheer for Luo Yan. But for some reason, she suddenly felt lonely thinking of watching the prelims alone.


    If it was before, she probably wouldn¡¯t feel that way. Because she was always alone, she never felt the loneliness that went with it. But now that she made a friend, she finally knew what being lonely meant.


    Even during this national holiday. She had never thought that a week could feel this long. She actually hoped that school would start again so she could talk with Luo Yan.


    The only thing she was thankful about was that she didn¡¯t have to return to Mo household and endured the verbal abuse of her stepsister. The whole family went to a vacation. Of course, that ¡¯family¡¯ did not include her. Although her mother did ask if she wanted to go. But she readily refused. Her time would be better spent crafting weapons in the game. At least here she could earn more money.


    Yu Jiao raised her head and looked again at the pce in front of her. So, how would she enter this ce? Should she just walk inside? Or should she knock and call out to the people inside?


    While she was contemting that, someone had already walked out from the inside of the pce. A ck-haired gnome with a pair of ruby-red eyes. This was only the third time she had seen Luo Jin¡¯s game avatar but she still hadn¡¯t gotten used to it. Because the game of his avatar and how he looked in reality was just simply too big.


    "You¡¯re here. Let¡¯s go inside," Luo Jin said.


    Yu Jiao nodded and followed him.


    The inside of the pce was as majestic as the outside. This was truly the headquarters of a top team. No matter how much people say that Yunyue was a team of fallen champions, no one could argue that this pce showed that they were still indeed a powerhouse.


    Luo Jin led her to a huge hall. There was a round table inside where three people sat - a lion beastkin with bulging muscles, a pink-haired fairy with butterfly wings, and a purple-haired Qilin.


    All three looked in Yu Jiao¡¯s direction the moment she and Luo Jin entered the hall. It made her nervous a bit. Although she did spent time with them during the opening of Luo Yan¡¯s pavilion, she still couldn¡¯t help but be jumpy.


    "Seniors," she greeted.


    "Yu Jiao is here," Bai Ze said. "Come and sit here first while waiting for Xiao Yan to arrive."


    Luo Jin was already sitting beside Su Yuqi. So, Yu Jiao also walked towards the round table and sat on a free seat.


    "Are you going to watch the prelims with us?" Bai Ze asked.


    "Yes. I- I want to cheer on Yan Yan and Luo Jin," she said.


    Speaking of, she wondered why Luo Yan was still not here. Did he somewhere first?


    "That¡¯s good. I bought tickets for a whole VIP box. It could probably seat about 10 people. It would be too big for just the three of us," Bai Ze said.


    "H-how much should I pay?" Yu Jiao asked, she truly thought that she should pay for her seat.


    "You don¡¯t need to," Su Yuqi said. "We don¡¯t mind sharing the box with you. Besides, you¡¯re Luo Yan¡¯s close friend. Making you pay for something like that is in bad form."


    "As much as I hate to agree with Su Yuqi, she¡¯s right. You don¡¯t need to mind too much," Bai Ze seconded.


    "Thank you," Yu Jiao could only say.


    "By the way, Xiao Jin, why is Xiao Yan still not here?"


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ears perked up hearing Bai Ze¡¯s question. He had been wondering since earlier why Luo Yan was still not here. It had only been about two days since hest saw his rabbit and yet it already felt like years. Although they could only meet here in the game, that¡¯s much better than not seeing Luo Yan¡¯s face at all.


    "He¡¯s meeting up with Brother," Luo Jin answered.


    "Brother? Do you mean Brother Ren? Is he also ying the game now?" Bai Ze said, full of unbelieving tone.


    Yu Jiao was startled hearing that. Her mind immediately shed the image of a tall handsome man with a cold atmosphere around him. But once he smiled, the ice around himpletely melted. Then after that, she once again remembered that embarrassing incident involving her undergarments and a nosebleed. Just remembering that scene could heat up her face to the highest temperature.


    She shook her head hard. [Let¡¯s not think about it.]


    Shen Ji Yun was also a bit petrified hearing that. Why was the older brother ying the game now? Did that mean that he not only had to deal with the little gnome from now on but also the older one?


    Shen Ji Yun could already feel how much of a problem that could be. Especially since the older brother was much more of a trouble than the youngest one.


    Before he could hear Luo Jin¡¯s confirmation, the door to the hall opened once again. Luo Yan first entered followed by a tall elf with long blond hair and a pair of green eyes. He was wearing a pristine white robe with small golden leaves delicately embroidered on it.


    But most importantly, his face definitely belonged to the eldest Luo brother.


    Just seeing that face, for some reason, Shen Ji Yun could already feel a headacheing.

 Chapter 447 a handsome man

    LUO REN was feeling surprisingly excited for some unknown reason. No, the reason wasn¡¯t really that unknown. He had an idea on why. He was not just at the point where he could admit it without care.


    He and Luo Yan teleported from that ce called Olkdale. The feeling wasn¡¯t really the best. Like he was suddenly thrown into a roller coaster without his permission. If he had a weak stomach, he would definitely throw up.


    After a few seconds of that, no, it¡¯s probably only a second, he just felt that it¡¯s longer, they arrived at their destination. What he saw first was an ancient jade pce. The only thing he could think of was, what a beautiful architecture.


    "Yan Yan, is this your team¡¯s headquarters?" he asked.


    "Yes. Sister Yuqi was the one who designed it," Luo Yan answered.


    ording to Shen Ji Yun, Su Yuqi was not the one who came up with the idea but one of the two former members of the team. Since Su Yuqi knew how to paint, that person forced her to draw the design of the pce ording to their idea. And thus, this ancient pce was born.


    Luo Ren nodded, remembering that this Su Yuqi was an art student.


    "Shall we go inside?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Let¡¯s go."


    And the two brothers walked inside the pce.


    Luo Ren¡¯s opinion didn¡¯t really change much once they walked inside. The architecture was still top notch. He followed his brother until they reached a huge door. He knew that the people waiting for them were all beyond that door. That¡¯s why as his brother opened the door, he was suddenly filled with anticipation.


    The moment they entered, the first thing he did was to scan the whole area. It seemed to be a big hall. At the center of it was a round table where five people were seating. All of them with varied looks and costumes.


    Of course, he quickly recognized the kid with ck hair and red eyes. Who else could it be but his youngest brother? There was also the guy with red-orange hair and a pair of lion ears on top of his head. It took Luo Ren a few seconds to get pass the color of his hair, eyes, and skin, as well as those ears and tail. Once he did, then he recognized his cousin ¨C Bai Ze.


    Although he didn¡¯t want to, he also recognized the one sitting at the farthest with long dark purple hair and some kind of golden horns on top of his head. That expressionless face could only belong to Shen Ji Yun. Besides, he was the only one staring intently at Luo Yan. That¡¯s already a huge tell.


    The only ones he couldn¡¯t recognize immediately were the tall guy and the six, seven-year-old young girl. The tall guy had messy ck hair and a pair of sharp eyes. Since he didn¡¯t have pointed ears, horns, or animal ears, he most likely belonged to the human race. The girl, on the other hand, had bubblegum-pink hair and butterfly wings behind her back.


    Since she was the only girl here, Luo Ren¡¯s first thoughts was that she was Yu Jiao. But he quickly denied that because of the overwhelming indifference in the girl¡¯s pink eyes. He would probably believe it more if someone told him that this girl was Su Yuqi.


    Could it be that Yu Jiao was still not here?


    That thought waspletely shattered by Luo Yan¡¯s next move.


    "Jiao Jiao!" his brother called running towards the tall guy with messy ck hair. "You¡¯re already here."


    The tall guy shyly nodded.


    Luo Ren felt like he was just struck by lightning on the spot. That expression was so familiar that it felt like that the blinders in his eyes lifted. Making him clearly see the face of the tall ¡¯guy¡¯.


    That handsome visage and that sharp eyes, how could he not immediately see that they were simr to Yu Jiao? Probably mainly because his brain never really registered the possibility that he might see Yu Jiao in this... male form.


    He doesn¡¯t really know how to react on that. He¡¯s not even sure what he¡¯s feeling about it.


    [Mashter, Brother Ren seems to be in shock.]


    Luo Yan heard Eclipse¡¯sment in his mind. He nced back and his older brother did seem shocked. He wasn¡¯t really surprised seeing him like that. After all, he just saw the very handsome male avatar of Yu Jiao. He could imagine how shocking that must have been for him.


    [Brother was probably just too surprised seeing how handsome Jiao Jiao is.] ¨C he just said offhandedly.


    [Mashter refers to Vulcan? Eclipse also thinks that he¡¯s very handsome.]


    "Brother Ren, you¡¯re really here," Bai Ze said, pulling Luo Ren from his thoughts.


    Bai Ze was a bit shocked and astounded. Because his older cousin had never been the type to like any types of video games. Or any games at all for that matter.


    Luo Ren pushed back the surprise he got on seeing Yu Jiao¡¯s game avatar. He walked towards the round table.


    "Look at your reaction. It¡¯s like me being here was such a great miracle," he said to Bai Ze.


    "Because this is you we¡¯re talking about!" Bai Ze eximed. "When we were younger, every time I try to ask you to y video games with me, you always refused."


    "Maybe I just simply don¡¯t want to y with you," Luo Ren said, teasing his cousin a bit.


    "I¡¯d probably do the same if I¡¯m your cousin," Su Yuqi seconded.


    "As if I would ever ask you to y with me," Bai Ze said, rolling his eyes at Su Yuqi.


    "I would," Luo Jin said out of the blue. Then as if realizing his blunder, his whole face suddenly turned bright red. "I mean, I would not mind ying with you two." Realizing again that what he said just sounded stupid, he quickly took it back. "Forget it. I actually didn¡¯t mean anything."


    Su Yuqi looked amusedly at Luo Jin. She leaned over and whispered, " I actually think you¡¯d be a fun ymate."


    Feeling Su Yuqi¡¯s breath on his ear, the tips of Luo Jin¡¯s ears became even redder.


    Luo Ren ignored the shenanigans of the three and simply gazed down at the shy young ¡¯man¡¯ beside him.


    "We met again, Jiao Jiao."

 Chapter 448 different (same) problems

    YU JIAO wanted to squirm on her seat seeing the way Luo Ren gazed down at her. Like she was a mouse and the other was a cat. She couldn¡¯t really describe the feeling. And then hearing him call her ¡¯Jiao Jiao¡¯ in that maic voice of his almost made her ears tingle.


    She didn¡¯t understand why he suddenly called her by her nickname. Especially since after undergarment/nosebleed incident, he started calling her formally by her name. She actually preferred that. At least with that, she wouldn¡¯t feel this weird feeling just because he called her in her nickname.


    She looked down, not daring to look at him. "Mr. Luo."


    For the second time since he entered this hall, Luo Ren was frozen again in ce. ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯? Hearing that very formal call, he just realized that in the short time that Yu Jiao spent in their house, she had never call him in his name.


    But why would she? He was just the older brother of her friend. They barely knew anything about each other. And the only memorable thing between them was that embarrassing incident which ended up with him having a nosebleed. Wasn¡¯t he the weirder one for calling her in such a close manner?


    Now he suddenly felt like some greasy uncle trying to cozy up with a younger girl.


    [Mashter, Brother Ren looked like he just ate a bitter melon.]


    Luo Yan also agreed with the little fox¡¯s observation. He had been secretly watching the two since his older brother greeted Yu Jiao. When Luo Ren greeted Yu Jiao, Luo Yan could see that his brother was genuinely happy to see her. Albeit, very surprised, if he might add. But Yu Jiao, on the other hand, reacted in a very Yu Jiao way ¨C shy and reserved. However, because of that, she appeared a bit distant and uninterested.


    When she called his brother ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯, the look on Luo Ren¡¯s face was simply... wonderful. He probably should help Luo Ren ease his existence to Yu Jiao. So that she wouldn¡¯t be too shy around him anymore.


    Of course, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t do this if his brother was a bad and perverted person. But as luck would have it, his older brother was one of the best persons he knew. And that¡¯s not him being bias at all.


    Yu Jiao was his friend. He wouldn¡¯t just push her to be at ease with someone with bad character and personality. But that¡¯s the extent of what he would do in terms of the rtionship between the two. It¡¯s up to Luo Ren if he could seed being in Yu Jiao¡¯s good graces. His status as a friend didn¡¯t include interfering with the other¡¯s emotion.


    If she ended up liking his older brother, then good for Luo Ren. But if not, then that¡¯s fine too.


    For now, it¡¯s better to ease up the situation first.


    "Brother is only casually ying," Luo Yan said, answering his older cousin¡¯s question.


    He sat down on Yu Jiao¡¯s right side while Eclipse jumped to the table and satfortably. His seat was directly opposite Shen Ji Yun who happened to be looking at his direction. Their eyes met and Luo Yan gave him a smile. The other also smiled back. It was only a slightly curving of his lips, but Luo Yan clearly saw it.


    Luo Ren, who finally recovered, sat down on the left of Yu Jiao¡¯s seat. "Tianhua Group is nning to invest on an iing project of Moonlight Media. I¡¯m the one in-charge of that. So, I came here today to check on how things in this game work," he added to what Luo Yan said.


    "Wow. I suddenly realized that Brother Ren is now a working adult," Bai Ze said.


    "That¡¯s a very stupidment," Su Yuqi jibed.


    Bai Ze chose to ignore that. Primarily because it was indeed a stupidment. But there was no way he would admit that. So, he could only ask, "When did Uncle Tian and Uncle Mu meet to decide on this business venture?"


    "We ¡¯coincidentally¡¯ met him and Shen Ji Yun during our vacation in Chengdu," Luo Jin answered. He bit on the word ¡¯coincidentally¡¯ because he still couldn¡¯t believe that Shen Ji Yun really just happened to be there at the same time as their family.


    Bai Ze turned to Shen Ji Yun, feeling a bit weird. "You went to Chengdu?"


    "Yes, me and Uncle went there to rx a bit," Shen Ji Yun said with no expression on his face.


    That sounded even weirder in Bai Ze¡¯s ears. In all the years that he had known Shen Ji Yun, the other¡¯s idea of rxation was to stay at home to either read or exercise. When did it change to going somece else?


    Luo Yan almost couldn¡¯t resist the urge tough. Shen Ji Yun was just such a bad liar that anyone who knew him well would see that he was lying. Just look at Bai Ze¡¯s unbelieving expression.


    He decided to change the topic before the people here punctured Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lie.


    "By the way, Brother Ze, have you and Xiao Ye received the souvenirs I sent over?" he asked.


    Just as expected, Bai Ze¡¯s attention was quickly transferred.


    "You bought us souvenirs? Aw... Xiao Yan is so sweet," Bai Ze said looking at his younger cousin as if he¡¯s an angel. "No package has been delivered yet. Maybe it will arriveter this afternoon. What did you buy for us?"


    "Brother Ze should just wait until you see the package yourself or else it would lose the sense of surprise," Luo Yan said with a smile. Then he added, looking at the only two women in the room, "I also bought one for Sister Yuqi and Jiao Jiao."


    "Thank you, Luo Yan," Su Yuqi said with a small smile on her lips. She hadn¡¯t received any package like Bai Ze. It would probably also be sent to her houseter.


    "Thank you, Yan Yan," Yu Jiao said, also with a rare smile on her face.


    "You¡¯re wee." Luo Yan turned to Yu Jiao. "I¡¯ll give your souvenir once school starts."


    Although one of the three Luo brothers were having fun discussing about souvenirs with the others, the other two were each thinking of a problem. Their problems were different but also essentially the same.


    [How should I tell Su Yuqi that I also bought her a souvenir?] ¨C Luo Jin.


    [How should I give Jiao Jiao the souvenir I bought for her?] ¨C Luo Ren.

 Chapter 449 discussing the theme

    AFTER that short introductory moment, the people in the hall of team Yunyue¡¯s headquarters started talking about the uing prelims.


    "The theme of the prelims for the Rookie Carnival changes every year," Shen Ji Yun started. "But those different themes only had one goal. To reduce the number of participants. Then those who are left willpete, tournament style, at the end of the month. Naturally, the one remaining standing will be the champion."


    "Last year, the prelims¡¯ theme was a survival of the fittest race," Bai Ze followed. "If I remember correctly, there were about a thousand or so participants. They were sent to an ind where they had to race against each other and only the first 16 could proceed to the final tournament."


    Luo Yan¡¯s interest was aroused when he heard that. "Was it just a simple race or were the participants allowed to eliminate the other participants?"


    "They¡¯re allowed to. Or else it wouldn¡¯t be that entertaining," Su Yuqi answered.


    Luo Yan actually already expected that answer. Or else it wouldn¡¯t be called ¡¯survival of the fittest race¡¯. He could already imagine how fun that was. Now he was starting to wonder what the theme this year was.


    Luo Ren, on the other hand, frowned when he heard all that. His first thought was that this prelims thing might be dangerous for Luo Yan. Although this was only a holographic game, he knew that a yer could still a bit of pain whenever they were attacked. He personally felt that when he was doing the beginner¡¯s task to leave the Origin Vige. Although the pain wasn¡¯t really that much, almost like a light p, he still couldn¡¯t bear the thought of Luo Yan being hurt.


    But then he remembered the promise he made with his brother and he knew that if he said something now, Luo Yan might hate him. And that¡¯s something, he¡¯d rather not let happen. So, he could only listen on and hope that whatever theme this prelims would have, it would be much saferpared to that ofst year.


    "What¡¯s the theme of this year¡¯s prelims?" Luo Yan asked.


    Bai Ze shrugged. "I haven¡¯t heard anything actually. What I did hear was that the number of participants had doubled. That¡¯s why they made it a two-day preliminary."


    Seeing the excitement on Luo Yan¡¯s face, Shen Ji Yun suddenly regretted that he hadn¡¯t asked his uncle about the theme of the uing prelims. At least then he would be able to answer his question. It was because his brain was filled with Chengdu and finally seeing Luo Yan again in reality that he totally erased the Rookie Carnival in his mind.


    Then when they returned, he and his uncle had that talk about Uncle Yue. The thought of the Rookie Carnival evaded his mind once again. He only really remembered it when he logged into the game today.


    Even if he asked Brother Zhao about it, it wouldn¡¯t really make much difference. Since it was since the whole event would start in about an hour or so. But he still probably should have asked.


    "Shall I ask one of the developers?" he asked tentatively.


    Bai Ze nced at his friend weirdly. Although he was d that Shen Ji Yun was treating Luo Yan pretty well, he was still surprised on how good he treated him. Just like now, Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t hesitate to ask if he should inquire what the theme of the prelims just because his cousin asked.


    That was definitely not something this expressionless friend of his would do. Heck, they¡¯d been friends for years and not once did he experience such benefits. Because of that, a seed of doubt started to sprout in his heart. Was there any other reason why Shen Ji Yun was being so kind to Luo Yan? Aside, of course, from the obvious reasons that his cousin was an adorable angel and an absolute cutie.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. I just asked casually. I think it¡¯s still better to be surprised," Luo Yan said, smiling at Shen Ji Yun. Then he turned to his younger brother. "You feel the same way too, right, Ah Jin?"


    Luo Jin was a bit startled hearing his name called. He actually didn¡¯t hear Luo Yan¡¯s question because he was still busy thinking of how he should open up to Su Yuqi the topic of the souvenir he bought for her.


    But since it was his second brother asking, he just automatically said, "Yes."


    He then nced secretly at Su Yuqi who happened to also nce at him. His body almost shook because of the surprise. His body moved on its own and quickly nced away. As if he had done something shameful. He bit back a curse, thinking how stupid he might have looked.


    Unknown to him, Su Yuqi actually found his action amusing, even a little bit adorable, in fact. Especially after seeing his reddened ear tip. She wondered just how much amusing and adorable he could be.


    [Mashter, are we going to fight together during this preliminary?] ¨C Eclipse asked, turning around to face his master.


    [No, I¡¯ll leave you with your favorite Captain during the prelims.]


    The little fox quickly showed an aggrieved expression when he heard that. [Why? Does Mashter think that Eclipse is unreliable and won¡¯t be able to help you?]


    Luo Yan smiled helplessly and rubbed his pet¡¯s fluffy head. [Of course not. I just think that Eclipse doesn¡¯t need to fight on a simple preliminary round. You¡¯re so mighty and powerful. You should only fight during the finals. You¡¯re my secret weapon, after all.]


    Eclipse¡¯s face immediately brightened. [Yes, Eclipse is indeed very mighty and powerful.] Then his expression suddenly turned worried. [But would Mashter reached the finals?]


    Luo Yan smiled darkly and pinched the little fox¡¯s cheek. [Are you doubting your master?]


    Eclipse appeared like all the hair behind his back just stood up. Obviously, very afraid by his master¡¯s smile. [No, Eclipse doesn¡¯t! Of course, Mashter is the best! Mashter will definitely be the champion!]


    Luo Yan finally showed his usual bright smile. [Yes, I will.]


    And soon, it was finally time to head to Safehaven Harbor.

 Chapter 450 arriving at safehaven harbor

    SAFEHAVEN Harbor was located at the eastern coast of Arcadia. As its name suggested, this was a neutral zone. Just like the four major cities in Arcadia, fighting amongst yers were not allowed here.


    This was the only harbor in Arcadia. In normal times, it offered trips for the yers. They could go to the harbor and rent ships. There were even luxury cruise ships. For those who couldn¡¯t afford but still wanted to cruise the seas of Arcadia, they could simply go and choose the economy ss ship. That¡¯s why the harbor was always filled with a decent number of yers.


    But today was different. The harbor didn¡¯t only have a decent number of yers, it was almost filled to the brim. Why? Because today it became a special venue for the participants of this year¡¯s Rookie Carnival. Their journey to the tournament finals would begin here.


    Because of that, there were NPCs around that were there to control the whole situation so as to not cause stampede or any kind ofmotion. Because not only the participants would need to be here, those who wanted to watch the prelims on the exact venue needed to also pass by here first.


    A lot of conversations were going around. Most of it were simply about the theme of this uing preliminary. On the entrance of the harbor, all conversations suddenly stopped because of a group of yers who teleported there.


    Two were male elves, one with blond hair and the other with unusual white hair. Both have extraordinary appearance, one handsome and the other beautiful. Thetter was obviously one of the newly added special races. Beside them was a ck-haired gnome. With just his hair and eye color, one could also quickly tell that he¡¯s from a special race.


    But the ones who truly attracted the attention of the yers near there were the remaining four of the seven. One was more famous than the other. Morganite, White Marsh, and YUN ¨C members of team Yunyue. Even though almost everyone was mocking them as ¡¯fallen champions¡¯, nobody could take away the fact that they were the first team to win the Arcadia Cup. Besides, all three were on the PvP leaderboards of their ss.


    Then there was the remaining male yer with messy ck hair and sharp ck eyes, constantly fidgeting on the side. Who else could it be but the number one cksmith in the game ¨C Vulcan?


    "That¡¯s team Yunyue, right? What are they doing here?"


    "Shouldn¡¯t the question be what is Vulcan doing with them?"


    "Could it be that he joined Yunyue?"


    "What nonsense! Everyone knows that Vulcan can¡¯t fight. What could he do in Yunyue?"


    "You¡¯re the one talking nonsense. Even if he couldn¡¯t fight, he could create personalized weapons and essories for them. Who doesn¡¯t know that Vulcan¡¯s weapons are the best?"


    Luo Ren who happened to hear all of these. He didn¡¯t expect that Yu Jiao was really famous. And not just famous, she was also the number one cksmith. Although he still couldn¡¯tpletely understand the whole dynamics of this game, having people call you ¡¯number one¡¯ must be something.


    He nced at Yu Jiao. As he expected, the other was blushing. She most likely also heard the things the yers around them were saying. He still wasn¡¯t used to seeing her in this male form. But looking at that blush, the effect it gave him was still the same.


    He walked beside Yu Jiao and whispered, "Jiao Jiao seems to be really famous."


    He actually thought of reverting back to calling her ¡¯Yu Jiao¡¯. But he felt like if he did, this barrier between them would never be broken. So, he would just continue to be shameless.


    Yu Jiao¡¯s blush intensified even more when she heard what Luo Ren said. "N-no. I¡¯m not that f-famous."


    "You¡¯re just the best cksmith, right?"


    It seemed impossible but Yu Jiao¡¯s face turned even redder. "N-no, I¡ª" she stopped when she saw the smile on Luo Ren¡¯s face. "Please, don¡¯t tease me."


    Luo Ren wanted to tease her more but stopped when he heard the content of the following conversations.


    "But who are the other three?"


    "I don¡¯t know the blond elf and that gnome, but I have seen that white-haired elf."


    "That¡¯s Noctis, right? the new member of Yunyue?"


    "What? The moon elf that¡¯s being paired with YUN? It was all over the forum."


    "I saw that forum post too! What do they call their CP?"


    "It¡¯s NightCloud CP!"


    Shen Ji Yun straightened his back and pushed out his chest when he heard those. He even looked a bit proud. Deep inside, he was really happy. Why wouldn¡¯t he when he heard the people around recognizing his pairing with Luo Yan.


    If he was happy, then the eldest and youngest Luo brother felt theplete opposite. What NightCloud CP? Both looked at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s direction. Luo Ren narrowed his eyes and Luo Jin directly red.


    It was a good thing that they couldn¡¯t read through Shen Ji Yun¡¯s expressionless face. Or else, they would really want to beat him up.


    But unlike the two, Bai Ze could perfectly see that his friend was very happy right now. He had also seen that forum post. But he didn¡¯t think much of it. But should he really be worried? His doubts just grew even more. Maybe he should ask Shen Ji Yun straightforwardly to clear his doubts.


    [Mashter, Mashter, why do your brothers look like they hate Captain?]


    Because of Eclipse¡¯s question, Luo Yan had to look at his brothers and Shen Ji Yun. His brothers indeed were looking at Shen Ji Yun as if he had kicked their puppy or something. He also heard what the yers around had been saying. So, he quickly understood why his brothers were giving Shen Ji Yun the stinky eyes again.


    He was nning to say something to diffuse the situation but Su Yuqi was much faster than him.


    "It¡¯s almost 12 now. Let¡¯s stop wasting time here and just go towards where the ships are docked," she said.


    Everyone agreed and walked forward.

 Chapter 451 getting on the galleon

    "TO those participating in the Rookie Carnival, please proceed forward. And to those who are nning to watch the preliminary and already had a ticket, please go to the right," a female NPC said.


    Luo Yan looked at both direction that the NPC mentioned. Going forward, there were already lines of people in front of a very huge ship. It was designed not like a modern ship but like a galleon. There was no doubt that this was the ship that would bring them to the venue of the prelims.


    On the right, there was a teleportation portal. He saw a yer entering the portal disappearing, most likely teleporting to the venue of the prelims. Luo Yan guessed that this portal would automatically detect the presence of the prelims¡¯ ticket in the yer¡¯s Items Tab. If not, then wouldn¡¯t that mean that those who didn¡¯t have tickets could just go directly to the venue using the portal? How could the game developers do something so careless?


    "I guess we¡¯ll have to separate here," Luo Yan started.


    "Yan Yan, good luck!" Yu Jiao said. Then, as if remembering that Luo Jin would also participate in the prelims. "Ahm, good luck to you too, Luo Jin."


    Luo Yan almost chuckled at Yu Jia¡¯s obvious gaffe. "Thank you, Jiao Jiao."


    Luo Jin only nodded and didn¡¯t mind that the other obviously forgotten him.


    Although Luo Ren was also quite amused by Yu Jiao, he still faced his brothers. "You two, try your best not to get hurt, okay? And," he put one hand on Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder and the other on Luo Jin¡¯s head (because his avatar was too short). "Well, I guess, win."


    "Brother, don¡¯t you think your words are putting too much pressure on us?" Luo Jin said, removing his brother¡¯s paw on his hair.


    "What, is Xiao Jin pressured, then?" Luo Ren asked, raising one of his brows.


    He actually wasn¡¯t nning to say that. But, considering his brothers¡¯ characters, if he said something along the lines of ¡¯it¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t win¡¯, he was sure these two would definitely not like that. And based on their expression right now, he definitely did choose right.


    Luo Jin scoffed. "How could that be possible? We¡¯ll definitely win."


    "I second that," Luo Yan quickly followed with a grin.


    "It¡¯s good to be confident," Bai Ze said, nodding his head in appreciation of his cousins¡¯ confidence. "I¡¯m sure the two of you will do great."


    "Make sure to watch out for any sneak attacks," Su Yuqi reminded. Then she turned to Luo Jin. "And you, try not to lose your temper."


    The little gnome¡¯s face suddenly turned red. "Who¡ª" he stopped before he said anything stupid. Like ¡¯your whole family lose their temper¡¯ for example. That would definitely be too embarrassing. "Thank you. I- I¡¯ll try my best not to lose my temper."


    Luo Ren looked interestingly at the two ¡¯children¡¯. He remembered how Luo Yan teased their youngest about this Su Yuqi sometimes. And it seemed that this girl actually had some understanding of Luo Jin. In terms of chasing people, maybe he had more hope than him ¨C he thought while giving the handsome ¡¯guy¡¯ beside him a nce.


    [Mashter, are you going to leave Eclipse here now?] ¨C Eclipse asked, sounding very said as if he was about to be abandoned.


    [Yes. I¡¯ll leave you with your favorite Captain.] ¨C Luo Yan said.


    Then the whole face of the little fox suddenly brightened. [Then Eclipse will wait with Captain and we will watch as you win!]


    Eclipse joyfully jumped from his shoulder to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms. The other easily managed to catch the little fox. Maybe because he had done it a lot of times already.


    Luo Yan stared at this scene and just shook his head helplessly. At this point, he was already used to Eclipse¡¯s favorability towards Shen Ji Yun.


    "Brother Ji Yun, can I temporarily leave Eclipse to you?" he asked.


    "Of course," Shen Ji Yun answered. He stared at Luo Yan. He was actually waiting for a chance to speak. But the other kept on getting ahead of him. Now, Eclipse had finally given him his chance to say what he wanted. Really, what a good fox. "Yan Yan, I¡¯ll be cheering on you. You will definitely win."


    He actually wanted to say more. But he felt like this was enough to convey his feelings.


    And he was right. That was enough for Luo Yan to feel his sincerity and his belief that he would win.


    "Thank you, Brother Ji Yun," he said, an uncontroble smile appearing on his face.


    [Yes, Captain is right!] ¨C Eclipse didn¡¯t forget to agree to his favorite captain.


    Luo Yan rubbed the little fox¡¯s fluffy head.


    And then he and Luo Jin walked towards the direction of the huge galleon.


    After lining up for 15 minutes, the Luo brothers finally were able to go up the ship. Luo Yan actually thought that it would be much longer before they could even get on the ship. But he saw how strict the NPCs in charged were. That¡¯s probably why everything moved in a very orderly manner.


    The two of them picked a spot to stand on the deck. A spot where there was nothing hindering their view of the ocean.


    "Why do we have to get on this ship instead of just using a teleportation portal like the audience?" Luo Jin said.


    "For the fanfare, I guess. I heard this whole thing will be broadcasted live. Maybe the broadcast would begin with the participants getting on this ship," Luo Yan answered.


    It¡¯s really hard to tell, considering how there weren¡¯t any cameras floating around them right now. But this was a holographic world. Everything could be recorded one way or the other.


    "What could they see while were on this ship anyway?" Luo Jin said with a scoff.


    "Maybe someone would pick a fight with someone. I think that would be interesting if it¡¯s caught in the camera."


    Luo Yan just finished saying that when a voice suddenly spoke behind them.


    "Are you the one they called ¡¯Noctis¡¯?"


    Luo Yan turned around and saw a male elf. Not just an ordinary elf but an elf with long ck hair, a pair of blue-ck eyes, and grayish-blue skin.


    And his expression was not very friendly.

 Chapter 452 meeting someone familiar

    LUO YAN stared at this unusual looking elf who¡¯s staring daggers at him and he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that he had seen him somewhere. If he got passed the grayish-blue skin, this male elf was actually quite pretty with a slender body and fine facial features. And that feeling that he had seen that face lingered in his mind for the second time.


    "Do you need something?" he asked.


    The male elf snorted derisively. Luo Yan was sure that the next thing that woulde out of his mouth would be no good. But before the other could speak, a male beastkin suddenly appeared beside the unusual looking elf.


    The beastkin had ck round ears on top of his equally ck hair. Behind him was a ck tail simr to that of a cat¡¯s. This guy was probably a panther beastkin. He was tall and lithe. He had this carefree aura around him, as if nothing could ever trouble him.


    "Sorry, my friend here didn¡¯t mean to disturb you. He¡¯s just cranky and alwayse off as rude," the panther beastkin said with a hippy smile.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Judging by the way the elf was ring at him earlier and how he transferred that re to the beastkin, he truly doubted that. In fact, he believed that the elf was indeed antagonistic towards him.


    "Liang Sen, what do you think you¡¯re doing?" the elf shouted at the beastkin he called ¡¯Liang Sen¡¯.


    Liang Sen nced at the elf and whispered to him, "I could say the same thing to you! I know you¡¯re annoyed these days because of Huang Wen, but venting your anger on an unrted person is not only childish, it¡¯s also very mean. I already told you that this will be broadcasted live. If you pick a fight here for no reason, you will surely be known as a viin. Especially since the person you¡¯re picking a fight with already had a number of fans. Do you want that?"


    Although this Liang Sen whispered to the elf, Luo Yan still captured some of it. Particrly the name ¡¯Huang Wen¡¯. He only knew one person with that name. His ssmate who was particrly a jerk at first. But thenter, he realized that the other wasn¡¯t really that bad. He just had his own misconceptions about him and Luo Jin. Making him antagonistic towards him at first.


    After hearing that name, he finally remembered where he had seen the elf. His face was the same as that of the teenager who once pushed him out of the elevator in school. As revenge, he tripped him. Things would have probably gone more chaotic if not for Huang Wen and Yu Jiao appearing at the same time.


    Having the same face as that pretty boy teenager and with this Liang Sen mentioning Huang Wen, it was safe to say that they were probably the same person. What was his name again?


    Yi- Yang- ah! Ying Chen.


    Luo Yan was indeed correct. This elf was that Ying Chen.


    Ying Chen had been in a bad mood in a couple of days now because of his childhood friend Huang Wen. It all started before the start of the one-week National holiday. Huang Wen told him out of the blue that that Luo Yan brat was cute. His hair almost blew up when he heard that.


    He still hadn¡¯t forgotten that incident when that brat tripped him in front of so many people. And the worst of all, Huang Wen chose to side with that brat instead of him.


    Hearing Huang Wen say that he thought the brat was cute was almost thest straw. He quarreled with Huang Wen and he had been in a bad mood since.


    And now, in this game where he could let out all his frustration, he suddenly saw someone who looked like that brat Luo Yan. He heard from the people around that this elf was called ¡¯Noctis¡¯. Looking at the white-haired elf was like he was looking at that grown-up version of that brat. In terms of appearance, the other was better than him in every angle. How could he not be annoyed?


    His mind just nked and before he knew it, he was already walking towards the other. He just wanted to find someone to vent his anger on.


    It never urred to him that the other was the real Luo Yan. He heard how overprotective the Luo family was over that brat. There¡¯s no way they would allow him to y this violent game. This elf here probably just had some features simr to that brat and then used the maximum beautification, that¡¯s why he looked like this. Even so, Ying Chen couldn¡¯t help but transfer his annoyance of Luo Yan to this elf.


    But Liang Sen really just had to intervene. Now, he was regretting a bit why he agreed on going to this Rookie Carnival with the other. But then again, Liang Sen did have a point. Even though he knew he wouldn¡¯t be easily recognized because of how the special race he got looked, he still didn¡¯t want to be called a viin.


    So, at the end, he could only snort and walked away. Of course, not before giving the white-haired elf onest stinky eye.


    "Sorry about that," Liang Sen said apologetically before running after Ying Chen.


    "What the heck was that about?" Luo Jin said.


    He was actually about to shot that elf if he tried to attack his second brother. It¡¯s a shame that someone came to stop the elf¡¯s unreasonableness or else the other would have been swimming on the sea now.


    Luo Yan shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe he just had something against beautiful people."


    After all, he had once been attacked by that guy one for no reason. And now, he was antagonistic towards him for no reason again.


    Luo Jin only looked at him with eyes silently telling him ¡¯how narcissistic can you be?¡¯.


    Luo Yan ignored that and just said, "By the way, that guy is probably from the same school as us."


    Luo Jin¡¯s eyes widened, obviously shocked hearing that. "What? Do you think he recognized me?"


    Luo Yan looked at his younger brother from head to toe. "I highly doubt it."


    Luo Jin was about to response when a loud horn suddenly sounded. And it was followed by an announcement;


    [Dear yers participating in the Rookie Carnival, we¡¯re now about to depart!]

 Chapter 453 a storm is coming

    AFTER that announcement, the huge galleon started to move. Luo Yan looked across the wide blue sea and felt the breeze blowing. He gazed down at his brother and saw that the other already jumped and sat on the railing of the ship. Probably so he could see the view of the ocean more clearly.


    Luo Yan was a bit disappointed. He was nning on teasing Luo Jin, asking him if he wanted to be carried so he could see the ocean view more properly. He didn¡¯t expect that before he could do that, the other had already found a way on his own. He sighed. And here he thought he could hug up his brother like a big doll.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Luo Jin asked after seeing his brother¡¯s weird look.


    "Nothing. I just think that Ah Jin is so cute," Luo Yan said with a smile.


    Luo Jin only gave him a sideway nce. He had already been getting used to Luo Yan¡¯s teasing. If he always felt embarrassed every time the other teased him, then he would be wearing a red face most of the time.


    "That gray-skinned elf earlier, is he your ssmate?" he just asked instead.


    He knew that his brother didn¡¯t interact much with students from another ss or year. If Luo Yan recognized that elf despite his skin color, then he must have interacted with his brother quite a lot. The only thing he could think of why was because they saw each other every day in the ssroom.


    "No. He¡¯s a friend of Huang Wen. You know him, right?"


    Luo Jin frowned. He almost forgot that Luo Yan was in the same ss as that annoying guy, Huang Wen. "How did you be acquainted with the friend of that guy?"


    "He visited our ss one time. He left quite an impression," Luo Yan said, straightforwardly lying.


    If he told Luo Jin that incident about Ying Chen pushing him out of the elevator, he was sure that this brother of his would directly go to the other right now and most likely shot him with his gun. Then once school started, Luo Jin would definitely find trouble for Ying Chen.


    Not that he didn¡¯t care about what happened then. But he had already taken his revenge by tripping Ying Chen. And it¡¯s not as if the other kept troubling him after that. In fact, if he didn¡¯t encounter him today, he would have already forgotten about that incident. So, really, it¡¯s not worth it for Luo Jin to make trouble just because of that.


    Luo Jin frowned even more. He felt like Luo Yan was not telling him the whole thing. But knowing his second brother, if he didn¡¯t want to tell him something, then there¡¯s no use to force him.


    Remembering how that elf earlier was seemed to dislike Luo Yan, something definitely happened between the two. But considering how the two of them were always together in school, aside from ss hours, if he encountered a problem with that guy, he should have known about it.


    Should he ask Yu Jiao about it?


    Before he could decide on whether he should do that or not, a voice suddenly sounded from above them.


    "Wee to my ship, Poseidon!"


    Everyone looked up and saw a burly man wearing some kind of pirate costume. But not just some pirate costume but a pirate captain¡¯s costume. He also had an eyepatch toplete the whole ¡¯pirate¡¯ theme. He was standing on the highest point of the ship, staring down at all of them with a sinister grin on his face.


    "I¡¯m Captain Roger and I¡¯m entrusted to deliver the lot of you to Four-Seasons Ind," he started. "But not all of you can arrive there safely," he added meaningfully. "So, do your best to survive until we reach our destination!"


    Then the captain disappeared. But not before smiling sinisterly at them, as if he couldn¡¯t wait to watch their suffering.


    As expected, most of the yers who was standing on the deck panicked after they heard what the NPC, Captain Roger, said.


    "What does that NPC mean?"


    "He said not all of us could arrive at our destination. Will we be forced to fight one another here?"


    When the yers heard that, they looked at each other guardingly. Some even put up a protective stance.


    "Stop making yourself panic for no reason. If that were truly the case, then that NPC would have already told us to fight each other."


    "What shall we do then?"


    Luo Yan watched everything calmly. He didn¡¯t panic like everyone else. What¡¯s the use of it? Panicking would not give anyone result.


    "Yan, what do you think?" Luo Jin asked beside him.


    "I also don¡¯t think we¡¯re supposed to fight each other. But it¡¯s certain that there would be other things that would help reduce our numbers," Luo Yan said. "In one way, the preliminary has already started."


    "Without even telling us?" Luo Jin asked incredulously.


    "Maybe Captain Roger¡¯s words were the game¡¯s way of telling us that this is the beginning," Luo Yan shrugged.


    Luo Jin tsked. "This pit game."


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t agree more.


    Then he noticed that the wind blowing was bing stringer and stronger. To the point that if he didn¡¯t stand properly, he would be blown off for sure. Then after that, he heard the rumbling of the sea and the sky. The calm tide started to be turbulent. The blue sky turned dark and lightning shed. Then, heavy rain started to fall.


    "A storm ising," Luo Yan said while looking up at the sky.


    Inside the VIP room of a prism shaped crystal building that was floating on top of the Four-Seasons Ind, five people and one fox were staring intently at the huge virtual screen on top of them.


    Everyone who bought the tickets for the preliminary game was inside this crystal building. Depending on the ticket, one could watch everything inside a huge private room with an equally huge virtual screen or they could watch it inside a small room with a small screen.


    But one thing wasmon, they could choose which yer the wanted to watch.


    And right now, inside this VIP room, they were all staring at a pair of elf and gnome on the screen.

 Chapter 454 the storm continues

    TORRENTIAL rain kept pouring down. The wind was howling like some ghost call from the underworld. Streaks of lightning were shing across the dark sky. The sound of thunder booming was like the melody of an impending doom. The was rumbling. It¡¯s almost like Poseidon and Zeus decided to work together to produce this unrelenting storm.


    And at the center of it all was a ship.


    The violent waves kept on hitting the ship from both sides. The yers on board the ship felt like it would topple over any minute now. Especially those who were left on the deck when the storm began. In fact, a number of yers had already fallen overboard. Most of them were those who was unprepared for the sudden arrival of this storm.


    Many of them tried to get on board but only a handful managed to do it. The swept away by the waves and drowned. Many saw them turned into small light particles. Which what usually happened once a yer¡¯s HP turned zero. Because this ship was the only one that could take them to the Four-Seasons Ind, once a yer died at the middle of the journey, then they¡¯re out of the Rookie Carnival.


    Realizing that, the yers on the deck finally understood that this might really be the beginning of the preliminary. They probably should have realized that the moment that pirate NPC appeared and told them to survive until they reached their destination. It was especially true for those who were eliminated.


    But the possibility of falling on the ocean wasn¡¯t the only problem the yers had to face. They also had to face the probability of being hit by lightning.


    In fact, a lot of yers had already been hit and quickly turned into small light particles. All the yers here were at least level 80 or above. Meaning their HPs were quite substantial. But the fact that a yer could be eliminated just by a single hit of lightning showed just how strong that lightning was.


    The yers on the deck who were trying their best not to be thrown overboard the ship. And then someone shouted;


    "Let¡¯s go inside the ship!"


    It was as if everyone just came back to their senses. And they scampered to run inside. After all, it was indeed much safer to be inside than outside. Which only made the situation worse. A stampeded almost happened and most were thrown to the sea. Because they cluttered together, once a lightning struck, a lot were affected and turned into light particles.


    If that wasn¡¯t enough, when someone tried to open the door, they found that it was close. When they tried to open the door by force, even using weapons, it still didn¡¯t budge. What¡¯s worse was there wasn¡¯t even a damage on the wooden door. Which could only mean one thing ¨C yers were not allowed to damage the ship. That made the yers on the deck panicked even more.


    "Open the door! Can you hear us!"


    "Hey! I know you can hear us!"


    "Shit!"


    These things didn¡¯t concern Luo Yan who entered the ship with Luo Jin as early as the first drop of rain fell.


    He nced at the yers guarding the door and preventing those yers outside from entering. Then he looked at a male yer with curly golden hair and a worried look on his face. His golden hair indicated that he¡¯s from the Angel race. His pristine white clothes perfectly matched that. But his angelic countenance was theplete opposite of his character.


    If one looked at him, they might thing that he¡¯s worried about the yers outside. Especially because of his soft facial features and petite stature. It gave people the illusion that he was someone pure and innocent. But it¡¯s nothing more than that ¨C an illusion.


    Because this guy was the one who instigate those yers to lock the door and prevent the yers on the deck from entering. He¡¯s like an evil Uriel ¨C that guy from team Celestials. Maybe they would recruit this one after the Carnival was over. After all, they only ept Angels.


    "I really want to punch the heck out of that guy."


    He heard Luo Jin grumbling. He nced down and saw his brother ring at the direction of the Angel.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t agree more. He also had the urge to beat the guy up. Because he witnessed the process of him instigating those yers to lock the door. He did it so seamlessly that if one wasn¡¯t paying attention, they might not discover it. Especially in this kind of situation where almost everyone was simply panicking.


    He first stood at the most crowded spot. Then he said to the yer beside him that they should call the people on the deck. So that they wouldn¡¯t be thrown to the sea because of the storm. That they needed to reach the Four-Seasons Ind because they were all participants of the Rookie Carnival. It wouldn¡¯t be good if they were eliminated here.


    A lot of yer were inspired by what he said and proceeded on locking the door. If not for that instigation veiled in worry, it would probably take a while before a yer thought of doing that.


    That kind of maniption might work on others, but not on Luo Yan. He knew what a maniption was when he saw one. After all, he often did that when situation needed him to. But his kind of maniption was harmless at best. That guy, on the other hand, do it because he enjoyed it. As evidence of the small smile that crossed his lips when the other yers locked the door. Luo Yan truly disliked that type.


    "Do you want to open the door then?" he asked his brother.


    "Nah. It¡¯s their fault for not being more alert. They should have gone inside the moment it started raining," Luo Jin said. "Look at us, we¡¯re pretty far from the entrance of the ship but we still managed to go here ahead of them."


    Luo Yan also thought the same. Besides that, if they really tried to open the door, they had to go through those line of yers surrounding it. Someone already did so earlier and it didn¡¯t end good for them.


    They were the ones who received damage instead of the yer they tried to attack. That small incident showed them that during their time on this ship, they were not allowed to attack another yer. Not only that, when that yer tried to take a potion to regain their lost HP, he wasn¡¯t able to.


    Seeing that, Luo Yan also tried to open his Items Tab. He could open it but the only thing he could take out was his weapon.


    So, right now, the known rules were; one, they were not allowed to attack another yer and two, they couldn¡¯t use any other items aside from their weapons.


    He hadn¡¯t tested yet if he could use his skills. But he hoped that he could just in case a sea monster appearedter. With this game, you just never know.


    With those rules, who would try to save those yers on the deck? Luo Yan was not some holy father who would save anyone in need. He might do something if Luo Jin was one of the yers outside, he would definitely do something. But unlucky for them, that was not the case.


    Luo Yan could still hear the howling of the wind outside. It seemed like this storm wouldn¡¯t end anytime soon.

 Chapter 455 passing the storm

    INSIDE the VIP room where team Yunyue was ¨C well, half of the team, two others, and a small fox ¨C everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the huge virtual screen in front of them. They were following the progress of two participants in the Rookie Carnival. Of course, who could the two be other than Luo Yan and Luo Jin.


    "It¡¯s a good thing that Xiao Yan and Xiao Jin had presence of mind to run inside the ship before the storm began," Bai Zemented.


    Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t agree more. When he saw the change in weather, he knew that something was about to happen. Luo Yan was standing on the deck. If something indeed happened, considering how they were in the open sea, his rabbit would definitely be one of the most affected.


    That¡¯s why when he saw him running inside the ship with the little gnome, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief. But he knew things were barely even starting. He was sure that Luo Yan would face a lot more dangerous situation before the ship reach its destination. He just hoped that he could safely get passed all of that.


    He was just d that the game made it so that those who bought tickets to watch the prelims were able to not only see clearly the things that were happening around the yer they were following, they could also hear everything. It¡¯s almost like watching a movie. It¡¯s different from those watching the live broadcast who could only see things in god¡¯s perspective.


    At least with this, he could follow along Luo Yan in some form. Even though he couldn¡¯t directly help him and could only watch him, that¡¯s better than not even knowing what was happening to him.


    He looked down at the little fox sitting on hisp. The other was watching the screen intently. Shen Ji Yun rubbed Eclipse¡¯s head.


    [Don¡¯t worry, your master will definitely seed.] ¨C he said, even though he knew that the fox couldn¡¯t hear him.


    "The arrival of this storm, did it signal the beginning of the preliminary?" Luo Ren asked with a gloomy expression. "Was it normal not to announce it and just proceed on putting them in this kind of situation?"


    What would happen if his brothers didn¡¯t have the presence of mind to rush inside the ship? Would they be thrown into the sea? What if they were struck by lightning? Although he knew that this was just a holographic world and that the pain the yer would feel here couldn¡¯t bepared to reality, it could still leave some psychological shadow.


    Seeing the dark expression of his older cousin as if ck ink would drip from his face at any second, Bai Ze quickly said, "Brother Ren, don¡¯t be angry. The game just loves to pit yers. But it wouldn¡¯t really bring harm to their brain or something."


    Su Yuqi nced sideways at Bai Ze. This idiot. Did he really think that would calm his cousin? Look, Luo Ren¡¯s expression became even darker.


    "Doing a surprise event like this is just normal. After all, there are too many participants. The game had to lessen their numbers. So, expect that this storm will not be thest obstacle they need to face. In fact, I have a feeling that this one was already the easiest," she said.


    Luo Ren wasn¡¯t appeased hearing that. In fact, he became even more worried.


    "M-Mr. Luo, d-don¡¯t worry. Yan Yan and Luo Jin are both good yers. Nothing will happen to them," Yu Jiao said when she saw that Luo Ren seemed to be a bit angry.


    Because of that, she suddenly remembered what Luo Yan whispered to him before he and Luo Jin separated from them.


    [If my older brother ever gets angry at some point during the preliminary, I hope Jiao Jiao could help him calm down.]


    Those were Luo Yan¡¯s exact words. Although she couldn¡¯t understand why he asked her of that, she still didn¡¯t refuse.


    So, now, seeing Luo Ren¡¯s expression that was almost simr to a volcano on the verge of exploding, she knew that she had to make good of her promise to Luo Yan. She felt that what she said earlier was not enough. So, she added;


    "I¡¯m the one who made Yan Yan and Luo Jin¡¯s weapons. I guarantee Mr. Luo that their top-ss weapons that could help them in fighting!"


    Luo Ren nced down at the handsome ¡¯young man¡¯. Yu Jiao¡¯s sharp eyes were like strongly telling him, ¡¯please, believe me!¡¯. His anger suddenly deted for no reason. Especially after hearing her call him ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯ once again. His anger simply turned into helplessness.


    "I see. That¡¯s good then," he could only say.


    When Yu Jiao saw that she sessfully prevented the other from being angry, she couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. A smile even crossed her lips.


    This smile was perfectly captured by Luo Ren. And his angerpletely dissipates.


    The ship finally stopped swaying. Although the yers inside could still hear the sttering of rain, they could no longer hear the howling of the wind and the booming thunder. But even though almost all yers inside guessed that the storm finally passed, no one moved and suggested to open the door.


    That was until they heard the voice of Captain Roger echoing around the whole ship.


    "Congrattions on surviving the storm, you little bastards! Sadly, for those who didn¡¯t manage to survive, they already lost the qualification to go to Four-Seasons Ind. So, the 1,816 of you remaining, continue to work hard! Oh, and let¡¯s give a round of apuse to yer Razor for showing me such a good show. You¡¯ll get a reward once we arrived at the ind."


    When the voice disappeared, everyone finally came back to their senses. The people guarding the door went ahead and opened it. They walked out to see if Captain Roger was on that spot where he first appeared. So that they could ask him some questions. Especially about thatst part he said about that reward thing.


    To those yers who walked to the deck, they were surprised to see one person standing there.


    It was a male yer wearing a ck hooded, long trench coat. The hood covered his hair. The lower half of his face was covered with a ck mask. The only thing that could be seen was his pair of electric indigo eyes.

 Chapter 456 a melodious voice

    "THERE seemed to be someone who survived the storm after those people close the door to the ship."


    "Yeah, I got a glimpse of him. He¡¯s wearing all ck and doesn¡¯t really look too friendly."


    "Do you think he will retaliate against those who closed the door earlier?"


    "Hmp! They deserved it. Acting like that as if they owned the ship. If we¡¯re inside a story, they will definitely end up as cannon fodders."


    "What do you think that NPC meant by giving someone a ¡¯reward¡¯? And who¡¯s this Razor anyway?"


    "Hey, I heard that the guy who survived alone at the deck during the storm is Razor."


    "Really?!"


    "Yeah. Someone was brave enough to ask him if he is Razor and the guy just nodded."


    "So, why did Captain Roger choose to reward him?"


    "Ahm, this is just my guess, but maybe because he survived the storm while on a disadvantaged situation, the NPC chose to reward him. After all, Captain Roger did say that he was entertained. Us, being holed up here during the storm, couldn¡¯t possibly entertain him."


    "Wait- so, if that storm situation was some kind of game, then Razor was like the MVP?"


    "If you put it that way, then, yes, I guess."


    It¡¯s not just this group who thought so. A lot of other yers had the same idea. They were envious, of course. After all, this reward might be able to help them once they arrived at the ind. They were feeling regretful on why they didn¡¯t stay at the deck. Maybe now it would be them who would be receiving that reward.


    Most just had that envious mentality. But there were some who was thinking that they should probably think of a way to eliminate this Razor before they arrived at the ind. That way, no one could have an advantage.


    One group of yers who was thinking that way was the ones who closes the door and stood guard so that other yers wouldn¡¯t be able to try and open it. They were seething and green with envy. How they wished they could just throw that Razor to the sea.


    Then they suddenly heard someone saying not far from where they were;


    "If only that curly-haired angel didn¡¯t mention anything about the yers still on the deck maybe that stupid group of people wouldn¡¯t be led by the nose and close the door. Then maybe now, no one would have that advantage."


    The group of yers who had just been called ¡¯stupid¡¯ red at the direction where the voice came from but didn¡¯t saw anyone.


    "Who was that?!"


    "Don¡¯t let me find out who it is or else I¡¯ll definitely wreck them!"


    "Forget it. It¡¯s obviously just a girl running her mouth off."


    "But she did have a point."


    "You mean we were just led into closing the door?"


    "Admit it, if we didn¡¯t hear that Angel talk, we wouldn¡¯t have thought of closing the door."


    After that yer said that, they all turned to the direction of the golden-haired Angel. All of their gaze were pretty malicious. One could see that whatever they were thinking while looking at the Angel was nothing good.


    Luo Jin who had witnessed everything from a distance shook his head. Especially after seeing his brother almost skipping on his steps while walking back to the spot where he was. Because it showed that the other was in a pretty good mood right now.


    That¡¯s right, Luo Yan was the one who said those things about the Angel, instigating that group of yers to be antagonistic towards the other. He even purposely changed his voice into a higher pitch so that group would think that the one who spoke was a girl.


    "You seemed pretty happy," Luo Jinmented once Luo Yan reached him.


    "Of course. I finally let out my pent-up irritation. Who wouldn¡¯t be happy with that?" Luo Yan said, not evading Luo Jin and happily admitting what he was feeling about what he just did. "Didn¡¯t you want to punch that Angel? Now, that annoying group will do it for you."


    Besides, it¡¯s good to have that Angel eat his own medicine.


    Luo Jin, once again, only shook his head. After the storm stopped and they heard what that Captain Roger said, his brother quickly moved towards that group of yers and lingered around them. Probably waiting for the opportunity to instigate them. Once again, he witnessed his second brother¡¯s dark side.


    Speaking of what that NPC captain said, he asked Luo Yan, "Do you also think that the reason Captain Roger gave a reward to that Razor because he survived the storm under such a disadvantaged situation?"


    "Yeah, I also think the same," Luo Yan answered. "It¡¯s like the game¡¯s way of saying that those who faced the trial that they would dish out from here on out would be rewarded."


    And because of that, most of the yers here would definitely no longer y it safe once this ship faced another obstacle. As evidence of how a lot of yers rushed out to the deck.


    "So, should we also fight for those rewards?" he asked his younger brother.


    Luo Jin looked up at his brother. "Why do I have the feeling you would still fight for it even if I say ¡¯no¡¯?"


    Luo Yan only grinned at him, confirming his guess. "But let¡¯s pick one that would give a reward that we could share."


    Although Luo Jin was not sure if there could really be a reward like that, he still nodded. He had already learned that it¡¯s better to just nod to whatever idea his brother had.


    "Let¡¯s go and see the hero of the hour," Luo Yan said referring to the yer Razor.


    They walked towards the deck. The rain was still drizzling but it was not as strong as it was earlier. They immediately saw the person they were looking for by following the gaze of the yers around.


    Just like what they¡¯d heard, this Razor guy was wearing all-ck. The only thing visible on his face was a pair of indigo eyes. He started walking towards the inside of the ship. Many yers tried to talk to him but all of them were ignored. As if the other didn¡¯t hear them.


    He passed-by where the Luo brothers were. And Luo Yan was not sure if it was just his imagination but he thought he saw and heard the other yawning.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t have time to confirm that because he suddenly heard a melodious singing voice out of nowhere.

 Chapter 457 mermaid song

    AS that singing voice continued, a thick fog suddenly appeared and enveloped the whole ship. But no one seemed to notice it because there were all attracted by the sound of that melodious voice. It was so beautiful and magical that it seemed otherworldly.


    The yers who heard this song, slowly became dazed. All started moving towards the same direction. As if a road had been opened in front of them. And this voice was seducing them to go to the end of this road. Their mind just turnedpletely nk. All they could think was how they wanted to see the owner of this voice. And they just instinctively knew that they would be able to see them once they walked down this road.


    Soon, the sound of something falling on the water sounded one after the other.


    To everyone who¡¯s watching this scene ¨C those yers who bought tickets and currently watching everything in the prism building and those yers simply watching the live broadcast ¨C what they saw was yers jumping on the sea on their own volition. Despite the fog, the game made it in a way in which everything was clear to the viewers.


    That¡¯s why they could see how those yers seemed to lose the light in their eyes and just walked dazedly towards the edge of the ship. And finally jumping down to the ocean. Of course, those yers never swam back up again. Which most likely meant that they were already eliminated.


    But there were still many yers who were on the deck who didn¡¯t fell into whatever was happening right now. That included the Luo brothers.


    When the song started, Luo Yan had a bad hunch. Considering how this game loved to pit their yers, his brain immediately worked on overdrive just to figure out the game¡¯s next move. He was sure that this one was another trial that they had to face before they reached Four-Seasons Ind. The ship just went through a storm.


    What could possibly involve the sea, a ship, and a beautiful voice? Only one thing came to mind.


    Mermaids!


    ording to myths, mermaids seduced sailors with their voice and led them into their doom.


    The first thing that Luo Yan did when he realized that was to take out one of his daggers and sh his palm. He didn¡¯t even wince. Then he pulled Luo Jin¡¯s hand and sh his brother¡¯s palm, ignoring the other¡¯s surprised expression.


    "Yan, what are you¡ª"


    "Concentrate on the wound. If it¡¯s not painful enough, pinch it. Just make sure that you don¡¯t listen to the song," Luo Yan said before Luo Jin could finish what he¡¯s saying.


    This was the fastest way he could think of under the circumstance so that the two of them wouldn¡¯t fall under the hypnosis of the mermaids. Pain was always a good way to help a person to not think about anything. Although the pain a yer could feel in this game was just simr to someone giving you injection, if one kept poking at the injection wound, it would still hurt.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t use any potions right now, he was not too worried about their HP decreasing to the point that they would die in-game. Because it was just a small wound that could barely make a dent on their HP bar.


    Luo Jin wanted to ask his brother to make things clearer. But when there seemed to be something whispering to his mind to go somewhere, he felt like he finally understood something. Because this urge to go to the sea just became stronger and stronger as he listened more and more to the song that suddenly sounded out of nowhere.


    So, he did what his brother asked him to. He pinched the wound that the other shed on his palm. The sudden pain quickly cleared up his mind. It was a further proof that something was truly amiss.


    "What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s wrong with that song?" he asked his brother who seemed to already figure out things.


    "It¡¯s mermaids."


    After Luo Yan said that, they heard the sshing of water one after another. As if something just fell to the sea. Because of the dense fog, they couldn¡¯t see the situation of the other yers. But Luo Yan had a feeling that those ¡¯sshing sounds¡¯ were ying falling to the sea.


    "What should we do now?" Luo Jin asked.


    He knew that he should probably help his brother in thinking of a way to pass this stage. But he could barely keep his wits about. If he didn¡¯t concentrate and focus all his attention on the pain brought by the wound on his palm, he might be the next ying jumping all too willingly to the sea.


    "Stay here and keep your message tab opened. I¡¯ll go somewhere to check on something. Once I find what I¡¯m looking for, I¡¯ll send you a message. Remember to pinch that wound every five seconds."


    Before Luo Jin could ask what he meant, his brother had already ran off somewhere. He took a step, instinctively wanting to follow. But then he stopped. With this dense fog, he couldn¡¯t even see properly where Luo Yan went. It¡¯s better to just follow what his brother said.


    So, he opened his Message Tab while pinching on his wound from time to time.


    The beautiful song of the mermaid continued. Despite that and the fog, the ship still continued to sail.


    Luo Jin looked at the clock on his Status Window and saw that it had been almost 20 minutes since Luo Yan left. In that duration of time, he had heard more and more people falling into the sea. The number of yers who had been eliminated was probably already on the hundreds.


    Suddenly, he felt a strong winding from somewhere on the deck. Because of that strong wind, the fog was slowly being dispersed. Before he could turn to that direction, he saw that his brother sent him a message.


    [Ah Jin, can you jump on the highest point of the ship and then fire one of your guns at this angle and the other at this one?]


    He answered a simple ¡¯okay¡¯ and then raised his head. Because the fog was slowly dispersing, he could now somehow see the point where Captain Roger stood earlier. He no longer wasted time and jumped to that spot. Of course, he couldn¡¯t jump there straight away. He had to step on something like some ninja. But he did it quickly and arrived there in no time.


    Then he pointed both his guns on the separate angles that his brother specified.


    The moment he did, he received another message from his brother.


    [Good job. Now hang onto something.]


    He did as he was told almost automatically. Then, without warning, the ship suddenly swerved to the right. If his hold had been a tiny bit weaker, he would have probably already sent flying to the ocean.


    It was only then that Luo Jin noticed that the ship was about to hit a big iceberg. If it didn¡¯t swerve at the right moment, then this ship would have already turned into the next Titanic. He had a feeling that this had something to do with his brother.


    [Yan, where exactly are you right now?] ¨C he couldn¡¯t help asking.


    [I¡¯m in the wheelhouse.]

 Chapter 458 20 minutes ago...

    LET¡¯S back track to 20 minutes ago.


    When Luo Yan realized that it was most likely mermaids who were responsible for the hypnotic and beautiful song, his mind quickly reviewed the famous lore about them. One, they lured sailors to their death by using their beautiful voices. And two, the ship these sailors were sailing usually ended up in a shipwreck.


    Since he heard the sound of people falling to the sea, he understood that this was the mermaids luring the yers to the sea. So, in this way, the yers reced sailors. If you went with that logic, then wouldn¡¯t the next one be this ship capsizing?


    Thinking of that possibility, he immediately looked for the ship¡¯s wheelhouse. Because if there was a chance that the ship would capsize, then that meant that the one controlling the steering wheel were also enchanted by the mermaids¡¯ voice.


    It could only be one of the crew. Since he doubted that that Captain Roger would be mesmerized by mermaids. But one thing¡¯s for sure, they could only be NPCs. So, that meant, that this NPC was also part of the script of this ¡¯mermaid trial¡¯.


    Because of the fog, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t see properly where he should go. But wheelhouses of ships designed like this were usually on the quarterdeck which was near the main mast. He tried to picture the whole ship in his head.


    There was the wide deck, then the tall main mast, after that was the entrance to the inside of the ship, then just behind that was an elevated deck where he was sure the wheelhouse must be. Now that he had a clear target, his movement became more decisive.


    He ran towards the direction of the entrance of the ship. Since he and Luo Jin didn¡¯t really go far when they walked to the deck earlier. He traced their footsteps, not caring if he bumped someone along the way. Once he reached it, he started climbing up.


    It took a while to reach the roof. He then dashed forward. When he reached the end, he almost fell off because he couldn¡¯t see his way because of the thick fog. It¡¯s a good thing that he managed to stop on time or he would be rolling on the ground now. He still couldn¡¯t see the elevated deck on which the wheelhouse was located. But he remembered that the distance between the two was not really that much. So, he stepped back a bit. And then he ran and jumped.


    But because he couldn¡¯t see anything but the white fog, he didn¡¯tnd properly. His whole body hit something like a wall. The impact of it shook his entire body. It almost felt like he was swatted by a huge fly swatter. He even felt his ears ringing. But it onlysted for about five seconds. Once he recovered, he quickly hugged the wall and looked for the door. Because he was sure that he reached the wheelhouse.


    Soon, he sessfully found the door. Luckily for him, it was not locked. Once he entered, he quickly entered again so that the fog wouldn¡¯t follow along.


    Just like he guessed, he didn¡¯t see Captain Roger inside. He only saw one NPC holding the steering wheel in a daze. He walked towards the male NPC and waved his hand in front of his face. Seeing that the other didn¡¯t even react, he knew that he was being affected by the voices of the mermaids.


    Speaking of that, it¡¯s surprising that the mermaids¡¯ song could still be heard inside here. There¡¯s probably no ce in this ship that was soundproof.


    Before taking care of the NPC, he decided to look around the wheelhouse first. It looked like the wheelhouse of an ancient ship. But there was one ring difference. There were two radar-like things attached near the steering wheel.


    One was like a normal radar with longitudes andtitudes and stuffs. It showed a clustered of red dots on both sides of the ship. But the other one was totally different. It was almost like a video, showing the surroundings of the ship. It¡¯s like the fog didn¡¯t have any effect on this radar. So, with this, Luo Yan could see clearly what were those red dots were.


    They were mermaids. Beautiful and ethereal mermaids. They had long aqua-blue hair, covering their naked upper body. Their lower half was a blue-green fishtail. Some of them were floating on the sea, while others were sitting atop rock formations. But all of them were looking at the ship with glowing blue eyes. If this radar could show the mermaids¡¯ voice, he could probably also see sound waves right now.


    Luo Yan was actually d that they¡¯re the game picked the pretty version of the mermaids and not the other one. You know, something like the Harry Potter version. Because just seeing those clustered together was like watching some kind of horror movie.


    He was thinking of what he could do to deal with these mermaids when an rm suddenly sounded. It¡¯s not that loud. Just enough for the crew who was manning the wheel to hear it. He looked quickly at the radar, the one that was like a CCTV. His pupils dted a bit because of what he saw.


    Up ahead was a huge iceberg. And the ship was heading straight to it. He didn¡¯t panic. Instead, he pulled the NPC from the steering wheel first. He didn¡¯t receive any resistance. Probably because the other was not in his right mind right now. The next thing he did was to send Luo Jin a message.


    They had to first stopped those mermaids.


    He looked at the CCTV radar. His brain was working on overdrive just to find a way to, at least, disrupt their song. Then he saw that on both sides of the ship, there were pretty big rock formations near where both groups of mermaids were clustered. An idea suddenly popped up in his mind.


    Using the other radar, he calcted the angles needed for Luo Jin to shot at those rock formations urately. Which was not that hard because of thetitude and longitude that were already shown on the radar.


    He gave those angles to his younger brother. And when he saw from the CCTV radar that Luo Jin managed to shot those rock formations, he sent another message to Luo Jin before holding on to the steering wheel.


    And then, he steered it to the right.

 Chapter 459 comfortably drinking tea

    LUO JIN didn¡¯t ask his brother what he was doing at the wheelhouse because he already had a guess on why. He¡¯s probably the reason why the ship managed to dodge that iceberg.


    Noctis: [Did the mermaids stop singing?]


    When Luo Jin read that message, he then only realized that the singing had really stopped. He turned around from where he was and saw that the fog had been lifted and he could now see everything clearly.


    Because of where he was currently at, he could now see the mermaids from a distance. They were not really that far from the ship. Probably due to the sudden change of direction of the ship, it opened a bit of distance between the two. If not because of that, these mermaids would probably be swarming the capsized ship. And all of these were attributed to Luo Yan¡¯s quick thinking.


    But there was another thing he noticed. It was the rock formation that some of the mermaids were sitting on. One of them were shattered like ice and another was like it was hit by a meteor or something. Then he realized that those were the directions where he shot his two guns earlier.


    So, was this the reason why his brother asked him to shoot in those directions? To disturbed the mermaids singing?


    He shook his head while smiling in amazement. Really, it almost felt like everything was under Luo Yan¡¯s control.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Yes.]


    He sent, answering his brother¡¯s question earlier.


    Noctis: [What¡¯s happening on the deck now?]


    Seeing that question, Luo Jin looked down at the deck. It looked like the number of yers who were there earlier was halved. Those were probably the yers who were seduced by the mermaids¡¯ voice to jump into the sea.


    He remembered earlier how he felt a gust of wind before he received his brother¡¯s message. Now that he thought about it, someone probably used their skill to disperse the fog.


    Some who fell down because of the sudden swerving of the ship had already stood up. And they also saw the mermaids from the distance.


    "Mermaids!"


    "They¡¯re probably the source of the voice we heard ealier."


    "No shit. That was obvious enough."


    The mermaids from a distance all turned to the direction of the ship. Then they suddenly rushed to the ship with their eyes glowing blue eyes. One could see that they were very angry and was nning to attack the ship and the yers on it.


    "I don¡¯t know about you guys, but I want that reward."


    Then that yer rushed to face the mermaids. Hearing him mentioned rewards, most of the remaining yers on the deck also attacked the mermaids. They were probably thinking that the one who killed the most would be given the reward for this trial.


    Luo Jin told that to his brother.


    Noctis: [Ignore them. Just go to the wheelhouse to meet me.]


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t refuse. Since he was already at the highest point of the ship, which was the at the top of the main mast, he just turned to the direction of the wheelhouse. He jumped his way to that direction. Of course, if this was reality, what he¡¯s doing was just an impossible feat.


    Once he arrived at the wheelhouse, he looked for the door and opened it. And he almost tripped when he saw his brother sittingfortably and drinking tea.


    "This is good tea," he heard Luo Yan tell the only NPC there.


    "I¡¯m d you like it," the male NPC said. "Thank you again for your help."


    "Please, don¡¯t mention it." Then Luo Yan turned to him. "Ah Jin, do you want tea?"


    "What... exactly is happening here?" Luo Jin asked walking inside the wheelhouse.


    "Oh, nothing much. Captain Roger¡¯s first mate is just thanking me for not letting the ship capsized."


    "Is this the Mr. Noctis¡¯ brother? Please, you¡¯re also wee here," the NPC said with a very weing smile.


    Luo Jin shook his head. His second brother was probably the only one who could drink tea in this kind of situation.


    "Are we not going to join those yers in killing those mermaids?" he asked.


    "Ah Jin, how could you ask me to kill such beautiful creatures? It would be too gory for my taste. Let¡¯s just leave it to those yers. We can just rx here until the next trial arrived," Luo Yan answered while sipping tea.


    "You¡¯re not worried that one of them would get the ¡¯MVP award¡¯ for this trial?"


    "Nah, even if they kill all those mermaids, we will still get that MVP award. After all, if not for my brilliant save and you disturbing the mermaids from their singing, those yers wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to kill those mermaids."


    So, Luo Jin gave up convincing his brother and just sat beside him to drink tea.


    This was the scene that Luo Ren was currently watching. He felt that in a span of 30 minutes, his emotions had been up and down. He even thought that he would have a heart attack a couple of times.


    Because they were in a VIP room they could follow as many as 10 yers all at the same time and the screen in front of them would be divided into the number of yers they decided to follow. When his brothers decided to separate earlier, they, of course, decided to follow the two. So, everyone saw everything that the two did.


    When he saw Luo Yan jumping on the roof of the entrance of the ship and then continuing to run towards the wheelhouse despite the fog, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. After all, even though the audience could see everything clearly, that was not the case for the yers. What if his brother fell off the ocean?


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t though. Even so, after seeing himnding badly and almost sttered on the wall of the wheelhouse, his heart almost jumped out of his chest.


    But now, looking at his two brothers sitting there and drinking tea, it seemed that his worry was all unfounded.

 Chapter 460 it is though

    ESPECIALLY Luo Yan. Luo Ren saw how decisive he was. Not only that, he was also very quick on his thinking and judgment. Just by listening to the song that suddenly sounded in the ship, he immediately recognized that it came from mermaids and they were most likely the next trial on their journey.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate to wound himself and Luo Jin just so the two of them wouldn¡¯t fall under the influence of the mermaids¡¯ voice. In just a few seconds, he already knew what he was going to do next. He went to the wheelhouse of the ship without a second thought. As if he already knew what¡¯s going to happen if the mermaids continued their singing.


    Luo Yan most likely applied themon myth about mermaids that¡¯s why he the first thing he thought was to go to the wheelhouse. Luo Ren understood that choice. Because mermaids usually equaled to shipwrecks. If no one stopped the ship, then it would most likely capsize.


    Just like what Luo Ren thought, an iceberg suddenly appeared and the ship was sailing straight into it. Worry filled him once again. But Luo Yan¡¯s next series of actions amazed the hell out of him.


    He used the two radars near steering wheel to calcte the angle needed for their brother Luo Jin to disturb those singing mermaids. The two almost had a perfect tacit understanding. With their team work, they stopped the mermaids¡¯ singing and avoided the iceberg.


    And now, while those other yers werepeting to kill the most number of mermaids, his two brothers were having tea.


    Luo Ren suddenly wanted tough for no reason. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t really worry that much about Luo Yan being bullied or hurt in this game. Considering the things he had seen so far, it¡¯s probably more usible for Luo Yan to bully others than for it to be the other way around.


    He had already noticed how Luo Yan could be ck-bellied sometimes. He just didn¡¯t expect that his ck-bellied character was this much. He was so sassy and confident that anyone who could see him right now would think that this was a strong yer.


    He suddenly wanted to record this scene, show it to their father, and tell him, ¡¯Dad, look, our Yan Yan is so amazing¡¯.


    Luo Ren was indeed surprised. But more than that, he felt proud. Even though this was just a game, it could be seen that his brother had good mental fortitude. Something that, most often than not, was more important than physical strength instead. Because sometimes, there were just some things that couldn¡¯t be conquered by physical strength alone.


    "Is Yan Yan usually like this in the game?" he though of asking the others.


    Bai Ze wanted to answer but this was also the first time he saw Luo Yan in ¡¯action¡¯. Their interaction mostly revolved on whenever they met at the team¡¯s headquarters. In terms of grinding levels, he spent more time with Luo Jinpared to Luo Yan. In fact, he had never seen the other fight in the game.


    That¡¯s why he was also a bit surprised seeing how Luo Yan handled all that. But somehow, if he thought about it carefully, it shouldn¡¯t reallye off as a surprise. Luo Yan had always appeared very confident. He simply gave you the feeling that with him there, anything was possible.


    "Luo Yan is always brimming with confidence," Su Yuqi said, saying the thing that Bai Ze just thought. "But it doesn¡¯t reallye off as arrogant because he always makes it seem like the most natural thing."


    Yu Jiao followed that by nodding vigorously, showing just how much she agreed with Su Yuqi.


    "Whenever we do a task together, Yan Yan was always the one who took the lead. He can easily analyze a problem and find a solution for it. He¡¯s also not afraid to try new things. He can face monster NPCs without batting an eye, showing how much courage he has," Shen Ji Yun said. Then he turned to Luo Ren, staring straight into the other¡¯s eyes. "No matter how delicate he might look, he¡¯s not some fragile porcin that would break at the mere touch of someone. So, no one should limit him in anything he wanted to do, especially under the guise of ¡¯protection¡¯."


    Shen Ji Yun felt the need to say that to Luo Ren. Because he knew just how overprotective Luo Yan¡¯s family was of him. If it was up to them, maybe they would rather put Luo Yan in a greenhouse and protect him all his life. Frankly speaking, he could understand that choice. Because he also wanted to protect Luo Yan all his life.


    But not letting the other do anything in the name of protection would only break Luo Yan. It¡¯s like tearing off the wings of a beautiful bird that wanted to fly and putting it forever inside a golden cage. No matter how magnificent the cage was, a cage was still a cage. Sooner orter, it would eat away the will of the bird to live. And he didn¡¯t want something like that to happen to Luo Yan.


    Hearing what Shen Ji Yun said, Luo Ren couldn¡¯t help but be annoyed. Although he understood what the other wanted to say to him and at some level, he also agreed to what he was saying, but because it was Shen Ji Yun who said it, he just instinctively wanted to resist it. Which he shouldn¡¯t, really. Because, as much as he hated to admit it, Shen Ji Yun was right.


    But still, it wouldn¡¯t mean that he would suddenly approve of this guy.


    So, he smiled his usual cold smile and said, "You shouldn¡¯t worry about that. We¡¯re Yan Yan¡¯s family and we won¡¯t do anything that may harm him. Besides, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really any of your business, no?"


    And Shen Ji Yun with his usual expressionless face responded, "It is though."


    The atmosphere suddenly solidified. Before anyone could disperse the situation, they all suddenly heard the voice of the NPC ¨C Captain Roger.


    "Congrattions to the 1,678 of you bastards who survived those ferocious mermaids! This time, let¡¯s give a round of apuse to yers Noctis and AmazingYoungMasterJin for doing their best to prevent more casualties. You¡¯ll receive your reward after we arrived at the ind. For the rest of you lot, try to work harder!"

 Chapter 461 the mvps

    YU JIAO was sitting somehow in-between Luo Ren and Shen Ji Yun. ¡¯Somehow¡¯ because while Luo Ren was sitting beside her, the distance between him and Shen Ji Yun was a few chairs. Despite that, she could still feel the tension between the two.


    She bit her lower lip. She didn¡¯t like this kind of atmosphere. She couldn¡¯t even understand why the two were suddenly going nose-to-nose with each other. They were just discussing about how awesome Luo Yan was and it just turned to this. It¡¯s like the two wanted to make a point and just couldn¡¯t agree with anything.


    What she got from the conversation of the two, if one could even call it that, was Shen Ji Yun telling Luo Ren that he shouldn¡¯t be too overprotective of Luo Yan and Luo Ren answering that he understood but it¡¯s not really any of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s business.


    She knew that both cared about Luo Yan. So, why was there a need to argue?


    Yu Jiao turned to Luo Ren and pulled the other¡¯s cuff. "Mr. Luo, please don¡¯t fight."


    Hearing that word ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯, the corner of Luo Ren¡¯s lips twitched. The annoyance he felt because of Shen Ji Yun just vanished. He gazed down at the ¡¯handsome young man¡¯ beside him and leaned close.


    Then he whispered in a voice that only they could hear, "If you call me ¡¯Brother Ren¡¯, then I will."


    Yu Jiao¡¯s face suddenly turned red. "You¡ªI¡ª"


    "I¡¯m just joking," Luo Ren said. If he continued teasing her, Yu Jiao¡¯s face would probably not only be red but crimson scarlet. "Don¡¯t worry, me and that guy were not really fighting."


    He realized just how childish he¡¯d been. Being confrontational with someone younger just because he suspected that the other liked his younger brother. It was fine if he was at Luo Jin¡¯s age. But he was the oldest here and yet he¡¯s acting really immature. But could you me him? It¡¯s just really hard to control his feelings when it involved Luo Yan.


    He understood that protecting Luo Yan from everything was not something that he and the rest of the family should do. But he also knew that they should protect them from certain things. Like being judged unfairly by society or something.


    Another person who had been confused by the short confrontation between the two was Bai Ze. He couldn¡¯t understand why his older cousin was so antagonistic towards Shen Ji Yun. But Shen Ji Yun¡¯s attitude towards Luo Yan was even more less understandable.


    He sighed. It seemed like he really should talk to this friend of his.


    Shen Ji Yun no longer paid attention to Luo Ren. He knew that he really shouldn¡¯t leave this much bad impression on any of Luo Yan¡¯s family member. But he just couldn¡¯t let Luo Ren continued to have this misconception about Luo Yan. He didn¡¯t want him or the rest of his family to limit Luo Yan and be a form of ¡¯shackle¡¯ to him.


    Maybe it¡¯s a good thing that Luo Ren decided to enter the game today. At least, the other would have a chance to see just how really strong Luo Yan was.


    He suddenly felt something nudging on his palm. He gazed down and saw the little fox rubbing his fluffy head on his hand. The little thing was looking at him with eyes as if asking if he was alright. A small smile appeared on his lips.


    "Let¡¯s continue watching your master be amazing," he said to Eclipse in an almost quiet voice.


    And the Qilin and little Kitsune both turned their gazes towards the screen.


    After hearing what Captain Roger said, Luo Yan showed a bright smile.


    "Congrattions, Mr. Noctis. Captain Roger always gives the best of rewards," the NPC said to Luo Yan.


    "Thank you," Luo Yan responded before turning to his brother. "See, I told you we¡¯d get that ¡¯MVP¡¯ reward."


    "Yeah, yeah," Luo Jin said with his hand under his chin.


    With all the exnation his brother gave him earlier, he¡¯d be more surprised if they didn¡¯t get it.


    He was actually a bit mortified, hearing that NPC announced his game ount name so loudly. Just thinking that a lot of people, not only yers but also those who was watching the live broadcast, heard that, his mortification just intensified even further.


    Now, more than ever, he truly regretted picking that name. The only thing he was d for was the fact that no one would associate himself with this puny game avatar. With his almost gangster-like reputation in school, no one there would definitely think that he and the AmazingYoungMasterJin was one and the same.


    Hopefully.


    "Does that mean we won¡¯t fight for the next reward?"


    "If you want to, we could. I¡¯m up for anything," Luo Yan answered. "So, do you, I mean, want to?"


    "No, I¡¯m fine with us just staying here until we reach the ind," Luo Jin said.


    If they took the next reward, he was sure that almost all the remaining yers would surely target them. Not that his afraid of that. He simply found it very troublesome. Besides, he didn¡¯t want his game ount name to be announced again.


    Or maybe he should start getting used to it? After all, once the final tournament started after this preliminary was done, his game ount name would definitely be mentioned. It wouldn¡¯t be good if he continued to feel mortified every time some referee called that embarrassing name.


    Luo Yan shrugged. "Okay." Then he turned to the NPC. "Can we stay here until we arrived at our destination?"


    "Of course," the NPC didn¡¯t hesitate to say. "Mr. Noctis saved the ship. You¡¯re more than wee here. And I¡¯m sure our captain wouldn¡¯t mind it either."


    Luo Yan was d when he heard that. At least here, they wouldn¡¯t be disturbed by others. Because he was sure that a lot of yers would be dissatisfied with Captain Roger¡¯s decision. After all, in their minds, they deserved the rewards more. Especially those who fought the mermaids directly.


    Just like what Luo Yan thought, the yers on the deck who fought with the mermaids were very dissatisfied with Captain Rogers announcement.

 Chapter 462 the angry captain roger

    THE yers on the deck knew who Noctis was. With his very prominent appearance, they were sure that they didn¡¯t see him amongst the yers who fought with the mermaids. And what¡¯s up with that other one? That Amazing-something. Although they didn¡¯t know who he was, anyone who heard that game ount name wouldn¡¯t think of a serious yer.


    So, howe those two suddenly got the reward for this trial?


    Captain Roger was still standing at the highest point of the ship. Some yers could no longer help it and proceeded on expressing their dissatisfaction with this NPC¡¯s decision.


    "Excuse me, Captain? May I ask what¡¯s your criteria in giving the rewards to the two that you just mentioned?"


    With one leading the way, a lot more became emboldened. They started to think that maybe being the one who did most of the work in a ¡¯trial¡¯ was not the criteria of this NPC to pick whoever gets the reward. What if he really just based it on whoever was the most entertaining? Then wouldn¡¯t that mean that their efforts just now were all in vain? Just thinking of that made them angry. Not just at this weird NPC but also to those two who gained a reward without doing anything.


    "That¡¯s right! We¡¯re the ones who killed those mermaids. Isn¡¯t it more appropriate to give the reward to one of us?"


    "Giving rewards to those who didn¡¯t do anything, isn¡¯t that a bit unfair?"


    "I agree! Please, reconsider!"


    Captain Roger nodded. "Hmm... I see. So, you bastards are now questioning my judgment, is that it?"


    The careless grin that the captain always had disappeared. Then he looked at those yers who just voiced their dissatisfaction like he was looking at a group of insects. He snapped his fingers and those yers instantly turned into light particles.


    "Remember this, you bastards. This is my ship. As long as you¡¯re in my ship, my word is thew. And you questioning my word meant that you¡¯re questioning thew. Those who question thew are not wee on my ship," the captain said coldly while looking down on all the yers on the deck. His voice was not only heard by the yers on the deck but everyone on the ship.


    After that, he grinned like nothing happened.


    "Oh, I think I have to change the number count now." Captain Roger cleared his throat. "Congrattion again to the remaining 1,674 for surviving. We¡¯re near Four-Seasons Ind. So, continue to survive until then."


    And with that, the captain disappeared again.


    The yers on the deck remained silent, afraid that if they even uttered a word ofint, they would be disqualified like those four yers earlier. But even if they couldn¡¯t, that didn¡¯t mean that they were fine with it. So, all this dissatisfaction was transferred full force to Noctis and the other one with the weird game ount name.


    Of course, there were still some who perfectly understood the situation. Thoseining yers might have forgotten the huge ice berg that the ship almost ran into, but they didn¡¯t. The ship didn¡¯t collide with that iceberg because it managed to swerve just on the right moment. Which meant someone did something for the ship to avoid the iceberg. And that someone might as well be those two who received the rewards.


    Two yers in particr were discussing about what just happened. One of them was a dark elf and the other was a panther beastkin. That¡¯s right, they were Ying Chen and Liang Sen.


    "Those idiots. Captain Roger is an NPC made of data. Do they think that he would give rewards to people because he likes them? He wouldn¡¯t make unfair assessments like humans would. Of course, he would be angry with thoseining and questioning his decision," Ying Chen said sneering at the group of yers who were obviously still dissatisfied with what happened.


    "Oh-ho, I thought you would be the first one to berate that Noctis," Liang Sen said interestingly. "Don¡¯t you hate him?"


    "Hmp! Do you think I¡¯m that petty?"


    It was true that Ying Chen was indeed quite frustrated with the result. After all, he also tried to solve the problem of the fog earlier. His ss was a Mage. yers who chose this ss usually had to pick what element their magic would be affiliated with. But sometimes, it¡¯s also affected by their race. But that only usually applied to Rare and Legendary races. Like Angels for example. An Angel Mage would have more affinity with light magic.


    The same could be applied for Ying Chen. A dark elf was one of the Special races of the game. And as the name suggested, his affinity was with dark magic. But being an elf, he could still use a bit of wind magic. That was what he used earlier. The only wind spell that he had. But who would have thought that it would be all for naught?


    At the end, it was not him or Liang Sen who managed to save this ship but that moon elf instead and also that other one with the weird game ount name. Although he didn¡¯t like that Noctis because he looked so much like that Luo Yan, he wouldn¡¯t think that it was unfair for him to get the reward. Especially if he earned it fair and square.


    "Aren¡¯t you?" Liang Sen said, responding to what the other said about not being petty.


    Ying Chen red at the overgrown panther. "Shut up, will you?"


    Seriously, why was he even hanging out with this guy knowing how annoying he could be.


    "On a more serious note, do you want to try getting the next reward?" Liang Sen asked.


    "I¡¯ll n to do that without you even asking."


    Ying Chen was even more motivated after hearing that the reward for that mermaid ¡¯trial¡¯ went to Noctis. Hispetitive spirit wouldn¡¯t allow him to not do anything.


    The two weren¡¯t the only ones who were thinking the same thing. The yers who wanted to get their hands on a ¡¯reward¡¯ began to ready themselves for the next trial.


    And soon, that time finally came.

 Chapter 463 the final boss

    AFTER sailing peacefully for half an hour, the waves on the sea started to get violent once again. Rocking the ship from left to right as if it would double over at any minute. Then they heard rumblings in the sea, as if something was trying to rise up from the depths of the ocean.


    Then a huge tidal wave that suddenly rushed forward towards the ship. It was such a huge wave that it even surpassed the height of the ship. The yers on the deck scrambled to get inside or at least held onto something so they wouldn¡¯t be flooded out of the ship.


    There were some who managed to enter the ship and closed it in time before the wave hit them. Some who purposely didn¡¯t run inside the ship managed to stay unaffected by using their skills. But those unlucky ones who didn¡¯t manage to do either of those things.


    Once that sudden tidal wave was over, the people who remained on the deck all temporary froze on the spot when they saw the thing that suddenly appeared in front of the ship. No, it just didn¡¯t appear. The rumbling of the ocean and that huge tidal wave, it was because something was trying to rise up from the depths of the sea.


    A monster. And not just any monster.


    A kraken.


    That¡¯s right. The legendary kraken in mythology. A gigantic sea monster with a cephalopod-like appearance. And by that, it meant that it looked some kind of a mixed of a giant squid and an octopus. Of course, not just any giant squid-octopus. But a terrifyingly looking one.


    Its upper body looked like that of a squid while its lower body was like that of an octopus with the famous eight tentacles.


    It looked like something that came out of people¡¯s worst nightmare.


    The yers on the deck hadn¡¯t had time to react yet when one of the tentacles pierced the ship. And not just any part of the ship, but the part inside where most of the yers were staying. Because some of the yers inside hadn¡¯t yet noticed the presence of the kraken, they were thoroughly unprepared and was ¡¯killed¡¯ on the process.


    And chaos just erupted.


    While almost everyone was panicking, there were two yers who werepletely unaffected by this sudden situation. It¡¯s the Luo brothers.


    Luo Yan stared at the huge kraken and he couldn¡¯t help but whistle. Just look at that design. Anyone with a weak heart would faint at the sight. It seemed that the game devs didn¡¯t hold back in designing this one. Well, considering how the game devs loves designing creepy monsters, no wonder they went all out. Honestly, he was surprised that they didn¡¯t design the mermaids in a scary way.


    "So, is defeating that monster the next trial?" Luo Jin asked, also looking at the kraken through one of the radars.


    The people in-charged of this event really wanted to lessen the numbers of the participants. With that monster, their numbers would definitely be depleted at an rming rate.


    "Yeah. And this is most likely thest one if I have to guess," Luo Yan said.


    "How can you be so sure?"


    "Remember what Captain Roger said earlier? We¡¯re nearing the ind. And usually, whether it¡¯s in fiction or games, trials like this one usuallye in threes." Luo Yan looked again at the kraken. "And besides, don¡¯t you think he looked very much like a final boss."


    "Well, you do have a point," Luo Jin said, unable to refute what his brother said. "I think we have no choice but to fight that kraken. Sooner orter, this wheelhouse would probably be destroyed."


    "Not necessarily."


    Luo Yan turned to the male NPC that was with them. After the appearance of that kraken, he automatically stopped sailing the ship. He didn¡¯t even appear scared of the kraken. Luo Yan had a feeling that it was not just because the other had an NPC. Considering how very detailed-oriented the game devs were when it came to their NPCs, the fact that this NPC didn¡¯t show any signs of fear must meant something.


    He already had a guess, but just to make sure, he still asked the NPC, "Mister, are we going to be safe here?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Noctis, no matter how the kraken attack the ship, as long as we stay in this area, nothing will happen to us."


    [I knew it.]


    This area ¨C this whole wheelhouse to be exact ¨C became a safe zone. It probably started during the mermaid trial. Because the ship was supposed to collide with that iceberg, an NPC should be here to be the helmsman. After all, how could the ship collide with an iceberg without an actual helmsman steering the wheel and acting like he was being mesmerized by the mermaids¡¯ song.


    Because Luo Yan managed to enter the wheelhouse and prevent the ship from capsizing, he earned the trust of this NPC. It¡¯s almost like a hidden quest. If no one had done what he did, then the presence of this NPC wouldn¡¯t be known. But he did. And so, this area had be a safe zone because of that.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how the heck this wheelhouse would survive unscathed during the kraken¡¯s rampage. But this was a holographic world. Anything was possible no matter how illogical it might be.


    "Let¡¯s observe things first," he said to Luo Jin.


    Luo Yan walked forward and gazed down at the deck through the screen window. He could see the yers there preparing to fight. He then looked at the huge kraken. It was also raising its tentacles to attack the ship once again.


    In order to defeat that one, the yers on this ship needed to work together. But was that even possible?


    He¡¯s not really good at cooperating with a group of strangers. Especially strangers who had their own agendas. Leading this many people to fight was just not something he¡¯s good at. He simply didn¡¯t have the patience for that. Before killing the kraken, he might kill the annoying yers who couldn¡¯t follow instructions first. So, really, it¡¯s not a job suited for him.


    If no one took the job of leading the fight, then maybe the number of participants at the end of this trial would only be at the hundreds.


    As he thought of that, the whole ship rocked again because one of the kraken¡¯s tentacles suddenly struck.

 Chapter 464 the one to lead them all

    THE kraken bombarded the ship with its tentacles. The strong attack that came one after another chipped away on the ship little by little. It was to the point that the yers inside the ship no longer had a ce to hide and was forced to face the huge terrifying monster that was threatening to enjoy the ship.


    Everyone had different reactions regarding the continuous attack of the kraken. There were some who were scared to the point that a number purposely logged out of the game, thus being disqualified automatically. There was a group who, although not scared, chose to just observe how things went first. And of course, the yers who were ready and gearing up to fight the kraken.


    They knew that if they didn¡¯t defeat this monster, they would definitely not have the chance to go to their destination. Because this ship would be destroyed before that could happen. So, the best course of action right now was for everyone to attack the kraken.


    But no one dared to move first. Because everyone was worried that they would just end up as kraken fodder if they acted too heroic.


    While everyone was contemting, one of the kraken¡¯s tentacles was about to strike the ship once again. Everyone was preparing for the impact. But before the tentaclended, a golden stream suddenly shot out from the ship and directly met the iing tentacle.


    Before anyone could react, they saw the tentacle being sliced. The cut tentacle fell on the ocean and made a big ssh. The kraken howled in pain. Everyone was shocked at this sudden turn of events. More so when they saw that golden streamnded on the ship and saw that it was actually a yer.


    He had long golden hair that was tied in a high ponytail. His hair was not the same gold color as those from the Angel race. Theirs paled inparison to that of the male yer. Because his hair had such a pure golden sheen to it. Almost like some kind of shining gold bar.


    He was tall and had a very impressive build. It was not that big that he would look like some kind of body builder, but it was enough to see that he had a good muscle bnce. He was holding a long sword that he obviously used to slice the tentacle. They could still see a slight golden sheen covering it.


    But the most noticeable out of all was his pair of beast-like golden eyes.


    "Wake up, all of you!" he said in a verymanding voice. "This is no time to think of your own agendas! Stop thinking for once about the rewards that you might or might not get. Defeating that monster over there should be everyone¡¯s objective. If you keep calcting your actions based on gains and loses, then all of you are nothing but hopeless losers." He looked coldly at everyone with those golden beast-like eyes. "Let me tell you this, even without that reward, I will pass this preliminary and go to the final tournament. Why? Because I¡¯m strong. That¡¯s all there is to it."


    Everyone was almost speechless. They were not sure if it was because they were just told that they were hopeless losers or because of that unwavering confidence.


    "Nice speech. Mind if we join your attack?" suddenly said by a voice from above.


    Then two figures suddenly jumped from above. One was an elf with long white hair and the other was a ck-haired gnome. It was the Luo brothers.


    When Luo Yan saw that golden stream earlier, he told Luo Jin that it¡¯s probably the time for them to join the fight. He just had a feeling that the yer who didn¡¯t hesitate to jump and face that kraken would have enough authority in him to lead these yers.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was that this guy¡¯s way of motivating people was by antagonizing them. But he must say, he liked this reverse psychology method. Because most of the points the guy said was right. These people were so concerned about the rewards that that¡¯s all they could think about. For all they know, this was probably just another method of the game devs to pit them.


    The guy with golden beast-like eyes ¨C Xia Lei ¨C only faintly nced at the two. If he remembered correctly, this white-haired elf was Noctis. He only knew about him because his sister couldn¡¯t stop talking about the other. She even made him the subject of her fan-arts, pairing him with another guy. Now he felt a bit guilty looking at the guy knowing that her sister made him a part of her filthy imagination.


    But this was not the time to feel guilty about something he did not do. Especially after that speech he just gave.


    "I¡¯ll be attacking that kraken head on. Anyone is free to do whatever."


    After he said that, he jumped up and then he was suddenly surrounded by golden smoke. The moment the smoke dissipated, a huge Western gold dragon appeared in front of everyone.


    Xia Lei, in the form of golden dragon, didn¡¯t hesitate to rush towards the kraken. Despite the still obvious difference in size between his dragon form and the kraken, he didn¡¯t have any fear. After all, no matter how real it looked, everything here was still fake.


    He opened hisrge maw and bit on the kraken.


    This action seemed to irritate the kraken. Its tentacles not only attacked the dragon biting it, the rest of the tentacles struck the ship.


    Luo Yan whistled when he saw the male yer transforming into a golden dragon. This was the second time he had seen a Legendary race transformed into their beast form.


    Based on the gasps he was hearing from behind, the rest of the yers were shocked by what they saw. No wonder he was so confident that he could go to the final tournament.


    But Luo Yan didn¡¯t have time to admire such a view because the tentacles of the kraken were about to struck the ship again.


    "Ah Jin, let¡¯s go and cut some tentacles," he said, grinning at his younger brother while taking out both his daggers.


    Luo Jin only took out both his guns as answer.


    And the brothers jumped up towards one of the iing tentacles.

 Chapter 465 fighting the kraken

    SEEING all these scenes unfold, Ying Chen gritted his teeth and jumped towards the helm of the ship. If he didn¡¯t step up now, wouldn¡¯t he look supermepared to that Noctis?


    "Hey, if there¡¯s any Mage here, let¡¯s all cast AoE spells towards that kraken!" he shouted for everyone to hear. "Unless, of course, you prefer to just stand there and do nothing."


    He didn¡¯t wait for anyone¡¯s reply and took out his staff from his Items Tab. He pointed it towards the kraken and used one of his skills. It¡¯s a good thing that the monster was quite big. Because it also meant that any long-distance skills would hit it easily.


    Soon, a pool of darkness appeared beneath the kraken. Although the diameter of the spell was not that big, it was enough to rattle the big kraken. But that¡¯s not all. Immediately after that, fireballs, tornados, lightnings, tidal waves, appeared consecutively to attack the kraken.


    Ying Chen was a bit surprised seeing that. When he turned his head from left to right, he saw yers lined up at his sides. All pointing their staffs and wands at the kraken. Ying Chen grinned. Now this was more liked it.


    Liang Sen stretched out. It seemed that he needed to also do his share. His leg muscles expanded, making his jump even higher. He went straight to one of the tentacles that was about to hit the ship. The muscles on his right arm bulged and his ws stretched out.


    The moment he swiped at the tentacle, he saw a ck stream appearing at the opposite side. It was that yer Razor. He was holding a dagger and shed at the same spot where Liang Sen attacked. Because of the force from both sides, the tentacle was easily cut.


    Razor didn¡¯t look at him and jumped to the next tentacle by jumping off to the falling tentacle he helped to just cut. Liang Sen didn¡¯t even notice how he appeared. He just came and went. Now he was off to another target. How could he just stay here and watch? So, he followed over.


    On the Luo brothers¡¯ side, Luo Jin just finished firing his ice gun on the kraken¡¯s tentacle. A portion of it immediately turned to ice. Luo Yan quickly took advantage of that and attacked the frozen portion with his daggers. The cut tentacle fell on the ocean.


    Luo Jin looked at the kraken. The monster seemed to be more agitated, making its attack wilder and more unstable. He knew that it was not only because of the joint attack of thebined attack of the dragon and those elemental skills. A part of it was because of him shooting it with his gun.


    It¡¯s because of his passive unique skill ¨C Chaotic Mind. When he hit a target from a distance, it would fall into confusion for five seconds. It was one of the skills he liked that was unique to his race. It kind of off-set the fact that he looked like the cute childish version of a dwarf.


    Luo Yan also looked at the direction of the kraken. The golden dragon was still attacking the kraken while elemental spells were pouring into it. Aside from the Mages, there were also other yers attacking the iing tentacles. He raised one of his brows, seeing that almost everyone was working together.


    Then his gaze captured a white figure flying near the golden dragon. It was that Angel. The one who instigated people to close the entrance of the ship during the storm trial. From this distance, it seemed like the other was healing the dragon.


    His raised brow went up to another level. He didn¡¯t expect that guy to help. He shrugged and just ignored it.


    He turned to his brother. "Let¡¯s go and cut more tentacles."


    "Yeah," Luo Jin said, he also wanted to try shooting that kraken more. So, his passive skill would affect it more.


    Up in the air, the Angel flying was indeed healing the golden dragon. His name was Lan Yu and his game ount name was Raphael. He chose it that way because he wanted it to line up with the names of the main yers in team Celestials. His sole reason for even ying this game was to join that team.


    He knew that it wouldn¡¯t work unless he received an Angel as a race. And that probability was really low. Since Angel race was under the Rare category. But he didn¡¯t care. He¡¯s willing to gamble. Even if he failed, he would just buy another VR helmet.


    But luckily enough, he got the Angel race at his first try. He almost couldn¡¯t contain his excitement and happiness. After all, this was his first step towards the captain of team Celestials ¨C Michael, Li Xu Min.


    He thought he would be recruited immediately because teams Celestials only epted Angels. Besides, because of his modelling work, he already had a lot of fans behind him.


    But no, no one from Celestials approached him and invited him to join. It took a while before he epted the fact that no one would being because he was just a neer who hadn¡¯t proved anything in the game yet. So, he knew that he needed to make a name for himself in the game first.


    That¡¯s why he had to be noticeable in this Rookie Carnival. Who would have thought that since the beginning, the spotlight hadn¡¯t been on him?


    He had a feeling that this would be thest trial. If he didn¡¯t make a move now, then there would be no chance to show the audience of this preliminary how great of a yer he was.


    So, Lan Yu flew here and he nned to heal and buff the shit out of this dragon.


    Back on the ship, three of the eight tentacles of the kraken had been cut, only five remained. And the yers on board worked together to slice the remaining ones.


    But, of course, not all helped. Some decided to just stay away from the fight and only care about themselves.


    The kraken howled in pain the moment another three of its tentacles were cut off. It didn¡¯t help that those elemental spells still kept bombarding it.


    Xia Lei took that chance and spewed out golden mes.

 Chapter 466 the krakens end

    THIS skill, [Dragon¡¯s me], could only be used once a day because it had a cooldown of 24 hours. And it also could only use when Xia Lei was in this beast form. Because the skill was too OP. The higher he leveled up, the more powerful it became. It could easily obliterate anyone or anything on its wake. That¡¯s why he only used it when there wasn¡¯t really any choice left for him.


    And the situation he was in right now really called for this skill.


    The golden me that came out of his maw was as brilliant and hot as the sun. Because of the buff given to him by the Angel who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, this attack became even more powerful.


    With the addition of the elemental skills bombarding the kraken, the kraken simply burst into mes. And its pained howl echoed throughout the vast ocean.


    At the side of the ship, the yers who participated in slicing the tentacles also had finished their part. All the kraken¡¯s tentacles were now cut off. So, they had time to look at the burning monster.


    It was like a huge bonfire was lit at the middle of the sea. Because of the size of the kraken, they could see how it was slowly turning into ashes. Even its howl turned more and more painful as seconds passed by.


    But to the yers on deck, the kraken¡¯s painful howl was like music to their ears. Because the more the kraken suffered, it meant that they were closer to the end of this trial.


    The golden me slowly subsided. The moment itpletely died out, the kraken turned into a toasted squid. Then the squid slowly disintegrated and turned into light particles. It meant that the kraken was finally defeated.


    The yers on the ship cheered almost instantly.


    The Mages on the deck breathed out a sigh of relief because almost all of them were losing MP. If the kraken wasn¡¯t defeated at this time, their Mana would truly run out.


    Ying Chen almost stumbled back when he put back his staff on his Items Tab. But someone supported his shoulders. When he raised his head, he saw Liang Sen.


    "You okay?" the other asked while looking down at him with a worried gaze.


    Ying Chen ufortably moved away. He, Liang Sen, and Huang Wen were childhood friends. He had long known about his sexual orientation way before they graduated middle school.


    He confessed that to Liang Sen because it¡¯s really hard for him not to talk about it to anyone. Bottling something like that inside and trying to appear ¡¯normal¡¯ in front of everyone was just so freaking hard. The closest friends he had who he could talk to were Liang Sen and Huang Wen. But at the end, he could only talk about it to Liang Sen.


    He could never tell the truth about him being gay to Huang Wen. Because the other was the reason why he realized that he was one in the first ce. Yes, that¡¯s right. He liked Huang Wen. The moment he realized that fact, he knew he could never be what people considered as ¡¯normal¡¯ ever again.


    And Liang Sen was the only one he could talk these things about. But because of that, the other just became overly brotherly towards him. As if he should help him every time he had his mood swings. The hiding and all and the fact that he couldn¡¯t even tell Huang Wen his feelings were making his mood swings worse and worse over the years. Sometimes it¡¯s fine but sometimes it¡¯s just ufortable.


    He would sometimes look at him with this worried gaze as if he¡¯s porcin or something. It¡¯s irritating. But he knew that it was just Liang Sen¡¯s way of showing that he cared about him. That¡¯s why he could never bring himself to truly be angry with him.


    "I¡¯m fine," he could only say.


    He looked up and saw that the golden dragon was already flying back to the ship. Almost all the yers on the deck were also looking at the dragon.


    Everyone here could agree that this dragon would get the ¡¯MVP¡¯ award this round. But unlike the mermaid trial, none of them had any opinion about it. Probably because just like he said earlier, he was strong enough that even without the reward, he would still would end up at the tournament round of the Rookie Carnival.


    Luo Yan stared at the golden dragon. He must admit that this one really looked mighty and powerful. But in his opinion, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s Qilin beast form was better. The dark purple Qilin was more beautifulpared to this golden dragon. But he must admit, he¡¯s kind of excited to fight this guy.


    "Do all yers who have Legendary race can transform into their beast form?" he heard Luo Jin asking.


    "I guess. I mean, it would be kind of unfair if some of them could and some of them couldn¡¯t," Luo Yan said. "Do you think you can win against that?" he asked, pointing at the dragon.


    Luo Jin scoffed. "No matter how big he is, I know I can hold my own against him."


    Luo Yan grinned. The fact that Luo Jin didn¡¯t outright say that he could win meant that he was also thinking of fighting the dragon.


    When the dragon was near the ship, it was surrounded by golden smoke. And the golden-haired man appeared andnded on the deck. Soon, the Angel also descended beside the golden-haired man.


    Xia Lei nodded at the Angel. "I appreciate the buffs."


    Lan Yu smiled like a holy father. But inside, he wanted to raise his middle finger and shout, ¡¯I didn¡¯t do it for you, you shit¡¯. But what came out of his mouth was, "It¡¯s nothing. I just did my part."


    Then the ship was suddenly surrounded by a glowing light and everything that was destroyed by the kraken was suddenly fixed. As if nothing happened at all.


    Captain Roger¡¯s voice suddenly spoke. As usual, it came from the highest point of the ship.


    "Congrattions on surviving this far, you lot! Now the remaining 1,112 of you obtained the right to enter Four-Seasons Ind!"

 Chapter 467 on the island

    "OF course, I haven¡¯t forgotten the reward. I think all of you already know which person¡¯s hands this reward will fall on to. The yer ¨C Dragnar!" Captain Roger added, definitely referring to the golden dragon. "But don¡¯t worry, all the yers who helped in defeating the kraken will be given a small trinket. It will definitely help you on the next round."


    The yers who helped cheered and those who chose not to do anything could only remain silent. Because they knew that voicing any dissatisfaction would only result in them being eliminated. Of course, there were still reasonable ones among those who understood that they didn¡¯t deserve even a trinket because they didn¡¯t do anything. But there were those who were simply brain dead that despite that, they still thought not receiving one was unfair to them.


    When they thought that Captain Roger would disappear again, they saw that he was still there, looking at a distance. They all followed the direction of his gaze and saw a shadow of an ind. The ship was moving towards there.


    "Look, it¡¯s the ind!" shouted one.


    "No shit, Sherlock," another responded.


    Luo Yan turned his head towards the direction of the ind. He couldn¡¯t see any details of it since they were still a fair distance away. He wondered what they would do on that ind. They still had another day left for this preliminary round. He had a feeling that after they arrived at the ind, that would be the end of today and everything would resume tomorrow.


    He felt like today was just set up so that the more than 2000 participants would be lessened. Which they did a very good job of considering how in the duration of this ship ride, almost half of them were eliminated. And then, tomorrow, whatever would happen on that ind would continue to decrease the remaining number of participants until the only ones remaining were the yers who would be at the final tournament.


    That was certainly something the game devs would do.


    Well, if they would go down that route, Luo Yan actually didn¡¯t mind. After the those three ¡¯trials¡¯, a rest would be very weed.


    "Don¡¯t you think that ind look weird?"


    When he heard Luo Jin asking that, Luo Yan returned his gaze again towards the ind. He didn¡¯t even notice that they were already close enough to the ind to see it clearly.


    From where they were standing, he could see that half of it looked like it was covered in snow while the other half had trees with orange leaves as if they entered Autumn.


    "The ind probably had all four seasons in it," he said.


    That was the first thing that he thought of. After all, it was named Four-Seasons Ind. On the other side, there¡¯s probably two halves showing the Summer and Spring part.


    "I think so too," Luo Jin agreed. He wondered what the hell would they do in an ind with four different seasons. With this game, one could never really guess urately.


    Then they suddenly heard a loud thump. They turned towards the direction of the sound and saw Captain Roger who was standing on the deck. What they heard probably was the NPC captain jumping from the highest point he was standing on earlier.


    At that moment, the ship stopped near the shore of the ind, just between the ¡¯Autumn¡¯ and ¡¯Winter¡¯ part.


    "This is the end of our travel. Those who I promised a reward to, you will find my special gift in your Items Tab. And about that trinket, you will know what it is when the right timees," Captain Roger said. "So, you bastards better get the hell out of my ship before I kick you all out!"


    Luo Yan and Luo Jin didn¡¯t wait and just straight jumped to the shore. They were not alone, many others also jumped to the shore.


    Once everyone was there, the ship started to sail away.


    Before anyone could talk or ask one another just what was happening, they heard footstepsing from the inside of the forest. The footsteps were getting closer and closer. And then, a female NPC appeared.


    She was wearing some kind of maid¡¯s outfit. Yes, that¡¯s right, a maid. Her design was even like that of the maids found in a maid caf¨¦ that was so popr in Country R. Her hair was neatly tied in a ponytail. She was even wearing a big round spectacle.


    "Wee everyone to Four-Seasons Ind! Congrattions on managing to arrive here," she first started. "Now that you¡¯re here, you will receive a note. You will find it at your Items Tab. But do not check it now. This note contains a certain code that will be important for the next round of preliminary. Which will be held tomorrow."


    A lot of silent murmuring urred. Because what they heard meant that the preliminary will continue on tomorrow.


    Luo Yan was not surprise because it was already something he was expecting. He was actually more interested in checking the reward Captain Roger gave.


    "Quiet please," the maid said,pletely silencing the noise around. "As I¡¯ve said, the next round will begin tomorrow. A notice will appear in front of you any second now. Please, read it carefully and follow each instruction."


    Just after she said that, a screen did appear in front of everyone.


    [Congrattions dear yer for surviving this far. But this is not the end. You still need to pass the next round of preliminary before you can be considered as worthy to fight at the final tournament. The next round will begin tomorrow at one in the afternoon. Please, make sure to not log-in beyond that time.]


    [Log out here now. Once you do, you¡¯re not allowed to log in again until the time of the next round. If not, then the system will automatically assume that you forfeited and you will be directly kicked out of the Rookie Carnival. The moment you log in tomorrow, you will be transported automatically to your assigned area.]


    [Good luck and do your best at the iing fights!]


    And that was the end of the notice.

 Chapter 468 the brothers back in reality

    LUO YAN took off the VR helmet. After reading that notice, both he and Luo Jin logged out of the game. His brother was probably also inside of his own room right now. He wasn¡¯t sure if the same thing could be said about their older brother.


    Before logging out, he sent a message first to his brother and Shen Ji Yun. Telling them basically that he and Luo Jin were about to log out. He hadn¡¯t waited for their reply because they were asked to log out of the game.


    Truthfully, he and Luo Jin wanted to explore the ind first. But they were stopped by the maid NPC and was told that if they insisted to go any further, they would be penalized. Of course, they could only log out. They didn¡¯t even have the time to check the reward given to them by Captain Roger.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t really mind that much. It just helped to increase his anticipation. Now, he couldn¡¯t wait for tomorrow to arrive so he could know what thest round of the preliminary would be about. He bet it would be pretty interesting. Because if there¡¯s one thing the game devs of Moonlight Media was good at, except for constantly pitting its yers, it¡¯s to make things in the game interesting.


    He put his VR helmet on the bedside table and stood up. Then he walked out of his room. Reaching the living room, he saw Luo Jin already sitting on the couch. He dashed forward and sat beside his younger brother.


    "Yan, don¡¯t run," Luo Jin scolded, his brows scrunching a bit.


    Luo Yan leaned on his younger brother¡¯s shoulder. "Ah Jin, don¡¯t be mad. Big brother didn¡¯t mean it," he said while blinking his big peach blossom eyes at him.


    Luo Jin felt a bit of a goosebumps. But despite that, he still found him adorable. And he suddenly felt that he was on the same level as his eldest brother and father in terms of having a Yanplex. He shook his head and his goosebumps just intensified.


    He poked Luo Yan¡¯s forehead and pushed him gently away from him. "Don¡¯t stick to me too much."


    Luo Yan acted all pitiful. "Ah Jin doesn¡¯t like me anymore."


    Although he knew the other was just acting, Luo Jin still felt ufortable seeing him like that. "You know that¡¯s not the case. So, stop teasing me already."


    Luo Yan pouted. "Ah Jin is getting smarter."


    "I¡¯ve always been smart."


    "Then, did my smart little brother able to ask Sister Yuqi if she received the souvenir gift you bought for her?"


    Luo Jin¡¯s whole face turned instantly red. He couldn¡¯t believe that Luo Yan would suddenly segue in that direction. "I- what¡ªwhy are you suddenly asking that?"


    Luo Yan chuckled. His younger brother was really cute whenever he blushed. He shrugged before answering, "I¡¯m just curious. So, did you ask Sister Yuqi?"


    How could he ask? He couldn¡¯t even speak to her about it. Every time he tried, it¡¯s like his throat was suddenly blocked by something. Until he totally lost his chance to ask about it because before he could, the time for them to go to Safehaven Harbor arrived.


    And now that he that he couldn¡¯t talk to her in-game until the end of the preliminary tomorrow, he could probably only ask herter through WeChat. Which would probably give him more courage than talking to her face to face. Which was kind ofme of him, truthfully. But what could he do? Sometimes, he just couldn¡¯t help being shy around Su Yuqi.


    And no, it definitely didn¡¯t mean anything. Not anything at all.


    "Could we just talk about something else?" he could only say, hoping that Luo Yan would stop teasing him now.


    Luo Yan felt pity and decided to stop teasing his younger brother. "Okay. So, what does Ah Jin want to talk about?"


    Luo Jin secretly let out a sigh of relief when Luo Yan finally gave up the topic about Su Yuqi. "How about the preliminary round tomorrow? What do you think the theme would be?"


    "Well, it¡¯s really hard to guess what those game devs were nning," Luo Yan said. After all, their brain holes are quite deep. "But it would definitely be something that could decrease the number of participants at the fastest speed."


    "Do you know how many yers usually reached the tournament round of this Carnival?" Luo Jin thought of asking.


    Because after the end of the preliminary round tomorrow, they had to wait until thest week of the month for the tournament round. So, there¡¯s a period of time between the two rounds.


    "I read on the forum thatst year, there were 20 yers who fought at the tournament round. It would probably also be around that number this time."


    From what Luo Yan read, those 20 yers fought in a tournament-like manner and thest one standing was crowned as champion. It would probably be the same this time around. Because from what he heard, the only thing that changed each year since the Rookie Carnival started was the theme of the preliminary round.


    "So, they had to cut down more than 1000 yers to about 20." Luo Jin couldn¡¯t imagine just how they were nning to do that. But they better not let them y until evening. "Why do you think the duration between the preliminary and the final tournament is three weeks? Why couldn¡¯t they just do it the day after the preliminary ended?"


    "So they could hype up the final tournament round, what else?" Luo Yan said. "Remember, the whole preliminary round was being broadcasted live. And even who wasn¡¯t able to watch it live would still be able to watch it because everything will be posted on their official website. The yers who watched it couldn¡¯t stop themselves from being invested. As days passed by, they would just be more and more excited. And once the tournament day arrived, they would most likely buy a ticket to watch everything on the spot."


    "In short, it¡¯s just another strategy to collect more money from the yers?"


    "Well, at least that¡¯s how I see it."


    Luo Jin leaned back on the couch. "I must say, that¡¯s a pretty good strategy."


    "Right?"


    "Anyway, why is Brother still noting down? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s still in the game?" Luo Jin said, looking at the stairs.


    Luo Yan also turned his head towards that direction. But unlike Luo Jin, he had a guess on why their brother was still in the game.


    He smiled. "Maybe he¡¯s having fun."


    [With Jiao Jiao.] ¨C he added to himself.

 Chapter 469 shall we hold hands?

    JUST like what Luo Yan thought, Luo Ren was indeed having ¡¯fun¡¯.


    After his brothers logged out of the game, them who had been watching everything in that prism building also left one by one. Before leaving, the NPC in the prism building gave them a special ticket. They told them that tomorrow if they wanted to watch the game at the prism building again, then they only had to tear the ticket given to them and they would immediately be transferred at the same VIP room.


    Thinking of the next round of the preliminary tomorrow, he couldn¡¯t help but worry again. The whole ¡¯trial of the sea¡¯ thing really had him at the edge of his seat. There were a number of times he felt like his heart would stop. Especially with thatst one.


    When he saw that kraken, he hoped that his brothers would just stay in that wheelhouse that became a safe zone. But no, they really had to run towards the danger. They were even so active in participating with the attack. Luo Yan, especially. That was the first time he saw him fighting. And he was doing it with a big grin on his face.


    That was a bit... scary. In a way. But soon, all the worry just disappeared and he simply became invested in watching. It¡¯s like a scene from some kind of high-paced fantasy movie. Especially after that one yer turned into a dragon. It was really pretty exciting.


    Seeing all those yers working together to defeat the kraken, any teenager who watched that would want to quickly buy a Moonlight Media¡¯s VR helmet and y the game. Even he, as a grown adult, felt really excited watching that. Who wouldn¡¯t want to kill a huge-ass sea monster?


    Luo Ren finally understood why his brothers were so invested in this game. If he was four-five years younger, he might also end up being into it. But he¡¯s too busy now to do that.


    Before they all separated, he asked Yu Jiao if she show tour him around Arcadia. Her emotion was perfectly mirrored by the expression on her face. Like an open book. That¡¯s why he knew that the question totally caught her off-guard. But even so, at the end, she still said ¡¯okay¡¯.


    And now, the two of them were back at Safehaven Harbor while the others who¡¯d been with them ¨C Bai Ze, Shen Ji Yun, and Su Yuqi ¨C had already gone off somewhere on their own.


    "Ahm, may I ask what Mr. Luo¡¯s current level is?" Yu Jiao asked first.


    She was actually a bit of confused why Luo Ren asked her to tour him around. It made sense more for him to ask Bai Ze because the two were cousins. So, why asked her? But, of course, she couldn¡¯t ask that directly. It¡¯s simply too rude. That¡¯s why she could only say yes.


    Luo Ren wanted cringe again when he heard that ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯.


    "I¡¯m at the level where I could only enter the beginner city." He remembered what Luo Yan said about the cities in this game that would only be avable when a yer was at a certain level. He scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I probably won¡¯t be able to go to a lot of ces with my level."


    Seeing the awkward action, Yu Jiao said almost instantly without thinking much, "Then does Mr. Luo want to go to my shop?"


    She was surprised when she realized what she just said. But it was toote to take it back. So, she just bit the bullet and just stood her ground.


    Luo Ren, of course, saw this reaction. It was really cute just how everything showed on her face. She¡¯s like the perfect embodiment of ¡¯what you see is what you get¡¯. And he kind of liked that.


    Then, he focused on what she just said. "You have a shop?"


    Then he suddenly remembered that Luo Yan once mentioned to him that yers here could set up shops and they could earn real money from it. The game money that yers used to buy things on the shop of other yers would be transferred directly to their bank ount.


    That¡¯s what had been happening with Luo Yan. Everyday since he had that business he mentioned to them, money had been flowing to his bank ount. And it¡¯s quite good money. From what he could remember, it was a pavilion. Come to think of it, it must be quite a good pavilion if it¡¯s garnering that much money.


    He didn¡¯t expect that Yu Jiao also had her own business. "What kind of shop was it?" he added.


    "It¡¯s, ahm, a cksmith shop."


    "So, you¡¯re selling the weapons you¡¯re making? That¡¯s cool."


    He almost forgot that Yu Jiao¡¯s ss was a cksmith. And from the things that Luo Yan had told him, she was pretty popr. Which just meant that the items she made was more than good enough for the yers in this game to mor about.


    Yu Jiao¡¯s face turned red hearing such apliment. "I-it¡¯s okay."


    "I would love to visit your shop. But is it located on a higher-level city?"


    Because if it was, they he couldn¡¯t go there.


    Yu Jiao quickly understood his worry. "It is. But it¡¯s okay. If you¡¯re with me, then we can just directly teleport to my shop."


    It¡¯s kind of a rule in the game where shop owners could just bring any other yer to their shop regardless of the other¡¯s level. It¡¯s like their own territory of some sort.


    "Then shall we hold hands?" Luo Ren asked, stretching out his hands, palm up, towards Yu Jiao.


    "W-what?" Yu Jiao stuttered while looking at Luo Ren¡¯s hand.


    "You said that we could only directly teleport there if I¡¯m with you. So, isn¡¯t it natural to hold hands?"


    Yu Jiao finally understood the other¡¯s action. "Oh, right, ahm, yes, we should do that."


    She raised her hand and put it on Luo Ren¡¯s palm. Feeling the heat from the other¡¯s hand, she felt her face heating up for no reason. "L-let¡¯s go then."


    Luo Ren looked at Yu Jiao¡¯s reddened cheeks and then nced down at their hands that were connected together. A secret smile appeared on his lips. "Okay."

 Chapter 470 yu jiaos workshop

    WHEN Luo Ren opened his eyes, he found himself inside an office. A very clean and organized office for that matter. There were no extra decorations. Everything had its own purpose. One could see that the owner of this office was the type who didn¡¯t really care much about material things. They cared much more aboutfort. He could see that this was something that Yu Jiao would arrange herself.


    "Ahm, this is my office here," Yu Jiao started, ncing at Luo Ren while the other was looking around her office.


    She was still a bit confused on why she ended up here with her friend¡¯s older brother. She couldn¡¯t say that they were close. After all, they only met once and today was the second time they interacted again. But Luo Ren had been very kind and gentle to her. Although he did tease her a few times. But it wasn¡¯t the kind of mean teasing like how she was used to. It¡¯s more like fun teasing. Which she didn¡¯t really hate that much honestly.


    He¡¯s probably kind to her because she was Luo Yan¡¯s friend. Which was probably only natural considering the close rtionship between the three Luo brothers. Even Luo Jin who had a bad temper treated her with enough civility.


    The rtionship of the three was something truly enviable. If she had siblings, of course, step-siblings didn¡¯t count, she would also want to be close to them the way the Luo brothers were.


    Yu Jiao looked down and just noticed that the two of them were actually still holding hands. She became flustered and panicked. She quickly took back her hand. The warmth from Luo Ren¡¯s palm still lingered there. It¡¯s as if it traveled to her face, turning it all red.


    "I- ahm, does Mr. Luo want to see the weapons and other items being sold at my shop? O-or do you want to check my workshop first?"


    Luo Ren stared at Yu Jiao¡¯s flustered expression. He really liked seeing those cheeks tinted in red. He didn¡¯t even mind hearing that grating ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯. Although it¡¯s such a shame that she had to pull her hand back.


    "I would love to see your workshop," he just said.


    "T-then, let¡¯s go downstairs."


    Yu Jiao walked out of the office, Luo Ren following her.


    Her workshop was located at the back of her main shop. There was a special elevator that connected the second floor to her workshop that was on the first floor. She designed it that way so that she didn¡¯t have to go to the main shop in order to go to her workshop. If it wasn¡¯t designed that way, then she would have no choice but to interact with the yers that were browsing items in her shop. As much as possible, she didn¡¯t want that.


    That¡¯s why she employed enough NPC to deal with things like that. It was enough for her to make good weapons to sell.


    They arrived at the elevator and went inside. Yu Jiao pressed the button to the first floor.


    "By the way, what is the name of Jiao Jiao¡¯s shop?" Luo Ren asked while the elevator was going down.


    "It¡¯s Forge Etna."


    Luo Ren nodded. "That¡¯s a good name. Was it named after Mount Etna?" If he remembered correctly, it was a volcano that could be found at the east coast of Sicily. "Are you interested in going to that ce?"


    "Hmm, not really? I actually just named the shop that way because of the lore around Mount Etna. They said that Hephaestus¡¯ workshop was located there. So, I thought it was just right to name my shop after the workshop of the Greek god of forge and fire." Yu Jiao smiled embarrassingly. "It¡¯s not a really cool name, right?"


    "Now that I know the reason behind the name, I think it became more wonderful and meaningful. Especially since I know that Jiao Jiao put a lot of thought into it."


    Luo Ren turned to Yu Jiao and smiled.


    Yu Jiao felt like something kicked in her chest when she saw that smile. She couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡¯ah, Mr. Luo is really handsome¡¯. She was startled by that thought and quickly looked down. Hiding her flustered expression from the other.


    It was a good thing that the elevator had stopped. That way, she no longer had to think too much about that momentary gaffe.


    "H-here we are," she said after walking out of the elevator.


    As Luo Ren stepped out of the elevator, he looked around the ce. It just had the right dimness, not too bright nor not to dark either. There was arge ss cab filled with materials, a work table, and some kind of stone b that had runes engraved on it.


    The ce was very clean and organized just like the office on the second floor. He was actually expecting some kind of hot and humid area with a lot of metal forge. So, seeing a ce that was the opposite of that, it did surprise him a bit.


    Yu Jiao probably saw his confusion, that¡¯s why she said next, "Ahm, forging and crafting items in this game are not exactly the same as that of real life." She walked towards a stone b with runes engraved on it. "All I need is this crafting table, the right materials, and the design of my making. Then I could make anything."


    Luo Ren was not exactly sure how things worked. But it¡¯s enough to see Yu Jiao being excited exining things to him. She even stopped stuttering, showing just how much she liked this topic. So, he just listened and let her exin.


    "If Mr. Luo wants any weapon or essories, I can design and make one for you," Yu Jiao said after she finished exining.


    There it was again, that ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯.


    "Actually, there is one thing I want to request of you. I hope Jiao Jiao wouldn¡¯t refuse. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not something that¡¯s impossible to do."


    "Okay, what is it?" Yu Jiao asked, she was confident that she could make anything that Luo Ren might request.


    Luo Ren faced Yu Jiao. "I want Jiao Jiao to call me ¡¯Brother Ren¡¯. If that¡¯s not possible, then Luo Ren is also fine. As long as it¡¯s not ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯. You see, I feel a bit old whenever you call me that. It¡¯s like I¡¯m the same age as my father or something when I¡¯m only about five years older than you."


    He added thatst bit in a teasing tone, so as to not make Yu Jiao feel awkward.


    Yu Jiao was surprised hearing that. So, did that mean that every time she called Luo Ren ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯, he felt ufortable? No wonder he teased her earlier about calling him ¡¯Brother Ren¡¯. He probably wasn¡¯t just teasing her. He truly just didn¡¯t want her to keep calling him ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯.


    She felt a bit guilty. It¡¯s because she¡¯s too awkward and careless that she didn¡¯t even notice that.


    "I-I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel ufortable."


    "Hey, I didn¡¯t say that to make you feel guilty or anything," Luo Ren quickly said. "I just want Jiao Jiao to call me by my name."


    It¡¯s really not that hard of a request. Besides, Yu Jiao needed to make up for the difort she had caused him. She took a deep breath and called softly;


    "Brother Ren."

 Chapter 471 receiving souvenirs

    B CITY


    Su Yuqi took out her VR helmet and put it on the side of her bed. She yawned before getting up. She actually didn¡¯t have enough sleep because she was too into the painting she started yesterday. If not for the reminder of her mother, who just happened to wake up at three in the morning and saw that the lights in her studio was still up, she probably wouldn¡¯t have any sleep.


    It¡¯s a bad habit she had since long ago. Whenever she was into painting, she just totally forgot the time.


    That¡¯s why she barely slept. If not for the start of the preliminary of Rookie Carnival, she would have slept until afternoon. But since Luo Yan and Luo Jin were now both members of their team, it¡¯s only right for her to watch their very first public fight. It¡¯s like the debut of the two. As a fellow member of Yunyue, it¡¯s only right to show them her support.


    She was actually not that surprised to see the result of the first round. She knew that Luo Yan was very capable. With him there, she had no doubt that he and Luo Jin would pass this round with no problem. And sure enough, that was indeed the case.


    She was more surprised that others were surprised about it. Especially the older Luo brother, even Bai Ze was one. It just showed how overprotective Luo Yan¡¯s family was. It¡¯s like putting abel of ¡¯fragile: please handle with care¡¯ on him. If she was in his position, she might have already gone insane. It¡¯s a good thing that Luo Yan was much more patient than her.


    Well, at least Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t seem to treat him like some kind of person who couldn¡¯t do anything. That¡¯s good. Because if Shen Ji Yun wanted to be together with Luo Yan, then it¡¯s best to treat the other as equals. Nothing good woulde off an unequal rtionship.


    Su Yuqi walked out of her room, wearing only an oversized shirt and cotton shorts. She rubbed her stomach. She just now realized how hungry she was. She remembered she hadn¡¯t eaten lunch yet. It¡¯s a miracle that her mother didn¡¯t barge into her room just to force her to eat.


    Or maybe her mother did. She just saw her wearing a VR helmet, so she didn¡¯t bother her. Because she knew that it would be bad if she forcefully took out the VR helmet. It¡¯s one thing she told her mother when she bought a VR helmet because she knew just how the other loved to barge into her room.


    The Su family¡¯s house had a traditional design. Meaning, it¡¯s a collection of courtyards that were connected together to form a house. Her room and her studio were on the leftmost courtyard while the kitchen was on the opposite side. So, she had to walk quite a distance to get there.


    But before she reached her destination, two maids stopped her.


    "Young miss, these parcels just arrived for you," one of the maids said.


    Su Yuqi looked at the two boxes being carried by the two. Then she remembered that Luo Yan said that he bought souvenirs for everyone. These boxed should be it. But wait- why was it two? Did Luo Yan buy him two things? Well, that¡¯s fairly generous of him.


    "Thanks. I¡¯ll take them over," she said, taking both boxes.


    But the moment she did, she noticed that one was heavier than the other. It was fine, she could still carry both. Then, she stacked both boxes together.


    "Young miss, let us carry the boxes!"


    "It¡¯s okay," Su Yuqi said before walking back to her room. It seemed that she had to temporarily dy eating first.


    In her room, she put both boxes on the table and remove the parcel package. Both boxed had something written on it. One said, [Sister Yuqi, I hope you like this small gift] while the other said, [please, use this well].


    Both had different handwriting. So, she knew the boxes were from two different people. The former was most likely from Luo Yan while thetter should be, well, it should be from that kid, right?


    She chuckled imagining that ck-haired gnome saying the exact same thing.


    She first opened the package sent by Luo Yan. It was a white bull cap with a small panda illustration. She took it and put it on. Then she looked at the mirror. She looked from left to right and nodded.


    "Not bad."


    She carefully hung the cap along with her other hats. Then she walked back to where the other package was. She opened it and her eyes widened slightly when she saw what was inside.


    It was an inkstone with carved lotus and crane on it. She could immediately tell that it was made from a high-grade material. Even the workmanship was also pretty good. It must have cost a lot.


    She didn¡¯t expect that Luo Jin would actually remember that she was studying Chinese painting. That¡¯s the only reason she could think why he decided to give this kind of gift. She rubbed the edge of the inkstone and a small smile appeared on her usually indifferent face.


    "Well, aren¡¯t you thoughtful, Xiao Jin."


    She picked up her phone and sent a message to Luo Jin via WeChat. She looked at the inkstone and smiled once again.


    At another household in B City, a pair of brothers also received the souvenirs bought to them by Luo Yan.


    "This is really from Yan Yan?" Bai Ye asked while hugging the stuffed panda.


    "Yes, so make sure to call your Brother Yanter and say thanks, okay?" Sun Xin said, rubbing her younger son¡¯s hair.


    Bai Ye nodded. "Okay, Mom!"


    Bai Ze stared at the shirt in his hands. It had an illustration of a panda eating a mambo. It was drawn in the style of a Chinese painting. Because of that, the shirt didn¡¯t lookme as one would think. In fact, it had its own charm and character.


    He smiled. Because this was definitely something he could see himself wearing.


    [Ah, Xiao Yan is really an angel.]


    He took out his phone and sent a message to Luo Yan. But after that, he suddenly thought of Shen Ji Yun.


    Should he also send a message to that friend of his and ask him if the two of them could talk.


    Of course, the subject was Luo Yan. He needed to know what exactly was Shen Ji Yun thinking.

 Chapter 472 thats right, its me

    "DID my brother really leave with Jiao Jiao?" Luo Yan asked the person on the other side of his phone screen.


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    The two were having a video call. Earlier, when Luo Yan¡¯s phone rang and he saw that it was Shen Ji Yun requesting for a video call, he went back to his room to answer it. Because he knew that they wouldn¡¯t have a proper talk with Luo Jin around.


    After Shen Ji Yun congratted him for passing the first round of preliminary in the Rookie Carnival, he mentioned that his older brother actually left together with Yu Jiao. Since Luo Ren was still in the game, the two must still be together. Although he had a hunch that that was indeed the case, when he really confirmed it, there were still some surprises in him.


    He had long felt that his older brother might be interested in Yu Jiao that way. Although the two only had that one interaction before today, the gentleness and care that Luo Ren showed to Yu Jiao was something out of ordinary.


    Just like their father, Luo Ren was not the type to easily show his gentleness to outsiders. But he did it so effortlessly with Yu Jiao. And Luo Yan was sure that it was not simply because Yu Jiao was his friend.


    If ever his hunch was correct, then his brother had his full support. Well, as long as the other wouldn¡¯t act on it. At least not yet. After all, Yu Jiao was still 17. But knowing his brother, he knew that Luo Ren would not do anything untoward to his friend. So, he wasn¡¯t worried about that at all.


    He must admit, his older brother really had good taste. Yu Jiao might be shy and timid, but she could be brave when the situation needed her to. People might think that she was a pushover but if pushes to shove, she would definitely stand up for herself. She was kind-hearted and hard-working. She probably didn¡¯t even have a mean bone in her body.


    She¡¯s simply a precious bun who deserved the best in the world. And Luo Yan was sure that his older brother could also see that. Maybe Luo Ren could see more than him.


    Shen Ji Yun who was watching Luo Yan saw the other smiling, as if he was in a good mood.


    "Is Yan Yan happy that your brother and Yu Jiao left together?" he guessed, because that was the only reason he could think of why Luo Yan was suddenly in a good mood. Although he was confused as to why.


    "Yes. I¡¯ll tell Brother Ji Yun a secret. I¡¯m actually shipping my brother and Jiao Jiao," Luo Yan said, getting closer to the screen and lowering his voice as if he was really telling the other some ssified secret. "If they ended up together, then I would be very happy."


    Shen Ji Yun was surprised to hear that. If this was before, when he hadn¡¯t learned the meaning of CP yet, he probably wouldn¡¯t understand what ¡¯shipping¡¯ meant. But because he now did know what that meant, he understood that Luo Yan secretly wanted his older brother to be a couple with Yu Jiao.


    He thought of the two - Luo Ren who could be really scary and Yu Jiao who sometimes couldn¡¯t evenplete a sentence sometimes without stuttering. Shen Ji Yun actually couldn¡¯t imagine the two being a couple. But if his rabbit thought so, then who was he to judge or refute it.


    Besides, if Luo Yan was shipping Yu Jiao with his brother, it meant that he really just thought of Yu Jiao as a friend. Now, he probably wouldn¡¯t be such a big lemon essence every time Luo Yan was getting along with Yu Jiao.


    "So, does that mean that your brother like Yu Jiao?" he thought of asking.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Honestly? I think yes. But don¡¯t tell him that or he might pull my ear."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. It¡¯s not as if he and Luo Ren were closed enough for him to tell the other what his brother thought about his romantic rtionship.


    He thought, if Luo Ren liked Yu Jiao, did that mean that she was his type? Thinking about that, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Luo Yan also had the same ¡¯inclination¡¯.


    "Would Yan Yan also want someone like Yu Jiao to be your... partner?" he asked, because if he didn¡¯t, it would just keep on bothering him.


    He didn¡¯t directly say the word ¡¯girlfriend¡¯. Because what if Luo Yan only assumed that only a girl and a boy could be a couple? Wouldn¡¯t he just be picking a rock and hitting his own feet?


    Luo Yan was caught off-guard by this question. And then realizing what prompt Shen Ji Yun to ask such a thing, he badly resisted the urge tough. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and pretended to clear his throat.


    Really, Shen Ji Yun could be so amusing. And adorable.


    "Hmm..." He acted like he was thinking about the answer to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s question. "I think as long as the other person could make me happy and love me wholeheartedly, then that¡¯s all that matter."


    Hearing such an answer, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes brightened. He almost couldn¡¯t help but blurt out ¨C [It¡¯s me! I can do both! I¡¯m the one you¡¯re looking for!]


    Instead, he ended up saying, "Yan Yan will surely meet that person. Maybe they¡¯re already around you, you just don¡¯t know."


    Luo Yan smiled secretly. Because of the fact that he knew about the other¡¯s feelings for him, he quickly understood the hidden nuances in his speech. In his ears, he transformed what Shen Ji Yun just said to;


    [Yes, you have already met that person who would bring you love and happiness. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me.]


    "I see. Then, if we had already met, I hope I could get to know them better."


    After that, they talked more about other things. Mainly about the next round of preliminary. About two hourster, they said goodbye and ended their video call.


    Shen Ji Yun was all smiles after his call with Luo Yan. He was about to put down his phone when he saw Bai Ze¡¯s message on WeChat.


    [Ji Yun, can I go to your house today? I have something to talk to you about.]

 Chapter 473 bai zes visit

    SHEN JI YUN wondered what Bai Ze wanted to talk about. But he still agreed and told the other that he coulde here anytime. The tone of his message was a bit serious. So, what he wanted to speak to him about might be really important.


    He walked out of his room and went to the kitchen. Thinking that he could make a pizza while waiting for Bai Ze. He was currently alone at the house right now since his uncle was at hispany. So, one pizza was probably enough for the both of them.


    He took out the ingredients he needed from the pantry and began his preparation. The Bai family¡¯s house was not that far from their house. Once the pizza was done, Bai Ze would probably be here.


    While kneading the dough, he wondered when he would be able to cook for Luo Yan. It would be great if his rabbit could taste his cooking. He was quite confident with his cooking skills. Maybe if Luo Yan had a taste of his cooking, it would be a plus point for him.


    But that chance could probably only appear once Luo Yan started going to university here. Which was next year. He couldn¡¯t believe that there¡¯s still about 11 months before that. No- maybe 10, since most universities required freshmen to report to school a month before the semester began. It¡¯s because of military training that every freshman had to experience at the start of their university life. T University was no different.


    But 10 months was still a long way to go. If only time could go faster.


    He wondered if he was being too impatient. But even if he wanted to or not, he should be. After all, Luo Yan was still only 17. It¡¯s not as if he could really do anything. And by ¡¯anything¡¯ he meant confessing his feelings.


    He asked Bai Ze when was Luo Yan¡¯s birthday. He did it way before he even realized his feelings for the other. It could be seen just by that that he had long fallen in love with Luo Yan. He¡¯s just too dense to realize it quickly. Anyway, Luo Yan¡¯s 18th birthday was in December. He should at least wait until that.


    After Shen Ji Yun ttened the dough, he started putting various toppings on it - pizza sauce, cheese, pepperonis, mushrooms, bell peppers, olives. Then he carefully put it inside the pre-heated oven. Now, he just had to wait for it to cook.


    When the timer of the oven went off, he heard the doorbell ringing. It was probably Bai Ze. So, his guess was right.


    He quickly took the pizza out if the oven first before walking to the door. He opened it and, just as he expected, Bai Ze was standing there.


    "Yo," the other greeted.


    "Come in," he said.


    Shen Ji Yun let Bai Ze inside and closed the door.


    Bai Ze quickly smelled a delicious scent once he entered inside. He turned to his friend, "Did you make pizza?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "It¡¯s in the kitchen."


    Bai Ze had been here numerous times, so he already knew his way around. He easily went straight to the kitchen and saw the pizza on the bar counter. His eyes brightened. Knowing that it was made by Shen Ji Yun, he was sure that it would definitely taste good.


    He dashed forward and sat on the counter. He was about to take a slice when Shen Ji Yun stopped him.


    "Wait. Let me slice it first."


    Shen Ji Yun opened one of the kitchen cabs and took out a pizza cutter. Then he proceeded on slicing the pizza into six equal parts.


    Bai Ze couldn¡¯t wait and picked one slice. He almost dropped it because it was too hot. So, he was forced to just put it back.


    "That¡¯s what you get for being too greedy," Shen Ji Yunmented with an indifferent face.


    Bai Ze pouted. "You could have warned me."


    Shen Ji Yun only looked at him as if saying ¡¯wouldn¡¯t that already be a given?¡¯. So, Bai Ze just decisively shut up and blew on that slice before picking it back again. He bit on the slice and, just as he expected, it was delicious.


    Shen Ji Yun leaned back on the opposite kitchen counter. "So, what is it you want to talk about?"


    Bai Ze finished eating the slice of pizza first. He actually wasn¡¯t sure how to open this discussion to Shen Ji Yun. Because if his assumption was wrong, then wouldn¡¯t he just offend him? But then, what if he¡¯s right? He wasn¡¯t sure how he would react to that.


    But he still needed to know the answer. So, he took a deep breath and just simply dived into it.


    "Ji Yun, I want to ask you something and I hope that you will answer it truthfully."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded as an answer.


    "Do you like Xiao Yan?" he asked straightforwardly. "And I meant that in a romantic sense."


    Shen Ji Yun was surprised to hear that question. He was speechless for a second. And then he looked down. He wasn¡¯t sure how he should answer that question. But the first thing that came to his mind was ¨C was he really that obvious with his feelings that even Bai Ze had noticed it?


    It wasn¡¯t just Bai Ze. Even Su Yuqi noticed it. Heck, Luo Yan¡¯s brothers probably also noticed that, that¡¯s why the two kept on treating him like the enemy. At this point, he probably wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he found out that even Luo Yan himself knew about it.


    At this rate, he probably didn¡¯t need to wait until Luo Yan turned 18 before he was forced to confess his feelings.


    He was thinking if he should be honest with his answer. But he felt like if he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t only be lying to Bai Ze, he would also be lying to his own feelings. Like he was ashamed of his feelings for Luo Yan.


    He raised his head and looked straight at Bai Ze. "Yes, I like Yan Yan. No, scratch that. I¡¯m in love with him."

 Chapter 474 the most ideal result

    BAI ZE just stood there and stared at Shen Ji Yun. His mouth was stuck open. If it was possible, his jaw would have probably already fell on the floor. He was so shocked that his mind just nked out. His brain couldn¡¯t even process what he heard. That¡¯s just how shock he was.


    He wanted to think that he just had an auditory hallucination. That he was somehow expecting such answer that he just imagined what he heard. But seeing the serious expression on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face, he knew that the other waspletely serious.


    "You- no, wait- just let me digest what you said first," he said while pinching the bridge of his nose.


    His closest friend just admitted to him that he¡¯s in love with his cousin. The cousin who was in aa for seven years. How should he react with that?


    Should he be angry? Should he punch him now? Should he tell him how wrong this entire situation was? He honestly didn¡¯t know.


    But he knew there¡¯s one thing that he had to make sure. He took a deep breath and calm his shocked mind. So, at least his brain could start working.


    "You do know about Xiao Yan¡¯sa, right? So, you should also be aware that he¡¯s basically a child. And yet, right now, you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re in love with him. Don¡¯t you think that there¡¯s something fundamentally wrong with that?"


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly turned quiet. Not the ¡¯speechless quiet¡¯ but the ¡¯I¡¯m thinking quiet¡¯ instead.


    "Do you really think he¡¯s a child mentally despite spending time with him these past two months?"


    That question turned Bai Ze speechless once again. Because it made him think that Shen Ji Yun had a point. Since meeting Luo Yan in-game two months ago, he had never felt once that the other was a 10-year-old child inside. There were moments when Luo Yan showed his innocence but also moments when he could be scary as hell.


    The fact that he could easily y Arcadia like a fish in the sea, someone with a mentality of a 10-year-old could certainly not do that. But everyone who was familiar with the ident and thea he¡¯d been in just simply ignored that. In their mind, Luo Yan was a child and certainly not a 17-year-old. But clearly, Luo Yan¡¯s mentality was the age it was supposed to be. They just turned a blind eye to it. Thinking of how much they should put him in this protective bubble.


    It had been five months since his cousin woke up from thea. Maybe in that time, he had managed to adapt and simply grow exponentially. But because the duration of that growth was simply too short, none of them had really paid attention to it. He could see that with his cousins ¨C Luo Ren and Luo Jin ¨C as well as his uncle. Even their Bai family was the same.


    But Shen Ji Yun was apparently not included in that scope.


    Unlike them, the family, Shen Ji Yun did not see Luo Yan as a fragile child. And that¡¯s probably one of the reasons why he ended up falling in love with him.


    Although, he understood that. It didn¡¯t mean that he could easily ept it just like that.


    "But even so. Have you ever thought of the hardships you¡¯re going to put Xiao Yan in if you pull him in that kind of rtionship? The two of you are going to be judged everywhere! Do you really want Xiao Yan to experience that?"


    "If I would be so lucky as to have Yan Yan return my feelings, then I would do everything in my power to protect him from the judgement of people. And if he wanted to face everything together, then I would I proudly stand side by side with him." Shen Ji Yun stared straight at Bai Ze. His blue eyes filled with strong determination. "This is not just a phase for me. What I feel for Yan Yan is something that I know I will never ever get a chance to feel again. This is it for me, Bai Ze. He¡¯s the one."


    Aside from being shocked, again, he was more amazed. Bai Ze couldn¡¯t believe that he was hearing these things from his emotionally stunted friend. An evidence of how truly serious he was about his feelings. He was simply opening his whole heart to him right now.


    "Are you saying that if you don¡¯t end up with Xiao Yan, you would remain single for the rest of your life?" he asked just to rify.


    "That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying."


    "Whoa. Isn¡¯t that a bit over the top?"


    "Not for me."


    "Then what would you do if Xiao Yan rejects you and choose a girl, nah, even another guy as a partner? Would you force him to be with you?"


    "I will never do that. If he rejected me, then I will respect his decision. And if he chose someone else, then I will give him my blessing. What¡¯s more important to me is his happiness. As long as he¡¯s happy, then that would be enough for me."


    Shen Ji Yun said that without any hesitation. Showing just how much he meant what he said.


    Bai Ze shook his head. What he¡¯s seeing right now was a man hopelessly in love. The person he least expected to be so dedicated to the person they loved was Shen Ji Yun. Who would have thought that once in love, he would turn out to be such a big hopeless romantic?


    He sighed. More than anyone, he understood Shen Ji Yun¡¯s character. Despite the eternal expressionless face and cold attitude to almost everyone, Bai Ze knew that Shen Ji Yun was a good person. He was not some scum who would hurt Luo Yan discriminately. And Bai Ze also believed everything that he said about his feelings for his cousin.


    But even so, it¡¯s hard to just say, ¡¯okay, I¡¯ll support you, I hope that you end up with Xiao Yan¡¯. If it was any other person Shen Ji Yun liked, he would happily say that. But the one involved was his cousin. So, of course, he couldn¡¯t just do that.


    Suddenly, he didn¡¯t know what to do or say.


    Shen Ji Yun probably noticed his difort, so he said the following;


    "I¡¯m not asking you to support me, I can even understand why you can¡¯t. I just hope that you could also give me the same understanding. I... I also hope that you won¡¯t hate me for this. No matter how annoying you can be at times, you, you¡¯re my friend. I would probably be sad if our friendship would be affected by this situation."


    Bai Ze blinked. What he just heard was probably as shocking as hearing Shen Ji Yun say that he was in love with Luo Yan. He even felt goosebumps by the mushiness of it. But because of that the awkwardness and indecisiveness he was feeling slowly subsided. He walked to his friend and yfully punched the other¡¯s shoulder.


    "You know, that ¡¯annoying¡¯ part was truly unnecessary," he said. "We¡¯re friends. How could I hate you for falling in love with another person? Although right now, I couldn¡¯t confidently say that I will support you in this, I will also not hinder you in any way. And if one day you end up with Xiao Yan, then I will definitely be both on your sides. Just make sure you won¡¯t hurt him. Because if that were to happen, then it¡¯s definitely friendship over between us two."


    For the first time since their conversation started, the corner of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips arched up a little. Showing a small smile. He felt like a heavy weight from his shoulder had just been lifted. This was probably the most ideal result he could get in this situation.


    "Don¡¯t worry, that will never happen."


    "It better be."


    Bai Ze walked back near the bar counter and ate another slice of pizza just to calm all his nerves that were rattled by Shen Ji Yun¡¯s sudden confession.


    "Thank you, Bai Ze."


    Bai Ze nced at Shen Ji Yun when he heard that. "Man, you being all soft and mushy like this is really freaking weird."


    Shen Ji Yun chose not to response to that. But if one looked closely, they could see that his ears were red. Showing that even he also felt a bit shy because of everything that had happened since the start of their conversation.


    So, he just also walked to the bar counter and ate a slice of pizza.

 Chapter 475 i already know the answer

    AFTER Luo Yan finished his video call with Shen Ji Yun, he went out of his room and walked to the kitchen to drink water. Arriving there, he saw their housekeeper taking out a batch of chocte chips cookies from the oven.


    He walked over and asked, "Aunty, can I have one?"


    The housekeeper, Aunty Cheng, smiled at their second young master. "Of course, young master. But let¡¯s wait a bit because the cookies are still hot."


    "Okay," Luo Yan said.


    "Does young master want a ss of freshly squeezed orange juice?"


    With Aunty Cheng¡¯s question, Luo Yan remembered that he went there to get a ss of water. But fresh orange juice was even better. "Yes, please."


    Aunty Cheng smiled and started to make him fresh orange juice. Luo Yan sat on the bar counter while waiting.


    Once Aunty Cheng was done, the cookies also cooled down and was okay to eat. So, she put three pieces of cookies on a te and put it in front of the second young master. As well as the ss of juice.


    "Thank you, Aunty," Luo Yan said, picking up a cookie and eating it. His eyes brightened at his first bite. "This is so good! As expected of Aunty Cheng."


    "Oh, young master and your sweet mouth," Aunty Cheng said, waving her hand, looking all embarrassed.


    She always enjoyed seeing their second young master be happy in anything that he does. She had been working in the Luo family home since the master and the deceased madam were married. They were like a second family to her. So, all the good and bad things that happened in the family, she had also experienced.


    The death of the madam and thea of the second young master. She had seen how that tragedy almost destroyed the whole family. But the master somehow managed to get his act together. Which she was really d for. Because what would the eldest young master and the third young master if they even lost the support of their father?


    So, when the second young master woke up from hisa, she was also greatly overjoyed. Now that he¡¯s back home, she wanted to do her best to add a bit of happiness to the second young master¡¯s life. That¡¯s why she tried to make the second young master¡¯s home life asfortable as possible. Which included giving him delicious and nutritious meals. And sometimes, tasty treats like these cookies.


    "Aunty Cheng, can I have another piece of cookie?" Luo Yan asked.


    "You can¡¯t, young master. You know it¡¯s not good for you to eat too much sweets."


    "But this cookie is not even that sweet. Please, Aunty. Just one more, okay?" Luo Yan pleaded, looking up at their housekeeper with his big peach blossom eyes.


    Aunty Cheng was almost blinded by their second young master¡¯s cuteness. She swore she could even see the twinkle in his eyes. She was on the verge of saying ¡¯yes¡¯ when another voice spoke.


    "Yan Yan, don¡¯t make trouble for Aunty Cheng," Luo Ren said.


    He just entered into the kitchen and saw this scene. So, he walked towards his brother and stopped him from eating more cookies.


    "No, no, young master. The second young master is not making trouble," Aunty Cheng quickly said.


    "It¡¯s okay, Auntie Cheng. I know how irresistible this little guy is. No one would me you if you give him another cookie," Luo Ren said, pinching his younger brother¡¯s cheek.


    "Brother-!" Luo Yanined, rubbing his pinched cheek.


    Aunty Cheng only chuckled before leaving the two brothers alone.


    Luo Yan nced at his brother who picked a piece of cookie and bit into it. He suddenly felt a bit vengeful.


    "So, did Brother enjoy his date with Jiao Jiao?"


    Luo Ren choked on the piece of cookie that he just ate because of that question. He coughed non-stop. He quickly picked the ss of orange juice in front of Luo Yan and drank it. When that piece of cookie sessfully went down his throat, he soon finally stopped coughing.


    Because of that, he suddenly remembered that time when he choked on that piece of chicken. That time, it was also because of Luo Yan¡¯s sudden question.


    "You- do you seriously want me to choke to death?"


    "Tee-hee," Luo Yan said, acting all cutesy.


    Luo Ren pinched both of his cheeks. "Don¡¯t ¡¯tee-hee¡¯ me."


    "But I have no control over what surprised Brother," Luo Yanint while rubbing both pinched cheeks. "How do I know that you would be too sensitive when ites to topic about Jiao Jiao?"


    Luo Ren was speechless for a bit. Then he scratched his nose before taking a deep breath and saying, "To answer your question earlier ¨C yes, I had fun spending time with Jiao Jiao."


    Luo Yan smiled full of teasing. "And?"


    "And I don¡¯t consider that a date," Luo Ren said. "A date is something that both parties are aware of. It wouldn¡¯t matter if only one knew about it. That¡¯s not a date, that¡¯s simply being delusional."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan suddenly imagined Shen Ji Yun for some reason. Because during that time they went to Tropical Land, he could feel how considered that as a ¡¯date¡¯. It was really easy for him to read his expressions. Maybe because Shen Ji Yun showed more emotions whenever the two of them were together. That¡¯s why it was easy for him to tell what the other was thinking.


    What his brother said just now was like a jab at Shen Ji Yun. If he didn¡¯t know any better, he might think that Luo Ren was dissing the other. But still, he felt a need to defend Shen Ji Yun. Even if he knew that the ¡¯delusional¡¯ment was not pertaining to him.


    "I wouldn¡¯t call it delusional if the other party who was supposed to be ¡¯unaware¡¯ actually knew about it and they chose not to tell it to the one who was secretly thinking that the two of them were in a date."


    "That exnation is kind of a mouthful," Luo Renmented though he still understood his brother¡¯s point. "But why would the ¡¯unaware¡¯ party not tell the other that he knew about it?"


    "Maybe because they find it cute, seeing the other blush and scurry about so they wouldn¡¯t know that they were on a ¡¯date¡¯."


    Luo Ren only gave Luo Yan a nce. "I don¡¯t think Jiao Jiao has that kind of ¡¯sadistic¡¯ personality."


    Luo Yanughed. "True," he agreed. "So, Brother, do you like Jiao Jiao? And I mean that in a romantic way."


    Luo Ren was suddenly hit by such a curveball that he became speechless for a second. Then he smiled, the arch of his lips full of meaning. "What do you think?"


    "Hey, no fair. Brother should answer my question."


    "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a rule saying that I should always answer your question straightforwardly," Luo Ren said. "But if you tell me a secret equivalent to your question, maybe I would answer it."


    Luo Yan tilted his head. A secret equivalent to his question? He stopped. Because the only thing he could think of was his feelings for Shen Ji Yun. Surely, his brother was not asking about that. Right?


    He crossed his arms. "Never mind. I think I already know the answer anyway."


    Luo Ren didn¡¯t ask what he thought and just ruffled his hair. "Yes, yes, our Yan Yan is the smartest."

 Chapter 476 start of the second round

    AT exactly one in the afternoon the next day, Luo Yan appeared on the Four-Seasons Ind. He thought that he would appear at the shore where he and the othersst logged out. But no, what weed him was a white expanse and snow falling on his face. He quickly felt the cold temperature around.


    He seemed to arrive at the Winter area of the ind. He looked around and didn¡¯t see anyone. So, would this second round of preliminary just start without briefing any of them?


    Earlier, after having lunch, their older brother logged into the game first to meet up with the others to watch the preliminary together. He and Luo Jin could only log in at exactly one p.m.


    The two of them had already discussed their strategy in the next round. Well, to be fair, it¡¯s not exactly that much of a strategy. They just decided that they would not be separated during this uing round of preliminary and face all the challenges that the game would throw at them together.


    But who would have thought that the game would pit them this early and actually separate them before the official round even began?


    Luo Yan sighed and just opened his Status Window to see if he could send a message to Luo Jin. But the Message Tab waspletely disabled. He wasn¡¯t too surprised. Probably because he already somehow expected that. So, he just decided to switch his attention to his Items Tab. He hadn¡¯t yet checked the reward he got from Captain Roger.


    But before he could do so, a screen suddenly appeared in front of him. On the screen was a teenager with red hair. He was wearing a white coat withpels that were shaped like half of a heart ¨C one of it was red and the other red. So, when put together, it made a heart shape. Over his clothes was a ck cape with a red underside. And on the left side of his head was a small golden crown.


    He was smiling. But it didn¡¯t really reach his red eyes.


    [Wee to the Four-Season¡¯s Ind! Do you know who I am? You should know me, right? After all, this lord is so famous. But just in case you don¡¯t know, then I shall tell you. This lord is the amazing Duke of Hearts! Are you surprise to be in my great surprise? And you should be, you plebeians. It¡¯s not everyday you can see this wonderful visage after all.]


    The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s mouth twitched when he heard the Duke of Hearts¡¯ introduction. Because it felt like he was looking at himself ¨C a thousand times narcissistic version.


    He had heard of the Duke of Hearts. He¡¯s one of the four dukes of Arcadia. The one with the most infamous reputation. yers could get task from him. But it usually didn¡¯t end well for the yers. Despite that, a lot of yers still went to his territory. Because once they seeded, then they¡¯d receive the best of rewards. An example was the invitation to the King of Arcadia¡¯s birthday.


    The Duke of Hearts continued;


    [This lord will be the invigtor for this round of preliminary. You peasants should be grateful. Are you excited to know what you will do today? Well, it¡¯s very simple. We¡¯re going to do a battle royale! Fun, right? But it won¡¯t be a simple battle royale. It¡¯s not just other yers you should look out for, but the environment as well. How exciting.]


    A battle royale? Somehow, that didn¡¯t really surprise Luo Yan. Because it had already crossed his mind. After all, it¡¯s the fastest way to cut their number down.


    [You peasants have probably seen that this ind is divided into four areas and each area represented a major season ¨C Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. These areas have their own unique dangers to them. So, you should watch out your every step. Just kidding. I¡¯d be very happy if more of you mess up. Just try to do it in an interesting manner so this lord could at least be entertained.]


    [Eliminate one another until only four yers are left in each area. Once that¡¯s done, then this round will end. The area that managed to reach the required number of yers the fastest will receive a reward. Speaking of rewards, those who were promised trinkets by Roger, you can use all the items in your Items Tab. To those who didn¡¯t receive these trinkets, too bad, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s your fault for being big cowards.]


    Luo Yan raised his brow when he heard that. This Duke of Hearts was really quite the character. Based on what he said, at the end of this battle royale, there would only be 16 out of the remaining 1,112 would be able to go to the final tournament. If there was a reward for the group who reached the quota fastest, then they were probably divided into each area as equally as possible.


    This meant that there were exactly 278 yers in each area. And those 278 yers should fight it out until only four remained. Not to mention that the area they were in would definitely mess with them.


    And he really just had to end up in the Winter area. Because anyone who¡¯s smart enough could see that the ce filled with snow was the most dangerous area in this ind.


    Although with this game, one could never really tell. Who knows, maybe there were more hidden dangers in other areas.


    [Let the battle royale begin!]


    As soon as the Duke of Hearts said thatst sentence, the screen vanished and a loud sound was heard. Like the sound of a canon being fired. As if signaling the beginning of this battle royale.


    The first thing that Luo Yan did was to continue checking his Items Tab. Just like what the Duke of Hearts said, the items in his tab were no longer disabled. In his opinion, this trinket that Captain Roger gave them was pretty good. It could really helped the yers in this battle royale.


    Because of that, the expectation he had for the reward given by Captain Roger for that 2nd trial just increased. When he saw the gift icon on his Items Tab, he knew that that was the reward.


    He clicked it and a gift box appeared in front of him.

 Chapter 477 the situation of each brother

    LUO YAN stared at the red gift box tied with a yellow ribbon that appeared in his arms. So, did he have to unwrap this thing to know what kind of reward he actually received?


    He looked around first. All he could see was a white expanse, showing just how much bigger this ind actually was. Up in the sky, he could see some kind of floating prism building. His older brother had mentioned yesterday that they were watching the first round of preliminary there.


    Really, how convenient. He would also rather be there and watching everything infort rather than in this cold area. Based on what the Duke of Hearts said, the yers who were put into their areas would stay there until only four remained. So, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to leave here until that happened.


    Should he just go on a killing spree so things would go faster?


    Anyway, first, he should open this gift box first. Since he basically couldn¡¯t see anything here but the snow-covered ground, it was safe to say that no one would just appear and ambush him.


    He untied the yellow ribbon and opened the box. The moment he did, the box vanished and a map appeared in his palm. He raised his brow. He first wondered why the heck was he given a map of all things. Then an idea entered his mind. He quickly spread the map open.


    It was the map of Four-Seasons Ind as it was written below. The design was like one of those treasure maps found in those old pirate movies. But despite the old design, there one thing that was unique to it. Red dots were sprinkled all over it. They were so dense, he could barely see anything except those red dots.


    One particr red dot was blinking on the Winter area. He wasn¡¯t even surprised that it was blinking. This was the game world, whatever design the game devs wanted, it¡¯s possible. So, he just simply touched that blinking red dot to see if something would happen. And something really did.


    The Winter area suddenly magnified and it upied the whole map. So, now, it was no longer the map of the ind but of the Winter area. He could even see clearly the red dots scattered about. If he would take a guess, they would probably be 278 of them. His eyes widened a bit. Because this map was definitely a map that showed the location of the other yers.


    That blinking red dot obviously represented him and his location. To test if he was right, he moved a few steps to the left and the blinking red dot also did the same. It was probably designed this way so anyone who received would have the same results ni matter which area they might end up in. Because whoever got this reward, if they saw the blinking red dot, whichever area they might be, as long as they touched that blinking dot, it would be magnified.


    Who could resist touching the blinking thing, right?


    Luo Yan smiled. What a convenient thing. It was really unexpected that the game devs would actually give the yers such a useful reward. Did the others who receive a reward also got a map like this? If not, then maybe something that had the same value and use.


    Anyway, since he was given a map like this, maybe it¡¯s a sign. A sign that he should go on that killing spree.


    Should he begin?


    Luo Jin, unlike Luo Yan, found himself on a field filled with blooming flowers. He quickly managed to analyze his situation. Especially after the appearance of the Duke of Hearts.


    He was currently at the Spring area. He couldn¡¯t contact Luo Yan but he could use the things in his Items Tab. Speaking of items, he just finished checking the reward he got for the 2nd trial yesterday.


    It was a map. It didn¡¯t take long for him to analyze the function of the map. It showed the location of the yers on the ind. He hoped that Luo Yan also received the same reward. Knowing his brother, he would surely utilize this map to the fullest.


    Well, he should also probably use it. Because it would simply be such a waste if he didn¡¯t.


    The flower field he was on was surrounded by a forest. And that forest was filled with a lot of red dots. Like being surrounded by enemies. It could make one feel extremely anxious. But not Luo Jin. It would take more than this to make him feel any anxiety.


    He saw three dots slowly moving towards his direction. He put back the map in his Items Tab. After that, he took out an item that he got as a reward one time that he and Su Yuqi cleared a dungeon.


    It was a pair of sses called [Sniper Specs]. It could act like binocrs with a maximum range of 10 miles. He could turn its function off and on. If it was off, the lens appeared ck. But once he turned it on, the lens would turn transparent.


    He hardly ever used it. Because he¡¯s not really into attacking targets that were so far off, he couldn¡¯t even see them with the naked eye. He just couldn¡¯t receive the same amount of pleasure he did if he shot them within a close distance. But his current situation obviously calls for him to use this.


    He put the [Sniper Specs] on and turned on its function. He then slowly took out the guns from his holsters. The moment he turned around, with the sses, he could perfectly see the three yers who were rushing towards his location. It was as if they were just in front of him.


    The three most likely made a pact to help one another eliminate the other yers. But even if that was true, he didn¡¯t really care how they joined forces or anything. Because he¡¯d make sure to eliminate them right now.


    Luo Jin quickly raised both guns. He imbued both with one of his skills. And then he fired.

 Chapter 478 watching a farce

    SOMETHING magical was happening at the Winter area. The yers there were slowly being eliminated one after another. Some of the yers who were eliminated didn¡¯t even know how they were eliminated. Some only saw a white shadow. And a few managed to see a pair of blue eyes sprinkled with gold.


    Only after these few were transported to a resurrection spot did they realize that the one who eliminated them was Noctis. Realizing that, they couldn¡¯t help but curse uncontrobly at the white-haired elf.


    The elf they¡¯d been cursing was currently standing on one branch of a tree. He was now at the forest of the Winter area. Looking at the map in his hands, 80 red dots had vanished. 50 of those were the ones he had eliminated. So, about 30 were taken down by other yers. But he believed that some of those 30 were probably eliminated by the environmental factors in this area.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t really surprised by that. Since the Duke of Hearts said that the fastest area that would reach the quota of 4 yers would receive a reward, a lot would definitely want to eliminate the other participants as fast as they could.


    With that, only 198 yers remained. No, make that 195 yers since another three dots disappeared.


    He temporarily put back the map in his Items Tab. The Winter area was divided into three sub-areas. The snow field where he appeared earlier. It was near the border of the Winter area and the Autumn area. The frozenke that was next to the snow field. And then the forest. When one entered it from the frozenke and they reached the other side of this forest, it would lead them to the sea.


    Most of the yers were scattered at the forest area which was the biggest of the three. Of course, he had to go there. On his way to the forest, he decimated all yers that he came across with.


    With the help of the map, he managed to take those yers by surprise and thus making it easier for him to eliminate them. He didn¡¯t really feel guilty about that. This was the meaning of battle royale ¨C eliminating one after another until only a certain number of them remained. He wouldn¡¯t just stay put, do nothing, and pray that none of the other yers would ¡¯kill¡¯ him. Especially with such a useful map in his possession.


    Besides, he¡¯s an Assassin. It¡¯s only natural for him to sneak around and ¡¯kill¡¯ people stealthily.


    Luo Yan looked at the three wolves roaming at the distance. These were not ordinary wolves. They were bigger and much more violent. As long as they heard or saw a yer, they would attack them mercilessly. It¡¯s not just wolves, he also saw a huge pr bear that looked like it couldn¡¯t wait to maw on something. As evidence of it snarling and salivating.


    It was not just these animals, there were also nts as well. Flowers that produced icicles when they bloomed. These flowers only bloomed when it was touched. If a yer was hit by this icicle, they would be frostbitten. Which kind of suck especially for those who couldn¡¯t use their Items Tab.


    Those were the ones he had seen so far. There¡¯s probably even more. These were the environmental factors that the yers had to watch out for aside from the other yers.


    Really, it¡¯s like the game just wanted to lessen their numbers as fast as they could.


    Luo Yan jumped to another tree and another. His destination was a spot where a cluster of red dots were. There were about 20 thest time he counted. He wondered why these yers were together. Were they having a conference or something?


    Of course, he had to check it.


    He hadn¡¯t reached his destination yet when he saw four figures at a distance. He recognized one of the four as that Angel. The two seemed to be discussing something. Seeing that Angel, Luo Yan guessed that he must be plotting something. He couldn¡¯t hear their conversation this far out. So, he took out his Invisibility Cloak and put it own.


    He still had three chances to use this item. He felt like it was just right to use one of those chances now. Mainly because he really didn¡¯t like this Angel. Seeing someone acting like some innocent white lotus was not really to his taste. Of course, his dislike was not because like seeing a fellow white lotus. It was simply because his maniption was full of bad intentions.


    He thought those other yers the Angel manipted to close the door of the ship during the first trial would trouble the other. But the possibility of that now was pretty low. Should he just handle him himself?


    Now wearing his Invisibility Cloak, Luo Yan jumped closer until he was in hearing distance.


    "Is it really alright to leave Dragnar back there?" the Angel asked with a worried expression.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Dragnar? Wasn¡¯t that the golden dragon? So, he also ended up in this area.


    One of the other three with him snorted. "Didn¡¯t he say on board the ship that he would still end up at the finals no matter what because he¡¯s strong? Then he can prove that now."


    "That¡¯s right. Besides, those yers were the ones who decided to work together to get rid of that dragon. We don¡¯t need to take care of them."


    "But- we¡¯re the ones who told those yers about the Dragnar¡¯s location. It¡¯s our responsibility," the Angel spoke again, this time with a righteous tone.


    "Raphael doesn¡¯t need to be so kind. This is a game. People who should be eliminated would be eliminated. It¡¯s enough if the four of us survive."


    "Yes. As long as you¡¯re with us and keep healing us, we will definitely be thest four survivors in this area."


    The Angel ¨C Raphael ¨C bit his lower lip, his expression full of guilt. "I still think we need to go back. But- but if you don¡¯t want to, then I will go back myself."


    Watching this farce, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help butugh.

 Chapter 479 eliminating the other white lotus

    BASED on the brief conversation he heard, Luo Yan could safely assume two things; One, the four teamed-up to clear this round and their team was obviously centered around the Angel. This was probably because he was a Priest. That ss could do wonders for a battle royale. Two, they somehow found Dragnar and then, for some reason or the other, managed to reveal the other¡¯s location to other yers.


    Dragnar, being a huge threat to everyone, was like a big walking target. It wouldn¡¯t really be that big of a surprise if other yers decided to team up to get rid of him as early as possible. No wonder Luo Yan saw that cluster of red dots on the map. That¡¯s probably the ce where those yers cornered the golden dragon.


    Although if one thought about it carefully, it¡¯s hard to tell who were the ones being cornered.


    Seeing the way the Angel was acting, looking all guilty and righteous, Luo Yan quickly understood what the other was nning. As a fellow white lotus, it was not hard for him to read the little abacus in the other¡¯s mind.


    He was nning to go back to Dragnar and help him. He probably thought that once he helped the golden dragon, the other would feel indebted to him and it would be easier for him to manipte him into teaming up together. After all, being in a team with a dragon was infinitely better than his current team. And because the two technically work closely together during thest trial yesterday, the Angel probably thought that it would be much easier to manipte him to the direction he wanted.


    Luo Yan doubted that would happen though. That Dragnar didn¡¯t look that stupid. Unlike these three.


    It was obvious that the Angel was the mastermind behind the plot against Dragnar. He recruited three cannon fodders to help him with his plot. And now, he¡¯s ready to take action.


    How could Luo Yan let him things go ording to his way?


    His daggers appeared in his hands. There were still about six minutes before the effect of the Invisibility Cloak disappeared. That time was enough to get rid of these four.


    He jumped down from the tree branch he was standing on. Hended perfectly behind one of the three cannon fodders. He quickly attacked his vital points. Attacking a yer¡¯s vital points would make the damage much bigger.


    After stabbing the neck of that yer, he quickly moved to the next one who was just standing beside the one he stabbed. He shed his throat. And then he threw both daggers to different directions ¨C one towards the other cannon fodder and the other towards the Angel.


    Because of the Eternal Lotus core of his daggers, the four didn¡¯t have any time to react before their time stopped. It would onlyst for three seconds. So, he quickly took back his daggers. It kind of helped that these four were huddling together. That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t really even took him a second to get back his daggers.


    He first finished off the three cannon fodders. He didn¡¯t want the Angel to just heal them after he went through all that trouble to stab them. The one he stabbed on the neck, he stabbed again at the chest. He did the same thing to the other two. For good measure, he used one of his skills ¨C [Strike Kill].


    So, before the effect of the Eternal Lotus wore off, the three already turned into particles of light. Signaling that they were already eliminated.


    When Lan Yu came to, the three team mates he managed to con had disappeared. Suddenly, he was the only one left. But he knew that he wasn¡¯t alone. Someone attacked them. As evidence of the tingling sensation on his arm where he was just stabbed.


    But the fact that he couldn¡¯t see the other meant that they were using some kind of skill.


    "Who¡¯s there?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.


    He quickly healed himself, his HPing back to full. At the same time, he used a skill that could negate any skills within a radius of one meter for five seconds. But nothing happened. He still couldn¡¯t see his attacker. Which only left him to the conclusion that the other was using an item with some kind of stealth effect.


    Then he heard someone chuckling. He could hear the mockery in thatugh. Annoyance and anger filled him. He was about to use another skill when that voice spoke;


    "You must be having fun ying the innocent white lotus."


    Lan Yu became flustered for a second when he heard that. But he quickly recovered and acted as if he had just been wronged and bullied.


    "Brother, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. If I offend you in any way, then I apologize. Just, please, don¡¯t¡ª"


    Luo Yan rolled his eyes. He didn¡¯t let the other finish and just simply cut him off.


    "Don¡¯t what? Don¡¯t hurt you? How funny. As far as I can remember, this is a battle royale. We¡¯re here to fight one another until only four remained. Or are you saying that everyone should pity you and let you survive until the end just because you¡¯re acting all weak?"


    Lan Yu¡¯s eyes sank. He truly wanted to curse whoever this person was right at this moment. But he knew that he still needed to be in character. After all, everything that¡¯s happening in this ind was being broadcasted live.


    "I- I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Please, don¡¯t vilify me!"


    That voice chuckled again. "Man, you¡¯re really such a drama queen. Wasn¡¯t it you who manipted those three poor yers intoing up with a n that would trap Dragnar? And then you suddenly acted all guilty and wanted to go back to help him. How funny. All of that acting just so you could team up with the dragon. Those poor fellows, they didn¡¯t even realize that you¡¯re just using them until the end."


    Lan Yu¡¯s facepletely darkened. "Shut up!" He stopped, realizing that he almost snapped. He quickly put back his innocent expression. "P-please, stop."


    "Since you want to continue to act like some innocent saint, then why not just die here and give your spot to someone much more deserving?"


    After Luo Yan said that, he quickly attacked the white lotus Angel.

 Chapter 480 dedicated yan yan

    BUT the moment Luo Yan attacked, his dagger met some kind of resistance. As if the Angel was suddenly surrounded by some kind of invisible barrier. He raised one of his brows. So, the Priest ss still had this kind of skill.


    Lan Yu was d that he put up that barrier on time. If he didn¡¯t, based on the collision he felt, he probably would have been thrown back. But he didn¡¯t have time to rx because he knew whoever this invisible enemy was would attack again. So, he decided to use his skill with the highest attack power.


    The problem was, he could only use it after the barrier he put up disappeared. Because it wouldn¡¯t work as long as any one of his skills was currently activated. The effect of the barrier wouldst for 10 seconds. Now, there¡¯s only about half of that left. He just had to get ready the moment the barrier disappeared. Once it did, he would obliterate him.


    When this round was over and he found out who the other person was, he would definitely make him pay.


    If Lan Yu was nning, of course, Luo Yan was too.


    Since there was a barrier preventing him from attacking, he just had to get pass the barrier. He looked down at the ground, particrly at the spot the Angel was standing on. And then he smiled.


    His shadow was able to reach the spot where the Angel was standing. Which meant that it could get pass the invisible barrier. He was actually worried that there wouldn¡¯t be enough light to enter the forest for the objects here to produce a shadow. But it seemed like his worry was totally unnecessary.


    Shadows during Winter were much longerpared to when it was Summer. That¡¯s why even though he was a few steps away from the Angel, his shadow could still reach him. It¡¯s probably a blessing in disguise that he ended up in this area.


    Seriously, if this guy was observant enough, he should have already noticed his shadow. Then he would know where he was standing. In fact, if the other looked well enough, he could see his footsteps on the mostly snow-covered ground. But maybe this guy was just so busy preventing himself to go OOC that he hardly noticed the smallest things.


    Well, whatever. It¡¯s time to end this farce.


    He activated his [Shadow Walk] and submerged into his own shadow.


    Lan Yu was still waiting for his barrier to disappear. There was only a second left. He was about to activate his skill when he felt a tingling pain on his chest. He slowly looked down and his eyes widened when he saw a ck dagger buried on his chest. On his feet, he also saw the shadow on the ground rippling.


    "N-no way... how...?"


    "Do try to level up your innocent act. Maybe you will be able to fool everyone by then."


    That¡¯s thest thing he heard before hepletely turned into light particles.


    Luo Yan then walked up to the area on the map where those cluster of red dots he saw earlier was. Now he knew that Dragnar was also there. He was thinking of lending a hand to the other if he was actually really cornered. He kind of want to face that dragon on the final tournament.


    Anyway, he was certain that those 20 or so yers wouldn¡¯t be able to corner that guy. So, his help might not even be needed. But he still wanted to check what was happening just in case.


    His Invisibility Cloak was still in effect. So, he wasn¡¯t worried that the yers over there would see him.


    When he was a few distance away from the area, he stopped. There was a clearing up ahead and he could see a figure standing alone there. A well-built young man with ring golden hair. It was Dragnar.


    Seeing him alone, it was self-evident that he had already finished off the other yers who tried to corner him. It was already something he had expected, so he wasn¡¯t that surprise.


    It seemed that he would really be seeing this guy on finals.


    That¡¯s good. A game without a powerfulpetitor was just boring.


    He turned around and walked towards the direction he came from. He took out the map and saw that there were only about 150 yers remaining in their area.


    As he jumped to one of the trees, the effect of his cloak had disappeared and his full figure was revealed. A smile appeared on his lips.


    It¡¯s time to go to another spree.


    Inside one of the VIP rooms in the prism building...


    Luo Ren, who had been watching everything that¡¯s happening to his brothers since this second round of preliminary began, was currently very speechless. In fact, he hadn¡¯t been able to say anything since the first time he saw Luo Yan shing another yer¡¯s throat.


    Luo Jin was fine. Because he had seen his youngest brother go into fights with others. Especially during the time that Luo Yan was still in aa. So, he wasn¡¯t too surprised seeing him shooting yers left and right.


    But Luo Yan was different.


    Even though he knew that his brother wasn¡¯t really that innocent angel who knew nothing of the world, it still caught him off-guard seeing him like this. All his actions had no hesitations in them. He was full of confidence. And the most important thing was, he looked like he was having fun.


    No, he was definitely having fun.


    Especially during that part when he faced that Angel guy. Luo Yan exposed the guy for being a maniptive white lotus and then proceeded on stabbing him on the heart.


    Although they couldn¡¯t see how he did all that since he was invisible, he could still hear from the tone of his brother¡¯s voice that he was having fun toying with the Angel.


    Luo Ren seriously didn¡¯t know how to react. It¡¯s like something he believed in for so long had just been subverted. Or maybe it¡¯s really his fault for initially caging Luo Yan into a certain type of personality. Believing that he was right.


    It seemed that he really needed to start being more open-minded.


    "B-Brother Ren," Yu Jiao softly called.


    Luo Ren was startled when he heard that call. He turned his head to Yu Jiao who was sitting beside him. "Yes?"


    "Ahm, Yan Yan is definitely not violent! He¡¯s just- just- yes, he¡¯s just dedicated!"


    Yu Jiao said that because while watching the broadcast, she noticed how Luo Ren became silent more and more. She guessed that he probably was shocked seeing Luo Yan killing all those yers. Honestly, even she was a little bit surprised. Especially since Luo Yan really looked like he was enjoying himself. But he didn¡¯t want Luo Ren to think that he¡¯s brother was actually violent or something.


    Ren blinked and stared at Yu Jiao¡¯s shining eyes, as if silently telling him, ¡¯please, believe me!¡¯. Suddenly, all the confusing feelings he just felt earlier disappeared and he couldn¡¯t help butugh. His heart filling with sweet warmth.


    "Yes, he is indeed very ¡¯dedicated¡¯," he could only say.

 Chapter 481 ambush

    LUO YAN looked down at the map he was holding. There were only 78 yers left. Only 30 minutes had passed and yet already 200 participants in their area were eliminated. He didn¡¯t know about the other areas, but he was sure that their area had the fastest speed of decreasing number of yers.


    Not really surprising. Considering how he was purposely hunting down other yers. Aside from him, there was also Dragnar who was also sweeping other yers like their flies or something. Other yers were also surely trying their best to eliminate other yers. Not to mention the environmental factors that were purposedly designed to eliminate them.


    He picked an area with had a lot of yers together. That¡¯s how he¡¯d been doing it since the start of this round. That¡¯s why he was able to eliminate a lot of yers. He returned the map to his Items Tab and then took out potions to relieve his HP and MP.


    He continued to jump from one tree to another, going to the direction he picked. He was nearing the ce when he felt like something was about to hit his back. Like an instinct. He quickly jumped down. When he looked out, he saw that an icicle pierced the branch where he just stood.


    It¡¯s the icicle that came out of the blue flowers whenever they bloomed. Those flowers only bloomed when they were touched. But he was sure he hadn¡¯t stepped on any flowers. Besides, if he did, then the icicle should havee up from the branch instead of behind him.


    He frowned. Because he already had a feeling how that came to be.


    Before he could take action, attacks from all directions appeared. He knew it. He was being ambushed! That icicle was probably purposely thrown in his direction. Although he wasn¡¯t sure how they did it, but there was no mistake in his judgment. It¡¯s probably some kind of skill or something.


    Based on the number of attacksing to him right now, he could roughly guess that they were the same number as the cluster of red dots he was nning to target. That would make sense since he was already close to the ce indicated on the map. If he took out the map right now, he bet he could see red dots surrounding the spot he was in. So, they were not flocking together for no reason, they were simply waiting for someone to ambush.


    These yers probably made a deal to work together and eliminate as many yers as possible. He wondered how they would work it out if they managed to be the only ones left until the end. After all, only four yers were needed. Not that that would ever happen. He¡¯s here after all.


    He probably should save their problem now so they wouldn¡¯t end up fighting each other. How nice of him, right?


    Luo Yan quickly dodged the iing attacks. With his speed, he could dodge it. Although it would be hard, it was still doable. As he was dodging, he took out his Invisibility Cloak and wore it. Making himpletely invisible.


    It would be great if he could use his [Shadow Walk] skill here. But it¡¯s still in cooldown so he couldn¡¯t. That skill was now in level 10 so the cooldown was now significantly lowerpared to when it was on level 1. But he still needed to wait for two hours and 30 minutes before he could use it again.


    The original cooldown of his [Shadow Walk] skill was five hours. Every time it leveled up, it decreased by 15 minutes. With that, it could be easily assumed that its cap level was level 20. Once he reached that, this skill would no longer have any cooldown. No wonder there was a part in the skill description that said, ¡¯continue to increase its level and maybe one day you could freely walk inside the shadow world¡¯.


    If he really capped its level one day, then he could really end up walking freely in the shadow world. But the problem was levelling up a skill waspletely different from levelling up the game avatar altogether.


    A skill would level up as long as one repeatedly used it. But once his [Shadow Walk] skill reached level 10, no matter how much he used it, it no longer leveled up. He wondered if there¡¯s something he could do to increase that. It would be really helpful if its level increased before the final tournament.


    But before that, let¡¯s deal with these yers first.


    On Luo Jin¡¯s side, the little gnome was running on the field of flowers. He avoided every flowers on the ground. Which was so damn hard because everywhere was just filled with flowers. It¡¯s because once you stepped on any flower in this damn area, it would produce all kinds of debuffs. Like being poisoned and paralyzed.


    The first time he stepped on some flowers, he was both poisoned and paralyzed. If he didn¡¯t manage to kill the nearby opponents, it would probably be him who was eliminated. It was also good that he had potions that could resolve these debuffs.


    Learning from that mistake, he was careful not to ever step on a flower again. One would think that being in the Spring area would be much easierpared to the others. After all, the weather was not too cold or not too hot. It¡¯s even filled with blooming flowers. But that would only be the case if the flowers in question weren¡¯t ticking time bombs.


    Now, Luo Jin was starting to hate seeing a flower. He wouldn¡¯t have some kind of flower trauma after this, right? He shook his head at that stupid notion.


    He looked down at the map he was holding and saw that there were about five yers up to the front, along the small river. He turned on his [Sniper Specs] and pointed his two guns on that direction.


    He saw that four of the yers were ganging up on the remaining one. He raised one of his brows. Because he recognized the yer being surrounded. It was that guy who got the reward for the first trial yesterday. What was his name again? Ah, Razor.


    As Luo Jin pulled the triggers of both his guns, Razor also moved. Two of the yers were shot by him while the other two was stabbed by Razor.


    Razor stopped and then looked at his direction.

 Chapter 482 vs razor

    LUO JIN didn¡¯t avoid his gaze and continued to fire his shots. Two of the yers turned into light particles. Razor also managed to finish off the other two. Luo Jin didn¡¯t wait and fired two shots to the ck-d guy. Unlike the two who had been eliminated by his bullets, Razor managed to dodge the iing attack.


    Luo Jin wasn¡¯t really surprised. Somehow, he knew that this guy wouldn¡¯t be the same as the other yers. He didn¡¯t hesitate to use a skill that allowed him to fire continuous shots for 30 seconds. Although it would use more MP than normal shots, it didn¡¯t matter. He had more than enough potions that could replenish that in no time.


    As a Gunslinger, the bullets he used came from his MP. Just like a Mage or a Priest. So, he never worried about losing bullets. Because he always stocked potions and stuff like that. In a way, it¡¯s like he had a cartridge with an endless number of bullets.


    Razor dodged while rushing towards him. Luo Jin¡¯s eyes widened a bit seeing the speed of the other. He only had a hunch before but seeing how he was dodging his attack, now he was sure that this guy was definitely an Assassin. But that didn¡¯t deter him. He continued on with his attack.


    He actually was quite impressed that Razor managed to dodge his bullets so far. But soon, two bullets grazed Razor¡¯s arm and leg. He jumped to avoid the ice and fire that was produced when the bullets grazed him. But because of Luo Jin¡¯s passive unique skill [Chaotic Mind], Razor froze mid-air. As if he lost control of his limbs.


    Which was kind of true in a way. [Chaotic Mind] could make the target confused for five seconds. Luo Jin took that chance to continue his barrage of attacks. To his surprise, Razor suddenly stabbed his own arm. The other was still under the influence of [Chaotic Mind], yet he forced himself to move and stab himself. Luo Jin could see that the wound was deep. Showing that Razor wasn¡¯t able to control the force he used to stab himself.


    Luo Jin felt a bit of admiration for the other¡¯s determination. Now, he could understand a little how the other managed to survive the first trial while on the ship¡¯s deck. But that didn¡¯t mean he would stop his attack.


    Razor continued to dodge. Which was quite a feat considering he was still in mid-air. Then, some kind of white lightning appeared beneath his feet. Before Luo Jin could react, Razor suddenly appeared in front of him in just a blink. Almost as if he teleported. But Luo Jin knew that the other¡¯s speed just elerated. To the point that his movements couldn¡¯t even be seen by the naked eye.


    Luo Jin felt the sharp end of a dagger on his neck.


    "You¡¯re pointing that gun on a very dangerous ce, little gnome," Razor said in azy tone.


    "I know. I pointed it there on purpose," Luo Jin responded. One of his guns was pointing on the other¡¯s crotch.


    It¡¯s not on purpose. The moment Razor vanished, he instinctively raised his hand. Because he had a feeling that the other would appear in front of him. That way, he could quickly pull the trigger and shoot him. But because of the height of his avatar, the gun he was holding ended up pointing on that ce.


    How could he admit that it was just an ident? That would totally make him look so uncool. How could he make himself look uncool when he knew that a lot of people were watching this? So, he¡¯d just own it like he truly nned to do that in the first ce.


    It¡¯s definitely not because he knew that Su Yuqi was one of those people watching. Definitely not.


    "Do you want to make a bet which one is faster? Your dagger or my gun?" he said, pretending to be all cool and collected. As if everything was under his control.


    "Sure. If both of us survived, let¡¯s make a temporary truce. Why don¡¯t we?" Razor said nonchntly.


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t answer. Razor also didn¡¯t wait for his response. Both of them just moved at the same time.


    Luo Jin activated the effect of his shoes. He bought this item not just because it fitted with his costume, but mostly because of its effect. The shoes, once activated, could increase his agility stat by 100 points. But he could only use it for 10 seconds and then it would undergo cooldown. It would truly be only useful during a pinch situation like this or high-speed battles.


    These shoes definitely costed a lot. But the amount wasn¡¯t really a problem for him considering how much his monthly pocket money was.


    He jumped back. With the help of the shoes, he managed to dodge the dagger. But it still scratched the side of his neck. Of course, before he jumped, he also fired a shot. To his dismay, it didn¡¯t hit its intended target. Razor also managed to dodge.


    "So, truce?" the other asked still in thatzy tone.


    Luo Jin scoffed but didn¡¯t disapprove of it.


    "Leave first," he said. There¡¯s no way he would show his back to this guy.


    Razor just shrugged as if he didn¡¯t care. "Bye, violent little gnome."


    The corner of Luo Jin¡¯s eye twitched when he heard thatstment. He watched the other leave. He actually wanted to ask if he also received the same kind of map he did. Because if he did, then that would also mean that his brother also had the same map. But he thought better of it.


    Because if he did, then via process of elimination, it would be easy to know that he was AmazingYoungMasterJin. Although people watching the broadcast probably already knew that seeing how he¡¯d been using the map. But that didn¡¯t mean that he was ready to proudly announce to everyone that that was his game ount name. Especially to someone he just fought.


    Luo Jin sighed and walked to another area. He wondered what his brother was doing right now. Hopefully, he¡¯s doing much better than him.

 Chapter 483 clash of sword and daggers

    SHEN JI YUN stared attentively at the right side of the big screen in front of him. It¡¯s the part where it showed what was happening to Luo Yan. Since this round of preliminary started, he had never looked away from that part of the screen. He didn¡¯t care much about what was happening with the little gnome. Because his eyes were already filled with his rabbit¡¯s figure.


    Luo Yan was now beating up the yers who ambushed him. Although, Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t see the other because he was wearing his Invisibility Cloak, he could still feel that Luo Yan must be having fun.


    He had long noticed that his rabbit enjoyed fighting. In the times that they did a task together and they had to kill monsters and stuff, Luo Yan would always have this smile. As if he was having the time of his life. Especially when he¡¯s using his skills to overpower his enemies.


    If he just met him in the game, he would probably never have imagined that this white-haired elf who enjoyed killing monsters and beating up yers was actually a beautiful teenager who barely reached 160 cm. He seemed like he was someone who could easily be taken advantaged of. But the truth was, he would probably most likely be the one to take advantage of someone instead. And if he ever did so, then that meant that the person probably deserved it.


    Shen Ji Yun had never thought that it was a negative trait. It never even urred to him to be disappointed. Why would he? It was part of the Luo Yan that he fell in love with. Besides, he loved his rabbit¡¯s small bit of dark personality. It¡¯s probably one of the reasons he fell in love with him in the first ce.


    Soon, thest of the ten yers who ambushed Luo Yan turned into light particles. It took him about eight minutes to eliminate those ten yers. With his skills, he probably could have taken them down for less than that. But those ten amazingly worked well together. They weren¡¯t that strong individually. But together? They could make considerable amount of damage.


    It¡¯s a testament to Luo Yan¡¯s skill, eliminating them all alone.


    Because the effect of the cloak was still active, they still couldn¡¯t see Luo Yan. But based on the direction of the camera, he was running towards the direction of the area of the forest near the sea.


    Whenever there¡¯s another yer along the way, that yer would suddenly be eliminated. Nearing the sea, the effect of the cloak suddenly deactivated. The same exact moment that Luo Yan just stabbed a yer.


    And just like Shen Ji Yun guessed, there was a bright smile on Luo Yan¡¯s pretty face. Showing just how much he was enjoying this moment.


    Shen Ji Yun also unknowingly smiled. He raised the ck fox sitting on hisp. Gesturing for Eclipse to look at the screen.


    [Look how great and beautiful your master is.] ¨C he said, even though he knew that the little ck fox could not hear him.


    But even if Eclipse couldn¡¯t hear him, he could see from how he was looking fervently at the screen that this little thing was probably thinking the same. Although he really wasn¡¯t sure how could that be possible. He could only attribute it to the fact that the game devs¡¯ programming for this pet was already at the god level.


    Bai Ze, who had been observing his friend for quite a while now, shook his head. Look at those eyes that looked like it was on the verge of transforming into heart shapes. He couldn¡¯t understand how he could still have that expression when Luo Yan looked like some beautiful psycho criminal who was on a mission to kill everyone?


    The term ¡¯love is blind¡¯ perfectly applied to this situation.


    But still, the greater mystery was how could he not notice Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings sooner when the other was being so obvious about it? Was he just that dense? He felt depressed for a bit. Was this the reason why he never had a girlfriend for all 20 years of his life?


    Now, the friend who he thought had low understanding of emotions, already had someone he loved. Bai Ze suddenly felt that he was being left out. Should he also get a girlfriend?


    For some reason, an image of a girl with cat ears suddenly shed in his mind. He was startled and quickly shook that thought out of his head.


    What the heck was that?


    Bai Ze nced at Shen Ji Yun who was still staring at the screen. He also turned to the screen and saw that Luo Yan had already reached the seashore. Once again, he didn¡¯t hesitate to attack the yers he came across with. Seriously, he didn¡¯t expect that this cousin of his to be this ¡¯bloodthirsty¡¯. Just where did his angel go?


    Luo Yan just one-hit kill another yer. He looked around the shore. From where he was, he couldn¡¯t see any yers in sight. So, he took out the map.


    He hadn¡¯t taken it out since that 10-yer ambush. That¡¯s why he was quite surprised when he saw that there were only about 20 yers left. It seemed like everyone had been very busy.


    There were three red dots on the east side of the shore. He was about to go there next when he saw that another red dot was rushing towards the three dots. Soon, those three dots disappeared. Which meant that the yers it represented were eliminated.


    And now, whoever eliminated the three was going to his direction.


    He grinned and put back the map in his Items Tab. Instead of just waiting here for whoever that yer was, he ran towards them.


    When Luo Yan saw who it was, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit surprised. Because the other running towards him right now had long bright golden hair tied in a high ponytail. The long sword he was holding had a slight golden sheen.


    It was none other than Dragnar.


    Seeing as how the other didn¡¯t have any ns of stopping, Luo Yan also didn¡¯t stop and even speeded up, holding both his daggers in his hands.


    And then, a long sword and two daggers shed.

 Chapter 484 flying hearts

    SPARKS flew from the collision of the sword and the dagger. The sword was suddenly surrounded with golden mes. One could see that the owner of the sword wanted to end this unexpected battle as soon as possible. But would Luo Yan let him? Of course not.


    Luo Yan could feel the tremendous heat from the me. If his daggers were made of ordinary materials, it would have probably melted by now. ck shes of shadow appeared on the daggers,peting against the golden me.


    The golden-haired young man seemed to be surprised seeing that. Luo Yan took advantage of the other¡¯s temporary gaffe and used his [8th Movement Dance] skill.


    His body moved on his own to perform the said skill. His aggressive attacks appeared like he was performing a traditional sword dance. Except that instead of a sword, he was holding two daggers. His movements were full of grace and fluidity. With his long white hair moving along with his every attack, his actions just looked extremely beautiful.


    But Xia Lei ¨C the golden dragon ¨C didn¡¯t appreciate any of that beauty. No, it was probably more urate to say that he had no time to appreciate it. Because each attack was very heavy. And it just became heavier and heavier. It¡¯s not just the power, it¡¯s also the speed.


    ck shes also appeared on the daggers with each attack. He noticed that every time those ck shes appeared, the me on his sword decreased. As if it was being devoured.


    He was not really that far off. The shadow didn¡¯t ¡¯devour¡¯ his mes, it just simply ¡¯covered¡¯ it. Just like how shadows could cover a lot of things as long as the right amount of light was present.


    It¡¯s an inherent attribute of the daggers Yu Jiao made for Luo Yan. As long as it encountered another element, it would try to ¡¯cover¡¯ it with its shadows. As if it didn¡¯t want other weapons to ¡¯overshadow¡¯ it. The daggers were kind of greedy that way. And Luo Yan absolutely loved it.


    On the other hand, the [8th Movement Dance] which he was using right now was a skill that produced eight consecutive attacks in a dance-like manner. Each attack was stronger than thest, making the eight attack the strongest. It¡¯s attacking power was not that high but it only had one second cooldown. So, it didn¡¯t really matter much as long as one continuously used it.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t really use it for that. He just used it to find a gap, so he could wound Dragnar. Once he did, the effect of the Eternal Lotus would activate and the other¡¯s time would stop for three seconds. That was enough to deal considerable damage to the other.


    Although he truly wanted for them to have a proper fight at the final tournament, since Dragnar attacked him, then he could only response. He couldn¡¯t just possibly stand here and wait for his attack, right? He participated in this carnival to win, not to lose. So, even if it was a waste to eliminate this dragon here, he would do it.


    But he knew that it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. After all, the other was a Legendary race. Not only that, he could back that race with his skills. Meaning he¡¯s not just a dragon in name.


    Xia Lei also didn¡¯t n on fighting this white-haired elf - Noctis. He was confident that he could defeat the other. But if he did do so, he wouldn¡¯t hear the end of it from his sister.


    He knew how much of a fan his sister was of this Noctis. Drawing fan-arts of him with another guy, gushing about him in her Weibo ount. Xia Lei was even sure that in this Rookie Carnival Xia Li was cheering more for Noctis than him, her own brother.


    If he eliminated this guy here now, his troublesome elder sister would definitely punish him in some way. Maybe she would make a fan-art of his game avatar and then pair him with some random guy. That would be the better oue. Worse? She could post an embarrassing picture of him in his school¡¯s forum site.


    While he was thinking of that, Luo Yan finally found the opening he was waiting for.


    One of Luo Yan¡¯s dagger sneaked pass the sword. When it was about to hit the side of his neck, he suddenly moved his head to the opposite side. So, he managed to dodge at the nick of time. Then his hand not holding the sword turned into dragon ws and it came straight to Luo Yan¡¯s face.


    Luo Yan had no choice but to jump back,pletely cutting off the [8th Movement Dance] skill. Before he could think of his next move, three shes of golden me came flying towards him at a very fast speed.


    He didn¡¯t have time to dodge so he activated one of his skills. But not before throwing one of his daggers. He threw it in between the shes of golden mes. And then his whole body was suddenly covered with a ck shadowy cloak.


    It¡¯s a skill called [Shadow Cloak]. It covered the user with this shadow-like cloak that would lessen the opponent¡¯s attack by half. This skill could be maintained for 15 seconds and had a cooldown of a minute.


    He was not nning on using this on the preliminary round. Because everything here was being broadcasted. He didn¡¯t want his future opponents to see his skills. That¡¯s why he tried not to use that many skills as much as possible. But now, this Dragnar had managed to force him to use one of his skills that he was not nning to use today.


    With the help of his [Shadow Cloak], he managed to rush past the golden mes and then ran forward towards the direction of Dragnar. Despite halving the attack power of the golden mes, he could still feel the decrease in his HP. But he didn¡¯t care much about that and just continued forward.


    He smiled when he saw that Dragnar was now standing still. He looked at the fresh wound on his cheek and his dagger that was lodged on the sand way passed the other. It was obvious that the dagger he threw earlier managed to graze him. Which was enough for the effect of the Eternal Lotus to activate. He quickly speeded up before that effect vanished.


    Once he was in front of Dragnar, he was about to stab the other¡¯s chest when golden smoke started to surround Dragnar. Luo Yan¡¯s pupils shook a bit. Because this golden smoke symbolized the other turning into his beast form.


    He was about to increase his speed when fireworks suddenly appeared above the Winter area. And then, the voice of the Duke of Hearts filled the ce.


    [Congrattions to the four yers of the Winter area for reaching the quota at the fastest speed! Noctis, Dragnar, Lovelee, and Pan - you four are now qualified to participate on the final tournament of the Rookie Carnival. As promised, you will receive a reward for such a feat. Although I must say, aside from Noctis and Dragnar, the remaining two didn¡¯t really entertained me that much. So, Noctis, Dragnar, please receive this lord¡¯s flying hearts!]


    Luo Yan and Xia Lei, who both froze the moment the Duke of Hearts spoke, stared at the two flying hearts that appeared out of thin air.


    And these two hearts just flew straight to their chest!

 Chapter 485 is it because you find me too pretty?

    LUO YAN looked down at his chest where that heart just hit him. He didn¡¯t feel any different. So, was that just the Duke of Hearts showing his favor? As if the NPC in question had heard his confusion, a notification suddenly appeared in front of him.


    [You just received the Duke of Hearts¡¯ ¡¯entertained heart¡¯. You now have the title ¡¯Hearts¡¯ Court Jester¡¯. Every time you¡¯re in a battlefield against other yers or otherwise, you will receive a buff whenever you do something entertaining. The entertainment value will determine whether the buff you¡¯ll receive will be helpful or not so helpful. This entertainment value, of course, all depends on one person ¨C our lovable and wonderful Duke of Hearts. If you do something that the lord duke find entertaining, then he will reward you.]


    [Not only that. Since you¡¯re now have the title ¡¯Hearts¡¯ Court Jester, you¡¯re now an honorary member of the lord duke¡¯s court. You can now go in and out of the lord duke¡¯s territory as you will. How generous, right? So, you should also give back your due. Try your best to entertain our lovely duke, okay?]


    Okay? Luo Yan felt like the one who send this notification was the duke himself. He was actually not sure if what he just received was good or not. What if he did something that the duke didn¡¯t find entertaining? Would he receive a debuff instead? In the first ce, what does ¡¯entertaining¡¯ constitute anyway? What would the duke consider as entertaining?


    No, wait. The Duke of Hearts was an NPC. So, the prerequisite for this ¡¯entertaining¡¯ thing was most likely already programmed to the duke. In short, instead of the duke, the ones he had to entertain was the game devs. After all, they were the ones who programmed that entric duke.


    Knowing how deep the brain pit of those game devs was, he started to worry a bit what they would consider as ¡¯entertaining¡¯.


    "Ah, did you also receive that notification?" Dragnar asked, cutting off his thoughts.


    Luo Yan nced at the golden-haired young man. The other had already stopped his beast transformation. Seeing as how the scratch on his face had already healed, he probably had already drank a potion.


    "Yeah," he answered as he put out the [Shadow Cloak] surrounding him.


    He then passed by Dragnar and picked up the dagger he threw earlier. Since this preliminary round was technically already over for them, there¡¯s no need to continue fighting. So, he simply put his daggers back in their hilts.


    Xia Lei looked at the white-haired elf who just sat down on a big driftwood lying near them. He was a bit surprised how quick the other adjusted to the situation. It¡¯s as if he wasn¡¯t trying to stab him just now.


    But truth be told, he was a bit relieved that the two of them didn¡¯t end up duking it out until only one remained. It would be honestly unfair if one of them was eliminated here. He knew he was good. But he wasn¡¯t too prideful as not to even admit that his opponent was also as good.


    Now that they¡¯re left alone here. He felt a bit awkward for some reason. Maybe because he¡¯s still feeling a bit of guilt knowing how his sister was using this guy as material for his fan-arts.


    As the one who identally pushed his sister to that rotten (women) path, he felt partially responsible. He couldn¡¯t help but want to be cordial to the other. Which was kind of hard since it¡¯s really out of character for him. Not that he was saying that he was usually disrespectful. He just wasn¡¯t the type to be all munchy with someone he had never met before.


    But still, he felt like he should try. He scratched his cheek and tried to start a conversation, "So, ahm, what do you think of that notification?"


    Luo Yan raised his head and looked at the golden dragon. "I think it¡¯s exactly what it said it is. Some kind of ¡¯advantage¡¯ that the ¡¯very wonderful¡¯ Duke of Hearts gifted us."


    "Yeah. What¡¯s up with that, right?" Dragnar said followed by an awkwardugh.


    Of course, Luo Yan noticed the other¡¯s awkwardness. He tilted his head and looked at Dragnar with interest. He didn¡¯t expect him to have this kind of character. Especially after that arrogant and confident speech he did during thest trial at the ship yesterday.


    Now, with the way he just spoke, he seemed like those people who didn¡¯t know how to properly interact with others. Was he just like that naturally or was it because he was talking to him?


    If it was thetter, he really couldn¡¯t me him. He probably just realized how beautiful he was now that they¡¯re no longer fighting. Ah, it¡¯s truly sinful to be this pretty. Even a dragon could turn this awkward just by speaking to him.


    But if it¡¯s not that, then the way he¡¯s acting was quite curious.


    He put his chin on his hand and decided to just ask directly. "Why do you talk so awkwardly to me? Is it because you find me too pretty?"


    Xia Lei could feel his face heating up because of that question. Yes, the other was indeed pretty. But he wasn¡¯t acting all awkward because of that. In the first ce, he doesn¡¯t swing that way. And then he saw the amusement filling those blue eyes and he knew that the other was just teasing him.


    Suddenly, all the guilt he was feeling disappeared. He even thought that this guy deserved being the subject of his sister¡¯s rotten fantasies.


    "You think too highly of yourself," he scoffed before deciding to leave that area.


    "See you at the finals, dragon."


    When Xia Lei heard that, it just made him walked even faster.


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing how the other looked like he was fleeing. Well, he was d that Dragnar wasn¡¯t awkward because he found him pretty. After all, if that was the case, then the big vinegar jar watching this right now would have his jar overturn again.

 Chapter 486 point of no return

    JUST as Luo Yan had guessed, a certain someone¡¯s vinegar jar really did almost turn over.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t have any reaction when Luo Yan and that dragon started fighting. He was simply admiring his rabbit¡¯s great battle sense. But after the Duke of Hearts announced that the fight at the Winter area was over, the crease on his forehead just became deeper and deeper.


    First it was that flying heart. What was that about? It¡¯s almost like giving a flying kiss or something. Shouldn¡¯t that be considered as harassment? What was the game devs thinking? Maybe he should talk to Brother Zhao so he could modify that shameless duke.


    Then right after, that annoying dragon started acting weird around Luo Yan. He couldn¡¯t understand the other¡¯s action. It didn¡¯t help that Su Yuqi said something at that moment that made him frown even further.


    = a few minutes ago =


    "Why was he acting like that?" Bai Ze asked, curious as to why this calm and collected dude was suddenly being such an awkward mess.


    "Maybe because he¡¯s awestruck by Luo Yan¡¯s beauty," Su Yuqi said in that indifferent tone of hers. But the next thing she said had a tinge of yfulness. "Wouldn¡¯t it be interesting if he turned out to have a secret crush on Luo Yan?"


    Four pairs of eyes turned to her direction, each with varying degrees of emotions.


    Yu Jiao had aplicated gaze while Bai Ze looked shocked, as if he couldn¡¯t believe that that would truly be the case. Surprisingly enough, Luo Ren and Shen Ji Yun both looked at her coldly. Su Yuqi found that quite amusing.


    "Please refrain from saying confusing things involving my brother," Luo Ren said, his voice icy.


    Su Yuqi wasn¡¯t really affected by that and just leaned backfortably on his chair. "Of course. You must know I¡¯m only joking. But even if what I said turned out to be the truth, I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that. Or does this elder brother think that Luo Yan doesn¡¯t deserve to be admired, males or females otherwise?"


    Luo Ren narrowed his eyes at the pink-haired little girl with fluttering butterfly wings behind her back. She looked like some harmless fairy. But even with that outer appearance, he could feel that at this moment that could hardly applied to her. Especially with that sly glint in her eyes.


    That look certainly matched his real appearance. But with her current game avatar, it just made her look scarier. Because a child would never have such an expression.


    [Xiao Jin, ah, you sure do know how to pick them.] ¨C he could only think at that moment.


    But he didn¡¯t back down and just continued staring coldly at the girl. Su Yuqi did the same.


    The ones who felt ufortable by this sudden situation were Bai Ze and Yu Jiao. Whom both quickly tried to smoothen out the situation.


    "Brother Ren, Su Yuqi didn¡¯t mean anything by that. She simply has a very, very, sharp tongue. Offending people is kind of a habit of hers," Bai Ze said.


    Su Yuqi nced sideways at Bai Ze. "Oh, really? I¡¯d rather think I¡¯m just honest. If you¡¯re offended by my honesty, then that could only mean that you¡¯re guilty in some way or the other."


    "Su Yuqi-!"


    "What? I¡¯m not referring to your cousin." Su Yuqi smirked at Bai Ze. "I¡¯m talking about you. Since you so often get ¡¯offended¡¯ by what I said."


    Bai Ze only felt his blood pressure rising, if that was even possible in this holographic world.


    Yu Jiao, on the other hand, pulled Luo Ren¡¯s sleeve to get the other¡¯s attention. "Brother Ren, p-please don¡¯t be mad."


    Luo Ren¡¯s attention was of course caught just as his sleeve was. He gazed down at the ¡¯handsome young man¡¯ sitting beside him. Yu Jiao¡¯s sharp eyes were blinking at him, they were twinkling and shining. How could he resist that?


    The annoyance he felt disappeared like a bubble.


    He smiled at Yu Jiao. "I¡¯m not mad, Jiao Jiao. Just a tad bit annoyed. But since you tried hard tofort me, I shall refrain from feeling so."


    Yu Jiao, for some unknown reason, felt her cheeks heating up. She let go of Luo Ren¡¯s sleeve and looked down, not really knowing how to respond. [What¡¯s wrong with me?]


    Both Bai Ze and Su Yuqi stopped bickering and looked at the two.


    Bai Ze was confused by the expression on his older cousin¡¯s face. It was soft and gentle, unlike how he usually was. It¡¯s his expression whenever he looked at Lou Yan. Yet now he was looking that way towards Yu Jiao. Does he think of her like a little sister? No, he felt like it should be different. But in what way?


    Su Yuqi only smiled with interest. [These Luo brothers are truly amusing.]


    That seemed to be the end of the matter, but there¡¯s one person who was still affected by what Su Yuqi had said earlier about Dragnar having a crush on Luo Yan.


    Yes, it¡¯s Shen Ji Yun.


    ===


    Shen Ji Yun understood that the possibility of Su Yuqi being right was quite high. After all, his rabbit was more than worthy of everyone¡¯s admiration. What if that Dragnar truly had a crush on Luo Yan? Would that guy be his first official rival? If that was the case, then he definitely wouldn¡¯t back down.


    And then he heard Luo Yan directly asking the dragon if the reason he was acting so awkward was because he found him pretty. He clenched his fists, nervous as to what the dragon¡¯s answer would be. But then the other just scoffed and said that Luo Yan was thinking too highly of himself.


    Shen Ji Yun should be satisfied with that answer. But he only felt irritable. His only thought then was ¡¯how dare this guy scoffed at Yan Yan¡¯s beauty?¡¯. He shook his head and sighed.


    Ah, he truly was already at a point of no return.


    After hearing that his brother was already one of the four in the Winter area who could go to the finals, Luo Jin became more enthusiastic at sniping the other yers in his area.


    He should also try his best, right?

 Chapter 487 second area to reach the quota

    LUO JIN pointed his two guns at a certain direction. He fired consecutive shots and two yers standing in that direction quickly turned into light particles. He was currently on top of a tall tree. One of the few that was in the area.


    Because from his observation since he started roaming around in hopes of finding a high enough ce to do his sniping, he noticed that the area was mostly made up of this almost endless field of flowers. He no longer was able to count the number of times that he fell victim to those damn flowers. In fact, he received more damage from then rather than from other yers.


    He wanted to fight others in a closer distance. But sniping at a distance would be much faster. And fast was what he needed right now. Especially after hearing that announcement about the Winter area.


    His brother already had the qualification to continue on to the finals. He also wanted to finish things here as quickly as possible.


    He took out his map and saw that there were still more than a hundred yers left in their area. He suddenly started to wonder how the heck did the yers in the Winter area managed to eliminate one another that fast until only the four remained. Maybe everyone there was simply hungry for victory that¡¯s why they were the fastest one to reach the requirement.


    There was also another possibility. Aside from his brother, another person also possessed the map that could tell the locations of other yers. Four people received a special reward from the trial yesterday. Him, his brother, that Razor, and the golden dragon.


    If Luo Yan and that dragon were in the same area, then that would exin why the yers in the Winter area were eliminated so quickly. His brother aside, that dragon seemed like someone who was verypetitive. Based on his actions on the ship yesterday, he certainly seemed like he would rather be in action than just wait for things to be resolved on their own.


    This Spring area should have been the same if one would think about it logically. And yet, that certainly wasn¡¯t the case. Which could only mean that out of the two people in this area who had the map, only one of them was working hard. Of course, that could only be him. Considering the many yers he had sniped by now.


    That darn Razor was probably not doing anything with the map and justzing about, waiting for everything to be over. Luo Jin had a feeling that that was something the other would definitely do.


    He tsked and just put the thought of that ck-d guy out of his brain. Whether he¡¯szing about or not, he didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d just do his own thing and eliminate as many yers as he could.


    =====


    Just like what Luo Jin had thought, Razor was indeedzing about.


    Cai Hong with ¡¯Razor¡¯ as his game ount name was currently inside a cabin and was lying on a veryfortable bed. This cabin did not belong to this area. It was his. He got it as a reward from sessfully finishing a hidden task.


    This cabin could be put in the Items Tab and could be taken out whenever the owner wished to. All the items that were put inside the cabin would stay there unless the owner disposed of them himself. It was just an empty cabin at first before Cai Hong filled it with things for hisfort ¨C a bed, a pantry filled with food ingredients, and a kitchen counter.


    Doing something like that might be weird considering how this was a virtual world and having these things could be considered as useless. But not to him. He simply liked having a ce to rest. No matter if it was the real world or this one.


    And since they were not implicitly required to ¡¯kill¡¯ anyone in this battle royale, technically they were just told to stay alive until only four only remained. So, he¡¯d rather stay in his cabin and wait until things were over.


    Of course, if someone tried to attack his cabin, he would definitely retaliate back. But he had already set up traps around the area. Anyone who tried to get close would be blown up. Besides, he had that convenient map that Captain Roger rewarded yesterday. He could immediately know if other yers were nearing the ce.


    He put his hands behind his head and stared at the map he pinned at the ceiling.


    Darkness surrounded a certain spot in the Summer area. It covered the sunny and warm environment. Five yers were pull down in the ck whirlpool and were soon turned into light particles. When the darkness disappeared, the only remaining was an elf with ck hair and blue-ck eyes. His skin was also quite eye-catching. Instead of the ivory white that elves in the game usually had, his was like ebony.


    It was Ying Chen.


    He was already at the verge of snapping because of this damn area. One might thing that, ¡¯oh, the Summer area must be a good area for the yers to be in, they¡¯re on an ind after all, inds are always good for Summer¡¯. He scoffed, good my ass. He wondered if they could still say that if they were and experienced just how hot it was.


    Yes, the temperature was like 40 degrees Celsius. It felt like he was in a furnace or something. Surely, even those tropical countries didn¡¯t have Summers like this. If this holographic body could sweat, his clothes would be drenched by now.


    Shit. He¡¯d rather be in the Winter area than in here.


    Speaking of, that Noctis was in that area. Knowing that the other had already passed to the finals, it just made him even more annoyed.


    He was about to move and look for the next target when the Duke of Hearts¡¯ voice resonated throughout the ind.


    [Congrattions to the four yers of the Autumn area for reaching the required quota!]

 Chapter 488 end of battle royale

    [ALTHOUGH you¡¯re not the fastest, you¡¯re still the second. Though I must say that second ce doesn¡¯t really matter in the overall matter of things. After all, in people¡¯s eyes, the first ce is the one who ever really matter. But don¡¯t let this thing deter you. Just know that you¡¯re still better than the ones who got the third or fourth ce, right?]


    The Duke of Hearts continued. Anyone who heard him would wonder if he was being serious or if he was simply mocking them. He continued on after that.


    [Sonata, ck Cat, Winged Tassel, and Supreme King - you four are now qualified to participate on the final tournament of the Rookie Carnival. But truly, this lord is quite disappointed that none of you entertained me enough. So, no hearts for you.]


    When Ying Chen heard that announcement, some of his irritation finally subsided. Because the ck Cat that the duke mentioned was Liang Sen. At least now he was sure that the other would also be part of the finals.


    It seemed he needed to work much harder.


    Luo Jin almost missed his shot because of that announcement. He quickly stabilized his hand and fired another shot. His target then turned into light particles.


    Another area cleared. Only two remained. He looked at the map in his hand and saw that there were still at least a hundred yers. It seemed like between the time the two announcements were made, only 20 yers were eliminated in this area.


    He sighed in frustration. Were most of the yers in this area all vegetarian or something? They¡¯d rather stay hidden and wait everything out until everything was over? If that¡¯s the case, then wouldn¡¯t that mean that he had to stay here for hours?


    Shit.


    He jumped down the tree and decided to just shoot the people he came across with. That would be much faster than waiting for other yers to pass by the tree he was sitting on.


    Another 30 minutes had passed and a new announcement was made. The Duke of Hearts¡¯ voice echoed again throughout the ind.


    [Congrattions to the four yers of the Summer area for reaching the required quota!]


    Luo Jin, who just eliminated two other yers, let out a curse once again. Now there¡¯s only their area left. He had already expected that something like this would happen. But having this result was really quite frustrating.


    [Malekith, Star Anise, Butterpuff, and Crossroad - you four are now qualified to participate on the final tournament of the Rookie Carnival. One of you did an extremely good job at partially entertaining me. So, Malekith, I will give you a flying half-heart. Aren¡¯t you very thankful for that? Of course, you do. Because everyone wants this lord¡¯s heart.]


    Luo Jin shook his head. Really, the narcissism of this NPC knew no bounds.


    [As for the remaining area, I must say that I¡¯m very, very disappointed. We¡¯re nearing two hours and there¡¯s still a hundred of you remaining. How preposterous, right? Since most of you refused to fight, then this lord could only enforce the following rule to all of you.]


    [In the next five minutes, if you hadn¡¯t eliminated another yer, then you will be immediately be kicked out of the ind. And thus, losing the qualification to be at the final tournament. Good luck, losers of the Spring area!]


    Although Luo Jin didn¡¯t like being called a loser, he certainly approved of what the rest of the duke¡¯s tirade. At least now, everyone would be forced to fight one another.


    As soon as that announcement was made, Luo Jin saw a couple of yers running about.


    Luo Jin grinned. Finally, some yers to shoot.


    He ran towards that direction and began shooting.


    Luo Yan was still on the shore where he and Dragnar fought. He thought he could leave here since he already cleared this round. But when he tried to teleport out of here, a notification appeared saying that he still couldn¡¯t leave and just wait from where he was. He also tried to send a message just to alleviate his boredom a bit but it was still a no-go.


    Of course, he also heard the announcements made by the duke. He was actually quite surprised that he hadn¡¯t heard Luo Jin¡¯s amazing game ount name yet.


    Knowing his hot-blooded brother, if he also received the same map as him, then he had no doubt that Luo Jin would use it to the fullest. And yet, those two announcements didn¡¯t mention his brother¡¯s name.


    The possibility that he was eliminated from those two areas ¨C Autumn and Summer, had never crossed Luo Yan¡¯s mind. So, that could only mean that he was at the Spring area. The area where the duke referred to the yers as ¡¯losers¡¯.


    From that, he could somehow understand why his brother was still not able to clear this stage. Because the majority of the yers in that area much rather hide than fight. If that was the case, then that would certainly be quite a pickle.


    Though if it was him, he¡¯d probably drag them from their hiding ces and stab them one by one. It seemed like Luo Jin was still much kinder than him.


    But he must admit, the Duke of Hearts method was quite effective. With what he just said, he could force those yers who were refusing to fight to well, fight. It probably wouldn¡¯t be long now before the fourth announcement would be made.


    [Come on, Ah Jin. Your brother is waiting.]


    He sighed. He kind of wished that he brought Eclipse here with him. At least, with that little fox, he wouldn¡¯t be this bored while waiting. He nced up at the floating prism. His older brother and the rest must have been having fun watching all of these unfolded.


    And just as he thought of earlier, half an hourter, the fourth announcement echoed on the ind.


    [Finally, there are only four remaining yers in the Spring area. Praise the heaven for that. None of you will get my flying hearts because you just all disappoint me. I won¡¯t even mention your names.]


    [And with that, our Battle Royale is now concluded!]


    After Luo Yan heard that, some kind of portal appeared beneath his feet. Before he could even react, he had already fallen!

 Chapter 489 top 16

    BEFORE Luo Yan could even open his eyes to see where the portal took him, he first heard loud cheering. It was so loud that he felt like the ground was almost shaking. He opened his eyes and saw the ce he currently in.


    It was a huge circr stage with a wide diameter. With one look, it could probably amodate about a hundred people at a time. That¡¯s how big and wide it was. And he was not alone standing on this stage right now. There were 15 others like himself.


    The nearest to him was Dragnar. He bypassed him and turned around to look for his brother. Because not once did he think that Luo Jin failed this round of preliminary. As he did so, he finally found out where that loud cheering wasing from.


    Surrounding the huge stage was an audience area. It circled around the stage. The architecture of the twobined area ¨C the audience seats and stage ¨C was akin to the ancient and very famous diator arena of Rome.


    The people in the audience area were shouting different things at the same time. One could hardly hear what they were saying. But Luo Yan could somehow make out names of the yers. Heck, he could even hear his name being called among the crowds.


    He had a feeling that these people were not NPCs. They¡¯re most likely yers who bought tickets to watch the preliminary round. Which meant that the participants who sessfully passed the battle royale were not the only ones who were transported here. The yers on the audience were probably those were watching everything in that floating prism building.


    Luo Yan no longer paid attention to the audience and continued looking for his brother. And there, standing near the edge of the stage from where he was standing, was Luo Jin. Just like him, he was also looking around. Then, their gazes collided. Luo Yan grinned and walked towards his brother. Luo Jin also did the same.


    The two of them met half-way.


    It was then that Luo Yan noticed that his brother looked like he had been through a lot. His avatar¡¯s hair was messy, his clothes were covered in dust, there was even dirt on his small face.


    "You look like you¡¯ve gone to war or something," hemented teasingly. "Does it have something to do with your area being punished by the Duke?"


    He was, of course, referring to that part where the duke forced the yers in the Spring area to eliminate another yer in five minutes. If not, then they would be automatically eliminated themselves.


    Luo Jin¡¯s little face scrunched up. As if he had eaten something inedible. "I don¡¯t want to talk about it."


    After that announcement that the duke made, the whole Spring area just became chaos reborn. yers just attacked other yers indiscriminately. Without any thoughts in mind, they just attacked everyone they saw. It would be an understatement to say that he entered a battlefield.


    He mostly couldn¡¯t even remember the things he did. He just continued to fire shots one after another. If not for his almost innumerable supply of potions that could supplement his MP, his bullets would have probably already been gone by then.


    The only good thing that really came out of all of that was the duke not mentioning his game ount name. Now that he was part of the final tournament for the Rookie Carnival, his ount name would be known by other yers sooner orter. But if there was a chance to temporarily put it off, of course, he would take it.


    "Hmm... now I¡¯m even more interested to know all about it," Luo Yan said.


    Luo Jin raised his head and saw that yful smile on his brother¡¯s pretty face. He was already too familiar with that smile. It meant that once Luo Yan saw the video of what happened at the Spring area, he would experience a lot of teasing from the other. And since everything was broadcasted live, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for Luo Yan to look for clips about it on Weibo or even at the game¡¯s forum.


    That was definitely something that Luo Yan would do, especially if he made him more curious about what had happened to him. He sighed.


    "There¡¯s nothing interesting about it. I just rolled around flowers that could give you all kinds of ¡¯wonderful¡¯ debuffs while shooting other yers. That¡¯s what I did for the 30 minutes that after the duke announced that we should ¡¯kill¡¯ one another within five minutes."


    Luo Yan smiled. "On the contrary, I think it¡¯s highly interesting. Our Ah Jin surrounded by flowers, what a sight it must be."


    He could already imagine it. He would definitely look for the video clip of that.


    Luo Jin scowled. It seemed what he said was not enough to discourage the other. He could already foresee the round of teasing he would get.


    He inadvertently nced at someone wearing all-ck and was sitting pretty nonchntly on the stage. Recognizing that it was Razor, all his annoyance was quickly transferred to the other.


    Good. Now that he knew that the other would also be in the finals, he¡¯d have his revenge there.


    Luo Yan was also ncing around and saw some familiar faces. One was Ying Chen and the other was his panther beastkin friend. That Razor was also present. The finals would surely be quite interesting.


    Suddenly, confetti of flowers, snow, dry leaves, and even some sprinkle of summer rain appeared out of the blue, as if symbolizing the four seasons. Then with a puff of red smoke, someone sitting on a floating red chair with a heart-shaped back rest appeared after all the smoke disappeared.


    It was the infamous Duke of Hearts with all the atmosphere of pomp and vanity.


    "Wee to the 16 of you who are now standing on that stage. You must be proud, reaching this far after all that struggle. This lord is also very proud. Of course, by not all of you. Although this lord has a generous heart, it¡¯s not that generous that I shall cheer for all of you," he said with that yful voice of his. "Anyway, to all the wonderful audience here now, let¡¯s all wee the top 16 of this year¡¯s Carnival!"


    And then, a huge screen appeared. In it were the top 16, as if a camera had zoomed in on each of their face.

 Chapter 490 you have a tell

    "THESE 16 participants will fight it out in a tournament style battle right in which only one will prevail. And it will happen right here. At Arcadia¡¯s most famous arena ¨C The Colosseum," the duke continued. "But as much as we all wanted to have that tournament now, we sadly can¡¯t. We all have to wait until the 26th of October. In the meantime, all of you, whether you¡¯re watching here or at somewhere else, are wee to participate at our Carnival Gamble!"


    As soon as the duke said that, the game ount name of the 16 yers who passed the preliminary round appeared at the bottom of their faces that were on the big screen.


    Luo Jin groaned when he saw that. "Shit."


    Luo Yan who heard that couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    "It¡¯s still the same procedure asst year. You can cast your bet at the special station on the PvP Arenas on each of the four major cities of Arcadia. Pick the yer that you think will most likely win the championship. But do gamble in moderation. Because this lord doesn¡¯t want all of you to lose your crystal coins."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. He heard that there would be this kind of gambling activity. But he didn¡¯t expect that yers who wanted to bet would have to go to PvP Arenas in order to do so. He thought it would be done like some kind of poll on the game¡¯s official website or something.


    Maybe this was the game¡¯s way of making sure that only Arcadia¡¯s yers would be able to make a bet or something.


    "And that concludes everything. See you all again on the tournament, you plebeians!"


    With that, the Duke of Hearts disappeared like a puff of smoke.


    After the duke left, some of the yers on the audience area jumped onto the stage. Luo Yan scowled. What were these people doing? Were they nning to surround them or something?


    "There¡¯s Noctis!"


    "Let¡¯s take a picture with him!"


    Hearing that, Luo Yan¡¯s scowl just became more pronounced.


    "Let¡¯s teleport out of here," Luo Jin said.


    Luo Yan agreed. Since the preliminary was now over, they were definitely able to use teleportation scroll. But before he could do so, someone suddenly appeared beside him and held his shoulders. He would have retaliated if not for the familiar feeling he felt.


    And just as he thought, when he raised his head, he first saw a pair of amethyst beast-like eyes.


    "Brother Ji Yun?"


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips tilted upward, showing a small smile. "Let¡¯s get you out of here."


    And then, Luo Yan felt that usual feeling of being pulled into vacuum.


    Luo Jin who saw all of this cursed quite crisply. That bastard. He really just had to snatch his brother right under his nose. He tried to think where that Shen Ji Yun could have taken his brother. But seeing as how the other yers who jumped from the audience area, he didn¡¯t really have much time to think or even to message someone. So, he simply took out a teleportation scroll and tore it.


    And he was teleported to Yunyue¡¯s headquarters.


    When Luo Yan opened his eyes, he saw something very familiar. The huge tree with white leaves. He immediately knew where he was ¨C at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s floating ind. He tried not to smile. Because if he did, then it would be nothing but overly bright and big.


    He raised his head to look at Shen Ji Yun who was still hugging his shoulders and holding him close. He once again observed how handsome the other was. Even his chin was attractive.


    "Brother Ji Yun, when will you let go?" he asked in an innocent voice.


    Shen Ji Yun, who just heard that question, quickly let go of Luo Yan. He even stepped back a bit, in case he was tempted to hug him again.


    "Sorry," he said, his face heating up a bit. He didn¡¯t want to appear like someone who was trying to take advantage of the other.


    "Why did Brother Ji Yun bring me here?" Luo Yan asked while looking around the ind.


    "Ahm, about that, I was actually nning to go to our team¡¯s headquarters. But I must have picked the wrong teleportation scroll," Shen Ji Yun said while ncing sideways.


    Luo Yan observed Shen Ji Yun. He bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from chuckling. Because he knew that the other was lying. He even knew why he teleported here instead of their headquarters as he said.


    "Hmm..." He closed the distance between him and Shen Ji Yun. "Does Brother Ji Yun know that you have a tell when you lie?"


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes visibly widened when he heard that. Showing just how much he was surprised by this revtion. "I- I mean¡ª"


    "You always nce sideways when you do."


    Luo Yan could have let it slide like he always did before. But one thing he realized during the Chengdu event was that he shouldn¡¯t let this be a habit. If he continued to lie like this whenever it suited him, it would definitely be a problem sooner orter. Especially if they ever became a couple.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face turned red in shame. He knew he was not a good liar, but he didn¡¯t know he had a tell. If Luo Yan knew about it, wouldn¡¯t that mean that every time he had lied before, he knew about it? How shameful!


    Luo Yan, of course, knew what was going on inside that head. So, he said to not let the other overthink, because he would certainly do, "It¡¯s just something I noticed recently. I¡¯m right, correct?"


    Shen Ji Yun felt a bit relieved when he heard that. At least Luo Yan didn¡¯t know about the other times he tried to lie. But still, he couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed. He looked down.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he could only say.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun who looked like a puppy with downcast ears and tail. He smiled helplessly.


    "I¡¯m not mad at you, Brother Ji Yun. I just wish you won¡¯t do it again."


    Shen Ji Yun raised his head. "Of course! I promise I will never do it again!"


    "Then, can Brother Ji Yun tell me the real reason you brought me here?" Luo Yan asked, changing the topic.


    "I¡ª" Shen Ji Yun seemed like he was hesitating at first. But then at the end, he still said, "I wanted to be the first one to congratte you."

 Chapter 491 admission

    HEARING that, warmth simply filled Luo Yan¡¯s heart. He stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. His cheeks were still tinted red, showing that he was still embarrassed from what just happened.


    He felt a bit sorry and guilty. He didn¡¯t want Shen Ji Yun to have that kind of expression. Or for him to feel ashamed because of such a simple thing. All he wanted was for him not to get used to lying, especially when it involved him. He didn¡¯t want their rtionship to be sprinkled with lies here and there. No matter how small. After all, a simple lie could quickly turn into a bigger one.


    He didn¡¯t mind it at first. Because it was just for the simplest things. And he found it adorable every time Shen Ji Yun tried so hard to spend time with him by saying those lies. But that thing he did at Chengdu changed his mind. Following him there without saying anything and then trying to cover it up as a coincidence. He realized that that kind of attitude could be, sooner orter, unhealthy.


    He didn¡¯t want Shen Ji Yun to develop such unhealthy habits. It might look cute and adorable at first, but something like that could soon turn that stalkerish tendency into something possessive and controlling. The other was already a big vinegar jar. Something like that was notpletely impossible.


    Once they confirmed their rtionship, if Shen Ji Yun would continue on like this, Luo Yan would surely get tired. The love he had for him would deteriorate sooner orter. And that was something he would prefer not to happen. Ever.


    He stopped and then chuckled. Because just now, he admitted something very important.


    He was in love with Shen Ji Yun.


    It¡¯s probably high-time that he acknowledged that. Considering just how much he was already considering their future together. Not doing so would be the height of hypocrisy.


    He was going on and on about him not being ready. But maybe he had already been ready long ago. He just refused to admit it. Probably because deep inside, he was afraid. Afraid of the future that their rtionship would bring in their lives. In his life.


    Being in a same-sex rtionship was an unfamiliar territory for him. He had never been in any kind of romantic rtionship even in his former life. But even he knew that a same-sex one would be iparably harder than a normal rtionship.


    It¡¯s probably the reason why he kept on putting it off, telling himself over and over again that he was not ready. But the truth was, it was just an excuse. An excuse he kept on telling himself so he wouldn¡¯t have to take that important step forward. A step that could take their rtionship to the next level.


    But even then, without him knowing, he was already thinking of that next step. The fact that he was already thinking of a future together with him was evidence enough that he was ready to take that step.


    Luo Yan smiled at Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun doesn¡¯t have to be ashamed or even feel guilty. In the first ce, I¡¯m not even angry about it. I just hope that Brother Ji Yun won¡¯t have to lie about things. Even if it¡¯s the smallest of things, I would prefer to hear the truth."


    Shen Ji Yun, who was still feeling guilty about that lie he told and feeling ashamed for the fact that Luo Yan had figured out that he actually had a tell whenever he lied, quickly nodded. In fact, he nodded so hard he almost looked like one of those bobblehead toys.


    "I won¡¯t ever do it again. I promise!"


    After this little incident, he was already so ashamed to even try. Especially since he now knew that he had a tell. He would only appear like a fool if he did.


    Luo Yan chuckled once again seeing the other¡¯s enthusiastic reaction. It seemed that he no longer had to worry about him being depressed over what he told about his tell whenever he lied.


    "Since the reason Brother Ji Yun brought me here was to congratte me, then shall we hear it? Brother Ji Yun¡¯s congrattions?" he said,pletely changing the subject.


    "Oh, yes." Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat. He looked at Luo Yan and smiled. "Congrattions, Yan Yan. You¡¯re absolutely amazing today."


    Luo Yan smiled back. "Thank you, Brother Ji Yun."


    He stared at Shen Ji Yun. He traced the other¡¯s visage with his gaze. How handsome. It would even be better if he was looking at him in reality. Seeing those beautiful blue eyes. How wonderful it must be.


    Although he had already epted his feelings and was even ready to take that next step, this wasn¡¯t the time yet. For one, this body was not yet an adult. If they really did start a rtionship now, his family would kill Shen Ji Yun. Well, not literally but the idea was still the same. It would just make his family hate Shen Ji Yun even more. Something that he wanted to prevent from happening.


    But even without that, he knew that it would be hard. Shen Ji Yun hadn¡¯t even confessed to him yet and both his brothers were already antagonistic towards him. So, he at least had to slowly make his brothers see just how amazing and kind Shen Ji Yun was. And that the other would never hurt their favorite brother.


    And that¡¯s another reason why being in a rtionship with Shen Ji Yun would be a bad idea.


    But didn¡¯t mean that he would distance himself from him. On the contrary, now that he had already admitted his feelings, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stop himself from being more affectionate. He could already imagine the blushing look on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face.


    "Oh, right, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted to asl Brother Ji Yun," he said.


    "Yan Yan can ask me anything."


    "When is your birthday?"


    "On the 14th of February," Shen Ji Yun answered, seemingly a bit embarrassed by the date.


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised when hearing that. He didn¡¯t expect that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s birthday would be on Valentine¡¯s Day. But then it quickly put a smile on his face.


    "How wonderful."


    He already knew what kind of gift he would give the other.

 Chapter 492 trouble at hq

    "SHALL we go back to our team¡¯s headquarters?" Luo Yan asked Shen Ji Yun.


    Now that he had finally acknowledged his feelings for Shen Ji Yun, he felt immensely refreshed. Like his heart was immersed in a clear spring. He liked this feeling. Now, he couldn¡¯t imagine how it would feel like once he confessed. Or maybe once Shen Ji Yun confessed. Although in his opinion, with how shy and oblivious the other was, it would probably be him who would do the deed first.


    Not that he minded. He already even had ns on when he would confess. By that time, this body was already 18 and hopefully, really hopefully, that by then his family was no longer antagonistic towards Shen Ji Yun. Well, he hoped they could at least be civil to each other at that point. Thatst part would depend on his convincing power and on how Shen Ji Yun behaved.


    Ah, that would truly be a difficult one. Especially considering how protective his two brothers were. Maybe he should help them with their love life so they wouldn¡¯t interfere much with his. Or maybe he should outright just confess about his feelings towards Shen Ji Yun. At least that way, the two wouldn¡¯t always think that the other was taking advantage of him.


    But not now. At least after his birthday. Then his two brothers wouldn¡¯t use the excuse of Shen Ji Yun coaxing a minor into a rtionship with him. With how his brothers were, that¡¯s certainly something they might do.


    Speaking of, with this little action of Shen Ji Yun, he would surely be once again under the radar of Luo Ren and Luo Jin. They were probably even wondering where the ¡¯viin¡¯ had brought their lovable brother.


    In fact, the two had been sending him messages for a while now. He didn¡¯t have to look to know what might be the contents of the messages.


    "Can we stay here for a bit?" Shen Ji Yun asked instead.


    It¡¯s probably a bit too shameless of him to ask this. Especially after what just happened. But he truly just wanted to spend more time with Luo Yan. After all, because of the preliminary, he hadn¡¯t been alone with him for more than a day. Even though they could only meet here in the game, he still treasured their time alone together.


    If they went back to the headquarters now, Luo Yan¡¯s brothers would surely get in the way. Heck, they might even convince Luo Yan to immediately log out.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun. He was looking at him with eyes full of hope. Like some kid asking for a candy. No, more like a puppy waiting for its owner to give it food. He justcked the ears and the tail.


    Really, this big cinnamon roll. How more adorable could he be? It simply made him want to tease him. But that was not the time for that. He should help Shen Ji Yun to be in his brothers¡¯ good graces. When best to start than now?


    "But Brother Ji Yun, everyone is probably waiting for us. They also would want to congratte me. Especially Brother. I don¡¯t want Brother to think badly of you for bringing me here. I don¡¯t want my brother to think badly of you."


    [He already thinks badly of me.] ¨C Shen Ji Yun thought.


    But Luo Yan was right. There¡¯s no need to antagonize him more. He was about to agree when he felt something soft touching his hand. He gazed down and saw another hand holding his own. Then he raised his gaze towards Luo Yan¡¯s beautiful face. Those big blue eyes were shining brilliantly.


    "Let¡¯s go, okay, Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan continued.


    How could anyone say no to that?


    "Okay," Shen Ji Yun could only say at the end.


    And so, the two teleported out of the floating ind.


    Just as Luo Yan thought, Luo Ren and Luo Jin were not very happy with Shen Ji Yun ¡¯abducting¡¯ their brother.


    The rest of team Yunyue was at the headquarters, inside the main hall to be exact, together with Luo Ren and Yu Jiao. There was also a little fox sitting on the table, licking his paw.


    Luo Jin was walking back and forth, his small face all scrunched up. "Just where did that Shen Ji Yun bring Yan? And why is Yan not even answering my messages? Did that guy prevented him from doing so or something? What does that guy think he¡¯s--"


    He hadn¡¯t finished what he¡¯s saying because someone suddenly pinched his cheek. He nced sideways and saw that it was Su Yuqi.


    "Calm down, will you?" she said before letting go of the other¡¯s cheek. "You¡¯re acting as if Shen Ji Yun is a criminal. What do you think he will do, eat Luo Yan or something? You¡¯ve known Shen Ji Yun for at least two months now. Despite that, do you still think he¡¯s someone capable of doing harm to your brother?"


    Luo Jin was shocked. Because he wasn¡¯t expecting Su Yuqi to say that to him. But what¡¯s more shocking was the fact that she was looking at him with a trace of disappointment. As if he was being too childish.


    He wanted to respond back but hid didn¡¯t know what to say. This situation suddenly made him remember that Shen Ji Yun and Su Yuqi had known each other since high school. Of course, she would side with the other instead of him.


    He couldn¡¯t just go and say that he was worried about Shen Ji Yun¡¯s interest towards his brother. And he wasn¡¯t referring to the friendly kind of interest but the romantic one. If he did say that, Su Yuqi might just right outugh at him, telling him that he¡¯s being paranoid.


    He understood logically that Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t do anything bad to Luo Yan. But his protective instinct just refused to admit that. So, he truly couldn¡¯t help but act this way when it came to his second brother.


    It¡¯s most likely because of that ident more than seven years ago. Even though he was only a kid then, the memory of that time was still deeply embedded in his mind. The guilt that he felt for being the only one who survived unscathed was so overwhelming that it nearly destroyed him.


    That¡¯s why now that Luo Yan was awake and healthy, his overprotective nature couldn¡¯t be held in even if he wanted to. It¡¯s the reason why he just couldn¡¯t like Shen Ji Yun. All because he didn¡¯t like the interest he was showing his brother. After all, this interest could destroy Luo Yan.


    Luo Jin suddenly felt depressed.


    "It¡¯s only natural for Xiao Jin to worry. Yan Yan is very dear to us, after all," Luo Ren suddenly asked, he was smiling yet it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. In fact, his gaze was a bit chilling. "Or does Miss Su suggest that we shouldn¡¯t worry about our own brother? Because just like you said, your friend wouldn¡¯t do anything ¡¯bad¡¯ to him."


    Su Yuqi turned her indifferent gaze to Luo Ren. "Being worried is fine if there¡¯s a viable reason for it. But in this case, you two are simply being paranoid."


    And the temperature around them suddenly turned a few degrees down. To the point that it almost felt freezing.

 Chapter 493 did we miss something?

    BAI ZE quickly stepped in between his older cousin and Su Yuqi. Deep inside, he was already cursing so loud. Just why were these two at each other¡¯s throat again? And what the heck was Shen Ji Yun doing? Taking Luo Yan like that. He knew how overprotective his cousins were. Now, he was the one who had to calm them. And Su Yuqi was not helping at all.


    "Brother Ren, Su Yuqi was simply saying that Ji Yun won¡¯t do anything harmful to Xiao Yan. I can attest to that. I¡¯ve been friends with him for more than a decade now. I assure you that he won¡¯t harm Xiao Yan in any shape or form," he said to Luo Ren before turning to Su Yuqi and whispering, "And you, don¡¯t say anything more. I beg of you, please."


    Su Yuqi raised one of her brows but still nodded at the end. She enjoyed riling up Bai Ze because it was easy to do so. But even she knew that this was not the right time for that. In truth, she also didn¡¯t want to meddle with the affairs of these Luo brothers. But the way the two were acting, like Luo Yan was in grave danger or something just rubbed her the wrong way.


    There were only a few people she considered friends and Shen Ji Yun was one of them. She didn¡¯t like how they were treating him like some lowlife who¡¯s bound to destroy their brother.


    She understood that it was mostly because of their love for their brother. With Luo Yan¡¯s life experience, it¡¯s understandable for his family to be protective of him. They nearly lost him at one time after all. But to be this paranoid about it, she shook her head.


    It¡¯s not as if the one who was with Luo Yan right now was someone untrustworthy, much less a stranger. More importantly, this was a holographic world. No harm could really be done to any yers in the game. For one, if they felt that they were in danger, they could easily just log out of the game.


    So, wasn¡¯t all this just a little bit too over the top?


    Although the way they were acting might probably be because they had already noticed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for their brother. Which was hardly unnoticeable. If one had high enough EQ, they could easily see it. But still. It wasn¡¯t right to just simply assume the worst of him. Especially if one knew Shen Ji Yun well.


    That guy was not someone who could easily open his heart just to anyone. In fact, he was covered in such a big wall of ice that she doubted if there could ever be a time when he could actually feel. But the time came with the arrival of Luo Yan. And thus, he also opened his heart to him.


    But then again, it¡¯s not as if these Luo brothers could understand that immediately. So, she was also at fault for being too hurried in defending Shen Ji Yun. What she did might just have a negative impact instead.


    Luo Ren nced at Bai Ze, his gaze was still chilly. "Ah Ze, I don¡¯t care about your friend¡¯s character. What I¡¯m more worried about is his, let¡¯s just say, interest in my brother. I believe you know what I¡¯m saying, correct? Since the two of you are the closest of friends."


    Bai Ze felt a chill behind his back. He almost groaned. Seriously, how could this cousin of his be so scary? It¡¯s like Luo Ren was saying in just those few words that ¡¯I know that you know about your friend¡¯s feelings for your cousin¡¯. And the way he looked at him was like asking ¡¯despite knowing that, you still side with your friend?¡¯.


    Even though it¡¯s not possible, he felt like cold sweats started flowing down his back. He gulped. It¡¯s like being stuck between a rock and a hard ce.


    He already told Shen Ji Yun that he wouldn¡¯t help him in chasing his cousin. But he couldn¡¯t just let his older cousin think badly of him. Because, really, Shen Ji Yun was hardly a viin. He had a soft heart despite the cold exterior. He didn¡¯t want Luo Ren to think that Shen Ji Yun was full of bad intentions.


    But if he fought too hard for his friend, his older cousin might think that he was in approval of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for Luo Yan. Which was not entirely the case. In fact, he¡¯s very neutral in this matter.


    So, really, where should he put himself in this situation?


    Bai Ze gulped and at the end he could only say, "Brother Ren, I¡¯ll send a message to Ji Yun and ask him where they are. So, let¡¯s all just calm down."


    Yu Jiao watched everything that had happened since earlier. From Luo Jin¡¯s worried tirade, to Su Yuqi¡¯s defense of Shen Ji Yun, and now to Luo Ren and Bai Ze¡¯s exchanged. It¡¯s making her fidget. She didn¡¯t like this kind of atmosphere. She couldn¡¯t even understand what they were all fighting about.


    Then she suddenly remembered what Luo Yan told him before, about how she could calm down Luo Ren in the most efficient way just in case her words no longer worked. She had a feeling that her words wouldn¡¯t work in this kind of atmosphere.


    When Luo Yan asked her if she could calm down Luo Ren if ever he got angry during the preliminary, he thought her of a secret technique that could quickly calm the other down. Although up until now, she couldn¡¯t understand how this ¡¯technique¡¯ could even work. But Luo Yan said that it would. So, she should probably try.


    In the next few seconds, she followed Luo Yan¡¯s instructions up to the tee.


    She walked to Luo Ren, hugged his arm, and then whispered in his ear, "Brother Ren, please don¡¯t be angry."


    She could feel her cheeks turning red because of her actions. It probably took everything in her to do that. That¡¯s why once she¡¯d done, she quickly let go of Luo Ren¡¯s arm.


    And that¡¯s when she noticed that the other¡¯s body waspletely frozen in ce. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was just her imagination but she noticed that Luo Ren¡¯s ear tip, the one where she whispered to, was now dyed red.


    She wanted to make sure but before she could do so, the door to the hall suddenly opened and Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun walked in.


    Luo Yan, of course, noticed the tense atmosphere. "Ahm, did we miss something?"

 Chapter 494 diffusing the situation

    BEFORE Luo Yan could observe what was really happening with this scene, a ck ball of fluff flew towards him and into his arms.


    [Mashter!] ¨C he heard in his head the excited call of the little fox. [Does Mashter want to know what happened? Eclipse will tell it all to Mashter!]


    Luo Yan chuckled and rubbed Eclipse¡¯s fluffy head. [Okay, please tell me.]


    [Mashter, it¡¯s like watching an afternoon soap opera. Your gnome brother wasining about Captain. And then pink-haired sister scolded him telling him that he should not treat Captain like amon criminal. Which Eclipse highly approved. Really, how could your brother say those things about Captain. After that, it was the turn of your handsome brother to go toe to toe against pink-haired sister.]


    [That round of argument was pretty tense. It made Eclipse¡¯s hair all stood up in ce. Handsome brother said that it¡¯s only right for him and your gnome brother to worry since you¡¯re their brother. And then pink-haired sister said they¡¯re being paranoid. Eclipse must say that he was quite disappointed with your handsome brother. How could he be so wary of Captain when Captain is so good? Honestly, your handsome brother¡¯s position in Eclipse¡¯s heart went down a little.]


    [Eclipse really thought that they woulde to blows. But thankfully that lion got in between them and tried to appease the situation. Pink-haired sister calmed down a bit, but there¡¯s no calming down your handsome brother. He said to the lion that he¡¯s more worried about Captain¡¯s interest to you and that he believed that the lion knew what he was talking about.]


    [And then, something interesting happened after that. The other handsome brother with messy hair, you know that one who gave new weapons to Mashter? He suddenly hugged your handsome brother¡¯s arm and whispered something in his ear. After that, your handsome brother just froze on the spot.]


    Luo Yan, more or less, understood what just happened here by simply listening to Eclipse¡¯s very animated description. And he could only think of one thing ¨C this was a hot mess.


    It seemed that it he truly had to do something about his brothers. Or else, the next time he was alone with Shen Ji Yun, his brothers might just directly call the police. He wasn¡¯t nning to do it this soon. But if he didn¡¯t, then they would always react this way.


    He didn¡¯t want to have this kind of tension every time they were all together like this. However, he was kind of dreading the conversation he would have with his brothers regarding that matter. Because it would definitely be messierpared to this one. But still, he must do it.


    [Mashter, are that messy-haired brother and your handsome brother like Masgter and Captain?] ¨C the little fox suddenly asked, tilting his head and looking all cute.


    Luo Yan stopped and then smiled down at the little fox. [Maybe.]


    He looked at his older brother who still seemed like he hadn¡¯t gotten over from what Yu Jiao did. Then he turned to Luo Jin who looked like he just lost his soul. It seemed that Su Yuqi¡¯s scolding did a number on him. But it was probably his luck that the two were out of sorts. This way, he could probably get this situation straightened out. Perhaps.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun who looked like he was also curious about what just happened here.


    "Brother Ji Yun, I¡¯m going to log out now. I¡¯ll send you a WeChat messageter," he said in a voice that only they two could hear.


    He smiled at Shen Ji Yun before running towards Luo Jin, not waiting for the other¡¯s reaction.


    [Mashter, you¡¯re leaving Eclipse already?] ¨C Eclipse asked in a sad and disappointed voice.


    [Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely spend time with you tomorrow. I¡¯ll even but you your favorite Mana fruit.] ¨C Luo Yan assured the little fox.


    [Okay, Eclipse understands.] ¨C Eclipse said in a reluctant voice.


    He then put down Eclipse on the table before pulling the ¡¯soulless¡¯ Luo Jin and running towards their older brother.


    "Brother, all that fighting kind of made me hungry. Why don¡¯t we ¨C you, me, and Ah Jin, log out and eat some of Auntie Cheng¡¯s snacks, hmm?"


    Luo Ren seemed to return to his senses when he heard what Luo Yan had said. And then he also remembered the reason why he was so irritated earlier. Well, before Yu Jiao hugged his arm and whispered to his ear.


    His reaction to that was frighteningly embarrassing. His whole body just froze. It painfully reminded him of that ¡¯nosebleed¡¯ incident. Truly, he was worse than a teenager undergoing puberty.


    He shook his head and pushed all the unnecessary thoughts away. Then he turned to Shen Ji Yun. Their gazes met and crackling could almost be heard. He was about to say something when someone tugged on his sleeve. He looked down and was met by a pair of big blue eyes sprinkled with gold.


    "Brother, did you hear what I said? Let¡¯s go and log out, okay?"


    Luo Ren knew that Luo Yan was doing it so he wouldn¡¯t confront Shen Ji Yun. But even though he knew, he still couldn¡¯t refuse him. "Okay, let¡¯s go."


    Luo Yan smiled and then turned to Luo Jin. "Ah Jin?"


    Luo Jin, who still wasn¡¯t in his senses, nodded.


    Then Luo Yan looked at Yu Jiao. "Jiao Jiao, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at school."


    He actually felt kind of guilty, asking Yu Jiao of calming down his older brother. Especially since he even tricked her by telling her about that ¡¯secret technique¡¯. It¡¯s like he took advantage of her innocence. [Sorry, Jiao Jiao, I promise I¡¯ll make it up to you.]


    Yu Jiao smiled awkwardly. "O-okay, see you tomorrow!"


    "See you, Jiao Jiao," Luo Ren said.


    Yu Jiao nodded, not meeting Luo Ren¡¯s eyes. She was still a bit embarrassed from what she did earlier.


    "Xiao Yan, congrattions for sessfully being part of the finals!" Bai Ze suddenly said.


    "Congrats, to both you and Luo Jin," Su Yuqi followed.


    Luo Jin¡¯s small body twitched when he heard that. But he still didn¡¯t say anything.


    "Thank you, Brother Ze, Sister Yuqi," Luo Yan said.


    And then the three Luo brothers disappeared, a sign that they had already logged out.


    Bai Ze finally let out that sigh relief. It was a good thing that Luo Yan appeared to diffuse the situation. Or else, he seriously didn¡¯t know what could have happened next.


    He looked at his friend who was walking towards the table where the little fox was.


    "You shouldn¡¯t have taken Xiao Yan like that. You know how my cousins are. It¡¯s okay if they were not here, but they were. Brother Ren and Su Yuqi almost tore at each other¡¯s throat, you know?" he said with a bit of admonishing tone.


    Su Yuqi scoffed. "If we did end up tearing each other¡¯s throats, I assure you, I will win."


    "That¡¯s not the point," Bai Ze said.


    Su Yuqi only shrugged before turning to Shen Ji Yun. "You have your work cut out for you. That older brother won¡¯t be easy to appease."


    "I¡¯m prepared for it," Shen Ji Yun responded, picking up Eclipse.


    Bai Ze caught something from the conversation of the two. "Wait- you know about Ji Yun¡¯s feelings?"


    Su Yuqi only raised one of her dainty brows as if saying, ¡¯isn¡¯t that obvious?¡¯.

 Chapter 495 a threat

    "HOW can you tell her first before me? Aren¡¯t I your best friend? Or have you reced me with Su Yuqi without me even knowing?" Bai Ze eximed in a very emotional manner. It was like he¡¯s a little wife who just discovered that his husband was cheating.


    Of course, what he¡¯s feeling was indeed pretty simr. He just found out about Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for his cousin yesterday. But seeing Su Yuqi¡¯s reaction, it¡¯s pretty obvious that he had long known about it way longer than he did.


    He felt a bit sad. After all, just as he said earlier, he was his best friend. Although he was also friends with Su Yuqi, Bai Ze at least thought that a huge fact like this would be told to him first. And yet, it felt like he was thest one to know.


    "Please, don¡¯t be so overdramatic. You really think Shen Ji Yun would tell me something like that on his own ord? I¡¯m simply good at observing. And he had no choice bit to admit it," Su Yuqi said, rolling her eyes at Bai Ze. "It¡¯s your fault for being too oblivious. Heck, even Luo Jin had noticed it long before you."


    Bai Ze suddenly felt like he was struck on the face. So, it was all because he was too dense? Well, if it was any constion, at least Shen Ji Yun told this matter to him himself.


    "If the two of you are done, perhaps you could stop revealing my secret to another person."


    After Shen Ji Yun said that, the two people bickering turned to the silent Yu Jiao.


    Yu Jiao, who had been silent the whole time, started fidgeting. She gripped the helm of her shirt. If her game avatar could sweat, her back would probably be soaked by now.


    She was about to say goodbye and log out when Bai Ze and Su Yuqi started talking. She couldn¡¯t insert a word between them and before she knew it, she was already listening to someone¡¯s secret.


    What else could it be if not that?


    Because as dense as she could be sometimes, especially when it came to the romantic kind of emotion, she was still not that dense to be unable to understand what they were talking about. The fact that Shen Ji Yun had feelings for Luo Yan. And from how the other two talked, these ¡¯feelings¡¯ seemed to be the romantic kind.


    And now, by ident, she found out about these feelings. She didn¡¯t know how she should react. She wanted to just log out or teleport out of here. But that would be terribly rude of her. After all, she just found out another person¡¯s secret. How could he just run away after that?


    But what should she do then? Her brain couldn¡¯t even think properly because of what she found out. She would probably not be this shocked if one of them was of the opposite gender. But both of them were males and yet she clearly heard that Shen Ji Yun possibly liked Luo Yan in that manner.


    It¡¯s not that she¡¯s against two men being together in that way. Of course not, people could freely love whoever they wanted as long as it¡¯s not against thew or anything like that. But the one at the other end of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s affection was Luo Yan, the first friend she had made for the first time in a while.


    She might be na?ve in a lot of matters, but she knew this kind of rtionship wouldn¡¯t be viewed in a good light by a lot of people. She didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to be subjected into that kind of situation.


    Now, she kind of understood why Luo Ren and Luo Jin were acting like that earlier. Because they probably also knew, in one way or another, about Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for their brother.


    Yu Jiao opened and closed her clenched fists. This was not the time for her to be nervous and cower in fear. She had to make sure of one thing first. For her dear friend.


    She raised her head and looked straight at Shen Ji Yun.


    "You, do you like Yan Yan?"


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit startled. Because he didn¡¯t expect that Yu Jiao would directly ask him that question. He thought that with the other¡¯s timid nature, she would just simply log out of the game.


    "Yes," he didn¡¯t hesitate to answer. "But I hope you won¡¯t mention any of this to Yan Yan. If there¡¯s someone who should tell him about my feelings, then it should onlye from me."


    "I won¡¯t tell him. But I hope that if he didn¡¯t return your feelings, then you wouldn¡¯t do something to force him. And if he actually also felt the same about you, then I hope you could protect him from all the judgment that he would face once he decided to be together with you."


    What a surprise. Shen Ji Yun stared at the other¡¯s dark eyes and he could see the strong determination in them. It was so unlike the quivering and stuttering girl that she often was. He smiled a bit.


    [It seems you found a good friend, Yan Yan.]


    "Rest assured, I won¡¯t force him. If one day, I confessed and he rejected me, then I would respect his decision. And if he epted me, then I will not let him be hurt in any way possible just simply because of us being together. I will cherish and love him with everything in me."


    Yu Jiao felt her face heating up by that heartfelt confession. But because of that, she now felt relieved. At least now, she knew that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings towards Luo Yan was very sincere. That would enough. For now.


    "Good. If you ever break your word, then- then I will get r-revenge for my friend!"


    Then she quickly logged out before she lost her nerves.


    The three who remained at the hall were left dumbfounded. Because thatst image of her threatening Shen Ji Yun did not look convincing at all. Especially with her face all red and with her usual stutter.


    "She¡¯s a good kid, that one," Bai Zemented.


    "And we shall be d that she is," Su Yuqi followed. "If not, then you being a huge bbermouth would probably now affect your ¡¯best friend¡¯s¡¯ love life."


    "Hey, it¡¯s not as if I had that conversation alone with myself. So, you are as much to me!"


    And the two started to bicker again.


    Shen Ji Yun only shook his head. And then he started to wonder how Luo Yan was. Hopefully, he was doing alright handling those two brothers of his.


    Luo Yan was definitely not doing alright at the moment. The three of them, he and his two brothers, were at the pavilion at the back garden of their mansion. After they logged out, they decided to have their snack here. He did say that he wanted to eat some snacks.


    And so, here they were. Inside this beautiful pavilion, surrounded by flowers, with delicious snacks in front of them.


    He looked at both his brothers. Now, how should he proceed with this?

 Chapter 496 something beautiful and magnificent

    LUO REN still looked like he was pissed about something while Luo Jin was still speechless. Luo Yan could guess what the two were thinking. His older brother must have been probably thinking of Shen Ji Yun ¡¯abducting¡¯ him. Luo Jin, on the other hand, must still be depressed from Su Yuqi scolding him.


    He was right on both counts. Especially when it came to Luo Jin. He was still upset by what happened with Su Yuqi. Of course, he¡¯s not mad at her for scolding him. She was friends with Shen Ji Yun before she even met him. It was natural that she would take Shen Ji Yun¡¯s side over him.


    But because of that scolding, he started thinking whether he was indeed being overdramatic about things regarding Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan. Every time she bantered with his elder brother, he felt like he was the one being stabbed by her words. Especially when she called them the word ¡¯paranoid¡¯.


    Was that really the case? Was their overprotectiveness turned to them being paranoid? If it was, then how long would it take before they suffocated Luo Yan in the name of protecting him?


    It was a thought that he couldn¡¯t quite get out of his head.


    Luo Yan cleared his throat to get the attention of both his brothers. And they did both looked at him.


    He was actually still wondering what he should do. He was thinking of using his ¡¯charm¡¯ to convince them that Shen Ji Yun meant no harm when he took him away earlier. But then he realized that that would only be a temporary solution. It wouldn¡¯t really solve anything.


    Although he wasn¡¯t really nning to do this right now, he needed to at least made his brothers understand one thing. Because if not, then, he wouldn¡¯t ever have a chance to be alone with Shen Ji Yun. Even inside the game. How could he let that happen?


    "Brother, Ah Jin, I just want you to know that whatever I will tell you next is not forced upon me by anyone. Everythinges from my heart. Think is what I personally think and I¡¯m not influenced by anything or anyone," he started.


    Luo Ren stared at Luo Yan. Seeing the determination inthose big peach blossom eyes, he somehow had a feeling what the other might want to say. His first reaction was to stop him. But then, if he did that, then things would just repeat again and again.


    "Please," he said, telling him to continue.


    Luo Jin also nodded in acquiescence.


    Luo Yan smiled in thanks. And then took a deep breath before continuing, "I know the two of you don¡¯t like Brother Ji Yun. And I also know that your dislike of him stems from me. Because you think that he would take advantage of me or that he would hurt me. But he isn¡¯t that kind of guy. If you can just get to know him, you will find out that he¡¯s a big softie. He had such a warm heart that whatever bad things you might think that he¡¯s capable of, he couldn¡¯t possibly do it.


    "He might have that expressionless face, but really, he¡¯s very thoughtful and caring. From the moment I met him, he had been nothing but good to me. And I¡¯m certain that he would continue to do so in the future. And in of chance that he does hurt me, then it¡¯s probably something he doesn¡¯t intend to do. So, I¡¯m hoping, no, I¡¯m begging the both of you to reserve your judgement and not to think the worst of him. Please."


    Both Luo Ren and Luo Jin were speechless by Luo Yan¡¯s long statement. They were certainly surprised by it. Because it was almost as if he was saying, ¡¯Brother Ji Yun is a good guy so please don¡¯t judge him and make him out to be the bad guy¡¯.


    It was Luo Ren who recovered first. "I agree. We might be too bias of our judgement of him. But we have our reasons for it."


    "And if you understand our reasons, then you would also understand why we¡¯re acting like this towards him," Luo Jin added, more so to himself than to his second brother. So, he could justify the way he often behaved with Shen Ji Yun.


    "I do understand, Ah Jin," Luo Yan said. "It¡¯s because you think he likes me. Like me in a way that could have me hurt in the future."


    Both Luo Ren and Luo Jin looked sharply at their brother. Both their faces were filled with undisguised shock.


    "Y-Yan, do you understand what you¡¯re saying right now?" Luo Jin asked, his tone unbelieving.


    "I do. Ah Jin, really, I¡¯m not so na?ve and innocent as both of you might presume," Luo Yan said. "You and Brother probably think that I have a mentality of a 10-year-old because that¡¯s the age that I fell into aa. But I want you two to understand that I¡¯m not. I have a fully functioning brain that matches my real age. I¡¯m not simply book smart. I understand life. I understand a lot of things. Many, many things. So, I hope you won¡¯t treat me like a kid. I would even be satisfied if you treat me as my age."


    Luo Ren stared at him for quite a long time before responding, "Even if we treat you like a 17-year-old, we will still be protective of you. This... path, the path Shen Ji Yun was trying to take with you, it won¡¯t be an easy one. You will be subjective to many things that might hurt you. Things that might even destroy you. If as you say, that you understand, then you should also understand that we can¡¯t just watch you as you fall to that path of hurt and ruin."


    Yes, Luo Yan understood. He understood everything all too painfully well. But that didn¡¯t mean that he could just back down here.


    "It may be that kind of path. But what if Brother Ji Yun and I could change it? What if we could turn it into something beautiful and magnificent?"

 Chapter 497 depressing thoughts

    LUO REN honestly didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. He was still reeling from the fact that Luo Yan actually knew about Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for him. He had only guessed it. A very flimsy guess that he¡¯d rather not believed to be true.


    Because if it was the truth, then wouldn¡¯t that mean that, just like Luo Yan had said, he understood matters of the heart all too well? But how could that be even be possible?


    Even if he said that he was not na?ve or innocent, or that he understood a lot of things about life, and that they should treat him like his age. But just because he said it and believed it to be true didn¡¯t mean that that was indeed the case.


    Yes, for someone who had been in aa for seven years, he was unusually smart. So smart that he could directly entered the third year of high school with just a month of tutoring. Not only that, he knew how to scheme, just as he had seen in the preliminary. And he doesn¡¯t even blink when eliminating those yers.


    But were those enough to prove that he was indeed not the 10-year-old they thought that he was?


    Luo Yan, of course, what was going through his older brother¡¯s mind. The other still hadn¡¯t believed him. Well, it was kind of understandable if he thought about it carefully. Even if they thought that he was capable enough, in their mind, he was probably still that kid that fell into aa at the age of 10. Look, even Luo Jin who was currently shocked and speechless, probably thought the same.


    If only he could just say that the one inside this body was technically an almost 30-year-old adult. But if he did, wouldn¡¯t that be admitting that he wasn¡¯t really their brother? He was just simply an interloper. Someone who upied the body of their beloved brother.


    He avoided thinking about it. Because doing so would just make him think that all of these ¨C the Luo family¡¯s affection, this life ¨C were not supposed to be his. The only thing that was real was the friends he had made since he opened his eyes seven months ago. And Shen Ji Yun¡¯s love for him.


    He gazed down to conceal the sadness in his eyes.


    Although he had promised to the long-gone ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯ that he would treat his family like his own and loved them as his own, in the course of seven months since he had taken his identity, he truly dide to love them. They¡¯re like the family that he had never had. He even managed to delude himself into thinking that he was part of them.


    But what if they found out that he wasn¡¯t their beloved ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯? That ¡¯he¡¯ had already been long gone from this world. Would they still love him as they did now?


    He couldn¡¯t even bear to think of the answer to that.


    Then should he just continue this charade and let them treat him like a child until they decided that he was no longer one?


    He clenched his fists. No, he couldn¡¯t. If he continued on like this, wouldn¡¯t it be like he was just ying the part of ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯? And that until the end, he would be treated as ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯ and not just as himself. Would that be something he truly wanted?


    He wanted to be a part of this family, not as some impersonator, but as him. He wasn¡¯t nning to rece ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯. Because that was something impossible. He simply wanted to be part of this family with the least bit of pretense as much as possible.


    He couldn¡¯t confess the truth to them. Because they would simply be heartbroken. It might shake them to the core and then whatever might be holding this family together would simply disappear. And then, everything would fall apart.


    He couldn¡¯t watch that to happen. And he was sure that ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯ would also want the same. He surely wouldn¡¯t want to see his precious family be wrecked. They barely survived the loss of Bai Mei Hua. What would happen if they found out that they had long lost ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯?


    This truth, he was willing to keep until his dying days. Just so he could protect this family.


    But he didn¡¯t want to continue to be treated like a child and he wanted to be true to them as much as he could. So, the only way was for him to make them understand right here, right now that he wasn¡¯t the na?ve child they believed him to be.


    Before he could speak, both his hands were suddenly held. Startled, he raised his head and saw both his brothers kneeling down and holding his hands. Both were looking at him worriedly.


    "Yan, are you alright? Please, don¡¯t cry. We- we understand. If you don¡¯t want us to think of you like a kid, then we won¡¯t," Luo Jin said in a quite panicked manner.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Yan Yan. I didn¡¯t mean to put that kind of expression on your face. It¡¯s big brother¡¯s fault for not being sensitive enough," Luo Ren followed, his expression was full of self-me.


    Luo Yan blinked. He immediately understood why the two were acting like this. They probably noticed his expression while he was thinking of all those things. And thus, proceed on being worried and panicked.


    He smiled in spite of the situation. [Really, what good brothers you have, Luo Yan.]


    And they were his now.


    Despite all those depressive thoughts he just had, he was truly thankful for being part of this family. It¡¯s possibly the best thing that could have happened to him. That¡¯s why he wanted to give back as much as he could. Not just to give back, but also to treat them most sincerely.


    And topletely do that, he had to first fix their view of him. Not just for his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun, but also to take down thatst bit of barrier between him and his new family.


    Because even if he couldn¡¯t tell them the whole truth, at least, he could now fully show them his true self. Or at least the him that wasn¡¯t being viewed as a child.

 Chapter 498 i do

    "I DON¡¯T want you to say that just because you want topromise with me or to appease me," Luo Yan said. "I want you to say that because you truly believed it." Both his brothers didn¡¯t respond immediately when he said that. A helpless smile appeared on his face. "See? You can¡¯t even answer me."


    He took back his hands that were being held by the two.


    Luo Jin panicked. He stood up. He felt like he and their elder brother screwed up somehow. It¡¯s easy to say that they believed him. But meaning it was the hard part. How could they when the idea of Luo Yan being a kid was embedded in their minds?


    Yes, he could be scary sometimes. But that¡¯s still within the understandable limit. He epted that Luo Yan wasn¡¯t that weak. That he¡¯s smart and resourceful. But that didn¡¯t mean that he could just forget the fact that he was in aa not too long ago. Heck, he had only been awake for seven months.


    He was sure that their elder brother felt the same. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t immediately agree to what Luo Yan had said. But he didn¡¯t want to see that expression again on his face. As if someone had hurt him in the most painful way possible. How could he say any refusal when he showed that kind of expression?


    "Yan, do you really understand the ¡¯liking¡¯ that Shen Ji Yun has for you?" he asked to rify.


    "I already said that I do," Luo Yan said. "He wanted me to be a couple with him, like boyfriend/girlfriend type of couple. And in case you ask if I also know what that means, then it¡¯s two people who wanted to kiss and hug and do lots more other things than that. I can exin it to you in more detail in case you still don¡¯t believe that I understand."


    "Okay, stop," Luo Jin said, his face already turning red. He couldn¡¯t believe that Luo Yan just said all those things.


    "I can say a lot more ¡¯adult¡¯ things if you want. If you don¡¯t think that knowing these ¡¯adult¡¯ things doesn¡¯t prove that I¡¯m no longer a child, then maybe I should go around this city ande back safely. If that¡¯s still not enough, maybe I should live alone somewhere for a month with no financial support whatsoever. If you still think that that isn¡¯t sufficient, just tell what I should do so you can believe me. I will do it just so I can prove to you that I¡¯m not a child. That I can make my own decisions well enough. Just... tell me. Please. Just¡ª"


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t able to finish what he¡¯s saying because he was suddenly hugged by a pair of strong arms. Then his back was gently patted, calming him down. He didn¡¯t even realize that he was on the verge of breaking down. It was probably thebination of the depressing thoughts he just had and the need to prove to his brothers that he wasn¡¯t really a helpless child.


    It¡¯s like a bomb that just exploded inside him. He couldn¡¯t stop himself once he started and it simply became a tirade one after another. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down himself.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Yan Yan. I¡¯m sorry. We understand. You don¡¯t have to say anything anymore," Luo Ren said while patting his brother¡¯s back.


    How stupid could they be? It¡¯s not enough that they put that expression on Luo Yan¡¯s face, they even made him say those things. Simply because they fond it hard to believe that he really was a 17-year-old who had a mind of his own and could make decisions all on his own.


    But they were being stopped by their prejudice against Shen Ji Yun. Because they didn¡¯t want to believe that there might be a possibility that Luo Yan also feel the same. How could they? Once they agreed, it¡¯s like letting him walk on that path. A path that could only go two ways ¨C happiness and fulfillment or sadness and hurt.


    How could he gamble his brother¡¯s future to such a 50/50 chance?


    But he had forgotten that it was not his future but his brother¡¯s. He could make his own choices and go to the future he wanted. And he could only intervene as much as he allowed him to.


    In this situation, he, no they, were asked to step aside. And they should respect that. Because that was what Luo Yan had decided.


    Luo Yan buried his face on his older brother¡¯s chest. He didn¡¯t raise his head and just asked in a muffled voice, "Really?"


    "Yes. We will no longer interfere with you and Shen Ji Yun. Unless, there¡¯s really a need for us to do so."


    Luo Jin wanted to protest when he heard that. But then he remembered Luo Yan¡¯s reaction and he smartly shut his mouth. If they wanted him to believe that they were really ready to listen to him and they were not just saying these things to appease him, then he shouldn¡¯t say any refusal right now.


    "Brother is right," he quickly followed. "We will try our best not to... overreact every time you¡¯re together with Shen Ji Yun," he added almost through gritted teeth.


    Because even if he didn¡¯t approve, there was really no choice for him right now but to agree. If he didn¡¯t, his second brother might just think that his overprotectiveness was annoying. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to see him have a meltdown again because of them.


    This time, Luo Yan got out of his older brother¡¯s embrace. He looked at his two brothers and observed the reaction of the two.


    Luo Ren seemed to really mean what he just said. All he could see on his face was the determination to make him believe that they believed him. Luo Jin, on the other hand, looked very unwilling. But he still said that most probably because he was afraid that he would react the same way he did earlier.


    This was not how he envisioned things to be, because the two probably still had reservations about his request of not treating him like a child. But it¡¯s still a step forward. As long as he continued to show his capability, he believed that sooner orter, he would get the result that he wanted.


    "Thank you, Brother, Ah Jin," he said, trying his best to smile.


    "But I just have one request that I hope you will follow," Luo Ren said.


    "Okay. What is it?"


    "First, I want to know if Shen Ji Yun knows that you know about his... feelings for you."


    Luo Yan shook his head as answer to Luo Ren¡¯s inquiry. "He doesn¡¯t."


    Luo Ren let out a bit of sigh of relief when he heard that. It¡¯s good that that guy still didn¡¯t know. He should just remain clueless for a long time.


    "The request, I hope you won¡¯t enter in a rtionship with Shen Ji Yun until you¡¯re really, really, really, sure that he¡¯s the one you want to be with."


    That¡¯s reasonable. "Is there a duration?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Preferably until you graduate from college," Luo Ren said with a straight face. "No maybe until you get a job?"


    "I agree!" Luo Jin quickly said.


    Luo Yan took what he thought earlier back, that¡¯s definitely not reasonable. They might as well tell him not to get together with Shen Ji Yun.


    So, instead of answering he just made a fakeugh. "I can only promise not to be in a rtionship with Brother Ji Yun while I¡¯m still a minor."


    After all, he had already nned to confess on Valentine¡¯s Day next year.


    Both Luo Ren and Luo Jin showed an expression that was almost simr to someone having constipation. Both were imagining what would happen once their brother turned into an adult. And they couldn¡¯t help but want to curse Shen Ji Yun.


    Just what kind of potion did that guy make Luo Yan drink so their brother would be so fascinated by him?


    "Ahm, Yan Yan, how- how about until at least you turn 20, okay?" Luo Ren said. He was smiling but it was obvious that it was that kind of nervous smile where he¡¯s worried of what kind of answer the other would give.


    So, Luo Yan didn¡¯t answer and just walked out of the pavilion. "It really is a nice day, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Yan, you- do you love him?" Luo Jin suddenly asked.


    Or course, Luo Yan knew who this ¡¯him¡¯ his brother was talking about. He smiled, the sun outside was shining down on him. It almost seemed like he was surrounded by a golden halo, making his smile shined even brighter.


    "Yes, I do."

 Chapter 499 online opinion

    LUO YAN hugged his father¡¯s arm who just walked inside the house. "Wee home, Dad!"


    Luo Wei Tianughed happily with his second son¡¯s warm wee. He gently tapped Luo Yan¡¯s nose. "I¡¯m back."


    "Did everything go well with work today?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Of course. With your father there, how could something go wrong?" Luo Wei Tian responded, giving his suitcase to one of the maids. "How about you and your brothers? Ah Ren also yed that game you and Xiao Jin are ying, right?"


    "Yes. But we didn¡¯t really y with Brother because Ah Jin and I participated in a contest sponsored by the game and we actually managed to be in the finals," Luo Yan said, exining the Rookie Carnival in the simplest way possible.


    "That¡¯s great. Then shouldn¡¯t we celebrate?"


    Luo Yan chuckled. "No, let¡¯s wait until one of us bes the champion. The finals will be on thest week of the month. So, we still wouldn¡¯t know until then."


    "You seem extremely confident."


    "Of course. I¡¯m very good at this game, Dad. I¡¯m confident I¡¯ll win the championship. Well, I feel a bit sorry for Ah Jin but I can¡¯t go easy on him just because we¡¯re brothers."


    Luo Wei Tian let out a boisterousugh. He liked seeing this confident appearance on Luo Yan. It suited him quite well. "As well you should. So, when will this championship be so your father could watch and cheer on you and Xiao Jin."


    He wasn¡¯t sure what this so-called contest entailed. But it must be some kind of friendly game. Since Luo Yan seemed to be very excited and enthusiastic about this, he wanted to at least be supportive.


    Luo Yan stopped when he heard that, but then quickly smiled again. "It will be broadcasted live. I will send the link to Dad on that day so you can watch."


    If this was before, he would probably make up some excuse just to prevent his father from watching the tournament. Heck, he would probably not even mention it in the first ce. But after that conversation he had this afternoon with his brothers, he decided to be more honest with his family.


    Although he still couldn¡¯t tell his father about Shen Ji Yun and their feelings for each other, at least this was a start. Truthfully, he was kind of dreading the day he had to tell his father about it. That would definitely be chaotic. His father might even beat the crap out of Shen Ji Yun.


    He should probably slowly instill the idea of how good Shen Ji Yun was to him on his father. That way, he wouldn¡¯t react so violently once the rtionship of the two of them became official.


    He hoped.


    While Luo Yan was worrying about that, a topic on Weibo had been brewing for some time now. The topic in question was about the just held preliminary round of Arcadia¡¯s Rookie Carnival.


    [The theme of this year¡¯s preliminary was pretty intense, right?]


    [Yes! I really had fun watching the game. From the ship until the battle royale.]


    [Who do you think would win?]


    [My bet is on Noctis. He had the most exemry performance during the preliminary.]


    [True. He¡¯s not only strong. He¡¯s also very smart. That thing he did during the second trial of the ship round was very witty. Immediately finding out that the mermaids were the enemies and then quickly thinking of a way to deal with them, no wonder he was the MVP of that round.]


    [His skills as an Assassin are also pretty incredible as he had shown during the battle royale. That one-on-one fight he had with Dragnar was so thrilling, I was on the edge of my seat while watching it.]


    [I also feel the same way. Not to mention, that thing he did with Raphael and his cronies. If not for the things he said, I, myself wouldn¡¯t realize that the guy was actually such a white lotus little twerp.]


    [I agree! I was actually feeling sorry for him for being targeted by Noctis like that. But then when I heard Noctis say those things about Raphael, I realized that he was indeed right. That ambush that happened to Dragnar was most likely orchestrated by him.]


    [It¡¯s kind of chilling, really. And he thought he could win the Carnival that way?]


    [True. Even if managed to pass that round and reach the finals, what will he do during tournament? Scheme his way up?]


    [No, maybe he would cry his way up. Didn¡¯t you see how good he was at acting?]


    [Hahaha! ¡¯Cry his way up¡¯, I could actually see him doing that.]


    [When someone attacks him, he would pretend to fall and then look up at his opponent with tears in his eyes. Then he¡¯ll say, ¡¯oh, please, don¡¯t hurt me, I really didn¡¯t want to be here at all¡¯.]


    [Then he¡¯d proceed on secretly attacking his opponent. After that he¡¯d say, acting all innocent-like, ¡¯ah, what could be the problem? How could he fall like that?¡¯]


    [If he really does that and people still believed him, they definitely have a screw loose in their head.]


    [Or maybe they were seduced by that face.]


    [What seduce? Noctis definitely has more beautiful face. If anyone is seduced by him when there¡¯s Noctis asparison, then they definitely have a screw loose.]


    [Let¡¯s not talk about that lying angel. It¡¯s really making me want to throw up.]


    =====


    Lan Yu threw his phone when he read all thosements. How dare they? How dare they say these... things about him?


    It¡¯s all that Noctis¡¯ fault. Now that the preliminary round was over, he finally found out who was that invisible yer who meddled with him and his ns at the ind.


    [Damn you, Noctis. I won¡¯t let you get away with this!]


    He took a deep breath and calmed himself down before picking up his phone and calling someone.


    "Hey, it¡¯s me. I have a job for you. I¡¯ll pay you 5,000 RMB. Buy a water army to cken someone online. Yes. It¡¯s a yer in Arcadia named Noctis."

 Chapter 500 special chapter: them in five years

    INSIDE the VIP room of a well-known jewelry, a handsome man wearing a crisp ck suit was sitting inside. There were three ring catalogues in front of him. All of which had elegant and beautiful designs. And, of course, very expensive.


    "Master Luo, what type of ring are you looking for?" asked the manager of the store who was personally assisting this VIP customer.


    "Something for an engagement," the handsome man said while browsing through one of the catalogues.


    The manager was surprised. But she managed not to show it on her face. She¡¯s a professional after all. But still, she couldn¡¯t believe that the eldest son of the Luo family was now getting engage. She hadn¡¯t heard any gossip about him being in a rtionship before. Could it possibly be an arrange marriage?


    That certainly was possible. Well, whatever. It¡¯s not like it had something to do with her anyway. The important thing was to satisfy the customer.


    "Can I ask what is Master Luo¡¯s requirement?"


    "A unique but very beautiful ring," Luo Ren responded. Then an image suddenly shed in his mind, that of a tall young woman with sharp features. And he couldn¡¯t help the smile that appeared on his face. "Yes, just like her."


    The assistant raised one of her brows. It seemed like it was not an arranged marriage after all. If that was the case, then she already had a ring in mind. She picked a special catalogue and opened it to one of the pages inside.


    "How about this Master Luo? This was designed by an up-anding designer. She named it ¡¯Rose in Bloom¡¯."


    On the picture was a silver ring with a pink diamond as a center. But that was not all. The head of the ring was shaped like petals. It had smaller pink diamonds iid on it, making it really seemed like it was a pink rose blooming.


    Luo Ren¡¯s eyes brightened when he saw it. This ring, it was simply perfect. Just imagining it ce on her left ring finger already brought a small on his face.


    "This is perfect," he said.


    "Good. I will go and get it now."


    A few more minutes had passed and Luo Ren was now on his way out of the store. A velvet box with a ring was now in his breast pocket.


    "Thank you, Master Luo, and congrattions on your engagement," the assistant said.


    Luo Ren grinned. "It¡¯s not official yet. I¡¯m just about to propose."


    A ck Harley-Davidson parked on the airport parking lot. The young man driving got off the motorcycle and removed his helmet, revealing a handsome face. His body was very well-built, as shown with his bulging muscles.


    He started walking towards the arrival area of the airport. He looked around and happened to see a poster for an uing movie. The ones on it were the captain of team Celestials and that other woman who was in their team. No, he should probably say former since both had already retired from ying.


    Just like the members of team Yunyue.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t y anymore. He still logged into his ount from time to time. They just no longer participate in any events and stuffs. They¡¯re just casually ying now.


    He continued to walk towards the arrival area and a smile crossed his lips when he saw the tall woman walking at a distance. She had a cap covering her long hair that was dyed in blue with purple highlights. She was wearing a leather jacket, ripped jeans, and a pair ofbat boots. She was carrying a knapsack over her shoulder.


    Luo Jin ran forward and called, "Yuqi!"


    Su Yuqi turned towards his direction. She looked surprised but then quickly smirked.


    "Wee back," Luo Jin said once he was near Su Yuqi.


    "I didn¡¯t expect you toe here," Su Yuqi said.


    "You¡¯ve been gone for a year. Of course, I had to wee you."


    "Yeah. It¡¯s already been a year, huh," Su Yuqi said as if she couldn¡¯t believe that time had passed that quick already. "It seems I kept you waiting."


    Luo Jin gazed at Su Yuqi¡¯s beautiful face and smiled. "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m used to waiting."


    Su Yuqi also smiled and then walked past Luo Jin. "Maybe you don¡¯t have to wait anymore."


    Luo Jin was startled when he heard that. He sharply turned to Su Yuqi. "Hey, Yuqi, what do you mean by that?"


    Su Yuqi only smirked at him before walking forward. So, he had no choice but run after her.


    "Hey, Ji Yun, can you juste and save me?" Bai Ze asked over the phone.


    He was standing in the middle of a crowd inside a hall. If that was all, he wouldn¡¯t mind. But this hall had posters of 2D boys in, well, very close positions. Like hugging, holding hands, cheeks touching, he even saw one that was kissing. In short, this was a convention for girls and some boys who liked 2D boy to boy action.


    "I¡¯m busy. Who told you to go to that ce?" Shen Ji Yun said.


    "Hey, if Xiao Yan asked you to, I don¡¯t know, go to a rock metal concert, wouldn¡¯t you go?"


    There was no response. The other¡¯s silence already meant that he agreed.


    "You went there with your girlfriend. Just bear with it. I¡¯m hanging up."


    Then it was followed by a busy tone. Bai Ze almost cursed. Who said that one could rely on a friend during times like these?


    "Ah Ze!" called a woman¡¯s voice from behind him.


    Bai Ze tried his best to show a smile before turning around. The woman had a big smile on her face. She was petite and dainty, wearing a loose cashmere sweater and denim shorts paired with sneakers and thigh-length ck and white socks. Her long hair was tied in twin braids. And her big cat-like eyes were behind a pair of big round sses.


    She gestured for him toe over. And Bai Ze could only run towards her.


    Luo Yan stretched out his arms. He looked at the time and saw that it was almost five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. He stood up and walked out of his office. There were three programmers outside, all young and obviously fresh graduates.


    "Are you leaving now, Chief?" asked one.


    "Yes. You three should also go home and rest," he said. "Theing days would be very hectic. You won¡¯t know when you¡¯ll be able to go home on time next," he added, joking a bit.


    "It¡¯s fine, Chief. Overtime means more money."


    Luo Yan only shook his head before going out of their department.


    This was a smallpany that had only been recently established. It only upied a floor of amercial building at S City and had a small number of employees. But it also had its advantage. Because it¡¯s a subsidiarypany under Moonlight Media ¨C the biggest gamingpany in the country.


    It¡¯s name was Night Cloud Games. Was there still a need to ask the reason why?


    When he passed a room with a ¡¯Design Department Head¡¯ que on it, he thought of knocking just in case someone was still there. And someone was indeed there because he heard a voiceing from the inside telling him toe in, so he opened the door.


    Inside the room, he saw a tall woman whose face was almost buried on whatever it was she was doing.


    "Jiao Jiao, don¡¯t you have dinner tonight with brother?"


    With his sudden question, the woman busy with work raised her head. Her hair was fashionably short and also a tad bit messy. Unlike when they were in high school, she was no longer wearing those thick sses. Which now showed her sharp eyes and handsome features.


    She abruptly stood up. "You¡¯re right, I almost forgot. Thank you for reminding me, Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan only smiled. "You¡¯re wee."


    "Do you think Brother Ren will be angry?" she asked, looking a little bit anxious.


    "The only time my older brother will ever be angry at you is if you break up with him," Luo Yan said with a bit of teasing.


    Sure enough, Yu Jiao¡¯s whole face turned red.


    Luo Yan onlyughed. He then closed the door and continued walking towards the president¡¯s office. He smiled at the secretary/assistant sitting outside and asked if the president was inside.


    "Yes. You can just go inside, Mr. Luo."


    Luo Yan nodded. He didn¡¯t bother to knock and just opened the door.


    Inside was a man sitting behind a desk and busily looking over a couple of papers. His ck hair was cleanly swept back and his blue eyes were full of concentration. No matter how many times he saw him wearing a suit, the effect was still the same. He was still as handsome.


    He probably noticed his presence because he raised head. When he saw him, a smile quickly bloomed on that handsome face, melting away all the coldness that was surrounding him.


    "Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan walked towards the other¡¯s desk and leaned on it. "Do you still have a lot of work to do, Brother Ji Yun?" he asked while looking at the stack of papers on the desk.


    "Just a little bit," Shen Ji Yun answered. "I¡¯ll just look over a few more and then we can go to dinner."


    Luo Yan walked behind Shen Ji Yun¡¯s chair and hugged him from behind, putting his chin on his shoulder. "Aww... my boyfriend is too hardworking."


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat. "Yan, don¡¯t make trouble."


    Luo Yan chuckled when he saw the other¡¯s ear tip turning red. They had already been together for years and yet Shen Ji Yun would still blush at the simplest thing. He stood up and let go.


    "Is Uncle Yi Mu still on vacation with Uncle Yue?" he thought of asking.


    "Yeah, they told me it¡¯s their second honeymoon so we should not disturb them."


    "Second honeymoon, huh? Maybe the two of us should also get married. Then¡ª"


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t able to finish what he was saying because his arm was suddenly pulled. He felt his body falling backward and instinctively closed his eyes. When he opened his gaze, he was already sitting on Shen Ji Yun¡¯sp.


    "Don¡¯t tempt me or I might just really abduct you overseas and have you married me on the spot," Shen Ji Yun said, looking at him with his intense blue gaze.


    Luo Yan quickly got over his surprise and a big yful smile appeared on his face. He raised his arms and put them around Shen Ji Yun¡¯s neck.


    "I wouldn¡¯t mind being abducted." He slowly closed the distance between them and then whispered on his ear, "But you should propose first. And I want a grand one."


    Shen Ji Yun also smiled. "Your wish is mymand, my love."

 Chapter 501 better taste

    JUST like his brother, Luo Jin was also browsing Weibo for any topic about Rookie Carnival¡¯s preliminary round. Under normal circumstance, he wouldn¡¯t waste his time to look at this thing. But because his game ount name was revealed at the very end, he wanted to see what others were saying about him.


    [Hey, you guys, why are we not talking about the funniest thing in the preliminary today?]


    [Was there even such a thing?]


    [Come on, have you forgotten already or did you just not see?]


    [I think I know what you¡¯re talking about.]


    [Actually, I also think I know what it was. Or who it was, maybe.]


    [Ah! It¡¯s that cute gnome, isn¡¯t it?]


    [Hahaha! Now that you mention it, I almost forgot about that little guy.]


    [True! AmazingYoungMasterJin ¨C hahaha! Who would give themselves such a game name?]


    [I think he¡¯s a kid, probably just in elementary school that¡¯s why he¡¯s not ashamed of having such a name.]


    [Maybe that¡¯s the reason why the game system gave him a special gnome race when he chose the random selection. Because it knew that he¡¯s the same height in reality as the gnomes.]


    [Or maybe he¡¯s a middle schooler who¡¯s simply a chuuni. My younger brother is a chuuni and I bet all my allowance this month that he wouldn¡¯t blink in giving himself the same name.]


    [LOL chuunis do tend to use edgy game names. Like Murder Explosion King or Dark Demon King. The AmazingYoungMasterJin is probably in the same category.]


    [But if that¡¯s true, then wasn¡¯t he amazing? A boy that young being able to join the finals of the Rookie Carnival, that¡¯s a first, right?]


    [I know right? It¡¯s truly quite shameful for the other participants to be beaten by such a kid.]


    [And he didn¡¯t just get through the preliminary by luck, he also has skills to back it up. Have you seen the way he sniped those other yers? Not to mention, his uracy during that second trial on the ship. If not for him, those mermaids wouldn¡¯t be distracted if not for the shot he made.]


    [More than that, I think he¡¯s rted to Noctis. Have you all noticed that since the start of start of the preliminary, they¡¯d been together?]


    [Yes, I have also noticed that. I thought that they¡¯d only met there but now that you mention it, they really did seem to know each other.]


    [Have you all forgotten the news about Noctis being the new member of Yunyue?]


    [What about it? We¡¯re currently talking about the gnome, right?]


    [What I mean is, it¡¯s not only Noctis who was recently added to roster of Yunyue. There¡¯s another one.]


    [Are you saying it¡¯s the gnome?]


    [Impossible! How could Yunyue pick such a kid to be part of their team? Although Yunyue is now called the fallen champions, surely they wouldn¡¯t recruit a kid, right? They might as well have recruited me.]


    [Hah! As if you can be one of them. Can you also be on the finals of the Rookie Carnival?]


    [Whatever. I think that kid was just lucky. Have you seen the items and weapons he had with him? They¡¯re all worth a lot of crystal coins.]


    [I agree. His weapon alone is probably worth thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of crystal coins.]


    [Those guns are definitely made by Vulcan. I can see it with just one nce. If I¡¯m right, then they definitely cost a lot.]


    [Really, people? You¡¯re saying that he survived that preliminary just because he had expensive weapons? I¡¯ll just leave this analogy to you; A painter is great not because of his brush but because of his talent. If that painter made a great painting, are you saying it¡¯s because he had a great brush?]


    [I couldn¡¯t agree more with you, upstairs. These people are just jealous because they can¡¯t afford a weapon made by Vulcan.]


    [Well said!]


    =====


    Luo Jin stopped reading and just put the damn phone on his bedside table before slumping, face-first, on his bed. He buried his face on his pillow and shouted in frustration. Of course, because he did it on the pillow, his voice became muffled and no one had heard him.


    What elementary school kid? Did having such a game name automatically put him in the childish category? Wasn¡¯t that simply discrimination? And what the heck was a ¡¯chuuni¡¯? Based on thements he had read that mentioned that term, it seemed that it was a middle-schooler edge lord.


    Either way, both were not good description. Because one, he¡¯s not a kid, and two, he¡¯d definitely not an edge lord. And yet these people were using of him as one of the two.


    He rolled over and frowned at the light bulb on the ceiling.


    He actually didn¡¯t mind all that nonsense about him being a pay-to-win yer or that he simply got lucky. Because those could easily be disproved. Once the finals of the Rookie Carnival arrived, he could just show them his skills and all the things they had said would be pped back to them.


    But there¡¯s nothing he could do about this damn shitty game name.


    Why the heck was it that it¡¯s not allowed to change game names? In his opinion, it¡¯s just another marketing strategy to have yers buy another one of their VR helmets. They should be thankful that they were the only ones that had a VRMMORPG like Arcadia. Or else, people would have long change to another game.


    Because of the thoughts about Moonlight Media, Luo Jin was reminded again of that talk he and his elder brother had with Luo Yan. The annoyance he just felt for thepany of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s uncle was quickly transferred on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s head.


    Although he truly just wanted to beat the crap out of the other and also, by the way, give him a piece of his mind, he couldn¡¯t. Because they had already promised Luo Yan that they wouldn¡¯t interfere with his rtionship with that guy. But that didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t stop being annoy with him.


    Really, just what the hell did Luo Yan find in that expressionless ice-block?


    He definitely had better taste than Luo Yan. Luo Jin was sure of that.

 Chapter 502 learn a thing or two

    LUO YAN wore a new set of uniform. He had to order one because of his recent growth. This was probably the first time he had been so happy to buy a new uniform. He didn¡¯t have to save money because their family could easily afford to buy a new one. So, a new uniform only meant one thing for him ¨C that he¡¯s growing. And that¡¯s all that mattered.


    He looked at the mirror and smiled. Ah, why did it seem like he¡¯s more beautiful today than yesterday?


    It¡¯s probably because he was able to have that talk with his brothers yesterday. It was like a heavy weight from his shoulder was finally lifted. Not to mention that he managed to tell them his feelings for Shen Ji Yun. So, it¡¯s not only a weight from his shoulder but also a weight from his heart.


    He felt a different kind of happiness. Almost as if he was at peace with everything for the first time since he had been reborn in this body. It¡¯s like, for once, he finally epted that he could be happy in this identity.


    He smiled once again at the mirror before walking out of his room. He went straight to the dining room. His father and elder brother were already there. Luo Jin was probably still in his room.


    "Good morning, Dad, Brother!" he greeted and sat down on his usual seat.


    "Are you ready to go back to school, Xiao Yan?" Luo Wei Tian asked, putting down the newspaper he was reading.


    "Yes, I can¡¯t wait to see my ssmates again," Luo Yan answered, particrly Yu Jiao.


    "Does the new uniform fit you?"


    "Yes, Dad, to a tee," he answered. "It might not be too long before I need another one."


    "Well, it seems that your wish to grow taller is slowly bing a reality," Luo Renmented.


    Looking at his brother¡¯s good mood, Luo Ren wasn¡¯t sure what to feel about that. Because it¡¯s obvious that it¡¯s due to the conversation they had yesterday. So, really, the reason for his good mood was Shen Ji Yun.


    Hah, he couldn¡¯t even think of the name of the guy without feeling irritable. It¡¯s like a fresh cabbage on his family¡¯s backyard was picked up by some dirty pig. He shook his head and decided not to think about it. He had to be in a good mood for the rest of the day because there¡¯s still something important he had to doter.


    A little whileter, Luo Jin arrived at the dining room and they all started to have breakfast.


    After breakfast, Luo Yan and Luo Jin prepared to go to school. Luo Jin had already gone inside the car. Luo Yan was about to follow but Luo Ren suddenly stopped him.


    "Yan Yan, can you invite Jiao Jiao to eat lunch outsideter? I already told Uncle Chu which restaurant to take you," Luo Ren said in a voice that only the two of them could hear.


    Luo Yan raised his head to look at his older brother. He narrowed his eyes. "Brother, are you asking me to be your aplice?"


    Luo Ren was startled by Luo Yan¡¯s question. Then he smiled helplessly. "You¡¯re talking as if I¡¯m nning to do something bad."


    Luo Yan smiled. "Are you?"


    Luo Ren pinched his brother¡¯s cheek. "Of course not, you cheeky brat."


    "Brother, just tell me you wanted to give something to Jiao Jiao. No need to pinch my cheek," Luo Yanined while rubbing his pinched cheek.


    Since his brother mentioned Yu Jiao and inviting her to lunch together in a sentence, she knew that that he¡¯s probably wanting to give the souvenir he bought for her when they were in Chengdu. If Luo Jin had brought something for Su Yuqi, there¡¯s no way their elder brother wouldn¡¯t buy one for the girl he¡¯s crushing on.


    Luo Ren was no longer surprised that Luo Yan had already figured out what he¡¯s nning. The other had already proven his incredibly high EQ. It was not really that shocking if he guessed correctly what he¡¯d been up to.


    "So, are you going to help your older brother?" he just asked.


    "Of course, I¡¯ll help. Who told you to be one of my beloved brothers?"


    Luo Ren smiled. "I¡¯m surely thankful for that."


    "But we only have an hour of lunch break. Are you sure that¡¯s enough time?" Luo Yan asked his worry. They might spend most of that hour in traffic.


    "Don¡¯t worry, the restaurant I picked is near your school. With Uncle Chu¡¯s driving skills, you can arrive there in 10 minutes at most," Luo Ren said.


    "Then I¡¯ll message you once our morning ss is over."


    Luo Ren nodded. "Thank you, Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan only grinned before getting in the car. Their driver, Uncle Chu, then started the car and drove out of the mansion¡¯s driveway.


    Truthfully, if he personally didn¡¯t know how kind and caring his brother was, he wouldn¡¯t help him with Yu Jiao. After all, Yu Jiao didn¡¯t need someone who would affect her newfound confidence in a negative way. What she needed was someone who would support her emotionally and make her feel that she was worth it. Luo Yan was confident that his older brother could do that.


    Of course, if it turned out that Yu Jiao didn¡¯t return his affection, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t force her just because he was Luo Ren¡¯s brother. He definitely wouldn¡¯t let it affect their friendship. And he believed that Luo Ren wouldn¡¯t be the type to force his affection on someone who didn¡¯t want it.


    If his feelings for her was deep enough and not just some momentary interest, then Luo Ren would definitely be patient with her.


    "What did Brother talk to you about?" Luo Jin asked.


    "He wanted to eat lunch with uster."


    Luo Jin showed a confused expression. "Why?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "For his love life."


    Luo Jin looked even more confused. "What?"


    "If Ah Jin wants to know, you can ask Brother yourself." He turned to Luo Jin and smiled at him meaningfully. "Maybe Ah Jin could even learn a thing or two from Brother."

 Chapter 503 back to class

    WHEN Luo Yan entered his ssroom, he was immediately greeted by his ssmates.


    "Good morning, Xiao Yan!"


    "How was your holiday?"


    "Good morning! It was great," he said, greeting back and answering the question. "I hope you also had a great holiday."


    He then nced at Yu Jiao¡¯s seat and saw that it was empty. It¡¯s weird to see that she hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Especially since the other had always arrived here earlier than him. He hoped nothing happened.


    He walked to his seat and put down his bag. He was about to message Yu Jiao when he heard some of his ssmates sitting near him talking about a certain topic.


    "Have you watched the preliminary round of the Rookie Carnival?"


    "Yeah. It¡¯s kind of hard to track everything that was happening because of how many the participants were."


    "You should have just bought a ticket to watch the whole thing in the game instead of watching the live broadcast."


    "I know. But I waste in buying tickets."


    "Anyway, who do you think will win the finals?"


    "The yers who passed the preliminary were all great. But my money is on Dragnar."


    "Yeah, me too. Being a dragon is already a huge advantage."


    "I think Noctis will definitely give him a run for his money. Have you seen their fight during the battle royale?"


    "It¡¯s a great fight. But I think Noctis is still a bit weaker than Dragnar. He¡¯s good at sneak attacks but when ites to raw strength, he couldn¡¯t hold a candle against Dragnar."


    Luo Yan felt the corner of his eye twitched when he heard that. He probably shouldn¡¯t be irritated. In the first ce, his ssmates had no idea that he was ¡¯Noctis¡¯. It¡¯s only natural that people would cheer more for Dragnar. After all, the other was a legendary dragon.


    But still. Reading that online and now hearing it personally simply left a bad taste in his mouth. However, that just made him much more determined. He¡¯d just have to show them that he could defeat that dragon.


    "But don¡¯t you think that Noctis looks like someone?"


    Luo Yan¡¯s ears raised when he heard that. He somehow got nervous. But a part of him was also excited. Maybe because a part of him had wanted for everyone to know that he was Noctis. It¡¯s probably the narcissistic side of him that wanted to be praised. That¡¯s why he thought that. But a bigger part of him still didn¡¯t want to recognized as Noctis. Because it¡¯s definitely more trouble than its worth.


    So, he listened. Wondering if this ssmate had discovered that Noctis actually looked like him.


    "It¡¯s Luo Yan!"


    Although that ssmate whispered that, Luo Yan still heard it. Well, that was not surprising. After all, how could there be other people in this world who could have this face? He¡¯s a one-of-a-kind fairy, okay?


    Then he began to worry. If his growth spurt continued, then it wouldn¡¯t be long before more and more people connect him with Noctis.


    The others who heard what that ssmate had saidughed.


    "Why, because they¡¯re both pretty? Come on, there¡¯s no way the Luo family will let Luo Yan y such a violent game."


    "Besides, can you imagine Luo Yan being that bloodthirsty?"


    "No way. That Noctis was like some professional killer while Luo Yan looks like he can¡¯t even hurt a fly."


    [No, I am definitely that bloodthirsty professional killer.] ¨C Luo Yan thought helplessly.


    "Can you lower your voice? This is not a market as far as I can remember," an annoyed voice suddenly said, intervening with the group who had been gossiping.


    The voice wasing from behind him, so, Luo Yan nced back and saw that the one who spoke just now was Huang Wen. Because the person who was sitting between their seats was still not there, Luo Yan could clearly see the other.


    Huang Wen turned his head and their gazes collided. The other frowned. "What?"


    Luo Yan shook his head. "Nothing. How was your holiday?"


    Huang Wen was taken aback. He didn¡¯t expect that Luo Yan would suddenly ask him that. He wanted to be antagonistic and aggressive, but at the end, he found himself saying, "It¡¯s fine."


    Luo Yan nodded and smiled before turning around.


    What he didn¡¯t know was when he did, Huang Wen gazed down while clutching his chest. Why was it that every time he saw Luo Yan smile, his chest would tighten? As if something just squeezed his heart.


    Luo Yan looked at the door of the ssroom. He actually wanted to ask the other about Ying Chen. He was sure that that dark elf was him. But he still wanted to make sure. After all, the other also passed the preliminary round. If he remembered correctly, his game name was ¡¯Malekith¡¯.


    But he wasn¡¯t really that close with Huang Wen. He felt like he was prying into other¡¯s business if he asked the other about his friend. After all, it seemed like Ying Chen wasn¡¯t really trying to announce to everyone that he was Malekith. If he did, then the news would probably be all over the school now.


    Because he certainly looked like someone who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to announce to everyone if he aplished something. But since no news about him had been circting so far, then he might also have a reason not to tell others about it. Although, there¡¯s also a possibility that he hadn¡¯t yet had the time to tell everyone that he passed the preliminary and now was part of the Rookie Carnival¡¯s finals.


    And what about that other one, the panther beastkin? What was his game name again? Ah, ¡¯ck Cat¡¯. Since he and Ying Chen seemed to be close friend, could he also be attending this school?


    If he was and he and Ying Chen found out that Luo Yan was actually Noctis, then he could already see the trouble it would bring. After all, that Ying Chen seemed to not like him very much.


    Oh, right, he was about to send a message to Yu Jiao. He took out his phone and was about to do just that but he suddenly heard the door opening. He raised his head and saw their homeroom teachering in.


    Ten minutes into ss, Yu Jiao still hadn¡¯t arrived. And Luo Yan began to worry.

 Chapter 504 gaining courage

    THE door to the ssroom opened. Because they were in the middle of ss, the sound of the door opening was pretty harsh. Everyone turned and saw a tall girl with big sses entering.


    "I-I¡¯m sorry for beingte, Sir," said the student who just entered the ssroom.


    Wu Hai frowned. But when he saw that thete student was Yu Jiao, the crease on his brows loosened. The other was a good student. If she¡¯ste, then she probably had a good reason why. Especially since this was the first time the other waste to homeroom.


    "It¡¯s alright, Yu Jiao," he said. "You can take your seat."


    Yu Jiao sighed with relief and quickly went to her seat.


    Luo Yan also had a frown when he saw Yu Jiao. Not just because she¡¯ste but more so because of her state when she walked in. Her hair was messier than usual, even her uniform was all skewed. As if someone pulled on her uniform.


    Just what happened?


    He tried to catch Yu Jiao¡¯s gaze and it just so happened that she also looked at his direction. He looked at her with inquiry. She only smiled at him, as if reassuring him that everything was okay. But Luo Yan still didn¡¯t feel relieved. In fact, he even became more worried.


    He couldn¡¯t ask her what the problem was right now because it¡¯s still time for ss. But there were a few minutes of break after homeroom. He¡¯d just ask her about it after this.


    He couldn¡¯t concentrate in ss because he just wanted it to end. But there was still about half an hour left before it finished. He sighed. There¡¯s no use being impatient.


    Soon, 30 minutes had passed and the ss finally ended. The moment their teacher left, Luo Yan stood up and walked to Yu Jiao¡¯s seat. He didn¡¯t care that their ssmates were looking in his direction.


    The only reason he hadn¡¯t interacted actively with Yu Jiao in ss was because she didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention. But Yu Jiao had already gotten over that. She even went back with them from that small restaurantst time.


    "Jiao Jiao, are you alright?" he asked when he finally arrived beside Yu Jiao¡¯s seat.


    Yu Jiao was startled to suddenly see Luo Yan standing beside her seat. But when she heard him asking if she¡¯s alright with that worried tone, she understood immediately why he was here. He must have been worried seeing her state. She smiled helplessly. But at the same time, she also felt warm. She didn¡¯t know that having a friend worry about you would actually feel this heartwarming.


    "I¡¯m fine, Yan Yan, really," she said. "I¡¯ll tell you what happenedter."


    Luo Yan observed Yu Jiao¡¯s expression. Seeing that she was indeed okay, he no longer tried to pursue the topic. "Okay."


    The door opened and the teacher for the next subject came in. And Luo Yan had to go back to his seat.


    Yu Jiao looked at Luo Yan¡¯s back and then sighed. Although she told him that she would tell himter what happened, she really wasn¡¯t sure what she should say.


    She couldn¡¯t help but remember what happened just before she left her dorm room this morning.


    =====


    Yu Jiao checked her bag. When she saw that everything was in ce, she nned to go out of her dorm room. But before she could do that, someone knocked on her door. She wondered who could it be. But she still walked forward and opened it. It might be the dorm manager, nning to tell him some announcement or something.


    But when she opened the door, the one standing in front of her was not the dorm manager but someone she¡¯d rather not deal with. A girl with long ck hair and a pair of big brown eyes.


    "Good morning, Sister," the girl smiled, she said the word ¡¯sister¡¯ full of mockery.


    "Mo Jian?"


    Before Yu Jiao could fully react, Mo Jian had already pushed her way inside her dorm room.


    Yu Jiao turned around and saw Mo Jian looking around her room. This girl was the daughter of the man her mother married. In short, her stepsister. The same stepsister who made it unbearable for her to live with the same house as them. The one who couldn¡¯t seem to stand her existence.


    The few months she had stayed at that house was like a nightmare. And this girl was the main cause of that. It¡¯s like everything she had experience just came back to her as if hitting her straight on the face. Her body just started trembling. As if a switch just turned on and she couldn¡¯t stop it.


    She gripped her skirt, trying to bring a semnce of calm to herself. "W-what do you need?"


    "Sister, you¡¯re stuttering again. Are you actually afraid right now?" Mo Jian chuckled. "Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m just here to ask you something. There¡¯s been a rumor going around that you became quite close to second young master of the Luo family. You¡¯re even seen going to lunch with him and the third young master. How lucky."


    Yu Jiao had a bad feeling on where this conversation was leading. Because she already had an idea on why this girl came to talk to her right now.


    "How could you not inform me about this? You know how much I like young master Luo Jin. Although I know that there¡¯s no way that he¡¯d be interested in you, but you¡¯re still get to spend time with him. How could you not think of me? Aren¡¯t we sisters? Mother would surely be sad if she knew how selfish you have been," Mo Jian continued, looking all saddened. "So, to make amends, why don¡¯t you let me join during your lunch with the Luo brothers?"


    Yu Jiao stared at the girl¡¯s sudden bright smile. She only felt chills. Because this girl certainly had some problems in the head. How could she not see it before when it was this obvious?


    All because she was so immersed in her own fear and suffering that she couldn¡¯t even see what was in front of her. But the fact that she could see it now, did that mean that, even just a little, she gained courage?


    Yes, courage. That¡¯s what she needed right now.


    She took a deep breath and then noticed that she was no longer trembling. She raised her head and said;


    "No."

 Chapter 505 let me handle her

    THE bell rang, signaling the end of the morning ss. Luo Yan stood up and was about to go to Yu Jiao¡¯s seat, but when he turned around, he saw that she was already walking to his direction. He was a bit surprised. Because Yu Jiao had never took the initiative to approach him in ss. This just showed that she was indeed starting to change. Slowly having more confidence with herself. Luo Yan was d and happy for that.


    He also walked to meet her half-way. "Shall we go?"


    Yu Jiao nodded.


    They walked out of the room under the gazes of their ssmates. But Luo Yan didn¡¯t care much about that. What he wanted to know more right now was what happened to Yu Jiao this morning that made herte to ss.


    "Jiao Jiao, can you tell me now what happened to you?" he asked when they got out of the ssroom.


    Yu Jiao felt conflicted when she heard what Luo Yan had said. She was contemting whether to tell him everything, but at the end, she still decided to do so. After all, she did say earlier that she would and this was not just someone else. This was Luo Yan. The first friend she had made in this ce.


    "I had an... argument with my stepsister," she said.


    And then she remembered what happened after she said ¡¯no¡¯ when Mo Jian asked to bring her to lunch.


    =====


    The moment she said ¡¯no¡¯, Mo Jian¡¯s expression turned vicious. It¡¯s like she was ready to jump onto her and bite her ear off. It made Yu Jiao subconsciously step back. But she quickly got a hold of herself.


    If there was a time to stand her ground, then this was it. Luo Yan was her friend and Luo Jin was the other¡¯s brother. Agreeing to what Mo Jian wanted was almost like selling out her friend¡¯s brother. All because she was too scared and cowardly to refuse.


    She couldn¡¯t continue on like this. She couldn¡¯t always cower. Especially not always in front of this girl. If she couldn¡¯t get over this, then she wouldn¡¯t be able to really say that he had moved forward.


    "You actually dare to refuse?" Mo Jian screeched. "Do you think you have the right to befriend the Luo brothers? No! You¡¯re just the daughter of the pathetic woman my Dad married! You don¡¯t even have the qualification to be in this school!" She advanced aggressively towards Yu Jiao and then pulled the cor of her uniform. "You¡¯re nothing! Do you think being friends with the second Luo young master would make you into something? No! You¡¯ll always be this, nothing!"


    "You¡¯re wrong." If this was before, Yu Jiao might have been hurt by every word Mo Jian said. She might even start trembling now. But she only felt calm now. No, what she¡¯s feeling was probably close to a calm anger. She grabbed Mo Jian¡¯s hands holding her cor and pulled them away. "First, my mother is not pathetic. Your father was the one who chased after her. The fact that she agreed to marry him is his blessing. And no, I am not ¡¯nothing¡¯ as you put it. Someone like you has no right to put abel on my worth." She tightened her grip on the other¡¯s wrist. "Lastly, get the hell out of my room."


    After she said that, she opened the door to her room and dragged her out. Pushing her outside, making the other stumble and fell down. Yu Jiao locked her door just in case Mo Jian thought of trespassing into her room and messing with her things.


    Yu Jiao looked down at Mo Jian. She just now realized how petite the other was. And weak. Now she wondered why she ever got scared of this girl when it was this easy to push her away.


    She then walked forward, ignoring Mo Jian who was still on the floor. She looked like she was still shock because of what just happened. Or rather, she probably couldn¡¯t believe that Yu Jiao did what she just did.


    "Yu Jiao!" Mo Jian shouted after a while.


    But Yu Jiao ignored her and continued walking.


    =====


    "And that¡¯s what happened," Yu Jiao finished.


    After Luo Yan heard everything, he couldn¡¯t help butugh and then give Yu Jiao a thumbs-up. "Good job, Jiao Jiao, standing for yourself like that. I¡¯m proud of you."


    He didn¡¯t know everything about Yu Jiao¡¯s family situation, but he did know that she doesn¡¯t get along well with her step-siblings. With Yu Jiao¡¯s disposition, it¡¯s easy for those step-siblings to bully her. She would definitely not fight back.


    That¡¯s why hearing that she did made Luo Yan feel so proud. Because it meant that she was slowly growing, bing more and more confident. Peeling off that timidity and just being who she was supposed to be.


    Yu Jiao stopped and then smiled. "I actually can¡¯t believe that I did that. You see, I- I was very afraid of Mo Jian. Maybe because deep inside, I do believe the things she has been saying about me. But at that moment, I just thought that it couldn¡¯t continue on like that anymore. Because- because, then, I would never be able to move forward. I was actually quite d that she came this morning. Then, I probably wouldn¡¯t discover that I can already move forward."


    "And I¡¯m happy for you, Jiao Jiao," Luo Yan said. "On another note, why don¡¯t we eat at a restaurant outside? It would be my treat. What do you think?"


    Although his older brother would really be the one who would be paying. And after what happened to Yu Jiao today, it would also be a good distraction.


    Yu Jiao didn¡¯t have anyints and nodded.


    They walked out of the third-year building and immediately saw Luo Jin just standing there. But he wasn¡¯t alone, a girl was also standing beside him, talking and smiling brightly.


    Yu Jiao¡¯s expression turned constipated when she recognized the girl. "Yan Yan, just a heads up, that girl is Mo Jian."


    Luo Yan stared at the girl and then smiled. "Let me handle her, Jiao Jiao."

 Chapter 506 luo yans handling of the matter

    LUO JIN¡¯S frown was getting deeper and deeper by the second. This girl that kept yapping around him was like an annoying insect. He wanted to swat her away but she said that she was Yu Jiao¡¯s sister, so he was stopping himself from doing so. But really, he couldn¡¯t believe that that Yu Jiao, who was always timid and shy, would have an annoying sister like this.


    The other kept on yapping and yapping about being in the same year as him or some shit. Or that they were on the same ss during their first year of middle school. Seriously, he just wanted Yu Jiao to appear and drag this girl away.


    "Ah Jin!"


    He turned towards the direction of that call and saw his brother and Yu Jiao walking up to them. Finally.


    Mo Jian also turned towards the voice. She first saw the famous second young master of the Luo family. The Mo family could be said to be on the threshold of S City¡¯s upper society. So, she knew the things that happened to the Luo family. It was a famous incident that everyone in their circle probably knew about it. That¡¯s why when the news of the second young master of the Luo family wasing to this school, it caused quite a sensation.


    She had heard how others praised this young master for his beautiful appearance. Now that she was seeing him, she must admit that he was indeed that. But she also felt an instant dislike. Boys shouldn¡¯t be that pretty. She couldn¡¯t understand girls who would like a boy like him. Would they really want someone who looked better than them stand beside them?


    For her, boys should be like Luo Jin. Tall, handsome, masculine, and of course, very rich. With that in mind, she took a quick nce at the boy standing beside her and her heart readily skipped a beat. When she first saw him three years ago, she knew that he was special.


    Over the years, when she understood more and more, she knew how advantageous it would be if she developed a rtionship with Luo Jin. Although he¡¯s only the third son, his future was still boundless. He¡¯s very smart as well. It would be good if he could fight to inherit thepany. That way, if they ended up together, she would be the next madame of the Luo family.


    She turned back her attention to the second young master of the Luo family and then saw Yu Jiao just behind him. Seeing her, Mo Jian¡¯s blood started to boil once again. The humiliation and anger she felt earlier came crashing back to her. But she held it all in because she didn¡¯t want to mess up in front of Luo Jin.


    That didn¡¯t mean that she wouldn¡¯t get revenge. Of course, she would. How dare that thrash actually pushed her? She had no right! A thing like her who came from the gutter actually dared to hurt her? Hah! The nerve.


    From the moment she met Yu Jiao, Mo Jian hated her immediately. She¡¯s ugly and always acted like some squirming chicken. Just looking at her, annoyed the freaking hell out of her.


    If Yu Jiao¡¯s mother was not some simple woman who didn¡¯t have any ambition, Mo Jian would definitely not agree with her marriage with her father. Especially when she was dragging that kind of daughter with her.


    She stered a sweet smile on her face when the two arrived.


    "Hi, Sister! I was just telling Luo Jin that you told me that I can join you guys for lunch."


    Luo Jin¡¯s frown deepened again when he heard that. Why would Yu Jiao suddenly invite this... girl? Even if they were sisters, it¡¯s not in her character to just pull someone both he and his brother was unfamiliar with to their lunch. And besides, why did Yu Jiao never mention that she actually had a sister?


    Yu Jiao just felt embarrassed. She couldn¡¯t believe that Mo Jian would still shamelessly approach Luo Jin and ingratiate herself with them. She chose not to respond to Mo Jian and just nced sideways at Luo Yan. He said that he would handle Mo Jian. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he would do.


    Luo Yan stared at the girl smiling sweetly at them. If Yu Jiao hadn¡¯t told him about what happened to her early this morning, he would probably believe that she was sweet and adorable younger sister and that the other was very close to Yu Jiao.


    Interesting. This would be fun.


    He nced around and saw that there were a lot of students going out of the third-year building. And because of his and Luo Jin¡¯s identities, almost all were ncing at the direction. Just perfect.


    He looked at the girl and a scowl appeared on his face. "How could Jiao Jiao ask you to have lunch with us when you just bullied her this morning? Lying is bad. So, please don¡¯t lie."


    Mo Jian waspletely caught off-guard by that. And she didn¡¯t manage to react as quickly as she should. Before she could exin herself, Luo Yan spoke again.


    "You¡¯re forcing her to bring you with us to lunch so you can get closer to Ah Jin. You shouldn¡¯t do that. You shouldn¡¯t hurt others just so you can spend time with the person you like. Because that would never ever make the other person like you back. My brother will certainly not," he scolded.


    He did that while appearing all indignant. He even added a look of pity. As if he couldn¡¯t understand why someone would act that way.


    Luo Jin was, of course, surprised by this sudden turn of events. Especially since it was suddenly rted to him. It instinctively made him step away from the girl who had been yapping at his side since earlier.


    Yu Jiao, on the other hand, was even more surprised. She didn¡¯t expect that Luo Yan would just go directly straight to the point. He even looked outraged by what Mo Jian did. Anyone who would look at him would feel that Mo Jian was indeed a bully and that she wanted to exploit her rtionship with her just so she could get close to Luo Jin.


    He said it in a loud enough voice that anyone who passed by here would stop and look at them. And that was indeed the case now. Many students stopped on their tracks and watched what was happening. All of them were looking at Mo Jian with a weird look. An evidence that they believed what they had heard Luo Yan said.


    That¡¯s amazing. And a bit scary as well.


    Mo Jian, who received all these gazes, started to panic. She wanted to just grab this pipsqueak and pped him senseless. But she knew she couldn¡¯t do that. Because that would just prove that what this guy was saying was the truth. She had to calm down first and reigned in her temper.


    But before she could do that, Luo Yan once again spoke.


    "Even though your stepsisters, you can¡¯t just go and bully my friend. If you continue to do so, I will report you to the school and make sure that you can no longer attend here." He then gave Mo Jian a disapproving look. "It doesn¡¯t cost anything to be a decent human being, you know?"


    After Luo Yan said that, he pulled Luo Jin and Yu Jiao. nning to leave there.


    Seeing that they were about to leave, Mo Jian panicked even more. She couldn¡¯t think properly and just wanted to stop them, to exin herself. She stretched out her hand to do so.


    Luo Yan, of course, saw that. He made sure that her outstretched hand would touch him. The moment it did, he then purposely fall down.


    "Yan!"


    "Yan Yan!"


    Luo Jin and Yu Jiao both shouted at the same time. They huddled next to him.


    "Yan Yan, are you okay?" Yu Jiao asked worriedly.


    Luo Jin looked at his brother from head to toe, checking if he¡¯s hurt anywhere. The he red at the girl. "What did you do?" he almost growled.


    Mo Jian was startled. Especially by Luo Jin¡¯s re. It¡¯s like he was about to beat her up or something. She couldn¡¯t think properly anymore and she just said the first thing that she was thinking at that moment.


    "It¡¯s not my fault. I didn¡¯t push him! He clearly fell by himself on purpose!"


    Hearing that, Luo Yan just smiled inwardly.

 Chapter 507 little devil

    "HAH, are you saying that my brother purposely fell on his own?" Luo Jin growled. "For what? So, he could make you look bad? Who do you think you are? Do you think you¡¯re important enough that my brother would hurt himself voluntarily just for you? Stop dreaming while your eyes are wide open."


    Some of the student who were watching what was happening actually started to wonder if Luo Yan really fell on his own just like Mo Jian said. It¡¯s because they didn¡¯t see exactly how it happened. They just saw Mo Jian reaching out her hand and then Luo Yan falling down. So, they thought that what Mo Jian said was probably the case. But because of what Luo Jin had said, they immediately changed his mind.


    After all, why would the second young master of the Luo family purposely hurt himself like that? He was already so frail. A normal fall like that could hurt him tremendously. Why would he put himself in pain just to make another person be med for it? Unless, of course, he¡¯s a schemer who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to hurt himself just to aplish his goal.


    But wasn¡¯t that too scary? They¡¯d rather believe that Mo Jian really pushed him because he revealed the other¡¯s bad attitude than to think that this cute and adorable kid was actually a white lotus in disguise.


    And so, they did.


    The look they¡¯d given Mo Jian started to change. If, at first, they were still quite skeptical with the things that Luo Yan was ming her for, now, theypletely believed it.


    Mo Jian, of course, felt the change in atmosphere. It¡¯s like everyone was now looking at her as if she had done something so evil. But the thing she couldn¡¯t ept even more was Luo Jin¡¯s anger directed at her. It was so potent that her back had been filled with cold sweat for a few seconds now.


    She started to feel helpless, frustrated, and angry. She even wondered if she truly pushed Luo Yan that¡¯s why the other fell over. Her brain just couldn¡¯t think properly anymore. But no, she really didn¡¯t push him. She needed others to know that. Especially Luo Jin. What if he started to hate her after this? No, she couldn¡¯t let that to happen.


    "I really didn¡¯t push him! Please, believe me. I--"


    "Enough!" Luo Jin cut her off. "Who wants to hear your excuses?"


    "It¡¯s fine, Ah Jin. I¡¯m sure Miss Mo didn¡¯t mean it," Luo Yan said, he already stood up with Yu Jiao¡¯s help. His pretty face was full of understanding. His big eyes started to mist, as if he would cry any minute now. "She¡¯s probably just angry that I scolded her. It¡¯s my fault, I shouldn¡¯t have said those things. But- but, I just want to protect my friend. Was that so wrong?"


    Luo Jin stopped. Seeing his brother about to cry, he suddenly felt like something was amiss. Surely, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t cry suddenly like this just because of what happened. He knew him well enough to know that he¡¯s tougher than that. And the things he just said, it suddenly hit Luo Jin that his brother was actually acting right now. Along with that realization, he also figured out a lot of things all at once.


    He remembered what he said earlier, it seemed like this brother of his did fall over just so this girl would be med. He wasn¡¯t angry by that. Because he knew that if Luo Yan went out of his way to humiliate the other, then there¡¯s a high chance that she deserved it.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t vindictive in nature. He wouldn¡¯t just suddenly attack another person for no reason. So, the things he said earlier about the other bullying Yu Jiao was most likely true. That¡¯s why Luo Jin didn¡¯t pity the girl.


    But now that he knew that Luo Yan was just acting, he didn¡¯t know how he should act next. Because unlike his second brother, he didn¡¯t have the talent for something like this. So, he just opted to remain silent while frowning. That way, he could at least still look as if he was still angry.


    Yu Jiao, on the other hand, felt like there was something that didn¡¯t feel quite right. Especially after seeing Luo Yan about to cry. She might have only known Luo Yan for a little bit more than a month and being friends with him even shorter than that, but she knew that the other was not simply not someone who would cry with just that.


    She couldn¡¯t exactly describe what she was feeling. But that didn¡¯t stop her from still being worried for him. So, she remained by his side and readied herself to give support if needed.


    The students around them started to talk as well.


    "It¡¯s clearly her fault. What is she doing ming another person?"


    "I know, right? Is she nning to make second young master Luo cry?"


    "I suddenly feel sorry for second young master Luo."


    "Didn¡¯t he say earlier that the girl is the stepsister of that other tall girl? Now, I understand the situation a bit. If they¡¯re stepsisters, then it¡¯s only natural for one to turn wicked."


    "I like how you just said that."


    "Then if she¡¯s bullying her stepsister, wasn¡¯t everything simply her fault?"


    "It¡¯s obvious that it is. Second young master Luo was simply protecting his friend."


    "That¡¯s actually kind of sweet."


    "Now it makes me angrier at that girl. What¡¯s her name again?"


    "I think I know who she is. The daughter of the Mo family. If I remember correctly, her name is Mo Jian."


    Mo Jian heard all of these and it just made her mindpletely nk. She even found it hard to breath. It¡¯s like she¡¯s having a panic attack. She couldn¡¯t bear the gazes of the people around her, as well as the things they were saying about her.


    When she wanted to say something, at least anything to clear this misunderstanding, she saw Luo Yan walking towards her. She instinctively wanted to step back but her body just wouldn¡¯t move. Until the other reached her and held her hand.


    "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not angry with you. I just hope that you can be a kind stepsister. It¡¯s not good to always be mean." Luo Yan closed their distance as if about to hug her and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "If you ever try to bother Jiao Jiao again, I will tell my Dad to talk to your father and ask him very nicely to discipline his daughter. What do you think is more important to your father, his business or you, his daughter? Think about that the next time you hurt my friend again."


    He felt the other¡¯s body trembled after he said that. He then let go of Mo Jian¡¯s hand and stepped back. And then he smiled at her as if he had already forgiven her for what happened.


    Mo Jian just stared at Luo Yan as if she was looking at a monster. Of course, she understood what he meant. And with what he said, she also understood that everything that just happened was nned by this guy. More than anger, she felt fear.


    So, when she had the chance, she quickly ran away from there. Away from that little devil.

 Chapter 508 not a trouble

    LUO YAN happily walked to the parking lot together with his brother and Yu Jiao. With the way he was almost skipping, one could see that he was indeed in a very good mood right now.


    Luo Jin stared at the back of his brother and felt a bitplicated. Looking at how happy he was, one would think that he just won the lottery or something. No, maybe the more urate analogy was him winning a fight. In this scenario, that¡¯s was indeed the case.


    Didn¡¯t he just win that battle against Yu Jiao¡¯s stepsister? And quite brilliantly too. No, he probably shouldn¡¯t refer to that as a ¡¯battle¡¯ but rather a one-sided assault. That girl didn¡¯t even have time to fight back. She simply got decimated.


    But he still wanted to make sure if he was right on his guess that everything that happened just now was nned by Luo Yan. So, he asked;


    "Yan, you, you were acting just now, am I right?"


    Luo Yan stopped walking and turned around. Then he acted as if he was hurt by what Luo Jin said. "Ah Jin, how can you say that to your brother? I was really pushed by her, you know?"


    Yup. Definitely acting. ¨C Luo Jin thought.


    Times like this, he truly believed what Luo Yan said about him not being a child but someone of his age. Because, certainly, no child could have done the things he just did earlier.


    Yu Jiao looked back and forth between the two brothers. When Luo Jin asked if Luo Yan was just acting earlier, she finally understood why she felt weird earlier while watching him. That dissonance she felt was because the way Luo Yan was acting was not in line with the tough Luo Yan that she was used to.


    So, if he was acting, then wouldn¡¯t that mean that he really did fall on purpose?


    "Yan Yan, that was dangerous!" That was her immediate reaction. "What if you really got hurt?"


    If she knew that he would do that just so he could handle the matter regarding Mo Jian, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed. Although Luo Yan was very strong mentally, his body still hadn¡¯t recovered from his seven-yeara. Being hurt in the game was fine since that didn¡¯t really count as being ¡¯hurt¡¯. But if it happened it reality, then that¡¯s another matter altogether.


    When Yu Jiao mentioned that, Luo Jin had almost forgotten about it. Probably because of the fact that Luo Yan acting out all that was more shocking that the fall itself. But he still didn¡¯t forget to scold Luo Yan.


    "Yan, she¡¯s right. You could have done all that without putting yourself in harm¡¯s way."


    Luo Yan almostughed. Because the way the two were talking, it¡¯s as if he tried to stand in front of a moving car or something.


    "It¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t really fall, I just acted like I did. So, it didn¡¯t really hurt me or anything," he said, assuring the two.


    Both Luo Jin and Yu Jiao were speechless when they heard that. So, even that fall was acted out? The two felt that Luo Yan might truly have a talent to be an actor.


    "Besides, all of this was Ah Jin¡¯s fault," he added.


    "Me?" Luo Jin asked, pointing at himself and looking totally confused.


    "Yes. It¡¯s because our Ah Jin is so handsome that he attracts all kinds of bees and butterflies. Even the poisonous kind," Luo Yan answered, teasing his younger brother.


    Luo Jin¡¯s face turned red in embarrassment. He almost forgot what Luo Yan said earlier about that girl being interested in him. He thought that his brother was just saying those stuff to humiliate the girl. But based on this teasing, that girl might actually be really interested in her. Not that it mattered. Because there¡¯s no way he would return the sentiments. Especially after knowing what kind of girl she was.


    "What nonsense?" he huffed and puffed before walking past Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing his younger brother hurried away.


    Yu Jiao walked beside Luo Yan. "Yan Yan, I haven¡¯t said this yet but, thank you, for what you did earlier. For going to all that... trouble just for me. I- I really appreciate it."


    "What trouble? Helping out a friend should never be considered a ¡¯trouble¡¯," Luo Yan said, smiling at Yu Jiao. "Besides, I told you I would handle her, so, I did. I hope you don¡¯t think I¡¯m too much."


    It was indeed a bit over the top ¨C Yu Jiao thought. She had never been a vengeful person. Getting back at Mo Jian had never even crossed her mind. She just wanted to have the courage and the strength to stand for herself. Just like what she did early this morning. But that didn¡¯t mean that she did not appreciate what Luo Yan did for her.


    That was probably the first time that someone other than her mother stood up for her. Getting angry for her and trying to protect her. How could she tell him that it was too much when he did it all for her sake?


    "No, it was fine," she could only say.


    "Jiao Jiao, if your stepsister tries to bother you again, don¡¯t hesitate to ask for help," Luo Yan then said, his expression full of seriousness. "It¡¯s okay to face some things alone. But sometimes, asking for help isn¡¯t a bad idea either. Especially if you¡¯re up against someone who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to hurt you if given the chance."


    Even though he still didn¡¯t know the full situation of Yu Jiao¡¯s family, he understood that that Mo Jian wasn¡¯t really good to Yu Jiao. He could even see that she was malicious towards her. It might be because they were stepsisters or maybe Mo Jian was just simply mean.


    Anyway, that girl was certainly the type who wouldn¡¯t take this humiliation lying down. And since she couldn¡¯t retaliate against Luo Yan, considering that his family had a higher status that hers, she could only retaliate against Yu Jiao. Of course, he couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    Yu Jiao almost said that she didn¡¯t want to trouble Luo Yan. But then she remembered what he said earlier about helping a friend should never be considered as that.


    So, she gazed down at her friend and said, "Okay."

 Chapter 509 eating with brother ren

    UNCLE CHU brought them to a Chinese restaurant near the vicinity of the school. The restaurant looked pretty high-ss just based on its outward appearance. Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that such a restaurant could be found near the school. But if one thought about it carefully, it¡¯s not that weird for a restaurant like this to be near their school¡¯s vicinity. After all, Guizu Academy was still a school for the rich.


    Their older brother was also a former student of Guizu, it¡¯s not that weird for him to know about such a ce. Speaking of Luo Ren, maybe he should tell him about what happened with Yu Jiao¡¯s stepsister. He could probably do more for her considering his status as an ¡¯adult¡¯. Besides, if his understanding of his older brother¡¯s feelings for Yu Jiao was correct, then the other would be more than d and motivated to help his friend.


    The three of them walked inside the restaurant and a waiter quickly guided them to one of their private boxes.


    The waiter opened the door for them and inside they saw a handsome man sitting beside a turntable full of different dishes. He was surrounded an indifferent and cold air, as if no one was allowed to go near him. But when he heard the door opening and he turned around and saw them, that atmosphere aroundpletely vanished. It felt like they just weed a warm Spring.


    "You¡¯re finally here. If you arrive a bitter, the food would have probably gone cold," Luo Ren said. "Is there traffic on the way?"


    "No, Brother, just some unforeseen situation," Luo Yan answered.


    Yu Jiao was shocked seeing Luo Ren here. And seeing that Luo Yan didn¡¯t show any abnormal reaction upon walking inside the room and seeing the other meant that his presence was not unexpected. Could it be that the three Luo brothers had an appointment to eat lunch together today? Then what was she doing here, imposing on them? She was even the reason why they werete because of that situation with Mo Jian.


    Before she could react and say anything, Luo Yan had already pulled her inside and let her sit on the right side of Luo Ren. While he sat down on he right side. Luo Jin, on the other hand, sat on the remaining seat. The turntable was not that big, only enough for four people. Now that she was sitting here, the table full of dishes didn¡¯t seem to be so overwhelming.


    Luo Ren nced at Yu Jiao, the messy hair and the big sses were still as he remembered. Although they had seen each other in the game, it was still different seeing her in reality. It would probably be better if he could see those sharp eyes of hers.


    But asking her to remove her sses just so he could do so was not only disrespectful, it would also make him look like some kind of pervert. He already felt like one for having feelings like this for a minor.


    He smiled to himself. He might have been affected by Luo Yan¡¯s honesty about his feelings for that guy that Luo Ren could now freely admit his own feelings. In the perspective of others, it¡¯s probably weird to have these feelings for someone they barely had any interaction with. And yet, he did.


    Even he couldn¡¯t exin it himself. It only started first as a curiosity. He wanted to know how this shy and timid girl could befriend his brother. But within just a day of her being in their house, that curiosity had turned into interest. And then, to that blushing heartbeat.


    That was the first time his heart had beaten for another. It was a... fresh experience. But he didn¡¯t dislike it. In fact, he enjoyed it. Probably because the one at the end of that beating heartbeat was Yu Jiao.


    Before he knew it, his feelings had already evolved into something deeper. Something that he couldn¡¯t just simply ignore. To the point that she was all he could think of during his free time. Even when they went to Chengdu, she was still there in his thoughts.


    So, yes, he liked Yu Jiao. Maybe his feelings were more than that. But for now, that was enough for him to know that she was special to him. He was willing to take his time to understand these feelings. Then, when the time came that he could tell her his feelings, he could tell her the full extent of it without an ounce of hesitation.


    Besides, it¡¯s not as if he could do any of that now since the other was still a minor. He was already a working adult. Laying his hands on a minor would just make him a criminal. Not that he would, of course. He¡¯s not into that sort of thing.


    But that didn¡¯t mean that he would stop himself from caring about her or show her just how special she was.


    Luo Ren picked a piece of steamed dumpling using a serving chopstick and put it on Yu Jiao¡¯s rice bowl. "Jiao Jiao, eat up a lot, okay?"


    Yu Jiao looked at the dumpling then at Luo Ren smiling at her. She actually wanted to say that she probably shouldn¡¯t intrude in their family lunch but this dumpling stopped her. Besides, Luo Yan invited her knowing that their older brother would be here waiting. So, it¡¯s probably okay for her to be here, right?


    "T-thank you, Brother Ren," she said, picking up the dumpling and eating it. Her eyes widened a bit when she had a taste. "It¡¯s delicious!"


    Luo Ren¡¯s hand was really itching to take those sses off. He wanted to see the expression on his face when she said that. Were her eyes bent into crescents? Were they shining brightly? He really wanted to know. But he stopped himself. He didn¡¯t want to appear weird in front of Yu Jiao, which he would be if he did that.


    So, he just picked more dishes and put it on Yu Jiao¡¯s bowl. "Eat more."


    Luo Yan¡¯s expression almost cracked when he saw all these. He suddenly felt like he was being fed dog food for no reason. And when did these two be so close that Yu Jiao was now calling him ¡¯Brother Ren¡¯?


    Ah, whatever. It¡¯s better to just eat his fill before his brother gave all the food on the table to Yu Jiao.

 Chapter 510 what a tragedy

    "YAN YAN, no more sweets," Luo Ren said sternly when Luo Yan tried to pick another bowl of almond float.


    Luo Yan quickly pouted. And here he thought he could get away with it because his brother was too focus on Yu Jiao.


    Luo Jin closed his mouth. He was actually about to stop his second brother from eating another dessert, he didn¡¯t expect for his elder brother to do it before he could. Just like Luo Yan, he thought the other had already forgotten their existence because he¡¯s too busy focusing on Yu Jiao.


    Seriously, seeing his elder brother acting all smiley and slimy with Yu Jiao was almost vomit inducing. But could you me him? His elder brother had never shown that kind of expression outside of their family before. Seeing him like this now was kind of unnerving. It¡¯s even giving Luo Jin goosebumps.


    Even though he¡¯s not really good with those kinds of emotional stuff, he could at least see that Luo Ren was really treating Yu Jiao in a special manner. If the other told him right now that he actually liked the girl, he probably wouldn¡¯t be surprised.


    So, could that really be the case? If that was so, then wouldn¡¯t that make both his brothers in love? Could it be that his elder brother was affected by Luo Yan¡¯s confession that¡¯s why he had been acting like this? Did he feel pressured that his younger brother already had a sweetheart so he thought he should also have one to establish his glory as the eldest?


    Luo Jin shook his head. He felt kind of stupid thinking that way. Especially when it was so obvious that Luo Ren was truly smitten with Yu Jiao. He wouldn¡¯t question his brother¡¯s taste. If he liked tall, shy girls, then he had no problem with that. Even he could see the attraction in that. He just wished his brother could do his, well, whatever this was, when he and Luo Yan were not around.


    After all, he didn¡¯t want to be fed this kind of dog food.


    "Ahm, please excuse me, I¡¯ll just go, well, you know," Yu Jiao said, her face blushing and unable to say that she wanted to go to the restroom. It¡¯s kind of embarrassing to say that in front of three males.


    Luo Yan quickly understood what Yu Jiao wanted to say and said, "Go, Jiao Jiao, we¡¯ll wait for you here."


    Yu Jiao shyly nodded and walked out of the private box.


    Luo Ren chuckled remembering how Yu Jiao couldn¡¯t even say ¡¯rest room¡¯. "Cute, isn¡¯t she?"


    Luo Jin stood up. "I think I also need to go to the rest room."


    Then he walked out of the private box.


    "I think that¡¯s Ah Jin¡¯s way of protesting to you for feeding us unwanted dog food," Luo Yan said, putting his hand on his chin.


    "What dog food? I barely did anything that warrant such a thing," Luo Ren said, shrugging. "So, what¡¯s the real reason you werete?" he asked, changing the subject.


    When Luo Yan said earlier that it¡¯s because of some ¡¯unforeseen situation¡¯, he knew that it must be because of something serious.


    When Luo Yan heard that question, he didn¡¯t think of lying. After all, it did cross his mind to tell him about Yu Jiao¡¯s situation in the hopes that he might be able to help her better.


    "Well, a witch was trying to hurt a princess. So, as a handsome knight, I did my best to rescue her," he said in an analogy.


    Luo Ren¡¯s gaze turned sharp hearing that. He only understood one thing from what his brother said, someone tried to hurt Yu Jiao. "Who was it?"


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised hearing his older brother talk in such a cold voice. Even when the other was annoyed with Shen Ji Yun, Luo Yan had never heard him talk in such a way.


    "It¡¯s her stepsister," he answered. "I¡¯m not really familiar with all the details, but from what I¡¯ve seen and heard, Jiao Jiao¡¯s step-family is not exactly the model of kindness. Especially if I take the attitude of her stepsister as an example."


    Luo Ren was silent for a few seconds. This was the first time he had heard about Yu Jiao¡¯s family situation. Showing just how much he still didn¡¯t know about her. But now that he knew that she actually had a step-family, it probably fueled the girl¡¯s timid nature even more. Especially, if as Luo Yan said, they were not kind and loving towards her.


    "Do you know anything else about her step-family?" he asked.


    "Not much. I only know that Jiao Jiao¡¯s mother married into the Mo family almost two years ago. Then she was transferred to Guizu Academy." Yu Jiao¡¯s family situation was like an open secret in the ss. "She¡¯s from a single-mother household before that. From what I had heard, they¡¯re not exactly that well-off. It¡¯s kind of the reason why our ssmates iste her in a way."


    Because in their ssmates¡¯ opinion, Yu Jiao was not one of them. The istion was not that harsh to the point that she was being bullied. It¡¯s just that kind where people chose not to recognize her existence. As if she wasn¡¯t there at all.


    In Luo Yan¡¯s opinion, that was pretty immature. But he also knew that it¡¯s hard to change the opinion of these kids who grew up thinking that they were better than themon citizens. Especially if they belonged to the poorest social ss.


    Luo Ren felt a sting in his chest when he heard about Yu Jiao¡¯s situation. No wonder she seemed like she alwayscked confidence. As if she was always afraid if what she was doing was right or not. He could now see where her insecurity wasing from. Her step-family and her ssmates were probably just making it worse. If it continued on like that, she probably would just turn into a big mess sooner orter.


    But she met Luo Yan at just the right time. With his brother¡¯s character, he slowly helped her get out of her shell. To be much stronger and much more confident.


    For that, Luo Ren would be forever thankful. Because if not, then he probably would have never met her. And what a tragedy it would have been. To him, at least.

 Chapter 511 giving a gift

    THE four was walking on the parking lot of the restaurant when Luo Yan saw his older brother ncing at his direction. It¡¯s like his eyes were silently telling him something. Remembering what he told him earlier, he almost rolled his eyes at him. But as a good brother, he was willing to give him some moment with Yu Jiao.


    "Ah! I think I just forgot my phone at the private box," he suddenly said. "Ah Jin, can you go with me?"


    Before Luo Jin could answer, he was already dragged by Luo Yan.


    "Jiao Jiao, we¡¯ll be back real quick!" Luo Yan shouted while pulling Luo Jin.


    When they¡¯re out of the visual scope of Luo Ren and Yu Jiao, he dragged Luo Jin behind a nearby car. He crouched down and also pulled his brother to crouch beside him. And then stealthily nced at the two¡¯s direction.


    "I thought we¡¯re going to get your phone," Luo Jinmented. "So, what exactly are we doing here?"


    "We¡¯re being good brothers," Luo Yan said.


    He remembered the exact request their eldest brother said earlier to him;


    [Yan Yan, can you help me be alone with Jiao Jiaoter? It will only take a few minutes. Please?]


    The restaurant¡¯s underground parking lot was not exactly the most ideal ce for that. But, there¡¯s not exactly any good ce to do that other than this ce. If it was in the private box, he couldn¡¯t think of any good reason to leave with Luo Jin without appearing pretty stupid and unbelievable.


    Because what could he say? ¡¯Hey, Ah Jin and I are just going to leave you alone here with our brother, okay?¡¯ Then if he followed that with a reason like, they were going to leave to buy something outside or maybe because he was afraid to go to the restroom alone, no one would truly believe it. Even if it was Yu Jiao, she would definitely think that something was wrong. So, really, the best choice was this parking lot.


    Luo Jin also nced at the direction of their brother and Yu Jiao. He already had an idea on why Luo Yan dragged him and here and gave the two a time alone.


    "You¡¯re not worried our brother might do something untoward to your friend?" he asked.


    Luo Yan nced at Luo Jin as if he just said the most nonsensical thing he had ever said. "Really, Ah Jin? That¡¯s our brother. Do you really think he would do that?"


    Luo Jin just shrugged. "I¡¯m just asking. It doesn¡¯t mean that¡¯s what I think. I just thought you would be more protective of Yu Jiao. That¡¯s all."


    "I am. I agreed to Brother¡¯s request because I know he would never go over the line."


    If not, Luo Yan would definitely not agree to their brother¡¯s request. Besides, Luo Ren only made that request because he just wanted to give the souvenir he bought for Yu Jiao at Chengdu. He just needed a few minutes to do that. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s nning to get handsy on her or anything. So, really, why would Luo Yan refuse?


    Speaking of, he still hadn¡¯t given Yu Jiao the souvenir he bought for her. Oh well, he¡¯d just give itter.


    =====


    On Luo Ren and Yu Jiao¡¯s side...


    Yu Jiao actually wanted to go with Luo Yan but before she could speak, the other had already dragged Luo Jin away. It¡¯s not that she¡¯s ufortable around Luo Ren. She couldn¡¯t really exin this feeling. The best way to describe it was probably ¡¯shy¡¯. Yes, she was feeling shy. As embarrassing as that might sounded.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because the other was older or because he was the brother of her closest friend which didn¡¯t really make any sense at all. She should just probably admit that it was because the other was a guy and she simply felt like an awkward potato around someone like him. You know, someone who¡¯s handsome, rich, sessful, and even had a good personality.


    One might ask that Luo Yan and Luo Jin were also males and yet why was she not feeling shy around them? The only reason she could think of was because she had already gotten used to their presence. Unlike Luo Ren who he could count their interaction using her fingers.


    Although she could see the change that was happening in her, it didn¡¯t mean that the insecurity she felt all her life would suddenly vanish. It would probably take years before that could happen. But she was slowly making her way there. And that was what¡¯s important.


    Because no matter how slow her steps were, she was moving. And someday, she would get to the destination she wanted to be.


    She took a deep breath and calmed herself. Feeling shy would just make her stutter. And for some reason, she didn¡¯t want Luo Ren to think that she¡¯s just a stammering mess of a girl.


    "Jiao Jiao," Luo Ren called the other¡¯s attention.


    He noticed her fidgeting at first but that slowly stopped. Which he was d. Because if not, then he¡¯d probably just call his brothers and tell them toe back quickly. Although he wanted to give her his gift but not on the premise of her being ufortable while being alone with him.


    It would probably sting a bit. But he¡¯d rather have that than have Yu Jiao continued to be ufortable.


    Yu Jiao turned to Luo Ren when the other called him. "Yes?"


    "You know that we had gone to Chengdu this past National holiday, right? I thought of buying you a souvenir since you¡¯ve been such a good friend to Yan Yan." Luo Ren took out a square box from his suit¡¯s inner pocket and handed it to Yu Jiao. "Don¡¯t worry, it doesn¡¯t cost that much," he quickly added when he saw the hesitation on her face. "Just think of it as a little sign of gratitude from me. Nothing more, nothing less."


    When he worded it like that, Yu Jiao couldn¡¯t really think of any reason to refuse.


    "T-thank you, Brother Ren," she said, taking the box.


    It was very light, as if it didn¡¯t have anything inside. It made her curious and made her want to open it now. But would that be okay when Luo Ren was still here?


    "Go ahead, you can open it," Luo Ren said, as if being able to read her thoughts.


    And so, she did.

 Chapter 512 protecting azalea

    YU JIAO opened the box and what she saw was a white silk handkerchief. At the corner of it was an embroidery of a purplish flower. The embroidery was so alive and intricate that it almost looked like there was real flower there. If she¡¯s not wrong, this flower was called, azalea.


    She touched it and was surprised to feel that it was very soft to the touch. As if she was holding cotton or something. It¡¯s not only soft but very smooth as well. It¡¯s really good andfortable to the touch.


    She was actually thinking that if the souvenir was too expensive, she would return it no matter what. But just like what Luo Ren had said earlier, it seemed that it really didn¡¯t cost that much. Which was fine by her.


    She didn¡¯t know much about handkerchiefs. But she really liked this one. It¡¯s beautiful andfortable at the same time. Even if she epted this, she was sure that she wouldn¡¯t feel awkward at all.


    "Thank you, Brother Ren," she said with a small smile. "I- I really like it."


    Luo Ren¡¯s hanging heart finally was put down when he heard that. He was worried that Yu Jiao might not like his gift. After all, it was just a handkerchief. But only he knew that it was not just that.


    The way the azalea was embroidered at the corner of the handkerchief was called Shu embroidery. It was one of the oldest embroidery techniques in the world and mostmonly found in Chengdu. It was not as cheap as Yu Jiao thought it was. Especially since Luo Ren specifically asked a well-known embroidery master to do it.


    He did not just pick the azalea flower. Of course, it had something to do with Yu Jiao. The character ¡¯Jiao¡¯ in her name meant delicate and fragile. So, when he thought of something that could be embroidered on the handkerchief, he chose azalea. Which meant ¡¯fragility¡¯ in thenguage of flowers.


    Luo Ren honestly couldn¡¯t understand why her parents would name Yu Jiao that way. After all, most would want to name their children after something that meant strength. But maybe they were thinking that their child would one day find someone who would protect and love their delicate little flower. And so, it wouldn¡¯t matter even if they named her that way.


    Well, he did think that the word ¡¯fragile¡¯ fitted Yu Jiao all too well. But not because she¡¯s weak or anything like that. No. Once you get to know her, you could immediately see the hidden strength beneath. It was just because that soft side of her pulled on people¡¯s desire to protect.


    He felt that the moment he firstid his eyes on her. And it only grew stronger as time passed by.


    It¡¯s not that kind of suffocating protection where he wanted to just iste her from everything that might hurt her. It¡¯s the kind where his protection wouldn¡¯t be a shackle to her growth as a person.


    "I¡¯m happy you like it," he said as a response, smiling gently at her.


    Yu Jiao was momentarily captivated by that smile. It¡¯s like flowers just bloomed and starry glitters appeared around the other. She had to blink a couple of times to make sure that she was indeed having hallucinations.


    She quickly gazed down. What was that? Was she finally turning crazy? No, maybe she needed a new prescription sses. Yes, that was definitely it.


    As she said that to convince herself, shepletely ignored the rapid beating of her heart. Thinking that it didn¡¯t matter anyway.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Luo Yan and Luo Jin to return. Of course, they saw what just happened from where they were hiding. Luo Yan was all smiles while Luo Jin was looking at his eldest brother like the other was an alien.


    Although they didn¡¯t hear what the two talked about, the atmosphere around them was enough to know that Luo Ren had seeded in his goal. That¡¯s why Luo Jin couldn¡¯t help but give his brother a weird look.


    After all, this was the first time he had seen him like this. Smiling and being surrounded by such a warm pink atmosphere. It¡¯s almost like he was announcing to everyone that he had special feelings for the girl standing before him. If he was not desensitized by his show of love during lunch, he might be having goosebumps right now.


    "Sorry, we didn¡¯t take that long, right?" Luo Yan said, looking all apologetic.


    But deep inside, he actually wanted to give his brother and Yu Jiao more time. Who knows when the two would meet again like this? But if they continued to hide there, not only Yu Jiao would doubt that there must be something amiss, the three of them would also bete for the afternoon ss.


    He nced at Yu Jiao and saw the other holding a box protectively. That¡¯s probably the souvenir his brother gave her. Judging from her expression and the way she was holding that box, she definitely liked the gift.


    Now, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it was. He wanted to ask but not now. Maybeter. And he had to do it very stealthily in a way that wouldn¡¯t make her feel ufortable. He didn¡¯t want Yu Jiao to start being awkward around Luo Ren especially when things were barely starting between the two.


    "No, Yan Yan is just in time," Luo Ren said, rubbing his brother¡¯s hair. "You three should go back to school now."


    He walked the three to the car where Uncle Chu was waiting. Luo Jin hopped to the passenger¡¯s seat while Luo Yan sat on the back seat. Luo Ren kept the door of the backseat opened for Yu Jiao and waited for the other toe in.


    "Brother Ren, thank you for lunch. And- and also for the souvenir. I- I will take good care of it," Yu Jiao said before rushing inside the car.


    Luo Ren was transfixed at his position. Because he saw Yu Jiao¡¯s ear tips turning red when she said that. Showing her shyness. It was not until the car moved and disappeared from his sight that he smiled.


    [How cute.]


    Then he took out his phone and called his assistant. "Go and give me all the information you can find about the Mo family."

 Chapter 513 mother and daughter

    YU JIAO put the souvenir Luo Yan bought to her at her desk inside her dormitory room. It was a box of colored pencil with a cute carved panda on each one. She stacked it with her other art supplies. She wished she could also give some souvenir to her friend. But what kind of souvenir could she give when she didn¡¯t even go anywhere during the week-long National holiday.


    But maybe she could still buy something for him as a thank you. She had more than enough money to buy something decent. Not only for Luo Yan, but also for Luo Ren.


    Remembering the man, she took out the box where the handkerchief was. She opened her closet and carefully put it there. She started to wonder just what she should buy that would not be embarrassing to give to Luo Ren. Something that he could use would probably be good.


    Knowing that the other was already working, a few ideas popped up in her mind.


    As she was taking off her uniform, her phone suddenly rang. She put her uniform jacket on the bed before picking up her phone on her desk. She saw that it was from her mother. Somehow, she already had an idea on why her mother suddenly called.


    For the first time, she suddenly didn¡¯t want to answer. But if she didn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if her mother appeared in her dorm tomorrow just so she could have a serious talk with her.


    She sighed before answering the call.


    "Mom," she greeted first.


    "Jiao Jiao, Xiao Jian came home crying today," he mother said with a bit of anxiety in her voice. "She said you push her? Is that true? It¡¯s okay, Jiao Jiao, you can tell Mom the truth. Mom won¡¯t be mad. If you really push her, then I will apologize in your stead. Xiao Jian is a good girl, I¡¯m sure she will understand."


    Yu Jiao bit her lower lip when she heard that. If it was as usual, she would probably remain silent and just acquiesce to whatever her mother was saying. In almost two years since her mother married into the Mo family, she never made anyints. No matter what kind of harassment Mo Jian threw at her, she just epted it in silence. Because she didn¡¯t want her mother to be at odds with her new family just because of her.


    But because of that, her rtionship with her mother slowly drifted to the point that she would rather believe Mo Jian¡¯s innocent act than her. It was hurtful, true. At times, she just felt numbed by it. She even thought sometimes that maybe it would have been better if they remained poor. At least the two of them faced everything together.


    But she knew that it was unfilial of her to think so. After all, now, her mother didn¡¯t need to work herself to death just to put food on the table. She could now wear beautiful clothes, eat good food, and have others do the humblest of work for her. She could finally have that easy and carefree life. As her daughter, how could she ruin that?


    However, right now, Yu Jiao couldn¡¯t bring herself to just remain silent and agreed to everything her mother just said. Not after all the effort Luo Yan exerted just to defend her.


    "Mom, I did not push her just because I felt like it. I assure you, Mo Jian deserved it," she started. "I won¡¯t borate more into what happened. Mom should also not ask Mo Jian about it because that girl would definitely just lie with that usual innocent act of hers. But I hope Mom won¡¯t think that I¡¯m just saying this to badmouth Mo Jian. I hope that Mom still know me enough to know that I would never do that.


    "But just in case Mom believed Mo Jian more than me, then I just wish you will not confront me about it. Let¡¯s just end that whole discussion here. And if Mo Jianins to her father, Mom could just side with her to avoid any conflict. Don¡¯t worry, Mom, I won¡¯t be mad even if you do."


    That was probably the first time that Yu Jiao managed to talk to her mother on the subject of her new family in such a calm way. She didn¡¯t stutter and just calmly stated what she wanted to convey. She felt proud of herself for some reason.


    There was a long silence over the phone. Then she heard her mother calling her name in a cracked voice, as if she suddenly had trouble breathing.


    Yu Jiao sighed helplessly. She didn¡¯t want to make her mother feel guilty. She simply wanted to fight a bit for herself. She could probably tell her mother all the derogatory things Mo Jian had said about her, but Yu Jiao wouldn¡¯t. She wouldn¡¯t hurt her mother like that. But she hoped that this conversation would help her see more clearly.


    Her mother had always been soft-hearted. She didn¡¯t like to join any arguments or even make one. She would simply suffer at the Mo household if she chose to protect her child over her new stepchildren. If she didn¡¯t see how genuine Mr. Mo¡¯s feelings was for her mother, she¡¯d probably long tried to pull her away from that family.


    But because she saw that there was indeed love between the two, she had never thought of getting in between them. And she still didn¡¯t wish that now.


    "Mom, I¡¯m alright. Don¡¯t fight Mr. Mo over this. It would just make Mo Jian much happier. Mom wouldn¡¯t want that, right?"


    "Oh, Jiao Jiao."


    There was an outburst of crying over the line and Yu Jiao could onlyfort her mother as best as she could. Although it¡¯s not her goal, she probably ended up just guilt-tripping her mother.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh once again. If only she was more eloquent with her words. Maybe she could deliver her words to her more properly.


    But that call and her initiative to talk started a night-long conversation - something that was definitely long warranted - between mother and daughter.


    On the other side of the city, in Tianhua Groups¡¯ main headquarters, Luo Ren was looking down at the information he had in his hands that his assistant gathered over the afternoon.

 Chapter 514 report on the mo family

    LUO REN must say, his assistant was really proficient to gather this much information in just a short amount of time. He carefully read the things on the paper.


    The current head of the Mo family was Mo Guang Li. His parents were both farmers and he grew up in a very poor environment. But he didn¡¯t let that deter him. He went to S City at the age of 16 and worked hard to climb up to where he was now. He started as someone who was merely working five odd jobs at a time to someone who eventually owned a small business to the hotel owner he was now.


    This fact was almost an open secret to everyone in the hotel and restaurant industry. Because Mo Guang Li relished in telling everyone his origin. It showed just how proud he was of all the things he overcame just to be in the position he was now.


    Luo Ren approved greatly of that. Because his father was also from a humble origin who started from scratch and with nothing to his name.


    Mo Guang Li¡¯s first wife was someone from the same vige as him. They grew up together and met again coincidentally at S City. Not long after that, the two married. They had a son and a daughter. But 13 years ago, she died from stillbirth. Mo Guang Li never remarried and gave all his love to his two children. Especially her daughter who looked the splitting image of his then deceased wife.


    No one expected that he would marry again. But almost two years ago, he met a secretary of a smallpany and started to show interest in her. A few monthster, the two married. This woman was Yu Jiao¡¯s mother.


    So far, there was nothing rming in the report Luo Ren was reading. But what he readter, made him scowl.


    The daughter was a certified brat. A lot of incidents from elementary to middle school showed her bullying other students with lesser status than her. But all those incidents were brush off because of her father. The fact that there were a lot of these ¡¯incidents¡¯ meant that the girl never received a good scolding.


    Mo Guang Li¡¯s affection for his daughter only had a negative effect. His daughter became spoiled who mostly didn¡¯t know right from wrong. Because in her opinion, whatever she was thinking was the right one. And with no one correcting her, she just remained unchecked and unhinged.


    There was nothing in the report regarding Yu Jiao¡¯s treatment in the Mo household after her mother married Mo Guang Lin. But looking at the fact that just after half a year of the marriage, Yu Jiao moved to Guizu Academy¡¯s dormitory already exined a lot. And add that to this Mo Jian¡¯s character, Luo Ren could already imagine what Yu Jiao must have experienced.


    He clenched the paper in his hand. A lot of negative thoughts just entered his mind. All of it was centered on the pain that Yu Jiao must have suffered. Knowing her, she would definitely just hold it in. Especially if the happiness of her mother was on the line.


    If she told her mother about Mo Jian¡¯s harassment, she would definitely side with her and that would definitely not go well with Mo Guang Li. It might even put a strain on the rtionship of the two. Which Yu Jiao with her soft heart probably didn¡¯t want to happen. So, she just chose to move out and be away from this new ¡¯family¡¯.


    Luo Yan said earlier that they werete for lunch because Mo Jian was trying to harass Yu Jiao. If her mother continued to be married to Mo Guang Lin, then this harassment would definitely continue as well.


    He couldn¡¯t just tell Yu Jiao¡¯s mother to divorce the man. So, the only way to stop this situation with the stepsister was through Mo Guang Li himself.


    With that in mind, he called his assistant to his office.


    "Scheduled a meeting between me and President Mo," he said.


    The assistant was not really that surprised hearing that. After all, his boss just asked him to gather information about the Mo family earlier. But he did wonder what could Luo Ren want with Mo Guang Li. He¡¯s not in the position to ask questions though. It¡¯s only his job to assist his boss on whatever he wanted to do.


    "Alright, sir. I heard that Mr. Mo is currently eyeing and to build a new chain of his hotel. Thend happened to have just been bought by our groupst week. Should I tell him that you are nning to discuss thend with him?"


    Hearing that, Luo Ren nodded in approval. Using that excuse, Mo Guang Li would definitely not hesitate to meet him personally. This assistant of his was not only efficient but also had a quick mind.


    "Do just that," he said.


    The assistant nodded and went out of his office.


    Now that¡¯s settled, the only thing left to do was for him to meet Mo Guang Li and discuss his abominable parenting.


    "Brother Ji Yun, I won¡¯t log in the game today," Luo Yan said to the person on the screen of his phone. The two of them were having a video call. "Let¡¯s just do some of the things we needed to do at the game tomorrow. I¡¯m just not in the mood today."


    Like visiting the Crimson Corps or finally getting the reward for their ¡¯Saving Finnea¡¯ task. He was just not really in the mood to y today. Probably because of two-day preliminaries.


    "It¡¯s okay. If Yan Yan is tired, then it¡¯s best to just rest," Shen Ji Yun said worriedly. "It¡¯s better to do those things once you¡¯re in the mood."


    Then he stopped. The way he worded that just didn¡¯te out right. It¡¯s like he was suggesting something else. That thought made his whole face burned. Just what the hell was he thinking?


    "I- I think I still needed to write some report," he quickly said. "Good night, Yan Yan!"


    After saying that, the call just ended.


    Luo Yan stared at the screen of his phone and then remembered Shen Ji Yun¡¯s blushing expression when he hung up the call. Thinking back on their conversation, he immediately understood why the other reacted that way.


    And he couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. That poor innocent guy. He wondered how Shen Ji Yun would react once they kissed or something?

 Chapter 515 mo guang li

    LUO REN¡¯S assistant was really efficient in his work because he managed to schedule a meeting between his boss and Mo Guang Li the very next day. The meeting will be held at a private room of a very high-end club house during lunch. Luo Ren was very satisfied with this. He was thinking that he probably should give his assistant a bonus this month.


    He was actually not expecting that he could immediately meet with Mo Guang Li. After all, it was a sudden request for a meeting. The other was surely busy being the president of a big hotel chain. But unexpectedly, his assistant still managed to get him this meeting.


    Luo Ren was following an employee of the club house who was leading him to the private room. He came there alone. He was hoping that President Mo also did the same. After all, the real topic of their meeting was a bit personal. That¡¯s why he said to his assistant to discreetly tell Mo Guang Li that he wanted this meeting to be private.


    While walking, he must admit that he was feeling a bit nervous. He wasn¡¯t even sure if what he was doing was the right thing or not. Because just one wrong move and he could easily cause a crack on the rtionship between Mo Guang Li and Yu Jiao¡¯s mother. Which was a consequence that Yu Jiao had been avoiding to happen.


    But Luo Ren knew that he couldn¡¯t just stop because of that. Because if no one kept a reign on that Mo Jian, then it would be Yu Jiao who would continue to suffer. And that was something that he couldn¡¯t let happen.


    "This is the room, Mr. Luo," the employee said after he stopped in front of the door of a room.


    Luo Ren nodded. "You can go now."


    "If Mr. Luo ns to order any food or drinks, please just push the order button on the wall and someone will immediatelye and serve you."


    After the employee said that, he bowed slightly and walked away from the room.


    Luo Ren stared at the door for a couple of seconds. He took a deep breath before opening it.


    Inside, there was a stocky man sitting on one of the free chairs and drinking what seemed to be tea. The man seemed to be in his 50s. Age lines were clearly carved on his face and his hair was also mostly white. But one could see with his well-built body that he was someone who exercise frequently. He seemed to be very robust and healthy.


    So, this was Mo Guang Li.


    Mo Guang Li turned to him when he opened the door. He put down the tea cup that looked too small in his big hands on the table and stood up.


    "Well met, young master Luo," the man said with good humor.


    Luo Ren quickly entered the room and stretched out his hand to the other. "Please, I¡¯m a junior. President Mo can just call me Xiao Luo."


    Mo Guang Liughed. It was a very loudugh, the kind that reverberated everywhere. He reached for Luo Ren¡¯s hand and shook it. "Then Xiao Luo."


    At that brief hand shake, Luo Ren could feel the thick calluses on the other¡¯s palm. It¡¯s a symbol of just how hard this man in front of him had worked to attain the position he was in now. That¡¯s definitely worthy of respect.


    The two then sat down opposite each other.


    "Do you want to eat first or go straight to the reason why you wanted to have a private meeting with me," Mo Guang Li said quite straightforwardly.


    He hardly believed that the reason why this young man wanted to set up this meeting was because of thatnd he was eyeing. Because he knew just how hard Tuanhua Group fought for thatnd. There was no way that they would just easily give it to anyone. Unless there was something in there for them.


    If the one he¡¯s meeting right now was the CEO and president of Tianhua Group, then he would probably think that that was possible. But since the one in front of him right now was the Luo family¡¯s first young master, then it would definitely be for another matter. That¡¯s why he agreed on this meeting. Because he was quite curious why this young man suddenly wanted to talk to him. And, well, he had a bit of time this afternoon. So, why not meet this young master Luo? Maybe this meeting would have a good oue for all he knew.


    In business, gambling once in a while was normal. If one didn¡¯t have the guts to do that, then sess could easily slip down their own hands.


    Luo Ren was not that shocked when he heard what the other said. Going straight to the point would be better than going around in circle first. The other probably already guessed that he wanted to meet him for something that might not be rted to thatnd. It¡¯s probably why he came here alone. Which was good because that was what Luo Ren wanted.


    Since the other was able to be a sessful businessman, there¡¯s no way he would be stupid. That¡¯s why it was even more confusing why he wasn¡¯t able to teach his daughter properly. Surely, he knew that his spoiling was doing more harm than good? If not, then Luo Ren could only think of one reason why. Whenever it came to his daughter, Mo Guang Li¡¯s IQ just automatically went offline.


    If that was the case, then this conversation would definitely be a he headache.


    "I¡¯m sorry if I suddenly requested a meeting with you, President Mo. But I believe that what I¡¯m about to say is also a big concern for you," he started.


    "I¡¯m listening," Mo Guang Li said amiably.


    "It¡¯s about you daughter, Mo Jian."


    The moment he said that, the temperature in the room suddenly turned a few degrees lower. The other narrowed his eyes at him.


    "What about Mo Jian?" Mo Guang Li asked in a much colder tone. "I¡¯m telling you now, Mr. Luo. If you¡¯re here to use my daughter of something, I won¡¯t have any of it."


    Luo Ren almost resisted the urge to sigh. Yup, this man¡¯s IQ definitely went offline whenever it came to his daughter.

 Chapter 516 sly luo ren

    BUT Luo Ren didn¡¯t panic and justmented calmly, "It seemed like President Mo is used to hearing bad things about your daughter. But seeing your attitude, you probably just brush it off, right? After all, how could your daughter do any wrong?"


    The sarcasm in Luo Ren¡¯s voice didn¡¯t escape Mo Guang Li¡¯s ears. His expression darkened and he abruptly stood up. "I think we¡¯re done here."


    "If President Mo cared, even a tiny bit, for your stepdaughter, then I ask you to stay and hear me out."


    After Luo Ren said that, Mo Guang Li stopped. He looked down at the young man who was sittingfortably in his chair. He was looking at him with eyes as if saying, ¡¯leave and you will definitely regret it¡¯.


    "What does this have to do with Yu Jiao?"


    Luo Ren gestured for the other to sit down, "Please."


    Mo Guang Li grunted before sitting back down on his seat.


    "I take it that President Mo is familiar with the ident that happened in my family," Luo Ren continued.


    Of course, Mo Guang Li was familiar with that. Almost eight years ago, Luo Wei Tian¡¯s wife and his two sons were in a car ident. The wife died and one of the two sons fell into aa. He heard that that son woke up recently. But what did that have anything to do with his daughter or stepdaughter?


    Luo Ren seemed to read what he was thinking and said, "My younger brother, Luo Yan, is now also attending Guizu Academy. He¡¯s in the same ss as your stepdaughter and they became good friends."


    Surprise shed in Mo Guang Li¡¯s eyes when he heard that. He even felt unbelievable. After all, Yu Jiao was very shy and timid. Whenever he tried to talk to her, she would either stutter or manage to answer him properly. It¡¯s the reason why no matter how much he loved his new wife, he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to be fond of the girl.


    He understood that therge cause of that was the environment she grew up in. But even so, it¡¯s still really hard to like a timid girl like her who couldn¡¯t even form sentences properly. So, how did that girl managed to befriend the second young master of the Luo family?


    Luo Ren ignored the surprise on Mo Guang Li¡¯s expression. He remembered the things Luo Jin had told him when he asked him what exactly happened during lunch. The things his youngest brother said was very interesting. Especially that thing that Luo Yan did. But more than that, he knew that he could use that incident to his advantage during his meeting with Mo Guang Li today.


    So, he continued, "I don¡¯t know if you have heard it, but yesterday, there¡¯s an incident that involved your daughter and my brother. I know that President Mo treasures your daughter very much. But I and the rest of my family also treasures Luo Yan. Probably even much more so that you do your daughter. But you really can¡¯t me us, right? After all, we almost lost him once.


    "So, just imagine my anger when I heard yesterday how your daughter pushed my brother. But I calmed myself and investigated the whole ordeal. After all, I wouldn¡¯t want to just dish out punishment without knowing the whole story. Apparently, my brother scolded your daughter in front of arge crowd. Of course, I was confused on why my sweet and innocent younger brother would do that.


    "It turned out that it was because your daughter bullied Yu Jiao that morning. And then, as if nothing had happened, she went traipsing over the third-year building of the academy just so she could ingratiate herself with my youngest brother ¨C Luo Jin. Apparently, she liked him. She wanted to use her connection to Yu Jiao to join them for lunch. This, of course, angered Luo Yan. So, he scolded her. And your daughter pushed him because of that.


    "You should know that my brother¡¯s physique is still weak. A simple push could hurt him a lot. I¡¯m sure your daughter knew that. And yet, she still did what she did. Instead of apologizing, she put all the me on my brother. I wanted to give your daughter the benefit of the doubt. But when I had her investigated, do you know what I discovered? That something like that wasmon to her.


    "Bullying and hurting others, she has been doing it since she was a child. But what¡¯s more surprising to me was that, you, President Mo, as her father, encouraged her to continue doing such things. I¡¯m wondering whether you really care for your daughter. After all, if you do, then you wouldn¡¯t have let her grew up into such a mean little witch--"


    "Enough!" Mo Guang Li shouted, his face was all red. One wouldn¡¯t know if he was embarrassed or angry. Maybe even both. "What are you trying to say?"


    "I just want President Mo to discipline his daughter. If you can¡¯t do that, then, please, just don¡¯t let her near my brothers or even Yu Jiao. It¡¯s such a simple thing, right? You don¡¯t even need to do that much. But if that¡¯s still too much for President Mo, then, I¡¯ll just do it myself. I¡¯ll transfer your daughter out of Guizu Academy. And then I¡¯ll let your new wife discover that your daughter had been harassing and bullying her daughter. What do you think she will do? Will she choose you or will she choose her own daughter? You know, the one she brought up by herself for years."


    With what he said, he believed that it wouldn¡¯t cause a rift between Mo Guang Li and Yu Jiao¡¯s mother. Instead, it would even make the other guilty. After all, Luo Ren was sure that Mo Guang Li was aware of the hardships his new wife had experience as a single mother. If he really loved her, then he would definitelypensate her instead of alienating her just for his daughter.


    But if he did otherwise, then this man simply didn¡¯t deserve Yu Jiao¡¯s mother.


    He leaned back on his chairfortably and smiled at Mo Guang Li. The other¡¯s face was now crimson with anger. He could even see a few veins pumping on his forehead. But Luo Ren didn¡¯t care and just continued to smile.


    "I believe President Mo knows what to do."

 Chapter 517 i shall be her prince

    LUO YAN, Luo Jin, and Yu Jiao were having lunch at their usual little restaurant. Because of that incident yesterday, a lot of gossip was circling around. Some were about Yu Jiao being friends with the Luo brothers. But most of it was about Mo Jian.


    They talked about how she was actually such a mean girl. That they couldn¡¯t believe that she would bully her own stepsister. They even dug up all her previous misconducts against other schrship students. They persecuted her for it.


    Which Luo Yan found very hypocritical. After all, when Mo Jian was doing all that, they didn¡¯t do anything. They probably even ¡¯support¡¯ this bullying by either not doing anything or doing just a tad bit to aide with the said bullying. The only reason they were going after her now was because they, the Luo brothers, were involved. Between them and Mo Jian, it was quite obvious who they would choose.


    Not that he felt pity for her. Especially knowing how she had been treating Yu Jiao. This could only be considered as karma.


    One of the downsides of that incident was that his and Yu Jiao¡¯s ssmates were suddenly hounding the two of them, asking them if they could also join them for lunch. It took a lot of his acting power just to prevent that from happening.


    So, now, it was still only the three of them in this little restaurant.


    "Jiao Jiao, did that Mo Jian go to your dormitory room again?" he asked.


    "No," Yu Jiao answered and she was truly relieved for that.


    After that incident yesterday and then the call she had with her motherst night, she¡¯s not sure of what she would do if ever Mo Jian tried to do the same thing today. She might just really lose it.


    Luo Yan nodded. "You should not let yourself be too stressed about that stepsister of yours. I¡¯m sure she had already learned her lesson."


    With his threat yesterday, he was sure that it would take quite a while before she made her move again. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to do any ¡¯move¡¯ at all. Because his older brother would definitely see to it. He was confident that Luo Ren could do it.


    Luo Jin, who was eating silently, also thought the same. Especially after that little ¡¯interrogation¡¯ his eldest brother didst night. After he told him in detail what happened during lunch yesterday, his brother just had that scheming look on his face. And he just knew that the other already had a n in mind. It actually made him realized that his two brothers were more alike than he thought.


    Yu Jiao, on the other hand, was not so sure as Luo Yan. She knew Mo Jian. That girl would definitely not give up that easily. But that¡¯s okay. She¡¯s not the same as before. Or at least, she hoped so. She was at least confident that she wouldn¡¯t let Mo Jian push her around anymore that easily.


    She looked at Luo Yan and smiled a bit. These small changes that she had was all due to the other. If not for his little nudge here and there, she would probably still be the same easy to bully person that she had been her entire life.


    As she was looking at her friend, she suddenly remembered something. That secret of the captain of Yunyue that she identally discovered. Because of all the things that happened yesterday, she totally forgot about it. But now that her mind was much clearer, it just came to her again.


    She was suddenly d for the incident yesterday. Because if not for that, she would probably feel awkward facing Luo Yan. Because she would just continuously think about the feelings of Yunyue¡¯s captain for him. That one-day dy actually helped in calming down her reaction.


    Which was a good thing because Luo Yan would definitely notice that there was something wrong with her. If he asked her, she definitely wouldn¡¯t know how to answer. Knowing herself, she might just reveal Shen Ji Yun¡¯s secret to Luo Yan. Which she didn¡¯t want to happen. After all, it was about a person¡¯s feelings towards another. It¡¯s not her ce to reveal that to the recipient of those feelings.


    As they were eating, Luo Yan¡¯s phone suddenly rang. He looked at the name of the caller ID. When he saw that it was his older brother, he quickly answered it.


    "Brother?"


    "Yan Yan, did Jiao Jiao¡¯s stepsister bother her today?"


    Luo Yan almost smirked. If he didn¡¯t know long before about the other¡¯s feelings for Yu Jiao, he would definitely know that now hearing him immediately asked about her instead of him.


    "No," he answered.


    "I have already seen to it that she will no longer bother Jiao Jiao. So, please, tell her not to worry too much."


    Luo Yan was surprised when he heard that. "It seemed that Brother is really fast on his feet."


    "Of course. This involves Jiao Jiao¡¯s physical and mental health. I couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing."


    Although he might have been too over the top with regards on how he handled things with Mo Guang Li. After all, the other was still Yu Jiao¡¯s stepfather. But if the other chose not to do anything at the end, then Luo Ren would be forced to do what was right. And that was to make sure that Mo Jian wouldn¡¯t be able to go near Yu Jiao ever again.


    If he ended up doing so, then that just meant that Mo Guang Li didn¡¯t deserve the respect that he would give to Yu Jiao¡¯s stepfather. After all, him not doing anything meant that he didn¡¯t care at all about Yu Jiao or even about her mother.


    "Should I mention this to her?" Luo Yan then asked. They both knew who the ¡¯her¡¯ he was talking about. Of course, he couldn¡¯t just say Yu Jiao¡¯s name since the other was just sitting opposite him.


    "No, there¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t want her to think I¡¯m too nosy."


    "So, Brother will just be her hidden knight, then?" Luo Yan asked in a teasing tone.


    "What knight? Didn¡¯t you just say yesterday that she¡¯s a princess? Then I shall be her prince."


    Luo Yan almost rolled his eyes at that cheesiness.


    Unbeknownst to them, right at this moment, a certain topic online had been gaining attention. And it all centered around one individual ¨C a yer in Arcadia going by the name of ¡¯Noctis¡¯.

 Chapter 518 noctis is actually...

    [FAMOUS neer¡¯s real identity: Exposed!]


    This was the title of the article in Weibo that had been gaining attention since early this morning. This was posted by a handle that often released gossips rted to the gaming industry. Particrly, Arcadia. It had more than 400,000 followers. So, when this article was posted, it immediately caught the attention of the people who loved to follow gossips rted to Arcadia.


    The article went like this;


    [This small one had watched the preliminary round of Arcadia¡¯s Rookie Carnival. There were many outstanding neers but one stood out among the rest. He not only has skills but his game avatar has amazing appearance as well. I believe everyone knows who this small one was talking about. Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s none other than Noctis, the one who was rumored to be a new addition to team Yunyue.]


    [This small one was so curious about him that I started to investigate his identity. And let me tell you, it was really hard. This small one almost gave up. But as I was thinking if I should or should not, a certain live streamer caught my attention. Or should I say an ex-live streamer?]


    [About three months ago, there was a fairly known live streamer who was suddenly entrenched in a scandal. You might not be familiar with him. After all, his live streams were usually just him singing and entertaining his viewers. Are you asking what kind of scandal he was in? Wait, I¡¯m getting there.]


    [So, this live streamer, had been using his looks to garner a lot of donations from male and female viewers alike. If that¡¯s only it, then no one would reallyin. We all knew that streamers wouldn¡¯t really earn anything if they don¡¯t look good. But this particr streamer not only look good, he was very beautiful. He also had the sweet mouth. He could easily make his viewers donate at least 1000 RMB. At one time, he even managed to convince one of his viewers to donate 10,000 RMB.]


    [What¡¯s wrong with that, you ask? Well, it turned out that this streamer was actually faking his looks! Yes, that¡¯s right. He was using some kind of App during his live stream to make himself look more beautiful when he looks so ordinarily in. If that was all, then it wouldn¡¯t cause that much of a scandal. But since his real looks was revealed, another much more terrifying thing was exposed to the people supporting him.]


    [This guy was actually stepping on three boats at the same time! These three people posted angrily on his Weibo ount during the time that his real face was revealed. The people quickly noticed their posts and discovered that he was three-timing. But the most scandalous thing was, these three were all men! With the great detective work ofizens, they even found that one of the three was married!]


    [Are you asking what does this have to do with Noctis? Am I implying that they were one and the same? Well, let me just put the picture of the live streamer¡¯s face when using the App and Noctis¡¯ game avatar side by side and let you guys decide.]


    After that was an attachment of the said pictures.


    The people who read the article felt incredulous at first. They were thinking, did someone abduct this person and filled his brain with water? How could he suddenly connect Noctis with some live streamer? Did he just pull all that out of his ass or something?


    But then, for some reason,ments appeared one after another agreeing with the article. This made the tide of opinionspletely changed.


    [I remember that Noctis first appeared in Arcadia three months ago. Could he really be that streamer? Scary!]


    [I look at the two pictures look really quite simr.]


    [I think so too! How creepy!]


    [Well, he certainly has that ¡¯sweet tongue¡¯. Didn¡¯t he lead the opinion of others to turn against that Angel, Raphael, and make him look like some scheming white lotus?]


    [Oh my god! You¡¯re right! Wouldn¡¯t this make Raphael a victim?]


    [Does that mean that Noctis is gay?]


    [Wait- isn¡¯t he a new member of Yunyue? Did they know about this?]


    [Did you see how close he was with YUN? Maybe he had already seduced him.]


    More and morements like this appeared. And the people reading them started to think; Was that really the case? After all, people had some kind of herd mentality. If it appeared that many people believed one thing, the others would soon see that as the ¡¯truth¡¯.


    =====


    When Luo Yan and Yu Jiao were walking back to their ssroom, they happened to hear a conversation between two students in front of them.


    "Hey, have you read that thing on Weibo about Noctis?" one asked.


    The moment he heard his game ount name, Luo Yan¡¯s ears perked up.


    "Yeah. Do you think it¡¯s true?"


    "What, that he¡¯s a former gay live streamer who loved to cheat people out of their money? Why not? There¡¯s a reason why he looked quite the sissy."


    When Luo Yan heard thatment, he almost slipped on his steps. If not for Yu Jiao quickly supporting him, that might have really happened.


    "Yan Yan, are you okay?" she asked. She also heard the conversation of the two and it just made her feel weird. Just where did that kind of rumore from?


    Luo Yan smiled at Yu Jiao, telling her that he was okay. Then he walked towards the two students in front of them.


    "Excuse me, can I ask what you¡¯re talking about?" he asked, smiling at the two. "I¡¯ve been into Arcadiately, you see. And I¡¯ve been interested with that yer, Noctis. So, can you borate on what you just said earlier?"


    The two were stunned at first seeing Luo Yan smiled. Then they felt gratified because the second young master of Luo family was talking to them. After a while, they found themselves telling Luo Yan everything they knew.


    The more Luo Yan heard, the brighter his smile became.


    "Interesting," he said once the two finished.


    The two students, who saw Luo Yan¡¯s smile that was much sweeter than the first smile he gave them, suddenly felt chills behind their backs for no reason.

 Chapter 519 cogs turning

    AFTER talking to the two students, Luo Yan took out his phone and checked Weibo. It didn¡¯t take long before he found the article in question. It was even much easier because it was on the top 20 trending list on Weibo. Considering the many things that could have trended at this very minute, that already said a lot.


    The more he read about the article, the more he felt magical. Just how the hell did the person who posted this went from mentioning his real identity to some live streamer and then finally tying the two together as if they were one and the same person?


    His first thought was, this person was definitely pushing it. Surely, no one would believe this shit. It¡¯s too absurd and almost without logic. Even if he provided pictures and putting them side by side together forparison, it wouldn¡¯t prove anything. After all, the picture of that streamer could easily be altered to make it look more simr to his game avatar.


    But to Luo Yan¡¯s surprise, there were a lot ofments believing the article. First, people thought that the article was ridiculous. But soon, more and morements appeared saying that the article might be true. Until at the very end where majority of the people were simply condemning ¡¯Noctis¡¯ and asking him to get out of the game.


    Some of thements were as follows;


    [How thick-skinned is this Noctis? Was he expecting the yers of Arcadia to be his next victims?]


    [The big question here is, what was Yunyue thinking? Were they so desperate for aeback that they would just pick anyone regardless of their quality as a human?]


    [Maybe Noctis is simply YUN¡¯s type. LOL.]


    [Hahaha! So, he epted Noctis¡¯ chrysanthemum as coteral for joining Yunyue?]


    Luo Yan¡¯s brows furrowed when he read thest twoments. This farce would obviously drag Yunyue, especially Shen Ji Yun. How could he just let that happen?


    It was quite obvious that someone was guiding the public opinion. And they, whoever they were, only had one goal ¨C to make people turn against ¡¯Noctis¡¯.


    The kind of flow thement section had, it¡¯s probably the work of a water army. This person really spent a lot of money for this. They hired someone who had quite a number of following on Weibo to post that nonsensical article, then he even hired water army that could make this topic entered the top 20 trending list. And for what? So, people would dislike ¡¯Noctis¡¯?


    If the situation was different and it was not an open-secret that he was a new member of Yunyue, he might feel funny and even ttered. After all, someone spent so much money just to deal with his game ount. He would probably spend a lot of time just so he could toy around the other thoroughly.


    But that was not the case. He was already representing Yunyue. How could he let the reputation of their team be tarnished in this way just because of such a silly article? So, he would deal with this quickly and decisively.


    He just had to look for the ringleader and everything would be easy after that. Based on thements he read, he already had an idea who might the person be.


    "Yan Yan, this... are you going to tell everyone that you¡¯re the real Noctis?" Yu Jiao asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear.


    She had also read the article and the subsequentments. Frankly, it was a real mystery to her how those people believed that... she didn¡¯t even want to call it an article because it felt like she was degrading what a real article should be. Was everyone just that gullible?


    Although there were reasonable people who didn¡¯t believe the article and there were also those with a ¡¯wait-and-see¡¯ attitude, they were few and far between. As unbelievable as that might be.


    Now, the easiest way she could think to solve this was for Luo Yan to reveal to everyone that he was the real ¡¯Noctis¡¯.


    Luo Yan shook his head. "No."


    He did say that he would solve this in a quick and decisive way, but that didn¡¯t include him revealing his identity. Yes, it might be easier. But he didn¡¯t want to sacrifice the peace he had now for that.


    He would surely be hounded by the students in this school if he did. It was quite obvious that Arcadia was pretty well-known here. Maybe if they found out that he was Noctis, people would just discriminately post his pictures on social medias. And then what¡¯s next? People ambushing him on the gate of the school just to get a glimpse of his beauty?


    Okay, maybe that¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration. But still. His father and older brother would surely do something about that. But he didn¡¯t really want to trouble them for such things.


    Besides, he could deal with this without revealing his identity.


    "I will only reveal that I¡¯m Noctis on the finals of the next Arcadia Cup," he added with confidence.


    Because on every Arcadia Cup, except the first one, the two teams who reached the finals would have to fight at a huge arena where people could buy tickets and watch the fight in real-time. It¡¯s like those DOTA or LoL tournaments. Except that instead of keyboards and monitors, they had their VR helmets with them.


    So, during the finals, the public could see the real people behind the avatars of the famous yers. That¡¯s the kind of stage Luo Yan wanted to reveal his identity as ¡¯Noctis¡¯. And not because he had to defend himself against someone who was deliberately hacking him on Weibo.


    Yu Jiao was immediately amazed by Luo Yan¡¯s confidence. What he said meant two things ¨C first, Yunyue would join Arcadia Cup next season and second, he was certain that they could win until the finals. But even so, Yu Jiao was still worried about this article.


    Luo Yan must have seen that. Because she heard next;


    "Don¡¯t worry, Jiao Jiao. I won¡¯t let this silly thing ferment even further," Luo Yan said, the cogs in his brain already turning.

 Chapter 520 on the same level

    "JI YUN!" Bai Ze called, rushing towards Shen Ji Yun who just walked out of the teaching building. He looked out of breath. A sign that he rushed there.


    Shen Ji Yun nced at his direction and stopped walking when he saw him, waiting for the other to arrive. "What¡¯s the problem?"


    "Here!" Bai Ze raised his phone and gave it to Shen Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t think much and just indifferently nced at the screen of Bai Ze¡¯s phone. He wondered what the other wanted to show to him that he had toe here in a hurry. But when he read a few sentences from the Weibo article that Bai Ze had shown him, all his nonchnce instantly vanished.


    He grabbed the phone and read the article thoroughly. The more he read, the darker the expression on his face became. By the end of it, anyone who was looking at him would think that his face would drip ink because of how dark it was.


    He thought that that would be the extent of it. But when he reached thements, it was even worse. The things that people said were simply uneptable that it almost made him want to throw the phone just so he wouldn¡¯t be able to see it. The things he readcked so much logic that he wondered if the people who wrote them had peas for brain.


    When Shen Ji Yun first read the article, he thought that no one would believe such obvious scam. But apparently, there were many idiotic Weibo user who would start to believe anything as long as some other few said that it was the truth. And now, from what he had seen, majority of people on thements really believed the contents of the article.


    He gave the phone back to Bai Ze and then took out his own to look for the same article.


    Bai Ze epted his phone. He¡¯s active on Weibo and often browsed on it for entertainment purposes. Who would have thought that he would actually see an article about his cousin¡¯s game ount name targeting him? He almost made a statement on Weibo using his White Marsh ount to rify everything.


    Good thing that he managed to stop himself. If he rushed into things, he might make the situation worse than it already was. So, he quickly rushed here to Shen Ji Yun.


    "What should we do with this?" Bai Ze asked. "It¡¯s obvious that someone was trying to pour dirty water on Xiao Yan¡¯s game ount. Should we take down this article?"


    Any member of their team could immediately shut down this article. After all, all of them belonged to influential families with loads of money to spare.


    "No, let¡¯s contact Yan Yan first and ask his opinion," Shen Ji Yun said while constantly screen-shotting thements and username of those people saying bad things about ¡¯Noctis¡¯.


    His first thought actually was to simply sue everyone for defamation. From the writer of the article to the peoplementing. And then he would ask his uncle to talk to the PR department and tell them to release a statement telling everyone that ¡¯Noctis¡¯ and whoever this live streamer might be were two different people.


    But then he remembered the instances when Luo Yan scolded him for going behind his back. He didn¡¯t want a repeat of that. Besides, he knew that Luo Yan was not a fuel-efficientmp. He would definitely have his own idea of how to deal with this kind of situation. Shen Ji Yun also had a feeling that Luo Yan would prefer that than them fixing things for him.


    Bai Ze was a bit surprised hearing that. Knowing how much this friend of his liked Luo Yan, he was sure that he would be raving mad right now and just directly deal with this situation before his cousin find out about it. He didn¡¯t expect him to be so, well, reasonable.


    If this was his uncle or his older cousin, they would definitely be fuming right now. Maybe at the end of the day, the writer of this article would be apologizing and retracting their statement. Maybe their Weibo ount would even be banned. And the worst case? They¡¯d be in jail.


    "I¡¯ll call Yan Yanter once his afternoon ss is over," Shen Ji Yun said while still busy screen-shotting.


    Although, just the thought that Luo Yan would have to know the things that these brainless people were saying was already filling him with incredible anger. He hated how gullible people could be. He hated the writer of this stupid article. But most of all, he hated the one who instigated all of these. Because it was pretty obvious to him that there was one or maybe a group of people who pushed the situation into this direction.


    Bai Ze nodded, agreeing to what Shen Ji Yun had said. Then, he became curious as to why the other was still staring intently at the screen of his phone.


    "Are you actually reading all thements?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "I¡¯m taking screenshots of the username of all the people who said bad things about Yan Yan. I¡¯m going to report all of them and make sure that all of their ount will be suspended."


    Of course, he would do it right after he asked his rabbit how he would like to handle this thing.


    When Bai Ze heard Shen Ji Yun¡¯s reason, his evaluation earlier waspletely negated. [Yup, he¡¯s definitely on the same level as Uncle Tian and Brother Ren.]


    Luo Yan just ended his call with Su Yuqi. Right after the end of his afternoon ss, the other called him. And yes, it was about that article. He was actually quite surprised that she would be the one to call him first. Right there and then, he realized that Su Yuqi already thought of him as a close friend. Which really made him happy.


    He just finished the call when his phone rang again. When he saw the caller ID, a sweet smile quickly appeared on his face. "Brother Ji Yun."


    "Yan Yan, that- ahm, have you- I mean¡ª"


    "If it¡¯s about that article on Weibo, yes, I have already read it," Luo Yan said, finishing what the other wanted to say.


    Shen Ji Yun was probably having a hard time asking him that. Knowing him, he was probably thing that he might unintentionally hurt him because of the content of that article andments following below it.


    Just like he thought, that was exactly what Shen Ji Yun was thinking. "Are you alright?"


    Hearing the worried voice of the other, Luo Yan¡¯s heart was simply filled with warmth. He actually wanted to act like a baby but he was still walking towards the parking lot and he didn¡¯t really want other students to hear his coquettish voice. So, he could only say;


    "Yes, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry, Brother Ji Yun. I¡¯m not so fragile that I will be affected by something like this."


    Shen Ji Yun felt relieved when he heard that. "Do you already have a n?"


    "How about we meetter at headquarters and I¡¯ll tell everyone what my n is?" Luo Yan suggested.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t hesitate to agree.

 Chapter 521 gathering at hq

    LUO YAN nced at his brother. Both of them appeared simultaneously at their headquarters¡¯ main hall. Luo Jin¡¯s small face looked like it was pinched by something. He smiled helplessly. Because it had been like that ever since he told him about the article. If he could go inside the screen and punch the writer of that article, as well as those who wrote badments about him, he probably would.


    He was about to pacify him, when a ck fur ball jumped to his arms and a familiar milky voice shouted in his mind.


    [Mashter!]


    Luo Yan rubbed Eclipse¡¯s head. He looked around the hall and just noticed that then others hadn¡¯t arrived yet.


    [Mashter, why didn¡¯t you visit Eclipse yesterday? Eclipse was so bored he had to y with uncle ck lizard as ast resort.]


    Ah, Luo Yan had almost forgot that Dusk was still in their headquarters. [Well, Master is just a bit tired yesterday. Are you getting along well with Dusk?]


    The little fox made a shrugging gesture. [Hmm... Eclipse doesn¡¯t really know. Does talking to him non-stop count as getting along?]


    Luo Yan chuckled. If Dusk was a human, he could already imagine him having an annoyed expression because of Eclipse¡¯s constant. [It¡¯s good that Eclipse is now friends with Dusk.]


    Eclipse pouted, his cheeks bulging like a squirrel. [Eclipse is not friends with uncle ck lizard. He¡¯s just... a useless talking partner who doesn¡¯t even bother to reply to Eclipse.]


    That statement actually made Luo Yanughed. This cheeky fox. Sometimes, he really found it a shame that he couldn¡¯t bring Eclipse into reality. Having him around, not just in the game but also in real life, would be an absolute st.


    "Yan, is this really the time for you tough?" Luo Jin interrupted.


    Eclipse nced at the other. [Mashter, why does your brother looked like he wanted to go on a killing spree?]


    [That¡¯s just his ¡¯I¡¯m pissed off right now¡¯ face.] ¨C Luo Yan answered before turning to his brother. "Does Ah Jin prefer that I look sad?"


    "Of course not. You know that¡¯s not what I mean," Luo Jin said.


    Luo Yan walked towards the round table and sat down on his usual seat, putting Eclipse on the table. "Ah Jin, I¡¯m also angry because of what happened. But getting rile up over it right now won¡¯t really have any effect on anything. So, for now, let¡¯s just wait for the others toe."


    Luo Jin wisely shut up, because what could he say to counter that? With such reasoning, it only made him appear childish. So, he also just sat down on one of the chairs around the round table. But that didn¡¯t mean that he wasn¡¯t still angry.


    When he read that article and thosements, he felt like he would explode at any second. He had never had a good temper. It probably subsided a little recently because his second brother finally woke up from hisa. But that didn¡¯t mean that he now had a good control over it. That¡¯s why when there were things that made him angry, he couldn¡¯t help but show it quite openly.


    And that article just knew where to push his ¡¯rage button¡¯. He honestly couldn¡¯t fathom how people coulde up with such an idiotic thing. But the more unbelievable thing was that there were some people who actually believed it. No, it¡¯s not actually just ¡¯some¡¯, almost everyone who had read it believed it and stamped it as the truth.


    He truly wondered if all of them contracted the same kind of virus that lowered their IQ. Because that¡¯s the only reason he could think of why a lot of people believed that article.


    If he found out the one or the ones responsible for this, he wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until he gave them at least one punch.


    [Mashter, did someone bully you?] Eclipse asked, his big blue eyes looking at Luo Yan worriedly.


    [Let¡¯s just say someone annoyed me immensely.] Luo Yan rubbed the little fox¡¯ fluffy head. [Besides, do you really I will allow people to bully me?]


    Eclipse shook his head. [No. Because Mashter will be the one doing the bullying!]


    That almost made Luo Yanugh. [Well, you¡¯re quite right. Eclipse really know his master well.]


    The little fox put out his chest, acting all proud. [Of course. Eclipse is Mashter¡¯s one and only pet. I should know my Mashter well.]


    The door of the main hall suddenly opened and Su Yuqi entered. She walked towards the table and sat down on one of the free seats.


    She looked at Luo Yan and asked, "You okay?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "Yes, Sister Yuqi. Thank you for asking."


    Su Yuqi nodded. Although she had already asked that earlier when she called him, she still wanted to make sure. And now, hearing him say that and seeing his expression, she knew that he didn¡¯t really put that article to mind. Which she kind of already expected.


    This kid had pretty strong mentality. Most people around him just tend to ignore that. Which was a shame, truly.


    She nced at the little gnome sitting near her. His face was all crumpled like he was ready to go beat someone up. She already had an idea of what was going on inside that little head. Seeing as how he¡¯s not reacting that much even after her arrival, it probably meant that he¡¯s really angry right now.


    But he¡¯s also cute that way.


    Soon, the door to the hall opened once again. Bai Ze came rushing in.


    "Xiao Yan!" he shouted running towards Luo Yan with his arms wide open, as if he was about to hug the other.


    But before he could do so, his back cor was suddenly pulled and his whole body was pulled back. When he turned, he saw Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face full of ck lines and looking at him coldly.


    He cleared his throat. "I¡¯m only trying tofort Xiao Yan."


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t respond and turned to Luo Yan instead. The coldness of his expression was instantly gone and it was reced by great worry.


    Seeing that magical face change, Bai Ze truly wondered if Shen Ji Yun had a split personality or something.

 Chapter 522 last piece of the puzzle

    SHEN JI YUN quickly sat down beside Luo Yan. The other didn¡¯t need to say anything for Luo Yan to understand what he wanted to convey. It¡¯s was all in his eyes. All the worry and the underlying anger and frustration as well. Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but smile. His eyes full of soft light, the gentleness in it could almost melt anyone.


    And that¡¯s exactly how Shen Ji Yun felt when Luo Yan smiled at him. It¡¯s like he was turned into a slowly melting cotton candy. That¡¯s just how sweet he felt. The impulse to just stretch out his hand and hold Luo Yan in his arms was so strong that he had to clenched both of his fists tightly just so he could stop himself. That¡¯s how strong the effect of that smile was to him.


    There was something different from it. Surely much different from his usual bright smile. Shen Ji Yun just couldn¡¯t pin-point it.


    If Luo Yan could hear Shen Ji Yun¡¯s thoughts right now, then he would have an answer to his confusion. It¡¯s simply because now Luo Yan had admitted to himself his feelings for the other. There was no longer anything holding him back. So, now, his real feelings just simply overflowed and it showed in his smile and the way he looked at him.


    "I¡¯m okay, Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan simply said to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s silent question.


    "I know you are," Shen Ji Yun responded, trying his best to show a smile. Even though deep inside, he was still very angry because of that article. "After all, Yan Yan is very strong."


    Luo Jin was watching this scene. He was once again reminded of his second brother¡¯s confession the other day. He truly wanted to growl at Shen Ji Yun. But he stopped. He had already promised Luo Yan that he would no longer get in the way between him and that guy. He would honor that. Even though almost everything inside him was against it.


    Su Yuqi, of course, noticed that Luo Jin was unusually behaving. Under normal circumstance, he would be already raging like some cat that had its tail stepped on. So, she couldn¡¯t help but lean closer towards the other and whispered;


    "Why aren¡¯t getting mad at Shen Ji Yun?"


    When Luo Jin heard Su Yuqi¡¯s voice, he just felt like his ear had been electrocuted. Making it all numb. But also because of her question, he suddenly remembered when she scolded him. He was hit pretty hard by that. It was probably one of the reasons why he was able to agree to his second brother¡¯s request of not meddling with his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun.


    "I- I won¡¯t do that anymore," he whispered back.


    Su Yuqi stared at Luo Jin¡¯s reddened ear tip. The blush slowly traveled to his cheek. Cute. She raised her hand and rubbed his hair. "Good boy."


    Luo Jin¡¯s face became even redder after that.


    Bai Ze, who was still standing and watching all this, felt for the first time how much of a single dog he was. He shook his head. No, he could understand the Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan pair but why would he also think that Luo Jin and Su Yuqi was a pair? Just thinking of the two together in that way was already giving him goosebumps.


    So, he just sat down on one of the free seats and started the topic that they should be talking right now. "Xiao Yan, Ji Yun mentioned that you already have a n in mind?"


    "Oh, yes," Luo Yan confirmed. "But it wasn¡¯tplete yet. I stillck a bit of information to make itplete."


    "If you need us to do anything, just tell us and we¡¯ll help," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Yan nodded and didn¡¯t hesitate to say, "I need some information about the yer ¡¯Raphael¡¯."


    "The Angel that you took out during the prelims?" Bai Ze asked in confusion, not really sure what that guy have to do with this.


    "Yes. I am currently 90% sure that he was the one behind this," Luo Yan answered. Everyone¡¯s expression slightly changed when he said that. He proceeded on exining, "Aside from pouring dirty water on my game ount, there¡¯s another obvious trend on thement section of that article ¨C clearing Raphael¡¯s reputation. It was not that obvious at first.


    "But if you just look carefully, you could see that while others kept on badmouthing my game ount, there were some who were saying ¡¯good¡¯ things about him. That he was my ¡¯victim¡¯, that he didn¡¯t deserve the things that were said about him, things like that.


    "It¡¯s weird that his name kept on appearing on thement section. Surely, he was not the only one I offended during my short tenure as ¡¯Noctis¡¯. So, howe he was the only ¡¯pitiful¡¯ one? Unless, of course, it was deliberately made that way. Which I highly believed to be the case."


    Shen Ji Yun had read all thements on that sted article, so, of course, he also saw thosements ¡¯pitying¡¯ that Raphael. He didn¡¯t think too much about it, feeling that it was just those people talking nonsense. But now that Luo Yan mentioned it, he now also saw the weirdness of it.


    He didn¡¯t question Luo Yan¡¯s conclusion of the matter. If he thought that was the case, then it must be. Now that he knew the one responsible, all his anger could now be directed at that person.


    "Do you need me to get the real identity of that person?" he asked.


    Luo Yan shook his head. "No need. Since he only attacked my game ount, then I will also attack his. So, I only need to know about the yer ¡¯Raphael¡¯ and not the person ying the avatar."


    "Then, I¡¯ll ask the people on my friend list," Bai Ze suggested. "Surely, one of them knows some information about him."


    "Thank you, Brother Ze."


    "Hey, no need for thanks." Then Bai Ze started sending messages to his other game friends.


    "Why did this Raphael person do all this? Just because he lost in the prelims?" Luo Jin said, feeling quite incredulous.


    He really couldn¡¯t understand the brain circuit of people who would go to such borate ruse just because they feel slighted. Even though that one who¡¯s at fault was them themselves.


    "Maybe he also didn¡¯t like being found out as a white lotus," Su Yuqi added.


    Luo Yan also thought so. Unless, of course, the other was just naturally vengeful.


    "I just received a reply. ording to this, Raphael was really adamant to be part of team Celestials. He wasn¡¯t really shy on admitting that he admired that team¡¯s captain very much. But sadly, even though he got an Angel as a race, no one from Celestials tried to recruit him," Bai Ze said.


    "They probably know he¡¯s a bad egg, the rotten kind," Luo Jin scoffed.


    "Was that helpful information?" Bai Ze asked.


    Luo Yan nodded, a scheming smile appeared on his lips. "That¡¯s more than helpful."


    It¡¯s here, the final piece of the puzzle needed for his n to bepleted. And so, he started telling the others what his n was.

 Chapter 523 lan yu

    LAN YU was in an extremely good mood. How could he not be when everything was just going ording to n? Truthfully, he was a bit worried that the real ¡¯Noctis¡¯ would go off and exin himself to everyone. After all, if he made it clear that it was not him being mentioned on the article and someone corroborated that, the people from Yunyue for example, then his name would easily be cleared.


    No matter how much people called team Yunyue as the ¡¯fallen champions¡¯, its three remaining original members still had good reputations individually. If all of them supported Noctis¡¯ statement, then it wouldn¡¯t be long before they reversed all the effort he put into this.


    If he tried to fight that with more water navy, it would just be counterproductive. People would definitely notice that something was amiss.


    Despite the possibility of failure, he still gambled on the possibility that Noctis wouldn¡¯t want his real identity to be revealed. And it seemed like he seeded considering that there hadn¡¯t been any statement yet from Noctis or any of the people in team Yunyue.


    Anyone normal person in that kind of situation would quickly find a way to clear their name. But Noctis didn¡¯t do that. His supposed team mates didn¡¯t even help him. Lan Yu scoffed. That Noctis probably really had an ordinary appearance in real life and he only beautified himself to the max to have that kind of game avatar. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t reveal his real face.


    Even if he managed to get away from the persona of that live streamer written in that article, other yers would still dislike him for faking his looks too much. That¡¯s what he got from beautifying himself too much. Maybe the other members of Yunyue found out about that when he asked for help from them. They felt betrayed that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t want to help him.


    Lan Yu didn¡¯t feel pity for Noctis. Why would he? The other deserved it anyway. Who told him to tarnish the reputation of his game ount? He would probably wouldn¡¯t be this angry if he could just use another ount. But the thing was, there¡¯s no way it would be guaranteed that he would receive the Angel race again.


    This race was his ticket to be on team Celestials. He couldn¡¯t just let this game ount go to waste just because people were calling him a ¡¯white lotus¡¯. He just had to clear his reputation. And that was exactly what he was doing now.


    He didn¡¯t care if he had to step on someone to do that. Why would he care about another person? His priority first and foremost was his happiness. And right now, for him to be happy, he needed to be part of Celestials and get close to Li Xu Min.


    That had been his goal for a year now ever since he saw amercial of his. It¡¯s like he had seen a real angeling down to Earth. His features, the way he smiled, and just everything about him ¨C Lan Yu couldn¡¯t forget a single thing. Before he knew it, his fascination was slowly turning into obsession. To the point that he had to y a game he had no interest in just so he could be closed to him. And maybe, just maybe, attract his attention.


    He was already considerably doing okay. He believed that once he had a high ranking at the finals of the Rookie Carnival, Celestials would finally recruit him. But before things could even escte to such a point, that Noctis got in his way.


    "Hey, you¡¯re Raphael, right?"


    A voice suddenly said, cutting off his thoughts.


    Lan Yu was currently inside the game. He had to log in just so he could the reaction of the yers. So, he stayed sitting outside of a caf¨¦ at Alryne City where many people could see him. And so far, he was getting the reaction that he wanted.


    Most were looking at him with pity and asking him if he was alright. Whoever this person who spoke just now, he was sure that they would also do the same.


    So, he readied his smiles and raised his head. What he saw was a tall and bulky man with brown hair and lion ears on top of his head. The upper half of his face was covered by a mask.


    Lan Yu didn¡¯t think much. After all, it was not a rarity to find yers who hid their face or a part of it. They¡¯re probably not very confident with their looks. This guy was probably the same. His interest vanished but he still tried to keep his smile.


    "Yes?" he said.


    The other suddenly sat down opposite him. Which greatly annoyed him. But he still controlled his expression as much as possible.


    "I read that article on Weibo today about Noctis. Since the two of you had a connection of some sorts, in your opinion, do you truly believe that he was that kind of person?"


    Lan Yu tried tough it off but deep inside, his annoyance level just increased even more. "I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the right person to give an answer."


    "Why not? Everyone is saying you¡¯re his victim. Doesn¡¯t that mean your opinion will count for something?"


    Lan Yu wasn¡¯t sure but even though the tone of the other was innocent, he felt like he was making a jab at him. He didn¡¯t like it at all.


    "Sorry, but I have to go somewhere."


    He was about to stand up when the other quickly stopped him. "Wait- since you¡¯ve been through a lot of bad things, I think you need this more than me." Then the lion beastkin put down a sealed envelope on the table. "I won that on some random quest today. It¡¯s an invitation to a special gambling event at Yuexing Pavilion. They said lot of famous yers wille. The captain of team Celestials for example. I don¡¯t really have that much interest in it. Why don¡¯t you go? It might cheer you up."


    Lan Yu momentarily froze when Celestials¡¯ captain was suddenly mentioned. Before he could react, the lion beastkin had already left.


    He looked down at the envelope on the table and slowly picked it up.


    He must go! If there was even a tiniest bit of chance that he could meet Li Xu Min, then, he should definitely go.

 Chapter 524 everyones task

    A LION beastkin appeared at the back entrance of Yuexing Pavilion. Under normal circumstance, he should not be able to directly teleport here. But he was given a special permission by the owner. If Lan Yu could see him now, then he would immediately recognize the beastkin as the one who gave him the invitation.


    As he walked, his brown hair was slowly turning into red-orange. He removed the mask covering the upper half of his face, revealing a very familiar face. Yes, it was Bai Ze.


    Done with his part of the n, he entered one of the back entrances of the pavilion. As he did, he also clicked the costume set he was used to wearing instead of the one he was wearing now. In just a blink of an eye, the clothes he was wearing changed.


    "Master White Marsh, the master is waiting for you at his office," said an NPC who weed him as soon as he entered the pavilion.


    Bai Ze followed the NPC and he was led to an ancient style study. Inside, the rest of team Yunyue was already there.


    "How was is, Brother Ze?" Luo Yan asked.


    Bai Ze grinned and raised his thumb. "Mission aplished."


    "Are you sure he took the bait?" Su Yuqi asked.


    "Hey, are you doubting me? Of course, he did," Bai Ze said acting all offended.


    "I¡¯m just saying. This n all hinges on the fact that that Raphael will go to this pavilion."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure he took the bait," Bai Ze assured everyone.


    Before he teleported here, he his from a distance and watched Raphael who looked like he was frozen still after he gave him that ¡¯invitation¡¯. Raphael stared at that envelope as if he was nning to bore holes into it. Then, as if he had made a decision, his eyes were filled with determination and he clutched at that envelope as if his life depended on it.


    Just by that expression, Bai Ze knew that the other had already decided that he was going to use that invitation.


    Luo Yan was not that worried. As long as Bai Ze managed to mention the captain of team Celestials when he gave that ¡¯invitation¡¯ to Raphael, the other would surely take the bait.


    With how Raphael handled the situation of being bashed online and upon hearing of how the other wanted to be part of team Celestials, Luo Yan already had an idea on what kind of psychology he had.


    The way he retaliated on him just because he revealed his real face to everyone during the Rookie Carnival¡¯s prelims showed how much he wanted to clear the reputation of his game ount. If he¡¯s the type that had a thin skin and couldn¡¯t handle people talking about him, then the easy fix was to simply buy a new VR helmet and create a new ount.


    Seeing as how he could pay a water army, not to mention the person who did the article, meant that he had enough money to spare. But he didn¡¯t do that. And after knowing that he was determined to be part of Celestials, it¡¯s quite easy for Luo Yan to understand the reason why.


    Because his current game ount was an Angel race. That guy probably believed that that was his ticket to be part of Celestials. After all, that team were not epting any other race in the game besides the Angels.


    That¡¯s why Raphael refused to give up his current ount. Not because he was particrly attached to it. But simply because he wanted to use his race to be noticed by a certain team. No, maybe, not the whole team but one individual. The captain of team Celestials.


    Luo Yan wanted to shake his head when he realized that. Just how much does this Raphael guy admire Celestials¡¯ captain? He didn¡¯t even hesitate to disparage another person just for that. No, it¡¯s probably not just a simple admiration.


    If Raphael appeared here in the pavilion using that ¡¯invitation¡¯, then it¡¯s a huge proof that his feelings for the captain of Celestials go way beyond just admiration.


    As if on cue, an NPC knocked on the door and entered. "Master, the person you told us to watch for just arrived at the entrance of the pavilion."


    That sealed the deal then. Luo Yan¡¯s guess was indeed correct.


    Luo Jin stood up from where he was sitting. "Then, I¡¯ll go ahead first."


    His task today was to pick up Raphael once he entered the gambling den. They couldn¡¯t give that task to an NPC since they might fumble it up. It¡¯s better to at least let one of them do it. And since he had already disguised himself before during the opening night of the pavilion working as one of the waiters, he was already familiar with every nook and cranny of this ce. So, it¡¯s just right that the job fell on him.


    "Ah Jin, remember what I told you earlier, okay?" Luo Yan reminded his brother before the other walked out of the office.


    "I know, I know," Luo Jin said before walking out.


    The moment he did, he changed his costume into some kind of silk robe with golden embroidery etched on it. To make him seem like some kind of special NPC. His brother was the one who picked this costume. He was actually kind of embarrassed wearing this. That¡¯s why he walked out of the office first before changing.


    And then he applied a temporary dye on his hair to make it look xen. He also used an item to change his eye color temporarily to amber. Just like themon hair and eye color the usual gnomes had in this game. Then he took out a veil to cover the lower half of his face.


    This was what Luo Yan reminded him earlier. To make sure that he would have a proper disguise before meeting up with Raphael. After all, the other had seen him during the prelims. It¡¯s better to be sure than to be careless. He couldn¡¯t let himself be the reason why his brother¡¯s n failed or something.


    Speaking of that n, Luo Jin was once again reminded on how scary Luo Yan could be once he someone pushed his button. But he wouldn¡¯t feel pity for that Raphael. Whatever wasing to that guy, he deserved it. Someone needed to teach him a lesson so he could know that there were simply some things that he shouldn¡¯t do.


    Back inside the office, Su Yuqi picked up Eclipse. "Then, I¡¯ll also leave with this little guy."


    [Mashter, don¡¯t worry, Eclipse will do his best to help you with your revenge. Eclipse will work well with pink-haired sister and let Mashter see his new skill.] ¨C the little fox said with a determined face.


    Luo Yan smiled and rubbed Eclipse¡¯s head. [Then, I¡¯ll be counting on Eclipse.]


    And Su Yuqi walked out of the office with a little fox in her arms.


    Luo Yan then turned on a couple of monitoring screen. Three virtual screens appeared inside the office. All of the three screens would show what was happening at the gambling den.


    "Brother Ze, I¡¯ll leave this part to you," he said.


    "Don¡¯t worry, Xiao Yan. I will message you immediately if anything goes wrong," Bai Ze assured him.


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun who was also looking at his direction. "Shall we also go, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded and walked beside him. "Let¡¯s go."

 Chapter 525 special gambling event

    LAN YU was led by an NPC to the fourth floor of the pavilion. He actually had never been in this ce. He was actually not interested in ever going to such an establishment. He only tried going here once. And that¡¯s during the opening night. Even then, that was only because he heard that the ce would be inviting a lot of famous yers.


    He thought that he might be able to see Li Xu Min if he went. But sadly, one couldn¡¯t go if they¡¯re not invited. And because he¡¯s not exactly a famous yer back then, he didn¡¯t receive any.


    But that must be a blessing in disguise because Li Xu Min didn¡¯t even go. The one who went from Celestials were that bitch, Song Liuli, and that other guy he couldn¡¯t be bothered to remember the name.


    He actually didn¡¯t like this kind of establishment. Even if it was all just virtual reality, it¡¯s still disgusting. People who went here clearly only did it so they could have beautiful NPCs pander to them. Which was worse because they¡¯re not even real. He truly wondered what kind of kick those yers get when some NPC served them or something?


    That¡¯s why it¡¯s quite ironic that he was actually here, hoping once again to meet Li Xu Min. But it was what it was. If he could meet him, then he was even willing to crawl out of a sewer.


    The NPC leading him stopped in front of a double door with an ancient design. Then she turned to him and a domino mask appeared on her palm. "Master, please wear this mask before you enter."


    Lan Yu picked up the domino mask. "Does everyone who enter this room have to wear a mask?"


    "Yes. It¡¯s one of the requirements to enter our pavilion¡¯s gambling den. It¡¯s so that guests who don¡¯t want their identity to be known by others can have privacy and y to their hearts¡¯ content without any worries," the NPC exined in detail.


    Well, he could understand that reasoning. Some people who had an addiction to gambling but didn¡¯t want others to know would definitely approved of that rule. He no longer asked and just wore the domino mask.


    The NPC opened the door for him and gestured for him to enter. When he walked inside, the door behind him closed. He was a bit confused. Because he thought that the NPC would continue to lead him inside.


    "Dear guest, are you here for the special gambling event?" suddenly said by a voice on his side.


    Lan Yu turned to the direction of the voice but he didn¡¯t see anyone. But when he gazed down, he saw a male gnome. His fringe was covering his eyes and a veil was covering the lower part of his face. He was wearing a robe that had a simr design with what the other NPCs in this ce were wearing. And based on the way he spoke earlier, it was a safe guess that the other was an NPC.


    But seriously, why didn¡¯t the NPCs here have names above their head just like other NPCs in businesses in this game. He snorted. That¡¯s probably thepany¡¯s strategy to make the yers who go to this ce have the illusion that the NPC serving them were not Ais but real people. Disgusting.


    "Yes," he simply answered.


    "Follow me, please," the gnome NPC said and started walking.


    Lan Yu followed. They walked through a narrow and dark corridor. The glow from themp lights were very soft that it almost seemed like they were floating. The nearer they were on the exit, the louder the noise he¡¯d been hearing.


    When they exited, he squinted his eyes because of the sudden light. After his eyes got used to the light, he was a bit surprised at what appeared in front of him. It¡¯s like he was suddenly transported to a high-end casino.


    He didn¡¯t know much about gambling. So, he couldn¡¯t recognize some of the things here. But he could see gambling tables surrounded by yers wearing domino masks.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if there were famous yers here because of those masks. But he was not worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize Li Xu Min among these people. Even with just the lower half of his face visible, Lan Yu was confident that he could recognize him anywhere.


    He took back his gaze and continued to follow the gnome NPC. He stopped in front of another door.


    "Here, dear guest," the gnome said, giving him some kind of scroll.


    "What shall I do with this?" he asked, picking up the scroll, thinking that it looked like some kind of teleportation scroll.


    "Please, tear it the moment you stepped inside. If not, then your qualification to participate in the event will be null and void."


    Before he could answer to that, the door in front of them had already opened. He had no time to think more and just stepped inside. There was no light. All he could see was darkness. He felt a bit suffocated. So, he just tore the scroll he was holding on instinct.


    Then he felt the usual feeling whenever he teleported to some ce in this game. He closed his eyes like he always did whenever that happened. Because he seriously didn¡¯t like the feeling of teleporting.


    But as he was being transported to god knows where, he started to feel suspicious. Because why the hell was he needed to be teleported somewhere for this ¡¯special gambling event¡¯?


    Before Lan Yu could think of an answer to that, he already arrived at his destination. It was inside a small pavilion floating at the middle of ake. He saw the main building of Yuexing Pavilion at some distance. Which meant that he was still in the vicinity of that property. The suspicion he just felt slowly subsided.


    And then he realized that he was not alone inside the pavilion. There was another man there. He had ck hair and a pair of cold blue eyes. He wasn¡¯t wearing a domino mask but the lower half of his face was covered by a ck mask.


    "Are you also here for the special gambling event?" he thought of asking.


    The other didn¡¯t answer. He didn¡¯t even look at his direction.


    Lan Yu felt annoyed. He wanted to say something scathing, but before he could, two other people suddenly appeared.


    He turned to the neers andpletely froze.

 Chapter 526 an interesting play

    THE two people who appeared were a little girl with long ck hair and was wearing a domino mask as Lan Yu was. While the other was a young man wearing an all-white suit. And Lan Yu couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from him.


    He had golden hair and a pair of golden amber eyes that were bent into crescents showing how much he loved to smile. He was like a little sun, shining brightly wherever he was.


    Lan Yu immediately recognized him. He was Michael ¨C the captain of team Celestials and most of all, the game ount of Li Xu Min.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that he was actually standing in front of him right now. He couldn¡¯t believe how lucky he was! All the disgust he felt while going into this pavilion was all worth it.


    But despite feeling all that excitement, he somehow couldn¡¯t understand why he didn¡¯t feel what he thought he would feel once they met. That heart-throbbing and heart-racing feeling. But there was none of that. Even now, his excitement was already subsiding.


    Could it be because this was inside the game and not in reality?


    Once again, he felt a bit suspicious. But his brain immediately reasoned out with him.


    If there¡¯s one thing this game was consistent in, then that¡¯s not allowing the yers to change the structure of their avatar¡¯s features and body structure. They could wear wigs or temporarily dye their hair and also temporarily change the color of their eyes. But that was it.


    Once a yer had their avatar, that would be it. And since a yer¡¯s avatar was based on their real appearance, no two yers could look the same. With that, there was no way that the ¡¯Michael¡¯ standing in front of him was not Li Xu Min.


    He could onlye to one conclusion ¨C he¡¯s probably just overly nervous.


    "Oh, it seems that we¡¯re not the first ones here," Li Xu Min said.


    Hearing his voice, Lan Yu was nowpletely convinced that the person in front of him was indeed Li Xu Min. He let out a sigh of relief. And his excitement was back to the fullest.


    Li Xu Min walked inside and sat down on one of the free seats. Lan Yu wanted to sit beside him but before he could do so, the girl who came with him moved faster. The moment she sat down, she raised her head and smiled at him. Lan Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel that she was mocking him.


    He took a deep breath to calm himself. Li Xu Min was here, he couldn¡¯t show him any bad side of him. So, he just quietly sat down opposite Li Xu Min.


    He readied his usual sweet smile and turned to Li Xu Min. "Do you know what this special gambling event is?"


    Li Xu Min returned his smile which made his heart thumped. "I also have no idea. I was just pointed to a room and was told to tear a scroll. Then I appeared here."


    "Since there¡¯s no NPC here, maybe we¡¯re still waiting for other yers," said the girl shrugging. "How about we talk about something interesting to pass the time?"


    "Hmm... I can¡¯t really think of anything interesting," Li Xu Min said.


    "There¡¯s one interesting topic that has been trending since this morning. You know, the one about Noctis."


    Lan Yu was a bit startled when he heard that. He didn¡¯t really want to open that kind of topic with Li Xu Min here. If they nned to talk about something, then they could just talk about Li Xu Min himself. He would be much interested in that. But before he could say his opinion, the other had already said up his opinion.


    "Oh, yes, I happened to read about that. But really, I think it¡¯s a very foolish article. It¡¯s even weirder that people believed it."


    "I think so too. It¡¯s like people just lose their brain or something. It was so obvious that someone who hates Noctis was pulling the strings."


    Li Xu Min nodded. "Yes. They must be a real schemer. The type that wouldn¡¯t hesitate to ruin another person for their own agenda. I hate that type of person the most."


    Lan Yu started shaking hearing the conversation of the two. Especially after hearing thatst sentence that Li Xu Min said. He so wanted to change the topic but he was still a secondte.


    "Who do you think is responsible for that?" the girl suddenly asked.


    If Lan Yu could sweat right now, he probably had already sweated buckets the moment he heard that question. He couldn¡¯t exin it but he felt like he wouldn¡¯t like Li Xu Min¡¯s answer. His mind just started to think of ways to change the subject. But in doing so, his rationality started to slowly go down the drain.


    "Ahm, y-you¡¯re Michael, right? I¡¯ve been a big fan. I¡¯m really happy to finally meet you right now," he said, almost fumbling.


    "They¡¯re talking about something interesting. So, why don¡¯t you shut up?" the yer who had been silent since earlier suddenly said, looking at him with those cold blue eyes as if he wanted to tear him apart.


    That made Lan Yu temporarily speechless. And when he saw Li Xu Min looking apologetic at him, he knew that the other was more interested in continuing talking about the topic of ¡¯Noctis¡¯.


    The other turned to the girl and said in response to her question earlier, "I think the one responsible for that article is that guy he fought during the prelims of the Rookie Carnival. You know, the one who¡¯s also an Angel race. What was his name again?"


    "Oh, I know who you mean, it¡¯s that white lotus guy, right? I also kind of forgot his name. But I think you have a point. After all, if you read through thements under that article, it¡¯s not only about Noctis. A third of it was about clearing that guy¡¯s reputation. He probably hired some water army for that. Killing two birds at once ¨C getting revenge on Noctis for humiliating him and then also clearing his name. Really, I can¡¯t believe that people couldn¡¯t see that."


    Li Xu Min nodded at what the girl said. "I also actually have the same thoughts. If he didn¡¯t make too much effort into clearing his name, then I probably wouldn¡¯t suspect him."


    "I know right?" the girl agreed. "I just couldn¡¯t understand how most of the people who had read that article automatically believed that Noctis was a bad guy and that Angel was a victim. It¡¯s seriously fucked up."


    "Maybe it¡¯s just like you said, he also hired a water army to make it seem like most people believed in the article," Li Xu Min said. "In doing so, people truly believed that it was the case."


    "Disgusting herd mentality," the blue-eyes guy added in disgust.


    "What was that guy¡¯s name again, I really couldn¡¯t remember for the life of me."


    "It¡¯s Raphael," the guy with blue eyes said while ncing sideways at Lan Yu as if he knew who he was.


    Hearing his game ount name, in addition to the conversation between the girl and Li Xu Min, Lan Yu¡¯s heart justpletely sank.

 Chapter 527 thats right, it was me!

    LAN YU¡¯S head was buzzing. He couldn¡¯t think straight. Hearing Li Xu Min practically saying that he hated him was like a sword rushing to his guts. The more he wanted to pull it out, the more blood gushing out. That¡¯s just how much it hurts.


    And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, the next thing set of conversation felt likepletely disemboweling him.


    "Right! It¡¯s indeed Raphael," the girl said. "Now that I think about it, I have a friend who said that this Raphael is very keen on joining Celestials. Maybe that¡¯s why he made all that fuss. He needed his name to be cleared of that white lotus reputation so he could still have a chance to be part of Celestials. After all, he already is an Angel race. All he had to do is wait for the invitation of Celestials. But how could that happen if his reputation stinks? It¡¯s not that easy to get another Angel race through random selection. So, he just chose the easier way out ¨C disparaging another person for his own gain."


    "Nasty shit," the blue-eyes guy said, his voice full of disgust.


    "Even so, what he did was still not right," Li Xu Min said with a righteous expression. "It¡¯s not as if Celestials would just ept anyone. Being an Angel with good enough skills and yet not receiving an invitation from Celestials could only mean that the one responsible for recruiting new members most likely found something problematic about him. And good riddance. If someone with such a scheming mind entered Celestials, they would only be trouble sooner orter."


    "I agree. Who would want a team mate who would backstab you at any second just because you offended him or something?"


    Li Xu Min shook his head. "I really can¡¯t understand people like that. They¡¯re wasting their intelligence on doing bad things. How could they even sleep peacefully at night and go on with their lives as if nothing had happened?"


    "There¡¯s really only one answer to that," the blue-eyes guy starting saying. He raised his head and once again looked at Lan Yu¡¯s direction. "The guy is a sociopath."


    Lan Yu felt like his whole body was shaking. It¡¯s not just his body but his insides as well. His thought was in a mess. He couldn¡¯t think properly. Not after hearing Li Xu Min said all those things.


    He knew that these people didn¡¯t know who he was. And the best way to get pass this situation was to not react at all. But how could he? If he didn¡¯t say anything right now, Li Xu Min would forever have that kind of impression about him. If that was so, what was the point of everything he did?


    He didn¡¯t want Li Xu Min to remember him as some scheming sociopath. He no longer thought more. Because if he did, then he would only hesitate more and more. And he couldn¡¯t have that.


    "How are you so c-certain that this Raphael was the one responsible for that article? F-for all we know, people just naturally believed that he¡¯s innocent. That¡¯s why there¡¯s a lot ofments defending him," he said. But he wasn¡¯t really that believable because his voice was shaking. He took a deep breath. This time he made sure that he would sound more certain. "We shouldn¡¯t talk about him like this when we don¡¯t have concrete evidence to prove your conclusion about him."


    "Hmm... yes, you¡¯re quite correct. It¡¯s really not good talking behind someone¡¯s back like this," the girl said. "But you must admit, this Raphael was the only one who had the motive to do this to Noctis."


    Lan Yu stopped himself from scoffing. He truly wanted to smack this girl. Shen was the one responsible for this shitty situation he was in right now. If she didn¡¯t start the topic about that article, then, maybe by now, he was already cozying up with Li Xu Min.


    "Howe? With that Noctis¡¯ attitude, I¡¯m sure he had offended a lot of other yers who will be more than willing to do the thing you¡¯re using Raphael of," he said. "That guy is not exactly a saint. Just watching that prelims, it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s the one who best represents the word ¡¯schemer¡¯."


    Li Xu Min suddenly stood up and red at him. "Noctis is not a schemer! He¡¯s beautiful and strong and just overall amazing. How dare¡ª"


    He hadn¡¯t finished what he was saying because of the loud throat-clearing the girl made. And then Li Xu Min suddenly sat back down on his seat. As if someone had pulled him quite forcefully.


    But it seemed like he was not affected by that and just smiled apologetically at Lan Yu. "I¡¯m sorry for that outburst. I hope you¡¯re not offended and think that I¡¯m not allowing you to state your own opinion."


    "It seems that you¡¯re one of Noctis¡¯ admirers," the girl said teasingly.


    Li Xu Min suddenly blushed, making him looked much more handsome and adorable. "Please, don¡¯t spread rumors. I just simply admire his gaming skills."


    Seeing that reaction, add that to everything that had happened since he arrived in this pavilion, Lan Yu just felt like something inside him just snapped. Like a thread in his brain that was stopping him from doing something stupid was justpletely cut. Like someone who was high on something and was nowcking any kind of inhibition. He only had one thing in his mind ¨C Li Xu Min was not allowed to like Noctis!


    He stood up, pushed the girl away, and grabbed Li Xu Min¡¯s arms. "You can¡¯t do that! You¡¯re not allowed to like Noctis! Do you know all the things that I did just for you to notice me? I y this stupid game! I studied my game race and game ss so I can be good enough to join you at Celestials. I even have to spend money just so I could clear my reputation. So, I can continue ying in this ount!


    "I finally met you today. You¡¯re this close to me. And yet, you¡¯re showing that kind of expression just because of that damn Noctis? You can¡¯t do this! You can¡¯t do this to me, you hear?"


    Then he was suddenly pulled away from Li Xu Min in a very rough manner. To the point that he almost fell down on his back. Because of that, the domino mask he was wearing fell off,pletely showing his face.


    The girl gasped and the blue-eyes guy who most likely pulled him scoffed.


    "No wonder you¡¯ve been defending ¡¯Raphael¡¯," the guy said looking at him with scorn. "Since the real Raphael is here, why don¡¯t you tell us is you¡¯re really the one responsible for that trending article?"


    "No, how could he answer that? He¡¯d definitely just refuse," the girl said. Then, as if adding to the me, she added, "But didn¡¯t his crazy act earlier almost equivalent to him confessing?"


    Lan Yu didn¡¯t know how to react. He was just full of anger and frustration that his brain refused to work together with him. He just wanted to hurt these two. But when he raised his head and saw Li Xu Min looking at him with contempt, that was thest straw.


    "That¡¯s right, it was me! I¡¯m the one responsible! And I don¡¯t regret it! Noctis deserved all those shittyments! No, he actually deserved much worse than that!"


    "And... that¡¯s a wrap," suddenly said by a new voice. A voice so familiar, he was sure he would recognize it no matter where he was.


    The girl suddenly took off the domino mask on her face, revealing a pair of indifferent eyes. "I thought that would never end."


    And then, her ck hair suddenly turned into pink and a pair of butterfly wings appeared behind her back.


    Lan Yupletely froze. He recognized the girl. It was Morganite from team Yunyue! Even if he couldn¡¯t think properly right now because of too much anger, he knew he was in trouble. But he needed to confirm first who was the owner of the voice who suddenly spoke.


    Before he could look at the direction where the voice came from, the Li Xu Min standing in front of him was suddenly surrounded by smoke. When it subsided, Li Xu Min was no longer standing there.


    Instead, in his ce, a small ck fox with three tails suddenly appeared.

 Chapter 528 its a prank!

    THE small ball of fluff jumped and Luo Yan caught him in his arms. A pair of shining sapphire blue eyes stared up at him.


    [Mashter, did you see that? Eclipse did amazing, right?]


    Luo Yan rubbed the little fox¡¯s fluffy head. [Yes, Eclipse is really amazing.]


    The three tails behind Eclipse¡¯s back kept wagging, showing how happy he was with the praise. He happily buried his furry head on his master¡¯s chest.


    Luo Yan smiled and gently hugged the little fox. This n wouldn¡¯t be possible without Eclipse and his upgraded [Mirror Image] skill. The one that allowed him to copy anything and anyone perfectly within 5-meter radius of Eclipse. The effect willst for 10 seconds.


    In the upgraded version, the distance was still the same but it¡¯s effect now couldst for a minute. One might ask, if that¡¯s the case, then howe Eclipse could remain in Michael¡¯s form for that long? Simple, it¡¯s because of Su Yuqi.


    She had a skill to amplify the skills of others. They weren¡¯t just sure if that skill could work on Eclipse who¡¯s technically Luo Yan¡¯s pet. So, they had to try it first. Luckily enough, it worked.


    But the real question here was how did Eclipse manage to ¡¯copy¡¯ the captain of team Celestials? Again, it was because of Su Yuqi¡¯s efforts.


    So, let¡¯s all go back exactly to the moment Su Yuqi and Eclipse left Luo Yan¡¯s study.


    =====


    Su Yuqi hugged the little fox with one arm before taking a special pass from her Items Tab. She got this special pass long ago. It was given by that strategy guy of Celestials when that team was only starting. Since Yunyue was still a big deal back then, the guy probably thought that having a rtionship with them would be advantageous to their team.


    She never really had any intention of using it. So, she just let it be buried in her Items Tab. Who would have thought that it would have some use now?


    Before this, Bai Ze had already sent a message to that strategy guy asking if she could visit their headquarters for a few minutes. ording to Bai Ze, today was the day that Celestials would do their monthly meeting. So, he was sure that Michael ¨C Celestial¡¯s captain ¨C would be there.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how Bai Ze got that information. But she also didn¡¯t question it. That guy was a real people person. He could easily befriend anyone. So, it¡¯s no wonder that he managed to build some kind of informationwork through his years of ying. But because this was Bai Ze, he had never really taken advantaged of that and only did so if needed.


    It would probably be better if he would go to Celestials headquarters himself. But Su Yuqi had to be with Eclipse the moment the fox used his skill. So, she could immediately used one of her skills to amplify his. And then the two of them could just directly teleport at the decided meeting ce after they left Celestials¡¯ headquarters.


    Su Yuqi tore the special pass and she quickly felt that feeling of being pulled into a vacuum. She hugged the little fox in her arms tighter to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t identally drop him.


    When she opened her eyes, she was already in front of a pantheon like building. She could see how close they were to the dark night sky. Showing that they were in some kind of floatingnd.


    A sarcasticugh escaped her lips. Really, this pretentious bunch. It¡¯s not enough that only Angels were allowed to join in their ranks. Their headquarters also had to be close to the sky. Did they really think they were real celestial beings or something? She shrugged. Or maybe they just thought that this was a good PR move.


    She was thinking how she should meet with Michael. Should she just barge her way in? Eclipse only needed to be within five-meter radius of him and that was it.


    As luck would have it, before she could decide on how to proceed, Angels started to walk out of the pantheon. Amongst the group of yers walking out, Su Yuqi immediately saw their target.


    "Hey, who are you? What are you doing here?" one asked, quite aggressively.


    "Wait- isn¡¯t that Morganite?"


    "Yeah, you¡¯re right. What¡¯s she doing here?"


    "Calm down, everyone," suddenly said by a man with golden-brown hair and a pair of light blue eyes behind gold-rimmed spectacles. This was Celestials¡¯ famous strategist ¨C Uriel. "White Marsh said that you¡¯d be visiting us here. To what do we owe this pleasure?"


    Su Yuqipletely ignored the smiling guy who seemed more like a foxpared to the one in her arms and her whole focus was on the person standing at the center. He had golden hair as bright as the sun and a pair of golden amber eyes that were looking at her curiously.


    She whispered to Eclipse, "That¡¯s our target. The one standing at the middle just beside the person who spoke earlier."


    She wasn¡¯t sure if this pet could understand her. But since Luo Yan included him in this n, then he most likely could.


    The little fox in his arms looked at the direction she said. Then the fox jumped from her arms and was surrounded by a ck smoke. The moment the smoke disappeared, and another ¡¯Michael¡¯ was now standing on his ce.


    Gasped of surprise was heard everywhere. Eclipse in Michael¡¯s skin turned to her.


    "Pink Sister!" he called.


    The corner of Su Yuqi¡¯s lips twitched. It¡¯s kind of weird seeing such a goofy smile on the face of the angelic Michael. She noticed that the people around them were getting restless. If they didn¡¯t leave now, she might have to exin what was happening to these people. Which, aside from the fact that they didn¡¯t have the time to do that, she also really didn¡¯t want to do it.


    So, she grabbed Eclipse and teleport out of there.


    And the two of them then appeared on the small pavilion on theke. Shen Ji Yun, who was using his other game ount, and their target ¨C Raphael were both already there.


    =====


    Luo Yan raised his head to finally look at Raphael. The other was also staring at him, his eyes wide and full of shock. His whole body was stiff frozen, as if time had stopped.


    "How should I say this? Ah, right," He then smiled sweetly while staring straight at this person. "It¡¯s a prank! Did you like it?"


    Lan Yu¡¯s whole body which had been frozen started shaking when he heard such a flimsy thing. All the thing that had happened earlier, everything, he now understood that it was nned by this hateful guy. And he fell right through it. Dancing ordingly to everything.


    Like a stupid clown.


    All because of his feelings for Li Xu Min. If he could have taken a moment and stopped, he would have seen all the abnormalities. But because of his feelings, his emotions simply clouded his judgment. As if he just willingly put a blindfold just for the slim chance that he could interact with Li Xu Min.


    He stared viciously at Noctis who was smiling at him and all he could feel was his mockery. And he was simply ovee with rage.

 Chapter 529 dont look

    BECAUSE of so much anger, all Lan Yu could see was red. It¡¯s like a red fog was slowly filling his gaze. He wanted to rush over and beat the crap out of Noctis. Make him suffer in the worst possible way. Break his every bone. He just wanted to make him hurt!


    But before he could even act on those thoughts, a huge shadow suddenly blocked his gaze. It was the guy with blue eyes and a mask covering the lower half of his face. He was looking down at him with those cial blue eyes. As if he was just an ant under his feet.


    "Don¡¯t look. Your gaze will dirty him."


    Hearing what the guy said, Lan Yu¡¯s anger just broke. He wanted to attack, use one of his offensive skills and push this arrogant bastard out of the way. What ¡¯your gaze will dirty him¡¯? Did this guy think that Noctis was some kind of holy grail and he¡¯s some kind of demon trying to defile it?


    Hah, he had never heard something so nonsensical. It made him want to beat the other bloody.


    But when he tried, he just felt restrained. And then he suddenly remembered that fights were not usually allowed in in-game business establishments such as this pavilion.


    Feeling all that restrain, his mind temporarily cleared. Even though he was still full of anger, the red haze in his eyes was already slowly disappearing. He took a deep breath. Even if his insides were still raging with anger, his mind had never been clearer.


    Lan Yu knew that he had been had. These people wouldn¡¯t just stage all this for no reason. Now that his brain was working properly once again, he understood that he was in trouble. Especially after remembering the things that he spouted in the midst of his anger earlier.


    He had to fix this situation. Fast. Before everything got out of his control.


    "What do you want?" he asked, his gaze bypassing the blue-eyed bastard and staring straight at the moon elf standing behind him.


    Hearing his question, Luo Yan walked out behind Shen Ji Yun. Giving the other a reassuring nce. He then looked at Raphael.


    He didn¡¯t expect this guy to calm down so quickly. But then again, being a habitual white-lotus, he must have great control over his emotion. Luo Yan should probably be more surprised that they managed to get they needed from him this fast.


    Well, he had a feeling that it had something to do with Celestials¡¯ captain.


    He had been watching everything that¡¯s happening from a nearby tree. He had to be near because he had to coach Eclipse on what he should say while in the guise of ¡¯Michael¡¯. Even though his little fox was pretty human-like most of the time, he would still have trouble participating in such a nned conversation that needed him to say the right things so their n could proceed ordingly.


    Eclipse did really well. Following everything he said from their mental connection. The little guy even sessfully followed his tone of voice, making the things he was saying much more believable. The only time he did not follow him was when Raphael insulted Luo Yan and Eclipse¡¯s first reaction was to defend him.


    But because of that, he noticed that Raphael¡¯s expression looked even more abnormal. It had been like that ever since Eclipse in Michael¡¯s guise said that he didn¡¯t like a person like Raphael. The other could barely maintain a normal expression. But when ¡¯Michael¡¯ defended Noctis, he looked angry and constipated at the same time.


    So, he told the little fox to show a shy look while he sent a message to Su Yuqi and asked her to tease Eclipse about Noctis. He was just nning to gauge Raphael¡¯s reaction and then proceed ordingly. Who would have thought that he wouldpletely snap?


    Not that he wasining. At least they got what they needed much faster.


    But this just showed how much weight Michael had on Raphael¡¯s heart. He wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if the other was actually in love with the captain of team Celestials. He probably did all these things just so he could get closer to him.


    But the problem was, he was going about it in such a wrong way. If he was in Michael¡¯s ce, he would definitely not be impressed. In fact, he would probably run from him as fast as he could.


    Luo Yan stared at Raphael. The other¡¯s expression was dim, as if he knew that he was in big trouble and that there¡¯s no getting out of it. Well, he¡¯s right about that. There¡¯s really nothing he could do.


    Because even if he tried to beg, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t be merciful. This problem originated from him, in the first ce. If he didn¡¯t do such a stupid thing, then Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t even bother with him. But he did. So, he had to face the consequence of his actions.


    "I don¡¯t want anything from you. Because I already got everything that I need," he said.


    Lan Yu quickly understood what he meant. These people probably took a video of what just happened. The moment it was uploaded in Weibo or this game¡¯s forum, then everything for this game ount would be over. If he was in reality now, he would probably be hyperventting now.


    He wanted to say something. But it felt like something was stuck in his throat. He couldn¡¯t say what he wanted to say.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not so heartless that I will target your real identity. You probably won¡¯t just be able to use your current game ount. Unless, of course, your face is thick enough to still use it after," Luo Yan said.


    "No!" Lan Yu finally managed to shout. "Just, please, I could turn around that article and clear your name. So, please, just¡ª"


    "You should have thought of that before doing what you did," Luo Yan said, cutting off what Raphael was saying.


    He snapped his fingers and Raphael was teleported out of there. He didn¡¯t want to talk to that guy anymore. It¡¯s not as if he would ever change his mind if they talked more.


    He then turned to Shen Ji Yun and Su Yuqi. He smiled brightly. "You did amazing, Brother Ji Yun, Sister Yuqi!"

 Chapter 530 (un)necessary dog food

    "THE two of you really led that conversation to the right direction that¡¯s why we managed to get everything this fast," Luo Yan said as he sat down with Eclipse in his arms.


    Shen Ji Yun quickly sat down beside him. "No, it was mostly Eclipse¡¯s credit," he said, rubbing the little fox head gently.


    Eclipse also rubbed his head on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s palm, seemingly enjoying the other¡¯s touch. Then he raised his head and looked at Luo Yan. [Mashter, did you hear that? Captain said that the n seeded because of Eclipse. Eclipse is really amazing!]


    [Yes, yes, Eclipse is indeed amazing.] ¨C Luo Yan said.


    He then nced at Shen Ji Yun. He was actually worried that the other would be unable to act. After all, he always had this expressionless face. Add that to his forever unchanging cold voice and it would be hard to tell what kind of emotion he was showing.


    For people not close to him, it¡¯s hard to decipher what he was feeling. But surprisingly enough, Shen Ji Yun did rather well. He showed just the right amount of derision and rudeness.


    Probably because that was what he really felt. So, it¡¯s not so much as him acting as him showing his real feelings at that moment. What Raphael did must have really pissed him off. Well, when it came to him, it was easy to pull all kinds of emotion from Shen Ji Yun. Showing just how much Luo Yan could affect him.


    He secretly smiled at that thought. Who wouldn¡¯t be happy knowing that the person you¡¯re in love with cares about you so much?


    Just then, both Luo Jin jumped off from the tree where he was standing on andnded perfectly in front of the small pavilion. He teleported there after he led that Raphael to that dark room. So, he could watch everything. His clothes was now back to his usual costume. Even his hair and eye color were also now back to normal.


    He just walked inside the pavilion when Bai Ze also appeared. He teleported there right after he saw from the surveince cameras that Raphael was no longer in the vicinity.


    "Man, that was great! I can¡¯t believe you managed to break that guy in just a couple of minutes," Bai Ze said.


    Then he nced at the fox in Luo Yan¡¯s arms. But most of the credit should definitely go to this little guy here. Without him, the n just wouldn¡¯t proceed that smoothly. Seeing how great Eclipse was, his determination to gain a pet became even stronger.


    Wait- wasn¡¯t there already a ready-made pet in their headquarters? He then turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Hey, Ji Yun, are you going to make a contract with that ck dragon? If not, then, can I have him?"


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Bai Ze. Although he didn¡¯t have any strong feelings for that dragon, he and Luo Yan already went through a lot because of his quest. Besides, his rabbit specifically said that he wanted him to have that dragon. So, there¡¯s no way he would just give it to anyone.


    He was about to refuse, but Luo Yan beat him to it.


    "You can¡¯t, Brother Ze. Brother Ji Yun can only be Dusk¡¯s master," Luo Yan said with a bit of scolding tone. And then he smiled. "Besides, don¡¯t you think a dragon and a qilin together just look so cool? I would really love to see it."


    Shen Ji Yun felt his cheeks heating up a bit because of Luo Yan¡¯s enthusiasm. He cleared his throat to hide it and then said, "Yan Yan is right. I will have that dragon as my pet soon enough."


    He turned to Luo Yan and the other also looked at him. When their gazes met, both of them smiled at each other.


    Bai Ze almost couldn¡¯t hold his expression. He just asked if he could have that dragon as a pet, howe he ended up being fed dog food?


    He wasn¡¯t the only one affected by this scene. Luo Jin almost wanted to snort and say something negative. But then he remembered his promise to his second brother and stopped himself on time. He took a deep breath and just hypnotized himself into believing that there was nothing wrong with the closeness of the two.


    "So, are you going to post the video on Weibo?" Su Yuqi, the only one who wasn¡¯t affected by the unnecessary dog food, asked. She was, of course, talking about the video of Raphael practically confessing to everything that had happened.


    "Yes. I n to make a Weibo ount today for my game ount. I¡¯m just worried that people won¡¯t immediately take notice of it since it¡¯s a newly made ount," Luo Yan said.


    "Don¡¯t worry about that. Just message me on WeChat when you post the video and I will repost it on our team¡¯s Weibo ount," Bai Ze assured him.


    What Bai Ze said gave Shen Ji Yun a small idea. Surely, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t get angry if he did such a small thing.


    Luo Yan was surprised when he heard what his cousin said about their team¡¯s Weibo ount. "Our team has a Weibo ount?"


    "Yeah. It was made by one of the former members and now I¡¯m the one handling it," Bai Ze answered. "Although people in this game keep calling us ¡¯fallen champions¡¯, we still have quite a nice following. Speaking of, I haven¡¯t yet officially announced that you and Xiao Jin are the new members of our team. Maybe I should also do that while I¡¯m at it."


    "No!" Luo Jin quickly said. "I mean, there¡¯s no need."


    Bai Ze turned to his youngest cousin and then grinned when he saw his expression. "What¡¯s this? Does Xiao Jin not want his game ount name to be mentioned again in public?"


    Luo Jin¡¯s small face suddenly turned beat read.


    Bai Ze was nning to tease Luo Jin more when he suddenly felt his shin being kicked. It came from his right and the only person sitting there was Su Yuqi. He was nning to ask him what he was kicking him for when he suddenly heard a notification sound.


    Curious, he opened his Status Window to open the message. His eyes widened a bit when he read it.

 Chapter 531 a sudden visit

    LUO YAN, of course, noticed Bai Ze¡¯s sudden abnormality. "What¡¯s wrong Brother Ze?"


    "Ahm, someone from team Celestials just sent me a message," Bai Ze said, looking once again at his Message Tab.


    Uriel: [White Marsh, it seems that your team is doing something that involved borrowing the face of our Captain. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt and believe that your team was not doing something diabolical with our Captain¡¯s face. But a particr member of our team doesn¡¯t share the same opinion. If you don¡¯t give us an eptable reason, I¡¯m afraid he would directly attack your headquarters just so he could have his answer. I believe both of us don¡¯t want that, right? So, our team would really appreciate a bit of exnation.]


    Bai Ze read that message to his team mates. And then he turned to Su Yuqi. "So, what exactly happened when you took Eclipse to Celestials¡¯ headquarters?"


    He actually already had an idea on who this ¡¯particr member¡¯ Uriel was talking about. He just wondered why that person was not the one who messaged him. After all, he was more familiar with him that Uriel.


    Su Yuqi rolled her eyes at Bai Ze. "Don¡¯t look at me as if it¡¯s my fault. Those Angels are just a sensitive bunch."


    Luo Yan already had an idea on what exactly happened. Su Yuqi probably just let Eclipse transformed into Michael in front of everyone in Celestials. But he also understood that there wasn¡¯t that much choice in that situation anyway. It was a race against time. Things could have gone south if they didn¡¯t manage to quickly show the fake ¡¯Michael¡¯ to Raphael.


    He was betting on the chance that Raphael¡¯s feelings for Michael were actually deep enough that he would ignore the tell-tale signs that there was something off. After all, if the other would have just stopped and think things through, he would definitely have noticed that there was a problem.


    But he didn¡¯t. Because he was too wrapped up on the idea that he might meet Michael at any second. In this matter, Luo Yan¡¯s gamble definitely paid off.


    However, it seemed that it created some kind of misunderstanding with team Celestials. Their team was already under scrutiny because of that article. He would feel really guilty if they entangled with team Celestials next. Especially since he was technically the one who caused it.


    "Let me talk to them," he said. "I will exin everything."


    "No, I¡¯m our team¡¯s Captain. So, let me handle it," Shen Ji Yun said. "Tell them that two representatives of their team can go to our headquarters and they will have their answer."


    "Then, I will also go with Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan insisted.


    "How about we just all go together?" Bai Ze suggested.


    "I¡¯ll take a raincheck on that. Not really interested in dealing with those guys," Su Yuqi said. She¡¯s not really in the mood to have some kind of word battle with that one who looked like a sly fox. She turned to Luo Jin. "Want to join me in somete-night dungeon raid?"


    Before Luo Jin could think, he had already stood up and said, "Okay."


    Su Yuqi grinned and pulled Luo Jin. Then, the two just teleported out of there.


    "That woman, shouldn¡¯t she be there considering she¡¯s the one who brought Eclipse at the Celestials¡¯ headquarters? She even pulled Xiao Jin to y hooky," Bai Zeined.


    Luo Yan chuckled. "It¡¯s alright Brother Ze. It¡¯s not really a requirement that all of us should be there."


    Besides, Luo Jin also definitely preferred to go dungeon raiding with Su Yuqi than to talk to the members of team Celestials.


    Bai Ze was standing in front of the huge door of their headquarters, waiting for the arrival of whoever team Celestials sent. Honestly, he felt like his role in this team had been increasing a lottely. He not only became an information gatherer, he also turned into some kind of messenger, and now even a doorkeeper.


    Really, where would people find an amazing all-rounder such as himself?


    Soon, a crack appeared in the air. Showing that someone was trying to teleport there. After a few seconds, two figures appeared. Both were wearing the standard white uniform of team Celestials.


    One had golden-brown hair and a pair of light blue eyes hiding behind spectacles. This was Uriel ¨C team Celestials¡¯ strategist. He was actually not that familiar with. One could say that they were just on normal speaking terms.


    The one beside him on the other hand could be said to be an acquaintance. In fact, the both of them knew each other in real life. It was Zhong Hui.


    His avatar was no different from how he looked in real life. He had a muscr build and overly sharp features. The only difference was his military cut hair was now the color of gold and his dark eyes were also now the color of the sky. Not only that, his usual wheat colored skin was now as white as porcin.


    And he was currently ring at Bai Ze.


    Bai Ze scratched his nose. He had already expected that the person who was very angry at seeing Eclipse transforming into Michael was this guy. After all, he had heard quite a lot of rumor that Michael was very special to Zhong Hui.


    If this was before, he would probably just think that the two had a very special friendship. But after knowing Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for Luo Yan, he might as well evaluate his conjecture. Who knows, maybe Zhong Hui was also in love with Michael.


    If that was the case though, then this conversation would certainly not be pretty.


    "Wee to our team¡¯s ce," he just said to be polite.


    Duan Yu looked at the ancient styled pce in front of him. He had long wanted to see Yunyue¡¯s headquarters. But there wasn¡¯t actually a chance to do so. Who would have thought that this chance woulde at this form?


    Zhong Hui didn¡¯t bother to look at the magnificent castle. Instead, he walked up to Bai Ze and said, "Your team better have a good exnation for what happened."

 Chapter 532 give me the fox

    DUAN YU looked around the interior of Yunyue¡¯s headquarters. He must admit that whoever was the one who designed this ancient pce really had good aesthetics. Everything was in ce, showing how magnificent a pce of the ancient times should be.


    It would be good to have some kind of activity between the two teams. Like a friendly fight or something. Their neers would definitely learn a lot of things. He then nced at Zhong Hui. Seeing the other¡¯s dark expression, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. If the people of Yunyue didn¡¯t give this guy an eptable exnation, then this meeting would definitely not end in a peaceful manner. His goal of having a friendly rtionship with this team might just as well turned into tatters.


    That¡¯s why he came here with Zhong Hui. If he left the guy alone, he would definitely use his fist first before asking questions. Then, it could definitely lead to more problems.


    Zhong Hui was usually a quiet guy who rarely spoke, as if his words were worth gold. But when things involved Li Xu Min, he would turn into a rabid dog who would bite anyone who dared hurt the person he cared most in the world. So, to avoid a full-blown war against team Yunyue, he had toe here as well and act as some sort of intermediary.


    White Marsh led them to a tall double door with the same ancient design. The other opened the door and gestured for them to follow him inside. The opened door was big enough for both Duan Yu and Zhong Hui to walk side by side.


    Inside, waiting for them were a white-haired elf and a qilin. The elf was, of course, Noctis and the qilin was none other than Yunyue¡¯s captain ¨C YUN.


    Before the arrival of the two, Shen Ji Yun logged out first from his other ount and then logged in again using his main one. He couldn¡¯t just meet with the people from Celestials using his other ount¡¯s avatar. After all, that ount was only known to his team mates and he wanted it to remain that way.


    Zhong Hui only saw one thing when he walked inside the huge hall. It was the ck fox sitting in the arms of the white-haired elf. He immediately recognized it as the same fox who suddenly transformed into Li Xu Min.


    He suspected that this fox was a yer with a beastkin race. After all, those with a beastkin race could turn into the beast that was given to them by the game system. For example, a wolf beastkin could turn into a wolf and so on and so forth. Although he hadn¡¯t seen a fox beastkin that had such a small fox form, he still firmly believed in his guess.


    That¡¯s why he was even angrier. Because the other didn¡¯t even dare to show his face and just used his fox form. And yet he dared to use Li Xu Min¡¯s face? No, this was not just the fault of that fox. Yunyue was even more responsible. Because it seemed like everyone in the said team was in cahoots to use Li Xu Min¡¯s face for whatever reason.


    Zhong Hui was not usually easy to anger. But if one touched his reverse scale, then expect to be retaliated.


    Eclipse buried his face on Luo Yan¡¯s arms. [Mashter, that man is ring at Eclipse as if he wants to eat him. Eclipse is scared.]


    Luo Yan had also seen the way the Angel who came with Uriel looked at the little fox. He must say that Eclipse¡¯s description was really on point. He rubbed the little fox¡¯s fluffy head. [Don¡¯t be scared. Master and Captain are both here. Nothing will happen to you.]


    He then raised his head and looked at this intimidating Angel. He smiled and tried to be as approachable as possible. After all, this thing was really their fault. Suddenly appearing in front of them and then transforming into the form of their captain, of course, there would be discontent.


    "There seems to be a misunderstanding," he said in a friendly manner.


    But the Angelpletely ignored Luo Yan and said in a very gruff tone as if he was nning to skin someone alive, "Give me the fox."


    The smile on Luo Yan¡¯s facepletely disappeared. Although he admitted that they were really a bit at fault for this matter, that didn¡¯t mean he would just stand here and be bullied.


    But before he could do anything, a wide back suddenly filled his line of vision. He didn¡¯t notice that Shen Ji Yun had already walked in front of him and blocked him from behind.


    A warm touch flowed to his heart. Although he could protect himself, being protected by others once in a while was not such a bad feeling. More especially if that other person was the one in his heart.


    Shen Ji Yun looked back coldly at this impertinent guy. "I thought you¡¯re here to hear our exnation? Then, isn¡¯t your priority too skewed? What are you doing asking my precious team mate to hand over his pet? Or do you simply have some screws loose?"


    Bai Ze almost face-palmed. Shen Ji Yun¡¯s tongue could be really quite poisonous if he just so wanted. Really, how terrifying. This friend of his probably didn¡¯t even recognize Zhong Hui. Well, the other was only at their high school for a semester before transferring out. But still.


    The haze of anger in Zhong Hui¡¯s mind was temporary diluted because of what the captain of Yunyue said. "That fox... is a pet?"


    Yunyue¡¯s captain only looked at him as if he¡¯s brain dead. And that look already answered his question. Somehow, he felt a bit embarrassed. It¡¯s a good thing that he usually had a stern face so his embarrassment really didn¡¯t show. But because of this impasse, his calm slowly came back to him.


    Duan Yu suddenly pped to get everyone¡¯s attention. When they were all looking at him, he smiled and said, "Captain YUN has a point. We do want to hear your exnation about this matter."


    Luo Yan walked out from behind Shen Ji Yun. Seeing that things had somehow calmed down, he also smiled. "Yes, we¡¯ll be happy to do so."

 Chapter 533 sincere apology

    ALL five were now sitting at the round table. There was an awkward silence at first. It was Shen Ji Yun who spoke first and broke that.


    "I admit that this matter was our negligence. So, as the captain of Yunyue, I sincerely offer you my apologies," he said with a serious tone, bowing his head slightly.


    How could the two from team Celestials still show dissatisfaction at this moment? Even though they weren¡¯t that familiar with YUN, they knew this guy was famous for his coldness and indifference. He rarely gave others face. Unless you¡¯re part of his team, he probably wouldn¡¯t even look at you.


    They knew about that, because their captain ¨C Li Xu Min - had tried to invite YUN for a PvP battle in the Swordsman leaderboard, but the other had always ignored Li Xu Min. That didn¡¯t happen just one time but a number of times. But YUN just always ignored their captain. It was not until Zhong Hui had enough and talked to Li Xu Min that the other finally stopped.


    It was an open secret among the major members of their team that Li Xu Min wanted to have an official battle with YUN. It was simply because of the fact that YUN was a very strong opponent. In fact, he was the one most disappointed when he found out that Yunyue was no longer participating in the Arcadia Cup.


    Although Li Xu Min appeared like some well-behaved angel and he was really like that most of the time. But when it came to fighting in the game, he could be quite the crazy one. Of course, not in the way that was like some psycho killer machine. But like someone who always wanted to fight someone powerful.


    Duan Yu could only think that this was Li Xu Min¡¯s way of releasing stress. After all, that guy probably had a lot of pent-up stress growing up. If ying against powerful yer could help him to reduce it, as his friends, they could only support him.


    It was not only the two people from team Celestials who were surprised by Shen Ji Yun¡¯s straightforward apology, Luo Yan and Bai Ze were also a bit shocked.


    Bai Ze had been friends with Shen Ji Yun for more than a decade now. When did he see this friend apologizing like this? Don¡¯t get him wrong, it¡¯s not because Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t know how to apologize to people. It¡¯s because, most of the time, the other people were the ones who needed to apologize.


    With Shen Ji Yun¡¯s temperament, he was not the type to initiate trouble. But because of the said temperament, added that to his extraordinary appearance, it was always other people who trouble him. So, hearing him apologized so sincerely was like a novel experience for Bai Ze.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, was used to Shen Ji Yun apologizing. After all, the other always apologized to him every time he did something wrong. What he was surprised about was him taking in all the me. Because if one knew about this whole situation, they would quickly understand that the source of this all was him. And yet, Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t hesitate to take all the me for him.


    If he hadn¡¯t yet known that this guy was in love with him, then he would have his suspicion now. Nevertheless, this small move of Shen Ji Yun still put a smile on his lips. Not a false smile but one of his rare genuine ones.


    "No matter whose fault it was, I just want to know the reason why you have to let your... pet imitate our captain," Zhong Hui said, he still felt a bit unbelievable knowing that the little fox was actually a pet. Which meant that it was no better than an NPC. He had never seen such a spiritual NPC.


    Luo Yan took the initiative to exin. Since Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t hesitate to put the me on himself, then Luo Yan should at least do this small thing.


    "I will send you a video and it will immediately exin the reason why we have to use such a method." He turned to the fierce looking Angel. "Can you tell me your game ount name?"


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to send the video to them if he didn¡¯t know their game ount name. He already knew Uriel. So, this person was the only one remaining.


    "Gabriel," Zhong Hui said simply.


    The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s mouth almost twitched. Uriel, Michael, and now Gabriel. So, was this team Celestials not only made up of Angels, their ount name also had to be the name of a famous angel? What if they didn¡¯t get the Angel race during the random selection?


    Now that he thought about it, no wonder that Raphael used ¡¯Raphael¡¯ as a game ount name. He wanted to shake his head at that realization. Just how much does that guy like Celestials¡¯ captain for him to take that name, thinking that he would be an Angel? That guy¡¯s feelings were most likely close to being obsessive. If it was not cut immediately, there¡¯s a high chance that he might turn into psycho-stalker.


    How scary. In this way, team Celestials should probably thank them for unveiling the real face of such an ardent admirer of their captain.


    Luo Yan no longer thought about that and just opened his Status Window. There was a bunch of videos saved there. All of it were taken from the scene earlier at the small pavilion. There were a lot because they were taken from different angles.


    He picked one that showed Raphael¡¯s face clearly. And just chose the part where he acted totally crazy ¨C grabbing Eclipse in Michael¡¯s form and shouting things like how he couldn¡¯t like Noctis or some shit. And also the part where he admitted about him being the one responsible for that article.


    The technology inside the holographic game was pretty advanced, so he managed to cut that part quite fast. And then he sent it both to Uriel and Gabriel.


    When the two received the video, they quickly opened it. Because only the yers could see and hear whatever was sent to their Message Tab, Luo Yan and the others could only watch them and wait for their reaction.


    Duan Yu wasn¡¯t really sure what he would see. But when he saw a yer who obviously belonged to the Angel race shouting like a madman to the fake ¡¯Michael¡¯. The things he said, it was obvious that the other was professing his feelings for their captain.


    He recognized this yer. Even though the other was an Angel, he never thought of recruiting him into their team. It was not often that there were new yers that had the Angel race. So, as much as possible, he had always tried to recruit everyst one of them. But before that, he had to first test their character. After all, he couldn¡¯t just let just anyone enter their team.


    When he met this Raphael, he could immediately tell that the other had a scheming mind. He also had one, so, it¡¯s easy for him to recognize the same kind. That¡¯s why he decided not to recruit him.


    Who would have thought that this guy actually had that kind of thought towards Li Xu Min?


    He then nced at Zhong Hui. When he saw the other¡¯s scary expression as if he wanted to murder someone, he could only shake his head.

 Chapter 534 end of the sudden meeting

    DUAN YU wanted to calm Zhong Hui down. But before he could, his attention was once again attracted by the still ying video. The next scene made him frown even more. So, it seemed that this Raphael was also the one responsible for that article that¡¯s been getting a lot of attention since this morning.


    Now, he understood the reason why team Yunyue staged such a scene. So, they could trap Raphael and have him confess everything. And they used a fake Li Xu Min as bait. It was a good n, he must admit. He would probably also do the same thing if he was in the same situation.


    After finishing the video, he closed his Status Window. He raised his head and looked at Noctis. He had a feeling that the one who made this n was this guy. But there was still one thing that was puzzling him.


    "How did you know that using a fake captain would make that Raphael confess everything that he had done?" he asked, still looking at Noctis.


    "We¡¯re actually not 100% sure. We found out that Raphael actually had long wanted to be part of team Celestials and that he admired your captain very much. From that, we guess that your captain might help us in unraveling the truth. But since we couldn¡¯t really use the real person, I let my pet imitate him," Luo Yan answered, shrugging. "In short, we just took a gamble and it paid off."


    Duan Yu raised one of his brows. That was a very hasty conclusion. Many things could have gone wrong with that n. But he guessed they didn¡¯t really have much choice. If they wanted to deal with that article before this day ended, they could really only use this method.


    And just like Noctis said, their gamble paid off.


    "If you¡¯re going to post this video, then I suggest you not show our captain¡¯s face," Zhong Hui suddenly said. His voice was much deeperpared to before. Showing just how much emotion he had been suppressing.


    And Zhong Hui was indeed suppressing a lot. Anger in particr was the main one. Throughout the years that he had known Li Xu Min, there were a lot of people who had expressed their admiration towards the other. Especially after he became famous.


    As a close friend, he didn¡¯t have any qualification to stop this people from trying to get close to Li Xu Min. After all, they didn¡¯t have that kind of rtionship. No matter how much he wished that they did. So, he could only watch from afar and make sure that those people wouldn¡¯t do anything bad to Li Xu Min.


    But an incident before totally changed his mind from just being a protective bystander.


    About two years ago, Li Xu Min encountered a male stalker. It first started with the other sending Li Xu Min simple gifts. Then it quickly escted to the other sending messages and calling Li Xu Min¡¯s private number. No matter how many times he tried to change his number, that stalker would still find out about it.


    And then, soon enough, the stalker even started leaving things in Li Xu Min¡¯s apartment. Which thoroughly scared the other.


    Zhong Hui had no idea that these things were actually happening. He just entered military school that year and was very busy with a lot of things. Li Xu Min also chose to keep it a secret. But when things started to really get out of hands, Duan Yu told the whole thing to him.


    He was so angry at that time that he could barely control himself. But he knew that Li Xu Min needed his help. So, he quickly used his family¡¯s power to investigate and find out the identity of the stalker. They discovered the identity of the stalker pretty quickly. It was Li Xu Min¡¯s assistant at that time.


    Nobody really suspected him since he¡¯d been with Li Xu Min since the other started working at the entertainment industry. It turned out that he had long been harboring those kinds of thoughts towards Li Xu Min.


    Of course, Zhong Hui made sure that that guy paid for all the fear and sadness that he had caused Li Xu Min. If not for Li Xu Min¡¯s strong mental fortitude, maybe that incident would have left a great psychological shadow on him.


    After that, Zhong Hui promised himself that he wouldn¡¯t let another thing like that to happen again. When he saw the way that Raphael grabbed the fake Li Xu Min, he knew that that guy was the same kind of person as that assistant. His attitude was already nearing the obsessive level. So, before that escted further, Zhong Hui decided to nip it at its bud.


    "Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s what we¡¯ve been nning from the start," Luo Yan reassure them. "I would even edit it in a way that anyone who watched the video wouldn¡¯t hear your captain¡¯s name."


    "If there¡¯s nothing else, then, I¡¯ll take my leave."


    As soon as Gabriel said that, he immediately vanished from the main hall. A sign that he teleported.


    Duan Yu sighed. He already had an idea on what Zhong Hui would do next. He probably should light a candle for that Raphael. He stood up and smiled at the three members of Yunyue sitting there.


    "Since our captain technically helped in this matter, why don¡¯t team Yunyue invite the main yers of our team for dinner?" he suggested. "I think Yuexing Pavilion would be a great ce. What do you think?"


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel that this guy was nning something. But since Michael indeed helped them in a way, it would be rude to just decline. So, he turned to Shen Ji Yun and let the other decide what they should do.


    "What does Brother Ji Yun think?"


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Uriel. "No need. We¡¯ll just send some items to team Celestials aspensation. You can leave now."


    Since everything had now been cleared. There¡¯s no need for them to continue mingling with one another.


    Duan Yu almost couldn¡¯t retain the smile on his face. Luo Yan had a hard time stopping himself fromughing because of that.


    Seeing the other enjoying the show, Duan Yu couldn¡¯t help but say to the white-haired elf, "I hope Noctis still hasn¡¯t forgotten the favor you owe me."


    He saw the change in YUN¡¯s expression after he said that. Satisfied, he happily teleported out of there.

 Chapter 535 ultimate attack

    "WHAT favor?"


    Luo Yan slowly nced at Shen Ji Yun who just asked that question with a cold voice. As expected, the other was frowning heavily. Even his expression was like dripping ck ink.


    He smiled. Even though inside him there was a miniature version of himself beating up that jerk Uriel. He had almost forgotten about that ¡¯favor¡¯. Really, if he was so keen on reminding him about that thing, he should just tell him what kind of favor he wanted. Then, this thing would be done and over with.


    But no, he had to act all mysterious and put off telling him what kind of favor he nned to extract from him. And now, he suddenly reminded him about that favor just before he teleported away from here. Which was obviously done on purpose. Probably just so he could agitate Shen Ji Yun.


    The other had been with them on that one quest during the birthday of the king of Arcadia. With that guy¡¯s insight, he would definitely notice that Shen Ji Yun put a lot of special care on him. Uriel most likely wanted to take revenge on Shen Ji Yun for refusing his offer of dinner.


    Knowing Shen Ji Yun¡¯s bad habit of thinking too much, there¡¯s probably already a lot of dog-blood drama going through his head right now. Maybe he was thinking that Uriel was ckmailing him or something. Which wasn¡¯t really far-off from the truth. Anyway, if he didn¡¯t exin things properly, this guy might just go directly to team Celestials headquarters and beat the crap out of Uriel.


    They just avoided a misunderstanding. It wouldn¡¯t do good if Shen Ji Yun suddenly beat a member of Celestials. Even if the other rightfully deserved it.


    Since he had a big heart, Luo Yan had no choice but to exin things to Shen Ji Yun in a way that wouldn¡¯t put Uriel in a bad light so as to avoid such a situation. Who told him to be so kind and generous?


    He cleared his throat and said, "It¡¯s nothing serious, Brother Ji Yun. Remember, Uriel was there with us when the king of Arcadia gave me the Yuexing Pavilion? Well, I asked him if he could not divulge that secret to people. He agreed but under one condition. I have to do him a favor. And I agreed."


    Bai Ze, who was just silently listening to the two, suddenly remembered that time when Luo Yan asked him if he could get him a special pass so he could teleport to Celestials¡¯ headquarters to talk to Uriel. He had almost forgotten about that.


    Now that he thought about it, that time was really before the pavilion opened. It turned out that his cousin went there just so he could prevent Uriel from telling anyone that he was the owner of Yuexing Pavilion. Seeing as no rumors appearing after such a long time, it seemed like Uriel kept his end of the bargain.


    But the real question here was what kind of favor would he ask of Luo Yan. If it was something that would put his cousin in a disadvantage position, not to mention him, others from their team would definitely not let that happen. He nced at Shen Ji Yun and shook his head helplessly. Especially this guy.


    Before Luo Yan could exin further, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s expression had be even colder. "He¡¯s ckmailing you?"


    Just like what Luo Yan thought earlier, Shen Ji Yun really had a lot of things going through his mind when he heard of the word ¡¯favor¡¯. Most of it were pretty negative.


    He had almost forgotten that Uriel was with them during that birthday quest. All of his memories during that time were just full of Luo Yan. Him wearing that red dress. Him dancing. And also that time at the prison. He just automatically erased the extra ¨C which in this case was Uriel ¨C from those memories.


    He was kind of regretting that now. If he didn¡¯t, then he could probably offer some help for Luo Yan. He probably wouldn¡¯t have to go along Uriel¡¯s scheme.


    "No, no, I don¡¯t really think it¡¯s ckmailing. That guy, Uriel, is smart. If he knows what¡¯s good for him, he definitely won¡¯t force me to do something skeevy," Luo Yan said, reassuring him.


    When Luo Yan saw that Shen Ji Yun still had that dark expression, he decided to just do his ultimate attack.


    "With Brother Ji Yun around, how dare that Uriel make any disgusting demands. After all, Brother Ji Yun is so amazing!" He then hugged the other¡¯s arm and leaned on his shoulder. Then he raised his head and blinked his big pretty blue eyes at him. "Right?"


    Shen Ji Yun only felt his heart speeding up. Then a blush crept over his cheeks to the tip of his ears. He quickly looked away, afraid that Luo Yan would see his thoughts in this close distance. Besides, looking at that beautiful face was just forcing him to have a heart attack.


    "Hmm," he could only say.


    Seeing the other¡¯s blushing face, Luo Yan smiled. Ah, Shen Ji Yun was really so fun to tease.


    Bai Ze once again felt that he was unknowingly fed dog food. No, this time, it was directly thrown at his face. Did these two actually forgot that he¡¯s still here? Was his presence really that negligible?


    Looking at the two, why did it feel like his cousin was the one doing the chasing and Shen Ji Yun was the one acting as the shy maiden? Never mind. It¡¯s probably better to just leave the two to their own world.


    With that, he quietly teleported out of there.


    "Just tell me once Uriel made his demand. I¡¯ll make sure to be there with you," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "Okay." Luo Yan let go of the other¡¯s arm and returned to his normal sitting position. And then he noticed that Bai Ze was no longer there in the main hall with them. "Where¡¯s Brother Ze?"


    [The big lion just left. He probably doesn¡¯t want to disturb Mashter and Captain¡¯s flirting session.]


    Hearing what Eclipse said, Luo Yan suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. Bai Ze definitely saw what he did just now. And a slight red tint appeared on both his cheeks.


    Later, that night, a certain topic started trending on Weibo.

 Chapter 536 - THE TRUTH

    Chapter 536 - THE TRUTH


    THE post was titled [THE TRUTH] and was posted by someone with a username, Noctis_Yunyue. It probably wouldn''t make that much of a wave but two things changed that.


    One was the poster tagged the handle of a certain known gossip blogger who often posted rumors about the gaming industry. This person was also the one who posted the article about Noctis that had been trending since early this morning. The other reason was because this post was actually reposted by Yunyue''s official ount.


    People might have been calling Yunyue the ''fallen champions'' but a lot of people still followed their official Weibo ount. It was mostly because aside from White Marsh, Morganite and YUN didn''t have their own Weibo ount. So, their fans could only follow their team''s official Weibo ount.


    Their repost went like this;


    Yunyue Official ount: There had been a lot of negative spection about our team''s Noctis. This post should clear all your misunderstandings. I just hope that people would be smart enough to know right from wrong. And that next time you encountered something like this, you would check the fact first before arriving to a conclusion. After all, careless usation could easily ruin people.


    Reading that, some suddenly felt guilty. But there were also others who felt indignant. Because it''s like the other was scolding them. Who would want to hear the scolding of others especially when one thought that they were on the right?


    With that statement, added to the fact that the original poster had a username like @Noctis_Yunyue, anyone with a brain could tell that the one who posted this was actually the yer, Noctis.


    The people who figured that out had different thinking in their minds. Some was curious, some simply just wanted to watch a show, and others simply wanted to see Yunyue and Noctis'' joke. Some wanted to know this so-called truth and some believed that they already knew the truth and this post wouldn''t change their mind no matter what.


    So, with those different thoughts everyone who had seen the post clicked on the video attached to it.


    At first, they didn''t have much reaction. They saw four people inside a pavilion. A tall man with blue eyes and the lower half of his face covered in a mask. A young girl with long ck hair, the upper half of her face was covered by a domino mask. There was another man but because of the angle of the camera, they could only see his chin. Andst but not the least, there was another young man with curly golden hair, the upper half of his face was also covered by a mask.


    Many were starting to get confused, wondering how these four people connected to the ''truth''? And why were these people''s faces couldn''t be seen properly? Were they having some secret meeting or something?


    And then, the conversation of the four started and it began with the article that had been trending since this morning. The little girl and the one whose chin they could on see were the ones who were mostly talking.


    They talked about how foolish the article was and how weird that people actually believed it. Then they said how it was obvious that someone behind the scene who hated Noctis was pulling the string. That this someone must be a great schemer to pull such a thing.


    The girl asked who could be the person responsible. But before the young man could answer, the one with curly golden hair suddenly changed the topic. The man with blue eyes who had been silent up to that point scolded the other guy, saying that he should just shut up.


    The conversation continued and someone suggested that it must be Raphael who did these things. The little girl agreed, saying that he probably hired some water army to guide the people''s opinion against Noctis and then also clearing his name in the process. Telling them that almost a third of thements on that article were about Raphael and how ''pitiful'' he was.


    That it was actually unbelievable how people actually believed this obvious maniption. Thinking that Noctis was the bad guy and Raphael was the victim. Then the blue-eyed guy snorted and said the words, ''disgusting herd mentality''. The people who were watching the video, especially those who criticized Noctis, just felt their faces pped hard.


    A lot of people wanted to curse. But the next scene that unfolded stopped them from doing that.


    When the chin-guy expressed his admiration of Noctis, the curly-haired guy suddenly became crazy and started spouting even crazier things. Telling the other that he''s not allowed to like Noctis. That he yed this stupid game just so he could join him in team Celestials. That he had to spend money just so he could clear his reputation.


    The people watching the video became confused. Just what the hell was this guy saying? But the next moment answered their question.


    Someone pulled the curly-haired guy back and it caused his domino mask to fall. And it revealed a very familiar face. It was Raphael.


    Everyone was stunned at this. And then they heard one of the people in the scene said that no wonder the other had been defending Raphael and badmouthing Noctis, it turned out that it was because he was Raphael. Then another asked if he was the one responsible for that article.


    People thought, who would just directly admit that? But who knew that Raphael just directly pped their faces again by admitting that it was indeed him who paid someone to write that article and he was also the one who bought those water army.


    And that''s when the video ended.


    People who just watched it were really dumbfounded. They couldn''t react at all. But after they digested everything, almost everyonemented down on the video.


    [So, it turned out that Raphael was the one responsible for it all?]


    [This was probably the fastest reversal I have seen!]


    [No wonder Noctis hadn''t made a statement. He was actually preparing evidence!]


    [I told you, it was impossible that Noctis and that live-streamer was one and the same person.]


    [I know, right? I also didn''t believe it. But people just continued to spout nonsense.]


    [Good thing we didn''t follow the herd mentality, right? So, to those who easily believed the water army, do your face hurt now?]


    [Upstairs, it''s probably really swollen.]


    Those who had seen thesements became really angry and ashamed. So, they could only transfer they anger to the one responsible ¨C Raphael and that gossip blogger.


    [That Raphael is really shameless!]


    [That scheming mind is indeed a bit scary.]


    [I''ve seen him in the game earlier. I even encouraged him. He was so generous and gentle. Who knew that he was just acting? Bah!]


    [Didn''t he say that he did all that for that other guy so the two of them could be together at team Celestials?]


    [Hah, keep dreaming! Celestials would never ept someone like him into their team.]


    [@gamingnews, you should be ashamed! Reporting something as if it was the truth when all along you''re just getting paid to write fake news. I lost all my respect for you!] ¨C This one was tagging that gossip blogger.


    [I wonder just how many false usations this guy had written before?]


    A lot of thements followed that trend ¨C cursing Raphael and the gossip blogger. But there were still some people who couldn''t believe it even though the evidence was already right at their faces.


    [What if Raphael was just forced to say those things? After all, he really looked like he wasn''t in his normal state of mind.]


    [I agree. Who would directly admit something like that? I smell foul y?]


    [Maybe they used some kind of skills or items to force him to say that.]


    [Upstairs, are you dreaming with your eyes open? What skills, what items? Do you think Arcadia is really so magical that they could force their yers to say or do something against their will?]


    [I think these people are probably another batch of water army.]


    [Yeah. If not, then I could only say that their IQ must be in the double digits.]


    [What double digits? It''s probably only single digit!]


    That argument ended with a post from Moonlight Media''s official Weibo ount. They reposted Noctis'' post along with the statement;


    Moonlight Media v: People maligning a promising neer about some unfounded rumor without any concrete evidence was not really something we like to see. So, our management decided to assure everyone that Noctis is not the person in that defaming article. He''s a young and bright teenager with a good family background. With this, we hope that this negative rumor woulde to an end.


    But because of this statement, thement section became even more chaotic.

 Chapter 537 he couldnt bear it

    [WAIT- am I really seeing this right or am I just hallucinating? Did Moonlight Media really release a statement defending a newbie yer?]


    [Upstairs, I also saw it so no, you¡¯re not hallucinating.]


    [Why did Moonlight Media suddenlye out and defended Noctis?]


    [They didn¡¯t exactly defend Noctis. They just cleared the misunderstanding. It¡¯s probably because the issue had gone a bit overboard.]


    [People, don¡¯t overreact. It¡¯s not like this is the first time that Moonlight Media came to the defense of their yers. Remember, Goddess Liuli also encountered something simr and Moonlight Media also supported her. This situation wasn¡¯t really different from that.]


    [Yeah, I remembered that. Didn¡¯t Moonlight Media¡¯s respond was also quite fast during that time?]


    [Are you people seriouslyparing Goddess Liuli to that neer Noctis?]


    [Oh, please, don¡¯t start that argument again.]


    [Look at this sentence ¨C ¡¯He¡¯s a young and bright teenager with a good family background¡¯. I think Noctis is probably from some powerful family. Or am I the only one who thinks so?]


    [Upstairs, you¡¯re not alone. That¡¯s also what I thought when I read that!]


    [So, Moonlight Media is helping him clear things up because of his family?]


    [Well, if he¡¯s rich, then there¡¯s really no need to be a live streamer and con people into giving him money.]


    [Wait- if Moonlight Media was doing this because of his family, wouldn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s having preferential treatment?]


    [True. Maybe he even bribed someone in Moonlight Media that¡¯s why he got such a good race.]


    [Can you people be realistic? If Moonlight Media epts bribes, then wouldn¡¯t all the rich pay-to-win young masters have a so-called ¡¯good race¡¯ as you have said?]


    [Rich young master here! I can attest that it¡¯s really hard to bribe Moonlight Media. I tried when I was just starting ying the game and they only gave me the cold shoulder.]


    [Besides, with apany that has such a high cash flow, do you still think that they needed bribes?]


    [Let¡¯s just all ept that some people are special and some are not. Just like Noctis. A beautiful young master with rich parents and now a rising star in Arcadia ¨C some people really just have it good.]


    [Upstairs, why do I smell a strong scent of envy in your tone?]


    [What if Noctis is actually rted to Moonlight Media¡¯s president? That could exin a lot of things.]


    [Maybe he¡¯s his son!]


    [Isn¡¯t the president of Moonlight Media still single? As far as I know, he¡¯s still on the list of golden bachelors in B City.]


    [LOL I don¡¯t really care if Noctis bribed someone or if he¡¯s the president¡¯s son. I¡¯m still his fan.]


    [Me too! This older sister will always be here to protect you!]


    [Yes! A lot of us is rooting for you, @Noctis_Yunyue!]


    [@Noctis_Yunyue, good luck on the finals of the Rookie Carnival!]


    And many morements like that appeared. What started as people questioning Noctis and Moonlight Media, ended up with people cheering on Noctis and expressing their admiration.


    =====


    Luo Yan read thesements and couldn¡¯t help but smile. After liking some of it, he then posted on his game ount¡¯s Weibo.


    Noctis_Yunyue: Thank you to everyone who never doubted me and believed me until the end. I promise I will do my best to give you guys a good fight at the uing finals of Rookie Carnival. Jiayou! ??


    After posting that, he logged out of Weibo.


    When he posted the video, he didn¡¯t wait to see how people would react to it. Instead, he answered Yu Jiao¡¯s call and talk to the other about how they dealt with Raphael. By the time their call finished and he went back to Weibo, Moonlight Media had already reposted his post and also released a statement.


    He didn¡¯t expect that such a thing would happen. But when he calmed down and thought about it carefully, he could only think of one person who could let Moonlight Media¡¯s PR team to speak for him. Who could it be other than the nephew of thepany president?


    Luo Yan shook his head and smiled helplessly. A lot ofplication could arise from that simple statement made by Moonlight Media. As evidence of thements that followed after it. But he was certain that Shen Ji Yun probably didn¡¯t think of that and just thought of how he could help him in separating his game ount from that live streamer mentioned in that article.


    The other probably thought that even if there was already a resolute evidence proving that, there would still be people who would think that maybe he and that live streamer were really one and the same person. Which wasn¡¯t too far-off. Especially to those who didn¡¯t like ¡¯Noctis¡¯.


    They would rather believe that he was someone that they could look down on. So that they could feel better about themselves. There was no shortage of people like that. That¡¯s why he could understand why Shen Ji Yun did this.


    Knowing that guy, after reading thements, he would surely call him to apologize.


    As if on cue, his phone rang and it was a video call request from Shen Ji Yun. He smiled and didn¡¯t hesitate to answer.


    On the screen appeared the other¡¯s handsome face. But unlike his usual expressionless face, it was now full of worry.


    "Yan Yan, I¡¯m sorry. It was me who asked my uncle if the PR department could help you clear some things. I didn¡¯t expect that their post could attract a lot of negativements. I- I¡¯m really sorry."


    Shen Ji Yun said that with a voice full of remorse. It almost looked like he had done a very heinous crime from the way he was acting. And that¡¯s exactly how Shen Ji Yun was feeling. He only wanted to help but at the end he only added to the problem. How could he not feel bad?


    He was so confident that he could help Luo Yan in his own little way. But the effect just became the exact opposite. He could only me himself for being stupid. What if his rabbit dislike him because of this? Really, he couldn¡¯t bear it.

 Chapter 538 someones revenge

    LUO YAN stared at Shen Ji Yun on the opposite screen. In his eyes right now, the other looked like a cute beaten-up puppy. It made him want to bully the other more. But he stopped himself in time before he really did that.


    If he bullied him and acted like he was really angry by this incident, he was sure that Shen Ji Yun would probably experience a mental shock. Maybe the other would even have red eyes and cry in front of him directly. Although he really wanted to see him cry, but not in the pretext that he would think that he hated him.


    There were still a lot of opportunity to see the other cry. The best one would probably be bullying him on the bed. Just imagining Shen Ji Yun lying on a soft bed, looking at him with tears in his eyes as if aggrieved was already making him feel excited. In fact, he was so excited that he felt he would have a nosebleed just thinking of that scene.


    He quickly shook his head and put those dirty thoughts away. He had to remember that this body was still a minor and still not healthy enough. He¡¯s still a teenager. He¡¯s at the stage where his hormones were raging. If he continued to think of things like that, it would definitely just make him feel frustrated.


    Luo Yan cleared his throat. His mind was already as clean and pure as that of a Buddha. He smiled at Shen Ji Yun.


    "I know that Brother Ji Yun did it for my sake. So, you should not me yourself," he said. "Besides, the effect wasn¡¯t really that bad. Most of thements were positive. And now, people won¡¯t associate Noctis with that live streamer mentioned in that article."


    And the fact that Shen Ji Yun readily apologized to him the moment he thought that he did something wrong was something to be proud of. It seemed like the two of them really had gone a long way. More than finally solving this Raphael situation, this development made Luo Yan much happier.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan and when he saw that the other was indeed not angry, he finally let out a sigh of relief. But because of this incident, he promised to himself that he would be much more careful on how he handled things. Especially when it involved his rabbit.


    "Is Yan Yan going to sleep now?" he asked, tentatively.


    He actually wanted to chat more with the other. But he knew that Luo Yan still had school tomorrow. Being a third-year high school student, he¡¯s probably much busier than him, a junior in college.


    Luo Yan nced at the clock on his wall. It was just 15 minutes after nine o¡¯clock. It¡¯s fine to stay awake until 10 in the evening. Even if that was not the case, he probably would still give the other the same answer. After all, Shen Ji Yun looked like he really wanted to talk to him more. How could he disappoint this sweetheart of his?


    "No, I can still talk to Brother Ji Yun until 10," he said, his peach blossom eyes bent into crescents.


    Just as he thought, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face just bloomed the moment he said that. And a beautiful smile appeared on his handsome face. As if a kid given the most wonderful treat.


    Luo Yan¡¯s smile also became uncontroble. Look, his cinnamon roll was so cute. Could there be anyone more adorable than him?


    Lan Yun stared at thements on Weibo with bloodshot eyes. If he could, he truly wanted to just beat the crap out of that Noctis. No, not just him, but everyone in Yunyue. Because he was absolutely certain that those people in that pavilion were members of Yunyue.


    Everything was carefully nned. From tempting him to attend the so-called ¡¯gambling event¡¯ to putting him in that pavilion. All so they could extract a confession from him. Seeing how things turned out, they seeded perfectly in ruining him.


    Not only that, even Moonlight Media had already spoken. If he made any counterattack now, it would only have a negative impact on him. He first wondered why Moonlight Media would speak for Noctis. But when he read somements saying that he probably paid someone in Moonlight Media or that he¡¯s probably rted to thatpany¡¯s president, he felt that thetter was more usible.


    If that was indeed the case, then he probably just kicked an iron te. Because no matter how much he tried to paint himself as the innocent party and Noctis was the one who was deliberately ckening him, with such a powerful backer, it would definitely note into fruition. Maybe his white lotus reputation would even be more widespread if he did that.


    The only constion he had in this matter was the fact that the face of Li Xu Min¡¯s game avatar was not exposed to the public. Even his game name was not mentioned. This way, people who had watched the video didn¡¯t know that he actually did all that for Li Xu Min. With luck, maybe Li Xu Min also wouldn¡¯t find out about it.


    Even if he could no longer use his Angel game ount, maybe he could still do a sessful turnabout. As long as he and Li Xu Min were in the same country, he could definitely find a way to get close to him. He just needed to be patient.


    Just as he was thinking of that, a maid suddenly called him and told him that his father wanted to speak to him and was waiting for him in his study. Although he was a bit confused on why his father wanted to speak to him, he still walked out of his room and went directly to the study.


    "Is there something, Dad?" he asked.


    His father put down the paper he was reading and looked at him with a frown. With that look, he could immediately tell that there¡¯s a problem. It was confirmed by the words said by his father next.


    "You will withdraw from university this week and continue your study abroad."


    Lan Yu felt like his whole world just copsed when he heard that.


    "Why?" he shouted. "No, I don¡¯t want to!"


    His father pped the table in front of him, producing a loud and scary sound. "Who told you to offend one of Zhong family¡¯s young master?"


    When he received a call earlier from a trusted aide of that family, he almost couldn¡¯t keep hisposure. His political career was on the rise. If a famous military family like the Zhong family dealt with him, then being in a higher office would definitely just be a dream for him.


    And yet this son, who he thought was very smart, suddenly offended a young master from the said family. How could he not be angry? The only way he could think of to pacify the other party was to send this son abroad.


    Hearing what his father said, Lan Yu was even more dumbfounded. What Zhong family? How could he suddenly-- Then he stopped. Could it be possible that Noctis was actually a young master from the Zhong family?


    Thinking that he probably discovered the truth, he just wanted to cry bitter tears. The other¡¯s revenge on him was really too much. How could he be so heartless?

 Chapter 539 yan yan in deep thought

    IT¡¯S already the weekend. Six days had passed since the prelims of Rookie Carnival. In just those six days, a lot of things had happened. Luo Yan felt like it¡¯s actually been a month because of those things.


    First, there was that thing with Yu Jiao¡¯s stepsister. Heter learned from his older brother that he had already ¡¯dealt¡¯ with this thing. Although he wasn¡¯t sure what method Luo Ren used, seeing as how Mo Jian didn¡¯t bother Yu Jiao after that day, it must be quite effective.


    Then there was that Raphael situation. Which he handled quite amazingly if he might say so. The day hadn¡¯t even finished yet and he had already solved everything. Sometimes, even he could be amazed by how smart he was. If he was just a tad bit insidious who couldn¡¯t be contented by what he had, he would probably be quite the viin.


    It¡¯s a good thing that despite his past life experience, he didn¡¯t turn out to be such a twisted person. Although he wasn¡¯t really the kindest person out there, at least he had his own principle and bottom line. He wouldn¡¯t hurt any innocent person and would only take revenge on those who hurt him or the people he was closed to.


    A majority of this could probably attributed to the director of the orphanage he grew up in. Even though he pretended to be a sweet dumpling just so the director would like him, he still held genuine feelings of affection for the woman and thought of her as a close rtive.


    But at that time, he had already built an imprable shield around his heart. So, even if he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t really let go of his distrustful nature. No matter how much he wanted to wholeheartedly treat the director as his second parent, there seemed to be a force stopping him. And until his death, it remained that way.


    After he found out that the other actually stayed with him during hisst moments and even took back his ashes, giving him a proper burial at the province where the orphanage was located, he felt extremelyplicated. But most of it was guilt. While he was being defensive, the director probably really treated him as a nominal son.


    Although he really wanted to go there and meet the director once again, he couldn¡¯t do so. That province was quite far from S City. Just what kind of excuse could he give his father that would not make him appear suspicious.


    But, in all honesty, even though he had that mind of wanting to meet the director again, his heart was probably still not ready for it. That¡¯s why even though he could use the National holiday as an excuse to go to that province, he still didn¡¯t say anything. Maybe because in his subconscious mind, he was still not ready to go back to the ce he spent most of his childhood and adolescent years.


    It¡¯s not because he had a lot of bad memory there. In fact, when he finally realized how he could live a much better life, he practically didn¡¯t experience that much hardship. It¡¯s just that, the ce was like a reminder of the parents that he had lost at such an early age. It was like a symbol. That the reason that he was there was because he was already an orphan and nobody wanted him.


    He should be over it by now. After all, he now had such a good family. With the love his family had been constantly showering him since the day he opened his eyes in this new life, the defenses he had built in hisst life all but crumbled. But there was probably still a part of him, that small child inside his heart, that was still greatly affected by the death of his parents.


    Luo Yan took a deep breath. Because he still didn¡¯t have the guts to go there, he could only secretly donate some money. The money came from the ie he got from Yuexing Pavilion. And the amount was not that small. The money was directly transferred to his own bank ount that his father still put money through every month.


    He didn¡¯t have that much expense because everything was provided for him. So, the money in his ount was basically untouched. With the addition of his ie from Yuexing Pavilion, even if he donated hundreds of thousands to the orphanage, it was almost negligible.


    But still, to avoid suspicion, he donated to a number of orphanages, just not the one he grew up in. So, just in case, his father asked him about it one day, he could simply say that he watched some documentary and took pity in those orphans.


    This could also be considered as some kind of preparation. Because on his 18th birthday, he was already nning on celebrating it in the orphanage he grew up in. He felt like by that time, his heart would be ready enough.


    With him donating money to these orphanages, he could simply say to his father and brothers that on the day he would be an adult, he wanted to share his blessings. Picking an orphanage to do that would definitely not stir any suspicion on his part.


    It just so happened that he and ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯ shared the same birth date. He didn¡¯t think of it as some kind of coincidence. He guessed that it was probably one of the reasons why his soul could enter this body perfectly.


    His guess was when he died and his soul kept wandering aimlessly, it happened to pass by the hospital where the body of ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯ was. Since the body no longer had a soul in it, his soul was simply sucked inside. And because the two had a great fit, his soul simply stayed inside until itpletely became one with the body.


    Of course, that was only his conjecture. But he still wanted to believe that that was the case. He¡¯d rather believe that than think that he upied this body by kicking away the real ¡¯Luo Yan¡¯.


    Just thinking of that made him feel a bit depressed.


    [Mashter, Captain¡¯s here!]


    Eclipse call pulled back Luo Yan from his thoughts. He raised his head and saw Shen Ji Yun. A smile automatically appeared on his lips. Even the depressing thoughts lingering in his mind somehow vanished.


    "Brother Ji Yun!"

 Chapter 540 weekend plans

    THEIR n for this weekend was to finish the ¡¯Awakening Dragon¡¯ hidden task. To do that they had to go to the dragon n to find out the identity of the dragon who betrayed Dusk. And if time permitted it, they should also go to thend of Achaeus to visit the dark mages. If they couldn¡¯t finish those things this weekend, they could just do that the next week.


    They almost had all the information regarding Dusk¡¯s past, how he ended up frozen in time at Silent Marsh. He was a nameless dragon who left the dragon n when he was young. Because of what happened to Eclipse¡¯s mother and the demon fox tribe he decided to take revenge.


    The first step in this revenge was to take over the dragon n and became its king. With the help of his fellow dragons, he waged war against the Dark Mages of Achaeus. Which was most likely the people responsible for what happened to Kagetsuki and the demon fox tribe.


    But during that attack, someone from the dragon n betrayed Dusk. And then at the end, he ended up in the Silent Marsh, frozen in time by the Eternal Lotus. When he woke up, he no longer had any memories of the past.


    Luo Yan nced at the miniature ck dragon on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s shoulder. Despite the obvious reluctance on his face, Dusk was still clinging particrly well on the other¡¯s shoulders. Although Shen Ji Yun still had no expression on his face, it was quite obvious that he also didn¡¯t like the other using his shoulder as some kind of foothold. Although he wasn¡¯tining, one could see that he was simply pretending that there wasn¡¯t any miniature dragon on his shoulder.


    Well, at least, he wasn¡¯t dragging him or something. That¡¯s already a huge step-up from before.


    "Hi Dusk, how have you been?" he asked, smiling at the miniature dragon.


    "Hmp! If you make that sadistic pixie girl and that annoying kitsune stay away from me, then I would feel infinitely better," Dusk said with a disgruntled tone.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows when he heard that. He understood why he didn¡¯t want Eclipse around. Because the little fox was like a chatterbox who seemed unable to stop speaking once he started. With how Dusk was programmed, he would definitely find Eclipse annoying. But why Su Yuqi as well?


    "Su Yuqi seemed to be bothering him whenever she¡¯s bored," Shen Ji Yun said, as if reading the question in his mind.


    "What ¡¯bothering¡¯? She¡¯s clearly torturing me! That- that sadistic lunatic!" Dusk said, looking like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.


    [Uncle ck lizard, don¡¯t say bad things about pink sister! She¡¯s clearly just ying with you. And don¡¯t say that you want Eclipse to stay away. Eclipse is clearly your godson. You should treat Eclipse well!] ¨C Eclipse suddenly intervened.


    "Stop with that godson nonsense! Who wants to be your godfather?" the miniature dragon grunted.


    The little fox looked at the dragon sympathetically. [Eclipse will forgive you since Mashter said that you have amnesia now and you don¡¯t remember anything. But once your memories returned, you should treat Eclipse well.]


    Dusk snorted. "If you want my memories restored, then tell that to these two."


    "Don¡¯t worry, we are working really hard to know more about your past," Luo Yan assured the dragon.


    Dusk only scoffed then satfortably on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s shoulder. Shen Ji Yun nced sideways at the dragon, narrowing his eyes. Then he sighed as if he had already given up on scolding the dragon. He removed his gaze and just remained expressionless.


    Luo Yan almostughed seeing this interaction. Really, what a cute pair.


    When he looked around, he noticed that there were a lot of yers looking at their direction. They were currently at Alryne City and were on their way to the headquarters of Crimson Corps.


    They nned to go there first to tell the leader of the said mercenary group about they had found about Finnea¡¯s death. After that, they would then go to the moon elves¡¯ vige to get the rewards for the ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯ hidden task. Their next destination then would be the site of the demon fox tribe.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind the gazes of the yers around them. He was already used to it. He would probably be more surprise if they didn¡¯t stare. Who told him to be this beautiful?


    But he must admit that the reason these yers were probably staring too much right now was mostly because of the things that happed with Raphael. And well, they did have a dragon in their midst. He had already seen many yers took a screenshot of them. This would probably be another topic in the game forum.


    Soon, they arrived at the headquarters of Crimson Corps. They walked inside and they saw the same female NPC behind the reception desk.


    "Good day, we¡¯re here to see your leader in regards to that Finnea business," Luo Yan said.


    The receptionist seemed to recognize them and said, "Oh, yes, the leader had been waiting for you. Do you still remember your way to his office?"


    Luo Yan nodded. "Yes."


    "Then, you can just directly go there. I will call him to inform him that you¡¯re here," the female NPC graciously said.


    Luo Yan gave his thanks and walked towards the stairs. If he remembered correctly, the leader¡¯s office was on the fourth floor and the one at the very end of the corridor.


    He and Shen Ji Yun followed the direction in their mind. Arriving in front of the room, Luo Yan was already expecting a messy room filled with smokeing from the leader¡¯s pipa. He knocked and a gruff voice told them toe in.


    He opened the door and was surprised to see that although the room was still messy, it wasn¡¯t filled with smoke as he expected. Then he saw that the windows inside were all open. Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Did this NPC open the windows when he heard that they were here? So, he still remembered that he didn¡¯t like the smell of smoke.


    Luo Yan was once again amazed by the self-awareness of this game¡¯s NPC.

 Chapter 541 a visit to crimson corps

    THE bulky leader of the Crimson Corps with his shaggy brown hair and bearded face was sitting behind his mahogany desk. When he saw them walking in, he quickly stood up.


    "You two, I thought you had already forgotten this old man¡¯s request. Please, do have a seat," he said, gesturing for them to sit down on the seats in front of the desk.


    "There¡¯s no way we would forget that, Leader," Luo Yan said as he sat down. Eclipse jumped from his shoulder to hisp.


    On the other seat, Shen Ji Yun also sat down. The miniature dragon on his shoulder did not jump like the little fox and just moved a little to find a morefortable position.


    The leader looked at the dragon. "It seems that you have a new powerful addition to your crew."


    "This king is not part of any crew," Dusk snorted. "But you¡¯re right about me being powerful."


    "Just ignore this one. He¡¯s just naturally arrogant," Shen Ji Yun said, not looking at the dragon on his shoulder.


    Dusk huffed and puffed, literally producing smoke from his nose. "This king is arrogant? Hah! Are you sure you¡¯re not talking about yourself?"


    "Not only arrogant, quite chatty too," Shen Ji Yun added, still not looking at Dusk.


    "You--!"


    Luo Yan chuckled, cutting off the bickering of the two. "Don¡¯t they get along really well?" he said to the leader.


    [Mashter, Eclipse don¡¯t think they get along at all.] ¨C Eclipsemented in a confused tone.


    "Who gets along with who?"


    "Yan Yan, I think your concept of ¡¯getting along¡¯ is a bit unique."


    Dusk and Shen Ji Yun said almost at the same time respectively.


    The leader onlyughed and said, "Yes, they really do get along quite well."


    Before the two who were ¡¯getting along¡¯ started toin again, Luo Yan changed the topic to the subject of why they came here in the first ce. "Leader, we have already found out what happened to Finnea."


    The leader¡¯s expression quickly turned serious when he said that. "Please, borate more if you can."


    Luo Yan and started to tell the other what exactly happened to Finnea.


    Rhys, an elf who was also part of Crimson Corps, held great affection for Finnea. This affection bordered obsessiveness. He couldn¡¯t let go of her even though the other already had a husband and a child. So, he put up this borate n.


    He first tricked a priest from the Tower of Edia to show him the Heart of Edia. Once he gained ess to the heard, he then tricked Finnea and Alicia, asking them to help him with amission. He managed to bring Finnea alone to the Tower of Edia, exactly at the ce where the heart was.


    Finnea lost consciousness, courtesy of Rhys and he put her under the Heart of Edia. With that, almost all the preparations for the ritual werepleted. This ritual needed the energy of the Heart of Edia topletely change the feelings of one person and force them to fall in love with the one performing the ritual. The n almost seeded if not for Lars ¨C the priest who showed Rhys the Heart of Edia.


    He interrupted the ritual. This interruption backfired and caused a bacsh to Finnea. This bacsh became the ¡¯curse¡¯ that ultimately killed her. Lars also died in the process. While Rhys was now imprisoned at the Tower of Edia.


    After Luo Yan finished, the leader could only sigh in regret. "I guess what happened to Rhys was only a fitting ending considering what he did. His selfishness led to the demise of two people."


    Luo Yan noticed the words the other used. "Did something happen to Rhys?"


    "Not long ago after you first came here, his Life Lamp waspletely extinguished," the leader answered with a solemn expression. "I guess after you met him at the Tower of Edia, he then died."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan was a bit surprised. Because Rhys dying meant that no one else would be able to do the ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯ hidden task again. But maybe he probably shouldn¡¯t really be that surprised. After all, in this game, everything was a one big narrative. It¡¯s like a single story with those tasks acting as chapters.


    In this case, hidden tasks were like special chapters that could act as their own story without affecting the main storyline. Once a part of this special chapter was no longer there, then it would just be obsolete.


    "I just feel sorry for Finnea and her family," the leader continued. "If I was only more observant back then, maybe I could have prevented something like that from happening."


    "Hmp! You really are at fault. As a leader, you should have noticed that there was something wrong with one of your members," Dusk scolded. "Being unable to do so only meant that you¡¯re ipetent."


    "Dusk--!" Luo Yan chided the miniature version of the ck dragon. Then he turned to the leader. "Sorry, he¡¯s just a bit outspoken."


    "No, he has a point. And I really couldn¡¯t deny what he said," the leader said good-naturedly. "Not being able to prevent what happened to Finnea was one of my deepest regrets."


    "I¡¯m sure Finnea wouldn¡¯t me you for that," Luo Yan assured the other.


    There¡¯s probably no need for him tofort the leader. But what could he do? The NPCs in this game were simply too involved in their role that he also couldn¡¯t help but immerse himself into the y.


    "I sure hope so," the leader said. "Thank you for telling me all the details of what happened."


    "We did promise to tell you about it. So, there¡¯s no need for thanks," Luo Yan said.


    "No, I feel like I should still give you a reward." The leader then took out a teleportation scroll from the drawer of his desk. "This is a teleportation scroll to a newly-discovered dungeon. With this scroll, you can go there with a maximum of five people. If you don¡¯t dislike it, then please ept it as a token of my gratitude."


    Luo Yan was quite surprised hearing that. But he still reached out his hand and took the scroll.

 Chapter 542 its called flirting

    LUO YAN looked at the teleportation scroll in his Items Tab and read its description;


    [A teleportation scroll to a newly discovered dungeon. It could transport up to five yers max. Currently unavable for use.]


    They were already outside the headquarters of Crimson Corps when he checked that. The first part was already exined to them by the leader of the mercenary group, so he was no longer surprised reading that. He was more curious about the ¡¯currently unavable for use¡¯ part. What exactly did that mean?


    Instead of pondering over it, he simply asked Shen Ji Yun of his opinion regarding the matter.


    Shen Ji Yun only thought for a few seconds before answering, "Thisst update, the programming team added two dungeons in the game. One had already been avable for the yers to raid. But the other hasn¡¯t been announced yet. There¡¯s a high chance that this teleportation scroll would probably lead to that dungeon."


    Luo Yan became excited when he heard that. "Doesn¡¯t that mean that our team have the opportunity to clear it first?"


    Being the first one to clear a dungeon meant more and better rewards. The scroll could amodate a maximum of five people which was the exact number of their team.


    Seeing his excited look, Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help the arc of his lips from turning upward. "I heard from Brother Zhao that this dungeon might be avable by December."


    That far? Thetest game update happened three months ago. If it took five months for that dungeon to be ready, did that mean that there was a problem on the initial beta testing? That¡¯s why it took that long for it to be ready. Luo Yan asked Shen Ji Yun about his conjecture.


    "I¡¯m also not familiar with the exact situation. But I heard that there were indeed some problems with the design. They nned to change the overall design of the dungeon boss and even improving his backstory."


    If it took this long just to change the design of this dungeon boss, then this design better be over the top gorgeous to the point that yers would simply be blinded just by looking at him. ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    "Speaking of backstory, the team involved in making those is really quite talented," hemented. Considering all the narratives he had encountered in the game until now, those people were not only talented. They also had great imagination. And... "Brain holes in their head."


    Then he stopped. Because he identally said what was on his mind. Before he could take back what he said, he heard Shen Ji Yun¡¯sugh. He turned his head and saw the otherughing joyfully.


    "Well, they really have big brain holes," Shen Ji Yun agreed while stillughing.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but smile. He liked seeing him like this. Laughing without a care, expressing what¡¯s in his mind openly. More than getting that scroll, seeing himugh made him much happier. Because this showed just howfortable he was with him.


    "And they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to dig a pit for yers to jump in," he added. "Really, if I don¡¯t know any better, I would think that all of them are sadistic and love to torture others."


    "I assure you, aside from looking sleep-deprived, all of them are normal people," Shen Ji Yun said in a joking manner. "Although they probably do enjoy seeing the yers suffer from the scenarios they have written."


    "I knew it. They¡¯re all probably hidden sadists," Luo Yan said.


    After he said that, he and Shen Ji Yun happened to look at each other. Then the both of them justughed.


    "If the two of you are doneughing, why don¡¯t you go to the next destination instead of wasting time here?" Dusk suddenly said with voice full of impatience.


    [Uncle ck lizard, you shouldn¡¯t disturb Mashter and Captain when they¡¯re doing something important.] ¨C the little fox chided.


    The dragon nced at the little fox that was also sitting on someone¡¯s shoulder. "What ¡¯something important¡¯? Aren¡¯t they justughing?" he said as if Eclipse just said something stupid.


    [Of course not! This is called ¡¯flirting¡¯, okay? Uncle ck lizard, you¡¯re really ignorant, aren¡¯t you?] ¨C Eclipse said, looking pitifully at the ck dragon.


    Luo Yan¡¯s lips twitched when he heard what his pet just said. This little guy would really say anything just so he could pair his master and his favorite captain together. If Eclipse could, this little fox had probably made a fan club for the two of them.


    It¡¯s a good thing that Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t hear what Eclipse was saying. Even he, with how thick his face was, still felt embarrassed sometimes with the things the little fox was saying. Maybe he should postpone for a while the n of letting Eclipse have a humanoid form.


    But then again, he did promise Eclipse that he would help him have a humanoid form. It would be a bit scummy of him to renege on that. Well, let¡¯s just wait until Bian Que made a pill or potion that could transform pets into their humanoid form.


    Dusk quickly red up after he heard what Eclipse said. "You kitsune brat, how dare you call this king ignorant?"


    Luo Yan put his hands together, producing a loud p. "Let¡¯s not fight, okay?" he said, stopping the bickering of the two. "We¡¯ll now go to our next destination. So, let¡¯s just all get along and not fight until then, hmm?"


    The dragon scoffed and the fox pouted. Luo Yan could only sigh at the human-like emotions these two AIs showed. It¡¯s like the two were real people with distinct personalities. Again, hats off to the programmers of Moonlight Media for managing to create such life-like AIs.


    "If this one tried to argue with Eclipse again, I¡¯ll put a muzzle on him," Shen Ji Yun suddenly said.


    Although he wasn¡¯t sure what Eclipse had said to rile up the dragon, he would still take the little fox¡¯s side. Just on the basis that the other was Luo Yan¡¯s pet.


    "You dare?!" Dusk shouted. If he had fur, they would probably be standing up now.


    Eclipse, on the other hand, brightened. [Eclipse knew it. Captain is still the best for me!]


    Luo Yan resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his now. He felt like he would have a headache just listening to these three.

 Chapter 543 back to the gatekeepers cabin

    BOTH Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun were now walking towards the gate of the moon elves¡¯ vige to meet the Gatekeeper. They were there to get their reward for the ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯ hidden task.


    Just like the first time they went here together, those moon elves still stared at Shen Ji Yun with great awe. And because of the addition of Dusk, the effect was even greater. After all, even if he was currently in his miniature version, he was still a dragon. Something that had the same prestige as a qilin.


    Soon, they arrived at the gate of the vige. But the Gatekeeper was not there. It was a different moon elf. Just like thest time they went here.


    "He¡¯s probably at his cabin," Luo Yan said to Shen Ji Yun. "Let¡¯s go there?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded in response.


    [Mashter, why is that Gatekeeper not doing his job again? Shouldn¡¯t that handsome Elder fire him for dereliction of duty?] ¨C Eclipse suddenly asked while they were walking towards the direction of the Gatekeeper¡¯s cabin.


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard what the little fox said. [Maybe he¡¯s on vacation.]


    Although he said that, he also wondered why the Gatekeeper was not there at the gate as he should. The only reason he could think of was because of their presence. Maybe the moment they teleported here, the Gatekeeper was automatically sent to his cabin so as to follow the narrative. After all, it would be kind of weird to give them their reward at the gate of the vige. At least they would have more privacy at the cabin.


    After arriving the Gatekeeper¡¯s wooden cabin, Luo Yan took the initiative to knock on the door. It didn¡¯t take long for the door to open. But to his surprise, the one who opened the door for them was not the Gatekeeper but his son, Filli.


    "Noctis!" Filli excitedly called.


    "Hello, Filli, is your father inside?" Luo Yan asked.


    Filli¡¯s expression suddenly turned glum by the mention of his father. "Father had been bedridden for a few days now."


    Luo Yan was quite shocked to hear that. Was this also part of the narrative? Wait- would they have to do another task? Like searching for some medicinal nt that could help the Gatekeeper? This wouldn¡¯t be another part of the chain quest, right?


    One couldn¡¯t me him for thinking too much. After all, this whole fiasco started with the ¡¯Saving Filli¡¯ task. Then it was followed by the ¡¯Finnea¡¯s Curse¡¯ task. If the Gatekeeper also had a task involving him, then wouldn¡¯t that justplete this chain task for this whole family?


    Knowing how the brain of those people involved in making the backstories of these tasks worked, what he thought was highly probable to happen. Frankly speaking, he really hoped that that wasn¡¯t the case. He¡¯s kind of getting tired doing task rted to this family. It kind of felt like they became their personal errand boy or something.


    "What happened?" he asked, acting all worried.


    "After yourst visit, he suddenly just became downcast. And then, one day, while guarding the gate, he suddenly fainted. The Elder said that there¡¯s nothing wrong with Father¡¯s body. He was simply heart sick. Although I¡¯m not really sure what that could mean. ording to the Elder, I should do my best to cheer up Father. The happier he is, the faster his recovery would be," Filli exined.


    Heart sick? And it happened just after theirst visit? Didn¡¯t it mean that the Gatekeeper was simply depressed because he was reminded again of what happened to his wife? If that was the case, then maybe Luo Yan was just thinking too much and there wouldn¡¯t be any follow-up task after this.


    He really hoped that that would be the case. He just wanted to get their reward and go to their next destination ¨C the site of the demon fox tribe.


    "Is it alright if we visit him?" he asked.


    "Of course, Father just woke up. I¡¯m sure he would be happy to have you visit. Especially since you even brought Lord Qilin with you." Filli nced shyly at Shen Ji Yun, then his eyes widened a bit when he saw the little dragon on the other¡¯s shoulder. "Wow. You even have a Lord Dragon with you! Father will definitely be overjoyed that such esteemed guests visit him."


    "Hmp! You have good judgement kid," Dusk said, lifting up his chin in a proud manner.


    Filli suddenly blushed. "Thank you, Lord Dragon." He opened the door widely and gestured for them to go in. "Please, go inside. Father is inside his room, you can just go directly there."


    "Are you going somewhere?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Yes. I¡¯m going to buy ingredients so I could cook Father¡¯s favorite dish for lunch," Filli said. "The both of us would be happy if you could eat lunch with us."


    Luo Yan only smiled. "That would be great," he said even though he didn¡¯t really have any intention to eat here.


    Filli excitedly ran out and went to the direction of the center of the vige.


    [That elf definitely has problems with his brain. How could he say that his father will definitely be happy to see Uncle ck lizard and yet not say the same thing about Eclipse? He didn¡¯t even give Eclipse a nce! How rude. Mashter, let¡¯s not eat lunch here, okay?] ¨C Eclipse said with obvious sulking in his voice.


    Dusk, on the other hand, sneered when he heard what the little fox said. "That kid is obviously a genius. It¡¯s not his problem if you¡¯re so unremarkable he didn¡¯t even look at you."


    Eclipse narrowed his eyes at the dragon. And then he jumped to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms, looking up pitifully at the other while saying to Luo Yan;


    [Mashter, quick! Tell Captain that Uncle ck lizard is bullying me!]


    The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s lips twitched when he heard that. But he still yed along and said to Shen Ji Yun, "Eclipse is saying that Dusk is bullying him."


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down at the fox who looked like he was about to cry. Then, he looked coldly at the dragon sitting on his shoulder. "Do you really want to be gagged?"


    The miniature dragon flew up and almost breathed out fire. "Stop ganging up against this king!"

 Chapter 544 look of longing

    BEFORE the three started bickering again, Luo Yan quickly pulled them inside. Since the cabin was not that big, they quickly saw an opened room and the person or rather the NPC inside it.


    The Gatekeeper was sitting on his bed with a thick quilt on hisp. He was looking outside the window of his room as if he could see something very important beyond it. Just like what Filli said, the Gatekeeper was indeed looking rather depressed. He had this sad atmosphere around him. Like a cloud of dark storm.


    He didn¡¯t even look in their direction and just continued to gaze outside the window. Even Luo Yan had an urge to look over there just to see what the other was seeing.


    Just what kind of drama those people from the gamingpany responsible for making those task narratives put on this poor NPC? He looked like he would croak and die of heartache any second now.


    Luo Yan walked over and took the initiative to show their presence and also greet the NPC. "Gatekeeper," he said respectfully.


    The Gatekeeper finally turned his head and looked at their direction. And then, as if just recognizing them, his nk stare finally had some ripple in them. "Noctis, Lord Qilin."


    The Gatekeeper was about to get up but Luo Yan quickly rush forward to stop him. "Gatekeeper, it¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to get up. Filli already told us about your condition. Are you ufortable anywhere?" he asked worriedly.


    "I¡¯m feeling a lot better. I¡¯m sorry if I couldn¡¯t wee you properly," the Gatekeeper said apologetically.


    "It¡¯s fine, Gatekeeper. I think it¡¯s our fault for visiting you without notice when you¡¯re clearly not feeling well," Luo Yan said.


    "No, I know you¡¯re here for a reason," the Gatekeeper said, smiling at them. "Where is Filli, by the way? He should be here to at least give you tea or anything to drink."


    "It¡¯s okay, Gatekeeper. We don¡¯t mind. Besides, Filli went out to buy ingredients so he could cook your favorite dishes," said Luo Yan, telling the other where Filli went. "He¡¯s a good kid."


    Although he was wondering why he was even saying this stuff to this NPC, he knew that the deeper he was in the narrative, the better the result would be. Because saying the right keywords would move the ¡¯plot¡¯ of the narrative forward.


    He then secretly nced at the guy standing beside him. Shen Ji Yun was standing straight with the same expressionless face. He had long notice that whenever it was something that involved talking, it was always him who did all the work and the other only stood there like an immovable tower.


    Not that he¡¯sining. Aside from the fact that he was already used to it, he had also already epted this part of Shen Ji Yun. It even became something that he found adorable in the long run. Besides, if he let this guy do all the talking, they might not be able to finish this kind of task as fast as they could if he was the one who did it.


    [Mashter, why are you secretly ncing at Captain?] ¨C Eclipse suddenly asked. [Eclipse knows! Is this the legendary ¡¯look of longing¡¯?]


    Luo Yan almost choked in his own saliva when he heard that. It didn¡¯t help that Dusk snorted at them disgustingly, surely hearing what Eclipse just said.


    He turned his head and looked at the little fox perched on his shoulder. Now, more than ever, he was d that Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t hear what Eclipse was saying. Because if the other did, no matter how thick Luo Yan¡¯s face was, he would definitely feel embarrassed. He was now truly dreading what would it be like once this little guy could turn into a humanoid form.


    [Quiet, the adults are talking.] ¨C he only said to Eclipse.


    Eclipse then made a ¡¯zipping up his lips¡¯ action. As if telling him that he would be quiet from now.


    "Yes, he is," the Gatekeeper with a smile on his face, responding to what Luo Yan said earlier about Filli. "You and Lord Qilin must be here to tell me what happened to my wife."


    The change in topic didn¡¯t faze Luo Yan. He was even thankful that the narrative was finally moving forward. "Yes. We had discovered what truly happened to Finnea and also the real nature of her ¡¯curse¡¯. If the Gatekeeper is ready to know the truth, then, I will tell you everything."


    The Gatekeeper became silent for a few seconds. He looked down and appeared like he was thinking about something. After a while, he raised his head and said, "Please, I want to know the truth."


    Luo Yan nodded. Then he started to tell him the same thing that he told the leader of Crimson Corps. As he went through the details of the event, the Gatekeeper¡¯s expression continued to change. From surprise, to anger, to rage, to helplessness, and finally to sadness. Just infinite sadness.


    It seemed like his condition became even worse after he was told of the truth. The sick pallor of his skin became even more pronounce and he looked like he aged a few years.


    Luo Yan was actually waiting for some notification bell telling them that they had opened another hidden task. But thankfully, after a few seconds, nothing like that happened. He finally let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that there wouldn¡¯t be another task for this chain quest like he was worrying about.


    But now, he probably had to console this NPC so they could finally get the reward for this task. He was about to prepare some speech, but before he could, Shen Ji Yun already beat him to the chase.


    "Don not despair. Your wife loved you until the end. She wouldn¡¯t want to see you in this state, especially once she knew that it was because of her. As you said, you have a great kid. Don¡¯t make him worry."


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but stare at Shen Ji Yun. What suddenly came over him that he suddenly thought of giving a pep talk to an NPC? Although kind of rough, it seemed to be quite effective the changing expression on the Gatekeeper¡¯s face.

 Chapter 545 overlapping images

    AFTER a few seconds, the Gatekeeper¡¯s eyes were slowly filled with determination. Although his pallor was still pale, he no longer looked like he was about to die from excessive heartache. Obviously, what Shen Ji Yun said was very effective.


    "I¡¯m sorry for letting you see something unsightly," the Gatekeeper started. "After yourst visit, it made me remember a lot of the past. All the memories I had with my wife. And I was once again ovee with grief. I couldn¡¯t control the sadness that had been filling inside me every day. I couldn¡¯t eat, I couldn¡¯t sleep, no wonder I passed out and became sick.


    "And then after you told me what really happened to Finnea, everything inside me just shut down. The sadness in me turned into hate and anger. Then I realized, no matter how angry I get, no matter how strong my hate is, it could never bring her back again. And I just- I just wanted to see her. I wanted to be with her even just for a second."


    The Gatekeeper raised his hand and clutched his chest. "I tried so hard to fix this thing inside me that had been shattered by her death. But the only way I could do that was to slowly forget her. And I couldn¡¯t. The closest thing to that was to lock away those memories in the deepest crevice of my brain. For a while, I thought what I did was enough.


    "But then, the moment I found that clue that could reveal why she died, those memories just came flooding in. It was like another round of painful torture. When I saw you and the Lord Qilin, I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to ask for your help. Not because I want closure for what happened to Finnea, but because I wanted to know the identity of the person who did that to her. So, I could take my revenge. Hoping that it would quell this despair.


    "But even with that motivation, I still found myself wasting away my life. And then now, I found out that the person who did this to my wife was already dead. Then where could this hatred go? Who would bear it?"


    [Mashter, the Gatekeeper is too pitiful.] - Eclipse suddenly said, burying his fluffy head on Luo Yan¡¯s chest.


    He couldn¡¯t really me him though for thinking that way. Even Dusk remarkably didn¡¯t contradict the little fox this time.


    The anguish in the Gatekeeper¡¯s voice almost made Luo Yan stepped back. If he didn¡¯t know that the other was an NPC, he would probably be very sympathetic to him right now and would immediately offer words offort. But because he knew the other¡¯s identity as an NPC, the first thing he thought was what would be the right keywords to push this narrative forward?


    Man, he suddenly felt a bit heartless. He could only me those programmers for designing these NPCs too perfectly.


    The Gatekeeper then continued on as he raised his head and said, "But what the Lord Qilin said was correct. I have a good kid. Filli should be enough of a reason for me to continue living." Then he slowly stood up from the bed, even though it was quite obvious that it was taking a toll on his body. He then bowed respectfully to Shen Ji Yun. "Thank you, Lord Qilin, for opening up my clouded mind."


    Shen Ji Yun walked over and helped the other from his bowing posture.


    He wasn¡¯t actually nning onforting this NPC or saying those words. But when the Gatekeeper started to look life less as if the world ended, a particr image ovepped with the other ¨C that of his mother.


    After his father died, his mother fully immersed herself in her grief. She tried to live in her make-believe world ¨C a world where his father was still there with them. And when he tried to do anything that would break that world, she would get violent. She would hurt herself and even him in the process.


    The first time he was pped, he didn¡¯t feel the stinging sensation on his cheek. What he could only see was the woman in front of him with disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes. Then his young mind wondered for the first time ¨C who was this woman and where was his mother?


    He realized that the mother he loved was slowly slipping away from him. Even at his age at that time, he knew that if he did not do something, he would also lose her just like how he lost his father.


    So, he tried everything to bring her back to reality. To be her anchor. But all he got in return were bruises and emotional wounds that even until now still hadn¡¯t healed.


    But he didn¡¯t want to give up. Until that incident happened that forced him to face the truth ¨C he couldn¡¯t save his mother from her own despair. That was probably the first time he realized how weak and powerless he was.


    And so, he epted the helping hand his uncle reached out to him. That was when he learned that sometimes all you could do was to give up. Because not doing so would only make you hate that very important person.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the NPC in front of him. He wondered if his mother had been strong enough, if she chose her son over her own misery, would things turn out differently for the both of them? Could they at least live as normal mother and son?


    Maybe they could have a normal meal with each other, talk about nonsensical things, share how their day had been, simple things like that. Maybe her mother could even smile at him.


    He no longer remembered her smiling face. All he could remember were those eyes filled with nothing. Eyes that couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at him, really look at him.


    A bitter smile unknowingly crossed his lips. What¡¯s the use of thinking about these things? No matter how many what ifs he had, he could no longer change the past. There was only the future. And that, he was sure to not do anything he would regret.


    Suddenly, he felt something soft grasping his own hand. When he gazed down, he saw Luo Yan looking up at him with worry in those blue eyes dusted in gold.

 Chapter 546 that day will never come

    LUO YAN had long noticed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s abnormality the moment the other helped the Gatekeeper to stand up. He had that same look when they were at Tropical Land ¨C when he asked him about thest time he went to an amusement park.


    He looked like he was holding in all his emotions. But in Luo Yan¡¯s eyes, he looked more like he was holding back his tears. Which made him more distressed.


    "Brother Ji Yun, are you alright?" he couldn¡¯t help but asked.


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to wake up from his dazed state. Hearing the obvious worried tone in Luo Yan¡¯s voice, all the negative emotions that had gathered inside him slowly dispersed. And it was slowly being filled with the love he had for this person.


    This was the first time he had gotten out of those dark thoughts just by hearing someone¡¯s voice. Under normal situation, whenever he couldn¡¯t help but think of the past, it would take some time before he coulde out from his depressed mood. Even his uncle had to leave him alone because consoling would only have the opposite effect. But because of that he could only endure the sadness on his own.


    He didn¡¯t me his uncle for that. How could he? His uncle had already done a lot for him. More than what he should be obligated to do. In the strictest sense of the world, the other was probably the only person who treated him as family.


    It was him who wanted to be alone during those moments. Probably because of guilt. Because it was only during those times that he could experience the same numbing sadness that his mother was experiencing everyday of her life ever since his father left them.


    Yes, it was a weird thought. But he probably just wanted to have a certain kind of connection to his mother. To make himself believe that he was still her son. Even though the other clearly didn¡¯t want him. Really, Such useless thoughts. And yet he was still persisting on it until this day.


    But right now, those negative thoughts disappeared in just a sh. And he actually didn¡¯t mind. All because the reason for it was his rabbit.


    This person who could fill his thoughts just simply holding his hand and giving him all his attention. All he could think of was how beautiful Luo Yan was, how soft his hand holding his was, and how much he wanted to pull him into his arms.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that one day, his heart would actually be upied by another person. But it did. His heart was simply overflowing with love for him. And it was to the point that he simply wanted to put him in a room and only let him be with him alone. If not for fear that Luo Yan would hate him, he would have probably already done something to the same level.


    But he wouldn¡¯t do that. As long as he had his reason, he would never do something like that. Not only because he didn¡¯t want to be hated, but because he also wanted for this love to be returned. It was such a shameless thought and yet that was what he longed for.


    He wondered if that woulde true one day. If it did, then he probably would be the happiest on Earth.


    Suddenly, Shen Ji Yun understood his mother¡¯s despair. Something that he had never understood before. He was also deeply hurt and saddened by his father¡¯s passing. But he could continue on because his mother was still there. And yet his mother obviously didn¡¯t think the same. Because he was not enough for her. Her heart, there was probably only ever his father there. There was simply no room for him.


    It was hypocritical to say that he didn¡¯t feel any resentment over that. But as he grew older, he only thought that the fault was probably just on him. Because he wascking. Because he was simply someone that was not easy to love.


    But now, he understood a little bit. Because if Luo Yan was to suddenly disappear from his life, he would probably go insane.


    He smiled inside and felt ironic. Ah, he truly was his mother¡¯s son.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan and tightened his hold over the other¡¯s hand. "I¡¯m okay, Yan Yan. No matter what happens, as long as you¡¯re here, I will probably always be okay."


    Luo Yan felt like those words held a thousand meanings. But he was simply d that the other seemed like he was able to quickly shrug off whatever it was he was feeling earlier. At least, he no longer had that pained look on his face. Luo Yan truly didn¡¯t want to see him like that again. His heart simply ached for him. If possible, he only wanted for Shen Ji Yun to always be happy.


    He knew that the other probably carried a lot of baggage, something that he couldn¡¯t simply unload. It was most likely rted to his family. Even if Luo Yan wanted to know about it, he wouldn¡¯t ask him. Because he knew that if he did, the other would definitely tell everything to him without any hesitation.


    But he wished for Shen Ji Yun to tell it to him on his own volition. That way, he would know that he was ready to share that part of his life to him. And it would be more worth it. But right now, he could only do what he could.


    He smiled up at him and said, "I will always be here. As long as Brother Ji Yun needed me, I will not leave."


    Shen Ji Yun was surprised to hear that, not expecting Luo Yan to say such a thing. It was like the other knew what he was thinking. But he quickly let go of that surprise and just let happiness fill him.


    He smiled and said in his heart ¨C [Then, Yan Yan, you have to stay at my side for a lifetime. Because there would nevere a day when I won¡¯t need you.]

 Chapter 547 finneas curse reward

    THE Gatekeeper gave them a wooden box after he calmed down. No- it¡¯s probably more urate to say that it was not just him who needed to calm down, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun also needed to as well.


    Even though they only had that small conversation and the other didn¡¯t really tell him anything about his past, Luo Yan still felt like both of them had be much closer than before. It¡¯s like they didn¡¯t need words and their hearts still managed tomunicate with one another.


    It was a weird conjecture. But Luo Yan still liked it. Because it showed that the two of them understood each other on an almost spiritual level. How could he not be happy about that? If you and the partner you had chosen could have this level of understanding, you wouldn¡¯t only feel happiness but a different kind of contentment as well.


    It¡¯s like realizing, ¡¯ah, I¡¯m really d this is the person I have fallen for¡¯.


    Then the Gatekeeper suddenly spoke, cutting off Luo Yan¡¯s thoughts. "Inside this box is an item that Finnea had left. I think- I think she would be happy if the two of you received it."


    Luo Yan quickly fell back to the role of a caring junior. "Is it really alright for us to take it?"


    "Yes. Just think of it as a sign of gratitude from our whole family."


    After the Gatekeeper said that, Luo Yan no longer questioned him and just epted the box. Because no matter what he said, he would still have to ept this box anyway. After all, it¡¯s probably their reward for this hidden task.


    "Thank you once again for giving me this final closure," the Gatekeeper added.


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun then said goodbye to the Gatekeeper, expressing their regret that they couldn¡¯t join them for lunch because they still needed to go somewhere. After that, they left the wooden cabin.


    "Finally, I thought the two of you had no ns to leave that ce," Duskined the moment they walked a couple of steps away from the cabin.


    [Uncle ck lizard, you need to be morepassionate. How could you find an auntie for Eclipse if you don¡¯t have a beautiful heart? Even another uncle would probably not want to be your partner.] ¨C the little fox said in a righteous manner.


    Dusk red up again. "Who wants to look for an aunt for you? And what uncle? This king is a male!"


    [Tsk... tsk... tsk... uncle ck lizard should also not discriminate against genders. Don¡¯t you know that the king of Arcadia promotes free love? Just look at Eclipse¡¯s Mashter and Captain, aren¡¯t they the most perfect couple?]


    The miniature version of the dragon was obviously surprised by this statement. Luo Yan, who could hear the whole conversation between the two, quickly spoke before Dusk could do so and say something that would make Shen Ji Yun understand the context of what the two were talking about.


    "Dusk, can you bring Eclipse somewhere to y for a while? I just have something to say to Brother Ji Yun." After he said that, the dragon obviously wanted to refuse. So, he could only add, "Please?"


    Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to blink his big blue eyes while giving the dragon an expectant look. The dragon looked conflicted. But at the end, he still agreed, albeitining in the process.


    "This king will only do this once!"


    Dusk flew from Shen Ji Yun¡¯s shoulder and his talons grabbed Eclipse¡¯s fluffy back before flying away with the little fox who did not forget to call out to his master before being taken away. Luo Yan only waved his hand towards the little fox who looked like he was about to cry.


    He wasn¡¯t worried that Dusk would hurt Eclipse. Although the other was surly, unreasonably violent was not part of his character settings. As evidence, even though he was obviously very reluctant to agree to Luo Yan¡¯s request, he still did so and he even grabbed Eclipse in a gentle manner where the other wouldn¡¯t feel pain.


    After the two left, Luo Yan finally turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Should we open our rewards?"


    "Please," Shen Ji Yun said in a gesture telling the other that he should be the one to do it.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t disappoint him and simply opened the box.


    What¡¯s inside were a pair of earrings. It was that type of long earring that had something dangling at the end. The thread in which it connected the hook and the ornament that was dangling at the end looked like a thin silvery line of moonlight. It was so thin that it looked like it was not even there. The ornament, on the other hand, looked like a beautiful full moon. Which was also giving out a captivating silvery sheen.


    It was beautiful and all but there was only one set of earrings and there were two of them. What, did they have to split the earrings and each would have one? Wasn¡¯t this a bit overwhelming for a reward of a hidden task that was also a chain task?


    Just thinking of all the things they had to do just so they could finish that task and only receiving a pair of earrings as a reward, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. Knowing Shen Ji Yun, he would definitely just give this reward to him. Anyway, it¡¯s better to check the function of this earrings first. He told that to Shen Ji Yun before the other could suggest that he should just have the earrings.


    He put it in his Items Tab and checked its description.


    Moonlight Earrings


    - A pair of earrings blessed by the moon goddess. It¡¯s a special type ofmunication device that would allow two people who were wearing one of each pairmunicate with each other no matter how far they were from one another. It could even give them a signal if one of them were in danger.


    - ording to legends, this pair of earrings are forged by the moon goddess herself for her and her lover. If you have a partner, don¡¯t hesitate to give them the other half of this wonderful earrings.


    Wasn¡¯t this what people would call - couple earrings?

 Chapter 548 everything looks good on you

    LUO YAN showed aplicated expression. He suddenly had a feeling that this game was really hardcore shipping him and Shen Ji Yun. It was not enough that Eclipse, his in-game pet, was always pairing him with the other. And now they¡¯re even giving them couple items.


    Not that he minded. Especially since these earrings were really beautiful. It definitely passed his aesthetic. And this type of item could reallye in handy during some emergency situations.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun. This guy would definitely be happy once he knew the purpose of this item. That¡¯s good. At least it would cheer him up and let him forget whatever sad thoughts he was thinking earlier.


    "It¡¯s amunication device that can let two people who have each of the earrings tomunicate with each other no matter how far apart they are. Then can also know if one is in danger," he started to exin. "ording to the description, this pair of earrings were made by the moon goddess for her lover." He turned around and faced Shen Ji Yun. Then he leaned forward and smiled. "Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s like a couple¡¯s earrings?"


    Shen Ji Yun, who was at first listening carefully to everything Luo Yan said, suddenly felt his whole face heating up the moment he heard thatst part. He didn¡¯t know how to react. Because he wasn¡¯t sure if Luo Yan was just simply stating facts or suggesting to him that they should wear couple earrings.


    He¡¯d rather prefer it to be thetter. He read from one of those forums when he was still confused about his feelings that some couples used simr items and they called those things as ¡¯couple items¡¯. Like a couple rings, couple shirts, couple mugs. When he read about that, he was imagining how great it would be if he and Luo Yan could also have those things.


    And now, it¡¯s really happening!


    He couldn¡¯t exin the excitement he was feeling. It¡¯s like he suddenly won a prize in an event and that prize was something that he had been wanting to have for quite a while now.


    But, was Luo Yan really willing to wear something like a couple¡¯s earrings with him?


    Before he could ask that, Luo Yan spoke once again.


    "Brother Ji Yun doesn¡¯t dislike this reward, right?"


    "Of course not," Shen Ji Yun quickly said. In fact, he liked it too much.


    Luo Yan smiled. Seeing the red tint on the other¡¯s cheeks that still hadn¡¯t subsided, he was kind of d that this was the reward that they received. At least, it could cheer up Shen Ji Yun even just a bit. He probably should also do something to cheer him up and let him forget those sad thought even if for a moment.


    "Then can Brother Ji Yun help me wear one of the earrings?" he asked, smiling up at him.


    Since this was a game, even if he didn¡¯t have a piercing, essories such as an earring would just be automatically put on once the item was near the part of the body where one wanted to put it. The same goes for nes and bracelets.


    Help him wear one of the earrings? Shen Ji Yun had to make sure that he heard it right just in case he was actually just imagining things. After all, he had done a lot of those kinds of ¡¯imagining¡¯.


    "You mean, you want me to put the earring on you?"


    Luo Yan chuckled hearing the uncertainty in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice. Because he made it seem like he just had an auditory hallucination. It was too obvious that the other didn¡¯t believe what he said just now.


    So, Luo Yan put a couple of strands of white hair behind his right ear. He then looked sideways and raised the said ear towards Shen Ji Yun. And then, he gave the other the box holding the earrings.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the box in his hand stupidly and then raised his head to look at the Luo Yan¡¯s delicate pointy ear. He had never seen such a beautiful ear. He gulped. Should he just do it?


    "Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan called, as if telling him, ¡¯hurry, put the earring on me¡¯.


    He ne longer hesitated. He opened the box and take out one of the earrings. Then he gently put it on Luo Yan¡¯s right ear. His only thought right then was ¨C ¡¯how soft¡¯. He really wanted to rub the other¡¯s earlobe for a few seconds more. But he didn¡¯t want to be thought of as a pervert, so he reluctantly let go.


    "Thank you, Brother Ji Yun!" Luo Yan said once the earring was put on him. "Does it look good on me?"


    "Everything looks good on you," Shen Ji Yun said. He did it in such a straightforward manner that it¡¯s like he was saying the most natural thing.


    Luo Yan shook his head. Really, this guy could just turn on his hidden Casanova at random times. And he didn¡¯t even notice that he did it. When a handsome guy, who happened to also be the person you liked, told you such things, even he would feel a bit shy. Really, what a danger to society.


    He stared at Shen Ji Yun and an idea popped into his mind. He smiled yfully. Should he also tease him back?


    "Can I also put the other earring on you?" he asked.


    Hearing that, Shen Ji Yun felt inexplicably shy. Just the thought of his rabbit touching his ear could already make him blush. But still, it made him feel excited. Even if Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t really touch his real ear and just his avatar¡¯s, his excitement still couldn¡¯t be contained. But despite that, all he could say at the end was;


    "Ahm."


    Luo Yan stared at the other¡¯s downcast gaze and the red tint that was blooming on his cheeks. He couldn¡¯t help but appreciate this scene just a tad bit more. Ah, how pretty.


    He took out the other earring and then chose to put it on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s left ear. After putting it on the other, he didn¡¯t let go of his ear and instead rubbed his earlobe.


    "It seems everything also looks good on Brother Ji Yun."


    And just as he thought, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face quickly turned into a ripe tomato.

 Chapter 549 receiving sugar

    "SHOULD we go now to the site of the demon fox tribe?" Luo Yan asked.


    Shen Ji Yun was rubbing his earlobe where the new earring was. He could still feel the heat from when Luo Yan touched it. Remembering what he said about everything looking good on him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel shy again. He was suddenly thankful for his good genes.


    Although he hadn¡¯t really been that aware of his own looks, if his rabbit found him handsome, then there¡¯s no reason for him to not be thankful. As long as he could have something that Luo Yan would like, he would be more than d to be in possession of it.


    "Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan called again when he noticed that the other looked like he was in a daze.


    He raised one of his brows. Was rubbing his earlobe really had such a big effect? He smiled inside. Imagining how it would be like if he touched Shen Ji Yun¡¯s earlobe in real life. Not just that but also other parts of him. He would probably be much redder than a ripe tomato. Maybe it would be on the same level as an overly ripe apple.


    Just thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t wait to have a taste. Ah, that sounded a bit perverted, right? What could he do? Shen Ji Yun simply brings out his inner pervert. Who told him to be this cute, sexy, adorable, and handsome? Even his small smile could give him a crit hit.


    He was suddenly d that not many people could see these sides of Shen Ji Yun. If not, then he would probably have a line of rivals as long as a train track. Even with that cold personality that he constantly showed to unrted people, he could still attract bees and butterflies. Like that captain of team Sirens for example. What more if they knew how adorable he truly was?


    He¡¯d probably had to fight a lot of people. In this regard, Luo Yan was truly lucky. At least he was the only one who could slowly peal off this gift and discover the treasure inside. And he nned to let it remain that way.


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to wake up from his own dazed state when he heard Luo Yan¡¯s call. Thinking back on Luo Yan¡¯s question, he answered, "Uhm. I have the teleportation scroll for the Beastkin Archipgo. We could go there as long as you¡¯re ready."


    Luo Yan smiled at the other¡¯s preparedness. The Beastkin Archipgo was a huge ind where all the different beastkin tribes resided. Each tribe, no matter how big or small they might be, had their own site. For yers who chose the beastkin race or picked the random selection and got a rare beastkin, then these sites would serve as their origin vige.


    "It¡¯s really good to do task with Brother Ji Yun. I don¡¯t have to worry about anything," he said.


    "No, ahm, it¡¯s the least I could do since Yan Yan is the one who mostly does the work in every task," Shen Ji Yun said.


    He was a bit embarrassed by Luo Yan¡¯s praise because just like he said, during the tasks they did together, it was always the other who mostly did the work. He could only do his part by being the logistic guy. Providing Luo Yan of whatever he needed.


    "Don¡¯t say that," Luo Yan said in a slight scolding tone. "Having Brother Ji Yun stand next to me is more than enough help," he added with a smile.


    Shen Ji Yun received another wave of sweetness. Was today his birthday? If Luo Yan continued on giving him sugar, he might really overdose from too much sweetness. Not that he wasining. He¡¯d happily faint from receiving too much sugar from the person he liked.


    "Uhm," he said, not even noticing the bit of shyness in his own voice.


    Luo Yan smiled seeing such a reaction. Ah, he really wanted to jump on this guy. No- he had to control himself. Let¡¯s wait until this body was legal and the two of them finally became an official couple. By then, he could do everything he wanted.


    "Let¡¯s go and get Eclipse and Dusk," he only said.


    A few distance away, they could see the little fox and the miniature version of the ck dragon ring at one another. Even at this distance, he could see that the two were bickering again.


    "Brother Ji Yun, are the fox beastkins considered a rare race?" he thought of asking while they were walking towards where Eclipse and Dusk were.


    "Yes, they¡¯re not as manypared to other beastkins," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Luo Yan already kind of expected that. "Do you think it had something to do with what happened to the tribe and Eclipse¡¯s parents?"


    "Since the game always tried to be as consistent as possible, it would definitely adhere to the narratives it presented. So, yes, I think it was one of the reasons."


    Luo Yan nodded. He also agreed with that. "Does Brother Ji Yun already know where in the Beastkin Archipgo the demon fox tribe¡¯s site is?"


    "I purchased a special map of the whole Beastkin Archipgo. The locations of each tribe are marked on it," Shen Ji Yun said. "We can go there once we teleported to the archipgo¡¯s main city."


    "So, there¡¯s no teleportation scroll that could directly take us to there?" he asked.


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head. "We have to travel manually."


    Luo Yan happened to nce at the mini-dragon. "How about using Dusk as our mode of transportation?"


    Shen Ji Yun also looked at the direction of the dragon. A frown automatically appeared on his handsome face. "Would that dragon even agree?"


    "Well, if you want Dusk to be your pet, I think Brother Ji Yun should find a way to make him more obedient to you." And then as if remembering something, Luo Yan added, "But try not to use violence. Dusk might not willingly be your pet if you do that. It¡¯s better to get along with him. Like me and Eclipse."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s frown became even deeper when he heard that. Because using violence was the first thing that came to his mind.

 Chapter 550 to ride the wind

    SHEN JI YUN n to subdue that ck dragon to force him to agree to be his pet should probably be put on hold. But how the heck should he get along with that dragon? The other¡¯s character setting was like an immature kid who thought that he was the best in everything. And if there¡¯s one thing he wasn¡¯t really good at, then that¡¯s dealing with kids. Especially those bear ones.


    Take Bai Ye for example. He had known the kid since the other was still in the womb of Aunt Xin. He practically saw him grew up from a baby to the bear kid he was now. But even then, the kid still hadn¡¯t warmed up to him.


    Wait- maybe he could ask someone from the programming department to change the dragon¡¯s character setting. That would definitely be the easiest. But after he thought of the idea, he also quickly discarded it. No, why would he use his authority for that kind of thing? If it was for Luo Yan, sure, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do it. But it¡¯s not. So, there¡¯s really no reason for him to do so.


    While he was contemting on that problem, they finally arrived at where the little fox and the dragon were.


    [Mashter!] ¨C Eclipse called upon seeing Luo Yan and quickly jumped into his arms. [Why did you leave Eclipse under the mercy of uncle ck dragon? What would you do if he removed all of Eclipse¡¯s beautiful fur?]


    Dusk snorted in a timely manner. "You¡¯re such a drama queen."


    The little fox¡¯ puffed, his cheeks bulging like a squirrel. Then he red at the dragon. [Eclipse is a boy! So, it should be drama king. Uncle ck lizard is so stupid! Why can¡¯t you even see that?]


    The corner of Luo Yan¡¯s lips twitched when he heard what Eclipse said. Was that really the point? Shouldn¡¯t you be angry that he called you overdramatic instead? He shook his head.


    "Okay, don¡¯t fight, you two," he said before this started to another round of bickering.


    Eclipse raised his fluffy head. He looked at the shiny earring on the Luo Yan¡¯s right ear. Then he happened to nce at Shen Ji Yun who just stood beside Luo Yan. He also saw the same earring on the other¡¯s left ear. Eclipse¡¯s sapphire blue eyes suddenly brightened.


    [Mashter! Mashter! Did you and Captain exchanged promise earrings that¡¯s why you have to throw Eclipse to uncle ck lizard? So, that the two of you could have a special moment together?]


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. What was this fox going on about again? [What promise earrings? Your master has only heard of promise rings.]


    [Isn¡¯t it just the same thing?] ¨C Eclipse said, tilting his head. [You give one another some kind of essory and then you promise to be loyal andmitted to one another.] Then the little fox started acting all aggrieved. [Mashter and Captain¡¯s rtionship have already reached this point and yet Mashter still hasn¡¯t said anything to Eclipse. If the two of you get married, won¡¯t you even invite Eclipse?]


    For the nth time, Luo Yan was d that Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t hear this little guy¡¯s thoughts. He flicked Eclipse¡¯s forehead. [If you don¡¯t stop saying nonsense, I¡¯m really going to let Dusk take care of you.]


    Eclipse expression became more aggrieved. [Mashter doesn¡¯t love Eclipse anymore.] The little fox then jumped to Shen Ji Yun¡¯s arms. [Eclipse will just be with Captain frow now on.]


    [Then, your master will just exchange you for Dusk.] ¨C Luo Yan simply said.


    Eclipse¡¯s face became panicked before jumping back to Luo Yan¡¯s arms. [No, Mashter! You¡¯re not allowed to rece Eclipse! Eclipse should be Mashter¡¯s one and only pet!]


    Luo Yan chuckled and hugged the little fox. [Master is only joking. It¡¯s because Eclipse suddenly said that he chose the captain over me.]


    Eclipse shook his head. [Eclipse was also only joking.] Eclipse nced at Shen Ji Yun. [Sorry, Captain. Eclipse still loves Mashter best.]


    Shen Ji Yun who received such a look only had a question mark on his face. This little guy suddenly jumped into his arms earlier and then quickly jumped back again to Luo Yan¡¯s. Now, he was looking at Shen Ji Yun as if he had done something he was sorry for.


    Seeing the other¡¯s confused look, Luo Yan smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Eclipse was just being a bear child. Don¡¯t mind him."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. Speaking of bear child, he nced at the miniature version of the dragon. The other was looking at Eclipse with a disgusted expression. As if he couldn¡¯t believe that such a stupid being actually existed.


    He sighed. If he had to convince this dragon to let him be their mode of transportation, he might as well do it now.


    "We¡¯re going to the site of the demon fox tribe next," he started. "But we¡¯ll be needing a mode of transportation," he finished not forgetting to look straight at the dragon.


    The dragon obviously received Shen Ji Yun¡¯s sight. As if he understood what the other¡¯s look meant, he quickly red up. "Are you telling this king to act like your personal horse?!"


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun honestly answered. "But calling it ¡¯personal¡¯ was a bit much. After all, you have to bring all of us there. I think ¡¯public¡¯ should be more appropriate."


    Luo Yan almost smacked his head when he heard what Shen Ji Yun said. Was this actually his way of ¡¯persuading¡¯ Dusk? If he was the dragon, he would be spitting fire now.


    As expected, smoke came out of the dragon¡¯s nostrils, as if he would really blow fire at them at any second. He sighed and was already nning to intercede when Shen Ji Yun spoke again.


    "But if the great king doesn¡¯t want to, then I could only do the job myself. Travelling over mountains and rivers is nothing for a qilin like me." Shen Ji Yun then looked condescendingly at the dragon. "It could prove once again that qilins are better than dragons."


    The dragon flew in a rage in front of Shen Ji Yun. "Do you think such a small thing can¡¯t be done by this king? Hah! Fine! This king will let you see what it means for one to ride the wind."

 Chapter 551 how to tame your dragon (ji yun style)

    WHEN Luo Yan opened his eyes, what he first saw was the wide blue sky and then he felt the scorching heat from the sun above. Before he could react, the heat he felt from the sun suddenly disappeared. Confused, he raised his head and saw the light blue barrier surrounding them. It was almost transparent that he probably wouldn¡¯t see it if his avatar didn¡¯t have good vision.


    He smiled. Because there was only one person who could put up this barrier. He nced back and looked at Shen Ji Yun sitting behind him.


    "Brother Ji Yun, is this one of your skills?" he asked, talking about the almost transparent blue barrier.


    "No, just use some useful item," Shen Ji Yun said, shrugging. ying this game for years, it would be inevitable to have convenient items like this one piled up in his Items Tab. "It¡¯s a good way to shield us from the sun."


    Luo Yan smiled helplessly. He bet if the other was alone right now, Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t even think of using this item to shield himself from the sun, as he put it. But because Luo Yan was here, he quickly used it the moment they arrived at this ce. It¡¯s almost like an automatic response.


    Although the heat of the sun in this game wouldn¡¯t really affect him in reality, it would still make him feel ufortable while ying. That¡¯s probably the reason why Shen Ji Yun put up this barrier. It¡¯s like taking care of him and making sure that he was not ufortable just became a second nature for him.


    At that thought, he couldn¡¯t help but smile and warmth simply filled his heart.


    "Then I have to thank Brother Ji Yun for your thoughtfulness," he said.


    Luo Yan then looked down at the city below. They were currently on the wide back of the ck dragon who was now back to his original size. No, it was even bigger than when they fought with him. Probably because all his injuries had now healed. So, he was now back to his optimal state.


    He wanted to chuckle. Because it seemed like no matter how much Shen Ji Yun acted like he disliked the dragon, he still put a lot of effort into his recovery. If not, then Dusk wouldn¡¯t be in such a good state. The other probably spent a lot of high-grade healing potion and rare items just to put the dragon back to his original strength.


    Before using the teleportation scroll, Shen Ji Yun released the seal on the ck dragon that kept him in his miniature form. Then the two of them and Eclipse rode on his back. The dragon¡¯s back was so wide that he and Shen Ji Yun could both sit cross-legged on it without a problem. Showing just how big Dusk¡¯s original form was.


    The moment he opened his eyes earlier was when they teleported at the Beastkin Archipgo. They directly appeared above the archipgo¡¯s main city ¨C Cernos City. It was named after the beast god, Cernunnos.


    And now, the huge shadow of the ck dragon covered this city.


    Luo Yan could already imagine the surprised and panicked expression of the yers currently in the city. This sight would definitely be posted on the game forum. Maybe someone would even think that there¡¯s some hidden event in the Beastkin Archipgo that¡¯s why a dragon suddenly appeared.


    He actually didn¡¯t expect that Dusk would agree to let them ride him, especially after Shen Ji Yun¡¯s provocation. But who would have thought that the dragon would actually buy that set? It¡¯s like seeing a middle school kid bullying an elementary school kid.


    Yes, while the two were arguing, they simply looked like kids in his eyes. One was just slightly older than the other. But, oh well, who cared? It was effective anyway. At least, Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t resort to violence. He was just a bit slightly worried about Dusk¡¯s character setting. Would it really be good to have such a na?ve dragon as a pet?


    He shook his head. Anyway, Dusk¡¯s fighting power could definitelypensate his naivety. So, it probably wouldn¡¯t matter. Right?


    "Can you stop dawdling and just tell me where I should go?" Dusk¡¯s voice suddenly boomed in their ears.


    [Wah! Uncle ck lizard¡¯s voice is so loud. It almost scared Eclipse to death, ah!] ¨C the little fox lying on Luo Yan¡¯sp said exaggeratedly. [Eclipse still thinks that the little uncle ck lizard is better looking that this big version.]


    "You brat, believe it or not this king will throw you off of my back?!" the dragon roared.


    Eclipse quickly hid in Luo Yan¡¯s arms. [Mashter, uncle is threatening Eclipse¡¯s life!]


    Luo Yan chuckled and rubbed the little fox¡¯s fluffy head. [Don¡¯t be afraid. Your uncle just has a sharp mouth but his heart is definitely as soft as tofu.]


    [Ah, like a dog that¡¯s all bark but no bite?] ¨C Eclipse asked.


    "You brat, are you actually calling this king a dog?!"


    [No. Eclipse was simply making aparison.]


    They suddenly felt the rumbling of the dragon¡¯s chest. Luo Yan had a bad premonition. Dusk wouldn¡¯t suddenly breathe fire here, right? It was fine when he was in his miniature version. But doing so now would definitely burn the city below them. He was about to appease this temperamental dragon when a cold voice spoke faster than him.


    "The great king should not waste his breath arguing with children," Shen Ji Yun said. "After all, the king is above doing something na?ve like that, right?"


    The rumbling they felt suddenly stopped and the dragon simply scoffed. "Hmp! That¡¯s right! This king should not waste his breath on this annoying brat!"


    Shen Ji Yun had already expected this reaction. He now finally had an idea on how to get along with this dragon ¨C simply use reverse psychology. He only experimented with this theory of him earlier and to his surprise, it really worked. After what just happened, he now fully confirmed that using this method was the best way to make this dragon obedient.


    Luo Yan turned to him and simply gave him a thumbs up.


    Seeing that, Shen Ji Yun felt a weird sense of pride. And then, he finally told Dusk the direction of the fox demon tribe¡¯s site.

 Chapter 552 fireworks

    LUO YAN nced back at Cernos City that was getting smaller and smaller by the second. He only had a brief look at it earlier. He saw that the setting of the city was like an ancient middle-eastern city. It¡¯s not that the NPCs were wearing turbans or simr clothing style, it¡¯s simply the atmosphere. In fact, while gazing down at the city, he almost felt that he could hear some BGM from that Disney movie ¨C Adin.


    "We can go back and look around the city once we¡¯re done," Shen Ji Yun suddenly said.


    Luo Yan looked at the other and then smiled. Without telling this to the other himself, Shen Ji Yun still managed to guess what he was thinking. It seemed like this guy was getting better and better at understanding him. Maybe if he could understand human emotions more, he would probably have already realized that his feelings were actually the same as what the other had for him.


    But with Shen Ji Yun opening up bit by bit to him, he had no doubt that his understanding of emotions of other and also of himself would just get better and better. Luo Yan was not worried about that happening. In fact, he was looking forward to it.


    He wondered what would happen first, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s realization or his birthday gift for the other? He kind of couldn¡¯t wait to find out. Because no matter which of it happened first, the result would be the same. And it was a result both of them definitely wanted.


    "Okay, let¡¯s do that," he responded to what Shen Ji Yun said earlier.


    [Mashter, are we now really going to the- the ce where Eclipse¡¯s p-parents lived?] ¨C the little fox suddenly asked.


    Luo Yan gazed down and saw the worried expression on Eclipse¡¯s face. [Yes, we are. We¡¯re probably going to learn a lot of things about them.]


    [Then, would there be others like Eclipse?]


    [Yes.]


    Eclipse looked away and asked hesitantly, [Would- would they like Eclipse?]


    Luo Yan was surprised hearing that. Although he knew that this little fox was just a set of codes and data, he couldn¡¯t help but truly treat him like a precious baby. If he could, he would have already pulled him to reality so they could also interact there. That¡¯s why hearing Eclipse asked such a question with that kind of expression, he couldn¡¯t help but feel distressed.


    [Of course, they would. Who would not like you?] ¨C he quickly said.


    [But you¡¯re Mashter, of course, you like Eclipse. But- but those like Eclipse might not like him.] ¨C the little fox said, his voice full of worry. [What if they think Eclipse is ugly and weak and they all dislike me? Eclipse- Eclipse doesn¡¯t want that.]


    Luo Yan hugged the little fox in his arms and rubbed his back gently. [They would definitely not think that. After all, Eclipse is so cute and amazing. And have you forgotten? Your mother was once their leader. If they know that her only offspring is still alive, they would definitely celebrate.]


    He wasn¡¯t exactly sure that that was what¡¯s going to happen. If one looked logically at the situation regarding the tragedy of the demon fox tribe, it¡¯s safe to say that once they learned that Kagetsuki¡¯s child was here, they would wee him with open arms. But with this game, he had already learned to expect the unexpected. So, he probably should baptize Eclipse first and not only tell him all these positive things.


    [But even if they didn¡¯t and they disliked you, you don¡¯t have to care. We¡¯re only here to get your inheritance which is yours by right. Whether they disagree or not, it doesn¡¯t matter. Your master will definitely get your inheritance for you. Because it¡¯s yours. It¡¯s something left to you by your parents. No one is allowed to deprive you of it.] ¨C he said resolutely. [Besides, I¡¯m not the only one with you. Your favorite captain is also with us. Not to mention, your mighty Uncle Dusk. So, there¡¯s no reason for Eclipse to feel scared. Because we will definitely protect you.]


    Eclipse became speechless for a second. Before he could speak, Dusk¡¯s loud snort was heard first.


    "If you¡¯re being such a scaredy-cat, then don¡¯t even dare to refer to this king as your uncle."


    [Who said Eclipse is scared? Eclipse is definitely not scared!] ¨C the little fox quickly retorted. [Uncle ck lizard, why are you bullying Eclipse again? Eclipse is just- just worried, okay?]


    "Why should you be worried about what others think of you? Do you have anything to be ashamed of?" ¨C Dusk countered.


    [Of course not! Eclipse is an upright kitsune, okay?]


    "Then, there¡¯s no reason to be worried. All you need to do is to strut over there with your chin held high up." The dragon tsked. "Such a troublesome brat."


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing the interaction between the two. Although this dragon was indeed like an elementary school kid in almost all aspect, he was like a true godfather to Eclipse just now. At least, he managed to remove the gloomy expression on Eclipse¡¯s face.


    He happened to nce back at Shen Ji Yun. Even though his face was still expressionless, he could tell by the look in his eyes that he was confused at Dusk¡¯s sudden tirade just now. After all, for the other, the dragon just suddenly spoke and said things out of the blue.


    So, he exined it to him, "Eclipse is worried about going to the demon fox tribe¡¯s site and Dusk was justforting him."


    "Moon elf! Who said that this king wasforting that brat?" Dusk quickly said.


    "Yes, yes, I was wrong. You¡¯re definitely notforting him," Luo Yan only said, already learning from Shen Ji Yun on the right way to interact with the dragon.


    "Hmp!"


    Shen Ji Yun ignored the dragon. He moved a bit forward and stretched out his hand towards Eclipse who was being hugged by Luo Yan and rubbed the little fox¡¯s head as ifforting him. Then Luo Yan suddenly nced back at him. Their faces only a few inches away from each other. And that¡¯s when he just noticed their current position.


    Luo Yan had his back towards him. By stretching his hand, it looked like he just hugged the other. No matter which angle anyone looked, he seemed to be caging the other with one of his arms.


    Then his rabbit suddenly smiled. "Brother Ji Yun, are you giving me a back hug?"


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s whole face heated up like something burning was thrown at him. Even if he couldn¡¯t see his face, he was sure that it¡¯s currently all red. No, it¡¯s probably even crimson red. As if blood would seep out of it any minute.


    Before he could think, his body already moved back. Because of the sudden movement, he lost his bnce. He felt his body swayed, like it would fall off from the back of the dragon in the next second.


    He was about to use a skill when a slender hand reached out to him and pulled him back. Causing his body to fall forward. At the end, he fell directly on Luo Yan who turned around to pull him. His head was near the other¡¯s neck, his breath hitting the side of it.


    "Brother Ji Yun, it tickles."


    Hearing Luo Yan¡¯s voice as if he was out of breath, Shen Ji Yun just felt like fireworks exploded in his mind.

 Chapter 553 landing

    SHEN JI YUN quickly rose up and once again moved backward. But this time, he made sure that he wouldn¡¯t fall. His heart was still beating fiercely. Although this was just a virtual world, the feeling of his heart being pumping like it would jump out of his chest was so real.


    Who could me him though? He suddenly fell on the body of the person he liked and then heard that person speak in such a voice. Anyone would have the same reaction as him. It took all of his self-control just to not bury his head on the side of Luo Yan¡¯s neck and sniff him. The fact that he resisted was already like a miracle.


    Even now, he could still hear that phrase ¡¯Brother Ji Yun, it tickles¡¯ in his mind. It¡¯s a perfectly innocent phrase. But his brain was the one that was making it into something that was not so innocent. If this happened in reality, he might have already reacted in apletely embarrassing way.


    He raised his hand and then pped himself to push all those not so innocent thoughts out of his head. It seemed to work since his heart was slowly starting to calm down. Maybe another p would do him good.


    Luo Yan was startled seeing Shen Ji Yun suddenly pping himself. Although he was overly delighted by the other¡¯s reaction as usual, he didn¡¯t want him to hurt himself. So, when he saw Shen Ji Yun about to p himself again, he quickly reached out and held the other¡¯s hand.


    "Brother Ji Yun, you¡¯re not allowed to hurt yourself," he scolded. "If you do this again, I will cry. Do you want that?"


    His threat had an immediately effect because Shen Ji Yun quickly held his hand and promised, "I won¡¯t do it again."


    Then, as if realizing that he was holding his hand, he let it go just as quickly. Luo Yan felt a bit disappointed. He wanted to hold hands a little bit longer.


    Before he could decide if he should hold the other¡¯s hand again, he felt something softnding on his shoulder. He nced at his side and saw Eclipse. When he turned around from where he was sitting earlier to grab Shen Ji Yun and prevent him from falling, he temporarily put down the little fox in his arms.


    [Mashter, why does Eclipse feel that every time you and Captain flirt Eclipse is being fed by something that isn¡¯t really that delicious?] ¨C the little fox suddenly asked.


    Luo Yan almostughed and answered that he was actually being fed dog food. [What do you mean by it¡¯s not delicious? Let me tell you a secret, what I and your Captain feed you is the most delicious thing in the whole of Arcadia.]


    Eclipse¡¯s little face scrunched up, as if not understanding what his master said. [Really? I think my favorite Mana fruit is still more delicious.]


    "Can you three stop moving around?" Dusk suddenly roared. "What do you think of this king¡¯s back, a yground?"


    Luo Yan patted the dragon¡¯s back gently. "I¡¯m sorry, Dusk. We¡¯ll behave from now on." He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Right, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat. "Yes."


    Dusk only scoffed before continuing on towards the direction of the site of the demon fox tribe.


    Their travel became much more peaceful after that. Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t want another repeat of what happened earlier, well, he does but his want to not take advantage of his rabbit was much stronger than that. So, he became much more careful.


    They passed a mountain range. ording to the map, the next area would be a rainforest. A hidden area in that rainforest would be the site of the demon fox tribe. The pin on the map only showed the general area of the location. It was still up to them how to find it.


    Soon, they reached the rainforest. Seeing that they were near the vicinity of the general area where the site was, he said to the ck dragon;


    "Great king, you can stop here."


    Dusk immediately stopped.


    "I don¡¯t think we should let Dusknd below," Luo Yan said looking at the dense forest.


    Although everything was just a bunch of data, letting Dusk destroyed those trees still felt kind of wrong. And more importantly, it might alert the other members of the demon fox tribe. They still weren¡¯t sure if those foxes would wee them. It¡¯s better to be more careful.


    "We can just jump from here," Shen Ji Yun suggested. "


    "Then jump quickly! This king is already getting tired hovering above."


    After Dusk said that, he was suddenly surrounded by a ck smoke. A sign that he was transforming. Then, before they could react, the dragon¡¯s sturdy back that they had been sitting on suddenly disappeared.


    Shen Ji Yun cursed inwardly before reaching out to Luo Yan and holding him into his arms. He was relieved to see that Eclipse was still in Luo Yan¡¯s arms, so he didn¡¯t have to worry that the little fox would be thrown out. To better maneuver himself, he put one of his arms behind Luo Yan¡¯s knees and the other on his back, holding the other in a princess carry. With that, he easilynded on top of one of the tallest trees below them.


    Luo Yan was once again princess carried. But unlike before, he no longer felt embarrassed about it. Having it happened a couple of times could do that. And besides, the one who carried him was Shen Ji Yun. Why would he even feel embarrassed about it?


    Theynded on the ground in a very easy manner. Luo Yan didn¡¯t even feel ufortable because Shen Ji Yun protected him all the way.


    The other happened to gaze down at him and because he was also looking up, their gazes ovepped. He smiled at him and he saw a slight red tint on his cheeks.


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat once again before letting his rabbit down on the ground as gently as he could. He was about to say something when they heard rustling behind them.


    Both he and Luo Yan nced back and was surprised to see the ¡¯person¡¯ walking towards them.

 Chapter 554 most handsome

    THE one walking towards them was a tall man. He had long ck hair scattered over his shoulder and back. He was wearing some kind of ck ancient robe. Its design was simple but very tasteful. Even with the clothes, one could see that his body was perfectly structured. Like some kind of Greek statue.


    Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel that he had seen this guy somewhere. Then he noticed the arrogant glint on his pair of golden beast-like eyes, looking at them condescendingly. Something just clicked in his head. Although he wasn¡¯t sure if his guess was correct, he had a feeling that he really was. Especially after seeing those eyes.


    "Dusk?"


    The man in front of them smirked arrogantly. "You have good eyes, moon elf. You immediately recognized this king."


    Even though he had already guessed it, having this guy admit it himself was still kind of surprising. Probably because he had never expected that Dusk would actually transform to his humanoid form. He just assumed he would transform back to his miniature version.


    But he should have known that Dusk would not do that. After all, with the seal on him lifted, with his personality, he would definitely prefer his humanoid form rather than the miniature form that he thought of as embarrassing.


    Shen Ji Yun was also quite surprised. Although he should have probably already expected this. Legendary races in this game, whether it¡¯s a yer or an NPC, had two forms ¨C humanoid and bestial. Some rare races also had two forms. And, of course, there were the beastkins.


    This dragon, with his kingplex, wouldn¡¯t allow to forever stay in that miniature form. Especially if he could just simply return to his humanoid form.


    Eclipse suddenly jumped from Luo Yan¡¯s arms and started encircling Dusk. [Wow! Are you really uncle ck lizard?] ¨C he asked in a very amazed tone while walking around the dragon, as if inspecting him.


    Dusk looked down at the little fox, his gaze had a mixture of annoyance and arrogance. "Stop calling this king that atrocious name! Don¡¯t you have eyes? In which part of me do you see a lizard?"


    [Yup. You¡¯re definitely uncle ck lizard.]


    Eclipse them jumped to Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder. It¡¯s like after confirming that the handsome guy was indeed Dusk, he already lost interest. Making Dusk looked like he had eaten some spoiled food.


    "Dusk is really handsome," Luo Yanmented when he saw that the dragon might start bickering again with Eclipse.


    As expected, the dragon¡¯s mood quickly soared. He even raised his chin and proudly said, "This king is indeed handsome."


    Shen Ji Yun unconsciously red at Dusk after hearing Luo Yan¡¯s praise. He couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous because of that. Although it was immature, after all the object of his jealousy was basically an NPC in a game, he still couldn¡¯t help it.


    His gaze must have been a little too cold because the dragon quickly noticed it and red back at him. "Why are you looking at this king like that?"


    [Because you¡¯re prying Captain¡¯s corner.] ¨C the little fox said, answering Dusk¡¯s question. [That¡¯s bad, you know? Brothers should not do that to each other.]


    "Who¡¯s prying whose corner? And how could this king be brothers with a qilin?" Dusk roared as if truly offended by what Eclipse said.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s attention was taken by what the dragon suddenly said. Obviously, the little fox probably made a snidement once again that¡¯s why Dusk responded like that. He could only guess what Eclipse said that warranted such a response.


    It probably went along the lines of Dusk prying into his corner. But why would Eclipse even think that? Just because Luo Yanplimented the dragon a bit? Wasn¡¯t that a bit too over the top?


    But well, this was Eclipse they were talking about. Even if he hadn¡¯t heard the other¡¯s voice in his head, his little antics and that short time he ¡¯copied¡¯ someone to transform showed what kind of character setting he had. That kind ofment would definitelye out of the little fox¡¯s mouth.


    "Okay," Luo Yan said, pping his hand to capture everyone¡¯s attention. "Why don¡¯t we all start searching for the site of the demon fox tribe?"


    "We¡¯re already in the vicinity," Shen Ji Yun said, his tone of voice turning back to seriousness. "The demon fox tribe is known for their skills in creating illusion. If we could find some weird formation or something that seemed to be out of ce, it could be the entrance to their site."


    "Hmm... I wonder which great being would help us look for that entrance," Luo Yan said, acting as if he was truly having trouble thinking of a solution.


    Just as he expected, Dusk quickly said, "Hmp! Just something like this and you still need help? As I¡¯ve thought, you really are no match for this king. But because this king is very generous, I will let you see just how great I am. This king will find that entrance in a matter of seconds."


    After arrogantly dering that, the dragon walked deeper into the woods.


    [Mashter, Mashter! Eclipse will also search for the entrance! Eclipse will show to uncle ck lizard that Eclipse is much better than him!] ¨C the little fox said indignantly.


    Luo Yan nced at Eclipse. Considering that the other was also a part of the demon fox tribe, he might indeed have a better chance of finding the entrance. And besides, he nced at the blue gem on Eclipse¡¯s forehead, maybe that could also help in some way.


    [Okay. Master will follow along with you.] ¨C he said, rubbing the little fox¡¯s fluffy head.


    [Mashter, Eclipse will definitely not disappoint you!]


    Eclipse then excitedly jumped down from his shoulder and went on the opposite direction of Dusk. Luo Yan shook his head when he saw such a childish action.


    "Is Eclipse also going to look for the entrance?" Shen Ji Yun asked, watching the little fox.


    "Yes. I will go with him. Brother Ji Yun should follow Dusk. If discover anything, let¡¯s not forget to call the other," Luo Yan said, pointing at their new earrings.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t have any opinion on that and just nodded.


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun." Luo Yan moved closer to Shen Ji Yun and whispered, "I think you¡¯re the most handsome."


    After saying that, he quickly followed Eclipse with a smile on his lips.

 Chapter 555 a set of stairs

    SHEN JI YUN was stunned for a second. It¡¯s like his body just became a statue. Then his whole face heated up. Before he recovered, he only saw Luo Yan¡¯s back. The other was even skipping, as if he was in a very good mood. Seeing that his rabbit was probably just teasing him, he didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh or cry.


    Suddenly, he had a realization. Didn¡¯t it seem like Luo Yan was enjoying teasing him too much? Now that he thought about it, it was something that had been happening ever since the two of them met. He just didn¡¯t notice because he didn¡¯t do it quite often. But after the preliminaries of the Rookie Carnival, it seemed that Luo Yan decided to no longer pull his punches.


    Take today for example. He already couldn¡¯t count how many times he felt that his heart would jump out of his body. And his rabbit seemed to enjoy seeing him in such a state. As evidence of the teasing smile he would always inadvertently show.


    Shen Ji Yun actually didn¡¯t know how to react to that realization. Should he be happy that Luo Yan was paying attention to him? Of course, it was something to be happy about. It¡¯s just... he didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to just approach him like this because he simply enjoyed his reaction. He wanted it to be more than that.


    Aside from that, there was also that obvious issue that his rabbit continued on like this, his virtual heart might not be able to take it. He would probably be the first person who would ever be sent to the emergency room because of too much heart palpitation because of ying a virtual game.


    Should he discuss this with Luo Yan? But what would he say, ¡¯Yan Yan, can you stop teasing me? If you continue, I might have a heart attack¡¯. That would certainly be too shameful.


    He shook his head. Let¡¯s not think about that now. He should focus on the task at hand. At least for now.


    So, he walked towards the direction where the dragon went.


    Luo Yan happily followed Eclipse. Thatst expression on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face was truly lovely. Ah, if only he could tease him every second, every minute of the day, that would be the dream. Just thinking of that, he could already envision how wonderful their future would be together.


    [Mashter, why do you have such a weird smile on your face?]


    Eclipse¡¯s sudden voice in his head woke him up from his daydreaming. Then he thought of what the little fox said. He was actually smiling? He touched his lips and just like what Eclipse said, the corner of his lips was indeed bent into an arc. Well, that¡¯s not really surprising.


    Every time he thought of Shen Ji Yun, he always had a smile on his face. It had be almost an automatic response now.


    [This is not a weird smile.] ¨C he said to Eclipse. That was the smile of someone thinking of doing weird things to the person they liked. He almost added that but he quickly stopped himself. He didn¡¯t want to corrupt Eclipse any further. [Have you noticed anything?] ¨C he asked instead, changing the subject.


    Eclipse shook his head. [Not yet. But since walking to this direction, the gem on Eclipse¡¯s head started to feel hot.]


    When he heard that, Luo Yan crouched down and touched the blue spherical gem on the little fox¡¯s forehead. But it just felt cold to his touch. He didn¡¯t consider if Eclipse was lying because he was sure that he¡¯s not.


    Eclipse¡¯s current identity in the game was his pet. As his master, he wouldn¡¯t lie to him. That meant that only Eclipse could feel the change in temperature of the blue jewel. Considering how this gem was also on Kagetsuki¡¯s forehead before she died, the change in it now definitely meant something.


    [Try to go to the direction that would make the gem on your forehead heat up even more.] ¨C he said, then he gently rubbed the little fox¡¯s head. [But if it¡¯s too ufortable, tell it to me quickly and we will stop. Don¡¯t try to take everything by yourself. Remember, your master is always right behind you to give you support.]


    [Okay, Mashter. Eclipse knows.] ¨C Eclipse said, his sapphire blue eyes even more determined than before.


    The little fox nced from left to right, then chose the one to his left. Luo Yan stood up and followed.


    As they went deeper and deeper into the forest, Eclipse would stop from time to time. Most likely because he was pondering where the right direction was. He wanted tomunicate with Shen Ji Yun using the earring. But he was worried that he might get distracted if he did that. That guy was probably thinking the same, because if not, he would have long contacted him.


    This continued on until they reached a very steep cliff. Eclipse stopped at the very end of that cliff. Luo Yan looked below the cliff. There was a river below. Seeing how he could clearly see the rock formation in it, the river must be very shallow. He was about to say something to Eclipse when he saw that his little fox suddenly copsed.


    [M-Mashter, the gem, it¡¯s like on f-fire!] ¨C Eclipse eximed. [I-it hurts! It h-hurts so much!]


    Luo Yan quickly crouched down and gently held the little fox in his arms. [It¡¯s okay. Everything is going to be okay.]


    As soon as he said that, the gem on Eclipse¡¯s forehead suddenly glowed, releasing a bright blue light. That scattered light condensed and became a straight line, pointing at something ahead of the cliff. Then something weird happened right after.


    The air in front of them flicker. As if a drop of water fell on a silentke, disturbing its tranquility. Then the scene around them slowly changed. The cliff disappeared and they were back again at the forest. And in front of them appeared a long stair. At the top was one of those red torii gates that could be found in a Japanese shrine.


    Luo Yan gazed down at the fox in his arms. Eclipse was panting and sweating. He looked really ufortable. He had a feeling that it had something to do with whatever was on top of this set of stairs.

 Chapter 556 entering the torii gate

    BUT before checking what was really at the end of these stairs, Luo Yan should take care of Eclipse first. He took out a high-grade cooling potion from his Items Tab and gently helped the little fox drank it.


    [Does it help?] ¨C he asked.


    The little fox barely nodded his head. [It- it doesn¡¯t b-burn that much anymore.]


    Luo Yan let out a sigh of relief hearing that. It¡¯s a good thing that he always bought all kinds of high-grade potions. [If you need more, just tell master, okay?]


    [Mashter, Eclipse- the gem on Eclipse¡¯s forehead, it¡¯s like telling Eclipse to go there.] ¨C Eclipse said, weakly raising one of his paws towards the stairs.


    [Master knows. We will go there. Eclipse can stay here in your master¡¯s arms safely.] ¨C Luo Yan said while hugging the little fox and gently rubbing the other¡¯s back.


    He felt the little fox¡¯s head nodding. He gazed down and saw that Eclipse closed his eyes, almost as if asleep. He patted his back gently once again and just let the other rest.


    He raised his head and looked ahead. Based on what Eclipse said about the gem telling him to go to wherever these stairs were leading, it¡¯s evident that there was indeed something there.


    But before going there, he should probably contact Shen Ji Yun. So, he touched the earring on his right ear and said, "Connect me to YUN."


    ording to the item¡¯s description, this was the method to contact the other person who had the other pair of the earrings. It didn¡¯t take a few seconds before he could hear Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice. It was so clear that it almost felt like he was standing right beside him. No- it¡¯s more like he was whispering to his ears.


    If Shen Ji Yun was here, he would probably see Luo Yan¡¯s ear tips turning red. Then he would probably be all shy again because of that. Or maybe his hidden Casanova trait would awaken again and instead do something that would make Luo Yan shy. In any case, he had already missed such a great opportunity to see such a rare scene.


    "Yan Yan," Shen Ji Yun called. "Is there a problem?"


    Luo Yan quickly shook off the shyness he felt earlier and just focused on what was happening right now. "I¡¯m not yet sure if it¡¯s a problem. The gem on Eclipse¡¯s forehead seemed to have broken some kind of illusion. Now we¡¯re standing in front of a long stair that looked to be the entrance to a shrine. We¡¯re nning to go there now. How about--"


    He stopped when he heard some kind of background noise from where Shen Ji Yun was. Like a sword shing against a hard object. The sound was so clear that he was sure of it.


    "Brother Ji Yun, is something happening there?" he asked instead.


    Luo Yan heard some kind of ¡¯woosh¡¯ sound before he heard the other¡¯s response. "Well, we also have a bit of trouble here." Another sound of the sword cutting up something. "Dusk couldn¡¯t find anything. So, being the genius that he is, he decided to just blow up everything. We¡¯ve attracted a lot of monsters. And now, we¡¯re being surrounded."


    Then Luo Yan heard Dusk shouting, "Hey, you! Are you badmouthing this king?"


    In which Shen Ji Yun replied with, "I called you a genius, didn¡¯t I?"


    Despite the situation, Luo Yan almost wanted tough. Because he could already picture the dragon having a confuse expression wondering if Shen Ji Yun was really telling the truth or not.


    But he couldn¡¯t say that he was surprised to hear what was happening with the two right now. With Dusk¡¯s personality setting, he would certainly do what Shen Ji Yun had said. He wasn¡¯t worried though. Since his earring was not giving him a signal that the other owner was in danger, that must mean that Shen Ji Yun could easily handle the monsters attacking them right now.


    "The dragon and I will immediately go to where you and Eclipse are after we take care of the monsters here," Shen Ji Yun said to him.


    Aside from sending them ¡¯danger signal¡¯, the earrings could also act as some sort of GPS signal. So, its two owners could easily know the location of one another. Just as Luo Yan said before, it¡¯s really quite the convenient item.


    "Okay. Be careful, Brother Ji Yun."


    "You as well."


    Then, they ended the contact.


    Luo Yan then started climbing the stairs. He made sure that Eclipse was safely tucked in his arms before sprinting ahead. Then he felt Eclipse¡¯s body started to shiver. It only got worsened as they got nearer towards the entrance. Because of that, he had to stop in his tracks.


    [Eclipse, do you need me to feed you the potion that you drank earlier?]


    The little fox shook his head. [M-Mashter... someone- someone is calling Eclipse. T-they wanted me to go th-there. P-please, Mashter, take me there.]


    Luo Yan easily understood where this ¡¯there¡¯ was. It¡¯s most likely what¡¯s waiting beyond this torii gate. He was worried about this ¡¯voice¡¯ that Eclipse mentioned. But if he didn¡¯t go there, then this narrative wouldn¡¯t progress. He just had to be ready for any attacks that mighte.


    [Okay. We will go there now.]


    He once again bundled up Eclipse in his arms and continued running forward. When he was about to cross the torii gate, he felt a strong invisible force preventing him from going ahead. He could feel how much it wanted to repel him. He gritted his teeth, protected the little fox in his arms, and continued forward.


    The resistance of this invisible barrier just became stronger until he felt like he would be thrown out. So, he had no choice but to step back.


    [M-Mashter... it h-hurts...]


    Hearing Eclipse¡¯s whimper, his heart felt like it was pinched. He gently rubbed the other¡¯s back once again and tried tofort him. [It¡¯s okay. Everything is going to be okay. Master will make sure that it won¡¯t hurt anymore. So, just bear with it for a little while, okay Eclipse?]


    He red at the torii gate as if it was the bane of his existence. When he was thinking of using his skill ¨C [Shadow Walk], the gem on Eclipse¡¯s forehead shone once again.

 Chapter 557 ball of light

    THIS time, the blue light was even brighter. It surrounded Eclipse¡¯s tiny body. Luo Yan had to close his eyes because of the brightness. Then he felt his arms lightened. He suddenly had a bad premonition. He moved his arms and there was nothing there. Just as he had already guessed.


    He readily opened his eyes without a care that he might be blinded. And amidst the bright light, he saw Eclipse¡¯s body floating like a ball of blue light. He tried to catch that bundle of light. But that ball of blue light shot towards the entrance of the torii gate like some kind of cannonball. Even with his speed, he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch it. Not to mention that this torii gate was still rejecting him.


    "Shit," he cursed.


    Even if his eyes felt ufortable because of the bright light, he still didn¡¯t close it and watch carefully in which direction the blue ball of light ¨C which was Eclipse¡¯s body ¨C was going. He didn¡¯t close his eyes until that blue ball of light disappeared from his sight.


    Seeing the possible location where the ball of light should havended, Luo Yan finally closed his eyes. When he could no longer feel the brightness, he readily opened his eyes and walked towards the torii gate.


    This time, he no longer wasted time trying to enter but immediately used his [Shadow Walk] skill. He looked down and saw that his shadow got passed the torii gate. He quickly dived into it. Once he jumped up and left the shadow, he was already at the other side of the torii gate.


    He didn¡¯t celebrate this feat and just ran towards the direction where Eclipse could be. He didn¡¯t even look at his surroundings. All he could think of was to save his little fox.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to arrive at the possible location. Once he did, he immediately stopped on his tracks. He didn¡¯t need to look for Eclipse because he quickly saw him the moment he reached that area.


    There was a statue of a woman. She was wearing a costume that was usually worn by shrine maidens. There¡¯s a pair of fox ears on top of her head and nine tails behind her. She was looking gently at her hands that were made to look like she was scooping something.


    And now, on top of those hands was the ball of blue light.


    The ball was no longer shining brightly. In fact, it now only looked like a transparent bubble with a blue hue. And inside that blue bubble was Eclipse.


    The little fox looked like he was peacefully asleep. Luo Yan felt a bit relieved. At least, Eclipse didn¡¯t look like he was in pain anymore. But even if that was the case, his worry didn¡¯t be any less. Because something was definitely happening here. He was just not sure if it was something good or bad. And because of that, he wasn¡¯t sure what his next move should be.


    He looked at the face of the statue and just now realized how familiar the face was. And then as if a light bulb turned on in his head, he remembered where he had seen it. It was on Lhoris¡¯ memories ¨C the ones that the other saw from Dusk¡¯s memories by using his special eyes.


    This was the statue of Kagetsuki ¨C the mother of Eclipse.


    Luo Yan suddenly had a guess. The reason why they were here right now was because of the gem on Eclipse¡¯s forehead. The little fox said earlier that he heard some kind of voice calling him. And that voice wasing from this ce.


    Considering that they were here to get Eclipse¡¯s inheritance and the other was now being surrounded by light while floating on top of the palm of his mother¡¯s statue, one could say that this phenomenon might have something to do with that so-called ¡¯inheritance¡¯.


    Knowing that Eclipse might not be in danger right now and that what was happening might be advantageous to him, he still couldn¡¯t put down his worry. Because the key word here was ¡¯might¡¯. There was still a chance that he could be wrong. That¡¯s why Luo Yan couldn¡¯t rx.


    Before he could decide whether to interrupt what was happening to Eclipse right now, he suddenly senses something dangerous approaching his direction. On reflex, he jumped back. Then he saw a kunai buried on the ground where he was formerly standing. If he didn¡¯t jump fast enough, that kunai would have hit him.


    He felt another attack from behind. So, he quickly drew his daggers and flexibly turned around to face the iing attack. A katana shed with his daggers. He raised his head to look at the owner of the sword and saw a male kitsune.


    He had short orange hair and a pair of bright orange eyes. There were five tails fluttering behind him. And he was wearing some kind of ninja costume.


    "You impertinent trash! What kind of dirty method did you use to enter our sacred grounds?"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. So, was the setting of this NPC a hot-blooded young man? That¡¯s the worst type to deal with in this kind of situation.


    "Calling me a ¡¯trash¡¯ is such an overkill, don¡¯t you think?"


    "Shut your trap and just answer my question!"


    "How can I answer your question if you want me to shut up?"


    The orange-haired kitsune gritted his teeth. He was obviously very annoyed with how Luo Yan was acting. He no longer said anything and just attacked. One of his hands let go of the hilt of the katana. He used this free hand to throw two leaves on both Luo Yan¡¯s side.


    These two leaves were suddenly burned by an orange fire and two identical copies of the orange-haired kitsune suddenly appeared. The three kitsune surrounded him, mixing with one another and probably trying to confuse him as to who was the real one. And then the three attacked Luo Yan at the same time.


    With an enemy in front and two on both sides, it seemed like a hopeless situation. But, of course, that didn¡¯t apply to Luo Yan. He utilized his speed as an Assassin to block all the iing attacks. He was doing that while looking for an opening. Because even though there were three enemies, he knew that only one was real.


    And he knew just which one it was.

 Chapter 558 same scent

    HOW could Luo Yan not know? He hadn¡¯t removed his gaze on the original since the other threw those two leaves. That¡¯s why even if two more copies of him appeared and tried to confuse him, he still knew who was the real one.


    He sensed an attacking from the left. He raised his dagger and repelled it. It¡¯s a good thing that he was using double-wielding weapons. It was easier to repel attacks from all sides. With his speed, he barely received any major damage.


    The orange-haired kitsune ¨C the real one ¨C raised his katana as if preparing for a big attack. Luo Yan finally found his opening. Before the other could do his ¡¯big move¡¯, he quickly used one of his skills ¨C [Strike Kill].


    It was one of his more powerful skills against a single enemy. His hitnded and the kitsune was thrown off quite a distance. His back hitting a tree. The two fake kitsunes suddenly turned into mes and disappeared.


    Luo Yan walked towards the orange-haired kitsune who now couldn¡¯t move. Because the other was wounded by his dagger, the Eternal Lotus was now in effect. Stopping the other¡¯s time for three seconds.


    "Now, what should I do to you?" he pondered while looking down at the kitsune.


    Before he could decide, he felt another presence creeping behind him. He dropped one of his daggers and it quickly fell into his shadows. And just as he expected, he heard a grunt from behind.


    He looked back and saw a red-head male kitsune lying on the ground. His dagger was buried on the other¡¯s shoulder. He nced at the orange-haired kitsune, he seemed to have already lost consciousness. So, he simply walked towards this newly arrived kitsune.


    He bent down and took out the dagger from the other¡¯s shoulder. Because of the effect of the Eternal Lotus, the kitsune¡¯s time was still stopped. So, he could freely stare at the other. He had red hair and was also wearing the same ninja-like costume. He was shorter than the orange-haired and looked much younger. His eyes that were wide open were as red as his hair. And behind him were four fluffy tails.


    A four-tailed, huh?


    It didn¡¯t take long for the effect of the Eternal Lotus to wear off. The redhead kitsune immediately red at him.


    "What did you do to me just now?" the other shouted while quickly standing up and jumping away from him. "You viin! Are you here to destroy our vige? Let me tell you this, even if I have to sacrifice my life, I won¡¯t let you take even a single step to our vige!"


    Ah, another hot-blooded youth.


    Before he could respond, the young kitsune looked towards the direction of the orange-haired one. Then his eyes widened in shock. He pointed his finger tremblingly at Luo Yan. "You- how dare you kill Mikado?"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. "Child, why are you so quick inbeling your friend there as dead? Don¡¯t tell me you secretly wanted him to be dead?" he asked in an amused tone.


    The kitsune red even more fiercely at him. "You¡¯re the one who should be dead!"


    The other was about to attack him when a sh of white made its way to their direction and stopped at the middle. Then a female kitsune appeared. Unlike the other two, she was wearing some kind of priestess costume almost simr to one the statue Kagetsuki was wearing. The both of them even looked kind of simr.


    But unlike Kagetsuki, she had long white hair that was styled in a loose braid. Her eyes were even a lighter shade of blue than Kagetsuki. If Kagetsuki¡¯s beauty was like a lily of the valley ¨C enchanting and wild, then this female kitsune was like that of a white rose ¨C gentle but still with a touch of elegance.


    And the most important part was that she had eight tails behind her. She had the most number of tails he had seen apart from Kagetsuki.


    "Stand down, Akashi," the female kitsune said to the redhead. Even her voice sounded gentle. Almost like a melodious bell.


    "B-but High Priestess--! That person trespassed on our sacred ground! He even killed Mikado!" the redhead immediatelyined.


    "Mikado just lost consciousness. I¡¯ve already healed him. Go and bring him back to the vige."


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised to hear that. He nced back at the unconscious orange-haired who these bunch were calling ¡¯Mikado¡¯ and saw that the wound he received from his attack was really gone. Just when did this woman heal him? Well, she¡¯s an eight-tailed kitsune. So, it¡¯s kind of understandable if he didn¡¯t feel her presence much earlier.


    "But¡ª"


    "Akashi." The female kitsune walked towards the redhead and hovered her hand on top of his wounded shoulder. A gentle white light appeared and when it was gone, so too was the wound on the redhead¡¯s shoulder. "Go and bring Mikado back to the vige."


    That¡¯s only what it took for the redhead named Akashi to nod his head and walk towards Mikado. He crouched down and effortlessly put the still unconscious kitsune on his back. Before leaving, he did not forget to re at Luo Yan and shout;


    "If you dare hurt the High Priestess, everyone in our vige will hunt you down until you¡¯re dead!"


    Then he jumped to one of the nearby trees and disappeared from their sights.


    "My apologies for the younger generation¡¯s attitude. He¡¯s only acting that way because he cares for his fellow tribesmen," the female kitsune said.


    Luo Yan shrugged. "It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t really mind."


    The female kitsune turned to him. "This traveler, may I ask what¡¯s your rtionship with the little kitsune over there?"


    Luo Yan looked at the blue bubble. Eclipse was still inside and nothing seemed to have changed since that orange-haired kitsune appeared. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good thing or what. He then returned his gaze to the female kitsune.


    "Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m his guardian."


    He had a feeling that if he said ¡¯pet¡¯, this woman might just directly attack him. And, well, a guardian wasn¡¯t really that far-off from the truth.


    "A guardian," the female kitsune repeated before walking towards the statue of Kagetsuki. "This little one, he had the same scent as my sister."

 Chapter 559 the elementum

    EVEN though he had already expected something along this line, Luo Yan was till very much surprised by what he heard. He had suspected that this woman was somehow connected to Kagetsuki. But who would have thought that she would turn out to be her sister?


    He walked beside the female kitsune and also looked at Eclipse. "It¡¯s because this one is Kagetsuki¡¯s son," he said, not even beating around the bush. He turned to the female kitsune. "She¡¯s your sister, correct?"


    This time, it was the turn of the female kitsune to be shocked. Her expression was akin to that of someone who had heard something that she didn¡¯t think she would hear even in her wildest imagination. It was even more pronounced because the gentle expression on her face finally changed. Like a peacefulke that had been disturbed.


    She turned sharply towards Eclipse and narrowed those light blue eyes at the little fox. Luo Yan had a guess that she was most likely looking at the blue gem on Eclipse¡¯s forehead. She would definitely recognize it as the same one that was on her sister¡¯s forehead ¨C the symbol of being the leader of the demon fox tribe.


    After a few seconds, her expression returned back to normal. But if one looked closely, they would see that her light blue eyes had a new kind of vigor in them. Like a nt that was dying in drought and was suddenly showered by an invigorating rain.


    She was now looking at Eclipse as if she was gazing at a very important treasure. The love in those gentle blue eyes was blooming at an unbelievable speed.


    Luo Yan was relieved seeing her reaction. At least he could be sure that this NPC was not some hidden viin boss that was connected to the massacre of the demon fox tribe a hundred years ago. It would be really heartbreaking for Eclipse if newfound aunt of his turned out to be an enemy.


    He was actually readying for an attack just in case this woman turned out to be one of those bad characters that was coveting the blue gem. Thank heavens she wasn¡¯t. But now, he had to worry about another thing. Whether this female kitsune would demand for Eclipse to remain here and be the next leader of the tribe or something.


    But before he worried about that, he had to make sure of something first.


    "Do you know what¡¯s happening right now?" he asked, referring to Eclipse being suddenly surrounded by that blue light and flew over to this statue of Kagetsuki. "Is it dangerous? Would it hurt him?"


    The female kitsune finally looked at him. Her expression showed a kind of relief, as if she was d that he was worrying about Eclipse. Ah, really, the expression pack of these NPCs was really top notch.


    "No, this situation won¡¯t hurt the little one. It would only be to his advantage."


    Luo Yan finally breathed out a sigh of relief when he heard that. "Then, what exactly is this ¡¯situation¡¯?"


    "He¡¯s currently inheriting what is rightfully his."


    That answer confirmed Luo Yan¡¯s guess since earlier. So, Eclipse was indeed getting his inheritance right now. He didn¡¯t expect that they would get the inheritance right off the bat. But this was better in a way. At least they didn¡¯t have to go to some treasure hunt or convince the demon fox tribe to give them the inheritance. He probably should thank that blue gem in a way. It made this errand a lot easier.


    "Can you exin to me this ¡¯inheriting¡¯ process?" he asked because he really wanted to know.


    "If you already know about my sister, then I assume that you have an idea what the blue gem on the little one¡¯s forehead is."


    "I only know that it¡¯s the symbol of the leader of the demon fox tribe," Luo Yan answered honestly.


    "That¡¯s one aspect of it. But more importantly, it contains the power that only the leader of our tribe should have. An almost infinite amount of Mana and aplete mastery of the element they are most attune with. That¡¯s why the gem was given the name Elementum," the female kitsune exined. "When a leader of our tribe dies or decided to abdicate from their position, the Elementum then would choose the next owner. And henceforth, the next leader."


    Luo Yan understood one important thing from that. "You mean, this Elementum is not inherited through blood connection or something?"


    Based on what the other said, it seemed that Eclipse didn¡¯t have this gem because Kagetsuki chose to give it to him. But more like the gem itself chose Eclipse.


    The female kitsune shook her head. "The Elementum is the only one who has the right to choose its next owner. And it seemed that it had chosen this little one here," he said thatst part while looking at Eclipse. "For the Elementum topletely activate, it needed the Mana, no matter how small, of the former owner. This statue contains the Mana of my sister. Now that I thought about it, it was probably a good thing that she decided to save a small amount of her Mana before that... incident happened."


    The moment she said that, a gloomy atmosphere almost instantly surrounded her.


    Luo Yan was certain that she was talking about that incident a hundred years ago when Kagetsuki, her partner, and other members of the demon fox tribe were killed. It was supposed to be a happy event ¨C the official union between Kagetsuki and her partner. But ultimately, it ended in tragedy.


    The female kitsune tried her best to shake off the loneliness and sadness she was feeling. She didn¡¯t speak again until she managed to calm down. "May I know what¡¯s the name of the little one?"


    "I named him Eclipse," Luo Yan answered. "It probably doesn¡¯t conform to how your tribe usually name your newborns. I hope the people of your tribe won¡¯t dislike it."


    "I can assure you, we won¡¯t. You¡¯re right that this name wouldn¡¯t be heard in our tribe. But it¡¯s beautiful nheless. I could see that you didn¡¯t just randomly give him this name and gave it a lot of thought." The female kitsune turned to him, her eyes had a bit more kindness in them. "Thank you for that. Sir...?"


    "No, I didn¡¯t really do that much. And my name is Noctis. How about you, may I know your name?"


    "Look at my manners, not introducing myself first," she said, appearing a bit disappointed about herself for not immediately introducing herself. "My name is Shirayuki."


    Shirayuki, it oddly rhymes with Kagetsuki. If his knowledge of Country R¡¯snguage was correct, ¡¯Shirayuki¡¯ meant ¡¯white snow¡¯ while ¡¯Kagetsuki¡¯ meant ¡¯shadow moon¡¯. That¡¯s a pretty great naming sense.


    Shirayuki once again looked at Eclipse. "Seeing the little one¡¯s ¨C no, Eclipse¡¯s current body. He looked like he had only broken out of his shell. Which was almost impossible considering that we had lost him a hundred years ago. Can you tell me how you found him and how you became his guardian?"


    Before Luo Yan could answer, a huge ck dragon suddenly covered the sky. And then a handsome qilin jumped from its back.

 Chapter 560 perfect landing

    IT took a few minutes before Shen Ji Yun and Dusk managed to kill all the monsters that besieged them. The first thing he did after that was to check his Map and looked for Luo Yan¡¯s location. Once he ascertained it, he quickly ran towards that direction. He ignored the dragon that was already getting on his nerves.


    "Hey, qilin, where are you going now?"


    Shen Ji Yun did not respond and just continued to run following the signal that was blinking on the Map.


    "Hey, this king is talking to you!" the dragon, who had already caught up with him, shouted again.


    Shen Ji Yun only gave the other a cold nce as a respond. He made sure that all his displeasure could be felt in that nce. He didn¡¯t care if the other was just a bunch of data and probably couldn¡¯tprehend why he was ring at him right now. He just wanted to show him how much he¡¯s annoyed. In fact, if he wasn¡¯t rushing to where Luo Yan was right now, he would probably have already attacked this stupid dragon.


    "Hmp! Getting angry over nothing," Dusk muttered. But he promptly shut up and just followed him.


    Shen Ji Yun could finally run in peace. With his speed, it didn¡¯t take long for him to reach his destination. The dragon was able to match up his speed and also arrived at the ce almost at the same time as him.


    What¡¯s in front of them was a steep cliff and below was a river. He carefully remembered what Luo Yan had said to him earlier about this. The scene in front of them was just an enchantment ¨C an illusion to be exact. ording to what Luo Yan said, there should be a set of stairs here and at the end of that was a torii gate.


    "Why is there an enchantment here?" Dusk suddenly asked.


    Shen Ji Yun nced at the dragon. This guy probably had the [Dragon Sight]. It¡¯s an innate skill that only high-ranking dragons in the game had. But it was something very rare. Even those yers who belonged to the dragon race couldn¡¯t gain this skill no matter how high their level was. From what he knew, one needed to aplish a particr task before they could have it.


    This skill could see through any illusions. So, that¡¯s why this dragon was so confident earlier that he could find the site of the demon fox tribe. But in this situation, it didn¡¯t matter whether the other could see through the illusion. What¡¯s important was to destroy it.


    "Can you destroy it?" he asked.


    Dusk scoffed. "Of course, I can. But I might set everything on fire if I do. So, I¡¯m now giving you a heads up in case you get all pissy again."


    Shen Ji Yun brows furrowed a bit. So, that¡¯s a no-go then. He couldn¡¯t let Dusk set this ce on fire. After all, his rabbit was still there. Whatever progress he was doing over there, he couldn¡¯t just let it all go to waste by letting the dragon set the whole ce on fire.


    He looked forward, pondering what he should do. Then he raised his head and the sky. An idea suddenly popped into his mind.


    "Hey, your highness, can you fly me over?"


    He could fly on his own with his qilin beast form. But there were some actions that were not easy to do in that form. It would be better to just utilize this dragon.


    "Of course, I can. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I would," the dragon said, puffing out his chest as if proud that he just said something smart.


    Shen Ji Yun almost had the urge to pull out his own hair because of irritation. Seriously, why was the character setting of this dragon like this? He took a deep breath to calm down. After he was sure that he wouldn¡¯t directly pull out his sword and sh this guy, he said;


    "I willpensate you. Of course, it would be something worth it for a king like you."


    The dragon looked like he was considering his offer. At the end, he snorted and said, "It better be worth it or I¡¯ll beat your qilin¡¯s ass!"


    Then, without warning, he suddenly turned into his dragon form.


    Shen Ji Yun also did not waste time and immediately jumped to the dragon¡¯s back. Dusk flew over the enchantment and just as Shen Ji Yun had guessed, the enchantment didn¡¯t cover the sky. But it seemed that one needed to be in a certain height in order to get past it. They had to have the ability to fly at least.


    Now, he could see the ce hidden by the enchantment. He could see the stairs and the torii gate Luo Yan mentioned. After that was a building that looked like a Shinto shrine. But the most impressive was the statue that even he could see at this distance. But what took his attention more was the figure of Luo Yan which was currently standing very close with some female NPC.


    "Hey, isn¡¯t that the moon elf?" Dusk said. "Why is he having some rendezvous with some female fox? Wait- the brat said the two of you are a couple. Is he actually cheating on you?"


    Shen Ji Yun felt like a vein on his forehead just popped because of Dusk¡¯s nonsense. But he couldn¡¯t deny that what this stupid dragon had said truly hit a nerve. So, instead of answering, he just jumped down from the dragon¡¯s back.


    He was about to use one of his skills to break his fall, but hallway there, he met resistance. Like some kind of invisible shield. It was repelling him and preventing him from going down. His patience was already running thin. So, he simply took out his sword and used one of his more powerful skills.


    He raised his sword and thrust it downward. At the same time that he did, a powerful lightning struck down on the shield. Just like that, it shattered into pieces. With nothing to stop him, he continued his descent.


    And hended perfectly beside his rabbit.

 Chapter 561 the sad truth about the dragon (i)

    LUO YAN blinked his big blue eyes and stared at Shen Ji Yun who just did a superheronding. Then the other quickly walked between him and Shirayuki.


    "Are you okay? Did something happen?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Luo Yan first looked at Shen Ji Yun. He couldn¡¯t help the amusement that filled his eyes. Because it was very obvious that the other purposedly stood in between him and Shirayuki. He didn¡¯t need to be a psychic to know what¡¯s going through this guy¡¯s mind right now. His bottle of vinegar was probably turned over again.


    He smiled helplessly. Well, at least Shen Ji Yun wasn¡¯t over the top to the point that he would attack Shirayuki. Deep down, the other probably understood that the other was an NPC and there¡¯s really no reason for him to get jealous. So, he could only make some small action to prevent him from getting close to Shirayuki.


    Luo Yan was about to answer Shen Ji Yun¡¯s question when the huge shadow above disappeared and another figurended nearby. With that long ck hair, golden beastlike eyes, and perpetual annoyed expression on his eyes ¨C who else could it be but Dusk?


    The ck dragon patted his clothes as if removing dirt that wasn¡¯t there. He raised his head and saw Eclipse that was floating in the blue bubble of light. "Hey, what¡¯s the brat doing there?"


    Then Dusk suddenly froze. Luo Yan could tell that it was because he saw the face of the statue holding Eclipse. Could it be that his memory was stirred because of seeing Kagetsuki¡¯s statue?


    But he quickly denied that. If it was that easy, then their hidden task ¨C ¡¯Awakening Dragon¡¯ - would be finished by now. One of the requirements of that task were to know the real identity of Dusk ¨C which they already kind of knew. The remaining one was to satisfy his request which was to make him remember his missing memories.


    So, once Dusk remembered everything, then wouldn¡¯t it mean that the requirements for them to finish the task were already fulfilled? Knowing the nature of this game, it would definitely not end like this. They still needed to go to Achaeus and then to the dragon n.


    He still nned to ask what was wrong though since he might provide them with some important information needed to finish the task. But before he could, a sh of white moved past them at a terrifying speed and attacked the ck dragon.


    Because Dusk was in a daze, he didn¡¯t manage to protect himself and was therefore thrown back. The dragon seemed to return to his senses and quickly put his feet on the ground, slowing down the speed of the throw until his body stopped moving backwards. He red angrily at Shirayuki.


    "What¡¯s wrong with you? Hitting someone out of the blue. Are you crazy?" he shouted.


    "You dare to step foot on our territory even after what you did a hundred years ago? Are you really so shameless?" Shirayuki shouted back. The gentleness that she had shown seemed to have disappeared and what only remained was anger.


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised by this sudden turn of events. Although he kind of expected the possibility that Shirayuki knew Dusk. After all, she¡¯s Kagetsuki¡¯s sister. But what he didn¡¯t expect was for her to be this antagonistic towards the dragon.


    Knowing how Dusk took over the dragon n just so he could avenge what happened to Kagetsuki and those others who died from the demon fox tribe, he thought that he would at least be in friendly terms with them. But seeing the angry expression on Shirayuki¡¯s face, that¡¯s certainly not the case.


    But he couldn¡¯t just watch while the two tore at each other. "You two, why don¡¯t we all calm down first?" he said, moving forward to stand between the two.


    What he didn¡¯t notice was Shen Ji Yun quickly followed behind him. Although he wasn¡¯t sure what exactly was happening right now, he knew that it would be bad if Luo Yan was caught between the fight of those two. He was already hovering his hand over the hilt of his sword. That way, he could immediately protect his rabbit if things go awry.


    This time, Shirayuki put her angry gaze on Luo Yan. "Did everything you say earlier just a lie? Are you in cahoots with this... this... shameless and stupid dragon?"


    Dusk¡¯s face turned red in anger. "You madwoman! How dare you call this king shameless and stupid?"


    Shirayuki red back at the dragon. "Then what should I call you when you¡¯re exactly that?"


    "You- you- you¡ª" Dusk seemed to have been rendered speechless because of too much anger.


    Luo Yan knew that he shouldn¡¯t let things escte even further. He turned to the female kitsune and said in a cating voice, "Miss Shirayuki, didn¡¯t you ask earlier how I ended up bing Eclipse¡¯s guardian? It was indeed partly because of this dragon. But not in some kind of evil way you might be thinking."


    Shirayuki also turned to him, her expression saying, ¡¯continue and I will decide after if I will believe you or not¡¯. Luo Yan took a deep breath and continued;


    "I found Eclipse¡¯s unhatched beast egg in a cave in my vige. That particr area was feared by my fellow moon elves because it was said that a dragon was sleeping there. I identally entered that area and they were indeed correct. The mighty dragon over there was sleeping in that cave. I was panicked when I saw him. But when I saw the unhatched beast egg, it felt like it called out to me. So, despite my worry and fear, I still picked it up and ran away with it."


    Of course, he embellished a bit of extra words to make Shirayuki more understanding of his ¡¯plight¡¯.


    "When I started my travel out of my vige, the beast egg had been with me. During my travels alone, that beast egg was my onlypanion. Even when it hadn¡¯t still hatched, I already think of it as my family. Soon, the beast egg hatched and Eclipse recognized me as his guardian. Then this powerful and handsome Sir Qilin here joined meter. Together, we visited my vige. And then, we discovered the sad truth about what really happened to the dragon."


    And Luo Yan made sure to say thatst one with an expression full of sadness.

 Chapter 562 the sad truth about the dragon (ii)

    "HEY, what sad--!" Dusk was not able to finish what he was saying because Shen Ji Yun suddenly drag the other away. He did it so fast that the dragon didn¡¯t even have time toin.


    Of course, Shen Ji Yun only did that because Luo Yan told him to. Well, not exactly ¡¯told¡¯ him. It was more like the other gestured for him to take Dusk away. By gesture he meant Luo Yan moving his hand behind in a shooing manner.


    It was actually quite amazing that he understood what the other was trying to say by just seeing that simple movement. He could only attribute it to the fact that he had always been attentive to his rabbit¡¯s every action. That now he could even understand what the other wanted to say without him even saying anything.


    Or maybe, at that moment, the wavelengths of their brain just happened to match each other. After all, he could also understand that it would be harder for them to smoothen things out if Dusk refuted the things that Luo Yan had told the kitsune. Which that dragon would definitely do.


    Considering how the kitsune seemed to have some sort of grudge against Dusk, it would be better if the other could somehow sympathize with the dragon¡¯s so-called sad story. That way, there¡¯s no need for them to fight with the demon fox tribe. Especially since Eclipse seemed to be experiencing something that was rted to the foxes. As evidence of him currently being surrounded by that blue light and was floating on top of the palm of a statue that looked like Kagetsuki.


    He was sure that Luo Yan had his ns. The best way he could support him was not let anyone get in his way.


    "What the hell? Why did you suddenly pull me here?" Dusk said, finally able to pull away from Shen Ji Yun. "I want to make sure that that moon elf is not going to say nonsense!"


    The two of them were now at a distance away from Luo Yan and that NPC. Shen Ji Yun looked at the two. This distance was perfect. It was far enough that Dusk wouldn¡¯t be able to hear whatever story Luo Yan would tell the kitsune. But near enough that he could quickly rush over there if that female NPC did something she shouldn¡¯t. Like attacking Luo Yan or flirting with him.


    He nced at the dragon and took out a high-grade Mana fruit. "If you can remain here for five minutes without making a fuss, you can have as many of this Mana fruit as you wanted."


    Dusk¡¯s beast-like eyes stared at the plump red fruit on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand. It even looked like he would salivate at any moment. "Hmp! Bribing this king, you have a lot of nerve."


    But even though he said that, he still grabbed the Mana fruit, bit a huge bite on it, and then stayed in ce. For some reason, Shen Ji Yun was suddenly reminded of that younger brother gnome of Luo Yan. Really, how the two acted was almost identical.


    On the other side...


    "Why did the Sir Qilin take the dragon there?" Shirayuki asked, the confusion in her voice was very obvious.


    Luo Yan was a bit amused hearing the other call Shen Ji Yun ¡¯sir¡¯ while just directly referring to Dusk as ¡¯dragon¡¯. One could see that she didn¡¯t have the least bit of respect for the other.


    Before answering, he kept the sad expression on his face. "It¡¯s because what I will tell you next might just make him sad. So, my friend, being so understanding, had to pull him away so he wouldn¡¯t hear us."


    "Is it rted to how you found him in that cave?" she asked, seemingly convinced by the act Luo Yan had put up.


    "Yes. I discovered that that ce where the cave was located was actually under the control of the rare nt called the Eternal Lotus. I don¡¯t know if you have heard of it. But it¡¯s something that could stop the time in a certain radius of its surrounding. It just so happened that the cave was near theke where it was located. You asked how Eclipse looked like he had only hatched from his beast egg, well, it¡¯s because of that. Because of the effect of the Eternal Lotus, it stopped its hatching and was frozen in time. The same could be said for the dragon.


    "That¡¯s why when I took his beast egg out of that cave, time went back to normal for the egg and it managed to be safely hatched. When I went back again to that ce together with my friend, the qilin, we destroyed the Eternal Lotus and time also went back to normal for that ce. Of course, the dragon was also awoken from his ¡¯slumber¡¯ because of that.


    "He was not in his right mind when he was unfrozen in time. He was covered in fatal wounds and bleeding all over. His mind was probably muddled by too much that he just wanted tosh out to everything that¡¯s surrounding him. If you had seen him at that moment, it would impossible not to feel pity. Then if that wasn¡¯t enough, when we managed to calm him down, we discovered that he had lost all his memories.


    "I have to give him a name since he couldn¡¯t give us his. Oh, poor Dusk." Luo Yan squeezed out a few tears to make his acting more believable. "I know that you had a history with him and it seems pretty bad at that. But I hope you could spare him just this time. I¡¯m not saying that you shouldn¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m just saying that getting your revenge on someone that doesn¡¯t even remember what they did wrong wouldn¡¯t be as satisfactory. Don¡¯t you think so?"


    Based on the expression on Shirayuki¡¯s face right now, Luo Yan could see that he was slowly getting through her. "For the sake of Eclipse, who¡¯s now undergoing an important change in his life, would we all have a temporary truce?"


    That was probably thest key. Finally, the female kitsune reluctantly nodded. "But only temporarily."


    Luo Yan inwardly let out a sigh of relief. Really, sometimes acting could be really exhausting.

 Chapter 563 absorbing the inheritance

    NOW that Luo Yan finally solved the problem with Shurayuki, he turned to the direction where Shen Ji Yun pulled Dusk. He was nning to just use the earring to tell him that they coulde here now. But when he saw that the other was already looking at their direction, he simply gestured to him that it¡¯s safe to go back now.


    He saw Shen Ji Yun nod. As expected, the other really did understand him. It seemed that their tacit understanding had increased another level. He was happy to realize that.


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to say something to Dusk and then the two started walking towards their direction. Nearing them, Luo Yan noticed the juice stains on the dragon¡¯s mouth. Looking at the piece of red fruit the other was eating, it¡¯s clear as day where the juice stains came from.


    "Eating so messily like a kid. I now believe that he really lost his memories," Shirayuki muttered beside him. "Maybe his brain development also stopped at the juvenile period."


    Hearing what the female kitsune said, Luo Yan almostughed. "Wasn¡¯t he like that when he still had his memories?"


    An inexplicable emotion shed in her eyes, as if remembering something fondly. But it onlysted for a fleeting second. If he wasn¡¯t looking at her, he might have missed it. Then, her expression went back to normal again.


    "No, he¡¯szy and indifferent. Interacting with others seemed like a chore to him. Sometimes, he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to respond to others," Shirayuki answered. "Well, at least that¡¯s how he was when I first met him."


    Frankly speaking, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t connect the person the female kitsune described to the dragon they had known. Dusk, for theck of a better word, was a stubborn tsundere. Like some kind of anime girl who would make bento for her crush but instead of saying that he made it especially for them, she would say instead, ¡¯Here, eat this. I just happened to make an extra one!¡¯.


    Maybe his personality was really affected by his memory lost. Thinking about it, during that memory that Lhoris had shown them, Dusk was indeed much calmer than he was now.


    Maybe the personality that Shirayuki just mentioned was the result after existing for hundreds of years. It had been honed by time and experience. If one lost their memories, of course, their personality would also revert back to the personality he had during his childhood phase. When he was the most innocent and still hadn¡¯t experienced anything.


    Luo Yan wondered if that would change once the dragon fully regained his missing memories. He felt that it was a bit of a waste. After all, Dusk was just too fun to tease.


    Soon, the dragon and qilin pair finally reached them. Luo Yan then introduced Shen Ji Yun to the female kitsune. Since the two still didn¡¯t know each other¡¯s name. Of course, he also introduced Dusk. But the dragon only scoffed and continued to eat his Mana fruit.


    "Childish," Shirayuki muttered in an almost mocking voice.


    Before Dusk could start another bickering round, Shen Ji Yun smartly opened up a new topic.


    "What is happening with Eclipse now?"


    "He¡¯s currently activating his inheritance," Luo Yan said, telling the other the same exnation that Shirayuki had told him earlier.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. He kind of already guessed that. Considering how calm Luo Yan was, there was no was no way that Eclipse was in danger. So, it turned out that it was because of his inheritance ¨C the very thing that they went here for.


    He nced at the female kitsune. From Luo Yan¡¯s introduction, this Shirayuki was Kagetsuki¡¯s sister which also made her Eclipse¡¯s aunt. No wonder she looked a bit simr to Eclipse¡¯s mother. Surely, this NPC wouldn¡¯t just ask them to leave the little fox here after the other sessfully received his inheritance, right?


    But the possibility of that was still high. After all, that Elementum was the symbol of the leader of the demon fox tribe. Could they let the leader that they had just found leave so easily?


    Anyway, whatever the oue would be, he would still be on Luo Yan¡¯s side. If his rabbit decided to fight against these kitsunes, then he would just fight alongside him. Could he still be afraid of a skulk of foxes?


    "Once the power of Elementum is inherited within him, would Eclipse be able to fully utilized its power?" Luo Yan thought of asking while looking at the little fox floating inside the blue bubble of light.


    Shirayuki shook her head. "No. Eclipse¡¯s body is still too young. He wouldn¡¯t be able to ept all of the gem¡¯s power. Right now, he could only ept ? of it. But that would still make him still a lot strongerpared to other ordinary kitsunes."


    In Luo Yan¡¯s ears, that sounded like her saying that Eclipse¡¯s level was still not high enough. This was a game, so, higher levels meant growth. "In your estimation, once Eclipse finishes absorbing the inheritance, how strong would he be? Let¡¯s use the number of tails as an analogy."


    Shirayuki fell into thought. "Hmm, in my estimation, probably five tails?"


    Five tails? That¡¯s indeed a big leap from the three tails that Eclipse currently had. Then a sudden thought came into his mind. Wait- could it be possible for the little fox to finally able to transform into his humanoid form?


    He remembered that orange-haired and red-haired kitsunes. Each had five and four tails respectively. And both had their humanoid form. Then what he thought of could certainly be possible.


    Luo Yan suddenly feltplicated. He wasn¡¯t sure what to feel exactly. Of course, he was happy that Eclipse could finally have the humanoid form he so wanted to have. But thinking how big of a bbermouth the little fox was, he feltplicated again.


    And then, as if confirming his guess, the blue bubble of light suddenly brightened once again. It was so bright that he had to squint. He refused to close his eyes. Whatever was going to happen to Eclipse next, he wanted to witness it.


    The shining blue bubble of light floated down. The blue light faded slowly. It was so slow that Luo Yan almost felt that years had already passed. Then, when it was gone, what¡¯s inside was finally revealed.

 Chapter 564 humanoid form

    A BOY who looked like he was seven or eight years old appeared before them wearing a simple white shirt that barely passed his knees. He had long ck hair the color of the dark night sky. On top of his head were a pair of fox ears. His long eyshes were fanning his plump cheeks. He had a cute button like nose and lips the color of rose petals.


    The boy slowly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of blue irises the color of sapphire. On his back were five fluffy tails. And on his forehead was the blue gem. When his eyes were fully opened, he looked around in confusion. Then he looked down at his eyes and a shock expression appeared on that handsome little face.


    That shock quickly turned to intense happiness. He sharply raised his head and looked around once again. His gaze stayed at a particr direction. He waved his hand and tried to run towards that direction. But before he could even make two steps, he lost his bnce and was about to fall face first on the ground.


    Luo Yan, who already kind of predicted that this would happen, had long run from where he was. That¡¯s why he was able to stop the other¡¯s fall. He crouched down and just let the little boy fell on his arms.


    Eclipse seemed like he didn¡¯t mind falling. He raised his head, his eyes still full of enthusiasm, and said in a childish and milky voice;


    "Mashter! Eclipse is finally a boy!"


    Luo Yan chuckled and patted the other¡¯s head. "Silly, Eclipse has always been a boy. Or have you been a girl this whole time and just had been hiding it from me?"


    Eclipse stood up, his cheeks bulging. "Mashter, you know that¡¯s not what Eclipse meant!"


    This adorable face added with those bulging cheeks was like a huge crit hit to Luo Yan. So, he didn¡¯t hesitate and just poke the boy¡¯s cheek.


    Eclipse acted as if he was surprised by what he did and then quickly put his hand on his poked cheek. "Mashter, why are you bullying Eclipse?"


    Luo Yan almostughed. Really, this drama queen. "Because Eclipse is just too cute right now. Master simply couldn¡¯t resist."


    The little fox boy seemed to be appeased by thatpliment. "Is Eclipse really cute?"


    Hearing this question, Luo Yan acted as if he was having second thought with what he said earlier about Eclipse being cute. To be more believable, he stared intently at the boy¡¯s face. But doing so, he suddenly noticed something.


    Eclipse actually looked a bit simr to the Gamekeeper! If you just change his hair color to dark blue and make it shorter and also change his nose shape, he would look exactly as the Gamekeeper. Were a lot of young NPCs in this game modeled after the young Shen Ji Yun?


    He narrowed his eyes. No, wait. Eclipse¡¯s eye shape was also different from the Gamekeeper. Because that particr NPC was modeled exactly from Shen Ji Yun, his eyes were a bit sharper. But this boy here, his eyes were bigger and shaped like peach blossoms.


    Luo Yan stopped when he realized that. Because Eclipse¡¯s eye shape looked more simr to his own eye shape. Now that he stared at Eclipse¡¯s more, he¡¯s really not that simr to the Gamekeeper. His features were more like abination of his and Shen Ji Yun¡¯s. Then wouldn¡¯t it seem more that this guy was his and Shen Ji Yun¡¯s son instead of Kagetsuki?


    The suspicion he had about some of the game programmers actually assisting Shen Ji Yun in chasing him suddenly became stronger again. Could that actually be possible?


    Seeing that he hadn¡¯t answered after some time had passed, Eclipse suddenly sobbed. "Wuuu... Mashter thinks Eclipse is ugly!"


    That sob brought Luo Yan back to his senses. Anyway, whether his suspicion was correct or not, he still had a lot of time to find out about it. It¡¯s not as if those programmers would be gone or something. Right now, he had tofort this little guy first.


    "Master is just teasing. Of course, Eclipse is the cutest," he said, rubbing the little boy¡¯s head.


    Eclipse let out a childishugh, clearly delighted by what his master said. Then as if thinking of something, his cheeks bulged again. "But Eclipse wants to be as beautiful as Mashter."


    Luo Yan stared again at Eclipse¡¯s features. "Well, with how you look, I¡¯m sure you would be once you became an adult."


    Eclipse¡¯s sapphire blue eyes brightened again. "Really? Then when will Eclipse be an adult?"


    "Hmm... maybe once you grow nine tails?"


    The little boy looked back at his five tails. "Eclipse wants to grow up soon." Then he looked down at his clothes. "Eclipse also wants cuter clothes. Eclipse... Eclipse is suddenly feeling... sleepy..."


    After he said that, the boy was suddenly surrounded by a ck smoke and then turned back to his fox form. The sleeping fox fell into Luo Yan¡¯s arms. Then he noticed that the little fox seemed to be not so little anymore. If before, he was as big as a small puppy. Now, he¡¯s probably as big as a corgi, except that his legs were not as short.


    He was about to carry him, when a pair of arms stretched out from his side and did the carrying. He raised his head and saw Shen Ji Yun.


    "Let me carry him," the other simply said.


    Luo Yan smiled because he knew this guy was simply worried that he would get tired carrying the now bigger fox. Which was impossible, by the way, since this was the virtual world and all. His strength was not equal to his real-life strength. But that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t enjoy this type of care.


    He stood up and turned back to Shirayuki who he now only noticed had bright eyes. She was obviously very excited by the ¡¯awakening¡¯ of her nephew. "Is it normal for him to suddenly fall asleep like that?"


    "Yes. Eclipse is probably still unable to stabilize his humanoid form," she answered. "While we wait for him to wake up, why don¡¯t we go to our tribe¡¯s vige first? I think all of us have a lot to discuss."

 Chapter 565 demon fox tribe village

    LUO YAN looked around as they walked inside the vige of the demon fox tribe. The houses were very much inspired by Country R. Simr to the small houses found during ancient times. There were also cherry blossoms surrounding the vige, pink petals falling like a light rain shower. Add that to the kitsunes wearing kimonos and he just felt like he was walking in some kind of beautiful yokai vige.


    He stretched out his hand and a single pink petal fell on his palm. And then he let it be swept by the wind.


    The road to this ce was actually just behind the shrine where they were in just a fem minutes ago. So, the shrine was technically the entrance. yers, who were not of the demon fox tribe, wouldn¡¯t be able to go inside unless they forced their way in or use the same method as Shen Ji Yun.


    The vige was almost the same size as the vige of the moon elves. Showing how the poption of the two races must be almost the same. Which was probably pretty small inparison to other races.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun walking beside him, Eclipse sleeping soundly in his arms. "Brother Ji Yun, do you think we will meet another yer here?" he just thought of asking.


    He had been back to the moon elves vige a couple of times now but he hadn¡¯t met another moon elf yer. That was a bit understandable since moon elves were a newly added race. But how about these kitsunes?


    Even though they were part of the rare category, getting this race on the random selection still had a higher percentagepared to the newly added special category. So, was there a possibility that they could meet a yer here? That¡¯s why he thought of asking Shen Ji Yun.


    "There¡¯s a chance but the possibility is not that high," the other answered. "Most yers seldom go back to their origin vige once they¡¯re allowed to leave. Probably because there¡¯s not much items they could find there. Not only items but tasks as well."


    Luo Yan nodded. He could understand the mentality of those yers. Especially if they were only ying the game for the sake of experiencing the virtual world. "If they¡¯re patient enough, they could probably trigger a hidden task or even find a special item."


    Shen Ji Yun chuckled. "Well, not everyone could be as patient as you."


    Luo Yan stared at that small arc that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips made when he chuckled. Ah, how handsome. If he always smiled like this, a lot of people would definitely be blinded.


    As they continued to walk, he noticed how the kitsunes were looking at them warily. He really couldn¡¯t me them. Considering what happened to their tribe a hundred years ago, being wary was only natural. The only reason they¡¯re probably not attacking them was because the one leading them was Shirayuki.


    It was quite obvious that this female kitsune had a high position in this tribe. As evidence of what those two kitsunes earlier had called her ¨C High Priestess. Besides, she¡¯s Kagetsuki¡¯s sister. And even if the kitsunes were looking at them as if they¡¯re enemies, they still didn¡¯t forget to greet Shirayuki as they passed by. There¡¯s no way she would just be an ordinary tribe member.


    But it¡¯s quite interesting to note that none of these kitsunes were reacting the same way that Shirayuki did when she first saw Dusk. He could only think of two reasons why. One, they were too scared to face against a dragon. And two, they were still not born a hundred years ago and thus didn¡¯t have any grievances against Dusk.


    Luo Yan was leaning more on thetter. Especially after seeing the number of their tails. Which were mostly four tails.


    He nced back at Dusk who was pretending not to look around but one could still see that he was secretly doing so. He even looked like he was in a good mood. Most likely because of the number of high-grade Mana fruit that he just ate.


    "Dusk, do you feel any nostalgia while being here?" he asked.


    The dragon looked at him in confusion. "No, why would I?"


    Although Luo Yan wasn¡¯t expecting a positive answer, he still thought that the other would at least feel a bit confused. Just like his reaction to Kagetsuki¡¯s statue earlier. After all, he¡¯d been here before. As shown in those memories that Lhoris showed them. His confusion was then answered by what Shirayuki said next.


    "This is not the location of our original vige. After- after what happened a hundred years ago, we needed to find a new home because our former one was no longer livable." One could hear the sadness and gloom in her voice. "It¡¯s no longer a ce suitable for our tribe¡¯s children to grow up."


    Luo Yan could understand the sentiments. Leaving your home not because you wanted to but because of circumstances you couldn¡¯t control. That¡¯s the worst kind.


    Soon, they stopped in front of a house that was not so big. But it wasn¡¯t that small either. It was probably just enough for a family of three or four.


    "This is my house. Please,e in," Shirayuki said to them while opening the front sliding door.


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised hearing that. He actually thought that a person with Shirayuki¡¯s status would at least live in some kind of mansion.


    They followed her inside. The interior of the house was simple and very clean. At what would be considered as a living room, there was a tea table and cushions around it that people could probably sit on.


    "Sir Yun, could you please bring Eclipse to this room?" Shirayuki said, opening another sliding door. She walked inside and opened a rectangr box. Then, she took out what seemed to be a cradle. "This item could help him stabilize his newly acquired Mana much faster. And thus, letting him have more control over his transformation. This way, it wouldn¡¯t get in the way of his travels with you."


    Luo Yan blinked. He wasn¡¯t sure if he understood the meaning of thatst sentence correctly. So, he had to ask, "You mean, Miss Shirayuki is not nning on asking Eclipse to stay here?"

 Chapter 566 im always kind to...

    "ARE you thinking that I would retain him here because he inherited the Elementum?" Shirayuki asked, a trace of amusement could be seen in her eyes.


    Luo Yan scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "Well, it did cross my mind."


    The female kitsune let out a gentleugh. "No, Sir Noctis doesn¡¯t need to worry about that. If Eclipse wanted to continue travelling with you, then so be it. I wouldn¡¯t hinder him. If I do something against his will, then the little one would only think badly of me. We haven¡¯t even formally met yet. I don¡¯t want my nephew to think that the aunt he just met is actually such a viin."


    Luo Yan nodded. He felt relieved. At least now, he was sure that they didn¡¯t need to fight the demon fox tribe. It¡¯s a good thing that the character setting for this NPC was gentle and understanding.


    "But does the tribe not need a leader?" he asked, just to make sure.


    "We do. But that didn¡¯t mean that we would force someone who isn¡¯t even an adult yet and is practically a baby to be in that position," Shirayuki answered. She looked at Eclipse who was now lying inside the cradle and her expression became gentler. "Besides, that¡¯s not something my sister would want."


    "But would the elders of the tribe agree?" Luo Yan asked again.


    Although he felt that he was being annoying right now for asking all these questions, he just had to make sure. He didn¡¯t want to leave here with uncertainties regarding Eclipse¡¯s future.


    Sadness shed again on Shirayuki¡¯s face. "There are no elders. There¡¯s only me."


    In short, no matter what decision she made, there was no one to go against it. The female kitsune turned around. She probably didn¡¯t want them to see her expression.


    "I will go and prepare tea. Please, do go ahead and sit down."


    After saying that, Shirayuki walked to another sliding door and opened it. She went inside and closed the door behind her. That room was most likely a kitchen or something.


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun both sat on the cushions around the tea table. Dusk remained standing and leaning on the sliding door.


    "Is this king rted to this ce?" the dragon suddenly asked.


    Luo Yan nced at Dusk and saw the deep frown on the other¡¯s face. "Not this ce but this tribe," he answered honestly. "Aren¡¯t you curious why Eclipse started calling you ¡¯uncle¡¯?"


    The dragon only wrinkled his nose. "Isn¡¯t it because that brat just wanted to annoy me?"


    Luo Yan was a bit bewildered by this answer. Shouldn¡¯t this guy at least know by now his connection to Eclipse¡¯s mother? If not, then why would he go along with them so easily without even causing a fuss? What he meant was, his fussing was lesser than usual. That¡¯s why Luo Yan just assumed that the other had at least an idea of what was happening or why they were even here.


    His confusion was quickly answered by Shen Ji Yun, who leaned closer to him and whispered;


    "I haven¡¯t told him what we found about his past." Shen Ji Yun showed a guilty look. "I kind of forgot about it."


    At that time, all his thought was about going to Chengdu and seeing Luo Yan again in reality. How could he spare any thought for the ck dragon? And then after Chengdu, it was the preliminary of the Rookie Carnival. Then right after that, the issue with that Raphael guy happened. By that time, the thought of exining things for the dragon had already been forgotten by him.


    He actually only remembered it today when he was entering the game. But he had no time to exin everything to Dusk because Luo Yan was already online. He couldn¡¯t let his rabbit wait now, could he? So, he just said something vague to the dragon. Telling him that they would go somewhere to restore his memory and then teleported to where Luo Yan was.


    That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit guilty. After all, it was him who said that he would exin things to the dragon. And he didn¡¯t even do a good job of it.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he apologized sincerely.


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun. If the other had ears like other beastkins, they must be drooping by now.


    Then, Shen Ji Yun suddenly held the hem of his sleeve and said, "Don¡¯t be mad, Yan Yan. I won¡¯t do it again. Okay?"


    Ah, really. How adorable. Was this guy deliberately selling meng just so he wouldn¡¯t get angry? ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    He cleared his throat and whispered back, "How could I get angry at Brother Ji Yun for such a simple thing?"


    He was indeed not mad. In his opinion, whether they told Dusk about his past of not wouldn¡¯t really change the oue that they had today. The only thing that would probably change was how the dragon would have reacted on their way here.


    If Dusk knew about the parts of his past that they had discovered, with his character setting, he would definitely be more troublesome. Perhaps there would be even more bickering on the road.


    Shen Ji Yun, on the other hand, was joyful after hearing what Luo Yan said. The corner of his lips couldn¡¯t help but rise up. "Yan Yan is so kind. Thank you."


    Luo Yan was hit again by this sudden smile. "There¡¯s no need for thanks." He then smiled at Shen Ji Yun. "I¡¯m always kind to the people I like."


    Shen Ji Yun felt like he was hit by lightning when he heard this. And the line ¡¯people I like¡¯ kept on echoing in his mind like a broken record. Could it be--? Could this really be--?


    "Like my family and friends," Luo Yan quickly added. "Of course, Brother Ji Yun is one of them."


    He almost had to wipe an invisible cold sweat because of that slip up. This was not yet the right time for confession. He, at least, had to wait until this body became legal.


    Shen Ji Yun, on one hand, was shocked silly. It turned out that he only misunderstood. How embarrassing! He almost raised his hand to his face to hide his embarrassment.


    Unknowingly, the atmosphere became a bit awkward. It was Dusk¡¯s voice that broke this.


    "Hey, did the two of you forgot that this king still exists?"

 Chapter 567 daifuku

    THE two who heard Dusk¡¯s voice both felt a bit embarrassed. It¡¯s true that the both of them kind of forgot that the dragon was still here. Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun and saw that the tip of his ear was stained red. He could see an awkward expression on his face and he knew that it was because of his slip up earlier.


    He scratched his cheek and felt a bit guilty. He really should watch what he was saying. He didn¡¯t want to give Shen Ji Yun so many ups and downs in terms of emotion. But perhaps he was enjoying flirting with him and teasing him so much that he just let his mouth say anything that came to his mind.


    Now, he suddenly felt like a scum ying with the innocent heart of a maiden. Maybe he should slow down a bit with his teasing. At least limit it to twice a day. He nodded. Yes, that seemed to be just right.


    If his heart and brain were people, they would be rolling their eyes at him right now. Because they just knew this guy wouldn¡¯t be able to uphold that.


    "Of course not. How could we forget Dusk?" he said to the dragon. "Come, sit here. Let me tell you what we¡¯ve found out so far about your past," he added, patting the cushion on his right.


    Dusk only snorted but still walked over and sat down there. "So, what have you found out?"


    "Let me do it," Shen Ji Yun volunteered. He was thinking that by talking a bit, he should be able to off-set the embarrassment he felt for misunderstanding Luo Yan¡¯s words.


    Because of this incident, he just realized how rich his imagination was. Really, how could he automatically equate what Luo Yan just said to the other confessing to him? Maybe because it¡¯s heart¡¯s desire that¡¯s why his brain simply converted Luo Yan¡¯s simple phrase to that direction.


    Ah, now he knew that he really got it bad. If he was not careful, maybe he would end up being delusional sooner orter. But that didn¡¯t mean that he would stop his rabbit from giving him ¡¯sugar¡¯. It¡¯s the only sweet thing he needed in his life.


    He cleared his throat and proceeded on telling the dragon the things they discovered about his past in the most concise manner. He told the events in a bullet-point like way. That¡¯s why he was able to finish telling everything that he should before Shirayuki even finished making tea.


    Dusk remained silent even after a few seconds had passed since he heard everything. Which was uncharacteristic of him. Luo Yan expected that the other would scream and rage. But surprisingly, he didn¡¯t speak at all and just remained as if he was in deep thought.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t disturb the other. Certainly, it was better for Dusk to have this kind of calm reaction instead of blowing up like a bomb.


    The folding door to the room where Shirayuki just went to opened and the female kitsune walked out with a tray of tea and snacksmonly found in country R. Luo Yan quickly stood up and helped the other carry the tray.


    "Thank you," Shirayuki said.


    Luo Yan only smiled and put the tray on the tea table. After that, he sat down on his seat. Shirayuki then put the tea cups in front of them and the te of snacks in the middle.


    "These are simple snacks unique to a few beastkin tribes, I hope you won¡¯t dislike it," she said.


    Luo Yan stared at the beautifully design snacks. There¡¯s a mochi with Sakura petals, a skewer of dango in different color, and a pink-colored daifuku. There were four of each. Which meant that the four of them could have one of each snack.


    As a foodie, he didn¡¯t hesitate to pick a daifuku. Just one bite and his eyes immediately brightened. Rich strawberry vor just exploded in his mouth. In turned out that this daifuku was strawberry vored. In a blink of an eye, he managed to finish the daifuku.


    He actually wanted another piece of daifuku but he had already eaten his. He didn¡¯t want to be too shameless and ask the others for theirs. So, he could only look at the daifuku with regret.


    But then, a piece of that daifuku suddenly appeared in front of him. Followed by the words, "Here, you can have mine."


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun. The other¡¯s beastlike amethyst eyes were full of gentleness as he stared at him. He was d that Shen Ji Yun was back to normal. "Brother Ji Yun, you should try it. The sweetness is just right. You will definitely like it."


    He knew that Shen Ji Yun was not a fan of sweet things. He had long noticed that. Whenever the two of them ate together at some restaurant here in the game and he ordered the sweetest thing on the menu, Shen Ji Yun would always have this expression as if he couldn¡¯t understand how someone could eat something like that.


    "Then, should we share?" Shen Ji Yun suggested.


    Luo Yan smiled helplessly knowing that if refused, the other might just give him the rest of the daifuku. "Okay."


    Shen Ji Yun then divided the daifuku he was holding into two and gave the other half to Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan ate the snack given to him and was very satisfied. He looked at Shen Ji Yun. "How was it? It¡¯s good, right?"


    Shen Ji Yun stared at his rabbit¡¯s happy expression. "Uhm, it¡¯s good."


    He was actually thinking whether there¡¯s a shop in reality that was actually selling daifukus that tasted like this. Then, he would send a box, no, three boxes of it to Luo Yan. How happy his rabbit must be. With that in mind, he decided to look for a shop that specialized in Country R¡¯s desserts. If he couldn¡¯t find one, then he¡¯d just simply learn to make one.


    After finishing the half-piece of daifuku, Luo Yan turned to Shirayuki. He didn¡¯t want to be told again that he was neglecting the NPCs around them just because he and Shen Ji Yun were busy in their own world of two.


    "Miss Shirayuki, can you tell us what exactly happened a hundred years ago?"

 Chapter 568 the events of that year

    SHIRAYUKI put down the tea cup she was holding. A sh of pain crossed her gentle blue eyes. She closed them and took a deep breath as if trying to clear out her emotions. In that way, she could peacefully tell the events of what happened a hundred years ago. When she opened her eyes, those light blue depths were finally back to its normal gentle gaze.


    "May I ask first what you know about that... incident?"


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t need to ask what she meant by ¡¯incident¡¯ because he knew that it could only be what happened a hundred years ago. He didn¡¯t hesitate to recount to her the details of the things they knew.


    "These things, we only found through Dusk¡¯s fragmented memories. From those fragments, we know that that day a hundred years ago was supposed to be the wedding ceremony of Eclipse¡¯s parents. But what we saw was the ce being on fire, the atmosphere of death looming all around. We saw your sister¡¯sst moment as she tried to get the beast egg out of her womb and give it to Dusk. That¡¯s the entirety of what we knew."


    Luo Yan noticed that after he said that, the dragon¡¯s expression seemed to tighten. And then the other gazed down, no one knew what he was currently thinking.


    Shirayuki almost shared the same reaction. But it was only a sh that quickly changed into calmness. She said;


    "That day was indeed the wedding ceremony of my sister and brother-inw. The ceremony hadn¡¯t yet begun when we were attacked by dark mages from Achaeus. It was something that none of us expected. We were unprepared. But the same couldn¡¯t be said to those dark mages. They set-up formations and spells that affected all of our strength. As if they had been nning that attack for a long time. So, naturally, it turned into a one-sided massacre."


    She clenched her fists, almost turning her knuckles to white.


    "The Elders acted swiftly and took all the children and unhatched beast eggs to a hidden cave. I was a young kitsune then who only had four tails. So, I was taken to that cave along with the other children. The then oldest kitsune of the tribe was also with us. The Elders used every bit of their power to use the highest grade of illusion to conceal our presence. So, we remained safe inside the cave. Theplete opposite to what happened with the rest of our tribe."


    Hearing what she said, Luo Yan finally understood why almost all the kitsunes he had seen while walking in the vige were all young. Most of them didn¡¯t have more than five tails. As well as what Shirayuki mentioned earlier about not having any elders in the tribe. Even that oldest kitsune must have already died by now.


    "When everything was over and we were able to go out of the cave, what weed us was a sea of blood and the dead bodies of our families and loved ones. For as long as I live, I will never forget that scene. I was filled with anger, hatred, pain, sadness. It was simply all too much. And when I saw my s-sister¡¯s lifeless body, all those emotions magnified a hundred, no, a million times.


    "I wished that I was dead as well. So, I could be with my sister. So, I could no longer feel that unbearable pain. In fact, I almost indeed tried to gauge out my own heart. But I was stopped by the only Elder alive ¨C the one who was with us in the cave. She told me that she only had a few more years left in her and soon I will be the eldest kitsune of the tribe. All the little ones and those who were still unborn could only rely on me.


    "It hit me at that moment that I couldn¡¯t choose the easy way out. I looked around me and saw all the crying children. I understood that those children would need someone to support them, emotionally and spiritually. If left alone, they would probably be consumed by the hatred and not even reach adulthood. Then our tribe would truly be gone if that were to happen.


    "So, in the absence of the leader, I took the position of High Priestess and became our tribe¡¯s pir of support. Between me and the Elder, we buried everyone who died and let that ce be they¡¯re final resting ce. But for the rest of us who survived and managed to stay alive, we could no longer stay in that ce. Because it would only constantly remind us of what we had lost.


    "We left and found this ce. Slowly, we tried to rebuild our lives once again. To make this ce our new home. But just a few monthster, we heard that the Western dragon n dered war against the dark mages of Achaeus. We then heard that it was because of the will of the new king. When I found out that this king was actually the close friend of my sister, I was truly shocked.


    "I thought then that he must have heard of what happened to my sister and he was doing this to avenge her. It made me somewhat happy. To the point that I went to the dragon n to offer support. But who would have thought that when I got there, I found a beast egg that had the same breath as my sister? Immediately, I knew that that was my sister¡¯s unborn child.


    "I was ovee with rage. I thought- I thought when my sister died, I also l-lost my unborn nephew. But no, it was in the hands of the new dragon king. I asked, no, I begged for him to return the beast egg to me. I was the child¡¯s only remaining family. But the king refused. No matter how much I pleaded, it didn¡¯t work. He just looked at me apathetically.


    "And then the next thing I knew, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was already back in my tribe. I wanted to go back to the dragon n but the Elder stopped me. Saying that the dragon king threatened to lock me up if he saw me again traipsing to their n. The Elder had no choice but to acquiesce.


    "Another month passed and then news about the disappearance of the dragon king spread. I went back again to the dragon n to ask about the beast egg. But they only told me that it probably disappeared as well together with the dragon king. Since then, we haven¡¯t heard anything about the dragon king nor of the beast egg he took."


    Shirayuki turned her head and looked at the silent Dusk. Thousands of emotions were brewing in her eyes. Luo Yan even thought that she might attack the dragon again. But, at the end, he only let out a deep breath. Obviously pulling back the emotions inside her. But she still said;


    "I really wish you have your memories now. So, I could ask you why. Why do the things you did. Why refused to let my nephew be with his family. But I guess, I can only wait for your memories to return to know why."


    Dusk suddenly stood up and ran outside as if someone was chasing him.

 Chapter 569 long speech

    LUO YAN was a bit surprised by Dusk sudden action. He wondered if he should follow the other andfort him or just stay here and continue to talk to Shirayuki. But before he could make a decision, Shen Ji Yun had already stood up.


    "I¡¯ll talk to him."


    Now, this surprised Luo Yan even more. Considering the dynamics of the two, he thought Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t care about Dusk. But look at him, volunteering to follow the dragon. Luo Yan smiled. He liked this kind of development. It¡¯s best if the two started to get along from now on. Having Dusk agree to be Shen Ji Yun¡¯s pet on his own ord was definitely much better than forcing the other.


    "Okay," he nodded. "Brother Ji Yun, try to be gentle with him," he didn¡¯t forget to add.


    Shen Ji Yun showed aplicated expression when he heard what Luo Yan said. Imagining himself being gentle to that dragon was like forcing him to eat his least favorite food. But since Luo Yan was the one who told him to, he could only say ¡¯yes¡¯ at the end. Then, he walked outside of the house to look for Dusk.


    With them gone, Luo Yan turned back his attention to Shirayuki. The female kitsune seemed to have already regained herposure. Those emotions that she had shown when asking Dusk were already back to its normal gentle calmness.


    "Miss Shirayuki, those questions that you asked Dusk, I think I know the answer to them," he said.


    Shirayuki¡¯s attention was quickly transferred to him. "The answer, can you tell me?"


    "In Dusk¡¯s fragmented memories that we had seen, during that day a hundred years ago, he was there. But he arrived toote. Everything was already in chaos. The first thing he did was to search for Kagetsuki but when he found her, she was already at herst breath," Luo Yan started.


    "As I¡¯ve already mentioned earlier, Dusk was there in your sister¡¯sst moment and she gave her beast egg to him. What I forgot to mention was your sister asking Dusk to be her child¡¯s godfather. She said that Dusk owed her a favor, so, he should not refuse this role.


    "This is just my guess, but I think Dusk refused to give the beast egg to you because of that. Dusk, he was obviously very affected by your sister¡¯s death. That conversation, he might have taken that as some sort ofst promise to Kagetsuki. In his mind, the only way he could think of to honor that promise was to personally take care of the beast egg.


    "You know how prideful the dragon n is. No matter if it¡¯s the Western or the Eastern ones, their pride is astronomical. Dusk probably believed that he would be the best choice to protect the beast egg. With the mentality that with him around no one would dare hurt what he¡¯s protecting. Considering what happened to Kagetsuki, he was probably only trying to prevent another tragedy from urring.


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong, I didn¡¯t say these things because I think he¡¯s right. His heart might be in the right ce but the method he used was not. I agree that Dusk should have exined to you what¡¯s going on instead of doing what he did. But right now, he had no knowledge of all these. The anger and unfairness you¡¯re feeling would have no way to vent. You would even feel more wronged if you pour all those negative emotions on someone who couldn¡¯t even remember what they did wrong.


    "YUN and I are actually helping Dusk to regain back his memories. So, how about this. Once he has his memories back, we will ask him to give you an exnation. If he doesn¡¯t, then we would force him to. Don¡¯t worry, we have the ability to do so. But right now, I request for your understanding.


    "You are Eclipse¡¯s aunt, his only blood rtive. While Dusk, well, he¡¯s not only Eclipse¡¯s godfather, he¡¯s also a part of our party. I don¡¯t want there to be any dissonance between you and us. Especially right now during this important period in Eclipse¡¯s life. I hope that all of us could, if not get along, then at least be civil to each other. Please."


    Then Luo Yan bowed his head slightly. Heined a bit inside. If this was in real life, his throat would probably be dry now. Who wouldn¡¯t after saying such a long speech? This was probably the longest speech he had spoken in this game to an NPC. He shook his head. Never mind. This was for Eclipse anyway. And for Dusk as well.


    But really, he should praise the game devs for making the emotions of these NPCs as realistic as possible. Not only that, they always made these dramatic and tragic scenarios that weren¡¯t worse that those dramatic movies. The team responsible for these scenarios must be working as scriptwriters in secret.


    He couldn¡¯t imagine what the plot would be like once they searched for the whole truth about Dusk sudden disappearance during the war against the dark mages. Considering how there was someone from the dragon n that must have betrayed Dusk, it would definitely be dog-blooded. And there was still that matter with the dark mages. This task shouldn¡¯t evolve to a full-blown war, right?


    He could already feel the headache of what¡¯s toe. But Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind. He would rather have this headache than do some boring task.


    "Alright. I will try to be much calmer when facing the dragon."


    Shirayuki¡¯s voice brought Luo Yan¡¯s attention back. He raised his head and smiled at the female kitsune. "Thank you, Miss Shirayuki."


    "There¡¯s no need for thanks. I¡¯m only doing this for my nephew," Shirayuki said. "But once the dragon regained back his memories, I hope you will fulfill your promise and let him give me an exnation. I think I deserve that much."


    "Miss Shirayuki doesn¡¯t need to worry. I always keep my word," Luo Yan assured her. "Then, may we continue our conversation?"


    The female kitsune nodded. "You may ask anything."


    "What do you think the dark mages wanted that they went as far as almost wiping out your tribe?"

 Chapter 570 the reason for the tribes extermination

    "I ALSO had no idea at first what they could have wanted with our tribe to do all that. Even when I asked the only remaining Elder, she was also perplexed by what happened," Shirayuki answered. "ording to the Elder, we don¡¯t have any enmity against the dark mages. That¡¯s why it also came as a surprise to her why they attacked the tribe and did it in such a brutal way. But one hundred years is enough time to discover something."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Because thatst sentence just basically told him that Shirayuki might have not known the reason for it a hundred years ago, but it didn¡¯t mean that she still didn¡¯t know anything now.


    "What have you discovered?" he asked.


    Shirayuki picked up her tea cup and drank before looking outside the opened window, as if lost in thought. "That the reason they did that to our tribe was because of someone¡¯s greed, selfishness, and just overall evilness."


    So, someone instigated the attack. "Who was it?"


    Instead of answering directly, Shirayuki put down her tea cup and gazed at it.


    "The dark mages of Achaeus are different from other groups of dark mages in a way that they had built their own so-called ¡¯country¡¯. Which is Achaeus. Comparing them to other groups of dark mages is likeparing a giant to an ant," Shirayuki started. "Their leader is called the Dark Saint, he¡¯s like a king. Presiding over everything in Achaeus. Everyone there treated him like a god. His words are simply like thew of thatnd."


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure where this was headed. But since the other was talking about this ¡¯Dark Saint¡¯, it¡¯s highly probable that the person she was talking about earlier was that guy. He didn¡¯t interrupt her and just let her continue.


    "And this so-called ¡¯god¡¯ ordered our tribe to be wiped out."


    It¡¯s already something he had expected, so Luo Yan was not surprised by what he heard. "Do you know for what reason?"


    "For what reason?" Shirayuki let out a soundlessugh, as if what he was going to say next was a big joke. "Because he wanted to own someone from our tribe. Yes, own. Like their some kind of item. And because this ¡¯item¡¯ refused to be owned by him, he told his minions to destroy everything they hold dear and simply collect their dead crops. Because if they can¡¯t own them, then no one should."


    Okay. That¡¯s a bit extreme. And definitely twisted as f*ck. "This person that the Dark Saint wanted to own, was it your sister?"


    If that was the case, then what a dog-blooded plot. If this Dark Saint was really as twisted as Shirayuki made him sound to be, then that would exin why the attack happened during the wedding. If he¡¯s already determined to destroy the demon fox tribe because of Kagetsuki¡¯s rejection, doing it on the day of her wedding would be much more painful.


    Imagine starting a new phase of your life but ending up dead instead. To add to that, most of the people who attended your wedding also ended up instead. If that were to happen to him, he might just directly turn into a vengeful ghost.


    Really, the brain hole of those game devs. They could just go to the normal route and make those dark mages destroy the demon fox tribe because they want to obtain some treasure or something. Instead, they made some dog-blood storyline about the leader of a cultist viinous group obsessing over someone. But that someone rejected the other. So, the other decided to take revenge by killing everyone on that someone¡¯s wedding.


    "My sister? No, it¡¯s my brother-inw."


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure if he heard that correctly. "You mean the one the Dark Saint was obsessed with was your sister¡¯s soon-to be then husband?" he asked just to make sure.


    Shirayuki nodded. "ording to the information I gathered throughout the years, my brother-inw met the Dark Saint when he was still travelling around Arcadia as a healer. I didn¡¯t know the full extent of what happened. But that meeting started the Dark Saint¡¯s obsession with my brother-inw.


    "This is not an exaggeration. But my brother-inw was the most beautiful kitsune of our tribe. His fur was pure white. It¡¯s a much purer white than my own. In terms of beauty, I dare say that he might even surpassed yours, Sir Noctis."


    [Then he must be really beautiful if that was the case. After all, there¡¯s only a few who could really surpass my beauty.] ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    "The Dark Saint constantly pestered him to be his partner in which my brother-inw politely refused. But he couldn¡¯t get that through that thick skull of his and just continued his harassment. It got to a point where he had my brother-inw kidnapped and imprisoned at Achaeus. My sister happened to be also travelling at that time. She heard what happened and proceeded on rescuing my brother-inw. It seeded. My sister probably used her highest stealth ability to be able to do that alone.


    "It¡¯s also during that time that the two fell in love. The Dark Saint didn¡¯t make any major moves after that. So, the two probably thought that the bastard had already forgotten about my brother-inw. They let their guard down and soon conceived Eclipse. Because of that, they quickly hasten their wedding ceremony. You already know what happened after."


    Luo Yan was still reeling from the fact that the reason why the demon fox tribe was destroyed was because of the Dark Saint¡¯s obsession over a male kitsune. And it¡¯s no ordinary male kitsune but Eclipse¡¯s father no less.


    Seriously, were a lot of game devs a fan of same sex love or something? This was the second time he encountered a story line about a male NPC that was in love with another male NPC. Ifter he found out that the king of Arcadia was actually gay or bi or non-binary, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised anymore.


    But with this information, at least he knew now that this Dark Saint that they might have to face was some shitty crazy asshole. Really, what a nice character setting. Thumbs up to you game devs. ¨C Luo Yan sarcastically thought.

 Chapter 571 comforting the dragon

    ON the other side, Shen Ji Yun just found Dusk sitting on a hill almost at the edge of the vige. That¡¯s why it took a bit of time to look for the other. He was honestly a bit reluctant to volunteer to look for this dragon. But then he thought if he didn¡¯t, then Luo Yan would definitely do it himself. If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s better to just take the initiative to do it.


    And so, he spent quite a bit of time searching for him. He tried to ask the NPCs around but before he could even get close to them, they would immediately step back and run. As if he¡¯s some kind of scourge. It was annoying to say the least. Especially when it happened a few couple of times.


    He understood why these NPCs were acting that way. Because they were programmed to. As NPCs, they had to act ording to how the game devs programmed them. It would be much weirder if they went out of character.


    But he had a feeling that if Luo Yan was here, he could probably coax those NPCs and even break their conditioned program. All his rabbit had to do was say that right words and wham! Those NPCs would happily do what he wanted. Until he was doing these kinds of tasks with Luo Yan, he actually had no idea that one could go around the codes of those NPCs by doing that.


    Well, as someone who had never enjoyed doing tasks with story lines involved, it¡¯s probably only natural that he had no idea about that. But even if he now knew about that, he couldn¡¯t do it the way Luo Yan does.


    So, at the end, he could only sigh and search for the dragon on his own. Because what else could he do?


    After more than 15 minutes of going through the whole vige, he finally found the dragon.


    Dusk was sitting and hugging his knees with his head buried in between. He looked like a child sulking.


    Shen Ji Yun walked behind and asked, "Are you crying?"


    As soon as he said that, Dusk abruptly raised his head and red at him fiercely. "Who¡¯s crying? This king is not someone who would shed tears!"


    Then the other immediately stood up. His stance aggressive, as if he was ready to fight him if he said another nonsense.


    Of course, Shen Ji Yun simply ignored that. Even if the other attacked, he just had to fight back. But Luo Yan would probably not like that. It was obvious that the other wanted to have a good rtionship with the demon fox tribe. Probably because of Eclipse.


    Then, he¡¯d just pull this dragon out of the vige if that were to happen. That way even if the two of them did end up fighting, they would not affect the kitsunes living here. They were already on the edge of the vige anyway.


    "Oh, sorry. It¡¯s because you stormed off like that and then I see you hugging your knees, rocking back and forth. Anyone would misunderstand," he said, shrugging.


    "I- Whatever. Just know that this king was not crying. How could that even be possible?" Dusk said in that usual stubborn tone of his. "Why did you follow this king anyway?"


    "I¡¯m worried that you might get lost. Or worse, you might pick a fight with the other kitsunes here."


    "This king is not a child! Why would I get lost?" the dragon said, obviously annoyed by what he heard. "Besides," he gazed down and continued in a voice that was almost like a whisper, "I won¡¯t hurt these kitsunes."


    Shen Ji Yun raised one of his brows when he heard that. Did this dragon actually feel guilty because of the things the female kitsune said earlier? Or maybe he had remembered something from those. He just decided to ask the other.


    "Did you perhaps remember something?"


    Dusk suddenly showed a frustrated expression. "If I did, do you think I would still be here instead of flying directly to wherever those dak mages are? But¡ª" He clutched his chest. "Even if I didn¡¯t remember anything, it still hurt here. As if thousand of knives are stabbing my heart. At the same time, I feel so much rage that I just want to destroy everything. It¡¯s making me insane!"


    As if to prove that, smoke wasing out of his mouth. Like he would spit fire at any moment. But surprisingly, the other just took a deep breath to calm himself and the smoke disappeared. It seemed that he truly didn¡¯t want to go on a rampage here.


    Shen Ji Yun was not good atforting people. Much less NPCs. So, he could only be straightforward and said;


    "That anger, simply release it when you face those dark mages. Oh, there¡¯s also that traitor who betrayed you and left you under the mercy of those dark mages. You have a lot of opportunity in the future to pay them back. Just think of that whenever you get angry."


    Dusk seemed to be enlightened by his words. "You¡¯re right. This king could just simply destroy them. I will make sure to give them the full extent of this anger." After he said that, he looked more energized. The cloud of gloom surrounding him earlier was now gone. He then looked at Shen Ji Yun. "You do say some useful things, qilin."


    "I¡¯m happy to be of service," Shen Ji Yun said with underlying sarcasm. "If your done, let¡¯s go back."


    The dragon was about to step forward but then stopped again. "That female kitsune, would she attack this king again? I- I don¡¯t want to fight with her."


    "No, I don¡¯t think she will."


    Knowing his rabbit, he probably had already handled that female kitsune to prevent her from attacking this dragon again. ¨C Shen Ji Yun thought.


    "If- if she attacked me again, then you have to protect this king!"


    Shen Ji Yun resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."


    Going back to Shirayuki¡¯s house was much faster that when he was looking for Dusk. Within minutes, the two of them reached the ce.

 Chapter 572 ...is feeling shy

    LUO YAN turned towards the entrance when he heard the door opening. He saw Shen Ji Yun and Dusk walking in. He looked at Shen Ji Yun and silently asked with his eyes if everything was now okay. The other nodded, showing that he quickly understood Luo Yan.


    He then looked at the dragon. Dusk¡¯s expression seemed to have returned to normal. But when he nced at Shirayuki, his expression contorted again as if he was constipated or something.


    "This king- no, I don¡¯t have any memories of the things you have said. So, so when I got them all back, I will return here and answer all the questions you have asked."


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised seeing this kind of initiative from Dusk. The other even did not use ¡¯this king¡¯ to refer to himself and simply just use ¡¯I¡¯, showing that he wanted to talk to Shirayuki as equals and that what he said just now was full of sincerity. Luo Yan nced at the female kitsune to see her reaction.


    Shirayuki¡¯s gentle blue eyes showed surprise. But that ripple quickly returned to normal. She avoided the dragon¡¯s gaze and looked down. "You better remember what you just said. If you ever renege on your words," she looked up and narrowed her eyes at the dragon. "I will hunt you down until you give me those answers."


    Dusk looked like he was about to explode hearing what the other said. Probably because he didn¡¯t like that what she was implying about him reneging on his promise. But he soon controlled his temper and made himself calm. "This ki- no, I mean, I know. You don¡¯t have to worry, that won¡¯t ever happen."


    "It better."


    Shen Ji Yun and Dusk then sat back to their seats.


    "What¡¯s your n after this?" Shirayuki then asked.


    "We will go to the dragon n and investigate the things that happened during the war," Luo Yan answered. "After that, we¡¯ll go to Achaeus."


    Dusk showed a determined yet vengeful expression when he heard that. As if he was already imagining the torture he would inflict to those enemies.


    Shirayuki nodded. "If you need any help, I could send some of our warriors with you. I would volunteer to go myself but I can¡¯t leave the vige. The barrier protecting the whole vige is connected to me. As well as the illusion covering the shrine. As long as I¡¯m alive, the barrier won¡¯t crumble. But the condition is that I can¡¯t leave the vige."


    Luo Yan remembered earlier when he was fighting with those two male kitsunes. Shirayuki quickly came to their aid, showing that she readily felt the presence of intruders. It probably had something to do with the illusion being connected to her.


    "For the time being, there¡¯s no need for any additional help," he said. "But if a situation arises that needed your tribe¡¯s help, we will immediately send a message to you."


    Although he¡¯s not really nning to do that. These demon foxes might just be NPCs. But once they died during a hidden task, then their codes would also be forever gone.


    That was something he also just learned recently. Hidden tasks were tasks that could only be done once. It¡¯s not like the other types of tasks in which one could repeatedly do it. Hidden tasks were like part of Arcadia¡¯s whole story line. So, everything that happened in a hidden task was resolute.


    For example, if an NPC died, then he would disappear forever from the game. The same thing could be said for ces and other things. This way, the continuity of the story line would be assured.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t want any members of the demon fox tribe to be implicated in whatever they had to do next. These NPCs had already suffered enough. Besides, it¡¯s not as if he and Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t handle the dragon n and those dark mages. With the two of them working together and with the help of Eclipse and Dusk, what else could they not aplish?


    "There¡¯s no need for that. With this king¡¯s presence, there¡¯s even no need for the qilin or the moon elf. This king will definitely obliterate them."


    Shirayuki only gave Dusk a condescending gaze as if she was looking at a fool before turning his attention back to Luo Yan. "Then I shall await your message. By the way, if you want to enter the vige, you can simply ask Eclipse to teleport you here directly. Because he¡¯s now recognized by the Elementum as the leader of our tribe, as long as he¡¯s willing, he could easilye and go here."


    That was a nice surprise. ¨C Luo Yan thought. He couldn¡¯t always be with Eclipse. So, it would be great if the little fox could enjoy being with his tribe during the times that he wasn¡¯t in the game.


    Just talking after that, the door to where Eclipse was suddenly opened. And a boy with long ck hair and sleepy sapphire blue eyes walked out slowly. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t still used to walking. When he fully opened his eyes and saw his beloved master, the fluffy five tails behind him wagged and he flung himself to Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan reflexively opened his arms and not let the boy be hurt by his sudden action. "Is Eclipse already feeling better?" he asked, smiling down gently at the boy.


    Eclipse raised his head and nodded enthusiastically. "For some reason, Eclipse felt more powerful than ever. By the way, Mashter, where are we?"


    "We¡¯re at your aunt¡¯s house."


    Eclipse¡¯s expression showed confusion when he heard that. As if he was not sure if he heard his master correctly. "Eclipse has an aunt?"


    As an answer, Luo Yan turned Eclipse to where Shirayuki was sitting. Although the other still looked as gentle as ever, he could still see the nervousness in her eyes. Probably because this was the official meeting between the two.


    "Hello, Eclipse, I¡¯m your aunt. My name is Shirayuki," the female kitsune first greeted the little boy.


    Because Luo Yan was holding Eclipse, he immediately felt his body stiffened. Then, the next instance, the little boy suddenly buried his face on Luo Yan¡¯s chest.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    And then Eclipse answered in a muffled voice that only he could hear. "She¡¯s so pretty. Eclipse is feeling shy."

 Chapter 573 a little aunt and nephew moment

    LUO YAN had a nk expression at first and then, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. When Eclipse suddenly buried his face on his chest, he thought that the little boy couldn¡¯t ept the sudden appearance of this aunt. But who would have thought that it was only because the other was feeling shy? He had almost forgotten how big of a face-con this little fox was.


    But that didn¡¯t mean that others also knew this special trait of Eclipse. Just like Shirayuki. When the little boy turned away from her and pressed his face on Luo Yan, her expression cracked a little. She must have probably thought that her nephew was rejecting her. Sadness quickly enveloped her countenance.


    This was what Luo Yan saw when he raised his head and looked at the female kitsune sitting across from him. Seeing her expression, it wasn¡¯t hard to know what she was thinking. So, he patted Eclipse¡¯s back and whispered to the little guy;


    "Go and greet your aunt. If you don¡¯t, she¡¯ll be sad and think you don¡¯t like her."


    After he said that, Eclipse quickly stood up and turned towards the female kitsune. Shirayuki tried to smile in the gentlest way she could but the sadness in her eyes still couldn¡¯t be hidden. Eclipse probably noticed that, that¡¯s why the little boy ran besides Shirayuki despite his legs still being all wobbly.


    Eclipse fidgeted, his bodynguage screaming nervousness. He looked at Shirayuki with shyness. "A-are you really Eclipse¡¯s aunt?"


    Shirayuki¡¯s sadness seemed to lessen when his nephew asked her this. "Yes. I¡¯m your mother¡¯s younger sister. My name is Shirayuki. You can call me Aunt Yuki if you want."


    Hearing that, Eclipse then stared at Shirayuki¡¯s face in a daze. Then his big sapphire blue eyes widened as if he just discovered that Shirayuki looked a lot like Kagetsuki.


    "A-aunt," he called tentatively.


    Now, it was Shirayuki¡¯s eyes turn to widen. Then those eyes were filled with emotion, bing more and more watery. As if tears would drop at any second. She was obviously very overwhelmed by this call. But she tried her best not to directly cry into a bag of mess.


    She smiled and asked in an almost hoarse voice, "Can I hug you?"


    As an answer, Eclipse hugged the female kitsune¡¯s slender neck. "Aunt Yuki, Eclipse- Eclipse is very happy to meet you."


    A surprised expression appeared on Shirayuki¡¯s beautiful face. But it soon turned to indescribable happiness. She hugged the little boy back. "I¡¯m also very happy to meet you, Eclipse. Thank you for being alive."


    Eclipse seemed to be greatly affected by these words and he couldn¡¯t help but sob. And then that sob slowly turned into full-blown cry. Shirayuki showed a distressed look and patted her nephew¡¯s back gently.


    "Shh... it¡¯s alright... don¡¯t cry," she said, even though there was also a drop of tear at the corner of her eye.


    Luo Yan, who was watching on the side, also couldn¡¯t help but feel distressed for Eclipse. This was the second time that this little guy had cried. Because of his character setting, which he wasn¡¯t sure was influenced by him in any way since the little fox had been with him before he even hatched from the beast egg, Eclipse had always been energetic and naughty.


    That¡¯s why when he first saw him cry when they found out about Kagetsuki from Lhoris¡¯ memory, he almost panicked. And now seeing Eclipse crying again felt like his heart was being stabbed by needles. It¡¯s ufortable. Even more so now that Eclipse was crying in his humanoid form.


    "You brat- I mean, kid, don¡¯t cry too much. Your aunt¡¯s clothes will be soak by your tears," Dusk suddenly said.


    Shirayuki just gave the dragon a nk stare as if telling the other, ¡¯what nonsense are you saying?¡¯.


    Eclipse separated from Shirayuki. He turned to Dusk, his eyes were puffy and red. He sniffed before saying, "Why is uncle ck lizard worrying about Eclipse¡¯s aunt¡¯s clothes? Don¡¯t tell Eclipse that uncle ck lizard actually has a crush on Eclipse¡¯s aunt?"


    Dusk¡¯s face quickly turned red simr to a boiled shrimp. "You- stop talking nonsense! How could I have a c-crush on that aunt of yours?"


    "This dragon, can you not raise your voice? We can all hear you clearly," Shirayuki said with that expressionless stare that he often gave to Dusk. "But I should thank you for not having a crush on me. We might have a problem if you do. After all, the two of us still have ounts to settle. It would be problematic if you suddenly develop romantic feelings for me."


    She said thatst part in a matter-of-factly tone that it would only make the one she¡¯s speaking to even more embarrassed. As evidence, Dusk abruptly stood up, his face still as red as before.


    "D-don¡¯t think highly of yourself! Hmp!"


    Then he ran away again.


    "I won¡¯t follow him again," Shen Ji Yun immediately announced after the other left.


    "It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s probably just embarrassed," Luo Yan said, chuckling.


    Eclipse then suddenly turned to Shen Ji Yun with his blue eyes shining. Luo Yan suddenly had a bad feeling. But before he could say anything, Eclipse had already beat him to it.


    "Captain! Eclipse had wanted to talk to you for a long time! Eclipse wanted to say personally that Captain is really handsome and that Eclipse approve of you and Mashter. The both of you match perfectly. Like a match made in heaven!"


    The little boy ended that with a thumbs-up.


    Luo Yan almost wanted to facepalm. The thing that he was worried the most happened quite faster than he thought. With Eclipse¡¯s personality, he knew it would only be a matter of time before he started his ¡¯shipping¡¯ hobby. But he didn¡¯t expect that it would be now. Somehow, he could already foresee the future. Yes, the future of him feeling embarrassed because of Eclipse¡¯s ¡¯shipping¡¯ hobby.


    Shen Ji Yun, on the other hand, was taken aback by what Eclipse suddenly said. It was a good thing that he wasn¡¯t drinking anything or else he might have spilled it because of too much shock.


    He looked at Eclipse who was smiling brightly at him. He suddenly felt embarrassed. He even felt his cheeks slightly heating up. Was this little fox just teasing him? Or was there more to it? He actually hoped it would be thetter.

 Chapter 574 i like it very much

    BEFORE Shen Ji Yun could make any response, asking the boy what he meant by what he said, Eclipse suddenly spoke again,pletely changing the subject.


    "Eclipse wants new clothes," the little boy said, puffing up his cheeks while looking down at the simple clothes he was wearing. "Eclipse wants cute ones!"


    Luo Yan quickly took advantage of Eclipse¡¯s transfer of attention. He immediately spoke first before this little fox said something again that would embarrass him, "I have a full set of costume here for you. You can try it first and if you don¡¯t like it, I can just buy you a new one."


    Eclipse turned to him, his eyes almost twinkling. "Mashter already had clothes prepared for Eclipse?"


    Luo Yan stretched out his hand and ruffled the top of the other¡¯s soft ck hair. "Of course. I had to be prepared in case you suddenly transformed into your humanoid form. I can¡¯t have you wearing such simple clothes now, could I? After all, it wouldn¡¯t suit our Eclipse¡¯s cuteness."


    He was actually waiting for Bian Que to make a potion or a pill that could transform a yer¡¯s pet into their humanoid form. That¡¯s why he had already bought a costume for Eclipse in preparation. It was something that would automatically fit Eclipse no matter how big or small he was in his humanoid form. But who would have thought that this little guy would transform naturally before that famous Alchemist could make a potion or a pill?


    The little boy seemed to be really happy by what he heard, as evidence of the five fluffy tails wagging behind him. "Mashter is really the best! Eclipse wants to try the clothes Mashter prepared."


    Luo Yan opened his Items Tab. When he saw the costume he brought for Eclipse on one of the grids, he dragged it to the Pet Status Tab. He clicked it and an option window appeared in front of him, asking if he wanted to equip the costume of his pet. He picked ¡¯yes¡¯. Then Eclipse was suddenly surrounded by ck smoke.


    When the smoke dissipated, what appeared was a boy wearing a puffy teal gray coat over light brown knitted sweater. The coat was open and had a wide cor. Its cuffs, as well as its outer pockets, and cors all were in the same color ¨C beige. Below, he was wearing dark gray shorts with white stripes. On both sides were brown outer pockets.


    These were paired with a pair of brown leather boots that reached just above his ankle and a pair of white socks just below his knees. On top of his head was a teal gray newsboy cap. There were holes on both sides of the cap to amodate his fox ears. The same could be said behind his shorts. That¡¯s why his five fluffy tails could still be seen.


    Eclipse looked down with excitement. Then he looked at the back, and then stretched his hand to look at the sleeves. "Does Eclipse look cute?"


    "Yes, very," Luo Yan said, smiling. He really had good taste in clothes.


    "Eclipse looks wonderful," Shirayuki added.


    The little boy then turned to Shen Ji Yun who was the only one who hadn¡¯t given his opinion. "Captain, what do you think?"


    "Good," Shen Ji Yun said absent-mindedly, his mind was still on what this little fox had said earlier.


    Eclipse pouted. "Why does Eclipse feel Captain is being perfunctory?"


    "You know your captain always looks like that. He might appear perfunctory but he meant what he said," Luo Yan said.


    Although that was the case sometimes, but this time, he was sure Shen Ji Yun was indeed being perfunctory. He hadn¡¯t even look at Eclipse and instead just kept on giving him secret nces. Knowing the other, Luo Yan was sure that he was definitely still thinking about what Eclipse had said earlier.


    "Why don¡¯t you ask your aunt to take you to a room with a full-length mirror so you can look at the costume yourself?" he added to take away Eclipse¡¯s attention from Shen Ji Yun.


    That seemed to be effective, because the little boy turned to Shirayuki and said, "Can we, Aunt Yuki?"


    Shirayuki smiled. "Of course."


    Then the female kitsune stood up. She bent down and held Eclipse. Then the two went to wherever room in this house that had a mirror.


    "Brother Ji Yun, I think we should log out after they return," Luo Yan said. Aside from wanting to take Shen Ji Yun¡¯s thoughts away from what the other was obviously thinking right now, he also really had to log out right soon since it¡¯s almost lunch time. "Let¡¯s log in again, maybe,ter at one o¡¯clock. What do you think?"


    "Okay, let¡¯s do that," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Luo Yan was about to let out a sigh of relief, thinking that Shen Ji Yun was no longer thinking about the nonsense that Eclipse said, but as he was about to do so, he suddenly heard the other¡¯s question;


    "Why did Eclipse say those things earlier? Was he just teasing?"


    Instead of a sigh of relief, just a helpless sigh escaped Luo Yan¡¯s lips. He turned to Shen Ji Yun. The other looked a bit shy and also genuinely confuse. He knew whatever he said, Shen Ji Yun would believe him readily. But he didn¡¯t want to do that. Aside from feeling guilty, it would also be unfair to the other. After all, he had always preach to him that he shouldn¡¯t lie when it came to things like this.


    Besides, telling him the truth now would also help Shen Ji Yun be prepared in the future whenever Eclipse would say something simr. So, he took a deep breath and told the truth.


    "Eclipse always kind of pair you with me. In his mind, the two of us are already a couple. That¡¯s why he said those things. I- I hope you don¡¯t get offended."


    Even though Luo Yan knew Shen Ji Yun would definitely not get offended by that, he still felt a bit embarrassed after saying it.


    As expected, Shen Ji Yun readily said, "I won¡¯t get offended at all!"


    [In fact, I like it very much.] ¨C thisst part, he almost blurted out. Good thing he stopped himself in time.

 Chapter 575 with such a handsome face

    BUT wait- did that mean that Eclipse had always been pairing him with Luo Yan? When that finally registered in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brain, his expression suddenly became nk. Well, more nk than it usually was.


    He knew that Luo Yan and Eclipse usuallymunicated with each other mentally. So, Luo Yan was the only one who could hear the little fox¡¯s voice. No, that¡¯s not right. Dusk could also hear Eclipse.


    Then, as if a door was suddenly opened to him, he remembered what the dragon had said when they flew over the shrine earlier and saw Luo Yan talking to Shirayuki; ¡¯Wait- the brat said the two of you are a couple. Is he actually cheating on you?¡¯.


    He didn¡¯t think much about it because all his attention was on Luo Yan. But now that they were talking about this topic, it just shed in his mind. So, wouldn¡¯t this mean that the little fox had been telling those who could hear his voice how he and Luo Yan were a pair? To the point that even Dusk would believe that the two of them were indeed a couple.


    Shen Ji Yun felt a bitplicated. Because he didn¡¯t know if he should feel happy, shy, or worried. Being paired with his rabbit was naturally a very happy thing. Just thinking that there were people, even if they were NPCs, who considered him and Luo Yan a couple, his heart was immediately filled with sweetness.


    But there was also the worry. What if Luo Yan didn¡¯t like being paired with him? Normally, people would be annoyed if they were constantly being paired with someone of the same sex or gender. After all, the ¡¯normal¡¯ thing was to be paired with someone of the opposite sex. What if Luo Yan was simply tolerating it because he simply considered it as the nonsensical ramblings of an NPC? Something that didn¡¯t really affect him in anyway that¡¯s why he just chose to ignore it.


    Shen Ji Yun wasn¡¯t sure which one was better of the two. If it was the former, that meant Luo Yan¡¯s concept of a ¡¯normal¡¯ rtionship had already been established. That in his mind, males should only be with females. If it was thetter, then that meant that Luo Yan had never thought of being with him in that way. And so, he didn¡¯t care much whether Eclipse teased him.


    Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit down. Could there reallye a time when his feelings would reach Luo Yan? The pessimistic side of him that most of the time inhabited his mind kept whispering to him, ¡¯no, that was just your dream and it won¡¯t ever happen in this life¡¯. The gloom surrounding him just increased thinking of that.


    Luo Yan was confused by the sudden downcast expression that Shen Ji Yun showed. The other was still being shy and excited at first. So, then, what happened in just a span of seconds? But he already had an answer in his mind.


    This guy was probably overthinking again. Although Luo Yan had no idea what Shen Ji Yun was thinking right now, he had a feeling that it was probably just the other¡¯s big brain supplement. As in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brain was supplementing him with nonsensical depressing thoughts that resulted to this gloom.


    It probably had something to do with him no doubt. Based on the conversation they just had, it could only have something to do with the fact that Eclipse was shipping the two of them. But what was so depressing about that? Shouldn¡¯t he be happy instead?


    Well, he was indeed happy for a few seconds, that is. So, what happened? What kind of brain supplement did his braine up with? No matter how good his understanding of the other was, it didn¡¯t mean that he could easily read his mind.


    Since, he didn¡¯t know the reason, it¡¯s better to just ask. "What¡¯s wrong, Brother Ji Yun? You suddenly became silent."


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to return to his senses after hearing Luo Yan¡¯s question. "It¡¯s nothing."


    Although the other tried to smile and appear nonchnt, in Luo Yan¡¯s eyes, Shen Ji Yun only looked very ufortable. He sighed helplessly.


    "Really nothing? But why do I think that something is bothering you and it¡¯s very likely that it had something to do with me?" he smiled and tilted his head. "Am I right or am I right?"


    Shen Ji Yun was suddenly flustered, as if being caught in the act of doing something bad. "I¡ª" he stopped and then decided to just tell the truth, well, at least part of the truth. It¡¯s also better for his peace of mind to know what Luo Yan¡¯s answer would be. "What¡¯s your opinion with Eclipse pairing us together?"


    Luo Yan stopped when he heard that question. Because he felt like he had already answered something simr. No, he definitely did. Wait- so, that¡¯s the reason he suddenly became gloomy? He didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh or cry.


    "Brother Ji Yun, if I¡¯m not angry that other people are shipping us, even giving us a CP name, then I certainly don¡¯t mind Eclipse pairing us together."


    Shen Ji Yun showed a surprised look as if he just remembered about their online CP name. Luo Yan shook his head helplessly. Seriously, how could such a great guy be socking in confidence? If he found the person or people responsible for this, see if he didn¡¯t beat them up.


    Because there¡¯s no way this behavior was not influenced by something or by someone. Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t grow up with this kind of mentality otherwise. Especially when he had all these obvious advantages in life.


    "I don¡¯t mind if others paired us together," he added to what he said earlier. Then Luo Yan stretched out his hand and pinched the other¡¯s cheek. And a gentle smile appeared on his face. "With such a handsome face, I don¡¯t think anyone would even dare to be dissatisfied being paired with you."


    Shen Ji Yun was in aplete trance. He could only feel his heart beating faster and faster.

 Chapter 576 self-confidence

    LUO YAN removed the VR helmet and put it on the side table. He stood up and stretched his body a bit. Everything they did this morning almoststed for four hours. It¡¯s a good thing that he always exercised every morning and had a nutritionist approved diet. Or else, with his current lifestyle, he might have already turned into a pig.


    Well, even if he did, he would probably still be the most beautiful pig out there. But there¡¯s nothing wrong with being fit and healthy. It would not only make his looks more appealing, it would also let him live a long life. Unless, of course, another potted nt fell on his head. So, he¡¯d rather be thetter.


    He looked at the time on the wall clock, it was almost time for lunch. Logging out at this time was just right.


    He and Shen Ji Yun decided to meetter at one o¡¯clock to continue doing the ¡¯Awakening Dragon¡¯ task. Their next destination would the dragon n. They left Eclipse and Dusk in the demon fox vige. Since they logged out there, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem once they logged inter because they would readily appear at the vige. They didn¡¯t need to call Eclipse to teleport them there.


    As he was thinking about that, he couldn¡¯t help but also think of the conversation he had with Shen Ji Yun before they logged out. Talking about his opinion in regards to their ¡¯pairing¡¯.


    That conversation once again proved to him how low the other¡¯s confidence was. It¡¯s not just the confidence, there was also the problem with his overthinking. It would be fine if this overthinking led to positive thoughts. But no, it almost always ended up in the negative direction.


    It¡¯s like Shen Ji Yun had no confidence that people woulde to like him. Not in the sense of shallow admiration but truly liking him as a person. Which was totally strange. Let¡¯s not mention his looks, just by the virtue of his personality, anyone who was able to get to know him woulde to like him.


    Beneath that expressionless exterior was a sweet and thoughtful person. How could anyone not like him? And yet, Luo Yan had a feeling that Shen Ji Yun truly believed in his heart that he was an unlikeable person. That¡¯s probably why despite all the signs that Luo Yan had given him, it never crossed his mind that he might return his feelings. Which was just sad and heartbreaking.


    He truly wanted to know what Shen Ji Yun had experience wile growing up for him to have that kind of low opinion of himself. He had a feeling that a lot of it had something to do with the death of his father and also the fact that he was living separately from his mother. Maybe there were even other people who helped in chirping away his confidence little by little.


    Just thinking of that possibility, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but be angry. How dare they do that to his cinnamon roll? Really, if he found out who those people were, it would not just end with a simple beating.


    In any case, what¡¯s important right now was to help Shen Ji Yun build up his confidence. If this continued, the other might not ever realize that they shared the same feelings unless he told it to him face to face.


    Luo Yan sighed helplessly. It seemed that there was a lot of work he had to do. But he didn¡¯t mind. As long as Shen Ji Yun could stop doubting his own self-worth, then everything he would do would be totally worth it.


    He then identally nced at the personalized music box that Shen Ji Yun had sent to him. He walked over and opened it. Two figured appeared ¨C a rabbit and a qilin dancing along the sweet music. He couldn¡¯t help but smile. As he did, he also happened to nce at the red-string bracelet on his wrist.


    He liked all the things that Shen Ji Yun had given him. Whether it be in reality or inside the game. Aside from the same red-string bracelet that he gave the other, he was really behind when it came to giving memorable gifts.


    He wondered what good thing he should give him.


    As he was thinking of that, his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and saw that it was Yu Jiao calling.


    Speaking of Yu Jiao, he just realized that the other and Shen Ji Yun was simr in a way. They both werecking in confidence. Both were thinking, for some unfathomable reason, that they were not good enough. Which was simply absurd. Because they were both great and amazing people.


    If he could only share his self-confidence with them, he had already done so. He had tons of it. If his confidence could bepared to a body of water, then it could only be the wide and deep ocean. Even if he gave a part of it to the two, it wouldn¡¯t diminish at all.


    Luo Yan sighed once again. If only he could really do that.


    He closed the music box¡¯s lid before answering the call. "Jiao Jiao?"


    "Hello, Yan Yan, are you busy right now?"


    He could hear something in the other¡¯s voice. As if she was contemting about something. Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but be curious. "No, I¡¯m not. Is there something wrong?"


    "Ahm, you see, I was supposed to meet my mother today for lunch. But when I got to the meeting ce, my stepfather was also there. And he, ahm, he apologized for the things that Mo Jian had done to me so far," Yu Jiao started. One could hear in her voice that what happened really rattled her. "It surprised me too much that I excused myself and hid in the restaurant¡¯s toilet."


    "Are you still in the toilet?" Luo Yan asked in an amused tone.


    "Yeah," the other answered in an awkward voice. "So, ahm, I was wondering if you, you know, talked to your father and asked him to talk to my stepfather?"


    Luo Yan understood why Yu Jiao would think that way. After all, to let her stepfather apologized, there must be someone who interceded. He smiled because he knew who it was.


    Who could it be other than his older brother?

 Chapter 577 her disappointments

    YU JIAO was hiding inside a stall of a toilet. Since the restaurant they were in was pretty high-ss, the toilets were also the same. It¡¯s clean and smelled nice. More than that, it was also very big. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t feel ufortable here. In fact, she¡¯s muchfortable herepared to the private box she was in earlier.


    Just like what she said to Luo Yan, after she met with her stepfather, she immediately ran away and hid here. Which was kind of stupid, yes. But hearing him apologized out of the blue really made him ufortable to the extreme.


    She couldn¡¯t help but think back to what happened a few moments earlier.


    =====


    Yu Jiao got down of the car when the driver opened the door for her. She was actually quite surprised when this driver arrived at the school grounds and said to her that the madam ¨C her mother ¨C told him to take her to their meeting ce.


    She recognized the driver as someone from the Mo household. So, she wasn¡¯t worried that the other was there to abduct her. Besides, she also received a timely message from her mother, telling her that she sent the driver to pick her up.


    And now, she¡¯s standing in front of this traditional Chinese restaurant.


    "Young miss, please go ahead inside," the driver said to her amiably.


    Yu Jiao nodded with a small smile. Although her stepfather¡¯s children were not so kind to her, the servants in the Mo household at least treated her with enough courtesy. She walked inside the restaurant. The receptionist asked her if she had any reservation and she told them her mother¡¯s name. The receptionist checked and after confirming, she asked a waiter to lead her to the private box.


    While walking, he wondered once again why her mother suddenly asked to meet with her. It had only been four days since that emotional phone call when she couldn¡¯t help but pour out the grievances that she had felt because of that incident with Mo Jian.


    Although they had talked about a lot of things during that conversation, they could only have simple conversation after. Her mother would call her to ask if she was alright or if anything else had happened. Once she answered, her mother would be silent. As if she didn¡¯t know how to proceed next. And then it would end up with her mother just simply ending the conversation and telling her to rest.


    Yu Jiao understood her mother. The other probably just didn¡¯t know what to say to her. She couldn¡¯t guarantee that Mo Jian wouldn¡¯t harass her again. Even if she was now the other¡¯s stepmother, she would still be unable to control her actions. Besides, it was quite obvious that Mo Jian didn¡¯t have any respect for her stepmother.


    The only one who could really do any difference was Yu Jiao¡¯s stepfather ¨C Mo Guang Li. But would he really scold his daughter for a stepdaughter he barely even knew and like? The answer to that was very much obvious. But even so, Yu Jiao still couldn¡¯t help but feel a tad bit of disappointment.


    They soon arrived in front of the private box. The waiter opened the door for her. She said her thanks and walked inside. And she almost stepped back just as she did. Because right there, sitting beside her mother was her stepfather.


    She tried her best not to panic and continued walking inside.


    Her mother smiled when she saw her. "Jiao Jiao is here. Come, sit down."


    "Mom, Uncle," Yu Jiao greeted before sitting opposite the two.


    "I ordered all of Jiao Jiao¡¯s favorite dishes," her mother started with an awkward smile. Yu Jiao could even see a guilty sh in her eyes.


    She just sighed inwardly and said to her mother, "Thank you, Mom. I¡¯ll eat them well."


    She nced at the dishes on the table and most of them were indeed her favorites. She then raised her head and secretly nced at her stepfather. She observed the other¡¯s expression. She wanted to see if he was calm or just pretending to be calm. If it was thetter then it¡¯s highly likely that he was here with her mother to reprimand her. Maybe Mo Jian had already weaved what happened into apletely different direction.


    When her stepfather noticed her gaze, she looked away on reflex. She almost pped herself for that action. Didn¡¯t she said that she would try to change? Then, what was that action just now? It¡¯s like someone who was discovered doing something bad. Which she clearly didn¡¯t. At the end, she could only attribute it to her timid nature.


    She inwardly sighed and felt disappointed in herself. Then, she clenched her fists. No, no one could immediately change just because they said they would. It would take time. For her, time was not the only thing she needed. She also had to learn to love, treasure, and respect herself more. Only then would she be able to be the best version of herself.


    So, she raised and bravely met her stepfather¡¯s gaze.


    Mo Guang Lin was obviously a bit surprised by this. Yu Jiao understood why he would feel that way. After all, in the months that the other had been married to her mother, she had never looked him straight in the eyes.


    The other cleared his throat. "Jiao Jiao, I heard what happened between you and Jian-er. I was also informed that simr incidents had been happening between the two of you. As her father, I could only ask for your forgiveness and understanding. It¡¯s shameful of me to request you of that and I would understand if you don¡¯t. But for our family, I hope that you could."


    Then Mo Guang Lin bowed his head in a very respectful manner. Her mother, on the side, also looked at her with hope.


    Yu Jiao immediately felt suffocated. She so wanted to ask if this ¡¯family¡¯ actually included her. But the words simply got stuck in her throat. The disappointment in her heart just became bigger.


    =====


    And that¡¯s when she excused herself and ran out of the private room, ending up here in this toilet stall.

 Chapter 578 never ever be afraid

    YU JIAO was now waiting for Luo Yan¡¯s answer to her question. Because she didn¡¯t believe that her stepfather would really apologize to her on behalf of Mo Jian without an outside interference. She never considered that it could be her mother. Sad as that might seem. But that¡¯s okay. Shepletely understood her position. And it¡¯s not something that was a cause for resentment.


    So, if someone really did intervene in this matter, then it could only be a person that had a higher social standing than the Mo family. Someone who could influence her stepfather¡¯s decision to the point that he would even apologize to her for what Mo Jian did.


    This meant that he had already partially admitted that her most beloved daughter - the who couldn¡¯t possibly do anything bad in his eyes ¨C had indeed done something wrong. Considering the other¡¯s huge bias, admitting that was already a huge step.


    Yu Jiao could only think of one person who fit the bill ¨C Luo Yan¡¯s father. One, the other was someone her stepfather would reluctantly listen to. And second, she was Luo Yan¡¯s friend. If Luo Yan asked his father to intercede for her, he would no doubt do just that. Just by seeing how much his brothers treasured Luo Yan, his father would definitely be the same.


    That¡¯s why she asked Luo Yan that question.


    "No, I didn¡¯t ask Dad," Luo Yan answered.


    Yu Jiao felt at a loss when she heard the other¡¯s answer. If it had nothing to do with Luo Yan¡¯s father, then was it possible that her stepfather did this on his own ord without anyone influencing him?


    "Does this have something to do with that wicked stepsister of yours?"


    Her confusion was temporarily halted because of what Luo Yan said next. She smiled helplessly. "Well, I just thought that you asked your father to talk to my father so Mo Jian wouldn¡¯t bother me anymore. But if you didn¡¯t ask your father, then my guess was obviously wrong."


    When her stepfather apologized, she really thought that that was indeed the case. She even guessed right after that the reason Mo Jian wasn¡¯t bothering her these past days after that incident was because of that.


    "I didn¡¯t talk to my Dad about that. But I did mention a bit about it to my older brother."


    Yu Jiao was surprised to hear that. Luo Yan mentioned it to his older brother? Then, could it be that instead of Luo Yan¡¯s father, it was his older brother who intercede in this situation?


    The handsome face of Luo Ren suddenly appeared in her mind. And for some reason, her heart temporarily skipped a beat. She stopped, shocked by her reaction. She clutched at her chest. What was that just now?


    She shook her head and forced her mind to return to the topic at hand. "Why did Yan Yan tell that to Brother Ren?"


    She was a bit embarrassed thinking that Luo Ren now knew that she was so easy to bully. Again, for some unknown reason she couldn¡¯t exin, she didn¡¯t want the other to think of her as weak.


    "Sorry, Jiao Jiao. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose," Luo Yan quickly apologized. "Remember when we had lunch together with Brother? Well, he noticed that something was not right with your expression that day. So, he asked me what happened. I mean, really happened. I couldn¡¯t lie, so, I could only tell him the truth. I¡¯m sorry if I overstepped."


    "No, no, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s fine, really," Yu Jiao quickly said. She didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to feel guilty about something so small. "I probably should thank Brother Ren, then."


    "It¡¯s alright, Jiao Jiao. If you think my brother shouldn¡¯t have done that, you can go ahead and scold him," Luo Yan said with a bit of indignant tone. "I promise, he won¡¯t fight back."


    Yu Jiao¡¯s tight nerves finally loosened when he heard her friend¡¯s suggestion. "Well, I will take that as a consideration," she jokingly responded. "But in the meantime, can I have Brother Ren¡¯s number?"


    There was a temporary silence on the other side. Before she could ask if there was something wrong, Luo Yan had already spoken. His voice sounded very enthusiastic. As if he was very happy that she asked for his brother¡¯s number.


    "I will send it to youter."


    "Okay. Then, I¡¯ll hung up now. I still have to go back to that lunch," she said.


    "If you need anyone to talk to right after that lunch, I¡¯m just one call away," Luo Yan said. "If I didn¡¯t answer immediately, you can just call my older brother. If it¡¯s you, he¡¯ll definitely always be avable."


    Yu Jiao felt inexplicably shy hearing thatst part. Why did it feel like Luo Yan was teasing her?


    She ended the call and put back her phone in the small sling she¡¯s carrying.


    When she walked out of the stall, she almost immediately stopped just as quick. Because her gaze collided with a pair of eyes full of hatred.


    It was Mo Jian.


    "You- what are you doing here?" she couldn¡¯t help but blurt out.


    She didn¡¯t expect the other to suddenly appear here. Could it be that she also came here with her mother and the other¡¯s father? No, if that was the case, then Mo Guang Li should have just let Mo Jian apologized on her own instead of doing it himself. After all, it would look more ¡¯sincere¡¯. But the fact that he didn¡¯t meant that he couldn¡¯t force his daughter to do so.


    Then, what was this girl doing here?


    Could it be that she followed and had been secretly spying on them? And then when she saw Yu Jiao going to the toilet, she also followed? But for what? To have a confrontation with her? Was that it?


    Looking at Mo Jian¡¯s expression right now as if she wanted to eat her alive, that seemed to really be the case.


    Yu Jiao clenched her fists and stood her ground. If that was really the case, then she¡¯s not afraid to face her head on. Mo Jian was nothing but a bully. A bully who thought she was justified in everything she does.


    Yu Jiao would never ever be afraid of a bully again. Not in this life.

 Chapter 579 standing up for herself

    MO JIAN red at the tall girl in front of her. Everything just went spiraling down since this bitch grew a brain and started leeching off from the Luo brothers. Her father suddenly scolded her and told her to apologize to this bitch. And even said that if she did the same thing again, he would transfer her to another school.


    The one who said that was her father. Her father! The one who always gave her everything she wanted without any questions asked. The one who loved her the most. And yet, for someone like this girl, he scolded her?


    She wanted to shout her grievances at her father right at that moment. But she knew nothing good woulde out of it. So, she could only act pitiful. But deep inside, she was already seething with anger. She swore that she would definitely get back at Yu Jiao.


    But first, she needed to know who was the one who goaded her father into scolding her. Because she was sure that he would never do so if there was no one who interfered and painted her as the viin.


    She first suspected that it was that useless woman ¨C Yu Jiao¡¯s mother. But then she quickly denied that. With how low the IQ of that woman was, there¡¯s no way she could scheme against her. Really, Mo Jian had no idea what her father saw in that woman.


    But she must admit that it was also because of that woman¡¯s stupidity that she didn¡¯t object to the wedding of the two. Besides, it¡¯s fun to see the woman pampering her instead of her own daughter. Really, what a stupid person.


    When she established that it was not the woman, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who could do this. But when she heard the phone call that this bitch had just now, she understood immediately.


    It turned out that she had help from the eldest young master of the Luo family. So, it¡¯s not enough that she was hugging the thigh of both Luo Yan and Luo Jin, she also had to have her hands on Luo Ren? If Mo Jian didn¡¯t follow Yu Jiao when she saw her going out of the private box, she might have not known about this.


    Her n for today was to suddenly appear during lunch and somehow reverse the situation. To let her father think that Yu Jiao was the one at fault all along. Just as she arrived at the private box, she saw the other going out of the private box. It¡¯s a good thing that she followed her instinct and followed the bicth.


    "You¡¯re really capable, aren¡¯t you?" Mo Jian said, her voice full of sarcasm. "It¡¯s not enough to befriend the Luo brothers at school, you also had to seduce the eldest young master Luo. Really, I could apud you right now."


    Yu Jiao frowned after hearing such words. The other probably heard what she said to Luo Yan over the phone. But even so, how could she just end up with that ridiculous assumption? And looking at her expression, Mo Jian truly believed that. She shook her head. Just what kind of brain circuit did this girl have?


    "Stop talking nonsense."


    Mo Jian became even angrier seeing the other looking at her as if she had lost her mind. And the fact that Yu Jiao was staring straight at her without quivering or stuttering like she always did before made that anger simply rushed to her head.


    "What, are you going to deny it? Didn¡¯t you onlytched on to Luo Yan because you know he¡¯s a na?ve ghost who could easily be controlled? How sad would he be once he found out your true colors," she scoffed. "So, was young master Luo Ren your end goal then? Calling him ¡¯Brother Ren¡¯, hah! Did he treat you kindly? So, you have this illusion that he would look at you in that way? Hahaha! You better look in the mirror first. No man would ever want to be with someone who looks like you!"


    Yu Jiao felt that a vein on her forehead would pop at any second now. "First of all, Yan Yan is one of the strongest person I know. Don¡¯t justbel him as someone weak just base on your own prejudice. And secondly, only people with a scheming mind and a jealous heart would look at my friendship with Yan Yan with malice. And yes, Brother Ren treats me kindly. But that didn¡¯t mean that I will be delusional enough to think that I¡¯m special. Only someone like you would think that way.


    "So, don¡¯t force your skewed world views on me. Because the both of us are different. Unlike you who only knows how to y with others, I treat the people around me sincerely. That¡¯s why the people I met also treat me the same. I don¡¯t care if you see me as ugly. I don¡¯t need your opinion. Because no matter what my exterior appearance might be, I know that my heart is infinitely more beautiful than you."


    Yu Jiao then looked at Mo Jian, her eyes full of pity. "I actually feel pity for you. Because the way you are now, you will never find happiness in the future."


    After she said that, she walked past Mo Jian, leaving the other there.


    Mo Jian, who was left, bit her lower lip, almost making it bleed. [How dare she? How dare that bitch said all that to her?! I¡¯m pitiful? Me? Hah! Crazy! She must have gone crazy!]


    Telling her that she wouldn¡¯t be happy, wasn¡¯t that bitch just basically cursing her? And even that hypocritical talk. As if she¡¯s some kind of evil witch and that Yu Jiao was an angel. What kind of narrative was she trying to y here?


    Mo Jian clenched her fists. Looking murderously at the door. Did she think she could just walk out and it would be over? Well, she¡¯d prove to her just how wrong she was.


    She dashed out of the toilet, trying to catch up with Yu Jiao.


    Yu Jiao, on the other hand, was already walking back to the private box. After that confrontation with Mo Jian, she felt rejuvenated. As if there¡¯s a pure energy running throughout her body. It was a very nice feeling. She probably should do it more ¨C standing up for herself.


    She just climbed the stairs when someone held her arm, their nails almost digging into her skin. She looked back and saw Mo Jian smiling maliciously at her. She closed their distance and whispered to her;


    "What will happen if you push me down the stairs right now?"


    Before Yu Jiao could react, the other already shouted;


    "Sister, what are you doing?"


    Then her body started falling back. Yu Jiao¡¯s eyes widened. She couldn¡¯t believe just how crazy Mo Jian was. She already knew what kind of scheme she was nning. There¡¯s no way she would allow her to aplish that.


    So, she quickly reached for the other¡¯s hand. But she¡¯s still not fast enough. Although she did manage to catch Mo Jian¡¯s wrist, the momentum from falling was already too strong.


    The result? Both of them fell.

 Chapter 580 what exactly happened?

    YU JIAO felt extremely lightheaded. But at the same time, he also felt a tingling sensation on the side of her head. She couldn¡¯t describe if it was painful or not because her consciousness was floating. It¡¯s like she¡¯s awake but not.


    Then she heard two people talking.


    "Mo Guang Lin, I don¡¯t care what your daughter said. My daughter is still lying there, unconscious, and you¡¯re already ming her for what happened? Do you really think your daughter is a saint who could do no wrong? Well, I¡¯ll tell you, my Jiao Jiao is not the type who would do something like this!"


    "I¡¯m not ming her, Xiuying. I¡¯m simply exining Jian-er¡¯s side," exined by another voice.


    Yu Jiao recognized these two voices. The woman¡¯s voice belonged to her mother while the man¡¯s voice belonged to her stepfather. She could hear what they¡¯re saying but it¡¯s like her brain refused toprehend it. So, in her ears, their conversation simply sounded simr to incessant buzzing.


    "And you already believe that her side was the right one. I tried my best to treat your children with sincerity. To the point that I have even neglected my own child. I even fooled myself into thinking that everything will be okay as long as I be a good mother figure to them. That all five of us will be a family in every sense of that word. Oh, what a real fool I¡¯ve been.


    "While I was putting my own daughter¡¯s feelings on the side, your daughter kept tormenting her. Even when I was seeing the sign, I closed my eyes and refused to see the truth. But that¡¯s stops here. I don¡¯t want your daughter near mine. I don¡¯t want her to hurt my Jiao Jiao."


    Yu Jiao heard her mother taking a deep breath and releasing it, as if she had already made a decision about something.


    "Let¡¯s divorce. ording to the pre-nuptial agreement that we signed, you don¡¯t need to give me anything. Just prepare the document and I¡¯ll sign it. My only request is for you to check on your daughter and make sure that she won¡¯t hurt my Jiao Jiao again."


    "Xiuying!"


    That shout sounded angry and also panicked, as if the owner of the voice didn¡¯t know what they should do.


    "Get out. I don¡¯t want Jiao Jiao to see you when she wakes up."


    "I know you¡¯re angry right now, that¡¯s why you said those things. I wille backter once you calmed down. And then let¡¯s talk about this properly again."


    "No, Mo Guang Lin, this is the calmest I¡¯ve been since I married you. Unless you stop your daughter from being evil and wicked, my decision will remain the same. There¡¯s no future for us. I understand that now. Because you see, my love for my daughter is greater than my love for you. It¡¯s better to separate before my daughter suffered any more injury. Now, please, leave."


    Thatst part probably hit it where it hurts because she heard the door opening and closing, a sign that someone had left the room. Then after a few moments of silence, she heard intermittent sobbing.


    Yu Jiao wanted to open her eyes. Because she knew that it was her mother who was crying. Even though her brain still couldn¡¯t process the conversation that she just heard, all that¡¯s important to her now was tofort her mother. But she felt like there were rocks sitting on her eyes, preventing her from truly waking up.


    Then she felt her consciousness slowly slipping away. She knew that she would lose her consciousness any second now. So, before she could, she said, not even sure if the other could hear her.


    "D-don¡¯t... cry... Mom..."


    And her consciousnesspletely dissipated.


    When Yu Jiao was finally able to open her eyes, an hour had already passed. The first thing she saw was a white ceiling. Then the smell of antiseptic filled her nose. She tried to turn to the side and she was suddenly assaulted by the pain on the side of her head.


    "Jiao Jiao, are you okay? Do you want to sit down? Do you need water?" said a very familiar voice.


    Then a beautiful face appeared in her line of vision.


    "Yan Yan?" she asked, obviously still confused. "What--?"


    Then her mind suddenly had a shback of what happened. She and Mo Jian were arguing and then the other tried to fall on the stairs to put the me on her. But she tried to grab her and prevent that from happening. In turn, the both of them fell. So, was she in the hospital right now? And what was Luo Yan doing here?


    Luo Yan seemed to understand her confusion and responded, "I called you earlier to ask the result of your conversation with your stepfather. But your mother answered your phone and told me that you fell down the stairs and was now at the hospital. So, I quickly ask our driver to drive me here."


    Luo Yan was actually about to log into the game when he thought of calling Yu Jiao again, just to check on her. But who would have thought that this was the kind of news he would get instead?


    When he found out that Yu Jiao was hospitalized, he quickly sent a message to Shen Ji Yun, telling him that he might not be able to continue to do their task today because of what happened. He actually wanted to ask Luo Jin if he wanted to go with him to the hospital but the other had already logged back into the game. So, he could only go on his own.


    He also sent a message to his older brother, telling him about Yu Jiao¡¯s hospitalization. But the other was probably very busy as evidence of the fact that he still hadn¡¯t read and replied to his message. If Luo Ren had read the message, he would have already called him to ask about the situation. Maybe he was even on his way now here.


    "Your mother just went out for a bit to talk to the doctor again," he added.


    "I see." Yu Jiao tried to sit up and Luo Yan immediately helped her. She smiled at the other. "Thank you for visiting me, Yan Yan."


    "Of course, I should visit," Luo Yan said. "Now, can you tell me what exactly happened for you to end up in the hospital?"

 Chapter 581 a good friend

    LUO YAN had a gentle smile on his face when he asked that, but Yu Jiao couldn¡¯t help but feel that he would directly assault Mo Jian once he knew what happened. Like some kind of avenging angel.


    He might look like all innocent and sweet but that¡¯s just barely scraping the surface of who he was. To his friends and family, he was caring and gentle. But to people who offended him and tried to hurt the people he cared about, he was like a scheming ck lotus who would not stop until he got even.


    Yu Jiao stared at this seemingly harmless boy and couldn¡¯t help but smile a little bit helplessly. "If Yan Yan promised that you won¡¯t go to someone¡¯s hospital room and confront them directly, then I will tell you."


    The only thing Luo Yan understood from that sentence was that someone was indeed involved with what happened to Yu Jiao. Considering that she was meeting her mother and stepfather when this ¡¯ident¡¯ happened, it wouldn¡¯t take a genius to guess who was the one responsible for this.


    But he didn¡¯t outright say that and decided to respect what Yu Jiao wanted. "Okay, I promise."


    "It started with a confrontation with Mo Jian. I think I won that round that¡¯s why she became so pissed. That kind of ended up with her being so angry that she tried to fall down the stairs and pin the crime of supposedly ¡¯pushing her down¡¯ on me. I stopped it, of course. But it ended up with the two of us both falling. And thus, this situation," Yu Jiao exined, gesturing to herself lying on the hospital bed. It¡¯s her awkward way of lightening up the situation.


    But it seemed that that attempt was not very sessful seeing the other¡¯s increasingly dark face.


    Of course, Luo Yan was pissed. That Mo Jian, he couldn¡¯t believe she would be crazy enough to actually fall on the stairs on her own ord just so she could make Yu Jiao the bad guy. As someone who¡¯s good at scheming against others, he already had an idea on what Mo Jian was thinking while doing that action.


    She probably thought that as long as she fell on the stairs with Yu Jiao standing at the top of the staircase, the other would immediately be med for what happened. Then whatever apology Yu Jiao¡¯s stepfather gave her would be invalidated. Because it would seem that, between the two, she was the bad one.


    But too bad for Mo Jian, Yu Jiao stopped her n just by being a good person and saving her from falling. That fact didn¡¯tfort Luo Yan at all. In fact, it only made him even angrier. Yu Jiao was hurt because of that girl¡¯s stupidity.


    He would have actually preferred if she just fell on her own. No matter how hard she tried to me Yu Jiao, he would simply look for the other¡¯s innocence. Considering that everything happened at a restaurant ¨C a public ce ¨C there would surely be recordings and witnesses. At least, that way, Yu Jiao didn¡¯t have to get hurt.


    If the same situation happened to him, he would probably watch the other fall down the stairs. And then he would smirk as he did so. Telling the other with his expression just how stupid she was. But s, Yu Jiao was simply much kinder.


    "It¡¯s not really as bad as it looks," Yu Jiao continued when he saw Luo Yan not responding. "I don¡¯t even feel that much pain."


    Luo Yan stared at Yu Jiao and then sighed. "Well, at least you didn¡¯t break any bones."


    Before Yu Jiao could reply back, the door of the hospital room opened and her mother walked in.


    When Ji Xiuying saw her daughter was already awake, tears immediately clouded her eyes. She couldn¡¯t wait to rush over and hugged her daughter tightly. But she stopped, remembering that Yu Jiao¡¯s friend was still here.


    She smiled despite the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "Jiao Jiao is awake." She walked to the side of the bed and held the other¡¯s hand. "Good, good."


    Yu Jiao squeezed her mother¡¯s hand. "Mom."


    "Auntie, Jiao Jiao, I¡¯ll let you two talk," Luo Yan said, smiling at the two before walking out of the room.


    The moment he left, the smile on his face vanished. He took out his phone and dialed his older brother¡¯s number.


    Inside, Ji Xiuying nced at the closed door. When she first met Luo Yan earlier, she was really surprised. Not only because of the other¡¯s beautiful appearance, but because of the fact that he readily visited Yu Jiao after he knew what happened to her.


    "You have a good friend," she said to her daughter.


    Yu Jiao smiled. "Yes."


    Seeing that smile, Ji Xiuying felt relieved. Now she knew that Yu Jiao was at least not alone and ostracized in that school for the rich kids.


    She sat down on the side of the hospital bed and patted her daughter¡¯s hand. "The doctor said that you only suffered from a minor head wound. It¡¯s a good thing that it didn¡¯t lead to serious brain trauma."


    But it could have. And that¡¯s why Ji Xiuying couldn¡¯t forgive Mo Guang Lin¡¯s daughter.


    Earlier at the restaurant, when she and the other heard themotion from the outside, they both went out to look. When she heard that the cause of thatmotion was two girls falling from the stairs, she suddenly had a bad premonition.


    And sure enough, when she ran over to see what was happening and saw her daughter at the bottom of the stairs, she felt like her world started spinning. Especially after she saw how much blood there was. And all of iting from her daughter.


    It didn¡¯t help that Mo Jian was shrieking like a banshee, telling everyone that it was Yu Jiao¡¯s fault. When she saw the other trying to hit Yu Jiao when her daughter had already lost consciousness, her mind just went nk and her eyes turned red. She didn¡¯t know how she got down the stairs, but when she did, she pushed Mo Jian away from her daughter.


    After that, everything just became mostly a blur.


    Ji Xiuying hugged Yu Jiao tightly. "Jiao Jiao, I decided to divorce Mo Guang Lin."

 Chapter 582 mother and daughters tears

    YU JIAO was startled when she heard that. She let go of her mother and quickly said, "Is this because of what happened to me? Mom, you don¡¯t need to go that far."


    "It¡¯s precisely because of what happened that I needed to go that far," Ji Xiuying said, her voice full of undisguised determination.


    "B-but, how about Uncle Mo? I know that Mom loves him. You don¡¯t need to sacrifice your own happiness just because of this small mishap. I¡¯m fine, Mom, really. So, please, instead of worrying about me, just think of what will make you happy." Yu Jiao smiled at her mother. "You already sacrifice a lot for me, Mom. More than anything, all I wanted is to see you happy."


    This time, Ji Xiuying no longer stopped her tears from falling. By her daughter¡¯s words, she suddenly understood a lot of things. Why Yu Jiao never objected to her sudden remarriage. Why, despite of the treatment she got from Mo Jian, she kept silent and didn¡¯t tell her anything. Because Yu Jiao was doing it for her happiness.


    How could she be so stupid and selfish that she didn¡¯t even notice that? All she cared about was how she could maintain this fa?ade of a family. But she forgot why it was called a ¡¯fa?ade¡¯. Because nothing was real from the start. And just because of these fake familial bonds, she neglected the most important person in her life.


    "I¡¯m a failure as a m-mother!" she sobbed. "I¡¯m s-sorry, Jiao Jiao."


    Yu Jiao felt panicked, seeing such a huge reaction from her mother. "Mom, d-don¡¯t cry. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong."


    Ji Xiuying shook her head. "No, I did. I let you suffer alone. I didn¡¯t protect you as I should. I failed you, Jiao Jiao," she choked on her tears. "The fact that it needed this incident to happen before I could open my eyes and see how much I wronged you proved just how much of a failure I am." She tremblingly reached for her daughter¡¯s hand and held it tightly. "I-I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m so so-sorry... please, forgive me."


    Yu Jiao¡¯s vision blurred because of the tears that were starting to cloud her eyes. A drop of tear fell and it was like a signal. Tears started to stream down her cheeks. A silent sob escaped her mouth. She shook her head.


    "There¡¯s n-nothing to forgive, Mom. Because I never b-med you. I- I understood your position. You finally found someone that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. Of course, you will try to protect that. Besides, it was me who chose not to tell you about what¡¯s happening between me and Mo Jian. So, Mom, don¡¯t me yourself. Because I never did."


    Ji Xiuying shook her head. "But I do! I am at fault. I am."


    She had seen the sign that there was something wrong as early as when Yu Jiao asked if she could live at the school¡¯s dorm. But what did Ji Xiuying do? Nothing. She turned a blind eye and forced herself to believe that she was simply overthinking. And look where her daughter ended up because of that.


    Yu Jiao was hospitalized because of a head injury that was most likely caused by Mo Jian. She probably even suffered some psychological trauma because of the other¡¯s bullying. And where was Ji Xiuying when all of this was happening? Somewhere far where she couldn¡¯t even protect her.


    She couldn¡¯t forgive herself. If her daughter was someone who easily hate on people, their rtionship would already probably at a point of no return. So, she should really be d and thankful that her daughter grew up kind and thoughtful. Who didn¡¯t have any malice in her heart.


    Really, being blessed by such a daughter, Ji Xiuying shouldn¡¯t have asked for more. But she was also just human. Being faced with temptation, she learned how to be greedy. Greed for the things that she couldn¡¯t have. But this incident opened her eyes to the truth. That to be happy, she could only have one of the two. And she didn¡¯t hesitate to choose her daughter.


    They might return to the life they had before, but that¡¯s okay. At least they were happy then.


    Yu Jiao stared at her mother, whose tears still hadn¡¯t stopped, and she reached out and hugged her. "If it will make Mom feel better, then, I forgive you. So, don¡¯t cry anymore. Hmm?"


    Ji Xiuying cried andughed at the same time. Sometimes, she really wondered who was older between them. She hugged her daughter back and cried out all the tears that she could cry. Yu Jiao also did the same.


    A few minutes had passed before the two of them managed to calm down.


    "Mom, are you really divorcing Uncle Mo?" Yu Jiao asked after a while.


    Ji Xiuying nodded. She couldn¡¯t live at the same house as that daughter of his. And most importantly, she couldn¡¯t let that girl continue to torment her Yu Jiao. "It would only be us again from now on. Just like how it had always been."


    "If that was what Mom really wanted, then, I¡¯ll support you," Yu Jiao said. "But is it really what you want?"


    "Yes," Ji Xiuying answered without hesitation.


    Yu Jiao observed her mother¡¯s expression and she could see that the other had already made up her mind. Even if she tried to convince her otherwise, she knew that it wouldn¡¯t work. So, the only thing left for her to do was to support her.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry about school. You can stay at Guizu Academy. It would not be conducive to transfer especially since you¡¯re already a third year. It might affect your College Entrance Examination if you do. You don¡¯t have to worry about the tuition fee since it had already been paid in full. If Mo Guang Lin wants his money back, then, I¡¯ll pay it back. I¡¯ll also start looking for an apartment and a job. And¡ª"


    "Mom," Yu Jiao interrupted her mother¡¯s long tirade. "I actually have money. Ahm, I think as long as we don¡¯t spend so much, it will be enough."


    Her mother showed a confused look. "Are you working part-time?"


    "Well, something like that?"


    Ji Xiuying became teary-eyed again. Her daughter probably worked part time so she didn¡¯t have to ask for spending money. But where did she get the time to do a part-time job? She¡¯s in her busiest year in high school and yet she had to work just so she wouldn¡¯t bother her.


    Seeing her mother¡¯s expression, Yu Jiao kind of had an idea of what she was thinking about. So, she quickly said, before more misunderstandings popped up;


    "Mom, it¡¯s not what you think. I¡¯m not tiring myself out for this ¡¯part-time job¡¯. In fact, I¡¯m having fun. And, ahm, I also earn a lot of money from it."


    And she proceeded telling her mother about being a well-known cksmith at Arcadia.


    While Yu Jiao was exining her ¡¯part-time job¡¯, a ck BMW stopped in front of the hospital. A pair of long legs appeared and then a handsome man came down from the car.


    Luo Ren rushed towards the hospital. The expression on his face was pure coldness.

 Chapter 583 overbearing ceo

    LUO REN was on a site located outside the city center since this morning. He was checking on it for the current project he was handling. He didn¡¯t notice that his phone died because of an empty battery. He actually didn¡¯t expect that to happen. It¡¯s a reminder that he should always check his phone when leaving the house.


    That way, when an important message or call came, he could always read and answer it. Unlike what happened today.


    After he finished the inspection, that was only when he noticed that his phone had died. He could only charge it in his car. When he turned it on, he saw Luo Yan¡¯s message, telling him about Yu Jiao¡¯s hospitalization.


    He felt like time had stopped and everything just became dim. His heart started beating fast, not because of excitement or nervousness but because of fear. He didn¡¯t know how he got on the car. His body just moved on its own and drove the car to the direction of the hospital that Luo Yan mentioned on his message as fast as he possibly could.


    On his way there, there was simply no thoughts in his mind. Because all he could think about was wanting Yu Jiao to be safe. Then he received a call from his younger brother telling him the entirety of the situation.


    It turned out that this incident was cause by Yu Jiao¡¯s stepsister. When he heard of what that girl did, the tightened his grip on the steering wheel to the point that his knuckles almost turned white. He thought that Mo, whatever her name was, was just a bully. He didn¡¯t expect that she would actually be this crazy.


    Luo Ren remembered his conversation with Mo Guang Lin and his expression just darkened. Did that old man not even do anything to control his daughter after the things he said to him? Or maybe he just didn¡¯t care and was justpletely blinded by his ¡¯lovely¡¯ daughter? Either way, that old man was also at fault for things to escte this way.


    If he didn¡¯t do any payback, this suffocating gas inside his heart would have no way to vent.


    He walked inside the hospital, already thinking of ways he could torment that father and daughter duo. He didn¡¯t do much and just warned Mo Guang Lin, hoping that the other would be smart enough to heed his advice if he wanted to not ruin his marriage.


    But who would have thought that the other was actually not only stupid but blind as well when it came to his love for his daughter? If he had known that things would turn out like this, he would have probably just straight up threatened the old man. Maybe that would be more effective.


    As he walked, he noticed that people who walked to his direction automatically made way for him. As if they were afraid that if they bumped into him, he would surely go crazy and attacked them. That made him stop. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down himself.


    He couldn¡¯t see his expression right now. But based on the expression of the people around, it¡¯s probably really scary for them to react that way. He couldn¡¯t meet Yu Jiao looking like he was about to murder someone.


    After taking a few deep calming breaths, he felt like his expression was finally back to normal. Or at least as normal as he could right now despite the maelstrom of emotions gathering inside him.


    Luo Ren took out his phone and called Luo Yan. The other quickly answered.


    "Brother? Are you already near the hospital?"


    "I¡¯m actually already here," he answered. "What¡¯s Jiao Jiao¡¯s hospital room number?"


    "Don¡¯t go here yet. Jiao Jiao and her mom is still talking."


    When Luo Ren heard what his younger brother said, he just realized that he was also about to meet Yu Jiao¡¯s mother. If this was a normal situation, he would probably be nervous thinking of how he would make a good impression on the other¡¯s mother. But he really couldn¡¯t bring himself to be nervous right now. Since the two emotions he was currently feeling the most ¨C anger and worry ¨C overshadowed any other miniscule emotions.


    And besides, he had a bit of a grudge against Yu Jiao¡¯s mother. She could have prevented the situation from escting to this if only she protected Yu Jiao as she should. He knew he didn¡¯t have the right to me her. If Yu Jiao knew what he was thinking right now, she would definitely be mad at him. But he just couldn¡¯t help it. For him, Yu Jiao¡¯s safety and mental health were much more important.


    "Are you at the hospital lobby? I¡¯ll just go there and meet you."


    Hearing what Luo Yan said brought Luo Ren¡¯s thoughts back to what they were talking. "Yes, I¡¯ll wait for you here."


    The two ended the call and he waited for his younger brother. It didn¡¯t take long for Luo Yan to appear and walk to where he was standing.


    "How is Jiao Jiao¡¯s injury? Is she alright? What did the doctor say?" he quickly asked as soon as his younger brother stood in front of him.


    "As I¡¯ve said with my phone call earlier, she only suffered an external wound injury. It would definitely heal in no time," Luo Yan answered with a bit of a helpless tone.


    Truth to be told, Luo Ren didn¡¯t understand most of what Luo Yan had said when he called while he was driving. Because he was simply so worried. He only understood that Yu Jiao was injured because of Mo Jian¡¯s craziness.


    But despite knowing now that Yu Jiao was not in any sort of danger, he still couldn¡¯t calm his worry as long as he hadn¡¯t seen her with his eyes. He let out a frustrated sigh.


    "Should I just make the Mo family bankrupt?" he thought. Then, he just realized that he actually said those words out loud. He turned to his brother who was now looking at him with amusement. "What do you think, Yan Yan? Should brother do just that?"


    Luo Yan almost let out augh because of Luo Ren¡¯s unexpected gaffe. He had no doubt that the other really had a way to do just that. But somehow, he just couldn¡¯t agree with this method.


    "As much as I enjoyed thinking of Mo Jian being stuck in poverty, I don¡¯t think bankrupting her family is the best solution," she said. "Remember, we are only angry at her and maybe his father for enabling her. But if we bankrupt their family, they¡¯re not the only one who would suffer. Thousands of their employees would too. Many would lose their jobs. Some may be hired immediately but that definitely would not be the case for most."


    Luo Ren felt ashamed by his thoughts after hearing what Luo Yan said. He truly didn¡¯t think that far enough. "Yan Yan¡¯s right. I¡¯m just too muddleheaded to properly think."


    Luo Yan smiled and said with a teasing tone, "Is that why you¡¯re nning to act like some overbearing CEO so you could take revenge for your female lead?"


    Luo Ren smiled helplessly when he heard that. "Yan Yan."


    "What, I¡¯m just telling it as I see it," Luo Yan said before revealing a rather cryptic smile. "Don¡¯t worry, Brother. I already have a way to avenge your female lead."

 Chapter 584 scheming brothers

    LUO REN was first in a daze seeing that kind of smile on his brother¡¯s face. It¡¯s like all the innocence in it suddenly vanished and was reced by something, well, not so innocent. He shook his head and ignored that feeling. He simply asked; "What way?"


    "Mo Jian is obviously the type of person who have skewed moralpass. Because of her father¡¯s pampering, she didn¡¯t have the right concept of right and wrong. And so, in her mind, whatever she thought was right was right. In short, she had the making of a budding sociopath."


    If Luo Ren was drinking something at that moment, he might have already choked on it. He didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh or cry at his brother¡¯s dark humor. But he knew that the other was not joking and he really thought of that Mo girl in that way ¨C a budding sociopath. He must admit, that¡¯s a very apt description.


    Luo Yan continued with his analysis of Mo Jian¡¯s personality.


    "She enjoyed living the life of a princess and therefore thinks that the world revolves around her. She believes that she only deserves the best, thus having the illusion that she was the center of the universe. She even thought she could be paired with our dear brother ¨C Ah Jin. So, we only need to do something that would destroy this current life of hers and make her understand that she wasn¡¯t so important as she thinks she is."


    Luo Ren had already kept up with his brother¡¯s thinking and slowly understood what the other was trying to say. "Then, we should just destroy the thing that¡¯s keeping her from having this lifestyle and mindset."


    Luo Yan grinned. He loved it when he was talking to someone with the same wavelength. At least he didn¡¯t need to exin too much because the other would quickly understand what he was trying to say.


    "Correct. First, we destroy her reputation, making her see how insignificant she really is. And then, we destroy her rtionship with her father. Which in turn would limit the things she could do. With no one on her side who would pamper and spoil her to the point of letting her do whatever she wanted, can she still trouble Jiao Jiao?"


    Luo Ren nodded. "It¡¯s also important that we let her see wrongdoings. How about letting her experience all the things those she bullied experienced? Maybe once she was in their shoes, she would have some kind of enlightenment."


    "That¡¯s a good idea." Although Luo Yan doubted if that could actually change Mo Jian. After all, sometimes, people were simply born to be wicked and bad hearted.


    "To destroy her reputation, we probably should let all her ¡¯good¡¯ deeds be known to the public."


    Luo Ren was sure that his assistant still had that information from the time that he asked him to investigate the Mo family. Although doing that would definitely affect the Mo family¡¯s business in a way. But it wouldn¡¯t be to the point of being bankrupt. He agreed to what Luo Yan had said earlier. They shouldn¡¯t affect the lives of the people not connected to this. Their focus should only be on that Mo girl.


    Luo Yan nodded in agreement. "Brother could buy a bunch of water army to let the matter about Mo Jian¡¯s bullying spread."


    Although Luo Ren didn¡¯t know what Luo Yan meant by ¡¯water army¡¯, he still nodded as if he understood. He could just simply ask his assistant about it. "That girl, was she also hospitalized?"


    "Yes. I asked a passing nurse and they said she had a broken ankle."


    It was actually quite easy to find that information. When he went out of Yu Jiao¡¯s room, he asked a couple of nurses passing by. He learned that Mo Jian was on another VIP room and that she suffered from a broken ankle. Because of his appearance, like an innocent rabbit who wouldn¡¯t do any wrong, those nurses immediately awoken their mother heart and answered everything he asked.


    "Why did you suddenly ask?" he asked.


    "I just want to make sure that she wasn¡¯t in aa. So, the moment she was released, she could feel the pain of being a social pariah."


    Luo Yan almostughed hearing this. It¡¯s like his older brother was saying that before Mo Jian was released from the hospital, he would make sure that the issue would be so big that she would turn into a social pariah.


    One¡¯s reputation was very important in the social circle of the upper-ss society. After this debacle, Mo Jian would surely be isted by the other youngdies and young masters. That would include her ssmates. Could she still proceed with her life like normal even with that? The answer was definitely a big resounding ¡¯no¡¯. With the kind of character she had, she might not evenst for a day.


    "Now, we¡¯re only left with how to destroy her rtionship with her father," Luo Ren said.


    "Well, it all depends whether her father is a good guy who was only blinded by his love for his daughter or if he¡¯s a naturally stupid person who¡¯s not only blind but also doesn¡¯t have any conscience," Luo Yan said. "If it¡¯s the former, then, it would be easier to cause a crack in their rtionship. Once all the ¡¯good deeds¡¯ of his daughter were revealed, then he might feel guilty and would no longer be able to look at his daughter the same way. But if it¡¯s thetter, then, it would be a bit harder."


    Thinking of his warning thest time that was obviously not taken seriously and led to this situation, Luo Ren could only frown. "I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s thetter."


    "I also think so," Luo Yan agreed. "But if he truly loves Yu Jiao¡¯s mother, then he still might have a bit of hope left in him." He then hugged his brother¡¯s arm. "Now then, why don¡¯t we go and meet Jiao Jiao. I think her talk with her mother should be finished by now."


    Hearing that, Luo Ren suddenly felt a bit nervous. He nced at Luo Yan and asked. "Do I look okay?"


    Luo Yan chuckled and suddenly found his older brother very cute. "Brother is very handsome."


    And the two walked towards the direction of Yu Jiao¡¯s room.

 Chapter 585 love sign blindness

    WHEN the two brothers reached Yu Jiao¡¯s room, they saw the Yu Jiao¡¯s mother opening the door and walking out. Luo Yan quickly noticed the other¡¯s reddish and swelling eyes. She must have cried a lot.


    Ji Xiuying stopped when she saw them. She smiled gently at Luo Yan. "Xiao Yan is here." And then she nced at the tall man standing beside the teenager. "This is?"


    "Auntie, this is my older brother," Luo Yan answered with a smile, introducing his older brother.


    "Hello, Auntie, my name is Luo Ren," Luo Ren said bowing respectfully towards Yu Jiao¡¯s mother. Although his opinion about this woman hadn¡¯t yet improved, that didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t give her the respect that an elder should have.


    "Hello, hello," Ji Xiuying greeted back.


    She observed the young man. If Luo Yan didn¡¯t say that the other was his brother, she might not think that they were rted. The two just didn¡¯t look simr at all. One was soft and gentle while the other had this inherent coldness and aloofness that didn¡¯t allow others to be near.


    "He came to take me back home. Can we go and say goodbye to Jiao Jiao before we leave?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Of course. It just so happens that I will go and buy lunch for Jiao Jiao. You and your brother can apany her while I¡¯m away," Ji Xiuying answered without hesitation.


    Although these two were obviously young masters from a rich family, she couldn¡¯t help but feel good will towards them. Probably because of her initial good impression of Luo Yan. And based on her daughter¡¯s reaction when she mentioned Luo Yan earlier, she could see that Yu Jiao trusted this boy very much. That¡¯s why she also was also confident to leave her daughter with them.


    Ji Xiuying left and the two entered Yu Jiao¡¯s hospital room.


    Yu Jiao thought that her mother forgot something that¡¯s why she came back but it was not her who walked in. When she saw Luo Yan, a smile was about to cross her lips, but when she saw the person walking behind him, her smile just froze.


    What was Luo Ren doing here?


    Before she could think more clearly, the other had already rushed to the side of her bed. He seemed like he wanted to stretch his hand and hold her or something but he quickly stopped. Yu Jiao felt her cheeks heating up because of that sudden thought. Why would she even think that? How embarrassing!


    She looked down and tried to calm herself. She must be imagining things. This was not the first time her imagination got the better of her. But still, it was a bit humiliating even if she was the only one who knew about it.


    Unbeknownst to her, Luo Ren indeed wanted to hug her. But he stopped himself in time. He didn¡¯t want Yu Jiao to think of her as a pervert. Suddenly hugging her like that would certainly make him look like one.


    "Jiao Jiao, are you already feeling better? Or does it still hurt?" he just asked instead.


    He looked at the bandage on her head and the anger he had felt earlier came back with a vengeance. He clenched his fist, his nails almost digging into his palm. The pain he felt from that helped himself to calm down and not show a terrifying expression in front of Yu Jiao.


    But seeing her like this, he was even more determined to teach that Mo girl a lesson she would never forget. Did she really think she could put Yu Jiao in such a dangerous situation and get away with it? Hah!


    That girl should be d that Yu Jiao only got an external wound from this. If her injury was much more serious than this, he would definitely not hesitate to destroy the whole Mo family.


    "I-I¡¯m okay. It doesn¡¯t really hurt that much," Yu Jiao said, fiddling with the bed sheet covering herp. "W-why is Brother Ren here?"


    She almost bit her lower lip when she heard herself stuttering. Why did this old habit of hers have to suddenly appear at this moment? She sounded all weak and timid. To make up for that, she bravely raised her head to meet the other¡¯s gaze.


    But she felt like it was self-defeating. Because the moment their gazes met, she, for some reason, felt shy all over again. But this time, she refused to look down again. Although, she quickly regretted that. Because gazing at the other¡¯s deep ck eyes was like being pulled into an endless whirlpool. She didn¡¯t even know how to get out of it.


    She shook her head. Why was she being so sensitive today? Was it because of the fall? Maybe her brain sustained some damage she didn¡¯t know about.


    Luo Ren was still worried. Especially since Yu Jiao¡¯s face suddenly became all red. "Are you sure?" This time, he didn¡¯t stop himself and stretched out his hand to check the other¡¯s temperature. The back of his hand was on her cheek. He didn¡¯t have time to admire her soft cheeks because all he could feel was her high temperature. "I think you have a fever."


    "N-no- I¡ª"


    She obviously didn¡¯t have a fever. But how could Yu Jiao say that the reason her cheeks felt hot was because the other touched it? That would only make her look like a fool.


    Luo Yan, who was being fed with unnecessary dog food for quite a while now, really couldn¡¯t take it any longer. He walked to his brother and removed his hand from Yu Jiao¡¯s cheek before the girl started tobust spontaneously.


    Seriously, Luo Ren was such a sharp guy. If he just stopped and looked properly, he would see that Yu Jiao was simply being shy. It seemed just like any other guy in love, he was also suffering from the so-called ¡¯love sign blindness¡¯. Being afflicted by this would make one oblivious and dense. Even though the answer was right in front of them, they couldn¡¯t seem to see it. Just like what¡¯s happening to Luo Ren right now.


    Good thing Luo Yan didn¡¯t suffer the same affliction. Or else, the development of his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun might be much slower than it was now.


    Just imagining that was already giving him stress.

 Chapter 586 you are her happiness

    "BROTHER, I don¡¯t think Jiao Jiao has a fever. She¡¯s probably just feeling a bit hot." Luo Yan turned to Yu Jiao. "Isn¡¯t that right, Jiao Jiao?"


    "Yes!" Yu Jiao quickly said.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if Luo Yan noticed that she was ufortable, but his timing was impable. It¡¯s better to just go along with it instead of letting Luo Ren touch her cheek to check if she really had a fever or not. If that continued, she might really end up having a real fever.


    "I-I¡¯m really fine, Brother Ren," she added.


    Right after she said that, she almost smacked himself again. Because she didn¡¯t sound convincing at all.


    Thankfully, Luo Ren didn¡¯t notice that at all. He was just simply d and relieved that Yu Jiao didn¡¯t have a fever. "Then, should we increase the temperature of the AC?"


    "No, no, it¡¯s okay," Yu Jiao said, this time, she sounded convincing at least.


    "Did you have a proper talk with your mom?" Luo Yan thought of asking,pletely changing the subject. Which he knew Yu Jiao would prefer.


    Although he was rooting for his older brother in his love quest, he was mostly on Yu Jiao¡¯s side. After all, his brother was the one doing the chasing. Meaning it would all depend on Yu Jiao whether she would ept his feelings or not.


    Although it seemed like his brother still hadn¡¯t started his ¡¯chasing¡¯ yet. He was probably just waiting for Yu Jiao to be legal before he could go all out. Which, in Luo Yan¡¯s opinion, was a good idea. He didn¡¯t want to hear people saying that his brother was some kind of predator. When in truth, he hadn¡¯t even done anything that would warrant that.


    He could see that Yu Jiao¡¯s feelings for Luo Ren still hadn¡¯t reached the point she had fallen for him. From his observation, she¡¯s probably just on the stage of being curious about his older brother. If that could develop into something more, then great. But if not, then that¡¯s fine too.


    As he had said, he¡¯s on Yu Jiao¡¯s side. If Luo Ren ever did something that he shouldn¡¯t do, then he would be the first one to teach his brother a lesson. But he firmly believed that there wouldn¡¯t ever be a need for that. He¡¯s not being bias because the other was his brother. It¡¯s simply because he believed in Luo Ren¡¯s character. He would never do something that could hurt the people he cared about.


    "We did," Yu Jiao answered Luo Yan¡¯s question. Then aplicated expression shed on his face. "Mom decided to divorce Uncle Mo."


    Both brothers were surprised hearing thatst part. The two nced at each other. They could both see each other¡¯s thoughts at the moment. Which was not hard since they were both thinking of the same thing.


    Firstly, that Yu Jiao¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t so bad after all. She wasn¡¯t blinded by the life she had now that she had totally lost sight of what was important. They were d that she still thought of Yu Jiao as the most important person in her life. At least, they could be sure that, no matter what happened from here on out, she would always put Yu Jiao¡¯s safety and happiness at the very forefront.


    Andstly, depending on Mo Guang Lin¡¯s level of affection for his soon-to-be ex-wife, this divorce could greatly affect the rtionship between him and his daughter. Which would ultimately help on their scheme.


    Luo Yan hoped that Mo Guang Lin really loved Yu Jiao¡¯s mother. That way, their scheme would go much smoothly.


    Luo Ren noticed Yu Jiao¡¯splicated expression and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Does Jiao Jiao disagree with the divorce?"


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t agree. I just... I don¡¯t want to be the cause of it," Yu Jiao answered, her expression a bit down. "It just felt like I¡¯m taking away my mother¡¯s happiness."


    "Don¡¯t think like that, Jiao Jiao," Luo Yan quickly admonished in a gentle tone. "If you have to me someone for this divorce, then it should be Mo Jian, not you. Even if this incident didn¡¯t happen, sooner orter, your mother and stepfather¡¯s rtionship would still be put to the test. It will happen as long as that Mo Jian is around. You should know it too."


    Yes, Yu Jiao indeed understood that. With how Mo Jian was, she would definitely conflict with her mother. Maybe not now but definitely in the future. But in Yu Jiao¡¯s opinion, she was still one of the reasons for this possible divorce. Not just Mo Jian. So, if this divorce happened, then she was also at fault.


    Luo Yan could see that what he said barelyforted Yu Jiao. So, he continued, "If Mr. Mo agreed to divorce Auntie because of this, then that meant that his ¡¯love¡¯ for her only extend to that point. That despite what happened today, Mo Jian is still an angel who could do no wrong in his eyes. If that¡¯s the case, then Auntie is definitely better off without him. Who needs a stupid man in their life, right?"


    Yu Jiao stopped and then couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when she heard what Luo Yan said. It¡¯s not just because of the content of what he said. But mostly because of the way he said it. It¡¯s very exaggerated andical. Rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. As if he did it on purpose just to make her feel better. And for that alone, the guilt she felt had already lessen.


    Luo Ren watched the interaction between the two and he was d that Yu Jiao found such a great friend in his brother. It¡¯s always good to have someone to rely on during times when one felt the most weak and vulnerable.


    Of course, he hoped that he could also be that person for Yu Jiao. So, he thought of adding his own opinion to what his brother had already said. After all, he couldn¡¯t lose to Luo Yan. He also wanted tofort Yu Jiao as best as he was allowed to.


    "And you should not forget that there¡¯s no way you could take away your mother¡¯s happiness," he said, looking straight into Yu Jiao¡¯s eyes. "Because you are her happiness."

 Chapter 587 your backing

    YU JIAO felt like her nose suddenly became sour. She even felt tears slowly filling up her eyes. But she tried her best not to cry. She didn¡¯t want the two brothers in front of her to worry. And they surely would once they saw her cry.


    Although she truly wanted to just sob right now, deep inside, she felt very warm. Warmth surrounded her like a nket and heated up her heart. The words that Luo Ren and Luo Yan said were the reason for that. It made her happy andforted. Especially thest one that Luo Ren said. That she was her mother¡¯s happiness.


    Because of those words, any guilt and regret she felt slowly dissipated. She understood one thing. Even if her mother ended up separated from Uncle Mo, she was still here for her. The two of them still had each other. No matter what kind of situation they might have to face next, they would face it together. And that¡¯s all that mattered.


    Yu Jiao was embarrassed to admit that the things that happened since her mother got married to Uncle Mo had been slowly pulling the two of them apart. In fact, even though she repeatedly told herself that everything was fine and that she understood her mother¡¯s actions, there was still a small part of her that feltpletely aggrieved by the situation.


    If this incident didn¡¯t happen and if things continued on as they were, that small amount of grievance would definitely turn into something that she¡¯d rather not feel ¨C hatred. The moment she felt that, then the rtionship she had with her mother would definitely be over. Then maybe, just maybe, this development wasn¡¯t so bad after all. It was selfish of her to even think that. But maybe this time she could allow herself to be selfish.


    The thorn in her hear that resulted from ming herself for the possible divorce of her mother was nowpletely gone. The stone hanging in her shoulders since her mother told her that she would divorce Uncle Mo was finally lifted. Theplicated mood she had felt since had now been changed to a more positive one.


    Yu Jiao closed her eyes. When she opened them, no trace of tears could be seen. There was only gratitude and a soft smile. "Thank you, Yan Yan, Brother Ren, for cheering me up."


    "There¡¯s no need for thanks," Luo Yan said, waving his hand as if gesturing that what they did was not something worth being thanked for. "What we said is only the truth."


    Luo Ren nodded in agreement. "If Auntie encountered trouble looking for a house or an apartment, call me. I will let my assistant look for a good ce."


    Although what he really wanted to do was directly give Yu Jiao¡¯s mother a ce to stay. But if he did that, Yu Jiao would definitely think that it was too much. Maybe she would even feel that it was weird.


    "Yes, it would be good if the ce is near the school so Jiao Jiao could visit Auntie often," Luo Yan said with a nod.


    "No, no, there¡¯s no need for that," Yu Jiao quickly said.


    "Jiao Jiao, it¡¯s okay. Our family¡¯s main business is real estate. Looking for a good ce is as easy as snapping a finger for my brother," Luo Yan said. "Besides, looking for a good ce in this city in such a short time is really hard. Auntie might have to stay at a hotel for more than a week."


    Yu Jiao bit her lower lip. Luo Yan had a point. She also was hoping that her mother could stay somewhere near the school. But even if their school was not in the city center, it¡¯s still a bit hard looking for an avable ce near it.


    She and her mother still hadn¡¯t talked about where her mother should stay after the decision of divorcing Uncle Mo. Of course, she couldn¡¯t continue to stay at the Mo household.


    Her mother probably wouldn¡¯t leave the hospital until Yu Jiao was discharged. During that time, the other surely wouldn¡¯t have the time to look for an apartment. So, after she was discharged, just like Luo Yan said, her mother could only stay at a hotel. It might be convenient. But it¡¯s not something long-term. And she was sure that her mother wouldn¡¯t befortable staying at a hotel for a long period of time.


    "Jiao Jiao, there¡¯s no need to feel embarrassed because of this," Luo Yan said before she could make a decision. "We¡¯re friends. It¡¯s only natural to help each other. If we¡¯re in your position, I¡¯m sure you would also do the same. So, don¡¯t be ashamed to ept our help."


    Yu Jiao was speechless for a bit, then she smiled helplessly. Yes, if their position was reversed, she would definitely not hesitate to offer all the help she could give. Just like how she treasured this friendship, they most likely felt the same.


    Although she was not used to other people helping her unconditionally, she should probably get used to that now. Because her mother was not the only person in her life now. She now had friends. People who sincerely cared about her wellbeing. Refusing their help was like giving a cold shoulder to their goodwill.


    So, at the end, she said, "Okay. I will discuss it with my mother. Thank you again. Really."


    After this ¡¯storm¡¯ passed, she would definitely prepare a gift for them.


    "As Yan Yan had said, there¡¯s no need for thanks," said Luo Ren, repeating what his brother had said earlier. "If you encountered any more problems ¨C and by problems, I meant the people from the Mo family - don¡¯t hesitate to call me or Yan Yan. You can even call Xiao Jin."


    "That¡¯s right!" Luo Yan quickly seconded. "Remember, Jiao Jiao, the Luo brothers of S City is your backing. So, if that Mo Jian tries to hurt you again, fight back. You can p her as hard as you want. We¡¯ll make sure she and her father won¡¯t be able to retaliate against you."


    Luo Ren looked at his brother helplessly and rubbed the other¡¯s hair. "Yan Yan, don¡¯t teach Jiao Jiao violence." Then he turned to Yu Jiao. "But when ites to that Mo girl, resorting to violence also good."


    Yu Jiao stared at the two. And then, she finally couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.

 Chapter 588 totally deserved

    LUO REN took out his phone, the gentle and approachable expression he had when inside Yu Jiao¡¯s hospital room was already reced by his usual coldness. He was on the phone with his assistant. Telling him to look for an apartment with a good environment near Guizu Academy. It would also be better if the price was reasonable. And that he should do it at the fastest speed.


    The assistant on the other end of the phone pinched the bridge of his nose. He almost told his boss that looking for a good apartment in this city with those criteria that he gave was almost as hard as looking for a cheapmercial building in a good location. But he didn¡¯t say any of that. After all, the other was still his boss and the one responsible for his ie.


    Although this young boss was just a neer in the real estate industry, he¡¯s very capable. So, he had no problems following him. Besides, this young boss was never unreasonable. That was until a few days ago, when he suddenly asked him to investigate someone.


    The assistant first thought that the person was apetitor for thepany. But then heter realized that what the young boss asked him was not rted at all to thepany and was something personal. And now, the other was suddenly asking him to look for an apartment. What else could he do but say ¡¯yes, he will do it immediately¡¯?


    "And also send two bodyguards to this address," Luo Ren added, saying the address of the hospital. "Tell them to guard Ji Xiuying and her daughter, Yu Jiao. You still have a picture of them, right?"


    The assistant suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. So, this was still rted to Mo Guang Lin? First, his young boss just asked for information about the Mo family. Then now, he was telling him to send bodyguards to Mo Guang Lin¡¯s wife and stepdaughter. His brain was suddenly filled with some dog-blood abuse drama.


    Could it be that his boss was fascinated with this Ji Xiuying and was nning to snatch her from Mo Guang Lin? Although the woman was older, she still looked quite beautiful. Was his boss into older women? Should he inform the big boss about this?


    He quickly rejected that idea and shook his head. Anyway, he¡¯s just an assistant. All he had to do was follow what his employer wanted. He shouldn¡¯t get involved with his boss personal affair.


    "Tell them that they shouldn¡¯t be noticed," Luo Ren added. "Have you heard?"


    "Yes, sir," the assistant quickly answered. "I will get to it immediately."


    "Contact me immediately once you found a good ce."


    After Luo Ren said what he needed to say, he ended the call and hung up. He put back his phone in his pocket and happened to see his younger brother looking at him with interest.


    "Brother really cares about Yu Jiao," Luo Yan said with a teasing tone. "You must like her very much."


    Luo Ren didn¡¯t look flustered hearing that. Instead, he only ruffled the other¡¯s soft hair. "I do. Don¡¯t you already know that?"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows seeing this honesty. He didn¡¯t expect the other to admit it so refreshingly. He suddenly missed Luo Jin for some reason. If he said that to his younger brother, Luo Jin would definitely blush up to the root of his ears.


    "Brother is no fun to tease," he said with bulging cheeks.


    Luo Ren only chuckled.


    The two walked out of the hospital and went to the area where Luo Ren¡¯s car was parked. When Yu Jiao¡¯s mother returned from buying lunch, the two of them said goodbye to Yu Jiao. Although Luo Ren wanted to stay at least until evening, he couldn¡¯t. Because he knew how weird that would make him look.


    He didn¡¯t want to appear suspicious in front of Yu Jiao¡¯s mother. Especially after seeing how much of an influence she had on Yu Jiao. He didn¡¯t want to be deemed unworthy of her when he hadn¡¯t even confessed yet. So, he could only let go and asked his assistant to send bodyguards.


    Although that¡¯s just a temporary solution in case those people from the Mo family did something. The best way was to still go ahead with their n and make sure that Mo girl wouldn¡¯t be able to extend her ws to the Yu Jiao and her mother.


    Arriving at the spot where his car was, Luo Ren first opened the passenger seat for Luo Yan before walking around and getting on the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Brother, do you think Mr. Mo will go through the divorce?" Luo Yan thought of asking.


    "He will," Luo Ren answered without hesitation.


    The fact the Yu Jiao¡¯s mother was the one who asked for divorce meant that Mo Guang Lin still ended up siding with that daughter of his. That was enough to prove that that old man was already hopeless.


    He sneered. Whatever might happen next, that old man totally deserved it.


    That ¡¯old man¡¯ right now was inside the hospital room of his daughter. He was in a daze. He still couldn¡¯t get over the fact that Ji Xiuying asked him for a divorce. All the things she said hammered down on his heart.


    He looked at his daughter who was now asleep. Was it really so wrong to take his daughter¡¯s side and believed in everything she said?


    Ji Xiuying called Mo Jian ¡¯evil¡¯ and ¡¯wicked¡¯. That she just wanted to get his ¡¯vile¡¯ daughter away from hers. He couldn¡¯t describe the emotion he had felt when he heard those words. There was anger, definitely. But more than that, he was just sad. It¡¯s like he was the only one who could see the goodness in Mo Jian.


    Maybe it¡¯s really better for him and Ji Xiuying to just divorce. This situation proved one thing. At the end of the day, both of them would choose their own child and not each other. Just as she said, their love was simply not enough.


    Mo Guang Lin took a deep breath before taking his phone from his pocket and calling the number of hiswyer. "Prepare a divorce agreement."


    On the bed, the ¡¯sleeping¡¯ Mo Jian smiled imperceptibly when she heard that.

 Chapter 589 when will you start the plan?

    WHEN Luo Yan and Luo Ren returned home, it was almost three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Walking inside the house, they saw their younger brother at the living room looking a bit frantic while typing something on his phone. No, it¡¯s probably dialing a number because after he did that, he put the phone on his ear.


    Just as Luo Jin did that, the phone in Luo Yan¡¯s pocket rang. Both were startled by this and both ended up looking at each other.


    Luo Jin immediately put down his phone and walked up to them. "Yan, Auntie Cheng said that you suddenly left after lunch, what happened?"


    He just logged out of the game, so, he only found out about that just now. He knew that Luo Yan was going to do some hidden task with Shen Ji Yun today. His second brother told him that he was hoping they could finish the majority of the task today. That¡¯s why when he heard from their housekeeper that the other left the house, he instinctively knew that something must have happened for him to leave.


    "Jiao Jiao was hospitalized," Luo Yan answered.


    Luo Jin was kind of surprised hearing that. He didn¡¯t expect that it was because of Yu Jiao. But then again, he probably should have guessed it, considering that their older brother came back home together with Luo Yan. The other wouldn¡¯t go home so early. Luo Yan probably called Luo Ren and told him what happened so the other rushed to the hospital.


    "Did she have a flu? Or did she get seriously injured?" he asked.


    There¡¯s also the possibility of getting some kind of serious disease or ailment. But if that was the case, his brothers¡¯ expression right now would definitely be downright ugly. Not to mention, sad. But there were none of those. Which meant that whatever Yu Jiao was in hospital for was not, at least, life-threatening.


    Luo Yan walked to a couch and sat first before telling Luo Jin everything that happened. After listening, Luo Jin only felt that this Mo Jian seemed to really have some brain defect. Seriously, just so she could frame Yu Jiao, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to harm herself. Could a normal person with a normal brain do that?


    "Ah Jin should be careful not to get close to such girls," Luo Yan said after exining to Luo Jin what happened. Because he suddenly remembered that this Mo Jian had those kinds of thoughts on his younger brother.


    Luo Jin immediately showed a stinky expression. "As long as I¡¯m not blind and stupid, there¡¯s no way that would ever happen."


    Luo Yan looked amusedly at Luo Jin. "It¡¯s really hard to be so handsome. You attract all the crazies, right, Ah Jin?"


    Luo Jin knew that his second brother was teasing him, so, he smartly refused to answer. If he said anything, the other would surely just continue to tease him.


    "You should have called me earlier," he said, changing the topic. "I could have gone with you to the hospital."


    "You already logged into the game when I found about Jiao Jiao¡¯s hospitalization," Luo Yan said and then a teasing smile appeared on his lips. "Besides, how could I, as a good brother, disturb your date with Sister Yuqi?"


    As expected, Luo Jin¡¯s face turned bright red. "I- wh- what date? We¡¯re just raiding dungeons, okay?"


    Luo Yan smiled. This was the kind of reaction he wanted. He nced at his older brother who was sitting beside him, remembering the other¡¯s smooth reaction when he teased him earlier about Yu Jiao.


    "Brother, look at Ah Jin, that¡¯s the proper reaction of someone when being teased about the person they like," he whispered.


    Luo Ren looked down at his brother and raised one of his brows in amusement. "If I tease you about that Shen Ji Yun, would you give the same reaction?" he whispered back.


    Luo Yan acted as if he was thinking hard of the answer. "Hmm... probably not."


    "See? Xiao Jin is just simply built different."


    "You mean, we¡¯re shameless and he¡¯s not?"


    Luo Ren almostughed at that. "I¡¯d rather you say we¡¯re thick-skinned."


    Seeing the two whispering and grinning at each other, Luo Jin unconsciously bulged his cheeks, feeling left out. "What are you two whispering over there? Was it so confidential that you can¡¯t even tell it to me?"


    Luo Yan nced at his younger brother who now looked like an aggrieved squirrel. He suddenly wanted to tease the other more. Ah, this bad habit of his.


    "We¡¯re just talking about how cute you are. There¡¯s no need for Ah Jin to feel aggrieved."


    Luo Jin blushed again. "W-what nonsense!"


    "Okay, stop teasing our brother," Luo Ren said, ruffling Luo Yan¡¯s hair.


    Luo Jin waited for the heat on his face to die down before speaking again. "So, how will you deal with that Mo Jian?"


    With what happened to Yu Jiao, there¡¯s no way both his brothers would just let things be. Just as he thought, the two didn¡¯t refute what he said.


    "We already have a rough n," Luo Yan answered, not nning to hide anything from Luo Jin. So, he proceeded on telling the other what he and their older brother had discussed.


    Listening to his second brother, Luo Jin felt a bitplicated. This proved once again how ck-bellied this brother of his was. But that didn¡¯t mean that he would feel pity for Mo Jian. No matter what happened to her, she totally deserved it.


    "When will you start this n?" he asked.


    "Today," Luo Ren answered this time.


    Luo Yan nodded in agreement. "It¡¯s better to do it while that girl is still in the hospital and while her father is still reeling from divorce."


    That way, once Mo Guang Lin realized the true colors of his daughter, it would have a bigger impact.


    "But how would you destroy her rtionship with her father?" Luo Jin asked, totally curious about that.


    Because it was quite obvious that the father of that Mo Jian was truly blinded by his love for his daughter. Would it really be that easy to destroy such a rtionship?


    "Well, we¡¯ll just manipte her into destroying the rtionship herself," Luo Yan answered, shrugging. Before smiling meaningfully at Luo Jin. "Want to help your big brother do that?"

 Chapter 590 article - the wicked daughter

    THAT night, a certain article made by an anonymous ount was put on the list of trending topics on Weibo. Its location was not high enough on the list. But if one was living on S City, then this article would definitely be rmended on their feed. This way, the article had been seen by locals of the city.


    The content of the article was as follows;


    [Do you want to know some juicy gossip about the rich and the elite? Well, I happen to have one here. Are you interested in knowing what it is? Then, you only have to read the following.]


    [There¡¯s a businessman who owns a couple of hotels and restaurant in S City. Let¡¯s just call him Mr. M. He¡¯s a widower with a son and a daughter. But almost a year ago, he remarried a simple office worker with a child of her own. Almost like a Cindere story, right? A story of rags to riches. Only this version has a pair of middle age couple. But that was not the only difference. Their story didn¡¯t have a wicked stepsister, instead, it had a wicked stepdaughter. Let¡¯s just call her by the name of MJ.]


    [That¡¯s right. Mr. M¡¯s daughter is indeed very wicked. She is so wicked that she was able to kick the middle-aged Cindere¡¯s daughter out of the house within just a few weeks. All she had to do was to act like a victim and her father would just eat her innocent act. Do you think that being just a white lotus is the reason why she¡¯s so wicked? Of course, that¡¯s not all!]


    [It came to my attention that this wicked daughter actually has a habit of bullying people. Especially those who have lower social standing. It started during her primary education which continued on to her secondary education. By the way, she¡¯s in her second year of high school now.]


    [Do you want to know her method of bullying? Well, it¡¯s really simple. She would first make them look like the bad guys, then she would manipte the people around her to iste the ¡¯bad guys¡¯, after that, she would use the money of her father to make their lives even more miserable. Really, being able to those things is also quite a talent. Don¡¯t you think? I, for one, don¡¯t have the acting skill to pull that off.]


    [And do you know the reason why she did all that? Just because all those people she bullied, one way or another, outshined her! Apparently, the wicked daughter has the diva virus. She always wanted to be the center of attention. If someone is better than her in something that she thinks that she¡¯s good at, she¡¯d definitely target that person.]


    [Of course, I didn¡¯t just pull this information out of my ass. If you want to see the evidence, you can just simply click the files attached to this article. All the evidence of what I said are there. You might want to know why I¡¯m suddenly divulging this information to you, well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m acting as a warrior of justice on behalf of those people that she bullied.]


    [It¡¯s truly a wonder to me how such a girl could grow up into such a viiness. Was it simply because of her upbringing? Or was she born this way? It was a truly curious thing. So, I decided to investigate further to know the answer. Guess what I discovered? It turned out that her father spoils her to an unimaginable degree! To the point that he would be willing to cover up all the bad things his daughter had done. He doesn¡¯t even scold her. He probably never even taught her what¡¯s right and wrong. No wonder she grew up that way. Tsk. Tsk.]


    [So, this is a warning to all the parents out there. There¡¯s nothing wrong with loving your child unconditionally. But that doesn¡¯t mean that one should do nothing but that. As parents, you have the responsibility to guide your children onto the right path. Having the mentality of ¡¯this is my child, they couldn¡¯t possibly do anything wrong¡¯ is just simply nonsensical. Even an adult can often make a mistake, even more so if it was a child.]


    [We learn from our mistakes. That¡¯s how we be a better person. If a parent doesn¡¯t guide their child properly and just nod their head to everything their child do, wouldn¡¯t they just be pushing them into the wrong path? A good example of this is this wicked daughter of Mr. M.]


    [This should be a warning to all parents out there ¨C that unconditional love could also turn into something harmful. Don¡¯t let your child turn into another MJ. Because, trust me, you¡¯re not protecting them. You¡¯re simply turning them into budding sociopaths. I hope this article would be a bit educational.]


    [If you¡¯re a parent reading this, think back carefully on how you¡¯re raising your children. And if you¡¯re a teenager reading this, don¡¯t just indiscriminately bully others. Try being in their shoes and see if you would want to be in that position. Of course, if you feel nothing and keep on justifying what you¡¯re doing, then I could only say that you¡¯re either a sociopath or a psychopath.]


    [Thank you for reading.]


    This long article with attached evidence of ¡¯MJ¡¯s¡¯ bullying was starting to make a buzz among the masses of S City. People kept on guessing who these ¡¯Mr. M¡¯ and ¡¯MJ¡¯ could be. But this buzz was actually much louder in S City¡¯s high society. Because unlike themon masses, they all knew who the people in this article were pertaining to.


    Mo Guang Lin and his daughter ¨C Mo Jian. They fit the description so perfectly. Even their initials matched. So, who else could it be but them?


    There were those who were shocked reading the article. But most of the people were gloating. Especially those business rivals of the Mo family. Because they could see at a nce that someone was trying to deal with the Mo family. How could they not be happy?


    The people in question ¨C Mo Guang Lin and Mo Jian - were still currently at the hospital. They had no idea that a storm was about toe. And they were the ones at its very center.

 Chapter 591 the first step

    LUO REN read the article once again and he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. This article was written by Luo Yan. He gave it to him within 30 minutes after they returned home. This way, ording to the other, they could save time and money hiring someone to write the article they needed instead.


    The first time he read what his brother had written, he truly understood just how much ck there was underneath Luo Yan¡¯s pure white surface. Like a dumpling filled with ck bean paste. Well, even if that¡¯s the case, Luo Ren still preferred his brother in this way.


    Back to the article, its content was just the right amount of everything ¨C telling everyone about Mo Jian¡¯s bad attitude and also scolding Mo Guang Lin for his unconditional pampering. It had a bnce that didn¡¯t directly show its bias against Mo Jian. Which would easily make people who read it believe it more.


    He also didn¡¯t put much information about Yu Jiao, not bringing the focus on her. Which would endure that she would not be pulled into this mess. The initial reaction of anyone who would read this article was to criticize Mo Guang Lin for his bad parenting and then be disgusted by Mo Jian.


    Luo Ren could see that Luo Yan put a lot of thought into this article. It¡¯s almost on the same level as any article a gossip columnist would write. It¡¯s actually even better because his brother only wrote it in such a short amount of time. And the result was already on this level.


    After receiving the article from his brother, he contacted his assistant and let the other hire the best team who specialized in this type of thing - hyping up a certain content, making it trend on Weibo, and then controlling the opinion of the people. Everything should be foolproof.


    He didn¡¯t worry that his assistant would find him incapable people. After all, his assistant had never disappointed him yet with his work ethic. Besides, with a high incentive, anyone would be more than willing to do their best with the job given to them.


    And based on thements he had been reading since earlier, the team his assistant hired was doing a very good job into steering the people¡¯s opinion to the direction they wanted.


    It was easy doing that. Because, aside from the eloquence of the article, the evidences attached to it were all real. Anyone who clicked on it and read it could see that. There were videos from CCTV footages that showed Mo Jian tantly bullying people. Of course, the faces of those victims were blurred.


    These footages were taken from the schools that girl had been to. It¡¯s easy to get those. His assistant only had to mention the name of the Luo family and those in-charge would not have too much qualms in giving them what they needed. Really, sometimes being filthy rich had its own advantages.


    Those videos were enough for people to see just how much of a bully that girl was. And that was enough. The point of those was to not let people sympathize with her no matter how much Mo Guang Lin tried to clean her reputationter.


    Reading thements below the article, he could see that they were mostly divided into three groups. One was cursing Mo Jian for being, well, a bitch. Second was scolding Mo Guang Lin for letting his daughter grow up in that way. And thest group was simply eating melons and watching the show.


    He was satisfied with the reaction of people so far. Although most of thosements were probably from the hired water armies, at least the number ofments that were sympathizing with the father and daughter duo was almost negligible. Luo Ren had a feeling that by tomorrow, most of thements would be organic and no longer be from the water armies.


    He nodded in satisfaction. He put down his phone on his bedside table and decided to sleep early so he would also wake up early. That way, he could go to the hospital early to visit Yu Jiao.


    Another person in the Luo household who was reading thements under the article was Luo Yan. He must say, those water armies that his brother¡¯s assistant hired really did a good job. The way they went after Mo Jian felt like the other was the nexting of the devil. Which he really liked.


    Some of thosements went like this;


    [She looks so innocent! If I see her on the street, my first impression would definitely be that this girl is kind and sweet. Who would have thought that she¡¯d be a white lotus?]


    [I hate white lotuses the most! They¡¯re the ones who would stab you in the back all the while smiling sweetly at you. I¡¯d rather be stabbed up front. At least I know what wasing to me.]


    [Have you seen how she pushed that one girl? OMG. What if there¡¯s a sharp stone on the ce she fell? She could have died!]


    [True, upstairs. And then the way this girl, MJ, just smirked condescendingly right after. It¡¯s like I¡¯m looking at some viin of a third-rate braid-dead drama.]


    [Tsk. Tsk. This is the result when youbined wealth and bad parenting ¨C a little demon.]


    [Money can¡¯t really buy kindness and good personality. It just breeds evil.]


    [Upstairs, not all rich people are like that. Although most of them probably are, just like that girl there, there¡¯s still some who have a good heart.]


    [If I have a daughter like this, I¡¯d definitely send her to reform school! I won¡¯t let here back unless I¡¯m sure that she changed for the better.]


    [I think it¡¯s better to send her to a temple and force her to be a monk. Maybe she could get rid of all that evilness.]


    Thatst one actually made Luo Yanugh. He couldn¡¯t help but imagine that Mo Jian as a female monk. But reading thosements, he finally let go of his worry. At least he was now sure that the first step to their n was close to seeding. He just had to think of the next step.


    He closed Weibo and then sent a good night message to Yu Jiao. After that, he sent a request for a video call to Shen Ji Yun.

 Chapter 592 talking about the weather

    SOON after, the screen of Luo Yan¡¯s phone showed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s handsome face. "Brother Ji Yun!" he greeted the other with a smile.


    "Yan Yan," Shen Ji Yun called back. "How was Yu Jiao?"


    He received a message earlier from Luo Yan telling him that they couldn¡¯t continue with their task because of what happened to Yu Jiao. The other also asked him if he could log into the game and tell Eclipse that he might not be able to meet him in the next few days. So, the little fox could freely stay at the site of the demon fox tribe and get to know the other kitsunes there.


    If others heard Luo Yan¡¯s request, they mightugh at him and tell him that he¡¯s taking those ¡¯NPCs¡¯ too seriously. As if they were living being and not just made of data and codes. Of course, Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t do that. In fact, his first reaction was to agree to Luo Yan¡¯s request. Not only because it was made by his rabbit, but because he understood the other¡¯s attachment to Eclipse.


    It was just something that was so Luo Yan. For Shen Ji Yun, that was not something weird. In fact, it¡¯s something that made Luo Yan more adorable in his eyes.


    "She¡¯s fine. She just suffered a minor injury that would probably heal in a few days," Luo Yan answered. "But the way she got that injury really made me angry."


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan¡¯s expression. He could see the underlying anger in those peach blossom eyes. It seemed that Yu Jiao¡¯s hospitalization was not just a simple ident. Based on Luo Yan¡¯s reaction just now, he could only have one guess.


    "Did someone deliberately injure her?" he asked.


    Luo Yan snapped back from thinking just how annoyed he was with what Mo Jian did. He looked at Shen Ji Yun and smiled. As expected, he didn¡¯t have to say much and the other would quickly understand what he meant. If only he could also be as sharp when it came to his feelings as well.


    But s, not everyone could be that perfect. Not even Shen Ji Yun. But that¡¯s fine. This denseness was also adorable in a way. It made teasing the other more fun.


    "In a way, that¡¯s correct," he said, answering the other¡¯s earlier question.


    Then he proceeded on exining to Shen Ji Yun what really happened to Yu Jiao and how she ended up in the hospital.


    Shen Ji Yun listened quietly. He didn¡¯t interrupt Luo Yan until the other was finished. After that, he said, "Do you already have a n to deal with that girl?"


    Knowing Luo Yan, he was sure that the other had already concocted some kind of n. He wouldn¡¯t just sit around and do nothing when someone wronged his friend. It¡¯s also probably the reason why he wouldn¡¯t be able to focus on doing their hidden task for the next few days. Because he would be busy with that ¡¯n¡¯ instead.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Of course."


    Looking at this confident, and slightly smug smile, the corner of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips also curved into a tiny arc. "If there¡¯s anything I can help you with, just tell."


    "Nah. It¡¯s okay. My brothers and I can handle this small thing."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded, feeling a bit disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to help Luo Yan with this. But this was Luo Yan¡¯s decision. Giving unwanted help might just annoy the other. Besides, with Luo Yan¡¯s ability to scheme, there probably wouldn¡¯t be any problems with whatever n he thought of.


    Maybe he should use this time to make a daifuku that had the same taste as the ones they ate at Shirayuki¡¯s home. Maybe he could send it once Luo Yan seeded with his n. Then, it could be some kind of reward for a job well done.


    A fresh daifuku could still be eaten after two days. Delivering a food package from B City to S City surely wouldn¡¯t take that long. With the right packaging and the right courier, he¡¯s confident that Luo Yan could still enjoy the daifuku as if it was freshly made.


    Thinking of that, his mood became better.


    Of course, Luo Yan had noticed the changes in the expression of the other. From a slight disappointment to being determined. He knew the reason why he could be disappointed. It¡¯s probably because he refused his offer to help. But what he couldn¡¯t immediately was the other¡¯s determined expression.


    Well, no matter. It most likely had to be connected to Luo Yan in some way. Knowing Shen Ji Yun, it would definitely not be something that¡¯s bad for him.


    He no longer dwelled on that and just continued to chat with the other.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Mo Guang Lin just stepped out of his daughter¡¯s hospital room to take a call from his son ¨C Mo Jiu. Mo Jian was already asleep and he didn¡¯t want to wake her up.


    "Ah Jiu, haven¡¯t you received my message? Your sister was hospitalized. Howe you haven¡¯t visited?" was the first thing he said after epting the call.


    "Ah, sorry, Dad. In case, you have forgotten, I¡¯m a busy college student. I currently have no time to spare," although he apologized, Mo Jiu¡¯s tone of voice was deadpan and even a bit sarcastic. It showed that hepletely didn¡¯t care if his sister was in the hospital or not.


    Mo Guang Lin gritted his teeth when he heard that. Sometimes, this son of his could really make his blood pressure shoot up with just a few words from his mouth. He let out a deep breath to stop himself from scolding the other.


    "So, what¡¯s the reason you called?" he just chose to ask.


    "Hmm... from the tone of Dad¡¯s voice, I guess you still don¡¯t know it yet."


    "What are you talking about? Speak clearly!"


    "Well, you and Mo Jian are being targeted by someone online," the other said, as if he just told him the weather today. "They said that Mo Jian is a nasty little devil and you¡¯re the crazy father who helped in polishing her horns."

 Chapter 593 it was this guy!

    "WHY is that post still there? Didn¡¯t I tell you to remove it? It¡¯s already been hours! Hours! Do you think I¡¯m not paying you enough? Is that why you¡¯re not doing your job properly?" Mo Guang Lin shouted to the person on the other end of the line.


    He was talking to the head of the PR department of hispany. After that phone call he had with his sonst night, he quickly checked the link that the other sent to him. How could he not when the description given to him by Mo Jiu was something that could make anyone who heard it have heart palpitation because of too much anger?


    But after he read the article, as well as thements under it, anger was not the only emotion he felt. Shock, confusion, frustration, and doubt. These myriads of emotions almost rendered him from thinking properly.


    He wanted to just be mad. To just go and defend Mo Jian from all the maliciousments he had read. But his fingers just refused to move, as if frozen. Because there¡¯s a part of his brain ¨C the logical part ¨C that was telling him that what those people were saying were partially true. But how could he ept that?


    The moment he did so, it would mean that he was agreeing to everything that sted article was saying. That there was nothing good about her daughter and that he was the one who made her that way. He couldn¡¯t do it. He just couldn¡¯t.


    But even so, he still opened those so-called ¡¯evidence¡¯. The moment he watched those videos, he knew that the one on them was indeed his daughter. They were not fabricated. Mo Jian really did all those things. The moment he acknowledged that, guilt and self-me just overwhelmed him.


    He knew about these ¡¯incidents¡¯. But he never delved too much into it. In his opinion, these people were just making a mountain out of a mole hill. So, he simply told his assistant to take care of it. Even when that brat of the Luo family told him to check on his daughter¡¯s ¡¯good deeds¡¯, he didn¡¯t put it to mind.


    But now, looking at these evidence, he couldn¡¯t just refute his negligence in all of these. In some way, he probably really did let things escte to this point. That if he was just a good father, then his daughter wouldn¡¯t be like this.


    But even if his brain was telling him all of those things, he just couldn¡¯t ept it. He just couldn¡¯t let himself agree to all the insults that those people were throwing at Mo Jian. He could ept their insult to him, but not to his daughter. Which was quite contradictory. Because epting his fault in all of these was almost equivalent to admitting that he really did raise his daughter wrong.


    But regardless of what he felt, the best thing he could do right now was topensate those victims. It¡¯s probably too hypocritical to do that now after so much time had already passed. But that¡¯s the best solution he could think of to at least appease the guilt that he was feeling.


    Mo Guang Lin closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He barely slept sincest night. He went home when he was sure that Mo Jian was peacefully asleep, letting the nanny stay with her and care for her if she woke up and needed anything. He also took Mo Jian¡¯s phone, so she wouldn¡¯t have ess to Weibo. That¡¯s when he contacted the head of the PR department to take care of this mess.


    That wasst night and now, it¡¯s morning. Yet, the article was still there on Weibo, still being rmended to the people of S City. No matter how much of a mess his head was because of that article and thosements, it¡¯s not that hard to see that someone was targeting Mo Jian specifically.


    If it was some business rival, then the one receiving criticism right now should be his hotels and restaurants. But instead, it was him and his daughter. Showing that this was happening because of some personal grudge and not the tactic of another businessman trying to lower the stocks of hispany.


    So, that could only mean that this was done by someone who Mo Jian recently offended. Mo Guang Lin felt like he was close to the truth. But when his brain was about to get a hold of it, he suddenly heard the voice of the head of the PR department.


    "P-President Mo, I-I¡¯m sorry. We have tried to delete the article but the tform itself refused. Then we tried to gather evidence that most of thements were made by water armies and that they were deliberately ndering the young miss, but we couldn¡¯t get anything substantial. It¡¯s obvious that the one behind this hired a very capable team."


    Mo Guang Lin only felt the urge to shake the other¡¯s shoulder profusely because of the reasons he gave. "So, is this your way of telling me that you¡¯re a bunch of incapable idiots?" he shouted. "You better give me a result by the end of this day or you might not have a job tomorrow!"


    He didn¡¯t wait for the other¡¯s respond and just hung up the phone. He knew that he shouldn¡¯t let his anger out on the head of the PR department. The other was probably already doing his best. The opponent was simply just more capable.


    Mo Guang Lin let out a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He shouldn¡¯t let Mo Jian noticed anything. He really was indeed selfish, just like what thosements said. Because at the end, no matter how much truth there was on that article, he would still choose to protect his daughter.


    The driver opened the door for him and he got out of the car. He walked towards the direction of the hospital. He just entered the hospital when he happened to meet an acquaintance. The eldest son of the Luo family ¨C Luo Ren.


    And suddenly, that thought that he couldn¡¯t catch earlier immediately became clearer in his mind. It was this guy. He was the one responsible for that article!

 Chapter 594 up to no good

    MO GUANG LIN wasn¡¯t sure why that was the first thing he thought the moment he saw the young man. His brain was still trying to piece the reasoning why he suddenly had that thought. It took a few seconds before he finally pieced it all together. It¡¯s quite easy once he found the most vital piece of information ¨C that all of this started after the incident between Mo Jian and Yu Jiao.


    Logically speaking, a family like the Luo family that¡¯s already at the top of S City¡¯s upper society, there¡¯s no need for them to get involved between the disagreement of two teenage girls. But they did. And Mo Guang Lin easily figured out the reason why.


    Because Yu Jiao happened to befriend the second young master of the Luo family.


    That young master probably heard of what happened to Yu Jiao yesterday and so, to give justice to his friend, he asked his older brother to do something. And this situation was the result of that. It was quite obvious, seeing how that article was solely targeting Mo Jian.


    It was the same asst time when Mo Jian and Yu Jiao also had a disagreement. This eldest young master of the Luo family also interfered in that matter.


    Realizing the truth of the matter, anger surged in him. He couldn¡¯t understand why an outsider like him would stick his nose on this matter. No, maybe he could understand in a way. If Mo Jian requested him to do the same thing, he might have also done the same.


    But even if he could understand, that didn¡¯t mean that he could just ept it.


    "Young Master Luo, what a coincidence seeing you here," he said in a cold tone. "Or was it?"


    Luo Ren was not really that surprised suddenly meeting Mo Guang Lin here. After all, that Mo girl was also confined in this hospital. Truthfully, he wanted to transfer Yu Jiao to another hospital. But that would be overstepping his boundary as her friend¡¯s brother.


    He really didn¡¯t want for Yu Jiao and her mother to get suspicious of him. Especially the mother. If shebeled him as someone too ¡¯dangerous¡¯ for her daughter, then he might not even get a chance to be closer to Yu Jiao. Heck, maybe even talking to him would be even harder.


    He had the advantage of being Luo Yan¡¯s brother. But even that advantage could be negligible in face of a concerned mother. Especially to someone like Yu Jiao who obviously regarded her mother as the most important person in her life.


    That¡¯s why Luo Ren decided to not go overboard with his affection. To remain only as the big brother of her friend. Someone who she also could count on if things got tough. He was satisfied to only be a big brother figure to her. At least, for now.


    He wasn¡¯t exactly the most patient man. But he was willing to take his time and wait. Wait at least until Yu Jiao graduated from high school. By that time, even if he showed his intention, no problems would arise from it.


    Like people pointing their fingers at him as if he¡¯s some kind of pedophile because Yu Jiao was not yet of legal age. No matter if he acted on his thoughts or not, those people would still indiscriminatelybel him as such. It would be fine if it was just him who would be affected. But obviously, that wouldn¡¯t be the case.


    Yu Jiao, as his ¡¯victim¡¯, would be affected even more. Simply because people¡¯s hypocrisy knew no bounds. They might act like they pity Yu Jiao for being the ¡¯victim¡¯, but behind her back, they would mock her and probably even think deep inside that it was her fault for ¡¯seducing¡¯ him.


    So, to avoid any of that from happening, it¡¯s better to just wait for the right time. And he¡¯s more than willing to do that. Because Yu Jiao was worth the wait.


    Luo Ren nodded at Mo Guang Lin. There¡¯s no need to act all polite. After all, the other was no longer Yu Jiao¡¯s stepfather. Or at least, he would soon not be. Besides, with how the other handled things in regards to his daughter, did he really deserve his respect? The answer was a resounding ¡¯no¡¯.


    Mo Guang Lin quickly noticed that the young man¡¯s attitude was much colderpared to thest time they met. It only made him even angrier. Because shouldn¡¯t he be the one giving him the cold shoulders? Especially after pulling something like this that could easily destroy his daughter¡¯s reputation?


    He scoffed, also taking off any mask of politeness. "Are you here to apany your brother to visit Yu Jiao? Heh... the eldest young master of the Luo family must really treasure his brother," he said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "Even going as far as helping him destroy someone¡¯s reputation. What a beautiful brotherly love."


    How could Luo Ren not understand the meaning behind what the other said? Seriously, it almost made him want tough.


    "It¡¯s not brotherly love. It¡¯s an act of justice. Because whatever¡¯s happening and will happen to your daughter, she rightfully deserves," he said with a smile on his face. "And the pain and guilt you will feel for that, you also deserve. Because you¡¯re the one who made her that way. Really, what a ¡¯perfect¡¯ pair of father and daughter you two are."


    After he said that, he didn¡¯t wait for the other¡¯s reply and just walked past him.


    Meanwhile, the other two Luo brothers were walking on the street near the university where their older brother graduated this year.


    "Yan, where exactly are we going?" Luo Jin asked for nth time.


    After they ate breakfast, this brother of his just pulled him out of the house, telling him to apany him to some ce. Not even giving him any exnation.


    Luo Yan did not answer and just stopped in front of trendy caf¨¦. "Let¡¯s go inside."


    Luo Jin sighed and had no choice but to follow Luo Yan. He saw his brother turning his head from left to right as if looking for something. Then the other stopped and his gaze stayed at a certain direction. Luo Yan suddenly grinned. And he just knew that his brother was up to no good.

 Chapter 595 planning to recruit

    LUO JIN followed Luo Yan¡¯s line of sight and saw that he was looking at a table located at a corner. No, to be precise his brother was looking at the person sitting there. It was a young man probably only two-three years older than them. His ck hair was slightly tousled. His eyes were lookingzily at the cup in front of him.


    He was sittingnguidly, as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered with anything. Well, at least, that was the kind of impression he was giving.


    "Do you know him?" Luo Jin asked his brother.


    Luo Yan turned to him, still with that smile on his face. "That¡¯s Mo Jian¡¯s older brother."


    Luo Jin wasn¡¯t sure if he heard the other correctly. But seeing the expression on Luo Yan¡¯s face, he knew that the other indeed said what he said and that there was nothing wrong with his hearing.


    "Why are we meeting that girl¡¯s brother?" he asked.


    Because he was now certain that the reason why Luo Yan pulled him out of the house was to meet this guy. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have that scheming smile while looking at that person.


    "We¡¯re not actually," Luo Yan answered. "He doesn¡¯t know we¡¯reing to meet him."


    Luo Jin turned to his brother. "What do you mean?"


    "I asked Brotherst night to give me the information he had on the Mo family. I was hoping that I could find something useful that might help in our crusade of justice." Luo Yan looked once again at Mo Jian¡¯s older brother. "And luckily enough, I did find something."


    "So, what is it?"


    "That this guy ¨C he¡¯s name is Mo Jiu, by the way ¨C seemed to not have a good rtionship with his sister. He¡¯s even quite distant with his father."


    It¡¯s not really that surprising when Luo Yan read that. He could already imagine how things were for this Mo Jiu. His mother died after giving birth to his younger sister. Then after that, his father poured all his love on the said sister. He was obviously still quite young back then.


    Normally, children who were subjected to that kind of experience usually grew up rebellious and in need of validation from their parent. But Mo Jiu was not like that. He was not rebellious, he had good grades, and simply wasn¡¯t a troublemaker. He had a distant rtionship with his father and sister though.


    In high school, he lived at the dorms of Guizu Academy despite their house being just a one car ride away. And then, when he was admitted to university, hepletely moved out of the house. Not only that, the course he took was so far off from business management. It¡¯s not even rted to food or hospitality industry. He took up anthropology instead.


    It¡¯s like he¡¯s announcing to everyone that he was not nning to take over the family business. All these facts made him a very interesting character in Luo Yan¡¯s opinion.


    Aside from that, he also learned from Yu Jiao that Mo Jiu had never really harassed her like Mo Jian did. He just simply ignored her existence. He had the same attitude in regards to her mother. In Luo Yan¡¯s opinion, that¡¯s definitely a lot better than Mo Jian¡¯s tant harassment. At least, he didn¡¯t seek out people just to abuse them.


    Luo Jin, after hearing his brother¡¯s respond, already had an idea on what the other was nning. "Even if that guy is not close to his father and sister, do you really think he would team up with us, knowing full well that we¡¯re targeting his family?"


    "He might or he might not. We won¡¯t really know unless we try," Luo Yan said with a carefree attitude. "Besides, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll lose something if we don¡¯t."


    By now, Mo Guang Lin must have already figured out that they were the ones responsible for that article. So, it wouldn¡¯t matter even if Mo Jiu refused them and subsequently told his father about this meeting.


    But what if he didn¡¯t refuse? It would be such a shame if Luo Yan didn¡¯t even try. Right?


    Luo Jin scratched the back of his head before letting out a forceful sigh. "And what exactly is my role here? You know I¡¯m not good with this kind of stuff."


    "What else? Of course, you¡¯re my bodyguard! What if that guy gets irritated and suddenly punch me?" Luo Yan said pretending to be angry before suddenly acting all aggrieved and sad. "Or is Ah Jin not willing to protect his weak older brother?"


    Luo Jin, of course, knew that Luo Yan was just messing with him and trying to tease him once again. But he still couldn¡¯t help but eat that set. So, he simply pinched the other¡¯s cheek as revenge. Of course, he did it as gently as he could.


    "I know. So, stop guilt-tripping me already."


    Luo Yan only smiled brightly.


    The two then walked towards where Mo Jiu was sitting. They both unceremoniously sat down on the seats opposite the other.


    "If you¡¯re trying to solicit money for some unknown cause, I¡¯m not interested. So, leave," Mo Jiu said, still not raising his head and looking at the two ¡¯intruders¡¯. "If you¡¯re trying to pick me up, then sorry, I¡¯m not into the people of the same sex."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. He didn¡¯t expect for those words to be the first ones the other would utter. His tone of voice was like that of someone who¡¯s toozy to be bothered. As expected, this guy was really interesting.


    "We don¡¯t have to solicit because we have more than enough money tost for a lifetime. And, there¡¯s no way we¡¯d try to pick you up. After all, we have pretty high standards. Sadly, you¡¯re not even close to the passing line."


    Luo Jin secretly nced at his brother. He thought he was nning to recruit this guy. Why was he being antagonistic all of a sudden?


    But despite that, Mo Jiu¡¯s attention seemed to have been caught by what Luo Yan said. Because he finally raised his head and looked at them.

 Chapter 596 mo jiu

    MO JIU stared at the two teenagers in front of him. One was tall and had an unfriendly expression as if he was silently telling people not to get close. The other one looked like a middle-schooler. He had a pretty face. But a perceptive person could still see from his smile and those bent eyes that he had nothing but bad intentions.


    "What business do you have with me then?" he asked. Because, obviously, the middle-schooler said all those things just to get his attention. Not that it¡¯s enough to get his interest.


    "First, let me introduce ourselves. My name is Luo Yan and this is my younger brother, Luo Jin," Luo Yan said.


    Mo Jiu showed a slight surprised expression. He looked from Luo Yan to Luo Jin then back to Luo Yan once again. This time, there was a hint of pity in the other¡¯s eyes. Which made Luo Yan a bit confused.


    "Did your parents give all the food in your house to your younger brother growing up that¡¯s why he grew so tall and you didn¡¯t grow at all?"


    Luo Yan almost slipped from her seat when he heard that. Even more so because the other¡¯s expression and tone voice seemed to believe that that was indeed the case. Mo Jiu wasn¡¯t mocking or insulting him. He looked genuinely confused as to how Luo Yan could grow, no, actually not grow when his younger brother was so tall.


    And here he thought that the surprise he saw on the other¡¯s face was because he recognized their names. But that was obviously not the case. For the first time, Luo Yan found it quite hard to retain the expression on his face.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, was having quite the fun. It¡¯s not everyday that he could see his second brother at a loss for words. The reason why he wasn¡¯t annoyed by what Mo Jiu said was because the other obviously didn¡¯t have any malice when he said it. In a way, this guy was also weird. No, ¡¯unique¡¯ was probably a much better description.


    After Luo Yan got over his initial shock, he chose to just go straight to the point. He had a feeling that ying word games with this guy would only have a negative effect. The worst case, he would end up so annoyed, he would simply decide to forego with this n and think of a much better one.


    "We¡¯re your sister¡¯s schoolmates. We¡¯re also the young masters of the Luo family. Just in case you haven¡¯t heard of the Luo family, we¡¯re one of the richest families in this city. Much richer than your family, by the way," he said. "You¡¯re probably wondering why I¡¯m saying these things to you. And no, it¡¯s not because I¡¯m bragging. I just want you to have a background on who we are, just in case your mind started to make up some weird, pardon my cursing, shit."


    s


    This time, it was Mo Jiu¡¯s turn to be speechless. As detached as he was, he still knew about the Luo family. His information was not that extensive. But he knew, at least, that they¡¯re rich. And just like what this middle schooler, no, high schooler? Anyway, just like what this kid said, they¡¯re richer than his family.


    "And...?" he asked, because he truly couldn¡¯t think of what the other¡¯s point was.


    Obviously, they came here looking for him specifically. The only reason he could think of was because of his sister. After all, before this kid introduced himself and his brother, he first said that they were schoolmates with his sister. Which was probably the main point on why these two suddenly approached him.


    "Have you read the article about your sister?" Luo Yan asked, no longer beating around the bush. "What will you do if I say that I¡¯m the one who wrote it?"


    Luo Jin nced at his brother. He didn¡¯t expect that Luo Yan would really just go straight to the point. He didn¡¯t even bother to make a detour. Luo Jin turned to Mo Jiu, to see how the other reacted. To his surprise, aside from the slight widening of his eyes, the other didn¡¯t really have a huge reaction.


    Mo Jiu shrugged. "Nothing, probably."


    If what this kid said was true, then Mo Jian most likely offended the other. If so, then she rightfully deserved what¡¯s happening now. That girl had never really been the smartest person in the room.


    The kid stared at him, as if observing his reaction. Then, as if discovering something, he said, "You truly don¡¯t care."


    s


    That¡¯s right, Mo Jiu didn¡¯t care. The attachment he had for his family was pretty weak. It didn¡¯t really help that his father only ever really focused on Mo Jian. Growing up, his father was just like there to give him financial support. Never an emotional one. It didn¡¯t really help that Mo Jian was so unlikable. So, through the years, whatever sentiment he might have had for his family also slowly dwindled.


    Not that it affected him in a major way. Probably because he understood very early that he should not really expect anything from his father. The more he expected, the more he would be disappointed. Having no expectations did him wonders. He grew up freely without any emotional shackles.


    Because of that, he was able to make decisions in life that didn¡¯t center around his family. Decisions that were solely for himself and not for others. His life would have been hell if he grew up wanting his father¡¯s recognition. Good thing he¡¯s smart enough to not do that.


    "Yes, I really don¡¯t," he said as response to what the kid said earlier. "So, if you¡¯re nning to rile me up by saying that you¡¯re the one who wrote that article, it won¡¯t work. It¡¯s better if you go to my father and say the same thing. He¡¯d definitely give you a much better reaction."


    Luo Yan let out a hugeugh after hearing what Mo Jiu had said. Amusement and delight could be heard in hisugh. What an interesting person. "Hey, want to join us in doing something fun?"

 Chapter 597 a very satisfied smile

    MO JIU tilted his head,pletely confused as to why this kid suddenly asked such a question. "What does that have to do with anything?"


    "Of course, it has to do with everything," Luo Yan said, grinning mischievously. "Because this ¡¯something fun¡¯ involves your sister."


    Mo Jiu was starting to understand where the other was going with this. "What makes you think I would go along with your idea of ¡¯fun¡¯?"


    "Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t care about what¡¯s happening with your sister right now? So, I don¡¯t think you would feel guilty even if you join in with this ¡¯fun¡¯," Luo Yan said with a shrug. "Besides, I¡¯m not letting you do it for free. I¡¯ll give you an incentive."


    "Surely, you¡¯re not thinking of paying me," Mo Jiu said.


    "I¡¯m not talking about money. I¡¯m talking about something that you want. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called an incentive," Luo Yan said. "Didn¡¯t you want to join the research team that would analyze the items dug at H provincest summer? From what I¡¯ve heard, you didn¡¯t make the quota because you werete in submitting your application. If you promise to join in with the ¡¯fun¡¯, I can guarantee that your name would be on the list of students that would be part of the team."


    Luo Jin was surprised to hear this. He didn¡¯t expect that his brother would have this much information on this Mo Jiu. Did the report he read on the Mo family really that extensive?


    Yes, that¡¯s right. The report Luo Yan had read was indeed very thorough. To the point that it included the favorite food of each of the family members. He learned from Luo Ren that it waspiled by his assistant. Really, in Luo Yan¡¯s opinion, that guy definitely deserved a pay raise.


    Mo Jiu was also slightly surprised to hear that the other knew about that. There was a dig that happenedst summer at an archeological site in H province. They managed to unearth a lot of materials. So, this winter, they were hoping that students from a number of universities would help them analyze the data from those materials.


    He indeed wanted to be part of that research team. But unfortunately, he was too pre-upied by another project that by the time he found out about it, the quota was already filled out.


    s


    He tried to talk to the professor in charge. But that professor firmly refused. Saying that they couldn¡¯t add another student because it would exceed the quota allotted to their university. Because this project was a joint project by a number of top universities in the country. If other universities found out about it, it might affect their university¡¯s reputation.


    Another factor was the fact that he was only in his sophomore year in his undergrad course. The other students who were going to be part of that team were either senior students or those who were already taking their master¡¯s degree. So, even if he managed to submit his application on time, it¡¯s highly unlikely that he would be chosen. No matter how brilliant he might be.


    He actually considered bribing someone from the school. But he thought better of it. What if that decision came back to him in the future? He didn¡¯t want that to affect his educational record.


    "If you¡¯re nning to bribe the school, then forget it," he said.


    Although he was a bit tempted, if this thing got back to him then he¡¯d rather not take the risk.


    "I¡¯m not going to bribe the school. That¡¯s criminal, you know?" Luo Yan said, acting as if he was offended by what Mo Jiu was insinuating.


    Mo Jiu, on his part, didn¡¯t buy Luo Yan¡¯s guilt-tripping. "Then, what are you suggesting?"


    Luo Yan smiled sweetly. "I¡¯m simply going to bribe the students who are supposed to be part of that research team."


    Both Luo Jin and Mo Jiu were quite speechless by this. What¡¯s the difference between bribing the school and bribing an individual? Seeing the bbergasted expression of the two, Luo Yan further exined;


    "I¡¯m thinking of bribing two. That way, if they gave up their spot, no one would find it suspicious if you and another student took their ce. Of course, I would make it so that they wouldn¡¯t give up their spot at the same time. I would even make sure that the reason for them doing that would be so varied, no one would suspect a thing.


    "The start of that project is still two months from now, right? I¡¯ll make sure that those two who will give up their ces will do so with a considerable amount of time in between. In this way, even if you take the ce of one of them, no one would suspect that your bribed them. People would just think you¡¯re lucky for taking one of the spots."


    This made Mo Jiu speechless once again. It¡¯s like the other had already nned for everything and the only thing missing was his approval. On the other hand, Luo Jin only thought that his brother¡¯s ¡¯dark side¡¯ was showing again.


    s


    "If that¡¯s the case, then I can also do that. Which means I don¡¯t really have any need for you," Mo Jiu said after


    Luo Yan only smiled meaningfully. "Really? But I don¡¯t think you will do it. If you¡¯re nning to, I think you have already done it. The fact that you haven¡¯t yet meant you¡¯re not thinking of doing so. Why do I have such an idea, you ask? Because you don¡¯t want this whole thing to be connected to you. You know that even if you do everything secretly, there¡¯s still a chance, albeit very small, that it woulde back to you.


    "But if I¡¯m the one who would do it, that chance would almost be negligible. After all, the two of us have no connections whatsoever. And if you must know, the bribing method I will use would not look like bribes at all. You don¡¯t need to know the details. The less you know, the better, right? So, what do you think? Are you in or out?"


    Mo Jiu was silent for a couple of seconds. He appeared to be thinking deeply. Then, he looked straight into Luo Yan¡¯s eyes and answered, "I¡¯m in."


    And a very satisfied smile appeared on Luo Yan¡¯s beautiful face.

 Chapter 598 lady luck is on their side

    LUO JIN nced at his brother¡¯s side face. They were already inside the car and travelling to the hospital where Yu Jiao and Mo Jian were admitted. That Mo Jiu had already gone ahead of them to the same destination.


    He leaned a bit towards his brother and whispered, "Hey, Yan, are you really going to do what you just said to that Mo Jiu?"


    Luo Yan nced at his brother. He felt a bit amused because of the other¡¯s whispering. He probably didn¡¯t want the uncle driver to hear what they¡¯re talking about. Specifically, about him nning to bribe someone.


    This guy was probably afraid that it would get to their father ears. Not that Luo Yan was worried if ever that happened. Because he was confident that their father wouldn¡¯t scold him. He would probably say a few words. But at the end, he wouldn¡¯t really be angry.


    In that way, he was probably a bit simr to Mo Guang Lin. But Luo Yan was sure that if he ever did something bad, like hurting another person who hadn¡¯t anything to him, his father wouldn¡¯t just sit back and watch. He definitely wouldn¡¯t tolerate his behavior.


    Besides, he was no Mo Jian. Even if his family spoiled him to heaven, he wouldn¡¯t take advantage of their affection for him. And, most importantly, he wasn¡¯t a psycho who enjoyed tormenting others just because they were better than him.


    The word ¡¯envy¡¯ had never been in his vocabry. The moment he epted his lot in life, he understood that there¡¯s was no use for envy or jealousy. Because those kinds of emotion wouldn¡¯t help him in any way. It would only make his situation even worse.


    It¡¯s better to just focus on his own growth instead of thinking about the things he didn¡¯t have. Because he believed that if he just worked hard enough, there woulde a day when he could also get everything that he wanted.


    In a way, he kind of got that in this life.


    "Yes, but I¡¯ll let Brother handle it," he whispered back. "I¡¯ll just give him some suggestions."


    s


    These ¡¯suggestions¡¯ included; Screening those students that were part of the research team and looking for the ones who would easily sumb to temptations. And then, the bribe itself shouldn¡¯t have to be money. Like a paid all-around trip to Europe or even a rare artifact of some kind.


    For example, they could send an e-mail to one of those students that they won some kind of lottery that would allow them to travel all-around Europe for free, amodations and travel expenses included. Of course, the date of the ¡¯travel¡¯ would just happen to coincide with the start of the research.


    He was confident that his brother could do something as easy as that. Heck, the other¡¯s assistant could probably do the job himself.


    Hearing that he would not directly participate, Luo Jin felt a bit relieved. At least the scenario he was imagining wouldn¡¯t happen. You know, Luo Yan acting like a big boss and sshing money to whichever student he had chosen.


    "Then, do you think that guy, Mo Jiu, would really do things ording to the n you¡¯ve given him?" he asked. "He doesn¡¯t look like he could lie or even act."


    In fact, the other was the total opposite. He just seemed like the type who would blurt out the first thing on his mind without thinking if that would affect anyone.


    "That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s going to lie. Whatever he¡¯s going to tell his sister is nothing but the truth. So, he doesn¡¯t really need any acting skills for that," Luo Yan answered with a shrug.


    Well, that actually made sense. ¨C Luo Jin thought. He happened to look out of the car window and saw that they were already at the hospital. The car had already parked on the avable parking space.


    Luo Yan¡¯s phone then vibrated. He opened the message and smiled when he read it.


    [I¡¯m here. Dad just went out to answer a phone call.]


    It seemed that Lady Luck was truly on their side. He typed and replied.


    [Then, let¡¯s proceed with the n.]


    Mo Jian nced at her older brother. "Brother, you finally visited me. I thought you won¡¯t even bothering here."


    Her voice was abination of happy and aggrieved. But her expression was totally deadpan. As if she just said that so she could perform for someone. And Mo Jiu knew exactly who she was performing for. Their father.


    "Don¡¯t bother, Dad is not outside. Nobody will hear your ¡¯performance¡¯," he said with an expressionless face.


    Not just because he truly didn¡¯t feel anything but more because he was trying not to show that he was actually lying. He met his father just outside Mo Jian¡¯s hospital room when he just arrived. The other was about to answer a call and just motioned for him to go inside.


    Even though he walked a few steps away from the door of the hospital room, Mo Jiu was sure that he could probably still hear what was being said inside the room. Especially if the people in the room raised their voice just a little.


    But he wouldn¡¯t tell that to Mo Jian. Because if he did, then she would just do what she did earlier. Not to mention, the n that kid told him to do couldn¡¯t advance.


    Mo Jian crossed her arms in front of her. "So, what brings you here?" she asked, her voice back to the same mocking tone she always used whenever she talked to him.


    Mo Jiu observed her expression and he was sure that she didn¡¯t even suspect that he was lying with what he just said about their father not being outside. It¡¯s probably because growing up, he never really minced his words whenever he talked with this girl. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t even suspect that he just lied.


    s


    "I just came here because Dad nagged me to," he said, which was true anyway. "Why would I visit you when I knew your supposed injury was self-sustained?"


    "What, you don¡¯t believe that bitch, Yu Jiao, can push me?"


    "Really, you want to y that game with me?" Mo Jiu asked with a raised brow.


    Mo Jian scoffed. "Yes, I fell on my own, so what?"


    Outside, Mo Guang Lin who was about to open the door stopped when he heard that.

 Chapter 599 really pitiful

    "ARE you nning to do something about it?" Mo Jian added, lifting her chin arrogantly. "Knowing you, you probably won¡¯t. Which is a good thing. It¡¯s not like Dad will believe you anyway."


    "Yes, yes, you have our have our father wrapped around your little finger," Mo Jiu said with no emotion in his voice, showing that he really didn¡¯t care about what the others said.


    Mo Jian appeared smug as if enjoying what the other said. "You know, dear brother, if you just change your attitude a bit, Dad would surely treat you the way he treats me. Try acting spoiled, rely on him, he likes that. Oh, that probably still won¡¯t work since you don¡¯t look like our dead mother like I do."


    The corner of Mo Jiu¡¯s eyes twitched a bit when he heard thatst sentence. Really, he wondered how this girl could be so stupid and unfeeling. He felt like there¡¯s really no hope for the other. Not that he cared. It was at this moment that he was kind of d that his attachment to his family was weak.


    If he was on his father¡¯s shoes, he would definitely be heartbroken. Just imagining that he would be heartbroken because of this kind of person, he might just puke his guts out.


    But Mo Jian¡¯s response was definitely helpful. At least with this, he could probably leave here faster. It¡¯s like even if he did the bare minimum, Mo Jian would still be able to ruin herself just by, well, being herself. That only proved further how big of an idiot she was. All that expensive tuition and she couldn¡¯t even learn to be smarter.


    "That kind of attitude will definitely get you into trouble someday," he only said.


    Mo Jian wasn¡¯t fazed and only snorted. "So what? As long as Dad¡¯s there, he¡¯ll definitely do everything to get me out of trouble."


    "Do you really think he will still do that even if you, let¡¯s just say,mitted a crime?"


    "Of course," Mo Jian didn¡¯t even hesitate to say. "As my dear brother said, I got him wrapped around my finger. Just a few bits of tears here and there and he would pretty much do everything that I wanted."


    Mo Jiu once again thought; ¡¯what an idiot¡¯. Or maybe this was because he was her brother that¡¯s why she was more confident in revealing her true self in front of him. But he had a feeling that it was mostly because the other also knew him well. So, she just assumed that there¡¯s no way what she¡¯s saying right now would reach their father¡¯s ears.


    Under normal circumstance, that would definitely be the case. But too bad for her. He just happened to make a deal with a little devil. And so, she probably wouldn¡¯t get what she wanted this time around.


    "Then, I wonder why Dad still hadn¡¯t done anything to that article on Weibo," he said nonchntly.


    Mo Jian furrowed his brows. "What article?"


    "Oh, you haven¡¯t read it? That¡¯s weird," Mo Jiu tried to act surprised but he really couldn¡¯t. His deadpan expression still remained.


    It¡¯s a good thing that Mo Jian had been used to this kind of reaction, so, she didn¡¯t notice anything suspicious with the way he was acting. All her focus was on that ¡¯article¡¯ he mentioned.


    "I don¡¯t have my phone with me," she said, obviously annoyed. "So, just tell me what this article is about!"


    Mo Jiu simply took out his phone, clicked Weibo, and then showed the other the article.


    At first, Mo Jian¡¯s expression was still normal. But as seconds went by, her expression became uglier and uglier. Then he saw her raising his phone and about to throw it. Good thing he already expected that kind of reaction. So, he quickly grabbed his phone and took it back.


    Mo Jian red at him. "What are you doing?"


    "This is my phone. If you want to break stuff, go and find something that doesn¡¯t belong to me," he said, putting his phone back in his pocket.


    Mo Jian became even angrier hearing her brother¡¯s unemotional response. This guy had always been like this. No matter what¡¯s happening to her, he wouldn¡¯t react at all. It¡¯s like the other was an emotionless doll who didn¡¯t have any desires or greed. That¡¯s why he treated people all in the same manner.


    That¡¯s probably for the better. If she¡¯s the only one he treated like that, she probably would go nuts and just hurt him. After all, their siblings. It¡¯s only natural that he took care of her, right? But since that¡¯s not possible, she¡¯d rather have him treat her the same as others. Because if that¡¯s the case, then that meant no one was special for him.


    No, she shouldn¡¯t be thinking about this guy¡¯s attitude right now. That article was more important! How dare those people say those things to her? How dare them judge her? Thosements, it¡¯s as if she¡¯s a murderer or something.


    What do they care about those losers anyway? Hypocrites! For all she knew, they would have probably done the same thing. Those losers just had that kind of smell in them. Acting like they¡¯re so high and mighty when they¡¯re nothing but gutter rats. Hah!


    And that person who wrote that article. She swore she would make them pay!


    "Howe this article is still up? Dad hasn¡¯t done anything to get rid of this?"


    "You better ask him," Mo Jiu shrugged. "Since I¡¯ve already done my duty of visiting you, I¡¯ll get going."


    Mo Jian didn¡¯t answer and just bit her thumb¡¯s nail, muttering something. She really looked out of it.


    Since he¡¯s already done here, he just simply walked out of the hospital room. Outside, just as expected, his father was leaning on the wall beside the door. Mo Jiu was certain that he had heard everything that he and Mo Jian had talked about.


    Aside from the fact that he knew that the other never really left outside, the expression on his face just exined it all. Pain, sadness, frustration, anger, loss ¨C everything was written on his face.


    Although Mo Jiu wasn¡¯t that proficient when it came to human emotion, he could still see that. Which only showed just how vivid those emotions were on his father¡¯s face.


    For the first time in his life, Mo Jiu thought that the other was really pitiful.

 Chapter 600 a fathers realization

    MO GUANG LIN stared at his son. Seeing that he didn¡¯t show any shock when he saw him only meant that he was already expecting him to be there.


    "I¡¯ll be going now. Dad should go inside andfort Mo Jian. She seemed to really need it," Mo Jiu said before bowing a little and walking away.


    Mo Guang Lin watched his son¡¯s back before running after him and asking;


    "Did you do it on purpose? Steer the conversation in a direction that would allow me to hear everything your sister said?"


    Mo Jiu stopped and turned to his father. "I may have done that. But everything that Mo Jian said came out of her mouth on her own volition. I did not force her to say those things."


    Pain simply stabbed on Mo Guang Lin¡¯s heart. Of course, he knew that! But knowing and epting were two different things. "Why did you want me to hear those things?" he asked instead.


    "Because it¡¯s time for Dad to take off the blinders covering your eyes," Mo Jiu simply said. "If you continue on like this, maybe one day, Mo Jian would end up walking on a much crooked path. Dad should know that that¡¯s a possibility. Especially in the way you kept on spoiling Mo Jian. Maybe today she would ask you to take care of a disparaging article, then tomorrow she would ask you to help her hide a dead body. And Dad, being the loving ¡¯father¡¯ that you are, would do so with a smile on your face."


    He wanted to deny everything. To push it all to Mo Jiu and convinced himself that it was the other who made Mo Jian said all those things. And the things he said just now would never happen. But no words came out of his mouth. As if everything was stuck in his throat, making it feel hot and scratchy.


    The fact the he couldn¡¯t deny it brought him more pain than anything else. Because it meant that his subconscious was agreeing to what Mo Jiu said. That his daughter could end up doing all those things and that he was the one who made it that way.


    He wanted to scream. To just refuse all the facts that were presented to him. To convince himself that Mo Jiu was wrong and everything was just the other¡¯s delusion. But seeing his son who looked at him as if he was no better than a stranger, he couldn¡¯t do it.


    This was the result of him being a failure as a father. He doted so much on his daughter that hepletely neglected his eldest. He wouldn¡¯t even be surprised to learn if the word ¡¯father¡¯ for Mo Jiu was simply abel. The term in which he would refer to the sperm donor who got his mother pregnant.


    And Mo Guang Lin couldn¡¯t even me him for that. In fact, he didn¡¯t have any right to me him. Because everything was a result of his actions. His son¡¯s distant attitude and his daughter¡¯s cruel nature. It was all his fault.


    He smiled bitterly. It turned out that all the things that were said about him in that article, as well as thements of the people, were all true. He was a scumbag father who spoiled his daughter to the point of believing that she could do anything, no matter how bad, because would always be there to get her out of it.


    The moment he admitted that, he just naturally was able to ept the things that he couldn¡¯t. His daughter¡¯s wrongdoings, his own mistakes, just everything. It might have hurt more. But at least, with this, he could finally be ountable for all the mistakes he had done.


    This not only included apologizing to those people who were hurt by his daughter, but also helping Mo Jian be a better person. Before it was all toote and he just woke up one day suddenly finding out that the other alreadymitted an unforgivable crime. Just like what Mo Jiu had said.


    Mo Guang Lin closed his eyes tightly. Pondering over the things that he shouldn¡¯t have done and the things he should do from now on. It was akin to the feeling of having an existential crisis. He almost wanted tough. Having this kind of feeling at this age. It showed that he never really matured and of how bad of a father he really was.


    When he opened his eyes, Mo Jiu was still standing there. He stared at his son. Just like how he failed Mo Jian, he also failed Mo Jiu in a different way. He wanted to make up for everything. Even if it might be already toote. He would spend the rest of his life to do that.


    "I will make things right. I won¡¯t let your sister reach that point. I promise."


    Mo Jiu was confused by his father¡¯s sudden surge of determination. Maybe he was stimted too much by what Mo Jian had said. But this was good, right?


    "Okay. Then, I¡¯ll leave now."


    He turned around and walked. He had only taken a few steps when his father stopped him again. He nced back, wondering what it was this time.


    "Ah Jiu, I¡¯m sorry."


    Mo Jiu once again felt confused because of this apology. Especially after seeing the expression on his father¡¯s face as if the other was about to cry. What a weird picture that would be. He wasn¡¯t really interested in understanding it, so, he just nodded. Then, he continued walking.


    As he did, he took out his phone and sent a message to the little devil.


    [It¡¯s done.]


    It didn¡¯t take long before he received a reply.


    [What¡¯s the result? Is it a sess?]


    [Sess.]


    [Good.] That was apanied by a smiley face.


    For some reason, Mo Jiu suddenly imagined the other smiling. Like a little devil who sessfully tempted a mortal intomitting a sin.


    Frankly speaking, that was a rather apt description.


    On the other side, Mo Guang Lin walked back to his daughter¡¯s hospital room. He stood in front of the door for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath and opening it. He walked inside, determined to do what he just decided.

 Chapter 601 the judgment

    MO JIAN was biting her thumb. She didn¡¯t even feel that her teeth were already digging into the skin, producing blood. All she could think about was that article and the things that those peoplemented. Almost everyone was against her. She didn¡¯t even see someone defending her.


    Thements were all very bias against her. One could see that thements were all leading people to believe the same narrative. That she was an evil thing that indiscriminately hurt others. Couldn¡¯t those people on thements see that? Were they really that stupid?


    It¡¯s obvious that someone was targeting her! Someone with money to hire water armies. He couldn¡¯t think of anyone except that bitch, Yu Jiao. But where could she even find money to do that? Was it possible that Ji Xiuying helped her? She rejected that idea again.


    That woman certainly wouldn¡¯t do something to destroy this ¡¯family¡¯. Mo Jian wasn¡¯t worried that the other might side with Yu Jiao because of the stair incident. She could just guilt-trip her to take her side.


    So, who was it? Who was doing this to her? But the bigger question was, why was her father not doing anything about this? From what Mo Jiu had said, this article had been posted sincest night. The fact that her father had taken her phone, probably so she wouldn¡¯t be able to read it, meant that he also knew about this.


    Then, why? Why was this article still hadn¡¯t taken down? Could it be possible that it was done by someone with a higher influence and power than their family? But how could that be? She always made sure that she would never offend anyone like that.


    A scene suddenly entered his mind. That of what happened five days ago at school. When she tried to approach Luo Jin through Yu Jiao. That sissy, Luo Yan, somehow ended up falling and it was all med on her. Could it really be because of that? Was the Luo family taking revenge on her?


    But that¡¯s just absurd! In the first ce, that incident wasn¡¯t even her fault. She heard how much the Luo family doted on Luo Yan. But would it really be to this extent? No, she shouldn¡¯t find it weird. After all, her father also doted on her. The reason for that was because of her dead mother. How much more could it be if she was in a seven-yeara, just like that Luo Yan? She would definitely be treated like a living treasure!


    So, yes, it¡¯s not impossible that this situation was because of the Luo family. But why wait five days, no, four days since that article was postedst night, to do this? She really couldn¡¯t understand.


    She was about to bite harder on her thumb but someone suddenly pulled it out of her mouth. She raised her head, nning to shout at this person, but saw her father instead. She immediately changed her expression into a pitiful one.


    "D-Dad, that article, I¡¯ve seen it," her voice choked, as if she was doing her best not to cry. "H-how could they say those things t-to me? Th-they¡¯re talking as if I¡¯m so e-evil. Dad- I¡ª"


    "You shouldn¡¯t have bitten your thumb. Look, it¡¯s bleeding," her father said instead, as if he didn¡¯t hear what she just said. "Let me call a nurse first to fix your wound."


    Mo Jian almost lost her temper. But she still tried to maintain the pitiful expression on her face. "D-Dad, I- I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt. What hurts me more were the things that those people say online." She raised her head, her eyes tearing up. "Dad, what if everyone believes that- that¡¯s how I really am? No one would want to be f-friends with me anymore. I- I¡¯m scared, Dad."


    Mo Guang Lin stared at his daughter¡¯s tearful face. If this was before, he would have probably already told her that he would do everything to take down that article and sue the people defaming her. But he couldn¡¯t do that now. He didn¡¯t even know what he should say next.


    Because now that he had epted that Mo Jian was indeed capable of doing all those things, it¡¯s like a thick blinder was removed from his eyes. He was now seeing everything clearly. That right now, his daughter was acting to gain his sympathy so that she could make him do whatever she wanted.


    She didn¡¯t feel sorry for those people she hurt. The only thing she thought was how to delete that article and clean her image. Mo Guang Lin wanted tough bitterly. He now truly understood the damage he had done to this girl.


    He clenched his fists and closed his eyes. When he opened them, there was no longer any hesitation in their depths. "Once the injury on your ankle heals, we will go to each and every person that you hurt in the past. We will both apologize to them personally."


    Mo Jian stopped. She blinked her big eyes at her father, unsure if he heard what he just said correctly. "I- I don¡¯t understand, Dad."


    Mo Guang Lin sat down and help Mo Jian¡¯s uninjured hand. "Jian-er, Dad is sorry. If only I was a good father, you could have had a normal outlook in life. My constant spoiling and pampering hindered you to develop the correct judgment to know what¡¯s wrong and what¡¯s right. But you can¡¯t continue on like this anymore."


    Hearing such things, Mo Jian was now sure that she was not having auditory hallucination. She forcefully took back her hand that her father was still holding. She red at the other angrily. The only thing she got from what he said was that he believed those nonsense that those people in thements were saying.


    "Dad, how could you? Would you really rather believe those posers than your own daughter?"


    "Enough, Jian-er. Let¡¯s stop the pretense. Please, just face me as who you are and not the person you wanted me to believe that you are," Mo Guang Lin said with sadness and frustration. "From now on, let¡¯s face each other in a truthful manner."


    Mo Jian felt like her anger just reached the top of her head. Her mind was a mess. She couldn¡¯t understand how his father suddenly changed like this. Especially when just an hour ago, he was still the same. How could he change after he went out and took a phone call?


    Then a thought suddenly shed in her mind. What if her father didn¡¯t go that far when he went out to answer that phone call? What if he heard everything that he and Mo Jiu said? That would certainly exin everything.


    Wait- wouldn¡¯t that mean that Mo Jiu lied to her? That bastard!


    She tried to make her expression pitiful again. "D-Dad, did you hear what Brother and I talked about earlier? I- I didn¡¯t really want to say those things. Y-you see, Brother always makes fun of me whenever I acted weak. I- I don¡¯t want to be hated by Brother. So, so, I acted that way. I¡ª"


    "I said enough!"


    Mo Jian seemed petrified when Mo Guang Lin raised his voice. Probably because this was the first time he had ever done that. As much as possible, he also didn¡¯t want to do that. But he couldn¡¯t just let her put the me on Mo Jiu. This just showed him once again, Mo Jian¡¯sck of guilt.


    He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Once you¡¯re healed, we will apologize to those people. And after that, you will transfer out of Guizu Academy and you will be sent somewhere where you will learn kindness and humility."


    And he would apany her. But he would have to do it from a distance. Because if they were together, he was sure that instead of learning anything, Mo Jian would simply just wallow in her hatred for him. Not seeing him directly would be for the best.


    Mo Jian seemed to wake up from her shocked state. The expression on her face was saying that she finally had to ept that this was really happening.


    "No, Dad! You can¡¯t do this to me! You can¡¯t just send me away just because I¡¯m no longer you wanted!"


    Mo Guang Lin felt like a knife stabbed at his heard when he heard thatst part.


    "Jian-er, you¡¯re not being thrown away," he could only say.


    He then turned around and walked out of the hospital room. The moment he did, he heard his daughter¡¯s scream of anger.

 Chapter 602 eavesdropping and hospital visit

    "WHERE do you think he will throw Mo Jian?" Luo Jin asked.


    "Well, he did say that it would be some ce where she would learn kindness and humility," Luo Yan answered.


    The two of them were now walking towards Yu Jiao¡¯s hospital room. They just finished eavesdropping from the conversation between Mo Jian and her father. When they heard Mo Guang Lin¡¯s footsteps that were obviously about to go out of the room, the two of them quickly scrammed away from there.


    Honestly, Luo Yan didn¡¯t expect that Mo Guang Lin would change his mind about his daughter this quick. He thought that it would need more than the conversation between Mo Jiu and Mo Jian for that to happen. Did that conversation really bring such great epiphany?


    It¡¯s not weird for him to feel a bit surprised by that. After all, Mo Guang Lin had spoiled and pampered that daughter of his for years. Although Luo Yan gave pointers to Mo Jiu on how the other should lead the conversation in a way that would reveal Mo Jian¡¯s true color, was that really enough to change Mo Guang Lin¡¯s opinion this much? He even didn¡¯t need to think things through for a couple of days and immediately came up with this decision.


    He expected that this would be a long battle. With Mo Guang Lin in a state of refusal and fighting them until the end. But that didn¡¯t happen at all. The only reason he could think of was because the other most likely epted the wrong things he had done when it came to the way he raised his daughter.


    Anyway, not that he cared. The most important thing now was the fact that Mo Jian would be out of Yu Jiao¡¯s life. With her reputation in tatters in this city, all her friends, if she even had any, would shun her. Without the support of his father, she could no longer do anything she wanted. It would be even better if she would be thrown far away. At least, with this, that girl would not be able to mess with Yu Jiao again.


    "Then, would it be a reform school?" Luo Jin said with a bit of confusion. "But would a reform school even change someone like that?"


    "Of course not. It would probably just suffocate her to the point of being much crazier than she is now," Luo Yan said.


    The strict rules in a reform school would not really help someone like Mo Jian change. That was themon misconception of rich people who wanted to make their rebellious children more obedient. If Mo Guang Lin really cared for his daughter, he wouldn¡¯t send her to a ce like that.


    s


    From the conversation they had heard, it seemed that that was still the case. Because Luo Yan could hear great sadness, frustration, and guilt from Mo Guang Li¡¯s voice while talking with Mo Jian. It seemed that he really didn¡¯t want to do this thing to his daughter. But he had to. Because he realized just how much worst it would be in the future if he didn¡¯t do anything to correct his daughter¡¯s three-views.


    "If it was me, I¡¯ll send her to a remote vige where people worked hard everyday so they could put food on their table," he added. "The kind of vige where people lived simply but are still happy. That way, maybe she could see that money and status are not that important and that one could be happy even without them."


    Luo Jin thought of what his brother said and nodded in agreement. "That could indeed be effective."


    "Let¡¯s not talk about that girl anymore and just go to Jiao Jiao," Luo Yan said.


    As far as he¡¯s concerned, Mo Jian was already done. He wasn¡¯t that bloodthirsty to want her to, you know, die or something. This was not some kind of afternoon drama after all. Where a brainless viiness would meet a violent ident once she¡¯s no longer useful to the plot.


    It was enough that she would no longer be able to live that life that she was used to. She could either choose to be miserable her whole life or she could choose to change and be a better version of herself. If that was even remotely possible. As he had said, the most important thing here was for her to be permanently cut out of Yu Jiao¡¯s life.


    They soon then arrived at Yu Jiao¡¯s hospital room. Luo Yan was a bit surprised when he saw that the other was alone.


    "Jiao Jiao, we came to visit," he said.


    Yu Jiao immediately raised her head from the phone she was holding and turned towards the door. She smiled when she saw Luo Yan and then felt a bit surprised when he saw Luo Jin behind. But she still greeted them both with a smile. "Yan Yan, Luo Jin."


    "Where¡¯s Auntie?" Luo Yan asked as he sat down on a chair beside the bed.


    "I¡¯m about to be discharged today, so, Mom¡¯s settling the hospital bill," Yu Jiao answered.


    Luo Yan frowned at that. "Already? Don¡¯t you need to stay for a few more days."


    Yu Jiao chuckled because Luo Ren had the same reaction when she told him about it during his visit early morning. The only difference was Luo Yan looked cute with his eyebrows furrowed, while Luo Ren just added a bit of coldness to his handsomeness. She stopped and felt her cheeks heating up a bit. What was she thinking just now?


    She shook her head and just responded to what Luo Yan just said. "I¡¯m not really seriously injured. I could probably even discharge yesterday if my Mom didn¡¯t insist that I stay a day more at least."


    She didn¡¯t have any concussion or serious head trauma. There¡¯s really no reason for him to stay at the hospital when she could recuperate at home. At the mention of ¡¯home¡¯, he once again thought of Luo Ren. Because this morning, they met with the other¡¯s assistant who gave them the address of an avable fully furnished apartment that was quite near Guizu Academy.


    The assistant said that he had already talked with the building manager and they could move there any day from today. He also gave them the number of the building manager. So, when they want to move or talk about the rental fee, they could just contact the other.


    She knew that wouldn¡¯t be possible without Luo Ren, so, she was really thankful. That warm feeling flowed through her heart once again. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was just simple gratitude. But she did know that she didn¡¯t hate this feeling at all.


    Luo Yan wanted to say something more, but then the door opened and Yu Jiao¡¯s mother walked in.


    s


    Ji Xiuying saw Luo Yan and smiled. "Xiao Yan is here."


    "Hello, Auntie," Luo Yan greeted with a smile.


    It was then that Ji Xiuying saw another handsome teenager in the room. He was quietly standing on the side. She noticed that the other looked five points simr to Luo Ren. And a thought immediately came up to her mind.


    "I didn¡¯t Xiao Yan has another handsome older brother," shemented. "You, brothers, really are blessed."


    Luo Jin snorted, stopping himself fromughing. While Luo Yan only had ck lines on his face.

 Chapter 603 good job, brother

    "MOM, Yan Yan is the one older," Yu Jiao said, quickly correcting her mother.


    "Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have just assumed that," Ji Xiuying said, looking very embarrassed.


    Luo Yan smiled and said with a good temper, "It¡¯s alright, Auntie. It¡¯s not your fault that Ah Jin looks older than his age."


    Luo Jin wasn¡¯t angry with that jibe. Probably because he was still holding in hisughter. He took a deep breath first before introducing himself to Yu Jiao¡¯s mother. "Hello, Auntie, I¡¯m Luo Jin."


    Even though Luo Jin was not smiling, he even looked a bit fierce, the way he talked to Yu Jiao¡¯s mother was still respectful.


    The embarrassment that Ji Xiuying felt subsided a bit and she smiled at the tall teenager. She was d that the two weren¡¯t offended because of that blunder. After all, it¡¯s her fault for not being tactful enough.


    Her daughter had already told her about Luo Yan¡¯s situation before. That he had been in aa for seven years before regaining consciousness this past Spring. Yu Jiao had to exin that to her when she asked why the boy looked so much younger than his age.


    The mother in her immediately felt sad for the boy. He looked so energetic and happy that no one would probably think that he had gone through such an ordeal. ording to Yu Jiao, Luo Yan was also very friendly and smart as well.


    The fact that he was able to limate to his new surrounding that quickly showed that his family had been very supportive, loving, and caring towards him. Ji Xiuying couldn¡¯t help but feel respect for the Luo family because of that. Which was proven even further by the conversation she had with Luo Ren earlier.


    She was really surprised when the other visited again this morning. Not only that, she also felt suspicious. How could she not? The older brother of her daughter¡¯s friend visited her daughter so early in the morning. Especially after she saw how gentle he was treating Yu Jiao. How could she not feel vignt when there¡¯s a chance that an adult man was looking at her daughter that way?


    s


    It only intensified when the conversation she had with the young man after that.


    =====


    "Auntie, I heard that you are looking for an apartment near Guizu Academy. My assistant happened to find one yesterday. He willeter and the two of you could talk of the details."


    Ji Xiuying was wondering what this young man wanted to talk to her that they had to go out of Yu Jiao¡¯s hospital room. Now, hearing what he had to say, she couldn¡¯t help but be vignt once again. Was her guess really correct? Could this young man really have those kinds of thoughts on her daughter?


    Luo Ren might have noticed her vignce because he quickly followed that up;


    "Auntie, please, don¡¯t think I have bad intentions for doing this. Yan Yan heard from Jiao- I mean, your daughter that you¡¯re currently looking for an apartment. My brother asked me if I could help out a little. And since it¡¯s a request from my lovely little brother, I couldn¡¯t just say no and disappoint him," he said with a helpless smile. "I don¡¯t know if Auntie knows this but, Yu Jiao is Yan Yan¡¯s first friend. He values her very much. Just think of this as a help from him and not from me."


    Ji Xiuying seemed to wake up when she heard thatst part. She suddenly remembered what Yu Jiao had told her about Luo Yan. About the boy being in aa for seven years.


    If Yu Jiao was the very first friend he made after waking up from aa and entering society, then it wouldn¡¯t be weird for him to be attached to her daughter this much. It would only be natural to think of helping Yu Jiao. Especially for such a sweet and kind boy like Luo Yan.


    And considering how much the rest of his family wanted to make him happy, it wouldn¡¯t be weird for Luo Ren to do his best for his younger brother¡¯s request. She remembered that the Luo family was in the real estate business. So, something like finding an apartment wasn¡¯t probably even a big deal. She was probably the only one making a big deal out of this.


    She shouldn¡¯t have rush to conclusion just like that. As an elder, she felt ashamed. She should have been more open-minded. She didn¡¯t even notice that her experience with Mo Guang Lin actually made her a bit paranoid.


    She shook her head, took a deep breath and said to Luo Ren. "Thank you very much, Xiao Ren. That would really be a big help for us."


    "There¡¯s no need for thanks, Auntie. Yan Yan is treating Yu Jiao as a sister. So, it¡¯s almost like we¡¯re family, don¡¯t you think?"


    The other said it so naturally that Ji Xiuying didn¡¯t think much about it and just smiled and agreed.


    What she didn¡¯t know was, in the near future, she would definitely regret why she didn¡¯t think more when Luo Ren said that.


    =====


    "I¡¯m happy to meet you, Xiao Jin. Thank you for always taking care of our Jiao Jiao," Ji Xiuying said to the tall teenager.


    "No, Auntie. Yan is the one who takes care of Yu Jiao. I don¡¯t really do anything."


    s


    Ji Xiuying chuckled at the boy¡¯s honesty. "Nevertheless, I still thank you for being her friend."


    "Mom, did you already settle the bills?" Yu Jiao asked, changing the subject.


    "Oh, yes. Although I felt a bit weird because I didn¡¯t pay as much as I expected," Ji Xiuying answered. In fact, the cost was so low that it almost felt like Yu Jiao only went to the ER instead of staying in a private room for a day. "Well, they did say that there was a discount since Jiao Jiao is still a student."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan almost smiled weirdly. Because he was sure that the hospital bill being so low was not because of some ¡¯student discount¡¯. His older brother must have paid for the majority of it when he visited earlier. And then most likely told the one in-charge of the hospital¡¯s billing department to not inform Yu Jiao and her mother about it.


    Good job, Brother.

 Chapter 604 a big thumbs up

    LUO YAN stared at the gauze on the side of Yu Jiao¡¯s forehead. "Is it really alright for you to be discharged of the hospital so soon?"


    Yu Jiao gazed down at Luo Yan, the other¡¯s nose was all crumpled. She couldn¡¯t help but think that the other was really just too cute. "Yan Yan, I¡¯m fine, really. It doesn¡¯t even hurt anymore. Besides, we¡¯ve already out of the hospital for more than hour now," she said in an amused tone.


    After being discharged, Luo Yan offered to take them to the address of the apartment building that Luo Ren¡¯s assistant had mentioned when he visited the hospital earlier. There¡¯s really no reason to refuse. They had already epted their help in looking for an apartment. Refusing a car ride seemed to be a bit hypocritical.


    Before this, they all went to a restaurant first to have lunch. And now, they were in the lobby of the apartment building. She, Luo Yan, and Luo Jin were waiting here while her mother was talking with the building manager.


    She looked around the building. It was not that big of a building. In fact, rather than a building, it looked like a big mansion. There was a garden in the front. The building had a vintage feel to it. Not the kind that old and rickety but the kind that was beautiful and well-maintained.


    The apartment building was also located in a safemunity. It¡¯s not only close to Guizu Academy, there was also a small grocery store nearby. The ce was definitely chosen with care. Although she knew that it was the credit of Mr. Assistant, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that the other worked so hard to find this ce was because of Luo Ren.


    Yu Jiao wondered how she could thank him. Not only him. She looked at Luo Yan once again. This adorable friend of hers too.


    Luo Yan was still not convinced that Yu Jiao should be out of the hospital this soon. But what could he do when the one involved didn¡¯t think the same? Anyway, Yu Jiao was with her mother. He was sure that the other wouldn¡¯t let Yu Jiao¡¯s wound be aggravated.


    "Ah, by the way, you don¡¯t have to worry about that Mo Jian anymore," he said before he forgot. "I think she would no longer bother you from now on."


    Yu Jiao felt confused by what the other said. Did Luo Yan say that because her mother and Uncle Mo were about to divorce? But even if that was the case, Mo Jian would still definitely not let her be. That¡¯s just the way she was. She was sure that the other would definitely try something once they both returned to school.


    s


    She decided to just directly asked Luo Yan what he meant. But before she could, she saw her mother walking towards their direction. Based on her expression, she seemed to be very satisfied with her talk with the building manager.


    "Jiao Jiao, the unit showed to me by the manager is really good. It¡¯s a two-bedroom unit with a living room, kitchen, and a bathroom. It¡¯s already fully furnished so we don¡¯t have to worry about buying appliances and the likes. It even has a smart lock on the door. But most importantly, the rent is very reasonable," Ji Xiuying said very excitedly.


    She actually expected the ce to be a bit pricey. Especially after seeing the building¡¯s good location, as well as the well-maintained unit. But ording to the manager, the original owner of the unit had to suddenly travel abroad. They would be staying there for two years.


    Because it was all too sudden, they didn¡¯t have time to deal with their unit. So, they could only ask the manager to rent it as soon as possible. And that he could even lower the price if needed.


    Ji Xiuying just felt that they were lucky. Even if the owner returned after two years, Yu Jiao would have already graduated by then. Once her daughter was in college, she could simply look for a smaller ce.


    Anyway, this apartment being affordable would really be a big help in their finances. Then, she only had to look for a job next. Even though Yu Jiao told her about her part-time job where she earned a lot. That was still her daughter¡¯s money. As much as possible, she didn¡¯t want to touch that.


    "That¡¯s great, Mom!" Yu Jiao responded to what her mother just said, equally happy and excited.


    Seeing the mother and daughter pair like this, Luo Yan could only secretly shake his head. Because, once again, he had a feeling that his older brother had something to do on why the rent of this apartment unit was so ¡¯reasonable¡¯.


    Once again, a big thumbs up to you, Big Brother.


    "Jiao Jiao, you¡¯re going to take a leave for tomorrow¡¯s ss, right?" he asked after the emotion of the two subsided a bit.


    Yu Jiao turned to Luo Yan. The other looked like he would scold her if she said that she would go to school tomorrow. It made her want to chuckle a bit. Actually, she was indeed thinking of still attending ss tomorrow. Because she was really feeling fine.


    But seeing Luo Yan¡¯s reaction, it¡¯s probably better to take a rest for one or two days. Besides, her mother would also not approve of her attending ss so soon. Especially after what happened yesterday. It was obvious that it gave her mother a scare.


    "Yes, I don¡¯t n to go to ss tomorrow," she said, answering Luo Yan¡¯s question.


    "Should I help you ask for leave?"


    "It¡¯s alright, Xiao Yan. Auntie will call the call myself," Ji Xiuying said, smiling gently at Luo Yan.


    "Okay, Auntie," Luo Yan smiled back. "Then, since Auntie and Jiao Jiao already arrived here safely, Ah Jin and I will also return home."


    s


    Ji Xiuying nodded and said her thanks. Yu Jiao did so as well.


    After saying goodbye, the two Luo brothers walked out of the building.


    "Yan, that apartment, was it our older brother¡¯s doing?" Luo Jin, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked.


    Luo Yan quickly understood what the other meant. "Yup." He turned to Luo Jin. "Maybe once you decided to pursue Sister Yuqi, you can ask advice from our brother."


    Luo Jin immediately turned red because of that. "Yan--!"

 Chapter 605 luo rens way

    LUO YAN just finished his video call with Shen Ji Yun. He told the other that he nned to just level up during the weekdays next week and then continue their dyed task during the weekend. There¡¯s only two weeks left until the finals of the Rookie Carnival. He, at least, have to level up as much as possible. Not to mention, coordinate his attack with Eclipse.


    He should be grinding as much as he could. But because of the issue that came one after another, he couldn¡¯t be as productive as he wanted. What, with that Raphael making a fuss and then followed by that Mo Jian. This past week felt like it had been months.


    He even missed Shen Ji Yun even though they had seen each other in the game yesterday. No matter, he could see the other tomorrow once he logged in the game. So, that¡¯s a plus.


    He got out of his room just in time to see his older brother walking into the house. He quickly ran to the other, well, not really, but rather walked briskly.


    "Brother, wee home," he greeted first.


    "Well, I¡¯m back," Luo Ren smiled, rubbing his younger brother¡¯s hair. "So, how did your n go?"


    Luo Yan gave the other an ¡¯okay¡¯ sign. "It went perfectly, of course." He then recounted everything that happened, starting from when he and Luo Jin met with Mo Jiu up to the conversation they heard between Mo Guang Lin and Mo Jian. "So, we could confidently assume that our n is a big sess."


    Luo Ren felt surprised. He wasn¡¯t privy to all of Luo Yan¡¯s n. He was the one in charge of destroying that Mo girl¡¯s reputation while Luo Yan was the one in charge of putting a crack on Mo Guang Lin¡¯s rtionship with his daughter.


    He thought that it would take time for thetter to happen. With just how that old man pampered his daughter to heaven, he expected that it would take at least a week for them to even make a dent on the two¡¯s rtionship. Who would have thought that it would actually only take one morning?


    This result could only be attributed to Luo Yan¡¯s hidden talent ¨C scheming. It¡¯s like just by cing the right pieces at the right position, he could easily make things happen. Like a grandmaster. If the other ever decided to be a businessman, Luo Ren had a feeling that he would definitely be very sessful.


    s


    "But how did you know where that Mo Jiu would be?" he thought of asking.


    "It¡¯s simple, really. ording to the information given by your assistant, Mo Jiu often doesn¡¯t go home and that he had an apartment near the university he¡¯s attending. So, I simply searched for ces where most students of that university go. It just so happened that Ah Jin and I got lucky with the first ce we went."


    Luo Ren nodded. Luo Yan indeed thought things through. "Yan Yan is so smart. Something like this must be just a piece of cake for you."


    Luo Yan unknowingly puffed out his chest. "Of course."


    Luo Ren chuckled seeing such a reaction. Really, how could his younger brother be this cute? On another note, now that Mo Guang Lin seemed to have removed the blinders covering his eyes and finally managed to see the true nature of his daughter, he better not change his mind at thest moment. But to make sure that that wouldn¡¯t happen, Luo Ren decided to keep an eye on the Mo family. At least, until that Mo girl was indeed out of S City.


    "But for me, Brother is still the MVP," Luo Yan added. "After all, you managed to help Jiao Jiao and her mother in every way possible without them even suspecting that you might have some other intention in doing so. I think that¡¯s talent right there."


    Luo Ren wasn¡¯t embarrassed hearing his younger brother teased him like that. In fact, it amused him to no end. He gently flicked the other¡¯s forehead. "Naughty. Don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯m some debtor who¡¯s trying to scam innocent people."


    Luo Yan held his forehead and pouted. "I¡¯mplimenting you, you know?"


    And he was indeedplimenting Luo Ren. The fact that the other was not trying to overwhelm Yu Jiao with unwanted attention was already a sign that he¡¯s very serious with his feelings for her. He¡¯s not looking for something temporary but rather something that life-long.


    Luo Ren understood how it would seem if he tantly showed his interest to Yu Jiao now. With her being still a minor and their five-year age gap, some sensitive people might think that he¡¯s some kind of criminal. Branding him as a pedophile or even used him of grooming when he¡¯d barely done anything to be called out on any of those.


    Well, that¡¯s modern society for you. You¡¯d be called names and terms that didn¡¯t really apply to you or to the situation just to suit people¡¯s agenda and their need for what they called ¡¯social justice¡¯.


    That¡¯s why Luo Yan agreed on how his older brother was handling this. Not contacting Yu Jiao unless there¡¯s a solid reason to, seeing her only if necessary, but still helping her in secret when she¡¯s in trouble. So, when the time came that he confessed his feelings, no one would be able to use him of anything.


    Honestly, if he was in the same position, he would also do the same. But he would still probably show himself from time to time, you know, just to brush his sense of existence.


    "Why are the two of you just standing there?" said suddenly by a very familiar voice.


    s


    Both brothers turned to the door and saw their father walking in.


    Luo Yan brightened and walked over to hug his father¡¯s arm. "Wee home, Dad."


    "Yes, I¡¯m back," Luo Wei Tian said, smiling down at Luo Yan. "So, what are the two of you discussing with your heads huddled together?"


    "Dad should ask Brother. You might discover something very interesting," Luo Yan said with a meaningful smile. He didn¡¯t want to be the one to tell their father about Luo Ren¡¯s feelings for Yu Jiao.


    Luo Wei Tian nced at his eldest with his brow raised. Luo Ren could only shake his head and smile helplessly.

 Chapter 606 yu jiaos wonder

    LUO YAN was just about to enter the third-year teaching building when he saw a familiar figure riding a bicycle. He waited on the side until the other parked their bicycle on the designated area.


    "Jiao Jiao!" he called.


    The tall girl looked back and a bright smile appeared on her face when she saw him. Luo Yan was a bit surprised. Because the other was not wearing her usual thick sses. Even the fringe that was usually covering half of her face was now gone. Because of that, when she smiled, her full handsomeness was disyed for everyone.


    As expected, the students who were walking towards the teaching building and saw Yu Jiao stopped on their tracks and just simply stared. He really couldn¡¯t me them. When he first saw her face without the sses and the fringe, he also had the same reaction. Who would have thought that she would look so handsome, right?


    But what brought this sudden change?


    "Good morning, Yan Yan," Yu Jiao greeted when she reached Luo Yan.


    "Good morning," Luo Yan greeted back. He looked at the side of Yu Jiao¡¯s forehead and saw that there¡¯s was only a band-aid remaining. "Is your wound okay now?"


    "Yeah," Yu Jiao said, unconsciously touching the band-aid on the side of her forehead.


    It¡¯s already been four days since that incident. The wound she got from that was already starting to scab. She didn¡¯t even attend two days of sses just so she could rest. Saying that she¡¯s not okay would be too much of an overkill.


    Besides, there¡¯s something she wanted to ask Luo Yan as soon as possible that¡¯s why she convinced her mother that it¡¯s okay for her to go to school now. It¡¯s true that she could just ask Luo Yan via phone call. But she just felt like it¡¯s better to ask the other in person.


    s


    It was because of what happened yesterday. Mr. Mo suddenly visited their apartment.


    =====


    Yu Jiao was sitting on the living room, observing the man who suddenly appeared here out of nowhere. Mr. Mo was looking around the apartment, as if checking if the ce was livable or not. Then, as if he was finished with his ¡¯check¡¯, he turned his sight at her mother who was currently preparing tea in the kitchen.


    The apartment was designed in a way that the living room, kitchen, and dining room were all in one area. The only ones that had a door to separate them from other areas were the bathroom and the two bedrooms. It was simr to their old apartment. But this one was much bigger and much more beautifully designed.


    Just like her mother, the first time she entered the ce, she quickly fell in love with it. That¡¯s why she decided to buy the ce from the original owner once they returned to the country. She had a feeling that her savings would be enough by then.


    Anyway, back to the subject at hand, she looked at Mr. Mo once again. Why did he suddenly visit? Was he here to convince her mother to not go through the divorce? Well, if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not like Yu Jiao was against it. As long as it¡¯s something her mother wanted, that is. But considering the talk she had with her, she doubted if that would even happen.


    Whatever decision her mother would make, she would just sit here and support it.


    Mr. Mo seemed to notice what she was thinking because she suddenly heard him say;


    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ask your mother for the impossible," he said with an embarrassed smile.


    Yu Jiao was a bit surprised hearing that. Did that mean that he wasn¡¯t here to convince her mother to not go through the divorce? Then, what was he here for?


    At that moment, her mother returned from the kitchen with a tray of tea cups. Mr. Mo quickly stood up and took the tray from her.


    "Let me do it," he said.


    Her mother let Mr. Mo, but even she could see that her attitude was very distant. It¡¯s hard to believe that three days ago, the two were still together. Mr. Mo seemed to be pained by the distance that her mother purposely put up. But he still carried the tray and put it on the center table. He waited for her mother to sit down beside her before sitting down himself.


    "This is a good apartment," hemented, probably trying to start a small talk.


    "Mr. Mo, please, stop with this small talk and just tell us what you came here for," her mother said.


    Mr. Mo¡¯s eyes shed with sadness and pain. Probably much more so because her mother called him ¡¯Mr. Mo¡¯, as if he was nothing but a stranger now. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he bowed deeply in front of the two of them.


    "I apologize for what my daughter had done. Not only for the incident three days ago but also for all the pain that she inflicted Yu Jiao. And I, as her father, also apologize for not doing anything and so, encouraging her even further in doing the things that she did. Truly, I¡¯m very sorry."


    Yu Jiao was very shocked. She didn¡¯t expect that Mr. Mo would actually apologize. No, it¡¯s much more surprising that he actually admitted that Mo Jian did something wrong. Just, what happened?


    She nced at her mother who seemed to be also shaken by the other¡¯s apology. She turned to Yu Jiao, her eyes silently asking if she would ept this apology. Yu Jiao nodded as an answer. She wasn¡¯t a vengeful person. If the other party realized their wrongs, then, that¡¯s enough for her.


    "My daughter epts your apology," her mother said. "I just hope that from now on, you can keep an eye on your daughter."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Jian-er would not bother Yu Jiao anymore," Mr. Mo said. He raised his head, looking embarrassed as he added, "Actually, I wanted her toe here in person. But..."


    The other didn¡¯t need to finish that sentence, because Yu Jiao quickly understood what he meant. Well, this was Mo Jian they were talking about. It¡¯s already surprising to have Mr. Mo personallye here and apologized. If Mo Jian came with him, then that would be nothing short of a miracle.


    Then, she suddenly remembered something that Luo Yan had said to her the other day.


    [Ah, by the way, you don¡¯t have to worry about that Mo Jian anymore... I think she would no longer bother you from now on.]


    Wait- could Luo Yan be rted to this? But... just how?


    s


    Before she could ponder more on that, she heard her mother saying;


    "Jiao Jiao, can you go to your room for a moment? Mr. Mo and I will just discuss something."


    Yu Jiao had a feeling that this ¡¯something¡¯ would be about their divorce. So, she nodded withoutining and walked to her room. There, she continued thinking of the possibility that Luo Yan might have lent a hand for this kind of ¡¯end result¡¯ to happen.


    =====


    Yu Jiao nced down at her friend and decided to ask him about itter during lunch.

 Chapter 607 a bigger step forward

    YU JIAO felt a bit ufortable. Ever since this morning since she entered the ssroom, her ssmates had been giving her covert nces. She knew that it was because she was no longer wearing her sses, she even cut her long fringe. It must be weird for them to see her with this kind of appearance. Even she felt weird. It must be no different from the others.


    Honestly speaking, it took a lot of talking in front of the mirror and tons of willpower just to convince herself that she could do this.


    This all started when her mother told her that she had already signed the divorce paper symbolizing the end of her marriage with Mr. Mo. Apparently, Mr. Mo brought the paper yesterday when he visited. The two of them had probably discussed everything that they needed to discuss. They obviously ended up with the decision of going through the divorce. Now, the paper just needed to be processed and the divorce would be finalized. And the two of them would be nothing more than a stranger.


    Her mother¡¯s expression when she told her about it was calm and peaceful, contrary to what she expected. But when she asked if she was indeed okay with how things ended between her and Mr. Mo, her mother shed tears.


    =====


    "Mom, if- if you regret your decision, we can still talk to Mr. Mo about this," Yu Jiao said in a panicked tone while consoling her mother.


    Her mother shook her head. "No, I don¡¯t regret it. These tears are for the memories we¡¯ve shared together. The rtionship we had might not have ended on a good note, but there were still memories that I will treasure forever." She wiped away the tears that fell on her cheeks. "Although we were unable to fulfill our wedding vows until the end, I¡¯m happy that he realized his wrongs and that he¡¯s willing to change. Maybe there¡¯s still hope yet for Mo Jian."


    Yu Jiao didn¡¯tment on thatst part. If that were to happen, then good for Mo Jian. If not, she truly didn¡¯t care much. As long as their paths no longer crossed from now, then she could wish her all the best in the world.


    Her mother looked at her, already smiling. "This feels like a new beginning for us again."


    Yu Jiao fell into a deep thought when she heard such words, ¡¯new beginning¡¯. At that moment, she happened to nce at her vague reflection on the center table. Thick sses and hair that covered half of her face.


    She knew there¡¯s not much to her when it came to the ¡¯looks department¡¯. But maybe, just maybe, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad to start being confident on her appearance and stop hiding behind these sses and fringe.


    She was starting to change, yes. She could see that she¡¯s no longer as timid and scared of everything as she was before. She had proven that she could also be courageous and fearless if the situation needed her to. And yet, she still couldn¡¯t let other people see her face.


    Just like what her mother said about a new beginning, maybe she could also take this chance to take a bigger step forward.


    =====


    And so, that night, after careful deliberation, she asked her mother to cut her fringe. She even took out the contact-lens that she bought a few months ago but never got the chance to use. Now, this was the situation. People staring at her as if she¡¯s some kind of exhibit.


    Did she really look weird? Was doing this really the right decision? Yu Jiao shook her head. No, she shouldn¡¯t second guess herself. Since she decided to do this, then she should follow through until the end. Changing back now would only seem like running away. And proving once again that she hadn¡¯t change at all.


    So, let them look to their hearts content. It¡¯s not like she would lose a piece of skin if they did.


    The bell finally rang, signaling the time for lunch.


    Yu Jiao was about to stand up and go to Luo Yan¡¯s seat when she heard pieces of conversations around.


    "Is that really Yu Jiao? The invisible girl of our ss?"


    "She¡¯s sitting on her seat, so, she most likely is."


    "I never thought that she would actually look like that."


    "Did she undergo stic surgery or something? That¡¯s why she had been absent for two days?"


    "I actually think that¡¯s possible."


    "Wow. If that¡¯s true, just how thick is her skin?"


    "It¡¯s probably thin now considering all the sculpting it underwent."


    Yu Jiao felt her body shaking. She closed her eyes and told herself that there¡¯s nothing that she should be ashamed of. When she opened her eyes, she decided to ignore everything that she just heard. But before she could, a familiar voice suddenly echoed in the ss room.


    "Hmm... doesn¡¯t stic surgery require weeks before the bandage on their face could bepletely removed? Is there a miracle doctor alive today that can change a person¡¯s face just by using his godly surgical technique?" Luo Yan said in a very innocent tone while tilting his head and looking at the direction of where most of the conversation earlier came from. He pped his hands. "Wow. If that¡¯s the case I really want to meet them! Do you know the miracle doctor¡¯s number?"


    Yu Jiao had to cover her mouth with the back of her hand just to prevent herself fromughing. She shook her head. Really when it came to putting people on their ce, no one could match Luo Yan.


    Huang Wen, who was watching everything, snorted at those people¡¯s stupidity. Did they really think that kid would not react when they¡¯re badmouthing his friend? He looked at those people¡¯s embarrassed face. They¡¯re probably just jealous that Luo Yan was giving too much attention on that tall girl. Frankly speaking, he could understand them a bit.


    He stopped and forcefully shook his head. [No, don¡¯t even go to that direction, Huang Wen.]


    He just stood up and left the room. While he did that, Luo Yan rushed to the already standing Yu Jiao and hugged the other¡¯s arm.


    "Let¡¯s go, Jiao Jiao. Don¡¯t pay attention to them. They¡¯re just jealous because you look so good."


    Yu Jiao chuckled and just said, "Yes."

 Chapter 608 becoming a butterfly

    "HEY, Ah Jin, don¡¯t stare at Jiao Jiao so much," Luo Yanmented. Then, he whispered, "Or else, I will tell on Brother."


    Luo Jin was startled by thatst sentence. He annoyingly red at his brother. "Yan, you tattletale," he whispered back.


    Luo Yan only smiled sweetly at the other.


    Yu Jiao, who didn¡¯t hear the full conversation of the two, said, "It¡¯s okay, Yan Yan. Luo Jin must just find it weird seeing me like this."


    "It¡¯s not that it¡¯s weird. You just look exactly like your game avatar," Luo Jin corrected. "It¡¯s a bit... jarring."


    "Of course, she¡¯d look like her game avatar. It¡¯s base on her appearance, after all," Luo Yan said. "Doesn¡¯t Ah Jin also look like his game avatar?"


    Luo Jin refused toment on that. But deep inside, he was already shouting, ¡¯how could I look like that shrimp?¡¯.


    "Both you and your avatar are so cute," Luo Yan added in a teasing tone.


    Of course, Luo Jin blushed in embarrassment. "Yan--!"


    Yu Jiao chuckled seeing the banter between the two. At times like this, she could really see how close the bond between the two brothers was. Not just the two but Luo Ren as well. It¡¯s like they¡¯re the perfect example when it came to siblings who truly got along and not afraid to show their love and care for each other.


    If she ever had kids in the future, she also wanted them to have this kind of bond. She would be the happiest mother in the world if that were to happen. She shook her head. Before thinking about kids, she probably should worry first if there would even be someone who would be willing to be her partner.


    She sighed and, again, resisted the urge to p herself. Her bad habit of looking down on herself wasing to the surface again. She might be a bit in and sharp-looking, her personality not so charming, but surely, there would be a person out there who would ept her and love her as she was. All ws and imperfection included.


    With that positive thought, she continued to walk with the two brothers to the small restaurant they always went to for lunch.


    Arriving there, the three of them quickly ordered meals from the only waiter. While they were waiting for their food, Yu Jiao decided to finally ask Luo Yan about the thing she wanted to ask about since yesterday.


    "Ahm, Yan Yan, did you perhaps meet with Mr. Mo or Mo Jian during the past few days after I was hospitalized?" she asked. "Oh, I didn¡¯t mean anything else by asking you this. I¡¯m just curious about something."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind because he quickly understood what the other was trying to say. Mo Guang Lin must have brought Mo Jian to apologize to Yu Jiao or something along those lines. After all, that was included on the conversation he and Luo Jin heard when they were eavesdropping on the two. If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s no wonder that Yu Jiao was asking this question.


    "I didn¡¯t visit them. But we did a little something," he said.


    Yu Jiao quickly caught on the important part of what the other said. "We?"


    Luo Yan grinned. "Yes, us, three brothers."


    Three brothers? Then, that also included Luo Ren? Yu Jiao couldn¡¯t think of what the three could have possibly done to make Mr. Mo realized his mistakes. To the point that he even admitted to her and her mother that Mo Jian was the one in the wrong. The daughter that couldn¡¯t do any wrong in his eyes.


    Somehow, this information only sparked her curiosity even more.


    "For the record, I didn¡¯t do much in this, except for sitting in a caf¨¦ and eavesdropping," Luo Jin said.


    "Hey, Ah Jin don¡¯t say that. Don¡¯t you know that just by being there by my side, you gave me tremendous moral support?" Luo Yan said exaggeratedly. His big peach blossom eyes even looked like they were shining.


    Luo Jin just felt goosebumps, not the scary kind but the you know, the creepy kind. Because he knew that the other was definitely just acting. "Stop it and just tell Yu Jiao what happened," he said before this brother of his started teasing him again.


    Luo Yan then exined to Yu Jiao all the details that led to the events that happened yesterday. As she listened, she just became more and more amazed. Although Luo Yan said that it was thebined effort of him and his brothers, it was quite obvious that he was the ¡¯brain of the operation¡¯. If not for him, this n would probably not even start.


    Not that she¡¯s neglecting Luo Ren¡¯s help in all this. Without someone with enough authority to move things along in a certain direction, the n Luo Yan concocted wouldn¡¯t go as smoothly.


    Aside from that, Luo Ren also didn¡¯t have any obligation to do any of these. Going as far as paying for an article like that to be put on the trending spot of Weibo and even buying water armies to lead people¡¯s opinion. It must have cost quite the money. Although it¡¯s probably not even a droppared to the Luo family¡¯s wealth. But still.


    With this, it could be seen just how much Luo Ren really cared about Luo Yan. Because he would obviously not do the things he did if the Luo Yan didn¡¯t request it. In short time he had known Luo Yan, she knew just how protective he was of the people he cared about. Luckily enough, she had now be part of that sphere.


    Honestly, she didn¡¯t expect that he would do so much just so Mo Jian would no longer bother her. It was surprising, yes. But definitely not unwee.


    Incredible warmth filled her heart. She truly was very fortunate to meet Luo Yan. More than that, she was thankful that when he reached out his hand to her, she took it and didn¡¯t let herself be ovee with fear.


    She would forever remember that point in her life. Because that was the starting point of her change. Like a caterpir that entered metamorphosis. Maybe one day, she could also be a butterfly.


    And a huge part of that was thanks to Luo Yan.


    Yu Jiao turned to Luo Yan and smiled. "Thank you, Yan Yan."

 Chapter 609 a box of daifuku

    WHEN the car Luo Yan and Luo Jin were in was about to enter the gate of the mansion, the driver stopped the car suddenly.


    "What¡¯s wrong, Uncle?" Luo Yan asked.


    "There seems to be a courier standing in front of the gate," the driver said.


    Luo Yan looked out the car window and there was indeed a courier standing in front of the gate. The other was holding a box package and was about to push the doorbell.


    The privatemunity their mansion was in had a pretty tight security. Visitors needed to go through a thorough check before they could be allowed inside. That¡¯s why most of the houses here didn¡¯t need a guard to stand next to their gates. Actually, most vis andmunities of the rich were like that. It¡¯s not simr to what people watched in dramas and stuffs.


    "Uncle, can you talk to the brother courier and take the package yourself? It might take awhile before someone from the house came and took the package," he suggested.


    "Okay, young master."


    The driver went down the car and walked towards the courier.


    "What do you think it is?" Luo Jin asked. "Some important file for Dad?"


    "No, I think it¡¯s more likely to be a package from Uncle Chen," Luo Yan said referring to their uncle Bai Chen.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the driver to return. The courier also rode back on his courier van and left.


    The driver gave the box package to Luo Yan. "It¡¯s a package for you, young master. The courier said that it¡¯s a food package. So, it would be best if you eat it immediately or store it in the right ce so it won¡¯t spoil."


    A food package for him? Luo Yan wondered who sent it. He looked down and read the name of the send. He couldn¡¯t stop the smile that appeared on his lips once he did.


    "Who is it from?" Luo Jin asked, looking down at the package at the same time.


    The moment he read the name of the sender, his brows furrowed. ¡¯Shen Ji Yun¡¯. So, it¡¯s from that guy. He wanted toin a bit but when he saw the smile on his brother¡¯s lips, he stopped.


    He sighed. Well, whatever. Since he had already promised not to interfere with Luo Yan¡¯s rtionship with that guy, he wouldn¡¯t say anything anymore. Besides, since his brother was in love with that guy, as much as he didn¡¯t want to admit that, he would only be the viin for interfering.


    And that expressionless bastard probably also felt the same for his brother. He might not be as good as reading other¡¯s emotion as Luo Yan was, but that guy was being pretty obvious. As long as one observed him long enough, anyone would notice the he had feelings for Luo Yan.


    But Luo Jin didn¡¯t care much about that. Because there¡¯s only one thing he cared about. If that guy ever hurt his brother, then, there would be hell to pay.


    Luo Yan walked to the kitchen and happily opened the package. Inside was a beautiful food container. It looked like one of those high-end bento boxes containing expensive wagashis or the traditional sweets of Country R. He opened the container and inside were six different colored daifukus.


    To his surprise, it looked exactly as the daifukus he and Shen Ji Yun ate at Shirayuki¡¯s house. Did the other hired someone to make this? Was it because he looked like he really enjoyed eating that daifuku? He chuckled. Really, how thoughtful. But that¡¯s also one of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s good points.


    He picked up a pink daifuku that obviously had strawberry filling and took a bite. His eyes widened. Because it tasted the same as the one he ate at Shirayuki¡¯s house. Was the in-game daifuku he ate based on this daifuku? That¡¯s actually kind of incredible. To encode a specific taste like this, the programmers at Moonlight Media really were something.


    Without him noticing, he had already eaten two daifukus. He was about to pick another one when someone held his wrist and then closed the container. He looked up and saw Luo Jin frowning at him.


    "Yan, don¡¯t eat too much. It will ruin your dinner."


    Luo Jin had been leaning on the kitchen¡¯s door since earlier. He wanted to see just what kind of food Shen Ji Yun sent. Who would have thought it was some kind of sweet? Did that guy already forgot that his brother was still under a strict diet? If he¡¯s going to send food, then, send something healthy, for pete¡¯s sake!


    His respect for the guy, which was already non-existent, just plummeted even more.


    Luo Yan pouted. He wanted toin, but he knew that Luo Jin had a point so, he didn¡¯t do so. Just wait, once my feeble stomach would allow me to eat as many as I want, I would eat only sweets for the whole day.


    "Fine," he said.


    Then he told one of the passing maids to put the food container in a ce where the food inside would not immediately spoil. After that, he walked to his room.


    He would just eat another daifukuter after dinner. Then he¡¯d eat the rest tomorrow.


    Inside his room, he took out his phone. He wanted to call Shen Ji Yun but he was worried that the other had a ss at this time. He didn¡¯t want to disturb him. So, he simply sent him a message on WeChat.


    [Brother Ji Yun, I received the daifuku you sent. They¡¯re really delicious! I love it! Thank you so much for sending such delicious food to me. If you want any return gift, don¡¯t be shy and just say it. Thank you again. I really enjoyed the daifuku.]


    Then he added a fox sticker where a heart appeared every time it winked.


    Shen Ji Yun, who just finished his ss, took out his phone and looked if it had any message. He first saw the message from the courierpany he used saying that his package had been sessfully delivered.


    He let out a sigh of relief reading that. He was really worried that his package wouldn¡¯t be delivered today.


    Then, next, he saw a message from Luo Yan. He quickly opened it. When he read the message, a small smile immediately bloomed on his handsome face.

 Chapter 610 are you still human?

    THE students passing by who saw this sudden smile from Shen Ji Yun almost stopped on their tracks to do a double take. Just to make sure that they were really seeing right and not just hallucinating.


    These students were mostly from the same department. So, they knew who Shen Ji Yun was. Since his freshman year, he had been making quite a name for himself. Not only because he¡¯s smart and handsome, but mostly because of how he treated the people around him. He treated them like they didn¡¯t exist.


    At first, all kinds of people were approaching him. Those who wanted to be friends, those who had bad intentions, and those who wished to be his girlfriend. But they were all rejected. And he did it in the most brutal way possible ¨C by not even acknowledging their existence.


    When they tried to talk to him, he would just pass by them like they were nothing but air. Sometimes, they couldn¡¯t even get a word out and he was already walking far ahead. That caused a lot of dissatisfaction to people. They thought he was too arrogant. Just because he was a little bit more blessed than others didn¡¯t mean that he could just look down at them.


    So, some people tried to make trouble with him. But they were the ones who ended up suffering. Some were reported to the university, some were even beaten up and sent to the hospital. After that, no one would try to get close to him again.


    Shen Ji Yun started to be known in the department as the ¡¯unsmiling prince¡¯ and the ¡¯unfeeling demon¡¯. The former for those who were in awe of him and thetter for those who feared him.


    But what they didn¡¯t know was that this guy simply had a poor social skills. He didn¡¯t know how to properly deal with people. So, he just chose to remain silent and not deal with them at all.


    That¡¯s why seeing him smile, even if it¡¯s just a small arching of the lips, was almost like a miracle to them. Just who could make this big ice-block smile like that?


    Of course, it¡¯s Shen Ji Yun¡¯s one and only rabbit.


    He looked at the time on his phone. It¡¯s almost six in the evening. It¡¯s not yet time for dinner. It¡¯s probably okay to call Luo Yan right now. He was about to go and look for a ce where he could video call his rabbitfortably without prying eyes when someone suddenly put their arm on his shoulders.


    He almost reflexively elbowed the person. But he stopped in time. Because he knew that there was only one person who had the guts to do this.


    He nced sideways at the guy beside him. "Bai Ze," he said in a voice with a bit of annoyance and reproach.


    Bai Ze smartly removed his arm on the other¡¯s shoulder. "Hey, don¡¯t give me that cold re. I was just wondering what made you smile so happily. Look, the students of the same department are looking at you as if they¡¯re seeing an alien."


    Those who heard what Bai Ze said quickly looked away and continued walking.


    "That¡¯s exaggeration. I¡¯m a human. Of course, I know how to smile."


    Bai Ze only looked at Shen Ji Yun as if the other said the most cringy joke ever. "Okay, let¡¯s not talk about that. So, who sent you a message that made you so happy? Is it Xiao Yan?"


    This time, it was Shen Ji Yun¡¯s turn to look at the other as if saying ¡¯who else could it be?¡¯. "I need to call Yan Yan. Let¡¯s talk againter."


    Before Bai Ze could respond, Shen Ji Yun had already run at a fast speed. He stared at the quickly disappearing back of his friend and could only shook his head. Could love really change people this much?


    He remembered his beautiful younger cousin. Well, if it¡¯s Luo Yan, it¡¯s really no wonder that he could such an influence on Shen Ji Yun. [That¡¯s just Xiao Yan¡¯s charm, I guess?]


    He looked at orange colored sky. Should he also try falling in love? Must be a nice feeling indeed.


    Luo Yan was doing his homework when his phone rang. It¡¯s a request for a video call. When he saw the caller id, he quickly answered. Shen Ji Yun¡¯s handsome face appeared on the screen.


    "Brother Ji Yun, did you read my message?" he asked first.


    "Yes. I¡¯m very happy that Yan Yan liked the daifuku I made," Shen Ji Yun responded. "I was actually a bit worried that it wouldn¡¯t be to your taste."


    Luo Yan only managed to understand one thing from that. "Brother Ji Yun made the daifuku yourself?" he asked, still a bit unbelieving.


    Shen Ji Yun scratched his cheek, as if embarrassed. "Yes. Cooking is my hobby, you see. When I saw you enjoying the daifuku so much, I thought why not make one for you? That¡¯s why I¡¯m very happy that you liked it. At least, my hard work paid off."


    Luo Yan was speechless for a bit. He honestly couldn¡¯t remember if Shen Ji Yun had already mentioned to him before in passing that he knew how to cook. But that didn¡¯t matter now. Because those delicious daifukus just proved that he really does know how.


    It¡¯s not just that. He made those daifukus taste the same as the ones they had in-game. That level of thoughtfulness was simply outside of the normal range. It showed just how much Shen Ji Yun liked him.


    But wasn¡¯t this too foul? A handsome, smart, kind, gentle, and thoughtful guy who also knew how to cook? It¡¯s the perfect partner anyone could wish for. And this guy just happened to have fallen in love with him. He must really be showered with luck in this life.


    "Brother Ji Yun, how could you be so perfect? Are you sure you¡¯re still human? You must be a demigod sent to earth to grace us, lowly beings, with your presence," he said exaggeratedly.


    Shen Ji Yun turned red as a tomato the moment he heard such words. "Yan Yan," he scolded, but his tone was not reproachful at all. But instead, it was filled with shyness.


    Luo Yan grinned. Ah, he really loved this guy.

 Chapter 611 two parts of a whole

    IT¡¯S the weekend again. After Luo Yan ate breakfast, he logged into the game. He appeared inside the Forest of Darkness. This was thest ce where he logged outst night.


    He had been grinding with Eclipse in the past weekday in preparation for the uing finals of the Rookie Carnival. Now, he¡¯s at level 92 while Eclipse was at level 40. That Elementum really helped in levelling up the little fox. In his estimation, Eclipse now was able to absorb half of the gem¡¯s power.


    Their team work was a bit shaky at first. Probably because of Eclipse¡¯s new humanoid form. But once they got the hang of it, their moves simply flowed like water. It probably helped a lot that the two of them couldmunicate mentally.


    He wanted to continue that training until the finals of the Rookie carnival. Which was only a week away. His goal was at least to reach level 98. Because he knew it was impossible to reach 100 within a week. Level 100 was not the cap level in this game. But the EXP points needed to level up from level 99 to level 100 were a lot. To the point that some yers who didn¡¯t participate in the Arcadia Cup just chose to stop at level 99.


    It¡¯s like a huge hurdle that one had to face in order to go to a higher level. If this was some cultivation game, then it would be like some kind of ascension or something.


    So, he¡¯s confident that he¡¯spetitors would probably be just as the same level as him by the time of the finals.


    But before that, he nned to finish the hidden task with Shen Ji Yun this weekend. They only had to go to the dragon n to find out who was the traitor who betrayed Dusk during the war with the dark mages. Then they would go to thend of the dark mages ¨C Achaeus.


    Luo Yan took out one of his daggers and shed it upward. The monster that just attacked him from above disintegrated. He should probably teleport to the site of the demon fox tribe before he was swarmed with monsters here.


    He had already told Eclipse that there was no need for him to teleport on his side once he logged in the game. All he should do was wait and Luo Yan would go to him. The same for Shen Ji Yun. They decided to just meet at the site of the demon fox tribe.


    He took out a teleportation scroll from his Items Tab and used it. The feeling of entering a vacuum came immediately. When he opened his eyes, he was already at the vige of the kitsunes.


    He hadn¡¯t taken a step yet when he heard a very familiar childish voice calling him.


    "Mashter!"


    Luo Yan turned his head to the direction where it came from and saw a seven, eight year old boy running towards him. His long braided ck hair was swaying behind his back at the same time as his five fluffy tails.


    Eclipse immediately hugged Luo Yan¡¯s waist the moment he came closer. He raised his head, his sapphire blue eyes twinkling. "Wee back, Mashter!"


    Luo Yan gazed down and couldn¡¯t help but pinch the little boy¡¯s cheek. "Howe our Eclipse is getting cuter and cuter every time I see you?"


    Eclipse only grinned. "It¡¯s only right for Eclipse to be cuter and cuter. Eclipse has such a beautiful Mashter, how could Eclipse not match Mashter¡¯s beauty? That would be criminal."


    Luo Yan chuckled. This fox really had a way with words. "Don¡¯t worry. As you are now, you already match my beauty perfectly."


    A distortion in the air suddenly appeared near them. It¡¯s a sign that someone was teleporting in the area. Luo Yan already knew who it was before they even appear. Who could it be other than Shen Ji Yun?


    "Captain!" Eclipse called the moment Shen Ji Yun appeared.


    Shen Ji Yun was about to greet the other back when he saw that the boy was hugging Luo Yan¡¯s waist. He once again felt jealous at the closeness of the two. But showing his envy would just make him petty.


    He cleared his throat and took a Mana fruit from his Items Tab. He looked at Eclipse and stretched his hand that was holding the fruit. "Eclipse, here a gift for you," he said, trying his best to sound gentle. He even smiled.


    Eclipse only tilted his head. "Captain, why do you suddenly look constipated?"


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s expression almost cracked when he heard that.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, was trying his best not tough. He was sure that Shen Ji Yun did that, giving Mana fruit to Eclipse and smiling at him, just so he could get the boy away from him. This vinegar jar.


    But as it happened, in Eclipse¡¯s eyes, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s smile just appeared like he¡¯s having constipation. Poor cinnamon roll.


    "Go and take the fruit," he said to Eclipse. "Don¡¯t forget to say thank you to Captain, okay?"


    Eclipse nodded and walked to Shen Ji Yun, taking the fruit. "Thank you, Captain."


    Shen Ji Yun just rubbed the other¡¯s hair. Thankfully, it seemed like Luo Yan didn¡¯t notice his gaffe.


    "Eclipse, do you know where Dusk is?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Uncle ck lizard? Yes, Eclipse knows," the boy answered as he bit on the Mana fruit.


    "Can you call him, so the four of us can continue on with our quest?"


    Eclipse suddenly became spirited when he heard that. Probably because he knew that it meant they¡¯re continuing on in their journey in seeking justice to what happened to the kitsunes¡¯ former vige as well as his parents. "Okay! Eclipse will go immediately!"


    Then, the boy ran towards a certain direction at the fastest speed.


    "I already obtained a special teleportation scroll that would take us to the western dragon n," Shen Ji Yun said. "And as I am a qilin, they won¡¯t be too discourteous and probably won¡¯t just tell us to go away."


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "It¡¯s reallyfortable to do quest with Brother Ji Yun. I almost don¡¯t need to do anything."


    "That¡¯s not true. In my opinion, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s riding your coat tails here," Shen Ji Yun quickly said.


    After all, without his rabbit he probably wouldn¡¯t get pass all those steps that needed them to converse with the NPC. If it was just him, he¡¯d probably just use force to finish everything. In the first ce, he wouldn¡¯t even bother to take such a task. He only did so because Luo Yan was with him. And that it could be a good way for the two of them to be even closer.


    Luo Yan smiled, already kind of expecting that response. "Then, let¡¯s just say we¡¯re two parts of a whole. One couldn¡¯t exist without the other."


    Shen Ji Yun knew that Luo Yan was just metaphorically speaking, but his mind couldn¡¯t help but think of another meaning behind it. Like the two of them existing for one another.


    He gazed down, making sure that Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t see his expression. "Yes, exactly like that."

 Chapter 612 typhon (the valley of dragons)

    THE dragons in Arcadia were divided into two groups. One was the Western dragons and the other was the Eastern dragons. The Western dragons were based on the Western mythology where they hadrge wings on their backs and had strong and big limbs.


    Unlike their Western counterpart, the Eastern dragons didn¡¯t have wings. They had serpentine bodies which were long to the point of coiling. But they still had the ability to fly despite that.


    To visualize them properly, Western dragons were like dragons from Western medias. Like the dragons from Harry Potter or from The Hobbit. While the Eastern dragons were like Shenron ¨C the dragon from Dragon Ball.


    Western dragons were all fire-breathing unlike Eastern ones that had power over certain elements. The former were thought of as ferocious predators while thetter were thought of as deities.


    Their dwellings were also vastly different. The Western dragons liked to live in dark secluded ces, like a cave for example. While the Eastern dragons chose their ce depending on the elements they were familiar with. Like on top of a high mountain or beneath the ocean.


    Dusk belonged to the Western dragon n. The ce where they lived was a dark valley called Typhon. It was surrounded by high volcanic mountains and dank swamps. That was what weed Luo Yan and his party when they teleported there.


    "Well, isn¡¯t this a pretty sight," Luo Yan said while looking around.


    The ce looked so dreary that it seemed like some kind of setting for a horror movie. The dark clouds above the valley also didn¡¯t help. It just added to the dreary atmosphere.


    "It¡¯s not pretty, Mashter. It¡¯s dark and damp. Eclipse doesn¡¯t like it here," the little boy pouted before turning to Dusk¡¯s humanoid form and giving the other a pitiful nce.


    Dusk immediately became annoyed by that look. "Why are you looking at this king like that, huh, brat?"


    "It¡¯s because Eclipse feel sorry for Uncle ck lizard for living in such a ce," Eclipse said with a sad tone as if he was really feeling sorry.


    Dusk flicked the other¡¯s forehead. "If you keep talking nonsense, this king will definitely make you feel ¡¯sorry¡¯."


    Eclipse held his forehead and hid behind Luo Yan. "Mashter, Uncle ck lizard is using domestic violence! This is child abuse!"


    "Okay, that¡¯s enough. Eclipse, try not to tease your uncle too much. And Dusk, don¡¯t always resort to violence. Okay?"


    Eclipse pouted but still agreed. While Dusk only gave a grunt. But considering how he didn¡¯t say anything, it¡¯s silent way of agreeing.


    Luo Yan turned to Dusk who is currently wearing a fox mask. Before they left the kitsunes¡¯ vige, they had to force the dragon to wear a mask. It was so they could avoid an early battle. If those dragons saw Dusk¡¯s face, there might be a big problem.


    But because this was Dusk they were talking about, it took a bit of time before they could put that mask on his face. Luo Yan even had to threaten him, making him choose whether to wear a mask or transform into a size that would fit Shen Ji Yun¡¯s pocket. The dragon¡¯s choice was, of course, inevitable.


    "So, do you remember anything while looking at this ce?" he asked.


    "Nothing. I don¡¯t even feel anything while being in this ce."


    Luo Yan contemted Dusk¡¯s answer. Was it because the other didn¡¯t think of this ce as important that¡¯s why it couldn¡¯t trigger any emotional response from him? Hmm... considering the memories they had seen about this guy, there¡¯s certainly a high probability that that was the case.


    Dusk was ostracized for some reason. He didn¡¯t even have a name of his own. He was living alone, away from his n, before tragedy with the kitsunes happened. If Kagetsuki didn¡¯t die, Dusk would have probably still be living in his cave. The only reason he took over this ce to be king was so he could have the manpower to take revenge on the people who killed Kagetsuki.


    It¡¯s only natural that he wouldn¡¯t feel any nostalgia being in this ce. The same could be said for the other dragons that they might meet. Although the same thing couldn¡¯t be said to the dragon who betrayed Dusk.


    Surely, he would feel something once he saw the guy, right? It would make their search faster, so Luo Yan really hoped that that would be the case. The only problem would be if that guy was no longer living here.


    Oh, and another thing, these dragons¡¯ reaction once they saw their former kinging back here. But thetter could still be temporarily solved by the fox mask Dusk was wearing.


    "Is your strength back to full force?" he asked again.


    "Mashter should not worry about that. Captain has been supplying Uncle ck lizard with a lot of high-quality Mana fruit these past few days. There¡¯s no way his strength would not be back to normal," Eclipse said, answering Luo Yan¡¯s inquiry.


    Dusk tsked, seemingly annoyed that the little boy answered for him. But since he didn¡¯t deny what Eclipse said, it¡¯s like saying that his strength was indeed back in its full force.


    Luo Yan nodded and turned to the silent Shen Ji Yun. "It seemed that Brother Ji Yun really had prepared a lot for this day."


    "As I should," Shen Ji Yun said. He wanted this task to be at least a bit smooth-sailing as much as possible. That way, it would also lessen Luo Yan¡¯s burden.


    "Then, let¡¯s enter this dragons¡¯ den," Luo Yan said, looking far ahead.


    And the four walked forward.


    The valley didn¡¯t have any gates that would wee or prevent visitors from entering. So, as they walked, Luo Yan was wondering how they could attract these dragons¡¯ attention. The fastest way to aplish their goal was to meet the current king of this ce. The one at the top always had the most information.


    But it seemed that they didn¡¯t need to wait that much. Because a dragon justnded from the sky.

 Chapter 613 the audience and their entertainment

    THE dragon¡¯s scales were red in color. With a wide wing span and a huge body, it had the typical appearance of a Western dragon. Because of its suddennding, Luo Yan and the others were almost blown away by the wind. But Shen Ji Yun moved quickly and used an item to put up a barrier. So, the four of them weren¡¯t affected.


    "Which beings are so arrogant to enter the valley of dragons without permission?" the dragon bellowed, its golden eyes looking down on them. As if at any second it was ready to swallow them whole.


    Hearing such a question, Luo Yan was reminded again of how prideful these dragons could be. This nature could be a problem if they didn¡¯t properly watch their steps.


    He was about to talk to the dragon when Shen Ji Yun stepped forward on his own. He raised one of his brows. It seemed like the other was very active today. He smiled and took a step back. So as to let Shen Ji Yun do whatever he was nning to do.


    "I¡¯m a messenger from the Qilin n and these are my assigned guardians, sworn to protect me," Shen Ji Yun started. "We¡¯re here to meet the Dragon King of the Western Dragon n."


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised seeing that Shen Ji Yun was able to say all that without looking like he was reading something out of a script. He didn¡¯t even look like he was going to kill the dragon in front of them, like how he was usually whenever he had to talk to any NPC.


    [It seems that my cinnamon roll is starting to grow.]


    And this growth was not only exclusive in-game but in reality as well. From someone who would immediately show his jealousy in a very obvious manner to someone who would try to control his jealous side just so Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t think of him as petty.


    There was also that initial stalkerish-like habit. Where he would just show up wherever he was. Or do things for his sake without him knowing. At least now, he had learned to ask for his opinion first.


    If that habit of his had continued on, it wouldn¡¯t be good for their future rtionship. After all, if they were to be lovers in the future, then their rtionship shouldn¡¯t be just a one-way street where one just kept on giving and the other was just receiving. It should be a two-way street instead.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t had that kind of rtionship in his former life, he understood that for it to work, two people¡¯s efforts were needed. Both should give and receive. Because if only one was doing all the work, then, they would just end up exhausted. Until all the love they had was extinguished.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t want something like that to happen to him and Shen Ji Yun. If possible, he wanted their rtionship tost for a lifetime. Until their bones were no longer as strong and their hair turned to gray.


    His thoughts were interrupted with the sudden red smoke that surrounded the dragon. After a few seconds, a tall and muscr man with long red hair, bronze skin, and golden eyes appeared.


    The man narrowed his eyes at Shen Ji Yun. "A Qilin. What do your n want from our king?"


    "It¡¯s not a public matter that I could just discuss with anyone. But I can say that this information could potentially endanger the Western Dragon n. So, meeting the king is imperative."


    [Oohhh... my cinnamon roll is really doing his best.] ¨C Luo Yan thought. That¡¯s why he decided not to interfere and let the other do as he wanted.


    The red dragon appeared like he was thinking of something. After that, he sighed and looked at each and every one of them. His gaze staying a tad bit longer on Eclipse.


    It weirded out Luo Yan. He suddenly had a bad feeling about this. He thought that it might be because of the Elementum. But the blue gem was currently being covered by the hat Eclipse was wearing. Could it be possible that this dragon could feel the Mana emanating from it?


    If that was the case, then, Eclipse¡¯s presence here must have triggered some kind of side-plot. If they were lucky enough, it might have connections to what happened to the demon fox tribe and also to the dark mages of Achaeus.


    "Follow me," the red dragon said after taking his gaze away from Eclipse.


    Then the other turned around and walked towards a certain direction. The four of them had no choice but to follow.


    "Mashter, Eclipse doesn¡¯t like how that red lizard looked at him," Eclipse mumbled while holding Luo Yan¡¯s hand.


    Luo Yan ruffled the other¡¯s hair. "Don¡¯t worry. Aren¡¯t I and your favorite Captain here? We won¡¯t let anything happen to you."


    The little boy raised his head and smiled brightly at his master. "Okay!"


    Shen Ji Yun walked beside Luo Yan and whispered, "We might be walking into a trap."


    "So, Brother Ji Yun also noticed," Luo Yan agreed. "But what can we do? The plot of this task won¡¯t move forward if we don¡¯t follow along."


    As Luo Yan had said, if they didn¡¯t follow along, the plot wouldn¡¯t move forward. Obviously, they somehow managed to trigger something by going here. It might lead to failure or it might lead them to sess. But Shen Ji Yun knew that whatever the oue might be, they should be ready.


    He didn¡¯t want all the efforts that Luo Yan had made until now be gone to waste. So, he would do his best to make sure that this would only lead to one oue ¨C their sess.


    Following the red dragon, they went deeper and deeper into the valley. The atmosphere also became creepier and creepier by the second. What, with all these swamps, dark surrounding, and the feeling of being stared at, how could it not be?


    Seriously, this was the dragons¡¯ dwellings, not some n from those demonic tribe. So, why was everything so damn dreary? ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    They stopped when they entered some kind of crater-like structure. It was big. It could probably amodate a hundred people. Maybe even more than that. With its structural design it almost looked like some kind of dome.


    Luo Yan¡¯s bad feeling just intensified after seeing this ce.


    The red dragon in front of them suddenly threw some kind of crystal in the air. That crystal then suddenly emitted a blinding light. Luo Yan and the others had to close their eyes because of that.


    Shen Ji Yun gripped his sword all the while standing in front of Luo Yan, ready to face any sneak attacks. But surprisingly enough that didn¡¯t happen. Instead, when the light slowly dimmed, they started to hear loud swishing sounds and the feel of strong wind blowing down their direction. As ifrge beings with wings were flying above them.


    One didn¡¯t need to be a genius to know what those beings were. When they managed to finally open their eyes, they really saw dragons flying above them like a flock of birds. Then those dragonsnded one by one on the edge of the crater, surrounding the four of them.


    Like some kind of audience looking down on their entertainment.

 Chapter 614 unprecedented trial

    THE dragons were one by one surrounded by smoke and their humanoid forms soon appeared. But that didn¡¯t mean that it was less intimidating. Because this group of dragons were purposely trying to intimidate them. It¡¯s like a group of Pokemon using the skill [Intimidate] all at once.


    The codes of these dragons were forcing Luo Yan¡¯s avatar to feel fear. It¡¯s not really a nice feeling, having your body tremble without your control. This ¡¯intimidation¡¯ probably worked best against those of weaker race. It¡¯s even more effective because there¡¯s a horde of them here.


    Then, suddenly, he felt a warm palm enveloping his hand. He raised his head and saw Shen Ji Yun giving him a reassuring nce. As if silently telling him that no matter what happened, he would be here beside him. Somehow, his trembling stopped because of that.


    He smiled and gripped Shen Ji Yun¡¯s hand tighter.


    Shen Ji Yun felt his heart jumped just because of that simple action. The tips of his ears turned red. He had to fake a cough just to hide his shy expression.


    He really should try to be control his heartbeat. Or else, he would end up with palpitation every time Luo Yan did something like this. And then, his little happiness was disturbed when a little milky voice suddenly said;


    "Mashter, Eclipse wanted to hold hands too."


    This kid. It¡¯s a good thing that he had more control over his emotions now. Or else, he would surely feel a bit annoyed. Anyway, he should concentrate on their current situation first.


    Luo Yan smiled and held the little boy¡¯s hand. Eclipse grinned at him before turning to Dusk.


    "Uncle ck lizard, do you also want to hold hands?"


    Luo Yan almostughed when he heard that. Although he couldn¡¯t see Dusk¡¯s reaction because of the mask, he was probably showing a very annoyed expression because of that. With Shen Ji Yun¡¯s silentfort and Eclipse¡¯s funny antic, the difort she had felt because of the dragons surrounding them all but disappeared.


    He turned his gaze towards the red dragon and the dragons behind him. "What is the meaning of this?"


    The red dragon didn¡¯t answer, he didn¡¯t even nce at his direction. He felt a tiny vein popped in his forehead. This overgrown lizard probably thought that he wasn¡¯t worth any attention since he¡¯s only an elf. He took a deep breath and calmed down. No, he shouldn¡¯t be angry. These dragons were simply programmed like this.


    But even if he didn¡¯t mind, that didn¡¯t mean that Shen Ji Yun would not. He coldly red at the red dragon. "He¡¯s asking you a question." He let go of Luo Yan¡¯s hand and stepped forward. Purple lightning was crackling around his body. "Answer him."


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s wide back. He was a bit surprised at first, then the corner of his lips turned up a little. He reached out his hand and pulled the hem of the other¡¯s robe, making Shen Ji Yun look back at him.


    "It¡¯s okay, Brother Ji Yun. I don¡¯t mind."


    A deep frown appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face. "But I do."


    Luo Yan smiled helplessly. But deep inside, he was really happy. But he couldn¡¯t let Shen Ji Yun be angry here. Especially when they still didn¡¯t know what exactly was happening.


    He turned to the red dragon who seemed like he was confused and also curious at the same time. As if wondering why a ¡¯higher¡¯ being like a qilin was getting angry for a ¡¯lower¡¯ race. Hah. Those programmers. They really made these dragons have sky-high pride.


    "A qilin getting angry over a mere elf? That¡¯s unprecedented," the red dragon said. Proving that what Luo Yan just thought earlier was correct. "Hmm... is it because he¡¯s your mate?"


    Luo Yan was taken aback by thatstment. Did he look like a woman to these dragons? And then he remembered that gender really didn¡¯t matter in Arcadia. There was even a marriage system in the game where two yers of the same sex could get married.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun and saw that the tips of his ears were already red. He shook his head. He knew this was the kind of reaction the other would have. He leaned towards Shen Ji Yun a bit and whispered, "Brother Ji Yun, ask them why they took us here and why they¡¯re surrounding us."


    It¡¯s better to leave all the talking to Shen Ji Yun. Since these dragons would have a bit courtesy towards him considering he¡¯s also a Legendary race. They wouldn¡¯t find it beneath them to talk to him.


    If this was before, Luo Yan would probably not leave this task to Shen Ji Yun. But as he had seen earlier, the other showed great progress when it came to dealing with NPCs. So, he had confidence that Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t mess this up.


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to have woken up because of what Luo Yan whispered to him. Despite still feeling embarrassed because of that red dragon¡¯sment, he looked at the other and said in a cold voice;


    "What do you think you¡¯re doing? We came here in peace. To talk to your king about an important matter. And yet, this is how you treat us? By bringing us here and intimidating us with your numbers? Is this your way of saying you don¡¯t mind being the enemy of the qilin n?"


    "If you¡¯re really sent here by your n, then, that would indeed be a problem. But what if you¡¯re not?" the red dragon said. "You see, our oracle foretold that a group of people woulde and endanger our n. This happenedst month and he said that this group would most likelye here within the next two months. So, as a preventive measure, all individuals that woulde to our valley needed to pass our trial first."


    Luo Yan¡¯s bad feeling just intensified when he heard what the other said. He knew something was up the moment these dragons surrounded them. And what¡¯s with this oracle. Was he also part of the narrative of this hidden task? Or did they juste here at a bad time?


    "And what¡¯s the trial?" Shen Ji Yun asked in a grave voice.


    The red dragon smiled, his sharp fangs showing. "Simple. We will all attack you and you just have to survive."

 Chapter 615 not so mighty

    "OH, but don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t attack you all at the same time. We will do it in batches of four. If we don¡¯t, the four of you might just die. And where¡¯s the fun in that, right?" the red dragon said with that face that¡¯s starting to get really, really annoying.


    This bastard. Luo Yan really wanted to roast him in heavenly fire and then feed his burnt carcass to the lower-ss monsters he¡¯d been looking down on. Just the thought of it could already put a smile in his face.


    He shook his head. But this was hardly the time for that. What¡¯s up with this stupid trial? They would attack us and we just had to survive? What a load of crap. It¡¯s just like silently telling them that they would kill them here to make sure that they were not the group of people in the prophecy that the dragon n¡¯s oracle foretold. After all, if they died here, how could they endanger their n?


    If that was the case, then wouldn¡¯t this ¡¯trial¡¯ be quickly solved if they showed these dragons that they were not a threat? A surefire way to do that was to lose on purpose and let them see that they¡¯re not as strong. But in doing so, they would risk the possibility that these dragons would just kill them.


    He and Shen Ji Yun would be fine. They could still respawn. They might drop some items or whatnot but that wouldn¡¯t really affect them. But Luo Yan couldn¡¯t say the same thing for Eclipse and Dusk.


    Eclipse might have a master-pet contract with him, but it didn¡¯t really say there what would happen to the other if he died. Dusk was on a worse situation. At least, Eclipse had a chance of still being alive because he¡¯s contracted to Luo Yan. But Dusk was technically an NPC. If he died here, he might really ¡¯die¡¯ in a real sense. As if having his codes erased.


    It didn¡¯t help that they were doing a hidden task. Because in a hidden task, the narrative that one had weaved would be permanently part of Arcadia¡¯s story. Of course, this narrative all depended on the choices one made while doing the hidden task. So, if Dusk died as a part of the narrative, then, not only would they be unable toplete the task, the ck dragon¡¯s existence in the game would also vanish.


    So, at the end, they couldn¡¯t let these dragons beat them. Which was not really such a bad thing. Because there¡¯s no way any member of their party right now would agree to purposely lose and bow down to these dragons.


    "Shall we teach these dragons a lesson?" he said, not really asking anyone in particr.


    As an answer, Shen Ji Yun simply pulled the sword strapped on his back. Its thin katana-like de was already surrounded by purple electricity.


    "Yes, Mashter! Let¡¯s do that! Eclipse had been wanting to smash their faces since earlier," the little boy beside him said with a pout.


    "Do you even need to ask?" Dusk said with an annoyed scoff.


    Luo Yan grinned. He was actually already expecting this kind reaction from the three. He first thought if he should warn Dusk not to show his full power. But he thought against it. Considering that they were already in trouble, what¡¯s the point of not letting these dragons know that there was another dragon in their midst? Dusk might as well just run amok.


    He took out both his daggers. Yes, they should all just have fun.


    The red dragon seemed to dislike the fact that they didn¡¯t show any fear at all. "Why don¡¯t we show these ignorant fools the might of the dragons?"


    The dragons surrounding them growled, if that was even the right term, at them. Then the red dragon flew back and four dragons standing on the stage rushed to where they were standing. Their speed was so fast that, they almost looked like four streams of light.


    "Let¡¯s spread out," Luo Yan said, because it was quite obvious that this first batch was trying to surround them. "Eclipse, you¡¯re with me."


    "Yes, Mashter!"


    This was a good chance to polish their team work more. It would even be better if they could level up from killing these dragons.


    He ran to the right, Eclipse following behind him. He saw Shen Ji Yun going to the left and Dusk jumped back. Surprisingly enough, two dragons went after Shen Ji Yun while there¡¯s only one dragon who went after him and Eclipse. It obviously showed just how much he was being underestimated.


    Luo Yan almost let out augh. What a joke. "Eclipse, let¡¯s show them that one dragon is not enough to stop us."


    "Eclipse is just thinking the exact same thing, Mashter," the little boy said with a grin. "Are we going to use the ¡¯burn them all¡¯ strategy?"


    Luo Yan shook his head. Eclipse really coulde up with the weirdest name sometimes. But he still understood what the other meant.


    "Yeah, let¡¯s do that."


    After he said that, he rushed forward to meet the iing dragon. He was actually kind of d that these dragons were fighting using their humanoid form. At least, it would be less of a hassle than fighting them in their huge beast form.


    The dragon seemed to be surprised by his initiative to attack. Then he smirked at him, as if thinking how foolish his actions were. Well, let¡¯s just see whose action was more foolish.


    The dragon swung his arm to his direction when their distance lessened. The moment the other did that, the arm bulged and turned to a dragon arm,plete with scales and ws.


    Luo Yan did not dodge and instead faced it head-on, defending himself using his daggers. The dragon looked surprised that he wasn¡¯t blown away by the attack. It was then that he felt a heat source from behind. He smiled and jumped up.


    Before the dragon could notice what was happening, he readily used one of his newly-acquired skill, [Shadow Cutting]. It¡¯s a skill that could ¡¯cut¡¯ the shadow of an opponent from their body. Doing so would lower all their stats depending on how big the size of the shadow that was cut. In short, the bigger the shadow, the more that their stats would be lowered.


    Because of the ck mes that were now surrounding Eclipse, who was standing behind him when he rushed towards the dragon earlier, Luo Yan could see clearly the long shadow behind the dragon. And the shadow was as big as they could get.


    He waved one of his daggers downward and the dragon¡¯s shadow was cut off from its body. After that, he shouted, "Eclipse, now!"


    The mes that were just surrounding Eclipse attacked the dragon. It was not real fire, but fox fire. It wouldn¡¯t burn you but it would give you the illusion of being burn. But unlike ordinary illusion, one could still feel pain from it. The more one believed that they were being burn, the more pain they would feel.


    This was just one of the skills Eclipse had acquired when he absorbed the power of Elementum. And because he was more attuned to the element of ¡¯shadow¡¯, it also increased Luo Yan¡¯s affinity to the said element. Which was more than helpful, by the way. Considering his skills set and all.


    "Ahhhh!!!" the dragon shrieked.


    Luo Yannded behind the dragon and stabbed him on his heart. For good measure, he also stabbed him on his head. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that the dragon¡¯s humanoid body slowly turned into dust, a sign of death.


    He turned to where Shen Ji Yun just in time to see the other stabbing a dragon. Purple lightning emerged from the sword and struck the whole dragon¡¯s body from within. Turning the dragon into a crispy charcoal. Since the other dragon that attacked Shen Ji Yun was nowhere to be seen, Luo Yan could only assume that it had already died.


    The same could be said to the dragon who attacked Dusk. Since the other was now patting down his clothes as if to removed unnecessary filth.


    Luo Yan then looked at the red dragon whose face was now turning purple probably from too much anger. He smirked, "Looks like you dragons are not so mighty after all."

 Chapter 616 how can you be here?

    THE red dragon¡¯s expression became even uglier. It seemed like smoke woulde out of his nostrils at any second. He was looking at Luo Yan as if he wanted to burn him or torture him in the most painful way.


    The other dragons were no different. They were looking at Luo Yan¡¯s direction as if they couldn¡¯t wait to tear him to pieces.


    "A lowly elf preaching over us dragons? It seems like you really have a death wish."


    "No, it¡¯s not only a death wish. He seems to be asking us to delete his existence as a whole."


    "Then, why don¡¯t we grant that wish? I¡¯m more than willing to do that."


    "Rx, the elf is obviously a kid whocked education. I suggest we all teach him manners."


    Luo Yan chuckled hearing all those buzzing. "You want to teach me? No, thanks. I don¡¯t need that. Why, you ask?" he flipped his white hair over his shoulder, raised his chin, and put his hand on his chest. "Because I¡¯m already perfect."


    He didn¡¯t know where he got it, but Eclipse suddenly started to throw flower petals around him after he said that. He even followed that by his loud cheering.


    "Hooo! Mashter is the best! Mashter is the most beautiful! Those lizards are no match for Mashter!"


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the two, one was throwing flower petals around and the other was enjoying while looking all proud. A certain phrase suddenly came to his mind, ¡¯match made in heaven¡¯. Of course, not in a romantic sense. But in a master-disciple kind of thing.


    If we¡¯re talking about being a match made in heaven in the romantic sense, then, he cleared his throat, wasn¡¯t he the best candidate? He might be boring and not as likable, but he believed that his stable personality matched Luo Yan quite well. Or at least he hoped so.


    "Ugh... how embarrassing," he heard Dusk said when the other passed by him.


    Shen Ji Yun looked again at the duo and scratched the tip of his nose. Well, it did look a bit embarrassing. But in his eyes, rather than embarrassing, it¡¯s more adorable. Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be the case for everyone.


    He nced at the dragons surrounding them. They all looked like they wanted to eat Luo Yan alive. He shook his head. How could he let these NPCs look at his rabbit like that?


    So, he jumped on the nearest group of dragons from where he was standing. Before the dragons could react, he stabbed his sword on the ground and quickly used of his few AoE skills ¨C [Lightning Field].


    It¡¯s a skill that could affect the opponents within a certain radius with him as the epicenter. It would stun the opponents for 5 seconds and also lower their stats to the bare minimum. Thus, making it easy to inflict major damage. It did require a huge amount of Mana. But that¡¯s not really a problem since he had a lot of Mana potions that could immediately make up from the amount that he lost.


    As expected, the affected dragons were stunned. He didn¡¯t give any of the remaining dragons a chance to help. He quickly used most of his remaining Mana on another skill ¨C [Thunderp].


    It¡¯s another one of his few AoE skills. He could move as fast as lightning in a certain range and attack opponents inside that range, dealing them a huge amount of AoE damage.


    This skill as well as [Lightning Field] were a perfectbination together. It¡¯s especially effective to use against a group of strong opponents. But it could only work perfectly if the opponents were caught by surprise and they had no idea about the said skills. If they did, then, they could easily avoid thebo by simply not standing in a group together.


    Luckily for him, these dragons fulfilled those conditions. And now they were nothing but speck of dust.


    He took out a high-grade Mana potion and drank it. His MP were slowly being filled. Then, he pointed his sword at the red dragon whose expression right now couldn¡¯t simply be described in words.


    "Stop wasting our precious time and just get on with this trial or whatever," he said in his usual cold tone.


    With his sessive actions, the remaining dragons¡¯ attentions were now focused on him. Just like what he wanted.


    The red dragon in particr literally had smokeing out of his nose. Even most of his features were turning into his bestial form. With just that, it could be seen just how much anger he was holding in right now. The only reason that was probably stopping him frompletely turning into his dragon form was his pride. Because once he did, it would feel like he had lost somehow.


    "You ignorant fools! Do you think you can make it out alive this valley after doing all this?" the red dragon yelled, everyone could hear his teeth grinding. Then, he took a deep breath. As if trying to keep himself calm. He looked at them with eyes silently telling them that they were now dead. "Everyone, attack altogether. Don¡¯t leave anyone alive."


    "What happened to the batch of four? I guess you dragons couldn¡¯t handle us unless you work together," Luo Yan said. He looked back at the dragons with a condescending manner and continued with a smile, "What a group of weakling."


    "Shut up, you lowly elf!"


    "No, you shut up, ugly red lizard!" Eclipse shouted back.


    The calmness that the red dragon managed to controlpletely broke after that. "Kill them all!"


    At the other¡¯s order, the remaining dragons rushed towards the four.


    Dusk suddenly moved forward, removing his fox mask. Neither Luo Yan nor Shen Ji Yun stopped him. The situation was already in shit. It didn¡¯t matter whether these dragons saw Dusk¡¯s face. Maybe it could even lead them to the answer they were looking for.


    "Oh, for f*ck¡¯s sake. This king no longer wants to y your shitty game."


    After saying that, Dusk breathed out blue me. Taking the iing dragons by surprised and thus, burning their bodies.


    The red dragon seemed to not care about the dragons that were suddenly set to fire. Instead, all his attention was on Dusk. He stepped back, his expression full of fear and disbelief. As if he had just seen a ghost that came back from the dead.


    "Y-you... it can¡¯t be. H-how can you be here?"

 Chapter 617 lasso of truth

    "GOOD. It seemed that you know this king. It will make things much easier," Dusk said to the red dragon who still looked like he couldn¡¯t believe what was happening right now. "Now, tell me who was the one who betrayed this king? If you do, maybe I can restrain myself from ending you."


    Before the red dragon could answer or even get over his initial reaction, the remaining dragons started to make a fuss. Causing unrest to spread.


    "Ha, what is this? An enemy using dragon breath?"


    "Only dragons could do that."


    "Are you saying that guy is a dragon? That¡¯s crazy!"


    "Then, how can you exin what happened just now?"


    "But if he is, then howe I don¡¯t recognize him?"


    "I think most of us here haven¡¯t seen him."


    "Except for Rowan, that is. They obviously know each other."


    Luo Yan heard all these talks. The ¡¯Rowan¡¯ that one of the dragons mentioned was most likely the red dragon. Because seeing the reactions of most of the dragons here, it seemed like this Rowan was the only one who recognized Dusk.


    The only exnation he could think of was that most of the dragons here were born after Dusk disappeared. That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t recognized him. Just like in the vige of the kitsunes. Most of the kitsunes there didn¡¯t know Dusk because they were either too young when that tragedy in their n happened or they were born muchter. The same could probably be applied here.


    If this Rowan guy recognized Dusk, that meant that he was there during the war between the dragons and the dark mages. And seeing that he seemed to be leading this group of dragons, it¡¯s not difficult to see that he had some kind of authority within the n. Which also meant that he most likely had ess to information they needed.


    Maybe they didn¡¯t need to stay here after all.


    He touched the earring on his right ear. "Connect me to YUN," he whispered. Once the connection was established, he immediately said, "Brother Ji Yun, can you kidnap that Rowan and teleport him out of here immediately? Take him to that ind of yours. Don¡¯t worry about us, we¡¯ll immediately follow."


    Shen Ji Yun, who was quite a distance away, heard what Luo Yan said. He turned to the other and nodded. After that, he moved towards the direction where the red dragon was. The moment he did, Luo Yan held Eclipse¡¯s hand and ran rushed towards Dusk.


    With the dragons having their own argument about Dusk and the red dragon still confused by the turn of events, Shen Ji Yun easily arrived in front of Rowan without much obstacles. The red dragon who finally noticed his movements could only say ¡¯you¡ª¡¯ before being teleported out of there.


    At the same time that the two vanished, Luo Yan with Eclipse on one hand and Dusk on the other also disappeared. So, unbeknownst to the arguing dragons, their foes had already left together with their leader.


    When Luo Yan and the other two appeared at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ind, Dusk quickly took back his hand as if wanting to shake off dirt.


    "Why did you suddenly pull this king away from there? This king was this close from burning those bastards!"


    Luo Yan ignored Dusk and looked for Shen Ji Yun instead. But that didn¡¯t mean that Eclipse would.


    "Hey, Uncle ck lizard, don¡¯t shout at Mashter! Mashter only did that because he had a n. Don¡¯t you trust Mashter at all?"


    Dusk only scoffed but no longerined.


    Luo Yan finally found Shen Ji Yun. He was standing not far from the big tree, the red dragon was sitting tied up with something like a golden thread. Not only that, the other also seemed to be in a daze of some sort.


    He walked over and asked Shen Ji Yun, "What happened to him?"


    "It¡¯s because of the rope around him. It¡¯s an item I got recently called the ¡¯Lasso of Hestia¡¯. When it¡¯s tied on an NPC, it could force the NPC to tell the truth regardless of what the yer asked them. But it would only work with NPCs that are involved in a task and the effect would onlyst for about five minutes," Shen Ji Yun exined.


    He actually bought it on the recent auction held monthly at Alryne City. The item was a reward at some dungeon. The yer who got it, sold it to the auction house. When he read the item¡¯s description, he didn¡¯t hesitate to buy it. Because he felt that it would be helpful with their current hidden task.


    "That¡¯s like Wonder Woman¡¯ssso of truth," Luo Yanmented when he heard what Shen Ji Yun said about the rope. He turned to the other and almostughed when he saw the confusion on his face. This guy probably had no idea what he was talking about. So, he just gave him a thumbs-up. "Good job, Brother Ji Yun, getting such a useful item."


    And it was indeed a very useful item. Especially with the kind of task they were doing right now. It¡¯s important to get authentic information from these NPCs. Shen Ji Yun was really thinking ahead.


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat, feeling a bit shy by thepliment. "We should probably start asking him question before the effect of thesso disappeared."


    Luo Yan nodded. "Then, let me start," he said and turned to the red dragon ¨C Rowan. "Are you there during the war between the dragons and the dark mages?" he asked as a test question.


    "Yes," the red dragon answered dazedly.


    "Do you know the one who betrayed the king who led your n during that war?"


    By the time he asked that question, Dusk and Eclipse had already walked to where they were.


    "Yes," Rowan answered in the same manner again.


    Luo Yan almost pumped his fist when he heard that confirmation. But before he could ask the next question, Dusk beat him to it.


    "Who did it? Who was the one that betrayed this king?"


    Dazedly, the red dragon answered, "Everyone."

 Chapter 618 a part of dusks identity

    DUSK staggered backward, that answer seemed to have shocked him greatly. Frankly, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t me him. It¡¯s that kind of answer that would shock anyone. Even he didn¡¯t expect that. All along, they were expecting that it was just one individual. Who would have thought that it would be a group?


    Dusk suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed the red dragon¡¯s neck. "What do you mean by that? Exin to this king this instant!"


    "Ugh... I¡ª"


    The red dragon obviously had trouble speaking because of the suddenck of air. If this continued, this dragon might die before they could even get a concrete answer.


    Luo Yan touched Dusk¡¯s extended arm. "Dusk, calm down and let go of him. If you identally kill him, then how would we know what really happened during that war? All of Brother Ji Yun¡¯s effort of bringing him here would just go to waste. Do you think it would be as easy kidnapping another dragon who knew of what happened then? So, let go and let him answer our question."


    Dusk gritted his teeth before throwing the red dragon like a dirty rag.


    Luo Yan let out a sigh of relief before turning to Rowan who was coughing like there¡¯s no tomorrow. "When you said ¡¯everyone¡¯, does that mean every dragon who was alive during that time?"


    After the coughing, the red dragon¡¯s eyes went back to their dazed state. "No. It means all the dragons that were a part of the high council."


    Yes, Luo Yan expected that much. Although dragons didn¡¯t have that much of a big numberpared to other races, it¡¯s impossible for everyone of them to betray Dusk. The fact that he was able to wage war that time meant that he had quite a number of supporters.


    This high council was probably made up of all the high-ranking dragons in the n. If this Rowan was privy about it, that meant that he was also part of the high council.


    "Why did the high council decided to betray your king back then?"


    "Because we can¡¯t ept orders from that defective mutt. We are proud dragons, the strongest in thisnd. How could we let someone with dirty blood lead us? Not only did he kill our rightful king, he also stole the Sacred Fire that only the heir to the throne should have. And for what? For a group of foxes that didn¡¯t have anything to do with our n?


    "Do you think we would just stand-by as we watched the other members of our n get killed by the dark mages for a war that has nothing to do with us? So, everyone in the council decided to make a deal with the dark mages. One of us would sabotage him as he was busy fighting and those dark mages would take care of him."


    The red dragon didn¡¯t say those things dazedly as he did before. Some of his emotions were leaking in his words. Showing just how much this particr emotion had a hold on him.


    Luo Yan simply fell into a deep thought after he heard what Rowan had said. Because there¡¯s a lot that could be taken from that answer.


    One, Dusk was most likely not a pure blood dragon. Which would exin the memory Lhoris had seen about the other¡¯s childhood. Being shunned by everyone, heck, not even having his own name.


    Second, this Sacred Fire that the red dragon was talking about, ording to him it could only be passed down to the heir of the throne. If they put that much importance to the concept of blood, then, it was natural to think that the seat of the dragon king was hereditary. Which meant that only those with the blood of the dragon king could use this Sacred Fire.


    And third, this deal that the high council made with the dark mages, it couldn¡¯t possibly be as simple as them betraying Dusk and then letting those mages deal with him. Because, surely, they could deal with Dusk themselves once their betrayal seeded. And could their pride really let another race deal with the so-called ¡¯shame of their n? This could only mean that they wanted something from the dark mages, that¡¯s why they made that deal.


    But what could it be? Well, there¡¯s really only one way to find out. As well as to confirm all his other guesses.


    "What kind of deal did the high council make with those dark mages? Exin it thoroughly."


    "I- I¡ª" the red dragon stopped and seemed like he was choking. He looked like he wanted to speak, but at the end, only choking sounds came out of his throat. As if something was preventing him from speaking.


    "He must under some kind of strong spell that would activate if he tried to tell anyone about the details of that deal," Shen Ji Yun said while observing the red dragon. "I suspect all the members of that so-called high council has this spell on them."


    "But would those proud dragons really let anyone put this kind of spell on them?" Luo Yan asked, seriously a bit confused.


    "There¡¯s only two possibilities. Either they didn¡¯t know that this spell was put on them or what the dark mages would give them was important enough that they could put down their pride for it," Shen Ji Yun shared his opinion.


    Luo Yan nodded. He agreed that it¡¯s probably those dark mages that put the spell on the members of the high council. But what was so important that they could put down that sky high pride of them?


    He tsked. And he thought gathering information would finally be much easier. Damn game devs getting in the way again.


    "Ahm, Mashter, I think the red lizard will soon choke to death," Eclipse suddenly interrupted.


    Luo Yan turned to the red dragon and Eclipse was indeed right. So, he decided to just ask another question so the other would stop trying to answer his previous question. Thus, stopping the effect of whatever spell was put on him.


    "You said that the former king has a dirty blood, what do you mean by that?"


    As expected, Rowan finally stopped choking. And then he answered with a voice tinged with anger, "His father was a demon. He defiled the rightful king¡¯s daughter and thus giving birth to that abomination!"

 Chapter 619 more questions than answers

    THAT was definitely not something Luo Yan had expected to hear. Although he had already guessed that Dusk was probably not a pureblooded dragon, he didn¡¯t expect that the other half was actually a demon.


    The demonic race in Arcadia was mostlybeled as ¡¯viinous¡¯. Probably because a number of dungeon boss were from the demonic race. Not only that, it was also because the demonic race was made up of those well-known ¡¯evil monsters¡¯ from different countries. You know, you know the ones parents used to scare their children so they wouldn¡¯t be naughty.


    They¡¯re a very diverse race. It would be easier to think of them as a groupprised of rare races that was under the so-called banner of the demonic race and not just as a simple cohesive race like the elves or the gnomes. It¡¯s easier to think of the races that were supposedly under the demonic race as just individual races.


    Anyway, that¡¯s really not important right now. What¡¯s important was the bomb that this dragon just dropped on them.


    How could Dusk be part demon? It just didn¡¯t make sense. All of his traits showed that he was a dragon. From his physical appearance to his power, all of it was that of a dragon. There was nothing remotely demonic about him.


    He was nning to ask more when he heard Eclipse suddenly shouting.


    "Uncle ck lizard!"


    Luo Yan turned to the side and saw Dusk on his knees while clutching his head. "No... no... I¡ªI¡¯m not... I am... no!!!"


    Mana started swirling around Dusk. Luo Yan was almost sted away by it. Good thing he had good reflexes and managed to jump back before the unstable Mana hit him.


    Of course, he did not forget their hostage, the red dragon. This guy was their only source of information right now. It would be such a waste to let him just die here. So, wen he jumped back, he also pulled the red dragon by the back of his cor.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun and Eclipse and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that the two also managed to avoid the swirling Mana safely. He then turned to Dusk. By the looks of it, the other was very unstable right now. Based on Dusk¡¯s reaction just now, what that red dragon said must have triggered some kind of memory.


    The fact that it did meant that his identity as a part demon must be really a thorn in his heart. This guy had never reacted like this whenever it came to something rted to his past. When they told him about Kagetsuki, he showed sadness and guilt. But it didn¡¯t trigger a memory. Even when they went to Typhon, there was nothing that moved him.


    But right now, just by hearing about his ancestry, he reacted in this way. Could this be the key to unlocking his memory?


    As much as Luo Yan wanted to trigger the other¡¯s memory more, he didn¡¯t want to do that on the expense of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ind. They shared a lot of memories here. Really good ones too. So, it¡¯s much more important right now to have Dusk calm down.


    "Brother Ji Yun, can you put him to sleep?" he asked, shouting at Shen Ji Yun.


    "On it," the other simply answered before rushing towards Dusk.


    He quickly appeared behind Dusk whose emotions were still unstable and hit the back of the other¡¯s head with the hilt of his sword. He made sure to use a bit of his Mana to make sure that Dusk would fall unconscious with just one hit. As expected, Dusk fell forward,pletely unconscious and the unstable Mana surrounding him slowly dispersed.


    "Eclipse, can you take care of your uncle for a while?" Luo Yan asked the little boy who was looking worriedly at Dusk.


    Eclipse nodded and quickly attended the unconscious Dusk.


    Meanwhile, both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun focused their attention again on the red dragon. There¡¯s hardly any time left before the ¡¯effect of thesso disappeared. They had to ask as many important questions as possible.


    Since the details about the deal between the dragons and the dark mages were off-limits, then he should just ask about Dusk¡¯s ancestry. This might help the other recover some of his memories.


    "What kind of demon was the former king¡¯s father? And is he still alive or already dead?" he asked.


    "He¡¯s an archdemon. And no, he¡¯s no longer alive. Our rightful king killed him. But he sustained a permanent injury from that fight. That¡¯s why that abomination was able to kill him and take away his throne."


    An archdemon? He might be wrong but from his understanding of different lore and whatnot, an archdemon was a fallen angel that fell down from heaven to hell because of the sins they hadmitted. And they¡¯re also pretty up there on the hierarchy. Someone like that was Dusk¡¯s father?


    That¡¯s even more inexplicable. Because if a powerful demon like that mated with a dragon, wouldn¡¯t their child also have a powerful demonic energy? Then, howe Dusk only exhibit the characteristic of a dragon?


    "Did the former king have demonic characteristic when he was born?" he continued asking.


    "Yes. It¡¯s how everyone found out that thedy was defiled by a demon. His beast egg was pitch ck unlike normal dragon¡¯s egg when they were born. Our king wanted to dispose of the egg but thedy stopped him. We, dragons, are quite protective of our kin. Especially our children. Probably because of our race¡¯s low fertility. So, because of thedy¡¯s request, he let the abomination live.


    "But there was one condition. His dragon trait must be greater than his demonic trait. s, that didn¡¯t happen. When the beast egg hatched, there was no dragon inside but a humanoid baby. A baby with a pair of horns as dark as those of an archdemon and eyes as red as blood."


    Luo Yan just became more confused hearing that. More questions just piled up inside his head. He was about to ask another question when the glow on thesso started to dim.


    "It seems the effect of thesso is starting to wear off," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Great. ¨C Luo Yan thought sarcastically. Then, should he just resort to torture?

 Chapter 620 torture it is

    LUO YAN turned to the red dragon whose eyes were now starting to get clearer. Yeah, torture would be good. "Brother Ji Yun, do you still have that SSR item that could seal a Legendary race and turned them into their miniature form?"


    He just remembered that the other had that kind of item. If they could turn this dragon into the miniature version of himself, then the next part would be much easier. Although it might take some while since this bastard would surely not tell him everything he wanted to know that easily. A little force would definitely be needed.


    Not that he¡¯s afraid to face this red dragon head on. He just didn¡¯t want to wreak havoc on this ind. Besides, wouldn¡¯t it be more fun this way? If the dragon was turned to his miniature form and had his abilities sealed, it would be easier to break him. And thus, Luo Yan would get his answers much faster.


    "I still have it," Shen Ji Yun answered, taking out a seal stamp.


    Luo Yan looked at the item and almostughed. Because it literally looked like a seal stamp, you know, the one being used for signature on formal documents and stuff. "It¡¯s pretty cute."


    Shen Ji Yun felt the tips of his ears heating up. He cleared his throat and just walked towards the red dragon to avoid showing his embarrassment. "Well, I also wondered why it came in this design."


    He bent down a bit and stamped the seal on the dragon¡¯s forehead. The dragon was suddenly surrounded by a blinding light. Then by the time the light faded, the humanoid dragon was no longer there and was now reced by a miniature version of his beastial form.


    Luo Yan picked the little red dragon by the neck. He turned to Shen Ji Yun and smiled. "Brother Ji Yun, I¡¯m just going over there. Please, look after Eclipse and make sure he won¡¯t see what I¡¯m about to do. After all, I don¡¯t want him to think that his master has the habit of torturing small animals."


    The only thought that appeared in Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mind at that moment was; ¡¯poor dragon¡¯. Because there¡¯s no doubt that the other would definitely get wrecked.


    Not that he cared. This was important part of their task after all. Someone had to do the dirty job. He wanted to do it himself. But since Luo Yan seemed excited to do it, he could only agree. After all, in his mind, his rabbit was always right.


    "Okay, leave that to me," he said with assurance.


    "Thank you, Brother Ji Yun. You¡¯re the best," Luo Yan said with a sweet smile.


    Shen Ji Yun covered his mouth with the back of his hand and then looked to the side so Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t see his cheeks tinged with red. "It¡¯s nothing."


    The two then separated. Shen Ji Yun went to Eclipse while Luo Yan dragged the poor red dragon by the neck and walked a little bit further from the others.


    While the dragon was still unconscious, he tied him up on the nearest tree using thesso that had now lost its effect. So, by the time the red dragon regained control of his consciousness, he was already in that sorry state.


    The red dragon seemed confused at first, seeing as his eyes didn¡¯t have any focus. But when he realized that he was not only tied up but also in a humiliating form, he then started to break free from the rope. Of course, that¡¯s impossible to happen. Aside from the fact that the dragon didn¡¯t have his original strength, Luo Yan also did a pretty strong knot on thatsso tying the other. So, yes, getting out of that was fairly impossible.


    "Hey, stop wasting your energy trying to break free. Because there¡¯s no chance that you will," he said. "So, just continue to answer my questions, okay?"


    The red dragon appeared as if he just noticed Luo Yan¡¯s presence. When his eyesnded on Luo Yan, they were full of anger and killing intent. "You lowly elf... are you the one who did this to me? I will make you pay for this transgression! I¡ª"


    The dragon wasn¡¯t able to finish what he was saying because pped him with the t surface of his dagger.


    "You¡ª"


    Another p.


    "I¡ª"


    A p once again. And again. And again. And again.


    "Shtop!" the red dragon finally managed to shout. But both his cheeks were already too swollen. He couldn¡¯t even properly speak.


    "Listen here, reptile. I¡¯m here to interrogate you. So, all you have to do from here on is to answer all my questions," Luo Yan said with a smile. "If you don¡¯t," he stabbed his dagger on the tree trunk and with the same sweet smile continued, "I will pull out your wings and cut off all your limbs until you understand your situation. Capisce?"


    The red dragon visibly shuddered and probably only realized the direness of his situation. But he still looked like he wouldn¡¯t back down, as evidence of the re he was giving Luo Yan.


    "Die, you bashtard!"


    When he tried to puff out fire, only smoke came out. Luo Yanughed out loud. He made sure that hisugh would be extra condescending. The dragon¡¯s small face looked extremely annoyed and angry, but underneath, he could see that fear was also creeping up in the other¡¯s eyes.


    "It seems like our reptile here still doesn¡¯t understand his situation. So, as a kind-hearted person, let me tell it to you," he said. "All your abilities are currently sealed. That means, even this ¡¯lowly¡¯ elf can crush you as easily as crushing cotton. If you understand that, why not just cooperate?"


    But the dragon continued to angrily re at Luo Yan. "F*ck you!"


    "Hah, dragons and your pride," Luo Yan said with a sigh. "I guess I have no choice but to break you until you happily cooperate."


    The smile on his face disappeared, he made sure that his face would be as sinister as possible. Then, he raised his dagger and sliced down one of the red dragon¡¯s wings.

 Chapter 621 optimum result

    LUO YAN stopped just a centimeter above the wing. The red dragon¡¯s small body shook like a leaf. He could no longer hide the fear in his eyes. Luo Yan smiled and made sure that he looked like a lunatic.


    "Poor thing. Look at you shaking like that. Did you really think I will cut your wings when we¡¯re just getting started? I haven¡¯t even had my fun yet!" he said while tapping the cheek of the dragon with his dagger. "Let¡¯s see, should I try to gouge your eyes next? How about doing it like a Russian roulette to be more exciting? I tell you what I¡¯m going to do and you will guess whether I will really do it or not. So, will I gouge out your eyes or not?"


    The dragon¡¯s shaking became even more intense. He couldn¡¯t even make himself utter a single word. He now truly embodied the phrase, ¡¯too scared to talk¡¯. Luo Yan made his smile even crazier.


    "Since you¡¯re not answering, I will just assume that you¡¯re guessing that I won¡¯t do it," he said. "Clench your teeth, okay?"


    Then, he stabbed the dagger straight to the dragon¡¯s eye. The dragon didn¡¯t even have the time to close his eyes. In just a blink, the dagger was already right in front of the dragon¡¯s face. But before it could truly pierce the other¡¯s eyeball, Luo Yan stopped just a centimeter away.


    "Oh, look at that, it seems like you won the gamble," he put down his hand holding the dagger. "Then, what should I do next? Your other wing or your belly? Maybe I won¡¯t really stab you. What do you say, would you gamble again?" He leaned over, putting his face close to the little dragon. With his face looming over him in this distance, it would surely look terrifying as hell in the other¡¯s perspective. "They do say that three times the charm. You will probably get lucky again, don¡¯t you think? So, what would it be? The belly or the other wing?"


    "I¡ªI..." the red dragon said in a shaking voice, as if he was trapped in some freezingly cold area.


    "Should I choose for you again? Hmm... how about we go for the belly this time?"


    Luo Yan stabbed his knife straight again. But this time he didn¡¯t stop a mere centimeter away from the other¡¯s belly. He plunged the knife into the dragon¡¯s gut.


    "I- I will a-answer everything! I will! Just... just please, s-stop!" the red dragon suddenly cried out.


    Luo Yan quickly pulled out the knife. And then he smiled. This time it was not the smile he was using to intimidate and scare Rowan. It was a triumphant smile. Because this dragon giving up meant that he¡¯s strategy was sessful.


    He really didn¡¯t n to disembowel this guy here. He¡¯s not that sadistic. He only needed for the other to believe that he would.


    NPCs in this game were mostly programmed to be simr to humans in some way. They might have their distinct characteristic unique to their race, but for the most part, their behavior was still based on human nature. Because, where else would the game devs base them on?


    So, it would be much easier to just think of this dragon as a human with too much pride. Breaking him would also be easier. Because unlike real humans with their unpredictable nature, an NPC was confined in the set of data that constituted them.


    That¡¯s why he decided to scare the red dragon to the point that his mental defense would copse. There¡¯s no need for him to make it gory and bloody. The fear one felt when they thought that they were about to be hurt was a good enough stimulus. After all, the worry and fear they would feel not knowing whether they would be stabbed or not was pretty nerve-wracking.


    With his good acting and wonderful choice of words, Luo Yan was confident that he could amplify that stimulus even more. And the final nail in the coffin was him really stabbing the other at the end. With that, Rowan would have the illusion that he was really about to gut him and that his torture would really began then.


    And look at this wonderful result. There was no need for bloody limbs to be flying off or for someone¡¯s internal organs to be out of their body. All he needed was the power of his words and stabbing the red dragon on his stomach. Just as he expected, it produced the optimum result.


    Luo Yan stood up straight with his chin raised. The only thing missing was for his nose to grow and he¡¯s the perfect image of someone trying to brag.


    "It¡¯s a good thing that you finally understood your situation. I salute you for your good decision," he said with a genuine smile. But that must have looked pretty scary to the red dragon because instead of looking relieved, he just shook even more.


    Of course, Luo Yan was happy with this kind of reaction. Before he began with his questioning, he took out a low-grade potion and pour it on the dragon¡¯s wound. It didn¡¯t fully heal the wound but at least it stopped the bleeding. He couldn¡¯t have this dragon lost his HP before he was done with him.


    "Then, let¡¯s start, shall we?" he said. "Hey, give me an answer will you or did you actually change your mind?"


    The red dragon quickly shook his little head as if his life depended on it. "A-ask me anything and I will answer it as b-best as I could."


    "Then, for starters, I want to know if Dusk ¨C oh, that¡¯s the name I gave to the former king, by the way ¨C his mother was really ¡¯defiled¡¯ by the demon you just mentioned. And do try not to embellish the truth just because of your personal bias. Or else," he didn¡¯t finish that and just simply raised his dagger. "You understand, right?"


    The red dragon¡¯s small body shook when he saw the dagger. His face was full of reluctance. But at the end, fear still overcame him. "T-the demon didn¡¯t. Thedy went to him on her own volition."

 Chapter 622 what happened to the lady

    JUST as Luo Yan thought, what happened between Dusk¡¯s parents wasn¡¯t really as this dragon said the first time. But he had to make sure, so he still asked. At least with this, Dusk wouldn¡¯t be so sad when trying to remember his ancestry.


    He understood why the red dragon lied. It¡¯s probably to preserve the honor of their n. After all, Dusk¡¯s mother was probably their n¡¯s equivalent to a princess. It was probably a huge stain to their pride that theirdy ended up falling in love with an archdemon. Not only that, she even got pregnant. Of course, these proud dragons would hide that fact.


    That fight that Rowan mentioned earlier between the archdemon and their supposed to be rightful king must have happened when thedy was trying to, well, maybe eloped with the former. To get back his daughter, the king fought the archdemon to the death. In which the archdemon died and the king sustained a grave injury.


    But was that really the case?


    "Did that archdemon really die?" he asked.


    "He did. W-we saw him slowly turning into dust."


    Luo Yan raised one his brows. It didn¡¯t seem like the other was lying. So, archdemon was really dead then. "What happened to thedy after?"


    "She..." The red dragon looked to the side before continuing, "She passed away after giving birth."


    Now, that¡¯s definitely a lie. If hepared the way he answered to hisst question and then to this one, the difference was pretty obvious.


    "Hah, I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re just stupid or you simply don¡¯t take me seriously." He put the sharp edge of the dagger on the miniature dragon¡¯s neck. "You better not lie while I¡¯m still being nice. Or do you really want your head to be separated from your neck?"


    The dragon¡¯s body shook again. "I- I understand! Please, forgive me!"


    "If you understand, then don¡¯t do this again. I don¡¯t have that much patience, you know?" Luo Yan said while tapping the dragon¡¯s cheek with his dagger. "Now, answer my question properly. What happened to thedy?"


    "A-after she gave birth, her body almost gave out because of the strong demonic energy from the beast egg. She was already near death. But our king didn¡¯t want to give up on her. He put her inside the ¡¯Undying Ice¡¯. It¡¯s an item from the fallen ice kingdom ¨C Nilpheim. It could contain the body of someone who¡¯s close to dying and preserve it, healing it slowly.


    "But during the process, the ice should receive continuous amount of Mana and blood from the closest kin of the individual inside the ice. The king thought that it wouldn¡¯t take that long to heal. But even after a hundred years, she was not close to healing.


    "The king consulted a Priest and we found out that the demonic energy left by the beast egg had already seeped in through her Mana. It would be better if someone with demonic energy and has a close blood tie to thedy would be the one to supply her with Mana and blood. But the only one left was... the one you refer to as ¡¯Dusk¡¯.


    "But at that point in time, Dusk was already expelled from Typhon. As much as the king didn¡¯t want to bring him back and even ask for his help, the king knew that he had no choice. But before he could do that, Dusk suddenly returned to the valley and challenged the king.


    "The king thought that this challenge was a good excuse to force Dusk to help thedy. He was afraid that Dusk wouldn¡¯t help on his own volition because he didn¡¯t have any feelings for his birth mother. No to mention that as soon as he learned how to walk and speak, he was thrown out of the valley. There was no doubt that his grudge against the n was pretty big.


    "The king didn¡¯t care about that. He was confident that he would win. But he didn¡¯t take into ount the severeness of his injury and the fact that Dusk would be much stronger than he expected him to be. At the end, he lost the battle and died."


    Luo Yan absorbed everything that the red dragon had said. At the end, the most important thing he got from it was the fact that Dusk¡¯s mother was most likely still alive. Albeit the frozen state.


    "Where¡¯s thedy now?" he asked.


    "She... she¡¯s the current queen."


    Okay. Now, that¡¯s definitely unexpected. "How can she be queen? Did she awaken during the time that Dusk was the king?"


    That¡¯s the only exnation he could think of. That during that time, Dusk found out about his mother and proceeded on giving him his blood and Mana.


    "No. Although Dusk did supply thedy with blood and Mana, his reign was very short. It was not enough to fully heal her."


    "Then how?"


    The red dragon looked down. "I- I can¡¯t say."


    Luo Yan stared at Rowan with narrowed eyes. The other¡¯s body trembled, obviously very afraid. But he still didn¡¯t change what he said. And his choice of words, he said ¡¯can¡¯t¡¯ instead of ¡¯won¡¯t¡¯. Meaning that there¡¯s something stopping him from telling Luo Yan the answer.


    "You can¡¯t say it because it had something to do with the deal your n made with the dark mages, correct?"


    The red dragon showed an extremely shocked look. By just that expression, Luo Yan knew that he had hit the jackpot.


    "H-how did you¡ª"


    "Never mind that. This deal, was it also the reason why Dusk no longer had his demonic traits and abilities?"


    It was one of the things that had been bothering him since knowing that Dusk¡¯s father was an archdemon. Those demonic traits being gone when he obviously born with it meant that someone removed it or most likely took it. The only culprit he could think of was those dark mages.


    Once again, the red dragon appeared shocked by that question. But he still tremblingly answered, "Y-yes."

 Chapter 623 the one who knows all the answer

    IT was just as Luo Yan thought. He could already make a narrative based on the information he had gathered so far. The deal between the Western dragon n and the dark mages most likely involved Dusk and his mother.


    It might have gone like this; The dragon n agreed to betray Dusk in exchange the dark mages should heal theirdy. Of course, those dark mages wouldn¡¯t do that for free and they wouldn¡¯t just be satisfied with the fact that the war would end sooner. They must have wanted something from the dragon n to even propose such a deal.


    Yes, Luo Yan believed that it was the dark mages who proposed such a deal. With how proud the dragons were, they would never propose something like that on their own initiative.


    What the dark mages wanted must have had something to do with Dusk¡¯s missing demonic trait. There¡¯s a high chance that they were the ones who extracted it or something. If that was the case, why not kill Dusk after taking that instead of sealing him in the moon elves¡¯ forest using the Eternal Lotus?


    The only answer he could think of was because they still needed him. But for what? What could have they been nning that a thousand years was not enough to prepare? Because that was how long Dusk was frozen in time in the Silent Marsh.


    The dark mages needed demonic energy. The fact that they made a deal with the dragon n just to get it from Dusk meant that they needed a specific demonic energy. Which meant that the energy they needed muste from the archdemon that fathered Dusk. And since the other was already dead, they could only take it from his son.


    There¡¯s a high chance that Dusk¡¯s father might not be just an ordinary archdemon. There¡¯s definitely something special to him that those dark mages needed him for whatever n they were concocting. Since they took what they needed from Dusk, Luo Yan could only think of this possibility.


    That the archdemon must have been purposely hiding his presence from the world for some reason. That¡¯s why when those dark mages started searching for him, it was toote because he was already dead at that time.


    And it just so happened that at that time, they attacked the demon fox¡¯s vige and identally discovered Dusk¡¯s presence. They might even have pushed the war through just so they could get their hands on him. And since they didn¡¯t kill him right away after extracting his demonic traits, that meant that they still have a need for his body.


    Of course, all of these were just Luo Yan¡¯s assumption. There¡¯s a chance that he got something wrong or maybe he got everything wrong. He would be happy if he was correct. But he would probably also feel a bitplicated. Because being right meant that he shared the same wavelength as those game devs who loved dog-blooded plot.


    [Well, that¡¯s also some kind of talent, I guess.]


    He turned his gaze back to Rowan. He could ask this dragon to check if all his assumptions were correct. But there¡¯s a chance that the spell put on him would activate again and Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t get the answer he wanted. In short, it would just be a waste of time.


    "You, is there someone in your valley right now that can give a clear detail on that thing you can¡¯t speak of?" he asked. Then, he raised his dagger and continued with a smile, "You understand what I mean, right?"


    The red dragon nodded enthusiastically. "I- I understand. There¡¯s someone in the valley right now who can satisfy you and answer all your questions!"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Looking at the other¡¯s shining eyes, it seemed like he couldn¡¯t wait to transfer the role of being interrogated to someone else.


    "Who is it?" he asked.


    "It¡¯s the oracle. He would definitely have all the answers!"


    The oracle? Luo Yan had heard of this person being mentioned when they were still in the valley. ording to what Rowan said earlier when he was still being an arrogant ass, this oracle made a prophecy about a group of people who woulde to the valley and destroy it.


    "Why could he give me the answer while you couldn¡¯t?" he asked.


    After all, if this oracle could answer his questions regarding the deal between the dragons and the dark mages, that meant that he was also there during the war and his position was also pretty high. Why couldn¡¯t he be affected by the skill of those dark mages then? Unless...


    "Because he¡¯s not a dragon," Rowan answered, confirming Luo Yan¡¯s guess. "He¡¯s a dark mage."


    Luo Yan grinned when he heard that.


    "Captain, is Mashter still having a heart-to-heart talk with that red lizard?"


    Shen Ji Yun scratched his cheek when he heard Eclipse¡¯s question. When the other asked him earlier what Luo Yan was doing, he just said the first thing that came to his mind.


    It¡¯s a bit cringy, but at least Eclipse wouldn¡¯t think that his master was torturing someone right now. But honestly, considering the personality programmed into Eclipse, this kid might not even be bothered by that. Maybe he would even join Luo Yan and find it fun.


    Before answering, he nced at where Luo Yan was and saw that his rabbit was already walking towards them. "No, I think he¡¯s already done."


    Eclipse followed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s gaze and his sapphire blue eyes brightened when he saw his master. "Mashter!"


    Then, he covered his mouth and looked down at the still unconscious Dusk. He looked worried that the other might wake up because of his loud voice.


    Shen Ji Yun noticed that and said, "Don¡¯t worry, Dusk looks pretty out of it right now. He wouldn¡¯t wake up with just that."


    But instead of not worrying, Eclipse just looked even more worried. "Poor uncle, he must be in so much pain."


    Shen Ji Yun was quite surprised. It seemed that Eclipse was really treating Dusk as his godfather. One couldn¡¯t really tell based on how much he was always teasing the other.


    It was then that Luo Yan arrived.


    Shen Ji Yun turned to Luo Yan. "Did you get everything you needed?"


    Luo Yan smiled and gave an ¡¯okay¡¯ sign. "Yes."

 Chapter 624 a vow

    "CAN you give me the map of Typhon?" Luo Yan asked Shen Ji Yun. In which the other quickly gave him without any question. He opened the map and marked the ce where the oracle would be. Just as what the red dragon had told him. "This is our next destination."


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the marked part of the map. It was a mountain to the north of the valley. Just outside of Typhon. "What¡¯s in there?"


    "Not ¡¯what¡¯ but ¡¯who¡¯," Luo Yan corrected. "We¡¯re going to visit the dragon n¡¯s so-called ¡¯oracle¡¯."


    At Shen Ji Yun¡¯s curious look, Luo Yan exined to him the things that he talked about with the red dragon. From what happened to Dusk¡¯s parents to his assumptions about the deal between the dragons and the dark mages.


    "Those dark mages are really evil! How could they do that to uncle? And those dragons, no, it¡¯s better to call them lizards with wings, how can they treat uncle like that?" Eclipse said with indignation and anger. "What¡¯s so wrong with not being a pure-blooded dragon? That¡¯s not enough to justify them targeting a child because of their prejudice. What did uncle even do to them? It¡¯s not as if he told his parents to be in love and gave birth to him. Argh! This is really making Eclipse angry!"


    Luo Yan smiled at Eclipse¡¯s reaction. Hearing that the little boy no longer called Dusk a ck lizard and just referred to the other as ¡¯uncle¡¯, it seemed that he had already wholeheartedly epted the other as his godfather.


    He affectionately pinched the cheek of the little boy. "When did our Eclipse be so sensible?"


    Eclipse pouted. "Mashter, Eclipse has always been sensible."


    Shen Ji Yun had remained quiet. Dusk¡¯s past had really struck a nerve. Because he couldn¡¯t help but substitute his own experience to what happened to the dragon. Being mixed race and not being epted by his family on both sides, he understood the pain.


    His father¡¯s family didn¡¯t like his blue eyes and how he looked different from them. His mother¡¯s family med him and his father for what happened to their precious daughter. There was no ce where he belonged. No one wanted him. Even his own mother didn¡¯t recognize him. Like a rag doll thrown out because no one wanted it.


    Even when his uncle became his guardian, he still felt all alone. If not for his uncle¡¯s constant care and love, he would still probably feel the same and he wouldn¡¯t have a ce he could call home.


    But even then, when he thought of the fact that the only people who he would be happy to be called his family were his uncle and paternal grandmother, a bit of loneliness still appeared in his heart.


    He knew that he was already lucky and he shouldn¡¯t reallyin. Especially when there were other people who were much more miserable than him. But sometimes, the loneliness still crept up to him. Like a vine twisting around his neck and slowly suffocating him. Even more so when he thought of his mother.


    Sometimes, he really didn¡¯t know what to feel whenever he thought of her. Should he feel angry? Should he feel sad? Or should he just feel hopeless? He honestly didn¡¯t know.


    During the early years when his uncle took him and brought him to this country, he still had a glimmer of hope that one day his mother woulde and take him back. But as years passed by, that glimmer of hope was slowly being extinguished. Now, he no longer thought that that was possible. He had already grown to this age and not once did he receive a call or even a letter from his mother. That¡¯s already telling a lot.


    Shen Ji Yun closed his eyes and tried not to think about those things anymore. But before he could, a soft, warm palm suddenly enveloped his hand. He opened his eyes and nced to the side. He saw Luo Yan looking worriedly at him.


    "Are you alright, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Luo Yan had, of course, noticed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s sudden abnormality. Theplicated expression the other had looked very familiar. It seemed that he always had that every time he thought of something sad. And it was most likely rted to his family.


    He wondered what could have triggered it this time and the only answer that came to mind was Dusk¡¯s past. Thinking of how Shen Ji Yun was a mixed-race, could it be possible that he wasparing his experience with Dusk? Seeing how his expression ended up like that, it must be that the experience of the was very simr.


    Just thinking of that possibility, Luo Yan just felt like his chest was suddenly clogged. Even though he still didn¡¯t know what Shen Ji Yun had gone through in the past, if he was sympathizing with Dusk this much, didn¡¯t that mean that he also experienced the same thing?


    Was he also ostracized at such a young age just because his parents were not of the same race? If it was so, then Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but be dumbfounded. Was this the 17th century or some shit? Last time he checked, it was already the 21st century.


    What¡¯s wrong if two people from different races fell in love and had a kid? Both of them were still humans. It¡¯s not as if one was a monster and the other was some kind of divine being. Their children would still be humans. So, what¡¯s the fuss?


    He really couldn¡¯t understand the mentality of those people who would pour their dissatisfaction on an innocent child just because they didn¡¯t like the child¡¯s father or mother. Did they not think how that could cause irreparable trauma to such a young child? Or maybe they did and just didn¡¯t care.


    Really, what a bunch of assholes.


    "It¡¯s nothing, I just suddenly thought of something unrted," Shen Ji Yun answered with a small smile. Then, he proceeded to changing the topic, "Do you already have a n on how to capture that oracle?"


    Seeing the other¡¯s forced smile, Luo Yan vowed at that moment that he would have a word (and also a fist fight) with those people who hurt his cinnamon roll.

 Chapter 625 a giant rabbit with a knife

    "I HAVE one, but it¡¯s kind of rough and there¡¯s a chance that we might fail," Luo Yan said.


    Truthfully, he wanted to talk with Shen Ji Yun regarding the other¡¯s past. But seeing how he purposely change the subject, it meant that he was still not ready to have that kind of talk with him.


    That was fine. Luo Yan could wait until Shen Ji Yun told him about it on his own volition. That¡¯s better than forcing the other to tell it to him. Knowing Shen Ji Yun, if Luo Yan asked, he would definitely answer and tell him everything. But that¡¯s not what Luo Yan wanted.


    It would feel like forcing someone to tell you their deepest secret. And the other person couldn¡¯t help but tell it because they couldn¡¯t refuse you. That didn¡¯t really leave a good taste in Luo Yan¡¯s mouth.


    So, he would wait. He¡¯s patient enough to do that.


    "Let me hear your n. I might be able to add some insight to make it more solid," Shen Ji Yun responded.


    Luo Yan nodded and told the other his n.


    Listening to Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun agreed that it was indeed a bit rough. But not impossible. Especially if they wanted to get to that oracle unnoticed, tied him up, and bring him here for interrogation. He then supplemented the n with his own idea, making it more fool proof.


    "We needed thesso, but it¡¯s effect is still in cool down. Should we continue the taskter after lunch?" he asked, after he and Luo Yan exchanged ideas and agreed on the n.


    "Yeah, continuingter would be better," Luo Yan said. He should probably untie thesso from the tree since he used it to tie the red dragon. "Wait here for a bit. I¡¯ll go back and take thesso."


    "No, stay. I¡¯ll do it," Shen Ji Yun said before Luo Yan could walk back to the tree where the red dragon was tied.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind and just nodded. "The red dragon is currently asleep so Brother Ji Yun doesn¡¯t need to worry that he would retaliate or something."


    After he finished his interrogation, he poured a high-grade sleeping potion on the dragon to prevent the other from making a fuss. He was actually contemting on whether to just kill the red dragon but at the end, he thought against it. Because an idea suddenly popped up in his mind. It¡¯s way better than directly killing the dragon.


    "Mashter, the n just now, why didn¡¯t it mention Eclipse and uncle?" Eclipse suddenly asked.


    "Because we need to be as stealthy as possible. If all of us go there, the n might fail," Luo Yan exined. "It¡¯s definitely not because we didn¡¯t want to take you with us. Besides," he looked at the still unconscious Dusk who was currently leaning on a tree. "I don¡¯t think your uncle is in any condition to go back to the valley."


    It wouldn¡¯t be good if the other suddenly lost control of his Mana again because something triggered him. Which most likely would happen if they met the oracle and the other said something that could remind him of the past.


    Besides, he was still unstable because of what the red dragon said. He certainly wasn¡¯t in the state where he could do a stealth mission or something. So, it¡¯s better to just let him stay here or anywhere away from the dragons¡¯ valley.


    Eclipse nced at Dusk, his little face was filled with both unwillingness and worry. This little guy probably wanted to go with his master but understood that what his master said was also correct.


    After much difficulty, as if he just made a life-or-death decision, the little boy finally said, "Mashter is right. Uncle is not really in a good condition to return to that gloomy valley. But- but what if uncle wakes up and he insisted on going there himself?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "That¡¯s why Eclipse is here. With your help, I¡¯m sure you can persuade him to stay put."


    Eclipse¡¯s expression was suddenly filled with determination. "Don¡¯t worry, Mashter. Eclipse will definitely look after uncle!"


    Luo Yan chuckled and patted the little boy¡¯s head. "I know Eclipse can do it."


    Not long after, Shen Ji Yun returned. "I changed thesso with a normal rope just in case," he said. "What do you n to do with that dragon?"


    "I thought of giving him to Brother Ze," Luo Yan answered. "Isn¡¯t he still looking for a pet?"


    That¡¯s the brilliant idea he thought of earlier. Instead of simply killing the dragon here, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just give it to his cousin as a gift? There was already a ready-made pet here and it¡¯s still a dragon to boot. It would be such a shame to just get rid of it.


    Shen Ji Yun was slightly surprised hearing that. Although it¡¯s a bit unexpected, it¡¯s still much better to just give the dragon to Bai Ze. But there¡¯s just one problem. "Would that dragon even agree to make a contract with Bai Ze?"


    "Well, Brother Ze could buy some item or potion that could make the dragon forget his past. Which, in turn, would make it much easier to form a contract with him. I¡¯m sure that number one Alchemist in the game has that kind of potion in his store," he said. "If that doesn¡¯t work, I can always threaten that dragon, so he would form a contract with Brother Ze on his own free will."


    Now Shen Ji Yun started to wonder just what kind of ¡¯heart to heart talk¡¯ did Luo Yan had with that dragon that thetter would not hesitate to form a contract with someone just because he was threatened.


    In his imagination, a smiling giant rabbit holding a knife to a small shivering dragon appeared. He had no doubt that that¡¯s probably how the two looked like while Luo Yan was doing his interrogation.


    He shook his head to shake that image off his mind. He then opened his Friend List to see if Bai Ze was online. Luckily enough, the other was indeed online. "He¡¯s online. I¡¯ll message him and tell him toe here."

 Chapter 626 a big kid at heart

    BAI ZE just got out of the dungeon he finished raiding when he received a message from Shen Ji Yun.


    YUN: [Are you doing something right now?]


    Before he could type an answer, he heard a voice from behind him.


    "Hey, Xiao Bai, thank you for the carry!"


    Bai Ze turned around, looking at the girl with a pair of cat ears on top of her head and a pair of expressive cat-like eyes. At first nce, one would think that she was a bit in. But once they saw those eyes, it would be hard to look away.


    "Miss Catnip, I told you not to call me ¡¯Xiao Bai¡¯. It¡¯s like I¡¯m your pet cat or something," he said with a helpless tone.


    Then, he really did imagine being the pet cat of the other, causing his cheeks to heat up a little. He shook his head. It seemed that his imagination was getting the best of him these days.


    He looked again at the girl. Since that day the other went with them at Tropical Land, he had been in contact with her. Of course, only in-game. It¡¯s not that deep. Although they both know the real name of each other, that¡¯s the extent of it. They never asked each other more information about themselves. Heck, Bai Ze wasn¡¯t even sure if Xia Li was really a girl.


    Because, you know, there were men out there who were women at heart. Some would probably choose the female gender if they yed this game. He didn¡¯t think of the possibility that Xia Li was just one of those guys who used a female avatar so they could mooch off other yers. After all, if she was, she would have used 100% beautification. So, the only choices were either she was a real girl or she was a guy with a girl¡¯s heart.


    But Bai Ze didn¡¯t seem to care about that. He simply enjoyed thepany of the other.


    After that spending time together at Tropical Land, they identally met once again while both were looking for a party to raid the same dungeon. They ended up raiding it together. Since then, they asionally met up to do dungeon raiding.


    Today, they went to another dungeon which had a higher level of difficulty. Especially for Xia Li who was only ying the game as some sort of hobby. Her level and skills were not really that high inparison to Bai Ze. That¡¯s why she said that he ¡¯carried¡¯ her during the raid.


    "You¡¯re a lion anyway. So, what¡¯s the difference?" Xia Li said with a grin.


    Bai Ze resisted the urge to say, ¡¯so, you think I¡¯m your pet?¡¯. Because that could lead to a very awkward conversation. Which he honestly didn¡¯t want to have. So, the only choice was to ignore thatment.


    Xia Li didn¡¯t notice the other¡¯s reaction and continued, "Besides, calling you White Marsh is a bit, you know, like we¡¯re middle schoolers ying hero or something. And doesn¡¯t ¡¯bai¡¯ means ¡¯white¡¯ in ournguage? So, it¡¯s almost the same thing. Plus, you¡¯re name is Bai Ze, so..."


    Bai Ze just felt the corner of his lips twitching. It¡¯s like the other was saying that he had 8th grade syndrome by picking such a game handle. Seriously, he sometimes wondered if Xia Li was purposely saying these things to annoy him or if she¡¯s just too straightforward for her own good.


    "Anyway, please tell Noctis and the amazing young master Jin congrats for entering the finals of the Rookie Carnival," she added, suddenly changing the subject.


    If Bai Ze hadn¡¯t been used to Xia Li¡¯s style of fast-changing conversation, he would probably be dizzy by her sudden change in topic. But he still smiled, especially since the other even said Luo Jin¡¯s whole game name handle.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll tell them," he said. "Didn¡¯t you mention before that your brother will also participate in the Rookie Carnival? Did he also pass the preliminary?"


    "Yeah, he also passed. He¡¯s that golden dragon, the one calling himself Dragnar," Xia Li said. "Although he¡¯s currently leading in the betting pool, please, tell Noctis that I bet on him to win the whole tournament."


    Bai Ze was first surprised to know that Xia Li¡¯s brother was such a powerful rookie. But he was even more surprised that she was actually supporting his cousin instead of her own brother.


    As Luo Yan¡¯s cousin, of course, he was happy that someone believed in his ability and decided to give him their support. But thinking of how it¡¯s Xia Li, he felt a bit sour in his heart. Especially since the other had been mentioning his cousin from time to time whenever they¡¯re together. He couldn¡¯t help but think that she might be interested in Luo Yan in that way.


    He reasoned that he was probably just worried since Shen Ji Yun also liked Luo Yan. And that he didn¡¯t want his best friend to have a rival showdown with someone he had a good opinion of.


    It¡¯s probably better to clear that now. So, he asked, "Are you a fan of Noctis or do you actually, I mean, do you like him in that way?"


    Xia Li seemed surprised by his question based on the wide-eyed reaction she just had. Then, she suddenlyughed out loud and shook her head.


    "No, no, of course not. Does it look that way? To tell you the truth, I¡¯m actually shipping Noctis and your team¡¯s captain, YUN," she said in a secretive manner, as if afraid that others could hear what she just said. "Don¡¯t tell it to anyone, okay?"


    Now that was truly unexpected. So, she¡¯s not a simple fan but a CP fan? Bai Ze was actually relieved hearing that. Wait- why would he feel relieve? He shook his head. He probably already had an answer to that question. He was just not ready to admit it. Which was weird. Considering how envious he was of Shen Ji Yun for being in love.


    Man, he¡¯s probably still a big kid at heart.


    "Okay, I swear I won¡¯t tell," he only said.


    Xia Li grinned. "Then, I¡¯ll go ahead first. Thanks again for today."


    After Xia Li left, Bai Ze only remembered that Shen Ji Yun sent him a message. He opened his Message Tab and replied;


    White Marsh: [Sorry for thete reply. I¡¯m free right now. Why?]

 Chapter 627 a poor fish?

    WHEN Bai Ze opened his eyes, he was already standing on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s floating ind. The first thing he saw was the huge tree with white leaves falling down like snow. He had only been to this ce twice.


    First was when he found out that Shen Ji Yun actually bought an ind and he pestered the other to let him visit. The second time was when Shen Ji Yun was beingzy and he asked him to bring something to the ind. Because this friend of his was so stingy, he never had the chance to visit here again.


    He actually asked the other to give him a teleportation scroll for this ind, so, he could visit when he wanted a quiet ce to stay. But Shen Ji Yun actually rejected him, telling him that he didn¡¯t want other people to casually go to his ind when he¡¯s not there.


    He really considered terminating their friendship right there and then. Just kidding. If he would be offended just by that, he and Shen Ji Yun had long ended their friendship. Honestly, even he sometimes wondered if he was actually a saint for how patient he had been throughout the years that he had been friends with Shen Ji Yun.


    But, oh well, despite the other¡¯s personality, Shen Ji Yun had always been there for him during times that he really needed a friend. That¡¯s why he never regretted being friends with him.


    "Brother Ze!"


    That call stopped his thoughts. He automatically looked at the direction where it came from and saw his cousin waving at him. He raised one of his brows. He didn¡¯t expect to see Luo Yan here.


    His cousin was standing besides Shen Ji Yun and near them were two unfamiliar faces. One was a kid with five fox tails on his back and the other was an unconscious man. He wondered just who the two were. With Shen Ji Yun, well, being Shen Ji Yun, he would surely not allow any stranger to just enter his ind.


    Bai Ze just shrugged, there¡¯s no use asking about that when he could just ask his cousin or Shen Ji Yun. So, he walked towards the direction where the two were.


    "Xiao Yan, are those two your new friends?" he asked once he was standing near Luo Yan.


    "This big lion, can¡¯t you even recognize Eclipse?" the little boy said with a pout.


    Bai Ze was surprised at what the little boy said. Hearing the other call himself ¡¯Eclipse¡¯, he could only assume that this guy was that little fox. "When did you get this form?"


    Eclipse seemed to be very satisfied by his reaction. He stuck his chest out and raised his chin in a proud manner. "Eclipse was able to transform sincest week. Look, isn¡¯t Eclipse really cute?"


    Listening to the other¡¯s boasting, Bai Ze didn¡¯t expect that the little fox would have this kind of personality. But he still said, "Yes, Eclipse is very cute."


    This was the pet of his cousin after all. And considering how Luo Yan, and even Shen Ji Yun, were not reacting, the two were probably used to this little boy¡¯s attitude.


    "The big lion has a good eye for people."


    The corner of Bai Ze¡¯s lips twitched hearing that. Then, he nced at the still unconscious man. Thinking of how the little boy was Eclipse, he suddenly thought of a possibility.


    "Is this guy that dragon?" he asked.


    "Yes, it¡¯s Dusk," Luo Yan confirmed.


    "Howe both of them managed to transform into their humanoid forms?" Bai Ze asked. "Did you buy some ultra-high-quality Mana potion or something?"


    "Hey, big lion, Eclipse managed to transform because of his own ability. And uncle has always been able to transform. He was just injured before that¡¯s why Captain had to seal his ability so he could heal better and faster. Don¡¯t be so judgmental," Eclipse said in a dissatisfied tone.


    Bai Ze felt like the twitching of his eyelid just intensified because of what this fox boy had said. "Little cutie, this big brother is not being judgmental. I¡¯m just surprised seeing how cute and handsome the two of you are."


    "Hmp. Since you call Eclipse cute, he will reluctantly forgive you."


    "Thank you very much," Bai Ze said, thoroughly amused.


    Luo Yan was also amused seeing the interaction between the two. But they still have an important business to tackle.


    "Brother Ze, are you not wondering why Brother Ji Yun called you here?" he asked in a mysterious manner.


    Bai Ze¡¯s attention was fully transferred to Luo Yan because of the other¡¯s question. "I actually am. So, why am I here?" he responded, going along with his cousin¡¯s mystery ploy.


    "It¡¯s because we have a surprise for you," Luo Yan said, still keeping with the mystery. "You¡¯ll definitely like it."


    The keyword here was ¡¯we¡¯, which meant that Shen Ji Yun was also involved in preparing this surprise. Bai Ze nced at his friend who still looked as expressionless as ever. He wondered if the other was simply coaxed by Luo Yan to do this. After all, in their more than a decade of friendship, this guy had never done something like this.


    "Well, if Xiao Yan says so, then I can¡¯t wait to see it."


    "Then, Brother Ze should close his eyes first for aplete experience."


    Bai Ze closed his eyes with a helpless smile. "Whenever you¡¯re ready."


    He thought that he had to close his eyes for a few more minutes. But he didn¡¯t expect that it would only take a few seconds before Luo Yan told him to open his eyes.


    When he did, he just saw Shen Ji Yun handing him a red creature that was tied up like some poor fish about to be turned into a sashimi.


    "Ja-jaan!~ we found you a pet!"


    Hearing what Luo Yan said, Bai Ze had to take a second look at the ¡¯fish¡¯ and then his eyes immediately widened when he finally recognized what it was. "This... it¡¯s a dragon?"

 Chapter 628 more dog food

    "YES! We found him while doing a hidden task. Well, not actually found but more like abducted? Anyway, we needed some information, so I thought it would be faster if we just tortured it out of this guy. Of course, we didn¡¯t do that. Because, you know, animal cruelty is bad. I just made a very convincing argument. And this guy and I finally reached an agreement."


    Bai Ze didn¡¯t know why but when Luo Yan said ¡¯convincing argument¡¯, he had a feeling that it did involve torture. It¡¯s with the way his cousin said that in such a gleeful tone. As if he enjoyed this ¡¯argument¡¯ very much.


    He suddenly remembered the few times that he felt Luo Yan¡¯s ¡¯dark side¡¯. Should he be worried and tell it to his uncle? He shook his head. Nah, this was okay. This little dark side was better than being all na?ve and innocent.


    Bai Ze then nced at Shen Ji Yun. The other was looking at his cousin with a soft gaze, as if he was very proud of what Luo Yan just did. He shook his head. The phrase ¡¯hopelessly in love¡¯ really fit this guy right now.


    He looked at the small red dragon, all tied up and unconscious. Somehow, even though he still hadn¡¯t learned of what really happened, he already felt bad for this poor fellow.


    "Is this dragon a young dragon?" he thought of asking.


    The dragon was as small as Dusk when he still hadn¡¯t seen thetter¡¯s humanoid form. That¡¯s why he asked. Because looking at Dusk now, it¡¯s obvious that the other was a mature dragon.


    "Nope. He¡¯s probably more than a thousand years old. Well, ording to his NPC history, at least. I sealed his ability so the two of us could have a peaceful conversation. That¡¯s why he¡¯s in that size," Luo Yan responded. "If you want to unlock the seal, you can just ask Brother Ji Yun how."


    Again, Bai Ze felt that the conversation between the two was not so peaceful. He just chose to ignore that and asked instead, "Then, this dragon is your surprise to me?"


    "Yup. I remember Brother Ze is looking for a pet. Since, there¡¯s already a ready-made one here, I immediately thought of giving him to you. After all, it would be such a waste to just kill him."


    Bai Ze should be surprised on how nonchnt Luo Yan was while talking about killing someone, even if that someone was just an NPC made of a bunch of codes. But that was overshadowed by his feeling of being too moved by his cousin¡¯s thoughtfulness.


    At this moment, he still probably hadn¡¯t notice that his own blinders when it came to Luo Yan was also quite thick.


    He grabbed the tied-up dragon and said, "Thank you, Xiao Yan. You¡¯re right, I really love this surprise."


    Luo Yan grinned. "I knew you would. But Brother Ze, before you make a contract with him, try to wipe out his memory. With how he¡¯s designed, he would definitely not agree with a pet contract with you."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do something about that before making a contract with him," Bai Ze said. "Does this guy have a name?"


    "It¡¯s Rowan," Luo Yan answered.


    That¡¯s already a pretty okay name. ¨C Bai Ze thought. It seemed that there wasn¡¯t really any need to think of a new name.


    "Here," Shen Ji Yun said, throwing something at him.


    Bai Ze reflexively caught it with his free hand. When he looked at his palm, he saw some kind of seal stamp. "This is...?"


    "You just have to stamp on that dragon¡¯s forehead and his ability would be unsealed," Shen Ji Yun exined.


    Bai Ze looked down at the seal. "Well, it certainly lives up to the name."


    "Right? Buying such a cute item, Brother Ji Yun is so adorable," Luo Yan quipped.


    Adorable? Bai Ze nced at Shen Ji Yun and saw that the other was showing a helpless smile, his expression was full of indulgence towards Luo Yan. But when the other looked at him, his gaze was obviously warning him. As if telling him that only Luo Yan could call him ¡¯adorable¡¯.


    But who was Bai Ze? He had been friends with this guy for more than a decade. How could he afraid with a simple warning gaze? So, he grinned and said, "Yes, really adorable."


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "See? Even Brother Ze agrees with me."


    Shen Ji Yun smiled at Luo Yan but when he looked at Bai Ze, he only narrowed his eyes.


    So, Bai Ze, ying it smart, immediately bid his goodbye. "Then, I¡¯ll go ahead. Thank you again for the surprise."


    And he teleported out of there.


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing his cousin obviously running away. Probably scared that Shen Ji Yun would suddenly take out his sword from its sheath and hack him to death.


    "Eclipse also thinks that Captain is adorable," the little boy suddenly interjected.


    "Eclipse also thinks so?" Luo Yan asked, turning to the little boy.


    Eclipse nodded enthusiastically. "But Eclipse thinks that Captain is more handsome than adorable."


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun and smiled. "Yes, very handsome indeed."


    Shen Ji Yun just felt like his whole face just burst red at this moment. He could even feel how hot it was. As if steam woulde out of it at any second. He had already forgotten about Bai Ze teasing him. All he could see was the beautiful boy in front of him and the gentle smile that pulled him in.


    Then, at that moment, a white leaf was about to fall on Luo Yan¡¯s shoulder. He stretched out his hand to catch it. But his hand seemed to have its own mind and it simplynded on his rabbit¡¯s soft cheek.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was because of the atmosphere or because of the soft touch on his palm, but he just found himself saying;


    "In my eyes, you¡¯re the most beautiful."


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes widened, as if he didn¡¯t expect that he would have that kind ofeback.


    If that didn¡¯t pull his senses back, then, seeing Eclipse looking up at them with stars in his eyes certainly did. His blush intensified and he quickly took back his hand as if scalded.


    Eclipse showed a disappointed look. "Why stop? Eclipse still wanted more dog food!"

 Chapter 629 very tightly

    LUO YAN looked at the tower far ahead. He and Shen Ji Yun were standing at quite a long distance away from it, and yet, he could still see it so clearly. Showing just how tall it was. That¡¯s their target ¨C the ce where the oracle was staying.


    After lunch, the two of them rendezvous outside of Alryne City. They decided to meet there because there¡¯s a chance that Dusk had already regained consciousness. And if they met at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ind, where they left Dusk and Eclipse, the former might insist on going with them.


    So, from Alryne City, they teleported to Typhon. Unlike this morning, they didn¡¯t enter the valley in a straightforward manner. They did it as stealthily as possible until they reached the ce where they were at right now.


    It¡¯s a good thing that Shen Ji Yun had a lot of items that could hide their presence. The other¡¯s over preparedness really came in handy during times like this.


    "I don¡¯t see any guards. Also, there seemed to be no barrier surrounding it. Just like what that red dragon said," Shen Ji Yun said. "But we still can¡¯t becent and think that everything he told you was the truth. There¡¯s still a chance that he might have lied."


    Earlier, before Luo Yan put the red dragon to sleep, he squeezed him first with all the information he had. Especially those that could help them capture the oracle.


    ording to the red dragon, the oracle lived in a tower located just north of the valley. It¡¯s outside of Typhon and yet one couldn¡¯t get to it unless they passed by the valley. Rowan said that the oracle often stayed at the very top floor of the tower where a huge astrbe was located. He said that the oracle spent hours and hours there just so he could read the future.


    Which was highly unlikely, in Luo Yan¡¯s opinion. If he was indeed a dark mage, then, there¡¯s a high chance that he might not even be an oracle. He might just be using that identity to keep an eye on the dragon n.


    The older generation might have known what his real purpose there was. But the younger generation didn¡¯t. And so, they made up an identity for him. Which was the oracle. The red dragon didn¡¯t admit that straightforwardly. But when he said that they needed him because of their current queen, he might have as well admitted it.


    The fact that Rowan couldn¡¯t tell him everything regarding this oracle might mean that the other had something to do with the deal between the dragons and the dark mages. If it was for their queen ¨C Dusk¡¯s mother ¨C then, she¡¯s probably still not in perfect health. And just like what the red dragon said, they needed the oracle¡¯s help for that.


    Luo Yan actually wanted to meet with Dusk¡¯s mother. See if she was in control of all her faculties or if she was just a puppet of the dark mages. But it¡¯s much more important right now to have a ¡¯nice¡¯ talk with the oracle and find out all the details regarding that deal.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun who was standing beside him. The other was holding an item that was simr to a binocr, only that the distance it could see was much farther.


    He then suddenly remembered that thing the other did earlier. You know, holding his cheek and telling him he¡¯s the most beautiful ¨C which was very true by the way.


    At first, he was startled. Then, he felt his heart skipping a beat. If Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t step away on his own, he might have turned his head to the side and kiss the other¡¯s palm that was touching his cheek. After Shen Ji Yun stepped back, he didn¡¯t know if he should feel relieved that he wasn¡¯t able to do that or if he should feel regretful that he lost a chance to tease the other again.


    Anyway, it¡¯s always really surprising whenever Shen Ji Yun awakened his inner Casanova. But he liked it whenever the other does that. Seeing him asionally transform from an innocent cinnamon roll to a flirty Casanova was definitely thrilling. Like that feeling you get when you¡¯re on a roller coaster and it was about to dive from a high point.


    It made his actions unpredictable and Luo Yan was all for it. At least, their future together would be full of surprises.


    Anyway, back to business.


    "I know," he said, responding to what Shen Ji Yun said earlier. He turned his gaze back to the tower and narrowed his eyes. "There might be traps surrounding the tower."


    The only good thing here was that the red dragon told him that only the oracle lived in the tower and that other dragons were also not allowed inside. That meant that once they entered the ce, they only had to worry about the oracle himself.


    But then again, a lot of traps could still be waiting for them inside. That¡¯s why they both decided that the best entrance would be from the top of the tower. But they didn¡¯t think that the tower would be this tall.


    Entering the ce from above, their only choice was for Shen Ji Yun to change into his qilin beast form so they could fly. But in doing so, there was no way that Shen Ji Yun in his qilin form could just fly there unnoticed.


    Shen Ji Yun noticed the little frown on Luo Yan¡¯s face while looking at the tower and he immediately understood what the other was worried about. "Don¡¯t worry, we will still do this ording to n."


    Luo Yan turned to the other. "It seems that Brother Ji Yun has a way."


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun answered in an unwavering tone, showing that he was confident that whatever he¡¯s nning would work. "Yan Yan just has to hold onto me very tightly."


    Luo Yan was confused at first. But a minuteter, hepletely understood what he meant.

 Chapter 630 arrival at the tower

    LUO YAN was hugging Shen Ji Yun¡¯s neck, no, he should probably say a qilin¡¯s neck. When the other told him to hold onto him, he quickly got down on his knee and told him to climb on his back. Luo Yan did so without question. And the next thing he knew, they were already flying to the sky at a very high speed.


    Since they were already standing at a high vantage point, when Shen Ji Yun jumped up using unbelievable power, speed, and Mana, he quickly reached a point in the sky surrounded by clouds. Then, he changed to his qilin beast form.


    The other adjusted the size of his beast form to that of a horse to amodate Luo Yan who was riding on his back. Because if he transformed to a full size qilin, then, it would be like announcing to everyone their presence here.


    Purple lightning was discharged from the qilin¡¯s horns. Shen Ji Yun¡¯s qilin body moved at a very high speed towards the tower. As they did, the purple lightning hit every cloud in their wake. Soon, the sky turned dark and heavy rain fell. This sessfully covered them while trying to go towards the tower.


    Luo Yan only felt that he was riding a car travelling in a speed that would get him to be stopped by traffic enforcers. But it didn¡¯t scare him. Mainly because he liked thrilling rides. In fact, he wanted to squeal. But he stopped himself and just chose to bury his face on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s soft purple mane.


    When they reached the top of the tower, Shen Ji Yun hit it with a powerful lightning. Causing a hole to appear on the tower¡¯s roof. From a distance, it would only appear as if an ordinary lightning had struck it. Which was not too weird considering that it was raining heavily.


    He then changed to his humanoid form. While Luo Yan took out his Invisibility Cloak and covered the two of them with it.


    Shen Ji Yun jumped down on the hole with Luo Yan still on his back. He actually wanted to carry him again, princess style. But that would be too inconvenient in their situation right now. Still, feeling the other¡¯s warmth behind him, it still made him feel excited. Good thing he had good focus. Or else, he might have already made a mistake.


    Hended effortlessly. With the help of the cloak covering him and Luo Yan, the person, who was standing at the very center of the room and looking at the hole made by the lightning, didn¡¯t notice them.


    Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun observed this person. He was wearing a ck robe with a hood that covered the upper half of his face. Because the lower half of his face was smooth, it could be seen that his design was that of a young man. But he was a dark mage, so, who knew how old he really was.


    "There¡¯s no need to hide. Please, show yourself. If you wanted something from me, I¡¯m willing to listen. Maybe we coulde to an understanding," the dark mage suddenly said.


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun were not surprised by this reaction. If anyone saw the lightning that hit the top of the tower from afar, they would only think that it¡¯s a normal urrence. But if someone close, for example, someone staying inside the tower, saw it, they would never think that.


    Their first thought would be that someone intentionally attacked the tower. And if they didn¡¯t saw this person immediately, then the next conclusion would be that they were hiding their presence using some means.


    Because they already expected this, the two didn¡¯t panic. Especially after hearing what the other said. The dark mage only referred to one person. Which meant that he didn¡¯t know that there were two intruders in his tower. This situation was definitely to their advantage.


    To proceed to the next step of the n, Luo Yan removed the Invisibility Cloak from Shen Ji Yun while still having it cover himself. So, in the dark mage¡¯s eyes, it looked as if Shen Ji Yun appeared out of thin air.


    "A qilin. What a distinguished guest," the dark mage said, but the tone of his voice didn¡¯t seem like he was particrly impressed by the identity of his guest. "I heard themotion that happened this morning. They said you kidnapped one of the dragons. And now, you¡¯re here in my tower. May I ask the great Qilin the purpose behind this series of actions?"


    "For a friend," Shen Ji Yun simply answered.


    Before going here, Luo Yan told him to only give simple and ambiguous answers since he would be the one who would do most of the talking. And he agreed. Of course, it¡¯s not because he thought that his rabbit was always right. But because he honestly thought that it would be better that way.


    His job now was to keep the dark mage¡¯s attention to him. So that Luo Yan could do his part. If he messed up, then, their whole n would be affected.


    The dark mage nodded as if understood. "You¡¯re talking about the ck dragon," he said. It was not a question but rather a statement, showing that he was certain that Shen Ji Yun was talking about Dusk. "I have felt his awakening almost a month ago. You should be the one who freed him from being imprisoned in time. I thought it would take a while for him to recover, considering his injuries. But who would have thought that he would still have the energy to send his friend here? What good friendship the two of you have."


    The dark mage¡¯s voice was dry and had no hint of emotion in it. It¡¯s like he was just casuallymenting about the weather. He was obviously not afraid of Shen Ji Yun nor was he worried about the current situation he was in.


    This made Luo Yan feel apprehensive, as if things wouldn¡¯t go their way.

 Chapter 631 who?

    OF course, She Ji Yun had also noticed that there was something wrong with the dark mage¡¯s reaction. It¡¯s like he already knew that there was another person in this room besides the two of them, just waiting for a chance to apprehend him. But the dark mage seemed to not care.


    Shen Ji Yun could only think of two reasons for that. One, he was confident with his strength and believed that he could take on the two of them if they ever attacked. Or two, he simply didn¡¯t care about what was happening right now. As if things werepletely unrted to him.


    He had a feeling that it was a mixture of the two.


    This could either be a disadvantage or an advantage to them. A disadvantage because if this dark mage could really defend himself against him and Luo Yan, then, things would not really go ording to n. The advantage would be if the dark mage indeed didn¡¯t care, then, maybe they could reallye to an understanding. Just like what the dark mage had said earlier.


    Shen Ji Yun was sure that Luo Yan had also noticed this. So, he shook his head in a not so obvious way. Hoping that the other would see it and could understand the message he was trying to convey ¨C that the other should wait a bit more before proceeding to the next step of the n. Which was to do a surprise attack and capture the dark mage.


    He didn¡¯t have to worry about that because Luo Yan saw his little movement and also understood its meaning very clearly. Not really something impossible considering their high tacit understanding. And even if he didn¡¯t see that, he still wouldn¡¯t do the next step. Because just like Shen Ji Yun, he also thought that there was something wrong with this dark mage.


    Instead of being reckless, it¡¯s much more important to observe the dark mage and find out just what was so different about him. So, instead of walking towards the back of the dark mage, Luo Yan walked a bit further away just to be safe.


    There were still eight minutes before the effect of the Invisibility Cloak disappeared. He just hoped that before that time limit, Shen Ji Yun could somehow get the dark mage to talk. That way, they could get a clearer understanding of the other.


    Shen Ji Yun had the same thoughts. If this was before, he might just solve everything by force. But his experience during that Finnea¡¯s Curse task proved him that simply using brute force without using much of his brain wouldn¡¯t work. He didn¡¯t want to appear stupid in front of Luo Yan again.


    So, even though, he¡¯d much prefer to just use his brute strength to finish this hidden task, there¡¯s no problem if he had to use his brain.


    He looked at the dark mage in front of him. "Do you really think we coulde to an understanding?"


    The dark mage shrugged. "Why not? Isn¡¯t that better than fighting senselessly?"


    "As you said, I¡¯m that ck dragon¡¯s friend. Belonging to the group who caused most of his suffering, how exactly do you expect me to even trust your words?"


    Luo Yan liked where Shen Ji Yun was going with this. Acting indignant and showing distrust, all the while fishing for information. It would make the other less suspicious. Because he would think that Shen Ji Yun was only there to get justice for his friend. Which in turn would make this dark mage talk easily.


    It¡¯s a good thing that that really didn¡¯t need too much acting skills. Shen Ji Yun frowning a bit and sounding all serious were enough to pull that off.


    "Ah, so you know I¡¯m a dark mage. I didn¡¯t expect Rowan to actually talk. Your torture method must have been really effective."


    Again, this guy said that in such an uncaring manner that it¡¯s obvious having his identity as a dark mage revealed didn¡¯t faze him at all.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t speak and just stared at the dark mage.


    "I don¡¯t know how much Rowan told you, but, you¡¯re right, I¡¯m probably one of the people the ck dragon wanted to kill," the dark mage said before turning his head to the side, as if looking at a distance. They couldn¡¯t really tell because of the hood over his face. "After all, I¡¯m the one who froze him in time using the Eternal Lotus."


    Both Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan was surprised hearing that information. When they found out about the dark mages being involved to the things that happened in Dusk¡¯s past, they had already suspected that they were the ones responsible for the other being trapped in Silent Marsh. But they didn¡¯t expect that they would meet the direct culprit here.


    Shen Ji Yun quickly got over the surprise and asked the most important question, "Why didn¡¯t you kill him?"


    Luo Yan gave Shen Ji Yun a thumbs-up. That¡¯s also one of the things that had been bothering him. Why did the person who trapped Dusk in that cave not kill him? When he found out the deal between the dragons and the dark mages, his first thought was because they still needed him for something.


    And now the person responsible for that was here, they would finally know the answer.


    "Should I have killed him?" the dark mage asked back.


    "That¡¯s not the answer to my question," Shen Ji Yun replied.


    "And what would be the answer that you would like?"


    "The truth."


    "What if the ¡¯truth¡¯ I gave you was actually a lie?"


    "I will be the judge of that," Shen Ji Yun said. "And if I judge it to be a lie, then, I¡¯ll just force it out of you."


    The dark mage stopped and then chuckled after hearing that. "There¡¯s no need for that. I told you, I want us toe to an understanding," he said. "You ask why I didn¡¯t kill the ck dragon? It¡¯s simple, really."


    The corner of the dark mage¡¯s lips turned up, but somehow, that small smile looked as if it contained a lot of sadness. Then, he continued;


    "Because I didn¡¯t want Alina to be sad."


    Luo Yan¡¯s first thought when he heard that was ¨C ¡¯Who¡¯?

 Chapter 632 the one who ultimately caused her demise

    AS if knowing what he just said was confusing, the dark mage added, "Alina is the one these dragons are calling their queen."


    Although Luo Yan already kind of expected that after he used the process of elimination to figure out who this ¡¯Alina¡¯ was, it still kind of surprised him in a way. Then, it just felt confusing. Because why the heck would this dark mage care if Dusk¡¯s mother ended up sad after he killed her son or something?


    Don¡¯t tell him this was another dog blood drama where this dark mage ended up falling in love with the mother of his enemy? Because, really.


    "What does that have to do with anything?" Shen Ji Yun asked, thoroughly not understanding the connection between the dark mage not killing Dusk and him not wanting the other¡¯s mother to be sad.


    We should really not me Shen Ji Yun for this. Because he¡¯s not like Luo Yan who had rich imagination that coulde up with different dog-blood plots with just few information. If someone could describe Shen Ji Yun¡¯s imagination, then, they could onlypare it to aputer program that only ran in straight logic.


    The dark mage chuckled once again because of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s question, as if he was amused by his reaction. "I should just probably exin everything. I don¡¯t have much time left today to use this body, after all."


    Both Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan caught the key words in what the dark mage just said ¨C that he didn¡¯t have much time left today to use the body he had. But before any of the two could think of the possible meaning behind those words, the dark mage suddenly removed the hood covering the upper half of his face.


    What was revealed was a very a young man with ck hair, sickly white skin, and a very in face. All his features were in and unordinary. Except for his eyes. They were as dark as an abyss with red vertical pupils.


    "An archdemon?" Shen Ji Yun eximed after seeing the other¡¯s eyes.


    He had fought with an archdemon before in a dungeon raid. So, he knew that their eyes usually looked like the ones the dark mage had now.


    Luo Yan was hit by another surprise. He suspected that it must have been rted to the dark mage¡¯s eyes, that¡¯s why Shen Ji Yun said that. But how could this dark mage be an archdemon?


    "Yes, I am," the dark mage answered very calmly. "But also not."


    "What is it exactly, then?" Shen Ji Yun said with a bit of impatience in his voice.


    "I will exin everything. But first, I want yourpanion to show themselves. Whatever they were using to hide their presence, it probably wouldn¡¯tst long. My exnation would take quite a while. I¡¯d rather see all of my audience as I do so."


    Shen Ji Yun narrowed his eyes at the dark mage/archdemon. Of course, he didn¡¯t want to agree with this suggestion. What if everything was just a trap? Although, dying inside the game wasn¡¯t really much, it could still affect the progress of their hidden task.


    There¡¯s a chance that some of the information they had gathered so far might be negligible because of them dying. How could he let Luo Yan¡¯s efforts go to waste? Besides, he also didn¡¯t want to see an image of his rabbit dying even if it¡¯s just virtual reality.


    But before he could refuse this suggestion, Luo Yan had already removed the Invisibility Cloak and walked to his side.


    "Yan Yan¡ª"


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun and smiled. "It¡¯s okay, Brother Ji Yun. I don¡¯t think this guy is trying to trick us. If he really doesn¡¯t have much time, it¡¯s better to let him talk before that said time ran out."


    Besides, even if this was a trap, he wasn¡¯t worried to face the consequence of that. If their progress would be lost, then, so be it. They could work hard again to gain what they lost. But somehow, he believed that that wouldn¡¯t happen. Because his guts were telling him that this was not a trap and what the dark mage had said so far were all true.


    He just hoped he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Shen Ji Yun still didn¡¯t like this set-up. But at the end, he could only let out a frustrated sigh. This was what Luo Yan had decided. Knowing the other, he definitely did it after much thought. So, questioning his decision now would be like indirectly saying that he had no trust in his decision making. And he didn¡¯t want the other to feel that way.


    So, he could only be more vignt. At least, if this was really a trap, he would be ready to protect Luo Yan.


    The dark mage looked at them with interest that probablysted for a second, before his expression became cid.


    "Since I could now see the both of you, let me begin by telling my identity. This body standing in front of you belongs to one of the most trusted advisors of the Dark Saint. While the one speaking to you right now is me, the archdemon of gluttony ¨C Beelzebub. Do you understand?"


    At first hearing, what he said might appear confusing. Good thing the two were both smart people. They quickly understood what the dark mage, no, the archdemon meant. It could now be easily tied up to what the other said about not having much time left to use the body today.


    "You mean, you can inhabit this body during a specific time each day, am I correct?" Luo Yan asked to make sure.


    "Yes," the archdemon answered simply.


    "But why this body?" Luo Yan had to ask. "Or is this the only body you could inhabit?"


    The archdemon nodded. "A fragment of my soul identally attached itself to this body."


    Luo Yan suddenly guessed some things. The other inhabiting this dark mage¡¯s body, doing it so for a thousand years, and what he said earlier about not killing Dusk because of Alina.


    "Can you tell us your connection to all of this?" he asked.


    The archdemon looked at him and said in a very calm and impassioned voice, "I was Alina¡¯s lover. The archdemon who ultimately caused her demise."

 Chapter 633 an archdemons tale (i)

    IN short, he was Dusk¡¯s father. ¨C That was the first thing that came to Luo Yan¡¯s mind once he heard the archdemon¡¯s confession. Now, this was totally unexpected. It¡¯s like a curve ball that hit him out of nowhere.


    If the other was really Dusk¡¯s father, then, it would exin most of the things that he had said. Especially the part about not killing Dusk because it would make Alina sad. But as some points were answered, a lot of new questions arose.


    Like how did a fragment of his soul attached itself on the body of this dark mage? Was the dark mage there when he died and as ast resort to stay alive, he broke his soul and let that fragment enter the body of the nearest avable person? And if he had already attached that soul fragment during the war, then, what had he been doing in the next thousand years?


    As if reading his mind, the archdemon ¨C Beelzebub ¨C continued with his tale.


    "When that old geezer and I fought, I used a puppet I made of myself and put a piece of my soul fragment in it. That soul fragment contained half of my demonic energy. I needed to do that so it would appear more like me. Because I knew the geezer wouldn¡¯t believe it¡¯s me he was fighting if I didn¡¯t do that.


    "I knew that if I fought him, I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back and I might just end up killing him. Which I couldn¡¯t do because of Alina. Somehow, dragons have this weird attachment to their blood rted kins. So, if I kill her father, Alina might hate me. And I didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    "Because of that, I lost the fight. But I didn¡¯t mind that much. As long as that old geezer thought that I was dead, the, Alina and I could move more freely and our n to go somewhere these dragons wouldn¡¯t be able to track us would proceed more smoothly. But s, things didn¡¯t go as nned.


    "After my puppet was defeated, the soul fragment containing half of my demonic energy should flow back to me. But before it could reach me, I was ambushed by an army of dark mages and was trapped inside a formation specially made for the archdemon of gluttony.


    "Due to half of my strength being gone, it was much easier for them to trap me. I know what would happen next. They would extract my demonic energy. Fighting would be futile at that situation. I would only waste my energy trying. So, I just did the next best thing. I made sure that they wouldn¡¯t get what they wanted.


    "I sealed my demonic energy within me in a way that if anyone tried to extract it, the energy would vanish by itself. The moment it leaves my body, it would disappear without a trace. But because of that, it also sealed my soul and put me into eternal slumber.


    "With my remaining strength, I grabbed the arm of the nearest dark mage and put a marker on his soul. This marker would act like a beacon for my wandering soul fragment and would attach itself to it once found. That was how my soul fragment ended up in this body.


    "Why did I do that? Because I wanted to know what this group of mages nned to do with my demonic energy. Most importantly, it was the only way I could think of to continue my existence. I needed to exist, so I could see Alina again. But fully having control of this body was harder than I thought it would be.


    "I found out that it was because the owner of this body literally sold his soul to the Dark Saint. He was under a very high-level master-servant contract. The type where the moment he tried to betray the Dark Saint, he would immediately die. It took a while before I was able to get around it. And even when I first did, I was only able to for a few seconds.


    "It took more than a thousand years before I could achieve the result I have today. Now, I could fully control this body for ten hours while also influencing the owner¡¯s memory. Creating new ones that could fill in the gaps during the time that I was the one in charge of the body.


    "It was a good thing that despite my slow progress, I was privy to this dark mage¡¯s memories. With that, I quickly found out the reason why they wanted to take my demonic energy. It was to prolong the Dark Saint¡¯s life. Apparently, he was heavily injured by a nine-tailed kitsune. If not for his dark magic, he would have probably died.


    "They then performed a massacre on the demon foxes, taking their Mana. It¡¯s not only revenge for injuring the Dark Saint, they also wanted to see if such a sacrifice would be enough to heal him. But it apparently wasn¡¯t. Seeing as how they moved their next target to me ¨C an archdemon.


    "I couldn¡¯t say that they made the wrong choice. After all, the full power of an archdemon¡¯s Mana is unimaginable. We¡¯re not just ordinary fallen angels. We were archangels, beings who were once closest to god. And among the seven archdemons, I, the archdemon of gluttony had the most Mana reserve.


    "It¡¯s because of the sin I¡¯m representing ¨C gluttony. I couldn¡¯t stop being hungry for demonic energy. I fight with other demons, consume their Mana, and make it my own. It¡¯s my curse as an archdemon. Just like how the other archdemons have their own curse. As such, it was no wonder that these dark mages chose me among the seven.


    "But as I have already mentioned earlier, they failed. They took my body back to Achaeus, thinking of ways on how to extract the demonic energy within it. But they couldn¡¯t think of a way on how to do it.


    "Then, they discovered that someone connected to me by blood actually exist. A son, in fact. And he became their next target."

 Chapter 634 an archdemons tale (ii)

    LUO YAN only felt that he had been hit by one big information after another. It¡¯s like a bomb just detonated and another bomb exploded right after. He didn¡¯t know what he should process first.


    How Beelzebub, man, that name was just, anyway, how the archdemon¡¯s soul fragment attached itself to the dark mage¡¯s body. From how he split a part of his soul to contain half of his demonic energy to his defeat against Alina¡¯s father, and finally to the ambush of the dark mages.


    There was also that fact that all of this started because of the life-threatening injury that Kagetsuki inflicted on the Dark Saint. No, that only happened because that bastard kidnapped Kagetsuki¡¯s lover. It¡¯s only right for her to do that.


    But because of that, the dark mages serving him had to think of a way to prolong his life. And being the viin that they were, their first thought was to go and massacre the demon foxes and steal their Mana. Luo Yan even had a feeling that they were nning to steal the Elementum. But because it disappeared the moment Kagetsuki died, they weren¡¯t able to.


    And it ended up with the dark mages deciding on the archdemon with the most Mana ¨C Beelzebub. Ah, really, he couldn¡¯t with this guy¡¯s name.


    "It just so happened that the kid waged war against the dark mages. And so, they took advantage of that," the archdemon continued.


    "And they made that deal with the dragons," Luo Yan added on his own. "Can you tell us the entirety of that deal?"


    "Simple, really. The dragons would give incapacitate the kid and give him to the dark mages. Like a dish served on a hot tter. Those mages were trying to be careful, you see? They didn¡¯t want another repeat of what happened with me. In return, the dark mage would heal Alina. That¡¯s the full extent of that deal."


    That wasn¡¯t so far off from what Luo Yan had already suspected. But there was just something that had been nagging at him since hearing the things that the archdemon had said. Especially after the other confirmed himself that he knew about the deal between the dragons and the dark mages.


    "You knew about the deal and you let it happen?" he asked.


    The archdemon said earlier that he did something to prevent Dusk from being killed. That meant, at that point, he was already able to use the dark mage¡¯s body to some extent. And yet, he didn¡¯t do anything to stop the betrayal that Dusk would experience.


    The archdemon tilted his head and asked, "Why shouldn¡¯t I? What they did was in my favor. I also wanted to heal Alina." Then, as if realizing something he suddenly asked, "Are you angry that I¡¯m not giving priority to the kid?"


    It did anger Luo Yan that this guy seemed to not care about Dusk. Even the act of sparing the other¡¯s life, he only did because of Alina. But seeing the genuine curiosity on the archdemon¡¯s face when he asked that question made him paused.


    "We are his friends. As his friend, seeing his father not caring about him kind of pisses me off," he only said. "So, why do you not care about your own son?"


    "You do know that I¡¯m an archdemon, right? The seven of us, we severelycked emotions. Except for the feelings that are naturally affected by our curse, it¡¯s hard to make us feel any other emotions. That included how we feel about other people or theck thereof.


    "We don¡¯t see a child born from us as something precious. They¡¯re just something that exist. Akin to a tree or a cloud. The only thing that could directly affect us emotionally are our destined person. Once we saw them, our dead heart will beat once again. And I meant that literally. For me, that person was Alina. From the moment I met her, she had and always will be my priority. I will never apologize for choosing her."


    Luo Yan stopped himself from rolling his eyes because of that statement. If that was the case, then, this guy should have made it sure that he wouldn¡¯t knock up Alina. That way the two of them could remain in their two persons world.


    He told himself to calm down. Being pissed off here wouldn¡¯t really help. And besides, this was not entirely this archdemon¡¯s fault. He was designed to be this way. So, really, the ones he should really me were the game devs.


    "And, did they heal the current dragon queen at least?" he chose to ask about that.


    Because frankly, if he dived into details about the other¡¯s rtionship with Dusk or theck thereof, they might just go to a long-ass debate. Which they couldn¡¯t have right now. Because they were currently racing against time. The faster they finished this conversation, the better. After all, the real dark mage might emerge and the archdemon would lose control over the body. That would be a big problem.


    Something dark shed in the archdemon¡¯s eyes as Luo Yan asked that question.


    "Those bastards didn¡¯t fully heal her. They fixed her injury but left her in a semi-awake state. They even tied her soul in a way that she wouldn¡¯t be able to go against them on her own free will. So, I volunteered to be sent here under the guise of monitoring the dragon n and making sure that they wouldn¡¯t be the dark mages¡¯ enemy.


    "I spent most of my time all these years trying to untangle the chain they had on her soul. It was a slow process. I¡¯m currently already at the veryst step. But my Mana is not enough topletely do it. I need the other half of my demonic energy. In short, I need to return to my original body."


    "Why are you telling us that?" Luo Yan scoffed. "You¡¯re not asking us help you, right? Because that would be the height of shamelessness."


    "I¡¯m not asking help," the archdemon said. "I¡¯m going to propose a deal. You help me bring my body here and I will help the kid remember all of his memories of the past."


    As if on cue, a notification suddenly sounded inside Luo Yan¡¯s head.


    [Congrattions, dear yers for triggering a side task!]

 Chapter 635 scum father

    [GO to ind of Achaeus and get Beelzebub¡¯s body. Once the archdemon of gluttony returns in his full glory, this side task will be done. You might even receive a generous gift from Beelzebub.]


    [You¡¯re almost at thest leg of this hidden task ¨C ¡¯Awakening Dragon¡¯. Once you finished this side task, you¡¯ll be done. Good luck, dear yers! Don¡¯t worry, there are good rewards waiting for you.]


    Once the milky voice of the Gamekeeper disappeared, Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun and the other also did the same. Shen Ji Yun nodded at him, the meaning in his eyes was obvious. Whatever he decided to do, he would follow. So, Luo Yan could only smile helplessly.


    Really, once the two of them became an official couple, the chances of them fighting were very low. Because this guy would just give in to everything he wanted. If he was just a little bit bad-hearted, he might end up ruining this guy.


    Good thing he had always believed in equality when it came to rtionship. Besides, he might not be a purely innocent person with a heart of gold, but he was confident that he would never take advantage of people he cared about. He only does that to people who deserved it.


    Anyway, this hidden task. Truthfully, Luo Yan didn¡¯t want to do it. He didn¡¯t want to do anything that could make this archdemon feel better. But this ¡¯deal¡¯ that the other proposed suddenly became a side task. If they didn¡¯t agree to do it, the game might consider their hidden task was iplete. And the Gamekeeper did say that this was thest leg of the hidden task. After they did this, this task would finally be finished.


    He looked at the archdemon in front of them. Although, he had no choice but to agree, that didn¡¯t mean he would make it easy andfortable for this archdemon.


    "How could we be certain that you would fulfill your end of the deal?" he asked.


    "As I¡¯ve said already, I will do anything for Alina. Getting my body is, first and foremost, for her. So, you don¡¯t have to worry that I will not do my end of the deal."


    The deal the other mentioned was them taking his body from Achaeus and him helping Dusk get his memories back. In a sense, once this deal was achieved, they would really fulfill the requirements to finish the hidden task.


    But truthfully, he didn¡¯t want Beelzebub to meet Dusk if possible. This bastard just didn¡¯t give off a fatherly vibe. He might just hurt the already emotionally wounded dragon. After all, even if Dusk grew up without parents, there was probably still a little hope in his heart that if they were alive, they would love him.


    But this archdemon obviously didn¡¯t. His only concern was Alina. The female dragon might be different and have some motherly love for Dusk. But the fact that she fell in love with this archdemon and even made a baby with him showed just how much shecked sense. Letting her meet Dusk might do more harm than good.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t really that attached towards Dusk the same way he was with Eclipse. But after knowing that Shen Ji Yun was probably seeing some parallels with his own to situation to that of the dragon, he couldn¡¯t help but care.


    "Why do you need our help in getting your body back?" he thought of asking. "Can¡¯t you just traipse there on your own and take it?"


    "If I could, I wouldn¡¯t be making this deal," the archdemon said with a bit of sarcastic tone in his voice.


    They didn¡¯t hear a more detailed exnation which only irritated Luo Yan. He took a deep breath and just told himself to calm down.


    "How will you help our friend regain back his memories?" he asked, talking about Dusk. It¡¯s better to just talk about that. But the moment he asked that question, he suddenly realized something. "How did you know that he lost his memories? Are you the one responsible for that?"


    "Yes," the archdemon didn¡¯t deny it. "You could say that I ¡¯ate¡¯ it. It¡¯s one of my abilities as the archdemon of gluttony. But I don¡¯t want to go into details about that. Just know that I could return his memories back to him."


    This ability... Luo Yan had a feeling that this guy could probably eat anything. That would actually exin how he could control the body of the dark mage he was currently inhabiting.


    The other did say that the dark mage was in some kind of master-servant contract with the Dark Saint. If he could go around that, maybe he had slowly ¡¯eaten¡¯ that contract until he could have control to this extent. But one could also see that the contract must be very strong. Because it took him so many years just to reach this level of control over the body. While it probably only took a minute to ¡¯eat¡¯ Dusk¡¯s memories.


    That most likely had something to do with the fact that there were no restrictions on Dusk¡¯s memories. Therefore, it was much easier for the weaken archdemon to ¡¯eat¡¯.


    But that¡¯s not really the main point right now.


    "Why did you do it? Was there really a need for you to ¡¯eat¡¯ his memories?" he asked.


    "I was nning to let him meet Alina once she was fully healed. I took away his memories because I want him to meet his mother without all the hatred in his heart. That way, he wouldn¡¯t hurt Alina."


    Man, this bastard was really selfish. All he could think of was Alina this and Alina that. He never once considered Dusk. What a scum of a father. Luo Yan was really closed to punching this guy.


    He took a deep breath and calmed himself.


    "We will do this deal. But I have conditions," he said.


    The archdemon showed an almost imperceptible frown. "Returning the kid¡¯s memories is not enough?"


    "Of course not. Didn¡¯t you say that Alina is the most important thing to you? Then, you must also be willing to do anything to get her back to normal. Am I right?" Luo Yan then smiled sweetly at the archdemon. "Or was all that just lip service and your so-called love only amounted to this much?"

 Chapter 636 haggling (or should we call it conning?)

    SHEN JI YUN nced at Luo Yan who was happily whistling a tune as they walked away from the valley of dragons. He looked like someone who just won the lottery. Well, with the things he asked of the archdemon, that was almost the case.


    Why, you asked? Let¡¯s go back a few minutes ago when they were still at the top of the tower.


    =====


    The face of the archdemon visibly darkened after Luo Yan said those words. Looking at his face, Shen Ji Yun could tell that the other probably didn¡¯t like what Luo Yan was trying to insinuate ¨C that he didn¡¯t love Alina that much. For an NPC programmed to only care about one person, saying something like that was certainly a taboo.


    This kind of situation suddenly reminded him of his mother. Giving all your heart to one person to the point that it could no longer amodate anyone else. Not yourself nor others. That¡¯s why when his father died, it broke his mother apart. Even now, she still remained as a broken version of her former self.


    Shen Ji Yun was there to witness her mother¡¯s destruction. It was a pretty traumatic experience for a child his age. If not for his uncle, maybe he would be unable to heal those emotional and psychological wounds.


    He vowed to himself back then that he wouldn¡¯t be like his mother. He wouldn¡¯t give everything to just one person. He wouldn¡¯t let be himself be destroyed by the emotion called ¡¯love¡¯. But after experiencing that emotion himself, he couldn¡¯t say the same now.


    He secretly nced at Luo Yan. The other was smiling sweetly at the archdemon while his eyes were filled with smugness. He liked this kind of look. Like a proud rabbit with his chin held up high and his hands on his waist.


    Just like that, Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t help but feel that if it was Luo Yan, then he wouldn¡¯t mind giving him his everything. A helpless smile appeared on his handsome face. It turned out that there¡¯s more of his mother in him than he thought.


    "What do you want?"


    The archdemon¡¯s voice interrupted Shen Ji Yun¡¯s thoughts. He turned to Luo Yan, waiting for the other¡¯s answer. Because he was also curious as to what his rabbit would ask of the archdemon.


    "First, when giving back my friend¡¯s memories, I don¡¯t want you to show yourself in front of him. Who knows what you would identally say? Being someone who doesn¡¯t care about anyone but your treasured person, you will definitely say something that will hurt him. I¡¯m sure a great archdemon such as yourself could do something so simple as not showing your presence while giving him back his memories, right?"


    The archdemon didn¡¯t answer. But his silence was already telling that he was acquiescing.


    So, Luo Yan continued.


    "Second, I want you to give both of us a treasure that you think is equivalent to the value of your Alina. Of course, that doesn¡¯t include the reward you will give us for getting your body back."


    Shen Ji Yun nced at Luo Yan who was obviously ripping off the archdemon for all his worth and he could only shake his head in amusement. Really, seeing this side of his rabbit always brought a smile on his lips.


    He turned to the archdemon whose face looked like it would drip ink at any second because of how dark his expression was.


    "There¡¯s no treasure that could be of equal value to Alina."


    Luo Yan seemed to have expected that answer because he quickly responded;


    "How about a level below that? Since, as your said, there¡¯s no treasure that could be of equal value to Alina. Then, we¡¯re willing to ept something with a lower value. Surely there are some treasures out there that are of lower value to her."


    Even if Luo Yan said ¡¯lower value¡¯, it would definitely be something of high quality. Because if the archdemon gave something that¡¯s not up to standard, it¡¯s almost like he¡¯s saying that Alina¡¯s value was only that. So, he would definitely give something that would prove that her value was immeasurable.


    Shen Ji Yun could tell that Luo Yan was really hellbent on ripping-off this archdemon. This guy definitely pissed off Luo Yan. If not, then his rabbit wouldn¡¯t be showing his ck-bellied side right now.


    The archdemon was silent again. But this silence also meant that he was agreeing. In which Luo Yan only smiled again.


    "And finally, give us something that could help us destroy Achaeus. A spell or an item is fine. As long as it could help us easily destroy the ind." When there was no objection from the archdemon, Luo Yan continued, "If you have no objection to the conditions I offered, then, let¡¯s put it all in a contract. Don¡¯t worry. We will get your body back before tomorrow ends. So, what do you say? Should we make that contract now?"


    The archdemon stared at Luo Yan with narrowed eyes. Before letting out an annoyed sigh. Then, he swished his hand and a piece of parchment appeared in his hand. "Fine. Let¡¯s sign a contract. Just make sure that you will indeed deliver my body here by tomorrow. If you fail. I think you already have an idea of what I will do to you and your friends."


    Luo Yan only showed an insincere smile. "Sure."


    =====


    Luo Yan must have noticed his gaze, because he suddenly looked back at him and asked, "What¡¯s wrong, Brother Ji Yun?"


    "Nothing. It just seemed like you thoroughly enjoyed haggling with the archdemon," Shen Ji Yun onlymented. Although what Luo Yan did was more of conning the archdemon instead of haggling with him.


    Luo Yan grinned. "Of course, we go a lot of benefits with just a little effort. Who wouldn¡¯t be happy with that?"


    "I feel like that¡¯s not only the reason," Shen Ji Yun said with a teasing tone.


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Seeing that bastard¡¯s annoyed face was a definitely a bonus."


    "Well, it¡¯s certainly funny seeing him trying to rein in his anger."


    "Right?" Luo Yan said. "Anyway, shall we go to our next destination?"


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips curved into a small smile. "Yes, let¡¯s go to Achaeus."

 Chapter 637 destroy everything

    THEnd of Achaeus was located on a lone ind on the southern seas. It was quite isted from the rest of Arcadia. With nothing but endless blue ocean surrounding it. Luo Yan was d for this kind of setting. At least once they tried to blow up the ind, no one would be affected. Only the fishes made of data would.


    He closed his eyes and felt the sea breeze on his face. Once he opened his eyes, he looked towards the wide blue sea. They were currently on a small ship anchored in the middle of the sea. This ship belonged to team Yunyue. Shen Ji Yun took it out from their team¡¯s treasury just so they could use it for today.


    After they went back to the other¡¯s ind to take Dusk and Eclipse with them, they headed straight to Calnia Port ¨C the harbor located on the South Coast of Arcadia. Shen Ji Yun then took out a crystal globe with a ship inside. Luo Yan was surprised when the other threw it on the ocean and it became a literal ship. They, then, embarked towards thend of Achaeus.


    Frankly speaking, it would be much faster if they just flew there on Dusk¡¯s back. But the other was still affected by the conversation they had with the red dragon this morning. As evidence of his silence. Luo Yan was not so heartless that he would let someone who was obviously down to be their mode of transportation.


    Besides, there was also a chance that those dark mages could spot them. After all, a dragon was very eye-catching. Not to mention, Dusk was the dragon that the dark mages should be most familiar with.


    It¡¯s the same way that he didn¡¯t even consider the option of Shen Ji Yun flying them there. Because a qilin was almost no different from a dragon. They were both attention grabbing.


    And since they couldn¡¯t directly teleport there, the ship was the next best thing. The only disadvantage they got was that their travel time visibly slowed. When they were about four-five kilometers away from their destination, they stopped and anchored the ship near a small ind. Using it as some sort of shield just in case those from Achaeus spotted them.


    Luo Yan was standing on the deck of the ship, looking down at the map given to them by Beelzebub. It¡¯s one of the few useful things that the archdemon gave them as preparation for sneaking inside the ind.


    The map he was holding was the map of Achaeus. It showed the terrain and different infrastructures inside the ind. This was not a simple map. If one touch a particr building or ce, it would show the detailed parts of the said ce.


    Their final destination was one of the temples inside. ording to this map, it was called the Obsidian Temple. It¡¯s where Beelzebub¡¯s body was being kept. He touched it and it showed the map of the temple.


    There was a step-by-step guide on how they would go to the spot where the body was. There were even notes on what they should avoid, so they wouldn¡¯t trigger things like traps and the likes. With this, getting the body was almost as easy as taking candy from a kid.


    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be really that easy. A lot of factors could stille into y that might ruin this. That¡¯s why it¡¯s still better to exercise caution.


    But he must say, the archdemon had really prepared a lot. From the secret passages on the ind to how one could safely enter and exit it. It could be seen how thoroughly his preparation was. It probably took years and years just to achieve this.


    Honestly, even if it¡¯s not the four of them, anyone could probably take Beelzebub¡¯s body out of the ind. So, why wait for this moment and not just asked somebody else? Maybe he could have healed Alina much earlier if he did.


    Then, he suddenly realized something important. This was a game and the archdemon was an NPC. Taking out his body was part of the hidden task ¨C Awakening Dragon. He needed to wait for someone to trigger that task and find him at that tower for him to make that deal. Which in turn became a side task.


    Really, the graphics in this game was just too realistic that he couldn¡¯t help but think of the NPCs here as real people. Even applying real-life logic to them.


    He closed the map and put it back in his Items Tab. Just after doing that, he heard a voice from the side.


    "Mashter, is Captain still not back?"


    Luo Yan nced down at Eclipse who was staring up at him. "I think he¡¯ll be back soon."


    Shen Ji Yun was currently on the ind near them, observing Achaeus. Most likely using that binocr-like item he had used earlier. The other had mentioned to him that the range it could see reached up to five kilometers. So, he could see Achaeus from here perfectly.


    "How¡¯s your uncle?" he asked, referring to Dusk.


    The little boy immediately pouted. "Uncle is inside the ship. He¡¯s still depressed. He doesn¡¯t even react when Eclipse was annoying him."


    Luo Yan put his hand on top of the hat Eclipse was wearing and gently patted it. "Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be back to normal soon and he¡¯ll banter with you again."


    "Eclipse also hopes so," Eclipse said with a sad look on his face.


    "He will. I promise," Luo Yan said,forting the kid. "Besides, we¡¯re going to do something tomorrow that will definitely cheer him up."


    Eclipse appeared confuse at first before a look of enlightenment appeared on his face. As if just realizing what his master meant.


    "Ah, we¡¯re going to kill a lot of dark mages tomorrow!"


    Luo Yan smiled. "Yes. We¡¯re going to take revenge for what they have done to your parents and the rest of your tribe. And then," he looked at the distance as if seeing the ind of Achaeus itself. "We¡¯re going to destroy everything."

 Chapter 638 a husband worrying about his wife

    SHEN JI YUNnded on the deck of the ship like a weightless feather. He looked forward and saw Luo Yan with Eclipse.


    "How was it?" Luo Yan quickly asked, walking towards him.


    "Just like what Beelzebub just told us, the ind is not visible to the naked eye," he started. "But with the help of the special goggles he gave us, I was able to see the whole ind."


    It¡¯s like a thick fog was lifted from his eyes and the ind appeared from the lens of the binocr he¡¯s holding. Just like Luo Yan earlier, Shen Ji Yun also thought that the archdemon had really prepared everything for this task. As in, everything that they might need. Which was a good thing. At least, things would be much easier for them.


    Luo Yan nodded. There were only two of those goggles. Which was enough. He and Shen Ji Yun could have one each. Then, they could simply lead Eclipse and Dusk to the hidden entrance that Beelzebub had created.


    "It would probably be best if we could nt those Mana bombs tonight," he said.


    They were the ones given by the archdemon when he asked about something that could destroy the ind. The other gave it so readily that Luo Yan felt that he probably had long wanted to use it.


    The archdemon said that it¡¯s best to nt the bombs the night before they sneaked into the ind. Because, ording to him, it would have a stronger impact once they¡¯re activated if they did that. He even marked the map, telling them where to bury the bombs.


    The marks he made on the map made a pattern ¨C a pentagram inside a circle. Luo Yan had a hunch that this was another method that Beelzebub made to make the effect of those Mana bombs much stronger.


    But there¡¯s a question that kept on lingering in his mind right after he saw those marks. Why didn¡¯t the archdemon just buried those bombs himself? Considering how long he had stayed in the body of that dark mage, surely, he had all the time in the world to do that.


    One of the things he could think of was that the bombs wouldn¡¯t have the same effect if they were not nted the night or even a day before they were activated. There¡¯s also a chance that it¡¯s because there¡¯s something on the ind that could detect an item like a Mana bomb that¡¯s why the archdemon didn¡¯t nt them beforehand. Or maybe he was simply programmed to wait for someone to do it for him.


    In any case, Luo Yan wondered what would the other do if he didn¡¯t ask him for something like those Mana bombs. Would he nt it himself right after he returned to his original body? That¡¯s probably the most likely scenario.


    But how could he agree on that? In terms of people who had the right to take revenge on those dark mages, Eclipse should be at the top of the list. How could he deprive the little fox of the chance to finally take revenge on the people who killed his parents?


    "It would be better to do itter this evening," he added to what he said earlier. "If Brother Ji Yun is not busy, we could go onler and do it."


    It¡¯s already near dinner time. So, he had to log out soon. It would probably take an hour or two before he could log in again.


    "No, it¡¯s okay. Yan Yan could just rest tonight. I can do it alone," Shen Ji Yun said, looking at him with a gentle gaze.


    "Are you sure? I¡¯m not really that tired. It¡¯s fine if I y againter," he said.


    "We have been ying since this morning. And tomorrow, I¡¯m sure we had to y for a long time again. At least, try to rest for tonight," Shen Ji Yun said, still trying to persuade him. The worry in his eyes was very obvious.


    Well, it¡¯s true that he had been in this game since early morning up to now - which was nearing six in the evening. His only break was during lunch time. If he logged in againter, his umted ying for today would exceed 10 hours.


    As long as there¡¯s an intermittent break in between, ying that long wasn¡¯t so bad. It would only be bad if one exceeded ying six hours without taking a break. But he understood Shen Ji Yun¡¯s worry. He¡¯s probably just worried about his body. After all, this must be the longest the two of them spent inside the game just doing a task.


    His umted ying time during the weekend only usuallysted for about six/seven hours. This was the first time that he actually almost reached 10 hours. And considering his still ¡¯fragile¡¯ body, it¡¯s no wonder that Shen Ji Yun would worry.


    But before he could answer, Eclipse had already beaten him to it.


    "Captain, you sounded like a husband worrying about his wife," the little boy said while holding both his cheeks and looking at them with stars in his eyes. "Oh no! That¡¯s probably not the right analogy since you and Mashter are still not married. Then, Eclipse should have probably said, Captain is worrying about his lover. Right?"


    Luo Yan was simply speechless.


    While Shen Ji Yun¡¯s whole face had already turned bright red. The words, ¡¯husband¡¯, ¡¯wife¡¯, ¡¯marriage¡¯, and ¡¯lover¡¯ kept echoing in his mind. Then, his own silly thoughts started to wander along the lines of, ¡¯is he and Yan Yan going to get married?¡¯.


    "Eclipse," Luo Yan called in a bit of helpless tone. "Don¡¯t make trouble."


    The little boy only turned to him in a confused manner, as if he couldn¡¯t understand why his master was telling him to not make trouble.


    Luo Yan shook his head and just turned to Shen Ji Yun. As expected, the other looked like a boiled shrimp because of how red his face was. To save the other from embarrassment, he just brought the topic about the other taking care of nting the Mana bombs by himself.


    "Brother Ji Yun, is it really alright to do all that on your own?"


    Shen Ji Yun still hadn¡¯t return yet to his senses, so, he wasn¡¯t able to quickly respond. Thankfully, someone else responded in his ce.


    "I¡¯ll go with him."


    They all turned towards the source of the voice and saw Dusk.

 Chapter 639 if you only know

    LUO YAN woke up feeling all refreshed. He fell asleep rather earlyst night. He thought that he could still exchanged messages with Shen Ji Yun before the other logged into the game again. But after having dinner and washing up, the moment heid down on hisfy bed, he immediately fell asleep.


    He was probably much more mentally tired than he realized. It¡¯s like something in front of theputer for hours and only standing up when they really needed to. He should pace himself properly next time.


    He wondered if Shen Ji Yun and Dusk managed to sessfully nt all the bombsst night. After that embarrassing interlude because of Eclipse, the ck dragon walked to the deck and told them that he would go with Shen Ji Yun.


    If this was before, he might be worrying if the two could get along with each other. But after the obvious breakdown that Dusk had, he was more worried if the other would be stable enough to do this task.


    Then again, Shen Ji Yun was there. So, there¡¯s probably nothing to worry about. Hopefully.


    Luo Yan stood up and went to his bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. Then, he proceeded on doing his usual morning exercises. After that, he rested for about 20 minutes before showering. He then went to his walk-in closet to change tofortable home clothes.


    He was about to go out when his eyesnded on the measuring scale. He suddenly remembered that it was more than two weeks ago since hest measured his height. He wondered if he grew taller again. Because of the many things happening these past two weeks, he hadn¡¯t really noticed. But he hoped that he did. Even a centimeter would make him happy.


    When he measured his height, his eyes widened a bit when he saw the result. Because he grew another two centimeters! Now, he¡¯s officially 158 centimeters!


    He now firmly believed that this body was currently experiencing a growth spurt. Although it¡¯s a bit weird that he didn¡¯t feel his joints aching like he did in his past life. But maybe one of these days he would indeed feel it. No matter the case, he¡¯s just happy that he¡¯s finally growing.


    With his mood lifted up, he went out of his room to have breakfast with his family.


    The only one there currently was his father, reading a newspaper as he usually did every morning. He quickly walked to his side and greeted him.


    "Good morning, Dad!"


    Luo Wei Tian put down the newspaper he was holding and looked at his son. "Good morning, Xiao Yan."


    Luo Yan sat down on his usual seat. "Guess what, Dad? I grew another 2 cm again!"


    "Really? That¡¯s great," Luo Wei Tian said, truly happy for Luo Yan. Because he knew how much this son of his wanted to grow taller. "Should we order another set of uniform?"


    Ah, that¡¯s right, Luo Yan almost forgot about that. "No, it¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s wait for another two weeks, maybe I would grow another 2 cm."


    He only got his new uniform almost two weeks ago. Changing it again now seemed a bit too wasteful. Although their family could certainly afford a hundred sets of school uniform, buying a new one every time he grew a centimeter or two was like throwing money at every turn.


    "But wouldn¡¯t it be too ufortable?" his father asked, clearly worried.


    Luo Yan smiled. "It¡¯s okay, Dad. As soon as I feel that the uniform is too tight for me, I will order a new set."


    Luo Wei Tian saw that his son had already made up his mind, so, he no longer insisted.


    Soon, Luo Ren and Luo Jin also arrived at the dining table and the whole family started eating their breakfast.


    "By the way, since all of us are at home today, why don¡¯t we all go somewhere?" Luo Wei Tian suggested after a while.


    "I think that¡¯s a good idea," Luo Ren agreed.


    "I have no opinion," Luo Jin said, his own way of saying that he would follow whatever decision made.


    Then, the three simultaneously looked at Luo Yan. Waiting for his answer.


    Luo Yan felt a bit cramped inside. Because he couldn¡¯t immediately say ¡¯yes¡¯. He had to log into the game this morning. Although, he said that they would finish this hidden task by this morning, there might be some unknown factor that might prevent them from doing that.


    "Sorry, Dad. I- ahm, I have a prior appointment with someone in Arcadia, you know, the game I¡¯ve been ying. And I really can¡¯t postpone that," he said with an apologetic tone.


    Both Luo Ren and Luo Jin furrowed their brows, obviously knowing who this ¡¯someone¡¯ might be. Their thoughts were not even far afar from each other.


    [That guy is really getting good at abducting my brother.] ¨C Luo Ren.


    [Are they still not finished with that hidden task? Why do I feel like that guy was purposely prolonging it just so he could spend more time with Yan?] ¨C Luo Jin.


    Of course, the two didn¡¯t voice out those opinions. After all, they still had that promise of not getting in the way of their brother¡¯s love life.


    Luo Wei Tian actually thought of the same person when Luo Yan mentioned this ¡¯someone¡¯ he had a prior appointment with. But withpletely different reasons from his other two sons.


    "Is it Xiao Yun?" he asked.


    Luo Yan felt a loud thud in his chest when he heard his father mentioning Shen Ji Yun. But he calmed himself when he saw that his father just genuinely asking a question without any intent behind it. When he realized that, he felt relieved and a bit guilty as well.


    But what could he do? Although he had already confessed to his brothers, he¡¯s still not ready to do the same with their father.


    So, he could only smile and said, "Yes, he¡¯s actually helping me with a game task that I have to finish today."


    Luo Wei Tian nodded in understanding. Although he¡¯s a bit disappointed that they couldn¡¯t go somewhere with the four of them, he also understood that Luo Yan made this appointment first.


    "It¡¯s really good of him to help you," he could only say.


    Both Luo Ren and Luo Jin almost rolled their eyes and said in their heart ¨C [If you only know, Dad.]

 Chapter 640 wreak havoc

    LUO YAN opened his eyes and what he first saw was the wide blue ocean. He was back at the deck of the small ship the moment he logged in.


    Before logging into the game, he told his father and brothers that they could have a movie nightter and that he would make the popcorn himself. It¡¯s to make up for not being able to agree to his father¡¯s suggestion of going to a family outing.


    When his father praised Shen Ji Yun for helping him in doing this task, he actually saw the reactions of his brothers. Even though the two didn¡¯t speak, he could immediately tell what they were thinking. They were definitely badmouthing Shen Ji Yun in their minds.


    He was suddenly d that he had that talk with the two before. At least, because of the promise they made, no matter how much they were dissatisfied with Shen Ji Yun, they wouldn¡¯t outrightly say it. Especially in front of their father.


    But now, he was starting to worry about his father¡¯s reaction once, you know, he and Shen Ji Yun confirmed their rtionship. His father seemed to really think of Shen Ji Yun as a good and kind boy. Which he was, mind you. It¡¯s just that, based on his father¡¯s protectiveness of him, that good impression would definitely end up in the gutter.


    As he thought, he really should do some early ¡¯vination¡¯ for his father. That way, the other¡¯s anger towards Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t be that big. Fingers-crossed, that would really be the case.


    Luo Yan¡¯s train of thought was suddenly interrupted when he felt someone hugging his arm. He looked down and saw Eclipse smiling at him.


    "You¡¯re here, Mashter. Eclipse and Captain have been waiting for you."


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised that Shen Ji Yun was already here. "Where¡¯s our Captain?"


    "He¡¯s inside. Eclipse is going to call him."


    Before he could react, the little boy had already run inside. Luo Yan could only helplessly shake his head. It didn¡¯t take long before Eclipse came back with Shen Ji Yun.


    "Sorry, I was unable to call you beforehand. I kind of automatically fell asleep the moment I hit the bed," he apologized when the two walked to where he was standing. "Brother Ji Yun was right. I was already feeling tired without noticing it."


    A small smile appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips. "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just d that you had a good rest."


    "Aww... Captain is so thoughtful. You must really care about my Mashter," Eclipse said with hands on both cheeks while looking at Shen Ji Yun with stars in his eyes.


    The small arc on the corner of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips disappeared and his cheeks suddenly felt a bit warm. Although it¡¯s been a week already since Eclipse was finally able to transform to his humanoid form, he still couldn¡¯t get used to this constant teasing. Especially when it was mostly about his rtionship with Luo Yan.


    Last night, when he logged back into the game and saw Eclipse alone on the deck, he thought of asking the other about something. Their conversation went like this;


    "Ahm, Eclipse can I ask you something?"


    "What is it Captain? You can ask Eclipse anything. Eclipse will definitely answer you as best as he could!"


    "You- do you always tease your master about, ahm, our rtionship? You know, just like what you did earlier?"


    "Hmm... does Captain mean when Eclipse said that you¡¯re like a married couple?"


    "Y-yes, that one."


    "Eclipse does. But Eclipse was not teasing Mashter though. Eclipse is only saying the truth."


    After hearing that answer, Shen Ji Yun only had one thought in his mind ¨C that Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind being paired up with him. If so, didn¡¯t that mean that he might have a high chance of seeding if he confessed? But then, his negative side quickly took over and broke his fantasy.


    What if Luo Yan was just so used to Eclipse¡¯s ramblings that he no longer took it to heart? He had a feeling that that might be most likely the case. So, he shouldn¡¯t feelcent. He should still do his best and strive to gain the other¡¯s love.


    But the fact that Luo Yan didn¡¯t be angry when Eclipse talked about marriage between them, it still felt nice. Like his heart just turned into a soft cotton and a light feather was tickling it.


    Seeing that Shen Ji Yun wasn¡¯t too embarrassed by what Eclipse said and only showed a slight blush, Luo Yan actively changed the topic and asked, "How did it gost night?"


    Shen Ji Yun was nk for a second. Because he thought Luo Yan was asking about his conversation with Eclipse. Good thing that the gears in his brain worked fast and he understood what the other was asking.


    "It went well. We managed to nt all the Mana bombs on the marked ces on the map," he answered. "We only need to activate it once we recovered the body."


    "Eclipse has a question! Whose body are we retrieving exactly?" the little boy asked in curiosity.


    Before Luo Yan could think of whether to tell the truth to Eclipse, another voice suddenly spoke;


    "I also want to know the answer to that."


    Luo Yan turned to the source and saw Dusk, who just jumped to the deck from out of nowhere. He smiled and said very naturally, "Someone unimportant. We made a deal with him in exchange for all the information he had on Achaeus. You don¡¯t have to worry about him."


    Dusk only stared at him deeply, as if observing if he was telling the truth or not. But at the end, he still didn¡¯t say anything.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows because of such a reaction. It seemed like after that incident yesterday, the other¡¯s temperament a 180. This was the same temperament he had from the memories that Lhoris had shown them. Did that mean that his memories were close to returning? Or maybe the mental shock he received yesterday was just that severe.


    But surprisingly enough, he looked much more stable inparison to before.


    He no longer worried about that and said to the three, "Shall we go and wreak havoc on those dark mages¡¯ ind?"

 Chapter 641 arrival at achaeus

    LUO YAN looked around at the deep blue underwater surrounding him. There were different fishes swimming around as well as beautiful corals and marine nts. Everything just felt very real ¨C from the marine animals to nts. It¡¯s like he was indeed under the sea.


    He was kind of in awe again at the meticulousness of the game devs. They really made sure that everything, even the bottom of the ocean would be as real as possible. He was certain that if they didn¡¯t have items that helped them breath underwater, they would definitely drown.


    The item the four of them used was a breathable balloon. He called it a balloon, but it¡¯s more like a coating. It coated their whole body, allowing them to breathe underwater and also not letting them get wet by the sea water.


    The four of them were swimming towards the passageway that was connected to ake inside the ind. ording to Shen Ji Yun, thiske was located at a very inconspicuous location inside a forest. It was the reason why he and Dusk could go inside the indst night with no problem.


    Again, Luo Yan wanted to apud Beelzebub with his thorough preparation.


    The passageway, ording to Shen Ji Yun, was like a man-made tunnel that started underwater near the ind and ended at theke. Obviously, it was Beelzebub who made that. It¡¯s like the guy handed everything to them in a golden tter. All they had to do was to execute it.


    If, even after that, they failed, then that¡¯s on them. They probably should evaluate their own IQ and judgement. Because failing in this situation only meant that they did something stupid.


    He seriously just wanted to get this over and done with. Let Dusk have his memory back, Eclipse getting his revenge for what happened to his parents and the majority of his people, and finally, get the rewards that they rightfully deserved.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that Luo Yan would forcefully hurry things up. That would only lead to the things he had mentioned earlier. It¡¯s better to be slower but more careful and thorough. At least, he would be sure that things wouldn¡¯t go in a direction that none of them expected.


    "The passageway is just up ahead."


    He heard Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice from the earring on his right ear. The two of them decided to always have the earrings turn on. That way they could know what was happening on both their sides.


    Yes, they were going to split up into two groups. He would go and sneaked into the temple where Beelzebub¡¯s real body was while the rest would go and find the Dark Saint and kill him.


    Getting the body was a simple thing. All he had to do was to not be noticed. And with his Invisibility Cloak and Shadow Walking skill, that would be a perfect job for him. What¡¯s difficult was to kill the Dark Saint.


    Even if the other was probably not in his best condition, the strength of the guards guarding him should not be underestimated. That¡¯s why aside from the information of where the body was, they also asked Beelzebub about the Dark Saint¡¯s whereabouts.


    The archdemon seemed to know what they were nning and advised against it. Saying that they should just go in, get the body, and return. Doing unnecessary action would only jeopardize the mission. And he¡¯s probably right. This was an action that would definitely spell ¡¯failure¡¯ for them if they weren¡¯t careful enough.


    But if they did not do it now, then this kind of chance might note again. Even if they blew up this ind, as long as the Dark Saint didn¡¯t die, the dark mages would probably thrive again. After all, in their opinion, the other was their god. As long as their god was still there, they could continue to rise up.


    Besides, this was also a chance for Eclipse and Dusk to have their revenge. Would they take that away? Luo Yan didn¡¯t want to. Of course, Shen Ji Yun agreed to it.


    This might seem a little careless on their part. But really, they gave this a very serious thought. They covered every base that should be covered. From how Shen Ji Yun¡¯s team would go to where the Dark Saint was to how they would deal with the dark mages guarding the other.


    If they failed, they could always run away. The important thing here was they tried. That¡¯s why Luo Yan needed to get Beelzebub¡¯s real body as fast as he could. Because it would give Shen Ji Yun¡¯s team more leeway to their actions.


    The moment he got the body back, the other team would be freer to make decisions as they see fit. They wouldn¡¯t have to worry that running away might affect their primary objective. At the same time, they could also act a bit crazier. And by that, he meant violently. Because they didn¡¯t need to worry that any of their actions could cause a negative impact on the main mission.


    In short, Luo Yan should do his best so Shen Ji Yun, Dusk, and Eclipse could cause a rampage without thinking of the consequence. He made a small fist to pump himself with energy.


    "It¡¯s here," Shen Ji Yun said, swimming in front of an area with tall seaweed like nts. He pushed it aside, revealing a hole that was enough for an adult man to swim inside. "I¡¯ll go on ahead. Please, follow me."


    Luo Yan nodded to the other and Shen Ji Yun swam forward. He was followed by Eclipse and Dusk, Luo Yan being thest.


    While swimming, Luo Yan wondered howe those dark mages didn¡¯t find this hole here. But then again, this hole was pretty deep into the ocean. Would there even be any reason to be in this deep part of the sea?


    The passageway they entered was dark. But all of them had good night vision, since none of them were technically humans. However, Shen Ji Yun still held a dimly lit flowermp as a source of light just to be sure.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure how long they swam. But by the time they arrived at their destination, it was probably around ten minutes. He swam upwards until he reached theke¡¯s shore.


    Finally, they arrived at Achaeus.

 Chapter 642 to the temple

    THE coat surrounding their bodies automatically disappeared the moment they were no longer in contact with water. Luo Yan looked around and saw that they were in a forest. There was nothing special about it. It just looked like an ordinary forest. But he should not becent just because of that. Who knew if someone would just appear here and totally disrupt their ns?


    So, they shouldn¡¯t waste their time here and proceed on to the next step of the n.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s separate here. Contact me if you encountered any problems," he said, pointing to the earring he¡¯s wearing.


    "You as well," Shen Ji Yun said. "If you encountered something and you think you can¡¯t handle it on your own, contact me. If we didn¡¯t arrive as fast as we could, you can teleport out of here."


    "But you don¡¯t have to worry, Mashter. We will definitelye and rescue you," said Eclipse with matching thumping on the chest.


    Luo Yan chuckled and patted the little boy¡¯s head. "I definitely feel reassured hearing that," he said. "But you should also not forget what I told you earlier, okay?"


    "Yes, Eclipse won¡¯t be careless and brash. He will follow Captain¡¯s lead without fail," Eclipse said, making a cute salute.


    "Good." Luo Yan then turned once again to Shen Ji Yun. "Good luck and be careful."


    "You too," Shen Ji Yun responded back.


    Then, the four split up. Shen Ji Yun, Eclipse, and Dusk went south of where they were while Luo Yan went north. That was because the temple where Beelzebub¡¯s body was located and the location of the Dark Saint¡¯s pce were on opposite direction.


    The moment Luo Yan ran, he quickly wore his Invisibility Cloak. As he did, he opened the map provided to them by Beelzebub. Although he had already memorized the path from theke to the temple, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be more careful.


    He only had 10 minutes before the effect of the cloak disappear. It would take hours of cooldown before he could use it again. So, it¡¯s important that he reached that temple before the 10 minutes was over.


    He ran at his fastest speed. He did not even have time to observe his surroundings. Under normal circumstance, he would have stopped and looked around. But time was of the essence right now. He couldn¡¯t afford to just casually look around as if he was on a stroll or something.


    But, even so, when he got out of the forest, he still took a moment to appreciate the architectures that appeared before him. He could see stone pyramids and temples, as well as small residences that were also made of stones. It reminded him of the architecture of the ancient Mayans. With intricate stone carvings and sto statues.


    He suddenly felt regretful to blow up such a perfectly designed ce. But he also soon shook that idea off. They had already nted all the Mana bombs. All they had to do was activate it within the day and this ce would disappearpletely in the map.


    Besides, ording to Shen Ji Yun, this ce was only filled with adult dark mages. Dark mages weren¡¯t really born as dark mages. They were ordinary mages at first. Then, they ventured on the path of dark magic. After being exposed to dark magic for a long period of time, they would transform to dark mages.


    yers in Arcadia who picked the Mage job could actually also go to a path of a dark mage. But it was not as easy as an NPC mage doing it. There were a lot ofplicated process that a Mage must undergo in order to transform to a dark mage.


    Anyway, he was just d that there¡¯s no children NPC here. Even if they were only made of codes and data, he would still feel guilty if he sentenced them to death just because of what their leader and the rest of their people did.


    Luo Yan no longer thought about that and just continued his way towards the temple. As he did, he noticed that the number of dark mages he saw walking around dwindled. The closer he got to the temple, the less of them he saw. Which was kind of a good thing. Since he¡¯d been running so carefully so as not to be noticed by them.


    It¡¯s not only the dark mages that lessened, even the number of buildings started to get less and less. Which should not be really that surprising since it was clearly shown in the map how the temple was isted in the ind.


    It didn¡¯t take long before he reached his destination. He looked at the time on his Status Window. There were still four minutes left before the effect of the cloak wore off. That¡¯s enough time for him to enter inside.


    Once he entered the passageway ¨C courtesy of Beelzebub, of course ¨C it would lead him directly to the room where the body was being held. Or should he say preserved? Anyway, ording to the archdemon, there were no traps in the room where the body was. All the traps were located on the way to that room. And since he would be going there through a secret passageway, he shouldn¡¯t worry about that at all.


    He stared at the temple and clearly saw the barrier surrounding it. ording to Beelzebub, this barrier was strong enough to keep out people who wanted to go inside without permission. That¡¯s why no guards were assigned to this ce. Luckier for him then.


    He looked around to look for the thing that the archdemon had mentioned. He found it real fast ¨C a statue that was just outside of the barrier. It was the statue of the Dark Saint.


    Although he didn¡¯t know how the other looked like, he was sure that it was his statue. After all, he saw a lot of the same statue when he was on his way here. Who else could it be but the person these dark mages considered as ¡¯god¡¯?


    He didn¡¯t stare much at the face of the statue and just crouched down. He pushed the very center part of the tform brick where the statue was standing. The area where he pushed didn¡¯t sink. But he didn¡¯t care. He slid his finger an inch to the left, then two inches down, and finally three inches to the right.


    Even though, he was already expecting it, he was still surprised when thend he was crouching on suddenly opened and he fell uncontrobly. He looked up and saw that the opening was already close, as if it didn¡¯t open at all.


    Luo Yan did not panic. Because he was already expecting this. What he did earlier was to ess the secret passageway that Beelzebub told them about. Once again, he apuded the archdemon for his preparedness.


    His fall onlysted for a few seconds before his feetnded on solid ground. Although his surrounding waspletely dark, he could still see a dim silhouette of a narrow corridor.


    He no longer thought much and just ran forward.

 Chapter 643 a success (maybe?)

    THIS passageway was only one-way. That meant that by the end of it, Luo Yan would arrive at the room where the body was. So, he just ran. It would be good if he reached the ce before the effect of his cloak disappeared. It would add anotheryer of assurance to him.


    Although Beelzebub said that there was no trap inside the room where the body was, what if some dark mage went there to check the body or something? He didn¡¯t mind fighting. But that might attract the attention of the other dark mages. That¡¯s thest thing he wanted. Especially when his goal was to get the body out of here as quick as possible.


    He looked at his Status Window. There were only three minutes left before the effect of the cloak disappeared. He quickened his steps and ran at his fastest speed. The continued darkness in the passageway didn¡¯t disappear. It just continued on and on and on. Like a dark tunnel with no end in sight.


    He started to wonder just how far this passageway was until he reached a set of stairs. He stopped and looked up. The stairs, like the passageway, seemed to go on forever. But he knew that that was only the effect of the darkness surrounding him.


    He could feel that he was on thest leg of his journey. And that by the end of these stairs, he would finally arrive at his destination.


    So, Luo Yan ran again. This time, he trekked upwards.


    As he did, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how the archdemon managed to build all these under the noses of those dark mages. Well, he probably did it one day at a time. Since he had an abundance of time. If Luo Yan upied the body of some dark mage for a thousand of years, he might also manage to do just as much.


    Finally, he reached the end of the stairs.


    At the end of it was a door. Luo Yan didn¡¯t waste any time and opened it.


    He instinctively closed his eyes because of the sudden brightness that assaulted his vision. It¡¯s not because the light was too bright. It¡¯s because he just came from a dark area and the sudden brightness simply attacked his eyes.


    It took a few seconds before his eyes got used to the brightness. Once he opened them, he quickly looked around the room. The ce was bare, almost like an empty room with only the lights on. Except that the room was not entirely empty.


    At the center of the room was a pod-like structure. He walked towards it and saw that the pod was covered by thin light threads. And all of it was connected to the body lying inside. It was unknown if the light threads were pumping something towards the body or if it was the other way around.


    Lying inside it was a man or should he say an archdemon? The other had long ck hair that spread out inside the pod like ck silks. He was wearing all-ck clothes that fit perfectly on his body, showing just how muscr he was. Even lying down, Luo Yan could tell just how huge the guy was.


    He observed the archdemon¡¯s face. Even though the other¡¯s eyes were closed, his features were very simr to Dusk. One could definitely see that the both were rted in some way or another. The only big difference was probably the two horns on the side of his head. They were curved like that of a bull.


    So, this was how Beelzebub looked like.


    Luo Yan nced at his Status Window and saw that there was still more than a minute left before the effect of the cloak disappeared. It was just enough time for him to finish what he had to do.


    He took out a vial from his Items Tab. Inside was a golden liquid the same color as the threads covering the pod. It¡¯s one of the items Beelzebub had given them. ording to the archdemon, they had to pour the golden liquid on the thread for them to get the body. He didn¡¯t really exin much. Just saying to pour the liquid onto the threads.


    And so, Luo Yan did.


    The moment he did, the thread slowly disintegrated. It was a bit surprising but not really that shocking. It didn¡¯t take that long for the threads topletely disappear. ording to Beelzebub, they should wait until the threads were gone before getting the body. The important point was not to touch the thread.


    Although the archdemon didn¡¯t exin to them the reason why, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t be adventurous enough to experiment. Especially since the situation didn¡¯t really allowed him to. Doing so would not only be dangerous, it would also prolong his stay here.


    After getting rid of the threads, he took out a ck crystal from his Items Tab. This one was some kind of space stone. It could contain live beings inside. It¡¯s just that this one was specifically made for Beelzebub¡¯s original body. Meaning that it could only contain this body lying here and nothing else.


    And yes, it was another item given by the archdemon. Beelzebub said that he made this crystal himself. It could not only contain his body, it could also slowly remove the seal he put on himself. That way, once they gave him the body, the transfer of his soul fragment that was inside the dark mage¡¯s body would be much faster.


    Luo Yan put the crystal on top of the body¡¯s chest. There was a sh of blinding light. The moment it receded, the body inside the podpletely receded and only the crystal remained.


    He quickly picked up the crystal and put it in his Items Tab. It would really be bad if someone stole the crystal from him. So, to be sure, it¡¯s better to keep it in his Items Tab.


    He was about to leave the room when a voice suddenly spoke from behind him.


    "An uninvited guest. How interesting."


    Before Luo Yan could take any action, he felt his whole body being restrained by something. And then, his body floated and turned around on its own, facing the owner of the voice.

 Chapter 644 to the dark saints bedchamber

    ON the other side, just a few minutes ago...


    The trio of Shen Ji Yun, Dusk, and Eclipse had already infiltrated the pce where the Dark Saint was. Both Shen Ji Yun and Dusk were wearing ck robes that they snatched from two mages that they encountered earlier.


    Of course, they eliminated those two mages to not leave any evidence. The effect of turning into dust once killed really gave them advantage this time. At least, they didn¡¯t have to waste time hiding or burying their bodies somewhere.


    Eclipse was currently in his fox form and was sitting on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s head. Since all the mages here were adults, it would be weird to see a kid walking around. And putting Eclipse on his head would also make it more even in a way.


    Because of his horns, when covered by a hood, his head seemed to be bigger on the back. Which was just weird. At least, with the addition of Eclipse, it looked a bit more normal. He just had to endure having the other¡¯s tails wrapped around his neck. Because if Eclipse didn¡¯t do that, then the lower back of his head would have a suspicious bump.


    Shen Ji Yun also prepared three eye masks that could lower one¡¯s presence. The mask was a bit pricey. But it didn¡¯t matter since he had a lot of crystal coins to spare. Although the effect was not as strong as Luo Yan¡¯s Invisibility Cloak, it was enough for them to traipse around without the other dark mages looking at them suspiciously.


    He picked a mask because he knew how some dark mages would wear one over their faces. Thus, decreasing their suspiciousness even more. Of course, there was also a time limit in its use just like any items in the game.


    They could only used it for five minutes. Then, after that, its effect would be negligible. It would enter a cooldown of an hour before it could be used again. But that was enough. They only needed to enter the pce safely and go to the secret path that Beelzebub had mentioned.


    This secret path the archdemon mentioned was not really so secret. It was actually a maze located at the back garden of the pce. Although the ce was well-maintained with magic, other dark mages seldom went there. Because ording to Beelzebub, they were all ¡¯boring¡¯, had no personality, and therefore, wouldn¡¯t even bother to go to a ce like a maze garden.


    And that was why he put the passageway somewhere in the maze.


    Yes, there was a passageway somewhere in the maze that would lead them to the Dark Saint¡¯s bedchamber.


    Beelzebub said that he made this passageway just in case of emergency. But Shen Ji Yun had a feeling that the other prepared it just in case he was finally free to kill the Dark Saint.


    His guess was that since the fragment of the archdemon¡¯s soul was inside a dark mage that made a contract with the Dark Saint, it prevented him from directly killing the other. Maybe there¡¯s a use in that contract that prevented him from doing that. Like if the Dark Saint died, he would also die.


    Beelzebub probably wasn¡¯t able to find a way to go around that. Just like how he managed to find a way to control the body of the dark mage he¡¯s inhabiting for a certain period of time.


    If his guess was correct about that contract, it would actually exin why these dark mages was so adamant in prolonging the Dark Saint¡¯s life. Because they also entered the same contract as the mentioned dark mage.


    "Captain, are we there yet?" Eclipse suddenly whispered in a very small voice that Shen Ji Yun almost didn¡¯t hear it.


    "Yes, we¡¯re near," he answered in an equally low voice.


    He was actually d that Eclipse could nowmunicate with others even in his fox form after he managed to transform to his humanoid form. Or else he wouldn¡¯t be able tomunicate with the other.


    Speaking ofmunication, he wanted to ask Luo Yan how he was doing on his end. But he was worried that he might just hinder the other. Especially if Luo Yan was busy doing his own part of the task. Which he knew that the other definitely was. Besides, him suddenly talking in a normal voice might just attract the attention of the dark mages passing by.


    Finally, they arrived at the back garden.


    Shen Ji Yun quickly saw the maze Beelzebub had mentioned. He turned to Dusk and said, "Follow me carefully so you won¡¯t get lost."


    Dusk simply nodded.


    Just like Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun had noticed that the ck dragon had started to mellow down. He really didn¡¯t care for the reason. Because he actually preferred the other this way. At least, he no longer had to force himself to coax the other every time the ck dragon threw a tantrum. If he had to coax someone, he¡¯d rather be it Luo Yan.


    He no longer thought about that and just entered the maze.


    He followed the direction on the map. He turned right and turned left when he had to. Basically, he carefully followed the direction provided to him. He wasn¡¯t sure how long they walked, but he noticed that the effect of the mask would soon be negligible. It didn¡¯t matter though since they finally arrived at their destination.


    Shen Ji Yun crouched down and felt the ground. When he felt a protrusion, he pushed it down. Then, the ground beneath him suddenly disappeared, making his body fall uncontrobly.


    "Captain!" Eclipse eximed.


    The little fox floated out of his hood. Shen Ji Yun quickly hugged the little fox into his arm. He looked up and saw that Dusk had already jumped down after him. And then he saw the opening where they fell closed,pletely cutting off their only source of light.


    But that¡¯s not a problem since all of them here had good night vision. Hended with no problem and Dusk did as well. In front of them was a narrow path.


    "If we follow this path, we¡¯re going to find that viin, right?" Eclipse asked.


    Shen Ji Yun rubbed the head of the small fox. "Yes."


    "Let¡¯s not waste time here," Dusk interjected.


    Shen Ji Yun agreed with that and ran forward. With their speed, they soon reached a set of stairs. They didn¡¯t hesitate and just climbed up. At the end of this road would definitely be the bedchamber of the Dark Saint.


    ording to Beelzebub, because of his weak body, the Dark Saint mostly spent his time inside that ce. It¡¯s the reason why they chose to infiltrate this pce. It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the end.


    But there was no door there. Just a wall and a lever. Shen Ji Yun already knew this from the archdemon. He reached out and held the lever. But before pulling it down, he told his twopanions;


    "Get ready." Just simple two words, telling them to prepare forbat.


    Then, he pulled down the lever. When he did so, the wall slid to the side. He had closed his eyes to prepare himself for the sudden brightness. But to his surprise the room that weed them was dark.


    "There¡¯s no one here," Dusk said before they could even walk inside.


    Shen Ji Yun looked towards therge bed and found that there was no one there. He walked inside and looked in every corner of the room just to make sure. But their target was not really there. He suddenly had a bad feeling about this.


    "Captain, what are we going to do?" Eclipse asked worriedly. "Should we look in some other ces in the pce?"


    "That would take too much time. Time we certainly don¡¯t have," Dusk opposed before turning to Shen Ji Yun. "You know how time sensitive this mission is, so quickly decide our next move."


    Shen Ji Yun understood that. But before making a decision, he first held the earring on his left ear and decided to finally contact Luo Yan to ask for his opinion. "Yan Yan, the Dark Saint is not here."


    There¡¯s a muffled sound from the other end before he heard Luo Yan¡¯s voice.


    "Ah, yeah, I think he¡¯s in front of me right now."


    That simple sentence nailed Shen Ji Yun¡¯s whole body into ce.

 Chapter 645 the dark saint

    THE moment Luo Yan¡¯s restricted body turned around without his own control, he finally saw the owner of the voice. When he suddenly heard a voice out of nowhere, he was startled to the extreme. Because he didn¡¯t expect someone to suddenly just appear in the room. And now, he¡¯s finally face-to-face with this person.


    The man standing in front of him right now looked pale to the extreme. As if he hadn¡¯t been exposed to sunlight for years. He was wearing a loose ck robe, showing the white expanse of his chest. Which was not really attractive because of the bones sticking out, showing how thin the other was.


    He had long ck hair that was curly and wavy, like a seaweed. His cheeks were a bit sunken, making his face sharper. His ck eyes were muddy and dted, as if he was high on drugs.


    His lips were bloody red, which waspletely opposite to his paleness. Making it more noticeable. In a bad kind of way. Because he simply looked like someone who had eaten something bloody and the blood simply stained his lips.


    The man should have looked fragile, like ss that you could break with just one punch. But no, to Luo Yan, the other simply gave off a sickly feeling. And it was not the kind that would make one want to protect him. It was the kind of greasy sickly feeling that would one run far away from him.


    "This unseen guest, may I know how you got here?" the other asked with a cordial smile.


    Based on what the other said, his cloak was still in effect. And yet the other could somehow sense him. He could even indicate his exact location, based on how the other managed to restrain him so easily. Which could only mean that the level of this NPC must be very, very high. Or he had a skill that made him more sensitive than others.


    "This guess, did you not hear what I said?" the man asked again. His smile was still there but the glint in his eyes simply became crazier, indicating his anger at not being immediately answered. "I am asking you a question."


    Before Luo Yan could give a response, he suddenly heard Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice close to his ear.


    "Yan Yan, the Dark Saint is not here."


    He was surprised by this sudden information. Because they knew that the Dark Saint was not in good health and¡ªwait, not in good health? He stared at the man in front of him and a ridiculous idea just popped up in his head. Could it be...?


    No way. Surely, his luck wouldn¡¯t be this bad. After all, he¡¯s ¡¯Lucky Luo Yan¡¯. But the man¡¯s next wordspletely shattered his expectations.


    "As the owner of the ce you¡¯re trespassing in, don¡¯t you think I deserve an answer?"


    Before Luo Yan could process his shock, the invisible thing restraining him suddenly tightened. He couldn¡¯t help but let out a grunt. And then he remembered that Shen Ji Yun was still waiting for his answer.


    "Ah, yeah, I think he¡¯s in front of me right now," he said with a bit of irony in his voice.


    Then, the other suddenly appeared in front of him, urately pinching his chin. If this was reality, he was sure that this would definitely leave a bruise on him based on how hard the other grabbed him.


    But he also noticed that the other didn¡¯t react to his voice just now. Meaning that he could sense him but not hear him. So, in a way, his cloak was still working.


    "Yan Yan, teleport out of there," Shen Ji Yun said in a grave tone.


    Luo Yan wanted to do that as well, but, for him to teleport, he had to take a teleportation scroll out of his Items Tab. But unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t move any of his limbs right now for him to do that.


    "I can¡¯t."


    "You must think I have a very good temper, not immediately answering me like this," the Dark Saint said. "Should I show you just how good my temper is?"


    Then the Dark Saint let go of Luo Yan¡¯s chin and made a swishing action. Luo Yan¡¯s whole body suddenly swerved violently to the side. One moment he was floating in front of the Dark Saint, the next, he just felt his back hitting the wall.


    Although the pain in this game was almost negligible, the resulting recoil from that felt very real. Probably because his brain was thinking it would hurt, and thus, making some sort of cebo effect. Itsted only for a moment but it still made him gasped for breath.


    "Yan Yan, what¡¯s happening there?" Shen Ji Yun asked, his voice full of panic and worry. The other must have heard his gasp just now. "Are you in a situation where you can¡¯t teleport?"


    "Yes," Luo Yan said, answering the other¡¯sst question. "Don¡¯te here and just proceed to the next n," he added, referring to blowing up the whole ind. "I might not be able to answer you next but I won¡¯t turn off the earring. So, you can still hear a part of what¡¯s happening on my side."


    A ¡¯part¡¯ because the only thing that could be heard using this pair of earrings was their voices.


    There was silence on the other end. He had a feeling that Shen Ji Yun was probably feeling conflicted on whether he would follow what he said or ignore it and just go here as fast as possible.


    After a while, he heard a frustrated sigh and Shen Ji Yun said, "I¡¯ll do what you¡¯re asking. But Yan Yan, once you¡¯re able to, quickly teleport out of there. Okay?"


    Luo Yan smiled inwardly. "Yes."


    He then nced at the Dark Saint. The other was standing in front of the now empty pod. He was staring inside as if wondering where the body had gone. Then, slowly, he turned to Luo Yan. There was no longer any smile on his face. Which made it even more ghostly.


    "You¡¯re quite the naughty trespasser, aren¡¯t you?"


    The Dark Saint raised his hand towards Luo Yan and he just felt his whole body being dragged towards the other. Before he knew it, the Dark Saint was already grasping his neck. He tried to move but his whole body was still restrained.


    "Give back what you stole," the Dark Saint said, tightening his grip on Luo Yan¡¯s neck.


    Although Luo Yan didn¡¯t feel suffocated, there was still a bit of breathlessness. He looked at the Dark Saint and decided to do some acting. He nced at the time on his Status Window. The effect of the cloak was already at its end. He then started a countdown inside his head.


    3... 2... 1...


    The moment it finished, his whole body was revealed to the Dark Saint. He made sure that his eyes looked like tears woulde out of it any moment. Added that to his long white hair that was currently very messy because of how he was just thrown like a rag doll earlier, he perfectly gave off an image of a fragile beauty.


    "P-please, don¡¯t kill me," he said in a trembling voice.

 Chapter 646 beauty trap

    THE Dark Saint stopped momentarily, as if not expecting this sudden reveal. Luo Yan continued to maintain his afraid and harmless expression. Truthfully, even though he¡¯s still bound by some invisible restriction, he could still use his [Shadow Walk] skill to escape here. But he chose not to.


    Because, aside from the fact that there was no assurance that he could get out of whatever was binding him if he left this room, he wanted to know the reason why this person was here.


    From the information given to them by Beelzebub, the Dark Saint had always been staying inside his bedchamber most time of the day. The only time he would usually go out was during the night. It was one of the reasons why they attacked during the day.


    But now, the person who was supposed to be in his bedchamber was standing in front of Luo Yan. The overly curious part of him couldn¡¯t just let it go. Especially if this something could potentially affect the task they were doing in some way.


    Thinking of that, he immediately remembered the reason why this task even started. Because the Dark Saint kidnapped Eclipse¡¯s father. Which in turn resulted to him getting severely injured from Kagetsuki¡¯s attack when the other rescued her soon-to-be lover.


    If his memory served him right, that guy was a white-haired kitsune. He only had a bit of glimpse of him from what Lhoris had shown them. But from what Luo Yan could remember, the guy had that fragile beauty. One that would make people particrly want to bully him.


    So, he decided to use the ssic ¡¯beauty trap¡¯ to get the information he wanted from this Dark Saint. After all, he¡¯s also a fragile white-haired beauty.


    Luo Yan spoke again in a soft, trembling voice, "P-please... don¡¯t hurt me. I- I beg you..."


    He felt the hand gripping his neck slowly loosening. But before his feet reached the ground, he felt a hand touching his face. Of course, it could only belong to the only person with him here.


    The Dark Saint stared at him with an almost fanatical glint in his gaze. The other looked at him from head to toe and finally resting on his face. Luo Yan had goosebumps all over. Because he felt like a creepy snake was slithering all over his body.


    The other once again pinched his chin and moved his head from left to right. Then, an overly satisfied smile appeared on his lips. Like a customer who really liked what he saw after inspecting the goods that they were about to buy.


    "How pretty," the Dark Saintmented. He let go of his chin and lifted a few strands of Luo Yan¡¯s hair. "Do you know, this is my favorite color? Pure white. Do you know why?" He then kissed the strands of Luo Yan¡¯s hair that he was holding and said while looking at him with fascination, "Because it¡¯s so easy to dye it red with blood."


    This snake essence! Luo Yan almost blurted out. He didn¡¯t say anything and just acted scared. His whole body shook and he curled into himself. Basically, just giving the impression that he¡¯s scared shitless.


    "Don¡¯t be afraid, my beauty. I won¡¯t kill you. As long as you tell me where the body is, you won¡¯t be punished. I will even let you warm my bed. Such a big honor, don¡¯t you think?"


    When Luo Yan heard that, he knew that his beauty-trap worked all too well. At the same time, he just wanted to curse the game devs for designing this NPC this way. Because, hello? This guy was literally sexually harassing him. Was this okay? Damn game devs. Should he ask forpensation?


    Now, he was truly thankful that Shen Ji Yun couldn¡¯t hear what this guy was saying. If the other did, then Luo Yan was sure that he woulde running here just so he could beat this perverted bastard up.


    He didn¡¯t let his annoyance show up on his face and just continued acting scared.


    "I- I don¡¯t know. I- I was just brought here as a l-lookout for a person. And- and when that person took the body with him, he- he just disappeared," he said in an almost crying voice with matching teary eyes. "H-he said that no one would be here at this time. B-but i-it seemed that he lied about that too."


    Just as he expected, the Dark Saint followed what he said and told him what he wanted to hear. "It¡¯s true. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn¡¯t be here. But let¡¯s just say one of my loyal advisors told me that someone might be trespassing here. And lo and behold, I really did find you."


    Luo Yan was surprised hearing what the other said. And also, at the same time, very confused. Because the only ¡¯loyal advisor¡¯ that fit the bill was, well, Beelzebub or at least, the dark mage he was inhabiting. But there¡¯s no way that archdemon would betray them. How could Beelzebub even tell this guy that they would be here when Luo Yan knew just how important this was to the archdemon?


    The only usible reason he could think of was that the owner of the body Beelzebub was inhabiting was somehow influenced by the archdemon¡¯s memory. Of course, it was all idental. If the other knew all the details of the deal between them and Beelzebub, the four of them wouldn¡¯t probably be able to enter this ce in peace.


    So, that dark mage probably only somehow ¡¯felt¡¯ that something would be happening today at this room. Just like how he ¡¯prophesied¡¯ that a group of people would enter the valley of dragons and caused havoc there. Thus, fully exining why the Dark Saint was here right now.


    Since he had already seemingly solved this mystery, it¡¯s time for him to go and leave here.


    "I- I really apologize. I-I¡¯m just paid for my stealth skills. I really didn¡¯t know anything," he said, still acting all weak and helpless. "P-please, can you untie me, milord? It- it hurts..."


    Meanwhile, Shen Ji Yun, on the other side, almost tripped when he heard that.

 Chapter 647 that tingling feeling

    SHEN JI YUN directly abandoned being stealthy. The moment he learned that the Dark Saint was at the room where Beelzebub¡¯s body was and was now confronting Luo Yan, the n of being stealthy and silent was immediately thrown out of the window.


    How could he even worry about that when his rabbit was now alone with an obviously mentally unstable NPC? Besides, since it was Luo Yan himself who told him to blow up the ind, it meant that he had already secured the archdemon¡¯s body and was just waiting for a chance to escape.


    That only meant one thing. They could now go all out without thinking of the consequence.


    So, he told Eclipse and Dusk to cause as much chaos as possible. They could eliminate any dark mages they came into contact with. He initially thought that the two would argue with him about it, saying that they wanted to go where the Dark Saint was. But surprisingly, they were verypliant about it.


    While the two were doing that, he would go to the center of the ind and activate the Mana bombs they nted. It was something very easy to do. He just had to put his hand on the ground where they had also buried a crystal that could amplify the power of the Mana bombs.


    Once he entered his Mana into the amplifying crystal, it would connect and branch out to all the Mana bombs around the ind. And then, boom. It would bepletely destroyed. The faster that happened, the better chance Luo Yan would have in escaping.


    That¡¯s why Shen Ji Yun had been rushing to the center of the ind.


    Behind him, he could hear all the chaos ensuing. The shouts, the screams, the constant sound of something breaking and something burning, the loud pping of huge wings, and just the absolute chaos of it all. He didn¡¯t need to look back to see that Dusk and Eclipse were doing they damnedest to destroy everything in their wake.


    Because of that, going to his destination had be much easier. Even if he encountered a dark mage on the way, they didn¡¯t pay him too much attention. Because all their attention was on the huge ck dragon breathing fire on their ind.


    Dusk, being such a big target, was the perfect diversion. But because he¡¯s that big of a target, not to mention, his history with the people of this ind, all their attacks would be focus on him. That was another plus for being a diversion. But it would also make things more dangerous for the ck dragon.


    That¡¯s why he asked Eclipse to help Dusk in defending. With the little fox¡¯s skill set, it would definitely be possible. Although it¡¯s not foolproof and the ck dragon was still in danger of being eliminated by these dark mages, he couldn¡¯t really think further than that. Because right now, his priority was Luo Yan.


    In this type of scenario, his rabbit would always be his priority.


    Also, the things he had been hearing from the earring since quite a while now didn¡¯t really help. Yes, even though all he heard was Luo Yan¡¯s voice, it was still distressing to the extreme.


    How could it not be when the other was talking with a trembling voice full of fear? Even though he knew that Luo Yan was most likely just acting so he could put down the Dark Saint¡¯s guard and get out of there safely, Shen Ji Yun still felt his heart shaking.


    Every time Luo Yan would speak in that tone as if he was being slowly tortured. But not entirely in that sense. He couldn¡¯t exactly pin point it or even exin it properly. It¡¯s just that every time he heard Luo Yan¡¯s voice with that kind of tone, something was tickling inside him. And not in the best kind of way.


    And the thought that someone else could hear the same voice simply annoyed the hell out of him. He didn¡¯t care that that someone was just an NPC made of a bunch of data. The fact that the other heard it was enough.


    Then, Luo Yan just went for the kill and said the following words;


    "P-please, can you untie me, milord? It- it hurts..."


    That tingling sensation inside Shen Ji Yun just intensified. He even almost tripped because his focus was notpletely here. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and ran faster.


    He actually wanted to tell Luo Yan, no, to beg him not to speak in that manner anymore. But he was afraid to disturb the other. What if because of him Luo Yan missed a good chance to escape from the Dark Saint?


    He shook his head and just recited the full value of pi inside his mind.


    Finally, he arrived at his destination.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t waste time. He crouched down and put his hand on the ground. He released his Mana. Then, he felt like a vacuum was pulling all his strength to the ground.


    Although the pain level in this game was really negligible. Unless, of course, one turned the pain receptor option to the extreme. But he could still feel his body weakening. He looked at his MP on his Status Window and saw that it was rapidly decreasing. That was probably the reason why his body was slowly losing strength.


    But the fact that the Mana bombs were still not exploding meant that the Mana input was still not enough. He gritted his teeth and increased the Mana. He could just drink potionster to supplement it.


    Then, when he least expected it, strings of light dashed out within the ground, starting from the part he was touching and then branching out to different directions. Shen Ji Yun knew all too well where those directions lead to ¨C the locations of the Mana bombs that he and Dusk ntedst night.


    He immediately knew what was about to happen. He stood up and simply transformed into his qilin form. He no longer had to worry if these dark mages would hinder him once they found out that he¡¯s an intruder.


    Because right at this moment, earth shattering explosions were happening all around the ind. Turning it into a scorching hell.

 Chapter 648 how beautiful and satisfying

    THE Dark Saint only stared at Luo Yan while still pinching his chin. Seriously, Luo Yan was on the verge of just kicking the other¡¯s little brother down there. But then he wondered if the male NPCs in this game even had a ¡¯little brother¡¯. So, he decided not to do it in case this bastard didn¡¯t have one. It would only be a waste of effort.


    As he was contemting what his next move should be, the ground suddenly shook and they heard loud explosions one by one. In every explosion, the shaking of the ground, no, the whole temple, intensified. Until cracks appeared on the walls. Those cracks became bigger and bigger in every explosion. And the temple they were in just started to crumble.


    Of course, Luo Yan didn¡¯t just stand there while all of that was happening. The moment he heard the first explosion, he immediately felt that whatever was binding him disappeared.


    If the binding was dependent on the other¡¯s mental instability, then he could understand why it suddenly disappeared. Either way, he didn¡¯t really care for the reason why. The important was, he¡¯s finally free.


    So, he quickly used his skill [Shadow Walk]. His whole body submerged into the shadow below his feet, as if entering a pool of water. He had five minutes before the skill entered cool down. But that was enough to get out of here.


    Of course, he did not forget to leave the other a gift before doing so.


    It should be noted that whenever he was inside the shadow, he could still ¡¯see¡¯ what was happening above. There was like a monitor around him showing him a 360 degrees panoramic view of what was happening. So, he could see where he should go and where he shouldn¡¯t.


    Unlike what others might think, the world inside the shadow was not unending darkness. It had an ¡¯end¡¯. As long as he encountered this dead end, he could no longer continue. It meant that that was the end of the shadow he was travelling on.


    Luo Yan rushed towards the direction where a crack big enough for him to pass through was located. That was not the only reason why he chose that particr crack. It was also because he could see a glimpse of the sky from there. Meaning if he jumped through that crack, he would automatically be taken outside.


    Honestly, he could probably just teleport out of here. That would be safest choice. But now that they had reached this point, he kind of wanted to see the end of everything. Especially the death of that perverted Dark Saint.


    The shadow he was travelling on went over the wall where the crack was. Which made it easier for him. Once he reached the dead end of the shadow, he jumped up and then, threw himself out of the crack.


    He didn¡¯t forget to look back just to see the shocked expression on the Dark Saint¡¯s face. As if he didn¡¯t expect all of this to happen. So, to add to the other¡¯s ¡¯shock¡¯, Luo Yan smiled and gave him the middle finger.


    Then, he let his body fall.


    At that moment, he heard Shen Ji Yun¡¯s voice in his ear.


    "Yan Yan, what¡¯s happening there? Are you still unable to talk to me? Why does your signal looked like you¡¯re falling from a high ce? No, you don¡¯t need to answer. I¡¯ming there right now."


    The other¡¯s sessive questions and statement made Luo Yan smiled. He almost forgot that their earrings had some kind of GPS function. He checked and saw that Shen Ji Yun was travelling at a very fast speed and was now close to where he was.


    "Brother Ji Yun, if you don¡¯t hurry up, I might fall to the ground," he said in teasing voice.


    He didn¡¯t hear a reply from the other end. He was about to say that he was only joking. After all, his avatar could definitely handle this fall. But before he could do that, he heard a swishing sound. Like a bullet travelling at a very fast speed. And then, he felt his back touching something warm and a bit hard.


    All he saw were purple scales before he was surrounded by dark purple smoke. He then felt the back of his knees and shoulders being held by a pair of strong arms. He raised his head and a smile automatically appeared on his lips when he saw the person holding him.


    "Brother Ji Yun seems to really like carrying me like a princess," he teased.


    Shen Ji Yun almost answered ¡¯yes¡¯. Good thing, he still had his wits somehow and managed to stop on time. Instead, he asked, "Are you okay? How did you end up falling like that? Did that Dark Saint push you?"


    [Rather than push me, I think he wanted to pull me to his bedchamber.] ¨C Luo Yan thought wryly. Of course, he didn¡¯t say that.


    "I¡¯m okay, Brother Ji Yun. And no, I jumped down myself," he said. "It¡¯s the fastest way to get out of that crumbling temple."


    Speaking of crumbling, he just noticed that everything around them was in the same state. He had a good look of what was happening the moment theynded and Shen Ji Yun put him down.


    There was a sea of fire consuming everything ¨C the forest, the buildings, the statues. He could hear the helpless screams of the dark mages that were probably caught in the explosion. And at a distance, he could see a ck dragon breathing out blue mes. Adding more to this scorching hell.


    Ironically enough, this scene looked simr to what these dark mages did to the demon fox vige. This truly felt like divine retribution. How beautiful and satisfying.


    Then, Luo Yan saw the Dark Saintnding effortlessly in front of them. He frowned. He again felt the strong urge to badly hit someone.


    If only this guy burnt alongside this ind. Then, it would definitely be a perfect ending.

 Chapter 649 vs dark saint (i)

    THE Dark Saint looked around his surrounding that was now burning into mes. His gaze was very apathetic. As if he didn¡¯t care if this ce was burnt to the ground. This kind of indifferent reaction truly disappointed Luo Yan.


    This was not satisfying at all! He wanted to see at least a bit of dissatisfaction. You know, a bit of devastation from knowing that the ind he owned full of his believers would soon now be swallowed by fire. But no, instead he got this underwhelming reaction. Was this NPC bugged or something?


    Then, the Dark Saint returned his gaze to them. Looking first at Shen Ji Yun before resting his gaze at him.


    "Is this the man you said who ¡¯hired¡¯ you? I must say, the two of you look pretty close considering the things you told me earlier. Although I already expected that you¡¯re lying and that you¡¯re scheming something, I didn¡¯t think that your n involved doing this to my ind. Or was it the n of the qilin next to you? No," he raised his head and looked at the ck dragon flying over the sky. "Maybe it was him."


    "What does it matter whether you know the truth or not?" Luo Yan scoffed before smiling sweetly. "Either way, you will still end up dying."


    The Dark Saint stared at Luo Yan before that crazy smile and fanatical glint in his eyes returned. "Is this your true self? I must say that I very much prefer you this way. Breaking you would be much more... fun."


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brows furrowed when he heard that. "Is this how this NPC had been talking to you?"


    Luo Yan could instantly hear the displeasure on the other¡¯s voice. He turned to Shen Ji Yun and as expected, he was frowning and the word ¡¯dislike¡¯ was written all over his face.


    He could act like a victim here and turn Shen Ji Yun¡¯s dislike into hate. But if he did that, he was certain that the other would surely go straight for the kill, no questions asked. Luo Yan didn¡¯t want that. Because he also wanted to fight that bastard. So, he simply said;


    "Yes, annoying right? That¡¯s why I wanted to teach him a lesson."


    The hidden meaning was; ¡¯I also wanted to beat this bastard into a pulp, so, don¡¯t just kill him yourself, okay?¡¯. With the level of tacit understanding between them, Shen Ji Yun quickly understood what Luo Yan wanted to say.


    So, his n to rush forward and directly sh the Dark Saint¡¯s neck had to be put on hold. "Then, let¡¯s do it together."


    Luo Yan grinned. "My thoughts exactly."


    The two of them didn¡¯t wait for the Dark Saint to react to their conversation and just rushed forward to attack the other. Luo Yan took out his daggers while Shen Ji Yun unsheathed his sword.


    They used their skills to attack from the left and right side of the Dark Saint, forming a pincer attack. The Dark Saint deftly dodge the iing sword sh with a hint of powerful purple lightning from the left. The he flicked his hand and used that invisible force of his to throw Shen Ji Yun away. At the same time, he raised his other hand and stopped Luo Yan in mid-air before he could even do his attack.


    Luo Yan had already expected this. So, before he was stopped by the Dark Saint, he dropped both his daggers into the shadow below. The other didn¡¯t notice it because he was busy making sure that Shen Ji Yun would stay put from where he was. As evidence of the ck, tentacle-like things that appeared on the ground and tied him.


    Luo Yan cursed this bastard inwardly for his bad taste. Then, he took that opportunity to do a surprise attack. One of his daggers rushed upward from the shadow in a vertical manner. It was about to stab the Dark Saint¡¯s chin. But the other seemed to have felt it because he quickly moved his head backwards, avoiding the dagger that went passed him.


    He looked at Luo Yan full of interest. "You really are quite¡ª"


    The Dark Saint wasn¡¯t able to finish what he was saying because another dagger lunged from behind and lodged itself on his shoulder. It was unexpected and took the Dark Saint by surprise. Just like what Luo Yan wanted.


    He knew that the other would be able to dodge the first dagger. He would becent and let his guard down right after. Because he wouldn¡¯t think that another attack would happen right after. That¡¯s why Luo Yan immediately followed the dagger up with another dagger.


    Look, wasn¡¯t it effective?


    He felt the invisible constraints holding him disappearing. Hended on the ground with no problem. His two daggers both returned to his hands. He looked at the Dark Saint.


    The effect of Eternal Lotus would onlyst for three seconds. But that was enough. He didn¡¯t worry that his attack would be for nothing. Because right at this moment, Shen Ji Yun suddenly appeared behind the Dark Saint.


    The other raised his sword that was glowing with purple lightning and shed it down at the Dark Saint¡¯s back. For a good measure, Luo Yan stabbed the other on his chest.


    Because the Eternal Lotus was still in effect, it wouldn¡¯t magically extend the time that the Dark Saint was frozen. That¡¯s not exactly how his daggers worked. If it was indeed like that, then, his daggers would simply be too OP. The Eternal Lotus core in his daggers would only take effect again once the pervious effect was gone.


    ck blood flowed from the chest wound, the Dark Saint even spewed a mouthful of blood. Luo Yan scrunched up his brows in disgust.


    He was nning to stab the other again once the three seconds were up. But before he could do so, the body of the Dark suddenly glowed. A powerful energy was released from the other¡¯s body, causing him and Shen Ji Yun to be violently thrown-off.


    Luo Yan regained his footing andnded safely. He raised his head and his mouth almost fell off when he saw what was happening.

 Chapter 650 vs dark saint (ii)

    THERE were hundreds, no, probably even more than a thousand of ck lightsing from different directions and entering the Dark Saint¡¯s body. If that was all, Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t be surprised at all. But the problem was, those ck lights had something like an outline of a face in them.


    From where he was standing, those faces looked like that painting ¡¯The Scream¡¯. It¡¯s not only that, he could hear howling from those streams of ck lights. The sound was like someone being tortured or something.


    He had a feeling that those streams of ck lights were actually souls. And where could those soulse from? Of course, it could only be from the dark mages on the ind.


    As those souls were being absorbed to the Dark Saint¡¯s body, his wounds started to heal. Not only that, the sickly appearance he had started to change as well. His thin build suddenly gained muscles and his pale pallor became rosy.


    He was obviously absorbing those souls to supplement his body. Like he did with the souls of those kitsunes his followers killed for him. And now, this bastard was doing the same to those said followers.


    The Dark Saint opened his eyes, looking rejuvenated. "As expected, my believers¡¯ souls truly are splendid. I should have probably done this a long time ago. Maybe I should thank your group for killing them for me. At least, I no longer needed to think of an excuse to sacrifice them. Although it would be hard to find useful people again. Especially with my body being like this. But their souls couldst me a few hundred years. That would be enough to rebuild everything. Now, if only you would give me back the archdemon¡¯s body, it would be a perfect ending."


    Luo Yan felt the corner of his eye twitching because of the other¡¯s monologue. Now, he was even more annoyed. Not only did this guy not care about his ind burning into mes, he even took the souls of his dying followers. This no longer felt like revenge, it¡¯s more like they were serving him a delicious delicacy on a tter.


    "No, the perfect ending would be you dying here," he said with a sweet smile. "And just so we¡¯re clear here, that body won¡¯t ever be returned to you. So, I suggest you stop fantasizing about your ¡¯perfect ending¡¯ because that won¡¯t happen. Ever. It¡¯s better if you just ept your death. Because that would be your ending."


    The Dark Saint onlyughed. "You truly are such a firecracker. It makes me want to make you mine more and more."


    Luo Yan just felt disgusted hearing that. Should he contact customer service after this and sue an NPC for sexual harassment? Maybe he could get somepensation afterwards.


    While he was contemting about that, Shen Ji Yun, on the other, was just getting angrier and angrier. Everything that came out of this bastard¡¯s mouth that had something to do with Luo Yan was just constantly beating his bottom line.


    What were the game devs thinking designing such an NPC? This bastard was even worse from that vampire from team Sanguis. Should he talk about this to his uncle? What if there¡¯s another NPC that¡¯s designed like this? And what if Luo Yan met them? His rabbit was so beautiful and charismatic, they would definitely act the same.


    Yes, this definitely had to be reported to his uncle.


    He nced at Luo Yan and saw the other also looking at him. He could easily read the message in his eyes. Luo Yan wanted for them to attack together once again. He nodded, telling the other that he understood.


    He was thrown pretty far off earlier and was now on the Dark Saint¡¯s blind spot. He was in the perfect position to do a surprise attack. And he did not hesitate to do so.


    He raised his sword, purple lightning naturally surrounded it. And then he used one of his skills ¨C [Lightning ws]. It¡¯s a skill that dealt lightning damage by releasing five huge shes that looked like a beast¡¯s ws. Thus, the name.


    Its damage wasn¡¯t that high. Especially for a high-level boss such as this NPC. But Shen Ji Yun¡¯s purpose was not to deal damage by using it. He often used this skill when he a decoy that could cover up his real attack. [Sword ws] was perfect for that because of it over the top appearance.


    It could fool people into thinking that it was a powerful attack. So, once they managed to defend against it, they would have a tendency to rx. That was even more true for NPCs and monsters in the game. Because they were designed to follow a logical pattern duringbat. That¡¯s why he was not worried that the Dark Saint wouldn¡¯t take this ¡¯bait¡¯ that he just threw.


    As expected, the other put up a shield to protect himself from the five lightning shes that was about to hit him. Shen Ji Yun took that opportunity to use [Lightning Steps]. It¡¯s a short distance teleportation skill that could allow him to move instantaneously from one point to the next.


    But as he said, it¡¯s only for a short distance. Its limit was only 100 meters at most. But it didn¡¯t matter since its cooldown was only a minute. This kind of skill was very useful when it came to team fights.


    With [Lightning Steps], he appeared just right behind the Dark Saint. He swung his sword towards the other¡¯s neck without much hesitation. To his surprise, the Dark Saint suddenly turned around and managed to raise his arm before the sword reached his neck.


    The arm he had raised seemed to have an invisible shield that protected him from the attack. But the collision between it and the sword was too strong that the Dark Saint was thrown off.


    An almost imperceptible smile appeared on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s lips. Because he did not just throw off the other to a random direction. He did so towards the direction where Luo Yan was waiting.


    So, before the Dark Saint could evennd on his feet, a dagger had already embedded itself to his shoulder.


    Luo Yan was preparing to do a much more damaging attack since the Dark Saint would be rendered immobile again. But to his shock, the other was able to move and even managed to clutch his neck at a very fast speed.


    "You really are too naughty," the Dark Saint said, his voice full of hidden malice.

 Chapter 651 vs dark saint (iii)

    SEEING this, Shen Ji Yun immediately moved towards the two. But he hadn¡¯t taken a few steps yet when some kind of symbol appeared on the ground he was standing. ck chains suddenly protruded from it and attacked him. He swiftly dodged the chains and shed his sword, nning to cut the chains.


    But to his surprise, his sword just passed through the chains. This surprised him because he felt one of the chains brushing passed his cheek. So, he knew that it was definitely a solid object. This unexpected situation caused him to pause for a second. But this pause proved to be detrimental.


    Chains bounded his limbs and body, making him unable to move. That¡¯s not all, those chains suddenly entered his body. He didn¡¯t feel any pain but he knew that it was not something good. He almost cursed. The moment he saw that symbol on the ground, he should have known that whatever woulde out of it would not be something ordinary.


    "Those are called ¡¯phantom chains¡¯," the Dark Saint¡¯s voice suddenly said. "They couldn¡¯t be broken by ordinary means. They bind your soul and slowly eat away at your life. Until nothing remained. So, just stand there and wait for your death."


    As if on cue, Shen Ji Yun suddenly felt his whole body weakening. He checked his HP and MP and saw that both were decreasing at an incredible speed. Under normal circumstance, dying inside the game wouldn¡¯t be such a big problem for him. But this was not the same.


    If he ¡¯died¡¯ in this situation, Luo Yan would be left here to deal with this bastard. How could he just let that happen?


    While Shen Ji Yun was contemting on what to do, Luo Yan over there was still wondering why the Dark Saint did not get affected by the Eternal Lotus as he did the first time. He wasn¡¯t too worried about Shen Ji Yun because he knew that the other would definitely have a way to get out of the predicament he¡¯s in.


    "You- how are you not affected by my daggers?" he asked straightforwardly.


    There¡¯s no need to hide that it was his daggers that caused the other to freeze in time. What¡¯s the point of hiding when it was already so obvious? What¡¯s important now was to find out what this bastard did so he could avoid it if possible.


    "Oh, is my naughty cat wondering why your little trick did not work?" the Dark Saint asked in that annoying tone of voice. "I have an item in me that could negate any status ailments inflicted by a weapon. I was unable to activate it earlier because Icked the necessary Mana for it. But with the help of the souls of my precious believers, I finally have all the Mana I needed and more."


    That¡¯s a very convenient and useful item. ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    Now that he knew that, it seemed that his dagger would no longer have any advantage. Unless he took whatever item the other was talking about. But he could already feel that that would only be a waste of time.


    Should he just proceed to thest step and used the ¡¯gift¡¯ he left to this guy earlier?


    As he was pondering over that, he felt the grip on his neck tightening. He was forced to look down at the bastard still holding his neck.


    "What are you thinking about, my naughty cat?" the Dark Saint said. "You should only be thinking about me at this moment."


    Luo Yan was really on the verge of activating ¡¯that¡¯ when he noticed something at the corner of his eyes. He smirked at the annoying bastard and said;


    "My mind had no space for a trash. And for the record, I¡¯m not your cat. I¡¯m someone else¡¯s rabbit."


    The moment he finished saying that, Shen Ji Yun suddenly appeared beside them and ruthlessly cut off the Dark Saint¡¯s hand that was still gripping Luo Yan¡¯s neck. Landing on the ground, Luo Yan didn¡¯t waste any time and ced his hand on the Dark Saint¡¯s shadow. He then used the skill [Shadow Cage].


    The Dark Saint¡¯s shadow morphed and formed ck bars surrounding him, thus, making a cage. If Luo Yan could see his MP right now, he knew that it would be rapidly decreasing.


    This skill could provide an absolute prison to an enemy. But only if the other was weaker than him. Obviously, this bastard was much stronger. So, for [Shadow Cage] to have an effect, he needed to sacrifice a huge chunk of his MP.


    But even so, the effect of the cage would onlyst for five seconds. Its cooldown was also pretty long. That¡¯s why he had been refraining from using it. At least, until thest moment.


    And this was that moment.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun and nodded at the other. Although he didn¡¯t know what the other used to get out of those chains, the important thing was he managed to do so.


    Shen Ji Yun also nodded back. Both of them knew that they had to permanently restrict the Dark Saint¡¯s movement before the effect of [Shadow Cage] disappeared. And the fastest way to do that was to tear off the other¡¯s limbs.


    They also thought of stabbing his heart and cutting of his head. But even those method would probably not kill this bastard. Look, even the arm that was cut by Shen Ji Yun was not even bleeding that much. It even seemed like it would regrow at any second.


    Before the five seconds was up, Shen Ji Yun shed through the bars of the cage and swiftly cut off the Dark Saint¡¯s other arm and two legs. He even stabbed the other at his heart for good measure.


    But just like what they thought, it didn¡¯t really kill him. The Dark Saint didn¡¯t even fall down with the lost of his limbs. Because ck viscous-like Mana appeared and kept him afloat.


    "Ah, you¡¯re really dwindling the life that my believer had given me," he said, obviously not worried despite his current condition. He nced at Shen Ji Yun. "How did you manage to get out of the phantom chains?"


    Shen Ji Yun used a holy item that could cleanse a yer¡¯s body with anything that¡¯s invading it. He was actually unsure if the phantom chains would count as one, but he still tried. Good thing that it worked.


    That item was a one-use item that he got from clearing a dungeon. Meaning that after one use, it would disappear. He didn¡¯t think it was a waste to use it now. If it¡¯s to help and support Luo Yan, then nothing was a waste.


    "None of your business," ¨C his simple response to the Dark Saint¡¯s question.


    The other shrugged. "No matter. I¡¯ll just kill you the moment this cage disappeared."


    Then, as if that¡¯s a signal, the cage made of shadow suddenly disintegrated into dust. But the Dark Saint didn¡¯t manage to immediately release an attack. Because two figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    The bigger one stood at the back and clenched the Dark Saint¡¯s neck with his arm. The smaller one floated in front of the Dark Saint.


    Yes, these two were Dusk and Eclipse.

 Chapter 652 libra gem

    LUO YAN grinned widely when he saw the two. Earlier, before he decided to use the [Shadow Cage], he had contacted Eclipse through telepathy.


    When Eclipse still couldn¡¯t transform to his humanoid form, their only way ofmunication was through that. So, whenever they did grind for experience together, he had always tried to test the distance on which their telepathy worked. And he discovered by many trials and errors that the limit of their telepathic range was about five kilometers.


    But when Eclipse was finally able to transform into a humanoid form, their telepathicmunication also evolved in a way. The distance they couldmunicate varied depending on the size of the map they were on. Because as long as they were on the same map, they couldmunicate telepathically. So, it wasn¡¯t a problem connecting to the other.


    He told Eclipse to go to where he was and to take Dusk along with him. Because of their master-pet contract, Eclipse could easily track his location. With the Dark Saint¡¯s attention on him and Shen Ji Yun, the other didn¡¯t even notice that the huge dragon hovering over the ind disappeared.


    And thus, ending up in this situation.


    "Mashter, we¡¯re notte, right?" Eclipse asked.


    "No, you¡¯re just in time," he said.


    The Dark Saint tilted his head,pletely uncaring of his current situation. He didn¡¯t even seem panicked that all his movement was technically sealed as if he could get out of this with just a simple flick of his fingers.


    "Is this the cavalry?" The Dark Saint then nced back at Dusk who was still clenching his neck using his arm. "Why do you look familiar?"


    Dusk gritted his teeth, angered by the other¡¯s obvious disregard. He simply directly grabbed the other¡¯s neck, his ws digging into the skin. "Shut your mouth."


    "Oh, I remember now. You¡¯re that dragon. Are you here to save your father?"


    Shit. ¨C Luo Yan cursed inwardly when he heard the Dark Saint¡¯s question. Doubt obviously appeared on Dusk¡¯s face. He made great effort not to mention Beelzebub¡¯s name around Dusk. And yet this bastard was about to make all that effort go to waste.


    "Eclipse, he already has that item," he said before the Dark Saint could say anything more detrimental. Then, he added telepathically, [The item is inside the sash of his robe. Kill him and avenge your parents.]


    It was the parting ¡¯gift¡¯ he gave the Dark Saint earlier before he used [Shadow Walk].


    An almost crazy smile appeared on the little boy¡¯s face. [Yes, Mashter.]


    A dagger made of shadow appeared in Eclipse¡¯s hand. Without wasting any time, he shed it down on the sash. A small gem that almost looked transparent fell out of the sash. At the center of the gem, a justice scale was embedded. Like some kind of mark sculpted there.


    If one was not looking carefully, they would have definitely missed the gem. Mainly because of its color and size. But since was Eclipse was already expecting it, he managed to immediately snatched it.


    "Uncle, hold him a bit more tightly," he said.


    Dusk did so. He seemed like he had already calmed down from what the Dark Saint had said earlier about his father.


    The bastard, as usual, still looked uncaring. There was even a hint of anticipation in his eyes. As if he couldn¡¯t wait to see just what kind of tricks they would pull off next.


    Luo Yan almost wanted to ask, ¡¯really, just how bored are you?¡¯. The other probably hadn¡¯t experience any stimtion from the past thousand years that he¡¯s acting like this? Well, anyway, that didn¡¯t matter. Because soon, this farce would be over and the Dark Saint would no longer have that expression.


    Eclipse raised his hand that was holding the gem and ruthlessly shoved it to the Dark Saint¡¯s chest. In particr, to the area where his heart was. ck blood gushed out from the wound. But the Dark Saint still only had that curious expression. That was until Eclipse injected his Mana into the gem.


    The Dark Saint¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Finally, a crack appeared on it. "You- what are you doing?"


    It was Luo Yan who answered him.


    "He¡¯s injecting Mana on the gem that is now buried in your heart. By now you should know that the gem I¡¯m talking about was no ordinary gem. It¡¯s called the Libra gem. Once it¡¯s inserted in the heart of someone, it could judge that person¡¯s sin. If you didn¡¯tmit any, then, you have nothing to worry about. But if you do, then, you will be punished. The level of punishment will all depend on how much you have sinned. With the many lives that you took, do you want to guess just how severe its punishment would be?"


    He said thatst one with a smile, as if reveling at the other¡¯s uing demise.


    What he didn¡¯t mention was that this gem needed the Mana of someone who had the right to judge the target¡¯s sins. And who had more right here to do that than Eclipse? His parents were killed. His fellow tribesmen were sacrificed. The vige he should have grown up in was destroyed. He was basically robbed of, well, everything. So, it¡¯s just right for him to be the one doing this.


    The Dark Saint¡¯s facepletely changed after hearing what Luo Yan said. His expressionpletely turned vicious. As if he couldn¡¯t wait to kill them all. ck Mana came out from his severe limbs and attacked Eclipse.


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun both moved at the same time and prevented the ck Mana from reaching the little boy. The more they parried against it, the paler the Dark Saint became.


    "This is for all the lives that you took. For the mother and father that you took away from me. And for all the evil that you have done," Eclipse said, staring straight at the Dark Saint¡¯s eyes.


    Then he took out his hand from the other¡¯s chest and jumped back. Seeing that, all three of them ¨C he, Shen Ji Yun, and Dusk ¨C all did the same.


    And in the next moment, they all heard the miserable cry of the Dark Saint.

 Chapter 653 the dark saints end

    A CRACK appeared on the chest of the Dark Saint where Eclipse inserted the gem. There seemed to be something wanting toe out of the crack. Like a ss that was close to shattering.


    And then, from that crack, streaks of ck and white light started toe out. Those lights had faces on them. Just like the souls that entered his body earlier. The streaks of ck light just scattered around the ind while slowly dissipating in the air. While those souls inside the white light were now howling and screaming in pain.


    Their screamed pain echoed amidst the burning ind. Every scream was like hearing a person being tortured right in front of you. Anyone who heard it would feel heartbroken. As if their heart was being strangled by something. And just like those souls in the ck light, the souls in the white light also dissipated after some time. As they did, one could hear a very soft sigh at the end. As if they were relieved that they were finally free.


    As those souls kept pouring out of the Dark Saint¡¯s body, hepletely fell to the ground. His limbs stopped regenerating. If he still had them, he could probably be curled up into a ball right now because of the pain he was suffering.


    After those souls disappeared, the Dark Saint¡¯s body seemed to have be much thinner and paler. He even looked sicklier than he did when Luo Yan first saw him in that room earlier.


    They thought that that would be the end of it, but suddenly cuts after cuts appeared on the other¡¯s body. Every time a cut would appear, the Dark Saint would scream in pain. Until his whole body became bloody and his voice became hoarse from screaming.


    The Dark Saint raised his head weakly and looked at the four people standing together and watching his suffering. His eyes turned red in anger. "W-why?"


    Luo Yan almostughed. Really, this bastard really had to ask that? Did this guy not even think that what he had done so far didn¡¯t warrant this kind of punishment? "I¡¯m toozy to exin why. So, let¡¯s just call it karma."


    The Dark Saint looked very unwilling. But what could he do? He couldn¡¯t move, his body had already be a waste, and his Mana was almost non-existent. He¡¯s like a weak fish waiting at the chopping block to be killed.


    Luo Yan enjoyed this scene very much. After all the other had done, something like this was probably not enough as punishment. But he was still thankful for the Libra gem for quickening the process of this bastard¡¯s death.


    The gem, by the way, was from Shirayuki. She said when she gave it to him that it was her treasure. Because it was something that she found after years and years of painstakingly looking for an item that could kill the Dark Saint.


    Luo Yan had a feeling that if they did this hidden task without going to the demon fox tribe¡¯s vige, it would be very, very hard to kill the Dark Saint. They wouldn¡¯t even go there if not for Eclipse. And Eclipse wouldn¡¯t be part of their team if he wasn¡¯t curious enough to take the egg from the dragon¡¯s cave. Then, he and Shen Ji Yunter came back for the dragon and triggering this hidden task. So, everything just kind of fell into ce.


    He felt his hand suddenly being gripped by someone. He looked down and saw that it was Eclipse. The little boy was watching the Dark Saint¡¯s suffering with reddened eyes while biting his lower lips. Obviously, it¡¯s definitely not because he was sad. Luo Yan had a feeling that it was mainly because of too much anger.


    He could have his revenge but it didn¡¯t mean that it would bring back his parents. Luo Yan could only bend down a bit and put his arm around Eclipse¡¯s shoulders to give him the support he needed. The little boy casted a thankful nce at him before returning his gaze back to the dying Dark Saint.


    It didn¡¯t take a while before the other¡¯s body turned into small light particles. But it was not instantaneous like how it was for other monsters and NPCs. His was like a slow-burn. Starting from his severe legs, going upwards to his body and head.


    "No, no, no..." the Dark Saint muttered continuously while fearfully looking down at his slowly vanishing body. Then, as if realizing that there¡¯s no longer any hope to stop his death, he red at the four people standing together. His eyes full of hatred and viciousness. "I curse all of you! All of you will suffer! You will pay¡ª"


    He wasn¡¯t able to continue his hateful remarks because his mouth had already disappeared. Up until thest moment, he didn¡¯t nce away and continued staring at them with hatred. As if hoping for their demise right at this moment.


    This bastard, still an asshole until the very end. ¨C Luo Yan thought while shaking his head.


    "Mashter, we won¡¯t really get cursed, right?" Eclipse suddenly asked beside him.


    Before he could answer, Dusk had already beaten him to it. "You silly fox. Of course not. That bastard didn¡¯t have any Mana left. There¡¯s no way he could have cursed us."


    Luo Yan nced amusedly at the ck dragon. The other looked very calm and collected. There was no joy or sadness. He wondered if Dusk was really as calm as he was portraying or if he was still thinking about what the Dark Saint said about his father.


    Before he could delve deeper into that, a huge virtual screen suddenly appeared in the sky. It even had some confetti and fireworks effect around it.


    [Congrattions to YUN and Noctis for defeating the Dark Saint! Your achievement will be eternally remembered!]


    Luo Yan was curious and also a bit confused. Just what was that?


    As if knowing what he was thinking, Shen Ji Yun responded, "That¡¯s a site-wide announcement. Everyone currently logged in the game right now could see that."

 Chapter 654 site-wide announcement

    A SITE-WIDE announcement? Luo Yan, of course, knew what that was. It was somethingmon in MMORPGs. When a yer achieved something, like defeating a powerful dungeon boss or getting a high-grade equipment, it would be announced in the whole server.


    But the thing was, since he started ying the VR version of Arcadia, he had never seen a site-wide announcement like this. So, he thought that it wasn¡¯t simply a thing. That¡¯s why he was a bit surprised seeing that just now.


    Shen Ji Yun saw Luo Yan¡¯s expression and had a guess on what the other must be thinking. So, he went and exined;


    "Site-wide announcements are usually for first time achievements. Like the first who cleared a certain dungeon or the first one who killed a dungeon boss. Discovering new inds in Arcadia is also considered an achievement. And just like us, killing a powerful NPC like the Dark Saint.


    "Since it¡¯s part of the narrative of our hidden task, this ¡¯death¡¯ would be permanent and the Dark Saint would be erased from the game. Thus, it¡¯s considered an even bigger achievement. It¡¯s more than five years since the release of the VR version of Arcadia. Almost all achievements had been done. So, it¡¯s quite rare to see one nowadays."


    Luo Yan nodded, telling the other that he understood. Well, being out for more than five years, of course a lot of those achievements would have been done already. Then, he suddenly remembered the teleportation scroll they got from the leader of Crimson Corps.


    Shen Ji Yun said that it might be a teleportation scroll for one of the two dungeons that were added during thest update. One of the two dungeons was already announced and was avable for yers to raid. But the other one, the one that Shen Ji Yun suspected the teleportation scroll would lead them to, still wasn¡¯t formally announced.


    It¡¯s already been three months since thest update. So, why hadn¡¯t there been anyone yet to clear the dungeon? He asked Shen Ji Yun about that.


    "Although it¡¯s been officially announced and avable to raid, the yers still hadn¡¯t found a way to go there," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Those big teams and also some small ones that wanted to be known were probably looking for a way to go there. After all, being the first one to clear a dungeon could give a lot of wonderful and powerful rewards.


    "So that¡¯s why. Good thing we already found a way to raid that other dungeon. At least once it¡¯s announced, we could just directly teleport there," Luo Yan said. "Brother Ji Yun said that it would probably be avable around December, right?"


    Shen Ji Yun said that it was because the game devs were overhauling the whole design of the dungeon as well as the dungeon boss.


    The other nodded. "That¡¯s what I heard. But it could still change depending on the next beta testing."


    "Team Yunyue should be the first one to clear it," Luo Yan said. It would be like a signal to everyone that team Yunyue had been reborn and was ready to challenge the next season of Arcadia Cup. They were no longer the so-called fallen champions. "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, would we get a reward for this achievement?"


    "Yes, we only had to go to the Record Hall in one of the four cities and we could get a reward that¡¯s befitting of the achievement we aplished."


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes visibly shined at that.


    Shen Ji Yun was amused by that and found it really cute. His hand felt itchy and he really wanted to pinch the other¡¯s cheek. But before he could do so, Eclipse suddenly called them.


    "Mashter, Captain, look there¡¯s an item there where the Dark Saint turned into dust."


    An item drop? ¨C Luo Yan thought as he looked at that direction. When he saw that there was indeed something shiny there, he quickly walked to that direction.


    Shen Ji Yun only nced at Eclipse and then at the item before sighing and following Luo Yan.


    At this moment, every yer currently logged in Arcadia had seen the site-wide announcement. How could they not when the thing was too big and eye-catching. It¡¯s like the game was telling them, ¡¯look, these two did an awesome job, aren¡¯t you envious?¡¯.


    This announcement then sparked a lot of discussion around Arcadia.


    "Who¡¯s the Dark Saint? Was he so powerful that they had to make an announcement just because someone defeated him?"


    "I heard of him! He¡¯s the leader of the dark mages. They¡¯re a group that worship their leader as a god. With that, this Dark Saint must be really powerful."


    "There aren¡¯t a lot of tasks involving the dark mages. But those that I know of always portrayed them as the viins. Their difficult to handle not only because of their dark magic but also because of their cruelty."


    "Then, their big boss must be indeed a big boss."


    "Wait- why is no one talking about YUN and Noctis? They¡¯re the ones who defeated the Dark Saint."


    "I think YUN is probably training Noctis for the uing finals of the Rookie Carnival."


    "Does anyone remember when was thest time YUN had been this active?"


    "Is Yunyue really making aeback?"


    "If they are, then the next season of Arcadia Cup would definitely be a st."


    "True. They might be called ¡¯fallen champions¡¯ now but no one could deny YUN, Morganite, and White Marsh¡¯s ability. It seemed that their two new rookies are also quite powerful."


    As the conversation around Arcadia continued, a particr cat girl was staring at the announcement with stars in her eyes. Some great ideas for a fan-art were already starting to flow in Xia Li¡¯s mind. Her followers in Weibo who were also a fan of NightCloud CP would definitely enjoy it.


    Xia Lei, who was standing beside her sister, somehow had already guessed what the other was thinking based on her expression. Truly, he could only apologize in his heart to YUN and Noctis for being the subject of his sister¡¯s fantasy.

 Chapter 655 such a treasure

    LUO YAN picked up the dropped item. He was kind of excited. Because aside from dungeon bosses that automatically gave yers rewards as long as you defeated them, but this was the first time that a monster/NPC that they had defeated dropped an item.


    Ordinary monsters only often dropped crystal coins. Which he didn¡¯t really need. Considering the amount of crystal coins his father gave him initially. Not to mention, his ie from Yuexing Pavilion. So, he was really excited for this item.


    The item was a ck ear cuff. It looked very ordinary. The color was just in ck and it didn¡¯t have any gems on it. The only thing that was probably different about it was the glyphs carved on it. Even that would be unnoticeable if he didn¡¯t stare at it intensely. Also, if Eclipse didn¡¯t see it, it might have totally gone unnoticed.


    He put it inside his Items Tab so he could appraise it.


    Null Ring


    - Can negate any status ailments caused by a weapon. It consumes Mana whenever it¡¯s used. The greater the status ailments, the more Mana it needed. If the yercked Mana and it was activated, it could cause a severe bacsh.


    Luo Yan read the description and his first thought was, ¡¯isn¡¯t this an ear cuff, why call it a ring?¡¯. Just kidding. It really didn¡¯t matter what it¡¯s called. The important thing was whether it would be useful or not. And just based on that description, it definitely would.


    This Null Ring was most likely the item that helped the Dark Saint earlier to negate the effect of his daggers. He was just wondering earlier how he could take this item from the other. Who would have thought that it would directly fell on hisp like this?


    He took it out from his Items Tab and gave it to Shen Ji Yun for the other to check. Shen Ji Yun took it and after checking, he gave it back to Luo Yan.


    "You should keep it," he said.


    Although Luo Yan was already expecting that the other would give it to him, he still felt happy because of it. "Is it really okay for me to have it?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Yes. It would be much more useful for you."


    Luo Yan smiled like a flower. "Thank you, Brother Ji Yun!" He was about to put it on his left ear when he thought of something. He turned to Shen Ji Yun and said in a coquettish tone, "Brother Ji Yun, can you put it on me? I¡¯m afraid I might miss it if I do it myself."


    Shen Ji Yun was temporarily surprised by this but he still took the ear cuff that was on Luo Yan¡¯s palm. How could he refuse when his rabbit looking at him like that and asking him in that tone of voice?


    He cleared his throat and put a few strands of Luo Yan¡¯s hair behind his ear. Then, he gently clipped the cuff on the other¡¯s auricle. As he did so, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel on how soft it was to the touch.


    He readily let go once his thoughts started to go to apletely different direction.


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun and saw the other¡¯s ear tip turning red. Every time he saw it, he couldn¡¯t help but want to pinch it. He even found the other¡¯s awkward expression really cute. He smiled inwardly. He really had it hard for this adorable cinnamon roll.


    "Aww... Mashter and Captain are so sweet. Eclipse feel like he¡¯s going to have diabetes," the little boy said suddenly while holding both his cheeks as if he was very happy eating unnecessary sugar.


    Shen Ji Yun only felt shy and a bit happy. He still really couldn¡¯t get used to Eclipse¡¯s teasing. But deep inside, he was cheering and wanted to apud Eclipse for being so smart. The little Ji Yun in his heart was jumping and shouting, ¡¯yes, go and tease us more!¡¯. It¡¯s really quite embarrassing to say the least.


    Luo Yan only shook his head with a helpless smile. "Come on, let¡¯s go to your vige and tell your aunt the good news," he said to Eclipse while gently tapping the little boy¡¯s forehead.


    Eclipse¡¯s attention seemed to be quickly transferred to his aunt the moment he heard what Luo Yan said. "Yes! Let¡¯s go, Mashter! Aunt will definitely be happy after hearing the news."


    Luo Yan then nced to the still silent Dusk. He had a feeling that the other was still immersed on what the Dark Saint said about his father. "Let¡¯s go, Dusk?" he asked.


    The other only nodded.


    And so, the four of them left Achaeus and teleported to the demon fox¡¯s vige.


    "Is- is it really true? Is the Dark Saint really gone?" Shirayuki asked with trembling voice.


    When they arrived at the vige, Luo Yan went with Eclipse to tell Shirayuki about the news. On the other hand, Shen Ji Yun decided to wait with Dusk outside.


    "It¡¯s true Aunt Yuki! The four of us worked together to defeat that evil mage! You should have seen how pathetic he looked at the very end. Oh, right, Eclipse actually saved that memory, does Aunt Yuki want to see it?"


    Shirayuki, who was already on the verge of tears, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. So, it looked like she was crying andughing at the same time.


    "Yes, let me see itter," she said while looking at his nephew tenderly.


    "Maybe we should let everyone in the vige watch it. Everyone will definitely be happy."


    "Okay, let¡¯s not get too excited," Luo Yan said before Eclipse decided to show the clip to everyone in Arcadia.


    This time, Shirayuki no longer held back herughter. It was a very freeughter as if a lot of burden had been lifted from her shoulders. "I¡¯ve always dreamt of the day when the Dark Saint dies. I just didn¡¯t expect that I would beughing like this once that time came." He looked at Eclipse and stroke the other¡¯s head gently. "Thank you for being such a treasure."


    Eclipse only smiled brightly as a reply.

 Chapter 656 truth rather than ignorance

    LUO YAN and Shen Ji Yun appeared at the entrance of the valley of dragons after they teleported from the vige of the demon foxes. They were here to go to the tower where Beelzebub was. So, they could give him the body and the other could do his end of their deal. Which was to give Dusk¡¯s memories back.


    As the two of them moved quickly towards the northern part of the valley, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help but think back to the conversation they had with Dusk before they left the demon fox vige.


    =====


    Luo Yan walked out of Shirayuki¡¯s house, giving the aunt and nephew duo time alone together. They would probably want to talk more about what happened with the Dark Saint. His presence wasn¡¯t really needed there, so, he decided to just go out.


    Besides, he was also thinking to take this time to go to Typhon to finish their transaction with Beelzebub. At least, with Eclipse busy, it would be much easier to go to the valley of dragons because the other wouldn¡¯t have the time to ask them to let hime with them.


    Walking outside, he quickly saw Dusk and Shen Ji Yun. The two were both standing silently a few distance away from the house and under the shades of a couple of trees. Both looked like two unmoving rocks. The imagery was a bit funny, so, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    He walked towards the two.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s go and finish up with the rest," he said, referring to the deal they had with the archdemon.


    Shen Ji Yun simply nodded, showing that he had no problem with that.


    Luo Yan then turned to Dusk. "Dusk, is it alright for you to stay here with Eclipse? Tell himter that Brother Ji Yun and I just went somewhere to take care of some business."


    He thought that the other would just nod, as he often did since that incident with the red dragon. But to his surprise, the other¡¯s answer was theplete opposite.


    "No. If you want to leave, then you have to exin some things to me first."


    Although, Luo Yan had already expected that Dusk would bring this up sooner orter, he didn¡¯t expect that it would be now. Seeing the seriousness of the other¡¯s expression, he knew that he couldn¡¯t just change the subject and fool him with his witty words.


    He sighed. The Dark Saint was already dead but he¡¯s still giving them headaches up to this moment. If he could, Luo Yan really wanted to beat the crap out of that bastard again.


    "What do you want us to exin?" he asked, even though he already knew what it was.


    "When the Dark Saint asked earlier if I was there for my ¡¯father¡¯, what did he mean?"


    Sure enough. It was about that. Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun, silently asking for the other¡¯s advice.


    Shen Ji Yun was silent for a moment, as if contemting what he should say. At the end, he said, "If he can handle the truth, then, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a reason for us not to tell him." He then turned to Dusk and asked, "Can you handle the truth?"


    This time, it was the dragon¡¯s turn to be silent. But it didn¡¯t take long for him to find his answer. "It¡¯s better to know the truth even if it hurts than to remain ignorant. Because ignorance is never a bliss."


    Well, since the other had already spoken and made his choice, what else could Luo Yan do? Depriving Dusk of what he wanted would probably only backfire at them.


    "Alright. I will tell you. Please, listen until the very end. And I hope your heart is ready for whatever you might hear."


    The ck dragon nodded, indicating that he understood.


    And so, Luo Yan began telling him everything that the archdemon had told them. From the Romeo and Juliet like love story of Beelzebub and Alina to how the archdemon ended up with a part of his soul inside a dark mage.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to mention how an archdemoncked basic emotions. And that they would only be moved by a person they considered as their ¡¯treasure¡¯. In Beelzebub¡¯s case, it was Alina.


    He said it so whatever pain Dusk might feel would be lessened even by a bit. At least he would know that the reason his father didn¡¯t care for him was not because of any fault of his own. Archdemons were simply built that way.


    Then he followed that up with their deal with Beelzebub. Them taking his original body from Achaeus and giving it to him, and the other returning Dusk¡¯s memories to him.


    After Luo Yan was done, an ufortable silence filled the air.


    He observed Dusk¡¯s expression and saw that the other barely had any expression on his face. At once nce, one might think that he didn¡¯t care at all about the things that he just heard. But if one looked closely enough, they would see turbulent storms in the other¡¯s eyes.


    At the end, Dusk only said, "I see."


    =====


    The dragon didn¡¯t have any violent reaction after that. He just said that if the archdemon was going to return his memories, he didn¡¯t want the other to do it in the demon fox¡¯s vige. Adding that the archdemon¡¯s presence would only taint the ce.


    Just by that, Luo Yan could tell that the dragon was indeed angry. The other just chose not to show it to them. So, they simply chose the Forest of Darkness. At least, even if the two ended up fighting, the only ones that would be affected were the trees and the monsters living there.


    Soon, the tower appeared in his vision. He and Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t stop and continued moving there. Unlike the first time, their journey was much smoother. Because they didn¡¯t have to trespass on the roof and could simply enter the ce via the front door.


    And as if already waiting for their arrival, the aforementioned ¡¯door¡¯ opened on its own.

 Chapter 657 finally back

    LUO YAN and Shen Ji Yun were now climbing on a long and winding staircase that would lead them to the top of the tower where Beelzebub was. When they reached the tower area earlier, they hardly felt the presence of any dragons nearby. That¡¯s why they were able to arrive here much faster. The archdemon must have done something for that to happen.


    Anyway, Luo Yan was d for that. At least they didn¡¯t need to waste time worrying if those dragons would see them and cause them trouble.


    He looked around while climbing. The inside of the tower was very dark and almost empty. If not for the crystal lights hanging on the wall, darkness would be the first thing that would wee them. The archdemon also seemed to be not into decorating. As could be seen by how the interior of the tower looked like.


    "Brother Ji Yun, do you think Dusk will be alright once he met that guy?" he suddenly thought of asking.


    "I think he¡¯ll be fine. He has a very strong mentality. As evidence of how he could remain calm despite everything that had happened yesterday and today as well," Shen Ji Yun responded. "And even if he broke down because of his meeting with the archdemon, it doesn¡¯t matter. Because we¡¯ll be there to pick up the pieces."


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised hearing thatst part. Then, he smiled. It seemed that the events of yesterday and today made Shen Ji Yun like the ck dragon a little bit more.


    He felt relieved because of that. At least now, if ever the two ended up having a master-pet contract like him and Eclipse, it was not because Shen Ji Yun was forced by him. But because the other genuinely liked Dusk.


    "Yes, Brother Ji Yun is right," he said, agreeing to what the other said.


    A few minutester, they finally arrived at the top of the tower. Just like yesterday, the archdemon was still standing at the center of the room. The only difference was that there was no hood covering the upper half of his face. Now, they could clearly see the eyes that were unique to archdemons.


    "I didn¡¯t expect you would be here this early," the archdemonmented when the two of them walked into the room. "You did note here to tell me you failed, right?"


    Luo Yan felt the corner of his lips twitching. He almost yelled curses at the guy. "Wow, I can feel your unwavering trust in us," he said sarcastically. Then he took the ck crystal where the body of the archdemon was. He then threw that to where the other was standing. Beelzebub easily caught it. "There¡¯s your body, asshole."


    The archdemon gazed down at the ck crystal, his eyes widening a bit in surprise. Then, he raised his head and looked at them. "You seeded."


    "Yeah, obviously. Or do you actually don¡¯t want us to seed?" Luo Yan said, already irritated.


    "Does that mean you destroyed Achaeus and killed the Dark Saint?"


    Luo Yan only gave the archdemon a look as if asking, ¡¯do you even need to ask?¡¯.


    Beelzebub suddenlyughed. Like he just heard something unbelievable and crazy. "You really did what you told me you would do. It seemed that I really didn¡¯t bet in the wrong people."


    Luo Yan rolled his eyes. "Just get on with it and return to your body so you could do your end of the deal."


    The archdemon chuckled. "Fine. Then, move back a bit. You¡¯re standing on the magic circle."


    Luo Yan looked down but didn¡¯t see any magic circle. Still, both he and Shen Ji Yun moved back a bit.


    Beelzebub took out the body from the ck crystal andid it on where he was standing which was the very center of the room. He stared at the body with nostalgia, as if it had been a while since he hadst seen his own body.


    He kneeled on the side of the body and put a hand over its chest. He said some kind of incantation and some kind of seal appeared. The seal looked like strip of ribbons surrounding the whole body. After that, a magic circle appeared on the ground, Beelzebub and the body being its center.


    As the magic circle glowed more brightly, the strips started to break one by one. When all of it broke, a dark orb came out of the dark mage¡¯s body that the archdemon was upying. That dark orb then entered the real body of the archdemon. The moment that happened, the body of the dark mage fell down like a lifeless doll.


    The body of the archdemon started to float. Then, a very strong and prating Mana filled the air.


    Luo Yan felt like there was electricity running across his skin. It was not the good kind but the very ufortable one. He was thinking of how to make the situation a bit better when Shen Ji Yun suddenly stood in front of him. Because of that the overwhelming Mana that the archdemon¡¯s body no longer reached and affected him.


    He looked at the other¡¯s wide back and he couldn¡¯t stop the smile that crossed his lips. He just felt a bitfortable. Shen Ji Yun must have seen that and his first reaction was to cover him like this. And Luo Yan only felt sweet in his heart.


    He actually wanted to say that he was fine and the other didn¡¯t need to do this but he changed his mind at thest second. Being protected like this from time to time was also not that bad. At least, he could feel that kind of tion that only people in love could feel.


    After the Mana finally became stable enough and no longer going haywire, they saw the archdemon¡¯s body was no longer floating. It was now standing on the ground with the long ck hair moving wildly as if it was being blown by a strong wind. Then, slowly, the body opened its eyes.


    They were as dark as an abyss. The only color besides ck could be found in the eyes red vertical pupils.


    Beelzebub, who was now back in his own body, finally showed a smile. "Ah, I¡¯m finally back."

 Chapter 658 the archdemons blessing

    THE archdemon opened and closed his fist, as if testing its sticity. "Those dark mages seemed to really take care of my body. It¡¯s too bad I wouldn¡¯t be able to personally thank them."


    He then nced at the unconscious dark mage lying on the ground. He crouched down and took out a ring from the other¡¯s finger. After that, he pricked the dark mage¡¯s finger and drop some blood to the ring. He stood up and unceremoniously threw the ring at Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun¡¯s direction. Thetter reflexively caught it.


    "That ring contains a lot of this guy¡¯s treasure. The overall quality of all the things there could easily amount to the treasure you wanted me to give you," Beelzebub said.


    Luo Yan nced at the ring on Shen Ji Yun¡¯s palm. The ck crystal on it was most likely a space stone just like that crystal that the archdemon gave them to store his body. What he did earlier, dropping blood on it, was probably to remove any seal it had so they could ess it without any problems.


    He didn¡¯t doubt what the other said about the quality of the items in the ring. After all, they made that contract. The archdemon had no choice but to honor it. The other said that the ring had a lot of treasures. That meant that it had more than two items inside. Which was more than what he asked for.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯tin. It¡¯s definitely better to have more high-quality items. At least with this, he and Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t be the only ones who could use these items. They could store them in their headquarters¡¯ treasury and every member of their team could take an item out and use it.


    "Brother Ji Yun, you should keep it. Then, we¡¯ll check the contentster," he said.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded and put the ring in his Items Tab.


    "Regarding my own reward for the both of you, please take out your main weapons," the archdemon said. He might have seen their doubt because he added, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to do anything bad to your weapons. I¡¯m going to bestow to them my blessing."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. He almost asked if his blessing was even worthy of a gift. Then, his confusion was cleared by what Shen Ji Yun said next.


    "Based on what I know, when an archdemon gives his blessing on an item, that item would possess the trait of the sin that the archdemon who bestowed it represented."


    Then, their weapons would have the trait rted to gluttony? Since that¡¯s the sin that represented Beelzebub. But how would that work exactly? ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    "The qilin is right. This blessing would only be advantageous to the both of you," Beelzebub said. "But if you prefer something different, you can tell me. I don¡¯t mind amodating you."


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun and the other nodded. He then turned to the archdemon.


    "No, it¡¯s fine. Your blessing is enough," he said.


    After saying that, he took out his daggers. Shen Ji Yun did the same and unsheathed his sword. Beelzebub walked towards them and observed the weapons.


    "Good weapons. I see that they are even attuned to the elements you¡¯re connected with. Oh, these daggers even have the core of the Eternal Lotus. Smart move, using that," the archdemonmented. Then he put his hands above the weapons. "Upon my name as the archdemon of gluttony, I bestow upon thee my blessing."


    The sword and the daggers suddenly glowed. As the light subsided, the both of them heard a notification.


    [Congrattions on receiving the archdemon of gluttony¡¯s blessing! From now on your weapons would have the ability to ¡¯eat¡¯ a skill randomly of any enemy that you managed to wound. In turn, the enemy wouldn¡¯t be able to use the ¡¯eaten¡¯ skill. Of course, you could only use the skill you ¡¯ate¡¯ for a given time of 30 seconds. Then, it would be returned to its owner. You didn¡¯t expect it to be yours forever, right? That would be too greedy. Remember, you got the blessing of the archdemon of gluttony, not the archdemon of greed.]


    After the game system¡¯s long exnation, Luo Yan looked down at his two daggers in amazement. Wasn¡¯t this blessing a bit too OP? Even if they couldn¡¯t choose the skill they wanted to ¡¯eat¡¯, if they were against a strong opponent, the skill that they could ¡¯eat¡¯ would definitely be strong. And that would ultimately affect the enemy¡¯s game y.


    It¡¯s not even a skill that had a cooldown. So, it¡¯s even better. Maybe that¡¯s why the game system even gave a notification. He knew they had to test their weapons to know the full extent of this blessing. But the basic exnation for it was enough to see how good it was.


    "Wow, I never thought you¡¯d be so generous," Luo Yan said, still looking at his daggers.


    "Not really. I just thought that this blessing would be the best reward to stop you fromining," Beelzebub said with a shrug. "Giving it won¡¯t really affect me in any way. So, you don¡¯t have to give it too much meaning."


    Luo Yan felt the corner of his eye twitching. Yup. This guy was annoying as ever. The other being in his original body made him even more annoying. Because now that he was moving around and not lying lifelessly inside a pod, Luo Yan realized that this bastard actually had a resting bitch face. Add that to the way he talked and it would definitely irritate anyone.


    He sighed, ignoring the other¡¯s jibe. "You¡¯re not going to kill him?" he asked, referring to the unconscious dark mage.


    Beelzebub nced at the dark mage. "No. He still has his use." He swished his hand toward the other and the dark mage suddenly disappeared. "I think it¡¯s time for me to fulfill the first condition of this deal. So, where is the kid?"

 Chapter 659 the ever annoying archdemon

    A MOON elf and an archdemon appeared at the entrance of the Forest of Darkness. The former looked like he just wanted things to be done and over with while thetter seemed to not really care much about what¡¯s happening.


    Luo Yan nced at Beelzebub who seemed to show a bit of interest when he realized where they were. He was currently alone with the guy because Shen Ji Yun teleported to the demon fox vige to get Dusk. While he volunteered to teleport the archdemon to this ce.


    He could see that Shen Ji Yun was opposed to him being alone with Beelzebub. But since he volunteered himself, the other probably knew he couldn¡¯t really do anything about it. So, he could only teleport out of the tower on his own. Of course, not before he gave Beelzebub a very fierce re. As if warning the other to not do anything to Luo Yan. And he found that kind of cute actually.


    The reason why he volunteered was because he had some questions that he wanted to ask the archdemon. He didn¡¯t want to do that while the other was giving Dusk¡¯s memories back. Or even after that. Because he wanted to get Beelzebub as far away from Dusk in the fastest way possible.


    Although, that probably wouldn¡¯t happen the way he wanted it. Because Dusk would surely not have a very peaceful reaction once he met this guy and had his memories back.


    "Isn¡¯t this the Forest of Darkness?" the archdemon said, not really asking anyone in particr. "If my memory serves me right, this is near the Duke of Spades territory. Should I pay him a visitter? I wonder if he would have something I could ¡¯eat¡¯."


    Luo Yan secretly rolled his eyes at that and just went straight to the thing he wanted to ask.


    "When I went to the chamber where your body was slumbering, the Dark Saint appeared right after. He said that one of his loyal followers warned him that an intruder woulde to the chamber," he started. "Was that you?"


    That thing had been bothering him since the sudden appearance of the Dark Saint in that chamber. They were lucky that the bastard had a weird temperament. If it was a normal NPC and they received such a news, the first thing they would probably do was alert the whole ind about the intruder. Then, their n would definitely not go as smooth as it did.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t really as ¡¯smooth¡¯, but at least it was something they were able to quickly solve. If something like what he mentioned happened, he wasn¡¯t sure how thing would have turned out.


    Beelzebub acted as if he was thinking about Luo Yan¡¯s question. "Ah, yes, I almost forgot about that since you seeded in destroying Achaeus and killing the Dark Saint. The dark mage I was inhabiting before indeed contacted the Dark Saint this morning. Even though I could alter his memories of the times that I was controlling his body, there would be more or less some influence left in him.


    "The conversation we had yesterday most likely left a big impact on him. So, even though he couldn¡¯t understand why, he just had this inkling feeling that someone was going to try and steal my real body. Of course, being loyal to the Dark Saint, he immediately reported that."


    Luo Yan felt irritated to the extreme. It also didn¡¯t help that the other said that in a very nonchnt attitude. This bastard could really frustrate the hell out of anyone. If he didn¡¯t know that this guy literally didn¡¯t care about anyone except Alina, Luo Yan might have already suspected that he was doing this on purpose.


    "And you really didn¡¯t warn us about that?" he asked, his annoyance showing in his voice.


    "Should I have?" the other responded as if he really didn¡¯t think that he did something wrong by not doing so. "But everything turned out okay, right? It¡¯s not really a big deal."


    Luo Yan stared at the archdemon as if the other was already a dead fish in his eyes. Really, if he had the ability and if the circumstance allowed it, he had already gutted this bastard. He kind of wished he just didn¡¯t ask. That way, he wouldn¡¯t be feeling like his blood vessels would pop out.


    He took a deep breath and just forced himself to calm down. These game devs really had talent in creating anger inducing NPCs. He decided to just ignore the other. But it seemed that the archdemon didn¡¯t take the hint because the other spoke right after.


    "By the way, why are we meeting in this forest? Don¡¯t tell me that kid actually lives here?"


    "Why do you care?" Luo Yan scoffed. "Are finally showing interest in your own son?"


    "Not really. I¡¯m just curious, that¡¯s all."


    Shit, could he smack this guy? Just once? - Luo Yan angrily. He didn¡¯t notice that he had already raised his hand and was really just about to do that. But he stopped himself at thest second and put it back down.


    Instead, he warned, "Dusk, that¡¯s the name your son if you¡¯re ¡¯curious¡¯ as to who it was, will be meeting you fully conscious. He requested that of us because he probably wanted to see you face-to-face. I just wanted to remind you not to do anything to hurt him. Whether emotional or physical. Remember, your Alina wouldn¡¯t be happy once she found out how you treated her son."


    Beelzebub¡¯s expression finally changed. "Is that a threat?"


    That resting bitch face turned serious and Mana surrounded him, as if he was ready to attack Luo Yan if he just so much said the wrong answer.


    Somehow, that made Luo Yan very happy. Because, finally, he was not the only one who¡¯s annoyed.


    As an answer, he smiled sweetly. "No, not really. Let¡¯s just call it a reminder. After all, once Alina is fully healed, she would definitely want to meet Dusk. There¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t know what he had gone through."


    Before the archdemon could give any response, there was a distortion in the air ¨C a sign that someone was about to teleport. A secondter, Shen Ji Yun and Dusk both appeared from that distortion.

 Chapter 660 crying in silence

    WHEN Dusk raised his head, his gaze immediately collided with Beelzebub. The moment it did, electricity seemed to ignite in the air. The tension was very palpable. To the point that it could literally choke someone.


    Luo Yan was worried that Dusk would suddenly attack the archdemon. Knowing the insensitive bastard, he would definitely fight back without any qualms. He didn¡¯t want the ck dragon to see just how unfeeling his ¡¯father¡¯ was towards him. To experience first-hand that the other didn¡¯t really care about him, not in the slightest.


    Dusk had been through enough. Beelzebub didn¡¯t need to rub it on his face that he was not someone important to him. What if that would leave an even bigger scar on the ck dragon?


    But to his surprise, the explosion of emotion he was expecting did not happen. Instead, Dusk only stared calmly at the archdemon. As if observing the other. When he¡¯s done, he removed his gaze as if he found that the other was just some inconsequential bug.


    Luo Yan gave the dragon a big thumbs-up in his heart. That¡¯s right. The best way to deal with such a scum father was to not give him any attention. Screaming in anger andining about all the things they did or did not do would only mean that he cared. He cared enough to feel hurt.


    Losing oneself in anger while the other just stood there and looked at you as if you¡¯re interesting for showing such an emotion was just a big p in the face. If even your anger could not move them, then the one who would look idiotic at the end would only be you.


    Dusk must have probably realized that the moment heid his eyes on the archdemon. Added that to the things they had told him about the other, the ck dragon must have made his own conclusion when he saw Beelzebub. And that was to not care.


    Because just like many said, the opposite of love was not hate, it¡¯s apathy.


    "Give me my memories back," Dusk simply said.


    The archdemon raised a brow in interest. But that didn¡¯t evenst for a second before it disappeared. As if he was only momentarily surprised because Dusk didn¡¯t react in the way he expected.


    Beelzebub walked towards Dusk and without warning, hovered his and over the other¡¯s head. "This might sting a bit."


    Seals appeared around Dusk¡¯s head the moment Beelzebub said that. Dusk frowned, showing his obvious difort. But that was all the reaction he gave. Sweat dripped on his forehead as the seal slowly started to break. Once itpletely did, his whole face crumpled and he suddenly knelt down.


    Luo Yan wanted to go near him but Shen Ji Yun, who he hadn¡¯t notice already standing beside him, held his arm. He nced at the other and Shen Ji Yun just shook his head. He could see in his eyes that he was telling him that it was better to leave Dusk alone for now. At least, let him digest all the memories that he had lost.


    Then, they were surprised when Dusk suddenly screamed. It was a scream full of pain, misery, and sadness. A truly heartbreaking sound. When Luo Yan turned his gaze back to the ck dragon, Dusk had already stopped screaming. He was kneeling there, looking up at the sky, while silent tears fell down his cheeks.


    He wasn¡¯t sobbing, there wasn¡¯t even any sound of weeping. He was simply crying in silence. Even with only those tears, even without any context, it already spoke volumes of all the suffering he had experienced in his life. Anyone who could see him right now could feel his grief just by looking at him.


    Luo Yan could not imagine just how Dusk must be feeling right now. Being shunned by your own people when you¡¯re nothing more than a child. Throwing you out of a safe environment and letting you fend for yourself during an age where you should be protected. And all of that just because you were a little bit different.


    Growing up alone and then finally finding a friend you could count on, only for that friend to die and her n be massacred. Getting revenge for her, being betrayed, and then, failing. Having your memories be taken from you without your consent and then being frozen in time for a thousand years.


    The umted frustration from all of that could make any normal person go insane. Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t even me him if he wanted to go on a rampage just to release all that anger.


    But Dusk didn¡¯t do that. He just surrounded himself with silence. As if he wanted to drown in his own misery.


    Although Luo Yan just wanted to go to him and cheer him up even just a bit, he knew that Shen Ji Yun was right. Giving him time to slowly ept all those memories ¨C good and bad.


    They didn¡¯t know how long it took. But when Dusk finally stood up, the first thing he did was to attack Beelzebub. This attack was so fast that they didn¡¯t even see iting. They only saw it when it had already happened and Dusk¡¯s ws were already buried deep inside the archdemon¡¯s chest.


    "This is for the memories and years you stole from me," Dusk said with no emotion in his voice.


    He removed his hand, the archdemon¡¯s blood flowing from it.


    "Fair enough," Beelzebub said, the wound on his chest already slowly healing. "If you ever want to beat me again, you can find me anytime. I promise, I won¡¯t fight back."


    The way Beelzebub said that was like he¡¯s doing the other a favor, which would annoy the hell out of anyone. Especially Dusk who had every right to be annoyed. But there was nothing in the ck dragon¡¯s eyes. Not even a small wave of emotion.


    "No, this is thest time I will see you," he said with finality. "You¡¯re simply not worth it."


    Beelzebub just shrugged, clearly not affected by such a statement. "Then,e and see your mother at least."


    Dusk fell silent at that. Then, after a while he said, "If she¡¯s fine to see the person who killed her father, then sure. I¡¯ll pay her a visit."


    After saying that, dragon wings appeared behind his back and he suddenly flew up in the sky leaving them behind.

 Chapter 661 almost a sin not to

    LUO YAN almost automatically wanted to follow Dusk, who was now flying away from them and was slowly turning into a small dot in the sky. But before he could even do anything, a notification screen suddenly appeared in front of him and Shen Ji Yun.


    [Congrattions, dear yers! You now seeded in perfectly finishing the hidden task ¨C ¡¯Awakening Dragon¡¯! Your reward will now be sent to your Items Tab. Please, check it for yourselfter.]


    This notification temporarily took Luo Yan¡¯s attention away from Dusk, who was probably now far away from them. This notification meant that Dusk¡¯s memories had now all returned.


    For a second, he suddenly thought of all the things they had gone through to finish this hidden task. Really, it almost felt like months had passed since they started to do this task. But when in truth, they did only it in the span of two weekends. A total of four days. And what a jam-packed four days those were.


    Remembering the notification, it said that their reward would be put in their Items Tab. He was actually a bit surprised by that. Because this was the first time that a hidden task directly gave him the reward instead of asking him to go to an NPC to get it.


    He opened his Items Tab and sure enough there was an additional gift box icon inside it. Which was definitely his reward for this task. He wasn¡¯t too excited to open that right now.


    One was because he got a lot of good rewards while doing this hidden task. Heck, even Eclipse got a big benefit from this task. The second reason, and most important of all, was because he was more concerned about Dusk.


    Before he could turn to Shen Ji Yun and discuss with the other what they should do next, he heard Beelzebub speaking.


    "Well, since he¡¯s gone, I think it¡¯s time for me to leave too," the archdemon turned to the two of them. "By the way, do tell the kid that he should go to Typhon three days from now. He should not worry that his mother wouldn¡¯t want to see him because he killed the old man. I can say with certainty that Alina wouldn¡¯t. After all, dragons care more about their offspring than the people who gave them life."


    After saying that, he disappeared on the spot. Obviously, teleporting out of there.


    Luo Yan seriously wanted to stick out his tongue at the ce where the other stood. But that would be too childish, so, he stopped himself from doing so. Giving them instructions like that, now that their deal was over, there was no way in hell he would do the archdemon¡¯s bidding.


    If Dusk wanted to go see his mother, then, he¡¯s free to do so. But Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t go around and tell him what he should do or not do. Whatever he decided to do from now on, he would respect it. And that included whether Dusk wanted to be in a master-pet contract with Shen Ji Yun.


    Although he really wished that the other would agree to that.


    Aside from the fact that he would be a great addition to their team, Luo Yan already felt a bit of attachment to him. Not to mention, Eclipse who already considered the other as his ¡¯uncle¡¯. That little guy would definitely be said if they could no longer meet with Dusk as often as before.


    Anyway, he should probably think of those problemster. It¡¯s much more important to think of where Dusk would go and if he would be alright alone after the things that happened here.


    Luo Yan finally turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, where do you think Dusk would go?"


    "I¡¯m not sure. But I have two guesses. He could be nning to go to the destroyed vige of the demon fox tribe or to the new one."


    Luo Yan could understand why Shen Ji Yun would make such a guess. Now that Dusk¡¯s memories had returned, he might want to go back to the ce where his only friend died and reminisced of his failure in protecting her. Or he could go to the new vige to fulfill his deal with Shirayuki ¨C exining to her his actions during the war that he instigated against the dark mages.


    If it was the former, then, that would be just too depressing. He¡¯d rather it be the second. At least, he could findfort by meeting Eclipse. That little guy would definitely do his best to cheer his uncle up once he saw that the other was in a low mood.


    He sighed and couldn¡¯t help but me the game devs for giving Dusk such a sad backstory. If their purpose was to make their NPCs more real, endearing, and rtable, then, yes, they¡¯re doing a phenomenal job of it.


    Shen Ji Yun heard Luo Yan¡¯s sigh and knew that his rabbit must be worried about Dusk. Really, what a kind heart. He was sure that not all people would react the same way. They would probably not feel anything and think that Dusk was simply a bunch of codes and data. Why would they care about someone who¡¯s not even real?


    In one point, they were correct. But this was not just an ordinary game where you could only read the backstory of an NPC. Here, you could experience it and feel their suffering and sadness. Only someone with a heart of stone would not feel moved by it.


    Even so, it would only be momentary. Because at the back of their head, they knew that this was not all real. So, they could easily move on from that they had witnessed.


    That was the big difference between them and Luo Yan. Because his rabbit cared. He cared enough to show genuine emotions for these NPCs. And that just showed how big his heart was.


    Because of that, it only made Shen Ji Yun fall for him even more. It¡¯s almost a sin not to, really.


    "Wherever he might go, he would definitee back to the new vige of the demon foxes. Let¡¯s just let him have this time alone to think about things. I honestly think he needs that." He then reached for the other¡¯s hand and held it tightly. "So, shall we wait for him there?"


    Luo Yan looked down at their sped hand. He smiled inwardly and raised his head. "Okay, let¡¯s do that."

 Chapter 662 back at the village

    ONCE Luo Yan opened his eyes, they were already back at the demon fox vige. Then, feeling the warmth in his hand, he realized that he and Shen Ji Yun was still holding hands. The other seemed to just realize it because he suddenly let go of his hand as if burned.


    "I- I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hold your hand for that long," Shen Ji Yun said, clearly flustered.


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun and smiled. "I don¡¯t mind. I like holding Brother Ji Yun¡¯s hand."


    The other¡¯s blush only intensified. Seriously, this guy. One moment, he was confident, the next, he was blushing. He found this gap really adorable. But sometimes, it could also be a bit frustrating.


    It¡¯s like no matter how much he hinted that he liked the other, it would just all go over Shen Ji Yun¡¯s head. Because for some weird reason, this guy probably never thought that it was possible for something like that to happen. He would probably only believe it once Luo Yan told it to him straight to his face. But even then, there might still be a possibility that he would not.


    He had beenmenting over that from time to time. And although it was really frustrating at times, it didn¡¯t mean that he was losing patience. If it¡¯s for Shen Ji Yun, then he had all the patience in the world. Besides, it¡¯s not as if theycked time. Reaching the point where holding hands would be natural for them, it would definitely happen. Even if not now or the next day, it would surely happen in the future.


    So, what he had to do was to work hard to ensure that such future existed.


    Luo Yan no longer worry about that and just telepathically contacted Eclipse. [Eclipse, we¡¯re back here in the vige. Are you still in your aunt¡¯s house?]


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to receive the other¡¯s reply. [No, Eclipse is ying with the other kids. Is Mashter at the entrance? Eclipse will go there to meet you!]


    Luo Yan raised one brow. If the other was already ying, it meant that he was already emotionally stable and he was no longer affected by what happened with the Dark Saint. But more importantly, based on his tone of voice, it seemed that the other didn¡¯t meet Dusk yet.


    Dusk might be on his way here. After all, he flew and didn¡¯t teleport like them. Or he went to a different ce. Whatever the case, they were sure that he woulde back here. Because Eclipse was here ¨C the child that his friend entrusted to him.


    [No, let¡¯s just meet at your aunt¡¯s house.] ¨C he said to Eclipse.


    Since Shirayuki¡¯s ce was quite isted from the other houses in the vige, it¡¯s the good location, away from the prying eyes of the other kitsunes.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let¡¯s go to Shirayuki¡¯s ce," he said, ncing at Shen Ji Yun beside him. The other had already calmed down and was now back to his usual expressionless face. "Eclipse will meet us there."


    "Okay."


    As they walked, the kitsunes they met along the way nodded to them politely. Totally far from how they were treated the first time they went here. It¡¯s probably mainly because of Eclipse.


    When that little guy was introduced to the tribe, everyone weed him with open arms. After all, he was Kagetsuki¡¯s child. The only thing left by their former leader. But it was not all because of that. It was because of Eclipse¡¯s personality that he managed to win over the hearts of everyone. Now, the little guy was simply a celebrity here.


    They soon arrived at Shirayuki¡¯s ce. Eclipse was sitting on a branch of a tree near the house. He quickly jumped down and called;


    "Mashter! Captain!" Eclipse effortlesslynded in front of the two. Then, he looked behind them as if expecting to see another person. "Where¡¯s Uncle?"


    Luo Yan gently ruffled the little boy¡¯s hair. "He¡¯lleter."


    "Is he okay? Are all his memories back?" Eclipse asked tentatively.


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised that Eclipse knew about it. Then, as if noticing his expression, Shen Ji Yun said;


    "Dusk mentioned it to him before we left and teleported to the Forest of Darkness."


    Luo Yan nodded before turning back to Eclipse and answering his question. "Yes, his memories are all back."


    Eclipse began to fidget, pinching the hem of his shirt as if he was worried about something. "Would- would Uncle be different now that his memories are back? Would he not like Eclipse anymore?"


    Luo Yan almost said, ¡¯when did Dusk ever show affection?¡¯. But he stopped himself in time. That would be too much of a hard hit. Although the ck dragon wasn¡¯t really one to show that kind of emotion outwardly, he was sure that the other truly cared for Eclipse.


    He was about tofort the kid when a tall figure suddenlynded near them. He had long ck hair and a pair of dragon wings on his back. Those wings disappeared the moment hended.


    "Uncle!" Eclipse called while running towards Dusk as if nning to hug the other.


    But Dusk easily stopped him on his tracks by pressing on his forehead. "What got you so excited?"


    Eclipse immediately pouted. "Eclipse is just happy to see Uncle. But it seems like that¡¯s not the case for Uncle at all."


    Dusk ruffled Eclipse¡¯s hair. But unlike Luo Yan¡¯s gentle way, hepletely turned the other¡¯s hair into a bird¡¯s nest.


    Luo Yan observed the ck dragon. The corners of his eyes were a bit red, the only evidence left that he cried. Other than that, he seemed to have stabilized his emotions. But if one look closely, there was still an air of gloom surrounding him. Indicating that he was still notpletely alright. But that was already to be expected. After all, it had only been, what, half an hour since he got his memories back?


    "Uncle, stop messing with Eclipse¡¯s hair," the little boyined.


    Instead of acquiescing, Dusk said instead, "Where¡¯s your aunt? I need to speak to her."

 Chapter 663 a family

    "I¡¯M here," a voice suddenly saiding from the house.


    They all looked to that direction and saw Shirayuki justing out of the house. She was staring at Dusk, as if observing every nook and cranny of the other¡¯s face. If it was another person, they would have probably already found her action rude. Heck, if the one before her was the Dusk with no memories of the past, he would have already shouted at her.


    But the Dusk now didn¡¯t do anything. He just stood there, letting the other observe him. But one could see that he wasn¡¯t reallyfortable by it. Fortunately, Shirayuki¡¯s probing didn¡¯tst long.


    "It looks like your memories have returned," shemented. One couldn¡¯t feel what her emotion was when she said that.


    "Yes," Dusk responded simply. "And just like what I promised before, I will exin to you why I did the things I did back then."


    Luo Yan nced at Dusk, he had a feeling that that might be the case. So, he called Eclipse telepathically to make room for the two. It wouldn¡¯t be good to witness a private conversation like this.


    Eclipse received his message. And although he looked reluctant, he still walked back to where Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun were.


    As if knowing that they nned to leave, Dusk suddenly turned to them and said, "You should stay."


    "I agree," Shirayuki seconded. "It¡¯s better for Eclipse to hear whatever he had to say."


    What else could Luo Yan do? Should he still refuse when the people involved didn¡¯t mind it at all? It would just turn into a childish conversation like; ¡¯I¡¯ll go¡¯, ¡¯no, don¡¯t go¡¯.


    "Okay," he could only agree at the end.


    Dusk, once again, turned to Shirayuki. He remained silent for a moment. As if gathering the words that he wanted to say. And then, finally, he managed to say those words.


    "Back then, I was consumed by too much anger and grief. All I could think of was to avenge what happened to Kagetsuki. But I also wanted to honor herst words. So, in my arrogance, I believed that the beast egg that she left would be the safest with me. I didn¡¯t believe that you or any members of your n had the ability to protect the beast egg properly. But as it turned out, I also didn¡¯t manage to properly protect it.


    "Instead, I put the beast egg in harm¡¯s way. It¡¯s only because of luck that the worst thing that happened was for the beast egg to be trapped in time with me. But if I was not being selfish and was not thinking too highly of myself, I would have let your tribe protect the egg. Then, it would break its shell naturally.


    "Eclipse would be born and he would be able to spend his childhood with the only family he had, along with his own people. He would have be an adult by now. Maybe he would have already taken over the position of the tribe leader. But because of me, none of that happened.


    "Because of pride and rage, how I viewed a situation also narrowed. It¡¯s probably why I didn¡¯t seed in that war. Because I was so blinded by revenge that I didn¡¯t even notice that I was already being betrayed. It¡¯ just right for me to fail.


    "I understand if you couldn¡¯t forgive me. But I hope you could ept my apology."


    Dusk then bowed towards Shirayuki. A ny-degrees bow that showed his sincerity.


    Eclipse suddenly ran forward and hugged Dusk¡¯s waist. "Uncle is saying nonsense! Aunt is not Eclipse¡¯s only family, you are too! Mashter and Captain as well! If- if Eclipse had lived in this vige, then, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to meet Mashter. And the Eclipse you know now wouldn¡¯t be the same Eclipse. Eclipse doesn¡¯t want that at all!" Then, he turned to his aunt with tears in his eyes. "Eclipse is sorry, Aunt Yuki. It doesn¡¯t mean that Eclipse would hate it if he grew up here with you. But- but¡ª"


    Shirayuki walked forward and stroke Eclipse¡¯s hair gently. "I understand. You don¡¯t need to exin," she said, probably to help the little boy because she could see the frustration in his eyes for not being able to exin what he wanted to say properly. Then she turned to Dusk.


    "You also don¡¯t have to apologize. We all have our circumstances back then. It was also my fault for reacting the way I did when we met again at the shrine. I should have been more understanding. Instead of attacking you as if everything was your fault. I guess I just wanted to vent all the pent-up anger I felt throughout the years and you just became the perfect target. For that, I apologize sincerely."


    Dusk seemed to be surprised that Shirayuki would forgive him so easily and that the other would even apologize herself. But he quickly regained hisposure and said, "There¡¯s no need for you to apologize. Your reaction back then at the shrine was only natural. It just showed how much you cared about Eclipse. It¡¯s not something you should apologize for."


    Eclipse showed a very joyful expression after the conversation of the two. He held Dusk¡¯s hand with one hand and held Shirayuki¡¯s hand with the other. Then, he put the hands of the two people together. With his own hand atop of them.


    "Now, we really are family," the little boy said with a big and warm smile on his face.


    Shirayuki seemed startled by this but she quickly let out a chuckle and said, "Yes."


    Dusk, who was also very surprised, finally showed his very first smile after he had regained his memories. Evidence that he liked what Eclipse said about being a ¡¯family¡¯. Because that, the subtle gloom that¡¯s surrounding him slowly dissipated. It¡¯s like he was slowly conquering his pain right before their very eyes.


    Luo Yan stared at the three and he couldn¡¯t help but think in his heart, ¡¯yes, they indeed look like a family¡¯.

 Chapter 664 ji yun in la la land

    ECLIPSE suddenly walked towards Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun, pulling the two to where Dusk and Shirayuki were standing. "Let¡¯s all huddle and show our family spirit!"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows in amusement. "So, we¡¯re also part of the family?"


    Eclipse turned to him and looked as if he just said something stupid. "Of course, Mashter! This handsome dragon is Eclipse¡¯s Uncle, this pretty kitsune is Eclipse¡¯s aunt, and you and Captain are Eclipse¡¯s second parents!" He then put his hands on his cheeks, acting like a flower. "Doesn¡¯t Eclipse look like Mashter and Captain¡¯s child?"


    Luo Yanughed and turned to Shen Ji Yun whose face had already became as red as a ripe tomato. "What do you think Brother Ji Yun? Does Eclipse really look like our child?"


    Although Shen Ji Yun knew that this was just Eclipse¡¯s usual antics and Luo Yan¡¯s usual teasing, his heart still couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat. His face was so hot that it felt like steam woulde out at the top of his head any second now. And in his mind, all he could think of was; [Yan Yan and I have a child! Does that mean we¡¯re already married?]


    So, in his frenzied state, he just blurted out, "Yes."


    This was so unexpected for Luo Yan that even he blushed. He looked at Shen Ji Yun who seemed like he was innd or something. Somehow, he already kind of had an idea what the other was thinking.


    It was definitely along the lines of ¡¯waaa... Yan Yan said we have a child!¡¯ or ¡¯isn¡¯t this equivalent to Yan Yan admitting that we¡¯re a couple?¡¯. He might be wrong but he had a strong feeling that he probably wasn¡¯t.


    Because of that, Luo Yan¡¯s embarrassment finally subsided. He looked at Shen Ji Yun, his eyes almost overflowing with his current feelings. Too bad, the other was too busy imagining things that he missed it.


    [Ah, really, how could someone be so adorable?]


    Then, Eclipse spoke, "See? Even Captain agrees."


    "Oh my, I didn¡¯t know that the both of you are a couple," Shirayuki proceeded onmenting, looking very surprised.


    "Yes, they only had to get married and it would be official," Eclipse said in a proud tone. As if he was the president of their fan club or something.


    Shirayuki smiled. "Then, please, don¡¯t forget to invite me."


    "Aunt Yuki, of course, you¡¯ll be invited." Eclipse raised his head towards Luo Yan. "Right, Mashter?"


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t know if he shouldugh or cry. This conversation was escting too fast. Maybe in just a minute, they would talk about him and Shen Ji Yun having babies. He gazed down at Eclipse and pinched the other¡¯s cheek. It was all this little guy¡¯s fault.


    "Let¡¯s just go and huddle," he said, changing the subject.


    If they kept on talking about this, he nced secretly at Shen Ji Yun whose face was even redder and whose eyes looked like they would turn into spinning spirals at any second, the other might just turn into a pool of mess. With his brain not functioning properly for a couple of minutes.


    And Luo Yan was right.


    Right now, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s brain was on overdrive. He couldn¡¯t think properly and all the word ¡¯marriage¡¯ just kept on echoing inside his head. Because of that, it created a lot of images in his mind. All of which were rted to weddings.


    Like the wedding and reception venue, the wedding suits they should wear, the food that should be served, and the guests that should be invited. It even went as far as choosing the perfect ce for their honeymoon.


    This ¡¯delusion¡¯ only stopped when he was pulled by Eclipse to huddle with everyone. After a few seconds of that, he finally managed to calm himself.


    Now that his brain was back to functioning normally, he suddenly realized just how embarrassing his thoughts were. If he could, he really wanted to facepalm right now. Just how could he go from point A to point Z, skipping everything in between, after only hearing talks about ¡¯their child¡¯, ¡¯being a couple¡¯, and ¡¯wedding¡¯.


    How shameful. If he didn¡¯t know any better, he might have suspected that he had already gone mad. Or maybe he already was. Just madly in love.


    Shen Ji Yun took a deep breath and made sure that he was at least acting like a normal human.


    "I¡¯m going to prepare lunch," Shirayuki said. "You should all stay and have lunch here."


    "I¡¯ll help you," Luo Yan said, maybe without him around, it would help Shen Ji Yun to calm down. He turned to Eclipse. "Come on, you¡¯re also helping," he added.


    So, he could make sure that this little guy wouldn¡¯t go off and say things that might rile up Shen Ji Yun. Which Eclipse would definitely do, no doubt.


    Before the little boy couldin, Luo Yan had already pulled him to follow Shirayuki.


    And so, the only ones left outside was Shen Ji Yun and Dusk.


    "It¡¯s good that your face no longer looks like a cooked shrimp," Duskmented after a while.


    Shen Ji Yun nced at the other, his face already back to being expressionless. "I refuse toment on that."


    He¡¯s still feeling embarrassed though, being seen like that by the others. He wondered what Luo Yan was thinking then. Or maybe his rabbit didn¡¯t mind at all because he was already used to his idiotic antics.


    "Then, let me change the subject," Dusk tantly said. "Let¡¯s have the same contract as what the moon elf and Eclipse have."


    Hearing that, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s mind suddenly cleared up. He turned to the ck dragon, a little bit unbelieving. "Are you certain of that decision?"


    It was because of the natural characteristic of dragons. They¡¯re a prideful bunch. Visiting the valley of dragons and interacting with them only proved that.


    Although he was already nning to talk to Dusk about having a master-pet contract with him, he was already expecting for the other to decline. He was actually preparing a speech so he could convince him. But who would have thought that the dragon would actually take the initiative regarding this matter?


    He could just readily agree. But he didn¡¯t want that. He wanted to make sure first that Dusk was doing this on his own initiative.


    "Yes," Dusk answered without any hesitation. "Considering how you and the moon elf are always together. Doing this would be the best way to ensure that I could remain close to Eclipse as much as possible." He looked at Shen Ji Yun and raised one of his brows in a yful manner that was not so like him. "Surely, you wouldn¡¯t reject such a good proposal?"


    Of course, Shen Ji Yun wouldn¡¯t. Aside from the fact that this was what Luo Yan wanted to happen since day one, he also personally felt that it would be good if Dusk became a permanent member of their team. And seeing as how the other was very determined, there¡¯s really no reason for him to reject this offer.


    So, the two finally formed a contract. And Dusk officially became a member of Team Yunyue.

 Chapter 665 speak of the devil

    AT the halls of the third-year¡¯s teaching building of Guizu Academy, a certain topic had been brewing.


    "Tomorrow will be the start of the two-days finals of the Rookie Carnival. I¡¯m super excited to watch it!"


    "Are you going to watch it live on the venue or are you watching it on the live broadcast?"


    "Are you kidding? Of course, I will watch it live on the venue. I already bought a ticket."


    "Me as well. Where do you think the venue will be this year?"


    "It¡¯s a tournament, so it will definitely be the Floating Coliseum."


    "I think so too. The final contestants this year are all pretty good. Unlikest year where anyone could immediately tell who would win."


    "Who do you think would win?"


    "I have my bet set on Dragnar, the golden dragon. His performance during the prelims was really outstanding. Besides, being a dragon clearly gives him a lot of advantage."


    "I think the yer Razor¡¯s performance was also quite good. I¡¯m quite curious what his race is."


    "That panther beastkin ¨C ck Cat ¨C also showed a good performance during the prelims. His ability to use his race to his advantage was awesome in a way."


    "Speaking of race, there were three yers with a special race who qualified for the final tournament, right?"


    "Yeah, the moon elf, the dark elf, and the chaos gnome."


    "That dark elf, Malekith, his skills were interesting."


    "True but I¡¯m more interested in the other elf ¨C Noctis. Being the new member of Yunyue, there¡¯s a lot of hype around him. And have you heard that notification about him and YUN defeating the Dark Saint? YUN is definitely training him to win."


    "I would really be disappointed if he didn¡¯t live up to the hype he¡¯s getting."


    "Isn¡¯t the chaos gnome also a new member of Yunyue? What was his name again?"


    "I also forgot. I just know that it¡¯s long and funny."


    "Ah, I remember! It¡¯s ¡¯the amazing young master Jin¡¯!"


    "Hahaha! That¡¯s right! Every time I hear it, it still gets me. How could someone pick such a terrible game name?"


    "It¡¯s like a middle school kid who lost patience whileing up with a name and ended up using the craziest name he could think of."


    "Have you heard of a rumor that there¡¯s actually a student in our school that will participate in finals of the Rookie Carnival?"


    "Was there such a rumor? I never heard of it."


    "It¡¯s true. I heard one of my friends from another ss talking about it."


    "Wait- aren¡¯t you just talking about that girl who looks like Vulcan? I¡¯ve also heard rumors that she must be that famous cksmith. Maybe the rumor just got distorted and it turned into that."


    "Or maybe it¡¯s ¡¯the amazing young master Jin¡¯. And he¡¯s actually Luo Jin from the second years."


    All the people who heard thatst part turned to the one who spoke as if he¡¯s crazy.


    "Just don¡¯t let that young master hear you say that. Although Luo Jin has been pretty tamed since the school year started, you know how crazy that guy could be."


    "Yeah, be careful, you might just find yourself hanging on the wall if that young master finds out that you said that."


    "Besides, you really think someone like him would be interested in Arcadia and even name himself such a stupid name?"


    Luo Yan, who was walking on the hall with Yu Jiao and heard thatst part of conversation, used every bit of willpower he had just so he wouldn¡¯t burst outughing.


    Yu Jiao, who noticed this, shook her head helplessly. She could only think that it¡¯s good Luo Jin wasn¡¯t here to hear this. Or else, what they¡¯re saying might juste true.


    It was already lunch time. So, these people talking on the hall was on their way to eat lunch. It¡¯s the same for Luo Yan and Yu Jiao. That¡¯s why they both heard what most people around them were talking about. And it was mostly about the finals of the Rookie Carnival tomorrow.


    "Is it true that there¡¯s a rumor going around about you being Vulcan?" Luo Yan asked in a low voice in case someone heard them.


    Honestly, he hadn¡¯t heard of such a rumor. But considering how Yu Jiao was now not wearing her sses and was even showing her forehead, making everyone see her handsome face clearly, it wouldn¡¯t be too weird if such a rumor indeed existed. Because she looked exactly like her game avatar. The only difference was that one was a male and the other a female.


    "Well," Yu Jiao scratched her cheeks. "Some girls in our ss have been asking me about it but I never gave them a clear answer."


    But even if she didn¡¯t, they were already acting as if she was. Even the boys in their ss were giving him weird looks. It¡¯s not really that much of a hassle since they weren¡¯t harassing her about it. She just wondered how long that wouldst.


    "If someone harassed you about it, just tell me. I¡¯ll help you deal with them," Luo Yan said as if reading what¡¯s on her mind.


    Yu Jiao just smiled and did not answer. How could she trouble Luo Yan with such a simple thing? If she couldn¡¯t even handle something like that, then she might as well just return to her timid self that cowered in the face of everything.


    "I¡¯m actually more curious about the rumor that someone from our school is part of the Rookie Carnival¡¯s finals," she said, changing the topic. She added in a low voice, "Do you think anyone has discovered about you and Luo Jin?"


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t mind that the other no longer wanted to talk about the Vulcan rumor. So, he just followed along and said in an even lower voice, "It¡¯s not only us two actually. There¡¯s another one who¡¯s also a student here."


    As if on cue, they suddenly bumped into a familiar face ¨C Ying Chen.


    Luo Yan only thought, ¡¯speak if the devil and he shall appear¡¯.

 Chapter 666 evil spawn

    YING CHEN was still a distance away from them, so Luo Yan had time to stare at the other. He still looked like one of those pretty high school boys that was the favorite of younger girls.


    No matter in which angle Luo Yan looked, Ying Chen was really simr to his game avatar¡¯s appearance. The only difference was the color of his skin, hair, and eyes. But otherwise, it was the very image of him.


    The only reason Luo Yan wasn¡¯t able to immediately know it was him when they met during the prelims of the Rookie Carnival was because the other never crossed his mind. He only thought that the other was familiar. Until he remembered the teenager who bumped purposely into him while he was walking out of the elevator.


    Besides, there was also that thing when the panther beastkin mentioned Huang Wen. After that, it was easy to connect the dots. So, he quickly realized that the dark elf named Malekith was actually Ying Chen.


    "There¡¯s another one?" Yu Jiao said in response to what he said earlier. "Who is it?"


    "The one walking in front of us and is probably about to call Huang Wen," Luo Yan said in a low voice.


    After he said that, Ying Chen did call Huang Wen.


    "Ah Wen!"


    Yu Jiao sharply nced at the direction where the call came from. When she saw Ying Chen, there was an unbelieving look on her face. Obviously, she still remembered that little antic that the other pulled before.


    "Are you sure?" she asked, still feeling doubtful.


    Luo Yan nodded. "Very sure."


    Ying Chen finally noticed the two people about to walk past him. A displeased expression immediately appeared on his face the moment he saw Luo Yan. He was still annoyed at this shorty because of what happenedst time. He received a lot of scolding from Huang Wen because of that. Which he still felt unfair until now. After all, he only did what he did for him.


    It might be wrong in some way but that was the only way he could show his sincere feelings for Huang Wen. Because he couldn¡¯t go about saying it out loud. Because he was afraid that the moment he did, the other would cut off the only connection the two of them had ¨C their friendship. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could take that kind of blow.


    Or maybe he was simply a coward and he just wanted to vent his frustration on this shorty.


    Well, whatever the case, he still didn¡¯t like him. More so now because of that Arcadia yer Noctis. Knowing that that was probably how this brat would look like once he grew a bit taller just irritated him for some reason.


    Luo Yan, of course, saw the annoyed expression on Ying Chen¡¯s face once the other saw him. Instead of being offended, he instead smiled sweetly at him. Just to, you know, irritate him more.


    And he seeded. Because the other indeed became more irritated.


    Ying Chen resisted the urge to push this shorty again. He would never think that the other was a silly white sweet. He still remembered this brat¡¯s evil smile when the other tripped him. Then after that, proceeding all innocent and concerned. What an evil spawn.


    He decided to just quickly walk past the other. The moment he did, he almost immediately stopped. Because a thought suddenly shed in his mind ¨C did that shorty grow taller?


    He shook his head and promptly decided to erase that thought in his mind. He simply quickened his steps until he reached Huang Wen.


    Luo Yan secretly nced at the two. Ying Chen¡¯s annoyed expressionpletely disappeared and was now reced by a sweet smile on his face. That was obviously directed at the teenager in front of him. Luo Yan could almost literally see small hearts beaming from those eyes.


    He now suddenly had an idea why the other was so antagonistic towards him. Because Ying Chen liked Huang Wen that way. The other probably got jealous of him because of what happenedst time when Huang Wen chose to take Luo Yan¡¯s side instead of his. He should have noticed the very obvious clues.


    Well, he shouldn¡¯t really be med for not seeing it clearly. After all, the thought of a boy liking another boy wasn¡¯t really the first thing that woulde to anyone¡¯s mind. He was no different. He probably just got more sensitive because he himself was now in love with someone of the same gender.


    He took back his gaze and just continued to walk with Yu Jiao.


    "Ah, he¡¯s the dark elf!" Yu Jiao suddenly blurted. But her voice was still low when she said it. Probably because she instinctively knew that shouting such a thing would be bad.


    "Ping-pong!~" Luo Yan said yfully, confirming her guess.


    It didn¡¯t really take that long for Yu Jiao to realize it. After all, once the idea that Ying Chen was one of the finalists of the Rookie Carnival, it was easy to match his face to the yers who made it to the finals. And she really did find someone who matched the other¡¯s facial features.


    "Those rumors going around was probably about him, right?" she asked.


    Because if she could easily realize that the dark elf was Ying Chen, then others surely also could.


    "Definitely," Luo Yan said. Because there¡¯s no way it would be about him or Luo Jin. "By the way, you¡¯re going to watch the finals live tomorrow, right?"


    Yu Jiao was still surprised from the fact that Ying Chen would actually be part of the Rookie Carnival¡¯s finals. So, she almost wasn¡¯t able to keep up with the sudden change in topic.


    "Yes," she managed to say at the end.


    "You should watch with the other members of team Yunyue," Luo Yan said. "They already acquired VIP seats for the finals."


    Yu Jiao wanted to refuse but then remembered that during the prelims, she also watched with them. So, refusing now would actually look much ruder. "Okay, if they¡¯re fine with it."


    "Of course, they¡¯re fine with it," Luo Yan said with a smile. "Then, can I ask Jiao Jiao a favor?"

 Chapter 667 dads unexpected surprise

    "A favor?" Yu Jiao asked curiously. "What kind of favor?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "It¡¯s nothing big. I just want to ask Jiao Jiao if you could bring my brother to the Floating Coliseum tomorrow? Luo Jin and I can¡¯t do it because we have to be at the venue half an hour before the start of the game. Brother have work tomorrow. By the time he can log into the game, Luo Jin and I would have to be on the venue. Is it okay for you to bring him?"


    Yu Jiao, of course, didn¡¯t hesitate to agree. "Yes, of course. I can meet Brother Ren at Olkdale City."


    A little man in Luo Yan¡¯s heart did a victorious dance inside his heart. He wasn¡¯t really lying per se. It¡¯s true that his brother had work tomorrow and he could only log into the game after he came home from work. But he could have also just asked Bai Ze to do it. Which was more appropriate considering that the other was their cousin.


    But he wanted to give this opportunity to his brother. It¡¯s not every day that the other could meet Yu Jiao. He still needed to brush his existence from time to time. That¡¯s why when he found out that the match would begin at seven in the evening, he thought of this idea.


    It¡¯s not that he was forcefully pushing Yu Jiao to Luo Ren¡¯s arms. He just wanted to give his brother an opportunity to not only brush his existence but also to show his ¡¯appeal¡¯ to Yu Jiao. It¡¯s up to Luo Ren whether he would make good use of this chance.


    Luo Yan wasn¡¯t worried that his older brother would take advantage of his friend. He knew Luo Ren¡¯s character. He wouldn¡¯t even do something remotely like that. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t mind ying cupid.


    He smiled happily at Yu Jiao. "Thank you, Jiao Jiao! I will send you the tickets for the seats that our team reserved."


    Yu Jiao wondered why she suddenly felt like Luo Yan¡¯s smile was just, well, too happy. She shook her head. Maybe the other was just d that he finally didn¡¯t need to worry about his brother. So, she just smiled and nodded.


    Later that evening during dinner at the Luo family household...


    "Tomorrow is the finals, are the two of you ready?" Luo Ren asked.


    "Well, I prepared as much as I could. So, even if I lose, I would have no regrets," Luo Yan answered.


    These past weekdays, he had been training with Eclipse, improving their team work and stuff like that. There weren¡¯t really any problems on that regard. Especially since the two of them could evenmunicate telepathically. He just wondered if any of the yers fighting tomorrow would bring their pet.


    "I¡¯m ready as well," Luo Jin only said.


    He had been constantly training ever since the end of the preliminaries. He himself didn¡¯t think that there woulde a day that he would be serious with a virtual tournament. It¡¯s probably because he didn¡¯t want a repeat of that sorry fight he had with that Razor guy.


    He wanted to win.


    It¡¯s the first time he ever feltpetitive while ying Arcadia. It seemed that this game was indeed growing on him. He only ever felt like this about things that he really liked. But if thought about it, there were indeed many reasons for him to like the game.


    The game had be some sort of medium for him and Luo Yan to bond. One also couldn¡¯t deny the experience while ying Arcadia was super surreal. As if you had been transported to a fantasy world you didn¡¯t know you needed until you experienced it yourself. And what a magical experience it was.


    Besides, because of this game, he was also able to meet someone he considered very special. The face of a young woman with bleached tinum blond hair and a pair of different eyes suddenly popped inside his mind. He shook his head, not really wanting to figure out the reason why.


    "It would be great if Ah Jin and I could meet at the finals."


    Luo Yan¡¯s suddenment pulled Luo Jin¡¯s thoughts back. He turned to his second brother. "If we do, I¡¯ll definitely win."


    Luo Yan grinned. "Just exactly what I want to hear. But you should know that I won¡¯t go down without a fight. Maybe I¡¯ll be the win taking the win."


    Luo Ren smiled seeing the banter between his two brothers. It¡¯s good to see the two acting like hot-blooded youths.


    "So, the ¡¯championship¡¯ that Xiao Yan mentioned before was a tournament?" Luo Wei Tian suddenly interceded. "It¡¯s not a fighting tournament, is it?"


    Luo Yan looked at their father and smiled very naturally. "It is, Dad. But you don¡¯t have to worry since even if it involves fighting, we won¡¯t really feel any pain in the literal sense of it. The most we could feel was like the pain of injection or something."


    Although he had mentioned before to their father about the finals of the Rookie Carnival, he didn¡¯t say that there would actually be fighting involve. And here they were just casually talking about it in front of him. It seemed that they had gotten carried away quite a bit.


    Luo Ren and Luo Jin also started exining.


    "Yan is right, Dad. We would be fighting against other yers but there won¡¯t be any danger involved." ¨C Luo Jin.


    "I also experienced the game myself. So, I can guarantee that it¡¯s not really as dangerous as it may seem." ¨C Luo Ren.


    Luo Wei Tian stared at his three sons and almost smiled helplessly. The way they were talking, it¡¯s as if he would ban them from ying this game. How could he do that especially when he knew how Luo Yan was looking forward to this ¡¯championship¡¯.


    "Okay, I understand." He cleared his throat. "In fact, in the light of investing on Moonlight Media, they had sent me a special VR helmet. So, I could also watch this tournament with Ah Ren tomorrow and cheer for Xiao Yan and Xiao Jin."

 Chapter 668 didnt know how to feel

    "BROTHER Ren, here!" Yu Jiao called when she spotted Luo Ren at Olkdale Town. She was waving her hand so the other could notice her.


    From Luo Ren¡¯s perspective, what he saw was a tall handsome boy with messy hair waving enthusiastically at him. An automatic smile curved on his lips. He was proven once again on just how adorable Yu Jiao could be.


    He walked towards her. "Jiao Jiao, sorry if I was a bitte. There was just a...plication I had to deal with."


    And that plication¡¯ was standing right behind him.


    When he logged into the game, he appeared at Olkdale City¡¯s za. But his father was nowhere in sight. So, he had to search for him first before looking for Yu Jiao.


    Last night, when their father told them that Moonlight Media sent him a VR helmet, his brothers¡¯ reaction was very colorful and evenedic in a way. Luo Jin almost spilled the water he was about to drink with an unbelieving expression on his face. While Luo Yan was just stunned.


    But still, thetter, despite his surprise, managed to ask the right questions. About what kind of special VR helmet was sent to him or if there were any special instructions that came with the helmet.


    Their father said that he hadn¡¯t really checked it yet. So, after dinner, he took the box containing the VR helmet and showed it to them. Unlike the ordinary VR helmet that mainly used silver as a color scheme, the helmet sent to their father used gold. As if shouting to everyone, ¡¯look how special I am!¡¯.


    They let Luo Yan checked and read the instruction manual that was inside the box. After that, the other told them that anyone with this VR helmet could choose any race he wanted inside the game and he could also go to any ce without any restriction caused by his level.


    When Luo Ren heard that, he felt a little envious. He even thought that maybe he should have gotten that VR helmet instead of a normal one. At least with that, he could go to the city where Yu Jiao¡¯s cksmith shop was. Was it toote to ask for the same VR helmet?


    Anyway, as a precaution, they all logged into the game that evening. Just so their father could get used to the VR helmet, as well as the game itself. It was actually a bit funny since all of them sat inside the entertainment room of their house, like they were about to watch a movie or something.


    They told their father to go to Olkdale City once he logged in since, well, that¡¯s the only ce Luo Ren could go to without having to teleport. Their meeting went without a hitch. That¡¯s why he found it rather weird that when he logged in this evening, his father wasn¡¯t where he was supposed to be.


    He had to message the other to ask where he was. The answer he got was that his father was walking around the town since he was too ¡¯slow¡¯. Which was total nonsense, by the way. He was pretty sure that the two of them logged into the game at the same time. After all, they both returned from work together.


    His father¡¯s attention was probably attracted by something. Just like how it was the evening before where the other was simply curious about anything he saw. Even a little something could take his father¡¯s attention away. It just showed that the concept of a VR game was truly novel for him.


    But since the other was his father and deserved his respect, he didn¡¯t reveal his lie and just went to where he was. And now they¡¯re back at this moment.


    "It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind," Yu Jiao said. "There¡¯s still 20 minuteste before the start of the tournament, so, we¡¯re not reallyte." She was about to ask if they should go now to the venue when she noticed that there was actually someone standing behind Luo Ren. "Is he... with you?"


    That person walked forward and stood beside Luo Ren. Yu Jiao almost gasped because the other looked so simr to Luo Ren, the only difference was their avatars¡¯ hair and eye color. The man had long white hair and blue eyes speckled with gold dust instead of blond hair and green eyes. With the long-pointed ears, she could see that the other was a moon elf.


    Her first thought was, ¡¯is this person rted to Brother Ren?¡¯.


    "Hello," Luo Wei Tian greeted the tall boy in front of him. Luo Yan had already told him that the one taking them to the venue of this tournament was his friend and ssmate. "You¡¯re Yu Jiao, right? It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Xiao Yan¡¯s dad."


    Yu Jiao¡¯s eyes almost became as big as a saucer¡¯s. This was Luo Yan¡¯s father? Howe he¡¯s so young? He looked like he was only in his mid-20s!


    Seeing Yu Jiao¡¯s reaction, Luo Ren sighed and said, "Yes, he¡¯s our dad."


    Luo Wei Tian probably realized that the handsome boy in front of them might be too surprised to hear that he was already a father when he only looked like he was Luo Ren¡¯s brother in this form. No, what did they call this again? Ah, right, this avatar.


    "I¡¯m indeed their dad. I just made myself look a little younger," he said with augh.


    Luo Ren nced at his father. Last night, when he and his brothers saw their father¡¯s avatar for the first time, it was actually quite a surprise to the three of them. Because not only did their father picked moon elf as a race ¨C they all knew why he picked it, by the way ¨C he also made himself look younger.


    Yu Jiao couldn¡¯t remember if there was actually an option like that when creating an avatar, but she still bowed to the other and said, "Hello, Uncle."


    She looked at the man who looked so much like Luo Ren. Although she wasn¡¯t familiar with the upper echelon of S City¡¯s high society, she knew that this man was the big boss of Tianhua Group.


    From Mo Jian¡¯s constant chattering about how much he wanted to be connected to the Luo family via Luo Jin, she learned that the head of the Luo family was a self-made man. He did note from a rich family, instead, he became one of the richest men in S City and even the country by working hard for it.


    That¡¯s really admirable and inspiring in Yu Jiao¡¯s opinion.


    Now, he was even here to watch and support his two sons despite his surely busy schedule. Just by that, one could see that he was a very good father.


    "Shall we go now to the venue?" she asked.


    "Wait, Jiao Jiao. You have a little smudge on your face," Luo Ren said.


    Before Yu Jiao could react, the other had already reached out to her and wiped whatever smudge was on her face. "There, it¡¯s all gone."


    Yu Jiao blinked and then instinctively gazed down. Because she could feel her cheeks heating up. "T-thank you."


    Luo Wei Tian was truly surprised seeing such a scene. He looked at his eldest son who was smiling like an angel and then at the handsome tall boy who¡¯s now blushing to the roots of his ears.


    He suddenly didn¡¯t know what to feel at that moment.

 Chapter 669 royal box

    THE Rookie Carnival tournament would be held at the Floating Coliseum. Just like its name, it¡¯s a huge coliseum reminisce of the architecture of Rome¡¯s Colosseum. The only difference was this one was floating in the sky.


    Since the conception of the Rookie Carnival, it had been a tradition for the final tournament to be held here. Probably because it was one of the two biggest battle arenas in Arcadia. The other one was the Shi Xie Arena where the Arcadia Cup was usually being held.


    The first day of the Rookie Carnival would start at seven in the evening. This was so people who had day jobs could still watch the game either on the Floating Coliseum or through the live stream that would be broadcasted through a livestream tform. The 16 yers would fight it out in a tournament style battle until only eight yers remained.


    Then, on the second day, the quarter-finals and semi-finals would be held in the afternoon. While the finals would be held in the evening. Anyone could watch it at the venue and the livestream. It would also be broadcasted in the four major cities of Arcadia.


    Everyone was very hyped for this tournament. Some were even much more invested because of the money they put on the betting pool.


    This was a very big event on Arcadia, second only to Arcadia Cup. Most of the yers who had enough money would buy a general admission ticket that would allow them to watch the battles at the audience area of the coliseum. But the rich yers, especially those belonging to big teams, preferred to watch the game in the VIP area.


    The Floating Coliseum had royal boxes where one could watch the fight privately and in a much better angle. It¡¯s like the opera boxes at an opera house which was separated from each other.


    Team Yunyue was one of the teams that reserved one of the royal boxes. Bai Ze was the one in charged of reserving it. He picked a 10-seater because Luo Yan said that Luo Ren and Yu Jiao would be watching with the team. He chose the 10-seater so they wouldn¡¯t feel too crowded.


    There were about 30 minutes before the start of the matches. Bai Ze looked around the other royal boxes and saw that most of them were already filled with yers. While theirs, on the other hand, only had him and Su Yuqi. And oh, the humanoid form of the ck dragon.


    "Where¡¯s Ji Yun anyway?" he asked no one in particr.


    Su Yuqi chose to remain silent and just continued to sit there looking all bored. Annoying girl.


    Bai Ze nced at Dusk, hoping the other could answer him. The ck dragon, by the way, was sitting far away from Su Yuqi. He was probably still traumatized by how the other had teased him before. Bai Ze looked at him sympathetically. As if telling the other that he could understand his pain. After all, he¡¯s also a constant victim of this woman¡¯s evil nature.


    Dusk only looked at him as if he was crazy. But he still answered, "He¡¯s with the moon elf."


    Then after saying that, the dragon no longer cared about him and just turned his head forward to look at the arena stage.


    Bai Ze didn¡¯t mind the other¡¯s attitude. Because right now, his only thought was, ¡¯howe Ji Yun is allowed to go to the participants¡¯ waiting area?¡¯.


    The yers who would be fighting at the tournament were required to be at the venue 30 minutes before the start of the event. They would wait at the designated waiting area and no other yers were allowed there except for the participants. That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t cross his mind that Shen Ji Yun might be there.


    Surely, that guy wouldn¡¯t have used his identity as the nephew of Moonlight Media¡¯s CEO just to go around that rule, right?


    Before he could think of any other scenario, a voice from below suddenly spoke;


    "Hey, beastkin, I want another Mana fruit."


    Bai Ze lowered his head and looked at the miniature red dragonfortably sitting on hisp. With a potion he bought from Bian Que¡¯s alchemy shop, he seeded in wiping the dragon¡¯s memories. But there was a side-effect. The other returned to his early childhood stage.


    Now, the red dragon not only could not return to his humanoid form, he was also much more arrogant and prideful. Although Bai Ze managed to form a contract with the other, the red dragon didn¡¯t think of him as his master but treated him as a servant instead.


    He sighed, thinking that he was really too unlucky. But he still took out a Mana fruit and gave it to the red dragon. The other happily ate it, but still didn¡¯t forget to look like it was Bai Ze¡¯s honor that he epted the fruit.


    Bai Ze just shook his head. The moment he looked up, he saw a sudden distortion in the air. A sign that someone was about to teleport in their royal box. Who could it be other than his older cousin and Yu Jiao?


    Because the only ones allowed to teleport inside were those who had the VIP ticket with the number of the royal box engraved on it. For example, their royal box was number three. So, the number ¡¯3¡¯ was written on the VIP tickets that he gave to his team mates.


    Soon, the figure of Yu Jiao and Luo Ren appeared inside the box. But they were not alone, another person was with them. And this person looked exactly like his older cousin!


    The man who looked almost like Luo Ren¡¯s doppelganger looked around the royal box before his gazended on Bai Ze.


    "Ah Ze, I almost didn¡¯t recognize you. Are you a lion/human hybrid?" the man said in an excited tone. He looked around, his eyes twinkling. Almost like a child out on his first excursion. "Is this ce really floating in the sky? How fascinating!"


    Hearing the other¡¯s voice and staring at the other¡¯s face more thoroughly, Bai Ze had already guessed who this person was.


    "Uncle Tian?"

 Chapter 670 jiayou!

    INSIDE the waiting area for the yers participating in the final tournament of Rookie Carnival, all 16 yers were already present inside. With the exception of one standing near the entrance and talking to a figure standing just outside of the said entrance.


    Of course, the two were none other than Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun.


    Contrary to what Bai Ze thought, Shen Ji Yun did not ¡¯abuse¡¯ his power as the CEO¡¯s nephew. The other insisted that he wanted to send Luo Yan and Luo Jin (this one was doubtful) to the waiting area, so he went along with the two despite knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to go inside.


    That¡¯s why he¡¯s standing just outside the door of the waiting area while talking to Luo Yan. Looking like a lovelorn suitor pining for the person beyond the door.


    He¡¯s probably the only one who thought of doing that. Because it was understood by everyone that only those who were participating at the Rookie Carnival were allowed to be in the waiting area. Which was true, but it didn¡¯t mean that the surrounding area was also off-limits.


    Shen Ji Yun used that loophole so he could send Luo Yan here. How could he not when this was such a big event in his rabbit¡¯s gaming experience? Of course, he should give the other his full support.


    "Do you have everything you need? If there¡¯s something you¡¯ve forgotten, just tell me, I¡¯ll get it for you," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Yan smiled helplessly. He couldn¡¯t remember how much the other had already asked this question since they met earlier. It might not show on his appearance, but Luo Yan could tell how nervous Shen Ji Yun was. In fact, he literally could feel the other¡¯s nervous energy. It was radiating so much that he even felt like it would prick his skin.


    He was the one who¡¯s about to fight in a tournament and yet Shen Ji Yun was the one who¡¯s nervous.


    "I didn¡¯t forget anything, Brother Ji Yun," he said. "You should go to the team¡¯s royal box. They¡¯re probably wondering why you¡¯re still not there."


    Shen Ji Yun actually wanted to stay until the start of the tournament. But he knew that that would be too much. He could feel the other participants already giving Luo Yan a weird look. If he continued to remain here, it might only have a negative effect on Luo Yan.


    So, he could only reluctantly say at the end, "Okay."


    But he couldn¡¯t just leave like this. He should at least do something to cheer him on. So, after much deliberation, which felt like forever in his head but really only a few seconds in reality, he put both hands on top of his head in a heart shape manner and said;


    "Jiayou!"


    Then, he quickly teleported out of there.


    Luo Yan looked nkly at the spot where Shen Ji Yun was standing and then an uncontroble chuckle escaped his lips. What was that? He remembered Shen Ji Yun¡¯s face being expressionless while doing that set of action and then the same face turning into a cooked shrimp in a matter of seconds.


    How could someone be so adorable? He probably had asked the same question a couple of times already. But what could he do? Even now, he couldn¡¯t find the answer to it. It would probably remain one of the greatest mysteries of the world.


    He shook his head and turned around to walk to where Luo Jin and Eclipse were. But the moment he did, he noticed that most of the gazes of the other yers in the room were looking at his direction. Many of them had an unbelieving look in their faces.


    He already had an idea what caused this. They had probably seen the little ¡¯heart¡¯ sign that Shen Ji Yun did and couldn¡¯t believe that the other would do something like that. After all, in the eyes of most yers in Arcadia, YUN was like a flower of gaoling. Standing at a high ce, out of reach of anyone. So, seeing him doing something like that was probably a shock.


    One of the yers who saw what YUN did was Xia Lei. But unlike others here, his thoughts were just a tad bit different from theirs. Because of his sister¡¯s influence, the first thing he thought when he saw what YUN did was ¡¯is he and Noctis really in that kind of rtionship?¡¯.


    He suddenly had goosebumps. Not because of the thought per se but because of the fact that it was the first thing that came to his mind. It just proved just how much his sister¡¯s fangirling was affecting him. He shook his head sharply and decided to no longer think about that.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, didn¡¯t care what the other yers thought and just continued to walk to where Luo Jin and Eclipse were.


    Eclipse, who was currently in his fox form, jumped to his master¡¯s arms. Although Eclipse¡¯s fox form was a bit biggerpared to before, Luo Yan could still hold him with ease.


    [Mashter, Eclipse saw what Captain did just now! That¡¯s a heart sign, right? Was Captain telling Mashter that he loves you before the tournament starts?] ¨C the little fox asked.


    Luo Yan almostughed when he heard that. Bute to thing of it, that sign was indeed usually apanied by the words ¡¯I love you¡¯. Instead, Shen Ji Yun said ¡¯jiayou¡¯. He ruffled Eclipse¡¯s fluffy head.


    [Maybe.] ¨C he said as an answer to the other¡¯s question.


    When he gazed down, he happened to see Luo Jin looking at him. The other looked like he just ate something unptable and wanted to immediately spit it out. Knowing his brother, Luo Yan had no doubt that this ¡¯unptable¡¯ thing in the other¡¯s eyes was what Shen Ji Yun did earlier.


    He was about to tease the other when he heard someone say;


    "Must be great to have someone like that wrapped around your finger."


    The voice was full of sarcasm and mockery. Luo Yan turned and looked for the source of that voice.

 Chapter 671 insufferable

    THE one who spoke was one of the five girls who made it to the final tournament. She had long ck hair surrounded by rose vines. The slightly pointed ears showed that her race must be at least considered as ¡¯rare¡¯. But Luo Yan couldn¡¯t be sure what it could be.


    The white dress she was wearing was a tad bit too revealing. With plunging neckline and slits on both side of the flowing skirt. Because of that, a lot of her skin was exposed. One would think that she was there to attend the party instead of fighting.


    Don¡¯t get him wrong, Luo Yan not one of those people who thought that women should not wear revealing clothes. Whether it¡¯s a guy or a girl, anyone could wear whatever the hell they wanted. As long as they were not forced into it and they picked it themselves.


    The problem here was, they were about to fight in a one-on-one battle. Doing so in such a dress, she would sh the important bits and pieces that should be covered. Although this was not their real body, their avatars were still close to how a real body looked like. So, yes, it would be kind of awkward fighting someone when their bits were shing at you.


    Unless, of course, this girl was nning to fight without ever moving from the same spot. That could certainly work. Or maybe this was her way to distract whoever her opponents would be. And then strike that opponent while they were distracted looking at her bits.


    He could think of a lot of strategies worse than that, but, who knows, it might work. After all, most of the participants here were probably teenagers or just graduated from being a teenager. They still had raging hormones that could get in the way of their decision making.


    But whatever, it¡¯s not like this was any of his business. Because he was sure that he would not get affected even if this girl went full blown naked in front of him right now. How could he be affected when he had Shen Ji Yun, that gorgeous male specimen? Maybe if his adorable cinnamon roll was the one to appear in front of him naked, he might just hyperventte and faint.


    Anyway, aside from this girl¡¯s questionable taste in costume, the other was also obviously very antagonistic towards Luo Yan. It was not just the tone of her voice when she said what she just said. It¡¯s how she was looking at him. It was a mixture of a lot of negative things.


    A gloating expression as if he was looking down on him. But underneath those eyes that was like shouting ¡¯I am better than you¡¯ were feelings of envy and jealousy. There was even anger there.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. He hadn¡¯t remembered offending this girl. He was too busy doing the hidden task and doing training that he didn¡¯t have time to actually offend anyone. He could only think of one reason ¨C this girl simply couldn¡¯t ept that he was much more beautiful than her.


    Honestly, how could he me her for that? So, of course, he had to response to her provocation about how it must be great to have Shen Ji Yun wrap around his finger. Right?


    Luo Yan acted shock and said in a surprise tone, "Wow. How did you know?" Then he smiled sweetly. "It really is such a great feeling."


    The girl¡¯s face turned all red in anger. If she could shootser from her eyes, she probably already did because of the way she was ring at him. In response, Luo Yan smiled even more sweetly.


    Some in the room let out a chuckle after witnessing what happened. Which made the girl even more embarrassed.


    "What are you so proud about?" she retorted, barely controlling her anger. "Is it fun leeching off of others?"


    "Wow. Your thought process really just zigzagged from point A to point Z," Luo Jinmented in a mocking tone. "How did you go off from thinking he was proud to using him of being a leech? There must be a road map with a lot of u-turn inside that head of yours. That¡¯s why you can make all sorts of assumption in a second."


    "You shouldn¡¯t say that, Young Master Jin," Luo Yan said as if he was really trying to scold Luo Jin. "Look at the poor girl, her face was so red! What if she faints?" he added with indignation. "I, for one, don¡¯t think that she has a road map in her head. I think she¡¯s just... full of imagination."


    Luo Jin gave his brother a sideway nce and just resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He looked at the girl who looked like her face would actually turn into purple any second now. She¡¯s probably madder at what Luo Yan said instead of what he said.


    He no longer cared about the girl since she was obviously no match for his brother. So, he turned back his gaze to Luo Yan and said, "Don¡¯t call me ¡¯young master¡¯."


    Luo Yan only grinned as an answer.


    Being suddenly ignored after being insulted, the girl ¨C Ding Rong ¨C almost rushed towards the moon elf and attacked him. She just couldn¡¯t ept everything about this person. Someone so shameless didn¡¯t deserve to stand beside YUN.


    She was about to say something scathing when someone beat her to it.


    "Stop, will you?" said the dark elf, looking at her and stopping her from speaking. "If you can¡¯t stand him, go fight him on the ring. Beat him up all you want, we don¡¯t care. Just don¡¯t make a scene here. It¡¯s embarrassing."


    Luo Yan nced at Ying Chen with interest when he heard what the other said. "Well, her beating me up is kind of debatable. Because I know I would win."


    Ying Chen also nced at Luo Yan with a look that¡¯s saying ¡¯you¡¯re insufferable¡¯.


    Ding Rong, on the other hand, was really on the verge of attacking the moon elf. But that thought halted when a virtual screen suddenly appeared in front of them.


    It said;


    [Dear honorable participants of the Rookie Carnival, please pick a number from the box that will appear in front of you!]

 Chapter 672 welcome to the rookie carnival!

    AS the virtual screen disappeared, a box appeared in front of everyone. No one was moving, so, Luo Yan walked towards the box and put his hand inside it. What he felt inside were a bunch of small balls, probably the size of a tennis ball. He picked one and pulled it out. The number written on it was ¨C ¡¯6¡¯.


    Luo Jin followed and picked the number ¡¯15¡¯.


    With the two of them starting it, the others also followed. When thest one finally picked a number, a virtual screen once again in front of them. This time, it didn¡¯t have any message. Instead, what¡¯s on it was the tournament bracket. Listing the names of the yers and who they would fight.


    Luo Yan looked for his name and it was the sixth one from the top. The one he was going to fight was the one who picked the number ¡¯5¡¯. The name written there was ¡¯Rosetta¡¯.


    Suddenly, there was a chuckle from behind him. Followed by the words, "It seems that my luck was really good."


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t need to look back to know who just spoke. Because he was pretty much certain that it was the girl who just mocked him earlier and called him a leech. But he still turned around and looked at the girl. Just to, you know, see what she¡¯s nning to do.


    The girl was smirking at him. "I will beat you to a pulp and let everyone see that you¡¯re not all that."


    Oh, so, she¡¯s Rosetta ¨C Luo Yan thought, not really caring about what the other said. Probably because he had already put the other under the category of someone who had a few screws loose. Because, seriously, which sane person would attack someone, albeit verbally, when that someone hadn¡¯t done anything to them?


    But not all felt like that. Especially the little fox in Luo Yan¡¯s arms.


    [Mashter, Eclipse really wants to scratch her face. Can Eclipse do it?]


    A sudden idea popped inside his head when Luo Yan heard that. [Maybe you can do thatter.]


    He looked at the girl and smiled, "I doubt that will happen. But I wish you good luck. You will need it."


    That earned quite a few chuckles from the other yers around.


    Which only infuriated Ding Rong more. She chose to just shut up. She had the opportunity to prove everyone here wrong. So, that¡¯s what she would do.


    On one of the royal boxes of the coliseum about a minute or so ago...


    Shen Ji Yun appeared in the royal box that Bai Ze reserved for their team after teleporting out of the waiting area. His cheeks still felt a bit warm because of that heart sign action he just did. That was probably the first time he did something so embarrassing in front of so many people.


    But if it meant that he could cheer on Luo Yan by doing that, then, he would do it again and again with no qualms.


    Arriving at their team¡¯s royal box, the first thing, or rather, person who caught his attention was Bai Ze. Because the other almost jumped to his face the moment he appeared.


    "You¡¯re finally here!" Bai Ze said.


    He was about to ask why the other didn¡¯t bring him along to meet with Luo Yan and Luo Jin. He also wanted to cheer on his cousins. But then, he stopped on time, remembering that Uncle Tian was here with them.


    If he didn¡¯t know about Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings for Luo Yan, he might just blurt that out without much thinking. The problem was, he knew about it. So, he had no choice but to be careful if he didn¡¯t want this friend of his to be ¡¯killed¡¯ by Uncle Tian. Because that would certainly what would happen if the other so much as caught a whiff of Shen Ji Yun¡¯s feelings towards his beloved second son.


    "Uncle Tian is here," he just said instead in a voice that only the two of them could hear. Just in case, Shen Ji Yun would say or do something that might alert his uncle.


    When Shen Ji Yun heard that, he froze for a moment. Then, he stiffly looked around the royal box. He saw Su Yuqi, Dusk, Yu Jiao, Luo Ren, and then his gaze finallynded on a man with long white hair, pointed ears, and a pair of blue eyes speckled with gold dust.


    But the most eye-catching thing about the man was that he looked like he could be Luo Ren¡¯s twin. Add that to what Bai Ze just said, he already knew who this man was.


    "Uncle," he respectfully greeted the other.


    Luo Wei Tian stared at the young man who suddenly appeared. He had long dark purple hair, a pair of amethyst eyes that had vertical pupils, and two horns growing on his forehead. It took a moment before he got pass all those magical features and finally recognized who the other was.


    "Ji Yun, what wonderful, what was is called again, ah, yes, avatar! You have a very wonderful avatar!" heplimented. "What sort of magical creature are you?"


    Shen Ji Yun was suddenly stumped for a second. Because he didn¡¯t know how to react with this enthusiasm.


    "Just go along with it," Bai Ze whispered. "Uncle Tian is currently enamored with all the aspect of the game. So, just take advantage of it."


    Following Bai Ze¡¯s advice, Shen Ji Yun responded, "I¡¯m a qilin, Uncle Tian."


    "Oh, a qilin?" Luo Wei Tian said with interest. He walked around Shen Ji Yun, as if inspecting a product. He even pushed aside Bai Ze (unintentionally, of course) as he did so. "So, this is how they think a qilin would look like in human form."


    Shen Ji Yun just stood there, honestly had no idea what he should do.


    Then, a voice suddenly echoed across the Floating Coliseum.


    "A pleasant evening to all citizens of Arcadia!"


    There, floating above the center of the coliseum was a teenager with red hair, wearing a white coat withpels that were shaped like half of a heart, and on the side of his head was a small golden crown.


    "I¡¯m your host for tonight ¨C the esteemed Duke of Hearts!" he said bowing to the audience like a performer. "Wee to the Rookie Carnival tournament!"

 Chapter 673 tournament finally begins

    LUO WEI TIAN¡¯S attention was fully captured by this person calling himself the ¡¯Duke of Hearts¡¯. He stared at this teenager with mboyant clothing floating in the sky. "Is he also a yer?"


    Shen Ji Yun, being the one currently closest to Luo Yan¡¯s father, answered, "No, Uncle, he¡¯s an NPC."


    "Oh, you mean the inhabitants of this world?"


    Well, that¡¯s not entirely wrong, so Shen Ji Yun could only nod. Bai Ze, who was also near the two, only thought, ¡¯why does Uncle Tian talks like they are in an Isekai anime?¡¯.


    Luo Wei Tian did not notice the weird reaction of the two to what he said and just stared at the NPC floating in the air. With how alive the other¡¯s expression was, he would have never thought that the teenager was actually not a real person. He was truly amazed by just how far the technology of today hade.


    No, he should probably express his admiration towards Shen Yi Mu and the whole Moonlight Media for being able to make a game with such vivid characters.


    Looking again at the NPC, a thought shed in his mind. What if- what if they could create an NPC based on a real person? With the same face and personality.


    "Ji Yun, your uncle is a genius," he said to the kid beside him.


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit confused as to where thispliment came from. But he still responded, "Yes, he is."


    "Maybe I should increase my investment to hispany," Luo Wei Tian said to no one in particr. Before turning to Shen Ji Yun again, nning to ask about the idea he just had. "Do you think he would agree if I ask him to make an NPC based on someone?"


    Before Shen Ji Yun could answer, Luo Ren had already walked to them and put his hand on his father¡¯s shoulder.


    "Dad, let¡¯s just sit down. The tournament is already starting. Yan Yan and Xiao Jin will surely appear any minute now. You don¡¯t want to miss that, right?"


    Luo Ren didn¡¯t wait for his father to answer and just led the other to one of the seats. He then sat between his father and Yu Jiao. He was d that his father didn¡¯t actually insist on talking to Shen Ji Yun about the topic he opened to the other just now.


    When he heard him asking about designing an NPC based on a person, he was sure that his father was talking about histe mother. Of course, Luo Ren had to stop that idea. Having an NPC that looked exactly like his mother didn¡¯t really feel right. It would also not be healthy for his father.


    He knew that his father had never really moved on from his mother. The only reason he could continue on with his life was because he and his two brothers were still here. If that was not the case, then his mother¡¯s death would have truly broken his father.


    If there would really be an NPC based on his mother, instead of being therapeutic, it could turn into something toxic instead. Like jumping into a rabbit hole and being unable to get out from it forever.


    His thoughts were cut off when the Duke of Hearts spoke once again.


    "The tournament this year has 16 participants. The rules are simple. There would be eight matches of 1v1. Killing your opponent or forcing them to admit defeat would guarantee one¡¯s victory. In the off chance that the fight wouldst for 30 minutes, then, it would be automatically stopped and I would be the one to decide who¡¯s the winner. All the eight winners tonight will move to the quarterfinals tomorrow," the duke exined in a very clear-cut manner. "As a gift to you plebeians, I will let you see the tournament bracket before the fight begins."


    After the duke said that, a huge virtual screen appeared in front of everyone. It was made in a way that every corner of the coliseum could see and read it.


    The royal box of team Yunyue immediately looked for the name of Luo Yan and Luo Jin.


    "Which one is Xiao Yan and Xiao Jin?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    Hearing this, Luo Ren remembered that they hadn¡¯t told their father about game names. Which was something the other didn¡¯t need to worry because of the special VR helmet he was using.


    "Yan Yan is ¡¯Noctis¡¯ while Xiao Jin is¡ª" he instinctively stopped. Because he couldn¡¯t, for the life of him, say his brother¡¯s rather colorful game name.


    The one who finished what he was about to say was a girl¡¯s voice, "AmazingYoungMasterJin."


    Luo Ren turned to Su Yuqi, the one who just spoke, wondering how the other could say that game name with such an indifferent tone.


    Luo Wei Tian also looked at the butterfly girl. It took a few moments before it finally registered on him what the girl said. And all he could think was;


    "Why did Xiao Jin call himself that?" he asked, identally saying what¡¯s on his mind.


    "Uncle, I think Xiao Jin just probably ran out of names and just used that in a fit of frustration," Bai Ze said, holding back hisughter.


    "I think it¡¯s a cute name," Su Yuqimented. "It perfectly fits Luo Jin."


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t care much about what they were talking about. His eyes were on the tournament bracket, thinking that Luo Yan¡¯s fight would be the third match and it¡¯s against someone named ¡¯Rosetta¡¯.


    The virtual screen disappeared and the Duke of Hearts appeared in front of everyone¡¯s sight again.


    "Now, let¡¯s all wee the participants for the first match!" After the duke said that, two doors from the opposite side of the rink opened. "Supreme King versus Lovelee!"


    Two figures walked from the opposite sides and made their way to the rink. One was a muscr lion beastkin while the other was a petite fairy. The gap between the appearance of the two was pretty eye-catching.


    "Let the battle begin!"


    As soon as the duke shouted that, the two on the rink quickly began their attack.

 Chapter 674 first match

    LUO YAN looked at the screen showing the fight of Supreme King and Lovelee. The former showed his explosive power by charging head-on and destroying pieces of the rink with every attack. While thetter was moving swiftly, evading every attack that was thrown at her. It¡¯s like her body was made of cotton because of how easy she was deflecting all those attacks.


    Right now, the two were on pretty equal grounds. Which was probably quite surprising to some. Because just looking at the two, anyone would thing that Supreme King would be the one on the lead.


    Luo Yan took back his gaze from the screen and nced at the other yers he was with. Besides him, there were six others with him. The only ones he knew were the golden dragon and the panther beastkin friend of Ying Chen.


    The seven of them here were those who picked even numbers from the box. They were on one of the two ¡¯bench areas¡¯. Until it¡¯s not yet their time to fight, they would have to wait in these two areas.


    The 16 of them were, of course, separated into two groups ¨C those who picked odd numbers and those who picked even numbers. It stopped them from interacting with their opponent. Probably to stop them from fighting ahead of their match. But because of this, Luo Yan was separated from his younger brother because the other picked an odd number.


    It would be so much better if Luo Jin was here. At least, he could discuss the fights with him.


    He turned his attention back to the screen. The fight was still at a standstill. It seemed that the two still hadn¡¯t gotten an advantage over the other. Hopefully, the fight wouldn¡¯tst for 30 minutes. He was sure that the two also wouldn¡¯t want that. After all, who knew what kind of judgment the Duke of Hearts would use in regards to these fights.


    If he was one of the two, he would definitely do something right about now to turn the tides into his advantage.


    It seemed that Supreme King was also on the same wavelength as him because of what happened in the next second. His upper body suddenly turned into that of a lion. Turning into a half transportation, probably to provide him with a much more flexible transportation.


    Supreme King rushed towards Lovelee. Surprisingly enough, even with his body getting much bigger than before, his movement was much faster. Because of that, he appeared next to Lovelee in an instant. The girl seemed to be surprised by that. This momentary surprised caused her to be caught.


    Lovelee¡¯s race was a fairy. Because of that her avatar was like that of a child. With such a small body, her waist was easily grasped by Supreme King.


    "Admit defeat," the big lion said. The ws of his free hand were pointing at his opponent¡¯s neck.


    Instead of being nervous, Lovelee showed a confident smile. "Why should I?" She suddenly reached out to the other and held the big lion¡¯s face. "Thank you for getting this close to me."


    She leaned forward as if about to kiss Supreme King. The other was obviously very startled by that move that he froze in ce. Lovelee took advantage of that on the face of the big lion. The thing she blew looked like white glitters. It¡¯s probably some kind of fairy dust or something.


    The next second, Supreme King fell down on the rink like a dead log. It didn¡¯t stop there. The whole body of the lion started to turn blue. Once his whole bodypletely turned to that color, it slowly turned into tiny light particles. A sign that his avatar was killed.


    Then, the Duke of Hearts appeared floating on the rink like some referee. "Wow. That¡¯s a very boring match. But anyway, let me announce the winner. It¡¯s Lovelee!" he said, flourishing his hand to where the girl was standing.


    The cheering from the crowd wasn¡¯t that loud, as if agreeing to the duke¡¯s judgment.


    Luo Yan thought that the fight was just fine. The only downside was Supreme King was too much of a gentleman. If the other quickly went for the kill the moment he had Lovelee in his grasp, he could have won. But he didn¡¯t. Instead, he told the other to admit defeat.


    Lovelee, on the other hand, was quite smart. She understood at that moment that the big lion was not really that tough. In fact, he¡¯s a big softie. So, she took advantage of that and did a big killer move.


    The oue could be imagined.


    "As the winner of this match, you can now enter my special winners¡¯ room," the duke said. When he pped his hand, Lovelee disappeared from where she was standing. Presumably, she was now in this ¡¯special winners¡¯ room¡¯. "Now, let¡¯s move to the next match. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t be as boring as thest one."


    That earned a couple ofughter from the audience.


    Luo Yan then saw the door to their ¡¯bench area¡¯ opening. It¡¯s a signal that the next person to fight should walk there ande up on the rink. The one who walked out was a big man wearing a knight¡¯s costume. Luo Yan had a feeling that the other was probably a Swordsman.


    "Next match, Razor versus Wild Rock!" the Duke of Hearts announced.


    The crowd cheered, it was not that loud but at least louder than the reaction they gave to Lovelee¡¯s win. Obviously, one or maybe both the yers mentioned were fan favorite.


    Luo Yan had a feeling that it was because of Razor. After all, the other had a very good performance during the preliminary of the Carnival. He looked at the screen that was now focusing on the two people about to fight. His eyes focused on Razor. The guy just finished yawning and looked like he was bored out of his mind.


    Even when the duke signaled for the fight to begin, he looked like he was about to fall asleep.


    Wild Rock did not waste the other¡¯s inattention and quickly released a huge attack.

 Chapter 675 second match (i)

    WILD ROCK¡¯S attack was a huge sword sh. The rink that had returned to normal after the fight between Supreme King and Lovelee immediately sustained a new damage. That sh was so powerful that a deep dent appeared on the part of the rink where the sh travelled.


    But despite the power that that sword sh showed, Razor just continued to stand there. The audience thought that it¡¯s either he didn¡¯t think much of the opponent¡¯s attack or he was frozen scared by it.


    The force of the attack was so strong that it produced rubbles from the rink. These rubbles made some kind of smoke screen. That¡¯s why no one knew if the attack hit Razor or not.


    But before the audience found the answer to that, a ck stream shed through the rubble of smoke. Most people wouldn¡¯t have seen that. But for Wild Rock, who was on the rink and close the smoke, he could clearly see this ¡¯ck stream¡¯. It was moving too fast that he could even hear the ¡¯swish¡¯ sound it was making.


    He held the hilt of his sword tighter, readying for any attack that mighte his way. His sword was a big broadsword. It looked very heavy. But he had it made in a way that he could neglect the weight and move it in ways that he wanted. So, when he felt somethinging his way, he easily raised it to defend himself.


    And his instinct was right.


    The moment he raised his sword, he felt a heavy collision. He looked at the person who appeared in front of him like a whirlwind. The other was wearing a ck hooded trench coat. Even with such huge movement, the hood stayed on the other¡¯s head. With a mask covering the lower half of his face, the only thing that could be seen was his electric indigo eyes.


    And right now, those eyes looked heavy-lidded. As if he would fall asleep at any second.


    This irritated Wild Rock. Because it seemed like the other didn¡¯t take him seriously. What¡¯s more even insulting was that Razor was almost pushing him back just with a single long dagger. The de of the dagger was straight and thin, almost like a needle. This type was mostly called a stiletto dagger. A favorite weapon of those assassins during medieval times.


    With just this weapon, one could immediately tell that Razor was an Assassin. Most likely someone who specialized in speed. As shown by how fast the other moved earlier.


    With someone of this type, they would definitely try to finish the match as fast as possible. How could Wild Rock let that happen? He didn¡¯t want to just stand and be on the resisting end. If he didn¡¯t fight as hard as he could, he might just find himself the loser in a blink of an eye.


    He maneuvered his sword and flicked the dagger to the side. This sudden move caused Razor to temporary lose bnce. He didn¡¯t waste that opportunity and used another one of his skills. It¡¯s a move that would increase his speed the more he thrusted his sword towards the opponent. Which meant the more he attacked, the faster his speed would be.


    But this skill would onlyst for 30 seconds. So, he should make the best out of those.


    Wild Rock thrusted his sword towards Razor. Not surprisingly, the other easily dodged it. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t just stop there. Since using this skill, he had no choice but to continuously attack for the next 20 seconds.


    His next thrust was also easily dodged. That continued on for the next 10 seconds. As his attack became faster and faster, dodging wasn¡¯t enough. Razor was also forced to parry and defend himself using his dagger.


    At thest few seconds, Wild Rock managed to get past the other¡¯s defenses andnded a hit on the side of his neck. If Razor didn¡¯t manage to dodge on time, Wild Rock¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t have already pierced his throat and thus ending this match.


    But Wild Rock had already expected that his opponent wouldn¡¯t be defeated with just that. So, even before he made that move, he had already prepared his next one. The only reason he did it in the first ce was so he could get what he needed ¨C the opponent¡¯s blood.


    The blood on the tip of the sword was slowly being absorbed. As it was doing that, he continued to attack Razor in which the other dodge or parried. Once his swordpletely absorbed the blood, its de turned red.


    His skill [Blood Sword] was then activated. It¡¯s a skill that would increase his overall stats by ten times. Not only that, his sword would literally ¡¯hunt¡¯ for the owner of the blood it just ingested. And by ¡¯hunt¡¯ it meant that every sword attack that he would make for the next minute would purposely target all of his opponent¡¯s vital parts. In short, he would be going for the kill.


    This skill wouldst for a minute. That meant that he would only have that short amount of time to finish this match. And, of course, win.


    He shed down his sword. His body being influenced by his sword and directly attacking the other¡¯s neck. Because of his increase in speed and their close proximity to each other, dodging it was almost impossible.


    Razor also knew that. So, instead, he blocked it using his dagger. But because of Wild Rock¡¯s increase in strength, the weight of this attack also became heavier. To the point that Razor¡¯s feet started to sink on the rink made of stone.


    The other must have realized that continuing like that would only be disadvantageous for him. So, at lightning speed, he quickly bent down and then jumped to the side. Away from his opponent. But he only managed to do so with repercussion. A deep wound appeared on his shoulder which was obviously the result of the move he just did.


    Razor jumped a few more distance away. He nced at the wound on his shoulder. Then, he looked at Wild Rock. There was no longer any sign of drowsiness in those indigo eyes. Instead, they looked as if they¡¯re burning.


    "Well, that certainly woke me up."

 Chapter 676 second match (ii)

    CAI HONG ¨C also known as Razor by everyone here ¨C moved his neck from side to side as if cracking it. What he said earlier was true. The deep wound he sustained really ¡¯woke¡¯ him up.


    It¡¯s not that he was really asleep. His focus was just not on the things that were happening right now. That¡¯s why his reaction was a bit too dull. His avatar was simply giving the appropriate reaction on every action that was thrown at him. Like a robot moving on auto-pilot.


    But because of the wound inflicted on him, his mind cleared and he was nowpletely awake. So, he hadn¡¯t really made an effort since earlier. He really should not have stayed awake until morning. Because of that, he only had a couple of hours of sleep. So, this wound was pretty much well-deserved for not taking things seriously.


    Before Cai Hong could decide what his next move would be, he saw his opponent rushing towards him. He raised a brow. Seeing the red glow on the other¡¯s sword, he understood that this guy was most likely using some kind of skill and was now on a time limit to finish everything before the effect of that skill ended.


    He could tell that the skill had something to do with increasing the other¡¯s overall stats. Even though he wasn¡¯t quite ¡¯awake¡¯ since the start of their fight, he could still feel the difference with the other¡¯s attack from when the match started to the attack that caused the wound.


    His opponent¡¯s attack became much faster, heavier, and stronger. This type of skill would most likely end within a minute at most. That¡¯s why the other wanted to end this match before the effect of the skill disappeared. Because after that skill, it would probably take a while before he could use another skill of the same magnitude. Unless, of course, he still had something hidden in his sleeve.


    Seeing the other already getting close, instead of jumping and running away until Wild Rock¡¯s skill entered cool down, Cai Hong also rushed forward. Obviously, trying to face the attack head on.


    As he moved, he quickly took out a low-grade potion to restore a bit of his dwindling HP because of the wound on his shoulder. It would probably be better to use a high-grade potion. But he only had three of those. He decided to only use it during an emergency. And this situation barely counted as one.


    The reason why he only had that much high-grade was mainly because of its price. It was too high in his opinion. And he simply found it a waste of crystal coins. He¡¯d rather have those crystal coins converted into real money than used it to buy such things.


    Well, it didn¡¯t really matter. Cai Hong just had to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t receive another blow like this again.


    The two then met at the middle of the stage, their weapons shing. Cai Hong frowned a bit after feeling the heaviness of his opponent¡¯s de. His feet once again sunk on the ground.


    Now, that he¡¯s more ¡¯awake¡¯, he really could feel just how much increase there was on the other¡¯s strength. It¡¯s almost miracle that he was able to survive until now with the bare minimum amount of effort he put through so far.


    He knew he couldn¡¯t fight this Wild Rock head on in terms of strength. So, he just had to fight using methods he was good at.


    Cai Hong dashed to the side, his movement was much more fluid and even much faster. That¡¯s why even when Wild Rock¡¯s sword shed down, it did not graze him. There was a short period of time before Wild Rock could raise his sword again after his attack. But that time was probably only for a short two seconds.


    That was enough for him.


    He moved at lightning speed and aimed at the other¡¯s neck. Wild Rock must have felt the daggering for his neck because he quickly turned his body to the side. But that was not really what he was aiming for. He just did that to camouge what he really wanted to do.


    He activated one of his skills ¨C [Butterfly Mark]. While his opponent hadn¡¯t still returned to his normal battle posture, he stretched out his hand and touched the other¡¯s back.


    The other didn¡¯t feel anything but a butterfly symbol had already appeared on his back. Wild Rock spun around at that moment with his sword and he almost cut off Cai Hong¡¯s hand that he just pulled back.


    He then jumped back, putting distance between them. There¡¯s no reason for him to fight melee because he had already aplished what he had to for his skill to work. He took out five small knives that were holstered on his thigh and threw them consecutively towards Wild Rock.


    The other easily dodged them and just rushed towards Cai Hong. But what he didn¡¯t know was that those knives that he had just dodged swerved and followed his trail.


    Cai Hong decided to just stand where he was. Because there¡¯s no point anymore in running away. The moment he did, Wild Rock reached him and shed at him. But before he could do so, he grunted and froze in ce. His hold over the sword loosened and it fell on the rink with a thud. Then, ck marks started to appear on his skin that was already turning gray.


    He looked at Cai Hong with an unbelieving expression on his face before falling down face first on the floor. Behind him, the five small knives formed an ¡¯X¡¯ shape on the ce where the butterfly mark was before.


    That was how his skill [Butterfly Mark] worked. Once he touched something, a butterfly mark would appear and it would act as a homing mark. Whatever weapon he would throw then would follow that mark relentlessly until they reached the target.


    Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be enough to eliminate someone. But it just so happened that he coated his knives with a highly poisonous toxin. Any monster or yer that was stabbed by his knives would die in a second.


    Seeing the other slowly turning into light spot, Cai Hong knew that he had won.

 Chapter 677 you can win this!!!

    "AND the winner is Razor!" the Duke of Hearts announced.


    Luo Yan stared at the screen, particrly at Razor who barely showed any emotion after winning. The other seemed to not even care about the loud cheers around him.


    That match just now was rather interesting. Mostly because of how quick it ended the moment Razor got serious. Anyone could see that during the beginning of the match where the other was on the defending side, he wasn¡¯t really taking things seriously. He only did when he received that deep wound.


    And once he decided to fight seriously, he defeated his opponent quickly and very simply. He didn¡¯t even show too much of his abilities. From what Luo Yan had seen, the other probably only used one skill all throughout the fight. Which just showed Razor¡¯s great fighting ability.


    If everything went well, then, the other would be the one he would face at the semi-finals tomorrow. Two Assassins duking it out. It would definitely be an interesting fight.


    Razor, on the stage, had already disappeared. Probably already transferred to the winners¡¯ suite.


    "That was an exciting fight, right? Just a little short for my taste but still much better than the first one," the duke said. "Now, let¡¯s continue on with the matches. On to the third match, Rosetta versus Noctis!"


    Luo Yan nced at the entrance to their ¡¯bench area¡¯ that just opened. Well, he guessed it¡¯s now his turn.


    [Mashter, Mashter, are we going to beat up that girl now?] ¨C asked the little fox in his arms.


    Luo Yan nced down at Eclipse and smiled. [Yes, we are.]


    He walked out of the ¡¯bench area¡¯ and continued on towards the rink.


    From the perspective of the audience, they could watch what was happening on the stage more clearly from the virtual screens floating above the coliseum. And right now, those screens were filled with a close-up shot of Luo Yan¡¯s beautiful face.


    Loud cheers erupted from the audience.


    "Noctis!!!"


    "Noctis, look here!!!"


    "Noctis, I love you!!!"


    Most of those who were shouting were female yers. But there were also a few male yers in the mix. It could be seen with just this how popr the yer Noctis was.


    Luo Wei Tian felt excited when he saw his second son walking to the rink. But when he heard the audience cheering for Luo Yan, he was simply amazed.


    "Xiao Yan is very popr," hemented, feeling really proud.


    "They¡¯re most likely Yan Yan¡¯s fans," Luo Ren said.


    "It¡¯s good that they know how great Xiao Yan is," Luo Wei Tian said even prouder.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded in agreement. With that serious expression on his face, one would think that he was agreeing to something that could save global warming or something simr.


    Bai Ze shook his head. He stopped the urge to say that most of these so-called ¡¯fans¡¯ were most likely CP fans of his cousin and Shen Ji Yun. Because if he did so, his uncle might just directly interrogate Shen Ji Yun about it. And knowing his friend, the other might just confess about his feelings for Luo Yan.


    There would definitely be World War III after that.


    Luo Wei Tian happily nced again at the virtual screen. But this time, his son was no longer the one on it. Instead, it was a scantily d girl. He frowned.


    "Why is that youngdy wearing her clothes that way?" he couldn¡¯t help but asked out loud. "What if she showed something she shouldn¡¯t have to Xiao Yan?"


    Shen Ji Yun had the same thought. It was that girl¡¯s freedom to wear whatever she wanted. What he was against was the other shing her ¡¯things¡¯ to his rabbit. Luo Yan was a teenage boy. He was at an age where he could easily be affected by the exposed skin of the opposite sex.


    Just thinking of Luo Yan blushing over that girl was enough for him to get irritated.


    "Even if she does, I don¡¯t think Luo Yan would care," Su Yuqimented. "He¡¯s cool that way."


    "Ahm, I agree," Yu Jiao agreed. "I don¡¯t think Yan Yan would be affected by what she¡¯s wearing. So, Uncle shouldn¡¯t worry that it would have a negative impact on him."


    Since getting close to Luo Yan, she knew that his train of thought was not the same as other teenage boy his age. She had a feeling that even if someone took off their clothes in front of him, he would only smile and tell the other to wear their clothes back.


    Luo Ren was happy hearing something like that from Yu Jiao. Because it showed her deep understanding of Luo Yan ¨C evidence of their good friendship. "Jiao Jiao is right, Dad. Let¡¯s not worry about something like that and just cheer for Yan Yan."


    Luo Wei Tian nced at his eldest. He had a feeling that whatever the handsome young man would say, Luo Ren would agree. It seemed that after this night, he needed to have a talk with Luo Ren and asked the other what kind of rtionship he had with Yu Jiao.


    But there¡¯s one thing he did agree upon. To cheer on Luo Yan.


    Shen Ji Yun, who heard everyone¡¯s opinion, finally felt a bit relieved. But he still took out his binocrs and looked at the direction where Luo Yan was through it. The two opponents ¨C Luo Yan and the girl ¨C were already standing on the rink. Luo Yan was staring directly at the girl and there wasn¡¯t a hint of anything on his face. Which meant that he wasn¡¯t the least bit affected by what the other was wearing.


    Before he could feel relieved, he almost let go of the binocr he¡¯s holding because of the loud cheer that suddenly sounded beside him.


    "Go, Xiao Yan!!! You can win this!!!" Luo Wei Tian sounded.


    "Dad, I think it¡¯s better to call him ¡¯Noctis¡¯," Luo Ren suggested.


    "Oh, right," Luo Wei Tian agreed. Then, he shouted again at the top of his lungs, "Go, Noctis!!! You can win this!!!"


    Luo Yan, standing on the stage, suddenly had the illusion that he just heard the voice of his father.

 Chapter 678 i kind of want to do that now as well

    LUO YAN nced at the royal box that their team reserved. Even though it¡¯s a bit far from where he was standing, he could still see a figure with long white hair enthusiastically waving at him. The other was also seemingly shouting something. It seemed that what he did not just imagine it when he heard his father¡¯s voice.


    He chuckled. Because his father looked just like those proud dads who were watching their kid participating in some event for the first time. Knowing his father, that was probably indeed what the other was feeling.


    He raised his hand and waved at the royal box. The people on the audience from that side thought that he was waving at them and many of those who were sitting there shouted like fangirls in a concert of their favorite artist.


    Even Luo Yan was surprised by such a reception. Actually, ever since he walked out from the ¡¯bench area¡¯ and heard the cheering of the people, his surprise just kept on increasing. With these people¡¯s reaction to him, one would think that he¡¯s a superstar or something.


    Well, he couldn¡¯t really me them. After all, he¡¯s this charming and beautiful. If he was another person, he would also be a fan of himself.


    [Mashter, everyone likes you!] ¨C Eclipse said excitedly.


    Luo Yan was about to answer when he heard a very distinct snort from the front. And that was followed by a mocking voice.


    "Hah, you really must think that you¡¯re all that."


    Luo Yan nced at Rosetta and tilted his head to the side. Kidding aside, he truly wondered why this girl was so antagonistic towards him.


    "May I ask why you seem to hate me? I know for a fact that the two of us haven¡¯t met before, meaning there couldn¡¯t have been a time where I offended you or something. So, why are you so antagonistic? Like I killed your dog or something. It truly baffles me. Would you mind enlightening me to the reason why? Or is it because of a childish reason like you being jealous of my poprity?"


    Rosetta red at Luo Yan. Her expression looked like she was about to explode at any second. Obviously looking very offended by his question. Which was so hypocritical. Shouldn¡¯t he be the one offended after receiving such hate when he obviously hadn¡¯t done anything?


    But before Rosetta could anything, the Duke of Hearts suddenly floated between them.


    "Oh, this is such an interesting conversation!" He floated to Rosetta¡¯s side and a mic appeared in his hand out of nowhere. He pushed the mic in front of Rosetta, as if asking her for an interview. "So, what¡¯s your answer? Why do you hate Noctis? Did he really kill your dog? Or are you just jealous of him?"


    Everyone in the audience heard this. Rosetta ¨C or should we call her Ding Rong? ¨C also knew this. That¡¯s why she even felt more humiliated. How could she answer that question? If she did and she told the truth, then, she would only look like a fool.


    Who would have thought this guy would actually ask her for the reason? And now, even this damn duke was broadcasting this question to everyone here. She was at the spotlight, something that she had always enjoyed. But right now, she wasn¡¯t enjoying it at all.


    She red at the white-haired elf. She could see the mirth in those blue eyes. Meaning that he was enjoying this situation. The anger that bubbled up inside her just intensified. This bastard must have asked that question on purpose so he could humiliate her.


    Just thinking of that possibility, the anger just shot to her head and said in a fit, "Because I don¡¯t like you being paired with him!"


    Ding Rong was startled by what she suddenly blurted out. This was one of the things she disliked about herself. When too much anger got ahold of her, she wouldn¡¯t use her brain and she would just say whatever was on her mind. Getting her into trouble a couple of times.


    But what she said just now was what she truly felt. The reason why she disliked Noctis was because of how people were pairing him up with YUN. She had been a fan of YUN since she identally watched a video of him onlinest year.


    That video was of him defeating a dungeon boss. He looked so handsome and manly that Ding Rong simply found herself watching the video over and over again. Then, what came next was her searching everything about this YUN. She discovered Arcadia and found more videos of YUN.


    Since then, she just fell on that YUN rabbit hole.


    That¡¯s why she decided on ying Arcadia as well. Because it was the only way she could possibly meet YUN. She made herself as beautiful as she could be when making her avatar, choosing the 100x beautification.


    Since ying the game, she experienced things that she had never experienced in real life ¨C getting the attention of other boys. Something that had never happened to her before. She became drunk with the attention they were giving her. It was something she never knew she wanted until she experienced it herself.


    So, YUN was put at the back of her mind. After all, she barely heard anything about her since ying Arcadia. Why focused on him when she was having too much fun being showered withpliments and gifts by other guys?


    That was until that rumor about YUN being seen on a date with Noctis at Tropical Land surfaced. After that, she often read posts about the two on Weibo and the game forum. Other yers were even shipping them.


    Ding Rong just hated it. That¡¯s why when he found out that Noctis was participating in the Rookie Carnival, she also signed up as well. So, she could show YUN and everyone else that the elf wasn¡¯t as good as everyone made him out to be.


    [Mashter, Eclipse really wants to scratch the face of that girl.] ¨C Eclipse said.


    Luo Yan narrowed his eyes at Rosetta. [Yeah, I kind of want to do that now as well.]

 Chapter 679 ill just let my pet do it

    HEARING the other said that she didn¡¯t like that he was being paired with him, Luo Yan felt the corner of his eye twitching. The reason why she¡¯s being antagonistic was definitely not because she didn¡¯t want Luo Yan to be paired with anyone. It¡¯s because he didn¡¯t want this ¡¯him¡¯ to be paired with Luo Yan or probably with anyone else.


    He didn¡¯t need to be a genius to know who this ¡¯him¡¯ was. It¡¯s Shen Ji Yun. Which meant that this girl liked his cinnamon roll.


    And he didn¡¯t like it.


    It¡¯s not because he felt jealous, okay, maybe just a little bit, but because of the way she¡¯s showing this ¡¯like¡¯. Being mean and hostile to the person that happened to be close to the one she liked as if that person owed her or something was just the worst. It spoke of self-entitlement and ignorance. Especially more so since the other didn¡¯t even know Shen Ji Yun personally.


    She¡¯s like those fans who thought that their idols or the actors/actresses they admired were public property. That they weren¡¯t allowed to date or have love lives. That if they did, it would be like a big betrayal.


    This girl was even worse because she¡¯s already acting like this towards him who was a guy and who people wouldn¡¯t normally think could be romantically involved with Shen Ji Yun. After all, he was of the same sex. The NightCloud CP that some of the yers called their pairing was not really something that those said yers take seriously. They just enjoyed pairing two handsome guys.


    But this girl was different. She was obviously taking this CP quite seriously. Luo Yan wasn¡¯t sure if she was simply narrow-minded or if her woman¡¯s intuition was simply on point. After all, it¡¯s true that he and Shen Ji Yun liked each other. The only thing needed for them to confirm their rtionship was them confessing to each other. But he had a feeling that it¡¯s most likely the former.


    With the kind of attitude this Rosetta had, if she suspected that he and Shen Ji Yun were romantically involved, this girl would have gone ballistic the moment the two of them met. Since she was mostly just verbally attacking him, then, the only exnation was she¡¯s just narrow-minded.


    Luo Yan would bet that if she¡¯s the one who was close to Shen Ji Yun and being antagonized like this, she would probably be the first one who would yell ¡¯unfair¡¯. Man, he hated that kind of double standard.


    "Oohhh... now I smell drama," the Duke of Hearts suddenly said in a very gossipy voice. Then, he floated beside Luo Yan and put the mic in front of him. "What¡¯s your reply to that?"


    Luo Yan raised his head and began acting all pitiful. "I feel sad because I thought that we could get along well. I didn¡¯t expect that... that I would actually be hated just because I¡¯m close to someone." He casted his eyes downward, looking like someone who was bullied unjustly. When he raised his head again, his big blue eyes looked like they were shimmering with unshed tears. "Is it- is it really so wrong to be close to a friend?"


    He took advantage of the fact that the audience had only started to hear their conversation when the duke appeared, held a mic in front of Rosetta, and asked her why she hated Luo Yan. Without any context, with how he phrased what he just said, it would appear like Rosetta was hating on him without any concrete reason. Making her look childish and immature. Which was true in some way.


    And just like he expected, the audience reacted negatively to Rosetta. They shouted and booed at her.


    One particr person who was displeased by this was Luo Wei Tian.


    "What is this youngdy doing, bullying Xiao Yan?" he said, his brows furrowed.


    The rest of the people in the same royal box all had the same thought upon hearing that and Dusk actually voiced that thought.


    "I think it¡¯s Noctis doing the bullying."


    Luo Wei Tian nced at the person, no, the NPC dragon who just spoke. "This gentleman, how can you say that? Just look at my son¡¯s face. He¡¯s obviously being bullied!"


    Dusk only gave him a look as if he was looking at a hopeless person. And then, he put his gaze back on the rink, no longer caring about this white-haired elf.


    Luo Ren and Bai Ze gave their father/uncle a pitying nce. Because the other hadn¡¯t yet experience Luo Yan¡¯s ¡¯dark side¡¯. They really didn¡¯t want to be the one breaking this illusion.


    Yu Jiao, on the other hand, just feltplicated. Because she agreed with what Dusk said. She had witnessed a lot of things since she became friends with Luo Yan. And she knew for a fact that her friend wasn¡¯t really as innocent as he appeared to be.


    But unlike the rest, Su Yuqi had no problem speaking her mind. "Uncle should look closer. Luo Yan is obviously just acting. He would never let himself be bullied by anyone."


    Hearing this, Luo Wei Tian turned to the screen where his second son¡¯s face was being focused. He stared at Luo Yan and started to wonder what others saw that he didn¡¯t.


    Shen Ji Yun, who had been silent as a mouse, was actually very nervous right now. If his avatar could sweat profusely, he would probably be sweating bullets by now. Because he was worried that Uncle Tian would ask about who the girl was talking about ¨C you know, the one being paired with Luo Yan.


    Since he was the only one here who had a CP with his rabbit, it could only be him. If Uncle Tian asked about it, he honestly didn¡¯t know how to exin. It was a good thing that the other¡¯s attention was taken by Luo Yan acting all pitiful.


    Shen Ji Yun had seen his rabbit doing the same thing before. But even so, that pitiful look still tugged at his heart. He narrowed his eyes at the culprit. Not wanting Luo Yan to be paired with him, just what¡¯s her deal?


    On the rink, the Duke of Hearts floated back on Rosetta¡¯s side. "Do you have any response to that?"


    Ding Rong felt like she was closed to exploding. Especially after hearing the booing of the crowd. With reddened eyes, she red at the white-haired elf. The other still had that pitiful expression on his face. Which made it seemed like she was theplete viiness and the other was her victim.


    This white lotus b*tch.


    "Let¡¯s just start this match," she said through gritted teeth.


    The duke clucked his tongue, clearly disappointed that there wouldn¡¯t be any more verbal fighting. He then floated up and said with less enthusiasm than normal, "Let the match begin."


    As the duke said that, the little fox in Luo Yan¡¯s arms jumped down.


    Ding Rong stared at the fox and then at Noctis. "What are you doing?"


    "You see, I¡¯m still hurt emotionally because of you," Luo Yan said, holding his chest as if he was indeed hurt. "I can¡¯t bear to fight you right now, so, I¡¯ll just let my pet do it."

 Chapter 680 third match (i)

    AS if on cue, the little fox on the rink was suddenly surrounded by bluish-ck smoke. After a few seconds, the one standing there was no longer a fox but a seven, eight-year-old boy. He was wearing a cute costume, his fox ears jutting out from his hat, and there were five tails fluttering behind him.


    "Eclipse will be the one beating you up," the boy said loudly, with his hands on his waist, his chest puffed, and his chin raised.


    Ding Rong just felt like she would explode any second now. She red at the bastard who was still acting like she wronged him or something. But if one looked closely, they could see theughter in them. As if he found this situation very funny.


    Letting this boy, fox, whatever the heck it was, fight her, was just this bastard¡¯s way of humiliating her. If it was so, then, he seeded.


    She turned to the duke. "Is this even allowed?"


    "Yes. This fox has a master-pet contract with Noctis. So, he¡¯s allowed to fight with him," the duke said. The expression on his face looked like he was offended that he had to exin something so simple. "If you still can¡¯t understand it, then let me exin it in much simpler terms. A pet is just another weapon for a yer. So, if a yer wanted to utilized his pet in a fight, of course they¡¯re allowed to do so."


    Hearing that, Ding Rong just felt that the duke just said the biggest joke in the century. How could something like this be allowed in a 1v1 fight?


    She knew, of course, of the newly added Pet System after thest update. When she first heard about it, she wasn¡¯t much interested. Having one of the monsters in this game follow you around didn¡¯t really appeal to her. But that was because she thought that they could only get ordinary monsters as pets.


    And now, seeing the boy standing in front of her, she understood how very wrong she was. There¡¯s no way this boy was just an ordinary monster. Only those that that had a ¡¯race¡¯ could change into a humanoid form. It¡¯s obvious that the boy was some kind of fox monster. And from what he knew about such fox monsters, the number of their tails represented their strength.


    The boy had five tails. From what he remembered, the maximum for fox monsters was nine tails. Having five tails meant that the boy¡¯s strength was not weak. And she would face this fox together with his bitchy master.


    How could that be in any way fair?


    "Don¡¯t you feel ashamed, ganging up on me like this?" she said, ring at the white-haired elf.


    "Hey, don¡¯t just use Mashter like that!" Eclipse interrupted. "We won¡¯t gang up on you because Eclipse will be the only one to kick your butt."


    "He¡¯s right. Even if you hate me, I will still treat you like a gentleman. So, my partner here will be the only one to fight you. I won¡¯t even step away from where I stood," Luo Yan followed. "If you think that it¡¯s still unfair, then, I¡¯d be really, really sad."


    Ding Rong felt suffocated. Should she be thankful that he would not participate in the fight? No, all she felt was insulted. Because it¡¯s like the other was saying; ¡¯My pet is enough to defeat you, I don¡¯t even need to lift a finger. Why, you ask? Because you¡¯re weak.¡¯


    If she was defeated here in this way, wouldn¡¯t she be theughingstock of everyone? How could she ever show her face in this game again?


    While she was mulling over that, her opponent had already turned towards the duke.


    "We can start the fight, right?" Eclipse asked.


    "Feel free to do so," the duke said, flying up above and sitting on his floating chair that had a heart-shaped back rest.


    Hearing that, Eclipse rushed towards Rosetta. Two daggers made of shadows appearing in his hands. As he rushed over, he threw one of the daggers towards the other.


    Because of Ding Rong¡¯s inattention, the dagger almost stabbed her head. It was only luck that she snapped out of her thoughts in time. She managed to dodge the dagger but it still grazed her cheek.


    She hadn¡¯t had time to rx when the next onught came. It was one attack after another. The boy didn¡¯t only used his daggers, he used every part of his body to attack.


    After dodging one of the daggers, a roundabout kick came next. She barely managed to dodge that. But as she did so, a tail pped on her face. Although one could barely feel pain in this game, she still had the illusion that her world was just turned upside down.


    Being pped like that by a freaking tail, Ding Rong just directly exploded. She took out a pin from her hair. It looked like one of those beautiful hair ornaments. This was her wand. Most Mages used staffs but she preferred using a wand. Something that she could carry anywhere.


    She pointed it towards the boy. The rose petals on her hair floated and turned into small des. It flew towards the boy the moment she pointed her wand to him. The other was forced to jumped back. As he did, he flexibly dodged the rose petals that looked more like bullets.


    She didn¡¯t waste time and used another one of her skills ¨C [Thorny Cage]. Her wand glowed green. And before the boy couldnd on his feet, thorny vines rushed up from beneath and surrounded the boy like a cage. It continued to surround him until there was no space and the boy waspletely inside this cage of thorn.


    "He would be attacked endlessly inside that cage," she said to the white-haired elf who hadn¡¯t moved since earlier. As he said he would. "Do you think he could survive?" she asked in a very obvious taunting manner.


    "Oh, I know he would," Luo Yan said, not even a hint of worry in his voice.

 Chapter 681 third match (ii)

    DESPITE looking all carefree and collected, Luo Yan was still secretly worried. But he didn¡¯t show any of that. He would definitely not give his opponent this satisfaction. So, as he was checking on the Pet Status tab, he talked to Eclipse telepathically.


    [Are you okay, Eclipse?] ¨C he asked while looking at the Pet Status tab. Currently, Eclipse HP was dwindling, evidence that he was being attacked continuously. [Do you need help?]


    [No, Mashter. Eclipse can handle it.]


    Eclipse¡¯s voice was hurried, even breathy. Anyone who heard this would know that the other was fighting against someone or in this situation, something.


    Luo Yan nced at the still dwindling HP and decided to simply trust Eclipse. So, he no longer said anything and just let the other fight. If he talked again, he might just affect Eclipse¡¯s concentration that might as well lead to his defeat. How could he let Eclipse¡¯s first official fight be a defeat?


    Ding Rong looked at the cage of thorn. Inside that, there would be countless de leaves going around the small space like a de storm. This was her specialty ¨C nt magic.


    Mages like her usually only focused on one type of magic. Being able to master one type of magic could make their skills much more powerful. Because their affinity to that one magic type also increased. She had never met another Mage who had mastered multiple magic type. Doing something like that needed a lot of dedication.


    The reason why she picked nt magic was because the first skill book that she obtained had something to do with it. So, she simply kept at it.


    She shook her head. This was definitely not the time for her thoughts to deviate like this. She should take this opportunity to attack Noctis while that pet of his was still trapped in her cage. If she made him move and attack back, then, that could already be considered win for her. After all, it would prove that he was all talk. That he couldn¡¯t back up that huge ego of his.


    Ding Rong pointed her wand towards the white-haired elf. She used another one of her skills ¨C [Leaf de]. A leaf as sharp as a de would appear and attack the target. It¡¯s not just a simple leaf attack. It had a homing trait where it wouldn¡¯t stop until it hit the target.


    The tip of her wand glowed green and a curved leaf like the de of a scimitar appeared. It rushed towards Noctis at a fast speed.


    Luo Yan, of course, saw this iing attack. Without moving a single step, he easily dodged it. But he quickly saw iting to his direction again. He easily understood that it¡¯s the type that wouldn¡¯t stop unless it hit the target, which in this case was him. Or it was destroyed instead.


    As he dodged it again, he wondered if he should take out his dagger and destroy it. As he was contemting that, the leaf was about to attack him again. He decided to just take the dagger out. But before he could do it, the cage of thorn in front suddenly exploded.


    It wasn¡¯t a typical explosion, the vines simply turned into smithereens because of the blob of shadow that burst from within the cage of thorns. Before Luo Yan could look for Eclipse, a small shadow shed by in front of him and destroyed the leaf de that had been bothering him.


    Eclipse was now standing in front of him. The boy¡¯s clothes were now messy and tattered in some ces. Even his hat was now missing. Thankfully, there were no prominent wounds on him.


    "Argh, look at what you did to Eclipse¡¯s clothes!" Eclipseined while stomping his foot, showing just how annoyed he was.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll buy you a new set after this," Luo Yan assured the other.


    Eclipse¡¯s face visibly cleared when he heard what his master said. "You¡¯re lucky Eclipse¡¯s mashter is such a generous person. But Eclipse is still pissed. So, you have to get beat up now."


    Ding Rong was still shocked that the fox boy had destroyed her [Thorny Cage]. And he did it almost unscathed. How could that be possible? Even the attack he threw at Noctis was deflected by this fox.


    She now realized that if she didn¡¯t dish out her strongest skill, she wouldn¡¯t be able to kill this fox. As long as this fox was here, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get to the white-haired elf. She just had to get rid of the fox and everything after that would be easier.


    She no longer hesitated and drank a Mana potion to replenish her MP that decreased a lot mostly because of using [Thorny Cage]. Her MP was back to full again. She was about to use her strongest skill but before she even could, someone suddenly grabbed both her arms. No, it¡¯s not ¡¯someone¡¯, but two exact copies of the fox boy.


    Luo Yan looked at Rosetta who was trying to get away from the hold of two of Eclipse¡¯s shadow clone. Normally, only kitsunes with high number of tails could do it. But because Eclipse had the Elementum, it was not a problem for him.


    While Rosetta was busy trying to get away from the grip of the two ¡¯Eclipse¡¯, she was even doing some kicking, she didn¡¯t notice that Eclipse was already rushing towards her. His ws were out and dark-blue fox me was surrounding his fist. The moment he arrived in front of Rosetta, he didn¡¯t waste time and just directly pierced her chest.


    Ding Rong felt like something just pinched her skin. She slowly looked down and her eyes widened when she saw the arm that passed through her chest. When that arm pulled out, the wound on her chest was surrounded by a dark-blue me.


    She looked at the boy in front of her. "Y-you¡ª"


    "You lost," Eclipse finished. "And before Eclipse forget, this is for you."


    He raised his hand and scratched Rosetta¡¯s face.


    Before Ding Rong could get angry, her whole body was suddenly engulfed by the dark-blue me.

 Chapter 682 illustrious (cute) mr. luo

    "AND the winner is Noctis¡¯ pet!" the Duke of Hearts announced, jumping down from his seat and floating around the rink. "Did you see that everyone? This is how you used the new master-pet system. Wonderful, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s just a shame that only a few of you took it seriously. It truly saddens His Majesty, you know? That you don¡¯t appreciate his gift."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows, feeling amused by the other¡¯s monologue. It was obvious that the duke was advertising the master-pet system. It seemed that not many yers had utilized it. Which, just as the duke said, such a shame.


    Most yers, probably those that were considered as veterans, most likely wouldn¡¯t even bother with this new system. They probably thought that this system was useless to them. After all, in their opinion, they were already powerful enough. What would be the use of a pet that might only be useless instead of useful, right?


    But this match had probably proven just how useful a powerful pet could be. Luo Yan would bet that after this Carnival, there would be a boom of yers looking for the most powerful monster to make them their pet. There even might be a strictpetition for it.


    Well, good luck with that. It¡¯s not like getting a powerful monster to make a contract with you was enough. A rapport and a connection were needed for it to fully worked. He doubted if most would even put an effort to that. Not that it¡¯s his problem.


    Luo Yan no longer thought about that and walked to Eclipse¡¯s side. "That was amazing, Eclipse. Good job."


    Eclipse raised his head to him and gave him a bright grin. "Eclipse said that he¡¯ll win so he did. Mashter should give me very beautiful clothes as a reward."


    "I said I will, so I definitely would," Luo Yan said, gently ruffling the other¡¯s hair. "I¡¯d even buy you anything else you wanted."


    The little boy¡¯s eyes brightened. "Really? No take backs, okay?"


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Yes, I promise."


    Then, at that moment, he suddenly heard the voice of his father. Although he couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying because of the loud cheering of the audience, he had a feeling that it was something along the lines of ¡¯congrattions!¡¯.


    He turned to the royal box of their team once again and waved his hand. The yers on that side cheered more loudly.


    Eclipse then turned back to his fox form and jumped into Luo Yan¡¯s arms, just in time for them to be teleported to the winners¡¯ suite.


    Luo Wei Tian turned to his eldest and said in a very excited voice, "Did you see that, Ah Ren? Xiao Yan just won! How exciting!"


    "Yes, Dad. We all saw," Luo Ren said in a very patient voice.


    "Is Xiao Yan some kind of, what do you kids call it, ah, summoner! Yes, is he a summoner in this game? And that fox is his... summoned creature?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    If he was, then, that¡¯s good. Because it meant that Luo Yan didn¡¯t need to fight directly, just like what happened just now. Based on the other fights he had witnessed, it could get really violent. Although he was assured by his sons that the yers here barely felt any pain, he still couldn¡¯t help but be worried.


    "Ahm, no, Uncle. There¡¯s actually no summoners in the game," Bai Ze said, a bit surprised that his serious uncle actually knew of the word. "It¡¯s a cool idea though. Having a summoner ss in the game. Right, Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded because he also thought the same thing. He might suggest that to his uncleter ¨C the idea of having a summoner ss in the game.


    "That fox is actually Yan Yan¡¯s pet, Dad," Luo Ren said. "He wasn¡¯t summoned by Yan Yan."


    "I thought he was just being obtuse by referring to the fox as a pet. He has been fairly insensitive since the start of this tournament," Luo Wei Tian said with a shrug.


    Yu Jiao bit the lower part of her lips to stop herself from chuckling. She couldn¡¯t believe that one of the richest men in the country could actually act so... cutely. She had never imagined that she would actually link the word ¡¯cute¡¯ to the illustrious ¡¯Mr. Luo¡¯.


    Luo Ren just happened to nce at Yu Jiao at that moment. So, he noticed how the other was holding in herughter.


    He leaned closer to her and whispered in a teasing tone, "Sorry about that. I swear, Dad doesn¡¯t usually act like that."


    "Oh no, I think there¡¯s nothing about it," Yu Jiao whispered back. "I think it¡¯s very cu¡ª" she stopped in time just before she could say the word ¡¯cute¡¯. "I mean, it¡¯s perfectly normal."


    The corner of Luo Ren¡¯s lips turned up. His ck eyes were filled with amusement while staring at Yu Jiao¡¯s handsome profile.


    "Let¡¯s proceed to the next match!" the Duke of Hearts¡¯ voice echoed in the coliseum.


    Hearing that, Ying Chen walked out of their ¡¯bench area¡¯. If one could describe his expression right now, then, it could only be dark a face covered in dark cloud. How could it not be after watching thatst fight?


    That Noctis, as he was, was annoying enough to deal with. But now, he also had a sidekick that, based on what he just watched, was just as annoying. As much as he didn¡¯t want to be that bitchy person whoined about everything, he had to agree with that Rosetta. That fighting the two was definitely unfair. Especially in a 1v1 match.


    And since Noctis would definitely be his opponent in the next round, which was the quarterfinals, he had a bit of a right toin and feel this way.


    Why would he think that? Because there was no way he would lose here. He stepped on the rink. Yes. Because he would win.

 Chapter 683 fourth match

    LUO YAN appeared inside a dark pink room that was filled with heart-shaped decorations ¨C couches that had heart-shaped back rest, a heart shaped center table, heart-shaped ssmps, heart-shaped flowers on a heart shaped vase, and even a heart-shaped screen where he could watch the ongoing match. In short, it was a room that was simply screaming it was the room of the Duke of Hearts.


    How tacky.


    [Mashter, this room hurts Eclipse¡¯s eyes.] ¨C the little foxined, burying his small furry face on his master¡¯s arms as if everything around them was indeed hurting his eyes.


    Luo Yan chuckled and gently patted Eclipse¡¯s head. [Then, just stay like this.]


    Eclipse raised his head. [But Eclipse has to watch the match. Whoever wins it will be our next opponent. So, Eclipse definitely has to watch it!]


    [It¡¯s fine. I will fight the next match on my own.]


    The little fox¡¯s face immediately crumpled, obviously sulking. [Why? Did Mashter not like how Eclipse defeated that- that nt woman?]


    [Of course not. Didn¡¯t I just praise you for doing a good job?] ¨C Luo Yan said, clearly amused by Eclipse¡¯s reaction.


    [Then, why?] ¨C Eclipse asked, tilting his head to the side, showing his confusion.


    Luo Yan tapped the other¡¯s button nose. [Because your master also wants to shine on the rink just like Eclipse did. Don¡¯t you want to see me shine?]


    Eclipse¡¯s face finally brightened. [Eclipse wants to!]


    Since he knew that he there was no need for him to watch the match, Eclipse just buried his head in Luo Yan¡¯s arms.


    Luo Yan patted Eclipse¡¯s head once again. He nced around the room and that¡¯s when he noticed the other two people. One was Lovelee and the other was Razor. The former was looking curiously at Eclipse while thetter was sitting on one of the couches and seemed to be sleeping.


    Based on Lovelee¡¯s expression, if he gave her even a bit of attention, she would definitely jump to the chance of asking him all sorts of question about the fox in his arms. So, he decided to just return his gaze to the screen and watch the fight.


    The fourth match ¨C Malekith versus Pan ¨C had already started since a while ago.


    Malekith, no, Ying Chen was a dark elf while his opponent was also another elf, just the normal kind though. The two were currently exchanging blows right now. One could immediately see their sses based on the weapons they¡¯re using. Ying Chen was using a staff while Pan was using a bow and arrow. The former was a Mage and thetter was an Archer.


    Pan pulled the bow string and pointed the arrow to where Ying Chen was standing. The moment he released it, it turned into a speeding ray of light. Almost like aser.


    Ying Chen stomped his staff down on the floor and a ck shield appeared in front of him. Although it held out against Pan¡¯s attack, it still caused Ying Chen to be pushed back.


    Before the ck shieldpletely shattered, he released an attack. Because of the cover of the ck shield, Pan didn¡¯t saw the attacking. It was a small ck energy ball. But still, at thest minute, he managed to avoid it. Though it still grazed his side.


    Pan raised his bow and quickly nocked another arrow. The moment he released it, he nocked a second one, and then a third one. Three consecutive shots were fired. Surprisingly, Ying Chen did not use that ck shield again. Amazingly enough, none of the three shots hit him.


    Confusion appeared on Pan¡¯s face. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t sure how could that happen. But he didn¡¯t let that affect him too much and quickly executed another attack. But the result was still the same. Most of the attacks didn¡¯t hit Ying Chen. Those that did barely grazed the other.


    While Pan was attacking, Ying Chen was also doing the same. And because Pan¡¯s attack didn¡¯t reach his opponent, Ying Chen, of course, managed to dish out more damage.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows in interest. That ck energy ball that grazed Pan earlier most likely lowered his uracy. What a nice skill, perfect against an Archer or a Gunslinger.


    But it¡¯s probably not so nice for Pan.


    The other¡¯s expression was filled with frustration. His next move clearly showed that. It showed that he wanted to end the match as quickly as he could.


    A rain of arrows flew down from the sky. It came from the single shot of arrow that Pan made. As the arrow reached a certain point in the sky, it suddenly glowed and divided itself into countless of arrows.


    It must be a skill that would consume arge amount of MP just by the scale of the attack. It¡¯s most likely one of Pan¡¯s strongest skills. If the strength of one arrow was as strong as a bomb, then having these many arrows rained down from above like that could easily wiped out a group of monsters or yers.


    A very good AoE attack if he must say. Against a single opponent, it could certainly be fatal. As the arrowsnded on the rink, it clearly showed their strength. And yes, each was as strong as a grenade.


    Because of these numerous arrow attacks, the rink was filled with rubble of smoke. Because of the smoke, the audience couldn¡¯t see what was happening on the rink. Who won or who lost. When the smoke slowly cleared, the one standing at the end was finally revealed.


    It was Ying Chen.


    Luo Yan smiled, half in interest and half in wonder. Just how did Ying Chen do it? Maybe he would know tomorrow. After all, his next opponent was him.


    "That was an interesting match," the Duke of Hearts said. "And the winner is Malekith!"


    The audience was silent at first and then they cheered, rather loudly too.


    A few seconds after the duke announced that, Ying Chen appeared in the winners¡¯ suite.


    Luo Yan turned to him and smiled, "Congrattions on your win."

 Chapter 684 a passing fifth match

    YING CHEN was startled hearing this congrattions. He turned to the direction where the voice came from. When he saw the white-haired elf, he automatically frowned. It was not because of his dislike for the other. Well, maybe a bit of it. But mostly because, for a moment, he thought the one who congratted him was Luo Yan.


    The voice of the two just sounded so simr. If he hadn¡¯t seen Noctis himself, he might have really thought that it was the brat who just congratted him. And then, there was also the fact that the two seemed to be the younger and older version of each other.


    His frown deepened. Because he couldn¡¯t get the possibility that the two were actually one and the same out of his head. Was it really that far-fetched? His emotional side was telling him ¡¯no¡¯. But the logical part of him was rejecting this idea.


    His basis for this was the Luo family. Everyone in the upper circle of S City knew just how much importance the Luo family put on Luo Yan. Could they really allow him to participate in such a violent game? The answer was definitely ¡¯no¡¯.


    But could two people really look so simr, even their voice sounding the same? It was fine if that brat¡¯s appearance was something you could see just by walking down the street. But it¡¯s not. As much as he hated to admit it, Luo Yan was really beautiful. So beautiful that it would be hard to find another person who looked like him.


    Ying Chen suddenly felt annoyed. Why was he even mulling over this? Wasting his time like this when he could just ask directly. So, he walked over to where Noctis was.


    Luo Yan was quite surprised, seeing Ying Chen walking over. But based on his expression, he doubted that it was for some friendly chat.


    "You, are you Luo Yan?"


    The smile on Luo Yan¡¯s face almost cracked when he heard such straightforward question. But he quickly controlled his surprised and showed no excess emotion on his face.


    Hi tilted his head to the side and said in a very gentle voice, "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s polite to ask such question."


    "It¡¯s a simple question answerable by ¡¯yes¡¯ or ¡¯no¡¯," Ying Chen said, his suspicion only deepening.


    "And it¡¯s my prerogative whether I want to give you an answer or not," Luo Yan retorted.


    Ying Chen snorted. "You might as well admit that you are Luo Yan just based on the way you¡¯re reacting."


    "Or maybe I just want to piss you off," Luo Yan said with a sweet smile. "And based on the reaction you¡¯re showing right now, I seemed to have seeded."


    Yes, because as soon as Luo Yan said he wanted to piss Ying Chen off, thetter¡¯s face crumpled like a piece of paper.


    Luo Yan did not wait for the other¡¯s reply and simply sat down on one of the couches. He turned his gaze at the screen and no longer paid attention to Ying Chen. But deep inside, he was really startled that the other would ask that so straightforwardly. And then he simply found it quite interesting.


    Doing something like this clearly matched Ying Chen¡¯s personality. Or at least what he had see so far about him. A straightforward firecracker. It¡¯s a wonder how Huang Wen hadn¡¯t notice yet that his friend actually had feelings for him. Even Luo Yan noticed it immediately. As long as one was observant enough, he believed that anyone could notice it. Well, maybe Huang Wen was one of those guys belonging to the ¡¯I¡¯m dense, I don¡¯t know what you feel¡¯ club.


    Because they were somewhatrade-in-arms, Luo Yan felt bad for Ying Chen. Just a little bit. After all, being in love with a close friend of the same sex was no walk in the park. It was probably even harder for someone as straightforward as Ying Chen, not being able to confess his feelings towards his friend.


    He turned to where Ying Chen was standing and gave the other a pitying and understanding nce.


    Ying Chen, who saw this, felt absurd. Why was this guy looking at him like that? It¡¯s making all his hair stand up. As if the other was badmouthing him inside his head. But that look reminded him again of that brat, Luo Yan. Now, his suspicion was even stronger.


    He walked again to where Noctis was sitting and stood in front of the other. He gazed down, but his chin raised. Which gave the idea that he was looking down on the white-haired elf.


    "If I win tomorrow, you will answer my question," he said. "No mind games. Just a straight answer."


    Luo Yan looked up, feeling amused. "Sure."


    He wasn¡¯t worried that this small ¡¯bet¡¯ would result in him revealing his identity to the other. Because all he had to do was win. And win he would.


    Besides, he¡¯s fine with people knowing that he¡¯s ¡¯Noctis¡¯. The only reason why he hadn¡¯t announced to everyone that was because he didn¡¯t want to deal with the trouble that would follow after.


    Ying Chen narrowed his eyes at Noctis. "You better own up to what you just said."


    Luo Yan smiled good-naturedly. "Of course."


    Then, their attention was taken by the cheers from the screen. Both of them looked at the screen.


    There, the fight between Sonata and Crossroad seemed to be reaching a climactic point while the two of them were having their conversation.


    Crossroad was holding a gun with a long barrel, firing what seemed to be unlimited bullets. His target was a girl with a flute in her hand. The girl ¨C Sonata ¨C yed the flute. And the bulletsing onto her stopped in mid-air. Then, she yed a different tune and all those bullets changed direction. They slowly turned around and rushed towards Crossroad.


    It must be quite a surprise because he wasn¡¯t able to react quickly. This momentary carelessness caused him the fight.


    And the Duke of Hearts announced Sonata as the winner.

 Chapter 685 sixth match (i)

    WITH the fifth match over, the sixth one finally began. The moment the two participants walked into the rink, the crowd let out a loud cheer. It was even louder than when the moon elf ¨C Noctis ¨C came out earlier. All of this was because of the tall young man with zing golden hair like the sun ¨C Dragnar.


    He was another crowd favorite. Most of those who participated in the betting chose him as their winner. This could exin the excitement of majority of the people in the crowd.


    "Dragnar!!!"


    "Dragnar, look here!!!"


    "Dragnar, you must win for the sake of our money!!!"


    "Dragnar, do your best!!!"


    Xia Lei felt awkward. He wasn¡¯t really the type to enjoy being the center of attention. But because he was a dragon in this game, it was already a given that he would be the center of attention one way or the other.


    yers that managed to get a dragon as a race after choosing the random selection were few and far between. The number of dragon yers in this game could probably be counted with two hands. That¡¯s how rare they were. And this year, as luck would have it, he became one of these few dragons.


    But hearing this loud cheer for him, he wondered if it was really good luck. Now, these people believed that he would win. Thus, all the loud cheering. It¡¯s not because they believed in his ability as a Swordsman, but because of the simple fact that he was a dragon.


    That¡¯s not really veryforting. It¡¯s like even if it¡¯s not him, as long as they were a dragon or any Legendary race, they would cheer for them. Their mentality was, as long as it¡¯s a Legendary race, then they would definitely be powerful. Whether Xia Lei was good or not didn¡¯t matter. Because they believed that being a dragon was enough for him to win this tournament.


    He wanted to scoff very, very loudly at that.


    No matter what race one had in this game, if they¡¯re up against a very good yer, they could lose. It would be foolish to believe that one had an advantage just because they happened to get a superior race in this game.


    "The sixth match, Star Anise versus Dragnar!" the Duke of Hearts announced as he floated upwards, leaving the two participants on the rink.


    Xia Lei took out his longsword and rushed forward. The de was automatically covered by golden me. It was the element he had the most affinity with. Most dragons had an affinity with fire. Maybe because they were fire-breathing creatures. He then rushed forward towards his opponent.


    His opponent, a girl with long green hair and a pair of bright green eyes, was wearing a toga-like dress. On both of her arms were beautiful flower tattoos. Her ears were slightly pointed but not as long as that of an elf. But a bit bigger than a gnome. It could be seen with this that the other most likely belonged to a Rare or Special race.


    A staff made of wood that had a green crystal at the top appeared in her hands. She stomped the staff on the floor and tree roots sprouted out. It¡¯s not just simple tree roots. They were big and thick. If one were hit by those, they would definitely be thrown out of the rink.


    Xiao Lei easily dodged the tree roots that were about to hit him. Those that he couldn¡¯t, he simply cut with his sword. Upon contact, those cut off roots were set on fire. And that traveled on to its source.


    He was a bit surprised that there was another Mage specializing in nt magic amongst the remaining yers. But he no longer concerned himself with that and just continued to rush to where the girl was standing.


    By the time he arrived in front of Star Anise, all the roots had turned into ashes. He swung down his sword, golden mes shing as he did. But the de of his sword did not reach its intended target. It hit an invisible barrier instead.


    That took Xia Lei by surprise. But he quickly got over it. Because he knew that a simple misstep could cost him a lot. So, he readily swung his sword again. This time, the golden me around it was even stronger. And again, it was met by the barrier. He did not stop. The more he swung, the stronger the force of his attack was. The fourth time he hit the barrier, it began to crack.


    Before he could fully destroy the barrier, he saw the green crystal on Star Anise¡¯s staff glowing. He could see that the other was about to use a skill. But he did not care about that and just swung his sword again. The barrierpletely shattered. As his sword was about to hit the girl¡¯s neck, he suddenly felt weakened for no reason. He almost lost gripped on his sword.


    His knees shook and he could visibly feel his HP draining at a fast speed. He nced at the green crystal that was still glowing and knew that whatever was happening to him right now was definitely Star Anise¡¯s skill.


    He then saw the other¡¯s free hand turning into some kind of pointed branch. His opponent was about to thrust that to his chest. But at thest second, Xia Lei managed to jump back and get away from the other. And that¡¯s because of the dragon wings that he subconsciously used.


    He flew back at a fast speed, feeling quite embarrassed. He promised before this match that he would win this with just his swords skill. But at the end, he still used the advantage of his race.


    Now that he was a distance away from his opponent, he no longer felt his HP being sucked away from him. Evidence that the other¡¯s skill would only take effect if her opponent was at a very close distance.


    A skill that could greatly affect one¡¯s stats, the girl was probably not a Mage but most likely a Priest.

 Chapter 686 sixth match (ii)

    MOST skills that a Priest had centered around affecting or decreasing one¡¯s stats. They were essential in a party for dungeon raids because of their skills to give buffs to their team mates and debuffs to their opponents. They were also the healer in every party. But that made them particrly not good in 1v1 matches.


    It¡¯s because most of themcked strong attacking skills. So, they were often seen as a support instead of someone who could bring huge damage to the opponent.


    That meant that the tree root attack that Star Anise did earlier was most likely connected to her race instead of a skill. The same way with how her hand morphed into that of a sharp branch. Based on her appearance, he would take a guess and say that she¡¯s probably some kind of wood nymph.


    He retracted the dragon wings on his back. He truly didn¡¯t want to fight this match using his dragon traits. It might just be his pride talking. But he wanted to win using only his sword skill. To show these people that they should not be cheering for him because he was a dragon. But because he was a damn good yer.


    Xia Lei took a deep breath, taking a potion to supply his decreased HP. Once that was over, he rushed forward again. Star Anise seemed to be expecting that he would immediately attack again. Because another round of tree roots attacked him. He was about to dodge the iing onught when he noticed the saplings that were on the surface of the roots.


    He instinctively knew that something bad would happen if he let these saplings opened their bud. So, he stopped in ce and gave a quickly nce at every sapling growing on those roots. The moment he was done, he rushed to where each of those saplings were and burned them with his sword.


    The way he moved was like the wind, making his image almost blurry. So, to most of the yers in the audience area, what they saw was him zigzagging across the rink, leaving a trail of zing fire.


    Star Anise who saw this almost let out a curse. There was indeed something in those saplings. The moment it bloomed, it would release a stun gas. She was nning to let the other be paralyzed and then took that opportunity to finish the match. But before any of that could evene into fruition, the other had already went and burned everything.


    Although she knew that this would not be an easy match, she was still kind of expecting that it might work somehow. Because she could tell that the other seemed to be very reluctant in using his dragon powers. It might be ego or just him not wanting to hurt her because she¡¯s a girl. Whatever it was, she nned to fully take advantage of that.


    She could see a golden sh rushing towards her. She wasn¡¯t nervous. She was waiting for a chance for the other to get close to her once again. But to her surprise, the other suddenly stopped before he could fully get near her. Then, he struck down his sword.


    The tip of the sword buried itself on the rink and then five shes of golden fire surged on the already mostly destroyed rink.


    Star Anise had to put up another barrier. She could only use her barrier for three consecutive times, then it would enter cooldown and she wouldn¡¯t be able to use it again until tomorrow. Now, she only had one chance to use it again. She had to finish this fight before she was forced to use her barrier for thest time.


    She looked to where Dragnar released his attack. But she couldn¡¯t see his figure properly because of all the mes and the smoke. All she could see was a shadow. But she was sure that the other was still there. Probably just waiting to do another one of his attacks.


    Dragnar would probably not dare go near her again because of the skill she used earlier to drain his HP. So, he would most likely do another long-range attack just like he did just now.


    That¡¯s fine by her. It¡¯s probably even better. She used her skill ¨C [Sleepy Mist]. Just like its name, upon used, the area within one kilometer radius from where he was standing would be filled with mist. Anyone considered as an enemy would have their stats decreased by half every second. Not only that, it would also make them feel lethargic, making it hard for them to move.


    This skill was very effective against strong opponents. It would even be better to use if she had a partner with her to finish off the job. But she was alone. And that meant that she could only be the one to do it.


    She didn¡¯t hesitate to use one of her few attack skills. Of course, she still did it while inside the protection of her barrier. There¡¯s no need to take risk when she could protect herself.


    She was about to use it when she suddenly felt a pinch on her stomach. She looked down and saw a sword that passed through her belly. That sword was pulled back and she could feel her HP draining.


    She nced back and even with all the mist around, she could still see the vibrant golden hair of the person who stabbed her. "You¡ªhow?"


    "Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s trade secret," Xia Lei answered.


    Actually, after he did thatst attack, he used his only defensive skill. A skill that could protect him from any debuffs for the next five seconds. And just as he did, the mist appeared. He knew that the other would follow that up with an attack. So, he had to do it first.


    The mist helped him conceal his movement. That¡¯s why he could easily appear behind her. Thus, this situation.


    "I must say, you are indeed pretty fast," Star Anise said. "Still, you shouldn¡¯t be too unguarded."


    Then, she thrusted her hand that had already turned into a sharp branch towards the other.

 Chapter 687 sixth match (iii)

    STAR Anise didn¡¯t feel the expected plunging of her hand to a soft underbelly. Instead, what she felt was a very hard surface. She looked down and saw that her attack was met by Dragnar¡¯s sword. She didn¡¯t even manage to scratch the other¡¯s skin, much less his stomach. And she at that moment that she needed to get away from the other.


    The wound Dragnar had inflicted on her was already healing, her dwindling HP was also being slowly filled. It¡¯s because after she was stabbed, she immediately casted a healing skill.


    The mist around them would soon be gone. And she was certain that whatever skill the other used to protect himself from the mist would also soon lose its effect. She just needed to get away and healpletely. Then, their match could begin its new round.


    And so, she jumped back with all her strength. But Dragnar seemed to be already expecting that because he quickly caught up to her, zing sword and all. She knew that the other wouldn¡¯t just let her recuperate silently and would continue to attack her until she was defeated.


    That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t hesitate to use the skill that had something to do with her being a dryad. It was actually not so much as a skill but a trait that belonged to their race. Before Dragnar¡¯s sword could reach her, she was immediately surrounded by a tree bark. That continued on until the tree bark became a tree and she remained inside.


    Being inside the tree would heal him much faster. But she knew that her opponent could easily set this tree aze. That¡¯s why she used her barrier once again. This was thest time she could use her barrier. That meant that she needed to quickly finish this match as soon as she finished healing.


    The inside of the tree was warm andfortable, almost like being soaked in a warm bath. She could feel the wound on her stomach closing at a fast speed. At the same time, her HP was also returning to normal.


    She was thinking what action to do next when she suddenly felt a bit hot. She ignored it at first. But after one, two seconds, the heat became almost unbearable. And she just knew something went wrong.


    Before she could think of what was happening, she saw a tip of the sword shing across the tree bark and of course, inside it. The de was about to pass through her. In a moment of panic, she jumped away from the de. Because of her unconscious want to get away, the tree bark opened on its own and she was able to move back.


    But she didn¡¯t have time to breath a sigh of relief because the sword followed her,pletely cutting the tree in half. Then, followed by that sword, was the tall dragon with zing golden hair. Behind him was a sea of golden mes. For some reason, she couldn¡¯t help but think how beautiful this scene was.


    And just like that, she felt a sharp pinched in her chest. She didn¡¯t need to look down to know that the other had already stabbed her. A wry smile crossed her lips, this was the end, huh?


    She looked at Dragnar, her avatar slowly turning to light particles. "It seems our dear dragon is not someone who knows how to pity jade."


    "On the battlefield, everyone is equal," the golden dragon said, pulling out his sword.


    Star Anise chuckled at that. "That¡¯s a pretty good way to promote equality."


    Then, before her avatarpletely turned into light particles, she leaned over closed enough that they would almost look like they¡¯re kissing if one saw them from a different angle.


    "I hope we can meet again after this, Mr. Dragon of Equality."


    Xia Lei was startled. But before he could react, the other had already disappeared from the stage.


    And a deafening cheer was heard all across the coliseum.


    The Duke of Hearts flew down once again on the almost ruined rink. He glided over to where Xia Lei was standing.


    "What was that that this lord just saw?" the duke asked with a teasing smile. "Did she just kiss you?"


    Because of the other¡¯s question, Xia Lei remembered again just how close Star Anise was to him earlier before her avatar vanished. He felt his cheeks heating up. He didn¡¯t know if he should feel annoyed or embarrassed. Just what was that girl thinking? Anyway, what¡¯s important right now was to clear this misunderstanding.


    "She didn¡¯t! She just said something up close."


    "Ooohhh... is that so?" the duke said, giving him a look as if silently saying ¡¯yeah, as if I¡¯d believe your bullshit¡¯.


    Xia Lei¡¯s cheeks felt even hotter. And he knew his face had probably turned into that annoying shade of red. Again, from annoyance or embarrassment, he wasn¡¯t really sure.


    "Just announce me as the winner," he said in a kind of abrupt manner. Then, he quickly added just in case this temperamental duke thought he was being disrespectful, "Please."


    "Tch. Fine," the duke said, rolling his eyes at him. "The winner of the sixth match ¨C Dragnar!"


    And the cheers of the audience erupted once again.


    Xia Lei was then transferred to the winners¡¯ suite.


    Appearing there, he was immediately weed by the gaze of four of the five people inside. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was just being hypersensitive, but it felt like they were giving him the same looks as the duke. He almost shouted ¡¯she didn¡¯t kiss me!¡¯ out of reflex.


    Xia Lei shook his head and just sat on the nearest couch before turning his attention to the heart-shaped virtual screen floating in the room.


    The two participants of the next match were already walking on the rink. One was a panther beastkin while the other appeared to be human, as he didn¡¯t have any characteristics that showed otherwise. What was noticeable about him was that he was wearing some sort of Japanese traditional clothing known as hakama.


    "The seventh match ¨C Winged Tassel versus ck Cat!" the Duke of Hearts announced.

 Chapter 688 seventh match (i)

    IT¡¯S finally his turn ¨C Lian Sen thought as he creaked his neck from left to right. He stretched out his arms forward and ck gauntlets appeared on them. They weren¡¯t bulky like usual gauntlets. The design was also quite simple. They didn¡¯t have any gems or spikes or any kind of essories. Just simple gauntlets with ck metallic sheen.


    Despite that, it still looked heavy. Probably because people had this readied idea that such things were particrly heavy. But in truth, it almost weight like nothing. In fact, it felt like he was just wearing sleeves or something.


    It was all thanks to the person who made it - Vulcan. He bought it at Forge Etna. The first moment that he saw it and tried it, he knew that that the gauntlets were the perfect weapon for him. It was a bit pricey. But it didn¡¯t matter. The best things - whether it¡¯s a car or an in-game item ¨C deserved to be priced high.


    And these gauntlets were worth every crystal coin that he used to but it.


    Liang Sen stepped on the rink, facing his opponent in this match. The guy standing opposite had medium length ck hair. His eyes were bent into crescents, as if he was in a perpetual smile. It was to the point that Liang Sen couldn¡¯t even see the color of the other¡¯s eyes.


    He was not sure if this Winged Tassel wanted to appear friendly and approachable. But in his eyes, the other only looked, well, creepy to say the least.


    He remembered that this opponent was in the same Autumn area as him during the prelims. But the two of them did not meet until only four participants in their area remained. So, he had no idea what the other was capable of. Or even what his race was.


    Just based on appearance, one could say that Winged Tassel was a human. He didn¡¯t have any traits that would make him otherwise. But then again, there were other Rare race in the game that had very close appearance to humans.


    Well, whatever. Not that that mattered anyway.


    The Duke of Hearts floated in the middle of the rink and then announced with a flourish, "The seventh match ¨C Winged Tassel versus ck Cat!"


    After he said that, he flew back to his chair that was floating up in the air.


    Liang Sen really wanted to look up to see just how high up in the chair the duke¡¯s chair was. But he stopped himself from doing so. Or he might just be the perfect example for the saying ¡¯curiosity killed the cat¡¯.


    He took a deep breath and then dashed forward. He was a Berserker, so, all his offensive attacks were melee. He wouldn¡¯t be able to give the other damage if he simply stood at the same ce.


    Winged Tassel, on the other hand, did the exact opposite. He just stood in ce, waiting for his attack with that creepy smiley face. But even if the other was not doing anything, that didn¡¯t mean that he would stop his attack.


    When he was halfway through, he punched the floor. With the force of the punch, the floor cracked and rubbles of stones scattered about. It made for a good smokescreen, hiding his presence.


    He had already calcted the distance between the two of them. So, he knew where exactly he would attack to reach the other. With the help of the smoke, he easily reached Winged Tassel. Mana umted in his right knuckle. When he was finally at an attacking distance, he raised his fist and threw a punch.


    But the expected sound of fist hitting flesh did not happen. Instead, a metallic ng echoed around the rink. And then a strong gale of wind appeared out of nowhere ¨C no, its origin was actually the guy standing before him ¨C and cleared the smoke and rubbles around.


    Once everything was cleared, Liang Sen finally saw what his fist hit. It was a sword ¨C a katana, to be exact. Very fitting of the other¡¯s costume.


    He wasn¡¯t too affected that his attack had been stopped. Of course, it was better if it didn¡¯t. But this was just the beginning. It would be too boring of a fight if it ended so quickly. But he was curious to know where that wind came from though. And so, he asked.


    "Was that wind a skill of yours?"


    "Not quite," the other answered in a friendly tone, but that smile on his face turned that friendliness into something like a snide remark.


    "No offence meant but has anyone told you your smile is kind of creepy?" Liang Sen couldn¡¯t help but asked.


    Winged Tassel chuckled. "Howe whenever someone says that, they always meant to offend?"


    "Really? I¡¯m not though. I¡¯m just curious," Liang Sen answered honestly.


    "Then the answer is ¡¯no¡¯. Maybe there¡¯s just something wrong with your eyes."


    This time, it was Liang Sen¡¯s turn to chuckle. "Now that¡¯s news to me."


    Then, he swung his other hand, punching the other¡¯s side. If Winged Tassel used his sword to defend then Liang Sen¡¯s other fist that was still in contact with the de would go straight to the other¡¯s face. But Winged Tassel didn¡¯t do that. He simply moved the sword in a very ingenious manner.


    He twisted it down while the gauntlet was still on the de¡¯s surface. As he did so, he managed to guard his side from the iing gauntlet. After he did that, strong wind surrounded the katana. Then, it pushed out towards Liang Sen. And pushed back he was.


    It was not only that, the wind was as sharp as a de. Liang Sen had to crossed his arms over himself to protect himself. His gauntlets deflected the wind. But his legs were still hit.


    That was only for a moment though. Because he quickly jumped up. He was about to attack Winged Tassel. But to his surprise, he couldn¡¯t find him anywhere on the stage.


    That¡¯s when he felt a hand grabbing his neck from the back.

 Chapter 689 seventh match (ii)

    "SORRY, I love to chat more with you but I¡¯m not really into prolong fights. So... I have to defeat you now."


    Liang Sen heard Winged Tassel¡¯s voice from behind. Then, before he could react, he suddenly felt himself being dragged upwards by the neck at a very high speed. He could feel the resistance from the air. He even felt a bit breathless having his neck gripped like this.


    But one thing¡¯s for sure ¨C his opponent seemed to have the ability to fly. As he was being dragged, he could hear the pping sound of something against the wind. If he had to make a guest, it would most likely be a pair of wings.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the other¡¯s skill or just a perk of whatever race his avatar was. All he knew right now was that he needed to get out of this chokehold as soon as possible. Or else, he could already picture his bad end.


    Mana gathered around him, his muscles started to bulge and ck fur started to appear on his skin. Even his mouth was starting to turn into a snout. He really disliked this transformation. But this was the most effective solution to his problem right now.


    Because of his body getting bigger, the hold on his neck finally started to loosen. But he was already pretty high up in the air. Going down like this would definitely be a pain. But it¡¯s better to fall down at this height now than to wait until this guy dragged him to the stratosphere or something.


    Before his transformation waspleted, he concentrated his Mana on one of his fists and then punch at the back to where Winged Tassel was holding his neck. He didn¡¯t hold back with his strength. So, it¡¯s no wonder that he heard a crunch, as if breaking bones.


    That was immediately followed by the feeling of falling.


    Without the hand grabbing his neck, he was finally free from the other¡¯s hold. But that also meant that he was now falling at a very fast speed. But Liang Sen wasn¡¯t worried. Because his transformation was finallypleted and he turned into a big ck panther.


    It was not the same as what that lion beastkin did earlier where he only let his upper body transformed into that of a lion. What Liang Sen did was aplete transformation.


    With his lithe body, he was able to easilynd on the ground. Mostly due to the fact that he¡¯s a panther and because this was a virtual world, of course, a panther¡¯s inherent trait would all be magnified. Heck, even his size was even bigger than a real-life panther. Actually, all beastkins in their beast form were bigger than their real-life counterparts.


    As hended, he finally was able to raise his head and look at Winged Tassel. And his pupils shook a bit. The other indeed had wings behind his back. They were pitch ck, almost merging with the night sky. His wings were not the same as an angel. It¡¯s probably more appropriate topare it a crow.


    Well, now, it¡¯s definitely confirmed that this guy was not a human. Considering the other¡¯s costume, a particr demon from the Japanese folklore came to mind. What were they called again? Ah, a Tengu.


    If the other stayed afloat in the air like that, how the hell would he attack him? Having only skills for melee attacks, Winged Tassel was definitely not a good match for him. But that didn¡¯t mean that he would just give up. There¡¯s still tons of ways to attack someone in mid-air.


    But first, he had to transform back to his humanoid form.


    He was surrounded by smoke, indicating that he was transforming back to his humanoid form. But just after he returned to his humanoid form, a storm of ck feathers rained down on him.


    "Shit," he cursed before punching the ground below and taking a piece of it to use as a shield.


    He felt the ck feathers digging into the b of concrete he used as shield. He was even forced back, showing just how strong those feathers were. On his peripheral vision, he could see some of the feathers buried deep on the floor upon contact. Again, showing that the force behind them was not only strong, they were also as sharp as a de.


    Liang Sen knew that if he continued to be on the receiving end of this attack, it would be long before he lost. So, he put his fist on the concrete/shield, making sure that it would point on the same direction where hest saw Winged Tassel.


    He was pretty sure that the other was still on that same direction where hest saw him floating. It¡¯s because the interval between his transformation and Winged Tassel¡¯s feathered attack was probably only a second. There¡¯s no way the other could have flown in a different direction.


    Once done, Mana gathered around his fist. Then, he punched the concrete. As his fist went through the concrete, the fist of it that he punched through flew upward to the direction where his opponent was, its speed as fast as a bullet.


    Liang Sen heard a grunt amidst all the noise and then he saw through the hole on his concrete/shield that Winged Tassel was now falling on the ground. He grinned. It seemed that his attack reached the other.


    He no longer wasted any time and used one of his skills ¨C [Rage]. In the next 15 seconds, his attack power would double. He now also wanted to finish this fight as soon as possible.


    He rushed to where the other was about to fall, nning to meet Winged Tassel with an attack that would certainly tip the fight to his favor. When he was only a few distance away, he jumped up, nning to meet the other mid-way.


    But to his surprise, Winged Tassel¡¯s falling posture suddenly changed. He turned to his direction, as if also nning to meet him. His posture seemed like someone who was about to take out the sword that was on his side from its sheath.


    Then, the two of them met on mid-air.


    They passed one another.


    Winged Tasselnded effortlessly on the ground. While Liang Sen started to turn into light particles.

 Chapter 690 does he have a crush on...?

    LIANG SEN¡¯S first thought as his avatar was slowly turning into light particles was ¨C he wouldn¡¯t hear the end of this from Ying Chen.


    And he was right.


    As the Duke of Hearts announced Winged Tassel¡¯s win, Ying Chen, who was watching all this from the winners¡¯ suite, cursed under his breath.


    [That Liang Sen, why was he being so careless? Did he look down on his enemy? Being defeated like that, did he even try?] ¨C was what all he could think of.


    "It¡¯s not carelessness, his opponent was simply that good," suddenly said by a voice from his side.


    Ying Chen sharply turned to the person sitting on the other end of the couch where he was also sitting. "Did I ask for your opinion?" he asked, ring at the other.


    The white-haired elf turned to him. Yes, he was sitting with Noctis. The couch they were sitting on was for four people and both of them were sitting on both ends. Somehow, it just ended like that. In his annoyance, he just sat unceremoniously on the couch.


    When he realized that he actually took the initiative to sit beside Noctis, it was already toote. Suddenly standing up and sitting at a different ce would just be too embarrassing. So, he continued to sit there. Yes, it¡¯s childish, but what could he do? It felt like it would be his lost if he stood up and change seats. Like he was running away or something.


    The white-haired smiled at him with that annoying smile of his, like he was patronizing him but at the same time, also looking down on him. "Oh, but I¡¯m not talking to you. I¡¯m simply stating an opinion. Surely, that¡¯s not something to be mad about, right?"


    How could Ying Chen say otherwise when the other already responded to him that way? It would only make him immature, as if he was asking for a fight for no reason. So, he simply scoffed at the other and took back his gaze.


    At that moment, the winner of thest fight ¨C Winged Tassel ¨C appeared in the winners¡¯ suite. Ying Chen finally had someone to transfer his irritation. He looked at the other and red the best he could. Winged Tassel noticed his gaze and instead of ring back or looking away, the other walked to their couch.


    "Can I sit here?" he asked.


    The nerve of this guy. Ying Chen was about to reject him when the other annoying person in this room spoke.


    "Sure," Noctis said with a smile.


    Ying Chen huffed and puffed. He was sure that Noctis definitely did that on purpose just so he could annoy him. But at the end, he didn¡¯t say anything and just continued to look at the screen with a frown on his face and simply ignored the existence of the two people sitting with him. That would be better for his own sanity¡¯s sake.


    Luo Yan was observing this Winged Tassel out of the corner of his eye. The other had this smiling expression. It was probably supposed to make him look friendly, but it didn¡¯t. In fact, it had the opposite effect. It made the other look scary in a way. Like someone who would stab you in the back with a smile on his face.


    Though he must admit, just like what he said earlier, this Winged Tassel was indeed pretty good. Thatst attack he made with his sword was particrly interesting. Luo Yan didn¡¯t even see how the other took out his sword and shed at his opponent. It¡¯s like, what¡¯s that sword technique called? Ah, yes, like Iaido.


    It¡¯s probably more urate to call it a martial art. If he remembered correctly, it¡¯s a martial art that emphasized the ability to draw a sword fast in response to an attack. Just like what Winged Tassel did to defeat the panther beastkin. He had a hunch that the other probably had experience in that particr field.


    "Your pet, it¡¯s a kitsune, correct?" Winged Tassel suddenly asked, looking at the little fox that was sitting on Luo Yan¡¯sp.


    "Yes," Luo Yan answered in a friendly manner.


    "Then, him and I are both yokais," the other said. "I already feel a connection with him."


    Luo Yan only smiled. Winged Tassel was probably referring to him and Eclipse¡¯s race being based on Japanese mythological creatures.


    The little fox on hisp gave a snort. [What connection? Eclipse doesn¡¯t feel any connection with you!] He then raised his head and looked at Luo Yan. [Mashter, that bird guy is not using Eclipse to get close to you, right? Eclipse will definitely ask Captain to cut him!]


    Luo Yan stopped himself from chuckling and simply patted the little fox¡¯s head. [I don¡¯t think Mr. Crow has that intention.] ¨C he responded, referring to Winged Tassel.


    He didn¡¯t feel that the other had that kind of interest in himself. In fact, it actually felt more like the other was interested in Eclipse instead of him.


    "May I ask what his name is?" Winged Tassel asked once again while looking at Eclipse.


    "It¡¯s Eclipse," Luo Yan responded.


    "What a good name," Winged Tassel said. "Nice to meet you Eclipse. I¡¯m Winged Tassel," he added before putting his hand in front of the little fox, probably waiting for a handshake. Or in this case, just Eclipse putting his hand on the other¡¯s palm.


    But the little fox only looked at the hand in front of him before harrumphing and looking at another direction.


    "Sorry, he¡¯s shy around strangers," Luo Yan said after seeing Eclipse¡¯s action.


    "It¡¯s okay, I understand," Winged Tassel said. "I¡¯m also not fond of strangers suddenly introducing themselves to me for no reason." He gazed down at Eclipse once again. "I hope we can be friends someday, Eclipse."


    Again, the little fox ignored him. [Mashter, what is wrong with this person? Does he have a crush on Eclipse?]


    Luo Yan bit his lower lip just to prevent himself fromughing. [Who knows?]


    [Hmp! He shouldn¡¯t. Because Eclipse only wants someone as handsome as Captain.]


    Before Luo Yan could respond to that, his attention was transferred to the virtual screen. Because on it, Luo Jin was now walking to the rink.

 Chapter 691 - SHY LUO JIN

    <h4>Chapter 691 - ''SHY'' LUO JIN </h4>


    LUO JIN watched as that panther beastkin turned into light particles. That¡¯s the signal that the match was over. He was actually impressed of Winged Tassel¡¯sst move. Probably because ck Cat had more of an impression on him. So, he thought that the other would surely win. Because of that preconceive notion, the fact that Winged Tassel was the one who won left a much bigger impact.


    Even more so for him. Because whoever won that fight would be his opponent tomorrow. Of course, he had to win this fight first.


    He walked out of the ¡¯bench area¡¯ once the duke announced Winged Tassel as the winner. Finally, it¡¯s his turn. He felt like mushrooms would start to grow on his back because of all the waiting he had to do.


    He looked forward as he walked. Seeing the rink and the surrounding audience area, he just realized that the coliseum was much bigger than how it looked on the screen. It¡¯s very daunting in a way. Especially if one had stage fright or something. Good thing that had never been a problem for him.


    As he walked to the rink, he could hear the cheers of the audience. Although it¡¯s not as loud as the cheer when his brother or that golden dragon came out, it was still something.


    He was about to step on the rink when he heard a very loud voice shouting;


    "Amazing young master Jin, good luck!!! You can win this!!!"


    Luo Jin almost missed a step and tripped because of that shout. Not because they called him with embarrassing game ount name but because the voice sounded a little bit too much like his father.


    He was already wearing his [Sniper Specs] with its function turned on. So, when he looked at the direction of his team¡¯s royal box, he could clearly see a white-haired elf waving his hand at him enthusiastically.


    A helpless sigh escaped his mouth seeing his father like that. But unknown to him, the corner of his lips had already turned up, showing just how happy he was with his father¡¯s cheer.


    -----


    On the royal box of team Yunyue, Luo Wei Tian was excitedly waving his hand at his youngest and shouting the name the other used in this game. Although saying it was a bit embarrassing, he still did so to cheer on his son.


    But unlike Luo Yan who waved happily at their direction after hearing his cheer, Luo Jin only nced at them and then quickly moved his gaze forward. As if he hadn¡¯t heard him at all.


    He shook his head. "That brother of yours, he¡¯s definitely happy hearing my cheer just now. But look at him, acting like he doesn¡¯t."


    Luo Ren chuckled when he heard that. "Well, you know how Xiao Jin is. The shyer he was, the more he would act the opposite of how he really felt."


    Luo Wei Tian suddenly had a nostalgic expression on his face as if remembering something wonderful. "He probably got it from your mother. She¡¯s also the same when I first met her."


    That was a bit of a surprise to Luo Ren. Because in his memories, his mother had always been gentle, kind, and elegant. He could not imagine her acting like Luo Jin.


    Luo Wei Tian gave out a heartyugh when he saw his eldest¡¯ unbelieving expression. "It¡¯s true. She only mellowed down when our rtionship started. I guess because she was no longer feeling shy around me by that time. I wonder if it would be the same for our Xiao Jin."


    Luo Ren felt happy, as he always did, whenever he heard any story about her mother. The other reason was because it gave him peace of mind, knowing that his father could talk about his mother in a fond manner without showing any trace of pain. Because it showed that the other was no longer hurting.


    He was there to witness how much pain his father had gone through because of that ident that took his mother away from them. He saw how his father forced himself to pull it together because of his kids, one of which was lyingatose in a hospital.


    Watching him trying so hard to put away his pain just so he could take care of them was heartbreaking. That¡¯s why whenever Luo Ren saw the other talk about his mother without any pain in his voice and only love in his eyes, he felt thankful and very d.


    "Maybe it will," he answered as a response to thest part of what his father said. He then nced sideways at the pink-haired girl sitting a bit far from them. "Yeah, I really think it will."


    -----


    [Mashter, it¡¯s finally your gnome brother¡¯s turn!] ¨C Eclipse excitedly said, almost jumping from Luo Yan¡¯sp. He raised his small head to look at his master. [Mashter, if your gnome brother wins this fight, then he would face the bird guy tomorrow, right?]


    [Yes.] ¨C Luo Yan answered, stroking the other¡¯s fluffy head.


    [Then, your gnome brother will definitely kick that bird guy¡¯s ass tomorrow, right?]


    [Language, Eclipse.] ¨C Luo Yan said as he tapped the little fox¡¯ button nose.


    The little fox quickly put his front paws on his mouth. [Sorry, Mashter.]


    [No need to say sorry.] ¨C Luo Yan said, amused. [But as to your question, yes, I believe my brother would be able to kick the bird guy¡¯s ass, as you put it.]


    Eclipse giggled, clearly happy with that answer.


    Luo Yan also smiled and returned his gaze on the screen. His brother was now standing on the rink. Opposite him stood a small girl who looked like she was seven or eight-years old. She had xen hair tied in high twin tails and a pair of amber eyes. One could quickly see that she was a gnome.


    Two small beings standing opposite one another. A chaos gnome and a normal gnome.


    This would be an interesting fight ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    The Duke of Hearts finally floated down and announced the match;


    "AmazingYoungMasterJin versus Butterpuff!"

 Chapter 692 - EIGHTH MATChapter (I)

    <h4>Chapter 692 - EIGHTH MATChapter (I) </h4>


    LUO JIN once again felt how stupid he had been when choosing that name as his game ount name. He probably should have been more patient. Maybe if he did, then, he could have thought of a name that had not been yet used without it being so embarrassing.


    But he already made his bed. He had no choice but to lie on it. As long as he showed to everyone how good he was, this stupid game ount name would no longer matter. Or at least he hoped that it would.


    "Amazing young master Jin, what an amazing name indeed," his opponent suddenly said. The girl put one hand on her hips while pointing at him. "I like your naming sense. It has a lot of re! That¡¯s how youth is supposed to be like. Let¡¯s have a fun match, kid!"


    Then, she followed that up with a boisterousugh.


    Luo Jin only had an expression of ¡¯what the heck is wrong with this girl?¡¯. Her way of speaking totally didn¡¯t match her childish looks. It¡¯s like a middle-aged woman speaking inside a seven-year-old girl¡¯s body. And it was the kind of middle-aged person who was too energetic and loved to have fun all the time. Like an old person with a kid¡¯s heart.


    Before he could decide what to feel about that, the other had already took out arge axe. And byrge, he meant that it was even bigger than herself or even him for that matter. Then, the other unceremoniously rushed towards him.


    Luo Jin quickly jumped back and took out his guns out of their holsters. He pointed them towards the girl and pulled the trigger of both guns. Ice and fire bullets were released.


    If he remembered correctly, those that used axe as a weapon were Berserkers. But most yers who picked that ss preferred gauntlets more. Just like that panther beastkin earlier. Even his cousin, Bai Ze, preferred gauntlets as his weapon. It just showed how unconventional this girl, or whatever her real age, was.


    Butterpuff used her axe as a shield to protect herself from the iing bullets. But because of the bullets¡¯ special attribute of fire and ice, some parts of the axe were frozen while the mes from the fire bullets get passed through the axe and almost hit her a couple of times.


    As a solution to that, she spun the axe in front of her like some baton. She was spinning it in a fast speed that she easily deflected all the bullets that wereing.


    The other was already closed to Luo Jin. He narrowed his eyes. He continued to fire shots with one gun while he concentrated on looking for an opening to fire the other. With the help of the [Snipe Lens], anything could be easily magnified in his eyes. He could perfectly see where he should fire the gun. The only thing he needed was the timing.


    So, while he was waiting for that, he concentrated his Mana on the gun that he¡¯s not firing. When Butterpuff was already managed to close the distance between them. She raised her axe in an attempt to attack him.


    That¡¯s the timing Luo Jin was waiting for.


    The moment Butterpuff raised her axe, he pulled the trigger of the gun with his concentrated Mana in it. A bullet with zing fire shot towards her head. When the bullet was just a millimeter away from her face, she suddenly moved his head to the side at a very deft manner. It passed through one of his twin tails instead, burning her hair.


    But despite that, she didn¡¯t stop moving and flexibly changed the direction where she was swinging the axe. Instead from the top, she swung it from the side.


    Luo Jin¡¯s eyes widened but he didn¡¯t panic. Instead, he pointed both gun to the iing axe and fired shots. He used the recoil from the bullets hitting the axe¡¯s sharp edge to fly sideways.


    He escaped from the axe¡¯s attack and as he did so, he pointed both guns at Butterpuff again and fired shots. It would be good if the other was affected by his passive skill ¨C [Chaotic Mind]. But since that me shot earlier hit Butterpuff¡¯s hair at a close distance, it would have no effect.


    The onught of bullets continued but Butterpuff easily dodged all of them with her fast and flexible movements. When Luo Jin was finally a distance away from the other, he stopped moving back so he could concentrate more on his attack.


    But his opponent seemed to be waiting for that. Because as soon as his feetnded on the ground, she suddenly hit the ground with her axe. It destroyed the area where the axended. Not only that, it also produced an earthquake-like tremor across the rink. Which in turn caused Luo Jin to lose his bnce and fell.


    He could see Butterpuff already rushing towards him with some sort of trigger-happy grin on her face. Making her looked like some kind of battle-crazed maniac. The tremor on the ground was still not stopping. Although he managed to notpletely fall, it¡¯s still hard to regain his bnce because of the tremors.


    So, Luo Jin decided something at that moment.


    He used a skill and fired one shot each from both his guns. At the same time he did, the tremors caused his feet to slip again, making him fall. This time, he did not stop himself from falling on the ground.


    His back hit the floor. Butterpuff appeared above him and swung down her axe. He could see the edge of it shining. She probably had used some kind of skill. Meaning that if he was hit by this attack, it wouldn¡¯t just be a simple cut.


    The axe descended from above at a fast speed. But when it was about to hit Luo Jin, Butterpuff suddenly stopped her action and jumped up. As she did, two bullets passed by her from behind. If she did not stop her action on time, she would have probably been shot by those bullets by now.


    She looked down and saw that the ck-haired gnome was no longer there. She raised her head and saw that another powerful shot wasing at her.


    She suddenlyughed. What a fun fight!

 Chapter 693 - EIGHTH MATChapter (II)

    <h4>Chapter 693 - EIGHTH MATChapter (II) </h4>


    LUO JIN felt a bit disappointed that those two bullets didn¡¯t hit Butterpuff. He used his skill [Curve Shot]. It was a skill that would curve and then hit the intended target within a certain range. At first it was only within the range of 50 cm. But now that the skill had leveled up considerably, the range had also increased.


    He was thinking that once his [Curve Shot] hit, he would use another skill to finish the opponent. Which would definitelye easier because his passive skill [Chaotic Mind] would have already activated by then. But sadly, this girl seemed to have some sort of eyes on her back and quickly managed to dodge those two shots.


    Of course, Luo Jin knew that he shouldn¡¯t be too affected by what happened. He was in the middle of a match. If he let that affect him, it would lead to his defeat. So, after seeing that his strategy did not work, he quickly jumped up from where he was lying and then shot at his opponent.


    Butterpuff dodged it easily, something that he had already expected. But what he didn¡¯t expect was for the other to suddenlyugh.


    "This is fun!" she said. "Don¡¯t you think so too, Young Master Jin?"


    Luo Jin stopped and then after a while, alsoughed. Why was he thinking so hard for when the other was obviously only relying on her instinct? Fighting using his brain when the opponent was only using her muscles, it would definitely not be fun for him.


    So, why not just go wild?


    "Yeah, let¡¯s make it fun."


    After saying that, he raised both guns above his head and activated two skills at the same time ¨C [Hailstorm] and [Meteor]. These two were his most useful AoE skills. Using them at the same time would surely deplete his MP to the max. It would even give his future opponents a chance to think of a strategy to protect themselves against it.


    But the thing was, these two skills were not exactly something that could easily be dodged or fight against just because one knew about it beforehand. And together with his [Chaotic Mind], even a dragon would have a hard time defending itself against it.


    So, he decided to just let loose.


    Mana started to gather in both guns. Butterpuff, with that animal instinct of hers, seemed to have notice the dangering from the two guns. That¡¯s why she quickly rushed forward, her axe shining with a red sheen. She was definitely also using some kind of skill.


    But sadly for her, before she could even reach Luo Jin, he had already pulled the trigger of the two guns. That¡¯s why there were times when it¡¯s still better to be a long-range fighter rather than a melee one. At least when you had to stop someone from activating a skill, you didn¡¯t have to get close to them to do so.


    The moment he fired those shots, two things happened simultaneously. A snowstorm filled the rink with hail as shard as a de swirling around. Another one was bullet sized meteors falling from the sky.


    The attack power of these two skills were not much but their range was unbelievable. Both could easily cover this whole rink. And that was the point. To let the enemy not have anywhere else to run. It did not matter whether it had strong firepower or not. Luo Jin only needed one hail or one meteor bullet to hit his enemy. Because once that happened, [Chaotic Mind] would take care of the rest. Then, he would immediately follow that with an offensive attack.


    As expected, the moment the hail and the meteor bullets appeared, Butterpuff¡¯s attacking posture was greatly affected. But even so, she still did not stop on her track and continued on with her attack. Of course, she had to dodge all the hails and the meteors on her way to him.


    Luo Jin truly admired the other¡¯s tenacity. Even her animalistic instinct was quite admirable. As evidence of how she was trying so hard to evade all the hails and meteor bullets passing or falling her way. She had most likely felt that it would be bad for her if she was hit by even one.


    But that didn¡¯t mean that Luo Jin would just continue to stand here and wait for the other¡¯s attack. Since he wouldn¡¯t be affected by his own skill, he had the advantage of mobility. And he had no qualms using that advantage to the fullest.


    After all, he only had 15 seconds until both skills effectsted. He had to make the most out of it.


    He jumped back and then drank a high-grade potion to fill his depleted MP. After that, he just fired shots after shots after shots at Butterpuff.


    With all the things going around, having to also defend against these iing bullets proved to be quite too much. But that didn¡¯t mean that Butterpuff would just give up.


    As she dodged, she also used her axe to defend. She had a feeling that if she let these hail knife and ming bullets falling from the sky hit her, it would be the end. Not only that, she also felt that way towards the normal bulletsing onto her.


    She was literally pushed to a corner. But wasn¡¯t this more fun? Struggling was definitely better than having an easy fight. So, she continued to hold on. Because surely, this hailstorm and meteor shower would end soon.


    But unfortunately, her opponent would not let her just ¡¯hold on¡¯ as she put it.


    As Luo Jin was jumping around and firing one gun, he aimed the other towards Butterpuff¡¯s hands holding the axe. The other was wearing gloves, so, it probably wouldn¡¯t hit her skin. But that was not his goal. His goal was to have the other let go of her axe.


    He used one gun to keep firing shots that would force the other to move to a spot that was favorable to him. Of course, he did so in a not so obvious manner. It would be bad if this girl noticed that something was up again.


    When Butterpuff was at the right position, he finally fired his other gun. They were two shots fired consecutively ¨C one for each hand.


    The bullets hit her hands as expected. Her grip on the axe loosened. She tried to grab it but to no avail, it still slipped from her hands and fell on the floor. Before she could pick it back up, bullets were fired on the ground she was standing. Forcing her to jump back.


    Without the help of her axe that she used as a shield, it became increasingly hard for her to defend against everything that was happening. But it did not make her worry, instead, she became more excited.


    If she would lose, then, she might as well go out with a bang.


    While dodging, she took out two items from her Items Tab. She immediately used the item that could teleport her in a short distance. The moment she did, after just a blink of an eye, she immediately appeared behind Young Master Jin. She didn¡¯t waste time and quickly grabbed the other from behind.


    But because of that, she didn¡¯t have time to dodge the hail and the meteor bullets. The moment she was hit, she froze in ce.. But not before setting off the Mana bomb in her hand.

 Chapter 694 - THIS ROUNDS CONCLUSION

    <h4>Chapter 694 - THIS ROUND''S CONCLUSION </h4>


    THERE was a huge explosion on the rink and a blinding white light filled the whole stadium. Nobody knew what happened. All the audience could see was this blinding light. Almost everyone was up in their seats, wanting to know who won. Or if there was even someone who won.


    Luo Wei Tian quickly stood up and leaned forward at the railing of the royal box. He was looking for Luo Jin despite the blinding light that obscured his view. He knew that this was just a game and Luo Jin wouldn¡¯t really be hurt. But he still couldn¡¯t help but be worried. Especially after seeing such a huge explosion.


    He was still admiring his youngest for his unyielding manner of fighting. When that explosion happened. And it was not just an ordinary explosion. It felt more like some small nuclear bomb dropped on the sink. Now, he had no idea what Luo Jin¡¯s current status was.


    As he was leaning forward looking for Luo Jin, he felt like his body was about to tilt over the railing. But he had noticed it toote. He couldn¡¯t stop his body from tilting forward.


    When he thought that he would really go over the railing, a hand suddenly pulled him back. Followed by someone saying;


    "Be careful, Uncle."


    Luo Wei Tian nced back and saw Shen Ji Yun¡¯s silhouette holding his arm. He patted the other¡¯s shoulder. "Thank you, Ji Yun."


    It probably wouldn¡¯t be a big problem if he fell from this ce, but he still didn¡¯t want to experience such excitement. He¡¯s too old for such thing.


    "Dad, let¡¯s sit back," Luo Ren called. "I¡¯m sure Xiao Jin would be alright."


    Although even he wasn¡¯t sure if what he said was truly the case. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t tell that straight to his father. The other already looked overly worried as it was.


    Luo Wei Tian sat down as Luo Ren said. Worrying needlessly wouldn¡¯t really help. He really hoped his youngest would win this. No, he believed that he would.


    -----


    [Mashter, what happened to your gnome brother?] ¨C Eclipse asked jumping on Luo Yan¡¯sp after seeing the explosion.


    Luo Yan narrowed his eyes at the screen.


    Butterpuff probably knew that she was cornered because of Luo Jin¡¯sst attack. But instead of epting her immediate lost, she fought back in a way that was highly unexpected. She performed some kind of kamikaze attack. Making sure that even at thest moment, her opponent wouldn¡¯t have it easy either.


    Now, none of the people watching this scene was sure of the result of the fight. But everyone knew that it was either of the two ¨C Luo Jin won or it¡¯s a draw. Of course, Luo Yan was hoping for the former.


    [He didn¡¯t lose, did he?] ¨C Eclipse asked again.


    Luo Yan ruffled the little fox¡¯s head. [No, I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t.]


    As if on cue, the blinding white light that filled the coliseum slowly subdued. Then, little by little, the situation on the rink was revealed. Or it¡¯s probably more urate to say, theck of a rink thereof. Yes, the whole rink waspletely obliterated.


    Luo Yan roamed his eyes around looking for Luo Jin. But he couldn¡¯t see even a shadow of him.


    [Mashter, your gnome brother is not there!] ¨C Eclipse shouted, clearly worried as well.


    Luo Yan did not respond and just continued to roam his eyes around the now ruined rink. Was the match really a draw?


    "Such a shame. I was quite expecting that my next opponent would be the young master," Winged Tassel suddenly said by the side.


    The little fox turned to the other and bared his teeth, clearly disliking what Winged Tassel had said.


    Luo Yan ignored thement that the person next to him just said and just continued to look for his brother. And that¡¯s when it happened.


    The focus of the camera changed. They were no longer looking at the ruined rink. It was now focused on the Duke of Heart¡¯s floating chair. And Luo Jin was dangling below it, holding one of the chair¡¯s legs.


    Luo Yan straight upughed at the scene.


    -----


    "I say, are you veryfortable holding on to this lord¡¯s chair?"


    Luo Jin heard the duke¡¯s question but he ignored that because he was still cursing that Butterpuff inside his head. That crazy woman. Up until the end, seriously!


    How did he survive that explosion, you ask? Well, when Butterpuff disappeared and grabbed him from behind, he had already expected that she must be nning something big.


    So, when he felt her body stiffening from behind, he knew that [Chaotic Mind] had taken effect. He took that opportunity to get out of the other¡¯s grasp. Which was not too hard considering that she had already lost control of her body.


    But just as he did that, he saw the thing that fell from her hand ¨C a Mana bomb. He happened to see one of those when Su Yuqi used it during their many dungeon raids. So, he knew for one how strong the explosion the bomb would cause. If it went off at that distance, both of them would surely be obliterated. And therefore, the match would turn into a draw.


    He cursed under his breath.


    But there was no time for him toin because he needed to move as quickly as he could. In the split second that he had, he nced around thinking of a possible solution to his problem. Then, his gazended on the Duke of Heart sitting high above them.


    Calcting the distance and the range of the bomb, he made a decision right there and then. He jumped at the spot just below the chair and then pointed his guns on the floor. He timed thending of the bomb to the pulling of the trigger. As such, when the bomb went off, its force alongside with the shot he just made catapulted him upwards.


    And that¡¯s how he ended up hanging on the duke¡¯s chair leg.


    "Do let go," the duke said.. "I can¡¯t announce you as the winner if you continue to hang to my chair like that."

 Chapter 695 - MAY THE KING OF ARCADIA BLESS YOU!

    <h4>Chapter 695 - MAY THE KING OF ARCADIA BLESS YOU! </h4>


    LUO JIN let go of his hold on the chair and jumped down. He was about to fire shots down so it could slow down his descent and he couldnd safely, but before he could do that, his body suddenly floated on its own. He nced at the duke, because the other was the only one who could do it.


    The duke, who was floating beside him, just gave him a sideway nce. "What? Just be thankful that this lord is giving you a ride."


    There¡¯s really no point antagonizing the other, so he only expressionlessly said, "Thank you."


    The duke scoffed and continued to descend, bringing him along. When there was about five feet before theynded on the ruined rink, Luo Jin suddenly felt his body falling. With his quick reflex, he managed tond on his feet. If he wasn¡¯t attentive enough to his surroundings, he might have really fallen on his butt because of it.


    "Tch. And here I thought this lord would be able to see a funny scene."


    Hearing that, Luo Jin red at the duke and the other only raised his eyebrow at him. This bastard must have been pissed that he jumped and held on to his chair that¡¯s why he was acting like this. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There¡¯s no use getting pissed at this guy.


    "As everyone had already seen, the winner of this match is AmazingYoungMasterJin!" the Duke of Hearts announced. "Maybe he really does live up to his name."


    [You really don¡¯t need to mention thatst part.] ¨C Luo Jin thought grumblingly.


    The audience who had been silent since the blinding light disappeared finally erupted into a loud cheer. Some even shouting and calling Luo Jin¡¯s game ount name.


    Luo Jin only felt embarrassed at that. [Please, stop shouting that embarrassing name.]


    Among the cheering crown was of course, Luo Wei Tian. "Young Master Jin! You did great!" He turned to Luo Ren. "Did you see, Ah Ren? Our Xiao Jin managed to survive that explosion! Isn¡¯t he really amazing?"


    "Yes, Dad, Xiao Jin is amazing," Luo Ren responded with a helpless smile. He then nced sideways at Su Yuqi, to see the other¡¯s reaction to his brother¡¯s win. And to his surprise, Su Yuqi was actually smiling while looking proudly at Luo Jin. He returned his gaze to his brother. [Well, it seems you your crush is not so hopeless, Xiao Jin.]


    The Duke of Hearts suddenly snapped his fingers and the ruined rink immediately went back to its normal state. He then pped his hands and the winners of the previous matches appeared on the stage.


    Luo Yan immediately walked to Luo Jin.


    "That¡¯s a great fight, Ah Jin," he said giving his brother a thumbs up. "Although I really was worried for a second there."


    Luo Jin scoffed with an almost pouting expression. "What¡¯s there to be worried about? I can handle something so simple."


    Luo Yan chuckled and ruffled his brother¡¯s hair. "Yes, yes, our Ah Jin is the best."


    Luo Jin ducked his head, his cheeks blushing red with shyness. "Ya¡ª" he stopped before he said his brother¡¯s name, he remembered him saying that one of the yer¡¯s participating today was a student at Guizu Academy. It¡¯s better to not carelessly say Luo Yan¡¯s name. "I mean, Noctis, don¡¯t ruffle my hair like that."


    Luo Yan only felt amused because he could see that the kid was trying not to say his real name. "Okay, I won¡¯t."


    [Gnome brother! You¡¯re amazing! You now earned Eclipse¡¯s respect! So, Eclipse will call you young master from now on!] ¨C Eclipse excitedly said while jumping around Luo Jin.


    "What¡¯s wrong with your pet?" Luo Jin asked, a bit confused.


    "He¡¯s saying that you now earned his respect and he will now call you ¡¯young master¡¯," Luo Yan said with an amused smile.


    As if confirming what Luo Yan just said, the little fox was suddenly transformed to his humanoid form, his clothes still tattered from his fight earlier.


    "Mashter is right! Eclipse now respects you, young master! But not as much as Mashter or Captain. Mashter is still number one and Captain is second. Young master is currently in the middle of thedder," the kid said to Luo Jin.


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t know how to respond to the boy who¡¯s now at the same height as his game avatar. Should he be thankful or annoyed? At the end, he chose to be neutral. After all, this kid was still his brother¡¯s beloved pet.


    "Just call me Jin, that would be enough," he only said.


    "Eehh... how could Eclipse do that? Your name is Amazing Young Master Jin, Eclipse is already making a shortcut by just calling you ¡¯young master¡¯."


    "Just let him call you ¡¯young master¡¯," Luo Yan said. "Eclipse loves to give people nicknames. If you don¡¯t let him call you that, he would just end up calling you ¡¯gnome brother¡¯."


    "Fine," Luo Jin grumbled.


    A mic suddenly appeared in the hands of the Duke of Hearts. It was probably just a prop, because even without it, everyone would still be able to hear what he¡¯s saying.


    "Congrattions to the eight of you for sessfully passing the first round of the tournament!" he said. "This lord is very pleased by most of the results. Don¡¯t you agree?" he asked, pointing the mic to the audience area.


    Of course, the audience responded by loudly cheering.


    "Before we end this exciting night, I would just like to announce something. For tomorrow¡¯s quarterfinals, the one who will decide which participant will fight with who, would be you guys! Yes, you guys on the audience as well as those who weren¡¯t able to watch the fight here and were watching the live stream. You can go to Arcadia¡¯s official website to know theplete step by step procedure to do that. And you only have until midnight to do it."


    After saying that, there was a great fanfare amongst the crowd.


    "So, make sure to pick the right pairing, okay?" the duke continued before turning to the eight yers. "Good luck on your matches tomorrow. May the king of Arcadia bless you!"


    And that¡¯s how the first round of the tournament ended.

 Chapter 696: like a puppy

    <h4>Chapter 696: like a puppy</h4>


    AFTER the Duke of Hearts'' announcement, it signaled the end of this round. So, the Luo brothers quickly teleported out of there before other contestants or even the audience bombarded them with anything.


    They appeared inside the main hall of their headquarters. It did not take long before the other members of the team also appeared. Of course, Luo Wei Tian, Luo Ren, and Yu Jiao were with them.


    The father and son immediately walked to Luo Yan and Luo Jin once they saw them.


    "Xiao Yan, Xiao Jin, congrattions! You both did amazing!" their father said. "Although there were a few numbers of times where I felt like my heart would jump out of my chest, especially during Xiao Jin''s fight. But both of you really did great. As expected of my sons."


    "Yes, you two were amazing. Congrattions for passing this round," Luo Ren followed up with a smile.


    "I-it''s nothing, I only did what I had to. There''s no need for so much fanfare," Luo Jin stammered with a shy blush on his cheeks.


    All three from the Luo family looked at their youngest with a knowing smile. Their thoughts were the same ¨C ah, he''s being shy again.


    "Thanks, Dad, Brother," Luo Yan said, to lessen Luo Jin''s embarrassment. "But I really didn''t do much. The one who won the fight for me is this amazing kid," he added, putting his hand on Eclipse''s shoulder.


    Eclipse, who was still in his humanoid form, peeked out from behind. Looking at Luo Wei Tian with curiosity.


    "Ah, of course, your name is Eclipse, right? You were amazing back there," Luo Wei tian said. In which Luo Ren nodded in agreement. "Thank you for protecting Xiao Yan."


    Eclipse blushed for no reason and turned shy, something that seldom happened. "No, it''s only right for Eclipse to protect Mashter." And then, he followed that up by sending a telepathic message to Luo Yan. [Mashter, this uncle is so handsome! He looked a bit like your handsome brother. Who is he?]


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard that. The fact that Eclipse said that through their telepathic connection instead of saying it straightforwardly like he would usually do showed how much the kid was affected by his father''s handsomeness.


    He held Eclipse''s shoulders and gently pushed him forward. "Eclipse, this is my Dad."


    Hearing that, the little boy''s eyes widened. "No wonder you''re so handsome, Uncle!" he couldn''t help but blurt out.


    Luo Wei Tian was surprised at first and then justughed. "I like this kid."


    After giving the family some alone time, the others finally approached them and congratted both Luo Yan and Luo Jin. All of them were obviously very happy at their win.


    When it was Shen Ji Yun''s turn, he was about to enthusiastically congratte Luo Yan for his win ¨C well, at least as enthusiastic as he could be. But before he could do that, he quickly stopped himself. Uncle Tian was here with them. If he only congratted his rabbit with such enthusiasm, wouldn''t it be quite obvious that he was treating Luo Yan differently?


    He didn''t mind if people knew about his feelings for Luo Yan. After all, it''s not something he should be ashamed about. In fact, if he could, he would have already announced it to the world. Shouting at the top of his lungs, telling everyone how much he liked Luo Yan. But this was not the right time yet.


    He didn''t to ruin everything just because he couldn''t control himself. The right time would definitelye. But not now. Not at this moment. But that''s okay. Because he was willing to wait. So, he wouldn''t do anything that might ruin whatever chance he might have with Luo Yan.


    "Congrattions to the both of you," he said, the corner of his lips raising a bit. Before turning to the little kid. "You too, Eclipse."


    "Thank you, Captain!" Eclipse responded with a smile.


    "Thank you, Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan also said with a smile.


    Luo Jin only scoffed. This time, it was not because he was feeling shy. It was simply because he knew that this guy was definitely only congratting his brother and he was just included in the process.


    After the round of congrattions, Luo Wei Tian suddenly said while looking around;


    "So, this ce is your team''s headquarters?"


    "Uncle, do you want a tour? I can give you one right now?" Bai Ze said excitedly. "You''ll definitely like this ce. We put a lot of thoughts into its design."


    "Okay, I don''t see a reason why not," Luo Wei Tian said with interest.


    Bai Ze then turned to Luo Ren. "Brother Ren, you haven''t checked the whole ce, right? Do you also want toe along?"


    Luo Ren wanted to say ''no''. But then thought of something and then nced at Yu Jiao.


    "Sure," he said to his cousin before turning to Yu Jiao. "Jiao Jiao, do you want toe as well?"


    Yu Jiao, who was suddenly named, said on impulse, "Y-yes?"


    Luo Ren smiled when he heard that. "Great."


    Luo Wei Tian looked back and forth from his eldest son to the handsome young man. And once again fell into a deep thought.


    When the four left the main hall, only the remaining four remained together with Eclipse who was now back to his fox form andfortably snuggling in Luo Yan''s arms.


    "By the way, I recorded all the fights. I will send a copy to your emails after I log out," Su Yuqi said. "It will help during your matches tomorrow. Especially after that announcement."


    "That would definitely be helpful," Luo Jin said. "Thank you, Su Yuqi."


    Luo Yan looked interestingly at his younger brother before turning to Su Yuqi. "Yes, Sister Yuqi, thank you."


    "I could send some analysis of the fight," Shen Ji Yun suddenly added. The way he said it was like that of someone who didn''t want to lose, as if saying he could also help out as well.


    "No, thanks. I''d rather do my own analysis," Luo Jin said with no pity.


    "I''m actually with Ah Jin on this one."


    As soon as Luo Yan said that, Shen Ji Yun became a deted ball. Almost like a puppy with both its ears down.

 Chapter 697: flirting

    <h4>Chapter 697: flirting</h4>


    LUO YAN resisted the urge to smile. He really wanted to stretch out his hand and pinch the cheeks of this adorable human.


    "I do appreciate Brother Ji Yun''s offer," he quickly said so as not to let the puppy continue to be sad. "But if we let you analyzed the fight, then, our win would have much less meaning. Besides, don''t you trust us?"


    "I do, I trust Yan Yan. I believe you will win even without any help from me!" Shen Ji Yun said and then his puppy ears drooped even more. "I''m sorry for being nosy."


    Oh boy, it seemed what Luo Yan said only backfired. He smiled helplessly and no longer stopped himself from reaching out and pinching the other''s cheek. Shen Ji Yun was clearly surprised by his action, seeing how the other''s expression just turned nk. As if he wasn''t sure what exactly was happening right now.


    How adorable. This made Luo Yan pinch the other''s cheek even more. "Brother Ji Yun, you''re overthinking again. It''s a bad habit, you know? I won''t get angry with something so shallow. So, remove that sad expression on your face or I''ll really get angry. Okay?"


    He could see the nk expression on Shen Ji Yun''s face slowly turning to shock until the corner of his lips turned up slightly ¨C his usual way of smiling. Luo Yan also saw the tips of his ears turning red. He smiled. Really, this cinnamon roll.


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun said, now with a shy smile on his face.


    Luo Jin stared back and forth between the two. His brother looked very pleased while Shen Ji Yun looked like a maiden shyly peeking at the person he liked.


    He suddenly felt very annoyed at that moment. It''s not the usual annoyance he felt whenever the two got too close for his ownfort. It''s the kind of annoyance one would feel when they were fed with something they didn''t want.


    At that moment, Su Yuqi voiced out what he was thinking.


    "I''m happy the both of you came to an understanding. But in case you have forgotten, Luo Jin and I are still here. Flirting so openly like that, it''s like you''re pushing dog food down our throat."


    Hearing Su Yuqi''s almost indifferent voice, Luo Jin felt like a lightbulb just turned on in his head. So, that''s it! They were being fed dog food. That''s the term he was looking for! But realizing that now, he even felt more annoyed. He didn''t want to eat dog food of his brother and this guy!


    He turned to the two. Luo Yan wasn''t fazed by Su Yuqi''sment and still had a smile on his face. While Shen Ji Yun''s face was fully blushing. Now he''s starting to think that his brother was the shameless one of the two.


    "Su Yuqi--! That''s not- I mean¡ªwell," Shen Ji Yun stammered while worryingly looking at Luo Yan.


    To his surprise, his rabbit seemed to not mind Su Yuqi''sment. In fact, he even said with a smile right after;


    "I don''t think we''re really flirting as Sister Yuqi put it. It''s just our way of getting along." He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Right, Brother Ji Yun?"


    "Y-yes!" Shen Ji Yun quickly agreed.


    Luo Yan turned back again to Su Yuqi. "But if Sister Yuqi wants to get equal, you can always flirt with Ah Jin. I''ll be very happy to eat your dog food."


    "Yan!" Luo Jin shouted, his face was already turning red.


    "Well, that wouldn''t be too bad," Su Yuqi said with a shrug. Then, she turned to Luo Jin. She stretched out his hand and then pinched the other''s chin. "So, Luo Jin, how should the two of us flirt?"


    Luo Jin''s whole face visibly turned red in a matter of seconds. One would even think that steam woulde out of the top of his head. "You- you- you--!"


    Seing Luo Jin''s small face turned as red as a boiled lobster, Su Yuqi couldn''t help but smile inwardly.


    [Well, isn''t this interesting?]


    -----


    On the other side, the group currently doing a tour around team Yunyue''s headquarters¡­


    Luo Wei Tian nced around, the amazement in his eyes still hadn''t left. In fact, it just kept on increasing as they continued on with this tour. They were currently on their way to the garden. This pce was truly a reminisce of the great pce of the past.


    "This pce really has a great architecture," hemented while looking around. "It''s like I''m transported back to the past. Quite wonderful, really."


    "Right? I knew Uncle Tian would like it," Bai Ze said proudly.


    As he did so, he nced at a certain direction. It''s where Dusk and his dragon pet ¨C Rowan ¨C were supposed to be right now. When they teleported here, Dusk quickly flew to some ce in the pce and Rowan followed. Might be because Dusk was the only dragon around that''s why Rowan couldn''t help but follow him. He just hoped that Dusk wouldn''t beat Rowan to a pulp.


    "How did your team make this whole pce?"


    His uncle''s question brought Bai Ze''s attention back. "Well, all of us ¨C Shen Ji Yun, Su Yuqi, and I, as well as the former two members of our team ¨C we brainstormed for the design of this pce and this is what we''vee up with."


    Luo Wei Tian nodded. As he was about toment back, he caught two figures in his peripheral vision. It was his eldest and the handsome young man. The two had been walking quite far behind him and Bai Ze. Talking with each other, as if they were in their own world.


    Then he saw Luo Ren reaching out to the young man. He picked up some kind of petal on top of Yu Jiao''s head. The young man blushed in shyness while his son smiled, his eyes full of gentleness.


    This was the first time he saw his son giving such an expression for someone other than family. Luo Wei Tian fell into thought once again.


    They probably should really have that talk.

 Chapter 698: a serious talk

    <h4>Chapter 698: a ''serious'' talk</h4>


    LUO YAN was currently watching the fights that Su Yuqi had recorded, doing analysis of all the possible opponents he might face in tomorrow''s quarter finals. And that also included Luo Jin. This was not only for the quarter finals but also in preparation to all the matches he had to fight tomorrow ¨C including the semi-finals and the finals.


    Yes, he was that confident that he would be the one prevailing until the end.


    It''s not just his usual narcissistic self saying that, he simply had confidence with his skills. If he couldn''t even believe in himself, then, that''s just too sad. He truly believed that a person''s first cheerleader should always be themselves. It would not only make one more confident, it could also help them get through a lot of tough times. That was how it was for him at least.


    As Luo Yan was watching, he remembered again the announcement that the Duke of Hearts made at the end. That was indeed unexpected. He was already preparing himself to face Ying Chen at the quarter finals. But because of that announcement, there''s a high chance that the other wouldn''t be his opponent.


    He did not see Ying Chen''s reaction after that. But he must be seething. After all, the two of them made that bet. Now with that announcement, that bet might not even happen.


    He had gone to Arcadia''s official website to look at how the people would decide who would fight with who during the quarter finals. It''s the first thing he did after they logged out of the game. The steps on how to do it was stered on the front page of the site. It was really simple too.


    Those who wanted to participate only had to click the link provided. That would take them to a new page where they could type the names of the participants they wanted to fight each other. Once they paired one participant with another, they could no longer pair them with another participant. They were also required to enter four pairings which were equivalent to the number of matches in the quarter finals.


    The system they ced would probably tally the result by midnight. And the four pairings with the highest votes would then be the final match-up for tomorrow''s quarter finals.


    Luo Yan didn''t mind the changes. Because whoever he had to face, what he needed to do wouldn''t change. He still had to defeat them.


    And so, he continued on watching the videos. Analyzing and etching everything that he could in his brain.


    -----


    While Luo Yan (and also Luo Jin) was busy preparing for tomorrow, a serious conversation was about to begin at the study.


    Luo Ren entered the study, his father told him before he logged out to go here because they had to talk. His father sounded so serious when he said that that he started to wonder if something happened in one of the projects he''s handling or if it''s about his brothers.


    Walking inside, he saw his father already seated behind his desk with the same serious expression. He walked forward and sat down on one of the seats in front of the desk.


    "Dad, what is it that you want to talk about?" he started.


    "Ah Ren, you know that I will always support the three of you no matter what kind of decision you make in life. As long as it''s something you really want and you won''t be breaking anyws for doing it, then, I won''t stop you and I will give you my unwavering support."


    "Yes, I know, Dad," Luo Ren said, not really sure where his father was going with this.


    "If it''s something that won''t hurt anyone, I won''t ever stand in front of the choices you n to make." Then, his father stopped and took a deep breath before continuing, "That''s why it''s fine if you want toe out of the closet now. I won''t get angry about it. So, you can be honest with me about your sexuality."


    Luo Ren nked out for a few seconds. And it''s only then that what his father said slowly registered in his mind. When he fully understood what his father was trying to say, the other was already looking at him with an expression of understanding. As if he fully understood why he suddenly became speechless.


    "You''re probably worried what my reaction would be, that''s why you haven''t talked to me about this," his father continued. "But you should know that it doesn''t matter. Whatever your sexuality is, it wouldn''t change the fact that you''re my son, one of my three treasures. My love for you won''t be any less just because of it."


    Although Luo Ren was truly moved by everything that his father said, the only problem here was, he''s not exactly gay. And this moving speech should probably be heard by another son of him instead of Luo Ren.


    "Dad, calm down first," he said. "May I ask what led you to believe that I''m gay? Or whatever sexuality you think I have?"


    Luo Wei Tian looked at his eldest patiently. The other was still probably trying to hide the truth from him. "It''s that handsome young man, Xiao Yan''s ssmate. I can see from your interaction with him that he''s someone very special to you. So, there''s no need for you to deny things."


    Luo Ren stopped and then quickly bit his inner cheek to stop himself fromughing. No wonder his father came to this conclusion. When he''s sure that he wouldn''t burst outughing, he said;


    "Dad, Jiao Jiao is a girl. She''s just using a male avatar in the game. Since was given a special VR helmet, you probably didn''t know that yers of Arcadia could choose whether they wanted to y as a female or as a male regardless of their real gender. And Jiao Jiao just happened to choose the male one for her avatar."


    His father''s face promptly turned red after his exnation.


    Luo Wei Tian seriously wanted to cover his face because of pure embarrassment.

 Chapter 699: one final question

    <h4>Chapter 699: one final question</h4>


    THIS was probably the first time that Luo Wei Tian did something so embarrassing in front of any of his sons. This was what he got from jumping into conclusion like that. Knowing Luo Ren, he''s probably holding in hisughter just to give his father some face. But could Luo Wei Tian really be med for this misunderstanding?


    How would he know that Yu Jiao was actually a girl when the other looked like a strapping young man? Something like using the opposite gender for a game avatar never really crossed his mind. It''s probably because of his age that''s why he hadn''t thought of such convention. And it also most likely had something to do with the fact that he had never really yed such games when he was younger. That''s why he never thought that it was actually possible to change one gender in the game.


    And thus, it led to this embarrassing situation.


    Just thinking of all the things he said to Luo Ren just now made him want to burrow himself in the ground. The urge to raise his hand and cover his face came up again.


    It was then that a thought entered his mind.


    Even if Yu Jiao turned out to be a girl, it''s still true that his eldest had treated her differently. And it was definitely not because she was friends with Luo Yan. Luo Ren was giving her special treatment just because it was her.


    What did that tell Luo Wei Tian? That Luo Ren definitely had feelings for the girl! Whether it''s simple admiration or something much deeper, the fact was, Luo Ren was interested in Yu Jiao.


    Suddenly, Luo Wei Tian was no longer so embarrassed anymore. Instead, he felt a bit excited.


    In his son''s 22 years of life, he had never shown any interest in romantic rtionships. Even during his teenage years when one''s hormones were raging, Luo Ren''s focus was only on his studies.


    Luo Wei Tian was not that kind of father who would get in the way of his children''s rtionship. Or even treat them as some kind of bargaining chip that could help him expand their business through marriage with another influential family. He built Tianhua Group so his children could have a good life. It wasn''t so it could be their shackle in the future.


    As long as his children''s partners were decent human beings, then, he would give them his support. Of course, if he found out that the partner they had chosen was some kind of crook, then, he would do his best to intervene. How could he let his children lived with someone who would only make their lives miserable?


    But he probably wouldn''t need to worry about that. He had confidence in his sons'' taste in people. They were all smart to know who was being true to them and who were the ones who only wanted to use them. Most of his concern would probably be for his second son ¨C Luo Yan.


    It couldn''t be helped. Luo Yan''sa made him a tad bit more overprotective. Even if the other reach his 20s and became independent, that probably wouldn''t change. He just hoped that Luo Yan would find someone who would truly cherish him and love him unconditionally. Of course, he was also hoping the same for Luo Ren and Luo Jin.


    Luo Wei Tian raised his head and looked at his son. He had already calmed down and no longer felt like he wanted to hide under his desk because of embarrassment.


    "This girl, Yu Jiao, do you like her?"


    Luo Ren, who saw his father''s vivid change in expression for the first time, wasn''t really surprised by the other''s question. After all, the actions that his father had noticed all led to that conclusion.


    "Yes, I do," he answered without any hesitation.


    Luo Wei Tian didn''t expect that Luo Ren would actually answer in such a straightforward and confident way. But that also meant that he had spent time examining his own feelings. And this was the answer that he reached.


    He thought back to the handsome young man he met in the game earlier ¨C that he now knew was actually a girl. She was a bit shy and easy to get flustered. But even so, she was not afraid to offer her opinion, albeit in a hesitant manner. She was like a chick who was still in the process of learning to be confident about herself.


    He could tell that she was a good kid. But there''s probably more to her than just being ''nice'' that made Luo Ren liked her.


    "Just to make sure, I was talking about romantic feelings," he said just to make things clearer.


    Luo Ren showed a helpless smile. "Yes, Dad. I like Jiao Jiao romantically. And I would be the happiest if she would one day return my feelings."


    Luo Wei Tian was speechless for a while before letting out a boisterous happyugh. He stood up and walked beside Luo Ren, patting the other''s shoulder in a proud manner.


    "Good, good," he said in an obviously good mood. "But try not to overwhelm her with your feelings. Yu Jiao is still in high school. You''re the older one. Be responsible. Don''t do things that would make you look like a criminal."


    Although he knew Luo Ren wouldn''t ever do something like that, as a father, he still had to give that warning.


    Luo Ren nodded in understanding. "I know, Dad. At this point, I''m satisfied to just be an older brother figure she could rely on."


    The two talked a bit more. Well, it was mostly Luo Ren just talking about Yu Jiao. Before the two left the study, Luo Ren had one final question for his father.


    "Dad, what you said earlier, would you really not mind if one of us turned out to have a different sexuality?"


    "Of course!" Luo Wei Tian didn''t hesitate to say.


    Luo Ren felt d hearing that. At least now he was sure that their father wouldn''t have any problem once Luo Yan came out to the other. The only one who would probably have a problem was Shen Ji Yun.


    Because there''s no way their father would go easy on that guy.

 Chapter 700: too popular

    <h4>Chapter 700: too ''popr''</h4>


    LUO YAN and Luo Jin were back at the waiting area of the coliseum. The quarter finals would start at one o''clock in the afternoon. There''s still 15 minutes left before the start. There would be four matches in this quarter finals. After it''s over, there would be a two-hour break before the semi-finals began. Then, in the evening, at exactly nine o''clock ¨C the finals.


    It seemed hectic if one would hear about it. But it''s not really. Because if one would tally it, there would only be seven matches in total ¨C from quarter finals to the finals. It''s less than one matchpared to the eight matches yesterday. If there wouldn''t be any breaks in the middle, it would definitely be over in a blink of an eye.


    But because all the remaining fights would happen today, there was really no time for any of the yers to prepare. All the preparations they could have done should have been done the night before. And the only way to do that was to watch the matches during the first round. Which was not exactly the most helpful way. After all, it''s not like all of them had revealed their hidden cards.


    Luo Yan nced around, all the eight participants were here. They were only waiting for the start of the quarter finals. He noticed that some of them were very nervous. They were probably feeling pressured to show their best performance today.


    He read once in a post on the game forum that major members of famous teams usually watched the Rookie Carnival on the second day. They watched it live at the coliseum so they could find the yers they wanted to recruit to their team. Why only the second day, you asked? Because they believed that only those in the top 8 of the Rookie Carnival deserved to be invited to be part of their teams.


    It''s quite arrogant in Luo Yan''s opinion. But then again, being in a big and famous team had a lot of advantages. It''s probably only right for them to be quite picky. And it''s likely the reason why those yers who were nervous felt pressured. Because they hoped that someone from one of the top teams could notice them and recruit them.


    Of course, this was not a worry for Luo Yan. After all, he already belonged to one of the best teams.


    Then, his gazended on Ying Chen who also happened to be looking at his direction. The other had an annoyed from on his face as if everything happening around him was irritating.


    And he was right, Ying Chen was indeed very annoyed right now. No, actually, he had been annoyed sincest night. Not only Liang Sen fumbled up his fight, the match he had been looking forward to would no longer happen because of that stupid announcement.


    All that bravado he had shown yesterday seemed to be useless now. What if this Noctis lost in this round? Then, they wouldn''t really have a chance to fight. How would they proceed with that bet then? Just after he thought of that, he stopped because he suddenly realized something.


    No, this tournament wasn''t the only way for them to do that bet. At that thought he made his way towards Noctis.


    "The bet¡ª"


    "You didn''t¡ª"


    Two voices sounded almost simultaneously.


    Ying Chen stopped what he was about to say and nced at the person who spoke at the same time as him. It was that crow bastard ¨C Winged Tassel. Seeing the guy, he was once again reminded of Liang Sen''s lost yesterday.


    Although Liang Sen didn''t mind his lost, Ying Chen had a totally different opinion. The two of them talked about how they should at least reach the quarter finals. But look at what happened. Ying Chen managed to do it but Liang Sen did not. And it was all this guy''s fault.


    He knew he was being unreasonable. It''s not right to me the other for being better than Liang Sen. But he didn''t like what he didn''t like. It might be immature and unreasonable, but he didn''t care.


    "I''m here first, you go over there," he said to Winged Tassel with his chin high up.


    Winged Tassel seemed to not mind his rude attitude. He was still smiling that cringey smile. But then again, it seemed that that sted smile had been stered on his face so it might not mean much.


    "Oh, don''t worry, I just want to ask Noctis something. It wouldn''t even take a minute." Before Ying Chen could say anything, Winged Tassel had already turned back to Noctis and said his piece. "You didn''t bring Eclipse?"


    Luo Yan was thinking if he would actually see a fight happening. With Ying Chen''s temper, that''s definitely possible. But instead, he was suddenly asked about Eclipse.


    He looked at the smiling Winged Tassel, wondering why this guy was so interested in Eclipse. He''s starting to suspect whether the other had some kind of furry fetish or something.


    But he still smiled and answered in a cordial manner, "No, he would be sitting out this match today."


    "That''s too bad," the other said, seemingly really disappointed. Then, he nodded and walked away.


    Ying Chen snorted. "What a weirdo."


    Exactly. But Luo Yan didn''t directly say that and just turned to Ying Chen. "Are you here to talk about the bet?"


    "What else?" Ying Chen said in a tone as if the other was being stupid for asking something so obvious. "If the two of us don''t end up fighting against each other today, then I suggest we do a PvP fight after the tournament."


    "Sure," Luo Yan answered because he didn''t really mind.


    Ying Chen seemed to be satisfied with that because the annoyance on his face visibly disappeared. "You better not go back on your words."


    After saying that, he walked away and returned to where he was standing before.


    "What''s with that?" Luo Jinmented on his side, clearly talking about both Ying Chen and Winged Tassel.


    "Well, what can I say, your brother is simply too popr," Luo Yan answered in a jokingly manner.


    Luo Jin only rolled his eyes at him.

 Chapter 701: beginning of the quarter finals

    <h4>Chapter 701: beginning of the quarter finals</h4>


    "BUT seriously, what is up with that Winged Tassel guy?" Luo Jin asked.


    He could understand the dark elf. Luo Yan had exined to him that the other was a student of Guizu Academy and also a childhood friend of Huang Wen. Him being like that was a bit understandable. But how about that Winged Tassel guy?


    "Ah, him? I think he has a crush on Eclipse."


    If Luo Jin was drinking something at that moment, he would have probably choked on it because of what his brother had said. Before he could respond to that, a virtual screen suddenly appeared in front of them with the words;


    [Please,e up to the rink.]


    "It''s finally starting," Luo Yan muttered with an excited grin on his face. He gazed down at his brother. "Let''s go, young master Jin."


    Luo Jin, who still hadn''t gotten over from the other''s earlierment, cringed at what Luo Yan called him. But he still followed the other out of the waiting area.


    The eight participants walked towards the direction of the stage. They were still a few distance away but they could already hear the cheering of the crowd. Once they got out, the huge crowd of the coliseum weed them.


    Seeing everything in broad daylight was definitely differentpared to seeing it during the night. It''s like everything was magnified a couple of times over. From the audience area to the rink itself. Those who were already nervous, became even more nervous. Especially after seeing that most of the royal boxes were upied.


    "They''re here, the eight remaining warriors who would continue to fight in this famous Carnival!" the Duke of Hearts, who was standing at the stage, announced with his usual flourish as they all stepped onto the stage. "And as you already know, I''m this year''s host, the one and only, the ever beautiful, Duke of Hearts!"


    As the duke introduced himself, a shower of heart-shaped red petals rained down on him. These petals disappeared as soon as they touched the ground.


    If this duke was a real person, their personalities would definitely sh. ¨C Luo Yan thought as he watched the other. They would probably even argue on who was more beautiful. Of course, the answer was him.


    "The results of the votes had been tallied and your voices had been heard! The following four matches will be ording to your wishes!"


    At the mention of that, the crowd immediately cheered.


    "And now, for the first match--!" the duke stopped as it to wet the audience''s appetite.


    A huge virtual screen then appeared floating above. There was the word ''vs'' at the very middle. On both sides of it, names were moving simr to a slot machine. After about 10 seconds or so, the moving finally stopped and two names were revealed.


    "Sonata versus Dragnar!"


    Once his name was called, Xia Lei nced at the girl who would be his opponent. He saw the other biting her lower lip. As if she really disliked this result. He scratched the side of his head. He couldn''t understand how the two of them were voted to fight against each other. In fact, he would understand it more if it were Sonata and the other girl ¨C Lovelee.


    Certainly, a fight between two girls had more appealpared to him and Sonata. People loved that kind of thing, right? Two strong girls fighting it out and asserting who was stronger.


    And what the duke said next voiced out his opinion;


    "This lord honestly couldn''t see the appeal in this match-up."


    Luo Yan could though. Or at least he understood why a pairing like this happened. It was because of that bet. Dragnar was the one leading the race. If those who betted on him wanted to secure his win, they would definitely pick a much weaker opponent for him in this quarter finals round. And the unlucky sacrifice was this Sonata.


    He nced at the girl. The expression on her face was clearly saying, ''this is so unfair''.


    Well, maybe indeed it was. But if she wanted to win, she shouldn''t have that kind of mentality. It''s not as if Dragnar was some kind of omnipotent being who couldn''t be defeated. So, what if he''s a dragon? Dragons could be yed too.


    If he was in her position, he would definitely take advantage of the fact that Dragnar seemed to be hesitant in using his dragon traits. Luo Yan would definitely use that against the other, defeating him before he could realize how stupid it was to hold back. Especially in a tournament like this.


    "Since the first pair had already been picked, we, the unneeded ones should go," the duke said.


    The other snapped his fingers and the rest of the participants disappeared from the stage. The only ones remaining were Dragnar and Sonata.


    Luo Yan just blinked and he found himself standing on a floating pagoda together with the other yers and the Duke of Hearts. The pagoda was floating high above the rink. They could see the fight through all the virtual screens floating around. Or they could just look down and watch.


    [Mashter, Mashter, Eclipse can see you from here!] ¨C Eclipse''s voice suddenly sounded in Luo Yan''s mind.


    He quickly turned to the direction of the Yunyue''s royal box. He then saw a seven or eight-year-old boy waving enthusiastically at him. And besides the boy was a handsome white-haired elf who was also waving his hand with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.


    Luo Yan chuckled and waved back at them. He then tapped Luo Jin''s shoulder and pointed to their team''s royal box. Luo Jin, who saw their father waving like a kid high on chocte, could only smile helplessly.


    A countdown appeared on the space between Sonata and Dragnar.


    3¡­ 2¡­ 1!


    The quarter finals finally began.


    Xia Lei took out his sword and was about to attack when he heard a melodious tone. His movements stopped and he just felt his whole body freezing on the spot.

 Chapter 702: sonata vs dragnar (i)

    <h4>Chapter 702: sonata vs dragnar (i)</h4>


    XIA LEI looked at his opponent. The other was ying a flute and the melodious music he just heard wasing from it. From the match that he watched yesterday, this girl was undoubtedly a Bard who used flute as her main weapon.


    Bards were somewhat simr to Priests, skill-wise. Because many skills that a Bard could learn were rted to buffs and debuffs. The only difference was that Bards had to use music to execute their skills.


    He tried to remember what he knew about Bards. Unlike other sses that only needed to pass the application test to get their desired ss, Bards had another prerequisite. They had to at least have a bit knowledge of music. They didn''t need to be good at it. They just had to know how to read a music score.


    Because the skill books they had to learn had an apanying music score with them. He really didn''t know the full gist of it. He just knew that knowing how to read a music score was a must. Which was kind of illogical in his opinion.


    This was why despite being a good support, not many would choose Bard as their ss. Which was such a shame. Because he heard that Bards had a lot of cool skills. Not only that, they were also beautiful. Probably to match the music that they used to attack.


    Xia Lei looked at his frozen body. This was most likely the debuff effect of the music floating around them. Seeing as how Sonata continued to y the flute, it was probably a skill that would have a continuous effect as long as the one who casted it continued to y the music.


    He secretly sighed. Would this be another rey of his match yesterday with the dryad Priest? Attacking him one after another with debuffs and then finishing it off with a strong offensive attack. So, if he didn''t find a way to cancel the effect of this debuff, he would be like a fish lying on a cutting board just waiting to be chopped to pieces.


    He first needed to think how to disrupt the other from her ying. That was the best way for the music to stop. The only question was ''how?''. No, he already knew the answer to that. A quick way for him to get out of this situation. But that meant that he had to use his dragon traits. And he really didn''t want to.


    He knew it was a stupid notion, as his sister repeatedly told him yesterday and this morning as well. She said that he was being too prideful and that he cared about people''s opinion too much. He still remembered what his sister had said when he told her the reason why he was reluctant to fight like a dragon.


    [What kind of stupid reasoning is that? Who cares if you have an advantage because your avatar is a dragon? You should use that instead of making up these excuses. Do you think you''ll be stone to death if you do otherwise? Xiao Lei, we can''t please everyone. If there''s an easy way out that wouldn''t hurt or harm anyone, then choose it. That''s what smart people do.]


    And apparently, because Xia Lei refused to do that, he''s an idiot.


    While he was pondering over that, the music suddenly changed. And then his body just felt heavier and heavier, as if a huge boulder was pressing down on him. After that, he felt somethinging to his direction. He couldn''t see what it was but based on gashes it made on the floor, it''s definitely something sharp.


    If he had to guess, it would probably be sound waves. Because most of a Bard''s offensive attack had something to do with sound. He knew that he needed to dodge those or he might really just turn into a sashimi.


    Sonata, on the other side, had used one of her strongest skills ¨C [Sound Flurry]. Just like the name suggest, it''s just a flurry of powerful sound wave attack that wouldst for 10 seconds straight. These sound waves were not only strong, they were also invisible.


    Not that it would make any difference since the other still couldn''t move. She must admit that, at first, she was thinking how this match up was so unfair to her. After all, the other was a dragon and the crowd favorite. He was even the one predicted to be the most likely to win.


    That''s why it was so daunting. But after she calmed down, she remembered how the other didn''t use any dragon-like attacks yesterday. He only mostly used his sword. She wasn''t sure if that was because his opponent was a girl so he was just trying to be a gentleman. Or he was just looking down on his opponent and did not feel the need to use all of his strength.


    But she knew that she could use that to her advantage. That''s why she quickly made her move the moment that countdown was over. And it was indeed the right move.


    She might not be able to defeat Dragnar. But that was okay. She didn''t join Rookie Carnival with the hopes that she would the champion. She had already achieved one of her goals by getting into the quarter finals. Now, she just needed to show a good performance so one of the big teams would recruit her.


    If she could show that she could not only hold her own against the participant most likely to win, but also give him a hard time, then, that would make her look more appealing to the teams watching this match today.


    Sonata''s attack finally reached Dragnar. The other could only stand there as he couldn''t move. As he was only epting the attack, his clothes were being ripped apart and wounds appeared on his skin. He truly looked pitiful.


    She didn''t care about that and just prepared for her next attack.


    And that''s when a loud voice was heard throughout the coliseum, as if the other was using some kind of megaphone or something.


    "Hey, you idiot, are you really going to get beaten up like that?"

 Chapter 703: sonata vs dragnar (ii)

    <h4>Chapter 703: sonata vs dragnar (ii)</h4>


    BAI ZE was startled when he heard this voice. Because it was very familiar. He was sure that it couldn''t belong to anyone else but Xia Li. Before he could think properly, his body already stood up and walked near their box'' railings. He nced from left to right looking for her.


    He wondered at first why Xia Li''s voice suddenly sounded so loudly like that. And then he remembered that the dragon fighting right now was her younger brother. Shouting that was probably her way to cheer on the other.


    He was looking for the royal box of team Siren. Being a member of that team, he was sure that Xia Li was there. But it''s not as if there was a sign hanging on every royal box saying which team was upying it.


    He turned to Su Yuqi. "Su Yuqi, do you know which one is team Siren''s box?"


    The other only gave him a look as if saying, ''why would I know about that?''. Never mind. He shouldn''t have asked.


    Instead, he just took out a binocr from his Items Tab then used it to once again looked around the royal boxes. It didn''t take long before he found the one he''s looking for. Opposite their box, the one at the very far right, a girl with cat ears was standing and holding a megaphone. Which she probably used when she shouted earlier. There was an annoyed look on her face, as if she was so done with her brother''s shit.


    Seeing that expression, added to that megaphone, Bai Ze couldn''t help but burst outughing.


    -----


    Xia Li was indeed pissed. How could she not after being frustrated by that idiotic brother of hers? Just look at him, he was being pummeled like that when he could easily solve his problem by breathing out fire towards his opponent. But what did he do? He just stood there!


    Granted, he might have been under some kind of debuff. But again, he could easily have gotten out of that by breathing out fire!


    She once again felt the frustration she felt when she watched the livestream rey of the Carnival''s first round yesterday. There were a lot of chance where Xia Lei could have defeated his opponent if only he used any of his dragon rted skills to attack. But no, Mr. Swordsman only needed his sword.


    If she was watching the whole thing live yesterday, she would have thrown a bunch of egg on that silly brother of hers. It''s a shame that she had to work on a group presentation, so she could only watch it on rey.


    Seriously, when she saw his brother''s match and thenpared it to Noctis, she could only shake her head. At the same time, she also wanted to shake her brother''s shoulder and say; ''Look at Noctis, he''s the only one using a pet, did he look guilty doing that? Did he look like he''s a weakling for doing so?''.


    And now, Xia Lei was doing the same thing again.


    That''s why she could no longer bear it and shouted those words. If she didn''t, then she wouldn''t be his sister.


    Hopefully, what she did woke that idiot up.


    -----


    And it did.


    The moment Xia Lei heard that very familiar loud voice, he winced and then shook his head. Beforeughing to himself. His sister must be really pissed right now if she had to shout like that with this huge crowd.


    The invisible soundwaves were still attacking him. Although it didn''t hurt, he must have looked like aplete wreck right now. He looked at his HP bar and saw that it was almost halved.


    He closed his eyes, still hearing his sister''s voice in his mind. He smiled deprecatingly. Yeah, he really was an idiot.


    When he opened them, his eyes were more beastlike than it had ever been. His skin was starting to be covered by golden scales. He took a deep breath. And when he let out that breath, a spew of golden mes came out and attack Sonata.


    It was so unexpected that Sonata only managed to dodge at a hair''s breadth. But because of the sudden movement, the tune she was ying was interrupted. And she knew what that meant. The debuff that was holding Dragnar in ce was no longer there.


    She quickly raised her flute to y another tune. But before it could even touch her lips, she saw the sharp edge of a sword about to crash on her head. She managed to jump back but the trajectory of the sword changed mid-way. Instead of falling down, it suddenly thrusted towards her.


    Out of reflex, she used her flute to defend herself from the iing attack. Because she knew there''s no way she could have sessfully dodged it. But the moment the sword hit her flute, a slight cracking noise was heard. Her eyes widened because that sound reflected the crack that appeared on the part of the flute where the sword hit.


    She couldn''t believe it. Her flute was a high-grade weapon. Although it wasn''t made by Vulcan, she bought it from the second ranking cksmith of Arcadia.


    Because she could even register her surprise, me spread out from the sword and engulfed her. But that was not the end. The swordpletely broke her flute into half and then stabbed in the chest.


    Thest thing she saw before her whole body turned into light particles was Dragnar with a serious expression on his face. As if it took a lot of toll on him to defeat her.


    [DRAGNAR WINS!] ¨C appeared above the rink with matching falling confetti. And the crowd cheered.


    Seeing that, Xia Lei finally let out a relieved sigh. Then he looked up and turned to the direction where team Siren''s royal box was. Although he couldn''t see his sister''s face, the other must be grinning from ear to ear right now.


    And somehow, that thought made this win more worthwhile.

 Chapter 704: forever grateful

    <h4>Chapter 704: forever grateful</h4>


    THE moment he was announced as the winner, Xia Lei instantly appeared inside the floating pavilion. At the same time, the Duke of Hearts flew down on the rink to do his usualmentary.


    "Is it just this lord or was that fight really just went by in a sh?" he asked. One didn''t know if he was being condescending or if he was really amazed. "It seems that the number one bet to win is finally showing us the reason why he''s the number one."


    The crowd cheered as if agreeing.


    Xia Lei, who was drinking a high-grade potion, almost choked because of what the duke said. Did he really have to mention that bet? It''s one of the reasons why he was being so hardheaded in simply using his sword skills in these fights. Because he knew most of those who bet for him only did so because he was a dragon.


    If not for his sister, he might have continued being stubborn about it. He was probably even subconsciously thinking of losing on purpose just so he could piss those people off. Of course, he wouldn''t do it. Aside from the fact that his sister would kick his ass if he did, he also didn''t want to spit on the face of those few people who were genuinely supporting him.


    "Now, onto the second match! This lord can''t honestly make a guess on who you peasants chose because of the first pairing. Let''s hope this next one makes more sense than thest."


    After the duke said that, the huge virtual screen appeared again with two names rolling like a slot machine. It took a few seconds before two names appeared on it.


    [Winged Tassel vs Malekith]


    "Hmm¡­ now this is another odd pairing," the duke said. "This lord really couldn''t understand the logic behind the way you peasants chose the pairs that would fight in this quarter finals. Although this lord must say that this pairing is indeed very interesting."


    Just like what the duke said, this time, Luo Yan truly couldn''t understand the logic behind this. He was actually expecting for him and Ying Chen to be paired up. After all, both of them were elves that belonged to the newly added ''Special race'' category. But it seemed that majority of people didn''t think so.


    He nced at Ying Chen. The other also seemed surprised by this oue. But his expression slowly turned into that of an evil viin because of the smile that suddenly crossed his face.


    He must be happy that he''d fight Winged Tassel. The only reason Luo Yan could think of was because Winged Tassel was the one who defeated the panther beastkin. The other might have think of this as some kind of revenge. Knowing Ying Chen''s personality, that''s very likely.


    And Luo Yan was indeed right.


    Although Ying Chen was disappointed that he could no longer fight with Noctis in this round, this Winged Tassed guy was certainly a wee alternative. At least, he could pay him back for the defeat that Liang Sen experienced.


    Liang Sen could be infuriating at times but he was his friend. In fact, it would probably be more urate to say that other than Huang Wen, he was his only friend. The three of them grew up together because their families were friends. They always yed together when they were kids, with Huang Wen being their leader.


    But as they grew up, Ying Chen also discovered his sexuality. It was a struggle, really, being different. It was even harder for him because he ended up liking Huang Wen ¨C one of the two people he considered as friends. The realization made him feel like he''s drowning. The fear that Huang Wen would find out about his feelings ate at him every day. It was Liang Sen who saved him.


    He still remembered what happened back then. It was the summer vacation before the start of hisst year in middle school. Liang Sen suddenly barged in his room. He had been avoiding the two for days now, so, he was surprised seeing the other.


    Liang Sen did not waste time and simply asked him the reason why he was avoiding them. He couldn''t really answer him, he couldn''t even remember what he said back. But it was probably something hurtful. He knew how he tend to be mean whenever he felt cornered or flustered. It''s a bad trait that he still had until now.


    What he did remember was what Liang Sen said after.


    =====


    "Is it because you like Huang Wen?"


    Ying Chen was so shocked when he heard that. But his expression right then probably answered the other''s question.


    "I know there are people out there who doesn''t conform to the norm and are different. But what''s wrong with that? It''s not criminal to be different," Liang Sen with indignation. "I don''t care if you like Huang Wen. Because it won''t change the fact that we''re friends. You''re still you. It''s not like liking another guy turned you into a monster or something. So, don''t coop yourself here, looking like it''s the end of the world. Come, let''s y Arcadia."


    =====


    That little talk probably pulled him out of the quagmire he was in. Liang Sen epting the fact that he''s gay as if it was nothing helped him get through that phase. He would probably be aplete loner if not for him.


    And for that, he would forever be grateful.


    "Then, let the second match start!"


    As soon as the Duke of Hearts said that, Ying Chen and Winged Tassel were transferred to the rink.


    Ying Chen stared at the smiling guy in front of him. And he also smiled back. Just that, his smile was more like of a viin. Well, it certainly matched Winged Tassel''s creepy smile.


    Just like the first match, a countdown appeared between them.


    3¡­2¡­1!


    Ying Chen didn''t waste time and used his strongest AoE skill ¨C [Dark Land]. And the rink was suddenly filled with darkness.

 Chapter 705: winged tassel vs malekith (i)

    <h4>Chapter 705: winged tassel vs malekith (i)</h4>


    A PORTION of the rink was suddenly surrounded by a dark dome-like structure. It was a portion that included the area where both the participants where standing. If one would just look at it from afar, it would just look like a ck dome. But if one looked closely, they would see that the darkness in the dome was actually moving. Like a thickly congested smoke.


    Thest thing they saw was Malekith pulling out his staff and something ck rushing out from it. So, they knew that this ck dome was definitely the other''s skill. But how could they watch the fight like this?


    It seemed that the Duke of Hearts heard the crowd''sin because he said in a voice that everyone could hear;


    "Do they expect this lord to just watch this ck ball?"


    Then, he snapped and the screen around the coliseum showed everyone what was happening inside the dome. What they saw shocked everyone.


    Malekith was standing still with his eyes fully turned ck with no whites in them. While Winged Tassel looked like he had seen better days. Thetter''s clothes were in tatters and his body was full of wounds. At the same time, some ck thread-like things that wasing out of his body and was flowing towards the dark elf. As if Malekith was somehow absorbing it.


    It hadn''t even been a minute since that dome appeared. How did he end up like that?


    Let''s go back to the moment when Ying Chen used the skill [Dark Land].


    This skill was an AoE skill that could turn an enemy''s Mana into dead Mana as long as they''re inside this dome. In a yer''s case, it was their MP that was being depleted. This Mana would then be absorbed by Ying Chen. He then could turn it into ck needles that could attack his opponent.


    That''s why Winged Tassel was in such a state. It became like this after being attack by countless ck needles. Although he used the feathers from his wings as well as his sword to counter it, a lot of those needles still reached him.


    One of the reasons why was because those needles were not just flying randomly to attack Winged Tassel, they were being controlled by Ying Chen. So, he could choose where to point his attack. Another one was because the other couldn''t properly control his sword fighting skill. Because of his MP constantly being drained, his movements became sluggish.


    This skill was what he got from the vige of the dark elves. It was a skill that was only unique to the dark elves. Because ording to Arcadia''s lore, dark elves were the only ones who could handle dead Mana.


    Dark Land wouldst for three minutes. It might seem pretty OP because of that, and in way, yes it was. But once it''s over, his MP would be drained and the damage he would get for the next minute would double.


    That''s why it''s perfect to use during a dungeon raid or a team fight. Because after its effect was over, someone could protect him. But that''s not the case now. He was alone. Now he wished he had also thought of contracting a pet. At least things would be easier.


    But why did he still use it despite that? Because the gains outweighed the loss. He just had to finish this guy in those three minutes. And even if he wouldn''t be able to do that, he still had a back-up n.


    Another reason was because the [Dark Land] was also great for enemies that could fly. Because of the dome, it could restrict a lot of their movements. So, really, why wouldn''t he use it?


    Luo Yan, who was watching the fight below, raised one of his brows. This Ying Chen really had a lot of tricks up in his sleeve. On the get go, he used such a strong AoE skill. And he hadn''t even shown the method he used when he defeated his opponent yesterday.


    He looked on with interest, thinking of how he would counter Ying Chen''s attack if he was the one fighting there now.


    "Yan," Luo Jin suddenly called out to him.


    He gazed down and was met by his brother''s worried gaze. "What is it?"


    "What if we end up being paired?"


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised hearing this. But considering that there were only four of them left, which meant there''s a 50-50 chance that he and Luo Jin could end up fighting each other.


    Seeing how worried the other was, he couldn''t help but smile and be moved. Because it''s obvious that Luo Jin didn''t want the two of them to fight.


    "Are you worried that you might hurt me?" He put his hand on his chest and showed an expression saying ''I''m very touch by that thought''. "Ah Jin must really love me so much."


    Luo Jin suddenly blushed and stammered, "W-what nonsense are you saying?"


    Luo Yan chuckled before answering seriously, "Ah Jin doesn''t need to worry so much. If we were chosen to fight, then we''ll just have to fight. We will fight with all our might. I''ll be very angry if Ah Jin hold back. So, you better not."


    The blush on Luo Jin''s face slowly subsided. Then he scoffed. "Who said that I will hold back?"


    Although he was indeed worried that the two of them would fight in this round, it didn''t mean that he would go easy on Luo Yan just because of it. That would simply be a huge insult to his brother.


    Luo Yan only smiled at that before turning his gaze back to the fight.


    ck needles continued to attack Winged Tassel. Even when he had unfurled his wings to protect himself, some would still go through the cracks and hit him.


    [Ah, this is really getting annoying.] ¨C Winged Tassel thought as the smile on his face was slowly disappearing. [Should I start seriously fighting?]

 Chapter 706: winged tassel vs malekith (ii)

    <h4>Chapter 706: winged tassel vs malekith (ii)</h4>


    INSIDE the protection of his wings, Winged Tassel''s eyes that were usually bent into crescent was now showing a sharp light. The red iris of his eyes showed a kind of crazed look.


    This was unexpected. He didn''t think that he would actually feel the need to go full power at this stage. He, at least, thought he could hold himself back until the finals. But this punk really just had to use such an annoying skill. Oh well, nothing could be done.


    He didn''t n to lose here. He still wanted to fight that other elf. Preferably with that fox. Remembering the blue gem on the fox''s forehead, a certain type of anticipation filled his mind.


    So, he couldn''t lose here.


    He drank a high-grade potion to fill his depleting MP. Then, he held the hilt of his sword. It''s time for a counter-attack.


    There was only a minute left before the effect of [Dark Land] disappeared. But this damn guy was still standing there, protected by his wings. Ying Chen started to frown. Although the other''s clothes were in tatters and his skin was full of small wounds, his wings still looked okay. No, it looked like they were in a perfect state ¨C undamaged.


    It only infuriated Ying Chen. Were those wings made of metal or something?


    But he did not dwell on that for too long. He needed to finish this fight quickly. But if that was not possible, then, he should at least deal a major damage. Like cutting a wing.


    The dead Mana that was floating from Winged Tassel''s body flew above Ying Chen''s two palms. The dark gas-like thing started to look viscous like a slime. Its shape slowly changed. It turned into two long needles, both were a meter in length. The viscous surface had already changed and had solidified. It now looked more like the surface of a ck diamond.


    With his preparation over, he made a swishing gesture and the two-meter-long needle flew towards Winged Tassel at a very fast speed. With this speed, add that to the needle''s sharpness and hardness, the impact would definitely be devastating. It would probably destroy those damnable wings. No, it definitely would.


    If those wings were destroyed, then the two needles would continue on to hit Winged Tassel''s body, dealing a huge amount of damage to him. Then, he would follow that up with the same attack again and again until the effect of the [Dark Land] disappeared.


    If the other could survive from that, then, he just had to use another skill. Although he had to wait for a minute. That''s another side-effect of using the [Dark Land]. Inside the ck dome, he couldn''t use any other skills and when it''s over, he would be vulnerable for a minute. It didn''t only mean that his stats would be lowered, he also couldn''t use any skill.


    That''s why he had already prepared a back-up n to make up for this disadvantage.


    The two needles finally hit the wings. And Ying Chen smiled in triumph when he saw both needles bore a hole on the wings. He was already expecting to see a body that was hit by the two needles. But to his shock, he did not see one. Because there was nobody behind the wings!


    Before he could react properly to this unexpected turn of events, he suddenly saw the long de of a katana passing through his chest. His eyes widened. He nced back and saw Winged Tassel holding the katana that was now lodged on his chest.


    He couldn''t understand how the other suddenly appeared behind him without him noticing. Because of the continuous draining of dead Mana, the other''s body had been emitting dark smoke. That meant that he should have seen him move as the dark smoke would act as some sort of beacon.


    But that didn''t happen. It''s either he teleported or his agility stat was simply through the roof. But he didn''t have time to ponder on that. A dagger made from dead Mana appeared in his hands. He stabbed it back with all his strength. But it was impeded by a couple of feathers.


    These damn feathers!


    He took that chance though to jump away from the other. Unlike what most of audience thought, Ying Chen was fine despite being stabbed. But he was not happy at all.


    It was because the back-up n that he prepared identally activated because of the other''s attack. It was an item that would automatically activate as soon as he received a physical attack. Any attack would pass through his body for the duration of one minute. The exact duration of the time that he would be vulnerable after the effect of the [Dark Land] disappeared.


    But now that it was activated 30 seconds ahead of time, he would still be left vulnerable for 30 seconds! And there''s a lot someone could do for that short amount of time.


    He was cursing and spitting out all kinds of profanities inside his head. His expression became even uglier when he saw the other''s feathers slowly attaching to his back until they made twopletely unharmed wings.


    So, his attack didn''t even reach the other. There was even a high chance that the moment those two needles attack Winged Tassel earlier, the other purposely showed him those holes to lead him to believe that his attack work.


    F*ck!


    "You really are quite tenacious," Winged Tassel said, his eyes were no longer bent into crescents and there was only an annoying smirk on his face.


    "I could say the same to you," Ying Chen retorted back. "In fact, you''re almost like a cockroach."


    "I''ll take that as apliment," the other said. "It''s better to be an undying cockroach than a flimsy butterfly."


    Ying Chen felt that the other was referring to him with that analogy. He even felt more annoyed. "Shut up."


    He stretched out his hands, pointing at the other. The gathering of dead Mana became faster. Needles after needles kept appearing until the whole dome was covered with them.


    Winged Tassel didn''t mind and just drank potions to replenish his MP. The moment the needles attack him, he held the hilt of his katana and rushed forward.

 Chapter 707: to the third match

    <h4>Chapter 707: to the third match</h4>


    BECAUSE of the ck needles raining down causing rubbles to fill their view, they couldn''t see what''s exactly was happening inside the dome. That continued on until the dome disappeared but their field of vision was still full of smoke of rubbles. When everything subsided, they saw the two yers standing on opposite sides of the rink, their back facing each other.


    Nobody had any idea of what was happening. That was until one of the two fell down and started turning into light particles.


    It was the dark elf ¨C Malekith.


    Ah, shit ¨C Ying Chen cursed. This was so embarrassing. After all that bravado just to lose in the end. This was even more embarrassing that Liang Sen''s lost. Speaking of, it seemed that he couldn''t take revenge for that guy''s lost. Damn, how annoying.


    Maybe he shouldn''t have gone all out at the very start. He probably could have a lot more room to strategize if he did. But things had already happened. Crying over spilt milk would only make him look like a sore loser. He already suffered enough humiliation for the day.


    He nced back at Winged Tassel, the creepy smile on his face was already back in ce. "I want a rematch."


    "I''ll respectfully decline. You''re a pain in the ass to fight with."


    "Asshole," Ying Chen said before closing his eyes andpletely turning to light particles.


    The silent crowd suddenly erupted and cheered. They must have really enjoyed that fight. Despite ending in such a short manner, it was thrilling in it''s own way.


    Seeing this result, Luo Yan couldn''t help but raised one of his brows. This was an unexpected result. No, it''s probably more urate to say that this was not the result he wanted.


    Believe it or not, he wanted Ying Chen to win. The other''s attitude aside, he''s definitely much more bearablepared to Winged Tassel. At least there was no feeling of annoyance whenever he had to talk to Ying Chen. Luo Yan also couldn''t exin it properly, but there''s just something about Winged Tassel that ticked him off.


    But he couldn''t ignore the fact that the other was indeed a very skilled yer. That ck dome skill that Ying Chen used seemed to have force the other to fight seriously. Albeit for just a short time. But the fact that he hadn''t been fighting seriously showed just how skilled he was.


    He would be a tough opponent to fight. Maybe even tougher than the golden dragon.


    The Duke of Hearts had already jumped down and flew to the center of the rink. The moment he did, Winged Tassel disappeared from the rink and appeared inside the floating pavilion.


    Luo Yan''s gaze happened to meet with the other. Winged Tassel smiled at him and he also smiled back. The difference was, his smile didn''t reach his eyes. After that, he swiftly moved his gaze back to the rink.


    He knew it was wrong for him to judge the other, especially since he didn''t know much about Winged Tassel and simply basing everything on his gut-feel. It was unfair for the other. That''s why Luo Yan was being polite, even though he didn''t really feel like it.


    If he was in the hobby of making enemies, he probably would have already said something scathing to the other. He just hoped that this dislike would be nothing but gut-feel.


    "It would be the next match." ¨C He heard Luo Jin said.


    Luo Yan nced down at his brother and saw the worried frown on the other''s face. He must still be worrying at the possibility of them fighting in this round. "Ah Jin, as I''ve said, don''t worry too much. No matter who we fight next, we just have to give our very best."


    "Give our best. Right. We should do that."


    Looking at his brother muttering like that, Luo Yan could only smile helplessly. The other must really not want them to fight.


    Someone else was actually having the same worry as Luo Jin. It''s their father ¨C Luo Wei Tian.


    "Ah Ren, do you think Xiao Yan and Xiao would be paired?" he asked.


    The same helpless smile crossed Luo Ren''s face. This was probably the third time his father asked this. With only four people left, the chances of his brothers fighting each other just became higher.


    He also didn''t like the idea of the two fighting. But unlike his father, he didn''t mind it. If he thought of this tournament as a sport, then fighting each other would only be a natural course of action. The other reason was because he knew that there wouldn''t be any physical harm that woulde to the two even if they fought.


    "Dad, even if they did, I don''t think it would be that bad," he answered as a response to his father''s question.


    Although it would probably be a bit hard for Luo Jin. Because even if it''s only virtual, the other would definitely not want to fight against Luo Yan. He knew because he would also feel the same if he was in the same situation.


    "Uncle, don''t worry. Even if they fought, Mashter would definitely win against young master," the little boy sitting between them interjected.


    Luo Ren could only chuckle at that. Especially after seeing theplicated expression on his father''s face. The other was probably feeling troubled on whether he should agree or not. Knowing his father, he probably didn''t want to show any biases.


    Thankfully, he didn''t need to give an answer because the duke on the stage suddenly spoke.


    "With the second match over, we''ll now go to our third match. There are only four names left, who do you think would fight?"


    He put his hand behind his hear, in a gesture as if he wanted to hear the answer of the crowd. And the crowd gave their answer. But it was a mixture of the names of the four yers.


    The names on the virtual screen moved again like a slot machine. After a few seconds, the names of the yers fighting in the third match was finally revealed.

 Chapter 708: start of the third match

    <h4>Chapter 708: start of the third match</h4>


    [AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN vs Lovelee]


    Luo Jin let out a very obvious sigh of relief when he read the names on the virtual screen. He had been worrying since earlier whether he would face his brother in this round. But thankfully, that wouldn''t have to happen. At least, not yet.


    Seeing his brother looking all relieved by this result, Luo Yan also couldn''t help but feel the same. Although, as he had said to Luo Jin earlier, he wouldn''t mind if the two of them fought in this round, but it''s certainly much better if they didn''t. Truthfully, he would be very happy if they could face in the finals.


    Not only would it cement their ce in the game as high-ranking yers, it would also add to the prestige of their team. It would be like aeback for them. Showing everyone that the ''fallen champions'' had risen once again to im their rightful throne. Then people could stop looking down on their team.


    Shen Ji Yun and Su Yuqi probably didn''t care much about that. But his cousin did. He heard the otherin about that a couple of times before. And frankly, he couldn''t me him. Because Luo Yan also felt the same.


    He didn''t like how some people thought that Yunyue was a bygone team just because of their few numbers and the fact that they hadn''t participated in Arcadia Cup after they won the first championship. It''s pure nonsense. He was sure that Shen Ji Yun alone could easily defeat most of those people. Like seriously, how could the team of the strongest Swordsman of the game be weak?


    Luo Yan just shook his head and tried not think about that. This was not the time for that anyway. He nced down at his brother and patted the other''s shoulder.


    "You got this, Ah Jin," he said. "Jiayou!"


    Luo Jin grinned, clearly in a good mood. "Yeah."


    Luo Yan then heard Eclipse''s voice in his head. [Mashter, tell young master that we''re going to cheer for him!]


    He smiled and gently turned Luo Jin to the direction of their team''s royal box. There, they both saw their father and Eclipse waving enthusiastically at them. Their father seemed to be even mouthing shouting something along the lines of ''good luck, Xiao Jin!''.


    It''s not only the two, their brother, team mates, and Yu Jiao as well, were looking at their direction. Even though the royal box was a bit far from them, Luo Jin could still see the encouragement in their eyes. Though that probably didn''t apply to Shen Ji Yun. He was sure that guy was just looking at Luo Yan.


    He turned his head to the left-most side of their team''s royal box, just in time to see Su Yuqi looking at his direction. He could see the other nodding at him. He wasn''t sure what exactly her expression was at the moment. But he could guess that there was probably a faint smile on her lips right now.


    That was enough to make Luo Jin feel even more motivated.


    He nodded at the direction of their team''s royal box. And then waited for the duke to transfer him on the rink.


    "Hmm¡­ I can actually see the charm in this match-up," the Duke of Hearts said. "You paired them together because they''re both cute, right?"


    As if confirming the duke''s guess, the crowd cheered.


    Luo Jin felt the corner of his mouth twitching. This annoying duke, was there really a need to say that? Then, he heard his brother chuckling beside him. He narrowed his eyes at the other. Luo Yan only raised one of his brows.


    "Well, the two of you are indeed cute," Luo Yan said.


    One was a fairy and the other was a gnome. How could they not look cute?


    Before Luo Jin could respond to what his brother said, the annoying duke had spoken once again;


    "The third match ¨C AmazingYoungMasterJin vs Lovelee!"


    Then Luo Jin disappeared from the pavilion and appeared on the rink.


    With Luo Jin and Lovelee fighting in this round, that meant that thest fight would be between Luo Yan and Razor. Luo Yan nced at the hooded assassin. The other was leaning against the pavilion''s pir. One could see that he had not been paying attention to the things happening around him, much less the ongoing fights. He probably didn''t have any idea that Luo Yan was his next opponent. That''s how uncaring he seemed.


    He wondered if that was because he was confident that he would win or if he simply didn''t care. Luo Yan had a feeling that it was thetter. He simply gave off that kind of vibe.


    Oh well, he would just have to make him interested in their fight once it''s their turn. Luo Yan returned his gaze back to the rink where his brother was currently standing.


    Luo Jin looked at his opponent. The countdown for the start of the fight still hadn''t appeared. Even though he was relieved that he wouldn''t have to fight Luo Yan, he couldn''t help but cringe at the thought that the people picked them to fight because of their appearance.


    Now, just like his fight yesterday, it felt like watching two seven-year-olds about to duke it out. These people seriously had bad taste.


    Finally, the countdown between them appeared.


    [3¡­ 2¡­ 1!]


    Luo Jin didn''t waste any time and immediately took out his two guns. The other, on the other hand, flew up using her wings that looked like that of Tinkerbell. He pointed his gun at the other and started firing shots.


    Just like what he had seen during her match, Loveless easily dodged all his attacks. When people saw her movements, they would immediately think that she must be as light as a feather because of her amazing control. Like her body was simply following the sway of the wind.


    "Hey, hey, great young master, we should fight to our heart''s content, don''t you think?"


    Luo Jin just frowned at the other''s question. Because he was somehow reminded by his fight yesterday with that female gnome.

 Chapter 709: amazingyoungmasterjin vs lovelee (i)

    <h4>Chapter 709: amazingyoungmasterjin vs lovelee (i)</h4>


    "WHAT was that attack you use yesterday? You know, thest one?" Lovelee asked while continuing to dodge the bulletsing her way. "Is it called Ice-Fire Age? Nah, I think Bullets of Ice and Fire sounds cooler. What do you think?"


    Luo Jin''s frown became even deeper. What''s wrong with this girl? Fairies were usually portrayed in mainstream media as mischievous beings. Was this girl trying to be the embodiment of her race? Or was she just naturally this annoying? He had a feeling it was thetter. He even had a hunch that the other was doing this on purpose just to irritate him.


    He shook his head and continued to fire shots after shots. He didn''t want to use any skills yet. Especially since he still didn''t know what Lovelee''s ss was.


    During the other''sst fight, her actions did not reveal her ss. She simply flew around, avoiding her opponent''s attack. And then, when everyone thought she was cornered, she blew some kind of weird fairy dust on her opponent''s face. Then, the guy turned blue and just fell down on the rink.


    Lovelee did not use any weapon. So, it''s hard to guess what her ss was. Luo Jin was leaning towards the possibility of her being a Mage. That fairy dust thing certainly looked like some kind of magic. That''s why he needed to be careful.


    "Are you going to use that skill again?" Lovelee asked, in that voice that one just didn''t know if she was curious or if she was trying to get a rise out of her opponent. "I really want to see it up close."


    Luo Jin ignored the other and just continued what he was doing, all the while thinking of the strategy he should use.


    "Howe you don''t answer? Tch. You''re no fun. That surliness is ruining your cute face."


    Luo Jin just felt the corner of his eyes twitching because of what the other said. He was seriously on the verge of talking back. But because of his innate stubbornness, he refused to do so. It just seemed like he would follow along to what the other wanted. Why would he even give her that satisfaction?


    "You really are no fun," Lovelee pouted, obviously because her opponent was not reacting the way she wanted. "Oh, well. We might as well make this match a bit more interesting. I was really hurt when the duke called my match ''boring'', you know? So, I have to redeem myself."


    She was saying that while swaying in the air, dodging Luo Jin''s bullets. Her actions were all in some sort of rhythm. If there was music, people might think that she was dancing. That''s how supple and swift her movements were.


    Then, as if to prove what she just said, silver dust started to fall from her wings every time it pped in the air.


    Luo Jin narrowed his eyes. He knew those fairy dusts were dangerous. If he was not careful, he could end like the other''s opponent during thest round. He avoided the floating fairy dusts while still firing shots at the other.


    Because of Lovelee''s movements, the fairy dusts kept on being dispersed across the rink. It was as annoying as its owner.


    Luo Jin finally decided to use a skill. While continuously firing shots with his fire gun, he pointed he pointed his ice gun at Lovelee. He used the skill ¨C [Iceberg Bullet]. It''s a skill that was a variation of another skill ¨C [Missile Bullet].


    Thetter was amon skill among Gunslinger ss. Using it, the Mana bullet that came out of your gun would then turn into a missile with a homing property. But because of the weapon specially created by Yu Jiao for him, this missile had been turned into an iceberg.


    That was only when he used the gun with ice attribute. But if he used the one with the fire attribute, it would still produce a missile. The only difference was, the missile would be surrounded by mes. And both would still have a homing property.


    The moment he pulled the trigger, a simple ice bullet came out. But when it was only a few centimeters away from Lovelee, the small bullet suddenly turned into a huge iceberg. It was so big that it almost upied half of the rink.


    This was one of the traits of [Iceberg Bullet]. Suddenly changing its size the moment it was near its target. That when its homing property activated, to make sure that the target would be hit no matter what.


    Luo Jin quickly drank a high-grade potion to supplement his MP that was almost halved because of the attack he made just now. He looked up. The iceberg that he shot was now slowly falling on the rink. Although he didn''t see whether it hit Lovelee or not, he was sure that it did. Because it would only fall down if it hit a target.


    And just as he thought, he saw a slight figure falling alongside the iceberg. Being hit in this distance, his passive skill [Chaotic Mind] would activate. His opponent would be temporarily confused and would be unable to move for a few seconds. That''s the perfect moment to attack the other and finish this match.


    When the iceberg crashed, it broke into pieces and destroyed a part of the rink. This crash produced smoke and rubbles around, preventing the audience from seeing everything. But not Luo Jin. With the help of the [Sniper Specs], he could see what was happening in front of him.


    He did not see Lovelee''s body. So, it must have been hidden behind one of the biggest pieces of ice on the rink. He walked to that direction. He should not waste time. At least not while [Chaotic Mind] was on effect.


    He jumped over the piece of ice, ready to pull the trigger of his two guns at any second. But once he did, the body he saw behind the ice was not that of his opponent. It''s not Lovelee but a mannequin shaped like her!


    Before he could react, green smoke was suddenly from the mannequin lying on the ground.

 Chapter 710: amazingyoungmasterjin vs lovelee (ii)

    <h4>Chapter 710: amazingyoungmasterjin vs lovelee (ii)</h4>


    LUO JIN felt his whole body freezing the moment he inhaled some of the green smoke. It was not the same as simply not being able to move. It was more like the feeling of someone being hit by a stun gun.


    The smoke had a paralyzing effect!


    This couldst for a few seconds, some could evenst for a minute. But no matter how long its effect couldst, it would still be detrimental for him. Being unable to move his avatar as he wished, his opponent could easily attack him.


    It didn''t need a genius to understand that this was a trap set by Lovelee. Thest attack he did, did not hit her. Instead, it hit this mannequin. Therefore, the one he saw that fell was not his opponent but this thing lying on the ground.


    So, where was Lovelee?


    No, before asking that question, he should do something to remove the paralysis status inflicted on him. He felt the gem hanging on his ne that was under his shirt heat up. He smiled inwardly. Well, maybe he should also set up a trap.


    "What a mess you made," said a voice from behind him.


    Then, from his peripheral vision, he saw a pair of wings fluttering. It didn''t take long before Lovelee appeared before his eyes.


    "Did you like my doll?" the other asked, looking at the mannequin that was still producing green smoke. "I made it myself. Today is actually its debut. What do you think? It''s very effective right?"


    She made it? ¨C Luo Jin thought. Then, a suspicion of what the other''s ss was started to sprout in his mind.


    "Oh, can''t you talk because of paralysis status?" Lovelee asked when she didn''t hear a response. "Or is that you just don''t want to speak to me?"


    Luo Jin continued to be silent.


    Lovelee just shrugged. "Ah, I probably shouldn''t waste time."


    ss vials suddenly appeared in front of Lovelee. The vials had some colored liquid in them. And it was a different color for each.


    "Hmm¡­ what should I choose?" she said while looking at the floating vials.


    It would actually be faster if she simply used her [Fairy Toxic Dust]. But she had already used thatst night against her opponent in thest round. It''s a skill unique to fairies. It could deliver a toxic substance to the enemy via the fairy dust. As what everyone had seen, the effect was very immediate. Her opponent was poisoned in a blink of an eye just for inhaling a bit of her fairy dust.


    After setting this trap, it would have been perfect to use [Toxic Fairy Dust]. But sadly, because of its potency, the skill had a 24-hour cooldown after it was used. Which was super unfair, in her opinion. It''s not like the skill was super OP. She even had to make sure that she was close to her opponent in order for it to work.


    Now, she was regretting a bit why she didn''t save it for today. But she was just so annoyed by how that Supreme King acted like some dignified gentleman asking her to admit defeat. He managed to corner her. But instead of finishing her off quickly, he asked her that. As if ''killing'' a girl in a virtual game was so hical.


    To Lovelee''s ears, the other only sounded like some hypocrite. Because the way he acted showed just how much he was looking down on her. So, before she could think clearly, she had already used [Toxic Fairy Dust]. Her only thought then was to defeat the other at that very moment. Because wouldn''t that be more shameful? Acting all high and mighty, only to be defeated in the end.


    In that regard, he preferred this churlish gnome. At least, the other was being honest with how much she was getting on his nerves.


    Well, whatever. Her eyes looked at the vial and then shone at the one with ck liquid inside. This one would be perfect. The effect was a bit gory. But she would be able to quickly defeat the other. It''s just that she had toe closer to this young master and let him drink the liquid in this vial for a much more potent effect.


    But that''s fine. Since the young master gnome was currently incapacitated. This situation was perfect for her.


    Lovelee took that one vial and floated in front of her opponent. The other was ring at her quite intensely.


    "Hey, young master, that stare is going to bore holes into me," she said, then added in a teasing voice. "It''s making me feel a bit shy."


    As usual, the other remained tight-lipped. But he continued to look at her coldly. Lovelee just chuckled. Then, she pinched the other''s chin and was about to pour the ck liquid contained in the vial she was holding. But before she could do so, she felt something hitting her stomach. No, it was actually two somethings.


    Before she could even react, a barrage of bullets hit her body, making her fall on the ground. The ces the bullets hit either froze or burned. That''s when she realized that her opponent could already move. No, it''s more urate to say that he could move long ago.


    Yes, Luo Jin quickly dispelled his status ailment because of the effect of the ne he was wearing. It''s called [Blessing of Isis]. It could negate any status ailments for three times in a day.


    So, he pretended to no being able to move and waited until he could counterattack. And it came sooner than he expected. The moment Lovelee got close to him, he pulled the trigger of both his guns and shot the other.


    He nced at the spot where the vial fell. The blood liquid from it corroded that area. He narrowed his eyes at Lovelee. His guess as to what the other''s ss was had already solidified at this moment.


    "You''re an Alchemist," he said, more of a statement rather than a question.

 Chapter 711: blessing of isis

    <h4>Chapter 711: blessing of isis</h4>


    LUO JIN arrived at that conclusion because of the mannequin that released green smoke and those vials that floated around Lovelee. Not to mention, the corrosive property of that vial with ck liquid in it.


    Alchemists belonged to a special ss alongside cksmiths. The former could create potions while thetter could forge weapons. They were the only sses that could set up shops and sell whatever they made to other yers.


    The keyword here was the word ''creation''. The things that Lovelee had shown so far, as well as the things she had said, showed that she created these things that she had used to attack him. From that mannequin to those vials.


    After that realization, it came off as a surprise to him. After all, Alchemists and cksmiths were not known to participate in events like this. Heck, they didn''t even have their own PvP ranking. Because most of them were known for doing business instead of really ying the game.


    It''s no wonder that Lovelee didn''t use any weapons like other yers. Because she didn''t need to. She made her own ''weapons'' that she could use to attack her opponents.


    If Luo Jin was one of the spectators, he would probably feel admiration towards the other. After all, not many Alchemists would think of participating in this Carnival. Especially when they were not a ss that was made for fighting. Even so, she still managed to get to the quarter finals.


    But this was the end of her journey in this Carnival. If he prolonged this more, who knew what kind of tricks this girl would pull next. To make sure that this fight wouldn''t have a second round, he decided to use a one-hit kill skill ¨C [Guillotine Shot].


    It''s a skill that could kill an opponent in just one shot. But there were prerequisites for it to work. One, the target''s HP should be less than half. And two, the target should be shot at a close distance. The current situation coincidentally fit the prerequisites. So, Luo Jin did not hesitate to pull the trigger and used [Guillotine Shot].


    Because the other was hit too much by his surprised attack earlier, Lovelee did not have time to dodge or even do anything for that matter. And so, she was sessfully hit by the bullet that came out from one of Luo Jin''s guns.


    "Aw, shoot," Lovelee said while looking down at the hole on her chest. Then, she raised her head and looked at the young master in front of her. "You really are quite cold-hearted. And here I thought I could promote my new shop if I at least enter the semi-finals."


    That''s thest thing she said beforepletely turning into light particles.


    Luo Jin raised one of his brows. So, that was the reason she joined in this Carnival. To promote her shop. Well, it would indeed be a good promotion if she made her name known here. But that was only possible if her matches were memorable.


    He shrugged. That''s not his problem though. He took a deep breath. Finally, it''s over. A big grin appeared on his face.


    He won.


    He took out the ne that was a major deciding factor for his win. It was a silver chain attached to a pendant in the shape and appearance of a moon disk. The [Blessing of Isis] was a high-grade item on the legendary level given to him by Su Yuqi. She gave it to him just a few days before the start of the tournament round.


    He could still remember that moment.


    =====


    Luo Jin looked at the ne thatnded on his palm. Yes,nded. It''s because Su Yuqi suddenly threw it to him.


    "What''s this for?" he asked in confusion.


    "It''s something that could negate any status ailment. Of course, it''s not something omnipotent. It could only negate a status ailment thrice a day," Su Yuqi answered.


    But even after hearing that, Luo Jin still felt confused. "But why give it to me?"


    "I noticed during the prelims of the Rookie Carnival that you didn''t have anything an item like that. Then I got this thing the other day and thought of giving it to you," Su Yuqi said with a shrug, as if she only decided to give it to him on a whim.


    Even though it felt like it was only a passing thought for the other, it was not the same for Luo Jin. He remembered how he struggled with those flowers in the Spring area during the preliminary. And the fact that Su Yuqi noticed that was enough for him to feel moved.


    In fact, he was so moved he felt like his whole body was floating in the air right now. If his avatar had a tail, it would probably be wagging right now to show his happiness. And if this was reality, he could probably even hear the beating of his heart.


    He gazed down and looked at the ne on his palm. At the end, he could only mutter the words;


    "Thank you."


    =====


    Luo Jin hadn''t thought that the ne would actuallye to his rescue during this fight. But his win became even more meaningful because of that. Because this ne was given to him by Su Yuqi.


    The smoke that surrounded the rink because of the iceberg slowly disappeared. The moment it waspletely gone, the small figure of a gnome with ck hair was the only one seen on the rink.


    Seeing that, Luo Yan finally let out the breath he had been holding. He didn''t know how long he had kept it. Probably when that iceberg fell and he couldn''t see what was happening on the rink clearly. Or maybe even before that. But now that he could see Luo Jin, he could finally feel relieved.


    He wasn''t the only one who felt that.


    Luo Wei Tian, who had been staring intently at the rink since earlier, suddenly stood up from his seat and jumped in excitement. "Ah Ren, Xiao Jin won!"


    Luo Ren smiled at that. "Yes, Dad."


    Another one whose lips turned up because of this result was the pink-haired pixie sitting at the corner.

 Chapter 712: 3... 2... 1!

    <h4>Chapter 712: 3... 2... 1!</h4>


    "THE winner, AmazingYoungMasterJin!" the Duke of Hearts announced after the gnome was the only one that appeared. "It seemed like self-proimed young master is doing his best to live up to his name."


    Luo Jin cringed at thatmentary as he slowly disappeared from the rink. Seriously, he was close to believing that this damn duke had something against him. In just a blink, he appeared inside the pavilion.


    He hadn''t yet gotten his bearings when he felt his body floating. It was toote before he realized that someone lifted him up and swung him around.


    "Ah Jin, you did amazing!" Luo Yan said,ughing happily.


    "Yan¡ªput me down--!" Luo Jin said, no longer bothering that the other people in the pavilion might hear his brother''s real name. How could he even think of that when he was being spun around like this?


    Luo Yan justughed, clearly happy that his brother passed the quarterfinal round. After spinning one more time, he put Luo Jin down. The other red at him. But it didn''t really have any effect because his small avatar was just too cute. It''s the reason why he couldn''t resist lifting him up. Because aside from the fact that he was just genuinely happy that his brother won, this was probably the only time he could do something like lifting him up and spinning him around.


    After all, in reality, Luo Jin was way taller and heavier than him.


    "Don''t be mad, Ah Jin. I''m just happy that you won," he said with a grin.


    Luo Jin only crossed his arms in front of his chest, his expression almost looked like he was pouting. "Fine. Just make sure you''ll also win your match."


    Luo Yan grinned and ruffled his brother''s hair. "Was there even a doubt about that?"


    Xia Lei stared at the interaction between the two. He had already noticed the closeness between Noctis and the young master since the start of the preliminary. They had always been together, so, it was kind of hard not to notice. He thought that it was only because they were from the same team. But looking at them right now, that''s probably not the only reason. They acted more like¡­ brothers?


    He suddenly remembered his sister. Not because the interaction of the two reminded him of their sibling rtionship, but because he knew that if her sister was here, she might have the urge to ship the two.


    No, maybe not. After all, his sister was very faithful to the NightCloud CP. To the point that she would post fanarts almost every week. And that''s something. Considering how busy she was as a college student. Drawing fanarts despite her busy schedule, that''s dedication right there.


    His thoughts were cut off by the voice of the Duke of Hearts.


    "Now that three matches were over, we will now continue on to thest match of the quarter finals!"


    As soon as the duke said that, cheers erupted from the crowd. It was like the first match when they kept on cheering on for the golden dragon. But this time, the crowd seemed to be divided into two factions. One was cheering for Noctis and the other was cheering for Razor.


    "Noctis!!!"


    "Noctis, my money is on you!!! You better win this!!!"


    "Razor! Razor! Razor!"


    "Razor, you better not sleep on this fight!"


    Hearing the reaction of the crowd, Luo Wei Tian turned to his eldest. "Xiao Yan is really popr."


    "Well, it''s weirder if Yan Yan is not popr," Luo Ren answered.


    Eclipse sitting between the two nodded his little head. "Mashter is pretty and strong and wonderful. It''s only natural for everyone to like him. Those who don''t like him either have problems with their eyes or they''re simply envious of Mashter''s beauty."


    "Eclipse is really smart," Luo Wei Tianmented.


    The little boy grinned at the white-haired elf. "Thanks, Uncle! Mashter also often say that Eclipse is smart."


    "Then, it must be true since Yan Yan said it," Luo Ren added.


    "Yes!" Eclipse agreed enthusiastically.


    Yu Jiao, who was listening to the conversation of the three, couldn''t help but chuckle. Seriously, her impression of Uncle Luo had beenpletely overturned. The image she had of one of the richest men in S City now disappeared and all she could think of was the image of a loving father.


    The Luo siblings were really lucky to have such a father.


    The voice of the Duke of Hearts once again echoed across the coliseum.


    "Oh, this lord thinks that everyone is really pumped up for this match. This lord also feels the same way. The reason for pairing thesest two yers is very obvious. You peasants want to see a fight between two Assassins. Did this lord got it right?"


    One could hear the resounding ''yes'' from the crowd.


    "Well, since we already know who will fight in thisst match, why don''t we wee them?" the duke continued.


    Inside the pavilion, Luo Jin said to his brother, "Yan, go and win."


    Luo Yan grinned with confidence. "Of course, I will."


    That''s thest thing he said before disappearing and appearing on the rink below the pavilion.


    He looked ahead at the opponent standing opposite him. Razor was standing in anguid posture. The other raised his hand to cover his mouth which was currently hidden behind a mask. It was a gesture that one would make if they were yawning.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. He didn''t know that one could still feel the urge to yawn in a virtual game like this. It might just be a ploy to solidify his zy'' image. Or, he might indeed be just sleepy. It''s more likely thetter. He just couldn''t see Razor as the type to go around enforcing some kind of image. Luo Yan would rather believe that the other was just naturallyzy.


    His observation was cut short because of the voice of the duke.


    "Now, let''s begin the final match. Noctis versus Razor!"


    The duke disappeared and the familiar countdown appeared between Luo Yan and Razor.


    3¡­ 2¡­ 1!

 Chapter 713: murmurs among the crowd

    <h4>Chapter 713: murmurs among the crowd</h4>


    UNLIKE what everyone expected, after the countdown disappeared, the two yers on the rink just remained standing. Razor looked like he couldn''t be bothered to move while Noctis just tilted his head, observing the person standing on the opposite side.


    Luo Yan remembered the other''s match during thest round. It was obvious that Razor wasn''t fighting his hardest during the first part of the match. In fact, he only did his best when he was almost cornered. It''s like he was forced by the situation to fight his opponent seriously.


    Luo Yan didn''t want the same thing to happen here. He didn''t want to have the role of forcing the other to be serious. It''s like he had to prove his worth to the other. The only one who would look good in that kind of scenario was Razor. Because it would appear like he was on a superior position. Like he was better than Luo Yan.


    How could Luo Yan let something like that to happen? He wouldn''t let himself appear inferior. Why would he when he knew that he wasn''t? It''s not because of pride. It''s simply because he was confident in himself.


    It''s not the confidence that stemmed from arrogance. Like someone who would always think that he was better than everyone else despite not having any basis for it. Just being fueled by their own delusion. If that was the case, then his personality would be totally rotten.


    No, his confidence came from the fact that he believed in himself. Of course, this belief was something within the range of his capabilities. He wouldn''t think that he could be a world-renowned genius just because he believed in himself. But winning this match was a different matter.


    "Hey, Razor. Can you go all out from the beginning?" he said. "I don''t want people to think that I just won because you''re toozy to fight properly."


    Cai Hong stopped his hand that he was about to lift up to cover another yawn. He tilted his head, wondering if the other was taunting him. And then felt confused because that seemed to not be the case. There was no malice in the other''s eyes. It''s like he was really just genuinely telling him to fight seriously.


    Seeing the other not answering, Luo Yan finally just shrugged. "But if you''re not in the mood, that''s fine too. I can just finish our fight in a minute. That way, people would simply think you''re too weak."


    Cai Hong felt the corner of his mouth twitching. Even though he felt like this white-haired elf didn''t say that out of spite, it was still a bit annoying.


    Because the crowd couldn''t hear this one-sided conversation, they could only see two people standing motionless on the rink when they should have been fighting. Murmurs spread around. Some even showing dissatisfaction. It might be due to the fact that a lot of them were expecting a blood-curling fight from the beginning of the match. But instead, what they got was, well, this.


    Of course, not all thought that way.


    In the royal box of team Siren, Xia Li frowned at the murmurs she''d been hearing. "These people, do they not know the word ''wait''? They''re acting as if the match is already over."


    "That can''t be help. Aside from your brother, those two are the ones with the highest bets," said the one sitting beside her. It was the younger sister of their team''s captain ¨C Zhu Jingyi. "They''re probably worried about their moneys."


    Xia Li pouted hearing that. Hmp. If they bet on Noctis, then they should trust in his abilities.


    In another box, the one belonging to team Sanguis¡­


    Xu Ru, mostmonly known as ''Alucard'' to the yers of Arcadia, watched the two figures on the rink with interest. He was particrly focus on the white-haired elf. Remembering what happened at Yuexing Pavilion thest time and even being permanently banned from the said building, it would be wrong to say that he wasn''t pissed about it.


    In fact, he had thought of causing trouble to Yuexing Pavilion a number of times because of that. But he stopped because after much contemtion, he finally realized why that beautiful NPC that danced during the opening night seemed so familiar.


    It was the reason why he so wanted to pull that veil covering the other''s face. Not only to quench his curiosity but also to check why he felt a sense of familiarity. It''s because the NPC and Noctis were one and the same.


    Most people would definitely not realize that. But he''s not most people. He''s good with faces. Especially if it''s a beautiful face.


    Noctis being that NPC only meant one thing ¨C he''s the owner of that pavilion. That realization had him wheezing because he found it so interesting. The owner of an in-game business that even Moonlight Media promoted, how could one not be intrigued.


    Xu Ru smirked while looking at the white-haired elf. He didn''t usually watch the Rookie Carnival. But after knowing that Noctis passed the first round of the tournament, he decided to watch today.


    [Let''s see what more interesting things you will show.]


    Then, his cheek was suddenly pulled out of the blue. He nced to the side and looked at the culprit. "Princess, what are you doing?"


    "Nothing, you just have this annoying look on you. It kind of piss me off," Qin Rushi said unapologetically.


    Xu Ru could only give the other a helpless smile.


    At the same time, at a VVIP royal box where the people outside couldn''t see those sitting inside, two people were also looking at the rink with interest. Both had varying shades of golden hair and different shades of blue eyes.


    The one with silver-rimmed sses was Duan Yu. And the other with long flowing tinum gold hair was team Celestials'' captain ¨C Li Xu Min.


    They didn''t join their other team mates at their royal box because Li Xu Min''s presence alone here would definitely cause a fuss. That''s why they chose to sit here, away from the prying eyes of other yers.


    "Is he the one you mentioned before?" Li Xu Min asked, referring to the white-haired elf.


    And Duan Yu nodded.

 Chapter 714: noctis vs razor (i)

    <h4>Chapter 714: noctis vs razor (i)</h4>


    "HMM¡­ he certainly fit the image for that project," Li Xu Minmented at Duan Yu''s nod. "But would he agree?"


    "Don''t worry, Ah Min. He will agree," Duan Yu said with a smile.


    Li Xu Min stared at his friend''s smile. It might look like an ordinary smile to everyone. But to him, it''s the smile Duan Yu made whenever he seeded in scheming something.


    "You''re not nning to ckmail him, right?" he asked with a disapproving gaze.


    "Of course not," Duan Yu said as if affronted by the thought. "I have a deal with him. He owes me a favor. So, I''m sure he would agree." He had no choice but to. ¨C Duan Yu added in his mind. "Besides, it''s not as if we''re nning to make him do something atrocious."


    Well, that''s true in a way. ¨C Li Xu Min thought. Anyway, he could always put a stop to it if Noctis didn''t want to do it.


    He returned his gaze back to the rink. The two were still not making any move. He didn''t feel impatience because of theck of action. He wasn''t the type to enjoy violence after all.


    He wasn''t actually nning to watch the Rookie Carnival today. Especially since there was no Angel race in the participants. But he was curious of Noctis. Not only because of the things that Duan Yu had told him, but more so because of the incident that happened right after the preliminaries of the Carnival. The one that involved that one Angel race yer who also participated in the Carnival but promptly eliminated during the prelims.


    He didn''t know exactly all the details since Duan Yu and Zhong Hui were the ones who took care of it. He just knew that team Yunyue was involved and that they solved the ''problem'' as fast as they could because of Noctis.


    So, he was curious as to what kind of yer could move Yunyue. A team who seemed to not care much about what others said about them. As evidence of how they hadn''t done anything despite their team beingbeled as ''fallen champions''.


    That''s why he decided to watch the matches today. To see just how strong Noctis was. Surely, someone acknowledged by YUN would be nothing short of great.


    Back on the rink¡­


    While Luo Yan was waiting for Razor''s answer, he could hear a constant chattering inside his head. It was Eclipse''s voice.


    [Mashter, Mashter, why are you just standing there? Did that hooded guy attacked you secretly that''s why you couldn''t move? Everyone is worried. Uncle, handsome brother, the handsome cksmith, especially Captain! The lion and pink sister seem to be confident that everything is under control though. But is it?]


    Luo Yan chuckled inwardly hearing that. Eclipse mentioned everyone watching in their royal box. If the two dragons were there, he might have also mentioned them. But the two chose to stay at the team''s headquarters. Or more urate to say, Dusk chose to stay and Rowan followed. Just like a chick following its mother.


    [I''m fine. I''m just waiting.] ¨C he answered. [Tell that to the others as well so they would stop worrying.]


    [Yes, Mashter!]


    The little boy''s incessant chattering finally ended.


    Luo Yan looked at Razor once again. All he could see from here was the other''s indigo eyes. And they were now filled with curiosity and a tiny speck of annoyance.


    "Okay," the other finally said in response. "I''ll go all out from the start. I just hope you could keep up with me."


    Razor did not say that in an arrogant tone. He said it in a way as if he was truly hoping that Luo Yan wouldn''t be just all talk and that he would be able to really keep up with him.


    Luo Yan only smiled as an answer.


    Razor suddenly rushed forward. His movement was so fast that it almost looked like a blur. Luo Yan''s smile brightened even more and he moved as well.


    Cai Hong''s eyes widened just a tiny bit when he saw his opponent disappearing from where he was standing. He reflexively raised his dagger to defend himself when he felt that something was about to hit him. And something did sh against his dagger ¨C it was another dagger with a de as dark as night itself.


    He didn''t expect Noctis to actually meet him in the middle. If he remembered correctly, that talkative duke mentioned that the other was an Assassin as well. He wasn''t really sure. But seeing the dagger and witnessing Noctis'' speed, that must be the case.


    Another Assassin. Maybe this would be a fun match. Worthy enough for him to go all out.


    He hadn''t had time to think more because another dagger came attacking from the other side. It wasing at him at a very fast speed. If he dodged haphazardly, the other dagger that he was defending against could idently graze him. He couldn''t exin properly but his instinct was telling him not to get hit by those daggers. Even a simple graze would be bad.


    He sighed and another dagger appeared in his free hand. It easily defended against the opponent''s iing dagger. Assassins often used two daggers as weapons. Cai Hong was no different. It''s just he mostly only used one. He only used both when he thought that he had no choice but to do so.


    To think he had to use his other dagger this early.


    Luo Yan wasn''t so surprised that his attack was deflected. Instead, he attacked even more fiercely. And Razor had no choice but to defend.


    Because of their speed, the audience couldn''t see what was happening clearly. They were moving so fast that they even left after-image of themselves from where they stood. They moved from one ce to another that those after-images were the only ones the audience could see.


    But there''s something they could hear clearly ¨C the loud ng of metal against another metal. Evidence of two daggers colliding fiercely against each other.

 Chapter 715: noctis vs razor (ii)

    <h4>Chapter 715: noctis vs razor (ii)</h4>


    THE audience stared at the battle happening in front of them in awe. No, they actually couldn''t see what was happening clearly because of how fast the two moved. All they could see were blurry images of the two. It''s like watching Quicksilver fighting against the sh.


    Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But that''s exactly how the audience felt watching the two. It was even more amazing because the two were fighting with just their brute strength alone and not with the use of any skills.


    On the box of team Yunyue, Luo Wei Tian gulped. He couldn''t follow the movements of the two people fighting. One second, they were on that part of the rink, the next they were on the opposite side. If he was in his real body, he might not even see the after-images of the two people. And one of those two was his second son.


    This was totally different from the fight yesterday. Really, if he didn''t know beforehand who was fighting over there, it would not even probably cross his mind that one of those two yers was his son. Luo Yan who always had a sweet smile on his face and who loved to act cute and spoiled around him.


    Thanks to the virtual screen floating around, he could have a glimpse of Luo Yan''s face. There was no fear or even worry in his son''s face. Instead, he was grinning, clearly enjoying the fight.


    Luo Wei Tian suddenly felt like he was watching Luo Yan grow up before his very eyes. As if the image of an innocent kid in his mind was slowly disappearing. Instead, what he''s seeing was a confident teenager enjoying his youth.


    For some reason, he felt relieved. The worry that Luo Yan wouldn''t be able to live normally because of being in aa for seven years finally disappeared at this moment. It was something that had constantly been nagging at him ever since his son regained consciousness.


    But looking at Luo Yan now, smiling so happily, he felt like some invisible stone weighing in his heart was finally put down. And a smile unconsciously crossed his lips.


    The source of this smile, Luo Yan, just moved his head back and the de of a dagger passed by his chin. At the same time, he thrusted one of his daggers to the side of his opponent. But just like him, Razor easily dodged it. Luo Yan knew that would happen so his other dagger was already waiting on the direction where the other moved.


    But it seemed that Razor also predicted his next move, so, he stopped mid-way and jumped back instead. He didn''t give the other a chance to rest and quickly rushed forward. Razor also didn''t shy away and also met him. They shed once again. The ng of metals hitting one another echoed around the colosseum.


    Luo Yan wasn''t sure how many minutes had passed since their match started. The fact that he couldn''t tell showed how much fun he''d been having. But he knew that this couldn''t continue. In regards to strength and speed, the two of them were almost on equal grounds.


    Then, let''s go and used some skill.


    He chose to use the [8th Movement Dance]. It was a skill that produced eight consecutive attacks in a dance-like manner. Each attack was stronger than thest, making the eighth attack the strongest. It''s attacking power was not that high but it only had one second cooldown. That''s why it didn''t really matter. Because one could just continuously use it.


    Cai Hong narrowed his eyes. The moment the other''s movement started to change, he knew that Noctis must have used a skill. In that case, it would be best for him to do the same.


    It''s not like he didn''t understand why the other suddenly used a skill. With their stats almost on equal grounds, this match would definitely end up a battle of attrition if they continued with how they had been fighting until now. They needed a break to change the status quo.


    So, he also used a skill ¨C [Raving sh]. It''s a skill that would allow the user to continuously sh at the opponent at a fast speed. Each strike that he managed to hit would decrease the opponent''s AGI. The more strike he managed tond, the slower the opponent would be.


    This skill didn''t have that much power. But it''s duration of use was long and only had a cooldown of 10 seconds. That meant he could use it for a couple of times continuously.


    And so, the four daggers met in the air.


    But because the two didn''t know that the skills they both used were almost simr, they ended up in the same situation as before. The only difference was they didn''t appear like blurry images now.


    In the audience eyes, Noctis''s movement looked elegant and graceful. He seemed to be dancing instead of attacking. While Razor, on the other hand, looked barbaric and rough. Like a silent killer who couldn''t wait to slit the throat of his enemy.


    This contrast was so eye-catching that people couldn''t help but think that Noctis was some immortal god while Razor was a demon trying to kill him. And so, majority of the crowd cheered for Noctis.


    "Noctis!!! Go and wreck him!!!"


    "Noctis!!! Beat him to death!!!"


    "Noctis! Noctis! Noctis!"


    After he used [8th Movement Dance] for the second time, Luo Yan noticed that they were going nowhere again. So, he made a decision. He moved as if he used the [8th Movement Dance] skill once again. Then, at the middle, without changing his posture, he used [Strike Kill].


    It''s one of his stronger attacks against a single enemy. The de of his dagger made an upward arc. It seemed that Razor didn''t expect this action as he didn''t manage to dodge on time. But the other was still able to jump backward at thest moment. Thus, shing on his mask and hood.


    When Razornded, his face waspletely revealed to everyone.

 Chapter 716: noctis vs razor (iii)

    <h4>Chapter 716: noctis vs razor (iii)</h4>


    LONG blue-ck hair, tied in a low ponytail, spilled out from the ruined hood. Two long pointed ears peaked out. They were filled with dangling earrings which were totally not in line with the character that Razor had shown so far. But the most eye-catching of all was Razor''s skin. It was blue. Even his lips were dark blue in color.


    This unexpected appearancepletely taken Luo Yan aback. Anyone would in his situation. Because someone with blue skin was thest thing anyone would think when they wondered what Razor looked like under the mask and the hood.


    Aside from the surprise factor, he was also affected by curiosity. The moment he saw the blue skin, he wondered just what was the other''s race. Although Razor''s ears were pointed, they were a bit different from an elf. An elf''s ears were pointed upward while the other''s ears weren''t pointing upwards or downwards, they were in the middle. He couldn''t think of a race that would fit Razor''s features.


    Luo Yan would probably continue mulling over that if he did not see Razor rushing towards him. He raised his daggers and also rushed forward to meet the other mid-way.


    He shed one of his daggers sideways. He was already expecting the other to dodge it. But surprisingly enough, Razor didn''t. The moment the dagger shed through the other''s body, Razor suddenly turned into a puff of blue smoke.


    Luo Yan''s first thought was that the other was about to transform from a humanoid form to some kind of beast form. Considering his experience of seeing Shen Ji Yun and Eclipse transform, this smoke definitely looked like a prelude to that. If his race was something that had a beast form, then that would also exin his appearance.


    Before he couldment on whether his assumption was correct, the blue smoke dispersed. He blinked in surprise because of this. Then, suddenly, he heard a loud shout in his head. It was Eclipse''s voice.


    [Mashter, behind you!]


    Because of this sudden shout, his body instinctively jumped forward. Turning around in mid-air, he saw a de that thrusted towards him. If not for Eclipse''s warning, he would have been already stabbed by that de. But more than that, his attention was attracted by the blue me behind the de''s dagger.


    From the blue me appeared a hand, then an arm, and then a body. Razor appeared with the half side of his body covered in blue mes while the lower half ¨C from his thighs to his feet ¨C was surrounded by blue smoke.


    Seeing this, Luo Yan''s eyes contracted. Well, the possibility of the other transforming into his beast form also disappeared like a smoke at this moment. And the curiosity of wanting to know what the other''s race was only intensified even more.


    He was only awakened when he heard Eclipse''s voice in his head again.


    [Mashter, sorry if Eclipse interfere with your fight.]


    A small smile appeared on Luo Yan''s face. This little guy was probably worried that he would be angry because of his sudden warning. After all, he did say that he wanted to win this match without Eclipse''s help.


    [It''s fine. I''m not angry. Thank you, Eclipse.] ¨C he said. [Can you ask Captain if he knows what race my opponent is?]


    He decided to just ask. He didn''t want his curiosity get the better of him. It would be too embarrassing if the reason he lost was because of hisck of concentration due to being too curious, then he might as well forfeit this match now.


    [Okay. Eclipse will ask Captain!]


    As Eclipse was asking Shen Ji Yun, Luo Yan''s opponent had already dispersed into smoke again. He frowned a bit. An opponent that could turn into smoke was definitely troublesome. But two could y the same game.


    Before a blue me could appear once again out of nowhere, Luo Yan had already taken his [Invisibility Cloak] out. Completely disappearing from everyone''s view.


    And so, in the audience eyes, what appeared was an empty rink with a blue smoke floating around.


    Cai Hong narrowed his eyes and almost couldn''t resist the urge to sigh. He didn''t think that Noctis still had something like this under his sleeve. He actually didn''t want to fight in this form. Simply because he wasn''t used to this kind of fighting style. He preferred the much more visceral type of fighting. The kind where he could go one-on-one with a person without the use of any kind of stealth. Just like how he and Noctis had fought.


    But as much as he liked that kind of fight, he didn''t like when it''s being prolonged. Because a long fight was just simply boring. So, after his appearance was revealed in front of everyone ¨C which was kind of annoying by the way ¨C he decided to simply use one of the characteristics of his race.


    He thought he could take the other by surprise and quickly end the fight. Who would have thought that Noctis would manage to dodge his attack as if he had eyes behind his back?


    And now, the other had also disappeared from his sight.


    If the former round was a battle of speed and strength, then, was this round a battle of stealth?


    Hah, it seemed like he really had to work hard to win this match. He looked around and narrowed his eyes. Now, where did his opponent go?


    The moment Luo Yan used the cloak, he quickly rushed to one corner of the rink. This way, he had a clear vision of where that blue smoke was. Unlike him who waspletely covered by the cloak, Razor didn''t reallypletely disappear. He could still see a blue smoke floating here and there, indicating the other''s location on the rink.


    He was thinking what move he should do next when he heard Eclipse''s voice in his head.


    [Mashter, Mashter, Captain told Eclipse what the big smurf''s race is!]


    Luo Yan almost burst outughing when he heard Eclipse''s description of Razor. It''s a good thing he managed to stop himself on time. [What is it?]


    [He''s a Djinn!]

 Chapter 717 - NOCTIS VS RAZOR (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 717 - NOCTIS VS RAZOR (IV) </h4>


    A DJINN? Like the genie in ddin? That small revtion took Luo Yan by surprise once again. If Eclipse didn¡¯t tell him about it, he would have never guessed that that was Razor¡¯s race.


    [Thank you, Eclipse.] ¨C he said.


    The little boy¡¯s voice immediately echoed in his mind, [No worries, Mashter. Eclipse is happy to help!]


    He observed his opponent once again. He really couldn¡¯t match him with the image of a genie. Maybe because the image of the genie in ddin was embedded in his mind too strongly that he couldn¡¯t help but associate the Djinn he was fighting to that genie.


    That genie was happy-go-lucky and a bit obnoxious at times. He was loud and loved to prank people. But he was also endearing and kind-hearted. Like a big kid. He couldn¡¯t really associate that with Razor who constantly had a dead-pan expression on his face.


    Oh well, at least their skin color was the same.


    Knowing that the other was a Djinn, Luo Yan started to analyze what possible skill the other had that was unique to his race. The smoke and the blue me were already a given. Unlike the dragon me, Razor¡¯s me was a bit different. It didn¡¯t have an offensive characteristic. It didn¡¯t even feel hot when he was near it. In fact, it felt like the mes had no temperature at all.


    So, the mes were just for aesthetic? Since Razor could turn into smoke, there should be me? Was it that kind of logic? Knowing how big the game devs¡¯ brain hole, that might really be the case.


    Speaking of a genie, wouldn¡¯t this guy have a skill rted to wishes? Surely, it wouldn¡¯t so such an OP skill that the other could wish to win this game and Luo Yan would just magically lose, right?


    Anyway, he continued to observed the blue smoke that would appear here and there on the rink. After a while, he finally noticed a pattern. There was a set time in which the blue smoke appeared. After observing for a set of time, he finally concluded that the smoke would appear every 30 seconds. It would maintain that form for five seconds before dispersing in the air.


    A n was already starting to form in his mind. He only had a time window of five seconds to execute it. But that was enough. With his presence hidden inside the [Invisibility Cloak], the only thing he needed to worry about was getting the timing right.


    Luo Yan focused his whole attention on the rink. The moment the blue smoke appeared, he rushed forward and then used one of his skills ¨C [Shadow Cage].


    When Cai Hong felt something dangerousing closer to him, he knew that Noctis finally couldn¡¯t help but move his hands. He readied himself for whatever attack that wasing. But he was not worried. In his current state, any physical attack would not work and would simply go through his body. But he still braced himself just in case the other used a skill that could affect him.


    And then, something unexpected happened. His shadow ¨C or the smoke¡¯s shadow ¨C on the ground suddenly expanded. Then, different parts of it rose like some kind of shadow tentacle, enclosing him like a cage.


    He felt confused for a second. But then calmed down quickly. Surely, Noctis didn¡¯t think that this cage, whatever this was, could keep him, right? His smoke form began to disperse. But when the smoke came in contact with the cage, the shadow started to ¡¯devour¡¯ the smoke.


    Yes, ¡¯devour¡¯ was the closest word he could think of to describe what he was seeing. The shadow was slowly eating his smoke and as it did, Cai Hong was slowly turning back to his normal form. Until his avatar waspletely revealed. He knew then that this cage was no ordinary cage at all.


    He hadn¡¯t had time to observe and analyze the cage because he saw a ck dagger rushing through one of cage¡¯s gaps. Due to his quick reflexes, he somehow managed to dodge it. Before he could think of a way to get out of this cage and fight back, he felt something hitting his back.


    He tried to look back but he suddenly felt his body freezing up. It¡¯s not like his body was turning into ice but more on the fact that he simply couldn¡¯t move. He understood that whatever had hit him caused this. If he didn¡¯t do something, the next move that Noctis would do would definitely finish him off.


    So, he no longer hesitated and used the skill unique to his race ¨C [Three Wishes].


    Just like the name suggested, it¡¯s a skill that would grant three wishes. But this only worked if the ¡¯wish¡¯ he made had something to do with his game avatar. For example, he could wish for his stats to increase tenfold, but he couldn¡¯t wish to suddenly defeat his opponent. Any wishes that involved his environment or any factor in it wouldn¡¯t be granted.


    He first wished for whatever status ailment that¡¯s been bothering him to be dispelled. As soon as he did, he immediately felt that he could move again. Then, the second wish he made was to be able to ¡¯see¡¯ where Noctis was. An image of the rink appeared in his mind and there standing behind him was the white-haired elf. And thest wish he made was to teleport on the spot behind where Noctis was standing.


    The things that happened in the next second flew by so fast that neither the audience nor Luo Yan could have predicted it. Razor disappeared inside the cage and before Luo Yan could react, he felt something stabbing him from the back. When he looked down, he saw the tips of a de poking out his chest.


    Shit.


    His HP was declining rapidly. And he knew that if he didn¡¯t do something, he would definitely turn into light particles at any second. So, he did the best thing he could at the moment.


    He plunged into his own shadow.

 Chapter 718 - NOCTIS VS RAZOR (V)

    <h4>Chapter 718 - NOCTIS VS RAZOR (V) </h4>


    CAI HONG blinked. He was waiting for Noctis to turn into light particles. But after a few seconds, nothing happened. He was sure that the de of his dagger went through something. But when he stretched his hand, nothing was there.


    He thought that Noctis managed to quickly run forward or something. After all, the other was still in that invisible stealth mode. But that¡¯s when he saw the shadow on the ground acting strange. Like a stone dropping on ake and causing a ripple.


    At first, he suspected that a shadow cage would appear again. But that suspicion disappeared when he saw the shadow cage he had been in copsed and it rushed to the shadow where the ripple appeared. Almost as if this shadow was absorbing it. Or to be more precise, it¡¯s like it was entering the shadow to go to its source.


    Cai Hong narrowed his eyes at the shadow below. Could it be--?


    The shadow looked pretty normal now. But there¡¯s a chance that the white-haired elf was inside it. No, there¡¯s a high probability that Noctis was indeed there. Considering the other¡¯s shadow attribute which was probably something unique to his race, that might really be the case.


    If so, then the other was most likely healing the wound he inflicted. And then he would bounce back to fight him once again.


    Cai Hong already felt a headacheing. It would probably have been better if his opponent was that dragon. Maybe that one wouldn¡¯t give him this much headache.


    He gazed down at the shadow. If that was some kind of skill, then, there would be a time limit for the other to remain inside the shadow. Noctis would definitely do a sudden attack to take him by surprise. Considering how he disappeared into the shadow, this skill probably gave him the ability to travel through it.


    He wasn¡¯t sure just how much the scope of this shadow skill was. But he knew that he should do something to prevent the other from attacking him directly. The best way to do that was to get rid of any kind of shadow on the rink. But the problem was, he didn¡¯t know how. The only way he could think of was for the whole ce to go dark. If there¡¯s no light, there¡¯s no shadow, right?


    But how could he possibly do that? There¡¯s probably another way that didn¡¯t involve extinguishing all the light in this ce. Maybe if he had listened to his science sses, he might have known the answer to that.


    Cai Hong drank a high-grade potion to fill his depleted HP from the stab he suffered earlier. He then scratched the back of his head annoyingly. Ah, whatever.


    He just had to keep an eye on the shadow below him. And for good measure, he turned into his smoke form. He nned to just float around the rink. That way it would be harder for the other to suddenly attack him. And so, he once again dispersed like a smoke.


    Inside the shadow, Luo Yan¡¯s HP finally became full after drinking two high-grade potions. He also took that time to fill his MP. The effect of the [Invisibility Cloak] was already over. But since he could use it three times a day, it¡¯s effect would return againter.


    He actually had to take it off for a second just to see if it was damaged by Razor¡¯s stab. Thankfully though, the hole that the de made was starting to close on its own. He actually only found out at this moment that the cloak had that kind of function. Probably because this was the first time he was stabbed like that.


    What he should be worried about was the time duration he could use [Shadow Walk]. Right now, he could use it for five minutes before it entered cooldown. He had to finish this match by then.


    Remembering how Razor suddenly got out of the [Shadow Cage] and even managed to negate the effect of the Eternal Lotus, Luo Yan wondered if it had something to do with the ¡¯wishes¡¯ that genies granted. Well, if that was the case, then the other had probably already consumed those wishes.


    That¡¯s good news for him. But it¡¯s not like he¡¯s in a good spot either. [Shadow Cage] was already on cooldown. It¡¯s the only skill he had that could force Razor to turn back to his avatar to normal mode.


    He sighed. [Well, there¡¯s still that method.]


    He took off the [Invisibility Cloak] and returned it to his Items Tab. Then, he shed both of his palms using his two daggers each, coating them with his avatar¡¯s blood.


    After that, he looked at where Razor was. Just like how he managed to trap the other using [Shadow Cage], he timed when his smoke form appeared on one ce.


    He traveled through the shadow and jumped out on the spot where the smoke was. He attacked the smoke and as expected, his attack just passed through it. But he didn¡¯t care because he was waiting for something.


    When he saw half of Razor¡¯s body materializing, he smiled inwardly and began to attack more fiercely. He was going in and out of the shadow while attacking Razor from different directions.


    He didn¡¯t care if the other managed to defend his attack or if he simply turned to smoke and dispersed. He continued to follow and attack him like some rabid dog. Then the notification he was waiting for sounded in his mind.


    [The target has enough blood sprayed on him. You can now drag him to the shadow world.]


    Finally!


    When Razor thrusted his dagger towards him, he didn¡¯t dodge. Instead, he just moved his body a bit so the dagger would plunge on his shoulder. This certainly startled the other. Giving him the chance to held Razor¡¯s wrist.


    Then, he pulled him into the shadows.


    As they entered the shadow world, Razor¡¯s avatar immediately turned into its normal form. As if the shadows around ate the smoke.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t give Razor any chance to react or to counter. He simply stabbed both daggers into the other¡¯s chest.. Then, he twisted both for good measure.

 Chapter 719 - END OF QUARTERFINAL ROUND

    <h4>Chapter 719 - END OF QUARTERFINAL ROUND </h4>


    SHEN JI YUN gripped the railing of the royal box tighter. His gaze focused on the rink. The moment Luo Yan was stabbed on the shoulder, he stood up from his seat and rushed to the railing like a bullet. He probably moved even faster than Uncle Tian.


    But could you me him? He¡¯s been in a state of constant worry since the start of this match. Of course, it¡¯s not because he didn¡¯t trust Luo Yan. He knew that he was a strong yer, proven time and time again whenever the two of them did a task together. But even if his brain understood that, his heart still couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    He barely managed to stop himself from jumping directly to the ring and kicking that Djinn when he saw his rabbit being stabbed. If he wasn¡¯t thinking properly, he might have really just done that.


    Then, when he saw Luo Yan pulling his opponent into the shadow, a sour feeling suddenly filled his heart. His rabbit hadn¡¯t even pulled him there and yet that Djinn had managed to go there before him? How could he not feel sour?


    Realizing how his thoughts were going off the rail again, he forcefully shook his head. Seriously, what¡¯s his problem? He¡¯s probably the only person who would feel jealous over such a thing. What was he, a four-year-old child or something? He shouldn¡¯t be thinking of these things when they still didn¡¯t know Luo Yan¡¯s current status was.


    "Eclipse, can you contact Yan Yan?"


    When Shen Ji Yun heard Luo Ren asked that, he immediately turned to Eclipse. Why didn¡¯t he think of asking Eclipse that sooner? By now, they all knew that Eclipse could stillmunicate telepathically with Luo Yan even in his humanoid form. He quickly looked back at the boy, waiting for the other¡¯s answer.


    "Eclipse can¡¯t connect to Mashter," Eclipse said, shaking his head. "The shadow world is like a separate space. Eclipse and Mashter¡¯s telepathicmunication won¡¯t work. But don¡¯t worry, Mashter will definitely be fine!"


    As if to confirm that, there was a ripple on the shadows on the rink and then a figure jumped out from it. His long white hair was swaying with the wind. He slowly opened his closed eyes, showing blue irises dusted with gold. He probably knew that his face was being shown to the virtual screen above. So, he lifted his head and smiled.


    Just like what he thought, his beautiful smiling face appeared on the screen. Causing the crowd to go wild and cheer.


    Shen Ji Yun finally let out a sigh of relief seeing this. And then, he proceeded on admiring his rabbit¡¯s beauty from afar.


    Luo Yan cracked his neck from left to right. Ah, finally that was over. It was a good thing that his [Shadow Walk] skill had leveled up before the start of the Rookie Carnival. With its higher level came some perks as well. And that included being able to pull another entity into it.


    The prerequisite was pretty simple - just ssh them with a good amount of his blood. Inside the shadow, aside from his abilities, that of others would be negated. That¡¯s why Razor turned back to his normal avatar once he entered the shadow.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t retain other entities inside for a long period of time. The limit was five seconds at most. That¡¯s why he needed to defeat Razor in that time window. Thankfully, he seeded.


    In truth, Luo Yan actually had no ns to use [Shadow Walk] in this match. But his opponent turned out to be quite formidable. If he didn¡¯t use [Shadow Walk], he would lose.


    Now, both Malekith and Dragnar knew about his ability to travel through shadows. He could no longer use it to take the two by surprise. Oh well. What¡¯s done was done. Besides, it¡¯s not like he was solely relying on the element of surprise to win against his opponent.


    Luo Yan looked up, waiting for the Duke of Hearts to announced his win. Just as he thought of that, the duke flew down from the pavilion and stopped in front of him.


    "This lord was just about to show everyone what happened when you pulled the Djinn into the shadow. And you really just had to appear without even giving me a chance to," the duke said, looking at him like he did something illegal. "This lord didn¡¯t even see how you won!"


    "Sorry?" Luo Yan responded, feeling like he needed to.


    The duke only snorted. "Forget it. Just by looking at you, this lord knew that you¡¯re not the considerate kind of guy."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows at that. He wanted to retort but chose not to. Who knew if this temperamental duke would punish him for it?


    The Duke of Heart flew away from him and faced the crowd. "The winner of fourth match ¨C Noctis!"


    Once again, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd. It almost felt like everyone was chanting and shouting ¡¯Noctis¡¯. Of course, as the recipient of their cheer, Luo Yan had to reciprocate. He waved at the audience area, causing the cheer to be even louder.


    "You¡¯re enjoying yourself, aren¡¯t you?" the duke suddenly interjected.


    Luo Yan only smiled as an answer.


    The duke snorted again before pping. And then, the three other winners of this round appeared on the rink.


    Luo Jin immediately rushed to his brother¡¯s side. "Yan, you¡ª ahm, congrats on winning."


    Luo Yan stared at Luo Jin¡¯s expression which was part excited and part worried. He smiled amusedly. "Thank you, Ah Jin."


    "With the end of the fourth matches the end of the quarterfinal round," the duke said loudly to the audience. "After two-hour break, the semi-finals willmence." Then, he circled around the four others on the rink. "And now, this lord presents to you lot the four remaining participants of this Carnival!"


    The face of each of them appeared on the virtual screens floating above.


    And once again, the crowd cheered.

 Chapter 720 - SOME WOLF- NO, A DOG

    <h4>Chapter 720 - SOME WOLF- NO, A DOG </h4>


    AFTER the quarterfinals, there would be a two-hour break before the semi-finals resumed. The quarter-finals didn¡¯t take more than an hour. So, even after the two-hour break, they wouldn¡¯t go over the time limit one could stay inside the game. That¡¯s why Luo Yan suggested that they passed the time at Yuexing Pavilion.


    He wanted to drop by ¨C he hadn¡¯t really been in the pavilion much for the past two weeks because he¡¯d been busy doing the hidden task and also grinding to level up. So, he left everything to the NPC manager. And he also wanted to show his father and older brother the ce, that¡¯s why he suggested it.


    Everyone agreed. But not all of them coulde. Bai Ze said he saw a friend and was nning to talk to them. He said he would be back during the semi-finals. He looked extremely excited for some reason.


    Su Yuqi also wasn¡¯t able to apany them. She had to log out because some famous calligrapher would visit their house and she had to be there. But just like Bai Ze, she said that she would be there during the semi-finals.


    This made Luo Jin frown rather fiercely. Luo Yan knew that his younger brother was simply trying not to show his disappointment. But because he was trying so hard, he ended up looking like a bitter gourd.


    At the end, they were left with the Luo family, Yu Jiao, Eclipse, and Shen Ji Yun.


    It was two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, so, it¡¯s not business hours. The only ones inside the pavilion right now were the NPCs.


    Luo Wei Tian looked at the beautiful building in front of him with its ancient architecture. The design was no less from Yunyue¡¯s headquarters he had been in. No, in fact, this one looked more detailed. With theke in front of it, this ce would definitely look more magnificent during the night.


    "So, this building belonged to our Xiao Yan?" he asked.


    He remembered that Luo Yan had mentioned this ¡¯business¡¯ to him and Luo Ren about a month ago. Since then, there was money being transferred to Luo Yan¡¯s bank ount every day. And it was not a small amount of money too.


    He was suspicious about this at first. Worried that someone might be scamming his son or something. After all, it was about Luo Yan. He had to check it no matter what. So, he asked his secretary to do some research. The report that came back surprised him.


    ording to the report, there were a lot of young people ying Arcadia who earned money through it. The usual way was establishing a business inside the game. The money they earned from it was not paper money but real money. Because of this system, it helped a lot of kids who needed money not only for their education but also for their living expenses. There were even some who became breadwinners of their family.


    Although Luo Wei Tian was not familiar with how Arcadia worked, with the exnation he read on the report, he simplypared it to young people having their own world where they could y games and even earn at the same time. Now, that he also entered Arcadia, it seemed that his understanding was not so different.


    "Yes, Dad. It¡¯s called Yuexing Pavilion," Luo Yan answered. "What do you think? It¡¯s beautiful, right?"


    "It¡¯s very beautiful," Luo Wei Tian said, agreeing to his son. "Did Xiao Yan design this?"


    "No, I¡¯m not that talented," Luo Yan said, chuckling. "The one who designed it was probably one of the game devs."


    "Actually, it¡¯s my Uncle and the head of the programming department of Moonlight Media," Shen Ji Yun interjected. "They designed this together."


    The head he was talking about was Brother Zhao. From what he remembered, they designed it three-four years ago? He wasn¡¯t really sure. What he remembered was his uncle jokingly said that he designed the pavilion with the love of his life in mind.


    It was a passingment that Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t really put into heart. But after that serious talk he had with his uncle, he suddenly remembered thatment and understood that the other was referring to Uncle Yue. No wonder the name of Yuexing Pavilion had the character of ¡¯moon¡¯ in it.


    Luo Wei Tian nced at Shen Ji Yun and nodded. This Shen Yi Mu was indeed very talented.


    Luo Yan also looked at Shen Ji Yun, wondering why he hadn¡¯t heard this story before. Then, he shrugged. He didn¡¯t ask about it so there¡¯s really no reason for Shen Ji Yun to say it.


    But not long afterwards, he suddenly received a private message from someone. He opened his Message Tab and saw that it was from Shen Ji Yun. He raised one of his brows and read it.


    YUN: [I only just remembered it not long ago. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t mentioned it to you before.]


    Reading this, Luo Yan couldn¡¯t help butugh inside. He didn¡¯t expect that the other would notice his questioning gaze. He lifted his head and looked at Shen Ji Yun¡¯s direction again. The other was actually standing a few steps away from him. In fact, if his father and older brother were not standing so close to him, Shen Ji Yun might have already walked to his side.


    He smiled at the other and mouthed, ¡¯it¡¯s okay¡¯.


    Shen Ji Yun smiled when he saw this.


    There was also someone who saw this little action between the two. Luo Ren narrowed his eyes. He wanted to move forward and block this kid from smiling at his younger brother. But he stopped himself because of the promise he made to Luo Yan. That he would only observe and not interfere with the progress of the rtionship of the two.


    He nced at his unsuspecting father who was busy admiring the architecture of the pavilion. He wanted to call the other and tell him that his baby son was about to be kidnapped by some wolf- no, a dog would probably be more appropriate.. But he could only sigh at the end.

 Chapter 721 - SOMETHING WRONG

    <h4>Chapter 721 - SOMETHING WRONG </h4>


    LUO WEI TIAN sighed in satisfaction after drinking a sip of tea. This tea was very fragrant and calming. He couldn¡¯t help but rx after drinking only a few sips. Drinking this tea was like being transported to the top of a mountain, breathing the fresh air and watching the magnificent view ahead.


    The most wondrous thing of all was that, he was not really drinking anything in the real sense of it. All of this was just a simtion inside his brain. And yet the taste and the emotions he felt was very real. Truly, what a wonderful technology.


    He had also tasted the snacks that these so-called NPC had served them. They all tasted authentic and delicious. He raised his tea cup and took another sip.


    "Good tea!" he couldn¡¯t help but finally eximed.


    Luo Yan smiled seeing how satisfied his father was with the tea and snacks in his pavilion. They were currently in the biggest and most expensive private room in the pavilion.


    The customers possessing a ck Card were the only ones allowed here. It¡¯s not only because it could amodate more people, but also because of the big window that overlooked the beautiful view of the back garden. It might look a bit ordinary during daytime, but during the night, this view looked a bit magical.


    He lifted his own tea cup and drank a sip. He agreed with his father that this was really a good tea. It was a tea concocted by Bian Que ¨C the number one Alchemist in the game. The other¡¯s shop ¨C Potions and Cauldrons ¨C had been supplying them with tea for more than a month now. It was after they agreed with a contract.


    Speaking of that famed Alchemist, he still remembered that the reason he reached to the other was because he was hoping that Bian Que could make a pill that could change a pet into their humanoid form. But before he could execute his n, Eclipse had already changed into his humanoid form by his own ability.


    With Eclipse¡¯s appearance at the Rookie Carnival, there would definitely be other yers who would want a pet with a humanoid form. A business savvy like Bian Que would definitely not miss such a good opportunity to make money. Although it probably wouldn¡¯t be that easy.


    Luo Yan put down the cup of tea and looked at everyone sitting on the round table with him. His father looked very rxed while looking outside the window and drinking his tea. His older brother was busy talking to Yu Jiao who showed a shy smile from time to time.


    Luo Jin nced at their brother with a disgusted face. But because of his avatar, this expression only made him look even cuter. This guy was probably envious that their older brother could talk like this with his ¡¯sweetheart¡¯ while he could only sit there and drink tea.


    Luo Yan really wanted to stretch his hand and pinched the other¡¯s cheek. Too bad Luo Jin was sitting across from him.


    On his right side was a boy eating different snacks very deliciously. Once Eclipse knew that they were about to eat, he quickly transformed back to his humanoid form. When the quarter finals ended, this kid turned to his fox form and nestled in his arms. But after hearing that they would eat, he quickly turned to his humanoid form. Now, he was even ignoring his Mashter and his favorite Captain for the food.


    Luo Yan smiled and shook his head. Then, he nced at Shen Ji Yun, who was sitting beside Eclipse, and was surprised to see that the other was staring at him. Seeing that he was caught, Shen Ji Yun suddenly turned to the other side. But after a few seconds, he still nced back at Luo Yan. As if he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    Watching the other like this, Luo Yan let out a soft chuckle. Shen Ji Yun seemed to have heard himugh. His slightly red face immediately turned flushed. Like a cooked shrimp.


    How adorable. But he also admired the other for staring at him so brazenly despite all of his family being present. Did Shen Ji Yun want to announce to everyone that he liked Luo Yan? Not that Luo Yan minded. But this was not really the right time.


    His father still didn¡¯t know Shen Ji Yun that well. His impression of him was still a bit shallow, just knowing that the other was a kind young man. And this impression still depended on the fact that Shen Ji Yun was friends with Luo Yan. If that friendship suddenly turned into something else, his father might just beat Shen Ji Yun to a pulp.


    It¡¯s a good thing that his father was busy admiring the surroundings. He still felt very novel about everything so he didn¡¯t pay attention to Shen Ji Yun. With how sharp his father was ¨C well, except when it came to Luo Yan ¨C he would have already noticed that Shen Ji Yun¡¯s gaze on him was a bit crooked. And he would definitely have realized in no time the other¡¯s feelings for his lovely son.


    In Luo Yan¡¯s opinion, Shen Ji Yun still needed to earn a bit more brownie points. That way, their future would go a bit more smoothly.


    The oblivious father, Luo Wei Tian, suddenly had an epiphany while drinking tea. If the food and drinks here tasted the same as in reality, wouldn¡¯t it mean that he could eat anything without worrying about his health?


    Maybe whenever he had free time, he could enter this game and go on a food tour? He was thinking of asking Luo Yan¡¯s if there were restaurants in this game. And if there were, could he give him a list? But when he turned to his son, he inadvertently saw a red-faced Shen Ji Yun peeking at Luo Yan.


    His brows creased. Why did he think that there¡¯s something wrong with this look?


    Before he could think deeper, Luo Yan suddenly turned to him and smiled at him.


    "Dad, drink more tea," Luo Yan said, pouring tea on his father¡¯s cup.


    And just like that, Luo Wei Tian¡¯s attention was quickly transferred.. What he thought of just now waspletely thrown off to the back of his mind.

 Chapter 722 - SILLY FATHER

    <h4>Chapter 722 - SILLY FATHER </h4>


    THE two-hour break came to an end in just a blink of an eye. The crowd who was eager to watch the semi-finals was back to the audience area. Of course, the same was true for the rest of team Yunyue and the others.


    Luo Wei Tian was the first one to teleport back to the royal box. He was about to sit down on his usual seat when his eyes happened tond on the handsome young man that teleported after him. No, he should not probably call the other a ¡¯young man¡¯. ¡¯Little girl¡¯ was a more urate term.


    But looking at the other¡¯s handsome profile, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel a bitplicated. No matter which angles he looked, this Yu Jiao really looked like a boy. But since Luo Ren said that the other was a girl, it could only be so. His eldest wouldn¡¯t joke about something like that. So, what choice did he have but to believe?


    Besides, Luo Ren even admitted to him that he liked Yu Jiao. That son of his had never spoken like that about a girl before. So, no matter what Yu Jiao¡¯s appearance was, Luo Wei Tian would never dislike it. Something like appearance should never be the deciding factor in choosing a partner in life. What¡¯s much more important was the heart of that person.


    A beautiful soul was a thousand times more appealing than a beautiful face. That¡¯s the beauty from within that even time couldn¡¯t erode.


    And this girl could be his future daughter-inw. He should try to give a good impression. That way, in the future, when his eldest started to chase her, she wouldn¡¯t think that he would be disagree with their rtionship.


    "Jiao Jiao,e, sit here beside Uncle," he called.


    Yu Jiao was startled by this call. She didn¡¯t know how to response. But she knew that she couldn¡¯t decline. That would be too rude. Especially since the other was a respected elder. Even more so because he was her friends¡¯ father. Despite a little bit of hesitation, she still walked forward and sat beside Uncle Luo.


    "Uncle," she said, calling the other respectfully.


    Luo Wei Tian nced at the girl. Her posture showed slight timidity, a clear sign of nervousness and uncertainty. And yet, she still sat beside him. Doing something despite of one¡¯s fear showed great courage. He nodded very appreciatively.


    "I don¡¯t think I have told you this before, but thank you for being friends with Xiao Yan," he said, his voice full of sincerity.


    "No, no, Uncle, there¡¯s no need for thanks," Yu Jiao quickly said. "I¡¯m the one who¡¯s thankful. For me, Yan Yan¡¯s friendship is like a gift of heaven. Meeting him and being his friend are two of the best things that happened in my life."


    Luo Wei Tian stared at Yu Jiao while the other was talking about Luo Yan with a sweet smile on her lips. He suddenly worried for his eldest. It wouldn¡¯t be that his two sons would end up being love rivals in the future, right? If so, who would he support and cheer on?


    At this moment, father Luo had already made up a lot of dog-blood dramas in his mind. If Luo Yan or Luo Ren knew about this, they could onlyugh at their silly father.


    -----


    Back at the waiting room...


    Unlike when they started with 16 participants, there were only four inside. Well, four plus an extra fox.


    Eclipse, in his fox form, was lying in Luo Yan¡¯s arms. [Mashter, is Eclipse going to fight with you in this round?]


    Luo Yan was about to answer when he noticed Winged Tassel looking at their direction. No, it was more urate to say that the other was looking at Eclipse. He seemed to notice his gaze, so he raised his head and smiled at him. Then, he turned his head to another direction in a very natural way. As if he hadn¡¯t been staring at Eclipse.


    Luo Yan frowned. Just what was the deal with that guy? From when the other talked to him yesterday when they were in the winners¡¯ suite and then this, why was he so interested in Eclipse? He wouldn¡¯t really be one of those furries, right?


    His brain was already making up stories about how this Winged Tassel chose to y this game just so he could fulfil his hobby. Like doing this and that to poor NPCs that had animal characteristics. Although the game had protection for NPCs, there were probably still ways to go around that. And someone with a distorted world view would definitely find those ¡¯ways¡¯.


    What it this Winged Tassel bastard was having some weird fantasies about Eclipse? Oh, hell no. He¡¯d been him to a pulp before he let his grubby fingers touch Eclipse.


    [Mashter?] ¨C Eclipse called once again, his voice was tinged with confusion, probably wondering why his master didn¡¯t answer his question.


    Luo Yan took a deep breath and exhaled it. As if releasing the negative thoughts he had just now. He smiled down at the little fox in his arms. [If we¡¯re fighting the dragon, then, yes.]


    With how unpredictable the method of matching the participants was, he could end up fighting anyone in the semi-finals. But if he was to choose who would he rather fight in this round, then, he¡¯d definitely choose Winged Tassel. He really disliked how that guy was looking at Eclipse.


    The little fox tilted his head. [Is it because he¡¯s stronger than the other two? No, your brother gnome is definitely not weaker! But that bird guy is definitely weak.]


    Luo Yan chuckled hearing Eclipse¡¯s response. [Regarding Ah Jin, well, I just want to fight him 1v1. And that bird guy, let¡¯s just say I want to beat him to smithereens myself.]


    [Oohhh... did that bird guy pissed off Mashter?]


    Luo Yan stroke Eclipse¡¯s little head. [Hmm... you can say that.]


    [Eclipse can understand. That bird guy¡¯s face can really piss off anyone.]


    Before Luo Yan could respond to that, a virtual screen appeared in the room.

 Chapter 723 - ADORABLE CINNAMON ROLLS ISLAND

    <h4>Chapter 723 - ADORABLE CINNAMON ROLL''S ISLAND </h4>


    [PLEASE, follow the green arrows.]


    After that notification, green arrows appeared floating and pointing towards the door of the waiting room. Luo Yan nced down at his brother, the other also looked at him. They both nodded at each other and then walked out of the room. The remaining two also followed.


    They continued to follow the green arrows on the corridor. Luo Yan noticed how the direction they were walking on would not lead them to the rink. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder just what kind of gimmick this game had prepared for them.


    At the end of their destination, four doors appeared. On each door was their names. It followed the sequence of their wins. From the leftmost door to the rightmost, the names were; Dragnar, Winged Tassel, AmazingYoungMasterJin, and Noctis.


    Before they could observe the doors, a virtual screen appeared in front of them saying;


    [Please enter the door that has your name on it.]


    Luo Yan nced at his brother. He had a feeling that this was probably thest time they would meet before the semi-final round was finished. So, he said;


    "Good luck, Ah Jin."


    "Who needs luck?" Luo Jin snorted before raising his head and looking at Luo Yan. "Be careful."


    Luo Yan chuckled. The other was obviously worried. But Luo Jin being Luo Jin, he had to say something thorny before saying something sweet. "You too."


    Then, they walked towards the door and opened it. The other two also did the same. After that, all four entered their designated door.


    When Luo Yan walked in, the door that he just entered disappeared. What appeared in his eyes was a clean, white room. White ceiling, white walls, and a white floor. Because of this, one couldn¡¯t see where the three met, making it looked like he was floating on a pure white space.


    The little fox buried his head in Luo Yan¡¯s arms. [Mashter, this room makes Eclipse dizzy.]


    He couldn¡¯t me the other for saying that. A pure white room with not even a speck of dust in it was like being stuck in nothingness. He once read that imprisoning someone for a long period of time inside a room with nothing but the color white could lead to a mental breakdown. It could easily be a form of torture.


    He narrowed his eyes, wondering what kind of gimmick this was. Then, suddenly, something started to appear in front of him. It¡¯s like pixels being strewn together until it had a concrete form. And there standing was a chibi version of the Duke of Hearts.


    "Hello there, peasant," the other greeted in his usual arrogant manner. But because of his current appearance, this arrogance only made him look adorable. "First of, try to think of your favorite ce. It could be anywhere else. It could even be your own room. Just anything."


    With the duke¡¯s suggestion, a particr ce suddenly appeared in Luo Yan¡¯s mind. Soon, the white room began to change. Pixtion appeared here and there until the white roompletely vanished and it turned into a very familiar ce.


    A ce in the clouds with wildflowers blooming and a tall tree with pure white leaves falling like snow. He was surprised seeing this scene. He actually wanted to think of their home¡¯s back garden. But unexpectedly, this ce was the first thing that came to his mind.


    He smiled. Well, it seemed that he really considered that floating ind as his and Shen Ji Yun¡¯s special ce.


    [Mashter, Mashter, isn¡¯t this the Captain¡¯s ind?] ¨C Eclipse eximed with awe. He raised his head, looked at his master and asked in a very innocent tone, [Mashter, are you thinking of Captain right now?]


    Luo Yan only patted the little fox¡¯s head and did not answer. Was he thinking of Shen Ji Yun at this moment? No, not exactly. But maybe his subconscious didn¡¯t think so.


    "Oh, this is quite the fascinating ce you¡¯ve got here," the dukemented, cutting of Luo Yan¡¯s train of thought. "Can this lord know the name of this ce?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "Let¡¯s just call it ¡¯Adorable Cinnamon Roll¡¯s Ind¡¯."


    [Mashter, what if Captain heard what you said?] ¨C Eclipse asked in a shocked voice.


    [Don¡¯t worry, how could he know? Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m lying. Brother Ji Yun is indeed an adorable cinnamon roll.]


    But contrary to Luo Yan¡¯s belief, everything that¡¯s happening in the rooms that the four participants walked in was being broadcasted at the coliseum.


    -----


    Four virtual screens were currently floating inside the coliseum. Each one showed what was happening with the four remaining participants of the Carnival. The people that were in the royal box could pick the participants they wanted to watch and small virtual screens would appear in their box.


    Of course, team Yunyue et al chose Luo Yan and Luo Jin. Everyone had their attention split between the two screens. Except for Shen Ji Yun. All his attention was only for his rabbit.


    He watched as Luo Yan entered the white room and was asked by the small version of the duke to think of a ce. He had already guessed that the room would transform to whatever ce they would think of.


    The room started to change. And once it¡¯spletely transformed, Shen Ji Yun¡¯s eyes imperceptibly widened. Because the room now turned into his ind. Thousands of thoughts shed through his mind at that moment. But the most prominent was ¨C ¡¯Yan Yan thought of my ind! Does that mean he¡¯s thinking about me?¡¯.


    "What¡¯s the name of this ce Xiao Yan thought about? It seemed a bit magical, isn¡¯t it?" Luo Wei Tian¡¯s voice echoed, his tone full of curiosity.


    Bai Ze who knew what this ce was wisely shut his mouth. For some reason, he felt that it would be dangerous to let his uncle know that this Shen Ji Yun¡¯s ind. Su Yuqi, who also knew about the ce, didn¡¯t say anything.


    Shen Ji Yun¡¯s daydreaming was quickly cut off because of Uncle Tian¡¯s question. He was contemting whether to tell the truth or not when the duke asked the name of the ind. He sweated a bit, thinking that Luo Yan would say that it was his ind. Instead, what he heard was;


    "Let¡¯s just call it ¡¯Adorable Cinnamon Roll¡¯s Ind¡¯."

 Chapter 724 - HEART ADVANTAGE

    <h4>Chapter 724 - HEART ADVANTAGE </h4>


    BAI ZE choked on his own saliva because of what his cousin said, causing him to have a coughing fit. ¡¯Adorable Cinnamon Roll¡¯s Ind¡¯? Was that how Luo Yan saw Shen Ji Yun? Never in his life would he think of associating those words to his friend. It would be much more believable if his cousin called it ¡¯Walking AC Ind¡¯ or ¡¯Expressionless Master Ind¡¯.


    "What¡¯s wrong Ah Ze?" his uncle asked.


    "Nothing- nothing, Uncle," he quickly said. "My throat just suddenly felt itchy."


    Luo Wei Tian nodded and returned his attention to the two screens.


    Bai Ze nced at his friend who seemed to be frozen on the spot. He couldn¡¯t really me the other. If he was called an adorable cinnamon roll by the person he liked, he would definitely feel embarrassed to the extreme. Because it didn¡¯t fit his image at all, much less Shen Ji Yun.


    His cousin didn¡¯t have a problem with his eyes, right? Wait- maybe it was not Luo Yan¡¯s fault but Shen Ji Yun instead. What if that was really the way his friend was acting around Luo Yan? Like some na?ve kid who unknowingly sold meng. Just imaging it already gave Bai Ze goosebumps.


    Unlike him, who was curious and puzzled to the point of getting goosebumps, Su Yuqi only found the situation very interesting. Just by what Luo Yan said and the way he said it, she could tell that the other probably had the habit of teasing Shen Ji Yun. By the looks of it, Luo Yan always had the upper hand. And he thoroughly enjoyed it.


    On that ount, they were certainly quite simr. Then, she turned her gaze to the screen where the little gnome was.


    Shen Ji Yun didn¡¯t know what to feel at that moment. Luo Yan just practically called him an adorable cinnamon roll. It was such a shock that his whole body just froze. Probably because it¡¯s so unscientific! Just what part of him corresponded to those words?


    The word ¡¯adorable¡¯ fit Luo Yan perfectly, not him. He wasn¡¯t sure about the cinnamon roll part. But paired with the word ¡¯adorable¡¯, it probably fell on the category of cute and lovely. Again, that¡¯s not him, it¡¯s Luo Yan.


    Or maybe the other only meant that he looked like a dried cinnamon stick. Luo Yan only added the word ¡¯adorable¡¯ because he was a human with a passable face. He was more inclined to believe that this was the case.


    He suddenly felt sad for a moment. He raised his hand and touch his face. Did he really look like a dried cinnamon stick?


    -----


    While Shen Ji Yun was contemting whether he should go and buy skincare products, the carefree Luo Yan¡¯s conversation with the Duke of Hearts continued.


    "Hmp! If you don¡¯t want to tell this lord, then, just say so," the duke said with a hint of annoyance in his voice, talking about the name of the ind that Luo Yan gave.


    "Please, don¡¯t be mad milord," Luo Yan quickly said just in case this entric duke suddenly gave him a handicap in the next match just because he was annoyed at him. "This ind is not mine. I don¡¯t have permission to give anyone its name."


    The duke only rolled his eyes at him. "This lord doesn¡¯t want to talk about this nameless ind anymore."


    "Yes, yes, let¡¯s not talk about it."


    The duke narrowed his eyes at Luo Yan, as if wondering whether he was being patronizing or not. At the end, the other just gave up probing and just said;


    "Do you remember the heart you received during the Carnival¡¯s prelims?"


    After the other mentioned it, Luo Yan only just remembered that there was indeed such a thing. He thought that it was just some sort of figure of speech, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t put much importance to it. But now, it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case?


    "It seems that you do remember," the duke said after seeing his expression. "Since you receive my heart, I will give you one advantage in this semi-final round. And that advantage is - you can give your opponent a handicap. Within reasons, of course. That means, you can¡¯t simply ask for his moments to be sealed or for his stats to turn zero. If you¡¯re confuse, don¡¯t worry, this lord will judge whether your request is reasonable or not."


    Luo Yan was quite surprised hearing that the ¡¯hearts¡¯ given by the duke would have such a function. If he remembered correctly, the only ones who received a heart were not yet eliminated were him and the golden dragon. That meant that the two of them would have an advantage over the other two.


    "What if none of the yers you gave hearts to managed to reach the semi-finals?" he thought of asking.


    The duke then gave him a look as if asking if there was something wrong with his brain. "That¡¯s impossible. If this lord gave you a heart during the prelims, that meant that your performance was enough to show that you have the ability to reach this stage. That¡¯s how good my eye for talent is."


    The other¡¯s tone of voice was more like he was praising himself instead of him praising those he gave hearts to.


    "So, what handicap will you give your opponent?" the duke asked right after.


    "Can I make my decision after I find out who my opponent is?" he asked tentatively.


    "Then, let¡¯s see who will fight with whom, shall we?"


    After the duke said that, he snapped and the four names of the remaining participants appeared in the air. It shuffled around until they lined up in two pairs.


    Luo Yan looked at the result and asked, "Are these two pairings totally random?"


    The duke grinned. "Of course not. This lord let the other two who didn¡¯t receive a heart decide who they wanted to fight with. And based on this result, their decision on who to fight definitely didn¡¯t contradict the other."


    Because floating above Luo Yan were;


    [AmazingYoungMasterJin vs Dragnar] and [Winged Tassel vs Noctis].

 Chapter 725 - DECIDING THE MATCHES

    <h4>Chapter 725 - DECIDING THE MATCHES </h4>


    LUO YAN could only shake his head helplessly after he saw this result. At first, he truly wanted to fight with Winged Tassel. But after hearing the heart advantage part, he changed it to Dragnar.


    If he fought with the golden dragon, that meant that Luo Jin wouldn¡¯t have to suffer any handicap and he could fight freely. But it seemed that his brother also had the same idea. It¡¯s just that the other wanted him to fight someone who he could use the handicap to its full advantage.


    Since both he and Dragnar received hearts, that meant that both of them could sanction a handicap against each other. Then, it would simply be like cancelling each other out. Their advantage would only depend on what kind of handicap they gave the other.


    On the other hand, if Luo Yan fought someone who couldn¡¯t give him a handicap, then, he could utilize the advantage given to him to the full extent. In this case, that could only happen if he fought with Luo Jin or Winged Tassel. His brother obviously didn¡¯t fight with him, so, the only option was thetter.


    Luo Yan could already tell that this was how Luo Jin¡¯s train of thought went. Once again, a helpless smile appeared on his lips. Well, things had already reached this point. Even if he wanted to request for a change of opponent, the duke might just throw him out of this room and promptly disqualify him. Since this was the case, might as well make the best out of it.


    [Mashter, does this mean that Eclipse won¡¯t fight with you again?] ¨C the little fox in his arms suddenly asked, obviously disappointed.


    Luo Yan nced down and gently patted Eclipse¡¯s fluffy head. [Don¡¯t worry, even if Eclipse doesn¡¯t fight with me in this round again, everyone already knows how amazing you are. No one would think you¡¯re not helpful. Much less me. Cheering me on is more than enough. So, be my small cheerleader, okay?]


    He said that because it¡¯s most likely the reason why the other was feeling down knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be of much help to his master again.


    As expected, Eclipse¡¯s mood quickly brightened. [Eclipse will definitely cheer on Mashter!]


    "So, what¡¯s your decision?" the duke¡¯s voice interrupted the mental conversation between the two. "What kind of handicap will you give Winged Tassel?"


    Luo Yan had already decided on that early on. "I want to disable his wings." Meaning the other wouldn¡¯t be able to fly and also wouldn¡¯t be able to use the feathers on his wings. "Is it possible?"


    After all, the duke had mentioned earlier that the handicaps they would choose to give should be within reason. If his request was not within this so-called ¡¯reason¡¯, then, he could only change it. Which was not a problem since he had already though of a few alternatives.


    Although the duke agreeing to the handicap he just said would be the best oue, it also wouldn¡¯t matter that much to him if the other didn¡¯t. It¡¯s not like whether he would win or lose would depend on it anyway. Everything still depended on one¡¯s skills. If he lost just because the handicap he¡¯s nning to give his opponent didn¡¯t pass the duke, then, he could me himself for beingcking.


    "Hmm... it¡¯s not impossible. But this lord could only disable his wings for 15 minutes."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan grinned. "That¡¯s enough time."


    The duke raised one of his brows. "Hopefully, you¡¯re not just all talk and could actually bring entertainment to this lord."


    Luo Yan gave an elegant bow like some butler. "I won¡¯t disappoint you, milord."


    The duke only scoffed as a response. "Since that¡¯s over and done with, you and Dragnar should decide which match should go first."


    After saying that, the chibi version of the duke suddenly disappeared in the room. And it was quickly reced by a virtual screen. On it was a young man with burning golden hair and eyes.


    "Hello," Dragnar called in an awkward manner.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t know if it was his imagination, but it seemed like this guy always seemed awkward whenever he¡¯s interacting with him. It¡¯s the same when he fought the other on the Four-Seasons Ind. Dragnar couldn¡¯t look him in the eye, as if he had done something to be guilty about.


    Which was weird. Because the two of them never had any kind of interaction beforehand besides during the prelims. So, what was Dragnar feeling sorry about?


    If the golden dragon knew what he was thinking right now, he would definitely feelplicated. Because he was indeed feeling guilty. Not because of anything he had done but because of his sister¡¯s hobby.


    Luo Yan shook his head. Anyway, this was not the time to think about that.


    "So, who should go first? My match or yours?" he asked.


    Although it¡¯s quite weird that the decision was left to them, it kind of still fit with the situation. After all, the ones who decided who would fight with whom were the other two. So, having them decide who would go first didn¡¯t really seem that wrong.


    "The young master and I could go first," Xia Lei said without much hesitation.


    He really couldn¡¯t say that the other should have the first match. His conscience simply didn¡¯t allow him to. Especially after thinking of all those spicy fanarts his sister had drawn. That¡¯s why he was quite thankful that the one he ended up fighting in this semi-final round was not the other. His guilty conscience was still not ready for it.


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t have much objection to that. "Okay."


    After they reached consensus, the virtual screen suddenly disappeared and a notification appeared in front of him.


    [The semi-final round will start in 10 seconds.]


    A countdown then appeared. At the same time, afortable couch appeared behind him. As if inviting him to sit down. And he did sitfortably.


    He raised his head and saw that the countdown was almost over.


    3... 2... 1!


    After thatst number, a new virtual screen appeared.. This time, it showed the coliseum rink.

 Chapter 726 - INTRODUCTION (1ST MATCH)

    <h4>Chapter 726 - INTRODUCTION (1ST MATCH) </h4>


    THE sun was shining brightly above the Floating Coliseum. But none of the people in the audience area could feel its heat. In fact, they felt more heated in their hearts. Why? Because in just a few minutes, the semi-final round would start.


    From hundreds of participants, only four were remained. They were the cr¨¨me of the crop of this year¡¯s rookies. If the four continued to y the game, they would definitely enter the game rankings. This Carnival would be like a stepping stone to them. And as the audience who would witness their first step into the big leagues, of course, they would feel excited.


    They had already seen the process of how the next two matches would be conducted. They were only waiting now for the semi-finals to officially begin.


    As if hearing their prayers, a red smoke appeared at the middle of the rink and as it dispersed, it showed the Duke of Hearts figure. He was holding a mic as if a real emcee. But no one cared. Because the duke appearing only meant one thing ¨C the semi-finals was finally about to begin!


    "My dear lowly peasants, this lord wees you back to the Floating Coliseum!" the duke said, full of energy. "We finally reach the semi-final round of this Carnival. Are your bets still in the running for the championship?"


    The duke raised the mic towards the audience as if wanting to hear their answer. Of course, the crowd didn¡¯t disappoint him. There were those who shouted ¡¯yes¡¯ and those who shouted ¡¯no¡¯. But no matter what their answer was, everythingbined just turned into a loud cheer.


    Satisfied by this reaction, the duke continued, "Then, let this lord introduce the two valiant warriors who would fight to the death to gain the highest glory of this Carnival." He then gestured his hand to the right. "On the right corner, the crowd favorite of this year, one of the few dragons still living, and someone who received my heart ¨C Dragnar!"


    The crowd cheered once again. Their voices were very loud, showing just how much they¡¯re supporting the golden dragon.


    Xia Lei, who walked out from the right corner of the rink, felt very embarrassed. Seriously, what kind of introduction was that? He thought that it was over after that, but the duke still continued while he was walking towards the rink.


    "He arrived at Olkdale Town March of this year. Since then, he had been proving himself by doing tasks and raiding dungeons. He even managed to enter the Swordsman PvP ranking. And now, participating in this year¡¯s Rookie Carnival, he had reached the semi-finals and is one of the yers expected to win. Could he live up to this hype? Or would he fall at this stage? This lord is very interested to find the answer to that."


    Xia Lei almost cringed at what the duke was saying. It almost felt like the other was narrating some cheesy show on TV. He quickened his steps, hoping that the duke would stop once he was on the rink. Facts proved that his decision was correct. Because the moment he stepped on the rink, the entric duke finally stopped with his cringed-worthy introduction of him.


    "Now, let¡¯s wee the brave warrior who will fight against Dragnar," the duke said, gesturing to the left side of the rink. "On the left corner, belonging to the special race of gnomes, the self-proimed amazing young master, and one whose name is so annoyingly long to say ¨C AmazingYoungMasterJin!"


    If Xia Lei was embarrassed, then, Luo Jin¡¯s level of embarrassment was greater. At least what the duke said about the other was almost equivalent to a praise. He couldn¡¯t exactly say the same with what the other said about him.


    Luo Jin almost didn¡¯t step out. But he had a feeling that this duke would say something worse if he continued to dally. So, he walked out from the left corner and started walking towards the rink. As he did, he was startled by the cheer of the crowd. He could even hear some calling him ¡¯young master¡¯.


    Just like what he did for Dragnar, the duke continued his introduction of Luo Jin.


    "He arrived at Olkdale Town in the middle of July. With his tenacious spirit, he started to conquer a lot of dungeons. He steadily leveled up and became stronger. Now, in this Carnival, he is constantly proving that he deserved to be called ¡¯amazing¡¯. Will he be the dark horse in this tournament and defeat the fan favorite? Or will he proved to be not-so amazing after all? This lord is very excited to know which one it will be."


    The first part was pretty okay. But the second part made Luo Jin want to punch the duke. If the other wasn¡¯t an important NPC, he might really just consider doing that. He took a deep breath, decided to ignore the other and just continued walking.


    Once he reached the rink, the duke continued on with his tirade.


    "The two yers who will fight it out until the end are here. Let¡¯s give them a warm of apuse to cheer them up, shall we?"


    After the duke said that, the audienceplied and pped as hard as they could. Calling out to the two as they did.


    "Now, let the first round of the semi-final round begin!"


    The duke disappeared in a puff of red smoke. The only ones who remained on the rink were the golden dragon and the ck-haired gnome.


    The two didn¡¯t dawdle and both started to attack one another the moment the duke disappeared. Luo Jin took out his guns while the other unsheathed his sword.


    While Dragnar was trying to close their distance, Luo Jin quickly jumped back to retain it. And as he did, he didn¡¯t forget to shoot at the other. He didn¡¯t know what kind of handicap he received. He really didn¡¯t feel any different from normal. But it didn¡¯t matter.


    Because with or without handicap, he would still do his best to win.

 Chapter 727 - SEMI-FINAL 1ST ROUND: AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN VS DRAGNAR (I)

    <h4>Chapter 727 - SEMI-FINAL 1ST ROUND: AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN VS DRAGNAR (I) </h4>


    LUO JIN knew that he would be at a disadvantage in this fight. Not only was his opponent a dragon, a handicap was also sanctioned on him. What¡¯s worse was, he had no idea what this handicap would be. But that didn¡¯t mean that he was regretting his decision of choosing Dragnar as his opponent.


    When the duke had told him the ins and outs of what would happen in the semi-finals, he didn¡¯t hesitate to choose Dragnar as his opponent. The fact that the duke told him, and most likely that Winged Tassel guy as well - about the ¡¯heart advantage¡¯ meant that they were given a chance to choose whether they would subject themselves to such a handicap or not. It¡¯s probably the Carnival¡¯s way of being fair.


    But Luo Jin didn¡¯t choose the ¡¯fair¡¯ way. He freely chose to be at the disadvantaged position. So, he could give Luo Yan the best advantage. Although the other would probably disagree with his decision.


    This might be apetition, but his inherent desire to give his second brother all the best things toppled his desire to win. Luo Yan earned that heart. Not being able to fully utilize it just because he didn¡¯t get the right opponent was simply a waste of opportunity.


    Although this was the choice Luo Jin made, it didn¡¯t mean that he was giving up. Wouldn¡¯t it be much cooler to win despite having the odds stack against him? Besides, if he won this, then, he and his brother would most likely face in the finals.


    The two of them being the only ones remaining at the end was definitely the best possible oue. And to reach that, he had to defeat this dragon.


    Speaking of, as he was pondering about things, Dragnar had already closed the distance between them. The other had already raised that me sword of his and was about to cut him off.


    Luo Jin quickly shot the sword using his ice gun. His ice bullet did not faze the other¡¯s sword. In fact, it melted. Not like he¡¯s expecting otherwise. In fact, he just used the force of the collision so he would be catapulted backwards. Which was what happened. And as he was moving back, he fired his fire gun and used his skill [Curve Shot].


    Dragnar dodged it, as expected. But since that shot would curve back like some kind of homing boomerang, he continued to fire at the other to get his attention and let him focus on the front. Which was quite effective since he was only looking at the bulletsing for him ¨C dodging and blocking them.


    As he was firing shots at the other, he could feel that there was no significant change in his stats. Meaning that the handicap that Dragnar sanctioned him with didn¡¯t have anything to do with that. Could it be rted to his skills?


    He remembered his [Hailstorm] and [Meteor]. Those skills were definitely handicap-worthy. Since he wouldn¡¯t really get notification if those two skills were disabled, the only way to know was to try to use it. But using the two skills just to confirm whether his guess was correct or not was kind of... yeah, it¡¯s a bit stupid and rash. So, if he wanted to go that route, he had to be smart about it and not just go head on without any n in mind.


    Luo Jin secretly nced at the bullet he shot when he used [Curve Shot]. He did it in a way as if he was only inadvertently ncing on that side. The bullet was now near Dragnar. So, he intensified his attacks, making sure that the other would only focus on things happening in front of him.


    It just so happened that Dragnar blocked two bullets at the same time that the bullet from behind was about to hit him. The other didn¡¯t have any chance to dodge it. So, Luo Jin was sure that he would be hit. But against his better judgment, Dragnar did something that subverted his expectations.


    Right after blocking the two bullets, the other suddenly swung his sword to the back. He swung it in such a smooth manner that it¡¯s almost as if he was holding a spear rather than a sword.


    Luo Jin would definitely be impressed if not for the fact that he just saw the bullet that was supposed to hit Dragnar be sliced in half. And because of the momentary surprised that he felt, he didn¡¯t immediately see Dragnar breathing fire towards his direction. When he did, the golden mes had almost reached him.


    He wanted to curse. He should have already expected that things wouldn¡¯t be that easy. This guy was his opponent after all. But it already happened. Right now, all he could do was to dodge as quickly as possible.


    He dodged to the left. But his foot hadn¡¯t even touched the floor yet when he felt a looming shadow beside him. He nced to the side. Before he could feel surprised seeing Dragnar there just right after the other¡¯s little methrower attack, his gaze was more attracted to the ming sword that was about to swing horizontally towards him.


    If he didn¡¯t dodge it, he had no choice but to be cut in half. No matter how much high-grade potions he had, he was sure that before he could even drink one of them, he would quickly turn into light particles.


    "F*ck," he cursed, quite crisply too.


    To avoid the sword, Luo Jin could only do some matrix like move. He bent his body backwards. To the point that his knee and head were almost on the same straight line. This would definitely not be possible if he did this in real life. He might just break his back trying.


    The ming sword passed by him naturally. But the thing was, he noticed something very important. The height in which the sword passed by didn¡¯t even reach his avatar¡¯s head! Which meant even if he just stood there and did nothing, he wouldn¡¯t be shed!


    But not only did he do something, he even performed some weird gymnastics.. Luo Jin¡¯s whole face turned as red as a boiled shrimp at that moment.

 Chapter 728 - SEMI-FINAL 1ST ROUND: AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN VS DRAGNAR (II)

    <h4>Chapter 728 - SEMI-FINAL 1ST ROUND: AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN VS DRAGNAR (II)</h4>


    THERE was a pause. As if the rink, no, the whole coliseum suddenly became silent. It was only for about 2-3 seconds, but it felt infinitely longer than that. Well, that was certainly the case for Luo Jin.


    Then, after that pause,ughter filled the coliseum. Even Dragnar, who was still holding his previous pose of swinging a sword, let out a chortle. And then he immediately closed his mouth as if forcefully stopping himself fromughing. Which only made him look like he was constipated or something.


    This made Luo Jin¡¯s whole face burn in embarrassment and anger. It¡¯s like the other was rubbing salt to his wound, mocking him for being short. Logically speaking, he knew that thest part was most likely just inside his head. But emotionally, he didn¡¯t give a shit whether it¡¯s just his imagination or not. Because he¡¯s too angry toprehend that.


    While Dragnar was still busy wondering if he shouldugh or not, Luo Jin, who was still in that matrix-bending position, shot the other¡¯s knee. Because everything was too sudden, Dragnar had no way to dodge. He fell on one knee and Luo Jin took that opportunity to push himself upward using one hand and giving Dragnar a kick on the chin as he did so. He flipped mid-air and pointed his ice gun at his opponent.


    Then, he used his skill [Iceberg Bullet] and pulled the trigger.


    Xia Lei could feel that the situation right now was very dangerous. This was the result of him being too careless. But really, could anyone me him?


    When he swung his sword earlier, he didn¡¯t doubt that it would not reach the other. This young master gnome also thought so that¡¯s why he tried to dodge as best as he could, even bending backwards just so he wouldn¡¯t be shed. But who would have thought that he would actually miscalcte the height of his swing?


    The result was the two of them making a fool of themselves. Much more so for young master Jin who even did someplicated gymnastics only to notice at the end that it was not needed.


    The other¡¯s expression was so colorful, add that to his matrix-like pose, and Xia Lei almost couldn¡¯t resist the urge tough. But he knew that he shouldn¡¯t because that¡¯s rude and it would make it seem like he was mocking the other. Which was not the case at all. But when he heard the audienceughing, a slight chortle escaped his mouth.


    That¡¯s probably the reason why the other snapped.


    And now, one of his knees was shot, his chin was kicked, and a bullet wasing to his direction. He didn¡¯t hesitate to unfurl his wings and flew up. As he did, he quickly took out a high-grade potion to heal himself. But before he could drink it, he saw the bullet that young master Jin just shot still following him.


    He raised one of his brows. Was this a homing bullet just like that one that tried to hit him at the back earlier? He flew even higher and quickly drank the potion in his hand. But the bullet was still following him. He stopped and decided to just slice it up just like he did to that other bullet. So, he simply rushed towards it, his sword at the ready.


    But the moment he was close enough to cut the bullet, it suddenly turned into a huge iceberg! He had seen this happen during the fight with Lovelee. He never thought that this iceberg would actually be much bigger up close.


    He shook his head. This was not the time to be impressed by the size of this thing. Dodging was not an option. Because of its size, before he could go around or over it, he would already be hit. So, the best choice was to cut it.


    He raised his sword and was just about to do that when something hit him on the back, making him stagger. Then he realized that he was not simply hit. Whatever hit him put a hole on his shoulder. That¡¯s when he noticed the bullet sized meteor falling from the sky.


    He also remembered this. Young master Jin used it during the first round of the tournament.


    Seeing as how these meteor bullets were raining down all over the rink and a huge iceberg wasing for him from the front, really, there¡¯s not much option left for him. A helpless smile appeared on his lips before he was surrounded by a golden smoke.


    Then, a huge golden dragon covered the sky.


    Xia Lei breathed fire towards the iceberg,pletely melting it. While doing that, he pped his wings, producing strong gales of wind to prevent the meteors to hit him. He was not worried that it would hit the audience since they would automatically be protected by a barrier.


    Contrary to what a lot of people might think, he couldn¡¯t maintain this dragon form for an infinite period of time. Well, at least not at his current level. Right now, he could only maintain this form for about 15 minutes. Not sure if the same could be said with beastkins. But at least that¡¯s the case with Legendary cases.


    That¡¯s why he was d that when he fought with the kraken, other yers also participated with the fight. It would be too embarrassing to suddenly transform back to his humanoid form while trying to bite off the kraken¡¯s head.


    Anyway, since he had already transformed, he might as well finish this match in this form.


    Luo Jin narrowed his eyes at the huge golden dragon flying above the rink. Seeing as how the other had been hit multiple times already by those meteor bullets and still remained flying like it¡¯s nothing, he already knew what kind of handicap this dragon put on him.


    Dragnar then gazed down at the rink after melting the huge iceberg.. Then, the other opened its enormous maw and breathed down fire at the rink.

 Chapter 729 - SEMI-FINAL 1ST ROUND: AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN VS DRAGNAR (III)

    <h4>Chapter 729 - SEMI-FINAL 1ST ROUND: AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN VS DRAGNAR (III)</h4>


    BEFORE the golden me rained down on the rink, Luo Jin¡¯s thoughts were filled with the fact that Dragnar chose to disable his passive skill [Chaotic Mind]. That¡¯s the only exnation why the other could still move despite being hit by a skill that he fired in long distance.


    He wondered how Dragnar knew that he had such a passive skill. During hisst two matches, the fact that his opponents were affected by a passive skill was not so obvious. He didn¡¯t think that the other was so observant that he had noticed that. He would believe it more if someone told him that it was only a coincidence.


    That¡¯s right. It was indeed only a coincidence.


    When Xia Lei was asked what kind of handicap he would give his opponent, he actually wanted to forego this advantage. Especially after he found out that he would be fighting the young master gnome.


    He wasn¡¯t really a fan of unfair fights. If his opponent turned out to be Noctis, then, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to give the other a handicap. After all, he would also be giving him one. He was actually expecting the other two remaining yers ¨C young master and Winged Tassel ¨C to pick each other as opponents. Who would have thought that the two would pick him and Noctis?


    Wasn¡¯t it a natural conclusion that they would choose the one that wouldn¡¯t give them a disadvantage? But surprisingly enough, both made unusual choices.


    At first, Xia Lei told the Duke of Hearts that he didn¡¯t want to give the young master any handicap. But the other told him that that wouldn¡¯t be possible. He needed to give his opponent a handicap whether he liked to or not.


    Since he had to choose anyway, he chose to disable any skills that was unique to the other¡¯s race. Being a special race, he was sure that the young master would definitely have some annoying skill up his sleeve.


    Unbeknownst to Xia Lei, the effect of the skill he chose to disable was now being fully disyed.


    And that¡¯s when golden mes rained down on the rink.


    Luo Jin quickly dodged the iing fire. He took out [Shield of Aegis] from his Items Tab and put it above his head while he was dodging. This shield was a defensive item he bought at a high price at one of Arcadia¡¯s Weapon¡¯s Shop two months ago.


    Even though he bought it at one of the towns for lower level yers, it¡¯s defensive ability was still top notch. He bought it on a whim because he didn¡¯t have any other defensive item. It¡¯s a very convenient item that he¡¯d use from time to time.


    With the shild above his head, he maneuvered around the pir of golden mes. He wasn¡¯t sure how long this dragon would breathe fire on him, but he couldn¡¯t let it continue. If he continued to remain at the receiving end, he and this shield would melt sooner orter.


    While hiding under the shield and running around, he looked at the dragon flying above. It would be good if he could suddenly appear on the back of this dragon. No, wait. Maybe he could.


    He took out another item from his Items Tab. It¡¯s a short distance teleportation scroll. Just like its name, this item could let the user teleport in a short distance. It¡¯s not a very popr item. Mostly because of the high price that didn¡¯t really match its use. A yer could just easily run towards the short distance that the scroll was for.


    But it¡¯s a different matter during a match like this. And he just happened to have a lot of it. He was suddenly thankful that he was the type to buy small things like this in bulk.


    He looked at the dragon. Before he used the scroll, he needed to make a diversion first. So, he raised his ice gun and used his skill [Hailstorm].


    Xia Lei saw young master Jin pulling out a shield to defend himself against the me. That didn¡¯t deter him from continuously breathing fire. A dragon¡¯s me was one of the strongest mes in this game. Although he still wasn¡¯t at full level and therefore couldn¡¯t exert the full strength of his mes, he thought that what he had right now was probably enough to inflict major damage to his opponent.


    As he was continuing with his fire assault, hails as sharp as de fell down from the sky. He didn¡¯t feel it at first. That was until something sharp pierced his left wing. With these hails surrounding like some blizzard, he could no longer continue breathing fire down the rink.


    If he did that and ignored the hailstorm, he would be the one in trouble. So, to solve the problem, he searched for the point in the sky where the hails were falling. Finally finding it, heunched his body upwards like a rocket. He stopped just before the point that he had seen.


    He spread his wings and looked down. At this distance, he could see that only a quarter of the rink was left and the rest had already melted. He could also see the shield that the young master was using. It seemed to only be the size of a basketball. It¡¯s good that the other was still standing on the rink.


    He took a deep breath and then let out a huge pir of golden me. It melted all the hails until it reached the rink. He continued on and didn¡¯t stop. That was until he felt a thud on his back.


    He turned his head and saw the ck-haired gnome standing on his back, pointing two guns at him. He heard him clicked his tongue, as if annoyed that he noticed the other¡¯s presence.


    Xia Lei had no time to wonder how the other got there. Because he could feel that the young master would definitely pull the trigger of those guns any seconds now.


    As young master Jin pulled the trigger, a golden smoke surrounded the dragon¡¯s body.

 Chapter 730 - SEMI-FINAL 1ST ROUND: AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN VS DRAGNAR (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 730 - SEMI-FINAL 1ST ROUND: AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN VS DRAGNAR (IV)</h4>


    BECAUSE of Xia Lei quickly transforming to his humanoid form, the bullets that were supposed to hit his heart through the back passed by him by a hair¡¯s breadth. He unfurled his wings to prevent himself from falling. The golden smoke still hadn¡¯t dissipated yet. So, he couldn¡¯t see where the young master was.


    His question was answered when a barrage of bullets rained down on him from atop. Although he was wondering how the other could still stay afloat despite not having any wings, he still took out his sword and shed at the bulletsing his way. He hadn¡¯t yet finished disposing of all the bullets when another barrage of bullets came from his left. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, another barrage came from his right. It didn¡¯t end there, another one came from behind him.


    So, he was now being bombarded from all sides. He almost cursed. What was this young master doing? Was this some kind of skill? Or was the other had some other skill that could let him teleport from one point to the next?


    No matter what it was, the important right now was to evade the bulletsing at him.


    Xia Lei was indeed correct about some things. Well, not exactly correct but close to the truth.


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t have a skill rted to teleportation. He was simply using the many short-distanced teleportation scroll he had. And as he did that, he used one of his weaker skills [Bullet Volley]. It allowed the user to shoot 20 bullets in one shooting. The damage it could deal was not that high but it only had five seconds of cooldown. With such a cooldown, one could just literally use it continuously.


    Luo Jin tore another teleportation scroll and he appeared way above the golden smoke. Then he used [Bullet Volley] to let out a barrage of bullets from the top. He knew that what he¡¯s doing probably wouldn¡¯t give major damage to his opponent. But that was not his goal in the first ce.


    He was just using [Bullet Volley] as a distraction. With the help of the golden smoke, it was quite effective. But he knew that this wouldn¡¯tst. That¡¯s why he had to move as quickly as possible.


    When he saw the smoke being forcefully scattered, he knew that this was the right time to do next move. He tore another teleportation scroll and teleported right below the smoke. Just as he expected, Dragnar was pping his wings to forcefully get rid of the smoke. And because the source of this came from behind, Luo Jin could clearly see Dragnar¡¯s back from where he was currently falling.


    He pointed both guns towards the other¡¯s back. He made sure that they were pointing at the position where Dragnar¡¯s heart was. Then, he used [Cannon Beam]. As tacky as the name of this skill was, it¡¯s pretty useful. It could even be powerful as long as one knew how to properly utilized it.


    It¡¯s a skill that released high energyser beam. The strength of its damage depended on the uracy of the yer. The more urate the shot was, the stronger the damage. With the help of his [Sniper Specs] being urate wasn¡¯t really a problem.


    Each guns produced a beam of light ¨C one had a blue hue and the other had a red one. Each representing ice and fire. The two beams merged together to form one pir of violet light beam. That beam rushed towards Dragnar.


    To Luo Jin¡¯s surprise, as the beam was about to hit Dragnar, the other suddenly swerved to right. Which caused the beam to hit his left wing instead of his chest. A hole appeared on the left wing. But it was not enough to cause major damage. All because that left wing was not Luo Jin¡¯s intended target.


    He didn¡¯t know if the other was lucky or if he simply had an eye on the back of his head. Seeing that Dragnar was about to turn around, Luo Jin tore another scroll on the opposite direction.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was the moment he appeared, a sword sh wasing towards his direction. It was even close enough to reach his nose! Even with the help of gravity pulling him to fall, this sword sh would have definitely reached him. If not for his presence of mind, he would have definitely been hit.


    He managed to tear another scroll, just before that sword sh managed to hit him. Dodging an attack that could have been detrimental. He didn¡¯t teleport far, just a few distance away from where he was floating before.


    When he nced to where Dragnar was, the other was also looking at him. Shit. Howe this guy was looking this way when he was just about to turn around before Luo Jin teleported here? No, the question he should ask now was why did the other made that sword sh? Did he already know that he would appear on that particr position?


    No, Xia Lei didn¡¯t know about that. He just assumed that the young master would considering the different directions where the attacks came from since their mid-air battle started. And he was indeed right. He just didn¡¯t expect that the other was using a teleportation scroll instead of a skill to continuously move from one point to another. What an ingenious way to use that item.


    Now that he knew, it would be a lot easier to predict the other¡¯s movement. But first, he had to bring this fight on the ground. With one of his wings having a hole in them, his bnce was way off. He wouldn¡¯t be able to fight full strength in this.


    And so, he dived down. As he did, the young master did not waste time and again fired shots at him from all directions. He smiled helplessly. What a tenacious kid. Since he couldn¡¯t dodge properly because of his injured wing, he had to swing his sword like some kind of baton just so he could prevent these bullets from causing major damage.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was that just as he was getting closer to the damaged rink, the young master appeared right in front of him and pointed both guns to his face at point-nk range.

 Chapter 731 - SEMI-FINAL 1ST ROUND: AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN VS DRAGNAR (V)

    <h4>Chapter 731 - SEMI-FINAL 1ST ROUND: AMAZINGYOUNGMASTERJIN VS DRAGNAR (V)</h4>


    THE moment two bullets came out of the guns, Xia Lei stretched out his still good wing. With the sudden movement, he managed to move to the left. Because of that, he dodged the two bullets. But one slightly grazed his cheek.


    He didn¡¯t worry too much about that and simply used a ming sword sh to get the young master away from him. As expected, the other teleported somewhere. Before the other could throw another attack at him, he breathed out fire while spinning around as he dived downwards.


    Because of this, he was surrounded by his golden me as he was falling. He looked like some kind of meteor about to crash down on earth. With the protection of his mes, the bullets that the young master had no chance to hit him. This was mostly because the other was just doing normal attacks. If he used a skill, it might have been a different matter altogether.


    He could understand why the young master wouldn¡¯t use any big skill while teleporting from one point to the next. Because the other was using a teleportation scroll to move around, it was not conducive to use big skills. It was fine if the young master had wings like him. But attacking while moving around in the air using teleportation scroll was fairly hard.


    The other¡¯s attack could easily be affected by bnce and such things. That one skill that looked like aser beam was probably the only powerful skill he could use under the circumstance.


    If Xia Lei actually didn¡¯t quickly analyze the young master¡¯s attack pattern while he was bombarding him with bullets, he might have not been able to dodge that attack. He would most likely have been eliminated at that time.


    Nearing the already destroyed rink, he swung around andnded perfectly. The mes surrounding him also disappeared as he did. He took back his wings and finally felt a bit liberated.


    He took out a high-grade potion to replenish his HP and looked around as he did. As expected, the young master was nowhere to be seen. Of course, the other was definitely somewhere around here. Probably teleporting to his blind spots.


    He couldn¡¯t let this continue on. If he did, he might just find himself defeated without even knowing why. He smiled. But wasn¡¯t this more exciting? It¡¯s certainly much more fun to y a game without knowing the oue.


    He raised his sword and used his skill ¨C [me Tempest]. It¡¯s a sword skill that produced whirlwind of mes with every sh. It had a high damage output but could only be used for five seconds. That was enough. Xia Lei wasn¡¯t using it to defeat his opponent.


    The reason why he used it was to narrow the ying field and force the young master to stop moving around. He shed his sword as fast as he could and as many times as he could as well. He only had five seconds to use this skill, so he might as well use it as much as he could.


    He shed from all directions ¨C left, right, front, back, even the top was not left out. Whirlwinds of mes appeared on the already destroyed rink. For a second, these golden mes were all what filled the audience¡¯s gaze.


    Xia Lei actually left a little spot where someone with the young master¡¯s height and build could stand with no problem. Of course, he didn¡¯t make it too obvious. If he did, then, how would the other directly teleport on that spot? All his efforts would be in vain.


    Luo Jin, who was just about to attack Dragnar, was surprised by the sudden appearance of this fire whirlwinds. They almost epassed the whole area where the rink was. He didn¡¯t have much time to think. If he analyzed things first before moving, he might be incinerated before he could even finish thinking.


    His eyes quickly moved around and quickly found a spot where he could teleport. He tore another teleportation scroll and teleported to that spot. But the moment he did, he saw the pointy end of a sword being thrusted towards his face. He didn¡¯t think much and automatically squatted. The sword went pass his head, cutting a few strands of his hair. In fact, if the sword was just a bit lower, his avatar would have definitely turned bald with that attack.


    Being able to attack him this fast, it¡¯s obvious that the other was waiting for him to appear on this spot. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that Dragnar purposely left out that spot so he would teleport there.


    The other stopped for a second, probably momentarily surprised by the fact that he managed to dodge his surprised attack. But Dragnar quickly shed down his sword, immediately getting over the fact that his n didn¡¯t work.


    Luo Jin had to roll forward to avoid it. The surrounding was still filled with those fire whirlwinds. So, his range of movement was very limited. And most of all, when he nced at his Items Tab, he saw that he only had two short-distanced teleportation scrolls remaining!


    Dragnar immediately turned around and swung his sword to Luo Jin¡¯s direction.


    He narrowed his eyes at the other. Should he just do some desperate kamikaze attack?


    He raised his guns and used [Bullet Volley]. Dragnar dodged and blocked the bullets while rushing towards him. When the other was about to close in on him, he tore a scroll and teleported behind Dragnar.


    Xia Lei was already expecting that the young master would teleport there. It was a very subtle movement but he saw the other nced on the spot behind him. So, the sword that he was about to sh up front changed direction at the middle. He matched it by swerving around his whole body and shing his sword downward.


    The moment he did, a small arm was cut off and fell on the ground!


    But that didn¡¯t make him feel relieved. Because the fight was still not over. He was about to continue with his attack by shing horizontally to cut the other¡¯s head off when he felt a thud on his chest.


    He looked down and saw a hole on his chest.

 Chapter 732 - LIVING UP TO HIS NAME

    <h4>Chapter 732 - LIVING UP TO HIS ''NAME''</h4>


    THIS sudden turn of events made Xia Lei¡¯s brain stop functioning for a second. But that momentarypse caused him a great deal. He didn¡¯t see his opponent raising his gun and pulling the trigger.


    Before he realized what was happening, his head had already recoiled back because of the force that hit the center of his forehead. If he could see himself right now, then he would see a bullet wound on that part.


    When he finally realized that something was wrong, his avatar¡¯s body was already slowly turning to light particles. At that moment, he clearly understood one thing ¨C he lost.


    His emotions were torn between disbelief and amazement. He didn¡¯t expect that this match would actually end in this way. Just how did this happen? With his head filled with question marks, he disappeared from the rink.


    The crowd watching this suddenly erupted. Some were shocked. But most were in denial. They couldn¡¯t believe that the participant they were rooting for the most was defeated like this. When this match started, they never expected that this would be the oue. With the huge money they bet on Dragnar, they definitely couldn¡¯t ept this result.


    But how could they express their disappointment? The person they expected to win had already disappeared from the rink. Could they still vent their anger at the one who won? It¡¯s not like the other cheated. He clearly won the game fair and square. If they dissed him just because their bet lost, wouldn¡¯t the other people in the audience used them of being unreasonable?


    Still, the unwillingness in their hearts couldn¡¯t be erased that quickly. Those who didn¡¯t have enough self-control couldn¡¯t help but voiced out theirin.


    "What kind of shit is this?"


    "My money.... How about my money?!"


    "Did Dragnar lose on purpose?"


    These voices of dissatisfaction were few and far between. Even if there were others who agreed with their opinion, they were tactful enough not to voice it. It didn¡¯t take long for these dissatisfied voices to be drowned by the cheer of the remaining crowd.


    Luo Jin didn¡¯t care for this. Seeing Dragnar turning into light particles and disappearing, he finally rxed his body and let out the breath he was holding. That was close. Really close. He would not have won if he didn¡¯t make that gamble.


    A gamble that depended on his opponent¡¯s amazing battle sense.


    When Luo Jin decided to do that kamikaze attack, he assumed that Dragnar would turn around and sh his sword towards him. The sess of his n all depended on that scenario happening. So, to increase the sess rate, he deliberately nced at the area behind Dragnar. To nt the idea that he was about to teleport in that direction.


    And his opponent really did turn around.


    What Dragnar didn¡¯t know was that the moment Luo Jin teleported behind him, he had already used his skill, [Curve Shot]. Since he was already expecting ¨C hoping, actually ¨C that Dragnar would turn around and sh his sword towards him, he quickly jumped to the right the moment he teleported. Because of that, the other¡¯s sword cut his arm off instead of fully cutting him in half.


    With Dragnar¡¯s attention focused on attacking him, most likely to finish him with onest attack, the other didn¡¯t notice the bullet that wasing from behind. And that bullet lunged at Dragnar¡¯s chest.


    Luo Jin wasn¡¯tpletely relieved by this. So, while Dragnar was still in a daze because of the sudden turn of events, he shot the other¡¯s head using another one of his skills. Those two consecutive shots that hit Dragnar¡¯s vital points finally defeated the other.


    He looked at his pitiful HP that was close to zero. It¡¯s like it¡¯s telling him that his win was just a big stroke of luck. Which was true, by the way. His n could have gone in the worst possible direction with just one mistake.


    What if Dragnar didn¡¯t turn around? What if he noticed that bullet that pierced his chest? What if Luo Jin didn¡¯t jump to the right fast enough when he teleported behind the other? All of these could have led to his defeat. Thankfully, it seemed that the goddess of luck was on his side.


    And because of that, he won.


    He took a high-grade potion to replenish his HP and drank it. He nced at his shoulder that was missing a limb. His cut-off arm had already turned into light particles. An HP potion wouldn¡¯t regenerate his arm. He needed another kind of potion for this.


    He searched through his Items Tab and his brows furrowed after a while. Because it seemed that he didn¡¯t have the said item.


    Before he could think more, the voice of the Duke of Hearts echoed across the coliseum.


    "This is a very unexpected result, isn¡¯t it?" the other said as he flew down the destroyed rink. "This lord truly didn¡¯t expect that the crowd favorite ¨C Dragnar ¨C would lose. Those who bet on him are probably crying tears of blood because of how much money they lose."


    The other giggled at thatst part, clearly enjoying the fact that a lot of people lost their money because of Dragnar¡¯s defeat. The fact that the betting period had already ended and therefore the yers who betted on Dragnar could no longer bet on another yer made this situation even angry inducing.


    "This is why you shouldn¡¯t leave all your eggs in one basket. You never know when an egg thief wille and swipe it off from you," the duke continued.


    Luo Jin cringed at that analogy. So, was he an egg thief now?


    "Just like what happened in this match, a dark horse emerged from the shadow and kicked all of you in the gut." The duke nced at Luo Jin. "You really do live up to your name.." Then, he circled around him. "Presenting, the winner of this match and the first one to enter the finals ¨C AmazingYoungMasterJin!"

 Chapter 733 - INSIDE YUNYUES ROYAL BOX

    <h4>Chapter 733 - INSIDE YUNYUE''S ROYAL BOX</h4>


    HEARING the duke¡¯s announcement, it only registered to Luo Jin then that he really did win. He¡¯s going to the finals! He and his brother would face-off at the finals! A huge grin appeared on his face just thinking about that.


    Yes, our little gnome had conveniently forgotten that his brother still had a match he had to win before the two of them could really face-off at the finals. But who would tell him otherwise? So, let¡¯s just leave the young master Jin to his little happiness.


    At the royal box of team Yunyue, everyone was rejoicing because of this win. Especially Luo Wei Tian. He jumped to his seat, almost dragging Yu Jiao sitting beside him. If not for Luo Ren holding Yu Jiao¡¯s arm, that might have really happened. But his dear father didn¡¯t notice it at all because he was too excited.


    "Ah Ren, our Xiao Jin won! Did you see?" Luo Wei Tian said, his voice full of joy and his expression full of pride.


    He was actually very worried about this match. Especially after seeing how much the crowd favored Luo Jin¡¯s opponent. Throughout the whole fight, his son struggled tond a hit. The opponent even transformed into a big dragon. Luo Jin¡¯s fight just seemed too desperate.


    But his son managed to pull a curve ball right at the end. Defeating his opponent in a very ingenious way. As expected of his son.


    Luo Ren looked at his father. The other was very animated. He wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if his father suddenly danced around just to express his happiness. A helpless smile crossed Luo Ren¡¯s face. At the same time, he was d and happy that his father could show such a carefree look. It¡¯s truly a good thing that the other thought of logging into the game.


    "Yes, I saw, Dad," he said. "Xiao Jin is really amazing."


    Just like his father, he was very worried about the oue of this match ¨C with Luo Jin being defeated. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t matter even if he lost. They would still feel proud of him. The fact that Luo Jin won was just an added bonus. His brother¡¯s hard work paid off. So, of course, Luo Ren was very happy for his brother.


    His father then turned to the people in the royal box and said to each one how amazing Luo Jin was. The others could only agree with him. Seeing this, Luo Ren could only helplessly shake his head. Truly, his father was such a fool for his children sometimes. The good kind of ¡¯fool¡¯, of course.


    Luo Ren then turned to Yu Jiao who was looking at his father as if she was looking at an endangered species. Amusement filled his eyes as he saw that. He leaned down a bit towards the other.


    "Sorry about earlier. Dad was just a bit excited," he whispered, referring to when his father almost pulled up the other.


    Yu Jiao turned to Luo Ren, a smile crossed her lips. "No, there¡¯s no need to apologize. I think Uncle Luo is very cute." Then, she stopped, as if realizing that what he just said was kind of rude. "S-sorry. I- I didn¡¯t mean anything bad about it."


    Looking at Yu Jiao¡¯s cheeks with a slight tinge of red, he almost couldn¡¯t help but say ¡¯you¡¯re the cute one¡¯. But he stopped himself. He didn¡¯t want the other to feel awkward because of him.


    So, he could only smile and said, "I know. We, the Luos, could be adorable without trying."


    Yu Jiao tilted her head. Her expression was like telling him ¡¯you can be adorable?¡¯. Luo Ren couldn¡¯t stop theugh that slip his lips because of that.


    Sitting beside Luo Ren, Bai Ze unconsciously nced at team Siren¡¯s royal box the moment Luo Jin was announced as the winner. Although he was very happy that his cousin won, he couldn¡¯t help but worry about Xia Li¡¯s reaction to the oue of this match. After all, it was quite obvious that she and her brother was pretty close.


    And so, he could only send the other a private message.


    White Marsh: [Your brother did great.]


    Sending something like ¡¯sorry that your brother lost¡¯ would just be too weird.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the other to reply;


    Catnip: [Yeah. Hopefully, he also thinks so.]


    Bai Ze smiled seeing the other¡¯s reply. Because with just that, he could see that Xia Li was really a good and caring sister.


    On the opposite side, Su Yuqi pumped her small fist the moment Luo Jin shot the golden dragon on the forehead. Because that¡¯s a sure-fire way to decrease a yer¡¯s HP exponentially. She knew he won at that moment.


    She was filled with a mixture of satisfaction and pride. This kid had really gone a long way from when the two of them raided a dungeon together. But ultimately, she was simply happy for Luo Jin.


    [Good job, Luo Jin.]


    Back on the partially destroyed rink, the duke was looking at Luo Jin with his brows furrowed. As if he wasn¡¯t satisfied about something.


    "Hmm... this lord can¡¯t have the winner of this match looking like that," the duke said.


    Then, he snapped his fingers. In a blink of an eye, the missing limb of Luo Jin¡¯s avatar appeared attached to his shoulder. As if it wasn¡¯t cut off at all.


    Luo Jin looked at his arm. Now that was convenient.


    "Go and rest for a bit. Watch the next match infort."


    Before Luo Jin could react to what the duke said, he had already appeared in the room he was in earlier. As evidence of the imitation of their home¡¯s back garden. He sat down on thefortable couch at the middle.


    He actually wanted to meet with Luo Yan before the other¡¯s match started. But it obviously wouldn¡¯t be possible. They could probably only meetter. He wasn¡¯t worried about the next match.


    Because he¡¯s confident that his brother would win.

 Chapter 734 - INTRODUCTION (2ND MATCH)

    <h4>Chapter 734 - INTRODUCTION (2ND MATCH)</h4>


    [MASHTER, the young master won!] ¨C Eclipse excitedly said, almost jumping up and down on Luo Yan¡¯sp.


    "Yeah," Luo Yan answered with a big grin on his face.


    He was equally as excited as the little fox. He was so happy by this turn of events that he also wanted to jump around just to express the joy he was feeling right now. Although he truly wanted Luo Jin to win, he knew that it would not be an easy task. Dragnar had the huge advantage in terms of race alone. But his brother didn¡¯t give up and persevere until the end.


    He fought a bit recklessly but definitely smartly. Luo Jin used whatever was in his hands to his advantage. Even a bunch of teleportation scroll was used in a very ingenious way. Ultimately managing to defeat his opponents.


    If Luo Yan won his match, Luo Jin would definitely be a hard opponent to beat. But that¡¯s to be expected. His brother was obviously a great fighter. A very tenacious one too. It made Luo Yan want to do his best even more. Of course, he would do that regardless. Just like what he said to Luo Jin before, if the two of them ended up fighting each other, he would give it his all to defeat him.


    But first, he had to fight Winged Tassel and win.


    He wasn¡¯t nervous about it. He was even looking forward to it. It¡¯s not only because he couldn¡¯t wait to beat the other up, he also wanted to know just why the guy was so interested in Eclipse. As much as he wanted to believe that Winged Tassel was simply a furry, his logical side was telling him that it was because of some other reason.


    And he wanted to find out what that reason was.


    [Mashter, since the young master won, it means Eclipse won¡¯t be able to fight with you until the finals, right?]


    Eclipse¡¯s question cut off Luo Yan¡¯s train of thought. He looked down at the little fox and met the other¡¯s big blue eyes. He gently stroked Eclipse¡¯s fluffy head. "Yes. I¡¯m sorry if I can¡¯t let you fight in these next two matches."


    Although the two of them had already talked about this, he knew that Eclipse was still feeling disappointed that he couldn¡¯t fight with him.


    The little fox shook his head, showing him a smile. [It¡¯s okay. Eclipse understands. But where will Eclipse be while Mashter is fighting with the bird guy?]


    Now that¡¯s a good question. If he knew things would turn like this, he should have just left Eclipse with Shen Ji Yun. Although if he hadn¡¯t brought Eclipse with him to the waiting room before the semi-finals started, his suspicion about Winged Tassel would probably not intensify.


    Those eyes that stared at Eclipse at that time definitely didn¡¯t show any good intentions. That¡¯s why Luo Yan had decided not to let the little fox fight with him if he was ever matched with Winged Tassel. He just had a feeling that Eclipse would be in danger if he did.


    He already had an idea where he would leave Eclipse. But before he could answer the other, the Duke of Heart¡¯s voiceing from the floating screen echoed in the room they were in.


    "Now, why don¡¯t we go straight to the second match of this semi-final round?"


    The moment the other said that, Luo Yan felt his body being pulled into a vacuum. Just like the feeling whenever he was teleporting.


    When he opened his eyes, he was already standing on the right side of the already fixed rink with Eclipse in his arms. On the left side of the rink was Winged Tassel. Of course, one shouldn¡¯t forget this tournament¡¯s emcee. The duke was standing at the middle of the rink with a mic in his hand.


    Based on what happened during thest match, the other would probably start introducing him and Winged Tassel with that unique humor of his. He just thought that and the duke really did just that.


    "On the right corner, another crowd favorite, a white-haired beauty belonging to a special elven race, a fierce Assassin in the making ¨C Noctis!"


    The crowd¡¯s cheer wasn¡¯t as loud as when Dragnar was introduced. It¡¯s probably the result of the other losing. Being another crowd favorite, those who bet on him were probably worried about him suffering the same fate.


    "He arrived at Olkdale Town middle of July. With his heaven-defying luck, he managed to nab one hidden task after another. From these tasks, he received a lot of high-grade rewards, making him a lot stronger. Would his luck continue and triumph in this match or would he trip and tumble just like the other crowd favorite?"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. That¡¯s a way to rub salt to the wound. And the gleeful look on the duke¡¯s face when he said that would make anyone want to punch him. Luo Yan certainly thought of it. But he ignored it and just walked towards the rink.


    "Now, on the left corner, someone whom this lord didn¡¯t expect to reach this stage, belonging to the Tengu n, a Swordsman who could draw his sword at lightning speed ¨C Winged Tassel!"


    Luo Yan nced at his opponent. The other still had that creepy smile on his face. He seemed to be also looking at Luo Yan. But he knew that the other¡¯s gaze was focused on the fox in his arms. Luo Yan narrowed his eyes at the other. He really wanted to beat up this furry bastard.


    "He arrived at Olkdale Town only two months ago. But with just that short amount of time, he managed to reach unexpected heights. One could imagine just how much dedication he has to reach this point. Would he be another dark horse or would his wings finally be clipped in this match?"


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised hearing that the other had only started ying two months ago.. As much as he hated to admit it, this guy was definitely an amazing yer.

 Chapter 735 - TOO BAD, HUH?

    <h4>Chapter 735 - TOO BAD, HUH?</h4>


    SURPRISINGLY enough, there was a decent amount of cheer when Winged Tassel started walking towards the rink. Those who wanted to see another turn-around just like with the previous match cheered even louder.


    When the two were finally both standing on the rink, the duke continued on with his ¡¯emceeing¡¯.


    "These two are the ones who would fight for thest spot at the finals. Let¡¯s give them a warm of apuse, shall we?"


    As the duke said that, the crowdplied and apuded.


    "Now, let the second round of the semi-finals begin!"


    Before the duke could disappear and turn to red smoke, Luo Yan called out to him.


    "Wait, milord."


    The duke did stop and looked at him. "Is there something?"


    "Milord, may this humble servant request something?" Luo Yan said, his tone was very respectful. To raise the chances of the duke agreeing to his request.


    Interest shed in the duke¡¯s eyes, probably curious as to what he would request. "Oh, what is it?"


    Luo Yan walked towards the other. "My pet seems to admire the lord very much. He wanted to stay with you during my match so he could admire your amazing visage up close. He might be a bit naughty but he¡¯s very obedient. Can he stay with you, milord?"


    The duke seemed to not have expected that. He gazed down at the little fox in Luo Yan¡¯s arms. Then, he suddenly lifted his chin, his expression proud, as if it should only be natural that Eclipse admired him.


    The little fox, on the other hand, showed a dazed expression. He obviously didn¡¯t expect that his master would say such a thing!


    [Mashter, what are you saying? Eclipse definitely doesn¡¯t admire this pompous lord! Just look at his face! He¡¯s definitely thinking that Eclipse is his fan! No, Eclipse doesn¡¯t want this pot!]


    Luo Yan didn¡¯t have any change in his expression when he heard Eclipseining. He just gently patted the other¡¯s head. [Of course, I know. You¡¯re just going to act like you do. Look at the bird guy. He looked like he was about to vomit but he couldn¡¯t, so he just swallowed it.]


    When he told the duke about leaving Eclipse to the other during his match, that¡¯s the exact expression Winged Tassel showed. If Luo Yan still wanted evidence of the other having bad thoughts about Eclipse, then this expression was enough proof of it.


    The little fox nced at Winged Tassel and after seeing the other¡¯s expression, he said energetically, [The bird guy¡¯s expression is so funny! Okay, Eclipse will do as Mashter said.]


    Eclipse jumped down from his master¡¯s arms and was surrounded by ck smoke, turning into a seven-year-old boy. He was wearing new clothes, recing the clothes that were ruin in yesterday¡¯s match.


    A white robe that was simr to a priestess¡¯ kimono with wide sleeves. But instead of trousers that were also simr to a priestess¡¯ costume, he was wearing a pair of ck shorts. This set of clothes looked cute but still had a certain mystery around them. Especially added with the fox ears on top of his head and the five tails behind him.


    Eclipse looked at the duke with admiration in his big blue eyes. "Milord, can you let Eclipse watch the game with you? Eclipse really admires milord! Especially your posture. It¡¯s very, ahm, it¡¯s very domineering!"


    The duke seemed to be very pleased by Eclipse blowing rainbow fart. "Hmm... since you ask this lord so sincerely¡ª"


    Before the duke could continue, Winged Tassel suddenly interjected, "Milord, isn¡¯t it a bit of a waste to not let the little fox fight? Surely it would be much more interesting for milord to watch the little fox fight than have him by your side, right?"


    The duke frowned, obviously displeased that the other cut off what he was about to say. Luo Yan, on the side, just watched. Waiting for a good show.


    One could say that the NPCs in this game were simply made of data and codes and that they only followed the set of programs given to them. But Luo Yan didn¡¯t think the same. For him, they were almost like an independent entity. When they were not interacting with yers, they were still moving and doing their own thing. Wasn¡¯t that simr to ¡¯living¡¯?


    That¡¯s why Luo Yan never underestimated these NPCs. He treated them the same way he would treat a person with the same personality. It¡¯s the reason why he could pass all those hidden tasks. Because his actions depended on how he thought the NPCs he encountered would react.


    Based on the duke¡¯s personality, the way Winged Tassel interrupted the duke just now would surely ruffle the other¡¯s feathers. Luo Yan thought that Winged Tassel would be a bit more cautious with his words. The way he behaved during thest two matches showed that he wasn¡¯t the careless type. He was probably even someone who ns thoroughly before making his move. But the way he acted just now was theplete opposite.


    It seemed the fact that Eclipse wouldn¡¯t join the fight really rattled the other. To the point that he couldn¡¯t even care what the duke¡¯s reaction would be. That¡¯s a very wrong move on his side.


    Before the duke could say his dissatisfaction, Eclipse was much faster than him.


    "Why are you dictating the lord what he should feel or not feel? Aren¡¯t you being too disrespectful?"


    What Eclipse said seemed to make the duke even more displeased towards Winged Tassel. He raised his chin and looked at the other. Although the duke was half a head shorter than Winged Tassel, the way he lifted his chin and looked down on the other made him look like he was a few meters taller.


    "This lord doesn¡¯t need your opinion. I will do whatever I want," the duke said before ncing at Eclipse. "Let¡¯s go, little fox."


    "Yes!"


    And the two were surrounded by red smoke, disappearing from the rink.


    Luo Yan turned to Winged Tassel and smiled sweetly. "Too bad, huh?"


    Hearing that, Winged Tassel no longer looked like he had swallowed his own vomit.. Instead, he looked like he had eaten shit.

 Chapter 736 - SEMI-FINAL 2ND ROUND: WINGED TASSEL VS NOCTIS (I)

    <h4>Chapter 736 - SEMI-FINAL 2ND ROUND: WINGED TASSEL VS NOCTIS (I)</h4>


    AS an answer, Winged Tassel just rushed forward, sword already at hand. Luo Yan raised his brow, this was the first time since the tournament started that he saw this guy being so proactive. He took out his daggers and didn¡¯t hesitate to meet the other.


    The daggers and sword shed.


    Luo Yan grinned at the other. "Hey, can you tell me why you¡¯re so interested in my pet?"


    The other didn¡¯t say anything. The usual smile on his face had already been wiped out, even his eyes that were usually bent into crescents were now looking narrowly at Luo Yan.


    He did not answer and performed someplicated moves instead. He shed down his sword. When that was blocked, his wrist pivoted and he shed his sword upward. The two daggers that were crossed together to block the earlier attack, separated with a ng. Then Winged Tassel swiftly thrusted his sword forward in between the separated daggers.


    If Luo Yan was in a dazed, that attack would have surely hit his face. Good thing he was quick on his feet. He managed to dodge to the left by the just the virtue of his speed.


    It seemed that this guy was really angered by how he sent Eclipse to the duke. Now, the other didn¡¯t even bother to hide his displeasure with a smile. Luo Yan definitely preferred it that way.


    As he dodged, he quickly shed the dagger he was holding with his left hand upwards. Winged Tassel had no problems blocking it. But since Luo Yan had already expected that to happen, he moved his other hand with a dagger and tried to pierce the other¡¯s side.


    Amazingly enough, while still blocking Luo Yan¡¯s other dagger, Winged Tassel managed to move his sword down to block the iing attack. If the other didn¡¯t have a dark motive against Eclipse, Luo Yan would have appreciated his swordsmanship more. Sadly, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    Seeing his attacks being blocked, Luo Yan wasn¡¯t discouraged. He even had time to say yfully, "Say, what do you want with my pet? The way your gaze was stuck at him, one would think that you¡¯re a furry. Are you?"


    The other seemed to have gathered his emotions by then. He smiled once again. The only difference was, his eyes were no longer bent into slits where one could not even see the color of his irises. Proving that he was still annoyed by what happened.


    "Having such a cheap mouth, your pretty face sure is wasted."


    After saying that, Winged Tassel grasped the hilt of his sword tighter and used a skill to attack his opponent. He suddenly swung the sword that was still blocking the two daggers. He swung it like he was holding a baseball bat. A huge force of wind came out as he swung his sword. It¡¯s not only a powerful wind force, it was also as sharp as a de. As the one standing closest to the other, Luo Yan could confirm this.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t just stand there and be attacked silently. He ducked in a very fluid manner and then rushed forward in the same posture. With his fast speed, he arrived behind Winged Tassel, almost as if he teleported there. He didn¡¯t waste any time and just attacked.


    Winged Tassel seemed to have already suspected something like this because he suddenly turned back, his sword swinging as he pivoted. The same strong wind appeared.


    Luo Yan, once again, swiftly dodged. But this time, he didn¡¯t rush forward. He simply moved to the side and used his [8th Movement Dance] skill. A flurry of beautiful dagger attacks came right after. Winged Tassel defended himself with skillful swordy. Moving his sword as if he could predict which direction the dagger wouldnd.


    In this regard, Luo Yan really admired the other. He guessed that Winged Tassel must have practiced some form of swordsmanship in real life because of how efficient he handled the sword. The other was even more skillful than Dragnar in his opinion.


    "How can my pretty face be wasted? I only talk trash when I¡¯m talking to one," he responded to what the other said as he continued his attack.


    Winged Tassel felt the corner of his eye twitching. This was probably the first time he wanted to totally lose control and justpletely wreck someone. But he had already lost hisposure earlier. He really didn¡¯t like that feeling. He wanted everything to be under his control. At least, he wanted it to be for things that were rted to him.


    When the duke asked him earlier before the semi-finals began who he wanted to fight, he picked Noctis without any hesitation. He didn¡¯t care if he would be subjected to any handicap. The moment when he saw that the other had brought that little fox to the waiting area, he had long wanted to fight with Noctis. And the duke letting him chose who to fight just gave him that opportunity.


    But who would have thought that this guy would actually ask the duke if his pet could apany the other? He panicked a little and interrupted the other, hoping that he could change his decision. But as evidence of what happened, that¡¯s the wrong move to do at that moment.


    Reluctantly, he admitted that he didn¡¯t things through when he said those things. He was just filled with the thought that he should stop the fox from leaving. Because he knew that a perfect chance like this would note by again. Outside this tournament, abducting that fox would be quite an ordeal.


    If Noctis wasn¡¯t a member of Yunyue, he might have tried regardless. It¡¯s not because he was afraid of Yunyue. He just didn¡¯t want to deal with the possible trouble it would bring him if he purposely went against them. At least, if he did what he needed to do during this fight, then, they wouldn¡¯t have anything to say. Because anything could happen in a match like this.


    Including ¡¯identally¡¯ taking the blue gem on the fox¡¯s forehead.

 Chapter 737 - SEMI-FINAL 2ND ROUND: WINGED TASSEL VS NOCTIS (II)

    <h4>Chapter 737 - SEMI-FINAL 2ND ROUND: WINGED TASSEL VS NOCTIS (II)</h4>


    WHEN Winged Tassel first saw the gem, he immediately knew what it was ¨C Elementum. He had seen a picture of it from a scroll given by the Elder in the Tengu n. He was very sure of it because the picture on the scroll was very detailed. And by now he had already curved those details in his mind.


    It was because before the tournament round of the Carnival, he was doing thest part of the hidden task that he started doing from the Tengu race¡¯s Origin Vige. By then, he had already been doing it for more than a month. But he couldn¡¯t put it down because of the main reward he would get ¨C the legendary sword [Muramasa].


    It was a powerful katana that had unbelievable sharpness and durability. But the most important of all was the fact that it could make one¡¯s elemental affinity ten times stronger whenever it was being used.


    For him to finish the hidden task, he needed to give materials to the cksmith of the Tengu n and let him forge the sword for him. He had all the materials except for one ¨C the Elementum.


    Through his search, he discovered that the Elementum belong to the tribe leader of the Kitsunes. It¡¯s basically the symbol of being the head of the tribe. But when he went to the location of the tribe, what he saw was just a ruined vige.


    He was at a lost back then. But it didn¡¯t take long before he found out that the Kitsunes were actually attacked by the dark mages, massacring everyone and destroying the whole vige. With this information, everyone woulde to the conclusion that the Elementum had perished alongside the vige.


    He thought of going to Achaeus himself and interrogating some dark mages there. He even wondered if the Elementum was there. Considering its power, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the dark mages attacked them because of it.


    But before he could decide whether to do that or not, the time for the tournament round began. So, he decided to just put it on hold first. But who would have thought that he would find what he was looking for in this tournament?


    The first time he saw the ck fox, he almost couldn¡¯t believe it. He had to stare at him for quite some time just to make sure. At the end, he still arrived at the same conclusion ¨C the blue gem on the fox¡¯s forehead was indeed the Elementum. But really, what surprised him more was the fact that the ck kitsune was actually Noctis¡¯ pet.


    Knowing that the Elementum could only belong to the current leader of the Kitsunes, how did a yer managed to get someone like that to be his pet? It was aplete mystery to him.


    But when he heard the duke¡¯s introduction earlier, about Noctis being lucky and finding hidden tasks one after another. The other might have obtained the kitsune from one of those hidden tasks. Tch. What a lucky bastard.


    Winged Tassel had been thinking of ways on how to get the Elementum ever since he¡¯d seen the kitsune. But all the ns he¡¯d thought of would only be possible if he fought with Noctis during a match. Sadly, this white-haired bastard ruined it.


    But really, at the end, it was probably still his fault for being too obvious. He definitely should have controlled his facial expression more. Sadly, no matter how much he wanted to control his emotions, it still leaked whenever his feelings were too strong.


    He couldn¡¯t even force himself to smile like he usually did.


    He stared at the white-haired elf who was continuously attacking him. This guy could really annoy people to death if he wanted. He thought that the other was a mild-manner teenager who was easy to talk to.


    But instead, the other turned out to be a ck-bellied person, one who seemed to be very familiar to scheming. Not to mention, the way Noctis could easily offend someone to death just by him speaking. That¡¯s truly a talent, for sure.


    Winged Tassel decided to no longer respond to what the other was saying. He felt like his virtual blood pressure would rise if he did.


    Sadly though, his opponent had a different opinion.


    "Come on, just tell me the reason why you¡¯re so keen on having my pet fight you," Luo Yan said while still continuing his attack. "Is it some big secret that you can¡¯t tell anyone? Or are you really just a furry?"


    "You talk too much," Winged Tassel said in response.


    He waited until both daggers hit the de of his sword. He then swung it. The swinging movement he made was apanied by a strong gust of wind. This was the element that he had high affinity with. Actually, all Tengus could use wind in one form or another. That¡¯s why his attacks would always contain the wind element.


    The gust of wind interrupted Noctis¡¯ attacks, pushing him back. Winged Tassel took advantage of that and swung his sword upwards. Then he quickly shed it half-way down before swinging it horizontally. This set of movements produced a cross-shaped wind sh that was nowing towards Noctis.


    He knew that the other would most likely just evade it, so he nned to quickly follow that up. His speed wasn¡¯t as fast as someone under the Assassin ss. But he could easily make up for it with his wings. With just a few ps of his wings, he could easily double his normal speed.


    ck wings appeared on his back. He was about to rush forward when he noticed that something was wrong. It made his steps falter, almost freezing him on the spot. He tried to move his wings to fly but he couldn¡¯t. He tried again and it really didn¡¯t move. A word shed in his mind at that moment.


    ¡¯Handicap¡¯!


    Before he could fully react on that discovery, Noctis suddenly appeared before him.

 Chapter 738 - SEMI-FINAL 2ND ROUND: WINGED TASSEL VS NOCTIS (III)

    <h4>Chapter 738 - SEMI-FINAL 2ND ROUND: WINGED TASSEL VS NOCTIS (III)</h4>


    BECAUSE Winged Tassel was too surprised by his sudden inability to use his wings, he almost didn¡¯t notice the two daggers that were about to slice his neck and cut his head off. He barely dodged the daggers. If he was just a secondte, his head would have probably flown off just now.


    Seeing this, he heard Noctis clicking his tongue. Obviously disappointed that he managed to dodge at the veryst second. If those daggers even scratched him, he knew that it would be detrimental.


    He had watched the other¡¯sst two matches like a hawk watching his prey. Because of his desire to fight the other, or rather, his desire to fight the kitsune, he didn¡¯t miss any details of Noctis¡¯ matches.


    Of course, the first match didn¡¯t count that much since that was fought by the kitsune. The second one was a different matter though. He didn¡¯t remove his eyes from the match from start to finish. Engraving every tiny details he could in his mind.


    Since that fightsted for quite some time, he gathered quite a few important information. Amongst those, there were two that in his opinion were the most important. One, the fact that Noctis had control over shadows, he could even travel through it. And two, that those daggers had some kind of special debuff.


    He observed how when Razor was shed by those daggers, the other was suddenly unable to move. It¡¯s like his whole body just froze. In that short moment of time that Razor was frozen, Noctis could have easily defeated him. That was probably what should have happened. Unfortunately for Noctis, Razor did something to negate it.


    He didn¡¯t know what Razor had used to be able to do that. But he had a feeling that it must be a skill that was rted to the other¡¯s race. Sadly, for Winged Tassel, he didn¡¯t have the same skill set. So, he had to be inventive and think of another way in order to counter that debuff.


    Thankfully, he managed to find an item that could do what he needed during the short break between the quarterfinals and semi-finals. The only problem was its effect could only be used once. But could he stillin? It¡¯s already a miracle that he found such an item.


    This means that he still had to do his best to not be shed by those daggers. At least until the right moment.


    Regarding the shadows, he thought that it could easily be solved by flying. But Noctis cut that off by giving him this handicap. The other had probably thought about that that¡¯s why he made that kind of handicap.


    If Winged Tassel knew that he would end up in a situation where he wouldn¡¯t be able to get any benefit at all, he would have chosen to fight that gnome instead. Again, he could only me himself. Because of his impatience, he ended up in this situation, fighting this elf who seemed hell bent in annoying him to death.


    Luo Yan indeed wanted to annoy the hell out of the other. At least until this guy told him why he was so bent on having Eclipse in this match. But considering how tightlipped this Winged Tassel was, the other might not tell it to him until the end.


    He shrugged. That¡¯s just fine. Now that he knew that Winged Tassel was targeting Eclipse, he would be prepared for anything. Although, truthfully, he already had a guess on what this guy needed.


    If the other was not a furry, then, he must have seen something on Eclipse that made him want to target the little fox. Something that was on Eclipse that couldn¡¯t be found with any other NPCs. There¡¯s really only one answer at that moment ¨C the Elementum.


    As what Shirayuki had told him before, the blue gem was a powerful object that had an infinite amount of Mana and mastery of all the elements. Anyone who knew what it was and what it could do would definitely feel greedy to have it. Especially those yers who were looking for items that could make them even stronger.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how Winged Tassel knew about the Elementum. But considering how the other¡¯s race was also based on Japanese mythology, it wasn¡¯t really that unbelievable for him to know about it. Maybe his race had some kind of legend about the Elementum.


    No matter the case, it still wouldn¡¯t change what Luo Yan needed to do ¨C he had to protect Eclipse from the other¡¯s evil clutches.


    He continued to attack the other using [8th Movement Dance]. He noticed that Winged Tassel was a bit sluggish in his movement. Probably due to the shock the other received after realizing that he couldn¡¯t use his wings.


    Luo Yan smiled. "What do you think of my small gift? Since I couldn¡¯t fly, it¡¯s only natural that I also prevent you from flying, right? How unfair it would be for me if you¡¯re up there in the sky while I¡¯m down here on the ground. As someone who advocates for equality, I should eliminate your advantage so we could fight on equal grounds. You won¡¯t hate me for it, right?"


    Winged Tassel felt his virtual blood pressure rising up again. What equality? What fighting on equal grounds? If that¡¯s the case, then you should have also gotten rid of your ability to enter shadows! ¨C he almost shouted that out. But he had a feeling that this guy would only enjoy his disgruntled expression if he did. So, he stopped himself on time.


    While blocking Noctis¡¯ attacks, he took back his wings. Since he couldn¡¯t use it, it would only be a decorative nuisance. With his wings gone, he also started to counter every attack that his opponent threw at him.


    When Luo Yan noticed that the other had put out his wings, he smiled inwardly. ording to his deal with the duke, Winged Tassel couldn¡¯t use his wings for 15 minutes.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t make it appear like it wouldst for the whole match, right?

 Chapter 739 - SEMI-FINAL 2ND ROUND: WINGED TASSEL VS NOCTIS (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 739 - SEMI-FINAL 2ND ROUND: WINGED TASSEL VS NOCTIS (IV)</h4>


    "IT¡¯S really such a shame, right? Not being able to fly," Luo Yan said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "But you shouldn¡¯t me me too much. After all, I¡¯m just doing this to win. Besides, it¡¯s not as if you won¡¯t be able to use it after the match. So, just endure, okay?"


    As he said those things, he continued to attack his opponent. While Winged Tassel continued to either dodge or block. He could see by the increasingly darker expression on the other¡¯s face that getting annoyed every time he heard Luo Yan spoke.


    Good. With this, it would be hard for Winged Tassel to imagine that there was actually a time limit on when he couldn¡¯t use his wings. Because of Luo Yan¡¯s words, the other would inadvertently think so.


    Of course, he took into ount the possibility that the other might realize that he was just ying him. That¡¯s why he made sure that his words would make it seem like that was indeed the case. If it was any other person saying it, it would probably not be enough to convince the other. But since he had a knack for infuriating anyone as long as he wanted to, any possible suspicion that Winged Tassel might have would be covered by the annoyance he felt for Luo Yan.


    With that in mind, he started another flurry of attacks.


    The [8th Movement Dance]¡¯s attack pattern was very repetitive. Anyone who was subjected to it for a long time would be able to predict what the next set of movement would be. Since he had been using this skill for quite a while now, with Winged Tassel¡¯s ability, he would have definitely already memorized this skill¡¯s attack pattern.


    So, in the next second, Luo Yan didn¡¯t use the skill but still followed the attack pattern. To make it seem like he used it. On the 6th movement, instead of doing it the same way as the 6th movement of the skill, he did something different.


    He shed his right dagger from the left, just like how it was in the skill. But when it was about to hit the other, he twisted his wrist and instead thrusted it forward.


    Because of the sudden change in movement, Winged Tassel who was about to dodge to dodge backward was caught by surprise. He was already moving and his actions couldn¡¯t be stopped easily. When the tip of the dagger was about to reach his throat, he gritted his teeth and raised his sword in front of him. Just like how a medieval knight would raise his sword before a duel.


    The tip of the dagger hit the t surface of the katana¡¯s de. After sessfully blocking that attack, he swung his sword, producing a gust of sharp wind. This wind forced Noctis to jump backward.


    That was close. If he hadn¡¯t urate raise his sword, that dagger would have definitely pierced his throat.


    Luo Yan tsked. Really, the reaction speed of this guy was just top notch. He jumped a few steps back, thinking of what his next action would be. He currently couldn¡¯t use his [Shadow Walk] because it¡¯s in cooldown. This was one of the reasons why he wasn¡¯t nning to use it during the quarterfinals. Because the break between it and the semi-finals was not that long. But Razor really forced him to use it, showing just how capable the other was.


    He knew that it wouldn¡¯t take long before Winged Tassel realized that he couldn¡¯t use [Shadow Skill]. He just hoped that it would bring the other¡¯s guard down once he did realize it. After all, the other would no longer have to worry when Luo Yan would use his [Shadow Skill]. And once Winged Tassel¡¯s guard was down, that¡¯s when he would swoop in and counter.


    On the other side, after Winged Tassel escaped that close call, he decided that it would do him no good if continued to be on the receiving end of Noctis¡¯ attacks. It would just make him look like a punching bag. And what happened to punching bags if it¡¯s attack too much? It¡¯s destroyed. Would he really just have to wait for that to happen to him? Of course, he couldn¡¯t.


    He took advantage of their current distance and used his skill [Wind Tunnel de]. He spun his katana like some kind of baton and it produced a strong whirlwind. It¡¯s like a horizontal hurricane appeared on the rink. And it¡¯s destination? Where Noctis was standing.


    Seeing this ¡¯hurricane¡¯ that was about to hit him, he quickly jumped to the left. But unexpectedly, the hurricane actually followed him! So, was this some kind of ¡¯homing hurricane¡¯? If that¡¯s the case, then he should lead it to its owner.


    He turned to the direction where Winged Tassel was. But the moment he did, his steps faltered. Because his opponent was not there! Luo Yan suddenly had a bad feeling. He spun around. And there, at the head of the hurricane that was still following him, was Winged Tassel.


    The other was being pushed forward by the strong wind. With the wind circling around him, it added a lot to Winged Tassel¡¯s speed. Because of that, the other managed to rushed to where Luo Yan was at an unbelievable speed.


    With the homing element of the hurricane, Luo Yan knew that no matter where he tried to dodge, it would just follow him. Then, it¡¯s better to just face it.


    Right after he made that decision, Winged Tassel appeared before him. His sword ready to sh down. Luo Yan crossed his daggers in front of him at the same time, blocking the katana.


    When their weapons shed, the hurricanepletely surrounded the both of them. Before Luo Yan could make his next move, he felt something hitting his legs and arms.


    They were wind desing from the inside of the hurricane. He knew that he couldn¡¯t let this continue. Especially while he was still defending against Winged Tassel¡¯s attacks. It would simply lead to his defeat.


    He looked down and when he saw the shadows on the ground, he smiled and used [Shadow Cage].

 Chapter 740 - SEMI FINAL 2ND ROUND: WINGED TASSEL VS NOCTIS (V)

    <h4>Chapter 740 - SEMI FINAL 2ND ROUND: WINGED TASSEL VS NOCTIS (V)</h4>


    THE shadows on the ground spread upwards and surrounded the two like a cage. As it did, the hurricane whirling around them started to dissipate little by little until itpletely disappeared.


    Luo Yan actually didn''t n to be stuck inside the [Shadow Cage] himself. But with the distance between him and Winged Tassel, it would be hard to just let the other be imprisoned.


    Well, whatever. This was fine as well. With them inside the cage, Winged Tassel couldn''t use any wind attacks. The same could be said for him though. But it wouldn''t affect him that much. After all, he''s used to fighting without any skills. Inside this cage, the two of them would be like MMA fighters fighting inside the octagon. Except that he had daggers and his opponent had his katana.


    "Let''s fight to our heart''s content, shall we?" he said with a smile before attacking the other.


    Winged Tassel, of course, blocked it. He frowned. The space of this cage was too narrow. There was barely any space for movement. Fighting inside such an enclosure, not only was their movement very limited, the range of their attack would also suffer.


    But Noctis seemed to not care about that. The other was attacking with that irritating smile on his face, obviously not having any problems with this kind of set-up.


    He had seen this cage during Noctis'' fight with Razor. Although it''s only for a little while, he had already surmised what kind of effect it had. It could most likely negate any skills, passive or active otherwise.


    But Winged Tassel was not worried about that. Such a skill would definitely notst that long. Besides, this situation wasn''t too bad at all for him.


    That''s right, [Shadow Cage] originally could onlyst for five seconds. But in the week before the tournament round began, Luo Yan managed to extend it to 30 seconds. Of course, it was not such an easy feat. He had to put a lot of work into it. At the end, he seeded.


    The reason why he put that much effort into increasing the duration of its effect was because he thought this skill would help him a lot during the tournament round. Although Razor managed to escape from it during their match, this cage ultimately forced the other to reveal one of his more powerful skill. Which was not a bad bargain in Luo Yan''s opinion.


    Now, he just had to make use of this 30 seconds as best he could and to get the most out of it. With that in mind, he continued on with his attack.


    He thrusted his right dagger forward. Winged Tassel quickly moved his head to the left. Already expecting that to happen, Luo Yan flipped his hold of the dagger and shed it towards the other''s neck.


    Winged Tassel simply shed his sword forward. But Luo Yan didn''t dodge as one would normally do in that situation. Instead, he blocked the iing sh with his other dagger and didn''t stop his attack of trying to pierce his opponent''s neck.


    The other must have realized that if he didn''tpletely dodge, the dagger would definitely put a hole on his neck. So, Winged Tassel''s next move was also as expected. He jumped back, hitting the cage. He didn''t stay long there. He put his katana back to its scabbard and rushed towards Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan narrowed his eyes. He knew that stance. He had seen the other used it during his past two matches. It''s like some kind of iai. He would draw his sword at a lightning speed and his opponent would end up wounded without even knowing how or why.


    Instead of just staying there and wait for the other''s attack, he began to move around the cage at a fast speed. Even using the surface of the cage as a foothold to increase his range of movement. This made him look like a fast ball bouncing around inside the cage.


    Of course, he didn''t do that just to move around and confuse the other. He did that to prevent Winged Tassel from using his iai technique. After all, how could he use it when he''s being attack from all sides?


    Just as Luo Yan thought, the other had to stop on his tracks and raise his sword that was still in its scabbard to block his attacks. But seeing as Winged Tassel didn''t draw his sword, he might still be nning to use his iai technique and was just looking for the perfect time to use it.


    Could Luo Yan give him this chance? Definitely not! He increased his speed as he did, shing all the way. But as he was doing that, he noticed something. The other''s defense seemed to be getting poorer and poorer. It''s not that the other was being sloppy. He was simply leaving a spot ''unattended''. It''s like the other was inviting him, ''look, you can attack here!''.


    Luo Yan understood then that Winged Tassel was nning something. So, he pretended not to notice it and continued with his attacks. He waited and counted the seconds until when the cage disappeared. And just like what the other wanted, he attacked that spot that was defenseless.


    Feeling the sh on his arm, Winged Tassel knew that he seeded in luring the other. At that moment, the item he bought earlier took effect and negated the debuff of Noctis'' dagger. But still, he pretended like he couldn''t move at all.


    He saw that Noctis slowed down and might be feeling smug thinking that his attack finally hit him. The other probably already had his guard down. When Noctis was just a few steps away from him, he finally made his move and used his iai technique.


    But the moment he drew his sword, the cage made of shadows suddenly vanished. Its sudden disappearance affected his concentration. But he was sure that he still managed to go passed by Noctis, shing the other.


    When he was about to rx his stance, he immediately noticed that something was wrong.


    He couldn''t move at all!

 Chapter 741 - END OF 2ND ROUND

    <h4>Chapter 741 - END OF 2ND ROUND</h4>


    WINGED Tassel was now starting to panic. Because this was what he felt when he purposely let Noctis sh at his arm earlier. It didn''tst a second because of the item he had that negated the debuff. But he could still remember that momentary sensation. And now that he''s experiencing it again, it could only mean one thing ¨C he was once again hit by those damn daggers!


    But how? Could it be that while he attacked Noctis, the other also attacked him? But could he really have that time to do that? Then, he suddenly remembered that moment when the shadow cage suddenly disappeared. He experienced momentary confusion. Could it be possible that in that millisecond, Noctis managed to sh him?


    Before his doubts could be answered, he heard footsteps from behind. He wanted to look back. But because the current state of his body, he couldn''t. He didn''t have to wait long though before he saw the white-haired elf standing before him with that annoyingly sweet smile on his face.


    Noctis didn''t speak and just stabbed his heart. His eyes widened, his pupils shaking in shock. But as if that wasn''t enough, the other quickly followed that up by stabbing his throat. Then he twisted both daggers as if he wasn''t still satisfied. And he was doing all that vicious action while smiling like an angel.


    Winged Tassel could already see his body already turning into light particles.


    "I know you''re after the gem on my pet''s forehead," the other suddenly said. "Let me just warn you. If you ever try to put your grubby hands on my pet, I''ll make you regret it. And oh boy, the things I could do to you."


    Winged Tassel shivered involuntarily. If his avatar could sweat, then, cold sweat would be dripping on his back right about now. This bastard was just that creepy.


    When half of his body had already turned to light particles, the other added in a cheerful tone;


    "By the way, if you weren''t in such a hurry, if you just waited about a minute more, you could have regained the use of your wings. Then who knows how this fight would have ended. Too bad, huh?"


    Winged Tassel felt his chest congested. That virtual blood pressure of him had never been higher. If someone could annoy a person to death, then this white-haired bastard could do it effortlessly.


    That''s hisst thought beforepletely turning to light particles.


    Luo Yan finally put his daggers away. As he did, he suddenly heard the loud cheer of the crowd. It was so loud that he felt like it could easily shatter one''s eardrum. This was aplete opposite of their reaction during thest match. Luo Yan could guess why though.


    Many people bet on Dragnar and yet he lost. As the second person with the most bets, of course, Luo Yan''s win was a cause for celebration for these people.


    Since he was in a fairly good mood, he raised his head and give them a bright smile. He was sure that his pretty would be reflected on the virtual screen floating above. As he expected, the cheer became even louder.


    "Noctis!!! You''re the best!!!"


    "Noctis, please marry me!!!"


    "Wooooooo!!! Noctis!!!"


    Luo Yan then turned to the direction of team Yunyue''s royal box. He raised his hand and waved happily, showing how happy he was that he won. The crowd on that part cheered even louder. Although Luo Yan couldn''t see the reaction of his teammates and family, but he knew they were definitely happy for him.


    What our fox in rabbit''s clothing didn''t know was that the people in Yunyue''s royal box were feeling veryplicated right now. It''s because throughout the fight, Luo Yan had this expression on his face as if he was deliberately annoying his opponent. Although he was smiling, anyone with a discerning eye could see that his smile wasn''t full of goodwill. Not to mention the way he finished off his opponent.


    It was¡­ a bit violent? They couldn''t hear what the two were saying, but based on the expression of that Winged Tassel, who looked like a couple of veins on his forehead would pop at any second, it was probably not anything good.


    The only ones who probably didn''t feel any different were Su Yuqi and Shen Ji Yun. The former simply thought that it was something normal while thetter was simply being a huge fanboy. Thinking how amazing and cool his rabbit was.


    "That," Luo Wei Tian cleared his throat. "Xiao Yan did amazing."


    Although his reaction waspletely different from when Luo Jin won, he was no less happy for his second son''s win. It''s just that, Luo Yan''s expression when he stabbed his opponent still lingered a bit in his mind.


    "Y-yes! Yan Yan is amazing!" Yu Jiao quickly followed, worried that no one would agree. She had seen Luo Yan like this a few times, so it wasn''t really that much of a shock to her. But she didn''t know if it was the same for others. She didn''t want them to think that her friend was weird or anything like that. So, she said right after, "That- that Winged Tassel must have done something wrong to make Yan Yan angry! Yan Yan wouldn''t punish him otherwise."


    She then turned to Luo Ren, not noticing that her eyes were asking ''please, agree with me!''.


    This made Luo Ren want to smile. He put the back of his hand over his mouth, so the other wouldn''t see the slight curve of his lips. He found it cute how the other was trying her best to defend Luo Yan. Though there wasn''t really anything to defend. The affection they all feel for his brother wouldn''t diminish just because of the other''s ''dark side''. Still, he found Yu Jiao''s action very cute.


    Just like his father, he cleared his throat andposed his expression before saying;


    "Yes, I think so too."

 Chapter 742 - ITS ALL WINGED TASSELS FAULT!

    <h4>Chapter 742 - IT''S ALL WINGED TASSEL''S FAULT!</h4>


    YU JIAO showed a relieved smile once she heard what Luo Ren said. It seemed that her worry was unfounded. But if she thought about it carefully, there''s really no need for any worry. Luo Yan really didn''t do anything wrong. He was just a bit¡­ scary. Only at certain times, of course. With how loving his family was, something like that was not enough to make their view of him change.


    Seeing the smile on Yu Jiao''s lips, Luo Ren once again couldn''t stop the corner of his lips from tilting upwards. Really, how cute. But knowing that she was worried for his brother for such a small thing made him relieved and happy. Because how much she cared for Luo Yan. And he was d that his brother had such a friend.


    It''s even better because she was the girl Luo Ren fell for.


    Bai Ze, who heard the conversation, quickly added his opinion, "That''s right, that Winged Tassel guy was definitely the problem! He must have done something worthy of Xiao Yan''s revenge."


    His voice was full of conviction when he said that. Although, he rarely saw his cousin''s ''dark side'', he understood that it wouldn''t surface unless there''s a reason. So, ultimately, this whole fiasco was Winged Tassel''s fault.


    Shen Ji Yun had to stop the fanboying in his heart when he realized that the topic the people around were discussing was Luo Yan. Or mainly his rabbit''s ck belly nature. As someone who probably had seen this side of Luo Yan the most, it no longer surprised him. Even more so since it''s one of the reasons why he fell for the other.


    In his opinion, that side of Luo Yan was very attractive. He would probably feel different if the other was using his wiles against innocent people. But that was never the case for Luo Yan. Whenever he acted this way, there''s always a reason. So, just like what everyone said, he also believed that the tengu was the one at fault.


    The question now was, what did that tengu do to make Luo Yan this angry? A cold glint shed in his eyes. No matter what it was, if the other ever tried to scheme against his rabbit in the future, he would definitely not let it go.


    Hearing how the others defended his son, Luo Wei Tian''splicated feelings finally settled. Of course, this was not because he was frightened by Luo Yan''s actions. He was just surprised, well, maybe even a bit shocked. After all, his usual amiable and sweet son suddenly turned into someone who seemed to enjoy violence. Anyone would have aplicated feeling after witnessing that.


    But after hearing what the others had said, he no longer felt that way. It even made him remember of the past ¨C when he and his wife met. It was when both of them were still hot-blooded youth. Well, he wasn''t sure if that word could describe him. But it perfectly described his wife.


    Luo Wei Tian had always thought that Luo Jin was the most like Mei Hua when she was younger. But seeing Luo Yan like this, he''s probably the one who inherited most from his mother. Not only his outstanding appearance, but also his personality.


    He could still remember how easily Mei Hua could infuriate someone to death just by speaking. Even though he didn''t hear the things Luo Yan had said to his opponents, he had a feeling that it was the same as what his wife had always done whenever someone annoyed her.


    He looked at the rink and grinned. [Look, Hua-er, our Xiao Yan is so much like you. You must be smiling proudly in heaven while watching him.]


    That thought was a bit bittersweet. But regardless, it still filled Luo Wei Tian with happiness.


    Back on the rink, the Duke of Hearts finally appeared. And as he did, a little boy also appeared with him.


    "Mashter!" Eclipse called, jumping to Luo Yan and hugging his arm. "You''re amazing, Mashter! Eclipse knew you can easily beat that bird guy!"


    Luo Yan smiled and ruffled the other''s hair. "Did you have fun with the duke?"


    "Yes, the lord duke gave Eclipse a lot of sweets!" the little boy said. But then added telepathically, [But he was a bit opinionated. Good thing the sweets he gave was really delicious or Eclipse might not be able to stop himself from rolling his eyes.]


    Luo Yan only chuckled at that before turning to the duke. "Thank you, milord. I apologize if Eclipse was a bit unruly."


    "This lord doesn''t mind. Your fox is quite entertaining. Maybe you should sell him to me. This lord will give you a very generous reward."


    Before Luo Yan could say anything, Eclipse had already shouted, "No! How can you say that lord duke? Eclipse is only Mashter''s. He''s like Eclipse''s dad. Can the lord duke bear to tear apart a father and son?"


    Luo Yan felt the corner of his lips twitching because of Eclipse''s dramatic deration. He nced at the duke and saw that the other only raised one of his brows. Then, he nced at Luo Yan as if saying, ''see, isn''t he interesting?''.


    He smiled apologetically and said, "Apologies, milord. But I can''t give you this little guy."


    Eclipse followed that up by nodding his head exaggeratedly.


    The duke only shrugged as if it''s no big deal. Then, he floated around, the familiar mic appearing in his hand.


    He swept his gaze on the audience and said, "It seemed that all of you are quite satisfied with the result of this match."


    As an answer, the crowd simply cheered again.


    "Well then, without further ado, I present to you the winner of this match and final participant for the finals ¨C Noctis!"


    Again, an unbelievably loud cheer echoed all around.


    The duke then snapped his fingers and Luo Jin suddenly appeared beside Luo Yan and Eclipse. The faces of the Luo brothers also showed on the virtual screen.


    "This is the end of the semi-finals. Now, let''s give these two yers a round of apuse!" the duke said, spreading his arm as if presenting the two.


    And the crowd obliged.. Warm apuse filling the entire coliseum.

 Chapter 743 - EVER-SUPPORTIVE JI YUN

    <h4>Chapter 743 - EVER-SUPPORTIVE JI YUN</h4>


    AFTER the semi-finals everyone had to log out because they were already nearing the time limit in which they could remain inside the game. All of them unanimously decided to celebrate after the finals. After all, whoever might win between Luo Yan and Luo Jin, it would be a cause for celebration.


    Luo Yan removed the VR helmet he''s wearing and carefully ced it on the bed. The finals would be held at nine in the evening. It''s only a quarter before six now. Plenty of time to have dinner and to rx a bit before they logged into the game again.


    He stood up and was about to go outside when his phone rang. He walked to his study table where his phone was and picked it up. He saw that it was a WeChat message from Shen Ji Yun.


    [luckycloud]: You did amazing during the semi-finals, Yan Yan. Please, eat a hearty dinner and regained back your strength. By the way, what time would you and your family logged in back into the gameter?


    A smile immediately appeared on Luo Yan''s face just by reading this message. They didn''t have time earlier to talk much after the semi-finals ended. That must be why Shen Ji Yun was sending him this message.


    Instead of sending a reply, he directly sent a video call request to the other. It didn''t take that long before his request was epted and Shen Ji Yun''s handsome face appeared on the screen of Luo Yan''s phone.


    "We''ll probably go back to the game 30 minutes before the finals," he said in response to the other''s question.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. Staring at Luo Yan, that familiar joy bubbled up inside him. It''s rare for him to see the other''s real face. So, every chance he got, he simply couldn''t hide his happiness.


    "You''re going directly at the headquarters, right?" he asked even though they had all already agreed to meet up there first before the finals started.


    "Yeah. By the way, thank you for giving Jiao Jiao permission to directly teleport to our team''s headquarters," Luo Yan said.


    Since Yu Jiao was not a member of team Yunyue, giving her such permission was definitely a big deal.


    "It''s nothing. Actually, if it wouldn''t be too controversial, I would have already invited her to be part of our team."


    Luo Yan understood what the other meant. Because Yu Jiao was a famous cksmith in the game, if she joined a specific team, other yers might start to think that she would sabotage the weapons being ordered by other teams. Even more so if team Yunyue joined the next season of Arcadia Cup.


    Such things would definitely affect Yu Jiao''s reputation as a cksmith. Something that Luo Yan didn''t want to happen. It would affect Yu Jiao''s source of ie. And with her and her mother being separated now from the Mo family, it''s much more important to not let anything affect that.


    Based on the rates of the weapons being sold at Yu Jiao''s shop, he could say that it was definitely more than enough for her and her mother to be financially stable. If the other was suddenly embroidered in some issue that could affect that, it wouldn''t be as simple as her having less customer.


    In any kind of business, having a good reputation was always important. If the number one cksmith in the game was suddenlybeled as ''bias'' and ''unfair'', it would surely not be a very good thing for Yu Jiao.


    It''s the reason why Luo Yan hadn''t tried inviting the other to joining Yunyue. Because he knew that it would be much better for the other to remain a free agent.


    "It''s fine even if she couldn''t be an official member of our team. She''s already like an honorary member anyway," he said.


    It''s okay even if the rest of team Yunyue were the ones who knew it.


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t refute that. Because it''s true in a way. Yu Jiao was probably the only other yer that get to tour around their team''s headquarters without being a member. Of course, excluding Uncle Tian and older brother Luo.


    "Ahm, by the way, did that Winged Tassel do something to make you angry?" he asked, changing the topic.


    This was something that he''d been meaning to ask. He probably could askter, but his curiosity just wouldn''t allow him to wait that long. Especially since this matter had something to do with Luo Yan.


    "Ah, him?" With this question, Luo Yan finally realized that he seemed to have gone a bit crazy during his match with Winged Tassel. And he did it too under everyone''s eyes. Including his father and older brother. He scratched his cheek. They wouldn''t think he''s too violent, right? He cleared his throat and answered Shen Ji Yun''s question first. "He wanted to take the blue gem on Eclipse''s forehead."


    He then exined how he arrived at that conclusion.


    Shen Ji Yun frowned. Sure enough, that tengu had really done something. Coveting something of Eclipse, no wonder Luo Yan became angry. "Do you need help dealing with him?"


    Luo Yan smiled. That response was just like so Shen Ji Yun. "Nah. I already warned him. But if he has bigger guts that I expected and he still tried after that, then, we''ll double team him. We can cut his wings to teach him a lesson. I''ll cut the left one and you could cut the right."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded with a serious expression, as if he was already nning on how they would go around doing that. Luo Yan couldn''t help but chuckle seeing the other with that expression.


    If there''s a mirror in front of him right now, then he would see how soft his eyes were while gazing at Shen Ji Yun.


    A person who would unwaveringly support what you wanted to do no matter how crazy it might seem, especially if that person was the one you liked, who wouldn''t be happy, right?

 Chapter 744 - YUNYUE FOR ARCADIA CUP

    <h4>Chapter 744 - YUNYUE FOR ARCADIA CUP</h4>


    LUO YAN''S conversation with Shen Ji Yun halted because he was called for dinner. The two had to end the video call and hung up the phone. Luo Yan almost chuckled when he saw the obvious reluctance on Shen Ji Yun''s face. But at the end, the other still told him to enjoy his dinner.


    He walked out of his room with a smile. Anyone who would see him could tell that he was in a good mood. How could he not be? He and Luo Jin were the finalists for this year''s Rookie Carnival.


    Although he was already determined to win the whole Carnival, he still didn''t know how things would go. There might be some ident in the way and he might not even reach the semi-finals. The same could be said for Luo Jin. But as luck would have it, both of them managed to win their way until the finals.


    This result would not only make their father and older brother happy, it could also increase the fame of team Yunyue. The finalists of this year''s Rookie Carnival were both from Yunyue, wouldn''t that increase the prestige of their team? The two strongest rookies of this year were a part of the team they kept on calling ''fallen champions''. That would be kind of a p on those people''s faces.


    With their addition to the team, many would definitely specte that Yunyue was nning to participate in the next season of Arcadia Cup. That''s good in Luo Yan''s opinion. Because then the number of people who would have doubts in their hearts once they heard about Yunyue participating in Arcadia Cup next year would definitely lessen. Well, at least not as many if Luo Yan and Luo Jin did not join the team.


    This was not him boasting and feeling all superior, as if he and his brother were the savior of the team. It''s because before they joined Yunyue, it only had three members. Three strong yers. No matter how strong they were, they couldn''t participate in Arcadia Cup with just the three of them. Because the first requirement of Arcadia Cup was for a team to have five members.


    But now, that was no longer a problem.


    Luo Yan was truly looking forward to next year''s Cup. Their team would definitely rock it.


    Just as he was about to walk towards the dining room, he saw his father climbing down the stairs. Remembering the way he acted during the match with Winged Tassel and thinking that his father watched him act that way, he felt a bit embarrassed. But he quickly thickened his face and rushed towards his father, hugging the other''s arm.


    "Dad, what do you think about myst match? I''m quite amazing, right?" he asked in a very shameless manner, acting coquettish.


    Luo Wei Tian nced down at his second son. Seeing the other''s expectant gaze, what else could he say?


    "Yes, Xiao Yan was very amazing and powerful. While watching you, your dad was in awe. How could I have such amazing sons? Your dad is very proud of you and Xiao Jin."


    Luo Yan stared at the other. Seeing the genuine proud expression on his father''s face, he finally felt relieved. He probably shouldn''t be worried in the first ce. How could his father ever think that he''s weird? With that, all his worries disappeared and his steps became light as a feather again.


    He smiled brightly. "Thank you, Dad!"


    ----------


    Thirty minutes before the finals, the headquarters of team Yunyue was full of people once again. Well, at least more than it usually was.


    "My cousins are really great!" Bai Ze said excitedly while messing up the hair of both his cousins. "It''s the finals of the Rookie Carnival! Whoever wins between the two of you, the champion would still be a member of team Yunyue. This is a great honor for our team!"


    He would like to see the faces of those who kept on mocking their team right now. See, both of the finalists of this year''s Carnival belonged to their team. Would they even dare to call them ''fallen champions''? No, they''re now the ''reviving champions''.


    Luo Jin quickly ducked to further avoid the other messing up his hair. Luo Yan also did the same, it''s just that his movement didn''t show that he was purposely avoiding the other.


    Su Yuqi snorted when she heard what Bai Ze said. "Winning the Carnival has nothing to do with Yunyue. Reaching this point is only because of their hard work."


    "Hey, don''t make sound like a douche, okay? I''m just excited for the future of our team," Bai Ze quickly defended himself. "Don''t you want to participate in Arcadia Cup again?"


    Su Yuqi shrugged, as if it didn''t matter whether their team participated in the Cup or not. In which Bai Ze rolled his eyes.


    "Does Yan Yan want to join the Arcadia Cup as well?" Shen Ji Yun suddenly asked. He wasn''t really interested in the Cup just like Su Yuqi. But if Luo Yan wanted to, then, maybe it''s time for their team to go out of its hibernation.


    "Yes, I want our team to be the next champions!" Luo Yan didn''t hesitate to answer.


    Hearing that, Shen Ji Yun made a decision at that moment. Yunyue would participate in Arcadia Cup next year and they would take the championship.


    "Is this Arcadia Cup another tournament?" Luo Ren asked.


    "Yes, Brother Ren. It''s an annual tournament that determines the best team in Arcadia," Bai Ze answered.


    "If Yunyue decided to participate next year, you can order weapons and armors in my shop. I- I''ll give discounts!" Yu Jiao added.


    Although Luo Wei Tian didn''t understand much what these kids were talking about, he still said, "Then, I''ll personally cheer on all of you."


    With the conversation about the Arcadia Cup continuing, the time left for the finals slowly dwindled.. Until it''s time for them to teleport to the Floating Coliseum once again.

 Chapter 745 - WHETTING THE AUDIENCES APPETITE

    <h4>Chapter 745 - WHETTING THE AUDIENCE''S APPETITE</h4>


    AFTER arriving at the Floating Coliseum, they all had to separate. Luo Yan and Luo Jin went to the waiting area while the rest teleported straight to team Yunyue''s royal box. Unlike during the semi-finals, all the pets of team Yunyue were here ¨C Eclipse as well as the two dragons.


    The two Luo brothers, on the other hand, were taken to different waiting rooms. It was not the same as the one during the semi-finals. Just a simple room with afortable couch. Probably because they didn''t need to stay there for a long time.


    As the two were waiting for the match to begin, the Duke of Hearts was already on the rink, entertaining everyone with his usual dramatic flourish.


    "Good evening, you peasants! This lord wees you to the finals of this year''s Rookie Carnival!"


    A loud cheer rang in the coliseum.


    "This year, we have a pretty good batch of participants. It''s probably because this lord is the host this year that''s why everything is just so fun and exciting! Don''t you all agree?"


    "Yes!!!" the audience unanimously shouted.


    The duke nodded in satisfaction. "This lord is definitely much better than that dreary Spades. Just look at how boringst year''s tournament was. From the beginning, everyone already knew who would win. How could that even arouse anyone''s excitement? But look at this year! Because of this lord, an unprecedented result happened! What could be more exciting than that?"


    This time, the audience''s reaction was not that enthusiastic. Some believed that this result was mainly because of the high-quality rookies the game had this year. While most were still butt-hurt about Dragnar''s lost.


    The duke was obviously very dissatisfied by this lukewarm reaction.


    "Are you doubting this lord? Hmp! Just you wait, this lord had prepared something special for this final round. There''s no way, you peasants, wouldn''t be in awe once you saw it," he said in his usual arrogant tone.


    What the duke said surely whetted the appetite of the audience.


    "This lord doesn''t want to talk to you lot anymore. So, let''s just proceed on introducing our two finalists, shall we?"


    The crowd once again cheered. They obviously wanted the match to begin. Also, they''re pretty curious as to what the duke had prepared.


    "The first one to enter the finals was the absolute dark horse of this Carnival, the AmazingYoungMasterJin!"


    After the duke said that, a montage of what the chaos gnome did during the Rookie Carnival appeared on the huge virtual screen floating in the air. Starting from the journey on the sea to the Four-Seasons Ind, then to the tournament round. It was like watching some kind of movie trailer with the little gnome as its main character.


    It was pretty well-made. Everyone could see how skilled this young master was, showing that he did not get to where he was simply by luck. He got here because he had the ability to do so.


    "Everyone here probably didn''t expect him to be one of the two remaining yers of this year''s Carnival. But look, he proved everyone wrong! This lord loves a good underdog story. If I was allowed to bet, I would have probably bet on him. But s, a good host shouldn''t be biased," the duke said in a tone as if he was truly regretting that he wasn''t allowed to put his bet on anyone.


    "And now, let''s move to the second finalist. A popr participant since the beginning, a fearsome Assassin ¨C Noctis! Don''t be fooled by his pretty face. If you let your guard down just for a second while fighting him, this lord could assure you that he wouldn''t hesitate to slit your throat!"


    As the duke said that, the people in the crowd suddenly remembered the match between Noctis and Winged Tassel. The image of the other piercing Winged Tassel''s neck with an angelic smile on his face was still embedded in their minds. They couldn''t help but shudder for no reason. Then, they nodded voluntarily.


    Just like with the young master, a montage of Noctis appeared on the virtual screen. Seeing the unimaginable beauty on the screen, they momentarily forgot their fears. Instead, their hearts were filled with admiration for the white-haired elf. Noctis'' every move was like art. From the way his white hair moved with the wind to the way he danced with his sword. It was just all undeniably beautiful.


    The yers on the audience couldn''t help but record this montage. Of course, the first one who did so was Shen Ji Yun. He opened his recording function of his camera so fast, he didn''t even notice it himself. His only gripe with this situation was that so many others could see his rabbit like this.


    But even though he felt like that, he was still happy that many others could see just how amazing Luo Yan was.


    "Now, let''s all wee on the stage, our two finalists ¨C AmazingYoungMasterJin and Noctis!"


    After the duke said that, two floating pnquins suddenly appeared on the stage. On each pnquins stood the two finalists.


    Because the two didn''t know what was happening on the rink while they were inside their waiting room, they were both surprised when they suddenly teleported here. Luo Yan was okay. He adapted quickly. But Luo Jin still had a dazed expression on his face. Which many found kind of cute.


    "Now that our finalists are here, let this lord show you what I prepared for this final round."


    The duke the flew up and snapped his fingers. The moment he did, four crystals of varying colors suddenly appeared on the rink. Each of the four corners had one crystal erected. One was red, one was yellow, one was purple, and thest one was pure ck.


    "You lot must be wondering what these crystals are for. Are you curious, huh? Do you want this lord to exin it to you?" the duke said, purposely arousing everyone''s curiosity.


    By now, everyone had already understood the duke''s personality. So, they unanimously agreed to shout;


    "Yes!!!"

 Chapter 746 - THE FOUR CRYSTALS

    <h4>Chapter 746 - THE FOUR CRYSTALS</h4>


    "HMM¡­ since this is the finals, this lord will be generous and exin everything to you lot," the Duke of Hearts said in a very magnanimous manner, as if he was indeed a very generous lord. "The four crystals give different, let''s just say, ''side-effects'' whenever onees five steps away from it."


    Luo Yan nced at these crystals in interest. He also wondered what kind of ''side-effects'' the duke was talking about. As he observed the crystals, he also observed the whole coliseum.


    Aside from these crystals, there weren''t really much change from the initial round yesterday which was also held in the evening. So, there was enough lighting around that there wouldn''t be any problems if he used any shadow rted skills.


    He returned his attention back to the duke who continued on with his exnation.


    "The red one could halve your stats. The purple and yellow ones could inflict poison and paralysis respectively. And finally, the ck one. Well, this one is definitely the most special. That''s why unlike the other three, the distance for which it could take effect is only about a step. So, basically, as long as you don''t go near it to the point of being able to touch, it wouldn''t affect you. But why is it different, you ask? Well¡­"


    The duke paused in a dramatic manner.


    "Because its effect is instant death." When the duke heard the ''ooohhhs'' and ''aaahhhs'' from the crowd, he finally showed a satisfied smile. "But you don''t have to worry so much. As long as you don''t go near it, you should be safe. Oh, and by the way, any items that could negate the effect of these crystals won''t work."


    Luo Jin quickly frowned when he heard that. He was a bitcent when he heard the effects of the first three crystals, thinking that the [Blessing of Isis] could take care of it and that he only had to worry about the ck crystal. But the duke quickly put an end to his fantasy.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, stared at the four crystal pirs. The red and purple were on one side while the ck and yellow were on the opposite. The red was diagonally opposite the ck while the purple was diagonally opposite the yellow.


    Now, they didn''t only need to worry about their opponent, they also had to avoid these crystals. Especially that ck one. All three were fine. Drinking special potions could solve the problem. But it''s different for the ck crystal. A step away was a bit too close. Just wrong move and you would immediately be defeated.


    He estimated the distance between the four crystals and embedded it in his mind. He turned to the duke. The other had an expression on his face as if he couldn''t wait to see their suffering. Really, what bad taste.


    "What do you think? Isn''t it exciting?" the duke asked. The crowd said ''yes'' and a satisfied smile appeared on the duke''s face once again. "With this, let''s begin the final round of this year''s Rookie Carnival!"


    There was a loud cheer all around.


    Then, the duke disappeared with a puff of red smoke. A virtual countdown appeared at the middle of the rink, just in between the two floating pnquins.


    3¡­ 2¡­ 1!


    The two pnquins disappeared. If not for both brothers'' amazing reaction speed, they might have had dropped on their asses. How embarrassing would that be? This duke, wouldn''t it hurt to give them a heads up?


    The Luo brothersnded easily. Both didn''t attack immediately, obviously thinking of the same thing.


    Luo Yan first spoke, "Ah Jin, let''s not hold back, okay?"


    "That''s for certain," Luo Jin responded with a snort. "Let''s have a fight without regrets."


    As if understanding what each other was thinking, they both moved at the same time.


    Luo Yan rushed forward, both daggers in hand, while Luo Jin jumped back. Thetter had already taken his guns out of their holsters and pointed both towards his brother''s direction.


    Four consecutive gunshots were heard. Luo Yan easily dodged them as if he could see their trajectory. He was careful because he knew that Luo Jin had a skill where his bullets would curve. That''s why he didn''t rush in a straight line but in zigzagged. This way, even if the other used that skill, he wouldn''t be easily hit.


    Sure enough, as he was moving, a bullet passed by him from behind. He grinned. They were only beginning and yet Luo Jin was already not holding up his punches. Then, he might as well do the same.


    He elerated forward, moving at his fastest speed.


    In Luo Jin''s eyes, his brother seemed to have disappear. But he knew that it was just an Assassin''s incredible speed. Instead of just staying in one ce, he kept jumping backwards. The crystals behind him were the red and purple crystals.


    Being near the two wouldn''t give him that much damage. It could be easily healed by special potions. But that didn''t mean that he wouldn''t be cautious. Who knew if these crystals still had hidden traps in them? Knowing the Duke of Heart''s wonderful temper, that could certainly happen.


    But before he could change direction, his brother suddenly appeared in front of him! The other swung down one of his daggers. Luo Jin moved to the side and shot the other up close.


    Luo Yan shed to the side as well. As he did, he swung his dagger like a tennis yer doing a backhand shot. The edge of the dagger hit the side of one of Luo Jin''s guns that were still pointed at the ce where Luo Yan was standing just now.


    Because of this, his arms holding the guns swayed involuntarily to the direction his brother hit the gun. At the same time, Luo Yan''s other dagger came thrusting down at him.


    Luo Jin''s pupils contracted.. He quickly gained control of his gun and raised it in a crisscrossed manner, just in time for his brother''s dagger to hit the point between the two crisscrossed guns.

 Chapter 747 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (I)

    <h4>Chapter 747 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (I)</h4>


    LUO JIN raised his head and saw his brother grinned, as if the other was up to no good. And sure enough, another dagger suddenly thrusted towards the gap below his crisscrossed guns. If he stayed there and do nothing, he would surely be stabbed to the face!


    He gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger of both guns. Luo Yan was startled for a bit, obviously not expecting for him to do that. He then took that chance to jump back and put a distance between them.


    He didn''t wait for the other to move again and used [Bullet Volley]. He did not stop there. As he was shooting with his guns, he was also moving around. When he jumped back, the crystals behind him were the yellow and ck ones. If he was just a little careless, who knew if he suddenly ended up being K.Oed by that ck crystal. That would certainly be an embarrassing defeat.


    Seeing the iing storm of bullets, Luo Yan didn''t panic. Dodging all of them would be a little bit impossible. So, cutting them down was the only option. Of course, he didn''t just stay where he was and waited for the bullets toe. He rushed forward and moved in a flurry.


    To everyone watching this scene, Noctis just seemed like a blur of movement. Although they should have already gotten used to the other''s speed after watching hisst two matches, seeing it again still left them amazed. Assassins were naturally much fasterpared to other sses. But why did they feel like Noctis was even faster than other Assassins?


    Luo Yan continued to rush towards the direction where Luo Jin was, dodging and shing bullets along the way. His brother was not moving in a uniform direction. He was also shooting continuously at him. But because of the other''s short legs and not being as fast as he was, Luo Yan managed to arrive in front of Luo Jin in just a moment.


    He was about to attack when a bullet grazed his arm from behind. If he wasn''t constantly moving, this bullet might have hit a vital part. He narrowed his eyes. It''s that curving bullet again. It was probably mixed among the bullet storms. Knowing Luo Jin, it''s probably not only that one bullet.


    So, he had to temporary paused his attack and moved in a different direction. Sure enough, three more bullets hit the ce where he was just standing. He hadn''t stayed long on the area where hended when a volley of bullets rained on his way again.


    This time, it was even more persistent than thest storm of bullets. It''s like an infinite volley of bullets made of ice and fire. That''s why it''s ever harder to hack them. Especially when it''s very obvious that these bullets were trying to push him back. Obviously to force him towards the ck crystal which just happened to be at the back of the area where he was.


    He looked at his brother and saw that the other was full of concentration. He grinned. Well, it''s good that Luo Jin was really taking this seriously. Maybe he should also show-off a bit?


    What Luo Yan didn''t know was that Luo Jin was very confused right now. He was sure that he saw his brother being grazed by his bullet. Normally, Luo Yan should be affected by [Chaotic Mind] when that happened. But his brother was still acting normally. Could it be that the distance was not far enough that''s why it didn''t take effect? Or¡­ or his brother had an item that could negate debuffs, just like his [Blessing of Isis]?


    But no matter how confused he was, he couldn''t let that affect him. If he was careless, even for a second, Luo Yan would definitely take advantage of that. With how shrewd the other was, he would definitely not miss such a thing. So, at the end, he had to force himself to concentrate.


    Of course, he did not forget to remind himself of the possibility that his brother had an item that could negate buffs. So, to be on the safe side, he would just assume that that was the case from this point on.


    If Luo Yan could hear what his brother was thinking, then, he would agree with his guess. This was because of the ck cuff on his left ear. This is called [Null Ring], an item that was dropped when they killed the Dark Saint.


    It had the effect that Luo Jin mentioned, except that it only worked if the debuff was caused by a weapon. Which was just in line with the effect of the [Chaotic Mind]. That''s why he wasn''t really worried when a bullet grazed his arm. Because he knew that the [Null Ring] would simply negate the effects of his brother''s passive skill. That''s why when he was grazed by the other''s bullet, he wasn''t so worried.


    Back to what was happening now¡­


    Luo Yan didn''t retreat with the onught of bullets. He didn''t step back as Luo Jin wanted, instead, he moved forward. He dodged, blocked, shed the iing bullets. Some even grazed him from time to time. But he didn''t seem to feel it.


    Every step he made forward became faster and faster. Until he almost seemed like a bullet himself. He was surrounded by a ck shadow, forming around his body like a cloak. This was one of his skills that he hadn''t used yet ¨C [Dark Shadow].


    Luo Jin only saw a ck blur, before he felt like his brother just suddenly disappeared. It wasn''t the same as when the other was moving really fast. This time, he couldn''t feel his brother''s presence.


    Did Luo Yan use that Invisibility Cloak of his? But he didn''t see the other pulled anything out of his Items Tab.


    Before he could confirm whether that was the case or not, a shadow appeared before him. It happened in an instant that he wasn''t able to react on time!

 Chapter 748 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (II)

    <h4>Chapter 748 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (II)</h4>


    THE shadow in front of Luo Jin was in the shape of a man wearing a cloak, just like the silhouette of Batman, minus the bat ears and stuff. But if one looked closely, they could see that this silhouette was very simr to that of Luo Yan.


    Luo Jin was already expecting an attack that''s why his body stiffened involuntarily. But after a second, the shadow only stood there. He immediately realized that something was not right.


    Realizing that, he quickly moved forward, nning to bypass the shadow in front of him. But before he could do so, he felt that something just pinched his arm. He looked down and saw a small hole on his left arm, as if someone had pierced it. If he didn''t move in time, whatever pierced his arm might have cut it offpletely! He almost lost his arm again.


    But there was a much worse oue. That it didn''t pierce his arm but his chest instead. As he was rushing forward, he turned his small body and looked behind. He only saw the shadow but not his brother.


    A lot of thoughts entered his mind at that moment. Finally, he made a decision and ran towards the ck crystal. He estimated the safe distance and stopped two steps away from it. Then he turned around with his back on the crystal.


    He currently didn''t know where his brother was. He had a feeling that the other most likely used his [Shadow Walk] skill to disappear like this. But there''s also a chance that he just used his [Invisibility Cloak]. Then, he used that whatever shadow to act as some sort of decoy.


    It was very effective. As evidence of the wound on his arm. Whether it was the [Shadow Walk] or the [Invisibility Cloak], he still couldn''t easily guess where Luo Yan''s next attack would be. So, at the fastest speed, he made a decision. He chose the sanctuary that this ck crystal could give.


    Standing in front of it with just two steps away in between would prevent his brother from attacking him sneakily from behind. Even attacking him from the sides would be hard. Unless, of course, Luo Yan would risk it all just so he could attack him.


    But knowing his brother, he had a feeling that that''s very possible. So, he didn''t lower his vignce at all. Instead, his whole body was on alert.


    Luo Yan was observing his brother from afar. The other was already drinking potion to heal the would on his arm. Like one of Luo Jin''s guesses, he was indeed using his [Invisibility Cloak] to hide his presence. He wore it on the exact moment that he used his [Dark Shadow] skill. The shadow that surrounded him at that moment provided a great camouge.


    Then, he let the [Dark Shadow] work.


    This skill allowed his shadow to have a solid form. It''s a very good decoy. He looked at his brother standing in front of the ck crystal. He must admit, doing that was really a smart move. Well, only if the other managed to retain that distance. After all, just one step and he would be K.Oed.


    Luo Jin must have thought that he would think twice before attacking him in this kind of situation. Yes, he could also see the risk of doing that, but more than that, he could see an opportunity.


    So, he didn''t hesitate to move his [Dark Shadow]. This skill would onlyst for a minute, but that''s already enough.


    The shadow rushed forward to where Luo Jin was. He did not panic and just shot at the shadow. But those bullets just passed through the shadow. This startled him for a bit. But he managed to quickly calm down. It''s a shadow, so it''s only natural not to have a solid body.


    His brother was probably using this shadow again to divert his attention. But he wouldn''t be fooled anymore. His body readied for any attack that woulde. But what he didn''t expect was that the first attack woulde from the shadow that he decided to ignore.


    The shadow suddenly seemed to hold two daggers. One stabbed at him and the other shed down. Feeling the forceing from the two attacks, he knew that these two shadow daggers wouldn''t just pass through him. Which could only mean that this shadow could not be affected by physical attacks but could still attack by itself. What a perfect decoy.


    Seeing the attacks that wereing his way, he could only do one thing. He couldn''t move back because of the ck crystal behind him. So, he jumped to right. And as he did, he spun around like a top. He didn''t forget to continuously shoot bullets from his guns as his body continued to spin.


    The image it produced was like a spinning top that shot bullets everywhere.


    Because of Luo Jin''s action, Luo Yan who was trying to sneak attack, had no choice but to jump back to avoid the bullets. He smiled helplessly. His brother could reallye up with a lot of inventive attacks.


    He had no time to further admire Luo Jin''s ''creativeness'' because he saw a bullet rushing to his direction. He didn''t think it was just a coincidence because of how urate it was. But before he could, this bullet suddenly turned into a huge iceberg!


    The huge size almost epassed the whole rink. So, even if he jumped back or dodge, it wouldn''t do good because he would still be hit by it. Thest choice he had was to use his [Shadow Walk].


    But he didn''t find this situation annoying. Instead, it made him even more excited.


    He no longer hesitated and just dived down into the shadows. He looked at the situation on the other side of the rink. His [Dark Shadow] had already disappeared and Luo Jin was still being vignt. But the other was no longer standing near the ck crystal.


    Luo Yan moved into the shadows and jumped up behind his brother.. But the moment he did, Luo Jin suddenly turned around and pointed his guns at him.

 Chapter 749 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (III)

    <h4>Chapter 749 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (III)</h4>


    LUO YAN was still wearing his [Invisibility Cloak]. So, the fact that Luo Jin was pointing his guns at him so urately meant that the other could see him. That''s when he noticed that his brother was wearing a pair of sses with blue shades,pletely different from the other''s [Snipe Lens].


    It''s easy to guess that these sses were the reason why Luo Jin could see him right now. It seemed that this brother of his really prepared a lot just for this fight. No, the other obviously had already been prepared even before it was decided that they would be the ones fighting at the finals. Which only showed that even before, Luo Jin was already expecting for them to be the ones remaining in this tournament.


    Well, Luo Yan was also hoping for this result. But this was literally not the time for him to think about that. Especially when two bullets were about to put a hole on his forehead.


    He didn''t hesitate to dive back into his shadow. Just right in time before the two bullets hit him.


    Inside the shadow, Luo Yan was d that the duration in which he could use [Shadow Walk] before its cooldown was umtive. The time he spent inside the shadow world were the only time that counted.


    For example, the first time he used [Shadow Walk] during this match, he spent about 30 seconds inside. When he left, that 30 seconds would freeze. And once he entered it again, the time he spent would be added to those 30 seconds. This would continue on until it umted five minutes. Then, he would no longer be able to use [Shadow Walk] until its cooldown was over.


    So, he needed to use it wisely.


    Luo Jin looked around. The iceberg had already crashed on the other side of the rink. It now upied a third of the rink, covering the purple and red crystals. He didn''t see his brother around. So, the other definitely entered his shadow.


    Just like what Luo Yan had guessed, the sses he was wearing had indeed given him the ability to see invisible things. He bought it at an auction two weeks ago. He specifically searched for such an item.


    He wanted to be prepared just in case he and Luo Yan ended up fighting in a match at some point during the tournament round. It wouldn''t hurt to be prepared. Fighting against an invisible opponent would be such a pain in the ass. His brother''s speed was already too fast as it was. He could also travel through shadows. If Luo Jin added another ''invisibility'' factor, then, he might as well fight a ghost.


    So, he should at least, ''seal'' one or two of those. The easiest one was the [Invisibility Cloak]. All he needed was an item for it. Thus, bringing him to the sses he''s currently wearing.


    It''s called [All-Seeing sses]. The name was already self-exnatory. It could let the one using it see things that a normal eye couldn''t. It not only allowed one to see invisible objects, it could also allow them to see perfectly underplete darkness.


    Luo Jin no longer thought about that and just rushed towards the other side where the iceberg was. It''s better to put a distance between him and that ck crystal while Luo Yan was still inside the shadow.


    He believed that his brother wouldn''t stay in there that long. After all, as far as he knew, Luo Yan couldn''t use [Shadow Walk] infinitely. It''s just like any other skill that had to enter cooldown at some point.


    So, he would be here, waiting and ready.


    Inside the shadow world, Luo Yan took off his [Invisibility Cloak] and returned it to his Items Tab since already of no use. He raised his head and observed his brother. Seeing the concentration on the other''s face, he knew Luo Jin would be ready for any surprised attack.


    Really, how tenacious ¨C he thought with a huge grin. But he was just as tenacious.


    Luo Yan took out something from his Items Tab. It was a pink ball the size of a tennis ball. He quickly traveled towards where his brother was standing. He jumped up, leaving the shadow world. As expected, the moment he appeared, Luo Jin shot at him.


    At the same time that his brother pulled the trigger, he also threw the pink ball he was holding towards the other. There was a pink explosion under Luo Jin''s feet. While Luo Yan had to turn in mid-air to dodge one bullet and then sh at the other. Then, he easilynded on his feet.


    When he looked at his brother, he couldn''t help butugh.


    Luo Jin was currently entangled by a pink bubble-gum looking web. From other''s perspective, it seemed like a huge bubble gum exploded under him and now his small body was entwined with it.


    "You''re looking quite cute there, Ah Jin," he teased.


    Luo Jin scowled and red at Luo Yan. The expression on his face screaming ''I really hate you right now''. "Shut up."


    Luo Yan only grinned. That pink bubblegum like thing was called [Bubblegum Bomb]. Upon contact with the target, it would produce a sticky substance that would act like a and prevent the person from moving. The effect wouldst for 30 seconds.


    He no longer wasted any time and rushed forward.


    He was about to stab Luo Jin on the chest and also pierced the side of the other''s neck when the other suddenly disappeared.


    Luo Yan tsked. Damn teleportation scroll. He didn''t let himself be surprised and just quickly turned around. Sure enough, Luo Jin was already on the other side of the rink.


    But instead of firing his guns as Luo Yan expected, the other suddenly took out a round crystal. He suddenly had a bad feeling. He quickly rushed forward at his fastest speed. He was already halfway when the crystal suddenly emitted a blinding light.


    Then, the surrounding was just filled with darkness.

 Chapter 750 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 750 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (IV)</h4>


    LUO YAN''S steps faltered because of the suddenck of light. The whole coliseum was just filled with darkness. Remembering the crystal ball that Luo Jin took out earlier, it was obvious that this sudden darkness was rted to that.


    He turned his gaze back to his brother. Although the whole ce didn''t have any light, as an elf, he could still see a bit in this darkness. Notpletely, but enough to let him move around with no problem. Most races in the game, except for humans, had some kind of night vision.


    This darkness wouldn''t hinder him that much. Surely, Luo Jin also knew that. But his brother wouldn''t do this move without any reason. He definitely did it because it would be disadvantageous for Luo Yan.


    Even the light that was supposed to being from the virtual screen showing their fight disappeared. He wondered how the audience would watch their fight. Then, he shrugged. That''s not really his problem. Besides, he was sure that the duke would do something to let the audience watch their fight with no problem.


    Looking at this darkness once again, Luo Yan suddenly understood what the other was nning. In the presence ofplete darkness, how could there be a shadow?


    So, Luo Jin obviously did this to ''seal'' his [Shadow Walk] skill. He smiled and shook his head helplessly. His brother was really showing him how one should fight smart instead of just using their fists.


    This was indeed what Luo Jin thought to ''seal'' his brother''s [Shadow Walk]. The crystal ball was called [Deluminating Crystal]. For five minutes, it could swallow all the light in an area.


    Luo Jin spent a lot of money on this item. With the sses he was wearing, he had seen the stunned expression on his brother''s face when all the lights disappeared perfectly. He now didn''t mind all the crystal coins he spent for this item. Just seeing that expression on Luo Yan was very worth it. Especially after that bubblegum fiasco.


    It''s a good thing that he still had one teleportation scroll left from his fight with Dragnar. Or else, he might have really lost then. He had to be careful just in case his brother had more of those bubblegum bombs. That''s why he no longer hesitated and use the [Deluminating Crystal].


    He only had five minutes topletely defeat Luo Yan. Once the light returned, it would be hard to contain his brother''s movements.


    Before Luo Yan could think of what his next move would be, he saw Luo Jin pointing one of his guns upward. The moment the bullet was fired at the sky, hails as sharp as ded fell down.


    Seeing one of Luo Jin''s strongest attacks, he could tell that his brother was trying to finish this match while there wasn''t still any light. Of course, Luo Yan couldn''t just agree on that.


    He dodged as he felt a hail falling on top of his head. But as soon as he did, another one was about to smash on him. He shed on that and then shed on the next one. He probably had to repeat that same action a number of times. As he did, he didn''t forget to search for Luo Jin.


    The other was now distancing himself from the two crystals. He was also pointing his gun at him. Luo Yan knew that it was the other''s ice gun. If he used the fire gun, the me bullets it produced could make a dim light in this total darkness. That dim light was enough for a shadow to appear.


    Actually, even the small flicker that appeared whenever the other would pull the trigger could do that. But he was sure that Luo Jin knew that himself and he wouldn''t allow Luo Yan to go near him. That really didn''t matter though.


    He still had a way to make a shadow appear. But it''s only a one-time thing. So, he had to do it at the most opportune time.


    For now, he should first survive this onught of hail.


    As he was dodging and shing the hails, bullets of ice also came at him from another direction. When he dodged a bullet, a hail grazed his arm. That happened two more times. Now he kind of wished he still had [Bubblegum Bomb].


    The items he had, with the exceptions of practical things like potions and teleportation scrolls, usually were just things that he thought were interesting. That [Bubblegum Bomb] was one example.


    He wasn''t a hoarder. So, every time he bought something, he would only buy one. No matter how much crystal coins he had in his ount, he still subconsciously stopped himself from buying too many things that he didn''t need. But when it came to things that he indeed needed, he wouldn''t hesitate to spend as much money as he could.


    This was probably because he was used to being thrifty in hisst life. He still didn''t want to waste his money on useless things. But because he also had too much money in this life, he instinctively didn''t want to skimp on himself. Thus, resulting to this kind of attitude.


    He shook his head. Now really wasn''t the time for this.


    Seeing the blood on his arms being grazed by those hails, Luo Yan no longer cared much and just rushed towards Luo Jin.


    He ran in his fastest speed. Dodging the ice bullets that were aiming for his vital points while letting the hails grazed him. Because of this, his body was slowly filled with wounds. It looked scary at first, but Luo Yan knew that he wasn''t really at any danger. As long as he avoided being hit at any vital spot, then, he would be fine.


    But in Luo Jin''s eyes, his brother simply looked like a blood man. He frowned. He even felt reluctant to continue his attack. But he immediately steeled himself. If he showed any hesitation, he''s sure that Luo Yan would be pissed at him.


    Just as he was about to continue, his brother suddenly appeared in front of him!

 Chapter 751 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (V)

    <h4>Chapter 751 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (V)</h4>


    TWO daggers shed at Luo Jin in full force. He quickly dodged but another wave of attack came at him. This time, he didn''t have time to dodge and simply raised his gun to block it. Luo Yan seemed to not care and just continued to attack him.


    The other continued with this kind of reckless attacking, not minding the sharp de of hails that kept on grazing him. Because [Hailstorm] was Luo Jin''s skill, it automatically did not affect him. So, even if his brother was attacking him like this, the only one being wounded by the hails was Luo Yan.


    This kind of ''I don''t care, I just want to stab you'' attitude continued until the hails were no longer raining down on the rink. Even after that, Luo Yan still continued his attacks.


    No matter how hard Luo Jin tried to step back and widen the distance between them, the other would stick to him like glue and continued to sh and stab. If the one fighting his brother right now was not him, they would have already thought that Luo Yan was crazy.


    Just look at him, he was carelessly attacking Luo Jin without any care for his wounds. Luo Yan was now turned into a blood man. Even the other''s blood was sshing on him every time he attacked. Wait- blood?


    Luo Jin''s pupils shook. He suddenly had a very bad premonition.


    Was his brother really just being reckless? No, Luo Yan wouldn''t do anything like that, especially during a match that could decide the winner of this year''s Rookie Carnival. He wouldn''t risk it just for the sake of having the small chance of hitting him.


    Luo Jin looked up at his brother and the other grinned at him. The blood on his face together with the grin made his beauty a bit morbid. The apprehension he felt just became worse.


    In the next second, his bad premonition just came true.


    His brother suddenly took out a small shlight and threw it to the side. The light it produced created a shadow. In a split second, the scene of Razor''s defeat came to his mind.


    At the same moment, familiar words entered Luo Yan''s mind.


    [The target has enough blood sprayed on him. You can now drag him to the shadow world.]


    Luo Yan grabbed Luo Jin''s wrist and pulled the other into the shadow.


    Although Luo Jin had already expected that something like this would happen, he was still unprepared when Luo Yan pulled him down. He just felt like his whole body passed a dark fog. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was endless darkness.


    But it was different from a ce that simplycked a source of light. Because here, he could clearly see his brother, as well as himself. To say that this ce was filled with ''darkness'' was probably very inurate.


    Luo Jin took a deep breath and calmed himself. Since he was already forced here, he had to think of a way to get out. Or at least, be able tost until Luo Yan could no longer use his [Shadow Walk].


    That skill was the reason why the other could pull him in this ce. Once that skill entered cooldown, there''s a high chance that they would be spit out from this area. But he also thought of another way. He just wasn''t sure if it would work.


    He looked at his brother, the other seemed to have just finished drinking a high-grade potion. Although Luo Yan still looked bloody, he was sure that the other''s wounds were now healed.


    "Is this ce a separate space?" he asked. He put one hand behind him and took something out of his Items Tab.


    Luo Yan didn''t answer and just attacked him. He tried to dodge but he felt that his body was very heavy, as if he there were weights attached to all his limbs. It made him sluggish. This was definitely because of this ce. It''s probably a side-effect of being here or something.


    But even so, he gritted his teeth and still forced himself to dodge. He managed to move just enough for him to not get stabbed but one dagger still grazed his cheek. He didn''t mind that and just simply raised his guns to shoot the other. But no bullets came out.


    This caught him off-guard. Then, his arm was suddenly grabbed. He raised his head and saw a daggering straight to his heart. In just a second, it would surely reach him. Then, it''s game over.


    No! How could he let this match end in such a way? So, even if he''s not sure if it would work, he raised his free hand and then used his mouth to tear the teleportation scroll that was folded in his palm.


    In a blink of an eye, both Luo Yan and Luo Jin vanished in the shadow world.


    When they appeared on the rink, Luo Jin almost shouted and punched the air to celebrate. He didn''t expect that his gamble would be correct. He guessed that the ce Luo Yan pulled him to was in apletely different space. If that was the case, then, the normal teleportation scroll should work. And it did.


    He honestly didn''t expect that it would. He was prepared to lose there. But he was d that he took that gamble. And because Luo Yan was holding onto him at that moment, he was also teleported back here.


    Luo Jin looked at his brother. The other seemed to be still out of sorts because of the sudden teleportation. He took a page from the other and also grabbed Luo Yan''s wrist. Then, with his free hand holding his ice gun, he used [Bullet Volley].


    Luo Yan finally recovered from his shock because of this. He wanted to jump back but couldn''t because of Luo Jin''s tight hold on his wrist. Seeing the iing bullets, he could only grit his teeth and make sure that he wouldn''t be hit on his vital spots.


    While dodging and shing at the bullets, he inadvertently nced at the thing ahead.. And an idea quickly popped in his mind.

 Chapter 752 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (VI)

    <h4>Chapter 752 - THE FINAL ROUND: YAN YAN VS AH JIN (VI)</h4>


    BEING held on his wrist like this and being shot at such a close distance, aside from being annoying, Luo Yan only find it troublesome. But after a round of that, Luo Jin quickly let go of him and jumped back. Of course, the other was still shooting at him as he did.


    He wasn''t surprised by this move. Luo Jin knew that the small flicker of light that his gun produced every time he shot at him could produce a shadow. If they were so close to each other, wouldn''t he be able to use his [Shadow Walk] again?


    The other was probably hoping that the sudden attack at that short distance could cause a huge damage to him. But unfortunately, Luo Yan still managed to dodge and block even at such a distance. Even if he was grazed and wounded, none of his vital spots were hit. So, at the end, the attack that Luo Jin made just became useless.


    As his brother kept on shooting at him, Luo Yan also jumped back. In his peripheral vision, he saw the shlight that he left earlier. He jumped to that direction and then pretended to be hit so he could fall down with no suspicion. He rolled towards the shlight and picked it up. He turned it off and quickly hid it in his robe.


    This shlight would be very important in the strategy that he just came up with. He only hoped that his brother would respond in the way he expected the other would.


    Before Luo Jin could think that something was wrong, Luo Yan quickly rushed to where the other was.


    Luo Jin indeed did not notice his brother''s small movements. Mostly because he was thinking of what his next move would be. The effect of [Deluminating Crystal] would soone to an end. But he still hadn''t made any major progress.


    While thinking of what he should do next, a certain skill came to mind. Using that, he could also utilize the ck crystal. But for it to work, he had to make sure that Luo Yan couldn''t use his [Shadow Walk] no matter what.


    That small shlight earlier was a problem. Speaking of that item, just where was it? He quickly nced around but didn''t find it. Could his brother had taken it back without him noticing? Thinking of when the other rolled on the ground just a few moments ago, it probably was during that moment.


    That meant his brother could use it anytime. Knowing Luo Yan, he would definitely use it at the most critical moment. Probably to catch him off-guard. So, if he wanted to use the skill he just thought of, he needed to do it fast and not give the other any chance to counter-attack.


    But if he couldn''t do so and he felt like the possibility of his brother being able to use that shlight would hinder him, he still had a way to prevent that from happening. He had an item that he got as a reward after he cleared a dungeon. It could seal a yer''s Items Tab.


    When he first got it, his first thought was, just where would he use such a thing? He didn''t expect that a chance woulde here. He was d that he didn''t end up throwing it away.


    Before Luo Jin could think more, Luo Yan had already arrived in front of him. This time, the other''s attacks were even more ferocious. He was swinging and thrusting his daggers as if there was no tomorrow.


    Luo Jin used his fire gun to block while he used his ice gun to attack back. While dodging if he could, of course. Each attack that he had to block forced him to step back. And each step he took, he was getting closer and closer to the ck crystal.


    It wouldn''t take a genius not to notice what his brother was nning. He knew that Luo Yan might also be nning something. It''s just a matter of who would do it faster.


    He was waiting for the right time to use his skill when Luo Yan suddenly disappeared in front of him. Before he could react, he felt someone grabbing him from behind. Who else could it be but his brother?


    Feeling his body being lifted in the air, he knew that the next thing that would happen wouldn''t be anything good. There were only two things that could happen next. Either Luo Yan stabbed him or the other forcefully dragged him to the ck crystal.


    Honestly speaking, he thought both were a bit reckless. But he didn''t have time to analyzed further because by the time he finished, maybe he was already defeated. So, he quickly took out a piece of paper charm from his Items Tab and secretly attached it to Luo Yan''s robe as he was struggling to get out of the other''s hold. He then put his fire gun on the holster, so he could move better.


    Before his brother could try to encage him with his arm, he pointed the tip of his ice gun on Luo Yan''s arm that''s across his chest. He activated his skill [Prity] and then shot. The bullet did not pass Luo Yan''s arm and stayed there. At the same time, he headbutted the other''s face, causing his brother to let go of him.


    The moment his feetnded on the ground, he didn''t waste time and pointed the gun at the point near the ck crystal, just within its effective range. Then, fired.


    [Prity] immediately took effect. A red ring appeared on the part of Luo Yan''s arm where Luo Jin shot and a green ring on the part near the ck crystal. A blue line appeared connecting the two rings. This blue line would pull the two together, like the opposite poles of mas. And since Luo Yan was a moving target, he would be pulled towards the green ring.


    Knowing what would happen next, his body unconsciously rxed. But that''s probably the stupidest thing he did. Because before the blue line pulled Luo Yan towards the green ring, Luo Jin suddenly felt something grasping his arm tightly.


    And then, he just felt his whole body being pulled along with Luo Yan!


    He looked at his brother and saw the other grinning at him. He was confused. He couldn''t understand what the other was nning. Even if he pulled him like this, Luo Yan would still be the first to hit the ck crystal. That''s when he saw the shlight being held by his brother''s other hand.


    Luo Jin quickly understood what Luo Yan was nning.


    That''s when it dawned on him that everything was probably deliberate. From the moment the other suddenly grabbed him from behind, no, maybe even much earlier than that. Luo Yan was gambling on the fact that he would use [Prity] since very beginning!


    Luo Jin shot the other, trying to salvage the situation. But the other just moved his head, dodging the bullet. He was almost out of MP because of his constant use of [Bullet Volley] earlier and immediately followed it up with [Prity]. He could only use normal attacks right now. But that didn''t matter because they were already near the ck crystal!


    When they were only two steps away from the crystal, Luo Yan dropped the shlight and threw Luo Jin towards the ck crystal with his other hand. Then, he decisively cut his arm with the red ring. The moment he was free from the blue line, he dived straight into the shadows.


    And Luo Jin just felt his back hitting a solid object ¨C the ck crystal.

 Chapter 753 - ROOKIE CARNIVAL CHAMPION

    <h4>Chapter 753 - ROOKIE CARNIVAL CHAMPION</h4>


    INSIDE the shadow world, Luo Yan watched as his brother''s back hit the ck crystal. And true to the description that the Duke of Hearts gave, Luo Jin''s avatar started to turn into light particles the moment it did. And then the lights on the coliseum suddenly returned, as if signaling the end of the match.


    Luo Yan didn''t stay inside the shadow world and jumped in front of Luo Jin.


    The other only smiled helplessly when he saw him. "You really got me there."


    "Well, I just bet on Ah Jin''s quick response and agile thinking," Luo Yan said. "I believed that you would do the best thing that you could at that moment."


    "Then, I''m d I didn''t let you down," Luo Jin said with a bit of a sarcastic tone. Then he smiled, without any scruple, just a full-blown smile showing how happy he was for his brother. "Congrattions, Yan."


    Luo Yan also smiled back brightly. "Thank you. And Ah Jin, you really did amazing."


    "I know."


    That''s thest thing Luo Jin said before his avatarpletely turned into light particles. Seeing this, Luo Yan couldn''t help but smile again.


    What he said to his brother earlier was true, he really did bet that the other would react in the way that he expected him to in that kind of situation.


    He knew about Luo Jin''s skill ¨C [Prity]. Before he started doing hidden tasks with Shen Ji Yun, he and Luo Jin usually grinded and did task together. One of the tasks they did before gave a skill book of [Prity]. Since it''s a skill for Gunslingers, Luo Jin ended up having it.


    But because of that, Luo Yan knew how that skill worked. From how after activating the skill one needed to fire to consecutive bullets to the two targets that would act as ''poles''. But they shouldn''t be just any targets. One should be a moving target and the other was a stationary one. The moving target should be shot as close as possible while the stationary one should be from afar.


    That''s why Luo Yan created the ideal situation for Luo Jin to use this skill. And his brother didn''t disappoint him.


    Actually, if the other just took a second to think more, he believed that Luo Jin would discover that he was nning such a thing. His actions were practically shouting ''use [Prity]!''.


    He was lucky that Luo Jin was probably too surprised that time. And probably also thinking that he should finish the match as soon as possible before the light returned to the coliseum. Because of those reasons, Luo Yan was able to push him to the direction he wanted. Thus, this result.


    He nced at his severed arm. But just like he said, Luo Jin did amazing. No one could take that from him. If someone would even try to discredit all the amazing things he did in this tournament just because he lost in the end, then that person could only be someone who''s bitter and jealous.


    Luo Yan''s thoughts were interrupted because of the sudden loud cheer.


    He raised his head and looked around. He could see some of the audience standing while some were apuding and the rest were shouting his name.


    "Noctis!!! Congrattions!!!"


    "You did great, Noctis!!!"


    "You''re amazing!!!"


    "Noctis!!!"


    Luo Yan smiled at the audience and waved. Then when she looked at the royal box of team Yunyue, he smiled even brighter and waved much more enthusiastically.


    In his mind, he immediately heard Eclipse''s voice.


    [Mashter, congrats! Eclipse is so happy that you won! Eclipse was so worried about Mashter that his heart almost jumped out many times during your fight with young master. Oh, and young master also did a good job by the way. Everyone here says so. Also, everyone congrattes Mashter as well!


    [They''re very happy that you won. Especially Captain! Eclipse saw him with a really, really, really big smile on his face. You should have seen it, Mashter. Eclipse almost thought he was hallucinating. But then, Eclipse immediately understood that Captain was just happy that Mashter won. Captain is really such a supportive husband.]


    Thatst part, Eclipse said in a dreamy tone. Luo Yan just felt the corner of his lips twitching. Because of the animated way the little fox narrated all that, it was easy for him to imagine Shen Ji Yun''s expression. A really big smile, huh? He would have loved to see that.


    [Why should he be my husband? Can''t he be my wife?] ¨C he said in response.


    There was a slight pause before Eclipse said, [Ahm, Mashter, Eclipse doesn''t want to burst your bubble but¡­ ahm, your overly abundant beauty is just, ah, Eclipse mean that Captain is just a perfect husband material. Don''t you think so as well, Mashter?]


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. [So, Eclipse meant that because I''m too beautiful, I''m not fit to be called a ''husband''? That''s stereotyping, you know?]


    [Then, then, Mashter can also be the husband. Both you and Captain are husband and husband!] ¨C Eclipse quickly said, probably thinking that Luo Yan was scolding him.


    He just chuckled. [Husband and husband. I kind of like the sound of that.] He seemed to hear the little fox'' sigh, as if relieved that he wasn''t angry. [I think the duke wille down now. I''ll see youter. And please, tell everyone I say thank you.]


    [Okay, Mashter!]


    Just as Luo Yan thought, the duke flew down and circled around the rink. "That was a good match, no? This lord believe that no one here could actually say that the two finalists didn''t do their best, right?"


    The crowd said a resounding ''yes'' as an answer.


    "This lord was truly quite entertained. My guess of who would win changed quite a number of times. When I thought that this one would win, the other would do something to subvert my expectation. But at the end, there could only be one winner."


    The duke finally flew towards him, floating around him.. "And now, here he is. The champion of this year''s Rookie Carnival ¨C Noctis!"

 Chapter 754 - FLYING HEART

    <h4>Chapter 754 - FLYING HEART</h4>


    A LOUD cheer echoed all throughout the coliseum as the Duke of Hearts announced the champion of this year''s Rookie Carnival. It was so loud that it almost seemed like the voices of the crowd were reverberating and shaking the ground.


    The duke turned to Luo Yan. "Hmm¡­ we can''t have the champion looking worse for wear, now, can we?"


    The other snapped his fingers and red smoke surrounded Luo Yan at the same time. When the red smoke disappeared, his severed arm returned and all his wounds also healed. Not only that, the clothes he''s wearing also returned to top condition.


    The duke made another snap and a two feet high crystal figurine modeled to his likeness appeared floating in front of him. No, wait, it''s not a figurine. He saw that the figurine was on top of a stand. And on that stand, his game ount name was engraved over the title ''Rookie Carnival Champion''.


    So, was this his trophy?


    Luo Yan simply held the ''trophy'' and couldn''t help but observed it. The figurine on top of the stand had its hand under its chin and had a haughty expression on his face. Since the winner of this Carnival wasn''t determined beforehand, it could only mean that the game designed this trophy before the tournament even started. They probably had a ready-made design for each 16 yers that managed to reach this tournament round.


    But why did ''he'' look so haughty in this trophy? Was this the image the game devs had of him? With this pretty face of his, shouldn''t he look angelic and sweet in this trophy? Howe he ended up looking arrogant and overconfident?


    He stopped contemting about that when he heard the duke speak again.


    "The rest of your rewards will be directly sent to your inbox."


    Inbox? Would they be directly sending the rewards on his Items Tab? ¨C That''s what Luo Yan thought when he heard that. Well, he''d just check itter. It''s not as if the game would cheat him of his rewards.


    Speaking of that, he actually didn''t know what kind of rewards the winner of this Carnival would receive. He just joined with the thought of winning and showing everyone how good he was. But now that he actually won, he''s a bit excited to know what kind of rewards he would receive.


    He didn''t open his Status Window to see if the rewards were already there though. He still had plenty of time to do thatter. For now, let him basked first in his victory.


    The duke floated around the rink again. "This lord has an announcement to make. In order to celebrate the sessful end of this year''s Rookie Carnival, this lord is going to hold a ball next week. If you want to attend, well, you have to search for a way to be invited," the other said thest part in a yful tone.


    There was excitement at first when the crowd heard the first part. But when they heard thetter part, there were groans and some even booed. Everyone here knew how hard it was to get an invitation to one of the Duke of Hearts'' parties. Especially since this ball had something to do with the Rookie Carnival ¨C one of the two biggestpetitions in the game.


    Although theyined in their hearts, they would still try to get an invitation. Because they were certain that this ball would be the biggest party of the duke this year. To be present at that party meant that they had the ability. It''s like a symbol of the rich and famous. Who wouldn''t want to be thought of as one of the elites in the game?


    "The Carnival''s top 16 will automatically receive an invite. They can also bring a plus one if they want. Except for the champion," the duke added before turning towards Luo Yan. "You can invite up to four people."


    The duke stopped at one spot before facing the crowd and continuing;


    "With this, this year''s Rookie Carnival has trulye to an end. Once again, this lord presents to you, our champion, Noctis!" the duke said, gesturing towards Luo Yan as if weing him.


    After saying that, fireworks suddenly lit the night sky. Blooming in different colors and sizes. Then, confetti of flowers fell from the sky. A festive music also filled the air. Everything was celebrating Luo Yan''s win.


    As if that''s not enough, he suddenly floated up in the air. Luo Yan was startled at first, then, he realized that he could control where he could go. It''s like it''s telling him to go around and greet everyone. Like someone who won a beauty pageant and had to go on their first walk as a beauty queen.


    Luo Yan could only hug his trophy and wave at the crowd while gliding from one area to the next. He even posed, winked, and gave finger-hearts. Based on how loud the cheer of the audience was every time he did, he''d say they loved it.


    Then, he stopped in front of the royal box of his team. Almost everyone was standing and apuding.


    "Xiao Yan, congrats!" Luo Wei Tian shouted to his son.


    Anyone could see on his face how happy he was for the other. He would feel the same if the one who won was Luo Jin. There was no disappoint or sadness because one won and the other lost. He saw just how much the two tried their best to win. Feeling any negative emotion because of the result would be tantamount to negating all the efforts of the one who lost. That''s why Luo Wei Tian was only feeling overjoyed right now.


    The others followed along and wished him congrattions.


    "You did great, Yan Yan. Congrattions!" said Shen Ji Yun who spokest.


    Luo Yan turned to the other and grinned. "Thank you everyone!"


    He made a heart shape using his fingers with his free hand. Kissed it and then send it off like a flying kiss, except this time it was a flying heart.


    Although he addressed that to everyone, the direction where the flying heart was pointing was definitely the area where Shen Ji Yun was standing.

 Chapter 755 - LOVEY-DOVEY TIME

    <h4>Chapter 755 - ''LOVEY-DOVEY'' TIME</h4>


    AFTER Luo Yan dealt with some things that needed to be dealt with as the winner of the Rookie Carnival, he finally had time to teleport to Yunyue''s headquarters. Before the finals even began, all of them had already decided to meet back again at the headquarters after the end of the match.


    He actually thought of just meeting at his pavilion. That way, they could have food and drinks as they celebrated. But he also quickly put away that idea. Yuexing Pavilion was definitely teeming with yers right now. It''s because Luo Yan set up a live broadcast of the finals.


    The Rookie Carnival matches were broadcasted live to the four major cities of Arcadia. Those who couldn''t watch the game on the coliseum could watch it on the za of each city where a huge virtual screen was floating.


    Being a business owner in the game that belonged to the hospitality industry, as the owner, he was given a choice whether he would like to broadcast the tournament round of the Rookie Carnival. Because Yuexing Pavilion was only open during the night, it could only broadcast the first matching round and the finals.


    Luo Yan agreed and only chose to broadcast the final match of the tournament. And then he made some promos that could let him earn extra money on the side. Like the customers could pay a certain amount of crystal coins and they could have unlimited food and drinks for the night.


    The pavilion''s small casino would also provide their own betting game that was based on the final match of the tournament. Which probably what attracted most of the customers. Especially those who lost after betting on Dragnar. They would definitely want to get back the money that they lost. That''s why Luo Yan set up such a thing in the casino. Because he knew he could get a lot of money from it.


    Now that the final match of the Carnival was over, there would certainly be celebration in the pavilion. With entertainment and beautiful NPC around, the yers there would surely remain for a couple of hours more instead of leaving after watching the match.


    That''s why he did not mentioned going to the pavilion after the match was over. Spending time at the team''s headquarters was still better.


    Luo Yan was about to walk towards the main hall when he felt his hand being held by a warm and big palm. He looked back and saw Shen Ji Yun''s handsome face.


    "Brother Ji Yun?"


    "Everyone is in the garden," the other said with a slight tilting of the corner of his lips. "Let''s go?"


    Before Luo Yan could answer, Shen Ji Yun had already pulled him towards the direction of the garden. He gazed down at their hands attached to each other. He smiled inwardly and didn''t say anything about it.


    "Is there a surprise waiting for me at the garden?" he asked in a teasing tone.


    "Well, Bai Ze, Su Yuqi, and I prepared a little something. Since no matter who won between you and your brother, it would still be a team mate, so, we decided to prepare something in advance," Shen Ji Yun answered in response. "I knew you would win though."


    Luo Yan nced at the other after, very amused. "Isn''t it because you just didn''t want Ah Jin to win?"


    "No, it has nothing to do with him. I just want you to win. Because I know how happy you will be if you do," Shen Ji Yun said in a very straightforward manner.


    Then he gazed down at Luo Yan. His amethyst eyes seemed to be silently saying, ''and I always want you to be happy''.


    This made Luo Yan feel a bit shy. He scratched his cheek thinking how talented Shen Ji Yun was when it came to making someone''s heart flutter. And the scary thing was, the other didn''t even know what he''s doing. Good thing this guy was only like this towards him. Or else, Luo Yan wasn''t sure just how much rival he would have by now.


    He cleared his throat and simply changed the topic. "Is everyone already there at the garden?"


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to not mind the sudden change in topic and answered, "Yes, everyone''s there including the gno- I mean, including Luo Jin."


    Knowing that the other was actually about to say ''gnome'', Luo Yan only chuckled. Really, just when would the two get along with each other? Speaking of, if everyone was already there, why was Shen Ji Yun the one who picked him up just now? With his two brothers there, there''s no way they would just let Shen Ji Yun do as he wished.


    His father might still a bit oblivious about this guy''s feelings for him, but his two brothers were different. So, why?


    To know the answer, he simply asked it directly. "Why was Brother Ji Yun the one who picked me up just now?"


    "I volunteered," was also the other''s simple answer.


    Luo Yan raised a brow. And it went well? Then, he suddenly thought of a possibility.


    Since he was now the Carnival''s champion, maybe his brothers didn''t want to hinder his time with Shen Ji Yun tonight that much. After all, the two knew of his feelings for the other. To be able to spend more time with Shen Ji Yun would definitely make him happy.


    As they neared the garden, a seven-year-old boy with five fox tails behind him suddenly came rushing towards them. Eclipse was about to hug Luo Yan but then suddenly stopped when he saw the captain holding his master''s hand.


    "Did Eclipse disturb Mashter and Captain''s lovey-dovey time?" the little boy said a little dramatically. "Don''t worry, Eclipse will go now. Take your time walking to the garden, okay?"


    As quick as Eclipse appeared, he also disappeared just as quick.


    It was only then that Shen Ji Yun noticed that he was still holding Luo Yan''s hand.. He quickly let go as if burned. His whole face heating up and turning red!

 Chapter 756 - SCATTERED REALIZATION

    <h4>Chapter 756 - SCATTERED REALIZATION</h4>


    LUO YAN watched as Shen Ji Yun''s face turned bright red. Just earlier, the other was still obliviously flirting with him. But now that someone noticed him holding Luo Yan''s hand, he suddenly became shy like a maiden. Every time he saw this kind of gap on the other, he couldn''t help but think how cute and adorable Shen Ji Yun was.


    He actually wanted to tease the other. Telling him how could he be so shy when he had already eaten his tofu. But he stopped himself. He felt like Shen Ji Yun''s face would truly burst into mes if he did.


    As much as he would have loved to see it, it might take a while before the other returned to his usual ''expressionless'' self. And since they were already near the garden, it would be too conspicuous if they arrived with Shen Ji Yun''s face bright red like a tomato.


    His father and Yu Jiao would probably not think much, but he couldn''t say the same for the rest. Especially for his brothers. Since it was Shen Ji Yun who was blushing, normal people would think that he did something to the other. But his brothers would definitely not think so.


    Those two''s brain circuits would definitely spin things in a way that would make Luo Yan the victim. He was also not sure how they could possiblye up with that conclusion. But knowing those two, they would definitely do. Because in their eyes, Shen Ji Yun was the bad guy who was trying to abduct their brother.


    Luo Yan didn''t want to cause such a misunderstanding. Especially on this night where they all should be celebrating.


    "Come on, Brother Ji Yun. Let''s go," he called, walking ahead.


    Shen Ji Yun could only watch Luo Yan''s back as the other walked forward. He truly didn''t notice that he was holding on to Luo Yan''s hand that long. No wonder he felt all giddy and happy inside.


    But why didn''t Luo Yan say anything about it and let him held his hand for that long? Now that he thought about it, this wasn''t the first time something simr to this had happened.


    There were a couple of times when he held the other''s hand and Luo Yan didn''t really reject it. Then, there were the times when Luo Yan himself took the initiative to touch him. Like holding his hand and hugging his arm. There was even that one time when they met in person the first time. Didn''t the other take the initiative to k-kiss his chin?


    It wasn''t just the skinship. There were a lot of other small things. He couldn''t really list them one by one. Just the fact that his rabbit would sometimes act coquettishly around him as if wanting to be spoiled was enough.


    Shen Ji Yun felt like he was on the verge of discovering something here. The answer was already floating in his head. But before he could catch it, he suddenly heard Bai Ze''s loud voice.


    "Our champion is here!"


    Shen Ji Yun just realized that they were already at the garden. And just like that, the thought bubble in his mind just popped. He had no time to gather it again. So, he just let it scatter. There was a much more important thing he needed to do right now.


    He still hadn''t congratted Luo Yan properly!


    So, Shen Ji Yun lowered his head and said before the others surrounded Luo Yan or something, "Congrattions again on winning the Rookie Carnival, Yan Yan. You truly are an amazing and splendid yer."


    Luo Yan raised his head and looked at Shen Ji Yun after hearing that. Seeing the sincerity in the other''s eyes, he couldn''t help but feel moved. "Thank you. I actually think so as well," he said with a cheeky grin.


    This time, it was Shen Ji Yun''s turn to smile in amusement. His rabbit was always so cute.


    Luo Yan then turned to the garden. The ce had now floating crystal lights, illuminating the whole area. But because the light wasn''t too strong, the light from these crystals gave off a dreamy feeling. There was a table filled with different dishes, as well as all kinds of drinks. It was like a true small party.


    He liked it. The people he cared about were here, celebrating his achievement, how could he not like it?


    With a bright smile on his face, Luo Yan walked forward.


    ----------


    While team Yunyue was busy celebrating, the topic #RookieCarnivalFinals was currently rising on the hot search list of Weibo.


    [The Rookie Carnival this year was truly full of talented yers! Each match was worth-it to watch.]


    [True. Unlikest year when anyone could already guess who would win before the tournament round even started.]


    [I think the reason why this year''s Carnival was better was because of the Duke of Hearts. That guy is just full of humor!]


    [Yeah. Unlike the Duke of Spades who hostedst year and was very straightforward in handling things, the Duke of Hearts has a lot of novel ideas.]


    [The Duke of Hearts should just host the Carnival every year. He''s a bit entric and egotistic, but at least he''s fun to watch.]


    [His addition to the Carnival this year was truly a pleasant surprise.]


    [I think the more surprising thing was the fact that Dragnar lost.]


    [Hey, don''t remind me again. I lost a lot of money because I bet on him.]


    [Upstairs, you''re not alone. TT__TT]


    [If the caliber of the participants this year was low, then Dragnar definitely would have won. But unfortunately for him, that''s not the case.]


    [In my opinion, he was too careless. That''s why he lost. Maybe he thought that he would surely win that''s why he didn''t put too much effort.]


    [Upstairs, what are you saying? That Dragnar only lost because he was careless? That''s bullshit! He lost because the young master was better than him!]


    [But to think that a gnome would beat a dragon.]


    Such conversations continued to appear under this trending topic.

 Chapter 757 - #ROOKIECARNIVALFINALS

    <h4>Chapter 757 - #ROOKIECARNIVALFINALS</h4>


    [TRUE. Even if young master Jin is not just an ordinary gnome and belongs to the special category, he''s still up against a legendary dragon. Him winning was truly unprecedented.]


    [What''s wrong with being a gnome? Do you think that having a legendary race meant that one is omnipotent? Of course not! It still depends on one''s skill. Obviously, Dragnar''s skill was much less than the young master.]


    [Yeah. No matter how beautiful a chicken is, it will still remain a chicken and will not turn into a phoenix.]


    [Hey, I think all of you are being too harsh on Dragnar. The only reason that gnome won was because Dragnar became a bit careless.]


    [I also think so as well. Anyone who faced this young master in a fight wouldn''t feel threatened at all. It''s not that Dragnar didn''t have skills to beat the other. He simply underestimated his opponent.]


    [The two upstairs, did you watch the same match we did? Or are you simply one of those people who panders over anyone that has a legendary race? No matter what kind of excuse you make, the fact that Dragnar lost won''t change. He was outsmarted by the gnome you''re looking down on and lost.]


    [Stop fighting, stop fighting. Can''t we all just appreciate how amazing all the top 16 of this year''s Carnival?]


    [The top 4 are definitely a cut above the rest. Although there were some in the top 8 that were also quite good. Like that Razor and that dark elf. But thest two matches in the semi-finals probably wouldn''t be as exhrating if there was a different top 4.]


    [True. My favorite is definitely the young master Jin. With that small stature and cute face, fighting so fiercely, it''s simply gap moe!]


    [I agree! He looks so squishy, I just want to go down the rink myself and squeeze his cheek. He''s simply the king of gap moe!]


    [What are you saying? If you''re talking about gap moe, then the champion definitely tops the list! Have you seen how he fights? It''s totally the opposite of how he looks.]


    [Upstairs, you spoke nothing but facts. When Noctis is just standing there and smiling, he looks so beautiful like an angel. But once he entered battle mode, he''s like a Shura king rising from hell.]


    [He''s still beautiful as hell though.]


    [Yes, there''s no question about his beauty. But man, seeing him violently stab his opponents with a smile on his face was just in scary.]


    [Yeah, I still have shiver down my spine when I think about it.]


    [But he''s still an eye-candy. So, even if I''m scared, I still want to look at him.]


    [True! Noctis is just too beautiful. How can a guy look prettier than an actual girl like me?]


    [Sometimes, life is just too unfair.]


    [I wonder if Noctis still looks the same in real life.]


    [Well, even if he beautified himself, with that resulting face, he would probably still be pretty good-looking.]


    [Can you girls stop talking about Noctis'' looks? Come on, he the champion of this year''s Carnival! The best of rookie of this year! Who cares about his appearance? He''s one heck of a good yer!]


    [I know right? He''s a very smart fighter. But at the same time, he''s also not afraid to take risk. He might appear reckless at one point, but all his actions were pretty calcted.]


    [Even though he''s a bit scary, the way he fights was almost like staring at a beautiful painting. If the said painting is covered in blood that is.]


    [With Noctis winning the Rookie Carnival, will the Assassin ranking in the PvPdder finally change?]


    [Definitely. If he wants to make his name more well-known, he would definitely go after the Assassin PvP ranking.]


    [His name would definitely be well-known. If he isn''t already a part of a team, many others would surely mor to recruit him.]


    [But can you believe it? The top two yers in this year''s Carnival were actually both from Yunyue!]


    [It seems Yunyue is truly nning to make aeback. This Carnival was probably a way to introduce their new members to everyone. Like some kind of debut or something.]


    [And what a grand debut it was.]


    [With the addition of Noctis and young master Jin, Yunyue is now being reborn. Next season''s Arcadia Cup will certainly be much more fun.]


    Suchments continued on piling up under the topic #RookieCarnivalFinals. Until it entered the top 10 of Weibo''s hot search list.


    ----------


    Duan Yu read thements with interest. With how things were going, as long as Noctis didn''t make any notable mistakes in the future, he would surely be very popr. That would just be perfect for the favor the other owed him.


    He was about to put away his phone when he suddenly felt a pair of slender arms hugged his neck from the back. A familiar fragrance wafted towards him and Duan Yu unknowingly smiled.


    He raised his head to the side and saw Song Liuli''s beautiful side profile up close. But then was quickly filled with worry when he noticed the tiredness between her brows.


    "Have you eaten dinner?" he asked, gently patting the other''s hand.


    "No," Song Liuli said with a bit ofint in her voice before turning slightly to Duan Yu with her big eyes blinking cutely at him. "Cook for me?"


    Duan Yu smiled helplessly before giving a quick peck on Liuli''s soft cheek. "Okay."


    He put down his phone on the couch before standing up and walking towards the kitchen area. His studio apartment had a pretty simple design. The living room and the kitchen area were adjacent to each other. He didn''t have a dining are since he had a bar counter at the kitchen.


    He nced at the girl who carelessly sat down on the couch.. Seeing her in his apartment, beingfortable as if this was her home, always put a smile on Duan Yu''s face.

 Chapter 758 - HE WILL DEFINITELY

    <h4>Chapter 758 - HE WILL DEFINITELY</h4>


    "IT seemed that your shoot took longer than expected," Duan Yumented as he took out ingredients from the pantry.


    Song Liuli had a photoshoot today for a popr apparel line that targeted young people. They lived in the same apartment building. Their apartments were also adjacent to each other. He often cooked for the other. So, Song Liuli was a frequent visitor in his apartment. In fact, besides sleeping here, it''s almost like they lived together. She even had her own key to his apartment.


    Song Liuli actually wanted for them to live together since their current living arrangement was no different from that. But Duan Yu refused. As much as he wanted to agree, he felt like he shouldn''t.


    Others might call him sly and scheming, but he was an old-fashioned guy at heart. He didn''t want to take that step unless he and Liuli were officially married. It might take a few years for that since the both of them were still university students. He wanted to have a stable career first before proposing marriage.


    He didn''t want to be that kind of guy who depended on his partner''s money. Liuli''s money was hers while his money belonged to the both of them. He wanted to be someone who could support his family financially without needing to worry about anything.


    The investments he had made in the past two years were already bearing fruit. by next year, he would have ample funds to start his own smallpany. He just hoped that things would go ording to n. But life always threw a few curve ball to everyone, some received more than others. He had already readied himself for such mishap.


    Duan Yu then heard an annoyed sigh from behind. "It''s because of that model I have to shoot with today. He''s such a drama king. Just because he''s a little bit too popr, he made everything hard for everyone in the set. Argh! I almost couldn''t hold myself back from punching him!"


    His expression dimmed but Song Liuli couldn''t see it since his back was facing her. "Did he trouble you?" he asked as he began to chop a cabbage on the chopping board.


    Song Liuli nced at Duan Yu''s back because she heard something in the other''s tone. They had been together long enough that, at times, it''s easy for her to know what the other was thinking. Just like now.


    If she said ''yes'', she was sure that Duan Yu would definitely think of a way to deal with that model, no matter how disadvantageous it might be for him. She didn''t mind though. It''s one of the many reasons why she liked him. Even so, she couldn''t just let the other do something careless because of her.


    "Nah, I already took care of it. Do you really think I would let someone like that bully me?" she said in a nonchnt tone.


    Although she said that to pacify the other, it''s true that she had already taken care of that model. It''s not in her nature to swallow such a breath when someone was obviously trying to take advantage of her.


    She picked up Duan Yu''s phone on the couch and opened it. Then, she saw that the screen was on Weibo, meaning that Duan Yu was browsing the site before putting it down. The topic he was browsing was the finals of the Rookie Carnival.


    "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Today was the finals of Rookie Carnival," she said, changing the topic. "Who won?"


    "Noctis."


    Noctis? Then, the image of a certain white-haired elf shed in her mind. "Is he that good?"


    She was asking out of genuine curiosity. Because she truly had no idea about the other''s skills. Since her modelling career took off, the time she spent to y Arcadia became less and less. If not for the fact that Duan Yu and their other friends were still ying, she would have probably quit a long time ago.


    Of course, that didn''t mean that she was being half-assed when she''s ying. Especially during training for Arcadia Cup. She''s the main healer of their team. If she didn''t take the game seriously, then it could result to their team losing. She didn''t mind losing, what she did mind was if they lost because of her.


    Due to this, she wasn''t so updated to the things happening in the game. Much less so about the skills of the new yers being added every year.


    "He got skills. Yunyue would definitely be a tough opponent next year if they join the Arcadia Cup," Duan Yu answered honestly.


    Song Liuli raised her brow. "Just his addition and you''re sure Yunyue will give us a hard time next year, is he that good?"


    "Well, it''s not just him. The runner-up in this year''s Carnival also happened to be a new member of Yunyue. So¡­" Duan Yu answered with a shrug.


    Song Liuli whistled. "It seems Yunyue is really nning aeback."


    "I don''t think they n it per se," Duan Yu said remembering the expressionless captain of Yunyue. If they ever really participated in the Cup next year, he had a feeling that it wouldn''t have anything to do with YUN but everything to do with Noctis.


    "If they participate next year, Ah Min would definitely be overjoyed," Song Liuli onlymented, referring to their team''s captain.


    Duan Yu silently agreed on that.


    "By the way, I''m nning to ask Noctis to help us in Nirvana''s next issue," he said.


    Nirvana was a magazine published by team Celestials twice a year ¨C one in June and another in December. They started this magazine about two years ago. It was just a whim at first. But since it was so profitable, Duan Yu decided to continue it.


    It''s a magazine that caters to Arcadia''s fans. It''s full of fan-service and gorgeous photos. One could buy either a digital copy or a hardcopy of the magazine. Now that Noctis won the Rookie Carnival, he was definitely more than qualified to be in the magazine.


    "I don''t have any opinion on that. But, would that elf even agree?" Song Liuli asked. "I have a feeling he wouldn''t."


    Duan Yu showed a meaningful smile. "Oh, he will definitely agree."


    He had no choice after all.

 Chapter 759 - PASSING CONVERSATIONS

    <h4>Chapter 759 - PASSING CONVERSATIONS</h4>


    A DAY after the finals, Luo Yan and Luo Jin were back to school. The two haven''t yet entered their respective teaching building but they could already here the students around them discussing the finals of Arcadia''s Rookie Carnival.


    "Have you watched the Rookie Carnival this weekend?"


    "Yeah, how could I miss it? I even bought a ticket to the coliseum!"


    "How lucky! I also tried to buy a ticket but it was already sold out. I could only watch the game from a live broadcast."


    "That''s such a shame. Watching it in the Floating Coliseum was definitely worth it. Even though I''m in my avatar form, I could feel my blood boiling because of excitement."


    "I understand. I only watch the live broadcast and I was already on the edge of my seat. What more if I was there myself?"


    While this side was talking about the matches, on the other side, a different kind of conversation was happening.


    "Noctis is really so pretty. Look, I even made him my wallpaper."


    "That shot is so nice, send it to meter. I''ll also send you some pics I took during the match."


    "Sure! I actually have tons of pics. Can you believe that Noctis actually doesn''t have any bad angle? He''s pretty wherever you look."


    "I know, right? He''s like a dreamy anime character. Really, his face was like a perfectly sculpted 3D model."


    "With so many source material, Catnip would definitely have countless fan-art of him after this Carnival."


    "Ah, you''re also following Catnip? Me too! My favorite fan-art of her as ofte is the one with NightCloud Cp."


    "You as well?"


    "Yeah! There''s just something magical about her fanart of NightCloud CP."


    "I think it''s mainly because it''s YUN and Noctis. The two are simply a match made in heaven."


    "I agree. They just have this incredible chemistry. Ah, how wonderful it would be if they are really together in real life."


    "They might face bacsh if they really end up together but I will definitely support them!"


    "I also feel the same."


    Hearing such conversation, Luo Jin''s frown deepened once more. When he heard the fan-arts, he had already frowned. But after hearing this ''NightCloud CP'' and knowing that it pertained to the pairing of his brother and Shen Ji Yun, a deep line appeared between his brows.


    He knew the name Catnip. Once when he, Bai Ze, and Su Yuqi went to Tropical Land to look for Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun, a cat beastkin apanied them. The girl''s game ount name was ''Catnip''. He was just not sure if the Catnip these people were talking about was the same Catnip he thought of.


    He gazed down at Luo Yan just in time to see the small smile that appeared on the other''s face. He could immediately tell that his brother was in a good mood just by that. Also, the fact that Luo Yan must have known long before about this NightCloud CP.


    "You must be feeling all happy hearing that," hemented with a dry tone.


    Luo Yan raised his head and nced at him. "Of course, I am. People are cheering for me and Brother Ji Yun, how could I not be happy?"


    Luo Jin rolled his eyes and just wanted to change the subject. But before he could, he heard another bout of conversation.


    "I also have a lot of pics of young master Jin. Do you want a copy?"


    "I do! Now that you mentioned him, I remember again just how cute the young master is."


    "Right? He''s so cute and lovely! I really wish that the him in real life is not some muscr middle-aged man or my fantasy would be ruined. Although I know he wouldn''t really be a child, I just hope he could be a petite and cute teenager."


    "Let''s not think about that and just keep the fantasy in our hearts. It''s better that way."


    "Yeah. I heard that young master is now also part of Yunyue. Don''t you think he would be a good pair with Morganite?"


    "Oh, yes, now that you said that, the two would really make a good pair. They''re both so cute and lovely."


    "Maybe we should request Catnip to make a fan-art of the two. It would definitely be wonderful."


    Luo Yan''s eyes were filled with amusement as he heard the conversation. He nced at his younger brother and just as expected, the other was already blushing from cheeks to ears.


    He couldn''t help but tease him further. "Hmm¡­ maybe I should also request a fan-art of a certain young master and a pink-haired pixie."


    Luo Jin red at him with red cheeks. Then, instead of saying anything, he just turned to the direction of the second year''s teaching building before walking towards there.


    Luo Yan only chuckled before walking to the third year''s teaching building.


    Thising Sunday, for the Duke of Heart''s ball, all five of team Yunyue would attend. With five extra invitations ¨C four from him and one from Luo Jin, the rest of their team didn''t have to search on how to get their hands on an invite.


    At first, Luo Yan was slightly worried because the invitations wouldn''t be enough if they wanted to take his father, his older brother, and Yu Jiao with them. But his father said that he wouldn''t being since, ording to him, he''s already too old for a ball.


    With his father noting with them, the invitations they had now fit their numbers. Too bad that Yu Jiao also decided not to go. She said that she wasn''t reallyfortable going to such events. Luo Yan wanted to convince the other to change his mind. But when he saw her resolute expression, he no longer tried.


    Although Yu Jiao was trying very hard toe out of the shell she surrounded herself with, she was probably still notfortable around such crowd. And because she decided not to go, his older brother also decided not to.


    So, with that, the only ones who would attend was the whole team Yunyue.. Even so, Luo Yan was still very excited for thising ball.

 Chapter 760 - YUNYUES LITTLE DRESS UP TIME

    <h4>Chapter 760 - YUNYUE''S LITTLE DRESS UP TIME</h4>


    THIRTY minutes before the ball of the Duke of Hearts, the whole team Yunyue met up at their headquarters. This was not only so they could go to the venue of the ball together but also so they could prepare. What kind of preparation, you ask? Of course, it''s to dress up! They''re going to a party. It''s only natural to dress ording to the asion.


    Luo Yan and Bai Ze were actually the only ones excited to dress up. The other three had different expressions of ''I don''t want to'' on their faces. But with Luo Yan''s powerful ''persuasion'', the three agreed in the end.


    So, right now, the five members of team Yunyue were ying ''dress-up''.


    Bai Ze was the first one to change clothes. What he changed into was a ck suit jacket paired with ck jeans and leather boots. There was nothing under the suit jacket that''s why his avatar''s muscr chest could be seen. His red-orange hair was swept back but some unruly strand still escaped, making his look have that rugged feel. He was even wearing some essories. Like a cross earring on one ear and a ck cor.


    "What do you guys think?" he asked while spinning around to show everyone his attire.


    Before Luo Yan could say his opinion, Su Yuqi had already beaten him up to it.


    "You look like a guy ready to strip his clothes at any second," she said with a dead-pan expression on her face.


    Luo Yan bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn''tugh. He controlled his expression and said, "Well, I think Brother Ze is exuding exponential charm right now. You''re clearly dressed to impress."


    Bai Ze''s face that was about to erupt in anger because of what Su Yuqi said immediately returned to normal. A satisfied smile even appeared on his face. He pulled the cor of the jacket suit, as if showing off his handsome visage.


    "Do you really think so, Xiao Yan?"


    "Of course," Luo Yan said with a confident smile.


    Bai Ze''s smile became even brighter. He also thought that he looked quite handsome in this costume. It perfectly showcased his avatar''s powerful physique and even added some ss to his wild charm.


    He actually didn''t n to dress up in such a way. But after knowing that Xia Li would attend the ball with her brother, he suddenly had the urge to dress up. And just like what Luo Yan said, his goal was to impress.


    He still wasn''t sure what he was feeling towards Xia Li. It could be just a simple admiration, the kind that could make his heart flutter from time to time. Or maybe he was just simply being affected by the love bubbles Shen Ji Yun produced.


    Either way, the truth remained that he wanted to impress Xia Li right now.


    Luo Yan then turned to his brother. "Ah Jin, try the costume I bought for you."


    Luo Jin looked at his brother''s sparkling eyes and preventing himself from groaning. His only thought at the moment was, ''might as well get on with it''.


    Surprisingly enough, Su Yuqi also echoed his thoughts.


    "Might as well do the same," she said with an expression of ''let''s get this over and done with''.


    Hearing the other said that, he no longer felt so annoyed. It''s like he found arade-in-arms. It''s even better that it was Su Yuqi herself. So, he no longer hesitated and clicked on the costume set that Luo Yan bought him.


    His body was surrounded by light and once it disappeared, the old costume he''s wearing was reced by a white princely dress suit with blue ent. The design was like one those worn by Disney princes. He even had a dark blue cape that was slumped on one side of his shoulders.


    Luo Jin didn''t bother checking how he looked and just turned to Su Yuqi. The moment he did, his heart flutter and his breath caught.


    The other was wearing ice-blue dress. At a distance, one would think that it was made of fragile ice. That''s why it looked even more beautiful. It was paired with a ss shoes and satin gloves. With such a costume, Su Yuqi looked like an ice fairy princess.


    Wait- both of them were wearing clothes with a blue motif. Both looking like a prince and a princess. Wasn''t this just them wearing a couple''s outfit?


    Su Yuqi also realized that. The costume she''s wearing was not bought by her. It was given by Luo Yan. She raised one of her brows then nced at Luo Yan meaningfully. She didn''t say anything and just remained silent.


    Luo Yan was very satisfied by how the two looked. Like a little prince and princess. Such a perfect pair.


    "Ah Jin, Sister Yuqi, you both look wonderful!" he said very honestly.


    "Yeah, you look very¡­ girly in that outfit, Yuqi," Bai Ze said with a snort.


    Su Yuqi only gave the other a sideway nce. "At least I looked properly dressed."


    Bai Ze only rolled his eyes at the other, deciding not to respond to her jab.


    "Young master and pink-haired sister look so cute! Eclipse also wants cute clothes!" the little boy said while circling around Luo Jin and Su Yuqi.


    "Don''t worry, master also prepared something for you," Luo Yan said.


    Hearing that, Eclipse stopped dancing around the two and quickly rushed to his master. "Really Mashter? Eclipse wants to wear it now!"


    "Okay, okay."


    Luo Yan opened the Pet Tab on his Status Window and clicked on one of the costumes he had bought. Eclipse was surrounded by light and the costume he''s wearing quickly changed ¨C a dark pink vest over white long-sleeved shirt, a pair of the same colored pants, a red bowtie, a pair of white shoes, and a dark pink beret.


    Eclipse looked at his new costume and turned around. "Does Eclipse look cute?"


    Luo Yan pinched the little boy''s cheek. "Yes, you look absolutely adorable." He then turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Should we also change?"


    Shen Ji Yun was expressionless but anyone who knew him could tell that he wasn''t really keen on doing it.. But because Luo Yan was the one who asked, he could only say, "Okay."

 Chapter 761 - THE BALL AT HEARTS MANOR

    <h4>Chapter 761 - THE BALL AT HEARTS MANOR</h4>


    THE four dukes of Arcadia each upied arge piece ofnd. And each one had a famous area within it. For example, in the Duke of Spades'' territory, there was the Forrest of Darkness. In the territory of the Duke of Diamond, there was the Frozen Delves. In the Duke of Clover''snd, there''s the Lake of Stillness. Andstly, in the Duke of Hearts'' territory, the Endless Maze could be found.


    Of the four dukes, the most popr was definitely the Duke of Hearts. Mostly not because of anything good. He was known for his entricity and great arrogance. Also, the fact that he always gave ridiculously hard tasks. Even so, he was still very popr among the yers.


    Probably because many considered him as a very fun character. No matter how hard he was to deal with, yers still liked him. It''s a simple case of someone being charismatic, they didn''t care much about his attitude.


    At this time, the center of the Duke of Hearts'' territory was very lively. In there stood the duke''s abode ¨C the Hearts Manor. And right now, a lively party was being held there.


    The manor''s huge ballroom was filled with food, music, and beautiful NPCs. Some were carrying trays of alcohol and bite-sized appetizers while others were ying on the orchestra or performing on a stage obviously prepared for those performances. Of course, most of the ordinary yers who managed to get an invitation were already there and mingling with each other.


    "Do you think those popr yers from big teams wille?"


    "Definitely. This is a good opportunity to recruit the top 16 to their teams. How could they miss it? Some would probably send lesser known members to represent their teams, but they would surely send someone."


    "I wish they would send someone popr. Like Song Liuli."


    "Don''t dream about it. There''s no Angels in the top 16. There''s no way Celestials would recruit any of them. Besides, Song Liuli is probably too busy to attend this ball."


    "Fine. Then, I wish at least Alucard would attend. I definitely needed some eye-candy."


    "If you only wish for an eye-candy, then, just wait for team Yunyue. YUN is definitely enough to feast your eyes with. Not to mention Noctis would also be here."


    "Oh yeah, Noctis and that young master are now part of Yunyue. Do you think the whole team would attend?"


    "I saw them watching at the coliseum. If they''re that supportive, they would definitelye."


    "If that''s the case, then, all that struggle to get an invitation is definitely worth it."


    Soon, the top 16 of the game started to arrive and enter the ballroom. As if they were arriving based on their rank in the game, the first ones to arrive were those who lost during the first round of the tournament. They didn''t attract that much attention but some teams still approached them to give them an offer to be a member of their team.


    Ying Chen and Liang Sen, who just arrived, saw this scene of their fellow rookies being recruited by different teams.


    "Are you nning to join any teams?" Liang Sen asked.


    "No," Ying Chen answered without hesitation.


    Those joining a team either wanted to y at the Arcadia Cup or simply liked the idea of ying in a group. Well, Ying Chen wasn''t really interested in any of those things. He was only a casual yer. The only reason he participated in the Rookie Carnival was because he heard that Noctis was also joining.


    At that time, he was still pretty pissed at Luo Yan. So, Noctis being a look-alike of that brat made him want to beat the other up. It''s a childish reason, yes. But what could he do? He couldn''t help being unreasonable.


    "If you want to y in the Arcadia Cup, I suggest you pick one of the bigger teams," he continued. Unlike him, Liang Sen was pretty serious gamer. So, he knew that the other would want to participate in the Cup. "Of course, with your performance during the Rookie Carnival, that might be a bit tough. But if you beg them real nice, maybe they''ll let you in."


    "Hey, thatst part was totally uncalled for," Liang Sen said, jokingly knocking on the other''s head. "I didn''t expect Winged Tassel to be that good. Having also lost to him, you should be more understanding of my feelings."


    Ying Chen only snorted and didn''tment. What could he say when it''s true that he also lost to that creepy guy? He hoped he wouldn''t bump into that Winged Tassel tonight. Actually, the only reason he attended this party was because he wanted to remind Noctis of their PvP fight. Just in case the other had already forgotten about it.


    Right behind Ying Chen and Liang Sen, the next ones to enter were the Xia siblings.


    Xia Lei had a very reluctant expression, as if he didn''t want to be here. While Xia Li was looking around as if searching for something.


    "Sister, can we just go back?" Xia Lei said. "I don''t really want to be here."


    Xia Li turned to her brother and pinched the other''s cheek. "Hey, do you know how much hate you''re getting online? If you don''t attend this ball, those mindless people might say that you''re a sore loser. So, just bear with it for half an hour, then you can leave."


    "They can say whatever they want about me. I don''t care," Xia Lei muttered.


    "But I do. So, be a good boy and just try the food. I''m sure they taste good."


    "Fine. I''ll stay for half an hour," he said reluctantly.


    Xia Li smiled in satisfaction after hearing that. She was about to say something when she heard a collective whisper along the lines of, ''Yunyue is here!''. Most of them seemed to be looking in the same direction.


    She also turned to the direction they were all looking and her eyes immediately brightened when she saw the two people walking down the stairs.


    It''s YUN and Noctis!

 Chapter 762 - NIGHTCLOUD CP ARRIVAL

    <h4>Chapter 762 - NIGHTCLOUD CP ARRIVAL</h4>


    YUN was wearing a ck robe that was simr to those worn by immortals in Xianxia dramas. The hem of the robe had a golden cloud pattern. His long dark purple hair was even gathered in a jade crown. He looked like a heavenly emperor who came down from above just to graze these mere mortals of his presence.


    On his side was Noctis wearing the same set of clothes. Except that his robe was white and the pattern on it was a silver moon. His white hair was freely flowing behind his back with a beautiful jade hairpin adorning it. If YUN looked like an emperor, then this beautiful elf was like his empress.


    One might think it weird that thetter was referred to as an ''empress''. But this had nothing to do with gender at all. It''s just the fact that the two looked perfect standing together like that. So, people who saw them just automatically thought of such a pairing.


    Their clothes being of the same design greatly helped. Not to mention the moonlight earrings each both wore. It''s like the two were shouting to everyone, ''we''re a pair!''.


    Those who were fans of the NightCloud CP secretly rejoiced in their hearts. How could they not when they could see Noctis and YUN wearing matching gorgeous clothes and walking side by side with each other? Their fangirl, and the asional fanboy, hearts were simply full.


    Of course, the happiest right now was probably Xia Li. Looking at the two, her eyes were just simply filled with twinkling stars. Her inspiration was just simply bursting right now. If she had her tablet right now, she would probably be already drawing the scene in front of her. So, she could only do the next best thing. She opened her Status Window and took pictures of the two.


    Xia Lei looked at the expression of his sister and just knew what the other was doing right now. Even though he couldn''t see the other''s Status Window, he was sure she had her camera on and was now definitely taking countless snapshots of YUN and Noctis. He just wished his sister wouldn''t drag him to where Yunyue was just so she could get a closer look at those two.


    If there were people who felt excited at seeing Noctis and YUN in such garments, some were a bit disdainful in their hearts. Thinking along the lines of; ''Why are they dress like that? Are they here for an ancient banquet?'' or ''Are they here to do a fashion show?'' or ''Are they the king and queen and we, their subjects?''


    Ying Chen, on the side, only raised one brow. He looked from Noctis to the person standing beside the other. "Is that guy famous?" he asked Liang Sen.


    "That''s the captain of Yunyue ¨C YUN. They''re a pretty well-known team. But not really as big as Celestials."


    Ying Chen didn''t know about this ''Celestials'' or this ''Yunyue''. But based on what Liang Sen said, this YUN was probably popr. He looked at the two who were now reaching the end of the stairs. What he first noticed wasn''t the dazzling clothes the two were wearing but the way they looked at each other.


    He was all too familiar with that kind of gaze. Because he''s aware that that''s also how he looked at Huang Wen.


    How interesting.


    Seeing that everyone''s attention was on them, Luo Yan smiled inwardly. It seemed that his efforts of looking for a perfect costume for him and Shen Ji Yun was not in vain. The little jar of vanity in his heart was now filled.


    He actually hesitated whether to pick a more Westernized clothing or just simply go with a more ''traditional'' one. At the end, he still picked thetter. Although he wanted to see Shen Ji Yun in a suit, he just felt like his qilin avatar suited the ''traditional'' clothing better.


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun. Look at how handsome his cinnamon roll was. Even with no expression on his face, he still looked like a divine immortal.


    "Brother Ji Yun, look, everyone is praising your handsomeness," he said.


    Shen Ji Yun felt his face heating up a bit. He looked away and coughed, trying to hide his shyness. "I think they are looking at Yan Yan and not me."


    [After all, Yan Yan is so beautiful.] ¨C he added in his mind but did not dare speak out.


    There were too many people here. If not for that, with Shen Ji Yun''s hidden Casanova trait, he could definitely say that without changing his expression. Sadly, Shen Ji Yun was currently very aware of the people around them. If not, then, he might have seen Luo Yan being shy. Well, just a tiny bit.


    Eclipse, who was walking in front of the two, turned around. "What are you saying, Mashter, Captain? They''re obviously looking at the both of you! Eclipse is certain that they''re thinking about how perfect you are together."


    Once again, Shen Ji Yun felt his face heated up with shyness. Luo Yan, on the other hand, smiled. As if he was silently agreeing with what Eclipse said.


    This scene fell on Luo Jin''s eyes who was walking just behind the two. If before, he might feel annoyed. But now, he just felt frustrated and helpless. The cabbage wanted to deliver itself directly in the mouth of the pig, what else could he do?


    The only thing he was d of was the fact that these two were too eye-catching that nobody bothered to look at him. At least, he wouldn''t be some kind of spectacle.


    He was about to step forward when he felt his arm being held by a small hand. He turned to his side and looked at Su Yuqi with a bit of confusion.


    "Want to go to a quiet corner?" Su Yuqi asked.


    Luo Jin, who wasn''t thinking much, just automatically answered, "Yes?"


    Then, he was suddenly pulled by the other.

 Chapter 763 - MEETING CATNIP

    <h4>Chapter 763 - MEETING CATNIP</h4>


    THE three in the front ¨C Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun, and Eclipse ¨C didn''t notice the little movement of Su Yuqi and Luo Jin. The surprising thing was, even Bai Ze who was walking just beside the two didn''t have much of a reaction. Well, it''s kind of understandable. Since Bai Ze only had eyes on the girl with cat ears standing a few distance away.


    Xia Li was wearing a simple white dress that reached an inch above her knees. The dress had cat paw prints on it which went well with her cat ears and tail. It made her looked even cuter.


    Bai Ze rushed to Xia Li, stopping at just the right distance and giving the other a sunny smile. "You''re also here."


    Since Xia Li was looking at the NightCloud pair, she didn''t notice Bai Ze walking up to her. So, when the other suddenly spoke, she was a bit startled. When she turned to Bai Ze, she was even more shocked.


    Something shining seemed to appear right in front of her eyes. It didn''t take long for her to realize that it was Bai Ze''s muscr chest. The other''s bronze colored chest was gleaming in front of her. Not only that, she could also see a portion of his abs. If that one button holding the suit jacket together became undone, she would probably even see the other''s nipples.


    Immediately, an idea of a fan-art starring a shirtless Bai Ze appeared in her mind.


    Xia Li suddenly felt her cheeks burning. What the heck was she thinking just now? Just when did she be such a pervert? Although she loved to draw fan-arts, it''s always PG-13, okay?


    Besides, she was friends with this dude. Why was she suddenly fantasizing about him being shirtless and all that? Was she finally entering her ''thirsty'' phase? No, her period was probablying that''s why her hormones were in haywire. Yes, that''s definitely it.


    "Y-yes--" Xia Li noticed that her voice was a bit shaky, so, she cleared her throat and repeated, "Yes. Haven''t I already mentioned that I will go with my brother?"


    Bai Ze, seeing the slight reddish tint on Xia Li''s cheeks, felt very satisfied. The thing he wanted to aplish bying here had already been aplished. But that didn''t mean he would stop at that. It would be good if he could increase the other''s awareness of him.


    "Well, there''s always a chance that you could change your mind," he said as a response. "That''s why I''m happy that you actually came."


    Xia Li felt a bit awkward and yes, just a tiny bit shy. She shook her head and forced herself not to think of anything weird. Repeatedly reminding herself that Bai Ze was her friend.


    "What''s there to be happy about? Even if I''m not here, I''m sure you''ll be able to entertain yourself," she said in a teasing tone to lighten up the mood. Or at least what she''s feeling anyway.


    Bai Ze only gave a sunny smile. "Well, I''m not too sure about that."


    Once again, Xia Li felt that weird shyness. But this time she managed to shake it off quite quickly. She just thought that this guy was just probably teasing her. Even though she had only known Bai Ze for a short time, she was already familiar with his yful nature.


    "This is my young brother, by the way," she just said, pulling Xia Lei to her side. "His name is Xia Lei. Xia Lei, this is Bai Ze, team Yunyue''s White Marsh."


    Bai Ze was a bit disappointed that he no longer saw Xia Li blushing. Even so, he wasn''t discouraged. The night was still long and many things could still happen. For now, he should just leave a good impression on Xia Li''s brother.


    So, he turned to the tall dragon beside Xia Li, smiling with all the friendliness in his body. "Nice to finally meet you, Xiao Lei. Just call me Brother Ze."


    Xia Lei, who had been standing there on the side like some sort of furniture, looked back and forth between his sister who was obviously trying to hide the awkwardness she''s feeling and then at the smiling Bai Ze who looked like he was ready to post the words ''I''m a good person'' on his face.


    Why did he suddenly think that there''s something going on right now that he couldn''t exin and see? But because he couldn''t really understand, he could only say, "Yes, Brother Ze."


    Poor Xia Lei. As a teenager who only cared about kendo and only recently, Arcadia, he didn''t know much about romantic feelings. So, how could he know that this grinning lion in front of him was trying to encircle his sister?


    "Brother Ze, howe you didn''t tell us you know Dragnar?" said by a yful voice from behind.


    ncing back, Bai Ze saw his cousin and Shen Ji Yun, along with Eclipse, walking to their side.


    "I know of him but I only got formally introduced to him today," Bai Ze said. "The one I''m friends with is actually his sister, Catnip."


    He turned to Xia Lei, wanting to introduce her formally to Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun. But he was stunned to see the other looking at the two with stars in her eyes. If she wasn''t looking at both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun, Bai Ze might have misunderstood that she had a crush on one of the two.


    But looking at her closely, he was staring at the two as if she had seen her favorite celebrities or something.


    The moment Luo Yan heard the name ''Catnip'', he immediately thought that it was familiar. Just where did she hear of it?


    "Ah! You''re that catgirl that Captain gave permission to draw fan-arts of him and Mashter!"


    This sudden eximed of Eclipse made Luo Yan turn to Shen Ji Yun. Seeing the other with a thunderstruck expression on his face, a small smile appeared on Luo Yan''s lips.


    So, that''s how it was.

 Chapter 764 - AN AWKWARD ATMOSPHERE

    <h4>Chapter 764 - AN AWKWARD ATMOSPHERE</h4>


    THE four other people, aside from Luo Yan, who heard Eclipse''s exmation, all had different reactions.


    Shen Ji Yun only felt lightheaded. On the outside, he still looked expressionless but, on the inside, he was totally mortified. And those who knew him well enough could see that.


    How could he have forgotten that Eclipse was with him when he ''confronted'' this Catnip during that time when the other tried to follow him and Luo Yan? Since it happened quite a while ago, it totally disappeared from his mind. He didn''t even expect for Eclipse to suddenly say it now.


    This was probably the disadvantage of having an intelligent AI that could practically think for himself. You would never know when your secrets would be suddenly exposed.


    If he could, he truly wanted to just bury himself on the ground he''s standing. He couldn''t even dare to look at Luo Yan''s direction, a little bit afraid to see the other''s reaction. Once again, he''s thankful for his perpetual poker face. If his embarrassment was also stered all over his face, then, he might just really faint from mortification.


    Bai Ze was confused after hearing what the little fox said. What fan-art? Was it the same fan-art he''s thinking? Did he hear it correctly? The subjects of the said fan-art were none other than Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun? And Xia Li was the one making it? No, that was not the most shocking of all.


    It''s the fact that Shen Ji Yun knew firsthand about it and did not do anything to stop Xia Li. From what Eclipse said, it even seemed like he encouraged her. If someone told him that his taciturn friend would do this, he might have directlyughed at their face. Telling them how crazy they were.


    But hearing such things now, he no longer thought it was impossible. After all, as long as it involved Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun could probably do the silliest thing without even changing the expression on his face.


    Anyway, he was just d that Eclipse''s voice wasn''t that loud and they were the only ones who heard what he said. If not, with how some people''s brain worked, they might have twisted what Eclipse said. Then, some nasty rumors would float around the game forum until it became a big deal. He didn''t want his cousin and Shen Ji Yun to deal with something like that.


    Xia Lei, on the other hand, was on full-blown panic. [What should we do? They found out that my sister is making those fan-arts? Will they retaliate? They wouldn''t try to beat my sister here, right? Should I ready myself to defend?]


    But after the initial panic, it was quickly reced by realization. If he heard it correctly, ording to the little kitsune, YUN had long known about the fact that his sister was making fan-arts of him and Noctis. And YUN even encouraged such a behavior.


    Why though? ¨C That''s the only question that came to Xia Lei''s mind.


    While her brother was all confused and befuddled, Xia Li only felt worried. She even wanted to scold Noctis'' pet a little bit. Based on the sudden silence after the kitsune said what he said, he could only assume that Noctis didn''t know anything about any of this. Wouldn''t this sudden reveal affect the rtionship between the two?


    When she and YUN met that time and the other told her that she could continue making fan-arts with him and Noctis as the subject, she had already felt that YUN might have ''special'' feelings for the moon elf. It was not just her fujoshi side talking. It''s more like a woman''s intuition. Which was especially effective when it came to things she''s interested about.


    But now that the cat''s out of the bag, wouldn''t Noctis be angry about this? If the rtionship between the two was just simple friendship, wouldn''t Noctis find YUN''s action weird? What if he decided to stay away from YUN because of this? Or worse, what if Noctis became disgusted of YUN because of this incident?


    No, she couldn''t let that happen. She must clear any misunderstanding before it got worse.


    But before Xia Li could say anything, Noctis suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Looking at the other''s beautiful face at such a close distance almost felt like being hit by a couple ''sparkles''ing out from Noctis.


    "So, you''re that Catnip," Luo Yan said, smiling while looking at the cat girl in front of him with shining eyes.


    No wonder he thought the name ''Catnip'' sounded familiar. Ever since he learned of NightCloud CP, he searched Weibo to see if this CP of him and Shen Ji Yun was really that popr. He was quite surprised to see that many were indeed talking about it. And the number one ''advocate'' of this CP was none other than Catnip. Mostly because of these fan-arts she made.


    They were beautifully done. Just one look and anyone could tell that the one who made them were truly talented when it came to digital art. Her drawings were almost like a photo, as if it was a real moment that was captured in real time.


    Luo Yan liked her drawings. In fact, he liked it so much that he even saved some to his phone. He even made one his wallpaper.


    "I really like your drawings. Especially those of Brother YUN and I," he said. "I think they''re wonderful."


    What he said finally broke the awkward atmosphere.


    Of course, when he heard that Shen Ji Yun knew about the fan-arts long ago and might possibly even encourage the other to do more, it really dide as a surprise. But that surprise didn''tst long. Because this was something his cinnamon roll would do.


    He turned to the said cinnamon roll. "Don''t you think so as well, Brother YUN?"


    Shen Ji Yun, who seemed to just came out of a daze, quickly said, "Yes!" Noticing how enthusiastic he seemed, he cleared his throat and added, "I mean, yes, they''re wonderful."


    Xia Li nced between the two and an incredible thought arose from her mind.

 Chapter 765 - ANOTHER MEANINGFUL LOOK

    <h4>Chapter 765 - ANOTHER MEANINGFUL LOOK</h4>


    COULD it be? Could it really be? ¨C Xia Li thought. Her eyes getting brighter and brighter the more she thought about it. Surely, it''s not just her fujoshi side making up things, right?


    Just look at how Noctis reacted in this situation. He wasn''t angry, he wasn''t even annoyed. In fact, just one look at him and anyone could tell that he''s very amused with situation. And if you look even closer, underneath the amusement, one could see that he''s also very happy.


    What else could it mean? Of course, it''s because he also liked YUN!


    This was definitely not just her delusion or her wishful thinking. It''s not because she wanted it to be true that''s why it''s the first thing that came to her mind. Okay, maybe just a tiny bit. Even so, it''s clear as day (no, it''s actually only clear to her) that Noctis definitely also had feelings for YUN.


    As a fangirl, finding out that the ship you''re rooting for actually had a chance of sailing, wasn''t this like a pie that fell from heaven? No, it''s more like the feeling of winning a lottery. This was simply a dreame for true for a fangirl like her.


    The worry and awkwardness Xia Li felt earlierpletely vanished. She looked at Noctis with bright eyes and said in a very enthusiastic voice, "Then, I will make more fan-arts in the future. I hope Noctis will continuously like it."


    "With Sister Catnip''s talent, I have no doubt that I will like everything that you draw," Luo Yan said with a sincere smile.


    Xia Li was simply hit by this smile. Add that to the other softly calling her ''sister'' and it was a double kill. She was about to response when a milky voice suddenly interjected;


    "Eclipse also want a fan-art of himself. Eclipse especially want it to be cute and beautiful!"


    Xia Li gazed down at the cute boy. Because of him exposing the ''truth'', she was able to find out the secret between Noctis and YUN ¨C that the two were already in love with each other. That''s why she felt extremely kind while looking at the little kitsune. This was her lucky star! Of course, she should be gentler and more patient.


    "Then, this big sister here will draw one for you," she said.


    She looked at Eclipse, then at YUN and Noctis. And then suddenly realized that the little kitsune looked a little bit like YUN, except that his eyes were blue, just like Noctis. Wait- why did she feel like she was looking at a family of three?


    With that thought, a burst of inspiration exploded in her mind. She now suddenly had an idea of what to do next.


    "Eclipse is waiting. Cat Sister, no take backs, okay?" the little boy said, his big blue eyes blinking at Xia Li before raising his little finger at her, clearly wanting to get her promise.


    What else could she say? Of course, she directly hooked the other''s little finger with her own.


    Xia Lei, on the side, only felt that he was dreaming right now. What happened to the shura field he was expecting? Why did it be a field of rainbows and butterflies all of a sudden?


    He had long imagined what would happen if Noctis or YUN found out about his sister''s hobby. He was expecting some kind of battle to happen. He was even ready to defend his sister. But who would have thought that the result was theplete opposite?


    Looking at YUN, the other waspletely expressionless. As if all of this had nothing to do with him. Of course, that''s only in his eyes. If he knew what Shen Ji Yun was thinking, he would definitely not arrive at the same conclusion. While Noctis, on the other hand, was smiling with a hint of admiration on his face while looking at Xia Li. As if he truly liked the fan-arts his sister made of them.


    So, what did this mean? Honestly, he had no freaking idea. It''s like he was presented with a simple Math problem. But because he was too stupid, he couldn''t solve it no matter how much he thought about it.


    At the end, Xia Li simply gave up. What''s the point of understanding anyway? As long as his sister was not being inflicted in any way, then, why should he care?


    Bai Ze nced meaningfully at Xia Li. Seeing as how the other''s eyes were shining, he knew that this was her expression whenever she thought of something she wanted to do. Since Xia Li was literally looking at Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun with glowing eyes, he could only assume that it had something to do with the two. Probably another idea for a fan-art?


    "So, you still have talent for drawing," hemented. "Are you posting your fan-arts on Weibo?"


    Xia Li scratched her cheek, "Yeah, it''s all there."


    Somehow, she felt a bit shy again for some reason. Probably because she was friends with Bai Ze. She had friends that knew about her fujoshi tendencies and therefore her favorite hobby as well. But she also had friends that she hadn''t told it to. Not because she''s embarrassed. But because they weren''t yet on the level where she would tell them about it. In short, these people were only casual friends in her opinion.


    If Bai Ze should know that he was only regarded as a ''casual friend'' by Xia Li, he might really cry right now.


    "I also kind of want to see myself drawn by you. Could I ask this great artist to also make a fan-art of me?" Bai Ze asked with a cheeky grin.


    "What great artist¡­" Xia Li said. Even though she looked reluctant, one could still see that she was happy hearing such apliment.


    "What? I''m only telling the truth," Bai Ze said, not leaving his eyes on Xia Li, as if trying to show his sincerity.


    Xia Li felt her cheeks heating up. What''s wrong with Bai Ze today? Suddenly bing such a smooth talker.


    This time, it was Luo Yan''s turn to nce at the two with a meaningful look.

 Chapter 766 - A GOOD WINGMAN

    <h4>Chapter 766 - A GOOD WINGMAN</h4>


    LUO YAN stared at his cousin. The other was smiling like a flower while looking at Catnip. He suddenly understood something. No wonder Bai Ze dressed this way, like a male peacock trying to show-off his feathers and tail. In this case, his cousin was showing off his muscles and good figure.


    Although, in his opinion, this was counterproductive. After all, Bai Ze''s figure in real life was really not that muscr. At least, not that exaggerated. If he knew that his cousin was actually trying to impress a girl, then, he would have suggested a different set of clothing for the other. Something that could highlight his handsome face instead.


    Luo Yan only assumed that Bai Ze wanted to show off his avatar''s muscr body. That''s why he expressed his admiration for the other''s costume. Because it truly showcased Bai Ze''s avatar''s physique. But now that he knew that his cousin actually dressed like this for a girl, he couldn''t help but think that he was trying to seduce this Catnip.


    Speaking of, he turned his gaze towards the girl. The other wasn''t ssically beautiful per se but she was full of charisma. The kind that looked prettier and prettier the more one looked at it.


    From the way she carried herself and the way she spoke, Luo Yan could see that Catnip was a confident and bright girl. At first nce, one could see that she''s very friendly and approachable. This type of personality certainly fit Bai Ze''s outgoing personality.


    If this person became his cousin''s girlfriend, then, Luo Yan certainly didn''t have any objection. He''s sure that his aunt and uncle also wouldn''t. Of course, this was under the premise that Bai Ze could sessfully chase the other person. As it looked, it seemed that Catnip was still not aware of his cousin''s feelings for her.


    Since Bai Ze was here to impress the girl he liked, as a cousin, he should do his best to be a good wing man. And the best thing to do right now was to give the two enough time to be alone. How could Bai Ze make a move with four lightbulbs around?


    [Eclipse, can you drag Dragnar away? y with him for a little while.] ¨C he said to Eclipse through telepathy.


    The little boy nced at Dragnar from head to toe as if scrutinizing him. Probably examining whether the other was qualified to be his ''ymate''. After a few seconds, he finally said, albeit a bit reluctant, [Okay. But how long should Eclipse y with him?]


    [Hmm¡­ about 10 minutes?]


    [Argh- okay.] ¨C Eclipse said, clearly very reluctant.


    Luo Yan only chuckled hearing that. Then, he remembered something and quickly added, [If Winged Tassel tried to approach you, contact me immediately, okay?]


    Although he had already warned that guy, who knew if the other would take it seriously? It''s better to be safe than sorry.


    [Don''t worry, Mashter, what could that bird guy do to Eclipse? But since you insist, then, okay.]


    Eclipse then held Dragnar''s arm. "Come, let''s go over there, golden lizard."


    Before Xia Lei could react or even say anything, he was already dragged somewhere by the kitsune. Then, he suddenly realized that he was just called a ''golden lizard''.


    He couldn''t help but say, "Why am I a lizard?"


    Clearly, I''m a dragon. ¨C was what he wanted to add but before he could, the boy pulling him had already said;


    "Because you haven''t earned Eclipse''s recognition yet."


    There was a question mark on Xia Lei''s face. He still had to be recognized? But no matter what he thought, the kitsune had already seeded on dragging him away from the group.


    Following the departure of the two, Luo Yan quickly said;


    "I''m suddenly curious about the food they serve here." He then linked his arms with Shen Ji Yun and turned to Bai Ze and Catnip. "We''ll go ahead. Nice to meet you again, Sister Catnip."


    Then, he dragged Shen Ji Yun to the banquet table. Of course, the other didn''t have anyins with his action. In fact, he was more than happy to be dragged by Luo Yan. As long as it''s his rabbit, he didn''t mind even if he was dragged to a garbage site.


    Xia Li was surprised at first. Four people suddenly left one after another, how could she not be at least startled? But after seeing Noctis and YUN holding each other''s hands and thetter even looking softly at the former with a soft gaze full of love (yes, this was how the scene of Noctis dragging YUN appeared to her), she simply snapped a photo of the two.


    This was a good material! How could she let it go to waste?


    -----


    On the balcony attached to the ballroom, two small figures were sitting on the railing. The girl had pink hair with fluttering butterfly wings behind her and the boy had ck hair and a pair of red eyes.


    It''s the ce where Su Yuqi pulled Luo Jin to.


    The balcony was separated from the ballroom by a floor to ceiling ss door and a thick curtain. So, the spot was almost isted from what was happening inside. They couldn''t even hear the music being yed by the orchestra. But Luo Jin preferred it this way. Not to mention, he nced at Su Yuqi who was gazing up at the moon.


    Yes, this was definitely much better.


    "We should have probably brought some snacks," Su Yuqi said with a bit of regret in her tone.


    Hearing that, Luo Jin quickly jumped down the railing and said, "I''ll go and get it."


    Su Yuqi nced at the boy, a smile appeared on her lips. No one knew what she was thinking at the moment. But before she could say anything, a shadow suddenly jumped down from above andnded directly on the balcony.


    Both Su Yuqi and Luo Jin were startled by this.. But was even more surprised when they saw who it was.

 Chapter 767 - SHALL WE HAVE...?

    <h4>Chapter 767 - SHALL WE HAVE...?</h4>


    BOTH Su Yuqi and Luo Jin showed a look of disgust once they recognized the person who suddenly appeared in front of them.


    It was a man wearing a ck suit, holding a cane like a noble gentleman. His ck hair was cleanly swept back, without even a strand out of ce. He also had a pair of red eyes. But unlike Luo Jin that looked like a pair of rubies, his was like blood spheres. Deep and morbid. And his lips were as red as his eyes, as if it was painted with blood.


    His skin was pathologically pale. One could even see a few veins. It looked even much paler.


    It''s Alucard ¨C the captain of team Sanguis.


    When the two were surprised seeing the other here, Xu Ru was also equally surprised.


    Just seeing these two, Xu Ru felt a vein on his forehead popping. He couldn''t help but remember the time when he was forced to not log in to Arcadia for a few days because of the bounty these two put on his head.


    During those days, he was constantly besieged by countless yers trying to kill him just to get the bounty money. He remembered how much headache he had that time. At first it was fine, he could still handle it. But after three, four days, he could only stay at their headquarters. What''s the difference of that from not ying at all?


    So, he decided to just not log in and wait until the bounty expired. Who knew that after a week, the bounty was still there? At the end, he could only grit his teeth and pay the fine so the bounty would be cancelled.


    Even now, his heart was still bleeding at how much crystal coins he had to spend just to cancel that bounty. Although he had money, he wasn''t the type of yer who spent a lot of money in games. It''s much more rewarding for him to get items and equipment through his ability. So, spending that much money for something that he didn''t do and didn''t even benefit him in the slightest.


    How could he just swallow this breath?


    If not for Qin Rushi persuading him not to retaliate, he might have already taken revenge on these two. After some time, he was no longer that irritated. He didn''t even feel much when he was watching the gnome with the silly name fighting at the Rookie Carnival tournament.


    But now, seeing the two again together, the injustice and grievance he felt came rushing back again. The two didn''t look pleasing to the eye. Irritation filled his eyes. He truly wanted to mess with these two people.


    "Oh, it''s the two midge¡ªI mean, two adorable children of Yunyue," he said. Although he was smiling, it didn''t even reach his eyes. Even his voice sounded a bit mocking. "How nice to see the both of you again. Truly, for your cute faces to be the ones I first see the moment I arrive here, how wonderful," he added, his voice full of sarcasm.


    Luo Jin, of course, could see that the other was not happy seeing them. But did this guy think that they were happy seeing him? Hah! Did this person think that he''s the only one who knew how to hold a grudge?


    He still remembered what the other did during the birthday of the king of Arcadia. The three of them ended up in the same instance. The other pit him and Su Yuqi. They were almost eaten by some gross tentacle monster because of that. Not to mention, this guy also saw him crossdressing.


    If the other couldn''t swallow this breath, then, so was he!


    "Unfortunately, I only feel like vomiting every time I see your face," he said with a nasty grin.


    Su Yuqi had already jumped down from the railing she''s sitting and stood beside Luo Jin. She looked at Alucard from head to toe and then smirked. Just that and anyone could see that she was silently agreeing to what Luo Jin said.


    Xu Ru barely resisted the urge to attack the two. Under normal circumstance, he would have already done that. But Qin Rushi''s warning kept echoing in his mind. His princess didn''t want him to fight with this pink pixie, what else could he do butply? Who made this girl a friend of Rushi?


    But that didn''t mean he wouldn''t do anything. Verbal attacks were still within limit.


    "I actually can understand the feeling," he said while nodding in response to the gnome''sment. "Because just seeing how cute you are, it just makes me want to squish and tten you like a slime. Stepping on you should feel pretty good."


    "Sure enough. Someone like you would definitely have a problem in the head," Su Yuqi said, shaking her head. "You''re not only sadistic, you''re also delusional. Does Rushi know about this? Maybe I should snatch her from Sanguis and invite her to Yunyue. It must be really tiring looking after a captain like you. Poor Rushi."


    Su Yuqi had mentioned this ''Rushi'' before. If Luo Jin remembered it correctly, she was Su Yuqi''s friend and the current vice-captain of team Sanguis.


    He gave Su Yuqi a thumbs-up in his heart. How savage. But hearing her talking down to someone who deserved it was always fun to see. Just look at Alucard''s face whose as dark as the bottom of a pot. He could even see the veins on his forehead moving about, showing how pissed he was.


    It''s just a pity that the other managed to quickly calm his emotion.


    Alucard didn''t only calm his emotion, he even managed to show that annoying flirtatious smile. He walked towards them. Each step he took, his temperament became more and more seductive. When he was just a few steps away, he stopped. He gazed down at them.


    "I''m sadistic, you say? Hmm.... then how about we put that to the test?" He once again showed that wicked smile. "Shall we have a 3P?"

 Chapter 768 - THE EMOTION HES FEELING FOR HER

    <h4>Chapter 768 - THE EMOTION HE''S FEELING FOR HER</h4>


    LUO JIN was immediately angered by the other''s statement. All his hair stood up like a porcupine. He was about to pull out his gun and shot the other, but Su Yuqi was much faster than him.


    She sneered. "Just you? Do you think you have this ability?"


    Luo Jin saw the vampiric bastard''s face stiffening. The anger he felt because of the other''s disrespectfulment had already subsided.


    Then, Su Yuqi snapped her fingers and Alucard''s whole body froze up as if stunned by something. It was clear that Su Yuqi must have been the one responsible.


    Xu Ru narrowed his eyes at the pink-haired pixie. The moment he felt his whole body frozen, unable to move, he knew that it was this girl''s fault. But he didn''t show any panic.


    Everyone knew how much the Duke of Hearts hated it whenever his property was destroyed by others. That''s why no yers dared to fight in his territory. Because not only would they incur the wrath of the duke in doing so, the other would also bear a grudge against them.


    Being in the duke''s cklist meant that they could no longer do tasks involving the other. Any decent Arcadia yer knew how much lost that would be for them. Tasks that had something to do with the four dukes always gave the best rewards. Not to mention, the events being hosted by the four.


    So, as much as possible, yers always tried their best not to offend one of the four dukes. That''s why Xu Ru was confident that this girl would not start a fight here. At most, she probably would just leave with the gnome after paralyzing him like this.


    "How do you know that I don''t if you don''t even try?" he said with the same frivolous tone.


    "Sometimes, things don''t need to be tried to know that it''s trash," Su Yuqi said with a meaningful smile, as if saying to the other, ''yes, that''s right, I just called you trash''.


    No matter how good Xu Ru''s temper was, he would be angered to death by such ament. And since he wasn''t really good-tempered, just imagine how much anger was boiling up inside him right now.


    "You really are asking for a beating," he said through gritted teeth.


    The annoying pixie sneered. Even though the other was so much smaller in stature, it appeared like she was looking down on him just by the way she raised her chin. "As if you have that ability."


    Then, out of nowhere, a teleportation scroll appeared in her hand. Xu Ru suddenly had a bad feeling. Sure enough, the next moment the scroll was thrown to his direction. Before he could even react, he was already being sucked into a vacuum. Then, the image of the two annoying bratspletely disappeared from his vision.


    Luo Jin was a bit taken aback by this sudden turn of events. One moment the two were still bickering, the next, the vampiric bastard had already disappeared. He nced at Su Yuqi. This girl was decisive enough.


    "Where did you send him to?" he asked, curious.


    "The Endless Maze," Su Yuqi answered with a shrug.


    Luo Jin raised a brow. The Endless Maze was still in the territory of the Duke of Hearts. It''s just that, once someone teleported there, they weren''t allowed to teleport out. They couldn''t even fly out. The only way to leave was to find the right exit.


    But that''s easier said than done. The exit to the Endless Maze changed every 24 hours. So, even if Alucard had managed to leave that ce before, it didn''t necessarily mean that he would be able to easily leave now.


    Really, this girl. He shook his head with a helpless smile. But if she didn''t do at least this much, then, she would no longer be the Su Yuqi he knew.


    "I just gave him something productive to do tonight instead of hanging around here, annoying people," Su Yuqi added. Then, she nced at Luo Jin with a yful smirk. "Aren''t I kind?"


    If it''s any other person here, their first reaction would probably be, ''if you''re kind, then, there''s no longer any bad people in the world''. But the one here was Luo Jin. So, his reaction was the total opposite.


    Upon seeing Su Yuqi''s smile, his heart gave a weird thump. As if it was jumping up and down. He couldn''t understand the emotion that was slowly filling his heart right now. Or maybe he already knew, he was just too stubborn to admit it.


    The girl tilted her head when she saw Luo Jin in a daze while staring at her. "What''s wrong?"


    Luo Jin seemed to be awakened by that call. He shook his head. "Nothing."


    "Do you want to go back inside?" Su Yuqi asked. They were already gone long enough. Maybe the others were already looking for them.


    "Nah, I''d rather be here," Luo Jin said. [With you.] ¨C he added in his heart.


    "You know, I actually thought you would watch your brother all night, trying to separate him from Shen Ji Yun with all your might," Su Yuqi with an obvious teasing tone.


    Luo Jin blushed in embarrassment. Because it felt like the other just told him that he''s such a bro-con. "I- I''m not doing that anymore. If Yan wants to spend time with that guy, there''s really nothing I could do."


    Su Yuqi raised one of her delicate brows. "You''ve matured, Luo Jin. Good for you."


    Luo Jin blushed again, but this time, it''s more because of shyness. Then, he didn''t know what came over him, but he just blurted out, "You, you can call me Ah Jin. Can I call you Yuqi?"


    Su Yuqi seemed to be taken aback by his question. Then, she suddenly flicked his forehead. "It''s still too early for you to call me that." She smiled and added, "Ah Jin."


    At that moment, seeing her smile and hearing her call him by his nickname, Luo Jin could finally name the emotion he''s feeling for the other.


    Love.

 Chapter 769 - WASNT THIS...?

    <h4>Chapter 769 - WASN''T THIS...?</h4>


    LUO YAN just finished eating his third te of dessert when he finally remembered his younger brother and Su Yuqi. It seemed that after entering the ballroom, he hadn''t seen the two. Just where did they go?


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun and was a bit stunned to see that the other was standing beside him with a cold face and arms across his chest. With the way he''s standing, one would think he''s some kind of guardian deity trying to scare away anyone who would try to go near them. Or maybe in this case, near him.


    Luo Yan was indeed correct in his guess. Shen Ji Yun was trying to scare away the people around. The moment they walked towards the banquet table, he had noticed many people looking at their direction. Or more specifically, at Luo Yan.


    That was fine, he didn''t mind that. What he minded was the leering gazes some had. Staring at Luo Yan as if they wanted to take a bite of his rabbit. If he wasn''t here, serving as a deterrent, these people might have already rushed towards Luo Yan and crowded around him.


    He was more than willing to act as a shield. If his expressionless face could scare these people away, then, he was more than willing to be a huge block of ice to prevent them from pestering Luo Yan. Just so the other could enjoy this party peacefully.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows looking at Shen Ji Yun. The other was basically radiating the words ''don''te near us''. If he stood in front of Luo Yan and spread his arms, then this image would even be more perfect.


    He smiled. It''s not like he didn''t know what Shen Ji Yun was thinking. Just by a simple nce around, he could see that there were people who would like to approach them. That''s why this guy was standing here like this with a cold face as if he wanted to freeze anyone who dared get close.


    Of course, Luo Yan believed that Shen Ji Yun was not doing this just because he didn''t want others to talk to him. Shen Ji Yun wasn''t that unreasonable. It''s more likely because some people were staring at Luo Yan in a nasty way. That''s the only reason he could think of that would fit the other''s personality.


    "Brother Ji Yun, have you seen Ah Jin and Sister Yuqi?" he simply asked.


    Shen Ji Yun''s attention finally returned to him because of that. "Them?" He was silent for a bit, as if thinking whether he had seen the two or not. "I seemed to have seen Yuqi pulling your brother to the balcony."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan felt a bit surprised. He didn''t expect that Su Yuqi would actually pull his brother to a dark corner just the two of them. Well, it seemed that Luo Jin''s feelings would not go unreciprocated. As long as his brother worked hard, he probably would be able to catch up.


    But first, that kid needed to acknowledge his feelings first. With Luo Jin''s stubbornness, it might take a while before that could happen. But that''s fine. His brother was still young. Luo Jin would only turn 17 this month. It''s still too early for him to be in a serious rtionship.


    Ah, yes, that''s right. His and Luo Jin''s age would ovep for a month. When he found out his brother''s birthday, the only think he could think of was, ''Dad, you''re such a beast!''. Because the only way his and Luo Jin''s age could ovep like this was if their mother became pregnant again two months after he was born.


    This showed just how overly affectionate their parents were. Thinking of their mother who already left this world, Luo Yan couldn''t help but feel a bit mncholy.


    "Do you want to go to them?"


    Shen Ji Yun''s question pulled Luo Yan back to the present. That bit of sadness he felt slowly subsided. He raised his head and smiled. "No, let''s just stay here."


    This was a good opportunity for Luo Jin to be alone with the girl he liked. How could Luo Yan, as his brother, voluntarily be a lightbulb to them? As he did for his cousin, he would also be a good wing-man for Luo Jin.


    Shen Ji Yun secretly let out a sigh of relief when he heard that. He also didn''t want to look for Luo Jin and Su Yuqi. That gnome would definitely give sidements here and there, something that the other often do. Although he had gotten used to it by now, he''d rather stay here with Luo Yan than hear that kid yapping at him.


    Besides, he looked at Luo Yan and asked;


    "Are you okay? Just a moment ago, you, you seem sad for some reason."


    Luo Yan was stunned after hearing the other''s question. But then, he thought, ''sure enough''. It would be much weirder if this guy didn''t notice the gaffe he showed just now.


    He picked up a small te of matcha cake and scooped a spoonful. Then, without further ado, he fed this cinnamon roll here the spoonful of cake.


    Before Shen Ji Yun could react, the sweetness of the cake already filled his mouth. He wasn''t that big of a fan of sweets. But the sweetness of this cake seemed to travel to his heart, making him feel all stuffy inside. He could even feel both his cheeks heating up.


    Seeing the other''s beautiful blush on Shen Ji Yun''s face, Luo Yan couldn''t help but smile. "I was indeed momentarily sad. But because Brother Ji Yun is here with me, that sadness quickly dispersed."


    Shen Ji Yun wanted to ask the reason for this momentary sadness. But before he could, he saw Luo Yan scooping another spoonful of cake. Only this time, Luo Yan was the one who ate it.


    He felt his cheeks burning even hotter. Wasn''t this an indirect kiss?

 Chapter 770 - URIEL APPEARING

    <h4>Chapter 770 - URIEL APPEARING</h4>


    BEFORE Shen Ji Yun''s brain hole could start making up different scenarios involving him and Luo Yan kissing, a voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.


    "Here you are. I thought I would have a hard time looking for you two. Good thing you''re wearing such festive clothing."


    Shen Ji Yun instinctively frowned. He had a feeling that the voice just now was very familiar. And it belonged to a very annoying person. Someone he''d rather not deal with right now.


    He was indeed right. Because his back was to the direction where the voice came from, he couldn''t see who it was. But Luo Yan, who was standing opposite him, could clearly see the person who just walked towards them.


    The guy had golden brown hair and his light blue eyes were behind a pair of golden-rimmed sses. He was wearing an all-white suit. In theory, this get-up should have given him a clean and fresh feeling. But because of the slyness that couldn''t be hidden in his eyes, he looked more like a scheming president instead.


    It''s Uriel ¨C that sly fox from team Celestials.


    "Oh, are you looking for us? Surely, it''s not for something nefarious, right?" Luo Yan asked in an innocent manner.


    Knowing this guy, he was definitely up to no good. And since Uriel took the initiative toe to them, it must mean that whatever he was up to must be connected to them.


    Duan Yu smiled back. "Of course not. This is technically a party to celebrate your win at the Rookie Carnival. Congrattions, by the way. I wouldn''t do anything that would jeopardize such a precious night. I''m simply here for an official business."


    Which was true. He wanted to set up a meeting with Noctis to talk about the ''favor'' the other owed him. In short, it''s about appearing in the next copy of Nirvana. To show a bit of sincerity, he decided to show up in person. Although Noctis indeed owed him a favor, it''s a bit impolite to simply sent a notice to Yunyue''s headquarters. Letting a third party to do it was even more out of the question.


    He''d be busy in theing weeks and it just so happened that he was free today. That''s why he simply attended this ball. He was nning to leave right after he talked to Noctis. But it seemed that it wouldn''t be that easy. Just based on how high Noctis'' defense against him was, it would probably not be as easy as he thought.


    Duan Yu sighed inwardly. Was this guy''s impression of him really that bad? If he remembered correctly, he didn''t do anything that heinous when the three of them ended up in the same instance during the king of Arcadia''s birthday.


    Oh well, it didn''t matter. The two of them had already made a deal. And no matter how much Noctis disliked him, this guy would definitely not go back on the deal they had already made.


    "It''s about that favor you owe me," he added, before Noctis could say anything mocking or condescending.


    Ah, right, Luo Yan almost forgot about that.


    Shen Ji Yun imperceptibly frowned upon hearing that. Luo Yan had told him before that to make Uriel keep the fact that he was the owner of Yuexing Pavilion a secret, the other said that Luo Yan had to return a favor.


    When he knew about that, the first thing he thought was to deal with Uriel himself. Such an ambiguous request. What if Uriel asked for something disadvantageous to Luo Yan? Or worse, something that would take advantage of the other? How could Shen Ji Yun let that happen?


    He didn''t know if Luo Yan could see what he was thinking back at that moment. But the other quickly stopped him from doing anything unnecessary, telling him that he would handle it. Shen Ji Yun could only respect his decision and temporary restrained himself from doing the opposite.


    With the events that happened right after, he had almost forgotten about it. He just didn''t expect that Uriel would pick this time and ce to remind Luo Yan once again about it.


    "So, have you already decided what kind of favor would it be?" Luo Yan asked.


    He''s not scared of what kind of favor Uriel would say. No matter his opinion of the other was, he believed that Uriel would not ask him something that went beyond a person''s bottom line.


    But it seemed that someone didn''t have the same opinion.


    Before Uriel could answer, Shen Ji Yun had already spoken ahead of the other.


    "Don''t go out of line and say something you shouldn''t," he said with a warning tone, ncing coldly at the angel.


    Duan Yu raised one of his brows. He already knew that YUN put a lot of importance to the new members of Yunyue. But he actually didn''t expect this level of maintenance.


    Or maybe because it was Noctis that''s why the other was reacting this way.


    In any case, it''s really none of his business. At any other time, he might still feel interested and maybe even take a jab at the rtionship of the two. But he needed to be somewhere half an hour from now. So, the faster he conveyed what he came here for, the better.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t ask Noctis to strip naked in front of me and sexually harass him," he said in a dry tone. "I can''t get into details here because it involved my team''s business. So, I hope you can go to our headquarters for a proper meeting. Then, we can talk about it in detail there."


    So formal? ¨C Luo Yan thought. Seeing as how straightforward the other was and not being so yin and yang like he usually was, this favor he would return was probably something important. Maybe even involving team Celestials itself.


    He was about to respond. But before he could, the sound of trumpets suddenly echoed in the huge ballroom.


    Heart-shaped red petals circled at the middle of the ballroom.. When they vanished like a puff of smoke, the Duke of Hearts finally appeared in front of everyone.

 Chapter 771 OFFICIALLY REVIVED

    Chapter 771 OFFICIALLY REVIVED¡¡¡¡"WELCOME my dear peasants!" the Duke of Hearts said, opening both his arms in wee. "Are you enjoying the party?" He obviously wasn''t waiting for an answer because he immediately added, "This lord has provided you with good food, great music, and wonderful entertainment. Of course, it''s only natural that you enjoy it. But let''s not forget that this ball is not for you lot. This is a party to celebrate the brave warriors that participated in this year''s Rookie Carnival. Let''s give them a warm round of apuse, shall we?"


    The people around then started pping, filling the ballroom with apuse. After a few seconds, the duke raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop. After the pping subsided, he continued;


    "Some of these people from the top 16 might continue on as a very famous figure in all of Arcadia, while some might just fade into the background. Whatever may happen in the future, we couldn''t deny the fact that they all did amazingly well at the Carnival." He snapped his fingers and a goblet of wine appeared in his hand. "Cheers to all of you!"


    He raised the ss and drank it.


    "Of course, we shouldn''t forget the star of this ball. The one and only champion of this year''s Carnival ¨C Noctis!"


    As soon as the duke said that, Luo Yan felt a spotlight shining down on him. Because of that, his action of eating the cake he''s holding stopped. And it just so happened that many people nced at this direction because of the sudden appearance of a spotlight. So, this was what they saw. A beautiful white-haired elf with his mouth slightly opened and was about to eat a spoonful of cake.


    Seeing as they were looking at him, he quickly ate the cake and then smiled at everyone.


    He looked like someone who was caught red-handed while doing something naughty. A shy blush appeared on his cheeks. But he obviously couldn''t bear not eating the cake, so, he still ate it at the end. And after swallowing it quickly, he then smiled.


    All the female yers present felt their hearts being pierced by an arrow. How could someone be so cute and lovely? That''s all they could think of. While the males only felt conflicted. After all, the other was a fellow guy. They shouldn''t be feeling all sorts of weird just because of the other''s cute action.


    Thankfully, the duke had spoken at that moment.


    "Come here, Mr. Star of the Party. Say something encouraging to these peasants who came to celebrate your win with you," the duke said, beckoning towards Noctis.


    Luo Yan looked at the duke with interest. Did this guy want him to make a speech? If it''s the other, he definitely had some mischief up his sleeve by calling him like this. Because that''s what Luo Yan would do.


    Curious as to what the other was up to, he turned to Uriel first.


    "Let''s meet next Sunday at Yuexing Pavilion, 8:00 PM. Try not to bete." Then, he turned to Shen Ji Yun this time. He gave the other the te of cake he was holding. "Brother YUN, finish this cake for me, hmm?"


    He didn''t wait for Shen Ji Yun''s answer and just quickly stepped towards to where the duke was standing.


    "You''re going to eat that?" Duan Yu asked, looking at the small te of, well, practically leftover cake.


    As an answer, Shen Ji Yun, simply took a spoonful of the remaining cake and expressionlessly ate it. Although he looked like he was very reluctant in doing so, in fact, he was eating it with relish. After all, it''s another opportunity to experience an indirect kiss with his rabbit.


    Seeing this reaction, Duan Yu only shook his head. He couldn''t believe that YUN who was known as an iceberg would actually spoil someone. Well, not his problem. He didn''t have time to be amused and interested right now. Since his goal was achieved, he no longer stayed in this ce and just teleported.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, had already stood beside the duke. He faced the people who attended the ball and smiled brightly.


    "Hello! I''m not really sure what I should say right now. I don''t want to talk big and appear like some arrogant prick. So, I''ll just say, let''s all enjoy this evening to our heart''s content. Eat all the scrumptious food, drink all the delicious wine, and dance to the amazing music. What do you think?"


    "Yes!!!" ¨C almost everyone shouted.


    "Tch. That''s such a boring speech," the dukeined.


    Luo Yan only smiled at the other.


    "Well, since you already mentioned dancing to the music, why don''t you go and be the first one to dance?" the duke said with a sly smile. "Of course, you should do it with a partner."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. So, this was what this guy was up to. Did the duke actually think that he would be embarrassed by this? Well, too bad. He had to disappoint him.


    "Sure," he said without even an ounce of hesitation. "Just cue on the music. Waltz would be good."


    The duke''s lips turned into a straight line. "You really are quite insufferable."


    "I''ll just take that as apliment."


    The duke only rolled his eyes at him before snapping his fingers. Then, the beautiful melody of Waltz filled the ballroom. After that, he vanished with a puff of red smoke.


    Luo Yan turned to where Shen Ji Yun was. He rushed towards him and just stopped just a few steps away. He then bowed like a gentleman and raised his hand.


    "Can I have this dance?" he asked with a smile.


    Shen Ji Yun could only stand there, stunned. He wasn''t exactly sure what was happening right now. Was Luo Yan really standing in front of him, asking him for a dance? Before he could decide whether this was real or if he was fantasizing again, he heard Luo Yan spoke with a joking tone;


    "Brother, surely you''ll not decline?"


    Thatpletely woke Shen Ji Yun. His body moved on its own and he reached for Luo Yan''s outstretched hand. The other then pulled him to the center of the dance floor.


    "Brother Ji Yun, I actually don''t know how to dance waltz," Luo Yan whispered. "Can you lead me?"


    Shen Ji Yun, who was still petrified, answered like a robot, "Yes."


    Luo Yan smiled. "Great."


    Shen Ji Yun then held Luo Yan''s slim waist and held the other''s hand with his free one. And then, he led him to the beat of the Waltz. He was very stiff at first. But as they danced to the melody of this beautiful waltz, the stiffness slowly disappeared and his body became more and more fluid.


    Until no nervousness could be seen and all he felt was happiness. Joy from the fact that he was holding Luo Yan in his arms.


    Luo Yan raised his head, feeling the same happiness. He knew they would be talked about for this. But who cared? He certainly didn''t.


    At the end of the dance, the both of them stared at each other, obvious joy in their eyes. And they were startled when they heard the people pping. The apuse was so loud that for a good 30 seconds, it was the only sound that could be heard in the ballroom.


    Seeing this, Luo Yan was taken back again to that moment when he won the Carnival''s championship. He smiled. Because it felt like, at this moment, his Assassin game persona was officially revived.


    Yes, he finally made his name back again into Arcadia.


    (End of Volume 2)

 Chapter 772 YOURE THE BEST!

    Chapter 772 YOU''RE THE BEST!¡¡¡¡LUO YAN put on his coat, as well as his scarf and gloves. Then, he walked out of his room, ready to go to the hospital. Yes, today, he would have another one of his full-body check-ups.


    He had a feeling that this would probably be thest. Well, at least, he wouldn''t have one again for a long while. Because he could definitely tell that he was already back in full health.


    Of course, this was not just his wishful thinking. Anyone who looked at him could tell that he was in good health. It''s not just his rosy cheeks, his shiny hair, or his firm skin. It''s mostly his current build. Well, at leastpared to more than a month ago.


    In this past month, his height had grown exponentially fast. It''s like the growth spurt this body never had finallye. Although he had already seen a sign of itst October, its sign became more prominentst month. He felt like his height just shot up like a weed.


    Don''t get him wrong, it''s a very wee change. It''s something that he had been wishing for, after all. He just felt a bit wasteful. He had to order a new uniform almost every week for the past month. Because thest one no longer fit him.


    It''s a good thing that his weight could keep up with the changes. If not, then, he would certainly look like a walking bamboo pole. And not the ttering kind at all.


    What''s his height now, you asked?


    It''s 170 cm!


    Yes, you heard that right, 170 cm. He grew 12 cm in a month. When he woke up from theast March, he never thought that he would grow this tall after knowing his height at that time.


    His only wish was to grow to at least 170 cm. He thought that it would only be just that ¨C a wishful thinking. Or it would take two, three years before he reached it. But who would have thought that by December, just nine months after, his wish would actually be fulfilled?


    Now, he was the same height as his avatar. He would not be mad even if this turned out to be the limit of his height in this life. Of course, he would be happy if he could grow much taller. Like five centimeters more. But if not, then, that''s fine too. He wouldn''t be that greedy.


    Luo Yan walked to the living room and saw his father. His steps faltered and then he smiled helplessly. "Dad, aren''t you supposed to be at the office right now?"


    Luo Wei Tian stood up and walked to him. "You have a check-up right now. Of course, I have to apany you."


    "I could go there by myself, you know?" Luo Yan said with a raised brow.


    "Yes, I know you can. But your dad still wants to apany you," his father said with a pampering smile. "Since Ah Ren apanied youst time, I should do it this time."


    He could only shake his head because he knew that arguing was of no use. Luo Ren and Luo Jin would probably say the same as their father if it was them standing here. But the former was already at work while thetter was still sleeping. It''s Saturday, so it''s only natural for Luo Jin to sleep in.


    Luo Yan and his father walked out of the house and a car was already waiting outside. They climbed into the car''s backseat. The driver then drove it to the direction of the city''s biggest hospital.


    On their way, Luo Yan suddenly remembered a topic that he still hadn''t gotten a positive response to.


    "Dad, have you thought of my suggestion? You know, for my birthday next week?" he asked tentatively.


    Next week, Friday, was his birthday. It just so happened that it was also the same date in which he was born in hisst life. That''s why when he knew that he and the former ''Luo Yan'' had the same birthday, the first thing he thought was that maybe it''s the reason why his soul could enter this body.


    As if the soul of the two of them were made in the same mold. And that''s why this body could be a perfect vessel for him. Maybe he and the original ''Luo Yan'' were supposed to be destined to be twins. But because of some mishap of heaven, he was born too early. At least he''d like to think so.


    "Do you really not want to have a party?"


    Hearing his father''s question, Luo Yan''s focus finally returned to the present.


    His father, and older brother, wanted to have a big party for his 18th birthday that would also serve as a way to introduce him to S City''s high society. But Luo Yan didn''t want that. He didn''t want to fake his smile, especially not during his birthday. And he was sure doing that would be inevitable. After all, some rich people just didn''t deserve a genuine smile.


    "No, just having dinner with you, Brother, and Ah Jin is enough," he said. "As for celebration, I''d rather share my blessings with the children of an orphanage of my choosing."


    Yes, the orphanage he was talking about was the orphanage he grew up in. He wanted to give back, even a little. He died prematurely before he could even do that. It''s one of the things that remained a thorn in his heart. And he also wanted to see the director again. Maybe even visit the cemetery where he was buried.


    Luo Wei Tian looked at his son''s big peach blossom eyes. There was sincerity in there and determination. He could tell that Luo Yan truly wanted to do it this way. What else could he do as a father? Disappoint him? How could he even do that?


    He sighed. "Okay. We''ll do just that."


    Luo Yan smiled and hugged his father''s arm. "Thanks, Dad. You''re the best!"

 Chapter 773 THE WORRY-FREE DAD

    Chapter 773 THE ''WORRY-FREE'' DAD¡¡¡¡SEEING his son''s happy smile, how could Luo Wei Tian take back what he said? It''s just a party anyway. He only wanted to hold it because he wanted to introduce Luo Yan to everyone. It''s just the right time for it. The other was most certainly back to his full health. And it''s even his 18th birthday. A special asion to tell everyone that the second son of the Luo family should not be trifled with.


    That''s right. It would be a perfect opportunity to warn those people. Let them see that the second son of his family was so loved that they would think twice before they tried to offend him.


    But Luo Yan was right. Spending time with your family was much more important than throwing a party. A party wasn''t really that necessary. Besides, this was what the birthday celebrant himself wanted. If this was what could make him happy, who was he to deny him that?


    "Do you already have an orphanage in mind?" he asked.


    "Yes," Luo Yan nodded. "It''s called Xiao Xing Orphanage. It''s located at the province of Hunan."


    "Hunan?" That''s more than four-hour trip by ne from S City. Luo Wei Tian thought that Luo Yan would pick an orphanage located close by. "Is there any particr reason why you chose this orphanage?"


    Luo Yan understood why his father asked this. If he simply wanted to help unfortunate children, then an orphanage located at the city itself would be more practical. He didn''t need to go to a far-off province. But that wasn''t his main goal. His main goal had always been to go back to the ce he grew up in and meet the director once more.


    "Before I give Dad an answer, I wanted to first say that I''m nning to donate the money that I''ve earned from ying Arcadia. It will just feel more personal that way," he started. "Since it''s my own money, I have to make sure that it would go to the right people and not be wasted on the pocket of some greedy person. With that, I did some research."


    Luo Wei Tian wanted to say that with him here, who dared to scam his son with his money? But he didn''t want to interrupt Luo Yan as the other was talking. Besides, it''s kind of cute how this son of his exined things for him.


    Just look those eyes filled with indignation. He''s like a small warrior ready to fight any injustice he might face. Of course, the word ''small'' could no longer describe the present Luo Yan.


    The childish features that came along with his short stature had now gradually matured. Finally, Luo Yan now looked his age. Not 14 or 15, but a 17-year-old who would soon turn 18. And he was truly thankful for that.


    Although he didn''t mind having his son be a lot shorter than his peers, it was still something that he had been constantly worried about. It could turn into a lot of problems for Luo Yan in the future.


    His son''s short stature was also a constant reminder to him of the other''s bad health. It made him worry more than necessary. Thus, making him nag at the other whenever he thought that he was doing something dangerous or even when he''s eating something unhealthy. Which was probably a bit annoying for Luo Yan.


    It was even much worse during the first two months after the other woke up from thea. He didn''t even want him to go to school. If it was only up to him, he''d rather have Luo Yan stayed at home until his health was fully back to normal. He only learned how to slightly let go once he saw that Luo Yan was trying hard to get back to his feet and live a normal life. The other couldn''t exactly do that if he was constantly hovering over him.


    It was only probably after watching him fight in that game tournament did Luo Wei Tian truly let go.


    Now, he only needed to hear the confirmation from the hospital about his son''s health, and he would almost have nothing to worry about.


    The worry-free father didn''t know that was his son said to him just now was pure bull crap. Except the fact that he was indeed nning to use his own money to donate, that one was true. The rest, well, he just made it up so the other wouldn''t suspect anything.


    "Xiao Xiang Orphanage has helped a lot of kids have a second home and family. And most of them went to live a very normal life full of love from their families. Even big orphanages couldn''t boast about that. It could be seen with just that how much thought Xiao Xiang put into choosing the families that would adopt the kids from their orphanage. They obviously think of the well-being of the children first before their own agenda.


    "Even those who weren''t able to be adopted were helped by them so they could finish high school with no problems. They would help those who wanted to continue their education to get schrships. And those who wanted to work would be introduced to some local establishments. There would probably not many orphanages that could match the thoughtfulness of Xiao Xiang."


    This time, Luo Yan was telling the whole truth. Except that, he was mainly describing the director not the whole orphanage itself. Not everything in Xiao Xiang was all rainbows and sunshine. No matter how good an establishment was, there would still be rotten eggs hidden inside.


    But there''s no need for him to mention such things to his father.


    "Since Xiao Yan is so convince about this ce, then let''s go there the day after your birthday. That way, we can go back on Sunday and there wouldn''t be any problem going back to school the next day," Luo Wei Tian could only say at the end.


    But that didn''t mean that he wouldn''t do his own investigation. Before they went there, he had to know if there''s anything wrong with this Xiao Xiang Orphanage.

 Chapter 774 A GAZE BORING ON HIS BACK

    Chapter 774 A GAZE BORING ON HIS BACK¡¡¡¡"THE results are all good. Your health is pretty much back to normal," Doctor Han said with obvious satisfaction on his face as he read the medical check-up result of the teenager in front of him.


    This was truly a pleasant surprise for Doctor Han. Who would have thought that that kid from nine months ago who could barely move his body properly was now in top condition? This kid''s tenacity and will to live was really iparable. Well, that was already quite evident by the fact that the other held on to his life for seven years. And this refusal to sumb to death led him to be this healthy teenager of today.


    Of course, one of the main reasons for this was his supportive family. If not for their insistence of keeping the kid alive with a machine for seven years, the miracle of him waking up wouldn''t have happened. It''s truly a blessing for anyone to have such a caring and loving family.


    Doctor Han nced at President Luo who visibly let out a sigh of relief the moment he said that the second young master of the Luo family was in perfect health. He was happy for the other. This man might look cold and aloof but at the core of it all, he was just a father who cared for his sons deeply.


    The doctor still remembered that one time when he was doing his daily rounds, he was about to enter Luo Yan''s VIP ward but stopped when he saw President Luo standing beside the patient''s bed. If the other was simply standing there, he wouldn''t really stop. But President Luo was crying.


    Yes, this man who could easily shake the economy of this city was crying. Doctor Han understood at that moment just how vulnerable this man was. It''s probably then that he truly hoped that the second young master of the Luo family would really one day wake up.


    And now, look. The young master did not only wake up, he was now also back to his full health. What a blessing indeed.


    "Don''t worry, President Luo. I can guarantee that there''s no problem in your son''s health," he assured the other man once again. "In fact, he was in such perfect condition that there probably be wouldn''t any problem if he applied for triathlon."


    "Thank you, Doctor Han. What you said truly put me at ease," Luo Wei Tian said.


    The doctor only waved his hand as if saying there''s no need for thanks. "I think you must thank the nutritionist you hired more. They did a very good job managing his meals. Just look how much the young master had grown in such a short period of time."


    Luo Wei Tian smiled. "I think more than the nutritionist, the one who should be praised was Xiao Yan. If not for his discipline and will to get better, I don''t think he would be able to get his body back to top shape."


    Luo Yan could only helplessly smile at his father''spliment. Well, it''s true that he did his best to get his health back to normal. But not because he was as disciplined as his father portrayed him to be. Truthfully, if there were no Arcadia where he could eat any kind of food to his heart''s content, he might not be able to resist temptation and eat food that was bad for him.


    So, all hail Arcadia.


    The doctor said a bit more. After a while, Luo Yan and his father was ready to leave.


    Doctor Han walked them out of his office. When the doctor opened the door, they were slightly startled when they saw a young doctor standing there. His hand was raised, his posture was indicating that he was just about to knock.


    "Xiao Li, do you need something?" Doctor Han asked.


    Luo Yan nced at this ''Xiao Li''. The other was pretty young, for a doctor at least. He assumed that he was one, considering that he was wearing a white coat. He seemed to be only in his early to mid-20s. He was quite handsome with a clean and gentle temperament.


    The young doctor was definitely the type to easily get the trust of others. He just had that kind of face. One that could automatically invoke a person''s goodwill, letting others immediately have a good impression of him. But Luo Yan wasn''t buying it.


    He couldn''t really exin it, but he instinctively didn''t want to get close to the guy. This was the first time that this happened. As if his body was giving off warning signals, telling him to stay far away from the other.


    "I just have a question regarding a case study I''m reviewing. But since Doctor Han seemed to be busy, I''ll juste back againter," the other said with a gentle smile. "I''m sorry if I''m being a bother."


    "It''s fine, it''s no bother," Doctor Han said. Then he turned to the father-son duo. "This is Li Shen, by the way. A new resident that I''m supervising."


    Luo Wei Tian only nodded, already back to his cold CEO persona. "Since Doctor Han still has things to do, we''ll just let ourselves out."


    "Bye, Doctor Han!" Luo Yan said with a smile.


    Then, the two walked out of the office and left.


    As they walked down the halls, Luo Yan could feel a gaze boring on his back. He suddenly felt goosebumps all over. Without ncing back, he just somehow knew that the one staring holes at him was that Li Shen.


    He didn''t look back to confirm his guess. He simply continued walking in a steady manner. But deep inside, he was wondering just what that guy''s problem was? Or maybe there was no problem and he was simply being too sensitive. He shook his head. Anyway, it''s not like he''s going to meet that person again.


    "What''s wrong Xiao Yan?"


    He heard his father asked, probably noticing his expression. Luo Yan shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. I''m just thinking where should we eat for lunch."


    "Don''t worry, I already booked a private box. I''m sure you''ll love the food there."


    "Since Dad said so, then, I''m sure I will."


    They continued on walking. And Luo Yan simply put this Li Shen guy at the very back of his mind.

 Chapter 775 WITH OPEN ARMS

    Chapter 775 WITH OPEN ARMS¡¡¡¡LUO YAN opened his eyes and saw the white ancient pce of team Yunyue. After eating dinner, he logged into the game because their team had a meeting tonight. He logged out in a different location yesterday, so, he had to teleport the moment he entered the game.


    He hadn''t yet taken a step when he heard a very energetic voice from the side calling him.


    "Mashter!"


    He barely had time to look where the voice came from when he saw a sh of ck rushing towards him like a canon ball. Then, he felt his arm being hugged. He looked down and saw a 12, 13-year-old boy.


    He had ck hair and the most beautiful sapphire blue eyes. A pair of fox ears were on top of his head and six tails could be seen on his back. The most eye-catching was the blue gem on his forehead.


    Luo Yan smiled helplessly. "Eclipse, didn''t I tell you not to rush at me like that? One day, I might just really fall on my back and hit my head."


    The boy pouted. "Of course, Eclipse wouldn''t let Mashter to fall. If you lose your bnce, Eclipse will definitely pull you back as fast as Eclipse could."


    Luo Yan chuckled. Even the other had grown in height, Eclipse was still talking like a four-year-old. Referring to himself by his name and even lisping whenever he called him ''mashter''. Granted, it wasn''t that long when Eclipse had another transformation.


    Just a week ago, while grinding levels, the Elementum on the other''s forehead suddenly glowed. Eclipse was surrounded by light and once it subsided, another tail was added on his back. But that was not the only change. His humanoid form had also matured, from a seven-year-old to a 12-year-old.


    But it''s only his outer appearance that did. He still acted the same way he did when he was still just a little fox. Which Luo Yan totally had no problems with. It would probably be only a bit weird once Eclipse finally had his ninth tail. Because by then, this kid would probably have the appearance of an adult.


    He actually couldn''t imagine an adult version of this kid still talking the same way. That would be¡­ quite a sight to see.


    Luo Yan only rubbed Eclipse''s head. "Yes, yes. You will catch me if I fall."


    "No, Mashter, Eclipse will only pull you back. The only one who should catch you once you fall is Captain," the kid said with a serious expression, as if teaching Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. "Where did you learn such a thing?"


    Eclipse pushed up his chest and raised his chin, showing that he was very proud of what he was about to say. "From Sister Cat."


    Luo Yan''s expression copsed a bit after hearing that answer. This ''Cat'' the other was referring to was none other than Catnip. The girl his cousin had a crush on.


    After that ball the Duke of Hearts held, Eclipse and Catnip met again so thetter could give the former a fan-art she made. He wasn''t there with Eclipse when the two met. But he would guess that they got on rather well. Because after that, the two met from time to time and after each meeting, Eclipse would learn something not so useful. And most of the time, it had something to do with romance.


    Now, whenever he had a chance, this kid would say something cheesy that would connect Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun in some way. Considering that Catnip was well-known for drawing fan-arts of him and Shen Ji Yun, he wouldn''t put it past her to instill some ideas on Eclipse. Ideas involving him and Shen Ji Yun.


    Since this kid already had a very solid belief about them, someone empowering it would only make him a max level shipper. And that''s truly how Eclipse had been for the past few days. Every chance he got, he would say something that paired him up with his favorite captain.


    Not that Luo Yan minded. But still. What Eclipse said was worth rolling his eyes over. Like just now. The other was practically telling him that he could only fall for Shen Ji Yun. If he hadn''t already fallen for the guy, he would be really annoyed by such a statement.


    Luo Yan simply flicked Eclipse''s forehead as ''revenge''.


    The other quickly held his forehead and said in the most grievous tone, "Mashter, how can you hurt Eclipse? Do you not love Eclipse anymore?"


    "Stop and let''s just go inside."


    Eclipse acted as if he was hurt. "Mashter, you''ve changed."


    This time, Luo Yan did roll his eyes. "If you think so, then this master of yours could only stay silent."


    Eclipse only pouted. "Mashter is such a bully."


    Then, the other ran ahead. But not to the direction of the pce. "Where are you going?"


    Eclipse stopped temporarily and answered, "Eclipse is going to y with Uncle Dusk and the red lizard!"


    Then, he continued on running.


    Luo Yan could only shake his head. It had been more than a month since Rowan ¨C the red dragon ¨C joined their team as Bai Ze''s pet. But Eclipse still hadn''t taken a liking towards the other. As evidence of the kid still referring to him as a red lizard.


    On the other hand, Dusk''s rtionship with Rowan had only been getting better and better. Well, at least in Dusk''s standard of better.


    He was about to continue walking when he heard his name called.


    "Yan Yan!"


    Luo Yan turned back and saw Shen Ji Yun. The other appeared expressionless, but if one looked closely, they could see the tiny bit or arc at the corner of his lips.


    He stayed where he was and waited for the other to reach him.


    When the other arrived before him, Luo Yan remembered his talk with Eclipse. He didn''t know what came over him. But he just found himself asking;


    "Brother Ji Yun, if I fall, would you catch me?"


    "Of course," Shen Ji Yun said without hesitation. "With open arms."


    Somehow, that answer put a smile on Luo Yan''s face.

 Chapter 776 A BLOOMING ROSE

    Chapter 776 A BLOOMING ROSE¡¡¡¡INSIDE the huge hall of team Yunyue''s pce, the five members were seated at the round table, talking about various things about their team. Specifically, they were talking about their future activities. Since they had already decided to participate in the seventh season of Arcadia Cup next year.


    The Cup was divided into two parts that would go on throughout the first six months of the year. The first part was like a yoffs of some sorts. Teams that registered for the cup would be divided into seven brackets. Of course, not any team could just go off and register. If that was the case, hundreds of teams would simply join the cup.


    After the second season, when the Cup really exploded in poprity, Moonlight Media had to set up a list of requirements for teams who wanted to register. First, a team needed to pay a registration fee of 20,000 crystal coins which was 2000 RMB in real life money. Second, they had to be at least a year old. Meaning a team that was just newly formed couldn''t join. Andstly, their reputation points should at least reach a hundred.


    What''s a reputation points, you asked? Well, it''s actually a point given to a yer whenever they had a certain achievement in the game. So, this required number of reputation points depended on the members of a team. This was very advantageous to those who had more members.


    If one wanted to know how many reputation points they had, they only had to go to a Record Hall and check it. A team could also check the overall reputation points that they had.


    Once a team fulfilled those three requirements, then, they could go ahead and participate in the Cup.


    One might think that it must be easy to do. The first two certainly didn''t need any effort. But thest one wasn''t really the same case. That one needed tremendous effort to achieve.


    The teams that were qualified to register would then, as it had been already mentioned, be divided into seven brackets. The teams in each bracket would go into a round robin kind ofpetition in which all teams would get a turn fighting the rest of the teams in their brackets.


    The two teams with the most win in each bracket would then be qualified to proceed to the next round. These 14 teams would be joined by two other teams. Which were the champion and the runner up from thest season.


    As the top two teams from thest season, they were automatically given the privilege of directly jumping to the second round of the Cup. Which meant that there would be a total of 16 teams fighting it out for the championship.


    "The registration of the Cup will start at thest week of this month," Bai Ze started. "I will volunteer to go and register our team because I know you guys can''t be bothered to do it."


    "Before thinking of registering, you should check first if our reputation points are enough for us to register," Su Yuqi said dryly.


    "I''m sure it is," Bai Ze said with confidence. "I mean, none of us had beenzy this year. I''m sure, with us five, our reputation points will no doubt reach 100."


    It''s because the reputation points that would be ounted for were only the ones achieved this year. It was so it wouldn''t be unfair to teams who were only a year old.


    "Sorry to break your bubble, but I just checked our team''s reputation points before going here and we''re short of 10 points," Su Yuqi said.


    There was silence in the room after she said that. Then, Bai Ze suddenly eximed;


    "No way! Seriously?"


    "Do you think I will joke about this?" Su Yuqi said, rolling her eyes. "Actually, if not for Luo Yan''s contribution, we would be way more behind."


    It was mostly because of winning the Rookie Carnival. The other one was eliminating the Dark Saint. The first one already raked in a lot of achievement points. But the second one was no joke either.


    "What should we do now? Ten points is not a no joke. We couldn''t just rack it in in a matter of days," Bai Ze said, obviously very worried.


    "What about being the first one to clear a new dungeon?" Luo Yan suddenly interjected. "Would that be worth 10 points?"


    Shen Ji Yun nced at Luo Yan. Hearing what the other said, he already had an idea what he was on about.


    "Of course, that would be more than enough," Bai Ze answered. "But where¡ªoh, wait, it''s that new dungeon that will go live tomorrow, isn''t it?"


    This new dungeon had long been announced since thest update. But because of some changes that were made, the released of the dungeon had been moved. Butst week, Moonlight Media finally announced that the said dungeon would go live tomorrow at exactly 12 in the afternoon.


    "Exactly," Luo Yan answered with a smile.


    "But I heard the location of this dungeon is still unknown. What if some team got there before us?" Luo Jin asked, expressing his doubt.


    "We have a teleportation scroll that will directly take us to the dungeon," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "That''s right. Brother Ji Yun and I got it from the Crimson Corps. Their leader gave it to us as a reward from doing them a favor," Luo Yan added. "And there''s a high chance that the scroll''s destination is that new dungeon."


    "But what if it''s not?" Su Yuqi asked.


    "Then, I will fight 100 yers continuously at the Arena, winning every match, to make up for those 10 points," Shen Ji Yun said. "That would be the back-up. But tomorrow, we will use that scroll, wherever it might take us."


    Su Yuqi shrugged but didn''t say any objection. The same for Bai Ze and Luo Jin.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun and said in a teasing tone, "Brother Ji Yun is very handsome just now. Like a dependable captain."


    With just that, Shen Ji Yun''s face turned red like a blooming rose.

 Chapter 777 YAN YAN AND AH JIN AT LUNCH

    Chapter 777 YAN YAN AND AH JIN AT LUNCH¡¡¡¡THE next day, Luo Yan and Luo Jin had an early lunch. It was because they had to log into the game at least 30 minutes before 12 in the afternoon. From their meeting yesterday, it was decided that they would attack the dungeon today.


    There were only two of them in the dining room. Both their father and older brother were at a ground breaking. It''s for the luxury apartment Tianhua Group was nning to build. This ground breaking was supposed to be held tomorrow. But their father moved it today so he and Luo Ren could free their weekend. That way, all four of them could go to Xiao Xiang Orphanage.


    "Yan, haven''t you been too obvious as ofte?" Luo Jin suddenly asked.


    Luo Yan raised his head. Finishing the dumpling he was eating first before answering the other''s question, "Obvious of what?"


    "You know, the one you''ve been doing whenever that Shen Ji Yun was around," Luo Jin said.


    "Ah Jin, you need to be more specific," Luo Yan said, acting all serious.


    Luo Jin only rolled his eyes. "Don''t y coy. I know you understood what I meant."


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Was I really that obvious."


    "More than obvious. It''s like you''re practically yelling to everyone that you like the guy."


    "Really? Then, why do I feel like I''m not ''yelling'' enough?" Luo Yan said picking up another dumpling with his chopsticks and eating it. "I''m afraid Brother Ji Yun still hadn''t notice it."


    That oblivious guy probably wouldn''t unless he screamed it to his face. Not that he minded, really. He wasn''t in a rush or something. They had all the time in the world to confirm their mutual romance.


    "Then, he''s freaking blind," Luo Jin said while clipping a piece of barbecued meat and eating it.


    "Maybe it''s because he doesn''t feel the same way that''s why he couldn''t feel my ardent love," Luo Yan said, acting as if he was heartbroken.


    Luo Jin only looked at him as if he was a fool. Luo Yan had a feeling that if it would not make him look silly, he would roll his eyes again.


    "That guy likes you. Even I could tell," Luo Jin said.


    Luo Yan chuckled. Of course, he knew that. Shen Ji Yun''s every action was telling him of that fact. It''s the reason why he wasn''t worried at all about the other''s endless obliviousness when it came to his feelings for him. Because it wouldn''t change the fact that they liked each other.


    He didn''t care that much that they didn''t yet have a properbel to their rtionship. It''s almost as good as if they were in a romantic rtionship anyway. Besides, he enjoyed seeing the other''s shy expression whenever he flirted with him. So, he didn''t mind continuing on with this status quo for a while longer.


    "But you know, maybe I wasn''t really being that obvious as you might think I am," he said. "Look, Brother Ze seemed to not have noticed anything."


    Knowing their cousin, he would have already shared that idea to Shen Ji Yun, being the supportive best friend and all. But since none of that happened, it''s safe to say that he also hadn''t realize it.


    "It''s because Brother Ze still has rose-tinted sses whenever he looks at you," Luo Jin reasoned. "He''s probably thinking that you''re just being your usual ''sweet'' self whenever you show your feelings for Shen Ji Yun."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. That was certainly a possibility. "Then, does that mean that you no longer have rose-tinted sses whenever you looked at me?"


    "I have long taken it off," Luo Jin responded dryly. "I now can see you for who you really are."


    An amused glint twinkled in Luo Yan''s eyes after hearing that. "And pray tell how exactly you see me now. You know, without the ''rose-tinted sses''?"


    "A narcissistic, ck-bellied guy who enjoys teasing others and loves to do ''ying pigs, eating tigers'' routine," Luo Jin said with a straight face.


    Luo Yan held his chest and acted as if he was hurt. "Ah Jin, I didn''t know that''s how you think of me. You''re making me all sad."


    This time, Luo Jin finally couldn''t resist rolling his eyes at him again. Then, he just continued on eating. Telling his brother with his action that he no longer wanted to talk to him. Luo Yan couldn''t help but chuckle.


    ----------


    B City¡­


    Shen Ji Yun just finished eating his lunch. He stood up and put his dirty dishes on the sink. Just as he was about to clean it, he saw his uncle entering the kitchen. The other yawned, showing clearly how he just woke up. His uncle obviously had another all-nighter again.


    Looking at his nephew washing dishes, Shen Yi Mu said, "You know you can use the dishwasher."


    "It''s fine. It''s just a couple of dishes anyway," Shen Ji Yun said. "By the way, Uncle, I already cooked lunch. So, if you want to eat, the food is juts on the table."


    Shen Yi Mu nodded. "Why did you eat lunch so early?"


    Usually if the both of them were home, they make it to a point to eat together.


    "My team is about to explore the new dungeon that will go active today," Shen Ji Yun responded. He put the clean dishes on the rack beside the sink to let it dry.


    "Oh? You already know where it is?" Shen Yi Mu asked with interest. As far as he could remember, no hints had been released about that. Well, at least not formally.


    "We found some clue. We''re going to check if it''s correct or not."


    "Want me to give you some clue?"


    Shen Ji Yun decisively shook his head. "No, that would be cheating."


    Although Shen Yi Mu had already expected such an answer, it still made him grin for some reason.


    "By the way, how''s it going with that kid you like?"


    At the mention of that, Shen Ji Yun simply felt his whole face burning.

 Chapter 778 THE EASY WAY OR THE HARD WAY

    Chapter 778 THE EASY WAY OR THE HARD WAY¡¡¡¡LOOKING at his nephew''s blushing face, Shen Yi Mu raised his brow. Ji Yun almost always had a nk expression on his face. So, seeing him like this was indeed such a rare sight. Shen Yi Mu was d for it. Because it showed that the range of emotion his nephew could feel was already gradually expanding.


    He probably should thank the second young master of the Luo family for such a change.


    "I- I think it''s going well," Shen Ji Yun said in response to his uncle''s question.


    Shen Yi Mu opened the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk. He took a ss from the cupboard and poured himself a ss. "You think you have a chance?"


    Shen Ji Yun was silent for a moment. Because he didn''t know what kind of answer to give the other. Did he have a chance? Frankly speaking, if he just based it on the way Luo Yan was acting towards him, he would give a big resounding ''yes''. But that side of him that just couldn''t believe that things could go this smoothly wouldn''t agree with him.


    It''s telling him that that was just how Luo Yan was ¨C very affectionate to the people he cared about. He didn''t want to assume and decide what''s Luo Yan''s feelings were just because of the way the other acted around him. What if he was simply seeing the things he wanted to see? Exaggerating the other''s every action in his mind?


    He sighed inwardly. Truly wanting to kick himself. If only he had confidence to actually assume things. Then, maybe he wouldn''t be so unsure of everything.


    Seeing this sudden change in expression, Shen Yi Mu wondered if he asked the wrong question. Maybe things weren''t going as well as Ji Yun said. If it was, then, the other would have known by now if he had a chance or not.


    The path he decided he took was not an easy one, after all. Even someone who''s much older or experienced in life wouldn''t exactly have an easy way of it. Much less his nephew who couldn''t express or even understand his own emotions.


    "If you''re having trouble, you know you can ask me for advice," he said.


    As the other''s guardian, it''s the least he could do. Ji Yun was in a very delicate situation right now. He''s not just exploring his own sexuality, he''s also at the point where he was just starting to learn about his own emotions. There should at least be someone who could guide him as he went to this journey.


    "I¡ª" Shen Ji Yun stopped. He didn''t know what to say. No, he did know. He just wasn''t sure if he should.


    "Now, now, there''s no need to feel shy," Shen Yi Mu said when he saw the other''s hesitation. "You know you can ask your dear uncle anything. Even love rted matters. I''ll try to give you the best advice I could."


    Even though his uncle said it a teasing tone, Shen Ji Yun could see that the other was very much sincere in his offer. The only reason he held back was because he felt embarrassed asking his uncle about this sort of thing. After all, they wouldn''t be talking aboutputer-rted things as they usually would.


    But at the end, despite feeling embarrassed, he finally decided to ask the question that had been running inside his head. "How would one know if the person they like, likes them back?"


    After asking that, Shen Ji Yun''s face quickly turned bright red. Showing just how embarrassed he was by doing so.


    Oh, it''s this question ¨C Shen Yi Mu thought. How should he answer this one?


    "Well, guessing one''s feelings for another is definitely not an easy task. Especially in a case like yours."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. He understood what his uncle was trying to say. He was referring to the ''case'' of him liking someone of the same gender. More so in their society where one couldn''t be open about it.


    "That kid, Xiao Yan, I could tell that he has a very affectionate disposition for the people he cared about," Shen Yi Mu continued.


    His observation was, of course, based on that one day they spent with the Luo family in Chengdu. Even though it''s only for a short time, anyone with a keen observation could see just how affectionate the kid was to his family. He was the same way with Ji Yun. But not so much to him. Showing how Xiao Yan was only like that to people he was closed to.


    "If he is like that to a girl, then, it could be a cause for a misunderstanding. But if he''s like that to a fellow boy, then the first thing anyone would think is that they are very good friends. So, it''s hard to tell what he''s feeling just based on how well he''s treating you."


    That''s exactly what''s going through Shen Ji Yun''s head. "Then, what does Uncle suggest I should do?"


    "At this point, there''s really only one thing," Shen Yi Mu said. He drank his ss of milk first before looking straight at his nephew. "Confess."


    Shen Ji Yun looked dumbfounded for a second. Before he could react or even say anything, his uncle had already continued.


    "Tell Xiao Yan your intentions. If you are truly decided on him, then, it''s better to tell him how you feel. Depending to his reaction to your confession, then, you can quickly tell what his feelings for you are," Shen Yi Mu said. "Of course, this is the easy way. It could either go extremely well or it could go very, very bad."


    Shen Ji Yun could already tell how bad it could be. "If this is the easy way, then, there must be a hard way. Correct?"


    Shen Yi Mu looked at his nephew''s hopeful look. "There is. But you must work really, really hard for it to work."


    "I''ll do it," Shen Ji Yun said with almost no hesitation.

 Chapter 779 THE HARD WAY

    Chapter 779 THE ''HARD'' WAY¡¡¡¡LUO YAN and Luo Jin arrived at their headquarters exactly 30 minutes before 12 in the afternoon. To Luo Yan''s surprise, the other three were still not there. Su Yuqi and Bai Ze, he could understand. But Shen Ji Yun not being here before them was a tad bit weird.


    Normally, as long as they had activities together, Shen Ji Yun would arrive a few minutes before the appointed time. He didn''t want to be so narcissistic but he knew that the other was like that because he wanted to spend time with him sooner. So, you couldn''t really me him if he was curious why the other was still not here.


    "The Captain is still not here?" he asked Eclipse who immediately appeared after he and Luo Jin logged in.


    They were at the garden. From their meeting yesterday, they decided to meet here. It would be much easier for them to teleport together in such a wide area. That''s why he asked Eclipse that. Because maybe Shen Ji Yun had gone inside the pce or something.


    "No. Captain hasn''t arrived yet," Eclipse said.


    "Was there really a need to ask? It''s not like you would see that guy in a few minutes," Luo Jin said with a roll of his eyes.


    "You know, Ah Jin. If you roll your eyes one more time, they might just end up stuck in your brain," Luo Yan said, teasing the other.


    Eclipseughed out loud after hearing that. "That would look super weird!" He then looked at Luo Jin. "Young master, you shouldn''t do that or you won''t be cute anymore."


    Luo Jin only red at them before striding towards the nearby pavilion.


    Luo Yan chuckled after seeing his brother''s reaction. Then, he gazed down at the little boy beside him. "Where''s Dusk and Rowan?"


    "They''re off somewhere, fighting again," Eclipse pouted. "That red lizard kept on challenging Uncle to a duel. He''s like, so obsess. Eclipse is starting to wonder whether he''s in love with Uncle or not."


    Luo Yan could understand why Rowan would challenge Dusk in a duel over and over again. Although the former had already forgotten his memory, he probably still had an instinctive dislike towards thetter. That''s why he couldn''t help but challenge Dusk to a fight. And since the other was the only dragon in this ce, Rowan had no choice but to interact with Dusk despite his dislike of the other.


    The real question here was how Eclipse ended up with such a conclusion. "What''s wrong with him being in love with Dusk?" he asked humoring the boy.


    "Because I''m shipping Uncle with my Aunt! How could a 3rd party suddenly appear from nowhere?" Eclipse said in a tone as if he was very affronted by that possibility.


    Luo Yanughed out loud when he heard that. "Don''t worry, I don''t think Rowan had that kind of feelings for Dusk."


    "He''d better be," Eclipse said with a huff. "By the way, Mashter. Can''t Eclipse go with you all during today''s dungeon exploration?"


    Luo Yan ruffled the boy''s hair. "Sorry, Eclipse. No can do."


    The teleportation scroll they had could only amodate five people. Although he''s unsure if an NPC pet could be counted, but it wouldn''t hurt to be careful. It''s much more important that the five main members of their team could go without a hitch.


    Eclipse immediately showed a disappointed expression.


    "Hey, don''t be sad. We can go to a trip somewhere after," he added tofort the other.


    Eclipse''s face immediately brightened when he heard that. "Really? Then, Captain should go with us. It would be like a family trip."


    Luo Yan raised his brow. "So, the Captain and I are the parents and you''re our kid?"


    "You''re like Eclipse''s second parents. So, yeah."


    Luo Yan just smiled. "Okay, we''ll schedule this family trip."


    Eclipse jumped up in excitement. "Yey!"


    Fifteen minutester, both Bai Ze and Su Yuqi arrived one after another. But still no sign of Shen Ji Yun.


    "Did that guy overslept or something?" Luo Jin asked.


    All of four them were now sitting at the pavilion. Eclipse had gone off to the kitsunes'' vige. They were now only waiting for Shen Ji Yun to arrive.


    "Nah, that''s impossible," Bai Ze quickly rejected refused what Luo Jin said. Especially since Luo Yan was here. Knowing the other, he would have definitely woken up very early because of excitement. "Something might havee up on his end."


    "Don''t be too impatient," Luo Yan said to his brother. "We still have plenty of time. I''m sure Brother Ji Yun will be here before 12."


    As soon as he said that, a slit in the air appeared. It expanded slowly until it revealed a figure. A tall man with long dark purple hair and a pair of amethyst beast like eyes.


    "I''m sorry, I''mte," Shen Ji Yun said, walking towards the pavilion.


    "It''s alright Brother Ji Yun. There''s still more than 10 minutes before 12 anyway," Luo Yan said.


    As Shen Ji Yun heard Luo Yan speak, he couldn''t help but go back to the conversation he had with his uncle earlier. It''s actually the reason why he waste. Now, going back to that conversation, his uncle said if he chose the ''hard'' way, then, he must learn to be more observant.


    He should observe Luo Yan''s bodynguage every time the other interacted with him. And then judged appropriately whether Luo Yan''s actions as he interacted with him were truly the same with how he acted with others close to him. But there''s more. He should also learn how to ''flirt''. And then see if Luo Yan''s reaction to his ''flirting'' was positive or not.


    After he heard thatst part, Shen Ji Yun understood why his uncle said that it would be hard for him to do. Because just how the heck would one go about flirting with the person they liked?


    His thoughts were promptly interrupted by what Su Yuqi said next.


    "It''s almost time. Let''s go."


    Shen Ji Yun immediately cleared his mind and decided to think about his problem once they finished raiding the dungeon.

 Chapter 780 THE NEW DUNGEON

    Chapter 780 THE NEW DUNGEON¡¡¡¡THE five members of team Yunyue were standing in a circle on the garden of their headquarters. They were waiting for the announcement of the opening the new dungeon. For something like that, an announcement would usually appear in the sky.


    "Only a minute left," Bai Ze said, looking at the time on his Status Window. "Man, I hope the teleportation scroll would really transfer us to the new dungeon."


    "Don''t worry, Brother Ze. The possibility of this scroll being legit is very high. Even if it isn''t, we can just think of this dungeon raid as a practice. After all, we still have to work out our teamwork," Luo Yan said. Then he turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Don''t you think so as well, Brother Ji Yun?"


    "Ah, yes," Shen Ji Yun replied, a bit out of sorts. He felt annoyed at himself for noting back to his senses much quicker. [Stop thinking about that flirting business, Ji Yun. This is hardly the time.]


    Luo Yan stared at the other. He had noticed since earlier that the other seemed to not have his full attention at what was happening right now. He had a feeling that it might have something to do to the reason why the other camete. Did the other encounter some kind of problem?


    But he knew that this was hardly the time nor the ce to ask about it. All their attention should be focused right now on the dungeon raid. Shen Ji Yun definitely thought so as well. He was sure that the other woulde out of whatever stupor he was in soon enough.


    He decided to just ask the other about what''s bothering himter. Once they finished raiding the dungeon, of course.


    "It''s here."


    As Su Yuqi said that, a big announcement suddenly appeared in the sky.


    [The new dungeon ¨C Thousand World Fantasia ¨C is now open to all! Clues to its whereabouts are going to be released throughout. If you want to find this dungeon''s location, go and search for these clues. Good luck!]


    Seeing the announcement, Luo Yan wondered about what kind of clues the game would release. But since they already had the scroll, it probably wouldn''t matter to them. At least, he hoped so. Thousand World Fantasia, huh? A name that could make anyone curious. He just hoped that the scroll would really bring them there, wherever it was.


    "Shall we go?" he asked everyone. The other four nodded. So, he took out the teleportation scroll from his Items Tab. "Here I go."


    He tore the scroll and the five of them were immediately surrounded by light. Luo Yan once again felt the feeling of being sucked into a vacuum. He even felt that the vertigo was much worsepared to normal.


    When he opened his eyes, he was quite surprise to see where they were. The five of them were standing on a floatingnd mass. Surrounding them was a pink sky and blue cluster of blue clouds. But the most eye-catching of all was the floating railway that seemed to spiral around them.


    He looked at the others and also saw the surprise in their eyes. So, it was safe to assume that Shen Ji Yun, Bai Ze, and Su Yuqi hadn''t been here before. Which only meant that this ce was a new area. Therefore, the chances of this being the new dungeon was extremely high. But what exactly should they do here?


    "If this is the new dungeon, the requirements to clear it should appear right about now," Bai Ze said.


    "Maybe it''s already written here somewhere," Luo Jin said, looking around. After all, some dungeons had a stone b where the rules of how to clear it were written.


    Then, as if hearing their problem, a white door appeared suddenly from out of nowhere. It opened from the other side and something hopped outside. Yes, hopped.


    It was a rabbit, standing straight on its own two feet and wearing a ck suite on its upper body. Its pair of beady red eyes stared at the five of them. The look of surprise in those red eyes couldn''t be hidden.


    "This is quite unexpected. I thought I was wrong but there really are guests here," the rabbit said, more to itself rather than to them. As if realizing his blunder, he cleared his throat and just went straight to business. "Wee to the Thousand World Terminal, dear passengers! I am the Conductor. As our very first passengers to ride the Fantasia train, we will be giving you the privilege of choosing your own destination. As it seemed that you came here in a group, you can only choose one ce. Please, pick one within five minutes."


    After saying that, he took out a watch from his coat pocket. Clearly timing them. Then, a travel catalogue appeared in front of them. Since it was nearest to Luo Yan, he had no choice but to reach out and take it. The other four huddled close to him.


    "Now it''s certain that we''re in the new dungeon, right?" Bai Ze asked, his expression full of excitement.


    "Obviously," Su Yuqi said in a tone as if saying to Bai Ze ''do you really need to ask the obvious?''.


    "Let''s open this catalogue first," Luo Yan said before the two started bickering again.


    As he said that, he opened the catalogue and a light appeared from the inside. The light then projected three cards from above. The one on the leftmost had the picture of the sea and had the name ''Mermaid Cove'' below. The one at the middle was a picture of a beautiful old manor usually found in Country Y and the name below it was ''Magnolia Court''. Lastly, the one at the rightmost side was a picture of a luxury cruise ship with the name ''Amphitrite''.


    So, they had to choose from these three? Why did Luo Yan had a feeling that no matter which one they chose, it would not be a simple walk in the park?

 Chapter 781 THOUSAND WORLD FANTASIA

    Chapter 781 THOUSAND WORLD FANTASIA¡¡¡¡"EXCUSE me, Mr. Conductor," Luo Yan called the rabbit. "Are there no other information about these three destinations?"


    The rabbit shook its head. "No. We, here in Thousand World Terminal, believe that it''s important to give our passengers a considerable shock factor. We believe that their travel experience would be much more worthwhile in that way."


    So, this rabbit was low-key telling them to just pick on random?


    "Are these the only three destinations avable?" he continued to ask.


    "This is the Thousand World Terminal. There are as many as a thousand destinations," the rabbit responded. "But since this is the Fantasia Train''s first journey, we decided to give you three options instead of just letting you travel in a random manner."


    No wonder the dungeon was called Thousand World Fantasia. ¨C Luo Yan thought. The ''Thousand World'' didn''t only pertain to the name of the terminal, it also meant the number of possible destinations the train could take them to.


    "Well, thank you very much for that," Su Yuqi said sarcastically.


    "So, this new dungeon is made up of a thousand worlds?" Bai Ze said. "How the heck are we supposed to clear this? We''re not going to have to travel to those thousand worlds, right?"


    Shen Ji Yun turned to the rabbit and simply asked straightforwardly, "What are the conditions for clearing this dungeon?"


    "You just have to return back here at the designated time. Of course, all of you shoulde back without one missing. If not, then, this journey would bebeled as iplete," the rabbit answered.


    Truly, how vague could you be? ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    "Can you be more specific?" Bai Ze said, voicing what''s on Luo Yan''s mind.


    "This is as far as I''m allowed to say. You will receive more information once you boarded the train," the rabbit said.


    "Basically, we just have to pick one destination from these three cards. Travel there, thene back without any of us dying, and the dungeon would then be cleared. Is that it?" Luo Jin asked for rification.


    "Correct," the rabbit replied. "You now only have three minutes left to choose."


    "Well, at least we only have to go to one ce to clear this thing," Bai Ze said.


    "Since the rabbit wouldn''t tell any more information, we should probably just choose which destination we should go to first," Luo Yan suggested.


    "Agreed," Shen Ji Yun followed. "We will only get more information once we boarded the train. So, the only thing we could do now is choose."


    "The question is, which one?" Su Yuqi asked while looking at the three cards.


    "Let''s just go with the majority vote," Luo Jin suggested. "It would all be the same no matter which one we picked anyway. It would still be as hard to clear."


    "Let''s do it that way then," Luo Yan said. "How about pointing at the card of our choice after the count of three?"


    All the other four nodded in agreement.


    "Should I do the counting?" Luo Yan asked. After he got everyone''s permission, he started the counting. "3¡­ 2¡­ 1!"


    All five raised their hands to point at the cards above. One was pointing at the Mermaid Cove, another one at the Amphitrite, and three were pointing at the Magnolia Manor. And with this, their choice was finally made.


    "I guess that''s it then," Luo Yan said.


    "Have you made your choice?" the rabbit asked in a timely manner.


    Shen Ji Yun turned to the rabbit and answered the other''s question, "We pick the Magnolia Manor."


    "A good choice. I''m sure you''ll enjoy your stay at this charming countryside manor full of secrets and intrigue."


    After the rabbit said that, he took out a whistle and blew on it. The sound that came out of the whistle seemed to be a signal. Then they heard the choo-choo sound that was very unique to the old train models. Sure enough, a train that looked like that one from that famous movie series about wizards and witches stopped in front of them.


    "Please, enjoy your journey," the rabbit said, extending his arm to the side in a weing manner.


    The moment he said that, one of the doors of the train opened, as if enticing them to walk inside.


    "I''ll go first," Shen Ji Yun said, walking inside.


    Seeing that the inside was just filled with ordinary seats, he turned to the others and gestured that it was safe. After all of them boarded the train, the voice of the Conductor echoed in the car they were in.


    [Attention, passengers. This is your conductor speaking. We will now begin our journey to the beautiful Magnolia Manor. Please, sit down and enjoy the train ride.]


    The five of them sat down on seats near each other. That way, it would be easier to discuss things.


    After Luo Yan sat down, Shen Ji Yun quickly sat beside him. Luo Jin was about to do the same and sit beside Su Yuqi but before he could, Bai Ze had already pulled him to the seat beside the other. Luo Jin truly wanted toin but seeing his cousin''s carefree grin, he just decided not to.


    Then, the train started moving.


    All of them looked outside the window almost at the same time. The pink sky that was supposed to be outside became a white light. As if the train was travelling at the speed of light.


    "I thought they would exin things further. Why is nothing happening?" Bai Ze asked after a while.


    Luo Yan thought the same. He was expecting, at least, some kind of virtual screen to appear, exining to them what they needed to do. But so far, there was nothing.


    He was about to speak when the train suddenly elerated. His body almost flew forward. But a strong arm held his shoulder. He raised his head and stared at Shen Ji Yun. The tip of the other''s ear that he could see was bright red, a sign that he was feeling very shy right now.


    He was thinking of teasing the other when the conductor''s voice echoed in the train car.


    [Attention! Attention! We''ve arrived at our destination!]

 Chapter 782 JAMES PAYTON

    Chapter 782 JAMES PAYTON¡¡¡¡THE train car they were in was suddenly filled with bright light. It was so blinding that Luo Yan was forced to close his eyes. He felt his hand gripped tightly and knew that it was Shen Ji Yun. He was about to pinch his hand back when he felt the other''s touch suddenly disappeared.


    Luo Yan felt a bit panicked. He knew Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t voluntarily release his hand in this kind of situation. Unless he was forced to do so. Luo Yan stretched out his hand to where Shen Ji Yun was supposed to be sitting and there was nothing there but empty air.


    As he expected, the other truly disappeared. This could only mean one thing. That they would all be most likely separated in this dungeon raid. Damn, what a pain. This would just make things much harder.


    Then, he felt the brightness slowly subsiding. When he felt like he could open his eyes, he did. He was a bit startled when he saw the interior of the train car changing. Pixels were appearing as the interior changed from the front to the back. Truly, like a scene from a game.


    Once the change was done, the design of the interior had now be more antique. The car also turned to a dining cart. But not only that, there were ''people'' in it ¨C talking and eating, wearing clothes that could be seen in the 1920s or 1930s.


    Luo Yan knew these people were NPCs. Probably the type that was only given a certain role. Unlike NPCs like Eclipse and Dusk that could move freely on their own and had independent thinking.


    He quickly nced around, looking for his team mates. But just as expected, they were all not here. He wasn''t sure if they would be in the other train cars. To make certain of that, he stood up and was about to walk to another train car when a virtual screen suddenly appeared in front of him.


    The appearance of this screen forced Luo Yan to sit back on his seat. Reading what''s written on it made Luo Yan''s expression darker and darker.


    [To our dear passenger in Fantasia Train, please take note of the following rules.


    1. In this world that you traveled, you will be given a specific role. You must act out this role to perfection.


    2. If someone managed to find out who you are, may it be an indigenous person of this world or your team mate, you will be immediately punished. The punishment, instant death.


    3. Your team will be given a task and is expected to solve it within the given time frame. Do take note that a day in this world is an hour in Arcadia. If you didn''t manage to solve it within that given time, this will be considered as a fail.


    4. Avoid being killed at all cost. Your team mates won''t be notified of your death and you will still stay in this world as a soul, spectating everything. You can only leave once all of you are dead or your team mates fulfilled the task given to your team.


    5. Andstly, all your skills and stats will be negligible in this world, as well as items from your Items Tab. But you can use the all the talents of the role you are ying.


    Good luck, dear passenger. We hope to see you again at the Thousand World Terminal!]


    Before Luo Yan could fully register everything he had read. A notification suddenly appeared in front of him.


    [The memory of the indigenous person you''re upying will be shown to you in 3¡­2¡­1¡­]


    Then a series of images shed in his mind, almost like a movie being fast forward at 2x the speed. It probably didn''t evenst five minutes but he felt like he just witnessed the life of this NPC he''s possessing and now knew everything there was to know about him.


    After it was over, Luo Yan had to take deep breaths just so he could process everything properly. He closed his eyes and tried his best to remember everything about the NPC he would now y.


    His name was James Payton ¨C 28-years-old and a famous detective living in London. He was the third son of a ducal house. He probably could live his life infort with the generous allowance given to him by his father, but he chose to make a living instead by being a detective. And he made quite a name for himself.


    Because of his upbringing, he was a stickler for etiquette and manners which was probably fueled by his mild OCD. He''s a great fencer and was also very good with the gun. With his dashing looks and impable manner, he was given the moniker, ''Gentleman Detective''.


    Right now, he was travelling by train to Andover because of a letter he received. James Payton was a very curious man. It''s because of this curiosity that he thrived in his chosen profession. The letter only said that a very interesting case was waiting for him at Magnolia Manor. So, he must go there at once.


    He was feeling a bit bored these days. So, he decided to take up the sender of the letter to their offer. And thus, here he was.


    Luo Yan opened his eyes. That was all the important details that he needed to remember for this role. A very curious gentleman with a mild case of OCD who''s also good at fencing and shooting. That''s basically the bulk of this NPC''s personality.


    He turned to the window to see his reflection. It was vague but he could at least tell that he had blond hair that was perfectly swept back and a pair of blue eyes. He was also wearing a ck suit. And even though he was sitting, he could still tell that he was quite tall.


    James Payton, huh? Well, at least he didn''t need to y a woman''s role in this world just like he did in that instance during the king of Arcadia''s birthday.


    He closed his eyes once again and took a deep breath. When he opened them, the expression on his face had already changed. From here on out, he''s not Luo Yan but James Payton.

 Chapter 783 ON HIS WAY

    Chapter 783 ON HIS WAY¡¡¡¡NOW that Luo Yan knew the important things he needed to know, he finally had the chance to analyze the ''rules'' given to him.


    First, he wasn''t allowed to go out of character. Very much simr to the first role y he had to do here in Arcadia. Second, no one was allowed to know that they weren''t who they said they were. If someone found out, even if that someone was their team mate, they would ''die''.


    Third, a task would be given that they had to aplish within a given time. Since a yer could only remain inside the game for six hours, it''s safe to say that the time frame that would be given to them would not exceed ''six days''.


    Fourth, if they were killed then mission fail. But even so, the world would still continue on until either all of them died or the task was finished. Andstly, they couldn''t use their abilities or their Status Window for that matter. Even their stats were now all negligible.


    What Luo Yan found most unfair here was the fourth ''rule''. Since there was a rule like this, there probably would be a series of murders in Magnolia Manor. If people started to die one by one and they didn''t know who was who, no matter if one of them aplished the task, the dungeon clearing would still be a failure.


    Something like that was just too frustrating. Spending so much effort to seed in something and yet finding out you failed at the end, that could give anyone a trauma. If they could at least know who each other was, then that would be a different matter altogether. Things would at least be much easier. But no, this Arcadia, we need to make things harder ¨C said the game devs.


    Luo Yan truly wanted to just raise his middle finger.


    Now, let''s look closer to his current identity ¨C James Payton. It''s not really that hard to y such a character. A charismatic gentleman who solved crimes as his job. Since he only had a mild OCD, that''s also easy to fake. He just needed to be a bit fussy regarding patterns and cleanliness.


    If he managed to sessfully y a courtesan, then ying an OCD detective should not be so hard. He''s just grateful that he didn''t need to y a woman again. He couldn''t exactly say the same for his other team mates. After all, these game devs loved to gender bend.


    Which was a big cause for worry. Both Shen Ji Yun and Luo Jin were not good actors. If they had to y women on top of that, they might not evenst for a day before they were discovered as fakes. Hopefully, that wouldn''t be the case and they all passed this until the end of the time limit.


    But just to make sure, it would probably be better to finish this task as fast as possible to decrease the mistakes.


    Speaking of task, he still hadn''t received one. If it didn''t appear here, it would probably appear once he arrived at the Magnolia Manor.


    A letter was sent to the role he was ying. It didn''t have much information. Just telling him to go there because he would find an interesting case. Luo Yan actually found it stupid that this guy would actually go there just because he was bored. Showing that he was quite an entric on his own right.


    Now that he had organized everything in his mind, the next step would just to wait until he arrived at Magnolia Manor.


    In the meantime, he should probably solve one thing that''s been bothering him ever since he found out that the setting of this world was 1930s Ennd. Thenguage. He wasn''t sure about the other, but he for one couldn''t speak straight English. Wouldn''t that quickly give him away as a fake?


    But then again, the game devs would have surely taken that into ount. It''s either they would be able to speak fluent English in a perfect British ent or everyone would speak in Chinese and they would just have to pretend that they were speaking in English.


    In his opinion, the probability of thetter being correct had a higher possibility.


    To test it out, he called the waiter passing by.


    "Do you need anything, sir?" the waiter asked.


    Luo Yan smiled in that perfect gentlemanly manner. The other just spoke in fluent Chinese. So, his guess was correct. He didn''t need to worry how to speak then. But his speech pattern should change since he''s ying a noble and gentlemanly detective.


    "Yes, another cup of tea, please," he said.


    "Certainly, sir."


    After he drank his tea, Luo Yan went back to his first-ss cabin ording to the memory he received from this NPC. Sitting downfortably, he simply waited.


    -----


    An hourter, the train finally arrived at Andover. Knowing that this was his stop, Luo Yan got off the train with his small suitcase and a cane. Thetter was pretty expensive looking. Seeing as how the top of the cane was bejeweled by a ruby no less.


    After he got off the train station, he walked straight out. It was said in the letter that someone would be waiting for him outside the station. This person would bring him to Magnolia Manor.


    Sure enough, the moment he stepped outside, a man wearing a chauffeur''s uniform walked up to him. It was a middle-aged man who had this somber expression on his face.


    "Mr. Payton?"


    "Yes, it is I," Luo Yan answered. "Are you the one sent from Magnolia Manor?"


    "Indeed, sir. Saunders the name," the man said tipping off his hat at him. Luo Yan did the same to acknowledge the other. "The car is this way, sir."


    Saunders then took his suitcase from him before guiding him to where the car was parked.


    Arriving at the car, Saunders put his luggage on the trunk before opening the door for him. He got inside and sat on the backseat. After Saunders sat on the driver''s seat and started the engine, Luo Yan was finally on his way to Magnolia Manor.

 Chapter 784 ARRIVAL AT MAGNOLIA MANOR

    Chapter 784 ARRIVAL AT MAGNOLIA MANOR¡¡¡¡LUO YAN nced outside the window of the car. They had now entered a mountainous area. He could barely maintain the gentle expression on his face because how bumpy the ride was.


    They were travelling on an unpaved road. So, the journey wasn''t exactly smooth. And because this car wasn''t exactly from the 21st century, it made the ride even more ufortable. The only thing he was thankful for was the weather. It''s not hot and humid, just the perfect temperature of Spring. If this was Summer, he would be sweating buckets already.


    "This is quite the long journey, isn''t it, Saunders?" hemented. The hidden meaning was ¨C ''how long until we arrive at our destination?''.


    From what he knew, nobles loved to talk in circles. Meaning they wouldn''t directly say what''s on their mind but instead say it in a roundabout way. Even though the power of nobles had had already declined at this time, there were still things that were engraved in them since childhood. Talking in ''riddles'' was one of them.


    How did he know? Because he had read a lot of Western historical fiction set in Britain in hisst life. It''s not because he''s particrly interested in it. It''s simply because there were a lot of those kinds of books at the director''s office and he spent a lot of time at her office when he was in high school.


    At that time, he was helping the director a lot with the orphanage''s paperwork that''s why he spent a lot of time there. Whenever he had a break, he would take a book and read it. The genre itself was quite fascinating. Not because of the romance but because of the way the people in that time period behaved.


    He understood that there''s a lot of embellishment in the way the authors wrote their characters to make things more interesting. Still, if a lot of them were doing it, then there must some sort of basis for it.


    Those books were not only entertaining, he also learned a lot from it. Like noble etiquettes, the way they spoke and moved, and their attitudes towards those they considered lower than them in station. Although it''s probably not the most urate historical source, it would probably do in this situation.


    "Don''t worry, sir. We''re near the manor," the driver said.


    Luo Yan didn''t reply and just looked once again outside the window. The sky was bright blue when they left the station, not it was slowly starting to turn orange. Evidence of how long they''d been travelling. If this continued on for another hour, his ass would be ttened.


    Good thing Saunders seemed to not just be giving lip service. A few momentster, he could already see a huge manor from afar. From his vantage point, he could easily tell that the manor was almost near the top of the mountain they''re travelling on.


    It took a full 15 minutes before the car finally stopped at its destination. Saunders parked the car and got off first before opening the door of the backseat. Luo Yan walked out of the car and finally had a good look of the Magnolia Manor.


    He didn''t notice it earlier when he saw the manor from afar but the house looked like it was newly built. With such a name, he thought that the ce would be very old. But the curious thing was, the design waspletely 17th century. It just had that unique Baroque architecture popr at that time. Known for its grandeur, many nobles during that time built their country houses in such a manner.


    How did he know? Well, because of his interest in historical romance novels back then, he would sometimes search things on the inte just so he could have a better image of the things being described on the book he''s reading. When he read a book that was set during the 17th century, that''s when he came into contact with Baroque architecture.


    "You must be Lord James Payton," a voice said from the front.


    Luo Yan took away his gaze from the manor and looked down. He saw a young man, must be in histe teens. He had dark red hair and a pair of green eyes. Just like any redheads, he had pale white skin. There were freckles sttered across the bridge of his nose.


    "Yes, I''m James Payton," he responded, confirming the other''s call. "Please, forego with the ''lord''. It''s much too formal for my taste," he continued with a yful grin.


    "Sir, then. I''m the butler, Gilmore," the young man continued. "Wee to Magnolia Manor, sir."


    Luo Yan was surprised after hearing that the other was the butler. Weren''t butlers usually old? At the other''s age, this Gilmore should just be a valet or something. Should he be considered as a genius among servants that''s why he was quickly promoted to a butler? In any case, this was definitely not normal.


    [Ding! Your detective talent is telling you that the circumstance behind Gilmore being the butler is suspicious.]


    Luo Yan blinked and his expression almost copsed after he heard that in his head. What the heck was this detective talent? Then, he remembered thest ''rule'' ¨C that they could use the talent possessed by the NPC they''re impersonating.


    So, since James Payton was a detective, he inherited the other''s detecting talent? And it literally manifested as a notification in his head. Did this mean that every time he found something suspicious, the same notification would ring inside his head?


    Luo Yan slightly shook his head. No, let''s not think about this right now. There would be plenty of time to test itter. Right now, he should first meet the person who sent him the letter inviting him here.


    "I will take you to your room, sir. A servant will send your luggageter," Gilmore said.


    Gilmore walked inside the house, gesturing for him to follow. Instead of following, Luo Yan said;


    "Rather than that, I''d very much like to meet Mr. Harcourt. Should you take me to him first?"

 Chapter 785 INSIDE THE MANOR

    Chapter 785 INSIDE THE MANOR¡¡¡¡MR. Harcourt was the person who sent Luo Yan the letter and from the information given to this role he''s ying, he''s also the owner of Magnolia Manor. Before anything, he wanted to meet this person and see what he''s on about.


    "Of course, sir," Gilmore said. "In fact, Mr. Harcourt has also been waiting for you. Please, follow me, sir."


    This time, Luo Yan didn''t cut off the other and just obediently followed the butler inside the house. The interior of the house was as beautiful as the outside architecture. Full of grandiose and yet it didn''t feel tacky at all. And just like the outside, it seemed that everything here ¨C from the lights to the furniture ¨C seemed to be all new.


    "A wonderful manor," hemented as they climbed on the winding staircase. "Although one would think there would be a ton of magnolia trees here because of its name."


    He was truly expecting at least two or three magnolias around the manor. But when he noticed that the car was travelling into a mountainous area earlier, especially after seeing that the most likely location of the manor was on the mountain top, he knew he wouldn''t be seeing any magnolias. And as he expected, there wasn''t any.


    Mountain tops were hardly the best ce to grow magnolias. That''s why he found it weird that this was the name of the manor. So, he thought of asking the butler about it in a roundabout way.


    "It''s because this is not the original manor, sir," Gilmore answered. "The original Magnolia Manor burned down in a fire two decades ago. It was such a tragedy. Mr. Harcourt loved that ce. So, when he was finally able to, he started the construction of this new manor that was based on the original."


    Luo Yan raised one brow. Now that exined why he felt that the ce was new despite the old architecture style. It was indeed newly built.


    "From what I''ve heard, the original Magnolia Manor was surrounded by beautiful white magnolia trees. Thus, the name. It''s truly such a shame that it''s now gone," the butler added.


    Luo Yan thought so as much. How could a manor named ''Magnolia'' didn''t have any magnolias around it? But more importantly, a fire 20 years ago that destroyed a beautiful manor, that seemed to be a very important information. Not only that, there was also something the butler said that caught his attention.


    That Mr. Harcourt began construction the moment he was able to. Did that mean if he wasn''t able to before? What happened in the years between this and that? Was he incapacitated in some way? If there was a fire 20 years ago and he was caught it in, being heavily injured, that could definitely impede him from building a new Magnolia Manor. Especially if he wanted to be involved with the construction.


    Asking that directly to the butler would be too rude. So, he guessed everything would be much clearer once he met Mr. Harcourt face to face.


    [Ding! Your detective talent found two important points from what the butler had said.]


    Luo Yan almost missed a step because of that sudden alert. Again? From the two times that it ''rmed'' in his head, it seemed that this ''detective talent'' wouldn''t work at all unless he first found something suspicious. It''s like it worked more as a confirmation rather than a foolproof way to find important clues.


    That meant that if he missed something, then that would be it. Wouldn''t it be much better if this ''talent'' worked in a way where once he heard or saw something it would sound a notification in his head telling him that this and that were important clues? With how things were, it seemed pretty useless, wasn''t it?


    Well, it''s probably better than nothing anyway.


    "Is there something wrong, sir?"


    The butler''s question brought his focus back. He looked at the other and smiled. "Nothing. I was just thinking that Mr. Harcourt must have really loved Magnolia Manor for him to built an exact replica of it."


    "Oh, quite, sir," Gilmore agreed. "Magnolia Manor was purchased by Mr. Harcourt from a viscount. It had a long history. Mr. Harcourt had always taken pride in being its owner. But s, he only owned it for five years before tragedy struck."


    "Yes, that is indeed very tragic," Luo Yan could only say. "By the way, have the other guests arrived?"


    He didn''t ask that just to change the subject. He knew there would be others who would be here aside from him. After all, what''s a good mystery without a good cast ensemble?


    Besides, there''s a good chance the other four were one of those guests. Or maybe he had already met one of them in the guise of Saunders or even Gilmore.


    "Most of the other guests had arrived this morning," the butler said. "You''ll meet them at dinner, sir."


    "I suppose I will."


    He wanted to ask who the guests were but it mighte off as suspicious. If he would meet them during dinner anyway, then he only had to wait for a few more hours. For now, it''s much more important to meet Mr. Harcourt.


    It didn''t take long before they arrived in front of the master''s bedroom.


    Gilmore knocked on the door. "Mr. Harcourt! Sir James Payton is here to see you!" he called.


    "Let him enter, Cian," a slightly hoarse voice said from inside.


    Cian? Was that Gilmore''s name? That''s not a very English-sounding name. But the more surprising thing was the fact that the master of the house called the butler by his given name. At this era, servants were usually called by their surnames. So, it was quite a surprise that a servant would be called in such a close manner.


    But that''s not enough cause for suspicion. He needed to observe more, see how the two interacted with each other.


    Gilmore opened the door and gestured for him toe in.


    Luo Yan stepped inside to finally meet Mr. Harcourt.

 Chapter 786 WILLIAM HARCOURT

    Chapter 786 WILLIAM HARCOURT¡¡¡¡THE first thing that Luo Yan saw when he walked into the room was a man sitting on a wheelchair. His white hair perfectlybed back. But a portion of it, the one at the frontal left, was covered in burn marks. Those burns probably continued on to his face. But he couldn''t tell because of the white mask he''s wearing.


    It was not a ghastly looking mask. It looked like one of those masks being used in theater ys. It looked delicate and made it good taste. The only problem Luo Yan had with this was that he couldn''t see the other''s face.


    He could tell a lot of things based on one''s face ¨C their expression, the emotions in their eyes. Most of the times, it could tell more than the words one spoke. But now, Luo Yan wouldn''t be able to take advantage of that.


    Although disappointed, he tried his best not to show it on his face. "I''m delighted to finally make your acquaintance, Mr. Harcourt."


    The other suddenly let out a hoarseughter. "To not even show a look of surprise after seeing my unsightly appearance, your reputation truly precedes you, Lord Payton."


    "Please, just call me Payton. There are much too many Lord Payton running about. One of which is my dear father. And as much as I love the old codger, I truly abhor being referred to in the same way," Luo Yan said in a yful manner.


    "Of course, of course. Having sons myself, I can understand your dilemma," Mr. Harcourt said in that hoarse voice. "You better call me William, then. Because you''ll be meeting two more Mr. Harcourtter."


    "If I were to refer to you as William, then it''s only fair to call me James," Luo Yan said with a smile.


    Although he''s smiling, he truly wanted to just roll his eyes. Damn this etiquette crap. Going around in circles just to arrive at the same point if they had chosen a straight path. And this was just him introducing himself. How annoyingly tiresome.


    "Then, do have a seat, James," Mr. Harcourt ¨C no, William said.


    Luo Yan sat down on the seat behind a small crystal table.


    "Should I bring a pot of tea, Mr. Harcourt?" Gilmore suddenly inquired.


    "Yes, please, Cian."


    "Very well, sir."


    Luo Yan secretly observed the two until the young butler walked out of the room. But he couldn''t read anything from their interaction. It''s not only because of the mask covering William''s face but even his voice. It''s so hoarse that he couldn''t hear any inflection from it. On the other hand, Gilmore was the model of professionalism. He could see nothing on his face but respect.


    "It''s trulymendable for such a youngd to be holding the responsibility of a butler in his age," hemented.


    "You must find it ludicrous, appointing such a young man to be the butler," the other said.


    "Oh no. I think young Gilmore has done an impable job so far," he quickly said. "Although his appointment was very out of the norm, if he''s doing his job properly, then, I don''t see a problem in it."


    William let out a hoarse sigh. "If only everyone is as open-minded as you. My children had beenining to me about Cian since they arrived this morning. It''s really quite tedious. I almost have it in mind to send them back to their homes."


    So, the other guests were this guy''s children and probably their families. ¨C Luo Yan thought. "They must be only worried about you."


    "Ha! The only thing their worried about is their inheritance. A bunch of ungrateful gits, the lot of them."


    Even with the hoarse voice, Luo Yan could still hear the contempt in it. Showing just how much this old man disliked ¨C no, maybe even hated ¨C his children. How interesting.


    He didn''t have time to respond because Gilmore returned with a tray of tea.


    "Thank you, Cian. You may go now," William said after the young man finished pouring them each a cup of team.


    "Very well, sir."


    Gilmore gave them a respectful bow before walking out of the room and closing the door once more.


    Luo Yan picked up the cup of tea and took a sip. The aroma and the taste were different from Chinese tea but it was delicious all the same. After putting down the cup of tea on the table, he decided that it''s finally time to talk about the reason James Payton came to this manor.


    "William, the letter you sent to me, may I ask what''s this ''interesting case'' you were referring to?"


    William put down his own cup of tea. His sudden silence made the atmosphere a bit dreary and gloomy.


    "First, you must know that this manor is not the original Magnolia Manor. The original one burnt down almost 20 years ago. I was there when it happened. It''s where I got my injuries. My face was burnt beyond recognition, I became an invalid, and my voice turned to this monstrous sound because I inhaled too much smoke. But what happened to me was not the real tragedy."


    Surely, this old man wouldn''t say that the real tragedy was the house burning down, right? ¨C Luo Yan thought when the other paused. But when he heard what the other said next, it still surprised him quite a bit.


    "My second son, he was there with me when it happened. He was visiting me together with his three-year-old boy, my grandson. Unlike me, the both of them didn''t survive the fire. They perished in it until only their bones remained."


    There was another pause. This time, Luo Yan could see the other clenching his hand tightly ¨C the evidence of the anger he must be feeling.


    "I believe what happened then was no mere ident. I suspect that one of my other children was responsible for this tragedy. And I want you to find out which one of the three of them did it."


    After William said that, a notification suddenly appeared in front of Luo Yan.

 Chapter 787 THE GROUP TASK

    Chapter 787 THE GROUP TASK¡¡¡¡[GROUP Task: Discover what happened 20 years ago. ¨C The original Magnolia Manor was burned down and Mr. Harcourt suspected foul y. Discover all the truths of what happened that year. Not one truth should be missed. You will be given until the 20th anniversary of the fire ¨C four days from now ¨C to solve this mystery. Failure to do so would result to failure in clearing the dungeon.]


    [You will only be able to leave this ce at the end of the fourth day. If all five of you managed to survive until then, even if only one of you solved the mystery, then it would be considered as a sess. Good luck, dear passengers!]


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. It seemed the game devs still had some conscience. Since they weren''t allowed to reveal their identities to each other, solving the mystery together would be literally close to impossible. But since it''s said that it was alright even if only one of them solved the mystery, then, there wouldn''t be a need to look for the others and try to determine who''s who.


    Knowing the other four, they would definitely try to solve the mystery of that fire. He just hoped that they wouldn''t do something careless that could lead to their ''death''. Of course, the same could be said for him.


    But the more important thing was how this task was called ''group task'' instead of just a simple ''task''. Because if it was categorized as that, then, wouldn''t it be natural to think that there would be another task that was different from a group one? He hoped that wouldn''t be the case though. He just wanted to focus on this one task. That way, his brain could put all its power in solving this mystery.


    "Can you tell me more about this incident, William?" he asked the older man.


    "It was just an ordinary day, much like this one. My second son, Richard, arrived at the manor together with his son, Sean. It was the first time that I saw my grandson, you see. I was unbelievably happy, seeing the two of them. Richard married an Irishdy and decided to stay in Irnd for her. She didn''t apany Richard and Sean when they came back here in Ennd. Which probably saved her from the same fate that the two had suffered."


    William paused. It was probably not just because he was overwhelmed by emotion but also because of his voice. That hoarseness showed just how hard it was for him to speak. So, Luo Yan picked the pot of tea and poured the other a cup. The old man nodded at him in thanks before drinking the tea. Then, he continued.


    "I called for Richard because of my will. I was thinking of revising it back then and leaving the bulk of my wealth to him. I wanted to hear Richard''s opinion about it. But my other children seemed to have heard the news and also came by the house that day. Probably thinking they should do everything in their power to stop me from making any decision that would be disadvantageous to them. Even if they had to result to murder."


    Although Luo Yan couldn''t see the other''s expression or hear the emotions in his voice properly, anyone could see the aggressiveness in his bodynguage. Yes, the old man was sitting on a wheelchair. But the way he clenched his fists, the way he slightly leaned forward as if he was ready to attack, it all showed his anger.


    "How can you be so sure that it was indeed one of your other children? If you have concrete evidence, you would have probably already sent them to the gallows. Since it had already been 20 years and nothing had been done, at this point, isn''t this just pure spection?" he said. "I''m sorry to say this, William, but aren''t you just being controlled by your anger?"


    Of course, Luo Yan knew that that there was definitely foul y in that incident 20 years ago. After all, the game wouldn''t tell them to find out the truth if there wasn''t. But as a detective who only strive for the truth, he couldn''t just immediately agree and believe whatever this old man was saying. That would be out of character.


    "That''s why I called you here," William said, clearly not offended by what Luo Yan had said. In fact, it seemed that he was already expecting such a reaction. "I want you to find the truth. I want to know if my suspicion this past 20 years was correct." He looked down or at least Luo Yan thought he did because of the way his head tilted downwards. "Maybe¡­ maybe if I finally know what happened back then, I could finally put my son and grandson''s soul to rest."


    "Of course, I would dly shed light to this mystery and help you discover the truth," Luo Yan said. "But first, I need to know everything that happened at that day, up to thest detail."


    "I''ll be more than d to tell you. But it would be dinner soon and I believe you would want to freshen up before that," William said. "We''ll have plenty of time to discuss this thoroughly tomorrow. What do you think?"


    As someone with mild OCD, the suggestion of cleaning up before dinner should be heavenly. So, how could Luo Yan refute?


    "I think it''s a splendid idea," he said.


    Before long, a servant came to take him to his room.


    On his way there, he didn''t meet anyone. He was hoping that he could at least meet one important ''character'' in this ''mystery''. Sadly, the only ones he saw were the other servants. It seemed he could only meet themter during dinner. That''s probably better, meeting all the cast members all at once.


    "Your room, sir," the maid said.


    Luo Yan turned to the other and smiled. "Thank you."


    The maid blushed a little before scurrying away like a scared mouse. Seeing that reaction, he was suddenly reminded of Shen Ji Yun. He wondered what that guy was doing now.


    Hopefully, the other got a much better role than him.

 Chapter 788 TO DINNER

    Chapter 788 TO DINNER¡¡¡¡LUO YAN was staring at his figure, no, James Payton''s figure on the full body mirror in front of him. He was already wearing his dinner suit, which fit this body perfectly if he might add. The suit was very stylish but not in a way that''s campy. Just the right amount to make him look sophisticated.


    It seemed that Lord James Payton was quite the fashionable man. Not only that, he was also quite handsome. Blond hair and blue-eyes, with a straight nose and healthy wheat-colored skin. His build was no joke either. This guy was obviously used to exercising.


    He straightened the hem of his suit jacket, fixed his bow tie, andbed back the side of his hair. "Aren''t you such a handsome chap?"


    A sudden knock interrupted him while he''s admiring his handsome countenance. He walked to the door and opened it, revealing a maid. It was the same one who brought him to his room.


    "Is it time for dinner?" he asked with a smile.


    "It is, sir," the maid said shyly. "Please,e this way."


    Luo Yan walked outside and closed the door before following the maid. As they walked, he wondered if the maid could be one of his team mates. For that matter, he wondered if one of the servants could be one of those four. But somehow, he had a feeling that they''re probably one of the current guests of this manor right now.


    Anyway, since he was alone with this maid, he might as well collect some information.


    "I haven''t seen that many servants around. Are there only a few of you?" he asked first as an opening.


    But he was indeed wondering about that. Such a big manor and he had only seen about two to three maids so far. Excluding the butler, the driver, as well as the cook, having about six servants were just too few for his own opinion. This might not be an aristocratic house but from what he had seen, the Harcourts seemed to be a very wealthy family.


    So, having a few servants was suspicious in itself. As if his detective talent was agreeing with him, another notification rmed in his mind.


    [Ding! Your detective talent finds theck of servants in the manor suspicious!]


    Luo Yan was still not used to this sudden ''ding'' inside his head every time his analysis was right and something was indeed suspicious. It''s like he just received a WeChat message or something.


    But it''s a good thing to know that there was indeed a problem with the number of servants in this manor. Meaning them being this few was intentional. But why? Was William Harcourt the one who wanted it to be this way? Again, why? He felt like the answer was already in his grasp but somehow, it continued to elude him.


    "Yes, sir. Mr. Gilmore said that it''s because the master didn''t like to have many people around. That''s why the number of servants here is only this much," the maid responded.


    Because of his detective talent just now, Luo Yan knew that what the maid said was not the real reason. Just what was William Harcourt nning?


    "It must be quite a chore, cleaning such a big manor," hemented with superficial worry.


    "Oh no, sir. ''Tis our job. How could it be a chore?"


    Luo Yan smiled genuinely this time. "That''s a good mindset to have," he said. "By the way, since I arrived here quitete, I wasn''t able to meet the other guests. Are there anyone else besides Mr. Harcourt''s children?"


    "Yes, sir, their spouses and children are with them. Although since Master Charles is still unmarried, he came alone. The master''s personal doctor also came, as well as his solicitor," the maid answered. "Oh, I almost forgot, the widow of the master''s son who died some years back is supposed toe as well. But she hasn''t arrived yet."


    Luo Yan raised his brows when he heard thatst part. The widow of the man who died in the fire 20 years ago. Not only that, her young son also died in that fire. If William had suspicion about what happened back then, surely this woman would also have one of her own.


    Her husband and son died. If she also suspected that it wasn''t an ident, then there''s a chance that she would want revenge. If some kind of killing spree was to start in this manor, then she would definitely be the number one suspect.


    Or she could be just a red herring. Someone that would be a ''shield'' for the real culprit.


    Luo Yan shook his head. It''s only the beginning and he''s already starting to overthink. He should calm down first. He hadn''t even met the other characters in this ''story'' yet.


    The maid brought him to the drawing room first. It''s a room where guests usually stayed during a dinner party when dinner hadn''t yet been served. When he walked into the room, he felt a lot of gazending on his body. Some were curious while others were scrutinizing.


    Just like how others were observing him, he was also doing the same thing.


    The closest to the door was a man probably in his mid-30s. He was dressed sloppily with messy ck hair and a few days stubbles on his face.


    On the far left was a man in his early 50s. Unlike the first one, he was very presentable. He was standing straight with a perfect posture with his chin so high up one would think it was stuck there. He had an equally arrogant expression on his face as if everything was beneath him. But surprisingly enough, when he looked at the woman standing beside him, his expression would soften.


    The woman should be in histe 20s. Very beautiful, with long blond hair and green eyes. Her skin was also pale like baster. At a nce, one would think that she''s the daughter of the older man. But with how thetter looked at her, Luo Yan could immediately tell that this woman was the man''s wife.


    Did he remarry? A woman old enough to be his daughter, how ghastly. That would exin why the much younger man standing close to them was ring at the two. This young man must be the son.


    Then, on the further right, a couple was also standing together. This time with their daughter. The man was in his mid-40s with a gentle look on his face. He looked quite ordinary, like someone you would pass by without even noticing.


    The woman, on the other hand, who appeared to be in her early 40s, was quite the beauty. But because of the way she dressed, all covered up without any skin showing, and the way she slouched as if she''s afraid of something, it simply diminished that beauty.


    The youngdy with them also had the same look as her mother. All nervous and fidgeting, as if announcing to everyone that she''s very ufortable being here.


    Thest, but not the least, were the two men standing in the middle. One was much older while the other looked to be in his 40s. The two must be the doctor and the solicitor. He just wasn''t sure who was who.


    Luo Yan smiled at all of them. "Good evening."

 Chapter 789 THE FULL CAST

    Chapter 789 THE FULL CAST¡¡¡¡"ANOTHER guest? Is father nning to host a party instead of a formal dinner?" the one with messy clothing asked in a sarcastic voice. "Or you''re not going to tell us you''re the old chap''s illegitimate son, right?"


    "Truly, Charles, must you act like some mannerless bastard?" the one with the young wife said, he was looking at the man he called ''Charles'' with discontent. Then, he turned to Luo Yan and walked towards him. "Edward Harcourt, you are?" the other asked, stretching his hand towards him.


    Luo Yan epted the other''s outstretched hand and shook it. "James Payton."


    The man named Edward let go of his hand the moment he said his name, an expression of surprise even shed on his face. But it onlysted for a second and his expression returned back to normal.


    "The gentleman detective?" the other asked, as if making sure that his guess was correct.


    "Yes. I''m ttered you know the name," Luo Yan said with a smile.


    He noticed that almost everyone had a surprised reaction the moment he confirmed that he was a detective.


    "You mean the nobleman galivanting around as a detective?" Charles said, his tone was definitely mocking.


    Luo Yan turned to the other. "I assure you, what I do is far from ''galivanting''."


    "Hah, of course you would say that," the other said with a sarcastic smirk.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Maybe I could soon prove whether that was the case or not."


    As he said that, he noticed that almost everyone had a negative reaction from it. Either flinching or gazing away. It''s as if each and everyone of them was hiding something.


    How interesting.


    The the young woman standing with Edward earlier ¨C who he now guessed was the eldest son of William Harcourt ¨C walked towards him. No, rather than walk, it might be more urate to say that she swayed towards him. It''s the way her hips swayed when she walked. Like a sexy cartoon character. But the thing was, she didn''t look funny at all. In fact, she looked quite seductive.


    "Sofia Deveraux," she introduced with a charming smile, stretching out her hand.


    Not Harcourt? ¨C Luo Yan thought with a raised brow. So, the two were most likely not married yet.


    He looked at Sofia''s hand. As a gentleman, when ady stretched her hand towards you, you could only hold the hand and kissed it. "A pleasure, Miss Deveraux."


    "Are you really the gentleman detective?" she asked with a curious glint in her eyes.


    "The one and only."


    "My, I never knew you''re so handsome," Sofia said, her amber eyes seemed to be trying to hook him.


    Luo Yan only smiled. Was this woman trying to flirt with him? And in front of her beau no less. It''s either she''s ballsy or she''s simply a natural flirt.


    "Did you hear that, Father? It seemed that Miss Deveraux has taken a liking to Mr. Payton," suddenly said by the young man who was standing near the couple earlier.


    The older man gave his son a warning nce before putting his hand on Sofia''s waist. Surprisingly enough, or maybe it''s not really that surprising, Luo Yan saw the woman flinching. But only for a moment. After that, she leaned towards Edward quite naturally. If Luo Yan wasn''t observing them, it might have gonepletely unnoticed.


    "This is my son, Harry," Edward said. "Please, pardon him for saying nonsensical things."


    The son, Harry, red at his father before storming off.


    "My dear, don''t be too harsh on poor Harry," Sofia said, yfully fixing Edward''s bow tie.


    The older man only snorted.


    After this soon-to-be family of three introduced themselves, the others also soon followed.


    The other family of three were George and Catherine Cooper, with their daughter, Daphne. George did all the talking while the mother-daughter duo remained silent and just said one or two words. With the way they were acting, one would think that he was so unbearable to look at.


    Luo Yan looked again at Catherine. She was obviously the daughter of William Harcourt, probably the third oldest, following the deceased Richard. Someone who grew up with a golden spoon should be confident or at least most of them were. So, why was this woman not?


    He didn''t find William Harcourt patriarchal. If he was, then he would just directly point at his daughter as the one responsible for killing his very favored son. Then, was she just born this way? Or, he nced at the other''s husband, did she be like this after marriage?


    This George Cooper seemed to be the gentle type. Who knew if that was just a mask and something sinister was hidden beneath?


    But he knew that he couldn''t make any conclusion right now. That was if he wanted to get a more urate result.


    With Edward and Catherine''s introduction, this would leave Charles as the youngest among the Harcourt siblings.


    The next ones who introduced themselves were the much older man and the younger one. The former was the solicitor named Arthur Wells and theter was the doctor named Peter Baker. Arthur Wells was a bit on the serious side. While Peter Baker was theplete opposite. He''s a very jovial one who seemed to smile andugh at every turn.


    Now, he finally met most of the casts of this ''y''. Most, because the widow of Richard Harcourt was not yet here.


    The door to the drawing room opened. Luo Yan looked back and saw William on the wheelchair being pushed forward by a woman. Thetter was wearing a ck dress. He couldn''t tell what she looked like because a ck veil was covering her face. The veil was connected to one of those hats these Englishdies loved to wear.


    If Luo Yan''s guess was correct, this woman was most likely the widow.


    "Ah, it seems that everyone is here," William said.


    "Father, may we know who this¡­ woman is?" Edward asked, although based on his expression, he probably already knew who she was and just simply wanted a confirmation.


    "Ah, yes, all of you haven''t introduced formally," William said. "This is Sorcha Harcourt, Richard''s wife."

 Chapter 790 CHAOTIC DINNER

    Chapter 790 CHAOTIC DINNER¡¡¡¡THERE was a silence in the room the moment William Harcourt introduced Sorcha. Luo Yan observed everyone''s reaction. Most were shocked and surprised. Some were angry, especially Edward Harcourt. Charles, on the other hand, still had that mocking expression on his face. And then, the rest just remained silent.


    Really, was there a need to have such a reaction? It''s like everyone here was silently shouting, ''yes, we have something to do with the fire 20 years ago''. And Luo Yan shouldn''t forget that his four team mates should be one of the people here.


    Surprisingly enough, he couldn''t tell who''s who. Meaning the four were doing an exceptionally good job acting out their roles. That''s good. Now he wouldn''t have to worry that they would be found out to be fakes. The problem was, it would also be hard for him to recognize them.


    It was important for him to know who''s who. That way, he could actually eliminate the guilty from the innocent. Aside from that, if somehow a ''killing spree'' started, he would also know whether his team mates had been killed or not. Then, could immediately give up this dungeon. There''s no way he would continue on doing the task when he knew that it was already a fail anyway.


    Edward''s voice took Luo Yan back to the current situation. "Father, I think you misspoke. Shouldn''t you use the word ''widow'' instead of ''wife''?"


    "Edward, you''re already this old and yet you''re still an uptight twat," William said in that hoarse voice. "What does it matter what I call her? It wouldn''t change the fact that she''s your brother''s wife."


    Charles let out a bark ofughter. "A ''twat'', what a fitting description. Old man, you''re bing very good with your words."


    Edward''s face turned red in humiliation. Sofia quicklyforted the other. Which seemed to be very effective since the other quickly calmed down. Harry only snorted at this.


    William ignored his youngest son. And then just right after, the door to the drawing room opened again and the butler, Gilmore, announced;


    "Dinner is served!"


    And with that, the people in the drawing room queued towards the dining room.


    -----


    The dinner had been slightly peaceful for the most part. The start was a bit chaotic. Edward didn''t like that Sorcha was seated on the other head of the table, opposite his father. Probably because that position belonged to the second person with the most authority in the family. Of course, he would grumble.


    Then, there was the issue of the food. They were all Irish dishes. Which, apparently, the Harcourt siblings didn''t like. But William prepared such dishes especially for Sorcha. ording to him, he had an excellent Irish cook. So, they had to enjoy the food because it would be a great insult to his cook if they didn''t.


    Some people took this as an insult, especially Edward. He might have thought that his father was secretly implying that they were no better than a mere cook in his eyes.


    Frankly, Luo Yan didn''t care much. Because the food was indeed great. Of course, he didn''t forget to observe the people as he enjoyed the food.


    The women, except for Sorcha, barely ate. Edward and George pretended to eat. And Charles didn''t pretend at all, he simply forego the food for the wine. The solicitor, Arthur, ate normally but one couldn''t really see if he liked the food because of the serious expression on his old face. The only ones who probably enjoyed the food were the doctor, Peter, and surprisingly, the young man, Harry. Which showed that this young man was not as rude as he seemed to be.


    Luo Yan nced at Sorcha. The other had already removed the veil covering her face. She was a very handsome woman with auburn hair and a pair of brown eyes. She was quiet, barely spoken anything since she arrived.


    He actually thought at first that the other wouldn''t remove the veil covering her face, thinking that there might be a conspiracy regarding the other''s identity. For example, she''s not really the real Sorcha Harcourt but just someone impersonating her. But the moment she removed her veil, there wasn''t really any violent reactions amongst the crowds. Meaning she''s the real Sorcha.


    They just finished the main course when William Harcourt clinked his wine ss with a fork. "Before we finish this dinner, I would like to make an announcement."


    Everyone''s attention turned to the other.


    "I n to revise my will that''s why I called you lot here. In my former will, once I died, all my properties and wealth will be divided equally to my still living children. But in this new will, I will leave everything to Sorcha."


    As expected, everyone, and by everyone Luo Yan meant the people rted to William, had a violent reaction.


    "You can''t do that, Father!" Edward eximed, standing up abruptly, almost causing his chair to topple over. "How could you leave us with nothing? You''d rather leave your properties to an unrted woman rather than to your children?"


    Charlesughed again. "Don''t you already know the reason why? The old man hates us. Probably still ming us for what happened to dear Richard."


    "F-Father, I- I know you dislike us immensely. I don''t care much for the money. But, please, think of Daphne and Harry as well. They''re your grandchildren. Surely, you wouldn''t leave them destitute!" Catherine said, probably the longest she had since this evening.


    George reached for his wife''s hand. "Calm down, Cathy. I''m sure Father is not being serious."


    William snorted. "Father? I believed I never gave a parasite like you the right to call me that."


    George''s whole face turned red, whether from anger or humiliation, Luo Yan honestly couldn''t tell. Maybe it''s both.


    "You''re all old enough to work and yet you still rely on this old man to give you money. How shameless and useless can you all be?" Because of William''s hoarse voice, what he said sounded even harsher. "I will sign my new will tomorrow and there''s nothing all of you can do."


    Luo Yan''s only thought then was ¨C ''is this old man trying to get himself killed?''.

 Chapter 791 UNEXPECTED (OR MAYBE EXPECTED) EVENTS

    Chapter 791 UNEXPECTED (OR MAYBE EXPECTED) EVENTS¡¡¡¡LUO YAN looked out from the corner he''s hiding and stared at the master bedroom. Yes, he was doing a stake out. At an ungodly hour, if he might add. It''s because of the things that William Harcourt said during dinner.


    Signing a new will that would leave all his wealth to Sorcha Harcourt while leaving nothing to his children and even saying that he would do so tomorrow, it''s like inviting people to kill him. It''s like saying, ''hey, I will sign a document tomorrow that will cut you off with my money, are you not going to do anything about it?''.


    It''s simply just asking people, particrly his children, to kill him. Luo Yan couldn''t truly understand what pushed the other to say that. But he could tell that the old man was nning something. At the expense of his life no less.


    So, he was here to see who would enter the room and try something. Maybe he could stop the tragedy that was sure to unfold.


    But he had been standing here for about two hours already and nothing was happening yet. He was even starting to wonder if his initial suspicion was wrong. Because of the conversion of time inside this ''world'', Luo Yan truly felt like he had been awake for more than 12 hours. Now, he just wanted to sleep on a soft, fluffy bed.


    He closed his eyes slowly. Then, he suddenly felt his head hobbled off. He quickly opened his eyes. Then, he realized that he had nodded off for a couple of minutes. He bit his inner cheek to keep himself awake and looked at the direction of the master''s bedroom.


    It was then that he saw a shadow skulking around. It was not so far from the bedroom. In fact, it looked like it just came from that direction. It was moving and was about to turn to the corner where he was hiding. The lights in the hallway were dim, so he couldn''t exactly tell who it was. But based on the shape of the shadow, it was a woman.


    The other was nearing his location. If he stepped back a bit, the woman would probably would pass him by and he could see what she looked like.


    He was just about to do that when a loud explosion was heard from the outside. The window was just right behind him, it was facing the road down the mountain. So, he had a clear view of where the explosion was. In fact, it was not just an explosion but a series of explosions.


    It destroyed the trail that was leading up to the manor. Not only that, but also the nearby surroundings. Because the manor was near the top of the mountain, such explosion caused the foundation of the house to shake.


    This shaking made Luo Yan to lose his bnce. So, instead of stepping back as he nned he would, he stepped forward. And it was at that moment that he came face to face with the woman supposedly running to his direction.


    Because of this, he finally had a good look of the woman. She was wearing a flimsy nightgown with her blond curls spread behind her back. Her appearance was not the most surprising thing, it''s the expression on her face. Or rather, theck of it.


    But that onlysted for a few seconds. The moment she saw him, a surprised look crossed her face.


    "Miss Deveraux," Luo Yan called. "You¡ª"


    He wasn''t able to finish what he''s saying because he saw something ahead. There was smoke. And it''sing from inside the master''s bedroom. He suddenly had a bad hunch.


    "Stay here," he said to Sofia before rushing towards the master''s bedroom.


    He held the knob to open the door but quickly let go because of the hot temperature. Although it''s not too much that his hand would be burnt, it was still hot enough for his palm to immediately turn red. So, he did the next best thing, he kicked the door.


    To his surprise, it opened quite easily. Meaning the door wasn''t locked. He didn''t have time to delve too much into that because his attention was caught by the burning body on the bed.


    Luo Yan didn''t think much. He just directly ran towards the bathroom. He had many things running through his mind right now but the most important one was to put off that fire before it spread.


    He saw a basin inside and filled it with water. Then, he ran back to the room and poured the water on the burning body. He was about to run back to the bathroom when he heard a horrified gasp from the door. He nced back and saw Sofia looking at the burning corpse with a shocked expression on her face.


    "Oh my God! Is that- is that--?"


    "Not now, Miss Deveraux," he said.


    "W-wait- I want to help!" Sofia said, stopping him once again from running to the bathroom.


    "Then move faster!" he shouted, annoyed, before finally running back to the bathroom.


    He heard movement from behind and knew that it was Sofia. From his peripheral vision, he saw her filling another basin. Once his basin was filled, he ran to the room again. Sofia was close behind.


    The two of them continuously did this for a couple of times, Luo Yan didn''t even know how many. He just continuously did so until the fire was finally put out.


    He let go of the basin. He finally had time to catch his breath. His clothes were soaked in sweat and water as well. Now that he aplished on stopping the fire, the smell of cooked meat wafted in the air. If not for the fact that he knew that it was a human corpse, he might have thought that it was pork or beef. Just the thought of it made his stomach churn.


    He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and once he opened them, he finally had the chance to observe the burned corpse.

 Chapter 792 WITH THE CORPSE

    Chapter 792 WITH THE CORPSE¡¡¡¡THE corpse was burnt to a crisp. From the clothes to the skin, everything was scorched ck. But this was very strange. Could a body really be burned to such a degree in such a short period of time? It''s definitely impossible.


    He had been observing the outside of this room for two hours. And no smoke appeared in that duration of time. It only did right after that explosion outside. There''s no way this body would turn like this in such a short period of time. Which only meant one thing ¨C this body was already burned before putting it here.


    If he wasn''t here, staking the ce, it might take a long while before anyone found out about the corpse. Maybe it would only be so once the fire spread enough for people to notice. But with the explosion outside, everyone''s attention was focused there. Who knew when they would notice this fire?


    But that was not the only suspicious thing here. The most suspicious thing was the identity of this corpse. At one nce, one would think that this was William Harcourt. But Luo Yan didn''t think so. If one couldn''t ascertain when this corpse was burned, who could tell whether it belonged to William Harcourt or not?


    [Ding! Your detective talent has found something suspicious with the burned corpse.]


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. With this notification, it was basically confirmed that this was most likely not William Harcourt. Or if it was, then, it could be talking about his guess regarding the time this corpse was burned.


    But if it was thetter, then, the old man should have been killed and burned the moment he left the dining room. Then, after being burned, his corpse was put back his room. Whoever was responsible for this, they nned to set fire to the corpse once again after the explosion outside. Which meant that this was quite an borate n.


    It was certainly viable. Especially since no one had seen William after he left the dining room. Except for Gilmore. But that butler would probably just say that he apanied William to his room.


    Of course, this didn''t mean that the butler would be lying. He might have indeed brought William to the master''s bedroom. But the culprit could have then entered the room, took the old man, killed him somewhere, and then burned him.


    Luo Yan pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt like his going in circles with all these spection inside his head. If he could feel a headache, he might have already.


    Then, he suddenly remembered that there was still someone with him in the room. He nced at Sofia and was slightly surprised when he saw that emotionless expression on the other''s pretty face once again. She was observing the corpse with an almost cold analytical glint in her eyes.


    But that expression onlysted for a second. She might have noticed that he was looking at her, because she quickly changed her expression to a frightened one.


    But Luo Yan''s attention was already caught by the other. Because for that briefest of second, Sofia reminded him of someone. He gazed down, the corner of his lips turning up. When he raised his head again, the smile was gone and reced by a serious expression.


    "Miss Deveraux, although I still have to question you for skulking around the room of Mr. Harcourt, we have a more pressing matter right now, as you can see," he said. "Could you please go and call everyone here?"


    "O-of course."


    The other was about to turn around when Luo Yan noticed that some parts of Sofia''s nightgown were wet, probably due to the water. Because of that, he could almost see the outline of her body. Any normal man who would see her right now would probably have that kind of reaction.


    Well, we couldn''t have that now, could we?


    "Wait," he called. He took a thick robe from the closet and wrapped it around Sofia''s shoulder. "We couldn''t have you contract a cold now, could we?"


    After doing that, he put a stray curl behind her ear. He immediately felt the other''s body stiffened the moment he did. But that quickly changed to a shy expression. Luo Yan had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling.


    "I- I will go now," Sofia said before running outside of the room.


    Now that he''s finally alone with the corpse, he could observe it more properly.


    He walked around the bed. Observing every detail around. The bed was notpletely burned, the mattress was still intact and even the bed sheet andforter weren''t totally burned. This supported his assumption that just right after the series of explosions, the already burned corpse was lit in fire by someone.


    He looked at the face of the corpse that was now barely unrecognizable. To the point that he couldn''t even tell any of its features. Because of the degree of burn, he couldn''t even tell the build of the corpse and its height.


    If this corpse was William Harcourt, then a doctor could probably identify him. The old man was an invalid. Surely, even if it''s just a burned corpse, a doctor could tell if his leg bones were broken or not.


    Of course, it would be better if they could clearly ascertain whether this corpse was William or not. But the technique to do that was not yet avable in this time period. So, everything would now depend on the doctor.


    If this doctor was in cahoots with the culprit, then his investigation would be fucked up from the very beginning. In the first ce, he wasn''t even sure who''s the victim and who''s the culprit. Because William Harcourt could be easily one of those two. And to properly distinguish between the two, he first needed to identify this corpse.


    Luo Yan soon heard footsteps from outside. He nced at the corpse once again before turning his gaze to the door.


    [Let the drama ensues, I guess.]

 Chapter 793 THEIR REACTION TO THE CORPSE

    Chapter 793 THEIR REACTION TO THE CORPSE¡¡¡¡THE first person to enter the room was Edward. His eyes immediately zeroed in on the burnt corpse on the bed. His eyes widened in shocked. Luo Yan could even see the fear in his eyes. Instead of rushing forward, he stepped back.


    "What are you doing just standing there, blocking the way?" Charles said who was just right behind his older brother.


    He stopped talking the moment he saw the corpse on the bed. But unlike Edward''s reaction, he quickly rushed forward. "Father!"


    Luo Yan heard horror in his voice. Now this was the reaction a son would have when he saw his father in this kind of burned state. But before the other could reach the bed, he quickly stopped him.


    "What the devil, man? Let go of me!" Charles shouted at him, the rim of his eyes was red. From anger or sadness, he didn''t know. Maybe it was both.


    "You can''t go near him. You might destroy important evidence."


    "Evidence?" the other muttered, as if only realizing the severity of the situation.


    It was then that the rest of the people finally arrived at the room.


    There was a horrified scream. Luo Yan turned towards the door and saw Catherine screaming before falling back and fainting. Her husband quickly caught her.


    "Catherine!"


    Luo Yan raised his brow upon seeing the reaction of George. He thought this man was a someone who was only wearing a gentle mask but waspletely violent without it. It could exin the timidity of his wife and daughter. But lo and behold, it seemed that he truly cared for his wife.


    "That¡­ that¡­ is that G-grandfather?"


    "Daphne, for god''s sake, help me with your mother!" George shouted at the girl who was staring wide-eyed at the corpse on the bed.


    "Y-yes. Sorry, Father," Daphne said.


    "No, let me," the solicitor, Arthur Wells, said.


    The older man helped George carry Catherine to a couch inside the room.


    Harry, who arrivedter together with the doctor, stopped on his tracks the moment he saw the corpse. Then, he bent over to the side and vomited. In this manner, the youngdy Daphne had stronger nerves than her cousin.


    "Doctor,e quickly and check if this is Mr. Harcourt," Luo Yan called, gesturing towards the corpse on the bed.


    Peter Baker appeared to be dazed after hearing what Luo Yan had said. "M-me? Me?"


    Edward, who seemed to return to his senses, said, "Who else? You''re the only doctor here! Go and check if that¡­ that corpse is my father!"


    "Oh, right. Yes," Peter said, walking forward.


    Luo Yan observed the doctor. His knees were shaking and there was also a look of fear and disgust in his eyes as he was looking at the corpse. This was not the reaction a doctor should have. Even if Peter Baker was not a surgeon, surely, as a medical student, he had seen his share of dead bodies, right?


    So, what''s with this reaction? It''s almost like this was the first time the other had seen a corpse. He narrowed his eyes, observing the doctor''s every movement.


    Peter crouched down beside the bed and examined the corpse''s legs. Although his hands were shaking as he did so, his movements were not just perfunctory. It seemed that he was indeed examining the corpse as a doctor should.


    Luo Yan''s suspicion on the doctor decreased a bit. But when he heard the result of the other''s examination, his suspicion returned again.


    "It''s Mr. Harcourt," Peter announced.


    Luo Yan frowned. Was this corpse really William Harcourt? Somehow, a part of him found that hard to believe.


    He was waiting for his detective talent to make a ''ding'' sound inside his mind, telling him that he found the doctor''s findings to be suspicious, but nothing. So, it was either Peter Baker was correct and this was indeed William or his conviction about this matter was not so solid as he thought it was.


    For the couple of times that he heard that notification, he was pretty sure of his guesses. He''s not second guessing like he was doing now. So, it''s pretty easy to conclude what the condition was to trigger the detective talent. He first had to have a suspicion, then, he had to be convinced of that suspicion himself.


    Due to the fact that he was not certain himself whether this corpse was William or not, he could also not be certain whether the doctor was lying or not. For that, he needed more evidence.


    After Peter Baker''s confirmation, there was amotion in the room. Or more urately, violent reactions from Edward and Charles.


    "Are you sure it''s really Father?" Edward asked, his eyes were almost bulging because of excitement. Not the happy and couldn''t wait excitement but the kind that seemed to have been agitated. "Check it again! Check it again right now!"


    Peter stepped back, probably wanting to avoid Edward just in case the other tried to attack him. "I''m very sure of my diagnosis. I''ve been Mr. Harcourt''s doctor for five years now. I couldn''t be more familiar with the state of his legs. Even if this body is burned beyond recognition, I could still tell that the state of its legs was the same as that of Mr. Harcourt."


    For a moment, this man really sounded like a doctor. But Luo Yan was still not fully convinced.


    Charles copsed on the floor upon hearing what Peter Baker said. "Father¡­ Father is really dead."


    It was then that Luo Yan saw the butler, Gilmore, entering the room. But when he saw the corpse on the bed, his steps faltered. Luo Yan saw how the young man''s face was on the verge of copse. As if he would fall over at any minute and faint. His expression was full of grief and sadness. It''s not something that could be easily faked. It could be seen just by this that the young butler indeed care for his master.


    Luo Yan walked towards the other. And as he did, he managed to hear Gilmore say in a very soft whisper;


    "Uncle William¡­"

 Chapter 794 THE CRIME TRIANGLE

    Chapter 794 THE CRIME TRIANGLE¡¡¡¡LUO YAN decided to gather everyone at the drawing room ¨C both guests and servants alike. It took a while to gather everyone. William''s children were still shocked by his death, especially Catherine. While most of the servants were checking on the explosion, as well as checking whether it had any effect on the manor. After all, the manor did shake after those explosions happened.


    So, by the time everyone was able to gather, it was already three o''clock in the morning.


    Everyone had a worried expression on their faces. The only one who probably still had the same expression was thewyer, Arthur Wells. Well, this character probably had facial paralysis that''s why his expression barely changed.


    The other one who didn''t have much reaction was Sorcha. Which was probably understandable considering that she didn''t really have much interaction with this family and therefore didn''t feel much after hearing of what happened to her former father-inw.


    The one who seemed to be truly affected by what happened was young Gilmore. Ever since he saw William''s burnt corpse on the bed, he had been moving like a robot. Although he was still doing his job as the butler, gathering everyone in this room for one, it was obvious that he was not in his usual state.


    Now, he was standing beside an older woman, probably in her 40s. If he remembered correctly, this woman was the cook. The Irish one. Her hair was the same shade of red as Gilmore. They also had the same eye color and same pale skin. Even some of their facial features were quite simr. It''s easy to see that the two were rted. Maybe a mother and son?


    But unlike Gilmore, the cook also didn''t show any drastic reaction upon hearing the news that her employer was now dead. The other servants in the house did show shock and sadness when they heard what happened to William.


    There were four maids, including the housekeeper and the cook. There were two male servants, which were the butler and the footman. Wait- where''s Saunders?


    [Let''s ask the other servantster. For now¡­]


    He scanned each and every one of the people in the room with his gaze. Then, he cleared his throat loud enough to get everyone''s attention. And it seeded, since almost all of them turned to his direction.


    "I believe everyone here know that someone had murdered Mr. Harcourt," he started. "I saw smokeing out of the master''s bedroom at about one o''clock in the morning. I rushed inside and found the burning body. But from my observation, Mr. Harcourt was killed and burned much earlier than that. I believe Doctor Baker could back this. Which I find very curious.


    "As everyone here knows, a series of explosions happened just right before the body was found. This series of explosions was used as a diversion, so we wouldn''t find the burning corpse until the fire spread and we wouldn''t know the real time of death. Therefore, it would be also hard for us to know the real situation at that time. Everyone would simply assume that he was killed at the same time that the explosion happened.


    "Of course, that was not the only reason for the explosions. From what the servants had told me, there was andslide and the mountain roads leading up to this manor are now blocked. That''s not all, I heard that the telephone lines were also cut. And based on the position of this mountain, despite those huge explosions earlier, it would take time for anyone to notice what happened.


    "So, for all intents and purposes, we''re now quite isted. I guess we should be thankful that the electric lines were not cut off. This means that we''re on our own right now. We can''t call the police or even the morgue for that matter. But fret not. I will make sure to capture the culprit."


    After Luo Yan''s long tirade of information, everyone was speechless. They probably didn''t expect that he would say this many things without stopping.


    "Surely, it''s an outsider who did this," George Cooper said. "Maybe it''s a group of thieves. I believe Father has quite the art collection."


    "Oh please, Georgie, no thieves would go bomb a mountain and burn someone just so they could steal a couple of paintings," Charles said sarcastically, his voice slurring. A sign that the wine he had been drinking since earlier was finally getting through to him.


    "I agree with Mr. Charles here," Luo Yan said. "Causing such explosions would be too much of an overkill for a thief. No pun intended, of course."


    "If it''s not an outsider, then, it must be one of the servants," Edward said.


    "Beggin'' your pardon, sir. But none of us would do such a thing to Mr. Harcourt!" the housekeeper said, clearly affronted by what Edward was insinuating.


    "That''s right! Mr. Harcourt was a good master. None of us would want any harm happen to him," a maid seconded.


    "Are you suggesting that it''s one of us?" Edward said, ring at the two.


    None of the servants answered. But their silence was already an answer in itself.


    "You ungrateful¡ª"


    "Eddie, calm down," Sofia, who was now very much clothed, said, putting her hand on Edward''s shoulder to calm the other. "I''m sure they didn''t mean it."


    Luo Yan nced at Sofia''s action, mirth filling his eyes. Itsted for a second before he controlled his expression.


    "It''s not really unfounded," he said.


    Edward turned to him sharply. "So, you believe it''s one of us?"


    "I''m just saying that out of all the people here, the ones with the motive and intent are you three, his children. The only question now was if you have the opportunity to do it," Luo Yan said, citing the Crime Triangle ¨C motive, intent, and opportunity.


    He felt a bit like a detective when he said that. Of course, this was all under the assumption that the who died was indeed William Harcourt.


    He then stared at William Harcourt''s three children. "Now, where were you between the hours of 12 and 1 AM?"

 Chapter 795 INTERVIEW (I)

    Chapter 795 INTERVIEW (I)¡¡¡¡"THIS is preposterous!" Edward quickly shouted, clearly very offended by what Luo Yan said.


    Charles snorted. "Eddie, the way you''re being so defensive right now, is it because you''re guilty of something?"


    Edward''s face turned red because of anger at what his younger brother said. Probably because of too many things that had happened, his reasoning had finally snapped. He grabbed Charles cor and was obviously about to attack the other.


    Luo Yan moved quickly and held Edward''s arm that was about to slug Charles. To his surprise, Sofia had also stood up and quickly held Edward''s other arm. Thetter seemed to not notice Sofia and just red daggers at Luo Yan, as if everything was his fault.


    He let go of the other''s arm. "Calm down, Mr. Edward. Reacting violently like this would only prove Mr. Charles'' point."


    "Do you want me to not react at all when you''re practically using us of murdering our father?" Then Edward turned sharply at his brother. "And you! How dare you insinuate such a thing? If you think I''m guilty, then I suggest you look at the mirror. Then, you''ll see the face of someone who''s truly guilty!"


    This time, it was Charles'' face that darkened. As someone who''s drunk, he was even more without inhibition. "Hah! Out of the three of us, don''t you think you''re the one with the most motive? Who here needed more money for their political aspirations?"


    "If we''re talking about money, don''t you need it more than me?" Edward said mockingly. "Aren''t you being followed by debt collectors these days?"


    "Edward, stop. Charles is drunk. Don''t aggravate the situation by responding to everything he says," Sofia said.


    The woman''s words somehow calmed Edward down.


    Luo Yan took this opportunity to say the next important thing before another bout of argument happened. "You probably didn''t know this, but I was invited here by Mr. Harcourt to investigate a rather¡­ sensitive subject matter. What I didn''t expect was something like this happening. But since I''m already here, I assure everyone here that I will do everything in my power to discover the truth. I believe everyone here wanted that. So, I hope that none of you would hinder my investigation."


    Everyone was silent. Luo Yan simply took that as a sign of consent.


    "Well, then," he turned to the drunk Charles Harcourt. "How about we start with you, Mr. Charles?"


    -----


    Luo Yan decided to interview everyone one by one. Being currently isted ¨C courtesy of the explosions ¨C they couldn''t really do anything right now but to depend on him to find out the culprit. After all, regarding this crime, he was the one with the most authority.


    But he still couldn''t help but feel that they were all just following some kind of script, moving in the direction that the person pulling the strings wanted them to. Of course, he''s not talking about the game devs. He''s referring to the culprit behind the scenes.


    He''s still wasn''t sure what truly had happened here. So, to investigate that, the fastest way was to interview the people in this manor one by one. Find out their whereabouts during the suspected time of that corpse''s death. And also asked them about the events that happened 20 years ago.


    Because no matter how unsure he was of some things, it''s clear to him that the one machinating everything was here in their midst. He just had to unmask them.


    Luo Yan was now in the study. He chose this particr room to conduct his interview. And as he said, the first one to be interviewed was Charles Harcourt.


    "So, Mr. Charles, as I''ve said earlier, where were you between the time of 12 and 1 Am?" he first asked.


    "I''m in my room, asleep," the other said in a rather careless manner.


    "Could someone corroborate that?"


    Charles snorted. "Corroborate? Are you asking if I had someone in my bed to support my statement? As much as I would have loved that, no, there was no one."


    "Actually, I just want to know if someone had seen you go inside your room?"


    "I''m not sure, you better ask the servants or the others for that," Charles said in a rather careless manner.


    "I see," Luo Yan said as he wrote what Charles said on his little notepad. "Is it true, what your brother said about your debts?"


    "Yes, I do have debts. But not nearly enough for me to kill my own father," Charles said with anger in his voice. "Although Father said that he would disinherit us, he would definitely change his decision soon enough. He had done this before, 20 years ago. He said he''d leave everything to Richard. But at the end, he did not go through it. I''m sure it''s the same with this."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. This guy would not probably say that if he''s not drunk. Because what he just said wouldn''t help him in the least. This guy was just in his mid-30s. Two decades ago, the other would only be about 15 or 16. He doubted Charles could have nned what happened back then.


    But then again, if he was some kind of sociopath, he might be able to do that. Although looking at him now, Luo Yan could hardly picture him as someone like that. He could probably take advantage of his drunken state to take information that this guy would probably not say if he was sober.


    "But the only reason your father did not go through with it was because Richard died," he noticed how Charles flinched the moment he mentioned that. "He died in that fire 20 years ago. Not only him but also his son. If your brother hadn''t died back then, I''m sure all the family''s wealth would now be his. Or maybe not. Maybe he would still suffer from the same fate sooner orter. Just so he would be deprived of what should be his."


    He didn''t receive any response. The other lowered his head, his body almost imperceptibly shaking. So, Luo Yan continued.


    "Do you know what your father asked me to investigate?"


    To his surprise, the other suddenly stood up and growled at him, "I don''t want to know!"

 Chapter 796 INTERVIEW (II)

    Chapter 796 INTERVIEW (II)¡¡¡¡"BUT I want you to," Luo Yan said with a smile, purposely trying to get a rise from the other. "You see, your father invited me here to investigate what happened 20 years ago. He believed that one of his children nned what happened and deliberately burned the house to kill Richard. And you''re one of those children, are you not?"


    "Stop!" Charles shouted. "I will never do something like that! I¡ªRichard is my brother. I wouldn''t hurt him the same way I wouldn''t hurt my father."


    "Hmm¡­ but your father didn''t seem to think so," Luo Yan said. "How old are you back then, 15, 16? You must be quite diabolical if you turned out to be the mastermind."


    The other violently rapped on the desk with his fist. The impact immediately caused wounds on his knuckle. "Don''t try to even suggest that I would dare do so! Richard is the only one who treated me like a real brother. If I were to off any of my siblings, then, I''d rather kill Edward."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. That statement surely was controversial. Although it showed that he cared for Richard, it also showed how much he disliked his eldest brother. Add that to his reaction when he saw the burned corpse of his father and one could immediately see that he wasn''t as careless as he appeared to be.


    He loved his second brother and father. Luo Yan could see it from the anguished that crossed the other''s face when Richard was mentioned. If his gut feeling was correct, then he could cross out Charles from the arson and murder that happened 20 years ago. Maybe even for the crime that happened today. Of course, that''s under the premise that the corpse indeed belonged to William Harcourt.


    For now, Luo Yan should focus first on the incident 20 years ago and take all the information he could from this guy.


    "Sit down, Mr. Charles," he said. But the other only red at him. "I said, sit down."


    Charles looked reluctant to do so but he still plopped down on his seat.


    "If you really are as innocent as you said you are, then help me understand what happened 20 years ago. Tell me all the details that you know." When the other didn''t answer and just gazed down, tapping on the desk, Luo Yan added, "If not for me, then at least for the brother who cared for you."


    He saw Charles flinched when he said thatst part.


    "Come on, Charles. I know you also suspected foul y. Don''t you want to know the truth of what happened back then?" he goaded, trying to push the other to say more. "The truth whether Richard die of ident or if someone deliberately killed him."


    Charles still stayed silent. When he thought that that would continue, the other suddenly spoke.


    "I was at Eton when Catherine told me that Richard was back at Magnolia Manor. I hadn''t seen him for almost four years. So, I quickly went back even though I still have sses left for that day. Richard, he, he was more like a father to me. Our father had always been busy making our family rich that he barely had any time for his children. Especially after Mother passed away.


    "Being the youngest, I barely entered my father''s sphere of attention. Edward, who was much, much older, gallivanting around, sowing seeds. Catherine was too focus on herself to even care about others, much less me. It was Richard, he was the only one who really cared.


    "He taught me my letters, taught me etiquettes and manners. At the same time, he yed all kinds of children''s games with me. He was the reason my childhood was not as sad as it probably should have been. So, you can see why I was so attached to him. I also heard that he came back with his son. I was also very excited to meet the boy.


    "Just as I got off the train station, the car that was supposed to fetch me took its sweet time to arrive. And then, on the way to the manor, the car broke down. By the time we returned to the manor, dinner had already passed. When I was about to enter the manor, the right wing of the house suddenly exploded.


    "The explosion threw me off. The impact of the throw was so strong that it made me lose consciousness. When I woke up the next day, I was told that Richard and his son died from the explosion and that Father was heavily injured. That''s how it happened. At least, my version of it."


    As Luo Yan was listening to Charles'' story, he made sure that he wouldn''t miss any expression as the other was speaking. Although Charles was drunk, he clearly showed rity when he was recounting his story. It''s not that he became sober all of a sudden. It''s more like he had been relieving that moment time and time again that''s why he could easily recount it even when he was inebriated.


    "Is that all that you remembered?" he asked.


    Charles was silent for a second, as if he was considering whether to answer him. But at the end, he just shrugged and said, "I don''t know if it''s important, I''m not even sure if it happened or if it was just a fragment of my imagination."


    "What is it?"


    "As I was losing consciousness, I heard voices talking. One was saying that this was not what they nned. And the other just answered that what happened was for the better. After that, it was all nk."


    Luo Yan frowned when he heard that but he still wrote it on his little notepad. "Did you recognize their voices?"


    "That''s the thing, detective. The voices sounded like slow-motion slur in my ear. I don''t even know if it belonged to a man or a woman."


    Well, at least this confirmed one thing. That there was indeed foul y to the incident that happened 20 years ago. The voices that Charles heard might as well belonged to the culprit. Or in this case, ''culprits''.

 Chapter 797 INTERVIEW (III)

    Chapter 797 INTERVIEW (III)¡¡¡¡CHARLES'' was probably so out of it that''s why the voices sounded like that to him. But this was a good clue. At least now, it''s confirmed that somebody really did something to cause that fire. It was not an ident. It was a deliberate n to kill someone.


    Another thing to take note of was the fact that it was cause by an explosion. Just like what happened a few hours earlier. Coincidence? He thought not. But if it was done by the same person or the same group of people? That, he wasn''t sure.


    "Does anyone else know about this?" he asked.


    "I mentioned it to Father when he regained consciousness. He told me not to say it to anyone," Charles answer. "His reaction was a bit too extreme. Because of that, I subconsciously did not tell anyone about it. Until now, that is."


    William Harcourt had an extreme reaction to that information? Maybe it was the start of the other''s suspicion towards his children. But if that was the case, Luo Yan could basically clear Charles of any suspicion regarding what happened 20 years ago. But that didn''t mean he could absolve him of what happened today.


    It''s true that he believed the other really cared for Richard thus he couldn''t do something as bombing the house while his brother was there. But if like his father, he suspected that one of his siblings did it, he might have orchestrated everything so he could get revenge.


    Although, he honestly didn''t believe thetter and thought that it was a bit of a reach, he still needed to consider all possibilities.


    There were still a lot of things that were pretty much unclear to him. The puzzle pieces hadn''t even started to be in ce. So, all he could do right now was to gather more pieces until aplete picture was revealed.


    "Do you know which specific part of the manor''s right wing did the explosion originate?" he continued to ask.


    Charles shook his head. "From what I heard, the bombs that caused the explosion were scattered across the manor, throughout a number of rooms."


    They were scattered and the first one to go off were the bombs in the right wing. "Is the design of the current Magnolia Manor the same as the one that burned 20 years ago?"


    "Yes, up to the tiniest detail."


    Luo Yan fell into a deep thought after hearing that. If that was so, then the master''s bedroom, as well as this study were both in the right wing. A bold spection appeared in his mind.


    "Do you know which room your brother, Richard, stayed in that day?" he asked, so he could be certain of his assumption.


    A look of confusion shed Charles'' face, probably wondering why he was suddenly asking such a thing. But probably because he was still under the influence of alcohol, he didn''t think much and just answered it.


    "It''s his old room."


    "Was it also located in the right wing?"


    "No, it''s on theplete opposite side. On the left wing."


    Luo Yan grinned. Now that just supported his earlier hypothesis. That Richard was not the intended victim. It was William.


    Based on the time that Charles returned that night, a busy man like William would have been at his study. The culprit or culprits would have known that. But for some reason, Richard and his son must be near the study when the bomb nted in there went off. Thus, immediately killing them. While William must have been a little further away. Hence, receiving the injuries that he received.


    [Ding! Your detective talent discovered an important clue to what happened 20 years ago!]


    Luo Yan''s smile became even brighter after he heard that. His detective talent activating after he made that conclusion, it was an almost definite proof that the real target was indeed William.


    But with this, another problem had arisen.


    If William was the real target of that explosion 20 years ago, why hadn''t the culprit/s done anything in the past 20 years. Surely, they could have had the opportunity to finish what they started during that time.


    The opportunity he had to do that was not just days or months, it''s decades. So, why? Why wait this long?


    He turned his attention back to Charles. "Did you and your other siblings often meet with your father in thest 20 years after that incident?"


    "No. After what happened, Father went to America for an operation and then he decided to stay there to recuperate. The only one who apanied him was the former butler. If not for the annual allowance that we still received, we might have thought that something has had happened to him. We didn''t even know that he started building this¡­ imitation of a manor."


    Luo Yan frowned. "Does that mean that you only met with him yesterday?" he asked, feeling a bit incredulous.


    "No, ten years ago, he called us and told us to meet him in New York. We were shocked seeing him infirmed and disfigured. We hardly recognized him. If not for his way of speaking, we might think that someone was impersonating him. We only had dinner with him. Then, the next day, we found out that Father had already left with only a message telling us that he would call on us again. That call happened four yearster. Then, another one three years ago.


    "Anyway, what with all these questions? Does this even have anything to do with what''s happening? You''re not just wasting my time, aren''t you, detective?"


    Luo Yan ignored the other''s question. A lot of thoughts were coursing through his mind right now. But he couldn''t gather everything. He needed more information.


    "This will be thest question, Mr. Charles. Then, you''re free to go," he said after some time.


    "Bloody time. Then, out with it."


    "Who was the driver who brought you to the manor the night the explosion happened?"


    Charles looked thrown off by the question. But at the end, still answered, "It''s Saunders."

 Chapter 798 INTERVIEW (IV)

    Chapter 798 INTERVIEW (IV)¡¡¡¡LUO YANpartmentalized everything he learned from Charles. Including that information about Saunders. He had a lot of thoughts about this driver who''s currently MIA. But he would deal with thatter. First, he had to continue with his interview.


    After Charles left the study, Luo Yan told Gilmore to call in Catherine. He thought the other would be more pliant in answering questionspared to Edward. He just didn''t expect that Catherine woulde with her husband, George.


    "If I remembered correctly, I only called for Miss Catherine," he said.


    "Detective, my wife is a very impressionable woman. If she stayed with you alone, I''m afraid she would be led to say things that aren''t true based on the flow of your¡­ questions," George Cooper said.


    Luo Yan smiled. "I assure you, the nature of my questions won''t affect your wife''s reasoning ability."


    "I apologize if I couldn''t put my trust on that," George said, holding his wife''s hand. "I need to be here to support Cathy."


    What a load of bullcrap. ¨C Luo Yan thought. If anything, this guy just probably wanted to monitor his wife. Because just like he said, his wife was very ''impressionable''.


    "P-please, let my husband stay," Catherine said in that timid manner.


    "If thedy insists, then who am I to object?" Luo Yan said with a gentle smile. "Please, do take a seat, both of you."


    Since the two obviously wouldn''t give in, he might as well go along with it. He would have to interview George anyway. The only problem was Catherine might not be so forting with her answers because of her husband''s presence.


    The two then sat down on the seats opposite the desk. Luo Yan also did the same.


    "Well then, let''s start," he said. "First, tell me where were the both of you during the time of 12 and 1 AM?"


    "We''re at our room, sleeping," George answered.


    Catherine seconded that by nodding.


    Luo Yan wrote it down on his little notepad. Then, he turned to Catherine. "Where did you go after dinner?"


    He needed to ask this to know the whereabouts of the people between 10 PM and 12 AM. Dinner at this time period in this country usually started at 8:30 PM and ended at around 9:15. It was the same for the dinner they had.


    William was still alive at that time. So, if the corpse was really him ¨C let''s just assume that it was for the time being ¨C then, based on the degree of burning, he should have died between 9:15 and 10 PM.


    He didn''t ask this question to Charles because he yed cards with the other in the manor''s designated game room. George also yed with them as well as young Harry. The card gamested until well into the night.


    He yed with the three in the hope that he could gain some information from them. Unfortunately, he gained nothing except a few sses of wine and even lost a couple of quids. Oh, there was a bit of a gain. Some information about Edward ¨C courtesy of his son.


    But Edward was not his focus right now. He looked at the couple before him. It''s these two.


    "I- I''m with my daughter. We''re together until George finished with his game and the two of us went to our bedroom to sleep."


    "Can your daughter corroborate that?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Yes," Catherine said with a bit more confidence.


    "Very good," Luo Yan said, writing it down on his notepad. "It came to my attention that in the past 20 years, you and your brothers had only met with your father four times, including yesterday. Is that correct?"


    Catherine showed a confused expression, as if she didn''t know why he was asking this. "Y-yes."


    Well, that proved what Charles had already said.


    "Does this question have any relevance to what happened to Father?" George asked, frowning.


    "I believe that what happened 20 years ago is connected to what happened today."


    Luo Yan exined to the two the reason he was here. Just like Charles, George showed indignation for the implication that they had something to do with what happened.


    "You think my wife is capable of something so, so heinous?" George said with an incredulous look on his face. "Cathy can''t even hurt a fly and you think she coulde up with such aplicated murder ruse?"


    As the other said that, the gentle mask he was wearing was also starting to crack.


    "If- if you think that what happened to F-Father is rted to the incident 20 years ago, t-then, George had nothing to do with it. We''re- we''re not even married then," Catherine said stutteringly.


    Oh, that''s an interesting information. ¨C Luo Yan thought. Now that he thought about it, Daphne was indeed too young to have been already been born 20 years ago. But even if George and Catherine hadn''t been married yet that time, that didn''t mean that they hadn''t met each other yet.


    If the two of them were about to marry back then, George had every right tomit that crime just so he could preserve his soon-to-be wife''s inheritance.


    "I see," Luo Yan said. "Mr. Cooper, may I ask what it is you do for a living?"


    "I''m a painter. An artiste," George said with a smile, obviously very proud of his profession.


    "Oh. Perhaps I know one of your works?"


    George showed an embarrassed expression after Luo Yan asked that. He already knew what the answer would be without the other answering. So, a struggling painter. With an unreliable source of ie, their family was definitely reliant on the allowance given by William. Now that his father-inw was threatening to cut them off, George had every motive to kill the other.


    "Never mind. I''m not really an art enthusiast. So, I probably won''t recognize it anyway," Luo Yan said, giving George some face unless the other strode off because of too much humiliation.


    And so, the interview continued.

 Chapter 799 INTERVIEW (V)

    Chapter 799 INTERVIEW (V)¡¡¡¡"WERE you there at the former Magnolia Manor when the explosion happened?" Luo Yan asked Catherine.


    The woman seemed surprised by the question. "E-explosion?"


    "Yes. Wasn''t it the reason why the fire happened in the first ce? Because a series of explosion urred and burned the manor down?" he said, matter-of-factly.


    "Y-yes, t-that was indeed the case."


    "Was no one caught for that crime that''s why your father thought that one of his remaining children was the mastermind?" he asked straightforwardly.


    "I say that Father was simply getting on in years," George said. "There''s no way any of his children could have done something like that. No, I take that back. Edward is definitely capable."


    "G-George¡ª"


    "What? It''s true! Although Charles is insufferable, he doesn''t have the guts or the wits to n something so diabolical. Edward, on the other hand. Well, let''s just say if it''s something that could hinder his political aspirations, he''s capable of anything."


    "George, please¡­" Catherine said in an almost pleading tone.


    George only reached for his wife''s hand and held it. A little too tight in Luo Yan''s opinion. As evidence of how Catherine winced. But her husband only smiled as if he enjoyed it. What a creep.


    "You don''t have to protect your older brother Cathy. He''s not worthy. I''m sure that guy would not hesitate to throw you under the bus if he thought it could save himself."


    Luo Yan doubted that the words of this guy bore that much truth. But then again, he''s not stupid enough to ignore it. The other might embellish his words, but there''s probably still some semnce of truth in it.


    "Are you saying Mr. Edward was already in politics back then?" he asked.


    "He was trying to be, right Cathy?" George said turning to his wife for confirmation.


    Catherine looked like he was struggling whether to speak of this matter or not. But with her husband''s ''persuasion'', she still relented.


    "Eddie, he- he was trying to get into parliament."


    "And you know how politics cost money," George added. "So, he had every motive to cause that explosion just so he could stop Father''s n in cutting off his source of ie. The same could be said in this current situation."


    [And I could also say the same thing to you.] ¨C Luo Yan said in his mind.


    "Let''s go back to my earlier question," he said, looking at Catherine. "Were you in the former Magnolia Manor during the incident 20 years ago?"


    Catherine seemed to be startled that the question returned back to that again. But he still tried her best to answer.


    "I- I was there."


    "So was Mr. Edward, I presume?" Luo Yan asked.


    Catherine nodded. "He was there with his t-then w-wife."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. "Is Mr. Edward divorced with this wife?"


    "She''s dead. Died three years ago," George answered. "Interestingly enough, it was right before ourst visit with Father. Young Harry was so bereft, he couldn''t go to the Americas because of that. Of course, dear Eddie couldn''t miss that opportunity to earn some brownie points. So, even with his wife''s death, he still went and visited Father."


    Luo Yan took note of that part about Edward''s wife dying before the supposed visit to William Harcourt three years ago.


    "Then, Miss Catherine, have you noticed anything suspicious during that incident?" he asked.


    Catherine was silent for a moment, she looked like he was thinking hard to remember if she indeed saw something suspicious 20 years ago. Then, as if a lightbulb turned on inside her head, her face lightened up as if she remembered something.


    "Y-yes, but if I don''t know if it''s suspicious or not."


    "Let me be the judge of that," Luo Yan said, he looked at the other with an encouraging gaze.


    "I- I saw Saunders going out of my father''s study. I- I found it quite curious."


    Luo Yan''s brows furrowed. Saunders again? What''s up with this chauffeur? "You never questioned him about it?"


    "I- I didn''t. After that explosion, it- it justpletely disappeared from my mind. I-I''m sorry. I¡ª"


    Catherine looked like she was about to hyperventte. But her husband squeezed her hand, making the other wince. It seemed that that woke her up, calming her down in some way.


    "Detective, I would very much like for you to not upset my wife any further," George admonished. "She''s already very distraught because of father''s passing. What does it matter if he saw Saunders? It didn''t mean anything. Even if it did, Cathy wouldn''t think of that possibility. She''s simply not capable."


    Luo Yan was this close to lifting the paper weight on the desk and throwing it at George''s annoying face. This guy just indirectly told him that his wife was stupid and not capable of intelligent thoughts. And the said wife just epted that and even nodded as if agreeing.


    Seriously, he didn''t know which one he should be more annoyed. He had to remind himself that the two were simply NPCs following a programmed script.


    He shook his head and just went back to the more important matter ¨C Saunders.


    "From what I''ve been told, the only one that Mr. Harcourt brought with him to the Americas was the former butler. Then, howe Saunders was still working as a chauffeur here?"


    "Your guess is as good as mine, detective," George said with a shrug. Then, he stood up. "Now, if you''ll excuse us, my wife needs to rest."


    Luo Yan nodded. He doubted if could gleam any more information from the two. George supported Catherine and the two walked out of the room. Luo Yan looked down at his notes and circled the name ''Saunders''.


    He tapped his fingers on the desk while staring the name. Now, what was your connection to all these, Saunders? No, the more pressing question should be where the other was at this moment.


    If Saunders truly ended up suddenly disappearing amidst all these, then, there''s no doubt that, in one way of another, he was connected to what happened 20 years ago.

 Chapter 800 INTERVIEW (VI)

    Chapter 800 INTERVIEW (VI)¡¡¡¡THIS Saunders was starting to sound like bad news to Luo Yan. First, the other was MIA when he called for the servants to gather. Then, he found out that Saunders was working as the driver of the Harcourts even 20 years back. And now, he was told that the other was seening out of his master''s study which was now proven to be one of the rooms where the bomb was nted.


    A lot of question started to pile up again. But right now, his interview with Edward shoulde first. He told a servant to call Edward in.


    After a few seconds, Edward entered the study with his usual huff and puff with just a sprinkle of snootiness. He didn''t greet Luo Yan and just directly sat down on the seat opposite the desk.


    "Let''s get on with your questions, detective," the other said. "You ask and I answer. The faster we get over this, the better."


    "Well, then, can you tell me where you were between 12 and 1 AM?" he asked.


    "I''m asleep at my room."


    "Can anyone vouch for that?"


    "Yes, my fianc¨¦e can."


    Luo Yan almost let out a chuckle when he heard that answer. Probably because of the fact that he saw Sofia skulking about near the master''s bedroom during the said time.


    But there''s still a chance that the other was saying the truth. The two might have really been staying in the same room. The moment Edward had fallen asleep, Sofia walked out of their room. Though what probably surprised him more was the fact that this guy didn''t even hesitate to name Sofia as his alibi.


    Even if this was the 1930s, the society was still very conservative. Having a woman slept in the same room as a man, even if one was that man''s fianc¨¦e, was highly frowned upon. For this guy to not even hesitate to share that information showed just how little he thought of his fianc¨¦e''s reputation. And a misogynistic tendency as well.


    Luo Yan didn''t really care much for the other''s character. What''s important to him was the information he could gleam from this guy.


    "Where did you go after dinner?" he asked.


    Edward frowned. "Is that really important?"


    "Mr. Edward, as you said yourself, I ask, you answer. If you want to finish this faster, you should avoid questioning me," Luo Yan said with a smile. "Answer my question, please."


    Edward scoffed. "I was talking to old man Wells, trying to convince him to change Father''s mind. You can go ask the old man and I''m sure he will corroborate it."


    Luo Yan took that down on his notepad.


    "What can you tell me about the incident 20 years ago? The one that caused the original Magnolia Manor to burn down."


    Edward looked like he very much wanted toin. Most likely thinking that this and that were not connected at all. But because of their conversation about answering questions quickly, his pride wouldn''t allow him to directlyin.


    "What else is there to tell? You already spoke with my two other siblings. I''m sure they had already told you everything."


    "They did say that bombs were nted in the different rooms of the manor. These bombs were the cause of the explosion. It also came to my attention that you have ample motive and wits to execute such a n. So, did you or did you not nt bombs in the manor that year?"


    This time, Edward no longer stopped himself from reacting violently. "Of course not! How dare you even suggest that I could have done so?"


    Luo Yan ignored the other''s reaction. "You were starting your political career that time. You didn''t have ¨C and still don''t have ¨C a source of ie other than the allowance given to you by your father. Just likest night when your father announced that he would cut you and your other siblings off from his will, he did the same thing 20 years ago. In both situations, you had ample motive tomit both crimes. Don''t you think so as well?"


    "Then, how about Charles and Catherine? You really think they''re not capable of any of the things you''re using me?" Edward asked, thoroughly enraged.


    "Although Charles might have a reason to, well, burn your father to stop him from changing his will, he didn''t have one 20 years ago. He was still too young back then. He didn''t have the means nor the opportunity. And from what I''ve heard, he and your deceased brother, Richard, were very close. Even if he was cut off from the will, Richard would definitely support him.


    "Now, there''s your sister, Catherine. Although I''m not so sure as I am with Charles, it wouldn''t be easy for such a timid woman to execute such a n. So¡ª"


    Luo Yan was interrupted from what he''s saying because of Edward''s sudden loudughter.


    "I can ept your exnation for Charles. But Catherine? You think she''s not capable of such a thing?" Edwardughed. "Don''t be fooled by her stuttering act. Dear Cathy is no shrinking violet. That, I assure you. She''s very much capable of murder. At least, as much as you think I am."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Now that''s interesting. "Are you saying that your sister is just¡­ acting?"


    "That''s exactly what I''m saying."


    An image of Catherine appeared in Luo Yan''s mind. The first description he could think of was that of a woman who was under control of her husband. But if Edward was saying the truth, then, that would change a lot of the conclusion he had reached.


    "Why would she do that?" he asked.


    Edward smirked. "Because it''s her hobby."


    "So, you''re saying that she''s letting her husband lord over her and act all squeamish and incapable of straight speech because it''s her hobby?"


    Edward carelessly shrugged. "Catherine has a problem here," he said pointing at his temple, indirectly telling Luo Yan that his sister was crazy. "If you asked me, she''s more than capable enough to kill Father."

 Chapter 801 INTERVIEW (VII)

    Chapter 801 INTERVIEW (VII)¡¡¡¡HEARING that was quite a surprise for Luo Yan. Because he had never suspected Catherine of being, well, crazy, as Edward put it. The way she acted was just so seamless. But then again, she was an NPC. The game devs could simply program her to have such a characteristic. This didn''t mean that he would immediately believe in Edward''s im.


    So, it was either Edward was telling the truth or he wasn''t. Luo Yan couldn''t really trust what Edward was saying 100%. After all, the other was still one of the suspects. But he also couldn''t just ignore it.


    He wasn''t really leaning on either. No matter the answer, he wouldn''t be surprised at all. He decided to put that aside and just wrote it down on his little notepad.


    "Hmm¡­ that''s a very bold usation," he said.


    "I know it''s hard to believe, especially after seeing the way she''s acting and her dynamics with her husband. But I tell you, that woman is cunning and ruthless."


    "Ruthless? Has there been any event that you''d seen this ''ruthless'' side of her?" Luo Yan asked.


    He let his tone be full of sarcasm. That way, it would appear that he didn''t believe what the other had said. With someone full of pride like Edward, he would definitely try his best to make Luo Yan believe him.


    And as he expected, Edward was more than happy to share more information with him.


    "I really don''t want to bring back those¡­ upsetting memories, but since you''re being so hard-headed, detective, let me ry it to you. The Catherine you see now, she wasn''t always like that, you know. She was a very spirited child, like a little monkey. But she started to change when Mother died. She became withdrawn and prone to fits. Richard was the only one who could calm her.


    "But Richard wasn''t always there to calm her down. His attention was otherwise upied by Charles. If you ask me, Catherine has always hated Charlie for that. Taking away the attention of her beloved Richard. I think that''s when she started her timid act. And Richard, being Richard, ate it all up.


    "It was peaceful for a while. Until Richard suddenly became good friends with a youngdy. She was a pastor''s daughter, quite a sweet girl. Richard invited her to the manor. I could see that he was quite charmed. But before that rtionship ever bore fruit, Catherine made sure to put a stop to it.


    "She pushed the poor girl into the man-madeke located at our family''snd. And then proceeded on acting like the victim. If I hadn''t seen it myself, I would have believed her. Richard, being the fool that he was, chose to believe our sister. And that was also the end of his short romance with the sweet pastor''s daughter. Oh, it not because she drowned and died. She was just humiliated and refused to meet Richard again.


    "It happened a couple more times. Every time Richard got close to a girl, Catherine would do something to get in the way. And she would always paint herself as the victim. She had this unhealthy obsession with Richard, as if he was her property. That''s why I told you she has a problem in her head. Which normal person could have that kind of mentality? To her sibling, no less?


    "Then, Richard finally caught on. Ady he knew almost died and Catherine''s victim-act no longer worked. The poor sod thought it was his fault and decided to leave home. During the first year, Richard still visited Charles and Father from time to time. Of course, avoiding Catherine as he did. After that, we weren''t able to see him for the next four years.


    "When we did, he was already married and had a son. The look of hatred on Catherine''s face was priceless. Almostical, in fact. I wouldn''t be surprise if she decided to blow up the manor just so she could get revenge on the brother who ''abandoned'' her."


    Luo Yan hadn''t stopped writing since the moment Edward started talking about Catherine. The amount the other had said filled almost three pages of his notepad. The things that this guy said, it was fascinating and scary at the same time. Although Edward probably exaggerated some of it so he could paint Catherine as some kind of evil femme fatale. But that didn''t mean that there wasn''t a shred of truth to the other''s statement. Just like what that old adage said, there would be no smoke if there''s no fire.


    But really, this put another light on Catherine''s character. If half of what Edward said had truth in them, then that woman definitely was capable of bombing the original Magnolia Manor, as well as be the one behind the incident that just happened.


    Really, the more information piling up, the more unclear he was of what truly happened 20 years ago. Not that he wasining. He liked a challenge.


    "I will take what you said into consideration."


    Edward seemed to be satisfied by what he said. As if he had aplished what he set to do.


    Luo Yan could only shake his head at that. This bastard. If the things Edward said were true, then he literally watched Catherine spiraled down to, well, madness. He had every chance to help her and he simply chose to be a bystander. Probably even snickering about behind everyone''s back.


    Once again, what a bastard.


    "How did Miss Catherine fare after Richard left?" he asked.


    "She was beside herself, of course. Surprisingly enough, her fit onlysted for a day. Father managed to calm her somehow. I''m not really sure how though. He just had a talk with her and the next morning she was back to her stuttering, quivering self."


    William talked to her? It would be hard to find out what they talked about considering William was now presumed death. Unless Catherine would tell him about it. Which he highly doubt would happen.


    He must praise the game devs though. They were really giving him a run for his money.

 Chapter 802 INTERVIEW (VIII)

    Chapter 802 INTERVIEW (VIII)¡¡¡¡"HOW did she act then in the next five years that she didn''t meet Richard?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Quite calm, actually. But I''m not really the best source of information. At that time, I was already living in London. I rarely came back at the manor. You could ask Charlie. But he was boarding at school then, so he might not also be a reliable source of information."


    "How about servants? I''ve been informed that Saunders had worked with the family back then? Could he be a reliable source of what happened then?" he asked, making a segue to Saunders.


    "That guy? Maybe he could. He''d been working for our family since he''s a youngd after all."


    Luo Yan quickly took down that information. "Oh? When did he start working for your family?"


    "I''m not really quite sure. I just know that he started as a teenage boy, working odd jobs around the house. Then when he learned how to drive, Father assigned him as the family''s chauffeur."


    Not caring much about servants was certainly in line with this guy''s character. Luo Yan could probably not gain any new information about Saunders from him. But there''s still one thing he could learn from the other.


    "I was told that the only servant your father brought to the Americas was the former butler. Do you know why Saunders is still working for your family if that was the case?"


    "Ah, he seemed to have mention that Father called him back to work for him again."


    "Did that mean that Saunders wasid off 20 years ago and then hired again when your father returned this year?"


    "I guess so."


    "It''s quite unusual for him to return after 20 years, don''t you think?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Not really. Father gave generous severance pay to all the servants who survived the fire back then. That money was definitely enough to support someone in their station for the rest of their lives. If Father called them back to work for him again, they would definitely not hesitate to agree."


    Luo Yan caught an important word from what the other said. "Them? Is Saunders not the only one who returned to your family''s service?"


    "Yes. The housekeeper ¨C Mrs. Green, she''s also our former housekeeper."


    A housekeeper? First the driver, now even the housekeeper might possibly be involved in this whole debacle. No, maybe Luo Yan was simply thinking too much. The housekeeper might not be connected to this at all. But it wouldn''t hurt to look into it. And so, he wrote down the name of the housekeeper on his notepad.


    Now that he finished with that, he should move to the next thing on his list.


    "Did you notice anything unusual that night the explosion happened?" he asked.


    "I didn''t notice anything out of the ordinary if that''s what you wanted to ask," Edward said. "I arrivete that night with my deceased wife and our son. We just had dinner and were about to rest for the night when the explosion happened. We almost all died back then. So, I couldn''t understand how Father could even think that we had something to do with it. But then again, it hardly mattered now. Since Father is- was already¡ª"


    The other suddenly became silent. Luo Yan was surprised to see the sadness on Edward''s eyes. For all the negative traits this guy had, he seemed to really care for his father.


    "Which rooms were you and your family were staying that night?" he asked.


    "I stayed at my old room. My deceased wife and our son also stayed at the same wing."


    "And which wing of the manor was that?"


    "The left wing."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. If the explosion started in the right wing and then slowly moved to the left wing, Edward and his family would have ample time to leave the manor. He hardly thought that they would be in imminent danger.


    He continued to ask some more questions. Once he was satisfied, he finally asked something that he felt might have some connection to all of this.


    "Did your mother die of natural causes?"


    Edward was about to answer, then, as if realizing something, he said instead, "What does that have to do with anything?"


    "Just humor me, please," he said with a smile.


    "Yes, she died of a sudden heart attack."


    Luo Yan wrote that down. "That will be all then, Mr. Edward."


    Edward stood up. "When do you think rescue wille?"


    "Three-four days give or take," Luo Yan said.


    Since the task given to them would end in about three days, dungeon-time wise, then it''s safe to assume that the police or any other authority would arrive by then. After all, if they didn''t, then how else would they leave here?


    After Edward left, Luo Yan told the servant to call in young Harry. The poor kid was pale white, obviously still very shaken by what happened. The other was so rattled, he could barely answer any of Luo Yan''s question.


    Considering that Harry was still too young 20 years ago, he could barely remember anything what happened then. And with his current state, his answer became even more unreliable. So, Luo Yan simply decided to ask the other againter once he had ample rest.


    With that, Luo Yan let the kid go. The next on his list was youngdy Daphne. Unlike her cousin, the youngdy was faring much better. When she entered the study, she looked around with curiosity. Although there''s still a bit of timidity in her movements, her steps were full of energy.


    It''s very contradictory to how she acted during dinner. Or maybe she was simply holding herself back because of her father.


    "Please, sit down, Miss Daphne," Luo Yan said, gesturing for the other to sit.


    Daphne demurely sat down. "I- I will answer any of your questions, detective."


    "That''s good. Then, can you tell me what were you doing between the time of 12 and 1 AM?"

 Chapter 803 INTERVIEW (VIII)

    Chapter 803 INTERVIEW (VIII)¡¡¡¡"HOW did she act then in the next five years that she didn''t meet Richard?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Quite calm, actually. But I''m not really the best source of information. At that time, I was already living in London. I rarely came back at the manor. You could ask Charlie. But he was boarding at school then, so he might not also be a reliable source of information."


    "How about servants? I''ve been informed that Saunders had worked with the family back then? Could he be a reliable source of what happened then?" he asked, making a segue to Saunders.


    "That guy? Maybe he could. He''d been working for our family since he''s a youngd after all."


    Luo Yan quickly took down that information. "Oh? When did he start working for your family?"


    "I''m not really quite sure. I just know that he started as a teenage boy, working odd jobs around the house. Then when he learned how to drive, Father assigned him as the family''s chauffeur."


    Not caring much about servants was certainly in line with this guy''s character. Luo Yan could probably not gain any new information about Saunders from him. But there''s still one thing he could learn from the other.


    "I was told that the only servant your father brought to the Americas was the former butler. Do you know why Saunders is still working for your family if that was the case?"


    "Ah, he seemed to have mention that Father called him back to work for him again."


    "Did that mean that Saunders wasid off 20 years ago and then hired again when your father returned this year?"


    "I guess so."


    "It''s quite unusual for him to return after 20 years, don''t you think?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Not really. Father gave generous severance pay to all the servants who survived the fire back then. That money was definitely enough to support someone in their station for the rest of their lives. If Father called them back to work for him again, they would definitely not hesitate to agree."


    Luo Yan caught an important word from what the other said. "Them? Is Saunders not the only one who returned to your family''s service?"


    "Yes. The housekeeper ¨C Mrs. Green, she''s also our former housekeeper."


    A housekeeper? First the driver, now even the housekeeper might possibly be involved in this whole debacle. No, maybe Luo Yan was simply thinking too much. The housekeeper might not be connected to this at all. But it wouldn''t hurt to look into it. And so, he wrote down the name of the housekeeper on his notepad.


    Now that he finished with that, he should move to the next thing on his list.


    "Did you notice anything unusual that night the explosion happened?" he asked.


    "I didn''t notice anything out of the ordinary if that''s what you wanted to ask," Edward said. "I arrivete that night with my deceased wife and our son. We just had dinner and were about to rest for the night when the explosion happened. We almost all died back then. So, I couldn''t understand how Father could even think that we had something to do with it. But then again, it hardly mattered now. Since Father is- was already¡ª"


    The other suddenly became silent. Luo Yan was surprised to see the sadness on Edward''s eyes. For all the negative traits this guy had, he seemed to really care for his father.


    "Which rooms were you and your family were staying that night?" he asked.


    "I stayed at my old room. My deceased wife and our son also stayed at the same wing."


    "And which wing of the manor was that?"


    "The left wing."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. If the explosion started in the right wing and then slowly moved to the left wing, Edward and his family would have ample time to leave the manor. He hardly thought that they would be in imminent danger.


    He continued to ask some more questions. Once he was satisfied, he finally asked something that he felt might have some connection to all of this.


    "Did your mother die of natural causes?"


    Edward was about to answer, then, as if realizing something, he said instead, "What does that have to do with anything?"


    "Just humor me, please," he said with a smile.


    "Yes, she died of a sudden heart attack."


    Luo Yan wrote that down. "That will be all then, Mr. Edward."


    Edward stood up. "When do you think rescue wille?"


    "Three-four days give or take," Luo Yan said.


    Since the task given to them would end in about three days, dungeon-time wise, then it''s safe to assume that the police or any other authority would arrive by then. After all, if they didn''t, then how else would they leave here?


    After Edward left, Luo Yan told the servant to call in young Harry. The poor kid was pale white, obviously still very shaken by what happened. The other was so rattled, he could barely answer any of Luo Yan''s question.


    Considering that Harry was still too young 20 years ago, he could barely remember anything what happened then. And with his current state, his answer became even more unreliable. So, Luo Yan simply decided to ask the other againter once he had ample rest.


    With that, Luo Yan let the kid go. The next on his list was youngdy Daphne. Unlike her cousin, the youngdy was faring much better. When she entered the study, she looked around with curiosity. Although there''s still a bit of timidity in her movements, her steps were full of energy.


    It''s very contradictory to how she acted during dinner. Or maybe she was simply holding herself back because of her father.


    "Please, sit down, Miss Daphne," Luo Yan said, gesturing for the other to sit.


    Daphne demurely sat down. "I- I will answer any of your questions, detective."


    "That''s good. Then, can you tell me what were you doing between the time of 12 and 1 AM?"

 Chapter 804 INTERVIEW (IX)

    Chapter 804 INTERVIEW (IX)¡¡¡¡"I WAS at my room, detective," Daphne answered. "I was probably already asleep then."


    "Your mother told me that after dinner, the two of you were together. Is that correct?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Yes, that''s correct."


    "What time did the two of you separate?"


    Daphne was silent for a while, looking like she was thinking what time she and her mother separatedst night. "I think just a little after 11."


    Luo Yan wrote that down. If that was the case, then there could hardly be any time for the Cooper family to kill and burned a body. Unless, Daphne and Catherine were working together so they could have an alibi.


    He stared at the youngdy sitting in front of him. Although she didn''t seem as nervous as she was during dinner. But she still seemed a bit fidgety, as evidence of the way she''s clinging on her skirt.


    Whether Daphne was working with her mother or if she was simply providing an alibi for her, he would know if he talked to the other further.


    "Can you describe your parents'' rtionship to me?" he started.


    Daphne showed a confused expression. But because she didn''t have the confidence to refute, she could only answer at the end.


    "Ahm, like any other married couple, I guess."


    Luo Yan gave her a knowing nce. "Miss Daphne, it would be really helpful if you can be honest with me. Don''t worry, whatever you tell me in this room will remain in this room." He controlled his expression to make it appear like he was full of sincerity and then looked at the other straight in the eyes. "I promise."


    He was expecting Daphne to blush and stutter. After all, the other was a young woman and this skin he''s currently wearing was very dashing. If the game devs programmed her right ording to the character traits she had shown so far, then that should be her reaction. He swore this was not just because of his narcissistic tendency.


    He could only think of two reasons for such a reaction. One ¨C the character she had shown so far was not really the real her. Two ¨C she wasn''t really who she portrayed she was.


    Just like Sofia.


    If it was thetter, then it''s better to not think too much about it. Because if he''s right and they truly turned out to be one of his four team mates, then the game system might just consider this task as a ''failure''. Might as well not think about it just to be safe.


    But if his guess turned out to be true, then this girl ¨C whoever she was inside ¨C would definitely be more open in helping her. After all, it''s in their best interest to solve this case. Which would in turn help them solve whatever happened 20 years ago. Because there''s no way the two cases were rted.


    "Please, Miss Daphne, your answer could very well help me solve whatever had happened here," he said with a pleading tone.


    Daphne bit her lip like she was hesitating. Then after a few seconds, as if she had finally made her decision, she raised her head and said;


    "It''s¡­ a very unusual rtionship. Not- not like how normal married couples should be."


    Luo Yan''s interest was peaked by that answer. "Can you borate?"


    "Can you promise that whatever I say would not go back to my parents?" Daphne asked worriedly.


    "As I''ve said, our conversation will stay here," Luo Yan assured the other.


    "I- I think you have already noticed that the one in charged of our family is my father," she started.


    "Yes, he isn''t really that subtle about it," hemented.


    "One would think so, right? But that wasn''t really the entirety of it," she said. "Although it seemed like my mother is the one at the disadvantaged position, I couldn''t help but feel that wasn''t the case at all. Of course, growing up, I''ve never really thought of such a notion. To me, Father is this scary presence that should be obeyed at all times. But as I grew older and understand more things, I noticed that that seemed to not be the case at all. On the surface, at least."


    "You''re saying that the one really in charge of everything was your mother?" Luo Yan asked, rifying what Daphne meant.


    The other nodded. "In a way, yes. It always seemed like Father is controlling Mother. But living with them, I could see things more clearly than others. It might seem like Father is the one doing all the decision making. But almost all the decisions he made have always been based on Mother''s action. It''s like¡­ it''s like Mother is controlling him without Father even noticing it."


    Luo Yan was already expecting that that might be the case, so he wasn''t really that surprised hearing it. "Can you give me an example?"


    "Ahm, I don''t know if this is this could be considered an example, but our trip here, Father really didn''t want to go. It''s because Grandfather always insults him whenever they meet and Father couldn''t really do anything about it but stay silent. But then Mother started annoying Father, saying things that would attack his self-esteem.


    "She did it in a way that made it seem like she didn''t really know what she''s saying. The way she delivered her words, stuttering in an almost inaudible voice, certainly made it seem that way. Then, Father lose his temper and hurt Mother. Topensate her for that, he finally agreed to go here and visit Grandfather."


    "Does that happen often, your mother saying something, your father losing his temper and hurting her, and then aspensation, he would end up doing what your mother initially wanted?" Luo Yan asked to make sure.


    "Well, if the detective put it that way, then, yes, I guess?"


    If Luo Yan considered the things that Edward said about Catherine, then the things Daphne said were not really that hard to believe.


    Oh Catherine, what a naughty girl you had been.

 Chapter 805 INTERVIEW (X)

    Chapter 805 INTERVIEW (X)¡¡¡¡LUO YAN continued his interview with Daphne. The other was very cooperative. Even though she acted unwilling, she still answered every question that he asked. In fact, out of everyone he''d interviewed so far, she was the most amiable. It solidified his guess that Daphne was one of the four (team mates).


    From now on, he would refer to his team mates as that, ''the four''. That way, he could avoid the possibility of the game system acknowledging his guess. Since this game system could recognize whenever he made a right conclusion, as evidence of that notification sound, then it''s also possible that it could consider his thoughts as valid indicator that he unmasked his team mates'' identities. Which in turn would lead to the failure of their mission.


    It''s actually quite the mystery how this game system could recognize his thoughts. It''s almost a bit, well, god-like. But then again, everything that''s happening in this game was technically happening inside the yers'' minds. So, this shouldn''t really be that much of a surprise.


    Because of that, Luo Yan decided to not be too straightforward with his thinking when it came to guessing who''s who. For now, let''s just say he had two candidates for being one of the four ¨C Sofia and Daphne. He had a clear guess on who was the former, but thetter was still hard to guess.


    But his interview was still ongoing and he should continue on with it. Maybe he could add another two candidates on his list of ''the four''.


    Luo Yan ended his interview with Daphne. There''s really nothing he could ask more. Considering how she hadn''t been born yet 20 years ago, she probably knew nothing about what happened then. And he doubted her parents would actually tell her anything about that.


    He stood up and told the servant waiting outside the study to call on the next person he nned to interview ¨C Sorcha Harcourt.


    It didn''t take that long for the tall woman to walk to the study. He didn''t notice it earlier because of too much things that were happening, but the other was dressed rather oddly. Not in that weird kind of way. Just in how she was coveredyers uponyers of clothes.


    Since the incident happened in the middle of the night, everyone was in their night wear. With a robe over, of course. But Miss Sorcha here was probably wearing three robes over one another. Not only that, she was also clutching at her neckline as if her life depended on it.


    Or as if she was covering her throat.


    "Miss, Sorcha, please," he said, gesturing for the other to sit down. The other sat down without saying anything. "Are you perhaps prone to chills?"


    "I don''t think my body temperature is of any relevance to this case, detective," Sorcha said in that low toned voice of hers. "But if you insist on knowing, then, yes, I do."


    Luo Yan only smiled at that. The other was obviously being sarcastic, but because of herzy tone, it''s hardly noticeable at all. "Where were you between the time of 12 and 1 AM?"


    "At my bedroom, sleeping. Then, I was woken up by the explosion."


    Luo Yan wrote that down. "Where did you go after dinner?"


    "I went straight to my bedroom, washed up, and read a book," Sorcha answered without any hesitation.


    "Could anyone corroborate any of that?"


    "Sadly, no. If this manor had more servants, someone would have probably seen me entered my room."


    Luo Yan observed the other''s expression. She was too calm. As if she was¡­ disconnected. It''s either because she was innocent and therefore didn''t have any guilt. Or she was a cold-blooded killer.


    He''s leaning more to the former.


    "How long had it been since youst saw your father-inw?" he asked, segueing to another subject.


    "Last night was the first after 20 years."


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised hearing that. "That long? You and your Mr. Harcourt had never met for the past 20 years?"


    "I believe that''s what I just said."


    "From the way Mr. Harcourt acted yesterday and by the fact that he''s nning to leave all his fortunes to you, one would think that the two of you are, well, close. But based on what you just said, that didn''t seem to be the case."


    "Yes. After what happened with my¡­ my husband and our son, I refuse to have any connection to this family. Mr. Harcourt tried to contact me a couple of times throughout the years, but I always declined. If not for that telephone call he made, telling me that what happened to my husband and son might not be an ident, I would not probablye here.


    "I had no idea that he would announce to everyone that he would leave his wealth to me. Frankly speaking, if you asked me, I think Mr. Harcourt is simply trying to make a rise out of his children. And he got it. Just look at what happened to him."


    "Are you implying that one of his children had done this?" Luo Yan asked with interest.


    "I''m just saying that if Mr. Harcourt had gone to the trouble of recreating what happened before that fire 20 years ago, doesn''t that mean that he was expecting like this to happen?" Sorcha said with a careless shrug. "And look, didn''t someone die right after? Don''t tell me you don''t find that suspicious?"


    "It was indeed suspicious. But it''s just one of the many suspicious things surrounding this incident. And if we add what happened 20 years ago, everything just starts to be convoluted," Luo Yan said. "So, Ms. Sorcha, what can you tell me about what happened 20 years ago?"


    For the first time, the woman turned her gaze away. When she spoke, even her voice broke a little. "I- I don''t want to talk about it."


    This was the first time since Luo Yan saw this woman that she showed such a weak side. Was what he''s seeing really the other''s show of weakness or was it just that, a show?

 Chapter 806 INTERVIEW (XI)

    Chapter 806 INTERVIEW (XI)¡¡¡¡"THEN, can you tell me the events that led to your husband going back to Ennd with your son?" Luo Yan asked. "Why didn''t he bring you with him? Was there a reason why you couldn''t go?"


    The woman remained tight-lipped. Luo Yan was starting to get really suspicious because of the other''s reaction. This refusal to say anything was just making the other looked like she was hiding something. Seriously, it''s not as if he was asking something hard. But with this reaction, it''s like he''s asking her if she was the culprit in all these or something. The fact that she was acting like this was almost like she''s admitting to it.


    There was another reason he could think of though. That the other simply didn''t know how to answer him. How could she not know, you asked? Because she''s not really the person she said she was.


    The possibility that this woman might be an imposter was now on the table. This guess was not really that farfetched. Nobody here knew what the real Sorcha Harcourt looked like. After all, before Richard could introduce her to his family, that fire happened and he died.


    But then, from her words earlier, about meeting William Harcourt for the first time after 20 years, it seemed that they had met before that. But then again, she could easily lie about that. After all, the person who could ascertain whether she''s lying or not was already supposedly dead.


    However, immediately believing this to be true would not do good for Luo Yan. He needed to be absolutely sure first.


    "Miss Sorcha, I know that what happened to your husband and your son, Sam, was traumatizing to say the least. But the way you''re acting now, not answering a question that wasn''t even thatplicated, just warrant suspicion," he said in a serious tone.


    After a few seconds of silence, Sorcha finally spoke. "I didn''t answer because I simply didn''t want to recall that time. Just like you said, what happened back then was traumatizing. I would rather not say anything rted to it because it takes me back to that awful, awful day when I found out about the news of their deaths. But since the detective is insisting, less you used me of things I didn''t do, then, I''ll tell you."


    She took a deep breath, as if she was trying to gather her strength. If she was acting, then Luo Yan must say that she was very good.


    "I wasn''t able to go with my husband and son because I was still recovering from the flu. When we received a telegram from Mr. Harcourt, asking for Richard to return to Ennd, my husband didn''t want to go because I was still admitted at the hospital that time. I don''t have any families that could look after me. But I convinced my husband to go and bring our son with him.


    "If Richard were to leave, no one would look after our son because of my condition at that time. Whereas, doctors and nurses could look after me while I was in the hospital. And it proved to be the worst thing I could have done in my life. If not for my insistence, Richard would have not gone back here in Ennd with our son. They- they would definitely not have suffered such a tragic fate."


    Her voice sounded even huskier as she was rying that story, her voice even broke at the very end. If Luo Yan hadn''t already determined the other''s identity, he might have believed her. Sadly, before this woman started her heartbroken wife and mother act, he already knew that she was not the real Sorcha.


    How did he ascertain that? It''s because the other did not refute him when he referred to her son as ''Sam''. From his conversation with William Harcourt, he knew that Richard and Sorcha''s son was named ''Sean''. The fact that this woman did not even react when he called her son the wrong name already showed that she''s not the real Sorcha.


    There''s no way a mother would have forgotten the name of her son. Especially one that died a tragic death.


    This was the method he thought of to trap the other into revealing whether she''s real or a fake. He purposely used a name simr to ''Sean'', so if she corrected him, he could just simply apologize and say that he was mistaken. But since the other didn''t do that, it''s already clear as day that she was not who she said she was.


    To show the fake Sorcha that he believed her, Luo Yan''s expression eased. "I see. I''m sorry if I forced you to answer my question. It''s important so I could have a more detailed ounts of the events that lead up to our current situation."


    "I understand. But if you have no more questions, I wish to go back to my room and rest."


    Luo Yan stood up. "Of course. Thank you for answering my questions."


    The other nodded before standing up and walking out of the room.


    Luo Yan watched her as she left. He sat back down and fell into deep thinking. Now that he proved that the woman was not the real ''Sorcha'', he could only think of two possibilities how the other managed to impersonate the real one.


    First, nobody here truly knew how the real Sorcha looked like. So, if this fake took over the other''s identity using whatever method, no one here would have suspected anything. Second, William Harcourt hired the woman to act as a fake ''Sorcha''. As insane as that might sound.


    Considering the two choices, Luo Yan was leaning more to thetter. Because just like what the fake ''Sorcha'' hinted, William Harcourt staged a scene where he could get a rise from his children. Probably hoping that one of them would react in the same way they did 20 years ago. For that to work, he needed someone that would act as a ''shield''. And that''s where the fake Sorcha entered.


    But this also led Luo Yan to believe one thing ¨C that William Harcourt most likely faked his death.

 Chapter 807 INTERVIEW (XII)

    Chapter 807 INTERVIEW (XII)¡¡¡¡LUO YAN would probably not have arrived to this conclusion if not for discovering that Sorcha was just a fake and not the real one. After all, if she was the real Sorcha, he would never have thought of the possibility that she was hired by William Harcourt to y this role.


    If he was correct with his assumptions, then the old man really did n everything. From inviting his children here to the explosion that isted them from the outside andstly, to the burnt corpse. That meant that, just like what that fake Sorcha had said, William Harcourt staged that changing his will fiasco just so he could get a rise from his children.


    But what''s the point of all this ruse? To smoke out the real perpetrator behind what happened 20 years ago? But weren''t all these simply too borate? If one thought about it carefully, doing so much wasn''t really needed. Especially if the goal was to only discover the person or people responsible.


    If it was Luo Yan, he would opt for a more simplistic approach. Something that could give him the same result without all the unnecessary drama. Surely, there must be a reason why William Harcourt chose such an approach. But then again, considering the game devs brain hole, this might be just them wanting drama when it wasn''t even needed.


    The most baffling thing about this whole situation was why did William have to wait 20 years before doing something like this? Beforest night, he met with his children a total of three times. That meant he had three chances to do this. Why wait this long? Unless- unless the one the three Harcourt siblings met in those three times was not the real William Harcourt.


    From what he gathered from his interview with the three siblings, the time they spent with their father during those three times were not that long. From what he understood, their meetings with him onlysted for a day or so. The real William must have been in aa and had only woken up recently. Probably just after the third meeting. He then proceeded to building this replica of the manor. That''s why he was only able to execute this n now.


    Having someone to pretend to be him wasn''t exactly that hard. His face was already burned from the fire, even his throat was damaged from inhaling too much smoke. The pretender only needed to wear a mask, made his voice hoarse, and sat on a wheelchair. And vo, ''William Harcourt'' would appear.


    But for this to work, he must have had an aplice. Someone he trusted unconditionally and knew the situation of the Harcourt family. The only one who fit this description was the former butler. Had anyone ever mentioned what happened to him? Luo Yan tried to remember but he couldn''t recall any information about the other. Aside from the fact that he was now reced by the younger Gilmore.


    Maybe this butler was still alive. Maybe he was even here, hiding somewhere, helping his master set up this grand y.


    Hopefully Luo Yan could gain more informationter once he interviewed the head maid.


    Aside from the possibility of William Harcourt being alive, there''s still one more thing that''s bothering him after that interview he had with the fake Sorcha. It''s the woman herself.


    The only reason he suspected her was because she suddenly became uncooperative. If he was hired by William, then he must have given her an ample amount of information about the real Sorcha.


    The fact that she refused to answer and instead made it seem like she was traumatized by the event was not out of character for someone ying the role of a con artist. Yes, Luo Yan suspected that the fake Sorcha was one of the four. The other did her best to not go OOC but still managed to make herself look suspicious. As if she was trying to help the detective ¨C which was him ¨C to have more clue.


    With her addition, Luo Yan now had three candidates for ''the four''. The only funny thing about this was that all of them were women. Well, not entirely. If he''s gut feeling was correct, then one of the three was just pretending to be a woman. But that only made it much funnier.


    Following those conclusions, a couple of notification rang in his mind, confirming some of the things he just guessed.


    Luo Yan smiled. Now, he''s finally going somewhere. He cracked his neck from left to right. Although this was only the virtual world, he still felt a bit tired. Or maybe the game system was simply giving his current avatar a feeling of ''tiredness''. After all, if this was the real world, he probably had been awake for more than 12 hours already.


    He stood up and stretched his body a bit before walking out of the study. He called on to the maid ¨C the one who took him to his room earlier ¨C who was on standby outside. Under normal circumstance, the butler should be the one here to coordinate things. But since Luo Yan was also suspicious of Gilmore, he simply chose someone with the least amount of suspicion.


    Now, it''s time to interview the one he''s most excited about.


    "Please, call Miss Deveraux," he said.


    The maid nodded and quickly went to the nearest room where the others were waiting.


    Luo Yan walked back inside the study and sat down behind the desk, waiting for Sofia toe. He was actually looking forward to talking alone with Sofia. Not because he was expecting a lot of information from the other. No, that was just a small part of it.


    The door opened and the beautiful Miss Deveraux walked in. Unlike earlier, she was now d with a thick robe.


    Luo Yan smiled and stood up. "Please take a seat, Miss Deveraux."


    The real reason why he was looking forward to this interview was because his gut feeling was telling him that this NPC was none other than his cinnamon roll.

 Chapter 808 INTERVIEW (XIII)

    Chapter 808 INTERVIEW (XIII)¡¡¡¡LUO YAN watched as the ''woman'' walked into the study. ''She'' was walking much morefortablypared to when he met ''her'' during dinner. Probably because ''she'' was no longer wearing heels. Although ''she'' tried to look as if ''she'' was born to wear heels, Luo Yan still noticed how ''she'' slightly staggered every time ''she'' tried to walk.


    Of course, it wasn''t to the point that ''she'' would look funny while walking. The way ''she'' carried ''herself'' made up for that. If Luo Yan wasn''t secretly observing everyone the moment he entered this manor yesterday, he probably wouldn''t even notice it. If not for the things that he observed, he probably wouldn''t even think that the charming Miss Deveraux was actually his adorable cinnamon roll.


    It''s not just ''her'' awkward way of walking. Every time Edward, ''her'' supposed fianc¨¦ would try to initiate skinship, ''she'' would flinch ever so slightly and then ''she'' would return to normal, acting all amorous and flirty. But the thing that really sold him was when he identally saw ''her'' expression or rather, ''her''ck of one. And that only happened because of chance.


    The first one was when the other was lurking outside William Harcourt''s room and the second one was when they found the burnt corpse. ''Sofia'' was caught off-guard in both instances. If not for that, maybe Luo Yan wouldn''t have been able to see it. Then, he probably wouldn''t suspect her as one of the four.


    Truthfully, at first, he wondered if the other was his brother''s crush (let''s just call her that to avoid the game system''s suspicion). But if it was her, then what he would see was indifference instead of just a full-blownck of expression.


    If it was anyone, they would probably think that he''s being hasty with his conclusions. And perhaps he was. Even he thought so. Under normal circumstance, he would gather enough evidence before he made this kind of inference. But the thing was, he couldn''t really apply the word ''normal'' in this ''Sofia'' situation.


    Why? Because his heart told him so. One could say that this was simply the advantage of being in love. To be able to recognize his cinnamon roll this fast, the little him inside his heart was standing quite proudly with his chin up high.


    Although he did wonder if his cinnamon roll was the same. Could he still recognize him despite lookingpletely different? But then again, the other wasn''t exactly that observant when it came to human interactions. It''s probably taking all his willpower just to maintain this role he was given. His cinnamon roll wasn''t like him after all.


    So, he wouldn''t be mad if the other couldn''t recognize him. However, that didn''t mean he wouldn''t ''retaliate''. A little teasing should suffice.


    Luo Yan walked out from behind the desk and then pulled the chair of one of the seats at the opposite side. He then gestured to ''Sofia'', who was already standing before him, to sit down.


    ''Sofia'' smiled at him, full of charm. As if ''she'' had already forgotten of the horror that had happened earlier. "Thank you, detective."


    Luo Yan only smiled back. But as he removed his hands from the chair, he ''inadvertently'' touched the other''s shoulder. He immediately felt ''her'' body stiffening. He acted as if he didn''t notice that and sat back down again on his seat, making it look like an ident.


    "Shall we start this interview, Miss Deveraux?" he asked.


    "Please, just call me Sofia. After the things we experienced together, the two of us could be considered as friends. Don''t you think?" ''she'' said with an almost inviting smile.


    Luo Yan bit the inside of his cheek just so he wouldn''tugh. Really, after knowing who the other was, it''s a bit hard watching ''her'' act like this. Especially if hepared it to how his cinnamon roll usually acted. The other must have been trying ''her'' hardest not to go OOC.


    A huge prop to ''her'' though. Going out of ''her''fort zone just to make sure they wouldn''t fail, even if it meant acting like some flirty, gold-diggingdy.


    Still, it would never not be funny.


    "Sofia, then," he said. "Truthfully, I find addressing you so formally too distant. Especially when you have such a beautiful name."


    When he added thest part, he didn''t forget to look straight at ''Sofia''s'' eyes, his gaze full of hidden meanings. Since his character was a gentleman, he couldn''t directly flirt as he wanted to. So, he could only do some veiled flirtations.


    ''Sofia'' was silent for a moment, ''she'' almost looked like ''she'' was wondering how ''she'' should respond. But that didn''tst long. Just after two-three seconds, ''she'' had ''her'' usual smile back on ''her'' face.


    "I think your name suits you as well. James. Very¡­ manly."


    Luo Yan had to tell himself repeatedly not tough and maintain the expression on his face. If only he could use his Status Window, he had already recorded all the things that the other was saying.


    He smiled in thanks before proceeding to the interview.


    "Sofia, can you tell me what you were doing near the room of Mr. Harcourt when I found you earlier?"


    ''Sofia'' showed an embarrassed expression. "That- ahm, if I answer you, can you please promise me first not to tell it to anyone? Especially not to my dear Eddie."


    "Of course."


    "I- I was propositioned by Mr. Harcourt! Oh, it was so humiliating! He told me to visit him in his room once everyone was asleep. So, I went there. Not to agree, of course. But to give him a piece of my mind. How could he say that to his future daughter-inw? I''m not some harlot! I stood in front of his room for a good 10 minutes before I decided to leave. It turned out that I didn''t have the willpower to have a confrontation with him. Who would have thought that- that- oh it was just so awful what happened to him."


    Then ''Sofia'' proceeded on wiping the imaginary tears on ''her'' eyes with the handkerchief ''she'' was holding.


    This time, Luo Yan could barely hold back hisughter.

 Chapter 809 INTERVIEW (XIV)

    Chapter 809 INTERVIEW (XIV)¡¡¡¡LUO YAN didn''t believe for a second that that was indeed the reason why the other was lurking outside William Harcourt''s room earlier. Perhaps ''she'' was in a state where ''she'' couldn''t honestly tell him the reason why. Or maybe it would be considered as OOC if ''she'' answered him truthfully.


    In any case, it''s still funny as hell. He would have never thought that his cinnamon roll still had this kind of ''talent''. Who knew he could weave such a story and even act out as if he''s some kind of damsel in distress? Just a bit of training and the other could probably give any white lotus a run for their money.


    Although it wound be fun to see that, Luo Yan still preferred his oblivious cinnamon roll. In his heart, no one could simply beat that kind of cuteness.


    He coughed to prevent himself fromughing. Then, appearing all dignified, he said, "I see. How could he act in such an ungentlemanly manner? I''m sure you must have been quite scared. It''s truly admirable of you to stand up for yourself like that."


    ''Sofia''s'' shaking shoulder stopped for a moment, as if ''she'' didn''t expect such a reaction from him. Luo Yan could already tell what the other was thinking. ''She'' probably wanted him to question ''her'' more. Then, maybe ''she'' would have an excuse to tell him everything under the guise of being coerced. But how could he do that to such a beautiful dy''?


    Besides, this was his cinnamon roll. Knowing him, he would definitely find a way to convey what needed to be conveyed.


    Sure enough, after not getting the reaction ''she'' wanted, ''Sofia'' then said;


    "A-actually, while I was standing outside the room of Mr. Harcourt, I heard some rustling inside. I was so startled. It was so scary that my body just moved on its own and ran away. That''s when you found me." Then as if realizing something, ''her'' eyes widened and said, "That- that rustling sound, it''s like someone was walking inside the room. But it shouldn''t be Mr. Harcourt, right? Could- could it be I heard his murderer?"


    A horrified look appeared on ''Sofia''s'' face. It looked a bit exaggerated, probably because his cinnamon roll didn''t know how to portray just the right amount of fear. The right term to what he''s doing was mimicking. He was most likely just copying the expressions he had shown so far from movies or shows that he had seen.


    If Luo Yan''s role didn''t require him to be observant, he probably wouldn''t take notice of it. So, in a way, his cinnamon roll''s strategy was working. Not to mention, it''s adorable, watching him try his best.


    But back to main point. The other said that ''she'' heard rustling inside the room, as if someone was walking about. He didn''t doubt the authenticity of that. Which meant that when the already burnt corpse was already set on fire again, the one who did it was still inside the room.


    Between the time he saw ''Sofia'' running towards where he was and the moment he saw smokeing out of the master''s bedroom, Luo Yan didn''t see anyone leave the said room. It was a very short period of time, probably not even a minute. He doubted if someone could run out of the room as such.


    Of course, there''s the possibility that the person ran out of the room the same moment that ''Sofia'' scampered away. But Luo Yan didn''t think that that was the case. Because if it was, then ''Sofia'' would definitely mention it to him by now. The fact that ''she'' didn''t could only mean one thing - the person ''she'' heard moving about the room stayed inside.


    This conjecture could only lead to one conclusion ¨C that there''s a hidden passageway inside the master''s bedroom and the person used that to escape.


    The moment he thought that, a notification sounded in his mind. Completely confirming his conjecture.


    Luo Yan almost wanted to p himself at this moment. He should have thought of that much sooner. It''s the only viable reason why the already burnt corpse was set to fire without him seeing anyone go in or out of the room. How careless of him. If not for ''Sofia''s'' reminder, it might have taken him much longer to realize it.


    "Thank you, Sofia. What you said was definitely a very useful information," he said to the other.


    It was his veiled way of telling his cinnamon roll that he understood what he was trying to say. Knowing the other, he would definitely receive the message he''s trying to convey.


    ''Sofia'' showed a relieved expression. "Well, I''m d James think so."


    Luo Yan only smiled at the other before continuing his questioning. "Before going to the master''s bedroom, where were you?"


    "Oh, I was with Eddie, in our room," she answered. "He was still sleeping when I left."


    Luo Yan felt the corner of his eye twitched. Now that he was certain of the other''s identity, he suddenly felt annoyed at the thought that he was sharing a room with another man. Now that he thought about it, didn''t the other have excessive skinship with that old man Edward?


    He suddenly felt a bitplicated. It''s like the feeling of having your lover put a green hat on you. Yes, he knew he was overreaching. After all, he and his cinnamon weren''t in an official rtionship yet. Most importantly, the object of his jealousy was actually an NPC!


    But what could he do? He''s petty like that.


    "I see," he said with a smile. But in his mind, he was already thinking on how he should tease the otherter. Before that, he should finish this interview first. "What can you tell me about your fianc¨¦''s deceased wife?"


    ''Sofia'' appeared like ''she'' didn''t understand the sudden change in topic. But if one looked closely, they could see that there wasn''t any real change in ''her'' eyes. Showing that ''she'' was already expecting this question.

 Chapter 810 INTERVIEW (XV)

    Chapter 810 INTERVIEW (XV)¡¡¡¡"I- I don''t think it''s right to talk about the dead," ''Sofia'' said, ''her'' face full of hesitation.


    Luo Yan knew that ''she'' was just ying ''her'' part, so he decided to just y along. "Sofia, don''t you want to help me figured out the truth? I didn''t ask this question because I want to disrespect the dead. Any information you will give me will definitely help in uncovering the truth. So, I hope Sofia could help me."


    Now that he had given the other a viable reason to answer his inquiry, ''Sofia'' finally no longer looked so hesitant. "I don''t really know much about her. I know her name was Elizabeth and that she passed away three years ago. Eddie doesn''t really talk much about her. At least that was the case at first. Servants do talk. And as much as I didn''t n to¡­ listen to them, I did hear some things."


    "Things like¡­?" Luo Yan prompted the other to continue.


    "That she and Eddie didn''t really get along, especially on theter years before her death. They often quarrel because of Elizabeth''s, how do I say it, gambling habit. When Eddie''s political career started, he became extremely busy. I suppose they started to drift apart then.


    "Theirs was not really a marriage born from love. It''s more of a business. At least that was the case om Eddie''s part. Shen was from an old aristocratic family, you see. You know how most of them had started to lose their wealth at the turn of the century. To support theirvish lifestyle, most of them married rich merchants for their money. In return, the merchants will have the upper circle connections they needed for their business. It was some sort of equal exchange.


    "But from what I heard from the servants, I think Elizabeth loved Eddie dearly. She was the one who approached him first and expressed her interest. With how Mr. Harcourt was, he immediately approved of the match. Eddie wasn''t really too keen on it but because it''s what his father wanted, he went through with the wedding.


    "You see, Eddie might appear proud and prickly but he really respects his father. All he wanted was to get his approval. I guess that wouldn''t happen now. No matter what the things the others might have said about him, I don''t think he''s capable of killing anyone."


    [So, you''re now even defending your new beau in front of your old one.] ¨C Luo Yan thought but he quickly wiped it off from his mind. What a silly thing to think of at a time like this.


    But since his cinnamon roll had assured him that Edward was not the culprit, then he most likely wasn''t. The other must have found evidence of that for him to say so. He would definitely not say that just because he was too much in character. With his assurance, Luo Yan could probably eliminate Edward from the list of suspects. Not that he was ever at the top of the list anyway.


    But something was still nagging at Luo Yan. And he couldn''t let go of the feeling that it had something to do with this Elizabeth. Her, dying three years ago just before they met William Harcourt had to mean something. In plots like this, something like that was hardly coincidental.


    "Do you know how Elizabeth died?" he asked.


    "If I remember correctly, it was due to a heart attack."


    Heart attack? Wait- didn''t Mrs. Harcourt died of the same thing? Another coincidence? That icky feeling he felt just intensified.


    "Did you hear anything from the servants, about anything strange that happened on the day that she died?" he asked.


    ''Sofia'' was silent for a second, as if trying to remember if ''she'' heard of something like that. Then, as if a light bulb turned on inside ''her'' head, an enlightened expression appeared on ''her'' face.


    "I don''t know if this is of any import, but the servants did say that someone visited Elizabeth on the day that she had a heart attack. It was a woman. No one recognized her, they just said that she was very beautiful."


    A very beautiful woman, huh. "And no one questioned her death? They just epted that she had a heart attack? She''s probably not even 50 back then. Too young to suffer a sudden heart failure. Unless, she already had a history of a weak heart."


    "I''m not really sure. But- but I can ask Eddie. Then, I could tell it to youter," ''Sofia'' said. "If you have any more questions about Elizabeth, I could ask Eddie about it."


    "Thank you, Sofia. That would be really helpful," Luo Yan said. "More information surrounding Elizabeth''s death would be much appreciated. And if you could also ask information about Madame Harcourt''s death, then I would be more than thankful."


    "Madame Harcourt? You mean Eddie''s mother?"


    Luo Yan nodded. "I think it will be very vital in this investigation."


    "If it is, then, okay. I will do my best to get the information you need," ''Sofia'' said with determination.


    "Thank you, Sofia, that would be most helpful."


    ''Sofia'' smiled in ''her'' charming way. "Anything to apprehend the culprit."


    Luo Yan stood up. "I think that should be all." He walked over in front of ''Sofia'' and stretched his hand to the other. ''She'' put ''her'' hand on his palm and he gently pulled ''her'' up. "Thank you for being so cooperative, Sofia."


    "Oh, it''s nothing James. I''m just doing what I have to."


    "You truly are so beautiful." Then, Luo Yan slowly lowered his head, kissing the back of ''Sofia''s'' hand. He didn''t remove his gaze from ''her'', as if trying to seduce the other with his eyes. Once he''s done, he continued, "If you are a fleeting cloud, I wish I could be the night sky that could envelop you forever."


    ''Sofia'' seemed to be nailed on the floor, unable to move. And then, just like what Luo Yan expected and wanted, ''her'' whole face turned bright red.


    Luo Yan smiled triumphantly at that.

 Chapter 811 INTERVIEW (XVI)

    Chapter 811 INTERVIEW (XVI)¡¡¡¡LUO YAN watched as ''Sofia'' rushed out of the study, almost stumbling on ''her'' own feet because of how fast ''she'' ran. When the other walked out of the door, he finally released theugh he''d been holding.


    How adorable.


    He told ''Sofia'' that ''she'' was the cloud and he himself was the night. He gave the other so much hint, he would be truly annoyed if he didn''t get it. The hints he gave him was almost in your face that if his cinnamon roll didn''t get it, he would seriously question his IQ. And the thing his cinnamon roll would neverck was that.


    Seeing as how the other ran as if some axe murderer was chasing after him, Luo Yan could only think of two reasons for it. In the off-chance that his cinnamon roll forgot his IQ and didn''t understand the message he was trying to convey, he probably ran out that fast so he could stop himself from hitting Luo Yan. If that wasn''t the case, then, the other must be too shy and ran out before the game system could not detect his mind associating the detective ''NPC'' to his rabbit.


    Luo Yan leaned more on thetter. Just like him, his cinnamon roll was probably trying his best to prevent his mind from mentioning him and the others. Luo Yan felt a bit guilty. He probably shouldn''t have teased the other too much. Especially considering his effect on the guy. Just a simple mistake and they could fail this task. But he just couldn''t help it.


    He shook his head. He really should control himself sometimes.


    With that, the interview continued on.


    The next one he called was the solicitor, Arthur Wells. After all the basic questions, like where was he and what was he doing during this and that time, Luo Yan started asking about things that he considered as important points.


    "How long have you been Mr. Harcourt''s solicitor?"


    "Almost 30 years," the other answered without any qualms.


    That long? Then thiswyer must know a lot of family secrets. But before he could ask something on that line, Arthur Wells beat him to it.


    "Although I may have been under Mr. Harcourt''s employ for that long, I wasn''t privy to any family secrets," the other said as if he had already known what he was thinking. "My rtionship with this family is strictly business."


    Luo Yan scratched his nose. It seemed that he wasn''t able to hide his expression, probably because his mind was still on his cinnamon roll. He pinched his arm a bit to return his focus.


    He stared at Arthur''s expression. It was still as serious and wooden as before. He didn''t think that the other would lie about this. After all, what would he get from lying? From his observation during dinnerst night, he could tell that this NPC was not close to any of the Harcourts. Yes, even Mr. Harcourt himself. His attitude towards his employer was respectful but very perfunctory as well. As if he was just here to do his job as awyer.


    The Harcourts reaction to him was also very natural. Obviously, they were already used to the other''s wooden personality. Which further proved that Arthur''s rtionship with the family was truly just business.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Wells, I won''t ask about that," he said. "I only want to know about the specifics of the revised will. Both the old and the new."


    He was referring to the will that William was nning to sign 20 years ago and this new one. If this man had been the Harcourts'' solicitor for 30 years, then surely, he would know all the details of both wills.


    "Then, your question should be corrected," Arthur said. "In the past 20 years, there''s only been one change in Mr. Harcourt''s will."


    Luo Yan frowned when he heard that. "What do you mean?"


    "He never revised his will 20 years ago."


    "You mean he never made a will that would leave all his properties to Richard?" Luo Yan asked carefully.


    "No. I was never informed of that," the solicitor confirmed what Luo Yan just said. "Mr. Harcourt''s will has or rather, had always been to equally divide his properties to all his children upon his death."


    Luo Yan''s frown became deeper. What did that mean? Could it be possible that saying he would leave everything to Richard was fake, just a blind threat to force his children to be in line or something? But wasn''t that too extreme? Just like what he didst night. It''s as if the old mad was inciting evil. He''s starting to really get confused by the purpose of William Harcourt.


    Then, he remembered one important point that Arthur had said. That the will had changed one time in the past 20 years. Meaning William might not have done 20 years ago, but he surely did sometime in between. No, maybe it was the revised will leaving everything to the real Sorcha.


    To make sure, he directly asked Arthur if that was indeed the case. The other''s answer truly surprised him.


    "Yes, that''s the content of the new will. You''re probably thinking that this change only urred recently. On that regard, I think I have to correct you. Mr. Harcourt revised that will 10 years ago."


    "You mean as early as 10 years ago, he already decided to leave everything to Sorcha?" Luo Yan asked just to make sure he correctly understood what the other was saying.


    "Yes. But again, with a slight correction. The bulk of the family properties will be left to Sorcha. But 50,000 pounds will be given each to Harry and Daphne. Charles will also receive an amount of 50,000 as well as a seaside vi."


    In short, the only ones who wouldn''t receive anything were Edward and Catherine. That amount of money was already plenty during this time period. With intion, that 50,000 pounds would roughly amount to $800,000 today. One could say that William was already pretty generous.


    But the question here was, why exclude his other two children?

 Chapter 812 INTERVIEW (XVII)

    Chapter 812 INTERVIEW (XVII)¡¡¡¡THE solicitor had already walked out of the study but Luo Yan was still deep in thought. He was contemting about a lot of things. He didn''t notice that he remained in that state for almost 10 minutes. If not for the maid knocking on the door and asking him who she should call next, he would probably stay in that state for much longer.


    He told the maid to call the next person to be interviewed ¨C Peter Baker. The doctor entered the study not long after. He walked forward and sat on the seat opposite Luo Yan.


    "Mr. Barker, I won''t beat around the bush, so I hope you can answer me honestly," he first said. "Are you a real doctor or not?"


    Luo Yan was pretty certain now that the other wasn''t a real doctor. But if he was, then that could only mean that he lied on purpose about the identity of the corpse. Either way, the probability of this person being paid to be here was extremely high.


    He no longer wanted to beat around the bush and waste more time. After analyzing the situation, the role of this doctor wasn''t really that important in grand scheme of things. He was just here to throw the detective off by giving the wrong information.


    The only problem he could see because of his sudden straightforward question was that this guy would go and tattle to the person or people who hired him that his cover was blown off. But so what? Didn''t they already expect that? The moment they invited a detective here, they should have already thought that he could quickly deduct that this Peter Baker was not a real doctor.


    The fact that they still inserted this fake doctor meant that the other was just here to buy time, to prolong his investigation. Probably because they''re still not done. Luo Yan had a hunch that some time before the deadline of this task, one of the NPCs would die.


    He wasn''t nning on stopping it. That''s not what he was here for. Maybe he would even get more evidence if another murder urred. He winced a bit. That was a bit heartless of him. But whoever would die next probably deserved it anyway. After all, a child died in that fire. Whatever reason the culprit of that incident had, it would never be justified.


    He stared at Peter Baker. He could see the shock expression on the other''s face and then came the hesitation. But after a few seconds, that hesitation turned to something like relief.


    "I guess you found out. You''re a famous detective after all," Peter said, obviously acquiescing to Luo Yan''s question.


    He was a bit surprised that the other would readily admit it. He was prepared to threaten the other, of course, in a gentlemanly way. He even had this speech ready. Who would have thought that he didn''t need to do any of that?


    He looked at this fake doctor with interest. The normal reaction would be to refuse. A couple of times, at least. Unless this was simply the character of this NPC. Or, this guy was one of the four. Surprisingly enough, the probability of thetter was fairly high.


    Earlier when the other was examining the corpse, he appeared like he knew what he was doing. But if one was watching him closely, they could tell that he was just acting and he really didn''t know what he was doing.


    But what was more interesting was that Luo Yan could tell the other intended to show his ''ipetence'' as a ''doctor''. It might not be that noticeable. Unless one was observing him intently, that thought wouldn''t even cross their mind. But Luo Yan was doing just that and he would bet Peter Baker banked on it. That''s why he did all those small actions. So, Luo Yan could clearly see that he was a fake.


    The only reason he could think of why the other would intentionally do that was because he was one of the four. Well, this was a good discovery. Now, he didn''t have to question whether what Peter would say was the truth or not. And most importantly, the members of ''the four'' were nowplete.


    Hopefully, the game system wouldn''t judge the other''s actions as being OOC. But then again, all ''the four'' were smart in their own right. If he acted this way, it meant that he''s confident he had room for maneuver.


    "Can you tell me the details why you ended up having the role of a doctor here?" he asked.


    "I''m a theater actor, not really very well known. It''s the only think I''m good at. So, even though I only earn a paltry sum, I still continued on with it," Peter started.


    Before continuing, an embarrased expression appeared on the other''s face. As if what he would say next would make him appear stupid.


    "But then, a month ago, I was involved in a vehicr ident. I was driving a car that I borrowed from one of my friends and I, well, I identally hit someone. I have to paypensation to the victim or I''ll go to jail. The problem was, I didn''t have any money. That''s when someone contacted me and offered this job. I really needed the money and the job description was pretty easy. Just act as a doctor for four days. How hard could it be? But I didn''t sign up for murder and conspiracy and some other awful thing."


    Well, that''s very honest and detailed to boot. But at least now it''s confirmed that this guy truly didn''t have anything to do with this whole thing. He''s just an essory to solidify the narrative that William Harcourt wanted to show them.


    Peter would definitely have done his job perfectly. If not for Luo Yan being here. And that''s actually one of the biggest questions here.


    What exactly was he doing in this ce? What kind of role did William Harcourt want him to y?

 Chapter 813 INTERVIEW (XVIII)

    Chapter 813 INTERVIEW (XVIII)¡¡¡¡"IF you didn''t know that a murder would ur, then, why did you say that the burnt corpse was William Harcourt?" Luo Yan asked.


    "It''s because of the note I found when I returned in my room. The note instructed me to do that," Peter said nervously. "Please, you must believe me. I really didn''t know that it would actually be like that."


    A note? "Do you still have the note?"


    "Yes!"


    Peter quickly took out a small crumpled white paper from his pocket and gave it to him. Luo Yan opened it and read what''s inside.


    [Once you''re called to the master''s bedroom and the detective asked you something, you must say ''yes, it''s Mr. Harcourt''.] ¨C Mr. H.


    Luo Yan frowned. The note was typewritten, so it''s impossible to identify the sender via handwriting. "This, Mr. H, was he the one who hired you?"


    "Yes! I didn''t saw his face, if you wanted to ask. We onlymunicated through correspondence," Peter said. "I''m not really the type to just believe anyone that said do something in return for me. Especially if I didn''t even meet the guy personally. But this guy sent me half of the money I needed to pay forpensation. He said I will receive thest half once my job here is done. So, what can a poor guy like me do?"


    Luo Yan put the note inside the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He had a hunch that this vehicr ident was actually not an ''ident'' but something deliberate so they could force this theater actor to act as a fake doctor. As one of ''the four'', he had no doubt that the other most likely knew that too.


    After asking a few more question, he told Peter that he''s now free to leave.


    It was finally the turn of the servants. The first one he called inside was the maid. The other looked nervous and jumpy. But Luo Yan could tell that it was not out of guilt. It was simply the normal nervousness that a simple person would feel if they were faced with an authoritative figure.


    He first asked the maid her whereabouts after dinner and during 12 and 1 AM. She said that she was working ¨C washing dishes and the likes ¨C and that the head maid could corroborate that. He didn''t doubt it and proceed to the next topic.


    "You''ve only been working here for a few months, right?" he asked.


    "Y-yes, sir."


    "Is Gilmore already the butler when you were hired as a maid here?"


    The maid showed a confused expression, as if she couldn''t understand what his question had to do with anything. But at the end, she still answered truthfully, "Yes, sir."


    "Was he and the other servants hired the same time as you?"


    The maid shook her head. "No, sir. The footman was the only hired the same time as me. The head maid and the driver were already here when we arrived. And then Mr. Gilmore and the cook arrived with Mr. Harcourt."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. The head maid and Saunders were the former servants who were called back here. So, it was understandable that they were already in the manor before the newly hired servants. What''s surprising to him was the fact that Gilmore and his mother ¨C the cook ¨C actually came back with William Harcourt. Did they live with him in the Americas?


    He wrote that detail down on his notepad. He''d better ask about thatter when he interviewed Gilmore.


    "How can you describe the rtionship between the servants and Mr. Harcourt?" he asked.


    "Nothing special, sir. Except for Mr. Gilmore, Mr. Harcourt treated everyone as how a servant should be treated."


    "So, he''s close with the butler?"


    "Yes, sir. It''s hard to put a name to it, but it''s like how an elder in the family would treat someone from the younger generation," the maid smiled embarrassingly. "Sorry if I don''t make sense, sir."


    Luo Yan smiled back, making the girl blush. "Oh no, what you said is very helpful. Then how about his rtionship with Gilmore''s mother? Are they close?"


    The maid was silent for a few seconds, as if thinking of the answer to that question. "I don''t think so, sir. I think it''s just normal? I never really saw Mr. Harcourt treating Mrs. Gilmore in a different mannerpared to the others."


    Hah, now that puts a hamper to the conjecture forming in his mind. ¨C Luo Yan thought.


    "Then, how can you describe the servants'' rtionship with each other?"


    "Hmm¡­ well, the head maid, Mrs. Green, is pretty strict so the footman doesn''t like her that much. I''m fine with it though, since in the previous house I worked in, the head maid was much stricter. Mrs. Green doesn''t like Mr. Saunders. I heard one time that she told him how he could be so shameless as to work here again. Mr. Saunders only told her that it''s none of her business."


    That''s interesting. Luo Yan didn''t cut off the other and let her continue speaking.


    "Mrs. Gilmore mainly kept to herself. The only person she mostly interacted with is her son. On the other hand, Mr. Gilmore is very friendly. Everyone here likes him. Even the strict Mrs. Green."


    Luo Yan nodded, he already had an image in his mind on how the servants interacted with each other. And now, to ask the most important question.


    "Earlier, I didn''t see Mr. Saunders. Do you know where he is?"


    "Oh, he left before dinner. Mr. Saunders is actually on leave. He just came back today to drive all the guests here to the manor," the maid said. "I hope he would try toe back tomorrow. Then, once he saw thendslide, he could call the authorities for help. I- I don''t really want to be here, with the dead body and all," she added, hugging herself.


    Luo Yan doubted that would happen. Because he had a feeling that old Saunders was now lying on the master''s bedroom, all burnt to a crisp.

 Chapter 814 INTERVIEW (XIX)

    Chapter 814 INTERVIEW (XIX)¡¡¡¡WHY did he think that the corpse was Saunders? The corpse, although not really burned at the time they found it, was fresh enough to say that it was burned at least sometime in the evening.


    Since Luo Yan realized that and since he confirmed that the corpse didn''t belong to William Harcourt, he had been wondering about its identity. He first thought that it could be some poor sod who was simply in the wrong ce and in the wrong time. Maybe it was some stranger who got lost in this mountain and William''s partner or partners abducted, killed, and burned them.


    But somehow, Luo Yan doubted if William Harcourt would actually resort to nonsensical murder just for revenge. If he went along with that idea, then that meant that the corpse would be one of the people the old man wanted to take revenge on.


    Considering what the maid said about the rtionship about the head maid and Saunders, it''s clear that thetter must have done something that should make him feel ashamed. But the fact that Saunders was called back here despite whatever he had done meant that William was nning something for him. In this case, being a barbecued meat.


    But in this case, Luo Yan couldn''t help but wonder just what exactly did Saunders do? To warrant such an end, it definitely must be connected to what happened 20 years ago.


    Luo Yan then heard a couple of notifications inside his head, confirming his conjectures. He smiled a bit. This detective talent was really convenient.


    He let the maid go and asked her to call the footman.


    His interview with the footman was quite short. Just like the maid, the footman wasn''t really privy to whatever was happening here. He was also kind of, well, slow. Luo Yan just couldn''t believe the other had the mental capacity to be part of this whole conspiracy. Even more so because he''s an NPC. Which meant that his personality was programmed that way.


    When the footman left, the next one was the head maid. After he asked the other the basic questions, he then proceeded to the important ones.


    "Mrs. Green, may I ask what your opinion is of Mr. Saunders?"


    The head maid frowned. "Detective, why are you asking about him? Is he rted to what happened to Mr. Harcourt?" Before Luo Yan could answer, she already gone off to a tirade. "I knew it! I knew that bugger couldn''t be trusted? What did he do, detective? I told Mr. Harcourt that he shouldn''t bring that Saunders here. But Mr. Harcourt had always been kind and sentimental. Oh, poor Mr. Harcourt."


    Then, the older woman picked up the neckline of the robe she''s wearing and started wiping tears. Luo Yan took out the handkerchief on his suit pocket and gave it to Mrs. Green. The other thankfully epted it and used it to wipe her tears.


    "I- I really can''t understand how could someone hurt Mr. Harcourt. He''s the kindest of man. He did have a bit of temper, but who doesn''t? Who would do something like this to him? I- oh, I can''t¡­"


    The older woman went into another wave of sobbing.


    Luo Yan didn''t expect that the other would be this emotional. Hearing how strict she was, he thought that she would have more control over her emotion. But it seemed like he underestimated her rtionship with her employer.


    "Have you known Mr. Harcourt for a long time?" he asked.


    "Oh, yes. I''ve been working under the Harcourt family since I was a wee girl. I started as a scullery maid until I worked my way up and became the head maid. I was there when Mr. Harcourt moved to the original Magnolia Manor."


    "That means Mrs. Green must have seen a lot of things happening within the family," Luo Yan said in a tone that was obviously trying to get the other to speak more. Of course, in a not so obvious way. He just felt that the other was the type to have a loose tongue whenever her emotion got the better of her.


    Sure enough, the head maid didn''t notice anything wrong and started talking;


    "I witnessed a lot of things. Some, I''d rather not. But I was there through a lot of the major events in the manor and in the family."


    "This must include the death of Madame Harcourt, right?" Luo Yan said, still in the same tone.


    "Oh yes. That was such a sad day," Mrs. Green said as if reminiscing about it. "Even to this day, I still couldn''t believe that Madame would leave us so suddenly like that."


    Luo Yan caught the important part from what the other said. "I heard she died from heart attack. Did she not show any signs of having a weak heart?"


    "Not at all. The Madame was very healthy. That''s why it was such a shock. But the doctor diagnosed it at that, so, who am I, as a small person, to say anything?"


    "Then, do you trust the doctor''s diagnosis?"


    "Yes, of course. Doctor ke was a long-time doctor of the family. There''s no reason for him to give a wrong diagnosis."


    Was? Past tense? "Is he no longer with us, this Doctor ke?"


    "Oh, he died just recently. A couple of months ago. Just after the master''s return here. If not for that, he would be the one here instead of that Doctor Baker."


    Luo Yan fell into a deep thought. With the addition of this information, a lot of options to the truth suddenly opened up. He just hoped that the information ''Sofia'' would get from Edward would borate on this.


    "What you said earlier about Mr. Saunders, can you borate on it?" he asked. He made himself look serious, as if the other''s answer would be a very vital part of his investigation. Well, in a way, it really was.


    It seemed that what he said ignited Mrs. Green''s sense of justice. She finally stopped crying and told everything that she knew about Saunders.

 Chapter 815 INTERVIEW (XX)

    Chapter 815 INTERVIEW (XX)¡¡¡¡"MR. Saunders is a shameless man who took advantage of Mr. Harcourt''s kindness," Mrs. Green said with indignation. "He started working at the manor since he''s a youngd. Mr. Harcourt saw that was hardworking enough, so he let the kid learn how to drive. Saunders then became the family''s chauffer. One would think that he should be incredibly grateful for the opportunity. After all, not many kids who grew up in the slum could rise up in such a position."


    Luo Yan cringed inside as he listened to what the head maid was saying. It seemed that this NPC was programmed to have a very great awareness towards social sses. The rich should be respected and the poor should know their ce. That''s the kind of mentality the other had.


    This also meant that she had an inherent prejudice against Saunders. He just hoped that her statements would be close to the truth and not beced too much by that prejudice.


    "But do you know what he did as to pay back that kindness? During that tragedy 20 years ago, he was the one who brought back Master Charles here without the permission of Mr. Harcourt. None of us knew that Master Charles would be returning that day. We all thought he was safely tuck in school. Imagine all our surprise when we saw him just a few feet away from the burning manor, unconscious as if he had been blown away.


    "There were a lot of confusion that night. Everyone was panicking because of the sudden explosion. Some of the servants were caught in the fire and weren''t able to leave, perishing there forever. While others were either wounded or too scared to even move. It took a while before any of us even noticed Master Charles!


    "It was onlyter that I found out that it was that Saunders who brought Master Charles back at the manor. If the car they were in didn''t break down at the middle, Master Charles would have been in the manor during dinner. Do you know what that means, detective? If Master Charles was there during dinner, he would have gone to his room. Then, maybe it wouldn''t be just Master Richard and his son who died that night."


    What caught Luo Yan''s attention most was thest bit that the other said. Because this showed that Charles'' room was most likely in the right wing. He didn''t ask about it when he was interviewing Charles earlier. Because he thought that it wasn''t that important.


    But now, what Mrs. Green was telling him clearly changed things. Because if Saunders really had some kind of involvement in what happened 20 years ago, then that meant that Richard was not the only intended target.


    The head maid said that if Charles arrived at the manor by dinner that evening, he would have been killed alongside Richard and his son. What Luo Yan could take from this was the fact that Charles'' room was in the right wing.


    If that''s true, then money being the main motive wouldn''t fly anymore. Unless the culprit or culprits knew that the will leaving everything to Richard was fake. So, by killing both Richard and Charles, they could have the bulk of their father''s inheritance.


    Yes, Luo Yan was now operating under the assumption that either Edward or Catherine was the mastermind of what happened 20 years ago. He actually already had a culprit in mind. But he still needed more information about what happened back then so he could recreate everything perfectly in his mind.


    "But with Mr. Harcourt being in the hospital and all that, I couldn''t exactly say the matter about Saunders. And then, we were all let go. Of course, with a generouspensation. But because of that, the matter with Saunders waspletely forgotten. To tell you the truth, I have a feeling that he had something to do with those bombs."


    "What makes you say that?" Luo Yan asked.


    "That day, I saw him skulking around the manor. Who knows what he had been doing? Maybe he was leaving all those bombs for all we knew," Mrs. Green said, in a tone as if she couldn''t wait to punch Saunders or something. "I told that to Mr. Harcourt when I found out that he''s nning to also hire back that Saunders. But he only said that it must surely be just a coincidence. Oh, what a good man Mr. Harcourt was."


    Luo Yan raised his brow at that. "Mr. Harcourt wasn''t surprised or whatsoever by what you said about Saunders?"


    "Oh no, not at all. Mr. Harcourt was simply not the type to make assumptions like that. That''s what makes him a great man, in my opinion."


    [All I can see was how bias you are.] ¨C Luo Yan thought. But he must admit, what the head maid had told him was pretty useful stuff.


    If he added what Mrs. Green said about Saunders skulking around to what Catherine said about seeing him entering the study, it would certainly solidify him as the biggest suspect in what happened 20 years ago.


    But in Luo Yan''s opinion, Saunders was just a pawn to someone''s bidding. More urately, a knife in someone else''s hand.


    Now that''s established, it''s time to move to another topic. "What can you tell me about the cook, Mrs. Gilmore and her son, the butler?"


    "Oh, they''re delightful. To tell you honestly, I was worried at first when I found out that they arrived together with Mr. Harcourt. I thought they were taking advantage of his kindness. But that''s not the case at all. Both of them work hard and very easy to get along with. They''re definitely worthy of the trust given to them by Mr. Harcourt."


    The maid and footman both said almost the same thing about the mother-son pair. But could it really be the case?


    It seemed that it''s time to interview the two. Since they were the only ones remaining, who should he start with?

 Chapter 816 INTERVIEW (XXI)

    Chapter 816 INTERVIEW (XXI)¡¡¡¡LUO YAN decided to interview the cook first ¨C Mrs. Gilmore. He actually wanted to pick the young butler at first, but then, he changed his mind at thest moment.


    He believed that young Gilmore didn''t have anything to do with any of the tragedies that had happened in this family. He might be connected to it in some way, but he definitely wasn''t the culprit or even the partner of the culprit/s responsible to what happenedst night.


    The pain and sadness Luo Yan saw in the other''s eyes when it was revealed that the corpse was ''William Harcourt'' was definitely not fake. Gilmore truly believed that his employer was dead at that moment. Based on his reaction, anyone who saw him at that moment could see that he really cared for William Harcourt.


    If he added that to the opinion of the other servants and also to his own observation and judgement, Cian Gilmore was simply not the scheming or maniptive type. Unlike Catherine, who despite acting all timid and scared, he could still feel that there''s something wrong with the other.


    So, Luo Yan believed that the young butler would be very honest with him during the interview. Especially if it''s to apprehend the murderer who ''killed'' William Harcourt. If so, he could cross examine the answers that Mrs. Gilmore would give to that of her son. Then, Luo Yan would know if the cook was being truthful to him or not.


    If she wasn''t, then he could only put her under the list of suspected people. And maybe it could even shed light to some of the conjectures running inside his head right now.


    But this didn''t mean that he waspletely removing young Gilmore from the list of possible aplices. This way, his judgment wouldn''t be too clouded. And when it turned out that the other, in some bizarre way, was indeed ying an active part in this whole conspiracy, then Luo Yan wouldn''t be too shocked or surprised.


    He then called the cook ¨C Mrs. Gilmore. It didn''t that long for the other to enter the study. Now, Luo Yan had time to observe the other once again.


    The cook had the same dark red hair, green eyes, and pale skin as the young butler. Highlighting that the two were closely rted as well as the fact that they were both Irish. She''s probably around the same age as Catherine.


    She seemed to be very calm and collected. It made Luo Yan remember the other''s reaction earlier when all the servants were told of William Harcourt''s ''death''.


    She didn''t seem to be very affected by it. As if what she heard was not the news of his employer''s sudden death but today''s weather instead. It didn''t necessarily mean that she was immediately an aplice because of that. Maybe she just didn''t have that much of a feeling for her employer. Perhaps to others it wasn''t really that big of a deal. But Luo Yan just couldn''t help but feel that Mrs. Gilmore''s reaction was just a tad bit¡­ weird.


    Because he could only think of two reasons for the other''s reaction. One, just what he said earlier, she was simply not that attached to her employer. And two, she knew that William Harcourt wasn''t really dead. The possibility of it being thetter was much bigger.


    Because if one considered the fact that she and her son traveled with William from America, there''s no way she had no attachment towards her employer. Even if it was just a tiny bit, she should have still showed a reaction. A frown would actually be enough. But the other only had a very calm expression on her face.


    "Please, sit down, Mrs. Gilmore," he greeted the other with a friendly smile.


    The woman only nodded at him before sitting down.


    Luo Yan started with the usual ¨C asking her whereabouts after dinner and during 12 and 1 AM.


    "I was at the kitchen after dinner. It''s around that time that us, servants, eat. While I was waiting for Cian to finish all his duties, I was doing some cleaning at the kitchen. Then, Cian came and the two of us ate dinner," Mrs. Gilmore answered. "During 12 and 1 AM, I was at my room, sleeping. The head maid''s room is beside my own. The sound proofing of the servant''s room isn''t really that good. So, she could hear if I left or not. You can ask her about it, detective."


    Luo Yan nodded, writing it on his little notepad. "I heard from the others that you and your son came here with Mr. Harcourt. Did this mean that you two knew him for quite some time?"


    "Yes," the other didn''t hesitate to say. "We met him at Boston a couple of years back. He liked my cooking and asked me if I could be his personal cook. I''m a single mother who needed money to raise her child. Mr. Harcourt''s offer would allow me to do that without any problems. So, I agreed. He- he''d been very kind to us. His former butler ¨C Mr. Jones ¨C even started training Cian. That''s why when he passed away, his job immediately fell to my son. When Mr. Harcourt decided to return here, he also decided to bring us, mother and son, here and continue working for him."


    What Mrs. Gilmore said certainly exined why William seemed to be very close to Cian and vice versa. Because they literally spent years together. This could also exin why the maid said that William was acting like a family elder towards the young butler. And young Gilmore also seemed to see the other in that same light.


    But if these three met that long ago, howe William''s children seemed to not know about them? From what Luo Yan observed, it appeared like they only met the mother and son pair yesterday.


    He''d think about thatter.


    He looked at the woman in front of him and asked, "If that''s the case, howe you seemed not very affected by Mr. Harcourt''s death?"

 Chapter 817 INTERVIEW (XXII)

    Chapter 817 INTERVIEW (XXII)¡¡¡¡"EVEN though I''m thankful towards him, I don''t have any deep particr feelings towards the man. I only think of him as my employer. That might be callous and unfeeling but I''m just being real. Andst I heard, that''s not a sin. Surely, the detective won''t persecute me just because of my outlook in life?"


    The way the woman answered it was very natural. She didn''t pause, she didn''t stutter, there wasn''t even any particr reaction on her face. At one nce, anyone would think that this was truly what the other really felt. But Luo Yan had a different thought.


    There''s something really odd about how Mrs. Gilmore''s reaction. He couldn''t put his finger on what it was. Heck, he couldn''t even exin it properly. So, he just continued asking the other.


    "Don''t you feel worried? After all, your employer just died. Your source of ie was now jeopardized."


    "I have saved a lot throughout the years. I could use it to open a small restaurant and livefortably enough with my son," the other said in the same almost emotionless tone.


    "I don''t think your son would feel the same way," Luo Yan said. "From what I''ve seen, he seemed to be pretty close to Mr. Harcourt."


    "Of course, he would feel sad. Cian grew up without a father. Mr. Harcourt was the first adult man who treated him so kindly. So, my son subconsciously thought of him as a father figure. Which was not very conducive, if you ask me. After all, at the end of the day, he''s the master and we''re only his servants."


    Luo Yan raised his brow at that. "So, you disapproved of the kindness Mr. Harcourt had showed to your son?"


    "Not disapproved, I just thought it unnecessary."


    "Then, do you know why he was so kind to Cian?"


    "It''s nothing really deep. I think the old man was simply lonely. He was living far away from his children. So, Cian probably reminded him of them. That''s why he couldn''t help but be kind to my son."


    If you thought about it, Mrs. Gilmore was indeed making quite a good point. But still, Luo Yan still couldn''t let go of that weird feeling.


    "What''s your opinion about Mr. Harcourt''s children?"


    "Nothing. I don''t know them enough to make an opinion."


    Luo Yan continued to ask and the other continued to answer in that emotionless way of hers. And in a very perfect manner too. As if she already had an answer ready to every question he threw at him.


    No, wait- that''s it! He finally found what so weird about this Mrs. Gilmore! It''s because she was answering as if she was reading some kind of script. The only way this was possible was if she thought of every possible question that he would ask and thought of answer to these questions.


    She probably did it while Luo Yan was interviewing the others. She probably even memorized these answers. There wasn''t really any problem with her doing that. But it''s definitely suspicious. Those who usually did this kind of thing were smart criminals who was able to get around thew and escape any kind of prosecution.


    But there''s also the possibility that she just wanted to make sure that she wouldn''t be suspected because she truly didn''t do anything. So, which one was she of the two? Honestly, he couldn''t really tell.


    He stared at the woman in front of him. He wondered what kind of question would strip the other''s calm mask. He''s convinced that if he managed to do that, he might be in for more surprise.


    The way to do that was probably to ask something very, well, controversial and unexpected. Of course, he still had to do it in a gentlemanly manner. He''s the gentleman detective after all.


    "I heard an interesting rumor. I hope Mrs. Gilmore won''t be offended if ask you this question," he started.


    "Of course. As the detective, it''s your job to question us about things that might be rted to the case. Therefore, it''s also our job to cooperate with you."


    "Thank you for your understanding." Luo Yan gave the other an apologetic smile, as if he truly felt bad asking this question, and asked, "I heard a rumor that you and Mr. Harcourt were in that kind of rtionship. And that it''s the reason why he''d been so kind to your son. Even making him the butler even though he''s obviously not qualified for the job. So, was it true, Mrs. Gilmore?"


    The woman''s face turned a bright shade of red the moment Luo Yan asked her that question. And because of her pale skin, she looked even more like a cooked shrimp. But that was not a shy blush. What she was feeling was definitely humiliation.


    "How absurd! Whoever you heard this¡­ this nder from was obviously lying! There''s no way that anyone would think that Mr. Harcourt and I have that kind of rtionship. Was it one of his children? It''s one of them, right?"


    "Why do you say that? It could be one of the servants."


    "That''s impossible. You can call all of them now and none of them will tell you that Mr. Harcourt and I have even been inappropriate towards each other. We''re not even seen much together, so how could a rumor like that appear?"


    Luo Yan smiled inwardly. The mask had finallye undone. She finally said something that was not on her ''script''. And the way she said it, like she was saying ''no, there couldn''t be any rumors because we made sure that we wouldn''t be seen together''.


    Interesting. Maybe his hunch wasn''t so ridiculous after all.


    Even though he was smiling inside, he showed an apologetic expression on the outside. "It''s Saunders actually," he said, lying through his teeth.


    This time, an even more ludicrous expression appeared on Mrs. Gilmore''s face. "Impossible!"


    She said it in a way as if she was even more certain about this than the rumor.


    "He mentioned it to me in passing during the ride from the train station to the manor."


    Mrs. Gilmore''s became even uglier. And once again, Luo Yan smiled inside.

 Chapter 818 INTERVIEW (XXIII)

    Chapter 818 INTERVIEW (XXIII)¡¡¡¡"THAT bastard¡­" Mrs. Gilmore muttered under her breath, her expression totally ugly. It was obviously something that she said out of anger. Which meant that it was not ''scripted'' like how her other response was earlier. This was how she truly felt.


    Luo Yan pretended not to hear that littlement but he truly wanted to smile at that moment. But he controlled himself. This was already win for him. So, he shouldn''t ruin it at thest moment just because he wanted tough.


    He kept a questioning expression on his face as if he was waiting for the other to exin herself. Of course, he didn''t forget to add a bit of ''suspicion'' on his expression. This way, it could make the other panic. Thinking that if she didn''t exin this properly, she would be suspected of being connected to everything that had happened in this manor sincest night.


    He should probably give his thanks to the barbecued Saunders. [Thank you for letting me use your name.]


    As he expected, Mrs. Gilmore quickly scrambled to exin to Luo Yan.


    "What Mr. Saunders said to you were pure lies. It had no basis whatsoever. It''s purely malicious and derogative. He definitely made it up just to incite hate. You shouldn''t believe whatever you might have heard from him, detective. Because it would definitely be full of untruths."


    She said all that in one breathe. Anyone could see that she was definitely in panic mode. The calmness that she had shown so far was no longer there.


    Luo Yan acted like he understood what the other was trying to say. "But why would he say such a thing? Do the two of you have some kind of misunderstanding?"


    Mrs. Gilmore scoffed. "No, that Saunders was simply not a good person in general. He''s the type who''s strong against the weak but weak against the strong. The only one he would respect were those people with money."


    What she said seemed to have a double meaning. But that''s not what caught Luo Yan''s attention most. It''s the fact that she was talking about Saunders in the past tense. As if she knew that the other was already dead.


    To think that he would have this kind of breakthrough once he managed to tear the other''s prepared ''script'' apart. Now, that vague conjecture he had, since quite a while now, was finally starting to take shape.


    Maybe he wasn''t really just reaching with that conjecture and that it''s not just a product of his overactive imagination. But what he found out from this interview with Mrs. Gilmore still wasn''t enough to prove anything. If he didn''t find anything much more solid, then everything would just be his own delusion.


    Before Mrs. Gilmore could notice anything weird in this conversation and raise her guard up, Luo Yan decided that it''s time to end the interview.


    "I understand," he said in response to what the other said. He made sure that his eyes were full of understanding. "It must have been tough dealing with that kind of person."


    "I tried my best to not interact with him too much."


    Luo Yan nodded, as if he was agreeing to Mrs. Gilmore''s way of doing things. "Thank you for being so honest with me, Mrs. Gilmore. What you said will definitely be helpful to my investigation."


    The other seemed to be relieved hearing that. Her usual calm also finally returned. "May I go now, detective?"


    "Of course. And could you please call your son and tell him to go here immediately. I really wanted to finish this interview. It''s almost near sunrise, I''m sure all of us needed rest after such a night," he said, showing the other a tired smile at a very timely manner.


    The other nodded and walked out of the study.


    Luo Yan didn''t have to wait too long because young Gilmore ¨C no, Cian entered the study after almost just a minute of his mother leaving.


    "Please, sit," he said to the young man.


    Cian seemed to be less energetic. The light that Luo Yan had seen in his eyes when the other greeted him before dinner seemed to have dimmed a lot. He was giving this fragile image right now. As if another blow could break him into pieces.


    This just showed how affected he was by William Harcourt''s ''death''. Luo Yan wondered what the other''s reaction would be if he found out that his father-figure was actually still alive.


    Luo Yan started with the interview. The usual questions were asked first. And although Cian seemed to be a bit lifeless, he still answered Luo Yan''s questions very concisely.


    "You did not see Mr. Harcourt after dinner?" he asked.


    Cian shook his head. "He told me that he wanted to rest early because his burns¡ªbecause his burns were hurting him. It''s not something unusual. On cold nights, Uncle- Mr. Harcourt''s burns usually ached like that. He- he preferred to be alone during such times. That''s why none of the servants dared to disturb him."


    He was silent for a few seconds before he continued;


    "I shouldn''t have left him alonest night. Even if- even if he told me to leave, I- I should have at least stayed outside the room. Then¡­ then maybe¡ªmaybe Uncle wouldn''t have suffered such injustice!"


    The other''s voice broke at the end, showing just how upset he was. Even the rims of his eyes were red, water already welling in them. This kid wouldn''t suddenly burst into tears, right?


    As if he heard what Luo Yan just thought, tears started to fall from Cian''s eyes. Then, as if that wasn''t enough, the other just bawled his eyes out. Howling worse than a baby.


    "Uncle- Uncle *sob* shouldn''t have died like that! Being b-burned when he already experienced such a thing before. Can you *sob* can you imagine just painful that was? It''s simple t-torture! The one *sob* the one who did this deserves to d-die!"


    Luo Yan cringed a bit at that. He wondered if this kid would still think the same once he knew the truth.

 Chapter 819 INTERVIEW (XXIV)

    Chapter 819 INTERVIEW (XXIV)¡¡¡¡"DON''T cry, Mr. Gilmore. I assure you, you are in no way at fault in what happened," Luo Yan said, trying tofort the young butler. "I''m sure Mr. Harcourt wouldn''t want you to think that way."


    Cian finally stopped howling like a baby, only intermittent sobbing was left. So, Luo Yan continued;


    "If you truly felt guilty, the best way to do now is to help me in uncovering the truth."


    Cian wiped the tears and the snot on his face using the sleeve of his coat. "Yes, I- I''ll do my best!"


    Luo Yan nodded as if he was very satisfied. "That''s a good outlook. Now, let''s continue on with the interview."


    Cian nodded with a lot more determination. "Yes, I apologize for not controlling my emotion well."


    "It''s fine. I know that you''re very close to Mr. Harcourt. Your mother said that he was like a father figure to you, is that right?"


    "He was," Cian admitted with a nod. "I met Uncle William when I was 12. He had been very kind to us."


    12? That''s much earlier than Luo Yan thought. The way Mrs. Gilmore praised it, it''s like they only met William Harcourt three, four years ago.


    "How did you meet him?"


    "I''m not really particr with the details since I was only a kid then. I only remembered that my Mum told me that a nice gentleman hired her to be his personal cook and we would be living with him. Then, the next day we were brought to a mansion. We lived there until Uncle William decided to return here in Ennd."


    Luo Yan felt a bit surprised. Because there''s a lot of information hidden in there. Just waiting to be explored.


    "So, you live in Boston for quite a long time?" he asked.


    Cian nodded. "Yes."


    "What did your mother do for a living before she was hired by Mr. Harcourt?"


    "She didn''t. We were living on the savings my father had left us. Mum told me that the savings were almost gone when she received Uncle William''s offer. It''s the reason why she readily epted it."


    If Mrs. Gilmore wasn''t working back then, then why did she said that William liked her cooking therefore hiring her as his personal cook? How would William have a chance to taste her cooking? She couldn''t possibly have approached the other and asked him to eat the food she made, right?


    Unless they long knew each other even before that.


    "From my interview with your mother, it seemed that you haven''t met your father. Had he already passed away?"


    "Yes, he died before I was even born," Cian answered.


    Luo Yan nodded, writing things on his notepad before changing the subject.


    "Living with him for so long, did you have any chance to meet with Mr. Harcourt''s children? I heard he had met them a total of three times in the past 20 years. Of course, not including yesterday."


    "No, I didn''t meet them. I actually met them for the first time yesterday."


    Sure enough. "Does that mean they never visited the mansion in Boston?"


    "No. From what I know Uncle William met with them in a different location."


    Luo Yan already thought that would be the case. Based on his interview with the Harcourt children, they met with their father at hotels and the visit mostly onlysted for a day or so.


    "I take it that the house in Boston was Mr. Harcourt''s official residence while he was staying at the Americas. Why do you think his children didn''t visit him there, even once?"


    Cian looked like he was at a lost with this question. "I- I honestly don''t know." Then, an expression as if he wanted to say something but was hesitating to do so appeared on his face. But at the end, he still decided to say it. "I asked Uncle William about it once. He- he said that he didn''t want his home to be¡­ tainted by their presence. I was too flustered to ask further what that meant. But it always stayed in my mind. Probably because I couldn''t understand how Uncle William could say that about his children."


    Luo Yan had a pretty good idea why though. "Do you think he hated them?"


    "I- I don''t know. Truthfully, in the years that my mum and I spent with him, he never once mentioned his family on his own initiative," Cian answered. "Hate is such a strong word. I don''t want to make my own assumptions and paint it as the truth when I barely understand things."


    Luo Yan looked at the NPC in front of him, full of interest. That was actually such a nice answer. The game devs really put a lot of effort to make this one more human.


    "Can you describe your mother''s rtionship with Mr. Harcourt?"


    Cian seemed to be hit by a sudden curved ball, as if he didn''t understand how this question came about. Although confuse, he still answered Luo Yan''s question honestly.


    "I think it''s¡­ normal? I mean, they both treated each other with respect."


    "Like in a professional capacity?"


    "I think that''s too cold to describe their rtionship. From what I witnessed throughout the years, they might not appear close to each other but they had this kind of tacit understanding that I think not many could develop no matter how close they are."


    Now that''s an interesting piece of information. That''s a bit different from what Mrs. Gilmore had told him. "Why do you think so?"


    "Probably because their personality was a bit alike? That''s why they could easily know what the other was thinking. It''s probably also the reason why they could trust each other despite the difference in station. It might be weird to say this but I always felt like the two of them had some kind of invisible connection. It''s really hard to exin."


    "No, I understand," Luo Yan said with a smile. [I understand perfectly.] "By the way, how old are you this year?"


    "I''m 19, turning 20 soon."


    An unknown smile flitted on Luo Yan''s face when he heard that. "I see."

 Chapter 820 A SOFT FEELING

    Chapter 820 A SOFT FEELING¡¡¡¡LUO YAN continued on with his interview with Cian. He asked him about some basic stuffs before asking him about Saunders. Just trying to confirm the things that Mrs. Gilmore said about the other.


    The only thing that Cian said was that Saunders was indeed not very close with the other servants and that he would also make derisive remarks towards others from time to time. Proving some of the points that Mrs. Gilmore said about the other. It also supported what the head maid said about him.


    Considering how opposite that was of how he acted when he met Luo Yan at the station, it kind of already exined just what kind of character Saunders had. The fact that William Harcourt asked Saunders back to work for him again was definitely not because of the other''s ster personality.


    At this point, Luo Yan had already established a pretty good theory on what really happened 20 years ago. He justcked some key information. Some of which would probably be provided by his cinnamon roll.


    Now it''s time to end this interview.


    "Please tell everyone that they could go to their rooms and rest," Luo Yan told the young butler before the other left the study.


    Cian nodded at him, then a look of hesitation shed on the young butler''s face. "The killer, they''re still here, right? Would we- would we be alright?"


    "Don''t worry, I don''t think they would try anything so soon after what they just did. But do tell everyone to try not to be alone as much as possible," Luo Yan said.


    That seemed tofort the young man, even if just a little. "Okay!"


    The other finally walked out of the study.


    Luo Yan was d that Cian didn''t ask why he couldn''t just tell those to the others himself. He couldn''t exactly just say to him that he just didn''t want to deal with those NPCs who would definitely bombard him with question. The image of this role he''s ying would definitely copse in Cian''s mind.


    He stretched out his arms while cracking his neck. It''s finally over. Interviewing that many people, even if all of these were only virtual, he still felt a bit tired. Or to be more urate, his brain was giving him the illusion of being tired.


    Really, what a terrifying dungeon.


    The fact that the way they perceived time here was different in real life was already magical in a sense. If this technology was further improved on, maybe a new type of game could be produced. If he was working at Moonlight Media right now, he would definitely make a proposal about that.


    Anyway, he might as well take a quick nap. Since this game was tricking him that he was tired, then it''s better to just give in and rest for a bit. That way, his brain would be able to think better.


    But first, he had to make sure that no one would suddenly enter the study while he''s taking his nap. If someone decided to kill him off while he''s sleeping, he could ''die'' and this task would be considered a big failure.


    He first locked the door, as well as the windows. Then, he searched every nook and cranny of the study for any hidden passageways. Thankfully, he didn''t find one. All of that took almost 30 minutes to do. By the time he was finished, the tiredness was really getting to him.


    So, he walked towards the couch and finallyid down. He closed his eyes and it didn''t even take a minute before he thoroughly fell asleep.


    -----


    Luo Yan felt a piercing gaze staring at his face. He was slowly leaving the state of sleep. Even though his eyes were still closed, he felt something trying to reach out to him. So, he instinctively grasped it and pulled it to himself.


    That''s when he heard a gasp and something soft falling on his chest. He opened his eyes then.


    What he saw was an extremely beautiful face that was only a few inches away from his own. The face had a lovely blush which made its owner much more attractive.


    It was the lovely and charming ''Sofia''.


    Luo Yan stopped the smile that was about to cross his face and just continued acting half-asleep. He leaned a bit forward, making the tips of their nose touch.


    "You smell so good," he said, making his voice intentionally hoarse.


    The other seemed to be electrified by that little movement that ''she'' forcefully took back ''her'' hand and abruptly stood up. The blush on ''her'' face became even redder.


    Really, what a lovely person.


    Luo Yan then pretended as if he just fully woke up. He slowly sat up from the couch he was sleeping in. Then he looked at ''Sofia'' as if he only noticed ''her'' now,pletely showing a confused look.


    "Sofia? What are you doing here? No, how did you manage to get in first?" he asked, trying to appear confused.


    The other took a few deep breaths as if ''she'' was trying so hard to regain his calmness.


    "I- I got the information you want. I couldn''t help to share it with you, so when I found out that you''re still here in the study, I asked the head maid for the key. She gave it to me when I told her that what I was about to tell you was something very important. Which was very effective apparently. So, I''m here now. Sorry, if I disturbed your sleep."


    Now that Luo Yan was finally looking at ''Sofia'' properly, he noticed that the other was no longer wearing a night robe but a beautiful dress that perfectly showcased ''her'' figure. It wasn''t revealing. It''s just the way it''s hugging ''her'' body, not in that tight kind of way but in that flowy manner that made it different.


    His eyes inadvertently nced at the other''s chest. Those were probably the soft thing he felt earlier. He raised his head as if he just didn''t stare at someone''s chest and said with a smile, "What do you want to tell me?"


    Before ''Sofia'' could answer, they suddenly heard an earth-shattering scream.

 Chapter 821 FALLEN BODY

    Chapter 821 FALLEN BODY¡¡¡¡LUO YAN and ''Sofia'' looked at each other before they both walked out of the study and rushed to where the voice wasing from. It led the two of them outside. It was only then that Luo Yan noticed that the sun was already high up. It''s probably about afternoon inside this virtual world.


    He must have slept for quite a while. Or at least his brain gave him that illusion. No wonder he felt so refreshed. Now that the sun was high above the sky, he could clearly see the situation below.


    A lot of trees were burned down, a ton of soil slid down the mountain causing andslide. He was actually quite surprised that those explosions fromst night didn''t burn the whole mountain down. Oh well, maybe the game devs didn''t take that into consideration. After all, they just needed a situation where everyone in this manor would be isted from the outside world.


    Anyway, back to that scream just now. Based on his experience reading and watching murder mysteries, a scream like that could only mean one thing. Somebody just died.


    Instead of being worried, he was just curious. He wondered who would it be? He had a feeling that the identity of the person who died would help Luo Yan further solidify the conjecture that he already had. Or at least made it a bit clearer.


    He and ''Sofia'' continued to rush towards the direction where the scream came from until they finally reached the back garden near the left wing of the manor. Everyone seemed to be there except for them.


    The others were standing in a semi-circle, as if surrounding something or someone. One of them finally noticed Luo Yan''s arrival and called out to him. The rest then turned towards him. This caused the circle to part and reveal what they were huddling over for.


    There at the middle was a body of a woman. She was wearing a nightgown and was lying face first on the ground. Her body was contorted in abnormal angles. Her neck in particr was tilted abnormally to the side that there''s no doubt that it was broken. Because of how the body was positioned and how her scattered was even covering her side face, Luo Yan couldn''t immediately tell who this was.


    But the fact that Daphne was kneeling beside the body, shaking and in a state of shock. He already knew the identity of this body.


    It''s Catherine.


    He crouched down and touched the other''s pulse. Feeling no beating sound, he knew that the other was already dead. This result was pretty unexpected. He didn''t expect that the first one to go down was actually Catherine.


    "D-detective¡­ is my mother¡­ is my mother--?" Daphne said in a quivering voice.


    Luo Yan shook his head with a sad expression, confirming that Catherine was indeed dead. Daphne covered her face with her hands and started sobbing uncontrobly.


    He stood up and whispered to ''Sofia'' ¨C who was just standing beside him as if ''she'' was ready to receive any orders at any time.


    "Please, take the youngdy inside. It would also be helpful if you can ask her what happened here."


    The other gave him a serious nod. "Okay, I''ll do that," ''she'' whispered back to him before walking towards Daphne. ''She'' held the other''s shoulder and pulled her up. "Let''s get you a warm cup of tea inside."


    Daphne didn''t object and just let ''Sofia'' bring her along.


    Luo Yan finally looked at the people standing around him. That''s when he noticed that not everyone was actually there. Three people were missing ¨C excluding ''Sofia'', Daphne, and the already dead Catherine. The fake Sorcha, Edward, and George were not there.


    It''s really not weird for some to be missing. After all, it was such a huge manor. The possibility of not hearing that scream just now was pretty high. But the fact that George, the husband of the victim, was not here made him feel like there''s something fishy happening.


    Wait- could it be--?


    He crouched down again beside the body and turned it over. The face was smashed and beyond recognition. All Luo Yan could see were a bloody face with almost no distinct facial features. So, why did Daphne assume that this was her mother? He stared at the body from head to foot. Could it be the clothes?


    That''s when he heard someone retching,pletely interrupting his concentration. He sighed. That must be young Harry.


    "Is- is that really Cathy?" asked by a trembling voice from behind.


    Luo Yan stood up and turned to look at Charles. The other''s face waspletely ashen while staring at his sister''s unrecognizable face.


    "It seemed to be so," he said.


    "Bloody hell," Charles cursed. "Why did this happen?" he said, asking no one in particr. But everyone there could hear the frustration and sadness in his voice.


    Luo Yan raised his brow. It seemed that Charles still cared for his sister despite the other probably not feeling the same. If their situation was reversed, she would definitely not show the same reaction. In that regard, Charles was definitely much betterpared to his other living siblings.


    He looked up and quickly saw that one of the windows on the fourth floor was open. And it just happened to be one just above where the body was lying. The windows in this manor were big enough for one adult to get through. And considering the state of the body, it''s enough to assume that she must have jump from there. Or she could have been pushed by someone.


    If one would consider Catherine''s character, it would definitely be thetter. Because there''s no way this kind of woman would just jump down and take her own life.


    But before jumping to conclusions, he must make sure first whether this body was indeed Catherine and no other.


    "Who found the body?" he asked the remaining people there.


    But before anyone could answer, they saw a figure near the open window. The figure had their back on them but they were pretty sure that it was that of a man.

 Chapter 822 CATCHING

    Chapter 822 CATCHING¡¡¡¡THE man kept on stepping back. When he was almost at the edge of the window, almost everyone below gasped. Luo Yan narrowed his eyes. He couldn''t see the man''s face but based on his built and there were only two men missing here right now, he could confidently say that it''s George.


    When the other was only a step away from the open window, one of the people watching finally couldn''t help but shout;


    "Stop! You''re going to fall!"


    But that probably agitated George more because of how he flinched and lost his footing. Which caused him to fall backward, straight outside the open window. Screamed echoed below. Some closed their eyes while the other watched in trepidation.


    "Hold on to the window sill!" Luo Yan shouted.


    As if all the adrenaline in his body rushed up at that moment, George managed to hold the window sill just as he was falling. "H-help¡­ help me!"


    "Gilmore, go with Charles to the fourth floor. Be quick and try to pull him up," Luo Yan ordered the two. Both didn''t ask question and just ran inside the mansion. Then, he turned to the head maid. "If there''s a mattress that you can get here as fast as possible, please get it. And also bring a nket if you could."


    "O-okay," the head maid said.


    Then, Luo Yan told Harry, Peter Baker and the footman to help the head maid carry the mattress back here. Arthur Wells surprisingly offered to help. So, the ones remaining were him and the two other women.


    "H-help me!" George shouted again in panic.


    "Stop panicking and fidgeting. You''ll fall even more if you do that," Luo Yan yelled back. "Try to calm down!"


    It seemed that the threat of falling was quite effective because the other finally stopped wriggling around and just honestly held on to the window sill.


    "He- he won''t fall, right?" the maid asked, obviously nervous.


    "If he could hold on long enough, he definitely won''t," Mrs. Gilmore said with not much emotion. As if she was only sightseeing or something.


    Luo Yan only shook his head at that.


    He wasn''t sure which one would ur first ¨C Cian and Charles arriving at the fourth floor and pulling George up or the rest bringing the mattress here. Truthfully, he didn''t really care much if this NPC died or not. But he was curious as to how the other ended up in front of that open window and why was he moving back as if something made him do it. Or rather, someone.


    Besides that, this guy might know something about what happened to Catherine. Luo Yan stared at the dangling George. Falling off from that could certainly kill people. He then nced at the body. Even if this body died from the fall, it didn''t mean that the impact could destroy their face beyond recognition.


    That meant that someone smashed this body''s face on purpose. Probably to hide the identity of the body. If the fake Sorcha couldn''t be found after this, then the one behind this whole fiasco probably wanted to confuse all of them.


    They were probably hoping that Luo Yan would fulfill his role as the detective to perfection and then question whether this body was truly Catherine or not. Considering that the other and fake Sorcha had the same built and almost the same height, it would be a bit hard to determine whether it was one or the other.


    Unless George could identify his wife''s body. Maybe that''s why he was dangling on the window sill right now. Because someone didn''t want him to identify this body. Meaning there was a person responsible why George fell off the window.


    Now, Luo Yan was starting to understand why he was invited here. To y the part of the detective who would provide the ''truth''. And therefore, would give ''credibility'' to the narrative that they wanted to present.


    Too bad. Because he had a way to distinguish whether this body was Catherine or not, even without George''s help. Of course, this would only be applicable if his guess about the fake Sorcha was true. And he was willing to bet with himself that he was right.


    "P-please, do something! I-I can''t hold on any longer!" George yelled again, pulling Luo Yan''s attention back.


    As if on cue, he saw the four men running while carrying a very thick mattress ¨C each was holding one corner - towards their direction. The head maid was trailing behind the four, hugging a nket in her arms.


    Luo Yan ran towards the head maid as the fastest speed this body could do. "Please, excuse me," he said before taking the nket from the head maid. Then, he quickly ran back. "Please, run faster!" he said to the four.


    It didn''t take him ten seconds to return. He quickly covered the body with the nket and lifted it up. And as if they were in sync, the moment he moved away, the four quickly put the mattress on the spot where the body was lying earlier.


    It just so happened that the moment the mattress was put on the ground, George finally couldn''t hold on and let go. As his hands let go of the window sill, both Cian and Gilmore appeared and tried to reach it. But they were just a second toote. Good thing, the mattress was already in ce.


    "Ahhh!!!" George screamed at the top of his lungs, shrieking like a pig.


    By the time he fell on the mattress, he already lost consciousness. Luo Yan swore he could even see the other frothing on the mouth.


    "Could someone please bring him back to his room?" he said, referring to George.


    "I''ll do it," said the footman.


    "Thank you. And please stay with him until he regains consciousness," Luo Yan said, who knew if someone would try to kill this guy again. Then he turned to the head maid. "Can you lead me to an empty room where I can put the body?"


    Mrs. Green tried her best not to look at the body now covered in the nket she brought. "Would any empty room suffice?"


    "Yes, please," Luo Yan responded with a polite smile.


    Any room was fine. What''s important was for him to have a chance to examine this body alone.

 Chapter 823 QUITE THE LIFE

    Chapter 823 QUITE THE LIFE¡¡¡¡THE head maid brought Luo Yan to an empty room on the first floor. It was a small room near the kitchen. ording to the head maid, it was a room used by servants to rest. It was also where they took the mattress and the nket as well.


    "Do you need anything else, detective?" Mrs. Green asked.


    She was obviously trying her best not to look at the covered body that Luo Yan just put on the empty bed frame. He felt like the other would vomit any minute now if she continued to be here. Then, it''s probably a good thing that she was busy with the explosionst night, so, she didn''t have time to see the burned corpse inside the master''s bedroom. She would have probably fainted and would still be bedridden until morning.


    "Yes, can you please tell everyone to gather at the drawing room?" Lou Yan said. "I will go there immediately after I''m done here."


    Mrs. Green nodded. "How about Mr. Cooper and Benson?" she asked, referring to George and the footman. Since the former was still unconscious, it would be impossible for him to gather with them.


    "It''s okay if they don''t go," Luo Yan said. He''d just ask Georgeter about what really happened to him.


    After that, the head maid finally left.


    Luo Yan turned his attention on the body and removed the nket. "Now, let''s start."


    He then started with his ''investigation''. What he did didn''t evenst a minute. But it was enough. Because he only needed to check one thing. After having the confirmation that he needed, he covered the body with the nket again.


    Now, he just needed to go and check fake Sorcha''s room. If she was indeed one of the four, then she would definitely leave a clue for him there.


    He was about to leave when the door suddenly opened and someone walked in. It''s just that, this someone rushed too quickly and tripped on their own heels. Luo Yan instinctively reached out and held their shoulders, steadying the other.


    "Are you alright, Sofia?" he asked. That''s right, it was the ever beautiful and charming ''Sofia''.


    The other raised ''her'' head and looked up at him. Because Luo Yan bent down a little to catch ''her'', their faces now were too close to each other. He now realized how nice it was to be the one with the height advantage. Because with this, he could see everything clearly. From ''her'' every micro expression to even the small fluff on ''her'' cheeks. Everything was so lovely.


    So, he also witnessed how the blush on ''her'' neck quickly climbed up to ''her'' face and even to the tips of ''her'' ears. Although it was such a threat to see that, he still wished that the image in front of him was actually that of his cinnamon roll. That would be even lovelier.


    ''Sofia'' tried to regain ''her''posure and slowly stood on ''her'' own. "Yes, I''m fine."


    Seeing the other trying to be calm, Luo Yan really wanted to mess with him a bit. But he held himself back and just asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "Well, I heard from the head maid that you''re here. So, I came here immediately to talk to you privately. You know, about that thing," ''Sofia'' said.


    The other must be referring to the two things I asked ''her'' to ask Edward. "What have you found?"


    "First, regarding the former Madame Harcourt''s death, she died a little over 30 years ago. She was found dead in the master''s bedroom. ording to Eddie, a servant found her copsed on the floor. They said she probably had a heart attack at the middle of the night. That''s why she was only found the morning after."


    "Mr. Harcourt was not with here?"


    "No, apparently, he was out on a business trip during that time. After the doctor was called and she was examined, it was determined that she died of heart failure," ''Sofia'' answered. "Then, about Eddie''s deceased wife. I didn''t find anything more than what I had already told you. She died of a heart attack and on the day of her death a mysterious woman visited her. But there was one thing Eddie said that I found rather curious."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. It seemed that his cinnamon roll was slowly learning to be theatrical. "What is it?" he asked, indulging the other.


    "The doctor who examined Madame Harcourt and Eddie''s deceased wife was one and the same person - Dr. Granger. He was the one whobeled their deaths as heart failure. And apparently, he''s also the family''s former doctor. It''s interesting, right? Although I''m not sure if it''s a helpful information."


    Luo Yan almost blurted out ¨C ''of course you do, isn''t that the reason why you told it to me?''. But he held back. Even holding back hisughter.


    "I assure you, it''s a very important information," he said. "Did you ask Edward what happened to this doctor?


    "Eddie said he died about two years ago," ''Sofia'' said. "Oh, and there''s another interesting thing. He left all his fortune to Catherine."


    Now, that''s indeed interesting. "This Dr. Granger didn''t have any children or a wife?"


    ''Sofia'' shook ''her'' head. "Eddie was very bummed about it, you know? He couldn''t understand why he would leave it to Catherine when he could have used the money better. But why do you think the doctor would leave all his money and property to Catherine?"


    "Why indeed?" Luo Yan said with a knowing smile. "Maybe he''s very fond of Catherine."


    But this information thoroughly gave a new perspective on this whole fiasco. He nced at the body covered with a nket. [Cathy, Cathy, you really led quite the life, didn''t you?]


    He took back his gaze and turned to the beautiful ''Sofia''. "Thank you for such useful information."


    "It''s nothing, I''m happy to help."


    Luo Yan offered the other his arm. "Then, shall we go, mydy?"


    ''Sofia'' visibly flinched at the mention of ''mydy''. But she still smiled charmingly and put her hand on top of Luo Yan''s arm, making him smile.

 Chapter 824 SMILED LIKE A WINNER

    Chapter 824 SMILED LIKE A WINNER¡¡¡¡ONCE Luo Yan and ''Sofia'' walked in, every gaze inside the drawingnded on them. If this was any other time, some might find them being together as suspicious. But everyone''s nerves were still frayed by the two consecutive deaths that happened within hours of each other. So, everyone was undoubtedly on edge right now.


    He nodded to ''Sofia'', indicating that ''she'' could sit somewhere with the others. After that, Luo Yan looked around and sure enough, aside from George and the footman, Edward and the fake Sorcha were also not there.


    "Have anyone called Mr. Edward and Miss Sorcha?" he first asked.


    "S-sir, I did call the missus but she''s not in her room," the maid said.


    "Father is also not in his room," Harry said with almost no energy.


    "Eddie is not in his room? That''s odd. He''s clearly there when I woke up," ''Sofia'' said. "Maybe he''s just in one of the rooms? After all, this manor is too big."


    Harry seemed to be triggered by what ''Sofia'' said. He turned to ''her'' and almost growled, "Do you think I don''t know that? That''s why I only said that he''s not in his room. Did you hear me say that he''s not in this house?"


    "Okay, let''s not let out emotions get the better of us," Luo Yan said. "Why don''t we all search for them. With all of us here, I''m sure we could search the whole ce and find them in no time. What do you say?"


    Although some grumbled, the rest still agreed. So, it was quickly decided that they would go around the manor to search for the two. They decided to do it in pairs and divided their search area to make everything faster.


    Of course, Luo Yan made sure that the area he would search involved the fake Sorcha''s room. And he also partnered with Daphne. This way, he could ask the other about how they found Catherine''s body.


    "I''m sorry to ask you to search around like this despite what just happened," he said first when they started their search.


    Daphne shook her head weakly. "It''s fine. With few people around, it''s important that we all work together."


    "Do you know who first found your mother''s body?" he asked.


    "It''s me," Daphne answered. She was silent for a few seconds, a sad expression on her face. "My room is on the third floor. I didn''t want to go out after what happenedst night. So, I had been staying in my room. I was looking outside the window when I saw a body suddenly fell. I looked outside the window, when I saw the body, a bad feeling quickly filled with me. I didn''t even think much and I just ran downstairs.


    "Some of them probably saw me running like crazy so they followed. When I arrived where the body fell and when I saw the clothes, I- I just knew it''s my m-mother. I was truly out of it. I probably only understood the severity of what happened when that maid screamed her lungs out upon seeing the b-body."


    So, it was the maid''s scream that Luo Yan and ''Sofia'' heard. "May I ask how are you so certain that it was your mother? You saw how badly mangled the body''s face was. Honestly, it could be anyone."


    "I- it''s the clothes. I''m very familiar with my mother''s nightgowns. So, I knew it was her."


    Luo Yan nodded. "When you looked out of the window, did you notice anything? Aside from the body, of course."


    "No, not really." Then, as if she remembered something, an expression of ''enlightenment'' appeared on her face. "Wait- there was something. I didn''t think much of it because my mind was just filled with that body, but I think I saw someone''s shadow. They were standing at a corner, so I could only see their shadow. But there was definitely someone there. Do you think they had anything to do with what happened to my mother?"


    This corner should be the corner of the manor near where the body fell. From Daphne''s perspective, she truly wouldn''t see whose shadow it belonged to. So, while she was running down the stairs to reach where the body fell, the owner of this shadow smashed Catherine''s face with maybe a stone or something. And then, they joined everyone when they gathered around the body. Thus, making an illusion that they also just got there.


    With this, it''s certain that at least two people were working together to stage everything that had happened so far. One of them was most definitely William Harcourt. He already had an idea who the other one was. He just had to look for more evidence to make sure that he was correct.


    "I''m not sure," he said in response to what Daphne said. "When you arrived at the spot where the body was, did you still see the shadow?"


    Daphne was silent for a moment as if thinking back to that moment. "No, I don''t think I did."


    Luo Yan nodded. That was to be expected. With how careful they were, it''s probably only an ident that Daphne even managed to see a shadow.


    He and Daphne continued on with their search. As expected, they hadn''t found the two they were looking for. Until they finally reached the fake Sorcha''s room. Upon entering, the room was empty as expected.


    "She''s not here just like the maid said. Should we go to another ce?" Daphne asked.


    "No, there''s something I need to check first."


    Daphne only nodded and didn''t ask much question. Luo Yan then walked to the bathroom. He looked around at every corner to see if he could find anything. And there, just beside the vanity mirror, the medicine cab was slightly opened.


    He didn''t hesitate to open it. Its content was pretty normal. First-aid kit and all that. But the one thing that attracted his attention was the shaving cream inside. The one that men used to shave their facial hair.


    Luo Yan smiled like a winner when he saw that.

 Chapter 825 OFFERING HIS OPINION

    Chapter 825 OFFERING HIS ''OPINION''¡¡¡¡AFTER half an hour of searching, everyone returned to the drawing room with no positive results in their hands. The only one who probably gained anything was Luo Yan. Because now, he finally confirmed that the dead body was indeed Catherine. But with the missing Edward and the fake Sorcha, things would definitely be moreplicated. Well, at least some of the NPCs would definitely be in panic.


    "Where the bloody hell is Father? Why is he missing with that woman?" Harry said, walking back and forth, obviously very anxious. "Could something bad happened to them? Like- like what happened to Aunt Catherine? A-are we going to be next?"


    "Calm your horses, boy," Charles scolded. "Them missing doesn''t automatically mean that something bad happened to them."


    "It could mean something totally different," Peter Baker, the fake doctor, added.


    Charles turned to the other, his gaze sharp. "And what do you mean by that?"


    Peter only shrugged. But it was Arthur Wells, the old solicitor, who gave Charles an answer.


    "He probably meant that there''s a chance that the two aren''t missing at all but just hiding."


    "What are you saying old man? Why would my father hide?" Then as if Harry realized something, his eyes widened and he looked incredulously at the solicitor. "Are you suggesting what I think you''re suggesting?"


    "I''m not suggesting anything. I''m just stating a possibility," Arthur said in a calm voice.


    "Isn''t that the same thing?" Harry said, almost shouting. Anger could be seen clearly on his face. "Do you think my father killed his sister with the help of a woman he hardly even knew or liked? Surely, you''re not suggesting that they were involved with what happened with my grandfather?"


    "It''s not them that I''m suspecting," Arthur said still with that staid expression. "It''s your father and Catherine."


    There was silence in the drawing room. If a pin dropped at that moment, the sound would probably echo around them. It was Harry who broke this silence.


    "Do you have memory problems? Are you suffering from dementia?" the young man said in a mocking way. "Have you already forgotten the dead body we saw earlier?"


    "How can you be sure that that body was indeed Catherine?" Arthur simply retorted back.


    "You mean, there''s a possibility that the body was actually Miss Sorcha?" Mrs. Gilmore said.


    Luo Yan nced at the cook with interest. Although she tried to make her voice have a hint of incredulity just like Harry, Luo Yan still heard the faint excitement in it. As if she had been waiting for someone to open up that topic.


    "Mum, l-let''s not jump into conclusions," Cian quickly said.


    "What you said do have a point," Peter said, agreeing to Mrs. Gilmore. "After all, we really didn''t see the face of that body. We only know it was a woman. It could easily be Miss Sorcha considering she and Catherine both have the same body structure."


    "Y-you mean they put Miss Catherine''s nightgown on Miss Sorcha and then b-bashed her face so we would think wrongly?" the maid said in a scared manner. Her voice was not that loud but everyone there heard it.


    Harrypletely lost it after he heard all those things. "Have all of you gone insane? How the bloody hell did you alle up with such a ridiculous theory?" He then turned to Luo Yan. "You''re the detective here, aren''t you? Why aren''t you doing your job and just letting these people do your job for you? And rather badly at that."


    Luo Yan only raised his brow before showing a helpless smile. "Young master Harry, I assure you, I''m doing my job as best as I could."


    Harry scoffed. "Hah! If you''re doing your job, Aunt Catherine wouldn''t be dead and my father and that woman wouldn''t be missing."


    "That''s not the detective''s fault though," ''Sofia'' said in a confused manner. But Luo Yan knew that the other said that on purpose.


    But Harry still heard her. He red at his soon-to-be stepmother. "What does a harlot like you know?"


    "At least she had more manners than you, that''s for sure," Peter returned.


    "You¡ª"


    "Let- let''s all calm down, please," Cian interrupted trying to be a peacemaker.


    Harry turned to Daphne. "Are you seriously just going to remain silent? They''re all talking about my father and your mother being murderers!"


    "I¡ª" Daphne stammered to say anything.


    Harry looked like he was on the verge of breaking down. At that moment, Luo Yan finally offered his opinion. Or at least the opinion one of the culprits wanted to hear.


    "They all have a point. Especially if Edward and Catherine both knew that the will leaving everything to Sorcha Harcourt had long been signed by Mr. Harcourt."


    "I can confirm that," Arthur quickly seconded.


    Harry seemed to be sluggish by this revtion. But Luo Yan didn''t stop there and continued with his ''conclusion''.


    "The both of them could have killed Sorcha. And then to get the properties and money left by their father, they could just simply hire a confidence trickster to fool Mr. Wells here into thinking that she is the real Sorcha Harcourt. That would be easy to do. After all, who here really knew Sorcha Harcourt. I bet all of you only saw him yesterday. Faking her identity would be a very simple thing to do."


    When he said thatst part, he did not forget to nce at Mrs. Gilmore. He noticed how the other flinched a bit when he said that. He looked away as if he only inadvertently nced at her direction. It would be bad if the other noticed that he already knew more than what they wanted him to know.


    Luo Yan then smiled to everyone. "Of course, these were all just assumption at this point. But you can''t deny that it does make sense."


    Once again, the room was filled with silence.


    At the end, it was still Harry who spoke first. "I don''t need your assumption! I need evidence."


    Luo Yan''s smile did not falter. "Don''t worry, I''m slowly but surely gathering it. The culprits would soon reveal themselves."


    And he just needed a little help from the young butler.

 Chapter 826 AS AN ASSISTANT

    Chapter 826 AS AN ASSISTANT¡¡¡¡AFTER the drama in the drawing room, Luo Yan suggested for them to disperse in order to ''calm down their emotion''. Of course, he didn''t forget to remind them to act in pairs. After all, there might be criminals hiding somewhere and might try to kill them if they wanted.


    Thest part was definitely filled with exaggeration. Luo Yan only said it to scare some of the NPCs and also to show the real culprit that he believed the narrative they wanted him to believe.


    After partnering up together, the only one left without a partner was ''Sofia''. So naturally, Luo Yan asked the other if ''she'' wanted to go with him. ''Sofia'' naturally didn''t refuse.


    "Detective, do you really think Eddie had something to do with the killings that had happened?" ''Sofia'' asked when they walked out of the drawing room. ''Her'' voice was pretty low. ''She'' probably didn''t want others to hear ''her'' question.


    Luo Yan nced at ''her'' and only gave a mysterious smile. "What do you think?"


    ''Sofia'' stared at him for one second before showing a helpless look. "I don''t know. I''m not that smart after all. But I just want to tell the detective that Eddie might be a lot of things, but I''m pretty sure that he didn''t have the guts to murder anyone."


    "Why don''t you work with me to prove his innocence?"


    Luo Yan gave the other this suggestion so ''she'' could help him with his n without worrying that ''she'' would go OOC. Knowing his cinnamon roll, he would definitely have an idea of what was really happening. But because of the constraint of his role, he couldn''t do anything about it.


    So, by offering ''Sofia'' a chance to help him with his investigation, he would also give ''her'' an excuse to move more freely without the game system judging ''her'' action as a vition to the rules.


    "Can I really work with you? Won''t I just be a hindrance?" ''Sofia'' asked.


    Although ''she'' had a worried look on ''her'' face, Luo Yan knew that it was only some sort of formality. So, he just smiled and said, "Of course not. I need an assistant for my n. I think Sofia is perfect for the job."


    ''Sofia'' blinked those charming eyes at him and asked, "Do you really think so?"


    Luo Yan stopped in his steps. If he didn''t know any better, he would think that the other was actually fishing forpliments. With mirth filling his eyes, he decided to humor ''her''.


    "Yes. Sofia is not only witty but also very charming and beautiful," he looked down, gazing straight at the other''s eyes. "How could I not want you?" Then his serious expression quickly turned into an easygoing smile. "As an assistant, of course."


    ''Sofia''s'' whole face had already turned bright red at that moment. Hearing thest bit of what Luo Yan said, ''she'' quickly turned ''her'' gaze away. Then ''she'' let out a fakeugh most likely to cover ''her'' awkwardness.


    "I see. Then, it will be my honor to be your assistant."


    Luo Yan smiled, thinking how cute the other was. Then, he told ''Sofia'' his n. Of course, in a very hush manner.


    -----


    Luo Yan walked towards the room where George and the footman were. He and ''Sofia'' separated at some point. For the n that he had conceived, the other had to go to her and Edward''s room. He asked ''her'' to check something. And if his guess was right, ''she'' could proceed on to the next step.


    Reaching the room, he knocked on the door. It didn''t take long for the footman to open the door for him. He walked inside and the footman closed the door. Luo Yan nced at the man on the bed. The other still had his eyes closed. Obviously, George still hadn''t regained consciousness.


    "Should I leave now, detective?" the footman asked.


    Luo Yan turned to the other. "No, stay here for a while."


    The footman looked like he was confused by this. After all, the detective would now be apanying Master George, was there really a need for him to be here? But since he''s only a footman, who was he to argue?


    Of course, there''s a reason why Luo Yan asked the other to stay. If the footman left now, at least one of the culprits would definitely ask the other why he left the room. Then, they would probably do everything to listen to the conversation he would have with George. Either to monitor if Luo Yan truly believed the narrative they''re trying to push or if George actually saw something when he fell down the window.


    It''s the reason why Luo Yan was so careful on his way here. He had to check a couple of times to make that he wasn''t being followed.


    He walked around the room. Touching the walls as he did, checking for any hollowed sound. He did a full turn and did not find one. Then he did the same thing to the floor. He tapped his foot on the floor and then stopped around the area where the footman pulled a chair to sit.


    He tapped and a hollow sound was produced. Luo Yan smiled. He would bet that if he removed the carpet, he would probably see a door that would lead to the room below.


    He was already expecting this. He would probably be more distressed if he actually didn''t find one. Because it would mean that some of the things he guessed was actually wrong. It would definitely put a damper to the n he just made.


    Luo Yan then heard a groan. He nced towards the bed and saw George''s eyelids twitching as if the other was about to wake up.


    Sure enough, a few secondster, George finally opened his eyes.


    "W-where--?" Then as if remembering what he just experienced, he abruptly sat up. "What happened? I¡ª" He looked at his own hands as if he couldn''t believe that he was actually still alive. "I- I''m alive."

 Chapter 827 A GHOST

    Chapter 827 A GHOST¡¡¡¡THAT''S when George nced at Luo Yan as if he only noticed his existence then. "You¡ªtell me what happened!"


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. It seemed this guy was so shocked by his fall that he didn''t even bother with his ''gentle'' act. "You fell from the fourth floor and we saved you."


    As if George only remembered what happened after Luo Yan mentioned that, he visibly shivered. "S-someone wants to kill me¡­ it''s a ghost. It''s a ghost I tell you-!" The other suddenly grabbed Luo Yan''s arm. "You must save me, detective!"


    Luo Yan''s eyes were filled with interest when he heard that. "Calm down first and tell me slowly what exactly happened."


    "I¡ªI¡ª"


    "Take a deep breath first. That''s it. Now, tell me what happened."


    Luo Yan''s voice seemed to have a hypnotic effect. Because George slowly calmed down and started telling him what happened.


    "After lunch, my wife and I went back to our room to rest because both of us didn''t feel well. It''s probably the effect of what happenedst night. While sleeping, I suddenly heard a scream. It woke me up. I asked Cathy what was happening. But I didn''t get an answer. When I turned to her side of the bed, it was empty. I called for her name but no one answered. So, I walked out of the room and that''s when I saw it. A¡ªa ghost."


    The other closed his eyes. He looked like he was trying really hard not to remember it.


    "The g-ghost, it was standing at the end of the corridor. It started to walk towards me and I just unconsciously stepped back. I- I didn''t know what I was thinking back then. My mind just went ck. I could have just returned back to the room but instead I continued to step back. Before I knew it, I was already falling out of the window."


    "Why do you think that what you saw was a ghost?" Luo Yan asked.


    The other seemed to be very convinced that what he saw was indeed a ghost. But since this ''world'' didn''t exactly have a supernatural setting, it''s impossible for ghost and the likes to actually exist. If the genre of this story suddenly changed from mystery/crime to horror, Luo Yan would definitely lose it.


    George''s answer to his question was not really that unexpected if he thought about it but it still surprised him nheless.


    "It''s¡­ it''s Richard! I saw Richard!" George eximed, his gaze erratic. "What else could he be if not a ghost?"


    "Mr. George, no- George, have you thought of the possibility that you might just be seeing things? From what I''ve heard, you have never met Richard. So, how can you make sure that it was him you saw?" Luo Yan said in a very calm tone.


    "Yes, I didn''t meet him in person. But my wife- Cathy kept a small portrait of him on her dressing table," George said thatst part with a bit of hatred in his tone, as if he didn''t like that fact. "There''s no way I wouldn''t know how that guy looked like."


    Hah, it seemed that Catherine''s little obsession with her older brother wasn''t so little after all.


    Luo Yan appeared thoughtful. Making it look like he was starting to believe George''s ghost nonsense so the other would tell him more details about this.


    "Can you describe how you saw him and what he looked like the moment you did?" he asked.


    "He was standing at the end of the corridor in the fourth floor. He- he was wearing long-sleeved white shirt and ck pants. He appeared to be much older. But- but that face. I''m sure it was Richard," George said.


    "Did you notice anything else?"


    "I- he has a weird way of walking. As if he has a problem with his gait."


    "Like he was dragging one of his feet or something?" Luo Yan asked, trying to get a better understanding of what the other saw.


    "That''s it! He seemed to be dragging his left foot. I didn''t notice it at first because I was too scared but that seemed to be really the case." Then as if realizing something, his eyes suddenly widened. "If what I saw was a ghost, then they shouldn''t have been dragging their foot like that. Th-then- does that mean that- that- what I saw wasn''t a ghost at all?!"


    [That''s what I''ve been saying.] ¨C Luo Yan thought sarcastically.


    "Does this mean that Richard is still a-alive?" George asked, looking at Luo Yan with his eyes full of disbelief and fear.


    "I can''t really say anything to that. What I do know is that you have to rest. I think all the things that happened had been affecting you in a fairly negative manner," Luo Yan said in a soothing tone. He gently pushed the other back on the bed. "Sleep. Everything will be alright once you wake up."


    "I¡ªwhere''s Cathy?"


    "Don''t worry, she''ll be here soon," Luo Yan said in a tone as if Catherine would really be here in a minute. "So, rest up first."


    He wasn''t sure if it was because of what he said or because of the tone of his voice, but George slowly closed his eyes. In a matter of minutes, he fell back asleep.


    "Stay here with him," Luo Yan said to the footman who looked very lost at the moment. Probably because he couldn''t keep up with the conversation that just urred.


    "Sir, detective, are we not going to tell Master George about what happened to his wife?" the footman asked in a low voice.


    "No need." Luo Yan then guided the footman to sit on the chair that the other had been sitting on while apanying George. He lowered his head and whispered to the footman. "Stay in this chair and don''t move until Ie back, okay?"


    The footman looking all confused still nodded.


    Satisfied, Luo Yan walked out of the room. Just as he did, he saw ''Sofia'' walking towards him.

 Chapter 828 EXPOSING THE SHADOWS

    Chapter 828 EXPOSING THE SHADOWS¡¡¡¡"HOW was it?" Luo Yan asked ''Sofia'', referring to what he just asked the other to do.


    ''Sofia'' made an ''okay'' gesture. "It''s as you said, there are really hidden passages in our room and in Sorcha''s room. I did what you told and got a positive response."


    Luo Yan smiled hearing that. "Good. If you can, please the others to secretly gather hereter."


    "Excluding that person, right?" ''Sofia'' asked.


    Luo Yan nodded. "Yes."


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got this," ''Sofia'' said with a determined expression on ''her'' face.


    Cute. "Just as I thought, ''Sofia'' is perfect to be a detective''s assistant. Maybe after this I should take you back home."


    A gorgeous red stained ''her'' cheeks. Luo Yan almost raised his hand and poked it. But he stopped himself in time and just clenched his fists.


    "I- I''ll go now."


    After saying that, ''Sofia'' turned around and left. ''Her'' brisked steps looked as if ''she'' was fleeing from someone. Luo Yan only chuckled and also walked towards the stairs.


    He climbed down and once he reached the first floor, he went straight to the kitchen. As expected, Mrs. Gilmore was there, busy preparing dinner. Cian was there, helping out. The maid and the head maid both weren''t there. Since the two of them were partnered together, they were probably somewhere in the manor, cleaning or something.


    Before entering the kitchen, Luo Yan quickly changed the expression on his face and acted as if he was very confused and helpless at the moment. The moment he stepped inside, he let out a very dramatic sigh. Which, of course, was noticed by the mother-son pair.


    "What''s wrong, detective?" Cian immediately asked.


    Luo Yan sighed again. "It''s Mr. George. He just regained consciousness."


    "That''s good, right?" Cian asked, wondering how could that be worth sighing over.


    "Yes, it is. But the problem was, he started saying these weird things." Luo Yan said. "I wonder if that fall affected his brain for him to say such things."


    This time, Cian was more curious rather than confused. "What did Mr. George say?"


    "He said that the reason he fell off the window was because he saw a ghost," Luo Yan answered shaking his head. "I thought that it might be because of what happened to Mr. Harcourt. That''s why his mentality was affected and it gave him the illusion of seeing a ghost. But after hearing who the ghost he saw was, I started to doubt if that was really the case."


    Cian looked even more interested. "Whose ghost did Mr. George said he saw?"


    "It''s Mr. Harcourt''s second son ¨C Richard."


    After Luo Yan said that, there was a loud ng inside the kitchen. Both he and Cian turned to the source. They saw Mrs. Gilmore picking up the rolling pin that she identally dropped.


    "Are you alright, mum?" Cian asked his mother worriedly.


    Mrs. Gilmore smiled gently at her son. "Yes, I''m okay. I apologized for distracting you from your conversation because of my clumsiness."


    "There''s no need to apologize, Mrs. Gilmore," Luo Yan said, his eyes full of understanding. "But since we already have your attention, do you think what Mr. George saw was really a ghost?"


    "No. Just like what detective said, with what happenedst night, add that to the fall earlier, I think Mr. Cooper was greatly affected by those things," the woman said calmly. "He''s definitely not in a right state of mind."


    "I think so as well," Luo Yan said, nodding. "But I also find it quite curious as to why he would even think that he saw Richard when there''s not even a precedent for it."


    "I can think of a much more logical exnation for Mr. Cooper''s situation," she said.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. "Oh? Do tell, please."


    "The person he might have seen could be Mr. Edward. I''ve seen portraits of Mr. Richard and they have a high-degree of likeness."


    Luo Yan felt a bit amused. If not for all the things he had discovered before, he truly might think that that was possible. Sadly, he knew that that could have been the case.


    "That could really be possible," Cian seconded. "Then, does that mean Mr. George saw Mr. Edward before he fell off the window? Why would Mr. Edward scare Mr. George like that?"


    "Who knows what goes on in the minds of the rich and wealthy," Mrs. Gilmore said with a shrug.


    "But still, being a detective, I should explore all avenues so I could arrive at the truth," Luo Yan with a serious expression on his face. "Maybe with Mr. George''s statement, I could find a different answer to the one I already came up with. It''s too bad that he was too distraught to answer my questions properly. But no matter, I could just ask himter once he woke up."


    As he said that, he did not forget to observe Mrs. Gilmore''s reaction. Of course, in a not so obvious way. The other''s fists were clenched so hard he could see the veins on it.


    Luo Yan smiled in secret. It seemed that he had already aplished what he came here for.


    ----------


    At night, everyone somehow requested to have their dinner in their rooms. Probably feeling all tired and just wanting to rest. And at about ten in the evening, a shadow was seen skulking into one room.


    This shadow first lifted the door of the secret passage on the floor. Then, slowly climbed out. The shadow nced at the bed. Because there was no light inside, all the shadow could see was an outline of a body lying on the bed, covered by the thickforter.


    A cold glint shed on the shadow''s eyes. The shadow walked carefully towards the bed, making sure that their steps wouldn''t awaken the person sleeping on the bed. After a few steps, the shadow arrived beside the bed. They picked a pillow and without hesitation, the shadow pushed it over the body''s head and pressed it hard.


    The moment they did, the shadow felt that something was wrong. But it was already toote.


    Light suddenly filled the room,pletely exposing the shadow.

 Chapter 829 TO THE ROOM BELOW

    Chapter 829 TO THE ROOM BELOW¡¡¡¡THE shadow''s figure was slowly revealed. The moment light filled the room, a shocked gasped was heard.


    "H-how¡­ why¡­ what are you doing, mum?" Cian said in a shocked voice. His expression full of disbelief.


    Mrs. Gilmore slowly turned to the door of the room and seeing the people standing there, the pillow she was holding fell. "Cian¡ª"


    "As expected, Mrs. Gilmore truly didn''t disappoint me," Luo Yan said, cutting off whatever the older woman was about to say.


    Mrs. Gilmore nced at Luo Yan. Apart from him and Cian, Daphne and ''Sofia'' were also there. Their presence here, added to the fact that there was no one on the bed aside from a lump of pillows covered by a nket. It''s not hard to understand what exactly was happening.


    Mrs. Gilmore''s stunned and anxious expression turned to that of anger. "You manipted me?"


    "Well, I wouldn''t say manipted exactly," Luo Yan said with a shrug. "I simply believed in the fact that you will do anything to make sure this n won''t go awry. For that, it''s important that the identity of your aplice should never be revealed. Even a hint of it is not allowed. So, you see, instigating you could hardly be called maniption. Because even without me, you would still do the same thing. You would still end up here, in this room, trying to kill George."


    Mrs. Gilmore didn''t respond and just looked at Luo Yan with no emotion. But her clenched fists showed what she''s really feeling right now.


    "Why do you want to kill my father, Mrs. Gilmore?" Daphne asked, looking all confused and angry at the same time.


    Mrs. Gilmore remained silent.


    "Mum, please, just say something. Exin yourself, please!" Cian said, his voice full of anguish. "Just- just tell them it''s all a big misunderstanding!"


    The older woman clenched her teeth and avoided her son''s gaze. This made Cian despair even more.


    "It doesn''t matter even if you don''t say anything. Mrs. Green and Mary had seen you going up here from the room directly below this," referring to the head maid and the maid.


    It was one of the things he told ''Sofia'' to do earlier ¨C to let the head maid and the maid to hide at the room below this after dinner. So, they could witness whoever would enter that room and do anything suspicious.


    "Your actions already spoke of premeditation. Even if you try to reason out what you''re doing here, it will just seem like a lousy excuse," he added. "Now then, since we already establish that, why don''t we move to another room so everyone can hear what I''m about to say? After all the things that happened within a day, everyone here is entitled to the truth."


    After saying that, he smiled at Mrs. Gilmore and gestured for her to leave the room. "Please, after you."


    He wasn''t worried that the other would run. Because where else could she go? Weren''t they the ones who made this situation so all of them would be isted in this ce? He also wasn''t afraid that Mrs. Gilmore would hide in one of those passageways in this manor. Why would he when he had the biggest coteral here?


    Luo Yan nced at Cian. As long as they this kid with them, Mrs. Gilmore and her aplice wouldn''t dare to leave. Although there was a bit of worry that the two would actually go to the extreme after this and just decided to kill all of them, he just had to thread carefully so as to not let that happen. And by that, he meant using Cian to guilt-trip the other two.


    Mrs. Gilmore gave him a faint nce and refused to move.


    Luo Yan only smiled at this before turning to the young butler. "Cian, can you please escort your mother to the room below this one?"


    Cian, who was still wallowing in his own sadness, was startled when he was suddenly named. He turned to Luo Yan in a dazed manner. "I¡ª I don''t¡ª"


    Luo Yan slightly bent down towards Cian and whispered to the other, "Don''t worry, nothing bad will happen to your mother. Trust me."


    He looked directly at the other, his eyes were silently saying, ''as long as you cooperate with me, I won''t let anything happen to your mother''.


    Cian seemed to understand that. His green eyes that were already filled with bleakness started to have a small shine of hope. He didn''t respond to Luo Yan but answered with his actions.


    The other walked to his mother''s side and said, "Let''s go, mum."


    Mrs. Gilmore looked at her son and then sighed. She then red at Luo Yan as if that could relieve her of the anger she''s feeling. Luo Yan only smiled at the other as a respond. At the end, the other had no choice but to let her son guide her out of the room.


    "Will this be alright?" Daphne asked in a worried tone while staring at the backs of the mother-son pair.


    "Don''t worry, I''m sure James have this under control," ''Sofia'' said before turning to Luo Yan with a charming smile. "Right, James?"


    He smiled back. "Of course."


    Daphne looked back and forth between the two. Her expression was saying ''what''s wrong with these two people?''.


    The three followed the mother and son duo towards the floor below. Luo Yan then took the lead and walked to the room he told Cian to go. He opened the door and entered. Inside, Mrs. Green and Mary were already there waiting. Together with them, Charles, Harry, and Arthur were also there.


    "Can I ask what exactly are we doing here?" asked the young Harry, looking as impatient as ever.


    This was another thing that Luo Yan told ''Sofia'' to do. To let everyone gather here at this time. By everyone, he didn''t include George. If the other was also present during Luo Yan''s deduction performanceter, then it would be just full chaos. So, he locked the other in a room. Letting the footman guard outside.


    "Let''s wait for the others."


    After Luo Yan said that, the door of the room opened. He nced back and smiled when he saw the people who walked inside.

 Chapter 830 THE REAL MISS SORCHA

    Chapter 830 THE REAL MISS SORCHA¡¡¡¡THE first person Luo Yan saw was a handsome man in his early 30s. If people here saw him the first time, they wouldn''t have reacted at all. They would probably just think that the man was good looking.


    But that''s not the thing that everyone in the room noticed first when they saw the man entered. It was the fact that he looked so simr to the missing fake Sorcha! From the eyes to the nose to the lips, everything was exactly the same. If he dressed like a woman right now and put on some make-up, they would definitely believe that he was Sorcha.


    The people in the room were confused. Was this person rted to Sorcha? Howe they only saw him now? But unlike the others, Luo Yan was not surprised seeing this man. Because he knew the other''s identity.


    He was the fake Sorcha himself!


    Luo Yan had long noticed during their interview that the other might be crossdressing as a woman. During their interview, this man had been holding on to the neckline of his robe. As if he was trying to hide his throat.


    This move of the other was not too obvious. Like he was just holding the neckline of his robe because he felt cold. Although the movement was subtle, if you''re an observant person, it''s hard not to notice it.


    The other definitely knew that Luo Yan was observing him. That''s why he made a point to attract his attention to that little movement. This was also one of the reasons why Luo Yan suspected the guy of being ''one of the four''. Trying not to OOC but at the same time also trying to give Luo Yan enough clues to question his identity.


    That''s why he was certain that the body that fell from the fourth-floor window was Catherine. All he needed to do was check if the body was that of a real woman. And that''s something very easy to do.


    But at that point, Luo Yan was still notpletely sure. That''s why when he went to the other''s room, he looked for clues to support his conjecture. So, when he saw the shaving cream inside the medicine cab, thatpletely solidified his guess.


    It''s a facial cream specifically for men. No women in this era would use that. The fact that this crossdresser intentionally left that clue meant that he wanted Luo Yan to find out about it. This also prove his other guess that the other was ''one of the four''.


    That''s why when he gave instructions to ''Sofia'' earlier, he told ''her'' to slip a note into the passageway hidden in the room that the fake Sorcha upied. What was written on the note was, ''help us catch the ghost and we''ll pay you double''.


    Being ''one of the four'', the other would definitely understand what it meant. At the same time, this would also give the other an excuse to help Luo Yan without worrying that the game system would judge him as OOC.


    Luo Yan wasn''t worried that the note would fall in the wrong hands. He had already judged that the fake Sorcha hid at the passageway in his room every time someone entered the room. At least someone aside from Mrs. Gilmore and her aplice. That''s why he''s confident that the other would receive the message.


    He did and this was the result.


    Luo Yan nced secretly at Mrs. Gilmore. When he saw the older woman''s shocked expression when he saw the fake Sorcha, he was now quite sure that the other didn''t know that the grifter they hired was actually a man and not a woman.


    The confusion of the people, mostly the NPCs, inside the room upon seeing the fake Sorcha immediately changed when they saw the person walking behind him.


    It was an older man, probably in histe 40s. He was quite handsome. Even the small burn mark on the side of his forehead did not detract his looks. The other was limping. Walking forward with almost no expression on his face.


    "B-brother?" Charles suddenly eximed upon seeing the man. "H-how? No- this can''t be real. There''s no way¡­"


    The NPCs who heard Charles exmation were all shocked. Since the man didn''t look like Edward, then calling him ''brother'' only meant one thing. That the one standing before them was ''Richard''. But wasn''t the other already dead?


    The young Harry looked at his younger uncle. "Uncle, what are you saying? No- never mind that. The correct question is, do you know what you''re saying?"


    Charles ignored his nephew and continued to stare at the man. As if trying to find a clue from the other''s expression.


    Harry seemed to be annoyed that he didn''t get a response. So, he looked back at the people who entered the room. After the first two, Peter Baker came in, supporting someone. Harry''s eyes widened when he saw the man Peter was helping to walk.


    "Father!" The young man quickly ran towards his father.


    Yes, it was Edward. Although it seemed that he didn''t have any injury, he appeared to be very weak. As if he was drugged or something.


    "Are you alright? What happened? Where have you been?" Harry asked one after the other.


    "I''m fine," Edward said while giving the man walking ahead aplicated nce.


    At this point, Mrs. Gilmore finally could no longer hold it in and just ran towards Richard. She pushed the fake Sorcha away and cupped Richard''s face. She looked at him from head to toe, looking for any signs of injury.


    "Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?"


    The man ¨C Richard finally had a change in his emotion. He looked at the woman in front of him with tenderness and love. "I''m fine."


    "Mum?" Cian called. He currently looked like a lost child who was questioning the reality of what was happening around him.


    Mrs. Gilmore seemed to freeze at the call of her son. Before she could speak, Luo Yan beat her to the punch.


    "I think it''s time you introduce your son to his father," he said to the older woman with a smile. "Don''t you think so, the real miss Sorcha?"

 Chapter 831 DEDUCTION (I)

    Chapter 831 DEDUCTION (I)¡¡¡¡ALL the NPCs who heard what Luo Yan said were in shock. They all looked at Mrs. Gilmore ¨C no, he should call her Sorcha now ¨C in disbelief.


    "Hold up, how can she be the real Sorcha?" young Harry said, clearly not understanding anything. "Then who was the one we metst night?"


    At that question everyone turned to look at the man who looked simr to the ''Sorcha'' they met. The other didn''t let them wait in suspense and just directly admitted;


    "It was me. I was paid to impersonate Sorcha Harcourt."


    "But you''re a man?" the maid couldn''t help but say in a daze.


    The head maid tried to stop the girl from talking, saying that the other shouldn''t meddle with the issues of this family. The maid promptly stopped speaking.


    But since the question was already asked, every NPC there was actually waiting for an answer.


    "I''m a confidence trickster. Even if I''m a man, I can still dress up as a woman," the fake Sorcha said with no emotion on his face. "Anything can be done as long as the pay is right."


    Sorcha''s face suddenly turned green hearing this. "So, you sold us off, is that?"


    The fake one only shrugged. "The detective promised me more money so I could only say yes."


    This time, Sorcha''s face turned red in anger. "You¡ª"


    Before the other could lunge at fake Sorcha, Richard held her arm and shook his head. As if telling the other not to be angry. Sorcha stopped. But everyone could see the reluctance on her face.


    Charles watched all these, looking at his brother and then at the woman they all thought was only a cook. Then, his nced stayed at his brother who he thought was dead for the past two decades. Hurt and grievance shed in his eyes.


    "Why didn''t you tell everyone you''re alive? Why do all this charade?" he asked, staring straight at Richard.


    Before the other could answer, another one voiced his confusion.


    "Mum, what''s happening? I- I don''t understand," Cian said. He was looking at Sorcha, obviously pleading at the other to tell him what''s happening.


    Guilt quickly shed on Sorcha''s face. But Luo Yan didn''t let the other exin her side. Because before the other could speak, he pped to get everyone''s attention.


    "I think it''s time for me to exin everything," he said. "Please, all of you, sit down first. Because this is going to be quite long."


    Everyone started finding seats to sit on. Some looked very reluctant, others were still in a daze, and some just didn''t care.


    "Before I start, I hope no one tries to interrupt me. I promise you, once I''m done, all your questions will be answered," Luo Yan said once everyone was seated. "So, let me do my job of telling everyone the truth."


    Some looked like they didn''t want to cooperate. But at the end, no one still objected. Luo Yan was very satisfied with this.


    "Some of you might think that the root of everything started 20 years ago, during that fire. But no, it all started much earlier than that. It started when the wife of William Harcourt died. ording to the information most of you gave me, the madame died because of heart failure. But I didn''t think so. Her death was rted to Catherine.


    "It seemed impossible, right? After all, she was barely a teenager when the madame died. But what if she had an aplice? Not a very willing aplice but an aplice none the same. And what if this aplice was someone with medical knowledge? Killing the madame and making it appear like a heart attack would be as easy as pie."


    "Are you insane or just simply delusional?" Charles finally couldn''t help but shout. "Do you know how old Catherine was back then? She''s only 11! If you''re saying that she killed our mother, then wouldn''t that make her a¡ª"


    "A monster?" Richard cut off the other''s words. He turned to his younger brother, staring straight into the other''s eyes. "Yes, she was a monster."


    This shut Charles up. Even Edward shivered at the thought.


    "As I''ve said, please don''t interrupt me," Luo Yan reminded. "Then let me continue. My guess is that Catherine poisoned her mother and someone covered it up as an ident. At that time, I''m pretty sure there''s only one person who could do that. The family doctor who passed away just a few months back ¨C Doctor ke."


    There was a gasped in the room. Luo Yan turned to its source and saw that it was the head maid. He remembered his interview with the other. She seemed to really respect this doctor. No wonder she would be surprised.


    "You might be wondering why Doctor ke would do that. Then, you might as well ask why he would leave all his money and properties to her. Just think, why would someone go to such lengths for the daughter of his employer? Unless it''s not the other''s daughter but his own."


    Now, there was an even louder gasp. Luo Yan ignored this and just continued.


    "I think at that time, there''s a high possibility that Catherine discovered that she didn''t share the same father as her other siblings. Her poisoning could be out anger because of that fact. Or she thought that this secret might get exposed, so she decided to kill the madame. Either way, she would be still guilty of that crime.


    "Based on my observation of her, Catherine was very good in manipting other people''s emotion by letting herself be the object of pity. She most likely acted as the victim in front of Doctor ke for the other to help her. He obviously cared for his daughter. Of course, he would do everything to protect her. And that was not thest time he helped Catherine using his identity as a doctor."


    Luo Yan turned to Edward and gave the other a meaningful nce before continuing;


    "He did the same when Catherine killed your wife."

 Chapter 832 DEDUCTION (II)

    Chapter 832 DEDUCTION (II)¡¡¡¡EDWARD''S eyes widened when his deceased wife was suddenly mentioned. And it was still under the premise that Catherine killed her. Before he could say anything, his son, Harry, was one beat faster.


    The other stood up and said, "Why the bloody hell would Aunt Cathy kill my mother?"


    Luo Yan turned to the young man. The other looked like he would explode any second from all the information that Luo Yan just dished out. Poor kid.


    "Show us evidence! Don''t just present these things as if they were the truth! How can you call yourself a detective in this way?" Harry added.


    Luo Yan almostughed. Because the other had a point. He was really just saying these things without any evidence to back it up. Instead of deduction, it was more like he was telling a story. But what could he do? He had the ''detective talent''. So, he was certain that the conjecture he arrived upon was the one closest to the truth.


    Of course, this damn game wouldn''t tell him directly that his final conjecture was the right one. The game devs wouldn''t be so kind. Thankfully, his IQ was enough to piece everything together into a coherent conclusion. Thus, presenting the truth to everyone. Although he was indeed a phony detective, none of what he said was a lie.


    Before Luo Yan could respond to what Harry said, Edward already scolded his son.


    "Sit down. Now."


    Harry obviously was very unwilling. But at the end, he still sat down and looked as if the whole world owed him something.


    Edward turned to Luo Yan, his expression very grave. "Exin. What do you mean by Catherine killing Elizabeth?"


    "To answer that, let''s all go back to that night 20 years ago, when the original Magnolia Manor burnt down," Luo Yan said in a mysterious voice to add more drama to his performance. "On that night, your family returned to the manor because of the news you received about your father''s will. Catherine and Richard were already there. After you had dinner, you all decided to rest. But what you didn''t know was that Charles was on his way back to the manor."


    Everyone turned to Charles as if on cue. It''s actually quite funny seeing it. Imagine a group of people turning to one direction at the same time. It''s like a rehearsed scene from a movie or something.


    "When Charles arrived at the manor, it just so happened that the bombs nted in some of the rooms went off and exploded. If he arrived just a little bit earlier, he would have exploded along with the manor and died. And that was indeed the n. But Saunders purposely arrivedte by faking a car break down. He probably had an attack of conscience that night and he couldn''t bear a young boy to die.


    "You''re now probably wondering how would Saunders know that something like an explosion would happen that night. The answer was simple, really. It''s because he''s the one who nted the bombs. That day, he became Catherine''s aplice. Saunders was a greedy man who would do anything for money. She paid him off to do that dirty job. But he was not the only aplice Catherine had that day. Elizabeth was the other."


    Edward and Harry''s expression was full of disbelief. Some others were also shocked.


    "I- I don''t understand. Why would Elizabeth do that?" Edward asked.


    "Because of her gambling debt. When the news about the change in the will was released, Catherine most likely talked to Elizabeth to convince her to join in on her n. It''s not that hard to do. Because if that will was carried on, then she would lose her source of ie. Money could make people do things they thought they''re incapable of doing.


    "You may ask how I could be so sure that Elizabeth indeed partnered up with Catherine. We should go back to what happened to Charles after he was thrown off from that explosion. Before he lost consciousness, he heard two people talking. I''m pretty sure it was Catherine and Elizabeth.


    "If it were them, then it could exin a lot of the end of Elizabeth. It was said that she suffered from heart attack. But I don''t think so. On the day that she died, a veiled woman was seen visiting her. If that woman was Catherine, then she could have poisoned Elizabeth. And then, Doctor ke changed the caused of death to heart attack.


    "It''s easy to think of the reason why Catherine would do that. When Elizabeth died three years ago, it was before everyone went to the Americas to meet your father. For reason unknown, she was probably nning to confess everything to everyone. Preferably in front of her father-inw. Of course, Catherine would stop it."


    "T-that woman- she- she really killed Mother?" Harry muttered, the expression on his face was all twisted. Probably because he couldn''t control the emotions surging inside him.


    Edward and the rest were silent, probably waiting for Luo Yan to continue. He had to indulge them, of course.


    "Now that part of the truth of what happened 20 years ago was cleared, let''s move on to the next. The real target of that ploy. There were two, maybe three if you considered Catherine as a monster. Two of those three died and one survived." Luo Yan looked at one of the people in the room. "It''s you, master Charles."


    Charles was silent for a moment before he scoffed. "I guess that bitch really hated me to the bone."


    "Who are the other two targets?" ''Sofia'' asked.


    Luo Yan turned to ''Sofia''. The other had a curious expression on ''her'' face. But the expression was a bit forceful that he could see that ''she'' wasn''t really curious. ''She'' probably just asked that to be part of the conversation. Because it''s part of ''her'' ¨C Sofia''s character.


    He smiled inwardly. How cute.


    "The other two targets, it''s William Harcourt and his grandson ¨C Sean."

 Chapter 833 DEDUCTION (III)

    Chapter 833 DEDUCTION (III)¡¡¡¡EVERYONE in the room showed a shocked expression. The husband and wife ¨C Richard and Sorcha''s face were particrly ugly. They were probably thinking of that night. The lost they lost their son, Sean.


    The one with the most lost expression was Cian. At this point, he probably had already an idea of what''s happening. Not only him, but probably most of the people here. But since Luo Yan was very kind, he still decided to exin things to everyone more thoroughly.


    "Catherine was most likely informed of Richard''s return ahead of time. When she found out that he was returning with his wife and son, she started to formte this n. That night, she was probably hoping that she could kill off everyone else in Richard''s family, including his wife. But who would have thought that Sorcha would not apany him back to Ennd?


    "My guess was, Sorcha was heavily pregnant with Cian back then that''s why she couldn''t apany her husband and son here. For better or worse, it''s the reason that saved her from dying that night. Now, you must be wondering why would Catherine kill someone she had never met. The reason was actually very sickening. But let''s just say, she didn''t take the fact that Richard left her and married another woman too kindly."


    With thatst thing he said, most of the people here, NPCs and otherwise, would probably get what he meant. Just like he said, the reason for Catherine''s behavior was sickening.


    She was in love with Richard.


    Yes, that''s right. She loved him not as a brother but in a romantic way. It could be seen in how she tried to ruin all the possible rtionships Richard could have when they were younger. Dealing with all the girls who tried to get close to him. Making sure that none of them would dare to get close to him again. Going so far as pushing an innocent girl to ake and letting her drown.


    Even if they didn''t share the same father, they''re still siblings all the same. The feelings she harbored towards him was¡­ abnormal to say it kindly. She probably went off the rails when he left, pushing her further to the darkness. So, when he returned, she wanted to make sure he would never leave.


    But things didn''t go as nned obviously. The people she wanted to kill didn''t die and she ended up marrying a man like George. A controlling man who liked to act gentle when he''s very much otherwise that.


    It''s not because she wanted to punish herself. No, in Luo Yan''s opinion, it''s because she just wanted someone to ''own'' her. Someone who would treat her as their possession. Which was very mentally retarded, mind you.


    This woman probably just wanted someone who would treat her in a way she wished Richard would treat her. It''s sick, really. He wondered what those game devs were thinking when they designed her character.


    "Why would she kill people just because of that?" Harry asked,pletely confused by the new information Luo Yan said.


    "The reason she wanted to kill me, was it because Richard took care of me when we were younger?" Charles suddenly asked. There was no expression on his face. Completely different from his usual cynical self.


    "Yes, I believe so," Luo Yan answered.


    "Oh my. I think my imagination is getting the best of me. But I still want to ask in case I''m wrong," ''Sofia'' said before turning to Richard. "Is your sister actually in¡ª"


    "Don''t say it," Sorcha said through gritted teeth, cutting off whatever ''Sofia'' was about to say. Then, she raised her head and red at Luo Yan. "Was there really a need for all these theatrics? Yes! That bitch nned everything! She killed my son! That monster¡­ she deserved to die! Oh¡­ my poor Sean¡­"


    At first Sorcha''s voice was full of anger and hatred. Butter on, her voice cracked and cried and sobbed in despair. Richard immediately hugged her and gently stroke her back, trying tofort her the best way he could.


    He looked at Luo Yan. "There''s no need to continue. I will say the rest from here."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows at that. He didn''t expect this guy to actually take the initiative. But the other interpreted his silence as him being reluctant to agree. So, he continued;


    "You probably already know everything. There''s no need for me to make things up. Sorcha and I also don''t have the idea of running away. So, let me tell the rest."


    "Please," Luo Yan said with a weing gesture, inviting the other to go and tell his story.


    There''s no way he would disagree. Richard volunteering like this meant that it would save him a lot of trouble. At least with Richard speaking, the others would surely not interrupt him. Which meant they could finish this dungeon much earlier.


    Luo Yan really wanted to leave. Even though it''s probably only more than hour in the real world since they entered this dungeon, he seriously felt like they''d been here for years.


    "Richard¡­" Sorcha called, looking at her husband. Her eyes were clearly asking if it would be fine to do that.


    Richard wiped the tears on the other''s cheeks and smiled reassuringly at her. "It''s alright."


    Cian looked at all this and aplicated expression appeared on his face.


    Richard closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he started telling his side of the truth. Continuing on where Luo Yan left off.


    "That night, when the explosion happened, I wasn''t able to quickly leave my room because someone locked it. It''s easy to guess who it was. She was probably nning to let me stay there until she was sure that Father and S-Sean had died," Richard started.


    "My room was in the left wing, you see? Far from where the explosion happened. But the nursery where my son was staying was at the right wing. I felt adrenaline rushing through my body and I managed to leave the room after kicking it a few times. But at the end¡­ at the end, I was stillte."

 Chapter 834 SUFFER MORE

    Chapter 834 SUFFER MORE¡¡¡¡"I didn''t manage to save Sean. When I arrived at the right wing of the manor, the fire was already too great at that point. But I still pushed through the fire. How could I not? My only thought at that time was to save my son. But before I could even reach the floor where the nursery was, a piece of wood dropped on my head and I lost consciousness," Richard continued.


    "When I woke up, I was in a small private hospital. The butler, Jones, was there with me. He told me of what happened after I fainted. He found me when he was trying to save Father. He had to make a choice at that moment ¨C to save me or to continue to search for Father. At the end, he chose the former."


    Realizing the meaning of those words, both Edward and Charles looked at their brother with incredulous expressions on their faces.


    "You mean, Father, he¡ª"


    "He died at that fire," Richard finished what Edward was saying. "The body you thought was mine was actually his."


    Edward was shocked while devastation crossed Charles'' face.


    "Jones had guessed that there was foul y in that incident. So, he secretly brought me out of the manor and straight to the nearest private hospital. My legs were pretty damaged because of the burn. My head was also hurt badly. After I woke up that one time, I fell into aa. It was probably already a miracle that I survived.


    "Because of my situation then, Jones had decided to take matters into his own hands. The method he used was probably the most extreme. But it was the only way he could think of to make sure I''m not in any immediate danger. So, while the doctor was taking care of my injuries, he went back to the manor to check on the situation.


    "He arrived just before the police and the fire fighters did. After the fire was put out, two corpses were found in the nursery. They were of an adult and a child. Everyone assumed that it was my son and I. Because none of you thought that Father was actually capable of saving a grandchild that he only met that day. Even I thought that wasn''t possible. And yet he did."


    A sad smile crossed Richard''s lips, as if he was reminiscing that very moment when he found out about what William Harcourt did. But this was truly also a surprise for Luo Yan.


    Of course, he already knew that William was the one who died that night 20 years ago instead of Richard and that the people then just assumed that it was thetter who died. He just didn''t expect that it was because of this.


    It''s kind of understandable for others to thing that way. After all, based on what he learned from the others, William Harcourt was pretty much absent from his children''s lives. The family business had always been his priority. Who would have thought that he would have it in him to sacrifice his own life to try and save a grandson he hardly even knew?


    Richard then continued;


    "Jones took that opportunity to tell everyone that he had already sent the master to the hospital. That he didn''t have time to tell everyone because the master was in a critical condition. They all wanted to visit me. But Jones managed to convince them to do it the next day. It was probably easy, considering what everyone had gone through that night.


    "While they were all taking a rest, Jones had already started writing a script for the drama that would happen the next day. I still hadn''t regained consciousness then. Even so, Jones still enacted his n. My attending doctor happened to be a long-time friend of him. And with his help, the n that Jones came up with was sessfully executed.


    "They faked my medical record. Even put a bandage around my face so everyone would assume that my appearance was ruined. Me being in aa made it more convincing. And since none of you had noticed that it was me lying on the hospital bed instead of Father, I guess Jones'' n worked perfectly.


    "He then arranged for the both of us to travel to the Americas via a private ne. There, I was admitted to a hospital to continue recuperating. When I regained consciousness, it was already a weekter. Jones had already arranged everything. Including calling my wife and exining to her the whole situation.


    "Jones gave her instructions of what she should do next. Not attend the ''funeral'', leave Irnd at once and go to Scond where a cottage was already waiting for her, then stay there for a few years until the child she''s carrying was of age to travel overseas. Then, he would personally escort her and Cian to their new home. I believe you already know what happened next."


    Luo Yan indeed did so. Richard pretended to be his father and then secretly changed the will to give Sorcha almost all of the Harcourt''s properties. He knew that the old butler was involved somehow. But he didn''t expect that it would be to this extent.


    It''s truly a good thing that he let ''Sofia'' give another note to the fake Sorcha once thetter agreed with the deal he proposed. The letter was to be given to Richard. Luo Yan knew that the content of the letter was mostly the reason why the other was willing to tell them everything.


    Well, it probably helped that his earlier ''deduction show'' convinced the other of his greatness.


    Still, there''s one question that he couldn''t get out of his mind.


    "Why go all this trouble though?" he asked. "I mean, with Mr. Jones'' ability, I believed it would not be hard for him to find out that the one responsible for everything was Catherine. So, just why continue this charade for this long when you can easily punish the culprit much earlier?"


    Richard was silent for a few seconds. "Because I wanted her to suffer more."

 Chapter 835 FATHER

    Chapter 835 ''FATHER''¡¡¡¡"WITH Jones'' help, the truth was revealed a few yearster. At first, I was in denial. I couldn''t believe that my own sister actually did something so¡­ heinous. So monstrous. But the evidence presented to me already proved that that was indeed the case," Richard continued.


    There was anger in his voice. But more than that, there was also sadness and indescribable pain.


    "I couldn''t understand it at first. Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt her in any way for her to n something like that? But no answer came to mind. It was not until Jones told me about her¡­ unnatural obsession that I finally had my answer. But that was even worse. I''d rather he''d done it because she hated me than doing it because she hated the fact that I married someone and had a family with her.


    "I was at fault too. I should have taken her unhealthy attachment to me as a sign that she wasn''t¡­ normal. When I found out about the things she did in the past to the girls who wanted to get close to me, the only thing I did was to leave the house and put distance between us. Because I thought that could easily solve her attachment to me.


    "I had always believed that this attachment was only because she was too independent on me while growing up. So, I naively thought that once I was far away from her, she would learn to be independent. But no, it probably only fueled her obsession. And the incident 20 years ago was the result of all that.


    "I didn''t know what to do after discovering that truth. I was so full of anger, I just wanted to fly back to Ennd and kill her myself. Then I received the news of her marriage. I almost couldn''t believe it. My anger and rage couldn''t be contained. She killed our father and my son, and now she would continue on with her life as if nothing happened? How could I take it?


    "I was ready to take everything to court and let her be punish for her crimes. But then, I received a report that the man she married was not of good character. The man was misogynistic and violent. When I heard about that, I simply rejoiced. Thinking of how she would suffer under the hands of such a man, it filled me with immense pleasure."


    A bitter smile crossed Richard''s face.


    "Maybe there''s also something wrong with my head for actually thinking that way. But I thought it was infinitely better for her to suffer a lifetime of abuse rather than be hanged for her crimes. Dying was a simply a luxury for someone like her. Death is only for a moment, what I want was for her to suffer for the rest of her life. And it seemed that George Cooper was the best punishment there was.


    "I had someone report her situation and every time I received news of her being abused, you can''t understand how delighted I was. But I want to see her suffering for myself. So, 10 years ago, I called all of them to meet me at New York. I wanted to see, how they had been living after a decade since that incident.


    "But to my utter surprise, Catherine seemed to have not been suffering as much as I expected. In fact, just like the metamorphosis that she was, she seemed to have taken pleasure at being beaten up by her husband. But, at the same time, I also discovered another thing while observing her.


    "It was not the pain she received from her husband''s beatings that caused her suffering. It was my ''death''. I almostughed at her face upon that realization. How ironic it was. For her to feel pain at something that she had caused. But it was also a relief for me as well. That she had been suffering since that incident.


    "So, I sent people to constantly remind her of my death. I wanted her to feel all the pain that my wife and I suffered. I wanted her to live in that kind of way for the rest of her miserable life. But then, more than a year ago, I received a piece of news that shocked me to the core.


    "It was the fact that she actually killed Mother. It happened just as the detective said. She poisoned our mother and Doctor ke covered it up. At that point, I already decided that I would kill her. Thus, this n was made. We would have probably gotten away with it too, if not for you, detective.


    "That''s probably one of my mistakes in making this n. Inviting you here. I shouldn''t have underestimated you and think that you''re just a typical noble looking for cheap trills by ying detective. Who would have thought you would have genuine skills? I should have probably chosen someone more foolish from Scond Yard to act as the ''reliable witness''.


    "But what''s done is done. You won and I lost. Whatever you n next, I just want you to know that I''m the only one involved in this n. Sorcha was only following my orders. I''m the only one who deserved to go to the gallows."


    "Richard--!" Sorcha quickly said after hearing thatst part.


    Richard smiled down at his wife. "Don''t argue, my love. Cian still needs you."


    Before Sorcha could respond, someone was faster than her.


    "And you think I don''t need you, Uncle William?" Cian shouted, standing up and ring at Richard with tears in his eyes. "No. Do you think I don''t need you, Father?"


    Richard looked like someone had hit him in the chest because of the expression on his face when he heard Cian calling him ''father''. Then, tears also started to fall from his eyes. "I never thought I would hear call me that."


    "You shouldn''t have kept this secret from me. You and Mum both," Cian said, wiping away his tears. Then, he turned to Luo Yan and knelt down. "Please, spare them, detective. Please!"

 Chapter 836 CONCLUSION

    Chapter 836 CONCLUSION¡¡¡¡SORCHA burst into tears seeing her son plead for them like this. Richard also showed a pained look. If one could see what he was thinking now, they would see how he thought himself as a failure of a father.


    Luo Yan watched all these as if watching a y. He even wanted to eat melon seeds if he could. But he still had to do his role. So, he helped Cian stand up.


    "Do you remember what I told you earlier? Nothing bad will happen to your mother," he said to Cian. "I''m a man of my words. So, you can rest assured that I will keep it."


    Cian looked at her in a daze. It''s as if he couldn''t understand what he''s saying.


    "I''m a detective because I have always been fascinated by the truth. I''ve always upheld it to the highest degree. But this doesn''t mean that I would exact justice when the recipient didn''t deserve it."


    What Luo Yan meant was he didn''t think that Catherine deserved to be brought to justice. After all, in this whole fiasco, the one who had sinned the most was her. Luo Yan also didn''t care much about Saunders'' end. That guy had iting. It''s already his good fortune that he managed to live for 20 more years instead of being hanged in the gallows.


    That thing with George was only an attempted murder. Besides, he knew that Sorcha woulde for the other and he''s confident that he would be able to stop it. So, really. Was there a need to punish this couple who had already suffered enough?


    Luo Yan was not a saint who would indignantly uphold justice. Not to mention, this was still the holographic world. What''s wrong with giving these people a happy ending?


    Besides, the game system didn''t tell them to punish anyone. It just wanted them to know the truth of what happened 20 years ago. And he believed that they had already uncovered everything.


    "If everyone here agrees, we can me everything that happened here to an unknown killer," he said, looking at everyone one by one. "Richard Harcourt had already died in record. Sorcha Harcourt had long immigrated to America. There''s no reason for the two to be here. The one burnt to death was William Harcourt, not the driver, Saunders."


    Thatst part made some of the NPCs gasped. Probably because they had already forgotten about this burnt body. But now that they thought about it, if that body didn''t belong to William Harcourt, then who could it be? Now, it was suddenly revealed that it''s actually Saunders. Of course, they would be shocked.


    But when they thought of the other''s involvement with the events that happened 20 years ago, they felt that Saunders deserved what happened to him. One should know that William Harcourt and Sean were not the only victims of that explosion. Some servants also suffered grave injuries. Unable to work and soon faced early deaths. Saunders might have as well killed them with his own hands.


    "If anyone here has any opinion about my decision, please do tell me the reason."


    After Luo Yan said that, almost everyone nced at where Daphne was sitting. The other had been silent this whole time. Considering that this involved her mother, it''s only right to ask her opinion. Even though Catherine was like the reincarnation of evil, it didn''t change the fact that she was Daphne''s mother.


    He wasn''t too worried though. Daphne was ''one of the four''. Which meant she wouldn''t really care about Catherine.


    "I¡ªI have no opinion," Daphne said. "I understand what my mother did was wrong. Therefore, I wouldn''t say anything about this. I would also help you deal with my father. But¡ª" She looked at Richard and Sorcha. "That doesn''t mean that I forgive you for killing my mother. Maybe I won''t ever."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. It seemed this one still knew how to y her part well. Her acting was very delicate. Showing her dedication to her ''role''. Luo Yan could only smile inwardly seeing this.


    "We are not so shameless as to ask that from you," Richard said. "But we will also not apologize for what we did."


    Daphne only nodded.


    "Now that we cleared that, I believed¡ª"


    "Wait!" Edward suddenly shouted, cutting off whatever Luo Yan was about to say. He turned to Richard. "I understand your hatred against Catherine. But why me as well? I know that you n to push what happened today to the two of us. That''s why you stuffed me in that hidden passage, making it look like I ran away with a guilty conscience. I¡ªI was never involved in what happened 20 years ago? So, why? Why punish me like this?"


    When Edward said thatst part, his voice hitched, as if there was a sudden lump in his throat. His expression was full of grievance and underlying sadness, maybe even anger.


    Richard looked at the other with a straight face. "Because you''re a bystander. You knew from early on that there was something wrong with Catherine. You''ve seen her do things that a normal girl her age wouldn''t do. But you just turned a blind eye to it. Knowing you, you probably even snickered behind our backs, thinking that we''re all stupid for not realizing it. That''s why I want to punish you."


    Edward was speechless hearing this. But he couldn''t refute the other. Because it was indeed the truth. He looked like he wanted to defend himself. But at the end, he only closed his eyes tightly and said;


    "Regarding what happened to Catherine, I have no opinion. You can all do whatever you want."


    After Edward said that, everyone else followed.


    Cian turned to his parents and hugged them. The family of three huddled together and shed tears. A lot of emotions shing on their faces.


    [Ding! Congrattions to team Yunyue for sessfully solving the mystery of what happened 20 years ago!]

 Chapter 837 BACK AT THE THOUSAND WORLD STATION

    Chapter 837 BACK AT THE THOUSAND WORLD STATION¡¡¡¡AFTER that notification appeared, the surroundings and the NPCs slowly turned into a bunch of data. The only ones remaining standing were the detective, Sofia, Daphne, fake Sorcha, and Peter Baker.


    Luo Yan smiled when he saw this. Because his prediction was correct. These four were indeed the members of their team. He turned to Shen Ji Yun, still dressed as Sofia. It just so happened that the other also nced at him.


    He smiled meaningfully at the other and mouthed the words, ''Brother Ji Yun.''


    Shen Ji Yun, of course, read the other''s lips. Seeing the detective called him that, his face immediately heated up, quickly turning into a bright tomato. How could he be not embarrassed?


    Although he already knew that the detective was his rabbit and that the other also knew his identity, it''s still a bit hard to ept. After all, he was ying as a woman and his performance was also a bit embarrassing. Then, he was easily discovered by Luo Yan. Just thinking that the person he liked was watching his jokes was enough for him to want to bury himself on the ground.


    Truthfully, if not for seeing Luo Yan doing his best to solve what happened 20 years ago in that made-up world, Shen Ji Yun would truly want to just give up the task. Never in his wildest dream dreamt that he would one day experience being a woman. Although it''s only virtual, it''s still ufortable as hell.


    It didn''t really help that the character he''s ying was that of a flirty woman with a hidden bitchiness in her bones. She appeared to be a silly-sweet who didn''t know anything. But deep inside, she had a lot of means. What was that term he read in the inte during the times he was looking for answers about his feelings? Ah! White lotus! Or was it green tea?


    Anyway, Sofia was not a simple woman that anyone could just imitate. Especially not him. Shen Ji Yun wasn''t even sure how he managed to not go out of character until the end. What he was sure of was that he squeezed everyst drop of acting talent that he possessed just so he could get by.


    He wasn''t really sure about the overall result. He definitely made a fool of himself many times though. But in order to pass the task, he gritted his teeth and continued on. To hell with looking like a fool. He just wanted to make sure that Luo Yan''s hard work wouldn''t go to waste.


    He could finally let out a sigh relief after the notification about them sessfullypleting the task appeared. At least with that, he was certain that he didn''t make any mistakes.


    Now, the only problem left to him was how he would face the teasing of his team mates once they found out that he yed the role of Sofia. Bai Ze, in particr, would definitely have the time of his life teasing him. He wouldn''t put it pass the other if he rolled on the floorughing after finding it out.


    The only one who could probably understand his plight was the person ying the role of fake Sorcha. Of course, that would only be the case if the other was yed by Bai Ze or Luo Jin. If it was yed by Su Yuqi, then it wouldn''t matter much. Since he was sure that Su Yuqi would never feel embarrassed ying as a male crossdressing as a female.


    Shen Ji Yun nced at Luo Yan before their surroundingspletely turned into a sea of data. The other was still looking at him. His peach blossom eyes were shining, as if filled with a million starlight. Shen Ji Yun could already tell that the other couldn''t wait to tease him.


    The corner of his lips turned up slightly. Well, as long as his rabbit was happy, then that''s all that mattered.


    After a few more seconds, the five of them returned to the Thousand World Terminal. The rabbit conductor was there waiting for them.


    "Congrattions onpleting the task in the world of Magnolia Manor!" the rabbit said. "Your reward for this task will be sent to your Items Tab in just a short while. Being the first team to clear this dungeon, you can get your additional reward at the Record Hall. If you don''t have any questions, you can now teleport back. Thank you for travelling with us! And I hope you can ride the Fantasia Train once again!"


    After saying that, the rabbit turned around and walked towards the train tform. As if waiting for the next ''passengers''.


    "How about never?" Luo Jin grumbled, clearly showing that he did not enjoy this ''travel''.


    "I quite like this dungeon though," Su Yuqi said. "It''s very¡­ unique."


    "For once, I agree with you," Bai Ze said. "It''s like experiencing one of those quick transmigration thing."


    "Hmp. Going here once is enough," Luo Jin said still maintaining his belief.


    Bai Ze nced at his cousin suspiciously. And then he grinned, as if realizing something. "Hey, Xiao Jin, don''t tell me you were Sofia. Did ying her traumatize you?"


    Shen Ji Yun almost choked in his own saliva when he heard that. This was one of the times that he was thankful of his expressionless face.


    "Of course not!" Luo Jin said, his small face turning red.


    "Then, were you Daphne?" Bai Ze asked, still not giving up.


    "I was Daphne," Su Yuqi said.


    Luo Yan wasn''t too surprised when he heard that. Because he had already suspected that Su Yuqi was Daphne.


    "Tsk. Boring," Bai Ze said. He turned to Luo Jin once again. "Just admit it, you''re Sofia, weren''t you? Come on. Your Brother Ze won''tugh at you," he continued, but his expression waspletely telling him otherwise.


    "I told you, I''m not!" Luo Jin said, annoyed.


    "Sorry to disappoint you, Brother Ze," Luo Yan suddenly interjected. "But I was Sofia."


    Everyone looked at him almost at the same time, as if knowing that he yed the role of ''Sofia'' was very surprising. Most especially Shen Ji Yun.

 Chapter 838 WHOS WHO?

    Chapter 838 WHO''S WHO?¡¡¡¡"AREN''T you the detective?" Bai Ze said in disbelief.


    The other two, Luo Jin and Su Yuqi, obviously also thought the same.


    "Then, Brother Ze, if it''s not me, could it still be you, Ah Jin, or Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked, tilting his head to the side.


    "No way, no way. I was Peter Baker, you know?" Bai Ze quickly denied it and even directly admitted the role he yed in that task.


    But after that, he also realized that if that was the case then the role of ''Sofia'' could only fall between Luo Jin and Shen Ji Yun. He looked at the two back and forth until his gaze finally settled on his cousin.


    Luo Jin gritted his teeth when he saw this. What did his cousin mean? That between him and Shen Ji Yun, he''s the more likely to y the role of ''Sofia''? He felt very aggrieved by that.


    "It''s not me!"


    Bai Ze only looked at Luo Jin with suspicion. Until Shen Ji Yun said;


    "I''m the detective."


    Again, hisck of expression worked well for Shen Ji Yun at this time. Although it''s a bit shameless of him to admit to something untrue, since Luo Yan had already admitted that he yed the role of ''Sofia'', then the only thing he could do was say that he''s the detective.


    If he didn''t, then it would only make Luo Yan appear like a liar. And he didn''t want that. Okay. Maybe he also didn''t want to be teased by the other because of that. He knew he wouldn''t hear the end of it from Bai Ze. Su Yuqi would definitely give him meaningful nces while snickering. And he couldn''t even begin what Luo Jin would do.


    Luo Yan probably knew what the other three''s reaction would be that''s why he lied and told everyone that he yed ''Sofia''. Just so he could let Shen Ji Yun save some face. So, he was indeed very thankful.


    Sure enough, his rabbit was still the best for him.


    What Shen Ji Yun didn''t know was the only reason Luo Yan ''saved'' him was because he wanted to be the only one to tease him. If he knew about it, he might not be so thankful. But then again, this was Shen Ji Yun. He would probably be happy with anything that Luo Yan did.


    Bai Ze nodded at what Shen Ji Yun said. Him being the detective was definitely more eptable than the other being Sofia. After that, he suddenly realized a very important thing that they almost neglected.


    "Then, you''re the fake Sorcha?" he suddenly eximed, even pointing at Luo Jin. Then,ughing altogether.


    Luo Jin''s whole face turned red because of Bai Ze''s exaggerated reaction. It got even worse when he saw Su Yuqi chuckling.


    "Wow. Xiao Jin, you''re good," Bai Ze said, giving his cousin a thumbs-up. "I didn''t even realize that you''re actually a guy until the very end."


    "After all, Ah Jin has¡ª"


    Luo Jin quickly covered Su Yuqi''s lips before the other finished what she''s about to say. He knew that she would say that he had experience crossdressing. After all, the two of them were together at that task during the King of Arcadia''s birthday. He had to cross-dress back then as well.


    Just thinking about it, he couldn''t help but gnashed his teeth. Because it seemed like those game devs had something against him. If not, then why always gave him these embarrassing identities while doing such a task?


    Su Yuqi nced at Luo Jin''s red cheeks and ears. Feeling the other''s small hand on her lips, she stretched out her tongue and licked the other''s palm. She visibly felt Luo Jin shuddered at her action. He quickly removed his hand on his lips and red at her. Which wasn''t really scary considering how red his face was. It only seemed adorable in her eyes.


    Ah. This was bad. She''s really enjoying such things.


    The only one who noticed this interaction was Luo Yan. He raised his brow looking at the two. He actually didn''t expect that the rtionship between the two had already progressed this far. Considering his tsundere brother, this development was probably due to Su Yuqi, right?


    He''s definitely not invalidating his brother''s efforts. Since it''s probably mostly because of it that Su Yuqi even bothered to let their rtionship progressed this far. That''s definitely a job well done on Luo Jin''s part.


    Anyway, knowing that the other was actually the fake Sorcha didn''t reallye off as a surprise to him. Especially once Su Yuqi revealed that she''s Daphne. Between Bai Ze and Luo Jin, thetter''s attitude and mannerism were definitely more simr to the fake Sorchapared to the former.


    Of course, he wouldn''t tell that directly to Luo Jin. He would tease him about it though from time to time.


    "Why are you targeting me when someone like Yan who literally yed the role of a woman is here?" Luo Jin asked Bai Ze, probably trying to win some of his prestige back.


    "Hey, who told Xiao Yan to have such a perfect performance? I didn''t even suspect that he''s not an NPC," Bai Ze responded. "It must be because Xiao Yan is too beautiful that''s why he managed to perfectly embody ''Sofia''."


    Luo Yan bit his inner cheek so he could stop himself fromughing. Based on Bai Ze''s logic, wouldn''t it mean that Shen Ji Yun''s performance was so perfect because he''s too ''beautiful''?


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun. Seeing the other''s expression became stiff, he almost couldn''t hold back hisughter.


    "Anyway, I think Ji Yun being the detective is much more shocking," Bai Ze added. He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "The way you did the interview and the deduction, since when did you learn to be such a drama queen?"


    This time, it was Luo Yan''s turn to have the same stiff expression. Was it still toote to knock some sense into this cousin of his?

 Chapter 839 ITS A MIRACLE

    Chapter 839 IT''S A MIRACLE¡¡¡¡"SO, since Brother Ze first thought that I was the detective, was it because you think I''m a drama queen?" Luo Yan asked with a smile.


    Bai Ze felt a cold sweat down his back when he saw his cousin''s smile. He felt like if he said ''yes'', Luo Yan would actually beat him up. "No, no, I''m just saying that you''re acting is too good that''s why I thought you''re the detective."


    "In terms of difficult roles, wasn''t Sofia''s role much harder to y?" Su Yuqi said. "Since Luo Yan is a much better actor than Shen Ji Yun, we shouldn''t be too surprised that between the two Luo Yan was the one who yed ''Sofia''," she added, giving Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan a meaningful nce.


    This time, Luo Yan''s smile was no longer ''threatening'' as Bai Ze put it. "Sister Yuqi is right."


    Just based on that nce, it could be seen that the other most likely knew that he was really the detective and Shen Ji Yun was the real Sofia. But decided to not say anything about it.


    He secretly nced at Shen Ji Yun. The other''s body stiffened up again when he saw Su Yuqi''s nce. Shen Ji Yun probably knew that the other would tease him about it from now on. Knowing him, he would definitely not try to be alone with Su Yuqi until the other could forget about this.


    But could she do?


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat. "Let''s go back to the headquarters," he said before Bai Ze could say anything more detrimental.


    The others nodded. And they all used a scroll to teleport out of the Thousand World Fantasia dungeon.


    At the same time, a site-wide announcement shocked the yers that were currently online.


    [Congrattions to team Yunyue for being the first team to clear the new dungeon ¨C Thousand World Fantasia!]


    This brought countless discussion from other yers.


    "Wait- so fast?! Isn''t this dungeon only released today? Howe they already cleared it?"


    "It seemed that Yunyue is really making aeback."


    "Howe you say so?"


    "First, their new members were the champion and runner-up in this year''s Rookie Carnival. Now, they cleared this new dungeon that was only released for what, two hours ago? I''m pretty sure this is Yunyue''s way of saying to everyone that their back on the game."


    "But isn''t this too unscientific? How can they find the location of the dungeon without any information beforehand?"


    "Wasn''t there that rumor before?"


    "What rumor?"


    "That the captain of Yunyun ¨C YUN ¨C is actually rted to the head honcho of Moonlight Media. I don''t know, maybe they gave clues to him or something. That''s why his team could find and clear this new dungeon so fast."


    "Hey, that''s really possible."


    "But isn''t that a bit unfair? I thought Moonlight Media doesn''t y favorites. Now, they''re even giving a hand to one team?"


    "That rumor was never proven, you know? So, don''t spread false information like this."


    "She''s right, you know? Besides, with YUN''s ability, do you really think that he still needed the help of the game devs to discover this new dungeon?"


    "Heh. It looks like we have Yunyue fans in our midst. Don''t let your biased opinion affect your judgement."


    "In my opinion, you people are the ones being judgmental."


    Conversations along the same line were happening all around Arcadia. Of course, this also involved the headquarters of different teams. Some sneered, some worried, and some were excited by the future possibilities.


    But no matter what the people''s reaction were, the team involved was not affected at all. And even if they knew everyone''s reaction, they wouldn''t really care that much.


    ----------


    When Luo Yan opened his eyes, they were already in front of their team''s headquarters. He was a bit surprised that Eclipse didn''t suddenly appear. He was a bit unused not seeing a furball hurling itself towards him. Although that furball was too big to be called a furball now.


    He tried to contact the other via telepathy and that''s when he remembered that Eclipse had gone to the kitsune vige. Because of the difference in time inside the Magnolia Manor world and the game itself, he had almost forgotten about that and subconsciously thought that Eclipse had already returned.


    The five of them entered their headquarters and went straight to the main hall. They sat down around the round table.


    "Let''s check our reward," Bai Ze said, immediately opening his Items Tab.


    Luo Yan did so as well. What he saw was a red magnolia flower. He clicked it and checked its detail.


    [Magnolia Fire Bomb ¨C a bomb that could release powerful fire that could affect an enemy target within 10-meter radius.]


    He raised one of his brows upon reading this. So, was this reward rted to the explosion that happened to Magnolia Manor? Well, he guessed it would be much weirder to have a reward not rted to what happened there.


    "Did everyone get a magnolia flower?" he asked, just to make sure that everyone got the same thing.


    The four nodded at his question.


    "This will be very helpful during a team battle," Luo Yan said. "And since we have five, it could help us in a number of battles. Especially if we used it smartly enough."


    "Its appearance also doesn''t look like a bomb. Which can lower the defense of our opponents," Luo Jin added.


    "Yeah, this is definitely a good reward. It''s good that our efforts were not in vain," Bai Ze said. "Speaking of team battles, we can now register our team for Arcadia Cup. Should we do it now? Then also get our additional reward at the Record Hall?"


    "Let''s split up. Yan Yan and Bai Ze will go with me to register for Arcadia Cup while Luo Jin and Su Yuqi can get the reward from the Record Hall," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Jin narrowed his eyes at the other. It''s a miracle that this guy actually didn''t suggest that he should be alone with his brother.

 Chapter 840 A LESSON TAUGHT AND (HOPEFULLY) LEARNED

    Chapter 840 A LESSON TAUGHT AND (HOPEFULLY) LEARNED¡¡¡¡"YAN YAN, do you already have ns for your birthday this Friday?"


    Luo Yan nced at Yu Jiao sitting beside him. They were currently at the restaurant where they usually ate lunch. Luo Jin was sitting in front of them. Because of her question, Luo Yan couldn''t help but remember the conversation he had with Bai Ze and Shen Ji Yun yesterday. When the three of them were on their way to register for the Arcadia Cup.


    =====


    "Xiao Yan, your birthday is on Friday, right?" Bai Ze asked. "I heard my Dad said that Uncle Tian is not nning to hold a party for you, is it true?"


    "Yeah, I requested it. We''ll have a simple family dinner," Luo Yan answered.


    "Why? I thought there would be a party this weekend. Xiao Ye and I are really looking forward to visiting you and the others," Bai Ze said referring to his younger brother.


    Luo Yan smiled at his cousin. "I''m not really fond of parties. It''s enough that I can spend time with the people important to me. Besides, most of the people who woulde to that party wouldn''te because of me. The only reason they would attend the party is because of my father. Might as well just have a family dinner. That way, it will be less of a hassle."


    "I know what you mean. I''m just a bit disappointed. I thought we could have a little family reunion this weekend," Bai Ze said, a clear look of disappointment appeared on his face.


    "Don''t worry, Brother Ze. Isn''t the winter vacation next month? I''ll ask Dad if I can spend the winter vacation at B City. Ah Jin will definitely go as well. Although Dad and Brother can''t join us because of their work, they will definitely be there during Lunar New Year," Luo Yan said, reassuring the other.


    Bai Ze''s face brightened. The expression on his face was clearly saying, ''why didn''t I thin of that?''. "That''s right. Winter vacation is already next month. Then there''s also the Lunar New Year. Now I suddenly couldn''t wait for next month toe."


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing Bai Ze like this. In a way, the other was very simr to Luo Jin. In that, it was easy to make him happy. The only difference was the way they showed it. Luo Jin being a certified tsundere, wouldn''t directly show his happiness. But Bai Ze was very straightforward with his.


    "Brother, my birthday wille first, so don''t forget it," he teased.


    "Hey, you don''t have to worry about that, Xiao Yan. I''ve already prepared your gift. It will definitely arrive at your house by Friday," Bai Ze said before turning to Shen Ji Yun. "How about you, Ji Yun, have you already prepared a gift for Xiao Yan?"


    Luo Yan finally nced at the silent Shen Ji Yun. Since leaving their headquarters, the other hadn''t said anything or participated in their conversation. Just looking at his expressionless face, one would think that he wasn''t listening to them at all. But Luo Yan knew him long enough to know that the other was definitely listening.


    And seeing the sudden gleam in Shen Ji Yun''s eyes, he could tell that the other probably thought of some kind of brilliant idea. Definitely connected to Luo Yan''s birthday.


    He smiled secretly. He turned to the other and said in a teasing manner, "Brother Ji Yun, if I don''t receive a gift from you, I will definitely not talk to you for a week."


    "Hear that, Ji Yun? You better prepare one if you haven''t already," Bai Ze added, riding with Luo Yan''s teasing.


    "I''ve already prepared my gift for you," Shen Ji Yun said to Luo Yan. Although his voice was as cold as ever, his eyes were full of pampering while looking at the other.


    Luo Yan only gave the other a toothy grin. As if saying, ''yes, I never doubted that you wouldn''t''.


    "Ahem. I don''t want to disturb this little moment of yours, but I still have something that I want to ask Xiao Yan," Bai Ze said, grabbing the attention of the two.


    Shen Ji Yun obviously felt shy hearing Bai Ze said that him and Luo Yan was having a moment, as evidence of his ear tips turning red. Luo Yan chuckled when he saw this and then he turned to his cousin.


    "What is it?" he asked.


    "I heard that you four will go to Hunan province this weekend," Bai Ze started. "May I ask why? I only heard that part and wasn''t able to hear the rest."


    Luo Yan looked at Bai Ze. This cousin of his most likely eavesdropped to the conversation between his father and Uncle Chen that''s why the other didn''t know the full detail of their trip this weekend.


    "We''re going to an orphanage there. I''m nning to donate to them the money that I earned from my pavilion," he said.


    Bai Ze didn''t seem to expect such an answer. Then to Luo Yan''s surprise, the other suddenly reached out his hand and ruffled his hair.


    "As expected, our Xiao Yan is so kind," Bai Ze said.


    Luo Yan quickly dodged his cousin''s hand. "Brother Ze--!" he said, full ofint whilebing his hair back to normal.


    "What''s the name of the orphanage?"


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun when he heard that question. His eyes were full of deep meaning as he looked at the other. At the end, he only smiled and answered;


    "Xiao Xiang Orphanage."


    =====


    Since Shen Ji Yun asked that question, Luo Yan already had a guess in his mind that the other would most likely appear at Hunan province this weekend. Just like he did when they went to Chengdu.


    But unlike that time, Luo Yan was confident that Shen Ji Yun would tell him directly about it some time thising weekday.


    After all, he already taught the other a lesson about suddenly appearing without prior notice. Surely, Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t make himself appear like a stalker again.

 Chapter 841 TO HAVE THE GUTS

    Chapter 841 TO HAVE THE GUTS¡¡¡¡"WE''LL only have a family dinner," Luo Yan said in response to Yu Jiao''s question. "Jiao Jiao, why don''t you join us?"


    "No, I don''t think that would be appropriate," Yu Jiao said with aplicated smile. "It''s a night for your family. It''s not right for me to be there."


    "Hey, how could it be not right? You''re my friend. Dad and my brothers will definitely not mind," Luo Yan said before turning to Luo Jin. "Right, Ah Jin?"


    Luo Jin nodded. "Yeah."


    "But¡ª"


    "No buts," Luo Yan cut off what Yu Jiao was about to say. "It will definitely make me happier if you''re there. Of course, if you''re ufortable, I won''t force you."


    Yu Jiao stared at Luo Yan. The other had an understanding smile on his face but she couldn''t disregard the obvious expectation on the other''s eyes. "It''s not that I''m ufortable. It''s just¡­ I feel like I would be intruding."


    "Nonsense. There''s no way you would be intruding," Luo Yan quickly said. "You''re my friend. How could you be an intruder?"


    Yu Jiao could only smile helplessly. "Okay, I''ll be there."


    Luo Yan smiled brightly. "Yey!"


    Luo Jin looked at his brother''s hippy smile. Although he knew that the other was genuinely happy, some part of this happiness was definitely because he wanted to give Yu Jiao and their brother some time together. Not that he minded though.


    Their orders arrived at that moment.


    "By the way, Yan Yan, have you heard of the rumor going around our ss?" Yu Jiao asked as she picked a piece of dumpling and ate it.


    Luo Yan raised his head and swallowed the meat he''s eating before answering, "There''s a rumor?"


    Yu Jiao nodded. Under normal circumstance, she wouldn''t really care for such rumors. But it was about Luo Yan, so she couldn''t help but care.


    "A lot of our ssmates are saying that you look like Noctis," she said. "I believe most of them even think that you are Noctis."


    Both Luo Yan and Luo Jin were surprised by this.


    "Our ssmates actually think that I''m Noctis?" Luo Yan asked.


    Luo Jin stared at his brother who''s actually now as tall as his game avatar. Which meant that his simrity with ''Noctis'' had now be very obvious. If not for the different hair and eye color, everyone who was ying Arcadia and had watched the Rookie Carnival would immediately recognize Luo Yan.


    "It''s probably weirder if they don''t," he said. "Have you seen yourself in the mirrortely?"


    "Of course, I do. I''m as beautiful as ever," Luo Yan said without even batting an eye.


    Yu Jiao coughed and almost choked on her food.


    Luo Yan nced at his friend and tilted his head. "Why? Am I not beauti¡ª"


    Luo Jin stuffed a dumpling on his brother''s mouth before the other could finish what he''s saying. "Let''s just go back to main point."


    Yu Jiao stopped herself fromughing seeing this scene.


    Luo Yan ate the dumpling first before saying, "It doesn''t really matter. I mean, as long as people aren''t blind, they could easily see the overwhelming simrities between my avatar and I. Just let it be. It''s not like I can change my face anyway."


    "But- aren''t you worried that it might bring you unnecessary attention?" Yu Jiao asked worriedly.


    "Don''t worry, Jiao Jiao. I don''t think people will mob me at this school," Luo Yan reassured the other. "And even if they do, I think I can handle the attention."


    Well, Yu Jiao had no doubt that Luo Yan would definitely not be daunted by such attention. Still, some idents could happen. She just didn''t want something like that to happen.


    "Don''t worry too much," Luo Jin seconded. "This guy would definitely revel in the attention instead of being scared of it."


    Besides, if someone tried to do something that could be dangerous to Luo Yan, he''d be here to protect the other. Although, with Luo Yan''s temperament and craftiness, he hardly thought that the other would need his help.


    "Hey, Ah Jin, are you saying that I''m an attention seeker?" Luo Yan said, acting like he was very offended. "That''s hurtful, you know?"


    Luo Jin rolled his eyes and simply put another dumpling on Luo Yan''s bowl of rice. "Eat more and be sober."


    This time, Yu Jiao finally couldn''t stop herself fromughing.


    ----------


    B City¡­


    At the cafeteria of T University, the first thing that anyone would notice if they walked in right now was that most of the students were looking at the same direction. There, at a corner spot beside the floor to ceiling window sat a young man. He was tall and very handsome. His pair of blue eyes were looking intently at his phone, as if he was trying to solve a very serious problem.


    "Cakes?"


    The sudden voice beside him almost made Shen Ji Yun drop his phone. He nced to the side and red coldly at Bai Ze. "Don''t sneak up on me."


    Bai Ze raised both hands. "Hey, I didn''t sneak up on you. It''s not my fault you''re so busy looking at your phone." He sat down on the chair opposite. "Anyone who saw you would think you''re busy doing some report or something. Who would have thought that you''re actually just looking at cakes? Wait- cakes?" A teasing smile appeared on his face. "Are you nning to bake a cake for Xiao Yan?"


    "If you know, then don''t ask," Shen Ji Yun responded coldly.


    Bai Ze acted as if he was wiping invisible tears. "Aww¡­ our Ji Yun has really grown up. This friend is so proud of you."


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t bother to respond to the other and instead continued browsing, looking for the perfect cake design.


    Everything had now beenid out. He just had to make sure to follow the n he made to the tee. And if all went well, then maybe, just maybe, he could finally do that one thing.


    As long as he had the guts to do it, that is.

 Chapter 842 LOOK OUT THE WINDOW

    Chapter 842 LOOK OUT THE WINDOW¡¡¡¡LUO YAN entered the mansion with spring in his footsteps, showing just how much of a good mood he was in. The reason was simple, really. It''s because tomorrow, he would finally be an adult! No, not really tomorrow but just about seven hours from now.


    Although he had long been an adult inside, his body was still that of a minor. He was still limited by a lot of things. But once he became an official adult, those limitations could no longer be put on him.


    Not that he was saying that he would go crazy and go to bars and things like that. He was just happy to gain more freedom. But the most important thing of all was ¨C it would no longer be a problem if he entered into a romantic rtionship.


    Of course, this didn''t mean that he would just directly go and confess to Shen Ji Yun. He wanted the other to be the first one to do it. He wanted to see Shen Ji Yun gather up all his courage to tell him what he''s feeling. It''s probably his evil side talking, but was it really that bad to hope that the person you liked confessed his feelings to you first?


    Luo Yan didn''t think so. It might be fueled by his narcissism. But what''s wrong with wanting to see the people you like showed how much they liked you? Wouldn''t anyone want to feel just how much they were loved by the people special to them? But this attitude of his could probably leave a bad taste in some people''s mouth.


    He shrugged. Oh well. At least he''s not being hypocritical in what he wanted.


    "Third young master, there''s a number of parcels that came for you today," their housekeeper, Auntie Cheng said when he entered the house. "It must be gifts for the young master''s birthday. I put all the parcels in young master''s room."


    "Thank you, Auntie Cheng!" Luo Yan said with a smile.


    "Oh, there''s actually one that had to be put in the refrigerator first," Auntie Cheng added.


    Hearing that, Luo Yan immediately knew who it was from. It''s definitely from Shen Ji Yun! Didn''t the other also send him baked goodsst time?


    He quickly ran towards the kitchen.


    Luo Jin, who was walking just behind, saw this scene. He snorted. If Luo Yan could guess who it was from, then so could he. Just look at his brother''s reaction. If he didn''t even manage to guess that, then he should say goodbye to his IQ.


    But he didn''t bother to follow the other. Since he made that promise with Luo Yan, he had been trying his best to not antagonize the rtionship between the other and Shen Ji Yun. Besides, tomorrow was his brother''s birthday. He wasn''t so cheeky as to ruin the other''s mood just because he was annoyed at Shen Ji Yun.


    And so, the ''understanding'' younger brother just went to his room.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, had already reached the kitchen. The first thing he did was to open the refrigerator. He immediately saw what he''s looking for. It was a white box surrounded by a red ribbon. He took it out and carefully ced it on the bar counter.


    He looked for a card attached to the box but there wasn''t one. This box should have been put in a special container to be able to reach S City without the content being destroyed. After all, the distance between the two cities was not exactly one car ride away.


    Luo Yan finally untied the red ribbon and took off the cover of the box. What was revealed to him was a rabbit shaped cake. It was not some hyper-realistic cake. But instead, it was more like a cutesy type. It looked like My Melody from Sanrio minus the pink hat.


    There''s only one thought in his mind after seeing it ¨C ''how cute!''.


    Inside, he finally saw a card. He picked it up and read it.


    [I hope you can enjoy this cake I made on your birthday. P.S. I know this is a bit much to ask, but can you look out of the window of your room at 12 midnight? ¨C Ji Yun.]


    When Luo Yan read the first part, he immediately imagined Shen Ji Yun wearing an apron while baking this cute cake. Flour and cream on his face. Ah, how adorable. He wished he could have seen it in real-time.


    But when he read the ''PS'' part, he couldn''t help but raise his brow. Why did he have to look out of his room window at 12 midnight? The only thing special at that time would be his birthday.


    Wait- this guy wouldn''t possibly suddenly appeared in front of his windowter, right? No, even he thought that was crazy. Not only would the other be trespassing at a private property, the behavior was totally criminal. Although there was that Chengdu incident, that was definitely not too muchpared to suddenly appearing in his home.


    Besides, the two of them already had a talk regarding such behavior. Instead of thinking it as romantic, Luo Yan might just find it creepy. Although he would probably only think that for a few seconds. But still. He didn''t want to have that kind of opinion about the guy he liked.


    He covered the cute cake, tied it, and carefully put it back in the refrigerator. Before that he had already took out the card. He would share the cake with everyone tomorrow. Then, he put a sticky note on the box, telling everyone that they shouldn''t open it.


    He stopped thinking of what might happenter at 12 midnight. He would just simply go and open the window.


    He actually wanted to call Shen Ji Yun and ask the other about it. But wouldn''t the surprise be spoiled if he did? So, he chose not to do it at the end.


    And just like that, hours passed and midnight came.


    It was finally Luo Yan''s birthday!

 Chapter 843 FIREWORKS

    Chapter 843 FIREWORKS¡¡¡¡TEN minutes before 12 midnight, Luo Yan woke up because of the ringing sound of his phone rm. He set that up earlier to make sure he would wake up on time. He turned the rm off and groggily sat up. He yawned and stretched his arms before walking out of bed.


    He picked up his phone and dazedly wrapped himself with his thick nket before walking towards the window. The one that opened up towards the garden.


    It probably took a minute before Luo Yan became fully awake. He looked outside and wondered just what kind of surprise Shen Ji Yun prepared for him.


    He didn''t log in the game today, so, he had no chance to talk to the other and ask him about this ''surprise''. He''s super excited to know what it was though.


    Luo Yan looked at the sky. There were less stars, probably because of the winter season. Still, the moon looked beautiful.


    He didn''t know how long he had been standing there. His phone then vibrated, signaling that it was already 12 midnight. He also set that up as an rm. That was then followed by the sound of message notifications. Luo Yan didn''t have time to look at his phone because his gaze was immediately attracted by something that suddenly appeared in the sky.


    It was fireworks. Beautiful fireworks blooming in different colors. But the most important part was these fireworks actually spelled the words ''Happy Birthday''.


    The fact that Luo Yan couldn''t hear its take-off meant that the fireworks were being set-off at fairly far distance from their family''s mansion. And yet, despite that, he could still see the ''happy birthday'' so clearly as if it was set-off just two or three houses away.


    He opened the window. Cold winter wind entered inside. He wrapped himself tightly with the warm nket. Luo Yan decided to stop analyzing for a second and just enjoy the fireworks disy.


    Different colored ''happy birthday'' appeared in the sky one after another. This continued on for five minutes. And then thest firework was that of a rabbit surrounded by hearts.


    Luo Yan couldn''t help but chuckle seeing that. He raised his phone and took a picture of it. After he''s sure that there''s no more fireworks appearing, he closed the window and then sat back down on his bed.


    He didn''t expect that this would be Shen Ji Yun''s ''surprise''. Just how much did that guy spend for this? It would definitely not be a small amount. He set this up when he was in another city. So, he obviously needed to hire people for this. Not to mention all those special fireworks. He really prepared a lot.


    As he was thinking, a call prompt sounded from his phone. He looked down and saw Shen Ji Yun''s caller ID. He was slightly surprised because the other didn''t directly video called him. Still, he answered the call.


    "Happy birthday, Yan Yan," Shen Ji Yun greeted first.


    Luo Yan smiled unconsciously. "Thank you, Brother Ji Yun."


    "Did you see the fireworks?"


    "Yes. I love it!" Luo Yan didn''t hesitate to say. "Thank you! It''s such a wonderful gift."


    Shen Ji Yun, on the other line, also had a small smile on his handsome face. Hearing that Luo Yan liked the fireworks he prepared, all the hard work for this night felt very worth it.


    "I''m d you do."


    "It must have taken up so much effort for Brother Ji Yun to set this up," Luo Yan said.


    "It doesn''t matter. It''s Yan Yan''s 18th birthday today. Doing this much is just natural."


    Luo Yan smiled once again hearing that. It''s like the other was saying that he''s worth all the trouble. Thinking that, he felt like he was being surrounded by a warm cocoon.


    "Brother Ji Yun, do you want to do video call?"


    There were a few seconds of silence from the other side before Shen Ji Yun answered, "No. If we video called and I see your face, I might not want to stop talking to you."


    Luo Yan was surprised. He didn''t expect the other to be so straightforward. Was Shen Ji Yun''s Casanova instinct triggered again?


    "You still have school tomorrow. I don''t want you to sleep sote," the other added.


    Well, that exnation was indeed understandable. "Hmm, okay. Then, let''s talk againter."


    "Okay."


    "Thank you again for the fireworks, as well as the cake. I like it both."


    After saying that, Luo Yan hung up the phone and ended the call. He fell back on the bed with a smile on his face. It didn''t take long for him to go back to sleep.


    ----------


    What Luo Yan didn''t know was the guy he thought was in B City was now currently in S City.


    Shen Ji Yun was looking at the bustling city outside from the floor to ceiling window of his hotel room.


    He arrived at S City just this afternoon. The first thing he did was to talk to the fireworkspany that he had an appointment with. He had to tell them what to do, what kind of firework they should use, and where and when they should set it up.


    It took a whole afternoon before he was finally done with that. Then, he went straight to the hotel where he booked a room in advance.


    What was he doing in S City you might ask? Well, the answer was pretty obvious. He was here for Luo Yan. He nned to surprise the other''s afternoon ss was over. He had already taken a leave for his sses just for today.


    Shen Ji Yun only hoped that Luo Yan wouldn''t dislike him suddenly appearing here. Of course, he would message Luo Yanter once he was at the other''s school gate. Hopefully, his rabbit wouldn''t find his actions too weird.


    He nced at the paper bag that was carefully ced on the bedside table. He also hoped that Luo Yan would like this gift.


    And finally, he wished that he could have the courage to do what he was nning to do.

 Chapter 844 GIFT GIVING IN THE MORNING

    Chapter 844 GIFT GIVING IN THE MORNING¡¡¡¡DESPITE waking up at midnight, Luo Yan still managed to wake up on time for his morning exercise. After doing some basic yoga, he cleaned up and wore his uniform. Going out of his room, he quickly walked to the dining area.


    "Happy birthday, young master," one maid greeted when she saw him.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Thank you."


    The maid felt like her heart had been pierced by an arrow. Their third young master was really bing more and more beautiful.


    Luo Yan continued on his way. Reaching the dining room, he was a bit surprised when he saw no one there. He was about to sit on his usual seat and just wait for the others when something popped behind him. Then, colorful confetti fell on his head. He quickly turned around and saw his father and brothers each holding a party popper in their hands.


    "Happy birthday, Xiao Yan!"


    "Happy birthday, Yan Yan!"


    "Happy birthday, Yan!"


    All three said almost at the same time.


    Luo Yan was stunned at first, then a bright smile appeared on his face. "Thank you!"


    He jumped and hugged the three. If he hadn''t grown this past month or so, his arms wouldn''t probably be able to hug the three all at once. Well, it''s still a bit hard now but at least he could encircle them somewhat.


    This move of his almost made the other three lose bnce. It''s a good thing that they managed to regain it just before they truly fell.


    Luo Wei Tianughed heartily and patted Luo Yan''s back. "Okay, okay, no need to be so excited. We haven''t even given you your gifts."


    Luo Yanughed and let go of the three.


    "This is my gift to Xiao Yan," Luo Wei Tian said, taking out a man envelope and giving it to Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan took it and opened it. Inside was a paper, on the very top of it was the name ''LY Foundation''. He looked at his father, curious. "Dad, this is?"


    "It''s a foundation I set up under your name. Last time, when you said that you wanted to donate money to an orphanage of your choosing, this idea came to me. Although Tianhua Group often donated to charitable institutions, we don''t really have our own foundation. So, I thought of setting up LY Foundation. This foundation will set up schrships for orphans and children living beyond the poverty line. What do you think?"


    What Luo Wei Tian didn''t mention was that the children who managed to qualify for this schrship needed to maintain a certain grade while in school. That way, not only the truly outstanding but also those who were determined to change their life would be able to keep this schrship.


    After all, even if they''re doing this for charity, they still had to make sure that they''re not just mindlessly helping. He would also be very hands-on to avoid any corruption from happening. Especially since this foundation was under Luo Yan''s name. He didn''t want people to take advantage of it.


    "This is a good thing, Dad," Luo Yan said, closing the man envelope. "Thank you!"


    He had been thinking for a long time now how he could help children in the same situation as him during hisst life. But he had been busy with a lot of other things that it always escaped his mind. That was definitely a mistake on his part. Now that his father set up this foundation, he couldn''t help but feel extremely happy.


    "I love it!" he added.


    "Seeing your expression, I probably won''t be able to top that gift," Luo Ren said with a helpless smile.


    "Brother, you don''t need to top it. I would be happy with any gift you give," Luo Yan said.


    "Then, here it is."


    Luo Ren took out a small box from his pocket and gave it to his brother. Luo Yan put the man envelope he''s holding on the table first before taking the box Luo Ren was holding.


    Luo Yan opened the box and his eyes slightly widened when he saw the key. It wasn''t just any other key but a car key. And not just of any car but a Lamborghini. The symbol of the said luxury car could be seen on the key that''s why he immediately knew the brand of the car.


    "Since Yan Yan is now an adult, I think it''s just right for you to have your own car," Luo Ren said with a smile.


    Luo Yan didn''t know much about cars, but he was certain that this car was worth, well, a lot of money. He was reminded once again on how wealthy his family was.


    "The car is already in our garage. You can go and check itter," Luo Ren added.


    "Thank you, Brother. I''ll make sure to use it," Luo Yan said.


    "Once you get a license, of course," Luo Wei Tian added. "And once you learn to drive, I''d prefer it if you do it very, very carefully."


    Luo Yan certainly understood his father''s worry. After all, the reason for his mother''s demise was a vehicr ident. "Yes, Dad."


    "Don''t worry, Dad. I made sure that the car I bought have a lot of safety device installed in it," Luo Ren reassured their father.


    "That''s good then," Luo Wei Tian said, nodding in approval.


    Luo Yan closed the box of the car key. It seemed that he would finally be able to learn to drive in this life.


    He finally turned to Luo Jin. He smiled, as if waiting for the other to give him his gift.


    "I will give your gift once we''re in Arcadia," Luo Jin said.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. So, it''s a game item? He remembered that his gift for Luo Jin''s birthdayst month was also a game item. Was that the reason? Anyway, it''s not like he would hate his brother''s gift anyway.


    "Okay. I can''t wait to know what it is," he said.


    "Don''t worry, you will definitely like it," Luo Jin said in a very proud tone.


    And the family of four finally had their breakfast.

 Chapter 845 WAITING AT THE GATE

    Chapter 845 WAITING AT THE GATE¡¡¡¡ARRIVING at ss, Luo Yan was surprised when he received a lot of birthday wishes from his ssmates. Some even gave him gifts. And they were very systematic about it too. Putting everything in a paper bag and all.


    "Thank you, everyone," he said with a bright smile.


    Some girls surrounding his chair, acted like they were going to swoon.


    "Why is Xiao Yan getting more and more handsome these days?" one said.


    "True. It''s almost like the sun god is shining upon us."


    Luo Yan only smiled at their exaggeration.


    "But Xiao Yan, there''s something we''d been wanting to ask you for quite a while now," one ssmate said. "Since it''s your birthday, maybe you can answer us?"


    Luo Yan already had a feeling what they were about to ask. He tilted his head and acted as if he didn''t know. "What is it?"


    "Well, you see. There''s this rookie yer in Arcadia, you know Arcadia, right? He''s been gaining popritytely. And, well, we noticed that since you grew taller, you''re starting to, well, resemble him. So, we''ve been wondering if the two of you are actually one and the same."


    Luo Yan didn''t show any surprise by the question. Instead, he smiled mysteriously. Before he could answer, their homeroom teacher entered their ssroom.


    "The teacher''s here, go back to your seat," he said instead.


    Probably the advantage of being pretty, even if he told the others to go without answering their question, they weren''t offended. They only pouted and went back to their seats.


    All of these were seen by Huang Wen who was sitting a seat behind Luo Yan. He heard what they said about Luo Yan being Noctis. He honestly wasn''t that familiar with that game called Arcadia. Although most people his age were probably ying that game, honestly, he couldn''t see its charm. Two of his close friends ¨C Ying Chen and Liang Sen ¨C started ying it this year though.


    When the rumor about Luo Yan being a popr yer in Arcadia started to go around their ss, he also started to get curious. So, he asked one of their ssmates to show him a picture of this yer. He waspletely stunned when he saw it. Because the picture was Luo Yan minus the white hair, pointed ears, and blue eyes!


    No wonder such rumors were floating around their ss. This fueled his curiosity even more. So, he ended up asking Ying Chen about it. Just to make sure. He just didn''t expect that the other would be angry at him just because of that. Well, actually, he noticed that Ying Chen would be angry at him whenever he opened a topic rted to Luo Yan.


    He found it weird at first. And then he found out from Liang Sen that Ying Chen actually dueled against the yer suspected as Luo Yan in the game and lost. Knowing how much Ying Chen hated losing, it''s no wonder the other didn''t want to talk about it.


    Anyway, whether Luo Yan was that yer or not didn''t really matter. Because he didn''t really care about that. His focus right now was how to greet the other ''happy birthday''.


    He didn''t have any gift for Luo Yan. He actually thought of buying one. But then he remembered that the two of them weren''t really that close. Giving the other a gift would only seem weird. He at least wanted to tell him a happy birthday. Which was probably also weird in its own way. Since, once again, they''re not close.


    But what could he do? He just wanted to greet the other like the rest of their ssmates.


    ss started with him still wondering how to solve this problem.


    -----


    At lunchtime, Luo Yan and Yu Jiao walked out of the room together to eat. Their ssmates had been used to seeing the two together. So, this scene had been pretty normal for them now.


    But frankly speaking, if Yu Jiao didn''t give herself a make-over,pletely showing her handsome face, most of them would probably be dissatisfied seeing the two together. Now, none of them would think that. In fact, they would find it weirder if they didn''t see the two eat together during lunch.


    "Happy birthday, Yan Yan," Yu Jiao said when the two of them were finally alone.


    She already sent a message greeting the other earlier. But saying your greetings in person was much better of course.


    "Thank you, Jiao Jiao," Luo Yan said with a smile.


    "My gift is in my shop in the game. I''ll give it to you there."


    Considering how the other was the best cksmith in Arcadia, Luo Yan could probably expect a new weapon from her. "Now you''re getting me very excited."


    "I just hope you''ll like it."


    "Of course, I''ll definitely like it," Luo Yan said with confidence.


    Yu Jiao only smiled at that.


    Walking out of the third year-teaching building, they immediately saw Luo Jin waiting for them. And the three walked to their usual restaurant.


    -----


    After the afternoon ss, the three were together once again. It''s because Yu Jiao wasing with them for dinner. They were walking to the parking lot when Luo Yan received a message from his WeChat.


    [Yan Yan, sorry for saying something very sudden, but I''m currently at the gate of your school. Could we meet?]


    [Please?]


    That two messages were followed by a cute rabbit sticker that had its hands together as if begging cutely.


    Luo Yan''s eyes widened as soon as he read that. He didn''t even have time to appreciate the cute rabbit sticker. He gave the paper bag filled with gifts to Luo Jin.


    "Ah Jin, you and Jiao Jiao go ahead," he said. "Meet me at the gate."


    He didn''t give time for his brother to react and he quickly ran towards the direction of the gate.


    "Yan!"


    He heard Luo Jin''s call, but he didn''t stop and just continued. He couldn''t really be bothered to worry about what his brother would think. Because all his attention was now focused on the guy waiting for him at the school gate.

 Chapter 846 NOT HIS RELATIVE

    Chapter 846 NOT HIS RELATIVE¡¡¡¡LUO YAN was so d that the exercises and the eating only nutritious meals finally paid off. That''s what he''s thinking as he ran towards the school gate. If his body condition was still the same as before, he would have probably already tripped just after a few steps. Heck, he might even be taken to a hospital immediately.


    Now, all that hard work had paid off. With a healthy body, running like this was no longer a precedent for hospitalization. Really, how far he hade.


    And so, he ran faster.


    His thoughts were filled with just one thing. Or one person, rather. Who else could it be but the guy who suddenly came here without even any warning? To think they talked to each other on the phonest night and yet Shen Ji Yun didn''t even speak a word of himing here.


    Maybe that''s the reason why the other didn''t video call him. Because he might realize that Shen Ji Yun was up to something. Knowing how the other was so bad at lying, especially when it came to him, Luo Yan knew that Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t be able to lie to him if he really asked.


    Although the other''s visit was very unexpected, he wasn''t angry at all. He was just d that Shen Ji Yun showed up here instead of their house. This was much more eptable.


    But then again, who was he fooling? There''s no way he would be mad with Shen Ji Yun because of this sudden visit anyway. How could be mad when his heart was beating so fast just at the thought that he would see the other?


    He wanted to see him. Quickly, quickly. His steps became faster and faster without him noticing. Just as he walked out of the school gate, he heard someone call him.


    "Luo Yan!"


    He turned around subconsciously and saw Huang Wen walking out of the school gate. The other was catching his breath as if he ran as fast as he could just so he could catch up to Luo Yan.


    And he was right. That was indeed what happened.


    Huang Wen was about to get into the car when he saw Luo Yan. He was already feeling a bit depressed because he hadn''t managed to tell the other happy birthday until the afternoon ss was over. Now, seeing Luo Yan running past him, he felt that he was given a chance to correct that.


    So, before he knew it, he was already running after the other.


    Who would have thought that Luo Yan would actually run so fast, he was already out of breath by the moment he managed to catch up with the other?


    When Luo Yan turned around after his call, the other had a bright smile on his face. That froze him in ce. Because he had never seen Luo Yan smile like that at him. He literally felt like there were flowers blooming around the guy just because of that bright smile.


    But then, when Luo Yan saw him, that smile slowly disappeared and turned to that of a polite smile. Huang Wen realized then that the bright smile he just saw was not because of him nor for him. Somehow, that made him¡­ disappointed.


    "Do you need something?"


    Luo Yan''s question finally shook Huang Wen off from whatever weird emotion he just felt. "I- I¡ªI mean¡ª"


    When he saw the other slowly having an impatient expression on his face, Huang Wen knew that he needed to speak now or Luo Yan might just leave. So, he took a deep breath and just said what he had to say in one breath.


    "Happy birthday!"


    This time, it was Luo Yan''s turn to be surprised. He didn''t expect the other to greet him. Although their rtionship was no longer that bad, he couldn''t really say that it was good either. So, he never really expected any greeting from the other.


    Of course, Luo Yan''s expression didn''t escape Huang Wen''s eyes. How could he not tell what the other was thinking?


    "E-everyone else in ss greeted you. I- I feel like I''m being left out if I didn''t do the same!" he said, not even sure why he was exining. And his exnation was even too stupid.


    "Pfft! What''s with that?" Luo Yan couldn''t stop himself fromughing. "I didn''t know your ss spirit was so strong," he added in a teasing tone.


    Huang Wen''s whole face heated up. He felt so embarrassed. But at the same time, he also felt a strange feeling of aplishment. Just because of the fact that he managed to make Luo Yanugh.


    "Thank you though."


    When Huang Wen heard that and saw the genuine smile on Luo Yan''s face, he suddenly felt that if he could see that smile more often, then he wouldn''t mind being repeatedly embarrassed.


    Yes, something was definitely wrong with his brain.


    This short moment was interrupted though by a call.


    "Yan Yan!"


    Before Huang Wen had time to look where that voice came from, a tall man suddenly stepped between him and Luo Yan. The other''s back was turned to him, so he couldn''t see what the man looked like. But the way the man stood, it''s like he was trying to separate him and Luo Yan.


    Huang Wen wanted to ask who the other was, but before he could, he heard Luo Yan say;


    "Brother Ji Yun!"


    The absolute joy in Luo Yan''s voice couldn''t be hidden. For some reason, he had a feeling that the bright smile he saw earlier was actually for this man. That realization somehow brought a bitter taste in his mouth.


    Maybe that''s why he found himself saying;


    "Luo Yan, is he your rtive?"


    The man slowly turned around. And the first thing Huang Wen saw was a pair of cold blue eyes. Looking at him as if he wanted to flick him like an insect.


    "I''m not his rtive," the other said, his voice full of cold indifference.

 Chapter 847: EXPERT IN ROMANCE

    Chapter 847: ''EXPERT'' IN ROMANCE


    LUO JIN stared at Shen Ji Yun with disbelief. Then, that was turned to amazement. And finally, to annoyance. No wonder his brother ran to the school gate like that after receiving a message on his phone. It''s because of this guy.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked with a bit of bite in his tone after he pulled down the car window.


    Before Shen Ji Yun could answer, Luo Yan had already done it for him.


    "He''s here to celebrate my birthday," the other said, raising his head at him and smiling. "Right, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t expect that Luo Yan would just openly admit that. And since the other was looking at him with such a sweet smile, how dare he lie?


    "Yes," he could only hear himself answering.


    Luo Jin was shocked hearing such a tant admission. Didn''t this guy have low EQ? Then howe he could just admit that so easily? No, the more urate question was how could the other even think of going here directly? Was that something in the scope of his EQ?


    Wait- it couldn''t be that this guy was only pretending to be all expressionless and indifferent but was actually an expert in romance? Was that how he seduced Luo Yan? Luo Jin narrowed his eyes at the other. No wonder his brother fell, hook, like, and sinker.


    When Luo Yan saw his younger brother''s ever-changing expression, he knew that the other was thinking something absurd again. He stretched his arm through the window and pinched Luo Jin''s cheek.


    "Don''t think of something weird," he said. Then, he put his bag through window, falling directly on Luo Jin''sp. "I''ll ride with Brother Ji Yun. We''ll follow you to the restaurant."


    He bent a bit and waved at Yu Jiao sitting beside Luo Jin. The other chuckled and waved back at him.


    "Wait- did you bring a car? Do you have a license?" Luo Jin asked.


    "I rented a motorcycle. And yes, I do have a license," Shen Ji Yun responded.


    Luo Jin didn''t hear the ''license'' part and all he heard was the ''motorcycle''. "No way. That''s too dangerous! Yan, just go with us and let that guy follow along."


    "I actually agree with this one," Shen Ji Yun seconded.


    As much as he disliked agreeing with Luo Jin for anything, he couldn''t deny the fact that riding with him on a motorcycle was just too dangerous. Although he truly wanted to feel the other''s arms tightly wrapped around his waist, Luo Yan''s safety was still much more important.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun, his hands on his waist. "Brother Ji Yun, are you going to drive recklessly?"


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head. "No."


    &nbs


    p;


    "Are you going to ignore the traffic lights?"


    "No."


    "Are you going to go over the speed limit?"


    "No."


    "If I was riding with you, would you be really, really careful?"


    Shen Ji Yun subconsciously nodded. "Of course."


    Luo Yan showed a bright smile. "Then, I don''t see a problem at all." He turned to Luo Jin. "Don''t you think so as well, Ah Jin?"


    Luo Jin suddenly became speechless. Then, a helpless sigh escaped his lips. "Fine."


    Since the two were going to follow the car, he would just remind the driver to drive slowly.


    Luo Yan grinned happily. He bent down again to wave at Yu Jiao. "See youter, Jiao Jiao!"


    "Yes," Yu Jiao said before looking at Shen Ji Yun. "Ahm, please, be careful while driving."


    Shen Ji Yun finally looked at the tall girl sitting beside Luo Jin. Even if Luo Yan didn''t call the other ''Jiao Jiao'', he could immediately tell just by one look that the girl was the current number one cksmith in the game. She looked exactly as her avatar. The amazing thing was, even if she and her avatar had two different genders, there was no sense of incongruity. Now, he could finally understand what the term ''androgynous'' meant.


    "I will," he simply said.


    Yu Jiao watched as the two walked to where Shen Ji Yun parked his motorcycle. This was the first time she met the other in real life. She must say that Shen Ji Yun was not really so different from how he was in the game.


    "Does Shen Ji Yun also live in S City?" she thought of asking Luo Jin. After all, the other came to celebrate Luo Yan''s birthday, so he must at least live nearby, right?


    Luo Jin snorted. "That guy lives in B City."


    Yu Jiao was surprised to hear that. The other actually came all the way here just to celebrate Luo Yan''s birthday? Then, he must really like Luo Yan.


    On the other side, Luo Yan looked at the ck motorcycle in front of him. He felt a bit excited. He had always wanted to ride one in hisst life. But poverty andck of time prevented him from doing so.


    Because he was so absorbed in staring at the motorcycle, he was startled when he felt something touching his head. When he raised his head, Shen Ji Yun had already fastened the helmet on him. Luo Yan smiled inwardly at this small action.


    Shen Ji Yun also wore a helmet and then got on the motorcycle. Luo Yan followed along and sat behind the other.


    "Make sure to hold on to me tightly," Shen Ji Yun reminded.


    "Okay!"


    ;


    Luo Yan didn''t hesitate to hug the Shen Ji Yun''s waist. Even leaning his whole body on the other''s back.


    Shen Ji Yun felt the warm body behind him. The feel of Luo Yan''s arms around his waist was like a voltage of electricity spreading around his body. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He needed to have a clear mind to drive properly.


    And with that, he started the motorcycle and followed the car where Luo Jin and Yu Jiao were.


    Near the school gate, a certain figure had been watching the two since he identally saw Shen Ji Yun.


    "Xiao Yun¡­ is it really Xiao Yun?" Jiang Yue muttered to himself.

 Chapter 848: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL

    <h4>Chapter 848: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL</h4>


    JIANG YUE actually only saw them by ident. Since the afternoon ss was already over, he was on his way back to the teacher''s dormitory. But before that, he first took a parcel from the school''s gate house. That''s when he saw Luo Yan talking to another student near the gate.


    He was quite familiar with student Luo. After all, he was the teacher that weed the other and President Luo when thetter enrolled Luo Yan to this school. Not only that, he sometimes encountered the other whenever he ate at the restaurant that Yuan Xing managed.


    Jiang Yue was about to leave then after ncing at the two students. But something caught his eyes. Or rather, someone.


    It was a tall young man wearing casual winter clothes. His ck hair was a bit messy, most likely because of the wind. And he had a pair of the bluest eyes. There was no expression on his face. But the way he was looking at Luo Yan, anyone could see the happiness in his eyes.


    Jiang Yue couldn''t help but stare at this young man. Looking at the other, an image of a certain 13-year-old boy shed in his mind. That boy was tall for his age but verynky. A boy that always had no expression on his face and was indifferent to a lot of things.


    The image of that boy was now ovepping with that of the young man. It might have been over seven years since Jiang Yuest saw him but he was sure that the other was Shen Ji Yun. The nephew of his former lover.


    After that realization, he couldn''t help but looked around. Then, he stopped, realizing just how foolish that action was. What was he expecting? That he would also see Shen Yi Mu? Would the other even be happy seeing him?


    He would be d if Shen Yi Mu would even spare him a nce. In fact, he would even ept the other''s anger. That would be infinitely better than indifference. Because indifference meant apathy.


    Why would he be scared of that, you ask? Because apathy meant only one thing ¨C that Shen Yi Mu hadpletely erased in his heart all the emotions he had felt for him.


    The corner of his lips rose into a bitter smile. How hypocritical of him to even feel this way. He was the one who left the other, lying and not giving him a proper reason. He didn''t even give a proper goodbye and just disappeared from his life. Shen Yi Mu had no obligation to feel anything towards him after all that.


    And yet, here he was. Hoping to see the other. Hoping that Shen Yi Mu would still feel any semnce of emotions for him. He wouldn''t even mind if that emotion was anger.


    Pathetic, Jiang Yue. Truly pathetic.


    He stared at the leaving figure of Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan. Looking at the young man''s wide back, he couldn''t believe that thatnky boy had now grown this much. It almost felt like a dream.


    Warmth and joy filled his heart seeing the young man again. He was d that the other grew up healthy. Not only that, the boy who couldn''t even smile properly could now freely show his happiness to another person. He was d, really d for that.


    But what was the other doing here? And how did he know Luo Yan? He was a bit familiar with Luo Yan''s situation before. Being in aa for years and only waking up this year. He couldn''t imagine how the two had any connection with each other. Especially considering how they lived in two different cities.


    Could it be a connection between their families? After all, both belonged to a prominent family. But then again, an old family like the Shens would only consider the Luos as nouveau rich. Those people with eyes high up in heaven wouldn''t consider the Luos as worthy of being a friend to the family.


    So, again, how?


    Jiang Yue shook his head. Was the how even important in this situation? No, it really wasn''t. Because right now, there was only one thing in his mind. The need to confirm if Shen Ji Yun arrived in this city alone.


    Or if Shen Yi Mu went with him.


    The decision wasn''t really that hard to make. The moment he thought of the possibility that he could see Shen Yi Mu again, a decision had already been made.


    He walked to the parking lot and climbed into his car. Then, he drove out of the school gate and followed the motorcycle Shen Ji Yun was driving.


    Jiang Yue held the steering wheel tightly. If, if Shen Yi Mu was really here, he would just take a peek. Yes, just a peek.


    Just a peek would be enough.


    Shen Ji Yun parked the motorcycle beside the car where Luo Jin and Yu Jiao was. The drive here was particrly long. Not because their destination was far but because the car they''re following was a tad bit slow.


    He''s notining though. He knew that it was probably because of Luo Jin. The other was just probably making sure that he wouldn''t speed up no matter what. That kid, no matter how annoying, truly cared for his brother.


    He got down from the motorcycle after Luo Yan. Then, he helped the other take off the helmet he''s wearing. He then only took off his helmet after that. Then he put them in thepartment under the seat.


    Shen Ji Yun then suddenly noticed that Luo Yan was staring at him with stars in his eyes. "What''s wrong? Is there something on my face?"


    Luo Yan only smiled. "Nope. I just thought you looked really handsome when you''re removing your helmet."


    Shen Ji Yun felt his face heating up at such a tantpliment. He didn''t know how to respond. So, he could only say the first thing on his mind.


    "No matter what action you make, in my eyes, you remained the most beautiful."

 Chapter 849: AH JINS ACCUSATION

    <h4>Chapter 849: AH JIN''S ACCUSATION</h4>


    LUO YAN felt his whole face heating up because of that straightforwardpliment. This guy''s Casanova hidden attribute wasing to the fore again. Before he could say anything back, he heard a ''shriek''ing from Luo Jin. Yes, that''s truly how it sounded to Luo Yan''s ears.


    "Ah, I knew it! You have been feigning ignorance, acting like you''re emotionless and shit but the truth is you''ve been seducing my brother all along!"


    All the shyness that Luo Yan felt promptly disappeared at that moment. He nced at his brother like the other was crazy or something. Luo Jin''s face was all red, probably from all the anger he''s feeling. The other was even pointing at Shen Ji Yun. He looked like some kind of angry anime character.


    Yu Jiao, who was standing just behind Luo Jin, took a step back as if she wanted to distance herself from the other. Based on her expression, it''s like she''s having second-hand embarrassment because of Luo Jin''s action.


    Shen Ji Yun froze up in ce after hearing Luo Jin''s usation. His mind just nked. Which mirrored the expression on his face. He had been seducing Luo Yan? When did that happen? He was so perplexed that he couldn''t even say anything back.


    "See, you''re not even denying it! I should have known you''re up to no good the first moment I saw you! When did you n going after my brother? Was it when you first met--"


    "Luo Jin."


    One call from Luo Yan stopped Luo Jin from speaking. Probably because the other called him by his full name. That rarely happened. So, this time, he immediately knew that his brother was angry. Or at least on the verge of being angry.


    "What did I say wrong?" he muttered, his voice full of grievance.


    Looking at his younger brother like this, Luo Yan could only sigh helplessly. "Ah Jin, Brother Ji Yun was simply giving me apliment. Don''t read too much into it. Or are you saying that he''s lying and I''m not really beautiful?"


    "N-no! Of course not!" Luo Jin said automatically. Then, realizing that he went along his brother''s pace once again, he tsked and just annoyingly walked to the restaurant.


    "Ahm, s-should we also go?" Yu Jiao asked.


    "Let''s go." Luo Yan smiled at the other and walked beside her. "Sorry about that. You must have been surprised by Ah Jin''s antics."


    "No, no. I- I''m actually quite used to his burst of temper," Yu Jiao said.


    She secretly nced back at Shen Ji Yun. Truthfully, he couldn''t me Luo Jin for saying what he said. She also heard what Shen Ji Yun said to Luo Yan. Even she blushed at those words. Could someone with a limited range of emotion really say that? And so straightforwardly even. No, the more important thing was, why was the other saying that to someone of the same gender?


    Not that she''s saying that a boy shouldn''tpliment another boy. It''s just that, it''s something she''s not used to seeing. That''s why her reaction was like this.


    She then looked at Luo Yan. The other had a smile on his face as if he was in a good mood. It''s like everything that happened was something normal and ''expected''. She truly wondered why that was so. She actually wanted to ask him that. But she had a feeling that this was not exactly the time nor the ce for it.


    Yu Jiao sighed inwardly. Anyway, this day was Luo Yan''s birthday. The important thing was to celebrate this day with the other.


    When Luo Yan noticed that Shen Ji Yun didn''t follow them, he turned back and said, "Brother Ji Yun, let''s go."


    Shen Ji Yun, whose brain seemed to short-circuit after what Luo Jin used him of, looked like he returned to his senses when he heard Luo Yan''s call. He quickly followed the two.


    After all that motion'', the four finally entered the restaurant. It was a restaurant famous for its traditional and authentic Chinese food. Luo Wei Tian had already reserved a private room here. So, they were immediately led there by one of the waiters.


    Inside was a round table that could be rotated. It could seat about eight people. Which was just right. The room was also quite spacious with a nice window view. As it was already near evening, they could definitely see the sky slowly turning from red-orange to velvet ck while sitting inside here.


    Luo Yan had no doubt that his father had that in mind when he chose this room. He sat downfortably at one of the avable seats. He nced at Shen Ji Yun, waiting for the other to sit beside him. Surprisingly enough, Shen Ji Yun didn''t do so. The other went and sat opposite him instead.


    He wasn''t the only one surprised by this action but Luo Jin as well.


    Luo Jin narrowed his eyes at Shen Ji Yun. What was this guy doing now? Was it because he exposed him earlier that''s why he''s being careful right now? Tsk. Then, wouldn''t this prove that his suspicion was real?


    In truth, our dear Ah Jin wasn''t entirely wrong. The reason why Shen Ji Yun chose not to sit beside Luo Yan was because he''s worried that his feelings were actually so obvious that anyone who saw him could easily see it.


    He had that realization after that incident with Luo Jin. Shen Ji Yun thought that that was the reason why the other said that thing about him ''seducing'' Luo Yan. If that was the case, then wouldn''t it be easy for Luo Ren and Uncle Luo toe to the same conclusion? Maybe before he could even finish this dinner, he would have already kicked out of here by the others.


    How could Shen Ji Yun let that happen when he hadn''t yet done the thing he came here to do?


    So, he needed to be as careful as possible.


    Seeing the other''s action, an amused smile just crossed Luo Yan''s lips.

 Chapter 850: PERFECT RESPONSE

    <h4>Chapter 850: PERFECT RESPONSE</h4>


    LUO REN frowned when he read the message sent to him by Luo Jin.


    [Brother, Shen Ji Yun is here. So, don''t get too surprised if you saw him.]


    [What''s he doing there?] ¨C Luo Ren sent.


    [Dunno. Yan said that it''s because Shen Ji Yun wanted to celebrate his birthday. But I guess that guy would give a different reason if you and Dad asked him. No, maybe Yan would even be the one to give excuse for him. Knowing Dad, he would definitely eat that up and won''t even be suspicious.]


    Luo Ren read this message and he could feel Luo Jin''s irritation across the screen. After that promise they made with Luo Yan, their younger brother was no longer that vocal when it came to his dislike of Shen Ji Yun. So, why was Luo Jin suddenly being so antagonistic? What happened exactly?


    He was about to reply back and ask when he heard his father said;


    "Stop ying with your phone. We''re here."


    Luo Ren nced out of the car window and saw that they had already parked in front of the restaurant. He put his phone in his suit jacket and followed his father out of the car.


    "Have you messaged your brothers? Are they already there?" Luo Wei Tian asked as they walked towards the restaurant. Seeing as how Luo Ren was busy with his phone earlier, he assumed that the other was probably exchanging messages with his brothers.


    "Yes, Dad. They''re already there," Luo Ren responded.


    He wondered if he should tell his father about Shen Ji Yun being there as well. But at the end, he decided not to mention it. If he told his father about it, the other would definitely ask him more question as to why Shen Ji Yun was here.


    He wasn''t confident enough that he could stop himself from saying some things that he shouldn''t. Maybe he might even be tempted to tell his father about Shen Ji Yun''s not so pure thoughts about Luo Yan.


    Entering the restaurant and telling the receptionist about their reservation, the manager of the restaurant appeared and led them to the private room himself.


    "President Luo, we''re very honored that you chose our restaurant to have dinner today," the manager said with a ttering smile.


    Luo Wei Tian nodded coldly and simply told the other to lead them to the private room. The manager was not a man who didn''t know how to read a room. Seeing as how the other simply wanted to get to private room, he honestly led the two there.


    Arriving in front of the private room, the manager opened the door for them and said, "Your dishes will arrive soon. Please, enjoy your dinner."


    Luo Ren was not too surprised that their dishes would arrive quickly without them ordering. His father probably already arranged that beforehand. The other walked inside the private room first and he followed.


    Since he already knew that Shen Ji Yun would be here, a cold expression appeared on his face. But the moment he stepped into the room, it was not Shen Ji Yun he first saw, not even his brothers, but the only girl inside.


    Yu Jiao.


    The coldness on his face immediately melted like snow under the sun. It slowly brightened until a smile appeared on his face. Yu Jiao also looked at his direction and a shy smile crossed her lips.


    Luo Ren couldn''t wait to sit beside the other. But he stopped himself. He shouldn''t appear too enthusiastic. In the first ce, why didn''t Luo Jin tell him that Yu Jiao was also here? He should have told him that before telling him about Shen Ji Yun. Then, he would have prepared his heart beforeing here.


    If not for his great self-control, he might have already run forward and sat beside Yu Jiao. The other then might get suspicious because of his overly enthusiastic response after seeing her. He didn''t want to be thought of as a weird older brother by Yu Jiao. More than that, he didn''t want for the other to have clues about his feelings for her.


    Because it''s not yet time.


    "Oh, Jiao Jiao and Xiao Yun are both here," Luo Wei Tian said, pleasantly surprised.


    Hearing what his father said, Luo Ren finally turned to look at their other ''guest''. He was then surprised to see that Shen Ji Yun was actually not sitting beside Luo Yan. He thought that the other would have already hogged at least one of the two seats on both sides of his brother. It shouldn''t be because he learned how to be shy, right?


    Both Shen Ji Yun and Yu Jiao stood up and greeted Luo Wei Tian.


    "Don''t be so formal. Sit down, sit down," Luo Wei Tian said.


    He walked towards the table and was nning to sit on the chair between Luo Yan and Yu Jiao when he noticed that Luo Ren had already sat there. He felt the corner of his lips twitching at the sight. He didn''t even notice when his eldest passed by him and sat there. He almost wondered if the other teleported there.


    Was this kid actually making sure that he wouldn''t ''steal'' his seat like he didst time they watched that tournament? He remembered that he sat down beside Yu Jiao just so he could tease Luo Ren. He almost couldn''t stop himself from chuckling because of that possibility.


    Really, who would have thought that his mature eldest would actually act like a child someday because of the girl he liked? He just shook his head and sat down on the other free seat beside Luo Yan.


    "By the way, what are you doing here at S City, Xiao Yun?" he asked the young man sitting at the opposite. "Is your uncle also with you?"


    "No, Uncle Tian, I came alone. I was in the area for a research project and remembered that it''s Yan Yan''s birthday. So, I thought of dropping by and personally greet him. I didn''t expect that I will intrude in your family dinner."


    Luo Yan raised an eyebrow hearing such a perfect response. Especiallying from Shen Ji Yun.

 Chapter 851: NEFARIOUS MASTERMIND

    <h4>Chapter 851: ''NEFARIOUS MASTERMIND''</h4>


    IT was not only Luo Yan who was surprised by Shen Ji Yun''s rather eloquent excuse but both Luo Ren and Luo Jin as well.


    Luo Ren actually agreed with what Luo Jin said earlier about the other that their brother would be the one to give an excuse for Shen Ji Yun. But who would have thought that this guy would actually take the initiative to give one of his own? It was even something that''s very believable. Did this guy actually mature since that tournament?


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, just scoffed. His belief that the other was actually just faking his ''I don''t know things rted to feelings'' act. Look, he''s now showing his true colors! If it was just up to Luo Jin, he had already called Shen Ji Yun on his bullshit in front of everyone.


    But s, because he made that promise to Luo Yan, he couldn''t. It''s okay if he did that when there''s only them around. But their father was also here. Calling out Shen Ji Yun in front of the other would definitely have some serious consequence.


    As much as he hated to admit it, Luo Yan liked the guy. If he did something that couldpromise the rtionship of the two, Luo Yan would definitely be angry at him. He groaned inwardly. These contradicting feelings were warring inside him that he felt like he''d go crazy if this continued.


    Tsk. He red at the culprit. If only Luo Yan didn''t like this guy. But then again, he would probably not be so annoyed with the other if that was the case. Seriously, he couldn''t understand what Luo Yan saw in that guy.


    But what our Ah Jin hadn''t realized yet was that no matter who Luo Yan liked, whether it''s a man or a woman, he would still feel antagonistic towards them. Because the fact of the matter was, Ah Jin simply had a huge brotherplex. Of course, in the usual Ah Jin fashion, he would never admit that.


    Luo Yan, who had no idea about the mental gymnastics his two brothers were doing, just stared at Shen Ji Yun with amusement. He was actually ready to help the other give an appropriate excuse that wouldn''t arouse the suspicion of his father. But here was his cinnamon roll doing a good job just by himself.


    What he didn''t know was while he was having a ''I''m so proud of you'' moment, Shen Ji Yun was fully panicking inside. A small Ji Yun was repeatedly telling him that ''he can do this'' while his face remained like a statue ¨Cpletely unresponsive.


    This was another moment when he''s very thankful of his expressionless face. At least he wouldn''tpletely embarrassed himself in front of Uncle Tian. The only sign of his nervousness was the two clenched fists on hisp.


    "Oh, is that so? I''m sure Xiao Yan is very happy that he could celebrate his birthday with you," Luo Wei Tian said, turning to Luo Yan. "Isn''t that right, Xiao Yan?"


    Luo Yan smiled brightly. "Yes."


    Shen Ji Yun secretly let out a sigh of relief seeing that Uncle Tian seemed to not find his presence here suspicious. At least now he wouldn''t have to worry that the other would kick him out mercilessly.


    "How long will you stay at S City?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    "Since I''m already done with my research, I''m thinking of looking around S City first. I''ll probably leave on Sunday."


    After he said that, he quickly looked at Luo Yan. Hoping that the other could somehow invite him to their trip to Hunan province. Then, the deadline he put on himself for that one thing he nned to do would be extended.


    But if Luo Yan didn''t, then he had no choice but to do it tonight. No matter what, whether it''s tonight or tomorrow, he had already decided that he would do it.


    When Luo Yan saw Shen Ji Yun ncing at him, he somehow knew what that one nce meant. The other''s eyes were simply silently telling him something. Strangely enough, he understood what Shen Ji Yun wanted to convey. It''s like their brain waves just connected and aligned.


    He smiled. "If Brother Ji Yun has no ns, why don''t you go with us to Hunan province tomorrow? I''m sure it will be fun." He then turned to his father. "That''s okay, right, Dad?"


    Under the table, Shen Ji Yun pumped his hand into a fist of triumph after hearing Luo Yan said that. He almost wondered if the other was actually a mind reader. Because just how did he find out exactly what he was hoping he would do?


    But before Uncle Tian could answer, a certain someone had already raised their objection.


    "No! It''s a family trip, why would you bring outsider to it?" Luo Jin interjected before ring at Shen Ji Yun.


    Why did this guy always had to appear during their family trip? The other and Luo Yan weren''t officially together yet and he''s already inserting himself to their family. At this point, Luo Jin was fully convinced that Shen Ji Yun had long been nning this just to get his brother.


    Shen Ji Yun, the ''nefarious mastermind'' ording to Luo Jin at least, wasn''t worried that Uncle Tian would agree with the other. After all, this was a request from Luo Yan. He knew how much the other would have a hard time refusing that.


    Sure enough, Luo Wei Tian scolded Luo Jin instead.


    "Xiao Jin, don''t be rude. What''s wrong if Xiao Yun joined us? It''s not like he''s a stranger. He''s your friend, isn''t he? I don''t see any problem with himing with us."


    "Who''s friends with who?" Luo Jin muttered.


    Luo Wei Tian ignored his son and just looked at the young man sitting in front of him. "If you want, you cane with us. What do you think?"


    "I''d be happy to," Shen Ji Yun answered quickly before another person objected.


    "Then, Jiao Jiao, how about alsoing with us to this trip?"


    Yu Jiao, who was suddenly named, turned to Luo Ren with a nk expression on her face.

 Chapter 852: TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF GETTING KILLED

    <h4>Chapter 852: TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF GETTING ''KILLED''</h4>


    WHAT? Where? Why? ¨C Those were the questions clearly written on Yu Jiao''s face. It was almostical in a way. It''s like a child who''s confused and didn''t know what to do. "I--"


    Before Yu Jiao could finish what she''s saying, Luo Wei Tian cut him off.


    "Ah Ren, don''t you think that''s too inappropriate?" he chided his eldest. "Going on a 2-days and 1-night trip with five men, if I was her mother, I wouldn''t allow it."


    He knew Luo Ren liked Yu Jiao but he didn''t expect that it was to the extent that his logical thinking would be affected. He shook his head. How could Luo Ren get the girl to like him with such attitude? He suddenly remembered the days when he and his wife was still in the ''chasing'' period. Was he also this insensitive and foolish?


    No, he definitely was a lot smarter than this. If he''s not, then there''s no way Hua-er would fall for him. Should he give this foolish son some love advice?


    Luo Ren, on the other hand, wanted to say that it''s not like they were a group of beasts and something untoward would happen. Didn''t Yu Jiao spend the night at their house? Although there was some mishap, it still ended rtively fine.


    But then again, the situation now was probably a bit different from that. That''s why he couldn''t say anything immediately to refute his father. But still.


    When he nced at Yu Jiao to see her reaction, all his objectionpletely faded. Because the other truly looked ufortable. Like being troubled on whether she should reject or not.


    Luo Ren almost hit himself after seeing that. Seriously, what were you doing? You shouldn''t have made her feel ufortable. ¨C He berated himself. No matter how much he wanted for Yu Jiao to apany them on this trip, he should have been more sensitive to what the other would feel. Instead, he just went on ahead without thinking of any possible consequence.


    Would he be hated? Well, it wouldn''t be surprising if she suddenly developed an aversion towards him. He should rectify this quickly before more damage was made.


    He turned to Yu Jiao. "I''m sorry, Jiao Jiao. Please forgive me for saying something thoughtless," he said bowing his head.


    "Oh, no, no, it''s alright!" Yu Jiao quickly said.


    Although she was indeed very entangled at first, it''s not like she was very offended by Luo Ren''s suggestion. She was just shocked and then panicked, not knowing how to answer.


    Of course, she''s happy that she was invited. But then that joy was quickly reced by awkwardness. Just like what Uncle Luo said, she''s a girl. Travelling to another province with five males was, well, just like what Uncle Luo said, inappropriate. No matter howfortable she was around them, it''s just not right.


    It''s probably just her maiden sensibilities talking which she didn''t know she still possessed at this point. Or that she knew that her mother would not allow it, that''s why she was so entangled. Either way, it''s not really worth bowing over.


    "I- I''m not really offended or anything," she added.


    "Still, I should apologize." Luo Ren raised his head and stared at Yu Jiao. His voice involuntarily softened as he added, "Please, don''t hate me."


    Yu Jiao suddenly felt her heart skipped a beat. She held on to her chest, wondering if it was because of the other''s sudden puppy like appearance. No, that actually didn''t make sense. She subconsciously looked down. Since she didn''t know what was happening, she decided to just ignore it. She felt like if she continued to pursue it, something more than skipping heartbeat would happen.


    "I--" she stopped, and then at the end, she could only mutter, "How could I hate you?"


    The voice was so soft and low that the people in the room would have probably not heard it if not for the surrounding beingpletely quiet.


    Hearing this, Luo Ren finally let out a small smile. The joy in his eyes was even more prominent after seeing the shy expression on Yu Jiao''s face. Although he was a bit disappointed that the other wouldn''t be able to go with them on this trip, he was thankful that his carelessness didn''t cause irreparable damage.


    Luo Wei Tian nodded in approval at how his eldest handled things. It seemed that this kid was not so hopeless, after all.


    Luo Yan was d that this small fiasco was over. He actually thought of helping his older brother convince Yu Jiao to go with them. He was even nning to suggest to invite her mother. Good thing he didn''t say anything. If he did, he would have definitely been scolded by his father.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, was quite d that Yu Jiao wouldn''t being with them. That guy Shen Ji Yun was alreadying with them. If Yu Jiao went to the trip as well, wouldn''t he be the only one without a partner? Yes, he''s petty that way.


    Of course, it would be another matter if Su Yuqi coulde with them as well. But s, inviting the other had never crossed his mind. Probably because he was not as shameless as his eldest brother.


    Shen Ji Yun picked up the cup in front of him and drank tea. He was suddenly d that he was a boy. Because the same constraints wouldn''t apply to him and Luo Yan. But then again, having the same gender also have its own set of problems that he was very much aware of.


    He secretly nced at Uncle Tian. Shen Ji Yun felt like if the other found out his intentions towards Luo Yan, he would be killed for sure. He gulped down the tea he''s drinking.


    Should he try to get close to Uncle Tian in thising trip? It seemed that that was the only option to at least reduce the chance of him getting ''killed''.

 Chapter 853: REUNION

    <h4>Chapter 853: REUNION</h4>


    THE dinner went rtively peaceful after that. By rtive, it meant that there wasn''t any moremotion and stuff. The dishes served were all delicious and there was pleasant conversating all around. Overall, it was a very enjoyable dinner.


    "Which hotel are you staying, Xiao Yun?" Luo Wei Tian asked when they walked out of the private room after dinner was over. "We''ll send you back."


    "No, it''s okay, Uncle Tian. I came here on a motorcycle. I''ll just drive it back," Shen Ji Yun said, politely rejected the offer.


    Luo Wei Tian nodded. "Then, I''ll have my secretary book you a flight for tomorrow. You can go to the airport before 10 in the morning. We can all meet there."


    Before Shen Ji Yun could nod, Luo Yan spoke first;


    "Dad, can Brother Ji Yun just visit our house? Then, we can all go to the airport together," he said, swinging his father''s arm and acting all cute.


    Luo Jin almost snorted seeing this.


    Their father chuckled though, clearly thinking how cute his son was and therefore didn''t have any suspicion at Luo Yan''s request. "That''s fine too. What do you say, Xiao Yun?"


    "Ah, ahm, okay," Shen Ji Yun quickly said. "I''ll be there first thing in the morning."


    He was very happy with this suggestion. He hadn''t yet given Luo Yan his gift. Going to their house tomorrow would be a good opportunity to do that. He looked at his rabbit and a small smile crossed his lips. Why did it seem like the level of their tacit understanding was too high today?


    They said goodbye then. Luo Jin went to the same car as his father. While Luo Ren and Luo Yan went with Yu Jiao to another car. Thetter two would take Yu Jiao back to the apartment she shared with her mother. Because of that Luo Ren switched with Luo Jin.


    For the rest of the family, the reason for that was very obvious. But for Shen Ji Yun and Yu Jiao, they were very oblivious to it. The former because he didn''t really care about other''s romantic entanglement and the former because it never really crossed her mind that there might be something behind Luo Ren''s actions.


    And with that, two cars left one after another.


    Shen Ji Yun watched them go. After that, he walked to where his motorcycle was parked. He was about to take out the helmet from thepartment under the chair when he noticed something from the corner of his eye.


    It was a silhouette of a man. The other probably thought that he was hiding well behind the rows of car, but Shen Ji Yun could clearly see that the man was observing himself.


    Shen Ji Yun frowned. He wanted to just ignore it but the gaze of the other was too piercing. The weird thing was, he didn''t feel any malice from it. He was familiar with malicious gazes since he was young. So, he could tell if a person was looking at him with that kind of eyes.


    But this person''s gaze different. It was intense, yes. But he didn''t feel disgusted by it. He suddenly felt a sense of curiosity. This novel feeling made him want to do something he would normally not do.


    He crouched down, pretending to check the wheel of his motorcycle. But he secretly watched the man''s movement. As he guessed, the other walked closer when he crouched down. In fact, it''s more like he rushed out, as if he was worried and wanted to check if he was okay.


    Shen Ji Yun took that chance to rush from his crouching position to where the man was. Because the other also didn''t expect that he would do that, he didn''t have any time to turn around and run away. Because of that, the two of them came face to face with each other.


    Both of them were shocked by this. Maybe even more so for Shen Ji Yun.


    He stared at the person in front of him. The other was of average height and had a slim build. His ck hair was tousled by the wind. He was wearing sses that were frosted over, making it hard for Shen Ji Yun to see his eyes clearly. But despite that, he couldn''t let go of the feeling that he had seen the other from somewhere.


    It''s a weird feeling that he couldn''t even exin. He couldn''t even see the other''s face properly and yet he couldn''t shake off this familiar feeling.


    The other quickly averted his gaze and muttered in a low voice, "Sorry."


    That one word lighted a bulb inside Shen Ji Yun''s head. His eyes widened at the sudden realization. He almost couldn''t believe it. No, he actually wanted to believe it.


    "Uncle Yue?" he called with an almost trembling voice. When he saw the other''s body visibly shaken, he knew that his guess was correct. "You''re Uncle Yue, right?"


    Jiang Yue wanted to say, ''no, you''re mistaken'', but he couldn''t get the words out of his mouth. It''s like something was lodged in his throat. He slowly raised his head to look at the young man in front of him.


    Shen Ji Yun''s usual expressionless face didn''t change much. But blue eyes were currently filled with a myriad of emotions. Surprise, wonder, disbelief, expectation, and happiness. It was all entangled in those blue eyes.


    Seeing that, Jiang Yue could only say, "It''s been a long time, Xiao Yun."


    Hearing that confirmation, Shen Ji Yun''s shock tripled. "Are- are you really Uncle Yue?"


    Despite the situation, Jiang Yue couldn''t help but chuckle seeing this reaction. He removed his sses. "Yes, it''s me."


    Finally seeing those almond shaped eyes, Shen Ji Yun no longer had any doubt of some sort and his emotions simply soared. "Uncle Yue!"


    Jiang Yue smiled and patted the young man''s head. The kid he knew then was now half a head taller than him. Really, how time flies. "Our Xiao Yun grew up so well."

 Chapter 854: STING A BIT

    <h4>Chapter 854: STING A BIT</h4>


    JIANG YUE picked up the cup of tea in front of him and drank a sip. The hot tea warmth his slightly cold body. He raised his head and looked at the young man in front of him. Seven years. Time really flew by like the wings of a bird pping in the sky. But even so, those years were excruciatingly slow for him.


    Those years for him were filled with nothing but loneliness, sadness, pain, and longing. Everyday was like torture for him. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. But he endured. He endured everything in the hopes that once it was all over, he could attain a semnce of happiness.


    But no happiness came. His life returned to normal but there was no semnce of joy. He knew why. He wanted to go to the person who could bring him happiness but he couldn''t. Doing that would be too shameless of him. But if he was being honest, the main reason was because of his cowardice.


    He was afraid, truly afraid, that the person he loved would look at him with hatred or worse, indifference. But Jiang Yue knew that deep inside, what he was most afraid of was Yi Mu forgiving him.


    He knew that thest one was the most probable result. Knowing Yi Mu''s kind heart, he would definitely forgive him. But Jiang Yue couldn''t. He couldn''t forgive himself for choosing to leave. He swayed under pressure and made himself believe that his decision was for the best.


    But that was all just Jiang Yue''s own self-righteousness. It was so he could force himself to leave. He seeded in doing that and then suffered in the years that followed. Even so, he still believed that he made the right decision.


    Look, without him, Yi Mu managed to expand hispany to what it was now. The other was even able to develop his game into something so ground-breaking. In the end, it all worked out for the best.


    If he stayed, things would have probably not ended the same. He was sure of it. After all, knowing Yi Mu, the other would definitely postpone everything just so he could stay with him. He would just dy Yi Mu''s life. How could he do that when there was no guarantee that it would end well for either of them?


    "Uncle Yue, are you doing alright these past years?"


    Shen Ji Yun''s question pulled Jiang Yue back from his thoughts. He tried his best to smile at the other. "Yes. I- I''m doing just fine."


    Shen Ji Yun examined Uncle Yue''s expression, wanting to see if he could read anything from it. But there was nothing. He sighed inwardly. If only he could be as good as Luo Yan in reading other people''s emotions. Even so, the fact that Uncle Yue stammered at the beginning must mean something, right?


    That meant that he wasn''t really sure of his answer. But he smiled, so he wanted Shen Ji Yun to believe that that was the case. He suddenly what to say next. Of course, he wanted to ask the other the reason why he left and why he broke up with his uncle. But somehow, he couldn''t bring himself to.


    It just felt like trespassing into an area he wasn''t allowed to be in. Maybe because he knew that those questions should only be asked by his uncle and no one else. And so, Shen Ji Yun could only ask something mundane like;


    "Have you been living in this city for long?"


    "No. I just moved about more than a year and a half ago?" Jiang Yue answered. "Enough about me. How about you? Which university do you go to? Are you perhaps studying in this city?"


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head. "I go to T University. I''m only here because I''m visiting a friend."


    That meant that Shen Ji Yun came to this city alone. Jiang Yue didn''t know if he should feel relieved or disappointed by the fact that he couldn''t see Yi Mu. But he still smiled and tried not to show any of that on his face.


    "Oh? Then, that means that Xiao Yun is now my junior," he said in a light tone. "What''s your major?


    Hearing that, Shen Ji Yun remembered that both Uncle Yue and his uncle went to the same university. "Computer programming."


    A nostalgic smile appeared on Jiang Yue''s face when he heard that. "Yes, just like your uncle."


    Then, he stopped. As if just realizing that he said something that he probably should have not said. Now that he had mentioned Yi Mu on his own, it''s like finally addressing the elephant in the room. Giving the young man a chance to finally talk about Yi Mu.


    But surprisingly, Shen Ji Yun''s next words were not about his uncle.


    "Did Uncle Yue also have dinner at that restaurant earlier?"


    Jiang Yue tried to suppress his surprise. He smiled inwardly. It seemed that Xiao Yun didn''t only grow physically but emotionally as well. Yi Mu had always been worried about that aspect. But it seemed that there''s no longer a need for that worry.


    Then, he just realized that Shen Ji Yun''s question actually led to the question of whether he saw the other by coincidence or not. If he said ''no'', then he had to exin what he was doing in front of the restaurant. That would include how he was a teacher at the school of Xiao Yun''s friend and how he followed them to the restaurant like a creep.


    How could he admit that? Although it''s been years since theyst saw each other, as an adult, he couldn''t lose his face in front of Xiao Yun. So, he shamelessly said;


    "Yes, I just finished dinner when I saw you at the parking lot."


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun''s lips raised a bit, turning into a small smile. "Then, this is really a wonderful coincidence, meeting Uncle Yue again like this."


    Jiang Yue felt his conscience sting a bit because of the other''s innocent smile.

 Chapter 855: HES STILL WAITING FOR YOU

    <h4>Chapter 855: HE''S STILL WAITING FOR YOU</h4>


    AFTER talking for a while in the caf¨¦, Shen Ji Yun reluctantly bid farewell. After all, he still had to wake up early tomorrow. Jiang Yue insisted on taking him back to his hotel. Since he also wanted to spend more time with him, he agreed.


    Of course, he had to call the shop where he rented the motorcycle and told them where to get the bike. Then, sending them additional money for their services. Done with that, he and Uncle Yue walked to the other''s car.


    He told him the address of the hotel he''s staying in and they headed there.


    "You mentioned that you''re going to Hunan province with the family of the friend you''re visiting here today?" Jiang Yue asked as he drove.


    He knew that the ''friend'' Xiao Yun was talking about was Luo Yan. So, that meant that the other would be going with the Luo family tomorrow. When he heard Xiao Yun saying that earlier, he was truly quite surprised. Because this showed that the other was quite close with Luo Yan.


    Jiang Yue was really starting to wonder how the two got close when both lived in different cities. Especially with Luo Yan''s circumstance. But if he did, he had to exin how he knew who Luo Yan was. And then, he had to reveal how he followed the two from Guizhou Academy.


    "Yes, I met him here during his older brother''s graduation. Uncle was the guest speaker. Then, we got to know each other in Arcadia ¨C the game Uncle made," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Jiang Yue didn''t expect that Xiao Yun would exin further. Was he being too obvious? He sighed inwardly. As time went by, he felt like his image as an adult in front of Xiao Yun was slowly degrading.


    But hearing how the two became close friends through Arcadia, he could finally understand how could that happen despite being in two different cities.


    "Has Uncle Yue yed Arcadia?" Shen Ji Yun added.


    "The old version, yes. The VR version, I haven''t yet," Jiang Yue answered honestly.


    He had never tried ying the VR version. Because he knew how easy it was for thepany to get their yers'' personal information if they wanted to. He was worried of Yi Mu finding him that he tried very hard not to go near the game.


    It was quite hard. He was very thankful that he was abroad for most of those seven years. With that, he only had to control himself when he returned here about two years ago. But it was still hard. Very, very hard.


    He could no longer count how many times he tried to buy a VR helmet just so he could enter the world Yi Mu created. But he held himself back time and time again. It didn''t stop him from checking it on Weibo and other sites though. So, he knew how realistic it was. Truly, like a whole new world.


    Even though it had nothing to do with him, Jiang Yue still felt very proud. How could he not? Seeing Yi Mu''s hard worke to life, it filled him with so much pride that it easily became his source of happiness.


    Shen Ji Yun, hearing the other''s answer, wanted to ask ''why not?''. But he stopped himself. Because he felt like he already knew the answer.


    Silence filled the car for a good while. Until Shen Ji Yun dropped a very big ''bomb'' that almost made Jiang Yue lost control of the steering wheel.


    "The friend I met up today, I''m in love with him," Shen Ji Yun said first. "He''s a boy, by the way. Just like me."


    That''s when Jiang Yue swerved to the right, almost hitting the car on the nextne. It was a good thing that he quickly took control of the steering wheel and the car''s trajectory returned to normal.


    Then, it took a few minutes before everything that Xiao Yun said registered in his mind. He said he was in love with his friend and that friend was a boy. And Jiang Yue knew who this ''boy'' was.


    Luo Yan.


    Xiao Yun was in love with Luo Yan.


    "Does... does your uncle know?" ¨C was the only thing he could ask at the moment.


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun answered. "We have a very serious talk about it. I knew of all the consequences I have to face when I realized about my feelings and decided to face it head on. I knew how hard it would be, especially in this country. But I couldn''t lie to myself and act as if these feelings inside me never existed. I want to at least try to pursue this love. To see if it could be reciprocated."


    Jiang Yue didn''t know how to respond to such a heartfelt and honest admission.


    "Even if it didn''t, I wouldn''t have any regrets. Because I knew that I tried. I probably would be sad for a very long time though," Shen Ji Yun continued with a self-deprecating smile. "But in the off-chance that I seed, then I would do my best to protect him against the cruel words of others. I''m ready to bear all the hate and criticism. I will do everything in my power to make him happy."


    Jiang Yue felt sour in his heart hearing those words. He felt like he was taken back years ago when Yi Mu confessed to him. Itpletely felt like the one sitting beside him was Yi Mu himself.


    "I''m sure Uncle felt the same. No, he still feels the same way regarding his rtionship with you, Uncle Yue."


    Jiang Yue almost lost control of the steering wheel once again when he heard that. "Xiao Yun, you, you knew about us?"


    "Uncle told me about it when we had that talk." Shen Ji Yun turned to Jiang Yue and added sincerely, "He''s still waiting for you, Uncle Yue."


    Jiang Yue visibly felt his heart tremble hearing that.

 Chapter 856: NO MATTER WHAT

    <h4>Chapter 856: NO MATTER WHAT</h4>


    SHEN JI YUN took off his coat once he entered his hotel room. He hung it in the closet. After he removed his gloves, he sat down on the couch. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling.


    His thoughts went back to his conversation with Uncle Yue before they separated in front of the hotel.


    "It''s really nice to see you again, Uncle Yue," Shen Ji Yun said once he got off the car.


    "I feel the same way," Jiang Yue said with a soft smile. And then, his expression slowly turned to that of worry. "Will you tell Yi Mu that you saw me today?"


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the other. Uncle Yue was gripping his coat, showing just how nervous he was. There was probably a lot more other emotions there. But being a novice when it came to emotions, Shen Ji Yun couldn''t name all of it.


    He wanted to give an answer that the other wanted. But he couldn''t. so, he answered honestly;


    "I will. I''m sorry, Uncle Yue."


    Jiang Yue bit his bottom lip. Then, he tried to smile but it only looked like his face contorted. "I understand. No need to say ''sorry''."


    Silence filled the air for a while.


    "Can I give an advice, Uncle Yue?" Shen Ji Yun asked in a tentative manner.


    Jiang Yue looked startled by the question. And then, his forced smile turned to a real one. As if what Shen Ji Yun said amused him. "Of course."


    "Currently, Uncle Yue has two choices on how to proceed forward," Shen Ji Yun started. "First, you can run away and leave everything you''ve built here."


    Now, Jiang Yue truly chuckled. "You''re making it sound like I''m a criminal fleeing for his life," he said in a light tone. "And what should be the second choice?"


    "Second, you can wait for Uncle and face him. Speak to each other, clear all the misunderstanding, and then decide whether to reconcile or have a clean break."


    Jiang Yue''s smile slowly turned bitter. "How I wish it was that easy."


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t respond. Because he didn''t know what to say. He even felt like he was being too insensitive for giving that advice. But he couldn''t stop himself from giving his opinion.


    His uncle obviously still loved Uncle Yue. And from what he had seen from Uncle Yue''s reaction so far, he still felt the same way. At least that''s what he understood from all the things the other said, as well as his bodynguage. If that was the case, then was there really a reason for the two of them to not meet?


    Maybe he was overstepping his bounds. But if he could help two people who obviously still loved each other reconnect again, then he wouldn''t mind being thought of a nosy prick.


    "I don''t think love is ever that easy," he said. "One should at least have some courage to achieve a semnce of happiness."


    Shen Ji Yun took out his phone after much thought. He then dialed his uncle''s number. After a couple of rings, the other finally picked it up.


    "My dear nephew, how good of you to call me. Do you finally remember that you have an uncle anxiously waiting for your call?" Shen Yi Mu asked, his voice a mix of scolding and teasing.


    "I''m sorry, Uncle. I got here safely. I have met Yan Yan and his family. We celebrated his birthday. And I''m also going with them on a trip tomorrow," he said, making a small report.


    "Wow, look at you go. Spending time with Xiao Yan''s family, you''re even going on a trip with them. You''re leveling up, kid." Now, his uncle''s tone was purely teasing. "I hope that everything will go well for you in this trip. But don''t forget to keep safe, okay?"


    Shen Ji Yun could hear the sincerity from his uncle''s voice. Although it appeared like he was teasing him, he could feel that the other truly wanted for things to go well for him.


    "Yes, uncle."


    And then, he suddenly didn''t know what to say next.


    "I think you have to wake up early tomorrow. So, go to sleep," his uncle said after a while.


    "Uncle, I--there''s something I need you to know," Shen Ji Yun said before his uncle could hang the phone.


    "What is it?" the other asked, obviously curious.


    "I- I met Uncle Yue," Shen Ji Yun finally said.


    A long stretch of silence followed.


    "What do you mean?" his uncle asked, his voice hoarse.


    "I met Uncle Yue. He''s here in S City."


    He heard his uncle took a sharp breath. He didn''t know if the other was surprised or just purely filled with disbelief.


    "Truly? You truly m-met him?" Shen Yi Mu asked in a trembling voice. "Are you sure it was him?"


    "Yes. We talked. There''s no doubt it''s him," Shen Ji Yun assured the other. "If uncle wants to meet Uncle Yue, you have to go here the first thing tomorrow. I didn''t ask his address or where he currently works. But I know that wouldn''t stop you, Uncle."


    There was another silence. And then he heard his uncleughing. "Yes, it won''t stop me," he said, agreeing to Shen Ji Yun. "Thank you, Ji Yun."


    Shen Ji Yun could hear the excitement in his uncle''s voice. He couldn''t even imagine what the other might be feeling right now. Happiness? Shock? Excitement? Maybe even worry.


    But one thing''s for sure, his uncle would do everything to meet Uncle Yue.


    "Good luck, Uncle."


    Their call ended and Shen Ji Yun hung up the phone. He stood up and walked towards the floor to ceiling window. He looked outside and stared at the flickering city lights.


    He truly wished the best for his uncle. He hoped that by the time he returned on Monday, he would receive a good news from the other. Maybe he, as well, would have the same good news.


    Because by the end of this trip, he promised that he would finally confess his feelings to Luo Yan.


    No matter what.

 Chapter 857: WHY ARE YOU SO CUTE?

    <h4>Chapter 857: WHY ARE YOU SO CUTE?</h4>


    LUO YAN was already dressed and was waiting for Shen Ji Yun toe at the front garden of their house. He had already packed everything that he would bring to this trip. He thought of packing all the clothes he could no longer use as well.


    Because of his sudden growth spurt, he had a lot of clothes that he couldn''t wear now. He thought of donating all of it to the orphanage. But he changed his mind and decided to just sell it online. The money he would get would then be donated directly to LY Foundation.


    That money would probably help more than a bunch of branded clothes. Although wearing pretty clothes could make the children happy, that was only for a moment. The future was still what''s more important.


    As he was walking around the garden, waiting for Shen Ji Yun, his phone vibrated. He took it out from his pocket and saw that it was a message notification from Shen Ji Yun. He quickly opened it.


    [I''m already near your house. I''ll probably be there in one or two minutes.]


    Luo Yan happily walked towards the driveway once he read that. It didn''t take for a taxi to pull over their gate. Seeing that, he ran towards the gate and opened it himself before Shen Ji Yun could press the doorbell.


    "Good morning, Brother Ji Yun!" he greeted with a smile.


    Shen Ji Yun was startled seeing Luo Yan but he quickly greeted back, "Good morning, Yan Yan."


    "Come, let''s go inside."


    Luo Yan pulled the other inside and the gate closed automatically.


    What caught Shen Ji Yun''s attention first was the mansion that looked like it came straight out of a fairytale book. From the tiled roof to the vines sticking on the walls, even the wide garden added to the dreamy look. One could see that the person who designed the house put all their love into it.


    "Our house is pretty, right?" Luo Yan asked as they walked.


    Shen Ji Yun was about to answer when he noticed that the other''s cheeks were red as an apple. It''s not a blush that was caused by shyness but rather because of the cold weather. He frowned and put the scarf he''s wearing around Luo Yan''s neck.


    "Have you been waiting outside like this?" he asked.


    He was clearly scolding Luo Yan but his worry was more prominent, so it only sounded like a concern-filled nagging.


    Feeling the warmth that suddenly surrounded him, Luo Yan couldn''t help but smile, pulling the scarf up. "It hasn''t been that long. I just wanted to wee Brother Ji Yun."


    How could Shen Ji Yun be angry after hearing that? "I''d rather you wee me inside the warmth of your house."


    Luo Yan chuckled at that very wittyeback. "Do you want to walk around our garden or have some hot cocoa first?"


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t give a quick answer, as if contemting what answer he should give. "Can I go to your room?"


    Luo Yan was surprise hearing that answer. He didn''t think the other would be that straightforward. But Shen Ji Yun took his silence as a refusal.


    "Oh, I didn''t mean anything else. I just- I mean--"


    "It''s fine," Luo Yan quickly cut off what the other was saying. "Let''s go to my room."


    Before Shen Ji Yun could react, he already pulled the other inside the house. Since it was a bit early, his father and brothers were probably still asleep or in the middle of preparing. So, there was no time as good as now to bring Shen Ji Yun to his room.


    As they entered the house, the maids greeted them and Luo Yan haphazardly introduced Shen Ji Yun to them. Since his room was in the first floor, they quickly arrived there.


    "This is my room, what do you think?" Luo Yan asked with a hint of pride in his voice.


    Shen Ji Yun looked around the room. It had a cool tone because of the color of the walls. It was neat but also showed Luo Yan''s vibrant personality with all the various trinkets spread here and there, including one big teddy bear that was on the bed.


    "It''s pretty."


    His gaze then noticed a music box that was carefully ced on the side of a study table. It was the customized music box he sent to Luo Yan as a gift. The corner of his lips subconsciously turned up. Just looking at where it was put, he could see just how much his rabbit liked it.


    Luo Yan watched Shen Ji Yun looked around his room. It actually felt kind of surreal seeing the other here. That''s when he noticed that Shen Ji Yun was holding a paper bag.


    "Brother Ji Yun, what are you holding?" he asked.


    Shen Ji Yun instinctively looked down at the paper bag he''s holding. He turned to Luo Yan and gave him the bag. "This is a gift for you."


    Luo Yan raised his brows. "You didn''t have to. Those fireworks were more than enough gift."


    But he still epted the paper bag. He opened it and took out what''s inside. He was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a white rabbit stuff toy. It had blue beads as eyes and was wearing a cute costume simr to his avatar''s costume. It''s like the plushie version of the rabbit in the music box that Shen Ji Yun gave him.


    "This is so cute!" he said excitedly.


    Shen Ji Yun smiled at Luo Yan''s reaction. "I hope you like it."


    "Are you kidding me? I love it!" Luo Yan said, hugging the stuff toy. "Did you have this customize as well?"


    "I- I customize it," Shen Ji Yun in an almost whisper.


    Luo Yan was shocked when he heard that. He carefully put the rabbit plushie beside the music box. Before holding Shen Ji Yun''s right hand and removing the glove. His eyes widened when he saw band-aids covering Shen Ji Yun''s fingers, definitely evidence of his sewing.


    He felt like his heart was filled warm gooey chocte seeing that. "Oh Brother Ji Yun, why are you so cute?"

 Chapter 858: NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT

    <h4>Chapter 858: NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT</h4>


    "YAN you--"


    Luo Jin stopped whatever he''s about to say the moment he opened the door of his brother''s room. Because there, inside, he saw Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun holding hands. He narrowed his eyes at the hands of the two sped together. Then he raised his head and looked at the two.


    After he got ready and walked down from his room, he was about to go to the kitchen when he heard from the maids that a guest of Luo Yan came and they went to his brother''s room. The moment he heard that, he quickly walked here. And lo and behold, this was the scene that weed him.


    And right now, even after he caught them in the act, they weren''t even fazed! Or rather, his brother was not fazed while Shen Ji Yun was frozen between blushing and being surprised.


    Luo Yan smiled at his younger brother. "Oh, good morning, Ah Jin!"


    "Really, Yan? You''re not even going to let go?" Luo Jin asked in an obvious annoyed tone.


    "I''m helping Brother Ji Yun remove his gloves. I don''t think there''s something wrong with that," Luo Yan said, blinking his eyes innocently at his brother. To prove that, he also removed Shen Ji Yun''s other glove. Then, he put both gloves on his study table. "Brother Ji Yun, you can remove your coat. I''ll hang it here first. You can also leave your bag here. You can get itter before we leave."


    Shen Ji Yun, who finally came to his senses, nodded mechanically. He put down his bag on the nearby chair. Then, removed his coat and gave it to Luo Yan. The other then walked to an adjoining door that seemed to be a walk-in closet.


    And so, he and Luo Jin were left there.


    "You really are getting bolder and bolder with your actions," Luo Jin said snidely.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the other. "I don''t know what you mean."


    Luo Jin scoffed. "Yeah, right."


    Luo Yan walked out of the walk-in closet then. He had also removed his coat, as well as the scarf Shen Ji Yun gave him. "Let''s go."


    He said to the two then he pulled both out of his room. As they walked near the living room, they saw Luo Ren climbing down the stairs.


    "Good morning, Brother!" Luo Yan greeted.


    "Good... morning?" Luo Ren said, his intonation changed at the end the moment he saw Shen Ji Yun. "You''re here early."


    "Good morning." ¨C Shen Ji Yun''s only response.


    "Brother Ji Yun, can you stay here for a sec?" Luo Yan said before pulling Luo Jin up the stairs.


    "Wait, Yan--"


    Then, when they reached their older brother, Luo Yan pulled him up as well. "You too, Brother."


    The moment they arrived at the second floor, he pulled them to the nearest room and closed it.


    "Okay. What is this all about?" Luo Ren asked, a bit confused as to what was happening.


    "Yeah, why pull us here?" Luo Jin seconded.


    Luo Yan smiled at the two. "My dear brothers, before we go on this trip, let me tell you something first."


    Luo Jin had a bad feeling seeing that smile. Sure enough, that was confirmed by the next words Luo Yan said.


    "Please don''t be too antagonistic towards Brother Ji Yun during this trip. I''m not asking you to be friendly, just don''t stop him from getting close to me."


    Luo Ren raised his brow when he heard that. "In short, you''re asking us to let you be?"


    "No way!" Luo Jin said almost at the same time.


    Luo Yan turned to Luo Jin. "Why?"


    Luo Jin was baffled by the question. "Just- just--"


    "Ah Jin, didn''t you and Brother already make a promise to me? To not get in the way of my rtionship with Brother Ji Yun. Are you going to break that promise?"


    "That- that''s before I found out that he''s a total yer!" Luo Jin quickly reasoned out.


    Luo Yan, even Luo Ren, both looked at their youngest brother with a funny expression.


    "Ah Jin, are we talking about the same person?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Even I think that''s aplete reach," Luo Ren added.


    Luo Jin''s face turnedplete red like a boiled shrimp. He turned to Luo Ren. "Brother, you''re supposed to be on my side!"


    "Sorry, Xiao Jin. If that guy is actually a yer, then I''d be a yboy who has a hundred girlfriends all at the same time," Luo Ren said looking at his brother as if he''s an idiot. "That guy just isn''t capable of that."


    "Ah Jin, don''t hate on Brother Ji Yun just because you don''t want me to be with him. If it''s not him, it could be anyone else. At least with Brother Ji Yun, you know he''s a good person. Really good person," Luo Yan said. "Or do you just not want me to be with anyone else?"


    Luo Jin bit his lower lip. He really felt like a stupid kid right now. They already had this conversation. But they''re having this conversation again because, deep inside, he''s still very against the rtionship of Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun.


    He might have agreed at first when Luo Yan asked. But that''s because he couldn''t find a reason to refuse. So, the moment he found an opening, he quickly grabbed a hold of that and adamantly refused to let go.


    The only thing he knew to do was be antagonistic. If he was being objective, he would see that there''s nothingpletely wrong with Shen Ji Yun. Aside from the gender. But even that could be ignored as long as he could make Luo Yan happy. Still, he couldn''t bring himself to agree with this rtionship or even like Shen Ji Yun.


    "Do you know what Brother Ji Yun gave me for my birthday? A hand-sewn stuff toy that he sewed himself," Luo Yan added, a soft smile unconsciously appeared on his face. "He loves me, you know? I believe there''s nothing more important than that."

 Chapter 859: AMAZING

    <h4>Chapter 859: AMAZING</h4>


    LUO JIN scratched the bac of his head and let out a harsh breath. "Fine. I''ll leave you two be."


    What else could he say besides that? Especially after those words Luo Yan said. It would only make him appear like a total viin. If he objected, it would seem like he didn''t want his brother to be happy at all. But even though his logical mind understood that, the illogical part just had a more of a hold on him than the other.


    And so, even if he wanted to support Luo Yan 100%, he just couldn''t.


    He knew that he was being too overprotective. It''s probably because even now, that car ident that happened to them still had a profound effect on him. He wanted to protect Luo Yan from everything. Mayhap it be a person or not. And for some reason, he just identified Shen Ji Yun as the bad guy.


    But the truth was, he was simply afraid that Shen Ji Yun would hoard all his brother''s affection. That''s not the only thing he realized. After what Luo Yan said, something clicked in his brain. That even if it''s not Shen Ji Yun here now, he would still react the same way.


    And Luo Yan was right. At least he was sure that Shen Ji Yun was a good person. That the other would do absolutely everything to make his brother happy. The guy even sewn a plushie for Pete''s sake. That''s dedication right there.


    He still didn''t like him though. But he could slowly ept this thing between him and Luo Yan. It might not be today. But he could get there. He would try to get there.


    Luo Yan smiled brightly when he heard that. He jumped and hugged the other. "Thank you, Ah Jin!"


    Luo Jin''s whole face turned red. "No hugging!"


    And yet he couldn''t even bear to push the other away.


    Luo Yan''s smile became even brighter at that. He then turned to his older brother. "How about you, Brother?"


    Luo Ren raised both hands as if in surrender. "Hey, I already promised not to intervene with your rtionship with the guy," he said. "I still don''t like him though."


    "I think if you give it a chance, you will like him," Luo Yan said. "Both of you will."


    Luo Jin only scoffed.


    "I don''t think I have the heart to give it a chance right now," Luo Ren said, obviously also sharing the same opinion as Luo Jin about Shen Ji Yun.


    Luo Yan could only sigh. Well, at least this was much better than constantly having the two breathing down their necks.


    "Truthfully, the one you should be worried about is Dad," Luo Ren added. "He''d be a much tougher nut to crack."


    "Right? Dad would probably beat him up to a pulp," Luo Jin said in a teasing tone, clearly enjoying the thought.


    Somehow, Luo Yan could actually imagine that quite visibly.


    "So, you should also warn that robotic loverboy of yours not to be too obvious in this trip," Luo Ren said. "Or else, he might really just get beaten up by Dad."


    "I actually would love to see that," Luo Jin added.


    "Hey, if you''re thinking of instigating him for that to happen, I''m telling you in advance, ''don''t''," Luo Yan said, warning the two.


    Luo Ren reached out and pinched Luo Yan''s cheek. "You''re starting to be no fun, you know that?"


    Luo Jin then pinched Luo Yan''s other cheek. "Yes. Definitely a total bore."


    Luo Yan just raised both his arms and also pinched the cheeks of the two. "I''m the prettiest bore in the world then."


    "That, I actually agree," Luo Ren said.


    The three of them looked at each other and justughed uncontrobly.


    Shen Ji Yun was sitting almost frozen at the living room. Probably because he was in an unknown environment and he really didn''t know what he should be doing. Luo Yan told him to wait here. But the three of them had been gone for about 10 minutes already. So, how long should he wait here?


    "Xiao Yun?"


    He heard a voice from the stairs. He raised his head and saw Uncle Tian. He quickly stood up. "Uncle Tian, good morning," he greeted first.


    "Good morning," the other greeted back. "Are you the only one here?"


    "Yan Yan and the others are currently at the second floor," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Luo Wei Tian frowned a bit and looked upstairs. What were his sons doing leaving a guest here alone? He walked to the other.


    "Never mind them. Let''s go to the dining room. The breakfast is probably already prepared," he said. "I''m sure those sons of mine wille back down soon."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded and he followed Uncle Tian towards the dining area. As the other said, the maids were already starting to bring different dishes on the table.


    "Sit anywhere you want."


    Shen Ji Yun simply sat down on one of the chairs as Uncle Tian said.


    "Have you been here for a while?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    "Just a few minutes."


    Luo Wei Tian then noticed the band-aids on the kid''s hands. "What happened to your hands?"


    "Ah." Shen Ji Yun looked down at his hands. He ignored the urge to put it back down on hisp. "I identally cut my it while I was cooking."


    He didn''t raise his head as he answered so the other wouldn''t notice him lying. He knew he''s a bad liar. So, that''s the best he could do.


    Luo Wei Tian was quite surprised to hear that. He didn''t expect that Shen Ji Yun could actually cook. With that cold demeanor, he fully expected the other to be just like other young masters who knew nothing about any housework.


    "That''s amazing," he couldn''t help but say.


    "What''s amazing?" a voice asked from the entrance of the dining room.


    They both turned to that direction and saw the three Luo brothers walking inside. Each sat on empty seats. Of course, Luo Yan sat down beside Shen Ji Yun.


    He turned to his father and asked once again, "So, what''s amazing?"

 Chapter 860: HE WOULD DEFINITELY NOT LET GO

    <h4>Chapter 860: HE WOULD DEFINITELY NOT LET GO</h4>


    AFTER breakfast, the Luo family together with Shen Ji Yun quickly drove to the airport. They had an early flight so they needed to arrive at the airport just as early. Arriving there, they board first ss and left S City.


    The flight wasn''t that long. After two hours and 30 minutes, they arrived at the airport in Z City - a city in Hunan province. A ck van was already there waiting to pick them up.


    "I booked two presidential suites at a resort hotel. It''s just a few kilometers away from the orphanage. So, we can go there directly after we eat lunch," Luo Wei Tian said as the van started. "It''s a resort and spa. So, if any of you wants to dip in a pool or have a massage, you should go ahead and do so."


    "It''s a five-star hotel, so the amodation will be definitely be good," Luo Ren added.


    Luo Yan wasn''t really worried about that. His father was the one who booked this hotel, so there''s no way it would be bad. He looked out of the window. They were still in the city center so he couldn''t yet see the mountains Hunan province was famous for. But he could see that there had been a lot of development in the city throughout the years.


    It had been 11 years since he''d been in this city. When he graduated high school and was epted to T University, he had never gone back here. It''s not because he hated it. He just didn''t have much time. Every school break, he had to take multiple part-time jobs just so he could earn money.


    He was still in contact with the director of the orphanage during his freshman year. But right after that, with all the jobs and all the school work, his call just decreased and decreased until themunication just stopped.


    And now here he was. Living apletely new life. In a few hours, he would meet the director again. He actually didn''t know how to feel about that. He was excited to see her again, of course. It had been too long. But, at the same time, he also felt, well, scared.


    Luo Yan didn''t know how he should face the director. He could act as if it was the first time they met. But it would be hard. Really hard. He might not be able to control himself and might just bawl his eyes out.


    If he cried, then he would only appear suspicious. He didn''t really want that to happen. This day, no, this weekend, shouldn''t be eclipsed by his ''crying''. It should be about those children living at the orphanage.


    He took a deep breath. He should prepare himself now before he met the director. That way, he wouldn''t have an emotional breakdown.


    "Are you okay?"


    Luo Yan was startled when he heard Shen Ji Yun''s voice whispering in his ear. He turned to the other and asked in the same low whisper, "Why do you think I''m not?"


    "I don''t know. I--I just felt like you''re suddenly in a low mood. So, I asked," Shen Ji Yun said honestly.


    Luo Yan smiled unknowingly when he heard that. The fact that the other noticed the smallest detail about him meant that all his attention was on him. Really, how could this man be so sweet? All the anxiety and worry he''s feeling just vanished because of the other''s question.


    "I''m fine. Thank you for asking," he whispered back with a gentle smile.


    Seeing that smile, Shen Ji Yun knew that whatever was troubling Luo Yan, he managed to ease it somehow. Although he wasn''t sure how, he was just d that he helped.


    [S City]


    Shen Yi Mu took the earliest flight and arrived here from B City at exactly nine o''clock. He had already booked a hotel room. So, he directly went there. Now, he was walking back and forth in his room while waiting for the private detective he hired to call.


    Although he hired that detective very haphazardly, he made sure to hire one of the best in the field. This would definitely be different from the early days he was searching for him. Because back then, he didn''t know where to start. He didn''t even know if the other was still in the country or not. He just disappeared after that one-sided break-up.


    Shen Yi Mu already knew from his confrontation with his eldest brother that he and their father had nothing to do with Jiang Yue''s disappearance. That the other left on his own. But even though he knew that, he still felt that there was something wrong. That something or someone pushed Jiang Yue to leave.


    Now that he knew for certainty that his Ah Yue was in this city, that limited the search. The detective he hired could easily find the other. This time, it would be different from before.


    He stopped pacing and walked towards the floor to ceiling window. He nced outside and remembered what his nephew told himst night. That Jiang Yue had lived in this city for one and half years now.


    It got him thinking, what if he didn''t stop looking for him? What if he didn''t simply ept the fact that he left? He closed his eyes tightly. He should have tried harder. He should have not given up. Then, maybe, maybe he would have found him by now.


    But what ifs had no use here. Everything that happened had already happened. The only thing he could do was to not repeat the same mistakes.


    This time he wouldn''t give up. No matter what. Even if Jiang Yue pushed him away, he wouldn''t move. Not even an inch.


    This time, he would definitely not let go.


    His phone rang at that moment. He took it out from his pocket and saw that it was the detective''s number.


    Shen Yi Mu quickly answered it. "Do you know where he is?"


    "I found him, sir. I''ll send you the address."


    He felt his heart shook hearing that. "Tell me."

 Chapter 861: WHO SHARES WHIChapter SUITE?

    <h4>Chapter 861: WHO SHARES WHIChapter SUITE?</h4>


    LUO YAN looked around the hotel. On the way here, he was already amazed by the sceneries they passed by. He was already aware of how beautiful the mountains here was. But seeing it after so long, he couldn''t help but feel that these mountains looked even more beautiful.


    Once they entered the hotel, the manager quickly weed them. As if he already knew they wereing. Perhaps, he really did. After all, Luo Yan''s father was not really an ordinary man. Even if the other''s secretary was the one who made the reservation, he still had to use his father''s name. In that way, there''s no chance that the manager wouldn''t know who their hotel''s VIP guest was.


    "President Luo, wee to our humble hotel," the manager said. "Are these the young masters? As expected of President Luo''s sons, they are all handsome like their father."


    The natural coldness around Luo Wei Tian subsided a bit and he showed a proud expression on his face. He didn''t even mind that Shen Ji Yun was mistaken as his son as well. What''s important was that the other said that his sons took after him. Which father wouldn''t be happy hearing that?


    He cleared his throat. "Show us to our suites."


    "Of course. This way, please," the manager said, leading the way.


    The five followed him to the elevator. Arriving at the floor of their suites, the manager started to introduce the presidential suites to them.


    "The two suites are next to each other as you have requested. They both have balconies that overlooked the mountains and the surrounding river. It has three rooms each, all have their own bathrooms. Both also has a shared living room and a kitchen. Everything you might want for afortable stay is there."


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. This manager would probably make a pretty good salesperson.


    "Here we are," the manager said, stopping in front of the suite door. "Your other suite is the one at the left. Here are your room cards." He handed two cards to Luo Wei Tian. "Your luggage will be brought shortly here. There''s a restaurant at the first floor. If you want to eat in your suites, you can call for room service. I hope you''ll enjoy your stay."


    After showing a very professional smile, the manager bid goodbye and left.


    "Dad, can I share a suite with Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked, acting all spoiled.


    If it was any other boy his age, people might see him as annoying. But because of his pretty face, everyone would just think of him as adorable.


    Both Luo Ren and Luo Jin looked at their brother. They just told him to be careful of their father noticing something and yet here he was being too obvious. Luo Ren shook his head. He couldn''t even feel annoyed. Luo Jin, on the other hand, was doing his best not to shout ''no''. He could only bite his inner cheek to stop himself.


    In contrast, Shen Ji Yun was celebrating inside. If he could jump in joy, he would have already. He was only wishing that he could share a suite with Luo Yan. He didn''t expect that the other would suggest that himself. Really, howe their brain waves seemed to be very connected since yesterday?


    His mind was already drawing a lot of ideas. By hook or by crook, he would definitely confess tonight.


    "Then, the three of us will share this suite," Luo Wei Tian said, referring to the suite in front of them.


    The ns Shen Ji Yun had in mind just stopped the moment he heard that.


    Contrary to him, Luo Jin just celebrated what his father said. "I think that''s a very good idea."


    "I agree," Luo Ren said, taking the card room for the other suite.


    Luo Yan looked at his brothers and his ''uncooperative'' father and could only sigh inwardly. He turned to Shen Ji Yun. Although his face was still expressionless, he could still tell from the other''s eyes that he was at a lost.


    [Sorry, Brother Ji Yun. I already did my best.]


    [S City]


    Shen Yi Mu stepped on the pedal of the car he''s driving. He didn''t care if he went over the speed limit. He just wanted to arrive at his destination at the fastest speed.


    After that call he had with the private detective, he quickly drove to the destination the other told him about. It was a good thing that he had already rented a car beforehand.


    From that call, the detective told him that Jiang Yue was working as a school counselor at Guizu Academy. He was really surprised when he heard that. After all, Jiang Yue''s major wasn''t exactly rted to being a counselor. Could he had taken another major in the seven years that they separated?


    No, the reason didn''t really matter. What''s more important right now was that he finally knew where his Ah Yue was staying in this city. ording to the detective, Jiang Yue was staying at the dormitory provided to the faculties of Guizu Academy. It was located near the school. So, that''s where he''s going.


    The closer he was to the mark on the GPS system of the car, the faster his heart beat. He wasn''t sure if it was because of excitement or because of nervousness. The only fact he knew was that he wanted to see his Ah Yue. So, so much. The sooner he got there, the better.


    After a few minutes, he finally arrived at his destination. He parked the car and got out. He looked at the building in front. The person he''d been wanting to see for the past seven years was just a couple of steps away.


    He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to calm his rioting heart. If he didn''t calm down now, he might not be able to say everything he wanted to say. He didn''t want to fumble at such an important event.


    Shen Yi Mu took a deep breath and then walked towards the building.

 Chapter 862: WITH TREPIDATION IN HIS HEART

    <h4>Chapter 862: WITH TREPIDATION IN HIS HEART</h4>


    FULL of determination, Shen Yi Mu walked towards the building. But before he could even try to open the gate, the security guard stopped him.


    "Excuse me, sir. Do you have any business here?" the guard asked who just suddenly appeared in his line of vision. The other was standing on the other side of the gate.


    Shen Yi Mu almost jumped when he saw the guard from out of nowhere. He was so ready to go to the building, with guns zing and all, that he forgot such an important matter. Of course, there would be guards guarding the ce.


    He made sure to control his expression before he turned to the guard. A friendly smile appeared on his face. "Yes. I''m a friend of Mr. Jiang."


    He said that in a the most natural way possible while telling to himself, [Please, don''t find me suspicious. Just let me go inside. Please.]


    The guard scanned the man in front of him from head to toe. He was a guard working for the whole Guizu Academy, which included this faculty dormitory. So, he was used to seeing and interacting with rich people. And this man right here perfectly fit the image of what a rich person should look like.


    It''s not because he was wearing gold essories or that his clothes were ringly expensive. In fact, the other was wearing fairly simple clothing. It was the atmosphere around him.


    Working at Guizu Academy for years, he had already developed a keen eye for separating those who were nouveau rich from those who were born from money. And this one was definitely thetter.


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    Remembering the ordinary Teacher Jiang, the guard couldn''t imagine the other being friends with this man. But then again, there was really no reason for the man to lie to him. It''s not like someone like this woulde here just to scam him or something. But still, the guard had to make sure so he said;


    "Please wait. I will call Teacher Jiang to inform him that you''re here. If you can give me your name, please."


    "Can you not tell him? I just arrived from abroad, you see. I kind of want to surprise him," Shen Yi Mu said, making themest excuse ever while trying his best to look sincere and yful at the same time. Just so the guard would believe him. "Please?"


    Again, Shen Yi Mu was praying inside that the guard wouldn''t find him suspicious.


    Thankfully enough, the heaven seemed to answer his prayers. The guard nodded and opened the gate for him. Shen Yi Mu almost jumped in joy seeing that. He quickly walked inside before the guard changed his mind. He nodded to the other before walking towards the building.


    "Wait, sir!"


    Shen Yi Mu stopped when he heard the guard''s call. Did the other noticed that he was lying? Was it because he walked too fast? He slowly turned around. As he did, he pasted a smile on his face.


    "Yes?" he asked in the most natural way possible.


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    "Do you know Teacher Jiang''s room?"


    Shen Yi Mu secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the question. Thankfully that other wasn''t suspicious of him. His smile became more genuine. "Yes, he told me before."


    Inside, he was already apologizing profusely to the guard. But a little white lie couldn''t possibly hurt the other, right? Even if Jiang Yue found out about it, there''s no way he would file aint. His Ah Yue was simply too kind for that.


    "Then, please, go slowly," the unsuspecting guard said.


    Shen Yi Mu nodded with a smile and then continued on in his way.


    Walking inside the building, he first walked towards the elevator. After entering, he pushed the button with number ''3'' on it. That''s the floor where Jiang Yue''s room was. As the elevator moved up, his heart was still calm. But when the elevator stopped and the door opened, as soon as he walked out, he felt his heart beat hard like crazy.


    Boom. Boom. BOOM.


    That''s the sound of his heart as he got closer and closer to Jiang Yue''s room. Finally, he stood in front of the said room''s door. He noticed the doorbell on the side. The room probably wasn''t just an ordinary dorm room. It''s probably more like an apartment or something.


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    He was d to know that his Ah Yue was not staying in some small room.


    And so, with trepidation in his heart, he stretched his arm and rang the doorbell.


    Luo Yan looked out of the window. He could already see a beautiful farmhouse up ahead. It was surrounded by beautiful greeneries. Beyond that, one could see the view of the mountains Z City was famous for. Just seeing that, memories just came rushing back.


    That farmhouse and thend surrounding it was owned by the director of Xiao Xing Orphanage. It was also where Luo Yan spent most of his childhood.


    Because of the things that happened in the first orphanage he was sent to, he learned to use his wiles to get other to people to like him. Acting kind, gentle, yful, anything that he deemed appropriate for the situation. That way, he could live much easier.


    But even if that was so, Luo Yan learned to appreciate andter on love the ce. Just like how felt for the director herself.


    He also didn''t expect that he would get close to her. When he first got close to the other, he just wanted to take advantage of the other''s kindness. Yes, kind of shitty of him, really. But because of that same kindness, it didn''t take long for Luo Yan to treat the director with sincerity.


    She was a kind person, the director. But not overly kind to the point of foolishness. He had a feeling that the other probably knew that he had impure intentions in getting close to her. But she just let it be. Probably because she was still not yet so hopeless. Her eptance of him was probably what stopped him from truly bing a horrible person.


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    The van stopped in front of the gate. Finally, they''re here.

 Chapter 863: SHE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE DIFFERENT

    <h4>Chapter 863: ''SHE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE DIFFERENT''</h4>


    LUO YAN looked around as they walked towards the farmhouse. There were not many changes from thest time he was here. There was just a lot more vegetable plot. Something new should be the sr panels on the roof of the farmhouse as well as a huge water tank besides it.


    Was the director trying to make the orphanage more self-sufficient?


    He remembered that he suggested it to here before in passing. Why did he suggest that? Ah, it''s because he watched a tiny-home video and thought that the orphanage could probably save a lot of money if it tried to be self-sufficient. He was really just talking out of his ass back then. He didn''t expect the director to take it seriously and really implement it.


    That must have cost a lot of money.


    Xiao Xing orphanage had never reallycked for anything. But that was under the condition that the consumption was under moderation. In that regard, the director was a genius. Despite thecking donations, she seemed to have a way to still properly maintain the orphanage within the budget they had.


    Did the director find a reliable sponsor? The other answer he could think of was that she sold some of thends she owned. From what Luo Yan could remember, the director owned this stretch ofnd where the orphanage was located. She was from a pretty prominent family in this province. But instead of joining the family business or living a life as a socialite, she used her inheritance to buy thisnd and build an orphanage.


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    She also never married and just spent her days in this orphanage. Luo Yan asked her about that one time and she said that all the children in the orphanage were her child. So, there''s really no need to get married.


    He didn''t think much about that before. But now that he thought about it, the other probably experienced heartbreak so severe, she no longer trusted in love.


    They hadn''t reached the farmhouse yet when a woman in her mid-50s walked out. She was wearing a simple house dress with her hair tied in a loose bun. Even though she was wearing something so simple, it still couldn''t hide her inner elegance. She walked towards them and meet them half-way.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Luo. I should have greeted you sooner," she said.


    This woman was the director of the orphanage, Yang Lanfen. Luo Yan couldn''t help but stare at the other with awe the moment she appeared.


    She was definitely much older than thest time he saw her. If one looked closely, they could even see the fine lines at the corner of her eyes. She still looked elegantly beautiful though. And definitely looked much youngerpared to other in the same age range. In fact, at one nce, people would think that she''s in her 40s instead.


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    "It''s alright, Miss Yang. We didn''te here for a grand wee," Luo Wei Tian said, waving his hand to show that it didn''t matter.


    Yang Lanfen smiled at that. In truth, they were all very busy this morning to wee the guestsing today. When she received a call from a man introducing himself as the secretary of the CEO and president of Tianhua Group, she was really surprised. Even more so after he heard that they were nning to donate to their orphanage.


    She knew about Tianhua Group of course. But they were much more active in S City. That''s why she''s very surprised that they would pick an orphanage from another province to sponsor. But she was told that it was the second young master of the family who chose them.


    That was even more surprising for her. She even wondered if there was some hidden motive in it. But at the end, she just chose to ept the sponsorship. After all, it would definitely help the orphanage and the children. And besides, she also did her research before agreeing.


    Tianhua Group had a pretty good reputation. There hadn''t been any massive scandal since the time of its founding. There was one big news though. That incident that happened more than seven years ago. The wife of the president died and the second young master was hospitalized.


    When she found out that it was the same young master who chose their orphanage, her vigncepletely disappeared. A child who had been through so much couldn''t possibly be scheming by donating money to the orphanage.


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    Yang Lanfen turned to the four boys apanying President Luo. The three who were incredibly tall were holding bags filled with different things in it. One had toys, the other had books, and thest one seemed to be filled with snacks and other trinkets. The one who didn''t carry any bags was the most beautiful out of the four boys.


    It was not the kind of beauty that was effeminate. No, she didn''t for a second thought that the other was a girl. It was the kind of beauty that transcended even gender. Of course, the other three were just as handsome.


    "I''ve never seen a group of boys so handsome," she said as apliment. "Mr. Luo is truly blessed."


    "Thank you for thepliment," Luo Wei Tian generously epted the praise.


    Then Yan Lanfeng suddenly remembered that President Luo only had three sons. But there were four boys here. Could it be that one of them was an illegitimate child? That wouldn''t be too out of the ordinary for a rich person like him. And seeing as he didn''t correct her, wouldn''t that be the case?


    Suddenly, her good impression of Luo Wei Tian plummeted to the bottom. It''s fine if he had the child after his wife passed away. But since the four boys were already this big, it''s obvious that he had the child while his wife was still alive.


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    And here she thought he would be different.


    Luo Yan, who hadn''t taken his gaze away from the director, saw her constant change in expression. He had grown up under the other''s supervision, so he quite had an idea what the other was thinking right now.


    If it wasn''t so rude, he would have probably alreadyughed.

 Chapter 864: A FAMILIAR SMILE

    <h4>Chapter 864: A FAMILIAR SMILE</h4>


    BUT as a filial son, Luo Yan still had to protect his father''s ''honor''. He was about to clear the director''s misunderstanding but Luo Jin beat him to it.


    "This guy is surnamed ''Shen''. He''s not part of the family," Luo Jin said with an underlying annoyed tone. This was already the second time the other was mistaken as their brother. Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan weren''t in a rtionship yet. Being mistaken as that guy''s brother was something he just couldn''t swallow. "He''s a... friend."


    He almost bit out that ''friend'' part. He couldn''t believe that there woulde a time when he would actually call Shen Ji Yun his friend. But as many said, it''s better to chose the lesser evil.


    What he didn''t know was because of the way he said it, he just sounded like a viin half-brother who couldn''t ept his illegitimate brother. Which in turn made the director''s impression even worse.


    Seeing the slight frown on the director''s face, Luo Yan knew that what Luo Jin said just made the matter worse. So, before anyone could add more fuel to the fire, he quickly said;


    "Ah Jin, you should have said it more calmly. Denying it so vehemently like that, it''s like you''re trying to hide some scandalous thing. The director might misunderstand and think that Brother Ji Yun is our illegitimate brother."


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    He said that as if he''s teasing Luo Jin. He chose to say it that way because if he said it a serious manner, it might seem like he was also trying to hide something. So, it''s better to treat it as a joke.


    "What illegitimate brother?" Luo Jin said with an incredulous expression on his face. "Only people who loved dog blood dramas would think that way, okay? I''m sure the director is not like that."


    Yang Lanfen felt heat rising up on her face. She felt like her old face would burn because of embarrassment. Especially so when she saw the amused smile on the face of President Luo as well as the other young man who looked exactly like him. The only one who didn''t have much reaction was the other tall young man. In fact, the other didn''t have an expression on his face at all.


    Remembering that she was suddenly called a person who loved dog blood dramas, albeit not directly, she felt embarrassed again. Now that she thought about it, she shouldn''t really have jumped to conclusion like that.


    Well, it''s true that she had been watching a melodrama this past month. Could she have been really affected by that? She felt goosebumps just thinking about it.


    "I apologize for my sons'' yfulness," Luo Wei Tian said in an apologetic tone.


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    "It''s fine. It''s good for kids to be energetic," Yang Lanfen said with a smile. She had experienced a lot in life, so she''s already a pro in controlling her expression. That''s why despite her embarrassment, none of it showed on her face. "Forgive myte introduction, I''m Yang Lanfen, the director of this orphanage."


    Although the others probably already knew who she was. As evidence of President Luo calling him ''Miss Yang'' and even one of the boys referring to her as the director, it''s still polite to properly introduce herself.


    Just as she did, the four boys also introduced themselves one by one. The young man who looked almost identical to President Luo was named Luo Ren, the one who indirectly called her as someone who liked watching dog blood dramas was named Luo Jin, the one who she thought was an illegitimate child was called Shen Ji Yun, andstly;


    "Hello director, I''m Luo Yan. I''m very happy to be here," the beautiful boy said. Then, he smiled, his peach-blossom eyes looking at her with undisguised joy.


    Yang Lanfen was startled. Not just because of the other''s name but because of that familiar smile. It all reminded her of that child.


    A child that was taken too early from this world.


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    Yang Lanfen stared at the teenager named Luo Yan. The other was ying with the younger kids at the small yground that was at the back of the farmhouse. It''s already been three hours since the Luo family, as well as that young man named Shen Ji Yun, arrived here. And she still couldn''t shake off the feeling of familiarity she felt when Luo Yan introduced himself.


    She thought that it was just because of the same name. But the more she observed the other, the more simrities she noticed. It''s not just the way he smiled. Even the small actions like tilting his head or the way he always stared straight at the person he''s talking to. It''s just all so simr.


    It''s like she was directly looking at that child.


    She shook her head. What was she thinking? Maybe it''s because that child''s birthday was yesterday. That''s why she couldn''t help but think of him. That''s why she''s projecting like this. Especially since she found out that the other also had the same birthday as that child.


    Yang Lanfen once again looked at the yground. Luo Yan was happily ying with the kids while Luo Jin had a constipated expression while being pulled here and there by the other kids. The eldest brother of the two was sitting not far away under the shade of a tree, being surrounded by the older kids.


    She unconsciously smiled seeing the three siblings.


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    No matter if Luo Yan was simr to that child, it didn''t really matter in this current situation. The fact of the matter was, he''s a kind boy who chose to celebrate his birthday by spending time with the children in this orphanage. That''s already a huge check on her book.


    Thinking of unreasonable things might just cloud her judgment. With onest look at the yground, she turned around and went back to the farmhouse. She opened the backdoor and walked into the kitchen.


    There, the first thing she saw was the handsome blue-eyed young man wearing a frilly pink apron. Seeing it made her automatically smile. And the thing that made it even funnier was the fact that President Luo was wearing the same apron as well.

 Chapter 865: MACARONS

    Chapter 865: MACARONSWHEN Yang Lanfen said that she was going to bake some snacks for the kids and the guests as well. The young man, Shen Ji Yun, volunteered to do it himself. And President Luo, seemingly interested, said that he would also be helping.


    She was a bit skeptical at first. After all, it''s not everyday one could see a young master baking. But when she saw how expertly Shen Ji Yun handled all the baking tools, she no longer worried. So, she left the two here on their own devices and just watched over the three brothers while they were ying with the kids.


    Looking at this, aside from the scattered flour on President Luo''s face and apron, the delicious smell wafting in the air proved that the snacks they baked were good.


    As further proof, the young man was attaching two sides of a macaron together after expertly piping the cream at the middle. Even from where she was standing, she could see how perfect those macarons looked. Just by the smell, Yang Lanfen knew that it would be as good as its appearance.


    "Do you need help?" she asked walking towards the two.


    "Ahm, if the director could get me some tes, please," the young man said.


    Yang Lanfen took out colorful tes from the cupboard and ced it on the table. "You seem like an expert in this," she said as she watched the other worked.


    "No, it''s just a hobby."


    "No need to be humble, Xiao Yun," Luo Wei Tian said. He turned to Yang Lanfen. "Although I said that I would help him, frankly speaking, I really didn''t do much. It even felt like I only got in his way."


    Which was the truth. He only helped in measuring the ingredients. Even then, he almost messed up. Watching the process of him baking was pretty amazing. It''s almost like watching a scientist doing an experiment. His impression of the other became even better because of this little activity.


    "No, Uncle, you were a great help," Shen Ji Yun quickly said. "We managed to bake these macarons this quickly because of you."


    Luo Wei Tian chuckled. "Then, I''m d."


    As Shen Ji Yun was ting the macarons, Yang Lanfen started cleaning up. Luo Wei Tian helped her. The clean up became faster because of that. Yang Lanfen had extra time to brew tea.


    Once they''re done, they took out the tes of macarons, as well as the tea set, to the break room.


    "I will call the kids and the young masters," Yang Lanfen said.


    She walked out of the break room, leaving the two inside. It didn''t take long for them to hear theughter and giggles from outside. And soon, the door opened and kids of all ages flocked inside.


    "It smells so good!" one of the kids eximed. Then she saw the macarons on the table. "Are those macarons?" She ran towards the table, picked one, and ate it. Her eyes went wide the moment she did. "This is shooo good!" she said with her mouth full of the macaron she just ate.


    That seemed to be the trigger. Almost all the younger kids ran towards the table and ate a macaron. And all of them had the same exact reaction.


    "Okay, kids, there''s plenty more for everyone. There''s no need to crowd around," the director said. "And you have to thank this big brother first because he made all those for you," she added gesturing towards Shen Ji Yun.


    All the kids turned to the blue-eyed big brother. The younger kids appeared to be confused. Probably because they didn''t think that the scary-looking big brother would actually bake them delicious macarons. But the bigger kids quickly said their thanks.


    Luo Yan took one macaron and ate it. Then he turned to Shen Ji Yun. "This is delicious, Brother Ji Yun!"


    Seeing as how the pretty big brother spoke to the scary big brother with ease, thetter seemed to not be so scary anymore. They all looked at Shen Ji Yun and said, "Thank you, Big Brother!"


    The tips of Shen Ji Yun''s ears turned red because of the kids'' attention. He coughed to hide his shyness. "Uhm."


    Luo Jin picked one macaron and ate it. His eyes widened. He tsked after eating it. How could this guy bake something this delicious?


    Luo Ren was also quite surprised. He heard this morning that the other knew how to cook. He didn''t expect that it would be at this level. Well, at least now there''s a guarantee that Luo Yan would be fed good food if there ever came a time when they had to love together.


    While everyone was eating snacks, Yang Lanfen sat down beside Luo Yan. Unbeknownst to her, the moment she did, Luo Yan felt nervous.


    Although he had been acting normal since they arrived here, there''s still a part of him that felt jumpy around her. Of course, not because he''s worried that she might suspect that he was that ''Luo Yan''. The director was not superstitious. She''s more of a science-person more than anything. There''s no way that her thoughts would ever go in that direction.


    He simply¡­ didn''t know how to act around her. At least not in a way that wouldn''t make him look weird. Because every time she''s near, he had this urge to admit who he was.


    "Thank you, young master, for choosing to sponsor our orphanage," the director started.


    "It''s nothing. I did my research, you see. And a lot of people said that this is a good ce. Spending the afternoon here, Ipletely agree with them," Luo Yan said as natural as possible. "And please, just call me ''Xiao Yan''."


    Yang Lanfen was surprised hearing that. Then, she smiled. "I didn''t know we''re on the Inte."


    "Oh, everything is in the Inte nowadays," Luo Yan said with a smile.


    "Still, thank you, Xiao Yan."


    Luo Yan felt like he was hit by that ''Xiao Yan''. It''s like he was back to his childhood again.


    At that moment, he truly wanted to tell the other that he was that ''Xiao Yan''.

 Chapter 866: FOR CLOSURE

    Chapter 866: FOR CLOSURE"BROTHER Yan Yan, are you really leaving? Can''t you just stay?" one of the kids said while hugging Luo Yan''s arm.


    "Yes, just spend the night here! We have lots of rooms!" another kid added.


    "Yes, stay," said by the other kids surrounding Luo Yan.


    He chuckled at the cute reaction of the kids. They were currently in front of the farmhouse and was ready to return to the hotel.


    They just finished a sumptuous dinner, dishes that were mostly made of the vegetables grown here in the farm, as well as local produced. Most of the dishes were cooked by Shen Ji Yun.


    The other almost seemed like he was on steroids while he was doing all that cooking. It''s like his energy was endless. In fact, Luo Yan had a feeling that if there were more ingredients in the pantry, the other would probably cook a hundred dishes.


    Luo Yan felt that the reason for that was because Shen Ji Yun finally had the chance to show-off his cooking skills to him. That''s definitely a bit self-centered to admit, but knowing Shen Ji Yun, it''s certainly not improbable.


    But showed-off he did.


    All the dishes were over the top delicious. If Luo Yan didn''t see Shen Ji Yun cooking it himself, he might think that the dishes were made by a professional chef. He had long known that the other knew how to cook. He just didn''t expect that it would be that good.


    Luo Yan could already imagine how heavenly his future life would be once they decided to live together. Eating Shen Ji Yun''s cooked food, he might end up like a cute pig.


    "Okay, okay, don''t hound your Brother Yan," the director said.


    But it''s not only Luo Yan being surrounded by the kids, the rest ¨C Luo Ren, Luo Jin, and Shen Ji Yun were also quite popr with the kids. Especially Shen Ji Yun. At the beginning, the younger kids were afraid of him because of his expressionless face. But after eating his food, he became a favorite.


    It seemed that food was not only the way to a man''s stomach but to a child as well.


    "But director, can''t they stay for a night?" one kid said. "Please? Please? Please?"


    Even the older kids asked the same.


    "Don''t worry, we''lle back again tomorrow," Luo Yan said, appeasing them. "We''ll bring breakfast."


    "Will brother ice prince make it?" asked one of the kids.


    Shen Ji Yun felt his cheeks heating up. He didn''t expect that he would suddenly be given a moniker.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, enjoyed seeing the difort on Shen Ji Yun''s face. At least he''s called ''Brother Jin''. That''s infinitely better than being called an ''ice prince''.


    Luo Yan pinched the cheek of the child who asked that question. "No, brother ice prince needs to rest too."


    After they appeased the kids, Luo Yan turned to the director. "Thank you for today, director. I really had fun."


    "Yes, all the kids are great," Luo Wei Tian added. "You did a good job raising them."


    Especially since the other was the only one solely taking care of the children here. Although, ording to her, part-time helpers came during the weekdays, that''s still a lot of work for one person. It just showed how much she cared for these kids. And the kids'' good personality was also a proof of that. After all, it''s evidence of how much she cared and loved them.


    That''s truly admirable in his opinion.


    "No, I hardly did anything," Yang Lanfen said. Then, she looked at the kids, her gaze infinitely gentle. "It''s all of them."


    After a couple of thank yous, they said their goodbyes onest time. Halfway to the van, Luo Yan turned around and ran back to the director who was still there waiting for them to leave.


    "Can I give you a hug?" he asked.


    Yang Lanfen was startled by the sudden request. But she smiled at the end and hugged the other instead. "You''re a good kid, Xiao Yan."


    Luo Yan was surprised at first, then he didn''t hesitate to hug the other back. She was much thinnerpared to what he remembered. But still as warm as ever. After a few seconds, he let go of her, a huge smile hanging on his face.


    "This day made me really happy," he said honestly.


    After onest goodbye, he turned around and ran to the van. He went inside and sat down. His older brother then started the van.


    "Xiao Yan seems to really like the director," Luo Wei Tian said.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Yes. I think she''s amazing."


    "I think so too," Luo Wei Tian agreed.


    Luo Yan nced outside the window. Happiness was bubbling inside him. To the point that he almost wanted to confess to the other that he was ''Luo Yan''. But he held himself back. Because he didn''t want to open the wound that his death might have caused her.


    It had been more than seven years since then. She had clearly moved on and closed that chapter. Reopening it again obviously wouldn''t do the both of them good. There would only be confusion and hundreds of questions.


    One of the reasons he chose toe here was because he wanted to put hisst life at rest. It''s kind of a weird notion, saying goodbye to hisst life. But it felt like if he didn''t, he would remain standing at the crossroad between the past and the present. For his future, that couldn''t continue.


    He needed this closure.


    That''s why he''s nning to visit the cemetery where hisst life''s body was buried. To say his final goodbye.


    Arriving at the hotel, they directly went to their suites. It had been a long day and all of them frankly needed the rest.


    "I''ll go ahead and sleep," Luo Wei Tian said. "Good night, kids."


    "Good night, Dad."


    "Good night, Uncle."


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun said almost at the same time.


    Seeing his father enter his room, Luo Yan was about to do the same but Shen Ji Yun stopped him.

 Chapter 867: THATS WHEN HIS TEARS FELL

    Chapter 867: THAT''S WHEN HIS TEARS FELL"WHAT is it, Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Ahm, I- I just made a game. Can you test it and let me know if there''s anything I can improve on?" Shen Ji Yun said, his hands clenched tightly as his side.


    Luo Yan immediately felt excited when he heard that. "Of course! I''ll be more than happy to. Is it a PC game?"


    He was actually very surprised to hear that the other made a game. But if one considered Shen Ji Yun''s major, it''s really not that surprising. Still, Luo Yan was excited to y whatever game the other had made. It''s definitely going to be interesting.


    "No. It''s a mobile game. I- I can send you the App now. If it''s okay with you."


    "Sure."


    Luo Yan took out his phone and Shen Ji Yun did the same. A few secondster, an App appeared on his phone. He read the name of the game, [Love Guide]. That actually made him raise a brow. What''s this? Did Shen Ji Yun make an otome game or something? You know, one of those dating sims and the likes.


    So, he just directly asked, "Is this an otome game, Brother Ji Yun?"


    The other blushed and then gazed away to hide his embarrassment. "You''ll know once you try it."


    "Okay," Luo Yan said. "I''ll y it now."


    "No, wait--!" Shen Ji Yun stopped him. "Ahm, can you wait for 30 minutes before you y it?"


    Now, Luo Yan''s interest was thoroughly piqued. He wanted to ask ''why'' but he held himself back. This was Shen Ji Yun he''s talking about. The other was probably preparing for some kind of surprise that''s why he asked him to wait. It''s most likely an extension of his birthday gift to him. Although he''s just making guesses, one thing was still for sure. That this [Love Guide] game yed an integral part to it.


    And since he loved surprises, he said with no questions asked; "Okay, I promise."


    ----------


    Shen Yi Mu was leaning on the wall. He had already lost track of time. He didn''t even dare check it because he didn''t want to know just how many hours he''d been waiting here. His stomach had beenining of hunger. But he couldn''t even feel it. He couldn''t even feel the dizziness that should havee with it.


    He could have left and juste backter the moment he found out that there was no one in the room. But he didn''t. What if Ah Yue returnedter the moment he did? Then they would miss each other. Or worse, what if Jiang Yue was actually inside and just didn''t want to open the door because he didn''t want to meet him? Then, all the more reason for him to wait here.


    Because that would show Jiang Yue his determination. It didn''t matter if he had to wait until morning. He would wait no matter how long.


    That''s when he heard that familiar soft voice. "Brother Mu?"


    Shen Yi Mu turned to the direction of the voice. The moment he saw the man standing just a few steps away from him, he felt his heart jumped to his throat. It was beating so hard and so fast that it almost hurt.


    He couldn''t say anything. He could only stare at the other. Although he couldn''t see his features clearly because of the thick sses he''s wearing, it didn''t matter. For him, the other was still as beautiful as he remembered him.


    "Ah Yue¡­"


    Jiang Yue was nailed on the spot. Just like Shen Yi Mu, he could only stare. The years didn''t really change the other''s appearance that much. In fact, he became even more handsome. Or maybe that was just the filter in his eyes talking. Because of that, he could actually feel his own heart beating profusely.


    Maybe he would even have a heart attack any second now.


    He didn''t know exactly how to feel as the two of them stood in front of each other like this. Somehow, he had already expected that something like this would happen. His meeting with Shen Ji Yun guaranteed that. Especially since the other tantly admitted that he would tell Shen Yi Mu that he saw him here at S City.


    Jiang Yue could have run, really. He had all the time in the world to do that. But at the end, he didn''t. Maybe it was because of the ''advice'' Shen Ji Yun gave him. One thing the other said truly hit him hard. That for one to achieve a semnce of happiness, they should have at least some courage.


    That really hit home. Maybe because his life now was a perfect reflection of that. Because of hiscking courage, he couldn''t be happy.


    That''s why he didn''t run. But he was still afraid of meeting Shen Yi Mu again. So, he ended up spending the whole day outside. Just walking around and thinking of things. By the time he returned, it was already eight in the evening.


    He didn''t expect that a surprise would be waiting for him the moment he got out of the elevator.


    Now Shen Yi Mu was standing right in front of him and he didn''t know what to do next. Should he apologize? Should he quickly exin what happened back then?


    Jiang Yue opened his mouth but no words came out. He felt shortness of breath. It''s like he was slowly suffocating. If one would remove his sses right now, they would see the corner of his eyes reddened. As if he was ready to cry at any second.


    He wanted to say a lot of things. But at this moment, his brain couldn''t form any coherent thoughts. So, all he could do was to stand there and stare at the man he loved more than anyone in the world.


    That''s when the other suddenly rushed towards him. Before he could react, he was already engulfed inside a pair of warm strong arms.


    "I miss you, Ah Yue. So, so much."


    And Jiang Yue''s tears truly fell at that moment.

 Chapter 868: BELONG TO YOU

    Chapter 868: BELONG TO YOULUO YAN looked at the time on his phone. The 30 minutes had already passed. His curiosity would finally be sated. He had been wondering since earlier why Shen Ji Yun suddenly wanted him to y this game at that specific time.


    He thought at first that the other probably really wanted to hear his feedback about the game he made. But he quickly pushed away that idea. If that was truly the case, Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t have told him to open the game after 30 minutes. Not to mention, he would have stayed by his side to see his reaction in real-time.


    Anyway, he could easily have his answer by opening this game app. And so, he did.


    The first thing that appeared when he opened the game was a chibi white rabbit. What caught his attention most was the fact that this rabbit was wearing the same costume as his avatar in the game.


    [Wee, I''m your Love Guide!]


    [Please, scan your room and look for a love item!]


    Luo Yan was startled by the cute voice of the rabbit. It sounded very much like Eclipse''s voice! Did someone from Moonlight Media helped Shen Ji Yun code this game? After the initial surprise, he did what the cute rabbit asked.


    He was still in the game interface but it almost looked like his phone was in camera mode.


    [Since this is your first try, let this cute ''love guide'' guide you.]


    Luo Yan raised his brow. Even the way this rabbit act was simr to Eclipse.


    [Please, follow the heart that will appear on your screen.]


    As soon as the rabbit said that, hearts appeared leading to the door. Of course, it''s all on his phone screen. Like that game ''Pokemon GO''. Luo Yan followed the heart out of the door.


    The hearts continued to the door of the presidential suite. It''s as if it''s telling him to go out. With a heart full of curiosity, he walked to the door and went out. The moment he did, a cute gift box appeared on his screen.


    [Congrattions! The first love item has appeared! Please open it by tapping on your screen!]


    Luo Yan tapped the gift box and a music box appeared. It had a miniature rabbit and qilin inside. Just like that music box that Shen Ji Yun gave him. His heart skipped a beat. Because, somehow, he already had a feeling on where this was going.


    With his heartbeat getting increasingly fast, he followed the hearts that appeared on his screen. The love item he got after that were the following; the silvery white robe Shen Ji Yun gave him, the red-string bracelet, the pair of earrings the two of them shared. And then, right now, the rabbit plushie the other gave him yesterday.


    Thisst item was standing before a door. Since he was now on a floor above their suites, this seemed to be another suite.


    [Please open the door to find thest love item!]


    He stared at the door that was slightly ajar. It seemed that it was purposely left like that so he could easily go in once he arrived here. Thinking of that, there''s no doubt that Shen Ji Yun was mostly waiting for him inside. Which meant that the other had also checked into this hotel beforehand.


    When did he do it? It''s probably after he asked where they were staying. Shen Ji Yun must have contacted the hotel after that. With the game and this, it''s obvious that the other was nning something. And he already had an idea on what it might be.


    His heartbeat became even more abnormal just at the thought of what''s toe.


    He took a deep breath and pushed the door forward. Walking inside, he quickly closed the door. Whatever would happen next, it should only be between him and Shen Ji Yun. Besides, he couldn''t risk the chance that some hotel staff might see them or something.


    Finally, he had a chance to look around the around the suite. The light was deliberately set a slightly dim option. The setting was like that of a candlelit dinner. Just a bit brighter.


    That''s why he didn''t immediately notice the rose petals lying on the floor. Add to this, he could also hear a soft instrumental music floating in the air. It was aplete romantic atmosphere.


    Then lights that he didn''t even notice was on the floor started to light up one by one. It seemed that it was leading to a spot in the suite''smon room that wasn''t illuminated that much. And because the light on the floor finally reached that spot, Luo Yan finally saw the young man standing there.


    He actually almost had a heart attack because of Shen Ji Yun''s sudden appearance. It''s a good thing that he wasn''t the screaming type. Or else, the romantic atmosphere would immediately turn into horror. But because of that, Luo Yan''s nervousness faded a lot and what remained was his anticipation of what woulde next.


    Shen Ji Yun slowly walked towards him and then stopped when he was just a few steps away. Luo Yan was surprised to see that the other was actually wearing a suit. He looked at Shen Ji Yun and waited for the other to speak first.


    The other took out a small gift box from his coat pocket and gave it to him. "This is thest love item."


    Luo Yan was amused when he heard that. He picked the box on the other''s palm and opened it. Inside the box was a heart shaped ruby. Not the 2D heart version but just like the shape of a human heart. The gem was cut delicately that''s why it didn''t give off a weird feeling.


    "This--?" he asked, looking up at Shen Ji Yun.


    "It''s my heart, a representation of it, at least. I want to give it to you. If- if you''re willing to ept it, then, this Shen Ji Yun will belong to Luo Yan from this point on." Shen Ji Yun looked straight at Luo Yan, his blue eyes overflowing with emotion. "In this lifetime, I will only belong to you."

 Chapter 869: SWEETER THAN CHOCOLATE

    Chapter 869: SWEETER THAN CHOCOLATELUO YAN''S heart that was already beating rapidly felt like it had gone toplete overdrive. He even felt like hormones were clogging up his brain and he couldn''t think properly. All he knew was how happy he was at this moment.


    That''s probably why, instead of thinking deeply, he just found himself saying, "Only in this lifetime?"


    Shen Ji Yun, whose knees were already trembling due to excessive nervousness, couldn''t believe his ears. Of all the possible reactions he had imagined, he never thought of Luo Yan responding like this.


    Before deciding to do all these, he had already readied himself for the worst-case scenario. Imagining Luo Yan rejecting him or showing a disgusted expression made him sleepless. It''s like a nightmare that continued to gue him. But just as he said to Uncle Yue, he wouldn''t achieve happiness if he didn''t have courage.


    So, he carefully nned everything. From the game to the heart crystal and even to the hasty arrangement with this hotel. That way, even if he was rejected, he could proudly say that he did everything he could.


    But Luo Yan didn''t say any word of rejection. What he said instead gave Shen Ji Yun immense hope.


    "No, not only in this lifetime! But the next one as well and the other after that!" he quickly said. "No matter how many times I reincarnate, my heart will only belong to you."


    Luo Yan smiled when he heard that. "Silly. How could that be possible?" He closed the lid of the gift box and then pinched Shen Ji Yun''s cheek with his free hand. "But this lifetime, it wouldn''t be too bad to spend it with you."


    Shen Ji Yun''s eyes widened. He almost wondered if he was hallucinating or something. He even questioned if this was reality or if his brain was making things up for him.


    "R-really? Do- are- I mean, really? Are you agreeing to be with me?"


    Luo Yan chuckled at Shen Ji Yun''s cut reaction. "Yes, I like you too. No, I''m in love with you, Shen Ji Yun."


    Shen Ji Yun''s heart that was already beating wildly just jumped up to his throat. His whole face heated up. He was sure that it looked like a boiled shrimp right now. No, maybe it was even worse.


    He couldn''t contain his emotion and just ended up hugging Luo Yan. "Me too. I- I like you too! No, I mean. I''m also in love with you. I love you so much sometimes my heart felt like it would burst just thinking of you."


    Luo Yan was startled at first because of the sudden hug. But at the end, he only chuckled and hugged the other back. "Yeah, I kind of get that."


    Feeling the warmth of each other, it took quite a while before the two of them separated.


    After calming down for a bit, reality finally started to sink in. Shen Ji Yun asked, "Does- does this mean that the two of us are already in a rtionship?"


    "Well, considering that we already confessed our feelings for each other, it would be a very scumbag move of me if I say ''no'', isn''t it?" Luo Yan said with an amused tone.


    Hearing that, happiness just bubbled inside Shen Ji Yun. No, almost all positive emotions boiled inside him. If this was a dream, he truly didn''t want to wake up.


    "I''m so happy right now," he could say at the end.


    Luo Yan smiled seeing just how visibly happy the other was. "Me too. Actually, I thought it would take quite a while for you to confess. I told myself that if you don''t confess to me once I turned 18, then I just have to do it myself on your birthday. It''s a good thing the both of us didn''t have to wait that long."


    Shen Ji Yun, who just received that information, felt like aputer that suddenly malfunctioned. This was already the second time in just a few minutes. If this continued, his brain might really just stop working. But the meaning behind what Luo Yan just said was also pretty clear to him.


    "Yan Yan, you mean you already know about my feelings long ago?"


    Luo Yan, who just said what he said without much thought, didn''t think that he would confess one of his ''secrets'' like this. Then, he could only act cutely and said, "Oops?"


    "How¡ªwhen--?"


    Hmm¡­ how to answer that? Should he be honest? ¨C Luo Yan thought. Well, since they''re already in a rtionship, it''s better to be honest. "For quite a while now. You''re not really being subtle about it."


    Shen Ji Yun''s face burned with embarrassment. Was he really that obvious? And to think that he thought he was being covert about it.


    Seeing the other''s reddened face, Luo Yan knew that the other must feel very embarrassed right now. He put the gift box in one of his pants'' pockets before hugging the other''s waist.


    "There''s nothing to be embarrassed about. You were very cute," he said.


    "That''s not exactlyforting," Shen Ji Yun said with a wry smile.


    As an answer, Luo Yan leaned forward and gave Shen Ji Yun''s lips a quick peck. "Is thisforting enough?"


    Shen Ji Yun''s body froze on the spot. Then, his face felt like it''s burning. Not just his face but his whole body. He didn''t even know how he managed to say what he said after.


    "Not enough."


    Luo Yan smiled at that and then gave the other''s lips another peck.


    But this time Shen Ji Yun didn''t let Luo Yan get away so quickly. He held the back of the other''s neck with one hand and the other held his slim waist. And then, he leaned forward and deepened the kiss.


    It was a clumsy kiss with their teeth almost cking because of Shen Ji Yun''s haste. But soon the both of them found the right rhythm.


    Luo Yan then wrapped his arms around Shen Ji Yun''s neck and the two shared a kiss much sweeter than chocte.

 Chapter 870: ITS ALL WORTH IT

    Chapter 870: IT''S ALL WORTH ITLUO JIN frowned while staring at Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun. He didn''t know if it was only his imagination but he felt like there were too much pink bubbles around the two, at least more than normal.


    He started to notice it during breakfast earlier. Even though the two weren''t sitting side by side, the way they were looking at each other, it''s almost as if honey would drip between their gazes. The frustrating thing was, it felt like he was the only one who noticed it.


    Now, that they were back at the orphanage and it was the same. Even though the two weren''t particrly sticky towards each other, the way they gaze at each other was sticky enough.


    The frown on his face became even deeper when he saw the two exchanged nces again. They were far apart, his brother ying with the kids and making a snowman while Shen Ji Yun was helping shove the snow out of the driveway alongside him and Luo Ren. And yet, despite the distance, the two still managed to nce at one another.


    Every time their gazes would collide, Luo Yan would smile and then Shen Ji Yun would blush. This was already the nth time that it had happened. And it was really getting on his nerves.


    He narrowed his eyes at Shen Ji Yun and finally couldn''t help but asked, "Hey, Shen Ji Yun, did something happen between you and Yan?"


    Shen Ji Yun almost identally let go of the shovel he''s holding when he heard that question. He suddenly wondered if he was being obvious with his feelings once again. He had already learnedst night that he was not exactly that good when it came to hiding his feelings for Luo Yan.


    It was a huge surprise for him. After all, he''s someone who''s known for not being able to express his emotions since he was a kid. And yet, for some reason, when it came to his feelings for Luo Yan, it''s probably stered all over his face.


    It probably wouldn''t be weird even if this guy Luo Jin noticed that something had changed in the dynamics of his rtionship with Luo Yan. Now, the question was, how would he answer?


    But before he could, Luo Ren had spoken up first. "Just let them be, Xiao Jin."


    "But Brother--! Can''t you see they''re acting really, really suspicious? Don''t you want to know why?" Luo Jinined.


    Luo Ren, of course, had noticed that. It would be a lie if he said that he wasn''t curious about this sudden change. Honestly, he already had an idea on why Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun were acting like this. If his guest was correct, he''s afraid that he might beat up this guy. So, it''s better if he didn''t know the grisly detail.


    But that didn''t mean that he was okay about it. In fact, just thinking of the possibility that his brother was in a rtionship with this bast- this Shen Ji Yun could already make his blood boil. But, at the end of the day, Luo Yan was the one who made this decision. The only thing he could do was to respect that.


    Besides, his brother was not the type to be forced into such a situation. Among the three of them, Luo Jin was more likely to get in a situation like that than either of them. He still didn''t like it though.


    So, he turned to Shen Ji Yun and smiled. It was the kind of smile that expressed a lot of things. Like, ''don''t you dare hurt my brother or I will kill you'' kind of thing.


    And Shen Ji Yun received the meaning of that smile loud and clear. How could he not when the moment he saw it, he readily felt a chill down his spine?


    Despite the cold weather, he could literally feel sweat on his forehead. Because of that, he suddenly remembered a part of the conversation he had with Luo Yanst night.


    =====


    "How should we tell your dad and brothers?" Shen Ji Yun asked. "If- if you''re worried, I can do everything myself. I''ll tell them that it was all on me."


    The two of them were sitting on the long couch. His arm was around Luo Yan''s shoulders and the other was leaning his whole weight on him.


    Luo Yan raised his head at him, he was looking at him as if he just said something funny. "Well, if you want us to reenact ''Romeo and Juliet'', sure we can tell them tomorrow."


    Shen Ji Yun was already familiar with the other''s teasing expression. But despite the other teasing, he knew that there was a semnce of truth to what he said.


    "Then, are we going to hide our rtionship to them?"


    "I appreciate that you want to be responsible and all that, but let''s not torture ourselves unnecessarily," Luo Yan said. "We can probably tell my brothers now, but definitely not my dad. He would definitely freak out and he might even beat you up. Or worse, not let me y Arcadia so we wouldn''t meet."


    Shen Ji Yun understood that and yet he still felt a tad bit guilty for concealing their rtionship to Uncle Tian.


    Luo Yan, seemingly aware of what he''s thinking, added, "We will tell Dad someday, don''t worry. Just let me ready him first. So, when we revealed our rtionship, it wouldn''t give him a heart attack. Okay?"


    =====


    Looking at Luo Ren, it was just now that Shen Ji Yun truly understood Luo Yan''s decision. If Luo Ren was already giving him this look despite not knowing about his and Luo Yan''s rtionship yet, he couldn''t imagine Uncle Tian''s reaction once it was revealed.


    Really, he would be lucky if he only received a beating.


    He nced once again at Luo Yan. The other also happened to look at his direction. His rabbit smiled and gave him a small wave.


    It didn''t matter if he was beaten. For that smile, he wouldn''t even mind if he''s tortured.


    Because it''s all worth it.

 Chapter 871: WHAT CHOICE DID THEY HAVE?

    Chapter 871: WHAT CHOICE DID THEY HAVE?AFTER lunch, the Luo family and Shen Ji Yun left Xiao Xing Orphanage. Before leaving, Luo Wei Tian and the director talked about putting the kids under LY Foundation. Of course, that was as long as they fulfilled the requirement for the schrship. And Luo Wei Tian was confident that the kids here could easily do that.


    Meanwhile, the kids had a hard time saying goodbye to the brothers, as well as Shen Ji Yun. They liked the beautiful Luo Yan, the smart Luo Ren, even the taciturn Luo Jin. And most of all, the ice prince who''s very good at cooking ¨C Shen Ji Yun.


    It took a while before they calmed the kids down. But after promising that they woulde again on their next vacation, they finally let them go peacefully.


    Now, they''re back at the hotel. They still had a couple of hours left before their flights. Yes, flights. Because Shen Ji Yun would not travel back to S City with them and would fly back to B City instead.


    But right now, Luo Yan was thinking on how he could get away for awhile so he could go to the cemetery. He was actually about to think of a probable reasonst night but Shen Ji Yun''s confession kind of took priority first. So¡­


    Anyway, let''s just say the most viable reason right now.


    "Dad, can we go sightseeing before our flight?" he asked, acting cute. "We still have a lot of free time, right?"


    Then, he would just have to think of how to sneak away while doing so.


    Luo Wei Tian didn''t take too much time to decide since there was really a lot of time left before their flights. "Okay, you four can go sightsee."


    Luo Yan was about to celebrate inside when he heard the ''okay'', but after hearing what followed next, he became a bit curious. "You''re not going with us, Dad?"


    "Assistant Wen sent me some files this morning. I haven''t had time to check it so I''ll do that now," Luo Wei Tian said. "You four go and enjoy yourselves. Juste back in time. We don''t want to bete for our flights."


    "Aww¡­ that''s too bad," Luo Yan said, acting all disappointed. But deep inside, he was already making a fist of victory. Because with his father not going with them, that meant that he could think of a better excuse to go to the cemeteryter. "But don''t worry, Dad, we''ll definitely be back in time." He turned to his brothers and Shen Ji Yun. "Right?"


    The other three also nodded despite the truth that none of them probably wanted to sightsee. Luo Ren and Shen Ji Yun bot had no interest in such things while Luo Jin only thought of it as troublesome. But since it was something that Luo Yan suggested, they had no choice but to go.


    And with that, the four left the hotel once again.


    -----


    "Brother, can we go somece first before going to the city center?" Luo Yan asked Luo Ren who was currently the one driving the van.


    "Where?"


    "A cemetery."


    Luo Yan decided to just go there with the three instead of sneaking away. Since their father didn''t go with them, it wouldn''t take that much to convince the others to go with him. If their father was with them, he was sure that the other would ask a lot of questions. Which would only make things harder.


    Although that didn''t mean that his brothers wouldn''t do the same, at least with them, even if he didn''t give them a proper answer, they would still fulfill his wishes. Sneaking away would just get him scolded. So, it''s better this way.


    Both his brothers frowned at the mention of cemetery. Even Shen Ji Yun looked at him with concern.


    "Why go to such a ce?" Luo Jin asked.


    Luo Yan knew that his brothers were sensitive to such a ce because of their mother. In truth, after he was released from the hospital, they only visited the cemetery, where their mother was buried, once. And that was before he entered Guizu Academy.


    Back then, Luo Jin could barely keep his tears in. Luo Ren also had a very solemn expression. And even though their father tried to smile while telling their mother about Luo Yan''s sessful recovery, the other''s voice was still shaking uncontrobly.


    At that time, Luo Yan promised to himself and to his mother ¨C Bai Mei Hua ¨C that he would love and protect this family until the end of his life. He still remembered the soft wind that touched his cheek after he made that promise.


    It was almost a reminisced of the soft breeze he felt when he and his father went to an amusement park. The time when he first called Bai Mei Hua ''Mom'' and the first time he also made the same kind of promise. Luo Yan had always considered that as a sign of her giving permission and encouragement.


    So, for him to truly fulfill that promise, he needed to give hisst life a proper closure. And for that to happen, he needed to say goodbye to ''Luo Yan''.


    With the excuse he prepared, he said;


    "When I was talking with the director, she said that I reminded her of someone who grew up in the orphanage before. The director said that he''s a very smart and thoughtful person. But sadly, he died in an ident a little over seven years ago.


    "His name was also Luo Yan and we also share the same birthday. I- when I listened to the director talked about him, I felt some kind of connection. I can''t really exin it. But I- I want to pay him a visit. To give him flowers or something. And just talk to him for a bit. Can- can I?"


    When the three saw Luo Yan''s hesitant look, they knew that the other truly wanted to go to the cemetery and visit the grave of this person. Although they couldn''t understand the reasoning Luo Yan gave, they understood that if they said ''no'', the other would truly be saddened.


    So, what choice did they have but to agree?

 Chapter 872: TO A NEW CHAPTER

    Chapter 872: TO A NEW CHAPTERLUO YAN put a bouquet of daffodil in front of the gravestone. It''s very unusual to use this flower to honor the dead. But he chose it nheless because of the meaning it held ¨C new beginnings and rebirth. Which he thought was very apt for the situation.


    He looked at the gravestone. It had his name, the date of his birth, as well as the date of his death. Then below that was an epitaph. It read; ''To a new life filled with love and happiness.''


    When Luo Yan read that, he suddenly felt like he was about to tear up.


    Tomemorate him this way showed just how much the director cared for him. The epitaph was almost like predicting his future. She probably made it with the thought of wanting him to live better in his next life.


    Luo Yan bit his inner cheek to prevent himself from crying. This was more than what a director of an orphanage should do. Especially since he''d been out of the orphanage for already four years back then. Now he''s feeling a bit guilty for not visiting as often during all those years.


    "Maybe there''s really some kind of fate between you."


    He heard Luo Ren saying. He turned to the other. Besides him, Luo Ren and Shen Ji Yun were there with him. Luo Jin didn''t go with them and decided to remain at the van.


    "What do you mean, Brother?" he asked.


    "The date he died, it''s the date of the ident," Luo Ren answered.


    When he saw the date of this person''s death, he was truly surprised. Not only did he share the same name and birthday as his brother, the day the other died was also something significant to his brother''s life. Maybe there''s really some kind of fate connecting them. He''s just not sure what kind.


    Believing in such a thing was definitely unlike him. But with all of this in front of him, how could he not? Or maybe this was just a bit of a coincidence. He smiled to himself and shook his head.


    Unlike Luo Ren, who finally attributed things to a mere coincidence, Luo Yan had apletely opposite feeling. He had no idea that the date of the ident was actually the same day that he died.


    His initial guess that his soul entered this body because of the highpatibility just became stronger. He thought that his soul wondered for seven years before finally entering this body and waking up. But it seemed that that wasn''t the case.


    His soul must have entered this body the moment the real Luo Yanpletely left for this world. And the reason that he was in aa for seven years was because his soul was trying to slowly limate with the body.


    This was all just his guess though. But everything was just too much of a coincidence for it not to be fated.


    Luo Yan closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. When he opened his eyes, he nced once again at the gravestone. No matter what kind of spection he had, it wouldn''t change the fact that he was already in this body.


    He touched the gravestone. "Goodbye."


    After making hisst goodbye, he made the same wish he had been making for the past months since he woke up. For ''Luo Yan'', the kid who died way too young, to be reborn in an equally happy and loving family.


    And with thatst goodbye, he finally made a step forward to a new chapter of his life.


    -----


    After leaving the cemetery, the four didn''t go to the city but instead went to Wulingyuan scenic area ¨C the most famous tourist spot in Z City. But since they didn''t have much time to have the whole tour, they only chose to go to one of the four national parks that made up the scenic area.


    Luo Yan looked around the mountainous area. It had been a while since he hadst been here. But the scenery was still as magical as ever.


    He took out a piece of chestnut from the paper bag he''s holding and ate it. Eating roasted chestnuts while walking at a park during winter was the best.


    "Yan Yan, is everything alright?" Shen Ji Yun suddenly asked.


    The two of them were walking side by side while Luo Jin and Luo Ren were walking behind. It''s actually quite a surprise that the two were willing to let him and Shen Ji Yun walked together like this.


    No, Luo Jin was actually not fine with it. But their older brother told the other to just let them be. Although Luo Ren seemed to be very amodating, he could literally feel his gaze on their backs. He had a feeling that if Shen Ji Yun as much as touched the tip of his finger, Luo Ren would not hesitate to beat the other.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Yes. Why do you ask, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun observed the expression of the other. He was relieved to see that it was back to normal. Back at the cemetery, he noticed myriads of emotions shing on Luo Yan''s face. It was brief but he saw it. How could he not when he had only been looking at Luo Yan''s face?


    That kind of shift in expression definitely had a reason behind it. But after that, it seemed like a weight had been lifted off from Luo Yan''s shoulder. It made Shen Ji Yun curious, at the same time worried, as to the reason why. Now that they could finally be somewhat alone, he just couldn''t stop himself from asking.


    But since Luo Yan said that everything was okay, there''s nothing more he could do. It''s not like he could force the other to tell him more. Anyway, he was just d that Luo Yan was back to normal. That''s what''s more important.


    He smiled at the other and responded to the other, "Nothing. Can I have chestnut?"


    As an answer, Luo Yan put a piece of chestnut in his mouth and he happily epted it.

 Chapter 873: PEPPERMINT TEA

    Chapter 873: PEPPERMINT TEASHEN JI YUN got off the taxi and walked towards the home he shared with his uncle. He just returned from Hunan province. Arriving back at home, he still couldn''t believe that he actually seeded in his confession. This weekend just felt like a dream. A very wonderful dream.


    But it''s not a dream. It happened and it was all real. Now he and Luo Yan were in a romantic rtionship. He''s now Luo Yan''s boy¡ªehem, boyfriend. He felt his whole face heating up at that thought.


    After Luo Yan agreed to be with him, Shen Ji Yun made a promise to himself. That he would do everything in his power to make the other happy. That no matter what kind of challenges mighte in their way, he would never let him face it alone. He would be with him every step of the way.


    He knew that rtionships were not something that could be depicted as perfect. There would be days when he and Luo Yan would quarrel and have their misunderstandings. But he''s confident that days like those would not tear them apart. He would make sure that it wouldn''t happen at the very least.


    Besides, for something like that,munication was the key. Luo Yan was certainly much better than him in that aspect. So, he doubted that any misunderstanding could really cause a serious rift between them. In fact, knowing his rabbit, he would definitely not let it develop to that.


    Shen Ji Yun couldn''t help but smile at that thought.


    As he walked, he frowned because the lights in the house were all off. It''s just ten in the evening. His uncle doesn''t sleep this early.


    He took out his key and opened the door. He walked inside and quickly turned on the lights. "Uncle?"


    He closed the door and called his uncle again. When he received no response, he knew that the other was probably not at home. Was he still in S City? He could only think of two reasons why that could be.


    First, his uncle seeded in reuniting with Uncle Yue and the two were enjoying their time together. Or second, Uncle Yue left S City and now his uncle was in pursuit of him.


    For the happiness of the two, Shen Ji Yun hoped that it would be the former.


    He took out his phone. There was no message from his uncle. Again, it''s either one of the two ¨C that everything was fine or there was a big problem.


    He couldn''t just keep guessing here. So, to solve that, he called the other. After a few rings, his call was finally answered.


    "Hello, Uncle?"


    "Ji Yun, are you back at B City?"


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t notice anything wrong from his uncle''s voice. That made him feel relieved. But still he had to ask the question.


    "Yes, I just came back. Are you still in S City?"


    "I am. I''m nning to stay here for a while."


    That surprised Shen Ji Yun. "Then, did everything go well with Uncle Yue?"


    -----


    Hearing his nephew''s question, Shen Yi Mu''s memory returned tost night. The moment when he embraced the other.


    =====


    Feeling the soft body in his arms, Shen Yi Mu finally felt peace he had never felt for the past years since Jiang Yue left. He closed his eyes and breathed in the other''s familiar''s scent ¨C abination of Jiang Yue''s favorite cologne and his natural body scent.


    "I miss you, Ah Yue. So, so much."


    There was no response for a time which made him feel nervous. And then he felt it. Ah Yue''s hands first grabbed his coat and then his arms slowly surrounded his waist. The breath Shen Yi Mu was holding was slowly released. He was responding to him! This was a good sign.


    "M-me too," Jiang Yue said in a small voice.


    The moment he heard that, he couldn''t stop himself from hugging Jiang Yue tighter. There''s a lot of things he wanted to say, a lot of things he wanted to do. But he knew that it''s not the time for any of that. There was much more important thing he needed to do.


    "Let''s talk, Ah Yue."


    Silence pervaded in the air once again. Then he felt Jiang Yue nodding.


    "Let- let go of me first," Jiang Yue said. "Let''s talk inside."


    Shen Yi Mu truly didn''t want to let go. But he knew that if he didn''t, then they couldn''t talk what they needed to talk about. So, he slowly let go.


    Jiang Yue didn''t look at him and instead quickly walked to the door. He took out his keys and opened it. "Please,e in."


    Shen Yi Mu walked inside the room. Jiang Yue followed and turned on the lights. As light spread inside a room, Shen Yi Mu finally had a good look of the surrounding. Just like his guess, the room was mostly like a studio apartment.


    There weren''t too many decorations around. Everything was kept simple. It''s not like Jiang Yue. Because he knew how the other loved to disy different knick-knacks here and there. He could tell that it''s because Jiang Yue didn''t consider this ce as his home.


    Should he be happy about that? Yes, because it meant that there might be a chance that he still considered him as his home.


    "You can hang your coat on the rack," Jiang Yue said. "I''ll make us tea. Please, make yourselffortable."


    The other then walked to the kitchen. Shen Yi Mu removed his coat and hanged it on the rack. He didn''t sit down and just stared at Jiang Yue.


    When he saw that the other put the tea cups on the tray, he quickly stood up and helped Jianng Yue carried the tray. He put it down on the small table that was on the kitchen area. The two of them then sat opposite each other.


    Shen Yi Mu picked up the tea cup in front of him and took a sip. His eyes widened a bit. It''s peppermint tea. Which happened to be his favorite. He raised his head and looked at Jiang Yue. Then, he finally asked the question he''d been wanting to ask since the day he left.


    "Why did you leave?"

 Chapter 874: WINNING THE BATTLE

    <h4>Chapter 874: WINNING THE BATTLE</h4>


    SILENCE filled the room once again after Shen Yi Mu asked that question. He didn''t force the other to answer his question immediately. Instead, he waited. And waited.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed nor did he care. He was simply observing Jiang Yue. So, he could see the struggle on his face. He clearly didn''t want to answer his question. But at the same time, there must be a part of him who wanted to exin himself. Thus, the struggle.


    Then, Jiang Yue closed his eyes. The moment he opened them, the fear and confusion in his eyes disappeared. They were reced by determination and resignation. He took a deep breath before muttering;


    "I left... I left because at that time I truly thought that it was the best choice for the both of us."


    Shen Yi Mu almost wanted tough when he heard that. The best choice for the both of them? That''s probably the biggest joke he had heard in his entire life. A little bit of resentment showed on his face without him meaning to.


    "The best choice? I was miserable, Ah Yue. If Ji Yun was not there, I might have taken drastic measure just so I could end that misery," he said, pain mirroring his voice.


    Jiang Yue''s eyes widened at the implication of my words. Then, he bit his lips. Shen Yi Mu knew that habit. Jiang Yue always did that whenever he''s trying to stop himself from crying.


    "I- I''m sorry."


    This time, Shen Yi Mu was the one who took a deep breath to calm himself down. Being antagonistic towards Jiang Yue wouldn''t help anyone. "Can you tell me the reason why you thought that way?"


    The other broke up with him and promptly disappeared because he thought that it was the best decision for the both of them. But surely, Jiang Yue didn''t arrive at that decision just with no rhyme or reason. Something must have happened that led him to think that way.


    And that''s what he wanted to find out. No, he needed to know what that reason was.


    "I--I don''t know where to start," Jiang Yue said shaking his head.


    Shen Yi Mu stared at the other. Jiang Yue''s shoulders were shaking. Clearly, he was scared out of his wits. Shen Yi Mu couldn''t bear to see him like this and almost blurted out that there''s no need for him to say anything. That whatever he did, he would understand.


    But Shen Yi Mu couldn''t do that. If there was hope for the two of them to start over again, then all the misunderstandings should be cleared right now. So, he said;


    "You can start from the very beginning. From the reason why you suddenly broke up with me." He then put his hand on Jiang Yue''s hands that were tightly sped together on top of the table. "It''s alright, Ah Yue. There is nothing to be afraid of."


    Jiang Yue didn''t respond but the expression on his face was enough answer. The other obviously believed the opposite. In his mind, there was probably a lot to be afraid of.


    Shen Yi Mu no longer knew what to do. He was at the point where he was already considering whether he should just not ask and just let Jiang Yue kept whatever secret he might be hiding. But he knew that he couldn''t. So, instead, he waited again.


    Seconds had gone by and minutes passed, but no words came out from Jiang Yue''s mouth. Silence pervaded the room once again.


    But as if he finally mustered the enough courage, Jiang Yue spoke and said in a trembling voice, "T-that day when I broke up with you, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer."


    Shen Yi Mu felt like he was hit by lightning after hearing that. "What...?"


    "I- I didn''t know what else to do. I just--"


    Before the other could finish, Shen Yi Mu had already stood up and pulled Jiang Yue into his arms. "How could you choose that? You should have told me the truth instead of breaking up with me! I should have been there by your side! Do you think I wouldn''t be able to handle the news? Or do you think I would have left you in the long run? Was that it?"


    Jiang Yue shook his head. "No, I know you would have stayed with me unconditionally. But I couldn''t let you do that. I couldn''t let you waste your life on me. All I could think about was that I would d-die and I would leave you alone. So, before that could happen, it''s better for me to just disappear from your life. It''s better for you to just hate me that to see me slowly die. That''s why I made that decision."


    Shen Yi Mu closed his eyes tightly. The moment when he heard the words ''pancreatic cancer'', he felt like his whole world just quaked and trembled. It''s like it was slowly crumbling in front of his eyes.


    He knew that cancer type was one of the most fatal one out there with a very, very low percentage of survival. He couldn''t imagine a fraction of what Jiang Yue must have experienced battling this disease. And he was all alone doing that.


    Shen Yi Mu should have been there. He should have been Jiang Yue''s mental and emotional support. He wanted to rage at the other, to ask him if he had so little faith in him. But he couldn''t, for the life of him, make this all about himself. Because it''s not. It''s about Jiang Yue.


    About his fight against this disease. About how brave he was to face it all alone. The fact that he was standing right in front of Shen Yi Mu right now meant that he was the winner of this battle. He survived against something so formidable.


    At the end, Shen Yi Mu could only hold the other tighter. Silently thanking the heavens for not taking Jiang Yue away and Jiang Yue, himself, for not giving up.


    And as he did, tears slowly fell from his eyes.

 Chapter 875: MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF

    <h4>Chapter 875: MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF</h4>


    SHEN YI MU wasn''t sure how long they stayed in that position. All he knew was that after the tears fell from his eyes, he felt Jiang Yue''s shoulders trembling. Then, small sobbing sound followed after.


    At that moment, he couldn''t think much about his own sadness. All he knew was that he shouldfort Jiang Yue. And so, the two of them cried in each other''s arms just like that.


    His Ah Yue kept mumbling ''I''m sorry''. Every time he did, Shen Yi Mu felt like his heart would shatter into a million pieces. At the end, all he could do was to hug him tightly and tell him that everything would be okay.


    He then cupped Jiang Yue''s face into his hands. He gently removed the sses covering the other''s eyes, revealing his beautiful almond shaped eyes. Those eyes were now red and brimming with tears. Shen Yi Mu wiped the tears that fell on Jiang Yue''s soft cheeks.


    The other raised his hand and also did the same for him. "I''m sorry, Brother Mu."


    "No, I should be the one saying that. I should have looked for you harder. I--I should have been there for you," Shen Yi Mu said shaking his head.


    "No, no, Brother Mu. How can you be at fault? No, it was me. You''re right. I shouldn''t have decided everything on my own. I- at that moment, when- when I felt death was staring right at me, all I could think about was how I didn''t want you to be there, watching me slowly being consumed by- by this disease.


    "I want you to remember me as I am. But it''s only yearster that I realized how selfish I had been. I left you without any proper exnation. Hoping that you can forget me and move on. But I know now how wrong I was for thinking that way. I- I didn''t take your feelings into consideration. I just decided for the both us. For that and for all the pain I''ve caused you, I will forever regret it."


    Shen Yi Mu was actually still feeling the unfairness of the situation that led them to this day. But what good would it do to me Jiang Yue for that? No. That''s not what they needed right now. Especially after hearing the real circumstance behind why the other suddenly left him.


    "Ah Yue, you don''t owe me anything. Although I might disagree with the decision you made, that''s not what matters right now," he said. With his hands still cupping the other''s face, he gently lifted it up so that they could look at each other''s eyes. "Right now, all I want to know is about your condition? Are you alright now? What did the doctor say? Is there a chance for the cancer toe back?"


    Jiang Yue was silent for a moment. The expression on his face was like he was about to cry again because he was moved by Shen Yi Mu''s naked concern.


    "I- I''m fine now. I was l-lucky. When I was diagnosed, it was only at the first stage. But even then, the survival rate of pancreatic cancer is still fairly low. Even if it was diagnosed early, the chance of survival is still less that 10%. I- I was one of the few lucky ones, I guess."


    Although Jiang Yue tried to make his voice cheerful, Shen Yi Mu could still see that he was struggling. He was about to say that it''s okay not to say anything more and that he understood. But before he could, Jiang Yue had already continued speaking;


    "The first five years is very important after the initial diagnosis. Passing it could mean my survival was almost guaranteed. Thankfully enough, I did pass it. And here I am now."


    What the other said was definitely a big understatement. ¨C Shen Yi Mu thought. Jiang Yue did not just survive. He fought and lived.


    It must have not been easy. All the chemos and the drugs, it must have been hell. And Jiang Yue did it all alone without anyone supporting him.


    He closed his eyes tightly. He felt like tiny needles were stabbing his heart over and over again. There''s a lot of things he wanted to say. To tell him all theforting words he could mutter. To apologize for his shorings, for not being there, for letting him experienced all of that alone. How scared he must be.


    But at the end, the only words that came out of his lips were;


    "You did good." He tried to smile the best as he could, even though what he truly wanted at this moment was to cry. "I''m proud of you, Ah Yue. So, so proud."


    Jiang Yue once again burst out crying when he heard that. This time, the other was the one who hugged him first. He held his waist tightly, as if trying to get some form of strength from the other.


    Shen Yi Mu thought that Jiang Yue would cry again. So, he also hugged him tightly, patting his back to offerfort.


    "Thank you, Brother Mu. T-thank you for... for not being angry with- with me."


    That somehow made Shen Yi Mu chuckle. He let go of the other and pinched his cheeks. "How could I be angry at you? Considering the circumstance, I''d be totally heartless if I do, don''t you think?"


    "No, I think it would be totally justified."


    The two looked at each other and then somehow, the both of them simplyughed.


    Seeing his Ah Yue smiled for the first time after so many years, Shen Yi Mu simply felt full. It''s like his heart would explode with the emotion he had been so familiar with since the day he met Jiang Yue.


    He held Jiang Yue''s hands. "Ah Yue, can you give me another chance? Let''s start over, hmm? Be with me, please?"


    Jiang Yue''s pupils shook, as if he received a big shock. Then, it trembled as if tears woulde out of it at any second.


    "Xiao Yun said that for one to be happy, they needed to have courage," he said. "I think this is the right moment for that. So, yes, Brother Mu. If you''ll have me again, then I''d be very much happy to be with you."


    Shen Yi Mu grabbed Jiang Yue by the waist and lifted him up. Circling around like a child, expressing the happiness he''s feeling. Jiang Yue''sughter echoed around the room.


    Then, Shen Yi Mu simply hugged the other. "Thank you, Ah Yue. Thank you for being here."


    "I''m also very happy to be here," Jiang Yue said, hugging Shen Yi Mu back. "Thank you, Brother Mu. Thank you for not forgetting me and hating me."


    "Even if the end of the worldes, there''s no way I would ever hate you," Shen Yi Mu said, putting the other down and touching his cheek. "How could I when I love you more than life itself?"


    Jiang Yue showed a teary smile. "Me too, Brother Mu. Me too."


    "Everything went well with your Uncle Yue," Shen Yi Mu said as response to his nephew''s question.


    He nced at the sleeping Jiang Yue and he couldn''t stop himself from smiling. From now on, he wouldn''t let the same mistake happened again.


    Never.

 Chapter 876: FOREVER THANKFUL

    <h4>Chapter 876: FOREVER THANKFUL</h4>


    SHEN JI YUN was very happy to hear that his uncle and Uncle Yue finally reconciled. He was a witness on how devastated his uncle was when Uncle Yue left. Although the other tried hard to act normal ¨C mostly because of him ¨C there were still nights he found the other staring nkly at the moon. Just by the expression on his face, Shen Ji Yun could immediately tell who his uncle was thinking.


    But now that wouldn''t be a problem anymore. His uncle and Uncle Yue found each other again. He just hoped that the two wouldn''t separate anymore. He didn''t want to see his uncle brokenhearted again. Especially now that he knew how painful that feeling would be. He wanted the two to be happy from now on.


    "That''s great, Uncle. I''m happy for you," he said.


    "Thank you, Ji Yun. Ah Yue said that the main reason why he chose to face me was because of what you said to him. For that, you have my eternal gratitude," his uncle said in a serious voice.


    "I didn''t do much, so there''s no need for thanks," Shen Ji Yun quickly said. "I''m just d everything went well for the both of you."


    "Me too," Shen Yi Mu said with a smile.


    Although there were still a lot of questions in his mind, the important thing was that he and Jiang Yue had already resolved the misunderstanding of that year. More than that, the other also agreed to start over with him. What else could be happier than that?


    "So, I will be staying here in S City for a while," he added.


    Jiang Yue had a job here. He couldn''t just tell the other to resign so he could whisked him away to another city. Unlike him, even if he''s not in B City, he could still do his work wherever he was.


    "Of course, that''s only natural," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "How about you, how was your trip with the Luo family?" She Yi Mu asked, changing the topic.


    "It was great," Shen Ji Yun readily answered, his excitement visible in his voice.


    Which, of course, did not escape Shen Yi Mu''s notice. "Did something good happen?"


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat. He must have sounded more excited than he should. But could anyone me him? He was just excited that he could tell someone about him and Luo Yan, share with them his happiness.


    "Yes. In fact, something good did happen," he said. "Ahm, I confessed to Yan Yan and, well, ahm, he said yes."


    There was silence on the other end of the phone. When he was about to ask if the other was still there, his uncle had already spoken;


    "You mean you seeded in your confession?"


    "Yes. We- I mean, we''re boy- boyfriends now."


    Shen Ji Yun felt his whole face heating up as he said that. He suddenly felt shy. He didn''t think that saying it out loud like this would be so embarrassing. Of course, not in a bad way. Just in a very happy way kind of embarrassing.


    "Wow, congrattions! I''m happy for you, Ji Yun."


    Shen Yi Mu still felt a bit incredible after hearing what his nephew said. Because it''s something that he would have never imagined Shen Ji Yun would say. It''s just so uncharacteristic of him. If the other hadn''t told him about his feelings for Luo Yan before, he might have been more shock that he was now.


    Anyway, just as he said, he was happy for the other. It must have been not an easy feat to do. Especially for someone like Ji Yun. He was just d that the other was able to do it. Because it showed just how much he liked Luo Yan. And how serious he was with the other.


    "Thank you, Uncle."


    "So, should I go visit my future inws and offer them your dowry?" Shen Yi Mu asked in a teasing tone.


    "Uncle-!" Shen Ji Yunined. Then, his voice because serious. "Don''t visit. They still don''t know about us."


    Shen Yi Mu already expected that to some extent. Remembering just how protective Luo Wei Tian and his two sons were of Luo Yan, he couldn''t help but lit a candle for his nephew. It would definitely be hard, especially for Ji Yun.


    "If you need help, just tell me. I''ll be here to support the two of you," he said.


    Trudging through this path would already be hard for the two. How much more so if there''s no one standing on their side? That''s why he''s here. He would give them all the support they needed. He wanted to be that kind of adult for the two.


    Although he had a feeling that the Luo family would be equally as supportive. They might protest at the start but once they saw that this was what Luo Yan wanted, they would definitely support him. Albeit begrudgingly. It wouldn''t be easy for Ji Yun though, that''s for sure.


    But at least, they''re not the kind of family who would think that a romantic rtionship between two people of the same gender was disgusting. Shen Yi Mu just felt that kind of vibes from the Luo family. A very far cry from the Shen family.


    "Thank you, Uncle," Shen Ji Yun could only say.


    His uncle was like a pir for him ever since the other became he''s guardian. A huge part of why he was able to confess to Luo Yan was because of his uncle. The other supported his decision instead of stopping him.


    He knew that it was mostly because his uncle had also been in the same situation. But with what happened between him and Uncle Yue, it''s easy to discourage him so he wouldn''t go and experienced the same thing. Instead, his uncle asked if he was ready to go down this path and if he was, he would be there to support him.


    Just knowing that there''s someone standing by your side was more than enough for one to aplish anything. And for that, Shen Ji Yun would be forever thankful.

 Chapter 877: ALL GROWN UP

    Chapter 877: ALL GROWN UP[YANYAN1213]: Good morning! I miss you already.


    [luckycloud]: Good morning. I miss you too. *attached blushing rabbit sticker*


    Luo Yan smiled when he read that. He sent a reply on WeChat. He continued to chat with the other while travelling to school.


    Luo Jin nced at his brother when he heard the other giggling for the nth time. The other had a stupid grin on his face that for some reason was getting on his nerves. He wanted to peak at Luo Yan''s phone just to see what was so funny. But he felt like that was too shameless. So, he resisted the urge and just sat still.


    But he still couldn''t stop his curiosity. Probably because he had a feeling that his brother was smiling like that because of Shen Ji Yun. "Are you chatting with someone?"


    Luo Yan nced at his brother. "Yep."


    Luo Jin frowned. Because he was sure that the person on the other end of that line was definitely Shen Ji Yun. As much as he hated to admit it, who else could put that kind of smile on Luo Yan''s face besides that guy?


    "Tsk."


    He crossed his arms on his chest and just chose to look outside the window. He''s afraid that if he continued to pry more, he would just end up even more annoyed.


    Luo Yan looked at his brother with amusement. He was actually expecting the other to ask who he was chatting with. He was ready to say ''Brother Ji Yun'' if he did. But to his surprise, Luo Jin actually didn''t ask further.


    But seeing as how the other was pouting, Luo Jin might already have an idea on who he was chatting with. And the other obviously didn''t like it. Despite that, Luo Jin didn''t say anything. Which was uncharacteristic of him.


    "Ah Jin, won''t you ask who it is? The one I''m chatting with, I mean," he asked in a teasing voice.


    "Hmp. I''m not interested," Luo Jin answered in a sulky tone.


    Luo Yan smiled inwardly, thinking how cute Luo Jin was.


    -----


    After arriving at school, the brothers each both went to their respective teaching buildings. Because it was still a bit early, when Luo Yan walked into his ssroom, there weren''t that many people inside yet.


    "Good morning!" he greeted everyone inside the ssroom. The others also greeted him back.


    He just sat down on his seat when the door opened again and Yu Jiao walked in. He waved at Yu Jiao and the other also gave him a small wave. He waited until Yu Jiao put down her bag before approaching her.


    "Jiao Jiao, let''s go out for a bit, I have some news to share to you," he said.


    Yu Jiao, feeling a bit curious and confused as well, nodded.


    Since there was still a lot of time left before homeroom started, Luo Yan chose the rooftop for them to have a private conversation.


    "Yan Yan, what is it?" Yu Jiao asked when they reached the rooftop.


    If the other chose such a ce for them to talk, then what he''s going to share with Yu Jiao must be a secret.


    Luo Yan nced around first, making sure that no one was around. But even though he confirmed that there really was only two of them on the rooftop, he still controlled his voice so only Yu Jiao could hear it.


    "Brother Ji Yun confessed to me," he started. "And I agreed."


    Yu Jiao felt like Luo Yan just threw a bomb at her and because she was so unprepared, it blew right in front of her face. "What?"


    Luo Yan almost chuckled seeing Yu Jiao''s dazed expression. So, he repeated what he just said.


    "You mean- the two of you are now¡ª"


    "Yes, Brother Ji Yun and I are now what people would consider as boyfriends," Luo Yan said very proudly.


    Yu Jiao observed the other''s expression. She could see how much Luo Yan was brimming with happiness. Even the way he said that Shen Ji Yun was his boyfriend felt like a proud peacock showing off his colorful feathers. Anyone who could see him right now could tell how extremely happy he was.


    So, she also couldn''t stop herself from smiling and feeling happy for the other. "Congrattions. I wish you and Shen Ji Yun eternal happiness."


    Luo Yan smiled hearing that. Especially since he could see that the other was truly happy for him. It''s indeed a rare thing to meet a friend who could ept one for who they truly were. Yu Jiao didn''t even ask him ''why'' or ''how'', she just wholeheartedly congratted him and wished him happiness.


    "Thank you, Jiao Jiao."


    ----------


    [B City]


    Shen Ji Yun was walking on campus and on his way to ss when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.


    "Ji Yun!"


    He looked back and saw Bai Ze running towards him.


    "Hey, where did you gost Friday?" the other asked as soon as he arrived by his side. "I was looking all over for you. You didn''t even answer my messages. You also didn''t y Arcadia. So, where were you?"


    Shen Ji Yun raised his brow. Why did he feel like he''s being interrogated by his wife or something? He probably wouldn''t feel that if not for being in a new rtionship himself. He suddenly felt proud. Just thinking that he and Luo Yan were now officially together, he wanted to push his chest out and shout loudly to everyone that he was Luo Yan''s boyfriend.


    "I apanied Yan Yan and his family to Hunan province," he answered honestly.


    Bai Ze was truly surprised to hear that answer. He knew about Luo Yan going to Hunan province because his cousin had mentioned it to them. He just didn''t expect that Shen Ji Yun would actually go there.


    He whistled in admiration. "Wow. Ji Yun, you really leveled up." He wiped fake tears. "Look at you, my friend, you''re all grown up."


    Shen Ji Yun gave Bai Ze a sideway nce. Oh, if you only knew.

 Chapter 878: SIMILAR GAZE

    Chapter 878: SIMILAR GAZEAFTER the morning ss, Luo Yan, Yu Jiao, and Luo Jin all went to their usual restaurant. As they were walking, Luo Yan received a WeChat message from Shen Ji Yun.


    [luckycloud]: Yan Yan, can I ask you something?


    [yanyan1213]: Of course! What is it?


    [luckycloud]: Can I tell Bai Ze about us?


    Luo Yan stopped walking when he read that. Hmm... Shen Ji Yun probably wanted to share the good news to at least one of his friends. And Bai Ze was the closest one to him. It''s only natural to want to brag about one''s rtionship to your best friend, especially someone whom you trusted.


    The problem here was, Bai Ze was his cousin. Aside from feeling awkward, there''s also the worry of his family finding out. It''s not that Luo Yan was scared or worried that he would be disowned or that his family would be disgusted by him. No, he''s certain that would never happen.


    His father, as well as his brothers, didn''t have that kind of prejudice towards same-sex couple. They would be content as long as he''s happy. The problem was getting them to stage of being ''content''.


    Their first reaction would definitely be ''violence''. Especially his father. It''s probably even worse because the other wasn''t suspecting Shen Ji Yun at all. It''s not that his father''s sixth sense had been dulled, the possibility of Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun being in a romantic rtionship just never crossed his mind.


    This was most likely because the other''s first impression was so strong that his father probably just couldn''t fathom the thought of Shen Ji Yun being capable of romance. Well, who could me his father, really? Anyone who first saw Shen Ji Yun would think of him as cold and emotionless.


    He''s obviously anything but those two things. But Luo Yan was probably only one of the few who knew that.


    It definitely helped them in this situation though. If his father was his usual observant self, he would have already been suspicious of Shen Ji Yun. Luo Yan knew that his brothers were suspicious at least. No, in fact, they were probably already beyond suspicious.


    Luo Yan believed that one of these days, the two would most likely confront him about it.


    [luckycloud]: If it''s not okay, that''s fine.


    Luo Yan''s attention returned to the present when he saw the message. Shen Ji Yun must have sent because he didn''t reply for a while. The other must have thought that he didn''t agree.


    He smiled inwardly. He contemted for a while, thinking of what kind of decision he should make. It didn''t take long for him to make a decision though.


    [yanyan1213]: Let''s announce it to everyone in the teamter.


    That''s better than keeping it a secret. After all, the two of them were so obvious, it would be a miracle if none of the members of their team had noticed it. Of course, that could easily be solved with the two of them avoiding being touchy-feely towards each other or looking gooey-eyed towards another. But why would Luo Yan do that?


    It took them quite a while before they reached this stage. Well, not really in the literal sense. It just felt that way to him. Probably because he realized Shen Ji Yun''s feelings for him early on.


    Anyway, the two of them were a new couple. He didn''t want to act all stealthy when it came to his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun. The game was one of the few ces where they could act freely without the judgment of others. So, why should they have to hide?


    Shen Ji Yun''s reply came a bitte, probably because the other was too surprised by his response.


    [luckycloud]: Okay. *attached rabbit sticker holding a sign saying ''thank you''*


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing that usual cute rabbit.


    "Yan Yan?" Yu Jiao called from the front.


    Luo Yan looked ahead, he didn''t even notice that he had alreadygged behind. "Coming!"


    -----


    After school...


    The driver started the car where Luo Yan and Luo Jin were. It was about to pass the school gate when Luo Yan saw something that truly surprised him. There, just outside of the gate, a car was parked. It''s not really the car that surprised him but the one standing outside and leaning against it.


    "Uncle Tan, please stop the car for a moment," he told the driver.


    The other stopped the car. "What''s wrong, second young master?"


    Luo Jin also looked at Luo Yan with a questioning gaze.


    Instead of responding, Luo Yan lowered the window and called, "Uncle Yi Mu?"


    The man leaning on the car turned to their direction. The other looked truly surprised seeing him. "Xiao Yan?"


    Luo Yan climbed down of the car and ran towards the other. "What are you doing here, Uncle Yi Mu?"


    Shen Yi Mu, who''s finally back to his senses, smiled at the teenager. His nephew did mentioned to him that Luo Yan and the youngest of the Luo family went to school here. He just didn''t expect to meet Luo Yan here.


    "Hello, Xiao Yan," he greeted the other first. "Well, I''m here waiting for someone. Are you about to go home?"


    Luo Yan nodded. He wanted to ask when the other arrived here and what''s his business foring here. But before he could, a familiar figure walked to them.


    "Brother Mu¡ª" The school councilor stopped on his tracks when he saw Luo Yan. "Oh, hello, student Luo."


    "Hello, Teacher Jiang," Luo Yan greeted back. Then he looked back and forth between the other and Shen Yi Mu before stopping his gaze at thetter. "It seemed that the one you''re waiting for is here, Uncle Yi Mu."


    Shen Yi Mu looked at Jiang Yue with a gentle gaze. "Yes."


    Luo Yan looked at the way Shen Yi Mu was looking at Teacher Jiang. Why did he suddenly have the illusion that he was looking at Shen Ji Yun? Because it was the same way Shen Ji Yun gazed at him.

 Chapter 879: A FAMILY OF THREE

    Chapter 879: A FAMILY OF THREEAS Luo Yan returned home, he was still thinking of Uncle Yi Mu and Teacher Jiang. The gaze the former gave thetter was definitely unusual. It''s not like looking at someone''s friend. No, it''s more like looking at someone''s... lover.


    He wondered if he was just being too sensitive. Maybe his love-addled brain was making him see things that wasn''t really there. He probably was at that phase where everything and everyone just looked pink and lovely. So, he could have mistaken the atmosphere around the two because of that.


    He shook his head. What''s the point of pondering over this? He could just ask Shen Ji Yun about itter.


    Thinking of that, Luo Yan nced back to Luo Jin who was walking behind him. "Ah Jin, go to our team''s headquarterster after you log in."


    "Why?"


    "Brother Ji Yun has an announcement."


    Luo Jin frowned but the other still nodded at the end.


    ----------


    After eating dinner, Shen Ji Yun didn''t waste time and immediately logged into the game. He teleported to their team''s headquarters as soon as he logged in. He didn''t go to the main hall first but instead walked around the back garden.


    He was feeling really nervous, to the point when it''s like his breathing was clogged and there''s something blocking his throat. When Luo Yan sent that message, about them announcing their rtionship to their team members, this nervous feeling immediately started.


    Maybe it''s just him feeling afraid. The thought that the others wouldn''t be able to ept their rtionship was like a big knife hanging on his neck. But he also knew deep inside that it was needless worry.


    Bai Ze already knew about his feelings for Luo Yan and the other didn''t show any adverse reaction to it. Luo Jin might get angry but not because he felt disgusted by the rtionship but mainly because he just didn''t want Luo Yan to be in a rtionship with him or with anyone for that matter. Then, there''s Su Yuqi. That one would probably just nod and wouldn''t think too much about it.


    Still. This feeling of nervousness prevailed.


    Shen Ji Yun took a deep breath to calm his mind. But before he could calm his mind, he saw a ck canon ball flying to his direction. He reflexively opened his arms as if to catch it. But before it couldnd in his arms, the ck ball turned into a boy.


    "Captain!" Eclipse shouted.


    Looking at the excited boy, Shen Ji Yun''s frayed nerves started to calm down. "You''re not with the dragons?"


    Eclipse pouted as soon as he heard the question. "Uncle Dusk is ying with that red lizard again! He doesn''t want to y with Eclipse anymore."


    "I''m sure that''s not the case. Maybe he just want you to spend more time with your aunt," Shen Ji Yunforted the other.


    Which was very unlike him. It''s probably because of Luo Yan''s influence. The other had been treating Eclipse like a real person, so he couldn''t help but also see the little boy as one.


    "Then, he can just spend time with Eclipse and Aunt Yuki," the boy said, still pouting.


    "Hmm... maybe he''s just shy."


    Shen Ji Yun simply said whatever came to his mind first. But it seemed that it was quite effective because the other''s expression started to brighten.


    "Do you really think so, Captain?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Didn''t you say that Dusk seemed to like your aunt?"


    Although he hardly thought that that was indeed the case, if he could stop this kid from sulking, then it''s worth it. He just silently asked for Dusk''s forgiveness for digging the other''s grave.


    As expected, Eclipse giggled. "That''s right! Eclipse had felt it long before. Uncle Dusk definitely likes Eclipse''s aunt, right?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded while silently apologizing to Dusk in his heart.


    "There you are," a very familiar voice suddenly said behind them.


    Before Shen Ji Yun could turned around, Eclipse had already ran towards the owner of the voice.


    "Master!"


    Luo Yan chuckled and hugged Eclipse who suddenly jumped into his arms. "Hey, you fixed your lisp," Eclipse said with his chin up as if he''s very proud of that aplishment.


    "Aunt Yuki told me that Eclipse is already a big boy. So, he shouldn''t fumbled with his words."


    Luo Yan tapped the other''s nose. "It seemed that our Eclipse worked really hard. Master is proud of you."


    Although, if he''s being honest, he would definitely miss the lisp. But considering how Shirayuki was the reason why it was fixed, this was most likely part of Eclipse''s program.


    Eclipse smiled brightly before jumping down from Luo Yan''s arms and pulling him towards Shen Ji Yun.


    "You''re here early," he said to the other with a soft smile on his face.


    Shen Ji Yun also instinctively smiled back. "I was kind of nervous. So, I figured I might as well go here early."


    Luo Yan immediately understood what Shen Ji Yun meant by saying that he was nervous. He stretched out his arm and held the other''s hand.


    "Don''t worry. It will be okay. Besides, I''m here, aren''t I? We''re in this together. So, there''s no need to be afraid."


    The thing that was clogging up Shen Ji Yun''s chestpletely melted away at Luo Yan''s words. He squeezed the other''s hand. "Yes."


    Eclipse looked back and forth between the two with an obvious confused look on his face. "Why does it feel like Master and Captain look sweeter than before?"


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun turned to Eclipse before looking at each other again. Then the twoughed happily.


    Luo Yan stroke Eclipse''s fluffy head. "You''re captain and I are going to make an announcementter. You''ll know the reason by then."


    Although Eclipse still had the confused look on his small face, he could only nod at the end.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Are you ready, Brother Ji Yun?"


    "More than ready."


    "Then, let''s go."


    The two started to walk towards the pce.


    Luo Yan nced back at Eclipse who was still standing in ce. "Let''s go, Eclipse."


    Eclipse ran forward. He stood between the two and held their hands. Whoever would see them would think that they were a family of three.

 Chapter 880: SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

    Chapter 880: SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTJUST like what his brother asked, Luo Jin teleported to their headquarters as soon as he logged in the game. There was no one there when he entered the main hall. So, he simply chose a seat and sat down.


    He was about to send a message to Luo Yan, asking him where he was when the door of the hall opened and his cousin walked in.


    "Oh, Xiao Jin''s already here," Bai Ze said, walking towards the round table and sitting opposite Luo Jin. "So, how was your weekend? I heard you all went to Hunan province."


    "It was fine. The kids we met at the orphanage were all good kids. It was a very enjoyable trip. The only bad thing about it was that guy¡ªno, never mind," Luo Jin said, cutting whatever he was about to say.


    But even though he did that, Bai Ze still knew what his cousin was about to say. "Ah yes, I heard Ji Yun went with you. Surely, he''s not such a badpany, right?"


    Luo Jin''s face crumpled. That was enough response for Bai Ze to know what the other felt exactly about Shen Ji Yun being there on that trip. He smiled wryly.


    "Why do you hate Ji Yun so much?" he asked. "He''s not that bad, you know. He might look like some expressionless robot but he''s a real softie inside. He''s a good guy."


    Luo Jin pursed his lips. He wanted to say that he didn''t hate Shen Ji Yun per se. He just didn''t like him being around Luo Yan. At this point, he had already somehow adapted aissez-faire attitude towards Shen Ji Yun. Or at least he was trying really hard to.


    Since Luo Yan seemed very keen on being with that guy, he wanted to ept the situation. But as anyone could probably already tell, he was far from that point of eptance.


    He knew that Shen Ji Yun was not a bad guy. His brother wouldn''t fall for him otherwise. But it''s just really, really hard for him to ept the possibility that Luo Yan would really end up with that guy.


    Bai Ze, seeing Luo Jin not answering back, as well as the mixtures if emotions that shed on his face, could only shake his head. It seemed that Shen Ji Yun really had his work cut out for him. And this was only Luo Jin''s reaction. What more if it''s Brother Ren, much less Uncle Tian?


    The door suddenly opened. Both of them turned towards the door and saw Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun, and Eclipse walking inside. The three were walking hand in hand with Eclipse in the middle. The boy was ying around, using Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun''s arms like a swing. And the two happily yed along.


    Bai Ze blinked his eyes. Why did he suddenly have an illusion that the three actually looked like a family for a second there?


    As soon as the three sat down, Luo Jin asked;


    "Yan said that you''re going to announce something, what is it?"


    Luo Yan was the one who answered, "Let''s wait for Sister Yuqi first."


    Then, as if on cue, the door opened once again and came in Su Yuqi. The pink-haired pixie looked around.


    "I''m notte, am I?" she asked.


    "No, you''re just in time, Sister Yuqi," Luo Yan said with a smile.


    Su Yuqi walked towards the round table and very naturally sat down beside Luo Jin. She turned to Shen Ji Yun. "You said there''s an announcement, what is it?"


    Luo Yan almost chuckled because of how simr her way of asking to the way Luo Jin asked the same question. He also turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Shall I do it?" he asked, referring to their announcement.


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head. "No, I''ll do it."


    Luo Jin somehow had a bad feeling seeing the atmosphere between the two. He wanted to shout ''stop'', but at the end no words came out of his throat. And his gut feel was proven correct after he heard Shen Ji Yun''s ''announcement''.


    "Yan Yan and I, the two of us are now officially dating."


    Luo Jin felt like something just exploded in his mind. He couldn''t think properly and just stared at the two.


    Bai Ze and Su Yuqi, on the other hand, showed a surprised expression.


    Su Yuqi was the first to return to normal. "I thought it would take years for you two to be together. It''s nice to be proven wrong," she said in a tone as if she was already expecting something like this to happen.


    Bai Ze, who could barely contain his shock, totally agreed on that. He thought that Shen Ji Yun going to Hunan province was already incredible enough. But this, this was totally unexpected.


    The other confessing was thest thing that would ever cross his mind. He thought Shen Ji Yun just made a small leap forward, he didn''t expect that the other actually outright teleported! And that was not even the most shocking part.


    The fact that the two were now officially dating meant that Luo Yan also felt the same way for Shen Ji Yun. That''s the part that he became most speechless about. It''s why he really didn''t know how to react.


    Although he was happy for his friend, the other party involved in this was his cousin. So, he didn''t know if he should be happy or if he should be protective. If he''s already feeling this way, it''s probably much worse for Luo Jin.


    He nced at his youngest cousin and the other waspletely petrified. When he was about to ask if he''s okay, Luo Jin suddenly disappeared from where he was standing.


    "Well, that went well," Luo Yan said, scratching his cheek in an awkward manner.


    "He didn''t log out," Su Yuqi said after checking her friend list. "If he''s still in the game, I might know where he went."


    "Please, tell me, Sister Yuqi. I''ll go and follow him," Luo Yan quickly said.


    "No," Shen Ji Yun intercepted. "Let me do it."


    Eclipse, who had been silent until now, spoke excitedly, "Does this mean that Master and Captain are going to get married?"

 Chapter 881: I NO LONGER APPROVE

    Chapter 881: I NO LONGER APPROVESHEN JI YUN''S whole face turned into a ripe tomato as soon as he heard Eclipse''s question. He couldn''t say anything and was just panicking inside. Not because he didn''t want to, of course. But because he''s worried that Luo Yan would think that things were going a bit fast, he didn''t know how to react.


    Seeing him like this, a yful arch appeared on Luo Yan''s lips. He looked at Shen Ji Yun and said in a teasing tone, "Shall we get married?"


    Shen Ji Yun''s face that was already bright red became even redder. In fact, it was now close to crimson. If this happened in reality, his heart might even be beating profusely right now.


    "Yan Yan- you- don''t tease me, please. Or I might just take it seriously," he said, trying to sound stern. But deep inside, he was already imagining what their wedding would be like.


    Of course, right now, they could probably only do it inside the game. But he would have really loved to do it in real life. Even though same-sex marriage was still not legal in this country, they could just go abroad and do it. But definitely not right now. Maybe someday once both of them had stable jobs, something like that.


    "Captain, are you rejecting my master''s proposal?" Eclipse suddenly said. "If you are, then why is Captain smiling?" he added as if he couldn''t understand. "Ah, is it because Captain is acting coquettish right now?"


    Luo Yan blinked and barely held back hisughter. Bai Ze, on the other hand, had no troubleughing out loud. It didn''t help that Shen Ji Yun''s expression was also very funny. It was torn between embarrassment and annoyance mixed with a bit of anger.


    "Captain, why is your face like that?" Eclipse asked, tilting his head. "Do you want to poop?"


    Hearing that, Luo Yan finally couldn''t stop himself fromughing and Bai Zeughed even harder. Even Su Yuqi had a small smirk on her face.


    Shen Ji Yun narrowed his eyes at Eclipse. The look in his eyes was enough for the little boy to jump and hide behind Luo Yan.


    "Master, Captain looks like he wants to hit Eclipse!" Eclipse then looked at Shen Ji Yun from behind Luo Yan with a hurt expression. "How can you look at Eclipse that way, Captain? Eclipse is so cute, why do you want to hit me? No, as master''s nominal son, I no longer approve of this marriage!"


    The other said thatst part like a snobbish mother telling his son''s poor lover that he didn''t approve of them. The only thingcking was him throwing a check at Shen Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun could already feel a headacheing because of Eclipse''s antics. Was this little guy doing this on purpose to increase his blood pressure? Because if he was, then he''s doing a very good job of it.


    Luo Yan chuckled. He patted Eclipse''s head and then said to Shen Ji Yun, "Don''t worry, Brother Ji Yun, I will convince my nominal son to ept you as his stepfather."


    Shen Ji Yun blushed once again.


    "You know, I''m really enjoying this little skit, but if you want to talk to Ah Jin, you should probably go now," Su Yuqi interrupted, telling Shen Ji Yun where he could find Luo Jin. "If he''s not there, message me."


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to return to his senses after what Su Yuqi said. He nodded and turned to Luo Yan. "I''ll go."


    "Brother Ji Yun, Ah Jin might say some mean things because of his anger. But please remember that he most likely doesn''t mean it," Luo Yan said before the other could leave. "It''s only because he loves me and worries about me."


    Shen Ji Yun stopped and then said, "I know."


    After that, he teleported to the ce where Luo Jin supposedly was.


    "Then, I''ll go too," Su Yuqi said, standing up from her seat. She turned to Luo Yan and smiled. "Congrats to you and Shen Ji Yun."


    Luo Yan smiled back. "Thank you, Sister Yuqi."


    Then, the other also teleported out of there.


    Luo Yan nced at Eclipse who''s still sulking. "So, is the captain no longer your favorite captain?"


    "He still is. But if he wants to get Eclipse''s forgiveness, he has to give me tons of Mana fruit," Eclipse said with a pout.


    "I''ll let him know about it," Luo Yan said. He happened to nce at Bai Ze at that moment. Noticing the other''s expression, he told Eclipse, "Eclipse, can you go and y by yourself outside for a while?"


    Eclipse seemed like he wanted to ask why. But after seeing Luo Yan''s expression, he just nodded and ran outside.


    "Are you alright, Brother Ze?" he asked the other.


    Bai Ze stared at his cousin, making sure that he wouldn''t miss any of the other''s expression as he asked the questions he''d been meaning to ask since earlier.


    "Xiao Yan, do you like Ji Yun? As in the same way that he likes you? That you got into this rtionship knowing full well what it meant?"


    Luo Yan just legally turned into an adult. The other might not fully understand the meaning of being in a rtionship with a member of the same sex. As his cousin, he felt that there''s a need for him to confirm that. Although Shen Ji Yun was his closest friend, if Luo Yan showed even a shred of confusion, Bai Ze would make sure that the two end this rtionship right at this instant.


    Luo Yan quickly understood what his cousin was worried about. So, he smiled and answered honestly, "Yes to all questions." He stared at the other, making sure not to avert his gaze and added with all the sincerity he could muster, "I love him, Brother Ze."


    Bai Ze was quite surprised hearing and seeing such honesty. But because of that, he could finally breath a sigh of relief. A genuine smile appeared on his face.


    "Then, I guess a congrattion is in order," he said.

 Chapter 882: AS YOU SHOULD

    <h4>Chapter 882: AS YOU SHOULD</h4>


    LUO JIN raised both of his guns and fired shots at the monster in front of him. The monster roared and attacked him back. Thorny des appeared and flew straight to Luo Jin. He managed to easily dodged all of it.


    He had fought with this monster a couple of times now so he had already memorized its attack pattern. That''s why it didn''t take that long for him to defeat the monster.


    After the monster turned into light particles, a tunnel-like passageway appeared behind it. Luo Jin walked towards that. The tunnel was pretty dark but because of his familiarity with it, he easily managed to walk through it.


    People could only passed by this tunnel if they defeat the monster guarding the entrance. It was the same monster that he fought earlier. It''s respawn time was quite short, just enough time for the person who defeated it to go through the entrance of the tunnel.


    The monster doesn''t drop items. The only advantage of defeating it was being able to go through this tunnel. That''s why not many yers go here just to fight with the monster that wouldn''t give them obvious benefits.


    Su Yuqi was the one who introduced him to this ce. And since then, whenever he wanted to think and just be alone, he would go here.


    Soon, Luo Jin reached the end of the tunnel.


    He passed through it and what weed him was a cliff filled with blooming wildflowers. He sat down at the edge of the cliff and stared at the starry sky above. He took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of flowers around him. This usually calmed him down, but right now, the anger in his heart still couldn''t be quelled.


    The announcement that Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan made earlier was still echoing in his mind. He felt like something exploded in his chest at that moment. And that fire was still burning in his heart.


    He knew that he shouldn''t be feeling this way. He should have congratted the two. After all, his brother had made it clear long before how much he liked Shen Ji Yun. Them being together should be considered a ''good thing''. But he just couldn''t.


    It''s immature, yes. But it''s not like he could control what he felt.


    He closed his eyes tightly and spit out a curse. Luo Yan would definitely try to talk to himter after they logged out of the game. He would probably try to make him understand his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun. Maybe he would even talk with their older brother alongside him.


    Luo Jin seriously didn''t know how he should react if Luo Yan initiated that talk. He was sure that he would be persuaded to agree. And he didn''t want that. So, where did that leave him?


    He was still immersed in his thoughts when he heard footsteps from behind. His first thought was that it was Su Yuqi. So, he turned around, expecting to see the other. But what he saw was thest person he expected to see.


    His brows immediately furrowed. "What are you doing here?"


    "To talk," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Luo Jin turned back. "We have nothing to talk about."


    His voice came out even harsher that he intended to. Not only because of that announcement the other made but also because he felt like Shen Ji Yun was intruding in the ce that was supposed to be for him and Su Yuqi.


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t mind Luo Jin''s attitude. He actually expected something worse. At least the other was being civil enough.


    "We do though. But it''s alright if you don''t want to speak, you can just listen," he said, walking towards the other and standing beside where he''s sitting. "I know you''re angry because of my rtionship with Yan Yan. I can say all kinds of promises right now that could perhaps alleviate your worry. But that would probably be just lip service to you."


    Luo Jin didn''t speak. He just looked ahead, pretending that Shen Ji Yun wasn''t there.


    Shen Ji Yun wasn''t really expecting a response, so he continued;


    "So, I will only say one thing. I love him. I love your brother. I love Yan Yan. You may question my intentions, you may even be angry at me. And that''s fine. It''s totally understandable. I will ept any curse you may throw at me. I won''t even dodge if you want to give me a punch or two. The only thing uneptable for me is if you question my feelings for Yan Yan.


    "Because my feelings for him are genuine. I will prove to you and to everyone else by action instead of by words just how much I love him. You probably don''t believe me now. But after five, ten years, you will have no choice but to acknowledge my love for your brother.


    "So, I only hope that you can give me a chance to do that. Please."


    Shen Ji Yun did not say anything after that. Because he had already said everything that he wanted to say. Now, he could only wait for Luo Jin''s respond.


    Luo Jin bit his lip. He didn''t like the silence that followed. It''s like this guy was prompting him to answer. But what he disliked even more was the fact that he was moved by the things Shen Ji Yun said.


    Because he could feel the other''s sincerity. It''s probably because Shen Ji Yun''s voice wasyered with so much emotion as he was saying those words. The contrast was even more prominent because of the other''s usual cold and emotionless tone.


    Luo Jin tsked. Even the anger he felt at the start had already subsided. What was even the point of him being stubborn at this moment? He took a deep breath and released a long sigh before standing up and ncing at Shen Ji Yun.


    "If you ever make Yan cry, I will end you."


    Shen Ji Yun smiled inwardly hearing that. Because that was almost the same as the other approving of his rtionship with Luo Yan.


    He looked at Luo Jin and said, "As you should."


    <strong>The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!??</strong>

 Chapter 883: WITH EQUAL HUNGER

    <h4>Chapter 883: WITH EQUAL HUNGER</h4>


    LUO YAN was sitting alone at the back garden of their headquarters. Bai Ze had already long left while Eclipse went to the fox''s vige. He was waiting for Shen Ji Yun to return. He hoped that the other''s talk with Luo Jin turned out good.


    With how his brother was, it would already be a miracle if he didn''t get into a shouting match with Shen Ji Yun. But he at least he was sure that Luo Jin wouldn''t resort to violence no matter how angry he was.


    Well, maybe he would if the other person was a total stranger who challenged him to a fight. But Shen Ji Yun didn''t belong to that category. Luo Jin might strongly disagree with this, but no matter how antagonistic he might seem towards Shen Ji Yun, he definitely considered the other as a friend.


    Luo Jin would adamantly deny it though.


    Anyway, the thing Luo Yan was more worried about was if Shen Ji Yun would be able to somehow convince Luo Jin to ept his rtionship with him. Shen Ji Yun wasn''t exactly the type who convince people to agree to what he wanted using his words. He''s more of a doer rather than a talker.


    But he could get eloquent if he wanted to. As evidence of how he confessed to him. If he could rate his confession, then it would be infinite stars. Granted, that that might just be because he''s biased. Still. No one could deny how beautiful that confession was.


    That''s the first time Luo Yan realized that Shen Ji Yun actually had a way with words. Granted that it probably turned out that way because of his feelings for him. So, this time, there''s a chance that he could be sessful with his talk with Luo Jin. After all, it''s rted to Luo Yan.


    As he looked at the moon shining above, he heard footsteps from behind. He quickly turned to that direction and saw Shen Ji Yun walking towards him.


    "How was it?" he asked first.


    "It went well," Shen Ji Yun answered simply.


    "Really?"


    Seeing the skeptical look on Luo Yan''s face, Shen Ji Yun couldn''t help but chuckle. "Really. Don''t you have any faith in me?"


    "That''s not it. I was just surprised that you managed to convince Ah Jin this fast," Luo Yan said. "I thought it would take at least an hour or so."


    "Maybe he felt my sincerity," Shen Ji Yun shrugged.


    Luo Yan raised one of his brows. "How sincere were you exactly?"


    "I just told him that I love you and that I will prove it through action instead of just spouting empty promises."


    Imagining the other say all those things to Luo Jin in that straightforward manner of his, Luo Yan couldn''t help but smile. The fact that his talk with Luo Jin didn''tst that long must have meant that he was so damn convincing when he said that. Well, there''s probably no need for Shen Ji Yun to act convincing. After all, he only said words that came from his heart. Which was probably the reason why Luo Jin epted it this easily.


    But Luo Yan would still talk to the otherter. As well as with their older brother. He should at least tell them himself what''s really happening between him and Shen Ji Yun. As for their father, well, he''d get there in due time.


    "Look at you, saying all that without even stuttering or blushing," he teased, reaching for the other''s hand and ying with it. "When did you be such a grown up?"


    Shen Ji Yun once again felt like his rabbit was treating him like he''s a lot younger. Which was weird considering how it was the opposite. It wasn''t just now, Luo Yan would do it from time to time.


    He felt like it was because the other subconsciously felt that he was emotionally stunted that''s why he was treating him like a child sometimes. Feeling frustrated at that, he sped the hand that Luo Yan was holding. Then, he pulled him closer, making their bodies gently collide with each other.


    "I''ve always been a grown-up."


    Then, as if to prove that, Shen Ji Yun slowly closed their distance until their lips touched. It was just a quick peck. But he still felt his whole face burning up right after. Although they already kissed, he still couldn''t help but feel shy.


    But Shen Ji Yun had a feeling that even if the two of them were a pair of old men, he would still feel the same. And he''s fine with that. In fact, he very much weed it.


    Luo Yan was startled at first and then he smiled yfully. "Should we try something more grown up?"


    Before Shen Ji Yun could answer, Luo Yan had already cupped his face and then their lips touched once again. He hadn''t yet breathed when he felt something soft licking his lips. His eyes widened at the sudden touch. He could even hear his heart going boom... boom... BOOM!


    "Brother Ji Yun, open your lips, hmm?"


    Like a hypnosis, Shen Ji Yun did as he was told. He opened his mouth and he felt that soft tongue gliding over his own, teasing him repeatedly. His whole body was electrified.


    This was apletely different feelingpared to the kiss they shared when he confessed to the other. It was like drowning into the depths of the ocean not being able to swim back. Not that he wanted to anyway. He simply wanted to sink in this feeling. Before he knew it, he was already kissing him back.


    Luo Yan felt Shen Ji Yun''s tongue entangling with his own. His kiss was full of hunger - licking his teeth, nabbing his lips. It almost felt like he was slowly being eaten. If this was happening in reality, his body would have probably already reacted.


    He smiled amidst it and encircled his arms around his neck. And returned Shen Ji Yun''s kiss with equal hunger.


    <strong>The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!??</strong>

 Chapter 886: WHEN?

    Chapter 886: WHEN?AFTER logging out of the game, Luo Yan temporarily put away the thoughts about the favor Uriel might ask of him. Since it''s still on Saturday, he might as well think of things that needed his attention urgently.


    Like telling his older brother about his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun for example.


    With that thought in mind, he walked out of his room and climbed to the second floor. He first went to Luo Jin''s room and knocked on the door. After a while, it opened and his younger brother peaked out of the door. When the other saw him, a visible frown appeared on his face.


    "What is it?" Luo Jin asked.


    Luo Yan smiled. His brother was obviously still sulking. The other might have made some concessions in regards to Luo Yan''s rtionship with Shen Ji Yun, but that didn''t mean that he had fully epted it.


    That''s fine though. What''s important right now was Luo Jin not showing his displeasure every time he saw him and Shen Ji Yun together. Or constantly antagonized the other. Luo Jin''s issue with Shen Ji Yun could easily be solved with time.


    His brother might not still ept his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun right now, but as time passed by, he was sure that the other would be able to see just how much Shen Ji Yun truly treasured him.


    "I want to say thank you to Ah Jin," he said first.


    Luo Jin scoffed. "What''s there to thank about."


    "I''m just happy that Ah Jin and Brother Ji Yun had a good talk," Luo Yan said. "I actually thought you would be more against our rtionship."


    "It''s not as if I could do anything when you''re already decided on the guy," Luo Jin grumbled. "I''ll be keeping an eye on him though! If that bast- I mean, if that guy hurts you in any way, I''ll return the pain a thousand- no, a million fold!"


    And Luo Yan had no doubt that Luo Jin would really do that. He smiled, reached out his hand and ruffled his brother''s hair. "Aww... our Ah Jin is really sweet. How could I have such a sweet brother like you?"


    Luo Jin''s whole face turned red and he quickly ducked his head to avoid Luo Yan''s hand. "Who- who''s sweet? Your¡ª" He stopped since he was about to say ''your whole family is sweet''. Saying that would only defeat its purpose since Luo Yan was his family. So, he could only add, "Don''t call me that!"


    "Yes, yes," Luo Yan said chuckling. "Good night, Ah Jin."


    After pinching his brother''s cheek onest time, he turned around and walked towards his older brother''s room.


    Once he was in front of Luo Ren''s room, he suddenly felt nervous. Truth to be told, Luo Jin was much more easier to handle. Because despite the other always acting prickly, he''s really just a soft marshmallow inside. But Luo Ren was different. The other was very simr to Luo Yan in a sense. That''s why he''s much harder to handle.


    Anyway, no matter how nervous or worried Luo Yan was, it wouldn''t change the fact that he still had to knock on this door and talk to his older brother. So, he took a deep breath and calmed his mind. After a few seconds, he finally raised his hand and knocked on the door.


    The door quickly opened and Luo Ren greeted him with a gentle smile.


    "Do you need something, Yan Yan?"


    "I want to talk to Brother. Can I go inside?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Sure."


    Luo Ren opened the door wider and Luo Yan walked in. He had been in his brother''s room before so he already knew the minimalistic interior, as well as the use of cool-toned wallpapers and bed sheet.


    Luo Yan sat down on the chair that kind of served as his brother''s reading nook. Luo Ren also sat down on his bed.


    "So, what is it you want to talk about?" Luo Ren asked first.


    "Well, there''s really no other way of saying this so I''ll just tell it straight." Luo Yan took a deep breath once again before continuing, "I and Brother Ji Yun are now officially dating."


    Luo Ren''s brain nked out for a second when he heard that. He even wondered if he wasn''t having any auditory hallucination. But seeing Luo Yan''s expression and the way he''s looking straight at him as if he wanted him to know that he meant everything that he just said, Luo Ren knew that his brain was simply not ying tricks on him.


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun were indeed officially together.


    After his brain registered that fact, he immediately felt intense disapproval. If he didn''t manage to control himself, he might have already shouted, ''no, I don''t approve!''. But that didn''t mean that he quickly epted this rtionship. He was just controlling his emotions really, really well.


    But the furrowing of his brows couldn''t be controlled, as well as the sudden drop of temperature inside the room. That''s why Luo Yan could feel that Luo Ren''s reaction to this particr news was not very weing.


    Still, it was something that he had already expected. So, the oue was pretty much within his expectations.


    "Brother, I know you might disagree with this rtionship. You might even think that I''m still too young to enter in a rtionship like this. But I just wanted you to know that I''m in full control of my faculties. I know what I''m doing and most of all, I know what I''m feeling.


    "Just like what I have already told you and Ah Jin before, I like- no, I love Brother Ji Yun. And since he confessed to me, it would be kind of hypocritical to reject him when the two of us feel the same way. Don''t you think so as well, Brother?"


    Luo Yan said in a tone as if what he did was just a natural course of action. Which it was, by the way.


    But instead of focusing on the other things he said, his brother seemed to focus on only one thing.


    "He confessed to you?" Luo Ren smiled, but it didn''t reach his eyes at all. "When?"

 Chapter 887: GOOD LUCK, BROTHER JI YUN!

    Chapter 887: GOOD LUCK, BROTHER JI YUN!LUO YAN suddenly had goosebumps. Why did he suddenly feel like something bad would happen to Shen Ji Yun if he gave his brother the wrong answer? But what was the wrong answer anyway? In this situation, wasn''t it more beneficial to just gibe whatever answer Luo Ren wanted? But Luo Yan knew he couldn''t do that.


    He was here toe clean in the first ce. Wouldn''t lying simply defeat that purpose? Anyway, it''s not like Luo Ren would actually beat Shen Ji Yun to a pulp. Well, he might try to do that in the game. But Shen Ji Yun had a higher level so there''s no way his brother could hurt him.


    [I believe in you, Brother Ji Yun. I know you can pass whatever hurdle my brother would try to throw at you.] ¨C he said in his heart.


    With that little prayer, he decided to answer Luo Ren honestly.


    "During the weekend. When we went to Hunan province."


    After hearing that answer, Luo Ren tried to recall everything that happened during the weekend. And then, he urately found the possible moment in which Shen Ji Yun confessed to Luo Yan.


    "On Saturday night," he said, more of a statement rather than a question.


    It''s easy to see that since the morning after, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun suddenly had this sticky pink atmosphere around them. Besides, it was only during that night that the two could be alone with each other since they shared the same suite.


    Luo Ren almostughed at the ridiculousness of it all. He thought that Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t try any hocus pocus since their father was also there. But who would have thought that he was brazen enough to confess to Luo Yan under their father''s nose? He would have apuded him if the other person involved was not his brother.


    "So, did he go to your room at the middle of the night and confessed his feelings for you?" he asked with a smile.


    Luo Yan once again felt a strange threat from that smile. "No. Brother Ji Yun actually prepared a lot."


    Then, he started telling his brother the things that led to Shen Ji Yun''s confession. From the game that he made specifically for that asion to him giving Luo Yan his ''heart''.


    Luo Ren raised a brow when he heard all that. He couldn''t actually imagined Shen Ji Yun doing all those things. Even he who didn''t know a lot about romance could see that the other''s gestures were truly, what people would call, romantic.


    Well, at least this showed that Shen Ji Yun wasn''t taking Luo Yan for granted. Preparing something so borate just to confess meant that confessing to Luo Yan was very important to him. That Luo Yan was important.


    But this didn''t really decrease his annoyance towards Shen Ji Yun. After all, it wouldn''t change the fact that he had ulterior motives when he apanied their family to Hunan province.


    Confessing first before talking to any of them and telling them what his intentions were towards Luo Yan just didn''t sit right with Luo Ren. Granted that it might really be much harder for him since his and Luo Yan''s situation was far from what this society considered as ''normal''. But still.


    Although looking as how proudly Luo Yan told him about all this, it could be seen just how much he liked the guy. Which only made Luo Ren feel all kinds ofplicated.


    He still disapproved deep inside. Because he knew how hard it would be for his brother in the future. The criticism he would face, as well as the judgmental gaze he would be subjected on, just imagining it could make Luo Ren lose his reason.


    But he also knew that Luo Yan didn''t care about those things. If he did, then he would be much more conflicted about his feelings towards Shen Ji Yun. But from what he had observed, since the beginning, Luo Yan had never faltered.


    It''s like he was very sure of what he wanted. So, who was he to stop that? No matter how worried he might be, this was still Luo Yan''s life. At the end of the day, the other was the only one who had the right to make those decisions. The only thing Luo Ren could do as his brother was to support him unconditionally.


    He took a deep breath and said, "Okay. I understand. Who else knew about this?"


    Luo Yan secretly let out a sigh of relief. Although he was expecting a more violent reaction than this, he was d that him and his brother came to an understanding.


    "You, Ah Jin, Jiao Jiao, Brother Ze, and Sister Yuqi."


    Oh, also Uncle Yi Mu. But if Luo Yan mentioned that, then he had to also tell his brother about the other''s sexuality and that''s not for him to say.


    Luo Ren nodded. He already expected as much. Bai Ze probably wouldn''t tell Uncle Chen or Auntie Xin about this. So, it would probably take a while before the elders of the family knew about it.


    "When do you n to tell Dad?" he asked.


    "Not now. But definitely in the future."


    "Then, I hope that once you decided to do it, the one who would tell Dad about this would be Shen Ji Yun and not you," Luo Ren said. "He should at least do that much."


    Luo Yan let out an awkwardugh. Yup, his brother definitely still disliked Shen Ji Yun. But it''s not hard to make that promise, especially since he was sure that Shen Ji Yun would volunteer to do that himself.


    "Okay."


    "And tell him to meet me in the game sometime Sunday," Luo Ren added. "He and I have a lot to talk about."


    If he wasn''t too busy this week, he would have met the other as soon as possible.


    Luo Yan nodded and once again lit a candle in his heart for Shen Ji Yun.


    [Good luck, Brother Ji Yun. Fighting!]

 Chapter 888: IS MY KISS EFFECTIVE?

    Chapter 888: IS MY KISS EFFECTIVE?TIME passed by in a sh and it was now Saturday. After lunch, Luo Yan quickly logged in the game. He appeared at Shen Ji Yun''s floating ind. This was where he logged out yesterday. This ce had now be his and Shen Ji Yun''s staple dating site.


    For the past week, after grinding or raiding dungeons, the two of them would teleport here. They talked about anything under the sun, but mostly about games andputers. They ate all kinds of virtual food. And sometimes, they would just lie on the grass, watching the moon and the stars.


    The smile on his lips never left his face in these past five days. That''s just how happy he was. He truly enjoyed Shen Ji Yun''spany. Flirting with the other was just an added bonus.


    Now, he and Shen Ji Yun would meet here and then the two of them would teleport to team Celestia''s headquarters. When he sent a message to Uriel that Shen Ji Yun would being with him, the other sent him a special group teleportation scroll that would directly bring them to team Celestia''s headquarters.


    Luo Yan thought of bringing Eclipse with them. But then, he quickly changed his mind because he knew that little fox would definitely wreck havoc at that ce.


    Under normal circumstance, he wouldn''t care and would just let Eclipse ran rampant. But sadly today, he just wanted to finish off whatever favor Uriel would ask him. He didn''t want to stay there longer than needed. And that would definitely happen if Eclipse was with them.


    Eclipse would probably behave if Luo Yan told him to. But he couldn''t take that chance. What if that sly guy, Uriel, used Eclipse''s ''misbehavior'' to get another favor from him? It''s better to be safe, just in case.


    It was a good thing that Eclipse had been busy training with his aunt these past few days that when he told the other that he coulde with them today, the little fox didn''t have that much negative reaction. It also probably helped that Shen Ji Yun gave him a big crater full of Mana fruits that he was so easy to appease these days.


    The space near Luo Yan started to get distorted. A sign that someone was about to teleport here. And then, after a few seconds, Shen Ji Yun appeared. He quickly walked towards the other.


    "Brother Ji Yun," he greeted with a smile.


    A slight arc also appeared at the corner of Shen Ji Yun''s lips when he saw Luo Yan. It''s almost like an automatic reaction by now. "Yan Yan. Sorry, did you wait long?"


    Luo Yan shook his head. "No, I also just arrived. Since it''s not yet time to go there, shall we wait for a bit."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "It will be Christmas in four days. Arcadia usually prepares a surprise event during such times. Do you want to participate with me?"


    "I''d love to!" Luo Yan readily agreed. "It''s on Wednesday though. So, we could only participate at night."


    Christmas wasn''t really an official holiday in this country unlike in other countries that had a strong Christian influence. After all, Buddhism was still the religion of majority here.


    "That''s fine. As long as we''re together, I''m sure we can have fun."


    Luo Yan smiled at that. Then, as if he just remembered something, he changed the subject and asked Shen Ji Yun;


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, have you already made an appointment with my older brother?"


    Shen Ji Yun''s body flinched slightly when he heard his question. It was such a miniscule action that Luo Yan wouldn''t have probably noticed if he wasn''t so attuned to Shen Ji Yun''s every move.


    "Yes. We will meet tomorrow, the same time as now probably."


    Luo Yan observed the other''s expression. Although there''s not much emotion that could be seen on his face, Luo Yan could just feel that Shen Ji Yun must be very nervous about meeting his brother.


    And he would be right. Shen Ji Yun remembered his short exchange of messages with Luo Ren. When Luo Yan told him that Luo Ren wanted to meet him, he asked for the other''s contact information and quickly messaged him. After he said ''hi'' and asked Luo Ren when and where they should meet in the game on Sunday, the other only replied with the time and the ce. Nothing more, nothing less.


    In Shen Ji Yun''s opinion, that''s definitely not a good sign. He was actually already preparing himself with a truckload of pain and hurt. Should he be thankful that they would meet here in the game? At least, no matter how much the other beat him up, it wouldn''t really lead to a serious injury.


    Although Luo Yan didn''t know what Shen Ji Yun was currently thinking, he could still tell that it had something to do with his meeting with Luo Ren tomorrow.


    "Don''t worry, Brother Ji Yun, I''m sure you''re talk with Brother would go well," he assured the other. "If you''re truly worried, then you only have to do one thing and it would definitely go well."


    Shen Ji Yun turned to Luo Yan. "Which is?"


    Luo Yan almost chuckled when he saw the eager expression on Shen Ji Yun''s face. "Just be honest. Tell my brother how you truly feel about me. Just like what you did with Ah Jin. I assure you, everything would be just a breeze after that."


    Shen Ji Yun was already nning that to begin with. But would that really be enough. Seeing Luo Yan''s confident expression, he couldn''t bear to tell him that that might not be the case. So, he could only nod, worry still in his heart.


    Of course, Luo Yan had noticed this. He shook his head. Then, he leaned forward and gave a quickly peck to the tip of Shen Ji Yun''s nose. The other blinked and his whole face immediately turned red. That bit of nervousnesspletely disappeared.


    Luo Yan smiled at that and held Shen Ji Yun''s hand. "Is my kiss effective?"


    Shen Ji Yun finally smiled. "Very."

 Chapter 889: A CHANGE IN DYNAMICS

    Chapter 889: A CHANGE IN DYNAMICSAFTER tearing the special teleportation scroll, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun were quickly transferred to team Celestia''s headquarters. The floating ind with a building that was a reminisce of a Greek pantheon was still as impressive as Luo Yan remembered.


    "Have you been here before, Brother Ji Yun?" he asked.


    "No. I don''t really interact with other teams."


    "That''s a very Brother Ji Yun-like answer."


    "Is- is it bad?" Shen Ji Yun suddenly asked worriedly. "That I am this way?"


    Luo Yan chuckled and then looked at the other with fondness. "Of course not. It''s part of who you are. Why would I think it''s bad when it''s one of the reason why I fell for you?"


    Shen Ji Yun blushed up to his ears. It''s obvious how much he liked that answer because happiness started radiating from him.


    "You''re here," suddenly said by a very familiar voice in front of them. "Very prompt."


    Luo Yan turned his gaze forward and saw a man with golden brown hair and a pair of light blue eyes behind gold-rimmed sses. It was Uriel, the sly fox that who was the reason why he and Shen Ji Yun were here today.


    "It''s very nice of you toe, Captain YUN," Uriel said to Shen Ji Yun. "Although there''s really no need for you to apany Noctis. I mean, he''s not a child who couldn''t do anything by himself."


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t respond and just gave the other a cold nce.


    "Hey, that''s discrimination against children, you know? Do you think there are no independent children in this world?" Luo Yan said indignantly. "Besides, my captain is only worried that you might scam me into doing something extreme that''s why he apanied me."


    Uriel chuckled. "You''re still as entertaining as ever."


    "So, what will you have me do?" Luo Yan asked, changing the topic, referring to that favor he owed the other.


    "Let''s go inside and talk about it."


    After saying that, Uriel turned around and walked towards the building. Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun followed behind. As they walked, they passed by a number of yers, all having different shades of golden hair and wearing white robe, suits, or togas. They all greeted Uriel with respect while giving him and Shen Ji Yun a curious nce.


    They continued to walk until Uriel stopped in front of a mahogany door. The other opened it and gestured for them toe in. Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun followed inside. The inside appeared to be an office. And there, sitting on a couch was a young woman.


    She had long flowing golden hair and a pair of sky blue eyes surrounded by long goldenshes. Her skin was like porcin glistening with the light inside the room. With her white toga dress, she seemed to be the reincarnation of Aphrodite herself.


    Luo Yan immediately knew who the other was. Song Liuli ¨C someone who was considered by many as the top goddess in the game because of her beauty. He had only seen her pictures online, both the in-game one and how she looked like in real life.


    The two didn''t have much difference. Except for the color of hair and eyes, she looked exactly the same. Which meant that she didn''t enhance her features when she made her avatar. She was simply that pretty in real life.


    [Not as pretty as me though.] ¨C the ever self-loving Luo Yan said to himself.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun, the other didn''t have any expression on his face even after seeing Song Liuli. See, even Shen Ji Yun must have the same opinion as him.


    Song Liuli stood up and gave them a gentle smile. "It''s nice to finally meet the champion of this year''s Rookie Carnival. You''re really as beautiful as the rumor says."


    Luo Yan smiled back. "Not as beautiful as the one considered by many as goddess."


    The two exchanged smiles and pleasantries but anyone with discerning eyes could see that they were measuring each other from head to toe.


    Duan Yu, of course, could see it. He only chuckled at their almost childish antic. But seeing the two standing close together like this, it was definitely a visual explosion that many audience would like. He was even more convinced that his decision was not wrong.


    Shen Ji Yun, on the other hand, was not as discerning as Duan Yu. When he heard Luo Yanplimenting that woman so naturally, his brows furrowed and his heart felt sour. Before he could think properly, he already stood in front of Luo Yan.


    Song Liuli misunderstood this and thought that YUN was actually trying to get her attention. Although she had never imagined that the other was actually such a person, how else could she exin his action?


    She was about to greet the other when YUN turned to Duan Yu and asked in a frigid voice that was probably much colder than North Pole;


    "Does she really need to be here?"


    Song Liuli suddenly felt like a vein on her forehead just popped. Such tant disregard, this was probably the first time she experienced this. But it was a good thing that her self-confidence was already at its very peak that nothing could probably shake it by now. Well, except Duan Yu. But that would never happen. So...


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun and secretly smiled. The vinegar jar in this guy''s heart was probably toppled over because of him givingpliments to Song Liuli. He pulled the other''s sleeve and whispered to him;


    "Don''t worry, Brother Ji Yun. I won''t be tempted by her. How could I be when I already have you?"


    Duan Yu noticed how the cold atmosphere around YUN quickly dissipated after Noctis whispered something to him. Like a frozen flower that was now blooming in Spring. He looked between YUN and Noctis.


    He had witnessed the dynamics between the two when they went to that dungeon during the King''s birthday festival. But why did he have a feeling that that dynamic greatly changed in the span that he hadn''t seen the two together?

 Chapter 890: A PROFESSIONAL

    Chapter 890: A PROFESSIONAL"CAN you tell us now what kind of favor you want from me?" Luo Yan asked after he pulled Shen Ji Yun to sit on the opposite couch where Song Liuli and Uriel were sitting.


    "It''s nothing much, really. I just want you to do a promotional video of a product our team n to promote," Uriel said. "Of course, you don''t have to do it alone. You''ll do it with Li Li here."


    "Are you asking me to shoot some kind ofmercial?" Luo Yan asked, a bit bewildered.


    He knew that team Celestia get some of their funds from them doing promotional videos advertising a product. The ones who were mostly involved with that were Song Liuli and Li Xu Min. That''s why Luo Yan couldn''t understand why they needed him. If they only needed someone to partner up with Song Liuli, then Li Xu Min could easily do that. So, it didn''t really have to be him.


    On the other hand, that didn''t even cross Shen Ji Yun''s mind because he only thought of one thing when he heard what Uriel said. "If you''re asking Ya- Noctis to shoot something in reality, then no, he won''t go."


    Song Liuli nced at YUN, wondering if the other was joking. But when she saw his serious expression, she knew that that wasn''t the case. She almost blurted out, ''what are you, his manager?''. It was a good thing that she managed to control herself. After all, she had to maintain her ''gentle image''.


    "Then, you don''t have to worry because we''ll be filming it here in the game," she said in a gentle tone. "As Noctis and Jophiel," she added referring to their game ount names.


    "That''s right. Aside from that, our team will be handling the script and the filming as well," Duan Yu said. "All you have to do is to act your part on the script."


    "What exactly is this product you''re nning to advertise?" Luo Yan asked.


    Even if they would film this promotional video inside the game, it didn''t automatically mean that they would advertise an in-game product. After all, there were products or brands in real life that also existed in the game.


    Like carbonated drinks for example. Companies offered sponsorship and Moonlight Media would program their products in the game. It''s like a form of advertisement in a way. One of the mostmon one was major fast food chains. They had branches in each of the four cities of Arcadia.


    That''s why Luo Yan wasn''t sure just what kind of promotional video were they going to shoot. Because it could be anything, really.


    "It''s for a coffee shop that will open here in Arcadia on Christmas day," Uriel answered. "Since it will be posted all over Arcadia by Monday, we need to finish recording the whole promotional video by today, so we can edit it by tomorrow."


    Luo Yan waited for a while for Uriel to say that he was only joking but no such thing happened. So, he had to say it himself. "Are you kidding me? If you have to finish the recording today, why did you only tell me about this now? You should have told it to me a few weeks ago!"


    One of the things he hated was cramming. When it came to tests or projects, he always finished one week before the deadline. Because he didn''t like the feeling of panicking at thest moment. That''s how he maintained his grades at the top in hisst life.


    Duan Yu stared at Noctis'' incredulous expression. He suddenly felt like a teacher was scolding him because he failed to pass his assignment on time. He couldn''t help but make a guess that the other was probably a model student of some sort. Now, that''s a bit surprising. Considering his character, he thought that Noctis would be the type who didn''t care much about studying.


    "Finishing the shoot today, are you nning to overwork Noctis?" YUN suddenly said on the side. The tone of his voice was very indignant as if they were nning to do something atrocious to Noctis. "And since this is a ''favor'', I''m sure you''re not even nning to pay him for his efforts, right? How ridiculous is that?"


    Hearing what YUN said, Song Liuli was really on the verge of using one of her skills to throw the man across the room. Just what was this guy''s problem? Was he some sort of warrior of justice solely dedicated to Noctis'' well-being?


    And how in the world would Noctis get even tired? This was virtual reality! Even if they asked Noctis to carry a hundred ton weights, he wouldn''t get tired. Her first impression of YUN as someone who was cool-headed and smart was deteriorating every second that passed.


    Duan Yu also felt a bit funny because of YUN''s reaction. It''s like someone finding faults just so Noctis wouldn''t go through with it. Based on the re that he was still throwing at Song Liuli''s side from time to time, his gut feel that something was going on between the other and Noctis was quickly getting stronger.


    Luo Yan, who had calmed down from his initial shock, nced at Shen Ji Yun with a smile. "Brother YUN, it''s fine. I don''t need the money. I''m just worried that the quality of the video would be low because we have to hasten everything."


    Since he would appear on the video, then the quality should at least be good.


    "Oh then, you don''t have to worry about that. We have a professional video editing team, as well as professional videographer. Aside from that, the promotional video is only about a minute or two long. It won''t take that much time to shoot it," Uriel exined.


    "I also apologize if you think that we''re doing things without proper preparation," Song Liuli said with an apologetic voice. "It''s all my fault. It''s because I''ve been so busy that we only had time to do this now."


    Looking at the other''s expression as if she would cry at any second, Luo Yan suddenly felt like he was now facing a professional white lotus.

 Chapter 891: LET BAI ZE DO IT

    Chapter 891: LET BAI ZE DO ITLUO YAN felt like his fighting spirit was being challenged. So, just out of the feeling of not wanting to lose, he also started acting pitiful.


    "Oh no, I''m not ming you or anything. I- I''m just worried that you won''t be able to produce a high-quality video because of my unpreparedness," he said, his eyes started to water as if tears would fall at any second. "I- I don''t me you, I me myself."


    Shen Ji Yun frowned, not liking what he''s seeing at all. He quickly put his arm around Luo Yan''s shoulders and gentlyforted him. "It''s okay. No one''s ming you." He gave a cold re to Uriel and the woman. "If anyone dares to, I will challenge them to a PvP and will make sure that it will be the most humiliating defeat of their lives."


    Luo Yan''s acting almost cracked because of how serious Shen Ji Yun sounded. He would bet that the other probably didn''t even notice that he was just acting. The moment he saw him about to cry, Shen Ji Yun just immediately decided that it was Uriel and Song Liuli''s fault. Hence, the hostility.


    If he wouldn''t look like a total lunatic, he would have alreadyughed out loud because of Shen Ji Yun''s cuteness. So, he could only opt for the next best thing ¨C putting his head on Shen Ji Yun''s shoulder and letting his long silky hair obstruct his expression.


    Song Liuli felt the corner of her eye twitching. She felt like a pitcher who threw a fastball expecting a homerun, only for the batter to hit the ball and throw it right back at her. It didn''t really help that YUN suddenly threatened them from out of nowhere like the crazy guy that he was.


    She was actually on the verge of challenging YUN to a PvP just so she could have an excuse to really st him off. Argh, really, it had been so long since shest felt this annoyed.


    Then she felt a gentle pat on her back. She nced at Duan Yu. Even though the other was not looking at her, she knew that he was silently telling her not to lose her temper. So, she gazed down and took a few calming breaths until he managed to calm down.


    Once she did, she decided to just let Duan Yu do all the talking. She felt like her sanity wouldpletely disappear if she continued to talk with the two sitting in front of them.


    But somehow, after making that decision, she felt like she lost a fight, if that was even possible. Still, she didn''t change her mind. Because controlling her temper and not showing these two her true self was much more important than that.


    Duan Yu looked back and forth between Noctis and YUN. It''s like he was watching a scene in which a boyfriend was defending his girlfriend against the people bullying her. Which was very entertaining, mind you.


    It''s not just the way YUN talked. It''s his bodynguage. Earlier, the way he stood in front of Noctis. And now, how he put his arm around his shoulders. Everything just screamed how important Noctis was to him.


    It''s not something someone would do just because they''re close friends. YUN''s actions spoke the real status between him and Noctis.


    Duan Yu smiled with interest. Truly, how unexpectedly fascinating.


    "Then you don''t have to worry. Because you only have to appear at the end of the video. You literally only have one action to do that will onlyst for a few seconds," he said. "So, do we have a deal?"


    Luo Yan raised his head, already over his pitiful act. "I have a question first. Why do you need me for this when you have your captain?"


    It was a question that had been bothering him since earlier. If they only needed a partner for Song Liuli, wouldn''t Li Xu Min be much more perfectpared to him? At least with Li Xu Min, they didn''t have to have this kind of meeting at all and they could just go straight with the filming.


    "Ah, it''s because our captain and Li Li look more like siblings which would not really fit this promotional video," Duan Yu said when he heard that question. "And more importantly, because you look good."


    He saw YUN immediately ring at him the moment he said thatst bit. So, he smiled at the other and added;


    "What I said didn''t have a deeper meaning behind it. I just meant it as it is. Because Noctis does look good. It can''t be that Captain YUN thinks otherwise, right?" He looked yfully at the other. "After all, in your eyes, Noctis must be the most beautiful."


    Song Liuli nced at Duan Yu, wondering what he''s on about. But at the end, she just shrugged because she really didn''t care much.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, felt the muscle on his face just twitched because of the obvious meaning behind Uriel''s words. He should have known that this sly fox would quickly notice his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun.


    He nced helplessly at his boyfriend. Well, it''s not like this guy was trying to hide it anyway. Not that he hated it. If someone he loved was tantly showing his affection for him, then he could only feel happy.


    He turned to Uriel and said, changing the subject, "What exactly is the theme of this promotional video?"


    "A Christmas date."


    The moment Uriel said that, the temperature in the room suddenly turn into a freezing point.


    Luo Yan turned to the source and just like he expected, Shen Ji Yun''s expression was already so dark one would think he would bleed out ink if someone pinched his cheek.


    He held Shen Ji Yun''s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. But it seemed that that didn''t work because the other turned to him and whispered;


    "Let''s call Bai Ze and let him do this promotional video."


    Luo Yan burst outughing when he heard that.

 Chapter 892: HOW NATURAL

    Chapter 892: HOW NATURALDUAN YU nced at YUN who was standing at a distance. The other was visibly frowning with a dark look on his face. This was probably the most expression he had seen on the other. No, rather, ever since earlier, YUN had been showing expressions that Duan Yu had never thought he was capable of.


    Everyone in the game probably knew just how expressionless YUN was. Many even believed that he programmed his avatar to be that way. Because after all, a normal human would have a change in their expression, no matter how miniscule.


    If Duan Yu didn''t know for a fact that there was no such set up in the game, he might have believed that. Especially after experiencing that dungeon with the other during the festival of the king''s birthday. YUN truly hardly showed any expression on his face.


    But now, look at him. It''s like apletely 180. It''s obvious to anyone with eyes and enough observation ability to see the reason behind that.


    He walked towards the other. They were currently at the studio of team Celestia. Because of the constant promotional videos that Song Liuli and Li Xu Min shot, their team decided to have their own studio where they could set different settings that would match whatever they were filming.


    Of course, it cost money. They had to pay the game itself so they could program that kind of studio into the game. The team didn''t have that much budget at first, so the five of them ¨C the main members who established the team ¨C pooled in money. Zhong Hui, being the richest, gave more money.


    It''s probably the best decision they made for the team.


    In just a year, they managed to get back the money they used to build the studio. And now, they''re only earning more money from it.


    YUN was currently alone now because Noctis was trying different costumes that would fit the narrative of the promotional video they would record. And he had been exuding this dangerous atmosphere around him. That''s why the other members of the team that was there to help couldn''t approach the other.


    "You don''t have to worry so much, you know," Duan Yu said the moment he stood beside YUN.


    Shen Ji Yun, who was still sulking ¨C just a tad bit, only gave Uriel a sideway nce before he continued brooding. He had read the script for this promotional video.


    It''s a simple script where a girl was waiting inside a coffee shop for her date. There would be a lot of things in the middle that would feature the coffee shop. Then, at the end, her date would appear and they would sit opposite each other, enjoying drinks and desserts from the shop.


    It''s a very straightforward script. Something Shen Ji Yun shouldn''t take issue with since there wasn''t really anything worth being jealous over. But, for the life of him, he just couldn''t.


    Just the thought of watching Luo Yan yed pretend boyfriend with some other person was already making him angry and annoyed.


    He knew it was immature. But he still couldn''t stop himself. He just found out now that his jealousy became even more intensepared to before. Was it because they were now in an official rtionship?


    In any case, no matter the reason, it was still immature and childish. He just hope that Luo Yan wouldn''t hate him for being like this.


    "What I meant was, you don''t need to be jealous of Li Li."


    When Uriel suddenly added that, Shen Ji Yun had no choice but to turn to the other. He''s not so dense as to not understand that this guy had probably already noticed that he and Luo Yan was in a rtionship.


    He felt his whole body tighten. If it was this guy, Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t put it pass him to use that information to ckmail him and Luo Yan. He didn''t mind if their rtionship would be revealed to the public. But he was certainly worried of the bacsh they would receive. Not for him, but for Luo Yan.


    "I don''t know what you mean," he could only say while ring coldly at the other.


    Duan Yu raised his hands as if in defeat and smiled helplessly. "Hey, no matter how badly you think of me, I''m not the type to reveal people''s private rtionship to others. I''m not even judging you and Noctis for being together that way." And that was true. How could he when one of his good friends was also in love with the same sex? "I only said what I said to relieve you from your sulking."


    Shen Ji Yun observed the other. For some reason, he didn''t feel like Uriel was lying. As weird as that might sound, considering the other''s personality. But maybe he misjudged him in some way.


    "I''ll take your word for it. For now, at least," he said. But that didn''t mean that he would fully trust the other. "And I''m not sulking."


    Duan Yu chuckled. Who would have thought that team Yunyue''s captain actually had this side? Maybe it''s Noctis'' influence? Anyway, the fact that the two of them were really together was definitely a huge surprise.


    If he didn''t see how the two interacted today, his first reaction knowing about their rtionship was ''huh?''. But since he had already seen how they act with one another, it didn''t even surprise him at all. It''s like a natural turn of events. In fact, it would even be more surprising if the two were actually not in a rtionship.


    That''s just how natural the two looked together. People wouldn''t take problems with them being of the same sex. The first thing that would cross people''s mind was ''ah, yes, they should be together''.


    Maybe he should tell Zhong Hui to get some good advice from the two. Then, maybe the other could finally have a headway on his feelings for Li Xu Min.


    "Brother YUN!"


    Noctis voice called from behind them.

 Chapter 893: HER TYPE

    Chapter 893: HER TYPESHEN JI YUN turned towards the direction of the voice and his world almost stopped spinning. Luo Yan was wearing a stylish silvery-white long coat over a baby-blue turtle neck and fitted ck pants. His long white hair was in a high ponytail with some wisp on both sides of his face, making him look like a 3D animated character.


    He was staring like a love-struck teenager while Luo Yan was running towards him. In his eyes, there were pink flowers floating around the other. It''s like everything just became pink and fluffy and sweet.


    "What do you think?" Luo Yan asked as he stood in front of Shen Ji Yun, turning around on the spot so the other could see his full outfit. "Does it look good on me?"


    Instead of answering, Shen Ji Yun just continued to stare. Seeing the other''s reaction, Luo Yan couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "I must really look good because Brother Ji Yun can''t seem to take his eyes off of me," he said in a voice that only the two of them could hear.


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to have returned to his senses when he heard what Luo Yan said. Then he reached out and held Luo Yan''s hand. He also said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Yan Yan, as expected, we should just call Bai Ze."


    This time, Luo Yan also couldn''t help butughed out loud. Seriously, how could this man be so adorable? He squeezed the other''s cheek. "Didn''t I say that you don''t have to worry about me taking interest in another person?"


    "That''s not what I''m worried about," Shen Ji Yun grumbled. "What if that Song woman take a liking to you?"


    Thatst part he said with a bit more force. That''s why Duan Yu, who''s standing just a couple of steps away from the two, heard it. So, he couldn''t help but interject;


    "As I''ve said earlier, there''s nothing for you to worry about. Noctis here is not Li Li''s type."


    YUN''s expression suddenly changed. But it''s not in the way that Duan Yu expected. He expected the other to at least let out a sigh of relief but instead YUN looked like he wanted to pick a fight with him. The expression on his face was like asking ''why wouldn''t Noctis be her type?!''.


    Duan Yu shook his head. Now he knew what''s it like to see someone blinded by love. But the fact that he would see it from YUN was the most unexpected of all.


    Noctis'' reaction was a bit more to the normal side. Well, at least normal ording to the other''s standard.


    "Because you''re her type?" Noctis asked with that innocent tone as if he knew nothing of the world.


    Duan Yu only smiled as a response.


    Luo Yan looked at the other and a sh of interest appeared in his eyes. That smile only confirmed his conjecture that there was indeed something between Uriel and Song Liuli.


    It''s not just because the two looked close that''s why he suspected it. It''s kind of hard to exin. Because the two never did anything excessive, unlike him and Shen Ji Yun. It''s just the atmosphere between the two. It''s very subtle but for someone like him with great observation skills, he could still see it. And the fact that Uriel didn''t even deny anything already said a lot.


    Now that he was about 90% certain that the two really had that kind of rtionship, it surprised him a bit. Maybe because he would have never thought that the two were actually each other''s type. They probably really liked each other if that was the case.


    "Can we start now?" another voice suddenly said, ending the silence after Uriel didn''t respond to Luo Yan''s question.


    They all turned to the direction of the voice and saw Song Liuli. The other was wearing modern clothes like Luo Yan and the color scheme was also simr to what he''s wearing. Silvery-white, baby-blue, and ck. Anyone who would see them would think that they were wearing couple outfits.


    Because of this, Shen Ji Yun''s face scrunched up once again. He and Luo Yan hadn''t even worn a couple outfit like this and yet this woman get to pair up with his rabbit this way?


    Song Liuli, who suddenly felt a prickling gaze, turned to YUN. And when she did, she almost jumped in shock. How could she not when the other was sending her a deathly re? She almost wanted to ask if she actually identally killed his dog or something that''s why he''s looking at her like that.


    Duan Yu stepped between her and YUN in a timely manner though, so she no longer felt that stabbing gaze. She nodded. As expected, Ah Yu was still the best.


    Luo Yan, of course, also noticed Shen Ji Yun''s ''killer stare''. Knowing the other, he already had a good idea why he''s acting that way. So, he hooked his little finger with Shen Ji Yun''s little finger and whispered;


    "We can buy a couple costume after this. What do you think, Brother Ji Yun?"


    And just like that, the dark clouds surrounding Shen Ji Yun disappeared and spring immediately came. He nced down at Luo Yan, excitement and happiness obvious in his amethyst eyes. "Okay."


    "Shall we shoot your scene together first so you can leave quickly after you''re done?" Duan Yu asked the two who were suddenly in their own bubbly pink world again.


    Luo Yan nodded. "I have no problem with that."


    Then, the recording finally began.


    The set was already changed to that of the coffee shop they were promoting. From the outside to the interior, it waspletely a carbon copy. Because it was Christmas themed, there were snow outside and the ce was filled with Christmas decorations.


    Inside, Song Liuli was sitting on a table beside the window. She was looking outside and watching the snow with an anxious expression. Then, she lifted the mug she''s holding and took a sip.


    Luo Yan knew that that was his cue. He opened the door of the coffee shop and walked inside.

 Chapter 894: FINISHING THE SHOOT

    Chapter 894: FINISHING THE SHOOTLUO YAN walked towards the table where Song Liuli was sitting. Because the other had her back to him, she didn''t notice his arrival. He made his steps light so the other wouldn''t notice his approach. Once he was directly behind her, he tapped her shoulders and quickly put the bouquet of white lilies in front of his face.


    The moment Song Liuli turned around, he counted to three before removing the bouquet of flowers. He smiled sweetly with a hint of apology. "Sorry for beingte." He then gave the bouquet to the other. "Can you forgive me?"


    Song Liuli looked at the flowers. Her expression was full of bliss. She was obviously very happy that the one she''d been waiting for finally arrived. Even more so after seeing the flowers.


    But then she remembered that Noctis didn''t arrive right on time and she had to wait for 15 minutes or so. Her expression crumpled and she pouted. She didn''t say anything, expressing her anger. But she still took the flowers and then turned her back to the other.


    Luo Yan showed a helpless smile when he saw how the other acted. Then, he walked towards the counter and ordered the special Christmas themed cake. When he received the special cake, he walked back to the table where Song Liuli was sitting holding the te.


    He held the te towards the other and acted cutely. "Please, forgive me, hmm?"


    Song Liuli suddenly felt attacked by this sudden cuteness. All she could think of at that moment was, ''how can a guy act cutely like this without batting his eye?''. But she quickly controlled her expression and acted the way she was supposed to.


    "Hmp, fine," she said reluctantly. "But if this happens again, I won''t forgive you so easily."


    "Yes, my princess." Then Luo Yan put the special cake on the table and then he smiled and greeted the other, "Merry Christmas."


    Finally, Song Liuli showed a bright smile. "Merry Christmas."


    "Okay, CUT!"


    The shout from the one acting as the directorpletely ended the sweet and warm atmosphere between the two.


    This was actually already their fifth take. Luo Yan thought that he would be able to finish his part quickly. He just didn''t expect the director to be quite strict. From the first take, he shouted ''NG'' like a professional director and told them that they didn''t look like they had a rtionship. That continued on until the third take.


    When the fourth take came, Luo Yan finally had enough. So, he gave extra effort and by that he meant imagining Shen Ji Yun was the one sitting in front of him instead of Song Liuli. It worked. The problem was Song Liuli couldn''t keep up. But that seemed to offend her, so by the next take, she also gave it her all.


    And they finally able to finish that scene.


    Luo Yan took the Christmas-themed cake and took a bite. He''d been wanting to try this one since earlier when he first saw it. Which was about 30 minutes ago. As soon as it entered his mouth, the right amount of sweetness and other amazing vors thatpliment it perfectly.


    Should he and Shen Ji Yun go to this coffee shop once it opened on Christmas?


    "You''re really eating that up," Song Liuli suddenlymented.


    Luo Yan raised his head. "It''s quite good. Do you want some?"


    "No thanks."


    Then, she turned around and walked to where Uriel was.


    Luo Yan was also nning to go to where Shen Ji Yun was but before he could, the other had already walked towards him. Shen Ji Yun''s expression was dark, probably because he didn''t like the scene that he watched between him and Song Liuli. Luo Yan only chuckled because of how cute the other was.


    He wasn''t nning to scold the other for his attitude. It''s only natural since the two of them were still at the start of their rtionship. If Shen Ji Yun didn''t feel jealous at all, then Luo Yan was the one who''d be wearing that dark expression.


    Jealousy was a sign of the other''s love for him. Of course, if it got too much in the future, he was confident that he could cull it. But right now, it''s simply on the ''uwu he''s so cute level''. So, why scold Shen Ji Yun for it?


    Knowing the other, Luo Yan was certain that Shen Ji Yun knew what he should and shouldn''t do. No matter how jealous he gets, it would never reach the point of obsessiveness where he would want to lock Luo Yan up so he couldn''t be seen by others. No, because doing that would also be equivalent to hurting him. And that''s thest thing Shen Ji Yun would ever do.


    Yes, it might still be too premature to make such assumptions as if it was something that was already written on stone. But he just had a feeling that Shen Ji Yun was the type who could only give his heart to someone once. And it''s just his luck that he chose to give it to him in this life.


    Luo Yan smiled and took a spoonful of the cake then raised it towards Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, say ah~"


    Shen Ji Yun was momentarily startled. He looked at the spoon and then slowly lowered his head to eat the cake. Luo Yan smiled when he saw the other''s ear tip blushing red.


    "Is it good?" he asked.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Yes."


    "Should we go to this coffee shop on Christmas?"


    Shen Ji Yun''s eyes twinkled when he heard that. "Let''s do it!"


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Okay. Let''s."


    Then they suddenly heard someone clearing their throat on the side. Both turned to that direction and saw Uriel looking amusedly at them.


    Luo Yan was about to ask if they could leave now since he already finished with his part. But then he noticed the person standing next to Uriel. And no, it''s not Song Liuli.


    It was a young man with golden hair and a pair of golden amber eyes.

 Chapter 895: SOMEHOW ANNOYING

    Chapter 895: SOMEHOW ANNOYINGLI XU MIN felt very excited. As soon as he finished all his scheduled for today, he immediately logged in the game and went to their team''s personal studio. He was hoping that they were still filming and he wasn''t yet toote. It''s because he wanted to really meet YUN.


    When he found out that the other would be apanying Noctis for today''s shoot, he quickly decided that he would finish his schedule for today as the fastest speed so he could meet YUN.


    He had been wanting to meet the other since he started ying Arcadia. Not just seeing the other from afar but directly having a conversation with him. But because YUN wasn''t exactly the ''sociable'' type, add to the fact that he himself was not the extroverted type, there''s just no appropriate chance for that to happen.


    No, actually there was a time where he could meet the other. It was after the preliminaries of the Rookie Carnival. There was that issue about that one participant that somehow got their two teams ¨C Celestials and Yunyue ¨C involved.


    Duan Yu and Zhong Hui went to Yunyue''s headquarters to discuss that with them. He wanted to go but Zhong Hui refused and said it might just make things awkward. He couldn''t really refute that, so at the end, he didn''t go with them.


    This would probably the only chance he would get to actually talk to the other.


    Arriving at the studio, he quickly scanned the room and let out a sigh of relief when he saw a tall man with long dark purple hair and a pair of antler like horns above his head. The other was talking to a pretty white-haired elf.


    They''re still here!


    Li Xu Min walked towards where Duan Yu and Song Liuli were.


    "Ah Yu, can you introduce me to YUN?" ¨C was the first thing he said.


    Song Liuli rolled his eyes and didn''t even bother to greet the other. When it came to YUN, the other was like a giddy fanboy. Duan Yu, who also knew about this fact, didn''t say much and just told the other to follow him.


    Li Xu Min happily followed. That''s when they saw YUN eating a spoonful of cake that Noctis gave him. He was a bit startled when he saw that. Especially when YUN actually smiled.


    "It seemed that YUN and Noctis get along pretty well," hemented.


    Duan Yu, who was walking beside Li Xu Min, nced at the other. He couldn''t help but shake his head. He didn''t know if this friend of his was just too dense or too innocent for his own good. No wonder no matter how much Zhong Hui showed his feelings towards the other, he couldn''t make any headway in their rtionship.


    The only way for that to change would probably for Zhong Hui to directly confess. But he doubted if Zhong Hui would ever do that. That guy also had problems of his own. He would probably only really confess if something dire happened. Like Li Xu Min marrying some girl or something.


    Luckily for Zhong Hui, Li Xu Min had no particr interest on things like romance. He''s too busy with his career and studies to even care about such things.


    "Yes, they get along really, really well," Duan Yu responded to what Li Xu Min said.


    When they stood behind Noctis and YUN, the two didn''t pay them any attention. It''s not that they were purposely ignoring them, they were just simply in their own world. So, Duan Yu had no choice but to clear his throat to call their attention.


    "Our captain dropped by and wanted to say ''hello''," he said when the two turned to their direction.


    Li Xu Min didn''t waste that chance and quickly introduced himself. "Hello, I''m Li Xu Min. Thank you for agreeing with our team''s request to do this promotional video."


    He didn''t bother to introduce himself using his game ount name. What''s the use of doing that when he appeared onmercials and magazines using his real name? It would only seem more rude if he introduce himself as ''Michael''.


    Luo Yan stared at the young man who happened to be team Celestial''s captain. He had seen the other''s pictures online. Just like the manyments made about the other, he truly looked like an angel. Even more so in his game avatar.


    He smiled back at Li Xu Min. "It''s fine. It''s something I owed Uriel anyway."


    "And since that favor is already paid, I hope you won''t bother Noctis again," Shen Ji Yun added while looking at Uriel coldly.


    Li Xu Min also knew that the reason Duan Yu was able to recruit Noctis for this promotional video was because of this mysterious ''favor''. He didn''t have much opinion about it since it was between the two. But seeing that YUN seemed to be annoyed by it, he felt the need to rectify the situation.


    "To show our gratitude for your time and effort, I''d like to send some special items to your item. If that''s alright?" he said.


    Luo Yan''s ears perked up at the mention of ''special items''. Since this was a top team in the game, surely they had a lot of legendary items in their treasury. He nodded in secret. At least Li Xu Min was sensitive enough to know that he had to bepensated for this. For that, this guy deserved a thumbs up.


    "Thank you. We will certainly not reject that," he said before turning to Shen Ji Yun. "Right, Brother YUN?"


    Shen Ji Yun only nodded.


    "Great," Li Xu Min said, smiling like an angel. Then, he suddenly turned towards Shen Ji Yun. "By the way, I''m really happy to finally meet you, YUN. It''s probably clich¨¦ to say this but I''m actually a really big fan of yours. Watching your fight during the finals of the first Arcadia Cup was the reason why I decided to y this game. That''s why I''m very happy to have a chance to talk to you like this."


    A crease slowly appeared on Luo Yan''s smooth forehead as he watched Li Xu Min. Somehow, that smile he considered as angelic suddenly became annoying.

 Chapter 896: CAN BE CHILDISH AND UNREASONABLE

    Chapter 896: CAN BE CHILDISH AND UNREASONABLESHEN JI YUN nodded in response to Li Xu Min''s rather enthusiastic greeting. "Thank you."


    Normally he would just nod and not say anything but he could see that the other truly meant what he said. Not responding to someone''s sincerity would just be too rude. Most importantly, he didn''t want to look like a person who ignored other people''s sincerity in front of Luo Yan.


    But the little rabbit beside him didn''t take that all too well. Because he also knew that Shen Ji Yun would just nod at best in response to such a praise. But the other didn''t do that and even said ''thank you''.


    The crease on his forehead became even deeper.


    On the other hand, Li Xu Min''s expression became even brighter. To the point that he''s visibly shining. "I should be the one saying ''thank you''. Just conversing with you like this already made me so happy. By the way--"


    Luo Yan stepped in front of Shen Ji Yun and interrupted whatever Li Xu Min was about to say, "Can I ask you something? If you don''t mind, that is."


    Li Xu Min was a bit startled by the sudden interruption. But he didn''t mind and definitely didn''t think much of it. So, he just smiled and said, "Of course, what is it?"


    Luo Yan actually just said what he said because he wanted to interrupt whatever ''moment'' Shen Ji Yun and Li Xu Min was having. Now that he had to genuinely ask a question when he didn''t actually have one, what else could he do but blurt out the first thing that came out of his mind.


    "How did all of the main members of team Celestials end up as Angels? You even have angel-rted game names. Did the five of you somehow meet each other and decided to form a team because all of you are Angels?"


    Although he thought of that question at the veryst minute, it was something that truly baffled him. Because seriously, how could there be such a coincidence in the world? What''s the chances that someone used an angel-rted game name and then happened to end up as Angels after choosing the random option while making the avatar?


    It would be even more miraculous if the five main members of team Celestials were friends beforehand. Because that meant they nned to use angel-rted names. It''s unbelievable to think that just because of that, they also ended up as Angels.


    If that''s how the game system worked, then everyone who wanted to get an Angel as their race would do the same.


    So, how did team Celestials do it?


    An awkward smile appeared on Li Xu Min''s face. He didn''t know how to answer it because even he didn''t know how it happened. The five of them ¨C the founders of team Celestials ¨C were all friends since high school.


    As he said to YUN, he started to want to y the game after watching the finals of the first Arcadia Cup with was more than five years ago when he was still in high school. He wanted to y the game but couldn''t because he couldn''t afford the VR helmet. Then his four friends gifted him one on his birthday.


    Li Xu Min could still remember that. He actually was hesitant to ept such an expensive gift. But after knowing that the four actually worked part-time so they could buy him the VR helmet, he couldn''t refuse.


    His friends could all easily buy VR helmets just by asking money from their parents. But instead of doing that, they earned the money themselves. Showing how sincere they were. So, how could he bring himself to refuse such a gift?


    He was the first one to y Arcadia and by chance, he got the Angel race after choosing the random option. His four friends followed. And then, they also happened too end up as Angels.


    Li Xu Min didn''t really think much of it. But after hearing Noctis'' question, why did it feel like some hocus-pocus happened that''s why all of them got the Angel race?


    As he was having trouble thinking of an answer, Duan Yu took the helm and answered it himself;


    "Let''s just say fate was on our side," Duan Yu said with a meaningful smile.


    Luo Yan raised his brow. Well, whatever. He wasn''t really interested in the answer. He just wanted to stop Li Xu Min from smiling at Shen Ji Yun. Now that he had already aplished that, he''s not nning to question them any further.


    "Good for you, then," he said with an equally fake smile. "Since we''re already done here, I think it''s time for Brother YUN and I to leave."


    After onest smile, he pulled Shen Ji Yun close to him and then quickly use a teleportation scroll.


    Before anyone could react, the two were already gone.


    "I haven''t challenged YUN yet for a PvP fight," Li Xu Min said, full of reluctance and disappointment.


    "Don''t worry, I''m sure we''ll meet them at the next season of Arcadia Cup," Duan Yu said with certainty.


    ---------


    Luo Yan teleported them at Shen Ji Yun''s personal floating ind. Before the other could speak, he turned to him.


    "Brother Ji Yun, what do you think of team Celestials'' captain?" he asked with a smile that didn''t reach his eyes.


    Shen Ji Yun, who was suddenly asked, felt a chill down his back. It''s like his instinct was telling him that if he gave the wrong answer, he would regret it. But because his mind just nked out, he simply said the first thing that he thought of;


    "I- I don''t have any opinion."


    Luo Yan seemed to be satisfied with that answer. But then, after a few seconds, the other suddenly burst outughing.


    "I''m sorry. I just realized that I can be childish and unreasonable sometimes too," he said. He pinched Shen Ji Yun''s cheek. "Did you know that I was very jealous just now?"

 Chapter 897: HOW PUNCTUAL

    Chapter 897: HOW PUNCTUALSHEN JI YUN felt like his mind just nked for a second. He heard the words Luo Yan said clearly. But fully understanding it was another matter altogether. Many would think that he was just exaggerating thing. But could they me him when he had never imagined that the word ''jealous'' woulde out of Luo Yan''s mouth?


    The other just seemed so... put together? It''s like Luo Yan always had a good grasp of any situation he was in. Even when Shen Ji Yun confessed to him, the other still maintained his cool. It''s like he could never feel flustered. If Shen Ji Yun didn''t see how genuinely happy Luo Yan was back then, he might have thought that the other agreed to his confession only because he was taking pity on him.


    And yet now, Luo Yan was telling him that he was jealous. The confusion he felt at first slowly turned into an ecstatic feeling. He almost couldn''t contain his happiness. But he still tried to maintain a calm expression. Although the moment he spoke, it showed just how far he was from being calm.


    "You were j-jealous?"


    Yes, he even stuttered saying that.


    Luo Yan smiled. "I was. Didn''t you see how hard I was trying to block Li Xu Min from looking at you?"


    Shen Ji Yun tried to remember the things that happened earlier. But all he could think of was Luo Yan having a good conversation with those two from team Celestials. He couldn''t even imagine that that was actually him being jealous.


    Luo Yan chuckled when he saw the confusion on Shen Ji Yun''s face. Knowing him, the other was probably analyzing in which part did he show his jealousy.


    "What, does Brother Ji Yun not believe me?" he asked, acting as if he''s offended.


    "No, no, not that," Shen Ji Yun quickly said in a panic. "I- It just seemed so unlike you. I mean, you always seemed to be... in control of everything."


    Luo Yan was a bit surprised hearing that. Did he really seem that way? Well, maybe because mentally, he was much older than Shen Ji Yun. Not only that, in terms of life experience, he was also much ahead. So that''s why, in the other''s eyes, he must have seem like he was always put together.


    He raised his hand and put it on Shen Ji Yun''s cheek. "I''m not a robot, Brother Ji Yun. It may seem like I''m always calm and collected, but I''m really quite emotional. I just have more control over it. But believe me, deep inside, there''s a kid there already raging." Then he pinched the other''s cheek. "And since I like you so much, seeing another person tantly showing their admiration to you in front of me, it''s only natural for me to get jealous. I''m only human after all."


    Shen Ji Yun blushed from ear to ear. Hearing Luo Yan said this in such an upfront way makes his heart beat faster. He felt so giddy, it''s like there''s a ton of butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He was so happy that he wanted to jump up and down like a silly kid. How could he not when he could feel just how much the other truly liked him?


    So, without much thought, he said the first thing that came to his mind, "I really want to kiss you right now." Then, as if only realizing what he just said, he flusteredly tried to exin, "I- I mean- that¡ªahm¡ª"


    "Go ahead. My lips are always free for Brother Ji Yun to kiss," Luo Yan said with a tempting smile.


    And so, Shen Ji Yun being helpless against such a temptation, could only lower his head and give Luo Yan a long and deep kiss.


    ----------


    As happy as Shen Ji Yun was yesterday, today he had to face something serious. And that was his meeting with Luo Ren. Since the other already knew about his rtionship with Luo Yan, he was definitely nning to talk to him about it.


    Their meeting time was after lunch but Shen Ji Yun went there an hour early. It''s better than beingte. After all, this was an important meeting. He could already tell that it would be vastly different from his talk with Luo Jin.


    No offense to that little guy, but Luo Ren would be a much tougher opponentpared to him. Maybe because Luo Jin was much more straightforward with his feelings. If he didn''t like something, he could easily show it. Just like a kid with no filter. Based on what he observed about Luo Ren, he was definitely nothing like that.


    The other was more like a person full of bad water in his stomach. In short, a typical ckbelly who could thrash his opponent with just a smile.


    Shen Ji Yun knew that Luo Ren probably also wasn''t too happy with his rtionship with Luo Yan. But because he loved his brother, he decided to tolerate him. Shen Ji Yun really didn''t know what he should say to the other. All he could do was to be honest with his feelings.


    And then he could only hope that his sincerity would reach the other.


    He looked around as he was waiting. Their meeting ce was a floating restaurant that wasposed of several floating private rooms. Shen Ji Yun reserved one of those rooms and was now waiting inside. There were teas and traditional snacks already on the table.


    As the time neared for Luo Ren to appear, his nerves were getting more and more frayed. Showing just how nervous he was.


    After waiting for 30 more minutes, the door to the private room finally opened and an elf with Luo Ren''s face walked in. The other raised his brow when he saw him already sitting inside.


    "Oh, you''re here early," Luo Ren said. "How punctual."


    Despite the other saying such apliment, Shen Ji Yun couldn''t feel it at all. The way Luo Ren said it felt more like he was judging him thanplimenting him. If his avatar could only sweat, his back would probably be soaked by now.

 Chapter 898: EVIDENCE

    Chapter 898: EVIDENCELUO REN lifted up the cup of tea in front of him and took a sip. "Good tea."


    He then looked at the young man in front of him. The other had a stiff expression or maybe he was just imagining it because of how rigid he was sitting. It''s really hard to tell what the other was thinking because of that expressionless face.


    Beforeing here, Luo Yan told him not to be mean to Shen Ji Yun. He didn''t answer and just smiled. Because if he couldn''t be mean towards the other, wouldn''t this meeting lose its meaning?


    Seriously, the more he looked at Shen Ji Yun, the more he wondered why Luo Yan liked this guy so much. The two of them wereplete opposites in terms of personality. The only thing they had inmon was their love for this game. But was that really even enough? He felt like his brother was scammed or something.


    But then again, if Luo Ren was using that logic, then wouldn''t he had to admit that he and Yu Jiao were also notpatible? The two of them were as opposite as opposite could be. They didn''t even have anything inmon. So, wouldn''t that mean that they were a worse pairing than Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun?


    That''s like shooting himself on the foot. That''s why he erased that kind of thinking in his mind. Since Luo Yan had already fallen for the guy, nothing would happen even if he questioned it.


    But that didn''t mean that he would just left it alone. Wasn''t that the reason why he''s here?


    "Yan Yan had probably already told you that I already know about his rtionship with you," Luo Ren started.


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun responded in a subdued voice.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t tell you to separate. It''s not my call anyway. Yan Yan will also hate it if I do that," Luo Ren said. "But that didn''t mean that I approve of this rtionship. That''s why I''m in a bind, you see? Since I can''t separate you two and yet I still want to test your feelings for my brother. So, do you have any suggestion of what I should do?"


    Shen Ji Yun gulped. His brain felt like it was slowly turning into jelly. It''s because he''d been so nervous since earlier. He had only became more nervous as the silence between them continued. Even more so after Luo Ren started speaking. And now, that the other suddenly asked him this question, he couldn''t think properly and just froze up.


    "Hmm... don''t you have any ideas to share?" Luo Ren asked after not hearing his response.


    "You can beat me up and I won''t fight back."


    After Shen Ji Yun said that, he realized how silly it was. He only said it because he''d been thinking about how Luo Ren would beat him up the moment they met. When the other suddenlyughed, he could feel his whole face heating up due to embarrassment.


    Luo Ren didn''t expect the other would actually suggest that he should beat him. That''s why he unconsciouslyughed. Then, realizing how unseemly of him that was, he cleared his throat to stop himself fromughing.


    "Don''t you think that would defeat the purpose since you won''t really feel pain even if I kill you in this game?" he said.


    [So, are you saying you want to kill me?] ¨C Shen Ji Yun thought.


    His n today was just to pour his heart out. You know, tell the other honestly just how much he loved Luo Yan and that he would never ever hurt him. But it seemed that what Luo Ren wanted was an immediate result. Something that could prove his feelings for Luo Yan.


    But what could he do to give the other that? No matter how much he thought about it, he really couldn''t think of anything.


    "What, don''t you have any ideas?" Luo Ren asked. "I thought you''re smart."


    Shen Ji Yun was having that imaginary cold sweat again. He couldn''t just remain silent or else this meeting would never have an end. He decided just to be honest just how he initially nned.


    "I honestly don''t know what you wanted me to do," he said. "What I can only do now is to tell you just how much I love Yan Yan. These words are probably not enough for you. But this is all I can give for now. That and the promise that I won''t ever hurt him."


    Luo Ren stared at the young man sitting in front of him. Despite the still expressionless face, Shen Ji Yun''s eyes were raging with fire. Even if he didn''t want to admit it, he could see that he truly meant what he just said.


    If he was Luo Jin, that would probably be enough and he would just let things be after telling him a few threats. But since he wasn''t his youngest brother, of course, this wouldn''t be enough.


    "I do believe that you love my brother. At least you do right now. But what would happen if your feelings change in the future? I want a concrete evidence that says that you''re willing to be punished if that ever happened."


    Shen Ji Yun showed a very confused expression. "What kind of evidence would you need?"


    Luo Ren smiled evilly and somehow Shen Ji Yun felt goosebumps all over.


    =====


    And that night, a certain video was continuously ying all throughout Arcadia for hours. It was of YUN looking straight at the camera with a very serious expression.


    "Hello to everyone in Arcadia, this is YUN. I''m currently in a rtionship right now and very much in love with my partner. I promise to love, protect, and cherish them for the rest of my life. If I ever break this promise, I give their family permission to... to c-cut off my li- little b-brother down there. This video is the evidence of me agreeing to that."

 Chapter 899: FEELING A BIT VENGEFUL

    Chapter 899: FEELING A BIT VENGEFULAS expected, after that video of YUN appeared all over Arcadia, the game forum exploded. Even in Weibo, the hashtag #YUNslittlebrother became a hot topic for a while. Some people who were not familiar with Arcadia were confused. But those who did, had a field day because of this.


    [Is this a prank? Is YUN pranking us?]


    [No, this must be a bet! There''s no way YUN would say such a thing!]


    [Didn''t you hear what he said? He has a girlfriend and this was his way of making a statement that he wouldn''t hurt her! Isn''t that sweet?]


    [What sweet? It''s embarrassing! No matter how much he likes this girlfriend, would he really abandon his pride for her?]


    [This is definitely a bet! Did you see YUN''s expression as he was saying all those things? He looked like he was dead inside!]


    [HAHAHAHA!!!]


    [YUN has definitely lose his mind.]


    [This is just in embarrassing.]


    [How could the number one Swordsman in the PvP ranking sink this low?]


    [Hey! What''s wrong with what YUN said? Wasn''t he just showing how much he likes his girlfriend? What''s wrong with that?]


    [Yeah, I find it really sweet. Can you still find a guy who would do that in public?]


    [If I was his girlfriend, I would definitely be in cloud nine by now.]


    [What''s this? I can''t believe YUN still has blind fans until now. I thought that has been would be aughingstock after watching that dumb video. How disappointing.]


    [Upstairs, can''t you not be such a tant hater?]


    [What ''has been''? I bet all my fortune YUN could one shot you in PvP match.]


    [But this is really so funny? Who would have thought that that iceberg would actually say those words with a straight face?]


    [Right? It''s like he''s reading it off of a script.]


    [Do you really think he said those things without any feelings behind them? I don''t think so. He clearly put in a lot of feelings there.]


    [I agree! His eyes when he spoke about his partner were very firm. He obviously really liked this partner. And when he talked about cutting off his little brother, his voice was shaky and he was even blushing due to embarrassment. There''s no way he didn''t put feelings when he made that announcement.]


    [Upstairs, is that the best ''evidence'' you have? He could be just purely embarrassed. That seemed to be possible considering the things that he just said.]


    [If we consider what he said as the truth, then who could this mysterious ''partner'' be?]


    [Since he announced it in the game, wouldn''t it mean that the other was also a yer?]


    [I think so as well. Maybe its Morganite? Since they have been friends for a long time, it''s not impossible for their rtionship to turn into something romantic.]


    [Why is it Morganite? It could be White Marsh for all we know.]


    [LOL if you''re assuming that YUN could be with a guy, then you might as well picked Noctis. At least that''s more believable.]


    [I''ll return thatment to you. Why are you assuming that Noctis is actually a guy? With that face, he could very well be a girl.]


    Comments like these filled the game forum and Weibo. Some are surprised, some were mocking YUN andughing at him, some assumed that he was indeed in love, while the remaining people just had the mentality of watching a show.


    All of these were very clear to Luo Yan who just finished watching Shen Ji Yun''s little announcement and just happened to read thements on Weibo at the same time.


    =====


    Luo Yan had been worrying about how Shen Ji Yun''s meeting with Luo Ren went. That''s why he''d been waiting for his brother outside his room. When the other finally walked out of the room, he immediately asked how his meeting with Shen Ji Yun went.


    His older brother only gave him a mysterious smile and said that Shen Ji Yun gave him ''evidence'' of his love for Luo Yan. He was very satisfied with this said ''evidence'' to the point that he even promised not to get in the way of his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun.


    Luo Yan began to get nervous then. Somehow, he had a feeling that Luo Ren might have done something to Shen Ji Yun. And his hunch was fully proven to be correct once he saw that video of Shen Ji Yun on Weibo.


    Watching him say the things that he said, Luo Yan first felt incredulous. Then, he thought that even in Shen Ji Yun''s embarrassment, he still looked adorable. But remembering how this video must have been watched by thousands of people by now, he couldn''t help but feel a bit angry.


    Not only at his older brother ¨C who he was sure was the one who instigated this, but also at Shen Ji Yun for even agreeing to do something like this. The other didn''t have to lower his pride like this just to prove to people his feelings for him. It''s enough that Luo Yan could clearly feel that love. Wasn''t that the most important thing?


    He didn''t want to see the person he liked lower himself like that. Especially if it''s for him.


    But he must admit that he was also very much touched by this gesture. Because it once again proved just how much Shen Ji Yun liked him. How many people could say those things, knowing full well that a lot of people would see it?


    Even if Shen Ji Yun was in his avatar mode when he did that, he wasn''t just an ordinary yer. He was so well-known to the point that this ''announcement'' even became a hot topic on Weibo. So, frankly, there''s really not much difference in doing it with his real face or with his avatar.


    Luo Yan closed his phone decidedly. Knowing that the cause of all this was his older brother, even if the other did it out of his love for him, he couldn''t help but feel a bit vengeful towards the other.


    A glint of mischief and revenge then shed in his big peach blossom eyes.

 Chapter 900: HIS HEART WARMED

    Chapter 900: HIS HEART WARMEDSHEN JI YUN was sitting at the rooftop of his department''s building, looking up at the Winter sky. He had an hour break before the start of his next ss. Even though it was cold as hell, he still chose to remain here instead of going inside the building or any other establishments that provide warmth andfort. All because he didn''t want to be around people.


    He knew it''s just him being paranoid, but he couldn''t help but feel that everyone was staring at him mockingly. As if they were secretly making fun of him. Who could me him for feeling that way? It''s all because of that damn video he made that was broadcasted all throughout Arcadia and thenter made its way to SNS.


    Even though he understood that not any of these people actually associated him with that video because he was in his avatar form, he still couldn''t help but feel like everyone wasughing at him. There''s no doubt that some of them must have known that he was actually YUN. His avatar''s face was very simr to his own after all.


    It was so embarrassing and humiliating. After Luo Ren told him to do that, he almost couldn''t believe his ears. But after seeing the other''s evil smile, he knew that he wasn''t joking. So, what else could he do but to do it?


    It was the evidence Luo Ren wanted as proof of his love for Luo Yan. What else could Shen Ji Yun do when the other put it that way? Having his feelings be questioned was thest thing he ever wanted.


    But it was so damn hard to do it. Still, he persevered. The moment he uttered those... humiliating words, he felt liberated. As if a huge weight was lifted off of his shoulders. He just didn''t expect that that little video would make its way to Weibo and even became a hot search.


    He was bombarded by calls and messages from his uncle and Bai Ze. Even Su Yuqi sent him a message asking if he was being ckmailed. That''s when he realized that things became bigger than it should.


    But Shen Ji Yun didn''t regret any of it. No matter how humiliating, if he thought that it was just him showing his love for Luo Yan, then it became infinitely bearable. Although the embarrassment was still there, as evidence of him hiding here, he actually didn''t mind it at all.


    Punishing him that way was just Luo Ren''s way of venting his anger about his rtionship with Luo Yan. If something like that could alleviate the other''s anger and could have the other off of their backs, then Shen Ji Yun was willing to do it as many times as needed.


    It would be nice though if Luo Yan had called him.


    After he answered the calls from his uncle and Bai Ze, exining to them what happened, he was actually expecting a call from his rabbit. But after waiting for almost the whole night, it didn''te.


    He thought at first that the other probably didn''t know about it. Which was better in a way. He could just exin it to him once he logged into the gameter. But when Shen Ji Yun called Luo Yan this morning, his call was hung up.


    That''s when he knew that something must be wrong.


    His first thought was something must have happened to the other. But then he quickly shook off that idea. If something really did happen, Bai Ze would have informed him about it. Since the two were cousins, the Bai family would definitely be the first people to know if something happened in the Luo family.


    Then, there''s only one conclusion. Luo Yan was angry at him.


    He sent the other a message, asking him directly if he was angry. What he learned from his uncle and Uncle Yue''s rtionship was thatmunication was the key to any good rtionship. If there''s some kind of misunderstanding, they should talk it out and solve it quickly.


    He reply he received was a bit baffling though.


    Shen Ji Yun took out his phone and looked at Luo Yan''s message.


    [It seems that Brother Ji Yun doesn''t know why I''m angry. Until you realize why, please don''t call or message me.]


    And so he hadn''t messaged or called the other since then.


    But Shen Ji Yun still didn''t know the answer as to why Luo Yan was mad at him. He had a feeling that it had something to do with that little announcement he made. But which part of it made Luo Yan angry?


    Was it because he announced that he had a partner? Or was he embarrassed of him because of that ''little brother'' thing?


    No, he couldn''t imagine Luo Yan being angry because of both cases. The other wasn''t someone so shallow that he would be angry over such things. Then, he''s in an impasse.


    That''s what he had been pondering all throughout his morning ss. Even now, during his break, it''s still the question that''s filling his head. Honestly, he couldn''t think of any answer. At times like this, he truly regretted not having a high EQ.


    Being at his wit''s end, he decided to call someone for help.


    "Ji Yun? Where are you?" Bai Ze from the other end of the phone. "Seriously, are you some kind of legendary Pok¨¦mon? Why is it so hard to find you?"


    "Never mind that. I have a question," Shen Ji Yun quickly cut off Bai Ze''s tirade.


    "What is it?"


    "You know, that video of me that circted yesterday, I think Yan Yan is mad at me because of it," Shen Ji Yun started to exin. "Do you have any idea why? Because I really can''t think of anything."


    There was silence on the other end of the phone. It took a while before Bai Ze gave an answer.


    "Maybe because he didn''t like that you humiliated yourself for him."


    Shen Ji Yun''s eyes widened hearing that. Then realized that that reason was the most probable of all.


    And his heart simply warmed at that thought.

 Chapter 901: PROUD OF YOU

    Chapter 901: PROUD OF YOULUO YAN was walking with Luo Jin and Yu Jiao to the restaurant where they usually had lunch. All throughout morning, there was only one topic of conversation among their ssmates. Yes, it was that video of Shen Ji Yun that went viral after it appeared all over Arcadia.


    After the initial annoyance that Luo Yan felt as people continued to gossip about Shen Ji Yun, he then started to feel sorry for the other. His reputation, although not in tatters, was now like a joke. Luo Yan even felt bad that he didn''t immediatelyforted Shen Ji Yun and instead ignored him.


    It''s only the start of their rtionship and he''s already being a bad boyfriend.


    "Yan Yan, is- is Shen Ji Yun alright?" Yu Jiao suddenly asked from the side.


    She had actually wanted to ask this question to Luo Yan since they walked out of the ssroom but she couldn''t find the opportunity to do so. She was worrying that Luo Yan might not like being questioned about that. After all, it''s something that''s really embarrassing.


    More so because she had a feeling that Shen Ji Yun did that to appease Luo Yan''s family. Particrly, his brothers. She just wondered if the other did that voluntarily or if he was forced to do it.


    Yu Jiao had a feeling that it was thetter. And if so, then the only one who could do that out of Luo Yan''s two brothers was Luo Ren. It''s not that she was looking down on Luo Jin, but the other simply was too simple, like a kid who directly expressed his anger and dissatisfaction, to pull off something like that.


    But after realizing that it must be Luo Ren, she suddenly felt a bitplicated. In her mind, Luo Ren was a kind and thoughtful person. But it seemed that the other also had a scheming side.


    And that''s fine. She wouldn''t dislike him because of that. It would probably hard to be a businessman if one didn''t have a shred of scheming in their body. Besides, Luo Ren probably only did that because of his love for his brother. Albeit over the top, his action came from a good ce. So, she really couldn''t fault him in that.


    That''s definitely not her being bias though.


    Luo Yan nced at Yu Jiao after hearing the other''s question. Looking at the other, he suddenly had a thought. He still hadn''t yet thought of how he would take revenge on his older brother. If he used Yu Jiao, he would surely hit his brother where it hurt.


    But he also quickly shook off that idea. Yu Jiao was his friend. He hadn''t yet sunken so low that he would use his friend for a personal vendetta. The said vendetta wasn''t even that deep or anything. It''s just him wanting to get back at his brother for bullying his boyfriend.


    A simple prank should probably suffice.


    He was about to answer Yu Jiao, but Luo Jin beat him to it.


    "Of course he''s doing fine. Why wouldn''t he when he announced to everyone just how much he loves his partner?" Luo Jin said in a mocking tone.


    When he watched that video, he almost fell off his bed because ofughing too hard. He knew that his eldest brother met with Shen Ji Yun yesterday. He just didn''t expect that he would actually make the other announce something like that all over Arcadia.


    Well, it''s Luo Ren. His brother was definitely capable of doing something like that. The other could probably even force Shen Ji Yun into doing something worse than that if he put his mind into it.


    Luo Jin just felt that it''s such a shame that he didn''t think of doing what his eldest brother did when he and Shen Ji Yun had that talk. But he probably would have ever thought of that anyway. After all, he''s the type to move based on his current feelings. When he talked with Shen Ji Yun, he couldn''t really think of anything, much less pit the other.


    Luo Yan turned to his younger brother and smiled. "Yes, he didn''t mind losing face as long as he could prove just how much he loves me. Isn''t Brother Ji Yun just the sweetest?"


    Yu Jiao nodded. "Yes, he definitely is."


    While Luo Jin made gagging noises. "Stop or I''m going to puke."


    The two said that almost at the same time. So they couldn''t help but look at each other.


    "You know, Yu Jiao, you''re really too kind for your own good," Luo Jin said.


    Luo Yan encircled his arm around Yu Jiao''s arm. "And what''s wrong with that? Being kind-hearted is one of Jiao Jiao''s strength."


    Luo Jin only rolled his eyes at that. But he did wonder how his eldest brother would make this girl fall for him. Yu Jiao might not even entertain the thought that Luo Ren would be romantically interested in her.


    But then again, he''s really not in the position to worry about their love life when he didn''t even know what he should do with his.


    When they reached the restaurant, Luo Yan told the two;


    "You two go in first, I''ll just make a call."


    Yu Jiao nodded and went inside. While Luo Jin gave him a meaningful nce before following Yu Jiao.


    After the two walked inside the restaurant, Luo Yan took out his phone and dialed someone''s number. Once it connected, the first thing he heard was the energetic voice of the person on the other line.


    "Yan Yan!"


    Shen Ji Yun''s voice was a mixed of excitement and relief. Luo Yan smiled. The other had probably been waiting for his call since this morning.


    "I''m sorry, Brother Ji Yun," he started. "I shouldn''t have sent that message earlier. You did nothing wrong. No, in fact, you did amazing. You showed your love for me, even at the cost of your pride. For that, I''m grateful. I''m really proud of you, Brother Ji Yun."

 Chapter 902: NO NEED TO BE SO FORMAL WITH FAMILY

    Chapter 902: NO NEED TO BE SO FORMAL WITH FAMILYTHERE was silence on the other side. "Brother Ji Yun, did you hear what I said?" Luo Yan asked, thinking that the other might have not heard what he just said that''s why he didn''t immediately react.


    "No, I heard it," Shen Ji Yun said in a hoarse voice, as if he was trying to suppress his emotions. Another silence filled the air before the other spoke once more. "I didn''t mind it, you know? Yes, it was embarrassing to say those things knowing that many people would watch it. But I never thought that it was shameful. How could that be when I''m doing it to prove my love for you? My pride isn''t that much importantpared to that."


    Now, it was Luo Yan''s turn to be momentarily speechless. Then, he smiled and unconsciously said, "I really want to kiss you right now."


    "M-me too."


    Hearing Shen Ji Yun stuttered, Luo Yan knew that the other must be blushing red just now. He really wanted to see him. Now he''s regretting why he didn''t video call the other and just directly called him instead.


    But then again, if he saw Shen Ji Yun just now, he might just kiss the screen of his phone on the spot because of how adorable the other was. It''s fine if he''s alone in his room but doing that out in the open like this, well, that''s another matter altogether. Although, if it was at that moment, he probably wouldn''t think of anything and would have just done it.


    They talked a bit more before ending the call.


    "I''ll go ahead and eat lunch. You too, go and have lunch if you haven''t eaten yet. Love you!"


    Before he could hear Shen Ji Yun''s reply, he heard a teasing voice from behind.


    "I do hope you''re talking to my nephew."


    Luo Yan was so startled suddenly hearing that voice that he identally hit the ''end call'' button on the screen of his phone. Thus, hanging up on Shen Ji Yun.


    He turned around, and just as he suspected, Shen Yi Mu was standing there with an amused expression on his face. But the other was not alone. A tall and lean man was standing beside him. His ck hair was a bit messy and the upper half of his face was almost covered by the big and tacky sses he''s wearing.


    It''s Teacher Jiang.


    If Luo Yan hadn''t seen the two of them together already or had known about the rtionship between the two, he might have been surprised seeing them side by side like this. But since he already knew, he didn''t wonder why the two were together right now.


    Instead, he smiled and answered Shen Yi Mu''s question regarding if the one he was talking to was Shen Ji Yun. "Of course, it could only be Brother Ji Yun."


    Shen Yi Mu raised his brow. Answering his question so naturally and without even blushing, anyone could see that the other had a strong and confident character. He could hardly imagine that this was a kid who had a nk seven-year period in his life because of falling into aatose state.


    He had long thought about this since he met the other personally in Chengdu. But Luo Yan certainly didn''t look like a kid whocked intellectual or even mental growth. Something that you would expect from someone who was in aa for years. Especially from someone who suffered from it from such a young age. But he couldn''t see none of that from Luo Yan.


    His family might have not thought much of it because they''re just simply happy that he regained consciousness. But someone like Shen Yi Mu, who was an outsider, could see it quite clearly.


    Well, anyway, even though that''s suspicious, it wouldn''t change the fact that Luo Yan generally had a very good character. What''s his proof of that? Wouldn''t the fact that his nephew fell for Luo Yan proof enough already?


    "That''s good to hear, then," he finally responded.


    As Shen Yi Mu was observing Luo Yan, Jiang Yue was also doing the same. He had been informed that Shen Ji Yun was now officially romantically together with Luo Yan.


    It actually came off as a surprise to him. Just because when he met Xiao Yun again, the other had only mentioned that he would confess. Then, after the weekend, the two of them were now together.


    Just now, when he heard Luo Yan so straightforwardly say that he loved Xiao Yun, he was quite envious at that moment. Probably because he could never be that candid with his own feelings. Maybe he should learn from the other. Especially now that he and Yi Mu had been given a second chance.


    Then, Jiang Yue was slightly startled when Luo Yan suddenly walked up to him.


    "Hello, Teacher Jiang," the other greeted.


    "Oh, hello," he said.


    "What ''Teacher Jiang''? No need to be so formal with family. Just call him ''Uncle Yue''," Shen Yi Mu said, putting his arm around Jiang Yue''s shoulder. "Right, Ah Yue?"


    Jiang Yue blushed because of the hidden implication of Shen Yi Mu''s words. "Brother Mu--!"


    "What, I''m just telling the truth," Shen Yi Mu replied with a yful smile. "And you don''t have to worry, I''m sure Xiao Yan knew about us," he added before turning to Luo Yan "Isn''t that right, Xiao Yan?"


    "Yes. And I think you two look absolutely perfect together," Luo Yan said with a double thumbs-up.


    Jiang Yue blushed, feeling shy at thepliment.


    "Is Uncle Yi Mu and Uncle Yue here to eat?" Luo Yan asked, changing the topic.


    Shen Yi Muughed a little at how lightning fast Luo Yan adapted with calling Ah Yue, ''uncle''. "Yes. Ah Yue said the food here is great."


    "It is. The chef, who''s also the manager, is really good," Luo Yan said.


    Jiang Yue bit his lower lip. He hadn''t yet told Shen Yi Mu that Yuan Xing was the said ''chef/manager''. He wanted it to be a surprise. Hopefully, it wouldn''t cause too much of a surprise.

 Chapter 903: THE MOST NATURAL THING

    Chapter 903: THE MOST NATURAL THINGLUO YAN teleported to the floating ind owned by Shen Ji Yun the moment he logged into the game. After his afternoon ss, the two of them exchanged messages and decided to meet up here.


    As the surrounding changed and he found himself standing on the ind, he once again marvel at the beauty of the ce. Especially at this time of the day. When the sun had already set and the moon with it''s silvery light was shining in the dark sky filled with stars. Every time Luo Yan saw this scene, it felt like he could grab one if he just stretched out his arm to the sky.


    He turned his gaze forward and smiled when he saw Shen Ji Yun standing beside the giant tree with his back to him. Luo Yan used his [Shadow Walk] to surprised the other.


    When he was just a step away from where Shen Ji Yun was standing, he jumped out of the shadow and hugged the other''s back. "Guess who?"


    Shen Ji Yun was startled when he suddenly felt a pair of arms around his waist. Then, when he heard the voice that followed, the corner of his lips turned up into a smile. "Yan Yan," he called, ying along with the other.


    Luo Yan put his chin on Shen Ji Yun''s shoulder and then whispered, "Brother Ji Yun, remember what I told you earlier?"


    Shen Ji Yun felt a soft breath tickling his ear. His face immediately heated up because of that. But even though he was distracted by how close Luo Yan was to him, his mind was still able to understand what the other just said.


    "Yes," he said with a hoarse voice. "You wanted to kiss me."


    "Shall we do it now?"


    Luo Yan''s voice was like honey, inviting him to sin. Instead of answering, Shen Ji Yun turned around and deftly held Luo Yan in his arms. And without a word, he slowly lowered his head.


    He subconsciously closed his eyes as he did so. But then, his lips didn''t seem tond on the right target. Because instead of soft, tender lips, what he felt was something furry.


    Shen Ji Yun quickly opened his eyes and saw a ck furry tail. He immediately stepped back and only then saw Eclipse standing between him and Luo Yan. The other probably automatically teleported there after Luo Yan had logged in. It''s one of the perks of being a ''pet'' after all.


    "Teehee... Captain just kiss Eclipse''s tail," Eclipse said while holding both cheeks looking all shy. Then, as if realizing that he shouldn''t be feeling that way, he turned to Shen Ji Yun and scolded the other. "Captain, no matter how cute Eclipse is, you shouldn''t do that! You and Master are a couple now. You shouldn''t cheat on Master! Besides, Eclipse is practically your son. This is incest!"


    Shen Ji Yun felt like a vein on his forehead just popped because of Eclipse''s nonsense. For the first time, no, it''s definitely not the first time, he suddenly wanted to throw the kid off the ind.


    But before he could actually consider doing that, Luo Yan had already pinched Eclipse''s fox ears.


    "Aw... aw... Master it hurts!" Eclipse said.


    Luo Yan was barely pinching Eclipse''s ear and yet the way the other was acting, one would think that he''s being tortured. Luo Yan was really tempted to pull this kid''s ear with force.


    "Stop acting or I''ll lock the door to your Mana fruit warehouse," he threatened.


    It''s not really a warehouse but two big rooms in the team''s headquartersbined together. Shen Ji Yun built that and filled it with Mana fruits to fulfill his promise with Eclipse.


    Eclipse pouted. "Master doesn''t love Eclipse anymore."


    Luo Yan only gave Eclipse a look. You know, the one parents gave their children whenever they wanted them to behave. Eclipse understood and no longer pretended to sulk.


    "Fine. This lightbulb won''t disturb Master and Captain''s date anymore," Eclipse said with a sigh. "This lightbulb will now go."


    Before Luo Yan or Shen Ji Yun could react, Eclipse had already teleported away.


    Luo Yan pinched the bridge of his nose. Seriously, what a troublemaker. He wondered where Eclipse got that from.


    "Should we follow him?" Shen Ji Yun asked, thinking that Eclipse might be sulking somewhere.


    "Nah, he''ll be fine. By tomorrow, he''d probably already forgotten that this happened," Luo Yan said. He sat down on the grass and leaned back on the giant tree. He raised his head to look at Shen Ji Yun and patted the space beside him. "Brother Ji Yun, you sit down too."


    Of course, Shen Ji Yun happily obliged. As soon as he sat down, Luo Yan leaned his head on his shoulder. Then, both their hands moved at the same time and sped each other. As if it was the most natural thing.


    They stayed at that position just gazing at the moon above. It was a moment filled with silence. And yet both of their hearts felt full.


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, do you know someone named Yuan Xing?" Luo Yan asked after a while.


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit surprised hearing that name. "Yes, there''s a ''Yuan Xing'' I know. He''s a friend of Uncle, as well as Brother Zhao, he''s the head of the programming department. But how did Yan Yan know that name?"


    "Well, I mentioned to Brother Ji Yun that Uncle Yi Mu and Uncle Yue ate together at the restaurant where Ah Jin, Jiao Jiao, and I usually eat lunch, right?" Luo Yan said, referring to when they were exchanging messages after his afternoon ss ended. "This Mr. Yuan is the chef and manager there. I know that he was friends with Uncle Yue. I just didn''t expect that he was also friends with Uncle Yi Mu."


    In fact, the reason why he asked Shen Ji Yun about it was because of the weird atmosphere between the three. The look on Uncle Yi Mu''s face was like someone who wanted to curse but couldn''t because they''re in a public ce.

 Chapter 904: YAN YANS LITTLE REVENGE

    Chapter 904: YAN YAN''S LITTLE ''REVENGE''SHEN JI YUN was quite surprised to hear that. Not because of his uncle''s reaction in seeing Brother Yuan but the fact that thetter was actually working at Luo Yan''s school. "It''s actually been awhile since Ist saw Brother Yuan. I didn''t think that he would actually be in S City."


    "How long have you not seen him?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Hmm... about three years, I guess?"


    "Is he close with Uncle Yi Mu and Uncle Yue?" Luo Yan just thought of asking that because of Shen Yi Mu''s reaction. Aside from that, he had also seen Yuan Xing''s interaction with Teacher Jiang whenever thetter eat at the restaurant. The two of them certainly appeared close.


    "Yes, together with Brother Zhao," Shen Ji Yun answered. "It''s just weird that Brother Yuan just suddenly disappeared three years or so ago. I sometimes saw him in thepany, bringing food to Brother Zhao. When I asked Brother Zhao why Brother Yuan no longer visits thepany, he just said that the other left and went to Mars. Of course, I know he''s joking. But his expression when he said that was a bit weird."


    "Why weird?"


    "Well, his tone was joking but his expression was like that of someone who was in pain but trying his hardest to bear it."


    Luo Yan raised his head and turned to Shen Ji Yun. A certain thought suddenly shed in his mind when he heard that.


    A group of four friends. Yuan Xing suddenly leaving, this Brother Zhao''s reaction and the fact that he''s the head of Moonlight Media''s programming department. Uncle Yi Mu''s weird reaction when he saw Yuan Xing. And finally, the name of the pavilion that he got as a reward during the king of Arcadia''s birthday festival.


    Yuexing Pavilion.


    He felt like everything just clicked. Like puzzle pieces fitting together.


    "By any chance, is Mr. Yuan in a rtionship with this Brother Zhao?" he asked, to make sure of it.


    Shen Ji Yun only gave him a confused expression. "They are?"


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun''s expression and then burst outughing. Then, he leaned towards the other and gave his lips a quick peck. "You''re adorable."


    Shen Ji Yun quickly forgot the Brother Zhao-Brother Yuan situation and just said shyly, "Can we kiss a bit longer?"


    Luo Yan smiled and just puckered his lips, indicating that they could. So, Shen Ji Yun leaned forward and kissed him.


    ----------


    After flirting with Shen Ji Yun, the two of them did some tasks and grinded levels as well. Then, Luo Yan logged out.


    He removed the VR helmet and put it on the side of his bed. He looked at the time. It''s only 10 o''clock in the evening. Usually he would sleep at this time. But not today. Because tonight was the start of his little revenge n on his older brother.


    So, instead of sleeping, he walked to his study table and reviewed his lessons to pass the time.


    ----------


    Luo Ren woke up because of the sound of the constant knocking on the door. When he sat up, he felt like his head was a bit heavy. As if a foreign object was attached to it. Before he could raise his hand and touch his hair, he heard a very familiar voice calling him from outside the room.


    "Brother! Can you open the door? I have something to tell you!"


    Knowing that it was Luo Yan, he ignored the heavy feeling on his head and walked towards the door. But the moment he opened it, he had to unconsciously close his eyes because of the sudden sh that attacked him.


    Luo Ren quickly realized that it was a sh from a phone. So, when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Luo Yan holding his phone up and smiling mischievously at him.


    "Good morning, Brother!" the other greeted. "What a nice day this is."


    Before Luo Ren could react, his brother had already turned around and ran away. He narrowed his eyes at the other''s back. He was sure that Luo Yan just took a photo of him just now.


    Then, remembering the unnatural feeling of his head, he suddenly had a bad premonition. He quickly ran back inside his room, running directly to his bathroom. He stopped fully the moment he saw himself on the mirror.


    There the reflection he saw was that of guy wearing a blond bob cut wig. Not only that, this guy also had a heavy and smoky make-up. Dark purple eyeshadows, red blush, and an even redder shade of lipstick.


    And this weird guy was none other than Luo Ren.


    Remembering how Luo Yan took a photo of him in this get-up, there''s no doubt that the other was the one responsible for this. Luo Yan must have done it while he was sleeping. But the question here was, why didn''t he wake up while the other was doing all these ruckus?


    Then, as if answering him, he remembered the scented candle Luo Yan gave himst night. The other told him that it would help him in his sleep. And it really did. Quite immensely so if he hadn''t woken up even after Luo Yan put all this make-up on him.


    The scented candle probably helped him rxed even more because he was particrly tired yesterday. That candle was definitely pretty well-made if he slept thought all that.


    Luo Ren suddenlyughed. He honestly didn''t know what to feel about this. But first, let''s remove this make-up on his face.


    He took off the blond wig first before washing his face. As he was doing so, he wondered why Luo Yan went through all this trouble just to take a photo of him in this get-up.


    After washing his face, an answer suddenly shed in his mind. As if a light bulb just turned on inside his head.


    "No way, he wouldn''t possibly be..."


    He quickly ran out of his room to look for Luo Yan. But as he was about to pass by Luo Jin''s room, the other just walked out while looking down on his phone. Luo Ren almost bumped into the other. It''s a good thing that he managed to stop in time.


    He was about to scold Luo Jin when his brother raised his head and showed him the picture on his phone.


    "Is this you, Brother?"


    Luo Ren looked down. When he saw the picture Luo Jin showed him, his eyes shook.


    He quickly grabbed the phone and saw that it was a message sent in WeChat.


    YanYan1213: [Look at this big beauty. Isn''t ''she'' just the prettiest?]


    There were two photos attached to the message. One of him sleeping with the make-up and the wig. The other was the one Luo Yan took just now.


    But it was not just simply sent to Luo Jin. Luo Yan sent it to a group chat that he probably just made. The other sent the two pictures to their family ¨C including their uncle, aunt, and cousin. Even Shen Ji Yun was included. That''s still eptable. But when he saw thest name on the group chat, he froze.


    Luo Yan also sent the photos to Yu Jiao!

 Chapter 905: FIGHT FOR HIS HONOR

    Chapter 905: FIGHT FOR HIS HONORLUO REN didn''t have time to react properly because the group chat that Luo Yan started, began to be filled with messages.


    [Orchid]: Oh my, is this Ah Ren?


    [Bai Chen]: Ah Ze, is this a bet between you and Xiao Yan?


    [Cute Ah Ze]: HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!


    [Cute Ah Ze]: I respect your taste, Brother Ren!


    [Cute Ah Ze]: HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!


    [luckycloud]: ¡­


    [LWT]: Ahem, Ah Ze, if you''re trouble about something, just talk to me.


    [YanYan1213]: Love you, Brother! *fox sticker sending hearts*


    [yujiao]: £¨©–o©–;£© !!


    Luo Ren stared at that emoji that Yu Jiao sent. He didn''t know the feeling the other was trying to convey. Was it a good shock or a particrly bad one?


    The messages continued to fill the chat log.


    [Orchid]: But Ah Ren really is pretty. Although a light make-up would probably be better. Why don''t we try dressing you up properly once you visit here during the Spring Festival? I can lend you one of my dresses.]


    [YanYan1213]: That''s a great idea Aunt Xin. I approve!

 Chapter 906: A GOOD PERSON

    Chapter 906: A GOOD PERSONYU JIAO stared at her phone and the corner of her lips unconsciously turned up. She was looking at the two pictures of Luo Ren that she saved. When Luo Yan added her to the group chat and she saw those pictures, she almost choked on the water she''s drinking.


    She actually wasn''t sure which one she should be shocked about. Those pictures or the fact that Luo Yan added her to a group chat which only had his families in it. Well, minus, Shen Ji Yun. Since he''s now Luo Yan''s boyfriend, he already counted as a family.


    But she didn''t have any time to think because messages started to appear in the chat log. She didn''t want to be rude so she also sent a message. But then, the conversation just started to turn weird. So, she decided to leave and say that she had to get ready for school. Which was not a lie. She was indeed about to eat breakfast.


    "What makes you smile so happily?" suddenly asked her mother.


    The two of them were currently eating breakfast. After they moved in this apartment, she decided to not live in the school dorms anymore. The point of her living there was so she could avoid Mo Jian. But now that her mother was divorced with Mr. Mo, there''s no need for her to do that.


    "Nothing. Yan Yan just sent me something funny," Yu Jiao answered, avoiding her mother''s gaze so the other wouldn''t notice that she wasn''t fully telling the truth.


    Ji Xiuying remembered the teenager who became friends with her daughter. It had been quite a while since shest saw the other. "You should invite him here for dinner sometimes. Tell him I''ll cook that pork dumpling he likes so muchst time."


    "Okay, Mom," Yu Jiao said.


    Ji Xiuying smiled involuntarily remembering thest time Luo Yan visited here. The other didn''t have any air of arrogance around him. Something that''s probably rare for someone born into such a rich family. That''s why she really liked the kid.


    It''s just a shame that there was nothing remotely romantic between her daughter and Luo Yan. At first she tried to tease her daughter about her rtionship with the other. But Yu Jiao only looked at her as if she said something really weird.


    It was the first time she saw that kind of expression on her daughter. Like someone who was being forced to eat a delicious food that just so happened to not suit their taste. Seeing that kind of reaction, Ji Xiuying no longer tried to tease Yu Jiao about Luo Yan since then.


    "Really, how good it would be if Yan Yan became my son-inw," she said, subconsciously voicing out her own thoughts.


    "Mom, please, Yan Yan is my friend," Yu Jiao said with a helpless expression.


    She was about to add that Luo Yan also now had a boyfriend, good thing he managed to stop herself before she did that. She didn''t exactly know how to exin that to her mother without fumbling it up. So, it''s better to just not say it.


    "I know, I know," Ji Xiuying said. "Can''t you me your mother for wanting to match a good boy with her one and only lovely daughter?"


    [And that good boy is now perfectly match to another good boy.] ¨C Yu Jiao thought as a response.


    It was then that her phone rang. When she saw Luo Ren''s name on the caller ID, she stood up and said, "Mom, I''ll just take this call."


    She then walked to her room and answered the call as soon as she closed the door.


    "Brother Ren?" There was no immediate answer from the other end of the line. So, Yu Jiao repeated, "Brother?"


    "Ahem. Sorry. I¡ª" Yu Jiao then heard a long sigh. "You''ve seen the photos, right?"


    She didn''t expect that the other would call her because of that. So, she didn''t know exactly how she should react. She could only tentatively say, "Yes, I did."


    "Tell me the honestly, is it bad?"


    "No, of course not!" Yu Jiao quickly said. "Just as I said in the group chat, Brother Ren''s pictures are not that bad."


    "But it''s not good either, right?"


    Yu Jiao wasn''t able to answer quickly. But since Luo Ren was looking for honesty, it would be more rude if she actually lied. "Well, the make-up was certainly a tad bit too thick. With Brother Ren''s handsomeness, a light make-up would suffice. It wouldn''t look too weird either. The resulting picture would probably be a lot better."


    Once again, there was only silence from the other end of the line. Yu Jiao started to worry that the other was offended by what she said. Before she could say anything to exin, the other finally spoke;


    "You think I''m handsome?"


    Yes, Luo Ren was far from being offended. In fact, right now, the corner of his lips had already turned into a huge grin. Showing just how happy he was hearing Yu Jiao call him handsome. To the point that he had even forgotten all the embarrassment he had felt since he saw those photos.


    Yu Jiao was startled when she heard the question. Out of all the things she said, that''s really the one Luo Ren focused on. But for some reason, the question actually made her flustered.


    It''s like if she admitted at this moment that the other was indeed handsome, she would even be more embarrassed. But she couldn''t exactly say otherwise when she was the one who mentioned it first.


    "I- I mean- isn''t that something already so obvious?" she blurted out at the end.


    She heard Luo Ren chuckle after.


    "Indeed," the other said. "I hope the photos Yan Yan took won''t let you think less of me."


    The sudden serious turn, once again, made Yu Jiao unable to respond quickly. But still, at the end, she said, "Of course not! A couple of photos don''t represent who you are as a person. I- Brother Ren is a good person and no amount of embarrassing photos could change that."

 Chapter 907: A WIDE GRIN

    Chapter 907: A WIDE GRINLUO REN was on his way to his father''s office to invite the other for lunch. As he was walking, he couldn''t help but remember the conversation he had with Yu Jiao earlier this morning.


    He was d that the other''s impression of him didn''t change because of those pictures. Although the image of him wearing make-up would probably remained in her mind for quite a long time. He was also very happy that Yu Jiao called him ''handsome''. He just didn''t know what to feel after the other gave him the ''good person'' card.


    Because wasn''t that on the same level as being friend zoned?


    Luo Ren sighed. Maybe in Yu Jiao''s mind he''s just a nice older brother and nothing more. He had already thought of how he should change the other''s impression of him for a long quite some time now, but he honestly couldn''t think of a way.


    It''s not like he could just directly show his feelings to Yu Jiao. Especially when the other was still technically a minor. Although her birthday was next month and she would turn 18 then, he''s still not sure if it''s right for him to make a move. He wanted to, of course. He''s just not sure if he should.


    Even if Yu Jiao was finally an adult, she''s still a student. He''s a working adult that had already stepped into society while she was just making her way there. He could easily take advantage of herck of experience in life and manipte her into thinking that she also felt the same way for him as he did for her.


    Of course, not that he would. He was just saying that it would be easy for him to influence her towards that direction. Maybe he would even subconsciously do that without him noticing.


    He sighed once again. He probably should just continue to be patient. It''s not like things would be solved if he mulled over it non-stop. Doing things one step at a time was still the best course of action.


    Luo Ren just hoped that during the time that he was being patient, Yu Jiao wouldn''t fall in love with some other guy. He might really do something drastic if that happened.


    He stopped in front of his father''s office and knocked. When he heard the other''s voice telling him toe in, he opened the door and walked inside. He saw his father buried in paperwork.


    "Dad, take a break and let''s eat lunch," he said to the other.


    Luo Wei Tian raised his head when he heard his son''s voice. Seeing Luo Ren, the picture that he saw this morning suddenly eclipsed with the other''s face. And he just burst intoughter.


    "Sorry, sorry, I just suddenly remembered the photos Xiao Yan sent earlier."


    "Yes, please, feel free tough at my expense," Luo Ren said in a wry voice.


    After a bout ofughter, Luo Wei Tian finally managed to regain hisposure. "But how did you end up like that anyway?"


    "Let''s just say that Yan Yan yed a prank."


    Luo Wei Tian raised a brow. "Don''t tell me you did something to annoy your brother?"


    "Dad, why does it have to be my fault? You''re being extremely bias, you know?" Luo Ren countered as if offended.


    Luo Wei Tian shook his head. "What bias? Your brother is not the type to y such a prank if you hadn''t done something to piss him off. So, what was it? What did you do?"


    "Let''s just leave it at that since Yan Yan had already took his revenge," Luo Ren said. It''s not like he could tell the other that it was because of what he instructed Shen Ji Yun to do.


    "You should be thankful that Jiao Jiao didn''t mind you looking like that," his father said. "What would have happened if I lost my future daughter-inw because she thought you have a crossdressing hobby?"


    "You know what, Dad, I think I will have that lunch by myself."


    After saying that, Luo Ren turned around and walked out of the office.


    Luo Wei Tianughed once again before standing up and following his son.


    ----------


    "Xiao Yan must really like you if he did that much just so he could ''avenge'' you," Bai Ze said.


    He and Shen Ji Yun were currently walking towards the cafeteria for lunch. He only managed to meet the other now. If not, then he would have already teased Shen Ji Yun about the little prank Luo Yan yed this morning.


    "Revenge is too exaggerated. I''m sure Yan Yan didn''t do it for me," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Bai Ze gave the other a side eye nce. "You know, you would be more believable if you don''t have that huge grin on your face."


    Shen Ji Yun subconsciously raised his hand to check his expression because of what Bai Ze said. After confirming that he was not grinning, he looked at the other. "I''m not grinning. Stop making things up."


    "But you''re smiling this wide!" Bai Ze reasoned out, lifting both corners of his lips. "If we consider just how often you smile like that, which was almost never mind you, it might as well be a grin."


    Shen Ji Yun decided not to respond to that. What else could he say when it''s true that he was very happy with Luo Yan''s little gesture. Yes, he''d rather call it that than referred to it as ''revenge''. Because the other probably did that just so he could feel better about that announcement that made him apleteughingstock.


    Although he didn''t ask Luo Yan to do that, it certainly made him happy. Just the fact that his rabbit did that for him was enough to warm his heart. Having Luo Ren wear make-up like that was just an added bonus.


    "How about that thing we talked aboutst time?" he asked, changing the topic.


    Bai Ze knew that Shen Ji Yun was deflecting but he didn''t mind since he also wanted to talk about what the other asked. "Ah that, don''t worry. I already reserved a room for our team."

 Chapter 908: PRELUDE TO A CERTAIN INCIDENT

    Chapter 908: PRELUDE TO A CERTAIN INCIDENTTHE four cities of Arcadia were currently filled with Christmas decorations. From different shops to the streets, Christmas songs were even ying all around. This had been the case since the start of this week. And since today was Christmas, the decorations were even more apparent. To the point that snow was falling in all of Arcadia to make it looked like a ''white Christmas''.


    Although Christmas was not considered as an official holiday in this country, many still celebrated it. But it''s treated more like amercial season rather than a religious holiday. In a more urate sense, Christmas was celebrated more like Valentine''s Day.


    It became a lighthearted day for young people to go out with their significant others and celebrate with small gifts. If they didn''t have a special someone to celebrate it with, they could go and hang out with friends, going to karaoke or shopping.


    At the gate of Olkdale City, a particr yer was garnering the attention of other yers that were passing by. It was an elf with long ck hair, a pair of blue-ck eyes, and skin the same color as dark chocte.


    "Hey, isn''t that Malekith?" one yer who passed by asked hispanion. "What''s he doing here?"


    Hispanion shrugged. "I don''t know."


    "I thought he would be too embarrassed to show himself after that lost to Noctis. Twice for that matter."


    "Well, it''s not like it''s an embarrassing lost. He fought well, both during the Rookie Carnival and the PvP fight against Noctis. It''s just that Noctis is a much better yer."


    Yes, the one standing near the gate was none other than Ying Chen. He ignored the whispers of the other yers passing by him. He didn''t want whatever they''re saying to spoil his mood.


    Because today was Christmas and he''s here to spend it with the person he liked.


    That''s right, he would be meeting Huang Wen here today.


    He didn''t know what came over the other butst week, he suddenly bought a VR helmet and started ying Arcadia. Ying Chen had been asking him to y Arcadia with him and Liang Sen but the other always refused.


    It''s because Huang Wen had never been interested in video games or anything rted to that stuff. He liked to y physical games more like basketball or football. So, imagine Ying Chen''s surprise when the other suddenly told him that he would start ying Arcadia.


    He was suspicious at first, thinking that the sudden change of heart must be rted to Luo Yan. It was no secret at school that many were suspecting that Luo Yan must be Noctis. So, it was easy to think that Huang Wen wanted to y Arcadia because Luo Yan was also ying it.


    Ying Chen could see that Huang Wen seemed to be very interested in that pipsqueak. No, he couldn''t call Luo Yan that anymore since he seemed to be growing like a bean sprout these days. Anyway, back to the point. Huang Wen had totally forgotten his ''rivalry'' with Luo Jin and would only show a reaction whenever Luo Yan was mentioned.


    Of course, he hated to see that. But what else could he do? He could only see a silver lining in such a dire situation. If Huang Wen was really interested in Luo Yan, then that meant that he was not so adverse to having a rtionship with the same sex. Which could mean that Ying Chen still had a chance with him.


    That''s the only way he wanted to interpret it instead of thinking of the possibility that Huang Wen liked Luo Yan in that way. He might do something drastic if he didn''t keep this kind of positive thought.


    "Ying Chen," called a very familiar voice.


    He turned to the direction where it came from and saw a human swordsman wearing a silver armor. And he looked exactly like Huang Wen.


    "Ah Wen!" he called back happily.


    The other walked towards him. When Ying Chen first saw Huang Wen''s avatar, he almost cringe because of how unimaginative it was. But then again, this was Huang Wen we''re talking about. He would probably be more surprised if the other chose a different race or even beautified himself.


    "Where''s Liang Sen?" Huang Wen asked.


    "Ah, he couldn''te because his ss suddenly had a surprised mock exam," Ying Chen easily lied.


    Anyway, Liang Sen was studying in a different school so it''s not like Huang Wen would know if he''s lying or not. Besides, they''re all third year students. Surprise mock exams was not so umon.


    But the truth was, he told Liang Sen not to go and be a lightbulb between him and Huang Wen. Since the other was a very supportive friend, he agreed.


    "Let''s go?" he said before Huang Wen could think more.


    Huang Wen nodded and they both walked inside Olkdale City.


    As they were walking, Ying Chen kept introducing different shops to the other. And then, he noticed that the other stopped responding to him at some point. When he looked at Huang Wen to see why, he saw that the other was staring at something above. His gaze was full of focus.


    Ying Chen turned to where the other was looking and saw that it was a promotional video that was ying in the za.


    On it was Noctis with his white hair tied up and wearing normal Winter clothes. His mood suddenly cooled down seeing that. He moved in front of Huang Wen, blocking the other''s view, and asked coldly;


    "Do you like him?"


    "What?" Huang Wen asked, seemingly not able to hear him properly.


    "Do you like Luo Yan?"


    Huang Wen''s whole face suddenly turned red the moment he heard that question. "Wha¡ªwhat are you talking about?"


    Seeing that kind of reaction, the negative emotions filling Ying Chen''s heart truly wanted to explode at that moment.


    ---------


    While Ying Chen was battling with the demons in his heart, the cause of all that ¨C Luo Yan - was waiting happily for Shen Ji Yun.


    Because today the two of them would go on a Christmas date!

 Chapter 909: TO THE SKY RAILWAY

    Chapter 909: TO THE SKY RAILWAYSINCE today was Christmas, both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun decided to go on a date. It''s a day to celebrate with your special someone after all. It would be such a shame if the two of them didn''t even meet for such a special day. And since they couldn''t do that in reality, they could only meet up inside the game.


    But that was fine. Meeting up like this was definitely much better than not meeting at all.


    That''s why Luo Yan was waiting for Shen Ji Yun on the other''s ind right now. He was a bit earlier than their supposed meeting time. He actually thought that the other would be already here even if the time was still a bit early. That was usually the case whenever the two of them met like this. But surprisingly, he arrived first before the other.


    Before teleporting here, Luo Yan spent some time first with Eclipse. They went to the kitsune vige. The NPCs were also celebrating Christmas, so it was the same in the vige. The ce was also filled with Christmas decorations all around.


    He had dinner with Eclipse and his aunt ¨C Shirayuki. After that, he left for his appointment with Shen Ji Yun. He thought that Eclipse would throw a tantrum because he did not take the other with him. But surprisingly enough, Eclipse didn''t have that much of a negative reaction.


    Luo Yan remembered what the other said when he told that he and Shen Ji Yun would go out on a date.


    [Hmp. Fine. Both Master and Captain are still at the early stage of your rtionship, so Eclipse won''t bother your sweet time together.]


    The kid''s expression when he said that was like silently saying, ''I''ll just wait until you get tired of each other, then you''ll have no choice but to spend time with me''. Luo Yan almost spank the brat on his backside because of that.


    After continuously shipping him and Shen Ji Yun, now that the two of them were officially together, Eclipse was suddenly wishing for them to get bored of each other. What a fickle child.


    He shook his head. If he didn''t know that it was just the other''s way of sulking, he would have really scolded the other. Well, he''s also a bit at fault for this. Because after he and Shen Ji Yun started dating, he spent most of his time in the game with the other. Whether it be grinding levels or just simply spending time together, he was always with Shen Ji Yun. No wonder Eclipse was feeling all alone.


    He probably should spend some alone time with the kid after this.


    As he was thinking about that, he heard a familiar whirl in the air ¨C a sign of someone teleporting. There''s only one person who could teleport directly to this ind. So, he excitedly turned around and just as he expected, Shen Ji Yun stepped out of the teleportation portal.


    The other came using his SHEN avatar. So, instead of a Qilin, his avatar was now that of a human. Luo Yan was the one who requested it. He didn''t want their date to be interrupted by other yers. Which would surely happen once they saw the other''s YUN avatar. After all, that little announcement of his did go sort-of viral.


    If they saw them together, some of the yers ¨C especially those under the banner of NightCloud CP ¨C would definitely assume that Luo Yan was the one Shen Ji Yun was referring to in that little announcement of his. Of course, Luo Yan didn''t mind even if people found out about them. He just didn''t like how troublesome it would be after.


    Everything had its proper time. And right now was not yet the time for their rtionship to be revealed to everyone.


    Luo Yan ran towards Shen Ji Yun and hugged the other''s waist. The other also hugged him back, giving him a big squeeze.


    "Sorry, I''mte," Shen Ji Yun said in an apologetic tone.


    Luo Yan raised his head to look at Shen Ji Yun. "No, I don''t think a few minutes can be considered as te''. Besides, there''s still plenty of time before Yule Ind closed for this year."


    The said ind was a ce that only opened during Christmas. To be precise, it opened at 12 AM of December 25 and then closed at 11:59 PM of the same day. It''s still 10 minutes before eight in the evening, they still had plenty of time to go there and tour around Yule Ind.


    "Then, shall we go there now?" Shen Ji Yun said, offering his hand to Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan happily epted it. "Yes."


    -----


    When Luo Yan opened his eyes, he and Shen Ji Yun were already standing in front of Sky Railway. It''s a train station that traveled around several floating inds. These inds were mostly owned by the game and hadmercial facilities for yers to visit and enjoy.


    The only way to go to Yule Ind was through Sky Railway. It''s because yers couldn''t directly teleport to the ind.


    "See, Brother Ji Yun, we''re just in time for our train ride," Luo Yan said.


    They already bought tickets beforehand so they didn''t have to line up to buy one at the ticketing station. They bought tickets for the 8 PM ride, so the two of them were just on time.


    They walked inside the station. As they did, it didn''t left Luo Yan''s notice that some of the yers were looking at him rather intensely. It''s not the usual nce of admiration he got for being an amazing rookie yer, it''s a rather different matter altogether.


    Like how people would look at a celebrity.


    Did he became much more beautiful in thest few days without him noticing?


    He raised his chin proudly. Yes, that must be it. Being in a rtionship must have a tremendous effect.


    What our dear Luo Yan forgot that he was inside the game and there''s no way his avatar would suddenly change. No matter how in love one was.

 Chapter 910: AT THE SKY RAILWAY

    Chapter 910: AT THE SKY RAILWAYSHEN JI YUN had also noticed the people''s gaze on Luo Yan as they walked towards the train. He had this urge to shield his rabbit away from all this prying gaze. But the only way he could do that was to cover Luo Yan''s head with his coat and hugged him all the way to the train.


    But he knew Luo Yan wouldn''t want that. So, all he could do was to listen to their whispers to know why they were looking at Luo Yan like that.


    "That''s Noctis, right? Waa... how can he be so handsome?" a girl who was nearby them said to herpanion.


    "Handsome? I think ''beautiful'' is the right term," herpanion said. "But have you seen that promotional video with him and Goddess Liuli?"


    "I did! It''s such a visual explosion, I almost couldn''t take my eyes off the video."


    "Right? I couldn''t even imagine that the two of them would make such a promotional video. Do you think they know each other in real life?"


    "There''s a possibility. But you know, while I was watching that promotional video, I couldn''t help but feel that the two of them kind of suits each other. Like, you know, a pretty girl and a pretty boy."


    "I actually kind of feel that way too even though I''m a solid NightCloud shipper."


    "Hey, YUN already have a partner. I think it''s a bit disrespectful to still ship him with another person."


    "Yeah, you''re right."


    "So, why don''t we ship Noctis with goddess Liuli?"


    "Nah, if we do, we''ll have to fight those who ship Liuli with Xu Min. And they''re quite a terrifying bunch, you know?"


    "Yeah, they really are quite scary. Let''s just do it in secret then."


    "Well, if we''re going to do it in secret, then I''ll still rather ship Noctis with YUN."


    As Shen Ji Yun listened to the conversation of the two, his frown increasingly deepened. It only loosened a bit when he heard one of the two saying that she would secretly ship Luo Yan and him.


    Anyway, the gist of their conversation was basically about that promotional video. He had almost forgotten that it would air today. That video was most likely the reason why these people were looking at Luo Yan that way.


    Of course, if he had noticed, his rabbit would too.


    "Oh, so it was because of the promotional video," Luo Yan said. "And here I thought it was because I became prettier."


    Shen Ji Yun almost tripped on his feet when he heard that. He nced at Luo Yan and saw the disappointment on the other''s face. It''s like he truly preferred it if the people were staring at him because he became much prettier rather than some other facts or the other.


    Shen Ji Yun smiled subconsciously. Then he leaned to the other and whispered, "You always look prettier every time I look at you."


    Luo Yan nced at the other and then smiled. "Oh, you. That hidden Casanova side of yours is showing again."


    Shen Ji Yun blinked, seemingly unable to understand what he meant by that. "Casanova¡ª?"


    "Knowing you, you probably wouldn''t have noticed this, but from time to time, you would say these amazingly flirtatious lines to me," Luo Yan said in a teasing tone. "Like what you did just now, for example."


    Shen Ji Yun''s face quickly turned red. "I- I didn''t say it with the thought of f-flirting with you."


    Luo Yan smiled. "I know. And that''s what makes you so adorable."


    He tapped the other''s cheek before stepping inside the train. Shen Ji Yun quickly followed.


    The interior of the train was like that of trains in the early 1900s. It had a vintage feel with a bit of modern touch here and there. Their train cabin was on the VVIP area which was at the very front.


    The two of them walked towards that direction. It didn''t take long before they arrived at the cabin they reserved. It was a pretty big cabin that could probably sit in six people.


    The inside of the cabin had two velvet couches facing one another. At the middle of them was ss table. On four sides of the cabin was a beautifully designed ssmps. Luo Yan quickly sat down on one of the couches. Shen Ji Yun then sat beside him.


    "Have you been to Yule Ind, Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked.


    "I haven''t actually."


    Luo Yan turned to the other. "But it''s been here since the VR version was released. You had never thought of visiting, not even once?"


    "No," Shen Ji Yun said, shaking his head. "I- I actually don''t like Christmas that much."


    "May I ask why?"


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly became silent before looking outside the window. "Well, I don''t really have any good memory of it."


    Now, it was Luo Yan''s turn to be silent. He suddenly remembered that Shen Ji Yun''s mother was British. She''s from a country that considered Christmas as a public holiday. Shen Ji Yun must have had an experience of celebrating Christmas there.


    Now, Luo Yan was suddenly reminded of the times the other had this sad and solemn expression every time something about his parents was mentioned. During those times, he truly wanted to ask Shen Ji Yun what made him so sad. But he always stopped himself. Because it felt like he was stepping out of line.


    But now that the two of them were finally together, that line had now started to blur. As if it would no longer feel so wrong if he stepped over that line.


    He held Shen Ji Yun''s hand. "Can you tell me why?"


    Shen Ji Yun returned to his senses when he heard Luo Yan''s question. He looked at the other. He could see Luo Yan''s eyes filled with worry over him. He stopped. Shen Ji Yun truly didn''t know how he should answer that.


    Should he tell the truth or should he just gloss over it?


    Before he could even think of an answer, his heart had already made a decision for him.

 Chapter 911: ENVELOPING HIM WITH ENDLESS WARMTH

    Chapter 911: ENVELOPING HIM WITH ENDLESS WARMTH"IF- if Brother Ji Yun is not yet ready to tell me, then it''s fine. I can wait," Luo Yan said, reaching out to touch Shen Ji Yun''s hand. "I can wait no matter how long."


    The other must have been contemting whether he should answer him or not that why he had been quiet until now.


    What he knew from the other''s family situation was that his father died from a violent crime when he was eight. Then, his mother kind of had a mental breakdown from that and could no longer take care of Shen Ji Yun. Uncle Yi Mu was the one who took the responsibility of being the other''s guardian.


    Just listening to that shorten version, anyone could tell that it was a veryplicated and sad situation. Any child in Shen Ji Yun''s ce would definitely harbor a feeling of resentment from that. But instead, all he could feel from Shen Ji Yun was a feeling of sadness.


    Luo Yan didn''t want to force the other to tell him anything. Although he very much preferred it if he did, because that way, he could thenfort him. But that would only work if Shen Ji Yun told it to him on his own ord and not because he was pressured to do so.


    Knowing the other, he would surely tell it to him just because of the simple reason that he asked. And Luo Yan didn''t want that.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at Luo Yan''s hand that was atop his. Although this was inside a VR game, he had an illusion that he could feel the warmth from that hand. He raised his head.


    Luo Yan was smiling gently at him. The other''s gaze was clearly saying, ''you don''t have to force yourself to tell me anything, I will wait for you until you''re ready''. That illusionary warmth Shen Ji Yun felt suddenly became very real at that moment.


    He was about to say his answer when the train suddenly started to move. Both of them looked outside the window too see the moving scenery.


    It would take quite a while before they arrived at Yule Ind. Travelling via the Sky Train was actually part of the experience of going there. The time left before they arrived at the ind was probably enough to tell Luo Yan his story.


    Shen Ji Yun moved his hand under Luo Yan''s palm and intertwined their fingers together. As if he was trying to get enough willpower from the other. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he finally opened his eyes, he already knew what to do next.


    "When my father was still alive, our family had the most wonderful Christmas," he started. "It''s my mother''s favorite holiday, you see. That''s why my dad always put a lot of effort into celebrating it. The decorations, the gifts, the food, Dad would even dress up as Santa. But on the eve of Christmas when I was eight, a nightmare happened that changed everything."


    He paused. Attempting to remember what happened back then was already paralyzing. The fear, the anger, the sadness, all these emotions slowly bubbling inside him.


    Then, he felt a soft squeeze in his hand. He looked up and saw Luo Yan with an encouraging gaze. As if silently giving him strength. He smiled softly. And finally found the courage to continue.


    "That year my parents decided to celebrate Christmas at New York City. My mother wanted my Dad and I to see the biggest Christmas tree in the world, you see. She had been there quite a number of times before but Dad had never been there. Of course, it''s the same for me. When that discussion came up, they just decided to simply celebrate Christmas there.


    "On the night before Christmas, we went to the Rockefeller Center where the Christmas tree was. At that time, in the eyes of an eight-years-old, everything seemed to be so magical. The light decorations, the light dusting of snow, the ice rink beneath the huge Christmas tree, it was all like a magnificent feast. I truly felt like it was the most amazing and fun night of my life. I didn''t expect that it would all change in just a few hours.


    "After we enjoyed everything the ce could offer, my parents decided to call it a night. Being a child, by the time we decided to return to our hotel, I was already so sleepy that I couldn''t even walk on my own. My Dad had to carry me. I don''t really remembered much of what happened after. I just remembered being thrown into my mother''s arms and hearing her scream.


    "When I opened my eyes, I saw my Dad fighting off with a man. Then, there was that terrible loud sound like a canon going off. It was onlyter that I found out that it''s the sound of gunshot. Then, my Dad fell back and all I could see was red. Red everywhere."


    Shen Ji Yun closed his eyes. Although there were details of that night that he could now barely remember, the look on his father''s face when he fell down, as well as his state, was still so vivid in his mind. As if it just happened yesterday.


    The moment when his father fell down, the other turned to him and his mother. His expression was like that of someone who knew that it would be thest time he would see his son and wife.


    His father raised his hand, trying to reach them. But his hand only fell down on the hard gravel. Then, red bloomed on his chest. And then, blood scattered on the ce where he fell down. Turning the falling white snow into that ominous red.


    Shen Ji Yun once again felt that usual stabbing feeling he always felt whenever he was reminded of that moment. It was so excruciatingly painful, as if his heart was slowly being cut into pieces. He could feel himself being out of breath. It''s like he was being put into a grinder while being drowned at the same time.


    And that''s when he felt a pair of soft yet strong arms wrapping around him, enveloping him with endless warmth.

 Chapter 912: TO LOVE AND TO BE LOVED

    Chapter 912: TO LOVE AND TO BE LOVEDLUO YAN held Shen Ji Yun tightly. He would have done it sooner but he didn''t want to disturb the other from telling his story. He could see just how much courage it took for Shen Ji Yun to tell that part of his past to him. He didn''t want to trample on that courage by randomly interrupting the other.


    It must have quite hard for Shen Ji Yun to think back about that past. And yet, he still chose to open up to him. Showing that he truly wanted to share that part of his life to Luo Yan.


    He could see just how much pain Shen Ji Yun was in while narrating those events. The pain and sadness radiating from him was so visceral that Luo Yan felt like he was also drowning in it. What more could it be for the person involved himself?


    Luo Yan couldn''t even bear to imagine just how painful it must have been for the other. Although he also lost his parents in a young age, he didn''t lose them in that way. Where he witnessed their demise right before his eyes.


    When his parents died then, before he could even grieved for them, he had to worry about his own survival first. Because the first orphanage he had been in was literally like a jungle. It''s like survival for the fittest there. He had to mature quite fast if he didn''t want to end up at the bottom of thedder. So, by the time he was finally able to grieve for his parents, he was already at the point where he had already epted their death.


    But it was different for Shen Ji Yun. He probably didn''t have anything that could distract him from all that suffering, so he could only wallow in it. This event had no doubt traumatized him and maybe even shaped the person that he was today.


    Luo Yan then felt a pair of strong arms hugging his waist. It caused their bodies to be even much closer. And so, the other shaking body finally became apparent to him. He hugged Shen Ji Yun tighter and gently patted his back.


    He did not say anything, just silentlyforted the other. He didn''t know how many minutes had passed with them in that position, all his focus was on Shen Ji Yun. He wanted tofort him as best as he could. And right now, this hug was the only way he could do it.


    After a while, Shen Ji Yun raised his head and looked at him. His expression that was filled with dark clouds was now starting to clear up. Like sunlight peaking through rain clouds.


    "Thank you, for listening and just for being here with me," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Yan smiled cupped the other''s face. He leaned down and gave a quick peck to his lips. "You don''t need to say thanks. I''m the one who asked you about it. If anything, I should be apologizing for letting you remember something so painful and sad."


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head. "No. I- I always wish that I could tell someone about it. You know, someone who will just listen. That''s why I''m very thankful that you can be that person." He held Luo Yan''s hand that was on his cheek and kiss the other''s palm. "Thank you for being here."


    He and his uncle had never talked about it. His uncle tried to at first. But Shen Ji Yun just closed off himself like a m with a tight lid. After that, the other never tried to breach that topic again. And even though Bai Ze was his closest friend, he never tried to open up to him about this part of his past.


    It''s not that he was ufortable with them, it''s just, he couldn''t bring himself to think about that event. Which he had to if he had to talk about it. He didn''t want to appear vulnerable in front of them. Because he didn''t want for them to look at him with sympathy.


    But somehow, Luo Yan was different. Even though there was still difort, he still wanted to talk about it to the other. He definitely didn''t mind appearing vulnerable in front of him. Probably because he knew the other wouldn''t look at him with pity.


    And as expected, Luo Yan truly didn''t. All Shen Ji Yun could see in the other''s eyes was love. Pure and unmitigated love.


    Just by seeing that, the heaviness he felt as he recounted the details of that event slowly disappeared. The only emotion that was left in him was his love for the other. He now realized just how wonderful it was to love and to be loved.


    He pulled Luo Yan and let him sat on hisp. Then, he put his chin on the other''s shoulder. How nice it would be if they were in reality. Then he could smell Luo Yan''s amazing scent just by putting his head at the crook of the other''s neck.


    Shen Ji Yun closed his eyes and then decided to continue telling the other of his past.


    "As you have probably already guessed, my Dad died in that incident. It was onlyter that I found out what happened that led us to that situation. Apparently, as we were on our way to our hotel, a man high on drugs osted us. Dad quickly gave me to my mother and he tried to reason out with the man while protecting my mother and I. And you already know what happened next."


    He paused. Because what happened after his father died was something that was equally as painful.


    "My mother couldn''t ept my Dad''s death. It... broke her. It might be the guilt or the sadness or the grief, orbination of everything. But she wasn''t able to function normally after that. She couldn''t even recognize me, her own son. By the time my uncle took me in, she had already became a shadow of her former self."


    And when Shen Ji Yun left, it was also thest time he was able to call her ''Mom''.

 Chapter 913: FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS...

    Chapter 913: FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS...SO, not only did Shen Ji Yun lose his father in that incident, but his mother as well. Luo Yan remembered how the other called his father ''dad'' while recounting those events. On the other hand, he never called his mother ''mom.


    It showed that Shen Ji Yun was no longer that close to his mother. Not just because they''re living in two different countries, but because their hearts had long grown apart.


    It must have been really hard for such a small child to experience. His father died and his remaining living parent was so struck with grief that she couldn''t even do her duty as a mother to him. In a sense, Shen Ji Yun truly lost both parents in that incident.


    "Have you been in contact with your mother since then?" he thought of asking. He was met by silence instead. He raised his head to see why that was so. And the expression on Shen Ji Yun''s face already spoke volumes. "Brother Ji Yun?"


    "Would you be mad at me if I said ''no''?" Shen Ji Yun asked, the expression on his face was like a bereaved puppy that was afraid that his master would scold him because he thought that he did something wrong.


    Even though Luo Yan knew that this was a very serious situation, he couldn''t help but feel that the other was just so adorable. He coughed to prevent himself from smiling.


    "Of course, I won''t," he said. "If you haven''t contacted her, that meant that you have a reason to do that. So, no, I would never think that you''re in the wrong just because of that."


    Shen Ji Yun had already expected that kind of answer from Luo Yan. But it still warmed his heart to hear the other say that. But still, he felt the need to clearly exin to Luo Yan why he hadn''t contacted his mother for so long.


    "My mother- she, after Dad''s death, she often suffered a nervous breakdown. It- it always happened whenever she saw me. Every time that happened, it was chaos. Uncle happened to visit during one of her attacks. It- it got pretty ugly. After Uncle saw how my mother couldn''t take care of me, he decided to take me in."


    What he didn''t mention was that his mother''s nervous breakdowns often came with physical beatings. At first, it was just some small things thrown at him and then it became a p, until it became worse and worse.


    He could have avoided that, sure. Whenever his mother had those breakdowns, he could have just stay put and not go to her. But he couldn''t. Every time he heard her screams and cries, he couldn''t stop himself from going to her.


    When the beating started, it truly hurt at first. But then his young mind slowly came to the conclusion that the pain he''s feeling probably helped eased his mother''s pain. Because after every attack, his mother would have a day of rity. Although she''s still not back to the mother he knew, at least she would smile at him and touch his cheek affectionately.


    And so, the cycle continued.


    His mother''s family barely did anything. They sent doctors for his mother and caregivers to care for her. But they mostly ignored his existence. So, they didn''t really care what was happening to him. Only some of the servants in the house found him pitiful and tried to stop him from going to his mother every time the other had one of her attacks.


    But him being young and with a head that was only full of thoughts of just wanting to make his mother''s pain disappear, he ignored them and continued to go to his mother. It was only after his uncle visited that he fullyprehend that what was happening was wrong. And that condoning his mother''s violence would never ever help her.


    On the day that he left with his uncle, he still remembered hisst conversation with his mother. It was one of those rare days that her mind was clear.


    =====


    Shen Ji Yun fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. It was now slowly bing crumpled because of it. He stared at the woman sitting on the bed while looking outside the window.


    She had long tinum blond hair and a pair of blue eyes. Anyone could see that she must have been a beauty. But because of her sallow cheeks and overly thin body, that beauty was now almost non-existent.


    "M-Mom..." he called, hesitantly.


    His mother turned to him with a soft smile on her lips. "My Yun is here. Come to Mom."


    Shen Ji Yun walked towards her. He knew that he should say something. But before he could even utter a word, he felt tears running down his cheeks. He didn''t even realize that he was already crying.


    "Oh my baby, why are you crying?" his mother asked, her face full of worry.


    Before Shen Ji Yun could answer, he was already enveloped in a warm embrace. The thin arms surrounding him almost felt like it would break with just a bit of force. That''s why he couldn''t bear to hug her back for fear that he would hurt her.


    At the end, he was finally able to say what he went there to say.


    "Mom, I- I will live with Uncle Yi Mu from now on. I''m- I''m here to say goodbye."


    The surrounding was suddenly filled with silence.


    Shen Ji Yun bit his lower lip. Maybe- maybe he shouldn''t have said that. Maybe he should just stay here. Maybe¡ª


    "Yes, it''s better for you to go with him. I''m sorry, Yun. I''m sorry for being a bad mother." He heard his mother sobbing. "Please, wait for Mom to get better, okay? Then, I''lle and find you."


    Shen Ji Yun finally hugged her back and cried with her. "Okay, Mom. I will. I will wait for you."


    =====


    And that kid had been waiting for the past 12 years for his mother to pick him up.

 Chapter 914: PARTNERS IN CRIME

    Chapter 914: PARTNERS IN CRIMESHEN JI YUN shook his head. It had already been so long. He''s no longer a child now. He no longer spent his days waiting night and day for his mother. Waiting for just a single call that wouldn''t evene. The adult him had long given up on that. But the child in his heart was still probably waiting.


    "Have you thought of meeting her?"


    Luo Yan''s question brought Shen Ji Yun back to the present. He was silent, as if thinking of an answer.


    "I did, in the first few years. But because nothing really happened, my mind just became numb with that idea. And then, I no longer hoped or wished for it." A bitter smile unknowingly crossed his lips. "I''m such a bad son, right?"


    "Of course not," Luo Yan quickly said. "You and your mother''s situation could not just be ssified into ck and white. So, ming either one just doesn''t feel right."


    You couldn''t just me Shen Ji Yun alone for not reconnecting to his mother. His mother couldn''t also be med for the neglect Shen Ji Yun suffered. The only one that was really at fault here was the person who killed the obvious emotional link that kept the whole family together ¨C Shen Ji Yun''s father.


    When he died, the whole family also fell apart. In the end, both mother and son had to separate in order to live normally. Logically speaking, there''s really no one''s really to me here. Except, of course, to the person he just mentioned.


    But if he''s being honest, he really wanted to me another person. Shen Ji Yun''s mother.


    He knew he shouldn''t, but the pain Shen Ji Yun felt for practically being abandoned by his mother was probably on the same level as losing his father. Because, that''s what she did ¨C she abandoned her son.


    Yes, she might be hurting and that she''s traumatized by what happened, but shouldn''t she at least try to battle against the grief for her son? Wasn''t her son reason enough for her to do that? Didn''t she love her son on the same level as her husband?


    What even frustrated Luo Yan more was that she probably not only subjected Shen Ji Yun to emotional neglect but a lot of other things as well. Even though Shen Ji Yun did not mention any of that, Luo Yan could feel that there was definitely something more. And that made him disliked his mother more.


    He knew he shouldn''t and that he should be understanding of her situation. But what could he do? His love for Shen Ji Yun was greater than his understanding.


    "Anyway, no matter what Brother Ji Yun did or didn''t do, I''m always on your side," Luo Yan said.


    Shen Ji Yun was amused by that. "Even if I do something bad?"


    "Well, as long as you don''t kill someone, then, yes. I''ll be on your side and be your partner in crime," Luo Yan said without hesitation.


    Shen Ji Yun chuckled at that and hugged the other''s waist. "Then, be my forever partner in crime."


    "Now, Brother Ji Yun, are you proposing? And here I thought you would do it in a more romantic setting," Luo Yan responded with a teasing smile.


    Shen Ji Yun suddenly blushed at the word ''proposing''. It''s like his brain malfunctioned a bit. "No--! This, I''m not¡ª"


    "So, you''re not proposing? Now I''m kind of sad."


    Seeing Luo Yan with the exaggerated acting, he just now realized that the other was teasing him. The flush on his face receded a bit. "Now you''re just being mean."


    Luo Yanughed and hugged the other. "Oh Brother Ji Yun, you really are the most adorable."


    He was d that the expression of lost and sadness on the other''s face had disappeared and was now reced by a helpless smile. The loneliness radiating from him was no longer there, only that joyful smile remained.


    And that''s how it should be from now on ¨C him being filled with nothing but love and happiness. Luo Yan was determined to keep it that way.


    -----


    The Sky Train finally arrived at Yule Ind. On one of the train doors that opened, two young men stepped out.


    One was taller than the other with ck hair and a mask covering the lower half of his face. But despite that, no one would be able to ignore the intense pair of blue eyes that he had.


    The other one had long ck hair that was tied in a high ponytail. The upper half of his face was covered by a ck domino mask, concealing his eyes. He was wearing an all-ck costume with a modern design just like hispanion.


    Yes, the two were Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan.


    Because of the gazes Luo Yan received at the station, he decided to change his hair color with an item, as well as change his costume before they reached Yule Ind. It''s because, just like Shen Ji Yun, he wanted to enjoy their Christmas date without other people''s eyes constantly on them.


    If that promotional video hadn''t yet released, then the attention on Luo Yan wouldn''t be as much as it was. He actually didn''t think that the promotional video would have such a big effect. It''s a good thing that he had items that could help him conceal his avatar''s unique features.


    Once they left the station, Luo Yan looked up at the snow falling. The surroundings were filled with snow as well as beautiful Christmasnterns. He could see other yers riding sleds that were being pulled by reindeers.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, let''s ride that!" he said excitedly while pointing at an area that seemed to be a sled station.


    With a helpless tone, Shen Ji Yun said, "Okay."


    They went to the sled station and surprisingly found out that it was being driven by a Christmas elf. They were unlike ordinary elves in the game. They had short stature like a child and giving off an atmosphere of mischief rather than elegance.


    "Where do you want to go dear customer?" the elf asked.

 Chapter 915: CHRISTMAS DATE (I)

    Chapter 915: CHRISTMAS DATE (I)"CAN you take us to the most famous dating spot here in Yule Ind?" Luo Yan asked.


    There''s only a few hours left before the ind closed once again. The two of them should at least go to as many ces as possible and thoroughly enjoy the ind. The best way to do that was to have this Christmas elf led them.


    "Oh, so you''re a couple. My apologies for not noticing it immediately," the elf said, bowing his head slightly.


    Luo Yan didn''t deny it. What''s there to deny when it''s the truth? Shen Ji Yun suddenly coughed though, as if he just choked on his own spit. Luo Yan nced sideways at the other and then chuckled inwardly. The other was definitely feeling shy because of the mention of them being a ''couple''.


    Especially since there were other yers around them who clearly heard what the Christmas elf said. As evidence of the murmurs surrounding them.


    "They''re a couple?"


    "Wow, amazing. This is my first time seeing two guys dating. It''s kind of heart fluttering."


    "I know, right? I feel the same as well."


    "How can you be sure that they''re both guys? Maybe one of them is a girl in real life and just chose a male avatar."


    "Why are you making such an assumption? In the first ce, what''s wrong with two guys being together? Isn''t that just another form of love?"


    "Hey, I would have agreed if you didn''t say thest part. What another form? It''s just the same ''love'' that normal couples have."


    Luo Yan didn''t pay much attention to these gossips. But thatst part actually made him smile. That''s right, what he and Shen Ji Yun had was not some other form of love, it''s just the same love that two human being who fell in love with each other experienced.


    It''s special and also not special at the same time.


    Special because it''s something that the two of them shared. And not special in a way that it was something that could be find in many people.


    "We have a special couple''s tour, do you want to avail?" the elf asked, bringing Luo Yan back to his senses. "If you avail, we will offer you a 20% discount."


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "What do you think, Brother Ji Yun? Should we avail?"


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat first before nodding. "Okay."


    After than confirmation, Shen Ji Yun paid and their special tour of the ind started.


    -----


    Their first destination was the most famous street on the ind called North Street. ording to their guide ¨C the Christmas elf driving the sled ¨C it had a lot of different shops that any couple could enjoy. They could also enjoy the beautiful street light decorations as they walked and enjoyed the many shops around.


    Since North Street was the closest to the station, they decided to go there first. After arriving, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun got off the sled. The elf told them that they could just return to the spot he parked the sled once they decided to go to the next destination.


    True to the description given to them by the elf, North Street was filled with beautifulnterns floating around. The shops were also decorated with colorful lights. One could really feel the spirit of Christmas just by walking and looking around.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let''s buy that!" Luo Yan said, excitedly pointing at a food cart selling candied haws.


    Yes, aside from shops there were also food carts around. In Luo Yan''s mind, this street already became top notch because of that.


    Shen Ji Yun turned to the food cart he pointed. "Then, I''ll buy you one. Just wait here."


    Before Luo Yan could respond, the other already walked towards the cart. As he watched Shen Ji Yun''s back, he couldn''t help but smile. It didn''t take long for the other to return with a stick of candied haws in his hand. Arriving in front of him, Shen Ji Yun presented him the stick of candied haws like some bouquet of flowers.


    "Here."


    Luo Yan, of course, epted it. "You didn''t buy one for you."


    "Well, it''s kind of hard to eat with this mask on," Shen Ji Yun said. "Besides, you know I''m not really that fond of sweets. Compared to eating one, I''d rather watch you eat instead. That would definitely be much sweeter."


    Luo Yan smiled. "Oh, you, your inner Casanova is surfacing again."


    A helpless smile crossed Shen Ji Yun''s lips. Because this was not the first time Luo Yan called him that. But still, he felt a bit embarrassed. He actually still couldn''t understand why his rabbit would call him a hidden ''Casanova''.


    ording to the other, it''s because he often said flirtatious things without him realizing its impact to the one he''s saying it too. So, it woulde out as if he''s flirting with the other.


    Honestly, it really didn''t cross his mind that it woulde off that way. How could he when he didn''t even know what ''flirting'' was? The things that he said to Luo Yan, that ording to the other was him ''flirting'', were reflections of his honest feelings. So, really, this flirting business was simply him showing just how much he liked the other.


    Now, Shen Ji Yun wondered if his unintentional ''flirting'' actually helped him won Luo Yan''s heart. If it actually did, then he should really be thankful.


    A soft touch on his hand interrupted his thoughts. When he looked down, he saw Luo Yan''s fingers intertwining with his. He looked up and Luo Yan smiled at him. Shen Ji Yun couldn''t help butugh because of the brown sugar sauce around the other''s lips from eating candied haws.


    "Let''s go?" Luo Yan asked.


    At that moment, Shen Ji Yun truly felt like he should bring out his inner Casanova, as Luo Yan would call it.


    So, he leaned towards the other. When their faces were just a few centimeters away, he pulled down his mask and licked the brown sugar sauce on the corner of Luo Yan''s lips. He quickly pulled the mask up as he leaned back.


    "Hmm... how sweet."

 Chapter 916: CHRISTMAS DATE (II)

    Chapter 916: CHRISTMAS DATE (II)LUO YAN was startled by Shen Ji Yun''s sudden action. And then, after the initial surprise, he smiled. This guy really always did the most unexpected things. "So, which one is sweeter, the brown sugar sauce or..." he leaned towards the other before he whispered, "my lips?"


    Now, it was Shen Ji Yun''s turn to be flustered. He didn''t know what to say for a moment. But seeing the teasing smile on Luo Yan''s lips, he felt like he should give an answer or it would just make him look like a shy schoolboy. (Even though everyone knew that he really was that ¨C a shy schoolboy.)


    But before he could, both he and Luo Yan heard a shriek from behind them. No, it was actually a couple of shrieks. They both looked back and saw three female yers looking at them with bright eyes. One even closed his mouth with his hand, as if trying to prevent herself from gasping.


    Luo Yan smiled at the three yers and waved his hand before pulling Shen Ji Yun forward. They hadn''t yet taken a few steps when they heard the three female yers'' conversation.


    "Wow, that was¡ªit was hot, right? I almost had a heart attack!"


    "Did you take a picture?" The girls with her probably shook their heads because the same girl added, "We should have taken a picture! Then we could send it to Catnip. She would definitely make a fan art. Then, maybe they would be even more popr than the NightCloud CP!"


    "Oh, how I wish they would! I''m a fan of NightCloud CP. But since YUN''s announcement that he already had a partner, I''m honestly a bit crestfallen."


    "Me too. I''m just deluding myself into thinking that YUN''s partner is actually Noctis."


    Luo Yan almost let out augh when he heard that. He turned to Shen Ji Yun and noticed that his ear tip was already red. He smiled and whispered to the other;


    "If only they knew, right Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat instead of answering.


    "Brother Ji Yun knew about Catnip''s fan arts, right?" he continued, thinking of teasing the other. "Which one''s your favorite? Mine is the one where we''re wearing nightclothes and were snuggling in bed. It stimtes one''s imagination, right?"


    Shen Ji Yun almost tripped when he heard that. Of course, he also saw that fan art Luo Yan was talking about. He even saved it in his phone, along with all the other fan arts of the two of them. But how could he admit that to the other?


    It''s already embarrassing enough that he made a Weibo ount specifically just to follow Catnip and saved her fan arts. If he had to admit that to Luo Yan, he might just die of embarrassment!


    "You already finished eating the candied haws. What food do you want to eat next?" he asked, changing the topic.


    Luo Yanughed and decided to let Shen Ji Yun off. "That corn dog looks appetizing," he said, pointing at a nearby food cart.


    "I''ll buy you one," Shen Ji Yun said, quickly running towards the food cart selling cord dogs.


    Luo Yan shook his head helplessly as he watched the other ran.


    After that, their food trip continued. Or rather, Luo Yan''s food trip. He ate every food that he saw and Shen Ji Yun bought it for him. He only stopped when he saw a particr shop.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let''s go there!"


    He didn''t wait for the other to respond and simply pulled Shen Ji Yun towards the shop that caught his attention. It was a clothes shop selling Christmas-themed costumes.


    Shen Ji Yun was wondering why there were there as he looked around the inside of the shop. That''s when he heard Luo Yan say;


    "Didn''t I tell Brother Ji Yun that we''ll buy a couple costume? Since we''re here, why don''t we buy one?"


    Shen Ji Yun was slightly surprised after he heard that. And then he remembered that Luo Yan indeed said that. Happiness bubbled inside him almost immediately.


    "Yes, let''s buy one!" he quickly said.


    Luo Yan smiled seeing the other''s reaction. "Then, let''s look around?"


    The two looked around the shop. Most of the costumes on disy were Santa suits and Christmas elves suits. Of course Luo Yan didn''t like any of those. He wanted something that at least looked stylish.


    "Yan Yan, how about this one," Shen Ji Yun called to him.


    Luo Yan turned to where the other was and saw him holding two sets of clothing. One was a red suit that didn''t have any inner shirt, just a red vest. And the other was a white long-sleeved with suspenders and green knee-length shorts. It also had a green ribbon as a tie and green and white strip stockings.


    Were they going for sexy Santa and cute elf?


    "Okay, let''s go with those," Luo Yan said, simply because he wanted to see Shen Ji Yun wearing that red suit.


    They bought the two sets of clothing and immediately changed right there and then. Of course, they didn''t need to take off their current clothes for that. As long as they pressed the ''equip'' button, they would automatically wear the costume.


    And just like that, the clothes they were wearing changed in an instant.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun and his eyes widened a bit when he saw the other. The red suit fit him perfectly. And since it didn''t have any undershirt, Shen Ji Yun''s corbones, as well as a huge expanse of his wide chest could be seen. Even the vest inside only added to the sexy feeling the clothes were giving. No, it''s not exactly the clothes but Shen Ji Yun himself.


    This suit also came with a red top hat and a cane that almost looked like a candy cane. Honestly, if it wasn''t Shen Ji Yun who was wearing those clothes, it would appear a bit tacky. But since it''s Shen Ji Yun, he simply looked sexy and cool.


    Luo Yan almost wanted to puff up his chest and shout to others, ''that''s my boyfriend, isn''t he unbelievably handsome?''.

 Chapter 917: CHRISTMAS DATE (III)

    Chapter 917: CHRISTMAS DATE (III)AT the same time that Luo Yan was admiring Shen Ji Yun, thetter was also doing the same. The Christmas elf costume that Luo Yan was wearing made him looked yful. In addition to the whole costume, there was a green beret on top of his head. Because of that, his ponytailed hair was now flowing freely behind his back.


    "Yan Yan is so cute."


    "Brother Ji Yun is so handsome!"


    The two of them said at the same time. They were both startled and then both burst intoughter.


    Luo Yan spun around in ce, as if showing off his costume. Then he put his hands under his chin like some kind of flower. "Do I really look cute?"


    Shen Ji Yun felt like his heart was suddenly hit by an arrow because of this unprecedented ''attack''. He resisted the urge to pull the other close and just squish his cheeks to his heart''s content. So, he could only smile. And even though he was wearing a mask, that smile was still very obvious because of the way his eyes bent into crescents and how soft his gaze was as he was staring at Luo Yan.


    "The cutest in the world. No, maybe in the whole universe."


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard such a cheesy answer. But he also liked this cheesy side of Shen Ji Yun. It made him more endearing. Not to mention, adorable.


    He hugged the other''s arm. "Since we now have our couple costume, let''s go and continue our date, my sexy Santa."


    Shen Ji Yun chuckled and held up Luo Yan''s free hand before kissing it. "Your wish is mymand, my cute elf."


    The two of them seemed to be in their own world,pletely forgetting that there were other yers around. And so these yers were lucky enough to witness NightCloud CP''s shameless show of love. Of course, since the two were in disguised, the people were just surprised that two guys could be this open about their love.


    Well, not being able to recognize the two, that''s theirplete lost.


    -----


    After going around North Street, their next destination was the Pine Forest. Just like what the name suggested, it''s a forest filled with giant pine trees. Each trees was also decorated with beautiful lights which made it seem like a Christmas tree forest.


    Since the forest was too big, one could go around it using sleds driven by the Christmas elves. Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun also did the same.


    Because of how huge the pine trees were, they felt like dwarves going around a giant''s forest. These pine trees also had a special characteristic. It sometimes drop off gift box with unique grade items. Of course, that sometimes was very, very, very rare.


    It just so happened that not one but two gift boxes fell on Luo Yan''sp as they tour around the ce. He naturally gave one to Shen Ji Yun. Because of that Luo Yan really felt that he deserved the name ''lucky Yan Yan''.


    The both of them decided to open the two gift box tomorrow. After all, tonight was a date night. It''s better if they could only focus on enjoying spending time together instead of thinking about things game-rted.


    They definitely wouldn''t be able to stop discussing about the game once they saw the Unique items that they got from here. Especially since the preliminaries for the next season of Arcadia Cup was getting closer and closer. In fact, it was just a month from now. Probably just after Winter vacation started.


    After a half an hour tour of the Pine Forest, they quickly moved to the next destination. It was a ce called ''Lantern River''. No, it was not called that because it was a river made up ofnterns. It was because people could floatnterns on the river. They could write their wish on thentern and let it be swept by the river water.


    During Christmas, there were a lot of yers who sent theirnterns on the river. For this one day, the river was filled with nothing butnterns. Thus, the name.


    Would Luo Yan miss this chance to participate in such an event? The answer was a big resounding ''no''.


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun walked to one of the river side stands sellingnterns. There were a lot of yers around as expected. So, it took a while before the two got their turn to buy.


    The stand they picked was one that sold animal shapednterns. It''s the reason why Luo Yan chose it.


    "Do you have a qilin shapedntern?" he asked the NPC.


    Shen Ji Yun was surprised when he heard Luo Yan. Then he smiled and said to the NPC, "Then, a rabbit-shapedntern for me."


    A satisfied smile crossed Luo Yan''s lips when he heard that. As if it was totally expected.


    "Yes, we have everything here!" the NPC responded.


    Then, twonterns appeared on the NPC''s hand. One was a rabbit-shapedntern and the other was a qilin shaped one. Shen Ji Yun paid for both and took the rabbit-shapedntern while Luo Yan took the qilin one.


    They walked out of the cue and went straight near the river. Then, the two of them started writing their wish on the surface of thentern they''re holding. Once done, the both of them pushed theirntern on the river surface.


    "What did you wish for?" Shen Ji Yun asked as they watched the twonterns floating away and joining othernterns.


    Luo Yan turned to the other and said with a smile, "Don''t they say that the wish might note true if you easily reveal it to anyone? And I want this particr wish toe true. So, I can''t tell it, even if it''s Brother Ji Yun."


    Now Shen Ji Yun was truly curious what the other wrote.


    If one could see what was written on the qilin shapedntern, then they would read the following;


    [I wish that Shen Ji Yun will forever be happy.]

 Chapter 918: MISTLETOE VILLAGE

    Chapter 918: MISTLETOE VILLAGEHUANG WEN stared at the huge pine trees as the sled he and Ying Chen were travelling on passed through this forest filled with giant pine trees. When Ying Chen told him that they would go to this ind that only opened during Christmas, he didn''t really think much and just agreed.


    He still didn''t know much about this game even though it was more than a week since he started. As evidence of his still low level. But what could he do, he''s not the type to be interested in video games and such. Even when both Ying Chen and Liang Sen were telling him to y, he didn''t even give the game a look.


    So, why now? What exactly changed? He didn''t even have to think hard to know the answer. It''s because of that damn rumor circting, not only in his ss, but in the whole school.


    It''s about how Luo Yan was actually the yer named ''Noctis''. His curiosity about the truth of that rumor led him into ying this game. No, actually the thing that really pushed him to y this game was after he saw the avatar of the captain of the team ''Noctis'' was supposed to be a part of.


    The guy looked so jarringly simr to the person who visited Luo Yan at school. He could still remember the cold blue eyes of the other as he looked at him with no emotion. It was the total opposite of how the other looked at Luo Yan.


    He could still clearly picture the image of the standing together, looking at each other''s eyes as if they were in their own world.


    For some reason, Huang Wen absolutely hated that image.


    So, when he saw the avatar of that yer named YUN, it was the final push for him to y Arcadia. Not because he was interested in the game, but because he wanted to investigate if Luo Yan was indeed ''Noctis''.


    And then, there was that weird announcement video that YUN released just a few days ago. About his devotion to his partner, even saying that embarrassing thing about how he''s willing to have his thing cut off if he every betrayed his partner.


    Huang Wen really didn''t care about that little announcement. What he was worried about was the weird feeling that welled up inside him while he was watching it. That nagging feeling that the announcement was somehow rted to Luo Yan.


    He knew that was such a crazy thought to even have. Like ordinary people would definitely not even think on that direction. Why would they when that YUN barely mentioned any names? But despite that, his brain still believed that he was right.


    What if YUN was actually talking about Noctis? Or worse, what if Luo Yan was indeed ''Noctis''? these two questions kept circling around his mind like a pin wheel that refused to stop spinning.


    And then, he saw that promotional video earlier. Seeing Noctis wearing normal casual clothes, his resemnce to Luo Yan became even more uncanny.


    "Ah Wen, look, aren''t they pretty?"


    Ying Chen''s voice brought Huang Wen back to the present. He turned to the other sitting beside him. Ying Chen was looking at the pine trees with sparkling eyes. The bubbling irritation inside him was somehow abated by that. Although it''s still a bit weird seeing the other in this avatar form of his.


    Still, he was d that at least Ying Chen was having fun. It would probably be better if Liang Sen had gone with them. At least, the atmosphere would be livelier with the other around. Ying Chen was probably also getting bored with hispany. The other would have probably been happier if Liang Sen was the one with him.


    "Ying Chen, if you ever feel bored, tell me so we can end the tour," he couldn''t help but say.


    Ying Chen''s expression seemed to crack when he said that. But it was only for the briefest second so he thought that it might just be his imagination.


    "No way, we''re going to finish this tour," Ying Chen said. "Besides, how could I be bored when I''m with you."


    The other mumbled thatst part that Huang Wen almost didn''t hear it. He scratched his cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    "So, where are we going next?" he just asked.


    "To the Mistletoe Vige."


    ----------


    Luo Yan looked around the tiny vige. The huts were all small and dainty. It was obvious that this was the home of the Christmas elves. The vige was, of course, filled with beautiful Christmas decorations. One could say that just by stepping in her, one could immediately feel the spirit of Christmas.


    It also looked quite magical, with all the snows and the lights around. So, going around would definitely be a delight.


    But that''s not what he was interested in. He was interested with the mysterious mistletoe. It was the reason why this vige was called the Mistletoe Vige. Because there was a mistletoe that kept evading visitors.


    Yes, that''s right. It kept hiding and moving as if it was a real NPC. There was a legend among the residents of Yule Ind that if a visiting couple found the mistletoe and shared a kiss under it, their love would be bless and the would be happy forever.


    Of course, he knew it''s not real a real legend since it was just a scenario made by the game devs. But still, wouldn''t it be fun and interesting to search for that mistletoe and show to everyone that he and Shen Ji Yun was Arcadia''s couple of the year?


    "Let''s go and find that mistletoe, Brother Ji Yun," he said with determination.


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the other. Even though there''s a mask covering half of Luo Yan''s face, he could still imagine the cute determined expression he must have right now. He resisted the urge to remove Luo Yan''s mask just so he could see that.


    He just smiled and held the other''s hand. "Okay, let''s go."

 Chapter 919: A CLUE

    Chapter 919: A CLUELUO YAN and Shen Ji Yun were holding hands while looking around the vige. They also talked to some of the Christmas elves living in the vige to get a clue as to where the mysterious mistletoe was.


    They weren''t the only ones who were doing that, other couples visiting the vige were also doing the same. But out of all of them, the two were the most eye-catching. Not because they were both guys, but because of their shy clothes and tooth-rotting sweetness.


    Some of the couples felt dissatisfied because of their public disy of affection. While others only felt envious. They wished that their partner could be as thoughtful as Shen Ji Yun or could be as sweet as Luo Yan. s, since that couldn''t happen, they could only look at the two with envy.


    Sadly, the subject of their envy didn''t really care about the opinion of the people around them. Right now, both of them were just enjoying this night. It''s their precious time together after all.


    As they were walking, Luo Yan noticed a Christmas elf carrying several gift boxes, to the point that all boxesbined were even taller than him. Seeing that, he suddenly thought of something. Like a light bulb that suddenly shed inside one''s mind when they thought of a brilliant idea.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let''s help that elf," he said. He didn''t wait for the other''s response and just pulled him towards the elf.


    When they were close enough to the elf, Luo Yan quickly took some of the gift boxes. Shen Ji Yun also did the same.


    The elf was obviously very surprised when the gift boxes he''s carrying suddenly disappeared. He raised his head and looked scared when he saw Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun. As if he was afraid that the two were thieves trying to steal his gifts.


    "Hey, don''t worry, we''re not bad guys. We''re just trying to help you since you looked like you''re struggling," Luo Yan said, trying to calm the other.


    But the elf still looked terrified. "R-really? But- but you look like bad guys. How can you not be thieves?"


    Luo Yan felt a muscle on his face tick. How could this elf say that he looked like a bad guy when he''s this pretty? And then he suddenly remembered that he was wearing a mask.


    He crouched down so he and the elf could be at the same eye level. Then, he momentarily took off his mask with his free hand so the other could see his face. "I promise, we''re not bad guys. Please, don''t be scared."


    He said that with a puppy like expression, something that he learned from Shen Ji Yun. Since it was so effective to him, he was sure that the elf would also feel the same. But surprisingly enough, the elf had the opposite reaction.


    "N-no, you''re definitely a viin! A-are you trying to seduce me with that p-pretty face of yours? Well, sorry, I''m a happily married elf! You can''t seduce even with that face. Besides, you''re too tall for me. The two of us simply don''t match!"


    Luo Yan was too surprised to even react. What pulled him back to his senses was the little snort that he heard from Shen Ji Yun. He nced back at the other with a re. "Did you justugh, Brother Ji Yun?"


    "Of course not. How could I?" Shen Ji Yun responded quickly. But anyone who saw the way his eyes bent could see that he was currently smiling.


    Luo Yan stood up and put back his mask on. "You did! Waa... I''m trying my best here to convince our little friend that we''re not bad guys and yet you''re here,ughing at me?"


    While he was saying that, he kept poking at Shen Ji Yun''s side. Which only made the otherugh.


    "Okay, okay, I apologize forughing," Shen Ji Yun said in a voice of surrender.


    "Are you two a couple?" the elf suddenly asked.


    Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun turned to the elf and saw that the other was no longer looking at them with wariness. Instead, he was looking at them with curiosity.


    Luo Yan felt that this was the chance to get a breakthrough. "Yes, we are," he quickly said. "We''re visiting the vige to look for the mysterious mistletoe."


    "Oh, you should have said that sooner," the elf said as if relieved. "We in the Mistletoe Vige always wee guests, especially couples like you."


    Luo Yan raised his brow. If he knew that all it took for this elf to change his mind was seeing them act like a couple, he would have kissed Shen Ji Yun from the very start.


    "Then, can we assist you with these gift boxes?" he asked.


    "Oh, yes, please."


    After that, they followed the elf to his cottage house. Since the house was too small for both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun tofortably enter, they could only leave the boxes at the door.


    "Thank you for helping me bring these gifts. If you hadn''t helped me, the Christmas would probably be over before I even got home," the elf said with a voice full of gratitude.


    "Anyone who saw you struggling like that would also do the same," Luo Yan said.


    "But you''re the ones who did. These gifts are for my family, you see. I would be really in trouble if I didn''t manage to get them here before midnight. That''s why I''m very thankful. So, as a sign of my gratitude, let me give you a clue as to where the mysterious mistletoe is."


    Luo Yan''s eyes behind the mask brightened at that. He was already too familiar with how the game devs'' brains worked that he could immediately tell that there was something special about this elf when he saw the other earlier. Sure enough, the elf was really a key into finding the mysterious mistletoe.


    The elf looked left and right first, as if making sure that no one else was listening, before telling them about the clue.

 Chapter 920: KISS BENEATH THE MISTLETOE

    Chapter 920: KISS BENEATH THE MISTLETOE"LET''S go, Brother Ji Yun!" Luo Yan said as he pulled Shen Ji Yun towards the direction that the Christmas elf gave them.


    It actually took quite a while before they managed to find the ce because they had to ''decode'' first whatever the hell it was that the elf told them. Yes, because instead of telling them straight where the mysterious mistletoe was, the other gave them a riddle of it''s possible location. So, before they could go there, they had to solve that first.


    Not that Luo Yan wasining, well, maybe a little. By now, he should have gotten used to the NPCs of this game not giving the yers what they needed directly. Instead, they had to work for it. Which was probably one aspect of the game that made it quite fair for the yers. In a way that one wouldn''t get anything unless they worked hard for it.


    Anyway, back to the riddle. What the elf told them was;


    [Reaching stiffly for the sky, I bare my fingers when it''s cold. In warmth I wear an emerald gloves and in between I dress in gold.]


    It was not hard to understand that the riddle was talking about a tree. The hard part was finding which tree it was.


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun both agreed that it was just one of the two ¨C either it''s an ordinary tree that was often overlooked or a very remarkable tree that one could tell was special just by one look.


    The both of them were in agreement that it was definitely the former. After all, if it was thetter, wouldn''t everyone have easily found it? Then, it wouldn''t be called ''mysterious'', right?


    ording to the elf, the mistletoe''s location changed every year. This year, it just happened to be hung on the tree in question. Of course, he didn''t directly say that it was a tree. But it''s almost the same since the riddle was too easy to solve. Really, the only problem they had was knowing which tree it was.


    After that, the two spent about half an hour looking for clues about that tree. To avoid wasting time, they interviewed NPCs who seemed to know the location of the said tree. That was the thing that took a lot of their time. It would have probably taken a lot more time if it wasn''t for Luo Yan''s good luck in finding those useful NPCs.


    Seriously, he''s starting to develop a nose for this stuff.


    And from all their investigation, they finally arrived to an area that was almost outside the vige''s territory. It was a sad piece ofnd that didn''t have any Christmas decorations or even a path that might entice visitors to go there. It was just full of snow and at the corner was a tree that was almost buried by the said snow.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, do you think this is the ce?"


    "Let''s check it out first," Shen Ji Yun answered. He hoped that this was really the tree that they were looking for. He didn''t want to see Luo Yan disappointed just in case they were wrong.


    So, the two walked towards the tree.


    Luo Yan looked up at the tree''s branches and leaves. But to his disappointment, he didn''t see anything. Only frozen leaves and branches.


    He sighed. "It seemed that we guessed the location of the mistletoe incorrectly."


    He was already starting to think where to go next when he suddenly heard Shen Ji Yun say;


    "Maybe not."


    Luo Yan turned towards the other. Shen Ji Yun was looking up at the tree with narrowed eyes. With the way his brows scrunched up, it looked like he noticed something that Luo Yan didn''t notice.


    Luo Yan was about to look up to see what it could possibly be, but before he could, he felt his waist being pulled by a strong arm. Before he knew it, his body had already gently collided with hard muscles. He raised his head to look at Shen Ji Yun.


    "Brother Ji Yun, what¡ª"


    "Yan Yan, look!" The other pointed above them with a slightly excited voice.


    He instinctively looked up and his eyes slightly widened when he saw something slowly appearing above them. Like a distortion that was slowly pealing off an illusion. After a few seconds, the object was finally revealed ¨C a green nt that was arranged like a wreath.


    It didn''t have any special decorations. Just two bells on top. Its size was also not that big. Almost like an ordinary wreath. The only thing special about it was the yellow glow surrounding it.


    "Is that what I think it is?" Luo Yan couldn''t help but asked.


    "I think so."


    Luo Yan turned his gaze back to Shen Ji Yun. "How did you notice that, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun scratched his cheek. "I used a skill to make sure that there''s no illusion around."


    "But how did you realize that we had to stand beneath it for it to appear like that?"


    "Well, isn''t there a phrase ''kiss beneath the mistletoe''? I just thought that it would appear if we stood under it."


    Luo Yan smiled at that answer. "You''re a genius, Brother Ji Yun," he said with a thumbs-up. "Then, shall we test if this is really the mysterious mistletoe?"


    "How?"


    "First, let''s remove our masks," as he said that, Luo Yan removed his mask and then proceeded to removing the one on Shen Ji Yun''s face. "You know what to do next, right Brother Ji Yun?" he added with an inviting nce.


    Shen Ji Yun gulped and then slowly lowered his head. Once their lips touched, what should have been just a shallow peck became a deep kiss.


    The two were so engrossed that they didn''t even notice how the mistletoe above their heads started to glow red.


    Curiously enough, the reason they ended their kiss was not because of the bright glow from the mistletoe but because of someone''s voice interrupting them.


    "Luo Yan?"

 Chapter 921: AN UNEXPECTED (SHOCKING) SCENE

    Chapter 921: AN UNEXPECTED (SHOCKING) SCENEHUANG WEN looked around the tiny vige. It looked like a collection the hut of the dwarves in Snow White. Except that it''s snowing and there''s a lot of Christmas lights around.


    "So, are we going to look for that mistletoe something?" he asked while ncing around the ce.


    "Yes," Ying Chen answered with a bright voice, obviously very excited being in this ce.


    How could he not? Although Ying Chen knew that the legend of the mysterious mistletoe was just something fabricated by the game, he still wanted to try and find it. He wanted to see it together with Huang Wen. Even if he was the only one who knew of the meaning behind it.


    Yes, it''s such a loser behavior. But what could he do when he couldn''t even confess his feelings to the other? The next best thing for him was pretending that they were together and looking for that mistletoe as if they were a real couple. At least, his imagination would finally match reality. Even if he had to delude himself to achieve that.


    "But where would we find that mistletoe here?"


    Huang Wen''s voice brought Ying Chen back to his senses. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Don''t worry. I actually got a clue from someone I know beforeing here."


    Well, not that it was a lie, he indeed got an information about the whereabouts of the mysterious mistletoe. It''s just that, he didn''t simply hear it, he bought it from someone.


    You know how people post game walkthroughs online? Well, it was the same as that. The only difference was posting one about Arcadia was much more lucrative inparison.


    It''s because there were yers who would buy information about a lot of in-game stuffs. Like game events, as well as clues in finding hidden tasks, and many more. yers could contact those people on the game forum and they would both proceed with the transaction.


    Those who chose to have a more immersive experience ying Arcadia would probably not buy information like that. Ying Chen also normally would not do that. If he was alone, he would have looked for clues on his own until he found what he''s looking for. But Huang Wen was with him.


    He knew how much the other didn''t have patience for such things. It''s one of the reasons why Huang Wen never had any interest in ying games. The beautiful scenery of Yule Ind could only do so much. It wouldn''t hold Huang Wen''s attention for long especially if they ended up searching for clues instead of just simple sight-seeing.


    "Let''s go there," Ying Chen said, pulling Huang Wen towards the direction of the mistletoe.


    ording to the information Ying Chen got, the mysterious mistletoe was somewhere near the border of the vige territory. If it was only that, then it would be pretty vague and they still needed to do quite a bit of searching. But it''s a good thing he got the full location. Which was only natural since he paid quite a lot for that.


    Although it''s truly a mystery how that person, the one who sold the information, managed to find the location of the mistletoe when it changed every year. Maybe he had been searching for it since midnight. Or it could also be because he''s connected to a game dev or something.


    Either way, Ying Chen didn''t really care. As long as he got the information he needed, then it wouldn''t matter to him how it was obtained by the seller.


    As they ran towards the direction of where the mistletoe was, Ying Chen only realized then that he and Huang Wen were actually holding hands. Courtesy of him pulling the other, of course. But it didn''t stop him from imagining that they were running together hand in hand. Just like a real couple.


    He smiled secretly. But then sighed just as quick. Man, he really was hopeless. He shook his head and just focused on running.


    When they finally arrived at their destination, before Ying Chen could celebrate, he saw two figures already standing below the unremarkable tree. He felt a bit disappointed that someone beat them to it. But he quickly shook that off. Why would it matter? They could just wait until the two left.


    "Let''s go closer and wait until they go," Ying Chen said to Huang Wen.


    Huang Wen nodded. He really didn''t have that much of an opinion about it. He was just a bit skeptical if the mistletoe was really hanging in that not-so good-looking tree.


    As they walked closer towards the tree, Ying Chen unconsciously stopped when he finally noticed that the two figures were actually both guys. He didn''t notice at first because one of them had long hair. But with this distance, he could clearly see it.


    Before he could even digest that fact, the two were suddenly shrouded by lighting down from above them. Because of that, the image of the two became even clearer.


    He didn''t think much at first because the two were both wearing mask, covering half of their face. That was until they removed their mask and he got a clear view of their face.


    Ying Chen''s eyes quickly zeroed in on the one with long hair. The other was eerily simr to Noctis. But because his hair was colored ck, instead of the white-haired elf, the person who woulde to people''s mind, at least to specific people, was a certain third-year student of Guizu Academy.


    Luo Yan.


    He hadn''t gotten over that surprised yet when the two people standing beneath the tree suddenly leaned towards each other and did something he never thought they would.


    They kissed! And in a quite steamy manner at that.


    After the initial shock, Ying Chen subconsciously turned towards Huang Wen. And just as he expected, the other was frozen on the spot. The way he was looking at the two people in front, Ying Chen could already tell what the other was thinking.


    And as to prove that, Huang Wen called in a voice that was almost shaky;


    "Luo Yan?"

 Chapter 922: NOT JUST ANY MAN, ONLY HIM

    Chapter 922: NOT JUST ANY MAN, ONLY HIMLUO YAN was startled because his name was suddenly called. Especially in a situation where he was just kissing Shen Ji Yun. And it was not even his game name that was called, but his real name instead.


    Before he could turn towards the person who called him, Shen Ji Yun already stood in front of him in a protective manner. Shielding him from the gaze of the person who just called him.


    Shen Ji Yun turned towards the intruder, only to find that there were two instead of just one. And one of them looked even familiar. It was the dark elf that Luo Yan fought at the Rookie Carnival. The other even challenged Luo Yan into a PvP fight after that. Of course, he lost in both.


    But that''s not the problem here. The problem here was that someone between these two intruders called Luo Yan by his real name. Could it be this dark elf? Luo Yan did mention to him that the other might be a schoolmate of his. But before he could ascertain that, the other one standing with the dark elf suddenly spoke;


    "What the hell...?"


    Shen Ji Yun turned to the other. The guy was wearing a simple armor popr with beginners. His race was obviously human. There''s nothing particr about him that stood up. But the more Shen Ji Yun stared at the other, the more he had this nagging feeling that he had seen him somewhere.


    As Shen Ji Yun was staring at him, Huang Wen was also doing the same. When he called out Luo Yan''s name earlier, he did it subconsciously. Because of how much one of the two men looked eerily like that one guy who visited Luo Yan at school. Huang Wen could still remember that day very clearly as if it just happened yesterday.


    The way that guy looked coldly at him. The way he and Luo Yan seemed to be in their own world. And those pair of blue eyes.


    No matter how he thought about it, weren''t the two just the same person?


    After arriving to that conclusion, it became even more evident that the other guy with long ck hair was indeed Luo Yan. And that was not all, if he turned that ck hair into white, then he would be the splitting image of Noctis. Don''t get him started with the other one. If that guy wore a long dark purple wig, then he would be about 90% simr to the captain of Yunyue ¨C YUN.


    But those things were not the reason why Huang Wen felt like his insides were boiling. No, they just aggravated the real reason.


    It was that damn kiss!


    He was shock at first when he saw it. But by the time hepletely realized the identity of the two, that shock had already turned into something else. Someplicated emotion that he couldn''t even describe properly. Like abination of anger, disbelief, sadness, and some kind of fear that he couldn''t understand.


    All of those emotions mixed up inside him to the point that his brain just nked out. Hot anger welled up and he just found himself saying things that he didn''t mean.


    "Heh, so is this how the second young master of the Luo family spends his free time, kissing men under a tree? Does your family you have this kind of hobby? How disgusting."


    Ying Chen closed his eyes tightly when he heard that. He witnessed the change in Huang Wen''s expression up close. From shock, to confusion, to anger. The fact that the other was even saying these things. All of them were evidence of how Huang Wen really felt.


    At that moment, he truly wanted to weep in bitterness.


    Shen Ji Yun pulled out his sword the moment he heard the bastard say those words. Now, he finally remembered who the other was. It was the guy talking to Luo Yan near the gate when Shen Ji Yun visited their school. Luo Yan introduced the other as a ssmate.


    Although he found the guy annoying for some reason. He didn''t think that the other would have this kind of prejudice. To even call his Luo Yan ''disgusting''. That alone was enough for him to beat the living daylights out of the other.


    He was thinking of doing just that and just discuss the consequenceter with Luo Yan when he felt a hand on his arm. The soft hand that could only belong to Luo Yan seemed to be stopping him from doing what he was nning to do.


    Luo Yan stepped out from behind Shen Ji Yun and stood beside the other. He looked at Shen Ji Yun and gently shook his head. Silently telling the other that there''s no need to resort to violence. Then, he turned towards where Huang Wen and Ying Chen where standing.


    Yes, he had already recognized the two since earlier. He already knew that Melekith was Ying Chen. So, that one was easy. And since the one apanying the other looked really simr to Huang Wen, it''s only natural for Luo Yan to immediately recognized him.


    He was, of course, very surprised that the two were here and that they just saw him and Shen Ji Yun kissing. But it didn''t fluster him or anything. It''s not like it was something he should be embarrassed about.


    Although, he knew it might be a problemter if the two used that information against him or Shen Ji Yun. But somehow, he felt like that wouldn''t be the case. Especially since he knew how Ying Chen harbored an unrequited love for Huang Wen. No matter his faults, the other would surely not use their sexuality to ckmail them or anything.


    He was thinking that the same could be said for Huang Wen. That was until he opened his mouth and said those insulting words.


    But despite that, Luo Yan didn''t feel any anger from that. Because he could feel that the other probably didn''t mean it. Still, there''s one thing he should make clear.


    "I don''t just kiss any man," he hugged Shen Ji Yun''s arm. "I only kiss him."

 Chapter 923: EXPLOSION OF EMOTIONS

    Chapter 923: EXPLOSION OF EMOTIONSSHEN JI YUN''S anger subsided quite a lot after hearing what Luo Yan said. In fact, instead of anger, the shyness in his heart was even stronger. He truly wanted to just pull Luo Yan close and give him a big kiss.


    Contrary to him, Huang Wen felt the exact opposite. Just those words alone proved that Luo Yan and that... guy had that kind of rtionship. Realizing that, he felt like a small corner of his heart just broke.


    He couldn''t understand the sudden pain. He just knew that Luo Yan was the cause of it. He didn''t like it. He didn''t like it at all. The pain in his chest soon turned into shortness of breath. It''s like he would explode if he didn''t let go of this anger bubbling up inside him.


    Before he knew it, he was, once again, already saying things that he didn''t mean.

 Chapter 924: TO CRY A RIVER

    Chapter 924: TO CRY A RIVERLUO YAN shook his head and decided not to think of that for the time being. He answered Shen Ji Yun''s question instead.


    "Don''t worry, I don''t think he would go around and tell everyone about us."


    "How can you be so sure?"


    Luo Yan scratched his cheek. Should he say that it''s because Huang Wen apparently liked him that way so he probably wouldn''t do anything that would inadvertently hurt Luo Yan''s reputation? No, if he told that to Shen Ji Yun, this guy would definitely have more reason to deal with Huang Wen.


    Besides, that wasn''t the only reason why he believed that Huang Wen wouldn''t tattle what he saw and heard today to just anyone. Even though the both of them started in a bad note, the other wasn''t really a bad person. Just a teenager who didn''t know how to handle his own emotions.


    Thatst ''sorry'' was enough evidence that he didn''t mean what he said about them.


    "He''s not a bad kid. Maybe just a bit misunderstood, but definitely not a lost cause."


    Shen Ji Yun frowned when he heard that. He didn''t like that Luo Yan was defending that guy. It almost felt like he knew something about the other and he didn''t want to tell it to him.


    "The nonsense he was spouting earlier, I don''t think that was just simple misunderstanding."


    "I assure you, he probably didn''t even mean any of it."


    The other probably didn''t even know what he''s saying when he said those things. ¨C Luo Yan thought. Huang Wen was most likely ovee with emotions that he just said whatever that came to his mind without thinking twice.


    Shen Ji Yun crossed his arms and the frowned on his face became even deeper. "Why does it feel like you''re defending that guy?"


    Seeing Shen Ji Yun''s sudden sullen expression, Luo Yan wanted tough for no reason. How could he not when the other was being too cute?


    He hugged Shen Ji Yun''s waist. "Are you eating vinegar again? Don''t worry, in my eyes and in my heart, there''s only Brother Ji Yun. So, don''t be angry, hmm?"


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down at him and then reluctantly said, "Fine."


    "Shall we finish our tour of the ind?" Luo Yan quickly changed the subject before the other mentioned Huang Wen again. "We only have about two hours left before the ind closed for this year. Let''s not waste time and go make more precious memories. What do you say?"


    Those words seemed to have calmed Shen Ji Yun because a small helpless smile finally crossed his lips. "Okay, let''s go."


    Luo Yan hugged the other''s arm and they both started walking back to the direction where their sled was parked. As they walked, he decided to talk to Huang Wen tomorrow at school. Not just about the things that transpired here but also to end whatever feelings that other might have had for him before it could turn into something much deeper.


    When he thought of that, he also couldn''t help but think of Ying Chen.


    He knew that the other had feelings for Huang Wen. So, he must have been really hurt hearing him say all those things earlier. But the one that probably hurt most was knowing the fact that the person he liked was interested in someone else.


    The expression he showed earlier, it was obvious that he had also noticed that Huang Wen harbored some kind of crush for Luo Yan. That must have been really painful. If Luo Yan was in his shoes, he might have already punched Huang Wen a thousand times just for being that oblivious.


    He couldn''t help but be thankful that he and Shen Ji Yun weren''t in the same situation. Just imagining it could actually easily bring him to tears.


    Anyway, should he help Ying Chen?


    ----------


    Ying Chen removed the VR helmet and almost threw it on the floor. It''s a good thing that he quickly came back to his senses and managed to stop himself. He put the VR helmet on the table before he changed his mind and used it to ease the anger he''s feeling.


    He burrowed his face on his pillow. No, more than anger, the sadness prevailed more. To see Huang Wen acting like that because of another person, it felt like hundreds of knives were stabbing his heart all at the same time.


    He wanted to shout, ''why him and not me?''. He wanted to rush up to Huang Wen and ask him why he couldn''t see the love that he''s harboring? Was it because his blind? Or was it simply because he was never in his radar to begin with?


    Either way, the pain Ying Chen felt would still be the same. Because it would all juste down to the simple fact that Huang Wen had never liked him in that way. And probably never would.


    It was something he knew from long before. He just simply refused to ept it. From the moment that he realized his feelings for Huang Wen, he decided that he would do everything to make the other fall for him. That he would fight for his feelings for him. Which was crazy. Because there was a tall mountain that firmly separated the two of them ¨C their gender.


    Ying Chen could show how much he liked Huang Wen. But at the end, it would be for nothing as long as the other never considered a boy as a love interest. Still, he did not give up and persisted. Because he firmly believed that, with his dedication, Huang Wen would also look his way one day.


    But before that day could evene, someone appeared who did what he couldn''t do for five years.


    And that hurt like hell.


    Ying Chen felt the tears that he had been suppressing started to fall down his cheeks. His little sobs slowly turned into a loud cry. He wanted to pour out all the pain and sadness he''s feeling. But it felt like it wouldn''t be enough even if he cried a river.


    [Should I just give up?]

 Chapter 925: UTTERLY DEFEATED

    Chapter 925: UTTERLY DEFEATEDLUO YAN had to go to school ahead of Luo Jin. It''s because he was meeting someone and the time was a bit earlierpared to the usual time when he and Luo Jin arrived at school.


    And yes, the one he''s meeting with was Huang Wen.


    After that incident yesterday, he decided to talk to the other. But since he didn''t have Huang Wen''s number or even his WeChat ID, he had to ask their ssmates first. It''s a good thing that the first person he asked managed to give him what he''s looking for.


    After getting Huang Wen''s WeChat ID, he quickly messaged the other. Asking to meet today before their homeroom started. The other didn''t reply, but he had obviously read the message as there was a ''seen'' caption under it.


    Since Huang Wen read it, Luo Yan just assumed that the other agreed. It''s better that way than assuming that he didn''t. What if the other went there and he didn''t? Then, they would have missed each other. So, to be sure, it''s better to just go.


    Arriving at school, he quickly went to his ssroom. After putting down his bag on his seat, he went straight to the rooftop. It was the meeting ce that he chose.


    Opening the door to the rooftop, he was immediately greeted by the cold winter wind. He tightened his coat around him. He scanned the roof and found that it was empty. He walked forward and stopped near the railing. He decided to wait since there''s still a lot of time before ss started.


    Minutes started to pass by and he still couldn''t see the shadow of Huang Wen. He told himself that he should be patient. But when cold wind was constantly blowing on your direction, one couldn''t help but forget that. But even though the string of his patience was about to snap, he still remained on the rooftop.


    It was then that he heard the door to the rooftop opening.


    Luo Yan quickly turned around and then saw Huang Wen walking in with downcast eyes.


    Freaking finally!


    "What do you want?" the other asked, with a stubborn expression on his face. Before Luo Yan could answer, Huang Wen had already added, "If this is about yesterday, then forget it. I won''t tattle to everyone about your... preference."


    "I know."


    That simple respond made the other lift his head and looked at him in surprise. It was only then that Luo Yan noticed how there were dark circles under his eyes. A sign that he hadn''t properly slept.


    After the surprise, Huang Wen''s expression changed to that of sarcasm. "Why? You must think I''m a coward who couldn''t tell others about you because I''m afraid of what your family would do."


    Luo Yan couldn''t help but scratch his head in annoyance because of how the other was forming his own conclusion before he could even say anything.


    "Hey, would you mind letting me finish my words?" he couldn''t help but say. "I said that because I know that you''re not that kind of person. Yes, you were a big pain in the ass at the start. And maybe you still are from time to time. Just like right now, by the way. But you''re not a bad kid. Just a little rough around the edges, but still not bad."


    Huang Wen seemed to be even more surprised by that. He probably didn''t expect that he would hear those words from Luo Yan.


    "That''s why I know that you won''t just tell people about me just for the heck of it," Luo Yan continued. "This is not me putting my trust in you, but me trusting your character."


    After the initial surprise and bewilderment, Huang Wen felt ttered that Luo Yan actually had a high opinion of him. But then he quickly felt ridiculous. Why the heck was he feeling ttered after all the storm of emotions the other had put him through?


    Last night, after all those things happened, he didn''t get a wink of sleep. That image of Luo Yan kissing another guy kept ying inside his mind over and over again. And over and over again, it felt like he was being stabbed continuously.


    He hated it. He wanted it to stop. But it didn''t. It was not only that scene, but also the things Luo Yan said that was basically just him confessing just how he liked that YUN guy. Hearing him say those things actually hurt more.


    Questions like why and how kept on circling inside his head. But really, if one thought about it, the real question here was why was he so affected by it? The long night he spent thinking that gave him the answer.


    He liked Luo Yan.


    Simple as that.


    But realizing that now was already a little bit toote. Luo Yan was already in a rtionship with another person. But now that he heard the other''s opinion of him, another question emerged.


    Did he really have to just give up like this? Even if Luo Yan had already chosen that guy, was it possible for him to look his way if he honestly confessed his feelings? He wouldn''t really know the answer to that if he didn''t even try.


    Huang Wen took a deep breath and gathered all the willpower and determination he could muster. He raised his head and stared straight at Luo Yan.


    "I like you."


    Luo Yan blinked. He didn''t expect that the other would be so straightforward like this. Especially since he looked like he wasn''t aware of his own feelings. Could what happenst night made him realize something?


    He felt a bit troubled. The reason why he wanted to talk to the other today was to make him realize that it would be no use even he liked him. Because his heart was already set on one person. Nothing would probably ever change that. Unless Shen Ji Yun cheated or hurt him in any way, of course. But something like that was almost impossible to happen, so having that stiption hardly ever mattered.


    Luo Yan wanted to make that clear while the other seemed to be still unaware of his feelings for him. But now, it seemed that that wouldn''t work.


    Since Huang Wen had been honest with him, he should also do the same. He should cut off whatever hope he might have. The worst thing he could do in this situation was to give the other false hope.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t return your feelings."


    Although Huang Wen had somehow already expected such an answer, it still f*cking hurt. He tried to appear calm, but his voice shook the moment he spoke.


    "W-was there really no chance?"


    "None."


    Huang Wen wanted tough with bitterness because of that brutal honesty. But somehow, he still couldn''t seem to give up.


    "If- if I confessed to you first instead of that guy, could we have had a chance?"


    "No," Luo Yan answered without hesitation. "I fell in love with him not because he''s the first guy who showed interest in me. I fell in love with him because it''s him."


    At those words, Huang Wen finally felt utterly defeated.

 Chapter 926: LAUGHING OUT LOUD

    Chapter 926: LAUGHING OUT LOUD"CAN you go ahead? I want to be alone for a while," Huang Wen said, looking up at the sky.


    Luo Yan didn''t say anything and just nodded. It''s natural for Huang Wen to want to be alone at this moment. Since he''s the one who rejected the other, it would be weird to continue to stay here. So, he walked towards the door.


    But the moment he opened it, he was suddenly firmly stuck on the spot. His heart even jumped up to the point that it almost felt like he would have a sudden heart attack. Because standing in front of him was Ying Chen.


    The other was standing there like a block of ice. No, like a shaking block of ice, if there was even a phrase like that. Because Ying Chen was standing still like a rock while both his hands were trembling uncontrobly. But more than that, there were obvious tears flowing down his cheeks.


    Just how much did he hear? Should he have heard it all?


    "You¡ª"


    Ying Chen raised his head sharply. He red at Luo Yan before wiping his tears and running away.


    Luo Yan instinctively ran towards the other. "Wait!"


    But Ying Chen didn''t stop and didn''t even look back. He ran towards the elevator. And before Luo Yan could even catch up, the elevator door had already closed.


    Seeing the close elevator door, Luo Yan let out a long and frustrated sigh. But he didn''t let himself think further and just simply ran down the stairs.


    If Ying Chen had heard his conversation with Huang Wen in its entirety, and he believed that he did, then the other must be feeling like shit right now. As evidence of the tears.


    Really, he had no obligations tofort Ying Chen nor was he even close to the other to do that. In the first ce, he''s probably thest person Ying Chen would want tofort him. But Luo Yan just couldn''t leave the other alone like this.


    He ran as if he was being chased by a serial killer. Seriously, this was probably the first time he ran like this in this body. It''s a good thing that his health was all better now. If not, he wouldn''t be able to run like this.


    He didn''t know which ss Ying Chen belonged to. But he knew that the other wouldn''t definitely go there. He would probably go somewhere to be alone. And that wouldn''t be here in this teaching building. So, Luo Yan didn''t hesitate to go straight to the first floor. And facts had proven that he was right.


    Because just as he stood in front of the elevator, it opened, revealing Ying Chen.


    The other who just finished wiping his tears waspletely dumbfounded when he saw him. Luo Yan didn''t give the other time to react. Who knew if this guy would just close the elevator again? He simply no longer have the energy for another chase.


    So, he pulled Ying Chen out of the elevator and dragged the other out of the teaching building.


    Ying Chen barely woke up from his dazedness. By the time his brain registered what was happening, the two of them were already out of the building.


    "Hey--! What are you doing? Let go of me right now!"


    "I won''t. So, stop struggling."


    "You--!"


    "We''ll be the center of attention if you continue to make a ruckus right now. Do you want that? Because I don''t care. I will continue to pull you like this even if other students point fingers at us."


    That shut Ying Chen up. He resentfully red at Luo Yan''s back.


    There were already students arriving, so if the two of them made a scene right now, many people would surely flock. Under normal circumstance, Ying Chen also wouldn''t mind.


    But after thatst time where he purposely pushed the other in the hopes that he would be embarrassed, he didn''t think it would be good to be seen as a ''viin'' again. That small actionpletely smack him on the face that he was not only embarrassed, the school even gave him a warning.


    After a brief deliberation that almost felt like forever, Ying Chen decided to just let the other pull him. But even though he conceded, his anger still continued to ferment.


    Luo Yan stopped walking when they reached the side of the teaching building where there were few students passing by. And since it''s morning and ss hadn''t started yet, there were literally no students around. He let go of Ying Chen and turned to face the other.


    And he almost stepped back because of how venomous the other''s re was.


    He sighed in helplessness. "Hey, I''m not your enemy here."


    Ying Chen only scoffed at that. "What do you want?"


    "You heard our conversation, right?" Ying Chen looked like he would growl at him the moment he said that. So, Luo Yan quickly added, "That meant that you''ve heard how I rejected Huang Wen quite thoroughly."


    The anger fermenting inside Ying Chen finally reached a boiling point. "Hah! And so? Are you saying that I shouldn''t be angry at you because it''s not your fault that Ah Wen likes you?"


    "Basically," Luo Yan shrugged. "Being angry at me won''t do you any good. You would just waste your time and feelings, when you could have used that thinking of, I don''t know, thinking of ways on how to make Huang Wen regret that he didn''t realize your feelings for him sooner?"


    Ying Chen could only look at the other in disbelief when he heard what he said. Even his anger popped up like a balloon because of how taken aback he was. "What are you getting at?"


    "Can''t you see? As a senior in the love department, I''m giving you love advice," Luo Yan said in a very confident manner. Even tapping his chest proudly.


    Ying Chen now only felt helplessly annoyed. "Can I punch you right now?"


    Luo Yan held both cheeks as if he was petrified by the thought. "Of course not! How can you even think of doing that to my pretty face?"


    Seeing the other''s expression, Ying Chen actually found himselfughing out loud.

 Chapter 927: YAN YANS LOVE ADVICE

    Chapter 927: YAN YAN''S LOVE ADVICELUO YAN was d to see Ying Chenughing. That''s better than the other ring at him or showing that hurt expression full of sadness. He was about to say something but before he could, the school bell rang. Indicating that it''s was time for homeroom. That also seemed to wake Ying Chen from his momentarypse.


    Ying Chen cleared his throat, as if trying to gain his dignity back fromughing out loud earlier. "The bell had already rang, why aren''t you leaving?"


    Luo Yan raised his brow. "I could say the same to you."


    "I want to be alone for a while, so I''m going to skip homeroom. And you, you should just go."


    "Nah, why should I?" Luo Yan said, leaning on the building wall. "I haven''t even given you advice yet as your love senior."


    Ying Chen felt his irritation towards the other rising up again. "Who needs your advice?"


    "You."


    Ying Chen let out a frustrating sigh. "Do you know how insufferable you are?"


    "Hey, don''t say that. You''ll hurt my feelings," Luo Yan said in a very fake sad voice. He even clutched his chest to add to his acting.


    Ying Chen shook his head helplessly. It seemed that no matter what he did, he wouldn''t be able to get rid of this guy. So, he decided to just let it be. And at the end, he couldn''t help but asked;


    "What kind of advice would you even give?"


    "Hmm... nothingplicated. As I''ve said earlier, you need to make Huang Wen regret that he didn''t realize your feelings for him sooner," Luo Yan started. "From what I''ve noticed, the two of you are always together. He probably already considered you as a constant in his life. So, what do you think will happen if you suddenly disappear?"


    Ying Chin''s brows furrowed. "Are you telling me to transfer?"


    "In which part of what I said did I mention you transferring?" Luo Yan asked in a tone as if he''s wondering how Ying Chen''s brain worked. "We''re third years. Why would you transfer?"


    Ying Chen felt that his IQ had just been attacked by the other. "Then, make it clearer!"


    Luo Yan sighed. "I''m just saying that you should stop hanging around with him for a while. Maybe then he would realize just how important you are."


    Ying Chen fell into deep thought. He get what Luo Yan was trying to say, but...


    "Of course, I''m important to him. I''m one of his two best friends! Even if I stopped showing my face in front of him, he might just realize just how important I am to him as his friend. Wouldn''t that justpletely put in the friend zone?"


    "That''s why you have to make him aware of you first. Not as a friend but as a possible romantic interest."


    "You''re not suggesting that I confess, right? Because I won''t do it."


    Especially since the other was just rejected. If Ying Chen confessed, the possibility of him also being rejected was through the roof. It was almost like him directly sacrificing his friendship with the other.


    "No, even I knew that that would be a bad idea now," Luo Yan said. "You just have toe out of the closet to him. Considering what happened yesterday, you have a very veritable excuse to do it. Tell him you were hurt by the words he said and they say that you don''t want to see him for a while. That way, his attention would be totally focus on you. As you said, you''re one of his best friends. There''s no way he wouldn''t try to fix your rtionship. And in the process of him chasing you for reconciliation, you should try to drop subtle hints here and there that you like him."


    Ying Chen was starting to see what kind of vision this guy was painting. But he still had a lot of questions and doubts on whether such a n would even work.


    One of which was, "But why do I have to drop hints that I like him?"


    "Because if you let him discover that you like him instead of you directly saying it to him, then he would have no choice but to be conscious of you. Whether he likes it or not, he would start to see you not just as a friend but someone who he could be romantically involved with."


    Ying Chen was starting to be convinced by what Luo Yan was saying. The doubts he had was also starting to disappear. It''s like he was being seduced by the devil''s whisper.


    It''s just that, there was one big problem in all this.


    "You do have a point. But you''re forgetting something very, very important." Ying Chen looked at the other. "He likes you. How could he start being conscious of me when he still likes you?"


    "That might be the case. But I can bet my ass that if he was to choose between us today, he would definitely choose you. He might hesitate at first, but at the end, he would still ultimately choose you. Because even if he says that he likes me, you definitely are more important to him than me."


    Ying Chen suddenly blushed after hearing that. And then just as quick, he looked at Luo Yan suspiciously. "You''re not just saying that to appease me, right?"


    "Why would I do that? We''re not even that close."


    "Well, that is indeed true," Ying Chen said, nodding his head in agreement. And then realizing that, he said with widened eyes, "Then, you really mean it?"


    "Of course," Luo Yan said with confidence. "Let me put it this way, I''m just Huang Wen''s gay awakening. While you, you can easily be his true love."


    Ying Chen wanted tough hearing that. But at the same time, he was also filled with hope. "Do you really think so?"


    Luo Yan nodded. "Although if everything still fails at the end, you should also learn how to give up."


    "Now, you''re just being a party-pooper."


    The two of them looked at each other and then bothughed at the same time.

 Chapter 928: CHOKE ON WATER

    928 CHOKE ON WATER


    LUO JIN slouched on the seat of the restaurant they often go to eat lunch. ¡°Did Yan say where he¡¯s going?¡±


    Yu Jiao shook her head. ¡°No, he just said that we should go ahead and that he would follow quickly.¡±


    She didn¡¯t mention that Luo Yan also did not attend homeroom earlier. Knowing Luo Jin, he might just make a big deal out of things. But truthfully, she was also quite worried as to why Luo Yan skipped ss. Which was something he had never done. But considering how he came back to ss with a smile on his face, it¡¯s probably not something bad.


    They didn¡¯t have to wait that long because Luo Yan arrived just after a few minutes. But he wasn¡¯t alone. A teenager with a surly expression was walking just behind him. Both Yu Jiao and Luo Jin knew all too well who the teenager was. That¡¯s why the two couldn¡¯t help but show a surprise expression when they saw the other.


    Yu Jiao still remembered the contradiction between the two. Especially since it was probably the point where she and Luo Yan started to really get close. She knew that Ying Chen was also that dark elf from the Rookie Carnival. So, he not only fought Luo Yan there, they also fought in that PvP. Ying Chen being the one who challenged Luo Yan.


    Considering the things that happened between the two, thisbination was truly unexpected.


    Luo Jin was also feeling the same. Even a bit antagonistic, in fact. His thoughts were still stuck on the time when Ying Chen pushed Luo Yan. Maybe because he wasn¡¯t there when it happened and he wasn¡¯t able to protect his brother. So, he couldn¡¯t help but re at the other.


    ¡°I brought a friend with me,¡± Luo Yan said as he sat down and pulled Ying Chen beside him. ¡°It¡¯s alright if he eat with us, right?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s your friend,¡± Ying Chen grumbled under his breath.


    .....


    ¡°Why are you with this guy?¡± Luo Jin asked his brother, pointing his chin towards Ying Chen.


    ¡°We¡¯ve be friends,¡± Luo Yan answered with a big smile before turning to Ying Chen. ¡°Haven¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°When did we?¡± Ying Chen said with a sulking tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how... this came about. But you should be thankful that my brother even considered to be friends with you after that shit that you pulled before,¡± Luo Jin said to Ying Chen, clearly unhappy how this situation even turned out.


    Ying Chen red at Luo Jin. ¡°Why should I? Do you think your brother is the president that I should feel honored just to be his friend?¡±


    ¡°L-let¡¯s not fight,¡± Yu Jiao said, trying to calm down the two.


    ¡°Hmm... is this what it feels like to watch two tsunderes fighting?¡± Luo Yan said, with his hand under his chin, acting like he was in deep thought.


    ¡°Who¡¯s a tsundere?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s a tsundere?¡±


    Luo Jin and Ying Chen turned to Luo Yan and said almost at the same time.


    The two looked at each other and then turned away almost as quickly. Probably because they were embarrassed and afraid (disgusted) that Luo Yan would say that they were ¡®matching¡¯.


    Luo Yan smiled seeing that the two had finally calmed down. ¡°Shall we order lunch?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that,¡± Yu Jiao also readily agreed.


    The two ¨C Ying Chen and Luo Jin ¨C begrudgingly nodded.


    After ordering, Luo Jin couldn¡¯t help but finally asked;


    ¡°How exactly did this happen?¡±


    He said that while pointing at Luo Yan and Ying Chen back and forth with an expression as if he couldn¡¯t understand what he¡¯s seeing.


    ¡°We bonded over lo¡ª¡±


    Before Luo Yan could finish what he¡¯s saying, Ying Chen suddenly covered his mouth. ¡°Nothing! We bonded over nothing!¡±


    Luo Yan¡¯s eyes twinkled with yfulness. He removed Ying Chen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°So, you do agree that we bonded over something?¡±


    Ying Chen stopped because he felt like he just jumped into a trap. Then, he red at Luo Yan. ¡°You really are insufferable.¡±


    ¡°I decided to now take that as apliment,¡± Luo Yan said in a fake haughty tone.


    Ying Chen literally felt like his blood pressure was about to rise at this moment. He kind of regretted that he came here. But when Luo Yan suddenly appeared in his ssroom and drag him here, he couldn¡¯t exactly reject the other. Because it¡¯s not as if he had somewhere else he could go to.


    He had always spent his lunch with Huang Wen. And since he had already agreed to Luo Yan¡¯s ¡®let¡¯s ignore Huang Wen n¡¯, he couldn¡¯t ask the other to have lunch with him.


    And so, he ended up in this little restaurant which he didn¡¯t know even existed in the school grounds.


    Yu Jiao watched the interaction between the two and was quite surprised. Seeing how natural Luo Yan treated the other, it seemed that he truly considered him a friend. With that, Yu Jiao¡¯s worry about the twopletely vanished. If Luo Yan considered Ying Chen as a friend, then thetter was probably not all that bad.


    Luo Jin, of course, also saw this. Even if he was confused as to why this even happened, he knew that his brother was a good judge of character. Luo Yan wouldn¡¯t befriend someone who he found sketchy or just have an overall bad personality. So, even if he couldn¡¯t understand this sudden change, he had no choice but to ept it.


    Soon, their food arrived and they all started eating.


    Ying Chen was very surprised because of how good the food was. If he had known about this ce, he would have brought Huang Wen here long ago. He quickly shook his head before his mind was filled with thoughts of Huang Wen again.


    But as he was trying not to think of that, a different thought crossed his mind. He subconsciously looked at Luo Jin sitting in front of him.


    ¡°Are you the amazing young master Jin?¡±


    Luo Jin, who heard that, choked on the water he¡¯s drinking.

 Chapter 929: THOUGHTS CIRCLING BACK TO ONE PERSON

    Chapter 929: THOUGHTS CIRCLING BACK TO ONE PERSONYU JIAO instinctively reached out to Luo Jin and patted his back. "I-it''s okay. Try to take a deep breath."


    Luo Jin couldn''t do that though and just continued coughing because some of that damn water went into the wrong pipe.


    Seeing this reaction, Ying Chen knew that he was right. The other was indeed the amazing young master Jin. Remembering that little gnome and superimposing Luo Jin''s real face to that game avatar, he couldn''t help butugh out loud.


    "You- hahaha! You really are that gnome? Hahaha!"


    Luo Jin red at theughing guy. His face felt so hot that it must look like a ming red jpeno right now. He hadn''t been so embarrassed before! Well, maybe there were times that he had been this embarrassed. But this was now, and at this moment, he really wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.


    That damn game name! Just how many times would he be humiliated because of that silly mistake he made? It''s even more embarrassing because the oneughing at him now was this guy.


    He didn''t respond to the other and just angrily continued eating.


    Ying Chen felt like he''s about to suffocate because of too muchughing. He should have probably long discovered that fact the moment he realized that Noctis was actually Luo Yan. A guy who was always stuck to Noctis and a game name that had the character ''Jin''. It was so obvious that it was actually a miracle that he now only realized it.


    Still, it was hrious. Just thinking how Luo Jin had this tough guy image but in the game, he was oddly cute and small, it was just peakedy. Huang Wen would definitely have a goodugh once he found out.


    Ying Chen''sugh was suddenly trapped in his throat because of how his thoughts circled back to Huang Wen once again. He picked up a ss of water to make sure he wouldn''t choke on his saliva for forcefully stopping himself fromughing.


    "I think Ah Jin''s game name is wonderful," Luo Yan said. "Since my brother is definitely one amazing guy."


    "Yes, that''s correct!" Yu Jiao quickly followed up.


    After hearing that, Luo Jin not only felt embarrassed but shy as well. He didn''t have time to feel that way for long though. It''s because of what he heard next after that.


    "Now you''re just being patronizing," Ying Chen said, rolling his eyes.


    Luo Jin red at the other. "You know, I''m this close to throwing a ss of water on you."


    "Ha, yeah right. As if you would really do that," Ying Chen said with no fear.


    Luo Jin held the chopsticks he''s holding tighter and stab it on the meat on his te, imagining that it was Ying Chen.


    "Hey, Xiao Ying, don''t bully my brother too much," Luo Yan said to Ying Chen. "My brother just have a... unique naming sense. And there''s absolutely nothing wrong with that."


    Luo Jin nced at his brother with a gaze as if saying, ''are you really on my side?''. That ''unique naming sense''ment was totally unnecessary.


    While Ying Chen had a very differentint.


    "Who are you calling ''Xiao Ying''?"


    "You, who else?" Luo Yan said in a nonchnt tone. "You have the same name as our uncle. So, calling you ''Chen Chen'', ''Ah Chen'', or ''Xiao Chen'' is just weird. That''s why you just have to be satisfied with ''Xiao Ying''. Or do you actually preferred to be called ''Ying Ying''? That''s fine with me as well."


    Ying Chen wanted to shout ''was that the point?''. But by now, he already knew that it would useless. So, he could only hold his nape as if trying to prevent himself from suffering high blood pressure.


    Really, if he continued hanging out with this guy, his hair would probably turn white before he even knew it. But somehow, weirdly enough, he didn''t really hate it.


    As much as he didn''t want to admit, it''s probably because of Luo Yan''s charm. The other just had his way with people. It''s annoying and very admirable at the same time. It''s probably one of the reasons why Huang Wen liked him.


    And... there he went again.


    Ying Chen shook his head and decided to just enjoy his lunch.


    Seeing that everyone had finally calm down, Luo Yan also went back to eat his lunch in peace. But as he did, he suddenly had this strange feeling that he was forgetting something.


    He just shrugged and decided that it''s probably not something important.


    ----------


    Shen Ji Yun stared at his phone. He had been doing that since lunch earlier. But he still hadn''t receive any message or call from Luo Yan. They had already discussed about how the other would speak to that guy, whatever his name was, today.


    He didn''t think much at first because Luo Yan had school today. The other probably didn''t have time to contact him. But it was already half an hour since Luo Yan''s ss ended. And yet, there''s still no message or call.


    Shen Ji Yun actually wanted to contact the other first. But he''s worried that Luo Yan might be busy and he would just end up disturbing the other. He told himself to be patient and just wait. But he''s already at his limit.


    So, once hisst lecture for the day ended, he immediately called the other.


    The call was immediately answered just right after the first ring.


    "Oh no, Brother Ji Yun, I''m so sorry, I should have contacted you much sooner," Luo Yan said the moment he answered the phone.


    By his tone, Shen Ji Yun could tell that he had forgotten contacting him. He felt a bit of difort. Like a tiny needle trying to poke at his heart.


    "I see," he said, not even noticing that his voice was full of sulking.


    Luo Yan, on the other line, clearly heard it and felt immensely guilty. Now, he wondered if it would even be a good thing to tell Shen Ji Yun about Huang Wen confessing to him.

 Chapter 930: WE ARE EQUAL

    Chapter 930: WE ARE EQUALSHEN JI YUN was waiting at his ind for Luo Yan. After his call earlier, the other told him that they should meet up in the game. That way, he could tell everything that happened to him today in detail. Shen Ji Yun agreed and thus, here he was.


    He wondered if something serious happened that Luo Yan couldn''t tell it to him over the phone. Could it be... that Huang guy threatened Luo Yan? Just imagining that, anger quickly filled him. He was ready to fly to S City just to deal with that Huang guy.


    Yes, Luo Yan told him that there was nothing to worry about, saying that the Huang guy didn''t have the kind of character who would do something like that. Despite the way the other acted.


    In his opinion, his rabbit was just being too kind. He probably wanted to believe that there was no malice behind that guy''s words. But Shen Ji Yun had a different opinion.


    That guy stared at Shen Ji Yun as if he wanted to stab him or something. He could clearly feel the other''s negative emotions towards him. Those negative emotions could easily turn into malice. Waiting until that happened wasn''t exactly ideal.


    As he was thinking that, the one he''s waiting for finally arrived.


    Luo Yan came running towards him the moment he appeared. Hugging his waist in the process. He looked up and said;


    "Sorry, Brother Ji Yun. I''m apologize for not calling you immediately. I kind of forgot about it because something happened that upied my mind for a bit."


    Shen Ji Yun nned to say that it didn''t matter, even though he still felt a bit unfair that he would be forgotten like that. If he described this feeling to someone, they would probably tell him that he was sulking. But after he heard thest part, he became worried in an instant and totally forgot the urge to sulk.


    "What happened?" he asked, full of concern.


    "I made a new friend! You know him too. He''s that dark elf I fought during the Rookie Carnival and the one with Huang Wenst night. He''s really fun. We hung out a bit and I just sort of forgot about the time," Luo Yan said, scratching his cheek when he said thatst part.


    Shen Ji Yun''s furrowed browse straightened. He also subconsciously stepped back, making Luo Yan''s arms around his waist fell down.


    "Good for you. It must have been a lot of fun that you even forgot about me," he said, not even noticing the sarcasmced in his voice.


    But Luo Yan certainly did.


    He stared at Shen Ji Yun and only did realize that the other was probably hurt by what he said. It must have sounded that he forgot about him because of another person. Then him saying that he had fun was probably hitting the nail on the head.


    Now Luo Yan felt even more guilty. Like he was the worst kind of scum or something.


    He reached for Shen Ji Yun''s hand and held it tightly. "I''m sorry, Brother Ji Yun. it''s my fault for forgetting to call you. Reasoning about it would probably just sound like an excuse, so I won''t do that. But I want you to know that this mishap of mine doesn''t mean that you''re not important. You''re one of the most important people in my life. And that probably wouldn''t change in this lifetime. I promise not to do the same mistake. Please, forgive me, hmm?"


    Hearing those words, Shen Ji Yun suddenly felt embarrassed. Because he was acting like an immature child! This was not even something that worth apologizing for. And yet he made Luo Yan feel guilty for something like that. Their rtionship was just starting and he was already not being a good boyfriend.


    He pulled Luo Yan to him and hugged the other tightly. "No, don''t apologize. You didn''t do anything wrong. I was just overreacting."


    Luo Yan shook his head. "No, you''re not. Don''t spoil me like this. If I did something wrong, then it''s just right for me to apologize. The same goes for you too." He looked up at the other and added in a serious voice, "Brother Ji Yun, we''re equal in this rtionship. One shouldn''t have the advantage over the other. Because I love you, just as much as you love me."


    Shen Ji Yun felt his cheeks heating up at those straightforward words. He put his chin on Luo Yan''s shoulder and said softly, "Yes."


    But deep inside, he knew that even if Luo Yan did something wrong, he would probably still forgive him. No, in the first ce, in his heart and mind, Luo Yan was someone who couldn''t do anything wrong. But he didn''t voice that opinion because he knew that the other would definitely disapprove.


    The two stayed in that position for quite a while, just enjoying being in each other''s arms. When they separated, Shen Ji Yun decided to change the topic and just talked about what they were really here to discuss.


    "How did your talk with that Huang guy went?" he asked.


    Luo Yan showed an awkward expression at the mention of Huang Wen. But that expression quickly disappeared. Probably because he had already decided what to do before evening here.


    It''s important to have transparency in a rtionship. If he hid something like this from Shen Ji Yun, it might just cause a bigger misunderstanding in the future. And Luo Yan didn''t want that to happen.


    "It went well," he started. "He didn''t threaten me or anything like that. I''m also certain that he wouldn''t go around telling people about our rtionship just to spite us. There''s just one thing that you should probably know."


    If the talk with that guy really went well, why did Luo Yan have that awkward smile when he said thatst part? So, Shen Ji Yun asked in a worried tone, "What is it?"


    "Well, ahm, he kind of confessed to me."

 Chapter 931: SPINE-CHILLING SMILE

    Chapter 931: SPINE-CHILLING SMILE"WHAT?"


    That single ''what'' was probably much colder than the arctic sea. Luo Yan raised his head and gulped when he saw Shen Ji Yun''s expression. Or rather, theck thereof. His face waspletely devoid of any emotions and his body was giving off this cold air that could make anyone feel goosebumps.


    "B-Brother Ji Yun, it''s fine. I rejected him properly," he quickly said to calm the other. "I told him that nothing coulde out of his feelings and that there''s no chance that I could ever return it. I said it very clearly without any cause for misunderstanding." He reached for Shen Ji Yun''s hand. "Please, don''t be mad, hmm?"


    Seeing the pleading expression on Luo Yan''s face, Shen Ji Yun only realized that his expression must be pretty scary. He closed his eyes and controlled his emotions. He thought it would be easy, especially since it was something he had always done. But no, it''s far from being easy.


    Probably because the cause of this emotional shift was none other than Luo Yan. If it''s something rted to the other, then it''s certain that he wouldn''t be fully in control of his emotions. Especially more so now that he just heard that some other guy just confessed to Luo Yan.


    Now everything became clearer. No wonder that Huang bastard was ring daggers at himst night. It was not because he bore malice towards them, it''s simply because he was jealous of Shen Ji Yun.


    He should have known, better yet, he should have felt it. But no, the thought that the other might like Luo Yan never crossed his mind. That was his mistake.


    No, maybe he did feel it subconsciously. It was why he was ufortable when he saw that guy and Luo Yan standing together at the school gate. Why he disliked the other for no reason at all. Because his instinct was already telling him that the guy had those kinds of feelings for Luo Yan.


    Truly, it should not evene off as a surprise. Luo Yan was smart, beautiful, charming, kind, thoughtful. He possessed everything that a person could like in another person. He was simply perfection itself. People not falling for him left and right was actually much weirder, now that he thought about it.


    That Huang guy would certainly not be thest person to confess to Luo Yan like this. There would be another person. And another. And another. Because that''s just how wonderful Luo Yan was.


    Shen Ji Yun couldn''t possibly react like this every time that happened. He''s older, he should be the more mature one. But damn if his feelings could agree.


    He took a deep breathe and opened his eyes.


    Worrying like this wouldn''t change anything. Because there''s really only one thing he could do. It''s to make sure that Luo Yan would stay in love with him. That way, no matter what kind of person would try to get between them in the future, Luo Yan would always choose him.


    He squeezed back Luo Yan''s hand and tried to show a small smile. "I''m not angry."


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun''s face. The smile on his face was stiff. It didn''t even reach his eyes. The same with the cold air around him. It still lingered despite him saying that he''s not angry. Luo Yan smiled helplessly.


    "Yes, you are. And I won''t think less of you for it. In fact, I would be very angry if you''re not," he said. "You not feeling okay about someone confessing to me meant that you love me. And I''d rather have that than you not caring at all."


    "I will always care," Shen Ji Yun said in a soft voice. "Especially when it came to you."


    Luo Yan intertwined their fingers together. "I know. And I you."


    Shen Ji Yun raised their hands intertwined together and kissed the back of Luo Yan''s hand. "So, aside from that guy confessing to you, how did the rest of your conversation went?"


    Luo Yan chuckled because of the way the other mentioned the confession part. He said it in a grudging tone, obviously still very annoyed that something like that happened.


    "I told you, it went well," he said. "No threatening, no ckmailing involved. It''s a clear-cut conversation."


    "Only because he likes you," Shen Ji Yun grumbled. "But what would happen if that turned into hate? You rejected him after all. And there''s a very fine line between love and hate."


    "First, I wouldn''t go as far as to say that he loves me. Like, yes. But love? Nah. And second, he''s a decent guy. I have a good eye for people. I know when someone is a trash or if someone is on the way of being a trash. And Huang Wen is not both."


    After Luo Yan said that, an unbelievable thing happened. Shen Ji Yun pouted. Yes, he pouted! His lips puckered in that way that people''s lips do when they pout. It was so adorable that he was filled the intense desire to kiss the other.


    "You sure have a lot of trust in him," Shen Ji Yun said, or rather mumbled in annoyance.


    Luo Yan smiled and no longer held himself back. He kissed those puckered lips. "Don''t be jealous. You''re my one and only. There''s no need topare yourself with others. Because at the end of the day, in my heart, they wouldn''t evenpare to a single nail on your toes."


    Hearing that, Shen Ji Yun was pacified. Not fully, but enough. Then, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.


    "If- if someone confessed to me, what will your reaction be?" he asked.


    Luo Yan was startled by the question. And then, he smiled. "Well, that all depends on what your reaction to the confession would be. If you give a clear rejection with no room for misunderstanding, then I would say good job. If it''s the opposite, then..." His smile became even sweeter. "Well, the two of us would have a very, very long talk."


    Somehow, Shen Ji Yun felt a chill down his spine just by seeing that smile.

 Chapter 932: WHATS BENEATH

    Chapter 932: WHAT''S BENEATHSHEN JI YUN cleared his throat and said in a rather passionate manner, well, at least passionate for him, "Of course! I won''t even let them get near me. Besides, I don''t think there would be people out there who would be interested in me in that way."


    Luo Yan almostughed because of thatst sentence. "Seriously, Brother Ji Yun? Have you seen yourself in the mirror?"


    Shen Ji Yun scratched his cheek, seemingly shy by what Luo Yan was implying. "Are you saying I''m handsome?"


    Luo Yan pinched Shen Ji Yun''s chin and smiled yfully. "And are you fishing forpliments?"


    A shy smile crossed Shen Ji Yun''s lips. "Maybe?"


    "Then, you got one," Luo Yan said, shaking the other''s chin as if he was a child. "You are the most handsome man in the whole wide world. At least in my eyes, that is. Wouldn''t that be enough for any bees and butterflies to flutter around you and show you their appreciation?"


    "Maybe. But that would only be a passing fancy," Shen Ji Yun said with a shrug. "They wouldn''t really like me for me. They might like my outer appearance, but once they saw what''s beneath, I don''t they would feel the same."


    "Then, that''s their lost," Luo Yan said. "And what kind of ''beneath'' are we talking exactly? Was it about your personality and beautiful soul? Or were you talking about all the muscles underneath the clothes you''re wearing?"


    He said thatst part while looking at Shen Ji Yun provocatively from head to toe, as if he was undressing the other. Sure enough, Shen Ji Yun''s whole face turned red. Which only made him chuckle.


    "Oh, Brother Ji Yun, you''re adorable."


    Shen Ji Yun pinched the other''s cheek as if taking revenge. "You really shouldn''t tease me too much."


    Luo Yan only hugged Shen Ji Yun''s waist. "And what are you going to do about it?"


    Before Shen Ji Yun could answer, an intruding voice suddenly spoke.


    "Master, Captain, are you done yet?"


    Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun turned to the very familiar voice and saw Eclipse sitting on the side, looking up at them. The two instinctively stepped back from each other.


    "Since when have you been here?" Luo Yan asked, pulling Eclipse up.


    "Hmm, Eclipse doesn''t know. Master and Captain had been talking for so long that Eclipse no longer looked at the time. But don''t worry, Eclipse is a good boy, he didn''t eavesdrop," Eclipse said, pushing his chest out as if he''s very proud of what he just said.


    Luo Yan ruffled the boy''s hair. "Yes, Eclipse is a good boy."


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun and smiled as if saying to the other that this situation was veryugh worthy. Shen Ji Yun smiled back as a respond, obviously agreeing.


    "Shall we go back to headquarters?" Luo Yan asked. "I think we''d still be in time for the meeting."


    Their team actually had a meeting tonight. Mostly to talk about the uing Arcadia Cup. The preliminaries for the Cup would start just after Winter vacation. It would be a month-long event that would determine the top 16 teams. Which would then fight in a tournament until the two best teams were determined. And then, the two would fight for the championship.


    Luo Yan was d that the preliminaries would happen during the Winter vacation. That''s probably Moonlight Media''s consideration since most of the yers participating were students.


    Despite the strict prerequisites, many teams would still be able to participate. That''s why many team battles would happen simultaneously on the same day. The fact that it couldst for a month showed just how many teams would participate.


    Yunyue had been training as a team for quite a while now, clearing dungeons and other stuffs. But if Luo Yan was being honest, their team was definitely not yet ready for the Arcadia Cup.


    If it was just the preliminaries, then they would probably be fine. Their team was strong enough individually to win those matches. Getting to the top 16 would be a bit tough, but they could probably pull through. Especially with the help of two dragons and a void kitsune.


    But getting to the finals would definitely be¡­ very, very hard.


    Unless, they improved their team work.


    That''s actually what their team was currently sorelycking right now. He and Luo Jin were just new additions to the team. And while Shen Ji Yun, Bai Ze, and Su Yuqi were team mates for quite a long time, it''s been a while since they fought together.


    Another problem was Arcadia Cup was not just a simple 5 vs 5 game. It''s not like they would all just be on a ring and fight with one another. Arcadia Cup battles were divided into three categories ¨C tower defense, battle arena, and wargame. The teams that would face each other would be randomly assigned what kind of category they would fight in.


    These three all had one thing inmon ¨C strategy. They all needed good strategies to win. And strategies needed team work.


    "Yes, let''s go," Shen Ji Yun said in response to what Luo Yan said.


    The three then teleported to their team''s headquarters.


    Arriving at their destination, a sudden thought urred to Luo Yan.


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, howe Dusk never appeared automatically near you whenever you logged in to game?"


    Pets in the game had that kind of setting. So, it was weird that it didn''t happen with Shen Ji Yun and Dusk. He had already noticed that long before but he always forgot asking about it.


    "Ah, that. I changed the setting, so it would be that way," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Luo Yan stopped walking and turned to Shen Ji Yun. "There''s a setting like that?"


    "Wait- master, are you thinking of cutting off our connection?" Eclipse suddenly interrupted. The kid obviously took their conversation in that way. "Does master not love Eclipse anymore?" he added as if he was about to cry.


    Although Luo Yan knew that this kid was definitely just doing his usual acting, he decided to humor him. As always.

 Chapter 933: MATING

    Chapter 933: ''MATING''"OF course not! How could I even think of that?" Luo Yan said exaggeratedly. "I have the most adorable fox in the whole of Arcadia, how could I even dare cut off our connection?"


    Eclipse seemed to be very pleased by that. "Yes, Eclipse is the most adorable fox in the whole of Arcadia." He pushed out his chest and put both hands on his hips. "It would be master''s lost if you don''t keep this cuteness by your side."


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Yes, yes."


    Shen Ji Yun watched the two''s banter and couldn''t help but smile inwardly. His thoughts were only filled with words like ''cute'' and ''adorable''.


    "You go on ahead," he said. "I will go and get Dusk."


    Based on the signal on Pet Tab that indicated where Dusk was currently, the other was somewhere on this mountain where their headquarters was. Shen Ji Yun knew that Dusk made a cave somewhere in this mountain and was starting to fill it with treasures. Bai Ze''s dragon also followed suit and made his own cave.


    That''s not a problem since this whole mountain was owned by their team. So, they didn''t have to worry about trespassers. It''s one of the reasons why they bought this mountain when they were nning to build their headquarters. Shen Ji Yun didn''t want outsiders to go in and out of the ce where their headquarters was, so he decided to just buy the whole mountain.


    "Okay," Luo Yan said, then he and Eclipse continued on to the main hall.


    Soon, the two of them arrived at their destination and walked inside. Surprisingly, they were the first ones to arrive. And here he thought he and Shen Ji Yun were already runningte.


    "The others are still not here," hemented as he sat on his usual seat.


    Eclipse also sat down beside him. "The lion guy is probably looking for that red lizard. They would probably arrive together with Captain since that red lizard is always following Uncle."


    Luo Yan turned to Eclipse with an amused smile on his lips. "You still don''t like Rowan?"


    "How can Eclipse like him when he''s always following Uncle around? He''s even interfering with Uncle''s love life!"


    Luo Yan raised his brow at thatst part. "In what way was he interfering?"


    "He always asked Uncle to fight him. Because of that, the time in which Uncle coulde together with me to the vige decreased! Which is equivalent to his time spending with Aunt Yuki also decreasing! Isn''t that the same as interfering with Uncle''s love life?"


    Eclipse sounded so indignant and offended that Luo Yan couldn''t help butugh.


    "Well, I don''t think Rowan meant to do that."


    Eclipse pouted. "Even so. No matter if he was doing it consciously or subconsciously, he was still being a pain in the ass. How could Uncle and Aunt fall in love if he''s always there acting like a big light bulb?"


    "How about you talk to him about it and tell him your concern?"


    That would be a pretty interesting conversation in Luo Yan''s opinion.


    "Eclipse already did! And that red lizard justughed at Eclipse! He said that people from different races couldn''t mate! Then Eclipse said to him that Master and Captain are both different races and yet they had already mated! So, how could his logic be possible?"


    If Luo Yan was drinking something at that moment, he might have choked because of Eclipse''sment about him ''mating'' with Shen Ji Yun. If this was reality, he probably would have even choked on his own saliva.


    Now, he was kind of thankful that there were only two of them here. If Luo Jin was here and heard that, he would definitely misunderstood Eclipse''s words. The other wasn''t still too fond of Shen Ji Yun. If he heard that, his dislike for Shen Ji Yun would definitely escte to the next level. Maybe Luo Jin would even see the other as nothing but a beast.


    Luo Yan made his expression calm before saying to Eclipse, "Let''s try not to talk to others about mating, hmm?"


    Eclipse tilted his head. "Why?"


    "Because it''s a private matter between couples."


    "Ah, Eclipse understands!" the other said as if he suddenly received enlightenment. "If Master is feeling shy about it, then Eclipse won''t talk about it to others."


    Although that wasn''t exactly his point, Luo Yan still nodded. At least with this, he wouldn''t find Eclipse going around telling people that he and Shen Ji Yun had already ''mated''.


    After quite a while, the door opened and both Luo Jin and Su Yuqi walked inside. Luo Yan couldn''t help but secretly let out a sigh of relief. At least the two arrived after his conversation with Eclipse had already ended.


    "Are you together?" Luo Yan asked seeing as the two arrived together.


    Luo Jin suddenly blushed for no reason. "W-wha-what t-together?"


    Luo Yan was a bit startled by the violent reaction. And then he quickly realized why the other was acting this way. He had to bite his inner cheek just to prevent himself fromughing.


    "Yes, we just finished a task together. That''s why we only arrived now," Su Yuqi said, ncing at Luo Jin with amusement, before walking towards the round table and sitting down on her usual seat.


    Luo Jin''s face became even redder after realizing that he just misunderstood Luo Yan''s question. He stiffly walked to the round table, obviously trying to hide his embarrassment.


    "Well, you two are indeed together," Luo Yan said in a teasing tone. "Doing task, that is."


    Luo Jin red at him before sitting down beside Su Yuqi.


    "Where''s Shen Ji Yun and Brother Ze?" he asked in an obvious attempt to change the topic.


    As if on cue, the door opened and four figures entered - Shen Ji Yun and Bai Ze together with their dragons. Rowan had a sulking expression as if he didn''t want to be here. But he still followed Bai Ze and sat beside thetter.


    "Shall we start the meeting?" Shen Ji Yun asked after he sat down.

 Chapter 934: TEAM MEETING (1)

    Chapter 934: TEAM MEETING (1)"AS you all know, the preliminaries of Arcadia Cup is just around the corner," Shen Ji Yun started. "Our team has already registered and will be participating. But I believe that everyone here already knows that our team is stillckingpared to other teams in the rankings."


    Everyone nodded at that.


    Shen Ji Yun continued, "That''s why I had Bai Ze reserved a floor at Heaven''s Spire. We will train there until the preliminaries started."


    Luo Yan whistled in admiration. Heaven''s Spire was a tower that was solely for training. It was a new addition to the VR version of the game, so this would have been the first time that Luo Yan would be able to try it.


    He actually never had a thought of trying it before. It''s because he''s not really interested in training. Especially when he found out that yers who went there to train didn''t receive any extra EXP. The tower''s only real purpose was to give training to those who avail it. Nothing more, nothing less.


    Since he didn''t really feel the need to use the tower, he never thought of going there. But if they were using it for team training, then it would be the perfect ce. Suddenly, he picked up something from what Shen Ji Yun just said.


    "You reserve a floor? Not just a room?" he asked to make sure that he heard it correctly.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "A room is only good for one to two individuals. We need a whole floor if we have to practice our battle tactics."


    "Ah, battle tactics, music to my ears," Bai Zemented. "How long has it been since those words came out of your mouth?"


    "Do you want an answer? Because I don''t keep tabs," Shen Ji Yun said with a bit of sarcasm.


    "Oohh... sarcasm," Bai Ze said yfully.


    "Can we just get back to the real topic of our conversation?" Su Yuqi cut off.


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat. "Anyway, training will begin on Saturday. I''m thinking that we could make it a whole day event. Like four hours in the morning, then four hours in the afternoon. If you have prior engagements on that day, please state it quickly."


    None of the team members said that they couldn''te. It was different for one of the dragons though.


    "Do we have to be there as well?" Rowanined.


    Bai Ze turned to the dragon sitting beside him. "Yes, you do."


    "Why?" Rowan asked, looking like he really didn''t understand.


    "Because you and I made a pact. So, if I tell you to go somewhere, you should be there."


    Rowan frowned, seemingly not liking that. "Are you insinuating that I''m your ve?"


    "If you''re a ve, then you must be the freest ve in the world," Bai Ze said, rolling his eyes at the dragon.


    How could this guy even think he was a ve when Bai Ze barely ordered him to do anything? He was so free that he could roam around anywhere and do whatever he wanted. Was there any ve like that?


    Really, sometimes he wondered if the game devs even made an effort to put a bit of IQ on this dragon. Why couldn''t the other be as witty as Eclipse? He would even take a silent iceberg like Dusk. Instead, what he got was this... well, whatever Rowan was.


    But then again, Bai Ze couldn''t really me anyone. He was the first one to jump on the opportunity of having a pet. All because he was too dazzled by the idea. He had forgotten that the game devs love encoding different personalities for their NPCs. He just had the short end of the stick by making a contract with a pet that had this kind of annoying personality.


    Rowan''s face turned red, of anger or embarrassment, one couldn''t really tell. Then, he suddenly turned to Dusk. "Didn''t you also make a pact with that Qilin? Does that mean that your his ve?"


    Dusk opened his eyelids and gave Rowan a chilling gaze. "Say one more thing and I''ll incinerate you."


    "Hey, red lizard, calm down will you?" Eclipse suddenly interrupted. "Can''t you see that Captain is talking about something important here? If you don''t stop making this all about you, I''ll ask pink sister here to really turn you into a lizard!" Then he turned to Su Yuqi. "You can do that, right, pink sister?"


    The suddenly named Su Yuqiughed inwardly before looking at Rowan. "Yeah, I think I could."


    Rowan visibly shuddered at that. After that little fiasco, Rowan no longer interfered for the rest of the meeting.


    And so, the meeting continued on and ended smoothly.


    ----------


    At the same time that team Yunyue was having a meeting, a lot of other teams were also doing the same.


    One example was team Siren. Unlike Yunyue that only had five members, and three pets, team Siren had a decent amount of members. All of them, female. So, their meeting was being held in a ratherrge conference room that seemed like a lecture hall.


    There was a stage in front where higher-ranking members of the team would facilitate the meeting. While the rest were seats in front of the stage. One of those seated was Xia Li. She was sitting beside Zhu Jingyi.


    The meeting hadn''t started yet because the team captain and vice-captain hadn''t arrived yet. So, most of the members seated were gossiping with each other. Making buzzing sounds around the room.


    "Is Yunyue really participating in the next season of the Cup?"


    "That''s what I heard."


    "So, there would be another strong opponent we have to face."


    "Hey, if you''re going to talk about Yunyue, isn''t it better to talk about YUN''s confession?"


    "I know right? It''s probably the most unexpected thing I''ve witnessed this year."


    "I wonder how the captain felt about that."


    "She looked okay, so maybe she had already moved on."


    "Would it really be that easy?"


    Xia Li nced at the girl beside her after hearing those conversations. And as expected, Zhu Jingyi had a dark expression on her face. Xia Li would bet that the other was probably imagining skinning YUN alive right at this moment.

 Chapter 935: TEAM MEETING (2)

    Chapter 935: TEAM MEETING (2)WHEN YUN made that announcement, there was a smallmotion in the team. Because everyone knew their captain''s secret crush on YUN. They had been walking on eggshells around her since then. They were also trying their best not to mention YUN around her.


    Although their captain didn''t show any particr reaction to the news, anyone who knew her enough could tell that she was affected by it.


    Xia Li felt sorry for the captain, but there''s a side of her that was actually hoping that the ''partner'' YUN was referring to was actually Noctis. Yes, that''s a bit horrible of her. After all, Zhu Lian was probably really heartbroken because of that. But her fujoshi heart just couldn''t help itself from wishing that her ship would sail.


    She could probably ask Bai Ze about it. But that would be encroaching on other''s privacy. Which she had no right to, considering that she and YUN were not even friends.


    Since that announcement, she''d been drawing a lot of fan-arts about the two. All of them stored in her cloud ount and hadn''t yet seen the light of the day. Many of her followers had been asking her when she would upload a new NightCloud fan-art. But she still hadn''t posted anything for a few days now since YUN''s announcement.


    Because she wasn''t sure who YUN''s partner was, she felt that posting a fan-art of him and Noctis would be a kind of disrespect. Because what if Noctis wasn''t YUN''s partner? Then, wouldn''t she indirectly hurt someone just because of her inclination?


    "Really, what could Sister possibly see in that YUN?" Zhu Jingyi mumbled. "She could do a lot better if she only stop moping over that guy."


    Xia Li once again nced at Zhu Jingyi. Since she was the closest to the other, she was the only one who heard it.


    "You know, technically, YUN hasn''t really done anything to Captain," she said. "So, it''s kind of unfair to judge him like that."


    Zhu Jingyi frowned. Of course, she knew that. But she really didn''t care. That guy made her sister cry. That alone was enough for her to hate YUN.


    She still remembered how her sister cried during that one incident at Yunxing Pavilion. YUN had said something to her sister that made her cry. Either he rejected her that night, or he said something harsh that was enough for her sister to bawl her eyes out like that.


    Whatever it was, it was still that guy''s fault. So, could you me her for disliking him?


    "I hope we can face them during preliminaries," Zhu Jingyi muttered. "Then, I''ll make sure to kick Yunyue''s ass."


    "That would be a bit hard since you''re still not part of the regr line up," Xia Limented.


    Zhu Jingyi red at her. "Which side are you on, really?"


    Xia Li raised her hands as if in surrender. "Hey, I''m just saying. And I''m always on the side of fairness. But if you really want to be part of the line-up, then I suggest you leveled up your training."


    "Don''t worry, I''m already doing that."


    ----------


    At a castle that looked like a ce where Drac woulde out at any second¡­


    "So, Yunyue has really registered for the next season of the Cup?" Xu Ru asked in a mixture of amazement and disbelief.


    He had been abroad for the past month. It was a European tour. It''s not exactly for pleasure but for educational purposes. He was there to take photos that he would exhibit for his final graduation project.


    It might be weird for some that a person who''s in hisst year of university could actually go on a trip outside the country at the middle of a semester. But he''s a talented photography major, who also happened to be very rich. So, it''s not really that weird.


    He hadn''t been updated in the things that were happening in the game. Now that he returned, he suddenly heard that Yunyue had registered for the next season of the Cup.


    "Yes," Qin Rushi answered. "They''re the first one''s who cleared the newly released dungeon. They''re obviously trying to get enough reputation points to be able to participate in the Cup."


    The newly released dungeon? It seemed that Yunyue still hadn''t lost their touch. ¨C Xu Ru thought.


    "And, well, Yuqi told me about it when I asked her," Qin Rushi added.


    "Ah, yes. You''re friends with that twerp," Xu Ru said with an annoyed face.


    He still couldn''t forget what she and that other twerp did to him. Putting a bounty on his head, and even doing that to him on the ball after the Rookie Carnival. Well, it seemed that he would have his revenge soon once the Cup started.


    "Don''t smile like that. You look creepy," Qin Rushimented while looking at Xu Ru''s smiling face.


    Xu Ru chuckled and put his arm around Qin Rushi''s shoulders. "Princess, how can you say that? We haven''t seen each other in a month and you''re already calling me ''creepy''? How heartless. Didn''t you miss me at all?"


    Qin Rushi only gave Xu Ru a dry look. "Remove your hand or I''ll cut it."


    "Aw¡­ Princess, how can you be so mean?" Xu Ru said, acting as if he was heartbroken.


    Qin Rushi only gave him a pointed nce.


    Xu Ru raised both hands as if in surrender. "Fine, fine."


    "Since you''re already done with your little theatrics, I believe you would want the team to do some training, am I right?"


    "You know me so well," Xu Ru said giving the other a thumbs-up. "Tell the others that we will have extensive training at Heaven''s Spire."


    "You do know it''s hard to reserve a room, much less a floor at the Spire during this season."


    Xu Ru only grinned at Qin Rushi. "But knowing you, I know you have long reserved a floor for us."


    Qin Rushi scoffed. "Just be thankful that I''m always ready."


    "That''s why I love you, princess," Xu Ru said with a wink.


    Qin Rushi rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

 Chapter 936: NO NORMAL PERSON

    Chapter 936: NO NORMAL PERSONLUO YAN and Luo Jin logged into the game after eating breakfast. When they arrived Bai Ze and Shen Ji Yun were already there together with Dusk and Rowan. Before long, Eclipse also appeared and ran to Luo Yan''s side.


    "Sister Yuqi is still not here?" he asked.


    "She''s probably still sleeping," Luo Jin said.


    "Yeah, I can attest to that. That girl has a hard time waking up during the weekends," Bai Ze said. Then he suddenly turned to Luo Jin. "But how did you know that?"


    Luo Yan also turned to his brother and smiled yfully. "Yeah, Ah Jin, how did you know?"


    Having the two looking at him like that, Luo Jin suddenly panicked and stammered, "I- I just guess, okay?"


    Of course, that''s not true. He and Su Yuqi had yed together for enough number of weekends that he already knew the other''s habits. She was alwayste whenever they had an appointment during the morning. It wouldn''t need a genius to know that the other had a problem waking up early.


    "Hmm¡­ nice guess," Luo Yan said. The teasing tone obviously showed that he didn''t believe his brother''s excuse.


    "Maybe Master''s brother is a psychic," Eclipse added.


    Luo Yan smiled yfully. "Yeah, I think so too."


    Luo Jin felt his face heating up hearing the conversation between the two. Because it was obvious that they were making fun of him. Before he could respond to ''defend'' himself, Su Yuqi appeared just in time as if on cue.


    "I''m not thatte, right?" she asked.


    "When will your rm clock every work?" Bai Ze said.


    "It works perfectly. I''m just on the habit of ignoring it," Su Yuqi said as she walked towards the group.


    "Aren''t we all?" Luo Yan said in agreement.


    "Since everyone''s here, let''s go," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "Finally, I thought this useless chit-chat would never end," Rowan grumbled.


    Luo Yan chuckled at that. He looked at their group, thinking of the training they would do today, he was suddenly filled with excitement.


    Oh, today was definitely going to be fun.


    -----


    Luo Yan looked up at the huge tower in front of them. If he continued to look up and search for the top of the tower, his neck might just break because of how unbelievably tall it was. This was the first time he had seen a building this tall where the top seemed to reach the highestyer of the sky.


    Well, it''s definitely much easier to make something like this inside the game than in reality. So, one shouldn''t really be that surprised or shocked about it. Especially since there were floating inds, sky train, and crystal castle in this game. But still, seeing the tower for the first time could leave quite a big impression on anyone.


    When he looked down, he happened to see his brother''s expression. Luo Jin didn''t show any surprise or shock. It''s the look of someone who had seen the ce.


    "Ah Jin, have you been here before?" he couldn''t help but asked.


    Luo Jin raised his head towards his brother and nodded. "I did some training here before to familiarize myself with my skills."


    Since he was a total noob when he first started ying this game, he searched on the game forum on how he could quickly get used to fighting and almost everyone suggested on going to the Heaven''s Spire to train. They said it''s the go-to ce of many newbies who were nning to y Arcadia seriously.


    He went there during the first month of ying the game. He did it secretly and did not inform Luo Yan because he didn''t want the other to think he was such a noob every time they yed together. Which they did, at least during the early days when the both of them just started ying.


    "Most newbie yers who actually go to Heaven''s Spire to do that," Bai Zemented on the side. Then, as if he realized something, he turned to Luo Yan and asked, "You didn''t go here?"


    "Should I have?" Luo Yan asked, tilting his head.


    "Why do I suddenly have a feeling of talking to an honor student who top the final exams even though he didn''t make an effort to study?" Bai Ze said, looking at Luo Yan as if he''s an alien from space.


    "Yan has been pretty good at this game from the very beginning," Luo Jin added.


    "Are you a genius?" Bai Ze asked with a fake shocked expression on his face.


    "Maybe I am," Luo Yan said and then grinned. "I am the Rookie Carnival champion, after all."


    "That''s right, Master is a genius champion!" Eclipse quickly seconded.


    Su Yuqi raised her brow. "You know, that statement is kind of annoying," she said with a littleughter in her voice.


    "For once, I have to agree with Su Yuqi," Bai Ze said. "I even want to smack you a little."


    Shen Ji Yun put his arm over Luo Yan''s shoulders, then said, "There will be no smacking on my watch."


    Luo Yan put his arm around Shen Ji Yun''s waist right after. "Aww¡­ Brother Ji Yun is really the best.


    Everyone looked at the posture of the two where they both looked like they were hugging each other.


    "I don''t know about you guys, but this scene is kind of ring for me," Bai Ze said, covering his eyes in an overly dramatic way. "It''s like I''m going to be blinded."


    "I will appreciate if the two of you don''t do any public disy of affection in front of us," Su Yuqi said dryly.


    "I''d rather you don''t do it anywhere," Luo Jin grumbled gloomily.


    Eclipse suddenly stood in front of Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun and with hands on his waist, he said, "You shouldn''t be in the way of Master and Captain''s love affair."


    All three looked at Eclipse as if the kid was talking nonsense.


    On the side, Rowan spoke while looking at the group, "There is no normal person here."


    Dusk had a look on his face as if he was agreeing.


    Seeing all this, Luo Yan couldn''t help butugh out loud.

 Chapter 937: HEAVENS SPIRE

    Chapter 937: HEAVEN''S SPIRETHE floor that Yunyue reserved for their training was in all white. From the floor to the walls to the ceiling. That''s why it felt like they were in an infinite white void. It''s hard to tell whether the space was small or endlessly wide.


    But the size didn''t really matter. There was a setting in this tower in which a floor or a room could be changed into any setting the upant/s wanted.


    "Everyone here knows that the one thing that our team currentlycks is teamwork," Shen Ji Yun started. "We have to fix that before preliminaries. What kind of training would you suggest so we could get the optimal result in the shortest period of time?"


    He looked at others, waiting for their suggestion.


    "Since we''re already here, wouldn''t it be good to just do some tower defense or battle arena?" Bai Ze suggested, talking about two of the three modes in which teams would fight at the Cup. "If we y enough, I''m sure teamwork woulde naturally."


    "That''s true. But ying in simtion against programmed enemy, wouldn''t really do us good," Shen Ji Yun said. "We need to fight against people who could think and analyze by themselves."


    "I agree. We''re going up against real yers and not NPCs after all," Su Yuqi said.


    "Correct," Shen Ji Yun nodded.


    Luo Jin''s brows furrowed a bit. "Are you suggesting we invite another team for a practice match?"


    "No, what Brother Ji Yun wanted is a battle amongst ourselves," Luo Yan said. "We have eight people here. We can do a 4 vs 4 battle." He turned to Shen Ji Yun and smiled. "Am I right, Brother Ji Yun?"


    "That''s right," Shen Ji Yun said in a tone showing that he was very proud that Luo Yan immediately understood what he meant. "A 4 vs 4 battle. But since there are members here who couldn''t be separated, they would automatically be in one group."


    "You''re not referring to you and Xiao Yan, right?" Bai Ze said, looking at the two as if they were a pair of lovebirds that was only there to show off their love.


    "He''s talking about the pets and their owner," Su Yuqi exined as if she was talking to some five year old.


    Realization came to Bai Ze''s face the moment he heard that. "Ah, that''s right. I almost forgot about it."


    Masters and pets were connected by the contract they made with each other. They couldmunicate telepathically and feel the presence of each other. So, them being in different teams would just not work. How could two people who could feel each other''s every move fight?


    "Pet? Are you referring to us? How dare you call this noble dragon a pet?" Rowan suddenly interjected, clearly very affronted by the suggestion that he was a pet. "Just because we sign a pact, it did not mean that I became the pet of this... this... stupid lion!" Then he turned to Dusk. "You will really just let them refer to us as pets?"


    Before Dusk could answer, Eclipse had already spoken first. "Hey, have you ever been treated like a pet since you became part of this team? I don''t think so, right? So, what are you being offended by? It''s just a term. It''s not as if you will really be one if you heard someone call you that. Or does the mighty dragon actually considered himself as one deep inside?"


    Rowan''s whole face turned red in embarrassment as soon as he heard Eclipse''s words. "You--! What does a lower specie like you even know?"


    "Stop," Dusk said in a deep voice, giving Rowan a cold nce.


    That single nce stopped the red dragon from saying anything more.


    Luo Yan raised his brow at that. It seemed that the power dynamics between the two leaned more towards Dusk. Was it because he was the former king of the dragons? Anyway, it''s good that Rowan listened to the other. At least, there''s one person, or in this case, NPC, he listened to in this team.


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat to get everyone''s attention. "If there''s no more question, then, let''s start grouping."


    "Should we do it by rock-paper-scissors? Or should we draw ballots?" Bai Ze suggested.


    "There''s no need to do that. Brother Ze and I will team up together with Eclipse and Rowan. And Brother Ji Yun, Sister Yuqi, and Ah Jin will team up together with Dusk."


    As soon as Luo Yan said that, Shen Ji Yun turned to him sharply. The expression on his face was like saying, ''why didn''t you choose me?''. Luo Yan almostughed at how adorable the other''s reaction was.


    "I think this is a very good pairing," he only added.


    He had never yed together with Bai Ze, like fighting together, things like that. The same could also be said for Su Yuqi. But since Bai Ze had Rowan with him as a conditional plus one, he couldn''t also pick the other.


    Shen Ji Yun and Luo Jin were in the same situation. The two had never really tried to fight together. They were even worse since their rtionship wasn''t that goodpared to him and Bai Ze. But they had to get over whatever differences they might have if they wanted to work their team work. Or if they couldn''t, at least just reach a point where they wouldn''t be a stumbling block from one another.


    "I agree with this pairing!" Bai Ze quickly said.


    Luo Jin looked very dissatisfied. He seemed to want to say something, but at the end decided not to.


    "I have no problem as well," Su Yuqi said with a shrug.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "How about you, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun stared at him as if studying every nook and cranny of his face. At the end, he could only sigh and nodded, showing his agreement. Albeit very reluctantly.


    "Brother Ji Yun, don''t go easy on me, okay? And I will also do the same," Luo Yan said with a smile.


    Even though he was smiling, one could see that there was an underlying meaning behind it.

 Chapter 938: TRAINING (I)

    Chapter 938: TRAINING (I)LUO YAN, Bai Ze, Eclipse, and Dusk were all on one side of the floor while the remaining others were on the opposite side. They all decided to do a tower defense game first. Before the training started, there''s a 10 minute break first so they could talk about strategy.


    Tower defense was a sub-genre of strategy games where the goal was to defend a yer''s territories or possessions by obstructing the enemy attackers or by stopping enemies by reaching the exits, usually achieved by cing defensive structures on or along their path of attack. Amon example of this kind of game was nts vs Zombies.


    Arcadia Cup''s tower defense had a fairly simr concept.


    The one that would represent the ''tower'' was a huge crystal. If a team''s crystal was destroyed, then the opposing team would automatically win. Participants of each team could also put defensive structures to protect their crystals. The problem was that, the yers should activate it by themselves.


    When one yer''s HP dropped to 0, they wouldn''t be immediately kicked out of the game. There would be a downtime, after which they would be resurrected again. But this downtime increased every time they ''died'' during battle. Nevertheless, the only way to win was to destroy the enemy''s crystal.


    The time limit for a game was as long as four hours. Which was pretty damn long in Luo Yan''s opinion. He felt like, by the time the game ended, there would no longer be any audience who was watching because of how long it was. Thankfully enough, there hadn''t been any game that needed tost for that long.


    "I just realized now that this is a very unfair match-up," Bai Ze said.


    "Why does Brother Ze say so?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Hey big lion, are you actually looking down on us?" Eclipse added, looking very offended.


    "Whoa, how did you jump to that conclusion?" Bai Ze responded, looking equally offended.


    "Does anyone here ever going to talk about something useful?" Rowanined in a low voice.


    "Does Brother Ze said that because we don''t have any long range attacker?" Luo Yan said, he had already guessed what Bai Ze was worried about.


    Bai Ze didn''t deny that. "Yes. They have Su Yuqi. As much as I don''t want to admit it, that woman is the best Mage in Arcadia. She has a lot of long range skills. Not to mention Xiao Jin, being a Gunslinger. While both of us here are melee attackers."


    Well, his cousin did have a point. ¨C Luo Yan thought. He was an Assassin, while the other was a Berserker. Both of them specialized in closebat. Which was a disadvantage for a team battle like this one.


    "Have you people forgotten about me? I''m a mighty dragon! I can do any number of long range attack!" Rowan shouted in a very indignant voice, as if them forgetting about the fact that he''s a dragon was a great sin.


    Luo Yan nced at the other. He suddenly remembered Dusk''s manner of speaking when he still had amnesia. Nowadays, Dusk was acting like a serious old man. Luo Yan quite missed the cute little dragon who couldn''t be honest with his feelings.


    But back to what Rowan just said. Of course, he knew that. But right now, using Rowan as a long range attacker would not really benefit them.


    "What are you saying? Of course, we know you''re a mighty dragon. But we need your incredible strength somewhere else," Bai Ze said, acting offended again as if what Rowan said attacked his IQ. "We need you to guard our base and don''t let anyone or anything destroy it. You''re the only one who can do this."


    Luo Yan also thought the same. That''s why he didn''t suggest that Rowan should be their main attacker.


    Rowan''s expression visibly brightened when he heard what Bai Ze said. Then he suddenly cleared his throat and scoffed, acting like he''s not happy by what he heard.


    "Hmp. Since all of you are so helpless, then I will protect the base or whatever."


    Luo Yan secretly gave his cousin a thumbs-up for how the other dealt Rowan. No wonder he managed to get a pact with that dragon. It turned out that he had the talent to ''subdue'' him.


    [Master, isn''t that red lizard too stupid?] ¨C Eclipse said to Luo Yan through telepathy.


    [Not stupid. Just na?ve. But we don''t have to tell him that.] ¨C Luo Yan replied.


    [Don''t worry, Master. Eclipse won''t. Eclipse also knows that we need that red lizard to win.]


    He ruffled Eclipse''s hair as a response.


    "But we''re still back at our original problem," Bai Ze said with a sigh, pertaining to theirck of long range attacker.


    "Aren''t there still us?" Luo Yan said, the expression on his face was the total opposite of Bai Ze. "Rowan will defend the crystal, Eclipse will activate the traps to increase our defense, and the two of us will do all the attacking."


    "You do know it isn''t really as simple as that, right?" Bai Ze said with a raised brow.


    "I know. That''s why we''re here to n. Don''t worry, I don''t n to lose. We''ll win this battle no matter what."


    Bai Ze looked at his cousin. The other''s eyes not only have a yful glint but also a determined one. He couldn''t help but also feel a bitpetitive.


    "Then, do you have a n?"


    Luo Yan grinned. "Yes."


    -----


    On the other side, there had been nothing but silence.


    Although it''s not obvious, Shen Ji Yun was still sulking inside because Luo Yan didn''t choose him. He wanted to be on the same time as the other but Luo Yan picked Bai Ze instead. That''s what all he could think of for the first few minutes.


    "Are we not even going to try to have a meeting?" Luo Jin asked irritably.


    He also wanted to team up with his brother but he instead got Shen Ji Yun. His only constion was that Su Yuqi was on the same team.

 Chapter 939: TRAINING (II)

    939 TRAINING (II)


    "SINCE this is the first time the four of us would y together, we should stick to the basics to get a feel of each other''s skills and abilities," Shen Ji Yun suggested. "This is just training. It doesn''t matter whether we win or lose. What''s important is we get used to each other."


    Even though he and Su Yuqi had fought together during the first season of Arcadia Cup, that was almost five years ago. Since then, they had never fought together again. That''s mostly because Shen Ji Yun preferred dungeon raiding and even doing tasks on his own. So, the rapport that they had during that one Arcadia Cup was probably already gone by now.


    He didn''t even want to start with Luo Jin and Dusk.


    Yes, they had been doing dungeon raidstely. But the way they did it was just them literally killing every monsters in their way. There was no sort of strategy involved. It was simply brute force. Which wouldn''t work at the Arcadia Cup.


    Thus, this training.


    "Yuqi will protect the crystal, Luo Jin will do the supporting, while Dusk and I attack the enemy camp," Shen Ji Yun added to finish what he first said.


    Luo Jin almost rolled his eyes at such a boring response. "You do know that my brother would definitely not go easy on us, right? If we just think of this as nothing but ''training'', our asses would be handed to us before we could even understand what was happening."


    Shen Ji Yun fell silent hearing that. The other did have a point. Knowing Luo Yan, he would definitely do his best to beat them. So, just like Luo Jin said, if they just went with the flow and only did the bare minimum, it would only end up with them losing pathetically.


    "Hey, Shen Ji Yun, you''re not nning to give them an easy victory just because of Luo Yan, right?" Su Yuqi suddenly asked with a raised brow.


    "Of course not," Shen Ji Yun quickly said.


    Although he tried to look affronted by the suggestion, it did not show on his face because of his frozen face muscles that barely moved. But just like he said, he wasn''t nning to go easy on the other team just because Luo Yan was there. It didn''t even cross his mind. Because he knew that his rabbit would be offended if he even so much as think of it.


    Instead of being moved, Luo Yan would just feel insulted. Then, what would happen to Shen Ji Yun after that? If they were married, he would definitely not be allowed inside the bedroom for a month. And that''s just Luo Yan being generous.


    So, no, he would rather beat the other using all his strength than to let him win.


    "Good. Because I have no ns on losing," Su Yuqi said.


    Luo Jin gave Su Yuqi an admiring nce. This. This should be the attitude of someone who was about to go into ''battle''.


    "I''m with Yuqi on this," he said.


    Su Yuqi nced at him and smiled with approval. "It''s good to bepetitive."


    Luo Jin scratched his cheek with a shy look on his face after hearing what Su Yuqi said as if it was some kind ofpliment. "It''s not hard to be when Yuqi is leading by example."


    Su Yuqi seemed to be surprise hearing that at first. Then she chuckled and pinched Luo Jin''s cheek. "Aren''t you just adorable?"


    And Luo Jin''s face just turned red.


    Looking at the two ''children'' doing whatever it was they were doing, Shen Ji Yun felt like his eyes was being stung by something. For some reason, he felt like the two were doing some kind of ''performance'' while he and Dusk were the chosen ''audience''.


    Was this actually how people who didn''t want to see him and Luo Yan show their affection for each other felt? Because Shen Ji Yun now kind of get it. And wow. It''s actually kind of annoying.


    He cleared his throat to get the attention of the two.


    "If you have any suggestions as to how we will proceed, I''m all ears," he said.


    "Let the dragon do the defense. I''m sure the other team would also do the same," Su Yuqi said. "Let''s utilize mine and Ah Jin''s long range attacks. We will target the enemy dragon. Shen Ji Yun should concentrate on eliminating Luo Yan and Bai Ze. I think that would be enough."


    "That''s an amazing strategy," Luo Jin agreed, his eyes shining brightly. Then, he suddenly turned to Shen Ji Yun. His gaze clearly saying;


    ''Howe you didn''t think of that? Aren''t you the Captain? Shame on you.''


    Shen Ji Yun resisted the urge to smack the other. He had to keep reminding himself that this annoying gnome was currently his teammate. Not to mention, Luo Yan''s younger brother.


    "Then, let''s go with that," he finally said.


    After they polished their strategy a bit more, the time given to each team to have a meeting finally came to an end. Then the white walls surrounding them started to change.


    In the Arcadia Cup''s tower defense game, opposing teams were given different environments topete with. It''s not just in tower defense, but also in battle arena and wargame as well. They would fight in different kinds of environment. It could be a dessert or a forest or even a city. It all depended on what the system would give them.


    Even though this was only training, they still had to adhere to that.


    Shen Ji Yun picked the ''random'' option when he was setting up the field they would train. ''Random'' was usually how it was done in the Cup. It''s better to get used to it now. That''s why he picked that.


    After a few seconds, the floorpletely changed into a lush forest. The view of the other team disappeared and all he could see were trees. Shen Ji Yun looked back and saw a shining blue crystal behind them.


    This practice battle was finally starting.


    Mini-theater:


    JiYun watching Yuqi and AhJin: Is this what it felt being fed dog food by other people?


    Eclipse shaking his head: Now you know what Eclipse has to suffer everyday. Tyramisu

 Chapter 940: TRAINING (III)

    Chapter 940: TRAINING (III)CLOUDS appeared on the sides of Shen Ji Yun''s feet. After that, he flew up into the sky. It''s one of the skills unique to his race. Just like how dragons, whether Western or Eastern, could also fly on their own. He was not in the habit of using it though.


    One reason was because he preferred to fight head on using his raw strength and power. He didn''t like going around in circles. Second, unlike dragons or phoenixes, his humanoid form couldn''t retain the flight skill for long. He could only flew for a certain limit of time.


    Of course, it would be different in his beast form. He could fly for miles in that. But he hated fighting in that form. It''s so cumbersome, his movements were not so flexible and he couldn''t do any skills rted to the sword.


    Anyway, he scanned the surrounding to look for the enemy team''s crystal. The trees in the forest were too tall and too lush for them to see the enemy camp base with their naked eye. And with the setting in ce, the total area of the forest had now be much biggerpared to the area of the floor they reserved.


    That''s why Shen Ji Yun flew up like this. Because they couldn''t start the attack if they didn''t know the location of the enemy team.


    It didn''t take long for him to find what he''s looking for. There was only one problem though. Or rather two.


    He could see two red crystals. One was at the 10 o''clock direction from where he was and the other was on the 2 o''clock direction. He knew that one of them was a fake. The question was, which one?


    It''s hard to distinguish since both looked exactly the same. Not to mention, both were also unguarded. There was no member of the opposite team around either of the two.


    If not for the situation, he would now show his admiration for the quick thinking of the enemy team. Then, he suddenly realized something.


    If the other team made effort to make a fake crystal, that meant that they somewhat expected that he would fly like this to look for their location. If that was the case, then they would surely have been waiting for him to appear so they could know the location of their team''s crystal.


    He almost cursed inwardly with that realization. But nothing would change even if he did, so he just quickly flew down before more damage could be made.


    "Where is their base camp located?" Su Yuqi quickly asked.


    "We''ve been had," Shen Ji Yun said with a sigh before telling his team mates what just happened.


    "Luo Yan is definitely the one who thought of that tactic," Su Yuqi said.


    Although Luo Jin had the same opinion, this was hardly the time to be amazed with it. "So, what should we do now?"


    "Don''t worry, it''s not yet hopeless for us," Su Yuqi said.


    She took out her staff and used an AoE skill. Her staff glowed and lights gathered before scattering in different direction. Then, suddenly, they heard different rumbling sounds from all around.


    Luo Jin looked around, startled. He then saw different kinds of contraption suddenly appearing around the area where their team''s crystal was. If he wasn''t mistaken, these were the traps that they were supposed to activate so their base camp could have an additional defense.


    He thought that they needed to manually activate it. He didn''t expect that attacking it with an AoE skill could also work.


    "Quick thinking," Shen Ji Yun said. He then started giving instructions to his teammates. "Dusk, stay here and protect the crystal. Yuqi will attack the crystal on the 10 o''clock direction while Luo Jin will go to the 2 o''clock direction. I will follow the two of you from above and will immediately give support to whoever had attacked the real crystal."


    Since there were two crystals, they couldn''t gamble and just choose one. What if what they chose was the fake one? Then, it would be toote to go to the other. Maybe by that time, the other team had already attacked their base camp. So, the best thing to do was to divide manpower and quickly determine which one was real and which one was fake.


    With him following from above, he could quickly give support to whichever one attacked the real crystal. It seemed that Su Yuqi and Luo Jin also understood what he was trying to do and both nodded withoutining. Dusk, who had anguid expression as if he couldn''t care less if they won or not, also nodded.


    "Then, let''s go," Shen Ji Yun said.


    All three of them moved at the same time. Su Yuqi went to left while Luo Jin went to right. He, on the other hand, flew up again. Going through the forest, all three noticed that the traps of the other team had also been activated.


    [Stop and attack from where you are.]


    Shen Ji Yun sent that message when he saw that the other two were already at a distance where they could directly attack the crystal. This way, they didn''t have to go through the traps surrounding the enemy base camp.


    The game system made it easy for yers participating in Arcadia Cup to send messages to their teammates. Because one of the most important thing in these games wasmunication.


    Both Su Yuqi and Luo Jin stopped the moment the message appeared in front of them. Su Yuqi''s staff appeared in her hand while Luo Jin pulled both of his guns. They were both readying themselves to use an AoE skill attack when they were both interrupted at the same time.


    Two figures jumped from above the tree where the two were standing.


    Bai Ze tried to snatched Su Yuqi''s staff while Eclipse jumped on Luo Jin''s head, making the other lose his bnce and fall.


    "Hey, how about a one on one fight, Su Yuqi," Bai Ze said with an annoying smile.


    On the other side, Eclipse said as he giggled, "Let''s y, Master''s brother."

 Chapter 941: TRAINING (IV)

    Chapter 941: TRAINING (IV)BAI ZE lunged forward and attacked Su Yuqi. Thetter quickly set up a barrier and jumped away. Because it was just an impromptu barrier, it quickly shattered at the contact with Bai Ze''s gauntlet.


    "Hey, it''s been a long time since we did PvP, right?" Bai Ze said before adding with an evil grin, "My dream of beating you up will finallye true."


    "That''s a weird dream you have there," Su Yuqi responded in a dry tone. Then, she added sarcastically, "No, it''s probably not a dream but a delusion. Since it''s never going to happen."


    Then she quickly used an AoE skill. It''s a skill that could turn whoever was in contact with the ground, within a certain distance, into a stone.


    Bai Ze, who knew about Su Yuqi''s skill sets, quickly jumped up to one of the nearby trees. His ws elongated and glowed red. Then he shed it towards Su Yuqi. A w shaped beam of red light rushed towards the other.


    But as if Su Yuqi had already predicted that would happen, she countered it with an attack skill. The two skills shed causing a huge explosion.


    Su Yuqi was able to quickly surround her body with her magic, which was another one of her skills. This one was much stronger than the barrier she used earlier. It could withstand any kinds of attack. Well, most attacks, that is. But the problem was, it used a lot of MP. Which wasn''t really a problem since she could just drink a potion or something.


    The explosion did not affect her. She remained standing from where she was, totally unscathed. She knew that Bai Ze would try to attack her again, so she didn''t let her guard down.


    What she was expecting was an attack from behind or from above. So, that''s where she focused all her attention. This train of thought turned out to be her undoing. Because she was attacked from a ce she least expected.


    She felt something grabbing her ankle from below. Before she could react, the thing that grabbed her was already dragging her. It just so happened that this urred after her mana armor skill had lost its effect. So, she was easily pulled without her being able to fight back.


    She felt her body floating from the feet up after being dragged. That''s why when the smoke from the explosion subsided, she found herself hanging upside down from a tree branch.


    Before she could get angry or even use another skill, she saw a sharp object flying towards her. It was directly aimed at her heart. But even though the dagger was already too close to her, she still managed to deflect it using wind magic.


    She then looked up and saw that her ankle was tied by a golden rope which was tied to a tree branch. She tried to cut it with another wing magic attack but it didn''t work at all.


    Su Yuqi''s brows furrowed. This rope was definitely not just an ordinary rope. It must have been an enchanted object or something.


    As she was thinking that, it suddenly urred to her that no one was attacking her anymore. She quickly looked around and found that Bai Ze was no longer there.


    "That guy¨C¨C!"


    It''s not hard to understand that the other must be rushing towards their basecamp now. Bai Ze must have done these series of attacks to let her be stuck here for a few minutes.


    It was safe to say that in their fight just now, Bai Ze won.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, two cuties were fighting against each other - gnome who constantly pulled the trigger of his two guns and a young kitsune who easily dodged the bullets being fired at him.


    "Master''s brother should learn how to shoot. You haven''t hit Eclipse since earlier. Are you sure you actually know how to use a gun?"


    Eclipse voiced echoed amidst the endless gunshot.


    "Hey, why are you not responding? Are you deaf?"


    Luo Jin gritted his teeth in annoyance. This fox had been yapping constantly since earlier. Because of the other''s non-stop talking, it''s hard for him to concentrate. He wanted to use [Meteor] or [Hailstorm] just to quickly get over this. But he resisted the urge to do so.


    Both skills have long cool down. Once he used it here, he might not be able to use it again for the rest of the day. That would be fine and all but this was only their first training match. Wouldn''t it be a waste to use it immediately?


    And as he was debating whether he should do it or not, Eclipse suddenly appeared in front of him.


    "It''s bad to think about other things while you''re fighting Eclipse," he said as if greatly offended.


    "Who said I was thinking of other things?"


    When the other''s ws was about to reach him, a bullet that Luo Jin had fired earlier went straight to Eclipse. It''s just that, the moment it hit the fox, the other suddenly vanished as if he was just a mirage. Which led to Luo Jin dodging his own bullet.


    Before he could understand what was going on, small ck mes suddenly surrounded him. They looked like will-o-wisp. Outside this ring of fire stood the annoying fox.


    "If Master''s brother tried to go out of this ring of fire, these cuties will attack you. If you want to get out of here, you can try your best. Or... you can just wait until my skill disappeared on its own."


    After giving him a yful smile, the fox disappeared.


    Luo Jin blinked. He couldn''t believe that Eclipse really just up and disappeared like that. But seeing as how no one was no longer attacking him, he had to admit that the other really just left.


    He let out a dryugh. "Shit."


    And now, both Bai Ze and Eclipse were heading in the same direction.


    The enemy base camp.

 Chapter 942: TRAINING (V)

    <h4>Chapter 942: TRAINING (V)</h4>


    LET''S backtrack a few minutes before¡­


    When Shen Ji Yun saw Bai Ze and Eclipse ambushing Su Yuqi and Luo Jin respectively, he knew that waiting for the battle to end and just watching everything from above was a waste of time. So, he decided to go directly and check himself which one of the two crystals was real.


    He sent a message to both Su Yuqi and Luo Jin before flying straight towards one of the two crystals. The first one he picked was the one on his two o''clock direction. He didn''t bothernding and just strike it with a sword sh. Purple lightning appeared and hit the crystal.


    No, ''hit'' would not be the right term since it literally passed through the crystal. Just by that, he immediately judged that the crystal was merely an illusion. Whether it was produced by an item or a skill, it didn''t matter. What only mattered right now was the fact that it was not the real crystal of the enemy team.


    So, Shen Ji Yun didn''t waste time and quickly flew towards the remaining crystal.


    He attacked it with a more powerful skill this time. He wanted to destroy the crystal with one attack, that''s why he didn''t mind if he used a lot of his MP for this skill. But to his surprise, his attack, once again, just passed through the crystal!


    If he was a cartoon character, there would have been a question mark appearing on his face right about now. His brows furrowed. So, both crystals were fake? Then, where''s the real one?


    Shen Ji Yun did a quick nce around the forest, but all he could see were the two fake crystals. Even after he did a thorough nce the second time around, it was still the same.


    He looked back to where Su Yuqi and Luo Jin were. Both were still fighting with Bai Ze and Eclipse. He couldn''t just interrupt them. Also, looking for the real crystal was more important than helping the two with their fight. Everything would be for nothing if they didn''t at least find the real crystal.


    After a few seconds of his brain working overtime to figure out what he should do next, his gaze finallynded on the area between the two fake crystals. The de of his sword glowed purple then. Purple sparks also appeared, colliding with the de and the surroundings.


    He activated one of his skills and shed it towards that area. And just like he thought, a distortion appeared in the space where his attack reached. Then a huge red dragon appeared. His wings were wrapped around something in front of him, so he couldn''t do anything to avoid the sword sh that was about to hit him.


    But the red dragon ¨C Rowan ¨C opened his maw instead and breathed red me towards the sword sh. Fire and lightning collided, causing an explosion.


    Shen Ji Yun flew backwards to avoid being hit. They were still quite a few distance away from where the two pairs were fighting, so he wasn''t worried that what he did would affect his teammates.


    Once the smoke subsided, what he saw was the red dragon unfurling his wings and revealing the real crystal inside. The other stepped in front of the crystal, his stance clearly defensive. At the same time as that, two messages appeared in front of him.


    [I''m currently incapacitated. It will probably take another minute before this damn rope lose its effectiveness.]


    [¡­I''m on the same situation. But I think I can get out of this¡­ predicament in just a few.]


    The first one was from Su Yuqi and thetter was from Luo Jin.


    [Where is Bai Ze and Eclipse?] ¨C he sent back.


    [Bai Ze has probably ran to our base camp.] ¨C Su Yuqi replied.


    [That little fox most likely did so as well.] ¨C Luo Jin.


    When Shen Ji Yun read those messages, added to the fake crystals, everything became clear to him.


    The opposing team made illusions of two crystals, most likely using some item. And then they used another item to hide Rowan''s huge-ass body that was hugging the real crystal.


    This was a very simple strategy for a team to buy time so they could go to the enemy base camp. They created illusions of fake crystals and hid the real one, knowing full well the effect it would have on the enemy team. And then, they isted and immobilized some members of the team so they could go and freely attack the enemy''s base camp.


    It would have been something that Shen Ji Yun could have easily seen through if he wasn''t so out of practice. Well, what''s the use ofining now? It would only make it seem like he was making useless excuses. Which was totallyme, by the way.


    [Go straight to our base camp once you got out of your¡­ predicaments.]


    He sent that message before turning to the red dragon.


    It''s better for the two to help Dusk protect their crystal instead of having them here to be his back-up. Since there were more people on that side, he was enough here.


    "So, shall we start?" he asked Rowan.


    The dragon only let out a menacing grown at him. And then, without a warning, he breathed out scorching red me. Shen Ji Yun cut through it with his sword. And as he did, he also rushed forward towards Rowan.


    As he was nearing the dragon, the other swathed him with his wings. He quickly avoided it by bending to the side and then he shed it towards Rowan''s wing that swathed him.


    The red dragon grunted at the pain before angrily breathing out fire to Shen Ji Yun''s direction. This time, in order to avoid it, he blitzed to the opposite side. Then, he flew to a higher vantage point.


    At this distance, he could properly see the crystal. He was about to attack it directly when he heard a loud explosion from the other side of the forest. He turned his head back and saw that it was on the exact area where their base camp was.

 Chapter 943: TRAINING (VI)

    <h4>Chapter 943: TRAINING (VI)</h4>


    [WHAT''S happening there?] ¨C Shen Ji Yun asked Dusk via telepathy.


    He hardly contacted the other through this method. He felt it a bit¡­ intrusive. Unlike Luo Yan and Eclipse, he and Dusk didn''t have that kind of chummy rtionship. At most, they were like business partners. Because of that, he sometimes forgot that master-pet rtionship in the game had this kind of function.


    [Eclipse and the lion are attacking the base camp.] ¨C Dusk replied back.


    Shen Ji Yun furrowed his brows. [What''s with the explosion then?]


    Both Eclipse and Bai Ze didn''t have skills that could cause such a big explosion.


    [The lion used a bomb.]


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit surprised when he heard that. Just by that, anyone could see that the opposing team was really going all out with this training. He suddenly felt ashamed by his team''s performance.


    [If you don''t have anything else to say, don''t bother me. I''m a bit busy here.]


    He heard Dusk say before he could even respond.


    Then, he suddenly felt something approaching from his back. He turned around and saw red me about to hit him. He quickly dodged, which made him further away from the crystal.


    "If you''re not going to fight and just dawdle there, then leave," Rowan growled in that usual guttural voice of a dragon.


    Shen Ji Yun flicked his sword, purple lightning surrounding it. "As you wish it."


    As he was about to attack the dragon, a certain thought entered his mind. Why didn''t Dusk mention Luo Yan?


    Luo Jin rushed towards their base camp the moment he got out of that me encirclement. Before he could even arrive there, an explosion happened. Seeing how smoke wasing out of their base camp, he hastened his steps.


    When he finally arrived at the ce, his eyes widened slightly. It was because the dragon huge body was being bombarded by countless attacks from Bai Ze and Eclipse while defending their team''s crystal.


    It''s kind of weird seeing such a huge creature trying to defend itself from beings much smaller than them. But Luo Jin could understand that it was because Dusk was concentrating more on protecting the crystal. Attacking the two was merely an afterthought. Which in turn led to this situation.


    Luo Jin no longer thought of the how and the why of the situation and simply fired bullets at both Eclipse and Bai Ze. He didn''t simply fired them, he made sure that at least one of those bullets would hit. Eclipse, the little bugger, managed to evade, but Bai Ze was hit on his shoulder.


    His cousin turned towards him. The other''s grin looked a bit savage, probably because those sharp feline teeth. Then, Bai Ze suddenly dashed towards him. He jumped back and continued to shot at the other.


    When he thought that Bai Ze would continued forward, he suddenly stopped and then punched the ground in front of him. A huge chunk of hard ground suddenly floated up. Then, Bai Ze punched that and then it shattered and turned into small, sharp, kunai-like rocks. And it flew towards Luo Jin.


    The scope of the attack was too wide that whichever way he went, he would still be hit. He gritted his teeth and raised both guns. His only choice right now was to hit these too damn small rocks or whatever.


    He was about to fire his gun and also brace himself for the iing assault when those rocks stopped mid-air before it could even hit him. Then it all disintegrated.


    Before Luo Jin could look back, Su Yuqi had already floated and stood in front of him.


    "Oh, is this already round two?" Bai Ze asked, smiling sarcastically.


    Su Yuqi only narrowed his eyes at Bai Ze. She did not respond to his taunting and just raised her staff. She suddenly swung it and it hit Bai Ze''s chest. It was so unexpected that Bai Ze wasn''t able to dodge it.


    "Lock on."


    A red target mark appeared on Bai Ze''s chest where Su Yuqi''s staff hit. As if he had been zeroed in on by a gun with aser light.


    Bai Ze knew of this skill. It''s not a one-hit kill skill that required the target to be directly in contact with Su Yuqi''s staff before it could take effect. And the other had already fulfilled that requirement by tapping her staff at him earlier.


    It was a skill that Su Yuqi barely used because of how it was almost impossible to fulfill its prerequisite. After all, she was a mage and she hardly got close to her opponents. And because it had been so long since hest saw her used that skill, he forgot about it and got careless.


    "Shit," he couldn''t help but curse.


    This time, Su Yuqi was the one who smirked. "Yes, shit."


    Bai Ze panicked at first, but then, he quickly calmed down. Instead of wallow over it, he jumped back to attacking the crystal. It''s because it would take at least a minute before that skill of Su Yuqi took effect. Since it was already a done deal anyway, he''d rather spent his remaining time attacking the crystal.


    Both Su Yuqi and Luo Jin were dumbfounded seeing Bai Ze''s action. The two of them looked at each other before firing guns and skills at both Eclipse and Bai Ze who were currently running around Dusk and attacking him.


    The five of them were dancing around each other, their skills shing back and forth. Almost all the surrounding trees had been destroyed because of their fighting.


    After the one minute mark, a whole appeared on Bai Ze''s chest. But before hepletely turned into light particles, he threw a smoke bomb at the center of where the five of them were standing.


    As his HP turned to zero, the surrounding was easily filled with smoke at the same time.


    Su Yuqi narrowed her eyes and used a wind skill to blow away the smoke. But before it fully disappeared, all of them suddenly heard a crack. Almost like an ASMR level ss cracking sound.


    All of them turned towards the direction of the crystal.

 Chapter 944: TRAINING (VII)

    <h4>Chapter 944: TRAINING (VII)</h4>


    WHEN all the smokes and rubble disappeared, the remaining four all turned to where the crystal was. Or at least, what remained of it. The crystal was now broken intorge chunks and standing at the center of it all was an elf with white hair and golden-speckled blue eyes.


    Luo Yan smiled at them and made a ''v'' sign. "We won."


    And as if agreeing with him, a screen appeared above their heads with the words - [Team Red won! Congrattions!].


    The surrounding then glitches and started to change until it went back to the original all white floor. At the same time that the floor went back to normal, Bai Ze''s avatar also reappeared.


    "Did we win?" ¨C was the first thing he asked.


    "Of course, we won! Did you every doubt Master''s n?" Eclipse said with his chin proudly raised.


    "Okay, but what just happened?" Luo Jin asked with a bewildered expression.


    "Ho ho, is brother gnome curious about Master''s genius n?"


    "No, never mind. I don''t want to know," Luo Jin quickly said after hearing Eclipse''s tone. Because it felt like he would be more annoyed if he let the fox brat exin it.


    "I do want to know," Su Yuqi intervened. "But I think it would be better if Luo Yan did the exining."


    "Hey, pink sister, are you looking down on Eclipse?" the boy said as if offended. "Eclipse is very great in exining things, you know?"


    Su Yuqi was about to say that she preferred an exnation without too much theatrics, that''s why it''s better if Luo Yan did it, but before she could do so, Shen Ji Yun appeared. The other walked up to Luo Yan and said;


    "Congrattions, Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun. He observed the expression of the other. He was obviously happy for their win, but he could also see that he felt frustrated that they lost. Luo Yan was d that that was the case. If Shen Ji Yun didn''t show any frustration for losing, he might get really annoyed. Because that meant that the other wasn''t taking this training match seriously.


    He smiled and responded, "Thank you."


    After a while, Rowan also arrived to where they were. The injury he sustained from fighting Shen Ji Yun had now healed. The same could be said for Dusk. It''s mainly because the match they yed was only training. So, they were back to their initial state after the match ended. It''s the reason why Bai Ze coulde back quickly after ''dying''.


    "Was Yan Yan the one who broke the crystal?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    "Why did Brother Ji Yun think so?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Because Dusk didn''t mention you when I asked about the situation of the base camp earlier. And since you''re also not in your team''s base camp helping to defend your team''s crystal, I figured that you must be hiding somewhere and waiting for the opportunity to destroy our team''s crystal while Bai Ze and Eclipse distract Dusk."


    Luo Yan smiled because of how urate Shen Ji Yun was. What the other said was indeed correct. He traveled from their base camp to the opponent team''s using [Shadow Walk]. Then, he took his time and waited in the shadow world until the right moment presented itself.


    And that moment happened when Bai Ze released that smoke bomb. It was the perfect timing. Everyone was focused on what was happening that no one expected for him to jump out of the shadows and strike the crystal. It took a lot of his MP to destroy it. After all, it''s not something that could not be destroyed easily by just one hit.


    He was just lucky that shadows could still be seen in the forest despite having such tall and lush trees. If not, then this match could have gone in a different way.


    "That''s correct. How very perceptive of you," he said in response to what Shen Ji Yun had said.


    Dusk clicked his tongue at that moment. "If you had already suspected something like that to happen, you should have mentioned it. Then, I would have been more prepared."


    "I''m with the dragon on this one," Su Yuqi agreed.


    Because of what Shen Ji Yun said, she just remembered that Luo Yan had that shadow thing skill. The other could have done what he did because of that. It was theirck of judgment that led to this mishap. No, it''s not that theycked judgment. Shen Ji Yun had foreseen it, the other just totally forgot to mention it to them.


    "It really wouldn''t hurt to mention that you have thought of a possible oue, you know?" she added.


    "Damn right," Luo Jin seconded, his eyes looking at Shen Ji Yun was like saying, ''and you call yourself our leader?''.


    Shen Ji Yun blinked. "Ah, that''s right. I should have done that."


    His expression showed that he had really not thought of that. Which was kind of cute. It was very¡­ Shen Ji Yun-like.


    Luo Yan chuckled and then hugged the other''s arm. "It''s alright, Brother Ji Yun. You can just make sure that it won''t happen again in the future."


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down at Luo Yan. The other was blinking his huge eyes at him, making a cute and lovely expression. He knew this wasn''t exactly the right time nor ce, but he really wanted to bow his head and kiss the other.


    He clenched his fists, trying to resist the urge to do so. But, as if he had read what he was thinking, Luo Yan smiled yfully at him before putting his chin on his shoulder and whispering;


    "You want to kiss me, don''t you, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun quickly turned red, feeling all giddy and shy. Despite that, his urge to kiss Luo Yan became even stronger.


    While the two were exchanging sugary stare with each other, the rest of their teammates were watching this scene with goosebumps all over. Well, except for Eclipse. He was very happy seeing them flirt.

 Chapter 945: END OF TRAINING

    <h4>Chapter 945: END OF TRAINING</h4>


    TEAM Yunyue''s trainingsted for the whole day. Of course, there were breaks in the middle. They still needed to eat and take a rest from using the VR helmet. Still, it was a very productive day for the team.


    After ying tower defense, they yed battle arena next. They didn''t change teams and continued on with the current members. But unlike the first match, this time, Shen Ji Yun''s team won.


    All four of them fought hard to the point that they didn''t even give Luo Yan''s team a space to breath. It seemed that they were overly motivated by their lost in the first training match that all of them became so in synced that it almost felt like they were moving as one. So, it''s no wonder that their team won.


    The next one they yed was the war game. This time, Luo Yan''s team was equally motivated. With all of them going all out, this match took the longest before it ended. And it also did in such an unusual manner. Why? It ended with no winners at all.


    The war game in Arcadia Cup, just like its name suggested, was literally a war battle between two opposing factions. Each team would be given troops to fight a war and the one who won the war would be the winner.


    The way to decide that was not just by simply killing all the soldiers in each faction. It''s going to be decided by points. A regr soldier was worth 10 points. The second-inmand was worth 100 points. And themander was worth a whooping 1000 points.


    The regr soldier woulde from the troops given to each team at the start of the game. The role of the second-inmand, as well as themander, would be given to the members of the team. They were the ones who would decide what positions they would assign each member.


    There were also special positions that they could take, depending on the kind of war that they would y.


    War games usually took a long time to finish. That''s why it had a time limit of three hours. If three hours had passed and there was still no clear winner in the game, then the one with most points would win.


    Of course, there''s a faster way to end a war game. And that was to kill the enemymander. That''s why most teams, during a war game, didn''t openly show who theirmander was.


    But there were times when even if one team killed amander, the opposing team was still the one who won the game. It''s mainly because of the point system. Even if one team killed themander, if the opposing team had more points than them, thetter would still win.


    And so, after the war game training match between Shen Ji Yun''s team and Luo Yan''s team, both had equal numbers of points. And thus, there was no definite winner between the two.


    After a whole day of training, team Yunyue decided to spend time at Yuexing Pavilion before logging out.


    Since they couldn''t directly teleport straight to the pavilion from the floor they were in, they had to leave the tower first using normal means. Just like the way they entered it.


    So, they had to use the elevator to go to the ground floor. The elevator appeared automatically when Shen Ji Yun pushed a button on the setting screen of the floor they were in.


    "Let''s do this training again for tomorrow," Shen Ji Yun said as they all board the elevator. "Unless, of course, you have other things to do."


    "We should continue to train until the start of the preliminaries," Bai Ze said. "Winter break is almost around the corner, so, after all the exams and group projects, we''ll be mostly free, right? I suggest we don''t procrastinate and do the things we needed to do in advance so we would have more time to train."


    "Why do I feel like you''re talking about yourself?" Su Yuqi said with a smirk.


    "Hey, I''m a good student. I barely procrastinate!" Bai Ze responded in an offended tone.


    Shen Ji Yun decided not toment on that. Because Bai Ze''s ''barely'' actually meant ''often''. If he said that, the two, Bai Ze and Su Yuqi, would just bicker again.


    So, he decided to just turn to Luo Yan and stare at him to cleanse his mind.


    And then, he suddenly remembered something important that he probably should have asked long before.


    "Yan Yan, would you be alright? I mean, with our training and then your college entrance examination, are you not pushing yourself?"


    Everyone turned to Luo Yan at Shen Ji Yun''s question. It was as if, they just only realized that Luo Yan would take the college entrance examination in a few months. Every month that one could study was very important for a third-year high school student.


    It''s one of the reasons why Shen Ji Yun was hesitating whether to participate in this uing season of Arcadia Cup. He was afraid that Luo Yan might push himself too hard if their team participated. On the contrary, the other was also the reason why he decided to push through with his decision.


    Because he knew just how much Luo Yan wanted to participate in the Cup. In the end, he still chose to do the thing that could make the other happy.


    "Oh, that''s right, Xiao Yan is an examinee," Bai Ze said. "Would you be okay?"


    "Don''t worry, I''m very good at studying, as well as time management. Whether or not we join this iing season of the Cup, I''m confident that I can still get a good score in the college entrance exam," Luo Yan said with a smile. "My mock exam results are always among the top 10 in the whole grade. You can ask Ah Jin if you don''t believe me."


    "It''s true," Luo Jin said in agreement. "But that didn''t mean you should becent."


    Luo Yan stretched out his hand and pinched his brother''s cheek. "Yes, Mr. Grumpy, I assure you that I won''t."


    It was then that the elevator opened and they all walked to the ground floor of the tower.

 Chapter 946: PETTY AND JEALOUS

    Chapter 946: PETTY AND JEALOUS"BY the way, Xiao Yan, Xiao Jin, are you going to spend your winter vacation at B City?" Bai Ze asked. "It would be great if we could all get together during the Cup''s preliminary round. And by that, I mean not just in the game."


    Their winter vacation just happened to coincide with the next season of Arcadia Cup. If they all could be in one city during that time, then it would be easier to meet up to talk about strategies and the likes. But the most important thing was, every time they won, they could celebrate together. Wouldn''t that be more fun than just meeting in the game?


    "We''ll celebrate Lunar new year there. I''m just not sure if we''ll stay for more than a week," Luo Yan said.


    "That''s fine, we can just convince Uncle to let you and Xiao Jin stay for a month," Bai Ze said. "Grandpa will definitely be happy. Not to mention Xiao Ye."


    Although his younger brother would probably try to spend every waking hours with Luo Yan and would then get in the way of their training or even their team meeting, that''s a risk worth taking.


    Luo Jin''s ears perked up when he heard what Bai Ze said. A month in B City? Since it was winter break for all of them, that meant that spending time with Su Yuqi, not in the game but in reality, would no longer be just a daydream. Remembering that time when they first met in reality, Luo Jin''s heart couldn''t help but beat fast.


    He secretly nced at Su Yuqi and then almost tripped on his feet when their eyes met. He quickly looked away as if guilty of something. Then, he heard Su Yuqi chuckling and he just knew that she wasughing at him. He felt his whole face turning red in embarrassment.


    At the same time that the two were having a ''moment'', no matter how embarrassing, someone was staring intently at the back of Luo Yan''s head. Yes, it was none other than our favorite cinnamon roll.


    Luo Yan scratched his cheek awkwardly. He could feel Shen Ji Yun''s gaze boring into the back of his head. It''s so intense that it almost felt like a hole would appear on his back at any second.


    Knowing the other, Luo Yan could already tell what he was thinking. Or rather, what he was feeling. At the possibility of the two of them being in the same city for a month, Shen Ji Yun was definitely imagining a lot of things. He''s probably thinking of the things that they could do together.


    Maybe he was even thinking of some, well, not so kid friendly things. If he was, of course, who was he to deny him? Not that he could. If Shen Ji Yun looked at him with a puppy dog like expression, he would probably yield to whatever he wanted.


    As Luo Yan was thinking that, the roots of his pointed ears were already turning red.


    Unbeknownst to our little perv over here, Shen Ji Yun was simply excited at the thought that he could see Luo Yan again in reality.


    While all of them were thinking of different things, a team walked out of another elevator and just happened to walk beside team Yunyue. Because of that, both teams nced at each other. They did it out of reflex but also reflexively stopped because of that one nce.


    "Yunyue? Hah, what kind of crazy coincidence is this?"


    The man walking at the lead of the other team was the one who spoke. He was wearing an all-ck suit and swinging a gentleman''s stick. His ck hair was slicked back with some stray strands falling on his forehead. But his most noticeable features were his pair of red eyes and the fangs that could be seen immediately whenever he opened his mouth. Anyone could see that he was a vampire.


    Both Su Yuqi and Luo Jin narrowed their eyes at the vampire at the same time. The expression on their face was like looking at an enemy. Alucard also did the same, only he did it by smirking annoyingly.


    "Oh, right, it''s team Yunyue!" ¨C A wolf beastkin with blue hair and a pair of metallic gray eyes said as he looked at Luo Yan and the others. Then, as if finding something unusual, he tilted his head. "Hmm? But why are there eight of them? Oh, wait- that little fox is a pet, right? Then, can I pet him?"


    Eclipse growled at the wolf beastkin. "Master, can I bite his head off?"


    "No, you might get rabies," Luo Yan said.


    He was a bit familiar with the wolf beastkin. He still remembered that he was the one with Alucard at that time at Yuexing Pavilion when the other was harassing Luo Yan''s ''female'' NPC persona.


    "I don''t have rabies!" the wolf quickly denied with reddened face.


    Alucard suddenlyughed out loud at that. "You''re still as sassy as I remember you to be. And still really very pretty. Ha¡­ now I''m regretting that I didn''t try hard enough to recruit you on our team."


    Shen Ji Yun frowned. This guy was already insufferable. But this time, the need to beat the other to a pulp was even stronger than before. Was it because he was now in an official rtionship with Luo Yan that''s why he was feeling even more territorial? No, there was nothing reallyplicated about it. He just simply hated the way the other was trying to flirt with Luo Yan.


    Even if it''s not this annoying guy but some other person, he would still feel the same. He would still want to beat them up. Just like how he felt when he heard that Huang person confessing to Luo Yan.


    What could he do? When it came to Luo Yan, he could be the most petty and jealous person in the world.


    Shen Ji Yun was about to say something in response to Alucard''s ''flirting'', but Luo Yan had already beaten him to the punch.

 Chapter 947: THE EVER ANNOYING VAMPIRE

    Chapter 947: THE EVER ANNOYING VAMPIRE"YOU not being able to recruit me was not really the problem," Luo Yan said.


    Alucard raised one perfectly shaped brow. "Oh? Then, what is?"


    Luo Yan smiled before saying, "It''s you. I simply don''t like you."


    Xu Ru blinked for a second with a nk expression on his face when he heard that. Then, heughed out loud. Really, every time they met, the reaction of this guy was very fresh. That''s why it''s fun to tease him.


    "Then, does that mean you like YUN?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.


    But who would have thought that the other would actually hug YUN''s arm and say proudly, "That''s right. Don''t you know we even have a couple ship name for our tandem?"


    Shen Ji Yun felt his face heating up. Not because he''s feeling embarrassed, but because he felt extremely happy. Hearing Luo Yan say that proudly felt like the other was confirming their rtionship in front of this many people. Even if that wasn''t really the case, it still made him very happy.


    "Hmm¡­ then are you saying that you''re gay?" the blue-haired wolf beastkin asked. The expression on his face didn''t show any malice, even the tone of his voice was all innocent. It''s like he was truly just asking because he was curious.


    But, of course, some people might take that the wrong way. One example was a certain gnome who had all his hackles up because of what the wolf beastkin said.


    "Why are you asking stupid questions, huh? Are you fucking picking a fight?" Luo Jin growled, even baring his teeth at the other.


    Tang Xun, the wolf beastkin, was startled by the sudden shout. But when he saw that the one who said that was a gnome who barely reached his waist, he frowned in worry and said;


    "Hey, kid, you shouldn''t curse like that. It''s bad, you know?"


    Augh erupted from behind. A man with long silver hair and yellow eyes with slit irises simr to that of a snake, walked forward and put his arm around Tang Xun''s shoulders.


    "Ah Xun, even if he''s smaller and looks like a kid that doesn''t mean that he''s younger than you," the man said. "For all we know, he''s probably someone in his 20s who just have that kind of hobby."


    Luo Jin''s whole face turned red. He was on the verge of pulling both his guns and shooting the two. No, probably everyone in that damn team. But he really didn''t have the time to consider that because a group teleportation scroll suddenly appeared in front of the two.


    Before anyone could react, the two, and some other team members of theirs close to where they were standing, were suddenly teleported somewhere. Then, that was followed by Su Yuqi''snguid voice.


    "Too noisy."


    Luo Yan raised his brow. He was actually thinking of stepping up and, well, maybe kick them or something. But he didn''t expect that Su Yuqi would be more savage and actually would force them out of here.


    This was also quite unexpected for Luo Jin. Nevertheless, he weed it with joy. After all, he couldn''t help but feel that the other did it for him. So, of course, something sweet and warm filled his heart at that thought.


    Seeing this situation, Xu Ru was suddenly reminded of what happened during the party to celebrate the end of the Rookie Carnival. Didn''t that cheeky pixie also send him somewhere?


    "Hah, do you have a hobby of sending people to whichever ce you wish to if they annoyed you?" he asked sarcastically.


    "Oh, if only that was the case, then every time you appeared, I could simply swish you away so I don''t have to deal with your annoying face," Su Yuqi said with a roll of her eyes.


    Xu Ru narrowed his eyes at the other. He was always sweet to women, and sometimes men ¨C as long as they''re pretty, that is ¨C but he really couldn''t bring himself to treat this girl the same. The level of annoyance he felt for the other was enough for him to have the urge to smack her every time he saw her.


    Then, a loud p was suddenly heard at the middle of this confrontation.


    Everyone turned to the source and saw a young woman with wine red hair and a pair of ram-like horns on her head. It was Qin Rushi or more known to the game as Lilith.


    "Okay. Let''s not start a fight here and just all go on our way. Hmm?" she said, she was looking at Su Yuqi with a bit of apology in her gaze.


    Su Yuqi also nodded to the other. Although her gaze was saying ''don''t worry about it'', her expression was clearly showing that she still dislike the other''s captain.


    Seeing the interaction between the two, Luo Yan remembered that Luo Jin mentioned one time that Su Yuqi personally knew the vice captain of team Sanguis.


    He turned his head and looked at Lilith once again. He remembered that time when the other scolded Alucard, as well as that wolf beastkin, when they all visited Yuexing pavilion. It must be quite hard to have that guy as the captain of their team.


    To help her a bit, he turned to the others and said, "Let''s go?"


    Shen Ji Yun did not waste time and quickly use a group teleportation scroll to teleport them to Yuexing Pavilion. Who knew if they stayed here longer, that annoying vampire might do something again.


    So, before Xu Ru could say anything, team Yunyue had already vanished in front of him. He turned to Qin Rushi.


    "Princess, I was trying to invite them to a practice match," heined.


    Qin Rushi only gave the other a dry look. "If that''s the case, then you should have said it from the very beginning, instead of annoying them like you just did."


    "Of course, I have to do it with re. Saying it so directly like that is just not my style."


    Qin Rushi could only roll her eyes at Xu Ru. Really, she already felt like a saint for putting up with this guy''s antics.

 Chapter 948: MY BROTHERS ROMANCE STATUS

    <h4>Chapter 948: MY BROTHERS'' ROMANCE STATUS</h4>


    DESPITE the short disturbance the day before, team Yunyue continued on with their training the next day. This time the members of each team differed from the ones they had yesterday. The mechanics were still the same. They yed one game each of tower defense, battle arena, and wargame.


    They continued this schedule the next two days. Except that they could only train during the night since all of them had to go to school. They decided to take a break though after that because of it being New Year.


    Although New Year was not considered a big event inparison to the Spring Festival where the country truly celebrated Lunar New Year, it''s still considered a three-day public holiday. So, from Wednesday to Friday, schools around the country didn''t have any sses.


    Everyone in Team Yunyue decided to take a break on the first day and then continued their whole day training for the rest of the week.


    Luo Yan was currently spending time at home with his family. It was one of the rare weekdays that all of them were at home. And since it''s New Year, they decided to have a special luncheon.


    Why was it special? Well, aside from the fact that it''s New Year, it''s because they invited Yu Jiao and her mother to have lunch with them.


    Luo Ren was the one who suggested it, saying that it would be great to invite them to have lunch. Since the two would probably spend the day with just themselves, wouldn''t it be better to just spend it together?


    His reasoning was because Yu Jiao was Luo Yan''s closest friend and that it wouldn''t hurt for the two families to get closer. Of course, both his brothers knew that that wasn''t really the reason and that Luo Ren only wanted to invite Yu Jiao here simply because he liked her and wanted to spend time with her.


    Surprisingly though, their father didn''t ask any question and readily agreed. As if there was nothing remotely suspicious about their older brother''s suggestion.


    What the two didn''t know was that Luo Wei Tian also knew about Luo Ren''s affection for Yu Jiao and was hoping that he could get to know his future daughter-inw better. Meeting the other''s mother was also an added bonus. After all, she could end up as a future inw. So, it''s important to make a good impression now.


    If one knew about what he''s thinking right now, they would probably think that he was exaggerating things too much. But this was because he knew his eldest son well. That boy wouldn''t show such interest towards a girl if he hadn''t seriously considered her being the ''one''.


    The two of them were very simr in that way. So, if things went smoothly between Luo Ren and Yu Jiao, then he had no doubt that they would end up marrying each other.


    That''s why it wouldn''t hurt to do some advance preparation now. Especially since Luo Ren could not yet do anything to show his affection to Yu Jiao directly. After all, thetter was still in high school. If Luo Ren did something that he shouldn''t, Luo Wei Tian would be the first one to beat him up.


    At the back garden of the house, Luo Yan and Luo Jin were sitting inside the small pavilion. They were ''kicked'' out of the house by their father so they wouldn''t get in the way of lunch preparation. Luo Ren, on the other hand, went ahead to get Yu Jiao and her mother.


    Luo Yan actually wanted to go with his brother but the other told him that he should just wait here and not tire himself. That''s probably the flimsiest excuse he had ever heard. What''s so tiring about sitting in a car? It''s obvious that the other just didn''t want to share Yu Jiao''s attention. Because if he was there, it was sure that Yu Jiao would only talk to him.


    He shook his head. Really, who would have thought his eldest brother would have such a childish side? No, he probably should have already expected that. Wasn''t Luo Ren the one who forced Shen Ji Yun to do that embarrassing announcement in front of everyone in Arcadia?


    Just by that, he should be able to already tell that Luo Ren wasn''t so mature as he appeared to be.


    Anyway, since he had nothing to do until his brother came back with Yu Jiao and her mother, he might as well exchanged WeChat message with Shen Ji Yun. Which he had been doing since earlier, by the way.


    But the other wasn''t the only one he was exchanging messages with. He was also chatting with Ying Chen. Yes, a bit unexpected, right? Ying Chen was telling him of the progress of his ''ignoring Huang Wen'' operation.


    ording to the other, it seemed that this kind of approach was working since Huang Wen was paying attention to him more than before. Even though they were only chatting, Luo Yan could feel the bitterness in Ying Chen''s reply when he sent that message.


    It''s understandable to feel that way though. Ying Chen had been running after Huang Wen for years, hoping that the other would look back. It was only now that he stopped that Huang Wen began to truly look at him. Who wouldn''t feel bitter in such a situation?


    "Are you chatting with Shen Ji Yun?"


    Luo Jin''s voice cut through Luo Yan''s thoughts. He nced at his brother and saw the envious glint in his eyes. Luo Yan raised his brow and couldn''t help but tease the other.


    "If you''re feeling envious, you can always chat with Sister Yuqi."


    He thought Luo Jin would stammer and quickly deny it. Just like he always did whenever he teased him about Su Yuqi. But his reaction was truly unexpected.


    "Su Yuqi is not into WeChat. She doesn''t even answer her phone that often."


    Luo Jin said it so naturally, without a hint of shyness, that Luo Yan almost wondered if this was still his younger brother he''s talking to.


    "Ah Jin, are you admitting to me right now that you like Sister Yuqi?"

 Chapter 949: RIGHT?

    Chapter 949: RIGHT?LUO JIN''S face heated up at the question. He tried to act natural, but the blush on his face proved how flustered he was. Still, he answered Luo Yan''s question honestly.


    "Yes, I am." He cleared his throat, putting on a tough act. "Is there a problem?"


    Luo Yan stared at his younger brother. He didn''t expect that the other would actually admit that so straightforwardly. He thought Luo Jin would do his usual antics whenever he teased him about Su Yuqi. Like stuttering while telling him exactly the opposite of what he''s feeling. But lo and behold, the other really just admitted that he liked Su Yuqi.


    He put his hands over his mouth and gasped exaggeratedly. "Who are you and where did you hide my tsundere brother?"


    This time, the blush that appeared on Luo Jin''s face was not because of the shyness of love but because of pure embarrassment.


    "You¡ªwhat tsun-tsudere are you talking about?"


    Luo Yan pointed to him instead of answering directly. The yful smile on the other''s lips annoyed Luo Jin even further.


    "What tsundere? Do you think I''m an anime character?"


    "How could that be? Doesn''t Ah Jin know that real-life tsunderes really exist? Aren''t you here as a live example?" Luo Yan said in a tone as if what he said was really the truth. "But you know, doesn''t our Ah Jin look as handsome as an anime character?"


    This time, Luo Jin just felt helpless after hearing his brother''s nonsense. "Is that really going to be your reaction after I just admit something big here?"


    He thought that the other would just continue to tease him or makements that didn''t really make sense. That''s why when Luo Yan suddenly patted his head, he was startled and almost jumped on his seat.


    "Good job. Our Ah Jin has finally grown up."


    When Luo Jin was about to feel moved, the other really just had to say something that ruined the mood.


    "You''re now ready to step on the world of adults. If you need any advice, just tell me. After all, I''m now a rtionship expert," Luo Yan added, proudly patting his chest.


    At that point, Luo Jin finally couldn''t stop himself from rolling his eyes at the other. "You know what, never mind. Just go back to chatting with your¡­ your- whatever the hell is Shen Ji Yun."


    Luo Yan smiled yfully. "You mean boyfriend?"


    Luo Jin acted like he had goosebumps. "Argh¡­ don''t say it out loud. Hearing you say it makes it seem more real."


    Luo Yan chuckled at his brother''s reaction. "It''s very much real though. So, you should get used to it." After a while, he added in a much more serious tone. "Well, I''m actually happy that you confide in me about your feelings for Sister Yuqi. That''s why when I said you can ask me for advice, I mean it."


    Luo Jin was also a bit surprised by the sudden serious turn of the conversation. He cleared his throat and tried to act all dignified.


    "Ahem, I just felt it''s unfair not to admit my own feelings when you bravely admitted yours to Brother and me. Heck, I even know about Brother''s love life. If I continue to deny my own feelings, it''s not only unfair to the both of you but also to Su Yuqi. Besides, who would want to be with a person who feels embarrassed about their feelings for the person they like?"


    Luo Yan smiled and ruffled Luo Jin''s hair. "Aww¡­ our Ah Jin has really grown up."


    Luo Jin quickly dodged. "Hey, not my hair!"


    ----------


    Luo Ren parked the car on a vacant spot. He just now arrived at the apartment building where Yu Jiao and her mother lived. Before going out of the car, he checked his appearance first on the rearview mirror. After making sure that not one strand of his hair was out of ce, he finally opened the door of the driver''s seat and walked out of the car.


    He started walking towards the building.


    Luo Yan was the one who invited Yu Jiao and her mother to have lunch with their family. ording to his brother, the other refused at first saying that she and her mother couldn''t intrude like that. But with Luo Yan''s persuasive power, he finally convinced Yu Jiao.


    Luo Ren got on the elevator and got off when he reached the floor where Yu Jiao and her mother''s apartment was. He walked towards their apartment room and pressed the doorbell when he finally stopped in front of their door.


    The one who opened the door was Yu Jiao''s mother.


    "Good morning, Aunt Xiuying," Luo Ren greeted first with a gentle smile on his face.


    "Oh, Xiao Ren is here. Did Yan Yan alsoe with you?"


    The other tried to look behind him, seemingly trying to find Luo Yan. Luo Ren could barely maintain the smile on his face.


    This was the reason why he didn''t let Luo Yan apany him. Because it was so obvious that Yu Jiao''s mother preferred him over Luo Ren. Which was understandable. Considering that he was Yu Jiao''s first friend at their school. But that didn''t mean that he wouldn''t feel, well, a bit bad about it.


    Yes, he knew it was petty to feel that way. It''s even more unreasonable to think of his brother as a prospective rival considering that the other only saw Yu Jiao as a friend. Especially more so since he already had a boyfriend. But what could Luo Ren do? He couldn''t stop his immature side to feel that way.


    He shook his head and just responded to Aunt Xiuying''s question.


    "No, Aunt Xiuying. Yan Yan was still sleeping when I left. It seems that he was too excited for you and Jiao Jiao''s visit that he could barely sleepst night."


    Of course, that''s bull. But he couldn''t just say that it''s because he was being childish that''s why he stopped his brother from apanying him here.


    Right?

 Chapter 950: HMM...

    Chapter 950: HMM...SITTING awkwardly on the passenger''s seat, Yu Jiao fidgeted with the coat she''s wearing. She was currently in the car of Luo Ren with her mother. They were on their way to the house of the Luo family.


    Although she had been there before, she still felt incredibly nervous. Probably because today was not just any other day. It''s the first day of the year. Even if it''s not as big or festive as Lunar new year, it''s still a public holiday that people usually spent with loved ones.


    No matter how much she and Luo Yan were close, it still felt like she and her mother were intruders. It was the same feeling she felt when Luo Ren suggested before that she went with them on Luo Yan''s birthday trip. That''s why she politely refused the invitation.


    She wanted to do the same this time, but Luo Yan was, well, very persistent. Not to mention, convincing. That''s why it''s no wonder that her mother agreed to the invitation without much persuasion needed.


    Seriously, when she watched Luo Yan convincing her mother, she felt like the other had the talent of being a great con-man. People should probably be thankful that Luo Yan was a good person. If not, then he could probably scam millions of money out of everyone just by how slick he was.


    Yu Jiao sighed inwardly. Anyway, what happened had already happened. If she continued to act like this, she would only make the people around her feel ufortable.


    "Are you okay, Jiao Jiao? Do you want me to increase the heater''s temperature?"


    Luo Ren''s voice cut off Yu Jiao''s worrying thoughts. She turned to the other and tried her best to smile. "N-no, it''s okay."


    Luo Ren quickly nced at the other. Since he was driving, he couldn''t just stare at Yu Jiao even if he wanted to. He didn''t want them to get into any kind of ident. Besides, even if the urge to do so was overwhelming, his subconscious would prevent him from doing anything that might lead to an ident.


    Ever since he got his license, he had always tried to be a very careful driver. Which was not really that hard. Considering that there seemed to be something in his brain that prevented him from even over speeding. It was easy to tell the root cause of it.


    The ident that involved his mother and two younger brothers.


    That incident almost broke their family apart. In some way, it did. It was only because of his father''s tenacity and his love for his sons that they were able to get through it.


    So, how could he drive recklessly when he knew full well the consequence of just one mistake?


    Even so, despite that, Luo Ren still observed how agitated Yu Jiao was. She was simply radiating that nervous energy. And since she was sitting on the passenger''s seat, that energy was ''prickling'' him constantly.


    Just by that, he could tell that she must have been very nervous right now. Which was kind of hard to understand. What''s there to be nervous about? But when he tried to put himself in her position, also considering her personality, it became easier to see why.


    "There''s no need to be nervous. Jiao Jiao is not a stranger to us. So, you don''t have to feel burdened with this invitation," Luo Ren said in a reassuring tone. "Besides, you''ve already met Dad. Does he seem scary to you?" he added in a much lighter tone.


    "No, of course not!" Yu Jiao quickly said. "I-I''m¡ª"


    She stopped and bit her lower lip. The other might think that she''s overreacting for feeling this way. But she couldn''t help it. Although her confidence had leveled up quite a lot inparison to before, there was still a part of her that kept on worrying over every little thing.


    Even she knew that it was very annoying.


    "Just think of it as a normal lunch. Didn''t you already have dinner with us before? It''s just the same thing. With the addition of Aunt Xiuying, of course."


    "Xiao Ren is right. If Jiao Jiao is nervous, then your mother will be nervous too," her mother, who had been silent until now, added to what Luo Ren had said. "As long as we treat Xiao Ren''s family with kindness and sincerity, there would be no reason for us to be nervous. Especially since I''m sure that they would do the same."


    "That''s true, by the way," Luo Ren didn''t forget to add. "It seems that Aunt Xiuying and I are on the same wavelength."


    Yu Jiao''s mother chuckled. "If Xiao Ren thinks so, then this olddy can only agree."


    "No, what ''olddy''? Aunt Xiuying definitely still looks young. In fact, you can easily be mistaken as Jiao Jiao''s sister."


    Ji Xiuyingughed when she heard such tantpliment. "Then, this ''older sister'' will simply take your word for it."


    Seeing how the two got along, Yu Jiao''s nervousness was slowly being blown away. Probably because she was thinking that if her mother could get along like this with Luo Ren, then she probably would also get along with Luo Jin and Uncle Wei Tian. Somehow, all her worries dissipated at that thought.


    This was probably the main source of what she was feeling. Because she was worried that her mother might not get along with the rest of the Luo family. But she realized that it was just useless worry. She should have known that there''s no way the Luo family would treat her mother badly. Because that''s just the kind of family they were.


    Yu Jiao was finally able to breath a sigh of relief. The corner of her lips lifted up, showing a relieved smile.


    This did not escape Ji Xiuying''s attention. She smiled inwardly. It seemed that her daughter finally let go of her whatever was worrying her.


    Then, she happened to see Luo Ren''s expression from the rearview mirror. The other was also smiling. As if he was d that her daughter had gotten over her worries.


    She gave the other a meaningful nce.


    Hmm¡­

 Chapter 951: COMPLETELY SPEECHLESS

    Chapter 951: COMPLETELY SPEECHLESS"THANK you for inviting us in your home," Ji Xiuying greeted Luo Wei Tian politely with a gentle smile.


    When they arrived at the Luo family''s house, she was quite surprised. Not because of how big the house was, but because of how simple and homely it looked. It''s not what she expected from the family that was considered at the very top of S City.


    Being married to the Mo family for a brief time, she knew just how much the rich enjoyed unting their wealth. Even she, who had only been in that world for a short time, was almost blinded by that kind of lifestyle.


    It was even more surprising because she had seen President Luo from afar when Mo Guang Li brought her to one of those high society parties. Her first impression of him was that of a cold and ruthless man. He simply had that air that wouldn''t allow anyone toe close. Even his sharp eyes could easily freeze someone on the spot.


    But looking at the other now, Ji Xiuying barely felt that feeling. Right now, she only felt like she was standing before a very amicable father. It wasn''t just the homely outfit or the friendly smile, his whole atmosphere waspletely different from when she first saw him.


    Or maybe, this was the real him. Because he was in his home, surrounded by his sons, he could rx. There was no need for him to be on guard and show an image of a cold-blooded businessman. Here, in their home, he could just be a loving and supportive father to his sons.


    Seeing him like that, the nervousness that Ji Xiuying was trying so hard to hide finallypletely disappeared. Even if Luo Yan and Luo Ren treated her and her daughter warmly, it didn''t mean that their father would have the same attitude. But she should have known that it was just useless worry on her part. Because the possibility of a mean-spirited man raising sons like that was close to none.


    "Y-yes, thank you for inviting us, Uncle Wei Tian," Yu Jiao quickly seconded.


    "What''s there to thank about?" Luo Wei Tian said, waving his hand as if it''s not a big matter. "Xiao Yan has been in Jiao Jiao''s care. I''m always thankful that my son has a friend like her."


    Yu Jiao blushed at the suddenpliment.


    Ji Xiuying also smiled. What mother wouldn''t like to hearpliments about their daughter?


    "Yan Yan has also been a great friend to Jiao Jiao, so I''m even more grateful," she said. "By the way, I made some egg tarts. It''s not much, but I hope President Luo and his sons could enjoy it," she added, her smile much more sincere.


    "Oh, Mrs. Ji shouldn''t have bothered," Luo Wei Tian said, taking the food container the other was holding.


    "Dad, the desserts Aunt Xiuying makes are really delicious. I''m sure you''ll like it," Luo Yan added with a thumbs-up.


    "Oh, it''s an overstatement," Ji Xiuying said, but she was clearly very pleased by thepliment.


    "If it''s something that Xiao Yan rmended, I have no doubt that it would be delicious," Luo Wei Tian said.


    After this initial greeting, the two families finally went to the dining room to have lunch.


    -----


    The lunch had been very pleasant. Everyone ate with a hearty feeling. The food was good and thepany was even better. So, how could they not enjoy it?


    After the pleasant lunch, Luo Yan, Luo Jin, and Yu Jiao went to the entertainment room to y games. While Luo Wei Tian, Luo Ren, and Ji Xiuying went to the pavilion at the back garden to have tea.


    Luo Ren actually also wanted to join Yu Jiao and the others. But he thought that this was a chance for him to show a good impression to Yu Jiao''s mother. Since it might take a long while before an opportunity like this came again. So, he should take the most out of this opportunity.


    "Xiao Ren is only 22?" Ji Xiuying said in a surprised voice. "You seem so mature that I thought you''re much older."


    For some reason, the topic of conversation suddenly turned to Luo Ren''s age. No, it wasn''t really mysteriously changed to that. His father just talked about how proud he was that Luo Ren was able to handle his position at thepany magnificently despite being so young. Which in turn resulted to Aunt Xiuying asking about his age. And thus, thatstment appeared.


    "He''ll turn 23 this March," Luo Wei Tian said after sipping his tea. "I''m not just saying this because he''s my son, but with his skills and hard work, I probably might be able to leave thepany to him within five years time."


    Ji Xiuying nodded. She had no doubt of that possibility. Graduating university at 22 and even sessfully working as a businessman, young people nowadays couldn''t easily achieve that. Or more exactly, wealthy young masters like him didn''t have the drive to do so.


    As she had observed, most of these young masters spent the majority of their time ying around and not really doing anything to work hard to achieve some kind of goal. It''s because everything was handed to them on a silver tter. So, they don''t feel the need to really put an effort into anything. That''s why most of them graduated university veryte.


    With this, it could be easily seen that Luo Ren was very different from most wealthy young masters. In a good way, of course.


    Luo Ren saw the admiration in Aunt Xiuying''s eyes. He suddenly felt embarrassed. It''s because he was nning to show a good impression towards the other, but before he could even begin, his father started ''advertising'' him like some rare, expensive product.


    "That''s why I''m sure that our Ah Ren here will make a very good husband," his father said out of nowhere, even patting Luo Ren''s shoulder. "He''s handsome, smart, dilligent, thoughtful, and kind. What more can one ask for?"


    When he saw his father looking at him as if asking, ''I''m doing a great job, right?'', Luo Ren becamepletely speechless.

 Chapter 952: AH JIN, THE LOSER

    Chapter 952: AH JIN, THE ''LOSER''INSIDE the entertainment room, Luo Yan and Luo Jin were ying a racing game. Luo Yan was very rxed, while Luo Jin was moving his whole body. Whenever thetter turned the controller he''s holding to the left, his whole body would also turn to the left. And it was the same whenever he turned it to the right.


    It was quite funny, really. If Luo Yan wasn''t ying against him, he might have alreadyughed out loud at this second. But since they were ying against each other, the other''s weird ying style only served as a distraction.


    That''s why he tried his best not to look at Luo Jin''s side. He didn''t want to lose after all.


    And as expected, despite Luo Jin using his whole body to win, Luo Yan was still the winner.


    "One more time!" Luo Jin quickly said with a reddened face, most likely from too much excitement and frustration.


    "Eh¡­ I''m tired. This is already the third round and also my third win, I''m already exhausted," Luo Yan said. He had a feeling that if he didn''t put a stop to this now, Luo Jin would continue to ask for a rematch. He turned to Yu Jiao, who was silently eating snacks while watching them. "How about you, Yu Jiao? Do you want to y one game with Ah Jin?"


    "Oh, okay."


    Yu Jiao put down the cookie she was eating and epted the controller Luo Yan gave her. She actually also wanted to try ying, but she felt a bit shy asking. She''s happy that Luo Yan took the initiative to ask her.


    After she and Luo Jin picked a character, the game finally started.


    Just a few minutes after that, the words ''Game Over'' appeared on the screen. And yes, Luo Jin lost again.


    Luo Jin''s whole face turned red. He almost looked like a volcano that was about to erupt. That description was indeed correct, since he was on verge of cursing to let out all his pent up frustration. When he was really about to curse, a piece of cookie was suddenly shoved to his mouth.


    The shock made his irritation subside greatly. He looked at the culprit.


    "Calm down, Ah Jin," Luo Yan said with a smile.


    Luo Jin ate the cookie in one bite. Then, he turned to Yu Jiao. "Let''s y again!"


    Yu Jiao smiled awkwardly. It''s because she didn''t really want to y with the other again. She won too easily so it wasn''t really fun. If she had to y again, she rather y against Luo Yan. But saying that out loud was a bit¡­


    "How about we y another game?" Luo Yan said, saving Yu Jiao from answering. "Ah Jin clearly sucks at this kind of game. Wouldn''t it be better to pick something you''re good at instead?"


    Luo Jin appeared pensive, as if he was truly considering if that would be better. It really didn''t take that long before he agreed to Luo Yan''s suggestion.


    They yed from fighting games to FPS games. But there was only one oue from each one. Luo Jin always lost.


    When he lost again for the nth time, Luo Jin almost threw the controller he was holding. Then, he suddenly thought of something.


    "Isn''t there a problem with this controller?" he said.


    Yes, that''s right. If it wasn''t broken, then howe all the characters he chose in the games they yed almost always didn''t follow the instructions he pressed on the controller. If it''s not broken, then what else could it be?


    His brother, being the annoying brother that he was, gave him an alternative answer to his question. And he didn''t like it at all.


    "Ah Jin, let''s just admit that you don''t have the talent for this," Luo Yan said, looking at him as if he was some kind of pitiful child.


    Before Luo Jin could react, they suddenly heard a snort from behind. The both of them looked back and saw Yu Jiao''s reddened face. The other was obviously trying to hold back herughter.


    Seeing this, Luo Jin sighed and just said in a tone that had already given up, "It''s fine. You canugh. What Yan said is true anyway."


    "Ah Jin, is that really you?" Luo Yan said with a gasp. "Admitting it so easily like that, our Ah Jin is really turning into a fine young man. Your older brother is so proud of you," he added, wiping non-existent tears to add to the dramatic effect.


    At that, Yu Jiao couldn''t finally hold back herughter and just simplyughed out loud. Really, spending time with these two was always so much fun.


    After ying some more games, Luo Yan thought of something and asked Yu Jiao;


    "Oh right, Jiao Jiao, your birthday is almost here, do you have any ns?"


    It''s two weeks from now, to be exact. Since it would fall on a weekday and they had sses, what they could do was pretty limited. Of course, moving the celebration on the weekend was also an option.


    Yu Jiao didn''t expect that question from Luo Yan. Mostly because she had almost forgotten that her birthday was already near. That''s why she hadn''t really thought of anything that she would do on that day.


    If it was up to her, there''s really no need to prepare anything. She would be happy as long as the people she cared about wished her a happy birthday. But knowing her mother, the other would probably cook a special dinner for her.


    "Probably just a simple dinner at our apartment," she said. "And, ahm, I would be really happy if Yan Yan and Luo Jin could also join us."


    "Of course, we will!" Luo Yan quickly said. "Right, Ah Jin?"


    Luo Jin nodded, secretly wondering how their older brother would manage to worm his way into that dinner invitation.


    ----------


    Days passed quickly and it was now only three days away from Yu Jiao''s birthday. And a certain someone was still having trouble ''worming'' his way into that dinner invitation.

 Chapter 953: LUO RENS DILEMMA

    Chapter 953: LUO REN''S DILEMMALUO REN was walking back and forth inside his hotel room. He was currently on a business trip at H City. It was for and auction. The auction should have taken ce the day before yesterday but because of some problems that unexpectedly happened, it was dyed to tomorrow night. Because of that, he was still here instead of being back at S City.


    He had been here at H City for more than a week now. Because of how important this auction was, he had to prepare and go here a week before the auction. He had already prepared everything. All he had to do next was to attend the auction and then go home. But his schedule waspletely disrupted because of that dy.


    And as if the universe was against him, his secretary couldn''t avail any flight set for tomorrow night. So, he couldn''t return home as soon as the auction ended. Which meant he could only return the next morning ¨C exactly a day before Yu Jiao''s birthday.


    Luo Ren stopped walking and let out a heavy sigh.


    From what he heard from Luo Yan, Yu Jiao would be having a special dinner at her and her mother''s apartment on her birthday. When he left S City, he thought he would have enough time to go back and subtly ''convince'' the other into inviting him into that dinner.


    Knowing Yu Jiao, she would probably not invite him, thinking that he would be too busy toe. Since her birthday was during the weekday, she might think that it might be a bother for him, a working adult, to go there. Which would never be the case, by the way. But, of course, Yu Jiao would think differently than him.


    That side of her was frustrating, and also, at the same time, adorable. Because it showed just how thoughtful and caring person she was.


    Anyway, the main problem here was the fact that he would return the day before Yu Jiao''s birthday. Even after he got back, he still have to return to thepany to give his report to his father. And since Yu Jiao was in school, the only time he could go and talk to her would be in thete afternoon.


    Even if he went there, what would he say? ''Hi, I also want to go to that special dinner to celebrate your birthday.'' If so, then he should have just sent her a message or even call her or something. The reason why he didn''t was the same one as why he couldn''t just go up to her and tell her that he wanted to attend that birthday dinner.


    It''s because he didn''t want Yu Jiao to think suspiciously of him. If he made it too obvious that he was paying attention to her, she would definitely have her guard up against him. After all, they weren''t yet at the stage where the other could truly feelfortable around him.


    Yes, there had been a lot of improvements since the two of them met. But it''s almost like baby steps improvement. If he suddenly took a leap now, he might just scare her away. From the start, when he realized his feelings for her, he knew that he had to take things slow.


    But sometimes, like now, he really just wanted to bulldoze through everything and directly tell her how he felt for her. His heart wanted to do just that but his brain knew that he couldn''t. That''s why he could still control himself like this.


    Luo Ren let out another sigh.


    Really, sometimes he wondered what would it be like if he and Yu Jiao were of the same age. He could probably express his feelings more. At least more than he could have now.


    Although a five year age gap wasn''t really that big in the grand scheme of things, the real problem here was Yu Jiao being a teenager. Even if she would soon turn 18, it would still look like he was being a cradle robber. Especially since he would also turn 23 the month after.


    Still, despite this, little headache of a problem, he wouldn''t exchange these feelings he had for her for anything in the world. The fact that he was able to meet and consequently fell for her was one of the best thing that could happen to him. So, feeling these frustrations was nothingpared to it.


    Luo Ren stopped walking back and forth and just sat down. Well, at least, he already had a gift prepared for her, so he didn''t have to worry about that.


    Minutes passed and no matter how much he thought about it, there''s really one solution to his problem ¨C to ask Luo Yan for help.


    He took out his phone and started dialing his brother''s number.


    ----------


    Luo Yan just removed the VR helmet he''s wearing and carefully put it on his bedside table. Their team just finished training. That''s what they had been doing since the year started. It''s not really that much since they only had this whole month to train their team work properly. So, it''s just right to get the most out of it.


    He was about to do skincare and then get ready to sleep when he saw his phone vibrating non-stop. He was about to pick it up when it stopped. He picked it up and his eyes widened when he saw the number of missed calls on his phone screen. And they were all from the same person.


    He quickly dialed back the number, not waiting for the other to call him again. The second he did, the call was quickly answered.


    "Brother, what''s wrong? Why did you call so many times? Did you encounter some problems over there? Are you alright?"


    The non-stop question made Luo Ren on the other side of the phone smile unknowingly. "No, nothing happened. But in my perspective, it could probably be considered as an emergency."


    "What is it?" Luo Yan asked, confused.


    "Well, hmm, can you somehow convince Jiao Jiao to invite me to her birthday dinner?"

 Chapter 954: NOT SO INNOCENT AFTER ALL

    Chapter 954: NOT SO INNOCENT AFTER ALLLUO YAN felt the corner of his lips twitching when he heard what his older brother said. And it''s definitely not because he was amused or something. No, it''s because he''s on the verge of cursing!


    Because of the other''s many missed calls, as well as his tone of voice, he really thought that something might have happened to him. Who would have thought that he was only having a ''love'' emergency? Luo Yan really wanted to shout, ''give back my worry for you!''.


    He shook his head. Well, at least his brother worrying about his love life was much better than something happening to him. But that didn''t mean he wouldn''t get back at him for scaring him like that. Yes, he''s petty that way. But he''s the other''s younger brother. He should be allowed to be petty sometimes.


    "Hmm... I don''t know. I mean, what excuse would I say to her?" he said, acting like he was really troubled by Luo Ren''s sudden request. "Wouldn''t it look suspicious?"


    Luo Ren, who heard that, suddenly realized that he was really being unreasonable. No wonder his brother felt troubled. And Luo Yan also had a point. If the other suddenly told Yu Jiao that he would go to her birthday dinner, it would indeed look suspicious. He sighed heavily.


    "It''s fine. Yan Yan can just ignore what I said. I''ll just do something about it once I get back home."


    Hearing the dejected tone of the other, it showed that his brother was really down so bad for Yu Jiao. Luo Yan asked, "But when will you go back home, Brother?"


    It''s the reason why he was so scared and worried when he saw those missed calls and thought that something had happened to his brother. It''s because the other was supposed to return home yesterday.


    Their father said that something happened, so his return was dyed. But what if an unforeseen ident happened? Thinking of that possibility, it''s only natural for Luo Yan to react the way he did.


    "The day after tomorrow."


    After Luo Ren said that, there''s silence on the other end of the phone.


    "You mean, just a day before Jiao Jiao''s birthday?"


    "Yes."


    Luo Ren then heard his brother letting out a long sigh.


    "It''s fine. You don''t have to worry. Jiao Jiao is already expecting you to go to the birthday dinner anyway."


    This time, it was Luo Ren''s turn to be speechless. "How- but- why...?"


    "I know that you would want to go. So, Dad and I kind of teamed up to convince Jiao Jiao to invite you and Dad to the dinner."


    He could understand each word Luo Yan was saying but somehow those words strewn together sounded iprehensible to his ears. "Wait- what?"


    "Okay, it''s like this. I invited Jiao Jiao to our housest Wednesday under the guise of studying. Of course, Jiao Jiao ate dinner here. I purposely opened the topic about her birthday. Dad seemed to be thinking the same thing as me. So, one thing led to another and then Jiao Jiao ended up inviting you and Dad to her birthday dinner," Luo Yan exined.


    It didn''t really take that long to convince Yu Jiao since the other was already nning to invite his father and older brother. Of course, knowing her, she wasn''t really expecting that the two woulde, considering how busy they were with work.


    Luo Yan knew that Yu Jiao wanted the two toe. But because of her personality, she had already decided not to get her hopes up that they would. She''s probably thinking that she couldn''t bother them with such a thing. Which was not really a bother in Luo Yan''s opinion.


    That''s why when his father was the one who asked first, Yu Jiao didn''t really need that much convincing and agreed with just a little push.


    Luo Ren was finally able to understand what his brother was trying to say despite the still confusing exnation. At the realization that he would be able to go to Yu Jiao''s birthday dinner, happiness came in too quickly. All the worries and frustrations that he just felt disappeared in an instant.


    While he was basking in that joy, he suddenly remembered how Luo Yan felt ''troubled'' by his request earlier. He narrowed his eyes. This kid, he was definitely trolling him just now.


    "Yan Yan, then why did you act earlier like you wouldn''t be able to convince Jiao Jiao to invite me?"


    Luo Yan almost blurted ''oops'' when he heard that. "It''s Brother''s fault for making me worry. I was only nning to tease you a bit to get back at you," he said with a pout.


    He was actually nning to let the other stew for a day before telling him the truth. But when he found out that Luo Ren would only be able to return home a day before Yu Jiao''s birthday, he felt guilty and decided to juste clean.


    "Yan Yan, are you actually gaslighting me right now?"


    "What gaslighting? Brother, how can you think of me that way?" Luo Yan said in a dramatic voice.


    Luo Ren pinched the bridge of his forehead. If this was a video call, Luo Yan would probably be acting like he was about to cry. And he would definitely forgive him after seeing that. No, even now with only the other''s voice, he was already about to do just that.


    It''s probably time to admit that this younger brother of his was really not cute, innocent boy he imagined him to be. He probably should have long realized that. Anyway, even if that''s the case, it''s not as if his love for Luo Yan would change. As an older brother, he should just learn to ept him as he was.


    Luo Ren sighed. "Just go to sleep."


    "You''re not angry anymore?" Luo Yan asked in a puppy like voice.


    "When did I ever get angry at you?"


    Luo Yan chuckled. "I knew it, you''re really the best, Brother!"


    Luo Ren could only shook his head in helplessness as he said goodbye to the other.

 Chapter 955: JIAO JIAOS BIRTHDAY (I)

    Chapter 955: JIAO JIAO''S BIRTHDAY (I)YU JIAO parked her bike on the parking lot dedicated for bicycles. Although she''s no longer staying at the dormitory, she was still travelling to and from school via her bike. It''s because their apartment was just a few blocks away from the school. Besides, it''s a good exercise.


    As she walked towards their year''s teaching building, there was an obvious lightness in her gait. The corner of her lips was even turned slightly higherpared to normal, showing her happy mood.


    There were many reasons to be happy today. But the main reason was because it was her birthday. The happiness she''s feeling all came from that.


    She had a bowl of longevity noodles for breakfast, all prepared by her mother. She also received a lot of greetings from friends and ssmates. Compared tost year, it was like heaven and earth.


    Aside from those things, there was also that message she received at midnight, just a second after the date changed. She subconsciously picked up her phone and read that message once again.


    [Jiao Jiao, happy birthday! I wish you nothing but happiness for the incredible journey that was ahead of you. I''m very lucky to be one of the people who met you on this journey. There would be a lot more people who would apany you in this journey. Hopefully, I could remain as one of them. Wishing you the very best. Not just today but for all days toe. Enjoy your day! And once again, happy, happy birthday! ¨C Brother Ren.]


    This long message was even followed by a sticker of a little boy holding a birthday cake.


    Yu Jiao honestly couldn''t describe what she felt after reading it. There was just a lot of emotions going through her at that time. Happiness, appreciation, gratitude. It was only now that she read it again that she understood what it was. She was moved by the words that he sent. Probably because she could feel sincerity in each of his words. And that made her happy.


    After getting off the elevator, he quickly walked towards her ssroom. The moment she opened the door and walked inside, four girls suddenly surrounded her.


    "Happy birthday, our Prince Yu!" almost all of them said at the same time while handing out different gift bags to her.


    "Th-thank you," Yu Jiao said, stammering because of how startled she was.


    She wanted to say that there''s no need to give her a gift, but she also couldn''t just refused their presents. Refusing them was like trampling on the sincerity they had when they bought these gifts. So, at the end, she could only helplessly ept them.


    The four girls were not the only ones who gave her gifts, by the time she reached her seat, her arms were full of gifts. And all of them came from her female ssmates.


    She wasn''t sure why, but after she cut off her bangs and wore contacts instead of sses, the girls in the ss seemed to be more interested in her. Even to the point of calling her ''Prince Yu''. She didn''t mind since none of them were doing it out of malice. Although the attention was a bit jarring, she was simply d that she was finally getting along with her ssmates.


    Yu Jiao looked down at her arms filled with gifts and suddenly fell into trouble. It''s because she didn''t know where to put the gifts. She didn''t want to just put them down beside her table for fear that they might identally be stepped on by one of her ssmates. That would be disrespectful to the person who gave her the gift.


    As she was thinking of what to do, Luo Yan suddenly appeared in front of her.


    "Put them here," he said while holding arge paper bag open. It was as if he knew something like this would happen and quickly came to her rescue.


    Which was notpletely wrong. Luo Yan knew that Yu Jiao would receive a lot of gifts from their female ssmates, especially considering her poprity among them. Well, he could hardly me them. Yu Jiao was so handsome that it was only natural for her to attract a lot of the girls in the ss. Her shy demeanor only added to her charm.


    He knew that the other wouldn''t prepare a bag for all the gifts she would receive. She probably wouldn''t even expect that she would receive one. As her friend, it''s his job to help her at times like this.


    "Thank you, Yan Yan," Yu Jiao said gratefully as she carefully put the gifts she received on the paper bag.


    Once everything was inside, Luo Yan put it down beside Yu Jiao''s table.


    "Happy birthday again, Jiao Jiao," he greeted the other. He had already greeted the other earlier through WeChat. But a personal greeting like this was still the best. "I will give your giftter," he added in a whisper.


    Then, he walked back to his seat.


    Yu Jiao also sat down. It hadn''t been a minute yet and some of her female ssmates walked to her table and gave her gifts for her birthday. Feeling helpless, and at the same time, thankful, she could only thank them.


    This moment, where Yu Jiao''s table was surrounded by girls giving her gifts, was captured by Luo Yan. Along with the other picture he took when the other walked into the ssroom and was immediately surrounded by girls, he sent the two pictures to his older brother. Of course, he did not forget to write a caption.


    [Brother, look how popr our Jiao Jiao is! With this many rivals, you should really up your game.]


    Heughed inwardly after he sent that. It would definitely be a good stimulus for his older brother.


    -----------


    Luo Ren was inside his office and checking some data regarding thend that he sessfully bought on the auctionst Monday. His phone suddenly rang. When he saw one that''s from Luo Yan, he opened it first. But the moment he saw the content, his brows immediately furrowed.

 Chapter 956: JIAO JIAOS BIRTHDAY (II)

    Chapter 956: JIAO JIAO''S BIRTHDAY (II)IN both pictures, Yu Jiao was surrounded by girls giving her gifts. She had this shy expression on her face which made her more lovely. If not for those girls, it would have been a perfect picture.


    Luo Ren felt an indescribable irritation. He wanted to pull those girls away from Yu Jiao. He knew all too well what this feeling was. Yes, it was the ssic symptom of jealousy.


    People might say that he was overreacting. After all, those were girls and not boys. But in his mind, there''s no difference between the two. For him, a girl could be equally threatening as a boy when it came to his possible rtionship with Yu Jiao.


    With Luo Yan falling in love with someone of the same gender, he was hit hard by the reality that there was not only one type of romantic rtionship out there. Two people of the same sex could be in love and have a rtionship like that of a man and a woman.


    Of course, he knew that those types of rtionships existed. It probably had been existing since ancient times. It''s just that, he didn''t think much of it because he felt that it was something that''s unrted to him. And then, Luo Yan fell in love with a boy and was now in rtionship with him.


    Luo Ren was suddenly faced by this sudden reality. Of course, it''s not something he''s against with. Even if Luo Yan brought a girl, he would probably still react the same way he did with Shen Ji Yun.


    Although he had already reluctantly epted their rtionship, it didn''t mean that he would be happy to have a girl as a rival. Actually, he wouldn''t be happy to have anyone as a rival.


    He sighed. It seemed that he had truly fallen too deep in this pit called love.


    Luo Ren shook his head and replied to the message his brother had sent.


    [Yan Yan, sometimes, you really are insufferable.]


    He received a quick reply from the other.


    [Love you, Brother!]


    Luo Renughed seeing that. He was about to put down his phone when he thought of something. He opened Luo Yan''s message again and saved Yu Jiao''s pictures. After that, he cropped out the girls so that Yu Jiao would be the only one on the pictures. He hardly had any pictures of Yu Jiao in his phone. So, he should save all the pictures he could get.


    After doing that, his irritation died down a little. He put down his phone. He couldn''t wait for dinner toe. Because he would finally see Yu Jiao again.


    ----------


    The day passed by in a sh and ss ended.


    Luo Yan got up and was about to walk to Yu Jiao''s table, but had to stop abruptly because he almost bumped into someone.


    "Oh, sorry," he said reflexively.


    When he raised his head, he was a bit startled when he saw that it was Huang Wen. But it was only momentarily. Contrary to him though, the other hardened and just bowed his head slightly before walking out of the ssroom.


    Luo Yan nced at the other''s back. Frankly, he was a bit surprised when he saw Huang Wen up close. He didn''t give him that much attention after that confession. Because treating someone kindly after rejecting them was just cruel in Luo Yan''s opinion. If you had to put an end to their hope, then you should do it thoroughly.


    That''s why this was the first time he really paid attention to the other. Huang Wen had dark circles under his eyes, they even looked bloodshot as if he hadn''t slept for days. Luo Yan was sure it''s not because he rejected him. It was most likely due to Ying Chen still ignoring the other.


    He shrugged. Not his problem. Then, he continued walking towards Yu Jiao. She just stood up and was carrying a huge paper bag with gifts in them.


    "Want me to carry it for you?" he asked referring to the paper bag.


    "It''s fine, it''s not that heavy," Yu Jiao said.


    As the two of them walked out of the ssroom, their ssmates greeted them and said goodbye.


    "Yan Yan, are you and Huang Wen fighting?" Yu Jiao asked in a low voice after they got off the ssroom.


    She identally noticed how the two interacted earlier. Although Huang Wen and Luo Yan didn''t have the best start out there, their rtionship had been getting better for the past few months. That''s why she felt weird seeing Huang Wen''s reaction to Luo Yan earlier.


    And it was only then that she realized that the other had been reacting like that towards Luo Yan for, maybe, more than a week now. So, she couldn''t help but think that the two had a problem.


    "No, we''re not fighting," Luo Yan said. "He probably just felt awkward around me right now. Just give him a few more days and he would probably act normally around me again."


    "But why would he feel awkward around you?" Yu Jiao asked, confused.


    Ah, right. Luo Yan hadn''t yet told Yu Jiao about that thing with Huang Wen. Well, the situation with Ying Chen happened right after that hepletely forgot about it. So, he answered Yu Jiao without hesitation, not even considering not telling her of that situation.


    "He confessed to me and I rejected him," he whispered.


    Yu Jiao almost let got of the paper bag she''s holding because of what she heard. But after she quickly calmed down, she thought, was that even surprising? This was Luo Yan. If the other said that some Hollywood superstar confessed to him, she would still believe him.


    Because really, who could resist Luo Yan''s charm?


    More than that, there''s a much more important problem to be discussed. "Does Shen Ji Yun know?"


    Luo Yan nodded. "I told him about it. After all,munication is the key to any rtionship."


    Yu Jiao felt admiration for the other when she heard that. Because she knew that if she was in his position, she probably couldn''t easily say that to her significant other.

 957 JIAO JIAOS BIRTHDAY (III)

    957 JIAO JIAO''S BIRTHDAY (III)


    ARRIVING at Yu Jiao and her mother''s apartment, Luo Yan and Luo Jin immediately smelled the mouth-watering scent of food floating in the air.


    "Mom, we''re here!" Yu Jiao called.


    Ji Xiuying appeared from the kitchen wearing an apron. She smiled when she saw the three. "Get inside. I''ll prepare some snacks for you three."


    Before any of them could reply, the other had already walked back to the kitchen. So, they had no choice but to go to the living room.


    The apartment of the mother-daughter pair was a simple two-bedroom apartment with one bathroom. The kitchen, dining area, and living room didn''t have any division, so one could see everything at a nce. But it didn''t feel crowded at all. In fact, the whole apartment looked very open and cozy. It''s a space where anyone would feelfortable staying.


    "Do you want to y a game?" Yu Jiao asked.


    After she said that, both she and Luo Yan instinctively nced towards Luo Jin. The other frowned and snarled like an annoyed puppy.


    "Why are you looking at me like that? You can y, I don''t care."


    Luo Yan gave his brother a sympathetic nce, before turning to Yu Jiao and said, "Let''s just watch a movie."


    Yu Jiao nodded with a serious expression. "I agree."


    This made Luo Jin annoyed even more. "Hey, you two, you''re doing this on purpose, right?"


    Luo Yan showed an innocent expression. "What, we''re only thinking of Ah Jin''s well-being. If we yed a game, you might be annoyed again. Isn''t watching a movie better?"


    After they finished eating the snacks, Luo Yan volunteered to bring the tray and the tes back to the kitchen. He saw Yu Jiao''s mother busily moving around. Checking the food being cooked on the "Or we could just study," Yu Jiao suggested.


    Luo Jin narrowed his eyes at them before scoffing. "Just y a movie or something."


    Luo Yan and Yu Jiao looked at each other and then smiled. Both were probably thinking what a cute kid Luo Jin was.


    As Yu Jiao yed a movie, her mother walked out from the kitchen carrying a tray of snacks and juice. Luo Yan and Luo Jin both stood up to get the tray from the other. Since Luo Jin was the one closer, he took the tray from Yu Jiao''s mother and put it on the center table.


    Ji Xiuying smiled at this little gesture of both brothers. Whenever they visited, they had always been so respectful and polite. Just by that, anyone could see their good upbringing.


    "Pad your stomach with this first," she said, referring to the snack.


    She made light snacks so that it wouldn''t affect the kids'' appetite for dinner.


    "Thank you, Aunt Xiuying!" Luo Yan said. Luo Jin also said his thanks. "By the way, does Aunt need help to prepare dinner? We could help."


    Yu Jiao also turned to her mother. "That''s right, Mom. If you need anything, just tell us."


    "Oh, it''s fine. I can handle it. Just enjoy your movie."


    After she went back to the kitchen, the three watched the movie while eating the snacks that she had prepared.


    After they finished eating the snacks, Luo Yan volunteered to bring the tray and the tes back to the kitchen. He saw Yu Jiao''s mother busily moving around. Checking the food being cooked on the stove while cutting vegetables at the same time.


    "Aunt Xiuying, where should I put this?" he asked.


    Ji Xiuying stopped chopping and turned to Luo Yan. "Just leave it in the sink."


    Luo Yan did as he was told. He was thinking of washing the tes himself, but Aunt Xiuying would probably just stop him.


    "By the way, Yan Yan, what time is your father and older brothering?"


    "Ah, they''ll probably be here by six," Luo Yan answered.


    He was thinking of going back to the living room, but when he saw the other''s expression, he stopped and waited. It was because Aunt Xiuying looked like she was about to say something, but she was hesitating whether to say it or not.


    "Yan Yan, I want to ask you something, if that''s okay?" the other finally said.


    "Of course. What is it, Aunt Xiuying?"


    "Does your older brother have a girlfriend? Or perhaps a fianc¨¦e?" Ji Xiuying asked in a very secretive manner.


    It''s something that she wanted to make sure since new year when they went to the Luo family''s house. For someone young, rich, and handsome, having a girlfriend wouldn''t be weird. In fact, it''s just something natural. Even having a fianc¨¦e wasn''t in the realm of impossibility. After all, assigning a marriage partner to heirs of a wealthy family was not that umon.


    On the other hand, this question startled Luo Yan. His brain had to work on overdrive just to figure out how the heck did this questione about? At the end, the result all pointed to the lunch they all had during new year.


    Aunt Xiuying must have be suspicious of Luo Ren''s intention towards Yu Jiao. But... how?


    He tried to remember everything that had happened that day. Especially all of his older brother''s actions. But he couldn''t think of anything that would warrant such suspicion. No, wait, could it have happened when Luo Ren fetched Yu Jiao and her mother? There was also that time when Luo Ren was left alone with their father and Aunt Xiuying.


    If that was so, his brother probably didn''t do it on purpose. Maybe his affection for Yu Jiao came off naturally because of how in love he was. Someone sensitive to people''s feelings would have definitely noticed that. Not to mention, Aunt Xiuying was Yu Jiao''s mother. Maybe her ''mom instinct'' was telling her that ''hey, this man has designs for your daughter''.


    If that was the case, then, as a loyal younger brother, he should raise Luo Ren''s prestige in front of his future mother-inw.


    "Oh no, Brother doesn''t have a girlfriend. In fact, he hasn''t had a girlfriend in his 22 years of life. He also doesn''t have a fianc¨¦e. Our father believes in love marriage. He wouldn''t impose his will on his sons regarding our future partners. Thus, Brother is very, very pure and very, very much single."

 Chapter 958 JIAO JIAOS BIRTHDAY (IV)

    Chapter 958 JIAO JIAO''S BIRTHDAY (IV)


    LUO YAN felt very proud after he said that. It''s like a perfect sales pitch. Not that he''s saying that he''s selling his brother. He''s just doing his job to promote his goodness to the person that may or may not hinder his rtionship with the girl he liked. If Luo Ren heard what he just said, he would definitely be thankful for his quick wit.


    It was only after a few seconds that he realized that the way he worded his ''sales pitch'' was a bit cringey. Using the words ''pure'' and ''single'' in the same sentence, didn''t he just practically announced that Luo Ren was a virgin?


    Luo Yan panicked for a bit. Then, he thought, what''s wrong with being a virgin? That couldn''t be considered a w on someone. Besides, his brother was only 22 turning 23. At least he still had seven years before he could be called a ''wizard''.


    His thoughts were cut off when he heard Aunt Xiuying''s chuckle. He turned to the other and saw her with an amused look on her face. It seemed that what he said made herugh. Well, at least she''s not looking at him as if he said something weird. So, that''s better, right?


    "I see. Then, whoever his partner is in the future, they would be very lucky to have such a pure boyfriend," Ji Xiuying said.


    Hearing that, Luo Yan became even more motivated. Because it felt like his ''sales pitch'' was definitely working. And so, what should a loyal brother like him do?


    Of course, he should continue!


    "That''s definitely true, Aunt Xiuying," he said. "My older brother is the..."


    ----------


    Luo Ren sneezed.


    Luo Wei Tian nced at his son. "Are youing down with a cold?"


    Luo Ren scrunched up his nose. "I don''t think so. Maybe someone''s just talking behind my back."


    They just got off from work. The two of them were now in the car travelling to the apartment where Yu Jiao and her mother lived. They would probably arrive there a little over six in the evening. Hopefully, there wouldn''t be too much traffic on the road.


    "You''re the one who found the apartment where Jiao Jiao and her mother currently lives, correct?" Luo Wei Tian asked after a while. "Did you make sure that it wouldn''t be too hard on them?"


    He heard that the one paying the rent for the apartment was Yu Jiao and that her source of ie was from ying that game Arcadia. He didn''t know how much a student like her could earn from that, but no matter whether it''s high or low, the fact that she was already the breadwinner of their family was verymendable. That''s why if there''s a way to lessen her burden in a non-intrusive manner, then they should.


    "Yes, Dad. It''s the first thing I made sure when I was searching for an apartment," Luo Ren said.


    Luo Wei Tian nodded with approval. "Did you buy her a gift? It''s her 18th birthday, so you definitely anywhere."


    Luo Wei Tian scoffed. "I''m not being a mother hen, I''m just making sure that you''re not going to should have."


    "Yes, Dad. I prepared a gift for Jiao Jiao."


    "It''s not just some run-of-the-mill gift you can but anywhere, surely?"


    At this point, Luo Ren only felt helpless at his father''s ''nagging''. "Dad, you do know you sounded like a mother hen just now, right? And yes, my gift is definitely not something anyone could just by anywhere."


    Luo Wei Tian scoffed. "I''m not being a mother hen, I''m just making sure that you''re not going to mess this up. Jiao Jiao is a good girl. If you miss your chance with her because of momentary carelessness, I might reconsider leaving Tianhua Group to you."


    Yu Jiao was more than just a good girl. He liked how, despite being timid, she was still tenacious and determined. And her kind-heartedness was a strength rather than a weakness. If Mei Hua was still with them, she would have definitely loved her.


    As he remembered his wife, the feeling of sadness, intertwined with happiness, quickly filled him. He shook his head and tried to focus more on the present. Hearing Luo Ren''s response also helped him to return to his senses.


    "Dad, I''m very careful." Heck, he was so careful that he couldn''t even dare touch even the tip of Yu Jiao''s finger. "When did you ever see me jeopardize something very important?"


    His father was silent for a moment, as if the other was really thinking of a point in his life where he did exactly that. And when he couldn''t think of anything, he just nodded.


    "That''s good to know then."


    Soon, the both of them arrived at their destination. It was already half and hour after six. Just in time for dinner.


    Luo Wei Tian looked up at the building, examining it like some kind of supervisor. "Did you check this building''s security?"


    "Dad..." Luo Ren said in a helpless tone.


    "What? I was just asking."


    "Let''s just go inside."


    Luo Ren respectfully pulled his father inside the building before the other began a new round of ''nagging''.


    Arriving at the floor of Yu Jiao''s apartment, Luo Ren rang the doorbell. It didn''t take long for the door to open. A tall girl with short hair and handsome features appeared.


    "Brother Ren! Uncle Wei Tian!" she greeted with a bright smile. "Please,e in."


    Seeing that, Luo Ren felt like his heart suddenly skipped a beat. But he quicklyposed himself and smiled back before walking inside the apartment. Before he could greet the other, his father had already walked in front of him and did it first.


    "Happy birthday, Jiao Jiao," Luo Wei Tian said as he handed a heavy paper bag to Yu Jiao. "This is my gift."


    Yu Jiao took the paper bag. It''s not sealed so she immediately saw its content ¨C a bunch of practice books for college entrance examination.


    She smiled when she saw that. For some, it wouldn''t be much, but for her who''s going to be an examinee soon, these books were more than enough. They were definitely better than something she couldn''t use.


    "Thank you, Uncle Wei Tian!"

 Chapter 959 JIAO JIAOS BIRTHDAY (V)

    Chapter 959 JIAO JIAO''S BIRTHDAY (V)


    LUO REN watched his father and Yu Jiao walked further inside,ughing and smiling at each other, as if thoroughly forgetting his existence. He sighed and just put his coat on the rack that was near the doorway. As he did, he patted the inner pocket of his coat to make sure that the gift he brought was there.


    When he turned, he was slightly startled when he saw that Yu Jiao actually waited for him. He subconsciously smiled and walked towards the other.


    "Happy birthday, Jiao Jiao," Luo Ren was finally able to greet the other.


    Yu Jiao smiled. "Thank you, Brother Ren."


    He nced at the paper bag Yu Jiao was holding. He didn''t know what was inside, but since it was open and not tied, Yu Jiao probably saw what the gift was. Considering how happy she was when she received it, it must be something special.


    "Can I ask what Dad gave you?" Luo Ren asked, curious.


    Yu Jiao nodded, showing that she didn''t mind. "They''re college entrance exam practice books."


    Luo Ren almost tripped on his feet when he heard that. Practice books? Seriously? He suddenly remembered what his father asked earlier, about him giving Yu Jiao a special gift. Was this what he meant by ''special''? But then again, since Yu Jiao seemed very happy receiving such a gift, maybe his father was onto something.


    It showed that Yu Jiao liked practical gifts, and his father probably understood that in some way. Because he knew that she wouldn''t ept something expensive. Now, Luo Ren started to get worried. Because his gift was far from being practical. The only upside was that it''s not expensive. Well, the material was. But since he''s the one who made it himself, it didn''t have a price tag attached to it.


    Knowing Yu Jiao, she would probably be thankful for any gift that she would receive. But Luo Ren didn''t want her to only feel thankful, she wanted her to like the gift.


    He took a deep breath. Let''s not think about that for now.


    "Xiao Ren," Aunt Xiuying greeted him.


    He smiled at the other. "Our family is going to bother you for the night, Aunt Xiuying."


    "Oh, what bother? We''re happy to have you," Ji Xiuying said with a wave of her hand.


    Seeing the young man, she couldn''t help but remember how much Luo Yan praised the other earlier. To the point that she was on the verge of believing that Luo Ren was actually perfect being that didn''t have any faults.


    She wanted to chuckle a bit at the boy''s enthusiasm at ''promoting'' his older brother''s good image. She knew why the other was doing that. She''s not so dense that she couldn''t even see what was happening. But even without Luo Yan''s overenthusiastic promotion, she already had a good impression of Luo Ren.


    Of course, her good impression of the other didn''t really matter much. What''s important here was her daughter''s thoughts and feelings. After the disaster that was her second marriage, she made a vow to herself that she would never again set aside Yu Jiao''s opinion. She would never again make the same mistake twice. Her daughter would be first and foremost in everything.


    So, Ji Xiuying would only be here to watch and not meddle. She would let Yu Jiao decide what she would do and if the other asked for her opinion, then she would be by her side to give it.


    Her daughter was very smart, much smarter then her. Compared to her, she would definitely make a much wiser decision.


    "Shall we eat dinner?" she said, smiling at everyone.


    And with that, dinner finally started.


    ------


    The dishes Ji Xiuying prepared were very simple and yet very hearty. That''s why the Luo family enjoyed dinner. Because it almost felt like they were in their own home. Of course, it also helped that all the dishes were delicious.


    After dinner, they all had tea in the living room. Luo Yan finally gave his gift to Yu Jiao. It was a box wrapped in sky blue gift wrap with a cute bow on top.


    Yu Jiao held the box. It was not heave and very light, so she wondered what could be inside.


    "Why don''t you open it now, Jiao Jiao?" Luo Yan suggested.


    Yu Jiao felt shy opening gifts in front of people, but she still nodded. It''s because she''s truly curious as to what Luo Yan''s gift was. "Okay."


    She carefully untied the bow and opened the box. What was inside was a cute little funko pop. And it was not just an ordinary funko pop, it looked very simr to her game avatar.


    A smile quickly appeared on his lips. "Thank you, Yan Yan! I really like it."


    The fact that the funko pop was modeled after his game avatar meant that the other he had it custom made. So, how could she not like it?


    Luo Ren seeing Yu Jiao''s happy smile after receiving that custom made funko pop, he felt a bit hopeful for his gift.


    "I sent you a game item," Luo Jin simply said.


    "Hey, Ah Jin, no need to be shy. Just directly say that it''s your gift," Luo Yan teased.


    "I-I''m not being shy!"


    Everyone chuckled at his reaction.


    "Thank you, Luo Jin," Yu Jiao said with a small smile.


    After tea, the Luo family bid their goodbye. Yu Jiao followed to see them off, while her mother remained at the apartment to clean the dishes.


    As they walked, Yu Jiao kept on ncing at Luo Ren who was walking ahead of her. The other hadn''t yet given her a gift. And for some reason, it made her feel ufortable.


    Then, she stopped. Wait- was she starting to think that Luo Ren had to give her a gift? What kind of arrogant thinking was that? Was she starting to turn into someone who thought that the world revolved around her?


    Yu Jiao shook her head, trying her best to stamp down on her disappointment.

 Chapter 957: JIAO JIAOS BIRTHDAY (III)

    Chapter 957: JIAO JIAO''S BIRTHDAY (III)ARRIVING at Yu Jiao and her mother''s apartment, Luo Yan and Luo Jin immediately smelled the mouth-watering scent of food floating in the air.


    "Mom, we''re here!" Yu Jiao called.


    Ji Xiuying appeared from the kitchen wearing an apron. She smiled when she saw the three. "Get inside. I''ll prepare some snacks for you three."


    Before any of them could reply, the other had already walked back to the kitchen. So, they had no choice but to go to the living room.


    The apartment of the mother-daughter pair was a simple two-bedroom apartment with one bathroom. The kitchen, dining area, and living room didn''t have any division, so one could see everything at a nce. But it didn''t feel crowded at all. In fact, the whole apartment looked very open and cozy. It''s a space where anyone would feelfortable staying.


    "Do you want to y a game?" Yu Jiao asked.


    After she said that, both she and Luo Yan instinctively nced towards Luo Jin. The other frowned and snarled like an annoyed puppy.


    "Why are you looking at me like that? You can y, I don''t care."


    Luo Yan gave his brother a sympathetic nce, before turning to Yu Jiao and said, "Let''s just watch a movie."


    Yu Jiao nodded with a serious expression. "I agree."


    This made Luo Jin annoyed even more. "Hey, you two, you''re doing this on purpose, right?"


    Luo Yan showed an innocent expression. "What, we''re only thinking of Ah Jin''s well-being. If we yed a game, you might be annoyed again. Isn''t watching a movie better?"


    "Or we could just study," Yu Jiao suggested.


    Luo Jin narrowed his eyes at them before scoffing. "Just y a movie or something."


    Luo Yan and Yu Jiao looked at each other and then smiled. Both were probably thinking what a cute kid Luo Jin was.


    As Yu Jiao yed a movie, her mother walked out from the kitchen carrying a tray of snacks and juice. Luo Yan and Luo Jin both stood up to get the tray from the other. Since Luo Jin was the one closer, he took the tray from Yu Jiao''s mother and put it on the center table.


    Ji Xiuying smiled at this little gesture of both brothers. Whenever they visited, they had always been so respectful and polite. Just by that, anyone could see their good upbringing.


    "Pad your stomach with this first," she said, referring to the snack.


    She made light snacks so that it wouldn''t affect the kids'' appetite for dinner.


    "Thank you, Aunt Xiuying!" Luo Yan said. Luo Jin also said his thanks. "By the way, does Aunt need help to prepare dinner? We could help."


    Yu Jiao also turned to her mother. "That''s right, Mom. If you need anything, just tell us."


    "Oh, it''s fine. I can handle it. Just enjoy your movie."


    After she went back to the kitchen, the three watched the movie while eating the snacks that she had prepared.


    After they finished eating the snacks, Luo Yan volunteered to bring the tray and the tes back to the kitchen. He saw Yu Jiao''s mother busily moving around. Checking the food being cooked on the stove while cutting vegetables at the same time.


    "Aunt Xiuying, where should I put this?" he asked.


    Ji Xiuying stopped chopping and turned to Luo Yan. "Just leave it in the sink."


    Luo Yan did as he was told. He was thinking of washing the tes himself, but Aunt Xiuying would probably just stop him.


    "By the way, Yan Yan, what time is your father and older brothering?"


    "Ah, they''ll probably be here by six," Luo Yan answered.


    He was thinking of going back to the living room, but when he saw the other''s expression, he stopped and waited. It was because Aunt Xiuying looked like she was about to say something, but she was hesitating whether to say it or not.


    "Yan Yan, I want to ask you something, if that''s okay?" the other finally said.


    "Of course. What is it, Aunt Xiuying?"


    "Does your older brother have a girlfriend? Or perhaps a fianc¨¦e?" Ji Xiuying asked in a very secretive manner.


    It''s something that she wanted to make sure since new year when they went to the Luo family''s house. For someone young, rich, and handsome, having a girlfriend wouldn''t be weird. In fact, it''s just something natural. Even having a fianc¨¦e wasn''t in the realm of impossibility. After all, assigning a marriage partner to heirs of a wealthy family was not that umon.


    On the other hand, this question startled Luo Yan. His brain had to work on overdrive just to figure out how the heck did this questione about? At the end, the result all pointed to the lunch they all had during new year.


    Aunt Xiuying must have be suspicious of Luo Ren''s intention towards Yu Jiao. But... how?


    He tried to remember everything that had happened that day. Especially all of his older brother''s actions. But he couldn''t think of anything that would warrant such suspicion. No, wait, could it have happened when Luo Ren fetched Yu Jiao and her mother? There was also that time when Luo Ren was left alone with their father and Aunt Xiuying.


    If that was so, his brother probably didn''t do it on purpose. Maybe his affection for Yu Jiao came off naturally because of how in love he was. Someone sensitive to people''s feelings would have definitely noticed that. Not to mention, Aunt Xiuying was Yu Jiao''s mother. Maybe her ''mom instinct'' was telling her that ''hey, this man has designs for your daughter''.


    If that was the case, then, as a loyal younger brother, he should raise Luo Ren''s prestige in front of his future mother-inw.


    "Oh no, Brother doesn''t have a girlfriend. In fact, he hasn''t had a girlfriend in his 22 years of life. He also doesn''t have a fianc¨¦e. Our father believes in love marriage. He wouldn''t impose his will on his sons regarding our future partners. Thus, Brother is very, very pure and very, very much single."

 Chapter 958 - 958 JIAO JIAO’S BIRTHDAY (IV)

    958 JIAO JIAO¡¯S BIRTHDAY (IV)


    LUO YAN felt very proud after he said that. It¡¯s like a perfect sales pitch. Not that he¡¯s saying that he¡¯s selling his brother. He¡¯s just doing his job to promote his goodness to the person that may or may not hinder his rtionship with the girl he liked. If Luo Ren heard what he just said, he would definitely be thankful for his quick wit.


    It was only after a few seconds that he realized that the way he worded his ¡®sales pitch¡¯ was a bit cringey. Using the words ¡®pure¡¯ and ¡®single¡¯ in the same sentence, didn¡¯t he just practically announced that Luo Ren was a virgin?


    Luo Yan panicked for a bit. Then, he thought, what¡¯s wrong with being a virgin? That couldn¡¯t be considered a w on someone. Besides, his brother was only 22 turning 23. At least he still had seven years before he could be called a ¡®wizard¡¯.


    His thoughts were cut off when he heard Aunt Xiuying¡¯s chuckle. He turned to the other and saw her with an amused look on her face. It seemed that what he said made herugh. Well, at least she¡¯s not looking at him as if he said something weird. So, that¡¯s better, right?


    ¡°I see. Then, whoever his partner is in the future, they would be very lucky to have such a pure boyfriend,¡± Ji Xiuying said.


    Hearing that, Luo Yan became even more motivated. Because it felt like his ¡®sales pitch¡¯ was definitely working. And so, what should a loyal brother like him do?


    Of course, he should continue!


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely true, Aunt Xiuying,¡± he said. ¡°My older brother is the...¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    .....


    Luo Ren sneezed.


    Luo Wei Tian nced at his son. ¡°Are youing down with a cold?¡±


    Luo Ren scrunched up his nose. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Maybe someone¡¯s just talking behind my back.¡±


    They just got off from work. The two of them were now in the car travelling to the apartment where Yu Jiao and her mother lived. They would probably arrive there a little over six in the evening. Hopefully, there wouldn¡¯t be too much traffic on the road.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who found the apartment where Jiao Jiao and her mother currently lives, correct?¡± Luo Wei Tian asked after a while. ¡°Did you make sure that it wouldn¡¯t be too hard on them?¡±


    He heard that the one paying the rent for the apartment was Yu Jiao and that her source of ie was from ying that game Arcadia. He didn¡¯t know how much a student like her could earn from that, but no matter whether it¡¯s high or low, the fact that she was already the breadwinner of their family was verymendable. That¡¯s why if there¡¯s a way to lessen her burden in a non-intrusive manner, then they should.


    ¡°Yes, Dad. It¡¯s the first thing I made sure when I was searching for an apartment,¡± Luo Ren said.


    Luo Wei Tian nodded with approval. ¡°Did you buy her a gift? It¡¯s her 18th birthday, so you definitely should have.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dad. I prepared a gift for Jiao Jiao.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just some run-of-the-mill gift you can but anywhere, surely?¡±


    At this point, Luo Ren only felt helpless at his father¡¯s ¡®nagging¡¯. ¡°Dad, you do know you sounded like a mother hen just now, right? And yes, my gift is definitely not something anyone could just by anywhere.¡±


    Luo Wei Tian scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not being a mother hen, I¡¯m just making sure that you¡¯re not going to mess this up. Jiao Jiao is a good girl. If you miss your chance with her because of momentary carelessness, I might reconsider leaving Tianhua Group to you.¡±


    Yu Jiao was more than just a good girl. He liked how, despite being timid, she was still tenacious and determined. And her kind-heartedness was a strength rather than a weakness. If Mei Hua was still with them, she would have definitely loved her.


    As he remembered his wife, the feeling of sadness, intertwined with happiness, quickly filled him. He shook his head and tried to focus more on the present. Hearing Luo Ren¡¯s response also helped him to return to his senses.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m very careful.¡± Heck, he was so careful that he couldn¡¯t even dare touch even the tip of Yu Jiao¡¯s finger. ¡°When did you ever see me jeopardize something very important?¡±


    His father was silent for a moment, as if the other was really thinking of a point in his life where he did exactly that. And when he couldn¡¯t think of anything, he just nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know then.¡±


    Soon, the both of them arrived at their destination. It was already half and hour after six. Just in time for dinner.


    Luo Wei Tian looked up at the building, examining it like some kind of supervisor. ¡°Did you check this building¡¯s security?¡±


    ¡°Dad...¡± Luo Ren said in a helpless tone.


    ¡°What? I was just asking.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go inside.¡±


    Luo Ren respectfully pulled his father inside the building before the other began a new round of ¡®nagging¡¯.


    Arriving at the floor of Yu Jiao¡¯s apartment, Luo Ren rang the doorbell. It didn¡¯t take long for the door to open. A tall girl with short hair and handsome features appeared.


    ¡°Brother Ren! Uncle Wei Tian!¡± she greeted with a bright smile. ¡°Please,e in.¡±


    Seeing that, Luo Ren felt like his heart suddenly skipped a beat. But he quicklyposed himself and smiled back before walking inside the apartment. Before he could greet the other, his father had already walked in front of him and did it first.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Jiao Jiao,¡± Luo Wei Tian said as he handed a heavy paper bag to Yu Jiao. ¡°This is my gift.¡±


    Yu Jiao took the paper bag. It¡¯s not sealed so she immediately saw its content ¨C a bunch of practice books for college entrance examination.


    She smiled when she saw that. For some, it wouldn¡¯t be much, but for her who¡¯s going to be an examinee soon, these books were more than enough. They were definitely better than something she couldn¡¯t use.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Wei Tian!¡±

 Chapter 959 - 959 JIAO JIAO’S BIRTHDAY (V)

    959 JIAO JIAO¡¯S BIRTHDAY (V)


    LUO REN watched his father and Yu Jiao walked further inside,ughing and smiling at each other, as if thoroughly forgetting his existence. He sighed and just put his coat on the rack that was near the doorway. As he did, he patted the inner pocket of his coat to make sure that the gift he brought was there.


    When he turned, he was slightly startled when he saw that Yu Jiao actually waited for him. He subconsciously smiled and walked towards the other.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Jiao Jiao,¡± Luo Ren was finally able to greet the other.


    Yu Jiao smiled. ¡°Thank you, Brother Ren.¡±


    He nced at the paper bag Yu Jiao was holding. He didn¡¯t know what was inside, but since it was open and not tied, Yu Jiao probably saw what the gift was. Considering how happy she was when she received it, it must be something special.


    ¡°Can I ask what Dad gave you?¡± Luo Ren asked, curious.


    Yu Jiao nodded, showing that she didn¡¯t mind. ¡°They¡¯re college entrance exam practice books.¡±


    Luo Ren almost tripped on his feet when he heard that. Practice books? Seriously? He suddenly remembered what his father asked earlier, about him giving Yu Jiao a special gift. Was this what he meant by ¡®special¡¯? But then again, since Yu Jiao seemed very happy receiving such a gift, maybe his father was onto something.


    It showed that Yu Jiao liked practical gifts, and his father probably understood that in some way. Because he knew that she wouldn¡¯t ept something expensive. Now, Luo Ren started to get worried. Because his gift was far from being practical. The only upside was that it¡¯s not expensive. Well, the material was. But since he¡¯s the one who made it himself, it didn¡¯t have a price tag attached to it.


    .....


    Knowing Yu Jiao, she would probably be thankful for any gift that she would receive. But Luo Ren didn¡¯t want her to only feel thankful, she wanted her to like the gift.


    He took a deep breath. Let¡¯s not think about that for now.


    ¡°Xiao Ren,¡± Aunt Xiuying greeted him.


    He smiled at the other. ¡°Our family is going to bother you for the night, Aunt Xiuying.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what bother? We¡¯re happy to have you,¡± Ji Xiuying said with a wave of her hand.


    Seeing the young man, she couldn¡¯t help but remember how much Luo Yan praised the other earlier. To the point that she was on the verge of believing that Luo Ren was actually perfect being that didn¡¯t have any faults.


    She wanted to chuckle a bit at the boy¡¯s enthusiasm at ¡®promoting¡¯ his older brother¡¯s good image. She knew why the other was doing that. She¡¯s not so dense that she couldn¡¯t even see what was happening. But even without Luo Yan¡¯s overenthusiastic promotion, she already had a good impression of Luo Ren.


    Of course, her good impression of the other didn¡¯t really matter much. What¡¯s important here was her daughter¡¯s thoughts and feelings. After the disaster that was her second marriage, she made a vow to herself that she would never again set aside Yu Jiao¡¯s opinion. She would never again make the same mistake twice. Her daughter would be first and foremost in everything.


    So, Ji Xiuying would only be here to watch and not meddle. She would let Yu Jiao decide what she would do and if the other asked for her opinion, then she would be by her side to give it.


    Her daughter was very smart, much smarter then her. Compared to her, she would definitely make a much wiser decision.


    ¡°Shall we eat dinner?¡± she said, smiling at everyone.


    And with that, dinner finally started.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The dishes Ji Xiuying prepared were very simple and yet very hearty. That¡¯s why the Luo family enjoyed dinner. Because it almost felt like they were in their own home. Of course, it also helped that all the dishes were delicious.


    After dinner, they all had tea in the living room. Luo Yan finally gave his gift to Yu Jiao. It was a box wrapped in sky blue gift wrap with a cute bow on top.


    Yu Jiao held the box. It was not heave and very light, so she wondered what could be inside.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it now, Jiao Jiao?¡± Luo Yan suggested.


    Yu Jiao felt shy opening gifts in front of people, but she still nodded. It¡¯s because she¡¯s truly curious as to what Luo Yan¡¯s gift was. ¡°Okay.¡±


    She carefully untied the bow and opened the box. What was inside was a cute little funko pop. And it was not just an ordinary funko pop, it looked very simr to her game avatar.


    A smile quickly appeared on his lips. ¡°Thank you, Yan Yan! I really like it.¡±


    The fact that the funko pop was modeled after his game avatar meant that the other he had it custom made. So, how could she not like it?


    Luo Ren seeing Yu Jiao¡¯s happy smile after receiving that custom made funko pop, he felt a bit hopeful for his gift.


    ¡°I sent you a game item,¡± Luo Jin simply said.


    ¡°Hey, Ah Jin, no need to be shy. Just directly say that it¡¯s your gift,¡± Luo Yan teased.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not being shy!¡±


    Everyone chuckled at his reaction.


    ¡°Thank you, Luo Jin,¡± Yu Jiao said with a small smile.


    After tea, the Luo family bid their goodbye. Yu Jiao followed to see them off, while her mother remained at the apartment to clean the dishes.


    As they walked, Yu Jiao kept on ncing at Luo Ren who was walking ahead of her. The other hadn¡¯t yet given her a gift. And for some reason, it made her feel ufortable.


    Then, she stopped. Wait- was she starting to think that Luo Ren had to give her a gift? What kind of arrogant thinking was that? Was she starting to turn into someone who thought that the world revolved around her?


    Yu Jiao shook her head, trying her best to stamp down on her disappointment.

 Chapter 960 - 960 HYPERVENTILATING

    960 HYPERVENTILATING


    ¡°THANK you again for celebrating my birthday with me and my mom,¡± Yu Jiao said, bowing gratefully at the Luo family.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for thanks, especially since we just ate a very delicious dinner,¡± Luo Yan said.


    ¡°Xiao Yan is right,¡± Luo Wei Tian followed. ¡°For that delicious dinner, I think we¡¯re the one who should be thankful.¡±


    Yu Jiao chuckled, her heart filling with warmth. ¡°I will make sure to tell Mom that.¡±


    After saying goodbye, the Luo family went to their car. It was the one Luo Wei Tian and Luo Ren drove there. The car that brought Luo Yan and Luo Jin there had already been driven back home by the driver, per their father¡¯s order.


    Yu Jiao nned to wait until the car left, but Luo Ren didn¡¯t follow the other three and just stood in front of her. Uncle Wei Tian, Luo Yan, and Luo Jin seemed to not care. They just went inside the car and waited. As if they knew beforehand that Luo Ren would do this.


    ¡°Brother Ren?¡± she asked, confused.


    Luo Ren took out something from the inner pocket of his coat. It was a small box with a simple white bow. ¡°Happy birthday again, Jiao Jiao.¡±


    Seeing the box that was obviously a gift, Yu Jiao felt her heart beat faster. Her indescribable happiness quickly reced her disappointment.


    .....


    Then she suddenly realized how weird it was for her to feel that way. At that realization, her hand, that was about to ept the gift, stopped mid-way.


    ¡°Jiao Jiao?¡±


    Luo Ren felt incredibly nervous when he saw Yu Jiao stopped her hand. He was relieved at first when the other showed a big smile the moment he took out his gift. But then that smile suddenly disappeared and her hand stopped. This made him worry. A lot of negative thoughts just entered his mind for that brief second.


    Like what if Yu Jiao didn¡¯t like the thought of him giving her a gift? What if she wasn¡¯t really expecting anything from him? Or worse, what if she just didn¡¯t like him? Those thoughts kept circling inside his brain in a vicious cycle.


    He knew that he was overthinking. But when it came to things rted to Yu Jiao, he couldn¡¯t help but overthink. Before his brain went into deep dive mode, the other had already taken the gift.


    It was a good thing that she epted his gift after that one second dy. Or else it would fill his mind with thoughts much worse than what he was already thinking.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Ren,¡± Yu Jiao said with a small smile on her lips.


    But Luo Ren noticed that her smile was much more rigidpared to the smile she gave when she epted the gifts from his father and brothers.


    ¡°Is there something wrong? Do you perhaps not like receiving a gift from me?¡± he finally couldn¡¯t help but asked.


    He knew that if he just held it in, it wouldn¡¯t be good for his mental health. So, it¡¯s better to clear things up before misunderstanding ensued.


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it,¡± Yu Jiao quickly said. ¡°It- it¡¯s because of something really stupid.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I still want to know,¡± Luo Ren said. ¡°Maybe your concern is not entirely as stupid as you think it is.¡±


    Oh, but it was. Yu Jiao wanted to say that. No, she actually wanted to just make up someme excuse, but when she saw the worry in Luo Ren¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t. It felt like it would be unfair to the other who asked her sincerely. Besides, she¡¯s not really good at lying, anyway. So, there¡¯s really no choice for her but to tell the truth.


    ¡°Then, p-promise me you won¡¯tugh,¡± she said.


    ¡°How could Iugh at you?¡± Luo Ren said in a helpless tone. ¡°But for your peace of mind, then, okay, I promise.¡±


    Yu Jiao took a deep breath first before saying;


    ¡°It¡¯s because I was feeling disappointed, thinking that you didn¡¯t have a gift for me. I- I wondered if I actually have be materialistic without me noticing it. I¡¯m not really someone who expects gifts from others. So, I don¡¯t know what came over me and suddenly became like that. Then, when you gave me your gift just now, I felt so ted. Doesn¡¯t that prove that I¡¯m really turning into some materialistic person?¡±


    She said all that with her head down, because she couldn¡¯t bear to look Luo Ren in the eyes. So, when she didn¡¯t receive a response, she had no choice but to raise her head.


    She saw Luo Ren with a stunned expression, as if what she said was thest thing he was expecting to hear. Yu Jiao bit her lower lip. She knew it. She probably sounded so stupid just now.


    When she was about to say that he should just forget what she said, Luo Ren reached out his hand towards her. Then he put a couple of strands of her hair that strayed on her cheek, behind her ear.


    She was startled by this sudden action. Even more so when Luo Ren suddenly smiled.


    ¡°Oh, Jiao Jiao, please don¡¯t every change.¡±


    He said that with the warmest tone of his voice. She could even feel the warmth in his eyes. And those eyes were solely focused on her. As if she was the only one in his world.


    Suddenly, she heard something thumping loudly from somewhere. It was only after a few seconds that she realized that it was actually her heart. After that realization came the shyness that appeared out of nowhere. She felt her whole face heating up like it was boiling. Add that to the fact that her heart was still beating like crazy, she suddenly wondered;


    [Am I hyperventting? Or am I going to have a heart attack?]


    At the end, she could only bow her head and hug the small box that Luo Ren gave her like a lifeline.

 Chapter 961 - 961 CONFUSED YU JIAO

    961 CONFUSED YU JIAO


    JI XIUYING was washing a pot when she heard the door opening. She nced back and saw her daughter walking briskly towards her room. No, it¡¯s almost like she was running at that pace.


    ¡°Jiao Jiao, have they gone?¡± she asked.


    Her question made Yu Jiao stopped. But because she kept her head down, Ji Xiuying couldn¡¯t see her expression.


    ¡°Yes, they already left,¡± Yu Jiao answered before she could ask if there was something wrong. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go to my room first. I-I¡¯m kind of tired. Oh, and just leave some of the dirty dishes there. I¡¯ll wash them tomorrow.¡±


    Ji Xiuying wasn¡¯t able to react because Yu Jiao quickly went to her room before she could. She nced at the closed door of her daughter¡¯s room. Was it just her imagination or was Yu Jiao¡¯s ear tips red for some reason?


    ¡ª¨C


    Yes, it¡¯s not Ji Xiuying¡¯s imagination. Because until now, Yu Jiao¡¯s face was still hot as an open stove despite the cold weather. Even her heart was still beating crazily inside her chest.


    The moment she entered her room, she slid down to the floor as if she was melting. She touched her chest and forced herself to calm down. She breath in and breath out, trying to even out her breathing.


    Seriously, just what was happening to her? Was the visual shock of Luo Ren smiling at her so great that she literally had some sort of breakdown? Okay, breakdown was a bit over the top, but you get the point.


    .....


    Yu Jiao knew that Luo Ren was handsome. She¡¯s not blind, so how could she not? She just really didn¡¯t give it much thought. Because she had never really thought that physical appearance was important. In fact, there wasn¡¯t even a time that someone¡¯s looks affected her.


    That was, until now.


    Aside from turning materialistic, was she also turning superficial?


    She groaned inwardly. Could her brain be making these stupid reasons because it couldn¡¯te up with a proper exnation for her weird reaction towards Luo Ren?


    She could understand if that was the reason. Because she really didn¡¯t know why or how this happened. She clenched her fists and only then did she remember that she still had Luo Ren¡¯s gift in her hand.


    She looked down at the box and decided to first open it before she started dwelling again on things she couldn¡¯t understand. It¡¯s not like the answer would immediatelye to her if she did. Even if she continued sitting here thinking, the answer wouldn¡¯t magically appear in front of her.


    So, Yu Jiao stood up first and walked towards her bed. She sat down before untying the bow on the gift box. Once she did, she simply removed the lid of the box. What¡¯s inside was a ck velvet box.


    For some reason, her heart started beating wildly again when she saw this box. With trembling fingers, she picked up the velvet box and opened it.


    What greeted her was a pair of earrings with a small, red, teardrop-shaped drop. The gemstone used didn¡¯t seem to be rubies. The red color of a ruby was more intense and vibrant than this one. These earring drops also had a slight purplish tint in them.


    Nevertheless, the earrings were still very beautiful. It had a simple design and yet it also had elegance without appearing too extravagant.


    She touched the earrings and mumbled, ¡°I thought it was a ring...¡±


    The moment she said that, she felt intense shame and reflexively close the velvet box.


    What the heck was that just now? Did she actually feel disappointed she didn¡¯t receive a ring? Honestly, what was happening to her today? Was she possessed or something? Was some soul from another world trying to hijack her body?


    Yu Jiao closed her eyes tightly to stop thinking about those things anymore. But it didn¡¯t help at all. Instead, her actions, up until just now, kept circling inside her head. So, to put her focus somewhere, she opened the velvet box again and simply search the inte on what could the gem used in the earrings be.


    It didn¡¯t take long before she found the answer.


    It was a ga. It was a gemstone that was associated with a range of positive qualities and energies, including protection, strength, passion, creativity, and health.


    And it was also the birthstone for January.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Luo Ren couldn¡¯t stop the smile from appearing on his lips. He didn¡¯t even care if his father or brothers, who were in the same car, would think of him as weird as they saw him smiling like a silly kid.


    ¡°Ah Ren, if your mind is not on the road, then let me drive.¡±


    He heard his father say.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got this,¡± Luo Ren said. Even if his emotions were on cloud nine right now, his focus was still on the road. As evidence of how carefully he was still driving. ¡°I¡¯m just simply... very happy right now.¡±


    ¡°Did something good happen with Jiao Jiao?¡± Luo Yan asked as soon as he said that.


    Luo Ren only grinned. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Yes, definitely. Just based on what Yu Jiao said earlier about her expecting a gift from him and the way she reacted after he told her to not change, he could onlye up with one conclusion.


    That Yu Jiao was finally starting to be aware of his presence now. His position in her life was finally starting to go up a level. Now, he was certain that he was no longer just the older brother of her friend to Yu Jiao. He was probably starting to be something other than that to her.


    But even if that¡¯s the case, it didn¡¯t mean that he could rush things up. If he suddenly confessed now, things might just backfire. So, it¡¯s still for the best to take things slow and just continue on what he was doing now. Wasn¡¯t the fact that Yu Jiao had that kind of reaction meant that he was on the right path?


    Thinking of her, he couldn¡¯t help but smile once more.


    [I wonder if she liked my gift.]

 Chapter 962 YAN YANS ASSIST?

    Chapter 962 YAN YAN''S ASSIST?


    "JIAO JIAO, what did Brother give you?" Luo Yan asked.


    He was inside Yu Jiao''s cksmith shop. After he got back home from the other''s apartment, he logged into the game and teleported to her shop. He waited there because he knew that Yu Jiao woulde, eventually. This shop was her business, so she would always spend her time here every night during the weekdays and most of the time on the weekends.


    "Handsome brother, did Master''s brother give you a gift?" Eclipse suddenly interjected before Yu Jiao could even answer.


    Yu Jiao, who was asked suddenly by this duo, became flustered. Not just because of Luo Yan''s question, but because of Eclipse''s as well. She didn''t know which one to feel embarrassed at first. Luo Yan asking about Luo Ren''s gift or Eclipse calling her handsome.


    "Eclipse, how many times do I have to tell you that this brother is actually a sister," Luo Yan said to Eclipse as if scolding the other, but his tone wasn''t really that severe so it didn''t feel like he was reprimanding Eclipse.


    "But handsome brother is so handsome. How can he be a sister?" Eclipse said with a tilt of his head.


    "Well, I can''t fault you for thinking so. Our Jiao Jiao is indeed handsome."


    "Okay, both of you, stop," Yu Jiao said with a reddened face.


    She had a sense that if she didn''t intervene and put a stop to the conversation of the two, her face would be even more flushed with embarrassment from all thepliments they were heaping on her.


    "Brother Ren gave me a pair of earrings," she finally said, just to stop them from asking again.


    "Earrings?"


    When Luo Yan heard that, he suddenly remembered what his brother a conversation he had with his brother.


    =====


    "Yan Yan, what kind of gift would you appreciate more, something expensive but special or something handmade but made of expensive materials?"


    Luo Yan looked at his brother, who came to his room and suddenly asked this question. It didn''t take a genius to know that the other asked that because of Yu Jiao''s uing birthday. He truly wanted to tease him, but seeing such a serious expression on the other, Luo Yan simply couldn''t bring himself to. So, he decided to just be honest.


    "If it was me, I would prefer something handmade," he said. "Because I would know that the person who gave it to me made an effort and that they thought about it thoroughly. It would feel like I was receiving something that was from the heart."


    "Something from the heart..." Luo Ren mumbled. Then, as if receiving enlightenment, he smiled at Luo Yan and said, "Thank you, Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan watched as his brother walked out of his room, not even waiting for his response. He couldn''t help but shake his head, amused by how deeply Luo Ren seemed to be smitten with Yu Jiao.


    =====


    So, if his brother followed his advice, did that mean that he made the earrings himself?


    Luo Yan expected that the other would give a handmade gift. But he thought it would be along the lines of a personalized scrapbook or even hand sewn sweater or something. But his brother really went to the next level and made a handmade jewelry.


    "What kind of earring is it?" he asked, curious.


    "It''s an earring with a ga drop."


    So, it''s not just a simple earring then. He wondered when did Luo Ren found the time to make one. Or better yet, where did he even learn it from?


    At that thought, he couldn''t help but imagine the other attending some ss about how to make a handmade earring. Or maybe he even went to a facility that made personalized jewelry. Either way, it''s obvious how much effort Luo Ren put into this gift. As his brother, he should help him in ensuring that that effort wouldn''t be in vain.


    "Hmm... Brother asked me probably a week before your birthday, what would be better, an expensive one or something handmade? I said it''s thetter. I wonder if he followed my suggestion."


    He said that as if he was talking to himself and not saying it directly to Yu Jiao. Like he was truly wondering what it was between the two, even if he already knew the answer.


    It''s because he couldn''t directly say that his brother most likely made the earrings from scratch. If he did, it was almost like he was directly saying that his brother had special feelings for her. So, the next best thing he could do was to imply what he wanted to say without directly saying it.


    He didn''t want to tell the other that Luo Ren liked her. Which was almost the same if he told him about the truth behind the gift. That''s his brother''s job, not his. The best thing he could do was to givements like this, so Yu Jiao would at least feel that Luo Ren wasn''t treating her as just a friend of his younger brother, but someone actually special.


    Even if her brain and mind would rational things right now and wouldn''t think that that was possible, at least this thought would be buried in her subconscious. So, once Luo Ren confessed, it wouldn''t reallye off as something unbelievable.


    Yu Jiao was very surprised when she heard what Luo Yan had just said. Because wouldn''t it mean that Luo Ren made that pair of earrings himself? She shook her head. How could that be possible? Would someone as busy even have the time to do that? Luo Ren must have bought it somewhere.


    Yes, that''s it.


    But as if trying to refute what she just thought, Eclipse suddenly said;


    "Then, did Master''s handsome older brother gave handmade earrings to this handsome brother?" Then, the kid turned to Yu Jiao, tilting his head to the side. "Are you going to be lovers with Master''s handsome brother? Just like Master and Captain?"


    Luo Yan felt like his ''carefulness'' was destroyed at that second. He looked at Yu Jiao. And when he saw the other blushing furiously, he seriously considered making this little fox bald.

 Chapter 963: YOU BRING OUT THAT SIDE OF ME

    Chapter 963: YOU BRING OUT THAT SIDE OF ME"MASTER, why are you treating Eclipse like this?" the little boy asked as fake tears fell from his eyes.


    "It''s Eclipse''s fault, though," Luo Yan said with a shrug, trying his best not to give in to the temptation of taking back what he just said.


    The two of them had already left Yu Jiao''s shop. Luo Yan quickly teleported to the first thing that came to his mind¨Cthe ind that Shen Ji Yun owned. There, he told Eclipse that he would not allow him to eat Mana fruits for three days. It''s a punishment for his recklessments while they were in Yu Jiao''s shop.


    It''s a good thing that Luo Yan had managed to change the topic quickly, or Yu Jiao would definitely be thinking of her and Luo Ren as lovers. Then, all the hard work his brother had made would go down the drain.


    It was obvious that Yu Jiao was still not ready to have that kind of rtionship. That''s why Luo Ren was taking it slow. Luo Yan was trying to give them a little push, not to destroy what his brother had slowly built.


    "But Eclipse didn''t do anything!"


    Eclipse''s voice brought Luo Yan''s attention back to the other. Eclipse eyes had now reddened, and it looked like he was really about to cry. He felt a bit guilty seeing the kid''s expression.


    If he thought about it, he was also at fault for letting Eclipse apany him to Yu Jiao''s shop, knowing full well how the other was. He should have expected that Eclipse would say something along those lines. After all, this little fox had a habit of doing that. So, he really didn''t have the right to get angry at the other for something that he should have already expected to happen.


    He was about to take back his ''punishment'' when the other suddenly lunged to one side. He looked in that direction and saw Shen Ji Yun looking startled as Eclipse clung to him.


    "Captain, Master is bullying me! You must find justice for Eclipse!" Eclipseined while sobbing dramatically.


    Shen Ji Yun, who had just teleported, was confused at first. He looked at Luo Yan, silently asking with his eyes what''s wrong with the kid. The other only shrugged and smiled helplessly.


    He looked down at the kid, who was fake-crying. Even though he didn''t know the full story yet, he had a pretty good understanding of this kid''s personality. So, he said;


    "If your master is bullying you, it must be your fault."


    Eclipse let go of Shen Ji Yun''s clothes he was holding and showed a shocked expression. It''s like he just experienced the greatest betrayal of all time. Which was quiteical. Luo Yan had to bite his inner cheek just to prevent himself fromughing.


    "How can you say that, Captain? I''m the victim here!"


    "Well, even if it''s not your master''s fault, I will always be on his side, so there''s no useining to me," Shen Ji Yun said with a very straight face.


    Luo Yan saw Eclipse''s face fell, and it felt like the other would really cry at any second. So, before that happened, he walked towards the two and ruffled the kid''s hair.


    "Sorry, Eclipse. Master didn''t mean it," he said.


    Eclipse looked at him with a pout. "Master should not act cute. You''re already pretty, so Eclipse should only be the cute one here."


    Luo Yan chuckled amusedly. "Fine. So, let''s makeup?"


    "Only if Master takes back what you said about not allowing Eclipse to eat Mana fruit for three days."


    "Okay, I''ll take it back."


    Eclipse smiled brightly when he heard that. But then he turned to Shen Ji Yun and frowned. "Eclipse still hasn''t forgiven you, Captain. So, you better make it up to Eclipse."


    Shen Ji Yun''s expression didn''t change much, but Luo Yan could tell that he was confused by what Eclipse had said. Luo Yan was sure that the other would definitely say something that would make Eclipse act like a drama king once again, so before that could happen, he said quickly;


    "Your Captain will give you high quality Mana fruit for three days." He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Right, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Although Shen Ji Yun didn''t know why Luo Yan said that, he knew better than to argue with the other. After all, in his mind, Luo Yan was always right. "Yes."


    Eclipse''s expression quickly changed, and his eyes brightened. He looked at Shen Ji Yun with his usual gaze full of adoration. "Eclipse knew it. Captain still cares for Eclipse."


    "Then, can Eclipse go and y somewhere else? Captain and I are just going to discuss some things," Luo Yan said.


    Eclipse looked back and forth between Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun, then showed an expression as if he knew what they were up to. "Okay. Eclipse knows that you want your lovey-dovey time now. But before that," he put out his hand towards Shen Ji Yun. "My Mana fruit."


    Shen Ji Yun automatically took out a high-quality Mana fruit from his Items Tab and gave it to Eclipse, as if he had already done the same thing countless of times. Eclipse happily epted it and used the teleportation scroll that Luo Yan gave him.


    When the other disappeared, Shen Ji Yun asked Luo Yan, "What was that about?"


    Luo Yan stood in front of Shen Ji Yun and hugged his waist. "Nothing. Just the usual Eclipse. Anyway, since we don''t have any training today, why don''t we do something fun?"


    "Being with you is already fun," Shen Ji Yun said, hugging him back.


    Luo Yan pped the other''s chest in a joking manner. "You Casanova."


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun''s lips curved up slightly, forming a small smile. "You''re the only reason that side of mees out."


    ----------


    Days quickly passed by, and it''s now time for this year''s Spring Festival. Which also meant that winter vacation for students all around the country had finally begun.

 Chapter 964: GOING BACK TO B CITY

    Chapter 964: GOING BACK TO B CITYTHE Spring Festival for this year would start on January 24. So, winter vacation for schools around the country started a few days before. For Guizhu Academy, winter vacation started exactly four days before the start of the Spring Festival, which just also happened to be a Monday.


    Luo Yan and Luo Jin were both inside the VIP waiting area of the airport. They were waiting for their flight to B City. Since they were now officially on vacation, they suggested to their father to go to B City ahead of the Spring Festival. And since both their father and older brother still had work, only the two of them could go.


    It actually took a lot of convincing before their father agreed to their request. Even this morning, when the two were about to leave, their father had this sour expression on his face as if he was sulking.


    Luo Yan couldn''t help but chuckle, remembering what happened this morning.


    =====


    Luo Yan looked at his luggage. It was arge suitcase that had his clothes and shoes. There''s also a separate bag for his skincare products and his VR helmet. The reason why he had this much luggage, as well as why he even brought his VR helmet with him, was because he and Luo Jin were nning to stay in B City for a month.


    This meant that they would not only spend the Spring Festival there, they would also be staying there for the duration of the Arcadia Cup''s preliminaries.


    Moonlight Media had already announced the date of the start of this season''s Arcadia Cup. It would be exactly on the day of the start of Spring Festival, which would be on Friday.


    Luo Yan couldn''t help but be excited. Although it would only be an opening ceremony to wee all the participants and there would be no official matches yet, it''s still exciting to think about it. Especially since it would be the official return of team Yunyue.


    After checking that everything was in order and he didn''t forget anything, he wore his coat, pulled the suitcase and went out of his room. As soon as he did, a passing maid saw him and quickly took the suitcase from him, saying that she would bring it to the car.


    Luo Yan tried to take it back, but this scenario had already happened a number of times already and every time, he had never won, even once. So, he just let the maid and walked to the living room.


    As he reached that area, his footsteps stopped when he saw his father sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed and an obvious frown on his face.


    "Dad? I thought you already went to work," Luo Yan said as he walked towards the other.


    After they finished eating breakfast, he really thought that both his father and older brother had gone to work. Well, since the other was the owner of thepany, it probably wouldn''t matter if he came to workte. Seeing that Luo Ren was not here, their father probably didn''t let the other do the same thing as him.


    "How could I let you and Xiao Jin go to the airport on your own?" his father said, his voice showing that he was still sulking.


    Luo Yan wanted to say that the driver would drive them there and that there''s no way he and Luo Jin would be lost, considering that their father bought them first-ss tickets. Which would allow them to have ess to the VIP waiting room. There''s no way they would miss their flight because they just had to wait in that roomfortably.


    But he knew there''s no use in saying that. Maybe his father would sulk even more if he did. So, he just sat beside him and hugged his arm. Although he''s no longer small and cute, his pretty face could still do the job well of acting coquettish towards his father.


    "Dad, don''t be mad. It''s not like you won''t see us after a couple of days. Besides, we will be with Uncle Chen. Nothing bad is going to happen. So, cheer up, hmm?"


    His father nced at him and then sighed. "I know. I''m just being petty and childish. But this is the first time you would be away from home like this, and even for this long. Your Dad just couldn''t help but be worried."


    The other was probably referring to the fact that he and Luo Jin would stay there for a month. "Dad, didn''t I tell you that our team would participate in this tournament in the game? You can just log in and watch us. We can meet inside the game and it wouldn''t even feel like we''re not with you."


    His father seemed to be in deep thought after he said that, but Luo Yan could see that his expression was starting to get better. He probably realized that they could indeed meet in the game.


    Before the other could say a response to what he said, Luo Jin''s voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.


    "So, the only reason Dad is sulking like this is because Yan would stay in B City for a month. Wow, talk about favoritism," Luo Jin said in a dry voice. He obviously heard their conversation just now.


    Their father stood up with a rare panicked expression. "Of course it''s also because I will miss Xiao Jin!" Then, he added with a more stern expression. "I love all my sons equally."


    Seeing this, Luo Yan couldn''t help but burst outughing.


    =====


    [Attention all passengers on flight MU561 to Beijing. This is a boarding announcement for MU561 to Beijing at gate B3. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready as you proceed to the gate. Boarding will begin shortly. Thank you.]


    That announcement brought Luo Yan back to the present. He stood up and gently tap Luo Jin''s shoulder to wake the other up from his short nap.


    "Ah Jin, let''s go."

 Chapter 965: SHOCKED XIAO YE

    Chapter 965: SHOCKED XIAO YE"XIAO Yan, Xiao Jin!"


    They heard the familiar voice of their aunt - Sun Xin - calling them. Luo Yan and Luo Jin both nced at the direction of the voice. They saw their aunt waving enthusiastically at them from the arrival area. Both Luo brothers walked to where their aunt was.


    Sun Xin was about to hug the two but stopped reflexively after seeing Luo Yan. The Luo Yan she remembered was small and cute, looking like a middle school student. But the one in front of her was tall, like a normal high school student. If not for that familiar pretty face, she might have not recognized the other.


    "Wow Xiao Yan, you... you certainly grew a lot," she couldn''t help but say.


    Luo Yan chuckled seeing the reaction of their aunt. "Yes. I had my growth spurt," he responded, very proudly.


    Seeing that expression like a proud cat, Sun Xin couldn''t resist the urge to stretch out her arms and ruffle the other''s hair. "Yes, our Xiao Yan is now a young man."


    Luo Yan generously let the other mess his hair.


    After Sun Xin had enough, she finally nced at Luo Jin. "Xiao Jin seems to be much more handsome than before."


    And that was not just simple lip service. She really meant it.


    Standing at probably about 190 cm, Luo Jin''s muscr body couldn''t be hidden by the coat he''s wearing. With the indifferent air surrounding him, people couldn''t help but nce at him twice. Especially women. Just looking at him, no one would think that he was only 17-years-old.


    Luo Jin cleared his throat and tried not to get embarrassed by his aunt''spliment.


    "Aunt shouldn''t have bothered picking us up. We can just go to your house by taxi," he said, changing the topic.


    "Ey, what is this boy saying?" Sun Xin said, hitting Luo Jin jokingly by the shoulder. "Can I let my dear nephewsmute publicly when I am perfectly capable of picking you up?"


    "Aunt, don''t mind Ah Jin. He''s just changing the subject because he''s shy," Luo Yan said teasingly.


    "What''s there to be shy about?"


    "It''s because Aunt called him handsome."


    "Yan!"


    Sun Xin turned to Luo Jin whose face had now turned red. She smiled, realizing that Luo Yan was probably right.


    "Xiao Jin, when you''re this handsome, there''s definitely nothing to feel shy about," she said.


    "Can- can we just go?" Luo Jin said in a helpless tone with apletely reddened face.


    Sun Xin and Luo Yan looked at each other and then chuckled, both thinking how adorable Luo Jin was.


    ----------


    Sun Xin nced at Luo Yan who was sitting beside her at the backseat of the car. Luo Jin was sitting at the passenger seat beside the driver. They were now on their way back home to the Bai residence.


    "Aunt Xin, is there something on my face?" Luo Yan couldn''t help but ask after the other repeatedly stole a nce at him.


    "Nothing. I''m just not used to this sudden grown up version of you," Sun Xin said. "Your uncle will probably be as surprised as me. Xiao Ye though, he would probably cry since his ''bride'' was no more."


    Remembering her son who was the most excited when they heard that Luo Yan would spent his winter vacation here, she could already imagine the kid''s reaction once he saw his cousin.


    Luo Jin snorted when he heard his aunt calling Luo Yan a ''bride''. It was the kind of snort that was trying to stop himself fromughing.


    Luo Yan narrowed his eyes at his brother, looking at the other through the rearview mirror. When Luo Jin nced away as if he didn''t want to get into trouble, Luo Yan turned to his aunt and smiled.


    Although he and Bai Ye called each other often during the weekends, it was just an ordinary call and not a video call. That''s why his little cousin currently didn''t know what he looked like.


    "I''m sure Xiao Ye will survive," he said, sure that Bai Ye wouldn''t throw a tantrum just because of this.


    As soon as they arrived at the Bai residence, that sentence seemed to p Luo Yan in the face.


    ----------


    After the driver parked the car, Luo Yan and Luo Jin got out of the car at the same time, followed by their aunt. The brothers nned to get their luggage from the trunk, but before they could, their aunt told them to just leave it there and that the maids would get itter.


    The two shrugged and just followed their aunt obediently. When Luo Yan walked into the mansion, he heard a loud voice calling his name and then he felt a small figure rushing to his direction like a cannon ball.


    "Yan Yan, you''re finally here!"


    Luo Yan looked down at the top of the head of his little cousin. "Hello, Xiao Ye," he greeted Bai Ye and ruffled the other''s hair.


    Bai Ye raised his head, the moment their eyes met, Luo Yan saw how the kid''s expression slowly changed from excitement to disbelief. Until it ended to him looking extremely horrified.


    The little kid jumped back and pointed at Luo Yan. "Who are you? You''re not Yan Yan!"


    The smile on Luo Yan''s face almost cracked when he heard that. Before he could say anything, Aunt Xin responded for him.


    "Xiao Ye, your Brother Yan just had a growth spurt. Look at his face, it''s still as pretty as before."


    Bai Ye did as his mother told and stared at the tall brother''s face. And indeed, it was the same face of his beloved cousin. Only older looking. But even so, he still couldn''t ept that the one in front of him was really the Yan Yan who he knew.


    "But- but... how can you be so tall?" he said in a very grievous voice. "It''s not that long since youst visited. So, howe you can be this tall while I''m still this short?" Then as if realizing something, his eyes widened. "No way. Are you, perhaps, from the future?!"

 Chapter 966: SAYING HELLO TO GRANDPA

    Chapter 966: SAYING HELLO TO GRANDPALUO YAN felt the corner of his lips twitched when he heard what Bai Ye said. The expression on the kid''s face was so shocked and so serious that one would think that what he''s saying was the truth.


    But it''s cute. So, Luo Yan decided to y along.


    "Yes, I''m from the future. I switched ces with the current Yan Yan. The present me is currently living in the future," he exined in a serious tone. Then he added with a pitiful expression. "I''m sorry that you can no longer meet him."


    Bai Ye''s face crumpled in devastation. Then his big eyes started to water as if he would cry at any second. "How could that be?"


    Luo Yan scratched his cheek. Did he go too far?


    A loudugh suddenly echoed in the living room.


    "Xiao Ye, how can you believe that?"


    Luo Yan looked ahead and saw Bai Ze walking towards them. The other''s hair was like a bird''s nest, showing that he just woke up. He stood beside Bai Ye and ruffled the other''s hair.


    "Stupid Xiao Ye."


    Bai Ye''s tears that seemed to fall at any second disappeared like a burst bubble. He red at his older brother and then turned to their mother.


    "Mom, look, Brother is calling me a bad name!"


    Sun Xin was already nning to scold her eldest son before her youngest thought toin. So, she quickly said with narrowed eyes;


    "Ah Ze, no bad words, remember?"


    Bai Ze pouted but didn''t say anything more.


    "Mom, you should ground Brother," Bai Ye said in a very righteous tone.


    Bai Ze looked down at his younger brother and ruffled the other''s hair more violently. "Hey, you brat. Don''t push your luck too much."


    "This is child abuse. I will sue you, Brother!"


    Bai Ze only looked at his brother as if the other had a problem in his brain. He sighed and turn to their mother. "Mom, shouldn''t we not give Xiao Ye ess to the inte? Look at what it''s doing to his poor brain."


    "You''re calling me stupid again!"


    "Hey, you''re the one who said that, not me," Bai Ze responded, raising both hands as if in surrender. "And also, you''re the one who believed Xiao Yan''s nonsense just now. So..."


    "W-what nonsense? Are you saying that Yan Yan is a liar?"


    "He''s not. He''s just teasing you and you believe it, hook, line, and sinker," Bai Ze said with a smirk.


    Bai Ye blinked his eyes and then looked back and forth between his brother and Yan Yan. When he saw the slightly guilty look on thetter''s face, his eyes trembled and he shouted;


    "Brother and Yan Yan are both- both... poopyheads!"


    Then he ran up the stairs. The only thing missing was a river of tears and it would look like some scene in a cartoon.


    "Poofyheads... pfft! Did you hear that kid Xiao Yan--"


    Bai Ze stopped whatever he was about to say because of the disapproving gaze his mother gave him.


    "I''m really considering grounding you, Ah Ze."


    Bai Ze only looked away guiltily.


    "I''m sorry, Aunt Xin. I''m also at fault. Should I go andfort Xiao Ye?" Luo Yan said, taking his aunt''s attention away from Bai Ze.


    His aunt turned to him, and her disapproving expression quickly changed back to her usual gentle look. It reminded him of that red head mom from Harry Potter who would always scold the red head friend of Harry but would always be gentle with thetter.


    "No, I''ll take care of it. You and Xiao Jin should go to the back garden. Your grandpa is waiting for you there." She turned to Bai Ze and said sternly, "And you, we''re not finished yet."


    Then she went upstairs to follow Bai Ye.


    Bai Ze groaned. "Howe I''m the only one scolded when Xiao Yan was also at fault?"


    Luo Yan gave a sideway nce to his older cousin. "Because I''m only teasing while Brother Ze was the one who made Xiao Ye cry."


    "Yes, yes, it was all my fault," Bai Ze said with a pout.


    "Is this skit already over?" Luo Jin asked in a dry tone. "If it is, then Yan and I should go and greet Grandpa."


    Before Bai Ze could react to Luo Jin''sment, the other had already pulled Luo Yan towards the direction of the back garden.


    He looked at the back of the two and almost shouted, ''am I the most unloved member of this family?''.


    -----


    The two brothers arrived at the back garden and immediately saw their grandfather sitting in a wheelchair while looking at the flowers in the garden. His personal caregiver was standing behind him with an umbre hanging on his arms. Probably so he would be ready just in case it snowed.


    Luo Yan ran ahead. He greeted the nurse first before giving his grandfather a tight hug and a quick peck on the forehead.


    "Hello, Grandpa," he said with a smile.


    Bai Zhen turned to him with a nk look. But soon, his foggy eyes were slowly filled with brilliance. Until Luo Yan could perfectly see his image in those eyes.


    His grandfather smiled and reached out for his hand. Luo Yan quickly epted it.


    "Hua-er, you''re finally here."


    Luo Yan smiled sadly. He somehow had already expected that his grandfather would mistake him again for his deceased mother. But he also thought that it wouldn''t be the case now, since he had grown a lot thest time they had seen each other.


    Despite his face still being pretty, it was now leaning more towards masculine instead of feminine. But his resemnce to his mother probably outweighed all that in his grandfather''s mind.


    "Yes, Grandpa, I''m here," Luo Yan said, not bothering to correct the other. "Ah Jin is also here."


    Luo Jin greeted their grandfather, but the other only returned a nk stare. Luo Jin was already used to this kind of reaction by now. It still stung quite a bit. But he understood that it''s just how it was. Feeling bad about it wouldn''t help anyone, much less their grandfather.

 Chapter 967: THINKING OF THE FUTURE

    Chapter 967: THINKING OF THE FUTURE"IS it alright for Grandpa to be outside in this weather?" Luo Yan asked worriedly.


    It''s in the middle of Winter, although their grandfather was covered in a thick coat and even hisp and legs were covered in a thick nket, the weather was still too cold for him to be out and about.


    "Yes, we will go inside in a minute," the nurse said.


    It was obvious in his expression that this was also not his idea. Luo Yan guessed that his grandfather insisted on going outside and the nurse, despite wanting to object, couldn''t do anything but topromise. Luo Yan understood the position he was in, so he could only nod as a response.


    Instead, he turned to his grandfather and crouched down a bit so the two of them could be at the same eye level. He held the other''s hand and smiled warmly.


    "Grandpa, let''s go inside, hmm? It''s cold here."


    The other suddenly showed a worried expression. "Is Hua-er feeling cold? Then, let''s quickly go inside!"


    Luo Yan felt a bit helpless. He should have gotten used to it by now, but hearing his grandfather calling him by his mother''s name was still a bit... But it''s not like he could correct the other. His grandfather calling him ''Hua-er'' was not just because of his condition, it also stemmed from his longing for his daughter. If he could alleviate his loneliness, even for just a bit, Luo Yan was willing to amodate him.


    And so, the four walked back into the mansion.


    -----


    Luo Yany down on the soft bed. He just finished arranging his clothes in the closet. The room he was in was the same room that he used back when they visited during the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    The first thing he did after taking care of his luggage was to contact Shen Ji Yun. He was lying on the bed, waiting for the other to answer his call. Soon, the video call connected and Shen Ji Yun''s handsome face appeared on the screen.


    "Brother Ji Yun!" he greeted with a smile.


    The other seemed to be frozen for a moment after seeing him and then he looked away with a red tint on his cheeks. Luo Yan raised his brow, wondering what''s with that reaction? Since there''s no need for him to go around the bush, he just asked the other directly.


    "What''s wrong, Brother Ji Yun? You look like you''ve seen something you shouldn''t."


    Shen Ji Yun blushed even harder. "It- it''s not that. It''s just... well, Yan Yan''s vicles are showing and..."


    The other stopped speaking as if continuing would only make this situation even more embarrassing.


    Now, it was Luo Yan''s turn to stop. He looked down at himself and saw that a few of his top''s buttons were undone, showing his vicles. It probably became like that because of how rough he threw himself on the bed earlier.


    Thinking that this was the reason for Shen Ji Yun''s reaction, his lips slowly curved into a yful smile. He raised his head and looked at the other.


    "Does Brother Ji Yun think that my vicles are sexy?" he asked.


    He ced his fingertips gently on his vicles, tracing the curve of the bone as if outlining it. The movement was slow and deliberate, as if he was savoring the sensation. His eyes were closed, and a faint smile yed on his lips, suggesting that this simple act of touching was bringing him a sense offort.


    When Luo Yan opened his eyes, he saw Shen Ji Yun visibly gulped. If they were facing each other in real time and not just through a screen, he would probably even hear and feel his rough breathing. Luo Yan smiled, feeling victorious.


    This smile was quickly noticed by Shen Ji Yun and he immediately knew that the other was teasing him again. He let out a long and heavy sigh.


    "Naughty Yan Yan," he said, trying to be stern, but instead, it only sounded helpless.


    Luo Yan grinned. "It''s Brother Ji Yun''s fault for thinking naughty thoughts."


    Shen Ji Yun''s whole face heated up once again when he heard that ''usation''. He wanted to deny it but he couldn''t since Luo Yan wasn''t exactly lying.


    When the call connected earlier, the first thing he saw was the delicate curve of Luo Yan''s vicles. After that was the exposed white jade-like skin. It''s almost impossible for him not to react.


    "It''s because Yan Yan is too beautiful that I couldn''t help it," he could only say at the end.


    Hearing this, Luo Yan''s heart swelled with happiness. But there''s a bigger part of him that wanted to tease Shen Ji Yun even further.


    "Does Brother Ji Yun want to see more?" he asked while touching the next button of his shirt, as if he would unbutton it if the other said ''yes''.


    After he said that, Shen Ji Yun looked like he was hit by lightning. He couldn''t immediately answer and just froze. Of course, his eyes stared straight at Luo Yan''s finger touching that particr button. Before he could answer, the other had already unbuttoned it.


    Shen Ji Yun gulped. His heart beating faster. Especially after seeing more expanse of Luo Yan''s skin showing. When the other''s hand went down to the next button, Shen Ji Yun finally returned to his senses and shouted in panic;


    "Yan Yan, stop!"


    Luo Yan smiled invitingly. "Why? Does Brother Ji Yun not want to see more?"


    "I¡ªI... of course I do!" Shen Ji Yun said truthfully. How could he lie when that was what he truly felt? "But not like this. I- I want to be standing right in front of you, not through a video call like this."


    Luo Yan inwardly smiled when he heard that. "Does that mean it''s alright to see me naked as long as we''re standing right in front of each other?"


    Shen Ji Yun almost said ''yes'' but managed to stop himself when he saw the teasing smile on Luo Yan''s lips. He let out a helpless sigh. "Yan Yan, are you trying to give a heart attack?"


    Luo Yan giggled. "Nope. I''m just thinking of the future."

 Chapter 968: BAI FAMILYS DYNAMICS

    Chapter 968: BAI FAMILY''S DYNAMICSAT dinner, everyone gathered at the dining room.


    Bai Zhen was sitting at one end of the long table, his expression full of happiness. He constantly talk to the teenager sitting on his right. Although the topic was all about ''Hua-er'', Luo Yan listened to the other with utmost focus, smiling and responding to everything. Which also made Bai Zhen very happy.


    Seeing this, Bai Chen couldn''t help but feel emotional. This past month, the number of times his father sat down for a meal with them started to decrease. There were a lot of times that the other would just have emotional outburst that having a proper meal was not just possible.


    He didn''t mind that. Because he knew that''s something to be expected. He just didn''t like how often it happened recently. Because it showed that his father''s illness was getting worse.


    Bai Chen truly didn''t want to think of the day that this illness would take his father away. Even if he wanted to steel himself into epting that possibility, it''s still too damn hard. It probably would never be easy.


    That''s why seeing his father smile andugh like this was something so precious. He now felt very d that Luo Yan would stay here for a month. At least, it would give his father some peace of mind.


    After dinner, Bai Zhen returned to his room to rest for the night. The others stayed at the tea room to have some after dinner tea.


    "Xiao Yan, Xiao Jin, if you ever feel bored, just ask your Brother Ze to bring you to famous hang-out spot in the city."


    "Wow, Dad, where did you learn to use the word ''hang-out''?" Bai Ze asked exaggeratedly after hearing what his father said.


    Bai Chen only gave his son a side nce. His gaze was clearly saying, ''do you think I''m 100 years old or something?''.


    Bai Ze only grinned at that. "Don''t worry, Dad. Xiao Yan and Xiao Jin won''t be bored since we''d be spending a lot of time in the game."


    "Me too, me too! I want to y too!" Bai Ye suddenly said.


    Because his older brother often talked about Arcadia, he searched for it on the inte to see just what''s so fun about it. Before he knew it, he had already watched tons of videos. He truly wanted to y the game. Even more so, after knowing that Yan Yan was also ying it.


    Although... He nced at Yan Yan. The other, seemingly feeling his gaze, turned to him. Yan Yan smiled. It was still a pretty smile, but unlike before, he no longer felt the same fluttering feelings as before.


    Was this because of that curse called ''puberty''?


    Bai Ye had read about that before. That all kids would undergo that kind of transformation. Boys would grow tall and their voice would turn deep. During that process, their bones and joints would hurt. Not only that, some would also rebel against their parents, turning into bad kids.


    He was so scared when he read that that he didn''t want to experience puberty. But then, Yan Yan suddenly appeared like this. He was no longer the small and pretty Yan Yan he remembered. He was still pretty but... he looked too old now. They still matched before but now, they could only be seen as brothers.


    He sighed. Was this what people called being heartbroken?


    Luo Yan was observing Bai Ye, so he saw all the different expressions that shed on the kid''s face. He wasn''t sure. But the other was definitely thinking about some crazy things. You know, something that only a kid could think of.


    Anyway, Bai Ye seemed to have already recovered from the shock he had earlier when they arrived. Although he was no longer as clingy as he was before during theirst visit here. Which was probably a good thing. Since Luo Yan wouldn''t be able to spend time with him as the other wanted considering how near the start of Arcadia Cup preliminary was.


    "You can''t. It''s only for big kids and you''re still a small kid," Bai Ze said with a gloating tone.


    Bai Ye red at his older brother and shouted, "Aren''t you ashamed calling yourself a big kid when you''re supposed to be a man?"


    That phrase made the rest of themugh.


    "This kid..."


    Bai Ze stood up as if he was going to punish Bai Ye. Thetter also quickly stood up and ran to their mother.


    "Mom, Brother is bullying me!" heined.


    Sun Xin forced herself to stopughing, and then she pretended to be serious and proceeded on ''scolding'' her eldest. "Ah Ze, stop teasing your brother."


    Bai Ye looked back at his older brother with a triumphant look on his face. As if saying, ''look, Mom is always on my side''.


    Bai Ze raised one brow and the turned to their father. His expression changed to that of someone full of grievance.


    "Dad, Xiao Ye is bullying me. Go and get justice for your first born!"


    Bai Chen only looked at Bai Ze with a deadpan expression before standing up and saying, "I''m going to sleep."


    As he walked out of the tea room, he was starting to worry about the future of theirpany. Would this childish son of his be able to lead the Bai Group in the future?


    He could only shake his head and hope for the best.


    As soon as their father left, Bai Ye burst intoughter. "Dad ignored Brother. It''s because Brother is such a big foo¡ª"


    "Ehem!" Their mother suddenly cleared her throat as if cutting off what Bai Ye was about to say. And then she looked down at Bai Ye with a raised brow.


    Receiving his mother''s nce, Bai Ye had no choice but to change his words. "I mean, Brother is such a big buffoon."


    Bai Ze then stretched his hand and pulled his brother''s cheek. "You cheeky brat."


    This time, their mother didn''t interfere no matter how much Bai Yeined.


    Watching them, Luo Yan couldn''t help but chuckle once again.

 Chapter 969: JI YUNS HOUSE

    Chapter 969: JI YUN''S HOUSEAFTER breakfast, Luo Yan, Luo Jin, and Bai Ze got ready to leave. They were about to go to Shen Ji Yun''s home. Su Yuqi would also go there as well. The five of them would have a group meeting regarding the other teams that they would face during the Arcadia Cup. Of course, they would also talk about strategies to counter those teams at the same time.


    During the past weeks, they did nothing but train to improve their teamwork. It''s now to the point that one could easily know what the other was thinking just by looking at them. Of course, that only applied on the battlefield and not in real life. It''s like some kind of muscle memory that all of them trained together.


    Because of that, they didn''t have time to check the other teams. Since they only now have three days until the start of Arcadia Cup, they really needed to cram the information of these teams in their heads.


    Before the three could leave, Bai Ye made a fuss and wanted toe with them. Thankfully, Aunt Xin was there to the rescue. She somehow managed to convince Bai Ye not to throw a tantrum and let the three of them leave.


    Luo Yan thought the little guy wouldn''t listen, considering how stubborn the other was. But surprisingly enough, he did. Well, he guessed Bai Ye was like any other kid in that regard.


    With Bai Ye no longer stopping them, the three were finally free to go to Shen Ji Yun''s house. The one driving the car was, of course, Bai Ze.


    Luo Yan looked enviously at his cousin. He also wanted to learn how to drive. Sadly, he wasn''t given a chance to do so in hisst life. Well, that''s fine. He could just ask Shen Ji Yun to teach him once he started attending college here.


    "By the way, Brother Ze, shouldn''t we bring snacks or food with us?" he asked.


    Since they were visiting Shen Ji Yun''s home, it seemed rude to just go empty-handed.


    "It''s fine," Bai Ze said with a wave of his hand. "Ji Yun is the only one there. I''m sure he wouldn''t mind if we didn''t bring anything."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan wondered if Uncle Yi Mu was still in S City.


    -----


    It didn''t take long before they arrived at their destination.


    Luo Yan got out of the car and looked at the house in front of him. The house didn''t have a proper gate. Instead, it had tall garden shrubs that acted like one. It didn''t look unsafe, though. Probably because he saw how tight the security was when they entered thismunity. Besides, Uncle Yi Mu, being the owner of Moonlight Media, there''s no way he didn''t have a top of the line home security.


    Aside from, from the outside, the house had a very obvious modern design. It looked sleek and had a very minimalistic design. It''s like the total opposite of the Luo family''s home, which seemed like a mansion from a fairy tale book.


    The three of them walked towards the house. Bai Ze was the one who rang the doorbell. He was expecting Shen Ji Yun to open the door, but instead a tall and lean man was the one who opened it.


    The other had wavy ck hair that framed his delicate white face. He was wearingfortable house clothes. His apricot-shaped eyes widened ever slightly when he saw them.


    Luo Yan was even more surprised seeing the other. [Teacher Jiang?]


    Yes, the other was Teacher Jiang. He almost didn''t recognize him at first without the messy hair and overly big sses. Without those two, the other could finally showcase his beautiful appearance.


    No wonder Uncle Yi Mu couldn''t forget about him.


    Jiang Yue regained hisposure and smiled at the three. "Hello. Are you here for Xiao Yun? Come in, he''s inside."


    Luo Jin didn''t care much. He just nodded at Teacher Jiang and walked inside the house. Bai Ze, although curious about the other''s identity, also just gave a simple greeting before walking inside.


    Luo Yan, of course, couldn''t just do that.


    Teacher Jiang was Uncle Yi Mu''s lover, and would probably be his life partner. In short, the other was almost like Uncle Yi Mu''s husband. Which would in turn make him rted to Shen Ji Yun thru marriage. Then, as Shen Ji Yun''s boyfriend, wouldn''t that mean that the other was Luo Yan''s inw?


    "Teacher Jiang, are you going to spend the Spring Festival here?" he greeted and asked the other in the most natural manner.


    Jiang Yue smiled shyly. "Yes."


    He actually didn''t expect to see Luo Yan here. Well, that''s probably his fault for suddenly appearing here without prior notice. It''s because when Yi Mu left the other day to take care of some things in hispany, just after a day, Jiang Yue was already missing him. Which made him wonder just how the heck did he survive those years without the other?


    Because of that, he decided to surprise Yi Mu and go to B City himself to spend Spring Festival with him and Xiao Yun. It''s an important holiday for families. He couldn''t just let Yi Mu felt burdened by the thought that he could only be with one of them. That''s why he just went here himself so the three of them could celebrate the festival together.


    As a family. Just like all those years ago.


    "How about yo- Luo Yan?" he asked, changing ''young master'' to the other''s name at thest moment. It would probably just be awkward for them if he called Luo Yan that.


    "I''m going also going to spend Spring Festival here."


    Jiang Yue''s first thought when he heard that was to wonder if it was for Xiao Yun. But he soon quickly rejected that idea. It was most likely because the Luo family had rtives here.


    He didn''t have time to confirm that because Xiao Yun suddenly walked out. His usually expressionless face suddenly brightened the moment he saw Luo Yan.


    "Yan Yan!"


    Luo Yan also smiled brightly when he saw Shen Ji Yun and didn''t hesitate to hug him.

 Chapter 970: THE SHY AND DELICATE FLOWER

    LUO YAN sighed in satisfaction as he hugged Shen Ji Yun''s waist. This feeling of warmth could only be felt if real life. It''s been more than a month since the two of them hugged like this. It was only now that he realized just how much he missed it. Although he was d that the two of them could meet inside the game, interacting with each other like this was still better.


    So, he put his head on the crook of Shen Ji Yun''s neck, breathing in the other''s scent. "You smell so good, Brother Ji Yun."


    At this time, Shen Ji Yun hadpletely frozen. He already didn''t expect Luo Yan to suddenly hug him like this, so he waspletely taken aback. He didn''t even know where he should put his hands. Before he could even do anything, Luo Yan just breathed into his neck and said that.


    Feeling Luo Yan''s soft breath on his skin simply took his breath away. The warmth and intimacy of that breath, so close to his skin, sent shivers down his spine and made his heart race.


    If earlier, he didn''t know what to do with his hands, now, as if it just came naturally, his arms circled around Luo Yan.


    "I missed you, Yan Yan," he found himself saying, kissing the top of the other''s head.


    "I missed you too, Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan replied softly.


    As they held each other close, the world around them faded away, and all that remained was the gentle rhythm of their breathing and the beating of their hearts. For a moment, time stood still, and they knew that they were exactly where they were meant to be.


    Of course, what followed next was not the continuation of this sweet moment, but instead someone clearing their throat.


    "Ahem, I don''t want to disturb the two of you, but I think it would be better to continue inside the house."


    Hearing Uncle Yue''s voice, Shen Ji Yun finally came back to his senses. Because of how much he enjoyed Luo Yan''s hug, he had totally forgotten that Uncle Yue was still here. Realizing that the other saw what just happened, his whole face heated up. To the point that it felt like smoke woulde out at the top of his head.


    Jiang Yue, seeing this, almostughed. But he held himself back. It''s bad enough that he ''intruded'' at the sweet moment of the two, if heughed here, it would definitely be more awkward that it already was.


    Truthfully, he also didn''t want to disturb the two. But the thing was, they were standing in front of the door. So, even if he wanted to just quietly leave and let them have their romantic time, he couldn''t. That''s why before they start doing something that would truly embarrass them all, he decided to remind them of his presence.


    Luo Yan raised his head. When he saw Shen Ji Yun''s flushed face, he knew that the other''s brain was probably on overdrive right now. Most likely from thebination of their skinship and the embarrassment of having Teacher Jiang seeing it all.


    Since Luo Yan wasn''t generally a shy person, it didn''t affect him that much. So, he decided to help out the other and just let go of his waist. Then, he turned to Teacher Jiang and said;


    "Sorry, Teacher Jiang. You''re probably surprised seeing us like that."


    When he said that, he acted all shy and demure, as if he wasn''t just eating Shen Ji Yun''s tofu just earlier.


    Seeing him like this, Jiang Yue felt amused. Although the other looked like the definition of a delicate and shy flower, he could see that he was not a bit shy at all. In fact, between the two, Xiao Yun should probably be the one called ''delicate and shy flower''.


    It was a very... interesting dynamic.


    He smiled and said, "What''s there to be sorry for? And Xiao Yan, I thought you already decided to address me as ''uncle''? Is it because we hadn''t seen each other recently that you have already forgotten?"


    Jiang Yue decided to change the topic to alleviate the embarrassment that Shen Ji Yun was feeling. Anyway, it was a genuine question on his part since he remembered that thest time they met, Luo Yan didn''t hesitate to call him ''Uncle Yue''. But then again, he wasn''t any better since he almost called the other ''young master'' earlier.


    Well, that couldn''t be helped since the two of them weren''t really that close. At least, not yet. But when he saw the interaction between Luo Yan and Xiao Yun up close, the tiny bit of awkwardness he felt while interacting with the other just vanished.


    Probably because he saw that Luo Yan truly had genuine feelings for Xiao Yun and not just something temporary. That he did not enter into a rtionship with Xiao Yun out of curiosity. He could clearly see that between the two, Luo Yan was the one leading in this rtionship.


    Luo Yan smiled awkwardly and scratched his cheek. He truly forgot, actually. It was because he was so busy with a lot of things ¨C training, studying, etc. ¨C that he forgot he and Teacher¡ªno, Uncle Yue were no longer that much of a stranger.


    "Uncle Yue," he said, calling the other sweetly.


    Jiang Yue smiled, feeling satisfied.


    Shen Ji Yun, who was no longer a frozen snowman with a red face, looked at the two. Seeing how natural they smiled with each other, the corner of his lips also couldn''t help but turn up.


    How happy he would be if the two became close. After all, the two of them would also be family in the future.


    "Ah... is the meeting actually in front of the door way?" a woman''s voice suddenly said in a dry tone.


    They all looked towards the direction it came from and saw a tall young woman with a shoulder-length dark-red hair, wearing leather jacket, leather pants, and knee-high boots.


    It was Su Yuqi.

 Chapter 971: NOT A QUESTION OF SIGHT, BUT TASTE

    THE five of them went directly to the entertainment room after Su Yuqi arrived and consequently started the meeting. Bai Ze was standing at the front like some kind of lecturer. He even inserted a USB drive on the huge TV, as if he really prepared for a lecture.


    "As everyone here knows, the current top four teams in Arcadia are Celestials, Fenghuang, Mozu, and Sirens," he started, while clicking on the remote he''s holding.


    The screen on the TV changed, showing the name and insignias of the four teams. Team Celestials had golden wings, team Fenghuang had a ming red phoenix, team Mozu had an inverted pentagram, and team Sirens had a mermaid''s silhouette holding a trident.


    "They would, most likely be, the hardest opponents we would face in this uing season," Bai Ze continued. "Or course, other teams could give us a surprise and suddenly give a performance that could surpass these four teams. Team Sanguis, for example, is a good contender. No matter how flippant their captain is, they''re a strong team. There are also teams who had been climbing up thedder for the past two-three years, like team Revenant and team Mystic.


    "Since I know none of you will voluntarily research about these teams I mentioned, Ipiled important information about them and even made a presentation that would be easy for all of you to understand."


    Luo Yan pped his hands. "That''s great, Brother Ze. I didn''t know you would be so passionate about this."


    He couldn''t help but feel admiration for his cousin. Because it''s not something easy that could be done in just an hour or so. One should truly exert effort to do it. Now he felt a bit guilty. It''s because Bai Ze was thest one he thought would do something like this.


    Hearing his cousin''spliment, Bai Ze subconsciously put his chest out, feeling proud. But, of course, someone just had to rain on his parade.


    "Oh please. Ji Yun must be the one who gathered all the date, and you justpiled it."


    Bai Ze turned his head and red at Su Yuqi who spoke just now. Although what she said was true, it didn''t mean that what he did didn''t deservepliments.


    "Hey, Su Yuqi, do you know how hard it was topile all those data into an easily understandable PowerPoint presentation?" he said, in an angry tone.


    He almost added that he even put videos on it.


    Su Yuqi only shrugged, which made him more infuriated. Argh. This girl. Someday- he would really have to... His thought stopped midway when he saw Luo Jin, sitting beside Su Yuqi, looking at her as if in a daze.


    [What in the¡ªno way?]


    Because of this sight, Bai Zepletely forgot about his annoyance and an absurd thought crossed his mind.


    Su Yuqi, expecting Bai Ze toe up with some violent retort, was a bit surprised to not hear anything more from the other. Then she noticed his gaze. The other seemed to be looking beside her with an absurd expression that he quickly hid in time.


    Confused, she turned to her side and met Luo Jin''s gaze square on. Luo Jin seemed to be startled by that and quickly turned his gaze away. Su Yuqi felt the corner of her lips twitching. She now understood why Bai Ze had that expression.


    This kid. Was this the time to stare at her in a daze like that?


    Even though the other looked like an adult man, in reality, he''s still a kid after all. Normally, she would be annoyed by this. But just like always, when it came to this kid, she just found it interesting and amusing.


    She knew that having this kind of feelings meant that she had already put Luo Jin into a special category. But that was all. She understood herself too much. So, she knew that it would take more than this for Luo Jin to advance to the next level in her heart. But since she didn''t dislike the other and she also like spending time with him, she was giving him a chance to prove that he could be the one.


    That one exemption who could manage to steal her heart away.


    "Ah Jin should listen to your cousin''s lecture instead of staring at me," she whispered low to the other in a teasing tone.


    Luo Jin, who heard that, felt his face burned even more. "I- I''m not¡ª"


    He wanted to refute it but couldn''t really find an appropriate excuse, so he just ended up not saying anything. Because it was true that he was staring at the other. How could he not, really?


    When he saw Su Yuqi earlier, his heart almost jumped up to his throat. When they first met in real life, the other had bleached tinum blond hair. Now, her hair was deep red in color, like some kind of rich wine. It was also much longerpared to before. Her make-up was also darker, which matched her current hair color perfectly.


    No, no matter how Su Yuqi styled herself, it would definitely suit her nheless. Because she was just that beautiful.


    Her striking features were like works of art, each one carefully crafted and perfectly ced to create a mesmerizing portrait of beauty that could capture the attention of anyone.


    So, it''s only natural that he couldn''t take his eyes off of her.


    Bai Ze also witnessed this small interaction, and he couldn''t help but feelplicated. He seriously felt like Luo Jin might have a problem in his eyes. No, this was not a question of sight, but taste.


    He shook his head and just continued with his exnations about the other teams in Arcadia.


    Of course, Luo Yan also saw all of these. He just watched with interest while he leaned backfortably on Shen Ji Yun''s wide chest.


    Shen Ji Yun, on the other hand, didn''t really care much about the others and just happily hugged Luo Yan from the back.

 Chapter 972: LOVER

    THEY finished discussing the different teams they might face during the Arcadia Cup by lunch. But because they only did a simple discussion, not an in-depth one, they decided to continue on in the afternoon.


    Luo Yan stared at the sumptuous dishes on the table. There were mandus like steamed dumplings and siu mai, a ton of friend rice, sweet and sour pork, chow mein, and even hot and sour soup. It''s like a total feast.


    He turned to Uncle Yue. "Uncle Yue, you made so many. Can we eat all of these?"


    He actually wanted to say that the other shouldn''t have bothered. They could just order from a delivery app or something.


    "I think we can manage," Jiang Yue said. "And oh, Xiao Yun was the one who made these dishes. I just reheat them."


    Shocked, Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, you..."


    The other turned his gaze away, scratching his cheek in an embarrassed manner. "I just had a lot of time this morning."


    Luo Yan chuckled at that. Yeah, right. He must have prepared all this because they would being here today. No, more urately, Shen Ji Yun prepared this because of him.


    A warm feeling spread through his heart at that thought. Since the two of them were standing really close, it was easy for him to link his pinky finger with the other. Shen Ji Yun seemed to be startled at first, but then he quickly grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers together.


    The other looked down, and he also looked up. Their gazes met, and it seemed like they were conversing with just their eyes.


    ''Did you cook these dishes for me?''


    ''Who else would I do it for, if not for you?''


    "Hey, Ji Yun, why don''t you prepare food for me whenever I visit here?"


    Bai Ze''s voice interrupted the bubbling pink bubbles surrounding the two.


    Shen Ji Yun, annoyed by the interruption, just gave a side nce towards Bai Ze. As if saying, ''Why would I cook for you? Are you Yan Yan?''.


    Receiving the message clearly from those blue eyes, Bai Ze felt like he was just ridiculed for being a single dog.


    Luo Yan could only shake his head. He said to end the discussion, "Let''s eat?"


    Finally, the six of them sat down around the table and started eating.


    Knowing that the food here was made by Shen Ji Yun, Luo Jin was feeling very reluctant to eat. But then, he remembered how good the macaron that the other baked back at the orphanage was, and he unknowingly salivated. Which annoyed him even more.


    He just picked up a dimsum with his chopsticks and ate it. The moment he did, the delicious taste of the dimsum exploded in his mouth. And his first thought was, ''how can this be so delicious?''.


    Unknowingly, he ate more and more. Then, he noticed that Su Yuqi was also eating with gusto. A sudden thought entered his mind then.


    [Should I also learn how to cook?]


    Luo Yan was also enjoying the food in front of him very much. Just like he thought, living with Shen Ji Yun in the future would definitely turn him into a little pig. That''s just how good the other''s cooking skill was.


    "This is so delicious, Brother Ji Yun," he said to Shen Ji Yun sitting beside him.


    A small smile of satisfaction appeared on Shen Ji Yun''s lips. "I''m d you liked it."


    Luo Yan leaned a bit towards the other and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "You know, if you keep cooking like this, I might just have to propose."


    Shen Ji Yun, who just ate a piece of pork, almost choked on the meat because of what Luo Yan said. It''s good that he managed to quickly reach for the ss of water. Or else, that piece of pork might have really gone into the wrong pipe.


    Still, the damage had been done and he still couldn''t stop coughing uncontrobly.


    "Xiao Yun, are you alright?" Uncle Yue asked worriedly.


    "Y-yes," he said. Then he suddenly felt a warm hand behind his back, trying to ease the choking sensation.


    Shen Ji Yun nced at Luo Yan and the other only smiled at him teasingly.


    Seriously, this little fox.


    And yet, just like always, he couldn''t bear to be angry at this fox cosying as a rabbit.


    After they finished eating lunch, Bai Ze, who was ready to continue their meeting, suddenly thought of something that he probably should have asked since, well, they arrived earlier.


    "Ahm, by the way, are you Ji Yun''s uncle?" he asked the pretty, mature man who weed them when they arrived and also ate lunch with them.


    He heard Luo Yan call the other ''Uncle Yue''. So, he just assumed that he must be Shen Ji Yun''s uncle or something. It''s just weird that he didn''t know who the other was, considering that he''s Shen Ji Yun''s closest friend. Although the man looked a bit familiar. So, he might have seen him somewhere. He just couldn''t remember.


    Jiang Yue was a bit startled by the question. And then, he remembered that he hadn''t introduced himself to Xiao Yun''s friends. He justpletely forgot about it because of the presence of the Luo brothers who already knew him.


    But now that he had to introduce himself, he suddenly didn''t know how. What should he say about himself, exactly? Would saying his name be enough?


    "Ah, I am¡ª"


    Before he could finish what he was about to say, a voice suddenly did it for him.


    "He''s my lover."


    And then the owner of that voice put his arm around Jiang Yue''s shoulders, even pulling the other close to him.


    Jiang Yue waspletely startled. He looked up and saw Shen Yi Mu''s handsome face.


    "Brother Mu..." he called in a rather scolding tone. As if telling the other that he should not have directly told the kids that.


    And Shen Yi Mu only smiled.

 Chapter 973: BEING ATTACKED FROM ALL SIDES

    "L-LOVER?" Bai Ze blurted out in surprise. "As in lover, lover?"


    Shen Yi Mu raised his brow. "Is there another definition of lover I don''t know about?"


    "Wow," Bai Ze could only say.


    He really couldn''t say anything more because of how surprised he was. He had known Uncle Yi Mu for years and this was the first time he knew that the other was actually, well, gay.


    Of course, that information wouldn''t change how he perceived the other as a person. Still, it was something totally unexpected. Or maybe not. Considering how Uncle Yi Mu still hadn''t married anyone despite his already marriageable age. It''s pretty understandable if this was the reason.


    Su Yuqi was much quicker to ept the situation. After the initial surprise, he just took it as something that could happen. Like a weather announcement or something.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, was the most shocked. Not because Shen Yi Mu had a male lover, who consequently just happened to be a faculty in their school, but because he''d been wondering about the possibility of whether the other knew about the rtionship between Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan.


    Because wouldn''t that mean that he encouraged his nephew to pursue Luo Yan. Remembering how they ''coincidentally'' appeared in Chengdu before when their family also happened to be there, Luo Jin''s brows couldn''t help but furrow.


    Although he had already epted the rtionship of his brother and Shen Ji Yun, it was only at the stage of ''it can''t be helped'' instead of ''I fully ept this''. He couldn''t help but think that Luo Yan''s situation was like ''boiling a frog in warm water''.


    It''s like Shen Ji Yun slowly seduced Luo Yan and pulled him into some kind of honey trap. Which his brother now couldn''t get out of. And it seemed like one of Shen Ji Yun''s biggest helper was this uncle of his.


    Just thinking of that, Luo Jin couldn''t help but be annoyed once again. But there''s nothing he could do about it since he had already given Luo Yan his ''blessing'' for this rtionship. So, all he could do was to be annoyed by himself.


    Besides... He nced at his brother. The other had been stuck beside Shen Ji Yun since their arrival here. Not to mention, a smile had been stered on his face since then. How could Luo Jin say anything seeing that?


    So, amidst his annoyance, all he could do was sigh.


    Bai Ze, who had been starting at Uncle Yi Mu and his partner, couldn''t help but feel that he had seen the other somewhere. That''s when an image of a certain NPC shed in his mind.


    "No way... You''re the king!" He couldn''t help but say while looking at this ''Uncle Yue''.


    Jiang Yue tilted his head in confusion. "King?"


    "Aren''t the five of you busy or something?" Shen Yi Mu suddenly said, obviously trying to cut off this topic of conversation.


    Jiang Yue nced at the other with suspicion. It intensified even more after seeing the slight tinge of blush on Shen Yi Mu''s cheek.


    "No, I want to hear this first," he said, then turned to the friend of Xiao Yun, who spoke just now. "What do you mean by ''king''?"


    Bai Ze felt an intense gaze on him, and he started to sweat for no reason. He didn''t have to turn his head to know that it was Uncle Yi Mu. He felt like if he answered this question, he would be in trouble or something. So, he decided to ask for help from someone who he knew wouldn''t get in trouble even if he answered such a question.


    He turned to Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan, receiving his cousin''s plea for help, decided to help the other. Not because Bai Ze looked pitiful, because he also wanted to see Uncle Yi Mu''s reaction.


    "It''s because Uncle Yue looks exactly like the king of Arcadia," he said, smiling at Uncle Yue. "Uncle Yi Mu must have based the design of that NPC on Uncle Yue. Isn''t it sweet?"


    Jiang Yue was startled when he heard that. He had never really tried ying Arcadia, despite it being a game made by Shen Yi Mu. Not just because he wasn''t interested in ying games, but because it would be too painful to y a game that would remind him of the other. So, he had no idea at all that one of its NPC looked like him.


    He turned to Shen Yi Mu and saw that the faint blush on the other''s cheeks had now turned into a full on blush. He couldn''t help but smile after seeing that. "Is that true, Brother Mu?"


    Shen Yi Mu cleared his throat. Instead of answering, he said, "You kids, just go and do whatever you''re supposed to do." Then he turned to Jiang Yue. "Ah Yue, let''s leave these kids alone."


    Before Jiang Yue could respond, he just found himself being pulled by Shen Yi Mu to the second floor of the mansion. He looked at the other, who was still blushing and could only smile helplessly.


    "Where are they going?" Bai Ze asked. He felt it''s such a waste not to see Uncle Yi Mu''s embarrassed face.


    "They would probably do something only adults could do," Su Yuqi said meaningfully before walking towards the entertainment room.


    Luo Jin quickly followed behind her.


    Luo Yan chuckled before turning to Shen Ji Yun and whispering, "Should we also do something that only adults could do?"


    Shen Ji Yun blushed, as expected. He pinched Luo Yan''s cheek. "Yan Yan, stop teasing me."


    Luo Yan only smiled at that, showing that he would continue to do so.


    Bai Ze looked at the four who were walking towards the entertainment room, then remembered the two adults who had just left. It felt like being forcefully fed dog food. It''s like his single dog ass was being attacked from all sides.


    How lonely. Should he also look for a girlfriend?


    Then, the image of a certain cat girl suddenly shed in his mind.

 Chapter 974: MEETING AND INVITATION

    TWO days after their meeting at Shen Ji Yun''s home, it was the eve of the start of the Spring Festival. Team Yunyue had been training non-stop since. Their only break was when they ate and slept.


    And today was no different.


    After training at Heaven''s Spire, the members of team Yunyue temporarily went back to their headquarters to discuss the result of their training. It had been that way ever since they started seriously training for the uing Arcadia Cup. Discussing what they had done wrong during the training and what else they could have improved on.


    This only showed how serious the team was about this uing Cup.


    "Tomorrow will be the opening ceremony of Arcadia Cup. Do we only have to be there?" Luo Yan asked after they finished their discussion for the day.


    "Actually, there''s no need for us to attend since it''s not really mandatory," Bai Ze said. "But we should go, nheless. It''s the team''s first appearance after the first Arcadia Cup. We should show them that we''re really back."


    "As much as I don''t want to agree with that guy, he''s right," Su Yuqi said. "If we don''t attend, they might think that we''re not taking this seriously."


    "I''m not opposed to it. I also think that we should attend," Luo Yan said in agreement.


    "But how about the fox kid and the two dragons? Should they also go with us?" Luo Jin asked.


    "Eclipse wants to go!" the fox-eared boy quickly said.


    "Hmp. I''m already lowering myself by participating in your annoying training. There''s no way I would attend some stupid ceremony," Rowan said, theplete opposite of Eclipse.


    "Who wanted you toe?" Eclipse retorted with a sneer.


    "What did you say, you impish brat?" Rowan argued back.


    While the two were bickering, Dusk only gave the rest of the team a look saying that he''s not interested.


    "It''s probably fine to have Eclipse with us since he already made his debut during the Rookie Carnival," Luo Yan said.


    "Yey!" Eclipse jumped out of his seat to show his excitement. Then he made a heart shape using his arms by putting it above his head. "Love you, Master!~" Then, as if feeling Shen Ji Yun''s gaze on him, he quickly added, "Of course, not as much as Captain."


    Luo Yan chuckled at that. While Shen Ji Yun only raised his brow slightly, but secretly agreeing inside.


    "It''s alright for Dusk and Rowan to not apany us. I think having their existence a secret until the final tournament would be better," Bai Ze suggested.


    The final tournament was when the qualifiers were over and only the top 16 teams remained. Luo Yan smiled at how confident his cousin was when he said that. It''s like he was already certain that their team would be part of the top 16 teams and, most of all, that they wouldn''t need the help of Dusk or Rowan to achieve that.


    Well, he couldn''t really me him. Because he also felt the same. With how they trained, and was still training, for the past weeks, he could say with confidence that their team wouldn''t lose to the top teams in the game right now. All of them were strong individually. And now that their team work had improved by leaps and bounds, they would definitely not be an easy opponent.


    "I agree. It''s better to not let them appear at least until the tournament," Shen Ji Yun finally spoke. "It could be a great advantage for us during that round."


    "Heh, so are you saying we''re going to be your ''secret weapons''?" Rowan said with a big, satisfied smirk. "Who knew you people have the sense to recognize greatness?"


    Eclipse rolled his eyes. "Oh please. Uncle Dusk is definitely great. Eclipse is not sure about you, though."


    Rowan red at Eclipse, and once again, the two started to bicker.


    The discussion continued. Mostly about what time they should meet tomorrow and when should they go to the venue of the opening ceremony. After they discussed everything that was needed to be discussed, they decided to log out since it''s almost time that they reach the time limit of being inside the game.


    "Brother Ji Yun, are you spending New Year''s eve with Uncle Yi Mu and Uncle Yue?" Luo Yan asked after everyone else left.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Yes. Uncle actually also wanted to spend time with Uncle Yue for the whole day tomorrow, but we have to go to Shen''s ancestral house to visit the family."


    Which he rather not, to be honest. But tradition was tradition. If the two of them didn''t go there, who knew what the Shen family''s patriarch would do? It''s already too much that they wouldn''t spend the reunion dinner with the rest of the family. So, they had no choice but to go there on the first day of the Spring Festival.


    Luo Yan noticed the reluctance in Shen Ji Yun''s voice when he mentioned that they had to visit the Shen family''s ancestral house. Could it be that the other didn''t have a good rtionship with the people from that side of his family? If that''s the case, then wasn''t just that too sad?


    Shen Ji Yun already didn''t have a good rtionship with his mother''s side of the family. If he also didn''t have a good rtionship with his father''s side, except Uncle Yi Mu, of course, then wouldn''t that mean that Uncle Yi Mu was the only one he had?


    Luo Yan still didn''t know much about Shen Ji Yun''s family circumstance, except for the things he had told him. Even if he wanted to ask the other right now about that, he couldn''t. Because he still believed that it''s better for Shen Ji Yun to naturally open up to him.


    Just like when the other told him about what happened to his parents.


    So, the only thing he could do right now was to cheer him up. He reached out and held Shen Ji Yun''s hand. He raised his head and smiled in the sweetest way he could.


    "Should we go to a temple fair?" he asked. "Just the two of us?"

 Chapter 975: PRETTY COUSIN

    THE Spring Festival was the most anticipated time of the year for the people of Country H. It marked the beginning of a new lunar year and was a time to gather with family, friends, and loved ones. Weeks in advance, streets and homes were decorated with bright rednterns and banners, symbolizing good luck and prosperity.


    On New Year''s Eve, families woulde together for a reunion dinner to enjoy a sumptuous feast and exchange red envelopes filled with money. As the clock struck midnight, the night sky would be illuminated with spectacr fireworks disys that lit up the city. The following days would be filled with lively temple fairs, parades, and cultural performances showcasing traditional music and dance.


    Visitors would be greeted with the sights and sounds of the festival, as locals and tourists alike enjoyed the bustling atmosphere. The temple fairs were a particr highlight, with vendors selling all sorts of tasty treats and souvenirs. Traditional performances featuring lion and dragon dances, acrobatics, and opera could be seen throughout the city.


    The Spring Festival was not only a celebration of a new year but also a celebration of culture and tradition, which had been passed down from generation to generation. It was a time of joy, reunion, and hope for the future.


    That''s why it''s the most anticipated holiday of the year for a lot of people. And Luo Yan was no different.


    This was his first Spring Festival with his new family. In his past life, he couldn''t really remember much when his parents were still alive. What he could remember was there was always a lot of food and the red envelopes that his parents would give him. Which he would then put in his piggy bank.


    His Spring Festival during his stay at the orphanage was much more fresh in his mind. Probably because he stayed there until he was 18-years-old. Although they didn''t have much in terms of food and money, he remembered how the director would always make sure that it would be a happy Spring Festival for him and the other children living in the orphanage.


    But this Spring Festival would definitely be differentpared to the ones he had in his past life. Not only in terms of grandeur, but because he would be spending it with his new family.


    Luo Yan looked back at the Bai family mansion. It was already decorated with rednterns, as well as red couplets. There were even paper cuttings and kumquats and tangerines. Inside, Aunt Xin was busy preparing with the maids for the reunion dinner.


    He actually wanted to help, but Aunt Xin refused and said that he should just y and rx outside. Because today was the reunion dinner, their team decided to only train during the morning. So, now he was outside, waiting for his father and older brother toe. From the message they both sent him earlier, they were already on their way here.


    Spring Festival usuallysted for 15 days. The two would stay here until the fifth day of the Spring Festival, which was usually the day that people went back to work.


    He then suddenly remembered what he asked Shen Ji Yun earlier about going to a temple fair. Temple fairs, a staple of Spring Festival, started on the first day and would oftenst for five to seven days. The two of them could go after his father and older brother went back to S City. That way, Luo Yan didn''t have to worry that his father would suspect something.


    Of course, there''s hardly anything to suspect about. He could just say that he would go out with the rest of team Yunyue, and if Luo Jin and Bai Ze helped him to cover things up, then there would definitely be no problem. But there''s no harm in trying to be more careful.


    Remembering the bright smile that appeared on Shen Ji Yun''s handsome face when he asked him to go on a temple fair, just two of them, Luo Yan also couldn''t stop the corner of his lips from curving up.


    Honestly, he was much more excited about that temple fair than the uing qualifying matches. Though he probably shouldn''t mention that to the rest of his team members, or it might make them angry. Of course, Shen Ji Yun was excluded from that. Because he''s certain that the other was probably feeling the same way as him.


    Luo Yan'' thoughts were interrupted when he felt something cold hitting his back. He turned around and saw Bai Ye holding a ball of snow. It was obvious that the other just threw a snowball at him.


    "Yan Yan, let''s y!" Bai Ye called.


    "Okay. But I shall warn you, I take my snowball fight very seriously, so it''s not my fault if you cry," Luo Yan said, acting all serious, as if he was warning the kid.


    Bai Ye only raised his chin in a proud manner. "I''m not a kid. Why would I cry?"


    Then, five minutester, the kid, who said that he wasn''t a kid, was stomping his feet in frustration. To the point that he really wanted to cry.


    It was because Luo Yan kept hitting him with a snowball while none of the snowballs he threw hit the other. Before he could throw the snowball in his hand, another one hit him in the face.


    At that moment, his frustration finally reached a breaking point, and he finally bawled his eyes out.


    "Waaa... Yan Yan is bullying me!"


    Luo Yan raised his brow when he saw that. Then he scratched his cheek, feeling a bit guilty. He walked towards Bai Ye and crouched down so the two of them could be at eye level.


    "Didn''t you say you''re not a kid? Why are you crying?" he asked, wiping the other''s tears.


    Bai Ye sobbed. "I don''t want Yan Yan to be my bride anymore!"


    Luo Yan almostughed when he heard that. Should he be thankful that this snowball fight finally ended his little cousin''s ''Yan Yan is my bride'' phase?


    He pinched the other''s cheek. "That''s fine. I can just be your pretty cousin."

 Chapter 976: COMPLETE

    BAI YE pouted when he heard that. Why did it feel like Yan Yan was just waiting for him to say that? Anyway, it''s true that he didn''t feel like making the other his bride anymore. It''s because Yan Yan now was too tall. By the time he caught up with the other''s height, Yan Yan would already be too old.


    Yes, just like what his mother said, it''s better to look for a bride that''s the close to his age.


    "Hmp! What are you saying? You''re my only pretty cousin," he said.


    Luo Yanughed at that. He didn''t know if the other was trying to be angry or if he was actuallyplimenting him. But he decided to just y along. "Yes, yes."


    "I don''t want to y anymore. I''m going inside."


    After saying that with a huff, Bai Ye ran back to the mansion.


    Luo Yan stood up and was also nning to go back when he saw a ck car entering the driveway. He knew immediately that it was definitely his father and older brother. The moment the car stopped, he ran towards it. And as expected, his father and older brother got down of the car from the back seat.


    "Dad! Brother!" he called.


    Before the two could turn to where he was, he had already arrived in front of them. He gave each a tight hug before saying;


    "I missed you!"


    "Yes, me too."


    The two said almost at the same time.


    Luo Yan was about to ask how their flight was when he noticed that both were wearing thin coats. So, instead, he asked;


    "Are Dad and Brother nning to shoot a drama?"


    Both showed confused looks at his question.


    "What are you talking about, Xiao Yan?" Luo Wei Tian asked, clearly not understanding why his son suddenly asked such a question.


    "It''s because both Dad and Brother were wearing such thin coats. In my short life experience, I''ve only seen male leads of dramas wear something like that during a cold winter weather like this. So, can you me me if I thought you''re about to shoot a drama? They''re doing it for aesthetics, so they could look more handsome on screen. But what about Dad and Brother? Both of you are already unequivocably handsome. So, there''s no need to sacrifice your health for style."


    Both Luo Wei Tian and Luo Ren were dumbfounded after hearing this. They only got back to their senses when they heard the suppressedugh of the driver who drove them here. The other quickly apologized before running as if the Luo father and son duo would beat him up.


    Luo Ren sighed, hiding his embarrassment. "That''s definitely not the case. I don''t know about Dad, though."


    "Hey, why are you throwing the ball back at me?" Luo Wei Tian argued. "I simple like this coat, okay?"


    Luo Yan shook his head and just pulled the two before they really had a cold.


    On another side of the city, inside Shen Yi Mu''s mansion...


    "Mom, I told you already, Ji Yun and I won''t attend tonight''s reunion dinner," Shen Yi Mu said to his mother, who was at the other end of the line.


    The other called him to ask him again if he could change his mind and go to dinner tonight. Of course, he wouldn''t. He and Ji Yun would already go to the main house tomorrow. So, he wanted to spend this important night with Ah Yue, at least.


    They had been separated for years and had only gone back together recently. If he could, he wanted to spend the rest of the Spring Festival with Ah Yue. So, not attending the reunion dinner tonight was the only concession he could give.


    "But Ah Mu, it''s only during these festivals and holidays that I can see yours and Xiao Yun''s face. Can''t you just attend for this old woman?" his mother said with a pleaded.


    Shen Yi Mu sighed. Really, if Ah Yue was not here, he probably would have already said ''yes''. That''s how it had always been whenever his mother talked to him in that kind of voice. Sadly, he really couldn''tpromise this time.


    "I''m sorry, Mom," he could only say.


    Actually, he wanted to add that even if he and Ji Yun went to the reunion dinner, their rtives would only nitpick at his nephew. Talking and saying horrible things to him behind his back. Those pricks. And to think they''re the same people who would try to curry favors with him just so he could ''share'' the blessing of hispany with them.


    Truly, if their IQ were not single digits, they would have thought that if they wanted to get to his good side, then they should treat Ji Yun better. Wasn''t it obvious how much he favored the otherpared to his other nephews and nieces? But no, they''re doing the exact opposite.


    The most likely reason for this was because of how the patriarch treated Ji Yun. They saw how much his father disliked Ji Yun that they thought it would be okay to treat him like he''s trash or something. They truly were just a bunch of garbage who couldn''t think for themselves.


    Shen Yi Mu''s thoughts were cut off when he heard his mother''s resigned sigh.


    "I know. But please try to go and visit us tomorrow with Xiao Yun," she said.


    After the call ended, he walked towards the kitchen where Ah Yue and Ji Yun were. The two were preparing the food for tonight''s dinner.


    When he reached the kitchen, he leaned his body sideways on the door frame and watched the two worked in harmony. Ji Yun was cutting up vegetables like some kind of professional chef while Ah Yue was rolling a noodle dough on the counter. Who would have thought he would see a scene like this?


    A smile automatically crossed Shen Yi Mu''s lips.


    And he truly felt for the first time in a long while that his family was finallyplete.

 Chapter 977: REUNION DINNER

    THE dining room of the Bai family mansion was filled with the aroma of various dishes, including fish, dumplings, and chicken, which were meticulously prepared by his aunt. The table was adorned with red tablecloths and a centerpiece of flowers, symbolizing good luck and prosperity.


    Everyone had a smile on their face, showing that they were all in a pretty good mood. How could they not be when they''re surrounded by family?


    Luo Yan savored each bite of the reunion dinner dishes, marveling at how delicious they were. The fish, steamed to perfection, was tender and ky, with just the right amount of seasoning toplement the delicate vor. The dumplings, filled with savory pork and chives, were plump and juicy, bursting with vor as he bit into them.


    As he sampled the chicken, he couldn''t help but exim at how moist and vorful it was, perfectly marinated with a blend of aromatic spices. Each dish was prepared with such care and attention to detail that he felt like he was experiencing a culinary masterpiece with every bite.


    The vegetables, stir-fried with garlic and ginger, were crisp and fresh, perfectly bncing out the richness of the meat dishes. And the rice, fragrant with the aroma of jasmine, provided a perfect base for the other vors to shine.


    "Aunt Xin, you outdid yourself," he couldn''t help but praise his aunt. "These are all very delicious."


    Luo Jin nodded while biting another dumpling, clearly agreeing with what Luo Yan had said.


    "Thank you, Xiao Yan," Sun Xin beamed at him. "It''s not just me. Everyone worked hard for this dinner. So, I''m really happy that you liked it."


    "You truly have a gift for cooking, Lan-er," Bai Chen added, nodding in agreement. "I don''t think I''ve ever tasted such sulent fish before."


    "I want more of those dumplings!" eximed Bai Ye, his face smeared with soy sauce and a wide grin on his face.


    "And the chicken!" chimed in Bai Ze. "It''s so vorful and tender."


    "I must agree," said Luo Yan''s father, taking a sip of his tea. "I''ve never tasted such a perfectly seasoned dish in my life."


    "I second that," his older brother added with a smile. "This meal has truly exceeded all my expectations."


    Sun Xin smiled with pride as she listened to the praise, feeling grateful for the chance to share her love of cooking with her family. It was moments like these that made all the hard work and preparation worth it.


    "Oh, stop it, all of you. The praises might get to my head if you don''t," she said in a joking tone.


    The lively dinner continued.


    Luo Yan, who was sitting next to his grandfather, kept giving the other food. Like deboning a fish and giving it to him or picking vegetables and putting it on his rice bowl. His grandfather would smile happily every time he did, saying ''thank you, Hua-er''.


    Although the other was only seeing his mother through him, it didn''t matter. If it could make his grandfather happy, then it''s fine.


    Conversations andughter filled the room.


    After dinner, everyone gathered in the garden to watch the fireworks. Bai Chen had bought special fireworks for this day. The house staff had already arranged the fireworks. Now, they only had to light it. After Bai Chen gave a signal, a slew of beautiful fireworks rose in the sky.


    Red, gold, and blue sparks sizzled and fizzled, illuminating the darkness like shooting stars. The colors blended together and separated in mesmerizing patterns, creating an intricate disy that left everyone in awe.


    As more fireworks were lit, the sky became a canvas for a symphony of color and light. Waves of sparkling blue and green trailed across the sky, followed by bursts of crimson and gold that rained down like glittering confetti. Bright white sparks danced across the canvas, then dissolved into a shower of emerald and sapphire.


    Each firework was more impressive than thest, and everyone cheered and gasped with delight as the sky was painted with intricate patterns and designs. Some fireworks shot up into the sky and exploded like flowers, sending petals of light cascading down in a graceful dance. Others sizzled and crackled, then exploded with a deafening boom that echoed off the surroundings.


    The colors of the fireworks were so vivid and bright that they seemed to illuminate the night, casting a warm glow on the faces of the people below. The air was filled with the sound ofughter and cheers, and the sweet, lingering smell of burnt gunpowder.


    Luo Yan was standing under such a colorful night sky and filming everything. As thest of the fireworks fizzled out, he sent the video he just filmed to Shen Ji Yun through WeChat.


    [yanyan1213]: Happy Lunar New Year, Brother Ji Yun!


    After that, he attached a rabbit sticker blowing kisses to the message.


    Although he was very happy to spend this time with his family, he would be much happier if Shen Ji Yun was also here. But he knew that the other also had a family he should spend this time with. He''s probably also having a wonderful time with Uncle Yi Mu and Uncle Yue.


    And that''s fine. Because there would definitelye a time in the future when the two of them would spend all the important holidays together. There might be some obstacles in the future they had to face before they reached that, but it didn''t matter. Because the two of them would face it all together.


    Even though they were not together at this moment, he felt a deep sense of contentment, knowing that he had Shen Ji Yun''s love and support, no matter what.


    Really, how lucky to be in love and be loved by such a man?


    Just as he was thinking of the other, his WeChat notification rang. He checked and saw that it was from Shen Ji Yun. He couldn''t help but smile as he read it.


    [luckycloud]: Happy Lunar New Year as well! I hope we can spend more time together, not just this year but in more years toe. Being with you feels like the most natural thing in the world. I love you, my foxy rabbit.

 Chapter 978: VISITING THE SHEN HOUSE

    ON the first day of the Spring Festival, the city woke up to the sound of firecrackers and the smell of incense. Families gathered together to exchange greetings, share meals, and give out red envelopes filled with money as a symbol of good fortune. The streets were decorated with rednterns and banners with auspicious phrases, and people donned new clothes in red and gold, the traditional colors of luck and prosperity. It was a day filled with joy, excitement, and anticipation for the days of celebration toe.


    But Shen Ji Yun was feeling the exact opposite. He was inside the car of his uncle, the both of them were on their way to the main house of the Shen family to celebrate Lunar New Year. Everyone he saw on the streets had a festive mood, but it was theplete opposite for him.


    Visiting his rtives on his father''s side had never really been a pleasant experience for him. Not when he was a child, and especially now that he was an adult. At least back then, they would only look at him with disdain. But now, it was apanied by venomous words. Their vitriol was even more palpable.


    He didn''t really care about. He was already used to it to the point of being numbed. His problem was the fact that they kept bothering him, even though it was so obvious how he was ignoring them. It''s like they wouldn''t stop until they get a reaction from him.


    Shen Ji Yun truly wondered just what kind of thought process those people had. He couldn''t understand, probably because he had never thought of doing what they''re doing.


    Anyway, he had already lost hope that those people would change. He''s not even dreaming of getting their recognition. The only thing he wanted from those people was for them to ignore him and leave him alone. Honestly, if not for his grandmother, he would not even bother to interact with those people.


    "Don''t worry, after we say hello to your grandma and eat lunch there, we''ll leave," his uncle suddenly said, as if knowing full well what he was thinking.


    He nced at the other driving. "Would it be okay, though?"


    "Yeah, just leave it to me," his uncle assured him.


    The other probably also just want to spend time with Uncle Yue. Thinking that, he suddenly thought of Luo Yan. How great would it be if he could also spend time with his rabbit on this special holiday?


    Then he thought of their temple fair date. It would happen four days from now, but he already couldn''t wait. A date, a real date that was not inside the game. The two of them could finally have one. Just thinking about it soothed his tired mind. Besides, the two of them would also meetter tonight in the game for Arcadia Cup''s opening ceremony.


    A small smile appeared on his lips as he thought of that.


    After arriving at the main house, Shen Yi Mu parked his car in the driveway and he and his nephew got out of the car. The both of them walked straight inside the huge mansion.


    There''s already a lot of people inside, most of them from the branch family. That''s why when they entered, a lot of people''s attention fell on them.


    Some quickly greeted Shen Yi Mu and then proceeded on talking about hispany. Just like how it had always been ever since Moonlight Media started growing big. How annoying.


    He gave them a fake smile and just greeted them before pulling Ji Yun to where his mother was. He immediately found where she was. It''s easy because he knew that she would be where the most people were. Sure enough, his mother was sitting beside his father while being surrounded by their rtives.


    The two walked to where they were. When the people saw them, they made way. Of course, it''s for Shen Yi Mu. If Shen Ji Yun was alone, they wouldn''t have bothered.


    Wu Meixiu stood up when she saw her youngest son and grandson walking towards her.


    "The two of you are finally here," she said.


    Shen Yi Mu hugged his mother first before greeting her. "Happy Lunar New Year, Mom."


    Shen Ji Yun quickly followed and hugged his grandmother. "Happy Lunar New Year, Grandma."


    Wu Meixiu smiled and patted the cheeks of the two. "Happy Lunar New Year to you two as well."


    "Hah, do you still know toe here? I almost thought you have forgotten that your surname is ''Shen''."


    Shen Yi Mu looked at his father when he heard the other scoff. He must be pertaining to how he didn''t attend the reunion dinnerst night.


    "Happy Lunar New Year, Dad," he only said, notmenting on the other''s mockery.


    Shen Ji Yun also greeted the other, but the old man, as usual, only gave Ji Yun a quick nce before turning his attention back to Shen Yi Mu.


    "Follow me to the study."


    Shen Wang Ji didn''t wait for his youngest son''s reply and just walked towards the study.


    Confused by this, Shen Yi Mu nced at his mother and the other only nodded and smiled, as if telling him to just go. Then, he turned to his nephew. Ji Yun also nodded, as if saying, ''I''ll be fine, so just go''.


    And so, he could only do that.


    When he entered the study, he was momentarily surprised when he saw his eldest brother there. The other was standing beside his father, who was sitting behind the desk.


    Shen Yi Mu quickly recovered his senses and continued walking. He stopped in front of the desk. "So, what is it?"


    His father suddenly pushed some kind of a folder on the desk towards him. "Go and meet this youngdy. She''s the youngest daughter of Wuhan Electronics."


    Shen Yi Mu froze on the spot. It felt like his ears were ringing.


    "You''re not getting younger anymore. You should find someone who will suit you and our family," his father continued.

 Chapter 979: OUT OF THE BAG

    SHEN YI MU looked at that folder for a long time without saying a word. He felt his insides trembling. From anger or disappointment, he didn''t know. Maybe from both.


    He knew that something like this would happen sooner orter. His father had been nudging him to get married for years already. It''s like every time he got older, the other would tell him to go and get married. But even so, his father had never arranged something like this for him.


    Then something suddenly shed in his mind. An information that was not that widespread among the public but quite well known among the upper circle. That the candidate most likely to be elected for the next election was being backed by the Wuhan Group.


    The next election was just around the corner. In March next year, to be exact. There''s one high government position that the president could appoint himself ¡ª the Premier. And who here was actually being groomed to be the next Premier?


    His eldest brother.


    "Is this your decision or elder brother''s suggestion?" he asked in a low, emotionless voice. He didn''t look at the two and just looked at the folder.


    "It''s my decision. How could it be rted to your brother?" his father asked in a voice as if silently saying ''why are you suddenly including your brother in this conversation?''.


    After hearing that, a dryugh escaped his throat. And thatugh slowly turned into something bitter and mocking.


    "Then why is he here? Isn''t it to make sure that I will agree to help him with his political career?" he asked, his voice filled with sarcasm.


    His father furrowed his brows. "This? What the hell are you talking about?"


    "Come on, let''s not delude ourselves. I know that you''re pushing this marriage to make sure that Brother''s political career would be as magnificent as you dreamed it to be. And I''m just the throwaway pawn you chose to sacrifice," he said with a mocking smile.


    He didn''t know if he was just imagining things, but a sh of hurt seemed to have appeared in his father''s eyes for a brief second before it was reced by anger. But how could that be possible?


    "Shen Yi Mu," his older brother said with a sharp warning look. The tone of his voice was obviously telling him to stop.


    This only made Shen Yi Mu even angrier. If this was a decision that was only made by their father, he wouldn''t be this angry. It was because his older brother was standing here, seemingly aware of what was happening, that it made his anger explode.


    Why? Because Shen Yi Wu knew about his sexual orientation. There''s no way he wouldn''t have known after that argument they had when Ah Yue disappeared. Although the two of them didn''t discuss it further after that, both of them had a tacit understanding to never mention that incident again. They both pretended as if it never happened.


    And yet, the other, despite knowing that he couldn''t possibly marry a woman, did not stop their father and even more likely agreed to this marriage match.


    Shen Yi Mu turned to their father, whose brows were now almost in one line because of how deeply it was furrowed. He didn''t care and just said straightforwardly;


    "I won''t meet her. I also don''t have any ns to marry any woman. No matter if they were from a prominent family or just a simple girl from the countryside."


    Their father hit the table hard with a ''bang''. "What nonsense are you saying? Do you think you''re still a teenager who can say such things?"


    "Dad, I didn''t say that because I''m trying to be rebellious. There''s a scientific and biological reason behind it," Shen Yi Mu said with a light tone, as if joking. But anyone who observed him closely would see that his eyes were not joking at all.


    Shen Yi Wu saw it and he suddenly had a very bad feeling.


    "I can tell you the reason if Dad wants to hear it."


    When he heard the other add that, he already understood what Shen Yi Mu was trying to do.


    "Shen Yi Mu, stop," he warned his younger brother once again.


    "No, let him say what he had to say," their father interrupted him. "I want to hear whatever this nonsensical reason was."


    Shen Yi Mu did not nce at his eldest brother and just focused his attention on their father.


    "The reason is very simple, really. It''s because I''m not into women, you see?" he said with a shrug. "In case Dad couldn''t understand that, I''m just saying that I''m gay."


    "Y-you--!" Their father''s face turned a bright shade of red. There was a sh of confusion at first on his face, but when he understood what Shen Yi Mu was saying, his facepletely turned livid. "This bastard! What the hell are you saying right now?"


    "I''m just exining why I can''t meet the woman you want me to meet and why a marriage between the two of us is possible," Shen Yi Mu said with a shrug. "By the way, Brother there also knows about my, let''s just say, inclination. So, Dad should me him for wasting your effort in arranging this... meeting."


    "Shen Yi Mu, have you really gone crazy?" Shen Yi Wu finally couldn''t bear it anymore and shouted.


    He was not angry that Shen Yi Mu involved him. He was just worried about the effect this ''confession'' would have on their father. He nced at their father. The other was trembling and breathing hard. He quickly took out their father''s medicine from the desk drawer just to be sure.


    "Dad, don''t listen to him. He''s just angry right now, that''s why he''s saying that."


    Shen Yi Muughed dryly. "Of course, I''m angry. But that doesn''t mean I''m lying."


    "Shut up, you brat!" Shen Yi Wu finally shouted.


    But Shen Yi Mu wasn''t fazed and continued. "I''m sorry, Dad. I''m gay and that''s the truth. This is me, the real me. I''m not hoping for your eptance, just a bit of respect would be enough. So, please, Dad, please don''t force me to cut ties with you."

 Chapter 980: NOT AN ILLNESS OR MADNESS

    "HAH! You want respect from me? After being so utterly disrespectful to your own father? You have the nerve to demand respect from me? You''re a disgrace! You have no right to ask for my respect!"


    Even without hearing his father''s angry rhetoric, Shen Yi Mu could tell just by the other''s expression how angry he was right now. His father''s face twisted into a scowl, his brow furrowing with frustration. The muscles in his face were taut and rigid. His breathing became shallow and rapid, and his nostrils red with each exhtion. A deep flush of color suffused his cheeks and neck, the veins in his temples bulging with pent-up anger. It was clear that he was on the verge of exploding, his fury barely contained beneath the surface.


    Shen Yi Mu had already taken that into ount when he decided to tell him that he''s gay. Because there''s no way the other wouldn''t be. His father, an ultra-conservative, who couldn''t even tolerate his son''s partner being a foreigner, what more if the other was of the same gender?


    But he didn''t care. This was thest straw. If he didn''t speak now, he would be forced to meet up with the woman his father obviously wanted him to marry. He should make a stand now, regardless of the oue.


    Shen Yi Mu had already learned his lesson when he lost Ah Yue before. Didn''t he promise himself that if he was given another chance to be reunited with the other, he would do everything in his power so the two of them would never be separated again? So how could he tolerate his father''s n of marrying him off?


    Besides, he was already thinking of telling his mother about his sexual orientation. This situation only pushed the schedule forward.


    His father held the back of his neck as if trying to suppress his rising blood pressure. His brother immediately gave the other his medicine, which their father readily epted.


    Shen Yi Wu red at him, his expression full of me. As if saying, ''if something happened to Dad, it''s all your fault''.


    Shen Yi Mu almostughed wryly at that. Whose fault was it that things escted to this point? He knew that he wouldn''t be able to go through this marriage and yet he didn''t say anything to stop their father to arrange this. Or was it because the other thought that what he felt for Ah Yue was just something temporary and he had already gotten over it. That his feelings for him totally had nothing to do with his sexual orientation?


    Yeah, he could totally see that, knowing his brother.


    Shen Yi Mu only spoke again once he saw that his father had drank his medicine and that he had calmed down a bit.


    "I apologized if you feel disrespected, but I won''t take back what I said. I can''t meet that woman with the intention of marriage, or any woman for that matter."


    "You--!"


    He spoke again before his father could continue what he was saying. "I know you must be thinking that I was doing this to rebel or that I only said what I said to avoid meeting this woman. But that''s not it, Dad. It''s simply because I''m gay. Brother knows about it, you can ask him. He can tell you that I''m not lying. He even knew I had a boyfriend before."


    Whatever his father was about to say stopped after he said that. The other nced at Shen Yi Wu. Thetter red at him even more fiercely, probably because he didn''t expect that he would involve him in this. Seeing his brother''s reaction, their father must have realized that he wasn''t lying.


    "You knew about this?" their father asked incredulously.


    Shen Yi Wu clenched his teeth. "I did."


    Shen Yi Mu had to give his brother props for just admitting it and not giving any excuses. But, of course, this simple admission only made their father angry.


    "And you didn''t bother to tell me?" their father yelled. "If you had, maybe we could have saved your brother from this... madness!"


    Now, Shen Yi Mu really had tough.


    "Dad, being gay is not an illness and most definitely is not some kind of madness, as you put it," he said dryly. "There''s nothing wrong with my brain. This is simply just... well, me. Nothing can be done about it. Unless, of course, you n to drug me, then throw me in a room with some random woman, and order her to have her way with me just so you could prove that I''m not gay."


    Their father finally turned his attention back to him. The other was ring almost as much as his brother. One could see that the anger inside him had nowe close to a boiling point.


    "How do you think your mother would react, hearing you say such... things?"


    Shen Yi Mu didn''t expect that his father would really go there. It''s like mentioning his mother was his ultimate trump card to straighten him up and pull him back from the ''right path''.


    If this was before he met Ah Yue again, he might have second thoughts. But it''s different now. Ah Yue was back with him. And he could no longer afford topromise. Even if it was for his mother.


    "She would be surprised and in shock. Maybe she would even have a hard time understanding and epting it. But with time, I know that Mom would still ept me. ept this me. Because I''m her son and she loves me," Shen Yi Mu said with confidence. "I can''t exactly say the same for you, Dad."


    Then, before the other''s temper blew up once again and threw something at him out of anger, he turned around and walked towards the door of the study. But beforepletely leaving, he nced at his father and brother and said;


    "And oh, if you try to do some underhanded things just so you could ''cure'' my ''problem'', please don''t. Because I''ll go straight to the media and announce to everyone that I''m gay."


    He opened the door and left.

 Chapter 981: MUCH EASIER THAN I THOUGHT

    AFTER his uncle followed his grandfather to the study, Shen Ji Yun was left with his grandmother. At first they were surrounded by other madams of the family, but after a while, they all left.


    Probably because they''re not ufortable with him around. Or, it''s probably more urate to say that they''re notfortable mocking him with his grandmother by his side. So, in the end, he and his grandmother were left alone. Which he very much preferred, to be honest.


    "What have you been up totely, Xiao Yun?" his grandmother asked with a smile.


    "There''s really nothing much," Shen Ji Yun said. "Ah, I''m preparing something with my friends," he added as an afterthought, referring to the training he''s doing with the rest of team Yunyue.


    Hearing her grandson talked about his friends, Wu Meixiu felt relieved. With everything that had happened to this child, she was always worried that Xiao Yun would never try to open his heart to other people.


    She had only heard that he seemed to be friends with the eldest young master of the Bai family, as well as the youngdy from the Su family. But even so, she still worried about this grandson of hers. Probably because he had never heard the other mentioned his friends whenever she asked him about them. So, she thought that this friendship might just be on the surface and her grandson didn''t really consider them as friends.


    But seeing the expression on Xiao Yun''s face when he mentioned his friends just now, it''s clearly not the case. It seemed that the reason the other did not mention his friends in front of her must be because he''s still notfortable around her. That he was keeping her at a safe distance, neither close nor far. Just enough not to be treated as a stranger.


    This thought somehow made Wu Meixiu sad. Although Xiao Yun was closer to her inparison to his other paternal rtives, excluding Ah Mu, it really didn''t mean much considering how the other members of the Shen family treated him.


    Well, it was her fault. She should have tried harder to make Xiao Yun feel more wee in the family. But sadly, no matter what she said, she couldn''t change the stubborn attitude of her husband. He was too set on his old ways, too resistant to change.


    As she was thinking that, she seemed to hear her husband roar.


    "Shen Yi Mu, you bastard,e back here!"


    Wu Meixiu thought that it was just her auditory hallucination. But when she noticed that almost everyone in the living room stopped what they''re doing and looked in the direction of the study, she knew that they heard the same thing as her.


    She also turned her head in the study''s direction, just in time to see her youngest son striding out of the room.


    Shen Ji Yun stood up after seeing his uncle, feeling that something must have happened. Once the other passed by to where he and his grandmother were, his uncle gave his grandmother an apologetic nce before telling Shen Ji Yun that they should go.


    He didn''t ask much and just followed his uncle.


    When they were about to get inside his uncle''s parked car, a voice stopped them from behind.


    "Shen Yi Mu, stop this instant!"


    Shen Ji Yun nced back and saw his elder uncle. The other was looking at his uncle with zing eyes, obviously very angry.


    "Are you really going to be like this?" his elder uncle asked with narrowed eyes.


    His uncle only scoffed at the question. "What, do you really expect me to just stand there, say ''yes'', and obediently meet that woman?"


    Shen Ji Yun became even more confused when he heard that. But he decided that it was not his ce to interfere in this conversation and just quietly got inside the car to at least give the two brothers some form of privacy.


    Shen Yi Wu gritted his teeth. "You could have said ''no'' without telling Dad about your... orientation, as you put it."


    "Hah! Do you honestly think that would be enough? If you didn''t want me to reveal my ''dirty'' secret to our father, then you should have stopped him in the first ce. For all I know, you instigated him to do this."


    Shen Yi Mu saw his brother''s expression darkened after he said that. But he really didn''t care.


    "Is that how you think of me?" the other asked in a cold tone.


    "It doesn''t matter what I think. What happened has already happened anyway," he said with a shrug, as if he couldn''t care less. "If you have nothing more to say, I''m leaving."


    When he was about to turn around, his brother suddenly shouted.


    "Dad is only thinking of what''s good for you!"


    That made Shen Yi Mu stop and the anger that he managed to calm down erupted once again. He sharply turned his head towards his brother.


    "What''s good for me? Are you seriously hearing yourself right now? I''m not a teenager. Heck, I''m not even in my 20s. I will be turning 40 in a few years and you really think I don''t know what''s good for me?"


    He took a deep breath to calm himself when he saw his brother not responding.


    "Let''s just stop here." He turned around and opened the door to the driver''s seat. But before getting inside, he nced once more at his brother and said, "And oh, my threat earlier in the study is still very much valid."


    After saying that, he finally got inside the car and started the ignition. And the car left the Shen family vi''s driveway.


    There was silence inside the car. After a few minutes of that, Shen Ji Yun finally couldn''t hold back his curiosity and asked;


    "Uncle, what happened?"


    Because something obviously did happen. If not, his uncle wouldn''t walk out of the house like that and even argue with the elder uncle. Since he went inside the car in a timely manner, he didn''t really hear their conversation.


    "Oh that. Well, I came out of the closet," his uncle said nonchntly. "It''s surprisingly much easier than I thought."

 Chapter 982: UNCLE, NEPHEW TALK

    IF Shen Ji Yun was the one driving, he would have probably stepped on the break the moment he heard what his uncle said. He nced at the other. His uncle had a carefree look on his face, as if he had finally let go of a heavy burden he had been carrying for a long time. And maybe he was.


    There was no way that his uncle was joking just now. So, it''s natural to think that the other really did juste out of the closet. Added that to the fact that he stormed out of his grandfather''s study and the reaction of his elder uncle, then there''s no doubt that he indeed just dropped the ''bomb'' in the study.


    If that was the case, then it was no wonder that he looked so liberated. It was a secret that his uncle had harbored for decades. And now, he was finally able to let it out.


    But knowing his uncle, Shen Ji Yun was certain that the other didn''t n to do that today of all days. If he really wanted to e out of the closet'' as he put it, he would tell it first to his grandmother. So, it''s more urate to say that he was forced to reveal it.


    "Did Grandfather do something to make you angry?" he asked, because that''s the only reason he could think of why his uncle would do this confession.


    Shen Yi Mu was silent for a moment before answering, "He set me up with a blind date."


    Shen Ji Yun was slightly surprised when he heard that. Considering his uncle''s age, it would definitely be a blind date with the goal of marriage. However, with his uncle''s temperament, he didn''t think that it would be enough to anger him to that extent.


    But then again, considering how his uncle was just recently reunited with Uncle Yue, the other might be in a sensitive state. If he thought that his rtionship with Uncle Yue might be affected and he might lose the other again, there''s a possibility that he would be too sensitive and so, he reacted like that.


    Not that he could me him. If he was in his uncle''s shoes, he would probably react the same way. Thankfully, he probably wouldn''t experience being forced to a blind date.


    His uncle already knew about him and Luo Yan. And if his grandmother epted his uncle''s rtionship with Uncle Yue, which she most likely would, then it would be easier for her to ept his rtionship with Luo Yan.


    They were the only elders in his family whose opinions mattered to him. So, if it was okay for them, then he had nothing to worry. Except for Luo Yan''s family, or rather, his father, Uncle Wei Tian.


    "Did Grandfather not have a heart attack because of your sudden confession?" Shen Ji Yun thought of asking.


    His grandfather was already at that age where a big stimtion like that could cause a heart attack. Even if the other had not been kind to him, he wouldn''t wish him harm. After all, he was still his grandfather.


    "Don''t worry, Elder brother was there, and he readily gave Dad medicine."


    Shen Yi Mu knew that his elder brother would immediately support their father in case something went wrong. That''s why he didn''t hesitate to say what he said. No matter how angry he was, he wouldn''t wish for something bad to happen to his father.


    Shen Ji Yun asked another question, "How will Uncle exin things to Grandma?"


    "I''ll meet her tomorrow to exin things properly."


    Just like he said to his father, Shen Yi Mu was not worried that his mother wouldn''t ept him. It would probably take a bit of time for her to fully digest this... revtion. But that didn''t mean that she would avoid him for it. His mother would treat him the same way, probably with just a bit of awkwardness.


    And once she''s finally ready, he would ask her to meet with Ah Yue.


    Thinking of his ns for the future, he couldn''t help but smile.


    Shen Ji Yun saw that smile and was a bit relieved. If his uncle could smile like that despite what happened, then that must mean that he was no longer as angry.


    "You and the rest of your team will attend the opening ceremony for Arcadia Cup, right?" His uncle suddenly asked after a while,pletely changing the subject.


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t mind since there''s really nothing more he could ask him. "Yes. I heard the venue this year for the opening ceremony is a new area that hasn''t been opened yet."


    "Did Zhao Cheng leak information to you again?" Shen Yi Mu asked with a frown, referring to his friend, as well as the head of Moonlight Media''s programming department.


    "No, I just deduced it on my own," Shen Ji Yun said expressionlessly.


    Well, it''s not like he''s lying. Although he did talk to Brother Zhao, he didn''t ask about that directly. He was just able to deduce it naturally.


    "Then, did you also know that there would be special performances during the ceremony?"


    His uncle asked that with a bit of teasing in his tone, which made him a little confused. He tilted his head and asked;


    "Isn''t that already amon urrence?"


    Since there''s always special performances during Arcadia Cup''s opening ceremony. After all, if the ceremony was only about weing all the teams who would participate in this season''s Cup, then it would be boring. Just like any event, special performances were a must for the audience.


    His uncle seemed to be satisfied with his reaction, since a smug expression appeared on his face. No, it was more like the other was gloating that he knew something that he didn''t. But wasn''t that only natural since he was the president of Moonlight Media and therefore had more knowledge about this event?


    "Hmm... I don''t know, maybe one of this year''s special performances would surprise you."


    Shen Ji Yun could only shake his head and decided not to take his uncle''s answer too seriously.

 Chapter 983: TO THE OPENING CEREMONY

    ALL five members of team Yunyue were all gathered in the main hall of their headquarters. They were waiting for the right time to teleport to the venue for Arcadia Cup''s opening ceremony. Eclipse was also there with the two dragons.


    "Why do we even have to be here?" Rowanined. "This fox brat is the only one going with you, so why do Brother Dusk and I have to be here, too?"


    This was because they had decided to keep the existence of the two dragons a secret until the qualifiers ended. Although they were seen by members of team Sanguis before, both of them were in their humanoid form. Anyone who saw them wouldn''t immediately think that they were ''pets''. People''s first thoughts would be that they were real yers.


    "Hey, this is called camaraderie, okay?" Bai Ze said. "As a member of this team, you have to be here to cheer us on."


    "What''s there to cheer you on? It''s not like you''re going to fight someone," Rowan muttered, but he still stayed silent after that, no longerining.


    "This opening ceremony will be held in a new venue, right?" Bai Ze asked, turning his attention back to the other four. "What do you think it will look like?"


    "From what Brother Zhao said, it was an area that my uncle programmed and designed himself," Shen Ji Yun said.


    ording to the other, it was also an area that his uncle had made before the VR version of Arcadia even came out. So, it must be an area that his uncle put a lot of thought into. There''s only one thing he was curious about. If his uncle had already finished this area long ago, why did he only reveal it now?


    It would be more understandable if this was the 10th season of Arcadia Cup. Having a new venue at that time could show that they were celebrating a decade since Arcadia Cup started. But it was only the seventh season now. What made this season so special?


    Surely it was not because their team was making aeback, right?


    "But why can''t we just go there early? Why do we have to wait for a certain time to go?" Luo Jin asked.


    Each team that was set to participate in this season''s Cup was given a special teleportation scroll that would directly send them to the venue for today''s opening ceremony. Together with the teleportation scroll, there was a reminder that said that they should use it on the time indicated on the scroll or else the scroll would lose its effect. Meaning, they could only teleport at the given time.


    "Maybe because of the program they prepared for this opening ceremony," Luo Yan said, no one caught the hidden meaning in his words.


    "I heard there''s going to be a lot of performance for tonight," Bai Ze said.


    "Can we leave ahead if it''s boring?" Su Yuqi asked. The expression on her face already saying that she really didn''t want to go.


    "It will definitely not be boring!" Eclipse suddenly interrupted.


    Su Yuqi nced at the little fox with interest. "How can you be so sure?"


    A look of panic shed across Eclipse''s face. But he quickly recovered and said, "Because Eclipse had a feeling that it will be!"


    Su Yuqi looked at Eclipse, and then at Luo Yan and said, "Hmm... I see."


    Although this little interaction didn''t catch anyone''s attention, Eclipse was still panicking inside. He reached out telepathically to Luo Yan.


    [Master! Just now, did Eclipse mess up?]


    Luo Yan nced sideways at Su Yuqi before responding, [It''s fine. Just don''t show any other reaction from now. At least until everything is over.]


    [Yes! Don''t worry, Master! Eclipse will do his best not to be too suspicious.]


    Luo Yan nced down at the child standing beside him with a determined look on his little face and he almost said that the other was already being suspicious by acting like that. But he only ruffled the boy''s ck hair, thinking that the other was cute.


    "Ah, by the way, Brother Xiang Ye called me this morning. He said that he and Brother Yu Lan will go on vacation here. Their arrival will probably fall on or before the finals of the Cup," Su Yuqi suddenly said.


    "Really?" Bai Ze asked with excitement.


    Even Shen Ji Yun showed a hint of a smile after hearing that.


    Of course, Luo Yan and Luo Jin both knew who this Xiang Ye and Yu Lan were. They were the other two original members of team Yunyue. Both were two years older than Shen Ji Yun, Bai Ze, and Su Yuqi. But surprisingly, the five of them formed this team and even won the championship of the first Arcadia Cup.


    The three would mention the other two from time to time, but not that often. But recently, during training, the amount of times the name of the two were mentioned had be more frequent.


    From what they heard, the two decided to study abroad after graduating from high school and that''s why they were only three members of team Yunyue when they joined. Maybe the two still wanted to y, but sadly, Arcadia was still not avable outside of this country.


    "If they''re going to watch us, then we should definitely win," Luo Yan said.


    "Right?" Bai Ze agreed. "Both Brother Xiang Ye and Yu Lan will definitely be d to see uspeting in the Cup again."


    "It''s time. We should go," Luo Jin reminded.


    "We''re going. Watch the house for us, okay?" Bai Ze said to the two dragons.


    One scoffed at him, and the other didn''t even bother to reply.


    "Let''s go," Shen Ji Yun said.


    With that, he took out the special teleportation scroll and tore it in half. Some kind of seal appeared under the feet of six people. And then, they disappeared from where they were standing in a blink of an eye.


    When they opened their eyes, some kind of magical scene appeared in front of them.

 Chapter 984: THE NEW AREA

    UNDER the gentle luminosity of the moon, they stood transfixed by the breathtaking panorama that unfolded before them. A tapestry of enchantment stretched as far as the eye could see. Towering trees reached skyward, their silhouettes adorned with leaves that shimmered like silver. Soft moonlight caressed thendscape, casting an ethereal glow upon the meandering streams that meandered through the terrain.


    The air was filled with a tranquil stillness, disturbed only by the hushed whispers of nocturnal creatures. Flowers of vibrant hues dotted the meadows, their petals aglow with a delicate luminescence. Each petal seemed to radiate a soft light, illuminating the surroundings with an otherworldly beauty. The intery of light and shadow painted a scene that felt like stepping into a realm untouched by mortal hands.


    As their gaze swept across thendscape, they marveled at the seamless fusion of nature and moonlight. The moon''s ethereal touch turned the ordinary into the extraordinary, transforming the familiar into a dreamscape of wonder. In that moment, they became part of a world where reality shimmered with a touch of enchantment, a ce where the moon''s gentle embrace breathed life into every de of grass and every dancing leaf.


    "Wow. This ce was definitely well thought out," Bai Ze said as he looked around. "They definitely put a lot of work on this."


    Luo Yan couldn''t agree more. This ce was on par, no probably even prettier than the ce where the King''s castle was.


    "But where are the others?" Luo Jin asked.


    They seemed to be near the summit of some mountain. As evidence of their high vantage point, allowing them to see the majority of this new area.


    "Maybe each team was teleported to different parts of this area," Bai Ze said.


    <strong>...</strong>

 Chapter 985: START OF THE OPENING CEREMONY

    EVEN though, on the outside, the stadium looked like it was totally made of ss. The interior wasn''t exactly like that. The walls and floors looked more like frozen ice. That''s why it felt like they were walking inside an ice castle, minus the coldness. But this was probably better than having everything made of ss. At least people with acrophobia wouldn''t be so ufortable.


    As team Yunyue followed the little fairy, they met other teams along the way. The others obviously did a double-take when seeing them. Most were surprised, probably because they didn''t expect to see them. While others raised their fighting spirit and tantly looked at them as if saying ''we''re not afraid to fight you!''.


    Sadly for them, team Yunyue didn''t have much reaction. Except for Bai Ze, who didn''t hesitate to grin at them, showing his feline fangs.


    The little fairy guiding them then stopped in front of a wall. The wall then opened like a sliding door. It was the same for the other teams near them.


    [Please, go inside and enjoy tonight''s opening ceremony!]


    After saying that, the little fairy just disintegrated into small light particles.


    The members of team Yunyue walked inside the room that the little fairy led them to. The inside was like that of a private box of an opera theater. There were about 10 seats inside. A transparent ss was in front, so they could see what was outside.


    Since the building was simr to a stadium, there were different floors of the same private box, circling around a stage at the very middle. They could not only see the wide stage at the center, but also the other boxes around.


    "Well, this is definitely better than sitting in a space together with all the other teams," Bai Ze said as he sat down on one of the seats. "At least everyone has their privacy."


    Usually, during the past opening ceremony, there would be a space in the audience area where all the teams participating sat together. Only those in the top four of the previous season were allowed to have their own private space. That''s why some team didn''t even bother to attend the opening ceremony or they would just send one or two representatives.


    "There''s a privacy setting here so people from the outside can''t see us," Luo Jin said, looking at a set of buttons beside the transparent window. "Should I turn it on?"


    "Yeah, do that," Su Yuqi said.


    Considering how their team''s participation in this season''s Arcadia Cup created a lot of buzz, the other teams'' curiosity about them couldn''t be easily stopped. As evidence of how those teams they encountered earlier who couldn''t stop looking at them. She was sure that it would be the same when they entered this private box. Those who could see them from the outside would definitely gawk.


    She didn''t want to be treated like some spectacle in a zoo. So, having this privacy setting was definitely good.


    After Luo Jin pushed the button, all five of them had already sat down in their seats. Wait- five?


    All four almost turned to ''Luo Yan'' at the same time.


    "Where''s the fox?" Luo Jin asked, only now realizing that Eclipse was not there. Then, he noticed that something was ''off'' about his brother as he stared at the other.


    He was not the only one who felt that.


    Shen Ji Yun had already noticed it way earlier. Even before they entered this private box. He knew that the other was definitely not his Luo Yan. Because if it was, then his heart rate would speed up the moment he gazed at him. Just like it always did from the moment they met.


    But right now, as he looked at this ''Luo Yan'', his heart was as calm as ake. There was no wave, not even a slight ripple. Add that to the fact that Eclipse was currently missing, he could already guess what was happening. At least, a part of it.


    Before ''Luo Yan'' could give an answer, the surrounding suddenly turned dark. Then a single spotlight shone on the stage in the middle, shining at a man standing there.


    It was a tall man with ck hair neatlybed back. Only a few strands strayed on his smooth forehead. He was wearing all ck¡ªck coat tails, ck tie, ck undershirt, ck trousers, and ck shoes. A monocle covered one of his dark purple eyes. A ck spade-shaped earring was dangling in one of his ears.


    Any yer from Arcadia who had been seriously ying the game for at least five years would know the identity of the person at the center of the stage.


    It was one of the four dukes of Arcadia ¡ª the Duke of Spades.


    "Wee to all the warriors here. I will be the host of this year''s Arcadia Cup," he said in a deep baritone voice. His voice reflected theck of expression on his face.


    Just like the Rookie Carnival, one of the four dukes always hosted the Arcadia Cup. So, this year, it was the turn of the Duke of Spades.


    "To start this opening ceremony, do enjoy the performances we had prepared for you."


    After saying that, he disappeared from where he was standing and the surroundings turned dark again. Once the stage was finally fully illuminated, several female NPCs appeared.


    All of them were wearing ancient clothing. Some were sitting behind a guqin, others were standing holding a bamboo flute, while the rest were just standing around the female NPC that was the most eye-catching of all.


    It was a ''woman'' with long ck hair that was freely flowing behind ''her'' back. ''She'' was wearing a red dress with a bold and vibrant hue, instantly drawing gazes. The silhouette gracefully contoured the wearer''s figure, showcasing ''her'' form with understated allure. Delicate threads of intricate embroidery intertwined across the dress, forming exquisite patterns.


    When the ''woman'' raised ''her'' head, revealing a pair of beautiful peach blossom shaped eyes, Shen Ji Yun unknowingly stood up from his seat.

 Chapter 986: DANCING PRETTILY

    ON the magnificent stage, the audience was held spellbound by the exquisite dance unfolding before them. Bathed in a soft glow, the ''girl'' moved with a grace that seemed to defy gravity, perfectly attuned to the enchanting melodies of the guqin ensemble and the lilting bamboo flutes.


    ''Her'' long, ebony hair cascaded down ''her'' back, catching the light and adding a touch of allure to her every movement. Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade of blue speckled with gold, shimmered with a captivating intensity that held the onlookers in thrall.


    As ''she'' swayed and twirled, ''her'' crimson attire spun around ''her'' like a vibrant whirlwind. The fabric responded to ''her'' every motion, caressing ''her'' form and entuating the elegance of ''her'' dance.


    The audience, unable to tear their gaze away, marveled at ''her'' ethereal beauty. Whispers of admiration spread throughout the stadium, as each observer recognized the extraordinary presence the ''girl'' possessed.


    The spectators found themselves drawn into ''her'' performance, unable to resist the allure of ''her'' fluid movements. A sense of awe filled the air, mingling with a profound appreciation for ''her'' artistry.


    ''Her'' dance, like poetry in motion, evoked a profound sense of tranquility and longing within the hearts of those watching. The audience couldn''t help but be captivated by ''her'' effortless grace and the seamless harmony ''she'' created with the music.


    As the performance reached its climax, a collective breath was held, as if time stood still. The room erupted in thunderous apuse; the sound echoing through the hall as a testament to the profound impact the girl''s dance had made.


    It was not only the yers in their private boxes who were in an uproar, those watching the live broadcast could also not calm down.


    [WOW! Isn''t that too pretty? Who is this performer? Is it a celebrity I don''t know about?]


    [That''s the goddess of Yuexing Pavilion!]


    [You''re right! I only saw her during the opening of Yuexing Pavilion so I almost forgot how she looked like.]


    [How can you forget such a goddess???]


    [But seriously, whoever programmed her should receive a raise. That''s one heck of a pretty NPC.]


    [Is this the first time that Arcadia Cup let an NPC to perform during the opening ceremony? Didn''t they usually hire celebrites?]


    [Yuexing Pavilion is already like a staple in the game even though it had only opened a few months ago. It''s not surprising that they made the NPCs from there to perform here.]


    [Oh right, the NPCs ying the guqin and the flute, as well as the back-up dancers, seemed to be all from Yuexing Pavilion. I was so engrossed by Goddess Yuexing''s performance that all my attention was on her.]


    [Hey, that''s a good name, Goddess Yuexing.]


    [She should perform with Goddess Liuli! That would be such a sight.]


    [That''s not a bad idea! Will Goddess Liuli also perform like she didst year?]


    =====


    At the same time, inside the private box where team Celestials was. Not all the members of the team were there, since it was a pretty big team. Only the main yers, as well as the reserved yers, were there. Except for Song Liuli, who was currently preparing for her performance. Yes, she would also performter on.


    "Is that girl really an NPC from Yuexing Pavilion?" Qiu Ming asked when he heard some of the yers from their team saying that.


    "Yes, Brother Qiu," confirmed by one of the team members there. "She also danced during the opening of the Yuexing Pavilion."


    "Wait- then Brother Yu and Sister Lili also saw this NPC perform in real time?" Qiu Ming asked, turning towards Duan Yu, who was sitting beside him. He remembered that the two were the only ones who went on the opening of the Yuexing Pavilion.


    Duan Yu gave Qiu Ming, the youngest member of team Celestials main yers, a sideway nce. When he saw how the other''s eyes shimmered as he stared at the ''female NPC'', he had to pour cold water on this kid''s enthusiasm before it escted further into something out of control.


    "That''s a special NPC who rarely appears in Yuexing Pavilion," he said in azy tone. "Even if you go there every day, you won''t be able to see her."


    Qiu Ming was obviously disappointed after hearing that. "Aww... why? The game should take advantage of her poprity and make a backstory about her. Wait- could we request the king to have her as a reward if we win again this year?"


    "Stop with your nonsense," Zhong Hui said in his usual grave tone.


    Qiu Ming pouted. "Brother Min, look, Brother Hui is bullying me again."


    Li Xu Min chuckled and just ruffled Qiu Ming''s hair. Then, he looked at the stage again where the female NPC was. He couldn''t stop the feeling that the other looked somehow familiar.


    Simr conversations urred in boxes of different teams. But most of them were just expressing their admiration for the beautiful NPC.


    The only one that probably had a different atmospherepared to the others was the private box of team Yunyue.


    After the performance, Bai Ze, Su Yuqi, and Luo Jin looked at the fake Luo Yan at the same time. But the one sitting there was a young boy with fox ears instead of a moon elf.


    Eclipse smiled at them, totally unaffected. "Did you see? Master is so amazing!"


    "Did none of you know about this?" Bai Ze asked, looking at the stage once again where his cousin was.


    Luo Jin shook his head. "I have no idea."


    "Just when did he have time to even rehearse this?" Bai Ze said in amazement. "No, rather, how did he even end up performing here?"


    "More important than that, is Luo Yan really that good at dancing?" Su Yuqi asked with interest.


    "No, Master has a skill that lets him dance prettily!" Eclipse said, not hesitating to reveal his master''s secret.


    Shen Ji Yun ignored all the surrounding conversation. All his attention was focused on the elf on the stage. He truly wanted to just jump down and pull the other to his arms, give him one hell of a kiss and show to everyone that he was his boyfriend.

 Chapter 987: ROMANTIC (CHEESY) ONE-LINERS

    A smile appeared behind the veil covering Luo Yan''s lower face. When he heard the apuse of the people in the stadium, he knew that his pavilion''s presentation was a sess. Now, he was d that he asked Uncle Yi Mu for this useless dance skill.


    Yes, this dance was a different skill from the one he originally had. Because he had already used that one during the opening of Yuexing Pavilion. If he used it again, then it would seem that he''s an ''NPC'' that only knew one kind of dance. So, he contacted Uncle Yi Mu and asked him if he could tailor a skill specifically for this opening ceremony. And, judging from the apuse he''s hearing, Uncle Yi Mu definitely more than delivered.


    So, how did he actually ended up asking Uncle Yi Mu that in the first ce? Well, it all happened on Sunday, just a day before he and Luo Jin flew to B City.


    Luo Yan was checking his luggage, making sure that there''s nothing he had forgotten. That''s when he received a call from Uncle Yi Mu.


    "Uncle Yi Mu?" he greeted in a half confused, half curious tone. Because he wasn''t sure why the other would be calling him on a Sunday morning.


    "Hey, Xiao Yan, do you know about the opening ceremony of Arcadia Cup?"


    This question only made Luo Yan more curious. "Yes? But why is Uncle Yi Mu asking that?"


    "Are you interested in performing there?"


    Luo Yan almost thought that he was having an auditory hallucination. Why would Uncle Yi Mu suddenly ask him to perform there?


    "Ahm, Uncle Yi Mu, is Moonlight Media about to go bankrupt?"


    "This kid, why are you suddenly asking something so ominous?"


    "Because if Moonlight Media is not going bankrupt, why is Uncle asking me to perform at the opening ceremony? Of course, my first thought would be that yourpanycked funds to invite celebrities or something," Luo Yan reasoned out in apletely serious voice.


    He heard a loudugh from the other end of the line. "No, it''s definitely not that. That elf from the opening of Yuexing Pavilion? It''s you, right? I just happened to see it the other day and thought that you could perform at the opening ceremony together with the other NPCs from your pavilion."


    Ah, so technically, Uncle Yi Mu was inviting Yuexing Pavilion, and not exactly just him. The pavilion had been a favorite hang-out spot by yers since it opened a few months ago. One of the highlights of the pavilion was the performances being performed by the NPCs there. So, it''s not really that weird if Uncle Yi Mu asked him if they could perform at the opening ceremony.


    But...


    "I can just lend the NPCs from my pavilion, Uncle. There''s no reason for me to specifically perform with them," he said. After all, the reason he could dance was only because of a skill.


    "Why, don''t you want to surprise Ji Yun?"


    And with that one sentence, Luo Yan waspletely convinced and readily agreed.


    =====


    Well, he''s a simple boy. He heard Shen Ji Yun''s name and just couldn''t reject Uncle Yi Mu''s proposal.


    After that, he simply had to get the dance skill he requested from Uncle Yi Mu, then coordinate with the person supervising the whole event. Of course, as the owner of the pavilion and not as the beautiful ck-haired elf. His identity as that elf was still a secret, and he''s not particrly keen on revealing it to everyone. Except his team mates, naturally.


    And this performance was the end result.


    Luo Yan was very satisfied with it.


    As the stage went dark once again, the NPCs on the stage disappeared, most likely being transported back to Yuexing Pavilion. He was also teleported away. But his destination was not the pavilion but the private box where team Yunyue was.


    This was something that Uncle Yi Mu had prepared so he wouldn''t have a problem going back to his teammates after the performance.


    When Luo Yan opened his eyes, he was already inside his team''s private box. His gaze automatically searched for Shen Ji Yun and it just so happened that the other turned his head to look in his direction. Their gaze met and Luo Yan suddenly felt like Shen Ji Yun was about to devour him with his fiery beast-like eyes.


    Before he could fully react, a ''cannon ball'' suddenly threw himself at him. "Master, you''re amazing!"


    Luo Yan looked away from his boyfriend''s hungry gaze and looked down at the little boy hugging his arm. He ruffled Eclipse''s hair. "Thank you. Did you do a good job here?"


    Eclipse patted his chest in a proud manner. "Of course! They didn''t even know that Eclipse was impersonating master."


    Luo Yan raised his brow and looked at Shen Ji Yun again. "Even Brother Ji Yun didn''t realize that I wasn''t here? Now, I''m feeling a bit heartbroken," he said, acting all sad.


    Shen Ji Yun''s fiery gaze quickly turned into panic and he immediately stood in front of Luo Yan in just two strides. "No, I noticed way before. I just didn''t say anything because I thought you have your reason for letting Eclipse do that."


    Luo Yan looked up at the other. "Really?"


    Shen Ji Yun reached for Luo Yan''s hand and held it tightly. "Really. How can I even mistake you for another when you''re the only one who can make my heart beat like a speeding race car?"


    "Stop. Stop! Please don''t flirt in front of us single dogs!" Bai Ze said, covering his eyes as if he was watching something unsavory.


    "I think I just threw up a little bit hearing that cheesy line," Su Yuqi said in a dry voice.


    "Same," Luo Jin agreed. "My stomach is actually already churning."


    Luo Yan was looking at Shen Ji Yun, so he saw how the other''s face turnedpletely red after hearing the other''sments. Heughed and just hugged Shen Ji Yun''s waist.


    Then, he whispered to the other, "Don''t worry, Brother Ji Yun. I loved your romantic one-liners."

 Chapter 988: LOVE CAN MAKE ONE BLIND

    Chapter 988: LOVE CAN MAKE ONE BLINDAFTER exining to his teammates the process of how he ended up performing here at the opening ceremony of the Cup, Luo Yan was finally able to sit beside Shen Ji Yunfortably. Of course, he was back in his usual costume instead of the red dress he wore during the performance. Even his avatar''s hair was back to its white color.


    "But seriously, you did such a good job that I bet your performance will be a hot topic on Weibo and the game forum," Bai Ze said.


    "The NPCs of my pavilion should be given more credit," Luo Yan said. "And since I didn''t really dance using my god inherent talent, the credit solely belonged to them."


    "That can''t be, Master. Even if you''re not really good at dancing, you still contributed by being pretty," Eclipse quickly rejected his im.


    Luo Yan didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry after hearing that. "Yes, thank you, Eclipse, for boosting my confidence."


    "But why did you even agree to perform tonight?" Luo Jin asked, looking like he was genuinely confused why he did so. "Wait- are you going to be paid? How much would they pay you?"


    "Hey, you''re talking as if I only agreed to perform for this ceremony because of the money or something," Luo Yan said, pouting at his brother.


    "Then, is there any other reason?"


    "Of course," Luo Yan said, looking all proud. Then, he hugged Shen Ji Yun''s arm before continuing, "It''s so I could surprise Brother Ji Yun." He turned to the person sitting beside him and smiled. "Were you surprised?"


    Shen Ji Yun, whose heart still hadn''t calmed down despite Luo Yan''s performance being over for quite a few minutes now, felt like it would burst once again. The happiness that bubbled inside him was almost overwhelming after hearing what Luo Yan said about doing this performance for him.


    "Yes, very much so," he said in response.


    Although thinking that a lot of people had seen Luo Yan in that red dress and some might even fantasize about him made him annoyed and even a bit angry, those feelings were easily overridden by the happiness he''s feeling now.


    "Then, I''m d." Luo Yan then closed their distance and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Maybe I can give Brother Ji Yun ap dance one of these days."


    Shen Ji Yun''s whole face quickly heated up. As soon as he heard the words p dance'', his mind was immediately filled with the image of Luo Yan dancing around him provocatively. If they were in the real world, he might have already had a nosebleed because of the images his mind conjured.


    "Are you feeling excited by the thought?" Luo Yan teased in a whisper.


    Shen Ji Yun could only force himself to calm down while pinching Luo Yan''s cheek. "You foxy rabbit."


    Luo Yan grinned at that. "I''ll take that as apliment."


    "Can you two stop flirting when we''re around?" Bai Zeined. "Please, have mercy on us single dogs."


    "Argh... now I''m regretting why I even asked that question," Luo Jin grumbled, thinking that his question was the trigger for why these two started flirting again.


    Luo Yan turned to the others and said cheekily, "This is a sign that you should get your own sweetheart."


    Luo Jin sweated nervously when he heard that and subconsciously nced at Su Yuqi. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that the other seemed disinterested in what Luo Yan said just now.


    Seriously, he had to talk to his brotherter. He shouldn''t be saying things like that. What if Su Yuqi had the idea of getting a boyfriend when he hadn''t yet caught up with her?


    Bai Ze, on the other hand, was also quite hit hard by his cousin''s statement. Should he really get a girlfriend?


    Before he could fully think about it, the next performance started.


    The following performances after the one Yuexing Pavilion did were mostly from celebrities and influencers. Then the second to thest performance was of Song Liuli. The audience cheered more when she appeared at the middle of the stagepared to the performances before her. Showing just how much popr she was.


    Song Liuli didn''t have any back-ups. It was just her standing in the middle of the stage, with the spotlight softly shining on her.


    As soon as the music sounded, she unleashed her voice, and the stadium was instantly filled with a mesmerizing melody. Her voice flowed effortlessly, captivating all who listened. Every note she sang carried a heartfelt emotion, as if her voice had the power to touch the depths of the soul.


    In that moment, it felt as if a true angel had descended upon the stage, gracing the audience with a divine gift. Her voice created a sense of serenity and wonder, leaving everyone in awe of the ethereal beauty she possessed.


    As she sang thest note, a deafening apuse filled the surrounding.


    Luo Yan raised his brow. He didn''t expect that Song Liuli could actually sing like that. Could it also be a skill like the dance one he had? If not, then she truly had talent.


    "Yan Yan is definitely better than her," Shen Ji Yun mumbled beside him.


    He smiled helplessly when he heard that. Love could really make a person ''blind''. "Thank you for your confidence in me, Brother Ji Yun," he could only say.


    Then thest performance started. This one was a pretty well-known singer. His poprity was much higherpared to the other celebrities who had already performed. As evidence of the cheer of the audience the moment he appeared.


    After his performance, instead of the Duke of Spade, someone very surprising appeared instead. It was an avatar that looked exactly like Shen Yi Mu. With a formal ck suit and his signature silver-rimmed sses, anyone could see that the other was not an NPC but Shen Yi Mu''s avatar instead.


    "Wee to all the teams participating in this year''s Arcadia Cup," he said. "This is the CEO of Moonlight Media."

 Chapter 989: UNEXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT

    "WHY is Uncle Yi Mu here?" Bai Ze asked no one in particr when he saw Uncle Yi Mu appeared on the stage. He turned to Shen Ji Yun and asked, "Did you know about this?"


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head. "No."


    It seemed that Luo Yan''s performance was not the only surprise his uncle had for him. His uncle was wearing a neat ck suit over a ck shirt. Even his hair was neatly done. It''s like seeing a real-life CEO instead of a game avatar. Anyone looking at him right now would not think that he just came out of the closet, rather violently, just earlier in the day.


    "Does Uncle Yi Mu not usually attend the opening ceremony?" Luo Yan asked.


    "No. Uncle Yi Mu only goes during the final championship to hand over the trophy," Bai Ze answered.


    "Maybe he''s going to announce something," Su Yuqi said with a shrug.


    And Shen Yi Mu''s next words proved that.


    "You must be wondering why we have a new venue when it''s only the seventh season," he started. "Of course, it''s for a special reason. It''s because this will be thest season of Arcadia Cup, as you know it."


    Countless murmurs resounded inside the stadium, showing just how much this announcement disturbed the yers present. But the one bringing this news did not care and just continued.


    "Don''t worry, it doesn''t mean that Arcadia Cup willpletely be gone. A bit of adjustment is needed, you see. Because by next year, the amount of yers ying Arcadia would be tenfold."


    The murmurs then became even louder. Probably because most of the people there already had a guess on what Shen Yi Mu was implying.


    "This is because there is going to be a worldwide expansion this year. That''s right. The game is finally going to be avable outside of the country. Starting from other countries in Asia, then North and South America, followed by Europe, then the rest of the world. With this expansion, a few changes are needed with the Arcadia Cup.


    "By next year, we will try to hold a global tournament with the representatives of the countries we find ready enough to fight on a global scale. Of course, our country being one is already a given. And on that note, I want to say that the champion of this year will be the one to represent our country in next year''s global tournament which we will call ''Arcadia Masters Cup''.


    "So, good luck everyone. Please, strive to do your best for this year''s Cup. And oh, before I forget, wee to Lunaris Vale!"


    After just dropping a huge bomb like that, the CEO of Moonlight Media disappeared on stage as if he had just talked about the weather.


    And that''s how the opening of this year''s Arcadia Cup ended.


    After the explosive announcement made by Shen Yi Mu, Weibo, as well as the game forum, were all in an uproar. It even became a trending topic just a few minutes after. Showing just how many people were talking about it.


    [Is Arcadia really expanding overseas?]


    [But would it be just one big server in which everyone from different parts of the world could interact, or would different countries have their own servers?]


    [I think it would be better for everyone to have separate servers, right?]


    [I agree. What could we even talk about with foreigners?]


    [What''s wrong with interacting with foreigners? Since this is Moonlight Media we''re talking about, they would have definitely made anguage program so everyone could understand each other even if we talk in our ownnguage.]


    [But wouldn''t we be overcrowded then if there''s only one big server for everyone? I''m sure there''s a lot of people who would y Arcadia once it''s avable to y over there. Like, isn''t it a big topic in other countries?]


    [Right? It''s been years since a lot of people outside the country had been requesting for Arcadia to have an international release. Now, that it''sing true, there''s no way people wouldn''t buy it.]


    [Maybe the servers would be divided by continent, so there won''t be a problem of overcrowding.]


    [And how could there even be overcrowding? Do you guys know how big Arcadia is? Without mentioning the floating inds, as well as other secret areas, the totalnd mass of Arcadia is three times as big as that of Earth. So, there wouldn''t be a problem even if the remaining poption of the world started ying Arcadia.]


    [Wow. I just checked the Arcadia Encyclopedia, and thend mass is really thrice as big as that of Earth.]


    [I''ve been ying Arcadia for five years now and this is the first time I found out about that.]


    [So overcrowding would never be a problem.]


    [Then, a single server is almost confirmed, right?]


    [Makes sense. I mean, Moonlight Media had been preparing for international release for years now. Maybe they had already made beta testing without people knowing.]


    [Yeah. Like if it has taken this long for an international release, they must have made this fool-proof, right?]


    [Man, imagine the amount of money it would bring to Moonlight Media once it''s released. Maybe the CEO would be in the top 10 richest man in the world, by then.]


    [He''s still a bachelor, right? Even though he''s that handsome. Should I apply as a wife?]


    [Anyway, it''s good news, nevertheless. The more, the merrier, right?]


    [But what about that Arcadia Masters Cup? Wouldn''t it be disadvantageous for other countries to fight a champion team from our country? I mean, they would only have a few months of experience at most. How could they fight toe to toe against a team like Team Celestials, for example?]


    [But if Arcadia is going global this year, wouldn''t it be like a genuine esport tournament by then?]


    [Let''s not worry about that. It would happen a year from now, anyway. This announcement only made me excited about this year''s Arcadia Cup. Since it would be thest one, it would definitely be spectacr, right?]


    A lot of people agreed on thatstment. Saying that they couldn''t wait for the surprises Moonlight Media would bring to this year''s Arcadia Cup.

 Chapter 990 TEASING THE YOUNGEST

    990 TEASING THE YOUNGEST


    AFTER the opening ceremony, everyone in team Yunyue gathered at their headquarters. Except for the two dragons that seemed to have gone off somewhere. Even Eclipse ran off to the fox vige right after they returned. The topic of their conversation was pretty much all about the announcement made by Shen Yi Mu.


    "An international release... can you believe it?" Bai Ze said, excitement obvious in his eyes. "Arcadia is finally going global."


    "Has Moonlight Media been preparing for this for a long time now?" Luo Yan asked Shen Ji Yun.


    "Yes. It''s been a working progress for the past five years," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    It could have taken a few more years, considering how much was needed to make one big server that could amodate people from all over the world, but the data umted by the current server helped a lot in shortening it. It became much easier to expand it and make sure that no error would ur in the process.


    "So, would it be one big server or would it be divided by continent or by country?" Luo Jin asked with interest. Considering how he normally wouldn''t speak to Shen Ji Yun unless it was necessary, he must have been very curious about this whole thing.


    "They n it to be one big server," Shen Ji Yun answered. "They had already done a few beta testing and from what I heard, it''s almost ready to beunched."


    Luo Yan was surprised when he heard that. How could Moonlight Media do beta testing without the public knowing? Did they hire some ninjas to do it for them?


    Su Yuqi seemed to be thinking of the same thing, because she asked, "Considering how no news about this beta testing had been publicized, did they do it in secret? How could that even be possible?"


    "Right?" Luo Yan quickly agreed. "It''s amazing how they were able to keep it a secret for this long."


    "No, guys, shouldn''t we be more excited by the fact that by next year, we probably would be fighting against foreign teams?" Bai Ze eximed.


    "Brother Ze, that would only be the case if we win this year''s Cup," Luo Jin reminded the other.


    "Hey, Xiao Jin, don''t you have confidence that we will win?" Bai Ze asked, looking at his cousin as if the other was some kind of pitiful soul.


    "No, I just don''t want to jinx our team," Luo Jin replied dryly.


    "Ah Jin, no need to respond to that fool," Su Yuqi added.


    "Hey, Su Yuqi, why are you interrupting with other people''s conversation?" Bai Ze quickly retorted.


    Su Yuqi only rolled her eyes at the other. "I''m just teaching Ah Jin not to waste his breath."


    While the two were bickering, as usual, Luo Yan moved closer to Shen Ji Yun and held the other''s hand. The other gazed down at him and smiled, holding back his hand.


    If anyone would suddenly enter this main hall, the atmosphere inside would confuse them. On one side, a big lion was arguing with a pink-haired pixie while a cute gnome was sighing helplessly at the middle. And then on the other, two people were sitting close together, almost hugging, and had this pink air around them.


    Yes, this was just another night at team Yunyue''s headquarters.


    ----------


    On the second day of the Spring Festival, it was a tradition for married daughters to visit their parents. That''s why Ji Xiuying left early in the morning with Bai Chen, Bai Ze and Bai Ye to visit her parents. Which left the whole Luo family was left in the Bai household with Bai Zhen.


    After Luo Yan woke up and had breakfast, he spent time with his grandfather. Telling the other some interesting stories or reading a book to him. After his grandfather fell asleep, he carefully tucked him under the soft and warm nket before leaving the room.


    While walking towards the living room, he didn''t see his father or older brother. The two must have been in the study, catching up with their work. Honestly, he hoped that the two could just rx during this holiday season. But he also understood that with such a bigpany, working during holidays was inevitable.


    So, he decided to go to the kitchen to brew some tea for the two. To help them feel rx even for a bit.


    Thankfully, Aunt Xiuying had a lot of tea varieties. He chose to brewvender tea, which was known for its calming and stress-relieving properties. After he was done, he put the tea set on a tray and brought it to the study.


    On his way, Luo Jin saw him and quickly took the tray from him.


    "Ah Jin, I can carry it," he said.


    Luo Jin only snorted. "Your hands are shaking so much. What will you do if the tray fell and you spill the tea all over the floor?"


    Luo Yan chuckled. Because his hands were not shaking at all. This tsundere was probably just worried that he would identally pour the hot tea on himself. He didn''t say anything and just let the other.


    He knocked on the door after they arrived in front of the study.


    "Come in," called the voice of their older brother inside.


    When he heard that, Luo Yan opened the door, and Luo Jin followed with the tea tray.


    "Dad, Brother, we brought tea," Luo Yan said.


    The two who were sitting on the mahogany desk, one behind and one in front, looked at them almost at the same time. Luo Jin walked over and put the tea tray on the table, careful not to touch any of the documents.


    Luo Wei Tian raised his brow. "Did Xiao Jin make the tea?"


    Before Luo Jin could answer, Luo Yan quickly said, "Yes, Dad. I was nning to do it myself, but he had already beaten me to it."


    "How thoughtful of you, Xiao Jin," Luo Ren said with a teasing smile.


    Their father proceeded on acting moved very exaggeratedly. "Thank you, Xiao Jin. This father is almost moved to tears."


    Even though he knew that he was being teased, Luo Jin still couldn''t stop his whole face from turning beet red.

 Chapter 991 BLOCK REVEAL

    Chapter 991 BLOCK REVEAL


    ON the second night after the opening ceremony, the division list for the qualifiers was finally revealed. There would be six blocks in which teams under each block would fight in some kind of round robin tournament. The two teams with the most wins at the end would then proceed to the final tournament.


    Which meant that there would be 12 teams advancing. The remaining four of the top 16 that would fight in the final tournament was already predetermined. They were the top four of thest season¡ªCelestials, Fenghuang, Mozu, and Sirens.


    The whole team Yunyue was in their headquarters waiting for the announcement of the qualifiers schedule.


    "Hopefully, we won''t have a scheduled fight on the 28th," Luo Yan said in a voice that only Shen Ji Yun, who was sitting beside him, could hear.


    Shen Ji Yun quickly understood why Luo Yan said that. It''s because the two of them decided to go to a temple fair on the 28th. In short, it''s the day when they would have their date. The very first date, in real life, that they would have as an official couple. Of course, Shen Ji Yun also didn''t want any obstruction for that day.


    He reached for the other''s hand and held it. "Don''t worry, even if we have a scheduled fight for that day, we just have to finish it quickly."


    Luo Yan smiled at that. "I like the sound of that."


    "It''s out!"


    Bai Ze''s voice cut the two lovebirds'' little flirting. On the huge screen in the main hall that looked simr to the ones seen on the city square, the names of 60 teams were listed on six different blocks¡ªfrom block A to block F. Each block had 10 teams in it.


    Luo Yan quickly looked for their team name and found it on block E. He read the name of the other seven teams on the same block and his eyes widened when he saw the name of one of the teams listed there.


    Team Sanguis. It''s the team of that perverted vampire, Alucard.


    Before he couldment on that, he happened to see the expression on Su Yuqi''s face. There was a sinister smirk on her lips that totally didn''t fit her avatar''s cute appearance.


    "Ah Jin, did you see? We can finally openly beat the shit out of that damn vampire," she said to Luo Jin.


    Luo Jin responded with the same sinister grin. "Yes. It seems that fate is on our side."


    Luo Yan blinked. Why did it seem like he was watching two ''gremlins'' nning to murder someone? He shrugged and just chose not toment. Well, as long as they''re happy.


    "What is the schedule of our fight?" Shen Ji Yun said, asking the important question.


    "Wait- I''ll check," Bai Ze responded.


    He clicked on the name of their team on the virtual screen, and a scheduled timeline appeared.


    Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun looked at the date of their team''s first match and both released an imperceptible sigh of relief as soon as they saw that it''s the day before the date. And as luck would have it, they don''t have any fight on the 28th.


    The two lovebirds turned to each other at the same time and a smiled full of satisfaction.


    And with that, they proceed on having a strategy meeting for their first qualifier match.


    ----------


    Days quickly passed, and it was the day of team Yunyue''s first match. Their opponent today was called team Valor. They were a newly formed team that just startedst year. But that didn''t mean that they should be underestimated. The fact that they had the qualification to join this year''s Arcadia Cup meant that they were skilled enough.


    All qualifying matches would be held at Lunaris Vale, the new area that was opened for this year''s Cup. The area was so big that there were a lot of ces that could be used as a battle location.


    Teams that were participating in this qualifier would be directly transported to the area they would fight in the moment they teleported to Lunaris Vale. Which would greatly shorten the time it needed to start the match.


    Since different qualifying matches happened simultaneously throughout Lunaris Vale, those who wanted to watch the match of certain teams could choose to watch it via the livestreams on Arcadia''s official game site. The yers inside the game could also watch the matches by going through specialized establishments that provided livestreaming.


    Since today was the first match of team Yunyue after a long time, many viewers chose to watch their livestreamed match. Causing the chat window of their livestreamed match to be very busy.


    [I can''t believe we''ll be able to watch team Yunyue fight in a group match again.]


    [Right? I can''t wait to see YUN in action again. He hadn''t been doing PvPstely. I kind of miss watching his fights.]


    [The same goes for Morganite and White Marsh.]


    [But are they really worth the hype? I mean, it''s been so long since they fought in a group match like this. Not to mention, two of their original team mates were not already part of the team.]


    [True. No matter how strong they are individually, group match is still fundamentally different. What''s important here more than anything is team work.]


    [Have you all forgotten that their two new members were promising rookies ofst year? One of them being the literal champion of Rookie Carnival.]


    [I''m sure Yunyue didn''t decide to participate this year without much preparation. They definitely would have prepared enough not to be humiliated, at least.]


    [My money''s on team Yunyue winning this match easily.]


    [I wouldn''t say they would win easily, but I don''t think they would lose either. Their opponent is just a newly formed team, so...]


    [But team Valor is not a joke either. They have pretty good teamwork, that''s why their dungeon clearing sess rate is pretty high.]


    Amidst the arguments and different opinions on the chat window, team Yunyue finally appeared.

 Chapter 992 TEAM YUNYUES FIRST QUALIFYING MATCH (I)

    Chapter 992 TEAM YUNYUE''S FIRST QUALIFYING MATCH (I)


    WHEN Luo Yan opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a vige. They were quite a distance away from it and were standing on an elevatednd. That''s why they could clearly see the whole ce.


    The vige was not that small but not so big either. But the thing that caught everyone''s attention first was the state of the vige. There were billowing smokes somewhere, some of the houses and buildings were destroyed. And they could also see some viin-looking men wandering around the vige.


    Before any of team Yunyue could speak and ask what they were supposed to do here, a virtual screen appeared in front of them.


    [Yunyue vs Valor]


    [Battle Arena Match!]


    [Objective: The small vige has been under attack by a group of viinous bandits. To gain points, defeat the bandits, capture the four watchtowers, and defeat the bandit leader. The team who has the most points after the game will win. The match will automatically end the moment the bandit leader is dead.]


    [Points allocation:


    Bandit¨C10 points


    Watchtower¨C100 points


    Bandit Leader¨C1000 points.]


    [Match will start in five minutes. Good luck!]


    Then a countdown appeared. Once it reached ''0'', the match would begin.


    "How thoughtful, giving us five minutes," Bai Ze said in a slightly sarcastic tone. "They should have given us a map as well.


    "Well, we can see the watchtowers even from here and the bandits are just roaming around the ce. The only one we really needed to find is their leader," Luo Yan said. "So, a map wouldn''t really be that big of a help."


    "What, do you want the game to spoon-feed you now?" Su Yuqi asked with a smirk while looking at Bai Ze.


    "Hey, you¡ª"


    "Okay, don''t fight," Shen Ji Yun said before the two started a new round of bickering. "Let''s use these five minutes wisely."


    "What strategy should we use?" Luo Jin asked in a rare show of enthusiasm.


    "Hmm... I think ''divide and conquer'' would be good," Luo Yan suggested.


    "We could deal with things much faster if we do that," Su Yuqi agreed with a nod.


    Eclipse pouted. "Pink Sister is not a bad girl."


    "Why do I feel that you''re discriminating against me?" Bai Ze said "But it could also be dangerous if we''re not careful," Bai Ze said. "After all, the enemy team could surprise us."


    Su Yuqi raised her brow. "Since when did you be the voice of reason?"


    "Yes! It doesn''t suit the big lion''s character!" Eclipse suddenly chimed in. "Being brazen and a bit stupid is your forte."


    "Eclipse, you shouldn''t learn bad things from this bad girl," Bai Ze said in a voice as if he''s scolding the boy.


    Eclipse pouted. "Pink Sister is not a bad girl."


    "Why do I feel that you''re discriminating against me?" Bai Ze said with his arms crossed.


    Su Yuqi then chuckled. "Haven''t you noticed? This boy only looks at the face."


    Before Bai Ze could react to what Su Yuqi was implying, Shen Ji Yun suddenly cleared his throat.


    "Let''s go with the strategy Ya- I mean, Noctis suggested," Shen Ji Yun said before the conversationpletely deviate to what they should be discussing.


    Luo Yan nodded. "Then should we relegate which one of us should do what?"


    And as the team, finally, properly started discussing strategies, the barrage section of this match''s live stream was also quite noisy.


    Those people who were watching could choose which perspective they want to watch. Of course, the majority of them chose to watch the side of team Yunyue. There was just too much curiosity for the first team that won the Arcadia Cup and waster on tagged as the ''fallen champions''.


    [Their strategy is a bit... isn''t it too simple? I mean, could you even call that a strategy?]


    [What''s wrong with it? If they''re individual skills could back it up, which I highly think they could, then, it''s the fastest way to win the match.]


    [Aren''t they underestimating the opposing team too much?]


    [Well, it''s true that team Valor is a fairly new team. So...]


    [But who was that little boy with fox ears? Aren''t there supposed to be only five yers fighting for each team?]


    [Yeah, I''ve been wondering about that as well.]


    [Ah, you guys probably didn''t watch the Rookie Carnival. That''s Noctis'' pet.]


    [Huh? A pet? You mean a pet could be a humanoid monster NPC?]


    [Isn''t that a bit of a scam? This match is literally 6 vs 5.]


    [LOL overkill much?]


    [What scam? What overkill? The game system approved this. There''s nothing illegal about it. If the other teams are envious, they could also bring a pet with them.]


    [Right? They''re talking as if Noctis didn''t put in any effort to raise his pet to the level it has now.]


    [But isn''t that pet too, I don''t know, human? Are you sure he''s just an NPC?]


    [I feel the same way! Although it''s a bit weird, why couldn''t I stop thinking that he''s cute?]


    While the barrage was debating whether Eclipse was really an NPC or not, on the other side of the vige where team Valor was, a serious atmosphere filled the air. It had been so since their opponent for this match was revealed. It''s because the majority of the team were not feeling too confident about their chances of winning.


    "Don''t be too down. Even if our opponent is team Yunyue, it doesn''t mean that we would automatically lose," the captain said to cheer up his team mates.


    "Captain is right. Team Yunyue hadn''t yed a single team match since they won the first Arcadia Cup. They also have two new members. They''re almost the same as a rookie team, if you ask me," another member said.


    "Besides, we trained like hell. The efforts we put in for this Cup won''t betray us," the Captain said again. "So, cheer up and let''s do our best once again!"


    The heavy atmosphere was slowly dissipating, and the dark expressions on the faces of the other members of the team finally brightened.


    "Yes, Captain!"


    A loud rm suddenly sounded. When they looked up, the timer had now reached ''0''.


    This qualifying match finally started.

 Chapter 993: TEAM YUNYUES FIRST QUALIFYING MATCH (II)

    TEAM Valor''s strategy was very simple. Two of their teams would scout the vige to search for the location of the bandit leader, while the other three would try to capture the watchtowers.


    In the battle arena version of Arcadia Cup, there would be a crystal in each area that had to be captured. Taking this crystal would mean that the team had captured the area. This was to prevent the opposing team from capturing the area back. Doing this would also prevent a prolong match.


    But capturing these areas was not really the most important goal in a battle arena match like this. It was toplete the task that would give them the most points and end the game. Which, in this case, was defeating the bandit leader. But since they couldn''t just go around the vige without a proper destination, it''s better to split up and have one group look for the bandit leader''s location.


    They picked the two who were the best in tracking, and the rest of them went to capture the watchtowers. The moment their teammates found the bandit leader, they would teleport to their location immediately.


    The captain of team Valor was in the group that would capture one of the watchtowers. Honestly speaking, despite the encouragement he gave his team, he was feeling pretty nervous himself.


    Even if people say that team Yunyue were now nothing but ''fallen champions'', one couldn''t neglect the fact that three of their current members were still miles stronger individually that any member of team Valor. If the other team couldn''t win by strategy, they might as well win by force.


    That''s why he wanted to finish things quickly by finding the bandit leader and defeating them.


    He and his two other team members were on their way to the watchtower located in the West part of the vige, which was the closest one to their initial location. As they made their way there, they encountered a lot of bandits. Which they easily took care of.


    Arriving at the watchtower, there were more bandits than expected. Not only that, there was a slightly bigger bandit standing in the middle. The other was most likely the guardian guarding the watchtower.


    "Captain, go on ahead and look for the crystal. We''ll hold back the bandits here."


    "That''s right, Captain."


    His two team mates said.


    The Captain also had the same idea, so he readily agreed. "Be careful of any surprise attacks."


    Although the three of them agreed to that, the Captain felt that it''s still his responsibility to at least open up the way so his teammates could attack more easily.


    He rushed out from where they were hiding and quickly drew his sword. He used a skill that produced a huge horizontal sh. The moment he did, some of the bandits were hit and the others were pushed back. That was enough time for his teammates to do follow up attacks and for him to jump to the watchtower.


    But before he could, he felt a tight grip on his ankle. He looked down and saw that the bandit, with a muchrger build than the rest, caught him as he jumped. He didn''t hesitate and shed down his sword. The moment the bandit let go of his ankle, he stepped on the other''s face and used that momentum to jump higher.


    Just as hended on the top tform of the watchtower, they heard a huge explosion from the east direction. As soon as that happened, an announcement appeared in front of him.


    [Team Yunyue has captured the East watchtower!]


    Before he could react to that sudden announcement, another one appeared right after.


    [Team Yunyue has captured the South watchtower!]


    "Does this even make sense?" he couldn''t help but blurt out.


    But being the captain of the game, he forced himself to calm down and instead began looking for the crystal. It didn''t take long before he found it. Which was not hard, since it was just literally lying there.


    The moment he picked it up, the same announcement appeared.


    [Team Valor has captured the West watchtower!]


    Before the captain of team Valor could celebrate this small win, he heard a thud from behind. He looked back and his eyes slightly widened when he saw a huge man with lion ears on top of his head.


    White Marsh looked at him and then groaned after seeing the announcement. "Shit. I waste. I will never hear the end of this."


    Seeing White Marsh here, and after hearing what he said, the captain already had an idea of how team Yunyue managed to capture two watchtowers almost at the same time. Because they all separated and most likely went to each watchtower to capture it.


    After that realization, he felt amazed, and also, at the same time, ridiculous. It was amazing that team Yunyue had so much confidence in their individual skills to attempt something like this. And then, right after, he wondered if the other team just couldn''t be bothered to think of a solid strategy and just decided to use ''force''.


    His thoughts were cut off when he saw White Marsh brandishing his ws towards him. He dodged out of reflex. But as soon as he did, he felt his side being hit by the other''s leg, which he didn''t even notice that he extended.


    This kick pushed him off the watchtower. He flipped mid-air so he couldnd properly. But before his feet even reached the ground, the big lion was already about to attack him again.


    The team Valor''s captain gritted his teeth and then brandished his sword. He used a mid-air sh to push back White Marsh. But the other faced the attack head on and just punched through it.


    The captain finallynded and was about to attack while White Marsh still hadn''t reached him when another announcement appeared.


    [Team Yunyue has captured the North watchtower!]


    The captain wanted to curse, but someone else did it before him.


    "Shit," White Marsh cursed loudly as hended, then he looked at the captain with gleaming eyes. "You''re the captain, right?"

 Chapter 994: TEAM YUNYUES FIRST QUALIFYING MATCH (III)

    BAI ZE wanted to cry inside the moment he read the announcement of thest watchtower being captured by their team. After the strategy meeting, it was decided that four of them would attack and capture the watchtowers. He was unfortunately assigned to the watchtower farthest from where their team appeared initially. And this was the result of that.


    All the other three seeded in their task while he was the only one who failed. He could already see how that girl Su Yuqi would mock him. Even that brat, Luo Jin, would definitely snicker at him. Maybe Luo Yan would even look at him with pity. Just imagining these scenarios, his heart was already crying frustrated tears.


    When hended on the ground, he couldn''t help but let out that frustration by cursing loudly. "Shit."


    Then his eyes met the gaze of the opposing yer. The other was a Swordsman, as evidence of the sword he''s holding. Their team had, of course, researched all the teams on their block. Which should naturally be done, considering that one wouldn''t know which team they had to face during the qualifying matches. So, Bai Ze knew who this person was in front of him.


    It was a yer named ''Ghad'', the captain of team Valor. Just by his game name and the name of his team, one could see that this person had huge interest on ''knights''. Look, even his costume right now was simr to that of a fantasy medieval knight.


    He was a fairly known yer that took second ce on the Rookie Carnival the year beforest. If not for the champion of that year, who was overwhelmingly good, and also a bit crazy, he would have won. Then,st year, he made team Valor and was steadily increasing the team''s reputation.


    Logically speaking, joining Arcadia Cup just a year after the team was established was not advisable. After all, the experiencepared to other teams would definitely be much less. But the fact that he and his team still went through it could be worth of praise in a way. Because it meant they were gutsy enough to face this challenge.


    Bai Ze liked this kind of attitude. But sadly, he couldn''t fight carelessly just because he sympathized with them. Especially with the situation just now, with him being the only one who hadn''t yet made any contribution.


    He looked at the opponent with gleaming eyes. "You''re the captain, right?"


    If he defeated the opponent team''s captain, it would be enough to make up for his failed attempt at capturing the east watchtower.


    The captain of team Valor, Ghad, felt goosebumps when he heard that question. Especially when the other was looking at him as if he was prey. He instinctively activated his skill and attacked first. He felt like if he didn''t and just stood there, he would really end up as this lion''s prey.


    Ghad sprung into action,unching a swift assault with his longsword. He executed a series of precise strikes, attempting to catch White Marsh off guard. The other, however, reacted with lightning speed, deflecting the onught with his gauntlet and shrugging off the attacks effortlessly.


    White Marsh retaliated with a ferocious barrage of punches. Each blownded with bone-crushing force, driving Ghad backward. If he didn''t put the setting of pain resistance to zero, he might have already fallen because of the other''s strong force.


    Despite his best efforts to defend, Ghad struggled to withstand the overwhelming power behind the White Marsh''s attacks.


    Refusing to yield, he regained hisposure and countered with a swift maneuver, utilizing his "Tempest de" skill.


    It''s dynamic and fluid sword technique that embodied a swordsman''s agility and precision. When activated, the yer entered a state of heightened focus and swiftness, seamlessly transitioning between strikes with very fast speed. Each swing of the de created a whirlwind effect, as if summoning a tempest on the battlefield.


    With deft footwork and precise strikes, Ghad aimed to find a gap in the White Marsh''s defenses. The other, undeterred by his attack, absorbed the onught with his resilience, his gauntlet serving as an imprable barrier.


    Realizing the need to change tactics, Ghad activated his "Phantom Strike" skill, disappearing from sight in a blur of movement. He reappeared behind White Marsh, delivering a surprise attack aimed at exploiting a momentary weakness. However, the other''s instinctive reflexes allowed him to react just in time, narrowly blocking the strike with his gauntlet.


    The other quickly put distance between them before he could follow up with his attack. He wanted to use the same skill again, but it had already entered cool down. Before he could think of his next attack, his opponent had already once again narrowed their distance.


    White Marsh suddenly amplified his strength and speed, probably using a skill. His attacks intensified, bing more relentless and devastating with each passing moment. Ghad, despite his best efforts, struggled to keep up with the other''s series of attacks, his movements gradually growing sluggish.


    This gave White Marsh the opportunity to channel his power into another strike. With a mighty swing of his gauntlet, he delivered a crushing blow that shattered the Ghad''s defenses. The impact sent him flying away and sprawling to the ground, his grip on the longsword slipping away.


    Bai Ze did not waste time to appreciate thatst attack. He did not give the other a chance to heal himself using a potion or any simr item. In fact, the moment Ghad flew away, he had already activated a skill and rushed forward.


    A bright red me surrounded his gauntlet. Before Ghad could stand up, he had already pummeled the other''s face with his ming fist.


    Ghad saw his HP decreasing in real time. Just before it turnedpletely into zero, a message from one of his two teammates, who were searching for the bandit leader''s location, appeared in front of him.


    [Captain, we have found the bandit leader!]


    Just as he read that, his HPpletely emptied out. And thest word he blurted out before slowly turning into light particles was;


    "Shit."

 Chapter 995: TEAM YUNYUES FIRST QUALIFYING MATCH (IV)

    THE two team members of team Valor, who were assigned to look for the bandit leader, finally found a lead. Although they were a bit disheartened by the consecutive announcement of team Yunyue capturing three of the four watchtowers, they did not stop and continued to persevere. Because they didn''t want to let down the Captain.


    And sure enough, their hard work paid-off. They found tracks that led them to the possible hideout of the bandits inside the vige. And since it''s the hideout, the bandit leader would definitely be there. With that thought in mind, they carefully followed the track, trying their best not to be seen by the other bandits.


    Because their trying to be careful, it took quite a while before they arrived in front of what seemed to be the vige''s butcher shop. The two looked at each other.


    "Is this really the ce?" one whispered.


    "This is where the tracks and the traces we found along the way led us," the other whispered back.


    It''s natural to feel doubtful. After all, why would a bandit leader choose the butcher shop as a hideout when they could have used the vige''s chief''s house? It was actually the first ce the two checked after entering the vige. But just like the other houses in the vige, it was almost destroyed. And after that, the tracks they found led them here.


    "Anyway, it''s better to check first to be sure. I''ll go inside. You stay here and guard."


    The one who just spoke was an Assassin. The skill he was most proud of was his stealth skill ¨C Ghost Walk.


    It''s a stealth skill that allowed the user to move silently and unseen, as if they were a ghost. When activated, the user became almost intangible, seamlessly blending into their surroundings and leaving no trace of their presence. They could pass through obstacles and navigate through the environment without triggering any rms or detection systems. This skill was ideal for infiltrating high-security areas or maneuvering through dangerous territories without being noticed.


    He wasn''t too great at PvP matches. But he could stealthily defeat his enemies as long as he had this skill. He knew the moment he got this skill that it could his edge against other yers. That''s why he carefully nurtured it, searching for ways to shorten its cooldown and increased its time of use.


    Now, he could only use it for three minutes before it entered a one hour cooldown. But considering how he could only use it for 30 seconds when he first got itst year, this was already a huge upgrade.


    Using [Ghost Walk], he entered the butcher''s shop. True to its name, there were animal carcasses hanging in ce. The smell inside assaulted his senses. He had to force himself not to gag. Because even though [Ghost Walk] could mostly erase his presence, a loud gagging noise could still attract attention.


    He continued on and was starting to doubt whether they were in the right ce or not. Because he hadn''t seen a single bandit yet. He was starting to worry when he suddenly felt like the ground was shaking.


    When he looked up, his eyes shook when he saw was a huge man that almost looked like a troll. It was not only his big body but also because of his appearance. The squared jaw, the bushy brows, thick lips, and bulbous nose, the only thing missing were protruding teeth.


    After a few seconds, he quickly returned to his senses. This was no time to stare nkly at the enemy. This huge troll-like man couldn''t possibly be just a normal bandit. He was 99% sure that this was the bandit leader.


    The first thing he did was to contact his captain.


    [Captain, we found the bandit leader!]


    The other had a special teleportation scroll that would immediately bring him and the other two team members to his location. After sending that message, he turned his gaze back to the bandit leader. Judging by the other''s steps, he was about to go out of the butcher''s shop.


    With this NPC''s size, it was not hard for anyone to notice him. Which meant that the opposing team would quickly find the other''s location and discovered that the other was the bandit leader. That''s why it''s important that the rest of their team gathered here as soon as possible to deal with the other. With theirbined efforts, they would surely be able to defeat the bandit leader before team Yunyue could make their move.


    He also sent a message to the team mate waiting outside to get ready. As he watched the bandit leader getting closer and closer to leaving the butcher''s shop, he started to get nervous. Because he hadn''t received a reply from the captain yet.


    After a while, a notification appeared in front of him. It was the kind that yers from the same team could only see.


    [The Captain is eliminated! The remaining team members, please work hard.]


    The Assassin''s eyes shook when he read that.


    What? Their captain was eliminated? He began to panic and a lot of thoughts crossed his mind in a span of a few seconds. But ultimately, he reached the conclusion that he couldn''t just let things spiral downward even further.


    He nced at the bandit leader with determination in his eyes. The only way for their team to win this game now was to quickly defeat this bandit leader. Once he finally made up his mind, he messaged the other team member outside and then rushed towards the bandit leader.


    His n was simple. He would activate a bomb that''s strong enough to deplete most of the bandit leader''s HP. But since he had to be in close proximity to activate the bomb, he would surely be eliminated the moment it went off because it''s that kind of item that wouldn''t allow the one who activated it to protect themselves.


    That''s why he sent a message to his other team mate outside to quickly finish off the bandit leader the moment the explosion happened.


    Why didn''t he use the bomb immediately, you ask? Well, it''s because it''s a rare item that should only be used as ast resort. And this just happened to be a st resort'' kind of situation.


    So, the Assassin, full of brimming courage, attached himself to the bandit leader''s back and activated the bomb. A huge explosionpletely blew away the whole butcher shop. Just as the Assassin predicted, his HP quickly turned to zero and his avatar scattered into light particles.


    The other team member who saw this was already prepared. He raised the bow in his hand and aimed at the huge bandit leader, whose body was now burnt because of the bomb. Even though the other was shouting in agony, he still remained standing. Which meant that the bandit leader still had HP left.


    Just as the team member was about to let go of the arrow, someone hit him from behind, causing his aim to go off course. His arrow didn''t hit the bandit leader. And then he saw a shadow running past him and rushing towards the other.


    In that shadow, all he saw was flowing white hair.

 Chapter 996: TEAM YUNYUES FIRST QUALIFYING MATCH (V)

    THE Archer, the one who had been knocked down from his back, tried to get up and see the person who had just passed by him. But his surroundings suddenly turned blurry, like it was glitching or something, until itpletely changed. As if he had been transported to a different ce altogether.


    If, a while ago, he was in front of a butcher show and was trying to finish off the bandit leader before he was attacked, now he was in the middle of a forest being attacked by a swarm of bees!


    What this poor soul didn''t know was that he was subjected to certain kitsune''s illusion skill. This illusion would onlyst for 10 seconds. But by the time it ended, the match would have probably also ended.


    Because the one who passed by the Archer just now was none other than Luo Yan.


    He and Eclipse had been following the Archer and Assassin since earlier. The two of them were assigned to locate the bandit leader, and they just happened toe across them.


    The moment Luo Yan saw the two, he knew that they were much more experienced than him or Eclipse in tracking. So, he didn''t hesitate to follow them. Hoping to turn it into a situation of ''catching the mantis while hunting the cicada, but unaware of the oriole behind''.


    Of course, he and Eclipse were the ''oriole'' in this situation.


    And just like Luo Yan predicted, the two members of the opposing team really managed to track the location of the bandit leader. He was even slightly surprised when he saw one of them activating some kind of ''invisibility'' skill to enter the butcher shop.


    He didn''t rush forward and waited. He wanted to make sure first if the bandit leader was indeed in this ce. Not long after, an explosion sounded and the butcher shop waspletely blown off. But a huge figure remained amidst the burning butcher shop.


    It was a male NPC whose whole body was burning from head to toe. Just by the sheer size of this NPC, Luo Yan could tell that the other was most likely the bandit leader. And the fact that the NPC was on fire right now with that other yer with invisibility skill nowhere in sight meant that thetter most likely sacrificed himself to deliver a huge blow to the former.


    If his guess was right, then the yer who remained outside would now be preparing to deliver the finishing blow to the bandit leader. And just like he thought, the yer was pointing an arrow at the huge NPC.


    So, he told Eclipse to stop the other. While he rushed forward to attack the bandit leader.


    And this was the situation now.


    Luo Yan was almost in front of the bandit leader. His two daggers were already both in his hands. He knew that this NPC should have taken a lot of damage from the explosion earlier. So, all he needed to do was attack the other with a powerful skill to ensure that it would be quickly eliminated.


    He used [Strike Kill].


    It''s one of his more powerful skills against a single enemy. It''s like a one-shot move that only got stronger the higher his level was.


    He didn''t mind the me surrounding the bandit leader. He jumped in front of the other and shed at his neck. As soon as he did that, the bandit leader''s head flew and fell to the ground with a thud. Then it quickly turned into light particles, as well as his headless, burning body.


    Right after that, an announcement appeared, apanied by fireworks.


    [The bandit leader is defeated.]


    [Calcting the scores...]


    [<Yunyue - 1327> <Valor - 124>]


    [Winner: Yunyue]


    [Congrattions!]


    [LOL what did I just watch?]


    [I suddenly feel sorry for team Valor.]


    [That was savage. It''s like team Valor waspletely ying under team Yunyue''s palm from start to finish.]


    [Morganite captured that watchtower like she was only walking in a park.]


    [Amazing Master Jin is so cute! Did you see him bombard that watchtower? It''s like watching a kid pretending to be cool. Hahaha!]


    [YUN is still the best.]


    [Have you seen White Marsh''s face when he''s the only who hasn''t captured a tower? Hrious. LOL.]


    [Noctis and his pet fox are definitely the MVPs here.]


    [Nah, things would definitely not turn out the same if White Marsh didn''t defeat team Valor''s captain.]


    [This match was definitely just the result of team Yunyue''s individual members'' abilities. If the strategy they made was put into action by some unknown team, it would definitely not seed like that.]


    [I agree. It also didn''t help that team Valor was basically a rookie team that didn''t have much experience.]


    [Right? It''s an unfair match from the beginning.]


    [Don''t they feel ashamed of bullying others like this? Look just how Noctis stole team Valor''s chance to defeat the bandit leader. If he''s not being so sneaky, team Valor would have won.]


    [Hey, these people barking, are your brains not working?]


    [What kind of dumb shit are you saying? How can Noctis ''steal'' something that didn''t belong to the other? The chance to kill the boss NPC belonged to both teams! Do you honestly think that team Valor were the only ones allowed to kill the bandit leader?]


    [And what''s sneaky about it? This is what you call ''working smarter, not harder''.]


    [I bet these peopleining were the same ones who constantly call team Yunyue fallen champions. Now that they won so easily, these people probably felt like being pped in the face.]


    [Or they could also be people who bet against team Yunyue winning and were now suffering financial loss.]


    [It''s definitely thetter. There''s no way they would be this bitter if not. LOL.]


    [Congrattions to team Yunyue for winning!]


    [Yes, congrattions! Don''t mind the nonsensicalments. You guys definitely deserve this win.]


    [Please, continue to do your best for the uing matches! We''ll definitely cheer you on!]


    [Team Yunyue, number one!]


    [Congrats, congrats!~]


    And that''s how the first qualifying match of team Yunyue ended.

 Chapter 997: AFTER THE FIRST WIN

    A popping sound echoed around the main hall of team Yunyue''s headquarters as Bai Ze opened a bottle of champagne. "Congrattions to us for winning our first qualifying game!"


    And then he proceeded to pour drinks on the champagne sses held by his teammates, including Eclipse, Dusk, and Rowan. Although Luo Jin was still not in the legal age to drink, it''s fine since this was inside virtual reality and he wasn''t really consuming alcohol.


    "Cheers!" Bai Ze said, raising his ss and drinking the content in one gulped.


    The others also took a sip of their champagne. Luo Jin, especially, also drank it in one gulp. It would take more than a year before he was allowed to drink any alcohol. So, he should take this chance to drink as much as he could.


    Luo Yan blinked and then looked at the ss of champagne that''s sparkling inside the ss. This was the first time he had drink something like this. It''s because the only alcoholic drink he could afford in hisst life was a cheap beer.


    "This taste good, Brother Ze," he couldn''t help butpliment.


    "Yes, it''s like there are bubbles inside Eclipse''s mouth!" Eclipse quickly seconded.


    Bai Ze raised his chin, feeling proud. "Of course. This is the most expensive champagne in all of Arcadia."


    Su Yuqi raised her brow. "Aren''t you ovepensating?"


    Bai Ze nced at the other. He already knew what this girl was trying to say, but he still responded in a dry tone, "And why should I ovepensate?"


    "Because you''re the only one who didn''t capture a watchtower."


    "And? I still defeated the other team''s Captain," Bai Ze said, boasting about his feat.


    Su Yuqi only gave an ''evil'' smirk. "Did defeating the other team''s captain help our team gain points?"


    Bai Ze felt choked because he couldn''t find any words to refute that. So, he could only pour himself another nce of champagne while ring at the evil woman smiling evilly at him.


    "The big lion is so pitiful," Eclipse whispered to Luo Yan. "He always lost against pink sister."


    Luo Yan smiled and whispered back, "That''s just their way of getting along."


    Shen Ji Yun pped to stop any more bickering between the two. "Okay, let''s just eat and celebrate."


    After he said that, the round table was filled with different dishes. Although everything was virtual, the taste of each dish was very authentic. And that''s all that mattered.


    "Finally, food," Rowan grumbled, as if he was relieved that the ''nonsensical'' conversation was finally over.


    Everyone started eating, enjoying the delicious dishes on the table. Except for Bai Ze, who was still sulking.


    Luo Yan walked towards the other with a te of different food. "Brother Ze, here, eat."


    Bai Ze reluctantly epted the te. "Xiao Yan, do you also think that I didn''t contribute to our win today?"


    "Of course not. If Brother Ze didn''t defeat the captain of team Valor, I wouldn''t be able to give the bandit leader that finishing blow as quickly as I did."


    And Luo Yan was not saying that to make his cousin feel better. He knew that those two team members must have contacted their other team members once they found the bandit leader.


    The fact that one of them resorted to exploding himself just to give the bandit leader a huge blow meant that their team captain, by that time, was already out of the match. This, of course, gave Luo Yan the opportunity to defeat the bandit leader.


    "Xiao Yan..." Bai Ze looked at him with a moved expression. "I knew there''s a reason you''re my favorite cousin. Come here and give this big brother a hug."


    Luo Yan chuckled and was nning to give the other a quick hug. But before he could do so, he was suddenly hugged from behind. He looked up and saw Shen Ji Yun.


    "Go and find someone else to hug you," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "Hey, Ji Yun, aren''t you being a bit possessive? I''m Xiao Yan''s cousin. Don''t tell me you still view me as an object of jealousy?" Bai Ze said incredulously.


    Shen Ji Yun only frowned and did not answer. But by doing that, it''s almost as if he was admitting that what Bai Ze said was true.


    "Wow. I don''t know if I should be shocked or be worried about my cousin''s future."


    After Bai Ze said that, Shen Ji Yun''s frown became even deeper. Then he looked at Luo Yan and asked in an unsure manner, "Yan Yan, am I doing something wrong?"


    While staring at Shen Ji Yun, Luo Yan suddenly had the illusion that the other suddenly turned into a nervous puppy who was feeling guilty towards its owner, with matching drooping ears and tail. So, what could he do in this situation?


    He turned around and hugged the other''s waist. "Of course not. We''re just at the start of our rtionship. So, it''s natural to feel possessive."


    And even if it continued in the future, he had the confidence that the other wouldn''t show excessive possessiveness as long as he told him not to. Because Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t do anything that would make him ufortable.


    That might sound a bit egotistical of him. But that''s just how much faith he had of Shen Ji Yun''s love for him. Yes, they might quarrel from time to time, but the other would never intentionally do something that might hurt him or cause him difort. This was how much trust he had for Shen Ji Yun.


    Contrary to his thoughts, Shen Ji Yun was thinking that even if they were no longer on this ''fresh stage'' of their rtionship, he would probably still continue to be a jealous boyfriend. But now, he learned that he should not show it so thoroughly so as not to make Luo Yan ufortable.


    "Argh... stop with this force feeding of dog food," Bai Zeined. "Now I''ve lost my appetite because of you two."


    Luo Yan onlyughed at that.


    And the next day, it was finally time for Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun''s temple date.

 Chapter 998: WERE VERY CLOSE

    AFTER Luo Jin gave their father and older brother a quick hug, Luo Yan quickly followed and hugged the two tightly. They were at the driveway of the Bai family mansion, saying goodbye to the two because they would both go back to S City today.


    Luo Wei Tian and Luo Ren had an early flight and were nning to go without waking anyone in the house. They even told Luo Yan and Luo Jin that there''s no need to see them off. And yet the two still woke up early to do just that.


    "Call us once you get back," Luo Yan said before letting go of his father.


    "We will. Take care while you''re here and don''t make trouble for your uncle, aunt, and grandpa," Luo Wei Tian said, looking at Luo Jin while saying thest part.


    Luo Jin quickly retorted, "Dad, why are you looking at me like that? Am I the only one who could cause trouble? You probably don''t know this, but Yan could definitely cause more trouble than me."


    "Ah Jin, how can you say that?" Luo Yan asked, acting as if he was hurt by what Luo Jin said.


    "That''s right, Xiao Jin. Just look at your brother. How can someone so beautiful cause trouble?" Luo Wei Tian said in a rather shameless manner.


    "Yes," Luo Ren agreed, then added, "And have you already forgotten, Xiao Jin? You have been acting like a delinquent untilst year, getting into all kinds of trouble."


    "A delinquent? How can that be when I heard that our Ah Jin was constantly top of his ss since elementary school?" Luo Yan said rather exaggeratedly. His eyes were twinkling with amusement, obviously teasing his younger brother.


    "Well, he''s an honor student delinquent," Luo Ren said with a shrug, putting together words that would normally be in the same sentence together.


    "Hmm... but isn''t our Xiao Jin more of an ally of justice than a delinquent? After all, all the people he beat up were the real delinquents," Luo Wei Tian said, adding in with the fun.


    Of course, the star of all this, the amazing young master Jin, had already turned into a bright red tomato. He didn''t expect that his dark history would be aired like this here.


    He looked at his father and brothers, feeling betrayed. "Are you feeling proud, ganging up on me like this?"


    As an answer to that, Luo Yan simply hugged the other. "What ganging up? We''re clearly showing our love for you!"


    Then he looked at his father and older brother, silently inviting them with his eyes to do a group hug. Something that the two readily did.


    And with that warm group hug amidst the cold weather, the four members of the Luo family temporarily bid farewell to each other.


    Luo Yan spent time with his grandpa after breakfast, reading him books, listening to his stories, and just doing what the other requested. This had been his daily routine since he arrived here. Not only him, but Luo Jin, and sometimes Bai Ze and Bai Ye, would often apany their grandfather.


    Of course, except for the days that he had to go to a meeting with his teammates. But he would make up for it by spending more time with his grandfather the next day. Since he and Luo Jin could only be here for a month at most, he wanted to spend more time with their grandfather.


    The next time he would probably have a chance like this was when the military training started for iing university freshmen. Which would probably be six months from now. And even then, he could only stay here for a few days since he had to stay at the university he would be admitted to.


    That''s why he wanted to cherish the time he spent with his grandfather as much as possible. Especially since the qualifying matches in Arcadia Cup had already started. There would be days when he had to spend hours inside the game.


    Luo Yan looked at his grandfather, who had already fallen asleep while he was reading him a book. He quietly closed the book, put it on the shelf, and then carefully adjusted theforter, making sure that his grandfather was snugly covered. After that, he walked out of the room.


    As soon as he walked into the living room, his footsteps faltered when he saw the tall, handsome man sitting beside Aunt Xin.


    [Brother Ji Yun?]¡ªhe almost blurted out.


    Being surprised was only a natural reaction since the two of them decided to meet just after lunch. But it was only 10:30 in the morning right now.


    The other also quickly noticed him and stood up. The corner of his mouth turning up ever slightly, showing just how happy he was seeing him.


    "Xiao Yan, Xiao Yun just arrived," Aunt Xin said. "He said the two of you have an appointment today?"


    Luo Yan quickly came back to his senses and walked forward.


    "Yes, I have some questions aboutputer science and since it''s Brother Ji Yun''s major, he kindly offered to give me some insights," he said, quickly making up an excuse.


    "Oh. I did hear from Wei Tian that you want to take that major," Aunt Xin said, not suspecting anything at all.


    "Then we''ll be going first, Aunt Xin. I''ll be back before it''s time for dinner," Luo Yan said before turning to Shen Ji Yun. "Brother Ji Yun, wait here. I''ll just get my coat."


    And then he immediately rushed to his room. He was already dressed to go out, and he only needed a coat and a scarf, as well as gloves. Since both Luo Jin and Bai Ze were currently ying in Arcadia, and Bai Ye was still asleep, this was the perfect time to leave.


    "I didn''t know you two are so close," Aunt Xinmented after Luo Yan almost practically ran to the second floor.


    A slight smile appeared on Shen Ji Yun''s ever expressionless face. "Yes, we''re very close."

 Chapter 999: TEMPLE FAIR DATE (I)

    ONLY when the two of them got into the car that Luo Yan managed to ask, "Brother Ji Yun, why did you arrive here much earlier than what we talked about?"


    "Well... I thought it would be better for us to go to the temple fair much earlier, considering how crowded it could be."


    Shen Ji Yun looked ahead as he said that. Not only because he was the one driving, but because he also didn''t want Luo Yan to see his embarrassed expression. He couldn''t really say that the real reason he arrived early was because he was just too excited and ended up leaving the house too early.


    He didn''t want Luo Yan to think that he was worse than a teenager on his first date who couldn''t even control his excitement. Even though he was exactly that. But showing that kind of image was a bit... anyway, he wanted to look cool in front of his boyfriend. So, a little white lie wouldn''t hurt.


    What he didn''t know was that Luo Yan had already seen through him? How could he not when it was so obviously written on the other''s face? Well, to most people, they probably wouldn''t be able to read anything from Shen Ji Yun''s face. But Luo Yan was not most people. Not only was he the other''s boyfriend, he was already so in tuned to Shen Ji Yun''s emotions that he would easily tell what the other was feeling just by looking at him.


    Okay, so that''s a bit exaggerated in a way. But the gist was the same, anyway.


    He would bet that Shen Ji Yun must be too excited for today. That''s why he went to the Bai family mansion this early. And that''s fine. Because he also felt the same. Besides, going to the temple fair early meant that the two of them could spend more time together. Who knew when they would be able to spend time alone again like this?


    Although both of them were on vacation, most of their time would definitely be spent on the qualifying matches or team meetings. It would be hard to find a time to go on a date again like this.


    So, he didn''t break Shen Ji Yun''s obvious excuse and just said with a smile, "Quick thinking, Brother Ji Yun. Then, let''s make sure to do a lot of fun things today. Let''s make this day a very memorable one."


    The corners of Shen Ji Yun''s lips curved up when he heard that. "Yes."


    Ditan Park Temple Fair, also known as the Temple of Earth Fair, was an iconic event held during the Spring Festival in B City. Located within the historic Ditan Park, the fair captured the essence of Chinese tradition and drew visitors from all walks of life. The park, adorned with traditional architecture and serene gardens, provided a picturesque setting for the festivities.


    Although there were a number of temple fairs being held in B City, the one at Ditan Park remained the most popr. That''s why Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun also picked this ce for today''s date.


    Shen Ji Yun parked the car, and the two got out. Luo Yan looked ahead and was surprised to see that there were still a lot of people going to the fair. This was already the fifth day of Spring Festival. So, it''s only natural to think that the number of people should have decreased. Or maybe this number was already much lesserpared to the first and second days.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Let''s go, Brother Ji Yun!"


    Shen Ji Yun looked at Luo Yan. The other had a bright expression on his face. It was obvious by the smile that crossed his lips just how much he was looking forward to this date. This made Shen Ji Yun smile as well, in his ever-so slight way.


    He walked beside Luo Yan and the two of them entered the fair amongst the sea of people.


    As they entered the fair, a vibrant spectacle greeted them. Colorfulnterns swayed in the breeze, casting a warm glow on the bustling crowds. Traditional red and gold decorations adorned the temple structures, creating a festive atmosphere. The air was filled with the tantalizing aromas of street food stalls, offering a delightful array of local delicacies.


    The food immediately attracted Luo Yan. Stalls adorned with colorful banners beckoned hungry visitors. From steaming bowls of noodles to fragrant roasted meat skewers, and from crispy spring rolls to sweet rice cakes, the food stalls catered to every craving.


    Since the two of them hadn''t had lunch yet, he pulled Shen Ji Yun to one of the stalls with the most people lined up. After all, many customers was a proof that the food must be good.


    "Let''s buy lunch first, then eat it before we stroll around. What do you think?" he asked.


    Shen Ji Yun raised his brow. He thought, ''shouldn''t you ask that first before lining up here?''. But he didn''t voice that out since he found Luo Yan cute acting that way. "Okay," he could only say at the end.


    So, the two went on a ''food shopping spree'', buying fried noodles, roastedmb skewers, dumplings, and some rice cakes. Of course, they didn''t forget to buy drinks. Thankfully, they didn''t have to wander around after that, since they quickly found a spot in the garden to eat.


    They sat down on a bench and spread their food in between them.


    "Thank you for the food," Luo Yan said before picking up the bowl of fried noodles.


    As he watched Luo Yan eat with gusto, Shen Ji Yun felt a bit regretful that he hadn''t prepared food for them to eat. If he did, then Luo Yan would be enjoying his food now. But he thought that Luo Yan might want an authentic temple fair experience, and that included the food stalls. That''s why he decided not to bring food in the end.


    He picked up his bowl of fried noodles and started eating as well.

 Chapter 1000: SPECIAL CHAPTER: THEM IN 10 YEARS

    A handsome boy got out of the car. He appeared remarkably mature for his age, possessing an air of sophistication that belied his tender years. With a face that exuded charm and refinement, he seemed older than his actual age of four, resembling a miniature version of an elegant adult.


    Dressed in suspenders and a dapper bowtie, he exuded a ssic charm and style that entuated his innate attractiveness. His fair, porcin-like skin lent him an angelic quality,plementing the contrasting jet-ck hair that framed his face. His eyes, also dark and enigmatic, sparkled with a wisdom and depth beyond his years.


    "Baby,e and hold mother''s hand."


    The boy nced at the woman who called him. She was wearing a soft wide-leg trousers and flowy white blouse. The other was tall with stylish short hair that perfectly highlighted her sharp features. She was not a ssically beautiful woman. The word ''handsome'' actually suited her more.


    "Mom, I''m not a baby anymore," the boy grumbled, but still held his mother''s hand.


    The boy heard an amused chuckle beside him. He raised his head and saw a man gazing down at him amusedly. The man, surprisingly, looked like the adult version of the boy.


    "Yes, our Xiao Wei is no longer a baby," he said indulgently, holding the free hand of the boy.


    The boy¡ªLuo Wei¡ªproudly raised his chin. "I''m going to be a big brother soon, so I''m a big boy now."


    The man¡ªLuo Ren ¡ª smiled and then looked at his wife. His gaze was full of love. "Yes, you will have a little sister in eight months."


    "Brother Ren, we still don''t know if it''s a girl or a boy," Yu Jiao said with a hint of admonishment, but the blush on her face proved that she was probably hoping for the same.


    "I also want a little sister," Luo Wei announced.


    "See, even Xiao Wei agrees with his father," Luo Ren said.


    "Let''s just go inside. It''s almost time for the ceremony," Yu Jiao said, changing the subject.


    The family of three walked towards the hotel where the 100th day celebration of two babies in their family was being held.


    Inside a private lounge in the hotel, two mothers were holding two sleeping babies wearing traditional clothing. The design of the clothes was almost identical, except that one was color pink and the other was color blue.


    These two babies were the stars of today''s 100th day celebration.


    The woman holding the baby with pink traditional clothes had an exceptionally beautiful face. She was wearing a silver cheongsam with dragon embroidery, her long ck hair was tied up by a green jade pin. She looked more like a model rather than a mother. Her gaze on the baby in her arms was full of unconditional love.


    The other woman holding the baby with blue traditional clothes wasn''t as exceptional as the other woman in terms of appearance, but her striking cat-like eyes were something that no one could easily ignore. She was wearing avender Spring dress that perfectly suited her petite figure. An expression of happiness was evident on her face.


    "It''s so wonderful that both Mei Mei and Rui Rui have the same birthday. Don''t you think so, Sister Yuqi?" Xia Li said to Su Yuqi before looking at his husband. "It''s like their twins! Right, honey?"


    The man standing beside Xia Li was wearing avender suit. It would probably look tacky on others, but his handsome face saved him from the same fate.


    Bai Ze felt conflicted when he heard his wife''s question. Although he didn''t have anything against baby Mei Mei, the fact that her mother was Su Yuqi made him want to say ''no''. How could his precious son be the twin of his ''mortal enemy''s'' daughter?


    When he didn''t answer immediately, Su Yuqi scoffed. "I bet your husband is thinking like some chuunibyou right now."


    Bai Ze''s face turned red in embarrassment. He was about to retort, but his wife let out a joyfulugh, promptly stopping him.


    "Yes, I guess he is."


    Bai Ze turned to his wife with a look saying ''how can you betray me like this?''. "Li-er..."


    "Don''t worry, I still love you despite that," Xia Li said, giving his husband a quick peck.


    Then the door to the private lounge opened. A handsome tall man wearing a silver tang suit with the same dragon embroidery. Even in traditional attire, his untamed allure remained impossible to overlook.


    He walked beside Su Yuqi, kissing the top of her head as if it was the most natural thing, and then gazed down at their daughter. His eyes almost turned to heart-shape as he looked at her.


    "Xiao Jin, have all the guests already arrived?" Bai Ze asked his cousin.


    "Most. Yan and Ji Yun are still on the way," Luo Jin answered, before adding. "They brought the child with them."


    All three looked at him when they heard thest part.


    "Let''s wee the child with open arms," Xia Li said.


    Su Yuqi nodded in agreement.


    "Of course, that''s a must," Bai Ze said. "He''s already part of our family."


    "Do you think the ceremony is already starting?" asked the beautiful man sitting in the back seat of the car. His peach blossom eyes had a hint of worry in them.


    "Don''t worry, Yan Yan, we''re just in time," the handsome man on the driver''s seat said after parking the car.


    "I shall trust Brother Ji Yun''s judgment," Luo Yan said with a chuckle.


    Then the two got out of the car after it was parked. They were about to walk towards the hotel when they noticed that the child sitting beside Luo Yan didn''t follow them.


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun and the other nodded. He turned around and bent a little to look at the child still sitting in the car.


    The four-year-old boy, who looked much smaller than his age, was thin and pale. His hair was pure white and even the eyshes surrounding his eyes were also white. That pair of pinkish-colored eyes were staring down.


    His features showing clear signs of albinism. But these unique features made the boy look even more beautiful. Like a small winter elf dwelling in a mysterious world.


    The boy''s thin fingers were fidgeting with his clothes. Anyone could see that the boy was very nervous right now.


    Seeing this, Luo Yan felt his heart tremble. But he chose not to show his worry and instead give the other a bright smile. "Let''s go, Zhu-er."


    The boy raised his head and looked at the hand offered to him, then at the beautiful face of the man that was now his father. He didn''t want to disappoint him. So, despite his fears and worries, he still reached out to that hand and walked out of the car.


    Before he could make a step, his Daddy Yan crouched down and looked at him softly. "Zhu-er, there''s nothing to be afraid. Aren''t I and Daddy Yun here? We will always be here to protect and love you."


    "That''s right. Because you are our son," Shen Ji Yun added, also crouching down to be at his son''s eye level.


    The boy bit his lower lip. "B-but what if they didn''t l-like me?" he asked, his voice trembling as if he was about to cry.


    "Oh, Zhu-er, that won''t happen. Our Zhu-er is so pretty. How could anyone not like you?" Luo Yan said, gently stroking the boy''s hair.


    "Yes, very pretty," Shen Ji Yun followed with a thumbs-up.


    The boy blushed. His dads were the only ones who would call him pretty when all he heard his whole life were insults for the way he looks. Somehow, his nervousness was melting away because of his dads''pliment.


    "Besides, they are also now your new family. Just like how the three of us became a family. So, there''s absolutely nothing to be afraid of," Luo Yan said.


    The boy nodded.


    "Tell me, Zhu-er. What is your name?" Luo Yan asked.


    The boy looked at his Daddy Yan, encouraging him to answer. Then he nced at Daddy Yun. The other''s eyes were also full of encouragement. Both of them gave him courage.


    He took a deep breath and said in a voice full of conviction, "I''m Luo Tian Zhu, the son of Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan."

 Chapter 1001 TEMPLE FAIR DATE (II)

    1001 TEMPLE FAIR DATE (II)


    WHEN they finished eating their lunch, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun decided to walk around the temple fair. That''s when they happened to see some acrobatic performances being held in the park. There were jugglers, contortionist, and even some aerial performances. After watching that, they decided to watch other performances being held at the park.


    The closest to where they were was a stage where folk dancing and music were being performed. Watching people dance to traditional music while wearing colorful costumes was fun in its own way.


    As they continued to walk around, Shen Ji Yun noticed that there were a lot of young couples around. Seeing how they were either walking hand-in-hand, or their arms around each other, he couldn''t help the pang of envy that hit him.


    He nced at Luo Yan''s hand. He also wanted to go around the temple fair while holding hands. But because of this damn society and how they viewed same-sex couples, it was hard to openly show affection.


    He sighed. It''s really easy for people to be greedy. Before, he would be satisfied if he could spend time with Luo Yan. But now, not being able to hold his hands could actually make him feel envious of others. This couldn''t be helped. Since his love for the other was overflowing. He would just continue to be more and more greedy as time passed by.


    He should learn to control this greed. Or else, it might just consume them both in the future if he didn''t.


    As he was having a mental crisis, he was startled when he felt something soft touching his hand. When he looked down, he saw Luo Yan''s hand covering his. He blinked and raised his head to look at the other.


    Luo Yan smiled, his eyes twinkling as he looked at him. Shen Ji Yun felt a surge or emotion. It''s like before he could voice out what he wanted and needed, Luo Yan would almost always be there to give it to him.


    It was as if Luo Yan could read his thoughts, anticipate his desires even before they formed in his mind. With each passing day, Shen Ji Yun found himself falling deeper into the abyss of his own longing, consumed by a hunger that only Luo Yan could satiate.


    This was the reason why he couldn''t stop being greedy.


    Greedy for hispany. Greedy for his touch. Greedy for his love.


    A faint whisper of caution tugged at the corners of his mind, urging him to resist his greedy desires. He knew that true love required selflessness, that it blossomed through giving and nurturing rather than taking. Shen Ji Yun reminded himself that he must temper his longing, to appreciate the delicate bnce of their rtionship, and to strive for a love that thrived on mutual respect and understanding rather than unchecked greed.


    So, he said, "Yan Yan, is it alright to do this here?"


    "Hmm? You mean is it alright for us to hold us?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded.


    "It''s fine. There are so many people here and most of them are just minding their business," Luo Yan answered with a shrug. "Or is Brother Ji Yun embarrassed to be seen holding hands with me?"


    To answer that, Shen Ji Yun simply intertwined their fingers together. "There''s no way that''s possible."


    Luo Yan smiled. "I knew you''d say that."


    As Shen Ji Yun stared at the other''s bright smile, he couldn''t help but smile as well. Really, Luo Yan always knew how to break his defenses and turn his inside into a gooey mess.


    How could he stop himself from wanting more with such a boyfriend by his side?


    ----------


    After going around watching performances, they went to the temple to offer incense so they could receive blessings and protection. It took a while because of the number of people doing the same.


    When they''re done with that, the two decided to get their fortune told.


    There were a lot of stalls doing fortune telling at a temple fair. Most of them were using ''Bazi'' to predict a person''s fortune. It''s based on traditional astrology and the interpretation of birthdates and times. It involved analyzing a person''s birth year, month, day, and hour to determine their individual destiny and offer insights into various aspects of their life, including personality traits, career prospects, rtionships, and health.


    The two chose a stall with an old fortune teller. It was a woman who looked like a friendly neighborhood grandma.


    "What handsome young men," the forteller grandma eximed in a friendly manner. "Which one of you want to have your fortune told? Or is it the both of you?"


    "It''s both of us, Grandma," Luo Yan said.


    "So, who shall go first?" the grandma asked, clearly delighted that both of them were asking for their fortunes.


    "I''ll go first," Shen Ji Yun said. They already talked about this earlier and Luo Yan wanted to gost so his anticipation would be bigger.


    He sat in front of the grandma''s small table. The other asked him about his birthday and the time of birth as well. She also looked at his palm for a bit.


    "Your childhood is one full of tragedy," the grandma started after hearing about his birthday and the time of birth. "An important figure in your life managed to save you from further tragedy and pain. Your decision to go with this person was truly a blessing."


    Shen Ji Yun was a bit surprised, because those few words described what happened to him in simple terms. His father dying in front of him, his mother losing her mind and physically abusing him, and his uncle,ing to his life and saving him.


    "And now you have met someone who would continue to bring you more blessings in life. Even if there would be some bumps along the way in your future, with this person by your side, only happiness awaits you," the grandma continued.


    When Shen Ji Yun heard that, the first thing he instinctively did was to nce at Luo Yan. The other also looked at him and smiled.


    "Isn''t that great, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun smiled. "Yes."


    Because he knew that the person who would bring him happiness, now and in the future as well, was none other than this foxy rabbit.

 Chapter 1002: RATHER DIE

    AFTER Shen Ji Yun, it was Luo Yan''s turn. The old grandma asked for his birthday and time of birth, since he didn''t know the time of birth of ''Luo Yan'', he decided to give his time of birth. Everything was going well until the grandma looked at his palm.


    The moment she did, a deep crease immediately appeared on her forehead. It was like the expression of someone who suddenly encountered a problem that only had a weird answer.


    It was only btedly that Luo Yan realized why the other was acting this way. The time of birth he gave was his instead of ''Luo Yan''. Meanwhile, this body, which was not originally his, would obviously show a different fortune that would not match his time of birth. This would undoubtedly make the fortune teller grandma confused.


    He tensed. What if the other discovered that his body was not originally his and then used him of being some kind of evil spirit? They were in a very crowded temple fair. The fortune telling booths here were not enclosed; they were open for everyone to look into. It was very easy for someone to just raise their phone and started recording.


    Although talks about possession and evil spirits were not something people would readily believe, it could still attract attention. With his and Shen Ji Yun''s looks, he wouldn''t even be surprised if it became a hot topic on Weibo. And that''s not just him being narcissistic.


    With how they closely resembled their avatars in Arcadia, a lot of people who would possibly watch this would-be video would definitely give more attention to it because of that. More attention could only be equal to trouble.


    People might not believe what the grandma fortune teller said at first, but there would definitely be some who would. And it wouldn''t take long for those few to increase as days passed by. He could already imagine how bad it would get and how it could affect his family.


    Luo Yan clenched his fists that were on top of hisp. He decided to tell the grandma that there''s no need to tell him about his fortune. But when he was about to do that, Shen Ji Yun had already spoken before him.


    "Is there something wrong?" the other asked, his voice tinged with worry.


    He probably thought that something was wrong because of how long it was taking for the grandma to answer. Especially since it didn''t take that long when she was giving him his fortune. Not to mention the other''s expression right now. It''s no wonder Shen Ji Yun would get worried.


    "Hmmm... not wrong, but strange," the grandma said. "You have two fortunes heavily contrasting each other. It''s the first time I''ve seen something like it."


    Luo Yan let out a sigh of relief when he heard that. Because from what she said, she''s not really suspecting him of being an evil spirit or thinking that he was only possessing this body. Maybe even among fortune tellers, the idea of a soul possessing another person''s body was also a bit absurd.


    But from what she said, he could also surmise that the reason she took her time to answer was because of what he had already guessed in prior.


    "Can you tell me those two fortunes?" he asked.


    He should have probably stopped here to avoid any possible trouble. But since he confirmed that the grandma hadn''t suspected him of being some kind of evil spirit, he might as well listened to what kind of fortune, or in this case, fortunes, did she see.


    "If you want to hear it, then, of course. But you must brace yourself because one of them is not as good as that of your friend here," she said with a hint of warning.


    "It''s okay, I still want to hear it."


    "Then, I''ll start. Both fortunes spoke of great tragedy in your childhood. Losing people very important to you. One fortune showed that all the suffering you experienced will be paid ten times more with unprecedented blessings. You will have great sess not only in life but also in love. You will marry the love of your life and have a family of your own.


    "The other one, on the other hand, was... well, there was nothing. As if having your life cut off at a young age. It''s¡ª"


    "Stop. There''s no need to hear more," Shen Ji Yun suddenly said, cutting off the rest of what the fortune teller was about to say.


    He then left money on her table and then pulled Luo Yan away from the booth.


    His whole body exuded coldness, which was probably why anyone who was blocking their path got out of the way. But contrary to his outer appearance, his insides were boiling. With anger? With irritation? He didn''t even know. He just knew that he didn''t like what he heard.


    When that fortune teller said that Luo Yan would marry the love of his life and would have a family of his own, he honestly felt gutted. Because wouldn''t that mean that Luo Yan would have married some woman and had children with her?


    But that did notpare to what he felt when that fortune teller basically said that Luo Yan would die young. It''s like a storm of emotions raged inside, threatening to engulf him. He truly wanted to shake that fortune teller and tell her to take back what she had just said.


    He could live with the fact that Luo Yan would be with someone in the future. Well, maybe not really live to the full extent of the word, but just exist. As long as the other was happy, he could take it. But the thought that he would just be... gone?


    He would rather die than live in a world where there was no Luo Yan.


    "Brother Ji Yun... Brother Ji Yun, stop!"


    Luo Yan''s call halted Shen Ji Yun''s footsteps. But he didn''t let go of the other and just stood there.

 Chapter 1003 WITH THE ONE

    Chapter 1003 WITH THE ONE


    LUO YAN was startled when Shen Ji Yun suddenly pulled him out of the fortune teller''s booth. That''s why he wasn''t able to react as quickly as he should. When he was finally able to, the other had already pulled him to an area with fewer people.


    He wasn''t sure if Shen Ji Yun did it on purpose or if he just moved instinctively. But after he nced at his face and saw his expression, he knew that it was definitely thetter.


    Just looking at the other''s expression, it wasn''t that hard to guess the reason why. Especially if one considered what led for the other to pull him like this. Shen Ji Yun must have been affected by what the grandma said about his fortune, or fortunes, to be exact. Either one of those fortunes would definitely be upsetting for the other.


    "Brother Ji Yun," he called to make the other stop.


    But Shen Ji Yun continued to walk as if he didn''t hear him. And maybe he didn''t, because he was much too overwhelmed by whatever emotion he was feeling right now.


    So, he called in a much louder voice, "Brother Ji Yun, stop!"


    Finally, the other stopped walking. But he didn''t say anything and just stood there, silently holding his hand.


    With his free hand, he touched Shen Ji Yun''s cheek and gently turned his face towards him. "Brother Ji Yun, there''s no need to be upset," he said with a tender smile, trying to calm the other.


    But it only seemed to have an opposite effect. "How can I not be upset? She just said that you will¡ªI can''t even say it."


    Luo Yan stared at the other, feeling a bit surprised. Because this was the first time he had seen Shen Ji Yun with an obvious expression of anger. Like it''s not something that only he would notice but others could as well.


    And that''s very monumental, considering how other people could barely tell what he was thinking most of the time. This meant that Shen Ji Yun must be really angry right now. Or that there''s a lot of emotions going on inside him that he could barely contain it. Thus, making his facial muscles move in ways it normally wouldn''t.


    "If Brother Ji Yun is worried about me getting married and having a family of my own, it doesn''t necessarily mean that my so-called love of my life will be a woman," he said trying to light up the atmosphere. "I could marry you and we could adopt a child. That''s entirely a very probable future. Don''t you think?"


    Shen Ji Yun, who was still fuming a second ago, felt his anger being doused because of the image Luo Yan''s words paint in his mind. A future in which he and the other were married to each other and a child of their own. It was so easy to imagine it that his brain froze and it was the only thing he could think of for the next couple seconds.


    That image was too beautiful that a smile almost crossed his mind. But the moment he almost did, the voice of the fortune teller telling Luo Yan that he was supposed to die young echoed in his mind again. And the anger that slowly died down started to ze once more.


    "That''s not what I was worried about," he said. "The fact that she implied that, that, I don''t even want to say it."


    Ah, so it was that.¡ªLuo Yan thought.


    The reason for the other''s anger was because of the grandma''s statement about him supposedly dying young. He should have known that it was because of that. It just fit with Shen Ji Yun''s personality. His love for him always showed in the most unexpected ces.


    The urge to hug and kiss the other was so strong that his hands almost felt itchy. To satisfy this need, he pulled Shen Ji Yun behind a big tree, away from the prying gaze of the few people passing by this area.


    Once they were fully covered by the tree trunk, he no longer resisted and hugged the other''s waist, leaning his head on his shoulder.


    "It won''t happen, Brother Ji Yun. Aren''t I very healthy now? The fortune teller grandma was probably just pertaining to the ident I had when I was young. After all, a lot of people also think that it''s a miracle that I woke up."


    Luo Yan knew that that fortune was more likely for ''Luo Yan'', not him. But how could he exin that to Shen Ji Yun?


    It''s not that he was worried that the other wouldn''t ept him if he knew the whole truth. Or that he would think of him as a monster or something. No, there''s no possibility that any of that could happen.


    But this was not the time yet. To be exact, he wasn''t ready to tell Shen Ji Yun about his past or how this current life came to be. He wanted to, but he was still not emotionally ready to do it.


    It had nothing to do with Shen Ji Yun. It was all him. Even if he knew that Shen Ji Yun would ept him as he was, at the back of his mind, he was still afraid of the ''what ifs''. What if he would get angry? What if his love for him diminished? What if he looked at him weirdly? What if, in his eyes, he was no longer the same Luo Yan that he loved?


    All this brought trepidation to his heart.


    Yes, it was not only stupid, but totally unfounded. Because not once did Shen Ji Yun showed signs that he would do any of that. But he couldn''t stop those fears lingering in him.


    He was just human, after all. He could feel scared and also act like a coward. For now, he needed to give himself the space and patience to navigate his own emotions, trusting that when the time was right, he would find the courage to share his truth with the one he loved.

 Chapter 1004 STAYING OVER

    Chapter 1004 STAYING OVER


    "AUNTIE, I might not be able to go back tonight," Luo Yan said in an apologetic tone to Aunt Xin in the other end of the line. "I was so engrossed with Brother Ji Yun''s tutoring that I forgot about the time. Since it''s alreadyte to return in time for dinner, Uncle Yi Mu suggested that I just sleep here. Is it alright, Auntie? I''m really sorry."


    His excuse had a lot of loopholes in them. But he could use his aunt''s fondness for him, so the other could ignore those loopholes. And that''s by intentionally sounding like he was very sorry and guilty. His aunt would then focus more on appeasing him than thinking of the loopholes of the excuse he just gave. Him receiving permission would just be a bonus.


    Sure enough, his aunt''s voice when she responded was only filled with appeasement. "It''s okay, Xiao Yan. Staying there for the night is much safer."


    Sorry, Auntie Xin - Luo Yan inwardly said, apologizing to the other for lying. After thanking his aunt and the other telling him to take care and not to trouble the Shen uncle and nephew, they both ended the call.


    "Is this really alright?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Luo Yan turned to the other, who was currently driving. Even though there was a bit of worry in his voice, the excitement in his eyes couldn''t be hidden. Showing just how much he liked the idea of spending the night at the other''s house.


    This was not actually part of the date n for today. But because of that fortune telling incident, Luo Yan felt guilty about not being able to tell Shen Ji Yun the whole truth. So, he decided to give him a bit of ''sugar'' and suggested staying over at his home for a night.


    Shen Ji Yun''s reaction to that was just as expected. The corner of his lips turned up and his face flushed with excitement. If it was not too out of character, the other would have probably jumped up and down because of happiness.


    But Shen Ji Yun being Shen Ji Yun, he immediately worried that his family might not approve of him staying over the night. Thus, the phone call.


    Since his father and older brother had already gone back to S City, the only one he could ask for permission was Aunt Xin. And he was confident that the other would let him stay out for a night.


    Because first, she had known Shen Ji Yun for years now. She had already built trust in him. She wouldn''t be too worried that the other would not take care of Luo Yan. Especially since Uncle Yi Mu would also be there. Second, she''s not really on board of how protective his dad and brothers were of him. She believed that a little independence was needed so he could grow into his own person.


    And, as he expected, his aunt agreed.


    "It''s fine," he said. "Or do you not want me to stay over?"


    "No!" Shen Ji Yun quickly said. "I would really love for you to stay over for the night."


    If the other was not driving, Luo Yan would probably have already leaned over and asked him ''how much do you love it?''. If he did that right now, they might only get into a car ident.


    Shen Ji Yun was already barely taking his eyes off the road. Even the car speed didn''t go beyond 50 kph. Showing how careful the other was driving. Luo Yan knew that this was all in consideration of him. And it just made him appreciate and love the other more. He didn''t want Shen Ji Yun''s effort to go down the drain just because of his urge to tease him.


    "And I will. So, let''s just enjoy this evening and have that dinner," he said.


    Luo Yan suggested that they eat dinner out. Since Uncle Yi Mu and Uncle Yue were both at home, it''s better to let them have more alone time. Of course, Shen Ji Yun had already called home and told them that Luo Yan would be staying over. He told Uncle Yi Mu that they would have dinner out before returning home.


    "I would have loved cooking dinner for you," Shen Ji Yun said, looking a tad bit disappointed that he couldn''t.


    "Well, there''s still breakfast. Brother Ji Yun could just make a hearty breakfast for me tomorrow," Luo Yan said with a smile.


    As if he liked that idea, a smile also crossed Shen Ji Yun''s lips. "I will definitely do that."


    Just then, Luo Yan''s phone rang. He looked at it and saw Luo Jin''s caller ID. He had already somehow expected that his younger brother would call, so it didn''t really surprise him.


    He epted the call. "Ah Jin?"


    "Yan, are you really going to spend the night at... that guy''s ce?"


    Luo Yan put his phone slightly away from his ear because of how Luo Jin almost shouted that question. "Ah Jin, calm down, and yes, I''m going to stay at Brother Ji Yun''s house."


    "How can I calm down when I heard that? I haven''t even gotten over the fact that you went out today with that guy without telling me anything and now you''re even spending the night with him?"


    Luo Yan sighed. He knew this would happen. "Ah Jin, have you forgotten already that Brother Ji Yun is my boyfriend? Of course, I would want to spend time with him. Just the two of us. Besides, nothing of what you''re worrying about will happen. Aside from the fact that Uncle Yi Mu and Uncle Yue will also be with us, both Brother Ji Yun and I are irresponsible adults.


    "That''s right. Adults. I''m also an adult now. I know that you worry because you love me, and I love you as well. But please learn to tone it down."


    There was silence from the other line. Then he heard grumbling. And then, atst, he said, "Fine. Just let me say something to that guy."

 Chapter 1005 OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION

    Chapter 1005 OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION


    ALTHOUGH he already had a rough idea of what Luo Jin might say to Shen Ji Yun, Luo Yan still agreed to his request. Because he had a feeling that this brother of his would continue to nag him if he didn''t.


    "Brother Ji Yun, Ah Jin has something to say to you," he said, then put his phone near Shen Ji Yun''s ear.


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t say anything and just listened. There was not much change in the other''s expression as he did, but Luo Yan noticed the slight twitching at the corner of his lips. It''s like looking at someone stopping himself from frowning, or maybe snarling.


    The other gestured that Luo Jin had finished what he wanted to say, so Luo Yan took back his phone and put it in his ear.


    "I''m going to hang up now," he said to his brother.


    "Yan, what you said about being responsible? Please don''t forget about it."


    After thatst ''warning'', Luo Jin promptly ended the call.


    Luo Yan looked at his phone with an amused expression. Really, whoever heard him would think that he''s the older one.


    He turned to Shen Ji Yun and asked, "What did Ah Jin say? Is it something along the lines of ''don''t you dare touch my brother''?"


    Thatst part he said imitating Luo Jin''s voice.


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat, trying not tough. "Yes, a bit."


    Precisely, it was [There''s only one thing I want to say, keep your hands to yourself. Understand? You and my brother might be in that kind of rtionship now. But it doesn''t mean that you can just do anything you want. Yan just only turned 18, let that be a reminder.]


    Shen Ji Yun truly wanted to respond to that with ''Do you think I''m some pervert who only thinks with his thing down there?''. But if he did, he knew that it would just end up with him bickering with that guy. Or rather, that guy arguing with him one-sidedly. And he really wasn''t in the mood for that. So, he only responded with a grunt.


    Although he understood where the other wasing from, it''s not right to just use someone of doing something that was not even in the character of that person.


    It''s true that his thoughts sometimes wander off that way. He even searched the inte on how to do that deed. As embarrassing as that might sound, reflecting his ownck of experience. But that didn''t mean he would just pounce on Luo Yan whenever he had the chance.


    In fact, even when they were now in a rtionship, he was trying his best to control his impulses as much as possible. Even if he would sometimes lose control of his emotions, he still knew his boundaries. He would never cross that line unless Luo Yan was ready.


    And tonight was certainly not the time to do something like that. Especially not in a ce where both his uncle and Uncle Yue were present.


    Something special like that should only be done in a ce where there''s only the two of them. Like some kind of vi on an isted ind. They would have a romantic dinner. Of course, he would be the one in charge of the food. Then, maybe they would have a walk on the beach after.


    After that, they could have a hot bath on an outdoor bathtub. When they finished, he would carry Luo Yan to the bedroom with rose petals scattered around. The dim light from the scented candles would be enough to illuminate the room. Bringing about a romantic atmosphere.


    And then... and then...


    "Brother Ji Yun, your nose is bleeding!"


    After hearing that, Shen Ji Yun managed toe back to his senses, ending whatever daydream he was having. Then he felt something hot trickling down his nose. He didn''t panic and quickly found a nearby parking area to park the car.


    As soon as the car stopped, he felt something touching his nose and wiping the blood. He turned to Luo Yan and saw the other holding a tissue and wiping the blood on him with a worried expression on his face.


    "Are you alright, Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked, taking another tissue and continued wiping the blood. "Look at all this blood. Do you feel dizzy? Or is it just allergy?"


    Watching Luo Yan make a fuss about him made Shen Ji Yun felt happy for some reason. But he knew that he couldn''t worry the other like this, so he said;


    "It''s nothing serious, Yan Yan. It''s just because of my overactive imagination."


    Luo Yan stopped moving his hand and raised his head. He smiled. "And what kind of things is Brother Ji Yun imagining for you to have a nosebleed?"


    Shen Ji Yun gulped. He suddenly felt like some criminal facing a professional interrogator at the moment. He even started sweating. Now he''s regretting why he didn''t think of a better excuse and just say whatever came to his mind.


    He knew the answer, though. It''s all because he''s a terrible liar. The only reason he could sometimes sessfully lie was because of his deadpan face. But that wouldn''t work on Luo Yan, since the other could urately read the tiniest change in his expression.


    So, there''s only one thing he could do.


    Change the subject and hope that Luo Yan would just y along with him.


    "There seems to be a restaurant here. Should we eat? I''m kind of starving."


    Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun. The other gazed away. His expression was obviously showing that he was guilty of something. It''s not really that hard for Luo Yan to think of what could have caused this nosebleed. Especially if one thought of the conversation they had before that.


    But since he''s feeling very generous tonight, he decided to let off the other. "Okay, let''s have dinner here."


    Before Shen Ji Yun could let out a sigh of relief, Luo Yan suddenly leaned over and whispered;


    "Maybeter we could do what Brother Ji Yun was imagining."

 Chapter 1006: UNEXPECTED ANNOYING MEETING

    SHEN JI YUN''s whole body froze. It felt like his breath even stagnated. He slowly nced at Luo Yan. The other only smiled sweetly. Looking at that smile, he just knew that the other was teasing him.


    "Please, don''t tease me too much or I might just take what you said seriously," he said in a helpless tone.


    "Who said I''m teasing?"


    After dropping that bomb in a very sassy manner, the other opened the door on his side and got out of the car.


    Shen Ji Yun froze once again. He let out the breath he was holding and leaned back, taking deep breaths to calm down.


    That foxy rabbit. He would definitely give Shen Ji Yun a heart attack one of these days.


    It took him a couple of minutes to calm down. He had to make sure that he wouldn''t have another unexpected nosebleed. When he finally got out of the car, Luo Yan looked at him with an amused gaze.


    "What took you so long, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun stretched out his hand and pinched Luo Yan''s soft cheek. "Whose fault do you think that is?"


    Luo Yan only showed an innocent expression. "Hmm... I wonder."


    Shen Ji Yun could only shake his head and chuckled helplessly. He looked around at the ce that they stopped. Just like he said earlier to Luo Yan, it was a restaurant. He was worried that it might just be a random restaurant, but he was relieved when he saw the name hanging on the building.


    [Da Dong Roast Duck].


    It was an upscale restaurant known for their Peking duck and was focused on temporary Chinese cuisine. But another worry came to mind. What if there was no avable seat or private room? This restaurant was already a well-known ce. Since today was still a part of the biggest holiday of the year, the restaurant would definitely be full.


    Anyway, they should probably check first. It''s not toote to go to another restaurant if the ce was indeed already full.


    The two walked towards the building. As soon as they walked inside, a Maitre d'' was there to greet them.


    "Wee to Da Dong Roast Duck. Do you have any reservations?"


    "No, we don''t. Is there an avable private room?" Shen Ji Yun said.


    The Maitre d'' looked at the tablet he was holding, as if browsing something. Most likely looking if there was an avable private room.


    "Oh, you''re in luck. There''s still one avable private room. Please¡ª"


    "We''ll have that room," said by a rather arrogant voice by the side.


    Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun turned in the direction of the voice. Even the Maitre d'' had nced over.


    The one who spoke was a guy with an ordinary impression. But the arrogance he''s exuding was like that of someone who not only had the money but also the looks. Luo Yan seriously wanted to punch him. The man just had that kind of punchable face.


    A woman was standing beside the guy, hugging his arm like some kind of essory. And maybe she was. The only thing annoying here was instead of looking at the mad beside him, she was looking at Luo Yan''s man. His man!


    Shen Ji Yun, on the other hand, immediately frowned when he saw the guy. Because the other was no stranger to him. What was his name again? Although he couldn''t really remember, he knew that he was a second cousin. Or was it a third cousin? The point was, the other was an annoying guy who always picked a fight with him.


    And sure enough, when the other recognized Shen Ji Yun, he narrowed his eyes and almost shouted, "What are you doing here?"


    "Brother Tao, do you know him?" the woman asked in a rather excited voice.


    Luo Yan frowned. He was curious at first on how the man knew Shen Ji Yun, but after hearing the woman, who obviously didn''t hide her interest towards his man, his annoyance was ignited once again.


    Maybe the guy also noticed that, because his expression turned ugly. "Don''t mind him, Lingling. He''s just some half-breed in our family."


    Now the annoyance Luo Yan felt hadpletely turned to anger the moment he heard the word ''half-breed''. From his statement, it''s not hard to guess that he was from the Shen family. The fact that the other was treating Shen Ji Yun like this could only be because of two reasons.


    One, he''s from the main family and he felt superior towards Shen Ji Yun. Or two, this was just how Shen Ji Yun was being treated by the people from that family. A half-breed. Either way, it''s something that could make Luo Yan''s blood boil over.


    Shen Ji Yun ignored the guy, which he now remembered was named Shen Tao. Confronting the other would just lead to headache and waste of time. So, he turned to Maitre d'' and was about to tell the other to lead them to the private room. But before he could do that, Luo Yan suddenly stepped forward in front of Shen Tao.


    "Excuse me, by half-breed, do you mean him being mixed-race?" he asked.


    The man looked at Luo Yan, as if only seeing him then. He looked surprised at first, probably because of Luo Yan''s good looks. But he quickly got over that and said with annoyance, "Yeah, and what about it?"


    "You''re speaking as if there''s something wrong with being mixed-race. Why is that?" Luo Yan asked innocently.


    "That, that¡ª"


    When the other couldn''t answer, he continued;


    "There''s nothing wrong with being mixed-race. Clearly, your date also has the same opinion as me. Just look at her eyes shine with admiration as she stared at Brother Ji Yun. She couldn''t even turn her eyes off of him." Then he acted as if he came to an epiphany. "Ah, I know! You''re just jealous, aren''t you? Well, with that face, I will be too. Especially ifpared to my Brother Ji Yun''s super handsome face."

 Chapter 1007 AH, I REALLY LOVE HIM

    Chapter 1007 AH, I REALLY LOVE HIM


    SHEN TAO felt like a vein on his forehead popped when he heard what this sissy looking guy had said. One of the things he hated was beingpared to that bastard, Shen Ji Yun.


    A person who always acted high and mighty when he''s just someone who was abandoned by his crazy mother. Most people in the Shen family did not even want him. Letting him use the ''Shen'' surname was such a waste.


    The other only got lucky that Uncle Yi Mu took pity on him. If Uncle Yi Mu didn''t take him in, would he still have the guts to be arrogant?


    He suddenly remembered again his failure to be an intern at Moonlight Media. Although they said it was Uncle Yi Mu''s decision, it was most likely because of this bastard. Maybe he said bad things about him to Uncle Yi Mu. Laughing and mocking him behind his back.


    He red at the sissy guy with Shen Ji Yun and then at the useless woman beside him. And now, even people like these were mocking him. He pushed the woman away and then growled at the annoying sissy, "Do you know who I am?"


    Luo Yanughed at the cliched line. "Wow. You really went there? But since you already asked, I will humor you. Your looks could barely pass as average. So if we go by the standard set by Uncle Yi Mu and Brother Ji Yun, in terms of appearance, you''re definitely not from the main line of the Shen family. That means you''re just from the coteral line."


    With every word he said, the guy''s face turned redder and redder from embarrassment. But Luo Yan didn''t care. He''s only saying the truth, anyway.


    He heard that Uncle Yi Mu had two brothers. With Uncle Yi Mu''s good looks, his brothers should also have the same level of appearance. Shen Ji Yun was proof enough of that. With two handsome brothers, could the remaining one be ugly? There''s a possibility that he might not be as handsome. But there''s no way he would be just average.


    That brother surely wouldn''t have children looking like this guy. Unless, of course, he married a squid. But that''s doubtful. So, the only conclusion was this guy was from the branch side of the family. Based on the other''s reaction, he seemed to have gotten it right.


    He didn''t wait for the guy to have his ''counter-argument'' and quickly added;


    "Here''s the question, though. Do you know who I am?"


    The annoying guy scoffed, as if trying to regain his pride. "And why would I even care about that?"


    "You should though. I''m Luo Yan, the second son of the Luo family of S City," he said with a smile. "Now, what do you think you can do to me?"


    Shen Tao suddenly felt suffocated. As a member of the Shen family, of course, he had heard of the Luo family. They were like the richest family in S City. It was just not some small city, it''s a city that was as rich, maybe even more, as the capital, B City. A family that could be considered a leading family in such a city could definitely fight toe to toe against the Shen family.


    And this sissy was the second young master of that Luo family?


    He wanted to argue and tell him that he''s talking bull, but he had a feeling that he would be the one ending up looking stupid. If the other was truly from the Luo family, then he couldn''t do anything to him. Not only that, he might be the one retaliated instead.


    So, at the end, he could only re at Shen Ji Yun and stomped his feet out of there. The woman who was left scrambled to follow the other.


    Luo Yan then turned to the Maitre d'', who currently had a very awkward expression, and smiled at the other. "I''m sorry about that. Can you lead us now to that private room?"


    Being a professional, the Maitre d'' quickly got over his awkwardness and said, "Of course. Please follow me."


    Working in this job, he had to be quick to pick up on things. Just listening to the conversation earlier, he knew that these two guests were most likely from prominent families. That''s why he decided to lead them to the private room instead of asking a waiter to do it.


    Climbing to the second floor and stopping in front of the private room, he opened the door for the two and gestured for them to go inside.


    "There''s an electronic menu on the table. You can just click on the dishes you want to order and we will bring it to you as quickly as possible," he exined as the two entered the private room.


    He then bowed and politely closed the door.


    As soon as the Maitre d'' left, Luo Yan was about to turn around and talked to Shen Ji Yun. But before he could utter a word, a sudden surge of strength from behind embraced him, enveloping him in a pair of powerful arms.


    "Brother Ji Yun?" he asked, because he could feel the other shaking.


    "Thank you, Yan Yan," Shen Ji Yun said in a slightly hoarse voice.


    When he decided to just ignore Shen Tao, Luo Yan fought back for him. It was the first time that someone, other than his uncle, fought back against someone from the Shen family for him.


    Luo Yan smiled and leaned his head on Shen Ji Yun''s head that was burrowed at the side of his neck. "I think this was the right time for us to kiss."


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t need any more prodding. He dived right in and kissed the other like a hungry wolf.

 Chapter 1008 FAMILY IS...

    Chapter 1008 FAMILY IS...


    AFTER the intense make-out session, they finally remembered to order food. When the dishes arrived and they started eating, Luo Yan finally asked something that had been bothering him since they met that annoying guy earlier.


    "Brother Ji Yun, is that how you are usually treated by the people in the Shen family?"


    Shen Ji Yun stopped and then responded as if it was no big deal, "Most of the times."


    And it was really not a big deal. Those people didn''t really matter to him. So whatever bad things they said about him didn''t matter as well. It didn''t affect him, nor did it hurt him.


    That''s why he also didn''t feel embarrassed honestly telling Luo Yan about it. What''s there to be embarrassed about? It''s not like he was the one who did anything wrong.


    Besides, this was Luo Yan. He wouldn''t look down on him just because he was being treated like that by those people from the Shen family. In fact, the other would probably be angry on his behalf.


    And he was correct. Luo Yan was furious. If he thought of how that jerk earlier said those nasty things to Shen Ji Yun, it was easy to see why they were treating him that way. Because he''s mixed-race.


    Just what kind of crazy, outdated belief was that? This wasn''t the 18th century or something. Did these people still believe that they should keep the purity of their blood? What, did they think they''re some kind of royalty or some shit?


    The fact that someone from the branch family could treat Shen Ji Yun like that, who was from the main family, meant that the patriarch most likely allowed this treatment. No, maybe he was the one leading it. Which only encouraged people like that jerk from earlier to think of Shen Ji Yun as a ''half-breed''.


    Thinking of that, Luo Yan couldn''t stop the anger boiling inside him. To think that someone would treat and let other people treat their grandson like that just because he''s mixed-race, just how narrow-minded could they be? Extremely narrow-minded if he must say.


    He looked at Shen Ji Yun. The other had his usual expressionless face, as if what he just said to him was the vor of his favorite ice cream. This just showed how used he was to that kind of treatment, to the point that it no longer bothered him.


    He was d that the other would no longer be hurt by this. But he was also very sad that Shen Ji Yun had reached this point where he no longer cared. Because that meant that he was so used to it that he had already be numb.


    Luo Yan closed his eyes for a second. Taking a deep breath to calm down his anger. When he opened his eyes, he reached out for Shen Ji Yun''s hand and held it tightly.


    "Those people are not your family. They''re just people who shared some DNA with you. The definition of ''family'' goes beyond gics. Family is the home we find in each other, regardless of our biological connections."


    Hearing that, Shen Ji Yun was momentarily silent. Then a smile unconsciously crossed his lips.


    "I know. I know that for a long time now. And I never considered them, those people, as you put it, as family. So whatever they said or how they acted towards me didn''t affect me in any way." He lifted Luo Yan''s hand that was holding his and kissed the back of it. "So, my sweet Yan Yan, you don''t have to worry about me being hurt by their words or actions. Because it doesn''t affect me. It would never affect me."


    Luo Yan leaned over and gave Shen Ji Yun a quick peck on the lips. "You''re one of the strongest person I know, Brother Ji Yun. It''s probably one of the reasons why I fell in love with you."


    "Only probably?"


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Sorry, I misspoke. It''s ''definitely''."


    ---------


    "Brother Mu, I have already cleaned up the spare room for Xiao Yan," Jiang Yue said. "Is he and Xiao Yun near the house?"


    "Yes, Ji Yun just messaged me. They''ll probably be home in a few minutes," Shen Yi Mu responded. "But Ah Yue, I told you there''s no need to clean the guest room. Xiao Yan could just sleep in Ji Yun''s house."


    Jiang Yue gave the other a disapproving nce. "They''re in a romantic rtionship. A new couple at that, and both were very young. This is probably the first time they will have this kind of sleepover. With raging hormones, one couldn''t exactly say what will happen if they sleep in the same room. Even if I''m not technically a teacher in Xiao Yan''s school, I''m still a faculty member. I can''t encourage a student at the school I''m working at to engage in that level of physical rtionship."


    Shen Yi Mu felt amused hearing this cute ''nagging''. He reached out for Jiang Yue''s hand and pulled him. The other made a cute sounding gasp and fell in his arms, promptly straddling hisp.


    "Yes, I''ll make sure to tell Ji Yun not to do any hanky-panky, Teacher Ah Yue," he said, kissing the other''s cheek. Then, he whispered, "How about we do some hanky-panky instead?"


    Jiang Yue''s whole face heated up, and then he pped the other''s shoulder. "Brother Mu--!"


    "Ahem."


    That sudden clearing of throat caught the two in surprise. They both nced at the side and saw Shen Ji Yun looking at them as if they were a pair of immature adults. Beside him, Luo Yan was there, looking at them with interest.


    Jiang Yue''s face became even redder, and he scrambled to get up from Shen Yi Mu''sp. His sudden movement almost caused him to fall over. But Shen Yi Mu quickly moved and steadied him.


    "Wee back," Shen Yi Mu said, as if nothing happened. He turned to Luo Yan. "Make yourself at home, Xiao Yan. If you need anything, just say it."


    "Yes, Uncle Yi Mu."


    "I''ll lead you to your room, Xiao Yan," Jiang Yue said, finally looking less red than a tomato.

 Chapter 1009 A WEEK AFTER THE OPENING CEREMONY

    1009 A WEEK AFTER THE OPENING CEREMONY


    A WEEK after the opening ceremony of Arcadia Cup, a lot of matches had already taken ce. Since the format of the tournament was a round robin, each team participating had to at least fight nine times.


    So with 10 teams in each six blocks, there should be about 540 matches to take ce in the duration of a month. Which was the duration of the whole qualifiers. With that number of matches and a month deadline, there should be at least 18 matches held in a day.


    With that analysis, in the past week, 126 matches had already taken ce. Some teams had already fought twice while others only once. Team Yunyue belonged to thetter. But despite that, their fight was still the one most talked about.


    Not only the topics rted to them at the top of the game forum, screenshots of their fight was reposted on Weibo hundreds of times, especially those of YUN and Noctis. Everyone was not only praising their skills, but their visuals as well.


    Of course, this much attention would also cause a negative response from others. Especially those who were fans of other teams. Because of trolls who were purposely makingments that would antagonize those fans¡ªlike saying that team Yunyue would kick their favorite team''s ass, stuff like that. The fans would fight back and then insult team Yunyue back.


    But overall, the public''s reaction to team Yunyue''seback was pretty positive.


    And now, they would be having their second match.


    The five were at their team''s headquarters, waiting for the start of their match to teleport to Lunaris Vale.


    "Are we still not fighting in this match?" Rowan asked with that usual sulky expression.


    "I told you, you and Dusk are our secret weapons. You have to appear at a special stage," Bai Ze said.


    Rowan seemed to like that answer. He raised his chin in a proud manner, then nced at Eclipse, as if saying, ''did you hear that?''.


    Eclipse only rolled his eyes at the other.


    "I wonder who our opponents will be?" Luo Yan asked to no one in particr.


    "I hope it''s that vampire''s team," Su Yuqi said.


    Luo Jin nodded in agreement.


    Luo Yan chuckled, seeing the reaction of the two. He knew that both had some kind of grudge against Alucard, so having this reaction was natural.


    "Whoever it is, we just have to do our best," Shen Ji Yun simply said.


    "Exactly," Bai Ze said. "By the way, shall we have another in-real life meeting next week?"


    "Sure, why not? As long as it won''t lead to two people going off on a date," Luo Jin quipped in a dry tone.


    Su Yuqi raised her brow. "Oh yeah, I heard about that. You two went on a date and even had a sleepover. How did that go?"


    There was a hint of teasing in her voice, which wasn''t something she would usually do. Showing that she found this situation very amusing.


    "Right. Imagine my surprise when I logged out of Arcadia that day to eat lunch and I found out that my best friend picked up my cousin to help him ''study''," Bai Ze added, giving Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan a meaningful nce.


    "Hah, the surprise you felt probably wouldn''t even match mine," Luo Jin said with a scoff.


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t say anything and just maintained his expressionless face. But if one looked closely at him, they would see the tip of his ears turning red.


    Luo Yan, on the other hand, smiled without any hint of embarrassment. "Yes, it was a very informative ''study session''."


    Su Yuqiughed at that. Bai Ze gave an exaggerated gasp, as if he heard something scandalous. Luo Jin only frowned to show his dissatisfaction.


    "Pink sister said it''s a date, but big lion said it''s studying, Master, which one is it? Eclipse is confused," the little boy asked, tilting his head.


    Luo Yan ruffled Eclipse''s hair. "It''s a bit of both. Your Captain and I had a date and then we studied... things." He nced at Shen Ji Yun. "Isn''t that right, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Now, Shen Ji Yun felt his whole face slowly heating up. It''s because Luo Yan''s words reminded him of the rather intense make-out sessions they had. One in the restaurant''s private room and the other in the guest room. Thetter they did a bit stealthily because Uncle Yue was monitoring them quite closely. Which actually was a bit exciting, if he might say so himself.


    He was about to answer, but felt like he would stammer if he did, so he cleared his throat first. "Yes. It was... fun."


    Luo Jin narrowed his eyes at Shen Ji Yun and asked, "Surely, you didn''t just ignore my reminder, correct?"


    Shen Ji Yun turned to the other. Luo Jin''s question calmed down his mood. "Nothing that shouldn''t happen, happened. If that''s what you''re asking."


    Luo Jin still looked very dissatisfied, but no longer questioned Shen Ji Yun. Which was quite the improvement. If this was before, he would have already probably punched Shen Ji Yun by now.


    Before anyone could make ament on that, the time for their second match finally arrived. And so, the five members of team Yunyue, together with Eclipse, teleported once again to Lunaris Vale.


    ----------


    Team Sanguis'' second match just ended. Of course, it was their win. The team was teleported back to their headquarters.


    "Argh... I didn''t manage to defeat a single enemy from the opposite team! You should have sent one on my way," the wolf beastkin¡ªTang Xunined.


    "Ah Xun, isn''t it your fault for not being good enough?" a tall silver-haired man with eyes like a snake said, mocking the other in that teasing kind of way.


    "Brother Jian--!"


    Yin Jian only shrugged at the teenager.


    "Ah~ that match is a bit boring," Xu Ruined, stretching out both hands. "I guess Yunyue will be the only worthy opponent on our block."


    Qin Rushi only rolled her eyes at thatment.

 Chapter 1010 SECOND WIN

    1010 SECOND WIN


    TEAM Yunyue''s second match in Arcadia Cup qualifiers was a tower defense, or more urately, it was a base defense that was set in a marsnd.


    The two teams'' base was located on the opposite side. The primary objective was for each team to defend its base from waves of enemy monsters living in the marsnd. The team that sessfully protected its base from enemy waves until the end of the match would win.


    So, it''s basically a fight against the monsters living in the marsnd. The teams had to defend against them and also protect the base assigned to them. So, it''s not a matter of a team having powerful members, but about strategy and teamwork. Especially so since the use of magical barrier was not allowed, so they had to resort to primitive ways of defending the base.


    Why the use of magical barrier was not allowed, you asked? Well, why else, to add spice to the match.


    Since the match would only end after a certain time, it would literally be a race to see which team could defend their base better. The time limit was 20 minutes. Not too long, but not too short as well.


    As of now, 15 minutes had already passed. A stark contrast became evident between the two bases.


    One base, surrounded by the marsnd''s murky waters and dense vegetation, remained steadfast and undeterred. The yers defending it had set up makeshift barricades and traps, creating a challenging path for any would-be invaders. The yers'' ingenuity was evident as they adapted to the marsnd''s terrain, turning its natural features into defensive advantages.


    In contrast, the other base appeared less fortified and more vulnerable. While some defenses were in ce, they seemed scattered andcking. The yers there seemed to be struggling to capitalize on the marsnd''s unique aspects, leaving open avenues for potential invaders to exploit.


    As waves of monsters emerged from the depths of the marsnd, the first base held its ground with well-coordinated teamwork. The yers moved as a single unit, covering each other''s nks and reinforcing vulnerable positions. Their seamlessmunication and unity made the base an imprable fortress, forcing the monsters to retreat time and again.


    Meanwhile, the second base faced increasing pressure as they tried to repel the iing waves. The yers appeared disjointed, unable to coordinate their efforts effectively. Their attempts to retaliate seemed sporadic andcked the strength needed to repel the enemy monsters'' advances.


    The marsnd''s terrain yed a significant role in determining the bases'' fates. The first base used the swamp''s natural hazards to their advantage, creating a treacherous ground for monsters to traverse. In contrast, the second base struggled to utilize the terrain effectively, leaving them vulnerable to enemy incursions.


    As the match continued, the difference between the two bases became more apparent. One stood as a testament to strategic prowess, adaptability, and teamwork, while the other struggled to withstand the marsnd''s challenges.


    If you hadn''t guessed it yet, yes, the first team was team Yunyue and the second one was their current opponent, team Xinghuo.


    The current winning state of Yunyue was not only because of their effective teamwork and strategy, it''s because a certain elf and fox duo were messing with the opposing team.


    Using Luo Yan''s [Shadow Walk] and Eclipse''s illusion, they were secretly destroying the opposing team''s defense structures. Doing it in a way where it would seem like the defenses they put up were breached because of their carelessness and not because of outside factor.


    This led to inner strife within team Xinghuo which ultimately messed up with their teamwork. Thus, their current situation now.


    By the time the 20 minutes ended, the obvious winning team was announced.


    [The game has reached the 20-minute mark.]


    [Calcting the damage gained by each team...]


    [Team Yunyue wins!]


    ---------


    [Did you guys watch team Yunyue''s match? LOL Noctis is such a troll.]


    [I bet team Xinghuo will be so pissed once they found out that the cause of their arguing was Noctis.]


    [Hahaha the way Noctis just screw with them.]


    [Hey, don''t forget the cute Eclipse. He did a lot for that strategy to work.]


    [Ah~ I also want an Eclipse for myself. Should I search for a kitsune and tame them?]


    [But team Yunyue''s strategy was very effective, no? I mean, with the restrictions, messing with the opposing team was pretty genius.]


    [Noctis is a pretty good yer, right? I mean, I know he''s good since he''s the Rookie Carnival champion, but he also has the brain to back-up his skill.]


    [This is team Yunyue''s second win. Just seven more and they would be part of the final tournament. Go team Yunyue!]


    [Hey, don''t get ahead of yourself. Team Sanguis is also part of their block. If there''s a team who would get perfect win in their block, it would be them.]


    [I must agree. Like team Sanguis is up there with the current top four teams. They could definitely wipe the floor with team Yunyue.]


    [The only reason it seemed like team Yunyue is so great right now was because the two teams they fought with were not really that great.]


    [Upstairs, can you shut up? You''re not only insulting Yunyue but the teams they fought with as well.]


    [Ha... team Yunyue would be winning the championship and there would still be people saying that they''re not good.]


    [But they''re really not though.]


    [Why are you projecting your insecurities to team Yunyue?]


    [Now, I want team Yunyue to win just to p you people''s faces.]


    ----------


    At the castle of team Sanguis, most of the team members were watching the live stream of the match between team Yunyue and team Xinghuo.


    "That Noctis would definitely fit in with our team," the silver-haired Yin Jian added nonchntly.


    "I think he''s much saner than any of you here," Qing Rushi said with a scoff.


    "Princess, don''t say that. Have you forgotten you''re also part of this team?" Xu Ru said, putting his arm around the other''s shoulder.


    Qin Rushi shrugged his arm off. "Unfortunately."


    Xu Ru chuckled and nced back at the screen where team Yunyue was. He narrowed his eyes.


    Fighting them would definitely be fun.

 Chapter 1011 SMILE IN HIS VOICE

    1011 SMILE IN HIS VOICE


    IT had been two weeks since the start of Arcadia Cup. Team Yunyue had fought four matches at that time. Of course, they won all of it. Aside from them, the only one who still hadn''t lost in their block was team Sanguis.


    Both of them had four wins and zero losses. A lot of people had already predicted that these two teams would be the ones advancing to the final tournament from their block. The only question would be who would have more wins between the two. Which could probably be answered once the two fought against each other.


    It was the most anticipated match, not only in their block but also in the whole qualifiers. There was even a wager going on among the yers of Arcadia on who would win once the two teams fought.


    But right now, those things were not any of Luo Yan''s worries. Because right now, there''s only one thing on his mind.


    Shen Ji Yun''s birthday.


    That''s right. It would be Shen Ji Yun''s birthday in a week. He had already nned what to gift the other as early as two months ago. He ordered a customized watch. It''s a high-end brand that had a lot of stores all over the country. So, he requested to pick up the watch at the store here in B City. Because he knew by the time it''s done, he would be here instead of at S City.


    Now, here''s the problem. He was supposed to pick up the watch tomorrow, but the store called him today and told him that there had been a problem and he had to wait four-five days before he could get the watch. Which was cutting it pretty close to Shen Ji Yun''s birthday.


    Another problem was Luo Yan hadn''t yet decided what kind of surprise he should give the other. Since Shen Ji Yun confessed on his birthday in a stealthy and yet still very romantic way, he should at least do something that was as equally romantic.


    But considering how busy they were with the matches and the training, he couldn''t really find the time to prepare anything. Although, he already had an idea of what he should do. What he just needed was time and a bit of help, maybe from Luo Jin. As long as that brother of his wouldn''t act like a stubborn tsundere when he asked him for help.


    Their team would have two more matches this week. He just needed to find time in between those matches to prepare. The most important part here was to make sure that Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t notice anything. He wanted it to be a surprise, after all.


    Now, he should he ask his taciturn brother for help? No, maybe it''s better to ask the others instead just to make sure. Like Bai Ze and Su Yuqi, and oh, Uncle Yi Mu and Uncle Yue as well.


    It would definitely be more fun with everyone. Of course, he would make sure to spend quality time alone with Shen Ji Yun after.


    Luo Yan picked up his phone that was on the bedside table and called Uncle Yi Mu.


    ---------


    "Brother Mu, it''s Xiao Yun''s birthday next week. What''s our n?" Jiang Yue asked.


    "Asking about Ji Yun the moment you open your eyes, although I love my nephew, I can''t help but be jealous," Shen Yi Mu said, hugging Jiang Yue and kissing the top of his head.


    Jiang Yue blushed and yfully pped Shen Yi Mu''s arm. "Brother Mu, I''m asking a serious question here."


    "Hmm... we can do a surprise party here or at some restaurant. But knowing Ji Yun, he''d probably prefer a birthday party here. Let''s invite his friends and also Ah Cheng."


    Jiang Yue agreed with that idea. "Should it be a day party or a night party?"


    "Ji Yun would probably prefer a day one. He''d most likely prefer to spend the night with Xiao Yan."


    At the mention of Xiao Yan, Jiang Yue suddenly remembered when the other spent the night here. Although the two young people probably thought they''re being careful, he still noticed how Xiao Yun slipped in the guest room. Most likely doing this and that with Xiao Yan.


    He didn''t say anything since he trusted that Xiao Yun would do the responsible thing and leave the room after doing... this and that. And if the other became too engrossed with what he''s doing and follow his hormones, Jiang Yue was ready to do some intervention.


    Thankfully enough, Xiao Yun was indeed a responsible young man and left the room Xiao Yan was staying in.


    Thinking of what Shen Yi Mu said about the two wanting to spend the night of Xiao Yun''s birthday together, he nodded and agreed. Since Xiao Yun had already proven how responsible he could be, then he wouldn''t be the killjoy here and stop them to be together.


    At the middle of his thoughts, a loud phone call sound rang.


    "I think it''s yours, Brother Mu," he said.


    Shen Yi Mu groaned and reached for his phone on the bedside table. When he saw the name of the caller, he raised his brow. He sat up and answered the call.


    "Xiao Yan, good morning," he greeted first.


    "Good morning, Uncle Yi Mu. Sorry for calling so early in the morning," Luo Yan, on the other line, said.


    "It''s fine. Is something the matter?" Shen Yi Mu shrugged, asking the other instead.


    "Ahm, it''s about Brother Ji Yun''s uing birthday. I''m thinking of having a surprise birthday party for him. Would doing it at your house be alright?"


    Shen Yi Mu fell silent for a moment, then he chuckled. The kid''s question was very timely. Weren''t he and Ah Yue just discussing this?


    "Of course, it''s alright. But if you want it to be a surprise, then you should think of a way to make sure that Ji Yun wouldn''t notice anything, so it will be effective."


    "Don''t worry, Uncle Yi Mu, just leave it to me."


    For some reason, Shen Yi Mu could hear the smile in the other''s voice.


    Ji Yun''s birthday ising! (??¥î?)?*:??


    Tyramisu

 Chapter 1012 LOOKING FORWARD TO

    1012 LOOKING FORWARD TO


    SHEN JI YUN made a horizontal sh with his sword and the yer wearing silver armor was thrown backward. The impact of the blow propelled him through the air, his body twisting in a desperate attempt to regain bnce. The yernded several feet away, crashing to the ground with a thud.


    Not long after, the yer''s body turned into light particles. Signaling that the other''s HP had already turned zero. As soon as the yer disappeared, a virtual notification appeared.


    [Team Cosmos'' territory had beenpletely breached!]


    [Winner: Yunyue.]


    [Congrattions!]


    As soon as Shen Ji Yun saw that notification, he felt his body being transported. When he opened his eyes, he was already back at the main hall of their headquarters. The others had also appeared in the main hall at the same time.


    "Another win! That''s already five wins in a row! Four more and our spot in the final tournament would be ensured," Bai Ze said excitedly.


    "Was there really a need to state the obvious?" Su Yuqi said, rolling his eyes at Bai Ze.


    "Is expressing excitement not allowed anymore?" Bai Ze retorted back.


    "Good job everyone," Shen Ji Yun said before the two get into their usual bickering routine. "Just like what Bai Ze said, there''s only four matches left. As long as we continued with what we had been doing now, I''m confident that we can win all of them."


    He''s not really used to this kind of pep talk, but as the captain of this team, he had the responsibility of encouraging his teammates. Even if he''s not that good at it.


    "I agree with our dear captain. So, everyone, fighting!" Luo Yan said, pumping both his fists in a cutesy way. "Anyway, I really need to go now. See you guys in our next scheduled match." He then walked to Shen Ji Yun and give him a quick peck on the lips. "See youter, Brother Ji Yun."


    Before Shen Ji Yun could respond, Luo Yan had already disappeared. He blinked. Feeling a bit confused, not expecting the other to leave just like that. More than that, why did Luo Yan said that they should see each other at their next match? The schedule for their next match was three days from now. Did that mean that they wouldn''t meet in the next two days?


    He turned to Bai Ze. "Is Yan Yan busy with something?"


    Bai Ze suddenly turned his gaze away and scratched his cheek. "Haha yes. Xiao Ye has been sticking to Xiao Yantely, asking him to y. You know how Xiao Ye likes him, right?" Then he turned to Luo Jin, his gaze as if asking the other to back him up. "Right, Xiao Jin?"


    Luo Jin only gave him a look as if saying ''don''t ask me''. "I''ll log out as well," he said to Su Yuqi as if the other was the only person here.


    True to what he said, he really disappeared after saying that.


    "Tsk. That Xiao Jin, why can''t he just cooperate," Bai Ze muttered under his breath. "Ah, I remember that Mom is asking me to buy something. See you!"


    After Bai Ze also logged out, Shen Ji Yun couldn''t help but furrowed his brows even further. Bai Ze was obviously not acting normally. Even Luo Yan seemed to be hiding something. Just what''s going on here?


    "Why is everyone acting weird?"


    Eclipse voiced out what Shen Ji Yun had been thinking.


    "Do you want me to give you a hint?" Su Yuqi asked, looking at Shen Ji Yun with a slight hint of amusement.


    Whenever Su Yuqi had that look, it was either she was secretly mocking the person she''s speaking to or she found this situation very amusing. This time, it might be a little of both. But despite that, Shen Ji Yun still reluctantly nodded.


    "Just think of what will happen four days from now."


    After saying that, she also disappeared.


    Four days from now? Was there something else happening on that day?


    As if there to answer his confusion, Eclipse''s energetic voice echoed throughout the silent main hall.


    "Captain, it''s your birthday!"


    Shen Ji Yun nced at the boy. The surprise on his usually stoic face was very apparent.


    His birthday?


    Right, he almost forgot. It''s his birthday thising Friday. So, were Luo Yan and the others acting like that because of it? Were they preparing a surprise for him?


    He didn''t know about others. But he was certain that his rabbit was definitely preparing something.


    A small smile involuntarily crossed his lips. The slight grievance he felt earlier had disappeared and was quickly reced by excitement and happiness.


    For the first time in a long while, he was looking forward to his birthday.


    -----------


    After Luo Yan logged out of the game, he quickly went to Bai Ze''s room and knocked. It didn''t take long for his cousin to open it.


    "Brother Ze, can you drive me somewhere?" he said.


    "Okay?" Bai Ze responded with a bit of confusion.


    Before he could ask where he should drive the other, Luo Yan had already pulled him down to the first floor. On their way, they met Luo Jin, who just came out of his room.


    "What are you doing?" the other asked.


    "Ah Jin, tell Auntie that we just went out for a bit and we''ll return soon," Luo Yan said instead of answering Luo Jin''s question. Then he continued pulling Bai Ze.


    They were almost at the garage when Bai Ze was finally able to ask the important question.


    "Where are we going, Xiao Yan?"


    "In the Patek Philippe store new Elion Art Gallery."


    Bai Ze almost stopped walking when he heard that. If it''s Patek Philippe, then it''s a high end watch brand. He thought of asking why they should go there, but then he almost instantly got an answer on his own.


    "Is it a gift for Ji Yun?"


    Luo Yan grinned. "Yup."


    The customized watch he ordered was finally done. He couldn''t wait to see it. Hopefully, there wouldn''t be any mistake and it would look exactly as what he ordered.

 Chapter 1013 VALENTINES???

    1013 VALENTINE''S???


    LUO YAN walked down the stairs, feeling refreshed. It''s not only because he had a good night''s sleep, but mainly because he was done with all the preparations for Shen Ji Yun''s birthday.


    His gift was ready. The catering for tomorrow had also been prepared. And the preparation for his surprise evening date was also done. The only thing left was for everyone to arrive at Shen Ji Yun''s birthday. And, of course, for him and the other to have an alone time in the evening.


    "Good morning," he greeted his uncle and auntie, who were already in the dining room and having coffee.


    He sat in his usual seat. The others were probably still asleep. This was a good opportunity to talk to his uncle and aunt about tomorrow.


    "Uncle, Aunt, tomorrow is Brother Ji Yun''s birthday. We''re preparing a surprise party for him, so we might stay at his house for the whole day," he started.


    "Oh, that''s right, it''s Xiao Yun''s birthday tomorrow," his aunt said, looking like she had just remembered it.


    Uncle put down the newspaper he''s reading. "Should I call my assistant to buy a gift?"


    "No need. I already bought it in advance," aunt responded.


    "Does that mean aunt is going toe with us?" Luo Yan asked. He didn''t include his uncle because he knew that the other had work.


    "Oh no. As much as I would love to, I can''t. I have to apany your grandfather to the hospital tomorrow for his monthly check-up."


    Luo Yan suddenly felt guilty after hearing that. He was so excited to celebrate Shen Ji Yun''s birthday tomorrow when his grandfather would have to go to the hospital tomorrow.


    His aunt seemed to have read what he''s thinking because she quickly said, "It''s fine, Xiao Yan. It''s just a routine check-up. I''m sure your grandfather would also want you to have fun tomorrow."


    "Your aunt is right," his uncle added. "It would also be good for Ji Yun to have more people to spend his birthday with."


    Luo Yan nced at his uncle with a bit of surprise. Did his uncle perhaps know about Shen Ji Yun''s circumstance?


    "But does Xiao Yun not have a girlfriend?"


    Luo Yan almost coughed when he heard his aunt''s question. "No, I don''t think so." Well, he''s not exactly lying. Shen Ji Yun didn''t have a girlfriend, but a boyfriend instead. "Why did Aunt Xin suddenly ask that?"


    "Because it''s Valentine''s Day tomorrow. I just thought his girlfriend would probably be there as well to celebrate his birthday."


    Luo Yan felt like he was struck by lightning when he heard his aunt''s response. That''s right. February 14. It''s not just Shen Ji Yun''s birthday, but also Valentine''s Day. How could he forget?


    It''s actually quite understandable for him to not consider that. Because Valentine''s Day was not really a holidayparable to the Spring Festival. But it had gained poprity among younger generations in the past years. Still, it was something that was far off from Luo Yan in his previous life.


    He never had a special someone to celebrate it with. So, it was a day that never really had any significant meaning to him. But the situation now was different. He not only had someone to celebrate Valentines with, it was also the birthdate of his boyfriend.


    What a huge blunder.


    Now, he suddenly felt like all the preparations he had done so far were not enough. He at least had to make it more special and romantic. After all, Valentine''s Day was a celebration of love.


    The only good thing was he realized this before it became truly toote.


    Their scheduled sixth match was muchter in the evening. So, he still had half a day to make things right. Good thing he had a lot of personal money to make that possible.


    Thank you once again, Yuexing Pavilion.


    ----------


    There were only 15 minutes left before the start of the sixth match of team Yunyue. But there was surprisingly a member missing in the main hall. And no, it''s not one of the dragons.


    They had long stopped joining these pre-fight meetings as early as the third match. ording to them, or rather, Rowan, since they wouldn''t really contribute anything to the matches, it''s better to spend their time doing something that''s actually fruitful. Which was fighting and training, of course.


    So, who was the missing one?


    "Where is Master?" the ck-haired boy with fox ears and tails asked.


    That''s right, it was Luo Yan.


    "Was Yan Yan busy with something? Or did something happen to him?" Shen Ji Yun asked Bai Ze since the other and Luo Yan were currently living together in the Bai family mansion. Worry was evident in his gaze.


    Bai Ze scratched his cheek. He couldn''t really say that Luo Yan was indeed busy with something. Because he was certain that whatever it was that''s keeping him busy was rted to Shen Ji Yun''s birthday.


    "I wonder..." he could only say while secretly ncing at Luo Jin and silently asking the other with his eyes to help him sort out this situation.


    Luo Jin promptly pretended not to see that. He was actually still feeling annoyed that his brother had been running around outside, doing god knows what. He was certain, though, that it was rted to that guy. But he really couldn''t say anything to stop the other. Because what right did he have to do that?


    Being overprotective when it came to Luo Yan''s rtionship with Shen Ji Yun would only earn his brother''s ire in the long run. So, he could only stay silent and watch.


    Seeing that Bai Ze didn''t answer his question properly, Shen Ji Yun immediately knew that Luo Yan was most likely doing something rted to his birthday. He felt a bitplicated after that realization.


    Although he felt happy that Luo Yan was doing this for him, he didn''t want the other to be tired and busy because of him.


    As he was worrying about that, Luo Yan finally appeared. The bright smile on his face showed no hint of tiredness. Clearly, whatever he had been doing, he enjoyed it.


    "Sorry, I''mte."

 Chapter 1014 NOT HIS LUCKY DAY

    1014 NOT HIS LUCKY DAY


    SHEN JI YUN resisted the urge to ask Luo Yan about what he had been up to. Because he already had an idea of what it was and asking Luo Yan would only put the other into an awkward position. After all, Luo Yan couldn''t exactly say that he was preparing for his birthday.


    At the end, Shen Ji Yun could only ask vaguely, "Is everything alright?"


    "Yes, everything is perfect."


    Seeing the bright smile on Luo Yan''s lips, whatever he''s nning must be going well. He wanted to say that he didn''t need to do anything extravagant. Because whatever he prepared, even if it''s just a 10 RMB item in a souvenir shop, he would still treat it like a treasure.


    But of course, he wouldn''t say that. Because this was Luo Yan''s way of showing his love for him. Even he could understand that. Telling him to stop would simply undermine the other''s efforts, and his feelings.


    So, he decided to just change the subject and talk about the uing match.


    "This will be our sixth match. Although we had won all our matches so far, it didn''t mean that we should be overconfident," he started. "There are still four teams that we haven''t fought, and one of them is team Sanguis. That team will definitely not be an easy opponent."


    "How I wish they are our next opponent," Su Yuqi said with a rather bloody grin.


    Luo Jin nodded along with a grim expression.


    Seeing two people who had avatars that looked like children show that kind of expression could make one feel creepy.


    "Why are you two so excited to fight them, anyway?" Bai Ze couldn''t help but asked. "Aren''t your friends with their vice-captain?" he asked Su Yuqi in particr.


    "My immense dislike for their captain and me being friends with her are two different things," Su Yuqi said with a shrug.


    "What did Alucard do to the two of you?" Bai Ze asked, still feeling curious.


    "Let''s just say that he deserves whatever beating he gets," Luo Jin only said.


    "Regardless of your grudge against him, I hope that will not affect the strategy we formed against team Sanguis," Shen Ji Yun reminded the two.


    "Don''t worry, we''re not that childish," Su Yuqi said, before turning to Luo Jin. "Right, Ah Jin?"


    Luo Jin wanted to say ''yes'', but for some reason, he felt like he would be lying if he did. It''s a good thing that the time for them to teleport to Lunaris Vale hade, so even if he didn''t respond, Su Yuqi wouldn''t think that he was deflecting.


    ----------


    As people were waiting for the next match of Block E,ments already filled the barrage of the livestream.


    [There are four teams that have a match at this time in Block E. Who do you think will fight with who?]


    [I hope it would be team Yunyue and team Sanguis.]


    [Right? I''ve been waiting for that match up since I found out that they''re on the same block.]


    [Nah, having them fight now is a bit anti-climactic, don''t you think? Like, they''re undoubtedly the best team on their block. It''s almost certain the two of them would advance to the final tournament. So, wouldn''t it be better if they fight thest on their block?]


    [Wow. From what I remembered, most of your people didn''t think team Yunyue is good enough to even win their first match. And now, they''re suddenly top 2 in the block for you?]


    [True. As if they''re not mocking team Yunyue when the qualifiers started.]


    [Are people no longer allowed to change their mind? Besides, it''s not like that''s the majority of people''s opinion.]


    [But it''s true that having the two teams fight now is definitely anticlimactic. Their match should be the finale of their block, don''t you think?]


    [You people are just weird. Saying that they should be the finale was like insulting the other teams in their block.]


    [LOL I suddenly want team Yunyue and team Sanguis fight now just to piss you all off.]


    ----------


    "Brother Ru, have you read thements on the livestream? They want us to fight with team Yunyue!" the blue wolf beastman, Tang Xun, said excitedly. "I also want to fight them!"


    "Argh... please don''t wish for that. I want to go home early," a girl with green feather-like hair and a pair of bird wings behind her back said.


    "Why, is Xiao Ya not confident we can win against Yunyue?" Yin Jian asked with a raised brow.


    The girl, Zhang Ya, frowned. "That''s a trick question, right? I won''t answer that."


    "No matter whether we''re fighting Yunyue or not, I want all of you to do your best," Qin Rushi said. "In short, no losing control and fighting everyone, nozying about, no manipting the opposing team by messing around with them." She said those while looking at Tang Xun, Zhang Ya, and Yin Jian, in that order. Then her gazendedstly at their team''s unreliable captain. "And no going off on your own to do whatever you want to do."


    "Hey, princess, don''t make it sound like I''m irresponsible," Xu Ru said with a smile. "Especially not today."


    "Today?" Qin Rushi asked, not really like where this guy was going with this.


    Xu Ru grinned. "Because I''m feeling lucky today."


    He had a feeling that their team would finally face team Yunyue in today''s match.


    ----------


    Team Yunyue teleported to Lunaris Vale, and they were transported to a mangrove forest.


    "Wow, Master, look, Eclipse can see the roots of those trees!" Eclipse said excitedly.


    "A mangrove forest, this is new," Luo Yan said while looking around.


    As they looked around, the match notification finally appeared.


    [Yunyue vs....]


    ----------


    Xu Ru looked at the match notification and clicked his tongue. He narrowed his eyes at the names of the two teams floating in front of him.


    "I guess this is not your lucky day, after all," Qin Rushi said with a hint of teasing.

 Chapter 1015 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

    1015 BEFORE MIDNIGHT


    LUO YAN faced off against the colossal fishlike monster that was trying to attack the main crystal of their team''s base. He was left here to defend the base assigned to their team.


    The monster''s scales gleamed like the void, and its eyes burned with rage. It lunged at Luo Yan, who agilely dodged its attack. This one was like some kind of boss monster, attacking the bases of the two teams. He didn''t know how the other team did it, but they managed to drive this monster here.


    Considering that destroying the main crystal of the opposing team was the main objective of this match, it was a pretty good strategy. They probably thought that destroying Yunyue''s main crystal was the fastest way to win this match. Especially once they found out that there was only one yer defending the base.


    What they didn''t know was this was done on purpose.


    Leaving only one person to defend the base would make the opponent think that they were taking this easy, and they were looking down at them. Of course, that was not the case. They only wanted them to think that way.


    Because once they did, they would think that they should use that chance to attack team Yunyue''s base. Focusing their manpower there to achieve a fast victory.


    But this would only be true if they were really looking down at them. That wasn''t the case at all, though. Team Yunyue didn''t have the habit of underestimating their opponents. This was simply one of the strategies they had formed against this team. By letting them focus their attention on Yunyue''s base, while giving them the illusion that Yunyue''s overconfidence would lead them to victory.


    Luo Yan''s battle against the fish monster continued.


    The sh between speed and strength unfolded as he skillfully deflected the monster''s strikes with his daggers. He anticipated each move, sidestepping the thrashes of the monster''s tail. Identifying a weak point, he struck true and deep, prompting a roar of agony from the monster.


    The battle surged to its climax as Luo Yan executed his final move. With precision, he spun and drove his daggers into the beast''s heart. The monster convulsed and faded into light particles, dissipating like mist.


    Just as he defeated the monster, he heard Eclipse''s voice in his mind.


    [Master, you''re right! Two people really came and tried to destroy the crystal. But they fell into the trap pink sister made. Eclipse is holding them down now. But they might get away soon and defeat Eclipse if Master wouldn''te here quick.]


    [I''m on my way.]


    But just as he was about to move, a notification screen appeared in front of him.


    [Team Yunyue has destroyed the opposing team''s main crystal.]


    .


    .


    .


    [Team Yunyue wins!]


    Luo Yan stopped in his tracks and smiled.


    ----------


    Shen Ji Yun removed the VR helmet he''s wearing and put it on the bedside table. He sat up and moved his neck from side to side to ease some of the strain.


    After they won the match, Luo Yan invited them to have a drink at the Yuexing Pavilion. Which was not umon. Whenever their match finished early and none of them had other schedules, they would go there to celebrate.


    It was something normal. But somehow, there was something not so normal during their little celebration earlier. It''s because after just a few minutes, Luo Yan suddenly disappeared. When he tried to log out, Bai Ze tried to make him stay. The other was trying so hard that it made him feel bad to just go. So, he humored Bai Ze and just stayed.


    That''s why he only managed to log out now. Two hours after their sixth match ended.


    It''s not just because he felt guilty just leaving, but because he felt that it might have something to do with Luo Yan suddenly disappearing. Which, in turn, was rted to his birthday tomorrow. Now, he''s beginning to really be curious as to what kind of surprise his rabbit had prepared for him.


    Feeling a bit thirsty, Shen Ji Yun stood up and walked out of his room to go to the kitchen.


    When he was just about to enter the kitchen, Uncle Yue walked out, almost bumping into him. The other looked startled seeing him.


    "Sorry, are you alright, Uncle Yue?" Shen Ji Yun asked, feeling a bit confused. Because the other''s expression was not like that of someone who was startled because he almost bumped into another person. He couldn''t exactly exin it. It just looked¡­ a bit weird.


    "Ah, yes, yes," Uncle Yue said, even adding an awkwardugh. "Do you need something in the kitchen? I''ll get it for you."


    "Ahm, no need. I can get it by myself."


    "No, I insist. Please."


    Okay. Now this was starting to get weird. Why was Uncle Yue acting like this? He''s being a bit... shifty. But if he asked the other, he had a feeling that things would just get even weirder. So, he decided to just let it go.


    "A ss of water, please."


    "Okay,ing right up," Uncle Yue said, seemingly very relieved by him agreeing.


    It didn''t even take five seconds for Uncle Yue to return with a ss of water. After handling him the ss, the other remained standing at the entrance of the kitchen. As if guarding it or something. Shen Ji Yun just drank the water.


    "Let me return it," Uncle Yue said, taking the ss from him before he could say anything.


    Feeling a bit weirded out, Shen Ji Yun shook his head and returned to his room.


    After entering the room, he picked a book from his bookshelf and sat down. There''s still an hour left before midnight. He decided not to sleep until he received Luo Yan''s birthday greeting. Because he was sure that the other would be the first one to greet him.


    He opened the book and nned to read before then.


    As he read, an hour quickly passed. He closed the book and looked at his phone. Before he could check it, the lights in his room suddenly turned off.

 Chapter 1016 JI YUNS BIRTHDAY (I)

    1016 JI YUN''S BIRTHDAY (I)


    SHEN JI YUN was about to pick up his phone to light up the room and go outside to check if there was a problem with the house''s breaker. But before he could do so, he heard the door to his room opening.


    When he turned around, what he first saw was a floating me. He was a bit startled at first. If he was a bit of a superstitious person, he might have thought that was some kind of will-o''-the-wisp or something. But since he''s not, he quickly realized what it was¡ªa me on a candle.


    From the light of the candle, it seemed to be on some sort of cake. And despite the dimness of the lighting from the candle, he was still able to clearly see the one holding the said cake.


    His eyes widened at the sight of the person walking up to him, holding a te of a small cake.


    "Happy birthday to you.~ Happy birthday to you.~ Happy birthday our dear Ji Yun.~ Happy birthday to you!~" Luo Yan smiled brightly. "Happy birthday, Brother Ji Yun!"


    "Yan Yan, you¡ªhow...? I mean, wait- am I hallucinating again or are you really here?"


    "Don''t worry, Brother Ji Yun. You''re not hallucinating. I''m really here," Luo Yan said, holding out the small cake towards him. "Now, blow your candle!"


    Shen Ji Yun was still very much confused. But seeing as how Luo Yan was smiling excitedly at him, he could only lower his head and blow the candle. Then, as if on cue, the light finally returned to his room and he could finally see his foxy rabbit standing before him.


    The other was wearing a simple long-sleeved shirt and cotton pants. His ck hair looked soft and fluffy. He looked like he was very much at home. And somehow, Shen Ji Yun really liked that idea.


    "Are you surprise seeing me here?" Luo Yan asked.


    "I actually still can''t believe you''re here," Shen Ji Yun honestly said.


    "Well, I am here. It''s Brother Ji Yun''s birthday, since we''re in the same city, it''s only right for me, as your boyfriend, to greet you in person," Luo Yan said. "I also baked you a cake. I know it would probably not be as good as the cakes you bake, and not as grand as the fireworks you ordered during my birthday, but I hope you''ll still like it."


    Hearing that, it was only then that Shen Ji Yun looked at the cake clearly. It was a small cake, probably just a bit bigger than a regr cupcake. It was covered by a light purple fondant with piped cream cloud-shaped decoration around it.


    He didn''t know if it was just because of the rose-colored sses he''s wearing when it came to things rted to Luo Yan, but he honestly felt like this was the cutest cake he had ever seen in his life.


    When Shen Ji Yun didn''t respond immediately, Luo Yan felt a bit nervous. Although knowing the other, there''s probably no reason for him to. But still. Especially since this was the first time he had ever baked a cake.


    He had practiced in the game. It''s probably not enough, but he practiced a lot. Like a lot. He couldn''t do it in reality because it would raise a lot of questions from the others. So, he could only do it inside the game.


    He was only able to do the baking early this day. After he solved all the problems regarding his ns for Shen Ji Yun''s birthday, it was only then that he was able to do the baking. It was the reason why he almost gotte for their match schedule.


    After the match, he invited the whole team to Yuexing Pavilion so Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t log out immediately. That way, the other wouldn''t discover his arrival here. So, his surprise would have more effect.


    "Can I taste it?"


    Shen Ji Yun''s question pulled Luo Yan''s thoughts back. "Of course. It''s your cake."


    Shen Ji Yun took the te of cake and picked up the spoon on the side. Then, he scooped a bit and ate it. The explosion of sweetness was overwhelming. This much sugar would probably nauseate a normal person. But for some reason, Shen Ji Yun didn''t taste anything wrong with the cake.


    He only felt sweetness rising up from the bottom of his heart.


    "How is it? Is it okay?" Luo Yan asked.


    "Yes. It''s the best cake I''ve ever tasted," he said without any hesitation.


    "You''re not just saying that because you love me, right?"


    Shen Ji Yun became silent for a second. Seeing him stump for words, Luo Yan couldn''t help butugh.


    "So how many percent would you attribute the good taste of my cake to your love for me?" he asked in a teasing tone. "And please be honest."


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat. "Well, about 30%?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "Wow, it''s either you''re being generous or you must really love me."


    "I do love you, but I''m not just being generous. I really do like this cake."


    And to prove that, he almost finished eating the whole cake in just a couple of seconds. He would have done so, if not for Luo Yan stopping him.


    "Okay, don''t eat too fast. You might choke."


    Luo Yan took the te and put it on the nearby study table. He turned to Shen Ji Yun and noticed the icing on the corner of his mouth. He walked in front of the other and hugged his waist. Then he licked the icing.


    The moment he did, an imperceptible frown appeared on his face. Because it was too sweet. Like, on a scale of 1-10, it should be 9.


    He looked at Shen Ji Yun, whose face had turnedpletely red, and he just felt his heart soften. He gave the other a quick peck on the lips.


    "You must really love me, huh?"


    With a reddened face, he responded, "Was there even any doubt about that?"

 Chapter 1017 JI YUNS BIRTHDAY (II)

    1017 JI YUN''S BIRTHDAY (II)


    LUO YAN rested his head on Shen Ji Yun''s shoulder, chuckling as he listened to the other. Really, how could such an adorable man exist in this world? He felt again how lucky he was meeting the other and falling in love with him. No, he should say that he was much luckier because Shen Ji Yun fell in love with him.


    "I never thought that love could not only make one blind, they could also make them lose their sense of taste," he said in a joking manner.


    Shen Ji Yun couldn''t respond, because he felt like whatever he was about to say would only prove what Luo Yan just said about him losing his sense of taste. So, he cleverly shut up.


    "I promise, next year, I will bake a cake that you can honestly say is good. Without the influence of your love for me, of course," Luo Yan added.


    Shen Ji Yun hugged Luo Yan tightly. "Then, I''ll look forward to it."


    They spent a couple more minutes in that tight hug, basking in each other''s warmth. After a while, the two sat down on Shen Ji Yun''s bed.


    "Are Uncle and Uncle Yue part of this with you?" Shen Ji Yun finally thought of asking.


    If so, then he could finally understand Uncle Yue''s weird attitude earlier when he went to the kitchen to get water. Luo Yan''s cake was probably in the fridge and Uncle Yue didn''t want him to identally see it, ruining the surprise.


    "Yes, I asked for help and they''re very willing," Luo Yan said, confirming his guess.


    "Then, I should thank them. Because I like this surprise very much," Shen Ji Yun said, tucking a few strands of Luo Yan''s hair behind his ear. "But how did you get Uncle Chen and Aunt Xin to agree with you staying over here again?"


    "Well... let''s just say I was very, very convincing."


    Luo Yan asked if he could stay over at Shen Ji Yun''s ce to help with the preparation of the other''s surprise birthday party. He had to up his acting game so his uncle and aunt wouldn''t think there''s anything suspicious. It actually helped that they were just talking about Shen Ji Yun''s birthday before he asked for permission. It made his request a bit more convincing.


    "I''m d you''re very convincing," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Yan reached for Shen Ji Yun''s hand and yfully intertwined their fingers. "Brother Ji Yun should have already guessed that there''s still other birthday surprises left for you today."


    "I did guess that there should be."


    "I hope you will love all of them."


    "I''m sure I will." Shen Ji Yun then pulled Luo Yan closer to him as he fell back on the bed, making the other fall directly on him as he did. "But can I request an additional surprise for this birthday?"


    Shen Ji Yun raised his head as he leaned on Shen Ji Yun''s wide chest. "As long as it''s within my capability, then yes."


    "Can you... can you sleep here with me?" Shen Ji Yun asked, his face had already turned as red as a ripe tomato. "Of course, we''re just going to sleep, nothing more! I won''t do anything. I promise."


    Luo Yan blinked, then smiled flirtatiously. He drew circles on Shen Ji Yun''s chest and said, "What if I want Brother Ji Yun to do more?"


    Shen Ji Yun''s blue eyes widened, as if he had seen a ghost. Totally looking like he couldn''t believe what he just heard.


    Luo Yan found the other''s reaction very amusing. He was about tough when he felt something hard poking at his leg. Realizing what it was, it was now his turn to blush profusely.


    Shen Ji Yun also turned even redder. He gently removed Luo Yan on top of him and abruptly stood up. "I- I''ll go the bathroom."


    Then he dashed out of the room.


    Luo Yan nkly watched Shen Ji Yun''s back. Didn''t the other have his own bathroom in his room? Why did he go outside?


    He didn''t bother to ponder over that. Because it''s quite obvious why. It''s probably to give the other more time to calm down.


    Luo Yany down on the bed, a gleefulugh escaping his lips. Ah, could there be a more adorable person?


    ----------


    Shen Ji Yun slowly opened his eyes. His brain was still filled with drowsiness. And then, as if hammering him back to wake up, all the things that happened at midnight shed through his mind.


    From Luo Yan appearing with a cake he baked, to them having a moment, and then to that... that...


    He sat up, feeling totally awake. He looked around and searched for Luo Yan. But the other was no longer lying on the bed. Luo Yan must have woken up earlier than him. He covered his face, feeling totally embarrassed by what had happened.


    He couldn''t believe that he wouldn''t be able to control himself just from a simple flirtatiousment from Luo Yan. That''s why he took a long, cold bath to calm himself down. When he returned to his room, Luo Yan was already asleep. Heid down beside him.


    For the first time in a long while, he struggled to fall asleep. And what a struggle it was.


    How could he sleep when the person he loved was just lying beside him? It would be more of a surprise if he didn''t react at all. Luo Yan was just so soft, and so fragrant, and so...


    Shen Ji Yun took a deep breath and released a long sigh before going to the bathroom to wash his face. He needed to really calm down. If he couldn''t, then how could he survive the rest of Luo Yan''s surprise?


    Just as he walked out of the bathroom, someone knocked on his door. He walked over and opened it. Standing there was his uncle, smiling at him.


    "Are you ready?" his uncle asked, handing him a blindfold.


    Shen Ji Yun blinked. A question mark almost appeared on his face.


    Mini-theater:


    YanYan feeling something poking at his leg: Is that what I think is it?


    JiYun blushing red: Yup. It''s definitely what you think. (//>///<//)

 Chapter 1018: JI YUNS BIRTHDAY (III)

    SHEN JI YUN walked upstairs with a blindfold on. Since he was deprived of his vision, his uncle was supporting him from the side and also leading him to wherever ce they should go. Since there''s only one ce to go by going upstairs, so it''s understandable where his uncle was leading him.


    It''s towards the rooftop deck.


    Their house''s rooftop deck was not usually use. But a housekeeper that came by the house every week cleaned it weekly. It also had a ss enclosure and a retractable roof that could protect the people from extreme weather and even provide instion against the cold. So, it wouldn''t be a bad idea to have a party there.


    Since today was his birthday, the surprise that they had prepared for him must be there. He already somewhat expected what it could be, so now the problem was how should he act surprise. Luo Yan definitely helped in preparing this surprise, so if his reaction was stale, it might disappoint the other.


    "We''re here, Ji Yun. You can take off the blindfold now."


    Hearing his uncle say that, Shen Ji Yun raised his hand and removed the blindfold. Because his eyes had been in the dark for quite a while, it needed time to adjust to the sudden brightness. Once it did, the first thing he saw was the long table filled with different food.


    When he did a quick nce, he saw tables and chairs. Not that many, just enough for a few people. The rooftop deck was also decorated, not in some kind of overly tacky manner, but in something subdued and very minimalist. Like one flower on a long ss on each of the table, small lights that it looked like they were floating around, and there were even three ssic arcade machines lined up on one side.


    And that''s only when he noticed the other people around. Uncle Yue, Bai Ze, Su Yuqi, Luo Jin, and even Brother Zhao were all here. Wait- but where''s Luo Yan?


    "Happy birthday, Ji Yun," his uncle said.


    Then a soft happy birthday tune started to y. It was followed by the people around singing ''happy birthday'' while pping their hands.


    "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you!~"


    And then the people parted, and he finally saw the person he''s looking for.


    Luo Yan was walking towards him, holding a tray of cake that was shaped like a chibi qilin. But that was not what caught Shen Ji Yun''s attention. It was the white rabbit ears on top of Luo Yan''s head. The way it twitched and moved up and down like a real fluffy rabbit ears made him imagine things that he probably shouldn''t at the moment.


    He had to focus his gaze on Luo Yan''s face before his imagination started taking him somewhere he shouldn''t. But that didn''t really help. Since the other''s beautiful face only fed his active imagination more.


    With thebination of Luo Yan''s face and those fluffy rabbit ears, he felt like he just received a double shot of cuteness. An 18-year-old boy wearing such things should.


    He took a deep breath to prevent his face from heating up and looking like some kind of red apple in front of everyone.


    "Happy birthday, Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan greeted once he stood in front of him. Then he stretched out his hands, holding the cake. "Blow your candles!"


    Shen Ji Yun bowed down and once again blew a birthday candle. After he did that, everyone walked towards him. While Luo Yan put down the cake on the table with the other dishes.


    "Ji Yun here," Bai Ze said, handing Shen Ji Yun a small paper bag.


    Since the paper bag was not sealed, Shen Ji Yun easily saw what''s inside. It''s a box of perfume. He looked at Bai Ze in confusion, wondering why the other gave him such an item.


    Bai Ze seemed to have read what he was thinking because he quickly whispered, "It''s Xiao Yan''s favorite perfume scent."


    Shen Ji Yun immediately understood when he heard that. Bai Ze must have asked Luo Yan about this and then bought this perfume after. Although he''s not the type to use perfume, if it''s a scent that Luo Yan liked, then he''s willing to try. He almost gave Bai Ze a thumbs up.


    He cleared his throat and said in a very mature manner, "I will use it well."


    "My gift is a game item. So just check it outter," Su Yuqi said.


    "Mine as well," Luo Jin followed with a very reluctant expression. As if he''s still wondering why he was even here.


    After the three finished, they made way for the other two adults.


    "Happy birthday, Ji Yun," Brother Zhao greeted, patting his shoulder.


    It seemed that the other had cleaned up quite well beforeing here. Considering that Brother Zhao wouldn''t even bother shaving his beard or evenbing his hair, even wearing wrinkled clothes when he went out. Which was why he was often avoided by people who didn''t know him well.


    "Thank you, Brother Zhao."


    Uncle Yue then gave him a quick hug. "Happy birthday, Xiao Yun. Here''s my gift for you."


    Shen Ji Yun epted the gift box Uncle Yue gave him. "Thank you, Uncle Yue."


    "I made something with Ah Cheng. It will be our gift for you. But it will still need some testing, so you might have to wait quite a while to receive it," his uncle said.


    "It''s really cool, so you''ll definitely like it," Brother Zhao added.


    [I think Xiao Yan will like it more.]¡ªShen Yi Mu thought, but decided not to voice that out. Anyway, as long as Luo Yan liked it, his nephew would like it as well.


    Shen Ji Yun thanked the two. He didn''t really mind that he had to wait to receive their gift. Luo Yan walked towards him then and pulled him to one of the tables so he could put his gifts there.


    "Brother Ji Yun, I''ll give you your giftter."


    Shen Ji Yun finally could no longer stop himself and raised his hand to pinch the fluffy rabbit ear. "I think I already receive more than enough."

 Chapter 1019 JI YUNS BIRTHDAY (IV)

    1019 JI YUN''S BIRTHDAY (IV)


    ZHAO CHENG picked a huge chicken leg and bit it without caring for his image. Aside from the fact that he really didn''t care, the people here wouldn''t really judge him, no matter how bad his table manner was.


    "Ah Cheng, do you want a drink? Tea or soda?"


    Zhao Cheng turned to the person who had just spoke. The other still had that gentle kind of handsomeness that he remembered from years back. Especially since the other seemed to hardly age at all. Now standing side by side with him, who would believe that the other was actually the older one between them?


    "It''s fine, Brother Yue. I''ll just get itter," he said, his voice a bit muffled by chewing the chicken leg he''s eating.


    Jiang Yue chuckled. He was d that Zhao Cheng was still the same, still a very ''my pace'' kind of guy. It made him think that nothing had really changed. But then he remembered Yuan Xing and was reminded that there were things that did change.


    When he left, Zhao Cheng and Yuan Xing were still together. But when he returned, the two had already separated. And not in a very amiable manner. That''s what he found out when he unexpectedly met Yuan Xing at Guizhu Academy.


    He had wondered if he should tell Zhao Cheng about Yuan Xing''s whereabouts. Especially after he and Brother Mu had gotten back tomorrow. But then he thought against it, since it''s not exactly his ce to do that. It''s Yuan Xing. As long as the other hadn''t decided to meet Zhao Cheng himself, then he couldn''t really say anything.


    Zhao Cheng, who had no idea what Jiang Yue was thinking at that moment, continued to nibble on the chicken leg he''s eating. He looked at the young people ying at the arcade machines. Particrly at the kid wearing rabbit ears.


    He knew about this kid way before because of how the other luckily became a moon elf when he first yed the game. It was a newly created race at that time, so their department monitored his activities at the start. Not just him, but also other yers who had newly created races.


    At that time, he had never thought that the kid would end up being part of team Yunyue. The same thing could be said for the chaos gnome kid, who actually turned out to be quite tall. He thought as he gave a quick nce to the tall kid ying with the only girl here.


    But the most surprising thing of all was Ji Yun being in a romantic rtionship with the Luo Yan kid. How did he know about it? It''s not that Ji Yun told him about it himself, he just noticed. Just today, in fact. It''s really not that hard, considering that the two were not exactly hiding it.


    From how Luo Yan led this surprise birthday party, even wearing those rabbit ears, to how touchy-feely the two had been since. Look, the two were almost hugging each other right now. The way they looked at each other was also a good indication of how they felt about each other.


    It''s like he was looking at himself in the mirror. At least the him who was staring at Ah Xing. He shook his head and just finished eating his chicken leg. He didn''t really want to think of... him at this moment.


    Zhao Cheng looked again at the two lovebirds. Shen Ji Yun had his arm around Luo Yan''s shoulders, while thetter was leaning on Shen Ji Yun.


    Ah, to be young and in love.


    For some reason, a twinge of envy suddenly hit him in the chest at the sight of the two.


    ---------


    After ying all morning, they just ate lunch, and continued on until afternoon. Then the guests left one by one. Except Luo Yan. Which Luo Jin was not very happy about. But couldn''t really do anything about at the end.


    Luo Yan was able to stay longer because, when he asked for permission to stay overnight, he told his aunt and uncle that he might return the night after. With his impable acting skill and convincing power, the two agreed. Of course, them knowing Shen Ji Yun and his uncle also helped.


    Because of this, he could prepare for another surprise for Shen Ji Yun.


    And this one, he definitely saved the best forst.


    "Brother Ji Yun, let''s go. Let''s eat dinner out," he said, as he hugged the other''s arm.


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun''s lips tilted upwards. "Is this still part of the surprise?"


    "Yes," Luo Yan didn''t deny it. "I already asked Uncle Yi Mu for permission. So we can just go right after you change your clothes."


    After hearing that, Shen Ji Yun didn''t waste time and went to his room to wear something appropriate for a date. Because this was exactly what it was, a date. He was feeling both excited and curious. But at the core of it all, he was simply happy.


    He was happy that he could spend almost the entirety of this day with Luo Yan.


    Shen Ji Yun picked something that was casual but still looked fashionable. Then he also fixed his hair and used a bit of pomade to style it. Then, finally, he sprayed a bit of the perfume that Bai Ze gave him.


    He only went down once he''s satisfied with his reflection in the mirror.


    He was in the middle of climbing down the stairs when he almost missed his steps. It was because his gazended on a figure standing near the door.


    Luo Yan was wearing a dark blue winter clothes over light purple parka, paired with slim fit jeans and a pair of stylish boots. If that was all, he wouldn''t react this violently.


    It was because Luo Yan''s short hair had now suddenly reached his waist. Adding more feminity to his already pretty face.


    Luo Yan turned to him and a smiled bloomed on the other''s face. Shen Ji Yun''s heart skipped a beat. Just with that, he felt that he was once again hit by cupid''s arrow.

 Chapter 1020 JI YUNS BIRTHDAY (V)

    1020 JI YUN''S BIRTHDAY (V)


    LUO YAN felt Shen Ji Yun''s gaze on him a couple of times already since they left the house. Even now that the other was driving, he would still steal a nce every chance he got. Which was unlike him, considering that he''s always careful whenever he drove. Of course, Luo Yan knew the reason for this.


    It''s because he''s too beautiful.


    He knew he would receive this kind of reaction from Shen Ji Yun the moment he decided to wear a wig. Because his features were much softerpared to other guys, wearing a wig could easily turn his androgynous look to something a bit more feminine. Almost like how he looked as Noctis. No, it''s probably more urate to say that he looked like the ''elf-sister'' of Yuexing Pavilion.


    So, why did he suddenly wear a wig? Of course, it''s not just to enhance his beauty. It''s so he could cling to Shen Ji Yun without having others looking at them weirdly. Under normal circumstance, he wouldn''t really care. But their purpose for going out today was to celebrate not only Shen Ji Yun''s birthday but also Valentine''s Day.


    He didn''t want to be bothered by other people''s nonsense on this special day. He just wanted the two of them to enjoy this night, without being annoyed by people''s judgemental eyes.


    Luo Yan once again felt Shen Ji Yun''s gaze on him. He chucked and said, "Brother Ji Yun, I know I''m pretty and everything, but you really should focus on driving. You can stare at me all you wantter."


    Shen Ji Yun could feel his whole face heating up after he heard that. Then, he quickly turned towards the road and concentrated hard on driving. Which took almost all of his focus, by the way. With Luo Yan looking like that, it''s truly hard to look away.


    Because just like he said, he''s just too beautiful.


    He cleared his throat. "So... is this also one of your surprises for today?" he asked, talking about Luo Yan''s hair.


    "Yeah, do you like it?" Luo Yan asked, twirling the wig with his finger.


    "Ehem, yes. I like everything about you," Shen Ji Yun said honestly.


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Even if I turned bald and wrinkly?"


    "Even then," Shen Ji Yun said, not even thinking twice.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Me too. Even if you''re bald and wrinkly, I will still love you."


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun''s lips turned up. "Then, I''m d."


    ----------


    Shen Ji Yun parked the car at the parking lot of the Orchid Hotel. The moment they got off the car, Luo Yan quickly hugged his arm. He was a bit startled at first, but then epted it, as if it''s the most natural thing in the world.


    They walked inside like a normal couple of lovers. People nced in their direction. But it''s not the kind where they looked at them weirdly. It''s the one where it''s filled with admiration. Some were even filled with envy. As if the two of them were an enviable couple.


    Now Shen Ji Yun understood why Luo Yan wore a wig. So that the two of them could freely act like lovers without the judgment of others.


    This made him smile and made his heart much lighter.


    Walking into the hotel, Luo Yan led him towards the hotel''s restaurant. "Come, Brother, I reserved the best spot in the restaurant for us."


    Shen Ji Yun allowed himself to be pulled. When they reached the restaurant, a maitre d'' asked if they had a reservation. Luo Yan immediately told the other his name and then a waiter led them to their table.


    It was a table beside the floor to ceiling window. Since the tables here were far apart from one another, even if they weren''t in a private room, there''s still a lot of privacy.


    When the waiter was about to pull the chair for Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun beat him to it.


    Luo Yan smiled and sat down on the seat pulled for him. Shen Ji Yun also sat down on the opposite seat.


    The waiter, who was just robbed off of his job, was startled because the tall man with blue eyes just gave him a cold nce. He unconsciously sweated a bit. Then he realized that the guy probably didn''t want him to pull the chair for the girl he''s with. Jealous much? He''s just doing his job. Although he must admit that the girl was really pretty. Good thing he was a professional, and he didn''t show any difort at the other''s attitude.


    Since the two were sitting at the VIP table, it meant that they availed the VIP dinner set for Valentine''s Day. So, he didn''t have to get their order.


    "Your order will be prepared and served to you soon," he said, before slightly bowing and leaving.


    Luo Yan nced outside the window. He could see the beautiful city scape. The numerous lights on many tall buildings. They''re like twinkling starlights. He could even see the moon from here. It''s good that he did his research and chose this spot.


    "Look, Brother Ji Yun, the view from here is amazing," he said, turning to the other with a big grin.


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun said, not really looking at the view and was just staring at Luo Yan.


    Of course, this did not escape Luo Yan''s notice. He put his hand on his chin and smiled sweetly at the other. "Does Brother Ji Yun think I''m very pretty today?"


    "You''re always pretty."


    Luo Yan chuckled. Here he was, the unexpected Casanova struck again. Should he grow his hair out? Shen Ji Yun would probably like it more if he did. But he knew if he asked, the other would probably just say that any hairstyle would suit him.


    "Thank you. I really like it when Brother Ji Yunpliments me. It makes me feel special."


    "You don''t need mypliments. Because you have always been special."


    Now Luo Yan felt like he was truly special. Just like he said, the other truly always made him feel special.


    Sorry,te update again. >_<


    Tyramisu

 Chapter 1021 JI YUNS BIRTHDAY (VI)

    1021 JI YUN''S BIRTHDAY (VI)


    THE dinner started with an appetizer, lobster bisque. A rich and creamy soup made from lobster stock, heavy cream, and a hint of sherry. It''s garnished with chunks of sulent lobster meat and fresh chives. Then, the main course, filet mignon with red wine reduction. A perfectly cooked filet mignon steak, tender and vorful, drizzled with a luxurious red wine reduction sauce.


    The sides were roasted asparagus, which was roasted with olive oil, garlic, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and garlic mashed potato with a hint of roasted garlic. Both providingfort and vor to the whole meal course.


    The food was delicious; the ambience was romantic, and there was even an in-house piano yer ying soft music in the background. Everything was just perfect. Now, if only the dessert would be perfect as well, then this dinner would be a resounding sess.


    Soon enough, the waiter brought two tes of Mille-Feuille.


    The Mille-Feuille disyed golden, delicate pastryyers, impably crisp and airy, crowned by a decorative chocte heart that added a touch of intrigue and elegance to the dessert''s presentation.


    Luo Yan looked at the te of dessert and hoped that his request was followed to the tee by whoever had made this. He didn''t eat first but instead discreetly watched Shen Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t notice Luo Yan''s gaze and just proceeded to dig into the dessert.


    As he savored each delicateyer of the meticulously crafted Mille-Feuille, a subtle glimmer of surprise danced across his blue eyes. It wasn''t just the exquisite vors that captured his attention, but the unexpected discovery hidden within.


    Delicately lifting a piece of the pastry, his gaze fell upon a decorative chocte heart nestled amongst theyers. Intrigued, he carefully examined it, only to find a heartfelt message etched in edible ink inside¡ª''With You, Always''.


    A soft smile graced his lips as the sweet sentiment warmed his heart, turning an already enchanting evening into an unforgettable moment of affection and delight.


    He lifted his head and looked at Luo Yan. His eyes filled with undisguised love. "I love you."


    Just seeing the smile on Shen Ji Yun''s lips and that soft gaze, Luo Yan knew that this dinner was a huge sess. "Me too."


    And he happily ate his dessert.


    -----


    After eating dinner, they walked out of the hotel restaurant.


    Shen Ji Yun felt very happy. It''s like he''d been on cloud nine since this day began. Everything just felt so surreal and magical. His birthday had always been a passing even for him, at least after his father died. That had been the case.


    He didn''t really like having a big celebration. His uncle also knew that, that''s why they always just had a simple dinner on his birthday. This was the first time in a long while that he had a real celebration. Not only a celebration, but a surprise cake at midnight. And now, a romantic dinner.


    He couldn''t believe that he could be this happy. It almost seemed like it''s not real. Was he really allowed to be this happy?


    As they walked out of the hotel, he noticed that some of the women who were walking, probably with their significant other, were holding a bouquet. He almost stopped walking. Because he just realized something.


    Today was also Valentine''s Day.


    And he didn''t prepare anything for Luo Yan.


    "Yan Yan, I''m sorry." - was the first thing that came out of his mind.


    Luo Yan, who was hugging Shen Ji Yun''s arm, was confused by this sudden apology. "Why are you apologizing?"


    "Because I''m not being a good boyfriend," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Yan stopped walking and stood in front of the other. "Okay, what is this about?"


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down, looking like a sad puppy. "It''s Valentine''s Day, and I didn''t get you anything."


    Luo Yan blinked and thenughed out loud. "Oh, Brother Ji Yun. How can you be so adorable?"


    Shen Ji Yun raised his head. "You don''t mind?"


    "Of course, I don''t." Luo Yan put his hand on Shen Ji Yun''s cheek. "If the basis of being a good boyfriend is giving gifts on every known assion out there, then there wouldn''t be any good boyfriends left in the world."


    "But still..."


    "Today is your day, not Valentine''s Day. Giving you a gift, rather than me receiving one, was more important."


    Shen Ji Yun was silent for a moment, then said in a very determined voice, "I will definitely give you one next year."


    A helpless smile crossed his lips. "Okay, next year." He hugged the other''s arm. "For now, let''s go to our next location."


    Before they could continue on their way, a voice suddenly interrupted them from the side. As if someone passing by just had noticed them and called out.


    "Shen Ji Yun?"


    Both of them stopped and looked at the side. Standing there was a man of about 23 or 24. He was tall, handsome, and had that indifferent, cold aura perfectly on point. A woman was standing beside him, also very pretty.


    For some reason, Luo Yan had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Except that this one looked handsome and not like some cannon fodder like the one from before.


    "Brother Ji Yun, please tell me this guy is not one of your cousins," Luo Yan whispered to Shen Ji Yun.


    "He is, unfortunately," Shen Ji Yun whispered back. Before looking at the guy in front of them and acknowledging his existence. "Shen Lin."


    The other furrowed his brows, as if not liking the way Shen Ji Yun addressed him. But he didn''t say anything and just turned to Luo Yan. His eyes flickered for a bit, as if very surprised at Luo Yan''s appearance. But that was only for a second. He removed his gaze and acted like Luo Yan totally didn''t exist.


    "Brother Lin, who are they?" the woman standing beside Shen Lin asked, her eyes full of curiosity.


    "This is my cousin, Shen Ji Yun," Shen Lin said.


    Since the other didn''t know him, Luo Yan put it upon himself to make the introduction. "Hello, my name is Yan Yan. I''m Brother Ji Yun''s lover."

 Chapter 1022 JI YUNS BIRTHDAY (VII)

    1022 JI YUN''S BIRTHDAY (VII)


    SHEN LI frowned when he heard that, but the crease on his forehead became even deeper when he saw Shen Ji Yun''s reaction. The usual expressionless face of the other was nowhere to be seen. In fact, one corner of his lips was slightly raised, almost akin to a smile. This was the first time he had seen Shen Ji Yun with such a look.


    Since knowing the other, Shen Ji Yun always had one expression - which was none at all. He had been like that since childhood. It''s one of the reasons why most of the younger generations in their family didn''t like interacting with him. Yes, the influence of adults was certainly there. But Shen Ji Yun''s robotic attitude didn''t really help either.


    Children at that age would want to hang out with peers who were fun to be with. And add that to the fact that the older members of the family basically shunned Shen Ji Yun, the children thought that they could also do the same.


    Shen Lin only found it troublesome, so he just ignored the other. Never bothering if their other cousins started to bully Shen Ji Yun. His younger brother, Shen Xin, wasn''t any better. He would just look over with an amused expression, as if watching an interesting movie.


    Now that they were all older, it was easy to see just how much childish everyone had been. Especially for Shen Lin, who was the oldest. But since the rtionship they had with Shen Ji Yun already had cracks from the very beginning, it was now hard to mend it at this point in time. And he hardly thought that the other even needed it.


    Still, as an older cousin, he couldn''t just ignore this rtionship reveal.


    "Shen Ji Yun, can we talk for a bit?" Shen Lin said, gesturing with his eyes that they should speak with just the two of them.


    Shen Ji Yun frowned and was about to reject it, but he felt Luo Yan squeezing his hand. He gazed down and saw the other giving him a reassuring nce, as if telling him that he''s fine with him speaking to Shen Lin. So, he could only nod and walked a bit farther away so the two of them could have this ''talk''.


    Luo Yan watched as the guy named Shen Lin followed Shen Ji Yun.


    "Hello, I''m Tangtang, by the way," the girl in front of him suddenly said. "You''re so pretty. But you look a bit familiar. Have we met somewhere?"


    Luo Yan didn''t expect such a question. He had a pretty good memory, so he was sure that he hadn''t met this girl. Not to mention, he''s not originally from B City. He just smiled and responded, "No, I don''t think so."


    "But you look really familiar. Ah! Do you perhaps y Arcadia? I''m a casual yer. Maybe the two of us met in the game?" the girl''s eyes brightened, as if she was certain that this was indeed the case.


    Luo Yan sweated a little. Since he''s wearing a wig, he looked even more like his game avatar. But he had never thought that someone woulde up to him and tell him that he looked familiar. He should have probably considered that since ''Noctis'' had been quite poprtely because of the Arcadia Cup.


    So, he said without changing his expression, "Oh yes, that''s a possibility. Arcadia is the crazed these days. Is there even anyone who doesn''t y it?"


    With his response, the girl''s attention shifted to a different topic. "Right? That''s what I said to Brother Lin. But he''s so stubborn and always says that he''s not interested. How could a person not be interested in Arcadia?"


    The girl ranted with puffed cheeks. Luo Yan wondered if this girl and that overly serious looking guy over there were romantically involved. It''s a bit fascinating because their personality was almost night and day. But then again, his personality wasn''t exactly the same as Shen Ji Yun.


    He nced at the two men still talking. He hoped the two would finish their talk before this girl, Tangtang, recognized him as Noctis. Hopefully, she was only a casual yer and didn''t really pay attention to teams and the Arcadia Cup.


    As soon as he thought of that, he saw Shen Ji Yun striding back here. The other''s expression was very bad, looking extremely pissed. In just a few strides, he arrived in front of him.


    Before Luo Yan could ask what was wrong, Shen Ji Yun had already reached for his hand.


    "Let''s go, Yan Yan."


    And without waiting for his response, Shen Ji Yun pulled him out of the hotel.


    "Bye, Yan Yan!~"


    When Luo Yan heard Tangtang''s call, he looked back and waved before he and Shen Ji Yun exited the hotel.


    Tangtang smiled at that, thinking that the other was really pretty. Then she turned to the approaching Shen Lin.


    "Brother Lin, did you fight with your cousin? You shouldn''t do that. Fighting is wrong," she admonished.


    "We didn''t fight," Shen Lin said.


    "Then did you make him angry?" Seeing as Shen Lin remained silent, Tangtang knew that she must be right. "You probably nag him or something. Sigh. Brother Lin, you should really tone down with the nagging."


    Shen Lin just frowned. Especially when he remembered his talk with Shen Ji Yun just now. He warned the other about this girlfriend or whatever, telling him that he should be careful. But Shen Ji Yun almost growled at him and told him to mind his own business.


    "But that girl really looks so familiar. I wonder where I saw her in the game. Actually, your cousin also looks familiar. Since they''re a couple, maybe they''re ying the game together."


    What Tangtang said caught Shen Lin''s attention. He also knew about Arcadia, hard not to when his uncle was the one who made it, but never really had an interest in ying it.


    "Can you tell me more about this game?"


    Sorry,te update again. >_<


    Tyramisu

 Chapter 1023: JI YUNS BIRTHDAY (VIII)

    LUO YAN nced at Shen Ji Yun in the driver''s seat. The other had a frown on his face ever since they left the hotel. He could kind of guessed why.


    "Did your cousin say anything bad about me?"


    At his question, Shen Ji Yun visibly flinched, confirming his guess. He already knew that that would be the case. This adorable guy wouldn''t be angry if his cousin mocked him, but if the one who''s mocked was Luo Yan, then there would be war.


    "What did he say?" he asked.


    "There''s no need for Yan Yan to hear about it," Shen Ji Yun said in a grave voice.


    "It''s fine. I want to hear what your cousin said."


    Shen Ji Yun frowned even harder. But at the end, he sighed, and told Luo Yan about the whole conversation he had with Shen Lin.


    "What is it?" Shen Ji Yun asked, after they had walked a couple of distance away from Luo Yan and the girl.


    "Is that girl really your girlfriend?"


    Shen Ji Yun''s brows furrowed. "Is there a reason for me to answer that? Or even for you to know the answer."


    Now, Shen Lin also frowned. "This is obviously your first rtionship. So, I won''t fault you for being careless. But you should understand that you''re part of the Shen family. So, you should be careful of the people you associate with."


    Ah, so this was what it''s about. Shen Ji Yun almost snorted when he heard it. This guy was simply warning him that Luo Yan was trying to get close to him because of some ''sinister'' reason. Probably thinking that he''s some kind of gold-digger or something.


    That''s almostughable. Luo Yan, of all people, didn''t need a drop of his money.


    "Some people can be opportunistic," Shen Lin continued. "For all you know, she might just be hanging around you to get something from you. With that shy look, and that flighty way of speaking, she definitely seems like the type."


    Shen Ji Yun felt like a vein on his forehead just popped when he heard that. "You have no right to insult Yan Yan. And even if what you said was true, that''s none of your damn business. So, why don''t you just continue to ignore my existence? Just like you have always done."


    After saying that, he turned around and walked towards Luo Yan.


    "Oh, so your cousin called me shy and flighty?" Luo Yan asked with interest after hearing Shen Ji Yun''s story.


    He could understand the flightyment since he deliberately spoke like that to irritate the other. But shy? That''s kind of exagerrated. Which part of this beautiful face was shy? Or was it because he was blinded by his beauty? He was shining so brightly that the guy couldn''t help but think that he''s shy. Yes, that''s definitely the case.


    "He''s just saying nonsense. He obviously doesn''t know what he''s saying. So, don''t mind him. You probably won''t have to see him again."


    Thatst part caught Luo Yan''s attention. He already knew that Shen Ji Yun didn''t have a good rtionship with his father''s side of the family. So, their opinions wouldn''t matter to him. If that''s the case, it shouldn''t also matter to him. Luo Yan would only care if it''s the opinion of someone important to Shen Ji Yun.


    Even if the Shen family couldn''t ept their rtionship, it wouldn''t matter. It''s not like they could do anything to them. Although the Shen family was a powerful figure in the political world, Luo Yan''s family wouldn''t be beaten in terms of financial power. Not to mention, there was Uncle Yi Mu, as well. The people who loved them would definitely protect them.


    "Then, let''s not talk about him anymore," he said, to end this topic of conversation. "We still have onest destination for this date, after all. So, let''s not spoil our mood."


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun''s lips turned up. "Good idea."


    Shijingshan Amusement Park, nestled in the western suburbs of Beijing, offered visitors a unique blend of nostalgia and modern entertainment. This smaller-scale amusement park had been a beloved attraction for locals and visitors alike for many years.


    This was their next destination.


    One of the park''s highlights was its picturesqueke, where visitors could enjoy leisurely boat rides while taking in the serene surroundings. Thiske was the reason Luo Yan picked this ce.


    He sped Shen Ji Yun''s hand and pulled the other. "Let''s go, Brother Ji Yun!"


    He excitedly pulled him towards the direction of theke. He had already memorized from the amusement park''s map where it was. So, he easily led Shen Ji Yun there.


    "Yan Yan, are we not going to go on the rides?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    When he heard that this was their next destination, he thought for sure that they would go here for those rides. Especially the Ferris wheel. It would be quite romantic to ride it. Kissing as they reached the top would be the icing on the cake.


    Even though the two of them had already gone to an amusement park, that one was in the game. They weren''t together romantically then. So, it would have a different meaning now.


    "No, let''s do that next time. I have another n for tonight," Luo Yan said with a grin.


    It didn''t take long for them to reach theke.


    The tranquil waters mirror the vibrant lights that lined its shores, creating a breathtaking tapestry of colors. The reflections of nearby trees and attractions rippled gently across the surface, forming captivating patterns that seemed to shimmer with the moon''s soft glow.


    Luo Yan smiled when he saw it. Theke was even more beautiful than he expected.


    "Isn''t this another attraction here? Why aren''t there any people?" Shen Ji Yun asked curiously while looking around.


    "I rented theke, so we''re the only ones here for the time being." Luo Yan turned to him with a bright smile. "Should we go for a boat ride, Brother Ji Yun?"

 Chapter 1024 JI YUNS BIRTHDAY (IX)

    1024 JI YUN''S BIRTHDAY (IX)


    UNDER the moonlit sky, the surface of the sereneke sparkled like a sheet of liquid silver. Shen Ji Yun sat at the stern, gently maneuvering the wooden oars through theke water.


    The rhythmic sound of waterpping against the sides of the boat was the only melody that apanied them. Luo Yan actually wanted to row the both, saying that it''s his birthday, so he should do all the work. But how could he let the other row the boat for him?


    Opposite him, Luo Yan leaned back, his hand trailing in the cool water, his fingers creating ripples that mirrored the stars above. The night air carried a hint of theke''s freshness, and the scent of blooming water lilies filled their senses.


    The two of them hadn''t said anything since the boat ride started. And yet, this silence feltforting. It''s like they were in their own little world. Just enjoying thepany of each other, not worrying about anything.


    Shen Ji Yun felt like he suddenly had a glimpse of what their future could be. And what a wonderful future it was. As long as they''re together, everything seemed to be filled with happiness.


    Just like now.


    "Brother Ji Yun, look up."


    Luo Yan''s voice woke Shen Ji Yun up from his reverie. He instinctively followed what the other said and raised his head.


    As soon as he did, the starry night sky was suddenly filled with beautiful and colorful light. Brilliant explosions of red, gold, and green burst forth, painting the sky with a mesmerizing disy of fireworks. Each burst was like a miniature gxy, with sparks and trails of light dancing and twirling in the air, creating a breathtaking spectacle.


    The fireworks looked like blooming flowers, with its petals scattering in the sky at every turn. Of course, they were beautiful and wonderful, but. Shen Ji Yun nced at Luo Yan. His rabbit was still the most beautiful.


    As if sensing his gaze, Luo Yan turned his head towards him and then smiled helplessly. "Brother Ji Yun, I know I''m prettier than the fireworks, but do watch what I prepared, please."


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat, feeling his whole face heating up. He raised his head again. Not watching what Luo Yan had prepared for him was disrespectful.


    The sky, filled with the majestic fireworks, looked magical. Despite that, he still would have preferred to stare at Luo Yan. Until thest firework burst in the sky. That one made him stare at the sky.


    It was a firework with a heart pattern. Another firework followed it that burst inside the heart. The characters of ''Yan'' and ''Yun'' were tied together with some kind of infinity sign.


    After the lights from scattered, he turned to Luo Yan and was surprised to see the other moved closer to him. He was holding a rectangr box in his outstretched hand.


    "Once again, happy birthday, Brother Ji Yun."


    Shen Ji Yun looked at the box and blinked. Looking at the box, it''s probably some kind of essory. Maybe a ne?


    "Brother Ji Yun, don''t just stare at it. Go and open it," Luo Yan said. "It''s myst gift for you today."


    Shen Ji Yun finally return to his senses and pulled the ribbon around the box. Then he slowly opened it. He was slightly surprised when what he saw inside was not what he expected. It was not a ne, but a watch instead.


    The watch, when unveiled from its box, struck a bnce between simplicity and sophistication. Its dial, a clean and unembellished white, exuded an aura of pure elegance. The slender silver hands and markers subtly marked the hours against this pristine canvas. The watch''s genuine leather strap, smooth and refined, added an extra touch offort and ss.


    It was obviously a customized piece. And definitely very expensive.


    "I asked for a design that you can wear, whether it''s a formal asion or just a casual outing. I also asked that it highlights your beautiful blue eyes," Luo Yan exined. "Oh, it also has a personalized engraving on the back."


    At the mention of that, Shen Ji Yun carefully picked up the watch and looked at the back. Just like the fireworks earlier, the characters of ''Yun'' and ''Yan'' were there, joined by the infinity symbol at the center.


    "Do you like it?"


    Hearing Luo Yan''s question, Shen Ji Yun couldn''t immediately answer. He felt like there''s a lump in his throat. Breathing became even hard. The fast beating of his heart was also not helping.


    "I know gifting a watch to your lover is sometimes frowned upon because of its negative conotation," Luo Yan added, starting to feel worried that Shen Ji Yun might not like his gift.


    It''s because the character for ''watch'' sounded like a farewell. So, gifting a watch was like a parting gift. But that was not the meaning of his gift at all.


    "This watch symbolizes the time I want to spend together with you in the future. And also the idea of us being together through the passage of time. Does... Brother Ji Yun not like it?"


    "No, of course not! I like it, no, I love it!" Shen Ji Yun quickly said. "Sorry for not saying it immediately. I''m just too overwhelmed with too many emotions. I''m so happy, I felt like I could cry at any second." A small smiled crossed his lips before raising his head and looking at Luo Yan, his gaze soft and shining. "Thank you, Yan Yan. This is probably the happiest birthday I had since I came to this country. Thank you for giving me this precious memory."


    Luo Yan leaned over and gave Shen Ji Yun a quick peck on the lips. "And this will not be thest. We will make more and more precious memories of days, months, years toe."


    "Yes," Shen Ji Yun said, feeling very full and happy. "Can you help me put it on?" he asked, referring to the watch.


    Luo Yan didn''t say anything more and just help the other fasten the watch. "It kind of feels like I''m marking you as mine."


    "But I''ve always been yours, though."


    Luo Yan stopped, and then justughed.


    End of Ji Yun''s birthday arc! ^_^


    Tyramisu

 Chapter 1025 THE SEVENTH MATCH

    1025 THE SEVENTH MATCH


    IT''S Monday, another start of the week. It''s also another round of fighting for the participant of Arcadia Cup. Of course, it was no different for Team Yunyue. Today was their scheduled seventh match. It''s an afternoon match, so everyone came at the headquarters just after lunch.


    Shen Ji Yun felt very rxed. Not because he''s overly confident that they would win this match, but rather because the afterglow of his birthday still resonated with him despite two days passing by. It''s like the happiness he felt carried over the weekend, and until now, he still felt like he''s floating on cloud nine. Showing just how happy he was.


    He nced at Luo Yan. Just looking at him could make his heart flutter. He remembered all the things the other did for him for his birthday and he was immediately filled with happiness. Especially when he thought of the watch Luo Yan gave him. Because it''s like a mark that he belonged to Luo Yan.


    If he could, he truly wanted to carry over the watch to the game. So, he could look at it whenever he wanted. But that''s impossible since no matter how realistic this game was, it''s still not reality. Although he could probably ask someone to make an essory that looked exactly like it.


    Should he ask Yu Jiao? With her skills, it would probably be easy to do it.


    Speaking of gifts, the gift that his uncle and Brother Zhao gave him was also extraordinary. Of course, not on the same level as Luo Yan''s gift. But rather, it was something that Luo Yan would probably appreciate more. He had a feeling that that''s the reason why the two gave it to him.


    "Do you think we will finally face team Sanguis today?"


    Luo Jin''s voice cut off Shen Ji Yun''s current thoughts. He looked at his teammates. They seemed to be discussing who their opponent would be in thising match.


    "Well, there''s only three teams left that we have yet to face, so we have 33.33% chance of facing them," Bai Ze said.


    "Brother Ze bringing in the numbers," Luo Yan said in a teasing voice.


    "The big lion is acting smart!" Eclipse followed, pointing at Bai Ze as if the other had done something not in character of him.


    "Hey, what acting? I am smart," Bai Ze said, raising his chin a bit.


    Su Yuqi scoffed at that, as if Bai Ze had just said something funny. Before the other could retort back at her reaction, she said, "If we faced team Sanguis today, can you leave that annoying vampire to me?"


    "Me too. I want to beat that vampire up!" Luo Jin followed up, raising his hand like some elementary school child. With his gnome avatar, he definitely looked like one.


    "You know that''s not how things work," Shen Ji Yun said, toning down his happiness a bit, so he could properly act like the team captain. "We already have a strategy for team Sanguis. Remember that we should take into ount not only team Sanguis'' captain but also his team members."


    Aside from Alucard, which was obviously the focal point of the team, the other main members of team Sanguis were also yers that could not be ignored.


    The vice-captain, Lilith, was a Bard and known to be a great debuffer. Which was also affected by her race, Subus. She weakened her enemies, charm them briefly, and provide strengthening or protective spells to allies.


    The wolf beastkin, Sylvan, was a prettypetent Berserker. Although he''s a bit newpared to the others, he meshed well with the team. Abyss, the Basilisk, was a Mage specialized in petrification and curse magic. He''s an annoying enemy, especially if he had the proper support. Thest one was the Harpy, Skywing. An incredible Archer that had a huge range because of her flight ability.


    Of course, Alucard should not be forgotten. A vampire assassin that had abilities that focused on quick strikes, life-stealing, and evading detection. And he''s not just a run-of-the-mill Assassin. He had the strength, the agility, and also the brain to back it up.


    In short, the whole team Sanguis could be a very annoying opponent. Especially if they were faced without any n.


    Su Yuqi clicked her tongue. She understood the situation, so she didn''t further insist on doing things the way she wanted to. Luo Jin also showed a disappointed look. Their strong desire to beat up Alucard was undeniable.


    "It''s not only team Sanguis, we should also consider the environment we''ll be sent to and the type of game we''ll be ying," Shen Ji Yun added.


    "I think as long it''s not an underwater setting, we''ll get by," Luo Yan said.


    "Yan, don''t you think you just jinxed us?" Luo Jin said with a raised brow.


    "Hey, gnome little brother, Master is not a jinx," Eclipse quickly said indignantly. "If Master turned out to be right, then it''s because of his amazing foresight."


    Luo Yan chuckled hearing that, while Luo Jin only rolled his eyes.


    "It''s time," Shen Ji Yun said after looking at the time. "Let''s go."


    ----------


    When team Yunyue opened their eyes, they were first greeted by an expansive and stark whitendscape stretched out in every direction. The terrain before them appeared vast and pristine, dominated by a thickyer of snow and ice. Towering ciers loomed in the distance, their icy facets reflecting the pale sunlight. The ground beneath their feet felt frozen and solid, and the air was crisp and bone-chillingly cold.


    "Well, at least we''re not underwater," Luo Jinmented.


    Yes, they were in some kind of cial tundra instead. Which was slightly better than underwater.


    Soon, virtual screens appeared one after another in front of them.


    [Yunyue vs Sanguis]


    When that first announcement appeared, both Su Yuqi and Luo Jin showed an almost feral smile. Which didn''t really suit their cute avatars.


    [cial Siege!]


    [Objective: One team defends an ancient, ice-encased artifact while the other team tries to capture it. If the team managed to capture or defend the artifact within the time limit, they would win.]


    [Time limit: 20 minutes.]


    [Match will start in five minutes. Good luck!]

 Chapter 1026 BEFORE THE MATCH

    Chapter 1026 BEFORE THE MATCH


    BEFORE team Yunyue could react to that, two notifications appeared in front of them one after another.


    [Your team will defend the <Cryoheart Relic> against the opposing team.]


    [Two ways to win: (1) Sessfully defend the <Cryoheart Relic> for 20 minutes or (2) put the <Cryoheart Relic> on its rightful ce. If you chose the second one, the match will end the moment you put the relic into the heart of the Tundra.]


    After that two notifications disappeared, a rose-shaped crystal appeared in front of them. Inside that was something red, moving, and beating, like a real heart.


    "I take it, that''s the [Cryoheart] thing," Luo Jin said in a dry voice.


    "Isn''t the team defending this thing at a disadvantage here?" Bai Zeined. "I mean, the attacking team only has to destroy the relic and vo, they win. While, us, on the other hand, have to resist 20 minutes to win."


    Luo Yan couldn''t agree more on that. No matter how one looked at it, the team doing the defending was the one at a disadvantage here. Just like what Bai Ze said, the other team only had to destroy the relic and it would be over. No need to wait out 20 minutes. Aside from that, there''s also no relic holding them back, so they could attack full force.


    It seemed that everything was against their favor. Maybe that''s why the game system gave that second option.


    "That''s not the only way to win. Remember the second option?" he said.


    "Yes, put the relic in its rightful ce. Which the game system didn''t exactly tell us where," Bai Ze said.


    "Are you blind? The system clearly said it''s in the heart of the Tundra," Su Yuqi said, looking at Bai Ze as if he''s stupid.


    "Of course, I saw it as well. But do you want us to spend our time looking for some metaphorical location?" Bai Ze argued back.


    "Stop," Shen Ji Yun said before the two get into another bickering round. "If the system said it''s in the heart of the Tundra, it must be in the center. So now, we should consider whether we should do option 1 or option 2. What will it be?"


    ----------


    While team Yunyue was having a meeting, team Sanguis was also doing the same.


    "We''re the one doing the siege. Luck was already on our side. So, let''s not waste that by doing whatever we wanted. Okay?" Qin Rushi reminded her team mates.


    "Are we finally going to fight Yunyue? Can I call dibs on White Marsh?" Tang Xun said excitedly. "If I beat him, do you think I can take his ranking on the PvP list?"


    Yin Jian chuckled. "Well, you can try. Maybe your ranking will really go up."


    "You really think so?" Tang Xun asked, turning to Yin Jian with twinkling eyes.


    Zhang Ya rolled her eyes. "Kid, don''t believe everything this snake says. You''re just pushing yourself into a trap if you do."


    "Hey, Xiao Ya, I can''t believe that''s how you see me," Yin Jian said, acting as if he was hurt by what the other said.


    Tang Xun turned to Yin Jian. "Brother Jian, did you just lie to me?"


    Looking at the three who seemed to not even listen to what she said, Qin Rushi felt her temper rising up. But before she could blow up and go into a full-blown nagging and scolding mode, Xu Ru beat her to the punch.


    "You three, stop."


    The three stop as soon as Xu Ru said that.


    "I know we all love some good fun--"


    "Not me," Zhang Ya cut off.


    "Yes, yes, not our dear Ya-er who only wants to sleep," Xu Ru said in a patronizing tone. "Anyway, you three listen to what Princess said. We all have our own ideas when it came to fighting in a team match. Ah Xun just fights in whatever way he wanted. Yin Jian likes to y with his opponents. Ya-er just wanted to quickly finish the fight. And our Princess wanted to y by the books."


    He looked at everyone before continuing;


    "If this is just a normal match, I won''t get in the way and just let you guys do whatever you wanted. But we''re up against Yunyue. They''re not exactly your run-of-the-mill team. If we want to win, we not only have to use our brains but also do our best. And I really want to win this. I want to beat Yunyue. Surely, you also feel the same."


    "Yes!" Tang Xun quickly said, even raising his hand like a kid.


    Yin Jian shrugged. "I don''t really care much, but if the Captain says so, as a member of the team, I don''t mind doing my best."


    "Same," Zhang Ya somehow agreed.


    Qin Rushi shook her head. She couldn''t believe that just a few words from Xu Ru would calm down these three and even make them do their best for this match. Well, this was probably the reason why he''s the captain, despite his disposition.


    "Then, let''s not waste time and talk about strategies," she said.


    ---------


    As the two teams busily discussed their strategies, thements in the live broadcast were abuzz with excitement.


    [It''s finally here! Yunyue vs Sanguis! This is so exciting! I wonder who will win?]


    [My bet is on Yunyue. The matches they had yed so far showed just how great they were as a team. Team Sanguis, on the other hand, seemed to only like to y around.]


    [I agree that team Sanguis is rarely serious, with the exception of Lilith. But imagine if they gave their all in a match? I bet they could even give team Celestia a run for their money.]


    [I''m sure team Sanguis will take this match seriously. I mean, they''re up against team Yunyue. Fooling around will just lead to their defeat.]


    [Team Sanguis will definitely not fool around. Did you hear what Alucard just say? He wanted to win this match.]


    [Is this a prelude to a legendary fight?]


    [Legendary is a bit... but I guess we''ll see a great match.]


    -----------


    And with that, the match finally started.

 Chapter 1027 YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (I)

    1027 YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (I)


    QIN RUSHI led the team to prepare for an attack. Since the map of the whole area was provided, they just had to go where team Yunyue was. The only problem was their location was not specifically marked on the map. But that was not a problem since the position of opposing teams was usually at the opposite sides of each other.


    Besides that, they had a team member who could fly. So determining the position of the enemy team was much easier.


    [I can''t see team Yunyue. But there was an area surrounded by some kind of mist just up ahead.]


    That was a message from Zhang Ya, who was flying above to scout the area and find team Yunyue''s exact location.


    "Team Yunyue must be there," Yin Jianmented after reading the message. "The mist must be Morganite''s doing."


    "Definitely," Qin Rushi agreed. "Go with the n."


    Tang Xun grinned like a kid. "Finally!"


    Then he rushed forward, straight in the direction of the so-called mist.


    Yin Jian shook his head. "That kid is going to get himself eliminated first."


    After saying that, he walked forward to follow.


    Qin Rushi sent a message to Zhang Ya. [What do you see up there?]


    [Nothing, really. The mist is pretty much covering arge area. Could a Mage really maintain that for long?]


    [What is your estimate radius of the mist?]


    [About 10 meters.]


    Just about the average distance of all of Qin Rushi''s AoE debuff skills. Meaning that she had toe close to this mist thing to make sure that everyone hiding in it would be affected.


    "Can you get rid of the mist?" she asked Yin Jian while she was running forward, following the two.


    "I can. But I have to get closer," Yin Jian answered.


    Qin Rushi nodded. "That''s enough."


    Then she sent a message to Zhang Ya. [Xiao Ya, continue to watch over from above and let us know if there''s any weird movement from the enemy team. Attack once you do.]


    [Roger.]


    The remaining people on the ground followed the excited Tang Xun as the other rushed forward to what seemed like the enemy base. A little whileter, Qin Rushi finally saw the ''mist'' that Zhang Ya was talking about.


    It was not exactly a ''mist'' per se. It''s more like a freezing fog that naturally ured in cold regions. Qin Rushi started to wonder if this was actually a skill of something that was just there. No matter what, the most important thing now was to clear it.


    "Ah Xun, stop. Don''t rush until this fog is cleared," she warned the wolf beastkin before the other could rush forward like some bulldozer.


    Tang Xun was clearly disappointed when he heard that. But he still stood in ce.


    "Yin Jian, clear the fog."


    After Qin Rushi said that, Yin Jian raised his staff. But before he could do anything, the fog suddenly spread, swallowing them all at once.


    Zhang Ya, who saw this scene from above, didn''t panic. She quickly sent a message to her team mates while scanning the surroundings.


    [Is everyone alright?]


    She furrowed her brows slightly when she didn''t immediately receive a reply. So, she quickly sent another message.


    [What''s happening?]


    Finally, she got a response from Qin Rushi.


    [I''m teleported somewhere. Is it the same for everyone?]


    [Same here.]


    [Argh... I feel groggy. Where the hell is this?]


    Qin Rushi sent another message. [Seeing that there''s no one around, I take we''re teleported to different areas.]


    Thest two messages were from Yin Jian and Tang Xun, respectively.


    They were teleported? How did that happen? Was it a feature of this tundra? Or was it something that team Yunyue did? There''s a high chance it could be the former. But if it was, shouldn''t the system tell them about this at the start? If it was thetter, how did they manage to do it?


    Area-wide teleportation was not amon skill. Was it an item that did this? But since they were teleported in different areas and not in the same spot, it''s definitely not just a simple item. Maybe it''s even a legendary rank item or something.


    A message from their captain appeared at this moment.


    [You''ve been had guys. They use the fog as a diversion tactic to separate you. They''re probably nning to make this a 1 vs 1 fight, instead of a group fight. A good tactic, considering that we could utilize our skills more if we are together. I have to hand it to them, preparing this on such short notice.]


    Well, that certainly exined what had just happened. But just like what the captain said, preparing this on such short notice was incredible on their part. Especially since the time from when the battle started until now hadn''t even passed five minutes.


    Their captain sent another message as a follow up.


    [They''re probably thinking that this would be better than keeping the relic in one ce and just defending it. I''ll probably do the same if I''m in their position. Don''t panic. Even if this turned to a 1 vs 1 fight, we''re not weak. So, just fight whoever wille to attack you. And just leave the relic to me.]


    That was the end of the message. In short, their captain was telling them to take care of the members of Yunyue who would attack them. To not let those members aid whomever was taking the relic.


    Zhang Ya remembered their meeting earlier. Their captain suspected that team Yunyue would likely choose the second option to win this match - taking the relic to the heart of the Tundra. So, he decided to be responsible for the relic. That''s why he wasn''t with them when they rushed towards the enemy team''s base.


    He was on his way to wherever this supposed to be ''heart of the Tundra'' was.


    She had a lot of questions. Before she could send a message to ask them, she felt somethinging


    in her direction. Thezy expression she usually had was gone. Her gaze turned sharp. She raised her bow and knocked an arrow. Activating one of her skills, she released the arrow.

 Chapter 1028 YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (II)

    Chapter 1028 YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (II)


    THE arrow turned into something simr to a light arrow, and then it hit the projectile that was flying towards Zhang Ya. The collision caused a small explosion, blowing away the fog that was surrounding the area below. Before the dust even settled, another projectile came rushing in Zhang Ya''s direction.


    Zhang Ya soared gracefully through the unforgivingndscape, her wings slicing through the frigid air. The relentless barrage of projectiles hinted that her assant was quite skilled.


    With all the dust settled, she finally had a good look at what was happening below. Or rather, theck of it. There was literally nothing below. Which should have been expected, considering that her three teammates were teleported away.


    Descending toward the rocky terrain, she spotted the hidden figure responsible for the attack. It was a small figure, concealed amidst jagged ice formations from quite a distance away. With that ck hair and the two guns pointing at her, there''s no doubt that the other was the gnome gunslinger of team Yunyue.


    So, this guy would be her opponent.


    Zhang Ya quickly notched an arrow and drew her bowstring, her archer''s instincts guiding her aim. She let her arrow loose, intercepting one of the gnome''s bullets with pinpoint uracy. The icy wind howled around them as the arrow and the bullet collided.


    The gnome, armed with two zing firearms, continued to unleash a storm of bullets. Zhang Ya relied on her agility, darting through the frozenndscape with elegant maneuvers. Her passive skill, [Archer''s Focus], allowed her to track the gnome''s movements and predict the trajectory of his shots.


    The gnome''s relentless assault pushed Zhang Ya to her limits. The shots being thrown at her were so diverse that it could drive one crazy. There was one that curves, one that disappeared and then reappeared, one that almost felt like a bomb.


    With the way things were going, she would end up only defending until the match ended. She had to do something. She leaped gracefully, ascending higher into the sky, using the rugged terrain below for cover.


    From her elevated position, she assessed the gnome''s position with rity. She nocked another arrow, her [Precision Shot] skill ready. With a steady breath, she aimed at the gnome''s firearms, attempting to disable one of them.


    But the moment she released her skill, the gnome raised one of his guns into the sky. And a ming meteor shower descended from above.


    --------------


    Now, let''s go back a bit in time when the three members of team Sanguis were teleported.


    When the fog spread and the three were suddenly encased within its scope, the icy ground they were standing on glowed and the next thing they knew, they were being teleported somewhere.


    Tang Xun, who was pretty excited to fight White Marsh, was disoriented by the sudden space traversal. Before he could get his bearing back, he had to send a message to everyone about what happened to him. Which wasn''t really much since he still felt a bit dizzy from the teleportation.


    When he was finally able to bnce himself, a strong strike came from his left. If not for his still somewhat groggy state, he might not be able to dodge it. Yes, that sounded a bit weird, since it should be the other way around. But it was because his body was swaying that he was able to.


    His body quickly reacted, and he jumped back a couple of times. He turned in the direction where the strike came and saw a huge, muscr man with orange-sunset hair that looked like that of a lion''s mane.


    "That''s a good reflex," White Marsh said with a cocky grin.


    Tang Xun''s eyes widened. The surprise on his face immediately turned to excitement.


    "No way, you''re assigned to me? Seriously? This is amazing! How can I be so lucky?" he said, practically screaming in exhration.


    White Marsh raised his brow. "You''re one crazy guy."


    Then he rushed for an attack.


    -----


    Yin Jian was much calmer than Tang Xun when he was teleported. He quickly epted his situation and sent a message to his teammates. After that, he erected a barrier. Just in time for purple lightning toe crashing down.


    Seeing that purple lightning, he immediately had an idea who his opponent was. And as if to prove his guess, a sword sh hit his barrier. As soon as it did, cracks appeared on his barrier. Then it broke like some fragile ss.


    The opponent dashed forward, almost like teleporting because of how fast he was. He raised his sword and shed it down. But the sword met a strong hindrance.


    Yin Jian raised his head and met the amethyst beast-like eyes of the swordsman before him. "Too bad, huh?"


    YUN did not say anything and just raised his sword once again.


    -----


    Qin Rushi was also just as calm as Yin Jian. Since she had already suspected that team Yunyue separated them so they could have a 1 vs 1 fight as soon as they were teleported, she was able to calm down much faster.


    She quickly took out her harp, her weapon as a Bard. Preparing to defend herself.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t do a sudden surprise attack," a familiar voice from behind said.


    Qin Rushi turned around and saw a girl with pink hair and glittery butterfly wings. She almost called the other by her real name when he saw her.


    "So, it''s you against me, huh?"


    "Well, your avatar''s race kind of has an edge against yers of the opposite gender," the other said, shrugging, referring to Qin Rushi''s game avatar being a subus. "And since I''m the only female on our team, I''m kind of the only option left to fight you. So, here we are."


    Subus and incubus in Arcadia had an inherent advantage over the opposite sex whenever they fight, like in PvP matches, or official battles like this one. Whoever their opponent was, they would automatically suffer a debuff. So, this decision was understandable.


    "Then, shall we?" she asked.


    "Sure," Su Yuqi said, raising his staff.

 Chapter 1029 YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (III)

    <h4>Chapter 1029 YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (III)</h4>


    AS everyone was fighting, a certain elf was traversing inside the shadow world, holding a relic in his arms. He was on his way to the heart of the Tundra, as the game system had hinted.


    With the word ''heart'', there''s really only one direction that people would think when they heard it. The center. And that''s where he''s headed.


    When they were formting a strategy against team Sanguis, they had already considered a 1 vs 1 fight instead of a full-blown team fight. Of course, it would depend on what kind of battle they would have when they faced team Sanguis. And this cial siege was just the right type of battle to use this strategy.


    If this was some kind of tower defense or battle arena, it would be hard to execute that strategy. When they saw what kind of battle they would have, they all thought that it should be 1 vs 1, instead of facing them as a team head on.


    Team Sanguis was a pain in the ass to deal with as a team. It''s not just because of their skills, each of their avatar''s race also had to do with it. The unique traits of their avatars only amplified their skills. And when they fought as a team, those skills shined even more.


    Each and every one of themplement each other that even if the opposing team was technically stronger than them in terms of firepower, they would still win. Funnily enough, their teamwork was usually a mess. With one team member going off doing their own thing, and another doing the same. And yet, when it counted, they would exhibit team work that they usually wouldn''t.


    Team Yunyue had done enough research to know that team Sanguis didn''t usually utilized this ''team work'' at the start of a match. So, they knew they had to do what their nning at the very begginning. When the opposing team least expected it. They knew it would work since team Sanguis had no choice but to go over to where they were to win this match.


    Team Sanguis'' task was to destroy the relic. They couldn''t aplish that by staying at their starting point. They had to go where team Yunyue was to destroy the relic. And when they did, that''s when the n would start.


    It''s simple, really. They nned to use one of the items they got as a reward from being the first one to clear the newly added dungeon. The item was called [Riftward Key (Imitation)]. An SS rank item that could teleport an individual or a group to a desired location or different locations by the one who used it.


    It could only be used once, since it was only an imitation of the real one. Once used, it would automatically turn to light particles.


    The reason for its SS rank, despite it being just a one time used item, was because items that could do site-wide teleportation where the user could also control where they would send the people being teleported was very rare. Especially items that could be used in battles and dungeon raids. Heck, there wasn''t even a skill that could do that.


    Because having something like that could break the bnce of a game, especially when it came to team battles.


    They had already decided to use this item against team Sanguis if they ever met the other in the qualifiers. One might say that it''s too much considering that they only had one of it, but if they didn''t use it now, then when?


    Granted that even if they lost in this match, they would still advance to the final tournament. After all, each bracket would have two teams that would advance on the next stage. But even so, it didn''t mean that they should just give up this match.


    Not that they couldn''t win without using [Riftward Key]. They could, but it would take a long andplicated strategy to do it. If there''s a much easier and faster way, why shouldn''t they use it? This was a battle. Who cared about just winning with pure strength? The important thing was who won in the end. It''s not like they''re cheating or something, anyway.


    When they were deciding who would fight with who, the first thing that they quickly decided was that Su Yuqi would take on Lilith. Thetter being a Subus, Su Yuqi was their only choice. After that, Luo Yan was tasked with getting the relic to the center of the Tundra. With his [Shadow Walk] skill, it would be easier for him to do it. Eclipse would, of course, help him along the way.


    The remaining three didn''t really care who they would fight. But in the end, they decided that Luo Jin would remain at the starting point of the team and would fight with the harpy Skywing. This was with the assumption that the teleportation would not affect the other, since she would be flying in the air. Which was what really happened.


    And then Shen Ji Yun and Bai Ze would just fight whichever two who would remain. Why two and not three, you asked? It''s because they suspected that one person would go to the center of the Tundra instead of going with the other members of the team.


    Since there were two ways for the defending team to win, as the attacking team, they would have to consider which of the two the defending team would go for. If team Sanguis wanted to win, they had to assume that team Yunyue would try to do both. Then, they had to at least send one member of their team to ambush the person who would try to put the relic into the ''heart'' of the Tundra. And the rest would go to the defending team''s starting point base.


    Based on the messages Luo Yan received from his teammates, the one missing from team Sanguis who went to the starting point of team Yunyue was Alucard.


    Then he received a telepathic message from Eclipse.


    [Master, there''s a bit of a problem.]

 Chapter 1030: YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (IV)

    AFTER his four teammates made their way to the starting point base of team Yunyue, Xu Ru also made his move. There''s only one destination for him, the center of the Tundra.


    He used [Swift Flow] - a skill that increased his speed. He could use [Mistform] or [Smokeform] for faster travel, skills that could turn his whole body into either blood mist or smoke. But the two skills continuously decreased his MP when they''re in active use. Although he had a lot of MP potion to refill that, drinking one while in the midst of a battle was just too much pain in the ass.


    Besides, his [Swift Flow] could still achieve the needed result without much of his MP decreasing. So, what''s the reason not to use it?


    As he was making his way to the center of the Tundra, he was also reading the messages being exchanged on their team channel. He didn''t participate in their discussion. He believed that it''s better for his teammates to decide on their own what they thought was best.


    One might see it as just him being irresponsible andzy, but for him, it''s just him being free-spirited and democratic. And it worked well with their team dynamic. Because most of them were ''my pace'' kind of person. Even his princess had that streak, no matter how much she wanted to deny it.


    He was nning on just leaving the things regarding the attack on team Yunyue''s starting base to Qin Rushi, but something happened in the middle. Team Yunyue prepared a trap and separated the four - teleporting Qin Rushi, Tang Xun, and Yin Jian, only leaving Zhang Ya on her own.


    When Xu Ru read that, he immediately understood what team Yunyue wanted to do. Fight them one on one instead of as a team.


    With the data about their team, he should have ounted for that possibility. He just didn''t expect team Yunyue to actually choose that route. He thought the other team would choose to face them as a whole team rather than separating them. Because it just felt like that''s more their style.


    There was also the fact that both Morganite and that gnome with the overly cringy game name had a grudge against him. Which was very much mutual, by the way. So, he thought the two would want to have a go at him. Something that would most likely happen if they had an all-out team battle with all the members of each team present, not separated like what''s happening now.


    It''s his preconceive notion of team Yunyue that led to this situation.


    Well, anyway, there''s no use crying over spilled milk. What happened had already happened. What good would it do if he continued to wallow over that? Besides, there''s one good thing that came out of this. The fact that they were now certain that team Yunyue nned to take the relic to the heart of the Tundra.


    And Xu Ru was on his way there.


    With his speed, it didn''t take long for him to arrive at his destination. He looked around, looking for any sign of the person who would bring the relic here. But he didn''t see anyone. In fact, he didn''t even see the spot where the relic should be put.


    Surely, the opposing team was not only required to put the relic somewhere here and that would be it, right? Because if it was, then where''s the thrill of that? It''s definitely not the usual modus of the game devs. Those guys with a sadistic streak would definitely not make things that easy.


    He narrowed his eyes and looked around once again. All he could see was an endless snowy, white terrain. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Which made this even more suspicious.


    Most would probably think that he probably went to the wrong ce. But Xu Ru didn''t think so. If this was not the wrong ce, it only meant that something was fooling his senses right now and hiding what''s really here.


    And Xu Ru wouldn''t be wrong for assuming that. Because right now, a certain six-tailed fox was hiding behind the illusion that was currently surrounding the area.


    Yes, that''s right, it was Eclipse.


    When he saw the vampire appearing right in front of him, he quickly contacted his master via telepathy.


    [Master, there''s a bit of a problem.]


    [What''s wrong?] - Luo Yan quickly responded.


    [The vampire is here.]


    Luo Yan wasn''t particrly shock when he heard that. He knew that Alucard would be loitering around somewhere, mostly in the ce where the ''heart'' of the Tundra would be.


    That''s why, as a precautionary measure, they assigned Eclipse to go there first. Since he''s no longer as small as a chihuahua in his beast form, but as big as a husky instead, his speed had also increased dramatically. He''s actually one of the fastest in the team, especially when he''s in his natural beast form.


    There was also his illusion ability.


    Once Eclipse reached the ce considered as the ''heart'', he would check first if it''s the right ce and after confirming that it was, he would put up an illusion to deceive whoever woulde. Aside from Luo Yan, of course.


    Everything went ording to n. Eclipse arrived at the ''heart'' and saw a small altar at the center. So, he put up an illusion to make it seem like there was nothing there.


    But this skill could onlyst for a few minutes. Meaning once it reached the time limit, it would automatically disappear. That''s why Luo Yan decided to use [Shadow Walk] to get there, so he would be faster. One might ask why he didn''t just ride Eclipse. But even if this was only virtual reality, his weight would still affect Eclipse''s speed. The n they had was fastest and safest way to go about it.


    One might say that he could just stay inside the shadow world and wait out the 20 minutes time limit. But his [Shadow Walk] skill also had its own time limit. The best way was still to put the relic at that altar.


    [I''m close. Just wait a bit.]


    After he said that to Eclipse, Xu Ru began his attack.

 Chapter 1031 YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (V)

    1031 YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (V)


    XU RU could tell that there was something obstructing his vision and fooling his senses. Among the members of team Yunyue, he couldn''t think of anyone who could have illusion skills. But with the process of elimination, it''s easy to guess who it was. The fox pet of Noctis.


    Which meant he was in the right ce. Because either the fox was protecting this area until Noctis arrived, or Noctis was already there and this illusion was so no one here would be able to get in the way of Noctis putting the relic in its designated ce.


    Whichever it was, it didn''t matter. All Xu Ru had to do was to destroy this illusion.


    Ilusions were called illusions because they were not real. So, what he''s seeing right now had no physical form. Meaning, if there''s a wide-area attack that could bombard this ce right now, that fox would definitely be hit. Not that he had an AoE skill for that. He''s an Assassin, AoE attack was not his thing. But he had an item that could give the same effect.


    He wondered what would happen if a game pet died in battle? Would their data bepletely gone as well? He shrugged. Not that he cared.


    Xu Ru took out the needed item out of his inventory. It was a bomb called ''Bloody Monday''. As the name suggested, it was a blood bomb. Something that would produce a rainfall of blood once it exploded. Of course, it would not just be an ordinary blood shower.


    The drops of blood that would explode out of the bomb would turn into small, sharp needles. The damage of each of these ''needles'' was quite significant, and ifbined together, it''s enough to kill a fox pet.


    He turned on the detonator of the bomb and threw it up in the sky. At the same time, he jumped away from the expected st radius of the bomb. And just as he did, the bomb exploded.


    The sky above his location transformed in an instant, painting it with a vivid crimson hue as a cascade of blood-red droplets descended. It appeared as though the sky itself wept tears of crimson sorrow.


    From a distance, it looked beautiful. In that macabre kind of way. But if one looked closely, they could see that those red droplets were like small thin knife raining down from above.


    Xu Ru waited to see what would happen next.


    It didn''t take long for a change in the surrounding to ur. The space in front of him twisted and warped. Then cracks appeared until it broke like a ss fragment. He was looking forward to seeing what happened to the fox. Would he be a bloody fox now?


    But despite his seeminglyissez-faire attitude, he was on guard and was ready to attack or defend himself against any iing attack.


    When the rain of blood finally settled down and the illusion hadpletely been broken, Xu Ru still couldn''t help but be surprised. Because, right in front of him, there was nothing there.


    Only a small altar.


    Before he could ponder what was happening, he felt somethinging from behind. Like a sharp bloodlust that was about to slice his neck. And that would have definitely happened if he didn''t bend his body to the side. As evidence of the dagger that shed by the side of his neck.


    Long, dainty fingers held the dagger. If not for the situation, he would have admired those fingers more. But he couldn''t, under good conscience, do that now. Because if he did, then the owner of that dagger would definitely not hesitate to stab him until he had no more HP left.


    He nced to the side and saw Noctis. The other didn''t even give him the time to breathe. Noctis quickly attacked once again. Xu Ru countered swiftly. He took out his own dagger, and it surged forward like a striking snake. Noctis reacted with grace and precision, blocking the attack with one of his twin daggers. The sh produced a shower of sparks.


    Noctis'' lithe form was a flurry of motion. His dainty fingers danced with expertise, guiding the two daggers in a relentless assault. He closed the gap with incredible speed,unching a barrage of strikes at Xu Ru. The des of his daggers glinted menacingly in the harsh daylight.


    Xu Ru parried, deflected, and countered each of Noctis strikes with calcted movement. His dagger, a weapon with a menacing red de, left a chilling trail of red light in its wake.


    As their daggers met once again, Xu Ru asked with a yful grin. "Where''s the foox? Did it die?"


    Luo Yan felt a vein on his forehead throbbing because of the vampire''s annoying grin. When he received Eclipse''s telephathic message, he was already close to the center. But he was still not fast enough.


    The moment he arrived, this vampire had already thrown that bomb.


    He wasn''t sure what effect it would have. But he knew Eclipse would be in danger if he didn''t do anything. With no time left to counter, the best thing he could do in the situation was to cancel Eclipse''s ''battle'' status. Which would automatically kicked the other out of the game.


    It was an instinctive move for someone who didn''t want to see someone important get hurt. Many people might say that Eclipse was not real, and he''s just a bunch of data. But for Luo Yan, he''s very real.


    Yes, Eclipse might not truly disappear once he''s HP turned to zero. He could probably be revived just like any other yer. But Luo Yan didn''t want to gamble. So, he did what he did.


    This was the first time that he actually used that function in this qualifying round of the Arcadia Cup. It''s like calling back a special summon or something. Eclipse would definitely be pissed.


    That''s why hearing Alucard''s mocking tone and seeing his unpleasant grin made it even more grating.


    "Don''t worry, my fox is all fine and good," Luo Yan said with a sweet smile. "Instead, worry for yourself. Because I''m going to kick your sorry ass."


    Mini-theater:

 Chapter 1032 YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (VI)

    1032 YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (VI)


    THE vampireughed as if that''s the funniest joke he heard in a while. "First, I don''t think so. Second, I don''t have a ''sorry ass''. My ass is, in fact, glorious. And third, don''t grimace too much. It''s a waste of such a pretty face."


    Luo Yan had almost forgotten that this guy was a big flirt who would probably go after anyone decent looking as long as they''re walking on two legs. Instead of answering, he used [Strike Kill].


    It''s a one-hit move that could easily deal damage to an enemy. But that was under the assumption that the attack would hit. Of course, this bastard managed to dodge and then didn''t hesitate to stab him right in the face.


    Luo Yan had no choice but to jump back to avoid the attack and put some distance between them. But the other didn''t let him and rushed forward, with his dagger out, ready to stab him.


    Luo Yan knew that this dagger called [Red Fang] had a ''Bleed'' attribute. If he was so much as scratched by it, his HP would continuously decrease until there''s nothing left. HP potions wouldn''t work, only a Priest''s skill would be able to negate its effect. But that was obviously not an option for Luo Yan.


    The other probably knew that, too. That''s why he''d been attacking like a rabid dog. But he wasn''t the only one who had an added attribute to their dagger. His daggers also had a debuff effect from the Eternal Lotus. Which this guy probably also knew. And yet, he was charging at him without any care.


    He didn''t know if he shouldmend him for his fearlessness or criticize him for being reckless. His thoughts paused. Maybe he could use this against the other.


    Because he had to rush to save Eclipse, he didn''t have time to ce the relic at the altar. So, he had to put it down somewhere first. Thankfully, he had an item that could temporarily conceal it where he left it.


    Truthfully, if he could just leave the relic covered under his Invisibility Cloak for the remainder of the time, their team would win. But sadly, when he covered the relic with the cloak, a system notification appeared in front of him;


    [To ensure fairness in the game, the effect of the Invisibility Cloak will onlyst for three minutes.]


    When he read that, he thought, well, that''s fair enough. But this also meant that he only had three minutes. No, it''s less than that now, to deal with this vampire.


    Once that time limit was over, Alucard would definitely notice the relic. And then it would definitely be harder to fight against the other while also defending the relic. He only had this short time to think of a strategy to ''kill'' this guy.


    Taking note of Alucard''s recklessness, as well as the other''s seemingly obsessive need to stab him, a strategy was forming in his mind at lightning speed. And all of this was happening inside his head while the two of them were exchanging blows.


    "By the way, where is the relic?" Alucard suddenly asked, as if reading the thoughts swirling in his head moments ago. "Since you''re not holding it and it''s not on the altar, did you hide it on your way here?"


    Luo Yan finally found the opening he needed to pull the n he had thought of.


    "And why should I tell you?" he said while ring at the other.


    He didn''t forget to nce in one direction. Of course, he did it in a way people would think that it''s instinctive and not on purpose. There was also that tense acting, as if he was trying to act tough when he was really nervous about something.


    "Poor you, having your team leave such an important mission to you alone, you must be very nervous," Alucard said, obviously buying into his act. "Let me put an end to your suffering."


    "You talk too much," Luo Yan said. He acted as if he was trying hard not to look in one direction, but his eyes still turned ''instinctively'' to one side.


    As if wanting to cover that up, he jumped to the opposite side of where he was ncing. When he did, Alucard suddenlyughed out loud.


    Unlike earlier, when he rushed to follow, he stopped and looked at Luo Yan as if he was disappointed.


    "Do you really think I will fall for that act?" Xu Ru asked. "I expected better from you, my pretty elf."


    When he saw the other ncing in one direction, he really thought at first that the relic must be there. But when Noctis did it the second time, he knew the other was acting. Noctis was ncing in that direction because he wanted him to go there. If one''s opponent wanted them to do something, it wouldn''t be for their own good. It would be because it''s a scheme to fool them and screw them up.


    It was a pretty good acting that he almost fell for it. But when he noticed that the other was trying too hard, he just knew that something was wrong. Which meant that the relic wouldn''t be there.


    It would be at the ce where Noctis jumped to.


    He looked up at the timer floating in the air. Ten minutes had already passed since the start of the match. It was now time to end this. He nced back at the beautiful elf standing before him. The shocked expression on his face, as if he didn''t expect him to not fall for his act, was actually kind of cute.


    "Hey, if my team wins this game, can we go on a date?" he asked in a yful manner.


    The shock expression on Noctis'' face quickly turned to anger, looking extremely offended. Which was also pretty cute.


    Xu Ru didn''t wait for the other''s response and turned himself to blood mist to rush where he was. Because of this form, he arrived behind Noctis at breakneck speed. He didn''t hesitate to stab the other.

 Chapter 1033: YUNYUE VS SANGUIS (VII)

    XU RU nned to stab the dagger straight at Noctis'' heart. It''s the fastest way to eliminate the other in just one blow. But just as the dagger was about to pierce Noctis'' back, the other moved at thest second. Instead of the heart, the dagger only pressed on Noctis'' shoulder de.


    Before Xu Ru could be surprised by that, he felt a sting on his abdomen. He instinctively looked down and saw one of Noctis'' dagger stuck in his stomach. Its ck de was coated in red, like blood. He was sure it wasn''t his blood.


    The stab he felt wasn''t too deep that his game avatar would gush out blood like a fountain. No, it was more likely that it was Noctis'' blood. But why? He didn''t have time to ponder over that because of what Noctis said next.


    "Thank you for not betraying my expectation."


    Then the other suddenly turned around and more blood sshed on Xu Ru.


    [The target has enough blood sprayed on him. You can now drag him to the shadow world.]


    The notification Luo Yan was waiting for finally appeared. It didn''t matter that he was hit by a status ailment after being stabbed by Alucard''s dagger. Because this match would be over before his HP even turned to zero.


    As that notification appeared, Alucard was quickly pulled into the shadow world. This world would negate anything that the opponent would try to do. The other''s skills were all useless here. But the time in which he could force an enemy to stay was limited. So, he should use the element of surprise to his advantage and finish Alucard right here and then.


    That''s why Luo Yan didn''t wait after they entered the shadow world. He used one of his strongest melee skill and stab the other at the heart. Ensuring his victory.


    Thankfully, because the other also suffered a status ailment from being stabbed by his dagger, Luo Yan''s attack was sessful. The moment the dagger stabbed into Alucard''s chest, a sigh of relief almost escaped his mouth.


    The expression on the vampire''s face showed astonishment, as if he couldn''t believe what was happening right now. "You... tricked me?"


    Those were Alucard''sst words before he started turning into light particles.


    Well, it could be called a trick if one looked at it that way. Just like he told Alucard earlier, he was d that the other acted within his expectations. All the actions he did earlier, he based it on the assumption that Alucard would not fall for it.


    That the other would think that he was deliberately tricking him to go in the direction he kept on ncing. Tricking him into thinking that he hid the relic in that direction.


    But since he''s ''smart'', he wouldn''t fall for it and would realize that he was being ''tricked''. That indeed happened, and he ended up attacking him instead. So, all Luo Yan had to do was to act surprise that Alucard ''discovered'' his n and then execute his real n after.


    And then things just went ording to n. Thankfully.


    He took a deep breath and came out of the shadow world. Then he walked in the direction where he kept on ncing earlier. That''s right, he didn''t really ''trick'' Alucard earlier. The relic was really in this direction. He wondered how that vampire would reactter once he found out. He shrugged. It''s none of his business, though. Although Luo Jin and Su Yuqi would probably enjoy this.


    As he came closer, the relic came into view. It seemed that the effect of the [Invisibility Cloak] had worn off. He crouched down and patted around the snowed ground. When he felt some fabric, he picked it up and put it back in his Items Tab. Then he picked up the relic and stood up.


    He walked towards the altar. He nced up to look at the timer above. Only eight minutes left. He crouched down once more and put the relic on the altar.


    Luo Jin dodged the onught of arrowsing towards him. After he dodged, he pointed his guns at the flying harpy and shot at her, which she also dodged. He was really starting to get irritated by this.


    It had been the same pattern since earlier. She would shoot, he would dodge, he would then shoot back, and she would also dodge. No matter which skill they both used, they both found a way to dodge it. It''s getting tiring at this point. And he bet the other was also feeling the same.


    Luo Jin was thinking of using another of his AoE skills when a pir of light suddenly appeared from the direction of the center of the Tundra.


    Bai Ze was sitting on the back of a beat up wolf beastkin while munching on a Mana fruit. This was something Rowan liked to eat. He didn''t expect until now that this actually tasted good.


    "Ah, White Marsh, sir, can you get off me?" the wolf beastkin asked.


    "Nah, the view here is prettyfortable," Bai Ze said. "Just wait until the match ended."


    As soon as he said that, he saw the pir of light from a distance.


    Qin Rushi knelt down, her body was slowly turning into light particles. She looked at the cute pink pixie in front of her. "You really don''t know how to hold back, do you?"


    "That would be an insult to you, then," Su Yuqi said indifferently.


    Qin Rushi chuckled before turning into light particles. And just right after that, a pir of light appeared.


    Shen Ji Yun was rushing towards the center of the tundra. As soon as he defeated the basilisk, that''s the first thing he did. He''s not worried that vampire would defeat Luo Yan, he was just worried that the bastard would flirt with Luo Yan. Which the other had done a couple of times already.


    He swore, if that bastard even touched his rabbit in a wrong way...


    Shen Ji Yun''s steps paused when he saw the pir of light up ahead. And then a couple of notifications appeared in front of him.


    [Team Yunyue put the relic in its rightful ce.]


    [Team Yunyue wins!]

 Chapter 1034: AFTER THE MATCH

    THEments in the barrage of the live broadcast of the match between team Yunyue and team Sanguis were in an uproar after the announcement of the winner.


    [Wow, did the match really end just like that?]


    [I was honestly expecting something like an all-out war. You know, two teams battling it out, giving everything they have, until a clear winner appears.]


    -[Didn''t they battle it out? Are you sure you even watch the game?]


    -[I understand OP''sment tho. I mean, they probably just meant that they were hoping for a real 5 vs 5 battle. Instead, we got 1 vs 1.]


    -[What''s wrong with that? It''s not as if they didn''t give it their all. The individual battles are pretty great in my opinion.]


    -[What''s great about that? It''s obvious that team Yunyue picked a strategy that would neutralize team Sanguis'' strong team y. It''s almost like they''re running away. It''s a bit cowardly, especially for the first champion team of Arcadia Cup.]


    -[What nonsense is the one upstairs saying? Did you actually think first before posting that? This is a qualifying match. A team should choose a strategy that could lead them to a win. Why would any team purposely set themselves up to lose? In my opinion, team Yunyue executed a great strategy.]


    -[I agree. I mean, it''s not like the individual battles are not exciting enough. In fact, each one was so exciting that I couldn''t even focus on one battle.]


    -[Right? My eyes were almost rolling around just so I could watch all the battles.]


    [I was so busy watching YUN''s fight, then suddenly the match was over. Can someone enlighten me on what happened? TT__TT]


    -[What happened was Noctis yed Alucard around like a child.]


    -[I don''t think that''s how you should describe it. From their battle, it''s obvious that Noctis only thought of what he did in the middle of their fight. He just got lucky that Alucard fell for his tricks.]


    -[Upstairs, please don''t undermine Noctis'' actions like that. The fact that Alucard fell for what you call a ''trick'' just showed Noctis'' intelligence and acting ability.]


    -[I agree. He took into ount Alucard''s level of intelligence and used that against him to entrap him. If he was just a tad bit stupid, he probably wouldn''t fall for Noctis'' act and maybe wouldn''t be defeated like that.]


    -[So, because he''s smart, he lost?]


    [But the look on Alucard''s face by the end was quite... something. It''s like abination of shock and anger. He looked so dumbfounded that it was almost funny. I never thought that Alucard was capable of showing that kind of expression.]


    -[Haha right? That vampire always acts like some chic noble yboy that seeing him like that was really refreshing.]


    -[It''s fun seeing him being taken down a peg.]


    [Lord Alucard only lost because that elf cheated! How could Lord Alucard be defeated if that elf didn''t y any tricks?]


    -[I know, right? Poor Lord Alucard. He must be so devastated right now.]


    -[That witch, Lilith, will definitely me him for this. I just know it.]


    -[Herees Alucard''s deranged fangirls. Just a bit more and they would be on the same level as Li Xu Min''s fans.]


    -[Ignore them. They''re obviously worse than trolls. So, just let them be with their delusions.]


    [Congrats to team Yunyue!~ With this, it''s almost certain that they would enter the final tournament.]


    [The final tournament round of this year''s Arcadia Cup will definitely be amazing with their addition.]


    [I seriously can''t wait for the final tournament.]


    [Since there''s still a high chance that team Sanguis could qualify for the final tournament, could we have a second match with these two teams?]


    A celebration was being held in the best private room in Yuexing Pavilion. Team Yunyue - the five members, as well as Eclipse, Dusk, and Rowan - with the addition of Yu Jiao, were celebrating the team''s win against team Sanguis.


    "Congrattions everyone, I have no doubt that you will be the winner of this match," Yu Jiao said, raising a ss of tea as if giving everyone a toast.


    "Of course, we would win," Bai Ze said, pushing out his chest, showing just how proud he was at this moment.


    "Have you seen the expression on that damn vampire''s face when Yan stabbed him?" Luo Jin asked. The expression on his small face showed just how happy he was at the demise of Alucard.


    "That was an epic expression," Su Yuqi agreed. "If his face was not so annoying, I would screenshot it and make it my wallpaper."


    "Yuqi should just make it as a meme and post it on Weibo," Luo Jin suggested. "That would be funnier."


    "Good idea," Su Yuqi agreed.


    "A certain fox messed up though," the red dragon, Rowan, said mockingly while ncing sideways at Eclipse.


    "You--! Eclipse didn''t mess up, okay? Eclipse did his job properly. Right, Master?" Eclipse asked Luo Yan.


    Before Luo Yan could answer, Rowan sneered. "Of course, he would say yes. Your master likes to spoil you. There''s no way he would say anything bad about you."


    "Hmp! You''re just jealous of Eclipse because the big lion doesn''t spoil you!"


    "Ha! As if I want to be spoiled by that buffoon!"


    "Hey, don''t include me in your bickering," Bai Ze interjected.


    Rowan was about to argue once more when Dusk suddenly put a dumpling in his mouth to shut him up.


    "Just eat and be silent," the ck dragon said.


    Luo Yan watched this and just chuckled. He really liked moments like this when everyone was just having fun. He picked up his teacup. Just as he was about to sip his tea, a very nice voice whispered to him.


    "Good job today, Yan Yan. You''re the absolute MVP of this match."


    Luo Yan looked up and saw Shen Ji Yun''s handsome face close at hand. He really wanted to lean closer and kiss the other. But this was rather not the ce for that. So, he just opted to holding the other''s hand.


    "It''s because everyone worked hard that I was able to do what I did."

 Chapter 1035: HOW WAS YOUR VALENTINES DAY?

    AS team Yunyue was having a st, celebrating their win, a gloomy atmosphere surrounded the castle walls of team Sanguis. It''s a huge contrast to the festive banquet in the Great Hall.


    The other members prepared the banquet,pletely believing that their team would win the match. But what happened was theplete opposite of what they expected. Their team lost, and didn''t really know what to do.


    The only one currently present in the Grand Hall was Tang Xun. He was gorging himself with food while also sobbing like a five-year-old kid.


    "I shweear, I''ll kish that White Marsh''s ash one day (I swear, I''ll kick that White Marsh''s ass one day)."


    The other members didn''t know what to do. The vice-captain, who usually handled things like this, was nowhere to be seen. Even the captain was a no-show. The other two main members of the team were also absent.


    At the end, they could only watch helplessly as Tang Xun cried and eat at the same time.


    So, where were the other four, exactly?


    Qin Rushi was currently climbing the clock tower. She just saw Zhang Ya and Yin Jian logging off the game. The former said that she was too tired because of her fight with a crazy gnome and just wanted to rest at home. While thetter only had a dark expression and didn''t say much, obviously very upset over his loss to YUN.


    From what little she had seen from some of the posts on the game forum, the fight between the two seemed to be very one-sided. She also lost to Su Yuqi, so he could understand Yin Jian''s frustration.


    But unlike the other, she didn''t have time to wallow in that. As the vice-captain, she had to make sure first that their captain was alright first.


    Since Xu Ru didn''t log out, he must be somewhere in the castle. And there''s only one ce Qin Rushi could guess where. The clock tower. That was Xu Ru''s favorite spot in the castle. The ce he often went to when he wanted to think, or when he wanted to be alone.


    She was just kind of d that the other didn''t log out. Because it meant that his mood was not yet that low that he had to sort to his usual ''activity'' to cheer himself up. And yes, it involved some R18 stuff that''s definitely not for children.


    The fact that he stayed here showed that their team''s loss didn''t hit him as hard as she imagined. But since he went to the clock tower, it meant that it still affected him in some way.


    Soon, Qin Rushi arrived at the top of the clock tower. The first thing she saw was Xu Ru''s back. The other was obviously observing the view below. She walked forward and stood beside Xu Ru.


    She nced at the other''s side face. There was no prominent expression on his face. He was just calmly looking down below. "You alright?"


    "I don''t know," Xu Ru said honestly. "I''m honestly not sure what to feel."


    And that was the truth. At first, he was angry about losing the match in that manner. He didn''t know who he was angrier with, Noctis for setting him up like that, or him for falling for it. Then, after the anger, was the frustration. Who wouldn''t be frustrated after losing like that? Of course, feeling annoyed would naturally follow. This mixture of emotions was so hard to describe that he didn''t know how to answer Qin Rushi''s question properly.


    Qin Rushi raised his brow at that vague answer. Well, at least this guy was not sulking or moping as she thought he would. "Well, if you''re alright, then I''ll just go."


    As she was about to leave, Xu Ru suddenly turned towards her.


    "Princess, won''t you even try tofort me? Everyone on the game forum and Weibo is mocking me, you know?" The other suddenly acted sad, holding his chest as if hurt. "I really need someforting right now."


    Qin Rushi only gave Xu Ru a dry look. "Since you''re already acting like that, I don''t think you need anyforting."


    After that, she didn''t wait for him to say anything more. She simply walked away. As she did, she heard a loudugh from behind, and ament calling her a ''heartless princess''.


    She smiled unknowingly at that, feelingpletely relieved now that she knew that Xu Ru was fine.


    Luo Yan chuckled as he watched Eclipse and Rowan bicker for the nth time. It''s like the two were trying to rece Bai Ze and Su Yuqi as the ''bickering tandem'' on the team. It''s even much funnier because Dusk would be pulled in the middle. The other already had a fed up expression at this point.


    He looked around. Shen Ji Yun and Bai Ze were discussing something, probably rted to the two original members of team Yunyue. He only then noticed that Luo Jin and Su Yuqi had gone off somewhere.


    He wasn''t really that much surprised by that. The two had been going off somewhere, doing things, even before Luo Jin realized his feelings for Su Yuqi. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if Luo Jin did something for Su Yuqi during Valentine''s Day. He was so busy preparing for Shen Ji Yun''s birthday that he didn''t really think much of how the others'' Valentine''s went.


    Speaking of Valentine''s Day... He nced at Yu Jiao sitting beside him. She seemed to be also enjoying Eclipse and Rowan''s ''little show''.


    "Jiao Jiao," he called to the other.


    Yu Jiao turned to him with a curious expression on her face, probably wondering what he''s going to say. "Hmm?"


    "Did you do anything special on Valentine''s Day?" he asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear.


    As soon as he asked that, Yu Jiao seemed lost for a moment, as if she was reminiscing something. Then her entire face turned red like a ripe tomato.

 Chapter 1036: JIAO JIAOS VALENTINE (I)

    YU JIAO didn''t expect Luo Yan to ask such a question, so she waspletely unprepared. No, even if she somehow expected it, she still wouldn''t be able to give a quick answer. After all, what happened that day was a bit... hard to exin.


    Thinking of that, she couldn''t help but remember what happened on that day, February 14th.


    Yu Jiao woke up early to prepare breakfast. Since it''s winter vacation, she told her mother that she could make breakfast for the both of them and that there''s no need for her to wake up early. It''s just that she couldn''t really follow through since her mother still woke up earlier than her.


    Hopefully, today would finally be the day that she could make breakfast for them.


    She stood up and walked to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Then she went out of her room and walked straight to the kitchen. But when she did, she saw her mother already there, just turning on the rice cooker.


    "Mom, didn''t I say yesterday that I will make breakfast today?" Yu Jiao said helplessly.


    Her mother nced at her with a smile. "It''s fine. I love making breakfast for you. But if you really insist, then we can just cook together."


    Yu Jiao shook her head. It seemed like the only way she could cook breakfast for her mother was to help her. And so, she joined her in the kitchen and helped her prepare the ingredients.


    After almost 20 minutes of preparing the dishes, the two of them finally began eating breakfast.


    "By the way, Jiao Jiao, do you have any ns today?" her mother asked while they were eating.


    Yu Jiao was confused why the other suddenly asked this. But she still answered, "No. I just n to log in the game and finish some of the weapons other yers ordered in my shop."


    Her mother gave her a worried look. "You''re on vacation and yet you''re still working this hard. Should mom also look for a job so our Jiao Jiao can at least have a time for herself?"


    Yu Jiao smiled. "Mom, we already talked about this. What I earned in Arcadia is more than enough for the two of us. And this job is not like a real job, it''s more like a fun hobby. Besides, working inside the game doesn''t really make one tired. As long as I log out at the right time, then there''s nothing to really worry about.


    Her mother still had a guilty expression on her face. "But still."


    Yu Jiao stretched out her hand and held her mother''s hand. "It''s really fine, Mom. Truly."


    Finally, she managed to calm her mother. Every once in a while, they would have this conversation. Maybe her mother was feeling bored in the apartment. That''s why she would often talk about finding a job.


    Should she help her mother start a small business?


    That thought stayed in her mind until they finished breakfast.


    After she helped her mother cleaned the dirty dishes, she walked back to her room, nning to put the VR helmet, when her phone suddenly rang. Wondering who it was, she picked it up. She saw the name on the caller ID. It was Luo Ren.


    As soon as she saw the name, she quickly answered the call. "Brother Ren?"


    "Jiao Jiao, are you busy today?"


    She felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu because of the question. Probably because her mother asked her a simr question earlier. "Not really. I just n to spend most of the day in the game."


    There was a pause on the other end, then Luo Ren said, "If you don''t have any other ns, do you want to go out with me somewhere?"


    Now it was Yu Jiao''s turn to take a pause. For some reason, her heartbeat just elerated because of that invitation. "Ahm, s-somewhere? Where exactly?"


    "Oh, it''s not somewhere far, just at the art gallery located on Moganshan Road. A famous artist is having an exhibition. My secretary bought two tickets a few months back when the artist announced that she''s doing an exhibition here at S City. I might not look like it, but I''m a bit of an art enthusiast.


    "He thought that it would be just in time for my birthday, but he actually got the date wrong. The exhibition is actually a little more than two weeks early. Today is thest day of the exhibition. I don''t really want to waste the tickets. And I heard from Yan Yan that you like art, so I thought that maybe I could invite you.


    "What do you think? Would you like to go?"


    There was a lot of information about that exnation. Like, the amount was almost overwhelming. It almost felt like it would overload Yu Jiao''s brain.


    First, Luo Ren was inviting her to an art exhibition. Because he had tickets that he didn''t want to waste. There were a lot of questionable things about that. Like, he could just go there himself or just invite someone else who''s also interested in art. As a second generation rich young master, there''s no way he didn''t know anyone like that. So, why invite her?


    Also, today was a weekday, Friday to be exact. Shouldn''t he be busy with his job? Did he really have time to go to an art exhibition?


    But a single fact overshadowed all those questions. That Luo Ren''s birthday was just a little more than two weeks from now.


    That''s the only thing that kept on circling in her mind.


    "Jiao Jiao?"


    Luo Ren''s call finally pulled Yu Jiao to the question the other had asked. Because her mind was such a mess, she couldn''t really think through of what her answer should be. In fact, before she could even think of an answer, she already found herself saying;


    "Yes, I would love to go."


    "Great!"


    Yu Jiao could hear the joy and excitement in the other''s voice. Suddenly, she felt very d that before she could think of how to answer the other, her mouth had a mind of its own and answered for her.

 Chapter 1037: JIAO JIAOS VALENTINE (II)

    STILL feeling a bit confused, Yu Jiao walked out of her room. Luo Ren said he would arrive here before lunch. She had to tell her mother that she would go to an art gallery with Luo Ren. But because her mind was still so muddled, she just stood in ce and stared nkly into space.


    The thought ''is this alright?'' kept running around her mind. The fact that she and Luo Ren would go somewhere with only the two of them hit her only after the call ended. This was the first time she would go somewhere alone with the other. She couldn''t help but feel nervous.


    Of course, it''s not because she was afraid that Luo Ren would do something bad to her. No, that''s thest thing that would ever cross her mind. It''s just that she couldn''t really exin why she''s nervous. It''s not even the kind of ''scared nervous'', it''s simply his heart beating uncontrobly fast. Like someone expecting something, but also hoping that nothing happened.


    Quite contradicting, right? But that''s exactly how she''s feeling.


    "Jiao Jiao?"


    Her mother''s call once again pulled Yu Jiao back to reality. She turned to where the voice came from and saw her mother just walking out of the kitchen.


    "What''s wrong? You looked like you''ve seen a ghost or something," the other asked, a worried expression appearing on her face.


    "Oh, it''s... ahm, Mom, Brother Ren called, and he asked me if I want to go to an art gallery with him," Yu Jiao said, telling her mother about her phone call with Luo Ren. "And I agreed."


    Her mother blinked. "He asked you to go out today?"


    Yu Jiao nodded. Then a strange expression crossed her mother''s face.


    "Will heeter to get you?"


    "Yes. Before lunch."


    "Hmm... then I guess we have to prepare for this... little outing."


    That confused Yu Jiao. "Prepare?"


    When her mother told her to ''prepare'', Yu Jiao didn''t expect that the other would dress her up and even put light make-up on her. There were even hair extensions which she didn''t know where the other got. Before she could even have time to be surprised, a dress suddenly appeared out of nowhere. What was even more surprising was it fit her like a glove.


    She didn''t know where her mother got these things. She wasn''t even aware that the other knew how to put on make-up. But the end result was... almost like a miracle.


    There, standing in front of the full-length mirror, was a tall young woman wearing a light blue dress. It was a simple dress with no special pattern. Just a silver belt that entuated her slim waist. She was wearing ck leggings and a pair of two-inch heels pumps.


    Her hair, that was now up to her waist, was styled in princess curls. The skin on her face was like smooth white jade. Her eyes even appeared bigger than normal because of whatever her mother lined it with. Even her eyshes looked longer. Her cheeks were pinkish, like there was a permanent blush in them. And her lips were like peaches, pink and plump.


    Yu Jiao almost couldn''t recognize herself.


    Was this really her? Could a little make-up, a dress, and hair extensions change a person''s atmosphere this much?


    "I knew this will suit Jiao Jiao," her mother said on the side, obviously very delighted.


    "D-does it really suit me?"


    Her mother stood beside her and put her arm around her shoulders. "Jiao Jiao, look at the mirror. Can''t you see how pretty you are?"


    Yu Jiao looked at the mirror once again. Although she looked vastly different from her usual self, she couldn''t really tell if this was pretty. For her, the definition of ''pretty'' was someone like Luo Yan.


    Instead of pondering over that, she just decided to change the topic. "But Mom, where did you get this dress? These shoes too. The hair extensions as well."


    "I bought them when I was still married with... Mr. Mo," her mother paused, as if thinking of the past. But she quickly recovered and continued with a bright expression. "I bought a lot of dresses for you, shoes as well. I really wanted you to wear them. But I know they''re not the type of clothes you usually wore, still I couldn''t help but buy them. I''m d that it finally became useful at this time. Oh, the hair extensions, I just bought those recently. I had a feeling that it maye in handy. And it really did. Hohoho!"


    Yu Jiao didn''t know how to respond to that.


    If she asked more about the dress and the shoes, it might remind her mother of Mr. Mo. Although she didn''t have any particr opinion of the man, since the two were already divorced, it''s better not to be reminded of each other.


    While she was thinking of what to say, the doorbell rang.


    "Oh, that must be Xiao Ren," her mother said. "Stay here in your own room for a while, okay Jiao Jiao? I will just talk to Xiao Ren for a bit."


    Feeling a bit confused as to why her mother wanted to talk to Luo Ren, but Yu Jiao still nodded at the end. Her mother walked out of the room and she stayed. When a minute had passed, Yu Jiao started to fidget. To calm down her frayed nerves, she started to walk back and forth.


    When her anxiousness had reached the extreme level, the door to her room opened and her mother came in. When the other saw her bitting her thumb, a helpless smile crossed her lips.


    She walked closed to Yu Jiao and held her hands. "Our Jiao Jiao, don''t be nervous. Isn''t Xiao Ren your friend? Just think of this as an ordinary outing between friends."


    Friends. Right. Luo Ren was her friend. So, was there really a need to be nervous?


    Yu Jiao clenched her fists. "Okay. An outing between friends. Yes."


    But when she walked out of her room and saw Luo Ren, her heart started beating uncontrobly again.

 Chapter 1038: JIAO JIAOS VALENTINE (III)

    LUO REN was wearing a knee-length overcoat, a deep charcoal gray in color, and underneath it, a dark navy blue turtleneck that provided both warmth and elegance. His slim-fitting dark indigo jeans offered a subtle contrast to the topyers, while well-maintained chestnut brown leather chukka bootsbined style and functionality for the winter weather.


    His hair was not in its usual slick-back hairstyle. Instead, it appeared somewhat messy, yet in an intentionally stylish way. It had that effortlessly cool look, as if he hadn''t put too much effort into it, but still managed to look great. The top was a bit longer than the sides and back, giving it a rxed, casual appearance. It seemed like the type of hairstyle that says, "I woke up like this," and it suited him well.


    This overall style made Luo Ren looked much younger. Instead of looking like a young CEO, like he usually did, he now looked like a college freshman.


    It seemed like the gap in their age just disappeared, making them a little closer. This thought somehow made Yu Jiao happy.


    She knew it was a weird thing to be happy about, but that''s exactly how he''s feeling right now. Although the fast beating of her heart right now added a bit ofplicated feelings to it.


    What Yu Jiao didn''t notice was that as she looked away so as not to stare too intently at Luo Ren, the other was actually doing that exact same thing. He was staring brazenly at Yu Jiao, as if he was about to devour her. If not for Yu Jiao''s mother clearing her throat, Luo Ren would have continued staring.


    Yu Jiao nced at her mother, wondering if the other wanted to say something. That''s why she called their attention like that.


    Her mother smiled. "The two of you should go, lest you bete."


    Yu Jiao wondered why they would bete. It''s not like the art gallery they would go to would close at certain times a day. But before she could voice any of that, she heard Luo Ren say;


    "Yes, Aunt Xiuying is right." The other turned to Yu Jiao. "Let''s go, Jiao Jiao?"


    Being looked at by the other, Yu Jiao could only nod.


    "Enjoy your dat- I mean, you day," her mother said as she saw them off.


    Until Yu Jiao got inside Luo Ren''s car, she was still feeling a bit confused.


    "Since it''s lunch soon, should we eat first?" Luo Ren asked as he drove the car.


    Yu Jiao nced at the other sitting in the driver''s seat. There''s really only one answer she could give. "Okay."


    It''s not like she could say ''no''. Doing that would be equivalent to telling Luo Ren that she didn''t mind going hungry. Which she very much mind, by the way. Besides, she didn''t want to appreciate art in an empty stomach.


    She did wonder where they would eat lunch, though.


    She didn''t have to wait long to get an answer to that question.


    Yu Jiao stared at the sign of the restaurant in front. ''Lost Heaven''. It had a traditional and charming exterior, reflecting an air of historic elegance. ssical architectural elementsbined with subtle modern touches created an inviting and timeless ambiance for diners.


    Even though she''s not a great connoisseur when it came to restaurants in this city, she still knew that this one was pretty popr.


    "Let''s go?" Luo Ren asked, standing beside her and offering his elbow. Like a gentleman offering to escort ady.


    Yu Jiao blinked confusedly and her hand just automatically moved, intertwining her arm with his. Before her brain could really digest everything, the two of them had already entered the restaurant. And then her attention was taken by the interior of the building.


    It had a warm and weing atmosphere adorned with understated decor. The spacious dining area featured abination of wooden and wrought iron furnishings, offering afortable andid-back setting. A dimly lit environment set the mood for a rxed dining experience. The centerpiece of the restaurant was a striking bar area adorned with intricate woodwork, adding to the overall charm.


    Since she was busy looking around, she didn''t notice that Luo Ren was already leading her to follow a waiter. As they were walking, she finally had time to focus on the sensation of her arms intertwined with Luo Ren.


    She tried to ignore it earlier, but now, with nothing upying her mind, she felt very hyper aware. Even though there was a barrier of clothes between them, it felt as if they were touching skin to skin.


    The more they walked, the more heated Yu Jiao''s face became. Seriously, she had been in such a weird state since that phone call with Luo Ren. Everything had just been like a storm filled with deadly whirlwind. Despite knowing how dangerous it was, she still decided to stay and face it.


    A weird analogy, yes. The word ''danger'' certainly not fit Luo Ren. It''s not him she was actually pertaining to, but these... feelings brewing inside her.


    Yu Jiao''s thoughts were cut off when they entered a private room.


    "Your meal will be served shortly," the waiter said, before bowing slightly and closing the door to the private room.


    Luo Ren led Yu Jiao to one of the chairs. He disentangled their arms and then pulled the chair for her to sit on.


    "T-thank you," Yu Jiao said as she sat down, still feeling a bit flustered.


    When she thought she could finally have time to calm down, Luo Ren suddenly called his attention.


    "Jiao Jiao, there''s something I need to tell you before my courage falters," he murmured, gently inclining toward her, his gaze locked on hers. "You are an absolute vision." With a tender touch, he swept a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. "Incredibly, undeniably beautiful."


    Yu Jiao only felt her heart jumped to her throat, then it started to beat uncontrobly. It was beating so fast that she almost felt out of breath.


    And her response to such a directpliment was a cute and small hup.

 Chapter 1039: JIAO JIAOS VALENTINE (IV)

    "Y-YOU look beautiful too. I mean, good-looking, no, handsome. You look handsome!" Yu Jiao said in a stuttering manner, like a child who was scrambling on what she should say.


    If she waspared to a cartoon character right now, her face would probably be like a boiled shrimp with eyes going round and round like a spiral. That''s how lost she was right now. Like a driver who couldn''t recognize left from right.


    Luo Ren stood up straight and chuckled. "Thank you."


    Then the other walked towards the opposite seat.


    Soon enough, their dishes were delivered to the private room, and the two of them started eating.


    Amidst Yu Jiao''s racing heartbeat and confused mind, their lunch ended. She couldn''t even remember the taste of the dishes they had eaten, much less how she managed to eat them. It must probably be delicious. This was a popr restaurant, after all. Too bad she was too busy calming her nerves that she didn''t even have time to savor anything.


    Throughout lunch, all she could think of was thepliment Luo Ren gave her. Apliment that the other threw in like a curve ball and hit her squarely at the center of her heart.


    Was this only because she was weak topliments? There were only two people who would constantlypliment her, her mother, and Luo Yan. So that might indeed be the case.


    Of course, there were thosements online who kept onplimenting ''Vulcan'', saying ''he''s'' handsome, and the best cksmith in Arcadia. But those didn''t really count since they didn''t really know who the real her was.


    But even while she was making all these ''excuses'' to exin why she was reacting like this to Luo Ren''spliment, she knew there was probably a different reason. A solid reason why she had been acting like this.


    Sadly enough, shecked the emotional knowledge to give a name to this ''reason''. Maybe if Luo Yan was here, the other could help her reach enlightenment. But the only one here with her was Luo Ren. There''s no way she could ask him about her feelings. So, she could only be confused alone.


    But Yu Jiao understood that she couldn''t continue being like this. If she kept on blushing, stuttering, and floundering about like a fish out of the sea, she wouldn''t be able to enjoy this day. This lunch was a good example of that.


    So, when she and Luo Ren walked out of the restaurant, with steel determination, she told herself that she would pull herself together.


    Luo Ren parked the car in front of Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art. Yu Jiao looked at the art gallery in front.


    It had a contemporary architectural style, characterized by its minimalist and transparent structure that harmoniously blended with the cityscape. The building featured a predominantly ss design, which seamlessly merged with the bustling urban environment, allowing glimpsed of the art within it.


    "By the way, Brother Ren, who''s the artist having an exhibition today?" she asked.


    Because of how nervous she had been, she didn''t even think of asking Luo Ren about this. But after she steeled herself into calming down, she could now think more clearly. Thus, she was now able to ask questions that had to be asked.


    Luo Ren seemed surprise for a moment, as if he didn''t expect that she was finally willing tomunicate like a normal person. This embarrassed Yu Jiao a bit. Sure enough. The other must have noticed how she''d been acting weirdly.


    It''s good that she managed to pull herself together before she embarrassed herself even further. Thest thing she wanted was for Luo Ren to think that wearing a dress made her brain weird.


    "It''s Artist Gao Yuan," Luo Ren responded after a while.


    Yu Jiao almost halted her steps when she heard that. She could not really be considered as an art enthusiast. Her interest aligned more with graphic designs rted to games and such. Even so, she still knew who Gao Yuan was.


    Gao Yuan was known for her paintings that often depicted tender and emotional moments between couples. Her art focuses on human connection, intimacy, and theplex emotions that came with love. She used a dreamy and romantic visual style to convey the depth of feelings and rtionships.


    Yu Jiao did an assignment about her for art ss during her first year of high school. It was then she became interested in the other''s works.


    One of Yu Jiao''s favorite art pieces of Gao Yuan was [Love on a Winter Night].


    It portrayed a couple sharing a moment in the midst of a serene winter night. The scene featured a couple embracing each other, creating a sense of warmth and love in the midst of a cold and tranquil setting. The color palette in this work included cool tones of blue and white to convey the winter atmosphere while emphasizing the warmth of human connection.


    Yu Jiao''s face lit up at the thought that she could see more of Gao Yuan''s work today. And in person, no less. Luo Ren might have noticed that because he asked;


    "Are you a fan?"


    Yu Jiao nodded. "Yes, I like her works."


    "That''s good," Luo Ren said with a smile, as if relieved.


    Luo Ren presented their tickets at the entrance. As they walked inside, Yu Jiao looked around with bright and sparkling eyes. She couldn''t wait to see each and every art piece inside.


    "Shall we go clockwise so we can see everything?" Luo Ren suggested.


    Yu Jiao nodded, very much wanting to see everything. So, they started to walk around.


    Each canvas seemed to breathe with the fragility and beauty of human connection. Whether it''s a couple''s embrace in the serenity of a winter night, a shared moment by tranquil waters, or an intimate nce that transcended words, Gao Yuan''s art gently reminded people of the universality of love.


    The emotions her art stirred were akin to the warmth of a hug, the tenderness of a whispered promise, and the depth of connection that went beyond words.


    Standing at the veryst canvas, Yu Jiao''s heart felt very full and warm.

 Chapter 1040: JIAO JIAOS VALENTINE (V)

    IT took them about three hours to go around the art gallery and view every painting. One might say that they stayed far too long. But if one really thought about it, it''s not really that weird. Most art enthusiasts could probably stay in an art gallery, appreciating the art inside for hours and hours long.


    In their case, it was mostly because of Yu Jiao.


    There were 20 paintings in the art gallery in total and she spent more than 10 minutes in front of each painting, appreciating their beauty. Although she couldn''t really be considered as an expert, she knew enough to know if one was a great painting or not. It''s not just based on whether they''re beautiful or not, it''s how much emotion they could pull from the person appreciating them.


    And Artist Gao Yuan''s paintings did just that. At least, that was the case for Yu Jiao.


    There''s only one thing that''s bothering her. All the paintings had a theme rted to love. She didn''t notice it at first, but when she walked to the 10th painting, the connection finally dawned on her.


    Maybe Artist Gao Yuan was in love, so she made this collection. Artist of her caliber could surely paint 20 paintings rted to love if they had enough inspiration.


    But love, huh?


    She nced around. She was currently sitting in a cozy reading nook inside a cafe. Luo Ren drove them here directly after they left the art gallery.


    It was a pretty little cafe nestled in the city. Its exterior boastedrge windows framed with lush potted nts and vibrant awnings. Once you stepped inside, you would discover a modern and cozy interior where exposed brick walls blended seamlessly with sleek wood paneling.


    The cafe''s design showed a bnce between contemporary and retro, featuring a mix of leather armchairs, modernist coffee tables, and barstools at the counter. The monochromatic color scheme with muted ents of olive green and navy blue created a sophisticated ambiance.


    But surprisingly, despite how cozy and pretty the cafe was, when they arrived, there were no other customers. She was very curious and wanted to ask why was that. But the only person in the cafe was the barista at the counter. Besides that, it seemed like no big deal to Luo Ren. So, she felt like she was the weird one for even thinking that there was something strange about this situation.


    After that, the reading nook pulled her attention. That''s why she no longer dwelled on that. She had just sat down when Luo Ren excused himself, saying he just needed to step out to make a phone call.


    So, she was sitting here alone in the reading nook for a few minutes now. She didn''t mind, though, especially since there were books around. It just so happened that a lot of her favorite books were disyed in the nook.


    She was on the third chapter of the book she just took when a bouquet appeared in front of her.


    It was an enchanting bouquet featuring a cluster of petite, vibrant blue blossoms, each resembling a delicate star. These tiny, vivid flowers were nestled together on slender, graceful stems, forming a captivating formation that brought about a sense of enduring beauty.


    Yu Jiao raised her head and saw Luo Ren holding out the bouquet to her.


    "Ahm, Brother Ren?" she asked, not really sure what to do.


    "It''s for you," Luo Ren said with a smile. "There''s a flower shop just beside this cafe. They''re having a special sale, so I thought of buying you a bouquet."


    Yu Jiao robotically took the bouquet since she couldn''t really just ignore it and let Luo Ren continue to hold it out to her. "T-thank you. They''re very pretty."


    "Right? I thought so as well when I saw it," Luo Ren said as he sat down opposite Yu Jiao.


    She looked at the bouquet. "But what kind of flower is this?"


    "They''re called Forget-Me-Nots."


    Yu Jiao raised her head from the bouquet when she heard that. Then, she stopped because Luo Ren was looking at her in such a tender manner. The nerves that she managed to calm down started to go haywire again.


    When she was panicking inside, wondering how she should react, the barista from the counter walked to their table.


    "Are you ready to order?" the barista asked with a friendly smile.


    "Can you give us today''s special?" Luo Ren said.


    "Alright,ing right up."


    Once the barista left, Yu Jiao had already managed to calm down once again. So, she asked, "Is Brother Ren a regr here?"


    "You can say that," Luo Ren said with a meaningful smile.


    It didn''t take long for the barista to return once again. He brought with him a tray with two sses of appealing sunset-orange drink and a charming cake designed in the shape of a cute dove, with smooth, snowy white fondant feathers, chocte eyes, and a heart-shaped beak.


    Once the drinks and cake were put down, the barista said, "Dear guests, we have an event today. We have hidden an essory on our special chocte dove cakes today. Maybe you''ll get lucky and this will be the winning cake. Then, please do enjoy."


    "Then shall we see if this was indeed the ''winning cake''?" Luo Ren asked.


    Yu Jiao nodded, wondering what kind of essory it was. Not that she was confident the essory would be in their cake.


    Luo Ren started to slice the cake in the middle and just as he parted it, a small ziplock bag appeared. Luo Ren picked it up using a tissue and wiped it out before opening it.


    The other took out a rose-gold ne with an infinity pendant. It was simple and yet elegant at the same time.


    "Oh, I think it could be separated into two."


    As soon as Luo Ren said that, he ''broke'' the pendant in the middle, and just like that, the ne became two nes.


    "This is indeed the winning cake," Luo Ren said to Yu Jiao with a smile. "Now both of us can have a ne each."

 Chapter 1041: ITS VALENTINES DAY, MY DEAR

    "THANK you so much for today, Brother Ren," Yu Jiao said after she got off the car.


    They were now in front of her apartment building. She was holding a bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots in her arms, and her neck felt slightly heavy because of the ne with the half-infinity pendant hanging there.


    Thinking of that, she unconsciously nced at Luo Ren''s neck. A rose-gold ne with a half-infinity pendant could also be seen hanging there. For some reason, Yu Jiao felt her cheeks heating up.


    There was really nothing to be shy or embarrassed about, so she couldn''t understand why she was blushing like this. It''s just that two people wearing the same essories almost felt like they were wearing a couple''s item.


    She bit her tongue to wake her up from her delusion. What was she thinking? A couple''s item, really? If Luo Ren could read her thoughts, the other might think that she''s weird for even thinking that. Or worse, he might just outrightugh at her.


    Thinking of that, she couldn''t help but feel a little down. But she also quickly cheered herself up. Because the happiness she felt today was infinitely bigger than the temporary sadness she just experienced.


    "I had a lot of fun," she added, in a much more cheerful manner.


    Luo Ren also smiled at that. "Then, I''m d. Maybe we can do this again sometime."


    The thought that they could go on an outing like this one again made Yu Jiao unexpectedly happy and excited. "I would love that as well."


    Luo Ren seemed to be surprised by her honest reaction, then an even brighter smiled crossed his lips. "Then I have to make sure it will happen."


    After a few more words of farewell, where the two kept on going back and forth whether Luo Ren should leave first or Yu Jiao should go in first, the former helplessly got into his car and drove away. Yu Jiao watched the car until she could no longer see it, then she walked into the apartment building with light steps.


    She walked out of the elevator and went straight to their apartment building. She used her key and went inside.


    "I''m home," she called.


    She heard footsteps and her mother appeared quickly in front of her, looking all excited. When she saw the flowers Yu Jiao was holding in her arms, her smile became even brighter.


    Her mother walked to her. "Let me put that in a vase."


    Yu Jiao didn''t have time to say anything before her mother took the flowers and put it on an empty vase. She thought it would take her time to get one, but, surprisingly, an empty vase was already prepared. As if she was already expecting that, she would bring home a flower.


    "Did you have fun, Yu Jiao?" her mother asked as she arranged the flower.


    "Yes, I did," Yu Jiao answered as she sat down on a couch.


    "Forget-Me-Nots, hmm, how romantic," her mother said after finishing arranging the flowers and putting the vase on the center of the coffee table. Then she sat down beside her. "So, where did you and Xiao Ren go, aside from the art gallery, of course?"


    "We went to this cute cafe," Yu Jiao said, telling her mother about the cafe and what she and Luo Ren ate, as well as how they won an infinity ne.


    Her mother was silent for a while, before smiling with some unknown meaning. "The boy really is quite romantic."


    Yu Jiao was confused. She didn''t know why her mother was talking as if there was some hidden meaning to her and Luo Ren going to that cafe. Aside from that, it''s probably wrong to refer to Luo Ren as a ''boy''.


    Her confusion must be particrly evident because her mother smiled helplessly and tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ears. "My dear girl, do you know what day is it today?"


    Yu Jiao became even more confused by the sudden change of topic. But she still answered, "Ahm, February 14?"


    Her mother held her hand and patted it. "It''s Valentine''s Day, my dear."


    "Jiao Jiao?"


    Luo Yan''s call brought Yu Jiao back to the present. She picked up the teacup in front of her and took a sip. Although it didn''t really help her to calm down her nerves.


    "Wh-what?"


    "I asked, how was your Valentine''s Day?" Luo Yan repeated his question.


    "Oh right, Valentine''s, yes. It- it was fine," Yu Jiao said, taking another sip of tea.


    At the mention of that, she remembered her mother telling her when she got back from her outing with Luo Ren that it was Valentine''s Day that day. Her mother didn''t really say anything more after that, but Yu Jiao couldn''t help but think more.


    After all, she spent half the day of such an asion with Luo Ren. Usually, such a day would only be spent by couples. And they were, well, not exactly like that. In fact, they were far from it. They were friends, maybe the other even thought of her as a little sister, being Luo Yan''s close friend and all.


    As soon as that thought crossed her mind, a bit of sadness filled her. There was even a hint of unwillingness. And for the life of her, she couldn''t understand why she would even have these feelings.


    "Did you go on a date?"


    Luo Yan''s question unconsciously startled Yu Jiao. She answered almost forcefully, but she managed to stop herself in thest second. So, she was able to say, albeit nervously, "I wen''t out, but I''m certain it''s not a date."


    Luo Yan raised his brow at such a vague answer. Since it''s Valentine''s Day, and knowing his older brother, the other probably asked Yu Jiao out. Based on her reaction, that''s definitely the case. If so, then it''s certainly a date.


    Even if Yu Jiao didn''t realize it herself.


    Should he help his brother a little?


    "Who are you with?" he asked with a sweet smile.


    Seeing that smile, Yu Jiao didn''t have the heart to lie, so she said honestly, "...Brother Ren."

 Chapter 1043 THE GIFT

    <h4>Chapter 1043 THE GIFT</h4>


    HEARING what Shen Ji Yun said, it definitely piqued Luo Yan''s interest. Then, he suddenly thought of something. "But isn''t it a gift for you? Why should I be the one to like it?"


    Shen Ji Yun tapped his nose yfully. "Because if you liked it, then I shall also like it."


    "Oh you. Fine. So, what kind of gift is it?"


    "Uncle and Brother Zhao developed a program that would allow us to transfer the data of our pet in the game to our smartphone. They would be like virtual assistants, something simr to Siri," Shen Ji Yun exined. "It''s still in the beta testing phase. But Uncle decided to let us try it first. As a gift for my birthday. He most likely knew that you would like it. In short, we will be the first beta testers."


    Luo Yan blinked. He couldn''t believe what he just heard. "Are you saying we can bring Eclipse and Dusk to reality?"


    "To some degree, yes."


    Luo Yan''s eyes brightened. He couldn''t contain his excitement and hugged Shen Ji Yun. "This is great! No, it''s amazing!"


    He had been wondering long before if there was a way to actually bring Eclipse back to reality. After all, in the future, the time he would spend in the game would surely diminish.


    He would be a lot busier because of his studies. Even if this would be the second time he would experience university life, it didn''t mean it would be easy. Maybe the lecture part would be, but the assignments and projects would definitely be not. Of course, it''s not in terms of it being hard, he just meant that it would be time consuming.


    It''s not like high school where students were just primarily being prepared to pass the college entrance examination. University was a totally different matter.


    That''s why this was such good news. Uncle Yi Mu and Brother Zhao were truly a pair of genius. When he was just dreaming of doing it, the two had already done it. And he, being Shen Ji Yun''s boyfriend, had be a primary recipient of this wonderful program.


    Seeing Luo Yan practically glowing because of the news, Shen Ji Yun also couldn''t help but smile happily. "Do you really like it that much?"


    "Of course! How could I not? Aren''t you happy that you can interact with Dusk in reality?"


    "Well, my rtionship with Dusk is not nearly as good as your rtionship with Eclipse. So... this doesn''t really make me feel anything in particr," Shen Ji Yun said with a shrug. "Uncle Yi Mu probably thought of giving the program to me because he knew it would make you happy."


    Luo Yan raised his brow. "But it''s your birthday gift. Why does it matter if it could make me happy or not?"


    "Simple. Because you being happy also makes me happy."


    "Aww... you sweet cinnamon roll," Luo Yan said, feeling moved, pinching both Shen Ji Yun''s cheeks. "You really are the best boyfriend in the world."


    Shen Ji Yun hugged Luo Yan''s slim waist and put his head on the nook of the other''s neck. "I could even be a much better husband."


    Luo Yan giggled. "Are you proposing now?"


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t answer and just nibbled on the skin behind Luo Yan''s ear. Mainly because he knew that the other was just teasing him. But in his heart, he made a silent promise that, when the time came to propose to Luo Yan, he would make sure that it would be the most romantic proposal they would ever be.


    -----------


    The next day, after they won against team Sanguis, Luo Yan spent the morning with his grandfather, together with Luo Jin and Bai Ye. They mostly just listened to their grandfather talking about the past as if it had just happened yesterday. But not in the way that one was simply reminiscing. He talked as if the things he was saying indeed had just happened yesterday. It''s amon urrence for people with his kind of... affliction.


    Every time Luo Yan saw his grandfather like this, he couldn''t help but feel sad. He knew that people with this illness couldn''t really live that long after the initial diagnosis. Especially one who was diagnosed at an old age, like his grandfather. Just thinking about it was already depressing.


    But, as usual, Luo Yan cheered himself up. Being gloomy wouldn''t really help his grandfather. It''s better to try to be cheerful while interacting with the other. At least he could help to put a smile on his grandfather''s face.


    After lunch, it was now time for his grandfather''s afternoon nap. He apanied the other to his room until he fell asleep. Then he waited at outside for Shen Ji Yun to arrive.


    The other told himst night that he would be visiting him today. It was for that program Uncle Yi Mu and Brother Zhao developed. Since Shen Ji Yun wasn''t really interested in the program, they decided to let him test it first.


    The program was in the main headquarters of Moonlight Media. So, after Shen Ji Yun arrived here, they would go there directly.


    Luo Yan had already asked his aunt and uncle for permission to go out. And since Shen Ji Yun was the one apanying him, they quickly agreed.


    It didn''t take long for Shen Ji Yun to arrive.


    As soon as the other got off his car and saw him standing in front of the house, he quickly ran towards him.


    "What are you doing, waiting outside here in such a cold weather?" Shen Ji Yun scolded while fixing the scarf on Luo Yan''s neck.


    Luo Yan only smiled. "So we can leave immediately. You know how Ah Jin and Brother Ze are. They might try to go with us if they knew we''re going off somewhere. And I don''t really want any third-wheels around. Besides, both Aunt Xin and Uncle Chen are not here, so there''s no need for you to go inside and greet them."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded, as if he understood. "Good point. Shall we go?"

 Chapter 1042: SEED OF DOUBT

    LUO YAN acted as if that wasn''t a big of a deal. This way, Yu Jiao would be more rxed and much more receptive in telling him all the details of her date with Luo Ren. Because that''s what it was, a date.


    It seemed to have worked since Yu Jiao, after a bit of contemtion, told him of the short version of the events that happened during their date. From that ridiculous excuse he used to invite Yu Jiao to the art gallery, to the also very obvious way of giving that infinity ne to her. Oh, and let''s not forget the Forget-Me-Nots.


    If he could, Luo Yan would have already apuded. His older brother''s strategy to have this date and give Yu Jiao gifts without the other realizing of his true intentions. Of course, something like that could only work on an innocent and unsuspecting soul, like Yu Jiao.


    And now that she was done telling him what happened, it was now Luo Yan''s turn to do a bit of work.


    "Hmm... that''s weird. My brother isn''t really that much interested in art. At least not to the extent that his secretary will buy tickets in advance. Oh well, maybe his taste has changed," he said in an innocent manner, as if he thought nothing of it.


    He secretly nced at Yu Jiao. The other had a confused look on her face, obviously not really understanding what Luo Yan was trying to say.


    Should he be more straightforward?


    Honestly, he didn''t really want this situation to reach a point where he had to directly say to the other that Luo Ren was in love with her. That would defeat the purpose, wouldn''t it? Besides, realizing one''s own feelings was much more fulfilling that having someone spoonfed it to them.


    So, the only thing he could do was to leave clues that wouldn''t be too obvious but would also not be too easily ignored.


    "What were the flowers Brother gave you?" Luo Yan asked, acting like he had forgotten it.


    "I-It''s a bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots," Yu Jiao answered. The confused expression on her face showed that she was still thinking about what he said earlier.


    "Forget-Me-Nots? How romantic."


    Yu Jiao sharply turned to Luo Yan. The other''s words reminded her of what her mother had said before. About how the flowers were romantic. She couldn''t understand it then, and she still couldn''t understand it now.


    But this situation was at least different. She couldn''t ask her mother why she said those words, mainly because she was feeling embarrassed. She didn''t even know why. But right now, she felt like she could ask Luo Yan. Although it''s still quite a bit embarrassing, her curiosity was currently even greater than that.


    So, she asked, "Wh-why is it romantic?"


    Luo Yan smiled secretly when he heard the question. He felt like a cat that had finally caught the mouse. "It''s because of its meaning."


    "Meaning? What does it mean?"


    "It means ''true love''," Luo Yan said. Of course, there were other more well-known meaning for the flower, he just chose the most romantic one. Which he was sure this was also what his brother meant. Then he smiled sweetly. "Isn''t that romantic?"


    Yu Jiao felt like she had been hit by lightning when she heard Luo Yan''s answer. True love? What did that mean? No, she probably should know what it meant. But at this moment, everything was just muddled up. Like her brain was just put into a blender and it now had turned into putty.


    Looking at Yu Jiao''s expression, as if she was having an existential crisis, Luo Yan secretly smiled once again. It seemed that he had seeded.


    And indeed, he did.


    Because at this moment, a seed of doubt had finally been nted in Yu Jiao''s heart. A doubt that maybe there was another meaning behind Luo Ren''s actions on the 14th.


    This seed of doubt once nted would surely grow and grow until it bore fruit.


    "What were you talking about so intensely with Yu Jiao earlier?" Shen Ji Yun asked while ying with Luo Yan''s hand.


    He was sitting behind the other, spooning him into an embrace. They were on his ind; they teleported here after the little celebration in Yuexing Pavilion. Thankfully, Dusk took the kid away before he could throw a tantrum.


    "Oh, I''m giving her some enlightenment, hoping to help my dear older brother," Luo Yan answered, sping their hands together.


    Shen Ji Yun was also made aware, albeit not of his own ord, of Luo Ren''s feelings for Yu Jiao. "Are you ying cupid?"


    "Maybe." Luo Yan rested his head on Shen Ji Yun''s shoulder. "It''s really up to my brother to make Jiao Jiao fall in love with her." He raised his head and kiss the other''s jaw. "Why don''t you give some advice to my brother, Brother Ji Yun? He might learn a thing or two from you. After all, you''re the most romantic Casanova I ever met."


    Shen Ji Yun chuckled. "I''m afraid my Casanova tendency only works on you."


    "Well, I''m certainly d about that. I don''t want you seducing unsuspected people out there."


    That made Shen Ji Yun chuckled once more. "Don''t worry, I am and always will be yours."


    Luo Yan turned around and sat directly on Shen Ji Yun''sp. Then he hugged the other''s neck before kissing him. "Ah, I''ve been dying to do that since earlier."


    Shen Ji Yun also leaned down and kissed Luo Yan. "Me as well."


    Then the two shared a kiss, savoring each other''s lips.


    After getting enough of each other, Shen Ji Yun finally remembered that he had something to say to Luo Yan.


    "Yan Yan, do you remember about the gift Uncle and Brother Zhao gave to me on my birthday?"


    "Hmm... yes, but didn''t Uncle Yi Mu say that he would tell you what it waster that day?" Luo Yan said, remembering that time. "So, what gift did they give you?"


    "It''s something that I believe you will definitely like."

 Chapter 1044: VISITING MOONLIGHT MEDIA

    LUO YAN stared at the building in front of him. The sleek, modern building featured an exterior adorned with dynamic LED disys showcasing vibrant game characters and scenes, capturing the essence of the virtual worlds crafted within. The entrance, marked by ss doors, was framed by minimalistndscaping. The overall design exuded a modern and tech-forward aesthetic, fitting seamlessly into the bustling surroundings.


    Upon entering the building, visitors were weed into a spacious and well-lit lobby. The atmosphere was a blend of professionalism and creative energy, with concept art and industry awards adorning the walls. A reception desk stood at the center, manned by friendly staff ready to assist.


    The lobby served as a gateway to thepany''s innovative realm, with a clear view of the building''syout and directional signage guiding visitors to different departments and floors. The immediate interior space reflected thepany''smitment to the gaming industry, setting the tone for the cutting-edge creativity housed within the building.


    This was not the first time Luo Yan had been here. He had been here in the past for a job interview. Which he passed, by the way. There was not much that had changed since then. But there were also a few changes here and there.


    He wanted to visit this ce at least once before he left S City. He didn''t expect that he woulde here this way.


    "Yan Yan?" Shen Ji Yun called when he saw Luo Yan just standing there, looking around. "What''s wrong?"


    Luo Yan shook his head with a smile. "Nothing. I''m just amaze. This is Moonlight Media, after all. The birth ce of Arcadia."


    The corner of Shen Ji Yun''s lips turned up a little. "If I had known you will be this excited, I would have brought you here sooner."


    "It''s fine. Betterte than never, right?" Luo Yan said, walking beside Shen Ji Yun. "But I would appreciate a building tour, though."


    "Then you shall get one," Shen Ji Yun said, not even thinking twice.


    Luo Yan felt a bit excited when he heard that. When he did a job interview here before, he had only been in the lobby and the room dedicated for the interview. But now, he could have a full tour, courtesy of the owner''s nephew. Which also happened to be his boyfriend.


    Shen Ji Yun led him to the elevator. As they walked, employees kept ncing their way. Most of them greeted Shen Ji Yun in a friendly manner, while looking curiously at Luo Yan.


    He didn''t mind the curious nces. He was just d that the people working in thispany didn''t seem to discriminate against Shen Ji Yun. With his two encounters with Shen Ji Yun''s cousins, it''s natural to have these pessimistic thoughts.


    Although he couldn''t really understand why there''s a need for discrimination. This was not ancient time, after all. When one was ostracized for having a feature different from the rest. But he guessed that still held true for some in today''s standard. Which was truly preposterous, by the way.


    When they entered the elevator, Shen Ji Yun pressed the button for the eight floor. As the elevator moved up, Luo Yan was slightly surprised because the elevator was transparent on the other side. So, when the elevator moved up, he could see the view of the city.


    "How pretty..." he couldn''t help but say as he looked at the view.


    "Not as pretty as you, though," Shen Ji Yun whispered.


    Luo Yan smiled. "Oh, you and your sweet tongue." Then he gave Shen Ji Yun''s cheek a quick peck. "Soon enough, you will melt me with all your sweet talk."


    "I think that''s quite fair since you have already turned me into a puddle," Shen Ji Yun responded.


    Luo Yanughed, thoroughly amused. "When did you learn to give theseebacks?"


    Shen Ji Yun held his hand, brought it up to his lips and kiss it. "I have the best teacher, after all."


    "That you do."


    Then the elevator door opened. Both of them stepped out, with Shen Ji Yun leading and Luo Yan following beside him.


    Shen Ji Yun stopped in front of a door and knocked on it. "Brother Zhao, it''s me, Ji Yun."


    There was silent for a moment before a hoarse voice inside said, "Come in."


    Shen Ji Yun entered the door and Luo Yan couldn''t help but raised his brow when he saw the inside of the office.


    Although there were floor to ceiling windows inside the office, no light could enter inside. It''s most likely a smart window where one could darken the ss. The only light inside came from a number ofputer monitors lined up on the wall like some kind of surveince.


    "Ah, sorry, is it too dark?" said a voice in azy tone. "Xingxing, open the window."


    Before Luo Yan could wonder who this ''Xingxing'' was, the dark covering the floor to ceiling window disappeared. And light entered the office.


    Because of the sudden brightness, Luo Yan had to close his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he finally saw the entirety of the room. There was not really that much inside. Not even a pot of nt. There were only those monitors on the wall. A desk was situated in front of them and behind it sat a man.


    It was Zhao Cheng, the head programmer of Moonlight Media.


    The other still looked like some homeless person who hadn''t taken a bath for a few days. This came as a surprise for Luo Yan. He thought the other would at least dress up appropriately in his workce, but he guessed not.


    Zhao Cheng nced at his two visitors. "You''re here for the program, right? Come on, sit down. It will take quite a while to set up."


    Luo Yan looked around. Where should they sit exactly? As with his observation earlier, there was barely anything in this office.


    "Ah, right. I don''t have a couch," Brother Zhao said as if he had only remembered that fact. "You can sit on the floor. Don''t worry, it''s clean."

 Chapter 1045 MOONLIGHT MEDIA TOUR

    1045 MOONLIGHT MEDIA TOUR


    LUO YAN blinked, unsure if he heard the other correctly. Did he really just ask them to sit on the floor? As he just stood there, Shen Ji Yun was the one who cleared his confusion.


    "Or we can just leave Yan Yan''s phone here ande backter for it," the other said in a slightly helpless tone. "What do you think, Brother Zhao?"


    Zhao Cheng tilted his head before nodding. "Yeah, we can do that."


    Shen Ji Yun then nced at Luo Yan with an apologetic gaze. He seemed to be a bit embarrassed about the whole ''sit on the floor'' thing. Luo Yan didn''t really mind much and just put his phone on Brother Zhao''s desk, unlocking it so the other could put the program in it.


    "Please, don''t read my messages and look at my gallery," he joked.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not interested in what''s inside a kid''s phone," Zhao Cheng said, obviously not getting Luo Yan''s joke.


    Luo Yan could onlyugh awkwardly.


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head and held Luo Yan''s hand. "We''ll go ande backter."


    "Come back after 30 minutes," Zhao Cheng only said.


    After that, Shen Ji Yun gently pulled Luo Yan out of the office.


    He sighed. "I''m sorry about that. Brother Zhao didn''t mean anything bad. He''s just, well, a ''my pace'' kind of guy."


    "It''s alright. I''m not offended or anything," Luo Yan said.


    He was just a bit surprised. Since he didn''t interact much with the other during Shen Ji Yun''s birthday, he wasn''t really familiar with the other''s personality. It''s only now that he had seen it up front.


    If he''s not open-minded enough, he would probably be offended. Thankfully, he was, and he''s also very sensitive to people''s goodwill. So, he knew that the other didn''t have any malice behind his actions. Brother Zhao''s personality must be just like that. That''s why there''s no need to be offended.


    "Should we do that tour now?" Shen Ji Yun suggested.


    "Okay, let''s do that."


    -----


    The tour started on the ground floor. As it was the first thing anyone would see upon entering the building, everyone knew that the ground floor was where the lobby was. Adjacent to it was thepany''s cafeteria. The ground floor served as a social hub, fostering a rxed atmosphere all around.


    On the second floor was where the virtual and augmented realitybs. Luo Yan quickly became excited when it came to view. Thebs were a symphony of cutting-edge technology and creative fervor. Rows of sleekputers lined the room, each station amand center for crafting the next frontier in virtual reality experiences.


    The air hummed with the soft whir of powerful processors and the asional excited murmurs of technicians. In one corner, a group of developers gathered around a monitor, gesturing animatedly as they discussed the intricacies of a virtualndscape. Posters and concept art adorned the walls, providing glimpses into the fantastical worlds being meticulously woven together.


    Continuing the journey to the higher floors, Luo Yan explored the heart of the operation¡ªgame development studios, graphic design departments, and quality assurance teams. Each floor was a dedicated space where the intricate pieces of game development came together. The atmosphere buzzed with creative energy as developers and designers coborated to bring Arcadia to life.


    They concluded the tour on the rooftop. Where, surprisingly, there was a quaint little coffee shop.


    It was situated in one corner of the rooftop. Well, it couldn''t exactly be called just a ''corner'', but more of a 2/3 of the whole rooftop area. And half of that was green grasses with four sets of high tables. Where people who couldn''t sit inside the shop could just stand and put their coffee or other drinks on the table.


    On the edge of the grasses werettice fences that looked like a barrier that separated the shop from the rest of the rooftop area. Starting from there, there''s a cobblestone pathway that would lead to the entrance of the coffee shop.


    The exterior walls of the coffee shop were adorned with creeping vines. A few strategically ced hanging baskets were overflowing with vibrant flowers. It hadrge, antique-style windows. Window boxes filled with herbs and trailing nts entuate the shop''s the vintage charm.


    A vintage-inspired sign, written in delicate script, announced the coffee shop''s name - ''Starry Brew''.


    "Wow. I didn''t expect a coffee shop to be here," Luo Yan said with a bit of admiration.


    "It''s actually a recent addition," Shen Ji Yun said. "It just had been here for three years. And surprisingly, it had been a big hit for the employees."


    "That''s not surprising. Look at this ce, it''s super cute," Luo Yanmented as they walked inside.


    The inside had a collection of mismatched chairs and small tables, each with its own unique character, encouraged customers to find their perfect nook. There was even jazz music ying in the background. Creating a soothing soundtrack to apany the gentle hum of conversation.


    The two of them found a table where they could sit.


    "This ce is probably usually packed with customers, right?" Luo Yan asked as he looked around, seeing that there weren''t that many people inside.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "It''s because people don''t usually take breaks during this time of the day."


    Luo Yan guessed as much. Then he remembered what Shen Ji Yun said about this ce. That the coffee shop was rtively new.


    "Is this coffee shop an idea of Uncle Yi Mu or is there a separate owner and they''re just renting this space?" he asked curiously.


    Shen Ji Yun gave an unexpected answer. "No, this is Brother Zhao''s idea, actually. He also owns the shop."


    Luo Yan raised his brow. "I never take him as someone who would have this kind of idea. Is he a coffee enthusiast?"


    "Not really. I heard from Uncle that Brother Zhao built this ce intending to give it to someone. But something happened in the middle and it didn''t work out in the end. So the management of the ce was just left to thepany."


    Sorry,te update again. ><


    Tyramisu

 Chapter 1046 SURPRISING DISCOVERY

    1046 SURPRISING DISCOVERY


    LUO YAN was a bit intrigued when he heard that. But not enough to inquire about the personal matters of someone who he wasn''t even close to. So, he promptly changed the topic.


    "Should we order? What will you rmend?"


    "There''s a lot of good drinks here, and dessert as well."


    "Why don''t you order for both us?" Luo Yan suggested with a smile. "Surprise me, hmm?"


    That seemed to trigger Shen Ji Yun''s need to impress him as he quickly sat up and walked to the counter. He chuckled seeing that. He looked around the inside of the shop once again. This time, with more scrutiny than when he first walked into the shop.


    That''s when his gazended on a particr spot on the wall. It was a small picture of four people. Despite it being a bit far from where he was sitting, his 20/20 vision could still recognize all the people in the picture.


    Feeling surprised, he found himself walking towards it. Now that he was closer, his initial guess on who the people in the picture were was indeed correct.


    It was a picture of four men. The first two looked like they were in theirte 20s or early 30s. One couldn''t really tell because both looked young for their age. The other two, though, looked much younger.


    The one on the leftmost side was a handsome guy, wearing sses. His arm was draped over the shoulder of a man who was more pretty than handsome. The two were smiling happily in front of the camera.


    Beside them was a tall and lean man with a stylish hairstyle. There was a certain charming and decadent air about him, like someone who was just naturally seductive. He was hugging the arm of the youngest of them. This man had messy short hair and even messier clothes. He appeared like he didn''t want to be there, but the redness of his face as he was looking at the man on his side betrayed his true feelings.


    Strangely enough, despite the difference in age, they looked like a group of very close friends.


    Luo Yan blinked. Although the four people in the picture all looked younger here, he could still recognize them. All of them. From left to right they were Uncle Yi Mu, Uncle Yue, Mr. Yuan, and Brother Zhao.


    It wasn''t really that much of a surprise for him that the four knew each other. Like he already knew that Uncle Yue and Mr. Yuan knew each other. Of course, there''s Uncle Yi Mu and Brother Zhao who''s working in the samepany. But he didn''t expect that thest two would also be connected to Mr. Yuan. Or that all of them would be friends. And pretty close ones at that.


    He suddenly remembered what Shen Ji Yun said about this coffee shop. That it was built by Brother Zhao for someone. Then he thought of Mr. Yuan being the manager and chef of the small restaurant at Guizhu Academy. The name of the pavilion he won during the birthday of the emperor of Arcadia also came to mind.


    Yuexing. Jiang ''Yue'' and Yuang ''Xing''.


    It''s like puzzle pieces inside his head just clicked and everything suddenly made sense.


    "Yan Yan, what are you looking at?" Shen Ji Yun''s voice asked,ing from behind.


    He looked back and saw that the other was holding a tray. One was just a cup of simple ck Americano, and the other seemed to be a matcha frappino. There was also a te of what seemed to be scones.


    "This picture," he answered honestly. "I just saw it earlier and recognized everyone in it."


    Shen Ji Yun also looked at the picture. He was familiar with it since he had been here before and had also seen it. Then thest part of what Luo Yan said suddenly caught his attention.


    "You know Brother Yuan?"


    "Oh, so Brother Ji Yun also knows him?" Luo Yan asked, feeling a bit unexpected. "Wait, before you answer, let''s sit down first."


    Shen Ji Yun agreed and walked to their table. He put the drinks and the te of scones on the table, then put the tray on the free seat before sitting down. Luo Yan also sat down.


    "I know Mr. Yuan because he''s the manager and chef of the restaurant we usually eat at during lunch," Luo Yan started. "It''s a small restaurant located at our school."


    This obviously surprised Shen Ji Yun as evidence of the slight widening of his eyes. "So, that''s where he''d been."


    Luo Yan tilted his head, not understanding what Shen Ji Yun meant. Shen Ji Yun seemed to see that and continued;


    "He''s a close friend of Uncle, Uncle Yue, and Brother Zhao. I often saw him visiting Brother Zhao before, bringing him food. Then, a few years back, he suddenly stoppeding. I asked Uncle and Brother Zhao before, but uncle only shook his head and said it''s not his ce to say, and Brother Zhao only had this dark expression on his face. I had a feeling that they didn''t really want to talk about it, so I no longer asked them about Brother Yuan."


    Luo Yan nodded, arranging the information in his mind. Although he said that he shouldn''t pry into other people''s personal lives, but this situation was really making his curiosity burst.


    "Brother Ji Yun, were Mr. Yuan and Brother Zhao in that kind of romantic rtionship before?" he asked in an almost whisper.


    Shen Ji Yun blinked, then an embarrassed expression appeared on his face. "That- I actually don''t know. I mean, even if they were, I probably wouldn''t have noticed."


    Luo Yan couldn''t help but smile helplessly when he heard that. Yes, that thought wouldn''t probably even cross his innocent cinnamon roll''s mind. Heck, he wouldn''t even be surprised if the other didn''t even know that Uncle Yi Mu and Uncle Yue were actually in that kind of rtionship.


    The only reason this adorable guy now knew how to flirt and expressed his desires was because Luo Yan had ''stained'' him. Yes, this formerly nk sheet of white paper was now slowly being dyed red by Luo Yan.

 Chapter 1047 NEW APP

    1047 NEW APP


    AFTER spending about half an hour in the coffee shop, chatting and finishing up the drinks and scones they ordered, both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun headed back to Brother Zhao''s office.


    Luo Yan didn''t delve deeper into Brother Zhao and Mr. Yuan''s rtionship. What he heard from Shen Ji Yun was enough for him to understand what could have happened between the two.


    If his guess was correct and they really were in a romantic rtionship before, then it''s safe to assume that the coffee shop was supposed to be given to Mr. Yuan. But just like what Shen Ji Yun said, something must have happened in the middle and so that n fell through.


    Considering that Mr. Yuan was now in S City, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the two must have broken up. And that''s why the other was now the manager and chef of a school restaurant from another city instead of the owner of that coffee shop.


    Besides, the name of the shop was already kind of a big clue. ''Starry Brew''. Obviously, from the root word ''star'', which was the English trantion of ''Xing'', the name of Mr. Yuan.


    Thinking back to the name of ''Yuexing Pavilion'', he couldn''t help but think that Uncle Yi Mu and Brother Zhao had a strange kink of naming buildings based on their lovers'' names. No, maybe it''s not just buildings, remembering the ''Xingxing'' that Brother Zhao called earlier, which was obviously some kind of AI system.


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun, walking beside him. He wondered if the other also had that kind of hobby. Shen Ji Yun, seemingly feeling his gaze, turned to him.


    "Is something wrong, Yan Yan?"


    "No, I''m just admiring how handsome my boyfriend is," Luo Yan said with a grin.


    As expected, Shen Ji Yun''s ear tips turned red at the suddenpliment.


    Although he didn''t tell the other what he''s really thinking, it''s not like he''s lying. Because Shen Ji Yun was indeed one handsome guy. He had a feeling that if he told Shen Ji Yun what he''s wondering about, he would spend a future where his cinnamon roll would just name every program he would ever develop after him.


    Yes, it''s sweet and moving, but he would appreciate it more if people would think of Shen Ji Yun first and not him when they saw any programs the other might develop in the future.


    Getting off the elevator to the eight floor, they headed straight to Zhao Cheng''s office.


    After knocking and hearing the other telling them to enter, they walked inside.


    "It''s done. You can check it now," Zhao Cheng said.


    Hearing that, Luo Yan excitedly rushed towards the desk where his phone was. He picked it up and opened it. The first thing he noticed was the newly installed app. Its icon was just a simple A, probably representing ''Arcadia''. Just by that, it could be seen that it''s still in the beta testing phase. The name under it was a simple ''Pet AI''.


    He didn''t really care much about that and just clicked it. After the loading screen disappeared, a chibi version of Elipse''s humanoid form appeared on the screen. The kid was sitting under a cherry blossom tree, which was amon tree found in the kitsunes'' vige.


    Luo Yan unconsciously tap on the boy and the other opened his eyes. He blinked a couple of times as if confused, and then he looked straight at where Luo Yan was, as if he could see him.


    "Wow, Master, Eclipse can see your face floating in front of me," the boy said while standing up. "Why is Master there? No, why is Master''s hair different? Did you cut your hair?"


    Luo Yan''s eyes widened at hearing Eclipse talk. It''s like seeing Eclipse in real life, only he''s inside his phone and not standing in front of him. The excitement he''s feeling almost burst out.


    "Eclipse, can you hear me?"


    "Yes, Eclipse can."


    "Are you in the vige?"


    Eclipse nodded. "Eclipse is visiting Aunt Yuki! But why is Master''s hair like that?"


    Luo Yan felt even more amazed. "I''ll answer your questionster, okay? Master will just check something. I''ll be back."


    The chibi version of Eclipse pouted a bit, but still nodded. "Okay."


    With that response, Luo Yan temporarily close the app. He then turned to Brother Zhao.


    "Is the Eclipse in this app, connected to the Eclipse in Arcadia?" he asked.


    When Eclipse said that he was in the kitsunes'' vige, he couldn''t help but think that this was not just a ''setting''. The other was really there in real-time.


    Zhao Cheng nodded. "Brother Mu and I thought that it''s better to connect the program directly to Arcadia instead of making another version of a yer''s pet based on their current data in the game."


    Luo Yan understood immediately why they chose that. Because if they did thetter, then it''s like making another version of Eclipse instead of it just being Eclipse. Luo Yan naturally didn''t like that. Because there''s only one Eclipse. So, he very much approved of the direction they''re taking this program.


    "With that program, you could not only chat with your pet in reality, you can also assign small tasks to him," Zhao Cheng continued. "Like reminding you of an important date, updating you with the weather, notify you if there''s a message or a call. Those were just some general things it could do. To know more, you have to explore it on your own."


    "Wow. That''s amazing," Luo Yan could only say. Because, really, what else could he say? Words wouldn''t really suffice, just how amazed he was at this moment. "Thank you for making such a wonderful program."


    "No need to thank me. It''s something that has been in the works ever since we thought of adding the pet system to Arcadia," Zhao Cheng said. "Just send me a report every week on how the program had been working, so we could quickly check for bugs and other things."

 Chapter 1048 DONT TEMPT ME

    1048 DON''T TEMPT ME


    LUO YAN excitedly explored the new app on his phone. He didn''t assign any task to Eclipse because it would feel too much like he''s treating the other like some kind of AI system. Instead, he made it so Eclipse couldmunicate with him whenever he wanted.


    When he first tried the app earlier, his guess about how the NPCs inside the game would continue on with their lives, as if they wereplete living entities, was finally proven. While he had long held that belief, it''s gratifying to witness firsthand that it was indeed true.


    For him, NPCs like Eclipse and Dusk were not a bunch of data. To him, they''re real. So, having this kind of app where he could interact with Eclipse in reality was like god send.


    "Can Eclipse really contact Master whenever I wanted?" the chibi version of the kid asked, with his eyes literally shining like stars. "Eclipse always wanted tomunicate with Master whenever Master went away. So, now we can do that, right?"


    "Yes. But there were certain hours in the day when you shouldn''t," he said and then told Eclipse about the usual time he went to sleep and whenever he had ss.


    Chibi Eclipse tilted his head. "Eclipse understands. But where is Master right now?"


    Luo Yan pondered for a bit. It seemed a bit difficult to exin to Eclipse about ''reality'' and ''virtual''. He didn''t want Eclipse to question his own existence. Because for the NPCs in Arcadia, their lives inside the game were something that was very much real. Their lives didn''t stop just because a yer logged out of the game. As long as Arcadia was still in service, the NPCs would continue existing.


    After thinking of a usible answer, he finally said;


    "I''m in another dimension different from Arcadia. In this dimension, everyone is just a normal person. That''s why a lot of people from here traveled to Arcadia to experience such a magical world. I''m also one of them. Captain too. For us, Arcadia is a ce where we can turn the impossible into reality. So, isn''t it amazing that Eclipse is born in such a wonderful world? Unlike us, you don''t have to travel dimensions. You''re already in a world where you can do anything.


    "But since we''re not from your world, we have to go back to our dimension from time to time in order for the will of heaven to not erase us. That''s why the others and I couldn''t stay in Arcadia all the time. But miraculously, great people managed to find a way for us tomunicate even if I''m in my dimension and you''re in Arcadia. Now, we can freelymunicate whenever we wanted, no matter if I''m here in my dimension or not. Isn''t it amazing?"


    Eclipse looked totally confused, as if it was hard for him to digest all the information Luo Yan had said. Was that tooplicated? - Luo Yan thought. Should he make it much simpler? But in what way? What would be a good, simple analogy for that?


    But before he could think of one, Eclipse had already made one for him.


    "Is it like living in separate rooms of a grand mansion? Master is in a room with everyday scenes, and Eclipse is in a room where every fantasyes to life. Thankfully, we found a special phone that lets us chat between rooms, so we''re never too far apart. Is it like that?"


    Luo Yan stopped and then chuckled at the simple yet urate analogy. "Yes. Just like that."


    Eclipse grinned. "Then Eclipse is d there could now be a way for us to talk to each other even when Master is not here in Arcadia. Although Eclipse was really surprised to know that Master and Eclipse don''t belong to the same world. Master should exin everything to Eclipse properly."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be back at Arcadiater. I''ll exin everything to you as clearly as I could."


    Chibi Eclipse raised his pinky. "Promise, okay?"


    Luo Yan also raised his pinky. "Promise."


    The two of them talked a bit more before Luo Yan closed the app.


    "That''s a good exnation you give him," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Luo Yan turned to the driver''s seat. The two of them were currently on the way back to the Bai family mansion. He was about to respond to what Shen Ji Yun had said, but before he could, he suddenly noticed the slight pout on the other''s face.


    If the one here was some stranger and not him, they would definitely not notice the difference between Shen Ji Yun''s current expression and his usual expressionless face. But the one here was him. If he didn''t notice the difference, then he had no right to call himself Shen Ji Yun''s boyfriend.


    He first wondered why the other could be sulking. But he quickly realized what the reason might be.


    When they left Moonlight Media, the first thing he did was to explore the app. Then he had been talking to Eclipse after. In short, he hadn''t given Shen Ji Yun any attention as soon as they got into the car.


    Luo Yan smiled helplessly, thinking how adorable the other was. If Shen Ji Yun was not concentrating on driving, he might just lean over and give the other a long, deep kiss. But they might end up in an ident, so he better control himself.


    "I''m sorry if I was only giving Eclipse my attention since we left Moonlight Media," he first said. "If Brother Ji Yun can take us to somewhere we can be alone, I promise to give you all my undivided attention. You can even do anything to me if you want. And when I say anything, it means ''anything''."


    Although he said that in a teasing manner, if Shen Ji Yun took him up on that offer, he wouldn''t be a tease and go back on his words.


    As expected, Shen Ji Yun''s whole face turned red. With clenched jaw, he said, "Don''t tempt me too much, Yan Yan. I''m already holding back as hard as I could, you know?"


    "What if I don''t want you to hold back?"


    Mini-theater:


    YanYan: What if I don''t want you to hold back?


    JiYun stopping the car and jumping onto YanYan: Let''s get down to business then.


    *kissing noises (and other things) ensue* ( ?§Ù?)(?¦Å? )

 Chapter 1049 GETTING HOT IN THE CAR

    1049 GETTING HOT IN THE CAR


    AFTER Luo Yan said that, hezily leaned back in the passenger''s seat because he knew that Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t really take what he said seriously. He had baited him like that before, but the other didn''t really act on it. Or at least, he didn''t do too much. The extent of what Shen Ji Yun would do was kissing (with a bit of tongue action).


    Sometimes it''s a bit frustrating on his part. But he knew that Shen Ji Yun was simply being a gentleman, probably also thinking that he was too young to do such a thing. It''s fine though. That''s still one of the reason he loved the guy.


    "Really, I can only praise Brother Ji Yun for your out of this world self-control," he said with a sigh, acting like he was feeling regretful.


    After he said that, the car veered to the side of the road and stopped. Luo Yan instinctively looked outside the window, thinking that they had arrived at the Bai mansion since the car had already entered the gatedmunity where the mansion was.


    But to his surprise, the car was parked on the side of an empty plot ofnd. Before he could ask Shen Ji Yun why he stopped here, the passenger''s seat suddenly reclined. He didn''t even have the chance to react to what just happened, because Shen Ji Yun''s handsome face suddenly loomed over him.


    Luo Yan looked up. Shen Ji Yun had a serious expression on his face, with a clenched jaw and furrowed brows. He looked like someone trying to hold back something, but his control was on the verge of snapping.


    "Brother Ji Yun...?"


    "I''m barely holding on to that ''amazing control'', and yet Yan Yan kept on provoking me," Shen Ji Yun said through gritted teeth. "Do you really want me to lose control?"


    Luo Yan blinked. He felt his heart beating faster and faster. Not because he''s nervous, but because he''s excited. This was the first time he saw Shen Ji Yun with such an expression. It''s like he unleashed some kind of animalistic charm. Thinking of the things the other would do to him just sent shivers all over his body.


    So, instead of being worried and apologizing, he raised his arms and hugged Shen Ji Yun''s neck. Then he gave an inviting smile.


    "What if I say ''yes''? Will Brother Ji Yun allow himself to lose control?"


    As if to answer that, Shen Ji Yun crossed the short distance between them, and before he could even blink, the other''s lips were already on top of his. It was warm and soft. They started teasing each other, licking and taking a sip of each other''s lips. Luo Yan felt Shen Ji Yun''s soft tongue trying to breach the opening of his lips, and so he parted it, more than willing, and let the other in.


    As Shen Ji Yun''s tongue explored his mouth, he felt his body being lifted, and then in one swift move, he exchanged position with the other. With a couple of seconds, he found himself suddenly sitting on Shen Ji Yun''sp. The other didn''t even both to stop kissing him as he did all that.


    With their bodies pressed together like this, Luo Yan could feel something hard pressing into the crevice of his butt. The hardness felt like he was sitting on a hard and long baton. Thisparison didn''t scare him, instead, it made him more excited.


    Shen Ji Yun''s tongue was not the only one working hard. His hands were also quite busy. Luo Yan didn''t even notice when his scarf and coat had been removed. Then he felt the hem of his shirt being lifted and his waist being gripped. The feeling of a strong "I guess that''s a no?"


    10:17


    Hearing that, Shen Ji Yun pinched Luo Yan''s cheeks as a revenge. "You cheeky rabbit. pair of hands on his bare skin was electrifying.


    Shen Ji Yun left his lips and started kissing downward - from his chin to his jaw to his neck. Each kiss left a warm trace on his skin, making it tingle.


    "Ah... Brother Ji Yun..."


    The moan that escaped his lips instantly froze Shen Ji Yun. The ''baton'' under him seemed to get even harder. Shen Ji Yun stopped and buried his face in the crook of Luo Yan''s neck.


    "Ha... what shall I do to you?" Shen Ji Yun said with a frustrated sigh.


    "Hmm... how about eating me?" Luo Yan suggested with a teasing voice.


    "Stop teasing," Shen Ji Yun said while softly biting Luo Yan''s neck.


    Luo Yan reached for the waistband of Shen Ji Yun''s pants, then he whispered in the other''s ear, "Should I ''eat'' you then?"


    Shen Ji Yun sharply pulled back to see Luo Yan''s expression. His foxy rabbit had an innocent look on his face as he looked at him. But his smile was far from innocent. It was downright seductive.


    Luo Yan pulled his waistband. "This is a once in a year offer only. So, what do you say? Will you let me do it?"


    Shen Ji Yun instinctively gulped down the saliva that stuck to his throat. He looked at Luo Yan''s lips that he just had kissed earlier. Just imagining that mouth wrapping around his...


    His hand moved and pped his cheek. That forced Shen Ji Yun to wake up. Was he really imagining something like that inside a car? No matter how pent up he was, the car was hardly a good setting to do that kind of thing. He had already done too much. Did he really want to do more than that and eventually crossed the line?


    No. Doing it inside a car was a big no-no. Well, maybe once they had their first time, it would be fine.


    Shen Ji Yun almost pped himself again when his thoughts veered off in that direction the second time.


    "I guess that''s a no?"


    Hearing that, Shen Ji Yun pinched Luo Yan''s cheeks as a revenge. "You cheeky rabbit. You''ll really be the end of me."


    Luo Yan acted like he was worried. "We can''t have that. We still have a lot of pervy stuff we need to do."


    Seeing as how Shen Ji Yun''splexion alternate between blue and red, Luo Yan couldn''t help butugh out loud.

 Chapter 1050 BE A MAN AND JUST DO IT!

    1050 BE A MAN AND JUST DO IT!


    TODAY was team Yunyue''sst fight in the qualifiers. It didn''t arouse much excitement from the public, unlike their fight with team Sanguis. Mostly because their opponent had the least win among all the teams in their block. So, everyone already expected that it''s going to be team Yunyue''s win.


    Of course, this didn''t mean that team Yunyue would just take it easy. They still gave their all in the match. And the result was as everyone predicted. Team Yunyue won. With nine wins under their belt, they now advanced to the top 16.


    The whole team was once again celebrated at Yuexing Pavilion, with Yu Jiao as a special guest. They decided not to talk about the final tournament round and just celebrate their advancement. They spent about two hours there, just drinking, eating, and generally just being happy.


    After their little celebration, everyone separated and went on their own way. Naturally, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun were together. Eclipse would usually want to apany them. But today, he didn''t. The kid just told his master that he''d go back to the vige, dragging Dusk with him. And with Dusk dragged like that, of course, Rowan also had to follow.


    This was not because Eclipse suddenly became independent from Luo Yan, this was because his usual feeling of attachment had considerably lessened. Before, because Luo Yan could only spend a couple of hours a day inside the game, Eclipse always missed him very much. But now, with the pet app on Luo Yan''s phone, the two of them couldmunicate anytime they wanted. With that app in hand, it almost felt like they were always together.


    Luo Yan felt a bit saddened by that. The app had only been installed on his phone for a week and Eclipse was already not that attached to him like how he usually was. What more if a year had passed? He suddenly felt like a parent watching his child grow up in an instant. Was he already having separation anxiety?


    "What''s wrong?" Shen Ji Yun asked, noticing hisplicated expression.


    The two of them were in Shen Ji Yun''s floating ind. Sitting under the eaves of the huge tree, watching the stars in the night sky. Shen Ji Yun had put a bench there where the two of them could sitfortably.


    Luo Yan rested his head on Shen Ji Yun''s shoulder. "Nothing. I just thought that kids really do grow up fast."


    Shen Ji Yun only made a confused expression, obviously not understanding where that suddenly came from. Luo Yan chuckled and exined to him what he just thought.


    "I don''t think that''s it. Knowing Eclipse, he probably was just busy with something. That kid would never be unattached to you," Shen Ji Yun said with conviction. "But if you''re still worried, you can lessen the time you spent talking to him using the app. Instead, you can use that time to video call me. Even if you call me every hour of the day, I won''t get tired of your presence and will forever be attached to you."


    Luo Yan blinked and thenughed out loud. Sometimes, Shen Ji Yun could really say the cheesiest pickup like without even changing his face. And Luo Yan would eat it up every time.


    "Yes, I don''t doubt that."


    He leaned closer to the other, nning to give him a quick peck on the cheeks. But Shen Ji Yun suddenly turned his head, so the pecknded on the other''s lips instead. This startled both of them, but Luo Yan managed to recover quickly.


    He continued in a teasing tone, "Brother Ji Yun, if you want a kiss, just tell me. It''s not like I won''t be willing to give you one."


    Shen Ji Yun''s face turned red, as if he wasn''t just professing how he would be forever attached to Luo Yan earlier. But despite his obvious embarrassed expression, he still managed to say;


    "Then I want a kiss."


    A smile crossed Luo Yan''s lips. "Anything for my prince."


    He leaned over once again and this time, kissed the other''s lips.


    ----------


    Luo Jin nced at the pink-haired girl, firing spells left and right, decimating the trollsing at her. They were in the Forest of Darkness. It''s their favorite area to grind levels. Since there was still time before they exceeded the advised ying time, they decided to go here.


    No, actually, Luo Jin just insisted on tagging along. As he always did. Because if he didn''t, then there''s no other way for them to be alone together. Grinding levels and attacking dungeons had been their favorite activity together. That''s the reason Luo Jin was able to level up so fast.


    Although fighting monsters in the game helped him to lessen his anger issues a lot, having to spend time with Su Yuqi was more important.


    When it was decided that he and Luo Yan would spend winter vacation in B City, he almost jumped up and raised his fist in victory. Because it meant that he could meet Su Yuqi in person.


    He told himself that he would definitely try to ask the other out, to eat or y. Anything would be fine. But winter vacation was alreadying to an end and yet he didn''t even manage to ask the other even once. Heck, he wasn''t even able to do anything noteworthy on Valentine''s Day.


    What''s the point of realizing his own feelings when he couldn''t do anything about it?


    He wasted a whole month dilly-dallying that he wasn''t even able to improve his rtionship with Su Yuqi, not one bit. Every time he tried to ask her out, he would get tongue-tied and wouldn''t be able to say what he really wanted to say. Instead, he would say the exact opposite. He thought of beating himself up numerous times because of that.


    "What''s wrong?" Su Yuqi''s question pulled Luo Jin out of his thoughts.


    Luo Jin looked at the other. This would be hisst chance to ask her out. He should be a man and just do it! But before he could even say anything, he could already feel his tongue getting twisted. So, he just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind as fast as he could.


    "Can you date me?!"

 Chapter 1051 MAKING FEELINGS CLEAR

    1051 MAKING FEELINGS CLEAR


    IT took a few seconds, and seeing Su Yuqi''s nk expression, before Luo Jin realized what he just said. He could feel all the blood on his body rushed to his face. He must be blushing profusely right now. If this was reality, his face must look even more terrible.


    Should he log out now and avoid further embarrassment? He was truly on the verge of doing just that. But his brain prevented him from doing that. So, he only ended up frozen in ce. It didn''t help that he suddenly heard Su Yuqi''s melodiousughter. At that moment, he truly wanted to be swallowed by the ground he''s standing on.


    He stood there, frozen in ce,pletely oblivious to the approaching threat of a group of trolls from behind. When he noticed it, it was already toote to make a counter-attack. He thought he would surely be killed. Maybe that would be good, too. At least he would be saved from this embarrassment of the century.


    But before those trolls could even touch him, a ring of fire surrounded them, quickly turning them to light particles.


    "Why are you just standing there?" Su Yuqi said, floating andnding right in front of Luo Jin. "Is it because I didn''t answer you immediately?"


    At this point, Luo Jin should just take back what he said earlier to fix this embarrassing situation. Then he could log out with a clear conscience. But as usual, his tongue didn''t cooperate with him.


    "It''s because youughed," he found himself saying instead.


    Su Yuqiughed once again when she heard that. Which made Luo Jin''s small face turned red once again. She shook her head helplessly when she saw that.


    "Ah Jin, I assure you it''s not because I''m mocking you or anything," she said, before she reached out and pinched the other''s cheek. "I just find you adorable, that''s all."


    For some reason, that didn''t really appease Luo Jin. Because it meant that Su Yuqi didn''t take what he said seriously. She''s probably just treating it as a child''s prank. He felt like something heavy inside his heart just wanted to w out and shout. A part of him just wanted to rebel. That part of him just grew bigger and bigger until he felt like he would explode if he didn''t say anything.


    As usual, his instinct moved faster than his brain.


    He captured Su Yuqi''s hand that was pinching his cheek. Then he looked straight at the other. "I was not joking, you know? Perhaps my words didn''te out perfectly, and it might havee across as amusing to you, but I genuinely meant to ask you out."


    Su Yuqi''s yful expression turned serious. "Are you asking me out on one date or are you asking me out in hopes of having a rtionship with me?"


    Luo Jin wasn''t able to give a quick response.


    Seeing that, Su Yuqi felt a bit disappointed. But that''s already something within her expectation, so she wasn''t really surprised. She was about to take back her hand that was still grasped by the other, but before she could, Luo Jin gripped it tighter, even pulling her closer. Making their bodies almost touched each other.


    "And if I said I want to have a rtionship with you, what will you do?"


    Now it was Su Yuqi''s turn to be speechless. Then, after a while, she smiled yfully and put her face close to the other.


    "Then does that mean your answer depends on whether I want to have a rtionship with you or not?" She took back her hand and pinched Luo Jin''s chin. "Don''t you think that''s too arrogant?" She then floated back a few steps. "Or maybe it''s the opposite. You justck confidence to directly ask me what you want."


    She seemed to have hit a nerve because Luo Jin''s expression suddenly became fierce. But she knew that''s not because he''s angry at her. Knowing him, he''s probably just very frustrated right now.


    As the one older, should she give him a way out? To make it seem like he wasn''t being cornered. She was about to do that, but Luo Jin beat her to it.


    "I want to be with you. Not just for one date, but for many. And even if it''s not a date, I still want to be with you. Even if we do nothing and just spend the dayzing about, I would still enjoy such a day, as long as it''s with you. I think I couldn''t make my feelings any clearer than that."


    Those dark eyes staring intently at her while saying those words made Su Yuqi''s heart skipped a beat. Being stared at like that, as if she was the other''s whole world, could easily arouse such a response. But she knew it was more than that.


    Still, the fact that Luo Jin ''confessed'' his feelings in such a round-about way was very much like him. As the older one, she should probably just leave it at that and don''t push the other any more than this. But the fact that Luo Jin couldn''t just directly tell her that he liked her irked her a bit.


    Well, she wasn''t really in a position to demand more. Especially since she still wasn''t sure about whatever feelings she had for the other. She didn''t even know if she just liked him as a person or if the feelings she had could be considered as romantic. So, really, demanding Luo Jin to directly tell her his feelings in such circumstance would be unfair.


    Truly, what an unreasonable woman she was. She wondered why this guy even liked her. Like, if she was a guy, she would rather look for someone like Luo Yan than look for someone like her.


    Su Yuqi sighed. Since it hade to this, it''s better to step back and just say something that would satisfy the both of them.


    "When will you go back to S City?"


    Luo Jin seemed taken aback by the sudden change in topic, but he still automatically 09:25


    answered, "On Saturday."


    "Then let''s go on that date the day after tomorrow."

 Chapter 1052 AH JINS REQUEST

    1052 AH JIN''S REQUEST


    MOST schools'' winter vacation wasing to an end. It was the same for Guizhu Academy, where Luo Yan and Luo Jin attended. It would be back to school for the two next week. Which meant they also had to go back to S City. Their scheduled flight was on Saturday, two days from now.


    That''s why Luo Yan made ns with Shen Ji Yun today. They would go on a date and just have fun for the whole day.


    Something interesting actually happenedst night when he was about to ask for permission to go out today.


    =====


    "Yan, can we talk for a minute?" Luo Jin suddenly asked in a very secretive manner.


    Luo Yan turned to his brother, his expression full of curiosity. They had just finished eating dinner, and he was nning to go to the study to talk to his uncle. He and Shen Ji Yun had made ns to go out tomorrow, so he had to ask for permission to go out.


    He and Luo Jin only had two days left here. Of course, going out on theirst day instead of spending that time with family was definitely out of the question. So, the only day he could have a date with Shen Ji Yun was tomorrow.


    Anyway, to know what his brother wanted to talk about, he just nodded and led the other to his room so they could talk.


    "What do you want to talk about, Ah Jin?" he asked.


    "Well... you see... I..." Luo Jin stammered, looking left and right as if he didn''t know how he should say what he wanted to say.


    Seeing Luo Jin hesitate like that, Luo Yan just became more curious. So, he decided to help the other rx. With a solemn expression, he put his hand on his brother''s shoulder and said seriously;


    "Ah Jin, if you havemitted a crime, tell me. This brother will definitely help you."


    As he had expected, the moment he said that, Luo Jin''s tense muscles rxed. His face turned red in anger and shouted in a very Luo Jin-like way, "Who wouldmit a crime?"


    Luo Yan shrugged. "How would I know? You''re acting so strangely, like a person who did something wrong. It''s natural for me to think that way."


    "The first thing that came to your mind is memitting a crime. How is that natural?" Luo Jin said through gritted teeth.


    "Well, if it''s not that, then you just have to tell me what it is you wanted to say," Luo Yan responded with a smile.


    Luo Jin became silent, then after a few seconds, he let out a long sigh. He then closed his eyes tightly, as if contemting whether what to say. After a while, the expression on his face turned to resoluteness. It seemed that he had already decided.


    "You''re going on a date with that guy tomorrow, right?"


    Luo Yan raised his brow at the sudden question. He observed his brother''s expression. Luo Jin didn''t seem like he was about to protest that he should not go out with Shen Ji Yun tomorrow. The way the other said it was like wanting to confirm if he would leave tomorrow, and what he would say next would depend on his answer.


    "Yes, that''s the n," Luo Yan said honestly.


    "Then, can you also include me? Just tell aunt and uncle that the two of us will meet Shen Ji Yun or something."


    Before Luo Yan could react to that suggestion, Luo Jin continued;


    "Don''t worry, I won''t be a big light bulb on your date. Just let me leave together with you guys and drop me off somewhere after."


    Hearing that, Luo Yan slowly understood why Luo Jin was acting like this. A teasing smile crossed his lips. "Are you going on a date with Sister Yuqi?"


    Luo Jin''s whole face turned red. It differed from the red face he had earlier, which was caused by a sudden burst of anger. This time, it was definitely something akin to shyness.


    "Aww... when did our Ah Jin grow up?" he said, acting like he was shedding tears. "Now he also knows how to ask a girl on a date."


    Luo Jin''s face became even redder. "S-so, what is it? W-will you let me leave with you tomorrow?"


    Luo Yan grinned. "If it''s for my dear brother''s love life, of course, I will help you."


    =====


    And that''s how Luo Jin ended up in the backseat of the car with Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun.


    Luo Yan nced at his brother through the rearview mirror.


    He was wearing a sturdy leather jacket over a ck turtleneck. The dark jeans and bootspleted the look. With a casually draped scarf and tousled hair, his style was effortlessly confident, emanating a subdued allure. Even the small ruby earring on his left ear added a touch of unconventional charm.


    It was obvious that Luo Jin made an effort to dress up for today. Luo Yan couldn''t help but smile a bit seeing that. Because of the other''s tall frame and mature features, many assumed that he was older than his age. Especially when they saw him for the first time.


    But looking at him now, with that nervous expression on his face, it was pretty obvious that he was only a teenager. Right now, he just looked like a boy fretting over his first date.


    Luo Yan honestly wanted to help the other, like give him some love advice or something. But he''s worried that would only have an opposite effect. It''s probably better to just let Luo Jin navigate this one on his own. It would be a good experience for him. No matter what the oue of this date was.


    "You can just drop me off over there," Luo Jin said, pointing at a nearby parking lot.


    "Are you sure? We can drop you off at your meeting ce," Luo Yan said.


    "No, it''s fine. Just drop me off there," Luo Jin insisted.


    Shen Ji Yun drove to the parking lot and parked the car.


    Before Luo Jin could get off, Luo Yan quickly said, "Fighting, Ah Jin! Go and capture Sister Yuqi''s heart."


    Luo Jin blushed before getting off of the car as if he couldn''t wait to get away from there.


    Sorry for the superte update! (???¦ä???)

 Chapter 1053 FEELING ALREADY RESIGNED

    1053 FEELING ALREADY RESIGNED


    LUO YAN watched Luo Jin''s back as the other ran, and he couldn''t help but chuckle. Really, how cute.


    "Do you like it that much, Luo Jin and Su Yuqi being together?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Luo Yan turned towards the driver''s seat. "I don''t really have to like it. As long as Ah Jin is happy, then that''s enough for me. Although I must admit, if Sister Yuqi was some femme fatale who goes around leading boys around and breaking their hearts, I would definitely do something to not let things reach this point."


    "Well, Su Yuqi is certainly not that," Shen Ji Yun nodded. "For what it''s worth, Su Yuqi had never been in a rtionship. So, her going around breaking people''s hearts is highly unlikely."


    Well, Luo Yan didn''t really care if Su Yuqi had a boyfriend before, and he was sure Luo Jin wouldn''t either. The only thing that mattered was whether Su Yuqi was a good person or not. And after observing her for months, it was easy to see that she was a good person. Maybe she was a bit grouchy sometimes, but she''s also very cool and thoughtful when she needed to.


    There were probably a lot more things Luo Jin liked about her. Which was no longer Luo Yan''s business. The only thing needed to be considered here was Luo Jin''s happiness.


    Besides, the other was not a child who didn''t know anything. He was old enough to fall in love. Who knew if what his feeling right now wouldst or if it was only momentary? But he had the right to explore those feelings. And Luo Yan wouldn''t get in the way with that.


    He looked back out of the car window. [Good luck on your date, Ah Jin.]


    Then he turned to Shen Ji Yun. "So, where should we go on a date?"


    ----------


    Luo Jin fixed his hair a bit while tapping his foot on the ground. He was standing in front of a department store, waiting for Su Yuqi to arrive. They chose this ce since it''s the closest point between the Bai mansion and Su Yuqi''s home. It was also in the city center, so it would be faster to go to various ces.


    He had made ns, searching for good date spots, after Su Yuqi agreed to go on a date with him. He spent the whole day yesterday just doing research. Looking at articles online like, [Tips For a Sessful First Date] or [From Awkward to Awesome: Mastering Your First Date Sess]. Not only that, he also searched all the good date spots in B City. He did not stop until he made a satisfactory itinerary.


    He, who didn''t care one bit about fashion, carefully selected the clothes he would be wearing today. He even used pomade to style his hair. Not only that, he secretly took a face mask from his aunt to put on before he slept so his skin would not appear dull and puffy.


    That''s just how important this day was for him. He needed this date to be sessful. It might take a while before he could meet Su Yuqi again in person. He should do his best to impress her. To show her that he''s not just a kid. That he wasn''t just ying around. That this was very serious for him.


    But no matter how much determination he had, his nervousness was still through the roof. If he was a smoker, he would have already taken out a cigarette just so he could calm down. He took a deep breath once again, trying to slow down his heartbeat. But no matter what he did, it''s still running in overdrive.


    After a few minutes more of waiting, Luo Jin saw a familiar figure on a motorbikeing in his direction. The rider probably also quickly noticed him because the bike stopped just in front of him.


    The young woman smoothly dismounted from a red Ducati bike she''s riding, revealing a cascade of dark-red hair as she removed her helmet. Her hair fell down in effortless waves, framing her face with a touch of wild elegance.


    Dressed in a sleek ck leather jacket, she exuded a confident yet understated style. Beneath the jacket, she sported a snug ck sweater paired with dark denim jeans and sturdy ck boots,pleting her effortlessly cool look.


    Su Yuqi turned to him. "You''re quite punctual. That''s good."


    That one nce made Luo Jin''s heart that was already beating harder than normal elerate even more. He gulped, unable to take his eyes off of her. How could someone be so beautiful and cool at the same time?


    "How long are you going to stare at me like that?" Su Yuqi asked in an amused tone after Luo Jin didn''t immediately respond to her greeting and just kept staring at her.


    Luo Jin''s face quickly turned red as he heard that. His initial response would be to look away and immediately deny that. But reacting like that would only further prove how much of a kid he was. And wasn''t the purpose of this date to change Su Yuqi''s opinion of him? So, he had to get it together and be mature for once.


    With his burning determination, he said;


    "Sorry. You''re just too beautiful. I couldn''t help myself."


    If he''s not blushing red like a cooked shrimp, that line delivery could make anyone feel cringe. But with him blushing like that, instead ofing off as flirtatious, he just exuded a certain kind of innocence. Which, frankly speaking, Su Yuqi liked more.


    She chuckled. "Why, thank you."


    Luo Jin pouted, feeling a bit disappointed that she didn''t react much to what he said.


    "Shall we go?"


    Luo Jin quickly cheered himself up. "Can I drive?"


    "Do you have a license?" When Luo Jin didn''t answer, Su Yuqi smiled helplessly. Then she took out an extra helmet and threw it at him, which Luo Jin easily caught. "Hop on."


    Luo Jin looked at the helmet in his hands, already feeling resigned. He sighed before putting it on and climbing behind Su Yuqi.

 Chapter 1054 FIRST DESTINATION

    1054 FIRST DESTINATION


    "HEY, Ah Jin, I told you to hold on to me tighter."


    Luo Jin, who was barely gripping the side of Su Yuqi''s leather jacket, refused to do as he was told. This was already the extent of what his heart could take. The two of them were already so close, sitting on one motorcycle like this. If he hugged Su Yuqi, his heart might truly explode because of too much stimtion.


    As he was trying his best not to attach his body to Su Yuqi''s back, the motorcycle suddenly elerated and then slowed down just as suddenly. Because of the inertia, Luo Jin''s body swayed forward, and he subconsciously hugged Su Yuqi''s waist.


    He was so startled that he automatically wanted to let go, but Su Yuqi''s voice stopped him.


    "Don''t let go, or you might end up rolling on the road without you even noticing."


    That warning created a very real imagery in Luo Jin''s mind that he subconsciously hugged Su Yuqi''s waist tighter.


    This earned a soft chuckle from Su Yuqi. "You should have done that from the beginning."


    Luo Jin subconsciously wanted to let go, but he felt like his pride would be wounded if he did. Like he was just proving that he was still immature. But if he didn''t, and they continued to stay in this position until they reached their first destination, he felt like something really, really embarrassing would soon happen.


    Even enveloped in their snug, thick jackets, the warmth radiating from Su Yuqi''s body seemed to permeate through to him, creating an illusion of skin-to-skin contact. The realization made his already heated face feel as though it were now on the verge of boiling.


    What Su Yuqi said next didn''t help at all.


    "You should just take this opportunity to hug me as much as you want. Who knows when you will have another chance to do this?"


    Luo Jin pouted when he heard that, and then just muttered before he could think properly. "There will definitely be next time."


    Su Yuqiughed out loud at that. "Then I''ll be looking forward to it."


    They were just on their way to their first destination, and yet Luo Jin could already feel the sweet suffering he would feel throughout the day.


    -----


    As they approached their destination on their motorcycle, the crisp winter air became more apparent, carrying with it the scent of pine trees. The road led them through picturesquendscapes, with asional glimpses of snow-covered fields and distant mountains.


    The entrance weed them with the sight of snow-covered slopes and the sound ofughter from the other people visiting the ce. Upon entering, they were greeted by the cozy charm of alpine-style architecture. Wooden lodges and chalets dotted thendscape, offering a warm and inviting ambiance.


    This was the first destination in the itinerary that Luo Jin made - Nanshan Ski Vige.


    Nanshan Ski Vige, situated approximately 80 kilometers north of the city, was a popr winter sports destination known for its diverse ski slopes catering to all skill levels.


    When Luo Jin was researching for this date, he looked for ces and activities that both he and Su Yuqi would enjoy. He read in one article that it''s important for the two people on a date to enjoy themselves. Not just one of them, but both.


    Since it''s still winter, there''s really nothing much to do in terms of outdoor activities. So, he simply chose to ski.


    Both he and Su Yuqi were the type to enjoy physical activities more. Which was probably a bit ironic, considering that she was an art major, and most art majors were, well, more of an indoor type. But nothing about Su Yuqi was ever typical. Which was one of the reasons why he had fallen for her.


    "Skiing, huh? Great idea," Su Yuqi said after she parked the motorcycle.


    Luo Jin secretly let out a sigh of relief when he heard that. Thankfully, she liked this ce as well.


    The two of them walked and started looking for a ce they could rent gears.


    "What''s your skiing level, by the way?" Su Yuqi asked.


    "It''s advanced."


    "What a coincidence, me too." Su Yuqi then looked around and then pointed at the visibly high slopes, which were obviously for advanced skiers. She turned to him and grinned. "Should we try that?"


    -----


    Su Yuqi navigated the snow-covered slope with precision, her skis seamlessly carving through the challenging terrain. Laughter echoed in the crisp air, a testament to the sheer joy she found in maneuvering the demanding slope.


    When was thest time she had gone skiing? It''s probably years. It''s not that she didn''t have the time. Even with her busy university life, she still had time to y Arcadia. Showing that it an issue of not having time. It''s simply because she didn''t have apanion to go with.


    She might seem very independent, but just like others, it''s still much enjoyable for her to do this kind of activity with someone. But there was no one she could ask to go with her.


    Her family members were either too old or too young. Shen Ji Yun would probably agree if she asked, but very reluctantly. She''d rather eat cucumber, something she really disliked, than asked Bai Ze. And her friends from university weren''t exactly the type to enjoy these things.


    That''s why she was very d that Luo Jin chose this ce as a date destination. For that, she would give him a plus point.


    Because she was deep in thought like that, she didn''t notice a small hump of snow in front of her. One of her skis tripped over that and then she found her body tilting forward. If she couldn''t regain her bnce immediately, she would definitely stumble down the slope.


    "Yuqi!"


    A few seconds after she heard that shout, she felt her wrist being gripped, and then she was pulled from behind. That stopped her from stumbling down the slope, but instead she fell on something hard. Which sheter realized was a body.


    "Are you alright, Yuqi?" Luo Jin asked, his voice filled with worry.

 Chapter 1055 PRICKLY BUT FULL OF FLUFF

    1055 PRICKLY BUT FULL OF FLUFF


    SU YUQI raised her head and the first thing she saw was Luo Jin''s face full of worry while gazing down at her. There were two things she noticed at this moment. One, that Luo Jin actually called her by her name, not her full name, for the first time. And two, he''s really so damn handsome. Wasn''t it illegal for someone who''s only 17-years-old to look this manly?


    "Why aren''t you responding? Did you hit your head? Should we go to the hospital?"


    When she heard his continuous question, she just then remembered that she almost stumbled down the slope and the reason she didn''t was because Luo Jin pulled her back in time. But because of too much force, the two of them ended up falling backwards. With her falling on top of the other.


    In such a situation, any normal person would quickly spring up to their feet. But sadly, when it came to certain situations, one could say that Su Yuqi was far from ''normal''.


    Instead of getting up, she found a much morefortable position and leaned her head back. As if she was on her bed, rather than on top of Luo Jin''s body.


    "I''m fine. You pulled me back just in time. Nice save, by the way," Su Yuqi said in her usual nonmittal way, as if what almost happened earlier was not a big deal at all.


    This seemed to annoy Luo Jin. "You almost got into a major ident! It''s alright to have fun, but it''s also important to be careful. My heart almost fell out of my body when I saw you about to roll down."


    Su Yuqi raised a brow. She didn''t mind the nagging, surprisingly. She actually found it a bit... cute? Maybe because she knew the other wasing from a good ce and he''s not just saying these things for the sake of it. He was truly worried for her.


    But they couldn''t just dwell on this little ident. They were here to have fun. Shen couldn''t let this slip up be the cause for Luo Jin to act like she''s walking on ss. Since she was the one responsible for such a situation, she should also be the one to diffuse it.


    And she knew just the right way to do it.


    She leaned in closer to the other. "Looking at you like this, you really are a very handsome young man."


    After she said that, she saw in real time how Luo Jin''s whole face slowly turned red. It was... very interesting. She suddenly had an urge to tease the other continuously just to see this kind of reaction repeatedly. But she held herself back. Because there''s a chance that this guy would just run away if she did.


    When Luo Jin heard Su Yuqi''sment, his worry quickly subsided, and embarrassment reced it. It was only then that he realized that the two of them were in a verypromising position.


    Su Yuqi was on top of him. Even though both of them were wearing thick jackets, he could still somehow feel a soft pair of ''something'' pressing into his abdomen. He immediately knew what those were.


    Despite him literally lying on a bed of snow, he felt like his whole body was burning. cing his hands on Su Yuqi''s shoulders, he gently pushed her away as he rose to a sitting position. After that, he backed away and quickly stood up.


    Even at a distance from Su Yuqi, he could still sense his heart pounding as if it might leap out of his chest.


    Then he turned around and acted like everything was fine. He offered his hand to Su Yuqi. "L-let''s go and ski on the intermediate slope instead."


    Luo Jin''s set of actions initially startled Su Yuqi. She didn''t even feel any difort when the other stood up abruptly. As if he''s some kind of ninja or something.


    She stared at Luo Jin''s hand in front of her. Despite the other feeling embarrassed, he still prioritized taking care of her. Not even forgetting to help her get up. She smiled inwardly. Really, this kid, no, Luo Jin, might look prickly on the outside, but deep inside, he''s truly full of fluff.


    She reached out her hand and let the other pull her up.


    -----


    They spent most of the morning at Nanshan Ski Vige. They did not only ski but also tried the other activities the ce offered. From snowboarding to snowmobiling, and even to snow tubing.


    Thatst one was particrly fun, and also nerve-wracking at the same time. Mostly because Su Yuqi suggested that they should do it together. So, they had to go inside an intable tube as they went down the slope. It''s like a slide, except that it''s a tube.


    With Su Yuqi sitting in front of Luo Jin, it took everything in him not to identally hug the other. While some might argue that this moment presented an opportune chance to hold the girl he liked without worrying about the consequence, he still couldn''t do it. Because, just like the case of riding the motorcycle, his desire was for a hug that went beyond the present situation¡ªan embrace that held genuine permission, rather than one seized in a fleeting moment.


    Yes, he''s sentimental like that. But that''s just the way he was.


    Anyway, it''s not like he wouldn''t get to have that opportunity. As long as he could make Su Yuqi fall for him, then he could hug her for as long and many as possible.


    After leaving Nanshan Ski Vige, they went to a nearby restaurant that served local dishes for lunch. Both of them were quite hungry and tired from all the physical activities they did the whole morning, so they ate a lot. Good thing that the restaurant''s food was very delicious.


    They rested for a bit before they headed to their next destination - the Longqing Ice Gorge Lantern Festival.


    \


    What Luo Jin didn''t know was that another couple was also heading in that direction.

 Chapter 1056 I AM...

    1056 I AM...


    THE Longqing Gorge Ice Lantern Festival was an annual winter celebration set against the stunning backdrop of Longqing Gorge, near B City. This festival transformed the gorge into a mesmerizing world of ice and lights. Visitors witnessed the entire area adorned with creatively crafted ice sculptures, forming an enchanting spectacle that captivated the senses.


    The festival provided a unique experience, with various ice carvings showcasing both traditional and modern themes, creating a magical atmosphere for attendees to explore and enjoy.


    As the sun set, the festival came alive with the illumination of the ice sculptures, casting a radiant glow across the gorge. The y of lights and shadows added to the festival''s attraction, turning it into a picturesque and captivating winter wondend.


    Luo Jin had never been to the ce, but based on the reviews he found online, it was a great spot for couples to go to. Since they had already exerted themselves during the morning with all the skiing and snowboarding, it''s just right to take it slow and looked at ice sculptures. As an art major, Su Yuqi would definitely appreciate it too.


    They arrived at the Longqing Gorge Ice Lantern Festival just half an hour before three. If they weren''t riding a motorcycle, it would have probably taken them a lot longer to go there because of the traffic.


    After parking, they quickly went to line up. Luo Jin actually tried to get VIP tickets, so they wouldn''t have to line up like this, but unfortunately, they''re only offering it during the weekends. Good thing the line wasn''t too long today, maybe because it''s the weekdays. Due to that, they were able to get in after only waiting for 15 minutes.


    The first thing they saw when they entered were the flowernterns on both sides of the road. Thesenterns would definitely look amazing during the night.


    "Which one should we go see first?" Luo Jin asked Su Yuqi.


    The ce had many attractions to see. From his research, there were usually more than 400 ice and snow sculptures here. The most impressive ones are those portraying temples, pces, and, of course, the kids'' favorite: ice castles, which one could walk into.


    In addition, visitors could also skate here. There were even programs like folk dancing being held on the central stage. One of the most popr attractions was the Flower Cave, which was a must-see for everyone who had gone here.


    Since there were so many ces to see, he wanted Su Yuqi to be the one to pick which area they should go to first. Even if he did some research, he''s still clueless as to which one would be the best. So, it''s better if Su Yuqi could just pick for the both of them.


    "Let''s just see everything as we go," Su Yuqi answered simply.


    Luo Jin nodded, agreeing. That''s probably the best way to enjoy the ce.


    And so, the two started their journey.


    -----


    On another side, another couple was also enjoying strolling around the Longqing Gorge Ice Lantern Festival. But unlike the other who seemed like they hadn''t really started a rtionship yet, this particr couple was just oozing with sweetness.


    Luo Yan was hugging Shen Ji Yun''s arm while looking around. Even though he had already seen quite a lot of ice sculptures since they got here, he still felt very amazed seeing the new ones they encountered.


    As they walked, some people they passed by nced twice in their direction. Which was only natural. Not because they were two guys walking arm in arm, but because smiled and then teased.


    09:29


    both of them were just that attractive. Not that he''s being arrogant, he''s simply telling the truth.


    "Yan Yan, do you want some roasted chestnuts?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Luo Yan turned to where Shen Ji Yun was looking and saw a stall selling roasted chestnuts. Seeing that, he didn''t even think and just pulled Shen Ji Yun towards the stall.


    The one selling the roasted chestnut was a homely looking middle-aged woman. As soon as they stood before the stall, she gave them a hearty smile. "Oh, what a pretty and handsome couple you both are."


    She must have mistaken Luo Yan for a girl. Luo Yan didn''t mind though, because what he said was the truth. Shen Ji Yun was handsome, and he''s pretty. He hugged Shen Ji Yun''s arm and put his head on the other''s shoulder.


    "We look good together, right, Auntie?" he asked, smiling brightly at the other.


    The womanughed heartily. "Yes, indeed, you are. But... why does your young man seem not happy?"


    Luo Yan looked at Shen Ji Yun. The other had his usual frozen expression, but the blush at the tip of his ear suggested that he''s actually feeling very shy right now.


    "Oh, he''s very happy, Auntie. He''s just shy. Right, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun gave a stiff nod.


    "Is that so?" She turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Then, young man, you should smile when you''re happy. Especially when you have such a pretty youngdy with you."


    Shen Ji Yun scratched his cheek awkwardly and then cleared his throat before saying a muffled ''yes''. Luo Yan chuckled at that.


    They bought arge bag for the two of them to share. And then they continued their walk.


    Luo Yan ate a chestnut, the sweet and nutty taste filled his mouth. He turned to Shen Ji Yun, then thought back to the conversation they had with that auntie earlier. He smiled and then teased.


    "Aren''t you d this pretty ''youngdy'' is yours?"


    "You''re not my ''youngdy''." Shen Ji Yun lowered his head and kissed Luo Yan''s temple before whispering, "You''re my young man."


    Luo Yan giggled before putting a piece of chestnut in the other''s mouth. "I suppose I am that. Then, what about you? What should you be?"


    Shen Ji Yun lifted Luo Yan''s hand and kissed the back of it. "I am simply yours."


    That drew a smile on Luo Yan''s lips. He gave Shen Ji Yun''s cheek a quick peck. "Yes, you are that."

 Chapter 1057 COMEDY SKIT

    1057 ''COMEDY'' SKIT


    WALKING into the Flower Cave, people were greeted by a captivating disy of artificial trees, flowers, and birds crafted from ice. The entrance set the tone for their exploration, offering a glimpse into the diverse themes awaiting them inside.The frozen elements adorned the cave''s interior, creating an atmosphere that seamlessly blended the tranquility of nature with the beauty of ice artistry.


    Luo Jin looked around. Although all the ice sculptures looked good and well made, he didn''t really feel anything while looking at them. Maybe he just didn''t have the heart for art appreciation.


    Instead, what he noticed more was the fact that there were more people herepared to the other areas they had been. So, he walked closer to Su Yuqi to make sure that they wouldn''t be separated.


    He nced at Su Yuqi. Unlike him, there was genuine interest in her eyes as she stared at the different ice sculptures. He was d that she seemed to be enjoying herself.


    But for him, it was much more interesting to stare at Su Yuqi than to look at these ice sculptures. She''s much more beautiful in his eyes, after all.


    "If you''re only looking at me, it will defeat the purpose ofing here," Su Yuqi suddenly said in a teasing voice without taking her eyes off a flower ice sculpture.


    Luo Jin felt his face heating up. He didn''t expect that Su Yuqi had noticed him staring at her. But then again, it was probably only natural that she did since he was doing it quite intensely.


    Under normal circumstance, he would have already stuttered to make an excuse. But he had been a ''victim'' of the other''s teasing since early morning. And he always ended up losing. So, he couldn''t back down now.


    He should be more shameless!


    With a reddened face, he said, "On the contrary, I think it serves its purpose perfectly."


    Su Yuqi stopped walking and finally nced at him.


    "Yes, it really did," she said, fully understanding what Luo Jin meant. "Should we make this trip even more fruitful?"


    Luo Jin tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"


    Su Yuqi smiled yfully and held out her hand. "Should we hold hands while looking around?"


    Luo Jin looked at that dainty hand nkly for a second. His instinctive reaction was to raise his hand and hold the other''s. But before he could, he felt a sudden push from behind.


    Because it was something he didn''t expect, he quickly lose bnce and was about to fall straight down to Su Yuqi!


    Su Yuqi also didn''t expect such an ident to ur. Before she could even think, her body''s first reaction was to open both arms and catch Luo Jin.


    With Luo Jin unable to stop himself from falling, and with Su Yuqi catching him with open arms, the two ended up hugging each other.


    Luo Jin''s mindpletely went nk. This posture was different when he was sitting behind Su Yuqi on the motorcycle. It was more simr to that ident earlier at the ski vige.


    Once again, he felt those two soft things pressing against him. And once again, his face heated up uncontrobly. The feeling was even more apparent because of how their bodies were literally hugging each other. Which obviously made his heart beat even faster. The beating of his heart was so loud that he was sure Su Yuqi could hear it.


    He looked down. It just happened that Su Yuqi also looked up. Their gazes collided. He felt like something had just sparked when their eyes met. Surely, he''s not the only one who felt that, right?


    But before Luo Jin or Su Yuqi properly reacted, a familiar voice suddenly broke through this moment.


    "I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean to¡ª Ah Jin?"


    "It seemed that Ah Jin''s ''romancing'' was working, considering how you two were 15:00


    already hugging each other," Luo Yan added in a teasing tone, even wiggling his Knowing full well who that voice belonged to, Luo Jin seemed to have woken up from his ''dream''. His body automatically stood up straight and moved away from Su Yuqi.


    He then turned to where the owner of the voice was. There, as he had already expected, stood Luo Yan. One of his brows was raised as he looked at them with mirth dancing in that pair of peach blossom eyes.


    The instinct to just exin and shout ''it''s not what you think!'', but he hheld himself back. That would only make him appear like a child. Not to mention, it could seem like he was denying his rtionship with Su Yuqi. No matter how non-existent it might be right now.


    "Yan, what are you..." Before he could finish his question, he finally noticed the man standing beside his brother. "Ah, of course, you''re with that guy."


    "We''re on a date," Luo Yan said, hugging Shen Ji Yun''s arm. "I can''t believe we''re meeting here like this. But then again, this is a pretty famous date spot. If it''s winter and you''re in B City, it''s just right to go here. Good job choosing this ce, Ah Jin."


    "Why do you think Ah Jin chose this ce and not me?" Su Yuqi asked.


    "Well, no offense meant, but I believe my brother has more romantic bones in him than Sister Yuqi," Luo Yan said with a proud tone.


    Su Yuqi shrugged, as if she didn''t mind that. "You do have a point."


    "It seemed that Ah Jin''s ''romancing'' was working, considering how you two were already hugging each other," Luo Yan added in a teasing tone, even wiggling his eyebrows at them.


    Luo Jin''s whole face heated up when he heard that. Not because he''s shy, but because he''s embarrassed!


    "Stop wiggling your brows like that! It was an ident!" Just as he said that, he remembered that the whole thing had happened because someone bumped him from behind. Thinking about how Luo Yan was just apologizing earlier, it was obvious that the one who caused that ident was the other! "An ident you caused!"


    Luo Yan quickly hid behind Shen Ji Yun and acted scared. "Brother Ji Yun, Ah Jin is scary."


    With a straight face, Shen Ji Yun yed along and said, "Don''t worry, I''ll protect you."


    Luo Jin suddenly felt his blood pressure rising. While Su Yuqi justughed at this edy'' skit happening in front of her in real time.


    Happy Christmas everyone! ^^


    Tyramisu

 Chapter 1058 ROMANTIC

    1058 ''ROMANTIC''


    AFTER meeting at the Flower Cave, the four decided to move together as they explored the icentern festival. They stayed there until evening and watched thenterns lit up one by one. When it was time for dinner, eating together just became a natural course of action.


    They went to a pretty famous hotpot restaurant. Because Shen Ji Yun had already reserved a private room beforehand, they didn''t have to wait and were able to enter immediately.


    Luo Jin actually also nned to have dinner with Su Yuqi in a hotpot restaurant. So, this fit in with the itinerary he made for today''s date. It''s just that it irked him a bit that he had the same idea as that guy, Shen Ji Yun.


    Anyway, when they arrived at the restaurant and were led to their private room, the hotpot ingredients like vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, seafood, and noodles, as well as thinly sliced cuts of different meat, were already there. Two types of broth were already simmering on the divided pot on the table.


    "You guys start cooking, I''ll just go to the restroom," Su Yuqi said and then walked out of the private room.


    The three sat down around the table, with Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan sitting on one side and Luo Jin sitting on the opposite.


    Luo Yan nced at his brother, mirth filled his eyes. Anyone who knew him well enough would immediately guess what he was thinking right now.


    "Ah Jin, tell me honestly, how far has your rtionship with Sister Yuqi developed? Since the two of you were already on the stage of hugging each other, is it safe to assume you''re on your way to bing an official couple?" he asked, with obvious teasing in his tone.


    "As I''ve said, it''s not a hug. It''s an ident! An ident you cause!" Luo Jin once again tried to clear up that misunderstanding.


    Luo Yan shrugged. "Your bodies ovepped while your arms were wrapped around each other. Isn''t that what we call a ''hug''?" He turned to Shen Ji Yun, who was busy putting ingredients on the broth. "Right, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Right."


    Luo Jin was about to deny it once again. But he knew that if he did, it would just be a never-ending loop. Instead, he just turned his attention to Shen Ji Yun. "You, don''t just agree with everything my brother says!"


    Shen Ji Yun barely nced at him before going back to cooking. "There''s a saying that ''a happy home starts with a happy wife''. And to make the ''wife'' happy, you should always have the mentality that they''re always right," he said, as if that was enough of a response.


    There were so many loopholes in that exnation, like the fact that there''s no way that a person could always be right. Thinking that way could actually not lead to happiness, but to something quite the opposite.


    But somehow, Luo Jin could not object to what he said. Because if he was in his position, he would probably just also agree to whatever Su Yuqi said. He didn''t want to admit it, but he probably had more inmon with Shen Ji Yun than he had thought.


    He clicked his tongue. Just thinking about it annoyed him for no reason.


    "See, you should learn more from Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan said, leaning his head on Shen Ji Yun''s shoulder. "If you can be half as romantic as him, sweeping Sister Yuqi off her feet would be no problem."


    Luo Jin just looked at Luo Yan as if he was talking nonsense. Shen Ji Yun, with his frozen face, and the word ''romantic'' just didn''t suit each other. He might not know how guess what was happening. He walked forward, thinking of mediating.


    09:27


    The man didn''t wait for him, though. He shouted with a reddened face filled with anger. that guy managed to trap his brother into a rtionship, but he was sure it wasn''t because he''s romantic.


    He just shook his head and decided not toment.


    After a while, Luo Jin noticed that Su Yuqi was taking quite a while to return. Was the restroom that far from here? Was it on another floor? No, restaurants like this would definitely have restrooms on each floor. So, what''s taking Su Yuqi this long?


    He''s starting to feel antsy for no reason.


    When another five minutes had passed and Su Yuqi still hadn''t returned, he stood up and decided to check if something had happened.


    "I''ll be back in a sec," he said before walking out of the private room.


    He was going to ask a passing waiter where the restroom was, but before he could, he noticed a smallmotion up front.


    The door of a private room, probably two rooms away, suddenly opened. To his surprise, Su Yuqi walked out, pulling a crying waitress who was holding at her messy uniform as if afraid that it would be pulled off of her.


    Before Luo Jin could walk towards there and ask what was happening, a man followed out of the room, ring at Su Yuqi.


    "What do you think you''re doing? This is none of your business!" the man said, almost shouting.


    Su Yuqi sneered as she pulled the waitress behind her. "Hah, this is a hotpot restaurant, just in case you''ve forgotten. If you want that kind of service, go to an entertainment salon or something." She looked at the man up and down, then added mockingly, "Ah, but based on the cheap clothes you''re wearing, you probably couldn''t afford it."


    Just from what Su Yuqi said and the state of the waitress, Luo Jin could immediately guess what was happening. He walked forward, thinking of mediating.


    The man didn''t wait for him, though. He shouted with a reddened face filled with anger. "You bitch--!"


    The moment the bastard raised his hand, Luo Jin ran as fast as he could. Maybe the fastest he ever did. When he stood in front of Su Yuqi, the man''s handnded on his cheek and a loud pping sound echoed.


    "Ah Jin, you..."


    Luo Jin didn''t turn to look at Su Yuqi. Instead, he looked at the man in front of him. "Just so you know, whatever happens next is purely self-defense."

 Chapter 1059 UNEXPECTED FIGHT

    Chapter 1059 UNEXPECTED FIGHT


    BEFORE the man could sneer or even mock the arrogant brat in front of him, a heavy fistnded on his stomach. The force was so strong that he keeled over from the impact.


    "Cough... cough... you- you punk!"


    He red at the bastard and immediately catapult himself forward and punched the other.


    Luo Jin easily dodged and kicked the man''s stomach once again. This kick had much more force than the punch he gave the other earlier. So, of course, it would hurt more. The man directly fell on the door of the private room he walked out of.


    The people inside the said private room finally noticed themotion happening outside. Four men, with equally stout and big build, walked out.


    "Little brother, what''s happening here?"


    "Did you just get beaten up by this punk?"


    Seeing them all together, Luo Jin only noticed how they all looked like a bunch of gangsters. From their tattoos, to their clothing and hairstyle, even with the essories they''re wearing, they all looked like typical gangsters.


    This did not intimidate Luo Jin, though. Even when all four looked at him as if they nned to murder him, there''s not much change in his expression.


    He didn''t want to boast, but his fighting power was no joke. This was not just because professionals trained him, but because he also had a lot of experience fighting people. All due to the period of his life when all his repressed anger could only be released by fighting. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The man he kicked scrambled to stand up and then proceeded toin to one of the four men. "Brother Du, this bastard is too much! I was just nning to persuade that girl to return and say some words to that meddler of a woman, and he suddenly came over and attacked me. Brother Du, please help me vent my frustration!"


    "This punk, you''re alreadyining because of such a small matter? And because of what, because of a brat like that?" one of the man said, probably the one called ''Brother Du''. He clicked his tongue and gestured for the other three. "Take care of that brat. I want to eat and I''m already starting to lose my appetite. Oh, and don''t forget the girl. You can add that feisty one as well."


    Hearing that, Luo Jin felt a vein on his forehead throb. He was about to directly attack the other when he felt a soft tug at the hem of his shirt from behind. A low whisper followed that.


    "I''ve already called 110. They''re listening on in this conversation now. They''d definitelye in a few minutes. So, just bear for a while." Then, after a while, she added, "I''m sorry for all this trouble, Ah Jin."


    This only made Luo Jin angrier. There''s nothing Su Yuqi should apologize for in this situation. All of this was the fault of these bastards.


    "Go and take the girl with you," he whispered back. "Let me handle this."


    After saying that, he walked forward and the three men immediately surrounded him. Really, it''s like a scene from a badly written gangster movie. If not for the current situation, he would haveughed.


    He saw from the corner of his eyes that they were already attracting crowds of people, which then became easy for that waitress earlier to blend in with the crowd. Su Yuqi, on the other hand, did not leave and stayed behind. Despite everything, that still put a smile on Luo Jin''s lips.


    The moment the three men closed in on him, one attacked him immediately. He dodged and attacked back, kicking the other. A second one quickly followed the attack of the first. Luo Jin also managed to dodge that, moving as he tripped the third one and kneeing that person on the stomach as he fall over.


    Luo Jin managed to fend off the initial three attackers with agility and precision. His movements were fluid, countering their advances and gaining an upper hand in the fight.


    He made sure to only attack areas that were not visible unless they stripped these gangsters naked. The police woulde here any minute now. It''s important that they would absolutely appear like the victims in this situation. It wouldn''t help if these bastards would end up with ck and blue faces.


    Fighting three grown-ups who were used to fighting dirty, and having to watch out for ''Brother Du'' and the bastard who started all this mess, made it hard. Mistakes were bound to happen in such aplicated situation.


    Like how he didn''t have time to dodge the fist that was currently flying towards his face right now. No matter where he moved, that fist would undoubtedlynd on his face. So, he just braced himself for the impact.


    But before that fist couldnd, a flying shoe suddenly appear and hit the owner of the fist right at his face. This cause the man to stumble and therefore gave Luo Jin ample time to quickly move away.


    "What do you think you''re doing to my brother, you ugly lowlives?!"


    Luo Jin nced in the direction where the familiar voice came from and saw Luo Yan fuming while pointing at the gangsters. The other''s reddened face almost looked like smoke woulde out on top of his head because of too much anger. The shoe that flew obviously belonged to him.


    "What is this sissy-looking guy saying?" the bastard that started all this said, walking towards Luo Yan.


    "Hah! Criticizing my looks when you have that kind of face?" Luo Yan looked at the guy as if looking at a very disgusting worm.


    His brother was obviously trying to instigate the other. Which evidently worked, because the man''s expression immediately turned ugly. But before the man could really do anything, Luo Yan was suddenly pulled back, and in the next second, he was already standing behind Shen Ji Yun.


    "Yan Yan, I know you want to fight, but just let me do it in your stead."


    Luo Jin breathed a sigh of relief at seeing that. For the first time, he was truly d that Shen Ji Yun was here.

 Chapter 1060 AT THE POLICE STATION (I)

    Chapter 1060 AT THE POLICE STATION (I)


    SU YUQI let out a long sigh as she looked around the police station. She couldn''t believe that they would end up in this ce. The day started amazingly, but then it ended in such a disaster. She could only me herself for not minding her own business.


    But what could she do? Just ignore that poor girl and let her be harassed by those gangsters? Maybe it wouldn''t even end with just simple harassment and something much dreadful would have happened.


    The other reason why she couldn''t just turn a blind eye was because she knew the girl. Well, not personally. She just knew of her. The other was a schrship student in the modern art department of the same university. Which meant that she was probably very talented.


    Since they were from different departments, they didn''t really have much of an interaction. So, of course, she also didn''t know that the other was working part time in the hotpot restaurant. If she hadn''t recognized the girl through the gap of the private room''s door as she passed by it, she probably wouldn''t act so recklessly.


    Even if they didn''t know each other personally, the fact that she knew of the other was enough for Su Yuqi to save the other. She just didn''t expect for Luo Jin to suddenly appear in the middle.


    Not that he wasn''t thankful. If he hadn''t appeared like that, standing in front of her like some knight in shining armor, that trash would have definitely pped her. No matter how cool and bad-ass she tried to make herself to be, her physical strength wouldn''t surpass that of a grown man. Someone who not only had a big build, but also used to fighting.


    That''s why when Luo Jin appeared and protected her, she couldn''t help but be filled with worry. But surprisingly enough, he held his own against that bastard. No, he actually beat the other up. Even when those other four trash interfered, Luo Jin was still able to fend against them.


    As Su Yuqi watched him in the midst of that brawl with the gangsters, her heart raced with an unexpected intensity. It was as if she, too, stood against those bastards. The exhration surged through her, and simultaneously, she found herself captivated by him. In that instant, she genuinely sensed his radiance, shining so brightly that he became the sole focus of her gaze.


    It was an unexpected, yet wonderful, feeling. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Of course, in the middle of all that, she didn''t forget to call the police. She thought that as long as the police came, everything would be over. But who would have thought that things would escte after that?


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun suddenly joined in the fight. Well, strictly speaking, it was mainly just Shen Ji Yun. However, with Luo Yan hurling whatever he could find at the gangsters, it almost felt like he was also part of the fight.


    And then, when that man who seemed like the boss of the bunch joined in the fray, things became even more chaotic. Even when the security of the restaurant tried to stop the fight, it didn''t really help. Instead, things just became messier.


    Thankfully, before any of those gangsters could pull out a knife, the police arrived and took everyone involved in the police station.


    And thus, ending up in this situation.


    The police separated the two groups and were taking their statements individually.


    "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"


    The police officer''s question pulled Su Yuqi from her thoughts. She turned her attention back to the person in front. It was a female police officer who was taking her statement. Su Yuqi calmly answered her question, leaving no details behind. Of course, making sure to emphasize that none of this was their fault. And what happened was purely self-defense.


    As she was giving her statement, she nced at the guy referred to as ''Brother Du''. The other had a smug look on his face as another police officer was taking his statement. She sneered inwardly.


    She wasn''t sure where that guy got his confidence. Maybe he got a high rank in whatever gang he belonged to and he believed that he could get out of this situation unscathed. If they were normal students, that would probably be the case. But unfortunately for him, the people he offended just belonged to families leading in business, politics, and the art world.


    She removed her gaze and just focused her attention on giving her statement.


    After she was done, the officer told her to wait in the waiting area seats. She bowed slightly, then stood up. When she turned around and was just about to walk towards the waiting area seats, he saw the girl sitting beside Luo Jin. She looked like she was saying something.


    If that was all, Su Yuqi would not think anything of it. But the girl, Zhang Mei, was blushing all red while talking to Luo Jin. She suddenly feltplicated seeing that. The urge to sit between the two and separate them was almost overwhelming. The only reason she''s probably not doing it was because Luo Jin didn''t have any reaction to her and his only response was a slight nod of his head.


    Su Yuqi let out a deprecatingugh. She couldn''t believe that she was actually feeling jealous right now. Yes, she''s not dense enough not to recognize the emotion swirling inside her at this moment.


    Well, it seemed like she actually didn''t just think of the other as an adorable ''kid''. Now, this was an improvement.


    She started walking again and just simply sat beside Luo Jin.


    "Done? They''re still taking Yan and that guy''s statement," Luo Jin said as she sat down.


    She nced at the other and noticed that his cheek that was pped was now turning blue. She furrowed her brows.


    "Should we go to the hospitalter?" she asked.


    Before Luo Jin could answer, the door to the station suddenly opened and Bai Chen came running inside.


    "Yan Yan! Xiao Jin! Where are you?"


    Luo Jin didn''t have time to greet his uncle because Luo Yan ran towards the other. And, in a true Luo Yan fashion, he said with a face full of tears;


    "Uncle, they bullied us! Please help us find justice!"

 Chapter 1061 AT THE POLICE STATION (II)

    1061 AT THE POLICE STATION (II)


    SEEING Luo Yan''s fake tears and Uncle Bai''s increasingly dark expression, Su Yuqi almost burst outughing. Really, what an amusing kid.


    "Your brother is really... something," she couldn''t help butment to Luo Jin.


    Luo Jin''s face had a helpless expression. "Yeah, he is that." He stood up. "I better go there before Yan esctes things further."


    But what he didn''t expect was that the moment he walked there and his uncle saw his bruised face, things were already bound to escte.


    "Uncle--"


    Before Luo Jin could finish what he was about to say, Luo Yan suddenly held his face. Moving it as if to show their uncle the state of his face.


    "Uncle, look at what they did to our Ah Jin''s handsome face!" Luo Yan said, full of grievance. Then he purposely turned his gaze to the area where the gangsters were, ring at them. "Look, they''re all as big as an overweight ox! And yet they didn''t hesitate to beat up a minor! They all deserve to go to jail!"


    Bai Chen''s face nowpletely looked like it would drip ink because of how dark it was.


    When he received a call earlier from Luo Yan, telling him that he and Luo Jin were in the police station because they got involved with some unsavory people, a lot of negative thoughts entered his mind. But more than that, the worry he felt was almost through the roof.


    Were they hurt? Was it something so dangerous that people had to get involved? But he knew that panicking wouldn''t do him or them any good. So, he quickly forced himself to calm down and call the familywyer. The two of them then went straight to the police station.


    And what did he see after arriving here? Luo Yan crying and Luo Jin looking like he had been beaten up badly. How could he calm down now after seeing what happened to his nephews? An intense anger overwhelmed him.


    He turned to the group of people who looked like they wouldn''t do anything good. A glint of coldness shing in his mind.


    "Lawyer Zhao, make sure those... people will be punished ording to the full extent of thew."


    The man, wearing sses, standing just behind Bai Chen, nodded. "I understand, President Bai. I will take care of it and bring a satisfactory result."


    He had just said that when two more groups of people arrived. One was Shen Yi Mu and a man who seemed to be anotherwyer. And the other was a handsome man in his 40s wearing a blue Tang suit.


    The man in a Tang suit quickly scanned the police station, and when he saw Su Yuqi, he immediately ran in her direction. Another man, who''s probably also awyer, came trailing after the man in a Tang suit.


    "Qiqi!"


    The man in a Tang suit seemed to want to hug Su Yuqi, but, as if already familiar with the other''s usual antics, she managed to easily evade him.


    "Qiqi, why are you avoiding me? I just want to check if you''re okay," the man said, obviously feeling wronged.


    "I''m okay, so there''s no need for any hugs, Dad," Su Yuqi said in an exasperated tone.


    Luo Jin''s ears perked up when he heard that. Dad? He looked once again at the man wearing a Tang suit. With the way he dressed and even his atmosphere, one would immediately think that he was probably from some kind of traditional family. But the moment he opened his mouth, the atmosphere waspletely shattered, and he just looked like a father who loved his daughter.


    "Are you sure you''re really alright? There are really no injuries whatsoever?" Su Cheng Han asked, holding his daughter''s shoulder and turning her around.


    Su Yuqi sighed inwardly. This was why she told her mother not to tell her father about this. But, obviously, her mother didn''t listen and still told her father about what happened. She just knew that if this continued, things would just blow out of proportion.


    Wait-- wouldn''t that be better? At least it would be worse for those bastards.


    She was about to say that she was fine, but upon that realization, she said instead, "I''m fine, but only because Ah Jin protected me. If not for him, I... well, let''s just say I wouldn''t be as fine as I am now."


    Su Cheng Han followed his daughter''s gaze, whichnded on a young man. Under normal circumstance, he would be all up in arms, thinking that the other might be after his daughter. But considering the current situation, that''s not the first thing that came to his mind.


    The young man had bruises all over his face. He could even see a cut at the corner of his lips. Thinking that his daughter might be the one sporting all those cuts and bruises, the rage that he had been keeping a lid on just erupted. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He turned his murderous re at the group of people he was certain was the culprit of all this. It wasn''t really hard to single them out. The five people had the most viinous look among the people here. They were definitely the ones responsible!


    "You- how dare you try to harm my daughter?!" he shouted as he rushed towards them.


    "Wait- Master Su, please calm down!" thewyer of the Su family quickly followed and tried to stop the other.


    "Hah, hey old man, don''t make a scene," the one referred to as Brother Du said with a smug look on his face. Then he leaned forward and whispered. "After we get out of here, I''ll make sure to visit your daughter."


    Su Cheng Han felt like all the blood in his body was boiling with anger. He raised his hand and was about to punch the bastard, but Lawyer Wang was able to quickly hold him back.


    "Please, calm down, Master Su! Your hands are for making art, not for violence! Don''t worry, I will make sure these people won''t be able to get out of prison!"


    "No, you let go! I will mess the face of this ugly bastard!"

 Chapter 1062 AT THE POLICE STATION (III)

    1062 AT THE POLICE STATION (III)


    AS thewyer was having a hard time calming down Su Cheng Han, the other police officers in the station had to step in and stop him.


    "Don''t think that you will get out of this unscathed! You will regret everying your eyes on my daughter!"


    "Master Su, please calm down! Think of your blood pressure!"


    "Please calm down, please don''t fight in the police station!"


    The police officers and thewyer tried to stop and calm down Su Cheng Han while the smug Brother Du only had a sneer on his face.


    This was the scene that Shen Ji Yun saw when he left the restroom. After giving his statement, he went to the restroom and then made a call to his uncle. He told the other about the situation. He assured his uncle that everything was alright, and he didn''t get hurt. He also persuaded him that there''s no need to go here in person.


    Since Luo Yan and Luo Jin were involved in this matter, Uncle Chen would definitely go here to deal with the matter. With Uncle Chen, having his own uncle here would just be a bit of an overkill.


    Shen Ji Yun just didn''t expect that Uncle Su would also appear here so unexpectedly. But then again, knowing how the other was, it''s only natural for him to be here. Looking at the situation, Uncle Su was obviously trying to beat that gangster, and the police officers were trying to stop him.


    Initially, Uncle Chen was enough to deal with those gangsters. But with Uncle Su here, their fate was not only sealed, they were locked and cemented, thrown in the deepest part of the sea. There''s no way these people would be able to avoid the fate of being locked up in prison.


    Shen Ji Yun looked around and quickly found Luo Yan. The other was standing with Luo Jin and Uncle Chen. Since Uncle Chen was already here, Shen Ji Yun anticipated that this situation would be resolved soon.


    He walked towards the three just in time to hear Luo Yan''s whisper to Luo Jin.


    "Ah Jin, you should probably start getting in the good graces of Sister Yuqi''s father now, or it will definitely be very hard on you in the future."


    Luo Jin had aplicated look on his face as he heard that. But as he looked at Uncle Su, the expression on his face showed that he agreed with Luo Yan''s words. And that''s when he saw Shen Ji Yun walking to their side.


    "I think you should also give that advice to this guy here."


    If Shen Ji Yun hadn''t heard what Luo Yan said earlier, what Luo Jin just said would definitely confuse him. As that wasn''t the case, he understood perfectly what Luo Jin meant.


    He meant that once Uncle Luo found out about his rtionship with Luo Yan in the future, it would be no less than a disaster. Much the same as how it would be if Luo Jin somehow managed to be in a rtionship with Su Yuqi, and Uncle Su found out about it.


    Although it would be a lie to say that he''s not worried about that happening in the future, Shen Ji Yun believed that as long as he showed his sincerity, Uncle Luo would sooner orter ept his rtionship with Luo Yan.


    If the other witnessed just how happy Luo Yan was with him, as a loving father, he would definitely not be in the way of his son''s happiness. That might take quite some time, maybe even years, but he was determined to work hard to show Uncle Luo that Luo Yan would never regret being with him.


    Which was not really something that should be considered as ''hard work''. After all, loving Luo Yan was something that just came naturally to him. How could he consider something natural as work?


    Shen Ji Yun decided not toment on what Luo Jin said and just greeted Uncle Chen. The other nodded solemnly at him, clearly still angry by this situation.


    "I''m sorry, Uncle. I''m the oldest and yet I wasn''t able to prevent this kind of situation from happening," he said, apologizing.


    In fact, instead of stopping the whole thing, he even joined in. Under normal circumstance, he wouldn''t do such a thing. But with Luo Yan''s instigation, he just found himself joining the fight. Every time Luo Yan cheered him on, he just wanted to do better. So he fought even more enthusiastically.


    "How could it be Brother Ji Yun''s fault?" Luo Yan quickly chimed in. "The only ones at fault here were those gangsters. You agree, right, Uncle?"


    Bai Chen actually wanted to scold Shen Ji Yun a bit. Because, just like he said, he''s the oldest among the four. He could have prevented any of these from happening if he just had the presence of mind to do so. But because Luo Yan said that, he couldn''t bring himself to scold the young man.


    His nephew was right; everything was the fault of those people. There''s no need to berate someone and make them feel responsible.


    "Xiao Yan is right. There''s no need for you to apologize," he said.


    Just as he said that, Lawyer Zhao walked out of the Director''s office together with a portly middle-aged man wearing a police uniform. The man quickly bowed down to Bai Chen and Su Cheng Han.


    "I apologize President Bai, Master Su, for not handling this matter immediately," the man said. With the way the officers around reacted to his presence, he must be this station''s director or something.


    "No matter. I just want to make sure that these people will be punished ordingly," Bai Chen said.


    "And don''t think of lessening their punishment, because I will be watching," Su Cheng Han said with a huff.


    "Of course, of course. You don''t have to worry about that." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Seeing the director acting all submissive, the gangsters, particrly ''Brother Du'', finally lose the smug expression on their faces. It seemed that they finally realized at this moment that they messed with the wrong people.


    As they observed their expressions, a sadistic and satisfied smile appeared on both Luo Yan and Su Yuqi''s faces.


    Sorry for thete update again! (£¾ÈË£¼;)


    Tyramisu

 Chapter 1063 SOMETHING FUNNY

    1063 SOMETHING FUNNY


    AFTER that whole fiasco in the police station, Bai Chen immediately took Luo Jin to the hospital to have him check for any injuries. Although Luo Jin told their uncle that there was no need, their uncle insisted. ording to him, it''s better to be safe than sorry.


    Luo Yan also wanted to go with them, but his uncle asked Shen Ji Yun to take him back to the Bai mansion. He said that his aunt had been really worried, so it''s better for him to go back first to reassure the other.


    That''s why he''s currently inside Shen Ji Yun''s car, on the way to the Bai family mansion.


    He looked outside the car window. As he stared at the lights from cars and buildings, he couldn''t help but remember what happened after they left the police station.


    =====


    Su Yuqi''s father, let''s just refer to him as Uncle Su for now, suddenly grabbed Luo Jin''s hands and said in a very sincere tone;


    "Thank you, young man. Thank you for protecting Qiqi."


    Luo Jin let out an awkward smile, clearly unsure on how to react. "It- it''s nothing. I just did what I have to do."


    "What a righteous young man you are," Uncle Su said with shining eyes. "Since you''re President Bai''s nephew, you must have met our Qiqi through that son of his. Are you also going to school here? Perhaps at the same university as Xiao Ze and Xiao Yun?"


    "He''s a high school student actually," Su Yuqi said, correcting her father''s misunderstanding. "He and his brother are only here for winter vacation."


    "A second year high school student to be exact!" Luo Yan added to join in the fun.


    Uncle Su''s eyes widened like huge saucers. "A- A 17-year-old kid?"


    "17-year-old is not that young?" Luo Jin tried to appeal to the other that he was not just a ''kid''. But because of his uncertain tone, he only looked like he wasn''t sure himself if that was really the case.


    Uncle Su seemed to have not heard that and just turned to where Shen Ji Yun was standing. "Xiao Yun, this is really disappointing. How can you let a kid protect all of you? Doing this, can you still call yourself a man?"


    Shen Ji Yun who was just standing there and was suddenly used of not being a man: ???


    =====


    Remembering Shen Ji Yun''s expression at that moment, Luo Yan couldn''t help but let out a soft chuckle. At first, the other looked so confused, as if he wasn''t sure what was happening. Then, as what Uncle Su said slowly sank in his mind, his expression turned to that of someone who looked like he had just eaten shit. In the end, he only looked extremely offended. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    To be told that he was not as useful as Luo Jin might have hurt Shen Ji Yun''s self-esteem a little. But more than that, he was probably just annoyed to be thought that way. Especially since he also fought against all those gangsters with all his might. He was probably thinking it''s not his fault that those gangsters weren''t able tond a hit on his face.


    But for the sake of peace, he didn''t say anything. Of course, as a good boyfriend, could Luo Yan just remain silent while the other''s ''honor'' was being disparaged?


    So, he defended Shen Ji Yun, saying that they didn''t know about the initialmotion, but when they found out about it, Shen Ji Yun quickly helped Luo Jin. After he said that, Shen Ji Yun''s face became visibly brighter. As if he no longer minded the ''insults'' he just received.


    He once again chuckled, remembering that.


    "May I ask what''s making youugh so happily?"


    Shen Ji Yun''s question pulled Luo Yan back from his thoughts. He turned to the other and smiled. "Of course, it''s you."


    Shen Ji Yun was momentarily stunned for a second, then the corner of his mouth lifted up, forming a small smile. "I hope it''s not because of something bad."


    Luo Yan was about to reply ''how can that be?'', when a growling sound suddenly filled the car. And yes, this growling sound like a lion''s roar came from his stomach.


    It was only then that he was reminded that they weren''t able to eat their hotpot dinner because of those damn gangsters.


    "Should we go to a restaurant first and eat dinner?" Shen Ji Yun asked, ncing at him worriedly.


    Luo Yan nned to say that there was no need, but his eyes just happened to see a something familiar up ahead. Seeing such a familiar ce, an idea suddenly appeared in his mind.


    "No, let''s just go there," he said, pointing at a convenience store.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at that and frowned visibly. "Are you sure?"


    "I''ve seen videos of people going to convenience stores and eating there. The food looked really tasty."


    Of course, that was just an excuse. Convenience store food was like his normal diet in hisst life. Living in such a tight budget, the cheap food in the convenience store was like a godsend to him. But after living as ''Luo Yan'', he didn''t have a chance to go to a convenience store, much less eat the food there.


    Now that there was no one around who would dissuade him from doing so, he might as well just go and eat there.


    "Well, if you insist," Shen Ji Yun could only helplessly reply.


    After saying that, he found a parking lot near the convenience store to park the car.


    ---------


    After a lot of tests, including x-rays and CT scans, it was finally concluded that Luo Jin didn''t suffer any serious injuries. The only things he got were bruises and light abrasions on his face and hands.


    Luo Jin had already expected such a result. That''s why he told his uncle that there''s no need to go to a hospital. But they just ended up wasting their time.


    As he was waiting for his uncle, who was paying the bill, his phone rang. When he took it out from his coat''s inner pocket, he saw that it was Su Yuqi calling.

 Chapter 1064 A NEW PROBLEM (OR IS IT?)

    1064 A NEW PROBLEM (OR IS IT?)


    LUO JIN quickly answered the call. "Yuqi?"


    There were a few seconds of pause on the other end before a light chuckle was heard. "If my father heard you call me that earlier, he would definitely have a very different reaction towards you."


    When he heard that, he immediately thought back to Su Yuqi''s father. The other actually looked like a gentle person at first nce. But once he was convinced that his daughter suffered some kind of misgiving, he would turn into some kind of raging Rottweiler. Certainly not the first impression one would have upon seeing him.


    Because of what Su Yuqi just said, Luo Jin suddenly imagined what could have happened if he called her ''Yuqi'' and her father heard it. No, it''s better not to imagine.


    "Well, he would certainly not be so weing," he could only say in response.


    "Are you scared?"


    Luo Jin could hear the teasing in that question. But at the same time, he felt like if he didn''t answer seriously, Su Yuqi might think less of him. So, he gave an honest answer.


    "I am. But that doesn''t mean I will give up. After all, my feelings for you are not that shallow."


    There was another bout of silence from the other end. Before he could ask if the other was still there, Su Yuqi spoke.


    "Now you''re making me look forward to it."


    It''s hard to exin, but he could actually hear her smile over the phone while she was saying those words. Before he could ask what she meant by that, she already spoke again.


    "How was your check up? Are there any serious injuries?"


    Luo Jin wanted to ask what she meant by what she said earlier, but since the other had already changed the topic, he could only helplessly go along and answered;


    "No, I''m fine. Just some surface wounds, nothing serious."


    "That''s good," Su Yuqi said with obvious relief in her voice. "But since our date was interrupted, do you want to continue it at Arcadia?"


    Luo Jin momentarily forgot the curiosity he''s feeling and quickly said without thinking first, "Yes!"


    He heard her softughter. "Okay. You set the date."


    ----------


    Shen Ji Yun stared at the two big bowls of cup noodles in front of him, there were even two soft-boiled eggs, two steamed buns, and two cans of hot tea. He felt a bitplicated inside. When Luo Yan pulled him here, he didn''t expect that it was for them to eat dinner.


    Of course, he had bought one or two things in a convenience store and ate them. But he had never thought of having a full on meal here. Now, he had no problems with people who go here and have a meal. After all, not everyone had the same financial situation. A convenience store meal might be the only thing they could afford.


    But bringing Luo Yan here to eat was another matter altogether. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He promised himself to only give Luo Yan the best of everything. And that included food. Since the two of them currently live in two different cities, it''s hard to do that. But at least, when the other was still here, he wanted to take care of him properly.


    Buying him cup noodles was obviously not on the list.


    Luo Yan picked up the cup noodle and used the chopstick to slurp the noodles. Then he drank some of the soup. "Ah, that hits the spot."


    Since his father and brothers were all too overprotective, he hadn''t even eaten cup noodles since he gained this life. Was it because it had been almost eight years since he ate one that he felt like what he''s eating now tasted like someone put some kind of drug in them? The kind that''s so addictive you couldn''t stop eating?


    After a couple more slurping, he picked up the steamed bun and dunk them on the soup before biting on it. Halfway through, he picked up the can of tea and drank it.


    It was only then that he noticed that Shen Ji Yun barely moved his food and was just staring nkly at him.


    He tilted his head and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "No, I... nothing."


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head. Since Luo Yan seemed to be really enjoying this, who was he to rain on his parade? The important thing here was Luo Yan was happy.


    "Do you not like the food?" Luo Yan asked worriedly.


    He had momentarily forgotten that Shen Ji Yun was probably not used to this kind of food. After all, the other was a certified ''young master'' in all sense of the word.


    "No, that''s not it," Shen Ji Yun quickly said. "I''m just surprised you''re eating so well. I didn''t think you''d enjoy eating such ready-made foods. That''s probably my fault for being too shallow in my thinking."


    ''No, it''s not that deep, I just miss eating cup noodles,'' - Luo Yan almost blurted out. But instead, he just peeled one of the soft-boiled eggs and put it in front of Shen Ji Yun''s mouth. The other automatically opened his mouth and took a bite.


    "Don''t think too much, Brother Ji Yun, and let''s just eat."


    Shen Ji Yun could only nod.


    After their ''sumptuous'' meal, the two returned to the car, resuming their journey back to the Bai family mansion.


    ----------


    While all of this was happening, a certain post on Weibo was starting to get traction.


    [I''m a fan of team Celestials, so I also started ying Arcadia, mostly just for fun. I''ve been following every Arcadia Cup for thest three years, so I''m also familiar with a lot of other teams. An acquaintance of mine share this photo on her WeChat. She took it with only the mentality of sharing a photo of handsome guys.


    [I didn''t think much at first, but the more I look at the photo, the more familiar the two became. Don''t they look simr to YUN and Noctis? There''s almost a 90% resemnce. If only one of the two looks simr, I wouldn''t think much. But for it to be two of them, doesn''t that mean it''s literally them?


    [What do you think?]

 Chapter 1065 ESCALATING RUMOR

    1065 ESCALATING RUMOR


    THE picture attached to the post was of two young men, walking closely together, and seemed to be talking to each other. But since it was taken at night, and there were barely any lights around, it was hard to clearly see the faces of the two.


    That''s why thements under the post were most mocking the original poster.


    [How can you say that they look like YUN and Noctis when I can barely see their face?]


    [Right? Is the original poster just grasping straws? Are you trying to make some sort of controversy from this?]


    - [What controversy? Even if the ones in the picture are really YUN and Noctis, so what? It''s not like they were doing something weird. They''re just standing there, talking.]


    - [Right? And besides, they''re from the same team. What''s wrong if they were seen together?]


    - [I think the poster just wanted to get rification that those two were, in fact, YUN and Noctis.]


    [To those doubting the original poster, here''s the brightened version of the picture. Don''t you think that they really look like YUN and Noctis?]


    Attached to that reply was the brightened and high-definition version of the original picture. This time, the features of the two young men became clearer.


    The taller one had a cold, handsome look on him. Maybe because of his blue eyes, he couldn''t help but exude that atmosphere. But surprisingly, when he gazed down at the person walking beside him, there''s a gentleness that was almost overflowing. The other young man was more on the beautiful side instead of handsome. He had that androgynous look that could make both men and women admire him. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But the most important point was, they truly looked like YUN and Noctis. Just with different hair and eye color. Of course, minus the horns and pointy ears.


    - [I must admit, they really do look like YUN and Noctis.]


    - [If that''s really YUN and Noctis, then that means they didn''t enhance their looks. That''s amazing in itself.]


    - [Right? I think the both of them should do some modelling like Li Xu Min and Song Liuli.]


    - [Look at how close they both are. Maybe those people who are shipping YUN and Noctis aren''t really delusional. Maybe they''re on to something. Just look how well the twoplement each other; it seems like a perfect match.]


    - [Upstairs, please don''t just randomly make people gay.]


    - [I will ask again, even if these two were indeed YUN and Noctis, so what? There''s nothing weird about them hanging out together.]


    [Look at the background of the picture. Are they actually outside the police station?]


    Attached to thement was a zoomed in version of the picture, showing the police station behind the two.


    - [That''s really a police station. What are they doing there?]


    - [Don''t tell me they were arrested?]


    - [Hey, don''t make assumptions that could affect the reputation of people. Make sure first before doing that.]


    - [What else could they be doing in front of a police station?]


    - [Maybe they filed aint. Do you think people just appear in a police station because they were arrested?]


    [I think I may know why they were in the police station. I was eating in a hotpot restaurant earlier with my friends when we heard amotion happening on the second floor. We were curious and went up to see what''s happening. There were saw people fighting. I took a photo before we were told by the staffs to go back to the first floor and not to go closer. I didn''t really see the faces of the people involved in the fight, since everything happened so fast. But now that Ipared the photo I took to the photos that had been posted here, the two were probably involved in the fight. That''s why they ended up going to the police station.]


    After that longment, a slightly blurry photo of someone about to punch another person was attached below. Although the photo was not very high definition, it was still easy to see the features of the one trying to throw a punch. And they looked remarkably simr to the young man who looked like YUN.


    - [Seriously? Were they involved in a fight? That''s why they were in the police station?]


    - [I thought the one upstairs was just making things up, but the photo they posted really does look like the guy on the earlier photos. If that was really YUN, I''ll be really disappointed.]


    - [I know, right? Fighting in the game is fine. But doing that in real life? How can they be any different from gangsters?]


    - [If those two were involved in some kind of fight, maybe the other members of team Yunyue were also involved. If so, shouldn''t they be disqualified in the Arcadia Cup? The game doesn''t need gangsters like them.]


    - [I agree. @moonlightmedia, please disqualify team Yunyue!]


    - [Hey, you people shouldn''t make assumptions like this when not all the facts are clear.]


    - [Upstairs is right. We should wait until all pertinent information is avable before making our judgment.]


    - [Saying shit right now only for you to be proven wrongter would be a pretty ugly p on the face. So, I will reserve my judgment for now.]


    - [But isn''t it a fact that they did fight? The only important question is whether these people are really YUN and Noctis.]


    ----------


    As the post escted and escted to the point that people were requesting for Moonlight Media to disqualify team Yunyue, the only member of the team aware of what was happening was Bai Ze.


    Since the news of what happened with his cousins, as well as Shen Ji Yun and Su Yuqi, reached them, he had been waiting here in the living room of their house with his mother.


    Then, as they were waiting, Bai Ze''s White Marsh ount was continuously tagged in Weibo. Because of the current situation, he wasn''t in the mood to check it. But because of the continuous notification, he had no choice but to do so.


    And how shocked he was when he did.

 Chapter 1066 SOME OF BAI ZES WORRIES

    1066 SOME OF BAI ZE''S WORRIES


    BAI ZE was already slightly stressed because of the situation with his cousins and friends. Yes, despite their constant bickering, he still, albeit reluctantly, considered Su Yuqi as a friend.


    When he was told about what happened, he wanted to follow his father to the police station to personally check the condition of the four. But his father told him to stay home and apany his mother. Seeing that his mother was also a bit shaken by the news, how could he argue with his father''s decision? So, he stayed put at home.


    Thankfully, the situation was quickly resolved. Although his father had to take Luo Jin to the hospital for a quick check-up just to be sure that he didn''t have any serious injuries. On the other hand, Luo Yan was now on the way back here with Shen Ji Yun.


    But before they could even receive an update on Luo Jin''s check-up result, this crazy rumor started to appear on Weibo.


    Something that only started with a blurred photo, asking if the ones in it were YUN and Noctis, escted fast. From turning the photo to high-definition to someone finding out it was taken outside a police station, then someone posting a sneak shot of Ji Yun about to punch someone, and everyone just assumed he''s a war freak who would instigate a fight whenever he went.


    Their conclusion? Team Yunyue should be disqualified.


    Seriously, the mental gymnastics these people did to arrive at that was almost amazing in itself.


    Since Bai Ze was the only one who had a ''White Marsh'' Weibo ount, he was immediately notified when this thing started to blow up. But because of that, he was definitely the only one in his team who''s aware of what''s happening right now.


    If he just let this be and did not do anything, things would escte even further for sure. Maybe if this was left alone until tomorrow, the moment he woke up, he would see a rumor about how team Yunyue belonged to a criminal syndicate.


    Bai Ze took a deep breath and calmed himself, his brain working to the maximum to think of a way to fix this.


    On the bright side, at least the photo taken of Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun was that and not the two hugging or something. If that was the case, then the rumor floating on Weibo right now would be very different. The gossip would be about their rtionship instead. And not the kind that would warrant congrattions from everyone.


    Rather than being considered as something to be happy about, many would justbel it as a ''controversy''. This society was still not very weing to same-sex couple. No matter how much the closest people to them ept their rtionship, not everyone would not have the same reaction.


    Let''s not mention the Shen family. Aside from Uncle Yi Mu, there''s no definitely no one on that side who would ept Ji Yun being gay. No, maybe his grandmother would. But that''s it.


    10:30


    Shen Ji Yun was already being ostracized by the Shen family. If it got out that he''s gay, he might just be removed from the family register. Not that it would make any difference to Ji Yun. After all, even now, those people barely considered Ji Yun as family.But that didn''t mean things wouldn''t be troublesome for him.


    With how the Shen family put too much value on their reputation, if a news broke out about one of the youngest generation of the family being gay, it might not just end with the removal in the family registry.


    And that''s only the side of the Shen family. He couldn''t even begin to imagine what Uncle Wei Tian''s reaction would be like. Not to mention his parents, who had known Ji Yun for a long time.


    This did not mean that they would be angry with Luo Yan. No, the brunt of their anger would definitely fall on Ji Yun. Especially considering that his cousin was still in high school now. And there was also the fact that he had only woken up from thata just a year ago. In their eyes, it would definitely seem like Ji Yun had ''preyed'' on Luo Yan.


    As someone who had witnessed the interaction between the two from the start, there''s hardly any evidence that Ji Yun ''preyed'' on Luo Yan. If that was the case, he would be the first one to oppose their rtionship.


    But from his perspective, his cousin seemed more like the one leading Ji Yun on. Even now, in his opinion, the one holding the rein in their rtionship was still Luo Yan. Considering the temperament of the two and the dynamics of their rtionship, Luo Yan would probably still be the one at the top.


    Of course, not literally. Just metaphorically. He couldn''t disparage his friend that much. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Anyway, in short, Luo Yan was in no way at a disadvantage in this rtionship. But Uncle Wei Tian would definitely not think of it that way. So, for the happiness of the two, it would be better for their rtionship to be known once Luo Yan at least passed the age of 20. That would definitely be much more eptable to Uncle Wei Tian.


    But since no one really knew what would happen in the future, they might still be discovered much sooner. However, at least it shouldn''t be now.


    Bai Ze took a deep breath. Despite him thinking of those things, his brain still managed toe up with a n to fix this situation. Then he let out a deep sigh. Once this was over, he would surely have a big headache from overworking his brain too much.


    He then dialed Uncle Yi Mu''s number. It didn''t take long for the other line to connect.


    "Hello, Uncle Yi Mu. Have you seen what''s happening in Weibo right now?"


    ----------


    As that topic in Weibo continued to escte more and more, the original post that started it all was suddenly deleted. And not long after that, the official Weibo ount of a certain police station in Yangqing District posted a very interesting statement.

 Chapter 1067 PASSING THE HURDLE

    1067 PASSING THE ''HURDLE''


    [WE extend our heartfelt gratitude to four brave young individuals who, without hesitation, yed a crucial role in assisting our officers in apprehending a group of gangsters, causing a disturbance in a hotspot restaurant located in our district. Their quick thinking and cooperation significantly contributed to maintaining public safety.


    In consideration of the privacy of those involved, we respect their wish to remain anonymous. We want to emphasize the importance ofmunity coboration in maintaining a safe and secure environment for everyone.


    Thank you once again to these unsung heroes for their courage and civic responsibility. Together, we can build a safermunity for all.]


    Under normal circumstances, the Weibo post of this particr police station would not have garnered that much attention. Some people would just like it and post ament under it praising the kind and brave citizens. But for some reason, this post started trending in the game category of all ces. Particrly in the category dedicated to Arcadia.


    Yes, Arcadia had its own category, which was only natural considering how popr it was in the country.


    Why? Because a gaming ount primarily centered around Arcadia, with a substantial following, reposted it with the caption;


    [Hey, don''t you guys think they''re talking about the two that looked like YUN and Noctis'' avatars?]


    After this was posted, a lot ofments appeared below it within minutes.


    [LOL how did you arrive at that conclusion just based on this post? They didn''t put a single picture of these... good samaritans, there wasn''t even a name mentioned, so how could you be so sure that it was them?]


    - [The same way you guys arrive at the conclusion that those two were YUN and Noctis and that they''re a bunch of troublemakers who deserved to be disqualified from Arcadia cup. ^^]


    - [Hahaha upstairs, that''s an amazing sense of humor!]


    - [But it''s true that connecting the two was a bit of a stretch. I''m talking about the police post and the post of the original poster btw.]


    [This is so out of the blue. (-_-)]


    [Are you just riding the trend so you connected these two different situations?]


    [Hey, wasn''t that one photo showing YUN look-alike about to punch someone taken in a hotspot restaurant? ording to the post of the police, the trouble happened in a hotspot restaurant as well. Do you really think it''s just a coincidence?]


    - [The original post was deleted now, so all the replies under it had also been deleted. But I also remembered thatment. The one who posted that sneak shot really did say that it was taken in a hotpot restaurant.]


    - [So? There''s so many hotpot restaurants in the country and you all think they''re talking about the same one?]


    - [Why not just ask the one who posted that sneak shot if the hotpot restaurant they went to was in Yangqing District? If it was, then it couldn''t be just a simple coincident. Don''t you think?]


    [Hello, I''m the one who posted the picture of YUN (allegedly) about to punch someone. I was tagged by a friend of mine to this thread. I won''t say anything unnecessary since it might lead again to misunderstandings, just like what happened earlier. I apologize for that, by the way. I didn''t mean things to escte to such a point by posting that. It''s my fault for not thinking deeply and just doing whatever. This will be myst post regarding the matter. So, to those who were asking, yes, the photo was taken in a hotpot restaurant at Yangqing District.]


    - [Wait, wait, wait! Doesn''t this seem like the original poster was actually onto something and they''re not just trolling us by sharing this police post?]


    - [Upstairs, I think so too. I mean, YUN and Noctis look-alikes might really just be good samaritans fighting against gangsters.]


    - [If that''s true, the fact that the police posted about them meant that they must have been really a great help apprehending those gangsters.]


    - [Which also means they''re not war freaks who just go around beating people.]


    [But why are we even talking about this? It''s not like it''s been proven that those two were really YUN and Noctis.]


    - [Come on, does looking the same not enough for you?]


    - [They don''t look the same, just simr. How many people out there do you think look simr to each other? Those two might just be innocent bystanders that all of you dragged to the mud.]


    Between people believing that the two were indeed YUN and Noctis, and those who thought they looked only simr, to those who were convinced they were innocent and those who still believed they were at fault, a long debate continued. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But that long debate finally, somehow, came to a close with a single reply under the original thread posted by that


    [Hello, I''m a waitress working part-time at Yangqing Broth House. This is the hotpot restaurant where the incident happened. I came across this thread, as well as the earlier one that was already deleted. I''ve been wanting to make things clear since earlier, but that first thread already got deleted before I could. But with this one, I can finally do that.


    [I don''t know who this YUN or Noctis was. I only know that these two were among the four who saved me from those gangsters. Please don''t say anything bad about them or assume the worst. They''re really good people. If you don''t believe me, I will attach my employee ID here. I hope this would clear things up. Thank you.]


    ---------


    Bai Ze finally let out a sigh of relief after seeing that things had finally calmed down. It''s the best decision to leave everything in the hands of the PR department of Moonlight Media. Just look at how fast they managed to turn things around.


    The part about contacting the police station and asking them to post something was his idea, though. But Moonlight Media''s PR team did the rest. Thatst one with the waitress was a nice touch.


    Passing this hurdle safely, Bai Ze slumped back in his seat, feeling the strength of his body leaving him.

 Chapter 1068 FINDING OUT WHAT HAPPENED

    1068 FINDING OUT WHAT HAPPENED


    NEARING the Bai family mansion, Luo Yan received a very concerning phone call from Yu Jiao.


    "Jiao Jiao, can you repeat that again?" he asked to make sure that he''s not hearing wrong.


    "Ahm, as I''ve said, a photo of you and Shen Ji Yun trended in the game category..."


    First she exined how it only started as the original poster wanting to ask for rification if they were really YUN and Noctis, then it escted to them being troublemakers who loved fighting, and finally for people requesting team Yunyue to be expelled from the Arcadia Cup.


    With Yu Jiao repeating everything, it finally registered in Luo Yan''s mind that those things really did happen. He suddenly felt an iing headache.


    How could a simple picture in front of a police station turned into this situation? Should he say that people''s imagination was just that impressive or that their brain was just built differently?


    He pinched the bridge of his nose to ease the tension he''s feeling. Should he be thankful that the picture that had gone viral was this picture instead of a picture of them holding hands while he was wearing a wig? Things could have definitely been worse. But he couldn''t really be grateful for this, could he?


    While he was thinking of how he should solve this, Yu Jiao''s next words put his worry to rest.


    "But everything is solved now. The police station involved posted a statement, and it somehow trended in the gaming category. Then people started to piece everything together, and it was soon proven that you and Shen Ji Yun were innocent."


    Yu Jiao then exined more clearly how that came to be. After listening to it, the tension in his body finally seemed to dissipate. Of course, he knew that this thing didn''t just ''somehow'' happened. Someone was definitely working behind the scenes to manipte people''s opinion and push things in this ideal direction.


    Considering that four out of five members of their team didn''t have time to check on Weibo right now, there''s only one remaining who could possibly spend time to solve this. He most likely asked for help, maybe from Uncle Yi Mu. That''s why things moved this fast.


    In any case, the situation was solved this quickly because of Bai Ze. All four of them should thank him big time.


    "But a lot of people who saw the first photo posted still believed that it was you and Shen Ji Yun. Wouldn''t it be a problemter?" Yu Jiao asked in a worried voice.


    Luo Yan could understand why Yu Jiao was worried. After all, YUN and Noctis were both pretty well-known yers in Arcadia. Especially YUN. In fact, he was more surprised that it took this long before someone posted a sneak shot of either of them.


    It''s understandable in his case since he had only recently started looking more and more like his avatar because of his sudden growth spurt. Aside from that, there were only two ces he frequented - their house and the school.


    There''s no way the people working in their house would post his picture on Weibo. Most of the students in the school were from rich families. They would know that posting a picture of the second young master of the Luo family on Weibo without his approval might lead to some dire circumstance.


    But that''s certainly not the case for Shen Ji Yun.


    The other had been in university for three years now. It''s not a private university for the rich but a public university, meaning the students going there came from different walks of life. There''s no way none of them yed Arcadia and ever thought that Shen Ji Yun looked simr to YUN. The chances of them not thinking of posting a picture of him on Weibo were almost zero.


    But still no photos of Shen Ji Yun had ever floated online. As evidence of how no rumor about YUN''s real identity appeared on any social tforms.


    Since team Yunyue won the Arcadia Cup during a time when the teams that reached the finals didn''t need to appear personally in front of everybody during a live broadcast of the fight, their real identities had never been divulged. It''s actually quite amazing that they managed to keep their identities a secret that long.


    But then again, except for Bai Ze, both Su Yuqi and Shen Ji Yun were very low-key. So, that''s understandable.


    Anyway, maybe he should just ask Shen Ji Yunter how that was possible.


    "Don''t worry, Jiao Jiao. They''ll know it''s us anyway once we reached the finals of Arcadia Cup. There''s no need to stress ourselves over it," Luo Yan said in response to what Yu Jiao said earlier. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Besides, since the original post had already been deleted, people would soon forget this topic and would move on from another, more scandalous one.


    He heard Yu Jiao''s soft chuckle at the other end. "Yes, that''s certainly how it should be."


    After talking a bit more and thanking Yu Jiao for informing him about this, the two ended the call.


    Luo Yan was d that things were wrapped up quickly. If it didn''t, it might even reach his father and older brother. They hadn''t yet told the two about what happened. If they somehow found out about it through Weibo, things would just get moreplicated.


    "Is something the matter?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Luo Yan turned to the other. It was only then that he noticed that they had already arrived at their destination.


    "Well, Brother Ji Yun, you see..."


    And then he told Shen Ji Yun of what he learned from Yu Jiao. After he finished, Shen Ji Yun showed a contemtive look on his face.


    "It must be Bai Ze," he said in conclusion. "Maybe Uncle also helped."


    "I think so too," Luo Yan agreed. "We should prepare something for him, at least. He probably had a lot of headache fixing the situation."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "I will prepare a lunch box for him, as well as a box of cake."


    Luo Yan blinked when he heard the unconventional ''gift''. And then justughed. Because he had a feeling Bai Ze would definitely like it.

 Chapter 1069 BACK AT THE BAI MANSION

    1069 BACK AT THE BAI MANSION


    LUO YAN walked into the house, with Shen Ji Yun following closely behind. The moment he entered the door, a warm hug from his aunt immediately greeted him.


    After a big, tight hug, Sun Xin let go of his nephew and looked him up and down. "Are you alright, Xiao Yan? You did not get hurt, right?"


    When she heard about what happened to both her nephews, she was not only worried but also very scared. This fear was even more intense considering that the two involved were the same ones who had experienced that ident eight years ago. If something bad happened to the two when they were under her care, how could she face her friend in the afterlife? But more than that, just the sheer thought of something happening to the two was enough to make him faint from fear.


    Seeing his aunt''s worried look, Luo Yan felt a bit guilty. "I''m fine, Aunt Xin. I didn''t really participate in the fight. You know how weak my body is."


    Shen Ji Yun, who heard that, chose to remain silent. Well, it''s true that Luo Yan didn''t directly participate. He just taunted those gangsters and threw things at them. Which meant he didn''t fight, in the true sense of the word. So, there''s no need to tell Aunt Xin about it.


    That''s right. It''s definitely not because he was protecting his boyfriend and didn''t want him to get into trouble.


    "That''s good," Xin said, heaving a sigh of relief. "But Xiao Jin, how could he just jump in and fight against those gangsters? Although he has a great physique, fighting a group all by himself is definitely too reckless. Especially a group of criminals!"


    Luo Yan onlyughed awkwardly. Luo Jin probably had no choice since Su Yuqi was involved. His brother couldn''t exactly not do anything when the girl he liked was in trouble. But he couldn''t just say that to his aunt to exin. He''s not even sure if Luo Jin had already confessed to Su Yuqi. So, how could he reveal his brother''s secret just like that?


    Of course, this didn''t include Shen Ji Yun. It''s fine to reveal it to the other. After all, it''s not like Shen Ji Yun would go out of his way to tell others or even tease Luo Jin about it.


    Anyway, he should at least help his brother out so he wouldn''t be scolded.


    "Aunt, please don''t be angry at Ah Jin," he said with a pitiful expression. "He just did that because he couldn''t handle the injustice. So, he fought those bad guys to save Sister Yuqi and the waitress. Just like those heroes in movies and TV shows. Isn''t Ah Jin great?" He turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Don''t you think so too, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun was momentarily stunned. Not because of what Luo Yan said, or the way he way acting, but because of how the other was blinking those big peach blossom eyes at him. They were full of earnestness, shining like obsidian gems with countless stars sparkling within.


    "How beautiful..." he muttered unconsciously.


    "What''s that, Ji Yun?" Xin asked. Since Ji Yun''s voice was a bit low when he said that, she couldn''t hear what he said clearly. "Did you say something about... beauty?"


    As the one standing closer to Shen Ji Yun, Luo Yan heard what the other said clearly. Shen Ji Yun definitely did it unconsciously. Ha, what a sinful man he was. To seduce his boyfriend by just acting pitiful and blinking his eyes a few times.


    If this was another time, Luo Yan would probably have more narcissistic thoughts than that. But since he still had to correct Shen Ji Yun''s little ''blunder'', he somehow forced himself to return to his ''normal'' thinking.


    Although before he could really do anything, Bai Ze suddenly interfered on the side. "Mom, why don''t you bring Xiao Yan to his room? I''m sure he''s very tired right now because of everything that happened today. I''ll wait here for Dad and Xiao Jin with Ji Yun."


    Luo Yan nced at his cousin. The other probably did that to take Aunt Xin''s attention away from what Shen Ji Yun had said. Although he wasn''t nning to go to bed yet, he decided to just y along.


    And besides, maybe he should take this time to contact his father and older brother and tell them of what happened. Of course, the one he would give was the desensitized version. So, the two wouldn''t overly worry.


    "Oh yes,e Xiao Yan," Aunt Xin said,pletely forgetting about Shen Ji Yun''s slip of tongue earlier.


    Luo Yan nodded and followed his aunt. He nced back at Shen Ji Yun, waved at the other and then made a signal with his hand, telling the other he would call himter. Shen Ji Yun nodded.


    Luo Yan turned to his aunt. "Aunt, are Xiao Ye and Grandpa already asleep?"


    "Yes. Xiao Ye actually wanted to wait with us, but he fell asleep while waiting."


    The conversation between the two drifted as they climbed up the stairs. Seeing that, Bai Ze finally let out a sigh of relief. Then he turned to Shen Ji Yun, looking annoyed and frustrated, with a touch of helplessness.


    "Really, Ji Yun. Can''t you be more careful? Because of the trouble you four were in, do you know how stressed I was? Especially with that stupid Weibo post. Oh, you probably don''t know, but our team almost got into a pinch. Which I already solved, by the way. I was just telling myself it''s good that the rumor that spread wasn''t about your rtionship with Xiao Yan. But here you are, almost admitting to my mother that you and--"


    "Thank you," Shen Ji Yun said, cutting off Bai Ze''s nagging. "I already heard about what happened. It''s great that you managed to fix it this fast. As thank you for your efforts, I decided to cook something for you. If you have any request--"


    "One week home-cooked lunchbox!" Bai Ze quickly said, not even waiting for Shen Ji Yun to finish.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 1070 COULD IT BE...?

    1070 COULD IT BE...?


    "YAN YAN, here. I made some simple snacks you can eat during your flight. You can even share it with Luo Jin," Shen Ji Yun said, although he sounded a bit unwilling in the end.


    Luo Yan chuckled. He didn''t know if the other sounded unwilling because he didn''t want him to leave, or he simply didn''t want him to share the snacks he made with Luo Jin. Maybe it''s abination of both?


    It was early morning, but they were already at the airport. Since Luo Yan and Luo Jin''s flight was scheduled for 8 AM. Their original flight schedule was supposed to be in the afternoon. But because of that incident two days ago, their father rebooked their flight to early morning, so they could immediately return home.


    Actually, their father wanted to move it yesterday, but Luo Yan dissuaded him with the best of his ability.


    Because of what happened two days ago, he and Luo Jin weren''t able to have a proper farewell dinner with their grandfather and uncle''s family. They only had one day left to do that. If they leave a day earlier than scheduled, then they wouldn''t be able to have that. Good thing Luo Yan managed to convince their father in the end.


    Luo Yan was the first one to tell his father and brother about what happened. Although he only told them the toned-down version, his father''s first reaction was to go to B City and take him and Luo Jin home. It took both him and Luo Ren to persuade their father to stay in S City and just wait for him and Luo Jin to return.


    Imagine how much worse his reaction would be if what he heard was the full version of what happened. Maybe those gangsters wouldn''t be able to leave jail for the rest of their lives.


    Anyway, that''s why they traveled to the airport this early. The one who drove the two was their aunt. She was actually the only one who was with them. Uncle Chen had to go to work, and because it''s too early, both Bai Ze and Bai Ye were still asleep.


    Aunt Xin probably knew this would happen. That''s why she prepared a very big dinnerst night for everyone. To make sure everyone could say goodbye properly.


    Surprisingly, when they arrived at the airport, Shen Ji Yun was already there, waiting. Even Aunt Xin was a bit taken aback seeing the other. Thankfully, she didn''t think more and just attributed it to them being close friends.


    And now, they were in the current situation.


    "Who cares about your snacks?" Luo Jin said grumpily after hearing the obvious unwillingness in Shen Ji Yun''s voice when the other said that Luo Yan could share the snacks with him.


    This only heightened his annoyance even more. It''s not just him being annoyed at Shen Ji Yun, as per usual. It''s more on the fact that Su Yuqi was not here to see him off. This guy probably had been waiting here just so he could personally say goodbye to Luo Yan. Showing just how good their rtionship was. His rtionship with Su Yuqi probably couldn''t hold a handle to theirs.


    Yes, in short, he was just feeling envious of what the two had.


    He sighed. Really, how petty of him. Of course, the two would have a better rtionship. Aside from them being in an official rtionship, as much as he hated to admit it, the two had always had gotten along better.


    Shen Ji Yun ignored Luo Jin''s response and just looked at the big food container he was holding. He was about to give it to Luo Yan, but stopped and instead gave it to Luo Jin.


    "Then, you hold this for Yan Yan," he said with a very straight face.


    "Ha?"


    Hmm? Sun Xin, who was observing the two, noticed Luo Jin blushing. This atmosphere... could Luo Jin have a crush on Su Yuqi? She smiled at her guess. Oh, to be young.


    19:54


    Luo Jin was about to mock the other for his shamelessness, but then saw how big the food container was. Then he looked at his brother''s ''thin'' arms. He quickly understood why Shen Ji Yun was handing over the food container to him. He clicked his tongue and just took it.


    Seeing this interaction, Luo Yan couldn''t help but chuckle. He was about to say something when he saw a familiar figure walking in their direction. He smiled, recognizing the person. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Ah Jin, look behind you," he said.


    Luo Jin, confused, looked back. His eyes widened when he saw the person running towards them. He even almost dropped the food container he''s holding.


    "I''m d I''m notte," Su Yuqi said, letting out a long breath. Either from running or from just being relieved that she managed to arrive here before their flight left. She did not forget to turn to Aunt Xin and politely bowed to the other. "Good morning, Aunt Sun."


    Sun Xin smiled. "Good morning, Xiao Qi. It''s good of you toe here and personally see off Xiao Yan and Xiao Jin."


    Luo Jin, after recovering from his surprise, pulled Su Yuqi a few distances away so they could at least have a bit of privacy.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked.


    "Didn''t you hear what Aunt Sun said? I''m here to see you off."


    Luo Jin scratched the back of his head. "Well, yeah, I just..."


    "You just didn''t expect me toe, is that it?" Su Yuqi finished what he was about to say.


    "I just thought you will find something like this troublesome."


    "Yes, normally I would. But, surprisingly, I never felt that when ites to you."


    Just a simple statement quickly made Luo Jin''s heart skip a beat. Before he knew it, he could already feel his whole face heating up.


    Hmm? Sun Xin, who was observing the two, noticed Luo Jin blushing. This atmosphere... could Luo Jin have a crush on Su Yuqi? She smiled at her guess. Oh, to be young.


    When she turned her gaze, it happened tond on Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun. He saw how his nephew was smiling, as if teasing Shen Ji Yun. And Shen Ji Yun... hmm? Why was he blushing like Luo Jin?


    Could it be...? She shook her head andughed inwardly. What was she thinking? There''s no way that''s possible.


    Right...?


    Mini-theater:


    Aunt Xin watching Ah Jin and Yuqi flirt: It''s good to be young. (£Þ?£Þ)


    Aunt Xin watching YanYan and JiYun flirt: Hmm? Nah, I''m thinking too much. It''s definitely not that. Right? (?_??)

 Chapter 1071 YOUR SCENT

    1071 YOUR SCENT


    LUO YAN opened his eyes at the familiar view of their team''s headquarters. He hadn''t taken a step yet when a ck fox as big as a Siberian husky came running to him with a big leap.


    If this was the real world, he would have definitely avoided this ''attack''. But since they were inside the game, it didn''t really matter much. So, he weed the big ball of fluff rushing towards him.


    "Master!" Eclipse said while snuggling at him.


    Luo Yan softlyughed. "The way you''re acting, it''s like we haven''t seen each other in years. Didn''t we just talk yesterday?"


    The fox suddenly changed to a boy clinging to his neck. "Hmp, talking and hugging in person are twopletely different things."


    "And here I thought you''re bing less attached to your master," he said with a chuckle.


    Since Shen Ji Yun gave him the app, Luo Yan and Eclipse had beenmunicating even when he''s not in the game. Since then, Eclipse had been less clingy. That''s why this reaction was a bit surprising.


    "How can that be? Eclipse will always cling to Master!" Eclipse said, as if he was offended that Luo Yan even said that. Then added with a pout, "Besides, Eclipse hasn''t seen master for three days!"


    That''s right. Since that incident on Thursday night, he hadn''t been back here in Arcadia. On Friday, he spent the whole day with his grandfather and Bai Ye. Since it would be awhile before he would be back in B City. Then yesterday, he and Luo Jin returned to S City.


    He then spent the whole day appeasing his father. Something that he and Luo Jin should have done together. But that good brother of his ran away in the middle. Probably to meet up with Su Yuqi in the game.


    That''s why he only had time to enter the game today.


    "Then I''m d you still love your master," he said in a teasing tone.


    "Master, stop talking that as if there would evere a time when Eclipse would not love master."


    "Yes, yes."


    Then, the both of them walked inside the headquarters. Their team would have a meeting before Arcadia Cup''s closing ceremony that would be held tonight.


    "Is someone already here?" he asked Eclipse as they walked.


    "Just Uncle Dusk and the red dragon."


    Aside from being slightly surprised that he was the first one here, there was also another thing that surprised him more. "When did you change the way you address Rowan?"


    "Justtely," Eclipse said with a shrug. "Eclipse discovered that he wasn''t that bad."


    Luo Yan raised his brow. He didn''t know what happened between the two for Eclipse to change his mind. But this was definitely a good thing. At least, the team work would definitely improve.


    "Well, I''m happy that your opinion of Rowan had leveled up." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    When they entered the main hall, Luo Yan didn''t see Dusk or Rowan. Knowing these two dragons, they might be just wandering around the mountain.


    They quickly sat down at the round table. He was about to send a message to Shen Ji Yun, asking the other when he woulde. But before he could, the door to the main hall opened and in walked his handsome boyfriend.


    Once he returned home, Luo Yan realized just how nice it was for them to be in the same city. Just one phone call and he could easily meet the other. How nice it would be if he, his whole family, and Shen Ji Yun could all live in one city.


    "Captain!" Eclipse called.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded at Eclipse. He gave the main hall a quick nce. After seeing they were the only ones there, he told Eclipse;


    "Eclipse. Can you call Dusk and Rowan?"


    Eclipse tilted his head. Then, after a few seconds, his expression changed. Like that of someone who just realized something. He looked at Shen Ji Yun with an expression full of mischief.


    "Captain must want to be alone with Master. No need to make excuses. You can just tell Eclipse that directly," the boy said while looking at Shen Ji Yun as if the other was hopeless. "Since Eclipse is feeling very generous today, Eclipse will leave you two alone."


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat, probably trying to hide his embarrassment. "Thank you, Eclipse. I''ll make sure to give you a lot of Mana fruitter."


    Eclipse lookedpletely ecstatic when he heard that. "Captain should not take that back, okay?"


    Then he jumped down from his seat and walked out of the main hall.


    Luo Yan turned to Shen Ji Yun, his peach blossom eyes filled with amusement. "So, why does our dear Captain want to be alone with me?"


    Instead of answering that, Shen Ji Yun simply hugged Luo Yan''s waist, pulling the other closer. "I miss you."


    Luo Yan would have normally teased the other. But since he was also feeling a bit ''touch deprive'' and needing ''charging'' from his boyfriend, he just leaned against Shen Ji Yun. Completely sinking into the other''s embrace. "Me too."


    It would be nice if they were in reality. Because then he could feel Shen Ji Yun''s warmth more clearly. He would also be able to smell his scent. Shen Ji Yun always smelled good. So, it''s such a waste not to smell it.


    "I wish I could smell your scent right now."


    Luo Yan blinked when he heard Shen Ji Yun say that. Then he burst outughing. He looked at Shen Ji Yun, cupped his face, and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "How are you thinking the same thing as me?"


    Shen Ji Yun was taken aback at first, then the corner of his mouth turned up. "Maybe because we''re a match made in heaven."


    "You and your silver tongue," Luo Yan said with a grin. "Although, I have to agree. We really do match."


    Their gazes met and they just naturally leaned towards each other. But before they could even kiss, the door of the main opened and someone walked in.


    "I''m here¡ª Ack! My eyes!"


    The two nced at the door and saw Bai Ze covering his eyes as if he had just seen something he really didn''t want to see.

 Chapter 1072 WOES OF A SINGLE DOG

    1072 WOES OF A SINGLE DOG


    "BEFORE we start, we should firsr establish an important rule," Bai Ze said. Everyone in the team was already in the main hall. He stood up and then pointed at Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun. "No more making out in the team''s public spaces!"


    Luo Yan blinked innocently, as if he didn''t know what Bai Ze was talking about. While Shen Ji Yun only cleared his throat and averted his gaze.


    "Do you know how I felt when I opened the door earlier and the first thing I saw was you two¡ª ah! I can''t even say it! If you want to do something like that, just find a private ce where no one could see you. Okay?"


    "Brother Ze, why are you talking like Brother Ji Yun and I were doing something... nasty?" Luo Yan said in a very dramatic manner. Then he started fake-crying. "I can''t believe you think we will do that kind of thing in public. Is that how you actually see us?"


    As if on cue, Shen Ji Yun quickly hugged Luo Yan''s shoulders. Then, he looked at Bai Ze as if ming the other. One might think that he was just ying along with Luo Yan''s act. But with the kind of love brain he had, it wouldn''t be surprising if he wasn''t ying along and was actually very serious with his actions.


    Bai Ze was also on the same boat. His initial indignation was quikcly swept away when he saw his cousin ''crying''. "Oh no, that''s not it--"


    Luo Jin, on the side, couldn''t take it anymore and cut off whatever Bai Ze was about to say. "I agree with Brother Ze. Public spaces should be treated like a public space."


    When he heard what Bai Ze had said earlier, he seriously just wanted this conversation to end. His brother and Shen Ji Yun... he never wanted that kind of imagery in his mind. Like the feeling of being embarrassed and the urge to puke just mixed together, creating a pit in his stomach.


    Should he be d that he didn''t see the two in apromising position like Bai Ze did? If he did, he might really end up having a stomachache even though they were in a virtual reality.


    He red at Shen Ji Yun. This was all this guy''s fault. Even if he and Luo Yan were in that kind of rtionship, he should know that there were things he should and shouldn''t do in ces where people could easily see them. Well, granted that only their team members could see them in such a situation since they were at their headquarters. But still.


    Seeing his brother not falling for his crying act, he once again felt like a mother hen seeing her chick growing up. "Aw... Ah Jin has really grown up."


    Su Yuqi softlyughed when she heard that. Then she gave Luo Jin a nce and added, "Yeah, in more ways than one."


    For some reason, that shortment from Su Yuqi made Luo Jin blush.


    Watching this interaction, and then seeing Shen Ji Yun still hugging Luo Yan''s shoulder, Bai Ze felt like a single dog more than ever. No, why would he feel that when there''s only one official couple here?


    He looked at Su Yuqi and Luo Jin suspiciously. Then he quickly shook his head. Nope. He would not go there. Just the thought of that possibility was already giving him goosebumps.


    Then, as if to drive the point home, the hushed conversation on the side reached his ear.


    "Maybe the big lion should also look for a girlfriend, or maybe a boyfriend?" said the little fox.


    "With that look? Maybe in a hundred years," the red dragon replied with a snort.


    Bai Ze felt like a vein on his forehead throbbed hearing that conversation. Aside from the irritation, he couldn''t help but wonder when the heck these two actually started to get along.


    Anyway, he decided to be the bigger person and just ignore the two. He then talked about the topic he had really wanted to talk about since earlier.


    "By the way, I already confirmed with Brother Xiang Ye, he and Brother Yu Lan will return next month. Probably just in time for the start of Arcadia Cup''s final tournament."


    "They''ve been travelling around the world, right?" Luo Yan asked, curious.


    He heard that the two studied abroad, and after graduating, they started travelling around the world.


    "Yeah, they''ve been travelling for two years now. They mostly ended up in ces with no reception, that''s why it''s been hard to contact them," Bai Ze said. "Both of them are really fun. You and Xiao Jin will definitely like them." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "If Brother Yu Lan heard you calling him ''fun'', he will definitely give you his signature cold stare," Su Yuqimented.


    Bai Ze suddenly shivered. "Hey, don''t remind me."


    "The final tournament might not happen next month though," Shen Ji Yun said. "I heard from Uncle this morning that the final tournament this year would be moved. It will probably be announcedter during the closing ceremony."


    "What? Why the sudden change?" Bai Ze asked, confused.


    "Uncle didn''t tell me anything more than that," Shen Ji Yun said with a shrug.


    "Maybe Uncle Yi Mu is about to announce something big again," Luo Yanmented.


    "Aww man. I hope both Brother Xiang Ye and Brother Yu Lan''s stay here is much longer and not just one month. That way, they could watch us in the final tournament," Bai Ze said with a hopeful tone.


    "They''ve been away for so long, I''m sure they won''t just stay here for a month," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "And if ever they really n to leave after a month, we can convince them to extend their stay," Su Yuqi added.


    Just hearing that, it''s obvious that the three were really close with the two retired members. Now Luo Yan was also a bit excited to meet the two. Besides, from what Shen Ji Yun had told him so far, those two seemed to have a very unique rtionship.


    After talking about this and that, the time for the closing ceremony finally arrived.

 Chapter 1073 NEW ANNOUNCEMENT

    1073 NEW ANNOUNCEMENT


    THE closing ceremony was once again held in Lunaris Vale. But this time, it was not held inside a hall. Instead, it was held in the castle''s courtyard like some kind of garden party.


    In the garden, 16 tables were neatly arranged, with an elevatedndscape resembling a stage at the front. The night sky provided clear visibility of the moon, casting a gentle glow over the scene. The flowers, resembling frozen crystals, added a touch of elegance. Soft light emanated from small floating orbs, resembling fireflies, creating a subtle and enchanting ambiance. Thebination of simple elegance, moonlit charm, and the soft glow of floating lights transformed the garden into a captivating venue for the event.


    There were only 16 tables because only the teams who would participate in the final tournament were here, unlike during the opening ceremony. The four tables at the front were upied by the top four ofst year''s Arcadia Cup. The six tables in the middle were reserved for those teams that were first in their respective brackets. While thest six tables in thest row were the teams who ces second.


    Team Yunyue was sitting on the table right in the middle of the second row. A table could upy up to 10 people. And since Yunyue only had five members, not including the three pets, their table looked much emptierpared to the rest. Especially since Eclipse, Dusk, and Rowan decided not to go with them.


    Initially, Eclipse was supposed to go with them. But then, when he heard that Luo Yan wouldn''t be performing like he did during the opening ceremony, he chose to stay with the two dragons.


    Luo Yan just shook his head when he remembered that. It''s like the kid wasn''t clinging to him when he logged in earlier. Ha... kids really do grow up fast.


    The closing ceremony hadn''t started yet. But food was already served on the table. Although the garden looked cold because of the frozen flowers, the temperature here was just right. Those flowers were just for aesthetic after all.


    Luo Yan poured himself wine and drank it. The velvety and fruity taste spread in his mouth. Ah, virtual reality was truly wonderful. Here, he could drink alcohol without worry of getting drunk.


    With how overprotective his family was, he would probably only be able to drink alcohol once he''s in college. Even then, Shen Ji Yun would definitely be there to make sure he wouldn''t get drunk. Or at least, be there at his side when he did.


    He picked a piece of strawberry and dipped it in chocte before taking a bite. As he just bit into the strawberry, he noticed that Shen Ji Yun was staring at him. Or rather, staring at his lips.


    Seeing as how the other''s Adam''s apple moved as he stared, a yful smile crossed Luo Yan''s lips. He put his hand on Shen Ji Yun''s thigh, making the other''s body stiffened.


    Because of his action, Shen Ji Yun finally lifted his head. When their gazes met, Luo Yan purposely licked the strawberry he''s eating, then mouthed, ''Pervert''.


    Shen Ji Yun could feel his whole face heating up. If this was reality, another part of his body was probably already reacting improperly right now. He instinctively wanted to stand up and go somewhere cold to calm himself down. But he stopped in the middle because of Luo Yan''s hand on his thigh, which made him almost fell on his chair.


    Luo Yan couldn''t help butughed out loud at the other''s reaction. Really, there''s no dull moment when he''s with Shen Ji Yun.


    A rather loud sound of someone clearing their throat called their attention. The two both turned their head towards the seat opposite. There, Bai Ze was looking at them with daggers in his eyes. As if silently saying, ''have you two already forgotten what we discussed earlier?''.


    "Do the two of you really want to get caught?" Bai Ze said, reminding them that this whole thing was being broadcasted live.


    Before Luo Yan or Shen Ji Yun could respond, the floating lights surrounding the garden suddenly dimmed.


    With only the lighting from the huge moon above, they saw the orbs with dim lights gathered around the area surrounding the stage. And when all the floating orbs brightened, a figure appeared at the center of the stage.


    It was a man wearing a ck suit and silver-rimmed sses. The CEO of Moonlight Media, Shen Yi Mu.


    This came as a surprise for most of the yers here. Because the one they were expecting was the Duke of Spades - the NPC who would host this year''s Arcadia Cup. Instead, the one who appeared was the CEO of Moonlight Media. Those with quick wits immediately understood that there might be another announcement, just like in the opening ceremony.


    "First of all, good evening to all the great yers here," Shen Yi Mu started. "I want to congratte all of you for reaching the top 16 and being thest set of teams to participate in this final tournament."


    A perfunctory apuse was heard.


    "As you already know, servers outside of the country will open soon. To prepare for that and to show the world just how great Arcadia is, what better stage would there be than the final tournament of Arcadia Cup?


    "The testing phase for our new servers has sessfully concluded. VR helmets will also be avable for sale globally starting next week. Looking ahead, we n to roll out the new servers progressively over the next month, ensuring a smooth and optimizedunch experience.


    "As a token of appreciation, 100 lucky yers from each newly established server will be selected at random to witness the final tournament live in our country''s dedicated server. That''s not all¡ªMoonlight Media has coborated with a world renowned streaming tform to broadcast the tournament worldwide. In light of these developments, the schedule for the final tournament has been adjusted.


    "It will now be rescheduled in the third week of June."


    This announcement not only surprised the yers there but also those watching the live broadcast. But Shen Yi Mu''s next statement surprised them even further. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 1074 NEW FORMAT

    1074 NEW FORMAT


    LUO YAN browsed Weibo as he and Luo Jin were on their way to school. Winter break was over and now it''s the start of the new semester. Students would mostly feel lethargic going to ss after a long vacation, but Luo Yan didn''t feel any of that. Probably because he had been busy with a lot of things that time just passed by in a blur.


    Spending time with family, going on dates with his boyfriend, and fighting in the preliminaries of Arcadia Cup.


    Speaking of the Cup, he remembered once again the announcements that Uncle Yi Mu gavest night.


    =====


    Since Luo Yan already knew from what Shen Ji Yun said earlier that there''s a chance the date of the final tournament might be moved, he wasn''t that surprised by Uncle Yi Mu''s announcement. What did surprise him, though, was the reason behind it.


    It''s just a month when the other announced that new servers would be open this year. He just didn''t expect that it would be this soon. Maybe when Uncle Yi Mu announced about it during the opening ceremony, everything had already been prepared. Because if not, then there''s no way those servers would have been ready this fast.


    Luo Yan thought that that would be the end of the announcement. He didn''t expect that there would be more.


    "To show these new yers all over the world how magnificent and wonderful the world of Arcadia is, we had decided to change the tournament format," Uncle Yi Mu continued.


    A new tournament format? Based on the murmurs floating around, it''s clear that Luo Yan was not the only one confused by this.


    "In the previous setup, team battles were categorized into three types¡ªtower defense, battle arena, and wargame. However, with the new format, there will be a change. The top 16 round of the tournament will follow the familiar old format. But, as soon as the tournament progresses to the quarter-finals, a change in the format will be implemented.


    "The next three rounds, starting from the top 8, will feature themes that have never been explored in previous Arcadia Cups. For the quarter-finals, the theme will be [Amazing Race]. Thepeting teams will race throughout Arcadia, searching for clues and solving puzzles until they reach the final pit-stop.


    "For the semi-finals, the theme will be [RPG]. Thepeting teams will navigate the same dungeon scenario, and the team that fulfills the scenario''s requirements will emerge victorious. As for the finals, it will be a ssic [Battle Royale], where thest two teams will eliminate each other in a harsh environment and penalties could be imposed at any given moment.


    13:35


    "These changes in the final tournament mighte as a surprise to everyone, and some of you may not even like them. However, remember that all 16 teams here represent the best of the best that Arcadia has to offer. Don''t you want to show these new yers from different countries how things are done? Show them why you are the best?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    =====


    Thosest words of encouragement definitely lit the fighting spirits of those yers who were there at that moment. It''s probably why none of themined on the spot after hearing such changes.


    The same couldn''t be said to those who were watching the live broadcast, though. As evidence of thements on Weibo that Luo Yan was reading now.


    [I can still understand moving the date of the final tournament. But changing the format? Like what the heck is an amazing race even?]


    [Wasn''t it obvious that Moonlight Media is basically using the final tournament to advertise Arcadia to those foreigners? The CEO said so himself.]


    [With those changes, the game will definitely be well advertised, no doubt.]


    [Is Moonlight Media just turning into a big money grubber? Just to promote the game to other countries, they didn''t hesitate to ruin Arcadia Cup?]


    [Is there even a gamepany that''s not a money grubber?]


    [But you''ve got to admit, it''s a good PR move. This is almost like free promotion. If I were a foreigner and I watched the livestream of the final tournament, seeing all the ces in Arcadia featured while those teams werepeting, I would definitely buy a VR helmet the next day so I could also y the game.]


    Of course, not all thements were negative. There were those who were excited to watch this new format. Saying that the old setup was already too predictable. Since this would be thest Arcadia Cup, it''s better to go out with a bang than to stick with what''sfortable and familiar.


    Personally, Luo Yan really didn''t have much opinion about it. Whether it''s the old format or the new, it wouldn''t change what their team had to. And that''s to win.


    Although the [Amazing Race] and [RPG] could be fun in their own way. Well, it certainly would be interesting.


    Seeing that he was browsing Weibo, Luo Jin asked beside him, "Is Arcadia trending because of what happenedst night?"


    Luo Yan closed his phone and answered, "Yeah. Some people were not too happy about it."


    "Hmm, I, for one, approve of this change."


    "Why? Do you like the concept of amazing race? Or did you enjoy role ying during the dungeon raid we didst time?" Luo Yan asked curiously, and also with a hint of teasing in his voice.


    As expected, Luo Jin''s face turned red in embarrassment. The other was probably reminded of that dungeon raid where he had to y the role of a male cross dressing as a female.


    "Not that! I''m just d they moved the schedule," Luo Jin quickly denied. "At least with it being held in the third week of June, you can now focus more on your college entrance exam."


    Luo Jin did have a point. Since the college entrance exam was usually held during the first week of June.


    Then, as if realizing something, Luo Jin said, "No way. Did that guy ask his uncle to change the schedule for you, so you could have more time to prepare for the college entrance exam?"

 Chapter 1075 COMPLETE SUCKER

    1075 COMPLETE SUCKER n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "NO way," Luo Yan said, waving his hand with a dryugh. As if Luo Jin just said a very funny joke. "Brother Ji Yun wouldn''t do that."


    Right?


    "Hmp. You know how that guy''s brain cells seemed to decrease whenever ites to you. He''s totally capable of doing that," Luo Jin said in a low voice, probably to avoid the driver hearing it.


    Luo Yan wanted tough it off, but then stopped in the middle. Because, just like Luo Jin said, there''s really a possibility of Shen Ji Yun doing just that. Especially if the other was secretly worrying about his college entrance examination.


    If the schedule for the final tournament wasn''t moved, then it would have probably fallen either in thest week of March or the start of April. Since the college entrance examination was usually held on the first week of June, all third year high school students were the busiest in the months leading up to that.


    So, if the final tournament wasn''t rescheduled, then Luo Yan''s time would time would definitely be taken up by that. Which would be bad in the perspective of those who were worried about him taking the college entrance exam.


    But he wasn''t really that worried about it. He had already done it once, after all. That meant he no longer felt nervous, just like the first time. He just had to review the important points and also those that were added to the curriculum during the years that he was in aa.


    Others didn''t know about this, though. Not even Shen Ji Yun.


    So, if he considered that, as well as how Shen Ji Yun usually was when it came to things regarding him, then it wouldn''t be too far-fetched if the other really requested Uncle Yi Mu to move the date for the final tournament.


    Seeing his expression, Luo Jin scoffed. "See? You also think it''s possible."


    Luo Yan decided to just notment. But in the end, he still decided to send a message to Shen Ji Yun.


    [Brother Ji Yun, I''m just asking, but did you have anything to do with Uncle Yi Mu deciding to change the scheduled date of the final tournament?]


    After thinking about it, he added.


    [I''m just asking because I''m curious. If it''s not, then you can just ignore this message.]


    ----------


    It was also the start of the second semester at T University. Shen Ji Yun was supposed to have two sses this morning, but both were cancelled. So, his first ss for today would start after lunch. That meant he had time to make a much more fulfilling breakfast for him and his uncle.


    They just finished eating, and he was putting the dirty tes in the dishwasher. After that was done, he started putting the clean tes and other tablewares in the cupboard.


    When he walked out of the kitchen, he was surprised to see that his uncle was still in the living room and had not yet left for work. The other was slumped on a couch, as if he didn''t have any energy. Well, he could somehow understand why his uncle why acting like this.


    It was because Uncle Yue had already returned to S City yesterday. The other still had a job at Luo Yan''s school. It''s natural that he had to return. Although, because of that, his uncle had been sulking since.


    Understandable, considering that they only had recently been reunited. He would give it a week or two before his uncle decided to go to S City to be with Uncle Yue. If he didn''t have to attend university, he would actually do the same.


    Anyway, it''s the reason why his uncle was in a low mood all throughout yesterday. That''s probably why when he announced the new schedule for the final tournament, as well as the change in the battle format, he wasn''t exactly showing that much enthusiasm. Unlike during the opening ceremony.


    That announcement about the change in the battle format actually surprised him a lot. He didn''t expect that his uncle would approve of using the Arcadia Cup as a PR marketing move. Because that''s what it was. The two themes - [Amazing Race] and [RPG] - would not only showcase the world of Arcadia, but also the interesting dungeons scattered all around this world.


    In thepany''s perspective, this would definitely help sell the game overseas. Arcadia was already pretty popr and a lot of people from abroad had been requesting for it to be released in their countries for years now. But that was only true for those who loved ying games. To the general public, Arcadia was just ''that VR game from Country Z''.


    But with this kind of publicity, this beautiful virtual world would intrigue even those who were not interested in ying games. The thought that they could travel there by just buying a VR helmet was just too good of a lure.


    The message notification from his phone pulled Shen Ji Yun back from his thoughts. It was the notification sound solely for any messageing from Luo Yan. Of course, a call from the other also had its own ringing tone.


    He quickly took out his phone and read the message.


    [Brother Ji Yun, I''m just asking, but did you have anything to do with Uncle Yi Mu deciding to change the scheduled date of the final tournament?]


    [I''m just asking because I''m curious. If it''s not, then you can just ignore this message.]


    Shen Ji Yun''s first reaction was confusion, wondering why Luo Yan would ask something like this. And then, after a few seconds, his brain finally worked, and he immediately understood why Luo Yan asked that.


    Was he such a sucker that Luo Yan would think that he would find a way to change the schedule just so his boyfriend could focus on reviewing for the college entrance examination?


    It didn''t even take that long for him to admit ''yes, he was that much of a sucker''.

 Chapter 1076 BACK TO SCHOOL

    1076 BACK TO SCHOOL


    ALTHOUGH Shen Ji Yun could happily admit that he was a big sucker for Luo Yan. It was not because of his request that the date for the final tournament was rescheduled. He did try, though. But before he could, his uncle had informed him about the possibility of it being rescheduled.


    Which, in his opinion, was the best announcement fromst night. He had been worrying about Luo Yan''s college entrance examination for a while now. With only a few months left, if the other spent most of his time ying games instead of reviewing, and then ended up having a low score in the exam, he probably wouldn''t be able to forgive himself.


    After all, he was the one who agreed for their team to participate in Arcadia Cup, despite the fact that this was a very busy time for Luo Yan. Even if the other had assured him that this wouldn''t affect his studying, he still couldn''t help but be worried.


    He had been thinking of ways to get around the tournament schedule for a while now, so it was a huge relief that Moonlight Media made the decision of changing the schedule. At least now, he didn''t have to use his position as the CEO''s nephew to make things go his way.


    But why would Luo Yan ask him about that?


    The answer came almost immediately. If he could easily think of the things he just did, then there''s no way Luo Yan wouldn''t be able to. He must have wondered why the date for the final tournament was conveniently moved after the college entrance examination.


    The best answer would be because Shen Ji Yun did something. Considering everything, it''s not weird that Luo Yan would reach such a conclusion.


    Instead of getting embarrassed, Shen Ji Yun let out a helpless smile. He wanted to call Luo Yan at this moment, but he knew the other must either be on the way to school or he was already there. So, he could only send back a message.


    ---------- n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Nearing the school, Luo Yan finally received the reply from Shen Ji Yun. He quickly read it.


    [luckycloud]: As much as I want to take credit for that, I''m afraid I can''t. I had nned to, but Uncle had already made that decision before I could talk to him.


    Luo Yan raised his brow. Now that was unexpected. He sent a reply to the other.


    [yanyan1213]: Now I''m a bit embarrassed for even assuming.


    [luckycloud]: Don''t be. It''s something I would have done. It just happened that I didn''t have to do anything this time. So, it''s right for you to think that it was me who did it.


    [luckycloud]: After all, I''m such a big sucker for you.


    Thatst message drew augh from Luo Yan.


    [yanyan1213]: And I love you for that.


    The car stopped. Luo Yan didn''t even realize that they were already in school. He said goodbye to Shen Ji Yun and got out of the car.


    "So, was it him?" Luo Jin asked as he walked beside Luo Yan.


    Luo Yan quickly understood what the other meant. "Surprisingly, it''s not him."


    "And you believe him?" Luo Jin scoffed. "He''s definitely lying."


    Luo Yan chuckled and pinched his brother''s cheek. "Brother Ji Yun is not in the habit of lying to me. It''s more likely for me to lie to him, actually."


    "If you say so," Luo Jin said, still not believing. "I''ll go to my ss."


    They separated and walked to their respective teaching buildings.


    As Luo Yan walked to his ssroom, he noticed that there were a lot more students ncing and staring at him. At least, more than usual.


    He was sure that those stares were not just because of him being too beautiful. They were mostly inquisitive and didn''t really have that much of malice. But some were obviously looking at him with the expression of someone watching gossip.


    Hmm... what could this mean? Did he have some kind of scandal or...?


    Before he could think of the reason, a familiar voice called him from the back.


    "Yan Yan!"


    Luo Yan stopped walking and turned back. He saw Yu Jiao running towards him. He waited for the other and the both of them walked towards their ssroom.


    "How was the rest of your vacation?" Luo Yan asked as they walked.


    A smile appeared on Yu Jiao''s face. "It''s good. My mom and I went to Hainan Indst week for a short vacation. It was wonderful."


    "That''s a good ce to go to during winter," Luo Yan said, remembering that it was an ind known for its tropical weather, even during the winter months. It was a ce known for its beaches and resorts.


    Maybe he and Shen Ji Yun could go there next year.


    They continued to talk until they entered their ssroom. But as soon as they did, some of their ssmates quickly encircled Luo Yan.


    "Yan Yan, are you really Noctis?" one said. "Actually, I''ve been meaning to ask that for quite a while now, since you look a lot like him."


    "A lot of us thought the same!" another added.


    "We saw your picture with that guy who looked like YUN. No, wait, is he really YUN?" someone said.


    "Can you tell us? Promise we won''t post it online. It will be like a ss secret."


    Oh... so that''s what it was. The reason why those students earlier were looking at him funny. It''s still because of that damn photo.


    How should he handle this?


    Before he could think of any response, a voice from behind suddenly interrupted them.


    "Can you all move? You''re blocking the way?"


    They all looked behind and saw Huang Wen. Seeing his frowning face, everyone made way.


    Luo Yan watched the other go to his seat. Now that he thought about it, the two of them never had a proper interaction again after Huang Wen confessed to him.


    He wondered how he and Ying Chen were doing now?

 Chapter 1077 HUANG WENS TROUBLE

    1077 HUANG WEN''S TROUBLE


    HUANG WEN sat down in his seat. When he heard the conversation of his ssmates before reaching the door of the ssroom, mentioning the names ''Noctis'' and ''YUN, he immediately thought of Luo Yan. And that... guy.


    He was quite sure that the guy he saw in the game with Luo Yan was that YUN. It was also the same guy who visited school that day. Hearing his ssmates asked if Luo Yan and that guy were Noctis and YUN, something must have happened to suddenly start this inquiry.


    Many of their ssmates had already suspected that Luo Yan must be Noctis ever since the other had that insane growth spurt. He knew that there were some who wanted to ask Luo Yan about it. But they always held back. Probably in consideration of the other.


    But now, they''re not holding back at all. Whatever happened must be quite exciting. And the fact that he hadn''t yet heard Luo Yan''s voice meant that the other must be feeling quite awkward to answer them.


    He sighed and just walked in at that moment, making the others stopped their questioning.


    Surprisingly enough, Huang Wen didn''t feel the same pang he felt when he first saw Luo Yan and that guy together. In fact, he had not been thinking of Luo Yan altogether for quite a while now.


    It''s all because he was too busy thinking of a way to end his cold war with Ying Chen. It had been almost two months now, and the other was still giving him the cold shoulder. Although it had somehow improved now since the other was at least acknowledging his presence, it''s still not the same as it was before.


    It''s like they suddenly became strangers. The years they had been friends went... poof, just like that. And the worse thing was, he had no idea why it even happened.


    No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn''t find the reason why Ying Chen was acting this way. They never had a serious argument that could have led to this ''cold war''.


    So why?


    But he knew that no matter how much he questioned things, it wouldn''t change the fact that Ying Chen was acting like this. So, the only thing he could do was to try to change it.


    His first course of action was to invite the other to lunch. Which did not yield anything since winter vacation quickly came. He initially thought it would be fine, since they lived in the same residential area. But he didn''t expect that Ying Chen wouldn''t even meet him. Even going so far as to ask the maids to tell him that he was busy reviewing for the college entrance examination.


    Huang Wen would have believed that if he hadn''t been talking to Liang Sen before and knew that the other and Ying Chen were ying Arcadia just 30 minutes ago. How could it be believable that Ying Chen was suddenly busy reviewing the moment Huang Wen came to visit?


    He visited the Ying family mansion for a few more days after that. But he was given the same excuse over and over again. At that point, it was quite obvious that Ying Chen didn''t want to see him.


    He could take a hint, so he stopped visiting. But that didn''t mean he would give up fixing their friendship. So, he logged into the game. He knew Ying Cheng wouldn''t meet with him in the game even if he messaged the other. So, he simply messaged Liang Sen.


    Huang Wen released a deep sigh. When he raised his head, he saw Luo Yan''s back, and a wry smile subconsciously crossed his lips.


    10:16


    The two would most likely be together. Even if they weren''t, he could simply ask Liang Sen to contact Ying Chen. Thankfully, the two were together, so he didn''t have to do that.


    Upon seeing him, Ying Chen didn''t hesitate to show his dissatisfaction. But he still shamelessly tagged along with the two. Which then ended up with him being a huge burden because he was such a noob. He still didn''t leave, though.


    Days continued on like that. Uncle Ying Chen couldn''t take it anymore and shouted at him. Telling him to get lost if he wouldn''t be of use. He didn''t mind it. In fact, it made him happy. Because that''s the first time Ying Chen had talked to him since the start of this ''cold war''.


    Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind at that moment. What if he continued to annoy Ying Chen? Maybe the other would also continue to shout at him. That''s definitely better than total silence.


    And his n worked!


    The more he annoyed Ying Chen, the more attention the other gave him. After a few days of that, it was Liang Sen who couldn''t take the way they were acting any longer.


    What the other said kind of made a huge impression on him.


    [What the hell is happening with you two? Ah Wen is acting like Ah Chen and Ah Chen is acting like Ah Wen. Did someone curse you and switched your souls?]


    That kind of hit something within Huang Wen. Because if he really thought about it, Liang Sen was only stating facts.


    If before, Ying Chen was the one trying his best to get his attention, the one always indulging his every whim, the one who had always been there. And now, that was no longer the case. Just like what Liang Sen had said, their position had now been reversed.


    That''s when he realized that he had been taking Ying Chen for granted. From when they were kids until now. If the other didn''t start to ignore him, he might have not even realized it.


    That it had to take this much for him to even realize this showed just how much of a total buffoon he was. He was not only a buffoon, but also a hopeless and utter jerk.


    Huang Wen released a deep sigh. When he raised his head, he saw Luo Yan''s back, and a wry smile subconsciously crossed his lips.


    The big joke here was, because of what was happening with Ying Chen, any thoughts he had about Luo Yan just disappeared.


    Now he''s starting to wonder if he even truly liked the other. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 1078 EVERYONE PREPARING

    1078 EVERYONE PREPARING


    ON the first weekend after the new semester began, team Yunyue decided to start an ''Arcadia Tour''. It was to prepare for the [Amazing Race] theme of the quarter-finals. Arcadia was a big world. So big that it could even bepared to the real world.


    Since both Luo Yan and Luo Jin had only started ying Arcadiast year, which wasn''t even a full year yet, it would be hard to navigate the whole world without knowing which way to go. It was not only for them but also for the fox and the two dragons. They were as much as a part of their team as any other. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    One might say that it''s still too early to worry about that, considering the start of the final tournament was still three months away. Another thing was, the [Amazing Race] was a theme for the quarter-finals. It wasn''t even certain that they would get past the final 16 battle.


    But that''s not a problem for team Yunyue. But they all believed that they would get past that, no matter who their opponent would be.


    That''s why they had decided to prepare in advanced. Every weekend, they would do this special tour until everyone was familiar with the whole of Arcadia.


    They still didn''t know what this [Amazing Race] theme fully entailed. But at least they would be ready.


    So, right now, the whole team was at the eastmost part of Arcadia. Their n was to go from east to west, and then from north to south.


    They were currently on the top of a mountain overlooking a coastal vige.


    "So, we''ll travel from here and then stopped by in every vige, cities, town, or any knownndmarks that woulde our way," Bai Ze said. "What do you think?"


    Everyone nodded in agreement. Well, everyone except the two dragons. Dusk simply didn''t care what everyone had decided, while Rowan was seriously not on board with this decision.


    "What exactly is your dissatisfaction, my dear Rowan?" Bai Ze asked in an exasperated tone.


    Rowan scowled. "Don''t ''my dear'' me! It''s easy for all of you to agree with this ridiculous travel experience when you''re not the ones being used as a ''vehicle''!" He turned to Dusk. "Don''t you think so as well?"


    Dusk refused toment and just looked at the vast sea below. Which only frustrated Rowan.


    "This concerns you as well, you know? Why am I the only one fighting for our rights?"


    "Because you''re too overdramatic," Eclipse answered instead, rolling his eyes. "And Uncle Dusk doesn''t mind, because it''s no big deal."


    "How do you know he doesn''t mind?" Rowan argued.


    "Isn''t Uncle notining already a sign of that?" Eclipse argued back.


    "Okay, okay, let''s all not argue," Luo Yan said. "You remember who goes with who, right?"


    As Rowan had put it, they had two ''vehicles'' in the form of dragons. And since there were six of them who were supposed to ride, they had to divide into two groups. Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun, and Eclipse would ride on Dusk. While Bai Ze, Luo Jin, and Su Yuqi would ride on Rowan.


    The two dragons had transformed into their original form, hulking and majestic amidst Rowan''s dissatisfaction.


    And so, team Yunyue finally began their ''Arcadia Tour''.


    ----------


    It was not only team Yunyue who had been preparing for the final tournament, other teams in the top 16 were also doing the same. The top 4st year were no different.


    Team Celestials, in particr, was holding a meeting at their headquarters.


    "I think we should let the other members who were not part of the main attack team to lead the top 16 match," Li Xu Min said. "It would be a good experience for them."


    "While I do agree that it could be a good experience, we should also consider how good this year''s top 16 is," Duan Yu interjected.


    "I do understand your concern. But I believe there would be no big problem." Li Xu Min smiled at the other members of their team, who were there for the meeting. "Each member of our team is strong and dependable. I believe they won''t let us down."


    The other team members, who were not part of the main attack team, felt moved by their captain''s words. They could only think how much of an angel he was. And with that, they burned with even more determination.


    They couldn''t let their captain down.


    Duan Yu let out a long sigh. Although this trait of Li Xu Min was verymendable, sometimes it could also get a bit frustrating.


    While he was thinking of how to make the other see reason, Zhong Hui suddenly spoke up.


    "How about putting one of us on the team to lead them?" He turned to Li Xu Min. "What do you think, Ah Min?"


    Li Xu Min seemed to be contemting about it. At the end, he nodded. "Okay, let''s do as Ah Hui said."


    Qiu Ming suddenly raised his hand. "Me! Me! Let me do it!"


    Li Xu Min chuckled as Qiu Ming excited reaction. "Okay, we will leave this to Ming-er."


    Another sigh escaped Duan Yu''s lips. This was just getting better.


    "Just leave it," Song Liuli whispered to him. "It''s not that bad. Have more trust in the members of our team. Aren''t you the one who admitted most of them? Surely, you didn''t let anyone ipetent join."


    Duan Yu could only shake his head. Well, since things were already like this, he just have to make sure the ones who would fight in the top 16 match with Qiu Ming were in top shape.


    He would train them himself if needed.


    ----------


    Simr scenes like this were happening all around the top 16 teams. There were those who were training, those doing dungeon raids, and those doing novel things like team Yunyue.


    No matter how different each team''s approach was, each and everyone was doing their best to make sure they would be ready by the time the final tournament began.

 Chapter 1079 TWO DRAGONS

    1079 TWO DRAGONS


    A CERTAIN post in the game forum was gaining traction for a few days now. Thements kept piling up that, for several days, it had been at the top of the forum. It was almost as if it was pinned at the top. That''s why many yers who visited the forum couldn''t help but click on it and read it. Especially with such an eye-catching title.


    [Two Dragons in Flight: A Breathtaking Sight Over Arcadia''s Skies!]


    [I was rxing at Blossom Fields yesterday when two big shadows suddenly passed by. I was startled. I thought it was some kind of airship or something. But when I looked up, I actually saw two dragons! One red and one ck. They were western dragons, and the span of their wings as they fly in the sky is really a sight to behold.


    When they flew off and disappeared from my sight, it suddenly hit me. Were they yers or NPCs? If they were yers, wouldn''t they be, like, very well known by now? I mean, western dragons are very rare. There''s only a handful of yers that had them as a race. Was there a ck one and a red one among the western dragon yers? I think there''s a red one, but I''m not sure about the ck one.


    But if they were NPCs, they would have usually flown way higher in the sky than that. To the point that people on the ground wouldn''t even see them up close. They would only see a speck. So, howe I was able to see them so clearly?


    What do you think? Were they yers or were they NPCs?]


    Then attached to that post was a screenshot of two western dragons, one ck and one red. Just like what do original poster said.


    [I think they''re yers. I mean, as you said, no NPC dragons would fly that close to the ground.]


    [Most NPC dragons just stay in theirirs and don''t bother to go out. Most particrly the western ones.]


    ¦é[This. Especially after what happened in the valley of dragons. They just lost their king. There''s no way they would just go out, flying about this soon.]


    ¦é[Right, something like that did happen. But how did it happen, anyway? Did another yer trigger some kind of narrative rted to the western dragons?]


    ¦é[If someone did, I wished they shared it with everyone.]


    [But it''s also hard to believe that they were yers. I mean, just like you said, it''s rare to get the western dragon race, as much as it was to get the eastern one. Once a new yer gets one, it''s hard to hide.]


    ¦é[Are you saying these two were both rookies? I will believe it if it''s only one, but two at the same time?]


    ¦é[Not to mentionst year there was also a rookie who got a dragon as a race. You know, the one who came second inst year''s Rookie Carnival?]


    ¦é[Maybe the game devs are trying to increase their poption because of what happened in the valley of the dragons?]


    [I''ve seen them too! I was just at Mt. Silvercrest at that time.]


    [Me as well. I saw them when I was at Ember Hollow. Just like the original poster said, they flew very low. I even thought they were going tond.]


    [Wait¡ª those ces that were mentioned just now. All of them were in the easternmost part of Arcadia. If they were yers, does that mean that the dragons'' origin vige is in the east?]


    [That would count if they were actually yers.]


    [Don''t you guys think that there''s another answer aside from ''yers'' and ''NPCs''?]


    ¦é[And what could that be?]


    ¦é¦é[They can be pets.]


    [Someone just mentioned from the replies above that the two dragons could be ''pets''. If they were, then it would answer a lot of people''s questions.]


    ¦é[Pets? LOL. Can dragons also be pets?]


    ¦é¦é[Why can''t they? It''s not like it''s written on the Pet System manual that they couldn''t be.]


    ¦é[If they were really pets, then I could only salute their masters. Imagine having dragons as pets? Wow.]


    ¦é[Their masters could only be high-level yers if that was the case. Maybe the captain and vice-captain of one of the high-ranking teams.]


    More and morements specting that the two dragons were pets came after that.


    ----------


    Yu Jiao was browsing on the game forum and reading the same post. As she read thements, she became more and more worried. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Yan Yan, have you read this post in the game forum?" she asked Luo Yan, who was walking beside her.


    She, Luo Yan, and Luo Jin were walking in their usual restaurant for lunch.


    Luo Yan nced at Yu Jiao''s phone screen. When he saw the post title, he quickly understood what post the other was talking about.


    "Yes, I read itst night," he said. When he saw Yu Jiao''s worried expression, he smiled. "Don''t worry too much, we got it in hand."


    Although he said that, this situation also came as a surprise for him and the rest of the team. He didn''t expect that seeing two dragons flying about in the sky would be such a big deal. Well, if he thought about it, dragons would always be a point of fascination for gamers.


    "I''m just d no one saw us," Luo Jin said. "I told you we shouldn''t have flown so near the ground."


    "It would be fine. We''ll just look for a way to not be seen," Luo Yan said. Their team definitely had items stored that could help with this situation.


    It''s not really that big of a deal in his opinion. It would probably make the other teams more wary of them if it was discovered that the two were part of their team, and the element of surprise would definitely be gone, but it wouldn''t really affect the bigger picture.


    Or course, not being discovered would be much better. But what would happen would happen. So.


    As they walked, Luo Yan saw a familiar figure ahead.

 Chapter 1080 CATCHING UP WITH UNCLE YUE

    1080 CATCHING UP WITH UNCLE YUE


    LUO YAN was about to say ''Uncle Yue'', but quickly stopped himself. They were in school. If he acted all chummy-chummy with a teacher, even if one was more of a counselor, it might still affect Uncle Yue''s job here. So, he cleared his throat and called out again.


    "Teacher Jiang!"


    The other stopped walking and turned in their direction. A warm smile quickly appeared on his lips upon seeing them.


    Uncle Yue was now using a much smaller and clearer pair of sses, fitting perfectly on his face. Unlike the old one that didn''t even show the beautiful shape of his eyes. It seemed that he''s much more confident now after reuniting with Uncle Yi Mu. He perfectly matched the saying ''blooming in love''.


    The three of them walked towards Uncle Yue before the other could move in their direction. After all, it seemed rude to let him walked to them when he''s a teacher. They greeted him when they arrived in front of him. The other greeted them back with the same warm smile.


    "Are you all going to lunch?" Jiang Yue asked.


    "Yes, Teacher Jiang," Luo Yan said. "I think we''re all going to the same direction. Should we all walk together?"


    Uncle Yue must have known by now that the three of them were regrs of Mr. Yuan''s little restaurant, considering how often the other had seen them there. If they were walking in the same direction, then Uncle Yue must be nning to eat lunch in the same ce.


    Jiang Yue also quickly understood what Luo Yan was suggesting. "Sure, I''d be happy too."


    And they all started walking towards the little restaurant.


    The three went back to their conversation about that post in the game forum. Jiang Yue, who was listening to the side, timely said when they were finished with that particr topic;


    "I do hope you still allocate some time for reviewing," he said in a rather yful tone. "The college entrance examination will be here before you knew it, after all."


    "We- we''re definitely doing our best to study, Teacher Jiang," Yu Jiao quickly exined.


    "I don''t know if that applies to Yan, though," Luo Jin said.


    Luo Yan turned to his brother. "Hey, I do review. That''s what I''ve been doing here at school. Just ask Jiao Jiao."


    "Yes, Yan Yan is studying as hard as our other ssmates," Yu Jiao quickly added. "As evidence of how he always gets a high score during our mock exams."


    Luo Yan looked at Luo Jin as if saying, ''See?''. But thetter only scoffed at that.


    "In my opinion, you should still cut down on your ying time," Luo Jin said. "We''re already doing that thing during the weekends and then that other thing once during the weekday. Really, if the final tournament hadn''t been moved, I might have protested to Moonlight Media myself for it to be moved."


    Luo Yan hugged his younger brother''s arm. "Aww... our sweet Ah Jin is worrying about me."


    Luo Jin blushed and pulled his arm out of Luo Yan''s grasp. "Stop it. I''m being serious here, okay?"


    "I know. And as I''ve said, there''s nothing to worry about. I''ve got everything covered," Luo Yan reassured the other. "Do I really look like the type who would neglect his future like that?"


    Luo Jin gave him a look as if saying, ''you think?''.


    "L-let''s all calm down," Yu Jiao said.


    Jiang Yue chuckled, listening to the conversation of the three. "Well, if you need any help or just anyone to talk to, just go to my office."


    "Will do, Teacher Jiang."


    "Yes. Thank you, Teacher Jiang."


    Luo Yan and Yu Jiao said, respectively.


    It didn''t take time for them to arrive at the restaurant. As usual, there wasn''t any people inside. They found a table for four people and sat down.


    Yuan Xing, who just walked out of the kitchen, saw thisbination and raised his brows. He walked to the table.


    "Now this is a rare sight," hemented before pulling out the pen and notepad from his shirt pocket. "May I take your order?"


    "Hello, Ah Xing," Jiang Yue greeted the other with a smile before telling him his order.


    As they gave him their order, Luo Yan observed the tall and slender man. He still had that stylish haircut and that charming smile. As he looked at him, he couldn''t help but remember that thing about Brother Zhao.


    Then he shook his head. No, no matter how much curiosity he had regarding the rtionship of the two, he shouldn''t pry. Especially when it''s none of his business.


    When Mr. Yuan left to get their orders, Luo Yan turned his attention to Uncle Yue. There was actually a question he wanted to ask the other for a while now.


    "Uncle Yue, will you still be here for the next school year?"


    It had been in his mind since he found out the rtionship between the other and Uncle Yi Mu. Even if B City was only a few hours away by ne, it''s still a hassle to maintain a rtionship when two people were working in different cities. It''s not like they could meet in the game like him and Shen Ji Yun.


    No, wait. Maybe they were already doing that.


    "Well, actually, I''ll be leaving next school year," Jiang Yue answered honestly. "I applied for a teaching position in T University. I was thankfully epted. The professor I will be recing would retire thising school year. So, I would be teaching there thising September."


    That surprised Luo Yan. It seemed Uncle Yue could also not bear to work far away from Uncle Yi Mu.


    "Then, things actually worked for the better," he could onlyment, thinking that everything actually came together for the other.


    Seemingly understanding what he meant, Uncle Yue smiled brilliantly. "Indeed." He looked at Luo Yan and Yu Jiao. "Maybe you the two of you will be my students. That is, if you choose T University."


    Luo Yan smiled back. "Well, I will be there for sure." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 1081 UNEXPECTED VISITORS

    1081 UNEXPECTED VISITORS


    IT was the second week of travelling across Arcadia for team Yunyue. But this time, they were more careful. Letting both Dusk and Rowan wear stealth items so others could not see them. As long as they wore it, they would remain invisible until they decided not to.


    Of course, this kind of stealth item could only be used for wandering around. It couldn''t be used during PvP, dungeon raids, or in any official battle, like the Arcadia Cup. After all, if it could be used in those situations, it would be unfair for the opposing party.


    Completing their day of travel, they realized they had covered almost a quarter of the eastern part of Arcadia. Satisfied with that result, everyone decided to teleport back to their headquarters.


    "I think if we keep at this, we''ll be able to travel around the whole of Arcadia before the final tournament began," Bai Ze said.


    "Should we add at least an hour of battle training to our schedule?" Luo Yan suggested.


    Shen Ji Yun and Luo Jin turned to him at the same time. The former had a worried expression, as if contemting how to tell him ''no''. While thetter just straight up frowned at him. Even with them not speaking, he already knew what the answer would be.


    "I think our schedule now is just fine," Bai Ze was the one to first respond. "I mean, the four of us could train, but you, I mean, you already have too much on your hand. And you still have to study and all. So..."


    "Great exnation there, you numbskull," Su Yuqi said sarcastically.


    Bai Ze red at the other. "What are you talking about?"


    Su Yuqi scoffed. "If you don''t know, then it just proves that you''re a numbskull."


    "You--"


    "Well, it''s nice to see that some things don''t change."


    The new voice that suddenly echoed as they walked into the main hall stopped everyone in their tracks.


    That sudden voice made Luo Yan confused and on guard. After all, only team members could appear here. Even Yu Jiao needed the approval of at least one of them to enter their headquarters. But the owner of this voice was inside the pce, not outside. They were even in the main hall.


    When he turned his gaze to the owner of the voice, he was surprised again to see that there were actually two people in the main hall instead of just one. Two men, to be exact.


    The first one, who seemed to be the one who spoke just now, was an elf. His light blond hair, blue eyes, and pointed ears showed that.


    He exuded a yful aura, which didn''t match themon cold features of an elf. His countenance conveyed a warmth, suggesting a lighthearted spirit. d in practical yet elegant attire, he wore abination of earthy greens and browns, reflecting the natural tones of the forest. The fabric, adorned with subtle Elven patterns, draped gracefully, embodying both practicality and a touch of elvish grace. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The other one was sitting calmly on one of the seats at the round table. His long hair was the color of autumn leaves. The light gently yed upon each strand, creating an ethereal aura around him. His eyes were like the color of moss-covered stone. The immacte white attire, reminiscent of priestly vestments, stood as a stark contrast to the cold and unmoving atmosphere surrounding him.


    Before Luo Yan could ask a question about who the two were, Bai Ze''s loud voice boomed beside him.


    "Brother Xiang Ye! Brother Yu Lan!"


    Luo Yan''s eyes widened. Although he actually had some inkling of their identity, hearing it still came off as a surprise.


    Bai Ze almost rushed at the two, showing just how excited he was. Even Shen Ji Yun and Su Yuqi walked to the two with faster steps. Luo Yan and Luo Jin looked at each other and just followed the three. Eclipse showed curiosity, but did not rush over as he normally would. The two dragons didn''t care at all.


    Bai Ze jumped and hugged the elf. Thetter epted the hug happily, patting Bai Ze''s back. When he was about to do the same to the man sitting, the other just gave him a brief nce and it promptly stopped Bai Ze.


    This made the elfugh. "Come now, Lan-er. Our junior here is just excited to see you after so long."


    "I know, but there''s no need for a hug," the man sitting said before standing up, then he tapped Bai Ze''s shoulder. "It''s good that you''re as energetic as ever."


    "Wee back, Brother Xiang Ye, Brother Yu Lan," Shen Ji Yun greeted with a small smile on his lips, showing just how happy he was seeing the two.


    "You should have told us you wereing," Su Yuqi said. "We could have been here much earlier."


    "We''re definitely d to be back," the elf, the one who should be ''Xiang Ye'', said. "And we wanted to surprise you. That''s why we didn''t say that we''ll be here today. Good thing you haven''t revoked our admin privilege, or we wouldn''t have been able to teleport here directly."


    "How could we revoke that?" Bai Ze said, as if the implication offended him. "Even if you two retired, you''ll forever be members of team Yunyue."


    Xiang Ye grinned at that. Even the seemingly indifferent Yu Lan showed a small smile. The former then turned his gaze to the other people in the room.


    "I see that the team had grown bigger. Can you introduce us?" he said. "Let me do it first. I''m Wu Xiang Ye, game name ''ze Arrow''. And this lovely man here is--"


    "Stop. I can introduce myself," Yu Lan said, cutting off what Wu Xiang Ye was about to say. He turned to the others. "I''m He Yu Lan. Game name, Verdigris. I''m very pleased to meet all of you."


    And that was how they met the two retired members of team Yunyue - Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan.

 Chapter 1082 INTRODUCING EVERYONE

    1082 INTRODUCING EVERYONE


    WHEN the two introduced themselves and asked who the new members of the team were, Bai Ze immediately jumped in to introduce everyone.


    "These two are my cousins," he said, putting his arm on Luo Yan''s shoulders and the other on Luo Jin''s head. "This is Luo Yan, a moon elf. His game name is Noctis. And this little one here is Luo Jin, a chaos gnome. His game name is..."


    "Stop--!"


    "TheAmazingYoungMasterJin!"


    Luo Jin felt like he could die from embarrassment at this very moment. He should have stopped Bai Ze the moment he started introducing Luo Yan with that pattern. He should have known that he would also introduce him in the same manner. And the embarrassment only got worse when Wu Xiang Ye burst outughing.


    "Hahahaha! You- haha! That''s- hahaha! Sorry, I- hahaha!"


    He Yu Lan cleared his throat. His furrowed brows, and the way he''s pursing his lips, obviously showed just how much he was trying his best not tough as well. "That''s... ahem! A unique game name."


    Luo Jin appreciated his thoughtfulness. But the way he said that, while appearing as if he were holding his breath and experiencing constipation simultaneously, was not helping at all.


    Then, after the other said that, he elbowed Wu Xiang Ye. He looked at the other, his eyes seemed to be silently saying; ''Stopughing! The kid already looks like he''d explode from embarrassment.'' N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Wu Xiang Ye seemed to clearly receive the message because he immediately stoppedughing. Although the grin on his face did not disappear at all.


    "Sorry, sorry." He crouched down in front of Luo Jin and ruffled his hair. "You must have run out of game name, so you chose that out of frustration. It''s fine, happens to the best of us."


    Luo Jin couldn''t say anything because that''s exactly what happened. He tried his best not to look in the direction of Su Yuqi. He must have looked really immature because of this series of events. If he saw her snickering, he might just log out because of too much embarrassment.


    "It''s not even that bad. At least it''s memorable."


    Luo Jin turned to Su Yuqi when he heard her say that. The other had her usual apathetic expression. He couldn''t really tell if she meant what she said because of that. For the sake of his pride, he wanted to believe that she meant it.


    She must have noticed that he was staring at her, because she suddenly turned and looked at him. The moment she did, the corner of her lips turned up. And that one small smile was enough to erase all the embarrassment he felt just moments ago.


    He Yu Lan noticed this little interaction and couldn''t help but raised his brow. Now, that''s a rare sight. He didn''t expect that this surly girl now knew how to smile like that. It made him look at the little gnome.


    He honestly thought that the other was some elementary or middle school kid that Bai Ze pulled to join the team. Like some kind of honorary member, since they were cousins and all. But that didn''t seem to be the case.


    And there was another thing he didn''t expect.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun and another one of Bai Ze''s cousin. This Luo Yan was incredibly pretty, if he based it on his avatar''s appearance. But that''s not what caught his attention. It''s the fact that Shen Ji Yun had never once left the other''s side since earlier.


    If it''s only that, He Yu Lan wouldn''t think much of it. It''s the way Shen Ji Yun was looking at the boy. He was looking at him as if he was his most important treasure. Even his bodynguage showed just how important the boy was to him.


    If he didn''t know beforehand that Luo Yan was Bai Ze''s cousin, he would have thought that he''s Shen Ji Yun''s brother with the way thetter was acting.


    But there''s another more usible exnation for this. It''s something he would have never thought possible if he hadn''t seen the way Shen Ji Yun acted today. Or, he could also just be overthinking things. This certainly needed more observation.


    Xiang Ye, as usual, didn''t notice these intricate things. After that little episode, he turned his attention to the other three who hadn''t been introduced yet. His expression clearly saying, ''introduce them to us!''.


    Seeing this, Bai Ze, of course, obliged.


    "These three are native to Arcadia. This little one here is a shadow kitsune by the name of Eclipse. And those two overgrown men over there are Dusk and Rowan. Both of them are dragons."


    Wu Xiang Ye''s eyes widened when he heard thatst part. "Dragons...?" But before he could fully express his amazement, one of the things Bai Ze said crossed his mind. "Wait- you said they were natives? You mean they''re N--"


    "We don''t really call them that," Luo Yan said with a smile, cutting off whatever the other was about to say. "They''re part of our team and that''s all that mattered."


    Eclipse hugged his waist as soon as he said that. Looking up at him with a big grin on his small face.


    Both Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan looked at him, each with different expressions on their faces. The former was looking at him as if he''s interesting, and thetter with an obviously intrigued expression.


    "Well, I''m sure they will be really helpful in the uing final tournament," Wu Xiang Ye said. "By the way, congrattions getting on the top 16."


    "Hey, can we leave? I''m not really interested in this reunion or whatever the heck it is," Rowan suddenly interrupted.


    Bai Ze nced at his dragon partner, intending to suggest to the other to show a bit of camaraderie. However, before he could speak, Wu Xiang Ye swiftly shed next to Rowan, casually draping his arm over the other''s shoulder.


    "Hey, don''t be like that--"


    "Brother Xiang Ye, you shouldn''t--"


    Before he could finish what he was about to say, Rowan had already swung his ws towards the other.

 Chapter 1083 SHOCKING ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Chapter 1083 SHOCKING ANNOUNCEMENTS


    AFTER that, Rowan went ''berserk'' and attacked Wu Xiang Ye. Thetter managed to dodge all the attacks that went his way, though. Showing that he still hadn''t lost his touch. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying this sudden fight.


    Before Rowan could make real damage to the main hall, Dusk pulled him by the cor of his shirt and just walked out of the main hall while dragging the other. He still managed to say his goodbye, though. Only, he did it telepathically via Shen Ji Yun. Which thetter shared with everyone.


    Unlike the two, Eclipse decided to stay. The kid seemed to be quite curious about their visitors. So, with the two dragons gone, everyone sat down at the round table. And they started to catch up with one another.


    Bai Ze started to tell the two about how the team had been when they left. Starting from the disastrous recruitment after they won the first Arcadia Cup to how it had only been the three of them after that. Then, how they managed to recruit Luo Yan and Luo Jinst year. With both ranking high at the Rookie Carnival, Luo Yan even won and became the champion.


    Then, they decided to enter Arcadia Cup this year. How they seeded in entering the top 16. And finally, the changes that Moonlight Media did for the final tournament.


    Wu Xiang Ye whistled. "So, Arcadia is finally going global. About time, I guess."


    "Is there a possibility to go over other servers? Or would a yer only be able to log into the server of the country they were in?" He Yu Lan asked.


    "Nothing has been officially announced about that yet," Shen Ji Yun answered. "But I think it would be the second one. Allowing yers to ess another server while being in a different country is probably still a bit difficult for Moonlight Media."


    "Who knows? Maybe in a few years'' time there would only be one server," Su Yuqi added with a shrug.


    "Although I agree that it should, Arcadia would need a very massive update before that could happen. Something along the lines of additionalnd areas," Wu Xiang Ye said. "Because if that doesn''t happen, then this whole ce would be overcrowded as hell."


    Luo Yan agreed with that. He''s not worried, though. With how Uncle Yi Mu ran things, there''s no way he would not be prepared. Once all the servers had been united into one, maybe in the near future, Arcadia would be like a second reality for most people. One would not only log in for leisure, they could also log in to make money and stuff. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    That would be like a whole new era for humanity.


    "But good for you, having these two as new teammates," Wu Xiang Ye said, changing the topic. "From what you have said, I can already tell how good they are."


    "Yeah, they''re more than good. They actually brought life back to the team," Bai Ze said, looking proudly at his cousins. "Before that, the three of us were barely a team. We''re just doing our own thing and met from time to time. So, yeah, them joining was like the best thing that could have happened to the team."


    "Aw... Brother Ze, that''s so sweet," Luo Yan said.


    Shen Ji Yun felt a tick on his cheek hearing his boyfriend tell another man that their sweet. Even if that other person was his cousin. So, he said before his brain could even think properly, "Sweeter than me?"


    Time seemed to have stopped after Shen Ji Yun said that. Bai Ze face-palmed as if he was having secondhand embarrassment. Luo Jin scoffed while Su Yuqi smirked. And the other two? Well, their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    Luo Yan ignored their reaction and pinched Shen Ji Yun''s cheek. "How can that be? You know you''re the sweetest for me."


    "Whoa! Wait a minute¡ª am I seeing and hearing things right?" Wu Xiang Ye said. "Please, someone deck me so I''ll know what I''m seeing is real."


    He Yu Lan obliged and punched Wu Xiang Ye''s side. Thetter almost toppled over, showing just how much force the former used.


    "Hey, Lan-er, that''s totally uncalled for!" Wu Xiang Yeined.


    He Yu Lan only looked at the other as if saying ''you''re the one who asked for it'', before turning his gaze to Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan.


    "So, you two, are you in a romantic rtionship?" he asked straightforwardly.


    There''s no need to mince words, since it''s something he had already guessed since earlier.


    "Yes."


    "Yes."


    Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun answered at the same time. Their voices didn''t even falter, showing just how confident they were of their feelings.


    "Okay... this is definitely not what I''m expecting when I thought of this surprise visit," Wu Xiang Ye said, his expression clearly showing just how surprised he was.


    He Yu Lan nced around. "I take it everyone here knows about this rtionship?" When he saw Bai Ze nod, he turned his attention back to the couple. Mainly in Luo Yan. "First, just to clear some things, are you a minor?"


    Luo Yan raised his brow, not expecting such a question. "No, I''m 18, to be precise."


    Wu Xiang Ye showed a worried expression, most likely thinking that he was too young. While He Yu Lan''s brows directly furrowed.


    Seeing the reaction of the two, Luo Yan quickly added, "Please don''t think anything negative. My rtionship with Brother Ji Yun is very equal. Well, actually, if one must be precise, I have the upper hand. So, there''s no maniption, gaslighting, or anything like that going on here." He turned to Shen Ji Yun and smiled. "There''s only love."


    The two looked at them, as if gauging if he''s telling the truth. Seeing that they both rxed after, they probably liked the answer they came up with.


    "Sorry, I just have to make sure," He Yu Lan said with an apologetic smile.


    "What the hell, if we''re doing ''shocking announcement'', I also have one," Wu Xiang Ye said before putting his arm around He Yu Lan''s shoulders. He continued with a big grin, "We''re married!"

 Chapter 1084 GET MARRIED

    Chapter 1084 GET MARRIED


    BEFORE anyone in the main hall could react to this very shocking news, He Yu Lan suddenly stood up and punched Wu Xiang Ye directly on the face. The other was easily thrown off,nding a few distances away.


    Wu Xiang Ye quickly got back to his feet and said in a sulky tone, "Lan-er, what was that for?"


    He Yu Lan only gave him a look as if saying, ''you deserved that''. Then he sat back down and said calmly, "My apologies for suddenly springing up that news on you in such an abrupt manner."


    Su Yuqi was the first one to react. She asked what the others seemed to be thinking. "Is it true, though, that you''re married?"


    "Yes."


    Despite reacting as if what Wu Xiang Ye said was not true at all, He Yu Lan answered Su Yuqi''s question pretty straightforwardly. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. Just by that one ''yes'', anyone could see that he had a pretty deep rtionship with the other.


    He might not show it, with the way he acted around Wu Xiang Ye, but if one looked closely, really close, they could see the love underneath.


    "You- you really got married?" Bai Ze stood up in shock. And then an aggrieved look shed on his face. "And you didn''t invite us?"


    Su Yuqi kicked Bai Ze''s shin, not really a kick, but more of a hard tap. "Don''t be overdramatic. Brother Yu Lan and Brother Xiang Ye must have taken into ount the fact that we''re students. They know it would be hard for us to take a leave and go outside the country to attend a wedding."


    "But it''s not just ''a wedding''. It''s their wedding!" Bai Ze said, sitting down and still sulking.


    Wu Xiang Ye, who had already walked over, sat beside He Yu Lan again. "Xiao Qi is right Ah Ze. Besides, it''s kind of an unnned wedding. So, even if we wanted to invite you, we couldn''t."


    "And that''s your fault. Spontaneously proposing and then pulling me to some shady wedding chapel," He Yu Lan said while shaking his head. "Only someone shameless like you can do it."


    Wu Xiang Ye smirked. "And yet you still agreed to marry this shameless me." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Well, let''s just say I was drunk and wasn''t in my right mind," He Yu Lan said in a dry voice.


    "Where did you get married? And when?" Shen Ji Yun asked, leaning forward and seemingly very interested in this topic.


    "In Vegas. We''re there to wee the new year. And I thought, what the hell? Shouldn''t we be getting married by now?"


    Wu Xiang Ye could still remember that night. They were on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. They had a lively New Year''s Eve celebration with live entertainment, light shows, and a countdown to midnight. They were there to join the celebration.


    As fireworks illuminated the night sky and the crowd echoed the countdown from 10 to 1, his gaze remained on Yu Lan. Fixated on his exquisite profile, the words he had cherished in his heart for so long spilled forth in an unstoppable rush.


    That night, he asked the love of his life to marry him. And before the sun rose from the sky, the two of them were finally officially married.


    "I can''t believe you really married Brother Yu Lan in some shady chapel," Su Yuqi said, looking at Wu Xiang Ye as if he was some kind of scum.


    Bai Ze also looked at him the same way. "I know you''re not the romantic type, but, really, Brother Xiang Ye? How can you marry Brother Yu Lan so haphazardly like that?"


    "Hey, you brats, don''t you know the term ''spur of the moment''?" Wu Xiang Ye said. "And ''spur of the moment'' things can be romantic. Right, Lan-er?"


    He Yu Lan only raised his brow at the other. And then he chuckled when he saw a betrayed expression on Wu Xiang Ye''s face.


    "Don''t worry, this guy promised to marry me again in a very nice church somewhere in Europe," He Yu Lan said to the others.


    "That''s absolutely right," Wu Xiang Ye said. "And this time, all of you are invited."


    "Even us?" Luo Yan asked in a lighthearted manner.


    "Of course. You''re part of team Yunyue now," Wu Xiang Ye responded. "Besides, it''s not as if there would be that many people we could invite."


    The other said thatst thing in a joking manner, but if one assumed he was serious, then it''s very telling. With just that, Luo Yan could guess that not many people knew the rtionship of the two. The few who did were probably in this main hall.


    Their rtionship probably began very early. Maybe even during the time they were still active in team Yunyue. It would be hard to hide it from their teammates. So, they must have told the other three about them.


    With them as an example, it might be one of the reasons why Shen Ji Yun could easily ept his feelings for Luo Yan. The two of them must also be the reason why Bai Ze and Su Yuqi were also very epting if same-sex rtionship.


    Luo Yan didn''t really think much of it before. But now, after meeting these two, what he thought of just made sense.


    "...Marriage, huh?"


    Luo Yan heard Shen Ji Yun mumbled beside him. He nced at the other and saw that he was in a daze. As if imagining something. He didn''t even have to ask what it was to know what Shen Ji Yun was thinking.


    A smile appeared on his lips. The urge to tease the other surge up in him. But before he could do any teasing, Eclipse suddenly jumped from his seat and ran between He Yu Lan and Wu Xiang Ye.


    "You two are getting married again?" he asked innocently.


    He Yu Lan showed a rare, gentle smile. "Yes, little one."


    "Then can you bring Master and Captain with you so they can get married as well?"

 Chapter 1085 SOMEDAY

    Chapter 1085 SOMEDAY


    LUO YAN took off the VR helmet and put it on his bedside table before getting up from the bed. Because their team spent most of the allotted time allowed for a yer to stay logged in the game, they had to log out before the game system forced them to. With them leaving, Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan were left at the headquarters with Eclipse.


    The two didn''t mind and said that they would just go to their favorite ces since it had been a while since theyst logged into the game. Eclipse insisted on going with them, and the two graciously weed Eclipse''s presence. It seemed that after Eclipse heard them talking about marriage; he became even more curious about the two.


    Before logging out, Luo Yan didn''t forget to remind Eclipse to behave and not cause trouble for Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan. But knowing that kid, he would surely cause trouble one way or the other. As evidence of thatstment, the other made about letting him and Shen Ji Yun go with Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan so they could get married as well.


    That was a bit funny. Luo Jin almost jumped to his seat and maybe even wanted to shut Eclipse''s mouth. While Shen Ji Yun was theplete opposite. He looked extremely pleased.


    So, to apologize in advance in case Eclipse did something troublesome, he gave the two Yuexing Pavilion VVIP cards. Telling them that they could drop by there if they wanted to eat and drink or just listen and watch some good performances.


    He felt a bit regretful that he couldn''t spend more time with the two retired team members. Especially after that huge announcement they made. There were so many questions in his head.


    Anyway, since the two said that they hadn''t yet decided when they would leave again, there would be a lot of time to ask his questionster. But there were questions that he could probably ask Shen Ji Yun right now.


    Luo Yan picked up his phone that was on his study table and sat back down on his bed. Then he sent a video call request to Shen Ji Yun. It didn''t even take three seconds before the other''s handsome face appeared on the screen.


    "Hello, handsome," he greeted with a smile.


    A hint of blush quickly appeared on Shen Ji Yun''s cheeks. He cleared his throat. "Yes, Yan Yan."


    Luo Yan chuckled, seeing that reaction. "Brother Ji Yun, can I ask something?"


    "Of course. What is it?"


    "Do you, Brother Ze, and Sister Yuqi know that Wu- I mean, Brother Xiang Ye and Brother Yu Lan are a couple?"


    Luo Yan almost called the two by their name, but he managed to change that and call them ''brother'' instead. It felt a bit awkward to call him that since he just met them. But it also didn''t feel right to call them just by their names. And the two did indeed say he and Luo Jin could call them ''brother''.


    "Yes. They told us before they retired and left the country," Shen Ji Yun answered.


    Luo Yan thought as much, considering the first reaction of the three when they heard about the marriage was why they weren''t invited. So, clearly, they knew beforehand that the two were a couple. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "It came off as a huge shock for me actually," Shen Ji Yun continued. "Although it was weird that Bai Ze and Su Yuqi didn''t appear surprise that time."


    A helpless smile appeared on Luo Yan''s lips when he heard that. "They probably already noticed that Brother Xiang Ye and Brother Yu Lan were in that kind of rtionship. That''s why they were not too surprised."


    A moment of realization shed in Shen Ji Yun''s eyes. "...Oh, I see. I must be really pretty dense."


    Luo Yan chuckled when he saw that reaction. "It''s fine, Brother Ji Yun. I still love that side of you."


    Shen Ji Yun blushed and scratched his cheek. "Well, maybe if I wasn''t so dense, I might have realized my feelings for you much earlier."


    Luo Yan raised his brow. "I think you realized it quite fast enough? Remember, we met in Julyst year, and then we became a couple in December. That only took five months. Some people who had been trying to win the affection of the person they''re in love with for years might want to punch you if they heard what you just said."


    "I know. I know how lucky I am. And this might sound like I''m being arrogant and ungrateful, but just the thought that I could have experienced this happiness much earlier still makes me feel a bit regretful."


    Shen Ji Yun said that with a mixed expression, like he agreed with Luo Yan but also wanted to make his point clear.


    "Well, if we got together after a month, people might think I''m easy," Luo Yan said in a joking tone, lightening the mood. "So, five months is just right."


    Shen Ji Yun started to panic. "No- I- I didn''t mean it like that. I mean, there''s no way people would think of you that way. If there''s anyone who would, I will--"


    "Kick their ass?" Luo Yan said, finished the other''s sentence.


    "Yes!" Shen Ji Yun answered before he could even think. Realizing that he was being a bit overenthusiastic, a blush quickly appeared on his face.


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Oh, you really are too adorable, Brother Ji Yun."


    This time, it was Shen Ji Yun who showed a helpless smile. "And you''re a little foxy rabbit who loves to tease his boyfriend."


    Luo Yan grinned. "Guilty as charge."


    They talked more about this and that - about school and about the iing final tournament. Of course, about how Luo Yan''s review was going.


    Then Luo Yan thought of a certain topic. "Brother Ji Yun, what do you think about the subject of marriage?"


    Shen Ji Yun appeared surprised by the question. Then, looking directly at him, he replied, "I''d like to do that someday." A gentle smile crossed his face as he added, "Especially with you."

 Chapter 1086 SCORE REPORT

    Chapter 1086 SCORE REPORT


    LUO YAN looked at his score report that their homeroom teacher distributed earlier. This showed the result of the mock exam they did on Monday. Because the college entrance examination was just right around the corner, the third years had been doing mock exams every week now.


    He looked down at the bottom to see his total score. It was 690 out of 750. Which was not bad. No, it was actually considered pretty good. Since T University required iing students to score at least 676 points in the college entrance exam for them to be able to enroll. But Luo Yan was still a bit dissatisfied with this score.


    He wanted to go over 700 points. Just like he did in his previous life. As this was the second time he was taking the college entrance exam, wouldn''t it be embarrassing if he scored less than he did in his previous life?


    After seeing his total score, he looked at the top and middle part of the score report to see the breakdown of his score for each subject. As he expected, his math score was almost perfect. He got 147 out of 150. The lowest one he got was for foreignnguage. Which he had also expected.


    In the foreignnguage subject, students were given the choice to pick whichnguage they would be tested in. They could either choose from English, French, Japanese, Russian, German or Spanish. Most students would choose English. Luo Yan also did the same. But just like in his previous life, his English was still subpar.


    Of course, he had considered choosing another foreignnguage. But among all thenguages he could choose from, he was still much more familiar with English. Learning a newnguage at this point was simply akin to giving up the foreignnguage subject.


    But this didn''t mean he could suddenly be good at something he was previously not. Well, granted that he had a lot of time to learn after waking up. But who would think of that when they literally just gain a new life after thinking they were dead?


    Luo Yan looked once again at his foreignnguage score. He got 119 out of 150 points. It''s not that bad, per se. But if he wanted to have a score of more the 700 points, he needed to have a better score than this in foreignnguage.


    As he was thinking that, an idea suddenly shed in his mind. Why didn''t he think of this sooner? Didn''t he have someone who could be the perfect tutor?


    Yes, the answer was Shen Ji Yun.


    Since the other grew up in Country Y, he would be more fluent in English than anyone Luo Yan knew. If he asked Shen Ji Yun to tutor him, there''s no way the other would not agree. With that, Luo Yan would not only be increasing his English knowledge, he would also be able to spend quality time with his boyfriend.


    Ever since this new semester started, the number of times he logged into the game decreased exponentially. Right now, he only logged into Arcadia every weekend. And he spent most of that gaming time doing training with his team. So, he and Shen Ji Yun barely had any time to spend together alone. A tutoring lesson for at least two hours every day would solve that.


    Maybe this tutoring lesson would also help Shen Ji Yun stop thinking too much about the topic of marriage. Ever since the arrival of Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan and their announcement about their marriage, it''s quite obvious that Shen Ji Yun''s mind was filled with that topic.


    Five days ago, on Sunday, the day following the return of the two, their team did a little celebration in Yuexing Pavilion. He noticed then that Shen Ji Yun kept asking Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan about their ns for their second wedding. If it was Bai Ze doing the asking, Luo Yan wouldn''t think too much about it. But this was Shen Ji Yun. He''s not the type to continuously ask questions like that just because he''s curious.


    And then, there was that conversation they had where the other practically proposed to him. Eclipse egging about the two of them getting married didn''t really help.


    It''s not that Luo Yan was against the idea. Of course, he would love to marry Shen Ji Yun as well. But before they could proceed to that, his father had to agree to their rtionship first. Something that could only happen if they tell him about their rtionship. But Luo Yan had no ns to tell the other about it anytime soon. Not at least until he was 20 or something.


    So, really, Shen Ji Yun shouldn''t be thinking of marriage at this time. This tutorial session would help the other think of other things besides marriage. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Maybe in five years'' time, they could revisit that idea again.


    ----------


    Luo Yan followed Luo Jin out of the car. Arriving home, Luo Yan was thinking of logging into the game immediately and contacting Shen Ji Yun.


    "Isn''t that Brother''s car?"


    When he heard what Luo Jin said, he subconsciously nced at the car parked in the driveway.


    "Maybe he came home early."


    Just as he said that, their older brother walked out of the house. The other quickly greeted them with a smile.


    "Wee home," Luo Ren said.


    Luo Yan was about to respond back when he noticed the rather expensive and very much customized watch on Luo Ren''s wrist. The other had been wearing this watch for more than two weeks now. Exactly right after his birthday.


    Just with the timing, he could already guess where the watch came from. It must be a gift from Yu Jiao. He really wanted to ask either one of the two what happened after the night of Luo Ren''s birthday dinner. But he also understood that it was something private and he shouldn''t really pry.


    Especially since the rtionship between the two was now starting to finally develop in the right direction.

 Chapter 1087 LUO RENS PERPETUAL CONCERN

    Chapter 1087 LUO REN''S PERPETUAL CONCERN


    LUO YAN looked at his brother''s watch and was reminded of the customized watch he gave to Shen Ji Yun on the other''s birthday. But unlike Luo Ren, Shen Ji Yun was not wearing the watch like an everyday item. On the other hand, he''s wearing the bracelet they got in Chengdu, like some kind of charm.


    ording to Shen Ji Yun, he would only wear the watch during special asion. Because it''s the first birthday present he received from Luo Yan, he wanted to treasure it all the more.


    It was the same for Luo Yan, though. He gave a quick nce at the red bracelet he''s wearing. All of Shen Ji Yun''s gifts to him had been safely tucked in his room. If he could, he even wanted to make replicas of all the items Shen Ji Yun had given him in the game.


    "Brother, are you going back to work?"


    Luo Jin''s question pulled back Luo Yan from his thoughts. Come to think of it, their older brother was still wearing a suit. His car wasn''t even in the garage, but was just parked in the driveway. Which meant that he was about to leave the house to go somewhere, more likely, thepany.


    "Yeah, I still have a meeting. I just return to get this," Luo Ren said, raising the man envelope he''s holding.


    "You could have just asked your secretary to do that for you," Luo Yan said. "Then Brother didn''t have to go back and forth like this."


    "I could. But I just came from an on-site inspection and our house was just on the way, so, I might as well get it myself," Luo Ren exined. "Anyway, I''ll go now. And oh, Yan Yan, don''t forget to study."


    Luo Yan chuckled and could only say, "Yes, yes."


    Luo Ren got in the car and started the ignition. As he put his hands on the steering wheel, he inadvertently nced at the watch on his wrist.


    The custom ck watch had a smooth and ssy design, giving off a simple yet stylish vibe. Made with great care, its basic dial was paired with small details in brushed stainless steel, adding a modern touch. The ck leather strap, neatly sewn andfy to wear, added to its timeless look. With the urate quartz movement inside, this watch blended fashion with practicality, making it a great choice for anyone who appreciated quality.


    For someone like him who didn''t care much about brands and fashion, this unassuming yet stylish watch was just perfect. Besides that, it was also a gift from Yu Jiao. That''s why he liked it very much.


    As he thought of that, his mind couldn''t help but think back to the day of his birthday. On the night that he received this gift from Yu Jiao.


    =====


    Today was Luo Ren''s 23rd birthday. Although it''s an age that couldn''t be considered old, but for him, it was. Most because the girl he liked was still 18. That five-year gap just felt like a decade. It''s not even an exaggeration.


    If the two of them got together at this point in their lives, people who didn''t know the circumstances would think that it''s ''wrong''. That it was not love. That it was just him ''preying'' on an innocent girl.


    Normally, he wouldn''t care about the opinion of others. But he didn''t want to subject Yu Jiao to something like that. He wished that all the memories they would share together would only bring her happiness, and not cause her any pain.


    That''s why he''d been trying really hard to control himself. From his actions to even the message he sent to the other. The only other time he ever crossed the restriction he put on himself was probably during Valentine''s Day.


    Luo Ren smiled bitterly. He thought after Yu Jiao turned 18, things would loosen up a bit. But the five-year age gap wouldn''t disappear just because the other turned 18. It was still there, ring at him in neon lights. He would probably only be able to truly express his feelings in full force once the both of them were in their 20s.


    That meant waiting for another two years.


    Just thinking about it was a bit heartbreaking. But if he couldn''t even wait for two years, could he still honestly tell himself that he deserved Yu Jiao?


    So, he chose to wait, findingfort in their friendship for the time being. Besides, it''s not like there wasn''t any development. At least now, Yu Jiao no longer felt awkward around him. She could even smile so naturally, like when he was with Luo Yan. That''s certainly tremendous progress. And a win for him. Because it meant that the two of them had gotten much closer.


    Just a look, a smile, or a message from Yu Jiao would make him happy, as anything from her was better than nothing.


    Anyway, since today was a weekday, their family nned to celebrate his birthday by having dinner at home. Of course, it would be much more festive than their normal dinner. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    People of their economic and social status would usually hold formal or extravagant parties to amodate other prominent people in society. But Luo Ren wasn''t really into those types of things. Spending his birthday with his family was enough for him.


    Of course, he had invited Yu Jiao and Aunt Xiuying to his birthday dinner. There''s no way he would miss the chance to spend his birthday with Yu Jiao.


    It''s a good thing that they all went to Yu Jiao''s birthday dinner before. So, it wasn''t so hard to convince them toe. After all, they could no longer use the excuse of them intruding in another family''s private event when the Luo family did it first.


    This made Luo Ren excited about his birthday this year. He wondered if Yu Jiao would give him a gift. Well, knowing how thoughtful the other was, she would definitely give him one. This made him even more excited.


    And soon, evening came.

 Chapter 1088 LUO RENS BIRTHDAY (I)

    Chapter 1088 LUO REN''S BIRTHDAY (I)


    THERE was no special preparation for Luo Ren''s birthday, like decorating the house in a specific way. After all, he''s a grown man and didn''t really need that. Just the assurance that the food would be good was enough. And on that front, he had no problems. Because their kitchen staff could prepare one hell of a meal.


    As evening came, Luo Ren was waiting for the arrival of Yu Jiao and her mother. They were the only guests he had for this birthday dinner. Since the Bai family was in B City, it would be inconvenient for them to fly here just so they could attend his birthday dinner. Their greetings and well wishes were enough.


    "Brother, Jiao Jiao and Aunt Xiuying are near," Luo Yan, who was sitting beside him, announced.


    Upon hearing that, Luo Ren quickly got up and walked out of the house.


    "Brother, don''t forget to wear a coat!"


    He heard Luo Yan say. Although spring had officially begun, the weather was still cold outside. Even if he was wearing long sleeves, the temperature would still be too cold for him. So, he reached out for a coat on the rack and wore it.


    As he walked out, he heard chuckling from behind. The voices were mainly his father and Luo Yan. They were talking about how silly he was. He didn''t mind and just shook his head. Because he was indeed being ''silly''. Love could do that to a sane person.


    He stood just outside the house and waited. He actually wanted to personally pick up Yu Jiao and Aunt Xiuying. But he thought better of it. This was not the same as New Year, when he picked the two up to eat at their house. Today was his birthday. It would be weird if the celebrant himself was the one to pick up the guests.


    Both Yu Jiao and Aunt Xiuying would definitely think that it''s too much. So, to avoid making them feel ufortable, he just sent a driver to pick them up.


    Soon, Luo Ren saw a ck car entering their driveway. He was suddenly filled with anticipation. It had been a while since hest saw Yu Jiao in real life. He said it like that since whenever he had free time, he would enter Arcadia and drop by the other''s cksmith''s shop. Even sometimes helping here up with marketing strategies to increase her shop''s sale.


    But there were only a couple of times he could do that. Since, you know, he''s a busy working adult. Besides that, interacting with Yu Jiao face to face in reality was still better than just meeting her inside a virtual game world. Thest time they met in real life was on Valentine''s Day, which was 19 days ago.


    Although there were times that he couldn''t see her much longer than that, it still felt like he was a patient suffering from ck of Jiao Jiao'' sickness. This might seem like an exaggeration, but for a person in love, it''s justifiable. Heck, it was even worse for him since he could hardly do anything to act on these feelings. All he could do was pine like a lovesick bird.


    Once again, he cursed this damn age gap!


    Luo Ren''s wandering thoughts were cut off once the car stopped in front of the house. The first one to get off was Aunt Xiuying. He was about to go over and greet the other but unknowingly stopped in his tracks when he saw Yu Jiao getting off the car.


    The other was not wearing his usual style of clothing. Even her hairstyle was different.


    Yu Jiao''s short hair, neatly styled with a thin headband, framed her face with, appearing every bit as lovely as she should. Despite the brown wool coat she wore, the light blue dress beneath it caught his eyes, its flowing skirt adding a sense of grace as it reached below her knees.


    As she walked in his direction, stepping closer and closer, Luo Ren could feel his heart beating faster and faster. He suddenly remembered Valentine''s Day, when he first saw Yu Jiao wearing a dress. His reaction then was not so different from his reaction now. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His heart beat at full speed as if it was on a race, and the way he couldn''t take his eyes off of her. The sensation felt both familiar and yet entirely fresh, as if he was experiencing this rush of emotions for the very first time.


    When Yu Jiao was just a few steps away, he finally noticed that she was wearing the ga earrings he gave to her as a birthday present. As soon as he saw that, his heart seemed to produce a loud ''boom'' ''boom'' sound every time it beat. It was so loud, he wondered if the surrounding people could hear it.


    But he didn''t care. He just felt so giddy seeing Yu Jiao wear his gift. The other didn''t even wear it when they went out on Valentine''s Day. Didn''t it mean that Yu Jiao was much morefortable around him now? Maybe this was a sign that they had gotten much closer than before?


    The sound of someone clearing their throat stopped Luo Ren''s ''daydreaming''. He blinked, as if justing back to his senses, and then turned to the source of the sound. Aunt Xiuying was looking at him with a raised brow and an amused expression on her face.


    He felt his face heating up. He had almost forgotten that the other was also here. He forced himself to show a normal expression and then smiled gently.


    "Aunt Xiuying, Jiao Jiao," he greeted the two.


    "Happy birthday, Xiao Ren," Aunt Xiuying said, before handing him a small square box. "Here is my gift. I hope you won''t dislike it."


    Luo Ren quickly epted the box. It was light, as if empty. With the size and its weight, he had a feeling that it must be a handkerchief. "Thank you, Aunt Xiuying."


    Then, he turned to Yu Jiao. The anticipation in his eyes must have been too burdensome, because the other almost stepped back.


    Yu Jiao fidgeted, looking as if she was trying to calm herself, before handing him a small paper bag. "H-happy birthday, Brother Ren."

 Chapter 1089 LUO RENS BIRTHDAY (II)

    Chapter 1089 LUO REN''S BIRTHDAY (II)


    "I... I hope you''ll like it," Yu Jiao said, finishing her sentence.


    Luo Ren looked at the small paper bag. She prepared a gift for him? Although he already expected that she would, it didn''t lessen his excitement. He epted the paper bag, a smile automatically appearing on his face.


    "Thank you, Jiao Jiao. I will definitely treasure it."


    He looked at the small paper bag. A ribbon tied the opening, so he couldn''t see what''s inside. He really wanted to just pull the ribbon and open the gift, to see what Yu Jiao had given to him. But he forced himself to tone down his excitement. It wouldn''t be right to suddenly do that here. Aside from the fact that he would appear too enthusiastic, Yu Jiao might think that he was acting weird.


    As he calmed down, he didn''t notice the softness in his gaze as he looked at the paper bag. As if he was truly holding a treasure in his hand. So when he raised his head, he was slightly surprised to see Yu Jiao looking at him in a daze.


    "Jiao Jiao?" he called.


    As if returning to her senses, Yu Jiao blinked, and then her whole face suddenly turned red before looking down at the ground. Before he could think, or even ask what was wrong, Aunt Xiuying suddenly spoke on the side.


    "Xiao Ren, should we go inside?"


    "Ah, yes. Please,e in."


    Luo Ren led the mother and daughter inside the house. Then he helped them hang their coats. After doing that, he paused for a moment. Because he finally had a good look at Yu Jiao''s dress without the coat hindering it.


    The light blue dress looked simple, with no other decoration. But now that he could see it on Yu Jiao without the hindrance of the coat, he felt like there''s a visual feast in front of him.


    The light blue dress she wore fit her frame gracefully, entuating her slender form. Its soft fabric draped gently, adding a touch of femininity to her appearance. Despite the dress''s simplicity, itplemented her distinct features effortlessly. With each movement, she exuded a quiet confidence, captivating Luo Ren''s gaze with her innate grace and subtle charm.


    "How lovely..." he mumbled unintentionally.


    Yu Jiao turned to him, as if hearing what he said.


    This also surprised Luo Ren. He didn''t expect that he would have so little control over his own frontal lobe that he would just blurt out whatever was on his mind like this. Well, granted that it only ever happened when he''s around Yu Jiao. But still.


    He was thinking how to exin what he just said without looking like a total weirdo, but before he could, Luo Yan unknowingly came to his rescue.


    "Wow! Jiao Jiao, you look so pretty!" Luo Yan said as he walked in front of Yu Jiao. Then, btedly greeted Aunt Xiuying. "Hello, Aunt Xiuying!"


    Aunt Xiuying chuckled and also greeted Luo Yan back.


    Because of Luo Yan''s intervention, Yu Jiao''s attention was transferred to him. With his brother''s tantpliment, her face changed into a beautiful shade of pink.


    "If our ssmates saw you today, not only our female ssmates will fall for you, but also our male ssmates," Luo Yan said like some professional tterer.


    What he said made Luo Ren furrow his brows, though. He already knew how popr Yu Jiao was among their female ssmates. But the thought that she would also be popr among her male ssmates made him feel very unwilling. He was already at a disadvantage because of their age gap. If someone of the same age took an interest in Yu Jiao and woo her at full force, what would he do then?


    As he was thinking that, he heard Luo Yan add;


    "Let me take a picture as a souvenir."


    "Yan Yan...!" Yu Jiao said with a reddened face. Her voice was soft, but she was obviouslyining and trying to stop the other.


    Luo Ren forgot his annoyance and gave his brother a big thumbs up in his heart. He also wanted to take a picture of Yu Jiao. But he couldn''t do it like how Luo Yan did it without looking like a total creep. He should ask Luo Yan to send a copy of the picture to himter. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "This dress really suits Jiao Jiao," his father said after greeting Aunt Xiuying.


    "T-Thank you, Uncle Wei Tian," Yu Jiao said, obviously feeling shy hearing thepliment.


    After a few more greetings and conversation, they finally had dinner.


    -----


    Different dishes filled the long table. Braised abalone glistened in rich oyster sauce, and double-boiled bird''s nest soup. Stir-fried lobster, adorned with ginger and scallions, and steamed whole crab bathed in aged Shaoxing wine. Peking duck, meticulously prepared and served with handmade pancakes and sweet bean sauce. There was also a steaming bowl of shark fin soup, apanied by tender shredded chicken and bamboo shoots. Completing the feast, there was a whole fish, delicately steamed and adorned with soy sauce and scallions.


    All the dishes were very traditional. Which was what Luo Ren requested. He preferred this to someplicated Western dishes. Not only that, it was because he wanted Yu Jiao and Aunt Xiuying to also enjoy the food. He didn''t want to serve them food that they weren''t familiar with. To make sure that they wouldn''t feel awkward and they could just eatfortably.


    As they ate, conversation filled the dinner table.


    "Time really does fly fast, Yan Yan and Jiao Jiao are already graduation high school in a few months," Luo Ren said. "Have you already decided which university you''re going?"


    This was his stealthy way of finding out which university Yu Jiao would go to. If she nned to go to some far off university, at least he would be able to prepare himself beforehand.


    "Hmm... I think I''ve already said this before, but my first choice is T University," Luo Yan said.


    Then Yu Jiao followed that. "I- If my score in the college entrance examination would allow it, I n to apply to F University."

 Chapter 1090 LUO RENS BIRTHDAY (III)

    Chapter 1090 LUO REN''S BIRTHDAY (III)


    LUO REN stopped his action of picking up a bamboo shoot when he heard Yu Jiao''s answer. Although his brows furrowed at first when Luo Yan said he nned to go to T University, because he was certain half of the reason for that was Shen Ji Yun, but his brows quickly smoothed out once he heard what Yu Jiao said.


    F University.


    It''s not only his alma mater, it''s also in S City. Which meant that Yu Jiao wouldn''t be leaving once she started university. It also meant that he wouldn''t have to fly by ne, which would totally make him look like a stalker, to see her. He could ask to meet up without appearing like a creep.


    He knew that Yu Jiao didn''t decide on that because of him. She most likely decided on it because she didn''t want to be too far away from her mother. The next most likely reason would be because F University was one of the top universities in the country. The university might be offering a better program for the major she nned to take.


    Her decision definitely didn''t have anything to do with him. But even if Luo Ren knew that, he still couldn''t help but feel happy about it. Yeah, definitely delusional of him.


    "That''s a great choice, Jiao Jiao," his father said,menting on Yu Jiao''s answer. Then he nced at Luo Yan. "Don''t you think so as well, Xiao Yan?"


    Even though it seemed like his father didn''t mean anything by it, Luo Ren, as well as his brothers, could tell that his question literally trantes to - ''F University is such a good university. Look, even your friend thinks so as well. Don''t you want to change your first choice of university?''.


    Luo Yan smiled and acted as if he didn''t notice it. "Yes. After all, it''s the university where Brother graduated from."


    That seemed to interest Aunt Xiuying. "Oh, so Xiao Ren graduated from F University? Then Jiao Jiao would soon be your junior then?"


    "Mom, it''s not one hundred percent certain yet that I''ll be epted," Yu Jiao said, a touch of blush on her cheeks.


    "Of course you would, dear," Aunt Xiuying said. "You''re so smart, there''s no way you wouldn''t."


    "Aunt Xiuying is right," Luo Yan followed. "With your mock exam results, you could definitely apply to any university you wanted."


    "Just keep your wits about you during the exam so you can avoid doing something stupid," Luo Jin said as he nonchntly ate a piece of duck meat.


    Luo Ren promptly nudged his youngest brother''s shin under the table before the other could say anything more. What if he ended up scaring Yu Jiao?


    "I''m sure Jiao Jiao has already taken that into ount."


    Luo Jin nced at him as if wondering why his shin was nudged like that. Considering how the other sometimescked tact, he thought he would tantly ask why. Thankfully, Luo Jin didn''t do that and just went back to eating.


    "But Xiao Jin does present a good point," their father said. "That''s why Xiao Yan, Jiao Jiao, it''s better to be careful so you can avoid any careless mistakes."


    "Don''t worry, Dad. We''ll be very careful. After all, our future depends on this," Luo Yan said, before turning to Yu Jiao. "Right, Jiao Jiao?"


    "Yes," Yu Jiao said, her expression much more determined than ever.


    How cute.


    Luo Ren smiled inwardly seeing that.


    -----


    After dinner, they drank tea at the living room, and continued their conversation. Most of it revolved around the college entrance examination. Since Luo Ren had already gone through it, his father asked him to share his experience. All of Yu Jiao''s attention was focused on him as he talked.


    Because of that, he kind of got carried away and just talked non-stop. How could he resist when Yu Jiao was staring at him like that, as if he''s the only person on Earth? It only stopped when Aunt Xiuying said that they should go back home since it was already gettingte. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After a round of saying goodbye, Luo Ren apanied the mother and daughter in front of the house. The car that brought them here was already parked there, just waiting for them to get in.


    "Thank you foring here tonight and celebrating my birthday with my family," Luo Ren said before Aunt Xiuying and Yu Jiao left.


    "We''re the ones who should thank you for inviting us," Aunt Xiuying said.


    Yu Jiao agreed.


    Luo Ren only smiled. And then he spoke to the driver and asked the other to drive safely.


    Aunt Xiuying was the first one to get in the car. He was waiting for Yu Jiao to get inside as well so he could close the door to the backseat. But before he could do that, Yu Jiao suddenly turned around and hugged him.


    "Happy birthday again, Brother Ren."


    He didn''t have time to react or even register what just happened because Yu Jiao quickly got inside the car and closed the door herself. By the time he returned to his senses, the car had already driven out of the gate.


    Slowly, his heart raced and then his whole face heated up like it was burning. He covered his face with both hands, trying to calm himself down like some love-struck teenager. Even though it was just a quick hug, he could still somehow feel her warmth. Even her scent lingered in his nose.


    His happiness was already overflowing today. He never imagined that his joy would exceed even his highest expectations.


    Ah, to be in love. What a wonderful feeling.


    =====


    Luo Ren chuckled after remembering what had happened that night. Everything was almost perfect. He ended the day by opening Yu Jiao''s gift for him. The exquisite yet simple customized watch was like the icing on the cake. He had been using the watch since then.


    He drove his car out of the gate. Hopefully, his birthday next year would be even better.

 Chapter 1091 ALL THAT MATTERED

    Chapter 1091 ALL THAT MATTERED


    IT''S weekend once again, and team Yunyue was doing their usual Arcadia ''travelogue''. The only difference right now was that two more people came with them - He Yu Lan and Wu Xiang Ye.


    Since they started this travelling, they were now close to covering almost half of Arcadia. With how this was only the first week of April, they might be able to finish after a month from now. Then they could solely focus on training.


    "If I had known flying on the back of a dragon was this liberating, I would have joined youst week," Wu Xiang Ye said.


    The other was travelling with Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun, and Eclipse on the back of Dusk. While He Yu Lan was with Su Yuqi, Luo Jin, and Bai Ze on Rowan''s back.


    "Brother Xiang Ye can just join us from now on," Luo Yan suggested.


    Wu Xiang Ye sighed. "As much as I want to do that, Lan-er and I still have a lot of things to do. We have to do them before we leave the country by the end of the month."


    Actually, most of the things he and Yu Lan had to do included things rted to their families. Both sides still didn''t know that they had gotten married. No, it''s more urate to say that they didn''t even know that he and Yu Lan were in a romantic rtionship.


    That probably should be the first thing they should have done upon returning, but Wu Xiang Ye kept on dragging it. Because he wanted to at least spend days enjoying everything before absolute mayhem ensued. But Yu Lan finally had enough of his procrastination and decided they would tell their families about their rtionship tomorrow.


    So, today was like a respite before the storm.


    What their families knew was that the two of them were best friends who were both interested in Western culture. Which was far from the truth. They just used that reasoning to exin why they chose to study abroad. When theyr graduated and their family asked when would they go back home, they both said that they preferred to work abroad.


    It''s good that their jobs fit more in the lifestyle abroad than it would ever be in this country. Both of them were working frence while travelling all over the world. They were also doing volunteer work for NGOs, traveling to remote regions to help those in need. Something that they would not be able to do if they went back and stayed here.


    They would probably be stuck in jobs that their family chose for them. Being put in a position in their family''spany, even if the major they studied didn''t fit the job description. All because they were a member of the family that owned thepany. You know, nepotism at its finest.


    Anyway, since both of their families were pretty conservative, there could only be two oues after they told them the truth. Either they would force them to separate or they would just outright disowned them.


    Wu Xiang Ye felt like it would be thetter. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After all, both he and Yu Lan were not the only son in their respective family. They still had brothers who would continue the family line. So, to cut off the ''stain'' in the family, disowning them would be the quickest and cleanest way to do it. That possibility would actually be a lot better than them resorting to underhanded means to separate him and Yu Lan.


    He nced at Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan, who were huddled together and seemed to be talking about some kind of ''English tutoring''. He had been observing the two for the past three weeks since he and Yu Lan came back. Of course, only in the game and whenever all of them were online. Which wasn''t really that often.


    But it was still clear that the two had genuine feelings for each other. And he was very d about that.


    While looking at the two, he thought that, as a senior in life and in love, he should give them some advice.


    "You two, have you already told your family about your rtionship?" he asked first.


    Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun turned to him and then looked at each other.


    Luo Yan was the first to answer. "Well, there''s only four people in my family who know about it. There''s Ah Jin and Brother Ze, as well as my older brother."


    Wu Xiang Ye nodded. It''s understandable if only the younger members of the family would know about it. If he were close to his siblings, he would have also done the same.


    "Only my uncle knows."


    Shen Ji Yun''s answerpletely shocked Wu Xiang Ye. He knew that Uncle Yi Mu was more than just an uncle to Shen Ji Yun. The other was more like a real parent. So, hearing Shen Ji Yun say that he had told Uncle Yi Mu about his rtionship with Luo Yan was nothing short of surprising.


    "What''s Uncle Yi Mu''s reaction?" he couldn''t help but asked.


    "He cheered me on and was very supportive."


    Wu Xiang Ye blinked and then a bitter smile crossed his lips. He nned to give the two advice, but he ended up feeling envious instead.


    "You''re lucky. Lan-er and I still don''t know if we would be disowned tomorrow," he said with a deprecating tone.


    "Disowned? Is that like parents cutting off their rtionship with their children?" Eclipse suddenly asked.


    Wu Xiang Ye looked at the boy and answered, "More or less."


    "Why would your parents do that?" Eclipse asked once more, tilting his head as if he couldn''t understand.


    "Well, because they don''t approve of my love for your Brother Verdigris," Wu Xiang Ye gave a simple answer.


    Eclipse furrowed his brows, seemingly not liking the answer. "Does love need approval from anyone?"


    Wu Xiang Ye was stunned for a second when he heard that. Then heughed out loud. That''s right. He didn''t need anyone''s approval. The love he and Yu Lan had for each other was all that mattered.

 Chapter 1092 FAREWELL PARTY PREPARATION (I)

    Chapter 1092 FAREWELL PARTY PREPARATION (I)


    TIME flew by in a sh. It was already thest weekend of April. It had been almost a month since Luo Yan asked Shen Ji Yun to tutor him in English. The result was more than what Luo Yan had expected. As clearly shown by his mock exam results. His foreignnguage exam points had increased to around 130-135, as opposed to the usual 110-120.


    It was quite a strange phenomenon. Because Shen Ji Yun wasn''t really doing anything out of the ordinary while tutoring him. Well, it didn''t really matter as long as he''s progressing. He might as well just ount it to the power of love. Because how else could he exin this phenomenon?


    As long as Shen Ji Yun continued to tutor him, surpassing the 140 points mark would no longer be impossible.


    A wry smile appeared on his lips. Really, who would have thought that he would feel excited about that? Especially when he had already experienced taking the college entrance examination.


    If another person was in his situation, most would probably spend more timeining about why they had to take the exam again, rather than spending time studying. Honestly, if he didn''t care about how the people close to him would react, Luo Yan would probably feel and act the same way.


    But he wanted his family to be proud of him. He didn''t want to disappoint them. That''s why he''s putting this much effort. And there''s also the fact that he wanted to enter his old alma mater again.


    Anyway, enough said. Today, Luo Yan logged in early in the game. And no, it''s not because of their team''s weekend travel. He had to go to the Yuexing Pavilion to prepare some things.


    Arriving there, he was not surprised not to see customers inside the building. This was because the announcement was made a week ago that the pavilion would be closed for two days next week, which would be today and tomorrow. The reason he gave was because they would be doing maintenance to the building. Which was actually not the case at all, by the way.


    The real reason for that was because team Yunyue nned to host a farewell party for Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan. And the venue they chose for that was Yuexing Pavilion.


    The two retired members had a flight scheduled to leave on Monday, the day after tomorrow. And so, the rest of team Yunyue decided that they should at least give them a farewell party. Since Luo Yan and Luo Jin were in a different city, the only way to do this farewell party with everyone was through the game.


    Everyone decided to prepare everything in the morning. That''s why they wouldn''t do their usual travel schedule.


    Luo Yan had to be the first one here to allow the others entry. Due to security reasons, once the pavilion was closed, other yers aside from the owner were not allowed the enter the ce. If someone tried to, they would be repeled immediately. Not only that, they would also be banned permanently from entering the pavilion.


    The game system did not set this, but something that Luo Yan made himself. This was to prevent any troll yers from making trouble in his establishment. Some yers in Arcadia do livestreams where they would do these ''challenges'' to catch more viewers. He didn''t want to wait until one of them decided to ''challenge'' his pavilion''s security and decided to trespass.


    It was a good thing he had a good foresight. Because not long after he set those security measures, one really did try to trespass. Of course, they were immediately repelled. Them being kicked out was recorded by one of their viewers. Then it kind of went viral in the game forum. Someone even made a meme out of it.


    Some streamers who saw this thought they would gain more viewers by doing the same thing. So, there was a period when a bunch of streamers tried to do the same. But after finding out that those who tried doing this would be permanently banned from entering Yuexing Pavilion, the streamers who were trying to trespass finally decreased. And now, it almost totally stopped.


    The main reason for this was because Yuexing Pavilion had now be a staple entertainment ce in Arcadia. People visited not just to dine or drink but also to enjoy the performances of the NPCs working there. Additionally, a significant number of customers frequented Yuexing solely for the purpose of gambling at the casino.


    Those contemting trespassing likely decided it wasn''t worth risking being banned from the pavilion. But that didn''t mean Luo Yan would change the security. After all, it''s better to be safe than sorry.


    After entering his pavilion, he immediately allowed the enter of his teammates. Then he sent them a message, telling them that they coulde. It didn''t even take five seconds before the others teleported here.


    "Should we begin?" Luo Yan asked.


    -----


    Wu Xiang Ye began to pat the empty space beside him on the bed. Not feeling the warmth of another body he anticipated, his drowsiness faded, and he immediately opened his eyes. Yu Lan was nowhere to be found; he likely had already awakened much earlier.


    Even though he still wanted to continue sleeping, he still forced himself to get up. He walked out of the bedroom and quickly saw Yu Lan. He was sitting at the dining table and was typing on hisptop with a serious expression on his face.


    Wu Xiang Ye walked towards the other and kissed his cheek. "Good morning, Lan-er."


    He Yu Lan only nodded, as if he was already used to this kind of greeting. He closed hisptop. "I already made breakfast, so let''s eat."


    Wu Xiang Ye smiled when he heard that. "Okay. Let me set the table then."


    This had been their morning routine for the past five years. One cooked while the other would set the table and would alsoter wash the dishes. Even when they were in a hotel suite, it didn''t change. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Wu Xiang Ye hoped that even when they were old and full of wrinkles, it would still stay the same.

 Chapter 1093 FAREWELL PARTY PREPARATION (II)

    Chapter 1093 FAREWELL PARTY PREPARATION (II)


    "WHY were you working so early in the morning, by the way?" Wu Xiang Ye asked as he ate a bite of the scallion pancake.


    "Have you forgotten already? We''re going to meet up with Xiao Yun and the others for lunch," He Yu Lan answered, giving the other a look saying ''how can you forget?''.


    There was a sh of realization on Wu Xiang Ye''s face, as if he had only remembered that. But it was quickly gone and was reced by an overly ttering smile.


    "Lan-er, of course I didn''t forget. I''m just amaze at how hardworking you are."


    He Yu Lan only rolled his eyes at that. "Just finish your pending work. I don''t want to see you rushing to meet your deadline."


    Wu Xiang Ye made a yful salute. "Yes, sir!"


    He Yu Lan did not respond and just continued eating. Wu Xiang Ye continued to stare at the other, feeling all happy. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even though revealing their rtionship to their family was as disastrous as expected, it didn''t matter. He''d be fine as long as Yu Lan was with him. Both of them were now disowned and would probablyter be removed from the family register. But since he and Yu Lan had already somehow expected something like that, it didn''t reallye off as that much of a surprise to them.


    Although he had to admit that it made him a bit sad at first. After all, they were still his family. And he was sure Yu Lan felt the same way. But that sadness didn''tst long since both their families tried their best in theing weeks after that to try to separate them.


    After a week of ''negotiations'', they finally came to a ''peaceful'' conclusion. And that was being disowned and removed from the family register. From then on, they would have nothing to do with the Wu and He family of B City.


    From ''heart-to-heart'' talk, to unprecedented blind date, and even threatening to cut them out of the will. Of course, none of those worked. When they did the blind date thing, Yu Lan was so angry that he almost packed their bags and bought two ne tickets to leave the country. If he didn''t stop the other, it might have really happened..


    He told him that if they left like that, knowing their families, they might be banned from permanently entering the country. So, they had to make a clean end. To make sure that they wouldn''t be able to meddle with their lives.


    After a week of ''negotiations'', they finally came to a ''peaceful'' conclusion. And that was being disowned and removed from the family register. From then on, they would have nothing to do with the Wu and He family of B City.


    Not that it mattered in any way.


    Wu Xiang Ye reached out and held Yu Lan''s hand. "I love you, Lan-er."


    He Yu Lan raised his brow, as if wondering what had gotten into him. But he still responded in a calm voice while sping their hands together. "I love you too."


    And that was just pure bliss.


    ----------


    The members of team Yunyue grouped themselves into pairs so they could decorate the ce much faster. It''s not really literal decorating where one put decorations and all that, but more on clicking on items they had bought and having it appear automatically on the spot they wanted it to appear.


    Luo Yan was, of course, paired with Shen Ji Yun. They were assigned to thekeside area. As they were doing decorations, Luo Yan remembered something and asked Shen Ji Yun;


    "Brother Ji Yun, you''re going to meet Brother Xiang Ye and Brother Yu Lanter for lunch, right?"


    They wouldn''t meet in the game, but in reality. Since all of them were in B City, they decided to meet for onest time before the two left the country.


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. "Does Yan Yan want me to ry any message?"


    "No, it''s not that. I''m just wondering if you can send me a picture of them?" Luo Yan asked.


    Since all their interaction had been in the game, he still had no idea how the two looked like in real life. It probably wouldn''t be too different from what they looked like in the game. After all, the two of them didn''t seem like people who would use the 100% beautification filter of the game when creating their avatars. So, he still wanted to see a picture of the two.


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to be pondering over something. Then he said, "Isn''t a video call better?"


    Luo Yan grinned. "Yes, that would indeed be better."


    Shen Ji Yun also smiled back.


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, didn''t Brother Xiang Ye said before that they would tell their families about their rtionship? Do you know what happened to that?" Luo Yan thought of asking after a while.


    He was really curious about the oue of that.


    Shen Ji Yun stopped what he''s doing, and then answered after a few seconds of pause, "It didn''t go well."


    "Oh, I see," Luo Yan could only say. "How bad is it?"


    Shen Ji Yun became silent again before answering, "To the point of being disowned."


    Now, Luo Yan waspletely shocked. He didn''t think some families wouldpletely cut off a rtive just because they loved someone of the same gender. That''s wild in so many levels.


    At least he was sure that even if his father found out about him and Shen Ji Yun, the other wouldn''t disown him. He might get mad. But not at him. Shen Ji Yun would definitely receive the brunt of his anger.


    "Are they okay with that?" he asked.


    "I think so," Shen Ji Yun said. "They seemed to have already expected that result.


    Luo Yan sighed. How sad was it for them to think that it was natural to not be epted by their family - the people who should be the first to offer them support and eptance?


    "We''re lucky that our families are not like that." Then, as if being reminded of something, he looked at Shen Ji Yun and added, "And no, I''m not talking about your maternal or paternal family. I''m just referring to Uncle Yi Mu."


    Shen Ji Yun blinked and then chuckled before hugging Luo Yan. "Yes, I''m indeed lucky to have him on my side."

 Chapter 1094 OLD TEAM YUNYUE HAVING LUNCH (I)

    Chapter 1094 OLD TEAM YUNYUE HAVING LUNCH (I)


    AT noon, Shen Ji Yun had just finished cooking what they will eat for lunch. All of them were traditional dishes. Since Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan had been eating foreign food for the past five years or so, they should at least eat authentic Chinese food while they''re here.


    Besides, it had been so long since hest cooked for the two. That''s why he suggested of meeting here for lunch instead of going to a restaurant.


    After he''s done, he arranged all the dishes he made on the table. As he was doing that, he couldn''t help but think back to his conversation with Luo Yan earlier. About being lucky for having the family that they had. At least inparison to Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan.


    But if Shen Ji Yun would take into ount the members of his maternal and paternal families, then he wouldn''t be any different from the two.


    The Shen family would have never approved of his rtionship with Luo Yan. As evidence of how his grandfather and eldest uncle reacted when Uncle revealed his sexuality to them.


    Even if he''s not favored in the family, he still bore the surname ''Shen''. Being a political family, they would not allow anyone to taint their name. Uncle threatened them so he and Uncle Yue would be left alone. But he had the capital and the strength to do that.


    He didn''t yet have that level of power and influence.


    And then there was his mother''s family. There likely wouldn''t be any issues on that front, considering they practically disregard his existence. In fact, his own mother might have even forgotten about him altogether.


    Truly, just like what Luo Yan had said, his only family was his Uncle. There was also his grandmother and Uncle Yue as well. And maybe, in the future, Luo Yan would also be part of his small family.


    Just as Shen Ji Yun finished arranging all the dishes on the table, the doorbell rang. He immediately walked over and opened the door. Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan were standing there.


    "Ha, thankfully we went to the right house," Wu Xiang Ye said, letting out a sigh of relief. "I thought we have gotten lost or something."


    "The car has GPS. If you just followed it, you wouldn''t have been worried," He Yu Lan said.


    A small smile crossed Shen Ji Yun''s lips. "Come in."


    The two walked inside the house. Seeing the many dishes on the dining table, Wu Xiang Ye couldn''t help but whistle.


    "You cooked all this, Xiao Yun?" he asked. "It must have been a lot of work."


    "No, they are all simple dishes, so it''s fine," Shen Ji Yun said.


    "Xiao Yun''s cooking skills must have gotten even better, right?" He Yu Lan said, looking at the dishes on the table with appreciation.


    Shen Ji Yun only smiled at that. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Soon, Bai Ze and Su Yuqi also arrived, and the five of them started eating lunch.


    "Wow, this is so good," Wu Xiang Yemented as he ate a piece of pork dumplings.


    He Yu Lan also nodded in agreement as he quietly ate a spring roll.


    Bai Ze looked at everyone enjoying their lunch and he suddenly felt emotional. "It''s like we''re back in the old days."


    "Ah Ze, you''re speaking as if that''s a lifetime ago," Wu Xiang Ye said with a teasing gaze.


    "It might as well be!" Bai Ze said indignantly. "The both of you have been gone for so long. And now, you''re leaving again."


    "Do you really have to go so soon?" Su Yuqi asked in a rare moment where she agreed with Bai Ze.


    "We have responsibilities that we couldn''t put off. Even if we wanted to stay a bit longer, we can''t," He Yu Lan exined.


    "We didn''t expect that the final tournament would be moved like this. We thought Arcadia Cup would be over by the end of April. That''s why we only cleared our schedule for a month," Wu Xiang Ye added. "Don''t worry though, we will try toe back to watch you in the finals."


    "Way to go, pressuring them like that," He Yu Lan said with a scolding tone.


    "Lan-er, I''m not pressuring them. Rather, I''m expressing my confidence in their abilities," Wu Xiang Ye reasoned.


    "Don''t worry, Brother Yu Lan. With our team''s strength, it''s not impossible to reach the finals," Bai Ze said confidently. "So, you better show up to watch us live."


    He Yu Lan only shook his head helplessly, but still said ''okay''. While Wu Xiang Ye gave Bai Ze a thumbs up.


    "But it''s such a shame that Yan Yan and Xiao Jin are not here to join us," Wu Xiang Ye said after a while. "They can''t enjoy Xiao Yun''s delicious cooking."


    "That might be true for Xiao Yan, but Xiao Jin would never agree that Ji Yun''s cooking is delicious. No matter how true it is," Bai Ze said.


    "Ah right. That little guy seemed to really dislike Xiao Yun," Wu Xiang Ye said, remembering the interaction between the two that he had seen so far.


    "It''s a ssic case of ''brotherplex''," He Yu Lanmented. "He probably dislikes Xiao Yun based solely on the fact that he''s in a rtionship with his brother."


    Wu Xiang Ye nodded, seemingly agreeing with that. Then, as if he thought of something good, he turned to Su Yuqi. "Maybe Xiao Qi can help convince Xiao Jin that Xiao Yun is not such a bad choice for his brother."


    Bai Ze tilted his head in confusion when he heard that. "How can Su Yuqi convince Xiao Jin? Shouldn''t Brother Xiang Ye ask me instead? I''m his cousin, after all."


    Wu Xiang Ye looked at Bai Ze. "Why else? Because your little cousin has a crush on Xiao Qi."


    Bai Ze''s chopsticks dropped on his rice bowl. Then, he vehemently denied what the other had just said. "How is that possible? Surely my cousin''s taste isn''t that questionable!"

 Chapter 1095 OLD TEAM YUNYUE HAVING LUNCH (II)

    Chapter 1095 OLD TEAM YUNYUE HAVING LUNCH (II)


    ALL the people at the table turned to look at him, all having different expressions on their faces. Shen Ji Yun had his signature cold look, but with a raised brow, as if saying ''are you serious?''. He Yu Lan only shook his head while Wu Xiang Ye looked at him in disbelief. Su Yuqi, on the other hand, was smiling. But that smile didn''t reach her eyes, so, with that face of hers, it looked more like she was threatening him.


    "What? Did I say anything wrong?" Bai Ze asked, feeling that the situation was a bit incredulous. "The only type of people who would like Su Yuqi are masochists. And my cousin is definitely not one."


    "Say one more thing and I will kick you off your chair and stuff your mouth with chilli peppers," Su Yuqi said in a soft voice, but one could tell that she''s definitely being serious.


    Bai Ze swallowed, and he unconsciously moved his body to the left. Su Yuqi was sitting on his right, so her threat seemed quite usible. And knowing the other, he had no doubt that she would really do that.


    Wu Xiang Ye suddenlyughed out loud. Watching the two bicker was always great fun. "You know, there was a time when I thought you two would end up together."


    Bai Ze showed a horrified look. "Mother of mercy, anything but that! I wouldn''t put myself to such suffering."


    Su Yuqi''s face contorted with disgust. "I have great taste, thank you. I''d rather remain single my whole life than let that happen."


    That made Wu Xiang Yeughed again. Then he went back to the topic they were talking about just now, asking Bai Ze, "But Ah Ze, why do you think it''s not possible for Xiao Jin to like Xiao Qi? Is there any instances that showed otherwise?"


    Bai Ze was ready to give all the evidence he could, but the moment he thought back to all his memories involving the two, he truly couldn''t find anything. Instead, all that shed in his mind was how the two got along really well. How Luo Jin would sometimes blush whenever Su Yuqi would do or say something. How Su Yuqi''s attitude seemed a bit softer around Luo Jin.


    Bai Ze also remembered how his cousin would sometimes steal nces at Su Yuqi whenever he thought no one was looking. Not to mention, all the times Luo Jin would pick Su Yuqi''s side instead of his whenever the two of them were fighting. And whenever their team had to do something in groups of two, Luo Jin would always try to be partnered up with Su Yuqi. A good example was the decorating they did at Yuexing Pavilion early in the morning.


    Enlightenment finally came to Bai Ze. How could he be so blind? No, was he really just insensitibe when it came to romance? Was that why he was still a single dog up until now?


    It''s not that he had never noticed these things before. It''s just that whenever he did, and when it seemed like he was about to realize the truth, something would happen that would take his attention away and he would just conveniently forget about it.


    Once the realization started, it finally registered in his brain.


    Holy shit! It seemed that his cousin really liked Su Yuqi! What kind of tragedy was this?


    Bai Ze looked at Su Yuqi as if she was a criminal. "You- you cradle robber!"


    Su Yuqi finally couldn''t take it and kicked Bai Ze''s chair. What ''craddle robble''? She''s only three and a half years older than Luo Jin. He''s talking as if she was 10 years older or something.


    Since it was a kick full of force, Bai Ze was about to topple over. Good thing Shen Ji Yun, sitting at the head of the table, managed to quickly steady Bai Ze''s chair, who was sitting on his right.


    Bai Ze red angrily at Su Yuqi. "I almost fell! Are you really nning to send me to the hospital?"


    Su Yuqi rolled his eyes at him. "I wish."


    "You--!"


    "Okay. Let''s not fight. It''s a great disrespect to the delicious meal Xiao Yun cooked for us," He Yu Lan said, stopping the two from bickering.


    Both Bai Ze and Su Yuqi stayed silent, like children who had just been scolded by their mother.


    But even with that, Bai Ze was still having an inner struggle. Full of disbelief that Luo Jin actually liked Su Yuqi.


    Wait- if his cousin and Su Yuqi actually ended up together, then he would be the only single person on the team. No, there''s something worse than that. If the two got married, he would be rted to Su Yuqi byw!


    What kind of disaster was this?


    ---------


    Luo Yan knocked on the door of Luo Jin''s room. He just received a message from Shen Ji Yun, asking him if it was alright to video call him now. He didn''t reply immediately and instead he went to find Luo Jin. After all, Luo Jin was also a member of team Yunyue. He should also be there for this video call.


    "Yan? Do you need something?" Luo Jin asked when he opened the door and saw his brother.


    "I''m going to video call with Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan started, in which Luo Jin tilted his head as if asking ''what does that have to do with me?''. "He''s with the other members of our team, as well as Brother Xiang Ye and Brother Yu Lan. Don''t you want to talk to them?"


    Luo Jin''s initial thought was ''not really''. But then he remembered that Su Yuqi must also be there. So, he quickly change his mind and said, "Sure." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Luo Yan walked into his brother''s room and sat down on the bed. Luo Jin did the same and sat down beside him. He didn''t send a message to Shen Ji Yun and just call the other directly.


    The video call instantly connected within a few seconds, and Shen Ji Yun''s handsome face appeared on the phone''s screen.

 Chapter 1096 HOW CAN I NOT?

    Chapter 1096 HOW CAN I NOT?


    "HAVE you had lunch, Yan Yan?" Shen Ji Yun asked after the video call connected.


    "Yes. How about you, Brother Ji Yun?" Luo Yan asked back.


    "We just finished," Shen Ji Yun answered. "Here, I''ll let you talk to Brother Xiang Ye and Brother Yu Lan."


    Then the perspective of the camera changed. Shen Ji Yun probably switched from the front camera to the back camera of his phone. After that, two men in their early 20s appeared on the screen. Both possessed distinct charms, each exuding their own unique handsomeness.


    One had a sunny temperament with a crew cut and tanned skin. With his muscr body, he looked like one of those military men. The other one had longer hair that was tied in a loose ponytail. He was much slender and had that androgynous beauty.


    Luo Yan could immediately tell who was who. The former was definitely Wu Xiang Ye, and thetter was He Yu Lan.


    "Is this Xiao Yan? You look exactly as your avatar," Wu Xiang Ye said with some admiration.


    It''s not that he thought the other used beautification on his avatar, he just thought that his game race added more charm to him. But surprisingly, that was really Luo Yan''s face. What a pretty kid. With an even better personality. No wonder Shen Ji Yun fell that hard.


    Luo Yan chuckled. "I can say the same for you, Brother Xiang Ye." Then ge nced at He Yu Lan. "But I must say, brother Yu Lan is much more beautiful than his avatar."


    He Yu Lan coughed and looked away, obviously feeling shy because of the straightforwardpliment. But that shyness didn''tst long because Wu Xiang Ye suddenly attached his cheek to his and rubbed it like some child.


    "Right? My Lan-er is really the prettiest," Wu Xiang Ye said, sounding very proud.


    He Yu Lan pushed Wu Xiang Ye''s face away. The shyness on his face had already disappeared and was reced by annoyance.


    Luo Yan smiled. He was d that the two seemed to not be affected by what happened with their families. It showed how strong their mentality was.


    "Ah Jin is also here with me," he said, pulling his brother over so the other would also appear on the screen.


    When Wu Xiang Ye saw the young man Luo Yan pulled over, his eyebrows almost reached the top of his forehead because how big his eyes widened. It''s not that he didn''t know Luo Jin was really a teenager and not the little kid he had as the avatar. But the person Luo Yan pulled didn''t look like a teenager, he looked like a full-grown adult. He even looked older than his older brother.


    "You''re Xiao Jin?" he said in an almost incredulous voice.


    Luo Jin frowned a bit, wondering what''s with the reaction. But he still politely greeted the other. "Hello."


    "You are not what I''m expecting," Wu Xiang Ye honestly said.


    He Yu Lan beside him rolled his eyes. "What, do you really expect him to look like an elementary school kid?"


    "Of course, not that much. Just... someone who looks like he''s in high school, not someone who seemed like he''s about to graduate college."


    The corner of Luo Jin''s mouth twitched. He didn''t know if he should take that as apliment or as an insult. So, he decided to just not say anything. Instead, he nced at the back of the two, hoping he could see a glimpse of Su Yuqi.


    That didn''t escape Wu Xiang Ye''s eyes. With a teasing grin, he said, "Are you looking for Xiao Qi? Wait- I''ll call her for you."


    Before Luo Jin could react, he already heard the other shouting from the other side;


    "Xiao Qi! There''s a handsome little brother looking for you here!"


    Luo Jin''s whole face instantly turned red. His initial reaction was to stand up and get as far away as possible from the phone''s screen. But before he could even do that, he felt his arm being tightly hugged by Luo Yan. He subconsciously looked down and saw his brother smiling at him with the same teasing grin Wu Xiang Ye had earlier.


    He didn''t even have time to get angry because the people on the opposite screen had already changed to someone else. A woman with blue hair that went past her shoulders appeared.


    It was Su Yuqi.


    Luo Jin''s struggle to get up immediately ceased when he saw the other. Then, without thinking, he just blurted out, "You changed your hair color."


    Su Yuqi chuckled when she heard that. "Yes. What do you think? Does it suit me?"


    "Yes," Luo Jin said again, as if in a daze.


    "Are you saying it looks good on me?"


    "You always look good."


    As if realizing what he just said, Luo Jin''s whole face turned even redder. While Su Yuqi only smiled meaningfully. But the fact that the smile reached her eyes showed just how much of a good mood she was in right now.


    Luo Yan, who was watching all these from the side away from the screen, raised an eyebrow when he saw this interaction. Hmm...


    And then suddenly, the scene from the other side of the screen shook. As if someone suddenly took the phone away. Soon, they found out why that was.


    Su Yuqi disappeared, and the one in front of them now was Bai Ze.


    "Xiao Jin! How could you?" the other shouted, his gaze looking at Luo Jin was full of usation.


    The shy atmosphere around Luo Jin a few moments ago immediately disappeared. He furrowed his brows in confusion. "What are you talking about, Brother Ze?"


    "There''s no denying it now. I know all about it!"


    "Again, what are you talking about?" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "That you- you- you actually like Su Yuqi!"


    Luo Jin''s whole body froze in that instant, and his mind just went nk.


    Bai Ze didn''t seem to care and just continued with his tirade. "How can you like her?"


    Once again, his mouth moved faster than his thoughts, blurting out words before he could stop himself.


    "How can I not?"

 Chapter 1097 COULD DO WONDERS

    Chapter 1097 COULD DO WONDERS


    "HOW can I not?" Luo Yan said, copying Luo Jin''s tone of voice as well as his expression when he said that.


    Luo Jin''s whole face turned red. He turned to Luo Yan. "Can you please stop?"


    The two of them were in Yuexing Pavilion, waiting for the others. Ever since that call from lunch, Luo Yan had been teasing him, copying that one line that he identally blurted out.


    Ha, he and his big mouth. Why couldn''t his brain work faster than his tongue? Every time he was ovee with emotion, he would just say the first thing that came to his mind. And every damn time, it would embarrass him to no end. It''s even worse today because everyone witnessed it.


    Now, he had to bear Luo Yan''s teasing.


    "What, I think it''s very sweet," Luo Yan said with a smile. "If I was Sister Yuqi, I might as well agree to be your girlfriend at that moment."


    "Sadly for me, it would take much more than that to make her fall," Luo Jin said with a wry smile.


    Luo Yan looked at his brother and then remembered how the other and Su Yuqi interacted during that call. "Don''t worry, Ah Jin. I think you stand a pretty good chance with her."


    Luo Jin turned to Luo Yan, a bit surprised, and also very hopeful. "Do you really think so?"


    Luo Yan nodded. "I''m not saying this just because you''re my brother, but I really do believe that with just a bit more effort, your feelings will definitely reach


    That seemed to put Luo Jin in a pretty good mood. Even his embarrassment seemed to have vanished. "You really think so? That''s not just you buttering me up, right?"


    "Hey, why do I need to butter you up?" Luo Yan said, tapping Luo Jin''s shoulder. "I''m just saying it as I see it. By the way, have you already confessed, at least?" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Luo Jin looked away, and with his cheeks blushing, he said, "I think so?"


    Luo Yan raised a brow. "Why is there a question mark there?"


    Luo Jin fiddled with his hands in uncertainty. "Well, I think I managed to clearly get my feelings across. It''s just that Yuqi... nevermind."


    He wanted to say that Su Yuqi had never really made things clear between them. After he confessed and became more open with his feelings for her, nothing had really changed with their rtionship. Except for the fact that she now knew how he felt.


    Despite that, he still knew that he was not in a position toin. What if Su Yuqi was still trying to figure out her feelings for him? He had no right to rush her. He didn''t want to be one of those impatient guys who constantly whined about their feelings and forced the person they supposed to like to return those feelings.


    Besides, didn''t he already told himself that he would wait no matter how long it took? Comining to his brother about his rtionship status, orck thereof, was just petty and uncool.


    Luo Yan observed Luo Jin''s constant change in expression until the other just sighed at the end. He had some kind of inkling as to what Luo Jin might be thinking right now. So, as the older brother, he decided to give the other some unsolicited advice.


    "You know, Ah Jin, a simple and straightforward ''I love you'' could do wonders."


    -----


    Once all the members of team Yunyue arrived at Yuexing Pavilion, the farewell party for Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan finally started. Of course, it was a surprised for the two at first.


    Since they had no idea that the whole team had prepared a surprise party for them, they weren''t given permission to directly teleport into the building. Instead, they were picked up by one of the NPCs on the other side of theke.


    The two didn''t think much at first. Since they had used this boat to go to the building on the other side, when they first decided to visit Yuexing Pavilion. But they didn''t expect that the boat ride would actually take them around theke, as if they were on tour.


    They were confused at first. But when they saw the floating lotus shaped lights as the boat traveled around theke, they finally felt that their juniors must be up to something.


    Since that was the case, the two decided to just enjoy the view. After all, it would take a while before they saw this scene again. The lotus lights were particrly beautiful on this dark night, with only the moon and stars shining in the sky.


    After the boat ride ended, a group of female NPCs wearing ancient costumes weed them into the pavilion. When they entered the building, they immediately noticed that there were no other guests inside.


    The two looked at each other andmunicated silently with their eyes;


    ''It seems like they prepared a farewell party for us.'' - Wu Xiang Ye.


    ''Let''s just enjoy this and appreciate their efforts.'' - He Yu Lan.


    The NPCs led them to the stage area. The tables that should have been there were currently missing. The only one there was a long table. The rest of team Yunyue was sitting around the table. Even the two dragons were there as well.


    Bai Ze stood up when he spotted them. "Brother Xiang Ye! Brother Yu Lan here!"


    The two walked over there and sat on the two empty seats that were positioned in the middle.


    "You kids, you shouldn''t have bothered with this," Wu Xiang Ye said with a helpless smile. But deep inside, he was truly happy that they prepared something like this for him and Yu Lan.


    "Master said you''re leaving. So, it''s only right to give you a grand farewell party," Eclipse said.


    Wu Xiang Yeughed at that. Even He Yu Lan showed a small smile.


    "Shall we start?" Luo Yan asked.


    When everyone agreed, he snapped his fingers and all kinds of dishes suddenly filled the table. NPCs also appeared on the stage and started performing.


    Team Yunyue spent the rest of the night eating, drinking, and enjoying all kinds of performances.

 Chapter 1098 LUO JINS SMALL TROUBLE

    1098 LUO JIN''S SMALL TROUBLE


    LUO JIN looked at the small box wrapped in a smple ribbon. Inside this was his gift to Su Yuqi. Because it would be her 21st birthday on Saturday. He nned to go to B City to personally give this gift to her. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Sending it via courier seemed too perfunctory. Especially since the other knew his feelings for her. If he didn''t give it personally, it would seem like he''s not sincere enough. He knew Su Yuqi wouldn''t think that, but still. Aside from wanting to give it personally, he also wanted to surprise her.


    Maybe it would even earn him some brownie points.


    Especially after his talk with Luo Yan during the farewell party. It had been more than two weeks since then. It had also been that long since Wu Xiang Ye and He Yu Lan left the country. But he still hadn''t really done anything to make progress with his current rtionship situation with Su Yuqi.


    ''You know, Ah Jin, a simple and straightforward ''I love you'' could do wonders.''


    That''s what Luo Yan said to him. Luo Jin seriously took it to heart. And after much introspection, he realized that he hadn''t really yet said those words to Su Yuqi. When he confessed, he only said, in not so many words, that he wanted to be with her. From the waking hours of every day to the quiet moments of the night, he just wanted to spend those times with her.


    That''s why the content of his confession was mostly about that. But what if Su Yuqi was waiting for him to say those words instead? A clear confirmation of his feelings for her instead of just telling her in a round-about way that he wanted to be with her.


    He thought much about it and realized that Luo Yan was right. Why couldn''t he just directly tell Su Yuqi that he loved her? That''s what he should have done when he confessed. Another minus point for him was that he did it when they were in the game. That''s why his decision to go to B City on Saturday became even stronger.


    He would not only give his gift to Su Yuqi personally, he would also confess in a much more direct way. It didn''t matter if he didn''t get a reply. After all, Su Yuqi didn''t have any obligation to give him an answer. What mattered most was that he managed to cross his feelings in a much more straightforward manner.


    It''s a good thing that their team was done with their weekly Arcadia travel. They had now covered the entirety of Arcadia. He was certain their team wouldn''t be lost during the amazing race themed quarter-finals.


    Their team was now mostly training in the new dungeon - Thousand World Fantasia. Since the team for the semi-finals was [RPG], Luo Yan said that it might be simr to what they experienced when they first cleared the Thousand World Fantasia dungeon.


    ording to him, it''s better if all of them were able to y the part given to them to perfection. Just in case the semi-finals required them to not reveal their identities to the opposing team.


    Luo Jin actually disliked that dungeon. After all, he had to role-y as a man pretending to be a woman. If he had to wear a skirt again in front of so many people watching, he might just really lose it.


    Especially now that the servers from other countries had been opened sincest month. The people who would watch the finals of Arcadia Cup would not only be from their country, but from other countries as well. That meant it would be a worldwide level kind of humiliation for him if he was forced to wear a skirt again.


    Anyway, that''s not the problem right now. He should focus more on the problem at hand. Which was convincing his father to let him go to B City on Saturday.


    No matter how much he thought about it, he really couldn''t think of a viable solution. But it''s not like he could give up. At the end, he only came up with one conclusion.


    He should ask for help.


    -----


    Luo Yan was in the small pavilion in their house''s back garden. The temperature was already a bit warmpared to winter season. It''s because the season had already changed and was already in the middle of spring. That''s why Luo Yan was wearing clothes with thinner materials. He could also now lounge here in the garden without worrying that he might get a cold.


    He was holding his phone and swiping through the posts andments about Arcadia in a foreign SNS app. Theunch of the new servers happenedst month. Since theunch, Arcadia had been a trending topic in foreign SNS apps.


    It had be a bit of a habit for him to read through thements. Not only to check the other countries'' reaction but also to exercise his English skill.


    So far, the reaction had been very positive. After all, Arcadia was a very immersive virtual reality game. It''s like being transported to another world. It would definitely be a hit to people who liked games, animes, and simr stuffs.


    Right now, most of the reactions came from those people. But Luo Yan was sure that sooner orter, even ordinary people would want to y Arcadia. And then, maybe a year from now, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Arcadia would be a must-have to the majority of the people in the world.


    Hopefully, there woulde a time when Arcadia would only have one big server. That way, people from all around the world could interact with one another.


    As he was reading through thements, he saw Luo Jin walking towards the pavilion where he was. The other had a pensive expression on his face, which made him curious. He put down his phone and waited for Luo Jin to approach.


    The first thing Luo Jin said as he sat down beside Luo Yan was, "Yan, can you help me with something?"

 Chapter 1099 HELPFUL BROTHER

    1099 ''HELPFUL'' BROTHER


    LUO YAN raised his brow with interest. "Well, as long as it''s within my abilities, of course, I will help Ah Jin. So, what do you need my help for?"


    Luo Jin shifted uneasily, appearing uncertain about how to broach the topic. But at the end, after much pondering, he finally said, "Can you help me convince Dad to let me go to B City on Saturday?"


    A lightbulb instantly lit up in Luo Yan''s brain when he heard that. If he''s not mistaken, it was Su Yuqi''s birthday on Saturday.


    "Do you want to personally greet Sister Yuqi on her birthday?" he asked in a teasing tone.


    Luo Jin nodded, a hint of red appearing on his cheeks. Obviously, looking very shy. "I also prepared a customized gift."


    "I''m sure Sister Yuqi will like it," Luo Yan said, giving the other a thumbs-up.


    "And, well, I''m also thinking of... following your advice."


    Luo Yan tilted his head, especially since Luo Jin just mumbled thatst part and he almost couldn''t hear it clearly. But when he finally understood what he''s saying, a big grin automatically appeared on his face.


    Because there had only been one advice he gave Luo Jin that had something to do with his rtionship with Su Yuqi. And that was for Luo Jin to straightforwardly tell Su Yuqi that he loved her.


    "Good for you, Ah Jin. Good for you," he said while patting his brother''s shoulder. Then he started to act like he was wiping away non-existent tears. "Oh, I can''t believe our Ah Jin is growing up so well like this."


    "Yan--! Can you be more serious?" Luo Jin looked like he was both annoyed and embarrassed at the same time.


    "What? I''m always serious."


    Luo Jin shook his head. Then his expression became a bit solemn. "What if... what if I still don''t get an answer from Yuqi after doing all that?"


    Luo Yan looked at his brother. Seeing the worried lines on Luo Jin''s face, he knew that this was not the time to tease the other. "If that really happened, will you give up, then?"


    "No," Luo Jin said almost automatically. He didn''t even pause or think.


    Luo Yan smiled at that. "Then there''s your answer."


    Luo Jin blinked and then smiled helplessly. "Yeah."


    Why was he asking that kind of question in the first ce? When he knew that whatever response Su Yuqi would give him, it wouldn''t make him give up so easily. The only way that would happen was if Su Yuqi directly told him that he was a nuisance and that she didn''t want to see him any longer. Even then, he might only stop approaching the other, but his feelings would still remain the same. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yeah, he was down that bad. Down to the point of no return.


    After a while, he circled back to the original topic of conversation. "Do you have an idea on how to convince Dad?"


    "Hmm... I think being honest is the best way to go about it."


    Luo Jin''s face turned red after realizing the implication of what Luo Yan had said. "Y-You mean tell him that I- I''m going to B City to see Yuqi?"


    "Ah-huh."


    "No! Dad will definitely not let me go if I told him that''s my reason for going there," Luo Jin vehemently refused.


    "How can you be so sure? Haven''t you noticed how supportive Dad is of Brother''s love life?" Luo Yan said. "Dad is surprisingly very romantic at heart."


    "That''s because Brother is already 23 and still hasn''t gotten a girlfriend. My situation and his is very different."


    Luo Yanughed at that. "Hey, 23 is still young. The way you said it, one might think Brother is already 40 or something."


    "Anyway, I don''t think being honest in this situation is the right way to go," Luo Jin insisted on his initial stance.


    "So, did you ask me for help so I can lie to dad for you?" Luo Yan asked with a raised brow.


    "It''s not that! I just... fine, maybe there''s a part of me that''s hoping you would. I''m sorry if that came out all wrong," Luo Jin said, quickly apologizing when he realized he was in the wrong.


    "It''s fine, I forgive you," Luo Yan said, waving his hand to show that he''s not really that offended. "But my opinion is still the same. The best way to go about this is to tell the truth."


    He didn''t really like lying to their father. He''s already feeling very guilty about the situation with Shen Ji Yun. Everything that had to do with his rtionship with the other, he had to circumvent and lie about it to his father. So, as much as possible, he was trying hard not to lie about anything else.


    "Don''t worry, I will be there to support you. I''ll be the best wingman. Dad will have no choice but to agree to let you go to B City," he continued. "All you have to do is be honest."


    Luo Jin stared at his brother''s smiling expression and then sighed. "Fine. Let''s go with your n."


    -----


    That night, an hour after dinner, Luo Yan apanied Luo Jin to the study to speak with their father. However, upon reaching the door, Luo Jin hesitated, lingering in ce for several minutes, not making any movement.


    As a good older brother, Luo Yan decided to help the other out. So, he simply knocked on the door. "Dad, can we go inside?"


    When Luo Jin saw that, his eyes widened. He didn''t have much time to react because the voice of their father echoed from inside.


    "Come in!"


    Luo Yan smiled at him, as if saying ''see, it wasn''t that hard'', and proceeded to open the door. Luo Jin could only sigh, feeling a bit helpless.


    When he followed Luo Yan inside, his steps subconsciously stopped when he saw Luo Ren inside. The two seemed to be talking about thepany.


    "What brings you two here?" their father asked.


    Before Luo Jin could speak and say that he and Luo Yan would just be backter, Luo Yan once again did not hesitate to ''help'' him out.


    "Dad, Ah Jin has something to say to you."

 Chapter 1100 AT THE STUDY

    Chapter 1100 AT THE STUDY


    LUO WEI TIAN looked at his two sons. One had a happy expression on his face, while the other looked constipated. Just based on that, one couldn''t help but think that the two were either up to some mischief. This piqued his interest.


    "What is it?" he asked his youngest.


    Luo Jin fidgeted. He didn''t say anything immediately, and just nced at Luo Ren. This made Luo Ren raised his brow.


    "What, is it something I can''t hear?" Luo Ren asked, now also curious. "I won''t leave though," he added with a grin. "So, feel free to speak. Maybe I can also give you good advice."


    Luo Jin looked at the teasing grin on his older brother''s face, then at the shining eyes of Luo Yan, as if encouraging him to quickly speak. But he couldn''t help but feel that thetter was just waiting to watch a show. He sighed with frustration. Really, too unreliable, each and every one of them. And they call themselves his older brother?


    He shook his head and decided to just go for it. Nothing would change if he just stood here, saying nothing.


    "Dad, can I go to B City on Saturday?"


    Luo Wei Tian furrowed his brows a bit. "To B City? Is it a school activity? If you need me to sign a form, just give it. I will sign it."


    A school activity was a pretty good excuse. If Luo Jin was alone with his father and he didn''t have that conversation with Luo Yan earlier, he might have gone along with that. But since that wasn''t the current situation, he couldn''t bring himself to lie.


    "No, it''s not for a school activity," he said. "It''s... I¡ª I n to visit Yuqi. It''s her birthday, you see. I- I want to give her a gift personally."


    Now that made Luo Wei Tian''s brows furrowed even further. "Yuqi?"


    "You''ve met her, Dad. She''s the girl in our team with pink hair and butterfly wings," Luo Yan reminded their father when he saw that the other seemed to be trying to remember who Yuqi was. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Well, it''s understandable that their father wouldn''t immediately remember who Su Yuqi was. After all, they really didn''t interact much when their father entered the game to watch the Rookie Carnival. Their father interacted more with Yu Jiao back then. And it also happened more that six months ago. So.


    Luo Wei Tian finally remembered who it was. But that made even more confusing for him.


    If his son wanted to fly to B City just to give a gift he could just send via courier, it meant that the rtionship between the two might not be simple. But that''s where the problemy. He didn''t mind Luo Jin having a crush on someone. But at least find a girl his age. What would happen if he became a criminal because of this?


    "That little girl? Isn''t she too young for you?"


    Luo Jin''s whole face turned scarlet, not out of shyness, but more of disbelief and embarrassment from what Luo Wei Tian was insinuating.


    Luo Ren nced at his brother with pity. Since he had already seen Su Yuqi in reality, he would never think of the other as a ''little girl''. But then again, their father had also met Su Yuqi in real life. But it was just one dinner when their family went to B CIty for the Mid-Autumn Festivalst year. Their father most likely had forgotten it.


    This situation kind of reminded him of the time when his father thought he was gay because Yu Jiao''s avatar was male.


    Luo Yan bit the inner part of his cheek to prevent himself fromughing out loud. Heposed himself for a few seconds before saying;


    "Dad, Sister Yuqi is not a ''little girl''. She''s actually the same age as Brother Ze. Have you forgotten, you already met her at that one dinner during the Mid-Autumn Festival?"


    When Luo Wei Tian heard that, a certain memory immediately shed in his mind. In the dinner Luo Yan mentioned, he remembered a young woman with bleached silver hair, colorful make-up, and a bunch of piercings on her ears.


    Thinking of the possibility that Luo Jin might have a crush on the other, Luo Wei Tian feltplicated. He probably should just be d that his youngest didn''t have an interest in a middle-school girl. Having a crush on a young woman with a unique fashion sense was definitely much better.


    But still, this and him wanting to go to B City by himself were two different things.


    "If you want to give her a gift, sending it via courier would definitely be enough," Luo Wei Tian said. "Or did she tell you that she wanted you to go to B City to give the gift yourself?"


    "No!" Luo Jin quickly said. Thest thing he wanted was for this conversation to end with his father having a bad opinion of Su Yuqi. "That''s definitely not it. She had never said that. I just... I just wanted to surprise her. I..."


    When he couldn''t think of what to say, he quickly nced at Luo Yan. His eyes silently saying, ''You said you''re going to support me. This is the right time to do that!''.


    As if receiving his signal, Luo Yan intervened and said, "Dad, Ah Jin simply wants to make a good impression on Sister Yuqi. It''s his first attempt at romance. Shouldn''t we offer him our support? After all, he''s not the type to let his studies suffer because of a crush. Remember how he used to excel in ss even when he was getting into fights every day? Surely, flying to another city to impress a girl is a far better use of his time and energy."


    Luo Jin didn''t know if Luo Yan wasplimenting him or what. But he really didn''t care right now, since the more important thing was for their father to agree. He looked at his father with eyes as if saying ''please agree!''.

 Chapter 1101 AH JIN TO B CITY

    Chapter 1101 AH JIN TO B CITY


    LUO WEI TIAN looked at his youngest'' earnest eyes and couldn''t automatically say ''no''. While he was pondering what to say next, Luo Ren spoke just at the right time. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "If Dad is worried, how about letting one of thepany''s secretaries apany him?" Luo Ren suggested.


    Luo Jin didn''t expect Luo Ren to also help out. But he quickly seized that chance to add; "Yes, I don''t mind, even if a secretary goes with me. Please, let me go to B City!"


    "You hear that, Dad? It should be fine if there''s someone older apanying him," Luo Yan added.


    Luo Wei Tian looked at his three sons. Why did it feel like his sons were ganging up on him? It''s almost like if he didn''t agree here, he would appear as a viin. So, he could only sigh and say;


    "Fine. You can go. But make sure you will be apanied at all times by the secretary I will send. I don''t want a repeat of what happened at that hotpot restaurant."


    "Yes, I will definitely behave myself," Luo Jin said.


    "Make sure to show yourself at your uncle''s house and say hello to your grandfather," Luo Wei Tian added. "Don''t just think about impressing your girlfriend."


    Luo Jin''s excitement quickly turned to embarrassment, making his whole face red. "She- she''s not my g-girlfriend... yet."


    Luo Wei Tian found the other''s reaction very amusing. Just by that reaction and simple statement, one could tell that Luo Jin was really enamored by this girl. It would be good if he could meet this Su Yuqi in a more proper setting. Not inside a virtual reality game, nor a casual dinner where he could easily forget what happened.


    "Okay, if you''re done, go to bed. You still have school tomorrow," he only said at the end.


    After the two walked out of the study, Luo Ren made ament, "Ah, to be young and in love."


    Luo Wei Tian raised an eyebrow at his eldest. "Don''t you think I should be the one saying that?"


    Luo Ren shrugged. "I just envy Xiao Jin a bit since he could freely show his feelings like that."


    Luo Wei Tian immediately understood why Luo Ren would make such ament. "There''s no need to be impatient. Waiting can be tough, but sometimes timing is everything. Waiting for the right moment will make it even more special."


    Luo Ren let out a helpless smile. "I know, Dad."


    After a while, Luo Ren also went out of the study and Luo Wei Tian was the only one left inside. He picked up the framed photo on the table. It was a picture of a woman smiling brightly while holding a bouquet of flowers she had onbviously just picked.


    He gently traced her face, his voice tinged with both sadness and fondness. "Our children have all grown up now. Two of them have found girls they like. Perhaps Yan Yan will soon meet someone special too. In moments like these, I can''t help but wish you were here with us, my love."


    ----------


    Days passed, and Saturday quickly came. Luo Jin was now aboard a ne flying to B City. He was very excited at the thought of seeing Su Yuqi in just a few hours.


    Su Yuqi had mentioned that her father would hold a one day exhibition for her birthday at the National Art Museum. So, she would most likely be there the whole day. So, that''s where he would go after the ne arrived in B City.


    He was actually d that Su Yuqi would spend most of the day there. Because that meant she wouldn''t have the time to log into the game. Then she wouldn''t be suspicious if she didn''t see Luo Jin in the game. Considering how he always consistently appeared by her side every time. Especially since today was her birthday.


    He just hoped Bai Ze wouldn''t be there. That cousin of his had been quite a pain in the ass ever since he found out about Luo Jin''s feelings for Su Yuqi. He shook his head.


    Anyway, the important thing right now was to give his gift to Su Yuqi and properly confessed his feelings again.


    While Luo Jin was brimming with excitement and determination, the secretary next to him was feeling the opposite.


    Secretary Gao had been in Tianhua Group''s Administrative Department for two years now. The president and CEO was like an idol to him. A person who had an ordinary background but still managed to climb at the top of society. He wanted to work for a person like that. That''s why he was very proud to be part of Tianhua''s secretary group.


    When he was called to the president''s office yesterday, he was so excited. Because it''s the first time he would be able to speak face with the other. When the president told him he would give a special job, he was so pumped up, thinking that the other had recognized his abilities. But when he heard what it was, he suddenly felt deted.


    Apparently, the president wanted him to apany his youngest son to B City. Since Secretary Gao was the youngest among all the secretaries in Tianhua, he felt like his son would be much morefortable with him. The president didn''t ask much and just told him to make sure that the third young master wouldn''t be in trouble and that to keep the other safe.


    And that''s where the problemy. Secretary Gao heard a lot of rumors about this third young master. That the other often get into senseless fights and was really stubborn and hard to deal with. He even heard that the other was involved in a fight during winter vacation when he and the second young master were in B City.


    Secretary Gao secretly nced at the third young master and inwardly sighed. He really hoped that nothing troublesome would happen. Thest thing he wanted was to return to S City tomorrow, only to discover that he had been dismissed for failing to properly watch over the third young master.

 Chapter 1102 AT THE NATIONAL ART MUSEUM

    1102 AT THE NATIONAL ART MUSEUM


    LUO JIN got out of the car and stared at the building in front of him. The building has a modern design with clean lines andrge windows, showcasing a mix of concrete and ss materials. It has a spacious entrance area that emphasizes its contemporary style. And right now, there was a long line of people waiting to go inside. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His brows furrowed a bit when he saw that. He had expected that there would be a lot of art enthusiasts who woulde here today. After all, it was free admission. Who would want to waste the chance of seeing the works of a national-level artist? But he thought the flow of people would slow down by now. It seemed that he still underestimated the poprity of Su Yuqi''s father.


    Su Cheng Han was a renowned artist known for traditional painting. All of his artworks were valued at least 10 million RMB, highlighting his significant influence and fame in the art world. At least that''s what Baidu told him when he searched the other''s name.


    Luo Jin wasn''t particrly interested in art, so he didn''t fully grasp the significance of that information. He simply assumed that Su Yuqi''s father must be well-known. Now, seeing the long line of people, he began to realize just how famous Su Yuqi''s father really was.


    And this left him in a dilemma.


    Should he line up? Or should he talk to the person in charge and say that he would donate some money if they could just let him enter without going through that long line?


    Secretary Gao, who was standing on the side, began to get nervous when he saw the third young master frowning. Especially since the other was doing it while staring at the long line.


    The third young master was probably annoyed, thinking he had to line up in order to enter the museum. Although Secretary Gao didn''t know what the young master was doing here, he knew that, as the secretary temporarily assigned to the other, he should do something to ease that annoyance.


    This was all to avoid getting fired. As apetent secretary, he needed to resolve the issue before the young master reacted impulsively due to irritation.


    "Don''t worry, third young master. I will solve this issue. You can enter the museum within 10, no, five minutes. So, please just wait here."


    Before Luo Jin could react to what the secretary had just said, the other had already walked a few steps away from him and took out his phone, obviously about to call someone. He raised his brow as he watched the other. Well, at least that solved his problem.


    He was actually thinking of just lining up. Even if he lined up now, he would probably just have to wait for an hour. He could still bear that. But who would have thought the secretary his father assigned to him would be thispetent?


    And just like the other said, he was able to enter the museum within five minutes. He looked at the other in amazement. "How did you do it?"


    Secretary Gao adjusted his sses. "I just contacted the director of the museum and told him that Tianhua Group is willing to donate a generous amount to the National Art Museum."


    The other didn''t have to finish what he''s saying for Luo Jin to understand that the condition for that to happen would be to let him enter the museum. So, it was bribery. But what amazed him was how fast this secretary managed to contact the museum''s director. It''s not like the person''s contact number could be found on Baidu or something, right?


    No, that didn''t really matter now. The important thing was he managed to enter without having to wait for an hour.


    "That''s amazing," he said honestly. "Thank you."


    An awkward expression appeared on the secretary''s face, as if he didn''t expect him to say ''thank you''. The other cleared his throat, trying hard to regain his normal expression. "I''m just doing my job, young master."


    "Still, you deserve praise for doing things so neatly and quickly."


    The secretary continued to look at him as if he was an alien. The other must have realized that the way he was looking at him was rude, so he erased the look on his face before changing the topic.


    "Third young master, I need to meet with the museum director briefly. Please stay here until I return," the secretary said earnestly, looking directly at him. "Please?"


    At those eyes that seemed to be begging him, Luo Jin could only nod. Even when the other walked away and nced at his direction from time to time, he continued to stand there. Wait- why did he feel that something was wrong with the way the secretary was acting?


    After a full minute of just standing nkly into space, he finally realized why that was.


    Wasn''t this because the other was expecting him to cause trouble? His expression darkened when he thought of that possibility. It''s surprisingly not that hard to think of the reason why the secretary would think that way.


    Before Luo Yan woke up froma, he was in his ''rebellious phase''. He never hesitated to fight back whenever people tried to pick a fight with him or whenever he saw someone trying to bully another student. Of course, he didn''t do thetter because of some kind of strong sense of justice. He mostly did it to release all his pen-up anger issues. Instead of hurting some innocent bystander, it''s better to beat up a shitty asshole.


    Nowadays, things were different. Yet, it appeared that his "good reputation" had spread among thepany''s employees. He wasn''t sure if he should feel bothered by this. Generally, he wasn''t concerned about others'' opinions of him, but it was still irritating.


    Luo Jin sighed, a trace of annoyance appearing on his face. He was thinking of finding Su Yuqi. But if he did, he felt like he''s proving that secretary that he was indeed a troublemaker.


    As he was facing another dilemma, a familiar voice suddenly called to him.


    "Ah Jin?"

 Chapter 1103 A CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE

    1103 A CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE


    LUO JIN swiftly turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. As he did, a wave of emotion swept over him, nearly causing him to lose his bnce. The sight of the beauty before him struck his heart so strongly that he was momentarily taken aback. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "...Y-Yuqi?" he could only call out in the end.


    She stood gracefully in a silvery white cheongsam, the high cor and sleek, form-fitting silhouette emphasizing her slender figure. The dress was adorned with intricate floral patterns meticulously embroidered along the fabric, adding an exquisite touch to its elegant simplicity.


    Light makeup subtly enhanced her face, highlighting her natural beauty. Dark, expressive eyes and a soft smile radiated quiet confidence and grace.


    Her dark hair was elegantly styled in an updo, secured with a delicate hairpin that echoed the floral motifs of her dress. The hairstyle framed her face elegantly, drawing attention to her features.


    As she moved, the cheongsam flowed gracefully with her every gesture, embodying a timeless charm thatplemented her striking appearance.


    A helpless smile appeared on Su Yuqi''s face as she stood before Luo Jin. The other didn''t say anything. He just stood there as if petrified.


    "Is my appearance right now really that surprising?" she asked, and then added in a much more yful tone, "Or am I just too beautiful that seeing me left you speechless?"


    Luo Jin seemed to havee back to his senses after she said that. But the blush on his cheeks and the redness of his ears didn''t diminish the slightest bit. At times like this, one could immediately tell how young he was. As opposite to how one would quickly assume that he was much older at first nce.


    She found this contrast very adorable.


    Seeing the yful smile on Su Yuqi''s face, as well as hearing the obvious teasing in her voice, Luo Jin knew that he couldn''t be swayed here. If he did, then he would lose all momentum. Maybe when he confessedter, she would just tease him again.


    So, despite his still hot face, he answered while looking straight at her, "Both. But most of it was because your beauty really left me speechless."


    Su Yuqi blinked and thenughed. The other was like this too when they met during winter vacation. Despite obviously feeling shy, he would still say things as if he''s some kind of yboy or something. He wondered if meeting in real life gave him more courage. Since he''s not acting like that when they were in the game. Which was quite ironic.


    It was cute, though.


    "Aren''t I the one who should be surprised?" she said with a raised brow. "You suddenly appear here without notice. Is it to greet me happy birthday in person?"


    "Yes," Luo Jin said honestly. "Did I sessfully surprise you? Or did I do something unnecessary?"


    Su Yuqi gazed at Luo Jin''s face, now etched with concern. He looked at her as though everything hinged on her response. It was a daunting, yet exhrating to know that she could have so much influence on someone. Yet, she understood that she shouldn''t relish in this ''power''. If she allowed herself to indulge in that feeling, she might inadvertently harm this young man. That''s something she absolutely shouldn''t do.


    "A birthday surprise is never unnecessary," she said with a smile. "Since you''re already here, let''s go and walk around. I''ll show you Master Su Cheng Han''s masterpieces."


    Before Luo Jin could answer, Su Yuqi already casually linked her arm with his, pulling him along. He didn''t resist and let the other pulled him to wherever she wanted. Completely forgetting the fact that Secretary Gao asked him to stay put until he returned. How could he remember that when Su Yuqi was so close to him right now? Of course, his mind was only filled with her.


    Su Yuqi asked as they were walking, "So, did youe here by yourself? Or did someone apany you? Surely, Luo Yan didn''t go with you, right?"


    When she said thest question, she looked at Luo Jin as if she would scold him if she said yes.


    "Of course not!" Luo Jin quickly said. "One of my Dad''s secretaries apanied me here."


    "That''s good. I was already nning to throw you and Luo Yan to the airport if you said ''yes''."


    That was an understandable reaction. After all, the college entrance exam was less than a month from now. It would be unreasonable for Luo Yan to travel to B City in a leisurely manner under such circumstance.


    "I wouldn''t bring him even if he insisted," Luo Jin said.


    "But how did you convince your dad to let you travel here?" Su Yuqi asked curiously.


    Even if the other came here with a chaperone, it must have not been easy to convince his father. From what she heard from Bai Ze, Uncle Luo was quite overprotective of his children. Would he really let his youngest son travel like this without a fuss?


    At that question, Luo Jin remembered how he and his brothers convinced their father to let him go here. Since most of that conversation centered around his ''crush'' for Su Yuqi, he instantly felt embarrassed just by remembering it.


    "I- I was very... persuasive," he said and just left it at that.


    Su Yuqi nced at the red tint that quickly appeared on Luo Jin''s cheeks. She raised a brow. Just by seeing that, she could easily guess that the process of that ''persuasion'' must be quite embarrassing. At least Luo Jin felt that way.


    The urge to tease the other came up again.


    "What, did you tell him that you have to go because it''s the birthday of the girl you like?"


    As soon as she said that, Luo Jin''s whole face turned a darker shade of red. Her eyes widened a bit after seeing that reaction.


    No way... really?


    After the initial shock, Su Yuqi''s heart was filled with warmth and sweetness, like sipping on aforting cup of hot chocte.

 Chapter 1104 WALKING AROUND THE MUSEUM

    1104 WALKING AROUND THE MUSEUM


    "B-BY the way, did you dye you hair back to ck?" Luo Jin asked in an attempt to change the subject.


    It was a stupid question, though. Since Su Yuqi''s hair was already ck, didn''t it mean that she had dyed it? But he really just wanted to skip the previous topic. Admitting that he really came here after telling his father that it was for the girl he liked was too embarrassing.


    It''s like something that a teenager obsessed with love would say. Even though he''s really a teenager, and there might be a slight obsession involved, he still didn''t want to be seen as one. He already couldn''t shorten their age gap. So, he didn''t want this gap to be even more obvious.


    "Ah, this? It''s a wig," Su Yuqi said. "It hasn''t been long since I dyed my hair red. There''s no way I would immediately dye it back to ck."


    Luo Jin didn''t expect that the other was actually wearing a wig. He looked at Su Yuqi''s hair. It looked so natural on her that he didn''t even notice. "It looks good on you." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Thank you. Which color do you think looks the best on me?"


    "Any color looks good on you," Luo Jin answered, looking the other side so Su Yuqi wouldn''t notice the slight blush on his cheeks. He had already blushed a couple of times since earlier. What if Su Yuqi suspected that he had a ''blushing at every second'' disease?


    Su Yuqi chuckled when she heard that. It was an awkward way of flirting, and yet it was somehow very effective on her. She didn''t know if it was because of Luo Jin, or because she was just easy to please.


    "But why did you have to wear a wig?"


    Luo Jin''s question pulled Su Yuqi out of her own reverie. She turned to the other, and a smirk appeared on her face. "Well, I have to appear presentable, or else I might shame the family. Especially since this exhibition was mainly for me."


    Luo Jin furrowed his brows. He didn''t like Su Yuqi''s choice of words. Because it felt like she was being forced into this. "I don''t think your dad would mind if you came to the exhibit in your usual clothes and makeup."


    Thinking how Su Yuqi''s father reacted back at the police station, he could immediately tell that the other was a ''daughter ve''. Maybe even if Su Yuqi came here in a sack, he still would praise her as if she was wearing some high fashion clothes.


    "My parents certainly wouldn''t mind," Su Yuqi said with a shrug, and then added with a bit of sarcasm. "They''re not the problem, but my other rtives. Most of them are stickler for rules and greatly dislike the way I dressed and present myself."


    "What''s wrong with the way you dress? It shows your individuality and uniqueness. Anyone who has an issue with that is just a hypocrite who projects their beliefs on others," Luo Jin said with an expression as if he was very offended.


    Su Yuqi chuckled. "They are indeed that. But I didn''t want to cause trouble for my father, who had worked diligently to prepare this exhibition for me. So, the least I could do is toply to their standard."


    Luo Jin only frowned. It still didn''t sit well with him, but he decided not to say anything more. If he did, it might look like he''s exaggerating or something.


    The first painting they stopped by was that of a mountain.


    The mountain rose prominently on the paper, depicted with precise ink lines and varying brush textures. Its form was stark against the nk background, conveying a sense of strength and timelessness. The absence of color emphasized the simplicity and elegance of the scene, focusing solely on the shapes and textures created by the ink.


    From what Luo Jin had researched about traditional painting, it was characterized by brushwork using ink on silk or rice paper. This art form emphasized expressive brushstrokes to depictndscapes, flowers, birds, and figures inspired by Chinese philosophy and nature.


    As he said, he didn''t really know anything about art. For him, if a piece of art looked good, then it must be good. Despite his limited understanding, he could still discern that the artist behind this painting must be exceptionally talented. He already knew that Uncle Su was a renowned artist, but seeing his work in person confirmed just how skilled he truly was. Now, he could finally understand why there''s a long line outside of the museum right now.


    Su Yuqi continued to guide him through her father''s works, most of which depicted scenes from nature. Each painting was equally impressive. Not only did Su Yuqi provide guidance, but she also exined concepts he struggled to grasp. While listening to her exnation, he was only then reminded that the other was an art student.


    As they were about to walk to the next painting, Luo Jin couldn''t help but asked, "Do you also n to be an artist like your dad?"


    Su Yuqi tilted her head for a while, as if pondering how to answer his question. "Hmm... no, I don''t really have that kind of talent." Seeing Luo Jin''s brows furrowed because of her answer, she quickly added, "I''m not saying this because I''m putting myself down. You should know by now that I''m not that kind of person. I''m saying it because it''s the truth."


    "Then, were you forced to go to art school?" Luo Jin asked tentatively.


    "Well, I did enter art school out of obligation at first. Since, ording to my rtives, a member of the Su family should be in the art world. But I did like drawing, so it wasn''t that hard of a decision. And then, as years passed by, I discovered that I don''t want to follow my dad''s footsteps. Or any member of our family, for that matter. What I really want to do is--"


    Before Su Yuqi could finish, a voice suddenly called out to her from behind.

 Chapter 1105 SU YUQIS COUSINS

    Chapter 1105 SU YUQI''S COUSINS


    "SISTER Yuqi?"


    Both Su Yuqi and Luo Jin turned to the direction of the voice. There were two people standing there.


    The one who called Su Yuqi just now was a girl who looked 16 or 17. She was wearing a yellow cheongsam with a red peony pattern. Her hair was in a curly bun hairstyle with a peony shaped pin attached to it. She looked just like a fresh peony - bright and energetic.


    The other one was a much taller girl, wearing a bright red cheongsam. She seemed to be also older than the other girl by two or three years. Her long hair was tightly arranged in a high bun, entuating her sharp features. While the first girl looked at Su Yuqi with a cheerful smile, the taller girl''s gaze held a clear hint of mockery.


    Luo Jin heard Su Yuqi emit an annoyed groan upon spotting the two girls. As if sensing his gaze, Su Yuqi whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear;


    "They''re my cousins. The overly bright one is Su Jingyi, and the one who looked like she wants nothing but to see me make a fool of myself is Su Wenyu. The former one is okay, thetter is exasperating."


    Before Luo Jin could react to what Su Yuqi had said, the two girls had already approached them.


    "Sister Yuqi, happy birthday! I''ll give my gift to youter," Su Jingyi said. "Oh, but shouldn''t you be with Uncle Han?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? She''s busy here entertaining her boyfriend," Su Wenyu scoffed while casting a mocking nce at the linked arms of Su Yuqi and Luo Jin.


    This time, Su Jingyi also nced at Luo Jin. She looked at the tall young man. He was dressed in a button-down shirt paired with dark jeans, showcasing a well-proportioned physique. In fact, it was more than just well-proportioned. Just look at those biceps!


    But... was he really Su Yuqi''s boyfriend?


    She wanted to ask to quench her curiosity. But before she could, Su Wenyu had already spoken first. And of course, the other was still speaking in that prickly tone she always used whenever she talked to Su Yuqi.


    "Look at this. You''re not even denying it."


    Su Wenyu nced once again at the linked arms of the two. Despite deliberately mentioning "boyfriend" and giving them a meaningful look, Su Yuqi remained unfazed. She didn''t even withdraw her arm from that guy, as if silently saying, ''yeah, so what?''. Which only infuriated Su Wenyu further.


    Su Yuqi had always carried herself this way, viewing others as if they were mere clowns performing foolish acts. She projected an air of superiority, acting as though she were above everyone else. This attitude had always grated on Su Wenyu, who harbored a deep dislike for her cousin because of it. To top it off, their cousins treated Su Yuqi like the leader of their generation solely because she was Uncle Han''s only daughter.


    How unfair was that? It''s Uncle Han who''s famous and talented, not her! So why should they extend the same courtesy to Su Yuqi? The other wasn''t even interested in traditional painting to begin with. Why couldn''t their other cousins see how dissatisfied the elders in their family were with Su Yuqi?


    Because the elders had already given up the hope that Su Yuqi would carry the mantle of the Su family after her father, there were talks that a talented artist would be chosen as her fiance and let that person marry into the family. Su Wenyu already knew who would be chosen. Who else but the most talented apprentice among Uncle Han''s proteges?


    Thinking of that, Su Wenyu couldn''t help but re at Su Yuqi. And then her gaze happened tond on the guy she''s with. A dryugh escaped her lips.


    "So, this is your type," she said, while looking at the guy from head to toe with a mocking gaze. "I''m d you picked someone at your level. At least the elders won''t have to force Brother Ning to be your fiance."


    Su Jingyi almost shook her head when she heard that. [Argh. Why is Sister Wenyu always embarrassing herself like this?]


    Luo Jin felt the corner of his eye twitching when he heard the word ''fiance''. What kind of fiance should be picked by the elders of the family? Not even her parents, but the elders? Hadn''t anyone informed them that they were living in modern times, not some ancient era?


    Nevertheless, what he heard still annoyed the heck out of him. He was about to give some smartass response to this woman when he heard a softughter beside him. He turned to look at Su Yuqi and saw that the other was reallyughing.


    After she finishedughing, she looked at her cousin as if looking at some fool who didn''t know they were a fool.


    "Of course, the third young master of the Tianhua Group is on my level," Su Yuqi said. The corner of her lips lifted slightly. It''s hard to say whether she''s smirking or simply mocking the person she''s talking to. "And don''t associate me with Ning Feng. If you like that guy, go and tell the elders you want to be his wife of something. Don''t just make a fantasy inside your head that I would want to marry the guy. Because in the real world we''re living in, that will never happen. Do you understand? Or do I have to speak to the elders one by one and tell them I will never marry Ning Feng for you to understand?"


    The face of the woman named Su Wenyu turned crimson. From anger or embarrassment, Luo Jin was not sure. She deserved that, though.


    Su Yuqi only rolled her eyes when Su Wenyu couldn''t give a single rebuttal. She turned to Su Jingyi. "I''ll see youter, Jingyi." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yes, Sister Yuqi," Su Jingyi said, trying to brighten up her voice.


    Then Su Yuqi pulled Luo Jin away from the two. When they walked a considerable distance, she heard Luo Jin asked;


    "So... who is this Ning Feng?"

 Chapter 1106 MEET THE PARENTS (I)

    Chapter 1106 MEET THE PARENTS (I)


    SU YUQI nced at Luo Jin when she heard the question. Although the other was trying to put on a nonchnt expression, those furrowed brows betrayed what he really thought.


    She chuckled. "He''s one of my father''s disciples. Probably the best one out of all of them."


    Luo Jin''s brows furrowed even further when he heard that. "So, because of that, the elders in your family nned to have you two...?"


    He stopped because he couldn''t bear to say the words ''get married''.


    "Don''t pay attention to what Wenyu said. That girl seems to have an inferiorityplex towards me for some unknown reason. So, she would say and do things that would get on my nerves on purpose," Su Yuqi said.


    Luo Jin thought back to that woman''s attitude and understood what Su Yuqi meant. "It''s understandable if she felt inferior. Not to mention her attitude, in terms of appearance, and how she carried herself, you''re just superior in every way."


    "Now that''s just your bias and your feelings for me talking," Su Yuqi said with augh. "Wenyu is not a bad kid. She''s just blinded by her jealousy at the moment. Most likely because of Ning Feng. But I''m sure she would grow out of it."


    Luo Jin didn''t really care whether that woman changed or not, or if the reason she was acting like that was because of some guy. The only time he would be concerned about her is if she ever negatively affected Su Yuqi. Anyway, right now, there''s a topic that''s much more important than that.


    "So, there''s absolutely no chance for you to, you know, with that Ning Feng person?" he asked, going back to the previous topic.


    Su Yuqi looked at Luo Jin with an expression as if saying, ''you never give up, do you?''. Despite that, she still answered his question.


    Luo Jin felt relieved when he heard that. Su Yuqi''s logical answer finally made his brain working properly again. He was about to say something when his stomach suddenly made a growling sound.


    "No, not at all. First, my father would never allow it¡ªunless, of course, it''s something I truly wanted, in which case he might reluctantly agree, but that''s not the case here. Second, I would never be forced into doing something I don''t want to do."


    Luo Jin felt relieved when he heard that. Su Yuqi''s logical answer finally made his brain working properly again. He was about to say something when his stomach suddenly made a growling sound.


    Su Yuqi looked at him, whose face had now turned red, and thenughed. "You haven''t had lunch yet?"


    "I kind of went here in a hurry after getting off the ne," Luo Jin said, embarrassingly.


    "Well, what a coincidence, I also haven''t eaten lunch. Let''s go grab a bite somewhere. But first, you should greet my parents. Oh, and call that secretary who came with you. He might be looking for you right now."


    Su Yuqi thought of thatst part just now. Knowing Luo Jin, he definitely hadn''t thought of the secretary who came with him. Thinking that the person might be wandering around the museum looking for Luo Jin, she felt a bit of pity for the other.


    What Su Yuqi said about the secretary went in one ear and out the other for Luo Jin,pletely forgetting about it after just a second. Because his mind was now only filled with nothing but the thought that he would soon meet both of her parents.


    Although he had met her father, that didn''t really ount to much since that happened inside a police station. But this time was different. It was almost like a formal asion. Not to mention, he would also meet Su Yuqi''s mother.


    How could he not be nervous?


    As Su Yuqi was pulling Luo Jin along, she suddenly remembered something she forgot to tell him. Something about Ning Feng, to be exact. That Ning Feng also yed Arcadia and that he happened to be the captain of team Fenghuang - currently one of the top four teams in the game. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Oh well, she could just tell it to Luo Jinter.


    -----


    Inside the museum''s private lounge, a man in his forties dressed in a white Tang suit reclined wearily. His handsome face bore signs of exhaustion. Across from him sat a beautiful woman in a white cheongsam, her gentle expression tinged with a helpless smile as she looked at the man.


    They were Su Cheng Han and his wife, Chen Jiahui.


    After speaking with the museum director, they had to engage with some VIPs who attended the exhibit. Hours passed, and now Su Cheng Han waspletely exhausted. He just wanted to return home and sit in his rocking chair.


    Knowing what her husband was thinking, Chen Jiahui said, "Who told you to prepare such arge scale exhibit?"


    "But it''s my way of showing how much I love our daughter," Su Cheng Han grumbled.


    "Who in the art world doesn''t know that?" Chen Jiahui said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, you should know that Qiqi would rather have a private dinner with us to celebrate her birthday than have an exhibit in her name."


    Su Cheng Han pouted. "I know. But still. Is it so bad to want to brag about our daughter?"


    Chen Jiahui shook her head. "Since this is something you wanted, then stop looking like you want to go home."


    Before Su Cheng Han could respond to his wife, there was a knock on the door of the private lounge. He quickly adjusted his expression, just in case the one at the door might be a museum staff member.


    But the one who walked inside was his daughter and some young man.


    Su Cheng Han immediately frowned when he saw such abination. Completely disregarding the fact that the young man looked somehow familiar. He didn''t have time to ask who the other was because his daughter had already spoken before he could.


    "Mom, Dad, look who I brought." Su Yuqi turned to her father. "Dad, you remember Ah Jin, right? The one from the police station?"


    Su Cheng Han seemed to have a moment of realization when he heard that. The frown on his face smoothed out as he eximed, "Ah, that brave high school student!"

 Chapter 1107 MEET THE PARENTS (II)

    1107 MEET THE PARENTS (II)


    SECRETARY Gao felt very ufortable. He was in the private room of a high-end restaurant that served authentic Sichuan cuisines. He was sitting at a round table full of delicious food. Like kung pao chicken, spicy fish stew, twice-cooked pork, and many others. But somehow, he couldn''t appreciate any of these dishes. Because he felt like he shouldn''t be here.


    He sitting across a national-level artist. To his left sat the said artist''s wife. And to Secretary Gao''s right sat the third young master. To the other side of the young master sat the national-level artist''s daughter. Somehow, he just ended having lunch with these four. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    About 45 minutes ago, after he finished talking with the director of the museum, he went back the where he left the third young master. But surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly, the other wasn''t there.


    He tried to call the other, but the call never connected. It continued to ring, but it was never picked up. He could only think of two reasons for that. Either the phone was on silent mode or the third young master just refused to answer his call. He hoped it was the former.


    Secretary Gao knew that he couldn''t just wait there, so he walked around the museum to look for the third young master. But his foolish self got immersed in the paintings instead.


    While he was caught up in admiring the paintings like the other museum visitors, he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to look for the third young master. It was at this moment that he received a call from the young master.


    The other only told him to go to the entrance used for VIPs and wait for him there. Secretary Gao didn''t have time to ask what he meant because he immediately hung up the phone. At the end, he could only go to where the other told him to go.


    He didn''t have to wait long, and the third young master appeared. It''s just that, he wasn''t alone. He was with the family of Master Su Cheng Han. He didn''t know who the other was. But after he found out, he waspletely confused. Before he knew it, they were already heading to a restaurant to eat lunch.


    And this was the situation now.


    "Is the food not to your liking, Mr. Secretary?"


    The sudden question of Master Su''s wife startled Secretary Gao. As a professional secretary, he quickly managed his expression and the usual business smile appeared on his face.


    "How could that be, Madam? I was just too overwhelmed to share a meal with such an amazing artist as Master Su."


    When Secretary Gao saw Master Suughing as if he appreciated that response, he secretly let out a sigh of relief. For the rest of this lunch, he decided to remain quietly seated unless someone addressed him first. He would no longer dwell on the connection between the third young master and this family. After all, his role here was solely to ensure the third young master''s safety and to prevent him from causing any trouble.


    With that, he started eating as if the dishes in front of him were the most delicious food in the world.


    Seeing the secretary finally eating, Chen Jiahui turned her attention to the young man sitting beside her daughter. Or should she say, teenager? When she heard that the other was only 17 years old, it really came off as a big surprise to her.


    When she saw Luo Jin entering the private lounge earlier, she thought he was a friend of her daughter''s from school. But it turned out that he was much younger. Another wee surprise was that the other was the one who protected Yuqi during thatmotion that ended up in a police station.


    How frightened she was at that time. Even though her daughter was a bit of a rebel, she had never been involved in a fight. Imagine how surprised and scared she was when she received that phone call. Thankfully, everything ended well.


    Chen Jiahui already knew that Luo Jin was a friend that Yuqi met in that game her daughter would always y. And it also just happened that he was the cousin of Bai Ze, one of Yuqi''s longest friend. So, the information that the other was from S City also reached her.


    The question that had been circling in her mind since earlier was: Why would a teenager travel this far just to visit a museum? The only logical reason she could think of right now was because of Yuqi''s birthday.


    She looked at her daughter and then at the teenager. As she was thinking, her gaze looking at the two also slowly turned meaningful.


    Luo Jin, on the other hand, was just mechanically eating the food in front of him. Even if he appeared calm, his inside was still a nervous mess. It was mostly because he was afraid he might do something that could leave a bad impression on Su Yuqi''s parents.


    He already knew that it would be tough to get Uncle Su''s permission if ever Su Yuqi agreed to be with him. So, while that still hadn''t happened, it''s best to leave a good impression on the other. Of course, not just him, but also Su Yuqi''s mother.


    But how could he do that when he was such a nervous wreck right now?


    Then he suddenly felt something tapping his left foot. He subconsciously nced at Su Yuqi, who was sitting on his left. The other raised her head to look at him. And then, an encouraging smile appeared on her pretty face. As if telling him that there''s nothing to be nervous about.


    Suddenly, all the nervousness he''s feeling just melted. And all he could think of right now was how beautiful Su Yuqi was.


    Thatsted for about five seconds. Because Uncle Su suddenly asked;


    "But howe you''re in the museum today?" Then, as if he had thought of a possible answer, he looked at Luo Jin with suspicion. "Is it for Qiqi?"


    And just like that, Luo Jin''s nervousness came back a hundredth-fold.

 Chapter 1108 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YUQI

    1108 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YUQI


    LUO JIN didn''t know how to answer Uncle Su''s question without sounding like he was totally here for Su Yuqi. He''s not very good at lying. So, the moment he opened his mouth, he knew it would only sound like an excuse. But he had to answer. The longer he stayed silent, the more suspicious he would seem.


    When he was about to just blurt out whatever that came to his mind first, Su Yuqi had already beaten him to it.


    "I invited him because he needs to write a paper about a national artist, so I suggested that he write about you, Dad. I mean, if we''re talking about a national artist, aren''t you the ultimate example? It just so happens that you''re having an exhibit today, so I suggested to Ah Jin that he should see your paintings in person. That way, he can write a better paper."


    Su Yuqi said that in a very ordinary way, as if she was simply talking about the weather. Which only made what she said sound very credible. Luo Jin almost apuded the other. Especially after he saw the reaction of Uncle Su.


    A huge smile appeared on the other''s face, obviously appearing very proud and happy. "Hmm... that''s a very good reason." He turned to Luo Jin. "So, Xiao Jin, have you seen enough to write a good paper?"


    "O-oh, yes! Definitely! I think I will get full points because I saw Uncle Su''s paintings in person," Luo Jin said, trying to sound upbeat. He avoided looking at the other person because he knew if he did, he would definitely stammer, making it obvious that he was lying.


    "If you need to interview me for your paper, you can do it after we eat."


    "Yes," Luo Jin could only say, forcing himself to sound happy. It''s not like he could say that there''s no need for that.


    He was just d that he was able to get through this safely. Of course, the main reason he was able to was because of Su Yuqi. He nced at her and gently tapped the side of her right foot to silently say thank you. Su Yuqi also turned to him, her gaze filled with mirth.


    While Su Cheng Han remained unaware, Cheng Jiahui keenly observed the silent interaction between the two.


    It was obvious to her that what her daughter had just said was a lie. But because her husband was a bit na?ve at times, especially when it came to their daughter, he didn''t notice anything at all.


    He only focused on the fact that their daughter was praising him andpletely forgot everything else¡ªlike the fact that there''s no way a high school student would travel this far just to write a paper, if there ever was one. Her husband should have realized that any normal high school student would prefer to search the inte to finish their assignment rather than fly by ne to another city.


    Chen Jiahui looked at Luo Jin. Aside from his young age, everything else was more than up to standard. Lowering her gaze, she picked up the teacup before her and took a sip, a slight smile forming at the corner of her lips.


    Her daughter certainly had good taste.


    ----------


    After the nerve-wracking lunch, Luo Jin finally managed to be alone with Su Yuqi. It took a while, though, since he had to conduct a mini-interview with Uncle Su to maintain appearances. After all, he still had to uphold the illusion that he was here to write a paper about Uncle Su.


    After everything was done, while he was pondering how to be alone with Su Yuqi, Aunt Jiahui pulled Uncle Su back to the museum, saying that he still had to interact with some VIPs. She suggested to him and Su Yuqi that they take a break at a nearby cafe if they wanted to. Uncle Su wasn''t able toin because Aunt Jiahui physically overpowered him. Which was very surprising.


    Because of Aunt Jiahui''s coincidental interruption, Luo Jin and Su Yuqi were able to be alone now. They didn''t go to the cafe Aunt Jiahui mentioned, though. Instead, Su Yuqi suggested they went to a nearby park. But she insisted that she would change clothes first.


    They went to a shopping mall first. Su Yuqi bought some clothes there and changed into them. She also removed the wig and let her original dyed blue hair down.


    Frankly, Luo Jin was slightly disappointed that Su Yuqi took off the cheongsam. After all, when would he have another chance to see her wearing something like that? Luckily, he secretly took a candid shot of her while she wasn''t looking. He nned to make it his phone''s wallpaperter.


    With all of that done, they finally went to the park. Of course, Secretary Gao drove them there. When he said that he and Su Yuqi would just take a walk and he should stay in the car, Secretary Gao looked very troubled. But at the end, the other only sighed and nodded.


    They walked along a path lined with cherry blossom trees, their branches adorned with delicate pink blossoms in full bloom. It was the heart of spring, and the air was filled with the soft fragrance of cherry blossoms. Pink petals danced and fluttered in the gentle breeze, swirling and cascading around them like a shower of confetti, guided by the whims of the wind.


    As Luo Jin followed a single petal with his gaze, it gentlynded on top of Su Yuqi''s head. Subconsciously, he reached out and plucked the petal. At that precise moment, Su Yuqi raised her head, and their eyes met.


    Normally, he would have already stepped back and might be blushing right now. But somehow, he found himself surprisingly calm. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After a few seconds of admiring Su Yuqi''s beautiful face, he finally spoke of one of the two things he hade here to say to her.


    "Happy birthday, Yuqi."


    Su Yuqi blinked and then grinned widely. "And here I thought you had forgotten to wish me a happy birthday."

 Chapter 1109 AH JINS FINAL CONFESSION

    1109 AH JIN''S FINAL CONFESSION


    LUO JIN''S lips curled into a helpless smile. "How could that be, when that''s the reason I''m here?"


    "Well, since you didn''t do it the moment you saw me earlier, I thought you have forgotten it," Su Yuqi said with a shrug, her tone obviously teasing. "So, did you bring a gift?"


    "Of course. There''s no way I wouldn''t." After saying that, Luo Jin took out a small box from the pocket of his pants and gave it to Su Yuqi. "I hope you''ll like it."


    Su Yuqi epted the box and stared at it. "Don''t worry, I''m not so fussy. As long as it''s not something disgusting, there''s a high chance I will like it. Can I open it now?"


    Luo Jin looked at the side, then scratched his cheek, a hint of of red appearing. "Sure, go ahead."


    Su Yuqi untied the ribbon and opened the small box. Inside was a keychain, but not just any keychain¡ªit was a miniature version of her motorcycle. What made it special was the chibi version of her game avatar riding on it, with the chibi version of Luo Jin''s game avatar behind hers.


    "You can use it as a keychain for your motorcycle key," Luo Jin said when Su Yuqi didn''t say anything after opening the box. As she continued to stare at it for quite some time, Luo Jin started to feel nervous. "Um, do you not like it?"


    Su Yuqi lifted her head, a bright smile appearing on her face. "I love it." She closed the box containing the keychain and carefully put it in her pocket. "Thank you, Ah Jin."


    Luo Jin let out a sigh of relief. "I''m d."


    They continued to stroll along the winding path of the park. Above them, cherry blossoms painted the sky with delicate shades of pink and white, their petals fluttering gently in the breeze. Sunlight filtered through the canopy of blossoms, creating a dappled pattern of light and shadow on the ground below. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of flowers, carrying with it a sense of renewal and hope. Birds chirped melodiously from the branches, adding to the symphony of nature that surrounded them.


    The beauty of the surroundings brought calm to Luo Jin. He nced at Su Yuqi walking beside him. With the beautiful backdrop, she looked even more captivating. Suddenly, she turned to him, as if sensing his gaze. With a raised brow, she seemed to ask if he had something to say. In that moment, a surge of courage filled his heart.


    And he just found himself saying;


    "I love you."


    Su Yuqi stopped walking, obviously surprised. Then a big smile crossed her lips. "It''s nice to hear you say it directly."


    Luo Jin blinked. He didn''t expect that kind of reaction. Or should he say, theck of reaction? He ran after the other. "Wait, Yuqi! That''s it?"


    Su Yuqi stopped again and turned around to face Luo Jin. "I really wanted to say the same thing, but my feelings for you haven''t reached that point yet. If you''re willing to wait for me, maybe you''ll hear what you wanted to hear in the near future. So, are you willing to wait?"


    "I''ll wait! Of course I''ll wait. No matter how long it takes!" Luo Jin said without any hesitation.


    "Are you sure? You might get tired, though."


    Luo Jin gritted his teeth. It felt like Su Yuqi was testing him. But he was not here to get a ''full score''. He''d rather say the harsh truth than tell sweet lies. It''s his way to show his respect to Su Yuqi, and to himself as well.


    "Yes, there might be days when I feel tired. After all, I''m only human. I can get impatient and frustrated. But that doesn''t mean I''ll give up. Like I''ve told you before, my feelings for you aren''t that shallow. If I have to wait four or five years for you, I will. Just... don''t let it be ten; even I have my limits."


    It would be good to not have any rivals as well. But that''s not something Luo Jin could control. After all, it''s only natural for Su Yuqi to be liked by other people.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t let you wait that long. If I did, then I''m nothing more than a gaslighting scum," Su Yuqi said in a yful voice.


    "Well, I wouldn''t call you that..."


    Su Yuqi chuckled. Then she reached out and held Luo Jin''s hand. Before Luo Jin could react, Su Yuqi suddenly lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles. Her gesture caught him off guard, and he could feel his heart skip a beat.


    "Thank you for your honesty, Ah Jin," Su Yuqi said with a rakish grin. "You just made my birthday very happy."


    Luo Jin could feel his whole face heating up. His heart raced as he struggled topose himself in front of Su Yuqi. Her unexpected affectionate gesture left him pleasantly flustered, yet he couldn''t help but feel a surge of joy deep within him. He wanted to say something, to express how he felt, but the words seemed to escape him in that moment.


    At the end, all he could say was, "I will do the same for your birthday next year, and the year after that, and all the years toe."


    Su Yuqi let out a softugh, clearly liking the response. "Then I''m looking forward to it."


    ---------- N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Two weekster...


    Luo Yan woke up at exactly six in the morning. Since he had gone to bed early the night before, he felt very refreshed. After doing 20 minutes of yoga, he took a bath and dressed infortable casual clothes: a white t-shirt paired with brown cargo shorts and sneakers. Then he put on an analog watch.


    He checked the contents of his backpack once again. His pencil case that had pens, pencils and eraser were there. His calctor, and his ID card. And, of course, the most important thing, his admission ticket.


    He picked up his bag and went out of the room. Today was finally the start of the college entrance examination.


    It''s the time for YanYan''s college entrance examination! (?¡ä¥î`)?*: ??


    Tyramisu

 Chapter 1110 COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION (I)

    1110 COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION (I)


    [YAN YAN, today is such a big day for you. I wanted to wish you all the best! I know you''ve put in so much hard work and dedication, and I haveplete faith in you. Remember to stay calm and double check everything before giving your test paper to the proctor. I''ll be rooting for you every step of the way! You''ve got this. Best of luck, and I love you!]


    That was followed by a rabbit sticker sending hugs and kisses.


    A smile automatically appeared on Luo Yan''s face when he read Shen Ji Yun''s WeChat message. Although the two of them video calledst night, saying sweet nothings to one another, reading Shen Ji Yun''s message still made his heart tingle.


    He quickly typed a reply;


    [Thank you, Brother Ji Yun. Don''t worry, I''m feeling very confident today. Still, I will be very careful and double check my answers to make sure I won''t make any careless mistakes.]


    [PS. I know you''re very nervous right now for me, but don''t be. Just like you said, I''ve got this.]


    Then he finished the message by sending a sticker of a cute fox holding an ''I love you'' banner.


    "Yan, are you not feeling nervous at all?"


    Luo Jin''s question brought Luo Yan''s attention back to the situation inside the car. Yes, they were currently on their way to the exam location assigned to Luo Yan. His father personally decided to drive him there, and Luo Jin also decided to tag along.


    Students taking the college entrance examination were assigned to designated testing centers, which was usually a public school. That''s why students didn''t necessarily take the exam at the school they''re attending.


    Where''s his older brother, you asked? Well, he volunteered to drive Yu Jiao and her mother, since Yu Jiao was also assigned to the same exam location as Luo Yan. He heard Yu Jiao refused at first, saying that it would be too much of a hassle for Luo Ren. But after his older brother said that Aunt Xiuying could stay with their father and Luo Jin while waiting for them to finish their exam, Yu Jiao no longer refused.


    Although he didn''t think it''s necessary for them to wait for him until the end of the exam, especially since both his father and older brother had work, he didn''t stop them. After all, it was their way of showing support for him. Besides, the feeling of having people waiting for him after the exam ended was not bad at all. It was something he didn''t experience when he took the college entrance exam in his previous life. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Xiao Jin, don''t ask that. It''s good that your brother is not nervous. He will be able to answer the exam questions with a clear head," their father said from the driver''s seat.


    Luo Yan turned to their father. The other looked like he was very calm, but the way he was tapping the steering wheel showed just how nervous he must be. Luo Yan smiled at that.


    "I don''t need to be nervous because I believe I''ve prepared enough for this day. I studied everything I should have. I''m confident that my efforts won''t betray me," he said, more to calm and reassure his father and Luo Jin, who were clearly very nervous for him.


    "Good, that''s good," his father said.


    "Ha... I wish I have that same confidence when I take the exam next year," Luo Jin said, weakly leaning against the backseat chair.


    Luo Yan reached out and pinched Luo Jin''s cheek. "Our Ah Jin is so smart. There''s no way you wouldn''t be as confident as I am now."


    "Hey, don''t pinch me!" Luo Jin said while trying to remove Luo Yan''s hand.


    Luo Wei Tianughed softly seeing his sons interaction from the rearview mirror. Even the nervousness he''s feeling had greatly diminished. Remembering what Luo Yan said about his efforts not betraying him, he decided to also trust his son''s hard work. If he continued to be nervous like this, it might even affect Luo Yan. Thinking that, he suddenly felt more at ease.


    Soon, they finally arrive at the exam location.


    Luo Yan stepped out of the car and approached the entrance of the school. The campus was buzzing with activity, filled with other students and parents who hade to support their children. Banners emzoned with motivational messages nked the school gates, while teachers and volunteers directed the steady flow of examinees.


    He noticed the meticulously organized check-in stations, where identification cards were being verified and security personnel ensured that no prohibited items were brought in. The air was thick with anticipation, a palpable reminder of the significance of the college entrance examination.


    "Xiao Yan, are you sure you haven''t forgotten anything? Do you have your admission ticket?" his father fussed over him, just like the other parents nearby fussing over their children.


    "Everything I need is all in my bag, Dad. I double checked it before we left the house," Luo Yan assured the other for the nth time now.


    "Don''t forget this," Luo Jin said, raising the bag he''s carrying. "Your ''lifeline'' is here."


    Luo Yan chuckled at that description. Because it made sense in a way. What''s inside the bag Luo Jin was carrying were his lunch box, a thermos with tea, and a water sk, as well as snacks. So, the bag was slightly bigger than normal lunch bags.


    Since the students were not allowed to leave the ssroom where they would take the exam for its duration, it''s important for the students to bring their own food and water. After all, the exam wouldst untilte in the afternoon. And they would have to repeat this again for the second andst day of the exam tomorrow.


    "Yan Yan!" called by a familiar voice from somewhere.


    Luo Yan looked in the direction where it came from and saw Yu Jiao almost running towards them. Luo Ren and Aunt Xiuying were following her.

 Chapter 1111 COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION (II)

    1111 COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION (II)


    AFTER the quick greetings, both elders started to fuss over Luo Yan and Yu Jiao. With both Luo Ren and Luo Jin addingmentary on the side. Luo Ren giving advice was understandable since it had only been five years since he took the college entrance exam. But when Luo Jin did the same, it only came off as funny and adorable.


    And soon, it was time for the students to enter the school.


    "Good luck, you two. No matter the oue, we are proud of you." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Don''t be too nervous, just do your best. Remember that you''re not alone. We''re just here, quietly supporting you."


    "Focuspletely during the exam. Don''t get distracted. And make sure to eat everything in your lunchbox, as well as your snacks."


    "Trust in your abilities. Answer the questions just as you''ve done during mock exams. You''ve got this."


    Luo Yan felt a warmth in his heart from everyone''s words. In his previous life, when he took the college entrance examination, no one was there for him. The director had wanted to apany him, but he declined because many children at the orphanage were suffering from summer colds. He believed they needed her more than he did.


    But this... this was nice.


    He smiled. "We will do our best. Right, Jiao Jiao?"


    Yu Jiao nodded with determination.


    The two of them thanked everyone before walking inside the school. As they walked among the other students, Luo Yan noticed that Yu Jiao''s hands were shaking. She must be really nervous.


    He gently tapped her arm. "Jiao Jiao, did you see the watch Brother is wearing? He must really like that watch since he''d been wearing it for months now."


    As he expected, Yu Jiao''s whole face turned red at the mention of the watch. It was her gift to Luo Ren, that''s why Luo Yan purposely mention it. This way, all the worrying thoughts in her mind would vanish and the nervousness she felt would also disappear. Seeing as how she stopped shaking and only blushed, it seemed that his strategy was correct.


    Who knew thoughts of Luo Ren would be that distracting? Or maybe it only worked because it''s Yu Jiao?


    When they entered the school building, they had to follow the staff to their designated ssroom. Luo Yan and Yu Jiao were not assigned to the same ssroom, so they had to separate.


    "Jiao Jiao, fighting!"


    Yu Jiao nodded and also raised her arm with his hand clenched. "Fighting!"


    Then the two of them followed the staff, who would lead them to their designated ssroom together with the other students.


    Luo Yan entered his designated ssroom and immediately scanned the room to find his assigned seat. Each desk had a name tag, and after a brief search, he spotted his name and settled into his seat.


    Shortly after, a proctor approached him to verify his identity. Luo Yan handed over his admission ticket and identification card. The proctor carefully checked his documents before nodding and moving on to the next student.


    Next, the proctors began distributing the examination materials. Luo Yan received his exam paper and answer sheet. He carefully arranged them on his desk, making sure everything was in order.


    11:53


    Next, the proctors began distributing the examination materials. Luo Yan received his exam paper and answer sheet. He carefully arranged them on his desk, making sure everything was in order.


    "Attention, students," the voice of the proctor standing at the front rang out,manding the room''s attention. "Before wemence, I will provide you with important instructions for the examination. Please listen carefully."


    "As you begin your exam, remember to strictly adhere to the rules outlined in your examination booklet," the proctor continued, scanning the room to ensure every student was attentive. "Any attempt to cheat ormunicate with other students will result in immediate disqualification."


    "Once the exam starts, you will have the allotted time toplete each section," the proctor emphasized, his tone firm but fair. "I will announce when there are ten minutes remaining, so manage your time wisely."


    "Additionally, any unauthorized materials, including electronic devices, must remain out of reach and turned off for the duration of the exam," the proctor reminded them, his gaze sweeping across the room to enforcepliance.


    "Now, take a moment to review your examination materials," the proctor instructed, gesturing to the papers on each student''s desk. "Ensure that your exam paper isplete and that you have everything you need before we officially begin."


    With a final nod of assurance, the proctor concluded, "Once you''re ready, you may start. Best of luck to all of you."


    Luo Yan took a deep breath and then opened his exam paper.


    ----------


    Shen Ji Yun was busily moving around the kitchen. He was busily making lunch and also baking a cake on the side. He felt like if he didn''t keep himself busy, he would only be a mess of nerves. That''s how nervous he was.


    Even though he wasn''t the one taking the college entrance exam right now, it almost felt like he was whenever he thought of Luo Yan. Knowing him, he probably wasn''t fazed in the slightest. Recalling Luo Yan''s bright expression from their video callst night, it was evident he wasn''t nervous at all. In fact, he seemed excited, as if he couldn''t wait to take the test and be done with it.


    That''s definitely not a bad thing. It would ensure that he could retain calmness as he took the exam. But Shen Ji Yun still couldn''t help but be nervous for him.


    It''s not like he didn''t have any trust in Luo Yan''s ability. He was simply worried because he loved him. It''s just something that came to him naturally. How good it would be if he could be there - to wait while Luo Yan was taking the exam and then wee him when it ended.


    But since he couldn''t do that, he decided to just go to the nearby temple and offer them the food he made. So he prepared a variety of homemade dishes, infusing each one with his heartfelt prayers for Luo Yan''s sess.


    Though he couldn''t be there in person, he hoped this gesture would convey his unwavering support for his beloved boyfriend.

 Chapter 1112 COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION (III)

    1112 COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION (III)


    AFTER students finished the Chinese Language and Literature subject, proctors systematically moved through the exam halls, collecting thepleted exam papers. They proceeded row by row, collecting each paper from the students, checking for any stray marks or iplete sections.


    The proctors maintained a calm and orderly demeanor as they gathered the papers, ensuring that each one was ounted for and handled with care. Once all the papers had been collected, they were securely sealed. And this marked the end of the first subject.


    One of the proctors stepped forward and addressed the ssroom. "Attention, students. Please remain in your seats. You may eat your packed lunches quietly while staying within the ssroom. Remember to maintain silence and avoid discussing the exam until the break ends."


    Luo Yan took a deep breath and put all his pens and erasers in his pencil case and put it back in his bag. Then he took out his packed lunch. It was a two-tiered lunch box.


    In the top tier, he found a serving of steamed jasmine rice, fluffy and aromatic, apanied by tender slices of stir-fried chicken with colorful bell peppers and crunchy snow peas, seasoned with a light soy sauce ze. Alongside the chicken was a small container of stir-fried bok choy, vibrant green and crisp. In the bottom tier was a portion of homemade vegetable dumplings, filled with a vorful mixture of finely chopped cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms.


    Luo Yan could feel the gazes of some of the students on his packed lunch. An awkwardugh almost escaped his lips. Imagine what the reaction of the other students would be if what he brought was a five tiered lunch box like what his father wanted him to initially bring. Even the proctors would have probably stared at him, wondering if he was unting that his family was rich, or he was simply a glutton. Either reason would be too embarrassing.


    Ignoring the gazes of others, he silently started eating. Hopefully, he wouldn''t get indigestion from all the staring. He hoped Yu Jiao was having a better time than him. For her, who could easily get nervous, a peaceful lunch would be the best.


    As he ate, he wondered what the other members of the family were doing.


    ----------


    The rest of the Luo family, along with Ji Xiuying, were all waiting at a small cafe directly in front of the school where Luo Yan and Yu Jiao were taking an exam. Considering its location, there should be more people inside. But surprisingly, only the four were there. Ji Xiuying heard from Luo Ren that they reserved the whole ce for two days.


    Hearing that, Ji Xiuying was reminded that the Luo family was one of the richest family in S City. Something that she mostly forgot because of how... normal they were inparison to other rich people she had met during her marriage with Mo Guang Li.


    Anyway, she wasn''t particrly against them reserving this whole ce for the duration of the college entrance exam. At least, they could wait here in peace, without other parents'' nervousness affecting them. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Since it was lunchtime, they were also having their lunch now. But none of them were really in the mood to eat. Because they were all worried about Luo Yan and Yu Jiao.


    "They will be fine, right? Both Xiao Yan and Jiao Jiao?" Luo Wei Tian asked.


    "I''m sure they will be, Dad," Luo Ren said. "Both of them are at the top of their ss. They also spent a lot of time reviewing and studying. As long as they keep their calm, they would do well."


    "Brother is right. Worrying here non-stop would not help anyone. It would only give us indigestion," Luo Jin said. "It''s better to just finish our lunch."


    But even after saying that, he still didn''t eat and just stabbed at his food.


    Ji Xiuying smiled inwardly watching the three. If one saw them like this, they wouldn''t think first of their status, but how normal they seemed as a family. She nced at Luo Ren.


    If her daughter would be a part of this family in the future, then she probably wouldn''t suffer the same way she did when she marry into the Mo family. Of course, that didn''t mean she would force Yu Jiao to agree to be with Luo Ren just because she thought it would be better for Yu Jiao.


    At the end, it would all depend on her daughter''s decision. Whatever Yu Jiao decided, as her mother, she would just silently support her.


    "I think Xiao Jin is right," she just said in response to what Luo Jin said earlier. "Let''s all eat so we will have energyter to wee both Yan Yan and Jiao Jiao."


    The three men of the Luo family seemed convinced by that and finally ate their food in earnest.


    ----------


    Hours passed, and the first day of the college entrance exam finally ended. Students began to walk out of the ssroom, looking tired but relieved. Some stretched their arms and legs after sitting for so long, while others chatted quietly with friends about the test. Backpacks were slung over shoulders, and a few students nced at their phones to check messages from family and friends.


    The hallway buzzed with a mix of exhaustion and the slight anticipation of what tomorrow''s exams would bring. Despite the fatigue, there was a sense of aplishment in the air as they made their way out of the school building.


    Among these students were Luo Yan and Yu Jiao. Just like the rest, they were also discussing the exam and their answers to some of the hard questions. Yu Jiao showed a relieved expression whenever she heard that she and Luo Yan had the same answer. Especially in some of the Math problems.


    As soon as they walked out of the school building, they immediately saw Luo Yan''s family, as well as Yu Jiao''s mother, waiting for them. It''s hard not to see them when they had the three tallest men standing together amongst the crowd.


    Both Luo Yan and Yu Jiao quickly ran towards the four.

 Chapter 1113 COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION (IV)

    1113 COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION (IV)


    AFTER the first day of the exam, the first thing Luo Yan did when he returned home was to lie down on his bed. Although this was his second time taking the exam, it didn''t mean that it wasn''t as tiring or stressful.


    After lying t on his stomach for a few minutes, he took his cellphone from his bag that he had just haphazardly thrown on the side of the bed. Seeing the ck screen, he remembered that he had to turn it off during the exam. It seemed that he had forgotten to turn it back on because of tiredness.


    His only thought was that Shen Ji Yun must have sent a lot of messages to him by now. There would probably also be a couple of missed calls. If he didn''t reply quickly and if he didn''t answer once he called, the other might think something bad had happened.


    So, he quickly turned on his phone, and sure enough, he had a lot of unread messages in WeChat. Most of them were from Shen Ji Yun. But to his surprise, there were no missed calls at all.


    Although finding that weird, he just opened WeChat and read Shen Ji Yun''s messages.


    [Yan Yan, I hope you''re doing okay. How did the first day go? I''ve been thinking about you all day, hoping it wasn''t too stressful. I know you gave it your best, and that''s what matters most. I just hoped I was there with you.]


    [I''m so proud of you for getting through today. Remember to treat yourself to something nice for dinner and get some good rest tonight. You deserve it.]


    [Just wanted to check in and see how you''re feeling. No rush to reply if you''re too tired. I know today must have been exhausting. Just know I''m here, cheering you on.] n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Try not to worry too much about today''s exam. Focus on rxing and recharging for tomorrow. Maybe listen to some calming music. You''ve earned a break.]


    [No matter what, I''m incredibly proud of you. You''ve worked so hard. Once this is all over, let''s definitely celebrate together.]


    Luo Yan smiled at the messages, feeling a mix of warmth and relief. Shen Ji Yun''s consistent support throughout the day wasforting. It almost felt like the other was here with him.


    He quickly typed a reply.


    [Brother Ji Yun, sorry for not replying sooner. Just got home and I''m exhausted. The exam went okay. Thanks for all the messages. They really helped!]


    A few secondster, his phone buzzed with a reply. As if Shen Ji Yun had been waiting for his reply all this time.


    [No problem. I knew you''d do great. Rest up and don''t stress too much about it. Day one is over!]


    Then it was followed by a rabbit sticker dancing around with a fan as if celebrating.


    Luo Yan chuckled when he saw that.


    [Yeah, just one more day to go.]


    Then he also sent a rabbit sticker jumping up and down. He sent another message after.


    [Let''s video callter after I ate dinner.]


    After he sent that, Shen Ji Yun sent another quick reply.


    [No. Just eat dinner and rest. But tomorrow, after your exam, can we meet in the game?]


    Luo Yan smiled after reading that message. It''s because they both knew that if they video called each other, it would definitely take hours before they hung up. Just like what happenedst night. Shen Ji Yun must be feeling guilty for that.


    He typed a reply.


    [Okay.]


    -----------


    On the second day of the college entrance exam, everything proceeded much like the first day. Luo Yan''s father and brothers remained anxious and concerned for him. Luo Ren continued to pick up Yu Jiao and her mother, and everyone waited together for Luo Yan and Yu Jiao to finish their exam.


    The first subject of the morning was foreignnguage, and Luo Yan was quite excited about it. After all, he could finally showcase the results of his tutoring sessions with Shen Ji Yun.


    He sat at his desk, calmly flipping through the foreignnguage exam paper. He answered each question with confidence, recalling the lessons with Shen Ji Yun. The vocabry and grammar points felt familiar, and he moved through the readingprehension section smoothly. For the writing task, he crafted his essay with clear arguments and precisenguage. As he reached the end of the paper, he double-checked his answers, satisfied with his performance.


    After the foreignnguage exam ended, it was time for lunch. Unlike yesterday, Luo Yan was no longer fazed by the others'' attention. He just ate his lunch with ease.


    In the afternoon, the science exams began. Since Luo Yan nned to major inputer science in college, he was taking the science subjects instead of the humanities.


    The Physics exam came first. He methodically worked through problems on mechanics and electromaism. Next was Chemistry, where he carefully bnced chemical equations and analyzed reaction mechanisms. Finally, the Biology exam tested his knowledge of gics, cellr processes, and ecosystems.


    With each subject, Luo Yan maintained his focus, drawing on his extensive preparation. By the end, he felt a sense of aplishment, knowing he had given his best effort in this exam.


    He walked out of the ssroom and waited at the end of the hallway for Yu Jiao. Soon, he saw the other walking in his direction. He raised his hand and waved at the other. Yu Jiao smiled and rushed towards him. Based on her expression, it seemed that she did pretty well on the exam.


    They walked out of the school building and joined their families.


    The six of them - Luo Yan, his father, and brothers, as well as Yu Jiao and her mother - celebrated the end of the college entrance exam by having dinner at some family friendly restaurant serving authentic traditional dishes.


    The day ended on a very happy note.


    But this was not the end for Luo Yan. Because he still had a remaining appointment.


    After returning home and washing up, Luo Yan quickly put on his VR helmet and entered the game.

 Chapter 1114 BACK IN THE GAME

    1114 BACK IN THE GAME


    BEFORE Luo Yan could even open his eyes, a rushing ball of fluff had already attacked him. He looked down and saw Eclipse''s fox form. If he hadn''t regained control of his bnce as quickly as he did, he might have been thrown off.


    Because Eclipse had now be bigger. Previously, in his fox form, he was only asrge as a Siberian husky. Now, he was the size of thergest lion in the jungle. Additionally, his tails had increased from six to seven.


    This transformation urred because Eclipse underwent another ''evolution''st week. He didn''t witness it firsthand, as he was prohibited from logging into Arcadia for a week due to the college entrance exam. Despite his attempts to convince his father and brothers that logging in for a few hours wouldn''t impact his study time, they remained adamant. Shen Ji Yun also shared their opinion, which didn''t really help. In fact, it only made the situation worse.


    Because that guy, the one who''s supposed to be his boyfriend, actually asked Brother Zhao to ban his ount for a week. So, yeah, even if he tried to log in secretly, he couldn''t.


    Shen Ji Yun should be thankful that he loved him enough to not be seriously angry about that.


    Anyway, because of those series of events, he wasn''t there to witness Eclipse''s growth. Fortunately, they could stillmunicate through the app. Had he not seen Eclipse''s transformed appearance beforehand and was only seeing it now, he would have been in for a huge shock.


    It''s not just because he''s now as big as a lion, but more because of...


    Eclipse suddenly transformed into his humanoid form. Previously, the boy barely reached his waist, but now he was nearly as tall as him. He no longer appeared to be 12 or 13 years old, but rather 16 or 17.


    Yes, the shock factor was because of this.


    It was like a parent watching their young son grow into an adult overnight. That''s how surprised Luo Yan was when Eclipse first showed his new form to him.


    And now that they were almost the same height, being hugged like this felt just a tiny bit awkward. Mainly because he was still not used to Eclipse being this big. It''s like he was being hugged by a stranger, rather than Eclipse.


    "Master, I miss you!"


    Another change was that Eclipse no longer referred to himself in the third person. Reflecting on how much Eclipse had grown since hatching from an egg, Luo Yan felt a bit emotional. He returned his hug and gently patted his back.


    "Our Eclipse is all grown-up now."


    "Not really. I''m still Master''s little Eclipse."


    Luo Yan chuckled when he heard that. But before he could properly say a response, he felt something encircling his waist, and then he was suddenly pulled back. He didn''t even have time to react because of how fast it happened.


    He instinctively looked up and saw a familiar, handsome profile. "Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun looked down at him, his expression more serious than before. He must have realized that there''s no reason for him to have that expression. He sighed and let go of Luo Yan. "I''m sorry, my body just moved on its own."


    Luo Yan tilted his head and quickly understood what the other meant.


    "Ah! Captain, are you jealous of me?" Eclipse suddenly eximed, which was exactly what Luo Yan was thinking. Eclipse seemed a little bit too happy at that thought. He raised his chin and chest, showing just how proud he was. "I understand, Captain. If I''m you, I will also be jealous of myself. After all, I''m this handsome." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    11:56


    "Ah! Captain, are you jealous of me?" Eclipse suddenly eximed, which was exactly what Luo Yan was thinking. Eclipse seemed a little bit too happy at that thought. He raised his chin and chest, showing just how proud he was. "I understand, Captain. If I''m you, I will also be jealous of myself. After all, I''m this handsome."


    Luo Yanughed out loud when he heard that. "Where did you learn that?"


    Shen Ji Yun resisted the urge to turn to Luo Yan and say, "From you." As a good boyfriend, he didn''t need to reveal his asional narcissistic tendencies. Besides, loving oneself was never a bad thing.


    But Eclipse seemed to not mind exposing his master, though.


    The boy patted his chest and said rather proudly, "From Master, of course! I learned to love myself from Master."


    The smile on Luo Yan''s face froze, and then he scratched his cheek and cleared his throat, as if to hide his embarrassment. "Okay, that''s a good attitude."


    "Anyway, I''ll leave the two of you since you probably haven''t seen each other for a while and I don''t really want to be a third-wheel." Eclipse started walking, but before long, he looked back again. "Ah, right! Congrats on finishing that important exam, Master. I know you''ll definitely get a perfect score!"


    Luo Yanughed. "Thank you."


    And with that, Eclipse turned once again into his fox form and left.


    "That kid, when did he be so cheeky?" Luo Yan said with an amused tone. Then he turned to Shen Ji Yun. "Do you also think that I show too much self-love?"


    For a peaceful rtionship, Shen Ji Yun decided to be neutral. "I think you show just enough. Just like any other normal person would."


    Luo Yan nodded. "Right? There''s no way my little self-love is that different from others."


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t really want to continue on with this topic. So, to take Luo Yan''s attention from it, he simply hugged the other.


    "I miss you."


    Sure enough, Luo Yan''s attention was diverted. The other hugged him back.


    "I miss you too." Then, as if remembering something, he let go of Shen Ji Yun and yfully pinched his cheek. "I still haven''t forgotten how you banned me from ying for a week."


    Shen Ji Yun smiled helplessly, allowing Luo Yan to pinch him as much as he wanted. "I''m sorry. I was just thinking of you. If I overstepped your boundaries, you can punish me as you see fit."


    "You..." Luo Yan pinched both of the other''s cheeks. "How can I punish you when you''re this handsome and lovable?"


    With both cheeks being pinched, Shen Ji Yun couldn''t speak without soundingical. So, he simply lowered his head, silently asking for a kiss. Luo Yan seemed to understand, and he raised his head to give him one.

 Chapter 1115 A LITTLE CHAT

    1115 A LITTLE CHAT


    AFTER a bit of cuddling, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun teleported to thetter''s ind and continued to cuddle. Shen Ji Yun was leaning against the big tree while hugging Luo Yan in front of him.


    "How was the exam?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    "I think I did alright," Luo Yan said, leaning back on Shen Ji Yun''s shoulder. "My result would probably be enough for me to enroll at T University."


    Shen Ji Yun didn''t hear any arrogance in Luo Yan''s voice. Instead, what he heard was certainty. Which showed just how confident he was in passing, and that too with a high score.


    "I can''t wait for August toe, then I can spend more time with you," he said. "In reality, I mean."


    "I doubt we could spend that much time together at the beginning. I still have to go to military training, remember?" Luo Yan said with a chuckle.


    All freshmen were required to go to two to four weeks of military training before the new semester began. It was usually done a month before the start of the new semester. In this case, it would be in August.


    So, Luo Yan had to go to B City then. Of course, this was under the assumption that he would have a high enough score to be epted at T University. Just like what he said to Shen Ji Yun earlier, he was pretty confident. Unless some unfortunate circumstance happened and he somehow made a mistake that he was unable to notice when double-checking his exam papers.


    The possibility of that happening was pretty low, though. So, he wasn''t that worried.


    "Right, the military training," Shen Ji Yun said with a grim expression. He almost forgot that Luo Yan had to undergo that. "If someone gives you a hard time, tell me."


    He knew that some of the military personnel in charge of training could be real power trippers. They would force freshmen to do things against their will just to assert their dominance.


    If those people tried to do something to Luo Yan... Shen Ji Yun''s expression became even darker. He would definitely not let them go.


    Luo Yan, of course, understood what Shen Ji Yun was thinking. After all, he had already experienced it once. But still, having Shen Ji Yun said all that for his sake made his heart tingle for all the right reasons.


    "Are you going to be my knight, then?" he asked in an amused tone.


    "Well, if you will permit me, I''m willing to be your knight for the rest of my life," Shen Ji Yun said, holding Luo Yan''s hand and ying with his fingers. "Although there mighte a day when my armor might not be so shining anymore, I still hope you will let me stay by your side until then."


    Luo Yan smiled and then intertwined their fingers together. "You will always be shining in my eyes. Besides Brother Ji Yun..." He looked up at the other before continuing, "How many times have you indirectly propose to me like this?"


    Shen Ji Yun shrugged his shoulders and, in a rare moment, joked back, "I already lost count since I''m probably doing it almost every other day."


    Luo Yanughed out loud.


    When hisugh subsided, Shen Ji Yun continued in a much more serious tone, "But seriously, Yan Yan, if anyone during military training is making you ufortable, tell me. You can even tell it to Bai Ze. Just don''t try to handle it on your own. Okay?"


    "Yes, my knight," Luo Yan said with a smile. "But that''s still two months from now. We should focus more on the uing events. Like the finals of Arcadia Cup. It''s already June. When will the official schedule be released?"


    "From what I heard, it will be posted tomorrow," Shen Ji Yun answered. "Although the tournament blocks would most likely be shown on the opening ceremony."


    "Do you think the schedule will be different from the past Arcadia Cups?"


    From the things Luo Yan had searched before online, the finals of Arcadia Cup were a continuous five-day event. The first day would be when the 16 teams would fight, the second day would be the quarter-finals, the third day would be the semi-finals, the fourth day would be the finals, and thest day would be a celebration of some sort.


    But considering how a lot of things had changed in this year''s Arcadia Cup, they might also change that schedule.


    "I think it will be mostly the same," Shen Ji Yun said, giving a different opinion. "Since this final tournament will not only be broadcasted domestically but also streamed abroad, it''s better to have a five day straight schedule in order to retain people''s attention, and also to keep everyone''s excitement at peak."


    Luo Yan nodded. Shen Ji Yun certainly had a point. If there''s a break in between, it could diminish the excitement of the tournament''s viewers. It would be especially true for the people watching from other countries. Since, unlike the people here, they were not familiar with the yers fighting in the tournament. They wouldn''t feel the need to continue watching the tournament if they had to wait for, let''s say, a week to watch the next fight. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Ah, I can''t wait for the final tournament! It''s finally time for team Yunyue to reim the throne as the best team in Arcadia," he said in an overly dramatic way.


    Shen Ji Yun let out a soft chuckle. "Bai Ze will definitely agree with you on that front."


    "What, does Brother Ji Yun think that we''re not the best team?" Luo Yan asked, acting like he was scandalized. "You''re our captain! You should take more pride in your team."


    "Yes, yes, we are the best," Shen Ji Yun could only say. "By the way, Yan Yan, when is your graduation?"


    Luo Yan was kind of surprised by the sudden change in topic. But then he remembered that he hadn''t yet told Shen Ji Yun about his graduation. Now that the college entrance examination was over, it was now the time for that.

 Chapter 1116 YOURE A GENIUS

    1116 YOU''RE A GENIUS


    "OUR school''s graduation is thising Saturday," Luo Yan said, answering Shen Ji Yun''s question. "You don''t think it would ovep with the schedule of the final tournament, right?"


    "I don''t think so. Remember, Uncle said that the final tournament will be on the third week of June?"


    Luo Yan pped his forehead as if he had only remembered that now. "Ah, right. Uncle Yi Mu did mention that. If the five-day schedule stays the same, then the final tournament would be just over a week away from now. Aren''t you excited, Brother Ji Yun?"


    Shen Ji Yun ced his head in the nook of Luo Yan''s shoulder and nodded as he snuggled closer. "Yes."


    Luo Yan continued to talk about the final tournament, but Shen Ji Yun was only half listening. It''s because his mind was currently thinking of ways on how he could go to Luo Yan''s graduation.


    The biggest hurdle in this was going there without making Uncle Tian suspicious. He felt like he had already used all excuses he coulde up with during that time when he apanied the Luo family to Luo Yan''s birthday trip. If he used the same excuses he gave back then, Uncle Tian would definitely know something was amiss.


    Being as sessful as Uncle Tian, it was definitely easy for him to piece everything together. The only reason he hadn''t done so yet was because he viewed Luo Yan through colored lenses. But once he sensed that something was wrong, it would be easy for him to uncover the truth.


    "Brother Ji Yun, you''re not listening, are you?"


    Luo Yan''s voice pulled him back from his thoughts. "I''m listening. Didn''t you just say that you can''t wait to fight other strong teams, especially the current top four?"


    Although he was only half-listening and his thoughts were wandering, it didn''t mean that he wasn''t paying attention.


    Luo Yan was actually quite surprised when Shen Ji Yun got it right. Because he was so sure that the other was not listening to him. "Wow. And here I thought you were just pretending to listen but were really just interested in snuggling up to me."


    "Well, there is also that," Shen Ji Yun said, while nuzzling his nose at Luo Yan''s cheek. "And the fact that your voice is my favorite sound in the world. So there''s no way I won''t listen when you speak."


    Luo Yan chuckled. "You and your smooth tongue."


    "Only when ites to you."


    "It better be," Luo Yan said. Then, he slightly turned his body to look at Shen Ji Yun. "But seriously, Brother Ji Yun, what''s bothering you?"


    Even if Shen Ji Yun seemed to be listening to him, it was still obvious that his mind was somewhere else. It''s not something that really happened when they were together. Since, most of the time, Shen Ji Yun''s attention was always focused on him. That''s why it was even more noticeable when he was thinking of something else.


    "And don''t say it''s nothing," Luo Yan added. "Aren''t we in a rtionship where there''s no need to hide our concerns from each other? So, if something''s bothering you, I want to know. Maybe I can help."


    Shen Ji Yun sighed. Truthfully, he didn''t want to bother Luo Yan with this certain ''problem''. Many would think that it was just useless worry and not worth getting worked up over. But to Shen Ji Yun, it was very important.


    He gazed down at Luo Yan. The other was looking straight at him with those beautiful peach blossom eyes. It''s hard to hide something when one''s boyfriend was this perceptive.


    So, at the end, he had no choice but to tell Luo Yan about his worries. Specifically, about how he could go to his graduation without Uncle Tian being suspicious of him.


    Luo Yan didn''t expect that this was what''s bothering Shen Ji Yun. It was both amusing and endearing. Really, what an adorable guy.


    "Brother Ji Yun, although I understand your worries, it''s fine if you don''t go. Of course, I''ll be happy if you''re there during my graduation. But I wouldn''t be upset if you''re not," Luo Yan exined first. "We can just celebrate here. Like today."


    "I know. But... it''s your high school graduation, something that''s going to happen only once. I just... I just want to be there." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing the gloomy expression on Shen Ji Yun''s handsome face, Luo Yan feltpelled to help. How could he not when this cinnamon roll literally looked like a downcast puppy at this moment?


    "If Brother Ji Yun really wants to go, then you can just bring Brother Ze," he suggested.


    With Bai Ze apanying Shen Ji Yun, the former could act like some sort of smokescreen to prevent his father from suspecting anything. Although he felt kind of guilty fooling his father like this, it''s just, it''s not the right time for the other to know about his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun.


    That time would surelye. Maybe sooner rather thanter. But definitely not now. And when it happened, he would do everything to make it up to his father. Except breaking up with Shen Ji Yun, of course.


    Shen Ji Yun''s expression suddenly brightened when he heard that. "Right, there''s still Bai Ze. Why didn''t I think of that?" He gazed down with a happy smile. "You''re a genius, Yan Yan!"


    Luo Yan let out a softugh because of Shen Ji Yun''s reaction. "I do try sometimes."


    "Not just sometimes. You''re a genius every day!"


    With his problem solved like this, Shen Ji Yun felt like all the dark clouds hovering over him had just cleared. Bringing Bai Ze along was just perfect.


    The two continued talking, mostly about the questions asked in the college entrance exam. And cuddled and flirted with each other even more.


    After that, they gathered all the members of the team, including Yu Jiao, for a small celebration at their headquarters to congratte Luo Yan and Yu Jiao on sessfullypleting their college entrance examinations.


    And the next day, the official schedule of Arcadia Cup''s final tournament was finally released.

 Chapter 1117 FINAL TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

    1117 FINAL TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCEMENT


    [Announcement: Arcadia Cup Final Tournament Schedule


    We are excited to announce the schedule for the Arcadia Cup Final Tournament! The tournament will span five thrilling days, from June 16 to June 20, with each day featuring a different stage of thepetition. Matches will begin at 1 PM each day.


    Schedule:


    June 16: Top 16 Showdown


    June 17: Quarter Finals Race


    June 18: Semi-Finals RPG Adventure


    June 19: Grand Finals Battle Royale


    June 20: Celebration Extravaganza


    Witness intensepetition, strategic ys, and the crowning of the next Arcadia Cup champion. Be there to support your favorite yers and enjoy the excitement.


    We can''t wait to see you at the Arcadia Cup Final Tournament!]


    This was the announcement posted by the official Weibo ount of Moonlight Media. It was also posted to the foreign SNS ounts they made so the new yers from other countries would know about it.


    Aside from the announcement, the foreign SNS ounts also included the streaming site where fans could watch the game live. Additionally, lucky yers from each new server were able to watch the game from the main server. These yers received an in-game mail informing them that they were chosen. The mail also included detailed instructions on how they could temporarily transfer servers for five days.


    Since the international release of Arcadia, its poprity overseas had been skyrocketing. Famous game streamers were streaming their ys, and influencers were showing off the things they bought in the game. Some food bloggers even followed the trend, doing food reviews at the different restaurants in the game. This helped the game reach the general public much faster.


    As evidence, once the announcement for the Arcadia Cup final tournament appeared on Moonlight Media foreign media ounts, the engagement was almost as if it was posted by some popr pop star or something.


    [Arcadia Cup, what''s that?]


    - It''s some kind of tournament held in Arcadia every year to decide the best team in the game.


    - Would we also have Arcadia Cup in our server?


    [I heard next year there will be something simr to Arcadia Cup, but it would include all servers.]


    - What do you mean by that?


    - The best team in each server wouldpete in a tournament. From my source, it''s said that the winner of this year''s Arcadia Cup would represent Country Z.


    - Wait- isn''t that unfair? I mean, they had been ying this game for years. We''re only starting this year. Isn''t it obvious that they would be the winner?


    - Well, what can you do? The game is from Country Z, of course there will be bias.


    [I can''t actually wait to watch this tournament. I hope I will be one of the lucky chosen to watch it live on the Country Z server.]


    - This! But why should it be random? There should be a raffle ticket or something. Like the more you buy, the higher your chance of being picked.


    - Random is good. It all depends on chance and not on who spent more money.


    - Right? It''s better to leave it to chance, at least it''s fairer this way.


    [I wonder how good those yers are.]


    - They''re definitely better than us, noobs.


    - How much better would they be, I wonder?


    [What''s that tournament actually like, anyway? Do they actually fight?] n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    - LOL no, they dance together. ^^


    - Hahahaha!


    If the overseas yers were mostly reacting to what Arcadia Cup was and wanting to be one of the lucky yers chosen to watch it on Country Z''s server, the domestic yers'' focus was totally different.


    [Wow. They really didn''t post the tournament block. *shockface emoji*]


    - Right? It''s not like this is the prelims or something. It''s the finals! Are the teams not even allowed to prepare properly?


    [Didn''t they announce it in the previous years? So, why not do it now?]


    - Moonlight probably just wanted the teams to struggle more. You know, for the enjoyment of those foreigners.


    - Not gonna lie, I will also definitely enjoy watching the struggle.


    - Upstairs +100


    [But isn''t it better that they didn''t post the tournament block? It will be more exciting this way.]


    [I actually can''t wait for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Just what will they do for that amazing race and RPG?]


    - I have an idea for the amazing race, but RPG? What the hell will they do with that?


    - Maybe they''ll go to a dungeon and role-y? LOL.


    - Upstairs, I think so too as well! Hahaha!


    ***


    Luo Yan was reading through thements. He was at the pavilion in the back garden of their house. On the table was a ss of home-made milk tea and a te of mango pudding. They''re a pair perfect for summer.


    Since the college entrance examination was already over, he no longer needed to go to school. He would only have to go back for graduation, which would be on Saturday. Luo Jin, on the other hand, still had a week of school left, as summer would only start after the graduation of the third years.


    Well, at least, summer vacation would start next week. Just in time for the final tournament of the Arcadia Cup.


    With the announcement posted by Moonlight Media''s official ount, it was clear that it would still be a five-day event. Luo Yan was d that they didn''t change that part. At least after five days, no, it''s technically four days, it would be over.


    Not that he wanted it to immediately end, it''s just better to fight for four consecutive days that have a break in between. At least their tension would stay up. The excitement and adrenaline would keep everyone focused and determined. A break would probably disrupt that flow.


    There''s one thing he could agree with thements, though. And that''s the fact that Moonlight Media didn''t post the tournament block. He would have preferred if they did. At least then, they could better prepare. But it was what it was. Comining about it wouldn''t change anything.


    Luo Yan wondered which team they would fight first. Whichever team it would be, he was confident that team Yunyue wouldn''t lose.

 Chapter 1118 GRADUATION

    1118 GRADUATION


    LUO YAN sat in his seat, feeling a bit bored and sleepy as the principal began the opening remarks of the graduation ceremony. He nced around at his ssmates, all in their school uniforms, and stifled a yawn.


    The principal''s speech about their journey and the future ahead seemed to drag on, and Luo Yan found it hard to pay attention. His mind wandered to the Arcadia Cup''s final tournament that would happen next week. Thinking of it made him feel less sleepy. He shifted in his seat, wishing the speeches would end soon so they could move on to the more exciting parts of the ceremony.


    He nced back to the area where family members of the graduating students were seated, and he immediately saw his father and brothers sitting at the forefront. Yu Jiao''s mother was sitting beside Luo Ren.


    A student could actually only bring two family members at most. Of course, his father would be one of the two, which meant that between Luo Ren and Luo Jin, only one of them could go. Both his brothers wanted to go, so how could one of them give in?


    To solve this, Luo Ren suggested a brilliant idea. And that was for him to go together with Yu Jiao''s mother. When Luo Ren asked, Aunt Xiuying, of course, agreed without second thoughts. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    That was a kind of genius move on Luo Ren''s part. Not only did it solve the problem of their family, it was also sending some kind of underlying message. That Luo Ren was part of Yu Jiao''s family. Or at least, trying to be.


    His older brother really be moving like some schemer. He was just d that Luo Ren was not some evil mastermind. If he was, then Luo Yan would be the first one to make sure that he and Yu Jiao would not end up together.


    Luo Yan brought his attention back to the stage. Thankfully, the principal had finished the opening remarks, and it was now time for the presentation of awards to recognize outstanding students, such as those who brought honor to the school through academics, sports, or the arts.


    Those had nothing to do with him, though. Even if he was constantly in the top 10 of his ss, he never participated in any academicpetition. Since he no longer had to work hard like his life depended on it, he decided to just take it easy in this life. You know, just do enough to make sure his grade would stay high. There''s no need to mention arts and sports.


    As the ceremony progressed, the person presenting the awards stepped forward and announced, "Next, I''d like to recognize a student whose creativity has truly shone this year. Please join me in congratting Yu Jiao for her outstanding achievement in winning the National High School Design Contest, a prestigious contest among high school students in the country!"


    Yu Jiao, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, timidly stood up, her gaze fixed on the ground. Despite her shyness, she managed a small smile as she made her way to the stage to ept her award. While walking, she turned her head to where her mother was, then she made a quick nce to where Luo Yan was sitting.


    Luo Yan, of course, raise his hand in a fighting gesture to cheer the other on.


    The presenter praised her innovative approach and dedication to her craft. Yu Jiao''s expression was obviously filled with a mix of pride and nervousness. Knowing her, she''s probably grateful for the recognition yet feeling overwhelmed by the attention.


    Luo Yan pped enthusiastically, but he felt like someone at the back was pping even harder. He didn''t have to look back to know who it was.


    He was very happy for Yu Jiao. The contest she wonsted for a year. It started with hundreds of students submitting their designs. Then, the top 100 were chosen, followed by the top 50, the top 25, and finally the top 10. Each time there was an elimination round, the remaining students had to submit a new design. The winner was finally announcedst month.


    He actually didn''t know Yu Jiao even joined this contest. She only told him about it when she had already won. With the other''s personality, she was probably not confident that she would even win. That''s why Luo Yan was d that she did. He hoped that this win could boost her confidence.


    After all the awards were given, the student representative of the graduating ss was called on stage to give a speech.


    Luo Yan watched as the representative, a confident and well-spoken girl named Li Wei, took the microphone. She began by thanking the teachers and parents for their support over the years. She shared some memorable moments from their time in high school and talked about the challenges they had ovee together. Her words were heartfelt and sincere, and she encouraged her ssmates to face the future with courage and optimism. As she finished, the audience erupted in apuse.


    With that done, the most important part of the ceremony was finally here: the giving of diplomas. The principal returned to the podium, calling each graduate''s name one by one. Luo Yan watched as each student walked across the stage, epting their diploma with a handshake and a brief word of congrattions. He saw his ssmates beaming with pride, their families cheering and snapping photos from the audience.


    The graduates held their diplomas tightly, a mix of relief and excitement on their faces. He could understand, since this moment marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.


    When his name was finally called, he stood up and made his way to the stage. As he walked, he could see his father and brothers pping enthusiastically with big smiles on their handsome faces. All three also quickly raised their phones, most likely to take pictures and video.


    Luo Yan could only smile while waving at the three.


    Reaching the stage and epting his diploma, one thought lingered in his mind: Was Shen Ji Yun already outside school, waiting for him?


    Happy graduation, Yan Yan and Jiao Jiao! (??¥î?)?*:??*


    Tyramisu

 Chapter 1119 FROM BAI ZES PERSPECTIVE

    Chapter 1119 FROM BAI ZE''S PERSPECTIVE


    BAI ZE looked around Guizu Academy and couldn''t help but whistle. The school was very grand, boasting manicuredwns and towering buildings that hinted at the affluence within. From his vantage point, he could see glimpses of the school''s prestige reflected in the pristine architecture and lush greenery. Although he also attended a private school, this ce still amazed him.


    So, what was he doing here, exactly?


    He nced at his friend standing not too far away. Shen Ji Yun was looking intently at the auditorium where the graduation ceremony was being held. It seemed as if he couldn''t wait for the ceremony to end and for the doors to open, eagerly anticipating the moment when he would see Luo Yan walking out of it.


    Last Sunday, after their small party celebrating Luo Yan and Yu Jiao sessfully finishing the college entrance exam, Shen Ji Yun suddenly asked if they could talk privately. Given the grave expression on Shen Ji Yun''s face, he thought it might be something serious, so he agreed without question.


    Who would have thought it was just the other asking him if he wanted to go to Luo Yan''s graduation?


    Bai Ze was baffled at first. He hadn''t expected that what Shen Ji Yun wanted to talk about would be that. But then, his brain quickly understood why the other had asked him to attend Luo Yan''s graduation. It was one of the rare moments when his brain actually worked fast in such a situation.


    It was obvious that Shen Ji Yun was nning to use him as an excuse so he could go to Luo Yan''s graduation without arousing suspicion. As much as he disliked being some kind of ''smokescreen'', he also wanted to personally congratte his cousin for graduating high school.


    So, he agreed¡ªbut not without a price. Since Shen Ji Yun''s motive was not entirely pure, unlike his own, he set some conditions. He demanded a five-tiered lunch box filled with his favorite foods and asked Shen Ji Yun to buy some game items he had been nning to buy for a while now.


    The other readily agreed. Showing that he''s really determined to go to Luo Yan''s graduation. With him being like that, Bai Ze also had to do his part. He asked for permission to his parents, and they both agreed.


    And so they were here.


    Everything had been going smoothly, except that he hadn''t told Uncle Tian they would being. He thought Shen Ji Yun wanted to surprise Luo Yan. As a supportive friend, he didn''t want to ruin the surprise, so he also told his parents not to mention it to Uncle Tian. It was only when they arrived in S City that he discovered Luo Yan already knew they wereing and that this was actually his idea.


    He only found out about it because when they arrived at the airport, Shen Ji Yun asked him if someone from the Luo family would fetch them. Imagine his surprise Pikachu face when he heard that.


    Shen Ji Yun looked at him as if he wanted to p the back of his head or something. But the other, surprisingly, didn''t do anything and just sighed. Probably because he couldn''t neglect the fact that it was because of Bai Ze''s help that they were even here.


    To make up for his mistake, which was not a fault of his own, he quickly called Uncle Tian. But he only received a busy tone. It''s either his uncle turned off his phone or it''s on silent mode. The same happened when he tried to call his cousins. Which could only mean one thing - they were already at school and the graduation ceremony might already be starting.


    Bai Ze suggested that they went to the Luo mansion first. Since the people working there knew his face, they wouldn''t be sent away. But Shen Ji Yun had another idea.


    The other told him that they should just go straight to Guizu Academy. Since he had made a ''mistake'', he had no choice but to agree. It''s good that they didn''t have much luggage since they would return to B City this evening.


    And that''s how it was decided that they would go straight to this school.


    Since today was graduation day, the security of the school was even more strict. But Bai Ze used his extraordinary intrapersonal skill to convince the guards to let them enter. His charm and handsomeness probably also helped a lot.


    Now, they were waiting outside of the auditorium, alongside some students'' family members.


    He had been taking pictures of the school''s beautiful architecture andndscape, while Shen Ji Yun had only been staring intently at the auditorium door. When he got tired of taking pictures, he simply sat down on one of the benches and waited. Meanwhile, his friend over there was still standing still like a statue.


    Bai Ze sighed. Was this really a normal thing for people who were in love? Although Shen Ji Yun hadn''t really changed much since he and Luo Yan became a couple, in other aspect, he''s like a different person. Maybe that''s just a normal urence for people who had someone they liked.


    At that thought, he was suddenly reminded of the fact that his other cousin, Luo Jin, liked that woman, Su Yuqi. Just thinking of the possibility that she could be a member of his extended family through marriage was already giving him goosebumps.


    He shook his head, not really wanting to think of that possible future. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But now, with the possibility that Luo Jin and Su Yuqi might end up together, and with Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan being an official couple, wouldn''t that make him the only single dog on their team?


    Thinking that he might really be the only single person in their team by next year was seriously giving him a sense of crisis? Should he go and find a girlfriend? A certain cat-eared person crossed his mind. But before he could truly delve into that thought, he noticed when he looked in Shen Ji Yun''s direction that his eyes seemed to be sparkling right now.


    Bai Ze turned to the auditorium and, as expected, quickly noticed Luo Yan walking out of the entrance.

 Chapter 1120 STICKY GLANCES AND COLD WIND BLOWING

    Chapter 1120 STICKY GLANCES AND COLD WIND BLOWING


    THE first thing Luo Yan did when he walked out of the auditorium was to look around outside and see if Shen Ji Yun was already there. He didn''t have to look for long because, with just one nce, he immediately saw the other. And Shen Ji Yun also noticed him just as quick.


    The other smiled brightly at him and waved his hand. Luo Yan also automatically raised his hand to wave back. He actually wanted to run forward and just hug the other. But with his family here, particrly his father, he tried his best to hold back.


    Speaking of, Luo Wei Tian immediately noticed Luo Yan excitedly waving to someone. When he followed where his son was waving and the first one he saw was his nephew, Bai Ze waving enthusiastically at them.


    Actually, when Bai Ze saw Shen Ji Yun waving somewhere with such a happy expression, he immediately found his uncle and cousins walking out of the auditorium. Luo Yan was also waving back at Shen Ji Yun. When he noticed Uncle Tian was about to look over here, he quickly stood up and ran to where Shen Ji Yun was. He stood in front of his friend, covering the otherpletely, and waved back to his uncle and cousins.


    Why did he do all that? It''s because with one look at Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan''s expressions while they gazed at each other, one could easily tell that there must be something going on between them.


    Since he knew that the two were still hiding their rtionship from Uncle Tian, it would be bad if his uncle noticed anything now. No matter how oblivious Uncle Tian might be regarding Luo Yan''s romantic rtionships, there''s no way he wouldn''t be at least a little suspicious if he saw Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun exchanging such sticky nces.


    "Ji Yun, man, unless you''re advertising that you''re Xiao Yan''s boyfriend, control your expression a bit," he said to Shen Ji Yun while watching his uncle and cousins walked in this direction.


    It seemed that Shen Ji Yun also understood the situation, because he responded, "Thank you." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "See how good of a friend I am?" Bai Ze chuckled, shaking his head. "Just what will you do without me?"


    Shen Ji Yun stood on his side and gave him a side-way nce. "Although I''m thankful for your reminder, there''s no need to exaggerate that much."


    Bai Ze was about to give examples to support his im, but before he could, his uncle and cousins had already arrived in front of them.


    "Ah Ze, howe you''re here?" Luo Wei Tian quickly asked with a slightly bewildered expression. "You even brought Xiao Yun with you."


    Both Luo Ren and Luo Jin felt that it was actually the other way around, with Shen Ji Yun the one dragging Bai Ze here. They gave Shen Ji Yun a nce. Somehow, they had a bit of an idea how this situation came about.


    The other probably nned to use Bai Ze as an excuse as to how he appeared here. With such a method, he would avoid suspicion from their father. Both of them had people they liked, so it''s easy to arrive to such a conclusion. Probably because if they were in the same situation, they would have done the same.


    But that didn''t mean they would sympathize with this guy. The other should just be grateful that they hadn''t said anything until now to their father about this.


    "Haha... Uncle, why else would we be here? Of course, it''s to celebrate Xiao Yan''s graduation," Bai Ze answered naturally.


    "Then you should have called," Luo Wei Tian said, shaking his head. "Did you go here straight from the airport?"


    The problems they encountered whileing here shed in Bai Ze''s mind, but he chose to justugh it out, not even mentioning that he actually called countless times earlier. "It''s because we want it to be a surprise."


    "Thank you foring here, Brother Ze, Brother Ji Yun," Luo Yan said, not only to end that topic but also to show his appreciation. Then he looked at Shen Ji Yun and continued, "I''m really happy that you''re here."


    Shen Ji Yun almost smiled at that, but he tried hard not to because of Bai Ze''s reminder. Still, the corner of his lips slightly turned up. "Congrattions on graduating, Yan Yan."


    "Yes, congrattions, Xiao Yan!" Bai Ze quickly added before the two exchanged those sticky nces once again.


    That was when Yu Jiao and her mother approached. They separated a bit from the Luo family to take somememorative photos together.


    Seeing them, Luo Yan gently pulled Yu Jiao to introduce her personally to Bai Ze. Although they met in the game, they never met in real life. So, he introduced the two to each other. Of course, he didn''t forget to also mention Aunt Xiuying.


    "Hello," Yu Jiao said shyly.


    Bai Ze could only stare at the other. It''s not because of any other thing, just the fact that he wasn''t used to seeing the other in a skirt. After all, they only met in the game and the other''s game avatar was a male one. So, even if he knew that the other was female, he was still having a kind of dissonance.


    "Xiao Ze, don''t stare too much. You might make Jiao Jiao ufortable."


    When Bai Ze heard Luo Ren''s voice, he felt cold sweat down his spine for some reason. But when he turned to his older cousin, the other was actually smiling. So he wondered what that was about.


    "Sorry, I''m just surprised that Xiao Jiao is actually so pretty in person," he just said just to get over the initial awkwardness.


    But just after he said that, he felt like a cold wind just blew. Seriously, was it going to rain? He looked at the ring sun above. Was it just his imagination? It most likely was.


    He just shrugged it off and proceeded to suggest takingmemorative photos.

 Chapter 1121 BACK AT THE LUO MANSION

    Chapter 1121 BACK AT THE LUO MANSION


    SHEN JI YUN and Bai Ze nned to return to B Cityter that day. However, after Uncle Tian found out, he insisted that they stay at the Luo mansion for one more night and leave the next day. They didn''t have to worry about rebooking their flight because one of his secretaries would take care of it for them.


    Of course, it''s something Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t refuse. Because it meant he could spend more time with Luo Yan. There was also the added bonus of going to Luo Yan''s room once again. He only briefly went there during Luo Yan''s birthday trip half a year ago. Since he would be sleeping at the Luo family''s mansion, he might be able to stay longer.


    Although he felt stinging gazes from two directions since Uncle Tian said that, he didn''t care. Because the only gaze that mattered was the loving gaze from Luo Yan.


    And so, after the celebratory lunch together with Yu Jiao and her mother, they all went back to the Luo mansion. With the exemption of the mother-daughter pair.


    Shen Ji Yun noticed that Luo Ren wanted to invite the two back as well, but Yu Jiao and her mother said they could no longer impose, and that they also wanted to have an alone time together. He had a feeling that thetter was the reason why Luo Ren did not insist further to invite the two.


    Since Luo Ren''s attention was no longer focused on Yu Jiao, hisser-like gaze waspletely fixed on Shen Ji Yun. This wasn''t for any positive reason; he was likely just ensuring that Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t do anything inappropriate. However, Shen Ji Yun had no intention of doing anything like that, so Luo Ren could watch all he wanted, but he wouldn''t see anything improper.


    Then there was Luo Jin, who would probably be growling at him if Uncle Tian weren''t here. He was like an agitated cat, hissing and ready to pounce.


    Shen Ji Yun was already used to the way Luo Yan''s brothers treated him. Things would probably remain the same even if years had passed by. And he didn''t mind. After all, he wasn''t in a rtionship with them. They were free to dislike him as long as they didn''t actively try to ruin his rtionship with Luo Yan. Thankfully, they hadn''t done anything like that, and he hoped it would stay that way in the future.


    Soon after, they reached the Luo mansion.


    Just like before, when he first saw the house, Shen Ji Yun was once again amazed just by how pretty it looked. Like a house that came straight out of a fairy tale book.


    He remembered when he first saw the house. Luo Yan looked very proud of it. Hmm... should he also make a house like this in the future for them?


    "Dad, I''ll bring Brother Ze and Brother Ji Yun to their rooms!" Luo Yan said as soon as they entered the house.


    He quickly pulled the two up to the second floor without waiting for the others to react.


    When they arrived there, Luo Yan said, "Brother Ze, thank you for apanying Brother Ji Yun today."


    He couldn''t thank the other properly while they were with his father. Saying it without proper context would sound weird and might even arouse his father''s suspicion.


    "There''s no need to thank me," Bai Ze said, waving his hand dismissively. "I wanted to go to your graduation too, so it worked out perfectly."


    "Still, Brother Ji Yun was only able toe here because of Brother Ze, so thank you, really." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Well, if you put it that way," Bai Ze said with a sheepish smile. He then nced at Shen Ji Yun, as if to say, ''See, that''s how you show appreciation.''


    They stopped in front of a room. "This is your room, Brother Ze. The guest rooms are always kept clean, so you don''t have to worry. Now, I''ll take Brother Ji Yun to his room."


    Bai Ze watched as the two walked to another room. He had considered suggesting that they all go together, but he changed his mind. He wasn''t so insensitive as to intrude on their time alone. So, he just entered the room assigned to him to put down his small luggage.


    On the other side, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun had also entered the guest room thetter would use.


    As soon as they did, the two hugged each other as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    Shen Ji Yun let out a contented sigh, finally feeling the warmth of the person he loved. "Congrattions on graduating, Yan Yan," he congratted the other once again.


    Luo Yan hugged him tighter. "Thank you for celebrating it with me and my family."


    "I don''t think your brothers are very happy with that, though."


    "True that," Luo Yan agreed with a chuckle, releasing Shen Ji Yun from the hug. "Don''t worry, I''m confident they''lle around sooner orter. How could they not, when you''re this lovable?"


    Shen Ji Yun truly doubted that, but he didn''t say anything. If Luo Yan wanted to believe it, then that was fine. As long as he was happy, everything was fine.


    "By the way, Brother Ji Yun, this room is directly above mine. It also has a balcony that overlooked the back garden. The vines on the side could also be a make-shiftdder. So..." Luo Yan fixed the cor of Shen Ji Yun''s shirt. His action had a touch of seductiveness to it. "If you want to have a midnight rendezvouster, you can go through the balcony and then knock on my window. What do you think?"


    Shen Ji Yun blinked. A little imaginary angel on his side was telling him how that could be a very bad idea. But the beautiful little ''devil'' in front of him was directly inviting him tomit a ''sin''. So how could he refuse?


    "I think it''s a splendid idea," he could only say in the end.

 Chapter 1122 WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

    Chapter 1122 WHAT ARE YOU DOING?


    IT was alreadyte at night, but Luo Wei Tian was still awake. Maybe because he was still reeling from the happiness of the day. Some would probably say that he''s exaggerating. After all, a child graduating high school was not exactly the most umon thing. But for Luo Wei Tian, it was. Very much so.


    Because a year and a half ago, he wasn''t even sure if this was even possible.


    With Luo Yan being in aa for seven years, there were times when Luo Wei Tian thought that his son would not open his eyes ever again. The sadness was too overwhelming. Especially during the first few years. Since he was also dealing with the loss of his wife.


    He remembered nights spent by the side of his son''s hospital bed, holding his hand and praying for a miracle. There were moments when despair crept in, and he almost gave up hope. The guilt of even considering giving up weighed heavily on him, haunting his thoughts.


    He felt like he was failing as a father, unable to protect his child. Those years were filled with a painful mix of love, fear, and regret, but he never stopped wishing for his son''s recovery.


    And s, it seemed that his prayers were answered. Because Marchst year, Luo Yan finally woke up.


    When he woke up, it was as if the family found a new sense of hope and joy. The house was filled withughter and activity again. They enjoyed meals together, shared stories, and made new memories. The burden of the past years seemed to be lifted all at once. Luo Yan''s presence brought a warmth and lightness to their daily routines, bringing the family even closer together.


    And now that Luo Yan had graduated from high school, Luo Wei Tian came to a sudden realization. If his son chose to enroll in T University, then he had to move to B City by August. Luo Wei Tian wasn''t sure if he was ready for that.


    Maybe that''s also one of the main reasons he couldn''t sleep. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Luo Wei Tian stood up and decided to walk into the back garden for a while. Since it''s already summer, the night wind wouldn''t be so cold.


    Leaving his room and walking down the stairs, he headed to the back garden through the back door.


    Walking through the garden, Luo Wei Tian slowly felt the calmness enveloping him. It had always been like this. Whenever he''s not in the best of moods, or if he just wanted a bit of peace, he would always go here. Because it''s the ce in the house that reminded him the most of his wife.


    He loved to imagine that whenever the wind blew and carried the scent of flowers, it was Mei Huaforting him.


    As he was walking, he happened to turn his head towards the house. Just as he did, his eyes widened when he saw a shadow lurking just below the second-floor balcony.


    Luo Wei Tian would have a calmer reaction to that if not for the fact that this shadow was standing right in front of Luo Yan''s room!


    When the shadow seemed like it was about to reach out towards his son''s room, he moved. He ran as fast as he could. He even felt like he suddenly gained super speed because of how fast he ran at that moment.


    As soon as he was just a few steps away from the shadow, he propelled himself forward and tackled the other. Due to the speed of his run, as well as the power of his momentum, the force he used to tackle the shadow became much stronger.


    The two of them rolled on the grass, like some scene in an action movie. He heard the other grunt from pain. The voice indicated that the shadow was a man.


    "Who are you?! How did you enter? Why are you lurking around my house?!"


    He lifted the other''s cor and nned to punch him. But before he could, a light from somewhere suddenly shone on them. Quickly followed by a familiar voice.


    "Dad?"


    When he heard Luo Yan''s voice, he couldn''t turn around quickly because he was once again left shock by the sight in front of him.


    "Brother Ji Yun?"


    Yes, that''s right, the shadow he thought was lurking around and was nning something bad was actually Shen Ji Yun!


    "Cough... Uncle, can you let go of me now?" Shen Ji Yun said, looking like he was trying his best not to groan in pain once more.


    Luo Wei Tian quickly stood up, feelingpletely embarrassed. But as soon as he did, a sharp pain shot through his lower back, making him wince. It felt like his back might have twisted or even cracked from the awkward fall.


    Because of the sudden pain, he almost fell forward once again. If not from someone suddenly supporting him from the side.


    "Dad, are you okay?" Luo Yan''s voice, filled with concern, came from beside him.


    He looked at his son and winced a bit. "No, I think I hurt my back a bit."


    "Let''s go to my room first," Luo Yan said.


    Then he turned to Shen Ji Yun who had already stood up and, even with theck of proper lighting, he could see that his whole face was burning red. Most likely from embarrassment.


    He had an idea of what had happened here and it''s most definitely his fault. But this was not the time to go about that now. It''s more important to help his father right now.


    He looked at Shen Ji Yun, his eyes asking if he was alright. Shen Ji Yun nodded, clearly understanding the unspoken question. Afterward, he swiftly moved to the other side of his father and offered his help.


    Luo Yan had earlier opened the floor-to-ceiling door/window of his room, so the light guiding them came from there, making it easy for them to enter. He and Shen Ji Yun helped his father sit on the bed, who winced as soon as he did.


    "Dad, should we go to the hospital?" Luo Yan asked worriedly, sitting beside the other.


    "No need. But more importantly..." Luo Wei Tian turned to Shen Ji Yun, narrowing his eyes. "What exactly are you doing lurking outside my son''s room, young man?"

 Chapter 1123 JI YUN BEING RESOURCEFUL

    Chapter 1123 JI YUN BEING RESOURCEFUL


    LUO YAN gulped nervously when he saw his father''s serious expression as he looked at Shen Ji Yun. He couldn''t interrupt and make up an excuse to defend Shen Ji Yun, because doing so would only arouse more suspicion.


    With his father''s tone of voice and how he scrutinized Shen Ji Yun, Luo Yan was sure that the other''s instinct, that seemed to have been turned off when it came to the two of them, had now finally awakened. He was now finally getting suspicious of their rtionship. If they made a wrong step here, Luo Yan might not be able to attend the final tournament of Arcadia Cup next week.


    That''s probably not the best reason to prevent his father from discovering their rtionship. But at this moment, that''s his imminent concern. Because he knew that if he talked to his father and try to make him understand that he and Shen Ji Yun truly loved each other, he would eventuallye around. But that''s something that wouldn''t happen in just a few days.


    For his father to approve of their rtionship, it would probably take months. So, if the other discovered the truth now, the chances of him not allowing Luo Yan to meet Shen Ji Yun, even in the game, would be very high. And if that happened, it meant that he wouldn''t be able to participate in the final tournament. Something that he must prevent from happening at all cost. He didn''t want the effort their team had put in for this tournament to go to waste.


    Luo Yan struggled to hold back a deep sigh. This was his fault. He shouldn''t have asked Shen Ji Yun to visit him at this hour. It wasn''t that he didn''t mean it¡ªhe truly did, at least at the time. He just didn''t expect that his father would see Shen Ji Yun standing, or as he put it - lurking, in front of his room.


    He felt confident inviting Shen Ji Yun because he knew that at this hour, his father and brothers would already be asleep. That''s why he dared to arrange a ''midnight rendezvous.'' He even ensured that the guest room Shen Ji Yun would stay in was directly above his own room. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Who would have thought that his father would be walking in the back garden at this hour? That''s the only exnation for how he saw Shen Ji Yun "lurking," as his father put it, in front of his room.


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun. The other waspletely silent. Even though there wasn''t enough expression on his face to judge what he was thinking, Luo Yan could still tell he was very nervous. Knowing how bad Shen Ji Yun was at lying, Luo Yan also started to sweat.


    Should he intervene now? But how could he do it in a way that wouldn''t be suspicious?


    As he was racking his brain for answers, Shen Ji Yun suddenly spoke.


    Luo Yan would have praised him for how he calmly said that, but what''s with that answer? His father would definitely like that. Because it sounded like he was being a smart-ass.


    "I was not lurking, Uncle Tian. I just happened to be standing in front of Yan Yan''s room when you saw me."


    Luo Yan would have praised him for how he calmly said that, but what''s with that answer? His father would definitely like that. Because it sounded like he was being a smart-ass.


    "Oh? Are you being sarcastic with me right now, kid?" his father said with a hint of a sneer in his voice.


    See? Shen Ji Yun was now demoted from a ''young man'' to a ''kid''. Should Luo Yan interrupt now?


    "No, Uncle Tian. That''s not my intention. I was simply saying that I wasn''t lurking in front of Yan Yan''s room on purpose," Shen Ji Yun quickly exined.


    "Then why are you there?"


    Shen Ji Yun gazed down, then looked from side to side. Looking like someone who was having trouble answering the question. As if the answer would be too embarrassing for him to say.


    "I... I was craving some crispy seaweed snacks that aren''t avable in the house. I thought I''d sneak out to the convenience store nearby to get some. I didn''t want to disturb anyone, so I went down from my room through the vines on the balcony of my room," Shen Ji Yun finally admitted, his voice filled with a mix of embarrassment and sincerity.


    Both father and son were embarrassed when they heard that.


    Luo Yan because he knew Shen Ji Yun was lying. But the way he said that, and even how his whole face blushed from embarrassment, made it very believable. Wow. When did Shen Ji Yun learn how to do that? Had he finally be better at lying? No, wait- was this because of his influence? If so, then Luo Yan wasn''t sure if he should be proud or guilty.


    [Good going, Brother Ji Yun. I know you can do it!] - the little devil inside his heart wanted to shout.


    But the little angel there was also weeping. [Sorry for tainting you, Brother Ji Yun.]


    On the other hand, Luo Wei Tian wasn''t sure if he should believe what this kid was saying. Crispy seaweed? Did they not have that in their house? More importantly, why would he sneak out just because of that?


    But then again, looking at how embarrassed Shen Ji Yun was right now, he certainly didn''t seem like lying. And there was indeed a nearby convenience store here. A ce dedicated solely to the people in thismunity. And if he was nning to quietly sneak out and jumped from the balcony of his room, he would indeed end up in front of Luo Yan''s room.


    At the end, he could only let out a tired sigh. "Xiao Yun, you know that there are stairs here, right? Why are you going down the second floor using the vines? Do you think you''re some ninja or something? What if you fell and hit your head?"


    Shen Ji Yun lowered his head, looking very guilty. "I''m sorry, Uncle Tian."


    "Ha... it''s fine. Just go back to your room." Luo Wei Tian tried to stand up but almost fell over again. "I think we need to call the family doctor," he added, wincing at the shooting pain in his lower back.

 Chapter 1124 OPENING CEREMONY (I)

    Chapter 1124 OPENING CEREMONY (I)


    AFTER the ''midnight rendezvous'' turned into an epic failure, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun somehow managed to avoid being discovered, thanks to Shen Ji Yun''s quick thinking. Additionally, Luo Yan''s father''s ''waist injury''¡ªwhich turned out to be just a pulled muscle¡ªproved helpful. The pain distracted him enough that he couldn''t fully assess the situation. Luo Yan believed this was why they managed to ovee that hurdle almost unscathed.


    Almost, because it didn''t mean there were nosting effects.


    That''s right. Even though it seemed that everything was all and well, Luo Yan quickly noticed that his father''s attitude towards Shen Ji Yun had visibly cooled down. If before, his father would greet Shen Ji Yun with a smile, like an elder talking to a trusted member of the younger generation. But the morning after the incident, his father barely said anything to Shen Ji Yun.


    Not only that, every time Shen Ji Yun tried to talk to Luo Yan, his father would focus his gaze on them. Should he be d that Shen Ji Yun and Bai Ze''s flight back to B City was in the morning? He felt that if Shen Ji Yun had stayed much longer, his father would have really pieced two and two together.


    It''s clear as day that the other already had suspicion about his rtionship with Shen Ji Yun. Because if not, then he wouldn''t be reacting that way otherwise.


    The only probable reason his father didn''t do anything was because he was still at the stage where he was only forming suspicion in his head. But since there wasn''t any solid evidence to back up his suspicion, he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Luo Yan sighed. That''s why he avoided mentioning Shen Ji Yun in front of his father all day yesterday. He didn''t even apany Shen Ji Yun and Bai Ze to the airport. It seemed that his brothers also noticed that something was wrong, so they also avoided mentioning Shen Ji Yun.


    This showed that even though they weren''t exactly happy with Shen Ji Yun, they still helped Luo Yan because they didn''t want him to get into trouble. In short, their love for him far outweighed their annoyance towards Shen Ji Yun. Which Luo Yan truly appreciated.


    Shen Ji Yun called himter, which he had to take in his walk-in closet just in case his father suddenly passed by his room and heard him speaking to Shen Ji Yun.


    Shen Ji Yun asked if everything was okay. He couldn''t exactly say that it was, so he had to tell the truth. Of course, Shen Ji Yun being Shen Ji Yun apologized and just took all the me. Which Luo Yan adamantly denied. If there was one who''s at fault here, it was him.


    Anyway, after his graduation weekend that started off happily and ended up tumultuously, it was now Monday. Which meant the final tournament of Arcadia Cup was finally starting!


    ----------


    All 16 teamspeting for the championship in this year''s Arcadia Cup had gathered once again at Lunaris Vale. They were assembled in an open area, each team positioned on a separate floating cube. At the center of this arrangement was a floating stage, where the host of this year''s Cup - the Duke of Spades, wouldter appear to inaugurate the beginning of the final tournament.


    It was ten in the morning. The top 16 match would beginter, at one in the afternoon. All the teams were gathered here, most likely to be shown the official tournament bracket. Finally, they would find out which team they would have topete against.


    Luo Yan looked around. He could see the top four teams ofst year - Celestials, Fenghuang, Mozu, and Sirens. There was also team Sanguis that still managed to get a spot despite losing to team Yunyue. He noticed that their team had the least number of people.


    It didn''t intimidate him, though. Even if there were only eight of them here, their team''s quality was notcking in any waypared to others. They might have the least number of members here, but most of the teams'' attention was focused on them. Luo Yan guessed that it was because of Dusk and Rowan.


    Since it was already the final tournament, they decided to reveal the two dragons to everyone. It wouldn''t matter even if they found out about them now, as there was no way they could thoroughly prepare for the two additions to Team Yunyue. After all, the top 16 matches would beginter. Even if they started preparing now, it wouldn''t make a significant difference.


    The other teams were probably wondering who Dusk and Rowan were, as they hadn''t seen the two during the preliminaries. Some, or perhaps most of them, might have been thinking that they had recruited two additional yers just for this final tournament. It wouldn''t be too far-fetched, considering that the two dragons, in their humanoid form, looked no different from ordinary yers.


    Maybe a few had already guessed that both were actually ssified as ''pets''. It didn''t matter, though. Because, again, what could they do about that information?


    A pir of light suddenly descended onto the center stage. As the light dissipated, a tall man with neatlybed-back ck hair emerged. He was dressed entirely in ck¡ªck coat tails, ck tie, ck undershirt, ck trousers, and ck shoes. A monocle adorned one of his dark purple eyes, and a ck spade-shaped earring dangled from one ear.


    It was the Duke of Spades.


    "Wee, brave warriors," he greeted in his usual somber voice. "Bying this far, you have proven yourselves to be the elite of the elites. Now, let''s begin assigning teams to the tournament bracket."


    It was the Duke of Spades.


    "Wee, brave warriors," he greeted in his usual somber voice. "Bying this far, you have proven yourselves to be the elite of the elites. Now, let''s begin assigning teams to the tournament bracket."


    Luo Yan tilted his head when he heard that. Assign? Wasn''t it already ready? Would they only assign teams in the brackets now?


    As if to answer his question, something resembling a silver basin filled with golden liquid appeared, floating in each cube. It then flew in front of each team''s captain. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Duke of Spades'' voice echoed once again.


    "All captains, put your hand inside and pick a number."

 Chapter 1125 OPENING CEREMONY (II)

    Chapter 1125 OPENING CEREMONY (II)


    SHEN JI YUN put his hand in the silver basin,pletely submerging it on the golden liquid. He felt round objects inside, probably the size of a tennis ball. He didn''t think much and just pulled the first one that he grasped.


    He looked at the small ball that he took out of the basin. His other team mates also gathered around him to see it. The ball had something written on it - 2A.


    "2A? What does that mean?" Bai Ze asked on the side.


    As if to answer his question, the Duke of Spades spoke, "The number represents the team you will face in the top 16 match, and the letter represents the block you will be in. There will be four blocks: A, B, C, and D. Each block will have four teams, numbered either 1 or 2. Teams with the same number and block letter will be opponents in the top 16 match."


    After he spoke, he snapped his fingers, and the 16 cubes containing the teams began to move. They gradually formed four groups around the center stage. In each group, the four cubes merged together to form arge square.


    "The teams in eachrge square belong to the same block," the Duke of Spades announced. "In the next match, you''ll face the team either to your right or to your left."


    The teams standing on therge squares looked to their right if they were on the left side, and to their left if they were on the right side.


    Of course, team Yunyue also did the same. Since they were standing on the left, they looked to their right. The other team also did the same. And so their gazes collided.


    It was a teamposed of female yers. A pretty well-known team that ranked among the top four inst year''s Arcadia Cup. This team was none other than team Siren.


    Some of the members of the two teams that were now facing each other showed aplicated expression.


    Bai Ze because the first one he saw when he turned his head was Xia Li. He had almost forgotten that she was also part of team Siren. Xia Li wasn''t a regr member of the main team thatpeted in the Arcadia Cup matches. Moreover, whenever they hung out together, she had never openly talked about team Siren. So, her being part of that team was almost like a forgotten information to him.


    Xia Li also just happened to look at Bai Ze when she turned to that side. But unlike Bai Ze''splicated feelings, she didn''t think much and even smiled at him. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After seeing that smile, Bai Ze was stunned for a moment, but then ended up chuckling. He suddenly felt refreshed. Knowing Xia Li, the other probably didn''t think that their teams fighting each other was a big deal. Which meant that even if team Yunyue won, she wouldn''t hold a grudge against him or his team.


    Bai Ze was truly relieved by that fact.


    Wait- why was he relieved?


    The answer seemed to be just at the corner of his mind, quietly ring, just waiting to be noticed. But the owner of the brain seemed to not be so bright when it came to certain things. So, this ''answer'' would have to wait for a bit longer before it could be discovered.


    The one with the mostplicated feelings right now was probably the captain of Team Siren, Zhu Lian. She had already resigned herself to the fact that her feelings for Shen Ji Yun wouldn''t go anywhere. Despite her efforts to move on, would it be that easy? Of course not.


    She had been so set on Shen Ji Yun that he even followed the other to the same university. She even made this team, thinking that one day he would finally notice her. But years passed, and it never happened. Though most of it was her own fault.


    She just couldn''t be honest with her feelings whenever she''s around Shen Ji Yun. Instead of showing how much she liked him, she would say the most annoying thing and would act like she hated him. It''s no wonder that she didn''t stand a chance.


    Although she wanted to just erase these feelings, she couldn''t do it with just a snap of her fingers. She wished she could, though. Then she wouldn''t feel so overwhelmed to the point of crying by just seeing or hearing anything about Shen Ji Yun.


    Thankfully, it had gotten better in the past few months. Once she epted the fact that her feelings would remain unrequited, she finally allowed herself a chance to move on. And she was slowly, but surely, getting there.


    As evidence of the fact that even though Shen Ji Yun was just a few steps away, she no longer felt that heart-wrenching feeling that she always felt whenever he was closed by.


    A smile finally appeared on her face. At least now, she knew that she''s making progress.


    Her team members, however, interpreted her smile differently. They believed she was forcing herself to smile to hide how much she was affected by YUN. They still remembered how their captain had cried because of that guy. Most of the members of team Siren red in the direction of YUN, with Zhu Jingyi - Zhu Lian''s sister - ring the fiercest.


    They would definitely beat this guy up and win over team Yunyue!


    Shen Ji Yun felt that the members of team Siren seemed to be looking at him quite intensely. Were they showing their fighting spirit? He did not avoid their gazes and stared back. Team Yunyue would definitely not lose.


    Luo Yan watched all of this unfold in front of him. He didn''t know whether to be amused or slightly annoyed. His gaze fell on the captain of team Siren. During their encounter at Yuexing Pavilion, he had already suspected that she had feelings for Shen Ji Yun. Seeing as how her team members were giving Shen Ji Yun death res, his guess was probably right.


    As he pondered what to do about this, he suddenly felt a piercing gaze fixed on him.

 Chapter 1126 SOME MALE PLAYER

    Chapter 1126 SOME MALE PLAYER


    LUO YAN looked to the front where he felt the gaze wasing from. The ones standing in front of them were the other two teams who belonged to the same block. He''s not that familiar with one of the teams, but he recognized the other. Mostly because they were one of the current top four teams in the game.


    Team Mozu.


    It''s a team consisted of yers with a game race mostly based on Asian myths that had a dark connotation to them. Like a jiangshi, an imoogi, or a rakshasa. They were like the Eastern version of team Sanguis. Except that team Mozu was a muchrger and more popr team.


    And the one who''s looking at him quite fiercely just now was standing with them.


    It was easy for Luo Yan to pin-point the source of the stinging gaze. Especially since the other was the only one looking in this direction.


    It was a male yer with piercing green eyes that seemed almost reptilian. His long, ck hair fell down his back, shining with an odd luster. His skin appeared slightly textured, as if it were covered in very fine scales. He wore dark clothes, and a hooded cloak with several concealed pockets and straps, likely used for carrying weapons.


    When the other saw Luo Yan looking, a wide smile spread across his face. It was a smile that didn''t reach his eyes, twisting his features into something unsettling. It even made his somewhat handsome face looked creepy. His lips stretched too far, and the edges of his mouth seemed to curl upward in a way that spoke of hidden malice. It was a smile that made Luo Yan''s skin crawl.


    He seemed to have seen the other somewhere. He just couldn''t remember where. Then the male yer mouthed something to him. Luo Yan''s expression slowly hardened as he understood what the guy was saying.


    "I can''t wait to see you squirm."


    The male yer even licked his lips after he mouthed those words. Luo Yan felt extremely disgusted. He was ready to raise his middle finger at the other when a wide back filled his vision. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shen Ji Yun stood in front of him. Although he couldn''t see his expression, he had a feeling that he was probably sending a death stare at the male yer.


    And he would be right.


    Red-hot anger rushed to his brain. Without hesitation, Shen Ji Yun stepped forward and positioned himself in front of Luo Yan, shielding him from the gaze of such trash. He then turned his cold gaze towards the male yer. Shen Ji Yun''s eyes were icy enough to freeze anyone, but beneath the coldness, his disgust and anger were unmistakable.


    After Shen Ji Yun epted the petitive'' stares of the members of team Siren, he turned to look at Luo Yan. Then he noticed that the other was looking in another direction. When he followed where Luo Yan was looking, it was just in time for him to see a male yer mouthing those words to Luo Yan.


    Red-hot anger rushed to his brain. Without hesitation, Shen Ji Yun stepped forward and positioned himself in front of Luo Yan, shielding him from the gaze of such trash. He then turned his cold gaze towards the male yer. Shen Ji Yun''s eyes were icy enough to freeze anyone, but beneath the coldness, his disgust and anger were unmistakable.


    The other seemed to not mind and just tilted his head, as if not understanding what he was doing. Instead, he moved so he could see Luo Yan again. This made Shen Ji Yun''s anger red even more. If they were in reality, his veins would already be bulging because of too much anger.


    He was about to move to block to once again block the gaze of the bastard, but before he could, he felt a soft touch on his arm. He looked back and saw Luo Yan shaking his head.


    "Let me handle it, Brother Ji Yun."


    Luo Yan walked out from behind Shen Ji Yun and then looked at the male yer. He smiled his sweetest smile and then raised his hand to make a ''cutting of the neck'' gesture while mouthing the words;


    "Prepare to ''die'' tomorrow, you SOB."


    The male yer blinked and thenughed as if he was having fun. And then, mouthed back;


    "I''ll be waiting."


    ---------


    After the opening ceremony, team Yunyue went back to their headquarters. The first thing Shen Ji Yun did when they entered the main hall was asked;


    "What do we know about the members of team Mozu?"


    Bai Ze had a confused expression on his face, a question mark almost appeared on his face. "Isn''t team Siren are opponent this afternoon? Why are you asking about team Mozu? I know there''s a huge chance we''re going to face them tomorrow. But still."


    "One of them looked at Master funny!" Eclipse answered indignantly. "I was about to w him to death, but Uncle Dusk stopped me."


    "Hah, be thankful that Dusk stopped you," Rowan said with a scoff. "Didn''t you see that one of the four dukes is there? If you started attacking someone, you would definitely be punished."


    Luo Yan was surprised that Eclipse actually saw what happened. Knowing this kid, he would have definitely done what he just said. Luo Yan was d that Dusk noticed what''s happening and stopped Eclipse in time.


    Most of the team ignored the bickering between Eclipse and Rowan. Because their attention was focused on what Eclipse said about someone from team Mozu looking at Luo Yan funny.


    "What do you mean someone looked at Yan funny?" Luo Jin asked Eclipse, his small face scrunching up.


    "He had this creepy smile while licking his lips and staring at Master!" Eclipse answered. "It''s like he wanted to do something bad to Master!"


    After Eclipse said that, Shen Ji Yun''s expression darkened once again. It seemed like he couldn''t wait to attack the male yer and ''kill'' him repeatedly to vent his anger. Luo Jin and Bai Ze also showed angry expressions. Even Su Yuqi looked displeased.


    Luo Yan immediately intervened before his team mates really went to team Mozu and ''invite'' that male yer for a PvP fight. If they didn''t have a matchter, he might support that. He might even be the first one to do PvP with that guy. But since that''s not the case, he could only stop them.

 Chapter 1127 IDENTITY OF THE MALE PLAYER

    Chapter 1127 IDENTITY OF THE MALE PLAYER


    "OKAY, let''s not stress ourselves over some guy who might not even be a part of team Mozu''s main attack team," Luo Yan said to diffuse the situation.


    "What do you mean, Yan?" Luo Jin asked.


    "He looked familiar but, from what I can recall, he''s not one of team Mozu''s top five members," Luo Yan answered.


    "If he looked familiar to you, that meant that he might have some fame," Su Yuqi said. "Can you describe how his avatar looked?"


    "Well, he''s dressed all in ck, his hair is ck too, his eyes looked reptilian, and his skin seemed to have scales," Luo Yan said, recounting what he remembered to the others.


    "Is he some kind of dragon?" Bai Ze asked, because based on Luo Yan''s description, the male yer might belong to a race rted to dragons or something simr.


    "He''s not," the silent Dusk said, looking very affronted that Bai Ze even suggested that. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "That''s right! How can you evenpare that guy to someone as glorious and noble as us?" Rowan added angrily. "He''s just a lesser creature who hasn''t evolved into a true dragon."


    "An Imugi," Shen Ji Yun said, more as a statement than a question.


    "Wait¡ªI think I remember who you''re talking about!" Bai Ze said, looking like someone who had just a sudden realization. "It must be that crazy guy, Zephyr!"


    Zephyr? Luo Yan furrowed his brows. At the mention of that name, he finally remembered where he saw the male yer. When he was searching the game forumst year for information about the Rookie Carnival, he found a picture of the champion the year beforest.


    That yer was Zephyr.


    "The champion of Rookie Carnival a year before Luo Yan won?"


    What Su Yuqi asked just confirmed Luo Yan''s thoughts.


    "Yes, that''s him!" Bai Ze affirmed. "How can I forget that he was recruited by team Mozu?"


    "I don''t care who he is, but why was he acting all creepy towards Yan?" Luo Jin said.


    "I''ve mentioned that he''s crazy, right? Well, he''s kind of a sadistic, battle-crazy bastard who''s been climbing the PvP leaderboard ever since he became a Rookie Carnival champion. Heck, even if he''s just wandering around Arcadia and finds a strong yer, he''ll attack them," Bai Ze exined. "I think he''s feelingpetitive towards Xiao Yan, since both of you were Rookie Carnival champions."


    "Well, if it''s just that, then I don''t mind facing him off," Luo Yan said with a shrug.


    If that Zephyr guy looked at him in that creepy manner just because he''s feelingpetitive, then that''s fine. He weed any challenges. But if it''s something else, something disgusting he couldn''t even bear to think of, then he had to make sure that guy wouldn''t even dare to entertain those kinds of thoughts.


    "It''s definitely not just that! That guy definitely has some creepy feelings for Master! He must have been captivated by Master''s beauty, so his sadistic tendency was triggered and--"


    "Okay!" Luo Yan pped his hands before Eclipse said something that would trigger Shen Ji Yun even more.


    Look, Shen Ji Yun''s face was growing darker by the second. Luo Yan reached under the table for Shen Ji Yun''s hand and held it tightly, as if to offer reassurance. It was only then that the dark cloud lifted from Shen Ji Yun''s face.


    "How about we discuss what we''ll do for our match with team Sirenter?" Luo Yan asked to end the topic.


    ----------


    After the opening ceremony, the revealed tournament block for the Arcadia Cup became a hot topic in Weibo.


    [Have you guys seen the tournament block for Arcadia Cup? Are you sure this was done randomly? Because howe team Yunyue might have to fight all the top four teams if they happened to reach the finals?]


    ¡ª Wait¡ªI just noticed it! You''re actually right!


    ¡ª They''re in the same block as teams Siren and Mozu. If they win against team Siren, they''ll face team Mozu tomorrow. Team Fenghuang is in block B. If there''s no unexpected strongpetitor in their block, team Fenghuang will probably win and be the next opponent for Team Yunyue. On the other side, team Celestials is in block D. If they win in blocks C and D, Team Yunyue will face them in the finals. Wow! I suddenly feel amazed by what I just typed.


    ©¸ Now that youy it down so clearly like this, it''s really amazing in a way.


    ©¸ Could it be that the Duke of Spades manipted the result?


    ©¸©¸ Hey, I don''t allow you to disparage the Duke of Spades like that! If this was the Duke of Hearts we''re talking about, then I''ll agree. But this was the Duke of Spades, the most principled among the four dukes. There''s no way he would do something like that.


    ©¸©¸©¸ Why are you acting like they''re real people???


    ©¸©¸©¸©¸ They''re real to me. ( £þ£Þ£þ)


    ©¸ But this is amazing, right? If everything goes as you said, then wouldn''t it mean that team Yunyue will have defeated all the top four teams?


    ©¸©¸ If that happened, then no one could say that they''re not the strongest team in Arcadia in case they won the championship.


    [I''m still rooting for team Celestials. They must win this year as well!]


    ¡ª Goddess Liuli for the win!


    ¡ª Li Xu Min, I love you!!!


    [I have a feeling that team Fenghuang will make a surprisingeback this year. They might snatch the championship for all we know.]


    ¡ª Well, they''ve always been good, so it''s not really that surprising if they won this year.


    [Team Mozu is also in a good position this year. The addition of Zephyr definitely boosted them.]


    [As a female yer, I''m required to support team Siren. Go team Siren!]


    [Why aren''t there enough peoplementing about the two additions in team Yunyue? They look like dragons. Are they new yers?]


    Comments and posts like that flooded Weibo and the game forum. Before long, 1 PM arrived, and the top 16 match finally began.

 Chapter 1128 TOP 16 MATCH START!

    Chapter 1128 TOP 16 MATCH START!


    THE top 16 matches of the final tournament would still be held at Lunaris Vale. At one o''clock in the afternoon, all 16 teams were transported at the same time to eight different areas. Yes, the top 16 matches would be held simultaneously. It was up to the audience to choose which one they wanted to watch.


    The eight matches were being live-streamed on Moonlight Media''s official Weibo ount, as well as on the game''s official website. And just as Shen Yi Mu had announced months ago, they were also being streamed on a famous international streaming site for foreign audiences to watch.


    Of course, one could also watch the matches by logging into the game. The final tournament, just like the preliminaries, would be shown all over Arcadia. The only change from the preliminaries was that 100 yers from each new server would be able to watch the matches in the final tournament on the domestic server.


    They would have the option to watch the matches from different perspectives. They could choose to view the action from a bird''s-eye view, follow a specific yer, or switch between various in-game camera angles to get the best experience. Additionally, they could essmentary and analysis for deeper insights into the matches.


    Just from that, it was obvious how hard Moonlight Media was promoting Arcadia internationally by using the final tournament of the Arcadia Cup. It was as if the tournament had now be a major advertisement for the game.


    But that didn''t mean that the tournament had now lost its essence. No, that would only be true if thepetition itself became secondary to the promotion. As long as the focus remained on the skill and strategy of the teams, the integrity of the tournament would still be there.


    And so, with the excitement of all the yers and viewers watching here and abroad, the top 16 match finally began.


    ----------


    Team Yunyue and team Siren were transported to what would one call a ''rivend''. Because arge river mainly dominated the area.


    Both teams appeared on a raft-like structure, floating at what appeared to be the end of the river. The makeshift vessel swayed gently on the water''s calm surface, with dense foliage and towering cliffs enclosing the river''sst stretch.


    Before long, several screens appeared in front of both teams.


    [River sh!]


    [Objective: One team must transport the mysterious "Aqua Relic" downriver to safety while the other team attempts to intercept it. The intercepting team is unaware of the exact appearance of the Aqua Relic. All flying skills and items are temporarily prohibited, and all actions must ur exclusively on the river. Additionally, both teams must fend off aggressive river monsters that pose a threat to the relic''s safe transport. If the transporting team sessfully delivers the Aqua Relic to a designated safe zone or the intercepting team captures it within the time limit, they would win.]


    [Time limit: 20 minutes.]


    [Match will start in five minutes. Good luck!]


    ***


    Luo Yan read that and felt a bit conflicted. This was because the captain of Team Siren was, well, literally a siren. She would undoubtedly have a significant advantage in such an environment. Even if the rest of Team Siren''s main team didn''t have a race rted to water, having their captain as one provided enough of an advantage.


    Especially since they could only move on the river, as what the objective said. They couldn''t even use any flying skills or items. If their team were tasked to deliver the item, they would definitely be more disadvantaged.


    As if taunting him, two notification screens appeared in front of them, one after another.


    [Your team will deliver the <Aqua Relic> to the designated location.]


    [Once the relic passes beyond the green light at the end of the downriver, it''s your win.]


    Then something appeared in front of them. It was an object with a smooth, elongated prism shape, its surface a deep, translucent azure that sparkled under light. Carved into its crystalline structure were delicate, swirling patterns that mimicked the ebb and flow of ocean currents, giving it an almost fluid appearance.


    "I take it, this is our Aqua Relic," Bai Ze said in a dry tone. "Man, isn''t this too disadvantageous to us?"


    "Stopining. We only have five minutes to discuss. Don''t waste it on pointless bbering," Su Yuqi said.


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to agree to that and turned to Dusk and Rowan. "Can you turn into your dragon form?"


    The two dragons stopped and, as if checking within themselves if they could turn into their dragon forms, shook their heads at the same time, indicating that they couldn''t.


    Luo Yan had already expected that. Since anything flying was banned, there was no way they would allow anyone who could fly to, well, fly. "Is it the same for you, Brother Ji Yun and Sister Yuqi?"


    Shen Ji Yun nodded with a serious expression. Which meant that if he transformed into his Qilin form, he wouldn''t be able to fly. On the other hand, Su Yuqi tried to move her wings, and they didn''t even budge.


    "None of my skills rted to flying can be used either," Su Yuqi added. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Luo Yan checked his [Shadow Walk] skill, just in case. When he discovered that he could still use it, he let out a sigh of relief. He quickly formted a n, thinking about how to leverage this ability to their advantage.


    "So, what''s the n?" Luo Jin asked.


    "We hide the item and then beat all the enemies!" Eclipse said with confidence.


    Everyone stopped because of what the teenage fox said, not just because of the confidence with which it was said, but more because of how viable the idea was.


    Luo Yan chuckled. "Well, that''s a good n."


    Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat. "How about we build a n around that?"


    -----


    On the other end of the river, Team Siren was also having a heated discussion about which n they should do.

 Chapter 1129: YUNYUE VS SIREN (I)

    Unlike team Yunyue, team Siren was not on a floating raft. They were standing on the riverbank, right next to the line of green light floating on the river.


    "Since flying skills and items are not allowed to be used, everything will happen on the river surface," Tao Ning continued. "So, the only way they could transport the item is by travelling down this river. Their movement and course of actions will be highly limited. Although it''s the same for us, we don''t have an item we need to protect.


    We just have to attack them and prevent them from crossing this green line."


    "Not to mention, we have two sirens with us," the gnome Berserker, Tang Xi, said, looking at the two sisters.


    Their captain, Zhu Lian, and her younger sister, Zhu Jingyi, were both sirens. Under normal circumstances, Liao Jiayi, one of the main members of their team, would have been here instead of Zhu Jingyi. But Jiayi unexpectedly caught a cold and wasn''t in any condition to log into the game and fight.


    "I will definitely do my best to y my part to defeat Yunyue," Zhu Jingyi said with a clenched fist.


    "Hey, we will all do our best," Tang Xi said in a teasing manner before her expression changed and became serious. "After all, we have to make that YUN pay the price of making our Captain cry."


    "Don''t let that be the reason why you want to defeat Yunyue," Zhu Lian said with a bit of admonition in her voice, finally speaking and looking at each of her members. "We''re going to give our best because we believe in our own strength and teamwork. We are here to win on our own merits, not out of spite or resentment. Let''s focus on our goal and show everyone what we''re capable of."


    "Of course, that''s already a given," Tao Ning said, much more upbeat and determined.


    "So, what''s the n?" Yin Meiyu, the team''s elf Archer said.


    Everyone looked at their captain. Zhu Lianid out some points.


    "The two new members of team Yunyue are either real yers or pets. If it''s the former, then we still have a way to deal with it. But if it''s thetter, then we''ll have real trouble on our hands. Because adding them to the kitsune means we will actually be facing eight individuals instead of just five. Good thing we can make up for that by using the advantages avable to us.


    "And one more thing, we have to find a way to seal Noctis'' shadow traveling skill as soon as possible. Having him freely use that would dampen our strategy. Any ideas on how we could do that?"


    "I have an item that might help. But there''s a time limit on how long it can be used," Yin Meiyu said.


    "I also have a skill that could help," Zhu Jingyi added. "But it requires a lot of MP and I have to control it all the time or it can be dispelled easily. Especially with Morganite on their team. I might not be able to do anything else if I use it."


    "Then we will work something around that. And we will incorporate Meiyu''s item into it," Zhu Lian said. "Now, let''s make a solid n."


    -----


    When the countdown to the start of the match reached ''0'', the raft team Yunyue was on started to move. Although it was called a ''raft'', it was not exactly that. It was more of a huge nk that wouldn''t sink and could move on its own.


    To show how big it was, eight people could stand on it without worrying that they might not be able to move. This also showed just how wide and big the river they were on was. It stretched wide enough that its farthest banks were barely visible, with gentle currents indicating its considerable depth and breadth.


    Just as Su Yuqi was about to use a skill to speed up the raft, the sky above them suddenly darkened. It wasn''t just a simple dimming; the darknesspletely obscured the sunlight. As if that weren''t enough, it also began to rain.


    Luo Yan raised his brow. "Oh, they''re good."


    It was obvious why the sky suddenly changed like this. There was no way the sunny weather had turned rainy for no reason. Someone from team Siren had made it this way. It''s easy to see why¡ªthey wanted to prevent him from using his [Shadow Walk].


    With this darkened sky, the shadows on the surface of the river were now gone. And with it gone, how else could he use [Shadow Walk]?


    "Yuqi, is it possible to clear the sky?" Shen Ji Yun asked.


    Su Yuqi looked at the sky. "This is a pretty big AoE skill. I could try to dispel it, but I''m sure whoever''s doing it will just try again."


    "It''s fine. We can just proceed without my [Shadow Walk]," Luo Yan said. "Although it would be harder. But where''s the fun if everything is easy?"


    "I agree with that," Bai Ze said.


    "Me too! Me too!" Eclipse excitedly said.


    "Then, let''s move," Shen Ji Yun said.


    Su Yuqi used a skill to push their raft forward at a much faster speed. Since their destination was downriver, no matter how big the river was, there was no way they could go in the wrong direction.


    The current positions of each member on the raft were as follows: Shen Ji Yun and Bai Ze at the front, Luo Jin and Luo Yan at the rear, the two dragons on each nk, and Su Yuqi and Eclipse at the center.


    Everyone maintained a vignt stance, ready to react to any threats. The front and rear positions provided a solid defense, while the powerful dragons protected the nks. Su Yuqi and Eclipse at the center ensured a quick response, with Su Yuqi using magic and Eclipse employing illusions to protect the raft.


    And this was how the match began.

 Chapter 1130: YUNYUE VS SIREN (II)

    Their team was using an item to create a barrier around the raft. While Su Yuqi could also use her skill to erect a barrier, it would only protect the raft and its upants, but it would prevent them fromunching any attacks. So, they chose a rare item instead.


    This barrier could stop attacks from the outside, and at the same time, allow them to dish out attacks with no problems.


    "Watch out for any attacks."


    As soon as Shen Ji Yun said that, monsters suddenly surged from underneath the river. They attacked the barrier with frenzied intensity, their eyes gleaming red, ws and teeth gnashing against the shield. The barrier shook under their relentless assault, each strike echoing through the air as the river churned around them.


    Shen Ji Yun leapt forward, his sword crackling with purple lightning. He sliced through the monsters that were trying to breach the barrier, each swing emitting a sh of light as it cleaved through scales and flesh. Su Yuqi stood firm at the center, casting spells that sent pulses of energy outward, pushing the monsters off the barrier with calcted precision.


    On the nks, the two dragons fought violently, tearing through the creatures with powerful physical attacks. Their roars reverberated, drowning out the hisses and growls of the attacking horde. Luo Yan moved swiftly and silently, his daggers finding the vital points of each enemy with lethal efficiency. Bai Ze swung his gauntlets, each hit sending monsters flying back into the river.


    Eclipse darted around the raft, using quick, strategic attacks to cut down enemies and create openings for his teammates. His tails red with energy, adding to the onught against the invaders.


    Despite their efforts, the monsters seemed endless, wave after wave crashing against the barrier. Each time one creature was struck down, another took its ce. The barrier shook continuously under the relentless assault, showing no signs of respite.


    "These monsters are never ending!" Luo Jin shouted as he shot a monster in the head. "Something''s definitely wrong here!"


    Luo Yan agreed. Just look at how frenzied these monsters were. It''s like they were on drugs or something. And maybe they were, in some way. It''s possible that a member of team Siren had a skill to control monsters.


    Even if there was a barrier, it was mostly to protect the raft. Because once the raft was broken, it would be hard for them all to move on the river. That''s why they were protecting the barier like this. Even though there''s another option for them, it would be better to use the raft at the early stage of this match.


    Amidst the back-and-forth between them and the monsters, Luo Yan heard a ''crack.'' He looked up, and sure enough, cracks had started to appear above. Before he could tell Su Yuqi to reinforce the barrier, something struck the crack. It went through the monster, shing at the barrier and straight into the fracture.


    The barrier shattered with a resounding explosion, fragments of the protective shield scattering in all directions. The sudden break in their defense left the raft vulnerable, and the monsters surged forward with more ferocity than ever.


    But before the monsters could even crowd them and hit the raft, Shen Ji Yun used a skill that produced a huge purple sh. It immediately killed all the monstersing down on them. At the same time, a barrier was erected courtesy of Su Yuqi.


    "They really are not giving us a chance to breathe," Bai Zeined.


    "Just let us barbecue these pea-brains!" Rowan said, obviously very annoyed by the barrage of monster attacks.


    "I kind of agree with this uncle here," Eclipse said.


    "Do it. Let''s clear this area quickly," Shen Ji Yun said. "Yuqi, the moment the area is cleared, propel the raft at the highest speed."


    "Now we''re talking," Rowan said, bright red mes appearing on his hands.


    Dusk didn''t say anything, but ck mes also appeared on his hands. Then the two dragons incinerated all the monsters in sight. Their mes were so hot that the river water had started to evaporate. The smoke it produced covered the raft and the surrounding area.


    The raft cut through the water like a knife, leaving a trail of steam in its wake as it sped away from the battle. The rapid movement caused the remaining smoke to part, revealing the path ahead. As the raft raced down the river, the team remained vignt, ready to fend off any new threats.


    The water around the raft bubbled and hissed, evaporating from the residual heat of the dragons'' mes. The air was filled with the scent of scorched earth and burnt monsters. And the raft flew down the river at high speed.


    From a distance, what Yin Meiyu and Tang Xi saw were the dragons incinerating the monsters and the smoke spreading around the area. Yin Meiyu was the one who shot an arrow that caused a crack to the barrier. Her follow-up shot destroyed the barrierpletely.


    "Isn''t that a bit of an overkill?" Yin Meiyu said, referring to the two dragons. "It should be illegal to allow such strong pets in an official match like this."


    "I think they''re smart for taking advantage of that. There''s probably no teams right now that had pets that strong," Tang Xi said. "Even I wished I saw the wisdom to that much early on. Maybe our pet could have had a killer whale as a pet."


    "Let''s just go and proceed to the next step," Yin Meiyu said while shaking her head.


    Tang Xi nodded and bit on a mouthpiece. After that, a transparent helmet like a bubble appeared. Yin Meiyu did the same. And the two dived into the water.

 Chapter 1131: YUNYUE VS SIREN (III)

    Everything seemed to be going well, but just before they could escape the vapor produced by the high-temperature mes of the two dragons, the raft shook from below, as if something were attacking it from underwater.


    Su Yuqi frowned and quickly erected a barrier on the surface of the raft to prevent it from breaking. However, despite her efforts, the sound of cracks could still be heard. This time, it wasn''t the barrier that was cracking, but the surface of the raft itself.


    Suddenly, a huge ax burst from below, splintering the raft into pieces. In the midst of the chaos, a female gnome emerged from the water, wielding the massive weapon with ease. The ax struck with such force that the wood shattered instantly, sending fragments flying in all directions.


    As the gnome rose from the water, her fierce gaze was fixed on the remains of the raft. Water streamed off her small frame, and she gripped the ax tightly, readying herself for another strike. But before she could, she stopped mid-air.


    Tang Xi gave a quick nce around. Even with the thick vapor, the only one she could see on the raft was Morganite.


    The pixie smiled at her. "Got you."


    Before Tang Xi could think of what that meant, she felt a strong forceing at her from behind. One of the humanoid dragons, the one with red hair, hadunched a fierce attack. The dragon''s wed hand struck her with incredible speed and power, sending her tumbling forward with the impact.


    Tang Xi barely had time to react as the red-haired dragon pressed the assault, not giving her a moment''s respite.


    Tang Xi quickly regained her footing and swung her axe in a wide arc, meeting the dragon''s next strike head-on. The de shed against the dragon''s scales with a resounding impact. She followed up with a series of rapid, powerful blows, forcing the dragon to step back. Each strike was precise and unrelenting, as Tang Xi fought back with all her strength, determined to push the dragon back.


    However, the dragon didn''t seem affected by Tang Xi''s attacks. His scales absorbed the blows with little damage, and his expression remained unfazed. As red-hot mes appeared in his hand, he prepared to hurl them at Tang Xi. Just as he was about to unleash the attack, aser-like beam shot up from beneath the river, creating a gap between Tang Xi and the dragon.


    The sudden intervention forced the dragon to step back, momentarily halting his assault.


    Tang Xi used the opportunity to dive back into the water. There she met with Yin Meiyu. Theymunicated via the team channel.


    Candycane: [The other members of Yunyue are not there, only Morganite and the red-haired dragon.]


    Freya: [Figured as much. I marked them with my skill earlier when I attacked the barrier. I will be able to know their location for the next 10 minutes. Currently, most of them are on their way downriver. Should we pursue?]


    Candycane: [Good luck with that. That dragon will not let us just go. Not to mention, Morganite is also here. What do you think, Captain?]


    Nereid: [Yu-er, follow them and report back their every movement. Xixi, can you handle both the dragon and Morganite? You don''t have to defeat them, just hold them back. Can you do it?]


    Tang Xi showed a helpless smile when she read that, and then replied;


    Candycane: [If my Captain wants me to do it, who am I to refuse?]


    Freya: [Then, I''ll go and follow the others. Good luck, Xixi.]


    As soon as Yin Meiyu swam away, Tang Xi suddenly felt the water boiling around her. When she looked up, she saw a huge wave of fire descending toward her.


    Reacting swiftly, Tang Xi propelled herself sideways with a powerful kick, narrowly avoiding the fiery wave. She swam with strong, rapid strokes, breaking the surface of the water a few meters away from the impact zone. With a quick, agile movement, she climbed onto a nearby rock, putting distance between herself and the area being rained down by fire.


    Before she could even breathe, the red-haired dragon attacked again. He lunged at Tang Xi with ws extended, aiming to catch her off guard. Tang Xi swiftly blocked the strike with her axe, the force of the impact sending vibrations up her arms. She countered with a powerful swing, aiming for the dragon''s midsection.


    The dragon dodged and retaliated with a rapid series of shes. Tang Xi parried each attack, her axe moving in precise, controlled arcs. The two shed repeatedly, the dragon''s ws meeting the edge of Tang Xi''s axe in a flurry of strikes. Each blow was swift and powerful, neither giving the other an inch of ground.


    While she was fending off the dragon''s attack, she was also giving a quick nce around. But she couldn''t see anything amidst all the new vapors that appeared because of the rain of fire that the dragon unleashed earlier.


    But she didn''t have time to think or worry about anything¡ªwhether Morganite was near or if the other would suddenly attack her¡ªbecause the dragon was not giving her any chance to rest.


    As if to prove her point, the dragonunched another series of rapid attacks. He swung his ws with relentless speed and precision, forcing Tang Xi to stay on the defensive. Each strike was powerful and unyielding, leaving her no opportunity to counterattack. She parried and blocked, her axe moving constantly to fend off the onught, but the dragon pressed on, refusing to let up.


    A ball of me appeared in the dragon''s hand. Tang Xi was about to use a skill to counterattack when she felt a sting in her chest. Looking down, she stared wide-eyed at the bullet lodged near her heart.


    As she started to turn into light particles, a system notification appeared in front of each member of team Siren.


    [Candycane has been eliminated!]

 Chapter 1132: YUNYUE VS SIREN (IV)

    Their captain thought the same, as she sent in their team channel after that announcement was made;


    Nereid: [Don''t be distracted. Stick with the n. Yu-er, where are the members of team Yunyue right now?]


    Reading that, Yin Meiyu quickly checked the locations of the members of team Yunyue. Just like what she thought, most of the members of team Yunyue were going downriver. It didn''t reallye off as a surprise since it''s not like they could have another destination. She just wondered how they were travelling without the raft.


    From what had happened, it was obvious that they used the raft as a bait to at least eliminate one member of team Siren. They left Morganite there to make it seem like all the members were still there. After all, Morganite was seemingly doing her best to advance the raft forward. There''s no reason for her and Tang Xi to think otherwise.


    Team Yunyue probably already expected to be ambushed, that''s why they did this. The constant monster attack might have led them to that conclusion.


    Although this was not the result team Siren had hoped for, and Tang Xi was even eliminated in the process, at least they managed to restrict the other team''s movements. Since ording to the match rule, every action should only be done on the river, there''s no way team Yunyue could move freely without the raft.


    They were probably moving using the protruding rocks on the river''s surface. Or they might do it like them and used some item that could let them breathe underwater.


    Just as Yin Meiyu was about to report in their team channel where each member of team Yunyue was, she noticed that Morganite was not in the area where she was supposed to be.


    She wasn''t constantly checking their locations. But even then, thest time she checked, Morganite was still in the area where she separated with Tang Xi. And now, the other was closing in on her. From behind!


    When Yin Meiyu thought that an attack from above would happen in the next second, the undercurrent of the river proved her wrong. A sudden surge in the water behind her alerted her to the real threat. A sharp, spiraling jet of water materialized, slicing through the currents with deadly precision.


    Yin Meiyu twisted her body swiftly, her agile form cutting through the water as she narrowly avoided the initial strike. She felt the rush of disced water as the spell missed her by a hair''s breadth. The river seemed to pulse with the residual energy of the attack, rippling in concentric circles around her.


    Instinctively, she reached for her bow, her fingers finding the familiar grip even underwater. She pivoted to face the direction of the attack and saw a small pink-haired girl with buttefly wings surrounded by a transparent bubble.


    It was Morganite!


    Yin Meiyu swiftly notched an arrow. She released the arrow, watching it cut through the water towards Morganite. In response, Morganite waved her hand, and the bubble surrounding her shimmered, deflecting the projectile. The arrow veered off course, embedding itself harmlessly into the riverbed.


    Morganite then pointed her staff, and a stream of glowing bubbles shot forth, each one pulsing with energy. Yin Meiyu propelled herself sideways, dodging the iing bubbles, which exploded into bursts of energy as they missed their mark.


    Without hesitation, Yin Meiyu reached for another arrow, this time aiming for the bubble itself. She released the shot, the arrow speeding through the water. It struck the bubble and created a small fissure.


    Morganite''s eyes narrowed as she prepared another skill, causing the bubble to thicken and repair itself. Seizing the opportunity, Yin Meiyu swam swiftly to close the distance, her movements fluid and precise. She swung her bow in an arc, aiming to disrupt Morganite''s spell-casting. Morganite countered by summoning a whirlpool, its force pulling Yin Meiyu off bnce.


    Using the momentum, Yin Meiyu flipped backward, drawing another arrow and preparing for the next strike.


    The whirlpool''s pull intensified, creating a powerful current that threatened to drag her deeper into the river. Realizing the danger of being caught in the whirlpool''s grip, Yin Meiyu kicked hard against the riverbed and propelled herself upward. She broke through the river''s surface, her body arcing gracefully into the air.


    The moment she did, she felt a sting on her left chest. She twisted in midair and looked at the bullet wound on her chest, realizing she had been shot from behind.


    Knowing that it''s only a matter of time before she was eliminated, she unleashed her ultimate skill without hesitation. Three arrows, each glowing with a mystical light, materialized on her bowstring. She released them in quick session. The arrows split apart, each honing in on a marked target.


    The first arrow pierced through the water, trailing a shimmering wake as it homed in on Morganite. The second and third arrows sought out the other two members of team Yunyue, weaving through the chaos with a mind of their own.


    Damn. She should have done this sooner. But it was a skill with a long cooldown. So she could only use it once in this match. Shen was nning to use itter on, but she didn''t expect that she would be forced to use it now.


    Yin Meiyu gazed down the river, following the trajectory of one of her arrows. What she used was a one-shot kill that basically drained all of her HP and MP. In short, it was a ''suicide skill''. That''s why she was nning to use it during theter period of the match.


    But since she would be eliminated now anyway, might as well use it. That way, she wouldn''t go down alone. She would be able to take three enemies with her.


    As she started to turn into light particles, Yin Meiyu didn''t forget to send the locations of the other members of team Yunyue on their team channel.


    Once again, another notification appeared in front of the remaining members of team Siren.


    [Freya has been eliminated!]

 Chapter 1133: YUNYUE VS SIREN (V)

    [Morganite has been eliminated!]


    [Both dragons are now unable to fight and will be directly sent to Yunyue''s headquarters to recuperate.]


    That''s right. The three people who were hit by the arrows that Yin Meiyu fired were Su Yuqi and the two dragons. It was a very smart decision considering that the three who just got shot were the top damage dealers of team Yunyue. It was a very good move on Yin Meiyu''s part. She might have been eliminated, but she didn''t go down without a fight.


    Herst effort managed to significantly weaken Yunyue''s offense, creating an opportunity for her own team to turn the tides of the battle.


    Of course, that didn''t mean that team Yunyue was leftpletely weakened. All members of the team were formidable offensive fighters in their own right.


    Luo Jin gritted his teeth when he read the announcement. He should have shot that archer girl twice before she could fire those arrows. He became too confident because the shot he fired earlier quickly eliminated that gnome girl. Now, because of his negligence, Su Yuqi was eliminated this early.


    Several messages shed in the team channel.


    YUN: [Continue on. This will not change the n. Where is everyone at?]


    White Marsh: [I''m zeroing on their vice-captain. She seemed to be protecting a siren. It''s not the captain. It must be the sister, a Mage.]


    Noctis: [Then she''s probably the one covering the sky. Eclipse and I can see the base, by the way. Their Captain is the only one there.]


    White Marsh: [I''ll attack the vice-captain as soon as I closed the distance between us.]


    Luo Jin also entered a message.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [I''ll go and follow Yan to support.]


    YUN: [I''ll handle the mage. As soon as her skill disappear, proceed to the next step.]


    With that, every member of team Yunyue started to move.


    -----


    Bai Ze swiftly traversed the water by stepping on the rocks protruding from the river''s surface. Even with the steam that Dusk created earlier by throwing fireballs at the river, before he was sadly eliminated, it still wouldn''t be able to hide hisrge body.


    Unlike him, Shen Ji Yun was most likely traveling stealthily. But this was done on purpose. Bai Ze would be the willing target, distracting Bellona, team Siren''s vice-captain, while Shen Ji Yun would swiftly eliminate the Mage.


    Through the thick fog, Bai Ze could finally see Bellona''s silhouette more clearly. The figure of the Mage was just beyond her. Since he was only a short distance away, he immediatelyunched an attack.


    However, as his strike reached its mark, it passed straight through the target. The figures of Bellona and the Mage shimmered and dissolved into the fog, revealing themselves to be mere mirages. Realizing he had been deceived, Bai Ze quickly scanned his surroundings, aware that the real Bellona be preparing a counterattack.


    White Marsh: [The vice-captain and the Mage are not here.]


    As soon as he sent that to the team channel, Shen Ji Yun suddenly appeared beside him from underwater. Seeing Shen Ji Yun up close, one could clearly see the gills under his ears. Those were artificial, of course. They came from eating a rare seaweed that allowed those who consumed it to breathe underwater.


    Shen Ji Yun had four of it. He gave the remaining three to Luo Yan, Luo Jin, Eclipse and to him. Su Yuqi, with her great selection of skills, didn''t really need it. Not to mention the dragons who refused to go underwater. Seeing as how two members of team Siren were consecutively eliminated, Luo Jin must have been putting it to good use.


    Bai Ze still hadn''t used his. The effect of the seaweed onlysted for 10 minutes. He felt that using it now would be a waste, especially since his role was to serve as some sort of bait.


    "What I saw earlier must be an illusion. Meaning a trap is iing," Bai Ze said.


    "Trap or not, we have to find that Mage and eliminate her," Shen Ji Yun said. "I''ll go and look for her underwater. You stay on the surface and keep an eye out for Bellona."


    Bai Ze nodded. Then Shen Ji Yun dived underwater again.


    Following Shen Ji Yun''s orders, he moved once again. Jumping from one rock to another, he scanned the area for any signs of Bellona. Suddenly, he felt a forceing toward him from behind. Instinctively, he dodged, but his right shoulder was still grazed.


    As he tried to regain his bnce, he sensed another attack iing. Swiftly turning around, he managed to defend himself. He parried the de of the swording towards him with his gauntlets; the sh ringing out sharply in the fog-shrouded surroundings.


    The one who attacked him was none other than Bellona.


    A fierce fight erupted, the mist swirling around them as they shed. Bellona''s sword sliced through the air with deadly precision, each strike targeting Bai Ze''s vulnerable points. He countered with powerful, sweeping blows, his Berserker instincts driving each attack with raw force.


    Bellona moved with grace, her lithe form weaving through Bai Ze''s heavy swings. She ducked and spun, her sword shing in swift, calcted arcs. Each time she struck, it was with an uncanny precision, aiming to exploit any gap in his defenses.


    Because of the constant offensive attacks, Bai Ze had no time to use a potion to fill his slowly decreasing HP. He roared, his frustration fueling his relentless onught. His gauntlets shed against Bellona''s de, the force of his strikes causing sparks to fly. He swung with wild abandon, each blow intended to crush and overwhelm.


    Bellona danced back, narrowly avoiding a crushing blow, and then darted forward, her sword aiming for a quick strike. Bai Ze deflected the attack with a powerful parry, the impact resonating through the mist.


    "You are quite persistent, aren''t you?" Bai Ze couldn''t help but say in an annoyed tone.


    Bellona smirked. "It''s one of my many charms."

 Chapter 1134: YUNYUE VS SIREN (VI)

    THE sword and the gauntlets shed once again. Bellona, with her sword, moved swiftly across the surface of the river. Bai Ze, wielding gauntlets, countered her strikes with precision. Bellona aimed a sh at Bai Ze''s torso, but he deflected it with his armored forearm.


    Bai Ze retaliated with a rapid series of punches, forcing Bellona to step back. She parried andunched a low sweep at his legs. Bai Ze jumped, avoiding the strike, and delivered a powerful downward punch. Bellona blocked it with her sword, the force pushing her slightly into the water.


    Bellona regained her footing and thrust her sword forward. Bai Ze sidestepped, then swung a heavy punch at her side. Bellona twisted, narrowly avoiding the blow, and shed at his exposed arm. Bai Ze grunted, his gauntlet absorbing the impact, and he pushed forward with a shoulder charge.


    Bellona staggered, but quickly regained her bnce. She circled Bai Ze, looking for an opening. Bai Ze remained steady, fists raised, ready for her next move. The river''s surface rippled around them as they prepared for another round of battle.


    Bai Ze gritted his teeth. His HP continued to decrease. If this continued, his HP would drop to zero before he could even defeat this girl.


    Bai Ze''s resolve hardened. He needed a new strategy to turn the tide. As Bellona lunged forward, he stepped aside, using her momentum against her. He grabbed her arm, pulling her past him, andnded a solid punch to her back. Bellona staggered forward, briefly off bnce.


    Seizing the moment, Bai Zeunched a flurry of blows, each hit reducing Bellona''s HP. She recovered, blocking a critical strike that would have severely damaged her. They exchanged a rapid session of attacks, the sound of metal shing echoing over the river.


    As both neared their limits, Bellona feinted a high strike; Bai Ze instinctively raised his gauntlets to block, but it was a ruse. Bellona spun low, her de sweeping towards Bai Ze''s legs. He barely jumped in time, evading the attack, but the close call left him rattled.


    Regaining hisposure, Bai Ze prepared to unleash his most powerful skill, a move he had been saving for the final moment. As he channeled his energy, the surface of the river beneath them stirred violently. Without warning, a group of monstrous creatures leapt from the water, their sudden appearance causing Bai Ze to falter.


    The monsters, their teeth bared and eyes wild, added chaos to the battlefield. Bai Ze tried to refocus, but the distraction proved too costly. Bellona, seeing her chance, swiftly closed the distance. With a precise and forceful strike, she aimed at Bai Ze''s core, the de piercing through his defenses. Bai Ze''s HP plummeted to zero, his figure bing light particles as he fell.


    "Shit--"


    That was what Bai Zest said as hepletely disappeared.


    Tao Ning breathed a sigh of relief. The monsters controlled by Zhu Lian hade through in a clutch. If not for them, she would have been the one defeated by now.


    Before she could continue toward where Zhu Jingyi was, a strike of purple lightning hit her from the front. Because her HP was still low from her fight with White Marsh, the strike instantly turned her avatar into light particles. Just before she disappeared, she caught sight of YUN''s figure in the distance.


    So, the two teams each received a notification, one after another.


    [White Marsh has been eliminated!]


    [Bellona has been eliminated!]


    Shen Ji Yun watched as the team Siren''s vice-captain disintegrated into light particles. While searching underwater for the Mage, he had a bad feeling and rushed back to the surface just in time to see Bai Ze turn into light particles. Without wasting a moment, he attacked Bellona.


    The fact that she pinpointed Bai Ze and even prepared an ambush meant that the team Siren must have some way of knowing their location. Which meant that searching for the Mage like he had been doing now would only waste his time. The other could just move away whenever he''s closing in.


    For now, he should warn Luo Yan and Luo Jin first.


    YUN: [Team Siren knows our location. Be careful when approaching their captain. She might already know where you are and is just waiting for an ambush.]


    -----


    Luo Yan read Shen Ji Yun''s message on the team channel, then looked towards Nereid in the distance. She was sitting on a huge m, resembling a mermaid princess, protecting the green light that Team Yunyue needed to pass in order to deliver the Aqua Relic.


    If Team Siren was aware of their location, hiding under the Invisibility Cloak would be pointless. Indeed, he and Eclipse were currently concealed by the Invisibility Cloak.


    They nned tounch an ambush once Shen Ji Yun defeated the Mage. At that point, Luo Yan could use his [Shadow Walk]. With the bulk of their offense gone, Luo Yan and Eclipse were the only ones who could attack Nereid at this moment. Since it hade to this, he and Eclipse should just do it.


    He sent a message to the team channel.


    Noctis: [Ah Jin, stay where you are and fire a shot whenever you see an opportunity.]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Got it.]


    "Eclipse, let''s go," he said to the teenager beside him.


    "Okay!" Eclipse said excitedly, as if he had been waiting.


    Luo Yan took off the Invisibility Cloak and signaled to Eclipse. They moved in sync; he darting ahead while Eclipse nked from the side. Luo Yan''s movements were swift as he closed the distance, his daggers aimed at Nereid''s side.


    Eclipse created multiple illusions of himself to cause diversion. Luo Yan lunged, his daggers ready for a decisive strike. However, Nereid reacted quickly, raising a barrier of shimmering water. The barrier deflected Luo Yan''s attack and pushed him back.


    She then yed a note from her harp, instantly dispersing the illusions Eclipse had created. She yed another note, and monsters from the river jumped up from the water, attacking Luo Yan and Eclipse.

 Chapter 1135: YUNYUE VS SIREN (VII)

    LUO YAN watched as Nereid effortlessly negated Eclipse''s illusion. His first thought was, ''This is going to be hard.'' Despite that, a grin spread across his face. After all, wasn''t it more fun to fight a strong opponent than a weak one?


    As monsters started attacking him and Eclipse, Luo Yan swiftly moved to engage, leaping from one rock to another. He dodged a lunge from the nearest monster, then countered with quick, precise strikes from his daggers. Each cut was efficient, aimed at killing the monsters.


    Eclipse, using his agility, bounded across the rocks, shing at the monsters with sharp ws. He created confusion among the monsters, making it hard for them to focus their attacks. Luo Yan moved in sync with Eclipse, covering each other''s blind spots.


    Nereid yed her harp continuously, and the effect on the monsters was immediate. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and their movements became more aggressive. One monster, previously sluggish, now leaped from rock to rock with speed and ferocity, forcing Luo Yan to backpedal and narrowly dodge its swipe.


    Another monster, its strength amplified, mmed its fist onto a rock near Eclipse, causing it to shatter and disrupt his bnce. Luo Yan countered an overhead strike from a monster, noting the increased force behind the blow. He parried and retaliated, but each monster seemed to grow stronger with every note from Nereid''s harp.


    It was now quite obvious that Nereid was behind the relentless monster attacks on their team earlier.


    Luo Yan dodged another monster''s swipe and leaped to the next rock, his eyes locked on Nereid. Despite the frenzied attacks from the monsters, he pushed forward with determination. He moved swiftly, his two daggers shing as he cut through the obstacles in his path.


    Eclipse created a brief distraction, luring several monsters away and giving him a clear path. Seizing the opportunity, Luo Yan sprinted across the rocks, closing the distance between him and Nereid. With a final leap, he lunged at her, his daggers poised for a decisive strike.


    Just as his des were about to reach her, Nereid yed a rapid sequence on her harp. A shimmering barrier of water erupted between them, deflecting Luo Yan''s attack. The force of the deflection pushed him back onto the nearest rock.


    Despite the failed attempt, Luo Yan quickly regained his footing, ready to find another opening.


    Damn. He swung his dagger at the monster about to attack him. If he could just nick Nereid with his daggers, she would be afflicted by the debuff from the Eternal Lotus core, rendering her unable to move for a few seconds. At the same time, he could also use the ''blessing'' bestowed on his daggers by the archdemon Beelzebub.


    It was a skill he had never used during this Cup, but after witnessing Nereid''s relentless control over the monsters and her cunning defenses, he decided she deserved special treatment. The challenge wasnding a hit first before he could activate it.


    Luo Yan didn''t have time to think of a way to go about it because the surrounding monsters started to go crazy again.


    [Master, what should we do? If we continue like this, we''ll just ran out of time.] - Eclipse sent a telepathic message.


    And Eclipse was absolutely right. There were only eight minutes remaining before the match ended. If they didn''t cross the green light before the time limit, their team would lose.


    Countless ideas started to swirl in his mind. And when he saw the sky started to light up, a smile slowly crossed his lips.


    -----


    Let''s go a few minutes back.


    After defeating Bellona, Shen Ji Yun resumed his search for the Mage. The item he was using to breathe underwater would soon lose its effect. Since Bellona was in this area, the Mage should also be nearby. If he couldn''t see her, it meant something was hiding her.


    Shen Ji Yun released purple lightning underwater, the electric pulses illuminating the surrounding area. As the lightning spread out, he noticed something different¡ªa faint, irregr shimmer among the rocks. Intrigued, he swam closer and saw an unnatural pattern of light bending around a small object wedged between the rocks.


    The object had intricate carvings and emitted a subtle, rhythmic glow that distorted the surrounding water. He reached out and carefully touched the object. As his fingers brushed the surface, a surge of energy pulsed through the water, disrupting the cloaking field. And the person who had been hiding behind it was suddenly revealed.


    Zhu Jingyi was caught off guard by the sudden exposure, and tried to retreat. But YUN acted quickly, channeling more purple lightning into his sword. He lunged forward, aiming for her. She began casting a defensive spell, but YUN''s lightning-charged de struck first.


    She managed to dodge at thest second. It was hard to attack and defend at the same time, especially while maintaining an ongoing skill. But perhaps her anger at the other fueled her, allowing her to pull through.


    The lightning surged through the water, breaking the Zhu Jingyi''s concentration and shattering her initial defenses. However, she quickly recovered, summoning a barrier of swirling water around herself. The barrier absorbed YUN''s next strike, and she retaliated with a burst of magical energy, pushing him back.


    Shen Ji Yun steadied himself and pressed the attack. The Mage conjured a series of water bolts,unching them at him with precision. He twisted mid-water, using the momentum to strike from a different angle. His de found its mark, cutting through her defenses.


    Zhu Jingyi, realizing the danger, quickly created another barrier andunched more water bolts. YUN maneuvered skillfully, avoiding the attacks while steadily closing the gap.


    She summoned a whirlpool to trap him in a desperate attempt. YUN, however, countered with a surge of purple lightning, disrupting the whirlpool and sending shocks through the water.


    Zhu Jingyi nced at her MP bar. It was almost at zero. Once it hit that point, the skill she was maintaining would stop, and she wouldn''t be able to fight this jerk anymore.


    Desperation set in as she realized her dwindling options, knowing that with one final effort, she had to make her next move count before her MP ran outpletely.

 Chapter 1136: YUNYUE VS SIREN (VIII)

    But she couldn''t just give up here. She and her sister were the only ones remaining on their team. If she was eliminated as well, then her sister would bepletely alone. But she was out of option right now.


    Unless she stopped using the skill that prevented shadows from appearing on the river surface. But if she did that, her sister would be at a disadvantage because she was certain the elf and his pet fox were fighting her sister right now.


    As she hesitated about what to do, a message appeared in the team channel, as if her sister had read her thoughts.


    Nereid: [Xiao Yi, it''s alright to deactivate the skill now. I can take care of my end here. I know this is too much to ask, but can you keep YUN busy until the time limit?]


    When Zhu Jingyi read the first part, she nned to refuse. But after reading the second part, she changed her mind. If she could keep Yun busy, it would give her sister the time she needed.


    Right now, there''s no one on team Yunyue who could rival her sister aside from YUN. So, if Zhu Jingyi could just hold off YUN here until the time limit, their team would win.


    With that resolved in mind, she once againunched a series of water bolts toward YUN. Then she quickly followed up with another skill, creating a swirling vortex of water that surged toward him. The powerful current caught YUN''s attention, forcing him to focus on defending.


    Taking advantage of the distraction, Zhu Jingyi stopped the skill preventing shadows from appearing on the river surface. As YUN dodged and deflected the vortex, she reached into her inventory and quickly pulled out an MP potion. She uncorked it and drank, feeling the refreshing energy refill her nearly empty MP bar.


    The vortex continued to swirl around YUN, buying her precious seconds. With her MP replenished, Zhu Jingyi prepared for the next move, ready to keep YUN upied and give her sister the time she needed.


    Even if she ended up as the other''s punching bag, it was fine. As long as she could help her sister, that was all that mattered.


    -----


    When Luo Yan saw the sky slowly clearing up, he immediately prepared to use his [Shadow Walk] skill. But as he waited for the right moment, he noticed Nereid''s expression. It was as serene as ever, as if she wasn''t concerned, even if he managed to use [Shadow Walk].


    It could only be because of either of these two things: she knew the skill would be deactivated, so it didn''t surprise her, or it didn''t matter to her whether it was active or not.


    Either way, it wouldn''t be good for them. Because if it''s the former, there''s a high possibility that the Mage who was responsible for the skill purposely deactivated it, and not because Shen Ji Yun had defeated her. Which could lead to thetter.


    There''s a chance Nereid told the Mage to deactivate it. Maybe even to tell the other to hold Shen Ji Yun for as long as she could. Meaning Nereid was going for a game of attrition, nning to wait it out until the time limit.


    Luo Yan absolutely couldn''t let that happen.


    He spoke to Eclipse telepathically. [Eclipse,e closer to me, but make it look idental.]


    Although Eclipse seemed confused by the request, he still sent an affirmative reply. They moved in apparent disarray, making it seem like they were just dodging and weaving through the attacks of the monsters. Luo Yan sidestepped a lunging monster, shing at its side, while Eclipse leaped from one rock to another, his ws raking a monster that got too close.


    Luo Yan pretended to be driven back by a particrly aggressive monster, edging closer to Eclipse''s position. At the same time, Eclipse made a show of avoiding a cluster of attackers, his movements bringing him nearer to Luo Yan. Their actions appeared chaotic, but they were carefully coordinated.


    As they got closer, a monster leaped at Luo Yan, but Eclipse intercepted it with a swift strike, knocking it away. Luo Yan, in turn, parried another attacker lunging at Eclipse. Inch by inch, they drew closer until they were just a few steps away from one another.


    [Take one of my daggers,] Luo Yan said to Eclipse telepathically. [If you have the chance, make sure to nick her.]


    As they continued to fend off the monsters, Luo Yan subtly loosened his grip on one of his daggers. He maneuvered closer to Eclipse, sidestepping an attacking monster. In the chaos, he extended his hand, and Eclipse, maintaining his agile movements on the rocks, deftly grabbed the dagger without breaking his stride.


    To any observer, the two just happened to bypass each other while being attacked by monsters.


    And that''s exactly how it looked to Zhu Lian''s eyes.


    Just like what Luo Yan thought, Zhu Lian was indeed nning to make this a game of attrition. If she could protect this green line until the time limit was over, then it would be team Siren''s win.


    Zhu Lian nced at Noctis and his pet fox. She knew that as soon as shadows appeared on the river''s surface, Noctis wouldn''t pass up the opportunity to use his favorite skill and go directly into the shadows.


    She continued to y the harp, the music it produced became more intense. And as it did, the surrounding monsters became even more agitated. Attacking both Noctis and the fox more violently.


    Zhu Lian kept her eyes fixed on the two. As the skypletely cleared, shadows began to appear on the river''s surface. And so, she saw the exact moment Noctis dived into the shadows at the first opportunity.

 Chapter 1137: YUNYUE VS SIREN (IX)

    Upon activation, the item transformed into a radiant orb that swiftly ascended above Zhu Lian. This extraordinary orb emitted a brilliant light that nketed the surrounding area, extending with a 20-meter radius, with Zhu Lian at its center. The intense illumination spread over the river''s surface, erasing all shadows in its path.


    As the light expanded, it seamlessly integrated with the environment, creating a continuous barrier that epassed the green line behind Zhu Lian. Even if Noctis managed to dive into the river''s shadows, he would find himself trapped. The orb''s powerful illumination effectively erased any shadows he could use to reappear.


    Noctis would now be unable to utilize his shadow walking abilities, and would be left with no means of escape or passage. The orb''s presence not only prevented him from crossing the green line, but also restricted his movement within the confined area. This could ensure that Noctis could not slip past her and bring the Aqua Relic beyond the green line.


    And because of the brilliant light the orb was producing, even a sniper from afar would struggle to get a clear shot at it.


    The fox, now alone, seemed to be momentarily frozen because of what had just happened to his master. Seizing the opportunity, Zhu Lianmanded the monsters, directing them to swarm the bewildered fox.


    However, before the monsters could fully attack, a series of gunshots rang out from an unseen location. One by one, the monsters fell, each shot precise and lethal, cutting through the horde with uncanny uracy.


    Zhu Lian narrowed her eyes in a certain direction. Even with Yin Meiyu eliminated, the members of the team could still see the result of her tracking skill. So, she knew that the gunshots must havee from the gnome, who stayed a distance away.


    She had been wondering when he would act, and it seemed he was now ready tounch a full attack from his position. That didn''t matter, though. She just needed to make sure that those bullets wouldn''t reach her.


    She quickly nced at the timer above. Only five minutes remained until the match''s time limit. All she needed to do was stay alive until then. The item Yin Meiyu had given her wouldst for five minutes, keeping Noctis out of action until then. With her sister holding off Shen Ji Yun, Zhu Lian only had to worry about the fox and the gnome.


    With that, Zhu Lian began to y another tune on her harp. As a Bard, her skills could only be activated through her music. Each melody signaled the use of a different skill. The one she had been using throughout the match was a special buff that only affected monsters. It caused them to lose control and attack any target she designated, as long as she had the coordinates.


    Attacking team Yunyue at the start was easy because Yin Meiyu and Tao Ning were there to pinpoint the other team''s location. After both were eliminated, Yin Meiyu''s tracking skill continued to update Zhu Lian on their positions. However, the downside of this skill was that it could only focus on one location at a time, meaning she couldn''t attack multiple targets in different areas simultaneously.


    That''s why she couldn''t send monsters to assist her sister; she was already using them to attack Noctis and Eclipse. Since her skills required ying her harp, she couldn''t activate two skills simultaneously. However, the monsters she had gathered were already frenzied and attacking Noctis and Eclipse.


    Even if she paused to use another skill, it wouldn''t significantly affect the already agitated monsters.


    However, it was a different story if she used the skill to control monsters and send them to a distant location. That required her to continuously y her harp, leaving her defenseless¡ªsomething she couldn''t afford to risk.


    If she were taken out, team Yunyue would automatically win by default. She couldn''t allow that to happen.


    After she used her skill, the monsters became even more frenzied. They surged towards Eclipse, who deftly fended them off with quick, precise movements. His agility andbat skills kept the creatures at bay as he shed and dodged their relentless attacks.


    Suddenly, bullets whizzed through the air, targeting Zhu Lian. Reacting swiftly, she paused her harp ying momentarily, and struck a different chord, summoning a shimmering water shield around her. The shield absorbed the bullets, deflecting them harmlessly.


    She timed her pauses carefully, bncing between maintaining the monsters'' frenzy and activating her water shield to protect herself from the gunfire.


    Her fingers deftly plucked the harp strings, maintaining control over the frenzied monsters. She kept a watchful eye on Eclipse as he maneuvered through the chaos, feigning a retreat and drawing the monsters toward a cluster of rocks. His quick, strategic movements caused momentary confusion among the monsters.


    Zhu Lian could see that he was biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She knew that even the slightest distraction could prove disastrous.


    In the midst of managing her pauses to summon the water shield against the gunfire, she faced a sudden, intense barrage that demanded her full attention. As she summoned the shield, she noticed Eclipse weaving through the chaos, gradually closing the distance.


    The timing was perfect¡ªtoo perfect. Just as she was about to redirect her focus, Eclipse lunged forward. His dagger shed, and a sudden cut appeared on her arm as the de nicked her.


    Her surprise didn''tst long because she realized she couldn''t move. Then, as if to rub salt to injury, the item that was floating high in the sky and illuminating the area like a small, blinding sun, suddenly cracked. And just as swiftly, shadows started to reappear on the river''s surface.


    Then, the elf with hair like moonlight jumped up from the shadows and rushed past the green line.


    As soon as that happened, an announcement appeared in front of everyone.


    [Team Yunyue sessfully delivered the relic.]


    [Team Yunyue wins!]

 Chapter 1138: AFTER THE TOP 16 MATCH

    Luo Yan had anticipated that Nereid would take action the moment he vanished into the shadows. Team Siren had gone to great lengths to counter his [Shadow Walk] skill, ensuring they could neutralize it. It was only logical that they would have a contingency n ready for when their initial strategy failed.


    So, he instructed Luo Jin to relentlessly attack Nereid and, at thest moment, when she least expected it, destroy the item she used to erase the shadows. This should ur precisely when Eclipse managed to nick her with Luo Yan''s dagger. The dagger''s special ability would immobilize Nereid for a few seconds, ensuring she couldn''t interfere with the destruction of the item.


    That''s why, even though Luo Yan knew diving into the shadows was likely a trap, he still did it. He trusted that both Eclipse and Luo Jin would do everything in their power to secure their victory.


    And they did win.


    After their victory was announced, instead of being immediately transported to their headquarters as usual, they were teleported on arge stage that was on the central za of Lunaris Vale.


    The moment they appeared, cheers erupted from the yers surrounding the stage. No, more urately, the cheers began the instant all eight winning teams appeared, not just them.


    Luo Yan, still exhrated by their team''s victory, paid little attention to the surrounding cheers or the other teams that were with them. Instead, he rushed to embrace Eclipse and Luo Jin the moment he saw them. "You both did an amazing job!"


    "Okay, enough already! Put me down," Luo Jin huffed, his cheeks slightly flushed.


    A shy smile appeared on Eclipse''s lips. "I did pretty good, right? We won because of me," he said adorably.


    "Hey, kid, it''s not entirely because of you that we won," Bai Ze said, pinching Eclipse''s cheek.


    "I think I also deserve a hug," Shen Ji Yun quietly mumbled on the side.


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun with an amused expression. Despite wanting to hug him, the crowd made it impossible. Instead, he discreetly hooked his little finger with Shen Ji Yun''s, ensuring it stayed hidden from the prying eyes around them.


    "Don''t worry, I will give you all the hug you needter," he whispered. "Good job, by the way. You did amazing as well."


    The corners of Shen Ji Yun''s lips turned up, revealing just how happy he was in that moment. "You''re also amazing."


    "But where''s Uncle Dusk and Rowan?"


    Luo Yan nced around in response to Eclipse''s sudden question. It was then that he noticed the other teams on the stage with them. Not all 16 teams were present; only eight. It was easy to assume these were the teams that had won the top 16 match. He could see Celestials, Fenghuang, and even team Sanguis.


    Then his gazended on the male yer who had looked at him creepily during the opening ceremony. What was his game name again? Ah, Zephyr. Luo Yan quickly looked away before the other could notice him. He had no desire for another unsettling staring contest with the guy.


    But just like what Eclipse had said, Dusk and Rowan were not here.


    "Where are the others?" he asked, looking at Shen Ji Yun and Bai Ze. "Are there serious repercussions for being eliminated during the match?"


    Since the two dragons were technically NPCs, he wondered if being eliminated in a match would have different consequences for thempared to other yers.


    "Dusk is fine," Shen Ji Yun said. "He''s just recuperating in our headquarters."


    "It''s the same with Rowan," Bai Ze added. "ording to the Pet Status bar, they just need 24 hours of rest, and they''ll be as good as new."


    "Are they really fine?" Eclipse asked again.


    Luo Yan ruffled Eclipse''s hair. "Don''t worry, didn''t you hear the Captain and Brother Ze? They said they''re fine."


    Eclipse nodded, but still looked obviously worried.


    Luo Yan was about to say something more when, suddenly, two girls appeared at the center of the stage.


    The first girl had long, flowing purple hair that cascaded down her back, adorned with a delicate spade-shaped hair ornament. She wore a tailored ck dress with silver spade symbols embroidered along the bodice and hem. A silver choker and matching earringspleted her uniform.


    The second girl had short, dark purple hair styled neatly. She wore a well-fitted ck suit with a dark blue shirt underneath, the silver spade symbols subtly decorating the cuffs and cor. There was also a spade-shaped brooch pinned to herpel. She wore a simple gold bracelet and small gold earrings,plementing her outfit perfectly.


    "Hello, everyone! This is L!" the girl with long hair said.


    "And this is Lena," the other one said with a much more somber attitude.


    "To represent His Grace, the Duke of Spades, we will be your hosts for the duration of the final tournament of the Arcadia Cup," L announced, her voice clear and confident. "Aren''t you d to see such pretty girls like us?"


    She ended her announcement with a yful wink at the crowd, which instantly sent the audience into a frenzy of cheers.


    Lana gave L a disapproving nce before addressing the crowd. "The top 16 match is now over. Let''s give a round of apuse to our current top 8."


    As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd erupted into apuse.


    "And now, we''ll announce the MVPs of the eight matches that had just ended," L continued.


    After she said that, eight virtual screens floated above them. Each screen showed scenes from the earlier matches. On one of the screens, it showed Luo Jin firing his guns. At the bottom of the screen was the MVP title and the name AmazingYoungMasterJin.

 Chapter 1139: ONLINE REACTION (FT. NEPOTISM?)

    THE screens disying the MVPs showcased key moments from their matches, highlighting the performances that earned them the MVP title. On the screen featuring Luo Jin, key moments were highlighted, such as his precision in firing his guns. From eliminating Candycane and Freya to destroying the orb that secured his team''s victory, these events yed out like a fast-forwarded movie.


    But Luo Jin didn''t see any of that. All he could focus on was his game name, AmazingYoungMasterJin, shing brightly before him. He couldn''t help but zeroed in on everything the crowd was saying about him, adding to his mild irritation.


    "/What is the name of that cute little gnome?/"


    "/I can''t read it, it''s in Chinese./"


    "/It''s AmazingYoungMasterJin. At least, I think that''s how it read¡ªmy Chinese is a bit rusty./"


    Some who heard itughed.


    "/Seriously? That''s such a childish name./"


    "/Well, he''s obviously a child. So, it fits./"


    Luo Jin felt his face burning when he heard those words. They were spoken in English, but he understood every one of them. It seemed they were foreigners invited from the new servers to watch the Arcadia Cup finale tournament.


    The thought that people from other countries could see his embarrassing game name made Luo Jin wish the ground would open up and swallow him whole. No, he should just log out right now.


    Then he felt a small hand pinching his fingers. He looked down and then nced up to see Su Yuqi smiling at him. "Don''t be embarrassed by your game name," she said. "Be proud of what you did in the match. You were amazing. So, stand up straight, lift your chin, and show them you deserve that MVP title."


    Luo Jin felt a rush of warmth at Su Yuqi''s words. Instinctively, he straightened his posture, lifted his chin, and smiled back at her. The embarrassment he felt just moments ago quickly faded, reced by a growing sense of pride. All because of Su Yuqi''s supportive words.


    This sweet little moment was quickly interrupted when Eclipse suddenly spoke.


    "Why is Brother gnome the MVP? Shouldn''t it be me?"


    Luo Jin turned to the fox, who''s now taller than him, which ignited his irritation once again. "Why should it be you? Didn''t you see how I defeated two members of the enemy team? I''m also the one who destroyed that orb like thing, so of course it should be me."


    "But you only managed to do all that because you''re far away from the fight. Unlike me, who fought toe to toe with their captain," Eclipse retorted, puffing out his chest with conviction.


    The two bickering only made their teammatesughed.


    And that''s how team Yunyue''s first match in the final tournament concluded.


    ----------


    After the top 16 match, the reaction from abroad was explosive. Over a million people had watched the live stream, highlighting the tremendous sess of the game''s international release.


    Since there were that many people who watched it, it''s only natural for it to trend on foreign social media sites.


    [Have you watched the Arcadia Cup? If you''re a gamer and you didn''t, I''m telling you, you''re missing a lot.]


    [There were eight matches happening simultaneously, and my short attention span made it impossible to watch them all at once. It was so hard to pick just one to focus on! (£Ô¨Œ£Ô)]


    - IKR? I feel the same way! They should have scheduled them at different times.


    [Why do all the avatars of the yers who fought today look so cool and beautiful? Are there only good-looking people in that country?]


    - Right? I particrly like the members of team Celestials. Especially Michael and Jophiel.


    ©¸ I like them too! I''m a big fan of angels, so they''re just my style.


    ©¸ It''s the hot vampire for me. They always get me. What was his name again, Alucard!


    ©¸ If you''re talking about hotness, then it should be the phoenix guy! Have you seen that ming red hair? He''s absolutely beautiful.


    ©¸ Beautiful men are certainly abundant in those teams. My personal favorite is the white-haired elf from Yunyue. Now, that''s a beauty.


    ©¸ Yunyue''s captain looks better. That''s a certified hottie right there.


    - Hey, you do know that people can beautify themselves when they create their avatar, right?


    ©¸ Shut up. No one''s asking.


    [I can''t wait for the quarter-finals tomorrow.]


    [Are there no betting sites? I want to bet on who will win.]


    [Will we have an Arcadia Cup in our servers in the future?]


    ©¸ There''s a rumor going around the grapevine that there will be.


    If the reaction of people from other countries was mostly positive, the reaction of domestic fans was mostly mixed. These mixed reactions werergely due to one team - Yunyue.


    [Have you seen the two dragons on Team Yunyue? Isn''t it a bit unfair for them to have two dragons in these fights?]


    - I agree as well. When they fought against team Siren, it''s like 5 vs 8.


    - Moonlight shouldn''t have allowed pets to be involved in the tournament.


    - What are you guys whining about? Pets are just like items. Is it team Yunyue''s fault they understood the importance of pets for future battles? That''s like saying a yer shouldn''t invest in weapons because it would be unfair to their opponent.


    ©¸ Right? These people are probably just fans of team Siren. They''re just bitter their favorite team didn''t win.


    ©¸©¸ You really think that''s the reason? Can''t you see how unfair it is for them to have two full-grown dragons fighting alongside them?


    [Don''t you find it strange that Yunyue managed to get two dragons as pets? Dragons aren''t like goblins that you can find anywhere.]


    [Hey, do you remember that photo that circtedst Spring Festival? The one people suspected was YUN? Someone I know said his real name is Shen Ji Yun. And guess what? He''s the nephew of Moonlight Media''s president.]


    - Wait-- is that the reason why his team could get dragons as pets?


    ©¸ No way. If that''s the case, then YUN is a nepo baby?


    - OP shouldn''t spread misinformation.


    ©¸ How can you be so sure it''s not true?


    ©¸©¸ How can you be sure it''s not?


    - Wow. Is nepotism winning once again?

 Chapter 1140: BREAKING NEWS?

    In a shocking revtion, it hase to light that the captain of a once-popr team in Arcadia is the nephew of the president of Moonlight Media. This connection has raised eyebrows, especially considering the team''s extraordinary acquisition of not one but two dragons as pets. The question on everyone''s mind: Did dear uncle pull some strings behind the scenes to provide these powerful pets?


    Did Moonlight Media''s president gift dragon eggs to his nephew''s team?


    Without an official statement from Moonlight Media, this spection remains unanswered. The cloud of suspicion lingers, casting a shadow over Moonlight Media''s reputation. This controversy is particrly unfortunate given Arcadia''s recent sessful debut abroad.


    Moonlight Media, for the sake of your reputation and to provide peace of mind for your loyal yers, we urge you to clear up these allegations. Transparency is key in maintaining trust and credibility, you know?


    @moonlightmedia, can you address these concerns?]


    - Wow. Even a big game ount like this had gotten into the drama. It seems that things are getting bigger. To think that the top 16 match just ended.


    - He had a point, though. If Moonlight Media continues to stay silent, people will keep making their own assumptions.


    - Are we even sure that YUN is Shen Yi Mu''s nephew?


    ©¸ Right? That picture they''re using as ''proof'' isn''t even avable anywhere anymore.


    ©¸©¸ Shouldn''t that make you more suspicious? With Moonlight Media''s resources, they could easily erase traces of that picture on the inte.


    - For those wondering, I did some research. President Shen of Moonlight Media has a couple of nephews, but only one matches YUN''s features as well as the man in the photo that circtedst Spring Festival. His name is Shen Ji Yun, an iing fourth-year student at T University. *attached pictures*


    ©¸ Wow. He really looks like YUN. I mean, he is YUN.


    ©¸ Is that eye color real? So he''s mixed?


    ©¸ Wait- is this even legal? Why are you spreading someone''s information like this? Those pictures also look like they were sneak shots.


    ©¸©¸ That''s what I''m saying! These people obviously only cared about the drama. Ethics be damned.


    ©¸©¸ Why are you overreacting? LOL. It''s just a few photos. And what information? Isn''t that just his school? Which is a matter of public information.


    It''s not as if his address was released or something. Besides, it''s his fault for using his uncle''s influence to get ahead.


    ©¸©¸©¸ Are you seriously justifying releasing one''s information without consent with that flimsy excuse? You people are crazy.


    ©¸©¸©¸ Get ahead? If YUN is really Shen Ji Yun and he''s using his uncle to get ahead in the game, shouldn''t Yunyue be the number one team in Arcadia, monopolizing everything in the game?


    - Stop fighting and just ask Moonlight Media for an exnation. Even if YUN turns out to be President Shen''s nephew, as long as neither of them abuses their position, what''s the big deal? Just because someone is rted to the president of a gamingpany, should they be banned from ying games released by thatpany? That''s just ridiculous.


    ©¸ I couldn''t say it any better.


    ©¸ Agree X100


    ----------


    Luo Yan furrowed his brows as he read thements on Weibo about the issue of Shen Ji Yun being rted to the president of Moonlight Media. Many spected that this connection was the reason their team managed to acquire two dragons.


    He had just logged out of the game after his team celebrated their first win in the final tournament. Who would have thought that his usual browsing on Weibo would lead him to this?


    He didn''t expect that their team having two dragons would be such a big issue? But then again, he should have known that it might be as long as someone suspected that Shen Ji Yun was rted to the owner of Moonlight Media.


    So, how could they solve this issue?


    Just like thestment he read suggested, the only way to resolve this was for Moonlight Media to exin everything. But how could they do that without making Shen Ji Yun look like a nepo baby? After all, it was true that he was the nephew of Moonlight Media''s president. However, it was also true that their team obtained Dusk and Rowan fairly.


    So, how would Moonlight Media address this issue without fueling further controversy?


    At the end, Luo Yan decided to just call Shen Ji Yun. Knowing the other, he might not even know that he was trending again on Weibo.


    He opened WeChat and initiated a video call to Shen Ji Yun''s ID. Surprisingly, it took a while for the call to be epted. When it finally connected, an umon frown marred Shen Ji Yun''s usually expressionless face on the screen.


    Somehow, Luo Yan already had an idea on why his expression was like that.


    "Brother Ji Yun, have you seen the posts on Weibo?" he asked.


    "I haven''t. But Brother Zhao called me and told me about it," Shen Ji Yun responded. "Has Yan Yan seen those posts?"


    "I''ve seen some of them. Most were just stupid assumptions, but there were a few level-headed ones as well. Still, it''s better if Brother Ji Yun doesn''t read them," Luo Yan said. "Does Moonlight Media have a n to address this?"


    "Yes, Brother Zhao mentioned that the PR department is already nning to release a statement. They''re also asking for permission to release the video of the quest where we obtained both Dusk and Rowan."


    Luo Yan fell silent for a few seconds. "That''s... a very long quest. Would people even bother to watch the entirety of it?"


    That whole thing didn''t start in the valley of dragons. It literally started in Luo Yan''s origin vige, where he found the cave where Dusk was sleeping. Would people, with their short attention spans, watch everything from start to finish?


    "They said they wouldpress everything into a 30-minute video and edit it in a way that keeps people engaged."


    Luo Yan felt somewhat relieved to hear that. "Well, if this can clear our team''s name and yours as well, then please tell them to release it quickly."

 Chapter 1141: CLEARING UP THE ISSUE

    MOONLIGHT Media moved quickly. Within hours of the issue starting, they had already released an official statement.


    [Moonlight Media v:


    At Moonlight Media, we uphold the highest standards of integrity and fairness in all our games andpetitions. Recently, concerns have been raised regarding team Yunyue acquiring two pet dragons.


    We want to assure ourmunity that Yunyue earned the two dragons entirely through their skill and dedication. The process was transparent and in ordance with the game''s rules and regtions.


    To provide rity, we have attached a video showcasing the sequence of events and achievements that led to Yunyue obtaining the dragons. We hope this will dispel any doubts and reaffirm ourmitment to fair y.


    Thank you for your continued support and understanding.


    Sincerely,


    The Moonlight Media Team]


    Attached to the statement was a 30-minute video detailing exactly how team Yunyue acquired the dragons.


    From Noctis finding the cave in the moon elves'' origin vige, then him seeing the ck dragon inside the cave, the video showed every step. It quickly transitioned from getting the fox''s egg to how he went back to the cave to awaken the dragon, which then turned into a small dragon with no memories.


    Fast forward to how they triggered the hidden quest ''Awakening Dragon,'' where they learned about the past of the ck dragon they named ''Dusk.'' From his rise to power and iming the throne of the Western dragon n, to him being betrayed and eventually entrapped in the cave where Noctis first found him.


    It also showed Dusk''s connection to Kagetsuki, Eclipse''s mother, which was the source of all the conflict. The leader of the dark mages killed Kagetsuki, enraging Dusk. After iming the throne, he led the dragons to war against the dark mages, but was betrayed by the high council.


    Then they met Beelzebub - an archdemon who turned out to be Dusk''s father. In order to finish the quest, they had to go to Achaeus, thend of the dark mages, and get his body. There, YUN and Noctis killed the Dark Saint - the leader of the dark mages.


    All of this led to Dusk regaining his memories and agreeing to be YUN''s pet. The red dragon that YUN and Noctis kidnapped during the quest had his memories wiped out, and White Marsh managed to sign a contract with him, making the dragon his pet.


    The video felt like watching a short film. It captured the key moments of the quest with clear visuals and smooth transitions. The intense battles, character interactions, and plot developments were easy to follow and engaging. The editing highlighted the important events without any unnecessary embellishments, making it a straightforward yetpelling watch.


    Within minutes, the video received a surge of views. After 30 minutes, thement section began to fill up rapidly.


    - Wow. What did I just watch??? (¡Ñ_¡Ñ)


    - Is this a movie starring Noctis and YUN, featuring Dusk and Eclipse?


    ©¸ Right? It''s literally like a short film. I''m not sure if Moonlight Media''s PR team just has godly editing skills or if the game''s graphics are just that good.


    ©¸©¸ It''s the story quest. No matter how good they edited it or how beautiful the game graphics were, if the story is not good, I assure you, it wouldn''t have the same effect.


    - This is such an awesome quest. Howe I''ve never triggered one?


    ©¸ It''s a matter of luck. Just look at Noctis. He discovered the cave where the dragon was only because he was looking for the gatekeeper''s son. Which he only did because he talked to the gatekeeper and agreed to look for his missing son. Most yers don''t bother talking to the NPCs in their origin vige. They prefer to leave quickly and head to the starting city.


    ©¸©¸ Should I go to my origin vige and search for a hidden quest?


    ©¸©¸©¸ I''m nning to do that as well!


    - Poor Dusk. After all that suffering, he was betrayed in the end.


    ©¸ I think Eclipse is more pitiable. My poor babies. (T_T)


    ©¸©¸ There''s no need for debate. Both of them suffered.


    - Isn''t there a site-wide announcementst October about how YUN and Noctis defeated the Dark Saint? So, it''s actually rted to how they got the two dragons?


    ©¸ Oh I remember that! It was quite amotion since they defeated the leader of the dark mages.


    ©¸ Their fight against the Dark Saint was just amazing. No wonder it warranted a site-wide announcement.


    - So, Noctis was the one who triggered this whole chain of quests that eventually led team Yunyue to gain two dragons. I thought YUN is President Shen''s nephew? Or are people going to say now that Noctis is another nephew? Maybe we would hearter that YUN anc Noctis are actually brothers.


    ©¸ LOL I won''t be surprised if people really say that.


    ©¸ If Noctis is the other person in that photo that circted during the Spring Festival, I know someone who looks exactly like him. And no, he''s definitely not rted to the president of Moonlight Media. I''ll just say he belongs to a wealthy family here in S City.


    - What if Moonlight Media fabricated everything in the video to cover up the fact that they unfairly gave two dragons to Yunyue?


    ©¸ Upstairs, are you high or just stupid? It''s only been an hour since this ''controversy'' started trending. Do you really think Moonlight Media could produce this level of quality in just a few hours? It''s obvious they already had the footage, which is why they could easily condense everything into a 30-minute video.


    ©¸©¸ Don''t mind this person; they''re obviously a hater. No matter how much you try to reason with them, they won''t see the truth, even if it''s right in front of them.


    - The funny thing about all of this is that Moonlight Media''s statement never addressed the uncle-nephew issue. Yet, they still managed to show everyone that Yunyue got their dragons fair and square.


    ©¸ It''s like they''re saying we have no obligation to clear up assumptions you''re having. We''re just going to address your silly usations.


    Thatstment actually made Luo Yan chuckle in amusement.

 Chapter 1142: INTRODUCING TEAM MOZU

    He was also d that the majority of people believed the post. Probably because it was released quickly. So no one could question its authenticity. After all, even for Moonlight Media, it would be hard to release that kind of quality in just a few hours. Thankfully, the majority of thements online showed a positive reaction.


    At least, there were still a lot of people out there with their IQ online.


    With this issue resolved, he could sleep peacefully tonight, knowing their team wouldn''t face a barrage of hatements the next morning. Not that it would personally affect him, but it felt unfair, especially since their team worked as hard as any other in this final tournament. How could they bebeled as ''nepo babies'' when they hadn''t used any nepotism to reach this point?


    Luo Yan turned off his phone and went outside to get some snacks.


    With another fight scheduled for tomorrow, Shen Ji Yun suggested they celebrate briefly and then rest for the remainder of the day. This way, they would feel more refreshed for tomorrow''s match.


    Speaking of tomorrow''s fight, they would be facing team Mozu. Another team from the top 4. In terms of strength, team Mozu was on par with Fenghuang, and many viewed the two teams as rivals. This rivalry stemmed not only from their nearly equal strength, but also from the fact that the races of their team members ovepped in some way.


    What did that mean? Well, the majority of their team members'' race was based on Eastern mythology. The only difference between the two teams was that the races of team Mozu were mostly known as ''evil'' in myths and legends, while team Fenghuang were considered ''good'', or at the very least, ''neutral''.


    With such simrities,parisons between the two teams were inevitable, eventually leading to today''s rivalry. This meant that team Mozu would undoubtedly give their absolute best in tomorrow''s match. After all, the winner would face Fenghuang the day after next.


    Thinking of team Mozu eventually made him think of that guy, Zephyr.


    If the rumor about the other was true, then that meant he would definitely target Luo Yan tomorrow. Well, not that he''s worried. If he was targeted, then so be it. It''s not like he could tell the other not to target him. Besides, he weed any challenge. It would make the fight even more interesting.


    The theme for tomorrow''s match was ''amazing race''. Since this was Moonlight Media, it would definitely not be just an ordinary race. There would definitely be a twist. The question was, what would that be?


    He hoped it would be interesting and fun, though.


    ----------


    At Arcadia, at the center of a volcano crater, stood a fortress with curved, sweeping roofs and eaves decorated with carvings of ominous creatures like taotie and other mythical beasts. The walls, made from volcanic rock, featured red and gold ents that glowed in theva''s light. Tall gates guarded the entrance, nked by stone lions.


    Inside, courtyards shrouded in mist connected shadowy halls and grand chambers. Lanterns flickered in the sulfurous breeze, casting moving shadows across the stone pathways.


    This was the headquarters of team Mozu.


    At the wide hall that looked like a throne room, yers filled the space, their whispers and murmurs echoing off the stone walls. The hall was dimly lit bynterns hanging from the high ceiling, casting a warm glow over the assembled crowd. At the far end of the hall, five grand chairs were arranged in an inverted V formation, resembling a pyramid.


    Each chair was ornately carved and elevated, with the central chair positioned highest, signifying its importance.


    On the far left sat Draeken, a yao guai. His dark, scaled armor and glowing green eyes gave him an intimidating look. Horns curved back from his forehead, and sharp ws tapped on the armrest of his chair. Draeken''s gaze swept over the crowd with clear disdain.


    Next was a nu gui named Hauntress. Her long, dark hair flowed like liquid shadow, framing a face that was both alluring and terrifying. Her eyes, cold and vacant, seemed to pierce through anyone who dared to meet her gaze. She was dressed in a flowing, ethereal robe that shimmered like mist. Despite her undeniable beauty, her presence still sent shivers down the spines of those around her.


    Korrinth, a rakshasa, sat to her right. His deep red skin and muscr frame were adorned with intricate tattoos. Sharp fangs jutted from his mouth, and his eyes burned with intensity. Wearing a mix of traditional armor and borate garments.


    On the right sat Zephyr, an imoogi. His long body, covered in iridescent scales, shimmered in the dim light. His slitted, calcting eyes gave him a predatory look, and his slow, deliberate movements hinted at a hidden menace.


    Each of these figures, seated in their grand chairs, added to the hall''s atmosphere of mystery. Their diverse appearances reflected the unique and formidable nature of their respective races.


    They were currently regarded as the four leading members of the team, just below the captain.


    At the very center, the captain sat on the throne, overseeing the entire hall.


    He stood with an imposing presence. His long, flowing mane, a deep jade green, framed a face marked by piercing eyes that seemed to take in every detail. His scales, shimmering in shades of emerald and sapphire, reflected thentern light with a mesmerizing glow.


    He wore intricately designed armor adorned with symbols of power and wisdom, fitting him perfectly and highlighting his formidable stature. Every aspect of his appearance, from the detailed craftsmanship of his armor to his confident stance, marked him as a figure of authority and respect.


    This was Yuan Long, the captain of team Mozu.


    "So, does anyone have a n for tomorrow?" Yuan Long asked, his voicenguid yet authoritative, cutting through the silence with an effortlessmand.

 Chapter 1143: START OF THE QUARTER-FINALS

    If the game tomorrow was the usual battle of strength, he wouldn''t have set up this meeting. But because of the changes made in the tournament''s gamey, they could no longer rely on strength alone. Especially since the theme for tomorrow''s match was ''Amazing Race.''


    He knew that their sess would depend on more than just raw power. The ''Amazing Race'' theme required quick thinking, adaptability, and wless teamwork. He hated to admit it, but thinking strategically wasn''t exactly their team''s strong suit. But if they wanted to win against Yunyue, they had to push past that.


    Even more so because the team that won tomorrow would most likely face Team Fenghuang in the semi-finals. Team Mozu still hadn''t gotten back at that annoying bird team. He Zhi Long remembered their previous loss and the frustration that came with it. Just remembering how people said Fenghuang was the better team made him want to smash something.


    So winning tomorrow wasn''t just about advancing; it was about getting their revenge and proving to everyone that they were far superior to Fenghuang. But for that to happen, winning tomorrow was imperative.


    He Zhi Long looked at his team members once more. "So, is no one going to offer any helpful advice?"


    "Captain, do we really need to make a n?" Wang Bin, known in the game as Korrinth, said in aining tone. "It''s not really our style."


    "We can just eliminate them one by one. If there are no opponents left, we automatically win, right?" Su Yu, known in the game as Zephyr, said with a straight face, clearly believing his own words. "I want to go one-on-one with thetest Rookie Carnival champion."


    Zhuo Meimei, the only female yer among the four leading members of the team, rolled her eyes. "You two really do share the same brain cell."


    Wang Bin narrowed his eyes at Zhuo Meimei. "Hey, Zhuo Meimei, what do you mean by that?"


    "The fact that you have to ask that just proves my point," Zhuo Meimei said sarcastically.


    "You--"


    "Stop it. Focus on the Captain''s question," Liu Jun, known in the game as Draeken, said, cutting off the two before they could bicker. "You all know we can''t afford to lose tomorrow, right? If we lose and Fenghuang wins, we''ll be aughingstock to their supporters. They''ll say we''re inferior to Fenghuang. Is that what you want?"


    The faces of Team Mozu''s members immediately darkened upon hearing that.


    He Zhi, who was on the verge of shouting, managed to calm down after seeing their reaction. It was a good thing there was at least one voice of reason around here. Thanks to Liu Jun, the others now seemed motivated for tomorrow''s fight.


    "If you have any ideas, say it now."


    After he said that, he didn''t receive silence this time. Instead, everyone started offering their ideas. Now, this was more like it.


    ----------


    The next day, the long-awaited time for the Arcadia Cup''s quarter-finals finally arrived.


    All eight remaining teams gathered in the central za of Lunaris Vale. The two NPC hosts, L and Lena, appeared once again to lead the event.


    "Hello, everyone! Did you miss us?" L asked, winking at the audience gathered around the central za.


    The crowd erupted in cheers and apuse, clearly delighted by her greeting.


    "Come on, Lena, greet them too. Maybe give them a flying kiss while you''re at it."


    Lena ignored L and announced, "Today, we have the Arcadia Cup''s quarter-finals. As you all know, the theme of this round is ''Amazing Race.'' Each team will be given a track and will race against another team. There will be four tracks in total. The four teams that manage to reach the finish line first on each track will advance to the semi-finals."


    Then she turned to L, silently urging her to do her job properly. L pouted but continued from where Lena had left off.


    "The teams racing against each other will be transported to different starting points. Each team will receive a unique set of clues, so while their tracks won''t be identical, they will all lead to the same finish line. Don''t worry, we care about fairness here. Although the clues are different, they have been carefully designed to ensure the same level of difficulty for all teams.


    This way, every team has an equal chance to demonstrate their skills and strategy."


    "You will now receive the rules for this round. Please read them carefully. In five minutes, you will be transported to your starting points and given your first clue, which will lead you to the next checkpoint," Lena added.


    After that, the teams began receiving the rules for this round.


    [Amazing Race - Arcadia Version!


    - Upon arrival at the starting point, each team will receive their first clue. Clues will guide you through various checkpoints until you reach the finish line.


    - You have one hour to reach the finish line. If no team reaches it within this time, the team closest to the finish line will be considered the winner.


    - You are allowed to obstruct the opposing team, but remember to bnce this with focusing on your own progress. Decide whether it''s better to hinder your opponent or concentrate on the race.


    - Teams mustplete all checkpoints in sequence; skipping any checkpoint will result in disqualification.


    - All methods of reaching your destination are permitted, except for teleportation scrolls or teleportation skills.


    Good luck!]


    Luo Yan read the rules and subconsciously smiled. Teleportation was the only restriction, which meant flying was allowed. Their team had four members who could fly, two of whom were dragons. However, transforming into their original forms might not be the best method in this scenario. Since they would be like moving targets if they did.


    Anyway, knowing they had this advantage was better than nothing.

 Chapter 1144: YUNYUE VS MOZU (I)

    [There will be five checkpoints. At each checkpoint, you will find a clue leading you to the next, ultimately guiding you to your final destination.


    Your first checkpoint clue:


    <In the forest without light, follow the path where sunlight fades, into the realm where shadows wade. Seek the grove where giants stand tall, near the ancient oak with twisted sprawl.>


    Your opponent team''s checkpoint clue:


    <Navigate the endless dunes of the scorching desert, seek the life-giving pool hidden within the heart of the sands, surrounded by lush greenery amidst the golden expanse, where the air is still and the water is pure, shimmering under the desert sun.>


    Good luck!]


    Luo Yan read the clue and fell into deep thought. He nced at the timer shing above them: 58:46. More than a minute of the one-hour limit had already passed. Spending too much time analyzing the clue would be costly. They needed to think quickly, not only to figure out the next destination, but also to ensure they had enough time to get there.


    He nced at the clue given to Team Mozu. Having their opponent''s clue might seem advantageous, but in reality, it was a cleverly disguised trap. It lured the team into chasing the opposing team, diverting their focus. Instead of concentrating solely on their own clues, they would now waste their limited time trying to decipher the opposing team''s clues as well.


    But Luo Yan knew they couldn''tpletely ignore the other team. Based on Zephyr''s attitude yesterday, team Mozu would surely try to intercept them. If they stayed passive, they would be ambushed without even realizing it.


    So, the answer was to just quickly solve both clues.


    It seemed that Shen Ji Yun had the same thought, as Luo Yan heard him say:


    "We need to solve the clues for both teams. That way, we can stay ahead and avoid any ambushes from team Mozu."


    "I agree," Luo Yan added. "Thankfully, the first clue for our team is pretty easy."


    "You already solve it?" Bai Ze asked.


    "It''s the Forest of Darkness, idiot," Su Yuqi said, rolling her eyes.


    Seeing that his cousin was about to start bickering again with Su Yuqi, Luo Yan quickly interjected, "Sister Yuqi is right. It''s the Forest of Darkness. It''s the only forest in Arcadia that fits the description ''forest without light.'' The next part likely tells us where in the Forest of Darkness we''ll find the clue for the next checkpoint."


    "Since Sra Desert is the only desert in Arcadia, Team Mozu''s clue definitely refers to it. The next part of the clue likely points to an oasis," Shen Ji Yun added.


    "There''s a couple of oases in that desert though," Luo Jin said, voicing his concern.


    "Let''s discuss this while we fly to our destination," Shen Ji Yun said. "First, let''s decide who will go after team Mozu."


    Bai Ze raised his hand. "Rowan and I will go."


    Rowan looked like he wanted to ask why he had to go, but kept his mouth shut. He''s probably thinking of being eliminated yesterday. The embarrassment of that prevented him fromining.


    "I''ll go too," Luo Jin said unexpectedly. When the others looked at him in surprise, his face reddened. "What? Someone with range skills should go with them. Unless you want the dragon to just burn everything?"


    "That''s actually not a bad idea," Bai Ze said, as if really considering that.


    Su Yuqi patted Luo Jin''s shoulder, as if sympathizing with him for having to apany Bai Ze.


    "Okay, then let''s go," Shen Ji Yun said, steering the conversation back on track. "Make sure yourmunication channels are open so we can all stay updated."


    With that, the two dragons quickly transformed into their original forms. Shen Ji Yun reminded Bai Ze to activate the stealth item on Rowan so team Mozu wouldn''t see them approaching. Then he jumped onto Dusk''s back, where Luo Yan, Su Yuqi, and Eclipse were already waiting.


    Once everyone was in ce, the two dragons took off, heading in different directions. Rowan flew swiftly towards the Sra Desert, while Dusk soared towards the Forest of Darkness. Both of their stealth item activated.


    While moving towards their destination, Luo Yan kept reading the clue given for the first checkpoint.


    [In the forest without light, follow the path where sunlight fades, into the realm where shadows wade. Seek the grove where giants stand tall, near the ancient oak with twisted sprawl.]


    "Yan Yan, have you thought of something?" Shen Ji Yun asked, noticing Luo Yan deep in thought.


    "Yes, I thought of something. I''m just not sure if it''s correct," Luo Yan said.


    "It doesn''t matter if it''s correct or not," Shen Ji Yun said. "What''s important is that we share our ideas to slowly figure things out."


    Luo Yan smiled at that. "Then, I''ll start. ''Follow the path where sunlight fades'' might indicate moving deeper into the darker parts of the forest. Then ''into the realm where shadows y'' probably reinforces the idea of entering a heavily shaded, dark area. ''Seek the grove where towering giants stand'' might be directing us to look for a clearing with exceptionally tall trees.


    Andstly, ''near the ancient oak with twisted sprawl'' is probably the exactndmark in the clearing where we can find the clue."


    Eclipse pped. "Master, that''s great! You really are a genius!"


    "I don''t think I have anything to add to that," Su Yuqi said, giving a thumbs up.


    "I agree," Shen Ji Yun said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Let''s follow what Yan Yan suggested."


    "If I''m wrong, don''t me me, okay?" Luo Yan said in a joking tone.


    "There''s no way Master could be wrong," Eclipse said like some loyal fan.


    Luo Yan chuckled and ruffled the other''s hair.


    And with that, team Yunyue now had the direction of where they should go first.

 Chapter 1145: YUNYUE VS MOZU (II)

    Luo Yan looked forward. The trees were tall and thick, their branches tightly woven together, blocking out the sky. A thin mist curled around the roots, giving the ground a ghostly look. The air was still, filled with the scent of damp earth and something faintly rotting.


    The silence was unsettling, broken only by the asional rustle of unseen movement, as if the forest itself was quietly observing them.


    This ce was still as creepy as he remembered it.


    "This forest is vast. Without knowing precisely where to go, we could waste a lot of time wandering in there," Su Yuqi said, her eyes scanning the dense, shadowy expanse before them.


    Luo Yan nodded in agreement. Even with the clue they had and his own interpretation, pinpointing the exact location of the clue for the next checkpoint would be challenging. The entire forest was cloaked in darkness, so how could they possibly determine which area was the darkest of all?


    But he had already thought of a remedy for that. "Why don''t we ask Lhoris? He should still be here."


    Lhoris was the moon elf they found here while doing the ''Awakening Dragon'' quest. From his memory, they discovered the connection between Dusk and Eclipse''s mother, Kagetsuki. Having lived in the Forest of Darkness for a long time, Lhoris would probably know which part of the forest had the darkest area.


    "I had the same thought," Shen Ji Yun agreed. "I''ve marked the location of his cabin on my map, so we can head straight there."


    "Oh, I remember him!" Eclipse eximed suddenly. Then, as if something urred to him, he nced at Dusk and leaned in to whisper to Luo Yan. "Master, do you think it will be okay for that old man to see Uncle Dusk?"


    Luo Yan recalled how terrified Lhoris had been at the mere thought of Dusk attacking him just for identally glimpsing his memories. He cast a quick nce at Dusk and said, "Considering how your uncle is now, I don''t think it''ll be an issue."


    Compared to when they first met Dusk, he was much calmer after regaining his memories. Before, without his memories, he had been like an immature child with a quick temper. Now, with his memories restored, he seemed more like a weary old man, mature and unfazed by anything.


    "It would be good if someone actually exined to me what''s happening," Su Yuqi said.


    "I''ll exin everything as we go," Shen Ji Yun replied. "We''ll move quickly, so stay close." Then he turned to Luo Yan. "Yan Yan, jump on my back as soon as I transform."


    Luo Yan nodded in agreement. Shen Ji Yun then transformed into his Qilin form, significantly smaller than his usual size, now just a bitrger than a regr horse. As soon as he finished, Luo Yan quickly jumped onto his back without hesitation.


    Eclipse transformed into his kitsune form, while Su Yuqi and Dusk unfurled their wings and lifted off the ground. The three of them followed closely behind Shen Ji Yun, just as he had instructed.


    As they moved, Shen Ji Yun began exining to Su Yuqi who Lhoris was. Meanwhile, Luo Yan discreetly watched Dusk, trying to gauge his reaction. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed Dusk remained calm. Thest thing they needed was for Dusk to suddenlysh out at Lhoris.


    On the way to Lhoris'' cabin, they encountered far fewer monsters than expected. It was likely because both a dragon and a Qilin were in their midst, and the monsters knew better than to challenge them. It felt like a game where lower-level monsters instinctively avoid high-level yers. Well, this was technically a game, so there''s that.


    As a result, their journey was unexpectedly swift, and they reached Lhoris'' cabin in no time.


    Unlike before, the area was no longer surrounded by a barrier. Lhoris probably no longer saw a need to hang the wind chime that once attracted monsters and drove them into a frenzy. After all, when they left, they had assured the moon elf that the ck dragon wouldn''te to attack him.


    Luo Yan jumped down from Shen Ji Yun''s back just as Shen Ji Yun shifted back into his humanoid form.


    "Brother Ji Yun and I will go talk to Lhoris since he''s already familiar with us. He''s a bit high-strung, and if he sees unfamiliar faces, we might not get the information we need," Luo Yan suggested. Then he turned to the ck dragon. "Dusk, I know this is a strange request, but could you turn around so your back faces the cabin?"


    Dusk frowned visibly butplied with Luo Yan''s request. Luo Yan quietly sighed in relief. Although it was unlikely, there was still a chance Lhoris might panic at the sight of Dusk. It was safer if the moon elf didn''t see Dusk''s face.


    With that, Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun began walking toward the cabin.


    Luo Yan stepped up to the door and knocked. It didn''t take long for the door to open, but to his surprise, it was a handsome elf with blond hair and green eyes who greeted him.


    "Mr. Alen?" Luo Yan automatically blurted out.


    The elf was an NPC who worked as an actor at Tropical Land''s amphitheater. He had been the one who told them where to find Lhoris before.


    The elf looked just as surprised to see them. "It''s you two! Are you looking for Lhoris? Did the elder of the moon elves send you again?"


    Ah, that''s right¡ªLuo Yan had used that excuse before to make it easier for the elf to reveal Lhoris''s location.


    Luo Yan smiled. "No, not this time. We''re here to get some information about this forest. We''re in the middle of the Arcadia Cup, and we could really use Lhoris''s help."


    Yes, it wasn''t just the yers who knew about the Arcadia Cup; the NPCs in Arcadia were well aware of it, too. This wasn''t surprising, given that the Cup''s hosts were NPCs themselves.

 Chapter 1146: YUNYUE VS MOZU (III)

    Luo Yan wanted to say that he didn''t have time for small talk and wished the other would just call Lhoris over. However, he kept hisposure and patiently said, "We don''t have much time. Could we speak to Lhoris now?"


    "Oh, right. Juste inside and I''ll call Lhoris over."


    Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun stepped into the cabin as Alen walked toward the back, disappearing briefly before calling out to Lhoris from somewhere inside.


    "Lhoris, that young moon elf hase to ask you something! He''s in the middle of Arcadia Cup right now!"


    After he spoke, they heard some scrambling, and soon after, Lhoris emerged from he had been, following Alen to meet them.


    Luo Yan was slightly surprised seeing the moon elf once again. Previously, the other''s white hair had looked as if it hadn''t been brushed in years, but now it was noticeably tidier. Even his fringe had been trimmed, revealing his diamond-like eyes.


    "You''repeting in the Arcadia Cup?" Lhoris asked, skipping any formalities. "If you need my help, just say the word. After everything you''ve done for me, it''s the least I can do for you."


    Luo Yan guessed that Lhoris was referring to how they had reassured him that the ck dragon he feared wouldn''t suddenly show up and kill him. Though, in truth, they couldn''t take full credit for that. Still, if they could use it to ensure Lhoris''s help without any questions, Luo Yan was more than willing to do so.


    "We''re searching for the darkest area in this forest," he exined. "It should be a clearing surrounded by trees much taller than the others. In the center of that clearing, there should be an oak tree with twisted, gnarled roots and branches."


    Lhoris fell silent for a moment, as if trying to pinpoint the location they were describing. Then, after a brief pause, his eyes lit up as he finally remembered where it was.


    With a confident nod, Lhoris said, "I believe I know the ce. It would be quicker if I guided you there myself rather than just giving you directions."


    Luo Yan agreed with that assessment. So, he quickly told Eclipse via telepathy;


    [Eclipse, tell your Uncle Dusk to weak a mask and lower his presence as much as possible! Also, tell him not to unfurl his wingster.]


    If Lhoris apanied them, it was crucial that he didn''t recognize Dusk. What if he changed his mind the moment he saw the dragon? And even if he didn''t, his pace might slow down out of fear. To reach their destination quickly, they needed to take precautions like this.


    [Okay?]


    Despite the confusion in Eclipse''s tone, Luo Yan was confident that he would still do as instructed. So, he wasn''t concerned that when they left the cabin, Dusk would not be wearing a mask.


    Once it was decided that Lhoris would guide them, the three of them exited the cabin one after the other, with Alen bidding them good luck from behind.


    When Luo Yan nced over to where Eclipse and the others were, he nearly stumbled at the sight of the mask Dusk was wearing. It was a cute rabbit mask that looked entirely out of ce on him. Judging by the gloomy aura surrounding Dusk, he probably wasn''t too thrilled about wearing it either.


    Now, he couldn''t help but wonder where he got it.


    At that thought, he couldn''t resist ncing at Shen Ji Yun. Surely, that mask wasn''t his doing, right? I mean, when would he have had the time to give it to Dusk? Then again, considering their ''master and pet'' rtionship, Dusk could have easily asked Shen Ji Yun for one. So it wouldn''t be surprising if Shen Ji Yun had sent him that rabbit mask.


    Luo Yan shook his head, dismissing the thought. That''s hardly important right now. He needed to focus on the task at hand; there would be plenty of time to ask Shen Ji Yun about itter.


    Luo Yan nced at Lhoris and sighed in relief when he noticed that the other showed little reaction upon seeing Dusk. Standing before the group, Luo Yan then exined that Lhoris would be guiding them to where the clue for the next checkpoint might be found.


    With that, Lhoris set off, and they immediately followed, all moving at a brisk pace.


    ----------


    Meanwhile, Bai Ze, Luo Jin, and Rowan had finally reached the desert region of Arcadia.


    Bai Ze gazed out at the vast expanse of sand stretching endlessly before them, and he couldn''t help but wonder if they would ever be able to find team Mozu in this ce.


    "Brother Ze, don''t think that we won''t be able to find them when we''re not even starting yet."


    Bai Ze turned to his cousin after he heard that. "I didn''t say anything?"


    "It''s written all over your face," Luo Jin responded, giving him a knowing look.


    Bai Ze onlyughed awkwardly.


    [Hey, lion, if you''re feelingzy, I''ll just burn everything here.]


    Hearing Rowan''s voice in his head, he was almost tempted to agree. Thankfully, he managed to stay clear-headed, understanding that it would only waste their time¡ªnot to mention deplete Rowan''s Mana unnecessarily.


    As he was contemting their next move, he suddenly heard Luo Jin say, "I see movement over there. At your 2 o''clock."


    He turned to his cousin and noticed that Luo Jin was wearing some kind of peculiar sses, likely designed to help him see over long distances. He took out a telescope from his Items Tab and pointed it in the direction his cousin pointed out.


    There was an oasis over there and just like Luo Jin had said, there were indeed some movements over there. Although the distance made it difficult to see clearly, he could make out faint shadows.

 Chapter 1147: YUNYUE VS MOZU (IV)

    Because of Arcadia Cup, most yers logged in the game were watching the matches in the za of the four major towns. The probability that those shadows belonged to ordinary yers was pretty low.


    Besides, it''s not like they could afford not to check the oasis, no matter whether those shadows belonged to team Mozu or ordinary yers. This was a race against time. They couldn''t afford to dilly-dally and second guess everything.


    With that, Rowan flew toward the oasis.


    As they got closer, Luo Jin could finally make out the identity of the shadows¡ªat least, one of them.


    "I can see their captain," Luo Jin said, referring to Yuan Long.


    After he said that, he quickly raised one of his gun and pointed it the enemy team''s captain. But before he could pull the trigger, Yuan Long suddenly disappeared. Not exactly disappear, like vanishing into thin air, but disappearing into the surrounding vegetation.


    "I lost him," Luo Jin said, clicking his tongue.


    "That''s fine. We''ll just let this dragon to go on a rampage since he''d been wanting to burn things since earlier," Bai Ze said.


    As soon as he said that, Rowan surged forward with even greater speed. Once they reached the top of the oasis, he unleashed a torrent of fire, scorching everything below.


    ----------


    While the three were busy setting everything aze, the rest of the team finally reached their destination. Thanks to Lhoris'' guidance, they arrived much faster than they would have on their own.


    With Su Yuqi illuminating the path with her magic, they could see their surroundings clearly despite the unnatural darkness. This allowed them to quickly spot the towering trees, far taller than the usual ones in the forest. In the clearing ahead, a gnarled oak tree stood prominently, its twisted branches looming ominously in the pervasive gloom of the Forest of Darkness.


    Luo Yan got off Shen Ji Yun''s back as thetter turned to his humanoid form.


    "Is this the ce you''re looking for?" Lhoris asked.


    "Yes. Thank you, Lhoris," Luo Yan said in a grateful tone.


    "No worries. I''m just d I could help."


    "Everyone, let''s look for the clue," Shen Ji Yun instructed.


    As soon as Shen Ji Yun said that, everyone got to work, except for Lhoris, since this was literally not his responsibility at all. Everyone surrounded the oak tree and started looking for the clue.


    Su Yuqi and Dusk, who could both fly, searched in the branches while Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun, and Eclipse searched on the ground.


    "Master, I found an opening here!" Eclipse shouted.


    Everyone rushed over to Eclipse when they heard his shout. The opening he pointed out was a small gap between the gnarled roots, barelyrge enough for a child to crawl through. As they observed the hole, they each turned, one by one, to look at a particr person.


    Su Yuqi felt a muscle twitch in her face. Even though no one said a word, she could tell they were all silently asking her to crawl through that hole to look for the clue. Though she was tempted to say that she''d rather cut down the tree instead of doing that, she knew that doing so might risk destroying the clue. If ever it was really inside.


    So, in the end, there was really only one response she could give.


    "Fine, I''ll do it. Just turn around and don''t watch me," she muttered, resignation and annoyance clear in her voice.


    Everyone quickly turned around. With a sigh, Su Yuqi began crawling into the hole. A small ball of light floated in her hand, casting a soft glow that illuminated the inside of the tree trunk. As the light spread, she spotted a piece of an envelope nailed to the wood, bearing the unmistakable sigil of the Arcadia Cup.


    She sighed in relief at the sight. At least crawling into this cramped space hadn''t been in vain.


    Su Yuqi retrieved the envelope and carefully made her way back out.


    "I have it."


    When they heard her speak, they quickly turned around, saw the envelope in her hand, and immediately surrounded her.


    "Please, open it, Sister Yuqi," Luo Yan urged.


    Su Yuqi opened the envelope and took out the paper inside. The clue to their next checkpoint was written there.


    [Descend into the realm where the sun''s warmth fades and twilight reigns eternal. Beneath the shimmering veil of the azure depths, where the stars have fallen and made their home, lies a city forgotten by time. And seek the towering sentinel that stands amidst the ruins.]


    As soon as they finished reading, a notification shed before them:


    [Team Yunyue has found the clue for the second checkpoint!]


    Before any of them could react, a second notification appeared.


    [Team Mozu has found the clue for the second checkpoint!]


    ----------


    Bai Ze blinked in surprise as he read the second notification. He hadn''t even had a chance to feel happy about their team finding the clue for the second checkpoint, and now he''s being told that team Mozu had found theirs too? So, what exactly had they been burning just now?


    "We''ve been had."


    He turned to his cousin. "What do you mean?"


    "The shadows we saw earlier were clearly decoys. Team Mozu set them up to distract us, so we''d waste time here while they had free rein to search for their clue," Luo Jin exined, frustration evident on his face. He wasn''t sure if it was a skill or an item they used, but he was sure they did something along those lines. "What I can''t figure out is how they knew we''d pass through here."


    Bai Ze felt as if he''d been struck by lightning when he heard that. But he had to admit, Luo Jin had a point. In fact, that''s likely exactly what happened. If so, then Team Mozu had truly outyed them.


    "Since there''s been no notification revealing Team Mozu''s clue, it looks like we won''t be getting any more hints about the clues that they''ve got," Luo Jin added. "So, how are we supposed to follow them now?"


    Yes. How exactly?

 Chapter 1148: YUNYUE VS MOZU (V)

    This item, though incredibly expensive, could be purchased only in one of the most exclusive shops in Arcadia. Despite its sophistication, it never became a best-seller. The reason? Its effectsted just a few fleeting seconds, after which it becamepletely useless. The exorbitant cost simply didn''t justify its brief utility.


    So, why did team Mozu have these items¡ªseveral of them, in fact? The answer was simple: their captain had a penchant for collecting unusual items, regardless of their practicality. It just so happened that one of these peculiar acquisitions turned out to be surprisingly useful in today''s match.


    They knew there was a possibility that these puppets might go unnoticed by any member of team Yunyue. First, team Yunyue might not send anyone to interfere with them. Second, even if they did, the puppets might disappear before they were even spotted. Additionally, there was the chance that the first oasis team Yunyue encountered could be the one referenced by the clue, bypassing the decoys entirely.


    Fortunately, everything aligned in their favor, and none of those potential obstacles came to pass. So, they were able to find the clue for the next checkpoint.


    Now, they were on their way to the next checkpoint. At least, three of them were.


    ----------


    Bai Ze exined the situation over the team channel as Rowan flew over the desert. They decided to search for any signs that might reveal team Mozu''s whereabouts. Since team Mozu had just discovered their clue for the next checkpoint, they likely hadn''t left the desert yet.


    At first, he had no idea what Team Mozu''s mode of transportation was. Since teleportation scrolls were prohibited, they had to be moving either by some physical vehicle or perhaps one of them had the ability to transform into something that could fly.


    Then he recalled that their captain was some sort of Eastern dragon¡ªthough not a true dragon, more like its darker counterpart. What was it called again? A xie long or something like that? In any case, his beast form resembled an Eastern dragon, but with a more sinister appearance.


    In short, his beast form was likely capable of flight, and it would certainly berge. However, they hadn''t seen any dragon flying around the desert¡ªaside from Rowan, of course. This led him to believe that team Mozu was probably using a stealth item, much like they were.


    It seemed that Luo Jin was also thinking the same thing because he suggested;


    "Let''s look for signs of something big moving through the desert. Even if they''re using a stealth item, their movement could still leave traces¡ªlike disrupted sand patterns, unusual air currents, or something."


    After hearing that, Rowan adjusted his flight path, gliding lower to scan the ground more closely. As they moved, they began to look for anything out of the ordinary that might indicate the presence of somethingrge and unseen. Bai Ze and Luo Jin kept their eyes on the shifting sands below, watching for any irregrities.


    After several minutes, Bai Ze spotted a faint but distinct line in the sand, as if something massive had passed through without leaving a clear footprint. It was subtle, but it was the only lead they had.


    "There," he pointed out.


    Rowan followed the trail, which led them to an oasis. Bai Ze and Luo Jin exchanged nces, instantly understanding what the other was thinking without a word. It was to go into the oasis and search for any possible traces that might point them to where team Mozu might have gone next.


    Bai Ze tapped Rowan''s back. "Let''s go down."


    After that, Rowan abruptly transformed back into his humanoid form. If not for Bai Ze and Luo Jin''s quick reflexes, they might have ended up t on the ground. They shot Rowan a re, but he just raised an eyebrow.


    As they ventured deeper into the oasis, they thought back to the clue given to team Mozu. It was, of couse, talking about an oasis. Which oasis and what part of that oasis would the next clue be was the question.


    If their hunch was right and this was indeed the correct oasis, their next step was to find the body of water within it. It didn''t take long before they discovered a spring, its waters gleaming brightly in the dappled light.


    As soon as they walked there, a notification appeared in front of them.


    [Congrattions on finding the checkpoint of team Mozu! Here is the clue for their next checkpoint!]


    [In the depths where sunlight barely whispers through the emerald canopy, lies a forgotten shrine of ancient lore. Bound by the grip of time, stone guardians stand vigil amidst the creeping vines. To find your path, follow the serpent''s trail to the ce where shadows dance and echoes of forgotten rituals linger.]


    Okay... what was this?


    "Wait- is the game telling us that as long as we could go to the checkpoint of the opposing team, we can get the clue for the next checkpoint?" Bai Ze said with a bit of disbelief.


    "That''s exactly what it''s saying," Luo Jin said. "We should tell this immediately to the others."


    Because if they could get the clue for the next checkpoint of the opposing team just by being around the vicinity of the current checkpoint, then team Mozu could also do the same.


    Luo Jin wasn''t sure if he should be d about this or not. In any case, they now needed to solve this clue quickly to track team Mozu. If they didn''t move fast, they''d end up merely trailing behind without actually doing anything to stop the opposing team.


    ----------


    The rest of Team Yunyue had already left the Forest of Darkness and were en route to the next checkpoint when they received the message from Bai Ze and Luo Jin over the team channel.

 Chapter 1149: YUNYUE VS MOZU (VI)

    That meant that, just like Bai Ze and Luo Jin, whoever was sent to get in their way would get the clue for the next checkpoint as long as they found that gnarled oak tree.


    "Let''s speed up."


    After he spoke, Dusk elerated even more.


    Given that it was clearly a game rule, the only way to ensure that team Mozu wouldn''t interfere was to stay miles ahead of them. To achieve this, they needed to solve the clues as quickly as possible. So they could arrive at the checkpoint faster.


    [Descend into the realm where the sun''s warmth fades and twilight reigns eternal. Beneath the shimmering veil of the azure depths, where the stars have fallen and made their home, lies a city forgotten by time. And seek the towering sentinel that stands amidst the ruins.]


    They realized the clue was likely pointing to an underwater location. The way it was worded suggested not just any body of water, but probably the vast sea. The problem was, therge continent of Arcadia was surrounded by water. So how on earth were they supposed to figure out where to dive?


    The answer seemed to lie in the words that followed. However, Luo Yan wasn''t familiar with any locations in Arcadia beneath the sea''s surface. How could he possibly decipher what the clue was referring to? Shen Ji Yun was in the same predicament.


    Fortunately, Su Yuqi quickly solved the clue for the second checkpoint. So, they didn''t have to waste time solving it.


    Su Yuqi deduced that the clue was likely pointing to a specific dungeon beneath the sea, situated north of Arcadia. She remembered a dungeon that she and Luo Jin had previously cleared, which aligned perfectly with the clue''s description. The dungeon contained the remnants of an ancient, forgotten city submerged in the depths, where twilight reigned eternal.


    At its center stood a towering statue, serving as the dungeon''s boss¡ªjust as the clue described a "towering sentinel amidst the ruins."


    Convinced by that, they immediately flew north of Arcadia.


    Now that they knew their next location, it''s time to help Bai Ze and Luo Jin solved the clue for the next checkpoint of team Mozu.


    [In the depths where sunlight barely whispers through the emerald canopy, lies a forgotten shrine of ancient lore. Bound by the grip of time, stone guardians stand vigil amidst the creeping vines. To find your path, follow the serpent''s trail to the ce where shadows dance and echoes of forgotten rituals linger.]


    It was clear the clue pointed to a forest. However, unlike their team''s first clue that led them to the Forest of Darkness, team Mozu''s clue was frustratingly vague¡ªmuch like their own second clue. They were fortunate that Su Yuqi recognized the location referenced in their clue; otherwise, they might still be struggling to figure out where to go.


    But given these details, the clue was likely pointing to a hidden, ancient shrine or temple located deep within a jungle or forest. The mention of the serpent''s trail suggested that the path to this shrine might be winding and tricky to navigate.


    He shared his guess with Shen Ji Yun and Su Yuqi, knowing there was no point in keeping it to himself. It was better for the three of them to brainstorm together.


    "An ancient shrine or temple in a forest..." Shen Ji Yun murmured, clearly deep in thought as he tried to pinpoint the exact location it could be referring to.


    "I''ll send it to our team channel. Maybe Ah Jin or that idiot Bai Ze could figure it out," Su Yuqi said and quickly sent it to the team channel.


    ----------


    Bai Ze, Luo Jin, and Rowan were soaring over the desert, closely tracking any signs of team Mozu. Just then, Su Yuqi''s message came through on the team channel. Bai Ze read it and frowned. Because it sounded familiar.


    "Have you thought of something, Brother Ze?" Luo Jin asked when he noticed his cousin deep in thought.


    "Yeah. I think I know where the next checkpoint of team Mozu is," Bai Ze said. "I''m just not sure if I''m correct."


    "That''s okay. Just tell me," Luo Jin said.


    "There''s a ce called Eldergreen Forest, just a few miles from Alryne City," Bai Ze began. "I did a quest there once, and I remember an NPC warning me before I entered the forest: stick to the main path and don''t wander off. If youe across a winding trail, avoid it, because it leads to a cursed temple."


    Luo Jin nodded in agreement. "That sounds like it matches the clue''s description. Since we don''t have any other leads, let''s head there."


    "But I might be wrong," Bai Ze said, unsure.


    "It''s better than nothing," Luo Jin said with a shrug. "Let''s tell the others."


    ----------


    Luo Yan and the others agreed to Bai Ze and Luo Jin''s decision. They also thought that there''s a high chance that team Mozu''s checkpoint.


    While the two headed toward Eldergreen Forest, the others were now nearing the sea area north of Arcadia. Upon arrival, Su Yuqi instructed them to jump from the dragon''s back and for Dusk to shift back into his humanoid form. This would allow her to use a skill to encase them in a bubble, enabling them to breathe underwater.


    Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun, and Eclipse followed Su Yuqi''s instructions, while Dusk shifted into his humanoid form. Without hesitation, Su Yuqi activated her skill, encasing them all in a protective bubble. Once secured, the group of five plunged into the water.


    "Follow me," Su Yuqi said as she swam down.


    The others quickly followed suit, and Su Yuqi activated a skill to enhance their speed as they moved through the water. So, after 10 minutes, they finally saw it¡ªa massive, swirling portal of dark energy hovering just above the seabed.

 Chapter 1150: YUNYUE VS MOZU (VII)

    The ground was uneven, scattered with pieces of stone and broken tiles, remnants of structures that spoke of a forgotten era. The air was still, carrying a faint, metallic tang. Here and there, small lights flickered among the ruins, like fireflies moving in the dark, hinting at the possibility of unseen watchers in the abandoned streets.


    "It''s so spooky here," Eclipse said, clinging to Luo Yan and acting like he''s scared.


    Shen Ji Yun shot a sidelong nce at the kid, his eyes narrowing as they zeroed in on the arms wrapped around Luo Yan''s. His brows knit together, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. He caught himself and shook his head, chiding himself internally. Why was he feeling jealous of Eclipse, of all people?


    He knew better; Eclipse clung to Luo Yan out of pure dependence, not for any other dubious reason.


    But ever since Eclipse had changed his form, looking more like a teenager than a child, he couldn''t stop the muscles in his face from twitching every time Eclipse clung to Luo Yan. It was petty, he knew that. Yet he couldn''t control it. He was Luo Yan''s boyfriend, after all.


    He was aware that such jealousy over something so trivial wasn''t exactly attractive, but, try as he might, he really couldn''t help it.


    When Shen Ji Yun looked up, he caught Luo Yan''s amused gaze. It was clear from the look in Luo Yan''s eyes that he knew exactly what Shen Ji Yun was thinking and found it rather entertaining. He awkwardly scratched his cheek and nced away, trying to hide his embarrassment. If they were in the real world, his face would undoubtedly be bright red by now.


    Luo Yan could indeed read Shen Ji Yun''s thoughts in that moment; it was something he had picked up on ever since Eclipse had evolved into his current form. He didn''t mind Shen Ji Yun''s asional bouts of jealousy. In fact, he found it endearing. It was a sign of how deeply Shen Ji Yun loved him¡ªenough to feel jealous over someone who wasn''t even a real person.


    Besides, it wasn''t as if Shen Ji Yun would ever act possessive and tell him to stop interacting with Eclipse. He would never do that. Shen Ji Yun understood how much Luo Yan would dislike such behavior, and he would never do anything to upset him. That was one of the many ways Shen Ji Yun expressed his love, and Luo Yan genuinely appreciated it.


    He chuckled at the thought, then turned to Su Yuqi. "Sister Yuqi, what kinds of monsters can we expect in this dungeon?"


    Su Yuqi was about to answer, but before she could speak, a cold breeze swept through the ruins. Shadows shifted and moved, and suddenly, dark shapes materialized around them. Figures emerged from the darkness, almost transparent, their forms barely holding together. Without warning, one of them lunged at Luo Yan, its ghostly arm reaching out.


    Shen Ji Yun reacted instantly, swinging his sword through the air. The de sliced through the figure, but it seemed to resist, slowing down only momentarily before reforming.


    Another shape darted toward Su Yuqi, its movement swift and erratic. She dodged to the side and countered with a burst of Mana from her hand, forcing the figure back. But more of them were closing in, their hollow eyes fixed on the group, circling slowly, waiting for the next opportunity to strike.


    Luo Yan quickly stepped back, his eyes narrowing as he observed the way the figures moved and reformed. "Wraiths," he muttered, realization dawning. "They''re wraiths¡ªspirits that can''t be killed with normal attacks."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded, keeping his sword raised. "We''ll need to use skills that can target their essence, not just their forms."


    Su Yuqi, already preparing her next move, quickly adjusted her stance. "Focus on skills with holy or elemental effects. It''s the only way to disrupt their energy."


    As if in response, the wraiths began to converge more aggressively. One of them shrieked, a piercing, eerie sound that could send chills down anyone''s spines. But this show of dominance did not intimidate the group. They exchanged quick nces and nodded, signaling it was time tounch their attack.


    Luo Yan vanished into the shadows, appearing behind a wraith with swift, precise strikes. His daggers cut through its form, causing the wraith to waver. Shen Ji Yun swung his sword, crackling with purple lightning, sending bolts into the wraiths, making them flicker and pull back.


    Su Yuqi, hovering slightly off the ground, cast a spell from her staff. mes erupted, engulfing two wraiths and forcing them to retreat. Eclipse, in his kitsune form, dashed around, releasing bursts of darkness from his tails that struck the wraiths from different angles.


    Dusk, moving quickly on the ground, used his ws to swipe at the closest wraiths, tearing through their ghostly forms and then burning them with his mes.


    The wraiths tried to regroup, but the group''s continuous attacks kept them at bay. Luo Yan struck again from the shadows. Shen Ji Yun unleashed another wave of lightning, and Su Yuqi''s magic red brightly. Eclipse and Dusk coordinated their movements, pressing the attack and preventing the wraiths from reforming.


    One by one, the wraiths began to fade, their forms dissolving into thin air. And, within moments, the battle was over.


    "Don''t rx. Wraiths are not the only monsters in this dungeon," Su Yuqi warned them. "The statue we''re looking for is at the center of this city. If we don''t want to waste time fighting monsters, I think it''s better to just hop on Dusk and fly there directly."


    Everyone then turned to Dusk. The dragon sighed, as if he''s starting to get tired of being everyone''s mobile transportation. But he still turned into his dragon form once more.

 Chapter 1151: YUNYUE VS MOZU (VIII)

    Before long, they arrived at the center of the city ruins. Hovering above, they took in the sight of a massive statue rising from the rubble below. The figure was enormous, carved from dark stone, and stood like a guardian watching over the forgotten city. Even from a distance, they could see the intricate details etched into its surface¡ªsharp features that had somehow withstood the ravages of time.


    The statue''s eyes seemed to catch the faint light of the stars and moon, giving it an almost lifelike quality.


    "That statue is the final boss of this dungeon," Su Yuqi began to exin. "Once we enter a radius of 50 meters around it, the statue will start to activate. We''ll have about ten minutes before it fullyes to life and attacks." She paused, ncing at the others. "During those ten minutes, the statue will remain still, but that doesn''t mean we''ll have it easy.


    As soon as we step inside that 50-meter radius, waves of monsters will swarm us. Some of us will need to hold them off while the others search the statue for the clue."


    "Dusk and I will handle the monsters," Shen Ji Yun suggested. "The rest of you focus on finding the clue on the statue."


    Everyone agreed with the n. Dusk descended briefly, allowing them to jump down from his back. As soon as theynded, monsters resembling guard statues emerged from the shadows. Before these monsters couldunch an attack, Dusk flew back up and unleashed a torrent of fire, creating a zing circle around the massive statue, separating the group from the advancing enemies.


    Shen Ji Yun immediately moved to take down the monsters that had managed to avoid the mes and were now trapped within the ring of fire. Meanwhile, Luo Yan, Su Yuqi, and Eclipse began their search for the clue on the statue.


    Since Su Yuqi could fly, she volunteered to search the upper part of the statue, from the torso up. Meanwhile, Luo Yan and Eclipse focused on examining the lower sections and base.


    Su Yuqi flew up to the statue''s torso, carefully scanning the stone surface for any markings or signs. She moved around the statue''s chest and shoulders, feeling for hidden switches or anything unusual. Her hands brushed over the cold stone, but everything seemed solid and smooth.


    Below, Luo Yan and Eclipse moved quickly, checking the statue''s legs and base. Luo Yan ran his fingers over the carvings along the statue''s feet, looking for any hidden mechanisms. Eclipse, with his sharp eyes, inspected the lower parts of the robe draped over the statue, tapping and pressing against the stone to see if anything shifted.


    They worked methodically, covering every inch, searching for the clue that would reveal the next checkpoint.


    As Su Yuqi hovered near the statue''s shoulders, her hand brushed against a small, rough patch on the otherwise smooth stone surface. She paused, her eyes narrowing as she examined it more closely. It wasn''t a switch, but there was something there¡ªan almost invisible indentation. Trusting her instincts, she pressed against the spot.


    A soft click echoed through the ruins, followed by a faint rumbling. Down below, Luo Yan noticed a section of the statue''s base beginning to shift. He watched as a hiddenpartment slowly opened, revealing a small, rolled-up scroll inside.


    "Luo Yan, did something happen?" Su Yuqi called down, hearing the sound.


    "Yes," Luo Yan replied, moving closer to the newly revealedpartment. "A hiddenpartment just opened. I think we''ve found the clue."


    As he spoke, the others quickly gathered around him. Only Dusk remained above, still circling in the air, keeping watch for any signs of danger.


    [Climb the frozen peaks where whispers of the old ones ride the icy winds. In a ce where time stands still and shadows dance with frost, find the mouth that breathes cold fire. Inside, where the light is swallowed whole, seek the hidden chamber where the mountain keeps its frozen heart. But beware, for the path is guarded by the silent watchers, whose gaze turns warmth to ice and courage to fear.]


    That was their team''s clue for the third checkpoint. As soon as they read that, a system notification appeared before them.


    [Team Yunyue has found the clue for the third checkpoint!]


    ----------


    Bai Ze had transformed into arge lion, with Luo Jin seated on his back, while Rowan ran alongside them. They followed the winding, serpentine trail of the Eldergreen Forest, their eyes scanning the dense surroundings for any hint of a temple or shrine. At that moment, a system notification popped up before them, announcing that their team had discovered the clue for the third checkpoint.


    "The others are doing their part; we should, too," Bai Ze said, his voice taking on a guttural tone due to his lion form.


    Luo Jin and Rowan remained silent, but the look on their faces showed they agreed.


    "Since we haven''t seen a notification about team Mozu finding their clue, they''re likely still in this forest," Bai Ze continued. "If we encounter them, you know the n."


    That meant attacking team Mozu without mercy or hesitation, doing whatever it took to obstruct their progress and throw them off course.


    But, as if mocking their determination, a system notification appeared in front of them right at that moment.


    [Team Mozu has found the clue for the third checkpoint!]


    Bai Ze nearly stumbled when he saw the notification. Damn it. They hadn''t even caught a glimpse of the other team, and now the game was telling them that team Mozu had already found their clue? Why did it seem like team Mozu was always a step ahead of them?


    "Keep moving. We need to reach their second checkpoint''s location, so we can follow them quickly," Luo Jin urged, reminding Bai Ze. "Who knows, maybe they haven''t even left this forest."


    Bai Ze knew that too, so he quickened his pace. But just as he did, something dropped from above, followed by a sudden explosion that rocked the surroundings.

 Chapter 1152: YUNYUE VS MOZU (IX)

    "Is it really okay for us to bomb the forest like this?" she asked.


    "Isn''t it fine?" Wang Bin said, shrugging his shoulders. "If it wasn''t allowed, the game would have told us right from the start."


    Recalling how the game only warned them against using teleportation scrolls, Zhou Meimei nodded. That meant everything else was fair game. The rules were clear like that.


    She nced back down again. The section of the forest, with its winding path leading to the shrine, was already engulfed in mes. In a few more seconds, the shrine itself could be destroyed. But Liu Jun had mentioned that the clue for the next checkpoint only appeared when they reached Yunyue''s first checkpoint, so the game probably wouldn''t allow any checkpoints to be destroyed.


    Zhou Meimei didn''t worry too much about that; she just hoped this would be enough to slow down the few members of team Yunyue who might be following them.


    "Don''t worry about useless things and just think of how we can solve the clue for the third checkpoint," Wang Bin added.


    Zhou Meimei narrowed her eyes at the other. "How about you start giving orders after you''ve solved a clue on your own?"


    Sensing an argument brewing, He Zhi Long almost growled. In his xie long form, his voice was much louder than usual¡ªa deep, booming sound that could easily be heard for miles. If any members of team Yunyue were lurking below, they would definitely catch his voice. His stealth item might hide his massive form, but it couldn''t silence his roar.


    So, on the off chance that some of Team Yunyue were down there, he knew he had to keep quiet.


    What if those team Yunyue members had survived the bomb attack and heard his voice? It could help them track their team''s location. So, to prevent Wang Bin and Zhou Meimei from bickering any further, he decided to send a message through the team channel.


    [Stop. Just analyze the clue.]


    That finally shut the two up. He Zhi Long sighed inwardly. If he didn''t know that leaving these two with Su Yu would cause a huge headache, he would have much preferred Liu Jun to be in his group instead. But since someone had to ''babysit'' the pair¡ªand Su Yu too¡ªhe and Liu Jun had to split up and take on the role of ''babysitter.''


    His only constion was knowing that Liu Jun was likely having a worse time than he was, stuck with that guy Su Yu.


    He Zhi Long gave the forest onest nce before flying away.


    -----


    Bai Ze and Luo Jinnded hard, their fall anything but graceful. No, it wasn''t just a fall¡ªthey had been violently thrown. They hit the ground in a part of the forest that had somehow escaped the mes.


    The sudden explosion caught them both off guard. If it hadn''t been for Rowan''s quick reaction¡ªgrabbing them by the scruff of their necks and hurling them as hard as he could¡ªthey might not have made it. Bai Ze was still in his lion beast form at the time, only realizing what was happening mid-air and quickly shifting back to his humanoid form. That''s how he and Luo Jin ended up here.


    Bai Ze looked around. Aside from the me, he also didn''t see Rowan.


    [Rowan! Where are you?]


    "I''m here. No need to shout," a voice called down from above.


    Bai Ze looked up to see Rowan descending, his wings unfurling gracefully as hended.


    "I think that thing up ahead is the shrine."


    Luo Jin''s voice drew Bai Ze and Rowan''s attention. They both turned to where Luo Jin was looking and saw a small, stone structure nestled among the trees. It was worn and covered in moss, with a single, narrow path leading up to it. The shrine seemed almost hidden by the thick branches and leaves surrounding it, its faded carvings just visible in the dim light.


    They all looked at each other and then ran ahead. Sure enough, the moment they arrived in front of the shrine, the clue for team Mozu''s third checkpoint appeared in front of them.


    [Descend into the deep where sunlight does not dare, and trace the path of the hidden stream. Find the cave where shadows dwell, beyond the twisting narrow way. In the chamber where a gentle light seeps through the cracks above, lighting the lone stone in the heart of the dark¡ªthere, your answer rests.]


    ----------


    Luo Yan read Bai Ze''s message on the team channel; they had found the clue for team Mozu''s third checkpoint. He quickly typed a response, letting them know they would assist in analyzing the clue.


    Currently, their group was on their way to the Frostspire Mountain. Why there, you asked? The clue they found suggested a location high up in a mountain, likely one that was perpetually covered in snow and ice. There were not many ces like that in Arcadia. But the most popr and well-known was the Frostspire Mountain.


    By now, they had realized that the game consistently led them to well-known locations in Arcadia. Even the dungeon they had just explored was located in a part of the sea near a popr resort.


    It was now clear that Moonlight Media was using the quarterfinals as a way to advertise the game to foreign viewers of the Arcadia Cup, showcasing the game''s stunning and diversendscapes.


    Luo Yan had to admit, it was a clever marketing strategy.


    Soon, Frostspire Mountain came into view. Dusk sped up, flying straight toward it like a bullet.

 Chapter 1153: YUNYUE VS MOZU (X)

    The clue suggested that the ice cave they were searching for was likely hidden near the peak. They had agreed earlier that once they reached the top, they would split up to search for the cave, maximizing their use of the time. They nodded at each other and then separated.


    Luo Yan nced up at the timer hovering above them. He had been avoiding looking at it since the game began, and he was sure the rest of the team felt the same. Focusing too much on the countdown would only make them anxious and negatively impact their actions, which would be counterproductive.


    But it''s hard not to do that now. Especially since they were already on the third checkpoint.


    Looking at the time above, Luo Yan wasn''t sure whether to feel relieved or worried. Over 30 minutes had already passed since the match began, which meant they had just over 20 minutes left to reach the final checkpoint.


    They didn''t have time to waste searching the entire mountain for the cave. Thankfully, the clue specifically indicated that the cave was near the peak. But that didn''t mean they could rx. Some members of team Mozu were likely still on their trail, and if they let their guard down, it could lead to disaster if they were suddenly ambushed without warning.


    Luo Yan lifted the binocrs to his eyes and carefully scanned each spot Shen Ji Yun passed by. His gaze swept over every ridge and crevice, searching for any sign of the cave entrance. He tracked Shen Ji Yun''s path closely, studying every icy ledge and shadowed nook, determined not to miss a single detail that might reveal the hidden entrance they were looking for.


    But there was no luck. He couldn''t spot any hint of a cave entrance.


    Just as he was about to tell Shen Ji Yun to retrace their path in case they had overlooked something, a message from Su Yuqi popped up onto the team channel.


    [I found it.]


    Luo Yan sighed with relief when he read the message. He and Shen Ji Yun quickly flew to Su Yuqi''s location. They found her hovering near a steep cliff, pointing to a narrow opening in the rock that led into a dark tunnel. The entrance was small, justrge enough for someone to squeeze through, partially hidden by snow and ice.


    A few secondster, Dusk and Eclipse also flew over.


    Su Yuqi flew toward the cave entrance. Since it was only wide enough for one person at a time, they entered in single file: first Luo Yan, then Shen Ji Yun, followed by Eclipse, and finally, Dusk.


    Once inside, light orbs floated up from Su Yuqi''s hand, illuminating the path ahead. They moved along a narrow path. The ground was uneven and slippery with patches of ice, forcing them to tread carefully. The air was cold, and every step echoed against the hard rock around them.


    After a few minutes of careful walking, the path widened into arger area. The ground here was t and covered with a thinyer of frost. Ahead of them were five openings, each about the same size, dark and leading further into who knew where. The walls of the cave glistened slightly with ice, and a faint draft flowed from the different openings.


    Luo Yan studied the five openings. Was it just a coincidence that there were exactly five¡ªmatching the number of yers allowed on a team during a match? He didn''t think so. It felt like the game was deliberately pushing them to split up. But with the time limit, they didn''t really have a choice in the matter.


    Shen Ji Yun seemed to have the same thought and said, "Let''s split up. Once you find the clue, send a message on the team channel. If Eclipse or Dusk find it, send a message telepathically to Yan Yan and me right away."


    No one disagreed with the n. They decided to enter the openings from left to right, following the same order they had used in the tunnel. Su Yuqi went into the leftmost opening, followed by Luo Yan in the next opening, then Shen Ji Yun, Eclipse, and finally, Dusk entered the rightmost opening.


    As Luo Yan stepped into the second opening, he pulled a glowing pearl from his inventory to light his path. The path ahead was narrow, with walls of ice on either side. The ground was uneven, covered in patches of frost. Small icicles hung from the ceiling, asionally dripping cold water onto his shoulders.


    The path seemed to stretch endlessly as he ran, the light from the glowing pearl flickering off the icy walls. Just as he thought the tunnel might never end, the surrounding ice cracked with a sharp, echoing sound. Suddenly, figures burst out from the walls, their forms shimmering and jagged, emerging in a shower of ice and snow. They loomed in front of him, their massive shapes blocking his path.


    One of the figures lunged at Luo Yan, swinging a heavy arm made of ice. He quickly crossed his twin daggers in front of him, blocking the attack, but he had to let go of the glowing pearl to use both hands. The force of the impact pushed him back a step, but he held his ground. He shifted his weight and pushed back, using the momentum to drive his sword forward, aiming for the creature''s chest.


    As his dagger struck, he noticed the creature''s body was solid ice, cracking slightly where he hit. The jagged, crystalline texture and the way they moved made him realize these were most likely ice golems, formed from the surrounding walls.

 Chapter 1154: YUNYUE VS MOZU (XI)

    He tightened his grip on his daggers, moving quickly to dodge the iing strikes. He sidestepped one golem''s swing and, with a swift move, slipped behind it. With a sharp sh, he cut into its arm, and the golem froze in ce, its movements halting.


    He took advantage of the pause, delivering a quick strike to its back, targeting the joints where the ice was thinner, sending shards of ice scattering across the ground.


    As another golem lunged, Luo Yan ducked low and moved swiftly, cutting upward with both daggers into the golem''s chest. It stopped in its tracks, frozen for a moment, giving Luo Yan the chance to sh again at its torso, breaking off chunks of ice. He leapt to the side, avoiding a blow from another golem, and then struck out with his daggers, causing it to freeze as well.


    Each time the golems paused, he moved in quickly, using the moment tond more hits. He darted between them, his movements sharp and precise, exploiting every opportunity the effect of his daggers gave him, methodically finishing the ice golem off one by one.


    With the ice golems defeated, Luo Yan prepared to move forward. But then, a tingling sensation ran up his neck¡ªa warning of something dangerous approaching.


    He spun around just in time, raising his daggers to block the tip of a sharp sword that was inches from striking his face.


    -----


    Shen Ji Yun reached the end of the cave path he had chosen, having fought off monsters that ambushed him along the way. But at the end, he found nothing but a solid wall¡ªa dead end.


    He quickly sent a message to their team channel.


    [I found nothing here. How about on your side?]


    After sending that, he asked Dusk telepathically, [Dusk, have you found something?]


    Dusk responded: [None. I''m going back.]


    As Shen Ji Yun began retracing his steps back to the entrance, he checked the team channel. So far, the only response to his earlier message was from Su Yuqi.


    [I haven''t reached the end yet.]


    He waited a few more seconds for Luo Yan''s reply, but even after a full minute, there was still nothing. Shen Ji Yun''s brow furrowed in concern. This wasn''t like Luo Yan. Since no notification had appeared indicating Luo Yan had been eliminated, there was only one reason he could think of for the silence¡ªLuo Yan was in the middle of a fight.


    If the other couldn''t respond while fighting, then his opponent¡ªor opponents¡ªmust be strong. With that thought, Shen Ji Yun quickened his pace, breaking into a full run.


    Even though this was just a game and Luo Yan wouldn''t be hurt in real life, the idea of him getting hurt, even virtually, was still something Shen Ji Yun couldn''t stand.


    Just then, a new message popped up on the team channel. He thought it would be from Luo Yan, but it was from Bai Ze.


    [We still can''t figure out what team Mozu''s clue is pointing to. TT__TT]


    Shen Ji Yun thought back to the team Mozu''s clue and then wrote a response.


    [Consider a well-known valley or a location with an underground cave. Focus only on ces that are famous in Arcadia.]


    Shen Ji Yun hadn''t paid much attention to Team Mozu''s clue, as he was more focused on their own team''s clue. It was far more important to find their third checkpoint and the clue to the next one than to worry about hindering the opposing team.


    But now, with his concern for Luo Yan''s safety pushing him, Shen Ji Yun''s mind worked faster than usual, quickly analyzing team Mozu''s clue in a short amount of time. Although he couldn''t pinpoint the exact location, he could at least provide Bai Ze and Luo Jin with a starting point.


    After sprinting at full speed, Shen Ji Yun finally emerged from the cave path he had just explored. Without pausing to rest, he immediately headed into the second opening from the left.


    As he moved forward, he came across signs of a recent battle¡ªscattered ice and deep cuts in the walls. He wanted to send a private message to Luo Yan to check on his situation, but he hesitated, worried that it might distract him and might even lead to his defeat.


    Now, Shen Ji Yun regretted not taking better care of the earring that was a pair with Luo Yan''s. It had identally broken during his fight with a team Siren member yesterday. He hadn''t told Luo Yan about it yet. He''s afraid that he might disappoint him. Especially since the earrings were one of their pair items.


    If he still had the earring, it would be easy to contact Luo Yan and find out his situation. Now, without it, he was left to rely on the team channel and hope for a response.


    Shen Ji Yun continued down the path, scanning the area for any signs of movement. He spotted more signs of a recent fight¡ªscattered ice shards and deep gouges in the walls. He slowed his steps, his eyes narrowing on something ahead. Through the dim light, he caught a glimpse of a figure sprawled across the icy floor.


    Drawing closer, he recognized the familiar outline¡ªLuo Yan, lying still on the ground.


    His brows furrowed as he stared at Luo Yan. Something felt off, but he couldn''t quite figure out what it was. He shook his head and just knelt beside the other. Then he gently tapped Luo Yan''s shoulder.


    "Yan Yan, are you alright?"


    Slowly, Luo Yan opened his eyes. The moment he did, Shen Ji Yun immediately understood the ''off'' feeling he''d sensed earlier. A shadow crossed his face, and he quickly looked down to conceal his expression.

 Chapter 1155: YUNYUE VS MOZU (XII)

    JUST in time, a message from Su Yuqi shed on the team''s channel:


    [I found the clue.]


    Shen Ji Yun responded instantly:


    [Don''t read it yet. Find Dusk and Eclipse, then get out of the cave. Fly a few kilometers away before checking it. Yan Yan and I will catch up with you soon.]


    Su Yuqi didn''t ask why he gave such an instruction, but she still gave a thumbs up, showing that she would do as instructed. Seeing that, Shen Ji Yun contacted Dusk telepathically right after.


    [Dusk, go find Eclipse. If he''s heading toward the cave entance where Yan Yan went, stop him. Then, ask if he can still reach Yan Yan.]


    Dusk replied almost instantly: [Found him.]


    The dragon sent another message to the team channel, but before Shen Ji Yun could read it, Luo Yan, who had been lying in front of him, suddenly sat up. He appeared disoriented at first, but when his eyes met Shen Ji Yun''s, they widened in surprise, as if he had just remembered something important.


    "Team... team Mozu! A member of them, the one who looks like a snake. What''s his name again? Ah Zephyr! He just attacked me!"


    Shen Ji Yun quickly nced at the message Dusk had sent to the team channel. Without a word, he stood up and turned away, concealing his expression. His eyes scanned the cave before he spoke. "Where is he?"


    Luo Yan stood up as well. "He''s probably deeper inside the cave. The clue is likely there. We need to move fast before he has a chance to destroy it."


    "That will certainly be a problem." Shen Ji Yun turned to the other. "But why didn''t he eliminate you?"


    "I pretended to escape but quickly hid myself with my Invisibility Cloak," Luo Yan exined, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "But that guy threw something that sent me flying a few meters. I don''t think he knew I was hiding¡ªhe was probably just being thorough."


    "I see." Shen Ji Yun nodded, looking like he epted the exnation. "Then let''s go. We should hurry before Zephyr destroyed the clue. Even if we''re not sure it''s on this path, we have to assume it is, just in case."


    "I agree. Then let''s go."


    They moved simultaneously. Luo Yan stepped forward just as Shen Ji Yun suddenly turned toward him. In one swift motion, Shen Ji Yun''s sword pierced through Luo Yan''s chest. It happened so fast, the strike seemed almost unreal.


    Luo Yan nced down at the sword lodged in his chest, then slowly raised his gaze, eyes wide in disbelief. "W-why?"


    To answer that, Shen Ji Yun activated a skill, releasing a surge of purple lightning through the sword still buried deep in Luo Yan''s chest.


    The purple lightning surged through the de, spreading quickly across Luo Yan''s body. His muscles tensed instantly, his limbs jerking from the force. The electricity crackled across his skin, leaving faint scorch marks as the energy pulsed through him, causing his body to convulse uncontrobly.


    Shen Ji Yun pulled back his sword. "Because you''re a fake."


    Immediately after, ''Luo Yan''s'' face began to distort, flickering like a glitching screen. In seconds, his true face emerged from beneath the illusion.


    "What gave me away?" Draeken, the vice-captain of team Mozu asked.


    "Everything."


    The moment the other opened his eyes, Shen Ji Yun knew instantly he wasn''t Luo Yan. It wasn''t the difference in their expression or movement. It was the simple fact that he felt no instinct to protect him, no concern at seeing him appear weak and vulnerable. Which was impossible to happen if the other was truly Luo Yan.


    The day he felt nothing at the sight of Luo Yan would be the day he no longer existed in this world.


    Liu Jun nced down at his body as it began to dissolve into light particles. He couldn''t quite grasp how he''d been discovered so quickly. He knew he would be exposed eventually, but he had hoped to strike YUN first before the other realized he was a fake.


    Well, this was not entirely Liu Jun''s fault. How could he have taken into ount that his ruse wouldn''t work on Shen Ji Yun because he was so madly in love with the person Liu Jun was impersonating?


    Since it had already happened, there''s no crying over spilt milk. Liu Jun calmly sent a message to his team, admitting that his n to ambush team Yunyue had failed. Then, in the final moment before hepletely vanished, he hurled a bomb at YUN.


    As the bomb hurtled toward him, Shen Ji Yun''s eyes narrowed. In a fluid motion, he gripped his sword tighter, activating a defensive skill. A shimmering barrier of energy formed around the de as he swung it with precision, slicing through the bomb mid-air.


    The force of his attack not only split the bomb in half but also triggered a secondary skill, sending a shockwave that dispersed the explosion in all directions, neutralizing the st before it could cause any damage. The air crackled briefly, then fell silent, leaving Shen Ji Yun standing unharmed.


    And at that moment, a message appeared in front of every member of team Mozu.


    [Draeken has been eliminated!]


    Since none of team Yunyue had seen that, the announcement would hardly affect them. And even if they did see it, they wouldn''t care. Especially Shen Ji Yun.


    He thought back to what Dusk had said to him.


    ''[Eclipse said that his master is currently fighting a snake.]''


    This ''snake'' seemed to be Zephyr. So, Draeken didn''t lie about that part.


    Shen Ji Yun recalled the way Zephyr had looked at Luo Yan the day before. The mere thought of it made his fist clench in anger.


    He contacted Dusk once again. [Ask Eclipse where Yan Yan is right now.]


    After that, he sent another message to the team channel.


    [Su Yuqi, go ahead and read the clue.]


    Just after he sent that, a notification appeared in front of him.


    [Team Yunyue has found the clue for the fourth checkpoint!]

 Chapter 1156: YUNYUE VS MOZU (XIII)

    Luo Yan reacted quickly, crossing his daggers to block the iing sword strike. The impact sent a slight shock through his arms, but he deflected the de to the side. He shifted his stance, stepping back just enough to avoid the follow-up attack while staying ready for whatever came next.


    As the attacker stepped into view, Luo Yan recognized him immediately¡ªZephyr, grinning wildly with his sword still raised. His chaotic grin and reckless stance made it clear he was ready for another strike. His eyes were gleaming with excitement as he prepared to continue the fight.


    "Hello there," Zephyr greeted with a wild grin. "I''ve been looking forward to this¡ªfinally, a chance to fight you."


    Luo Yan narrowed his eyes. He had suspected Zephyr would be one of the members of Team Mozu trailing them, especially after the strange look he gave him yesterday. What he didn''t expect was for Zephyr to show up at this moment.


    Luo Yan moved quickly, his twin daggers shing as he aimed for Zephyr''s side. Zephyr blocked the strike with his sword, metal shing sharply. Luo Yan disappeared into the shadows, reappearing behind Zephyr to strike again, but Zephyr spun around, intercepting the attack just in time.


    Zephyr moved like a serpent, twisting and turning to avoid the next attack, his sword swinging in wide arcs. Luo Yan ducked under a strike and darted to the side, but Zephyr anticipated it, quickly bringing his sword back around to block another blow. The two continued exchanging fast-paced strikes, neither gaining the upper hand.


    As the fight progressed, Zephyr''s form shifted slightly, his movements bing more fluid and snake-like. Heunched a series of rapid strikes, forcing Luo Yan to block and dodge, his daggers deflecting each blow. They were evenly matched, with neither fighter able tond a clean hit as they continued to push and counter each other''s moves, locked in a fierce contest of skill and speed.


    "I''m so d you can actually fight! Imagine the disappointment if you couldn''t!" Zephyr cackled as he jumped back, his eyes wide with excitement. "Come on, show me more! Let''s see what you really got!"


    Luo Yan clicked his tongue. This lunatic. Because of fighting the other, he couldn''t read all the messages that were shing by the team channel. Something important might have happened and he didn''t even know.


    He tried to contact Shen Ji Yun through the earring, but there was no response. It could only mean one thing¡ªit had been destroyed. Realizing this, Luo Yan knew he had to end the fight quickly if he wanted to find out what happened to the others.


    As he was preparing to use a skill, he suddenly received a telepathic message from Eclipse.


    [Master! Captain told Uncle Dusk to ask me if you''re okay.]


    Eclipse''s sudden voice in his mind nearly caused Luo Yan to miss dodging Zephyr''s iing attack.


    "Is this the time for you to get distracted?" Zephyr asked, shing non-stop. "Am I not entertaining enough?"


    Luo Yan quickly regained his footing and deflected the sword swinging down at him. "Yes, you bore me."


    After saying that, he replied to Eclipse. [I''m fighting that annoying snake from team Mozu.]


    He wanted to say more, but Zephyr rushed forward with a wild swing of his sword, forcing Luo Yan to step back. In response, Luo Yan disappeared into the shadows, reappearing behind Zephyr and striking with his daggers. Zephyr turned just in time, blocking the attack, but Luo Yan followed up with a swift kick, sending Zephyr stumbling back.


    Recovering quickly, Zephyr unleashed a wave of energy with a wide sh of his sword, the ground beneath Luo Yan cracking. Luo Yan dodged to the side, vanishing again and closing the distance in a sh. His daggers struck out, aiming for Zephyr''s side, but Zephyr''s body shifted, briefly taking on a serpent-like form as he avoided the attack and swung his sword in a wide arc.


    Luo Yan ducked under the strike and retaliated with a flurry of quick dagger attacks, but Zephyr was ready, deflecting each blow with his sword. The two shed in rapid session, with Luo Yan using his agility to stay ahead of Zephyr''s unpredictable movements, while Zephyr shifted and struck back.


    They continued trading blows, with Zephyr''s sword shing against Luo Yan''s daggers, neither managing tond a decisive hit as the fight continued on.


    But then, a tremor suddenly rocked the cave. As if someone had just thrown a bomb. It made Zephyr suddenly missed a step.


    It was an opening that Luo Yan had been waiting for. The other''s missed step left him exposed, and Luo Yan''s daggers struck, causing Zephyr''s body to pause, as if time itself had stopped for him. He stood frozen in ce, unable to move for a brief moment.


    With a quick, precise motion, he drove his dagger into Zephyr''s chest, hitting a critical spot. Zephyr remained immobilized, unable to react as the blownded.


    He looked down at the dagger on his chest. "This is so not fair..." He looked at Luo Yan. "I want to fight more."


    That''s thest thing he said beforepletely turning into light particles.


    Luo Yan let out a sigh of relief the moment the crazy guy disappeared. He really hated fighting against battle-crazed psychos like that. Aside from being unpredictable, they''re energy draining.


    Eclipse''s voice echoed in his mind once again. [Master, Captain wants to know your location.]


    [Let him know there''s no need to find me. I''m already making my way out of the cave.]


    As he continued to walk, he started checking the messages he hadn''t read on the team channel. When he read the part about Su Yuqi finding the clue, a notification appeared in front of him.


    [Team Yunyue has found the clue for the fourth checkpoint!]


    Luo Yan smiled after seeing that. If he could see Su Yuqi right now, he would definitely give him a thumbs up. He was about to send a message on the team channel when he suddenly collided with someone when he took a turn.

 Chapter 1157: YUNYUE VS MOZU (XIV)

    "Are you alright, Yan Yan?"


    Luo Yan smiled. "Yes, I''m fine. Sorry, I wasn''t able to reply on the team channel."


    "No, that''s fine. I''m just d that you''re alright," Shen Ji Yun said, visibly relieved.


    Luo Yan raised a brow and teased. "Why, is Brother Ji Yun worried that I won''t be able to defeat that snake guy?"


    "That''s not it. I''m just worried that the guy might have tried something strange," Shen Ji Yun said, his voice tinged with concern. "He didn''t... do anything weird, did he?"


    Luo Yan understood Shen Ji Yun''s worry, especially since they were a couple. That guy, Zephyr, had given off some seriously strange vibes yesterday. As his boyfriend, it was only natural for Shen Ji Yun to react this way.


    "He didn''t. He''s just a battle maniac," he assured the other. "Honestly, the fight might''ve dragged on even longer if it weren''t for that sudden tremor. What was that all about, by the way?"


    "It''s the bomb Draeken threw after I defeated him."


    Luo Yan nodded. So, the vice-captain of team Mozu was also here. "Do you think another member of team Mozu is lurking around here?"


    "I doubt it. No captain with good judgment would waste extra manpower just to interfere with the enemy when the main objective is to secure the clue and reach the next checkpoint."


    Luo Yan agreed with Shen Ji Yun''s point. Speaking of clue and checkpoint. "I think we should quickly go and follow Sister Yuqi."


    Shen Ji Yun nodded, and the two of them quickly rushed out of the cave path. As they did, Su Yuqi shared the clue for the fourth checkpoint on their team channel.


    [To reach the heart of the inferno''s core, seek the zing pit where foes guard the door. A dark dragon''s mark reveals the way, and beyond it, mes and shadows sway.]


    Luo Yan narrowed his eyes, studying the clue. It felt oddly familiar, yet something about it seemed unfamiliar at the same time.


    As he was thinking, Su Yuqi sent another message.


    [I think it''s team Mozu''s headquarters.]


    Reading that, Luo Yan''s eyes widened. That''s it! That''s why the clue felt familiar! Team Mozu''s headquarters were located inside a volcanic crater. He remembered it from his research on the headquarters of teams participating in the final tournament, especially since the quarter-finals followed an ''Amazing Race'' theme.


    He had considered the possibility that the game might send them to those locations, but his encounter with Zephyr hadpletely pushed that thought aside. Now, with Su Yuqi bringing it up, everything suddenly clicked into ce.


    Noctis: [I agree! The clue is definitely pointing to their headquadters. Nice catch there, Sister Yuqi.]


    Morganite: [It''s the one that fits the clue the best. At least, I think that''s the case.]


    YUN: [If it''s really the headquarters of team Mozu, then their fourth clue is most likely our headquarters.]


    Luo Yan nced at Shen Ji Yun as he read the message. He agreed with the conclusion. What were the chances that the clue for the next checkpoint just happened to lead to the enemy team''s headquarters? It was clearly a deliberate move by the game. This also meant it was highly likely that team Mozu''s clue for their fourth checkpoint would point to their own headquarters.


    White Marsh: [Wait- does this mean we could just head to our headquarters and ambush them there?]


    YUN: [Yes. So, you and Luo Jin should go there now.]


    Since team Mozu hadn''t found their clue yet, Bai Ze and Luo Jin would have enough time to prepare an ambush. Being on their home turf gave them a significant advantage. It was the perfect setup.


    White Marsh: [Already on our way.]


    As the message appeared on the team channel, Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan had already exited the ice cave. Without missing a beat, Shen Ji Yun leaped into the air, transforming into his Qilin form, while Luo Yan swiftly jumped onto his back.


    Then they made their way to the headquarters of team Mozu.


    ----------


    Bai Ze and Luo Jin, riding on Rowan''s back, were now heading toward their headquarters. Bai Ze felt relieved to finally have a clear destination after wandering aimlessly while searching for team Mozu''s third checkpoint. It was a relief to finally know where they were going.


    "Do you have any ideas for the ambush?" Bai Ze asked, ncing at Luo Jin.


    "Something that won''t wreck our headquarters," Luo Jin replied. "If we can use anything from the warehouse, that would be ideal."


    As Luo Jin spoke, an idea suddenly sparked in Bai Ze''s mind.


    "Listen, I have an idea."


    ----------


    He Zhi Long growled. Even when not in his xie long form, that growl still almost instantly shook the surroundings. He no longer cared if those members of team Yunyue, who might be following them, heard him or not. He was just that angry and frustrated.


    It wasn''t just because they still hadn''t found the clue for the fourth checkpoint. What really pushed him over the edge was the sequence of events: first, Liu Jun was suddenly eliminated, and right after that, the announcement came that team Yunyue had found their clue. Then, not long after, Su Yu was eliminated as well. How could he not be frustrated?


    "Captain, let''s calm down, okay?" Wang Bin said. "It''s not like we already lost."


    "Hey, doofus, if you have nothing good to say, just shut up," Zhou Meimei said.


    "What, I didn''t say anything wrong."


    "Enough, both of you," He Zhi Long snapped, unable to hold back any longer. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Losing his temper wouldn''t help the situation. "Just focus and find the clue," he said, his voice more controlled.


    The two nodded and diligently resumed their search for the next checkpoint''s clue.

 Chapter 1158: YUNYUE VS MOZU (XV)

    He Zhi Long stopped when they reached a section where tworge boulders sat close together. It wasn''t a straightforward entrance, but it matched the clue''s idea of a "twisting narrow way." They moved carefully, squeezing through the gap, finding themselves in a more confined, quiet area. The stream was barely visible now, but its sound was still present, guiding them.


    The area they entered was small and dim, with a slight beam of light filtering through a crack overhead. In the center was a rock formation that didn''t blend with the rest of thendscape. It was positioned in such a way that it seemed important, standing alone in the middle of the area. They approached the stone, knowing this was the likely spot to search based on the clue.


    Now they just had to find the clue hidden in or around it.


    As they moved closer to the lone stone, several monsters emerged from the shadows of the valley. Large, aggressive monsters with thick hides surrounded them, making it clear they wouldn''t leave without a fight.


    He Zhi Long stepped forward without hesitation. "I''ll take care of these," he said, his voice calm and direct. "You two search the stone. Don''t waste time."


    Zhou Meimei and Wang Bin nodded, immediately turning their attention back to the rock formation while He Zhi Long charged at the monsters. His attacks were swift and efficient, keeping the monsters at bay as the other two focused on the task at hand.


    Zhou Meimei inspected the base of the rock, carefully feeling for anything unusual, while Wang Bin checked the surrounding ground, moving quickly but thoroughly. The sounds of He Zhi Long''s battle echoed in the background, but they remained focused.


    After a few tense moments, Zhou Meimei noticed a small crack in the rock''s surface that seemed out of ce. She reached into the gap and felt something thin inside. Pulling it out, she revealed an envelope sealed with the sigil of the Arcadia Cup.


    "I found it!" Zhou Meimei called out, holding the envelope up.


    He Zhi Long nced back, quickly dispatching thest monster. He walked over to them and took the envelope. Without wasting any time, he opened it, revealing the clue to their next checkpoint.


    [Climb to the highest peak, where the air grows thin and the world stretches beneath you. In thend ruled by one with the spirit of a Qilin, your next challenge awaits. The ascent will test your resolve, but only by reaching the summit will you find the path forward.]


    As soon as they read that, a notification appeared in front of them.


    [Team Mozu has found the clue for the fourth checkpoint!]


    Zhou Meimei read the clue again, her brows furrowing in doubt. "Is this really pointing to what I think it is?" she asked, skepticism clear in her voice.


    He Zhi Long also frowned. "Yes, it is."


    "Wait¡ªwhat are you two talking about? What ce is the clue pointing to?" Wang Bin asked, clearly clueless about their conversation.


    Zhou Meimei rolled her eyes and red at Wang Bin. "How about after this you start reading books so you can imporve yourprehension?"


    "I was just asking! Is it that hard to give me an answer?" Wang Bin snapped back.


    "It is when the answer''s about to smack you right in the face!"


    He Zhi Long, clearly irritated, shot the two of them a sharp look. "If we lose because you keep wasting time bickering, I swear I''ll ban both of you from our headquarters for three months," he warned, his tone leaving no room for argument.


    That finally silenced the two.


    "Let''s go." He Zhi Long was about to walk forward, but he stopped and turned to Wang Bin. "We''re heading to the headquarters of team Yunyue."


    ----------


    While flying at high speed, Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan saw the announcement about team Mozu finding their clue. Both of them ignored it and continued on their way. They quickly caught up with Su Yuqi, Dusk, and Eclipse. As soon as they were close enough, Luo Yan leaped onto Dusk''s back, followed by Shen Ji Yun, who shifted back into his humanoid form beforending beside him.


    "Master!" Eclipse cried out, quickly hugging Luo Yan the moment hended. "Are you okay?"


    Luo Yan chuckled, ruffling Eclipse''s hair. "I''m fine. And I''ve got good news¡ªwe don''t have to worry about anyone from team Mozu getting in our way anymore."


    "That''s certainly good news," Su Yuqi said. "At least now we only have to worry about finding the clue for thest checkpoint."


    "I''m more concerned about the members of team Mozu currently at their headquarters," Luo Yan said. "What if there''s a way for them to interfere with us?"


    "I doubt it," Shen Ji Yun replied. "There''s a reason why only five members are allowed topete in the Arcadia Cup. If other team members could jump in whenever they wanted, it would break the Cup''s rules. So no, even if team Mozu has members in their headquarters, I highly doubt they can interfere with us."


    "Meaning they could only watch as we search their headquarters," Su Yuqi added.


    Luo Yan nodded. That certainly made sense. It''s good to know that they didn''t have to worry about such things.


    Team Mozu wouldn''t be so fortunate, though¡ªnot that he cared. In fact, he hoped Bai Ze and Luo Jin would manage to eliminate the remaining members of team Mozu. That way, they could skip thest checkpoint entirely, and their team would be dered the winner right away.


    As they made their way to team Mozu''s headquarters, Bai Ze, Luo Jin, and Rowan finally arrived at their own team''s headquarters.

 Chapter 1159: YUNYUE VS MOZU (XVI)

    "What if it''s inside the pce?" Rowan asked back.


    "I doubt it. It''s fine to use our headquarters as a checkpoint, but letting outsiders to enter the team''s private space? That would be over the top. I''m sure the game wouldn''t encroach on our privacy like that," Bai Ze exined. "Now, let''s go. We don''t have much time."


    Team Mozu had already discovered their clue for the fourth checkpoint. If any of them had any sense, they''d quickly realize that this ce was their next destination. And if that''s the case, they''d be here in no time.


    Rowan grumbled, but still nodded. He unfurled his wings and flew around the area to look for the clue.


    "Let''s go, Xiao Jin," Bai Ze said to his cousin.


    The two headed straight to their team''s warehouse, gathering everything they needed for the ambush. Just as they stepped outside, Bai Ze suddenly received a telepathic message from Rowan.


    [I found the clue. It''s in the back garden, tucked between the branches of thergest tree.]


    An idea shed in Bai Ze''s mind as soon as he heard the message. Without hesitation, he quickly shared it with Luo Jin and Rowan.


    "That could work," Luo Jin agreed, already picturing the strategy Bai Ze had just outlined.


    He looked up at the timer¡ªonly 18 minutes remained before the hour was up. If their teammates weren''t dyed, they should have enough time to reach the final checkpoint. But if they could defeat the remaining members of team Mozu here, it would speed up their victory and all but guarantee their win.


    "Then, let''s do this," Bai Ze said.


    ----------


    He Zhi Long finally saw the headquarters of Team Yunyue. The pce had sweeping, upturned roofs with red and gold tiles, supported by tall stone pirs. Open courtyards connected the halls, all perched majestically on the mountaintop.


    If they weren''t in the middle of apetition, he might have paused to admire the pce''s architecture. But with the race underway, his sole focus was finding the clue for the final checkpoint.


    He flew higher for a better view of the area. As soon as he took it all in, his eyes narrowed. Below, three figures stood in different positions around the pce, forming a triangle with the pce at its center.


    "What are they ying at?" Wang Bin said after also seeing the three.


    "They probably want to separate us," Zhou Meimei said. "One of them is most likely guarding the clue, while the other two are meant to distract or divide our attention. If we try to engage all three, we''ll be spread too thin. They''re setting a trap to slow us down, hoping we''ll waste time chasing decoys while the real clue stays protected.


    We need to figure out which one of them is the guardian and avoid falling into their diversion tactics."


    "But what if none of them is actually guarding the clue and it''s just hidden somewhere?" Wang Bin asked, his voice uncertain.


    "I doubt it," Zhou Meimei replied confidently. "The clue can''t be moved, and the game wouldn''t risk putting it inside Yunyue''s headquarters. It''s likely there''s a protection system in ce to prevent damage to the building, which means the clue has to be outside¡ªwhere it''s essible but still guarded."


    He Zhi Long agreed with Zhou Meimei''s assessment, but that didn''t mean they should let team Yunyue dictate their moves. Splitting up and facing them one-on-one was exactly what the enemy wanted, and he wasn''t about to fall into that trap.


    So, he sent a message to the team channel.


    [There''s no need to y along with their game. I''ll set the area around the pce on fire. During the chaos, you two can stealthily check the spots guarded by the gnome and White Marsh. If the clue isn''t there, report it to the team channel right away. I''ll stay airborne and keep the area burning to maintain the distraction.]


    Zhou Meimei and Wang Bin exchanged a nce before speaking at the same time.


    "I''ll head to the gnome''s area," Zhou Meimei said.


    "I''ll check White Marsh''s spot," Wang Bin added.


    He Zhi Long then unleashed a steady stream of ck and green mes that quickly spread across the area around the pce. The fire moved across the ground, climbing rocks and walls. It formed a wide, dangerous barrier, forcing anyone nearby to keep their distance.


    As the mes spread, Zhou Meimei and Wang Bin jumped off He Zhi Long''s back. Zhou Meimei quickly headed toward the gnome''s position. Wang Bin went in the other direction, making his way toward White Marsh''s location.


    The moment the twonded in their chosen spots, the ground beneath them suddenly shifted, as if it were tilting. In an instant, their surroundings transformed, as though they had been transported to an entirely different location.


    Zhou Meimei knew it was impossible to have been transported, as teleportation scrolls were prohibited in this match. The only exnation was that what she was seeing was an illusion.


    Staying calm, she activated her [Spirit Sight], a skill that allowed her to see through deceptions and false realities. As the illusion flickered and distorted, she scanned the area, deliberately ignoring the false images around her. The burningndscape, created by their captain, came back into focus. But what stood out to her wasn''t what she saw¡ªit was what was missing.


    The gnome was nowhere to be seen!


    This could only mean one thing: the gnome had never been here. Which also meant the clue wasn''t here either. She was willing to bet Wang Bin was facing the same situation. If that was true, then the clue could only be in the area where the red dragon was located.


    She needed to inform their captain immediately.


    But before she could do so, she felt a sting in her chest. She looked down and her eyes widened when she saw the small hole there.

 Chapter 1160: YUNYUE VS MOZU (XVII)

    The reason the gnome managed to shoot her didn''t matter now. What mattered was that she would disappear soon. She didn''t have time to exin everything to their captain; in seconds, she''d be reduced to light particles. With no other choice, she quickly sent a brief exnation to the team channel, summarizing the situation in the shortest way possible.


    She could only hope their captain would understand what she''s trying to say.


    As soon as she sent the message, her body dissolved into light particles. She regretted not being able to deal any significant damage to the opposing team, using up all her remaining time to ensure the message was sent.


    So, all she could do was silently curse the gnome with that ridiculous game name right up until the moment she disappeared.


    [Hauntress has been eliminated!]


    That system notification appeared in front of both He Zhi Long and Wang Bin.


    Wang Bin barely had time to process what he saw, as he was being bombarded by attacks from all directions. To make things worse, the illusion made his surroundings spin like he was inside a washing machine, leaving him unable to see where the attacks wereing from.


    Annoyed, he snarled, focusing all his strength on breaking free from the illusion. He mmed his axe into the ground with all his might, sending a shockwave rippling through the area. The force of the impact cracked the earth beneath him, creating a powerful tremor that destabilized the illusion.


    With each strike, the distorted surroundings began to waver, flickering as he hammered the ground repeatedly, using sheer power to disrupt the illusion''s hold on him.


    As the illusion shattered around him, Wang Bin barely had time to steady himself. Suddenly, a figure lunged at him from the side, and a fist covered in heavy gauntlets crashed into his ribs, knocking him off bnce. Before he could fully recover, another punch followed, then another, each blowing fast and hard, keeping him on the defensive.


    When Wang Bin caught a glimpse of his attacker''s face, he clenched his teeth in frustration.


    It was White Marsh!


    White Marsh activated a skill, his gauntlets glowing with energy as he charged at Wang Bin with enhanced speed. Wang Bin reacted instantly, mming his axe into the ground, sending a shockwave rippling through the earth that knocked White Marsh off bnce. Without missing a beat, Wang Bin followed up with a powerful strike, his axe crackling with energy, aimed straight for White Marsh.


    White Marsh quickly recovered, using a skill that hardened his gauntlets just in time to block the iing blow. The impact sent sparks flying as the force reverberated between them. White Marsh retaliated with a flurry of powerful, skill-enhanced punches, each one faster and stronger than thest.


    Wang Bin braced himself, his body glowing as he activated his own defensive skill, reducing the damage from each hit. With a fierce roar, Wang Bin unleashed a brutal counterattack, his axe glowing brighter as he swung it in a devastating arc, aimed to break through White Marsh''s defenses.


    Bai Ze saw the iing attack and prepared to counter. But just as he was about to activate another skill, two notification windows abruptly appeared in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.


    [Team Yunyue has found the clue for the final checkpoint!]


    [The dragon, Rowan, is now unable to fight and will have to stay at Yunyue''s headquarters to recuperate.]


    The two notifications, or rather the second of the two,pletely caught him off guard. The first one was of course a good news. But the second one? It''s like a curve ball that came out of nowhere.


    How on earth had Rowan been incapacitated again? The answer was obvious, yet Bai Ze struggled to ept it. How had Yuan Long managed to take down Rowan so quickly, despite all their preparations? Still, there was a more pressing problem at hand that he should be more worried about.


    Korrinth must have noticed his brief distraction, as the otherunched an even more aggressive attack. Bai Ze barely managed to block the first blow, but the next came faster than expected, forcing him to step back. Each hit pushed him further off bnce, and no matter how quickly he tried to recover, Korrinth kept closing the distance.


    Soon, Bai Ze found himself cornered, his space shrinking with every strike, leaving him with little room to counter.


    As Bai Ze tried to get back his momentum, what he''s worried about really happened.


    [Team Mozu has found the clue for the final checkpoint!]


    Wang Bin almost jumped when he saw this notification. As expected of Captain!


    But in that brief moment of distraction, White Marsh acted, seizing the opportunity. Just as Wang Bin had done earlier when White Marsh hesitated, the other now returned the favor.


    A heavy fist mmed into Wang Bin''s side before he could react, sending him stumbling backward. He gripped his axe, ready to swing, but White Marsh was already there, following up with a rapid series of strikes. Wang Bin tried to defend, but each blow was faster, harder, and more precise. His grip faltered just as he raised his axe for a counter.


    Then, with a sudden shift, White Marsh feinted left. Wang Bin moved to block, but the real strike came from the right. White Marsh''s gauntlet glowed with an ominous ck energy as it connected with Wang Bin''s stomach. He was ready to fight back, but in that instant, he realized he couldn''t move.


    He looked down, only to see a huge hole in his stomach. The only thought he had as he disappeared into light particles was, he wouldn''t hear the end of this from his teammates.

 Chapter 1161: YUNYUE VS MOZU (XVIII)

    He Zhi Long ignored the announcement in front of him and continued to fly as fast as possible. He had already deduced the location of the final checkpoint and was flying in that direction. He was the only one remaining in his team. He had to arrive there before team Yunyue.


    [To reach your final destination, follow the moon''s silver light, where the ruler''s domain is hidden in in sight. Seek the grand hall where the monarch resides, a pce named for the goddess who rules the night.]


    That was the clue for the final checkpoint. Anyone with half a mind could tell it was pointing to Selene Pce, the residence of the King of Arcadia. It made perfect sense to choose it as the final destination. The pce wasn''t just a location; it was the very symbol of Arcadia itself.


    Given the details of the clue, it was likely that simply arriving wasn''t enough¡ªhe''d probably need to enter the pce to officially reach the ''finish line''.


    It was a good thing that Zhuo Meimei had the presence of mind to send that message to the team channel before she was eliminated.


    Let''s go back a couple of minutes to know what had happened;


    =====


    He Zhi Long nced down as he kept unleashing fire below, hoping the distraction would buy enough time for Zhuo Meimei and Wang Bin to figure out if the clue was in the area they had jumped into.


    But barely a minute had passed when a message appeared in the team channel:


    [Trap. Dragon. Clue.]


    Right after that, the notification of Zhuo Meimei''s elimination followed. With both the message and her sudden elimination, it didn''t take He Zhi Long long to figure out what had just happened.


    As they had suspected, White Marsh and the others showing up below had been a trap designed to split them apart. But with no idea where the clue was, they had no choice but to take the bait. Now, with Zhuo Meimei''s message, it was clear¡ªthe clue was with the dragon.


    He Zhi Long gritted his teeth in frustration. Since the clue was with the dragon, there was no point wasting any more time here. He flew directly toward the dragon, moving so fast that when he collided with an invisible barrier, the impact sent him flying backward. He quickly shifted into his humanoid form, skillfully stopping his momentum in midair before regaining control.


    The impact still reduced his HP, and he frowned in annoyance. He then shifted his focus to the dragon, realizing it was being shielded by an invisible barrier. That annoyed He Zhi Long even more.


    Being repelled so easily made it clear just how high the grade of the invisible shield was. For Team Yunyue to use such a powerful item, it was obvious they intended to finish the match here. If both he and Wang Bin were eliminated, victory would go to Yunyue. Given that they were in Yunyue''s territory, it was likely that more high-level traps were waiting for him.


    Trying to push through them would only cost He Zhi Long valuable time.


    So, what should he do now?


    His gaze shifted to the tree behind the dragon, then to the dragon itself. The dragon stared back at him with disdain, as if he wasn''t even worth acknowledging. It made sense¡ªHe Zhi Long was regarded as a false dragon in this game, so it was only natural that the dragon NPCs would despise him.


    Wait¡ª NPC?


    Right. This dragon was not a yer, but a pet. That meant there was no human brain behind it that could help it thinkplicated thoughts. This dragon would simply react ording to how it was programmed.


    Dragons in this game were naturally arrogant and proud, viewing everything around them as beneath them. That''s why He Zhi Long was genuinely amazed that team Yunyue had managed to acquire two of them as pets. But that''s currently besides the point.


    He knew how the dragons here, whether western or eastern, looked down on false dragons like his kind. To them, it was as if his race was pretending to be dragons when they clearly weren''t, which the ''real'' dragons considered a grave insult.


    He Zhi Long could use that arrogance against the dragon.


    "Heh. So, this is a great dragon?" he said in a mocking, sarcastic tone, his voice dripping with contempt. "I''ve seen lizards more impressive than you. Must be easy hiding behind that barrier, right? Afraid to face a ''false dragon'' like me?"


    The dragon''s eyes narrowed, a low growl rumbling from its throat. He Zhi Long smirked, continuing to taunt.


    "Guess I shouldn''t expect more from a pet. No real dragon would cower behind a shield like this."


    The insult clearly got to the dragon. Its eyes narrowed, lips curling back to reveal razor-sharp teeth as a deep growl rumbled from its throat. The taunt obviously affected its pride, causing its chest to heave and smoke to billow angrily from its nostrils. He Zhi Long could see the tension in the creature''s muscles, the way its wings twitched with barely-contained rage.


    The dragon took a step forward, its gaze locked onto He Zhi Long with a mixture of fury and contempt. He could sense the dragon''s restraint slipping. When he smirked and added, ""So this is what passes for a dragon these days? I''ve seen pets with more bite. You''re not even worth the effort," that was the final push.


    As the dragon rushed toward him, He Zhi Long stayedposed, waiting for the exact moment. When it was close enough, he used one of his strongest skills, [Heaven''s Cleave]. His weapon glowed with intense energy as he swung it in a single, precise motion aimed at the dragon''s chest. The attack struck with overwhelming force, designed to eliminate even the toughest foes in one hit.


    The dragon froze for a split second before its massive form shattered into particles of light.


    =====


    And that''s how he defeated the dragon. He couldn''t even celebrate that because just a second before, it was announced that team Yunyue had found the clue to the final checkpoint.

 Chapter 1162: YUNYUE VS MOZU (XIX)

    To do that, he had to shift into his Xie Long form, even if it meant bing a huge, visible target. He pped his wings at full speed, racing to escape Yunyue''s headquarters. As long as he could put some distance between them, White Marsh and the gnome wouldn''t be able to follow him, since the dragon they relied on for transportation had already been eliminated.


    Once he was out of their reach, there would no longer be any obstacles to him reaching Selene Pce.


    He continued to surge forward, the wind rushing past him as he gained speed. But just as he thought he was in the clear, the sky above darkened. Without warning, sharp shards of ice started slicing through the surrounding air, glinting like des as they cut through the clouds. Momentster, small, dense meteors the size of bullets began to rain down, striking the ground with force.


    He twisted and turned in midair, dodging as best he could, but the hail and meteors kepting, relentless and precise.


    He Zhi Long cursed to himself. The hailstorms and meteor showers¡ªthese were clearly AoE attacks. White Marsh was a Berserker, so it couldn''t have been from him. That only left the gnome. But wasn''t that little guy a Gunslinger? Since when did a Gunslinger have such powerful AoE attacks?


    And not just one, but two at the same time!


    The first wave of ice des and meteor bullets struck him before he could react, cutting into his wings and body. Hisrge form became an easy target, and the unexpected force of the attacks made him falter. Ice shards shed through his scales, and the meteor bullets pounded him relentlessly. Realizing he couldn''t keep up in this form, he was forced to shift back into his humanoid state.


    Smaller now, he had more agility, but the attacks kepting. He deflected the ice des with quick strikes, narrowly dodging the meteor bullets as they rained down. His mind was focused on one thing¡ªgetting out of Yunyue''s territory. The storm of ice and fire didn''t let up, forcing him to stay on the defensive, yet he moved forward, step by step, toward the edge of their headquarters.


    Every dodge and counterattack bought him a little more distance, but the barrage of AoE skills showed no sign of stopping.


    With the relentless barrage of ice des and meteor bullets closing in, He Zhi Long had no choice but to activate one of his strongest AoE skills. Dark-green mes erupted around him in a swirling storm of fire, melting the ice shards and incinerating the bullets before they couldnd another hit.


    The mes roared and twisted, clearing a path through the attacks and giving him a brief moment to act.


    Seeing his opening, he prepared to shift back into his Xie Long form, knowing he needed to escape quickly. But just as he was about to start the transformation, a sudden, sharp impact struck the back of his head. At first, it didn''t register. Then, as he watched his body slowly dissolving into light particles, the reality hit him¡ªhe had been shot.


    That damn gnome...!


    It was his final thought beforepletely disappearing.


    ----------


    Meanwhile, on the side of Luo Yan and the others...


    After securing the clue for the fourth checkpoint, they headed straight for team Mozu''s headquarters. As expected, the members of team Mozu there couldn''t stop them and could only watch in frustration, gritting their teeth, as they searched for the clue.


    With all five of them searching, it didn''t take long to find the clue. Su Yuqi was the one who discovered it, near the edge of the pit, buried under a thinyer of ash and cooledva. She brushed it aside and revealed the clue hidden beneath. Calling the rest of the team over, they confirmed it was the clue to the final checkpoint.


    [To reach your final destination, follow the moon''s silver light, where the ruler''s domain is hidden in in sight. Seek the grand hall where the monarch resides, a pce named for the goddess who rules the night.]


    Luo Yan, Shen Ji Yun, and Su Yuqi quickly realized the clue''s meaning¡ªit was pointing straight to Selene Pce. Without wasting a moment, they took off and flew directly toward the Selene Pce, the residence of the King of Arcadia.


    Selene Pce was located on a floating ind. With Dusk''s help, they were able to fly there, but it took some time. The ind was far, and without the option to use a portal, they had no choice but to travel the distance manually.


    As they saw the pce made of crystals, a notification suddenly appeared in front of them.


    [Thest member of team Mozu has been eliminated!]


    [Team Yunyue won!]


    That notification all made them pause. Even Dusk stopped flying. They won? What happened to Bai Ze and Luo Jin''s side? A notification appeared earlier, telling them that Rowan could no longer fight. But now, they had won?


    "So, are we still going to the pce?" Su Yuqi asked.


    Before anyone could respond to her question, a sudden burst of bright light enveloped them. When the light faded and they opened their eyes, they found themselves standing in what appeared to be a grand hall.


    Luo Yan was familiar with this ce. Because he had been here twice already. First was during the birthday of the King of Arcadia, and the second one was the Rookie Carnival after-party.


    They''re at the grand hall of Selene Pce.


    They weren''t alone. Bai Ze and Luo Jin had been teleported alongside them. As Luo Yan scanned the room, he also spotted team Celestials and team Fenghuang. It became clear that the final checkpoint for all four matches was this pce. Since team Yunyue had won against team Mozu, they had been automatically transported here.

 Chapter 1163: END OF THE QUARTER-FINALS

    Since there were only three teams present, it was clear that they were still awaiting the arrival of the fourth team to finalize the top four. As they waited, Luo Yan turned to Bai Ze and Luo Jin. The sudden elimination of team Mozu''s captain had made him curious, and he wanted to know what had happened.


    "Brother Ze, how did you eliminate team Mozu''s captain?" he asked.


    "Don''t ask me, it''s Xiao Jin''s work," Bai Ze said.


    Everyone at team Yunyue turned to Luo Jin after hearing that. And the other just shrugged.


    "I activated my [Meteor] and [Hailstorm] skills, forcing him to focus on dodging. While he was distracted and trying to avoid the attacks, I aimed carefully and shot him in the back of the head."


    He spoke as if it was no big deal, but everyone knew pulling it off wasn''t easy, especially against the captain ofst year''s top four team. Sure, some might say it was just a sneak attack, but even that required a good amount of skill to pull off sessfully.


    Luo Yan yfully ruffled his brother''s hair. "Nice work, Ah Jin. You''re starting to look more like an Assassin than I do!"


    "Maybe you''ll be the MVP again in this match," Su Yuqi added.


    "I worked hard as well, you know?" Bai Ze mumbled, pouting.


    "I''m sure you did," Su Yuqi said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You worked so hard, your dragon ended up incapacitated again."


    "Hey, how is that my fault?" Bai Ze shot back.


    "But why is Uncle Rowan incapacitated again?" Eclipse asked on the side.


    Bai Ze frowned. He hadn''t seen exactly what happened, but with his telepathic link to Rowan, he had a pretty good idea of what went down. Rowan had likely fallen for Yuan Long''s taunt and ended up being taken out. Worse, it wasn''t because of a hard-fought battle¡ªit was because of his own carelessness.


    How could he admit that to the team? He wanted to save Rowan some face. With how proud Rowan was, he''d definitely hold a grudge. This wasn''t like the top 16 match¡ªthis time, he was the only one on their team to be eliminated. And in an embarrassing manner to boot. That had to be a huge blow to his pride.


    As Bai Ze struggled to think of an excuse, a beam of light suddenly appeared in the center of the grand hall, interrupting his thoughts. Another team emerged from the light, and to his surprise, it was a group they knew all too well. Leading the way was a familiar vampire, stepping out first.


    "It seems that we''re thest to arrive," Alucard said with that annoying grin of his.


    Bai Ze was somewhat grateful for team Sanguis'' sudden arrival. At least now, with their appearance, his teammates'' attention had shifted away from him and onto the neers.


    Luo Yan almost rolled his eyes at the sight of Alucard. He hadn''t expected team Sanguis to actually make it to the top four. With them winning, they were set to face team Celestials in the semifinals, and if they managed to win, there was a chance team Yunyue would have to face them again.


    If the semifinals were a standard 5 vs 5 match, team Sanguis'' chances of winning would be slim. But it wasn''t. The theme was ''RPG,'' and the match would likely resemble the dungeon Thousand World Fantasia. In this case, brute strength wasn''t the key¡ªwhat they needed most was a clever, strategic mind.


    But then again, team Celestials had Uriel. That guy could definitely give team Sanguis a run for their money.


    On the other hand, team Yunyue was set to face team Fenghuang. Luo Yan didn''t know much about them beyond the basics¡ªtheir captain was a phoenix, and most of their members came from Eastern mythologies with positive reputations. They were theplete opposite of team Mozu.


    However, with the semi-finals'' theme being ''RPG,'' their individual skills as yers weren''t the deciding factor. What truly mattered was their strategy and acting ability. Of course, this all hinged on the assumption that the RPG theme would be simr to the Thousand World Fantasia dungeon.


    Just as Luo Yan was mulling over these thoughts, Lana and L suddenly appeared. Lana wore her usual serious expression, while L shed her trademark yful smile.


    Lana''s serious gaze swept over the teams. "Congrattions to the top four," she said, her tone formal and direct. "You''ve made it this far, but the real challenge begins now."


    L, still smiling yfully, chimed in. "Oh, don''t look so tense! You''ve all done great so far. But things are about to get a lot more¡­ interesting." She winked, adding a teasing edge to her words.


    Lana nodded. "We expect nothing less than your best in the semi-finals. The next round will test not just your strength, but your wits."


    L twirled a lock of her hair, grinning. "Exactly! It''s going to be fun watching how you handle what''sing. So, good luck¡ªyou''re going to need it!"


    "Before that, let''s all give a round of apuse to this round''s MVPs."


    As soon as Lana finished speaking, fourrge screens appeared, each disying the MVPs from the top four teams. The first screen showed a montage of Uriel from team Celestials. Next to it was a montage of team Fenghuang''s captain. The third screen featured Su Yuqi from team Yunyue. Finally, thest screen disyed a montage of team Sanguis'' vice-captain.


    Lana nced at the screens, then back at the teams. "Congrattions to the MVPs of each team. Your performance so far has been impressive."


    L pped her hands together, her smile bright. "Well done, all of you! It''s no small feat to stand out in such fiercepetition."


    Lana nodded, her tone serious. "We''ll see you all in the semifinals tomorrow. Prepare well."


    L smiled yfully. "Rest up and get ready. Tomorrow''s going to be fun!"


    And so, the quarter-finals of the Arcadia Cup finally came to an end.

 Chapter 1164: BACK AT HEADQUARTERS

    After the emcees, Lena and L, delivered their closing remarks, the top four teams were transported back to their respective headquarters. The space remained exactly as they had left it¡ªuntouched by the chaos of the quarter-finals. If the battles had caused any damage, the game had already seamlessly repaired it.


    "And why shouldn''t I be the MVP?" Su Yuqi responded, raising an eyebrow at what Bai Ze just said. She then added with a mocking smirk, "Let me guess¡ªyou thought you deserved it instead?"


    "That''s not what I meant. I''m just saying Xiao Jin deserved it more," Bai Ze replied, correcting her with a hint of defensiveness.


    "Heh, if you say so," Su Yuqi replied sarcastically, then turned to Luo Jin. "What about you, Ah Jin? Do you agree with that?"


    "I think you absolutely deserve to be the MVP," Luo Jin blurted out, as if his very survival hinged on the answer.


    Su Yuqi smiled, clearly satisfied. "See? Even Ah Jin agrees with me."


    Bai Ze rolled his eyes. "Please, he''s got a crush on you! Of course he''s going to agree."


    "I think the MVP title this round was mostly determined by how much a yer contributed to uncovering the clues in finding each checkpoint," Luo Yan chimed in, offering his perspective. "And in that sense, I''d say Sister Yuqi definitely earned the MVP title."


    Hearing Luo Yan''s reasoning, Bai Ze found himself at a loss for words. As much as he hated to admit it, Su Yuqi had been the one who contributed the most to finding the clues at each checkpoint. But that didn''t mean he had to like it. Left with no choice, he sulked quietly, pouting to himself.


    Seeing Bai Ze''s reaction, Luo Yan couldn''t help but chuckle. Sometimes, his cousin could be ridiculously childish. As he turned, he spotted yet another one pouting.


    "What''s wrong, Eclipse?"


    "It''s Uncle Dusk," Eclipse said, sounding almost offended. "The moment we got here, he went straight off to find Uncle Rowan."


    "Is there something wrong with that?" Luo Yan asked, genuinely confused.


    "Of course there is!" Eclipse eximed, his eyes wide with dramatic concern. "What if they''re starting to develop a rtionship? What''ll happen to my grand n of marrying Aunt Yuki to Uncle Dusk?" He folded his arms, frowning as if the very thought had thrown his entire future into chaos.


    Eclipse''s outburst caught everyone''s attention. Not only did Luo Yan turn to look at him, but the rest of the group also stared.


    "Rowan and Dusk... together? Ugh, why would you put that kind of image in my head?" Bai Ze groaned, shuddering as if the mere thought gave him goosebumps. He rubbed his arms dramatically, clearly unsettled by the idea.


    Seemingly having found an ally, Eclipse said, "Right? Uncle Dusk definitely looked better with Aunt Yuki."


    "But what if Uncle Dusk actually ends up liking Rowan?" Luo Yan asked, partly to humor Eclipse but also honestly curious about what his response would be.


    Eclipse visibly struggled with the thought, his expression twisting in reluctance. But finally, through gritted teeth, he muttered, "Then... I''ll support them."


    "Rx, that''s probably not going to happen," Shen Ji Yun chimed in unexpectedly. "Dusk only went to find Rowan to train him, so he won''t end up incapacitated again in the next round."


    Before leaving, Dusk had informed Shen Ji Yun through their telepathic connection that he intended to train Rowan. Though their rtionship was more that of polite acquaintances than close friends¡ªunlike Luo Yan and Eclipse¡ªDusk still made it a habit to asionally update Shen Ji Yun on his whereabouts.


    Eclipse let out a visible sigh of relief upon hearing that, casting a grateful nce in Shen Ji Yun''s direction. It was clear from his reaction just how seriously he had been taking the whole ''Dusk-Rowan'' situation.


    "I doubt training Rowan will make much of a difference," Su Yuqi remarked. "There''s a good chance only the five of us will be allowed topete in the semi-finals, anyway."


    Everyone¡ªexcept for Eclipse¡ªimmediately understood what Su Yuqi was implying. Since the theme of the next round was ''RPG'', it was likely that pets wouldn''t be allowed to participate. The name alone suggested they''d have to take on specific roles.


    If it was anything like the Thousand World Fantasia dungeon, they would probably be thrown into a scenario where their appearances were altered, and they''d have to act ording to the roles they were assigned.


    Pets were, technically speaking, still NPCs. No matter how human-like they behaved, they were ultimately bound by their programming. ying a role outside of their predefined behavior was simply impossible, which was why Su Yuqi made that point.


    "Why?" Eclipse asked innocently. "Is it because Uncle Rowan keeps getting incapacitated?"


    Luo Yan smiled gently at Eclipse and said softly, "No, it''s not because of that. The next round just has different rules, and only the main yers are probably the only ones allowed to participate."


    Eclipse still looked a bit confused, but he nodded anyway, as if trusting Luo Yan''s words despite not fully grasping the exnation.


    Luo Yan ruffled the teenager''s hair and decided to give him plenty of Mana fruitster.


    "By the way, what''s your opinion on team Fenghuang?" he asked after a while. "Will they give us a hard for tomorrow''s match?"


    Shen Ji Yun and Bai Ze both nced at Su Yuqi, as if fully expecting her to answer. Seeing that, Su Yuqi let out an irritable sigh.


    "Don''t look at me like I''m some expert on team Fenghuang," she said, rolling her eyes. "I only know their captain personally, that''s all."


    Hearing that, Luo Jin was suddenly reminded of what Su Yuqi had mentioned during his visit to B City for her birthday¡ªthat some person, whose name he couldn''t quite recall, was the captain of team Fenghuang.


    What was that guy''s name again?

 Chapter 1165: IS HE YOUR FIANCé?

    WHAT Su Yuqi said caught Luo Yan''s attention. "You know their captain personally, Sister Yuqi?"


    "Yeah. He''s a student of my father," Su Yuqi answered. "Like some sort of disciple."


    From what Luo Yan remembered, Su Yuqi''s father was like a national level artist. If the captain of team Fenghuang was his disciple, then the other must also be a painter of some sort.


    "He''s not only Uncle Su''s disciple, I heard the elders of the Su family are pushing for marriage between him and Su Yuqi," Bai Ze suddenly added.


    Everyone, except Shen Ji Yun, turned to Bai Ze after hisment. Their faces disyed a range of reactions. Su Yuqi red at him with obvious displeasure, while Luo Yan looked mildly shocked. Luo Jin, on the other hand, appearedpletely drained, as if the life had been sucked out of him.


    "Are you going to marry someone, Pink Sister?" Eclipse suddenly asked.


    His question struck Luo Jin like a nail to the heart, leaving him feeling even more crushed and defeated.


    "No, I''m not," Su Yuqi said to Eclipse before turning to Bai Ze and giving him a cold smile. "If you don''t want me to personally ensure you can''t speak for the rest of the day, I''d suggest you stop talking."


    "What? It''s not like I''m making things up," Bai Ze retorted, attempting to sound unfazed.


    Su Yuqi rolled her eyes. "Right, because you''re not at all like a gossiping housewife obsessing over the new, young, pretty neighbor."


    Annoyed by theparison, Bai Ze red at Su Yuqi. "You--"


    While the two bickered, Luo Jin remained in a state of shock, still processing what he''d just heard from Bai Ze. It triggered a memory from the time at the museum when Ning Feng''s name came up. He recalled the palpable tension between Su Yuqi and her cousin, as if her cousin strongly disapproved of the idea of Su Yuqi being involved with Ning Feng.


    Back then, Luo Jin hadn''t paid much attention. His mind waspletely consumed with how he would confess to Su Yuqi, and because of that, he overlooked such an important clue. Now, he was kicking himself for his carelessness.


    He turned to Su Yuqi, unaware that his expression resembled someone who had just been abandoned by the person they loved. His voice wavered slightly as he asked, "Is he really your fianc¨¦?"


    Su Yuqi, still in the middle of her argument with Bai Ze, paused and turned to Luo Jin. Noticing his pained expression, she flicked his forehead lightly and said in an incredulous tone, "How did anything Bai Ze said lead you to that conclusion?"


    Luo Jin held his forehead, looking even more aggrieved. "But Brother Ze said that the elders of your family wanted him to marry you--"


    "Exactly! The elders, not me." Su Yuqi raised her brow at him. "Do you think I will marry Ning Feng just because they said so? This is not ancient times. Not to mention me, my father would definitely not agree."


    Luo Jin felt a wave of relief wash over him as her words sank in. Right. This wasn''t ancient times¡ªSu Yuqi didn''t have to follow the whims of her family''s elders. Just as she said, she wouldn''t let herself be forced into something like that. And besides, her father wouldn''t allow it either.


    "You fool. Just what are you thinking in that head of yours?" Su Yuqi said. Although she tried to sound like she was scolding Luo Jin, anyone could hear the pampering in her voice. She probably wasn''t even aware of it.


    Luo Yan saw this and smiled inwardly. Well, it seemed that Luo Jin''s feelings were not so unrequited after all.


    Watching his brother, who quickly apologized and then adopted a determined expression, it was clear he was set on not losing to Ning Feng in tomorrow''s semi-final match.


    Good. Because he was also very determined to win.


    "Alright, let''s get back on track and start discussing our strategy for tomorrow''s match," Shen Ji Yun said, steering the conversation back to the original topic.


    Everyone stopped, and they began discussing again what needed to be discussed.


    ----------


    After the quarter-finals, opinions online about the four matches that were held varied widely. Some fans thoroughly enjoyed the matches, appreciating the unique challenges and strategies that emerged from the ''Amazing Race'' theme. They found the race dynamics refreshing, adding an extrayer of excitement and unpredictability to thepetition. The fast-paced nature and diverse environments kept them engaged, as it forced yers to adapt quickly and think on their feet.


    On the other hand, there were those who felt that the theme fell t, calling it repetitive andcking the intensity they expected from such a high-stakes round. These viewers missed the traditionalbat-focused matches and believed the ''Amazing Race'' theme took away from the corepetitive spirit. Many of them voiced that they preferred watching tactical battles or skillful disys of strength over what they saw as a glorified obstacle course. Some even went as far as to call it an obvious ''foreigner bait''.


    This division of opinions sparked a heated debate across forums and social media, with some praising the innovation and others calling for a return to more ssic match formats in the future.


    In any case, the Arcadia Cup remained a hot topic, trending not just domestically but internationally as well. The stunning locations featured in the matches particrly captivated foreign viewers. They marveled at the magical and immersive environments, each area offering a unique sense of wonder. Many expressed their excitement online, eagerly anticipating the chance to explore these breathtaking ces for themselves.


    At least in that regard, Moonlight Media had aplished its goal. They could now be confident that the international demand for VR helmets would surge, thanks to the quarter-finals matches. After all, boosting global sales was exactly what the quarter-finals were designed to achieve in the first ce.


    With that, the day drew to a close, and soon, a new one dawned. The highly anticipated semi-finals of the Arcadia Cup were about to begin.

 Chapter 1166: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (I)

    AT exactly 1 PM, the top four teams were transported out of their headquarters. But unlike the first two rounds, they didn''t appear in Lunaris Vale. Instead, they found themselves on a floatingndmass. Around them was a pink sky and clusters of blue clouds. The most eye-catching feature, however, was the floating railway that spiraled around them, twisting through the sky in a mesmerizing disy.


    Team Yunyue immediately recognized the ce¡ªit was the Thousand World Fantasia Dungeon. They had suspected the semi-final round might resemble this dungeon, but they hadn''t anticipated being transported directly into it.


    Luo Yan quickly noticed that Eclipse, and the two dragons were not with them when they were teleported. Su Yuqi''s guess from the previous day had been correct¡ªpets were clearly not allowed in this round. Eclipse would definitely not like being excluded like this.


    He scanned his surroundings and immediately noticed something unusual about the other three teams. Not all of their main members were present. Take Team Celestials, for example: out of the usual five, only Li Xu Min, Song Liuli, and the ever-annoying Uriel remained. The other two faces were unfamiliar to him. The same was true for Team Sanguis. Of the five members they faced during the preliminaries, only Alucard and Lilith remained, while the others were unfamiliar to Luo Yan. Team Fenghuang''s lineup was no different; the only ones he recognized were the captain and vice-captain, while the rest were yers he had never seen before.


    Luo Yan wasn''t too surprised. The other teams had likely considered the semi-final''s ''RPG'' theme and opted for members skilled in acting and strategy, rather than just purebat. Unfortunately, his team didn''t have that luxury. But that was fine. Their real advantagey elsewhere¡ªTeam Yunyue had already cleared this dungeon before. That experience gave them an edge, one that could prove more valuable.


    Soon, a train came to a halt in front of them. But unlike the train Luo Yan remembered, this one only had two carriages. A familiar ck rabbit then stepped off. It appeared that the rabbit conductor would serve as their emcee for today, taking the ce of Lena and L.


    "Wee, brave warriors, to the Thousand World Terminal!" the rabbit announced with a cheerful grin. "I am the Conductor of the Fantasia Train, and I will be your guide for today''s match."


    He paused briefly before continuing, "Two teams will board the train together and be transported to a random world. Once there, you mustplete the tasks assigned to you. These will include both team tasks and individual ones, each worth points. You have a total of three hours to finish, but remember, time flows differently inside the Thousand World Fantasia. One hour here equals a full day there, giving you three days toplete the tasks. While many tasks will be given, keep in mind that only one is the main task. Once that task ispleted, the match will end.


    "Whichever teampletes the main task first will be dered the winner. However, if no one solves it, the victory will go to the team with the highest points. Keep in mind that once you arrive in the random world, you''ll be assigned a specific role to y. If you break character and are discovered by the world''s inhabitants or even a member of the opposing team, you will be instantly eliminated, and any points you''ve earned will be forfeited."


    The Conductor nced around. "Any questions?" When no one spoke up, he nodded and continued, "Very well. Team Celestials and Team Sanguis, step forward and board the train. Please board separate carriages."


    The two teams stepped forward, each team boarding separate carriages. Once everyone was inside, the doors slid shut, and the train smoothly began its journey along the tracks. Momentster, another train with two carriages glided to a stop in front of them.


    "Team Fenghuang, team Yunyue, it''s your turn," the Conductor called the two remaining teams.


    The members of the two remaining teams stepped forward. Team Fenghuang headed toward the first carriage, leaving team Yunyue with no option but to take their ce in front of the second one.


    As both teams began to board, the captain of Team Fenghuang, Ning Feng¡ªbetter known as Huo Feng in the game¡ªcast a nce in their direction. No, his gaze was fixed on one person in particr: Su Yuqi.


    Ning Feng had long, red hair that fell smoothly down his back, with golden strands woven through, catching the light as he moved. His eyes were a deep orange-red, sharp and clear, like they held a quiet fire within them. Despite his striking appearance, his face was calm and gentle, with a soft, rxed expression that contrasted with his intense features.


    He gave a small smile and said, "Good luck," before turning and boarding the first carriage.


    Although it seemed like he was wishing good luck to all of Team Yunyue, they knew his words were really meant for Su Yuqi. This irritated Luo Jin, who felt the urge to say something sharp in return. However, since they had to quickly get on the train, he could only shoot a re at the first carriage, as if his intense stare alone could get under Ning Feng''s skin.


    He quickly felt foolish for his reaction. How immature of him. He needed to focus on the match and make sure they won.


    Once everyone was inside, the doors closed, and the train smoothly set off.


    [Attention, passengers. This is your conductor speaking. We will now begin our journey. Please, sit down and enjoy the train ride.]


    After they all sat down, the voice of the Conductor echoed inside the train.


    Just like the first time they boarded the train, it suddenly surged forward, rapidly elerating. The pink sky outside quickly blurred into white, giving the impression that they were traveling at the speed of light.


    [Attention! Attention! We''ve arrived at our destination!]


    A sudden burst of bright light flooded the train car. Anticipating this, they quickly shut their eyes.


    Before they had a chance to open their eyes, the Conductor''s voice echoed through the train car once more.


    [Wee to the Orient Express!]

 Chapter 1167: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (II)

    ORIENT Express? Where did he hear that name? - That was Luo Yan''s first thought as the Conductor''s announcement echoed in his mind. Before he could ponder it further, the blinding light around him finally dimmed, urging him to open his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the soft sunlight, gently reflecting off the polished mahogany panels, casting a warm glow throughout the cozypartment.


    He was sitting on a soft burgundy seat in a smallpartment. The seats were arranged in two rows facing each other, enough for four people to sitfortably. A brass luggage rack above him held a few neatly packed old looking bags, and the clink of the train''s movement made them sway slightly, casting shadows over thepartment.


    Across from him, two women were seated, their skirts spilling over the edges of the seats in voluminous folds of fine fabric. The woman nearest the window wore a navy-blue jacket tightly fitted at the waist, with a row of shining buttons running up to a highce cor. Her hair, dark and pinned up beneath a small hat adorned with ribbons and feathers. The sunlight picked up the fine embroidery on her cuffs as she adjusted her gloves.


    Beside her sat an older woman, who could easily have been the first woman''s mother. She had soft graying hair peeking out from under a bo tied with a satin ribbon. She wore a deep olive dress, cinched at the waist with a belt, the folds of her skirt falling elegantly to the floor. A small brooch glinted at her chest as she spoke.


    And then, to Luo Yan''s right, a third woman sat. Her dark green dress, trimmed withce at the sleeves and neckline, rustled softly as she adjusted the shawl draped over her shoulders. A hat, pinned neatly to her hair, rested at a slight angle, decorated with a single rose. She nced out the window, where thendscape outside blurred past in a wash of green fields and distant hills.


    Thepartment was filled with the quiet murmur of conversation between the two women opposite him, their voices polite but hushed. The air was perfumed with the subtle scent of rosewater andvender, mixing with the faint smell of polished leather and wood.


    It didn''t take Luo Yan long to grasp where he was. The gentle rocking, the enclosedpartment¡ªhe was clearly on a train. And judging by the elegant attire of the three women around him, with their borate dresses and bos, he could tell this world was set in thete 19th century, most likely somewhere in Europe.


    With all these clues adding up, it finally clicked. He remembered where he had heard the name "Orient Express" before. It was from that famous detective novel by a female English author. What was the detective''s name again? Ah, yes¡ªPoirot! He didn''t know much about the book series, but he had seen the movie adaptation of one of them¡ªMurder on the Orient Express.


    From what he remembered from that, the Orient Express was this really famous luxury train that used to run across Europe. It connected cities like Paris and Istanbul, and only wealthy people or those with some status could afford to travel on it.


    So, this was the setting of their semi-final match?


    Now he couldn''t help but wonder what their task could possibly be.


    Just as that thought crossed his mind, he nced down¡ªand froze. He was staring at a white skirt. No, more urately, the skirt of a dress. And he was the one wearing it! As if that wasn''t startling enough, below the hem were two small feet encased in leather boots. He quickly raised his hand, only to find it small and delicate. He reached up to touch his hair, feeling it cascade past his shoulders.


    He didn''t need a notification window to tell him that he would be ying a child. And not just a child, but a young girl!


    Before Luo Yan could fully register that, the older woman sitting in front suddenly spoke to him.


    "My dear, you appear a bit pale. Are you feeling quite alright?"


    He lifted his head, but before his eyes met the older woman, a soft mint-green notification window appeared in his view.


    [The Orient Express Murder Mystery!


    A notorious serial killer is aboard this very luxury train! The fiend who struck terror into the hearts of the Whitechapel district in London, stalking the streets under the cloak of darkness. In just three brutal months, he imed the lives of five women¡ªat least, those are the only ones known¡ªbefore vanishing without a trace. The one and only Jack the Ripper!


    But now, his reign of terror has found new ground. There will be two murders aboard this train, one tonight and another tomorrow night. These killings, however, are merely practice¡ªa sinister prelude to his ultimate goal. On the third night, the Ripper will strike his true target.


    Your team''s main mission is clear: prevent that final murder. If the Ripper seeds in killing his real target, your team will lose.


    Beware, though¡ªthe Ripper is hidden in in sight, carefully disguised, and no one is above suspicion. But fear not¡ªyou won''t be facing this monster alone. A legendary ally is on your side, one whose intellect and skills are unmatched. The brilliant detective, Sherlock Holmes!


    However, there''s a catch¡ªbefore Sherlock Holmes can offer his assistance, you''ll have to find him first. Known for his love of disguises, Holmes will be among the passengers, blending in seamlessly with the crowd. He could be anyone¡ªa fellow traveler, a porter, or even someone you''ve already spoken to. His genius lies not only in solving crimes but in his ability to be unrecognizable when needed. Keep your eyes sharp, for the detective you seek may be hiding in in sight, testing your wits before he steps forward to aid in this dangerous game.


    Best of luck to you all!]


    Luo Yan hadn''t had time to react to all of that because another notification window appeared in front of him.

 Chapter 1168: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (III)

    [PLAYER Noctis, wee to the Orient Express. You will be taking on the role of Mary, a shy, timid seven-year-old girl who has just been adopted by the wealthy widow Mrs. Winslow. Mary is known for her extreme politeness and unwavering obedience, which is precisely why she was chosen by her new mother. However, there''s more to Mrs. Winslow than meets the eye, and you must tread carefully to survive this mysterious arrangement.


    Your mission objectives:


    1. Maintain Your Cover: Never let Mrs. Winslow suspect that you''re not the real Mary. Any slip-up could lead to dire, unimaginable consequences.


    2. Uncover Mrs. Winslow''s Secret: Find out what dark secrets Mrs. Winslow is hiding. The truth is crucial, but finding it without raising suspicion will be a delicate task.


    3. Don''t go out of character: You must y the role of Mary with absolute perfection until the final day. Stay in character, be polite, obedient, and maintain Mary''s shy demeanor. If you seed, you''ll earn additional points. However, even a single misstep will result in deducted points.


    Mission Structure:


    - You can choose not to pursue these missions, but each objectivepleted adds to your point total.


    - The more missions youplete, the more points you will earn.


    - You have full control over the decisions you make¡ªwhether you remain in character or choose another path is entirely up to you. But remember: each choice has consequences.


    Good luck, dear yer! The fate of Mar and your sess in this mission rest in your hands. Choose wisely!]


    Luo Yan barely had time to process what was happening before a soft hand settled on his shoulder. Though the touch felt gentle, an unmistakable pressure weighed down on him, making it clear that the grip, though light, carried hidden force.


    He nced to his side and saw the woman seated next to him, her gaze fixed on him from above.


    "Mary, someone has asked you a question. Don''t you think you should answer?"


    Again, the woman was smiling gently at him, but Luo Yan couldn''t help but feel scared. It''s not him per se that was feeling this fear, it was this body. As if the fear had been ingrained.


    He suddenly recalled the earlier notification: if this woman, Mrs. Winslow, began to suspect that he wasn''t truly Maria, the consequences would undoubtedly be severe.


    Luo Yan pushed all his thoughts aside and concentrated on what needed to be done. He trembled slightly, then apologized in a voice so soft it was barely more than a whisper.


    "I''m sorry. I got distracted and wasn''t paying attention." He then turned to the older woman sitting across from him, trying to appear both apologetic and grateful. This time, he made an effort to speak louder, but his voice still came out soft. "I''m alright, ma''am. Thank you for asking."


    "Oh my, what a well-mannered child," the older woman remarked, clearly pleased with his response. She turned to Mrs. Winslow with a smile. "Your daughter is truly delightful."


    Mrs. Winslow returned the smile. "Yes, she is," she replied, ncing down at Luo Yan. The subtle pressure she had exuded earlier vanished, and she gently patted his head. "A very, very lovely child."


    Luo Yan lowered his gaze, acting shy, though inside, he was cursing up a storm. ying the role of a seven-year-old girl was bad enough, but hearing his own high-pitched, childish voice made him want to throw something. And now, to top it off, he was stuck with a suspicious mother who might be more dangerous than she seemed.


    How on earth was he supposed to find clues about Jack the Ripper with this woman hovering over him? And what chance did he have of helping Sherlock Holmes in this situation? If the game had given him an adult role, even as a woman, he wouldn''t have minded. He''d done it before. But being a child in this setting was a huge disadvantage, especially with this unsettling ''mother'' constantly watching him.


    Luo Yan nced up at Mrs. Winslow. She looked every bit the gentle and loving mother, but he could sense there was more to her than that. Something about her felt... off. Maybe this caring exterior was just an act, and the real Mrs. Winslow was much darker. He had a strong feeling that was the case.


    If he considered the individual mission he''d been given, it was clear something was wrong with this woman. The game not only warned him not to let her discover his true identity, but it also tasked him with uncovering her secret. That felt like a huge red g, practically screaming that this ''mother'' was dangerous.


    Still, the ultimate goal was stopping Jack the Ripper from killing on the third night. The game wouldn''t throw in a side mission like this unless Mrs. Winslow was somehow connected to the main plot. Maybe she was one of the three victims the Ripper would target. If so, she was probably thest one¡ªusually the most significant. And if he considered her hidden secret, it made sense.


    Or, the game could just be messing with him, piling on extra tasks that had nothing to do with Jack the Ripper, simply to distract him from the main mission. Maybe the side missions were bait, luring yers into traps in the guise of rewarding them with bonus points.


    Luo Yan decided to y it smart. He would focus on the main mission but keep an eye on the individual tasks without actively doing them. He would just do the bare minimum by staying in character.


    Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment. Right now, he was no longer Luo Yan¡ªhe was Mary, a seven-year-old orphan, timid and obedient to her new mother. That was who he needed to be.


    When he opened his eyes, they held the innocence of a child, along with the guarded wariness of someone who had lost everything. As someone who had once lived that life, slipping into this role felt second nature.

 Chapter 1169: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (IV)

    SHEN JI YUN nced around as he opened his eyes. Sunlight streamed through therge windows, casting a warm glow over the cabin. The walls were dark, polished wood with simple carvings, and the velvet seats in deep red looked soft and inviting. A small wooden table nearby held fine china and silverware. Thick velvet curtains were tied back, letting in the full view of the passingndscape. The air felt fresh, with a hint of leather and clean linen.


    Shortly after, a notification window popped up before him, outlining the details of their main mission. His eyes quickly scanned the keywords: Orient Express, Jack the Ripper, and Sherlock Holmes. In that instant, the setting of this match became unmistakably clear to him.


    It was a mystery set in Europe in thete 19th century. The mystery part was very obvious just by reading the main mission prompt. But the timeline was ording to the characters involved.


    Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes.


    Although one of them was a fictional character, both of them existed in thete 19th century.


    Shen Ji Yun stood up. Since he was alone inside the cabin, then he must be in first ss. During this time period, the Orient Express was a train that traveled along the route from Paris to Romania. It was known for its opulent amodations, fine dining, and exclusive service, making it inessible to most poor or working-ss people.


    The high cost of tickets meant that only the wealthy, including aristocrats, diplomats, and affluent travelers, could afford to ride the train. That''s why it remained a symbol of wealth and luxury travel well into the 20th century.


    Even those in the second-ss cabins, where up to four people shared the space, were likely from upper-middle-ss families.


    He nced at his reflection in the train window. The man staring back at him matched his real height, tall and lean. His blond hair was neatlybed, and sharp blue eyes looked back with calm confidence. He wore a tailored frock coat, paired with a high-cored white shirt and a silk cravat. A finely embroidered waistcoat peeked beneath the coat, and neatly pressed trouserspleted the outfit. Polished leather shoes and a gold pocket watch chain draped across his waistcoat added to his refined appearance, fitting perfectly with the opulent surroundings.


    As Shen Ji Yun was wondering what his identity was, a new notification window appeared before him.


    [yer YUN, you will y the role of the Duke of Ashbourne, Edmund Carlisle. An infamous duke known as a rake and notorious yboy, his reputation for scandal follows him wherever he goes. With a long history of love affairs and rumors, Carlisle is both charming and carefree. His quick wit and good looks make him admired by some and envied by others, but no one can deny the influence he holds in high society.


    You''re traveling on the train, not for a specific destination, but to secretly meet yourtest lover onboard.


    Individual Missions:


    1. Find Your Secret Lover: Your first task is to discover who your secret lover is. Once you find her, you''ll earn points. Clue: She''s not in the same ss as you.


    2. y the yboy: As a notorious rake, you must live up to your reputation. You are required to flirt with a woman every 15 minutes. The only exception is when you''re asleep at night. If you keep this up for three days, you''ll gain points. But for every missed opportunity, points will be deducted.


    3. Stay in Character: Ensure you don''t break character at any point. Sticking to your role will earn you points, while slipping out of character will cost you.


    Good luck!]


    Shen Ji Yun''s brows furrowed. y a yboy? The thought didn''t sit well with him. He didn''t want to, and since it wasn''t mandatory, why should he? He had a boyfriend. How could he just flirt with other women, even if they were just made of data? It didn''t matter if they weren''t real¡ªit still felt wrong.


    But then, he realized how many points he could lose by not flirting every 15 minutes. There were 96 intervals in a day, and if he slept for five hours, that would leave 76 intervals. If each missed interval meant losing a point, that would be 76 points deducted from their team score. That was far too many to risk.


    Not to mention, he might not even need to sleep at all¡ªthis wasn''t the real world, after all. That meant he could face the full 96 points deduction. And that''s assuming it was just one point per missed interval. What if it was two, or even three points? It could even be as much as 10 points for each time he didn''t flirt.


    The fact that the game didn''t specify how many points would be lost made it clear¡ªthey wanted him to worry about this exact thing. It was a way to pressure him intopleting the individual mission. The only way to ensure this wouldn''t hurt his team was to seed in the main mission. But who could guarantee they would pull that off?


    Although he had great confidence in his team, iming they would win bypleting the main task felt like overconfidence. In the end, he couldn''t take that risk. The conclusion was clear: he still had toplete his individual missions.


    In short, he had no choice but to y the role of a yboy.


    As he wrestled with his thoughts, the team channel suddenly popped up in front of him. In his focus on everything else, he had almost forgotten to check if they couldmunicate during this match. But with the channel appearing now, it was clear there would be no issues with staying connected.


    Morganite: [How is everyone doing?]


    White Marsh: [Don''t ask. I want to curse this sted game!]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [...]


    Shen Ji Yun raised an eyebrow as he read Bai Ze and Luo Jin''s replies. It seemed they, too, had been assigned roles they weren''t happy with.


    Noctis: [I''m in a second-ss cabin, ying the role of a timid, shy seven-year-old girl. She''s traveling with her wealthy, widowed mother who recently adopted her. I haven''t seen my full face yet, but I have golden blonde ringlets.]

 Chapter 1170: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (V)

    UPON reading Luo Yan''s reply, Shen Ji Yun''s mind instantly conjured an image of a young Luo Yan with golden ringlets, dressed in a dress. A strikingly beautiful girl took shape in his imagination. The sudden, overwhelming desire to see Luo Yan as a child filled him¡ªnot because the idea of him as a little girl intrigued him, but because he simply longed to see the child version of Luo Yan. The thought of him wearing a dress was merely an amusing and delightful bonus.


    Shen Ji Yun reread Luo Yan''s reply, noting how unbothered the other seemed about revealing the role he had to y. Realizing there was no reason for him to feel embarrassed either, he felt a sense of calm wash over him. It seemed he wasn''t the only one who came to this conclusion, as both Bai Ze and Luo Jin finally shared the roles assigned to them as well.


    White Marsh: [I''m ying the role of... Comtesse de Valenbourg, an old hag who loves toin about everything around her. She''s traveling on the Orient Express for a vacation and is apanied by apanion, one of thosedies-in-waiting types. That''s the basic summary.]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [My role is... Madame Violet Duval, a renowned... courtesan who once moved seamlessly through the circles of French high society. Having recently retired, she is now treating herself to a well-deserved journey aboard the Orient Express, a reward for all the years she dedicated to her profession.]


    Shen Ji Yun nearly burst intoughter as he read Bai Ze''s reply. The thought of him ying the role of an annoying old woman was downright hrious. But when he saw Luo Jin''s response, theughter he was about to release got stuck in his throat.


    A courtesan? Under normal circumstances, that would have made things even funnier. But with the role Shen Ji Yun was ying, coupled with one of his individual missions, the amusement faded, and he found himself momentarily frozen.


    What if the role Luo Jin was ying turned out to be the secret lover of his character? The thought alone made Shen Ji Yun''s skin crawl, a cold shiver running down his back as he grimaced.


    White Marsh: [Thank you, Xiao Jin. Your reply made me feel a bit better.]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [...Shut up.]


    Morganite: [It''s definitely better to be a pretty woman than an old hag.]


    In essence, Su Yuqi was pointing out that Luo Jin had a more favorable role than Bai Ze, so there was no reason for him to feel embarrassed.


    White Marsh: [Hey, Su Yuqi, could you be a little less obvious about your bias toward Xiao Jin?]


    Morganite: [It''s not bias towards Ah Jin¡ªI''m just naturally against you.]


    White Marsh: [You---]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [What''s your role, Yuqi?]


    Luo Jin likely sensed that the bickering between the two would drag on, so he quickly changed the topic. If he hadn''t stepped in, Shen Ji Yun would have done it himself.


    Morganite: [I''m ying the role of a male attendant responsible for the third train car.]


    White Marsh: [Tsk.]


    It was obvious from his reaction how disappointed he was that Su Yuqi hadn''t been assigned a more embarrassing role.


    Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun? How about you?]


    Reading Luo Yan''s message, Shen Ji Yun sighed. It''s finally his turn to answer.


    YUN: [I''m a yboy duke.]


    A brief silence fell on the team channel. Shen Ji Yun couldn''t shake the feeling that the others were most likelyughing right now.


    Noctis: [A yboy, huh?]


    Luo Yan was the first to respond, and although Shen Ji Yun couldn''t hear his voice, he was certain it wasced with amusement.


    White Marsh: [Ji Yun, can you y this role without going out of character?]


    YUN: [Don''t worry about me, I will try my best to y it as best as I could. You should also do the same.]


    Morganite: [I''m sure Bai Ze would have no problem ying a nagging old woman. With their simrities and all. ???)


    White Marsh: [Hey, attendant, I just checked. I''m in the third train car. You better follow all my orders or I will have to report you to the train manager.]


    Sensing that the conversation was drifting off course, Shen Ji Yun intervened, much like Luo Jin had earlier, and steered it back on track before it could veer further from the main topic.


    YUN: [Please state your individual missions.]


    White Marsh: [Mine is nothing much. Just don''t go out of character and make sure toin every 10 minutes.]


    That was simr to his individual missions, except for the part about finding the lover, Shen Ji Yun thought.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [If I''m in a room full of people, I need to make sure everyone looks at me at least once¡ªnot because I did something foolish, but because of my beauty. And also, I must be careful not to be Jack the Ripper''s target, considering my former profession.]


    Shen Ji Yun nodded. It made sense, given that Jack the Ripper was infamous for targeting prostitutes during his killing spree in Whitechapel.


    Morganite: [Mine is simple: just make sure I do my job as an attendant properly and don''t give anyone the chance toin about my service.]


    Noctis: [I have to find out the secret of thedy who adopted me and make sure she also not suspect I''m not the real ''Mary''.]


    Seeing as everyone had already responded, it''s now Shen Ji Yun''s turn. He sighed once again. Should he be thankful that they were not in the same cabin? Because if they were, he was sure that they would definitelyugh at him after this.


    YUN: [I have to flirt with a woman every 15 minutes. At the same time, I also needed to search for my secret lover.]


    Just like when he responded earlier, an awkward pause appeared on the team channel. Once again, it was Luo Yan who first sent a reply.


    Noctis: [Flirting with other women, and even having a secret lover. You sure are busy, Brother Ji Yun.]

 Chapter 1171: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (VI)

    SHEN JI YUN nced at Luo Yan''s reply, and a chill of dread crept down his spine. He felt like he should rify things right away, before any misunderstandings could arise.


    YUN: [I don''t want to do it, but the game imposed a rule that if I don''t, points will be deducted. I can''t let our team lose just because I''m too much of a prude.]


    YUN: [Please, don''t be mad, Yan Yan.]


    Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun, I''m not upset. Do you really think I''m so petty that I''d get mad over something you couldn''t even control?]


    Shen Ji Yun sensed it was a trick question, so he quickly responded to avoid any possible misunderstanding.


    YUN: [Of course not. You''re so thoughtful. How could I ever think that?]


    His uncle had once advised him that if he and Luo Yan ever found themselves arguing¡ªor on the verge of it¡ªhe should always take the me, no matter what. That''s the secret to a longsting rtionship.


    YUN: [Besides, you''re the only one who can make my heart flutter, so you truly have nothing to worry about. Just think of it as me flirting with mannequins.]


    He added for good measure.


    Noctis: [(?? ? ??)]


    Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun, aren''t you just the most adorable?]


    Shen Ji Yun wasn''t entirely sure, but that reply feltced with amusement. Well, that was a good sign, right? Amusement was definitely better than annoyance.


    White Marsh: [You two, you haven''t forgotten this is a team channel, right? Maybe save the flirting for somewhere else so the rest of us don''t have to read it.]


    Morganite: [I hate to admit it, but I''m with Bai Ze on this one. Your overly sweetments to each other are seriously making my eyes hurt.]


    Luo Jin seemed to want to save face for his brother, so instead ofmenting on the flirting, he chose to ask instead;


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [What is the n now?]


    YUN: [Although we all have individual missions, the most important part is still the main mission. So, focus more on that. And just try your best to not go out of character for the time being.]


    Noctis: [I agree with that. I actually think that the individual missions are more like a trap baiting us with points.]


    Morganite: [That makes sense, but we still need to be cautious, especially with individual missions thate with high penalties¡ªlike Bai Ze''s and Ji Yun''s.]


    White Marsh: [Hah. I guess I have to continueining every 10 minutes. Ji Yun, you better flirt with every woman you see in the train.]


    Shen Ji Yun decided to ignore thatment.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Do you think the opposing team has the same main mission as us? I mean, it wouldn''t feel much like apetition if they were also tasked with stopping Jack the Ripper.]


    Shen Ji Yun nodded as he read that. It was actually a solid point.


    YUN: [You''re probably right. Since this is apetition, the two teams should be working against each other.]


    White Marsh: [So, you''re saying Fenghuang''s main mission is probably to help Jack the Ripper?]


    Noctis: [Or maybe their goal is to stop Sherlock Holmes from stopping Jack the Ripper. There are two key characters in this scenario. If we''re up against the Ripper, it makes sense that Fenghuang would be up against Holmes.]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Yan is most likely right.]


    Morganite: [Then this could go two ways. Fenghuang could either help Jack the Ripper seed in his third-night kill, or they could focus on stopping Holmes from interfering. The same could also be said for us. So, what shall we do? Look for Sherlock Holmes or look for Jack the Ripper?]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Either one is hard to do. I mean, they''re both in disguise. We didn''t even get any hint as to who they might be cosying in this train.]


    YUN: [Considering Sherlock Holmes'' stories, his most frequent disguises are usually that of a disheveled old man or a beggar. Since only people with money can ride this train, it''s safe to assume he''s likely disguised as an old man. We can start with that.]


    Noctis: [Wow, Brother Ji Yun, are you familiar with Sherlock Holmes?]


    Seeing the obvious admiration in Luo Yan''s reply, Shen Ji Yun couldn''t help but feel a sense of pride. It was satisfying to see his book knowledgee in handy today.


    YUN: [Ahem. I have all copies of Sherlock Holmes'' adventures, all four novels and 56 short stories.]


    Noctis: [That''s reassuring. At least we won''t be going inpletely blind.]


    White Marsh: [Ji Yun, by any chance, you''re not also familiar with Jack the Ripper, right?]


    YUN: [Unfortunately, I only know the basics: he terrorized Whitechapel in 1888, had five known victims¡ªall believed to be prostitutes¡ªand vanished without ever being caught.]


    Morganite: [That''s plenty enough.]


    White Marsh: [Wait¡ªwouldn''t Xiao Jin be in danger since Jack the Ripper is known for targeting prostitutes? What if he bes one of the Ripper''s targets over the next three nights?]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [I don''t mind. Maybe it''s better if he targets me. Since he kills violently, he''d have to confront me directly. When that happens, I can send you all the details of what I see while he''s trying to kill me.]


    White Marsh: [We will all remember your noble sacrifice.]


    Noctis: [I''m not really into the whole self-sacrifice thing, but that n could actually work. Sorry, Ah Jin. Don''t worry, Sister Yuqi will definitelypensate you.]


    Morganite: [Hey, Luo Yan, since when did you be my spokesperson?]


    Noctis: [(?>????)]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [...]


    White Marsh: [Hahahaha! (¨R¥î¨Q) ]


    Shen Ji Yun shook his head as he read through their yful banter. But he also couldn''t help the smile tugging at his lips.


    After the yful banter, the team returned to their nning. By the time they finished, it was already lunchtime. They agreed to head to the dining car and, to recognize each other in the roles they''re ying, they would send details on the team channel. Like where they would be sitting or what they''d be wearing, ensuring they could identify one another without breaking character.

 Chapter 1172: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (VII)

    LUO YAN walked toward the dining car, his hand held by his "mother." Just ahead of them were the two women from their cabin, who had introduced themselves as Mrs. Thompson and Miss Thompson¡ªa mother and daughter. They said that they were travelling to Vienna to meet Mrs. Thompson''s sister.


    From their conversation, it seemed like the train would be arriving there tomorrow at noon. But with the murder that was about to happen tonight, he wondered if they would still be able to arrive there in time.


    The real question was whether the train would stop or continue because of the murder. On a real train, of course, it would have to stop¡ªpolice would board, and passengers would be forced to disembark. But here, inside the game, that oue would defeat the purpose of the match. Something was bound to happen to ensure this train kept moving.


    Anyway, the answer to that really didn''t matter. Since from the start, the most important thing for their team was to stop Jack the Ripper from killing his target on the third night.


    As he and his ''mother'' entered the dining car, Luo Yan cast a subtle, fleeting nce around the ce. ying the part of a shy, timid child, he couldn''t simply look around with open curiosity. Instead, his gaze darted cautiously, observing without drawing attention to himself.


    The dining car had a refined but lively atmosphere as passengers gathered for lunch. Soft, midday light filtered through the windows, illuminating tables set with neat white linens, polished silverware, and sturdy porcin tes. A gentle hum of conversation filled the room, with the asional clink of sses and cutlery.


    Passengers, dressed in their travel attire, sat in quiet but animated conversations, discussing the day''s journey or simply savoring their meals. Waiters moved gracefully between tables, bncing trays with practiced ease. Luo Yan took it all in, his gaze flickering briefly from one detail to the next, careful not to stare too openly.


    Then he quickly sent a message on their team channel.


    Noctis: [I just walked inside the dining car. My hand is being held by a tall woman wearing a shawl over a dark green dress.]


    Then Bai Ze immediately sent a response.


    White Marsh: [Wow, Xiao Yan, you''re really cute! Wait- I''m going to take some screenshot of you.]


    After that, the chat fell silent, as if the rest of the team was busy doing exactly what Bai Ze had just said.


    Luo Yan inwardly shook his head.


    Noctis: [Where is everyone?]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [I''m still on my way to the dining car.]


    Morganite: [I''m bribing a waiter so we can switch jobs for lunch.]


    White Marsh: [I''m at the third table on the left from the entrance¡ªthe olderdy endlessly nagging the poor soul to my right.]


    YUN: [I''m on the right, the fourth table from where you''re standing.]


    Luo Yan raised an eyebrow as he read the messages on the team channel. The fact that only Bai Ze and Shen Ji Yun were here now made it clear that when Bai Ze mentioned taking screenshots earlier, Shen Ji Yun was most likely doing the same.


    Well, it wasn''t exactly surprising. This was just one of Shen Ji Yun''s many adorable qualities. Besides, with him looking even prettier than usual right now, there was no way Shen Ji Yun could resist taking a photo souvenir.


    With that in mind, Luo Yan casually nced in the direction Bai Ze and Shen Ji Yun had mentioned. Naturally, he did it with utmost subtlety, maintaining the appearance of a shy, timid girl.


    In Bai Ze''s direction, he noticed an older woman, likely in her sixties, with an unmistakable presence. Her graying hair was pinned back loosely, allowing a few stray curls to frame her face. She wore a gown of rich, vibrant color, withce trim that teetered on the edge of ostentatious. Arge brooch gleamed at her cor, catching the light as she shifted in her seat.


    Seated beside her was a woman in herte thirties, dressed in a simpler, muted gown. Her posture was poised yet reserved, hands resting neatly in herp as she listened intently, offering only the asional nod. There was a quiet patience in her expression, as if she were ustomed to maintaining a silent and attentive behavior.


    Luo Yan must say, his cousin was definitely doing a good job ying the role. Next, he turned to where Shen Ji Yun was. And the moment he did, his gaze was immediately met with a pair of sharp blue eyes.


    The man staring back at him was tall and lean, with blond hair swept back in a way that looked almost careless, a few loose strands falling across his forehead. His sharp blue eyes held a hint of mischief, as if he enjoyed attention and knew exactly how to get it. He sat with a rxed ease, one arm draped casually over the back of his chair, fingers lightly tapping as though he had all the time in the world. The cravat at his neck was tied with a slight looseness, paired with an almost too-perfectly tailored frock coat, giving him an air that suggested charm came to him as naturally as breathing.


    The description hardly matched Shen Ji Yun''s true personality, yet there he was, fullymitted to ying the part of a Victorian-era yboy. And, truth be told, Luo Yan found himself rather enjoying it.


    Just as he was secretly observing Shen Ji Yun, the other was also doing the same.


    Shen Ji Yun stared discreetly at the little girl being led by ''her'' ''mother''. The girl looked to be about seven, with golden ringlets that bounced with each step. ''She'' wore a simple white dress, trimmed with smallce details at the cor and sleeves. The dress reached just below ''her'' knees, and paired with ''her'' white stockings and little ck shoes, ''she'' looked every bit the picture of innocence, ''her'' wide eyes taking in everything around ''her'' with quiet curiosity.


    Once again, Shen Ji Yun couldn''t resist taking another round of screenshots. He continued until Luo Yan had settled at a table with his "mother" and two other women.

 Chapter 1173: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (VIII)

    SINCE he already knew where Shen Ji Yun and Bai Ze were, he began to observe the other passengers that were on the dining car.


    Across from the table where he sat, there was a couple who appeared mismatched at first nce. The woman, dressed in a deep green dress with modestce trim, looked around with bright, curious eyes, a slight smile at the corner of her mouth. Herpanion, a tall, thin man with a stern expression, focused solely on his te, hardly acknowledging her or the other passengers. She asionally cast a nce his way, but when he didn''t respond, her gaze drifted out the window, as though seeking something beyond the train.


    At a nearby table, a young man in a slightly worn suit leaned forward, engaged in a quiet yet animated conversation with an older gentleman with a bushy beard and flushed cheeks. The young man, with his wire-rimmed sses and nervous energy, clutched a small notebook, jotting down notes as the older man spoke withrge, expressive gestures.


    There were many more interesting people in the dining car. Like the elderly gentleman dressed in elegant ck, seated alone by the window with a cane resting beside him, his gaze fixed outside, lost in thought. Across the aisle, three young men in finely tailored suits shared quietughs and exchanged knowing nces, their confident postures suggesting they were likely sons of well-to-do families, perhaps on their first grand adventure.


    A few tables away, a man with a meticulously waxed mustache sipped his tea slowly, eyes moving from one passenger to another with a sharp, observant look. Nearby, a mother and her young son sat inpanionable silence, the boy''s eyes wide with wonder as he took in the opulent surroundings.


    Luo Yan quietly observed the passengers, wondering which were members of team Fenghuang and which were NPCs. And among the NPCs, who might be Sherlock Holmes¡ªor Jack the Ripper?


    Remembering what Shen Ji Yun said earlier, about Sherlock Holmes'' favorite disguise, which was an old man, two people stood out in particr. But assuming who was who this early and without proper evidence was not only foolish, but also careless. They had to be careful. It would be a disaster if the person they thought was Sherlock Holmes actually turned out to be Jack the Ripper. After all, Holmes was not the only one good at disguising themselves. If the Ripper wasn''t as good, he wouldn''t have been able to dodge the authorities after killing five women to the point that he was never caught.


    "How exceedingly kind of you to invite us for luncheon," Mrs. Winslow remarked, a gentle smile gracing her features as she regarded the olderdy seated opposite.


    Mrs. Thompson gave a light wave of her hand. "Nonsense, my dear. We are, after all, sharing the same cabin; it is only natural that we should dine together."


    "Even so, I am most grateful that our first acquaintances on this journey are yourself and Miss Thompson," Mrs. Winslow replied, casting a tender nce toward Luo Yan. "This is my first extended journey with my daughter, you see. How fortunate we are to have encountered such graciouspany."


    Mrs. Thompson''s eyes softened, and she offered a warm smile. "The pleasure is entirely ours, Mrs. Winslow. There is nothing quite as delightful as sharing one''s journey with goodpany."


    Luo Yan nearly winced, but quicklyposed himself, holding his expression steady. Right¡ªhe had nearly forgotten how borately people spoke in this era. Rather than risk revealing his thoughts with a misced word, he lowered his gaze, adopting a bashful demeanor. He offered the mother and daughter across from him a modest and grateful smile instead.


    Just then, two messages simultaneously appeared on the team channel. Experience more on §Þ??


    Moganite: [I''ve just entered the dining car. Walking over to Luo Yan''s table now to take your group''s order.]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [I''m near the dining car as well.]


    And then, as if on cue, a young ''man'' wearing a crisp white shirt with a high-cored ck vest, gold buttons gleaming down the front, and a dark bow tie stood on the side of the table where Luo Yan''s group was. ''His'' ck trousers were impably pressed, and a neatly folded white cloth was draped over one arm.


    The waiter gave a courteous nod, ''his'' posture poised and attentive. "Good afternoon, madames and youngdies. It is a pleasure to serve you today. May I present the luncheon menu for your consideration?" ''He'' offered each guest a menu, ''his'' tone warm yet impably formal. "Should you have any particr preferences or require rmendations, please do not hesitate to ask."


    Luo Yan cast a quick nce at Su Yuqi, currently disguised as a waiter, before looking down again. That single nce was enough for him to remember her character''s appearance.


    Before any of the women at the table could answer, a slight gasp from nearby made them all turn toward the entrance of the dining cabin, where a woman in a striking red dress had just appeared.


    The woman in red stood poised at the entrance, drawing every gaze with effortless charm. Her dark hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders, framing a face both alluring and sharp, with eyes that seemed to linger boldly on those who looked her way.


    Her dress clung to her figure, deep red satin that shimmered in the light, with a neckline dipping scandalously low by society''s standards. A single strand of pearls hung from her neck, drawing attention to the daring cut of her gown and making her look extremely enchanting. She moved with a slow, deliberate grace, aware of the stir she was causing, and seemed to delight in every second of it.


    Of course, the members of Team Yunyue knew better. Inside, this "woman" was probably dying of embarrassment. But watching Luo Jin fullymit to the role of a retired courtesan, despite his obvious difort, was already worthy of respect.


    Then, an unexpected message suddenly appeared on the team channel.


    YUN: [Luo Jin, I''m going to start flirting with you. Just y along and don''t look surprised.]


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1174: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (IX)

    BAI ZE almost spit out the wine he had just drunk when he read Shen Ji Yun''s message. Su Yuqi and Luo Yan barely managed to keep straight faces, each fighting the urge to react. Meanwhile, Luo Jin, fullymitted to his role as a seductive retired courtesan, nearly stumbled, but quickly steadied himself, slipping right back into character.


    But he didn''t hold back fromining on the team channel.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [What the heck was that for???]


    YUN: [Did you forget my individual task? Just y along.]


    Luo Jin barely had time to process this when a blond man with a sleazy grin started making his way toward him. There was no way¡­ was this actually Shen Ji Yun?


    The blond man halted before him, reaching out to take her hand with a practiced charm. Bringing it to his lips, he gave a light kiss.


    "To finally meet the celebrated jewel of Paris," he murmured, his voice rich and smooth, "truly, Madame Duval, you are as radiant as the first blush of dawn."


    Luo Jin lifted the fan to cover the lower half of his face. To others, the gesture might look flirtatious, but in reality, it was his way of stifling the urge to grimace and shudder. Seriously, that little kiss on the hand almost made him want to punch the other.


    He put on an amused expression as he examined the blond man, studying him closely to confirm if this "charming" stranger was indeed Shen Ji Yun. Despite the man''s polished, almost oily smile, Luo Jin caught a flicker of reluctance in his eyes¡ªa detail only visible because they were standing so close. That hint of difort was all Luo Jin needed to confirm that this was, without a doubt, Shen Ji Yun.


    "Why, if it isn''t the Duke of Ashbourne," Luo Jin said, unfurling his fan with a graceful flourish, a soft, inviting smile ying on his lips. "How could I turn down such a charming invitation? It would be my pleasure to join you, Your Grace."


    Shen Ji Yun extended his elbow with a smooth, confident gesture, offering it to Luo Jin. Luo Jin, staying perfectly in character, ced his hand lightly on Shen Ji Yun''s arm, and together, they walked toward the table. A waiter, who was already standing there, pulled out their chairs as they arrived.


    This brief interaction quickly became the focal point of the dining car. Passengers seated nearby watched with a range of expressions¡ªsome smiled in quiet amusement, clearly entertained, while others cast disapproving nces. A few even frowned outright, their displeasure evident as they observed the scene unfolding before them.


    But for the members of team Yunyue, it was all just good fun. Except for the two people involved, of course.


    White Marsh: [Hahahahahahahahaha!]


    White Marsh: [Sorry, I''ll just send myugh here since I can''tugh outright.]


    Noctis: [Good job, Brother Ji Yun, Ah Jin. (©f¦Ø?)b]


    Morganite: [Hey, Bai Ze, did you record that? I want a copy.]


    White Marsh: [How did you know I recorded it?]


    Luo Jin''s expression nearly cracked when he read that message, and he replied almost immediately.


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Brother Ze, delete that now!]


    White Marsh: [No way. This is proof of a historic moment! How could I possibly delete it?]


    Just as Luo Jin was about to send another reply, the waiter beside their table asked what they would like for lunch, drawing Luo Jin''s attention away. Shen Ji Yun responded smoothly, listing off the dishes with the air of a true noble, as if he were every bit the duke he was ying.


    Given his usual demeanor, no one would have expected Shen Ji Yun to pull off a role like this. But then again, the same went for Luo Jin and the rest of their team. It just showed how determined they all were to win.


    In the end, Luo Jin could only sigh inwardly. No matter how ufortable he felt in this role, it didn''t matter; he just had to grit his teeth and y his part. Besides, it wasn''t as if this was the first time he''d worn a dress in this sted game, anyway.


    At Luo Yan''s table, they had already handed their orders to Su Yuqi, who had left for the galley to fetch their food. No sooner had she departed than Mrs. Thompson spoke up, her toneced with disapproval.


    "Did you see that? Imagine¡ªa duke associating himself with a woman of such questionable reputation. Quite scandalous, wouldn''t you say?"


    "Mother, it''s not as if the Duke of Ashbourne is known for his sterling reputation, either," Miss Thompson replied calmly. "I say, theyplement each other quite well."


    Mrs. Thompson pursed her lips, casting a sideways nce to her daughter. "One does wonder, my dear, how a reputable service like the Orient Express might permit¡­ certain individuals aboard. Standards do seem to be slipping, don''t they?"


    Luo Yan sat quietly, listening to their conversation while maintaining the demeanor of a well-behaved, shy young girl. With his gaze lowered, he noticed Mrs. Winslow''s hands tightly clenched in herp, as though she were struggling to keep herself calm in response to the mother and daughter''s remarks.


    This made him wonder what exactly had unsettled her about that brief conversation. Was it thement about Madame Duval, implying she had a poor reputation? Or perhaps the remark about the Orient Express''s standards slipping? Or maybe it was something to do with the duke?


    Maybe Mrs. Winslow felt a connection to Madame Duval''s situation. Perhaps she understood, in her own way, the judgment women often faced for stepping outside society''s rigid expectations.


    Or perhaps, recalling one of Shen Ji Yun''s individual missions, she might actually be the duke''s new lover. In that case, her anger could stem from seeing him now acting so friendly with another woman.


    Either way, keeping an eye on Mrs. Winslow''s reaction seemed necessary. Luo Yan had a gut feeling it might lead to something important.


    Before long, the waiters began serving lunch, the aroma of warm dishes filling the dining car as tes were ced before each passenger.


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 Chapter 1175: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (X)

    LUNCH wrapped up uneventfully, leaving team Yunyue feeling like they''d missed a chance to make headway. ying their assigned roles, they knew they''d have to rely on subtle interactions to uncover the information they needed to stop Jack the Ripper. Yet the quiet meal hadn''t brought them any closer to understanding who on board might be Jack the Ripper or Sherlock Holmes. Since not all passengers had dined at once, there were still people they hadn''t seen, including, perhaps, members of the opposing team.


    That didn''t mean they hadn''t kept a close eye on the other passengers in the dining car. In fact, that''s exactly what they focused on throughout lunch¡ªexcept for Su Yuqi, who had her attention on the waitstaff. They''d agreed earlier that she would handle observing the train''s staff, as she was the only one with ess to areas off-limits to regr passengers.


    After lunch, Luo Yan expected that he and his "mother" would return to their cabin with Mrs. Thompson and Miss Thompson. This made him feel a bit frustrated; if he''d been assigned the role of a mischievous boy, he could have roamed around the train without a second thought. But since he was ying a shy and timid child, wandering off would bepletely out of character.


    He was already considering abandoning the role assigned to him. If he continued like this, he''d be stuck in their cabin for the next three days, only stepping out for meals or quick trips to the restroom. Unlike his four teammates who had much better mobility.


    As nned, Su Yuqi took on the responsibility of observing the train staff, while Bai Ze volunteered to keep an eye on the first-ss passengers. ying the role of a noble with significant influence in high society, he knew that, no matter how irritating his character might be, few in first ss would dare to ignore him.


    As for Shen Ji Yun and Luo Jin, they had decided to stage an "affair." Yes, an affair. When Luo Yan read that on the team channel, he nearly choked on his mashed potatoes. The two exined that since Shen Ji Yun''s character required him to flirt with a woman every 15 minutes, it would be much easier¡ªand far lessplicated ¡ª if he did it with Luo Jin instead. Plus, being together would help Luo Jin fulfill his mission of being the center of attention. With the two of them side by side, they''d undoubtedly be the train''s most talked-about passengers. It was a perfect way to hit two birds with one stone.


    Shen Ji Yun also decided to ignore the "secret lover" side mission assigned to him. Since skipping this particr mission wouldn''t result in any point deductions, he opted to leave it alone. If it wasn''t required and wouldn''t impact their score, there was no reason to bother with it. Everyone on the team agreed with his decision.


    That left only Luo Yan with nothing to do. He had no idea how he could contribute to the team with his movement so restricted. Should he just really abandon the persona assigned to him in this game and do whatever he wanted instead?


    Just as he was considering doing exactly that, his "mother" suddenly asked if he''d like to look around the train. The mother-daughter duo heard her suggestion and loved the idea. So now, the four of them were wandering through the train, strolling along as if they were in a park.


    But Luo Yan wasn''t about toin. After all, who knew when he''d get another chance to explore the train like this? Their leisurely walk eventually led them to the lounge car, where they settled in to rx.


    The lounge car was bright and weing, with sunlight streaming through therge windows, highlighting the rich wood paneling andfortable armchairs arranged around small tables. The thick carpets softened each step, creating a quiet, rxed atmosphere. A few passengers were scattered around, some chatting over drinks while others read or gazed out at the passing countryside.


    Luo Yan immediately took note of the surrounding people, his gaze lingering a little longer on anyone who might be Sherlock Holmes. But, just like the passengers in the dining car, it was hard to tell whether they were simply NPCs or members of Team Fenghuang. Either way, he made sure to remember their faces, keeping an eye out for any strange behavior or unusual actions.


    And so, the afternoon passed by just like that.


    ---------


    Luo Yan wasn''t sure if it was due to the time conversion from reality, but everything seemed to pass in a blur. One moment it was afternoon, then suddenly they were having dinner, and now they were already preparing for bed.


    The four of them had already changed into their sleepwear, and a train staff member had prepared the beds in their cabin. The two seats had been converted into lower beds, with two smaller beds set up above them. A smalldder was attached to the side to make it easier to climb up to the top bunks.


    Luo Yan was given one of the top bunks, with Mrs. Winslow sleeping below him. On the Thompsons'' side, the mother took the lower bunk while the daughter settled into the top one.


    Mrs. Winslow tucked him in and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, my dear. Sleep tight, and I''ll see you in the morning."


    "Goodnight, Mother," Luo Yan said shyly, not forgetting to observe his "mother''s" expression at that moment.


    And¡­ nothing. It wasn''t that he couldn''t read her expression¡ªit was that her eyes seemed oddly empty, a stark contrast to the warmth in her voice. This woman was bing more intriguing by the moment.


    Soon, themps in the cabin were extinguished, leaving only darkness. Luo Yan hadn''t nned to sleep, but for some reason, his eyelids grew heavy as a faint floral scent filled the air. Before he knew it, he drifted offpletely.


    That was until a blood-curdling scream shattered the silence of the cabin.

 Chapter 1176: YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (XI)

    LUO YAN jolted upright, his body reacting before his mind fully woke up. His brain, still foggy from sleep, couldn''t quite ce the source of the scream echoing through the cabin, but he was certain it was one of the women. The details were hazy, but his instincts kicked in immediately. Without hesitation, he swiftly sent a message to their team channel.


    Noctis: [Something happened in our cabin.]


    Before he could send another word, a chorus of panicked voices began to fill the cabin.


    "What...what was that? Who screamed? Sarah? Sarah, are you alright?" Mrs. Thompson''s frightened voice rang out, her concern unmistakable as she called for her daughter.


    "I''m...I''m okay, Mother," Miss Thompson replied, her voice trembling with fear.


    "Then--"


    Mrs. Thompson had just started speaking when a weak voice suddenly cut her off, stopping her mid-sentence.


    "H-help..."


    Though the voice was so soft it was barely audible, Luo Yan had no doubt¡ªit was Mrs. Winslow who had just spoken. As the dutiful adopted daughter, he knew he should respond immediately.


    "M-mother?" he called tentatively.


    But his voice was so soft that Mrs. Thompson''s voice immediately swallowed it up.


    "Mrs. Winslow? Is that you, Mrs. Winslow? Are you alright?"


    "I- I''ll turn on themps," Miss Thompson said.


    Luo Yan heard scrambling in the narrow space between the bunk beds¡ªprobably Miss Thompson across from him, trying to light the gasmp. He took the chance to climb down and see what was going on. It wouldn''t be counted as ''out of character''; after all, he was ying an orphaned child, newly adopted and still getting used to the presence of his "mother." If he thought she might be in trouble, wouldn''t he want to check for himself? It was a natural reaction for a child in his situation.


    As soon as Luo Yan''s feet touched the cabin floor, a soft glow filled the small space as the gasmp finally flickered to life. The light was gentle, not harsh on his eyes, allowing him to take in the details of the cabin immediately. But before he could turn to look toward Mrs. Winslow, a sharp, frightened scream pierced the air from Miss Thompson, followed instantly by Mrs. Winslow''s shocked gasp.


    He turned toward his "mother''s" bunk and caught sight of her struggling form. Blood seeped from a jagged cut along her throat, soaking into her nightgown and spreading across the sheets in dark streaks. Her chest heaved with strained, rattling breaths, and her hands weakly clutched at the sheets, smearing them with fresh streaks of red. In the dim light, her wide, terrified eyes locked onto him, desperate yet still alive, every shallow breath intensifying the unsettling scene in the confined cabin.


    "Oh my Lord¡ª" Mrs. Thompson''s voice wavered, teetering on the edge of panic. But the sight of Luo Yan standing there, motionless, seemed to snap her back to reality. She drew a steadying breath, then turned to her daughter, her tone suddenly firm and calm. "Sarah, take little Mary outside and call for help. Go quickly."


    Miss Thompson snapped back to her senses, quickly wrapping herself in a robe before moving toward Luo Yan. Her hands shook as she lifted him, guiding him out of the cabin. Just before the door shut behind them, Luo Yan caught onest image: Mrs. Thompson leaning over Mrs. Winslow, pressing something white, most likely a handkerchief, against the wound. Blood quickly seeped through the fabric in her desperate attempt to stop it.


    "Miss Thompson, will Mother be alright?" Luo Yan asked, keeping up his act, his voiceced with just the right hint of worry and fear.


    Miss Thompson froze for a moment, then ced a gentle hand on his back, giving it a reassuring pat. "She''ll be alright, little Mary," she murmured, her voice soft but unsteady, as if trying to convince herself as much as him.


    Luo Yan then noticed other passengers stepping out of their cabins, drawn by themotion. They stood in the narrow corridor, faces tense and alert, no doubt having heard the screamsing from inside the cabin.


    "What''s going on in there? Is everyone alright?"


    "I thought I heard someone crying out!"


    "Youngdy, is someone hurt? Do we need to fetch the conductor?"


    "Why''s there so muchmotion at this hour?"


    "Please, tell us what happened¡ªis anyone in danger?"


    Miss Thompson ignored the growing crowd and hurried straight toward the train attendant assigned to their car. He was already making his way toward her, clearly having heard the screamsing from their cabin.


    The attendant stepped forward, concern etched on his face. "Madam, I heard a scream. Is there trouble? Do you need assistance?"


    Miss Thompson''s voice was low and unsteady, each word escaping with barely contained panic. "There¡­ someone has been stabbed in our cabin. Please, call the train manager¡ªor a doctor, anyone who can help."


    The train attendant, clearly unprepared for such a situation, stood frozen in shock. Miss Thompson''s frustration grew; every second he stood there wasted precious time that Mrs. Winslow might not have.


    Just as she was about to raise her voice at the attendant, a calm voice suddenly spoke from behind her.


    "Pardon me. I couldn''t help but hear your conversation. I''m a doctor. If there''s someone injured, I can help."


    Held securely by Miss Thompson, Luo Yan had a clear view of the man who had just spoken. He looked to be in his mid-30s, of average height and appearance, with a kind expression that suggested he truly wanted to help.


    Miss Thompson turned to the man, relief flooding her face as if he were a savior. "Oh, thank you, sir. Please,e quickly."


    "One moment, please¡ªI''ll just retrieve my medical bag," he replied calmly before stepping away.


    As they waited, Miss Thompson turned sharply to the attendant, who was still standing frozen in ce. "Go get the train manager, now," she ordered, her tone firm. The attendant blinked, finally snapping out of his daze, and hurried off.


    Meanwhile, other passengers crowded around, peppering them with questions about what had happened, their worried voices growing louder.


    Noticing Miss Thompson was close to losing her patience, Luo Yan decided to help by letting out a quiet, distressed cry.

 Chapter 1177 YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (XII)

    Hearing his soft, heart-wrenching sobs, Miss Thompson instinctively held Luo Yan closer, her arms tightening protectively around him. She gently patted his back, trying to soothe him as best she could. Unlike most children, who cried with loud wails, his tears came quietly¡ªhis small body trembling with a deep, silent grief that seemed to spill straight from his heart. Anyone who heard it would feel heartbroken.


    "It''s alright, Mary. It''s alright."


    Luo Yan seemed to be struggling to hold back his tears, embodying the role of a child worried about his mother, yet determined not to burden anyone else. His attempt at bravery only made him appear even more fragile and heart-wrenchingly pitiful.


    He stole a quick nce at Miss Thompson and noticed her ring sharply at the surrounding crowd. Seeing the people instinctively step aside to clear a path, he gave an inward nod of approval. This Miss Thompson, he thought, was proving to be quite capable.


    Still cradling Luo Yan in her arms, Miss Thompson made her way toward their cabin. Momentster, the doctor who had volunteered to assist approached, a bulky medicine bag in hand. His gaze shifted to Miss Thompson, silently urging her to lead him to the injured person without dy.


    Miss Thompson gave a brisk nod and pushed open the cabin door. Inside, her mother was desperately trying to stop the bleeding, her face etched with panic and worry. The doctor, recognizing the gravity of the situation at a nce, wasted no time. He stepped inside and gently, but firmly, took over from Mrs. Thompson.


    The curious onlookers who had trailed behind craned their necks to see inside the cabin. Gasps of horror rippled through the group as they took in the scene. Some women turned pale, clutching at others for support, while a few even fainted at the sight of so much blood. Others muttered in shock, their voices trembling, while a handful instinctively stepped back, unable to bear the sight.


    The doctor cast an irritated nce at the crowd before turning to Mrs. Thompson. "Madam, please find a train attendant and ask for a basin of hot water and fresh linen," he said firmly. His tone softened only slightly as he added, "And kindly close the door behind you on your way out."


    Mrs. Thompson, flustered but eager to help, nodded quickly. "Yes, of course," she said, her voice trembling slightly as she hurried toward the door, already pulling it shut behind her.


    "Mother, let me handle this," Miss Thompson said gently but firmly. "I''ll go and get what the doctor needs. Please stay here and rest. I''ll also ask someone to assist you so you can... freshen up a bit."


    "Miss T-Thompson, p-please put me down," Luo Yan said in a timely manner. "I- I can stay with Mrs. Thompson."


    Miss Thompson nced at him with a soft expression, likely assuming his suggestion was meant to give her more freedom to move. After all, carrying him around would only slow her down in such a tense situation. Little did she know, Luo Yan''s true intention was far less selfless¡ªhe simply wanted to better observe the surrounding people.


    She put him down and patted her head gently. "Watch over Mother for me, okay?"


    Luo Yan wiped his tears and nodded determinedly.


    As Miss Thompson hurried off to find an attendant, Mrs. Thompson tried tofort Luo Yan. However, before she could say much, the crowd closed in around them once more.


    The crowd of passengers, d in nightclothes and robes hastily thrown on, pressed closer, their faces pale in the dim light of the corridormps.


    "What on earth happened in there?" an older man in a rumpled nightshirt demanded, his brow furrowed deeply.


    "Was it an attack?" a woman clutching a shawl to her chest whispered urgently, her wide eyes darting toward the cabin door.


    "Was it murder?" a younger man with disheveled hair and a crumpled robe asked, his voice shaky.


    "Is she still alive?" another passenger, a woman in slippers, questioned anxiously, ncing at Mrs. Thompson and Luo Yan for answers.


    "Did you see anything? Hear anything? Footsteps? Voices?" someone muttered from the back. Their tone sounded hushed, so it was hard to tell if they''re a man or a woman.


    The questions swirled around them like a storm, growing louder and more frantic with each passing moment.


    Mrs. Thompson shielded Luo Yan, pulling him protectively behind her. She remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together, refusing to answer the barrage of questions.


    From behind her, Luo Yan peeked out, his eyes scanning the crowd. He said nothing, but his gaze lingered on one figure in particr¡ªan old man he distinctly remembered from the dining car earlier during lunch.


    He was the elegantly dressed gentleman Luo Yan had noticed earlier, sitting alone at a table in the dining car. Luo Yan was certain the old man was a first-ss passenger. So why was he here, in a second-ss train car? More importantly, Luo Yan was sure it had been him who just asked about footsteps and voices.


    He watched the old man carefully, trying to decide what to do. Then, to his shock, the other suddenly turned and met his eyes. The sharpness of the gaze hit Luo Yan like a jolt, freezing him in ce. His breath caught, and before he realized it, he had already looked away.


    YUN: [Yan Yan, any update on what''s happening over there?]


    Continue your saga on empire


    White Marsh: [Is it the Ripper?]


    AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Something seems to also be happening in the service car.]


    Morganite: [I''m now on my way to Luo Yan''s train car. Your Miss Thompson just asked me if I could assist her mother.]


    As Luo Yan read through the flurry of messages from his teammates on the team channel, he realized he had yet to provide any updates since hisst message about the woman ying as his mother being attacked. It hadpletely slipped his mind with everything happening around him.


    Noctis: [Mrs. Winslow is likely Jack the Ripper''s first victim on this train. I''m not sure if she''s still alive. Also, I think I''ve just spotted someone who might actually be Sherlock Holmes.]


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!